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pg. 4 | The life of a Pure pg. 7 | Op-Ed: The crisis Romance consultant of untested rape kits Wednesday, February 13, 2019
UC receives backlash for Triumph Cord recipient SAMI STEWART | MULTIMEDIA PRODUCER
Tangeman University Center has been undergoing construction since early in the spring semester. ALEX MARTIN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
The University of Cincinnati is facing backlash for not removing an article on its website that highlights a recent graduate who was charged with a sex crime in 2014. Last semester, the university nominated William Houston, a registered sex offender, to wear a Triumph Cord in his fall 2018 graduation ceremony. The cord was designed to signal Houston’s triumph over a “great struggle” in his educational pursuit. Houston was charged with gross sexual imposition and sexual motivation in 2014 following an incident that happened at an off-campus party. He was suspended for two years from Bowling Green State University — his first college, where he was a running back for the Falcon football team — after being found guilty of “sexual
contact without permission,” according to an article by the Sentinel-Tribune. Houston is registered as a tier-one sex offender in Wood County, which requires him to register any change of address, place of employment or enrollment in any college or university. According to a UC News article, Houston has attended six colleges in the past five-and-a-half years. Five other students at the University of Cincinnati attended commencement last semester with purple cords around their necks. The cords signify struggles that students faced during their college career, including the loss of a loved one, health issues or being a single parent. The article about the six Triumph Cord recipients, which was published by UC News and cross posted Houston Continued on Page 3
What’s with the construction outside TUC? ALEX MARTIN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Students walking around the University of Cincinnati’s MainStreet have likely noticed the giant crane hovering above Tangeman University Center (TUC). The university is working to replace the slate roof tiles and repair the skylights atop the building, according to Mark Sweigart, UC’s director of renovations. He said the crane is being used to lift roofing materials to the top of the building. The construction area has been fenced off, which created a tunnel outside the building’s main entrance. This is not the only renovation project planned for the roof of the 75-year-old building. The university is also planning a companion project to repair some of the flat roof sections
that are in poor condition. “The fence and scaffolding around TUC is to provide a safe zone at the perimeter so that any debris that may fall from the roof does not harm anyone,” said Sweigart. There are plans to remove the construction from the site for a short period of time to accommodate the bicentennial celebrations that will take place in April, according to Sweigart. This is not the first time TUC has been under construction. The building, built in 1937, underwent a $50.8 million transformation in 2001. The expansion created new student amenities — including the MainStreet Cinema, Catskeller and the University of Cincinnati Bookstore — and added nearly 300,000 square feet to the facility.
William Houston is one of six UC students who received a Triumph Cord to wear at the fall 2018 graduation ceremony. The cord signifies struggles that the nominated students faced during their college career. PROVIDED UC NEWS