The News Record 2.26.15

BIG SEAN’S TWISTED DARK PARADISE LOSING STREAK CONTINUES Music protégé creates commercially marketable but serious hip-hop

>>

PG 2

Women’s basketball loses 6th consecutive game against USF

>>

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE Watch students’ collaborations of five-minute films during CCM’s 48-hour film festival

PG 5

>> newsrecord.org

THE NEWS RECORD

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

NEWSRECORD.ORG

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

Candidates for student body president discuss diversity, safety PATRICK MURPHY | NEWS EDITOR

ALEXANDRA TAYLOR | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Jeremy Morall, running for vice-president with Sara Whitestone, talks about how he interprets divsersity within a school setting.

Student Government passes bills designed to improve education

A gentle balance of laughter and earnestness pervaded McMicken 127 as Student Government candidates for president, vice president and senator-at-large discussed their views on diversity and safety at the University of Cincinnati.

Due to inclement weather canceling the previous diversity debate, the Election Facilitation Committee combined the discussion with the Student Safety Board’s discussion on safety.

There were a total of 17 senate-at-large candidates and three slates at the event.

Each senator-at-large was given one minute to answer some of the questions that centered on the diversity and safety of UC. The slates were given 90 seconds to respond to the questions, with a 30-second rebuttal by the other slates.

“I thought they really let their platforms and their personalities shine through, and I think that’s something that we haven’t seen in a while,” said Cierra Carter, Student Government director of ethnic and cultural affairs.“We normally get this façade of a

formal politician or [we’ll see] the one that’s trying too hard to not be a politician and we just got exactly who they were and they were proud of it and they owned it.”

Three themes within the questions were to define diversity, how candidates planned to implement diversity and their beliefs of diversity as they see it on UC’s campus, including getting a read on how these candidates felt about such social topics as #BlackLivesMatter.

The questions were then given to the student body. One of the most recurring questions asked was how each of the candidates interpreted white privilege.

Andrew Naab, at-large senator and presidential candidate, and Andrew Griggs, speaker of senate, asserted that while they recognize that they are both white, cisgendered individuals, they have sought to represent student groups other than those who they identify with.

“In order to fully address white privilege, you first have to acknowledge it, and you SEE DIVERSITY DEBATE PG 3

UC COLLEGE OF LAW TALKS POLICE, RACE RELATIONS

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

CASSIE LIPP | CHIEF REPORTER

As undergraduate students at the University of Cincinnati vote for next year’s Student Government president, vice president and at-large senators, the organization met Wednesday to appropriate funds to improve academics and support Relay for Life.

SG passed three bills at its weekly meeting — one bill appropriating $1,000 to co-sponsor the annual UC Relay for Life, one bill appropriating $413.60 to fund free student access to the New York Times and one bill pledging SG’s support in the selection of books for the First Year Common Reading Program.

Funds from Relay for Life co-sponsorship defray the overhead costs of the fundraiser, according to Brady Ramsaur, Colleges Against Cancer committee member who spoke at the SG meeting about the event. The more overhead costs are defrayed, the more money goes directly to American Cancer Society, the organization the fundraiser benefits.

Internal Holdover Senator Trevor Smith added that it is important to defray overhead costs for fundraisers as much as possible, as this year’s Cincinnati Dance Marathon did not make enough money to cover its overhead costs.

“If you don’t make your overhead … bad things happen,” Smith said.

The UC Relay for Life attracts about 2,000 participants each year, and the goal for this year’s fundraiser is to raise $150,000 for the American Cancer Society, Ramsaur said.

“The American Cancer Society has tangible benefits,” Ramsaur said.“It’s done a lot for cancer research, and it also helps improve the lives of people who have been impacted by cancer.”

The money SG appropriated to give students free access to the New York Times will cover 50 free-access passes per day for eight weeks. These passes will give the students free full access to The New York Times mobile app for 24 hours via an online code. The passes will be first come, first serve and be available through the students’ Canopy accounts or the SG website.

Some senators brought up the issue that some professors require students to have a subscription to the New York Times for certain classes. The 50 free passes will not be enough for a class of 150, for example.

Student Body President Christina Beer responded by reminding the students that the current initiative is just a pilot project.

The pilot project will help UC Provost Beverly Davenport see how many students SEE STUDENT GOVERNMENT PG 3

LIZ FRYLING | CONTRIBUTOR

Panel members discuss criminal justice and racism reformation during a discussion Tuesday in the Russell C. Meyers Alumni Center.

JOHNNA JACKSON | CONTRIBUTOR

Over a hundred students and community members gathered Tuesday night in the Russell C. Meyers Alumni Center at the University of Cincinnati to have what Rob Richardson, co-moderator and vice chairman of UC’s Board of Trustees, referred to as an uncomfortable conversation regarding race and reform in the criminal justice system.

The event, including a panel discussion with a question-and-answer follow up, was intended to align with Black History Month, but Richardson said the conversation has year-round importance.

“This is Black History Month; this is part of why we are having this,” Richardson said.

“But I think it’s important to understand that black history is American history.”

The panel was comprised of six black community members with a shared goal of creating a dialogue around social issues that disproportionately affect communities of color on UC’s campus, in the city of

Cincinnati and throughout the country.

Members of the panel included Cincinnati police officers Phillip Black and Louis Arnold, Attorney David Singleton, Bishop Bobby Hilton of Word of Deliverance, community activist Iris Roley and Alex Shelton, a fourth-year international affairs, French and political science student.

Richardson said he hoped the event would address the framing of the narrative surrounding the criminal justice system in order to make it equitable for every citizen.

Reform in the criminal justice system was the prevalent theme of the conversation, and panelists were tasked with analyzing what Shivam Shah, co-moderator and student body vice president, identified as a racial “us versus them” mentality seemingly prevalent in law enforcement.

Black agreed that the “us versus them” line of thinking is easy to yield to once a person has become a part of the subculture of policing. His solution is education.

“Learning doesn’t stop once you come out of the police academy,” Black said.“You

do have to do some of your own personal educating that it isn’t an ‘us against them,’ because one day you might find yourself on that ‘them’ side.”

Roley said that a historical understanding of police relations with the black community is necessary.

“The impact of enslavement — what has it done to people? How has that impacted the way police that particular group of people who were enslaved?” Roley asked.“Police officers were once overseers —KKK, white night watchmen.You have to understand the premise of which they came from in order to understand how you then begin to change the culture of policing.”

In regard to police interactions, panelists also shared concerns involving mass incarceration as it relates to the black population.

“The United States has 5 percent of the world’s population and 25 percent of the world’s prisoners,” Richardson said.

SEE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PG 3

Students teach other students how to use social media for a good cause DANIEL DEITSCH | CONTRIBUTOR

DANIEL DEITSCH | CONTRIBUTOR

Students discuss the importance of using social media as a way to build a brand for activism in a Social Media Week panel in the App Lab Monday afternoon.

A diverse group of over 20 University of Cincinnati students gathered in the App Lab on Main Street Monday to learn how they can use social media in establishing a brand around a cause.

As it continues to grow in popularity, social media has become an integral part of everyday life for most people and is a powerful tool for organizations and business alike. Most students are not aware of the full potential of social media as a tool, but the goal of UC’s Social Media Week is to expand upon students’ knowledge.

With an offering of gourmet cupcakes to all those in attendance, seven student speakers led a panel discussion on how anyone can use social media beneficially.

The extent of the majority of students’ social media use is posting a status update on Facebook, throwing out a tweet about weekend adventures or just creeping a friend’s timeline out of boredom. The goal of the workshop was to teach students to utilize social media in various beneficial ways aside

THE NEWS RECORD IS THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI’S INDEPENDENT, STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER

from posting selfies.

“Individuals scrolling down their Instagram or Twitter timelines are expecting to see a collage of selfies, what someone ate for lunch and women-crush Wednesdays or man-crush Mondays,” said Ashley Nkadi, a UC neuroscience student.

The workshop aimed to encourage students to discover methods in which they can be active in educating others, explaining that social media can be a useful tool when used correctly.

Social media can be used to reach a large audience, but how in this time of instant satisfaction and short attention span can it be done? Is it as simple as sharing links and posting updates? Is social media alone enough to reach all those out there? The answer might be simpler than you think according to Maria Merrill, a first-year graduate student.

“It is important to think about the people who might not be reached via social media; SEE UC ACTIVISM PG 3

FREE • ADDITIONAL COPIES $1

2 / ARTS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 / NEWSRECORD.ORG

Big Sean releases serious, personal LP CHRISTOPHER STROHOFER | STAFF REPORTER

Ten years ago, Kanye West was walking to a radio station in Detroit when an aspiring 16-year-old rapper stopped him and asked to freestyle for him. West was reluctant but agreed to listen to 16 bars while they walked to the station, and by the time they got to the door, Kanye was bobbing his head and smiling.

Two years later, Big Sean signed to Kanye’s label, G.O.O.D Music.

Since Sean signed with Kanye at age 19, he’s released several commercial albums and the critically acclaimed mixtape “Detroit.” For all of these projects Sean was able to enlist the talents of the best producers and performers on the scene and was often featured on their projects as well.

Though his albums sold fairly well, Sean’s brief features on massively successful tracks like “Clique” and “Don’t Like” really gave him the success he frequently boasts about on his records.

However, “Dark Sky Paradise” finds Sean taking the reigns and producing a cohesive and forward-thinking album that also has the potential to be wildly popular.

You’ve likely already heard the song that set the stage for Sean’s newfound commercial success, either on the radio or the announcement video for the University of Cincinnati’s One Night Only Fest (Onofest), which Big Sean is headlining this year: “I Don’t F--- With You.” Released toward the end of 2014, this was the perfect track to introduce fans to his sound on “Dark Sky Paradise.” With production efforts from Kanye West, who popularized soul beats over the last ten years, and DJ Mustard, known for his trap influences which mark hip-hop’s modern sonic landscape, “IDFWU” melds these two sounds expertly. Most tracks on “Dark Sky Paradise” follow suit with the same incredible production.

With these two distinct sounds brought together, Sean has a powerful platform to bring both danceable and soulful tracks to listeners.

The tracks with more trap leanings like “Blessings” or “Paradise” can get a concert crowd moving, while the sentimental songs like “One Man Can Change the World” encourage listeners to hide away in their room and relate with Sean’s heartfelt aspirations.

Sean proves on “Dark Sky Paradise” that he can excel performing within multiple styles. However, it’s the intensely personal tracks that stand out and provide powerful moments on an album rife with braggadocio.

On the track “Win Some, Lose Some,” we get an honest peak inside the life of an artist fixated with success and fame.

He says at one point that he just bought a new car for his mom before saying, “People thinkin’ I’m rich, I wish they knew that / I been signed for four years and I’m just able to do that.”This is surprisingly sincere for an artist that released a debut album titled “Finally Famous.”

The importance of these authentic moments are stressed by his father at the end of the track, “They know when you bullshit / They don’t even intellectualize it, they feel it.”

These fitting moments from his youth appear occasionally throughout the album. Not only are these memories appropriate as Sean frequently up-plays his roots as a Detroit native, but perhaps they are even more relevant as Sean recently suffered a tough breakup with his high school sweetheart.

Several of these songs are inspired by this tough period in his life, but the album still feels like an optimistic collection of songs — like he’s finally happily ending a chapter of his life that began in high school.

In 2005, Big Sean was rapping for Kanye on the streets of Detroit hoping to be noticed. In 2015, Big Sean is a high school quarterback in his own highly produced music video with over 40 million views, and Kanye is his head coach, shouting out instructions on the sideline.

Perhaps Big Sean’s first album was prematurely named, but he’s now earned the distinction of being finally famous.

CLIFTON PERFORMANCE THEATRE

The play, written in 2007, examines a family’s dysfunction after learning a family member is missing. It was turned into a film in 2013 starring Meryl Streep.

Theater Review: ‘August: Osage County’ KRANTHI PAMARTHI | STAFF REPORTER

The collective performance of the actors in “August: Osage County” was so personal that it made audience members wonder if they were in fact part of the act.

But maybe that’s what they had in mind when Clifton Players and Untethered Theater introduced playwright Tracy Lett’s Tony Award-winning play at the Clifton Performance Theatre last weekend. The lengthy yet gripping tale of the Weston family in broken pieces is exceptionally directed by Buz Davis.

The set at the Clifton Performance Theatre cannot get more intimate for the audience. Unlike conventional stage setups, this play put the audience in center, with the action happening around them.

Credit must be given not only to Davis, but to stage manager Annette Ouchie and sound designer David Levy for extracting the most out of a set that has so little space to offer.

Their work effectively created six different locations within the house in which this Pulitzer Prize-winning play unfolds.

The three-act play is set in the Weston home, in the country outside Pawhuska, Oklahoma. The empty decor of the home reflects the life of the elderly Weston’s perfectly.

Beverly Weston, played by Davis himself, is an award winning poet who ends up as an alcoholic in time. His disappearance

GOOD MUSIC

takes place between Mattie and Charlie Aiken, played by Bob Allen. Monevata’s performance makes sure that the audience remains hating her throughout the play, only to applaud in the end.

The Weston sisters play the major part for the entirety of these events. Mary Kate Moran plays the role of the kind, empathic elder sister Ivy. Carol Brammer plays the role of the more determined and hard middle sister Barbara. Mindy Heithaus plays the easygoing but utterly selfish character of the little sister Karen.

Moran rallies commendable sympathy to her role through her acting, more than the script could have given. Brammer brought the required uncertainty around Barbara and was successful in fluctuating from negative to positive scene in and scene out.

The scenes between she and Hodges offer a lot about forgiveness, promise and hope.

Carter Bratton played Little Charles Aiken, and he looked immersed in his role of a vulnerable young man picked on by everyone. For the entirety of his appearance, he looked insecure, his shoulders crouched, and his back bent with his eyes locked on the ground except when he was alone with Ivy, someone who accepted him.

“August: Osage County” is an engaging tale of emotions, and the intimacy of the set at Cincinnati Performance Theatre makes this three hours and 15 minutes a worthwhile experience.

“August: Osage County” runs until March 14.

MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR

Tiger Dumpling may not be the only Chinese restaurant in Clifton, but its specialty Shanghai cuisine sets it apart from others. Above: Fried veggie dumplings.

Tiger Dumpling offers authentic Chinese appetizers COURTNEY STANLEY | ONLINE EDITOR

Sean’s album features guest verses from many famous artists, including Drake and Kanye West.

one day brings the family together, and the compelling play sets the destruction of the family in motion. The script efficiently shows the differences between each family member and their unsuccessful attempt to not show them.

Each character has his or her own significance in the events. The disparities between them bring forth several unspoken truths and revelations that result in some of the most comedic moments of the show. Similarly, it results in several betrayals and secrets that lead to challenging moments and complex feelings.

Dale Hodges was captivating as Violet Weston, a woman around whom the entire family falls apart. Hodges played this role of strength with all her might, from the woman who single handedly takes on the entire family to the one who breaks down in old age without Beverly.

The image of the dinner table scene will remain in the hearts of the audience for a long time, and she perfected the picture.

This scene perfectly captures the dynamic of comedy and tragedy present in the play, with the dialogue plummeting from humorous and joyful to tragic in a single line.

Leah Strasser played the role of Johnna Monevata naturally, and Christine Dye portrayed Mattie Fae Aiken with passionate anger. Her meanness on the set paves the way for one of the best confrontations in the play, which

Nestled in a small space between Keystone and The Brass Tap, Tiger Dumpling is the newest addition to Calhoun Street’s ethnic eateries, and it is a perfect flytrap for drawing in late night passersby.

The new Chinese restaurant specializes in authentic dumplings, either pork or vegetable, and three of styles of edamame: sea salt, tiger sauce and sweet chili garlic.

A different style of soup is also made fresh every day.

The restaurant’s vibe matches its menu: small, but excellent.

A mural is painted on one wall — a snarling white dragon with a swirling grey beard and blue horns — and the other side of the counter holds a collection of Asian

snacks, like Pocky, a flavored biscuit stick.

The tangy smell of the restaurant’s signature tiger sauce hangs in the air while loud, danceable music makes it fit in amidst the bars.

An order of vegetable dumplings and tiger style edamame cost just under $10 and with five plump dumplings and a couple handfuls of edamame, it was plenty for one person.

The vegetable dumplings are packed with sliced and diced veggies, and the spicy tiger sauce — a sweet kick with a spice that lingers on the tongue — is a perfect complement to the subtle flavor of the dumpling. The dumplings are prepared “potsticker style,” meaning they are pan-fried to be slightly crispy, but they can be steamed upon request.

The tiger edamame, prepared with Tiger

Dumpling’s signature sauce, is surprisingly sweet with a slight charred taste.

Although Tiger Dumpling has been open for over a month, the official grand opening was on Feb. 19 to align with the Chinese Lunar New Year, according to Jordan Ellerhorst, a manager of Tiger Dumpling.

While the dark interior feels cozy in the afternoon, the small space can become quickly crowded at night with only four high-top tables for seating.

With spring just around the corner, the prospects for Tiger Dumpling’s outdoor seating look good, but for now you may just want to grab your dumplings to go.

Tiger Dumpling is open from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. daily.

Reel to reel: Upcoming local film events Feb. 26 7:30 p.m.

“On the Waterfront” Showing @ Esquire Theatre with following lecture by Stanley Corkin

Feb. 27 - Mar. 7 ReelAbilities Film Festival (read more about the festival at newsrecord.org)

Mar. 10 7:00 p.m.

“Selma” Showing @ TUC MainStreet Cinema with talks from students

Mar. 20-22 HorrorHound Weekend, a horror movie and TV convention at the Sharonville Convention Center

NEWS / 3

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 / NEWSRECORD.ORG

IN BRIEF Board of Trustees approves room, board rate increase CLAUDE THOMPSON | STAFF REPORTER

UC shuttle evacuated after fire scare Students were evacuated from a University of Cincinnati shuttle Monday evening when a driver flagged the vehicle down and said it was on fire.

The shuttle was en route to UC Blue Ash via Interstate 71 North when a motorist adjacent to the bus noticed steam and alerted the driver, according to Bailey Dowlin, a TNR staff photographer and fourth-year fine arts and art education student, who was on the bus at the time of the incident. About 10 students were on board.

The shuttle pulled over near the Kenwood Road exit, and students were told to disembark. Passengers stood on the side of the highway while waiting for police and firefighters to arrive. No one was harmed in the incident.

After analyzing the scene, police officers transported students the rest of the way to UCBA. According to Bob Bauer, director of auxiliary services, the steam was the result of a pump leak under the bus that sprayed coolant on its rear heater.

The issue was minor and the shuttle was back in service Tuesday, Bauer said.

The University Of Cincinnati Board Of Trustees approved a 2.5 percent increase on student room and board rates for the 2015-2016 academic year, among other action items presented at their first meeting since the spring semester started. This will be the second consecutive year that the board has approved a rate increase.

The rate increase was linked to the establishment of a block lease agreement with Block 3 Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (UPA).

The lease agreement is in preparation for circumstances similar to last year when UC experienced a recordbreaking enrollment rate for incoming freshmen which forced UC to open up new areas for housing, according to the presentation from the Finance and Administration Committee.

A housing task force was assembled to identify where in the community the university could situate incoming students. The block lease with UPA involves University Park Apartments on Calhoun.

The lease agreement opens up the availability of 750 more beds over the next 3 years for students.

Despite the rate increase, UC’s room and board rates would still be ranked 8th in Ohio and would continue to be lower than nearby competitors Kent State University, University of Miami and Xavier University, according to the committee presentation.

In addition to the rate increase, the Board of Trustees approved a proposal for a partial demolition and renovation of the former College Services Building as well as an infrastructure upgrade project intended for Clermont College.

The CSB was previously known as

Reported rape near campus Cincinnati police are investigating a reported rape that occurred near campus in the 2800 block of Jefferson Avenue Feb. 11 around 9 p.m.

According to the incident report, a suspect displayed a knife and forced a male victim to another location, described in the report as a garage or shed. The suspect then reportedly raped the victim anally and orally.

The victim was not a UC student, according to CPD public information office supervisor Tiffaney Hardy. Hardy said police could not release any further information while the incident is under investigation.

UC students did not receive a UC public safety alert following the incident and it does not show up on a crime map available through the UC police department website.

UC police could not be reached for comment before press time.

See a crime map at newsrecord.org.

Anyone with information about any of the above incident can call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 513-352-3040.

FILE ART

Student government met Wednesday evening to discuss money appropriations for Relay for Life, among other initiatives to provide educational resources for students.

FROM STUDENT GOVERNMENT PG 1

will use the service. Beer said Davenport needs to see data for how many students will make use of the service before the university invests more money in the program.

“We really need to figure out if this is something that our student body wants and needs, and based off of the number of users we have with it, we can then take that back to her,” Beer said.

A third SG bill approved the First-Year Common Reading Committee’s selection of a common reading book for incoming

FROM DIVERSITY DEBATE PG 1

first have to do something about it, which is actually to give the power away that we as privileged individuals have,” Naab said. “It’s something that me and [running mate] Andrew [Griggs] have had intimate conversations about.

It’s not easy but we’re working on it.”

Naab and Griggs have stated that they have gone to racial accelerated programs and transgender training by the LGBTQ Center.

Presidential candidate Sarah Whitestone said that while white privilege is easy to understand on one hand, it can also be difficult to decipher.

“If I get a cut, I can go to the store and buy a Band-Aid that is the color of my flesh, because that’s just the norm,”Whitestone said. “That’s a simple case of white privilege. A more extreme example is that, as a white person, I feel comfortable going up to a police officer and asking for help, whereas if I was of another color I wouldn’t be as comfortable.”

Whitestone believes that bigger systemic issues of white privilege should also be addressed, such as UC’s dedication of buildings to predominantly white men and how representation of our student body and government is essential.

Iman Said, vice president candidate to Jen St. John, said that her work as an on-site coordinator for LeaderShape has prepared her slate in attacking issues of diversity or white privilege.

CLASSIFIEDS Personal Care and Assistance in Mason Personal care and assistance needed in Mason for very active physically handicapped individual with diverse interests. Driver’s license a must. No experience needed. Strength helpful.

Various shifts available. Please include a resume and phone number where you can be contacted, as well as any other pertinent information you wish to include. Compensation: $11-$14+ (depending on shift and job-specific training) Contact: jobapplicants@cinci.rr.com

UC4Rent.com Now renting for Aug 2015-2016 Bedrooms Virtual…

UC4Rent.com Now renting for Aug 20152016 Bedrooms Virtual Tours on our Web Site 513-621-7032

Now Leasing For the 20152016 School Year!

Now Leasing For the 2015-2016 School Year! 2, 3, and 4 Bedroom Apartments and Houses! Call 513-281-7159 for a private showing or visit out website at www.ucapartments.com

1-3 Bedrooms HYDE PARK 1-3 Bedrooms HYDE PARK 1-Bedroom in HYDE PARK 1-BR (700 sq. ft.) Hardwood Floors, Rent $760/month 3-BR (1,200 sq. ft.) with 2 Bathrooms, Balcony, Hardwood Floors, Rent $1,400/ month HEAT & WATER PAID. Call us at (513) 477-2920 or pgspropertiesincincinnati@ gmail.com

first-year students for the upcoming school year and the following school year.

Nicole Mayo, director of Student Activities and Leadership Development, addressed SG at the meeting to explain the common reading program.

“We have all of these different colleges and majors, we are all learning these different things, but retention rates for first-year students are higher if they have to talk to a peer about one common thing that they are learning,” Mayo said.

“In addition, it’s a really good way to set academic standards.”

“I think that the way we talk about privilege these days is as a way of putting each other down,” Said explained. “Privilege appears in so many different ways.”

Iman also recognizes that while she comes from an educated and fortunate family, she had faced oppression as a woman and as a Muslim.

The questions, created in part by Carter and Abdine Lewis, president of the United Black Student Association, sought to explore different ways to open up the discussion of diversity, such as what diversity meant to the candidates in terms of an applicant pool or within a classroom.

“There are definitely some answers that I didn’t even envision people having, so I think that that was a win,” Carter said. “However, I do think that there was a derail away from the original questions quite often … but that also gave candidates the opportunity to really talk about what’s important to them. So you got to kind of see that shine through.”

Carter said that while she doesn’t think any of the senators-at-large or slates intentionally misspoke, she also believes that every candidate is on a different level and must be personally reached out to by the voters.

“Look at the platforms,” Carter said. “There was some misinformation given at the debates, and I would implore students to look at the structure of Student Government itself, the university itself, look at the way that different plans are created.

the Sears building in 1929 prior to its repurposing in 1981 after being purchased by UC. It originally was designed by a Chicago-based architectural firm utilizing limestone detailing with brick artistry.

The partial demolition will involve an addition to the structure added in 1945, the original building will be left untouched during this process, but will undergo heavy renovations to make room for its new purpose as an innovation center, being referred to as a research corner.

The plan calls for $16 million in funding, $14 million of which will be from taxable debt that will be paid back using money acquired from leased spaces within the facility. The building is expected to open in 2016 with its first tenets likely to be administrative offices of the University of Cincinnati Research Institute.

The program has been at UC for two years and requires that all incoming firstyear students read the same book the summer before starting classes. The book is given to students at their orientation, and students who are not able to attend orientation can access the book online or check it out from Langsam Library. “[The committee] sent a university-wide Google Doc out that said to nominate any book,” Mayo said. “That opened up for suggestions, and we got them — everything from the Bible to 50 Shades of Gray.”

Mayo said the committee of 30 UC faculty members, staff and students gradually narrowed down 300 suggested books to six. The committee members then read each of the six books during winter break and chose two to use for the upcoming school years.

The common reading book for the 2015-2016 school year is “The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates” by Wes Moore. The book depicts two men with the same name who go on to lead very different lives.

The common reading book for the 20162017 school year is “A Deadly Wandering: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in the Age of Attention” by Matt Richtel. The book explores technology’s influence on the mind and society, told through the lens of a car accident caused by texting while driving.

SG elections continue until Friday at 5 p.m. and winners will be announced on the same day.

ALEXANDRA TAYLOR | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Iman Said, senate secretary and vice presidential candidate, talks about her experiences of being a Muslim woman in post-9/11 America Monday evening.

FROM UC ACTIVISM PG 1

how are you going to connect with them?” Merrill said. “In my opinion, the best way that social media can be used in activist work is in conjunction with on-the-ground activism, rather than by itself.”

David Schmutte, a fifth-year criminal justice student, said it is not enough to just use social media and that it is smart to use a mixture of ways to reach an audience.

“Social media has become a necessity in activism,” Schmutte said.

“Flyers only go so far and so does Facebook, but when you use them together you strengthen your outreach,” said Alexander Shelton, a panel speaker and sixth-year international affairs, political science and French student.

The theme of the workshop encompassed the fact that there are many ways in which students can become more involved in activism. When combatting social issues such as racism, sexism, homophobia, environmental and sexual assault students can go beyond handing out fliers or make a post on Facebook.

FROM CRIMINAL JUSTICE PG 1

bigger issue than the University of Cincinnati. It’s systemic. It’s bigger than police officers, too.”

During the discussion, the differences in sentences given to those charged with theft and those charged with sexual assault on and around the campus were explored. Hilton drew attention to this difference by detailing the probation sentence given to a white student charged with rape last year against the jail time many of criminals involved in minor theft receive.

Singleton considers mainstream media to be largely at fault for the perpetuation of the stereotype of black male criminality.

“When you look at the nightly news, what do you see? You see stories that focus on black folks who are charged with committing crimes, and that leads to a certain perception,” Singleton said.“How do those stories come out? They come out because money is what drives it, unfortunately, and the news wants to find stuff that is going to tap into a narrative that people expect and are conditioned to understand, and that is ‘black men commit crimes.’ ” Singleton feels that journalists are too frequently falling back on repetitive stories featuring black male crime, rather than holding themselves responsible for addressing more complicated social issues.

“I think the media is irresponsible,” Singleton said.“It does not do its homework. It goes for the surface stories — what is easy to talk about, what is familiar to talk about. The harder questions are, how are we going to fix our school system? How are we going to make sure that we have enough jobs in our community so that people don’t have to turn to crime? Those stories don’t get the same coverage because they are complicated.”

As a student, Shelton feels that the university engages in the

A student must choose ways to reach as large of an audience as possible and seek out ways to communicate the importance of these issues without offending others. They must be consistent in the passion they have for an issue, articulate their point in the most careful way, stick to themes, but also vary mediums in which they use to reach their audience.

“Through the use of social media, we can educate people in both a direct and non-direct way,” Nkadiak said.

Some tips students might use to remain active and to reach a larger audience include being patient and engaging the rule of thirds, as described by Kara Driscoll, a fourth-year journalism student, former News Record editor-in-chief and organizer of the event. The rule of thirds is made up of engagement, your content and others content.

The rule maintains that students should be active in their community to engage and interact with as many people as possible to further educ ate, Driscoll added.

When posting to social media, students can use a mixture of both their content pertaining to the issue that they’re standing for and the material from others that helps to further the reach and therefore, success. creation of racist images by delivering it to students in emails regarding safety.

“In the safety emails, as a part of making UC safe, we profile,” Shelton said.“There’s a racialization of crime. Crime is ever-present.

The colorization of crime is what is being sensationalized.”

These emails create an uncomfortable environment for Shelton on the UC campus. Shelton has received targeted messages about how they should conduct themselves at the university.

“I’ve heard people say that you have to change your style of dress,” Shelton said.“If you’re going to be on UC’s campus you need to always be having your student ID, you need to make sure that you are speaking politely and that you’re not being perceived as a threat.

The way that you act and the way you are being perceived are two different things.”

Ron Gillespie, a fourth-year industrial management student, believes these discussions are an important part of university programming. He mirrored the panel’s call for community action.

“Tonight’s event highlighted exactly the type of people engagement that needs to take place and become a standard around campus,” Gillespie said.“The key is to breakdown the burden of solving these societal issues into micro actions that can be taken by each individual person. The critical message and tangible change moves through the community, person by person.”

The event was sponsored by UC Student Government, the United Black Students Association, NAACP Youth Council and the UC Black Law Student Association.

“We can improve our current system of justice,” Richardson said.

“Is there a better way to do this? Do we have a fair system of justice?

And while we don’t expect to change everybody’s mind here today, we hope that you at least consider the possibility that something has gone awry and that there can be an improvement in our system.”

4 / LIFE & SPORTS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 / NEWSRECORD.ORG

Women’s golf team opens spring season JAELYNNE JOHNSON | SPORTS EDITOR

The University of Cincinnati women’s golf team started its spring season on a strong note Monday by placing 6th after two rounds in the Amelia Island Collegiate in Jacksonville, Florida.

Cincinnati was one of only six teams to post sub-300 scores during the first two rounds.

Junior Stefanie Mitchell and sophomore Ashley Cassidy each posted 74’s on Monday.

These were the lowest individual rounds for the Bearcats. Every member of the scoring team posted a pair of rounds of 79 or better.

Rain forced the final round of the Amelia Island Collegiate to be canceled and caused the shortening of the event to just Monday’s two rounds.

Individual scores went as follows: Mitchell 76-74=150, Cassidy 78-74=152, Christina Gloor 78-76=154, Valentina Herrera 79-75=154, Tara Liebert 7879=157 and Katerina Luttner 82-74=156.

“We are disappointed we didn’t get the third round in today, but are very proud of the players’ effort yesterday,” said head coach Janet Carl. “We’re looking forward to continue to build on our success in the next event.”

UC finished 6th at the event out of 15 teams.

The Bearcats finished behind Florida International University (286-294=580 +4), University of North Florida (297286=583 +7), Daytona State College (290-294=584 +8) Stetson University (293300=593 + 17) and University of Toledo (313-292=605 +29).

Next the Bearcats will compete in the three-day Clover Cup in Mesa, Arizona.

The Clover Cup is set to start March 13.

FILE ART

The women’s golf team placed 6th out of 15 teams at the Amelia Island Collegiate.

DANIEL DEITSCH | CONTRIBUTOR

Students joined keynote speaker Theresa Aberle to learn more about building a professional online persona as part of Social Media Week Tuesday morning.

Speaker encourages students’ online professionalism MATT NICHOLS | STAFF REPORTER

As part of the University of Cincinnati’s Social Media Week, Theresa Aberle, program coordinator for the career development center, led an informative discussion to help students build a professional online persona.

LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter were all topics of Aberle’s discussion about how to stay professional on social media.

Starting with the professional networking site LinkedIn, Aberle discussed the pros and cons to each site and how students can make accounts appealing to possible employers.

“With LinkedIn, you really need to be there,” Aberle said. “LinkedIn is one of those pieces that from an employer’s perspective, this is the first place they are going to try to find you.”

Aberle explained that LinkedIn is a networking tool for close colleagues, but that users must be careful about who they are adding.

“With LinkedIn, if you don’t know them well enough to give them a recommendation, don’t connect with them,” Aberle said.

Twitter is another networking tool that students can use to follow potential employers and share their expertise.

Aberle advised students to follow any employers of interest and to also post as often as possible. This can be a blog post, a link to an article or a comment, as long as it represents who you are and what interests you have.

“You want to keep it clean,” Aberle said. “You want to keep it as information that you want employers to see about you, because if you’re connecting with employers you want to work with, they’ll be checking what you’re posting.”

Keeping a clean profile is essential when searching for jobs, especially because 69 percent of employers will disqualify potential employees based on what they post to social media websites, according to Aberle.

“Social media is such a big part of our world today, especially for our generation,” said Molly Cohen, a thirdyear English student. “There’s always the risk of people making assumptions about you, just like as you can do in person, but in social media it’s even easier.”

Many employers will seek out vulgarity, drug or alcohol use and other various red flags when viewing profiles for hire on social media. Some will even take into account a person’s online personality to see how stable his or her life is, Aberle said.

While Facebook is still a popular social media website, it’s meant to be more of a personal page between family and close friends, Aberle said.

A good tip for students looking for jobs is simply to Google themselves, Aberle said. Pictures and profiles that students don’t want future employers to see may pop up, so it’s important to double check and take a close look at what information people can see.

The few students who attended the event now have a much better understanding of being professional on social media.

“It’s just a good way to stay connected with other people around you,” Cohen said. “I think it can make you stand out to employers because you can show your personality online and better build your character through digital media.”

SPORTS / 5

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 / NEWSRECORD.ORG

Former Bearcat prepares for future with or without NFL JAELYNNE JOHNSON | SPORTS EDITOR

He was regarded as a four-star recruit

by Rivals.com, a network of websites that focuses mainly on college football and basketball recruiting, and was listed as the No. 1 linebacker prospect in the state of Florida in 2010.

But Jeff Luc, a 23-year-old Miami, Florida native, was a troubled youth and did not play organized football until he was in the 6th grade.

At the age of 12, Luc, the youngest of four siblings, moved with his family to Port St. Lucie, Florida in 2003 to stay away from the trouble. His parents came to the United States from Haiti over 30 years ago to provide a better life for the Luc’s.

“Before playing organized football, I played a lot of street football,” Luc said.

“Once my parents saw how serious I was about it, they started to support me.”

Luc is the first in his family to ever take football “serious,” he said, adding that his brothers played in high school, but that was the extent of it.

Prior to college, Luc attended Treasure Coast high school in Port St. Lucie where he registered 103 tackles as a senior and 125 tackles as a junior; Luc also led his team to the third round of the 6A state playoffs his junior year.

By the end of his senior year at Treasure Coast, Florida State University topped a big list of schools recruiting Luc, including: the University of Alabama, Florida University, University of Georgia, University of Miami, Louisiana State University, The Ohio State University, University of Notre Dame, University of Southern Mississippi, Oklahoma University, University of Tennessee and University of Southern California.

“I went to Florida State because at the time, I felt that it was a right fit and I was an FSU fan,” Luc said.

While at FSU, Luc played in 19 games, tallied 23 tackles and three tackles for loss in total. To break that down, in the 2011 season, Jeff played in 11 games and recorded 15 tackles and two tackles for loss. In 2010, he played in eight games for

the Seminoles mainly on special teams, but received some snaps on the defense.

“I left FSU because I realized I wasn’t the right fit for their ‘on the field’ program,” Luc said.

After playing just two seasons for the Seminoles, Luc had intentions of attending Kansas State University, but he was offered a visit to the University of Cincinnati and traveled to campus, simply to thank the coaches for their time and generosity.

“When I got off that plane in Cincinnati, I already had my mind made up on Kansas State,” Luc said. “But then I got to UC and enjoyed the coaches, the people, and there wasn’t any type of bluff. What they talked about was what I saw, and I liked that.”

After the visit and the coaches’ emphasis on being a family, Luc joined UC’s Bearcats football team in the summer of 2012. He was required to sit out of the 2012 season due to NCAA transfer regulations.

The six foot, 250 pound linebacker ended his first UC season in 2013 with 43 tackles and 1.5 sacks for 10 yards. He concluded his 2014 season with 134 tackles and a late invite to the annual Reese’s Senior Bowl in December.

Luc graduated from UC last spring with a degree in criminal justice, a continuous interest from his time at Florida State.

While in Cincinnati, Luc developed a family-like relationship with his teammates and head coach.

“As a leader when you can open your ears to your troops that will make you a better leader than you were yesterday,” Luc said.

“Even though I was a leader, I learned a lot from the younger players, I don’t know everything.”

One of his most memorable moments comes from when the University of Houston made an incomplete pass in the final play on the Dec. 6 game against UC, a move that gave the Bearcats a share of the American Athletic Conference Championship.

His relationship with head coach Tommy Tuberville is also one that Luc takes deep pride in. “[Our relationship] is interesting,” Luc said.

FILE ART

Former UC linebacker Jeff Luc is preparing for Pro Day on March 11 with other Bearcat teammates.

“Tommy has been coaching for a long time and has been at different programs. He’s used to guys from the south and has a lot of understanding of how we are and how most of us grew up. He’s tough on us but you know he cares at the end of the day.”

Luc said Tuberville taught him to be “mentally tough” which allows you to make it through any situation in life, on and off the field.

Luc attributes his successes to his coaches and family — especially his two-year-old daughter, Liliane Marie Luc. Outside of football, he enjoys being a homebody and spending time with Liliane, who he calls a growing diva.

“When you have a child, you always want them to be better than you and grow up

better than you,” Luc said. “My daughter comes first. She’s at the age where she is able to have full conversations and she understands, it’s fun.”

Now that his time at UC has concluded, Luc is currently in Orlando, Florida, where he is training for his Pro Day on March 11 since he did not receive an invite to the NFL Combine.

Three days a week, Luc has two-a-day practices that include pool workouts, conditioning and a light weight workout.

Luc plans to join the NFL but said he is determined to be successful with or without it. He ultimately hopes to help troubled youth and open up a recreation center to help keep them off the streets.

Swimming and diving has strong showing in AAC Championship

FILE ART

UC swimming and diving program competed in the four-day 2015 AAC swimming championships in Greensboro, North Carolina last week.

JAELYNNE JOHNSON | SPORTS EDITOR

The University of Cincinnati swimming and diving teams competed in the four-day American Athletic Conference swimming and diving championships in Greensboro, North Carolina last week.

Feb. 18 was day one. The Bearcats competed in the 800 meter freestyle relay and the 200 medley relay as well as the diving competition on the men’s three-meter and women’s one-meter boards.

In the men’s 800 freestyle relay, Cincinnati finished 3rd — earning a spot on the podium. The relay was composed of sophomore Eitan Holder, who led off for UC, followed

by Connor Davis, Dean Waite and Hunter Pasek, who closed in the anchor leg. Cincinnati clocked in at 6:36.51 just six seconds behind East Carolina University, who took 1st place in the event, finishing in 6:30.55.

On the three-meter diving board, Bill Magill posted a 208.50 score in the preliminary round before finishing with a mark of 107 in the finals to earn 13th place.

The men ended their day with a 4th-place finish in the 200 medley with a time of 1:32.83.

The women earned a fifth 5th place finish in the 800 freestyle relay with a time of 7:26.64. They also took a fifth place finish in the 200 medley relay, clocking in at 1:43.52.

Freshman Lindsey Miller and teammate Amanda Coffey finished in 16th and 17th place on the one-meter board.

Day two included competition in the 500 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 50 freestyle, 200 yard freestyle relay and the men in the one-meter board.

Sophomore Jackie Keire entered this year’s championships with the top time in the 500 freestyle, and she successfully defended her title with a time of 4:42.68, setting a new meet record.

“It was a good race, our team was loud tonight and I felt it,” said Keire. “[Breaking the record] is good. It’s like I was racing myself from a year ago and I beat her.”

Sophomore Andrea Bartel finished in 6th place in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:04.30.

Swimming in her final league championship meet, Senior

Helena Pikhartova touched the wall in 23.27 seconds in the 50 freestyle, giving her a 7th place finish.

In the 200 free style relay, the women’s team was composed of Keire, Pikhartova, Shelby Spitz and Lindsey Niehaus. They were able to get a 2nd place finish with a time of 1:32.66.

For the men, Holder garnered a 7th place finish in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:30.25, and Chris Bready finished just behind him in 4:30.46.

Ryan DePietro and Tyler Roehr swam in the 200 individual medley finals. DePietro placed sixth overall with a time of 1:49.14 and Roehr finished in eighth with a time of 1:50.48.

Holder, Connor Davis, Alex Hutchinson and Dean Waite placed third in the 200 free style relay with a collaborative effort time of 1:21.07. This concluded the second day of competition for the Bearcats.

On day three of the competition, the Bearcats set a total of four school records: one in the 200 free style, two in the 400 individual medley and one in the 100 backstroke.

Keire started it off by posting a time of 1:44.70 in the 200 free style. This time earned her a 1st-place finish; it also broke her own school record of 1:44.73 and is now a new conference record.

DePietro touched the wall in 3:49.08, just .28 seconds ahead of University of Connecticut’s William Franz in the 400 individual medley. His time broke a 16-year-old record of 3:49.79 that was set by Honza Vitazka in 1999.

Bartel set a school record and earned a 2nd-place finish in the women’s 400 individual medley with a time of 4:19.45. The record was previously held by Michelle MacPherson, who had a time of 4:19.77.

Niehaus nearly made it into the finals of the 100 backstroke with a preliminary time of 56.20 seconds. In the finals, she cut 1.47 seconds off her time in the finals and got a 4th-place finish with a time of 54.96 seconds.

Although she missed the podium, Niehaus broke Liz Hansson’s 2011 record of 55.19 seconds.

The Bearcats saw several highlights on the fourth day of competition, including Keire winning her third gold medal in the 100 freestyle.

The women’s 400 freestyle relay placed 3rd with a time of 3:23.29. The relay was composed of Pikhartova, Niehaus, Shelby Spitz and Keire anchored.

The men matched the performance in the final event of the meet as Holder, Davis, Hunter Pasek and Dean Waite placed 3rd with a time of 2:59.12 in the 400 freestyle.

Overall, the women finished the championships in 5th place (461), while the men finished in 4th (642.50).

The Bearcats will wait to see if any of the swimmers will qualify for the 2015 NCAA Swimming Championships.

Women’s basketball suffers non-conference loss against USF Bulls Two conference games remain in regular season until AAC championships JAELYNNE JOHNSON | SPORTS EDITOR

Tuesday’s contest against University of Southern Florida was the University of Cincinnati’s annual Play4Kay game, during which all fans who attended were encouraged to wear pink. The 74-44 loss dropped the Bearcats to 3-13 in the American Athletic Conference.

Play4Kay is an event organized through the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, an organization devoted to “being a part of finding an answer in the fight against women’s cancers through raising money for scientific research, assisting the underserved and unifying people for a common cause,” according to their website.

Despite the loss, Cincinnati still leads the overall series in a 14-13 edge, even after suffering a 75-36 loss to the Bulls in their first game this season on Feb. 7.

In Tuesday’s game, freshman Ana Owens led the team in scoring 13 points and two rebounds, but her effort was not enough to carry the team to a win.

Teammate Marley Hill was able to contribute eight points and nine rebounds.

Bianca Quisenberry also scored eight points and grabbed two steals, and Jasmine Whitfield was able to finish with two points

and a career-high of four steals.

USF started the game on a 13-7 run. UC was able to get within four points with 2:45 remaining in the first half, but that is as close as the Bearcats could get.

Going into half time, the margin grew to 37-24.

“I think defensively we started off the game great,” said head coach Jamelle Elliott.

“We gave up a couple of offensive rebounds, but I expected that. I thought the first 20 minutes we made it hard for [USF] to score.”

The Bearcats scored their first goal of the second half at the 12:47 mark, but it fell apart for them from there, and USF continued to gain big runs.

USF’s Courtney Williams finished with a game high of 22 points, six rebounds and two steals. Teammate Alisia Jenkins finished with 16 points, 16 rebounds and two steals.

Lack of ball control and defense are key components to the Bearcats losses. Cincinnati committed 18 turnovers which translated into 26 points for the Bulls. USF was also able to score 16 points from secondchance opportunities — they out-rebounded UC 48-26.

One highlight from the game came from freshman Trinity Hunter, who gave a “huge spark off the bench,” according to coach Elliott. She was able to mark a season-high of six points and one steal in all of five

DANIEL SULLIVAN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Shelbi Chandler draws a foul in the final minutes of the first half in the contest against USF on Tuesday evening in Fifth Third Arena.

minutes of the contest.

The Bearcats look to improve their 6-21 overall record as they hit the road for the last time in the regular season to Dallas to play Southern Methodist University on

Saturday afternoon.

Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m., and the game will broadcast on the American Digital Network online.

6 / COLLEGE LIFE

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 / NEWSRECORD.ORG

Mocktails, paintbrushes promote AACRC bonding

Participants of the second annual Sip and Paint event enjoy mocktails while painting the Sankofa bird and reflecting on their culture at the AACRC Monday evening.

CASSIE LIPP | CHIEF REPORTER

A group of African-American women bonded over mocktails, painting and cultural discussions Monday evening at the second annual Sip and Paint in the African American Cultural and Resource Center.

Before the painting started, guest speaker Kimya Moyo, director of Sankofa Educational Enrichment Program, talked about the significance of the Sankofa bird.

“The Sankofa is a West African symbol that means ‘to return and be treated,’ so it’s just appropriate during Black History Month that you do become invested in activities that help you deepen and understand your history,” Moyo said.“ ‘Sankofa’ means to go back and get your history, get the things you lost, so that you can move forward.”

The image of the Sankofa bird has its feet facing forward and its head turned backward. The bird symbolizes not only being in the present and looking forward,

but also looking back at the past to help plan the future.

During the event, each of the women painted the Sankofa bird on a canvas that they could take home.

Moyo said Sankofa is important because if you don’t know where you come from, you don’t know where you are going.

“People trip and make missteps, when if you had some history to sort of guide you and give you some direction, it would help you make better choices and give you more of a direction as to where you should be going,” Moyo said.

Moyo added that Sip and Paint is great because although it is a group event, everyone is involved in their own creativity.

“It’s a common experience, and it sort of develops a bond among the people here because we’re all doing the same thing,” Moyo said.

The event was sponsored by Sisters Impacting Sisters, a group within the AACRC dedicated to creating an

environment in which African-American women at UC can build sustainable relationships and work together to solve problems in the campus community.

AACRC Program Coordinator Tamar Kinebrew organized the event because she thought it would be great to create an environment to bring women together.

“Events like this are really about bringing women together, getting to know each other and having a good time,” Kinebrew said.

“This particular event was just about coming together and enjoying each other while painting something and keeping a canvas for yourself and just enjoying time and relaxing.”

Kinebrew said that, for her, Sankofa means that it is important to know where you are going in life. Kinebrew added that the group at last year’s Sip and Paint painted an African dancer.

Brierre Sutton, a second-year marketing student, and Ariana Davis, a second-year neuropsychology student, said Sip and Paint

BAILEY DOWLIN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

was therapeutic.

“Painting is relaxing,” Sutton said.“It’s a way to relieve stress.”

Davis reflected on what Sankofa meant to her.

“You can use your past experiences to learn and go after what you want,” Davis said.

UC sociology professor Littisha Bates came to Sip and Paint to connect with students outside of the classroom.

“I want them to see me, and this is part of reaching back as a faculty member — and as a black woman faculty member — so they can see me and know that anything is possible and they can be where I am one day,” Bates said.

Nitara Smith, a first-year pre-health science student, said Sip and Paint is a great opportunity.

“I like to paint sometimes,” Smith said.“So it was really great for me to come out and meet new people and learn something new about black history.”

Black Greek organizations break stereotypes, educate students CAMRI NELSON | CONTRIBUTOR

The importance and misconceptions surrounding black Greek life was the predominant discussion among students Monday evening in Tangeman University Center. Joined by keynote speaker Rasheed Cromwell, students worked to break stereotypes and discussed some of the benefits of being part of a black Greek organization.

Cromwell pledged Omega Psi Phi — one of nine predominantly black Greek organizations — while attending North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Omega Psi Phi is part of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), an organization that gathers black Greek fraternities and sororities.

Inspired by his father, Cromwell wanted to join the fraternity because of their principles of perseverance and

STUDENT/EDUCATOR 50% DISCOUNT

Robert Battle Artistic Director

Glenn Allen Sims, Photo by Andrew Eccles

Masazumi Chaya Associate Artistic Director

“...GORGEOUS DANCERS AND STAR-QUALITY PERFORMANCES...”

scholarship.

During his time in school, Cromwell’s passion for black Greek life inspired him to volunteer to speak to college students at different universities about the importance about black sororities and fraternities.

After leaving university, Cromwell graduated from law school in Texas and started working at a law firm. Later in his career, he decided to again focus on speaking to students about black Greek life.

Cromwell began teaching a threehour long required class for students who were interested in joining a NPHC organization at Ohio State University.

He also created multiple documentaries about black Greek life, including “Beyond this Place” and “How Bad Do You Want It.” At the beginning of Monday’s event, Cromwell asked students how many of them were already involved in campus Greek life. Almost everyone, but mostly females, raised their hands. Only eight students who raised their hands were a part of a NPHC organization.

Cromwell started his discussion by stating that the first black NPHC organization, Alpha Phi Alpha, was established in 1906. During that time period, he said, the life expectancy was 47 years, that only 8 percent of homes had telephones and that Jim Crow laws — state and local segregation laws enforced in the southern United States from the 1880s to 1960s —were really reinforced.

Because of Jim Crow laws, NPHC organizations didn’t have the same resources other Greek organizations had, and Cromwell said they had to create their own identity.

“It’s more of a professional perspective,” Cromwell said.

He explained that males in Alpha Phi

Alpha didn’t go straight to college from high school because they had families and held jobs. However, they represented a group of professional males who addressed the issues of the black community and did their best to resolve those problems.

A significant point Cromwell addressed is what makes black Greek organizations different from other Greek organizations.

“With black organizations, when they start, it is grounded on community service,” Cromwell said.

Cromwell added that each black Greek organization comes together to bridge the gaps in the black community and aims to educate the community.

“They start by having leaders and community uplifting,” Cromwell said.

Cromwell also explained that, although NPHC organizations are predominantly black, it does not mean they are exclusive; these organizations also have non-African-American members.

Cromwell said it is important for other members of Greek life to understand the diversity of NPHC organizations, why they exist and how they can work together to provide assistance to the community.

“I think as a community we lose our history, so it’s important to remind ourselves and reflect on it,” said Leah Howell, manager for sorority and fraternity life at UC. Tiara Anthony, a fourth-year nursing student and vice president of Delta Sigma Theta, said she enjoyed the event. When asked why the event was important to her, she said because UC is a predominantly white campus.

“It’s important to inform people about black culture,” Cromwell said. “Primarily because it’s an influential demographic community.”

THE NEW YORK TIMES

DISCOUNT

50

%OFF ATS SELECT SE s apply) (restriction

low use promo code be

MARCH 3 & 4, 2015 • 7:30 PM

PRESENTING SPONSOR

TICKETS

Aronoff Center - Procter & Gamble Hall

• CincinnatiArts.org/PROMO • (513) 621-ARTS [2787] • Aronoff Center Ticket Office • Promo Code: EDUCATE MEDIA SPONSORS DANIEL SULLIVAN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Rasheed Cromwell talks about his own experience and deconstructs misconceptions.