Feb. 20, 2019 - The News Record at University of Cincinnati

newsrecord.org

@NewsRecord_UC

/TheNewsRecord

@thenewsrecord

pg. 6 | PAC announces pg. 8 | UC football: No Uptown West Fest lineup NFL Combine invites Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Death in Daniels Hall

KEELY BROWN | NEWS EDITOR JACOB FISHER | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A University of Cincinnati student died in Daniels Hall Monday night, the Department of Public Safety confirmed in a phone call.

Dispatcher 916 of UC Public Safety declined to identify the student, but successfully notified the next of kin.

The Department of Public Safety said police responded to a 911 call around 10:54 a.m. Feb. 19, shortly after the student’s body was found in the residence hall.

The public information officer at the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office could not be reached after multiple calls for comment.

At least three statements were emailed to students, faculty and staff by Juan R.

Guardia, the assistant vice president for student affairs and the dean of students, on Feb. 19 around 5:38 p.m.

“On Tuesday, February 19, 2019, we experienced the unfortunate death of a student residing in Daniels Hall, one of our residence halls on campus,” read the statement issued to faculty

by Guardia. “It is our hope that you will work with students and the university to provide understanding and support so that they may complete any and all assignments missed during this period.”

No foul play is suspected at this time.

This story is developing.

Be sure to visit us at newsrecord.org, where this story will be updated as more information becomes available.

The University of Cincinnati Adjunct Advocacy Association launched in fall 2018 to fight for fairer treatment and greater representation of adjunct faculty at UC. ALEX MARTIN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Adjuncts fight for fairer treatment at UC DAVID REES | CHIEF REPORTER Several years ago, Mark Kissling — an adjunct assistant professor in the University of Cincinnati English department — sought to discover why adjuncts in the College of Arts and Sciences were not receiving salary increases. The last pay raise was in 2003, and Kissling believed A&S adjuncts were due a higher wage.

He was contacted by part-time faculty senator Dr. Greg Griffith, who had conducted a survey that unveiled several issues facing adjuncts at UC. Griffith and part-time faculty senator Dr. Eva Kreig called the first meeting of all parttime faculty, which Kissling and roughly a dozen others attended.

That meeting marked the “founding moment” of the UC

Adjunct Advocacy Association, which aims to reshape the university’s treatment of part-time faculty, said Kissling.

He, along with co-founders Debbie Puckett, Ralph Brueggemann and Joyce Miller, formally announced the association in fall 2018.

What are adjuncts?

Adjuncts are part-time faculty members who teach at least one or more sections of one or more courses at universities across the nation. Adjuncts comprise roughly 50 percent of all faculty in American colleges.

“Generally, an adjunct has the same teaching UCAAA Continued on Page 3

A University of Cincinnati freshman was found dead this morning in his dorm in Daniels Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019.

ALEX MARTIN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

February 20, 2019

Page 2

Meet the new director of UC’s LGBTQ Center

ELIZABETH SCHMITT | FEATURES EDITOR It’s hard to believe that Preston Keith, the new director of the University of Cincinnati’s LGBTQ Center, prefers the Midwestern climate and its unpredictable weather — he’s from Charleston, South Carolina, after all.

“My family is born and bred from South Carolina, and I was the one who branched out to explore other areas,” Keith said. “It’s a beautiful scenic area, but also ripe with history that can be problematic. The history is embedded in a lot of the structures that exist there which still struggle with racism, homophobia and transphobia.”

As Keith explored other regions of the United States, he found that homophobia and anti-LGBTQ biases were not unique to Charleston; rather, they were present everywhere.

As a cisgender queeridentifying man, Keith said he struggled to come to terms

with his interpersonal identity.

“I had all these identities swirling inside of me, and I did not have a name for them beside being black, queer and cisgender,” Keith said.

It wasn’t until college that Keith discovered the concept of intersectionality — the idea that people who fall under multiple marginalized groups have unique experiences of their own. Through that perspective, he saw how different dimensions of his identity interacted and shaped each other.

Keith comes from big family — he’s the oldest of seven.

Even though the oldest child is often expected to have everything figured out, Keith didn’t realize his passion for LGBTQ advocacy until after he arrived at the Univeristy of Iowa, where he planned to pursue a master’s degree in psychology. After immersing himself in the LGBTQ community at the university, Keith decided to chase a dual degree in education and student affairs instead.

“Living in Iowa, I found a sense of community and a purpose,” Keith said. “A lot of the work I do is grounded in intersectional social justice, so that way, folks who have whatever identity have a place and a home as they are navigating campus.”

At UC, Keith said he first wants to give LGBTQ students increased access to genderneutral bathrooms and ensure that students are addressed by their preferred names and pronouns. Much of Keith’s work revolves around advocacy and support, he said, so he plans to analyze the university’s policies and practices to ensure they are inclusive to the LGBTQ community.

“We have a very robust training program, and so I want to make sure our offers are robust, exciting, and current while teaching the campus community to be not only allies, but advocates and activists for our LGBTQ community,” he said.

Preston Keith, former assistant director of the GLBT Center at North Carolina State University, became the director of the LGBTQ Center at the University of Cincinnati on Monday, Feb. 4.

PROVIDED BY KEITH PRESTON

February 20, 2019

Page 3

Association advocates for adjuncts UCAAA Continued from Cover

responsibilities as full-time educator professors,” said Ralph Brueggemann, an adjunct professor at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business. “Explicitly, an adjunct may teach the same courses as a full-time educator faculty member.”

Adjuncts do not participate in research. Many, but not all, work full time elsewhere.

“Often, adjuncts bring valuable expertise from the professional world,” said M.B. Reilly, university spokesperson. “Some work full time in business or industry and adjunct as a supplement. Others are serving as adjuncts at half time or closer to full time.”

Since 1974, Brueggemann

has developed and taught nine distinct courses at UC. He has worked for multiple colleges, including the former Evening College, CECH and CEAS. Brueggemann currently teaches for the business school and facilitates a service-learning course.

Variable benefits for adjunct faculty

Debbie Puckett, an annual adjunct at Carl H. Lindner College of Business, said adjuncts are hired for “contingent work needs, for our expertise in our field and to save the college money.” “[UC doesn’t] offer us full-time benefits, pay or continued employment,” she said. “Through my research, it seems that the primary reason is it ‘saves’ them

Ralph Brueggemann, an adjunct professor at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business, launched a LinkedIn group in October 2018 for UCAAA. PROVIDED BY RALPH BRUEGGEMANN

money.”

It’s not quite that simple, said Reilly. The workload of adjuncts is highly variable, which impacts the benefits that the university extends.

“There is some complexity in the overall issues,” she said. “These include variations among adjunct classifications, categories, pay and benefits.”

These variations form the basis of UC’s policies toward adjuncts, Reilly said.

Adjuncts are placed into the following categories based on their workload: • Bargaining unit adjuncts include those whose workload equates to 65 percent or more of fulltime faculty hours. “These adjuncts are represented by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and are covered by the collective bargaining agreement,” Reilly said.

• Annual adjuncts include those who work between 50 and 65 percent of full-time faculty hours. Salaries are set by individual colleges, and they can vary based on several variables, including expertise, area of discipline and rank. “Benefits are available, including retirement plan options, tuition remission, sick days and health insurance wherein the university covers 50 percent of the cost of health care coverage,” Reilly said.

• Term adjuncts include those whose contracts are for one or two courses per term. Like annual adjuncts, salaries are variable, and they are set by individual colleges. Benefits include retirement plan options and tuition remission.

Puckett said she teaches just one class fewer than full-time faculty members.

She’s an annual adjunct with a 12-month contract and cannot teach more than 21 hours per week.

Annual adjuncts are offered medical insurance, but it’s expensive — and they are not offered dental, vision or life insurance.

“When I started with UC, I also worked as a full-time

human resource director and held an executive master’s in human resource development,” said Puckett.

“I was led to believe that I would be offered fulltime employment if I did a favorable job.”

Puckett closed her antique store so she could focus on teaching, and she began teaching one class per semester. Two years later, Puckett took on more responsibility after her supervisor had a medical emergency, and her workload substantially increased.

There are no standard operating procedures for adjuncts, said Puckett, who said she has not been invited to any management development meetings in her six years of teaching.

Puckett has also faced obstacles in her ability to discuss her continued employment.

“I was told last year that I might not get a new contract because a student complained,” she said. “But I have no idea who the student was, if they ever came to class or if they were retaliating for some reason.”

Issues like these pose a disadvantage for members of adjunct faculty, which are unable to unionize like their full-time counterparts.

“The unique thing about being an adjunct at UC is you are not treated equal to full-time faculty,” Puckett said.

Adjuncts are represented on UC’s faculty senate (currently by Puckett and Kissling, who succeeded Griffith and Krieg), and all are eligible for promotion, Reilly said. However, several adjuncts report being unaware of promotion opportunities, even though UC policy says department heads are responsible for notifying adjuncts of such opportunities.

A path forward

After the first meeting of all part-time faculty in April 2018, Brueggemann decided to start a LinkedIn group. The group launched in October, and its

Mark Kissling, an adjunct assistant professor in UC’s English Department, is one of the founding members of UCAAA. PROVIDED BY MARK KISSLING

membership has quickly grown, reaching 200 members by January 2019.

Joyce Miller, an adjunct assistant professor in A&S, said the biggest obstacle has been securing a list of adjunct employees to distribute information about resources.

“Our objective now is to keep adjuncts linked to one another in order to share information about fair treatment regarding benefits, compensation and access to the same resources as educator faculty,” she said.

Puckett said UC’s policy toward adjuncts is disorganized — a root cause for the association’s founding.

“Our colleges are very inconsistent in how they treat their adjunct staff,” said Puckett. “We realize now that the decentralized structure of the college leaves each college/dean/ department to do things in a very random manner.”

The association’s leadership also aims to change policy at UC through the faculty senate.

“Though it is separate from the UCAAA, the faculty senate is a recognized entity of UC itself with a means of communicating faculty concerns to the university

administration,” said Kissling. “Debbie and I met with the HR committee, and we hope our concerns will be taken up by the faculty cabinet and then acted upon.”

Kissling acknowledged that some priorities will be easier to achieve than others, such as notifying adjuncts eligible for promotion versus convincing the university to raise adjunct pay.

“While I am accustomed to ‘playing the long game’ in my career as a UC adjunct, I would like to accomplish multiple significant things within the next 15 months,” he said.

Miller hopes to see fair and equal treatment of adjuncts in all colleges.

“Adjuncts should receive just compensation for their work, including committee work, research and course development,” she said.

The association wants adjuncts to feel the value of their work at UC. “We support them and want to be a resource for them — [both] as our professional peers and as University partners in shaping the future leaders, movers and shakers in our ever-changing global world,” said Puckett.

February 20, 2019

Page 4

UC Health: New record for organ transplants SALLY BISHOP | CONTRIBUTOR KEELY BROWN | NEWS EDITOR

The University of Cincinnati is relying on night ride vans while they cut their shuttles’ night routes.

ALEX MARTIN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

UC cuts hours of late-night shuttles in favor of NightRide MEGHAN SENIK | CONTRIBUTOR The University of Cincinnati will no longer operate its North Xpress and Southwest shuttle routes after 9 p.m.

The change, which went into effect Feb. 11, cuts an hour from the shuttle’s services, which previously ended at 10 p.m. The hours were temporarily extended to accommodate the transportation needs of UC students due to a lack of NightRide student drivers and staff, but they are now being reverted after NightRide drivers increased.

The reduced hours concerned some students and faculty who depend on the shuttles to travel back and forth from campus. Dr. Holly Y. McGee, a history professor at UC, voiced her disapproval with the university’s decision to end the shuttles earlier, saying NightRide is not always a favorable alternative.

“Here’s the fallacy with NightRide: NightRide — you can’t just get on a NightRide, you actually have to make a reservation for it, so you could be stuck on campus like I was for an hour, hour and a half, two hours, waiting to get a ride on a NightRide shuttle,” McGee said. “The shuttle that finally came and got me had four empty seats in it. There were kids standing there waiting.”

On Twitter, McGee criticized NightRide’s capability to handle large quantities of reservations, arguing that students will end up paying fees for rides from ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft instead.

“You should be aware, @Prez_Pinto...I stood in the rain with students who got out of a 9:45pm class, an NO ONE knew how to get home without shuttle service,” McGee tweeted. “I watched 1/2 call Ubers/lyfts. How does @uofcincy justify passing this cost along to already strapped students?”

NightRide is a valuable resource for when

the shuttles stop running, McGee said, but it cannot handle the volume of students who rely on transportation services to return home after night classes.

“It’s a great thing for after the shuttles stop running, but they should not be relying on the NightRide in lieu of the shuttles,” McGee said. “They simply can’t handle the volume.”

The decision to cut shuttle hours was made by a committee that consists of the student body president and vice president, a transportation designee, a graduate representative and several members of UC student groups. The group is co-chaired

by Joe Harrell, associate vice president of facilities management; and Beth Rains, associate director of grounds, moving and transportation.

“While the primary function is budgetary, you cannot have a holistic conversation without also including service and quality of the service that is provided,” Rains said. “This is another form of incremental feedback.”

The committee meets to discuss and review the quality of UC’s shuttle system based on its ridership, service and budget, and considers potential enhancements in service and routes, including the addition of routes and shuttles. These include enhancements like the DoubleMap app, which helps track arrival times and shuttle locations, and the subsequent increase of shuttles from 10 to 19 over the past decade.

The committee presents annually to the Student Advisory Committee on the University Budget (SACUB), a group consisting of representatives belonging to UC’s major student groups.

“We are proud of the far-reaching, highquality service the shuttles provide, but [we] also know there are always things that can be done to improve,” said Rains.

UC Health, the region’s only provider for adult comprehensive organ transplants, performed a rec-ord number of lifesaving transplant surgeries in 2018, according to annual data from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).

Nearly 300 kidney, liver and heart transplants were performed at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in 2018 — 25 percent more than the prior year.

Shimul A. Shah, professor of surgery at the UC College of Medicine and a UC Health transplant surgeon, said he is proud to provide the region’s only program of its kind. Shah also reiterated UC Health’s commitment to expand access for lifesaving care.

Last year marked new records for the number of liver and kidney transplants performed at UC Medical Center, including a 40 percent increase in living kidney donor transplants.

“More people are saying ‘yes’ to providing the gift of life, which is wonderful news for our com-munity and for our patients,” said Amit Govil, medical director of the kidney transplant program and a professor of nephrology at UC College of Medicine, in a news release.

Govil said UC Health will continue to focus on making it easier for patients and families to become organ donors.

UC Medical Center ranks 16th in the nation among liver transplant centers and 40th in the nation among kidney transplant centers for the number of transplants performed, according to UNOS. These rankings are a measure of a program’s strength and success, along with other measures in-cluding patient outcomes and academic research.

The recent rise in volume of organ donations is due to a coordinated outreach program to refer more physicians and expand operational improvements.

“Most of the transplant surgeries we perform represent not only a life saved, but also a life lost,” Shah said. “We thank the families and individuals who have made the courageous decision to pass on the gift of life. We also celebrate the selflessness of those who choose living donation, such as donating a kidney to a family member, friend or stranger in need.”

Organ donation and transplantation are on the rise nationally — possible due to increased aware-ness about becoming an organ donor. In 2018, more than 36,000 organ transplants were performed in the United States — a record that has been broken annually for six consecutive years, according to UNOS. In addition, living organ donation increased by 11 percent nationally, while the number of people who chose to donate one or more organs after death rose by 4 percent.

Nearly 300 kidney, liver and heart transplants were performed in 2018 at the UC Medical Center. TNR FILE ART

February 6, 2019

Page 5

And the winner is... newsrecord.org

Palestinian teen finds his footing with UC family

Palestinian teen finds his footing with UC family

Palestinian teen finds his footing with UC family

Palestinian teen finds his footing with UC family

Best website 2019 Collegiate Newspaper & Website Competition Ohio News Media Association

February 20, 2019

PAC announces Uptown West Fest lineup BRIANA RICE | LIFE & ARTS EDITOR

The DJ group Lost Kings consisting of Robert Abisi and Nick Shanholtz will open for A$AP Ferg at Uptown West Fest. PROVIDED BY PROGRAM AND ACTIVITES COUNCIL

The University of Cincinnati Programs and Activities Council (PAC) has announced the lineup for its annual spring concert, Uptown West Fest.

The concert, organized exclusively by UC students, will be Saturday, April 6. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and performances begin at 7 p.m.

“Uptown West Fest is an annual spring concert, traditionally more hip-hop related.

It used to be called ONOFest — a play on President Ono,” said Austin Winters, head of marketing at PAC. There is no age restriction for the concert, and no concession stands will be open.

Unlike previous years, Uptown West Fest is charging for admission. Student tickets went on sale Monday, with general admission tickets being $15 and floor seats $20. Tickets for the general public will be $30 and should go on sale next week.

Tickets can be purchased at gobearcats. com.

Winters said the decision to charge an admission fee is tied to the artists PAC booked this year.

“We were able to book a bigger name than past years, because we have more money to

spend since we can sell tickets,” she said.

The headliner is A$AP Ferg, a founding member of Harlem’s rap group A$AP Mob who began releasing mixtapes in 2012. He is known for hit songs including “Shabba,”“Dope Walk” and “Plain Jane.” He has collaborated with Nicki Minaj, French Montana, Lil Uzi Vert, Snoop Dogg and more.

Accompanying A$AP Ferg is EDM group Lost Kings — a duo known for electronic

Page 6 styles with house music influences. The Los Angeles transplants have been making music together since 2014. The group is best known for an official remix of Rhianna’s “Work” and “Look At Us Now” — a collaboration with Ally Brooke and A$AP Ferg.

Uptown West Fest is one of the most attended campus events all year. The arena will likely hold 9,000 people. For those who have never been before, these concerts are usually rowdy. It’s a great opportunity to attend and enjoy a hip-hop concert on campus for a modest price.

Rapper A$AP Ferg will perform at Uptown West Fest this year. PROVIDED BY PROGRAM AND ACTIVITIES COUNCIL

Get out and do something: Feb. 22 to Feb. 24 ERIN COUCH | SENIOR REPORTER

Friday, Feb. 22

Urban Artifact will be hosting a “parfait beer” tasting this Saturday.

Unwind with yoga at 50 West Brewery on Sunday, Feb. 24.

Tropical Disco at Rhinegeist: The taproom in this giant Over-theRhine warehouse-turned-brewery is transforming into a full-fledged nightclub Friday night, complete with a light-up dance floor, multiple DJ sets, face-painting stations and, of course, some of Rhinegeist’s staple brews. Make sure to throw on some neon and glow-in-the-dark threads for the luminous shindig.

9 p.m. Friday. Rhinegeist, 1910 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. Free.

Art After Dark: We Built This City: Celebrate the Queen City at the Cincinnati Art Museum this Friday with a night of art and various local delicacies. Check out the art exhibition “Art Academy of Cincinnati at 150: A Celebration in Drawings and Prints,” which commemorates the birthday of this historic Cincinnati art school. Munch on indigenous Cincy eats from Camp Washington Chili and Dewey’s Pizza. There will also be a guided stargazing tour with Cincinnati Observatory-provided telescopes at 7 p.m.

5-9 p.m. Friday. Cincinnati Art

Museum, 953 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams. Free.

Saturday, Feb. 23 CCM Studio Opera Series: “Dinner at Eight”: CCM Opera returns with “Dinner at Eight,” a comic opera premiering this weekend. Based off a 1932 play, “Dinner at Eight” is, according to CCM’s website, “depression-era comedy of manners in which the wife of a once-affluent shipping magnate plans a society dinner for an assortment of wealthy or well-born acquaintances.”Then, plot shenanigans ensue. Admission is free, but reservations are required.

Call (513) 556-4183 or visit the CCM box office to get tickets.

8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Cohen Family Studio Theater, CCM Plaza. Free.

Parfait Beer Weekly Tapping at Urban Artifact: Two things you never thought you would go together — fruit parfaits and beer — is actually exactly what a weekly event at Urban Artifact celebrates. By the brewery’s definition, a parfait beer is a brew “created by combining one of [our] tasty base sour beers with an extra helping of real, fresh fruit. The resulting beer is jam-packed with

fruit flavor.” Oh, and there’s a gelato parfait bar too, so come hungry.

Noon. Saturday. Urban Artifact, 1660 Blue Rock St., Northside. Free.

Sunday, Feb. 24 Pups & Pints: Head to 3 Points Urban Brewery this Sunday for its monthly dog-friendly event. Treat your dog to a day out — and some treats at the event — and sip on some $4 beers alongside your pupper. Try to arrive early to get your paws on a limited-edition 3 Points bandana to adorn your doggo’s neck.

11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. 3 Points Urban Brewery, 331 E. 13th St., Pendleton. Free.

Yoga at 50 West: Need to unwind before you start the stressful week ahead? Come to 50 West Brewery this Sunday for some beginner yoga — all skill levels welcome. Make a donation when you arrive, and after class, the bar will open (i.e., unwind even more with a brewski before you have a chance to eat lunch).

11 a.m.-noon. Sunday. 50 West Production Works Facility, 7605 Wooster Pike, Mariemont.

Mariemont. Donations encouraged; veterans free.

February 20, 2019

Page 7

Men’s basketball: What to watch for against UCF MATT HUFFMON | SPORTS EDITOR The University of Cincinnati men’s basketball team (21-4, 10-2 American Athletic Conference) will host the University of Central Florida (UCF) Knights (19-5, 9-3 AAC) Thursday evening at Fifth Third Arena.

The Knights are riding a three-game win streak after scratching past the University of Memphis 7972 Saturday in Orlando.

Key matchups to watch for: Jarron Cumberland versus Aubrey Dawkins One of UCF’s more prominent players is head coach Johnny Dawkins’ son, Aubrey. The 6-foot-6 transfer from the University of Michigan missed all of last season with a shoulder injury. He is now averaging 15.3 points and 5.1 rebounds.

Dawkins will be matched up with UC junior Jarron Cumberland. The 6-foot5 guard is leading the

conference in weekly awards, as he has received AAC recognition six weeks in a row. During that span, he has been named the conference’s player of the week four times.

Cumberland is leading the AAC in scoring at 19.3 points per game and is second in 3-point percentage at 43.5.

Nysier Brooks versus Tacko Fall UCF’s center, Tacko Fall, stands at 7-foot-6, 310 pounds. A dominant presence in the paint, he appeared in only 16 games last year after suffering a shoulder injury. Now healthy, he averages 10.6 points and seven rebounds.

“As long as you’ve got a 7-foot-6 guy standing around the rim, it’s going to be hard to score,” UC head coach Mick Cronin said.

“You’ve got to do different things. You’ve got to try to get him to move around a little bit. Coach Dawkins does a great job of utilizing Tacko … for a guy his size,

University of Cincinnati’s head basketball coach Mick Cronin reacts during the Bearcat’s game at Fifth Third Arena against Wichita State on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019. JUSTIN HILES | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

he’s in tremendous shape.

He only comes out of the game for foul trouble. I don’t ever see them taking him out because he’s tired.”

UC’s center, 6-foot-11 junior Nysier Brooks, blocked five shots in Sunday’s win over Wichita State. Typically, as the tallest player on the court, Brooks will face his toughest assignment of the season with Fall.

Keith Williams versus B.J. Taylor Taylor, a 6-foot-2 redshirt senior guard, is averaging 16.9 points and 3.5 assists for UCF and is coming off a 25-point outing against Memphis. A four-year starter who missed 16 games with a foot injury last season, Taylor is on track to earn all-conference honors.

Williams, a 6-foot-5 guard, has emerged as one of UC’s more consistent players this season. The sophomore has averages of 10.9 points and 3.2 rebounds.

Hindered by Dawkins, Fall and Taylor being unable to consistently perform, UCF finished 19-13, 9-9 AAC last season.

“I’m glad Central Florida has been healthy this year,” Cronin said. “They’re having a great year. It’s great for our league.”

UCF has six juniors and five seniors on its roster.

Cronin admitted that the team’s upperclassmen leadership makes it dangerous.

“They’re the oldest team that we’ll play all year,” Cronin said. “They play all juniors and seniors … which means that they’re physical and nothing is going to rattle them. They’re a challenge, and there’s a reason they were picked to win our league [in the preseason].”

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

ESPN2 and 700 WLW will provide coverage. Follow @Sports_TNR on Twitter for live updates of the action.

Left: University of Cincinnati’s Jarron Cumberland and Nysier Brooks block Wichita State’s forward Rod Brown during their game at Fifth Third Arena on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019. ALEX MARTIN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Right: University of Cincinnati’s Keith Williams celebrates his basket during the Bearcat’s game at Fifth Third Arena against Wichita State on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019. JUSTIN HILES | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Cumberland leads men’s basketball past Shockers SPENCER SCHULTZ | SENIOR REPORTER The University of Cincinnati men’s basketball team cruised to its 21st victory of the season Sunday afternoon, defeating the Wichita State University Shockers 72-62 at Fifth Third Arena.

The Bearcats improved to 21-4 (10-2 American Athletic Conference), while the Shockers fell to 12-12 (5-7 AAC).

Both teams struggled with shooting throughout the game, missing a combined 90 field-goal attempts.

Wichita State had one of its weakest offensive performances of the season, shooting 19-71 (26.8 percent) — its worst since shooting 24.2 percent at the University of Oklahoma Dec. 8. UC struggled mightily as well, shooting 20-58 (34.5 percent). But the Bearcats found success from beyond the arc, converting 10-of-22 three-point attempts (45.5 percent).

Despite pulling out a victory in a game of struggling offenses, UC head coach Mick Cronin stressed that not every game will be easy.

“Got to be happy with every win,” Cronin said postgame. “All wins are tough … Guys played hard, and our half-court defense was off the charts. We did a great job in the halfcourt … We held a team to 26 percent from the field. That’s not easy to do.”

UC was led by junior guard Jarron Cumberland, who stuffed the stat sheet with 27 points, including six three-pointers.

Cumberland’s 13th 20-point game of the season was accompanied by six rebounds, five assists and a steal.

The Wilmington, Ohio, native wasn’t the

only Bearcat to find a rhythm, as sophomore guard Keith Williams put together a strong second half. Williams dropped 10 points in the final 20 minutes, including an emphatic slam dunk that ignited the sold-out crowd with eight minutes left.

“I have a lot [of confidence] right now,” Williams said postgame. “Each game, [I’m] just trying to grow and continue to get better. That’s all. Just trying to improve.”

On the other side, Wichita State was led by freshman guard Dexter Dennis with 14 points. Dennis hit four three-pointers along and grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds. The Shockers outrebounded the Bearcats 51-42.

Senior guard Markis McDuffie, who averaged 18.9 points per game entering the contest, was held to 13 points on 4-of-15 shooting.

“Much credit goes to them,”Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall said postgame.

“They’ve got a great team with a lot of athleticism and size and really defend well … They did a great job on Markis [McDuffie]. Markis was a little frustrated … You’ve got to execute some offense, you know, we shoot 27 percent for the game, 26 percent from the three-point line — a lot of that is credited to their defense and a lot of it is credited to us taking some bad [shots].”

The Bearcats entered the game as 12.5-point favorites.

UC men’s basketball returns to Fifth Third Arena Thursday, Feb. 21, for a matchup against the University of Central Florida Knights. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., and ESPN2 and 700 WLW will provide coverage. Follow TNR_Sports on Twitter for live updates.

February 20, 2019

Page 8

UC baseball swept by FAU in opening weekend SHELBY SCHOLL | CONTRIBUTOR The University of Cincinnati baseball team fell short in its seasonopening three-game series at Florida Atlantic

University (FAU) last weekend in Boca Raton, Florida.

The first game of the series did not start in the Bearcats’ favor, as the team fell 9-0. FAU blew the game

UC’s Jeremy Johnson heads for third base during the 5-3 loss to FAU Sunday. PROVIDED BY UC ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS

open, scoring eight runs in the bottom of the third inning.

The rest of the game was lackluster, as UC didn’t score and FAU had one run in the eighth inning.

The only action from UC’s offense came from senior A.J. Bumpass, redshirt junior Jeremy Johnson, junior Joey Bellini and senior Mason Deanna, who each had one hit.

In the second game of the series Saturday, the Bearcats struck first with two runs by sophomore Joey Wiemer and junior Eric Santiago in the third.

In the fifth, junior Jace Mercer scored on a fly by senior Cole Murphy. FAU responded with two runs, bringing the score to 3-2.

The sixth brought heavy scoring. UC scored when Santiago singled to left field, pushing Bellini to third and bringing Johnson home. Bumpass flied out to right field to advanced junior Mitch Holding to third base, and Bellini home to score.

The final run of the inning for UC came from Holding after an FAU error. The Bearcats scored again in the eighth when Wiemer singled, bringing Mercer in to score.

The game went to extra

innings, with FAU scoring a run in the bottom of the 11th inning for an 8-7 win.

“If you look at this weekend, there’s three innings each game — one big inning, and that killed us,” said UC head coach Scott Googins. “[FAU] is the 30th ranked team in the nation, and we were able to hang with them. So, I feel pretty good about where we’re going.”

Sunday’s series finale started slowly until the Bearcats scored in the fourth inning. Johnson put the Bearcats on the board first with a solo homerun to left field.

The action picked up halfway through the game, as Santiago singled, then Mercer homered to right field, bringing the score to 3-0. FAU answered back with four runs in the fifth, bringing the score to 4-3.

The Bearcats offense ran out of juice and FAU scored another run in the sixth inning. Neither team scored in the final three innings, and FAU won 5-3.

“It was a disappointing weekend for us, but we got to keep our heads up,” Googins said after Sunday’s loss. “There’s a lot of positives that we saw this weekend. We played some good baseball at times.

UC head baseball coach Scott Googins watches an at-bat against FAU in Boca Raton, Fla. Friday, Feb. 15. PROVIDED BY UC ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS

There’s things we need to clean up, but it’s just one weekend.”

UC returns to action Feb. 22-24 in Houston against

the Houston Baptist University Huskies. Friday’s first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.

No UC football players invited to NFL Combine MATT HUFFMON | SPORTS EDITOR Despite finishing 11-2, 6-2 in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) this past season, no University of Cincinnati football players have been invited to the 2019 NFL Combine.

The combine, which gives college players a chance to showcase their skills for professional scouts, is set to take place Feb. 26 through March 4 at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Nine AAC football players received invitations: three from the University of Houston Cougars, three from the University of Memphis Tigers, two from

the Temple University Owls and one from the University of Central Florida Knights.

UC’s Josiah Deguara, who is expected to stay with the team for a fifth year as a graduate student, was assessed as the highestgraded tight-end in the AAC

by Pro Football Focus. He hauled in 38 catches for 468 yards and five touchdowns in 2018.

Sixth-year senior center Garrett Campbell is currently training for the NFL Draft with Boost Sports Performance in Nashville. Campbell appeared in eight games for the Bearcats in 2018, including the 35-31 Military

Bowl victory over Virginia Tech. He suffered a broken ankle during the 49-7 win over the University of Connecticut and subsequently missed five games.

Other Bearcats not invited to the combine include wide receiver Kahlil Lewis (56 catches, 782 yards, nine touchdowns), defensive tackle Cortez Broughton (51 tackles, 6.5 sacks) and defensive tackle Marquise Copeland (50 tackles, four sacks).

Austin Gayle, the NFL editor for Pro Football Focus, was particularly surprised that Copeland didn’t make the cut,

tweeting “No Combine invite for UC’s Marquise Copeland?? Let them sleep, I guess.”

What’s ahead?

The 2019 NFL Draft takes place April 25-27 in Nashville.

UC released its 2019 football schedule Feb. 7.

The Bearcats kick off the season at Nippert Stadium Thursday, Aug. 29, against the UCLA Bruins before traveling to Columbus face the Ohio State Buckeyes Sept. 7.

It will be the first football meeting between UC and OSU since the 2014 season.

University of Cincinnati’s wide receiver Kahlil Lewis was one of the seniors snubbed by not receiving the NFL Combine invite.

ESTHER GEORGE | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

February 20, 2019

Page 9

We need more independent candidates like Howard Schultz SAMUEL SCHELL-OLSEN | SENIOR REPORTER

An article covering a 17-year-old white, middle-class boy received backlash for being published during Black History month. ALEX MARTIN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Esquire covered the wrong thing HANNAH NABERHAUS | CONTRIBUTOR The March 2019 cover story for Esquire magazine cover, which was published online last week, follows the life of 17-yearold Ryan Morgan — a white, middle-class high school kid living in blue-collar West Bend, Wisconsin. The article does the same thing that allows people like Brock Turner and the Covington Catholic students to get free passes: it paints white men as martyrs when they are held accountable. The article gained considerable backlash, especially by people who felt that it was a slap in the face to release the story during Black History Month.

The article frames Morgan’s life in the context of an incident where he got into an altercation with one of his female classmates. She hit him, he hit her back — and he ended up getting ticketed by a municipal court because of it. The article reads as if you’re supposed to feel sorry for him — that you should pity this boy who wasn’t even convicted of a crime, and that this incident was one of the many hardships that accompany being a white boy in 2019.

But there isn’t any justification in the article for why we should be coddling this boy, who said, “I hit her back because I didn’t know how to react.” Instead, the article describes his reasonably normal teenage life and his frustration with people in high school who disagree with him on political issues.

We all know someone who has Ryan

Morgan’s mentality. They can’t seem to understand the inherent privilege they have, nor do they understand why it isn’t OK to hit a girl, even if she hits first. These people grow up to become doctors, police officers and politicians who significantly impact people’s lives.

The phenomena listed on the cover of the magazine — social media, school shootings, toxic masculinity, #MeToo and a “divided country” — have all created a sense of accountability in our culture like no other, which in turn has sparked a reactionary movement. The Ryan Morgans of the world are part of the latter group, and if articles and news stories with these tones continue to permeate the media, men like Ryan Morgan will continue to get away with punishable offenses.

February is Black History Month. Instead of crying over the inexistent plight of white men, we need to take a closer look at the privilege that comes with being white.

According to a study published in 2017 from the National Registry of Exonerations, African-American are seven times more likely to be wrongly convicted of murder than white people. They are five times as likely to go to prison for drug possession than white people.

I am certain that if Ryan Morgan were black — though the crime would have been equally unacceptable — he would have received something far worse than a ticket as punishment.

Billionaire Howard Schultz recently made headlines for exploring a bid as an independent candidate for the 2020 presidential election. Schultz grew up in a poor household in Brooklyn, New York, and worked his way up to become the CEO of Starbucks — the highestgrossing coffee company in the country.

In many respects, Schultz represents the American dream. If you believe in yourself and give it your all, nothing is impossible — no matter what cards you were dealt. But Schultz’s potential presidential bid is ruffling a few feathers.

Journalist Jill Filipovic dismissed Schultz for president in a CNN piece because he is a billionaire. But unlike some politicians, Schultz didn’t inherit his wealth. Ronald Brownstein, senior editor for The Atlantic, argued that Schultz would help President Trump’s reelection by taking votes away from the Democrats.

If Schultz worries you because he might take

votes away from your party, maybe you should make your party more moderate. Schultz himself vowed to end his campaign if Democrats nominate a centrist candidate. Unless former Vice President Joe Biden or Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) win the primary, Schultz’s campaign is likely to continue.

We also have Libertarian and Green Party candidates to consider, as both parties raked nearly 5 percent of the vote combined in 2016.

Don’t we have enough candidates to choose from as it is?

The fact that this discussion even comes up is hypocritical. From the early years of grade school, we were told that you can be president no matter who you are. If you’re 35 years old and a natural-born citizen who has resided within the United States for 14 years, you’re eligible.

Past presidents have been elected despite being illiterate (Zackary Taylor) and having no military or political experience (Donald Trump). People complained in 2016 that there weren’t

more choices on the ballot for president. Why are we complaining when an independent candidate like Schultz throws his hat into the ring?

Some people don’t really care about having more choices — they care that their candidate wins.

Remember in 2016 when Trump said he might not accept the election results and Hillary Clinton supporters called him out for it? They called him out for it because they assumed Clinton would win. It seemed there was no need to worry about backing up their rhetoric. Yet when Clinton lost, several of her supporters did the exact thing they criticized Trump for claiming he might do — they refused to accept the election results. It’s hypocritical, and it’s the very definition of a double standard.

Despite the blowback Schultz has received, he has not backed down, which makes him braver than many others who might cave to peer pressure and beg for forgiveness. Schultz is different — he’s a true independent candidate, and we need more candidates like him.

PRINT RATES First 15 words and under: $7.50 Each additional word: 50 cents Boldface: $1 Logo/Picture: $3 Rates are full-run, per issue.

Deadline: two days before publication ONLINE RATES Housing: $40 Employment: $25 All other categories: $15 Ads appear on NewsRecord.org for 15 days.

Place your ad at www.newsrecord.org/classifieds

Howard Schultz is an American business man who was CEO of Starbucks until 2017, and he has since announced his independent candidacy for the 2020 presidential election WIKIMEDIA

Two Bedrooms Apartments Available Aug 2019.

Large bedrooms. 1 bathroom.

Parking. Minutes from UC. Video tours at UC4Rent.com Email: spdevelopmentco@gmail.com

February 20, 2019

Page 10

Paying the troll toll SAMI STEWART | MULTIMEDIA PRODUCER With the power of reporting comes the responsibility of accepting criticism with grace. Journalists and their respective news organizations face a steady stream of comments, reactions and letters to the editor following the stories they put out, regardless of the content. They are subject to backlash at all times.

This feedback includes both constructive, truthful commentary and unbacked, inflammatory comments that are simply meant to ruffle feathers.

It’s a journalist’s job to hold power accountable, and in return, the

community holds the media accountable for its reporting and writing — and the ethics involved with both.

The News Record (TNR) is not exempt from criticism. In fact, we receive feedback on most of our work. Sometimes, that feedback is positive and encouraging; other times, it nudges us to dive deeper or consider a different perspective. Admittedly, it can be challenging to face an adverse reaction to a story — one that required hours of reporting, writing, rewriting and editing — without feeling a little targeted.

What I didn’t realize when I signed myself up for the front lines of the fourth

estate was the seemingly endless backlash my articles would receive. I quickly found out that this is a huge piece of the pie chart in the day-to-day life of a journalist. People won’t always like what you have to say. Occasionally, they’ll target your stylistic choices — and some comments hit a nerve simply because they’re true.

A handful of readers have consistently held us accountable in our reporting and writing, pointing out what we aren’t covering, what we should be, which stories could’ve used more attention and contesting hotly-debated op-eds to encourage a public forum.

One of TNR’s biggest

critics happens to be the infamous @TowerCrosley — a Twitter account masked behind the persona of the beloved Crosley Tower.

The person behind the account is known for being an expert pot-stirrer and meme-maker, but they often go unrecognized for their determination to hold several of UC’s organizations accountable — specifically members of student government, UCPD and TNR. Anyone under the fire of @TowerCrosley is prone to feel attacked by their ballsy confrontations, but I have yet to see any other member of the community speak up so adamantly against the weak links at UC. While it’s easy to write off negative responses or adopt an air of superiority, media needs criticism to function properly. Criticism for journalism is just as essential to the field as journalism is to democracy — everyone must hold each other accountable, come what may.

This may be the sweetest

and saltiest lesson I’ve learned through studying journalism. It’s taken several instances of backlash from readers and my follow-up feelings of resentment to realize that a differing opinion

Readers who leave positive and negative feedback help keep journalists accountable. JISC

Hot for horoscopes MAGGY MCDONEL | OPINION EDITOR

The twelve sun signs of the zodiac represent the solar cycle which determine horoscopes.

FLICKR

Horoscopes, just like tarot readings and everything else witchy, have historically been considered nonsensical due to its largely feminine following and nontraditional religious overtones. Often labeled under the umbrella of occult practices, horoscopes tend to be taboo.

Many consider horoscopes to be an early form of therapy. Just like palm readings and tarot card readings, you’re not seeing someone to talk about your feelings; you’re seeing someone to figure out why you’re feeling what you are. It’s a way to study what’s going on in your own head.

Why are horoscopes so often dismissed? Why are people so quick to call it crazy? To me, it’s a form of sexism. In modernity, horoscopes are often seen as girloriented, and they’re not taken seriously.

Women have historically been seen as irrational and silly for their beliefs, yet traditional religion is held in such high regard. How is attending

does not necessarily equal contention, nor is it a personal attack; rather, it’s a means of checking and balancing my work in a way that only an outside perspective can accomplish.

church any weirder than getting your horoscope read?

In short, religion is part of the establishment that burned women for reading horoscopes.

I love looking at my horoscopes.

It’s not something that I allow to dictate my actions, but it’s something that makes me stop and think. It’s a way to examine an often unexamined life — a way to think about the past, present and future.

Today, for instance, my horoscope was, “A friend could be depressed and need your advice, Virgo,” according to horoscopes. com. I instantly thought of someone and called them. I don’t think my horoscope magically knew I had a friend in need of comfort, but at least it made me consider those around me who might.

Tomorrow, my horoscope says I will come into an understanding in an argument I am having with my romantic partner. Reading this makes me assess the arguments I have participated in and consider compromises.

Horoscopes are a reminder that some things in my life

are out of my control. For me, that knowledge calms the ever-present anxiety that looms constantly. It means not everything is my fault, and it’s not my job to fix everything.

Horoscopes are much more complicated than most people realize. The signs that most people consider their horoscopes are sun signs. The horoscope reading comes from patterns in astronomy and astrology.

Emotions are attributed to individual planets, stars and the patterns they take. The planetary alignment is put into the context of the attribution, and eventually, it becomes your horoscope.

Most horoscope readings offer insight into your past, present, future, love life, career, health and finances, among other things. It’s crazy to think that the same things that heat the Earth, create tides and keep us suspended in space could also affect our moods.

Horoscopes need to get the respect they deserve. It’s an ancient tradition that has permeated many cultures and an occult practice that lets people better themselves, and it is worthy of recognition.

February 20, 2019

Page 11

SUDOKU

By The Mepham Group Sudoku is played on a grid of 9 x 9 spaces.

Within the rows and columns are 9 “squares” (made up of 3 x 3 spaces). Each row, column and square (9 spaces each) needs to be filled out with the numbers 1-9, without repeating any numbers within the row, column or square.

Does it sound complicated? Each Sudoku grid comes with a few spaces already filled in; the more spaces filled in, the easier the game – the more difficult Sudoku puzzles have very few spaces that are already filled in.

OFFICE HOURS Editor-in-Chief Jacob Fisher

Managing Editor Noelle Zielinski

News Editor Keely Brown

Multimedia Producer Sami Stewart

Features Editor Elizabeth Schmitt

Multimedia Editor Mitchell Parton

Life & Arts Editor Briana Rice

509 Swift Hall ML 0135 Cincinnati, OH 45221 Phone: 513-556-5912

Monday 11AM-4PM Tuesday 11AM-1:30PM, 2PM-4PM Wednesday 12PM-2PM, 3PM-4PM Thursday 12PM-2PM, 3PM-6PM Friday 3PM-4PM

SEND US YOUR LETTERS Sports Editor Matt Huffmon

Opinion Editor Maggy McDonel

Chief Reporter David Rees

Lead Designer Brittany Fletcher

Digital Editor Stephanie Smith

Photo Editor Abby Shoyat

Got a suggestion? Opinion? News tip?

Share it with us! The News Record prides itself as the student voice of the University of Cincinnati, and your input fuels our content. If there’s anything you think our staff should cover, we want to know about it. Letters to the editor are strongly encouraged and will be published in print or online, subject to review by our staff.

Please send all questions, inquiries, or story ideas to editor@newsrecord.org.

Chief Videographer Darius Dudley

Social Media Assistant Anne Simendinger

Chief Photographer Alex Martin

WEBSITE newsrecord.org FACEBOOK /TheNewsRecord TWITTER @NewsRecord_UC INSTAGRAM @thenewsrecord The News Record is an independent, student-run news organization of the University of Cincinnati. The free tabloid-size newspaper is published on Wednesdays during the school year except on holidays and during final examinations and is distributed to more than 100 locations on and near the UC campus. The News Record’s website, newsrecord.org, is updated continuously and offers e-newsletters, video, audio and interactive features. The Communications Board of the University of Cincinnati is responsible for operating and policymaking activities of The News Record and its affiliated media, including oversight of fiscal operations, sound educational experience for students, protection of press freedoms and adherence to University rules and regulations.

February 6, 2019

Page 12

APPLY TO BE

NEWS RECORD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF for the 2019-20 academic year

Send a message to editor@newsrecord.org to receive an application DEADLINE: Noon, March 1