Summer Edition 2017

Summer Edition 2017

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Summer Edition

May 1, 2017

Phelps and Duncan hand over reigns to new SG leaders JACOB FISHER | STAFF REPORTER

From advocacy to accountability, Mitchell Phelps and Brooke Duncan reshaped and reformed the University of Cincinnati’s student government throughout the 2016-17 school year, laying the groundwork for the advancement of their administration’s vision for the university.

OneUC — the centerpiece of the Phelps-Duncan platform — sought to unify

UC students under a single, yet diverse college identity.

The slate also outlined intentions to establish a mental health ambassadors program in February 2016 — a goal which ultimately grew to fruition.

“We were really trying to bring counseling and psychological services closer to the students,” said Phelps.

This year, the administration launched a collaborative effort with the Turner Scholars Program to launch a mid-year

scholarship initiative — a success Phelps deemed “one of the biggest accomplishments we had.”

“There’s a lot of scholarships for first-year students,” said Phelps. “We wanted to make more midyear scholarships.”

Beginning next year, the Turner Scholarship initiative will enable second-year students to transfer into the program, expanding the quantity and availability of scholarship opportunities for UC undergraduates.

Accountability and transparency were topics of high importance for the Phelps-Duncan administration. A Sept. 2016 article published in The News Record legitimized student concerns about these issues.

“There were issues with transparency in the previous administration,” Phelps said in the article. “We will be taking active measures to ensure this is not a problem in student government moving forward.”

However, in Nov. 2016, third-year psychology student Hannah Fereshtehkhou released a “Bearcountability” petition demanding enhanced oversight of SG spending and budget appropriations after concerns were raised regarding funding for the organization’s summer retreat to Washington D.C. The administration’s response was resounding.

This April, UC’s undergraduate student government proposed a

FILE ART

Former Student Government President Mitchell Phelps and Vice President Brooke Duncan.

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bill which, if passed, would construct an independent student court — a measure which has they have discussed for nearly a year.

The court would constitute a powerful system of checks and balances on undergraduate student government, allowing students to dispute fairness and legitimacy of SG policy.

“The student court is actually a really good thing,” said Phelps, who worked on the proposal. “It keeps the actual student senate and other student government boards accountable for the work that they do.”

As the curtains draw on Phelps and Duncan’s terms in office, SG faces new leadership.

Bashir Emlemdi and Dana Drage, — who were elected Student Body President and Vice President this March — will begin heading the executive branch of undergraduate student government this fall semester. Though the Emlemdi-Drage platform brings a number of new policy goals to the table, many of their ideas overlap with those of the prior administration.

“I’ve heard from [Emlemdi and Drage] that they’d like to continue a lot of things that both Brooke and I laid the foundation for, which is really awesome,” said Phelps.

“I hope that they continue to do that.”

Phelps cited his administration’s “We the Bearcats” platform point — a homage to the preamble of the U.S. Constitution.

The platform emphasized enhanced accessibility to SG representatives, with the goal of translating student requests into actions.

“It’s making sure that students’ voices are being heard — always,” said Phelps.

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Summer Edition

May 1, 2017

Cranley and Simpson are the frontrunners in mayoral race TIM GOLDENBERG | STAFF REPORTER

The primary election for Cincinnati’s mayoral race will take place May 2. The candidates include Yvette Simpson, Incumbent Mayor John Cranley and ex-UC Board of Trustees member Rob Richardson.

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 developed since 1929.

“My opponents have spent the past six years building a $150 million streetcar system that doesn’t come out to this neighborhood,” Cranley said.

“Can you imagine if that money had been used to expand bus services?”

For the most part, the campaign 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 to challenge the status quo, I will do that,” said Richardson, noting the $25 million city budget deficit was created by bad management.

While presuming Cranley will win the primary, UC professor of political science Jane Anderson stressed it

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was a very competitive race.

“The 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,” Anderson said.

Mayor Cranley — despite controversy about his tenure in office — has been effective on the campaign path, acquiring endorsements from Ohio Democratic Party, various county officials and major unions like the AFLCIO and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Furthermore, he has consistently raised more funds than both of his competitors.

Anderson predicts 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,” Anderson said.

As mayor, Cranley has some liabilities, according to UC professor of political 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,” Niven said.

Richardson has struggled to break out of his position as a relatively unknown newcomer in the longongoing race, having only declared his candidacy in early January, but he said he could be helped by the increased media coverage from the debates.

“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,” Anderson said, referring to both the Richardson and Simpson

campaigns.

The primary for the mayoral race will be on 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 Nov. 7.

JEAN PLEITEZ | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Mayoral candidate Rob Richardson, speaks to TNR staff January 10, 2017.

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Summer Edition

May 1, 2017

Verna Williams named interim College of Law leader PARKER MALATESTA | STAFF REPORTER

Jennifer Bard — dean of UC’s College of Law that was placed on administrative leave — filed a suit against the university last week.

“I came to UC in good faith, deeply committed to addressing the College of Law’s failure to adapt to a rapidly changing legal market,” Bard said in a statement. “Although I enjoyed the support of the students and many highly talented faculty and staff, the university now seems committed to seeing a small, entitled minority of faculty hijack reform efforts that should be dedicated solely to the welfare of its students. I have no

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recourse but to protect my good name and encourage an open discussion of the deeply rooted and on-going problems that existed here well before my arrival.”

The university recently named Verna Williams as the interim leader of the College of Law and special assistant to the provost.

A group of faculty members denounced Bard to interim provost Peter Landgren.

Williams was a participant in the opposition, labeling the situation as “untenable” in an email, according to records obtained by the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Bard was the first female dean of the College of Law. Williams has been at the college since 2001, joining

after many years of work in civil and women’s rights, such as serving as the vice president of the National Women’s Law Center.

“It’s a great job for me because it’s what I first loved about coming to the law school, and what I still love about it is it’s a place that’s really open to ideas, innovation, trying something new, to connect with students and provide them with as many opportunities as we can,”Williams said to The News Record.

She currently co-directs the university’s unprecedented joint-degree in law and women’s studies, a program Williams has strengthened since coming to Cincinnati.

“The law school has

changed amazingly since I have been here,” she said.

“When I got here, there was no clinic, which is pretty standard in most law schools. We’ve gone from having zero to four. We have several high profile programs, so it’s changed in that regard. We have more diversity on our faculty, we have greater diversity among our students.”

Williams grew up in the Washington, D.C. area, and she decided to stay close to home and attend Georgetown for her undergraduate degree. She went on to attend Harvard Law School.

“The campus itself has changed so much,”Williams said. “Now, I think anybody

who left the college in 2003 wouldn’t recognize this area. The campus has sort of grown in a way. It’s really pleasant.”

Before coming to UC, Williams was active in several diverse cases. She went on to debate in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in the Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education case, establishing a stronger sense of responsibility for educational institutions in sexual harassment situations, therefore further empowering Title IX. “Cincinnati is such a vibrant, intellectual community. We have to get out of our polite, Midwestern shells and do a little bit of bragging. I

want to build bridges and continue our collaborative work and enhance it. I think that, frankly, the rankings don’t reflect what kind of institution we are,” she said.

Additionally, she practiced at the Department of Justice and worked under the U.S. District Judge for the District of Massachusetts.

“This school is like this hidden gem, my first goal is to get rid of that modifier ‘hidden,’” she said. “People need to know what is happening at the College of Law. My vision includes getting the word out, improving our connections with the rest of campus, so we are working more collaboratively with those units on campus.”

newsrecord.org/summer

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Summer Edition

Second Tensing trial set begin this month JUSTIN REUTTER | NEWS EDITOR

The second trial of former UCPD officer Ray Tensing is set to begin May 25, 2017.

Tensing is being retried on charges of second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter for the July 2015 killing of unarmed motorist Samuel Dubose on a routine traffic stop after the first trial was declared a mistrial last November.

A conviction on the higher charge carries 15 years to life in prison.

The lesser charge carries a maximum penalty of 11 years.

Tensing will be prosecuted

by Chief Assistant Prosecutors Seth Tieger and Stacey Degraffenried.

Earlier this year, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters decided that he will be handing off the trial to his peers in favor of the resentencing of serial killer Anthony Kirkland.

Tensing will be again represented by his attorney Stew Mathews and his cocounsel Gwen Callender.

The first trial ended in a hung jury after several days of deliberation, leading to the mistrial declaration.

Jurors went into deliberations Nov. 9, 2016, but on Nov. 11, the jury told Judge Megan Shanahan that they could not reach a verdict, and was issued a “dynamite charge” to continue deliberating.

On Nov. 12, Judge Shanahan declared a mistrial.

The retrial will be held at the Hamilton County Courthouse. Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters had requested a change of venue for the retrial to Columbus or Cleveland, but Judge Lezlie Ghiz denied the request, for the time being, on the assumption that a jury can be found in Hamilton County.

newsrecord.org/summer

“Given that it stays, I think there is a very high chance that they plead to the lesser charge,” said Cole Weirich, president of Cincinnati Socialist Students and organizer of Students for Sam Dubose. “The first trial proved that Tensing isn’t going to walk away from this, and so I think his defense will try to minimize the punishment.”

The jury was 10-2 for a voluntary manslaughter conviction at one point, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said in a press conference.

Tensing testified during the first trial that he fired on Dubose because he thought he was being dragged and was scared for his life.

A witness at the scene disputed this, and during the trial a forensic video analyst testified that Tensing raised his gun 1.85 seconds before the car started moving, Ghiz issued a gag order preventing the prosecution and defense teams from speaking to media in hopes of preserving the impartiality of the jury.

“It’s not to keep people in the dark, it’s simply to make sure that we can seat a jury in Hamilton County,” Ghiz told press. “My job is not only to protect the integrity of the process, but it’s also to be certain that we can seat a jury here. That’s my number one concern right now and I will do everything I can to make sure that happens for the interest of all parties.”

Brian Taylor, a Black Lives Matter Cincinnati Steering Committee Member, hopes for a different result to the trial, regardless of Deters’s decision not to prosecute the case personally.

“It doesn’t start with the prosecutors,” said Taylor.

“It starts with what kind of force we can mobilize.”

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JEAN PLEITEZ | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Many protesters stood together in front of Hamilton County Courthouse as they waited for a verdict on Sam DuBose’s case, November 11, 2016.

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

Instagram TheNewsRecord SoundCloud The-News-Record-1 STAFF Editor-In-Chief David Wysong Managing Editor Claude Thompson News Editors Justin Reutter Parker Malatesta Chief Reporter Gulnaaz Afzal Life & Arts Editor Isabella Jansen Opinion Editor Karly Williams Sports Editor Jason Szelest Copy Editor Erin Couch Photo Editor Shae Combs Chief Photographer Jean Pleitez Online Editor Stephanie Smith Designer Gabrielle Stichweh Broadcast Reporter Emily Wilhelm

Twitter @NewsRecord_UC

JEAN PLEITEZ | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPH

Throughout the day, many protestors stood on the steps outside of Hamilton County Courthouse waiting to hear a verdict on Sam Dubose’s case, November 11, 2016.

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Summer Edition

May 1, 2017

DAVID GIFREDA | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Electrical engineering graduate student Shashank Ranganath does his schoolwork in a corner of Langsam on Friday February 3, 2017.

Candidates for your perfect study spot ISABELLA JANSEN | ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

Moving away from home for the first time is one of the most exciting experiences for a young adult.

With this new excitement comes dorm life which equates to no personal space and making it hard to have a spot where you can sit down, focus, and crank out that ten page report that is due by midnight.

Luckily for UC students, there is an abundance of spots on and around campus that allow for serious study time no matter what your study habits may be.

The obvious and conventional spot is Langsam Library. During the school year, the library is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. most days, with 24-hour access available on the fourth floor seven days a week.

Langsam offers students with all the necessary study needs. There are private study rooms, ranging in size depending on if you are studying with a big or small group. It also offers

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computers and printers for those who do not have their own.

The most inviting part of the library is the Starbucks right inside the main entrance. This is convenient for any student who is trying to get through their assignments.

Let’s be honest though, at times the library can be too crowded.

There are two more Starbucks located on campus at Steger Student Life Center and CCM, and one off campus on Calhoun Street.

All locations provide cozy nooks for individuals to sit, plug their headphones in and get lost within an assignment while indulging in a hot or cold drink, maybe even a cake pop.

Steger Student Life Center also offers a room with comfy seats and big windows that let in natural light, creating the perfect environment for studying.

Another heavily populated place between classes for students is Tangeman University Center (TUC).

While it is not ideal for heavy

cramming, it is perfect for finishing up simple assignments when you have an hour gap and need a quick lunch from one of the vendors in its food court.

For some, studying is best done outside, where they can feel the cool breeze and warm sun on their skin. For these individuals, they can find a study spot on Sigma Sigma Commons. When the weather permits it, it is an ideal spot for the ones who need to study, but hate the idea of wasting a beautiful day inside.

With the entire campus having Wi-Fi, any spot can become your own personal study spot. Look around, explore, and find the one that is best suited for you.

If there is no place on campus where you feel you can call your own, there are many spots just off campus such as the 86 Club on Short Vine and Rohs Street CafĂŠ.

College is great, but it can quickly get overwhelming and crowded in a dorm room. Make sure to find a place for yourself, where you can study or even just relax.

DAVID GIFREDA | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Walter C. Langsam Library on Friday February 3, 2017.

newsrecord.org/summer

Summer Edition

May 1, 2017

Freshmen 15 is a real concern for some students JEN HAM | STAFF REPORTER

KURT STRAZDINS | MCT

Eat healthy with the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables.

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What is that menacing shadow lurking within every freshman dorm room? It is the dreaded Freshman 15.

The Freshman 15 is something every incoming freshman is warned of, but like the boogey man or tooth fairy, it seems all too unrealistic. A ghost story that the upperclassmen tell the first years to invoke a sense of fear in some sort of lame and unspoken hazing ritual.

Be forewarned, freshmen — the Freshman 15 is no myth.

“My first year at UC, there was a period where I noticed myself getting a little chubby” said David Smith, third-year construction management student.

It is a subtle, nagging, tenacious force which preys on the unsuspecting and the skeptical.

“Going in, I knew college life would be a change of pace, but I prioritized my fitness and made it a point to exercise three times a week, walk everywhere I could, and avoid unhealthy food options, even at Center Court [dining hall],” said Amani Russell, third-year chemical engineering student.

“I didn’t gain weight, I just stayed curvy. I eat right — cooking for myself and not eating out — I just don’t exercise,” said Vince Donovan, third-year social work student.

Avoiding the Freshman 15 is like avoiding any unwanted weight gain.

The advice and knowledge is the same: eliminate unhealthy foods such as fried foods, foods high in fat, foods high in processed sugars, and foods with unrecognizable chemical compounds in the labels; minimize the amount of times eating out and exercise regularly.

This is not new information, yet as educated and self-confident college students are, how is it that across all states, all universities, the Freshman 15 continues taking victims?

There are three factors that override all this logic and health knowledge: academic duress, social explorations and personal crisis.

Academic pressures lead to finding comfort in gluttony, or avoiding cooking, instead opting for food delivery to allow for more study time.

Developing a social life is no doubt one of the great experiences of college, but

when going out entails caloric restaurant adventuring, the gaining of a social life transforms into gains in unwanted areas.

Discovering one’s self in college, who they are away from home and old friends, manifests in experimentation and the lack of stability. Without a regimen, some important components are forgotten, such as wellness and fitness.

To realize a healthy self in the university setting is to find a balance between these three spheres and to know what to prioritize.

A personal goal of Smith’s was to gain muscle mass and to get stronger.

“I started going to the gym more and taking a supplement to intentionally gain muscle,” said Smith.

What if the Freshman 15 could be a phenomenon not ruled by numbers on a scale? What if the Freshman 15 could be the gain of fifteen healthy habits?

Freshmen could reframe the Freshman 15 by bringing into one’s life five new friends, five new clubs, and five new campus events or some derivative of this combination.

newsrecord.org/summer

May 1, 2017

Summer Edition

FC Cincinnati has been taking over Cincy’s summer JASON SZELEST | SPORTS EDITOR

It was unclear what to expect when professional soccer came to Cincinnati last year.

In a football-centric city, where two professional sports teams and multiple Division I collegiate athletic teams had already staked their claims to the sports fans of the town, questions were raised as to whether the market was big enough to support another team.

Any doubts in that regard have quickly been put to rest.

In their second season, FC Cincinnati has broken the attendance record of the United Soccer League ¬– professional soccer’s double-A – multiple times.

Last year, their record attendance of 24,376 on

newsrecord.org/summer

Sept. 17 was larger than the average attendance of 15 of the MLS’s 20 clubs.

FC Cincinnati also set an attendance record for a soccer match in the state of Ohio when 35,061 people showed up for an exhibition match July 16, 2016 against Crystal Palace from England.

Keep in mind, those records included attendance marks for the Columbus Crew, who have been in the MLS since 1994.

“I think this shows that we are capable of supporting a soccer team at the highest level,” said fourth-year business management student Brendan Wambaugh.

“Since the very first game, fans have been coming out and supporting this team,

and the level of interest is continuing to grow.

Cincinnati has proven it can be a soccer town, too.”

With college sports taking a break for the summer, and the Cincinnati Bengals not opening their preseason until August, FC Cincinnati will have only the Cincinnati Reds to compete with for fans during the upcoming months.

Fourth-year engineering student Jacob Wergers believes this is an opportunity for the club to flourish in the public eye.

“Cincinnati loves sports, so naturally the fans will flock to whatever sporting event the city is putting on,” Wergers said. “If the Reds are as bad as they are projected

to be, nobody will really want to go to those games.

So, if FC is the only viable sports option, I think this is a great opportunity for them to really take over the city.”

Wambaugh says that this level of interest in the club can only lead to growth in the future.

“When you look at how many fans we are drawing in just our second season, I think it sends a message to the MLS that we are ready,”Wambaugh said. “We are already drawing larger crowds than a lot of their teams, and that is just for minor league soccer. I think we will receive an MLS bid in the next couple of years, and then our attendance numbers will go up even

more.”

In the end, Wergers says the one thing that can keep FC Cincinnati’s momentum going is putting a solid product on the field.

“No matter how much you like a team, eventually you are going to be turned away if they are not playing well,” Wergers said. “I think it

really helped FC that they made the playoffs in their first season. If they continue to win, I think more and more fans will jump on board.”

FC Cincinnati’s next home game is at Nippert Stadium May 13 at 5 p.m. against Orlando City B.

SHAE COMBS | PHOTO EDITOR

FCC players huddle during the last game of the inaugural season. Sept. 17, 2016.

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Summer Edition

May 1, 2017

! s S c a C i A I n N m M o O s S n I N y Y e HE SHAE COMBS | PHOTO EDITOR

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Senior swimmer Tyler Roehr, stands on the pool deck in the Rec Center. April 26, 2017.

Roehr swims his last lap at UC ETHAN RUDD | STAFF REPORTER

With graduation passed and swimming season ending, University of Cincinnati alumnus Tyler Roehr has more free time on his hands than he normally does.

Usually his days would start at 5:15 a.m. so he could be in the pool for practice from 6 to 8 a.m. Then he would go to breakfast with his teammates, and then class before going back to an afternoon practice from 2 to 5 p.m. Evening classes rounded out Roehr’s days on campus.

Now, he passes time watching shows like “The Office,”“Silicon Valley” and “Westworld” on Netflix.

Occasionally, he’ll even go for a run now that he doesn’t have practice.

For 16 years Roehr has been a swimmer.

“I grew up in the pool as a kid. I loved being there,” Roehr said. “I was actually kicked out of swimming lessons because I was five years old and I was swimming with kids who were 10. They were picking on me, and my teacher told my parents I was a distraction and I couldn’t come back.”

After that, he saw a YMCA swim team sign, and the rest is history. Roehr became a

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three-time Wisconsin high school state champion and began looking for a college to swim at.

Originally, UC was not even on his radar. However, he was contacted by a coach from the school and decided to respond because he was familiar with Cincinnati’s basketball and football teams.

He assumed the university had a good athletic department.

When he visited campus, he fell in love with UC and was attracted by the opportunity to compete on a team that was in a rebuilding phase of sorts. He even cancelled his visit to the University of Wisconsin — a school he had long imagined himself attending.

“Everything just fell into place. Every other school I visited had one or two things wrong with it and UC was just perfect,” Roehr said.

The decision to commit to UC paid off sooner rather than later for Roehr.

Cincinnati won the first meet Roehr competed in against Xavier University, and the Bearcats swept the first event he swam in.

“We beat them for the first time in, I think, three or four years because we didn’t have scholarships for a couple of

those years and they were clearly the much better team, but we had the better facilities, the better coaches — it came down to money,” Roehr said.

Things started to fall in place when the swim team kept building their momentum.

“We had a new team and new scholarships,” Roehr said.

This year the Bearcats beat Michigan State University at a meet, proving how much the team had grown since Roehr has been here.

Having been elected a team captain during this period of transition makes the experience almost full circle for Roehr.

Graduating completed the circle.

“I’m a little sad to be leaving campus, but it’s my time,” Roehr said. “I’m transitioning into the alumni role where it’s now my job to give back. The sport of swimming has given me so much. UC has given me so much.”

Ironically, Roehr — who studied health sciences at UC — will be going to Xavier to complete a master’s degree in nursing.

Hopefully, no Musketeers will spy his Bearcat C-paw tattoo.

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newsrecord.org/summer

May 1, 2017

Summer Edition

Baseball team’s hopes are high heading into summer CLAUDE THOMPSON | MANAGING EDITOR

With 14 games remaining on the schedule, the University of Cincinnati men’s baseball team draws ever nearer to the American Athletic Conference Championship tournament.

The Bearcats sit at 21-21 on the season, which is a far cry from the team’s expectations entering the year, but spirits remain high as UC aims to enter the conference tournament the healthiest they have been all year and with players firing on all cylinders.

“As a competitor you never want to say you’re the head

coach of a .500 team, but I think with the adversity that we’ve faced we still have been able to piece together a quality season and some quality wins,” said Cincinnati head coach Ty Neal.

The team’s plan currently hangs on the return of ace pitcher, Andrew Zellner, who has spent much of the season dealing with a hand injury and has been unable to make it deep into multiple of his nine starts, forcing head coach Ty Neal to turn to the bullpen sooner than he’d like.

Additionally, Zellner has struggled with his command

while playing through the injury and has been beat up to a tune of a 5.66 ERA. “I just think if he’s healthy and performing like he’s capable of performing all year we’re having a different conversation [about the season,]” Neal said. “When you go four or five weekends without your Friday night guy it’s like the Reds without [starting pitcher] Homer Bailey.”

Neal still believes the team can make a run in the conference tournament and while they have been underwhelming on the scoreboard, Neal points to

wins over No. 1 University of Louisville and No. 25 University of Tennessee that the Bearcats can hang with the best teams in the country.

“I like our guys, I like what we do,” Neal said. “I like our pitching; I like our defense.

This team has got some fight to it, so I think all of those things are encouraging moving forward.”

If the Bearcats succeed in the postseason, it will need its best players to turn out their best performances of the season, particularly players like outfielders A.J. Bumpass and R.J. Thompson.

Both Bumpass and

Thompson lead the team with a .312 batting average and 49 hits, while Bumpass leads the team in doubles, triples, walks, taken bases, slugging percentage and onbase percentage.

“He’s obviously a very good baseball player and a very good hitter,” Neal said.

“Anytime your leading hitter is standing at the plate, that eases the pressure off of others. He’s just a good player, most importantly he’s a great human being, he’s a great team guy and anytime your best hitter is a great team guy, guys are looking up to him and seeing how

unselfish he is.”

At the time of publication (April 30), Cincinnati is headed into the rubber game against the University of Connecticut and still has series against the University of Memphis, Xavier University, the University of Central Florida, the University of Houston and a one-off game against Wright State University before the conference tournament begins May 23.

Stick with The News Record at newsrecord.org for updates and more on the UC Baseball season.

JUSTIN HILES | CONTRIBUTOR

Freshamn Nathan Kroger (49) throws a pitch to a NKU player in Marge Schott Stadium. March 25, 2017.

JUSTIN HILES | CONTRIBUTOR

UC baseball players line up in the dugout to watch the game. March 25, 2017.

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JUSTIN HILES | CONTRIBUTOR

Sophomore A.J. Bumpass (20) scores a run against Northern Kentucky on March 25, 2017, at Marge Schott Stadium.

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Summer Edition

May 1, 2017

Joining clubs alleviates transition difficulties NOELLE ZIELINSKI | STAFF REPORTER

Freshman year of college is a huge adjustment.

It is a new place with new people and a lot of new experiences. One big way to make the adjustment easier is to get involved with some of the many organizations and clubs offered around campus.

There are hundreds of clubs and organizations at the University of Cincinnati which range across all different types of interests.

Some clubs are geared towards certain majors.

Annie Heyob, a first-year international business

student, found an organization on campus called Women in Business, which helped her better her business skills.

“I found most of the organizations at UC through a website called orgsync. com.” said Heyob.

All of UC’s official clubs and student organizations can also be found on the Student Activities and Leadership Development page on the university’s website.

Another way to get involved and meet new people is to join clubs that are not necessarily in your comfort zone. If there is something

that you want to learn more about and there is a club for it, join it.

By doing this, you can meet people with different perspectives and insights as well as trying something new that you might end up loving.

Amanuel Haile, a secondyear chemistry and biology student, started his own club.

He said that by trial and error, he found which clubs fit his interests and passions the best.

“Once I found my calling, I gave it my all and landed on executive positions and even began my own organization on campus, UCHA,” Haile said.

UC Hunger Awareness (UCHA) is an organization that brings recognition to hunger in the Greater Cincinnati area and food insecurities experienced by undergraduate students.

The club has several food pantry opportunities for UC students as well as non-UC students.

Besides joining a club, there are other ways to get involved on campus and meet people. During Welcome Weekend in August, UC offers several events such as a free concert, ice cream socials and much more.

Going to these free events

during the first week is a way to meet people and get involved on the campus as well. There may also be people at these events who are already involved in different organizations around campus that you may want to join as well.

On the Sunday of Welcome Weekend, there is student organization fair where over 400 campus groups will be there to meet students and help get them involved.

Organizations also come to different classes and talk about their clubs throughout the first weeks of the semester. This is how Heyob learned about the American

PHOTO PROVIDED

Members of the American Marketing Association attend a banquet with key note speakers.

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Marketing Association (AMA).

“AMA came and spoke to my class and I decided to become a part of it.” Heyob said.

Getting involved with campus life in any aspect can make the transition into college easier.

“Look for great opportunities on campus,” Haile suggested. “There are a multitude of organizations and clubs looking to fill executive member positions and looking for new members.”

PHOTO PROVIDED

Members of the Lindner Women in Business organization pose for a photo.

newsrecord.org/summer

May 1, 2017

Summer Edition

College dude bros often remind us of our world’s gendered domestic roles KARLY WILLIAMS | OPINION EDITOR OPINION

So, you’re on a date with this dude. He’s charming, decently intelligent, has nice hair and eyes, pays for your food, and doesn’t ask you to Netflix and chill. After time, you learn more about him, and you start getting a couple of red flags.

At his place, you learned that he never learned how to do his laundry, never does dishes or vacuums, and that his and his roommates’ yard is somewhat littered with trash from last weekend — all in all, his privilege in the patriarchy is seething.

He tells you his mama comes over sometimes to clean his apartment. What do you do? Do you run? Do you

ignore it for now and hope he changes? Do you teach him how to clean?

This problem is all too common for college men.

Not that some women aren’t messy as well, but college aged men, no matter if they are party boys or nerdy gamer bros, maintain a gap in their value of housework compared to women.

Seeing this truly is a reminder of how important work that has been done unpaid by women historically, usually is.

According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), women in every country devote more time to domestic work than men.

Melinda Gates and

husband Bill Gates discussed the gender gap in their yearly collaborative letter, specifically pointing out that the problem is even more devastating in poorer countries, affecting girl’s and women’s education and career opportunities.

“Unless things change, girls today will spend hundreds of thousands more hours than boys doing unpaid work simply because society assumes it’s their responsibility,” Melinda Gates wrote.

Here in the U.S. men are increasingly participating more in childrearing and domestic work, but over a lifetime, us American women will spend drastically more time cooking, cleaning, and caring for children if we

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Even paid domestic workers face struggles in the feminized field. According to the International Labor Organization, domestic workers often face very low wages, excessively long hours, often have no guaranteed weekly day of rest, and are more vulnerable to physical, mental and sexual abuse or restrictions on freedom of movement.

The burden of domestic work — work that holds families together — also requires more emotional labor from women.

Women do more planning and organizing, appointment making, and keep reminders more often than their male counterparts. Without these,

there would be no such thing as a smooth-running household. Yet many men have the audacity to label women who want them to partake in these practices and invisible work chores as

“nagging.”

By calling out our male bros locally on campus, we can help spur conversation on these problems, leading to more equal gender roles in our homes.

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Summer Edition

May 1, 2017

Needs of Cincinnati’s most neglected children cannot continue to go unheard CHRIS ROSING | STUDENT SALES MANAGER OPINION

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The kids in Cincinnati need our help. They have been neglected, undernourished and underserved in our neighborhoods, families and schools. It’s time we become a beacon for them.

The numbers are staggering when it comes to the youth of our city.

In education, 66 percent of Cincinnati Public Schools’ students graduated high school in four years while only 46 percent of CPS students between the ages of 18-24 are enrolled in some college. The national average of high school seniors attending college is 66 percent.

In terms of youth and families, 47 percent of youth under 18 are living below the federal poverty line, and 58 percent of youth under 18 are on Medicaid. 55 percent are receiving SNAP benefits and 75 percent are eligible to receive free or reduced price lunch at their schools.

So what should we do?

We can’t sit back and do nothing. We can’t sit back idly and watch as the kids in Cincinnati — who are the future of the city — suffer.

There could be many reasons why these issues have not been resolved.

It could be because of partisanship on all levels of government, from Cincinnati City Hall, to the state of Ohio, to Washington D.C. It could be because of the result of the complacent attitudes from the privileged,

wealthy, or educated, who fail to devote any time or resources to help the kids in Cincinnati.

It could also be because of a missing family-oriented society due to the fact that 41 percent of children in Cincinnati live in a single parent household while only 38 percent live with mom and dad, thus resulting in deficiencies in youth human capital and income of a household.

such as the Youth-to-Work Program, Youth Summit, the Youth Commission of Cincinnati and the Youth Gap Analysis Study.

“Through the Youth Gap Analysis Study, we have learned that our youth across all socioeconomic backgrounds are optimistic and desire success,” Simpson said. “It is up to us to remove the many obstacles that are weighing them down.”

Being residents, we can’t

...we have learned that our youth across all socioeconomic backgrounds are optimistic and desire success,” Simpson said. “It is up to us to remove the many obstacles that are weighing them down.

YVETTE SIMPSON

On a separate issue, it’s hard to understand why Ohio has a two billion dollar surplus and yet little to none of the surplus is reallocated to youth in Ohio — Cleveland has the second highest youth poverty rating while Cincinnati has the third worst in the nation.

Whatever the issue, we can’t point fingers. To change this around so youth can prosper and develop, “it takes a village,” as Councilwoman and Mayoral Candidate Yvette Simpson has said.

Simpson has taken on many initiatives for youth

just wait for the politics to resolve. We each have to individually do our part starting now.

Ask the Cincinnati Public School board what they will do to ensure a high-quality education for every child.

Also, ask candidates running for office what they intend to do for children. Elections are in November; this is a way to make your voice heard.

Are you interested in getting involved to help kids in Cincinnati? For more information visit newsrecord.org.

newsrecord.org/summer

May 1, 2017

Summer Edition

French election reminder of ever growing divides KARLY WILLIAMS | OPINION EDITOR OPINION

The tides of change are once again turning on the European continent.

2016 brought the infamous “Brexit”, the United Kingdom’s unexpected departure from the European Union, which shocked every day citizens and even political analysts and scientists around the globe.

Now, France, one of the major players left in the EU alongside Germany, is set to make one of the most momentous political decisions the continent has seen.

On May 7, the French will

choose between the two remaining candidates in the race, centrist Emmanuel Macron and Marie Le Pen, a notorious nationalist that has been dubbed by some “the Trump of France,” on.

The current state of the election surprisingly parallels the 2016 U.S. election in numerous ways.

Le Pen has spoken out against Islam, refugees, said she would push for France to leave the EU, and basically used recent terror attacks in her country as justification to push a platform of fear to the French people, much like what America saw with Trump.

“She’s the strongest on

borders, and she’s the strongest on what’s been going on in France — whoever is the toughest on radical Islamic terrorism, and whoever is the toughest at the borders, will do well in the election,”Trump said in an Oval Office interview with The Associated Press.

However, just as the U.S. saw many working and middle class Americans fed up with being underrepresented, ignored, exploited, many French are leaning towards Le Pen because of her focus on the economy and changing trade. With the unemployment rate in France at a high percentage, Le Pen knows how to cater

to French citizens who are hurting.

As of February, French unemployment stood at an even 10 percent. Germany only reported 3.9 percent unemployment in the same month.

Granted, France and Italy have historically seen higher unemployment that other economically dominant EU countries, but this is still hurting every French citizens, especially in the northeast and southeast of the country.

In 2016, Frances nominal GDP stood at 2,488.284 billion USD — in the Eurozone, that was second to only one other major economic player, Germany.

France’s potential exit of the EU under Le Pen would mean extreme and potentially catastrophic change for trade and relations in Europe. No longer would there be any form of major unity in Europe that was established after the second world war.

Macron could face the same fate former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton did in the us. By populists, socialists, and others in the far left in France, his track record is viewed as elite and bourgeois — afterall he did work for the Rothschild Group.

In the eyes of the unemployed French, why does he care about them?

Although he’s ahead in recent polls, with everything that’s happened in global political arenas in the past year, there’s no way to be positive about anything.

What is sure is that this potentially world changing election reflects the global shift towards nationalism and populism, and we will continue to see political camps drift further apart.

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The chairwoman of the French Front National (FN) Marie Le Pen speaks at the start of the congress of the right-wing populist ENF group in the European Parliament on Jan. 21, 2017 in Koblenz, Germany.

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19

Summer Edition

May 1, 2017

Unpaid internships are exploitative to less fortunate or unwealthy students KARLY WILLIAMS | OPINION EDITOR OPINION

Getting an internship any time soon? Been through awful unpaid internships sorting paperwork and fetching coffee for the ruling elite of office life?

Internships can offer great opportunities, learning experiences, and open windows to potential full-time job opportunities after graduation. However, some companies exploit college students for their own gain, offering them next to nothing in terms of experience or pay.

Some would argue that unpaid internships are appropriate because college students have no real experience at the company they are joining and they

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don’t even have a college degree yet. However, these are often adults or students who have gotten their lives and financial stability handed to them on a silver spoon.

Unpaid internships that are beneficial to experience and offer growth to students create an experience gap and help continue inequality.

Students who must pay their own rent, for their own groceries and other obligations have no option to work unpaid 15 to 40 hours over a semester or a summer.

Meanwhile, richer kids get experience and a foot in the door because their family can afford to pay their way for life, or to send them away to big cities for extravagant internships and pay for housing.

Paid internships in fields like the social sciences, writing, and the arts are also extremely rare, promoting these fields to be continually ruled by the already elite or wealthy.

Employers that want to cut costs feel no shame in hiring students for free, no matter how much school they have completed, how prestigious their academic standing is, or how much field experience they already have acquired.

However, small steps were made this month to benefit unpaid interns.

In March, the U.S. Department of Labor established new rules for employers who hire unpaid interns. The rules are as follows.

1. The internship, even

though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar training which would be given in an educational environment; 2. The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern; 3. The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff; 4. The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded; 5. The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship; and 6. The employer and the intern understand that the

intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship.

However, this doesn’t ensure that these rules will be followed or enforced.

The bottom line is that internships are real labor.

They accomplish goals for companies. And unpaid labor is exploitative, no

matter who it’s done for.

There’s about 1.5 million internships in the U.S. — about half of the United States’ internships are unpaid. This needs to change if we want to ensure that the investment of higher education offers everyone similar opportunities.

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May 1, 2017

Summer Edition

Events you must mark on your calendars next year JOEY MORAND | STAFF REPORTER

The University of Cincinnati offers its students countless opportunities for fun throughout the year.

The first big event the university puts on for their students is the Red and

Black Bash.

The Red and Black Bash is an annual concert held on Welcome Weekend in August to offer the students, a fun and safe way to start the school year. Previous performers at the event

include: St. Lucia and The Mowgli’s last year, Matt and Kim in 2015 and the Barenaked Ladies in 2014.

If this is your first year at UC, the first thing you need to experience is a Bearcats football game.

There is no better welcome to your new home for the next four years than walking into historic Nippert Stadium and seeing 40,000 people cheering on the red and black.

One thing that makes the football games special is being a member of the Ruckus The Ruckus is the university’s student section and the heart of the athletic program. Even if you are not playing on the field, you and your fellow friends can still contribute to the game by screaming and cheering on the Bearcats to victory.

Although all the football games are not to be missed, there is one game in particular that stands out from the rest: Homecoming.

Walk down any street during Homecoming and you will see a sea of red and black. Students, friends, family and alumni all pack into front yards and parking lots, and party as a way to celebrate the university that we have all come to love.

One of the biggest events that take place that weekend is the Homecoming Parade.

The parade shuts down Clifton Ave. allowing fans to line the streets as floats made by the university’s Greek life make their way down the street.

This year’s Homecoming will take place on Oct. 21 when the Cincinnati Bearcats take on the Southern Methodist University Mustangs.

Another must attend event

for UC students are the men’s basketball games.

The Bearcats are coming off of a great season, and it was much in part of the students cheering them on game after game.

Students get the best seat in the house for basketball games. They sit behind the basket making it hell for the opposing team when shooting free throws.

Every April, the Programs and Activities Council (PAC) hosts Uptown West Fest, formerly known as O.N.O. Fest. This concert is a way for students to celebrate the ending of another great semester here at UC. Previous headliners include Twenty One Pilots, Juicy J and Vic Mensa.

JEAN PLEITEZ | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Uptown West Fest headliner, Vic Mensa performs at UC, Saturday, April 8, 2017 at Sigma Sigma Commons.

SHAE COMBS | PHOTO EDITOR

Headliner St. Lucia sings for the crowd of students gathered on Sigma Sigma commons for the annual Red and Black Bash. Aug. 19, 2016.

newsrecord.org/summer

21

Summer Edition

May 1, 2017

Hope for the Bearcat football team is back DAVID WYSONG | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OPINION

AARON DORSTEN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Mike Boone (5) runs the football during the Spring Game. April 14, 2017.

AARON DORSTEN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Ross Trail runs the ball. April 14, 2017.

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When I became a Cincinnati Bearcat, hopes for the football team were high.

My freshman year was during the 2014 season. In that year, UC had former four-star recruit and Notre Dame transfer Gunner Kiel starting under center. Tommy Tuberville was the head coach, who was named the 2004 American Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year.

Within the first three games, Kiel threw for 1,041 yards and 14 touchdowns. The team also went toe-to-toe in the first half with the Ohio State University Buckeyes, who went on to win the NCAA College Football Playoff that year.

Thoughts of how fun it will be to watch this team over my next four years in college were racing through my mind — oh boy, was I mistaken.

Over the next two-and-a-half seasons, Cincinnati went on a slow, excruciating decline.

Despite finishing the 2014 regular season with a 9-3 record, the Bearcats were handled by the 6-6 Virginia Tech Hokies in the 2014 Military bowl game, which ended in a 33-17 score.

Even higher expectations came at the beginning of the 2015 season as Kiel had a season of experience under his belt.

By the end of the year, Cincinnati was only 7-6 and Kiel ended up not traveling to the team’s bowl game due to personal reasons and UC was absolutely embarrassed in the 2015 Hawaii Bowl by San Diego State — a game that resulted in a 42-7 score.

After three seasons under Tuberville, Cincinnati was winless in bowl games and the program was on its way down the toilet.

And while the play on the field was not improving, the coach formerly known as “The Riverboat Gambler” wasn’t improving the roster.

Before Tuberville joined Cincinnati, they were ranked No. 47 in recruiting in 2011 and No. 51 in 2012. Each year after that the recruiting rankings continued to fall, and by 2016 they were down to No. 74 in the country, according to 247sports.com Additionally, 2016 was the ultimate

downfall on the field, and hopes for the team to be successful were nowhere to be seen — and rightfully so. Cincinnati went 4-8 and Tuberville made the school a laughingstock.

The Bearcats couldn’t win and they couldn’t recruit. Additionally, Tuberville didn’t know how to handle his press conferences and completely disrespected the fans, telling one heckling fan to “go to hell” and “get a job.”

The vibe around the Bearcats was solely negative. Fans hated their coach, hated watching their team and hated associating themselves with the beloved C-paw during football season.

Then Christmas came 21 days early.

Tuberville stepped down as head coach on Dec. 4, 2016, and I’m sure fans reacted the way I did — by running around their houses clapping, jumping, screaming, and scaring their wives in the process.

Now, as new students begin their Bearcat careers in just a few months, hope for the football team is back and the squad is set up to be more successful than in the Tuberville era.

Cincinnati hired former Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell, who has brought new energy, players and expectations.

With Fickell, former five-star recruit Torrance Gibson joined, who received offers from the likes of Alabama, Clemson, Florida State and Notre Dame, but ultimately enrolled with Fickell at Ohio State.

Gibson will be converting back from wide receiver to quarterback — his high school position — giving Cincinnati possibly one of their most athletic gunslingers in team history.

Additionally, Fickell has completely shown Tuberville up in terms of recruiting.

Cincinnati is currently ranked No. 29 for the class of 2018, and Fickell has brought in nationally-wanted players.

With every press conference, with every spring practice, and with every recruiting trip, Fickell has brought new life and optimism to the program.

So, new and old Bearcats better buckle up.

Cincinnati is back and it looks as if they’re here to stay.

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