Aug. 30, 2017

pg.8 How to pay your rent and bar tab pg.11 Moore named starting quarter back pg.12 Game-by-game football predictions

FOOTBALL IS BACK

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TNR staff question of the week: I’m too old. I don’t remember.

- Stephanie Smith, Online Editor It was with some Russian dude while I was on a cruise. The kiss was slimier than Trump's campaign, ironically. But, I think it made me seem more worldly, which was pretty cool at the time for a 13-year-old from the typical un-diverse northern suburbs of Cincinnati.

-Erin Couch, Copy Editor It was at Lazer Kraze, I was balling out. She's a kappa at UC now -Parker Malatesta, News Editor

It was the night of the spring dance at Dominion Middle School.

I was dating one of the cutest girls in all of 7th grade, and we looked forward to our first date, the school dance, for weeks.

After a night of chacha-slides, macarenas, and bad attempts at cranking Dat Soulja Boy, the music slowed down, and I walked up to my girl and asked to slow dance. We slowly made our way to the dance floor and held on to each other, arms stretched out and bodies far apart so the adults didn’t scold us, and the moment was magical. I knew it was time for the most important moment of my life, my first kiss. So happy to be together

in this moment, we smiled and I leaned in for the kiss. The chaperones weren’t looking but all my friends gathered around. They knew what my plan was before the dance and they needed to see it. I closed my eyes (because that’s what you’re supposed to do, right?) and went in for the kiss. Before I knew it, my lips were resting on the girl’s smiling teeth. It was humiliating. Everyone laughed at us for the next week but I didn’t care. I got to kiss a girl and that is all that mattered. A truly magical yet absolutely embarrassing moment.

It would be a worthy candidate for Mounir's Monday Mehs.

-Justin Reutter, News Editor On a bus headed to class some random day during summer school in fifth grade. Her name was Samantha.

She totally dug me.

Who can blame her?

Plus, it was summer, so it was when you were supposed to get wild!

I was in sixth grade, she was in eighth. I felt like I was too cool for my heelies. I kissed her right after church and all my friends were trying to sneak a peek.

I guess you could say it was pretty unbelievable.

-David Wysong, Editorin-Chief

-Claude Thompson, Managing Editor

Do you remember yours? Tweet us @NewsRecord_UC and share your story

-Mounir Lynch, Opinion Editor

T@NewsRecord_UC

@TheNewsRecord

@tnr_visuals

Editor-In-Chief David Wysong

Managing Editor Claude Thompson

Copy Editor Erin Couch

Online Editor Stephanie Smith

Photo Editor Shae Combs

Chief Photographer Aaron Dorsten

News Editors Justin Reutter Parker Malatesta

Chief Reporter Gulnaaz Afzal

Life & Arts Editor Isabella Jansen

Sports Editor Jason Szelest

Opinion Editor Karly Williams

University of Cincinnati 45221-0135

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Can you recall your first kiss?

newsrecord.org Aug. 30, 2017

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Cryptocurrency value spikes in past year, continues to rise PARKER MALATESTA | NEWS EDITOR

TNR | FILE

Shaky Obamacare finalization points to eerie outlook for Americans PARKER MALATESTA | NEWS EDITOR

This week, Paulding County, Ohio — the last Affordable Care Act district to strike a deal with insurers — agreed to a plan with CareSource, a health care nonprofit based in Dayton.

With this move, there are now zero places in the United States where eligible citizens cannot access subsidized ACA health coverage for 2018, when the enrollment period opens in November.

“I think it’s a great thing,” said Sarah Lonn, a fifth-year student studying International Business.

“The United States is the only major country without a singlepayer system. This gives us one more year of security with the Affordable Care Act while we potentially look for solutions that can lead to that ideal single-payer system. Since almost the entire congress is up for grabs next year, we may actually be able to see a better solution sooner than we think.”

Last year, only one county in Arizona was at risk of lacking ACA health coverage. In early June, the Department of Health and Human Services predicted

47 counties were projected to not have any coverage. 14 Nevada counties that are similar to Paulding County’s rural demographics, found single insurers just last week.

According to federal figures, roughly one in three people with ACA plans will find only one insurer selling coverage in their market.

Near the end of last month, President Trump pleaded to politicians on Twitter to “let Obamacare implode.”

Third-year English major Ryan Clady feels this is a positive development based on the last few months in Washington.

“I’m glad they found a way to keep Obamacare going,” Clady said. “It seemed that the Republicans did not have a backup plan, so I think it’s a good thing to stick with the Affordable Care Act.” Health firms must set their final plans and premiums by late next month, while the Trump administration threatens to marginalize billions of dollars of government subsidies. Insurers are increasingly apprehensive about the Senate hearings taking place Sept. 6, where discussions

on stabilizing the market through policy will take place.

“Ohio has long had a strong insurance system, and once again our insurers stepped up at an important time for thousands of Ohioans, taking unprecedented action to provide access to health insurance for Ohioans who otherwise were without options,” insurance director Jillian Froment said in a statement.

TheAmericanleftplayeda majorrole in creating Donald Trump.

When I refer to“the left,”I am generally not referring to the Democratic Party.

Theestablishmentleft-wingdoesn’thave the blood on their hands in this case, but instead is a conglomerate of academic, media,politicalandsocialjusticewarriors whohavespentthelastdecadebathingin intellectual dishonesty.

These liberals have played a role larger than anyone else in creating the Frankenstein monster that is Donald Trump’s candidacy.

Let me begin my putting my politics on the table. I am on the liberal team.

In fact, you would be hard-pressed to find someone on campus that outflanks me on the left in terms of domestic issues.

However, I have noticed a swell in political correctness, word-policing and general disrespect for the concept of free speech and it is all coming from my team. We all need to talk truth to our own tribes and selfregulate, and as a liberal I think my tribe is at a critical point of America getting tired of our outrageous behavior on social issues.

When I say social issues, I am not referring to our recent victories on the legislative end of the culture wars such as gay marriage, or even some high profile outrage such as the Confederate flag flying on government property.

This is more of issues we see on campuses and the constant lampooning of conservatives as sexists, racists and imbeciles.

Outside of a lot of the right’s denial of climate change, these blanket charges are unfair. I am concerned that when the nuclear bombs are falling, we will be debating gender pronouns.

We see a concerning volume of dangerous social actions coming from the left.

Christina Hoff Sommers, a feminist scholar, is the kind of speaker whose presence on a college campus is so alarming that students require advance notice, also known as a “trigger warning.” Her academic and

research-based views are not controversial on paper.

She merely criticizes the gender wage gap, saying studies

in England and the United States show women generally major in lower paying fields such as nursing while men are more inclined to go into engineering. “If you want to end the wage gap, major in petroleum engineering instead of feminist dance theory,” Sommer said in an interview with Joe Rogan.

Regardless of how academically viable Sommers’ theory is, students at Oberlin College needed a “safe space” that allegedly had coloring books and puppy videos, a report that I wasn’t able to confirm.

Sommer received credible threats and required armed protection from Oberlin’s campus police.

Comedians, most of them liberals, refuse to perform on campuses.

Folks like Bill Maher, Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Burr and Joe Rogan have all been critical of the softness and politically correct culture the left breeds, especially on campuses. Jay Leno said he was booed on campus recently because he started one of his jokes with “...so my wife was in the kitchen.” And that’s what she said

PROVIDED

Bitcoin is up roughly 400 percent just this year.

newsrecord.org Aug. 30, 2017

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Cincinnati mayoral race heats up, Simpson gains traction PARKER MALATESTA | NEWS EDITOR

NAKAMURA | ZUMA PRESS

Alt-right rally members on Saturday Aug. 12, 2017 in Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va.

Sensitive political conversations reach UC AUDREY STARRETT | CONTRIBUTOR

Conversations regarding political violence, free speech and the removal of Confederate statues have worked their way across America. This includes the University of Cincinnati.

“Political violence is not a new phenomenon in the United States,” said Dr. Richard Harknett, head of the department of political science. “In the early 1960’s, there were two different approaches to the Civil Rights Movement.

One side, primarily led by Martin Luther King Jr., was nonviolent.

The other side, primarily led by Malcom X, rejected that right and said a more forceful means and violence should be projected.”

When events like the protests in Charlottesville on Aug. 12 turn violent, the topics of political violence and free speech are once again brought to the forefront of the American media.

Johnny Derringer, president of the UC College Republicans, said he frowns greatly on political violence.

“Everyone has a right to their own opinion, and has the right to peacefully protest, but we all must remember that at the end of the day, we’re all Americans,” he said.

“We must get back to having civil and constructive conversations with the other side of the aisle.

In addition, extreme groups like

the alt-right and radical-hateful groups on the left cannot be tolerated … We cannot allow any political violence in the future, no matter how much of it was in our past.”

But free speech has its limits, said president of UC Socialist Students Cole Weirich.

“You need to understand speech is often a tool of violence,”Weirich said. “That shouldn’t be protected as free speech.”

Harknett, Derringer and Weirich all stated that the line should be drawn when political speech endangers the safety of others — such as falsely yelling ‘fire’ in a crowd of people, threatening someone’s life or when one’s speech has the end goal of enticing violent riots.

The three had differing opinions on the removal of Confederate statues around the United States, however.

“Monuments are memorializing people and events in order to hold them to a certain standard,” Harknett said. “[In terms of] the statues now under focus, we have to go back to when and why they were built. It was a political move meant to impose a racial kind of context to it.”

Harknett said we need to know about the history of why these monuments were erected in the first place.

“We shouldn’t assume every

monument is there for history,” Harknett said. “Many of them have a political meaning and don’t teach or remind us about our past. Some of the monuments are meant to honor those who lost their lives, while others were put up to inflict power over AfricanAmericans and as a repercussion to the Civil Rights Movement.”

Derringer believes the monuments are a part of our history.

“We must not turn a blind eye to our history,” Derringer said.

“We cannot escape and ignore the truth of our history, whether it’s good or bad. An unbiased, honest account of our past must be told all across the country. I need to hold myself accountable as well when it comes to explaining what happened.”

Weirich disagreed with this sentiment.

“You learn history from going to museums and educating yourself,” Weirich said. “Not going to monuments.”

Young Americans For Liberty and UC Democrats were reached out to for comment on this article. They were unavailable for interview.

In May, city councilwoman Yvette Simpson upset incumbent mayor John Cranley in the mayoral primary by nearly 11 points. The vote eliminated former University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees chairman Rob Richardson Jr. from the race.

The current contest pits two politicians against each other that have similar goals, but different approaches in mind.

Mark Mallory, mayor of Cincinnati from 2005 to 2013, endorsed mayoral candidate and city councilwoman Yvette Simpson last week.

“An endorsement from Mark Mallory is one more source of validation for Yvette Simpson’s campaign,” University of Cincinnati Political Science professor David Niven wrote in an email. “What matters most in the Mallory endorsement is that it is one more day without positive news for Mayor Cranley’s campaign.”

Outside of Mallory, incumbent Cranley has racked up several endorsements for his reelection.

The Ohio Democratic Party, various county officials, major unions like the AFL-CIO and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers have all endorsed Cranley.

“Since Simpson overwhelmed Cranley in the primary, he has been struggling to regain his footing as a candidate,” Professor Niven wrote.

According to Cranley’s campaign manager Chandra Yungbluth, the incumbent’s priorities that reflect student interest include increasing the number of jobs and making the city a more attractive place to live.

“The student base is wrapped in with the rest of the voter pool; every voter is equally important,”Yungbluth said.

Simpson is building a campaign with fundamental roots in neighborhood vibrancy and encouraging the workforce. According to her campaign website, the vehicle for the city’s future growth is a strong transit system.

Cranley believes in the enhancement of city transportation as well, but it seems the two may differ on

precise logistics.

“My opponents have spent the past six years building a $150 million streetcar system that doesn’t come out to this neighborhood,” Cranley said in a mayoral debate earlier this year. “Can you imagine if that money had been used to expand bus services?”

The dynamic of this election yields an even more unpredictable timeline until election day in November.

Simpson has emerged as a very strong contender, even without Cranley’s assets as the incumbent.

“Even though he has the office, campaign money, and many endorsements, she has had the momentum,” wrote Niven.

The two candidates will debate several times over the next two months.

“While there may not be many folks in Cincinnati who were waiting for Mark Mallory to tell who to vote for — there are some people who look at Simpson and wonder if she can win.

An endorsement from Cincinnati’s former mayor is just one more piece of evidence that, yes, she can,” Niven wrote.

The Cranley campaign will be speaking at 5 p.m. Thursday in room 3440 in DAAP Young Americans For Liberty and UC Democrats were reached out to for comment on this article. They were unavailable for interview.

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Icelandic budget airline, WOW will be offering flights from CVG starting May 9, 2017.

Students in Ohio have the highest average student debt nationwide, according to a recent report.

Two-thirds of Ohio students are holding debts on an average of $30,239. The Midwestern state also ranks highly in terms of proportion of students with debts, student debt as a share of income, and share of student borrowers who are 50-years-old and older.

“It doesn’t help that eight percent of Ohio’s residents age 50 and older have student loans, also one of the highest percentages in America,” said Jill Gonzalez, finance analyst at WalletHub, a personal finance company.

Gonzalez said all these factors, as well as a 5.6 percent unemployment rate among 25 to 34-year-olds, play a role in Ohio being No. 1 in student debt.

“The problem isn’t just post-grad, you have to look at what happens when you are still in school,” said Gonzalez.

LendEDU, an online education financing loan company, analyzed financial aid data recently released by Peterson’s, a career guidance and test-prep establishment. Over 1,100 educational institutions provided their data to be incorporated in the LendEDU analysis.

According to the LendEDU report, college students at in-state public schools paid, on average, $20,090 in 2016-17, up 2.6 percent from $19,570 in the 2015-16 school year.

Additionally, students at private schools accumulated an average student debt of $30,092 for the past year.

The University of Cincinnati is No. 33 in the state for universities with the highest debt as students averaged $28,970 of debt, whereas students at Ohio University and Ohio State University averaged $27,879 and $27,930.

International students at UC also seem to have their fair share of financial sorrows, as several of them take huge loans to study in America.

“I have a debt of $32,000 for my two years of graduate studies, which is, of course, a lot,” said Badari Narayanan, an aerospace engineering grad student at UC. “The worst thing is I am still unsure if I’d even secure a job post my studies as the aerospace market is not very kind on international students for security reasons.”

According to WalletHub, students carry too much debt on their shoulders, which makes it difficult for them to pay off their debts early.

Car and house loans further impede their ability to clear loans.

WalletHub also reported that Ohio has an average unemployment rate of 6 percent for 25 to 34-year-olds, while the rest of its population has an unemployment rate of 10 percent.

New affordable airline allows students to travel the world TIM GOLDENBERG | STAFF REPORTER

For students looking for affordable vacation tickets or potentially cheaper airfare for a European study abroad, prospects just rose.

International budget airline WOW air will be coming to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) this upcoming Spring. Coming off a year during which low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines added routes from Cincinnati, this development adds yet another low-cost flying option to the airport.

Ohio landed in the middle of the pack for availability of student jobs and paid internships. However, even if they find jobs, people work part-time jobs, which does not help much in the prospect of clearing their financial burdens, Gonzalez said.

Head of UC Economics Debashis Pal believes there are two large contributing factors to the current student debt crisis.

“Aid for the subsidy for education, it went down at a state level,” Pal said. “On top of that, the real culprit for all the student loan crisis is many pro profit private institutions, such as the University of Phoenix ... viewing education as a business.”

• UC is ranked No. 33 in Ohio for student’s average debt by university • Ohio has the largest average of student debt in America • 8 percent of Ohio residents 50 and older have student loans

Aug. 30, 2017 newsrecord. org

GULNAAZ AFZAL | CHIEF REPORTER

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Ohio students weighed down by larger student debts

Speaking to WLWT 5, CVG CEO Candace McGraw was excited about the acquisition.

“They will begin service here on May 9, 2018, with direct service to Iceland, for the cost of $99 each way,” she said. “Yes — $99 for a sixhour flight to Iceland.”

An Icelandic company that began flying in 2012,... CONTINUES ON PG. 10

8 Aug. 30, 2017 newsrecord. org

Pay Your Bills and Your Bar Tab TNR FILE ISABELLA JANSEN | LIFE AND ARTS EDITOR

You could say that the number of jobs I have tucked under my hypothetical work belt is a little more obscure than your average college student. And, after several mishaps I’ve experienced in my freshman year of college, I have mastered the balance between paying for rent and still having the funds to go out.

1.

BUDGET, BUDGET, BUDGET The only way any of these tips will work is if you plan ahead and budget your income accordingly. It is vital to lay out exactly what you are responsible to pay for at the beginning of each month (price of rent, utilities, groceries, and, most importantly, “fun money”). Once you have budgeted what you are responsible for that month, and how much is needed to cover these expenses, set aside what is left over as fun money.

Use separate bank accounts, one solely for bills and tuition, and the other holds money allotted for going out. It can also be as simple as setting aside money in an old Mason jar. Just about anything will work. You will be surprised; setting your money aside and telling yourself you cannot touch this for anything besides its designated purpose really does work.

If $100 is all that is left over for fun money that month after paying all your necessary bills, then that’s all you get.

No excuses, no rationalizing. Never stray from the budget.

2.

PRE-GAMING IS ESSENTIAL If you are determined to keep that $100 for the entirety of the month, then you must try your absolute hardest to never show up to a bar fully sober. It is vital to realize early that it is cheaper to split a

Thirsty Thursday can put a real strain on your wallet.

case of beer with friends rather than going to a bar and paying outrageous prices far too early in the night.

This common practice is not only pricesavvy, but also fun. Your pregame is what sets the mood for your entire night. You throw in $5 to share a case of Natural Light (because piss water is all your college self can afford), you then turn on the music and play some games as you slowly begin to feel the familiar buzz before even stepping foot into a bar For some people who get off work in the wee hours of the night, pre-gaming is not always an option, and some struggling college students will do anything if it is free and means a good time.

One UC student who wishes to remain anonymous said, “What I always do is go around and snag the half drank pitchers at Woody’s that are left behind, and get drunk without spending a dollar. It is high risk, but also high reward.” For many, this seems a bit excessive.

3.

CASH IS YOUR BEST FRIEND It cannot be stressed enough that while the little plastic card that you keep in your wallet is so much fun swiping or building up a tab on your night out, it will only bring you a morning of empty bank accounts or, even worse, negative balances. Leave it at home.

“I don’t have this little piece of plastic telling me I have all of this money in the world,” said Ally Kampel, third-year early education major. “My empty pockets will remind me that I have no money.”

Some concerns arrive when leaving your credit card at home, but if you keep

a charged phone and a working Uber account, you can always call someone or safely get yourself home if necessary.

4.

TOUCH TUNES IS THE DEVIL Nothing is more rewarding than playing DJ for the night and getting reassurance from the people around you that your taste in music is above average. But, remember being DJ is not free. You start with a dollar, which turns into $5, then $10. Before you know it, you have spent $20 dollars on music alone.

All you need to do is connect your card to the app, and the music can keep playing all night if you wish. It is this devil-like app that led me to spending $20 solely on music on a Tuesday night where the drinks were only $1.50, and my bar tab was far less than the $20 I threw away on music. If you have the app, delete it immediately.

5.

SHOTS AREN’T ON YOU; YOU’RE BROKE “If you’re like me, when you’re out and having a good time, you want everyone else to be as happy as you,” said Kampel.

“What makes everyone happy? Shots.”

This very generous, but this stupid mentality is the quickest way to make you late on rent.

“First, you tell a couple of your friends you will buy them one and the next thing you know you’re buying half the bar one,” said Kampel “You wake up the next morning and you want to cry, and all the people you bought shots for don’t even remember.”

One should always keep in mind that if you can barely afford a shot for yourself,

then you definitely can’t buy one for half the bar. Never offer; only accept a free shot.

6.

LEARN HOW TO SAY NO Even after careful planning and budgeting, sometimes there are going to be nights where you must fight your fear of missing out, put on your PJs and go to bed. Your $100 is spent, and so are you.

So, my fellow struggling college students, if you follow these simple guidelines, I promise you, you can continue to go out on a regular basis, indulge in sweet libations and an excessive amount of late night Taco Bell — and still have money left over for rent.

“What I always do is go around and snag the half drank pitchers at Woody’s that are left behind, and get drunk without spending a dollar. It is high risk, but also high reward.”

9 newsrecord.org Aug. 30, 2017

Local musicians wow at Bearcast Back to School Concert EVAN CREW | CONTRIBUTOR

While Welcome Weekend may be over, the energy that comes with the beginning of each semester has far from passed. This was evident at a lively back to school concert put on

by Bearcast Media.

The concert had been scheduled for the Aug. 18 during Welcome Weekend, however due to unfavorable weather, it was rescheduled for Aug. 24. Thankfully, the weather could not have been much better on this day and the sun was just beginning to set as the performers took stage.

The concert was held on the beautiful U-Square at The Loop and featured the local Cincinnati music acts Abby Tompkins, Blue Chairs, and Misnomer.

Students and families all gathered as the music kicked off with Abby Tompkins, who boldly performed her

set entirely on her own with nothing but her guitar and a microphone.

Tompkins played three moving original songs along with four covers, including a danceable rendition of BØRNS’ “Electric Love”.

“It was really great to have the opportunity to perform for such an accepting and energetic audience,”Tompkins said. “It was definitely scary being up there all on my own, but I was really glad that the audience got into the music and made me feel so welcome.”

The performances continued with the warm indie rock sounds of Blue Chairs. The group recently released their second EP, Electric Moon, in early July, and this show was a great showcase of some of their unique tunes.

The orange sun was hanging low in the sky as the evening’s final act, Misnomer, began to play.

The group demonstrated their indie-blues rock sounds with energy and style as they rounded out the night.

As a whole, the concert attracted people of all types. From students looking for a fun way to spend their night to passers-by intrigued by the music, it seemed like everyone wanted in on the event.

Junior graphic communication design major Elora Tonnis came out with her friends to unwind after the stresses of class.

“This whole event just had a really nice atmosphere,”Tonnis said. “It was very casual as it was right here on campus, but all of the performers brought a contagious energy with their music.”

There were no shortages of people wanting in on this energy. Music lovers, dancing children, students on skateboards

and carefree college kids jamming out to the music were just some of the people that made up the crowded corner.

Apart from the attendees who were there for simply the love of music, many came out to support friends who had played some part in making this event happen.

One of these individuals, senior electronic media major Colin MacGeorge expressed his strong support for the event.

“I’m out here to support my friend Abby Tompkins, all of my Bearcast Media friends and Cincinnati music,” MacGeorge said.

Regardless of their reasoning, many people stopped by to get in on the fun. The event was a unique and lively way to help kick off the semester.

AARON DORSTEN | CHEIF PHOTOGRAPHER

Bearcast Media hosts a concert featuring local artists at U Square Thursday, August 24, 2017 in Clifton.

MADDIE EVANS | CONTRIBUTOR

CCM celebrates 150 years with a celebration in CCM Plaza, Friday, August 25, 2017.

CCM celebrates 150th birthday bash with picnic NOELLE ZIELINSKI | STAFF REPORTER

The College-Conservatory of Music celebrated its 150th birthday on Friday at CCM circle with a picnic open for all.

This was the opening event of the yearlong sesquicentennial celebration. The event included free food, entertainment and performances by different areas of the college. Students, alumni, staff, friends and faculty were invited to attend the event. Students mingled with their classmates, while alumni shared memories with members from their class.

Two alumni shared memories of CCM when they were students there.

Kimberly Daniel de Acha and Kathy Doane were roommates during their time at CCM and have remained friends ever since. Doane graduated in1969, while Daniel de Acha graduated in 1970. It was not until the two arrived at CCM that they realized they lived only 30 minutes from each other and went to rivaling high schools. Doane attributes their lasting friendship to their similarities.

“We both had common bonds and interests and were both very disciplined,” said Doane.

After graduating and going their separate ways, both women were invited back separately to teach at the university. Daniel de Acha taught musical theatre and voice to juniors and seniors, while Doane taught magazine writing, publishing, feature writing and editing.

Both Doane and Daniel de Acha are excited for CCM’s upcoming seasons and the productions that are being performed. Doane and Daniel de Acha are both particularly excited for Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide”, a cross between an opera, an operetta

and a stage musical filed with verve and satirical humor.

Daniel de Acha and Doane both recall the 100th anniversary of CCM and looking back even 50 years, they both notice a great difference.

“The growth of the school itself is amazing,” Daniel de Acha said.

“Everything is so organized. It’s impressive,” Doane said.

Peter McCutcheon, a double bass performance major, said that CCM’s 150th anniversary is special to him since it is his first year at the university. McCutcheon found his inspiration through his private lessons teacher and started playing the bass seven to eight years ago.

“She gave me the first hint that I could actually do this as a career,” said McCutcheon.

He also mentioned that the private bass lessons at CCM and the bass studio master classes have helped him improve his performance.

McCutcheon is also only one of three freshman bass players.

The birthday bash also featured performances from CCM musical theatre, brass and jazz students, and a student-led string quartet.

Everyone celebrated the upcoming season’s lineup including exciting debuts such as “Seussical”, by Lynn Aherns and distinguished CCM alumnus Stephen Flaherty. The season’s production lineup also includes classics such as “Hamlet” and “Jesus Christ Superstar”.

The large crowd gathered in CCM circle and celebrated the conservatory’s anniversary over food and good conversation. The energy of the event was upbeat as everyone discussed the upcoming year and all of the accomplishments and achievements CCM has made in the past 150 years.

10 newsrecord.org Aug. 30, 2017

Reviewing Taylor Swift’s single, “Look What You Made Me Do” ISABELLA JANSEN | LIFE AND ARTS EDITOR

After a three year long wait, Taylor Swift finally released her first single from her sixth album, “Reputation,” out Nov. 10.

Swift, while never naming specific names, has never shied away from admitting that her songs are written about specific situations and individuals that have appeared in her life.

With her feuds between Katy Perry and Kanye West being relatively recent as well as public, it is difficult for fans not to connect Swift’s lyrics in the new single, “Look What You Made Me Do,” with Perry and West.

The single, which followed a complete reinvention of Swift’s Instagram, was not what fans are used to. Instead it is extremely cryptic with a beat that is honestly unsettling.

The beat combined with lyrics such as, “I don’t like your little games/Don’t like

your titled stage,” make it impossible not to believe that she is referring to Kanye West who used a titled stage on his tour.

While some have compared lyrics such as, “I’ve got a list of names and yours is in red, underlined/I check it once, then I check it twice (oh)” to Santa Claus, who checks his list twice as well, the overall tone of vengeance makes it easier to compare the new song to actions of “A” from “Pretty Little Liars.”

Some may explain Swift’s song as the singer clapping back at the media for all the backlash she has gotten in the past year. But it can also be argued that she may have snapped, or is finally showing her true colors.

The question is though, while this song is very different than your typical Taylor Swift pop song, is it one that loyal fans approve of.

For Gabrielle Kraemer, third-year nursing major and

die-hard Taylor Swift fan, this single may be different but it is not a flop.

“Okay, the new single is good obviously, but the middle and end are kind of weird,” says Kraemer when referring to the lyrics “the old Taylor is dead.”

Kraemer also believes that this song was released first as a way to get people talking, and does not believe that the rest of the album follow the poppy and cryptic beat that can be heard in “Look What You Made Me Do.” It is true that the opinions of where people stand when it comes to this new single is all over the board, but it cannot be denied that people are definitely talking, building up the hype of Swift’s new album all the more.

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Icelandic budget airline, WOW will be offering flights from CVG starting May 9, 2017.

WOW air has recently garnered a reputation for affordable flights to Europe and Iceland, though not without a few twists.

Flying from Cincinnati to Reykjavik would be $99, with another $50 necessary to then route from Reykjavik to destinations such as Amsterdam, Berlin and Dublin.

“I used WOW air in December of 2015 to go to Reykjavik, Iceland. It has just started flights from Baltimore and my roommate and I stumbled upon [a] ticket for $300 round trip,” said Nick Kallinicou, a fifthyear student studying international business.

WOW air is relatively bare-bones in its accommodations, with no offered inflight entertainment or complimentary food and drink. Passengers

are encouraged to bring their own snacks and entertainment systems to help time pass.

More importantly, packing light should be a priority.

Included in the airfare is one small personal item which must fit under the seat. An additional carryon item on a flight from CVG to Reykjavik would cost about $40 in advance, with checked bags around the $50 mark.

Fourth-year international affairs student Lisa Zimmer sees this as an outstanding addition to CVG. “WOW air is going to open a whole new world to students wanting to travel at UC. They provide incredibly cheap fare to Europe while at the same time maintaining new (pink and purple) aircrafts with a great staff,” she said.

“I think people are going to have more interesting

spring breaks in the future than just going to Florida.”

Even with the potential costs, WOW air at present is one of the more affordable ways to fly to Europe, and its upcoming addition to the CVG roster is anticipated by many.

“You can now go to all the major Western European cities with WOW air via Reykjavik for half than what you would typically pay. I think this is great for Cincinnati, as students who could not travel before, have this opportunity,” Kallinicou said. “I was able to experience the Northern Lights in Iceland as well as the beautiful landscape and hot springs that Iceland offers.”

The acquisition opens up countless outlets to explore outside of the United States.

11

Sport viewing on campus as varied as one may expect

newsrecord.org Aug. 30, 2017

JASON SZELEST | SPORTS EDITOR

There are 17 NCAA accredited varsity sports at the University of Cincinnati.

While football and basketball rule the viewership on almost any college campus, there are still the fans of certain sports that enjoy watching the smaller Bearcats’ teams come out and compete.

I am sure if I took the time, I could find a fan to pick each individual sport, but I decided to get a general sense of who puts on the most exciting performance on campus.

According to sophomore political science student Jordan Bradford, men’s basketball

provides for the best watch.

“I always have the most fun at the basketball games,” Bradford said. “I wasn’t able to check out all the teams last year, but of the one’s I saw, they were definitely my favorite.”

Although basketball has been successful over recent years, Bradford finds more aspects intriguing than just the winning.

“When you watch our sports teams, obviously you want to see them win, because losing isn’t fun,” Bradford said.

“But the atmosphere of the arena, the video board, the fact that you are so close to the players and can see their emotion, it just makes you feel like part of the game.”

Some enjoy watching a certain sports team just because they are familiar with the sport, including senior communications student Jacob Mindred and junior early childhood education student Sidney Rogers.

“Football has always been my favorite sport, so I definitely enjoy going to see them the most,” Mindred said. “I know they have been struggling lately, but I just don’t think any sport can provide the same amount of excitement that football can in general.

For Rogers, it was women’s soccer.

“I played soccer my entire life, so it’s just a sport I have always been drawn towards,” Rogers said. “I wish more people would go to the games. It never gets the highest attendance, but I think if more people came out, they would realize what they are missing out on. Soccer is a lot more exciting than people give it credit for.”

Then there are those who are simply interested in winning, like junior business management student Todd Turner.

“Football is definitely my favorite

sport. The [Cincinnati] Bengals are my favorite team to watch, and I get pumped up for them every Sunday,”Turner said.

“But our football team at UC has really been struggling lately. It’s not fun to watch them go out and not compete. I think they are going to get better, but for now, I would probably say basketball. They are in the NCAA tournament every year, and always seem to put on a show when they play at home.”

Through all the people I interviewed, men’s basketball got the most responses, which would make sense considering they draw the second largest attendance numbers on campus, while also putting together teams that have made the NCAA tournament the past seven seasons.

While each sport on campus has it’s draws, it appears men’s basketball is currently winning out for the award of most popular. meeting so that we Comedians, most of them liberals, refuse to perform on campuses. Folks like Bill Maher, Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Burr and Joe Rogan have all been critical

Upcoming Home Sporting Events: 08/31 – Men’s Football vs Austin Peay @ 7:00 p.m.

09/01 - Men’s Soccer vs Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis ((OR IUPUI)) @ 7:00 p.m.

09/05 – Women’s Golf vs Losantiville @ ALL DAY TNR FILE

As the new season starts, our staff predicts how well the Bearcats football team will perform.

Moore named starter for Thursday’s season opener DAVID WYSONG | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

University of Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell named junior Hayden Moore the Bearcats’ starting quarterback for their game against Austin Peay State University on Thursday.

Moore has been battling for the position with sophomore Ross Trail, as both quarterbacks started under center at times for UC last season, but Moore has been considered the No. 1 guy since spring practice.

“It was very tight, a tough battle. It really comes down to the whole body of everything that we’re doing, the consistency to give us an opportunity to be successful,” Fickell said during his weekly American Athletic Conference coach’s teleconference.

Moore has passed for 3,629 yards, 20 touchdowns and 18 interceptions

in 15 career games at Cincinnati. In four games last season, Trail threw for 494 yards, one touchdown and six interceptions. “[Hayden Moore] gives us a lot of experience,” Fickell said at his press conference on Tuesday. “He’s got seven or eight official starts in college, so he’s got a lot more experience at this than I do. There’s not going to be anything he hasn’t seen, not going to be anything that’s going to be an incredible surprise to him. I think that gives us an opportunity to play.”

Trail has been suffering from an abdominal strain recently, giving Moore a greater opportunity to earn the starting job.

“He was out for a few days,” Fickell said. “We didn’t know exactly how to handle it, it’s not something that’s normal. We’re getting on the strength guys, maybe we didn’t do enough abs in

the summer.”

Despite the injury, Fickell said that Trail is available to play on Thursday if needed.

“We don’t want to put him in a situation where he can’t be successful,” Fickell said. “There’s still some things that we got to evaluate in the next two days.

Right now, he won’t take a ton of reps, but we got to have the ability to have him ready to go and see how he feels in pregame.”

Freshman Jake Sopko will be the third quarterback on the depth chart, according to Fickell.

Cincinnati takes on Austin Peay on Thursday in Nippert Stadium at 7 p.m.

The game will be aired on ESPN3.

TNR FILE

Junior quarterback Hayden Moore (8) will be starting in the first game of the year against Austin Peay.

As the new season starts, our staff predicts how well the Bearcats football team will perform.

TNR FILE

DAVID WYSONG | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ETHAN RUDD | STAFF REPORTER

The University of Cincinnati football team kicks off their season Thursday night against the Austin Peay State University Governors.

Many changes have been made following last year’s fourwin season, the most notable of which being Luke Fickell taking over as head coach for downtrodden Tommy Tuberville.

Will Fickell’s reign begin with instant success? Our staff breaks down how they believe the games will play out this season.

Aug. 31 vs. Austin Peay Jason: UC 55-10, David: UC 3814, Ethan: UC 30-14 Ethan: Austin Peay finished 0-11 last year, and I doubt they get their first win of 2017 in Nippert.

Sept. 9 at Michigan Jason: Michigan 38-7, David: Michigan 38-14, Ethan: Michigan 43-14

Jason: Fickell is used to defeating the Wolverines, but this roster might not look exactly the same as what he had in the past.

Easily the best team on their schedule, UC does not walk out of the Big House with a win.

Sept. 16 at Miami (OH) Jason: UC 31-20, David: Miami 24-21, Ethan: UC 24-21 David: The Battle of the Victory Bell has been extremely close the past two seasons. Miami also actually had a good team last year, and I think this may be the year Miami gets by the Bearcats.

Sept. 23 at Navy Jason: Navy 27-14, David: Navy 28-21, Ethan: Navy 38-21 Jason: Since coming to the American Athletic Conference, the Naval Academy has consistently been at the top of the conference. They will be too much for a Bearcats team playing their third straight game on the road.

Sept. 30 vs. Marshall Jason: UC 35-17, David: UC 42-

21, Ethan: UC 31-14 Ethan: Marshall only won three games in 2016 and finished towards the bottom of Conference USA. Oct. 7 vs. Central Florida Jason: UC 28-24, David: UC 2824, Ethan: UCF 24-17 David: UCF took a huge step forward after a debacle of a season in 2015 where they failed to win a game. They embarrassed the Bearcats in Florida last year, however, so I think UC will be out for revenge. Cincinnati should just squeak by UCF at Nippert.

Oct. 21 vs. Southern Methodist Jason: UC 41-31, David: UC 3110, Ethan: UC 32-24 Ethan: SMU has an inconsistent defense, their biggest weakness, and a stable full of receivers, their biggest strength. If UC avoids turnovers, this matchup favors the Bearcats.

Oct. 28 at South Florida Jason: USF 41-24, Dave: USF 31-17, Ethan: USF 41-28

Jason: The dynamic playmaking ability of quarterback Quinton Flowers, last year’s American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, will wear down the Bearcats defense throughout the game.

Nov. 4 at Tulane Jason: UC 34-16, David: UC 2814, Ethan: UC 28-14 David: Tulane went 4-8 last season and only 1-7 in AAC play.

If Cincinnati doesn’t win this game, then we don’t deserve to have a football program. The Bearcats will come out victorious.

Nov. 10 vs. Temple Jason: Temple 20-17, Dave: Temple 28-24, Ethan: Temple 31-24 David: The Temple Owls were the AAC champions last season and they have been atop the conference the past few years.

They may be on the decline now that their former head coach Matt Rhule is at Baylor, but they are still more talented than UC. Bearcats will lose this one.

Nov. 18 at East Carolina Jason: UC 31-24, David: UC 4210, Ethan: UC 28-14 Ethan: ECU was one of the worst teams in the AAC last year, and was the only innerconference rival UC defeated last season.

Nov. 25 at Connecticut Jason: UC 30-3, David: UCONN 21-20, Ethan: UC 21-17 Jason: The Bearcats gifted Connecticut their only conference win last season, in one of the most disgusting offensive displays I have ever seen. There is no way Cincinnati loses to a bunch of lax bros from the Northeast two years in a row.

Aug. 30, 2017 newsrecord. org

JASON SZELEST | SPORTS EDITOR

12

TNR predicts every UC football game’s final outcome for 2017

13

Volleyball expectations spike for new year

newsrecord.org Aug. 30, 2017

JASON SZELEST | SPORTS EDITOR

TNR FILE

Another season is underway for the University of Cincinnati women’s volleyball team.

This season, the bar has been set high for the Bearcats, as they were picked to finish second in the conference in the preseason poll, trailing only after newcomer Wichita State University.

Coming off an American Athletic Conference championship and their first trip to the NCAA tournament since 2011, it is easy to see why big things are expected from this team.

While a heavy burden can lead to overthinking and uneasy play, the players seem to be staying within themselves.

“I don’t think we feel any pressure,” junior Jade Tinglehoff said. “We just

know where we finished last year and where we can build. We have a lot of people coming back and a lot of new players that have really stepped up.”

Speaking of players coming back, Cincinnati has a quartet of juniors who have been starting together since their freshman season, including Tinglehoff, Jordan Thompson, Carly Nolan and Abby Williams.

“Us juniors, we have played together for a while,”Tinglehoff said.

“We are all roommates, so we are really close and I think we bring a lot of composure.”

The season did not start off well for the Bearcats, who dropped all three games of their opening weekend tournament, albeit against several nationally ranked opponents.

Despite the losses, the

players believe playing top-notch competition will prove beneficial throughout the course of the year.

“We knew it was going to be a tough weekend,” Williams said. “We knew that we had a lot to work towards. Even though it didn’t necessarily go wins and losses wise the way we hoped, we grew a lot within the three games.

From the first game to the end game, we really came together as a team and got a better feel for each other on the court.”

While they are using the losses as a learning tool, Tinglehoff left little doubt as to where she expects this team to be at the end of the year.

“We got second in conference [in the regular season] last year, so we are definitely looking to get first in conference this year,”Tinglehoff

said. “I think there is no doubt that we can do it.

Just getting to the NCAA tournament and getting past the first round is definitely another goal of ours. We need to work as one team and not just six individuals.”

The Bearcats are back in action with a tournament this weekend at Xavier University, where they will begin action against the Musketeers Friday at 7 p.m.

Nippert renovations a huge hit on campus ALEX FRANK | CONTRIBUTOR

In a project that has now spanned almost four years, University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium has undergone several renovations that have enhanced its quality and the atmosphere it casts on campus.

“I think making it bigger gets more people involved,” firstyear student Jackson Forbes said. “The more people there, the better the energy is at the stadium.”

Beginning after the 2013 football season, one component UC focused on in the Nippert renovations was raising the capacity.

5,000 new seats were added, which increased the number of seats to approximately 40,000.

“One thing that UC is trying to do sports-wise is get into a bigger conference,” Forbes said. “I think expanding their capacity at the stadium is a big boost for that as well.”

The first renovation cost $86 million, and, according to UC Magazine, the costs were covered by private donations and strong presales of premium seating.

The first renovations included a new press box, private suites, indoor club seating and loge boxes.

In addition, a four-story pavilion was constructed that surrounds the west side of Nippert, and the skywalk joins the upper deck to O’Varsity Way’s brick, adjacent to Sheakley Lawn.

This past winter, a second round of renovations took place, led by contributions from both the University of Cincinnati and Futbol Club Cincinnati, the city’s new professional soccer team.

“I think they were worth it,” first-year student Grant Major said. “I think FC Cincinnati is having a great time with the stadium, obviously bringing a lot of people out in Cincinnati and new fans.”

With FC Cincinnati covering the more than $2 million bill, the field was expanded to measure up to FIFA standards after construction over the winter of 2016, enabling Nippert to host matches within the federation.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for Nippert,” junior Robby Ehrhorn said. “FCC is really popping off, and it’s going to bring a lot of attention to UC, and a lot of people from out of town from places who wouldn’t have normally looked at UC. With all that the renovations have brought about, they have made Nippert a destination where students and other people SHAE COMBS | PHOTO EDITOR Nippert Stadium Tuesday, August 29, 2017. Shae Combs | Photo Editor can go anytime they desire.”

FC Cincinnati is averaging 20,437 fans per match, first in the United Soccer League. have. I would like to see some of that money delegated to “I think it’s made it more of a community,” other sports as well.”

Ehrhorn said. “More of a community for people to meet up The lights go on Nippert Stadium Aug. 31, when the and have a good time with their friends. It’s a great place to University of Cincinnati Bearcats football team opens up meet up.” their season with a matchup against the Austin Peay State With the number of renovations that the stadium has University Governors. undergone, it creates curiosity as to whether there will be The renovations will be on full display, with as many as any more renovations to come.

40,000 expected in attendance.

“Possibly some of the practice fields,” student Alex Young said. “Maybe even the soccer and baseball stadiums like we

Of the many natural disasters we face in the United States, hurricanes may be the biggest and most dangerous of them all. Studies show that climate change will cause more frequently occurring major hurricanes (hurricanes above Category 3) in the U.S. in the near future.

This week, Hurricane Harvey tore through major cities in Texas and is expected to hover over the Houston area for several days to come. As many as 7 million people are in the path of Harvey, and many of them live in impoverished areas that are extremely vulnerable to storm damage. The Texas government cannot yet confirm any fatalities

because of the ongoing storm conditions and massive flooding, but it is almost guaranteed that there will be many of them. Similar to New Orleans during hurricane Katrina, the residents of lower income areas in Texas cities are expected to be affected the most.

We know that climate change will cause more dangerous hurricanes in the future. So, what do we do about it?

Well, besides trying to lower carbon emissions and implementing harsher environmental regulations, improving infrastructure — especially anti-storm infrastructure — is crucial. After the levies broke during Hurricane Katrina and after Hurricane Sandy

overwhelmed the New York City area, we learned just how bad our infrastructure was.

Even as a coastal city, it seemed that New York was just not prepared for Hurricane Sandy at all. This is due to a total lack of anti-storm infrastructure and preparedness across many coastal cities. A lot of cities that don’t often experience hurricanes, like Corpus Christi and Houston that are in Harvey’s path, do not have major preparations in place for storms.

When Hurricane Harvey hit Corpus Christi, the storm had Category 4 winds of 130 miles per hour. To put that in perspective, the devastating Hurricane Katrina was only a

Category 3 when it made landfall. For this week’s hurricane, storm surges are expected to reach 13 feet with over three feet of rainfall in the Houston area. Hundreds of thousands of citizens are without power, and entire neighborhoods have been destroyed.

The worst part about this is that Texas has not experienced a hurricane since Hurricane Carla in 1961.

Days before Hurricane Katrina made landfall in 2005, the Army Corps of Engineers scrambled to gather rocks, sand bags and other barrier methods to reduce the storm surge in to cities.

The Corps expected the levies in New Orleans to be able to handle the storm surge. During

Katrina, the Corps believed that New Orleans’ levies broke after the storm surge exceeded the height of the flood walls. Later on, the New Orleans Fire Department discovered that the poor infrastructure of the city’s levies caused them to break down before the flood reached the walls’ heights. As a result, over 75 percent of New Orleans was underwater.

The infrastructure was simply not enough — even in a hurricane prone city.

The United States must be more prepared for storms and must be more tough on climate change.

We cannot allow this to happen in the future, or many more Americans will be displaced or killed.

Aug. 30, 2017 newsrecord. org

MOUNIR LYNCH | OPINION EDITOR

ROBERT GAUTHIER| TNS

Rising flood waters stranded hundreds of residents of Twin Oaks Village in Clodine, where a collection of small boat owners, including some with pool toys, coordinated to bring most to dry ground on Aug. 28, 2017.

Opinion: Student-Athletes should be held to the same academics as everyone else MOUNIR LYNCH | OPINION EDITOR

Last week, the Dayton Public School district (DPS) lowered the minimum required GPA for students to participate in athletics down from 2.0 to a 1.0.

DPS student-athletes will be allowed to participate in sports with GPAs between 1.0

and 1.99 as long as they participate in the district’s “Athletic Academic Intervention Program”. The students are required to work for one year on improving their GPA. The athletes must participate in academic coaching to get back on their feet.

It is great that DPS has a plan for the academic rehabilitation of its athletes,

TNR FILE

Richard E. Lindner Center.

however, the academic standards should never have been lowered in the first place.

If a DPS athlete’s GPA decreases after the year of academic training, they will automatically be banned from participating in athletics. However, if the student-athlete’s GPA increases, even within the 1.0-1.99 range, they will still be permitted to play.

Third-year biomedical sciences student and Bearcat track athlete Sylvana Ross believes that DPS’ lowering of standards is a bad idea.

“I feel schools are forgetting that we are student-athletes and not athlete-students,” Ross said. “You won’t be able to play your sport forever but you will always have your education.”

Ross believes that some UC teams have a problem with athletes not taking academics seriously.

“There are a few sports where you can tell the athletes aren’t taking their classes seriously and their athletic academic advisors don’t push them to take harder classes,” she said. “Some advisors even lead you away from some majors because they feel it will distract you from your sport. For the most part, UC athletes do very well in their classes.”

Just as Ross said, student-athletes are students before they are athletes. Everyone at UC is here to take classes and to get a high quality education to prepare them for a career. What happens if the athlete’s

14

Opinion: Improving infrastructure will prevent hurricane casualties

educators didn’t support them academically?

They may not have that college education to support them after an injury or if their skill no longer qualifies them to play a sport professionally.

Dr. Joe Luckey, Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Student-Athlete Support Services (SASS) is in charge of ensuring student-athlete academic success. Dr. Luckey explains that Bearcat athletes are being held to high academic standards.

“I have been involved in advising studentathletes for 25 years and disagree with the notion we push for easier coursework,” said Luckey. “As it is for each student at this university, the goal is graduation for our student-athletes.”

According to Dr. Luckey, athletes averaged a school record GPA of 3.254 in the spring 2017 semester, with over 70 percent of student-athletes achieving a 3.0 or higher.

The numbers prove that UC, academically, prepares our student-athletes and all schools should follow suit. Telling a high school athlete that a 1.0-2.0 GPA is acceptable is extremely counterproductive. After all, any serious high school athlete should have the goal of competing for a Division 1 college team — and graduating from that college.

15

Opinion: It’s a privilege to be black

newsrecord.org Aug. 30, 2017

WILLIAM HOUSTON | CONTRIBUTOR

SHAE COMBS | PHOTO EDITOR

Mounir shares what he finds just “meh” this week. Shae Combs | Photo Editor

Opinion: Mounir’s weekly mehs MOUNIR LYNCH | OPINION EDITOR

1.

Studying at Langsam This might trigger some UC students — and all of my friends that hate me for this opinion — but the truth is, there really are better places to study on campus. Finding a study room is essentially impossible, and there is always that one student who decides that they need an entire study room for themselves.

There is also a high probability that you’ll run in to that friend from your freshman chemistry lab at Langsam. You haven’t seen them in forever and you really need to know what they’ve been up to. All of a sudden, you only have 30 minutes to finish your online homework before the deadline.

The amount of people at this library is a distraction itself.

Langsam has the Triceracopter, the massive number of printers, the majority of the on-campus books and is definitely conveniently located.

Nevertheless, studying at Langsam is meh.

2.

Birthday cake-flavored anything From ice cream to granola bars, and from coffee to vodka, birthday cake flavors are becoming more popular, and honestly, I’m not excited about it. This flavor infiltrates your taste buds with sweetness and

artificial vanilla with each bite (or shot of vodka, I guess).

After days of research on the nature of this flavor, I learned that the food world has decided that birthday cake is supposed to be a mixture of vanilla and sprinkles. To me, a birthday cake doesn’t always have to be vanilla, and I personally have never seen sprinkles on a cake.

Why do these food companies get to decide what a birthday cake tastes like?

To me, a birthday cake is whatever cake you prefer. For this reason, birthday cakeflavored anything makes the list.

3.

Chili Cook-offs It seems like everyone’s job or school club has a chili cook-off, and I never really understood it. I’m not from Cincinnati, so the great Skyline versus Gold Star debate has been irrelevant to me before coming to UC. For the most part, chili cook-offs have been my only personal encounters with chili.

These cook-offs tend to be for charity, which is always great, but I just think that there could be better foods to hold contests for. Who wants to eat dozens of types of chili in one sitting?

4.

Crosley tower The grand obelisk of UC that is Crosley Tower definitely makes the list. The building sticks out like a sore thumb on campus, and it’s not just because of it’s

height. On the inside, it seems empty, void and a little bit creepy. However, at a university that is becoming more and more modern, Crosley serves as a relic of the past.

According to UC Magazine, Crosley was poured as one single piece of concrete, and the fact that it is still standing is really cool. UC Magazine also debunked the myth that Crosley is leaning or sliding downhill.

Sorry, everyone; we do not have a leaning tower of UC, which is super disappointing. For these reasons, Crosley isn’t bad, isn’t good — just meh.

5. Engagement photo shoots Isn’t a marriage proposal supposed to be some kind of surprise? When you pay a professional photographer to catch the moment of proposal in a series of photos, you effectively ruin the charm and magic of sealing the deal on your relationship. If I took my significant other to a corn field with a photographer and some random pieces of furniture, she would probably freak out and run for her life.

The photos can look great for sure. However, because I think the photos ruin the charm behind engagement, it makes the list. To each their own though, I guess.

We’ve been taught that a privilege is a special right or advantage given to a particular person or group of people.

In America, when it comes to special rights or advantages being passed out, white people are, more often than not, on the receiving end. Black people see the advantages given to whites in the classroom, politics, the judicial system and even in entertainment. In America, an entire group of people is oppressed and not credited for being the foundation of the country.

In America, black people’s speech is not free. In America, black people bearing arms — a right granted to all by the Second Amendment — is seen as a threat. White people, being our oppressors in this country, fear what they cannot control.

It would seem that black people are at a disadvantage; that all hope for the American dream is lost for our people. But, brothers and sisters, we have something much greater than a dream. We can have privilege.

For those of you that cannot get behind this truth, let me break this down for you. As we look at the history of black people in America — the people, moments, triumphs and tragedies — the past paints a vivid picture of how our continuing struggle to overcome and surpass all obstacles in order to be recognized as equal in this country, roots our privilege in something much deeper than what we can do with a ball, or how much influence we have on popular culture. We find ourselves time and time again being dealt poor life conditions or unfavorable circumstances. Despite of the hardships black people people have faced, black people have an unwavering ability to bounce back.

Black privilege is more spiritual; black privilege is having the belief in yourself enough to accept the idea that you have an equal right to whatever you want in life.

Black privilege cannot be compared to white privilege.

As Charlamagne the God says in his novel “Black Privilege: Opportunity Comes To Those

Who Create It”, it is a privilege to be black.

The word ‘privilege’ also means “an honor to be” — as black people, we have access to a divine and spiritual system that we can tap into that helps us endure hardships in this country, and in spite of those obstacles we can thrive, survive, prosper and overcome difficulties — it is an honor to be black. Celebrating your black skin while overcoming white privilege, systemic oppression and institutionalized racism is a privilege.

Black privilege can be as real as white privilege. It is black privilege that allows us to celebrate our black excellence, black business, black athletes, black scholars and black organizations. Black people, we have access to privilege. It is up to us to unlock its fullest potential. And, once we do, it is up to us to put it into full effect.

Melanin is a gift and my God makes no mistakes, so whether you are light as sand or dark as night your black privilege is waiting to be tapped into. Black people, we matter.

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