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The student inside the cat
The most secretive athlete in the school is the UC Bearcat
4
Final Four
Who will go to the National Championship?
THE NEWS RECORD / UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI THURSDAY, MAR. 30, 2017
NEWSRECORD.ORG
Cincinnati mayoral debate hosted by NAACP TIM GOLDENBERG | STAFF REPORTER
Tuesday evening, the three Cincinnati mayoral candidates squared off in a debate hosted by the NAACP. Incumbent Mayor John Cranley, Cincinnati Councilwoman Yvette Simpson and former University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees Chairman Rob Richardson Jr. were all present at the Hamilton County Community Action Agency for the two-hour long debate. The candidates discussed a variety of issues, including the city’s struggling bus system. Cranley and Richardson proposed initiatives that would raise sales tax but lower income tax for the buses, while Simpson called for more investment from the county. Additionally, Richardson has proposed in the past month the potential revival of the Cincinnati Subway project, which has not been touched since 1929. “My opponents have spent the past six years building a $150 million streetcar system that doesn’t come out to this neighborhood. Can you imagine if that money had been used to expand bus services,” said Cranley. Food deserts were also brought up, with part of the focus lying on the Clifton area. Simpson criticized the incumbent mayor for vetoing a $400,000 investment into the Clifton Market co-op. Cranley, however, labeled Clifton as an affluent neighborhood that could have a grocery store without needing to use tax dollars. “This is a thorny problem that comes up over and over again. Grocery stores will come where there is a healthy mix of housing in the neighborhood for people of all income levels,” said Cranley. Simpson brought up that there are two grocery stores within walking
distance of John Cranley’s house, adding that food in Hyde Park is not more important than groceries in Avondale, and that every neighborhood deserves high quality food. “We pay for every development that happens in the city. Anybody that’s a taxpayer, you are subsidizing that
to challenge the status quo, I will do that,” said Richardson, noting the $25 million city budget deficit created by bad management. While she presumes Cranley will take the primary, UC professor of political science Jane Anderson stressed it was a very competitive race. “The
Cranley will win first in the May primary. “He has the incumbency advantages and lots of name recognition, opportunities for free media coverage because of his position and is way ahead in campaign funds,” she said. As mayor, Cranley has some liabilities, according to UC professor of political
by the increased media coverage from the debates. In one instance, Richardson received a shout out from Mayor Cranley. “I want to thank Mr. Richardson for mentioning public safety as a priority when Ms. Simpson did not,” said Cranley. Vying for the public’s
JEAN PLEITEZ | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Mayoral candidate, Rob Richardson, speaks to News Record Staff. Monday, January 9, 2017.
development. That doesn’t happen right now because there is not policy,” Richardson said. The debate, for the most part, was spent with Cranley and Simpson sparring with each other, as would be expected from the presumptive frontrunners. Richardson, meanwhile, positioned himself as a political outsider who could break through the quagmire of municipal politics. “There is not much difference between [Cranley and Simpson]. They have the same voting record. If you want a new vision and want
real contest is between the other two candidates vying for the second-place position to enable them to run in the general election in November,” she said. Mayor Cranley, despite controversy about his tenure in office, has been effective on the campaign path, acquiring the endorsements of the Ohio Democratic Party, various county officials and major unions like the AFL-CIO and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Furthermore, he has consistently raised more funds than both of his competitors. Anderson predicts
science David Niven. He added that Cranley proved himself in 2013 to be a disciplined and focused candidate who knows how to connect. “Cranley has raised the most money, attracted the most organized support and is running a strong campaign,” said Niven. Former University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees Chairman Rob Richardson Jr. has struggled to break out of his position as a relatively unknown newcomer in the long-ongoing race, having only declared his candidacy in early January, but he could be helped
attention may be an uphill battle for candidates. “So far, they have been doing well at it whenever anyone has been listening, which is part of the problem for them. Right now, there is not a lot of the general public tuning in,” said Anderson, referring to both the Richardson and Simpson campaigns. Councilwoman Simpson, meanwhile, was in hot water over the last few weeks after a controversy that involved one of her campaign volunteers. While promoting the Simpson campaign, Consultant Jessica Byrd, a Washington, D.C., based political
strategist, described Mayor Cranley in a now-removed Facebook post as a “stale, pale, male.” In the following turmoil, Simpson refused to disavow Byrd, further raising controversy by refusing to answer questions from the media on the topic. “Yvette Simpson missed an opportunity to rise above an ugly comment,” said Niven. “Instead, she generated continuing coverage because she lacked the courage, or even basic decency, to say that the color of anyone’s skin is, was and always must be irrelevant in judging their character.” A fundraising email sent out by the Simpson campaign after the incident further evidenced the candidate’s stance on the matter, describing the media reports about Byrd as “click bait” and “incendiary reporting,” while calling them “not actually newsworthy.” “The biggest problem is that the refusal to disavow the comment suggests an immaturity on Simpson’s part, and that immaturity is not becoming of someone who wants to lead a city,” Niven said. The primary for the mayoral race will be on the May 2, with the top two candidates moving on to the general election. It is largely expected that Mayor Cranley and Councilwoman Simpson will be the two candidates facing off on Nov. 7. “For anyone interested in politics, this is a really good campaign to watch. Though the candidates have talked about the same issues and sometimes in remarkably similar ways, there are definite differences in priorities, proposals and styles to make a big difference in who wins,” said Anderson.
Calle Cantina review PATRICK SMITH | CONTRIBUTOR
SHAE COMBS | PHOTO EDITOR
UC Football head coach Luke Fickell speaks to media on February 1, 2017.
Fickell reacts to night club shooting JASON SZELEST | STAFF REPORTER
In the largest mass shooting of 2017 in the United States, 17 people were injured and one was a fatality. The incident occurred at Cameo Night Club on Kellogg Ave. in Cincinnati. While the event has led to quite a bit of national media attention, the focus for locals has been more on the safety of themselves and their loved ones. For University of Cincinnati head football coach Luke Fickell, who is tasked with looking after 100 kids, an incident like this can be especially worrisome. “The first thing I did when I heard about it was to reach out to the people, and they got ahold of the police department to find out if that is an area that our guys go to,” said Fickell. According to Fickell, a big part of keeping his players safe is preaching to them about staying out of the
wrong places and avoiding the wrong people. “Obviously, we will have a communication and conversation about it,” Fickell said. “We talk about it every weekend, about where we are and who we are with.” Cameo Night Club would certainly classify as one of the places Fickell wants his players to avoid. Cincinnati police responded to calls over 600 times at the club in the past five years, with the reasons ranging from simple bar fights to reports of shots being fired, according to police records. Fickell, who is new to the Cincinnati area after being hired as the football coach in late December, says his biggest challenge right now is figuring out the landscape of the area so that he can warn his players to stay away from certain areas. “With myself being new, I have to find out and figure out places, not just that our guys hang, but also
the places that are around the local area that we have to make sure we are aware of,” Fickell said. “It is understanding our surroundings, and that is on us as a coaching staff, being new, to figure all those things out.” Reports said people allowed into Cameo were not checked by security prior to their entrance, but club owner Jay Rodgers refuted those claims. Additionally, Cameo will permanently close its doors soon. “Earlier [Monday] morning, Cameo received a notice to vacate the premises from the landlord and owner of the property,” Rodgers said to WCPO. “Cameo notified the [property] owner that although it had planned to move out in May due to the landlord’s planned sale of the property, it will instead voluntarily surrender possession of the property immediately.”
Calle Cantina finds itself as the delicate balance between restaurant – one of the Mexican variety, if the name didn’t already give that away – and bar/club. This gave me much cause for hesitation, as there is nothing more deadly to a small business than growing too quickly or trying to do too much at once. I went in with an open mind and a vacant stomach and left hungrier than before, reaffirming my initial doubt. Calle Cantina does not have the feel of a traditional Mexican restaurant, or a restaurant in general, because it simply is not one. Space is limited, so I can understand an emphasis on minimalism, but that is no excuse for being understaffed. I took no issue with the lack of a host or hostess; in a space that small, he or she would be nothing more than unnecessary clutter. The lack of any form of a real, traditional wait staff was off-putting, and although the two men casually perched behind the bar, who I assumed to be the owners, did their best to fill the void, it still led to an awkward and uncomfortable entry experience. However, immediately upon crossing the threshold, I noticed that they use their space very well and create a very cozy and aesthetically pleasing environment. A collection of festive lights and decorative knickknacks litter the walls in a very relevant and purposeful manner, and the pool table and jukebox are nice diversions that I’m sure see most of their use during the club phase. Now, to the most important part of any restaurant experience – the food. Calle Cantina’s menu is anything but expansive in scope, so if you’re looking for a diverse sampler of Mexican dishes, look elsewhere. Your options consist of tacos and more tacos.
There are many restaurants that make a living by doing one thing extremely well, but this simply is not one of those restaurants. I had hoped that the dining experience, already awkward, unpleasant and devoid of silverware or napkins (until some were hastily snagged from a neighboring table just a bit too late), would be redeemed by these highly lauded tacos. It was not. The chicken, one of the few options, had been highly recommended, so I went with that. I felt obligated to order chips and salsa – only to be informed they were out. Stunned at the unfathomable possibility of a Mexican restaurant being out of chips and salsa, I returned to my table and awaited my food, which arrived shortly. The dish looked good from an aesthetic perspective, but, unfortunately, that is where the good ended. The cilantro and avocado sauce paired well, but the chicken, the centerpiece, as highly lauded as it had been, was bland and watery. The shell, which is the backbone of a good taco, was moist and seemed stale. To top it all off, when I requested a to-go box to conceal the newfound lack of an appetite sparked by the dish, they didn’t have any (of course not). All in all, I believe this to be an age-old example of a small business trying to do too much. If you want to be a restaurant, then do so, and do it well; if you’d like to a be club, then do that and focus all your energy on it. For Calle Cantina, the location is prime, the bar is stocked and the space is hip and inviting, making it better suited as a bar instead of a restaurant. When you try to do both, you overextend yourself, ending up anything but hot. Instead, your reputation becomes lukewarm at best and as unappetizing as the tacos you halfheartedly serve.
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