Feb. 15, 2016

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Men’s basketball UC holds off East Carolina University for 19th win of the season

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Deadpool review

New movie proves you do not have to be a nice guy to be a hero

THE NEWS RECORD / UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2016

Clinton brings out undecided voters NEWS BITES STEVE BEYNON | MANAGING EDITOR

SAMANTHA HALL | STAFF REPORTER AMIR SAMARGHANDI & HUY NGUYEN | NEWS EDITORS

Justice Scalia dead at 79

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead of from a heart attack Saturday on a luxury resort in West Texas.

The 79-year-old Associate Justice was famous for his 29 years for verbose, eloquent and sharply conservative dissent.

President Ronald Reagan appointed Scalia to the Supreme Court in 1986, making him the first Italian-American appointed to the high court.

“He was an extraordinary individual and jurist, admired and treasured by his colleagues —his passing is a great loss to the Court and the country he so loyally served,” said Chief Justice John Roberts in a public statement Saturday.

President Obama said he intends to appoint a successor during his term, while majority leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said, “This vacancy should not be filled until we have a new President.”

ALEXANDRA TAYLOR | PHOTO EDITOR

Former President Bill Clinton speaks to Cincinnatians at the Hilary Clinton rally Friday afternoon, Feb. 12, 2016 in the CCAC.

Former President Bill Clinton hosted a rally Friday at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center, promoting his wife Hillary’s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination just days before Ohio’s Tuesday deadline to register for the March 15 primary election.

Hundreds of Cincinnatians waited hours to see the 42nd president. However, while some of the audience were clearly ‘Ready for Her,’ many are either undecided or conceding Hillary’s chances at defeating the Republican nominee are greater than Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.).

The crowd was representative of Hillary Clinton supporters — mostly middle-aged white women and older men. The millennial vote did not have a large presence. Sanders’ sweeping victory in New Hampshire highlighted the former secretary of state’s weakness — America’s young voters.

“I’m not super wild for Hillary, but I might vote for her just cause she has a bigger chance at winning. Some of her old policies on stuff like gay rights really bother me. I love Bernie, just wish he had a better chance at winning,” said Becky Kolts, 25, of Clifton.

Sanders won 84 percent of voters under 30 in the New Hampshire and 53 percent of the women’s vote. The Vermont senator virtually tied Hillary Clinton in Iowa, leading with young caucus-goers and those making less than $50,000 a year.

However, Sanders has faced criticisms that his proposals such as free public college and universal healthcare are too unrealistic — especially with a Republicancontrolled Congress.

While Sanders owns the college crowd, a lot of older women are excited at the prospect of a female president. “I just want a woman president.Young girls just don’t know what it’s actually like to be a woman out in the world,” said Kiran Sambi, 47, of Clifton.

Hillary Clinton is often seen as the most realistic candidate, with her campaign sticking close to centrist-politics. She often puts her realism front and center, casting doubt on Sanders’ idealism.

“I’m a Bernie guy, I’m mainly just here for Bill. But yeah… If I was a betting man I’d say Hillary is gonna be our next president,” said Dave Shoemaker, 31, of Colerain. “I want a real liberal running stuff, but I just don’t think this is the time that’s possible.”

SEE CLINTON PG 2

Winter weather threat remains

Cincinnati will be above freezing the next few days but the possibility of winter weather will persist for the next few days. Precipitation is predicted above 50 percent until Thursday.

Primary and residential roads have been pretreated since Tuesday.

40-29oF Monday 38-31oF Tuesday 38-23oF Wednesday

NICK BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

UC women’s basketball set to face No. 1 Connecticut

UC women’s basketball team plays No. 1 University of Connecticut Huskies 7 p.m. Wednesday — the game will be aired on ESPN3.

UC’s swimming and diving team begin competition at The American Championships Wednesday in Houston.

NICK BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

NICK BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

UC’s Robertson honored by NBA

EXIGER team to be introduced at forums

The University of Cincinnati’s Office of Safety and Reform is hosting an open forum to introduce EXIGER, the consulting team that will perform a comprehensive review of the UC Police Department as a result of the July 19 shooting of Samuel DuBose.

The goal of the review is to evaluate and improve current policies and practices of the UCPD. The team will also be facilitating dialogue with the university and the community to hear and understand the community’s thoughts and perspectives regarding UCPD. An initial community forum will be held at 6:30 p.m. today at the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency followed by another forum on UC’s Uptown campus at 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 2.

Public Safety hosting active shooter seminars

UC Public Safety is hosting two active shooter safety seminars to educate faculty, staff and students on preparing for an active shooter emergency.

In many cases, there is no pattern to the selection of victims by an active shooter, and danger can be unpredictable and quick.

Two open seminars will be held at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. today in the Tangemen University Center Great Hall. Each seminar will be about one hour.

SG campaigns head to residence halls

UC Student Government election campaigns will be heading to residence halls this week to introduce the candidates for the 2016 Bearcat Ballot.

The Meet the Candidates schedule is as follows: -Monday: Daniels at 7 p.m., Dabney at 8 p.m.

-Tuesday: Turner/Schneider at 7:30 p.m., Morgens at 8:30 p.m.

-Wednesday: Calhoun at 7 p.m., Siddall at 8 p.m.

-Thursday: Stratford at 6:30 p.m.

The dates and locations are subject to change, according to SG.

Cincinnatians pack the CCAC Friday afternoon, Feb. 12, 2016 at the Hilary Clinton rally to see former President Bill Clinton speak.

NICK BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR

UC Women’s Center presented “The Vagina Monologues” at Zimmer Auditorium Friday night, Feb. 12, 2016.

‘Monologues’ unite women EMILY HETTERSCHEIDT | STAFF REPORTER

Several used comedy and personal experiences to empower women, raise awareness about sexual assault and talk about subjects that some may consider taboo at “The Vagina Monologues” at Zimmer Auditorium Friday and Saturday.

The University of Cincinnati Women’s Center brought many people together to learn about how women feel about vaginas.

The play, written by Eve Ensler, consisted of poems, speeches and facts regarding the different aspects of the vagina, with some monologues shocking the audience into silence and others filling the auditorium with laughter.

“The Vagina Monologues is a play consisting of a series of monologues cultivated from interviews conducted by Eve Ensler in which she asked women from all walks of life about their lived experiences as women,” according to UC Women’s Center website.

Ensler is a Tony award-winning playwright and performer. Her show has been performed in over 140 countries, according to the UC Women’s Center.

The College Conservatory of Music, UC Law Women and the UC Feminists sponsored the show, which has gained success over the past eight years.

This year, admission proceeds and donations went to Women Helping Women, an organization that helps victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking through crisis intervention and support services.

“It has been particularly effective at raising awareness of gender-based violence,” said Angela Fitzpatrick, director of the UC Women’s Center. “The show is also a way of empowering women to embrace their bodies and find their voices.

It can be especially empowering for the cast, who are often first-time performers.”

The Vagina Monologues required a large amount of work, particularly from the UC Feminists, who brought everything

together for the two-night performance.

“Pulling it all off requires a commitment to community building and elevating the voices of women in our community,” Fitzpatrick said. “For the last 20 years, campus productions of ‘The Vagina Monologues’ have been an effective way to initiate conversations around how women experience their bodies and reveal how those experiences are shaped by larger cultural attitudes about women.”

The groups have worked to make the show more accessible for all women, with American Sign Language interpreters at Friday’s show.

Many students were impressed by the performance and the courage of the women in the show.

“I think it was very brave of them to get up, especially with the more emotional pieces. I really connected with those the most,” said Sarah Kaising, a second-year neuropsychology student.

The event was also important for people who usually do not have a chance to talk about their vagina.

“It’s not talked about enough,” said Kaising, “What is just regular biology is hidden, and it shouldn’t be.”

Sascha Dovenbarger, a fourth-year economics student, was happy about the inclusiveness of the event.

She has been involved with the UC Women’s Center. While the information in the show was not new to her, she was glad to see others involved.

“What I appreciated about this event was seeing how many other people were in this room and that were not just women identified,” Dovenbarger said.

Christine Uebel, a first-year industrial hygiene student, said she felt connected to her femininity and other women throughout the show.

“It kind of opens up your mind a lot to other people’s experiences…It kind of makes you judge less and see from a different perspective,” said Liliana Dillingham, a third-year photojournalism student.

THE STUDENT VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

Legendary Bearcat Oscar Robertson was awarded the NBA’s Lifetime Achievement Award Sunday during the league’s annual Legend’s Brunch.

Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and current Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl Anthony-Towns presented the award to Robertson.

“What made Oscar so special is that while he was always one of the most talented players on the court, he remained a team player,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “Winning was most important to him, and he did whatever it took to help his team succeed, be it scoring, passing, rebounding, or defending. That’s undoubtedly why that more than forty years after retiring, he is still widely recognized as one of the best all-around players in the history of the game.”

Robertson played basketball at UC from 1958-1960. He is the school’s all-time leader in points (2,973), rebounds (1,338), field goals (1,052) and free throws made (869).

He was a three-year consensus AllAmerican and three-time pick for National Player of the Year honors. During his college career, Robertson led UC to a 97-7 record and two NCAA Final Four appearances.

Robertson played in the NBA from 19601974. He won an NBA Championship in 1971, earned the league’s MVP in 1964 and was a 12-time all-star.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches named him Player of the Century in 2000 for his collegiate and professional play.

“The Big O was a once in a lifetime player who really helped change the dynamic of the game,” said Peter Jenkins, a fourth-year arts and sciences student.

“His collegiate and NBA stats speak for themselves.”

Robertson has accomplished a lot off the court for the game of basketball. He was president of the National Basketball Players Association from 1965-1974.

In 1976 the NBA adopted “The Oscar Robertson Rule” ― the first step to unrestricted free agency.

In 2007, Robertson received the Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Cincinnati and attends multiple basketball games on campus each year.

FREE

2 / NEWS MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2016

City keeps close watch on lead levels CAROLINE CORY | CHIEF REPORTER

While toxic levels of lead in water in Flint, Michgan, dominate the news, the Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) is being vigilant over the filtration system that cleans the city’s supply.

The GCWW is actively monitoring the levels of toxins in Cincinnati’s water, according to a memo released by City Manager Harry Black. It describes a stateof-the-art process employing multiple barriers to protect public health.

“These processes, along with a corrosion control process, ensure there is no lead in the water as it leaves the GCWW treatment plants and flows through the distribution pipes under the streets,” Black said.

A corrosion control system assists in filtering out toxins and contaminants from the corrosion of lead pipes before water enters Cincinnati’s homes and businesses — avoiding a Flint-type disaster that has left countless residents consuming water so poisoned that it met the EPA’s standard for “toxic waste.”

Kelsey Reichenbach, a fourth-year engineering student, lives in a Clifton apartment with a new water system after a switch to copper pipes.

“I know the city of Cincinnati replaced some pipes in Clifton recently,” Reichenbach said. “They gave my apartment building water filter pitchers in case any leaked through during the transition from lead pipes to copper pipes.”

The system is a preventative measure to protect water from lead contaminants if it is not flowing through copper pipes.

GCWW’s Ohio River Treatment Plant is in California, Ohio, where the Miami and Ohio Rivers meet near the Kentucky

border.

The plant itself uses four different types of treatment methods - one of the first in the country to use such a system.

By using a combined system of ultraviolet rays, granular activated carbon, sand filtration and powdered activated carbon, GCWW is able to treat and filter out contaminants, which are there either by natural or human involved processes.

GCWW public information officer Stephanni Cohen describes the process by comparing it to biology and genetics.

“It’s like knowing that your mom and dad have high cholesterol, so you take steps to make sure that you’re protected against it, and you protect your body against it,” Cohen said. “You know the ever-present risk is there, so you protect yourself against it. That’s exactly what happened with the lead pipes.”

Cohen continued to explain corrosion control with reference to the water crisis in Flint. She said corrosion control is a man source in Cincinnati maintain low lead amounts.

“We are not Flint in any way, shape or form,” Cohen said. “We do not have the same problem that Flint has because we have corrosion control in place and we have for decades. Yes, there are also lead pipes there but we also follow every protocol there is to let people know that they’re there. We’ve done everything that we can do in terms of the law and regulations.”

GCWW mainly tests for lead in older buildings since over 95 percent of structures have low or no levels of lead found in their water system. Homes and businesses built before 1927 are more susceptible to higher levels of lead since lead pipes were the main component for water systems during that period, according to the same memo.

Students like Reichenbach and other members of the UC community have nothing to worry about when it comes to waterways, according to Cohen.

“Lead in Cincinnati water is not detectable,” Cohen said. “It’s treated. It’s the best water there is. People can feel beyond safe in drinking it, using it, bathing in it, anything.”

GRAPHIC BY RUSSEL HAUSFELD

SEE CLINTON PG 1

Former Cincinnati Mayor and Democratic super delegate Mark Mallory kicked-off the rally by introducing the campaign. “Hillary Clinton is the most qualified Democratic candidate, especially for Cincinnati residents,” Mallory said.

Following Mallory’s speech, current Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley applauded the success of Clinton’s presidency, and tackled gun control — an issue Sanders is typically seen as weak on.

“There is an epidemic public health crisis of gun violence, and there’s a real difference between our two beloved candidates in this race, and I think we’ve got to go with the one who has common sense solutions to help us fight the gun violence in cities,” Cranley said.

Clinton spoke on the topic, expressing Hillary’s want for an equal and safe America.

“It’s important that every city in America be a safe haven for all its young people and all its diversity. So you have to deal with the Black Lives Matter challenge and go back to community policing,” Clinton said.

The former president also discussed the decrease of women in the work force after the financial crisis, “It’s not a women’s issue, it’s an American issue, it’s an economic issue.”

Katie Miles a 42-year-old pre-school teacher in Fairfield said she is having a tough time deciding between Sanders and Clinton.

“I’ve always been a Democrat. Been on team blue since I could vote. I mean, I appreciate all her government experience. It would

be neat to have a woman president. I can’t decide between the two.

She’s incredible, but I’m sorta ‘feeling the Bern,’” Miles said.

Not everyone at the rally was sold on the meme of Sanders’ policies being unattainable.

“I just think it’s kinda annoying.You hear Bernie getting crapped on for no good reason. All the big stuff he wants is planned out with how it’ll be payed for. And I just don’t see what part of his plans is [sic] radical. Maybe I’m missing something; I just think he wants to add some basic services to our country,” said Jamie Tillmann, 20, of Cincinnati.

Tillmann said he recently donated $25 to the Sanders campaign and suggested that the 74-year-old Democratic socialist has tapped into how young people think about finance.

“You look at stuff like Kickstarter, people just want to fund the stuff they like. If we like you and want you to be successful, we’ll support you ourselves.”

“Millennials are mad because they think they’ll never move out of their parent’s home,” Bill Clinton said. “They never think of getting their own home, they never think of borrowing money to start a new business or they got a new app they wanna finance. They don’t think anything is gonna happen like that.”

The next Democratic primary is Saturday in Nevada, where Hillary Clinton leading by almost 30 points in the polls according to RealClearPolitics.

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Humanities advocacy association welcomes UC ELIZABETH SCHMITT | STAFF REPORTER

The University of Cincinnati has joined the National Humanities Alliance (NHA) as an institution supporting the advancement of humanities preservation, education, research and public programs.

The NHA is a non-profit advocacy group based in Washington D.C. devoted to promoting the humanities and gathering experts and government officials to further develop policy initiatives. Founded in 1981, it is supported by more than 140 academic and professional institutions.

Being a member of the NHA, UC has agreed to appeal to both Congress and the president for public funding of programs for the humanities.

The humanities are described as all academic studies that focus on human culture. Students who are studying the humanities have majors, such as foreign languages, history, music, writing, archaeology and more — all majors are tied together by the study of the human experience.

Engineering, business and medicalrelated fields are the most common majors for UC students, according to the 2015 Fall Semester Student Enrollment. Students studying the humanities are a minority — yet over 70 programs at UC are involved with the humanities.

“If we have a better understanding of art, a better understanding of literature, we have a better understanding of logic and how we can understand and perceive the world, as well express our understanding of the world,” said Connor Powelson, a fourth-year sociology and anthropology student.

Even thought the humanities are a minority on campus, its effect is felt through the university.

“Art seeps into every aspect of the University of Cincinnati,” said Eileene Stremple, UC senior vice provost of Academic Affairs. “To add our voice to a coalition of other institutions, to join together on Capitol Hill is powerful.”

It is too premature to know how much of a role UC will have with the NHA, but public figures at UC are very excited about the union, said Stremple.

UC President Santa Ono featured the new involvement with the NHA Thursday on his Twitter, as well as the deans of McMicken, DAAP and CCM. The NHS does have a yearly membership fee, which Eileen disclosed to be about $2,500. The fee is used to help public institutions with advocacy training, scheduling and coordination of congressional visits, assistance for designing panels and more.

“I think it is definitely good to get the word out and to encourage more students people to go into people to go into those majors and study humanities,” said Josh Maddocks, a third-year anthropology student.

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COLLEGE LIFE / 3 MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2016

MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2016

Mixer benefits Latinos JUSTIN REUTTER | SENIOR REPORTER

PHILIP HEIDENREICH | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Kiran Venkat (Left), Kyle Ivey and Juliana Madzia at TEDxUCincinnati Salon, Thursday evening Feb. 11 2016 hosted in TUC.

Students give ‘Ted Talks’ at salon ELIZABETH MULLET | CONTRIBUTOR

Three University of Cincinnati students gave “Ted Talks” on motivation, neuroscience and racism, and medicine and business at the TEDxCincinnati Salon.

Held Thursday in Tangeman University Center, the first topic was “seeing the bigger picture,” presented

by Kyle Ivey, a third-year fine arts in musical theatre student.

Ivey explained how everyone has an “ideal future” and how it is hard to achieve it, though you can do it through small accomplishments or “little victories.”

Humans are constantly striving for perfection, Ivey said, discussing the importance of rewarding yourself for not giving up on your goals and for ignoring your “inner policeman,” or the negative voice in your head that cuts you down.

Ivey said failure could even motivate you to try again.

He concluded his speech with three main questions: “What did I achieve?”

“What did I learn?” and “What will I do next?”

Saneyuki Nishigame, a third-year mechanical engineering student, said he enjoyed Ivey’s talk.

“I can ask myself the three questions and start doing that today,” said

Nishigame.

Following Ivey was Juliana Madzia, a third-year neurobiology and women’s, gender and sexuality student. She discussed “what neuroscience tells us about racism.”

She told the audience about a 19-year-old black woman who was in an accident, went to a house for help and was killed by a white male.

Madzia mentioned the white male said he killed the female in “selfdefense.” Madzia said this could not have been the case — it was simply aggressive racism.

She spoke about implicit racial bias in the brain and how cognitive neuroscientists found a way to change this through sleep.

The scientists gave a kind of “anti-biased training” that dealt with sleeping and has found that the participants were up to “50 percent less biased,” when asleep.

Madzia described how this only happened because the participants were sleeping.

When sleeping, the brain is either condensing what it has learned throughout the day or dumping the information, she said.

She stated how people of different races who shared common goals could re-orient themselves and end

up getting rid of fear they have of a certain race.

Issac Tresenwriter, a third-year information technology student, said “I can definitely relate” to this topic of racism. Tresenwriter found the speech not only to be very informative but also new.

The final speaker was Kiran Venkat, a third-year neuroscience and finance student, who addressed “bridging the gap between medicine and business.”

Venkat started by challenging the audience to interlock their fingers while their hands were closed in fists.

He discussed how this impossible task is what the relationship between modern medicine and business is like.

“Medicine is a service,” said Venkat, and compared it to ice cream. He said if you have a pleasant experience while purchasing ice cream, you’re more willing to come back, and that can also be true about receiving medical care.

He ended his speech with how important it is to “think outside the box.”

Ryan Pecor, a fourth-year information technology student, found Venkat’s speech interesting.

“It’s a really good idea to blend them…it’s important to know the business side of it,” Pecor said.

Several Hispanic professional groups gave presentations Friday at the African American Cultural & Resource Center (AACRC) to educate Hispanic graduate students on opportunities in the Cincinnati area.

The groups included the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), the Society of Professional Hispanic Engineers (SPHE), and the Hispanic Chamber of Cincinnati.

SHPE has a UC chapter and a professional chapter in Cincinnati and is recruiting for both.

Arthur Walton, the internship coordinator at UC’s Career Development Center, advised graduate students that February is internship month and they should “take advantage of career coaching, resume critique and mock interviews.”

Students can register for the opportunities through the Career Development Center’s page on UC’s website.

“Some of the biggest challenges to Hispanic students on campus are getting access to info, finding out what resources are available, knowing who in faculty and staff will be able to help support success, and being able to gather as a community,” said Priscilla Ayala, coordinator of Ethnic Programs and Services.

Informing the students of the resources available to them is of utmost importance, said Michael Odio, assistant professor of sports administration.

“It is incredible how many opportunities there are, but if you go in not knowing, you may not know until it is too late,” Odio said.

Participants also played a game of “cultural bingo,” asking each other if they had ever attended a quinceañera or come from a large family. The activity was a way to network and talk with peers.

Participants also completed a group activity where they answered questions about their experience as Latinos in UC. One group said they feel many people on campus do not share the same experience.

There are 1,295 Hispanic students currently enrolled at UC, which is just 2.9 percent of the student population, according to the UC Fact Sheet.

“This is a fantastic chance to build a brand new community,” said Marshall Montrose, vice-provost and dean of the UC Graduate School.

Graduate students talked about their favorite experiences at UC. “As a bilingual therapist, I work with a lot of Hispanic immigrant families,” said Jenny Zhen, a graduate student in clinical psychology. “We provide not just therapist services, but also help make sure their basic needs are met.”

The Latino undergraduate and graduate student mixer will be held on March 11 at the AACRC.

NICK BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Hispanic professional groups, (SACNAS and SPHE) gave presentations Friday to educate Hispanic graduate students on opportunities in Cincinnati, Friday night, Feb. 12, 2016 in the AARC.

WHERE CAN YOU REACH THOUSANDS OF UC STUDENTS

ON CAMPUS AND ON THE MOVE?

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4 / ARTS MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2016

‘Wilderness’ reveals playwright’s wish PATRICK MURPHY | SENIOR REPORTER REVIEW

SAEED ADYANI | NETFLIX

Chelsea Handler in the Netflix documentary series “Chelsea Does”

‘Chelsea Does’ honesty in her new Netflix miniseries

Having envisioned this play in a dream, then-43-year-old Eugene O’Neill interrupted the composition of his 24th tragedy for something he had never done, nor would ever do again: a comedy.

Known today as “Ah, Wilderness! A Comedy of Recollection in Three Acts,” the College-Conservatory of Music’s performance presented what O’Neill wished he had, including a father with gentle alcoholism, a mother without mental illness and familial camaraderie that supports the family.

In the center of this light-hearted comedy is Richard Miller (portrayed by Andrew Ramsey), an angst-filled 16-year-old boy who, despite the Fourth of July celebrations, laments the day with references to Thomas Carlyle’s “The French Revolution.”

“Home of the slave is what they ought to call it, the wage slave ground under the heel of the capitalist class,” Miller said, dramatically.

Richard’s father, Nat Miller (portrayed by Devan Pruitt), smiles warmly on stage at his son, suggesting that if he exclaimed such strong words outside the warm bosom of the family, he would be met with lock and key.

Looking scandalized in comparison to Richard’s father is his mother, Essie Miller (portrayed by Katie Langham), who retorts against him reading the then taboo material of Shaw, Swinburne

ALEXANDRA TAYLOR | PHOTO EDITOR REVIEW

Chelsea Handler, known for her show “Chelsea Lately” on E!, takes an unfiltered and honest tone in her brash new Netflix comedy, “Chelsea Does.”

All four episodes of Handler’s comedy focus on singular themes: marriage, Silicon Valley, racism and drugs.

Handler allows herself to be vulnerable.

One example is an episode about marriage, in which she sits down with her father and discusses love and her past relationships. Her father says he and her mother could not see Handler getting married, because she isn’t the type of woman a man would normally marry.

The mini series conducts interviews with several different perspectives on each episode’s theme.

In the episode about marriage, Handler interviews young children, older couples and the CEO of the notorious affair website Ashley Madison on their views on marriage.

As to the racism episode, Handler visits a plantation in Alabama and takes a tour with the owner. The white workers of the plantation suggest that slavery wasn’t as bad as people believed.

Handler then goes to a barbecue cart close to the plantation and asks the black cook and customers how they feel about the plantation workers’ opinion of slavery.

She also speaks to Civil rights activist Al Sharpton about race issues, and Handler meets with a group representing different races in the entertainment industry to talk about the boundaries of racial humor, including her own go-to racial stereotype bit.

The drugs episode sees Handler sit down and smoke a couple of joints with Willie Nelson, discussing the weed culture and how it has impacted his life and music.

She also experiments with alcohol, Adderall and Ambien, under a neuroscience specialist’s supervision, showing the various affects.

Handler travels with two friends to Peru to try Ayahuasca, a powerful hallucinogen that is renowned for its spiritual revelations regarding a person’s purpose on Earth.

In the Silicon Valley episode, viewers witness Handler’s struggle with technology and how to create an app.

The episode examines young coders and owners of the company Yeti, who help Handler create her own app.

Overall, “Chelsea Does” is an entertaining, yet serious and intimate miniseries. It focuses on cultural issues and events that are relevant to both young adults and older audiences.

“Chelsea Does” may surprise Handler fans with the honest, unabashed tone of this series.

and “The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.”

The real drama begins, however, when neighbor David McComber (portrayed by Spencer Lackey) arrives to show Nat Miller a particularly saucy poem Richard sent to McComber’s daughter, and seeks to deliver a response to Richard declaring to never meet with her again.

Heartbroken, Richard begins the exploration of teenage angst and toil amongst such memorable scenes as the drunken shenanigans of Nat and his brother-in-law Sid Davis (portrayed

by Andrew Iannacci) during a family dinner, Richard’s escape to a local bar with the worldly Belle (portrayed by Annie Grove) and his final meeting with McComber’s daughter, Muriel (portrayed by Emily Walton) — subtly highlighting a wishful life that O’Neill never knew.

The play is supported phenomenally from scenic designers Thomas Umfried and Whitney Glover, who skillfully build a remarkable array of late-19th century interior design from grandiose dining exhibits and low hanging chandeliers to the minute details in personal effects and photo collection. It all adds up to an intentional warmth and comfort of an upper-middle class family.

Additional applause to costume designer Maria Lenn, whose intricate fabric selection for each character gives not only a resonance of time appropriateness, but a livable world for the actors to come alive.

In this particular feat, praise goes to actress Katie Langham, whose careful control over vocal cadence and superb ability to connect emotionally with any actor on stage makes her a true craftswoman, heightening the play’s drama.

Langham’s anxiety over her lost son is not only visibly potent, but personally powerful.

Additional praise to Devan Pruitt and Andrew Iannacci for their stage presence and comedic timing, making their drunken antidotes and banter at the dinner table a true pleasure to watch.

While Andrew Ramsey was well-suited to the role of Richard, mixing an air of smugness and uncertainty, the character’s gestures seemed too big, seeking more comedy out of a role that more often than not needed a dry sulkiness to foil bigger characters as Sid Davis.

The story closes on one final discussion between Nat Miller and his son. Having been uncertain of the path of authority to take in lieu of Richard’s rebellion, Nat instead has a heartfelt conversation, where both characters speak honestly of their situations and plans for the future.

Befitting O’Neill’s dreamlike inception, Richard walks out on the porch and looks romantically upon the moonlight.

Nat embraces Essie, saying that spring fades to autumn, and eventually to winter, with beauty to be found in all seasons.

GRAPHIC BY RUSSEL HAUSFELD

‘Deadpool’ becomes loveable jerk in new movie RICHA KAVALEKAR | STAFF REPORTER REVIEW

Deadpool — the foul-mouthed, bloodthirsty, ’80s-music-loving, endlesspop-culture-referencing, lovable jerk — is already everybody’s new favorite antihero after his newest film installment released Friday.

Played by Ryan Reynolds, the Hollywood hunk whom we rarely see deviate from the rom-com genre, (“The Proposal” and “Definitely, Maybe”), he proves his sharp tongue plays better than his pretty face.

Since “Green Lantern” (2011) failed to kick off a franchise for Reynolds, it is no surprise he tried for yet another super hero movie. Except this is not just another super hero movie.

This film sees the former Special Forces operative seeking revenge.

An experimental cancer treatment by a not-so-certified doctor cured Deadpool of cancer, but not without a few side effects.

His newly acquired genetic mutations gave him superhuman abilities and healing powers.

But Wade Wilson, Deadpool’s alter ego, is also robbed of his pretty boy allure and million-dollar smile, turning his appearance into something that reminds you of a three-day-old slice of greasy pizza.

If you are wondering how bad it could really be, sidekick, best friend and scene-stealer Weasel — played by T.J. Miller — phrases it eloquently: “You look like Freddy Krueger face-f*****d a topographical map of Utah.”

Donning a red and black rubber suit (better to hide the blood stains), Deadpool is on a mission to find the villain, Ajax, and reverse the side effects so he can win his lady back.

Sure, Deadpool has a predictable storyline with estranged lovers, a handsome British villain and an exceedingly destructive climax. But this “merc with a mouth” is anarchic, perverse, self-destructive and ultimately a

hysterical riot.

Even though it is set in the X-Men universe, the film only loans us two of the franchise’s B-listers – Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead. The absence of the X-Men’s leading protagonists does not go unnoticed by Deadpool, when he cheekily comments, “It’s almost like the studio couldn’t afford another X-Man.” Not unlike the comics, Deadpool’s tendencies to break the fourth wall were projected and addressed on the bigscreen.

Brimming with meta-humor and self-awareness, “Deadpool” is infinitely quotable. The film’s imminent success could be attributed to its unapologetic one-liners alone.

Possibly one of the snarkiest opening titles ever, the franchise nods to its own legacy by telling us it was directed by “an overpaid tool” and written by “the real

heroes here.”

Unlike the dissociative God-complex we see in a majority of super hero movies, “Deadpool” is a much-needed smack in the face that relieves the audience of the mundane do-gooder act we are used to.

Writer Joe Kelly is responsible for the final product. Kelly remolded him from a villain to something more morally ambiguous with as much butt kicking as comedy.

Due to a relatively small fan-base in the late ’90s, “Deadpool” was constantly under threat of being cancelled, which led to Kelly getting away with ludicrous plot lines — evidently all working out in the end.

The film opens with Deadpool commenting on the gravity of his own character: “Whose b**** did I have to fondle to get my own movie?” Spoiler alert — it was Wolverine’s.

JOE LEDERER | 20TH CENTURY FOX | TNS

Ryan Reynolds is Marvel Comic’s; most unconventional anti-hero, Deadpool.

Kanye releases ‘The Life of Pablo’ in middle of night RENEE GOOCH | SENIOR REPORTER

A star-studded cast took over the Saturday Night Live stage this weekend in a performance topped off with Kanye West’s announcement that his new album, “The Life of Pablo” would stream on his website and Tidal Music.

After an exponential number of visitors crashed his website and Tidal Music for 10 minutes, the release, titled “The Life of Pablo,” was back streaming.

The 18-track album will be available solely to Tidal Music subscribers for a week and fans willing to pay $20 for the album on his official website. West is even offering bundle deals on his site with clothing merchandise he designed for “The Life of Pablo.”

“This is a gospel album, with a whole lot of cussing,”West said to fans on Big Boy Radio before the album’s commercial release.

West is sticking to his roots, believing fusion is the future. The album also includes a variety collaborations from stars like Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, The Weeknd, Ty Dolla $ign, André 3000 and many more.

Saturday’s SNL performance, headlined by West, featured performances from artists like Chance the Rapper, The-Dream and Kelly Price, with an entire gospel choir.

West announced the pending release of the album, formerly titled “Swish,” after an album listening party Thursday at Madison Square Garden, which doubled as a fashion show for his new Yeezy Season 3 fashion line.

After no commercial release following the New York event, speculations about the delay pointed to Martin Shkreli, who offered $10 million to buy the album out. The offer was announced through a tweet, 15 minutes after the start of West’s show in New York City.

Shkreli, founder and former CEO of Turing Parmaceuticals, became infamous in September after his company increased the cost of HIV and cancer drug Daraprim over 5,000 percent from $13.50 to $750 per pill.

Many considered the offer a joke, but social media buzzed soon after when Shkreli posted his initial offer in a formal letter to his official Twitter account. Another post read, “Kanye and his label are legally required to take my offer letter to their Board of Directors. This should delay the album a few days.”

This is not the first time Shkreli has caused chaos within the music industry, as he bought out Wu-Tang Clan’s twentieth anniversary reunion album “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” in 2014 for $2 million.

According to Consequence of Sound, Shkreli announced he would not release the Wu-Tang album publically. To this day, “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” is still solely in the hands and ears of Shkreli.

Two years later, Shkreli set his sights on a new target — Kanye West — but this time, he failed miserably. “The Life of Pablo” is the next step in West’s creative journey and is now, undoubtedly, released to the public.

PROVIDED

Caricature of producer-rapper Kanye West. KRT 2005

5 / OPINION MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2016

MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2016

Iran trip helps family discovery AMIR SAMARGHANDI | NEWS EDITOR

GRAPHIC BY RUSSEL HAUSFELD

The ‘N-word’ needs to die MACK DAVIS | STAFF REPORTER

In June 2007, the NAACP, along with the Rev. Al Sharpton and the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. set up a funeral for the infamous “N-word”.

The symbolic ceremony was a call to all Americans, of all races to stop using the word and to put it to rest for good.

The funeral for the “N-word” was in 2007, but it is still part of our society in 2016, one has to ask if the “N-word” has nine lives.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the “N-word” as “a member of any dark-skinned race, a member of a disadvantaged class of people.” In bold print, it states the word is “highly offensive.”

This begs the question: Is the “N-word” still considered a highly offensive racial slur?

The word was originally used to degrade and devalue a race a people for the better part of 500 years during slavery and the Jim Crow era.

Today, the word is used in almost every part of popular culture, from music to television and films. The word has truly transcended its derogatory roots and found a new home in our everyday language.

It is highly common to see groups of African Americans across the country in public passing the “N-word” around at each other like Cam Newton throws footballs to his Carolina Panthers teammates.

You can even notice some groups of friends mixed with multiple races using the word and it seems to be easily acceptable.

There was a time in this country when saying that word would spark anger that could potentially result in violence from the people it was directed towards. During the Civil Rights movement, that horrific word was readily used

to by those that opposed fair treatment for African Americans and aimed at those peaceful protesters that wanted to push for change in this country.

Never in American culture has a word with such a negative stain on society been able to rise to a point of such acceptance. And no matter how far society has risen from the days when the word was used exclusively in a negative tone, to the point now where it is a common word among friends, there is still a very ugly side to the word.

Some have argued that the form of the word with an “-a” at the end of it is a far cry from the word ending in “-er,” which makes the word acceptable to use in everyday life.

If that is truly the case is this word now okay for everybody to use towards each other regardless of race?

If the word can be deemed offensive depending on the tone it is used, why bother allowing the word being used towards you in any setting?

Being raised in a predominantly African-American neighborhood, I have grown up using the ‘N-word.”

I understand why the word is so hard to walk away from.

I am not saying there are no negative incidents where the word still is used, but I try to keep that to a minimum.

As African Americans, we simply have to find better ways to communicate with one another.

There is an infinite number of words out there. We cannot continue to be stuck on this one.

Some things simply have too much negative history attached to them to ever become something that’s positive, the “N-word” is definitely one of those things.

I was finally taking the advice of all those kids who told me to go back to where I am from.

My father and I were heading back together, but instead of looking forward to a month of the intense political and historical discussions we often had, he was warning me to keep my nonreligious, Western opinions to myself. The Islamic Republic of Iran is violently intolerant to the openminded dissent we’re used to having.

This journey was a spiritual return, but I was scared about saying something stupid.

From the minute the plane left Cincinnati, through all the delays in European midpoints, until landing in Tehran, I was in knots.

People who were essentially strangers greeted me with incredible warmth. Overwhelmed and jetlagged, I spent the first day just sleeping and getting welcomed by friendly Iranian mosquitos.

“Naan, paneer, chai” — bread, cheese and tea — is the traditional Persian breakfast my McMuffintainted mouth had long rejected. Until I finally had the real article and felt my taste buds returning to Israel, an analogy better left internalized given my geography.

Persians have a reputation for overpowering hospitality due to the custom of “tarof”, or civility.

I always marveled at how Iranian-Americans went out of their way to force guests to sit and have some tea and a pastry. That was absolutely nothing compared to the relentless politeness assault I got hit with going from one relative’s house to the other. Cups of tea, huge plates of food, and pastries were thrust expectantly in my path regardless of whether I said no or didn’t answer at all.

Another long-standing custom I wasn’t thrilled about was the mandatory double-cheek kiss for every single member of the family. My cousin who could legitimately pass as Snoop Dogg? Two kisses for you. My blue-eyed cousin who’s a Persian television actress? All of you bearded guys? Let’s do some awkward kissing.

The other staggering initial realization was that despite my heritage, I’m just an overgrown firstgrader when it came to holding a conversation.

My word choices were totally incoherent and I’d randomly say things in English. I would sheepishly try to avoid talking for very long. That’s when I noticed how easily my father was conversing

and how happy and comfortable he seemed, finally speaking his mother tongue.

Then it hit me: All the struggles I’m having now expressing anything besides a dinner order must be so miniscule compared to what my parents went through — and other immigrants.

My dad told me how humiliated he felt when a policewoman ridiculed his English during a routine stop. It happened in the 1970s when he was in college going to the University of Illinois for his second master’s degree, not when his family surrounded him as he tried to figure out how to tell them about American football.

Iran and America both have their rural and nationalistic pockets, but Tehran is as metropolitan as any major city. Tehran and Los Angeles are compared often, both having similar climates, sprawling urban layouts, and inordinate amounts of obscenely wealthy Persians driving garishly overpriced cars. Yet, every single young person I met there didn’t care about the politics or the news — they were obsessed with American culture.

My cousin Mani and I launched into a world of Pink Floyd and Metallica, complete with his encyclopedic knowledge of every lyric and band member. A motorcycle ride with my cousin Hamed — Junior Asian Kickboxing Champion— up to a hookah bar turned into a room full of drunken Iranian dudes dissecting gangster movies and doing horrible Brooklyn accents.

None of the political stuff came up, except for some hushed whispers about a friend who got jailed or beaten, or a girlfriend who got lashings for exposing too much hair. They partied and liked all the same stuff my Americans friends did — hell, they partied much harder — while having to avoid theocratic scrutiny.

I felt a staggering amount of love and embrace from these people, my kin. I felt alive in a proud ancient civilization, one that I grew learning about. But my trip to Iran was the real learning experience, about how my own family lives and who they are. I learned how much my parents sacrificed for me and how hard it is to speak in something other than your native tongue.

And I had learned a lot of Persian, which had dramatically improved to the point I could finally hold a rudimentary discussion. I learned those names my parents would say growing up are my family, and I’ll never forget them.

WANT TO WRITE TO THE EDITOR? NEWSRECORDOPINION@GMAIL.COM GRAPHIC BY RUSSEL HAUSFELD

PUZZLE Feb. 11 puzzle’s answer: R A H S

A T E M S O F A

Across 1. Congressional authority 5. Lifeless 9. Repaired, as a boot 14. Warning to a tot 15. Academic apparel 16. Dancer Fred’s dancing sister 17. Temporarily out of stock, with “on” 19. Add a lane to, say 20. Hot rod rods

21. Not stable, in a way 23. Sighed line 26. Wall St. event 27. “Yeah, sure!”

30. One might spoil a dream 36. Beth, to Jo 37. Hindu “sir” 38. Spot in a spa 39. Jangle pop and the like, and a hint to a hidden feature

of 17-, 30-, 46-, and 63-Across 43. Old counters 44. Aussie hoppers 45. Daisy _____ 46. Gadgets with helical parts called worms 49. The Constitution St. 50. Cadenza maker 51. 50-Across’ locale 53. Enjoy the sunset 58. About

62. Old marketplace 63. Restaurant convenience 66. Flower part 67. Dynamic beginning?

68. The Big Easy acronym 69. “East of Eden” surname 70. Balcony section 71. Card game for three

O B I T

A L P O

R E P O M A D E X O N I N S Q O U S F I A E X T V O I T L E

N U A N E S C O O C A M P P G E E A R E L E S W G R E E C R O W B N I C E S E P A D T P B E S S K I T T Y I N T A C A G A T H

Down 1. Where the Sky and the Sun collide, for short?

2. Scam 3. Part of the pkg.

4. Jab 5. “Darn, it’s cold!”

6. Airport near Tel Aviv 7. Withhold information about, say 8. Beyond noble 9. Supports in shop class 10. Comic strip drooler 11. Mythical Spartan queen 12. The mi. in MileHigh City

C E S W R T U S S E L E Z E S T A N D I E C E P A R D I T C H E E H Y S P E E C O R N T T Y A S A

13. Opposite of admit 18. Kyrgyzstan city 22. Walther______: James Bond’s pistol 24. Thom of shoes 25. Tyrrhenian Sea island 27. Name on the “Robot” series books 28. Bag End notable 29. To be, in Toledo 31. Bizarre 32. Bernie’s river 33. Italian cathedral 34. Like Andean pyramids 35. Kind of bucket 37. Outdoor exercise choice 40. Luther opponent Johann________

D A R T H V A D E R

I D E S

V E R Y

E R O S

E R A S

41. Louisiana Territory state 42. Discovery astronaut James 47. Cannes corp.

48. Imp 49. Stone monuments 52. Words of disgust 53. Up-tempo 54. Too much sun, they say 55. Club in a Manilow song 56. Baseball stats 57. Religious prefix 59. Corner piece 60. Fizzy drink 61. Bit of introductory Latin 64. 100 nanojoules 65. 41-Down college

6 / SPORTS MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2016

Men’s basketball downs ECU LOGAN GARDNER | CONTRIBUTOR DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR

DAVID GIFREDA | CONTRIBUTOR

Shelbi Chandler, No.32, goes up for a rebound late in the game against the USF Bulls Friday night, Feb. 12, 2016.

DAVID GIFREDA | CONTRIBUTOR

Ana Owens No.3 stares past a USF player toward the basket in game against the USF Bulls Friday night, Feb. 12, 2016.

Women’s basketball continues to struggle ADAM KING | CONTRIBUTOR

The University of Cincinnati women’s basketball team continued their season-long struggle for wins Friday in a 78-51 loss to the No. 22 University of South Florida Bulls.

The game began with South Florida playing stout defense and getting tough shots to fall on offense. The Bearcats struggled to get 3-pointers early and fell behind USF 11-4 midway through the first quarter.

USF’s senior guard Courtney Williams scored 10 points in first quarter to lead the Bulls to a 21-11 lead at the end of the period.

Cincinnati came out in the second quarter and began working the ball inside, which opened things up behind the arc and allowed them to make some easy 3-point shots.

The Bearcats stifled the Bulls on offense for most of the quarter, allowing them to pull within 8 points, but USF went on a 7-4 run to close out the half with a 38-27 lead.

The Bulls’ ability to gather rebounds gave Cincinnati fits in the first half. The Bearcats were out rebounded 18-13.

UC came out of halftime strong, going on a quick 5-0 run, bringing the deficit back to 6 points. USF responded with a 10-3 run to cushion their lead.

Cincinnati, despite playing tight defense, could not stop USF. The Bearcats forced USF into numerous tough jump shots, but USF answered every time.

The Bearcats forced the ball inside offensively and were getting open shots, but could not convert.

South Florida took a 54-41 lead into the fourth quarter and the Bearcats’ struggles continued.

USF’s freshman forward Kitija Laksa scored 8-straight points, increasing the Bulls’ lead to 19.

The offensive woes were too much for UC to overcome as the Bulls pulled out the 78-51 victory.

UC shot 37 percent from the field, compared to USF’s 50 percent for USF. “We’re not so much concerned about the outcome of the game today,” said UC head coach Jamelle Elliott. “We want to continue to compete and keep it as close as possible, but I am seeing some growth and some fundamental execution out there, especially on offense and defense, that’s going to give us the chance…to be successful.”

The Bearcats, whose strength is at the guard position, have been attempting to work the ball down low more recently.

“It’s important that we give our posts some touches,” Elliott said.

“The post players have been working hard, they just haven’t been able to reward themselves in games. We just got to keep their confidence up, we still want to give them touches inside and believe they’re going to finish and once they do, then we’ll have some good balanced offense.”

The Bearcats are in ninth place in the American Athletic Conference with a 7-17 overall record and a 3-10 conference record. They play the undefeated No. 1 University of Connecticut Huskies at 7 p.m.

Wednesday in Storrs, Connecticut.

The game will be aired on ESPN3.

The University of Cincinnati men’s basketball team used a stiff defense to defeat the high-scoring East Carolina University Pirates 75-60 Saturday at Fifth Third Arena.

The Bearcats have won six of their last seven games, improving to 18-7 overall and current sit at third place in the American Athletic Conference with a 9-4 record.

ECU averaged 80 points in the five games leading up to Saturday. The Bearcats attempted to slow the Pirate offense by running a full-court press from the beginning.

The Pirates struggled with the Cincinnati press, falling behind 8-2 in the first five minutes. However, UC struggled offensively and surrendered its lead as ECU hit several 3-point shots.

UC was down by 1 with just under seven minutes left in the half before pulling off a 12-3 run to claim an 8-point halftime lead.

ECU’s 41.7 percent shooting from 3-point range and 13 bench points kept the game competitive throughout the first half.

East Carolina began the second half and much like the first with hot deep shooting.

The Pirates fought their way to back to tie the game at 42 with around13 minutes to play, but UC’s defense tightened, helping the offense go

on an 11-1 run to claim a 10-point lead midway through the half.

The Bearcats allowed ECU to hang around the rest of the game, but with four and a half minutes left UC went on a 9-3 run to close out the game.

“They forced us to grind out the win,” said Mick Cronin, UC head coach. “As much as I’d like to go out there and make every shot and pull away early, it probably makes you better at the end of the day that we had to dig in and get better to win this game.”

Senior forward Octavius Ellis and sophomore forward Gary Clark led the way for the Bearcats, both with double-doubles.

“Octavius, he played great in the first half and Gary played much better in the second half,” Cronin said. “The way we were shooting the ball from the perimeter, we needed them, we had to get the ball in the basket with our big guys on the inside.”

Clark has been criticized by his coaches and others for being too nice on the floor. He silenced his critics Saturday with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

“I try to go out there and dominate night in and night out,” Clark said. “When I hear ‘oh he’s too nice,’ it’s kind of like what do you want me to do, just go up and nail someone or what?”

UC will play the University of Tulsa Tuesday in Tulsa, Oklahoma at 9 p.m. The game will be aired on CBS Sports Network.

JACOB SCHUTT | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Fourth-year center, Coreontae DeBerry, fights for control over the ball against ECU player, Saturday afternoon Feb. 13, 2016 at Fifth Third Arena.

JACOB SCHUTT | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Despite a slow start, the play of Octavius Ellis and Gary Clark led the Bearcats to a 75-60 win against ECU, Saturday afternoon Feb. 13, 2016 at Fifth Third Arena.

JACOB SCHUTT | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Fourth-year forward, Octavius Ellis, celebrates Saturday afternoon Feb. 13, 2016 at Fifth Third Arena during a game against ECU.

Some teams could be a bump on the road to the NBA playoffs DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR OPINION

The NBA’s best teams will set up for their playoff runs during the last stretch of the season starting Thursday.

The Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs have been the best teams all season in the Western Conference. The Cleveland Cavaliers were the best team in the Eastern Conference, placing first nearly all season.

Many people picked either the Warriors or Spurs to win the Western Conference, and the Cavaliers were everyone’s pick for the East. It is possible, however, none of these teams will make it.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Toronto Raptors have had nice seasons thus far and could both be dangerous in the playoffs.

The Thunder are currently No. 3 in the West and are the only team, other than the Warriors and Spurs, to reach 40 wins this season.

Arguably, they have the most explosive duo in the NBA with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Both guys average over 24 points per game, according to ESPN’s official site.

Oklahoma City already beat the Spurs this year and can match up well against Warriors.

Everyone raves over Steph Curry’s play, but Westbrook is a better all-around point guard and could easily get the best of Curry in a playoff series.

The Spurs and Warriors both have big men who can spread the floor in LaMarcus Aldridge for San Antonio and Draymond Green for Golden State. The Thunder have tools to combat that as well.

Serge Ibaka stretches the floor with his jump shot but also can rebound with the best of them. He is averaging nearly 13 points and seven rebounds per game.

He adds a third piece to the Thunder that could be troublesome for the Warriors and Spurs, which gives them a better chance

than anybody to come out on top in the west.

The Raptors are currently No. 2 in the Eastern Conference and only three games back from the Cavaliers. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games and have separated themselves significantly from the rest of the conference.

Much like the Thunder, they have a dynamic duo in DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, with both guys averaging over 20 points per game, according to ESPN. The Raptors also have two other players averaging in double figures.

Guys like DeMarre Carroll and Terrence Ross are role players that could give trouble to the Cavaliers during any given game. They also have Jonas Valanciunas who could match up well against Tristan Thompson when fighting for boards.

They bested the Cavaliers in November beating them by 4 points in Toronto. In their most recent matchup, however, the Cavaliers won by 22 points in Cleveland.

The Cavaliers are still the most talented team in the East, but the Raptors have the best chance to dethrone them and go to the NBA Finals.

With two months left in the NBA season, the true championship contenders will begin to separate themselves from other teams.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook celebrates in front of the Los Angeles Clippers; Blake Griffin, left, and Chris Paul during Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals at the Chesapeake Energy Center in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, May 13, 2014. The Thunder won, 105-104, for a 3-2 series lead.

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