Sept. 8, 2016

4

Bearcats vs Purdue

Medical marijuana legalization

2

Students react to the recent legalization of medical marijuana

Preview the upcoming UC vs Purdue football game

THE NEWS RECORD / UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI THURSDAY, SEPT. 8, 2016

Anti-Zika insecticide threatens bee population KINSLEY SLIFE | NEWS EDITOR

ALEXANDRA TAYLOR | PHOTO EDITOR

Lucy Eisen (Left) Grace Cunningham and Isabel Harney promote Students for Survivors in front of TUC, Tuesday Aug. 30, 2016. Cunningham asks students to write notes to sexual assault survivors and post on bulletin board.

Student advocacy for assault survivors returns LAUREN MORETTO | NEWS EDITOR

A new student group is aiming to hold the University of Cincinnati responsible for what has now been an over yearlong absence of university-supported peer advocacy for sexual assault survivors.

Students for Survivors was launched Aug. 11 by co-founders Anahita Sharma, a third-year liberal arts student, and Grace Cunningham, a third-year sociology student.

Prompted by the treatment RECLAIM, a peer advocacy program previously affiliated with the UC Women’s Center, received from administration last year, Sharma and Cunningham formed Students for Survivors. “[It’s] really important for us to honor the work that RECLAIM did and to be vocal about the fact that administration shut down RECLAIM in a really horrifying way,” said Sharma.

On Aug. 17, 2015, members of UC’s administration met with RECLAIM members to discuss changes to their scheduled training, which at the time had been canceled until further notice. It was there RECLAIM was told they would cease to exist as a rape advocacy group, according to the former group’s members.

Administration later retracted this decision, voicing their intent to meet with RECLAIM’s members and restructure their training.

The status on peer advocacy resources supported by the university is unclear.

In August, UC’s Title IX office partnered with Women Helping Women (WHW), an agency that offers crisis intervention and support services to survivors of sexual assault, to bring students an on-call confidential advocate to provide support to those who have, are experiencing or have witnessed genderbased violence.

Additionally, WHW will have an on-campus presence starting Oct. 30, in which a full-time campus advocate will be housed in the Steger Student Life Center.

Some students worry that one WHW advocate

With the discovery of Cincinnati’s second Zika case on Sept. 1, local beekeepers fear for their hives.

A recent aerial spraying of mosquito repellent, meant to keep the Zika virus at bay, has left millions of bees dead in South Carolina — and many professional beekeepers in devastation.

After four residents of Summerville, South Carolina were diagnosed with Zika, mosquito control units in Dorchester County made the decision to blanket the region with a product called Trumpet in hopes to ease local fears about the spread of the virus.

Trumpet, which was recommended by both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, contains a pesticide called nadel— known to specifically target mosquitos carrying Zika.

Mosquitos are not the only known victims of Trumpet, though.

One Cincinnati beekeeper believes the indiscriminate spray of Trumpet was a poor choice and is devastated by the loss of bees.

Liz Tilton started

beekeeping as a hobby eight years ago and now runs a successful business in which she keeps, raises, sells and studies bees. Tilton even removes bees from people’s homes all over the Cincinnati area.

For Tilton, it is very important to determine the risks that go with the state’s efforts to combat the Zika virus.

“I would rather stick to using mosquito repellent and take my chances with the Zika virus rather than killing natural

businesses outraged, and an already declining honeybee population, the effort to combat Zika in the states is now under question.

Because the Zika virus is relatively new to the states, there hasn’t been much in the way of precautionary measures beyond encouraging people to wear long sleeves, pants and mosquito repellent.

Dr. O’dell Owens, interim Health Commissioner for the Cincinnati Health Department, also urged residents to eradicate any standing water

around their homes.

Thus far, state authorities have made no mention of any aerial pesticide spraying in Ohio but Tilton does fear the loss of more beehives as more Zika prevention efforts are still being tested.

She also believes that the Zika virus and catastrophic honeybee loss is an indicator that the ecosystem is out of whack. “[Bees] show us when our lives are out of balance,” said Tilton. “We don’t have enough wildlife or flowers, we have too many pesticides, less blossoms, fewer veggies and plants aren’t producing as much.”

With the most recent diagnoses of Zika topping off a total of 22 infected individuals in Ohio since federal health authorities deemed it a national emergency, virus prevention efforts may be neglecting the health of an important ecosystem player.

“Even if the community decided on blanket spraying, there should be better communication between farm owners, beekeepers and the county so we could take precautions to protect ourselves — and more importantly, our honeybees — from the spray,” said Tilton.

WALTER MICHOT | MIAMI HERALD | MCT

A tray of bees from a hive in the Toyne family’s backyard in Coral Gables, Fla., on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014.

Women conquer the world SAMANTHA HALL | COLLEGE LIFE

SHAE COMBS | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

SEE STUDENTS FOR SURVIVORS PG 2

pollinators and contaminating food and animals by blanket spraying,” said Tilton.

According to the manufacturers label, Trumpet is highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment on blooming crops or weeds.

When the product fell from the sky between 6:30 and 8:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning, millions of bees were found dead.

With local beekeeping

Rosalyn Collins, Assistant Director of the UC Women’s Center, hosts Women Conquer The Working World in TUC Wednesday, September 7, 2016.

Women, where do you see yourself in five years? 10 years? Even 15?

Nearly every attendee in the room inside TUC did not have an answer.

Society sets a heavy weight on women in the working industry to have every aspect of life planned out, according to Rosalyn Collins, assistant director of the University of Cincinnati Women’s Center.

The semester-long workshop Women Conquer the Working World is working towards showing young women how to tap into passions that may have been lost long ago, due to the pressures of society to conform.

With these passions comes a journey of searching for the most satisfactory profession, which meets a person’s core area of interest as well as their foundational attributes.

Often times, students may take on the burden to pursue a career that is not specifically in their interest,

but comes from interest of family members, and even from influence of the work industry.

“You have to do what’s best for you and avoid the noise,” said Collins.

“Noise,” can be any influence or expectation that comes from somewhere other than oneself. This ties into the “Invisible Assembly Line,” or the options of careers put in place by society rather than personal happiness, according to Collins.

Collins believes that a combination of passion, mission or foundation and profession creates the ultimate purpose in one’s employment lifetime.

Collins also asked the attendees to challenge what they may gain from their experience at UC and how to make the most during their time attending college.

During Wednesday’s workshop, Collins passed out activity packets for the attendees to complete, which allowed students to search for their individual

THE STUDENT VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

interests in order to lay out possible careers paths that break societal norms in the work industry.

Students that attended expressed the helpfulness of the Women’s Center workshop, and how the opportunity of careers opened further in their minds.

While students completed the activity packet and ate pizza and Collins went over her visual presentation, students were able to sign up for a free book raffle, which took place at the end of the event.

“Start with you,” Collins said as her closing words to the workshop to the attendees, reflecting on the day’s lesson of inner self-searching in order to feel fulfillment during ones future.

The workshop will take place all the way through November, and will restart this spring with new topics to cover. The next workshop will take place from noon-1 p.m. on Oct. 12 in TUC, and is titled “Using Your Voice.”

FREE

2 / NEWS THURSDAY, SEPT. 8, 2016

SG retreat spending raises serious questions with students FERNANDA CRESCENTE | SENIOR REPORTER

Students concerned with the University of Cincinnati Student Government’s spending are raising questions about the organization’s most recent summer retreat.

“They don’t want to be questioned and they don’t want you to see what they’re doing with your money,” said Tobi Akomolede, SG’s former speaker of senate.

The debate started over a summer trip that 50 members of Student Government and related student groups including SAB, UFB and SSB took to Washington, D.C. July 27-Aug. 1.

A bill under the current Mitchell Phelps and Brooke Duncan administration allocated $4,913.48 toward the retreat.

However, the bill did not reveal the trip’s true cost of $11,375.05, which SG distributed into transportation, events and one dinner, according to Vice President Duncan.

It was not until 11 days after the trip that SG sent out a press release showing the use of additional funds from a previously canceled spring retreat under the previous administration of Andrew Naab and Andrew Griggs.

“Students shouldn’t have

to assume or figure out they are using two bills,” Akomolede said. “The bill that they had was not representative of what they did.”

Though the original NaabGriggs spring retreat bill — available on SG’s website — allocated $4,961 for the trip, Phelps later said the numbers were incorrect and outdated.

The previous administration made amendments to raise allocations for the spring retreat up to $7,480 — but did not post such changes online — according to Duncan.

Combined, both the NaabGriggs and Phelps-Duncan bills cover the cost of the D.C. retreat, she said.

“We recognize there were issues with transparency in the previous administration,” Duncan said. “We will be taking active measures to ensure this is not a problem in student government moving forward.”

The summer retreat was an investment in leadership, Phelps said.

During their time in D.C., SG members participated in discussions facilitated through the National Campus Leadership Council covering topics such as mental health, campus sexual assault and diversity.

“I’m really glad we went,”

said At-Large Senator Nicole Price. “I think it threw all of us out of our comfort zones in one or way or another. We all learned something about ourselves, and about how we can better interact within SG and the students on our campus.”

In the press release, Student Government also said remaining funds from the Naab-Griggs administration “would have otherwise gone unused” due to the fiscal year ending.

Still, Akomolede said he thinks the money could have been used to directly benefit students.

“We allocated that money for a specific spring retreat,” he said.

“Since that [retreat] didn’t happen due to weather, that [money] should have been moved back into Student Government’s funds so we could have spent that money on different things.”

Akomolede mentioned the Naab-Griggs pilot meal-equivalency plan

as an example of how the Duncan-Phelps administration could have used SG’s remaining funds.

The plan allowed students to substitute their dining hall swipes for meals at Papa John’s Pizza.

Other students also expressed concern over SG’s transparency and how it uses funds.

“If they are supposed to be governing students, they should be informing students of what they are doing,” said Ben Hunt, a

PHOTO PROVIDED FROM PRESS RELEASE.

SG to co-sponsor Nearly Naked Mile student charity event ANDREW SENG | SACRAMENTO BEE | TNS

Dan Osborne, 54, founded a cannabis plant-breeding company called Clonetics Laboratories and is now a licensed cultivator with Desert Hot Springs. Osborne and his six employees breed, cultivate and nourish cannabis plants under conditions that prevent them from blooming buds. His company then wholesales the plants at low cost to medical growers who bring them to flower and harvest marijuana for sale.

Ohio’s medical marijuana is difficult to hash out JUSTIN RUETTER | SENIOR REPORTER

Ohio became the twenty-fifth state to legalize medicinal marijuana as of Thursday, following Gov. John Kasich’s signing of House Bill 523 earlier this year — but the process for patients to receive their medicine can be convoluted.

The state will adopt rules by Sept. 8, 2017, and it is estimated that patients won’t be able to purchase medical marijuana in Ohio until 2018.

The State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy and Department of Commerce have already established a few rules.

Dispensaries cannot be located within 500 feet of a school, church, public library or park.

Once Ohio certifies physicians, they can recommend marijuana for medical conditions such as cancer and AIDS. Patients will only be allowed to use marijuana as vaporized, oil, edible or patch forms—they will not be allowed to smoke it.

Individual Ohio cities still reserve the right to ban or limit dispensaries, and employers can continue drug testing to enforce a drugfree workplace.

Employers and city governments should not have this right, according to Bryan Kirwen, chapter leader for the UC Students For Sensible Drug Policy. “It is a medicine like any other, and removing that right from specific Ohio residents based on location and occupation is not just.”

The bill is a miniscule one even by the standards of medical marijuana legislation, according to Drake Lundstrom, president of the UC Young Americans for Liberty chapter.

“It still gives those in need no way to

legally purchase in Ohio….and it does nothing to help the many people in jail for a victimless crime,” said Lundstrom. “At the end of the day, the government should have no say in what plant you grow in your garden and what to do with your own body unless you are hurting or risking someone else.”

There are positives and negatives to the bill, according to UC alum Ian Schwartz, a member of the advisory board at Ohio Rights Group and a member of the Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

“I personally do not think the bill went far enough as the list of qualifying conditions therein does not mirror the known and empirically valid list of ailments in which cannabis has been shown to combat, or at least alleviate, “said Schwartz.

A victory was achieved in that chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder are included in the list of treatable ailments, according to Schwartz.

“I don’t think I speak out-of-turn when I say if it wasn’t for advocacy groups like the Ohio Rights Group, Weed for Warriors and the many brave and courageous Ohioans who spoke of their personal stories to Ohio State Senators Kenny Yuko and David Burke, then chronic pain and PTSD might not be included,” said Schwartz.

Some townships and municipalities are putting a temporary moratorium or ban on practices allowed under the bill.

“With an unprecedented opioid tsunami on their hands, nay, our hands, you would think cannabis —perhaps the most nontoxic and benign substance known to humankind — would be the least of their concerns,” said Schwartz.

ASHLEIGH PIERCE | CHIEF REPORTER

The University of Cincinnati’s Student Government is cosponsoring this year’s Nearly Naked Mile, a student-wide event that takes place each year during homecoming week.

SG voted 23-4-0 Wednesday to pass the bill to secure the cosponsorship of the event, which is run by the Cincinnatus Honorary Society.

The Nearly Naked Mile promotes school spirit while raising money for St. Vincent de Paul, a local nonprofit organization.

The event consists of a mile run around campus that starts and ends at Nippert Stadium.

This year’s Nearly Naked Mile is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 19, beginning at 8:30 p.m. at Bearcat Plaza.

SG’s approved bill appropriates $250 of funding for the event.

“It’s one of the biggest staples of UC of homecoming weekend,” Sen. Kaleb Kinebrew said. “This, by student government, we’re saying we support this program and we support them to give all the proceeds to St. Vincent de Paul, which is a really good effort.”

Shirts, flyers and facilities are just part of the cost to put on the event. No appropriations or cosponsorship funding goes toward the amount donated to St. Vincent de Paul; all funding from SG will help with costs to run the event.

With more funding to help run the event, more money is available to go directly to St. Vincent de Paul as donations, according to Kinebrew.

“Years before they were donating T-shirts. This year, they’d like all the proceeds to go straight to St. Vincent de Paul,” Kinebrew said.

“They’re just not giving them T-shirts anymore.

They’re giving them more funds so they can actually do something more with the money. It’s going to a great cause.”

As part of the cosponsorship agreement, SG gets their logo on the Nearly Naked Mile T-shirts, 10 free event T-shirts and registrations, as well as the SG logo on the event’s social media pages and website, according to Jeremy Morrall, Cincinnatus Nearly Naked Mile chair.

The annual event draws in hundreds of UC students to participate in the campus run in minimal clothing and undergarments.

UC is continuing to work toward reform for the University of Cincinnati Police Department, according to Student Body President Mitchell Phelps.

After receiving feedback and recommendations from students during the last year for reforming UCPD, UC is hiring an external monitor to ensure the suggestions are implemented this year.

Phelps is the student representative on the committee to select the new external monitor.

is a step in the right direction, Sharma doesn’t believe it replaces the need for peer advocacy.

The benefits of peer advocacy are acknowledged nation-wide and were even marked as best practice on matters of sexual assault by President Obama in Title IX changes, according to Lind.

The need for advocacy resources with physical presence on campus is immediate, according to Sharma.

Founded 1880 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

FROM STUDENTS FOR SURVIVORS PG 1

catering to 44,251 students is stretching resources too thin.

Amy Lind, the department head for women’s, gender and sexuality studies, imagines it will be a campus-wide effort.

“I think if there’s one Women Helping Women [advocate] on campus they’re going to be working with students and staff on these issues so there will be a distribution of labor and support,” said Lind.

Though a WHW advocate

fifth-year computer science student.

Hunt, who was president of Vocaholics, a student group funded by SG, said his organization had to extensively document their spending.

“It seems like in this instance they did what they thought they could do and tried to explain it away later,” he said. “I know that is almost impossible for other students [groups] to do.”

“We don’t have any kind of survivor advocacy until Oct. 30, which completely misses the first few weeks of school which is when most sexual assaults occur,” said Sharma. “I can list dozens of people that I know that have been sexually assaulted in the time that RECLAIM has been gone, and they have not had any form of support from UC at all.”

While Lind understands institutional changes take time, such as staff turnover

in both the Title IX office and the Women’s Center, she said the university has been slow to find solutions for peer advocacy.

“I wasn’t able to tell my colleagues and students exactly where they can go for peer advocacy and for prevention education on campus. It’s clear that we have the Title IX office, it’s clear that we have representatives in the police department, in counseling services—it’s not clear what’s happening

with peer advocacy and I really hope that the university can find a solution to that quickly,” said Lind. “We could’ve had a solution before now.”

While any criticism Students for Survivors has for UC comes out of love for the university, they need to do better for survivors, according to Sharma.

“It just feels like survivors are on their own,” said Sharma.

Chief reporter Ashleigh Pierce 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 Sales manager Caleb Ward

LIFE & ARTS / 3 THURSDAY, SEPT. 8, 2016

Cinci’s burlesque troupe performs biggest show ever RUSSELL HAUSFELD | ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR

Cincinnati’s sole burlesque troupe, Cin City Burlesque, is putting on their biggest production to date Saturday at Bogart’s.

The show is comprised entirely of group numbers of up to 13 dancers, which is rather unheard of for a burlesque show.

Ginger LeSnapps — founder, choreographer and producer of Cin City Burlesque — said the upcoming show, Mass A-Peel, is a huge undertaking for a burlesque troupe. But throughout Cin City’s eight years of dancing together, they have been heavily focused on group routines.

“This show will consist entirely of group numbers, from top to bottom,”

LeSnapps said. “It’s a huge undertaking — from the lineup of the show, to the choreography, to the costuming — but we feel the end product will be well worth the work.”

Burlesque may be sexy but should not be confused with what you may consider seedier dance ventures. It is, in fact, a certain form of caricature intended to cause laughter through the ludicrous treatment of serious works and attitudes.

Along with that, burlesque dancers — including the Cin City dancers — often have years and years of professional dancing such as tap, ballet, jazz and more under their belts that accentuate and bolster their performances.

Cin City Burlesque

brought the art of burlesque to Cincinnati in 2009 after two of the founding members attended a workshop and show in Chicago.

“After seeing a show they figured they could do the same, but with higher caliber of choreography and dance, and targeted and marketed more towards women,” LeSnapps said. “They were more interested in the entertainment value than the straight sex appeal.”

And since then, Cin City Burlesque has been found at venues throughout the city often sponsored by Hustler Hollywood, has become a Bogart’s staple during the holidays with their Season’s Teasings performance and they even opened for Suicide Girls’

Blackhearts Burlesque at the tour’s 20th Century

Theater stop in 2015.

GO: Mass A-Peel,

Bogart’s, 2621 Vine St., 10 p.m., Saturday, $18-36.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CIN CITY BURLESQUE

The Cin City Burlesque dancers are performing their biggest show ever, Mass A-Peel, at Bogarts on Saturday Sept. 10, 2016. The show will consist of all group performances with Cin City’s many talented dancers

BrewCats:

MadTree Lemon Basil Blonde and Catch-a-Fire Spicy Pizza STEPHANIE L. SMITH | ONLINE EDITOR

SHAE COMBS | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHY

Rohs Street cafe offers a large range of coffee and espresso beverages as well as tea and hot chocolate.

The best coffee shops of Clifton ISABELLA JANSEN | STAFF REPORTER

When leaving home and coming to college, it is necessary to establish a place of your own. A place where you can escape to when the stress of school is too overwhelming, your roommates cannot seem to leave you alone and you need that extra pick-me-up.

Luckily for UC students, Clifton is home to numerous coffee shops in walking distance of campus that illuminate a welcoming and cozy vibe for students looking for an escape.

Located on 2820 Vine St. is a fun little coffee spot known as The 86 Club, which doubles as a concert venue Friday and Saturday nights.

The 86 Club provides a great atmosphere for students to come, unwind, play a little pool and maybe even get a little homework done while enjoying a nice smoothie or coffee from the bar.

Most importantly, every Wednesday is free pancakes from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at

The 86 Club.

Another quaint little getaway is the Rohs Street Café, located on 245 West McMillan St., which offers several coffees and pastries.

This little corner coffee shop sets a nice and relaxing atmosphere, with bright lighting, making it a great place for students to gather and do homework every day of the week.

With pieces from local artists displayed all around the shop, Rohs is a known for its community- driven atmosphere.

Currently there are not any upcoming events scheduled for Rohs Street Café, but you can be assured that the events will pick up as soon as the semester furthers.

A little farther off campus, on 2839 Highland Ave., sits a vintage gem known as Highland Coffee House.

This little piece of heaven puts a twist on your typical coffee shop by offering a number of alcoholic coffees and smoothies to their menu.

The baristas are more than welcoming, and are very helpful in suggesting a yummy drink when you’re not positive on what exactly you want.

What is so special about Highland Coffee shop is its hours of operation.

This coffee shop is open Monday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., making it perfect for those who get most of their work done late at night.

Each one of these coffee shops offer free Wi-Fi and outside seating for those who like to come and enjoy a nice cup of coffee outside on a beautiful day, while getting some work done.

If you’re looking for an alternative from the mainstream Starbucks to get homework done, or maybe just a nice place to come and hang out, then any one of these could be a great option.

To stay updated on upcoming events and hours check out their Facebook pages.

You can have your pizza — and drink it, too.

MadTree Brewing’s Lemon Basil Blonde gives off every vibe of a crisp and refreshing summer ale. With its golden sunshine body and thin and frothy fluffy white head, you believe it will deliver a tart, lemony aroma and taste with basil as a complement. But as you lift the glass and breathe in, basil and oregano dominates.

That aroma prepares your taste buds for a sharp blast of pizza, followed by a brief spurt of lemon — citrusy, but not tart. The beer has a slightly pizza-doughylike finish.

Curious as to how a pizza-inspired beer would pair with actual pizza, I decided to order a pie from Catch-a-Fire Café.

Catch-a-Fire opened as a food truck in 2013, and partnered with local breweries to offer food to customers. In February 2015, Catcha-Fire Pizza opened a restaurant inside MadTree’s taproom serving wood-fired

pizzas and other dishes that use MadTree’s beer.

I decided on the Spicy Pizza with fire-roasted red sauce, spicy Italian sausage, jalapeños, red onion and five cheeses.

My mouth blew up with the blend of sausage and jalapeños and my sinuses were triggered. The Lemon Basil Blonde cuts through that spiciness and helps balance it.

Interestingly, the actual pizza canceled out the pizza-ness of the beer, instead bringing out far more of the lemon flavor.

MadTree, my happy place, just became happier with Catcha-Fire Café. My only regret is that I never checked out the restaurant sooner.

GO: MadTree Brewing and Catch-a-Fire Café, 5164 Kennedy Ave. Closed Monday, 4 p.m.-11 p.m. Tuesday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Wednesday, 11 a.m.-midnight.

Thursday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m.

Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday.

Café is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and closes one hour before the taproom all other days.

STEPHANIE SMITH | ONLINE EDITOR

MadTree Brewing’s pizza-inspired Lemon Basil Blonde paired with Catch-A-Fire Pizza.

Celebrate Cincinnati improv groups this September RUSSELL HAUSFELD | ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR

Whether you want to watch it, learn it or be a part of it, say “yes, and…” to improvisation comedy in Cincinnati this month.

September is marked with a bounty of improv throughout the Queen City, including our annual Improv Fest of Cincinnati (IF Cincy), classes for beginners and workshops with professionals.

IF Cincy

TAKEN FROM OTRIMPROV

Improv Fest of Cincinnati (IF Cincy) will hold shows at Know Theatre with local acts and acts from across the country through Sunday.

IF Cincy has already started, but you can catch shows at Know Theatre through Sunday.

Performers include local acts like OTRImprov and Coincidence Improv, as well as acts from farther away like B&B from Portland, Or. and Devil’s Daughter from Chicago.

Other acts come from Michigan, Georgia and

Kentucky.

There are also a number of useful improv workshops being put on throughout the festival where you can learn about ensemble building, character, improvising songs and building confidence on stage too.

GO: IF Cincy, Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson St., 7:30 p.m., Friday; 9:30 p.m., Saturday; 7:30 p.m., Sunday. $21. More information at www. ifcincy.com.

Improv Classes

Coincidence Improv is a Cincinnati-based longform improv comedy troupe that teach and perform throughout the city. Their next lineup of classes kicks off at the end of September. There are four levels of classes, which include Improv Fundementals, Character and Relationship, Game of the Scene and Improv

Fundamentals for Teens.

Each of these classes meets for a weekly session for seven weeks.

If you aren’t ready for a full class — or don’t have the money — you can still register for Coincidence’s free Intro to Improv on Sept. 17.

LEARN: Improv Fundamentals, Thursdays Sept. 29-Nov.10, 7 p.m.9 p.m. $150. Characters and Fundamentals, Wednesdays Sept. 28Nov. 9, 7 p.m.-9 p.m. $150. Game of the Scene, Tuesdays Sept. 27-Nov. 8, 7 p.m.-9 p.m., $150. Improv Fundamentals for Teens, Sundays Sept. 25-Nov. 6, 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. $200.

Improv Collaboration and Workshops

If you’re past the point of learning fundamentals and character building and maybe more into actually performing improv,

Coincidence Improv is launching a series of free Skill Set workshops where experienced improvisers can come together, geek out and collaborate. The first workshop is called Compassionate Improv where improvisers will practice exercises that build the skill of compassionate performance and making scene partners look good. Participants will collaborate and discuss ideas on the topic and then work their muscles by improvising long-form scenes.

PERFORM: SkillSets: Compassionate Improv, Dramakinetics of Cincinnati, 4222 Hamilton Avenue, Saturday Sept.

24, FREE. Sign up info at www.coincidenceimprov. com/workshops/

4 / SPORTS

THURSDAY, SEPT. 8, 2016

Bearcats travel to Purdue Saturday DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR

N.C. BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

UC hosted Wright State and Saint Francis over Labor Day weekend at Gettler Stadium, Sunday Sept. 4, 2016.

Men’s soccer tries to kick start ETHAN RUDD | STAFF REPORTER

The University of Cincinnati men’s soccer team will look to rebound against crosstown rival Xavier University Friday after losing two games in three days.

The Bearcats fell to 1-2 after losing to Wright State University 2-1 in doubleovertime on Sept. 2 and 1-0 to St. Francis University Sunday.

UC played up-tempo against Wright State, shooting a total of 21 shots.

For much of the game the Bearcats created good opportunities to score.

“The way we pass the ball, the way we moved, the way we attacked — we played very well…If our attacks turned into goals it could’ve been five or six,” said UC sophomore midfielder Adam Wilson.

Wright State scored their two goals after set pieces; the first was scored on a rebound and the other was the golden goal in overtime as they scored during a scramble for the ball in front of the net.

“Defensively we were good, bar two set pieces.

We had three or four opportunities to clear the ball, which we failed to do,” Wilson said.

UC did not sustain itself as well offensively against Saint Francis. The Bearcats only had six shots all game and three shots on goal.

Saint Francis got up early in the 14th minute and held on to a 1-0 lead for the remainder of the game. UC started slow, and was unable to sustain a worthwhile possession until the second half.

Cincinnati’s young roster — featuring 13 new players and only three seniors — will look to rebound against a Xavier team that is 1-1-2 on the season.

Xavier is no stranger to recent success — the Musketeers have reached the NCAA tournament in four of the last six years and they have enjoyed six straight 10-win seasons.

The Bearcats’ rival has already played its share of tough competition thus far this year. Xavier matched up against the No. 12 University of Virginia Sept.

2 in which the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

UC will have to play a complete game defensively and offensively to down their rival.

Freshman forward Derrick Otim leads the Musketeers in goals with two and senior forward Jalen Brown leads all Musketeers in shots with one. On the defensive side, Big East Conference Weekly Honor Roll member and senior goalie Jake Ciricillo has 12 saves this year.

The Bearcats have looked good offensively when they start fast and are able to sustain possessions. Look for Wilson, who leads UC in shots with 12, to be involved in action close to the goal.

Defensively, UC will have to get good play out of their back defenders, who are mostly young players.

Junior goalkeeper Pedro Diaz has been solid thus far with 14 saves, but he will have to have help clearing the ball on set pieces.

If UC matches the tempo they set against Wright State, they can down Xavier, but if not watch out as XU averages 17 shots a game.

The two teams face off at Northern Kentucky University Soccer Stadium 7:30 p.m. Friday.

After winning their first game of the season a week ago against the University of Tennessee at Martin, the Cincinnati Bearcats will be back in action Saturday against Purdue University.

In week one, the Bearcats won 28-7, but many thought they would win by more.

“We had six new starters, first time starters, on offense and we looked like it on the first few drives,” said UC head coach Tommy Tuberville. “I thought our offense was much better [in the second half], much more like we wanted it to be.”

Cincinnati trailed 7-6 at halftime during the first game, but they dominated both sides of the ball in the second half to earn a big win.

In order to find success this week, the Bearcats will have to play well the entire game.

They will not be playing a team from the Football Championship Subdivision

like last week, they will be playing a team from a power-five conference in Purdue University.

Despite their 2-10 record in 2015, Purdue plays Big 10 Conference teams like Ohio State University, the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin on a weekly basis, so the Bearcats will have to be on their A-game.

“They’ve had some struggles over the last few years, this is their best team,”Tuberville said.

“They’re strong, they’re bigger mostly than any team we will see…It will be a challenge for us, going on the road for the first time, we need to be much improved this game to give ourselves a chance to win on the road.”

Purdue opened up their season with a 45-24 win against Eastern Kentucky University on Saturday.

Senior quarterback David Blough passed for 245 yards and one touchdown and their running back Markell Jones ran for 145

yards on 24 carries.

“They have a short passing game, they threw the ball deep last week very well, their receivers have good speed,”Tuberville said. “It’s a typical Big Ten team, they line up and they try to run the ball, create the running game, get the passing game going, play action pass, but this kid can really throw the ball.”

Cincinnati’s sophomore quarterback Hayden Moore will be making his second start on the season, after being named the team’s starter prior to their first game.

Moore passed for 260 yards and two touchdowns against UT Martin.

“We got that first week out of the way, I got that first week out of the way.

So the second week is just going to move forward from momentum of the second half of the first game,” Moore said. “I expect their guys to make a lot of plays…They play a lot man, so we will get a lot of one-on-one matchups

and it’s just if our receivers can beat their [defensive backs.]”

The Bearcats will play

Purdue noon on Saturday in West Lafayette, Indiana.

The game will be aired on Big Ten Network.

N.C. BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

After a shaky start, UC tops UT Martin 28-7 at Nippert Stadium to start off the 2016 season, Thursday, Sept 1, 2016.

Elliott comes back to UC with gold medal DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR

JEFF SINER | CHARLOTTE OBSERVER | TNS

Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Vernon Butler, left, and linebacker Brian Blechen, right, force Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Bryn Renner (8) out of the pocket during the second quarter of a preseason game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016.

Super Bowl LI: TNR picks the NFL’s next champion DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR AMIR SAMARGHANDI | MANAGING EDITOR CLAUDE THOMPSON | STAFF REPORTER JASON SZELEST | STAFF REPORTER

The NFL starts today and the typical question has arose: Who will win the Super Bowl?

Our experts — David, Amir, Claude and Jason — give their opinions on the team they believe will win it all.

David: Green Bay Packers

When the Green Bay Packers won the 2010-11 Super Bowl, they did so by flying under the radar.

They went 10-6 on the year and were the first six-seeded National Football Conference team to win a spot in the Super Bowl, which meant nobody picked them to make it, let alone win the whole thing.

I believe this year will be similar.

After being many people’s pick for best quarterback in the league for the past five seasons, Aaron Rodgers had a down season last year, by his standards. This is resulting in nobody talking about the Packers as a legitimate championship contender.

I believe with a healthy Jordy Nelson at wide receiver and a slimmed down Eddie Lacy at running back, Rodgers will have a bounce back season and lead the Packers to their fifth Super Bowl Championship.

Amir Samarghandi: Pittsburgh Steelers

Traditional powers rise in this year’s NFL season, and I see a rematch of the 2006 Super Bowl between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks, with the Steelers coming away with the crown.

Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisburger will be targeting Antonio Brown — a player I deem the absolute best in the league. Coach Mike Tomlin will whip the fallen steel curtain into respectable shape and I see the black and yellow lifting the Lombardi trophy in Houston next February.

Jason: Arizona Cardinals

A year after falling short in the NFC Championship Game, the Arizona

Cardinals will not suffer the same fate in 2016.

They are led by quarterback Carson Palmer, who had the league’s best quarterback rating a season ago.

He has his top-three receivers back, a trio which put up the second best statistics by any three-receiver combination last year.

Defensively, the Cardinals bolstered their biggest weakness, their pass rush, by trading for defensive end Chandler Jones and spending their first-round pick on defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche.

The secondary features pro-bowlers Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu, who are arguably the best at their respective positions in the NFL. In total, they return 18-of-22 starters and improved significantly at their only weak position.

That equation equals Super Bowl in my humble opinion.

University of Cincinnati women’s head basketball coach Jamelle Elliott felt both disappointment and extreme pride within a short period of time.

In March, Elliott was coaching an 8-22 team at UC; by August she was a part of a gold-medal winning U.S. women’s national basketball team.

“The opportunity to be asked to be a part of the Olympic staff was something that was very humbling, for me, because not everybody gets that opportunity” Elliott said.

Before coming to UC, Elliott played and coached for Geno Auriemma at the University of Connecticut.

This is possibly what led to her spot on Team USA, since Auriemma was the team’s head coach.

“It went from player-coach relationship, to bossemployee relationship, to mentor, friend and now I consider him to be a part of my family,” Elliott said. “So for him to ask me to be a part of the Olympic games and to be a part of his staff, I’m honored and humbled just that he would continue to trust me and the job that I do to help in any way that I can.”

During her time on the team, Elliott worked as a scout.

Her and one other person worked together to scout the teams they faced in pool-play as well as the teams they had potential to face in the medal rounds.

This entailed watching game tapes on the computer and, on the days they did not play, go and live scout teams, said Elliot.

In addition to scouting, Elliott worked with the post players during practice.

Her work helped the team beat Spain 101-72 to win the gold medal.

Maya Moore, Brittney Griner, Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi highlighted the U.S. women’s national team.

“To see the way they go about, professionally, how they approach practice, how they are constantly communicating all the time in practice, how they are going 110 percent all the time. Just from a maturity standpoint, professionalism, is definitely different than the college game,” Elliott said.

So with her experience of being on a championship winning team this summer there has been one question to appear: How will she use this to help the Bearcats?

Cincinnati has struggled mightily the past several seasons under Elliott.

They have only won eight games, 16 combined, the past two years and the team has not even had their record at .500 since 2011-12 when they went 16-16.

Cincinnati fans will be hoping she learned from the experience this summer to improve on the recent lack of wins.

“Anything that I bring moving forward remains to be seen,” Elliott said.

“I know I have a lot of knowledge in my head, I got a lot of notes in notepads, memories, and how that kind of…comes to fruition hopefully is going to be everything I got and in some way shape or form I can bring that to somebody.”

It will be seen how Elliott uses her Olympic experiences when the Bearcats begin their season in November.

Claude: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Every year, before the season starts, everyone is asked who they think will win the Super Bowl. Well buckle up kids, because it is not going to be the Carolina Panthers, the New England Patriots or the Denver Broncos.

I pick the ― drumroll ― Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Buccaneers have sneakily constructed a potent offensive roster.

Jameis Winston has the potential to be the next young star at the quarterback position and Mike Evans is going to have a breakout year at wide receiver. Doug Martin also is one of the quietest, but hardest working running backs in the league.

I think the Bucs will sneak up on people with a defense that merely has to be league average and will win the Super Bowl and we’ll never hear the end of the legend of Winston from Florida State fans.

For more scorching-hot sports takes from our experts, listen to the On the Record Sports podcast, available on iTunes and Soundcloud.

N.C. BROWN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Jamelle Elliot reflects on her experience in Rio for the 2016 Summer Olympics where she won a gold medal as a part of coaching staff for USA’s women’s basketball team.