VOL. CXXXVIII ISSUE XVVVIV • FREE-ADDITIONAL COPIES $1
THE NEWS RECORD THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI’S INDEPENDENT, STUDENT-RUN NEWS ORGANIZATION / THURSDAY, FEB. 13, 2014
COLD STREAK SUPPORTING STEM WALKING DEAD SNAPPED
DOCUMENTARY HIGHLIGHTS STORIES OF FORMER SLAVES
UNCHAINED
STUDENT GOVERNMENT BACKS OHIO BILL PROMOTING STEM
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Mayor announces parking plan, rates near campus could increase If adopted, proposal could raise meter hours of operation, rates in neighborhoods surrounding UC MELANIE TITANIC SCHEFFT STAFF REPORTER
MELANIE TITANIC SCHEFFT STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER UC student Adam Winget said he’s concerned that possible increases in meter rates and operation hours could handicap students attending night classes.
UC passing fewer education students in Ohio
A new proposal to make the city’s parking system financially sustainable could cause parking meter rates and hours to increase around the University of Cincinnati. “What this is about is modernizing the parking system, number one, and as John [Cranley] has said, maintaining local control,” said David Mann, city councilman. Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley announced the proposal during a press conference at city hall Wednesday. If passed as is, the plan would increase parking meter rates from 50 cents to 75 cents. In addition to hourly rate increases, the operating hours for meters could be extended from the current 6 p.m. shutoff to 9 p.m. If approved, the new proposal would eliminate the need to for the city to sign on to a 2013 agreement with Xerox Corp., a private contracting company that operates 30 parking systems across the country. Under the former deal, which was quickly shot down after the 2012 November elections, Xerox would have paid $130 million to the city to own the parking meters within city limits and surrounding Cincinnati suburbs — including those streets surrounding campus — for 30 years.
Cranley said the money received would be quickly depleted over the next two years after being used to pay for projects the former administration decided upon. “We have rejected that philosophy because, number one, we need the meter’s income and ticket money to balance our budget and pay for our plans to increase cops and fire fighters on the street,” Cranley said. “Number two, the council and the public will keep control of the meters, the rates and the hours of enforcement.” The proposal also includes hiring additional meter readers; maintaining current downtown parking meter and garage rates; upgrading meters and building a new garage at Broadway and Seventh streets. While the plan has the support of some council members, other council members and citizens have expressed concern over possible meter rate and operation increases. “Just within the [past] two weeks I had to pay two parking tickets because of parking restrictions on certain hours,” said Adam Winget, a third-year sports administration student at UC. “I’d rather see the restricted hours happen between 4 [p.m.] and 6 p.m. or have no restricted hours at all.” Council members Charlie Winburn, Christopher Smitherman, Kevin Flynn and David Mann support Cranley’s plan, but several other council members seem unsure. Cranley needs a fifth vote to pass the plan, which is scheduled to head to council’s Neighborhoods SEE PARKING PG 2
COMBATTING FIRE
JACOB SCOTT CONTRIBUTOR
Fewer students are receiving education degrees at the University of Cincinnati compared to other similar-sized universities in Ohio, according to a recent report. “Our college does not produce as many teachers as other universities,” said Regina Sapona, senior associate dean for academic affairs. The data is part of an annual report released by the Ohio Board of Regents, the body that oversees Ohio’s public, higher education institutions. The report, known as the Educator Preparation Program Performance Report, compiles the passage rate for the state’s teacher licensure test at 51 different institutions, as well as the number of students taking the test. “Basically, these reports are meant to show how well our colleges and universities are preparing tomorrow’s teachers,” said Jeff Robinson, communications director for the Ohio Board of Regents. “They can be beneficial to students and parents, who, if the student is choosing to be an education major, can see what schools have the best curriculum for preparing teachers.” The passing rate at UC is on par with similar Ohio universities such as Ohio University, Kent State University and Ohio State University, which all fall between 93 and 96 percent. UC sits comfortably at 95 percent. “We are a good school of education,” said Sam Stringfield, professor and director in the School of Education. “We are utterly competitive with other universities. We take the urban mission quite seriously. If you can teach in an urban school you can teach.” The differentiating characteristic in the reports is the number of students taking the test. UC tested 256 prospective teachers in 2012 while Kent state tested 347 students, OU tested 410 students and OSU peaked at more than 600 students. Sapona said the School of Education at UC is more selective than other universities. “We only admit, on a competitive basis, [and only] 75 early childhood education students,” Sapona said. While early childhood education is only one area of teaching expertise, 75 test takers account for a little less than 30 percent of all education majors at UC. “Ohio overproduces early childhood education teachers,” Sapona said. “Ohio desperately needs math and science teachers so we want as many math and SEE REPORT PG 2
MADISON SCHMIDT CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Cincinnati Fire Chief Richard Braun (center) said the current plan would drastically reduce the amount of fire units unable to respond because of inadequate staffing levels. The plan announced by Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley (right) at City Hall Monday calls for maintaining the city’s current funding for overtime in the department.
City addresses fire department staffing woes; UC to continue education efforts RYAN HOFFMAN NEWS EDITOR
As the City of Cincinnati works to achieve necessary staffing levels in its fire department, officials at the University of Cincinnati aren’t slowing down efforts to further educate the community on fire safety. “Fire engines only respond to fires,” said Daniel Cummins, assistant dean of student life and director of student affairs. “Our goal is to make sure there’s no fires for the city to respond to. We appreciate what the city has done, but we will continue to educate.” Fire safety came to the forefront at UC after a deadly house fire on Digby Avenue Jan. 1, 2013. UC students Chad Kohls, 21, and Ellen Garner, 20, died from smoke inhalation days after the fire. When the call of the fire came in, several of the nearest firehouses were browned out, although CFD determined the brownouts had “no adverse effects” in the department’s ability to respond to the fire, which started from a space heater. Since then, Cummins has led efforts to educate students on how to avoid fires.
Those included hosting educational events on campus, as well distributing smoke detectors and safety literature in the neighborhoods surrounding main campus. While UC is focused on educating students, Cincinnati officials are addressing the brownouts. In a plan announced Monday, Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley said the city is laying out the groundwork to seriously reduce brownouts. On average, five firehouses per day are unable to respond, said Jennifer Spieser, CFD public information officer. “It’s a very serious situation,” said Richard Braun, Cincinnati fire chief. “What brownouts do is make it more dangerous for our citizens and more dangerous for our firefighters.” The city’s plan would reduce that number to two or zero brownouts per day by maintaining the city’s current funding of $2.5 million for overtime in the department, in addition to a new recruit class of 41 firefighters that graduated Friday. “The good news is that Friday’s graduation means we’re closer to the goal of being able to meet the service levels required to prevent brownouts on a regular
basis,” Cranley said. “However, that’s not good enough for us and that’s not good enough for the current council.” Cranley said the only solution to brownouts is to have more firefighters. Current staffing after the Friday recruit class graduation is approximately 817. The city recently applied for a federal grant for a new recruit class to take staffing to the optimal level of 841. Kevin Flynn, city councilman and part-time professor in the UC College of Law, said public safety is priority number one, and that starts with making sure the firehouses are adequately staffed. “If you don’t have enough people to staff your fire trucks, you don’t have enough people to do the inspections,” Flynn said. Flynn is meeting with President Santa Ono in the next several weeks to discuss ways in which UC and city council can partner to better protect students. Student government collaborated with city council over the summer to create a landlord accreditation site that allows landlords to voluntarily have CFD inspect their property and put it in a database accessible to the public. The website has not generated the response that student government had SEE FIRE PG 2
No new contract in first round of mediation between UC, AAUP Faculty union, university to resume mediation Saturday; both hope to resolve contract impasse RYAN HOFFMAN NEWS EDITOR
Mediated negotiations between the University of Cincinnati and its largest teaching union are scheduled to continue Saturday, after two long days of negotiation failed to yield a written, contractual agreement. Contract negotiations between the UC chapter of the Association of American University Professors and UC started in March 2013. Since then, the two groups have made some agreements on non-monetary issues, but talks stalled when the discussion shifted to faculty healthcare, investments in faculty development and salary increases. “The administration’s plans do dramatically increase what faculty will contribute for their health care, in some cases even tripling what our contribution is, which would frankly wipe out any salary gains at all, whatever they gave us,” said Greg Loving, UC AAUP president, in a previous interview. The university maintains both sides have to make tough
choices and that both sides — at the end of the day — want what’s best for the university. Since negotiations are ongoing, neither side can legally comment on the discussions. With the current contract expiring at the end of June, both groups realize there’s a growing urgency. Mediation was originally scheduled for Feb. 10 and 11, but with Monday’s talks running four-and-a-half hours longer than intended, the university asked AAUP representatives to return Saturday for further mediation. This is not the first time talks between the two groups have stalled. In 2002, negotiations on the health-care portion of the contract went down to the wire, with an agreement coming just hours before the deadline. In 1993, faculty members went on strike over frustration with contract negotiations. Roughly 100 AAUP members packed the alumni center in December during a UC Board of Trustees meeting. Faculty members held signs with messages such as “Put students’ education first.” Union members said they plan to show up in stronger numbers for Tuesday’s meeting if an SEE AAUP PG 2
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FILE ART UC and its AAUP chapter are scheduled to continue mediated negotiations Saturday, after the two failed to reach an agreement earlier this week.