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Post graduation unemployment ZACH PERRIN | STAFF REPORTER
As students across the nation graduate this spring, they may find it hard to secure good paying jobs in their chosen field of study. The unemployment rate for young college grads in 2016 was nearly 6 percent, which is an improvement over past years, but what’s more prevalent is underemployment, according to a study done by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). Underemployment is when a worker is qualified for a highly skilled job and works at a low-paying job or when a worker is working part time, but would like to gain full-time employment. In 2016, one out of every eight young college graduates were working part time, but wished to work full time. In 2015, nearly 45 percent were working in jobs that did
not require college degrees, according to the (EPI). “Simply put it in supply and demand,” said Dr. David Brasington, an economics professor at UC. “Some students pick majors that are not directly applicable to the jobs that are out there. There’s not that many jobs that require a psychology degree, but a lot of people take psychology as a major. So by necessity, some of these people are going to end up in jobs that don’t really use their degree,” said Brasington. This trend is most common in the liberal arts. History, English, classics and foreign language studies are prime examples. As the economy shifts, some industries have weathered the storm. “The degrees that really turn out employed people is where there’s a
ready-made market for as many as they can see include data science and statistics and engineering, accounting, finance. I’d say those are some of the top ones,” said Brasington. As with most economic trends in America, those affected negatively are hoping for a fix. “I think if you were to try and seek a solution, it would be to try and educate employers that a Spanish major has learned how to communicate very well, and that that’s a valuable workplace skill. It’s hard to say, ‘Look, it’s skill based.’ Okay, we get it, but you don’t need a finance major necessarily to be a financial advisor, you need someone who’s good at communicating. So, public speaking degree, English degree, German language degree. These people know how to communicate to other people,” said
Brasington. Many students are conscious of the fact that they won’t be able to use their degrees right out of college. “In the fall I’ll be applying to grad schools,” said Katie Breyer, a fourth-year archeology and classics student. “Applying to masters programs and PhD programs, and we’ll see where it goes from there. If I don’t get into grad school, I probably won’t be able to do anything with my degrees.” However, if students decide not to major in a field that offers high postgraduate employment, all is not lost. Many employers often view the mere fact that someone has obtained a degree in anything as evidence that they would make a good employee, said Brasington.
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Campus reacts to NCAA tournament coming to Cincy CLAUDE THOMPSON | STAFF REPORTER
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Phase I Experimental Therapeutics Program LAUREN STYCZYNSKI | STAFF REPORTER
Last week, researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine published results from an inaugural study in the Phase I Experimental Therapeutics Program formed in 2010. This study, however, did not have favorable outcomes to begin with. Luckily, this data can pave the way for future studies, some of which could be applicable to patient treatment one day. Dr. John Morris, M.D., is a study co-author, the director of the UC Phase I Experimental Therapeutics Program and a coleader of the UC Cancer Institute’s Comprehensive Lung Cancer Program. Additionally, he is a member within the Cincinnati Cancer Consortium, a professor in the division of hematology oncology and a UC Health medical oncologist.
In this Phase I trial, Morris was analyzing a pathway known as PI3K/ AKT/mTOR, which has been identified as a central pathway in cell survival and proliferation in cancers. The PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is known to be overactive in cancers, promoting tumor growth. The mTOR pathway has also been associated with poor patient outcomes. Phase I is the only local program and offers cancer treatment options that are only available in an experimental clinical trial setting. Phase I trials include less than 30 people and occur within a closely monitored setting where attending physicians and other support staff can closely monitor the patients. The study found that the combination of two targeted therapies, which were tested in human tissue models and were affected in a rat model
of liver cancer, are not effective in the human. This clinical trial involved the administration of BEZ235 orally at varying dosages with enviroximes in 28-day cycles. This study had 19 patients enrolled, but the side effects outweighed any potential benefits. Participants experienced fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, painful inflammation of the mucus membranes or elevated liver enzymes. Moreover, the tumors did not shrink, indicating that the drugs were not performing. Once physicians and support staff observed the issues, the patients were put on standard therapies in an attempt to stop the tumor. “I believe there was poor absorption occurring, as blood levels of the oral administered drug were lower than were anticipated,” said Morris. “Other factors can play into how well the drug is absorbed, one of these
being how it was taken – with food or without.” Often, negative results are not published, but in this situation of clinical trials, “by federal regulation we are required to publish outstanding trials, especially to prevent turning the wheel again. Even if its negative knowledge, it can promote society so this doesn’t occur again, and we can promote patient outcomes.” However, for UC and for UC Health, this shows that “we have a very active therapeutics Phase I program being studied, and a lot have been very successful. Unfortunately, this one wasn’t successful, but there have been many to go through the UC Phase I program that have gone on to be FDA approved drugs,” said Morris. “This is why we have the Phase I program.”
JEAN PLEITEZ | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
File art of the CARE/Crawley Building located on Medical Campus, Jan. 9, 2017.
NCAA tournament games could be coming to a venue near you. The University of Cincinnati announced Tuesday that, in a joint bid with the Cincinnati Sports Commission and U.S. Bank Arena, the city of Cincinnati would host games for the first and second rounds of the 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. While UC will be hosting the games, the matchups will be played at U.S. Bank Arena, rather than Fifth Third Arena, which would be fresh off a recent renovation. “We are excited to partner with U.S. Bank Arena and the Cincinnati Sports Commission to bring NCAA Tournament games back to Cincinnati,” said UC Director of Athletics Mike Bohn. “Thirty years is a long time for a basketballrich city like Cincinnati to wait between hosting the premier postseason college basketball tournament, so it’s extra rewarding to secure this event with the help of some great organizations within our city.” Opinions around campus support the national attention coming to Cincinnati, especially since the city lacks a professional, nationally seen basketball team. “I’m a huge basketball fan, and I know there’s a lot of basketball fans on campus,” said firstyear marketing and entrepreneurship student Brendan Bannan. “So, getting everyone together in one place is great. Cincinnati sometimes feels like a basketball city without a [professional] basketball team, so we cheer on UC.” This will be the first time since 1992 that a men’s tournament game will be held in the city. The 42-year-old U.S. Bank Arena last hosted the women’s Final Four in 1997, which was also the last time that the venue had undergone a renovation to the tune of only $14 million.
Now, as a caveat to the opportunity to host the games, U.S. Bank Arena must have a second renovation, before the start of the 2021-2022 NCAA Division I men’s basketball season. “The renovations would be good for the arena, anyway,” Bannan said. “It should raise revenue in the long run because it’s not just going to be the basketball games. It’ll have concerts that will want to go there because it’s a better venue and other stuff. It’ll be able to bring more people into our area.” The renovation has to include two additional locker rooms and an expanded press box, in addition to the already conceived renovations that U.S. Bank Arena’s owning company, Nederlander Entertainment, presented in 2015; it could cost more than $200 million without a current plan to fund such an endeavor, according to the Cincinnati Business Courier. “I wouldn’t have a problem with it,” said firstyear nursing student James Elkins. “It would bring in more money, you would think, from having the tournament here. I’d be fine with it.” Both Elkins and Bannan have traveled to Dayton, Ohio, to watch the First Four games of the men’s tournament, as the city has hosted the games since the tournament-round came into existence in 2011. The men’s tournament news comes on the heels of UC’s Fifth Third Arena undergoing its own renovations that will displace both the men’s and women’s basketball teams for the 2017-2018 basketball season. While the men will play at the 9-year-old BB&T Arena on the Northern Kentucky University campus, the women have seemingly been relegated to playing at St. Ursula Academy’s 14-year-old high school gymnasium and have subsequently been silenced when it comes to discussing the issue of the playing arrangements.
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Student Life Center preps for future ELIZABETH SCHMITT | CONTRIBUTOR
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The last week of classes is finally here, and for some it’s the last week of their college career. For many students at UC, the anxiety and stress of these final two weeks have set in. For those graduating, other things than their final exams and projects are on their mind. For Rachel Blinka, a fourth-year health education and promotion student with a focus on community and public health, her future takes precedence in her last few days at UC. After graduation, Blinka will take a position as the volunteer coordinator and educator for the nonprofit Women Helping Women. To prepare for her future job, Blinka not only attended classes and completed her course work, but she also volunteered on campus for the Stress-Free Fair and Tobacco Free UC
campaigns, as well as interned for organizations like the American Heart Association. “I’d say that the internship requirement by the health promotion program has been the biggest help, as it has helped shape my identity and interests and has helped me land a full-time job before graduation,” said Blinka. Many programs at UC have internship or co-op requirements, and many times students are aided by their academic programs and UC’s Experienced Based Learning and Career Education Center to find internships, co-ops and other opportunities. Last July, several programs merged to create the Student Life Center on the seventh floor of Steger. The center has become a way to centralize career development programs UC offers, preparing all students for their futures as early as possible.
“Our ultimate goal is for students to not be waiting till their senior year to be seeking out employment opportunities,” said Michelle Clare, assistant professor in the Division of Professional Practice and Experiential Learning. “We would hope it’s more of a journey they are taking throughout their college career, that they are thinking about very early on who they are, what they want to do and what they are good at. And having exposure and opportunities to do internships and co-op so by the time they are a senior, they have a pretty good idea of what they’re looking for,” she said. For those who are graduating, the center offers services to help them be ready for the real world, such as career coaching. Career coaches are available for any student at UC, and they can help students with skill assessments, resume help,
mock interviews and more. Another resource that Clare highlights is an online database called “HireUC,” which allows students to make a profile to connect with potential employers who are looking at UC students. “I have used several resources over my time at UC that has made me more marketable to employers, like taking part in a co-op rotation. This has allowed me to explore my field and find out if it’s something I truly want to do,” said Cody Webkin, a fifth-year in marketing and information systems student. The center focuses on preparing students for their future careers before their final year, but Clare also leaves graduates with the advice that the center is not only just for current students, as resources are still available even after they leave.
Top paid University of Cincinnati employees MOUNIR LYNCH | STAFF REPORTER
Two of the top three highest paid University of Cincinnati employees have left the university this year, but their replacements will also take their spots among the highest paid. UC’s highest paid employee in 2017 was men’s head basketball coach Mick Cronin, who received $2,253,332 in 2016, followed by former Bearcat football head coach Tommy Tuberville. Coach Luke Fickell, Tuberville’s replacement, will begin his time at UC with a salary of $1.9 million in 2017, which will climb to $2.4 million by the year 2020. The third highest paid employee at UC in 2016 was Interim President, Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and University Provost Beverley Davenport, who made a total compensation of $686,741 in 2016. New UC President Neville Pinto will likely replace Davenport as the third highest paid employee in 2017, with a base salary of
$660,000 through the year 2021. Davenport and Pinto’s earnings are raises from previous President Santa Ono, who made a total of $427,518 in his final year at UC. Ono also denied several pay raises throughout his presidency. Of UC’s 14 deans, Lindner College of Business Dean David Szymanski makes the most, with a total compensation of $548,764. This is nearly $170,000 above the next highest paid dean, the College of Law’s Louis Billions, followed closely by the College of Engineering and Applied Science’s Dean Teik Lim. Dean Szymanski is also the fifth highest paid employee at the University of Cincinnati. Second-year information systems and marketing student Ellis Collins believes that the Lindner name and the prestigious programs at the business school help give the dean a boost. “I feel that pay has something to do with the prestige of the school itself, as well as the presence of the Lindner family
name being attached to the school,” said Collins. Each of UC’s deans enjoyed salaries over $155,000 in 2016, with most of them earning around $300,000. Without question, the most money goes to UC’s highest ranking athletics department faculty. Athletic Director Michael Bohn, with a salary of $577,340 in 2016, ranks as the fourth highest paid employee at the university. Bearcat football assistant coach Zachary Taylor finished off the top ten with total earnings of $485,249 in 2016. The UC College of Medicine hosts many of 2016’s highest paid UC employees as well. UC’s highest paid professor in 2016 was Dr. Ronald Sacher, professor of internal medicine and pathology at UC’s Academic Health Center and director of the Hoxworth Blood Center. Dr. Sacher topped professor pay at $540,059 in 2016. A database of all UC employee salaries between 2013 and 2016 is available through the Cincinnati
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Where does your graduation fee go? JACOB FISHER | STAFF REPORTER
The University of Cincinnati graduation RSVP system anticipates a record number of graduates this month, projecting a 16.5 percent increase over the 2016 spring ceremony. In less than two weeks, nearly 6,000 students, including over 4,000 undergraduates, will cross the Nippert stage to shake the hand of UC President Neville Pinto and receive their diplomas. The university primarily funds graduation and commencement proceedings via the graduation application fee. The nonrefundable $50 fee must be submitted by all prospective graduates prior to completing the degree application. The fee “underwrites various costs related to All-University Commencement, degree certification, diploma printings and mailings and other graduation-related expenses,” according to the Office of the Registrar. These costs include diploma printing covers and postage, setting and printing of the commencement program, sound and lighting, security, location fees and even confetti – an $11,000 expenditure, said Vice President for Student Affairs Debra Merchant. During fiscal year 20152016, the university netted $573,591.25 in application fee revenue. “We’re able to do a few extra things to bring in a little bit of revenue,” said Merchant. “We’ll sell flowers and teddy bears…on campus during commencement.” Last year, these sales produced just over $14,000 in commission, generating a total of over $588,000 in working revenue. The university has exhausted $514,712.14 of these funds, leaving an approximate $73,000 variance, said Merchant. Merchant cited unforeseen expenses, such as last year’s new
Founded 1880
backdrop and college flags, as rationale for maintaining budgetary overhead. This year, Merchant said chair rental costs will likely be covered by excess revenue. “There’s always something that we have to replace,” said Merchant. “We have to have that cushion there.” Revenue is also generated through the sale of caps and gowns. Though this expense is optional, students are required to wear the cap and gown if they plan on attending commencement. However, for students who are unable to furnish the $80 fee (significantly more if purchasing a doctorate cap and gown), the Division of Student Affairs may grant an exception. “Students can’t rent them, but we do have free ones available if there is a student that can’t afford one,” said Merchant. Any student who wishes to take advantage of this opportunity must contact Melva Karnes, the program manager for Student Affairs. The need is addressed on an individual case-by-case basis. The university also grants exceptions for undergraduate students who are one class short of graduating but have already submitted the graduation application fee. “If they are that close, we don’t want them to have to pay that fee twice,” said Merchant. “They would be listed by their college as an exception, they would participate in the ceremony and then they would finish that class up in the summer.” This exception applies to graduate students as well, albeit the process is a bit more detailed. “When you have to defend a dissertation, or pass a comp, that’s something that you really have fully expected to be successful,” said Merchant. “So we can carry that fee over for graduate students.”
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 Stoltz 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 Videographer Michelle Fisk
LIFE & ARTS / 3 THURSDAY, APR. 20, 2017
‘Poetry Girl’ becomes audio script-book NOELLE ZIELINSKI | STAFF REPORTER
In May 2016, local Cincinnati writer N.J. Jones participated in the Summer Playwrights Workshop, a part of the CCM Acting Program. This is where she met a group of talented, young students from CCM. This is also where she met Sarah Durham, a student who stuck out to Jones as a mature and poised individual. Durham, who had just completed her freshman year, was asked by Jones to take on the role of “Annie Blankenship,” the main character of a young adult (YA) fiction book that Jones had been working on since 2014. She impressed Jones with her character insights and her interpretation of writing. The book is entitled “Poetry Girl.” Durham, along with five other CCM acting students, took on roles from the novel and transformed it into a “script-book.”These additional actors included Graham Rogers, Madeline Page-Schmit, Jacqueline Daaleman, Gabriella DiVincenzo and Jabari Carter. Along with voicing “Annie,” Durham also took
on the roles of producer and casting director in many ways. This audio script-book was released this month at poetrygirl. org. “I could publish the script in a different way, collaborating with students reading the roles,” Jones said. “I have used my talent for writing in many fundraisers. UC’s acting program could benefit.” Jones did not finish “Poetry Girl” until September 2016, and CCM students did not record it until December 2016. Other philanthropic works written by Jones include a one-woman production entitled “Above the 37th Parallel.” Along with raising more than $40,000 for multiple sclerosis (MS) research, the play premiered at the Jarson-Kaplan Theatre at the Aronoff Center for the Arts in 2007. In 2008, the play was performed again at the Carnegie Theatre in Covington, Kentucky. Finally, the play was performed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2010 and UC’s Kresge Auditorium in 2011. The story “Poetry Girl” is set in the ‘60s and ‘70s and
revolves around two girls who write poetry to deal with different events and emotions while living in a lively subdivision. Characters Annie and her friend Kelly Kaufman write poetry to deal with the struggles they face in their everyday lives. All
proceeds from “Poetry Girl” will be divided among nonprofit organizations. These organizations are Women Writing for (a) Change, scholarships for CCM Students, The Acting Program and Circle Tail, Inc. Listeners can access the recording or read the
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characters in the book did. “I know there is an entire world of poetry girls! We all are observant, insightful and appreciate the human condition and need and want to write about how we and others experience life. Human beings have a desire to create,” Jones said.
UC sophomore Sarah Durham is “Annie,” one of the main characters in a recording of POETRY GIRL, a poem-play, at www.poetrygirl.org.
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4 / SPORTS THURSDAY, APR. 20, 2017
Bengals need to let Jones go DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR OPINION
SAM RICHE | TNS
Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam Jones (24) is hammered by Indianapolis Colts outside linebacker Josh McNary (57) during second half action on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Jones was given a second lease on his NFL life in 2010, when he signed a two-year contract with the Bengals. This came after multiple run-ins with the law, one including alleged involvement in a shooting outside of a strip club in Atlanta in 2007. Additionally, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Jones for the entire 2007 season due to violating the league’s player conduct policy. Jones was out of the league in 2009 after he was released by the Dallas Cowboys at the conclusion of the 2008 season, and in 2010 the Bengals took a chance on the troubling star. Since signing with the Bengals, Jones has stayed out of trouble and his name has been out of the news for negative reasons a lot
less frequently. Until this offseason. On Jan. 3, Jones was arrested after being accused of disorderly conduct and assaulting a security employee at the Downtown Millennium Hotel in Cincinnati. The fun doesn’t stop there. Police later released the video of the arrest where Jones was seen shouting expletives to the arresting officer, Sgt. Jarrod Cotton, telling him to “Suck my d--,” and that he hopes he dies, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Then Monday happened. During his first meeting with the media since his offseason issues, Jones berated Fox 19 reporter Joe Danneman when he was asked about his eventful offseason. “Didn’t I just tell you not to ask me that? You out. Turn around. Go back, go back that way. Bye. See you. Next question…That’s
his last interview for the year…Don’t come over here no more for the rest of the year,” Jones said. So, after the Bengals ever so graciously gave Jones a second chance in the NFL, that some could argue he didn’t deserve, Jones has taken the organization that gave him an additional three-year contract for granted. Jones has continued to make the wrong decisions time after time, but Cincinnati should not just let him go due to legal issues. His play on the field, especially in 2016, has diminished, and Jones was a liability at times for the Bengals’ defense during their struggling season. After intercepting nine passes through the 2013-15 seasons, Jones only picked off one pass in total last year and was burnt more than toast multiple times by opposing receivers
throughout the year. He also only had seven pass deflections, despite having 35 in total the three seasons prior. These might not be telltell statistics that Jones’ play is declining – he had zero interceptions in 2012 and then had three the next season – but in those two seasons, Jones was just entering his 30s. He will turn 34 years old this season, almost retirement age in the NFL. Jones, also known as Pacman, has given the Bengals good memories, but an organization should not be loyal to a player who doesn’t know how to stay out of trouble after being given multiple chances. The Bengals struggled last year, and if they want to build a winning team they must clean up the locker room, and that starts with getting rid of the bad apples.
The Reds must find success from starter to sustain streak ETHAN RUDD | STAFF REPORTER OPINION
Surprisingly, the Cincinnati Reds sit atop the National League Central with a 9-5 record as of Wednesday, thanks in no small part to some Bryan Price wizardry. Price, the manager of the Reds, has found ways to win early in the season by using his bullpen in unorthodox ways. However, it’s highly questionable whether Price can continue to use his bullpen the same way for the duration of an entire season. The Reds have relied on their bullpen a lot due to injuries to starting pitchers and ineffectiveness while they are pitching. Through April 15, the Reds bullpen had pitched as many innings as the team’s starters. Over the course of a single week, the bullpen saved starting pitcher Brandon Finnegan twice. First, Michael Lorenzen came in for Finnegan against the Pittsburgh Pirates after just three innings. Even though the Reds had a sizeable lead, Price opted to pull Finnegan, who was struggling mightily. In the end, relievers
pitched seven scoreless innings that game, and the Reds won 7-1. Then, in action against the Milwaukee Brewers, Finnegan strained a shoulder muscle. Once again, the bullpen leaped into action and pitched eight innings, propelling the Reds to another win. The good news is that the Reds bullpen looks much improved from last year, when it put up historically bad numbers. In 2016 the Reds broke a record for most home runs surrendered by a bullpen with 93 long balls. The bad news is that the Reds bullpen may be playing at a pace that is unsustainable, and that will greatly impact whether the Reds can continue to build on their early momentum. Cincinnati built a young and inexperienced pitching rotation this season, bolstered by some veterans with the hope of utilizing prospect depth. So far, Cincinnati’s prospect depth has proved solid. However, the starters are really struggling. It’s crazy to think that the Reds bullpen should have to pitch eight innings a game. Pitching at such a pace leaves a bullpen
prone to injury — and the team is already struggling with injuries in its starting rotation. Homer Bailey, Anthony DeSclafani and now Finnegan are all injured and absent from the rotation. That probably means someone from the bullpen will have to start in their places. Robert Stephenson or Cody Reed will probably get the call, leading to more shuffling in the rotation. It’s refreshing to see Price go against convention, doing whatever it takes to win. You never know who’s going to come out on the mound in relief. Lorenzen, an 8th inning guy, might get to pitch three innings, and Raisel Iglesias, a 9th inning closer, could get to pitch as early as the 5th inning. But that trend is also very concerning. If the Reds don’t get more production from their starters, they may become too reliant on their bullpen. Consequently, that overreliance could put too much strain on the bullpen. If the Reds are going to continue to win, they’re going to have to get solid pitching from their starters, not just their relievers.
FILE ART OF JORDAN THOMPSON
Two UC players join US College National Team JASON SZELEST | STAFF REPORTER LOGAN GARDNER | CONTRIBUTOR
DOUG DURAN | BAY AREA NEWS GROUP | MCT
Cincinnati Reds starter Bronson Arroyo (61) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Oakland Athletics at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, California, Tuesday, June 25, 2013.
Two University of Cincinnati volleyball members have been chosen to represent their country for the United States College National Team this year. Rising junior outside hitter Jordan Thompson, who is the reigning American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, and head coach Molly Alvey, who is the conference’s reigning Coach of the Year, have been chosen to don the red, white and blue to play for America. For Thompson, this will be her second time competing for Team USA after also being selected following a freshman campaign in 2015, in which she was selected conference Freshman of the Year. Thompson believes her prior experience will help her get settled into the tournament quickly this time around. “I’m pretty excited just because I went on this trip last year,”Thompson said. “So, I kind of know, like, what to expect more this time, so it is not going to be such a shock.” According to Thompson, one of the things last year’s trip taught her was how to adjust to different teammates. “One of the biggest lessons I learned was just being able to play with other players that I had never played with before,” Thompson said. “Just like being able to adapt to them and other people’s style of play.” Unlike Thompson, this was Alvey’s first time being selected as the head coach for the college national team. She said it is a great honor to be able to represent an entire country on the court and work toward a national goal. “There is something really special to that – to know that you are doing what your everyday job is in developing players, coaching, all of those things that go on with coaching,” Alvey said. “You
are representing Team USA, and there is definitely something special to having USA across your back. There is something special to breaking down huddles and always being Team USA.” This is not the first time Alvey has taken a group of girls to this exact tournament, however. She previously led a group of college players not playing under a nationality, which could give her the added advantage of experience as well. “Maybe just the familiarity of already knowing what the gym looks like, I know what the stuff is going to be like,” Alvey said. “Obviously, the teams have changed quite a bit since then, just with players getting older. I know the hotel, the layout of the city, I think all of those with kind of going into the situation being familiar with will help, but competition is competition. I am always ready for that.” While Alvey would like to win it all, she believes that coaching the players and providing a good experience for them is the number one goal in the tournament. “I hope to give these players a really fantastic experience because I think if the experience is good and positive for them, they will get what they need out of the volleyball aspect,” Alvey said. “Of course winning would be a great outcome to it all, but I think if the experience is good, they will play better and have some really good success in the tournament.” Although Alvey and Thompson were both selected to the United States College National Team, they will not be participating together. The volleyball organization elected to split up the national team, sending two groups of girls to different parts of the country. Thompson will be headed to Thailand for a tournament in May, while Alvey will be headed to Southern Europe in early July.