Nov. 7, 2016

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Elect Her campaign

A student group encourages and trains women to enter political careers

Women’s Volleyball

Volleyball jumps into first place in AAC with win over SMU

THE NEWS RECORD / UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI MONDAY, NOV. 7, 2016

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Leelah Alcorn’s pleas ignored Warren County looks to end gender reassignment health care coverage JUSTIN REUTTER | SENIOR REPORTER

N.C. BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

UC head coach Tommy Tuberville walks on to the field as he calls a play against East Carolina University at Nippert Stadium, Saturday, October 22, 2016.

Tuberville: ‘Go to hell’ DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR

It all crashed down on Saturday.

During the Cincinnati Bearcats 20-3 loss to the Brigham Young University Cougars, head coach Tommy Tuberville unleashed his frustration on a heckling fan.

A video shot by WCPO captured Tuberville walking to the locker room after the game, and a fan yelling some choice words to the 62-year-old coach.

Tuberville responded in kind saying, “Go to hell ... get a job.”

This all came after a game where the Bearcats failed to score a single touchdown, making it sixstraight quarters without finding the end zone.

“There was just no consistency. We put a couple of drives together but we were just not very good to be honest with you. Guys were trying hard, they’re pushing hard.

We just didn’t have any consistency on any length of the drive to score a touchdown,”Tuberville said.

“Six quarters without a touchdown is not going to win any games. Everybody talks about going to a bowl and all of that, but I just want to score a touchdown.”

The Bearcat offense has seen better days, to say the least.

After a season where they were one of the best in the country, scoring 33.8 points per game, they are now being limited to 20.6.

In addition, Cincinnati averaged 537.7 yards per game in 2015 and this year they are down to 376.

During the loss to BYU, the Bearcats only picked up 295 yards of total offense.

“Well we’ve tried it all,” Tuberville said. “We’ve tried every quarterback, we’ve tried every running back.

The big thing is that we

get hurt on first down too much. When we get a good first down play and get 4, 5, 6 yards, it puts us in a good frame of mind, but our receivers just don’t have enough confidence to make that play.”

On the ground, fifthyear senior Tion Green found success against the Cougars, picking up 86 yards on 16 attempts, but the team only picked up 21 more total rushing yards on the day.

The 117 rushing yards was two below their season average. Despite the team coming into the year with a running-focused offense, UC is rushing 58.1 yards less per game than last season.

“Piggybacking off what coach [Tuberville] said, I just want to score, too,” Green said. “I just want to be in the end zone. I just want to score and party in the end zone. I want to score and get better and better as an offense.”

The Bearcats are now 4-5 on the season and 1-4 in American Athletic Conference play. They could be headed to their first losing season since 2010 when they went 4-8.

“When it’s tough like this you just have to rely on your faith,” said senior defensive tackle Alex Pace.

“It’s the only thing we’ve got when the crowd is not on your side, when the people aren’t on your side, and when the students aren’t on your side. So in tough times like this, we make sure we rely on our faith.”

Cincinnati travels to Orlando, Florida to play the 5-4 University of Central Florida for their next game at noon on Saturday. “[We have to] continue to fight, watch film, make corrections and take advantage of opportunities,” Green said.

In Warren County, Ohio, county commissioners are taking steps to remove gender reassignment surgery from county employees’ health care coverage.

County Commissioner David Young and two other Republican commissioners signed a letter Tuesday, directing United Healthcare to remove gender dysphoria coverage from its plan.

Young believes gender reassignment surgery is a choice and should be considered an elective procedure.

“I’m not making a moral judgment here,”Young told the Enquirer.

“If someone wants to do [gender reassignment surgery], that is between them and God. It’s just not something I think taxpayers should be paying for.”

The policy may be in conflict with the Affordable Care Act, which encourages carriers to cover gender reassignment surgery and other necessary medical procedures often sought by transgender individuals.

Amy Schlag, director of the University of Cincinnati Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer, disagrees with Young’s assessment.

“Being transgender is not a choice,” said Schlag.

There is evidence to suggest that increased levels of gender dysphoria may result from developmental exposure to abnormal hormone environments, increased levels of androgens or increased testosterone washes in utero, according to Schlag.

“The science is incomplete and still in the process is still in development and research, but there is enough of an understanding to refute any notion that being transgender is a choice.”

Gender reassignment surgery is a “choice” in the same way that seeking medication for depression or having surgery to repair a cracked vertebra is a “choice,” according to Schlag.

“People can choose not to take medication or have surgery, but is not a recommended choice of action and will lead to people unnecessarily being in pain or suffering. For many, but certainly not all, transgender individuals, access to gender reassignment surgery is literally life-

saving, and not a choice.”

“What they are doing is completely messed up,” said Q Shaw, a firstyear women’s gender and sexuality student, who added that stopping someone from transitioning could lead to mental health issues, such as depression.

Warren County was home to Leelah Alcorn, a transgender teen born Joshua Ryan Alcorn. Alcorn was denied permission to undergo gender reassignment surgery by her parents at the age of 16, who instead sent her to Christian “conversion therapy,” removed her from school and revoked access to technology.

Alcorn took her own life in 2014 by stepping in front of a bus.

Alcorn cited feelings of loneliness, alienation and rejection by society and her parents in her suicide note.

“The only way I will rest in peace is if one day transgender people aren’t treated the way I was, they’re treated like humans, with valid feelings and human rights,” said Alcorn in the note.

Alcorn begged for her death to mean something, demanding that her death needs to be counted in the number of transgender people who commit suicide this year.

About 41 percent of transgender people attempt to take their own lives at some point, as compared to 4.6 percent of the general public, according to a survey by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

The last line of Alcorn’s note read, “I want someone to look at that number and say “that’s f***ed up” and fix it. Fix society. Please.”

PROVIDED BY REFINERY29

Leelah Alcorn, pictured in 2014, was a transgendered teen from Lebanon who committed suicide.

Women in American political culture LAUREN MORETTO | NEWS EDITOR

When Brooke Duncan, vice president of the University of Cincinnati Student Government, ran alongside President

Mitchell Phelps, she found there were those who questioned whether she would be strong enough to fulfill the demands of the position.

“I have been told before

N.C. BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Madison Landkrohn of the UC Women’s Center speaks on women in politics at the Women’s Center in the Steger Student Life Center, Monday, October 24, 2016.

that I care too much,” said Duncan.

“Sometimes when you see your male counterparts care the exact same amount you care for, they don’t get questioned — it’s shown as a sign of strength, where as I feel like as a woman it sometimes shows that you’re just trying to have a grip on things.”

This disparity can lead to insecurities, according to Duncan.

Unfortunately, Duncan’s experience is not unique, as many female politicians may face a different set of standards than their male counterparts.

Whether a woman has children or grandchildren, what they’re wearing or how they look may be judged differently, according to Cincinnati City Councilwoman Amy Murray.

“Throughout all of politics you just have so many more men, and so you do

THE STUDENT VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

have a little bit of that you know old men’s network that you have to work hard to be included in or to change,” said Murray.

As of 2016, women hold around 22 percent of state Senate seats, 20 percent of U.S. Senate seats and less than 20 percent of seats in Congress, according to the Center for American Women and Politics.

This year’s presidential election cycle saw its own share of female contenders — including Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican Carly Fiorina, who suspended her campaign in February.

Individuals find that women are equally qualified to be political leaders, according to survey data from the Pew Research Center. Despite this, barriers still persist — and they may be a contributing factor behind America’s “old men’s SEE WOMEN PG 2

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Ohio Senate race divided on guns, drugs, trade RUSSELL HAUSFELD | ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR

Ohioans are divided on issues of gun control, drug abuse and trade — and so are its candidates in the 2016 Ohio Senate race.

Rob Portman (R) and Ted Strickland (D) differ clearly on these issues, with Portman consistently opposing gun control and supporting trade deals, and Strickland leaning the other way.

Here is a brief look at their platforms.

Guns

Portman and Strickland’s stances on guns weren’t so different just five years ago. Both have received high ratings from the National Rifle Association for their voting history on gun legislation. But, after a wave of mass shootings, Strickland’s views changed.

Having once voted against a ban on assault rifles and against a bill that would create a waiting period for handgun purchases, Strickland now supports expanded background checks for anyone buying guns online or from gun shows. He also supports a firearm ban for those on the no-fly list, and he has said he would revoke his original stance on the assault rifle ban if he could. ”It’s clear to me that this gun violence epidemic has escalated, and we should be implementing common sense and effective ideas to make Americans safer,” Strickland said.

Portman has consistently opposed restrictions on Americans’ right to bear arms. He voted against banning high-capacity magazines and decreasing gun-waiting periods from three days to one.

He also co-sponsored the Veterans’ Heritage Firearms Act, which lets veterans register unlicensed guns

acquired abroad.

Heroin and Drug Abuse

Both candidates have made Cincinnati’s heroin epidemic central to their platforms, and both have a history of being advocates for preventative programs.

Portman founded the Coalition for a Drug Free Cincinnati — now called PreventionFIRST! — and chaired it for nine years. This program works to strengthen local anti-drug efforts and provide data on drug abuse to the community.

He supported a Senate bill called the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act (CARA), which was signed into law last summer and aims to fight opioid and heroin use by expanding drug prevention education, increasing law enforcement’s availability to the opioid overdose treatment naloxone, providing resources to treat incarcerated addicts and strengthening prescription drugmonitoring programs.

“We need a comprehensive strategy that starts from the bottom up,” Portman said. “This legislation builds on proven methods to enable law enforcement to respond to this heroin epidemic and supports long-term recovery by connecting prevention and education efforts with treatment programs.”

As governor of Ohio, Strickland assembled a task force of healthcare and public safety officials in 2010 to develop drug prevention recommendations, many of which are now laws in the state. Strickland says Portman — while claiming support of measures like CARA — has a history of voting the other way.

“Sen. Portman loves to talk about the opioid issue, but he’s bragging about a drug abuse prevention

bill that he actually voted against funding,” Strickland said, speaking of a $1.1 trillion spending bill which Congress passed earlier this year that would help fund heroin prevention measures. Portman voted against this spending bill.

Trade

Strickland has opposed trade deals he deems unfair, including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and Permanent Most Favored Status for China. Like his previous stances on trade agreements, Strickland is opposed to the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), a multinational trade agreement that is supposed to increase economic ties between the United States and 12 other Pacific Rim countries.

He says Ohio’s manufacturing job base has been crushed by bad

trade deals . and that many of Ohio’s jobs have been outsourced overseas.

“In the Senate I’ll support a moratorium on new trade deals until it’s proven they’ll create American jobs, work to stop trade deals from being negotiated in secret without real input from workers and push for aggressive enforcement of trade protections that are already in place,” Strickland said.

Portman served as trade representative under former President George W. Bush and supported many of the trade deals Strickland has opposed, including CAFTA and NAFTA. While originally coming out in support of TPP, Portman has since revoked his stance and says he opposes the deal on grounds that it does not create a level playing field for American workers.

HARRY E. WALKER | MCT

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) speaks at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, Wednesday, August 29, 2012.

FROM WOMEN PG 1

network.”

About half of women said a major reason there are not more women in top political offices is because female candidates are held to higher standards than men, compared to 28 percent of men, according to the Pew Research Center.

Additionally, 31 percent

of men and 41 percent of women said many Americans aren’t ready to elect a woman to higher office.

Ohio’s ranking among state legislatures for the proportion of women has improved over recent years, with a current rating of 22, according to the Center for Women and Politics.

Having a voice on the inside to represent women is crucial, according to Madison Landkrohn, a third-year psychology student involved in the planning of the Elect Her campaign — an event hosted by the UC Women’s Center Saturday.

“A man can represent women, but he never truly

knows those battles that we have always had to go through,” said Landkrohn.

The campaign promotes leadership and development in women interested in running for SG or a future political office.

When it comes to running for an elected office, maintaining confidence in

spite of being treated or looked at differently may prove challenging.

“Remember that, you know you are strong enough, you can do this, and because you’re a woman only makes you stronger to do it,” said Duncan.

of committing wage theft A student at the University of Cincinnati joined a number of former Tiger Dumpling employees who accuse the restaurant of withholding wages.

Zach Green, a third-year interior design student, took his first college job as a manager at the now closed Clifton location for around six months.

Though Green admits he enjoyed the work environment, he said getting paid on time by owner Hunter Hubert became an issue.

“Sometimes it would be a couple days late, others times, toward the end there it started to stack up. Like [Hubert] would say he was paying us and then an entire pay period would go by and then he’d have to mail us two checks. It was spotty for sure,” said Green.

Disparities also appeared in his tax returns, Green said, in which he had only been listed as working 50 hours during that year when he would sometimes average 40 hours a week.

Green reached out to Hubert in an attempt to acquire the money he was owed.

“It was always a day away, you know?” said Green. “He always had an excuse for something. The most recent time, which was like the last pay check, he’d told me that he had sold the rights to the store and that he was going to be attaching us out at the same time, in about a week’s time, which was a couple months ago.”

In the end, Green did not think Hubert owed him enough money to want to take legal action.

In October, seven former Tiger Dumpling employees sued the company. They claimed that its owner withheld wages from them for work performed at a Newport warehouse.

The lawsuit stated the seven employees worked in a warehouse where they prepared Asian-style dumplings that were sold at the restaurant’s Clifton location near campus.

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Tiger Dumpling accused LAUREN MORETTO | NEWS EDITOR

Founded 1880

Lawyers for the plaintiffs claimed the workers went about a month without pay in March, and that previous attempts to recover money had been unsuccessful, as previously reported by the Enquirer.

On Oct. 17, Kroger announced a partnership with Tiger Dumpling, stating that the restaurant would be serving their dumplings at the Oakley and Harper’s Point Kroger locations by the end of October.

Both locations would end up sans dumplings — only days after the announcement of their partnership and the recently filed lawsuit involving seven former employees, Kroger terminated its relationship with Tiger Dumpling.

The restaurant’s Clifton location closed for business in April. Only a few months later, it was announced that the restaurant would be opening a new location on The Banks in downtown Cincinnati.

In referencing the upcoming store, owner Hunter Hubert said they were “looking to create a fast-paced, exciting vibe with great food, [up-tempo] music and smiling faces,” as previously reported by the Enquirer.

To anyone interested in applying at the new location, Green issues a warning.

“I would tell them to keep their receipts,” said Green.

“Keep your ticket stubs.”

Twitter @NewsRecord_UC Instagram TheNewsRecord SoundCloud The-News-Record-1 STAFF Editor-in-chief Jeff O’Rear Managing editor Amir Samarghandi News editors Lauren Moretto Kinsley Slife Chief reporter Ashleigh Pierce Sports editor David Wysong College Life editor Samantha Hall Arts editor Russell Hausfeld Opinion editor Caroline Cory Copy editor Huey Nguyen Photo editor Alexandra Taylor Chief photographer N. C. Brown Online editor Stephanie Smith Designer Gabrielle Stichweh Broadcast Reporter Emily Wilhelm Videographer Michelle Fisk Sales manager Caleb Ward

PROVIDED BY ZACH GREEN

Tiger Dumpling, set to reopen on the Banks of Cincinnati, is accused of wage theft.

LIFE & ARTS / 3 ‘Elect Her’ event looks to empower women MONDAY, NOV. 7, 2016

SAMANTHA HALL | COLLEGE LIFE EDITOR

N.C. BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Elect Her is a program that encourages and trains college women to run for student government and future political office at the African American Cultural Resource Center, Saturday, November 5, 2016.

The growth of women empowerment in government continues to change the gap in gender equality.

The University of Cincinnati’s Women’s Center and the American Association of University Women have combined forces again to build the confidence in women who desire a role in government, whether that be student, local or federal government.

Women represent half the global population, yet make up less than 20 percent of the world’s legislators, according to USAid.org.

The lack of access given to women internationally for education and technology expands the gap that UC is working to close.

An event Saturday, Elect Her, took place to strengthen women and further their success in politics starting at UC. Elect Her is known to be the only program that exists in the country that trains, strengthens and builds up collegiate women who have a desire to run for future political positions.

Students were able to RSVP for the event that lasted all Saturday, where over 40 women registered to attend.

At the women empowering

event, discussions were held where information was shared, including the statistic that women only make up 20 percent of Congress, with only six percent being women of color.

The spokesperson, Susannah Wellford, president and founder of Running Start, gave advice during the training event for the women attending.

“Don’t worry about people underestimating you, it could be your biggest power,” said Wellford.

Wellford’s program, Running Start, originally launched Elect Her: Campus Women Win in 2010, and has since spread

the program across the country. The initiative works to encourage women to run for office at their universities, due to research that proves women are more likely to run for government as adults when also involved in college, according to RunningStartOnline.org.

Running Start is stationed in the District of Columbia, the hub for U.S. government.

The countries with the highest female representation in politics include Rwanda, followed

by Andorra and Cuba as of 2013. The U.S. is ranked 72 in the world for women’s representation in

legislatures.

States that hold the most positions for women in congress include California and New York, while there are still three states that never have sent a woman to the House or Senate, according to the Eagleton Institute of Politics.

UC’s Elect Her training program has been successful in its attempt to inspire women to take the lead in politics, with having had a female student body president during the 20142015 school year, Christina Beer, who herself was inspired by Elect Her to run.

UC had not had a female student body president in 20 years, according to UC.edu.

Taft Museum takes viewers back in time RUSSELL HAUSFELD | ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR

At a time when many Americans still had little idea what the whole of the United States actually looked like, photographers played an important role in educating citizens on their ever-changing expanses of territory.

The Taft Art Museum opened an exhibit at the end of October — “Picturing The West: Masterworks of 19th-Century Landscape Photography” — in their Fifth-Third Gallery space.

During the 19th century, the population in the U.S. was exploding, with settlers pushing further and further toward the western frontier.

As railroads and roads continued to develop, so too did the art and technology of photography.

In this time of American history, “the public craved images of America’s untamed territory,”Taft Museum’s press release reads. “And intrepid photographers showed them what the rugged land looked like. They captured natural wonders, such as sweeping canyons and plunging waterfalls, and man-made marvels like railways and

mining structures.”

The exhibit displays a total of 41 multipurpose photographs, assuming the roles of artistic works, historical documentation and promotion about the splendor of America.

These images documented scientific and factual representations of nature, while also constructing an image of an American West that was ripe for development, exploitation, tourism and preservation.

The exhibit commemorates the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service, with many photographs depicting many of the major features of the nation’s first national parks.

Works include photography from noteworthy photographers like Eadweard Muybridge, William Henry Jackson and Carleton E. Watkins, printed on 18-by-22 inch glass negatives called “mammoth plates.”

GO: “Picturing The West: Masterworks of 19th-Century Landscape Photography,”Taft Art Museum, 316 Pike St., Oct. 22-Jan. 15, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Closed Monday. $12.

AARON DORSTEN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Employed, an exhibit at CAM, displays their collection of works by artists who have worked at the museum throughout history, now - Jan. 22.

CAM displays its employees’ work ERIN COUCH | STAFF REPORTER

For an aspiring artist, a gig at the Cincinnati Art Museum (CAM) — even as a museum employee — is a blessing. Now, these artists moonlighting as museum workers have been given the opportunity to display their work on the walls of the coveted establishment in CAM’s latest exhibition, “Employed: A Staff Art Exhibition.”

From security guards to curators, any member of CAM’s staff was welcome to submit artwork. Over 70 pieces from 37 different artists were selected.

Walking into the front of the gallery, the first two pieces are immediately visually striking: sculptures by a behind-the-scenes artist, security guard Ben Kleier.

The sculptures are a hodgepodge of various items constructed in a way that creates a cohesive narrative. In the case of the piece “Meandering Through the Refuse,” the seemingly unrelated objects of driftwood, empty

glass bottles and an old license plate frame come together as Kleier explains in the description that these items were collected on a stroll down the banks of the Ohio River.

As far as the variety of artwork goes, the gallery features a unique blend of pieces, including photography, paintings, sculpture and even fashion.

Not every exhibit can feature a paper wedding dress laden in marker scribbles and a minimalist oil painting of a toaster in the same room and still consider them in the same category. In the case of “Employed,” this category is the common workplace.

To some, the medley of artwork could be daunting, but Director of Marketing and Communications Jill Dunne said this is a nice contrast to usual shows at CAM. “All sorts of backgrounds and interests come together. Usually shows have themes, and this one has themes as well, but it’s just that we were able to put these themes together based on the art that was presented

to us,” Dunne said. “It’s really unique.

I think everyone who really enjoys contemporary art is going to see it because these are current practicing artists, and then people who really support local arts.”

Several artists are not only local to Cincinnati, but also to the University of Cincinnati. Graduates from the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning include employees from various divisions in the museum, like featured artists Emily Hampel, Andrew Yakscoe and Sammi Hayes.

Compared with CAM’s other current exhibition, “Van Gogh: Into the Underbrush,” the local, contemporary aesthetic is a breath of fresh air for CAM. GO: “Employed: A Staff Art Exhibit,” Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Drive. Oct. 29-Jan. 22. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday. 11 a.m.-8 p.m Thursday.

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Battlefield One take players back to the trenches of World War I. Fly historic biplanes, ride horses through the battlefield and master bolt action rifles.

‘Battlefield 1’ becomes one of the first games to focus on WWI JUSTIN REUTTER | SENIOR REPORTER

World War I was one of the first modern wars and saw the dawn of large-scale trench warfare, the use of poison gas, automatic weapons and indirect fire artillery. “Battlefield 1” is one of the first games to explore this war.

“Battlefield 1,” like most previous “Battlefield” games, creates battles of impressive scale. Bombers and fighters dogfight in the skies, while tanks and infantry duke it out below.

A new feature of the game is the inclusion of behemoths, massive super-vehicles that can turn the tide of battle.

These behemoths include zeppelins, armored trains and dreadnought battleships. These are an enjoyable experience to ride in, and an absolute nightmare to contend with.

The campaign is divided into six “war stories” — each a short, vignette-style story of a soldier who fought for Entente forces in the war.

The campaign does a good job toeing the line between staying respectful of the horror that was the Great War and making the campaign enjoyable.

It captures some iconic moments like storming the trenches at the Gallipoli peninsula, driving a tank on the western front, dogfighting in the skies of Europe before crashing into no man’s land and having to sneak back across British lines.

But, one thing that could have made the campaign better would have been

having at least one point of view from the Central Powers forces.

Great War history should not have the same taboos as other war games, since the good versus evil dichotomy was not as clear as World War II’s Axis and Allied powers.

On Christmas of 1914, there were many temporary truces along much of the western front. Entente and Central Powers forces even met in “No Man’s Land” and socialized, exchanged gifts and even played a game of football.

Perhaps even more baffling, developer EA Digital Illusions CE AB (EA DICE) made the decision to lock French and Russian forces behind a paywall. There is not even a campaign mission on the eastern front, completely ignoring an important part of the war.

Currently, players can play as American, British, German, Austro-Hungarian, Italian and Ottoman troops in multiplayer. French forces will be included as the downloadable content (DLC) “They shall not pass,” which will also include four new multiplayer maps — two of which are rumored to be the battle of Verdun and the Somme.

But it was France and Russia who initially declared war on AustriaHungary in support of Russian ally Serbia in 1914, eventually dragging all the world’s major empires into a worldwide conflict.

Meanwhile, the United States didn’t even enter the war until 1917.

EA DICE is obviously catering to a mostly North American player base. But, if anything, the United States should be DLC, not France and Russia.

Besides neglecting major factions, “Battlefield 1” essentially ignores the concept of static warfare, essentially playing like any other “Battlefield” game, only with late World War I weapons and poison gas.

“Battlefield 1” maps are chaotic wars of movement, nothing like the real battles they are based on. There is also an emphasis on latewar automatic weapons.

While machine guns were massive infantry killers during the war, there were not many of them, and certainly not man-portable like portrayed in game. It occasionally feels like a World War II game with a World War I skin thrown over it.

To be fair, this is mostly about finding a balance between accurate and fun.

If you want accurate trench warfare, buy “Verdun”, which is currently available on PlayStation 4 and Steam.

“Verdun,” like actual trench warfare, is occasionally plagued by tedium, as the player is left desperately waiting for anyone at all to come out of their trenches and give you a target to shoot at.

Overall, “Battlefield 1” has an impressive scale and an impressive, poignant campaign, but suffers from a lack of vital factions in the base game and sacrifices historical accuracy for better gameplay.

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4 / SPORTS MONDAY, NOV. 7, 2016

UC basketball becoming best in Cincy DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR

OPINION

EMILY WITT | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Troy Caupain (10) drives to the basket through Bellarmine defenders.

Cincinnati is home to two of the best college basketball teams in the country.

The Xavier University Musketeers are ranked No. 7 in The Associated Press’ preseason top-25 rankings, and the University of Cincinnati is ranked No. 25 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

So, who will have a better season?

Here is why I think UC will be the better team.

Xavier is coming off a 28-6 season and was awarded a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Division I College Basketball Tournament bracket.

They eventually were upset in the Second Round by the No. 7 seeded University of Wisconsin Badgers.

The Musketeers are returning their two leading scorers, junior guard Trevon Bluiett and sophomore guard Edmond Sumner, but they will significantly miss their third option, senior guard Myles Davis.

Davis is currently suspended indefinitely for being accused of multiple charges by an ex-girlfriend.

Last season, Davis averaged 10.8 points per game along with 3.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

Xavier will also not have the

luxuries of their 6-foot-10-inch forward James Farr due to graduation. Farr was the next man behind Davis scoring wise, with 10.7 points per game. In addition, he averaged nearly eight rebounds.

The Bearcats, on the other hand, have only gotten stronger.

In addition to senior guard Troy Caupain returning, as he led the team with 13 points per game during the 2015-16 season, Cincinnati has added some crucial pieces to their team.

Kyle Washington, who transferred to the team from North Carolina State University, is 6 feet 9 inches and weighs in at 230 pounds. He will be a nice fit in the post, helping junior forward Gary Clark.

UC will also be welcoming freshman guard Jarron Cumberland, who is big for his position, as he is 6 feet 5 inches and weighs in at 218 pounds.

Cumberland was a four-star recruit, ranking No. 55 in the nation on ESPN. As a senior at Wilmigton High School, Cumberland averaged 29.6 points, on 57.4 shooting and 7.4 rebounds per game.

Cumberland will be a scoring threat that the team needed to add.

In addition, Clark and sophomore guard Jacob Evans will be returning, coming off solid seasons.

Clark averaged 10.4 points per game

last year, as well as 8.8 rebounds.

Evans averaged 8.4 points per game last year, but found most of his success later in the season.

During the team’s last six games of the year, Evans averaged 14 points per game, and saw his best game in the team’s lone-tournament matchup against Saint Joseph’s University where he scored 26 points.

While the team’s depth this season will be huge, what will make Cincinnati better than Xavier this year is defense.

Adding Cumberland, who is also a solid defender, will help a team that was already No. 12 in opponents’ points per game last season.

They also held teams to only 39.3 percent shooting, good for No. 13 in the country.

However, Xavier is not nearly as solid on defense.

The Musketeers allowed teams to score 70.4 points per game last season, which ranked 133rd in America.

They also let teams shoot 41.5 percent from the field — ranking 69th.

Xavier may be ranked ahead of the Bearcats in preseason polls, but because of Cincinnati’s added depth and stronger defensive play, they will be the team ahead in the final polls.

Bearcats spike into first, highlighting Alvey’s hard work JASON SZELEST | STAFF REPORTER

The University of Cincinnati volleyball team is tied for first place in the American Athletic Conference after defeating Southern Methodist University Friday night.

With the win, the Bearcats improved to 16-8, and 11-2 in the conference, tying them with SMU at the top.

Since a rough stretch in September where the Bearcats dropped four games in a row, they have rebounded to win 12 of their last 14 matches.

With volleyball not having a conference tournament, they will need to continue that momentum in order to win the conference outright and earn a berth into the NCAA tournament.

Head coach Molly Alvey

believes that focusing on the daily aspects of life will determine whether or not the Bearcats can keep up the pace.

“We have to find a way to make sure that the players feel good,” Alvey said.

“Making sure that we are keeping our sleep, getting plenty of water and eating right. It’s just going to be minor things.”

Alvey has been a part of a resurgence to the volleyball program since arriving in 2012.

Her second year on the job, UC struggled to a 3-29 record for the season.

Three years later, she has them in position to go to the NCAA tournament with three weeks left in the season.

“The biggest difference has been time,” Alvey said.

“We have had time to get our philosophies in place, our systems in place. We had time to recruit and time to build the culture.”

The recruits Alvey has brought in have been making a big impact, as Cincinnati has a plethora of underclassmen who are playing significant minutes.

Among them is sophomore Jordan Thompson, who was named the AAC Freshman of the Year in 2015.

The youngsters are not the only ones stepping up for this program, however.

Redshirt senior Alison Kimmel is part of a group of veterans who were a part of UC’s struggles, and have played a role in the program’s turnaround.

“First place means everything,” Kimmel said.

“Where I have seen this program come from, it’s just amazing the culture and togetherness that we have built.”

For players like Kimmel who have stuck around through the bad times, Alvey really wants to get her players into the NCAA tournament.

“It would be huge,” Alvey said. “For Alison Kimmel and Ciara Hill, they have been here the longest and they have stuck through the tough times.

I think a conference win and an NCAA berth for them would be incredibly special.”

While UC did lose to SMU earlier this season, the fact that the match went to five sets, whereas UC swept SMU in three sets Friday, could prove to be pivotal in

determining who wins the conference.

Should UC and SMU finish with the same conference record, UC would win the tiebreaker by having won more head-

to-head sets against SMU. The Bearcats will look to hold on to first place at 7p.m. Friday when they take on Temple University in Philadelphia.

N.C. BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

The Bearcats sweep the SMU Mustangs 3-0 at Fifth Third Arena, Friday, November 4, 2016. This victory pushes UC past SMU for first place in the American Athletic Conference standings.