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Election ad spending
Dogs of Cinci Instagram
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Instagram account features various dogs around the city
Hillary spends notably more on campaigning than Trump
THE NEWS RECORD / UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI THURSDAY, SEPT. 1, 2016
Sexual Assault Awareness Week highlights consent KARLY WILLIAMS | STAFF REPORTER
N.C. BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
File art of Alex Thomas (27) and Tyrell Gilbert (2) from UC vs UConn at Nippert Stadium on Saturday October 24, 2015.
N.C. BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
File art of Nate Cole (84) from UC at Miami University on Saturday September 9, 2015.
N.C. BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
File art of D.J. Dowdy (81) (Left) and Mike Boone (5) (Right) from UC vs Tulsa at Nippert Stadium on Saturday November 14, 2015.
Bearcat football is back The UC football season starts tonight with a game against UT-Martin DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR CLAUDE THOMPSON | STAFF REPORTER
After a disappointing 7-6 season in 2015, the Cincinnati Bearcat football team begins their season Thursday against the University of Tennessee at Martin. Before the season is officially underway, here are three things you need to know about University of Cincinnati football.
1. New offense:
During the offseason, Cincinnati hired new offensive coordinator Zac Taylor, meaning the offense could look significantly different than prior years with former offensive coordinator Eddie Gran. Under Taylor, UC will run the ball more with their running back tandem, junior Mike Boone and fifthyear senior Tion Green. “Throughout practice we’re scripting way more runs, way more downhill plays” Boone said. “It changes, as a running back, once we hear we are getting the ball a lot we automatically smile. We just try to change the tempo at practice and go hard.” The change in offense will also affect the quarterback position. Redshirt sophomore Hayden Moore, not two-year starter Gunner Kiel, fits better in Taylor’s system and that is why he was chosen as the team’s starting quarterback, according to UC head coach Tommy Tuberville. “Very unusual to have a guy start for two years and then you kind of
have him move down the ladder,” Tuberville said. “Had we’d been in the old offense, it might have been a different story. “These are new reads, new techniques, new coach.”
2. Wins will rely on defense:
The Bearcats struggled on the defensive side of the ball last year, allowing 31.2 points per game to their opponents. Cincinnati never lost in low-scoring games, so the defense was the primary cause of a lot of their losses in 2015. Tuberville and his players said the defense will be better in 2016. “We are better on defense,” Tuberville said. “We got more athletes, we got more depth, we just need to keep them healthy as we get them through the first few games…Over amount of time I think we got a real good chance to be good defensively.” Senior linebacker Eric Wilson was one of few playmakers on the defense last season. He played in all 12 games, recording 103 tackles for the team. “I feel like our defense is on the same page this year,”Wilson said. “Last year we did have a lot of explosive plays, just one guy being out of position. I expect to see guys right there, where they’re supposed to be, at the right time instead of being out of position.”
3. Last year will be motivation:
Expectations were high going into last season, as many players harped on them going undefeated, but the losses piled up quickly. The team did qualify for a bowl game, however, but they ended their season with an embarrassing 42-7 loss to San Diego State University in the Hawai’i Bowl. “That’s a sour taste in all of our mouths,”Tuberville said. “We weren’t a very good football team throughout the year simply for the fact that we didn’t play well together.” The team will look to turn the motivation to be better than last year into an American Athletic Conference championship. “AAC Champions, that’s our goal, we’re going to take it game-by-game, but in the back of our minds: AAC Champions,”Tion Green said.
The University of Cincinnati Women’s Center, LGBTQ Center and Student Wellness Center have come together to create a week of workshops, activities and information sessions compromising UC’s Sexual Assault Awareness Week that began Monday. Events throughout the week have touched on the topics of survivor awareness such as Monday’s “Walk the Walk” event where attendees in the Steger Student Life Center gained insight on the long-term effects of sexual violence. Consent is also a prominent topic the week brings exposure to. Tuesday’s “Consent Crafter-noon” saw participants making buttons and tie-dying shirts at McMicken Commons, with designs promoting consensual sex and activities. Wednesday’s event in Tangeman University Center focused on sexual violence prevention and campus culture with bystander training, educating participants on the right course of action to take should a student be a witness to an act or potential act of sexual violence. Thursday’s event will reinforce the importance of consent, with interactive educational pop-ups located all throughout UC campus. The week wraps up with Tie Dye Friday, where attendees of Tuesday’s crafternoon are encouraged to raise awareness by posting pictures in their tie-dye shirts on social media with the hashtag “#BearcatsGetConsent”.
Awareness weeks similar to this bring light on the nationwide epidemic of sexual assaults on and around college campuses. According to a list released to the Huffington Post by the US Department of Education, 246 higher education institutions were under investigation for their handling of sexual assault reports. Data from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center concludes that one in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted in college. Here at UC, reported rape and sexual imposition have been the only crimes to not see a significant drop in reported incidents within the past five years off-campus and in student victimized crimes, according to the University of Cincinnati’s Institute for Crime Science 2015 campus crime report. Reclaim, UC’s former sexual assault survivor peer advocacy program was shut down in 2015 as well. However, a recently developed organization, Students for Survivors, has begun their own separate work this year at UC to provide a support system for survivors. The Women’s Center and LGBTQ Center will also bring awareness to a number of gender-based issues throughout the year, despite these groups being separate with involvement. Another project to look out for includes “Love Your Body Week” on Oct. 17-21, focusing on body image and promoting body positivity. October is also National Domestic Violence Awareness month, and Women’s History Month takes place in March.
About UT Martin
The UT Martin Skyhawks play in the Football Championship Subdivision, a division lower than the Football Bowl Subdivision ― where UC currently plays. The Skyhawks went 7-4 last season, but lost badly to the only FBS teams they played. The University of Mississippi beat them 76-3 in the team’s first game of the year and the University of Arkansas won 63-28. The Bearcats and Skyhawks play in Nippert Stadium at 7 p.m. The game will be aired on ESPN3.
ALEXANDRA TAYLOR | PHOTO EDITOR
Amy Schlag, LGBTQ center director, creatively educates students on what consent is for Sexaul Assult Awareness week on McMicken Commons, Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 30, 2016.
Catalyst brings financial aid woes JUSTIN REUTTER | SENIOR REPORTER LAUREN MORETTO | NEWS EDITOR KINSLEY SLIFE | NEWS EDITOR
ALEXANDRA TAYLOR | PHOTO EDITOR
UC Students endure long waiting times at One Stop, Monday morning, Aug. 29, 2016.
Now that University of Cincinnati students have had the opportunity to test Catalyst’s waters, some are feeling the burn of unresolved financial issues brought on by the new student information system. A number of students are having trouble receiving financial aid. “I did my [FAFSA] tax report and everything, then had to re-do it because I got selected randomly,” said Allen Fox, a first-year engineering student. “It was kind of frustrating.” Even professors are experiencing glitches in the system. “It’s asking me for my financial aid information, and I’m faculty,” said Adjunct Professor Mark
Wert. Kevin Yaeger, a third-year business student, said he was still being charged with a full $7,667 out-ofstate student fee, even though he is a Cincinnati native. There have also been issues regarding student health insurance waivers, as multiple students have reported being billed despite already being covered by another policy. “They denied my student health insurance [waiver], even though I have better insurance already,” said Marshal Smith, a third-year biomedical student. Some students are still waiting for to hear whether their health insurance waivers will be accepted. Sept. 6 is the deadline for UC students to waive the UC health insurance. “The main thing that I absolutely hate is that my
health insurance waiver hasn’t passed yet, so that’s really frustrating because the deadline’s next week,” said Amber Volmer, a firstyear chemical engineering student. “It’s apparently a problem a lot of people are having.” Because of issues surrounding Catalyst, the due date for student bills was pushed back to yesterday. The push back was in an effort to provide students a small grace period to sort out their financial issues with the system. Students should not expect further extensions, according to Michele Harp, a OneStop representative. In addition to financial problems with Catalyst, students have also experienced problems while applying for classes. Benton Graff, a fifth-year mechanical engineering
THE STUDENT VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
student, was unaware he had needed to hit the “apply” option once adding a class to the shopping cart on Catalyst, making it so he couldn’t take the course this semester. “Most of us just avoid Catalyst at this point,” said Graff. “One of the heads of engineering for us works on that and she was just struggling through it so it made us avoid using it.” To many students’ relief, the lines are gradually getting shorter, according Jessica Jonzo, a service associate at OneStop. “We hit bumps in the road, and students know that we have hit bumps in the road, but we are starting to resolve these issues,” said Jonzo. “Students are getting used to Catalyst, but this has been one of our busiest fall starts.”
FREE
2 / NEWS WatchWriteNow gives Cincy youth creative outlet THURSDAY, SEPT. 1, 2016
LAUREN MORETTO | NEWS EDITOR
ALEXANDRA TAYLOR| PHOTO EDITOR
T.T Stern-Enzi discusses his journey to founding the not-for-profit WatchWriteNow, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016 in CCM Starbucks.
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The vision for WatchWriteNow, the not-forprofit founded by University of Cincinnati Adjunct Instructor T.T. Stern-Enzi, stems back to his experience as a student in 1986 at McCallie School for Boys in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In seeing the movie “Blue Velvet,” Stern-Enzi was compelled to share his thoughts on the film with his advanced placement English class at the time. His teacher, Mr. Cleve Latham, gave him the opportunity to do just that. “I had the idea in my head that there was something more to this film that I needed to kind of crack open myself,” said Stern-Enzi. “To have a teacher that was willing to say, ‘Okay yes you can talk about it critically, you can evaluate it and study it as we would study classic literature,’ — yeah, that was an eye-opening experience for me.” Stern-Enzi wanted to give the same experience to Greater Cincinnati youth. After receiving a grant in June 2014, he launched WatchWriteNow, a not-for-profit program serving as an outlet for critical thinking
and creative exchanges through film. Initially, Stern-Enzi aimed to work with high school students, who he thought could have more in-depth conversations about film. He later discovered the opportune age group for the program was younger: middle school. “The great thing is you catch them at that preteen age when they sit in their classroom and they aren’t afraid to say goofy things and they aren’t worried about necessarily trying to impress their peers in the room the same way if they were high school students,” said SternEnzi. “That lowers their inhibitions and it opens them up to making crazier, more interesting connections.” While his larger classes cater to around 25 students, his smaller classes can get down to as small as two students. Currently, WatchWriteNow is offered at three schools and two community centers, including Lighthouse Crisis Center and Camp Ernst middle school of Burlington, Kentucky. WatchWriteNow may help communities with schools who have cut back on art programs help reintegrate the arts into students’ lives. In the 2009-2010 school year, 16 percent of
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Students mixed on move choice PALOMA IANES | STAFF REPORTER
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AntiTrump GRAPHIC BY RUSSELL HAUSFELD
Election ad spending: comparing the candidates KINSLEY SLIFE | NEWS EDITOR
Over $400 million has been spent on presidential campaign television ads this year, the highest since 2008 according to the Wesleyan Media Project, a data compilation from real-time tracking of ad spending instituted to increase transparency in elections. In the 2016 election alone, there has been an increased volume of 122 percent when compared to spending from years prior. An estimated $408 million has been spent on television advertising in the race so far, with $138 million spent by Democrats and $270 million by the GOP, according to the Project report. Evan Thomas, a second-year marketing student at the University of Cincinnati, feels that spending on ads has gotten out of hand considering this election’s target audiences are millennials. “I feel like $408 million on ads is too much considering we are the biggest viewership and we don’t really watch ads at all or TV,” said Thomas. The included data is broken down by party, candidate, sponsor group and super PACs, showing PACs as the biggest spenders. The biggest beneficiary from TV advertising this cycle is Bernie Sanders, with nearly 125,000 airings at a cost of $73.7 million, the report found. Hillary Clinton is second, with 105,000 airings at a cost of $62.6 million. For the GOP, data shows that Marco Rubio benefited from the most advertising, with just under 60,000 ad airings, followed by Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush and Donald Trump respectively. “Notably, anti-Trump messaging — those that did not explicitly advocate for a specific alternative — totaled 17,702 ads,”
according to the report. Although both party’s airings are considerably higher than previous years, the sources of each party’s spending varied. Over 98 percent of Democratic ad spending was done by the candidates’ campaigns, while only 24 percent of Republican ad spending was candidatesponsored. The rest came from groups, “many of them single-candidate super PACs,” according to the report. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has forked out over $114 million toward ads as of Aug. 23, as opposed to a mere $18.7 million from her competitor Trump. TV ads are only effective for certain age groups and, more specifically, only people who are unsure of which candidate to vote for, according to Thomas. “Since we only really see ads on YouTube, they feel like more of an annoyance,” says Jerome Woods, another second-year marketing student. “I usually hit the skip button after the five seconds is up.” Conjunctively, Wesleyan Media Project data shows that ad spending doesn’t necessarily correlate to success. With Rubio and Cruz airing more than any other Republican, and Sanders taking the lead in airings for Democrats, an estimated $200 million was spent on candidates that are no longer even competing. For frontrunners, tone is now playing a major role in ad effectiveness, with 99 percent of Clinton’s ads being positive versus a smaller 70 percent for Trump. “I feel more in support of a candidate when an ad is about what they want to do as opposed to trashing another person,” said Thomas. “These commercials are kind of a representation of character.”
elementary school students did not have access to instruction designated specifically towards the visual arts, and 96 percent did not have instruction designed specifically for theater, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, part of the U.S. Department of Education. Though cutting art programs may have been a concern in the past, Stern-Enzi said he sees a shift occurring. “We’re moving away from the heavy focus on science and technology and actually looking to incorporate the arts into that dynamic as well,” he said. This is due in part to the transferable skills a student could acquire from programs like WatchWriteNow, according to Stern-Enzi. “I can work with my students to help them figure out how to break down and discuss a film. The same thought process and analytical technique behind that is going to be the same set of skills they’ll use to break down quadratic equations,” said Stern-Enzi. “The skills that they’re learning will be skills they’ll be able to translate really across their entire lives.”
University of Cincinnati’s Board of Trustees dropped plans to move the UC College of Law’s building to downtown Cincinnati on Aug. 24, looking to instead develop new on-campus plans. A Board of Trustee’s meeting held in February officially ignited the debate by authorizing UC to enter formal discussions to “fully pursue and evaluate” the relocation of the law school to the downtown river front, according to the UC website. The plan to move the academic facility to the Banks was popular among a number of civic and business leaders. Former university president Santa Ono was among those who advocated for the move, and his absence left the Banks plan without strong UC representation. However, UC law students have mixed opinions about the now overturned plan. Tyler Liston, a second-year law student, disagreed with the plan and had concerns about what it would do to peer relations. “Ever since I had heard the rumors of the law school’s move to the Banks, I have opposed the idea,” Liston said. “I earned my bachelor’s at UC, so I am a Bearcat through and through. For several years I dreamed of going to the College of Law as I passed it on my way to classes,” said Liston. “Once I was accepted and began my study there, I noticed that there was a feeling of detachment from the University.” Liston worried that the plan would only further
this detachment. “Once I heard that the law school may move to the Banks, it seemed that yet another wedge was being driven between law students and Bearcats,” said Liston. For other students like second-year law student David Lopez-Kurtz, the move would have been a better fit for his own lifestyle. “ I can see the benefits of both options,” he said. “Personally I prefer the idea of the school moving downtown, but that may be because such a move is more in line with my own lifestyle. I am a bit older than the average law student, and being closer to my peer group is a draw. Additionally, I feel like it would be easier once I am an alum to visit the law school if it were to be located downtown,” said Lopez-Kurtz. Now that plans to move the law school downtown have been scratched, the Board of Trustees’ approved the allocation of $1 million to begin conceptualizing a new, on-campus building to house the College of Law. Keeping the College of Law on campus will save UC from having to raise the estimated minimum of $25 million that would have been required to make the move to downtown. For Liston, the decision to stay on campus is also saving the university from a loss of student unity. “Here we are surrounded by those who are trying to learn. Here we are supported by the network of people all broadly heading in the same directed. Here, we are Bearcats,” said Liston.
A unanimous vote to fund future female leaders along with a potential move to start a new learning management system were among the highlights of Wednesday’s University of Cincinnati Student Government meeting. SG voted 28-0-0 Wednesday to pass a bill to help fund a Connect Conference geared toward women. The Connect Conference features workshops to promote women’s leadership, networking and peer mentorship. First and second-year students who identify as women are eligible to participate in the conference. Students in their second year or above who identify as women
may act as mentors to the younger students. The conference is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, in the African-American Cultural Resource Center. The UC Women’s Center, the Lambda Society and Sigma Phi women’s honorary are sponsoring the event, and SG is an official partner, according to Madison Landkrohn, executive director of Women’s Affairs. The approved bill allocates $275 to provide Adriatico’s pizza to participants and event facilitators. UC may be starting the hunt for a new learning management system (LMS), according to Paul Foster, director of Information Technology. A previous universitywide survey from UC
Information Technology (UCIT) garnered 1,300 responses regarding student and faculty opinions about BlackBoard. “Faculty and students went on at length about the trials and tribulations, the deficiencies that they perceived in BlackBoard,” Foster said. In response to the survey results, UCIT created the LMS Task Force last fall. “We’ve seen their [BlackBoard’s] market share go down a bit. We’ve seen that they now have a billion and a half dollars in debt,” Foster said. “We’ve seen a lot of our peer institutions, researchintensive institutions with 30-40 thousand students — they’re shifting platforms.” Speaker of the Senate Jackie Mulay mentioned that Canopy would still
University of Cincinnati 45221-0135 Newsroom 509 Swift Hall 513-556-5912 chief.newsrecord@gmail. com Advertising 510 Swift Hall 513-556-5902 newsrecordbiz@ gmail.com The News Record is the editorially independent student-run news organization of the University of Cincinnati. It serves UC students, staff, faculty, alumni and the Cincinnati community with award-winning news and information on a variety of media platforms. The free newspaper is published on Mondays and Thursdays and is distributed to more than 80 locations on and near UC campuses. TNR’s website, www.newsrecord.org, is updated as news breaks and offers video, audio and interactive features. TNR’s app and podcasts are available for download on mobile devices. FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook TheNewsRecord Twitter @NewsRecord_UC Instagram TheNewsRecord SoundCloud The-News-Record-1 STAFF Editor-in-chief Jeff O’Rear Managing editor Amir Samarghandi News editors Lauren Moretto Kinsley Slife Chief reporter Ashleigh Pierce
ALEXANDRA TAYLOR | PHOTO EDITOR
UC College of Law will be staying on main campus for the foreseeable future, Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016.
SG votes to fund womens’ connect conference ASHLEIGH PIERCE | CHIEF REPORTER
Founded 1880
serve as the central hub where students would access a future LMS system in the event UC decides to move away from BlackBoard. A goal for a future LMS is to excel at e-learning. According to Foster, 30 percent of students take at least one online class per semester. “When folks talk to us about e-learning, the biggest motivating factor was flexibility; either in terms of schedule flexibility,” Foster said. UC continues to involve students in the search for a new university president. An online, universitywide survey was sent out Monday. Undergraduate Student Body President Mitchell Phelps said the university received great feedback
from the online survey, with more than 1,000 responses in the first three days. A feedback session is to take place Thursday, noon to 1:30 p.m. in TUC 400AB. Next week, UC plans to target some of the demographics that accounted for a smaller percentage of the responses, according to Phelps.
Sports editor David Wysong College Life editor Samantha Hall Arts editor Russell Hausfeld Opinion editor Caroline Cory Copy editor Huey Nguyen Photo editor Alexandra Taylor Chief photographer N. C. Brown Online editor Stephanie Smith Designer Gabrielle Stichweh Videographer Michelle Fisk
N.C. BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Student Government President, Mitchell Phelps, chimes in on discussion of a new LMS system that will replace Blackboard, Wednesday August 31, 2016.
Sales manager Caleb Ward
COLLEGE LIFE / 3 THURSDAY, SEPT. 1, 2016
UC professors take criticism, low ratings in stride SAMANTHA HALL | COLLEGE LIFE EDITOR
Professor Marla Hall Psychology, 1.4/5 rating, 20 reviews While currently an Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Cincinnati, Hall has been working in the field of Psychology for the last 30 years. Professor Hall is teaching behavioral modification as well as an introduction to psychology this semester, which is a common semester for her. The primary area of interest Hall has placed her studies in includes behavioral analysis as well as management strategies in businesses. Her education began with earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology and biology at Montana State University, and finished with her Ph.D. at West Virginia University for the
behavior analysis program. Hall worked for the College of Applied Science for nearly 20 years, until of course the college merged with the College of Engineering. After spending a year and a half away from teaching and instead developing the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards, Hall ended up in the Psychology Department in 2012. When it comes to her teaching methods, Hall considers hers to be “untraditional,” in that her exams aren’t conducted in class, but rather online as well as the order of her lessons. The professor feels that, in regards to the Rate My Professor website popularly used by students across the country, there is always going to be mixed reviews and emotions from a range of students, and that reading the reviews felt “disheartening.”
Hall benefits more so from keeping on track with her lessons planned for the semester.
Professor Larry Bortner - Department of Physics, 1.5/5 rating, 55 reviews.
Larry Bortner is currently the manager of UC College Labs, and does not currently teach any lectures. The labs he teaches are based on algebra and calculus for Physics I and II. Despite not teaching any official courses, Bortner does conduct the training of instructors for individual classes, which are “typically graduate students, but can include undergraduates and professors.” His education began in Dayton at Wright State University where he earned his B.S. in physics and his M.S. in mathematics. Bortner is also a UC alumnus, where he gained his Ph.D. in physics
followed by teaching at the University of Louisville and Northern Kentucky University prior to teaching at UC. Since the position at UC opened, he has stayed here ever since. In regards to the student voice expressed on Rate My Professor, Bortner doesn’t personally follow or monitor the site in order to receive student feedback. He finds anonymous surveys to be more helpful in searching for improvement in his methods. “Making a comment reflects a student’s experience,” said Bortner. Between an efficient professor and an inefficient professor, Bortner’s strongest advice is to provide a safe space for students, where they can make mistakes without being mocked. “Also, being kind certainly does no harm,” he said.
PROFESSOR MARLA HALL | PROVIDED
UC professors from RateMyProfessor defend their teaching methods
Harry Potter, sex and dogs: cool classes SAMANTHA HALL | COLLEGE LIFE EDITOR
While college is designed to educate, the courses that students take aren’t necessarily boring and unexciting, especially in this day and age. With newer studies towards sociology, anthropology and women’s gender studies, professors have the opportunity to expand research and learning for students. Some of the most popular courses that help students get their degree while entertaining the mind include:
The Magic of Harry Potter
MCT
UC’s Evolution of Dogs course has a popular first year with attendees
Whether you are a sneaky Slytherin or a gregarious Gryffindor, this course will rock your wizarding world. While currently the charming course is already in full swing, there may very possibly be a chance to sign up next semester. The enrollment covers six different class attributes, bringing in a diverse learning lesson for students. You
can know all or none of the Harry Potter series to take this class. By the end you’ll more than likely be a Potterhead.
Human Sexuality
This course is infamously known across campus at UC, being one of the most popular courses filling the entire lecture hall of Old Chemistry building. The course is introductory and will teach you anything from sexual kinks to abuse survivors, covering nearly all aspects of sexuality in humanity.
Evolution of Dogs
With entire studies covering the creation, evolution, natural habits and even mating, this new course is taught by Professor Jeremy Koster. Koster specializes in data regarding the domestication of dogs and their hunting habits, while still being a human behavioral ecologist. This course has been offered this fall, and will possibly be offered in the spring following its successful attendance.
Barbie: Sociology of Culture
With international cultures affected from the production of the Barbie doll, the topic of its impact towards society. The course is designed to cover inequality in genders, capitalism and marketing, race and consumerism. This iconic product created in 1959 paved the path for new sociological theories and concepts, which researches would later break down to the very core.
Introduction to Wine
The boozy yet health-driven experience that this course is made to be gives students over the age of 21 the chance to learn of sensory skills in wine tasting, complementary foods for wine, review making and even health issues with alcohol. Although the horticultural studies course is open for any student to take, the benefit of wine tasting is only available to those of age.
New organizations reach more students RAEGAN ELY | CONTRIBUTOR
Campus clubs and organizations are starting off this school year with big goals in mind. Student Government and the Lesbian Gay Transgender and Queer Center, or LGBTQ, both have visions of making the University of Cincinnati a welcoming community. With over 400 organizations on the UC campus, there’s truly something for every student, with each organization having a different idea and focus. “I think our main goal is to really create a united community and advocate across campus,” said SG at-large senator Nicole Price. With college still being fresh to many UC students, it can be difficult to jump right into a new club right away, but SG invites all to visit it’s frequently updated website to check out what’s new. SG has recently been placing focus on a wide variety of things, including communication and violence awareness. “Our main points are working toward unity and constructing and educating for gender-based violence awareness,” said Price. She later elaborated on how the proper communication can bring them to greater heights this school year with even greater relationships between students and administration as a whole. Other organizations, like the LGBTQ Center, are already in the process of creating a great agenda for
this coming school year. The LGBTQ Center has one mission, and that’s to make each student feel welcome and give a sense of respect towards everyone, regardless of sexuality or gender identity. They also encourage those to be more aware and understanding in order to have a vision of unity. The Center is kicking off this year with their “Out To Win” event located in the MainStreet Cinema on at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 8.“Out To Win” is a film that focuses on celebrating athletes who have been struggling in the public eye about their sexuality. The list continues with LGBTQ heritage month in October, and the third week of November is trans awareness week. Another smaller group event that the Center is eager about are the weekly meetings, which will be taking place every Tuesday at 6 p.m. in their room located in the Steger Student Life Center, room 565. Its open to any questions you may have about LGBTQ. “No question too intrusive. We’d rather you come to us than Google,” said Lee Dyer, LGBTQ Center program director.“Stop by for coffee.” Many other events are in the works and will soon be posted on their calendar, which can be found on their UC website. The possibilities seem endless when it comes to finding a niche or just a home-like environment on campus — so find the one that’s bound to be right for you.
N.C. BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Clubs and organizations on campus are aiming to reach new goals for student involvement.
4 / OPINION
THURSDAY, SEPT. 1, 2016
The US: leaders in freedom, leaders in gun-related death CLARITY AMREIN | CONTRIBUTOR
Welcome to America, one of the most developed countries on Earth and a world leader in gun-related deaths. America has the most number of firearms per capita in the world, an estimated 270 million. While the U.S. has only five percent of the world’s population, it accounts for 31 percent of the world’s public mass shootings, according to CNN. After so many shootings across the U.S. in the past several years and the recent Pulse Night Club shooting in Florida, it seems like gun violence is happening constantly. Actually, you’d be right, Americans are 10 times more likely to die of gun violence than in other developed countries. Even here in Cincinnati, 11 people were shot dead, including three dead, in several different incidents in only a single weekend this past July. What could make the insanity stop? Everyone from politicians and presidential candidates to National Rifle Association members and the mothers of shooting victims have been in endless debate over the reform of gun control policies. Firstly, it’s time to tighten restrictions about who can obtain weapons in the U.S. Right now, background checks include criminal history, mental health history, dishonorable discharge from the military
and immigration status. President Obama added a heavily debated law this year after the Orlando shooting, stating that anyone on the U.S. government’s “no fly” list or on any suspected terrorist watch list should also be prohibited from obtaining a firearm. It should be further proposed that background checks should extend to Facebook and other social media profiles for any outright threats, hate speech or activity in any hate groups or public forums. Gun stores, auctions, and some online dealers do background checks, but there are loopholes. And even when they are performed and a person is flagged, government officials have to complete a review in 72 hours. If it takes longer, a “default proceed” law allows the vendor to still sell the gun. Making background checks mandatory for all gun sales, banning private gun sales and getting rid of the “default proceed” law are all necessary new gun restrictions. Secondly, it’s time to put heavier restrictions on the kind of guns citizens can obtain. America could use a similar gun classification system to Canada’s, separating into three categories: allowed firearms (handguns, etc.), restricted firearms (semi-automatic weapons) and prohibited firearms (automatic weapons).
Upon banning assault and automatic weapons for civilians, all weapons classified as semiautomatic should be further restricted in the U.S, and all semi-automatic gun sales and registry should include more thorough licensure and safety training. For those arguing that criminals don’t follow laws this entire time: of course they don’t, and by that logic, why make any laws at all? Extreme tightening of possession laws, such as mandatory jail time and steep fines per weapon for any unlicensed, unregistered or improperly obtained firearms, would make them more difficult, dangerous and expensive to obtain, even for criminals. Countries like Australia and Japan are commonly used examples of countries that have imposed strict gun laws and have had little or no civilian gun violence since. Constitutional right or not, owning a gun is an extreme responsibility. If you have a weapon that can end the lives of people around you, then owning a gun is everyone’s business. Even if criminals could still obtain guns, loosening or keeping the current laws will only allow more people to slip through the loopholes and commit more gun violence. I don’t want to be afraid to die at the movies or at a club or at school; it’s time to crack down.
RICARDO RAMIREZ BUXEDA | ORLANDO SENTINEL | TNS
Serge Rene, owner of Rene’s Security and Training, handles merchandise on Friday, Aug. 5, 2016 in Orlando, Fla. Central Florida has more than 380 licensed gun dealers and, despite laws prohibiting it, at least a half dozen have felony and domestic violence convictions.
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Rapist Turner to be released CAROLINE CORY | OPINION EDITOR
After serving only half of his meager six month sentence for sexual assault, former Stanford University student Brock Turner will be released from jail on Friday, according to Fox19. On Jan. 18, Turner was arrested for three counts of felony sexual assault after raping an unconscious female who then pressed charges, leading to the jail sentence. During the period between the incident and his sentence, many were outraged at the fact that, even though he sexually took advantage of someone, he only got six months in jail and will now be released early on Friday due to good behavior. That’s right — a man raped a woman behind a dumpster with eyewitnesses present and only got three months of jail time. In response, the victim wrote a letter to the judge, which she read as her statement in court. While many speculate his short sentence is due to his success on Stanford’s swim team, this ruling is still unacceptable — and the state of California agrees. This week, California legislators drafted the bill AB2888, which would set harsher sentences for similar violators, according to The New York Times. Currently, the bill is on the desk of Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown who has until the end of this month to make his decision on whether to veto or approve it. Although this bill is great in theory, it is an absolute shame that it was triggered by the traumatizing experience the woman went through in relation to the minor sentencing Turner received. Regardless of consciousness, the woman still had every right to her body and what
she does with it should be her decision. Moreover, Turner had absolutely no right to take advantage of her but he did; because of this, he should have had a much harsher sentence. Being on a college environment puts students at risk of being sexually assaulted also. University of Cincinnati students are no exception. At UC alone, over 11 percent of our 43,691 students will be sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. As a woman, it is especially tricky with one in five women being sexually assaulted in their lifetimes — for men, the odds are one in 33. Gender aside, one argument raised in the Turner trial is the racial divide, as seen in the case of Cory Batey, an AfricanAmerican football player at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. One night in June 2013, security cameras showed Batey carried an unconscious woman into a dormitory room and cell phone photos and videos were taken of the sexual assault happening, according to the New York Daily News. Batey is currently serving 15 years of jail time originally on four aggravated felony rape charges but was re-tried in April and had his charges reduced to one aggravated rape charge. This week is sexual assault week, which is putting its best efforts toward raising awareness for sexual assault victims and those affected by the crime. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, do not hesitate to contact UC’s Title IX office or the Cincinnati Police Department.
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ARTS / 5 THURSDAY, SEPT. 1, 2016
Dogs of Cincinnati Instagram creator, photographer talks about new project RUSSELL HAUSFELD | ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR
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William imhoff challenges himself with one- to- two - minute photoshoots of dogs around Cincinnati
BrewCats:
Dog biscuit maker sources grains From Cincy breweries RUSSELL HAUSFELD | ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR
Local businesses often inspire and help provide materials for other local ventures. In places where the craft beer scene is taking off, there are often dog biscuit companies to follow, creating products with the spent grains used by the beer makers. Companies like Brew Bites in San Diego and Brew Bones in California use this model to make artisanal treats for pups in their area, and Lisa Graham from Cincinnati has developed a similar business with a twist through her company, Brewhaus Dog Biscuits. Brewhaus Dog Biscuits is a non-profit that strives to provide vocational training and work experience for children with disabilities and special education needs. All Brewhaus products are produced by students enrolled in transitional programs — typically students between the ages of 18 to 22 who need vocational training and life skills to help make them as independent as possible — in 14 local school districts, including Cincinnati Public Schools, Milford, Mason and the University of Cincinnati’s Advancement and Transition Services. As the mother of a disabled child herself, Graham says the biggest inspiration for Brewhaus has been her own daughter. “Natalie is the motivation behind all this,” Graham said. “And she loves being a part of the business and is very good at it. She loves to cook, bake and we all love animals, especially our dogs.”
Graham has accumulated an impressive list of local breweries that contribute spent grains to her project — spent grains being the leftover malt and adjuncts from the beer-making process. These breweries include big local names such as Listermann, Mt. Carmel, Rivertown and Rhinegeist, as well as Bad Tom Smith, Blank Slate, Paradise, Old Fire House, Fibonacci, Braxton and Ei8ght Ball. When she first began reaching out to businesses for her project, Graham approached Dan Listermann of Listermann Brewing who she says was absolutely awesome and credits him with many of her original connections around the craft beer scene. “He was very receptive and seemed to think it was a great idea and helped me make connections to others too that could help, like Thommy Long of Lemon Grenade Creative, the guy who does his beer graphics,” Graham said. From there, Mt. Carmel and Rivertown jumped on board and the rest followed in tow. Brewhaus was even the first recipient of the Trophy Grant by Braxton Brewing based off sales of their Trophy Beer this past March. “I have to tell you, the breweries have been fantastic and I cannot say enough good things about this group of people,” Graham said. “My husband says it’s because they drink beer all the time but, my gosh, they are so giving and so community-minded and very willing to help and support our mission and purpose.”
The list of things that Cincinnatians love is long, but there’s one tree we love barking up. “I now know that if there’s anything Cincinnatians love more than Goetta and baseball, it’s dogs,” William Imhoff told The News Record on his latest photography project, Dogs of Cincinnati. Imhoff has created an Instagram profile with the goal of putting the faces of Cincinnati’s beautiful dog population on the web and increasing his own skills as a photographer. TNR spoke with him about his own dogs, the difference between his project and the Dogs of Cincy project and the best times to see cute dogs in Cincinnati. TNR: Do you have a dog? WI: I have three Beagles — Pumpkin, Piper and Pearl Bailey. They are the
lot of similarities, but what I aim for is image quality. Although the submissions on Dogs of Cincy are fine, I hope to provide photo consistency to the page. I could very easily start a page where it’s a mixture of my own work and other’s, but then it wouldn’t feel like my own. The experience of finding dogs, talking to the owners, seeing the chemistry between the two and walking away being a little better at taking pictures of dogs than I was before, is what makes this project different. It’s personal. TNR: Do you have any long-term goals for this project? WI: The current goal is to keep shooting dogs as long as there are dogs to shoot. The long term goal is improvement. I started this with the intention of throwing myself into situations where I have only a minute or two to
produce a good photo, the challenge has been great, and after only two weeks opportunities and work has been popping up, so I can’t really say where this will lead me to. But, if this project continually brings joy to myself and others, it will be going on for a long time. TNR: When is Cincinnati’s dog traffic highest? Have noticed a difference going out different days of the week or different times of day? WI: Location plays as much importance as time does, I’ve noticed. In suburban areas, if I’m out before 9 a.m. and any time after 7 p.m., I’m going to photograph at least seven dogs. The closer to downtown I am, the harder it is to have a solid idea of when most dogs are out, because they are everywhere, all the time.
Loving Hut makes moral meals that taste more like sinfully delicious pleasures JEN HAMM | STAFF REPORTER
What if there was a way you could improve your health, heal the earth and help end world hunger — all in just under 45 minutes? Trek on down to Montgomery Road for The Loving Hut and they will show you the way — at least to tasty health and lifeconscious eating. The Loving Hut is considered the Queen City’s best vegan restaurant. In fact, it is so esteemed that Cincinnati’s Vegan Meetup Group has designated it their standard spot for monthly gatherings; and for good reason. The food on the Loving Hut’s menu is made with non-GMO, organic and vegan products. The American Panini — made with vegan Tofurkey, vegan “cheez” and mayonnaise, organic coleslaw and pickles — and Pumpkin Chili are among the most popular dishes and will make you wonder how such a
moral meal could taste like such a guilty pleasure. Through a developed menu encompassing everything from dumplings to “grilled cheez,” The Loving Hut invites customers to dabble in what customer service representative Lynn McGee describes the moral standard. “Every living being wants to live,” said McGee. “Who are we to say that any living being does or does not deserve that chance?” McGee further explains that the founder of the Loving Hut, Supreme Master Ching Hai, was an international spiritual leader who devoted her life to guiding people toward a peaceful lifestyle that would minimize suffering. Lynn says when an animal is about to be slaughtered, the fear the animal feels manifest in the hormones the animal’s body creates. “These hormones stay in the animal’s tissues and are later
absorbed by us when we eat the animal. Eating vegan improves the physical health of an individual by eliminating exposure to these negative hormones, allowing the individual to feel more at peace.” Customers can not only be at peace but also have peace of mind, knowing that all silverware is biodegradable and compostable. Ching Hai’s Loving Hut has over 120 branches around the world, each with its own creative twist on vegan foods and each promoting the message of compassionate veganism. You do not have to walk away a vegan after eating at The Loving Hut, just an open mind and appreciation for delicious food. GO: The Loving Hut, 6227 Montgomery Rd., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 4 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays, Closed Monday and Tuesday.
ALEXANDRA TAYLOR | PHOTO EDITOR
The Crispy Burger and Tropical Smoothie from the Loving Hut Vegan Café, located on 6227 Montgomery Rd, Wednesday evening, Aug. 31, 2016.
Made In Cincinnati curates local artisans for easy access CHEYENNE KRIEGER | CONTRIBUTOR
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Brewhaus Dog Bones, a non-profit venture in Cincinnati provides work and vocational training for special needs students.
light of my life. TNR: As an amateur photographer, is Cincinnati a good muse for your craft? WI: I’ve only been seriously shooting for a little over a year, but as I see it, Cincinnati is full of beautiful people, places and animals. There’s an interesting story to tell on every block, and I’ve only just scratched the surface. TNR: What has the response to your project been like? WI: The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Whether it be the owners of the dogs I’m shooting, or the family and friends that have heard about it, everyone is excited about dogs. I’m yet to find a person who isn’t thrilled about having a picture of their dog taken. TNR: Have you seen the Dogs of Cincy Instagram? How do you differentiate from them, if at all? WI: I have. There are a
GRAPHIC BY RUSSELL HAUSFELD
Shopping has become instantaneous with Amazon and other popular online retailers dominating the scene, but oftentimes shoppers are left wondering where their new purchases come from. Made in Cincinnati is an online retailer that sells locally-crafted products like jewelry, ceramics, art, beauty products and so much more. It’s like going to a local market without ever leaving the comfort of home. Maija Zummo, founder of the site and managing editor of CityBeat, was inspired to create a website that promotes local small businesses, including artists and craftspeople, after working on CityBeat’s annual Gift Guide. “I think I literally was just sifting through pages of Etsy trying to find cool local makers, and I said out loud, ‘Why isn’t there a site where I can just go and find local Cincinnati makers?’” Zummo said. For about six months, Zummo tried to figure out how to get her site up and running, but couldn’t get off the ground without a $10,000 grant she applied for through People’s Liberty, a local company that funds creative dreams. “The world moves so fast today and things are so
disposable in our modern culture, I believe people are searching for reconnecting with things that mean something, with products that have a lineage. It’s making sure you surround yourself with meaningful objects,” Zummo said. Additionally, everything on the website is sourced, made and priced with ethics in mind. Zummo wants to ensure vendors are fair to the consumers while also being able to turn their passions into a day job and get their stories into the public. Now that the school year is underway, I decided to find the coolest back-toschool products. There are sweet totes that say “Cincy is for Dreamers,” longboards made out of American cherry wood, T-shirts with “Loyal AF” stamped in an outline of Ohio and wooden bookmarks. You can even find homemade granola, dog bones and jalapeno jelly – yikes. “We’ve also launched an initiative where we work with local artists to create site-specific goods. Our first collaboration was Made in Cincinnati x Philip Valois,” said Zummo. “Phil is a really talented local designer, he’s worked with everyone from Alien Workshop skateboards to the Contemporary
Arts Center, and together we created a series of Cincinnati-specific lapel pins, funny enamel pins featuring a 3-way, black raspberry chip ice cream, lederhosen, cornhole and Jerry Springer’s head.” (AUTHOR NOTE: These are all amazing and on the homepage). Zummo works alongside Creative Director Laura Katz and Web Developer LeeAnne Galioto, making Made in Cincinnati a female-owned and operated company. “Made in Cincinnati is a passion project in and of itself for us; we’re always trying to balance life, work and family and we’re trying to find ways for our shoppers and makers to do that, too,” said Zummo. “We want to be a very simple and easy-tonavigate site to make it as easy as possible for shoppers to buy local, and by inserting ourselves in the process, we act as a middleman to help manage orders and inventory and customer service for our makers.” To learn more about Made in Cincinnati and shop an endless amount of locally made products, head to www. shopmadeincincinnati.com, because the internet never closes.
6 / SPORTS THURSDAY, SEPT. 1, 2016
UC and the Big 12: is the move worth it? JASON SZELEST | STAFF REPORTER AMIR SAMARGHANDI | MANAGING EDITOR
The Big 12 has some decisions to make and they are going to be made quickly. With expansion seeming like a near certainty for the ten-team conference that call themselves 12, the bigger question now is who the conference will select to join their current teams. Suppose the Big 12 selects the University of Cincinnati as one of its expansion schools. Why should the Bearcats abandon ship from the American Athletic Conference and sail into the waters of uncertainty?
Staff reporter Jason Szelest provides the pro-Big 12 opinion: 1. Money
Money runs the world and it will be the biggest factor in Cincinnati’s decision to leave for the Big 12. The conference generated the fourth-highest revenue last year, reeling in $253 million, according to Forbes. The AAC generated roughly $30 million in 2015.
2. Recruiting Expansion
How a school recruits ultimately determines how successful their athletic programs will be. By joining the Big 12, Cincinnati would have a brand-new recruiting
region to tap into, including the state of Texas. Texas was home to 53 of ESPN’s top-300 football recruits for 2016.
3. Prestige
The Big 12 is a power-five conference. Recruits want to play in the conferences sending teams to NCAA tournaments and New Year’s Six bowl games ― the highest bowl games. Ohio is a hotbed for football recruiting, but playing in the AAC the Bearcats failed to land one top-50 recruit.
So we want to be the last part of the Big 12’s television market expansion? How much longer will this cycle of big conferences contriving to combine for more and more profit continue? And with players still working
far beyond the 40 hours expected of them, while not getting paid — and attending class in the meantime — this stinks even more.
3. Unnatural
UC would enter a conference steeped with its
own tradition, rivalries and you know, actual logical reason to play each other.
4. Doormat potential
The Big 12 is undoubtedly a huge step up in competition. UC hasn’t exactly lit up the more middling AAC they’re
currently in. So in order to join a faraway, unnatural conference simply to fulfill a marketing conquest fantasy, UC risks becoming a perennial punching bag for the big boys of the Big 12.
4. Tougher Competition
Many of our athletic programs, such as men’s basketball, volleyball and women’s soccer are on the rise. In order to reach a level of national prominence, they need to be facing established powers on a regular basis. Our teams are not getting any better playing Tulane University and East Carolina University.
Managing Editor Amir provides the counterpoint: 1. Distance
If you think road trips to Norman, Oklahoma and Austin, Texas or vice versa are practical, you’re crazy. This is a conference that plays in the plains, and Cincinnati makes no sense being a member of it geographically.
2. Greed
N.C. BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
File art from UC vs Tulsa at Nippert Stadium on Saturday November 14, 2015.
TNR predicts the 2016 a make or Bearcats’ season break year for
Tommy Tuberville DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR OPINION
DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR AMIR SAMARGHANDI | MANAGING EDITOR CLAUDE THOMPSON | STAFF REPORTER JASON SZELEST | STAFF REPORTER
Cincinnati Bearcat football kicks off Thursday against the University of Tennessee at Martin. Sports Editor David Wysong, Managing Editor Amir Samarghandi and Staff Reporters Jason Szelest and Claude Thompson —who all regularly appear on the TNR Sports Podcast, available on iTunes and Soundcloud — gave their predictions for the scores of every game. Week 1: UC vs UT Martin David: UC 42 - UT Martin 14 Amir: UC 42 - UT Martin 14 Claude: UC 42 - UT Martin 7 Jason: UC 52 UT -Martin 14 Claude: “It’s a [Football Championship Subdivision] team. Go out, get into a rhythm and take care of business.” Week 2: UC vs Purdue University David: UC 35 - Purdue 21 Amir: UC 34 - Purdue 21 Claude: UC 35 Purdue 0 Jason: Purdue 31 - UC 28 Jason: “The home field advantage should give [Purdue] a slight edge.” Week 3: UC vs the University of Houston David: Houston 35 - UC 28 Amir: Houston 35 - UC 17 Claude: UC 24 Houston 20 Jason: Houston 45 - UC 21 David: “Houston is going to be the team to beat in the American Athletic Conference. Houston will give UC a close loss.” Week 4: UC vs Miami University David: UC 42 - Miami 28 Amir: UC 95 - Miami 0 Claude: UC 35 - Miami 10 Jason: UC 49 - Miami 17 Amir: “Is my score likely? No. But that’s how much better we are than Miami.” Week 5: UC vs the University of South Florida David: USF 42 - UC 28 Amir: UC 21 - USF 20 Claude: USF 27 - UC 20 Jason: USF 45 - UC 38
David: “South Florida embarrassed UC last season. USF will win because they are the better team.” Week 6: UC vs the University of Connecticut David: UC 35 - UConn 14 Amir: UC 24 - UConn 20 Claude: UC 24 - UConn 14 Jason: UC 24 - UConn 20 Claude: “The Huskies have a defense that keeps them in games. The offense simply is not good enough, however, and the Bearcats will leave Stoors with a close victory.” Week 7: UC vs East Carolina University David: UC 28 - ECU 14 Amir: ECU 28 - UC 27 Claude: UC 30 - ECU 21 Jason: UC 34 - ECU 31 Amir: “East Carolina is trying to get their independence from North and South Carolina, so that will rally them to a shock victory.” Week 8: UC vs Temple University David: Temple 35 - UC 31 Amir: UC 24 - Temple 17 Claude: Temple 28 UC 20 Jason: Temple 24 - UC 17 Claude: “Temple plays every AAC opponent tough and this will be no different as Temple comes out fast, pops Cincinnati in the mouth and fights hard all the way to victory.” Week 9: UC vs Brigham Young University David: BYU 27 - UC 24 Amir: UC 38 - BYU 31 Claude: UC 42 - BYU 35 Jason: BYU 42 - UC 31 Jason: “Somehow Taysom Hill has managed to buy himself another year playing college football, as he is from the same recruiting class as Manti (I have a girlfriend) Te’o and Trent (Hall of Fame) Richardson. If healthy, he will lead the second best team
Cincinnati plays this year.” Week 10: UC vs University of Central Florida David: UC 49 - UCF 7 Amir: UC 42 - UCF 10 Claude: UC 27 - UCF 10 Jason: UC 42 - UCF 10 David: “UCF is a horrible team on a good day, UC beat them by a lot last season and I expect the same this year.” Week 11: UC vs the University of Memphis David: UC 35 - Memphis 28 Amir: Memphis 35 - UC 28 Claude: UC 35 UCF 30 Jason: UC 38 - Memphis 28 Claude: “A come-from-behind victory against a team that occupies the middle of the conference on a yearly basis.” Week 12: UC vs the University of Tulsa David: UC 52 - Tulsa 38 Amir: UC 35 - Tulsa 31 Claude: UC 27 - Tulsa 10 Jason: UC 35 - Tulsa 31 David: “Tulsa was 6-7 last year, I don’t expect them to be much better this year. UC should get an easier win.”
In 2011, the Cincinnati Bearcat football team was 10-3 and won the Belk Bowl; the head coach was Butch Jones. Jones left to go to the University of Tennessee in 2012 and Tommy Tuberville was hired in his place; the Bearcats have not had a 10win season since and are 0-3 in bowl games. Tuberville is going into his fourth season as the head coach for the Bearcats and with having to yet winning a bowl game, this year could be a make or break season. When Cincinnati hired Tuberville, they hired a coach that won three national championships as an assistant for the University of Miami, was awarded the Associated Press Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year award in 1997 as the head coach at the University of Mississippi as well as the AP Coach of the Year award in 2004 at Auburn University. Tuberville found success early in his career, but ever since he led Auburn to a 13-0 season in 2004, the majority of his teams have been average at most. In his final season with Auburn, the team went 5-7 and Tuberville decided to take a step back. He then took the head coaching job at Texas Tech University and in three seasons there his teams were either average or god awful. Tuberville finished his time at Texas Tech with a 20-17 overall record and a 9-17 record in Big 12 Conference play. That led him to resign and eventually go to where he is now, Cincinnati. In his first two seasons with Cincinnati, Tuberville went 9-4 ― finishing third in the American Athletic Conference in 2013 and
winning the conference championship in 2014. Last year, however, the team took a major step back going 7-6 and finishing third in the AAC eastern division. One of the major reasons UC has not found the same success they found under Jones, or even under his predecessor Brian Kelley, is their lack of defense. The team has given up nearly 27 points per game under Tuberville, even though he specialized in defense as an assistant coach early in his career. At times it has looked like the defensive players have never learned how to tackle, which is typically a failure on the coaching staff’s part. The most important red flag about the team under Tuberville goes back to what I mentioned earlier ― the winless record in bowl games. Before Tuberville joined the program, the Bearcats had won five of their last seven bowl games, two being BCS bowls ― the highest level of bowl games. So should Tuberville be held accountable for his winless record and only competing in the Belk, Military and Hawai’i bowls? If the Bearcats lose a bowl game this year, or perhaps not qualify for one, then the answer is yes. Shelf life as a head football coach is short, and with the University wanting to join the Big 12 ― a conference Tuberville struggled to win games in ― I think the University has already begun to look at other options. If the Bearcats have another average year and lose a bowl game, or perform worse than that, I believe Tuberville has a good chance to be on his way out.
N.C. BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
File art of Tommy Tuberville at Fifth Third Arena Sunday January 24, 2016.