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THE NEWS RECORD
UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
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MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015
Professionals use experience to explain business side of social media # U C
MOLLY COHEN | CONTIRBUTOR
Social media enthusiasts joined forces Thursday in Tangeman University Center to discuss the business side of social media with a panel of five professionals who utilize it on a daily basis. The companies represented by panel members included Empower MediaMarketing, Fifth Third Bank, InfoTrust, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams and Northlich. The goal of the panel was to explain why social media and business is valuable, explore how social media is used in business and give attendees lessons for using social media properly and effectively. “Gaining a better understanding of how social media works helps us manage our lives better,” said Charles Matthews, founder of the Center for Entrepreneurship Education and Research at the University of Cincinnati’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business, an entrepreneurship and strategy
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professor and moderator of the panel. “Especially for students, who will be shaping the future of social media, hearing about and discussing current and future trends empowers us all to build a better future.” The panel said that one of the main reasons companies use social media is to develop and personalize their brands. The type of social media used depends on a company’s goals, as well as its target audience. The consensus was that people with a strong understanding of their brand will do well. However, if a company’s brand is still being formulated, that company should wait before creating a social media presence. “One big concern is folks that have an opinion without taking time to form that opinion,” said Tim McCort, chief operating officer of Northlich.“Generally if a brand is bad at social media, they don’t know who they are.” But creating a voice can be difficult to maintain. Shannon Paul, vice president of social media at Fifth Third Bank, SEE BUSINESS PG 3
LIZ FRYLING | CONTRIBUTOR
Five professionals use their experience with social media to discuss how to use it effectively in a professional business environment Thursday.
Media experts discuss NEW EXECUTIVES, CABINET CELEBRATE changing journalism landscape, news cycle 2015-16 STUDENT GOVERNMENT ELECTION RESULTS REVEALED
# U C
HUY NGUYEN | STAFF REPORTER
Social media has had a large impact on journalism and the ways in which readers receive their news. As part of the University of Cincinnati’s first Social Media Week, a panel met in Tangeman University Center Thursday to pinpoint the ways in which social media has changed the coverage and presentation of news and the effects this has on credibility. Moderated by journalism professor and department head Jeffrey Blevins, the panel included Holly Edgell, WCPO community editor, Jack Greiner of the Graydon Head law firm, Jackie Reau of Gameday Communications and Jason Williams, Cincinnati Enquirer transportation reporter. According to panelists, many news divisions feel the need to tweet earlier than the competition to increase viewership, yet authentication of a source’s credibility remains a core requirement for mainstream news. “Just because you can do it, should you?” was the question posed by Edgell on the topic of a modern journalists’ pursuit to be first in reporting events.“You still have to verify and confirm, and I think that even though social media is very fast, we also have much faster means of finding the truth.” Edgell said that challenges still remain. Journalists and news gatherers must be able to multitask and do more with less. News institutions today are required to readily produce more information to Twitter, Instagram and other social media sites like Vine, while having to monitor and verify sources from those same sites. “I really struggle with it,”Williams said.“I struggle with trying to decipher what’s true and what’s not, and almost everything I find on social media I go and try to confirm it somewhere else.” As news develops across the spectrum of social media, journalists are compulsively checking to confirm the truth of those developments. Every time a post or a tweet makes it online, the journalists must go to the source for admission of the story’s trustworthiness, whether that is by calling the source or personally verifying facts. As a medium used for both the collection of news as it happens and a way to better cast news, social media has created a relationship that holds both the journalists
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ALEXANDRA TAYLOR | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Andrew Naab, newly elected student body president, embraces his running mate Andrew Griggs, newly elected student body vice president, Friday evening after learning of the election results. Naab previously served as an At-large senator, and Griggs formerly served as senate speaker.
at UC.” The newly-elected senators-at-large are: Colin Baker, Brad Chamblin, Brooke Duncan, Jacob Harnist, Jackie Mulay, Jacob Whyle and Elysse Winget. Incumbent At-large Senator Emily Heine was re-elected. Heine was the only at-large senator to run for re-election. Heine stated that outgoing at-large senators were discouraged by things not getting done in SG, and that the at-large senator position is so broad that outgoing senators wanted to move to other positions to work on more specific goals. Before the reveal, Shah spoke about the struggles he has overcome in his time as SG vice president. He said he has not always felt appreciated or liked for the work he has done. “Knowing that it’s OK not to be recognized for your work but to do public work and do public service is important, and I think that our predecessors and a lot of people in this room feel the same way,” Shah said.
CASSIE LIPP | CHIEF REPORTER
After three pairs of qualified candidates spent the week rigorously trying to gather the most votes from the University of Cincinnati’s undergraduate student body, Andrew Naab, former At-large senator, and Andrew Griggs, former senate speaker, came out on top and were elected to be the next Student Government president and vice president. Students cheered as outgoing president and vice president Christina Beer and Shivam Shah announced the winners of the Student Government elections Friday night at a reveal party held in the Richard E. Lindner Center. “I don’t think everyone truly understands what it means to be in these two roles,” Beer said. “It is 40-50 hours a week, sleepless nights sometimes, and it truly is an honor to represent the University of Cincinnati in this fashion, and not many people get to do that here
Shah added that people may not always understand the roles of the SG president and vice president, but those in the position will always have the best interests of the students in mind. Naab said he and Griggs are humbled and excited to begin working as president and vice president. The two will begin their terms March 11. “We put in a platform that was supposed to be very specific; that way, the student body could hold us accountable,” Naab said. “We’re excited to be able to start to address the platform that we were elected on and work with other students across the university.” Naab thanked his and Griggs’ campaign team for its support. “All of this wouldn’t have been possible without our campaign team, who challenged us every step of the way,” Naab said. “They worked tirelessly to SEE SG REVEAL PG 3
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Public figures, UC representatives talk about their influence on Twitter # U C
PATRICK MURPHY | NEWS EDITOR
Accessibility to any public figure’s viewpoints has been made readily available thanks to social media. But how are these public figures utilizing this access? A panel consisting of University of Cincinnati Provost Beverly Davenport, Cincinnati City Councilman Chris Seelbach, UC Title IX Coordinator Jyl Shaffer and UC student activist Ashley Nkadi explored this alternate form of expressing personal viewpoints, as well as how they consider and handle their influence on Twitter. The panel was held Thursday in Tangeman University Center’s Great Hall and was moderated by Elissa Yancey, journalism professor and director of communications and public relations for the provost office. Davenport said her main reasons for tweeting are broadcasting to the student body what her values are and highlighting
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the successes of faculty members, student groups and what comes out of the university. “I think of students being the audience more than anything, but I know other people are paying attention,” Davenport said.“I think it’s not just me, and I think for any of those who are in positions like mine, I’m not always just speaking for me; I’m speaking for something larger than just me.” Seelbach said he uses social media for three reasons: to keep up and engage with personal relationships, to be provocative in a way that creates dialogue and to receive feedback. “As an elected person, I am not successful unless there’s a tremendous buy-in from the people that I represent, and you get that by truly listening to the people that live in the city of Cincinnati,” Seelbach said.“I use it to see what people think of, to ask people what we’re doing well and what we’re not doing well.” Seelbach also indicated that this LIZ FRYLING | CONTRIBUTOR
SEE 140 CHARACTERS PG 3
A four-person panel examines the importance of exhibiting true character on social media and how that affects social media users’ reputation and impression on business professionals Thursday.
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Pinterest crafts promote Social Media Week bonding
MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR
Menaleza Abrha, a first-year business student, paints a candleholder during Social Media Week’s Pinterest Party Thursday afternoon.
# U C
KAILEY SCHNEIDER | CONTRIBUTOR
Students sat outside Express Mart in Tangeman University Center Wednesday through Friday, wielding paintbrushes stained red and black as they decorated canvases, candleholders and other projects inspired by the website Pinterest. The three-day Pinterest Party was a popular event of
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the University of Cincinnati’s first Social Media Week, an initiative brought to the university by Alana Frew, a fourth-year journalism and environmental studies student. The initiative aimed to bring campus together through a series of events that catered to today’s presence of social media in everyday life. Pinterest is widely used as a source of inspiration for doit-yourself projects. “[The party] was one of the things I was most excited about because I thought it was really cool and not
something most people get to do on campus for an event,” Frew said. Hannah Salmon, a first-year mechanical engineering student, said she was excited to take some time out of her day to just relax and paint. Salmon, who made a UC-inspired canvas, said the party was “really cool.” “It really brings out creativity, which is nice and different,” she added. Avid Pinterest user Jacqueline Oka, a first-year electronic media student, uses the site to help her create storyboards. Oka, one of many event participants the event saw throughout the day, shared a sentiment of appreciation for a chance to relax. “I haven’t seen much arts and crafts stuff on campus, so it’s nice,” Oka said. A main goal of Social Media Week is to raise awareness about using online tools effectively as a platform for networking instead of merely for social reasons. “Networking is a really big part of my major,” Oka said. “If you can use that to meet new people and then share your website name or portfolio, [it] would be really useful.” Cody Okoroski, a fifth-year education student, said learning how to use social media can be incredibly beneficial for students’ professional future. “Twenty years ago you could say social processing was a skill, but now social media is a skill,” Okoroski said as he worked on his own canvas during the party. Emily Witt, a second-year communications and public relations student who helped run the Pinterest Party, also said the professional aspect of social media is important. Witt hopes that Social Media Week won’t make students scared of future employers, but rather help them take full advantage of what they learn and make themselves look marketable. “Out of all the events so far this is definitely the most successful one that we’ve done,” Frew said. Students who had never met before came together to talk, laugh, create and learn from one another, and Frew was excited to see people making memories. She added that she expects the event to become a tradition on campus.
Performers remember, honor famous legends in black music CHRISTOPHER STROHOFER | STAFF REPORTER
A tribute held in Zimmer Auditorium Saturday evening paid homage to the legends of black music, spanning the last 80 years of influential music from black artists who broke down barriers and paved the way for performers. A Tribute to the Legends in Black Music was organized by the United Black Student Association in conjunction with S.T.A.R.S. (Striving to Achieve Real Success) of ELEMENTZ, an organization for Cincinnati’s inner-city youth that aims to empower children through music, poetry and art. In this tribute, artists 14 to 18 years old performed classic songs by performers ranging from Billie Holiday to Pharrell Williams. Throughout the spectacle, slideshows displayed photographs from the civil rights era, giving the audience context to the time periods in which these songs were written in an effort to give a new appreciation for the artists’ works. “It’s to honor the contributions that the artists gave to the world,” explained Ariss Payne, S.T.A.R.S. performer and senior at the School for Creative and Performing Arts. “Billie Holiday really paved the way for black vocalists. I probably wouldn’t be here without her.” Ariss went on to perform Holiday’s “Strange Fruit,” a moving song about the lynching of African-Americans in the 1930s. “We weren’t born in the civil rights era, but the fact that we can reconnect with our past through music is amazing,” said Abdine Lewis, a fourth-year food and nutrition student and president of the United Black Student Association. Lewis also organized Saturday’s event. “We can be disconnected from music,” Lewis added. “In
order to be reconnected with it, we have to know the history behind it, the reason behind it, how it was used as an instrument or a tool within the black community to uplift, to overcome, and to educate. The tribute to the legends is more than just coming and listening to good music: it’s a history lesson. “ At one point in the show, audience members got a first-hand opportunity to witness that history in a tribute to Kings Records, a record label originating in Cincinnati that made strides representing black artists in the music industry. After the tribute, Jimmy Railey, former member of the band James Brown and the Famous Flames, took the spotlight and received a standing ovation. “One of the biggest things [Kings Records] did was put black faces on records, which before, they weren’t allowed,” Lewis said. “They broke that barrier. We would be remiss to not give tribute to that record label, especially because we’re in Cincinnati, the birthplace of Kings Records.” Kings Records was important in sharing up-andcoming black artists with the world, and members of the UBSA strive to follow its example. “The most rewarding aspect of this event is seeing the kids shine, getting a chance to show their talent,” said Nyirah Jackson, a first-year secondary education student who attended the event. Jackson wrote all the scripts and outlines used for Saturday’s event, as well as organized rehearsals. “Next year, I’m hoping to do [the event] a lot bigger,” Jackson said. “Try and get it in [the CollegeConservatory of Music] and maybe get some of these kids a connection with CCM so they can further their dreams, get the education they need to get what they can out of life.”
JESSE CIRCELLI | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Ariss Payne, a senior at the School for Creative and Performing Arts, sang at A Tribute to the Legends in Black Music Saturday.
Tropical countries, rhythms, food inspire Caribbean celebration MICHELLE FLANAGAN | STAFF REPORTER
Students that walked out of the snowy cold and into the African American Cultural & Resource Center (AACRC) Thursday were immediately transported to somewhere warm, friendly and tropical. The Caribbean Student Association (Cariba), Latinos En Acción and Club Hispano held a “cultural feast” that included music, dance, food and art from different Latin-American countries. Cariba, the only Caribbean student group on campus, focuses on bringing together the many different countries and cultures of the Caribbean and teaching students that the area is a big melting pot as opposed to just one style.
“Even though I’m half Hispanic, I don’t really know a lot about other countries, and I’ve stayed in the countries that my family’s from,” said Cappi Pulido, a fourthyear environmental studies student. Latinos En Acción aims not only to be a resource to Latino students in the area, but also to promote Latin-American culture. Club Hispano celebrates and raises awareness about Hispanic culture. The group also compares differences between life and traditions in America and other countries. These three groups came together in order to educate students on campus about the vast diversity of life in the Caribbean. Because the event occurred during black history month, the event also discussed the
fact that different races and societies come from the Caribbean. “I hope that people learn that we’re a very diverse people,” said Tamika Jones, the president of Latinos En Acción and fourth-year Spanish and communications student. “The Caribbean is a mixture of a lot of different types of people, different languages, different cultures, and different types of food.” Tables were set up with artwork, currency, clothes and flags from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Trinidad and Tobago. After having time to mingle, students were invited to try different types of food. Delicacies included crab salad, arroz con pollo (rice with chicken), rice and beans, empanadas and Mexican sweet bread. Each organization brought in several dishes to showcase their country’s cuisine. “We wanted to introduce our cuisine to people who are interested in the culture so they can actually taste a part of the Caribbean,” said Shada Bennett, a thirdyear criminal justice and paralegal studies student and Cariba co-president. Bennett said she hopes students learn the diversity of the Caribbean, and that diversity truly shows in the food. After the food disappeared from serving trays, members of Latinos En Acción began teaching dances to attendees. The style changed with every song, but hip movements were prominent, as well
as the laughter that came from students trying the moves for the first time. “I’m from China, and we don’t dance a lot in my country,” said Eddie Li, a secondyear sports management graduate student, who said the dancing was one of the most interesting aspects of the event. Salsa, Pulido’s favorite style, was one of the many dances students tried out for themselves. “I really like all the twisting and spinning and all the different turns,” Pulido said. “The basic steps are fun, but then once you have somebody that knows how to lead, they can show you where to turn and it gets really fun and really energetic.” While the point of this event was primarily to introduce students to both cultural campus resources as well as new aspects of diverse countries, it also gave them the opportunity to meet new people. “I think the best part is that you can make new friends and you will know a lot more about the culture,” Li said. Alexia Jaines, a first-year electrical engineering student, felt similarly to Li, and said she was interested in attending the event to hear other people’s stories. “There’s some people who don’t ever leave their city, their state or their country,” Jaines said. “So I think it’s important having these events to bring the culture to them so they can experience it and see what it’s like to make friends in other cultures. I think that’s really important because Cincinnati’s diverse, but we don’t always mix our diversity.”
MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR
Students attended the Taste of Caribbean event that featured games and Caribbean food.
NEWS / 3 MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015 / NEWSRECORD.ORG
FROM SG REVEAL PG 1
ensure we were elected and can make the change that is needed. We owe it all to them and our supporters.” Griggs said he is ready to get to work. “I think we have a lot of big issues to tackle, and that’s what gets me excited — not getting elected, but actually the issues that we said we were going to run on,” Griggs said before Naab suggested getting to work the next day. Beer is also excited to see the team get to work. “I think that one of Andrew Naab and Andrew Grigg’s strengths are they really know how to get things done,” Beer said. “We’ve seen it in their past and we’ve seen it in all the roles that they’ve served, and I’m really excited to see what they are able to do on this campus. I’m also excited as an up-and-coming alumni to see the future of Student Government.” Beer added that she thinks each of the president and vice president slates that ran this year would have done a great job because she believed every candidate had great abilities. As Election Facilitations Committee Chair, Shah monitored the election results as they came in. “It’s been very interesting being on this side of the fence,” Shah said. Shah recalled the stress of being a candidate himself. “You never see until you are here and it gets announced, and now that I have been on this side and completed my task as EFC chair — it’s interesting,” Shah said. The EFC tries to moderate and mitigate any issues that arise during the campaigns. It also works to plan events in which candidates can speak about their platforms and spread the word about the elections. Senator-at-Large Chamblin, a first-year marketing and finance student, said he is ready to take the bull by the horns and put his initiative in action. “Considering all the snow days that we had, it was a little harder to get out and campaign face-to-face, so there was a lot on social media,” Chamblin said. “But all FROM 140 CHARACTERS PG 1
communication has expedited getting in contact with elected officials who use social media at the level that he does. “I can say that about 90 percent of the people that reach out to me about garbage, streets or whatever it is — it’s through Facebook and Twitter,” Seelbach said.“So It’s me getting a direct message or a tweet or a message on Facebook saying ‘I have a problem, can you help me solve it?’ and much less with phone calls, letters, or emails.” Nkadi said her three goals for social media are to bring awareness to an issue, to educate people about an issue and to build a brand (the brand being the reputation and the products, or the tweets, which a person puts out of their name). “We recently had a black-face stir on campus,” Nkadi said. “As the editor-in-chief at Noir magazine I was like, OK, I want to bring awareness to this issue. This is an issue that has plagued black people for hundreds of years, and so we can shed light on it because there are people who are uninformed about it.” Following her goals for social media, Nkadi sought to inform the readers of Noir by creating an info-graph on the history of black face and reasons why black face is still racially potent and offensive. Nkadi personally reached out to first-semester transfer student Peter Jenkins about his actions. “It’s important to have a positive light,” Nkadi said.“From that info-graph we were able to turn it into a positive moment to educate the campus about it. Social media can be a really positive way to effect change, because everyone’s on it.” Shaffer believes that by utilizing personal flavor on social media — like posting about her favorite animal — she brings a human face to her position that often gets dehumanized. “What I try to do is present myself,” Shaffer said.“My hope is that people see me as a person, and I’ve actually investigated cases where witnesses, people who have kind
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ALEXANDRA TAYLOR | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Student Body President Christina Beer and Student Body Vice President Shivam Shah announce the 2015-2016 academic year Student Government election results at a reveal party in the Richard E. Lindner Center Friday.
things considered, I’m happy with all the results.” Chamblin said he has a lot of opportunities to develop the landscape of the university being elected in his first year. He decided to run for the position because he has always loved UC. “I see it as a huge way to give back to the university and impact the university,” Chamblin said. “While you don’t really need a position to impact an organization or
a university, it certainly helps.” Although Peter Laug, a second-year English student, did not see Jennifer St. John and Iman Said win the election, he applauds the efforts of his campaign team. “I’m really satisfied with the campaign in general,” Laug said. “I think we did an incredible job and I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world.”
of looked me up, will say things like, ‘So, you really like raccoons?’ and I’m like, yeah, I really do.You should tweet me a picture sometime.’ ” Shaffer also described the difficulties of being in a position of neutrality while having to engage with personal issues, causing her to seriously consider her choices when engaging with social media. Davenport said that aside from using Twitter to highlight accomplishments or to draw attention to certain news articles or events on campus, when it comes to confronting hard-hitting discussions, 140 characters is not enough. “I would rather be in a public forum if I’m going to take on a tough public issue,” Davenport said.“I want you to see me, I want you to know me, I want to have an opportunity to maybe hear you — so it’s not the medium that I would choose to deal with the toughest [issues].” Nkadi said she is in a better position to voice her opposition on Twitter, adding that she will never leave somebody as ignorant as when she argued with them. “I think I’m in a really cool position; I have no ties, no offices, nothing to hold on to, so I can say whatever I want, really,” Nkadi said.“I feel the more controversial the topic, the more provocative the topic, the better. It needs to be talked about.” Seelbach said that while being accessible on social media is integral to his job position, there is a line between having a meaningful conversation and “arguing with trolls.” “It’s best to ignore people who just have personal attacks, unless they are bringing substantive issues to the table, in which case I almost always respond,” Seelbach said.“If there’s a topical issue, like when Leelah Alcorn committed suicide — that’s an issue that I will take up immediately … in a completely open and honest way.” Shaffer, agreeing with Davenport that different venues are required for bigger battles, said that beyond the communicative exploits social media provides, there’s a humanity that occurs in the sense that when mistakes are made on social media, it shows the character of the user
whether they apologize or ignore it. “There have been a few times where I’ve started the controversy, and I usually have to end up apologizing, and that’s when the cat memes happen,” Shaffer said.“You do get to see our humanity a lot, because we say something and go, ‘God, I could’ve said that much differently if I had 200 characters.’ ” The discussion also delved into the permanent nature of the Internet and how business or employers often take what you post on the Internet for the constitution of your character. Nkadi, advising students on how to gain their own influence in 140 characters, spoke to the importance of using the tool of social media for educational purposes. “Could you just imagine if everyone in the world would take just one time per day or one time per week to be like, ‘OK, this is the difference between Hispanics and Latinos; they’re not the same thing’ [or] ‘This is the difference between a Hijab and an Abaya;’ then we could so easily be conscious of everything that’s happening,” Nkadi said.“Could you imagine where we’d be in 10 years?”
FROM BUSINESS PG 1
mentioned that brands are increasingly evolving into a level of personalization, and that they target users by email. As personalization increases, the lines blur. Brands fail if they use too much empathy, she said. “We expect we can hold brands to these standards to act human, but they’re not — we are,” Paul said. The panel also discussed how companies use social media to obtain feedback. One of the positives for Paul is that social media makes companies be more accountable to consumers. “The big thing that throws most people about social media is it’s an engagement platform,” said Kevin Dugan, Empower Media’s director of content strategy.“Every piece is customized to the individual. It’s the first time besides focus groups where you can really react to a group directly.” One of the panel’s main points of discussion was that though companies may create the social media discussion, they do not have full control over the content. One of the risks of social media is that messages can get misconstrued or lose their original meaning. “Forty-eight percent of media CEOs don’t have social media,” McCort said.“I spend a lot of time talking to CEOs about why investing in social media is worth the risk … to make them know the opportunities that are passing them by [by not being involved].” Working in social media can be challenging, because means of collecting data on social media sites are always changing, according to Mike Loban, marketing officer at InfoTrust. Clients may see decreases in feedback, which is often a result of the algorithm, not of the person in charge of managing the social media, he said. “Data’s cheap: it’s easy to store and collect, it’s very hard to use it,” Loban said. The panel’s views on who should have a social media presence differed. “Everyone who takes their career seriously should have a social media presence,” Loban said. Matthews, however, said that everyone needs to understand social media and its value, but involvement is a personal commitment.
FROM NEWS CYCLE PG 1
and the citizens responsible for information and discussion. Many of the attendees of the panel described what they called a “war room” where colleagues monitor dozens of social media accounts at once to find and confirm stories as they occur, and then transmit them out to the world. Despite higher pressures on news workers to produce both reliable and speedy coverage, Edgell was confident that the credibility of news sources remains true to the central need for verification, and she said she was happy to know that news was transforming to encompass people even more. As Blevins said in response to the panel’s discussion, “Information and engagement flows both ways, and news audiences, citizens [and] people are also empowered now to tell their own stories, and it’s really more of a conversation.”
“I suggest three simple rules: one, always keep your message positive; two, count to 10 before you hit send; and three, when in doubt about sending a message, see [steps] one and two,” Matthews said. Another focal discussion point was how to not be controlled by social media. Suggestions included having a strong filter, managing your media and unplugging. “I think people that work in social media have to be able to unplug to maintain a quality of life balance,” said Paige Malott, attendee and assistant director of the Lindner College of Business.“It helps create more valuable and personal content.” Emily Williams, social media director for Bearcast Media and third-year electronic media student, said she utilizes social media for Bearcast and personal usage, both of which have different objectives. “For Bearcast, it’s about giving the organization a voice, making it feel accessible,”Williams said.“When using social media for Bearcast, I’m more concerned about the audience. For personal use, I don’t care what everyone else thinks.” The panel concluded the discussion by talking about the future of social media and upcoming trends. Predictions included convergence, more short-term photo and video based statuses, mobilization, growth hackers, consolidation, individualization and customization.
LIZ FRYLING | CONTRIBUTOR
Business professionals use their experience to discuss and teach others how to effectively use social media in the business world.
4 / ARTS
MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015 / NEWSRECORD.ORG
Art Review: ‘Phylum Tectonica’ SHEALYN HOEHN & ZACK HATFIELD THE NEWS RECORD
Stepping into the 5th Street Gallery is a good way to get an update on a medium that has been used throughout the last 6,000 years. The most interesting works in Emily Caito’s exhibit “Phylum Tectonica” are bronze sculptures influenced by nature. Caito, an Indianapolis native, graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2006 with a bachelor of fine arts. She currently works as the lead at bronze foundry Casting Arts and Technology. Caito uses the “lost wax process,” meaning that molten metal is poured into a wax casting. When the metal cools, the wax is melted and drained, leaving behind a metal cast. Each metal cast is unique in this process and no sculpture will turn out identical to another. Another result of this process is that the final image will look slightly different from the wax casting, omitting certain details. The exhibit, which also features drawing and printmaking, is inspired by the natural
world, and the sculptures displayed all take the forms of animals — predominantly horses. The line work featured is organic, showcasing beautifully drawn nude figures and simpler sketches that portray a very acute attention to detail while still allowing room for Caito’s prominent style to take effect. Even though they’re cast in bronze, the pieces take on impressionistic shapes, as if they were sketches made of metal. At times, the animals resemble Pablo Picasso’s famous drawings of bulls, their bodies angular and geometrically striking. Despite the obvious sturdiness given to them by their medium, the bronze animals are still able to capture a spirit of frailty through the language of their bodies. This parallel earns the sculptures a distinct aesthetic. “Phylum Tectonica” is open through Saturday and is located on 5th Street. Caito also has an installation piece on display in the UC Clermont exhibit “Natur-Alley,” which runs through March 27.
BAILEY DOWLIN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Emily Caito utilizes an ancient casting technique called the lost wax process to sculpt her bronze pieces.
BAILEY DOWLIN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Caito draws her influences from the natural world, preferring to sculpt images of animals like horses and coyotes.
Album Review Roundup ZACK HATFIELD | ARTS EDITOR
Eternal Tapestry: “Wild Strawberries” Eternal Tapestry, a band based in Portland, recorded this album in a cabin in an Oregon forest. The result is a hazy double album that channels psychedelic influences from the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane to Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd. The instrumental tracks take their names from the floral acumen of the forest — “Enchanter’s Nightshade,”“Woodland Anemone,” etc. The bulk of the album consists of four songs that clock in at over ten minutes (the longest is at 16). These songs are made up of meandering, fuzzy guitar solos and ride cymbals that keep a slow rhythm for the instruments to jam over. Basically, it’s an album Thoreau might make if he was tripping on acid. You can decide if that’s a good thing or not.
THRILL JOCKEY
Drake: “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” This surprise release is full of Drakeesque acid-trap beats and lyrics that deal with the desolation fame has bequeathed the rapper. What it’s missing are the sung hooks and features that gave Drake’s music soul. Maybe this is appropriate though, considering the emptiness that fills the album. The recipient of the “letter” that is the album is Cash Money Records, the label that Drake feels has confined him (this mixtape marks his departure from the label). In “Now & Forever” when he raps, “It’s over, it’s over, yeah, I’m leaving, I’m gone / I can’t stay here no more and I can’t sleep on the floor,” he’s CASH MONEY talking to both his record label but also skillfully hinting toward relationship problems. This interplay throughout the album makes it lyrically intriguing despite the lack of excitement; for a surprise release, there’s not much surprise in the stylistic choices Drake makes. But this album is a farewell letter, and maybe that means his next album will usher in something more substantial.
Iron & Wine: “Archive Series, Vol. 1” Singer-songwriter Sam Beam’s latest release is comprised of lo-fi recordings taken straight from the vaults. Beam recorded a handful of demos on a four-track recorder in the early 2000s. Many of those ended up forming his debut,“The Creek Drank the Cradle.”The rest are on this album. Like most of Iron & Wine’s early music, it’s achingly vulnerable, with Beam singing in his hushed-voice lyrics like “Whisper in my ear everything my dear / Every wicked legend that you carry / On your naked breast / I believe it was your best.” The song’s muddied sound adds to its charm, and Beam’s beam harmonizes with himself perfectly. Out of the 16 tracks, there are more gems than duds. Many of these songs have BLACK CRICKET been floating around online for a while, but here is a great chance to hear them all together. Beam’s fingerpicking guitar style is always pleasant to hear, and his poetic songwriting is poignant, each syllable sung registered in a voice that is what Iron & Wine does best: beautifully tragic. This first archival release will hopefully lead to several more.
Led Zeppelin: “Physical Graffiti” (Remastered) Continuing the massive Zeppelin reissue campaign guitarist Jimmy Page is heading, this remaster of “Physical Graffiti” gives the album the sound it deserves. The orchestra’s strings on “Kashmir” are sharpened, the brass packs a bolder punch, and Robert Plant’s bluesy voice seems as pure as ever. The deluxe edition was delivered exactly 40 years after its original release, and it’s not hard to see Zeppelin’s influence on modern rock. Artists from The Black Keys to Kanye West RHINO have the musical fingerprints of the band’s hard rock sound on them. The album also comes with some interesting rough mixes of tracks that help to shed light on the changes the band made to their sound in the mid-’70s.
José González: “Vestiges & Claws” The Swedish-Argentinian indie-folk artist’s first release in eight years is pretty, but it doesn’t yield anything new. The same catchy acoustic riffs and quiet voice haunts “Vestiges & Claws,” which has González playing a classical guitar along with percussive techniques that flavor the album. Like his earlier lyrics, lines like “Every age has its turn / every branch of the tree has to learn / learn to grow, find its way / make the best of this short-lived stay” unravel slowly like existential koans. González’s new album might be a bit of the same, but the mood of the songs, its ruminative atmosphere, lingers with you long after listening.
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SPORTS / 5
MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015 / NEWSRECORD.ORG
Men’s basketball gets back-to-back conference wins JAELYNNE JOHNSON | SPORTS EDITOR
The University of Cincinnati men’s basketball program now has an 11-5 record in the American Athletic Conference after winning games against University of Central Florida on Wednesday and against Tulane University on Saturday. Cincinnati hosted the UCF Knights Wednesday evening in Fifth Third Arena where the Bearcats were able to get an 83-60 win in front of 9,825 fans. Several factors led to this win for the Bearcats, including a career-high of 20 points, eight rebounds and two steals from junior-forward Octavius Ellis. In front of the media on Tuesday, Ellis mentioned how it would be important for Cincinnati to get off to a fast start so that they could avoid having to force a second-half comeback, a problem they have been facing in recent games. “That’s exactly what happened today,” Ellis said. “We came out with a lot of energy today like we usually do in the second half.” UC scored the first four points of the match and led 16-4 after just over five minutes into the game. The Knights got within three points with 5:58 remaining in the first half. But the Bearcats scored nine points to increase the lead by 12 and led 43-30 going into halftime — its highest first-half score of the season. UCF made another run at the start of the second half by making five of their first six shots but UC answered by scoring eight points to make the score 58-41 with 12:28 left to play. UC led by as many as 25 points with 34 seconds remaining in the game. Shaq Thomas was another factor in UC’s fast start. He scored nine of his 13 points in the first 10 minutes of the game. This marked his second straight double-figure scoring game this season. He has averaged 13 points over his last three games. “It was probably just playing together as a team more,” Thomas said. “We just tried to get out in transition and in the half-court we just tried to pass the ball more and get everybody involved.” Other Bearcats aided in the win as well. Farad Cobb posted 11 points, six rebounds and five assists. Freshman Gary Clark and sophomore Troy Caupain contributed 10 points each. Associate head coach Larry Davis’ two areas to focus on for the game against the Knights was to push the ball in transition and to avoid early-game turnovers. “Even when we didn’t get a layup we moved the ball before [UCF] could get set and we were in attack mode
which moving forward this team needs to do in order to be a better offensive team,” Davis said.
Bearcats travel for 20th victory Shortly after the win against UCF, the Bearcats traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana, to face the Tulane Green Wave at the Devlin Fieldhouse. UC and Tulane met two weeks ago on Feb. 14 at Fifth Third Arena where Tulane edged the Bearcats 50-49 on a three pointer at the buzzer by Jonathan Stark. The outcome was a bit different as the Bearcats were able to collect their 20th victory of the season with a 6347 score on Saturday. The RallyCats took a group of more than 100 UC students to New Orleans to support the Bearcats. They filled two busses for the 12-hour drive from Cincinnati, showed up, cheered loud, and easily drowned out the sound of Tulane fans among the 2,430 crowd. “It was awesome. We had louder fans than they did,” Davis said. “I told the guys before the game, `Do you guys understand where you play? Look around. There’s a lot of red around here. You play for Cincinnati, one of the elite basketball programs in the country. You need to go out and play like you play for one of the elite basketball programs in the country.’ ” Sophomore Kevin Johnson was the lead-scoring Bearcat against Tulane with a career-high of 15 points and one steal—nine of the 15 points where from three point shots. The win was a complete team effort; Ellis performed his second career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Clark grabbed nine rebounds, scored eight points, five assists and two blocked shots. Thomas scored 11 points which gave him three straight double-figure scoring games for the first time in his UC career. Stark only contributed six points and seven assists for the Green Wave. Louis Dabney led in scoring with 18 points and one steal for Tulane. The Bearcats out-rebounded Tulane 40-26 and were able to score 14 points off of turnovers. Cincinnati also shot 47.2 percent from the field in comparison to Tulane’s 34.8 percent. There are two games remaining in the regular season for the Bearcats. They will remain on the road as they face conference foe University of Tulsa on Wednesday with a 9 p.m. tipoff time. The game will broadcast on CBS Sports Network with play-by-play coverage on 700 WLW. Cincinnati will return to Fifth Third Arena on Sunday where they play University of Memphis at 12 p.m.
DANIEL SULLIVAN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Gary Clark had 10 points and three assists for the evening against the UCF Knights on Wednesday. Clark is 2nd in the American League for rebounds with seven per game.
Women’s basketball defeats SMU JAELYNNE JOHNSON | SPORTS EDITOR
MICHELLE BLAUMAN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Freshman defender Alex Flobeck carries the ball against Niagara University’s Erin Patenaude in a match Friday afternoon in Gettler Stadium.
Lacrosse suffers fifth season loss JAELYNNE JOHNSON | SPORTS EDITOR
The University of Cincinnati women’s lacrosse team was looking forward to getting its first win of the season Friday against Niagara University in Gettler Stadium, but the team fell short in 12-9 decision. Friday marked the third overall meeting between Cincinnati and Niagara, with each team having won a home game. Last season, the Purple Eagles took a 12-6 victory in New York behind three goals from Taylor Wolf. In the 2013, UC rallied from an 11-8 deficit with four goals in the final four minutes, capped by Taylor Young’s score with three seconds left, to win 12-11. Sophomore Dani Tunnell opened the scoring for the Bearcats with an unassisted goal at the 27:01 mark of the game to spot a 1-0 lead. Brianna Miller scored the second of consecutive free positions goals, just 37 seconds after Ashley Helmrath scored the first, to tie the game at 4-4. Carrie-Jo Farrugia scored on a pass from teammate Erin Patenaude to put the Purple Eagles up 5-4, with just 40 seconds remaining in the first half. This was the first of two big goals for the visitors before halftime as Hannah Barnett scored
20 seconds later to make it a 6-4 score. Courtney Curtis netted the third of three straight Bearcats goals to cut Niagara’s lead to 10-8. The three-goal outburst was over just a 1:53 time span during the second half. Wolf then netted her fourth goal of the game on a free position to halt Cincinnati’s scoring run and put the Purple Eagles up three, 11-8, at the 10:44 mark of the second half. Wolf’s goal put a stop to UC’s drive and helped the Purple Eagles clinch the victory. Head coach Gina Oliver says that the winless season can be attributed to the lack of chemistry and experience on the field. “We’re trying to get some chemistry on the offensive end,” Oliver said. “Offensively we’re just not getting it done. We’re struggling a little bit. We are at a losing mentality right now; we have to let that go and figure out a way to win.” Cincinnati will continue to look forward to getting its first win of the season as the team hosts a pair of home games this week. Stetson University will visit Gettler Stadium on Wednesday. That game starts 3 p.m. The Bearcats will then face Presbyterian College Sunday for a 2 p.m. game.
Freshman Mackenzie Cann’s careerhigh 15 points helped the University of Cincinnati women’s basketball team garner its 56-46 conference road victory against Southern Methodist University Saturday. Cann also added two assists and one steal to her stats. “As a freshman, hopefully her confidence is through the roof,” said head coach Jamelle Elliott. “I think she came out today and she knocked down shots without hesitation.” The Bearcats are coming off of a sixgame losing streak, but with the win against SMU they were able to grow to a 7-21 overall record and a 4-12 record in the American Athletic Conference. In the contest, UC made their first run of the game with a 10-0 scoring advantage that started with a three point shot from sophomore guard Bianca Quisenberry. The Bearcat defense was able to hold SMU scoreless for four minutes while freshman Ana Owens scored eight points including a pair of three-point shots. Owens recorded double-digit points for the 18th time this season with 11 on 3-of-7 shooting from three-point range. The Mustangs immediately answered with a 10-0 run of their own that gave them back the three-point edge and made the score 20-17 at the end of the first half. Coming back from the break SMU took its largest lead of the game to start the second half by scoring the first five points and took a 25-17 lead at the 17:33 mark. Cincinnati closed out the hard-felt battle with a 20-9 run over the final 6:19 of the game. The win for the Bearcats was a
complete team effort. Sophomore Marley Hill led the team in scoring with 17 points and added two blocks. Hill scored 12 of her 17 points during the final six minutes of the contest. She finished with nine rebounds, marking the third time this season she has been one rebound shy of a double-double. It also snapped a three-game streak without double-digits points, giving her 22 games with double-digit points in her young career. Although she was scoreless in the game against SMU, junior Jasmine Whitfield grabbed a career-high of 11 rebounds. “Even though she didn’t make a bucket, she had 11 rebounds, four assists and was five-of-six from the free throw line, for me she was my MVP,” Elliott said. “She was our energy guy, she was directing traffic and one of the things I told those guys was that you don’t always have to make shots to make an impact on the game.” SMU’s Destynee Hives-McCray led the Mustangs with 13 points, seven rebounds and one block. Stephanie Collins added 10 points, four rebounds and three blocks and Gabrielle Wilkins was able to contribute 8 points, six rebounds, one block and one steal. The Bearcats will play their final game of the regular season today at Fifth Third Arena. The game against University of Tulsa will tipoff at 7 p.m. and will broadcast on ESPN3. UC senior and Indianapolis native Chelsea Jamison will be recognized before the game in honor of senior night. AAC Championship play will begin on Friday in Uncasville, Connecticut.
SCOREBOARD BEARCATS
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Track and field teams earn 4th-place win in AAC Championships Student athlete prepares for NCAA Track and Field Championships JAELYNNE JOHNSON | SPORTS EDITOR
The University of Cincinnati track and field program participated in the two-day American Athletic Conference indoor track and field championships over the weekend in New York City, New York at The Armory. Both the men and the women were garnered fourth place finishes as a team. On day one of the competition, freshman Adrian Valles led the Bearcats in strong performances by taking the men’s pole vault crown by clearing 17 feet 3.75 inches. Valles became the fifth UC athlete to win an indoor league title in the pole vault event and the first since Matt Botos won the pole vault at the 1995 Great Midwest Indoor Championships. The long jump was another big event for the men as Sergio Acera Villanueva and Tariq Sanders finished second and third. Villanueva jumped a collegiate best 24 feet 1.75 inches—fifth in Bearcat history. Sanders leapt to a mark of 24 feet 0.75 inches—a lifetime best and is tied for sixth
in UC history. “It was a great experience,” Sanders said. “Throughout my years here at UC I’ve been hurt, it’s been a lot of injuries, and just to come out and jump a lifetime PR was a great thing. I’m proud of myself. The weight throw competition was a big event for the women as they took third through fifth places to collect 15 points for Cincinnati. Freshman Annette Echikunwoke placed third with a career-best toss of 60 feet 1 inch. Seniors Monica Phillips and Frida Akerstrom finished fourth and fifth. On the track, in the women’s 400-meter dash, junior Kenya Woodall crossed the line at 54.03 seconds in the prelimary round to break her own school record of 54.07 seconds which she set last season at the conference championships. Teammate Jada Grant finished in eighth place with a time of 56.83 seconds. The men’s team finished the first day in third place with 36 points, while the women sat seventh with 19 points. Day two of the championship meet started off with the men’s heptathlon followed by field events and running
events. Freshman Alex Bloom was able to take a fifth place finish in the men’s heptathlon with 4,793 points. Junior Erika Hurd was able to successfully defend her American Indoor high jump title by clearing 5 feet 8.75 inches to defeat University of Southern Florida’s Lauren Lubarski in a jump off. “I’m proud of myself. I felt like I came through in the clutch again,” Hurd said. “Even though I didn’t jump what I wanted to, I came to win.” In the women’s shot put, Akerstrom took first place, Mekayla Breland took fifth and Leah Heckaman finished in sixth; this contributed to 17 points for the team overall. Akerstrom won the event with a throw of 52 feet 6 inches—a new conference meet record. She is also the first UC athlete to win the conference title in the women’s shot put event. Rebecka Abrahamsson jumped 41 feet 6 inches in the women’s triple jump and earned fourth place behind Isabella Marten of Southern Methodist University who jumped 42 feet 1.5 inches. The women’s 4x400-meter relay broke
the Cincinnati school record with a time of 3:43.35. The quartet of Woodall, Javette Lee, Jalisa Jarrett and Grant passed the previous school record of 3:43.70, which was set by Woodall, Lee, Grant and Shanay Portis in 2013. In the finals of the women’s 400 meter dash, Woodall re-broke her record with a final time of 53.73 seconds. This time earned her a bronze medal. Bryan Cain finished in second place in the men’s 60 meter hurdle race with a time of 8.02 seconds behind Isaac Williams who crossed the line in 7.88 seconds. For the women Je’Rica Sanders placed in third with a time of 8.42 seconds. At the conclusion of competition the men took a fourth place finish with a team score 76.5 and the women took the same place with a score of 71.5. For most of the Bearcats, the conference meet closed out their indoor season as they start preparing for their first outdoor meet—the UCF Black & Gold Challenge on March 21 in Orlando, Florida. The indoor season will continue for Hurd at the USATF Indoor Championships and the NCAA Championships on March 13-14.
6 / ARTS Designing the future: Q&A with Cameron Silver MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015 / NEWSRECORD.ORG
Fashion curator talks new CAM exhibit ‘The Total Look,’ Rudi Gernreich’s lasting cultural influence
basic or boring, but I do have some exceptionally rare men’s pieces from various designers such as Gaultier, McQueen, Lesage and Chanel that are very special. TNR: What was so special about the ’60s and ’70s era that inspired you to create and organize “The Total Look” showcase?
AUTUMN FRANCISCO | CONTRIBUTOR
Cameron Silver is the King of Vintage. An American historian and author who founded the vintage couture boutique Decades in Los Angeles, he is recognized by many different designers and magazines as an influential and inspiring fashion icon. Silver curated “The Total Look,” which is a creative collaboration between the legendary fashion designer Rudi Gernreich, his model Peggy Moffitt and his photographer William Claxton. The exhibit opened at the Cincinnati Art Museum Saturday and runs through May 24. Gernreich’s motive was to create a cogent viewpoint toward gender and equality. He created such designs that made women stand out as bold and dominant. Gernreich was known for his avant-garde designs in fashion during the Mod era in the ’60s. In 1964, he introduced the monokini (a topless bathing suit), the design that spurred the most controversy during his time. “The Total Look” features over 50 mannequins dressed in Gernreich designs, over 20 photographs and a fashion video including Peggy Moffitt — Gernreich’s muse and model — that was shot by her husband, William Claxton. Gernreich, Moffitt and Claxton were the most dynamic and vigorous fashion trio of the ’60s and ’70s, and this exhibit memorializes the art they constructed together. “Everything comes from the collection of Rudi’s model and muse, the breakthrough fashion icon Peggy Moffitt,” Silver said. The Cincinnati Art Museum has added some pieces from its outstanding collection, too. This exhibit also includes photographs of hairstyles by Vidal Sassoon. He created Moffitt’s asymmetric haircut, which gave her a bold edgy look to go hand in hand with Gernreich’s dauntless fashion. The exhibit gives some a trip down memory lane, and to others it is a visual record of history and culture. Gernreich dreamed of everyone dressing alike despite their gender or even the season. “Everything modern is inspired from the past, so at a certain point it’s refreshing to acknowledge the original inspiration,” Silver said. TNR interviewed Silver to further explore Gernreich’s influence in our culture today.
CS: This show represents the birth of modern fashion. Before Rudi, we dressed very old-fashioned. Rudi designed for the future and this exhibition is proof of his modern sensibilities. TNR: What made you interested in choosing this designer for the exhibit? CS: Rudi Gernreich is closely aligned with personal fashion aesthetic. Because of a long relationship with Peggy Moffitt and William Claxton, we are able to showcase an unbelievably unique creative collaboration with Rudi that is profoundly influential and relevant today. TNR: What type of stylistic and cultural influence did Rudi have in America?
WILLIAM CLAXTON
William Claxton (1927–2008), Peggy Moffitt in Rudi Gernreich Blouse and Hat from the Siamese Collection (detail), 1968, digital print, 24 x 20 in. (60.96 x 50.8 cm), ©William Claxton, LLC, courtesy of Demont Photo Management, with permission of the Rudi Gernreich trademark.
CS: Yes, I love history and find it exciting to use fashion as a barometer to educate about the past. TNR: You have styled a number of celebrities for major events and award ceremonies, how does it feel to dress them in beautiful vintage clothing? CS: It’s great when a celeb is in something inspired from the past rather than a walking advertorial for a current fashion brand. Cool chicks wear vintage! TNR: I love how you mention you “think of fashion, of dressing, as an art.” What is your favorite piece of art we can find in your closet?
TNR: Considering the fact that you are a fashion historian, did history itself attract you to vintage?
CS: All my clothes are art because I don’t really buy much
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CS: Rudi liberated women’s wardrobes. He took us away from constrained silhouettes to a freer appreciation of what a woman’s body should wear. He was really the most famous internationally recognized American designer of the 1960s. TNR: Why is it important for people who might not be interested in style and fashion to still come see the exhibit? CS: The 1960s and 1970s are such tumultuous decades of social change. Through the designs of Rudi Gernreich, we have a phenomenal way to see the changes in society as reflected in fashion. TNR: How does it feel that your vision of the exhibit has become reality now? CS: I am thrilled to see this show in Cincinnati at one of our nation’s oldest museums. I think Rudi Gernreich would have been proud to be displayed among so many master artists. “The Total Look” is on display at the Cincinati Art Museum until May 24.
Recap: ‘House of Cards,’ season 3 episode 1 ZACK HATFIELD | ARTS EDITOR
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Glenn Allen Sims, Photo by Andrew Eccles
Masazumi Chaya Associate Artistic Director
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This contains spoilers for those who have not seen seasons one and two and for those who have not seen episode one of season three. The third season of Netflix’s “House of Cards” opens with President Frank Underwood visiting his father’s grave. He wouldn’t normally do this type of thing, but as he says, “You have to be a little human when you’re the president.” This made me feel all mushy inside — is Frank finally going to embrace the benefits of humanity and caring? But then Frank proceeds to unzip his fly and urinate on the tombstone. That’s the Frank we know! The first thing I thought when season two of “House of Cards” ended with Frank Underwood’s staccato double-knock on the Oval Office’s presidential desk was this: Where can he go now? As the leader of the free world, Frank has achieved his prime goal. That’s why season three posits itself as such a scrumptious and mysterious viewing experience, as we must now follow Frank and a political agenda that will surely earn him a chiseled granite profile on Mount Rushmore — even though everyone seems to hate his proposed plan to completely nullify unemployment in the U.S. This plan, called America Works (AmWorks is its self-described, cheesy acronym), plans to do this by partially eradicating social security and other cornerstones of the welfare state. In turn, Frank wants to leave a legacy by redefining the American Dream. Naturally, everyone in the Democratic Party hates it. I’m excited to see if this turns into an American Nightmare, but the seasonopener doesn’t actually spend much time on Frank. In an interesting move, we instead follow Doug Stamper (he’s alive, surprise!), Frank’s former right-hand man and the show’s alcoholic-in-residence (although there are usually quite a few). If you don’t remember, we left Doug in season two lying cold on a forest floor after Rachel gave him a good whack — seemingly a fatal one — with a brick. Rachel’s unknown whereabouts and the information she knows about people creates a constant tension throughout the entire episode (and maybe the season), and Claire pays Doug a visit in the hospital to coach him how to talk to the police about the brick incident (he was “carjacked”). The scene shows how efficiently Claire can get things done. HoC spends the next 40 or so minutes making watching a man go through physical therapy and struggling with his alcohol problem fascinating (another typical HoC WTF moment is when Doug makes a prostitute spray whiskey into his mouth with a syringe).
LISA CAI | LEAD DESIGNER
Michael Kelly plays Doug perfectly, capturing his weaselly intentions and his intelligence with subdued expressions and a necessary fragility — not only is he physically weak now (watching him break his arm in the shower is a nauseating moment you can’t look away from), but his reaction after feeling left out of Frank’s political cadre is especially revealing, and in an almost impossible turn of events I started to actually sympathize with Doug and his problems of excess. I can empathize — my problem with excess is going to be watching the entire season within a couple of days. The episode also focuses more on Claire, which is a good move. She’s tired of riding shotgun in Frank’s political vehicle, and now that she’s Flotus, she also wants to be an ambassador to the United Nations. We don’t really know if Frank is cool with this or not — although he’s pretty greedy with his power all of the time, we do know though that Frank and Claire make a great power couple despite their weird relationship (they’re so cute when they’re helping each other cover up devastating secrets). I’m excited to see how, now that Frank is on the throne, Claire will rise through the ranks, and how her tactics might differ from Frank’s — many instances in past seasons have shown that Claire can be just as cutthroat as her second half, if not more. Other things of mild interest include Donald Blythe, the annoying baby of the White House, being appointed as Veep so he wouldn’t make a hassle for Frank in Congress (also, he’s a recent widower, and this will glean sympathy from the Republican Party). Also, look out for a suspiciously hardhitting-but-always-hilarious Stephen Colbert grilling Frank on his low approval rating. Judging from the first episode of HoC’s season three, no one has a good hand. Frank’s abysmal approval rating, Claire’s stressful life of trying to be more than just the First Lady and the wreckage that is Doug’s life all seem to be compelling plot points for future episodes. In summary: The crescendo of suspense that’s already building and the phenomenal acting shows that the show is still playing its cards right.