2
Power of words
Integration of poetry and activism
4
Reds trouble
Questionable leadership at fault for bad season
THE NEWS RECORD / UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI MONDAY, NOV. 2, 2015
UC GOES MEDIEVAL ON UCF IN HALLOWEEN VICTORY
BEARCATS SPOOK KNIGHTS
Opinion: GOP strikes back against media in third debate STEVE BEYNON | COPY EDITOR
The bare-knuckle brawl within the GOP and against the press reveals a party starved of an identity.
DANIEL WALTON | CONTRIBUTOR
UPPER LEFT: Gunner Kiel played one of the best games of his career against the UCF Knights, being the first quarterback in 20 years to throw the most completions without an interception. UPPER RIGHT: Shaq Washington jukes past a UCF defender during Saturday afternoon’s game where he ran for 72 yards with two touchdowns. BOTTOM: The Bearcats line up in front of the crowd to celebrate after a landslide 52-7 victory over the UCF Knights.
CLAUDE THOMPSON | STAFF REPORTER
T
he University of Cincinnati men’s football team defeated the University of Central Florida Knights Saturday in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. The Bearcats won in front of a home crowd of 30,000 fans by a score of 52-7. “It was the kind of game we needed,” said UC head coach Tommy Tuberville. “We played well all of our guys, especially on the first units. I thought we competed, we looked good in some areas. They don’t do a whole lot.” The offense started early and never stopped as the Bearcats scored on their first drive in just 25 seconds on a 16-yard touchdown pass from junior starting quarterback Gunner Kiel to senior wide receiver Chris Moore. The early score gave the team their place in the driver’s seat of this game permanently while amassing a whopping 726 yards on offense, compared to 313 totally yards by UCF. The Knights fell to 0-9 on the year.
The 726 offensive yards is the secondmost all time in UC history, which is just behind the 752 yards earned in the loss to the University of Memphis earlier this year. “Our offense is clicking, our defense is clicking, our special teams is clicking, we look really good right now,” Kiel said.
I thought that it was a unique deal for Shaq to break the record here at home. When you break a record at home it really makes a difference for the families there, the fans get to see it. TOMMY TUBERVILLE
The Bearcats got a historic performance from Kiel, who became the first quarterback in the last 20 seasons in all of college football to complete 15 passes without an incompletion.
Kiel ended the day 15-of-15 with 319 yards and five touchdowns. “I had a lot of good plays from my wide receivers, the offensive line gave me a lot of time to get rid of the ball so all the praise and glory goes to those guys,” Kiel said. In addition to Moore, wide receivers Johnny Holton and Shaq Washington each snagged two touchdown passes. Junior tight end DJ Dowdy also caught a touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Hayden Moore and has caught a touchdown in three straight weeks for the first time in his career, with tight ends gaining more exposure in the offense ran by head coach Tommy Tuberville. Washington, continuing the trend of historic football played in the game, became the all-time leader in career receptions for the University of Cincinnati with 205. “I thought that it was a unique deal for Shaq to break the record here at home,”Tuberville said. “When you break a record at home it really makes a difference for the families there, the SEE FOOTBALL PG 4
It was a wild Wednesday night in Boulder, Colorado as the third Republican debate kicked off, and like the last two debates, this was a rumble featuring no identifiable agenda or unique visions for the country. Most candidates and right-wing media outlets were angry over the tough questions candidates faced on CNBC’s debate stage. “The questions that have been asked so far in this debate illustrate why the American people don’t trust the media,” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said when asked about the budget. “This is not a cage match.” Some candidates didn’t mind the fiery debate. “If you can’t handle that stage, you’ve got no chance of handling Hillary Clinton,” said Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey. The Republican National Committee (RNC) is pulling out of NBC’s planned February debate in response to CNBC operating, “in bad faith” and moderators engaging in “gotcha questions, meanspirited in tone.” However, there is a revolt amongst the candidates against the RNC. Campaigns met in Washington D.C. Sunday for a dialog on how to combat the RNC, and what they believe is unfair treatment from the media. The bare-knuckle brawl within the GOP and against the press reveals a party starved of an identity, and the Tea Party insurgency against the establishment is here to stay for the foreseeable future. I agree with the GOP that most news outlets have flirted with malpractice during this election cycle, but for different reasons. The “summer of Trump” blocked out much needed air time for other candidates and global affairs with the 24/7 coverage of whatever antics the real-estate giant was up to. CNBC also caved to Donald Trump’s threats on not showing up to the originally scheduled three-hour debate, so the network cut the length to two hours in compliance. The coverage has been about the spectacle these candidates bring, and this election has been more inspired by reality TV than anything resembling political discourse. Candidates that have had serious rhetoric like Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul have been largely ignored in favor of the theater of Trump, Carson and to a lesser extent Carly Fiorina. This means little to no effort from news outlets to critically investigate candidates, such as Gov. John Kasich’s far-right record in Ohio that juxtaposes him painting himself as a centrist, or Sen. Paul turning on isolationist beliefs that garnered his initial following. Did CNBC pose “gotcha questions?” Some phrasing was certainly more intense that it should have been, but this was also the first debate the GOP has been seriously challenged. The RNC pulling their candidates away from NBC appears to stem more from fear than fighting an unfair media. There were plenty of softball questions but the moderators were also aggressive. Questioning Trump’s plan to drastically reduce taxes was the moment the GOP stopped fighting each other and shifted fire to the media. SEE GOP DEBATE PG 2
UC Feminist’s Walk of No Shame combats slut-shaming, campus rape culture TIFFANY WALKER | STAFF REPORTER
University of Cincinnati feminists stood up for sexual assault survivors, fought against body shaming and showed their support for former RECLAIM advocates during the Walk of No Shame at noon Wednesday. The walk began on the steps of Tangeman University Center, circled around McMicken Hall and ended in front of Steger Student Life Center. According to UC Feminists, the purpose of the event was to make it known that no one should be ashamed of their bodies or of their decisions. “Especially around Halloween season, rape culture and relation is a huge issue here on campus,” said Jacklyn Crofts, a fourth-year graphic communications design student and president of UC Feminists. “We wanted to take a stand against that but we also wanted to be very cultural specific because now here at UC we are having a crisis with our sexual assault programs.” Around Halloween day there is a 76.8 percent increase in calls for service regarding sexual violence, according to
a report from the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Unit in Cincinnati. The campus walk helped emphasize the gravity of this report, as students carried various signs saying, “Where is RECLAIM?,”“Netflix and Consent,” “Barecats,” and “Zero: the number of advocates on UC campus.” RECLAIM is a program at the university designed to deliver support to survivors of sexual and gender based crimes as well as provide advocacy and awareness of sexual and gender based crimes in the community. Sophie Shemas, a fourth-year environmental studies student and vice president of UC Feminists, said that UC Feminists wants to bring more awareness to what the Women’s Center offers and the meaning of feminism at UC. “College is like the microcosm for the rest of the world, and I think so many issues are highlighted in college – one of them is sexual assault,” Shemas said. Shemas added there are many occasions in which students don’t know they can report an incident, who they can to talk to or what remains confidential after they have reported an incident.
Former RECLAIM advocates Maria Kothman and Lucy Eisenhard spoke about the UC’s decision to dissolve the RECLAIM program. “The shame which surrounds surviving sexual and gender based violence in our culture is one reason why advocacy is so important,” Kothman said. “Advocacy means to speak on someone behalf or to speak for a cause.” Sexual assault is something that affects people for the rest of their lives – it affects the way women see their bodies and feel about themselves, Shemas said. If the university does not have a program like RECLAIM, students will only be able to talk to administration, UC Police Department or the Title IX office. “It can be a lot more healing to talk to someone who is in this world with you, in this college culture with you, so that’s why it is important to have RECLAIM or some sort of similar program,” Shemas said. According to Shemas, many individuals think feminism is just a fancy word for hating men, but to UC Feminists, that is not the case. To her, the definition of feminism is gender equality. “I always say that equality is sameness
THE STUDENT VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
and equity is fairness, and I might not be exactly correct, but we want women of all races and people of all gender identities of all backgrounds to feel as though they are equal in this world and they have fair treatment,” Shemas said.
BREVIN COUCH | CONTRIBUTOR
Kaitlyn Burke, a representative for Women Helping Women speaks to supporters on fighting rape culture through the elimination of slut shaming.
FREE
2 / NEWS MONDAY, NOV. 2, 2015
Spoken word poetry encourages students’ capacity for empathy CASSIE LIPP | NEWS EDITOR
University of Cincinnati students learned to use the power of words to change people through a workshop on scholarship, activism and the arts and poetry performance by Alysia Nicole Harris Wednesday in the Tangeman University Center The event came together as a partnership between the university and the Duncanson Society of the Taft Museum of Art. Harris is the society’s 2015 artist in residence. To understand the power of words, Harris challenged students and faculty to think about the power of language used to describe people and the difference between good and bad activism. Harris, who is earning her PhD in linguistics at Yale University, believes language has the power to change and develop who people are. “Words form a capacity for empathy, a capacity for understanding someone else,” she said. “We need to be conscious of the way we use words, because they actually change how we portray people.” Harris brought up how certain words used to describe people in the media can have a dehumanizing effect. She added that a lot of her identity is wrapped up in how society perceives black women. The group concluded that being intimate
and empathetic with all types of people is the basis of good activism. This type of activism is not afraid to open up dialogue and empower people to make a change. On the other hand, they decided bad activism is uninformed about both sides of a situation and strives to get attention, but becomes destructive because it really has no goal. Harris said those trying to help people
My freedom is inherently bound up in your freedom; I cannot get free if you are not also free ALYSIA NICOLE HARRIS
must be engaged with the people whose lives they are trying to make a difference in. In this way, activists are better able to understand what the community needs. “How can you help the community if they are not part of the conversation?” she asked. Harris said that in an age in which news is so readily available, it is important to set aside time to pause and think about the information we take in – this is where poetry and other forms of art are important. Although social media and other forms
CASSIE LIPP | NEWS EDITOR
Alysia Nicole Harris, leads a seminar on the power of words through the integration of spoken word poetry and activism at TUC Wednesday afternoon.
FROM GOP DEBATE PG 1
of communication are good at presenting facts, Harris said art makes an entity out of them in order to produce an emotional effect. The tension art creates allows people to sway one way or another, rather than giving them facts to confirm what they already think. Harris said she wants to live in a place of tension and be swayed. For this reason she is moving to rural Georgia; she knows there are many people there who radically disagree with her. “My freedom is inherently bound up in your freedom; I cannot get free if you are not also free,” Harris said. “You must continue to relate yourself to the stories of other people around you. Because if you don’t even if you are free, you run the risk of oppressing someone else.” Harris used the Haitian Revolution as an example. After the Haitian people broke away from France and were no longer slaves, they replaced a more democratic type of government in their constitution with a dictator. She said although this dictator was previously oppressed, he did not think about the stories of other people enough in order to actually change how he interacted with them. As a result, he oppressed the very people he freed. “Good activism keeps in perspective the stories of other people and recognizes that we’re all interconnected in this even if we don’t experience the same trauma the same way,” Harris said. Following the discussion, Harris performed some of her spoken word poetry. Harris intends for her work to have a healing effect, as she write with the intent to promote transparency, spirituality, racial reckoning and reconciliation. The topics of the poems she red included her homeland in the South, her experiences in Egypt and Paris, her identity as a woman, her first love and the struggles she overcame when it ended. “It’s always really cool when people of color are represented in programs on campus, especially women of color,” fourth-year communications student Syron Townsend said about Harris’ reading. “She is really relatable because she is around our age.” Christa Iwu, a fourth-year electronic media student, said she could really see Harris’ words. “A lot of spoken word poets are for words first, or some people translate well in both places, but I could definitely see her words on the page, which I appreciate.”
Moderator John Harwood asked, “Mr. Trump, you’ve done very well in this campaign so far by promising to build a wall and make another country pay for it. Send 11 million people out of the country. Cut taxes $10 trillion without increasing the deficit. And make Americans better off because your greatness would replace the stupidity and incompetence of others. Let’s be honest: Is this a comic book version of a presidential campaign?” The past two debates weren’t conducive to learning about any of the dozen candidates. Until now, moderators have failed at questioning serious issues such as climate change and why closing down Planned Parenthood is the GOP’s top priority. There has been little effort to call out candidates on lying about trickle-down economics, the idea of taxing the poor and middle class more than the wealthy – which has been proven to not be a viable economic solution through decades of studies and reporting. In the wake of the Planned Parenthood controversy, Fiorina with a straight face described a video she saw of, “a fully formed fetus on the table — its heart beating, its legs kicking — while someone says we have to keep it alive to harvest its brain.” This video does not exist, but Fiorina got off the CNN debate stage virtually unchallenged by the false claims. It took months of national investigation and three debates for Dr. Carson to be challenged on his involvement with Mannatech, a company whose product has been challenged by both state and federal authorities over whether its health claims are true. Trump attacked moderator Becky Quick after she questioned his statement on Sen. Marco Rubio being Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg’s “personal Senator” for supporting more work visas for immigrants. “I never said that – you people write this stuff,”Trump said. “I don’t know where you get this from.” The statement was made on Trump’s personal website, but Quick apologized to Trump for misreporting. Up to this point, Republicans have gotten off easy. The candidates for the GOP nomination cannot stand in front of scrutiny. I challenge the “liberal media” to not tolerate lies and to treat this election like we’re picking a president, not the winner of “Survivor.” Who is to blame? The media and the RNC share the blame in crafting a fight club rather than a debate on real issues. The candidates themselves show up with empty ideas, lies, and run away when the media challenges them. It’s also the American people. Thinking about free trade and tax reform is too complicated. But watching Trump call Rand Paul ugly and stupid? That’s a ratings boost.
Opinion: Sen. Rubio stands tall after CNBC Republican debate BRAD JOHNSON | PRESIDENT OF UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI COLLEGE REPUBLICANS
The third Republican presidential debate was the first time we saw the candidates unite against a common enemy: the panel of moderators and the liberal media. The line of the night came from Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. When asked whether Super PACs corrupt the system, Rubio interjected, “Democrats have the ultimate Super PAC. It’s called the mainstream media.” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz added, “This is why the American people do not trust the media.” Whether or not you believe in the liberal media bias, it is undeniable that some of the questions posed were not aimed at highlighting the candidates’ positions on various issues. The first question asked of GOP frontrunner Donald Trump did not invite him to discuss actual policy. Rather, he was asked, “Are you running a comic book version of a presidential campaign?” That question allows Trump, already notorious for evading specifics, to avoid discussing policy and verifies the personal bias of the questioner. Eventually, big topics like economic policy came up, giving candidates with a strong economic record an opportunity to set themselves apart. Ohio Gov. John Kasich referred to Carson’s proposed 10 percent flat tax and Trump’s vague strategy to grow out of economic problems. His attack did not hit the mark as Trump turned to Kasich’s involvement with Lehman Brothers, the investment-banking firm that many attribute the 2008 financial collapse. This took the wind out of Kasich’s sails. Rubio was the definite winner of the debate. He was
calm and collected in the face of fierce criticism from the moderators and his Florida colleague, Jeb Bush. Bush blasted Rubio for his poor attendance record on Senate votes. Rubio responded by pointing out that John McCain, whose campaign Bush is using as a model for his own, missed many votes when he ran for President back in 2008, as did President Barack Obama. Notably, Rubio also discussed whom he sees as the real adversary: Hillary Clinton and the Democrats. It is clear this campaign will remain unlike any other we’ve seen until the field is reduced in size. As long as Trump and Carson remain on top, the usual policy and action discourse will remain secondary to their celebrity appeal. That’s not to say that these two candidates are unqualified, but they are changing the game. In a sense, this is a continuation of the uncritical media focus upon Barack Obama’s unique but vague and vacuous 2008 “Hope” campaign. One thing is clear – each of these candidates are more qualified to be president than any on the Democratic side. Bush: Boring. He may have been a viable candidate in a past election, but not in the current environment we see Trump thriving in. (F) Carson: Calm, but maybe too calm to win. (C) Christie: Addressed substantive issues while criticizing moderators for irrelevant questions. (B+) Cruz: Stellar performance. No one would choose to have a casual drink with him, but they could choose him to lead. (A) Fiorina: Did not stand out. She has not capitalized on her momentum from the last debate. (C)
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Huckabee: His time has passed. Debates are clearly one of his strengths, but he will not recreate his 2008 top three finish. (B+) Kasich: Came out firing but quickly lost his momentum. He lacks the pizazz that has been popular thus far in the campaign. (D+) Paul: Nonexistent. Made very good arguments but was drowned out by the other candidates. (C-) Rubio: Clearly the best orator in the race, but it is not a done deal yet. (A+) Trump: Not his best. He is still ahead in most polls, so he should consider avoiding controversy a win. (C+)
OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/TNS
Announced republican presidential candidate Senator Marco Rubio speaks at the “Faith & Freedom Coalition; Road to Majority” conference June 18, 2015 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Real estate racial tensions, Boston South End’s gentrification addressed RYAN HOLBROOK | CONTRIBUTOR
Sylvie Tissot brought the class struggles of Boston’s South End to University of Cincinnati students and professors Friday. Tissot, a professor of political science at the University of Paris, based the presentation off her book “Good Neighbors: Gentrifying Diversity in Boston’s South End.” According to Tissot, Boston’s South End in the 1950s was a working-class community diverse with multiple ethnic minorities. The community became the target of an urban renewal initiative as the city attempted to turn the neighborhood into a higher socio-economic climate. The 1960s urban renewal brought with it an influx of white, upper-middle class residents attracted by the community’s strong social ties. After many upper-middle class people were established in the South End, various associations and committees were created to monitor the issues of the area and solve problems. One item on the agenda for these committees was diversity – these associations began to introduce people to the idea of more diversity once again in the South End. A “Good Neighbor Ethos” was created, which was supposed to be an attitude of tolerance for diversity. One organization, called the Pine Street Inn, was set up in order to provide blacks, Hispanics, and other minority groups adequate help in
accommodating them into the South End. In 2007 and 2008, a program to provide housing for the homeless was heavily protested by the residents of the South End. According to Tissot, while the residents and so-called “progressive” associations promoted diversity, they did not want low-income individuals moving back into the neighborhood. The local residents additionally demanded that the Pine Street Inn make a document outlining certain rules for living in the area, including regulations on smoking and loitering outside of residential areas. Tissot said white, upper-middle class liberals held the perception of encouraging diversity, but only on their own terms. The diverse residents were expected to blend in, Tissot said. Tissot stated after the talk that her visit to the Taft Research Center was a more enjoyable experience for her than when she spoke at the Harvard bookstore in Cambridge. Many in the audience were not too pleased with her book or her study of gentrification, she said. According to Tissot, one man told her that he did not recognize the South End that was portrayed in her book, going as far as to say to Tissot, “You don’t even know where South End` is,” and “You’re so French.” The lecture concluded with an open Q&A with UC students and faculty.
LIFE & ARTS / 3
MONDAY, NOV. 2, 2015
UC salsa dance brings Halloween spirit MATT NICHOLS | COLLEGE LIFE EDITOR
From a live performance with one of Cincinnati’s largest salsa bands to free colorful virgin margaritas, University of Cincinnati’s Latinos En Acción and International Business Club brought the Cincinnati-famous Salsa on the Square to Tangeman University Center plaza Thursday evening for a night of dancing, mingling with fellow students and of course, Halloween costumes. The haunted salsa invited all UC students to show off their moves, enjoy some Latino culture and learn how to salsa dance from expert dance instructor Michael Beck, who provided free salsa dancing lessons throughout the night. “We’re trying to bring Salsa on the Square to UC,” said Kevin Chavez, a fourth-year biology student and LEA’s director of external affairs. “I know there’s a growing salsa community in Cincinnati, so we’re trying to bring that community over to UC and get UC students involved by bringing Son Del Caribe, one of the best salsa bands in Cincinnati.” The inaugural UC Salsa on the Square welcomed some of downtown Cincinnati’s best salsa dancers to UC’s campus to bring the food, fun and tradition of Latino culture to UC. The dance provided a selection of free virgin margaritas, chips with salsa and a Halloween costume contest to bring some spirit to the chilly October night. “We tried to do a small salsa event where we just perform or play some music with a
DJ, but this worked out much better – this is the first time we’ve brought an actual band and this event,” Chavez said. Chavez and other LEA members were excited to see such a large turnout for their inaugural event, which gathered over 150 students and Cincinnati locals to jive to live salsa music and learn about Latino culture. “Dancing is one of the biggest things in the Latino culture,” Chavez said. “If you want to relate more to the Latino culture or you want to get to know it better, dancing and food is one of our biggest things you can know, and that’s what we have here tonight.” Throughout the evening, dance instructor Michael Beck would pause the music to walk students through the carefully planned steps of salsa dancing. Beck instructed students to follow in his steps, moving methodically forward and back in an eight step rhythm that soon engrossed the nearby student body. Keith Heard, a friend of the UC LEA community and occasional salsa dancer, came to the Thursday night event with friends to meet with a new demographic of Salsa on the Square goers on the UC campus. “I only salsa dance when a pretty girl says we’re salsaing, and then sometimes I’ll go,” Heard said. “I’m too old for most of the pretty girls that are here, so I’m not going to do much dancing, but I’m here.” Despite the change in locations for the recurring downtown Cincinnati event, Heard said he appreciated a chance to get
out and try something new for the Latino community. “This event is collaboration, romance, fun and Halloween spirit combined for a great time,” said Paul Wooten, a third-year marketing student and social chair for the International Business Club, who attended the Thursday night salsa dressed as a pink
the cultural celebration. “It just adds a nice Halloween spirit for everyone to wear costumes and feel comfortable,”Wooten said. “Some people are afraid of dancing, but if you’re wearing a costume then you can maybe relax a bit and not be as scared.”
ALEXANDRA TAYLOR | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Latinos En Acción and the International Business clubs brought Salsa on the Square to TUC Plaza Thursday night for dancing, Halloween costumes, as well as margaritas and chips and salsa.
flamingo to bring some Halloween spirit to
Artist Feature: Melinda Isaacs’ fantastical art Review: Laid RUSSEL HAUSFELD | ARTS EDITOR
Deep within the halls of the school of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning lies the studio of senior fine arts student, Melinda Isaacs. Here, she keeps busy bringing to life her fantasies: dragons, saber tooth tigers, fantastic wolves and striking women. Outside of the fantasy realm that is her studio, Isaacs also runs her own website design company where she works with artists, small business owners and entrepreneurs. Isaacs gave The News Record an inside look around her studio and talked about her background as an artist, her opinions on the genre of fantasy and her artistic process. TNR: When did you first take an interest in art? Melinda Isaacs: I’ve been basically drawing since I could hold a pencil, but I really got into it probably when I was around six or seven. My dad, he was into art, and he actually went to DAAP for a little bit. He would always push me, you know, he would show me these artists and I would try to emulate them. I’m very competitive, so he would be like, “I know you can do better,” and I started working on it more, and basically ever since then it’s all I’ve done. TNR: Is fantasy a common theme in your work? MI: Oh, yeah. DAAP is more conceptual — or most of the professors are more conceptual. So, I’m breaking out of that by producing fantasy art which could be considered, like, a trope or whatever.
But basically, my fantasy art is my escape. So, it is a common theme for me. I’m really into video games, too, and one of my favorite games is “The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.” And that is what inspires a lot of my work. When I was actually painting these pieces, I had the entire soundtrack on repeat. A lot of these are inspired by the songs. TNR: Does music inspire a lot of your art? MI: Yeah, the one that I’m working on now is inspired by “Sunrise of Flutes,” which, normally when you are walking through town in “Oblivion,” it will be playing. I was really inspired by that for this piece. TNR: Can you tell me about the series of pieces you are doing for your thesis? MI: In my thesis work, the faces of the women are the character’s faces, but the bodies are mine. I struggled with anorexia for about four or five years back in high school and went from one end of the spectrum where I wasn’t eating to the complete opposite where all I did was eat. I have a huge issue with my body image and I’m trying to come to terms with that in these works. As you progress through the pieces, you go from very clothed bodies, then as you move on the body is still shielded but you can kind of see the body, and then it gets more open, until eventually you just get to the point where I just don’t care. My body is what it is. A lot of my work is driven by experience. Whether or not I show the experience in the piece, my artwork is my escape. So, when
I’m dealing with something I’m not happy about, I escape into my art world and then try to get through it. TNR: Can you talk about your opinion on women in fantasy art? MI: While it is beautiful, they have this expectation of beauty that women have large chests, large backsides and a tiny waist. I don’t necessarily agree with that. I feel like that gives a lot of women this thing they feel like they have to strive for, which is not feasible because it is not real. So, a lot of my fantasy art — while I can go back to those images sometimes — I’m trying to become more in tune with my body. So, in my work, I’m trying to show, you know, you don’t have to be thin, you don’t have to be tiny to be beautiful. TNR: As a child, what are some things that first turned you on to fantasy? MI: I was really into “Dungeons & Dragons” and video games. I started out on the Super Nintendo with like “Super Mario World,”“Galaga.” I became interested in those games and as the fantasy genre started emerging, then I got into those. I’m also a huge Disney nut. A lot of my inspiration comes from my love of Disney movies. TNR: What kind of preparation do you do before you move on to a final piece? MI: A lot of it has to do with sketching digitally. I start out with a sketch, then I’ll have it printed as big as I need it. I’ll have it transferred to paper or panel. Then, I’ll paint it in a sepia undertone and I will take a picture and throw it back into photoshop to do a color comp. And I go back through with the color comp printed and have that with me the entire time I’m coloring the actual piece. My process deals with a lot of studies and then I’ll get hit with an idea. I’ll sometimes, maybe, do sketches of the ideas, but other times, I’ll go with one composition, one way that I want it done and just do it. TNR: Is there a dream place that you’d like to see your art? MI: I would love to work with Bethesda, considering my favorite game is “The Elderscrolls IV.” I would love to work with them on one of the “Elderscrolls” games, so I am trying to build my portfolio to be able to work with them.
RUSSEL HAUSFELD | ARTS EDITOR
DAAP fine arts senior, Melinda Isaacs, and two of her thesis underpaintings, “The Blind Seers” and an untitled piece.
If I can’t, you know, it’s not that big of a deal, but it is one of those dreams I hope to accomplish. At the very least, I’d like to see my artwork in magazines like “ImagineFX” or “2DArtist.”
back vibes of ‘Bad Neighbor’ KARLY WILLIAMS | CONTRIBUTOR
Respected hip-hop producer Madlib joins forces with MED and Blu to create “Bad Neighbor,” a collaborative album that boasts the strengths of each artist. The three have previously released two EPs together since 2013: “The Burgundy Whip” and “The Buzz.” “Bad Neighbor” finds them combining songs from these shorter works with unreleased material to craft a solid fulllength project. The experimental LP draws influence from each of the three artists’ backgrounds – MED’s effortless west coast style and Blu’s more aggressive presence compliment Madlib’s diverse production efforts. The first chunk of the album is somewhat rigid production-wise, but catchy at times. “Peroxide,” a track taken from “The Buzz,” bubbles with electronic influence, and “The Stroll” takes its place as another standout track among the first half of the fifteen tracks. The second half of the album is where the group really shines. However, Madlib’s choice of samples and looping on the later songs creates a warmer mood that works better with MED and Blu’s bars. The enigmatic MF Doom joins the trio on “Knock Knock.”The single, which is lyrically inspired by texting habits of the three, marks a sonic shift in the album. MF Doom lays down a slick opening verse over a sampling of “I’ll Be With You” by funk legend Bernie Worell. “Finer Things” finds the trio coming together to reflect on love, fur coats and luxury cars over sensual neo-soul samples. “Burgundy Whip” follows suit by continuing with luxurious lyrics and catchy sampling. “Drive In” solidifies itself as the best track on the album. Blu opens with clever wordplay over sped up soul and orchestral samples. Singer Aloe Blacc lends flawless vocals to the hook. Other features on the album include Hodgy Beats of OFWGKTA, Detroit underground rapper Frank Nitt and St. Louis MC, producer and vocalist Black Spade. “Bad Neighbor” offers an oasis of laid-back vibes to get lost in – although somewhat inconsistent, Madlib, Blu and MED deliver a diverse and enjoyable LP.
Review: No reason for ‘Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension’ to exist RICHA KAVALEKAR | STAFF REPORTER
Gregory Plotkin’s directoral debut, “Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension,” proved to be a let down on so many levels. The sixth installment is allegedly — and thankfully — the final installment of the “Paranormal Activity” series. Like any moviegoer following a series, I expected some sort of closure or sense of satisfaction with this final chapter. Instead, I was left confused as to why anyone even felt this movie was worth producing. The first “Paranormal Activity,” which came out in 2009, was the first of its kind. It may have been the scariest of them all, reflecting on all the horror elements that went into the making of “The Blair Witch Project.” However, too much of a good thing can be very bad. The makers of this series exploited the popularity of the first film, and six years later we are stuck with “Ghost Dimension.” I would attempt to explain the plot of “Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension,” but if you have seen at least one film from this series, you know exactly where this is going. The plots of these films are similar to your aunt’s infamous casserole that she brings to family dinners — except everyone is too scared to tell your aunt that her recipe sucks. The only ingredients you need for these films are a spacious, well-lit suburban house complete with IKEA furnishings, a one-dimensional, picture-perfect white family, with maybe a dog, and a sub-par plot where the inquisitive husband finds an old video recorder and tapes of a family that lived in the same house before them. Throw in the fact that the husband always wonders why
this previous family recorded every single thing they did and then proceeds to do the same thing and you’ve got a “Paranormal Activity” movie. Ryan (Chris J. Murphy) and Emily (Brit Shaw) dilly-dally around their house while getting into Christmas festivities. Ivy George played the innocent four-year-old daughter, Leila, and from the first moment she looks into the camera it is obvious that she is going to be the only source of scares this film provides. While she might be the only creepy element in the film, she was still unable to escape the screenwriter’s terrible dialogue choices. In one scene, Leila is being tucked into bed and she states, “I can’t wait for Santa Claus.” Did I mention this film is taking place in early November? Ryan’s goofy brother Mike (Dan Gill) decides to stay with the family right before all the paranormal activity goes down. Mike reflects everything the audience is thinking, especially towards the climax where he tells his brother, “Next time I’m staying with mom.” As the first 3D installment of this series, I had high expectations for the supernatural elements in this film. However, every single jump scare was unnervingly predictable. Extras under white sheets with eyeholes would have provided more effective jump scares than the specs of dirt on the camera that “Ghost Dimension” lazily passes as ghosts. Perhaps my annoyance with this film stems from the marketing ploys used in the trailer where a “secretlyfilmed” audience watching the first screening of “Ghost Dimension,” puts on a more convincing performance than anyone in this film by appearing genuinely terrified.
PHOTO COURTESY PARAMOUNT PICTURES/TNS
Ivy George in “Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension.”
4 / SPORTS
MONDAY, NOV. 2, 2015
UC women’s volleyball serves Temple Owls JASON SZELEST | STAFF REPORTER
The University of Cincinnati Bearcats’ volleyball team serves a satisfying victory against Temple University Owls after a nine-year loss streak. The Bearcats were back at Fifth Third Arena for the first time in 19 days, following a road trip that featured four straight games outside Cincinnati. UC head coach Molly Alvey believes the return played a key role in her team’s success on the court Friday night. “It’s huge,” Alvey said. “Look at our student section, our Rally Cats were amazing, our fans were great and we had the cheerleaders here – it’s just completely different to be at home when you’re around your own people.” The home crowd, along with a hungry Bearcats team looking to avenge the loss to Temple in early October, came out ready to go. The Bearcats jumped out to a 16-7 lead in the first set, fueled by the energy created from being back in a friendly environment. Temple appeared to be flustered, as they began playing very sloppily, leading to several mental and physical mistakes. After the Bearcats early run, the Owls began to settle in and made a run of their own by cutting the deficit to only two points. Despite Temple’s push, UC ultimately won the first set
25-21. The second set was tighter than that pair of jeans you used to wear in high school. Neither team was able to gain any momentum, with the lead never going above two points for either side. Serving was a serious issue for the Bearcats this set, as they gave away multiple points through their inability to place the ball inside the lines of play. Ultimately, the Bearcats’ serving mistakes would cost them, as Temple was able to even up the score in a very close set by winning 25-23. Poor serving would continue to plague the Bearcats to start the third set as their struggles to put the ball in play allowed Temple to jump out to a 13-7 lead. With the Owls dominating the third set and the Bearcats giving away points, it looked as if it might not be a good night for the Bearcats. Just when all hope seemed lost, freshman outside hitter Jordan Thompson took over the game. Thompson came in and provided a spark that resonated throughout the team, providing the Bearcats with a second life, while completely changing the momentum of the game. “When I was on the bench I saw we were a little bogged down,”Thompson said. “When I went out there I made it a point to really try to energize my teammates and bring the intensity.” Freshman setter Jade Tinglehoff, along with fellow
CAMERON BEHYMER | CONTRIBUTOR
Jordan Thompson returns a volley during Friday evening’s game where the Bearcats were victorious against the Temple Owls 3-1 at Fifth Third Arena.
FROM FOOTBALL PG 1
fans get to see it…that is a unique deal to happen, to break a record like that has been around here for a while. So he has several more games to add on to it, he is going to catch a bunch more.” He caught the record-setting catch late in the third-quarter from Kiel and was pulled after setting the record, since the team had such a huge lead. “Had to get my guy the record for sure,” Kiel said. “I am just very lucky to play with Shaq and to be his quarterback and give him the ball. He is a do-it-all kind of guy and I am really proud of him, it was a big night for him.” The record was previously shared by Mardy Gilyard, Dominick Goodman and LaDaris Vann. “I started in kind of like at the bottom but now I am kind of finishing at the top,” Washington said. “I just thank God for everything he put me through because it made me who I am.” Tuberville emptied the bench in this game, getting every player he could find onto the field, which allowed starters to get some extra rest. He took advantage of the team’s stellar play on both sides of the ball to get his younger players more on-field experience, a position only a blowout like this allows. Cincinnati improves to 5-3 on year, one win away from becoming bowl eligible, with four games left to play. Cincinnati heads to the state of Texas 3:30 p.m. Saturday to play against the undefeated University of Houston. The game will be aired on ESPN2.
freshman outside hitter Carly Nolan, would help Thompson bring that intensity, as the Bearcats would storm back to win the crucial third set 25-23. Temple seemed to have the wind knocked out of their sail by the Bearcats’ comeback, as they lacked any sort of cohesiveness in the fourth set and would never lead. Sophomore middle blocker, Maya Muldrow, played a large role by being big on defense with several key blocks that prevented Temple from ever getting back in the game. Those blocks would contribute to a record-setting team effort. For the first time since a matchup with Bradley University on September 2nd, 2006, the Bearcats recorded a team total of 20 blocks. The freshman trio of Nolan, Thompson and Tinglehoff would continue to have their way on the court as well, and the Bearcats cruised to a 25-15 victory in the final set. Tinglehoff would finish the match one assist shy of achieving back-to-back 50 assist performances. Tasked with the important role of setting up powerful hitters like Nolan and Thompson to make plays, she has excelled. A key to her success has been her understanding that she has to play within the structure of the team in order to make everything work. “Our passing was great,”Tinglehoff said. “Our defense did really well, so I was able to use all of my attackers and they all executed very well – that made my job a lot easier.” This match was very important in regard to the conference standings for the Bearcats, who improved to 15-7 and 7-4 in the American Athletic Conference. With the win, the Bearcats are now tied for second place in the conference with the very team that they beat (Temple), who falls to 16-7 and 7-4 in the conference. It also provides the Bearcats with a bit of separation from a bottleneck in the middle of the conference standings, featuring five teams with records between 6-5 and 5-6. Coach Alvey understood how important this game was for her team and their ability to stay in the conference’s upper tier. “The difference is to be in that log jam in the middle,” Alvey said. “We are starting the second round of conference, so it’s nice just to be off on a good foot and have confidence.” She was also very pleased with the performance of her team in general throughout the past couple of weeks, as the team’s rise to second place has been highlighted by a 6-1 record in the last 7 games. The winning streak has come at a decisive point, as the team is entering the final month of the regular season. “When you’re preparing your team, the momentum piece, getting them to grow and being better, the timing of that is really crucial,” Alvey said. “You don’t want to peak too early, and you obviously don’t want to peak too late. I think we’re peaking at the right time.” “I’ve seen a lot of confidence out there and we’ve grown a lot since the beginning of the season,” Alvey continued. It’s the right timing for them, we’re in a good place.” The Bearcats will look to continue their winning ways 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6 when the team takes on the Tulsa University Hurricanes at Fifth Third Arena.
Long shot for Bearcats to make athletic conference DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR
The American Athletic Conference will conduct their inaugural conference championship game this season and the spots to attend are up for grabs. The conference is broken up into two divisions East and West and the two teams with the best record from each division will play each other in the championship
DANIEL WALTON | CONTRIBUTOR
Tshumbi Johnson (17) reaches out for a pass that led to a 38-yard run downfield against the UCF Knights Saturday afternoon in Nippert Stadium.
game. The five teams with the best shot to play are the University of Houston Cougars, the University of Memphis Tigers and U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen from the West – then there are the Temple University Owls and the University of Cincinnati Bearcats from the East. Houston and Memphis are knotted up in the West as they both are without a loss and Temple is currently the favorite in the East with only losing one game to the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame University Saturday. The Bearcats’ chance at the championship game is a long shot but they can still technically make it. In order to attend the game the team has to win the rest of their regular season games. This could be a challenge as they play the undefeated Houston team in Texas this week. The team also plays the University of Tulsa, the University of South Florida and East Carolina University to end the season. “Everybody we play that is left is going to be able to throw the football or has a real elusive quarterback,” UC head coach Tommy Tuberville said. “So we are going to have to play better on defense but our offense has to be more consistent in terms of being able to run the ball better, we have to control the ball.” The trickiest part for UC is that Temple must lose three out of their upcoming four games to pass the championship game invite to the Bearcats.
The Bearcats have three losses but if the Owls were to only lose two more then they would own the tiebreaker from beating UC 34-26 earlier this year. The chance for the Owls to lose three games is small as they play two teams with losing records. “All we care about right now is the future and what we’re doing right now, so we’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing,” said UC quarterback Gunner Kiel. With it looking as if the Owls will win the East division, the West division is extremely close. Houston and Memphis are both undefeated and the U.S. Navy only has one loss. The fight for first place will eventually be settled though, as each team will play each other by season’s end. Navy plays Memphis this week and Houston Nov. 27 – they will also face Southern Methodist University, Tulsa and the U.S. Army. On top of playing Navy Nov. 27, Houston plays Memphis Nov. 14 and still has to play the tough Bearcats team and the University of Connecticut. After the team’s back-to-back games against Navy and Houston, Miami will have a possible AAC conference championship preview Nov. 21 when they face Temple. The picture for the AAC championship game will become a lot clearer within the next few weeks as the team’s fight to play at noon Dec. 5 for the championship at one of the team’s home stadiums.
Opinion: Failed Cincinnati Reds season highlights poor management TY MERCURIO | CONTRIBUTOR
2015 was a season the Cincinnati Reds and their fans would soon like to forget. Between being consistently inconsistent, the lack of winning and the fabled implosion of Bryan Price that included 70 plus F-bombs, 2015 spelled one thing: embarrassment. The greatest thing about sports is there is always tomorrow and now the team must begin to look to next season. The question becomes what should change to improve the slumping ball club? One thing is for sure – it cannot stay the same. Doing the same thing over and over again, while expecting a different result does not work when there is never a different result. With that in mind, something needs to be done differently to get a change for the 2016 season. The first order of business must be change at the management position. Many people thought the firing of former Reds manager Dusty Baker and the promoting of current manager and former pitching coach Bryan Price was the right move; however, the upper office managed to do something almost impossible. They found a manager worse than Dusty Baker. You can say whatever you want about injuries and the payroll. The point is every team faces adversity, but the good teams find a way to get around it. Among other things, the team takes the personality of its manager. The reason they look so lethargic at times is because Bryan Price allows it. With that being said, general manager
Walt Jocketty deserves some credit for the implosion of the franchise as well.Yes, he has made a couple of decent trades through the years, but he has ultimately put this team in a position to fail. He locked in Joey Votto for more than a decade and his contract costs the team more than a sixth of its total payroll every year. He then gave Homer Bailey, who has been inconsistent at best, an additional $100 million contract. Then the contracts of Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce and others have done nothing but handcuff this team to the point that they have prevented the Reds from making appropriate moves to improve the team. To kill the snake, you need to cut off the head. Another thing that must be done this offseason is trading to improve the team. As much as nobody wants to hear this, it is time for Aroldis Chapman and Jay Bruce to go. Bruce has proved time and time again his inconsistency – why would they pay out the nose for a closer when you can’t get to the ninth inning? Keep in mind that Chapman is near the best in the league at what he does and Jay Bruce gave Reds fans one of their best sports memories when he won the National League Central Division on a walk-off home run, but at some point you need to save the memory and move on. As for Brandon Phillips, he has earned his stay, but it is unrealistic to think about trading him to due to the high cap number that he processes. The team may as well just ride that one out. The last thing the team must do is pick
strong pieces through free agency. The team needs depth – that cannot be overstated. The one thing that kept the Reds close in ball games was the depth at pitcher. Many would think the team’s pitching would be the top-issue with the team not having Matt Latos, Alfredo Simon, Homer Bailey or Johnny Cueto this year – but that was not the case. The biggest area for concern is the offense. When one of the regulars needs a day off or succumbs to injury, it seems as though the bench players serve as an automatic out. Skip Schumaker is not a viable option,
Kristopher Negron has already peaked and Ivan De Jesus Jr. is good on occasion. The team really needs to go out and get some guys that can step in and fill a role for an empty spot or when an injury creeps up. The current talent level on offense just cannot get the job done. The Reds really need a full overhaul, and to say that they are close is borderline moronic. They finished with the second worst record in baseball and have done nothing but make minor coaching changes to improve it. For the Reds to improve at all they must consider making these changes and add more talent to a not-so-talented team.
FILE ART
After suffering a 38-24 loss to the Brigham Young University Friday, Tuberville emphasizes playing all four quarters saying, “We cannot play as a three quarter team.”
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