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THE NEWS RECORD
UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014
UC student arrested, charged with seven burglaries in Daniels Hall CASSIE LIPP | STAFF REPORTER
A University of Cincinnati student has been charged in connection with multiple thefts from campus residence Daniels Hall on the night of Nov. 1. The UC Police Department has since recovered and returned nearly all of the property stolen. Within 12 hours of the thefts, 18-yearold Khalaf Mohamed was arrested after attempting to use a stolen credit card at the BP gas station on Jefferson Avenue, according to UCPD Lt. Chris Elliott. Mohamed, a first-year student, was detained for questioning on Nov. 2 and confessed to entering the rooms and stealing MacBooks and cash. He also confessed to being drunk at the time of the thefts, Elliott said. Mohamed was charged with five counts of theft, five counts of criminal trespassing and misuse of credit cards, according to records from the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts. Mohamed was in Daniels Hall prior to the thefts, looking for places to party with a friend, Elliot said.
“They were partying initially together, and then Khalaf had some other interests in mind as well when they went into these rooms, and [when] saw these computers he figured he could pawn some,” Elliott said. Elliott said Mohamed and his friend left the building, but Mohamed came back later that night with other intentions, looking around the dorm for rooms that were unlocked. A student who lives in Daniels Hall let Mohamed back into the building, according to Michele Ralston, UCPD public information officer. “This is a great example for students to really understand the importance of being safe and taking accountability to keep themselves safe by locking their doors,” Ralston said. Elliot said that Mohamed decided to pawn the computers at pawnshops in the Columbus, Ohio, area, where Mohamed is from. UCPD worked with the Columbus Police Department on the case. CASSIE LIPP | STAFF REPORTER
SEE ARREST PG 3
Khalaf Mohamed, the student arrested for the thefts, admitted to coming to the dorm with the intention to enter unlocked rooms and steal property.
Alumni sue UC for GENTRIFICATION IN OVER-THE-RHINE handling of sexual assault allegations REVITALIZATION EFFORTS EXACERBATE CLASS DIVIDE DOWNTOWN
BECKY BUTTS | ONLINE EDITOR
Two University of Cincinnati students sued the university Nov. 25, claiming that UC violated their constitutional rights by presuming them to be guilty of sexual assault allegations filed against them. The suit was filed against the university and Daniel Cummins, assistant dean of students and director of judicial affairs. One student is an athlete currently pursing an undergraduate degree at UC. The other student is a recent graduate of UC law. Both remain anonymous in the court documents released by Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas. The athlete was told in October that another student complained he violated the UC Sexual Harassment Policy. His coach told him that he was immediately suspended from the team. The student did not have the opportunity to defend himself and was not told about the nature of allegations or who made them before he was suspended. SEE LAWSUIT PG 3
MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR
A family walks down Main Street toward 15th Street past a row of dilapidated apartments and abandoned townhouses in Over-the-Rhine. KINSLEY SLIFE & ANNIE DENNIS | THE NEWS RECORD
A panel of scholars at the University of Cincinnati’s Fall Poverty Lecture series presented an alternative view Wednesday that challenges the traditional picture of gentrification as simply renovation by another name. Scholars at the “Poverty and Gentrification” presentation, held at the Taft Research Center, said gentrification often results in the displacement of hundreds of working-class families and the unraveling of a tightly knit and historic neighborhood. Dr. Andrew Leong, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston who has written extensively about “disappearing Chinatowns” in several American cities, spoke about the cause and effects of gentrification, specifically in urban areas. “Gentrification’s main goal is to fulfill a tourist mentality, but instead of renovations happening over the course of several years, we are beginning to
experience a hyper-gentrification that’s focusing on corporate welfare,” Leong said. “The city then turns a blind eye on its duty to protect the area’s already-existing communities.” The panel also included Tom Dutton, a Miami University professor and director of the Center for Community Engagement in Over-the-Rhine, who spoke on gentrification in the historic Cincinnati neighborhood. Dutton explained that the renovation of OTR is portrayed as an urban renaissance, which carries the positive connotation of bringing life to an otherwise dark and dilapidated historic neighborhood. “People are failing to understand that this renaissance narrative has masked an empirical account of what Cincinnati has done through legislation to drop kick people out of the city and directly or indirectly create policy that makes people into economic others rather than citizens in a community,” Dutton said. One scholar who was not part of the panel but is considered the leading expert
on gentrification in OTR is Alice Skirtz. Outraged when local power brokers used what she saw as a campaign of disinformation to justify the removal of longtime residents, Skirtz combined scholarship and passion to produce “Econocide: Elimination of the Urban Poor.”The book challenges the stereotypes associated with the historic neighborhood. Dr. Skirtz said it is a prime example of gentrification run amok. “Over-the-Rhine has been privatized by outside forces, so that we, who care about the community and live in the community, have no say in what is happening. That is not only immoral but puts democracy at real risk,” Skirtz said. In response to Skirtz’s book, Dutton said that it should be required reading for any community where gentrification is taking place. “Skirtz exposes in biting detail just how, through what can be only considered as a conscious alliance of city power and the SEE GENTRIFICATION PG 3
Student arrested for rape in Steger to appear in court PATRICK MURPHY | STAFF REPORTER
The University of Cincinnati student charged with the kidnapping and rape of another student on UC’s campus is expected in court for a bench trial on Monday. Mark Thomas Glover, a 27-year-old graduate student at the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, was arrested and charged in connection to a sexual assault that occurred around 4 p.m. on Sept. 29 in the Steger Student Life Center. Glover was charged with one count of kidnapping, one count of gross sexual imposition and four counts of rape. Glover lured the sexual assault survivor to the sixth floor of the Steger Student Life Center when he forced her into a unisex restroom, according to Jeff Corcoran, who was serving as UC’s interim police chief at the time of the incident. “The victim was having lunch in one SEE ASSAULT PG 3
Student struggles to find convenient, gender-neutral bathrooms on campus DAVID WATKINS | CONTRIBUTOR
MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR
Ali Davis, a transgender student at UC, faces obstacles as simple as finding a gender-neutral bathroom during his daily schedule on campus.
With over 43,000 students enrolled at the University of Cincinnati — a college said to embrace diversity and inclusivity as core institutional values — LGBTQ students might experience trouble with accessibility to gender-neutral bathrooms on campus. Third-year anthropology and Africana studies student Ali M. Davis arrives to school every Tuesday and Thursday at 9:30 a.m. On Thursdays he does not leave until around 6:30 p.m. One particular Thursday afternoon in October, Davis was in the McMicken College of Arts and Science and needed to use the restroom. Davis identifies as a transgender man, a person who was assigned female at birth but identifies as a man. “I went into the women’s bathroom — I’m in the process now of going through a transition and I don’t always “pass,” but you know, it’s okay — and they kind of gave me this look where they felt uncomfortable, but I also felt uncomfortable, so I went out,” Davis said.
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“I attempted to go in the men’s bathroom, but I was just like, ‘Not today. I don’t even feel like dealing,’ so I was forced to hold it.” “Passing” refers to an individual’s ability to be viewed as a cisgender woman or a cisgender man based on gender cues such as clothing and behavior. Cisgender is defined as a person whose gender identity is aligned with what they were designated as at birth based on their physical sex. While Davis has not experienced physical violence in the bathroom, “passing” usually eliminates the discomfort he feels and judgment from other people. “I am thankful that I appear this way and I can usually pass, so they do not usually say anything to me, but you cannot limit it to words,” Davis said. “It’s in their actions too and in the way they stare. It takes such a huge toll to where sometimes I do not have the energy to deal with it some days.” Davis went five hours without using the SEE GENDER NEUTRAL PG 3
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Students use creative outlets to de-stress before finals MICHELLE FLANAGAN | CONTRIBUTOR
In the midst of heavy deadlines and persistent studying for final exams, organizers from the University of Cincinnati set up colorful craft tables in the Tangeman University Center Atrium. The tables were strewn with saturated paintbrushes and colorful yarn, and some students picked up knitting needles and began weaving the yarn into spiraling twirls. The activities were part of Stress Less Fest, a weeklong activity aimed at relieving anxiety during finals week. The festival began Monday and runs through Saturday. Counseling and Psychological Services teamed up with the Wellness Center Wednesday afternoon to set up the Stress Free Zone, which included stress balls and other activities in addition to the crafts. Cami Jackson, a fourth-year psychology student, helped orchestrate the festival, which was first held at UC in the spring of 2014. She explained that the event takes place the week before finals week and that organizers have the goal of providing it every semester. The idea was to create a space for students to relax and learn how to manage their work. “I wish we could do it for longer, but we don’t have that capability,” Jackson said. Several craft stations were set up for students. Stress balls were made out of balloons and sand, motivational quotes were pasted on ceramic tiles, a wheel was spun to receive a study tip and prize, and painting and coloring stations were set up. Pamphlets with practical tips on how to overcome sleep depravation, procrastination and stress were available for students. First-year exploratory student Mandi Wisler said she was having some difficulty preparing for finals, but that Stress Less Fest was helping. “It’s calming,” Winsler said. “We get to use paintbrushes, and it just gets your mind off of it. It gets you in a clearer state of mind.” Ashley Evans, a second-year masters student in music education, said she hasn’t prepared much for finals yet, either. “A lot of my finals are projects,” Evans said. “So I’ve been starting on them a little bit then putting them away and coming back to them later.”
MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR
Alex Monnin, a third-year biomedical engineering student, works on a knitting project in the TUC Atrium during Stress Less Fest’s Stress Free Zone. The event was organized by Counseling and Psychological Services and the Wellness Center.
Evans attended Stress Less Fest last year and loved that it provided a place to get away from everything and calm down. “I think it’s nice to raise awareness that there are services there for you also, if you need those services,” Evans said. “It takes you out of the situation you were in before that was stressful and puts you somewhere else.” Chad Baker, a first-year industrial management student, started preparing for finals a few days ago by contacting classmates and creating study groups. “[These events] are really helpful,” Baker said. “They’re a fun time in the middle of the week, in the middle of classes, to get your mind off things and forget the pressure for a moment.”
Baker also made the point that these events should be viewed as a break and not the main focal point of a student’s week, as work still needs to be put in. Lorraine Villaver, a second-year environmental studies student, suggested creating study guides based off of notes or old tests, and to relax and allow yourself 15-minute breaks every so often. “Don’t avoid the materials you already know, but spend more time on the ones you’re having the problem with,” Villaver said. Evans advised planning ahead and avoiding cramming the night before. “It’ll be okay,” Evans said. “Just stick with it — you’ll get through it, and it’ll be okay.”
Wrinkles show in Franco’s ‘The Color of Time’ ZACK HATFIELD | ARTS EDITOR
PROVIDED/OPEN ROAD FILMS
Bahari (Bernal) is blindfolded in interrogations.
Life during wartime: ‘Rosewater’ strong directorial debut TONY JOHNSON | STAFF REPORTER
Jon Stewart, the longtime, hilarious latenight comedy show host from Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” took a break from cracking jokes about politics to make his directorial debut. The culmination of his ideas became “Rosewater,” a political drama Stewert wrote and shot himself. The film is based on true events from journalist Maziar Bahari’s memoir, “Then They Came for Me.” In 2009, Bahari was detained and interrogated in an Iranian military prison for answering satirical questions from an American comedian in an interview and capturing video of the Iranian government opening fire on masses of protesters in the city of Tehran. “Rosewater” is led on-screen by Gael García Bernal in his portrayal of Bahari. Bernal sustains our level of interest throughout, grounding the political drama in Bahari’s life and role as a husband and soon-to-be father. But that life is seriously derailed for 118 days in solitary confinement, on the other side of the planet from Bahri’s pregnant wife. His capture and detainment occurs well before the halfway point of the movie’s two hour and twenty-two minute runtime, and it feels as though it comes too soon in the storyline. I was enthralled by the way the people of Iran are presented through the characters that Bahari meets. In the midst of an election in Iran, Bahari befriends a group of reformist voters who campaign against the government. Bahari discovers the rebellious youths have put together an educational community based on satellite dishes that can pick up news channel outlets from outside of Iran — a community they call their university. Stewart firmly captures the passion and enthusiasm of young men who believe in democracy, even in the face of violence. Once we see Bahari detained, however, we are secluded in the gray halls and gray room for a long period of time, and although it makes its point, the film forces itself to be visually uninteresting save for a few hallucinations. But Bernal manages to keep us in our seats, and we are glad we already know that the true story’s ending is a happy one for our protagonist. “Rosewater” is a movie with a point to make. It isn’t ambiguous in the slightest. It takes a strong, politically driven stance against government injustices of any kind and the value of democratic protest. While I’d rather spend two hours watching the past ten episodes of “The Daily Show,” I’m also glad to admit that Stewart’s directorial debut was understated and tasteful enough to make me wonder what might be next for him — if he decides to get in the director’s chair again in the future.
James Franco seems to appear in half the movies released these days, and “The Color of Time” sees him producing and starring in a literary biopic directed by 12 students at New York University. After playing poets Allen Ginsberg (2010’s “Howl”) and Hart Crane (2011’s “The Broken Tower”), James Franco plays Pulitzer prize-winning poet C.K. Williams in the movie. At only an hour and fifteen minutes, the film captures a sweeping glimpse of the life of Williams as he reflects on his memories, even if not much is seen. The film is mostly told in flashbacks, which are full of lens flares and somber piano notes, with Franco’s voiceovers reciting lines of William’s poetry. Although the poetry itself is vivid and profound, Franco’s gentle reading seems contrived, spoiling its beauty. Even though a dozen people directed the film, surprisingly a sort of cohesiveness emerges in the film’s lyrical mise en scène and romanticism. Unfortunately the cinematography seems to imitate rather than invent, in this case replicating Terrence Malick’s trademark eye and handheld filming. The film follows the typical Francoserious-film-trajectory, its narrative selfconscious in its nothingness, straining to reach depth and emotion without the proper dramatic technique to do so. Proof
of this is the decision to filter each shot to make it more saturated, confining the aesthetic to what you might find on a 14-year-old’s Instagram archive. In this way using Williams’ poetry seems unearned, and it’s a shame that this biopic might potentially turn people off of his poetry. This is a shame as Williams has a lot to offer in his writing. But the film isn’t exactly about completely nothing. We follow Williams, somewhat aimlessly, in his early childhood years with his loving mother, played with a radiance by Jessica Chastain, who sadly doesn’t get enough screen time. Chastain’s performance is reminiscent of her role in 2011’s “Tree of Life,” but with less emotional currency. We also drift through Williams’ adolescence and first loves, the snapshots in his memory that register as significant. Four different people play Williams in varying ages, but Henry Hopper’s portrayal of Williams in his early 20s outshines them all, capturing the poet’s anxiety and lust almost perfectly in scenes exploring his first sexual experiences. Mila Kunis plays Williams’ wife, Catherine, with sultry whispers and tender gestures that feel a little forced. Zach Braff also makes an awkward appearance as Albert, a sick friend who visits Williams as he takes care of horses. Braff only says about three lines, and his character doesn’t contribute any meaning
to the film. C.K. Williams himself makes brief cameos in the film, reading from “Tar,” a collection of poems. The literary biopic is a genre mined extensively, usually about writers who deal with drug habits, sexual adventures and depression (Hunter S. Thompson, Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf all have recent films that come to mind). What is interesting about “The Color of Time” is that Williams’ life isn’t necessarily as “cinematic” as other writers’ lives. Like most people, he struggles with the everyday movements of life. He eats candy bars and quarrels mildly with his spouse. (Interesting aside: Williams himself read in the Elliston Poetry Room for the Visiting Writers Series last semester.) The truth is that most novelists and poets aren’t as interesting as Hollywood makes them seem, and the attempt to try to wring meaning out of Williams’ memories — which feel familiar in their humanity — in a non-sensationalist way, is commendable on the parts of Franco, Hopper, and the 12 NYU directors. C.K. Williams’ poems always offer revelation and beauty in their wisdom, but these traits are absent in “Color of Time.”The artificiality of meaning and the imagery that tries too hard to be unique, combined with the under-acting of Franco, is what ultimately makes it a lost opportunity.
Review: Know Theatre’s ‘Bureau of Missing Persons’ KRANTHI PAMARTHI | STAFF REPORTER
It’s an understatement to say the characters in “Bureau of Missing Persons” are strange. Angela is incapable of anything except knitting scarves, and sleeps with hundreds of them that she made over the last year and half. Patrice finds solace in reading obituaries. Vivian is obsessed with manners despite the fact she is surrounded by surreal personalities. The Know Theatre introduced the play, written by Lila Rose Kaplan, in its season 17 adaptations, continuing through Dec. 20, and its whimsy enchants throughout its duration without intermission. “Missing Persons” opens with a happy, charming energetic teacher named Angela, played by Kate Glasheen, who takes her fourth grade class on a tour to the zoo. Angela loses sight of the student she was paired with and loses him in a brief moment leading to the circumstances that make her life fall apart. A short skip in time quickly introduces her mother Vivian, played by Adrianne Underhill and her fiancé Richard played by Rico Reid. Then there’s Patrice, a decorator played by Burgess Byrd, and a funny kindergarten teacher, Simon, played by Sam Ray. The play, directed by Tamara Winters, is set on a simple but effective stage, designed by Andrew Hungerford. The performances appeal to the audience through varied emotions ranging from overwhelming passion to stressful trauma. The background music by Doug Borntrager is effective in embedding a melancholy atmosphere and taking the play from normal and happy scenes of the past to the sad scenes of the present. Angela won’t leave her apartment; she won’t take care of herself nor let anyone touch her. Vivian takes the stage as a graceful woman who is persistent in manners and making appearances. Richard is the only sane man in the plot, who is for a brief moment torn between his urge to leave Angela, eventually coming around to help her out of her
predicament, “Even if it takes forever.” Reid does that in a rather convincing manner even after appearing with a frustrated look throughout the play. Simon, the award-winning kindergarten teacher, is adorable and annoying at the same time. Ray looked extremely happy for a man whose wife went missing, making the character a bit creepy. To Angela and Richard, Patrice is a decorator, a psychiatrist to Vivian and the mother of a little introverted, talented boy, Adam. Patrice is everything and holds a mysterious persuasive skill over the characters. Byrd plays this character, of infinite possibility, with grace. The lack of certainty about the characters drives the play forward in an exciting way. The play’s situations can be childish in many ways, but a solid cast overcame these tiny hurdles. The script needs a little refinement because certain situations are at times too ridiculous. Simon’s wife is a geologist who works for the U.S Army, and on a military trip goes
missing in a cave in Russia. Some scenes with Vivian are dull and completely unnecessary but that is a problem with the script rather than the actor. The characters’ identities are vague throughout the play, which makes one wonder if they are portraying living human beings or something more spiritually ambiguous. Sometimes we can’t be sure if the play is set on Earth or a place where souls go after death, owing to Patrice’s brilliant explanations about hell. What is certain is that the play is entertaining, and the likable character of Simon brings enough laughs in an otherwise sad story about a sad woman. The play is full of secrets, which unravel by the end with an elated Patrice smoking in bliss and a logical Richard holding onto one of the dearest feelings of life. “Bureau of Missing Persons” is about a madness one cannot be mad about, and Winters’ direction showed that with absolute precision on the stage on opening night.
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The neurotic Angela (Kate Glasheen), in a pile of scarves, is looked down upon by Richard (Rico Reid).
NEWS / 3 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 / NEWSRECORD.ORG
SG supports bill to prohibit student, employee sexual conduct CASSIE MERINO | CHIEF REPORTER
DAN SULLIVAN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Vice president Shivam Shah and president Christina Beer lead the discussion at SG Wednesday.
Student Government voted Wednesday to support Ohio House Bill 241, legislation that would create additional barriers against sexual conduct between employees of higher-learning institutions. The Ohio Criminal Code already prohibits sexual conduct between teachers, administrators, coaches and other authority figures and students at the higher-learning institution level. The bill would extend the prohibition to all employees. “This is to protect minors, and there are a lot of minors who are enrolled here that are 16 and younger who graduate early and come here,” said Tobi Akomolede, SG governmental affairs committee chair. The bill would further prohibit sexual conduct between a student and other people of authority within an institution and any person who is employed within the institution. This would mean that any non-faculty or staff member could be penalized for having sexual relations with a student. The bill specifically grants
FROM ARREST PG 1
“I think this case goes to show the great testament of our police department and the investigative work that they do because they were able to quickly identify the suspect,” Ralston said. “Through working with that suspect, [they could] identify where the laptops were taken and recover them.” Elliott said the police departments were able to identify the laptops using their serial numbers. They retrieved all but one laptop, which did not have a serial number. Elliott said that Mohamed is a wellspoken, decently educated young man who just made a bad decision at the time. “In this process we are also trying to save somebody, who otherwise in another system or jurisdiction might just be left to rot in jail somewhere,” Elliott said. “We do see redeeming qualities out of our suspect.” After the thefts, some students were concerned that they did not receive a public safety alert from UCPD after the incidents. “The Clery Timely Warning email is sent out when there is believed to be an ongoing threat,” Ralston said. “Since the police were quickly able to identify a suspect and were working through the case, there was not believed to be an ongoing threat.” Ralston and Elliott agreed that the Daniels Hall incident is a good reminder for students to stay safe. “Safety and security is everybody’s
FROM ASSAULT PG 1
of the dining halls on campus,” Corcoran said.“[Glover] met her there, introduced himself by his first name, basically hung out with her for a while, then told her there was something he wanted to show her in the Steger Student Life Center.” Glover was released on a $100,000 bond, ordered to wear an electronic monitoring device and told to stay off of campus, according to Hamilton County court documents. “This is the kind of offence that, fortunately, is very rare because it is very difficult to defend yourself against an almost random one-off attack,” Corcoran said. Police also indicated that several tips from students led to Glover’s arrest. Jyl Shaffer, UC’s recently hired Title IX coordinator, deals with sexual assault, along with sex discrimination on the basis of sex and gender. “Sexual violence is considered by the government, and rightfully so, as an extreme form of sexual harassment,” Shaffer said. “We have to have policies and procedures that effectively respond to an incident, and to make sure there is equity throughout the process.” Title IX policies work to prevent these incidents by way of educational and awareness programs such as primary prevent, which seeks to look at the root cause of sexual violence, and specifically to analyze the sexual assault culture at UC. “Title IX syncs up nicely with this,” Shaffer said.“When we have a culture that allows for discrimination on the basis of sex, if it says sexual harassment is OK, then it’s
exemptions for offenders who are already enrolled in the institution. The bill, which is open to all private and public universities, also prohibits sexual relations between a minor who is at least four years younger than the institution’s employee. SG also discussed the Ferguson forum held on campus Nov. 25. SG is working to become allies with UC’s United Black Student Association. At-large senator Andrew Naab and Vice President Shivam Shah explained their experience at the forum. “What vice president Shah and I saw last week is very much so that here at UC and the community abroad is that the black community is struggling and it’s through frustration and hurt,” Naab said. “Student Government says it’s an ally, but I frankly would be remised if I said that we did a good job of that. Individually we do a decent job of that but we cannot say that we represent the entire student body because right now … we are in a very privileged room. That’s coming from someone who lives a very privileged life.”
FROM GENDER NEUTRAL PG 1
CASSIE LIPP | STAFF REPORTER
Rob Willison, Rob Doherty, and Chris Elliott — UCPD officers — stand with the recovered property.
business,” Elliott said. “Obviously, [UCPD] can’t be everywhere at once.” Ralston added that safety should be a community effort and that students and people in the Clifton community need to be alert. “We all have to work together to help one another stay safe,” Ralston said. “Be aware of your surroundings. If you see something or somebody that looks out of the ordinary, then let us know.” Elliott said that UCPD did a good job with the investigation as well as communicating with other departments that had other interests. “Our main objective after we figured
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Five weeks later, he was reinstated on the team, but still not informed of the nature of allegations against him. The suit states that he could possibly lose his athletic scholarship.The sexual assault allegation against the law student was filed in March. He allegedly assaulted the victim off campus, but the allegation was never reported to UCPD. Despite lack of physical evidence and the law student’s denial of guilt, he was found responsible in a disciplinary hearing by Cummins’ office. In the suit, the students accuse UC of violating their rights by presuming them guilty without due process — a trend that court documents state is occurring across college campuses because of pressure from the government. “The Federal Government has created reasonable to believe that people think they can do that, and they’re going to.” These efforts were first initiated by The Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act, dubbed the SaVE Act, a law that was introduced to the United States Congress by Senator Bob Casey and House Representative Caroline Maloney and signed by President Barack Obama on March 7, 2013, under the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization. Many student organizations are also working to combat this culture: the Women’s Center, the LGBTQ Resource Center and the Racial Awareness Program known as RAPP. Syncing with these organizations, Title IX
out who it was and that he did it was that [the students] got their property back and to help out the victims as much as we could,” Elliott said. Alison McNair, a first-year student — from whom Mohamed stole a MacBook Pro and $40 — said she is impressed with UCPD’s work on the case. “I’m surprised they went all the way up to Columbus,” McNair said. Although McNair had already bought a new MacBook Pro before UCPD recovered the one Mohamed stole, she is extremely happy that she got it back, although she is disappointed she could not get the $40 back.
a significant amount of pressure on colleges and universities to treat all those accused of sexual misconduct with a presumption of guilt,” according to the injunction complaint. The attorneys who filed the suit, Josh Engel and Mike Allen, also poke holes in the UC Code of Conduct concerning the Administration Review Committee Hearing that accused students are entitled to before being disciplined. They claim that some provisions in the code of conduct “raise significant due process and self-incrimination concerns.” “UC does not undertake a full, complete and impartial investigation prior to the institution of disciplinary proceeding for allegations of sexual assault or harassment,” according to the suit. Judge Norbert Nadel has scheduled a hearing and preliminary injunction for the case Jan. 15. plans the work with UC student groups to create a commonality in these programs and organize the goal of combating sexual violence as a whole. On the subject of preventing sexual violence individually, UC police advise students to be aware of their surroundings, to not wear headphones and to avoid texting while walking. “This was a very unusual incident for us; normally what we see is when the suspect is known by the victim,” Corcoran said.“I really would encourage that students be a lot more cautious of people they know, that’s actually where there greater risk is.”
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corporate sector, institutionally violent gentrification actually is,” Dutton said. Skirtz, a long-time resident of Clifton Heights, said what happened in OTR could easily be replicated in Clifton, the neighborhood bordering UC. “Look at all the reports on crime in Clifton,” Skirtz said. “I think it could all be a preview of coming attractions. We need to watch it very carefully.” Dutton agreed, saying that gentrification has become a way by which cities, municipalities and public governments make money and partake in entrepreneurship. “I don’t know about the specifics of Clifton’s renovations but given the city’s history of renovations, it wouldn’t surprise me,” Skirtz said. Skirtz also noted that the powerful public and private forces created a narrative to make OTR appear hopeless, a dangerous gathering point for criminals, drug addicts and the homeless. She said those stereotypes swayed public opinion and decreased property values, allowing speculators to control the renovation process. “We just sort of fell into that stereotype,” Skirtz said. “Buildings that were once the homes of families are now the glitzy bars, coffee shops and restaurants.” Another panelist, Frank Russell, spoke on OTR’s business owners or “gentrifiers” and their views on the renovations of the neighborhood.
restroom that Thursday. “At 5 p.m. everything is calmed down on campus. Usually people are finished for the day, so you have more liberty and freedom to go to the bathroom,” Davis said.“It’s unfortunate because you shouldn’t need liberties to go to the bathroom.” Most days, Davis said he is comfortable going to the bathroom of his choice without caring about the reactions he gets. But other days, it is far from easy. “Sometimes you wake up and you don’t want to be forced to put on this strong face like, ‘Oh, everything’s going to be OK,’ ” Davis explained.“Some days you just want it to be OK without forcing yourself to say, ‘It’s going to be OK’ throughout the day and to constantly reaffirm yourself.” UC students can find a map of genderneutral restrooms on the LGBTQ Center’s website. The list on UC’s website accounts for 55 gender-neutral bathrooms — not including four in the Campus Recreation Center and one in Scioto Hall, which are closed to students due to construction and office space. Twenty-two of the 55 genderneutral bathrooms are in Stratford Heights Complex, one in Morgens Hall and one in Herman Schneider Hall. “It is very ridiculous. It’s disheartening, really. I don’t really feel invisible here, but I feel like I’m not represented, and how I feel is not very supported because it’s difficult,” Davis said.“Even here in this building, Steger, I only know of two [gender-neutral] bathrooms maybe.” UC’s Genderbloc — a queer activist and support group through the LGBTQ Center that focuses on gender issues, specifically transgender and gender-queer activism — plans on reviewing the gender-neutral bathroom list and updating it over winter break, according to program coordinator T.N. Vaught. Davis said Genderbloc is a huge support system. “I went to Genderbloc that day,” Davis said. “I was very thankful for Genderbloc that day because I really needed to be around people who saw the world the way I see it. It was very uplifting. I also feel a lot more comfortable knowing we have Jyl Shaffer, UC’s new Title IX coordinator.” When considering the possibility of more inclusive bathrooms on UC’s campus in the future, Shaffer said it all comes down to building codes. “We have requirements of the number of bathrooms we have to have, and things like that,” Shaffer said.“In older buildings, you may have one male and one female bathroom on floors, so you have to look at the codes and the number requirement for a space this size and the estimated maximum population of the number of people in the building.” While UC’s transgender, genderqueer, gender non-binary and gender nonconforming community is a minority group on UC’s campus, it exists. “The restrooms are the most important thing on campus because our trans individuals are just thrown in and really not seen as their own separate group,” Davis said.“Where do we go to the bathroom? It seems so simple — just go — but it’s not. Sometimes we don’t have anywhere to go.” “Cincinnati has a rapidly changing urban environment and I believe there are people seeking an authenticity of history culture, and they’ve found it in OTR,” Russell said. “Generally I think these people are well intentioned, but they are facilitating gentrification and that concerns me.” Skirtz’s “Econocide” has not only sparked questions of cause and effect within scholars and business owners alike, but also within the media. The New York Times termed the OTR gentrification an “urban renaissance.” The Cincinnati Enquirer said OTR is now “home to a growing entrepreneurial ecosystem.” In a News Record story, one gentrification proponent said OTR was previously “abandoned, vacant, crimeridden.” Skirtz said the reality was far different: Public decisions were turned over to private corporations while hundreds of hard-working people were evicted from their homes. This prompted her to interview those families for her book. “I had to go to the people to show what happened to them,” she said. Skirtz said she wants college students to see the importance of community and to understand that gentrification is not the only way — or the best way — to create a thriving community. “We are eliminating a whole segment of our population by economic means,” Skirtz said. “In the process, all of us are losing the decision-making power to change that.”
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SPORTS / 5 Men’s basketball rebounds after first loss of season THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 / NEWSRECORD.ORG
DAVID WYSONG | STAFF REPORTER
The University of Cincinnati basketball team seized the opportunity to avenge its first loss of the season when it faced off with Stony Brook University Tuesday night. The Bearcats bounced back in impressive fashion, blowing out the Sea Wolves 78-52 after a 60-54 loss Saturday during Emerald Coast Classic. The Bearcats came out of the gates strong, leading 21-10 after the first 10 minutes. They shot 75 percent during that stretch and didn’t allow Stony Brook to get a single bucket during a four-minute, 25-second stretch. Late in the first half, the Bearcats hit a road bump. With 3:43 left, junior forward Octavius Ellis was ejected from the game for committing a flagrant 2 foul on the Sea Wolves junior guard Carson Puriefoy. UC head coach Mick Cronin said it was the right call. “He felt terrible, he has already been to their locker room to apologize. He was apologizing to the team at halftime. It was the right call, no question,” Cronin said. The Bearcats did not let that hiccup affect them. They went into the locker room at halftime with a 38-23 lead.
MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR
Deshaun Morman, a redshirt freshman guard, had one defensive rebound during his 16 minutes of play in UC’s victory Tuesday.
They shot 52 percent from the field and were 4-4 from the three-point line. Their leading scorer was sophomore guard Troy Caupain with 10 points — he was 3-3 from the floor. Coming out of halftime, the Bearcats looked just as impressive as they did during the first 20 minutes. Four minutes and 29 seconds into the half they pushed their lead to 23 after a 12-4 run. UC kept it steady the rest of the game and claimed a 26-point winning margin. The team’s largest lead of the night was 29 points. Junior forward Shaq Thomas led the Bearcats in scoring with 14 points in addition to his six rebounds. The team shot nearly 53 percent from the field and held their opponent to 40 percent. The Bearcats were also 7-11 from three-point range and had four players score in double digits. There was a clear turnaround from Saturday’s loss against the Rebels, and Caupain made the reason sound very simple. “We were more happy from the jump, we came out happy — excited. We didn’t get down on ourselves when we made a mistake,” Caupain said. “We were worried about the next play … we didn’t play with frustration. We didn’t play down on ourselves. We played excited. We had a lot of deflections. I think we came together as one tonight … we had another chance to make up for losing versus Ole Miss, we took out our aggression on another team.” Cronin was very impressed with how the team played on Tuesday night. “I thought it was our best effort by far tonight by our guys,” he said. “I thought our pressure changed the game. Our guards did a tremendous job in front of the pressure. We were able to knock down some shots and get in the press because you can’t press if you don’t score … I didn’t want to let them execute because they are a much better execution team than we are defending execution.” Shaq Thomas has not played up to his expectations so far this season with only 3.8 points per game, but he looked as if he was ready to turn the corner on Tuesday night. He knows that time will tell. “I know it’s a long process, I just have to keep working. It’s a long season that is what coach always tells us,” Thomas said. “I just have to take it one day at a time, one game at a time … I have to keep persistent, work out
every day and get better at practice every day.” The Bearcats are currently sitting at first place in the American Athletic Conference with a 6-1 record but they are on the brink of entering the toughest part of their out-of-conference schedule. The Bearcats’ next matchup is against the 5-1 University of Nebraska Cornhuskers Dec. 13 at 9 p.m., broadcast by the Big Ten Network. UC then hosts No. 13 in the country San Diego State University Dec. 17. Three days later UC hosts the previously No. 14 team, Virginia Commonwealth University Rams.
MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR
Troy Caupain went 2-4 from the three-point line and 2-2 from the free throw line during UC’s 78-52 win over Stony Brook.
Former Xavier coach returns to UC tennis KENSINGTON WIELAND | CONTRIBUTOR
FILE ART
Left: Mekale McKay catches a touchdown pass Oct. 4 during UC’s win over Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 20. Right: Chris Moore avoids a tackle.
UC football wins sixth straight game DAVID WYSONG | STAFF REPORTER
Bearcats football barely got by in a physical game against the Temple University Owls Saturday but ended up winning their sixth straight game 14-6. With the game being two days after Thanksgiving, both offenses looked sluggish, but both team’s defenses looked hungry for a victory. The first quarter started with four consecutive punts. The Owls broke that streak when they drove down the field in 11 plays for 68 yards to kick a 30-yard field goal by freshman kicker Austin Jones with 17 seconds left in the first quarter to claim the lead, 3-0. The Bearcats did most of their damage in the second quarter. With 13:20 left in the half, junior corner back Leviticus Payne recovered a fumble by Temple’s sophomore quarterback P.J. Walker. UC’s offense then took advantage when sophomore quarterback Gunner Kiel completed a three-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Mekale McKay to lead 7-3. After the touchdown, the two offenses traded five more consecutive punts before the Bearcat offense drove 63 yards in nine plays. The drive ended with a one-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Mike Boone to extend their lead to 14-3 with 28 seconds in the half. Temple showed a slight comeback in the second half. On their first possession of the half, the Owls drove 67 yards in 14 plays ending with a 31-yard field goal by Jones. The Owls cut the lead to one possession, 14-6. The Owls then forced UC junior wide receiver Chris Moore to fumble on the kickoff, gaining possession of the ball on the Cincinnati 18-yard line. With the chance seeing a tie game, the Bearcat defense held the Owls to nine yards on that possession. Jones went out to attempt another field goal
for the Owls. The ball sailed wide right to keep the score at 14-6. The Bearcat offense’s inability to score the remainder of the game put the Owls in reach of their fourth conference win, but UC’s defense won the game for the Bearcats by holding off the home team. UC did not allow Temple to get past the 50-yard line the rest of the game. The Bearcat defense has played better of late, but on the season they remain ninth in the American Athletic Conference in yards allowed per game (451.3). Against the Owls, UC allowed 267 total offensive yards. UC head coach Tommy Tuberville loved the defensive play. “That was the kind of win I like. It brings me back to my old days of defensive football from both sides. Both defenses played well,”Tuberville said. Senior linebacker Nick Temple is accustomed to a good defense throughout his career at UC. “All four years I have been here defense has been consistent. This year has been a little rough, but I cannot remember a time when defense was bad. The main thing we are doing is having fun and like coach said, ‘everything will take care of itself,”Temple said. The Bearcats are in a two-way tie for second place in their conference with the University of Central Florida. The team is 8-3 overall and 6-1 in conference play. The Bearcats appeared in a bowl game seven out of the last eight seasons and are eligible again this season. Tuberville already has a preference on where the game will be played. “Warm. Some place warm. I don’t know what the farthest south [bowl game] is, but we will take it,”Tuberville said. The Bearcats host the 7-4 University of Houston Cougars Saturday to wrap up their regular season on Senior Night at noon in Paul Brown Stadium.
Eric Toth will take over the head coaching position as the first male head coach of the UC women’s tennis team since Dave Powers in 1988, a role he embraces, saying he has “learned to be patient” when coaching a women’s team. Toth is no stranger to Cincinnati or to winning championships. The Elder High School grad and former UC student-athlete was a two-time co-captain, two-time MVP and recorded the top 10 all-time victories for the Bearcats as a part of the then co-ed varsity tennis team. He entered into the world of coaching in 1996, making the short move up the interstate to be the assistant coach for Xavier University men’s and women’s tennis teams for 10 years. He went on to hold the title of head coach for the Musketeers for the last eight years. During his tenure with the Musketeers, Toth boasted a 226-116 record overall and led the men’s team to three Atlantic 10 Conference titles (’08-’10) and the women’s team to three runner up finishes in the Atlantic 10 in 2008, and in the Big East conference in 2013 and 2014 respectively. These accolades and more earned him a total of four Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year honors. A decorated coach at Xavier, Toth credits the “lure of coaching just one team and focusing on one team” for his ultimate move back to UC. He adds, “the neatest thing is just getting to know the girls” referring to a nine-member squad comprised of four freshmen, two sophomores and three juniors. “It’s a hungry bunch, they really want to be successful,” Toth said. “I can sense that already.” Success is something Toth considers imminent. In regard to his coaching, he is “confident that they are going to like the structure that I’m bringing to the program.” “I’ve worked hard to get what I have and had help from a lot of great people, which I think exemplifies what this city is all about.,” he said. The term “Cincinnati grit,” as penned by UC President Santa Ono about the athletic program at UC, has made an impact not only on the athletes and athletic department but also on students who support them. Cincinnati grit represents toughness and a fighting spirit that represents the city UC calls home. This spirit is something Toth is eager to see brought to the women’s tennis team. At the top of his list of priorities, Toth emphasizes practicing harder, adding individual work sessions and continuing consistent conditioning with the strength and conditioning staff. As a team that has had a fair share of coaches throughout its 41 years as a varsity program at UC, Toth states that “[the team] kind of has to get used to my style and I understand that.” With a rich tennis history at UC, and a young, motivated squad, Toth insists “there will be more peaks than valleys.”
Wed. Dec. 17 @ 7 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. NKU @Highland Heights
Tues. Dec. 23 @ 12 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. Detroit @ Fifth Third Arena
Sun. Dec. 7 @ 2 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. BGSU @ Bowling Green
Wed. Dec. 17 @ 9 p.m. Men’s Basketball v. San Diego @ Fifth Third Arena
Tues. Dec. 23 @ 7 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. Wagner @ Fifth Third Arena
Dec. 12-13 All Day Track and Field Invitation @Bloomington Sat. Dec. 13 @ 6 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. Nebraska @ Nebraska Sun. Dec. 14 @ 2 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. Xavier @ Fifth Third Arena
Sat. Dec. 20 TBA Swimming vs. Georgia Tech @ Naples, FL Sat. Dec. 20 @ 12 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. VCU @ Fifth Third Arena Sat. Dec. 20 @ 7 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. Delaware @ Fifth Third Arena
DEC. 21-31
Dec. 4-6 All Day Swimming and Diving Invitation @ Miami University
DEC. 15-20
DEC. 4-14
DECEMBER SPORTING EVENTS
Sun. Dec. 28 @ 2 p.m. Women’s Basketball v. Tulane @ Fifth Third Arena Tues. Dec. 30 @ 4 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. N. Carolina @ Raleigh, N.C. Wed. Dec. 31 @ 3 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. Tulsa @ Tulsa, Oklahoma
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Mark your calendars for future All Campus Blood Drives February 2 - 6 April 6 - 10