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Taco Tuesday
What are the best places to go on Taco Tuesday?
Football Spring Game
UC Bearcat football team prepares for their spring game
THE NEWS RECORD / UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI THURSDAY, APR. 13, 2017
NEWSRECORD.ORG
UC Women’s basketball players’ voices are left unheard DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR OPINION
By now, many people know that the University of Cincinnati women’s basketball team will play at St. Ursula Academy next year while their home court, Fifth Third Arena, goes under renovations. The News Record published a column on Monday, showing the perks of playing at St. Ursula next season, but there was one important factor overlooked – how do the players feel? We don’t know. TNR attempted to reach out to players with hopes of hearing their responses to playing at a high school next season – while the men bask in the glory of a Division I college venue at BB&T Arena – but our wishes were respectfully declined because the school’s athletic department “would like to not involve our student-athletes in this discussion.” The most important constituents in this situation are being left out of the discussion. I can tell you how I would feel if I were these ladies.
Now, I know that I am not athletic and I am not a woman, so I’m not sure what my opinion means in the grand schemes of things, but since we can’t hear the women’s voices you will hear mine. I would feel cheated. When high school athletes are recruited by college programs, one factor many consider are facilities. When Cincinnati players chose to be Bearcats, they chose Fifth Third Arena, a venue that holds 13,000 fans and was constructed specifically for Division I college athletes. Playing in Fifth Third Arena isn’t possible next season, so the women should get the next best thing. Instead, they will play on a court with only around 1,000 seats, which was constructed specifically for high school athletes. I would feel undervalued. Compared to Fifth Third Arena, the men will be playing in a smaller venue next season but will still be playing in a venue made for Division I college
athletes – meaning they’re still practically getting what they signed up for. This shows the value the school has on the men’s team compared to the women, who work just as hard as the men – juggling class, practices, games and other obligations student-athletes have – but are being placed into a venue they don’t deserve. Many have called this a Title IX violation, despite a formal complaint not yet being made. UC athletic director Mike Bohn said that looking at this case as a Title IX violation would be misplaced, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. “We believe we can create a competitive advantage in there based on the size and the setup,” Bohn said. “It’s a facility that is close to campus and as least intrusive as possible.” Lastly, I would feel unfairly constrained. This ties back to the beginning, where the athletic department said they did not want the players to be involved in the discussion. UC head coach Jamelle Elliott will not be playing at St. Ursula,
Bohn won’t be playing there, but I bet you can guess who can be involved in the discussion. Yes, Bohn and Elliott – not the players. So, the women are being told they must play in a gym that I assume they don’t want to play in, and they are not allowed to voice their frustrations. Maybe the athletic department did bring the players in during
the discussion before the decision was made, and maybe they all came to an agreement. Maybe I’m wrong. But these women of UC deserve more. They deserve a better venue to play in, they deserve to be more appreciated and they deserve the opportunity to have their voices heard.
DAVID GIFREDA | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Brandey Tarver (13) takes a jump shot against East Carolina on Saturday January 21, 2017.
Political dog whistling FRANCIS SHUCKEROW | CONTRIBUTOR
FILE ART
UC Title IX Office still seeks new coordinator JUSTIN REUTTER | NEWS EDITOR
The University of Cincinnati Title IX Office is “back to square one” on hiring a new Title IX coordinator, said Vice President of Equity and Inclusion Bluezette Marshall. Interim Coordinator Karla Phillips has led the office since the departure of Title IX Coordinator Jyl Schaffer in 2016. A new coordinator should be hired before the start of the 2017 academic year, said Marshall. “The candidates we have received have been unqualified,” said Marshall. “In the meantime, we’ll be reaching out to individuals at other colleges and universities for a more targeted recruitment effort.” Candidates have largely been unqualified up to this point due to several factors, but largely [there is] a lack of experience doing the job at a campus the size of UC, said Marshall. UC also plans to expand the Title IX Office’s capabilities to investigate Title IX complaints by next year, said Marshall. This could look like growing the office or “leveraging the community” to assist the office. Marshall said she was unsure what the latter could look like. In December, UC came under investigation for a “sexually hostile environment” by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights. Out of over 400 Title IX complaints, four resulted in disciplinary actions, according to documents from the university. But this is not representative of the whole picture, said Marshall. “Most cases that go to Student Conduct end in disciplinary action,” said Marshall. “Often, survivors do not pursue
that, they simply request help transferring out of that class, for example. We want to respect how people choose to move forward, we are doing what we can on our end.” Co-President of Students for Survivors Grace Cunningham thinks this is ridiculous. “If survivors are not pursuing the cases, then that should raise quite an alarm,” said Cunningham. “Survivors don’t want to go through that process because they don’t want to be re-traumatized and then have their perpetrator still get away with it because the university doesn’t care.” Most survivors do not pursue disciplinary action because they fear that the university doesn’t support them, and the process simply serves to re-traumatize them, said Cunningham. “A lot of it is out of fear. Most survivors know their assailant, and it is a bit of a scary prospect to look at down the line,” said Student Body Vice President Dana Drage. “Also, a lot of students have heard through the grapevine how the services have been at the university and are afraid to pursue it because of that too.” One of the demands for the university was to create a centralized website listing the resources available for survivors. The UC Title IX page now includes a list of confidential and non-confidential resources available to survivors, as well as a list of genderneutral bathrooms and lactation rooms for recent mothers. Marshall declined to comment on whether she thinks UC is a “sexually hostile environment.” “I will say this. Like many campuses, there are things we could improve on. We are a work in progress,” said Marshall.
Kevin Samy, a former advisor to Barack Obama, and Chris Roessner, an Iraq War veteran and soon to be producer of “Sand Castle,” spoke about political dog whistling at UC. In politics, “dog whistling” is the art of coding divisive sentiment in harmless terms. It is called this because when dog whistles are blown, dogs hear it, but people don’t. Dog whistling is used to allow “non-divisive terms to motivate us around divisive ideas.” The goal behind dog whistling is to “widen the gap between culture and politics…the reality being that often time this is done with racist appeals” and it is important to note that “Both parties use dog whistling as a way to maneuver underneath policies,” said Samy. Samy and Roessner showed a famous Coke advertisement from the 1970s, depicting a community united regardless of race, sex or religion. But this is widely different from the real political
climate of the time. In an infamous interview, Republican Party strategist Lee Atwater discussed using coded racial appeals instead of overt racist language. In a modern setting, this includes phrases such as “family values,”“America first” or “free speech,” said Samy. “When Milo Yiannopoulis says, ‘I am just exercising my free speech,’ most people would agree with free speech,” said Samy.
Institutionalists are interested in making sure institutions are representative of one’s ideas, while looking at the overall effectiveness of the institutions, said Roesnner. This means instead of taking your own feelings and turning them into policy, combating dog whistle politics requires looking at America as an institution, said Roesnner. Furthermore, both Samy and Roessner stress the
We have to remind ourselves that disputes can exist and can be awkward, but they are essential for democracy KEVIN SAMY
“This is used to pull reasonable people further and further into the rightwing tent.” Part of combating dog whistling is not falling prey to ideological thinking, said the two. Ideologues are interested in identity alone and are mostly driven by feelings and shared experiences.
importance of the need to have a dissent with purpose, not just for dissent’s sake. “We have to remind ourselves that disputes can exist and can be awkward, but they are essential for democracy,” said Samy. However, the approach should be based on operating with the
broader institution in mind. “Institutions don’t give a damn about people’s feelings, they want movements which drive policy change,” said Roesnner. Overall, both speakers emphasize that in order to successfully execute the dog whistle project, we must be institutionalists rather than ideologues. The first thing that students can do to recognize and combat dog whistling is to “lean into what people say, translating that into what it means,” said Roesnner. “In the most basic sense, calling out bulls---t, just being clear, checking partisanship at the door and getting to the issues.” Aditya Roy-Chaudhury, president of the UC Democrats, stressed the importance of education. “Just get people educated, get the conversation started, more and more people want to be involved. The best way that we can keep this momentum going is by constantly having events, having programs that get people educated.”
PHOTO PROVIDE BY THE DOG WHISTLE PROJECT
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2 / NEWS UC Cancer Institute focusing on breast cancer THURSDAY, APR. 13, 2017
LAUREN STYCZYNSKI | STAFF REPORTER
Three UC College of Medicine faculty members were recently awarded two $50,000 grants, distributed by the annual University of Cincinnati Cancer Institute Cancer Survivorship pilot research grants. Dr. Ryan Gobble, an assistant professor of surgery, Dr. James Whiteside, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and Dr. Jaime Lewis, an assistant professor of surgery, were awarded grant money for their work, all of which will look at issues that impact the lives of breast cancer survivors. Gobble’s research concerns the use of sphingosine-coated silicone breast implants to help eliminate infections in women who undergo mastectomy and reconstruction. Sphingosine is a derivative of sphingolipids, a class of lipids that possess some antimicrobial properties. In his study, antimicrobial activity of sphingosine will be tested against common bacteria in breast implant
infection models, compared to antibiotics used in breast reconstruction. Whiteside and Lewis will be working with a clinical trial, analyzing laser treatment for the use of treated dyspareunia (painful sexual intercourse) symptoms. “This is an opportunity of UC and UC Health to explore an area of need – namely, a new technique for managing symptomatic vulvovaginal atrophy in breast cancer survivors,” said Lewis. “Breast cancers are often hormonally sensitive, and part of the treatment is blocking or inhibiting endogenous hormones as well is discontinuing and exogenous hormones. So, women have a myriad of symptoms from the loss of estrogen – including vulvovaginal atrophy, which can lead to (among other things) dyspareunia,” said Lewis. There is currently such little known about how to treat this, and “the large and growing population of breast cancer survivors experience a significant burden of urogenital symptoms,” reads the
abstract of Whiteside and Lewis’s study. Several studies have evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of CO2 lasers for the treatment of symptomatic vulvovaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women, suggesting improvements in atrophy symptoms with favorable histological and microscopic changes. There is little known about the effectiveness of CO2 laser therapy in breast cancer survivors, according to their study. “To put matters to a bit more of a sharp point, there are a lot of women pursuing these laser vaginal treatments, yet so far there is almost no comparative research documenting efficacy,” said Whiteside. There are no preliminary results yet, and there is no data to truly support this for women with or who have had breast cancer, but “there is some data regarding the efficacy in women without breast cancer,” according to Lewis. “There are studies of the vaginal laser wherein the laser is used in a given population without any
reasonable comparator to assess the laser’s efficacy. There are lots of reasons for any treatment to look ‘good’ in this context,” said
Whiteside. However, according to Lewis, “while the results will not change the course of breast cancer treatment,
PHOTO PROVIDED BY KATIE PENCE
Hamilton County Clerk of Courts after 100 days in office MOUNIR LYNCH | STAFF REPORTER
UBER
An Uber self-driving car.
Emergence of self driving public cars IAN LEBLANC | STAFF REPORTER
Self-driving cars are racing as fast as they can to be the first to make it big in driving slow. Ford, GM, Velodyne, Uber and Google are all players using self-driving cars on the streets and in the laboratory. What’s the common mantra? Safety. These five companies’ self-driving cars or investments use similar technology, Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR). This sensor measures distance to many targets by hitting them with pulsed laser light and measuring the reflection details. It’s similar in some ways to sonar detection used in submarines. LIDAR is one of many surrounding detection methods that include radar, GPS and computer vision. Self-driving cars also rely on a variety of unique sensory detection methods to deal with traffic signals and different car types and behaviors, among other things. Google’s rendition, Waymo, looks like a swollen grain of rice with wheels. It is unique in its field for two reasons. It is an actual car separately developed for the purpose of being a driverless car, and it has no steering wheel or pedals. Most self-driving cars are active car models retrofitted with equipment that enables autonomy. Waymo was the first driverless car on public streets that was not accompanied by a test driver or police car. Google made good use of it by giving that ride to a blind man in Texas, showing one of the many potential benefits. Google also equips active models with Velodyne LIDAR sensors, which will likely be the true future of self-driving cars. Uber’s driverless car sensors are affectionately
called “rotating chicken buckets” by their test subjects/citizens in Pittsburgh. These “selfdriving” cars take two people in the cabin to operate. One person sits in the driver’s seat with their hands above the wheel and another sits in the passenger seat, analyzing LIDAR and other sensor data. You can actually catch a ride with one of these vehicles if you’re interested. While these cars are safe and law abiding, there are still many bugs, especially present in real cities. Tech website “Recode” leaked in March that the test drivers must make a manual intervention every eighttenth of a mile. Second-year computer science student Tim Walsh said that he likes to drive his own car. “They’re going to be highly dangerous when they first go live, programs always have errors and no matter what it’s going to fail,”Walsh said. He says when it fails, there’s a good chance it will fail tragically. He also questions the necessity of self-driving cars, even considering the many projected benefits. He mentions that companies like Uber and Lyft are safer, more practical and are existing solutions to the issues self-driving cars struggle to fix, like transportation for the disabled, children and the inebriated. “There are certain advantages to it, but I don’t see why overall,” he said. Nevertheless, everyone in the car community seems to want a piece of the action, with billions invested by each of the five aforementioned companies. Only time will tell if driverless cars will live life in the fast lane or head down the highway to hell.
April 11 marked Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Aftab Pureval’s 100th day in office. To Pureval, the focus is on how the clerk’s office can create a more just system in a county with equity issues in the courthouse. Pureval discussed how improving technology, office professionalism and customer service are the keys to making Hamilton County’s courts fairer for all. County Clerk Pureval believes it is important that UC students know about the office. “All documents that are relevant to the court system or that are pending in any of the levels of the court system are processed, housed and kept safe within the county clerk’s office. In a litigation, documents that you file aren’t filed with the judge, they’re filed within my office,” said Pureval. Pureval emphasizes how seemingly mundane things, like improving technology, will significantly change the court system. The current clerk’s website is reminiscent of an early 2000’s online blog, and Pureval told The News Record that he plans to implement a new website in May. The new website seeks to cut paper waste by making free court documents digitally accessible, which would also help the environment. “We still rely heavily on paper documents. We need to make strides to go paperless, and we don’t have Wi-Fi in the courthouse, which is troubling given that its 2017. On the new website, we will reduce costs by making access to all documents under 100 pages free. Unlike the current website, it will be mobile-
they may help to improve the quality of life of breast cancer survivors.”
friendly as well,” he said. Access to court documents affects low-income Hamilton County residents the most, and they contribute to a justice system that is not so just. This website seeks to be a key to improving the courts. “We made a commitment to customer service. Over and over again, we heard our auto title division wasn’t open on Saturday and, therefore, was a big barrier for people who had to take time off of work. Now we will have better customer service, while adding more money to the county’s funds, adding up to $250,000 in new money for the county during my term,” Pureval said. Pureval has also saved Hamilton County over $400,000 by firing over 23 unnecessary employees who obtained their jobs through political patronage and nepotism. Another way the clerk seeks to modernize and improve equity is by creating a brand new legal self-help clinic for Hamilton County residents. “The self-help clinic is going to be a one-stop shop for people to get access to forms that they need, to get help filling out those forms to better understand how to navigate the court system and, in some instances, to get limited legal advice about the best way to prosecute their claim and make their way through the justice system,” he said. Other Ohio counties have created similar legal self-help programs in the past, while Hamilton County lacked the program. “I made a commitment to change the culture of the clerk’s office to take it from nepotism and turn it in to a meritocracy that is modern for a more efficient office. To change an organization, you have to change its leadership,” said Pureval.
Founded 1880 University of Cincinnati 45221-0135 Newsroom 509 Swift Hall 513-556-5912 chief.newsrecord@gmail. com Advertising 510 Swift Hall 513-556-5902 newsrecordbiz@ gmail.com The News Record is the editorially independent student-run news organization of the University of Cincinnati. It serves UC students, staff, faculty, alumni and the Cincinnati community with award-winning news and information on a variety of media platforms. The free newspaper is published on Mondays and Thursdays and is distributed to more than 80 locations on and near UC campuses. TNR’s website, www.newsrecord. org, is updated as news breaks and offers video, audio and interactive features. TNR’s app and podcasts are available for download on mobile devices. FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook TheNewsRecord Twitter @NewsRecord_UC Instagram TheNewsRecord SoundCloud The-News-Record-1 STAFF Editor-In-Chief Jeff O’Rear Managing Editor Lauren Moretto News Editors Justin Reutter Parker Malatesta Chief Reporter Emily Stolz Life & Arts Editor Isabella Jansen Opinion Editor Karly Williams Sports Editor David Wysong Copy Editor Cheyenne Krieger Photo Editor Shae Combs Chief Photographer Jean Pleitez Online Editor Stephanie Smith Designer Gabrielle Stichweh Broadcast Reporter Emily Wilhelm
PHOTO FROM AFTAB PUREVAL’S TWITTER @AFTABPUREVAL
Videographer Michelle Fisk
LIFE & ARTS / 3 THURSDAY, APR. 13, 2017
Where to go on ‘Taco Tuesday’ MADALYN NORMAN: CONTRIBUTOR
SHAE COMBS | PHOTO EDITOR
Los Potrillos, located on Ludlow Avenue in Clifton, serves up fresh tacos daily.
CCM percussion ensemble NOELLE ZIELINSKI
The University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music’s percussion ensemble performed pieces from a variety of composers this past Monday. The composers came from many diverse backgrounds, ranging from noted percussion composer Lou Harrison to keyboard percussionist Frederic Rzewski. Other composers featured in the performance were Thierry DeMay, Leo Brouwer and Nick Hubbell. The performers played on all different types of percussion instruments, such as xylophones, keyboards and drums. James Culley, a professor of percussion, programed Monday night’s performance. “Chamber music is key to the modern percussionist’s education and percussion ensemble provides a valuable component,” said Culley. The skill of these percussionists was clearly shown through the execution of some challenging pieces. Some pieces from the performance focused on certain sections of the percussion ensemble. For instance, “Woodwork” focused only on the wooden percussion instruments. Others combined a variety of instruments and common objects that are typically not used, but created new sounds that added a layer of complexity to the show. This made for very compelling and unique pieces when these instruments were combined and played together. Jacob Dike, a second-year Doctor of Musical Arts student, started playing the piano when he was five years old. After settling on percussion in the seventh grade, Dike said, “The rest was history.” He also said that his favorite piece was one entitled “Fugue.” “Similar to a traditional fugal structure as one might expect from the Baroque era, the piece is constructed by taking a primary theme and restating it across different voices [players] throughout the quartet,” said Dike. Dike also said that since there were no set pitches within each component of the piece, the theme was more contour and rhythmic
based. This concert has been very beneficial for many students. Similar to what Culley said, it provided an opportunity for students to perform many types of music that they may not have performed otherwise. “Fugue” had these different types of elements. Doctor of Musical Arts student David Abraham has been playing the drums for 15 years, and 11 of those years he spent playing classical percussion. He also said that he started playing drums because he and his friends wanted to start a Metallica cover band, but he later started playing classical percussion because he wanted to study music in college. Abraham said that this piece was challenging because the performers were all performing on different subdivisions of the beat, along with the uncommon instruments that were used as well. “There were things like a washtub, a wooden box, metal pipes, coils and even a flexatone solo to start the piece,” Abraham said. Declan Hayden, a first-year music education and percussion student, said that his favorite piece in the show was “Mosaic,” which was composed by Nick Hubbel. “I liked it because of the interesting time signature and because of the piece’s improvisatory nature,” said Hayden. The percussion ensemble performed these pieces with such liveliness, filling the theater and keeping the audience thoroughly entertained through the entire performance.
Taco Tuesday is a weekly celebration in which American students round up their friends after classes and indulge in some of the best discounted tacos their area has to offer. It is arguably the best day of the week. If there is anything that UC students know how to do, it’s combining days of the week with a food that starts with the same letter, then proceeding to devour said food. There’s Mac Shack Monday, Tender Tuesday and Wing Wednesday (or Woody Wednesday, depending on who you ask). You get the idea. Although all of these are sacred weekly traditions here on campus, nothing truly compares to Taco Tuesday. They are cheap, portable and delicious, with infinite combinations. It is truly the perfect food for any college student. With Taco Tuesday comes endless locations to celebrate this weekly occurrence. So, when Tuesday comes around, do as the definition says: Grab your buddies and head over to some of these can’t-miss taco spots around Cincinnati. 1. Los Potrillos Off of Ludlow Street, Los Potrillos is the epitome of your neighborhood Mexican food joint, and they wouldn’t have it any
other way. Since it’s walking distance from campus, don’t be surprised if you arrive to see a classmate unwinding with his buddies or a professor or two. First-year marketing student and Los Potrillos regular Maggie Fisk said the chicken and steak fajitas are a must have. “Can’t go without [the] queso,” Fisk said. “I get that literally every time.” Although mostly known for their Margarita Monday (see, there’s another weekly tradition), there is no doubt their authentic menu and free chips and salsa makes it a perfect Tuesday nightspot. 2. Mazunte Although this is the farthest of all the taco spots on the list, it is absolutely worth the drive. Mazunte offers a casual atmosphere, with authentic cuisine and a wide range of options. They even make their own salsa. Does it get any better than homemade salsa? “My favorite is the pork tacos,” said first-year marketing student Katie Martin. “You can also mix and match an assortment of options, which is always a plus.”This place is perfect if you wish to get away from campus and the usual craziness that comes with Taco Tuesday. 3. NADA This more commercialized spot is one of three around the Midwest, the other two
being in Indianapolis and Columbus. Described as “Modern Mexican food with an electric design,” NADA is a well-known place in the heart of downtown. Their menu is probably the most diverse, from their mac ‘n’ cheese with a twist to their sliders with extra spice, but it’s their “Taco Lunch Box” that makes them perfect for Taco Tuesday. Pick from their wide taco selection and add a side, and they even give you a little donut hole for dessert. Although it may not be your hipster best friend’s first choice, there is definitely no lack of color, fun and delicious food at this quirky cantina. 4. Bakersfield If you’re looking for authentic Mexican street tacos, Bakersfield in Overthe-Rhine is the go-to place for your upcoming Taco Tuesday. Just like everything else in OTR, Bakersfield has a trendy, yet rustic atmosphere. “They have a very limited food option, and everything was pretty unique sounding,” said first-year architecture student Jordan Tedesco. “Although that was kind of nice because it forced us to try these foods we probably wouldn’t have.”You know that hipster friend that didn’t want to go to NADA? Bakersfield is the perfect alternative.
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JEAN PLEITEZ | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Crossroads Church hosted the Bearcat Percussion Ensemble Concert, Monday, April 10, 2017.
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4 / SPORTS THURSDAY, APR. 13, 2017
Marvin Lewis visits UC Bearcat practice Tuesday DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR JASON SZELEST | STAFF REPORTER
The Cincinnati Bearcats football team received an atypical visit this week at practice. Cincinnati Bengals’ head coach Marvin Lewis visited UC’s practice Tuesday, bringing some energy around the Bearcats’ program. “That is great for all of us, as coaches too,” said UC’s head coach Luke Fickell. “It shows that this is important, this means something to the community and everybody around here. I think the guys feel the same way. Whether it is Marvin Lewis, or it’s [the media] coming out here to cover them, or the people that are going to show up on Friday night – all of those kinds of things generate that this is a game of emotion.” Fickell said that while they work the players hard, the guys are still young and enjoy receiving positive attention. “They love the positivity to what football can bring. All of that that we can do is awesome,” Fickell said. Senior running back Mike Boone said that seeing someone like Lewis on the sideline makes the team want to work harder. “It is amazing, man,”
Boone said. “That says a lot about who coach Fickell can bring in and just this program itself. That guys can go over to the sideline and see a guy like that.” Lewis visited the Bearcats voluntarily, according to Fickell. “I’m not going to throw him out there and say, ‘Go on over and talk to our team.’ I would love for him to do it. I told him I would love for that at some point in time,” Fickell said. “[The Bengals] have had their meetings, and they have had their draft stuff and owners’ meetings and things like that, but the reality is that this is something that is important to the community.” Fickell and Lewis have been in contact with each other since Fickell was named UC’s head coach in December. “I had texted him when I got the job, and we have kind of texted back and forth, and I said, ‘Hey, I am looking forward to getting together with you and said you can come down anytime,’” Fickell said. “I actually got a message yesterday that I thought he was going to come by, and sure enough, he showed up. I am very impressed.” UC will be taking part in their annual spring game 7
p.m. tomorrow at Nippert Stadium, the first one under Fickell. Fickell said that junior quarterback Hayden Moore is ahead of sophomore
Ross Trail in terms of a quarterback competition going into the game. “I’ve seen a definite progression from him,” Fickell said “Not saying
that Ross hasn’t done it too, but I think Hayden still has shown a little bit more when we come out here and compete.” The first regular season
game of the Fickell era will be Aug. 31 against Austin Peay State University at Nippert Stadium.
KRT STAND ALONE PHOTOGRAPH BY GEORGE BRIDGES | KRT
Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis is shown during a game against Baltimore on Sunday, December 5, 2004, in Baltimore, Maryland. (gsb) 2004
Bluiett’s not the first Xavier player to blow it JASON SZELEST | STAFF REPORTER OPINION
DANIEL WALTON | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Mike Boone (5) sprints away from Miami defender.
UC football prepares for their annual spring game JASON SZELEST | STAFF REPORTER
The University of Cincinnati football team’s annual spring game is quickly approaching. The game should be interesting to watch this year, as the Bearcats might look quite a bit different than they did in past years. Several new faces will be on the sideline coaching up the athletes, including new head coach Luke Fickell. Fickell came down from Ohio State University, after a 12-year stint as their defensive coordinator and a season-long cup of coffee as the interim head coach mixed in between. According to senior running back Mike Boone, the biggest difference between Fickell and former head coach Tommy Tuberville is in the level of enthusiasm they bring. “He definitely brings energy,” Boone said. “Those guys bring a ton of energy, and he hops on competition, you know effort and attitude. That is his major thing, he preaches about effort and attitude. We work hard now and there is tons of energy, from the moment you are here until the moment you leave.” Speaking of competition, Fickell is implementing a unique structure to this year’s spring game. “We are going to draft teams,” Fickell said. “We will divide up the seniors and then let them draft their teams. We will try to help balance it out as best as possible, but I want to see what guys pick what guys. When you are going to go play for a win, you’re not always going to pick your best friend. You’re going to pick the guy that you trust and believe in to go out there and make plays.” For Fickell, one thing he wants to see
in the spring game that he has rehashed throughout spring practice is to find answers on special teams. One question could be answered by junior kicker Andrew Gantz, who missed almost all of last season due to injury. “Today was as positive of a day for him as I have seen,” Fickell said. “I am not even worried about where the ball goes. Just to see his body language, see his demeanor, to see his face as he gets up there, to see what kind of velocity he is swinging his leg with; I think we went for six today, five kicks today, and I saw a different velocity in his leg, a different demeanor in the body language with some confidence in him that I have not seen since I’ve been here.” For Boone, he just wants to see the team execute what they have been working on all spring. “You know, just execute the playbook and get great at what it is we do,” Boone said. “Just come out, make plays, compete and have fun.” Boone, who is taking over as the leader on offense after the graduation of running back Tion Green and offensive lineman Deyshawn Bond, believes part of it is on him to get the offense back on track this season. “I just kind of put a load on my back,” Boone said. “We have a great offensive line, those guys can work. As a team, we will fix the running game. The scheme of things has changed, and me personally, I’m going to do everything I can, run as hard as I can, protect everything I can to make sure the running game is back where it needs to be.” The spring game will kick off 7 p.m. tomorrow at Nippert Stadium.
During Bob Huggins’ era at the University of Cincinnati, the men’s basketball team was famous for putting out a consistent NCAA tournament-bound product, one that often found itself inside the top-10 of the AP rankings. They were also notorious for their run-ins with the law, including those generating from our beloved Huggy-bear. To no surprise, our classless “rivals” on the other side of Reading Road often criticized the University of Cincinnati for running a dirty program. Oh, how the tables have turned. Since Mick Cronin has arrived on campus, the only incident a UC men’s basketball player has been involved in was when the candy bar-themed school in Norwood tried to start a fight, which was simply finished by the much tougher, Clifton-based crew. On the other hand, the other school in Cincinnati’s head coach Chris Mack has had quite a bit of difficulty keeping his group out of trouble. With three of his starters being arrested in the past 380 days, let us recap what exactly those kids have been up to. First up, J.P. Macura (Or should I say Myles Fox Morrissey?) was arrested last March, following an incident where he felt inclined to drop his trousers at a local bar. When cops arrived on the scene, Macura/Morrissey (honestly, not sure which one) compounded the problem by displaying an illegally acquired and fake source of identification to the officers. Next came Myles Davis, who certainly found a way to keep himself active while school was not in session, and he did not have to allocate so much time to hitting the books. With the books out of the way, he chose to allegedly hit his girlfriend’s walls and break her cell phone instead. Davis was arrested over the summer on multiple charges of criminal damaging, relating to his ex-girlfriend Kiley Stoll. Somewhat surprisingly, the rather disreputable “university” suspended Davis, despite the fact that he was one of the better players on their deplorable men’s basketball team. Davis was reinstated and participated in three
games, before quitting (most likely) due to the lack of unearned and undeserved playing time. Finally, we have Trevon Bluiett, who decided to join the party on Monday afternoon. Bluiett was pulled over for speeding in his hometown of Indianapolis, but the situation escalated when it was discovered Bluiett had something he probably should not have possessed. The junior forward was subsequently arrested on a possession of marijuana charge. To have three of your key players arrested within such a short span of time would signal to me that there might be a lack of institutional control in the program. So, why the sudden change in culture at the “university” that used to pride itself on its Catholic values?
Perhaps they felt they needed to pick up the slack for a UC program that is suddenly staying out of trouble. Or perhaps they watched “The U” one to many times and thought they could emulate the behavior of the Miami Hurricanes, despite having nowhere near the talent. Either way, one thing is for sure. Norwood Police Chief William Kramer certainly has his hands full. While the Bearcats continue to dominate on the basketball court, as evidenced by their 86-78 victory this season in a game that was not as close as the score indicated, the roles have been reversed off the court. The men’s basketball program at Norwood State Community College for Troubled Youths has become the black mark for our city.
JEAN PLEITEZ | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Troy Caupain (10) shoots a three-pointer during the second half against Xavier, January 26, 2017 at Fifth Third Arena.
JEAN PLEITEZ | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Trevon Bluiett runs back on defense during the Crosstown Shootout on January 26, 2017 in Fifth Third Arena.