ONSTAGE COMICS
BEARCATS RUN TO VICTORY
‘Hearts Like Fists’ offers action-packed comedy at Know Theatre
UC track and field takes 1st and 2nd at home during Nikoloff Invitational
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Check out a colorful gallery of blues, reds and greens as powder soars in celebration of the UC Holi Festival.
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THE NEWS RECORD
UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
NEWSRECORD.ORG
MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2015
UC mom plays role in legislation to support Down syndrome awareness was unanimously passed on Dec. 19 with the sponsorship of former Rep. Peter Stautberg of Cincinnati. The law went into effect Monday. The need for better circulation of information concerning Down syndrome came after pharmaceutical companies introduced new testing for expectant mothers in the last few years, Ferrara said. According to the Mayo clinic, Down syndrome is the result of abnormal division of the cells involving chromosome 21. Trisomy 21 is caused when three copies of chromosome 21 are produced within an individual’s body. The testing, called noninvasive prenatal screening, looks for these extra chromosomes in the set chromosomes 13, 18 and 21 that would indicate Trisomy 13, 18 and 21 respectively. The screening claims to detect Down syndrome at only nine weeks by a simple fetal DNA test. With the diagnosis of Down syndrome and other genetic disorders readily
CHELSEA ROBERTSON | STAFF REPORTER
This story previously ran online. Since her daughter Kathryn was born with Down syndrome, Kathleen Ferrara has been advocating for better communication and increased support by speaking to labor and delivery staff around the greater Cincinnati area. As a parent and a nurse, she knows first-hand how beneficial the recently pasted Down Syndrome Information Act will be to future parents and family members of a child born with an extra chromosome. Ferrara, serving as the Health Outreach Coordinator at the Down syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati (DSAGC), is also a registered nurse, pursuing her advanced practice degree as a family nurse practitioner at the University of Cincinnati. The DSAGC and its Government Affairs Committee drafted and pitched the bill to the Ohio House of Representatives and Senate. In less than a year from its proposal, the Down Syndrome Information Act
SEE LEGISLATION PG 3
Stratford Hall creates social justice, genderinclusive environment
CHELSEA ROBERSTON | STAFF REPORTER
Kathleen Ferrara (right), a Health Outreach Coordinator at the Down syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati and registered nurse whose daughter (left) was born with Down syndrome, speaks to labor and delivery staff around Cincinnati to advocate for increased support of the genetic disorder.
TEDxUCINCINNATI CHALLENGES STUDENTS TO RISE AND REIMAGINE
“IDEAS WORTH SPREADING”
MOLLY COHEN | CONTRIBUTOR
The Audre Lorde Social Justice LivingLearning Community, a social justice and gender-inclusive house for University of Cincinnati students, plans to launch a pilot program in the fall of 2015 at Stratford. “This has been a concept for quite some time and an initiative that we have been trying to conceptualize here at UC,” said T. N. Vaught, UC’s LGBTQ program coordinator. “The mission and purpose of this housing creates an opportunity to further develop inclusive spaces within our Bearcat community.” Being gender inclusive means that if a student identifies as a trans-woman, they will be placed with women, and if a student identities as a trans-man, they will be placed with men. Current UC housing with its non-gender inclusive bathrooms can be a problem for students who identify as gender queer. Students involved in the community will work with the university’s Racial Awareness Program (RAPP) and the LGBTQ Center to learn trans-training and sexual assault training through a required course through the Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) department. According to Vaught, the course will include different tracks where students will be able to choose what type of social justice they want to take on; the curriculum, which is currently under development, will be created this summer. “Them living in the same space is going to be a community-building space,”Vaught said. “I wish a house like this had been available when I was a student.” The house is named after Audre Lorde — a black woman who was a lesbian, a civil rights activist, a feminist and a CaribbeanAmerican writer. “She is the epitome of intersexuality,” Vaught said.“We wanted to make it so that if someone isn’t out yet, the house is still accessible. Audre Lorde is well enough known for other reasons than being [an] LGBTQ advocate.” The Audre Lorde House has 20 beds available, 10 of which are still open. The goal is to one day take over the entire Stratford House, according to Vaught. “We chose Stratford because it’s one of the more accessible, cheaper houses,”Vaught explained.“We didn’t want only certain students to be able to afford it.” “When people sign up for housing, they will have to understand that anyone can be their roommate,” Vaught added.“Gender queer, SEE INCLUSIVE HOUSING PG 3
DANIEL SULLIVAN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Vikas Mehta, an urban designer studying street ecologies around the world, discusses the complexity of urban street ecologies during his TED Talk Friday. Mehta spoke as one of 10 local speakers presenting at the TEDxUCincinnati event hosted in Kresge Auditorium. MATT NICHOLS | STAFF REPORTER
Ten local speakers projected the goal of highly praised nonprofit TED Talks Friday afternoon through topical discussions including the power of music, business savvy and breaking a sweat. TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) allowed the University of Cincinnati to hold its own independent TED Talk, titled TEDxUCincinnati, to further the organization’s mission of featuring “ideas worth spreading.” Paul Miklautsch, co-founder of Start Something Bold, began the event by discussing the fall of Blockbuster with his talk “Going BOLD: Unpacking Innovation.” Miklautsch said Blockbuster lost sight of what its customer base wanted and eventually went out of business.
“The reason I’m here is that I want you to wake up one day, like Blockbuster did, and say ‘What just happened?’” Miklautsch said, explaining that Blockbuster, after realizing the changing market, then went on to create Netflix to give the customers the viewing experience they wanted. “Let’s be bold, and let’s pioneer the future,” Miklautsch said as he walked off the stage. Kanniks Kannikeswaran, a CollegeConservatory of Music adjunct faculty member, took the stage next to describe how he has been able to transform communities with music in his talk “Building Communities Through Music.” In 2002, Kannikeswaran created “Shanti, a Journey of Peace,” an orchestra that features a 150-person choir singing a message of love and unity, combining
eastern and western culture in song. With tremendous success locally, Kannikeswaran took the show to choirs around the world. “You don’t have to understand the words to know the message,” Kannikeswaran said about the choir, which sings songs in multiple languages. “If diverse people work together with a shared sense of this magic they each have and fully commit, then the world will be a better place.” Zack Sonner, a UC PhD candidate, changed the tone of the event by talking about sweat. In his talk “Sweat: Fluid of the Future,” Sonner revealed the advantages and medical potential of sweat being used as detectors for personal health. SEE TEDxUC PG 3
Newly renovated Morgens Hall ranks among nation’s most luxurious CASSIE LIPP | CHIEF REPORTER
FILE ART
BestCollegeValues.org recently ranked UC’s Morgens Hall (right) as one of the most luxurious student housing buildings. Scioto Hall (left) is undergoing renovation to mirror Morgens Hall.
Lighting up University of Cincinnati’s campus with 2,000 glass panels, Morgens Hall is now among the nation’s most luxurious student housing buildings. The residence hall took the 7th spot on “The 30 Most Luxurious Student Housing Buildings” list on BestCollegeValues.org, ahead of student housing buildings at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University and Harvard University. The newly renovated Morgens Hall opened for students in August 2013, according to UC. The hall was unique for its apartment-style housing and kitchen inside each apartment, along with a reflective pattern that wards stray birds from hitting the many windows. While providing a view of campus, the eco-friendly, floor-to-ceiling windows have low-emissive properties, which prevent heat loss or heat gain. Each apartment can be individually heated or cooled, and students can conserve space in their rooms through the dresser and desk combination in each unit.
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Michelle Scholz, a third-year marketing student, likes living in Morgens Hall because she shares her bathroom with only her two roommates. “When I transferred [to UC], I wanted [a dorm] that didn’t have a community bathroom and where you had your own space,” Scholz said. The hall has the capacity to house 456 students, and will cost $4,117 per semester for a double-occupancy apartment or $4,365 for a singleoccupancy apartment during the 201516 academic year, according to the UC Housing website. Leola Lynch, a second-year accounting student, said her apartment is big for how much she paid for it. She loves her view of campus, and likes having a living room and a kitchen. “It’s nice to be on campus and have a full apartment rather than having a full apartment off campus and having to walk,” Lynch said. “It’s convenient being SEE MORGENS HALL PG 3
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2 / ARTS
MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2015 / NEWSRECORD.ORG
Welcome to Daniel Arsham’s Future NATALIE COLEMAN | SENIOR REPORTER
Walking into Daniel Arsham’s exhibition “Remember the Future” at the Contemporary Arts Center is like entering a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The remains of our civilization are crumbling, our flag decomposing into volcanic ash.
MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR
‘Remember the Future’ provides a time capsule for exhibit visitors to explore. (Above) ‘Welcome to the Future’ amasses everyday objects into a large heap of dystopian wreckage.
The crackling of old-timey music drifts from the rooms of the exhibit. Arsham and curator Steven Matijcio become archeologists of who we are, analyzing what we have left behind for the future. The first piece visitors encounter is a seated figure. The pose is relaxed and pensive. The figure is a self-portrait of Arsham, created using only shattered glass and resin. The edges are imperfect — even the fingertips are seemingly dissolving off the hand. You can see the rippling of the shirt he wears. It lacks color, but the shadows cast on the figure glisten with orange and blue. Two other glass statues line a gallery wall. One has his hands in front of his face, protecting himself from an absent threat reminiscent of the final poses of Pompeii’s many victims before they were casted in ash. Arsham’s self-portraits are doing just that, preserving the ghosts of a lost humanity in glass and stone. With these figures, he alludes to the ultimate fallibility and fragility of human bodies and the technologies and objects we deem important. Much of Arsham’s art plays with the perceived solidity of bodies and objects and even of architecture. A piece entitled “Hooded Figure” melts from the wall like fabric under water, pooling around an invisible form reminiscent of the cloaked Death. The cloth-like structure — made of fiberglass and paint— is given meaning when we envision the figure that is absent physically, but present in the energy of the shadows. Arsham, who was born in Cleveland but now lives in New York City, pushes the
boundary of structure, leaving the viewer to bring the figure into the vacancy. The sounds of fire and a crackling song pull you into a room with a video, “Future Relic 02,” starring James Franco in the role of “the searcher.”The film, directed by Ben Louis Nicholas and Samuel Stonefiel, is monochrome like most works in the gallery, except for the flames, which in the film are agents of purification. Like a crematorium, Franco loads the fire with the relics of us. A camera is seen licked by the flames and one
MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR
‘Hooded Figure’ plays with perception of space.
of Arsham’s glass people lies in piles of stone on a coroner’s table. At one point, Franco picks up the camera, and realizing its use, begins taking snapshots. He snaps randomly and sporadically, and any real photographs that had been developed from the camera would be utterly meaningless. The old-timey music from the video juxtaposed with the futuristic laboratory gives Arsham a way to create a dissonance between what we cherish now — like art, music and technology — and what the future might look like, with researchers looking for meaning in the relics we’ve left behind, now meaningless and inconsequential. The centerpiece of the entire exhibit is Arsham’s aptly titled “Welcome to the Future.” Piled like a garbage heap under a spotlight is the junk of our lives; televisions, video games, turntables, electric guitars, cameras, film reels, VHS tapes, kid’s alarm clocks, telephones, cell phones, tires, steering wheels, and a decayed shell gas station sign are all a part of the debris. The items, which were individually cast using a variety of geological materials like obsidian and glacial rock, are discarded and decaying. Arsham uses this heap of American garbage to suggest the artifacts that we might give to future archeologists. But rather than the traditional treatment of artifacts in a museum — protected in glass cases, studied carefully, repaired and highly regarded — these items are meaningless, colorless and worthless in the context of the future. But there isn’t an obvious structure to
Arsham’s exhibition. Are we to view it as ourselves, in this present moment in time? If that is the case, the art works as a warning to us we should heed what we leave behind of ourselves. But if we should view the exhibit as if we are future beings, looking back on our civilization, it is a sobering feeling. Arsham tells us who we are and what we have is insignificant. Refreshingly, Arsham leaves the choice of temporal context up to the viewer. The only way we know anything about the ancient civilizations of our planet is by the things they left behind, the artifacts of their every day lives. Arsham poses the questions: What will be left behind of us? What will we leave for the future to remember? “Remember the Future” is on display at the Contemporary Arts Center through Aug. 30.
MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR
Arsham’s monochrome self-portraits embody human fragility.
Review: Us, Today ZACK HATFIELD | ARTS EDITOR
Splashes of colorful comic book art bring ‘Hearts Like Fists’ to life. The play follows an evil doctor who plans to end love once and for all.
PROVIDED
‘Hearts Like Fists’ packs comedic punch at Know CAMRI NELSON | STAFF REPORTER
If he can’t be happy, no one else will be either. This is the mindset of Dr. X when we meet him for the first time in a pitch-black room as his illuminated mad scientist goggles float toward the side stage. He delivers a monologue in which he introduces himself: “I have a face like a bowl of worms.” “Hearts Like Fists,” which opened Friday at the Know Theatre, is a fantastic play written by Adam Szymkowicz, and the seven-person cast has the perfect amount of stage chemistry to pull off this theatrical parody. A combination of evil thoughts and awkward humor, Dr. X, played by James Creque, is the antagonist couples have to fear. He is a little jaded after one of his relationships didn’t work out — he loved a woman so badly that he wanted to hold onto her like Lenny does when he squeezes the furry animal in John Steinbeck’s classic “Of Mice and Men.” However, when his lover slips out of bed and literally runs for her safety, he wakes up with a new mission — to murder every happy couple in the city with poison. His tall stature and lanky lab coat make
it difficult for him to sneak through a window with a poison-filled syringe. He manages the task of creeping inside, with a woman watching, unbeknownst to him. He holds in each hand a loaded syringe, ready to murder the sleeping couple. But before he can continue, he is interrupted by a swift punch from Lisa, the woman who was watching from afar. Ultimately Lisa dominates Dr. X, but not without her skin being scraped by the poisonous needle. On opening night, viewers leaned forward in their seats to watch the live action. The slow-motion fighting scenes are authentic, eloquent and fluid. Onomatopoeias flash in traditional comic book style behind the actors. “Hearts Like Fists” awakens a love for comic books and allows people to witness what once could only have been visualized in your head, but is now shown live on stage. A group of Crimefighters that have been trying to squash Dr. X’s campaign to end love forever watch the fight in amazement. Standing forcefully, the three Crimefighters (Nina, Jazmin and Sally) are curious as to how the average woman could have fended off the dangerous doctor. Dressed in “Matrix”-inspired attire and
black masks, the three decide to follow Lisa to the hospital. Perhaps too conveniently, the Crimefighters work as nurses at the hospital. After they ditch the all-black leather outfits for nurse scrubs, they join an anonymous blonde nurse for the evening shift. Artificial hearts, handsome doctors and more over-the-top action ensue. Lisa DeRoberts as the Nurse is a crowd favorite and is successful at delivering comic relief with a script that can sometimes resemble sitcom parody. She’s sort of like the Ringo Starr of this production — a necessary supporting character to give the cast momentum. It’s worth the $20 to see “Hearts Like Fists” for yourself. The seating is stadiumstyle and small, so there isn’t a bad seat in the house. In this intimate setting, hyperbolic questions will arise such as: Will Dr. X kill love forever? Also, will Peter and Lisa be his next victims? “Hearts Like Fists” is a lighthearted comedy, filled with action-packed fighting sequences and silly jokes. Just image Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” fused with Batman action — a combination of sappy and playful. “Hearts Like Fists” plays through April 25.
After three years since their last album, local experimental rock trio Us, Today have released “TenEnemies,” further leading listeners through an incendiary excursion into the borderlands of avant-rock, jazz and minimalism. The band welds the whimsical unpredictability of “Hot Rats”-era Frank Zappa with the melodic efforts of Miles Davis to create a sound all their own. Like their dynamic sophomore effort “Beneath the Floorboards,” the album is instrumental, save for spoken word poetry from Scott Holzman, which is recited over three numbered tracks that provide mysterious communiqués for the music to gravitate around. But unlike their last album, which hinged on vibrant improvisation, “TenEnemies” — which was funded through Indiegogo — sees the band shift into a new gear as they play composed music. The resulting sound is darker and louder, grounded in muscular drumming and ambient synth-scapes that more often than not lead to explosive crescendos. But the overall sound is still in the same tradition as their older body of work. They continue to showcase each other’s musical playfulness and virtuosity over euphoric rhythms that unravel like soundtracks to a journey into your soul. Every song yields significant head-bobbing action as well, especially on “Reasons I Hate the Beach” and “Le Duex Le Duex.” Us, Today’s music illuminates when it explores the unexpected. Guitar solos drift into a lively ether. Eargasmic vibraphone phrases repeat in tandem with a whiplash of drum fills. Us, Today — which consists of vibraphonist Kristin Agee, guitarist/ keyboardist Joel Griggs and drummer Jeff Mellott — are truly on top of their game here. Just when a track will seem to fade into background music, a guitar or vibraphone solo will tear over the rhythm. This is evident in the wonderfully-named “The Compulsion of Picture Taking,” where Griggs unzips the song halfway through with a fuzz-doused keyboard jam. “Jazz isn’t dead,” Frank Zappa once famously remarked, “It just smells funny.” But even if you can hear the similar tonal and spontaneous styles, Us, Today isn’t jazz—experimental post-rock is their preferred term. It sounds more like jazz if it died and was resurrected with a magic defibrillator. This music is alive. And as Us, Today so zealously proves, it smells great.
CHRIS GLASS
The album art was designed by Chris Glass.
NEWS / 3
MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2015 / NEWSRECORD.ORG
FROM TEDxUC PG 1
According to Sonner, blood has been the gold standard for any type of testing, but Sonner and fellow UC researchers challenged this idea and created a bandage-like device that uses sweat to detect electrolytes. The device also has the capability to connect and send information to a smartphone. “If you think that non-invasive, comfortable, cheap and easy-to-use devices are for the future, then you too believe that sweat has the fluid of the future,” Sonner said. Dr. Karen Bankston, associate dean of the UC College of Nursing, discussed how she coped with life after segregation in her talk, “It’s a Dirty Job, and You’ve Got to Do It.” She also spoke about making the best out of bad situations — or, as she put it, making a silk purse from a sow’s ear. “The future belongs to those who are willing to get their hands dirty,” Bankston said. Ken Petren, dean of McMicken College of Arts & Sciences, highlighted the need for diversity in science. Petren used the example of Medusa’s snake-like hair versus Alfalfa’s single-pointed strand to demonstrate why Medusa’s wild curls are exactly what the scientific community needs. “The less you look like a classic scientist, maybe the more valuable you will be to the future of science,” Petren said. Next up was Vikas Mehta’s talk, “The Street: An Urban Ecology.” Mehta, an urban designer studying street ecologies around the world, works to understand why certain ecologies thrive on the FROM INCLUSIVE HOUSING PG 1
gender trans, cisgender men, cisgender women.” Committees have formed to make the living-learning community possible. UC Police Chief Jason Goodrich and Title IX coordinators are both ensuring the safety of the Stratford area; admissions, the Women’s Center and Ethnic Programs and Services have been working on marketing; RAPP and the WGSS department are building the house curriculum; and Resident Education has been working with housing and logistics. “The UC community has been extremely accepting, and we have had overwhelming support for this initiative,”Vaught said. FROM MORGENS HALL PG 1
on campus.” Lynch lived in the hall last year, and she was so impressed she leased an apartment for a second year. “I wouldn’t go anywhere else, actually,” Lynch said. Emilia Buckholz, a second-year marketing student, described her living space in the hall while doing her laundry in the on-site laundry facilities. “You have your own room and living room and your own kitchen,” Buckholz said. “And it’s not as secluded as people
streets while in other areas, ecologies can be conflict. “I encourage you to think about the street as a complex, connected and urban ecology,” Mehta said. “The city is inevitable, the street is inevitable, so let’s embrace the street as an urban ecology and as a place.” Cole Imperi, owner of Doth, a branding and identity studio, discussed big deaths, little deaths and overcoming grief in her talk, “Lifted by Little Deaths.” Imperi shared a powerful story about a young woman with weak vision who was born in a poor family, and was therefore not capable of taking opportunities that were available to the masses. Instead of being overcome by her grief, she got accepted into a school for the blind, had surgery on her eyes, graduated and eventually became a close companion of Helen Keller. Tamaya Dennard, a UC graduate, discussed the difficulties of being a woman in politics and why she knew politics was right for her in her talk, “I Run Like A Girl.” After hearing the city wanted to move a bus stop away from a grocery store, Dennard knew she needed to be present. “It was at that very moment that I understood it was my job to be an advocate for those who have none,” Dennard said. She also discussed our definition of diversity and how that needs to grow even wider. “Diversity is inviting someone to a party; inclusion is asking them to dance,” Dennard said. Madeline Adams, a third-year engineering student, lightened the mood with jokes. In her talk, Adams described
DANIEL SULLIVAN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Kanniks Kannikeswaran has helped connect people from around the world through the Shanti Choir. His talk focused on creating communities through music.
her experience coping with social anxiety and how jokes have given her the confidence to get past her introversion in her talk, “What You Can Learn from a Job.” In the final TEDx talk, Kyle Gundrum, a 2014 UC graduate, challenged people to “cut the bullchat” and have real, meaningful conversations. “That person in front of you in line
at Starbucks, they’re not an obstacle to your coffee. They’re a relationship opportunity,”Gundrum said. Gundrum hopes that people will learn to break the rules of conversation and become a force of change in their community. He ended his talk with a thought-provoking question: “Are you a social catalyst?”
Being only four years old, the LGBTQ center is working to push for social justice at UC and to catch up to other local universities. Whereas Oberlin College has had gender-inclusive housing since 2004, most Ohio colleges have only had inclusive housing since the 2010s. Vaught has been following the developments of these institutions to research the best practices to bring about change at UC. “It is imperative that we continue to push ourselves as an institution to be as inclusive and truly diverse as possible,”Vaught said. “We cannot accomplish this without pushing for real change.” think. You can still meet other people in this dorm.” Buckholz also enjoys the kitchen in her apartment. She does not have a dining pass, so it is convenient to cook her own meals. Garret Wise, a second-year electronic media student, likes Morgens Hall because it has less of a dorm vibe. After living in Calhoun Hall for his freshman year, he now lives in an eight-person apartment in Morgens Hall. “It’s more of an apartment feel than it is a dorm,” Wise said. “I mean, we still have RAs and what not, but it’s more relaxed.”
CHELSEA ROBERTSON | STAFF REPORTER
Ferrara is pursuing an advanced practice degree as a family nurse practitioner at UC. FROM LEGISLATION PG 1
available, parents are able to prepare themselves for their child’s birth if the testing shows prenatal abnormalities. This allows more parents to plan and educate themselves on the essentials of raising a special needs child. In the 2009 article, “Postnatal Deliveries of Down Syndrome: Synthesis of the Evidence on How Best to Deliver the News” co-authored by Brian Skotko, a renowned medical geneticist, it was found that the training of medical staff was inadequate with providing current information about Down syndrome. “Many parents of children with Down syndrome have expressed dissatisfaction with how their medical providers informed them of their child’s diagnosis,”
“
People with Down syndrome have lives worth living and are loved by their families, friends and communities. And the best time for a parent to learn that is at the very beginning. — Kathleen Ferrara, Health Outreach Coordinator
Skotko said in the 2009 publication referenced by Ferrara. “As the most common chromosomal condition, Down syndrome is most often diagnosed postnatal.” Skotko also leads workshops and has co-authored several other pieces concerning the lives of people with Down syndrome. He gives insight to parent and sibling relationships to Down syndrome people. “What an individual with Down
syndrome can do in life is commonly downplayed by some healthcare professionals because they are unaware of the advances in medicine and education in the last 20 years,” Ferrara said. “People with Down syndrome have lives worth living and are loved by their families, friends and communities. And the best time for a parent to learn that is at the very beginning.” The Down Syndrome Information Act ensures healthcare providers will distribute an informational form to all expectant parents about Down syndrome containing local and national resources from the Ohio Department of Health. Samantha Albayer, a third-year biological science student, supports the passing of the law. “People with Down syndrome are just normal people,” Albayer said. “They have different ways of learning but can have a normal, functioning life. Doctors should encourage and educate their patients.” Adam Rechnitzer, a second-year undeclared student, said that integrating students of all educational levels would cause immunity to the stigmas of special needs individuals. “In high school we had a very strong special education system,” Rechnitzer said. “And I feel that those kids are better off than kids who don’t go though a similar system just because no one really informs them of what’s going on.” The DSAGC wants parents and families to be aware that children with Down syndrome can have full and happy lives. “With this support, new parents will begin to learn that the extra chromosome their child is born with does not negate his importance to this world,” Ferrara said.
4 / ARTS
MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2015 / NEWSRECORD.ORG
Earl Sweatshirt: Track-by-track review of rapper’s latest album
ODD FUTURE
The minamalist album cover to Earl’s latest album. CHRISTOPHER STROHOFER | STAFF REPORTER
This year has already been a hiphop treat. Last month Drake snuck up on us and dropped a banger, and last week Kendrick took us to his home in Compton for a block party and a discussion about American race. This week, Earl Sweatshirt has come on strong with his second full-length effort, titled “I Don’t Like S---, I Don’t Go Outside: An Album by Earl Sweatshirt.” Earl, a member of hip-hop artist collective Odd Future (also featuring Tyler, the Creator and Hodgy Beats), tests the phrase “full-length” with a total runtime just under a half-hour, but makes sure to pack and cram all the doomy drums and diabolical rhymes that we’ve come to expect from Earl and his “O.F.” peers. Born Thebe Neruda Kgositsile, Earl Sweatshirt is only 21 years old. With the help of Tyler, The Creator, Hodgy Beats, and Odd Future, he self-released a mixtape titled “Earl” when he was sixteen years old. Although the mixtape was well received in the critical circles it reached, Earl’s mother sent Kgositsile to a very strict boarding school for at-risk boys called Coral Reef Academy, which is located outside Apia, the capital of Samoa. While Kgostitsile was away, his mother did not allow any of Earl’s leftover recordings to be released. When he returned, no one knew for sure if he would even want to rap again. But he had grown and matured at Coral Reef Academy. He returned in 2011 ready to be a hip-hop artist. Just as Kgostitsile was able to earn independence from boarding school and his mother, Earl Sweatshirt has begun to further define what sort of hip-hop artist he really is. The record is thematically in tune with the rest of the best of the O.F. catalog
but Earl succeeds in evolving from his excellent 2013 effort, “Doris.” It begins with the almost two-minutelong laidback bicycle ride of a rap, titled “Huey.” It’s as jolly a sound as we’ve gotten from the Odd Future rap collective. But the lyrics Earl rap-mumbles over the ringing synth-organs, wide bass and ghost-thin snares and cymbals depict a young, up-and-coming rapper refusing to pay respect to any sort of conventional hip-hop evolution. “Critics pretend to get it and b----es just don’t f--- with him / I spent the day drinkin’ and missin’ my grandmother,” Earl raps on the opener with a gleefully mellow style slightly tainted by a wounded aggression. The second track, “Mantra,” is a stadium-guitar driven track with victorychant vibes that Earl cleverly contradicts with grimy drums and dark lyrics. “Mantra” is explosive, but cool. Earl vocalizes his rhymes with an impressive technical sensibility marked by an eclectic range of subjects. The tone turns even deeper into the depths of Earl’s regrets on the fourth track, the bluntly titled “Guilt.” The first single from the album, “Guilt” is stunningly bleak. “Step into the shadows, we can talk addiction,” he offers. “When it’s harmful where you goin’ /and the part of you that know it / don’t give a f---.” “Guilt” is down-tempo and understated with depressingly dry production and a rap delivery that is in tune with vintage Odd Future tracks. If you can handle the heat, “Guilt” is a standout, a spoken word lesson in sound, mood and tone. It sounds as if Earl is a ghost haunting the hip-hop game. We get down in the dumps with Earl one more time on “I.D.L.S.I.D.G.O” with “Off Top,” but it doesn’t reach quite as low as “Guilt.” “Off Top” is a tasteful follow-up to such a bold track as the one preceding it; while the production remains in the same shadowy universe that “Guilt” was grounded in, Earl seems to be having fun with the mood. This allows Earl to get back to the fun he gave us a glimpse of on the first two tracks. “Grown Ups” is the bass-heavy banger of the record, and it is the only one not produced by Earl under the moniker randomblackdude. The electro percussion set, sonar blips and heavily manipulated guitar samples keep the beat bumping, and even though Earl raps, “My father ain’t my mother f----ing friend / Trying to figure out how to start a mother f---ing end,” I can’t help myself from wanting to bob back and forth flexing my arms to the beat as he
opens his guts up to me. “AM//Radio” is a further leisure-piece of Earl’s rap vision, keeping us floating through furious rhymes on festival-synth production and sunshiny guitar samples. Relatively unknown rapper Wiki provides a sweet, smooth feature on the beginning of the track. The bass guitar low tones and synth/ organ highs carry over into the next track, “Inside,” a sub-two minute moperap about the downsides of success before we reach what I found was the most disappointing of tracks, “DNA.” But it’s not Earl’s fault that “DNA” drags. His rhymes are tight, his material is in tune with the rest of the album and the production sounds like a raging party in a ghost house. What kills “DNA” is the featured rapper, Na’kel. He sounds horribly miscast on the record, as if he thought he was spotting a 2 Chainz record. His tone and style do not complement Earl or his album in anyway, and I wish there were a way to edit his verse out of the album so I could better enjoy it when re-listening. The swan song of the record, “Wool,” brings the album back to where it belongs. Vince Staples features and doesn’t particularly impress, but he holds down the beat and passes the mic halfway through to Earl without totally
His rhymes are tight, his material is in tune with the rest of the album and the production sounds like a raging party in a ghost house. butchering the song by the time it’s Earl’s turn, something Na’kel just could not figure out how to pull off. The track itself is a further exploration by Earl in his style. Earl’s verse on “Wool” — ultimately the closing remarks of the record — is mostly filled with ironic braggadocio such as, “n----- wanna’ fade me b-----feel some type of way from me / 50s in my pocket falling out like baby teeth.” “Wool” is not the most essential of tracks on “I Don’t Like S--- I Don’t Go Outside,” but it is as good of a choice for the swan song as there is on the record. So, how does “I.D.L.S.I.D.G.O” compare to “Doris”? While “Doris” features producers on all but two tracks, all but two of the tracks on “I.D.L.S.I.D.G.O” are entirely without featured producers. If “Doris” was a bold, ambitious debut supported by a strong cast of featuring artists, count “I Don’t Like S---, I Don’t Go Outside” as an impressively laid-back shotgun shell of a follow-up defined by
its artist’s newfound bravery to separate himself from the pack while still maintaining a “Wolf Gang” mentality. It is a clear statement from Earl Sweatshirt that he is ready to become his own artist. Earl has given us what we want as fans and what we deserve as audiences — it is his most recent body of studio work, stripped down to the essentials. So many rappers and hip-hop artists succumb to the temptation of planting mind-numbingly boring or outrageously long skits in albums, but Earl is not messing with us here, folks. Earl is, as always, rapping like he’s in a hurry, cramming as many rhymes into as few bars as Eminem used to. But he isn’t as sporadic as Slim Shady. Earl comes off perhaps a little slower and more deliberate — his style is cool, numbly droning depictions of grief, regret, drugs and whatever makes the track flow best. It is a lesson from one of the youngest and most original hip-hop artists around today on how to keep our attention in the rap genre. If “I.D.L.S.I.D.G.O” doesn’t top its predecessor in terms of overall success, it at least does in artistic ambition and range, to say the least. For the first time, I felt the impression Earl is having more fun rapping on tracks than he ever has. Perhaps he’s becoming more and more comfortable as a rapper, a producer and an artist. Perhaps he’s still haunted by his life decisions and family relations. Perhaps he doesn’t want us to be able to tell for sure, because that’s what good artists do. Probably the latter. If “Doris” and “I.D.L.S.I.D.G.O” are any indication of what is to come from Earl Sweatshirt, look out for Odd Future in the present and future of hip-hop evolution (and don’t forget to dive into their whole library — mixtapes and all — if you enjoy “I.D.L.S.I.D.G.O”). Their work is heavy and not easily accessible to an unprepared, previously unexposed ear. It is not for the “casual” hip-hop fan. But the album, just as it does not pander to the “casual” hip-hop fan, does not pander to the typical Odd Future expectations either. It commands the casual fan to take a leap of faith, and it commands the stuckup Odd Future fanboy to chill out and enjoy it for a moment. Ultimately, “I Don’t Like S---, I Don’t Go Outside: An Album By Earl Sweatshirt” is undoubtedly imperfect but undeniably valuable as an ambitious and precise effort from one of today’s most unique hip-hop stars. Earl Sweatshirt is scheduled to play at Bogart’s on April 3.
Summer@SINCLAIR Get Ahead. Catch Up. WWW.SINCLAIR.EDU/SUMMER Make the most of your summer: earn credits at Sinclair. Check out available courses and ask your advisor how Sinclair courses can transfer back to the University of Cincinnati. Take 8- or 12-week classes at one of our convenient locations or online. LEARN MORE WWW.SINCLAIR.EDU/SUMMER Summer Full Term: May 18–August 9 • Summer B Term: June 15–August 9
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SPORTS / 5
MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2015 / NEWSRECORD.ORG
Track and field has successful showing at home meet
DANIEL SULLIVAN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
UC men’s track team took 2nd place Saturday at the Oliver Nikoloff Invitational with 149 points. JAELYNNE JOHNSON | SPORTS EDITOR
The Cincinnati track and field programs hosted the 2015 Oliver Nikoloff Invitational over the weekend at Gettler Stadium. The two-day meet began Friday afternoon and concluded Saturday afternoon; the women’s team took 1st place and the men finished in 2nd, just behind University at Buffalo, despite the freezing temperatures. Friday’s events began with the 100-meter hurdles of the women’s heptathlon, men’s and women’s hammer throw, 4x1500 meter relay and the 10,000 meter run. Saturday’s events started at 10 a.m. with the women’s pole vault, men’s
javelin and the heptathlon’s long jump. Eighteen men’s and 16 women’s teams competed in the invitational, including Northern Kentucky University, Xavier University, University of Dayton, Kentucky State University, Butler University and Shawnee State University. Cincinnati also honored 17 seniors on Saturday: Frida Akerstron, Andre Anderson, Brian Barney, Mekayla Breland, Bryan Cain, Cody Curry, Ashley Earman, Kevin Fink, Kaitlyn Good, Jalisa Jarrett, Nick Kowaleski, Emelie Larsson, Michael Nwankwo, Sarah Rasnick, Taylor Rosenhagen, Tyler Ross and Shanice Smith. Good had a strong performance on the first day of the women’s heptathlon, as she garnered 2,964 points from the 100 meter hurdles (818 points), high jump (783 points), 200 meter dash (686 points) and a career-best performance in the shot put, with a 40 feet two inches toss (677 points). Good went on to win the heptathlon with 5,129 points. The women’s 4x1500 meter relay set a new school record with a finishing time of 20:12.75. The quartet was composed of Erin Kennedy, Grace O’Donnell, Alexis Anton and Hannah Christ; they were the first to compete in the relay in UC history. In the women’s weight throw, the Bearcats finished 2nd and 3rd with Frida Akerstrom and Monica Phillips. Akerstrom took 2nd with a mark of 170 feet 4 inches, and Phillips snagged 3rd by throwing 167 feet even. Day two of the Nikoloff Invitational started off with the long jump of the heptathlon, men’s javelin and women’s pole vault. Running events began at noon with the men’s 3,000 meter steeplechase.
Junior thrower Macklin Tudor was successful, as he won both the shot put and discus events. He recorded a mark of 57 feet 0.75 inches in the shot put, which ranks him 4th in Cincinnati history. He threw 182 feet 7.75 inches in the discus to win by nearly 30 feet over University at Buffalo’s Ryan Cribbin, who threw 154 feet 9 inches. Cincinnati women’s sprints dominated the track as they took 1st in the 100, 200 and 400 meter dash races. Kenya Woodall won the 100 meter title in a time of 12.12 seconds, while senior Je’Rica Sanders was the 200 meter winner at 24.86 seconds. Jada Grant followed by claiming the 400 meter crown with a time of 57.49 seconds. Cincinnati took the high jump titles, with Jordan Hardiman taking 1st place for the men and Loretta Blaut winning for the women. Hardiman won by clearing 6 feet 6 inches on his first attempt. Blaut was able to garner the women’s title with a clearance of 5 feet 5.75 inches. Other Bearcat winners included junior Javette Lee, who took 1st place in the women’s 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1:03.02. “I’m really happy that we got through this competition,” said head coach Susan Seton after debating whether or not to cancel the meet due to the cold weather.“We accomplished that goal today. Everyone made it through, and we are overall happy with the performances that the athletes made.” UC will travel up the road to Oxford next weekend to compete in the Miami Invitational at Miami University. The meet is a two-day competition scheduled for April 3 and 4.
Lacrosse drops weekend matches JAELYNNE JOHNSON | SPORTS EDITOR
University of Cincinnati lacrosse played host to Winthrop University at the Sheakley Athletics Center on a snowy Friday afternoon. The Bearcats could not pull it together offensively and fell to Winthrop 17-5. Coming into Friday’s contest, Winthrop stood at a 7-2 record and was looking to come back from a 17-7 loss at San Diego State last week. Cincinnati was also looking to rebound after a loss to No. 15 Ohio State University last Wednesday. The Eagles are 4th in the nation in scoring, as they average 15.22 goals per game. Winthrop is also ranked 8th in the nation on draw control with an average of 14.78 draw controls per game. Senior Jenna Kasmarik currently leads the nation with 4.63 goals per game and is 3rd in total goals with 37. The Bearcats and the Eagles met up for the first time last season in Rock Hill, South Carolina, where Cincinnati was victorious 10-9 after four overtimes, during which senior attacker Ashley Helmrath scored the winning goal. Friday’s matchup was different as UC could not find chemistry on the offensive side, even though sophomore midfielder Dani Tunnell was able to score on a pass from Helmrath to tie the game at 1-1 in the first few minutes. Tunnell concluded the game with two goals. Winthrop’s Jenna Kasmarik entered the game as the nation’s leading scorer and displayed that title as she scored for the Eagles at the 23:14 mark of the first half to give them a 2-1 lead. This was the start of a six-goal run for the Eagles and allowed them to take the lead 7-1 going into halftime. Returning from half time, the Bearcats looked to step their game up as freshman Brianna Miller won the opening draw and took it down the field to score at the 29:35 mark of the second half. Cincinnati continued to put up a fight until the closing minutes, as they were able to score four more goals before Winthrop closed the game on a five-goal run in the last six minutes. Junior midfielder Courtney Curtis was able to contribute to the Bearcats stats sheet with two goals, one ground ball and one caused turnover. Goalies Meg Gulmi and Alex MacAffer combined for 17 goals allowed, which is something UC looked to improve on heading into the match against the University of Connecticut. The match against Winthrop concluded
non-conference play for Cincinnati as they fell to a 2-8 overall record. UC opened up conference play against UConn noon Sunday at the Sheakley Athletics Center, where they fell short 10-4 despite Gulmi’s 17 saves. “I told her she has to stay on her head coming into this game,” said head coach Gina Oliver.“Today she did that, just unfortunately, we couldn’t put enough balls in the back of the net to do so.” The Huskies started the contest on a fourgoal scoring run that started with a goal from UConn’s Alyson Fazio on a pass from teammate Carly Palmucci. Tunnell scored the first goal for Cincinnati at the 15:14 mark of the first half. Curtis followed up with a free position goal, cutting the Huskies’ lead to 4-2. Fazio answered by scoring the second of two UConn goals to conclude the half. This put Connecticut back up 6-2 at the half. UC’s Sarah Del Bene scored the third goal for the Bearcats as she pushed a loose ball into the net to cut the shortfall to 6-3. Grace Noland scored the fourth and final point for Cincinnati at the 18:38 mark of the second half as UConn went on to score and put the Bearcats out of reach. UC will continue conference play and look to improve on the offensive end as they travel to Villanova University on Saturday in Philadelphia. Opening draw is set for 1 p.m.
DANIEL SULLIVAN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Dani Tunnell defends against University of Connecticut in a match on Sunday afternoon in Sheakley Athletics Center.
FILE ART
UC baseball falls short in three-game series against University of Southern Florida in Tampa, Florida, over the weekend. Its overall record is 6-18.
Baseball opens up conference play JAELYNNE JOHNSON | SPORTS EDITOR
The University of Cincinnati baseball team began American Athletic Conference play against the University of Southern Florida Bulls over the weekend in Tampa, Florida. USF leads the overall series against Cincinnati 36-15. The Bulls entered the weekend with a 17-8-1 record, having tied Wagner College 4-4 in 11 innings on Feb. 22. On Friday evening, Cincinnati scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning but could not completely fight back, falling 8-4 to USF. Key scoring came from junior Devin Wenzel, who hit a bases-loaded 2-RBI single, which allowed freshman Chris Klenk and sophomore R.J. Thompson to score and get the Bearcats within 8-3. Junior Ian singled to the right field to score junior Woody Wallace before being tagged out on his way to second plate to conclude the game. The loss on Friday dropped Cincinnati to a 6-17 record, 0-1 in the AAC, while USF improved to 18-8, 1-0. On Saturday evening, Cincinnati tied the score twice after being behind, but could not complete the battle and fell in a 4-3 margin in the 11th inning. Thompson was able to tally two RBIs for Cincinnati while Happ and freshmen Ryan Noda and Jarod Yoakam each scored a run for the Bearcats. On the mound, sophomore Andrew Zellner and Yoakam combined for three walks with five strikeouts and just two earned runs. Yoakam pitched 5.0 innings — a new career best for him. He was also hit by a pitch twice
in the game, the first two of his career, and scored his first career run. The top of the fourth inning was Cincinnati’s best performance of the game. Happ singled to lead off the inning,Yoakam was hit and Klenk bunted to put both runners in scoring position. Thompson then grounded out to the third baseman to score Happ and get the Bearcats within a run at 2-1. At the top of the sixth inning, Thompson tied the score at 2-2 with a two-out single up the middle to score Yoakam from second base, but USF went on to score twice more and took the victory. Sunday afternoon saw similar results as USF closed out the three-game series with a 15-4 win. According to American Athletic Conference rules, the game ended due to the 10-run rule. At the top of the second inning, Cincinnati scored a run to cut the lead to 2-1. Thompson led off with a single and moved to second base on a walk before J.J Carr hit a single to left field to bring home Thompson and get the Bearcats on the board. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Bulls scored 10 runs on just two hits to win the game. The Bearcats committed two errors in the inning to go with four walks and two hit batsmen. A grand slam by Buddy Putnam of USF ended the game. The Bearcats will return to Ohio and will play Wright State University 6 p.m. Tuesday in Dayton.
UC tennis loses to foe University of Dayton Flyers, 4-3 JAELYNNE JOHNSON | SPORTS EDITOR
The University of Cincinnati women’s tennis team hosted regional foe University of Dayton on Saturday afternoon at the Western Tennis and Fitness Club, where the Flyers edged out the Bearcats 4-3. Going into Saturday’s game, the Flyers held a 4-7 overall record as they had lost their previous five games, the most recent being a 4-2 loss from Youngstown State. Freshman Marlys Bridgham is leading the Flyers in singles wins (10) and was the first among her teammates to record double-digit singles wins. Teammate Mandy Marchant looked to join Bridgham by being the next Flyer with double-digit singles win after going up against Cincinnati. The pair of Carly Peck and Katie Shepherd holds nine wins in doubles play and looked to be the first on UD’s team with 10 doubles wins. The Bearcats and the Flyers last met in 2013, when Cincinnati won by a 6-1 score and Kelly Poggensee-Wei brushed her opponent 6-0, 6-0 in the game. In Saturday’s match, the duo of Lauren Bellinger and Poggensee-Wei defeated UD’s Bridgham and Marchant in their doubles match by winning the first five games. The pair only dropped one game, but was still able to pull out an overall win by an 8-1 margin. UC sophomore Katya Bure and junior Natalia Abdalla trailed the entire match to their opponents Alex Townsend and Jackie Kawamoto and fell 8-3.
Bearcats Samantha Perry and Hannah Wille were also falling behind in their doubles match against the Flyers’ Carly Peck and Katie Sheperd, but they were able to tie it at 4-4. The duo earned their first lead of the contest after winning the next game to make it a 5-4 score, but Dayton was victorious in the next four games and gave the Flyers the doubles point to lead early in the match at 1-0. In the singles competition, Bellinger won six of the eight games to take the first set 6-2. Peck of the Flyers began the second set with 2-0 lead, but Bellinger came back and won the next six games and ultimately the second set and made the score 6-2, giving UC its first point of the contest. Junior Poggensee-Wei began her singles match behind her Dayton opponent 1-0, but won the next two games to take a 2-1 lead. Poggensee-Wei and Bridgham went back and forth to win games, but Poggensee-Wei maintained composure and took the first set 6-4. In the second set Poggensee-Wei opened up with 3-2 lead and won the next three of four games to win the set 6-3—picking up the second point for the Bearcats. Bure followed Poggensee-Wei’s performance and defeated Alex Townsend of Dayton in a 6-2, 6-2 fashion in her singles match. The final point came down to singles match between Cincinnati’s Abdalla and Dayton’s Marchant. Abdalla was falling behind 2-1, but was able to claim the next two games and put her in the lead at 4-2, bringing her the overall win of the first set 6-3. After losing four of the first five games in the second set she was able to stage a comeback to tie it at 5-5 forcing the match to a tiebreaker. Marchant won the tiebreaker by a 7-5 margin and took the
second set. In the third set, Abdalla was unable to maintain stamina and lost 6-2, giving the Flyers the match and the final point. The win gave Dayton a 5-7 overall
record and they will go on to play Valparaiso University. Cincinnati will look to improve to a 7-8 overall record when they face crosstown rival Xavier University 3 p.m. Wednesday.
6 / COLLEGE LIFE
MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2015 / NEWSRECORD.ORG
Sorority raises funds to stop child abuse ALLIE ALU | STAFF REPORTER
MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR
Students toss colored powder into the air for UC’s Holi Festival, a celebration that means to renew relationships and promote good over evil.
Holi inspires equality through colors MATT NICHOLS | STAFF REPORTER
Nearly 300 students came together in the center of McMicken Commons Saturday, carrying opened packets of brightly colored powder. Then, a countdown began, and as it ended, hundreds of hands flew into the air, releasing a mosaic of color into the sky. The color throw is a signature part of the Holi Festival, an annual celebration that commemorates the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year. Saturday’s event was organized by the Asian American Association and also featured music and dance. “It’s considered a new beginning, a brotherhood between all different races, cultures and religions,” said Puja Kedia, AAA president and a fourth-year neurobiology student.“Everything else is put to the side because you’re covered in color.You can’t tell who is who.” Historically, Holi represents the ancient legend of Prahlada, the son of the demon king Hiranyakashipu, who demanded that Prahlada worship him as a god. When he refused, the king became upset and
punished Prahlada, even going to the extent of using the boy’s aunt Holika to trick him into sitting on a pyre to burn up. The plan backfired, however, and Holika was burned to ashes. The festival of Holi represents Prahlada’s triumph over evil, and the ashes of Holika have since been converted into a colored powder to be thrown in the air. The event kicked off with student volunteers from the Asian American Association handing out free traditional Indian meals to the hundreds of guests attending. Vibrant Indian tunes played in the background to help set the mood for the events to come. As a crowd began to build, several groups of student performers rushed the stage and danced in unison to rev up the crowd. The energy and passion quickly spread from the dancers into the crowd as packets of colored powder were dispersed to each person. “I have no clue what just happened,” said Praakrit Pradhan, a third-year computer engineering student, as he wiped chunks of green powder off his face.“It was just colors, excitement, and happiness. I have no idea
why we do this, but we do this.” In a matter of moments, participants transformed into a community of love that eliminated barriers and united the group as a whole. “It was a hurricane of colors,” said Abdallah Al Bahrani, a second-year architectural engineering student as he emerged from the crowd for a breather.“Everyone was just dancing and having fun. I can’t recognize anyone right now.” Unfortunately, the cold weather deterred some students from attending Saturday, according to Kedia; only a fraction of the more than 700 students listed to attend the event on Facebook actually came. “We were expecting more people, but it’s good for what we have with the weather,” Kedia said. But participants braved the elements and found a way to turn the chilly afternoon into a memorable experience. “I wasn’t going to come here because of the weather, but then my friends kept talking about it,”Al Bahrani said.“I kept thinking about not wanting to regret this, and I’m definitely not regretting it right now.”
MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR
Dancers entertain students on McMicken Commons during Holi Festival Saturday afternoon. The dance presentation took place before students started throwing clouds of colored powder.
The University of Cincinnati’s Kappa Delta sorority hosted its annual Shamrock Week March 23 through Saturday in an effort to benefit and raise awareness of child abuse. Child abuse is one of Kappa Delta’s main concerns, and the sorority women worked throughout the week to raise money that will make positive changes in children’s lives. Events are created by the sorority members to raise funds that will then be donated to different child abuse prevention organizations like Prevent Child Abuse America. The sorority sisters sold raffle tickets throughout the week and held other fundraising events that happened at their house in Stratford Heights. All students were welcome to attend. Students had the option of buying one ticket for $2 or three tickets for $5. People who purchased the raffles could win different gift baskets that ranged from a Cincinnati Reds basket with game tickets to a girl’s day gift basket including hair and nail products. A barbecue at the Kappa Delta house — the main fundraising event of the week — took place 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, bringing the week of fundraisers to an end. The sorority is partnered with Council and Child Abuse in Cincinnati and 80 percent of all proceeds will benefit the council. The other 20 percent will go to the sorority’s national organization, Prevent Child Abuse America. “It has been really great to form such a good relationship with Council and Child Abuse and the national organizations,” said Courtney Miller, a third-year political science student and Kappa Delta’s vice president of community service. “We also have a speaker from Council and Child Abuse speak at our events during this week.” The week of fundraisers is something the women of Kappa Delta do every year. “This has been our philanthropy for years,” Miller said. “We support this organization specifically because a lot of children in our community go without support. When children in our community are affected, we all are.” Last year the women of Kappa Delta raised $11,000, and Miller hopes to reach a $15,000 goal this year. Although Shamrock Week comprises the majority of Kappa Delta’s fundraising, the sorority raises money for Council and Child Abuse in different ways throughout the year. “We had a percentage night at a restaurant back in February where a certain percentage of everyone’s meal was donated to our philanthropy,” Miller said. “We do little things like this throughout the year.” Amanda Naciff-Campos, a third-year psychology student and vice president of Kappa Delta, was also very involved with the fundraisers. She said she oversees every event and makes sure everything is getting finished on time. “I really have to make sure things are getting done, especially this week,” Naciff-Campos said. “One of my biggest responsibilities is to make sure we are achieving all of the goals we set.” Naciff-Campos is also very passionate about the philanthropy and helping to prevent child abuse. “This is something that hits home for me,” Naciff-Campos said. “I’m a psychology major, and I’d ultimately like to help children going through this and work with them.” As the vice president of community service, many of Miller’s responsibilities have involved dealing with communityrelated problems and fundraising to solve them. “It is very important to me that children have a voice,” Miller said. “Especially in our generation it is important for young people to have someone to talk to. I love to see our women out in the community helping any way we can.”
Acclaimed comedians bring laughter, social commentary to campus MICHELLE FLANAGAN | STAFF REPORTER
A line from the Great Hall wound all the way around the 400 level of the Tangeman University Center Wednesday night as hundreds of students lined up to watch a comedy show organized by the Program and Activities Council. The show featured Thomas Middleditch, a writer and actor best known for the HBO series “Silicon Valley,” who preceded comedian Iliza Shlesinger. Shlesinger is the sixth-season winner of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” and now has a Netflix special called “Freezing Hot.” Max Bajek, a fourth-year criminal justice student, led the organization of the event. One thing that set this event apart is the simple fact that Shlesinger is a woman. Bajek said PAC voted for Shlesinger and that the council hasn’t had a female comedian for as long as he can remember. First-year psychology student Hannah Fereshtehkhou, who has been to several comedy events at the University of Cincinnati, agreed with the council’s decision. “It was a female, and I think this was probably the most well-known one that they’ve been able to bring,”
Fereshtehkhou said. “And being female, it definitely had feminist tones to it, which was cool.” Middleditch kicked off the show by telling stories and anecdotes instead of traditional jokes with a punch line, and he often got as much enjoyment out of the audience’s response as they did from his bit. One story he shared described the time he got veneers, a dental procedure that is supposed to protect teeth and improve their appearance. He said he didn’t understand exactly how the process worked, and that the dental assistant told him not to look in the mirror after filing Middleditch’s teeth. Not sure what this meant, Middleditch ran his tongue over his two front teeth and discovered they’d been filed into fangs. “I had dragon teeth! I started speaking Parseltongue!” Middleditch joked, referencing the language used by snakes in J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series. Both comedians were very casual and focused on anecdotes that related to childhood or college life, making the stories more relatable for the students in attendance.
Shlesinger focused a lot on girls, the decisions they make and how they make them. While many of her jokes were pointing out flaws in what she called “girl logic,” she also made jokes about boys and touched on the fact that she is a feminist. Shlesinger described her comedic style as also having a “social commentary” on the side. Fereshtehkhou said the accuracy of the jokes was her favorite part of the act. “It was so real life,” Fereshtehkhou said, referring to some of the jokes Shlesinger made. “Everything about the jackets, the purse, all of it, you’re just like, yeah, that’s my life, you are so right.” Jordan Onopa, a pharmacy student, said her favorite part was “hearing Thomas Middleditch, because I’d never heard him before. I like seeing new things.” She also said she would pay money to see Shlesinger, but is “thrilled that I got to see her for free.” This was third-year chemical engineering student Bryce Trumble’s first time at a comedy event. “[Events like this] help get rid of a little bit of stress,”Trumble said. “It gives you something to do in the evenings to get away from classes.”
JESSE CIRCELLI | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Thomas Middleditch, actor for HBO series “Silicon Valley,” performed Wednesday evening.