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Ohio DNA test time decreases
The News Record MONDAY | JANUARY 28 | 2013
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Faster DNA testing aids in closing Ohio’s criminal investigations dani kokochak senior Reporter newsrecordnews@gmail.com A recent decrease in turnaround time for DNA processing has played a vital role in closing crime investigations in Cincinnati and throughout Ohio. As a result, forensic scientists working at the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation are processing DNA cases in record time — turnaround time has been reduced from approximately 125 days in 2010 to 25 days in 2012. When Attorney General Mike DeWine took office in 2010, he recognized the time for the lab to complete DNA testing was too long. “I felt this was very important,” DeWine said. “It was really a matter of, in some cases, life and death to get this done.” A focus on staffing, technology and efficiency was one part of the turnaround time reduction plan implemented by DeWine. Approximately 21 scientists were added to the BCI lab staff, DNA testing robots doubled and there is continuous quality improvement. Selected to spearhead the initiative as director of the crime lab, Ronald Dyes led the BCI for more than a year. Dyes died Wednesday in a diving accident off the coast of Florida. “He gets a lot of credit for the great work that’s been done over the last two years,” DeWine said. “He played a major, intricate part in getting [this] done.” A new BCI crime lab director will be determined at a later date. Reducing turnaround time in crime labs will solve crimes quicker, identify criminals and offenders earlier and make Ohio a safer place, Dewine said. The BCI crime lab solves 150 cold cases a month, and 90 percent of Ohio’s law enforcement agencies depend on the bureau for state crime lab services. Locally, the Hamilton County sheriff’s department sends DNA evidence to the Hamilton County coroner’s crime lab for analysis. DNA results from the coroner’s office continue to aid in successfully solve crimes. “A lot of old cold cases are being solved now with DNA, with technology that wasn’t available twenty years ago,” said Jim Knapp, spokesperson for the Hamilton County sheriff’s department. For more information about research at the University of CIncinnati and crime around campus, visit newsrecord.org.
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POWER IN NUMBERS Graduation rates on the rise for UC main campus ryan hoffman news editor newsrecordnews@gmail.com As universities around Ohio work toward increasing graduation rates, the University of Cincinnati is emerging as a leader in efforts to usher underrepresented students to graduation. “UC is doing a very good job at trying to address completion especially for underrepresented populations … as an institution UC is trying to step forward and be a leader in the state,” said Brett Visger, deputy chancellor of institutional collaboration for the Ohio Board of Regents. UC has implemented a number of longterm strategies to aid students and increase the likelihood of graduation. Programs such as first-year seminars, learning communities, supplemental instruction, required orientation and placement testing, are successful in moving more students — especially underrepresented groups — toward graduation. “If we admit a student then they need to do their part, but we need to do our part as an institution,” said Caroline Miller, associate vice president of enrollment for UC. “It’s not enough to just get them in.” Programs such as the Turner Scholarship Program directly provide financial assistance and a sense of community to students from underrepresented groups. “It’s more than a scholarship, it’s a family,” said Shivam Kedia, a third-year neuroscience student and Turner Scholar. Kedia’s experiences in the program have helped him become a better student
and a stronger leader, he said. Efforts to improve graduation and retention rates began advancing during Nancy Zimpher’s tenure as president. Since then, UC has ramped up these efforts culminating in the UC2019 plan. The plan aims to increase the first-year retention rate to 90 percent and the overall six-year graduation rate to 75 percent. The goals not only apply to the student body as a whole but underrepresented groups as well. First-year retention rate for the 2011-12 academic year was 86 percent while the sixyear completion rate for all students was 62.3 percent. Asian or Pacific Islanders had the highest completion rate at 72.5 percent. Black non-Hispanic students graduated at a rate of 40.2 percent, roughly a five percent increase from the previous year, while Hispanic students had a 69 percent completion rate. White non-Hispanic students graduated at a rate of 64.1 percent. The numbers are a drastic improvement from previous years; a nine percent increase in the overall retention rate and a 27 percent increase in the six-year graduation rate compared to 2003-04 data. While some Ohio universities, like Ohio State University, have higher graduation rates for underrepresented students, the increase in rates at UC exceeds many others. “I think some of the scale and number of things UC is doing is very positive and aggressive,”Visger said. If improvements continue at the current pace UC will meet its admittedly stretched
goals in the UC2019 plan, Miller said. UC’s push to increase the amount and diversity of graduates is part of a nationwide trend that is being aggressively pursued in Ohio. “One of the thing that’s been recognized is just getting people into college is not enough,” Visger said. “There’s a responsibility to not be agnostic on getting people through, that there are proactive steps that universities can take to help students be more successful.” At the request of Ohio Gov. John Kasich, presidents from public universities constructed a series of recommendations for distributing state funding that would base 50 percent of funding in graduation rates. “For too long, Ohio has failed to implement a results-based system for higher education funding that rewards success,” Kasich said in a statement. “Instead of trying only to enroll as many students as possible, Ohio’s institutions of higher-learning will now be incentivized to focus on improving outcomes for each and every student who walks through their doors by helping them graduate.” While funding based on graduation rates is backed by Ohio universities’ presidents, some are concerned rewarding graduation rates might devalue a college education. “There’s some concern that kind of formula may actually result in grade inflation because the university might want to graduate or promote students regardless see RATES | 2
City evaluates ‘Green Cincinnati’ plan Officials weigh costs and benefits of continuing sustainability program benjamin Goldschmidt chief reporter newsrecordnews@gmail.com The beginning of 2013 marked the expiration of the Green Cincinnati Plan, and according to environmental activists and city employees, it worked, and Cincinnati should re-up. The Green Cincinnati Plan began in 2008 — originally requested by Mayor Mark Mallory — and consisted of more than 80 recommendations that targeted energy efficiency, waste reduction and green land use in a city-wide sustainability initiative. “So here we are five years after the adoption of the plan, so how did we do?” said Larry Falkin, director of the Office of Environmental Quality. “We actually did really well. We set the goal of reducing greenhouse gasses by eight percent by 2012, and we reduced them 8.2 percent. We’ve done these things in a way that saves more than it costs.” Green Umbrella, a regional nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental vitality, met with the Strategic Growth Committee to discuss the city’s future
efforts to “go green,” with the New Green Cincinnati Plan. Supporters from Green Umbrella and other organizations filled city hall’s chambers. In the past, Green Umbrella worked with approximately 175 private, environmentally conscious organizations to work cohesively toward sustainability in Cincinnati, and has picked up much of the responsibility of getting private entities on board with the Green Cincinnati Plan, Falkin said. “As we look through the New Green Cincinnati Plan, there are some things that fall naturally within city government’s field of responsibility,” Falkin said. “There are also lots and lots of partners out there in the community who are focused on many of the things we’re talking about in the plan, and would be happy to pick up some of the responsibility.” Falkin attributed much of the success to improvements in transportation and solar energy panels on certain government buildings, but said there is still work to be done. Much of the improvements could be done at an extremely low cost to the city. An inexpensive initiative Falkin would like to see implemented is to make multiple
occupancy transportation more accessible. With the addition of Megabus stops in Cincinnati, the metro system should connect to those stops so people would not have to use a car to get there, said Steve Johns, city sustainability coordinator. “Friends don’t let friends SOV,” Johns said, referring to single occupancy vehicles such as cars. “Wouldn’t it be great to be able to bike to the greyhound station, lock up your bike and take the longer distance trip? Wouldn’t it be great to link Amtrak to our metro system more seamlessly?” Not all of the New Green Cincinnati Plan is cheap. A more costly initiative it outlines is to add more solar panels to government buildings and to spread leftover power to other buildings by interconnecting the panel systems. Councilmember Cecil Thomas commended the progress the city has made, but said raising awareness of green initiatives has to be improved. “There are numerous recommendations in your report that we as citizens can do at really no cost to ourselves,” Thomas said. “That is really the most important aspect here in terms of educating the community on ways that we can be of help
in addressing the overall energy situation.” Ryan Lammi, co-director of transportation services for the University of Cincinnati Undergraduate Student Government, attended the meeting to express students’ interest in citywide sustainability initiatives, and mentioned improvements in green transportation would help current students get around easier. “More and more students are considering whether or not the city is sustainable, and Cincinnati’s push to be a more sustainable city is attracting more students to the area, and also it will keep these talented students in the area,” Lammi said. While members of the Strategic Growth Committee seemed welcoming of the new plan, Thomas said council needs to see a more concrete breakdown of specific costs, and suggested to revise the plan to include those specific costs and to do studies to see how much savings the city would see as a result. “I’ve always said we can pay now or pay later, and I’d rather pay now,” Thomas said. The final New Green Cincinnati Plan will go before city council late February.
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U-Square adds business competition Restaurant owners discuss economic effects from new vendors BRYAN SHUPE SENIOR REPORTER NEWSRECORDNEWS@GMAIL.COM As U-Square @ the Loop nears its grand opening, local restaurants are receptive of the added competition in University Heights. Arn Bortz, a partner of Town Properties, said U-Square is at nearly 80-percent capacity for its vendors, with options like Waffle House and Orange Leaf. Since Papa Dino’s closed its doors after 58 years of business, local establishments acknowledged the increased competition that comes with a development project such as U-Square. Chris Flint, manager of Chicago Gyros, said the Greek eatery is currently working on a beer and wine license that will drive business and expectantly go into effect in the spring. “We’re hoping to possibly stay open a little bit later and cater to the nightlife,” Flint said. “But it’s likely that the returning students will stay true to the diehard businesses that have been around here for a while, but are also going to be curious to check out the other locations opening up at U-Square.” Myra’s Dionysus on Calhoun Street is celebrating its 36th birthday Jan. 28. Myra Griffin, owner of the establishment, is interested to see how the U-Square development will impact her business and is equally excited to see the construction leave Calhoun Street. In regards to
potential competitors, Griffin said the lengthy reputation of Myra’s speaks for itself. Adriatico’s Pizza has been at its new location on W. McMillan Street since January 2012, and is positioned adjacent to Pomodori’s Pizzeria, across from U-Square. Rico Booker, manager at Adriatico’s, said he expects an increase in business with the development of U-Square and hopes it can expand the pizzeria’s limited parking. “It should be a definite improvement. I mean nothing was being used over there,” Booker said. “It’ll really bring in a lot more customers that wouldn’t normally be in the Clifton area and I think that’ll really help us.” The opening of U-Square has the potential to bring new people into the area and help solidify a competitive yet notable restaurant district in Clifton, Bortz said. “It’s going to raise the bar and the quality of what’s offered. And the good food and beverage guys with good followings should do well,” Bortz said. “We’re proud of what we’ve done. We hope the community embraces the project and I think it has.” Andrea Gemperle, a third-year education student and server at Adriatico’s, said the U-Square completion would add another dynamic to the greater University of Cincinnati area. “I’m excited about it because there’s going to be so much more stuff to do right here [around] campus,” Gemperle said.
Human trafficking report released
Students host drug presentation Health initiative sheds light on fatal consequences of prescription drug misuse SYRON TOWNSEND CONTRIBUTOR NEWSRECORDNEWS@GMAIL.COM In an effort to combat the everincreasing misuse of prescription medications, three University of Cincinnati students hosted “Preventing Problems with Prescription Drugs,” a multimedia presentation that shed light on the consequences of the fatal trend. Sponsored by the Cardinal Health initiative, “Generation RX: Preventing the Misuse and Abuse of Prescription Medications,” pharmacy students Cindy Yiu, Hilary Gerwin and Brittany Turner led the presentation with a short film that told the stories of five teens who struggled with prescription drug abuse — three died as a result. “We are facing an epidemic right now,” said Yiu, a third-year pharmacy student. “Every year, more people die from prescription painkillers than heroin or cocaine combined.” Every day, 2,500 teens abuse prescription medications for the first time, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Drug abuse surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of accidental death in America. Those who abuse also run the risk of heart attack, seizure and paralysis. Possession can even be prosecuted with felony charges. “It’s always shocking to see the personal stories,” said Amy Frantz, a fourth-year health sciences student. “I got a little emotional watching [the presentation]. [Prescription drug abuse] is a big issue and not something people talk about enough. The personal touch really brought the point home.” Students can make daily contributions to end prescription misuse by storing and disposing of medication properly and avoiding tendencies to self-prescribe.
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BUILDING UP VENDORS U-Square @ the Loop, located on Calhoun Street, is set to open in 2013 and will include housing, parking and numerous restaurants and stores. Arn Bortz, a partner of Town Properties, said the development has filled nearly 80 percent of its capacity for its vendors. The restaurants include Orange Leaf and Waffle House.
Legislature working toward new, tougher measures BENJAMIN GOLDSCHMIDT CHIEF REPORTER NEWSRECORDNEWS@GMAIL.COM Ohio lawmakers are increasing efforts to curb human trafficking. Following the Jan. 10 release of an annual Human Trafficking Report, which showed improvement in prevention of trafficking in Ohio, Attorney General Mike Dewine reconvened the state’s Human Trafficking Commission. House Bill 262 passed in August 2011, changing how Ohio law treats human trafficking offenders and victims. The bill increased penalties for human trafficking to put them on par with federal penalties, said Melinda Sykes, facilitator of the Human Trafficking Commission. Ohio elevated human trafficking to a first-degree felony, which carries a minimum of 10 years in prison. DeWine announced the Central Ohio Trafficking Task Force in August 2012, a law enforcement collaborative made up of officers in the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Columbus Police Department. “We’ve already had two separate indictments under the state law,” Sykes said. Trisha Smouse, anti-human trafficking program manager at the Salvation Army Central Ohio, said House Bill 262 produced awareness and brought improvements to the Central Ohio Rescue and Restore Coalition in Columbus. “We’ve seen improvements in the identification of victims,” Smouse said. “We have a huge increase in the number of calls we get to our hotline.” In 2008, the coalition received five phone calls to the hotline; in 2009, it
FROM RATES | 1 of mastery of subject because money is tied to it,” said UC President Santa Ono in a Jan. 14 interview. “The provost and I won’t stand for anything like that. We sill not sacrifice the quality of the education or what it means to have a UC degree just because the bottom line is affected by that.” To avoid reducing the challenges faced by college students, UC is working with feeder schools to better prepare incoming students especially in mathematics. “It’s a balancing act,” Miller said. “Watering down the expectations is not the solution.” As state universities strive to improve graduation rates, UC could serve as a model in terms of successful strategies, Visger said. “I don’t think we did it to make ourselves the star, I think we did it because it’s the right thing to do,” Miller said.
received one to two calls per month; and in 2010, the average rose to five calls per month. In 2012, the coalition received 2025 calls per month, Smouse said. A rise in awareness caused a shift in the perception of human trafficking victims. “Instead of criminals, our community has started to look at them as victims,” Smouse said. “[It caused] a change of perception and definition of those caught in the trade.” Increased attention to human trafficking started, in part, with representative Teresa Fedor (R-D 47), who sponsored House Bill 262. Human trafficking caught her attention in 2005, Sykes said. Fedor focused on Operation Precious Cargo in Harrisburg, Pa., which rescued 151 sex-trafficking victims — 78 from Toledo, a city in Fedor’s district. “This has been on her radar for quite a few years,” Sykes said. Shared Hope International, an organization that rates states based on human trafficking laws, raised Ohio’s rating for 2012. With the passage of House Bill 262, Ohio increased its ranking to “C”. The organization grades states based on a 102.5 grade scale. Ohio is currently at a 72.5, which is a 12-point increase from 2011. It is one of nine states to receive a “C” rating. Ohio will now expunge the juvenile record of the victims of human trafficking that are minors once they have completed the judicial process — a great improvement in human trafficking legalities, according to SHI. A “B” is the highest rating given by SHI and is held by three states — Louisiana, Florida and Georgia. The Trafficking in Person’s law still
requires proof of force, fraud and coercion for minors. This is not a requirement for federal law and, according to SHI, will have to change for Ohio to increase its grade. The Human Trafficking Commission is working on legal measures that will increase the statute of limitations on human trafficking crimes from six years to 20 years, Sykes said. The commission is collaborating with local law enforcements to spread information on how to respond to runaway minors after the report found over 60 percent of trafficking victims fled from home at least one time. “We have come a long way, and we still have a long way to go,” Sykes said.
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INCREASED PENALTIES Ohio Attorney General Mike Dewine released an annual Human Trafficking report Jan. 10.
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Pittsburgh professor visits UC, touts activism Blee explains role in democracy, politics of changing America EMILY BEGLEY SENIOR REPORTER NEWSRECORD.LIVING@GMAIL.COM The University of Pittsburgh’s Kathleen M. Blee illustrated a different perspective of activism at the Charles Phelps Taft Research Center Friday: the evolution of activist groups over time. The professor of sociology and associate dean for graduate studies detailed the development of activist groups from formation to dissolution in her presentation, “What Happens to Political Imagination in Activist Groups?” This topic is also discussed in her most recent book, “Democracy in the Making: How Activist Groups Form.” “[The event] equates students, faculty and the community to exciting research,” said Ashley Currier, assistant professor in the department of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies and Blee’s graduateresearch assistant from 2003 to 2005. The event was sponsored by the Charles Phelps Taft Research Center, the Human Rights Research Group, the department of political science and the department of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. Blee was chosen to speak because of her decades of experience researching social movements, Currier said. “I think that bringing researchers from other universities is important to keep the intellectual community vibrant at UC,” said Sarah Mayorga-Gallo, an assistant professor of sociology. Blee, along with Currier and undergraduate students from the University of Pittsburgh, studied 69 social movement groups in Pittsburgh between
2003 and 2007. In this longitudinal analysis, research began when a group was formed and continued as it changed over time. Blee and her team did extensive research, which included structured observations and interviews. Currier said the study is innovative because it focuses on the emergence of activist groups; the majority of activism research is often conducted after a group is firmly established. To explain the importance of a group’s early stages, Blee used the example of a neighborhood ball game. Different children drift in and out of the game while the score continues to be calculated. In the end, the teams cannot be compared; even though the same teams technically finish the game, they are made up of entirely different children. Groups change their incentives and goals as time passes, and some change their cause altogether, Blee said. For this reason, Blee and her team focused on groups’ sequences of action. Blee was eager to present members of the UC community with a large research project involving undergraduates in addition to providing a deeper understanding of activism. “[The event] is important because a lot of students are so focused on their studies they don’t get time to talk about things outside the classroom,” said N’deye Ba, a fourth-year international affairs and political science student. “It’s a good learning opportunity.” One of the main examples used in Blee’s presentation was the Animal Liberation League (ALL), a group that fought for
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TEACHING ACTIVISIM ROLE Dr. Kathleen M. Blee speaks at the Taft Research Center on Thursday Jan. 25, 2013. animal rights by working against issues like dissection and clothing material. A new item on the agenda was a turning point for the group — attempting to prevent the serving of foie gras, a French dish translating to “fatty liver” made by forcefeeding a duck or goose. When ALL began protesting the dish by publishing pamphlets and writing letters to restaurants, they started to see themselves as part of the international movement of animal rights. This transformed the mood of the group; in addition to becoming emotionally
charged, ALL took a much more formal approach to the events they hosted, ensuring that they had enough money and resources before proceeding with their plans. This idea is central to “Democracy in the Making: How Activist Groups Form.” “Activism is a complicated process that involves a lot of negotiation with other people within the group as well as outside the group,” Blee said. “Democracy in the Making: How Activist Groups Form” is available on amazon.com.
Band thrashes Bogarts Warbeast prepared to crush, destroy stage Wednesday JAKE SCOTT STAFF REPORTER NEWSRECORDENT@GMAIL.COM Thrash-metal veterans Warbeast headline the “Weed & Speed West Coast Tour” making a stop to rock Cincinnati. “Prepared to crush you when we enter the cage/Determined to thrash you once we hit the stage,” lead vocalist Bruce Corbitt sings on the band’s most recent single “Destroy.” Warbeast will be crushing and thrashing Bogart’s stage Wednesday with the heavy-metal tour mates, Down. The band is busy touring and finishing up their latest album, “Destroy,” which they hope to release in April. “We’ve been playing like half the album on our tour with Down,” Corbitt said. “For the lyrics [and inspiration] I used movies, tragic days in American history, and some funny stuff like writing a song about some big-headed, egotistical bastards.” Recent trends in heavy-metal music show that death-core and metal-core are big influences in the genre. A band comprised of members who have been playing in metal bands such as Rigor Mortis for nearly three decades, might be expected to follow this trend, but Warbeast stays true to its thrash roots and sets an example for new heavy-metal acts everywhere.
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CINCINNALITY PRESENTS ONO UC’s President Santa Ono as Cincinnality’s guest host for the night when Cincinnality came to CCM at the Cohen Family Studio Theater on Wednesday, Jan 23, 2013.
TALENT SHOWCASE Comedic variety show comes to CCM, hosts UC students NATALYA DAOUD SENIOR REPORTER NEWSRECORD.LIVING@GMAIL.COM
“Provost Ono,” but the team decided to film the show at UC instead. “It just seemed like from the top down it was a great school, and so we’re kind of Five University of Cincinnati students calling this the start of our college tour, not showcased their talents on a new talk that we’ve contacted other schools right show filmed at the College Conservatory of now,” said Alison Miuccio, vice president of Music Wednesday. creative services for the show. “This was the “Cincinnality,”a Fox 19 late-variety show one that we really wanted.” first aired in June 2012. It takes a comedic Student magicians, dancers, singers and stance on issues relating to Cincinnati with musicians showed their skills during former radio personalities and the three-hour taping. Rueben hosts Amanda Orlando, Dean Moreland, a second-year And it’s Miuccio and Randi Douglas. exploratory studies student, “And it’s just what just what performed magic tricks the show is — it’s all during the taping. the show Cincinnati. It’s what we The New York native do and it doesn’t get any is — it’s all has been on other TV more Cincinnati than the shows throughout the Cincinnati University of Cincinnati,” world presenting magic, but said Director Tyler Sweet. “It’s still gets nervous before he kind of like, I wouldn’t really performs. say mock, but in that direction of the “I think that’s a good thing, though. It news.” In July, Ono asked the “Cincinnality” shows that you care about who you’re crew via Twitter to come on his radio show, performing for and care about what you’re
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doing, especially for this event because this is my home at UC so I wanted to show us proud,” he said. The hosts also spoke with cancer survivor Matt Neitzke, 13, about The Dragonfly Foundation, his organization through Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. The organization, established in 2010 by his mother, Christine Neitzke, and friend Ria Davidson, helps children with cancer gain needed support by offering them care packages and new laptops. “We do anything that make the kids smile,” Christine said. In 2012, The Dragonfly Foundation raised $340,000 in donations and helped more than 280 families. “We want to do everything we can to increase that number because there are a lot of people that need help, and what they’re doing is just amazing and fantastic,” Ono said. “UC should really step up and help everybody in the community.” The students who came to the taping were interested in the experience of what it’s like to be part of a live audience. “I thought it was interesting being behind the scenes for once because I’ve always just been right in front of the TV seeing what’s going on,” said first-year exploratory student, Kelsi Herzog. “So it was neat to see the directors and how they actually led showing the people that were on TV, which cameras to look at and all that.” First-year biomedical sciences student, Sara Whitestone, enjoyed watching Ono during the taping. “I’ve never been on a recording set before and it’s really fun to see president Ono in this kind of setting,” she said. “You know he adapts to any situation and it’s really cool to see that, too.” The UC-centered “Cincinnality” show aired Sunday at 11:30 p.m.
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Life & Arts Comedy Central comedian creates TV show Kroll Show premiered, no rules, no limitations WOODROW GOLDSMITH SENIOR REPORTER NEWSRECORDENT@GMAIL.COM
Nick Kroll is the co-creator and star of Comedy Central’s newest sketch comedy, the aptly named “Kroll Show.” The show, which premiered on Jan. 16, does not have limitations and is not one with a style that can be pigeonholed, said Kroll. “The beauty of [the show] is that there are really no rules,” Kroll said. “Because there are no rules, you can tailor everything to whatever is funny and whatever is inspiring.” Kroll has appeared in everything from “Community” and “Parks and Recreation,” and currently plays Ruxin on F/X’s “The League.” “Kroll Show” is different in many ways from the typical programming on Comedy Central. Instead of interspersed skits that have no real connection, Kroll’s characters show up in multiple sketches, have storylines, develop personalities and traits and remain stuck in the viewer’s head for as long as he wants them to be. “What ‘Kroll Show’ does differently than most stuff out there now is the fact that we are doing a lot of recurring characters
and narrative story lines both inside the episodes and over the season,” Kroll said. “It’s a really dense experience watching it, and I think it’s an intersection between sketch and more narrative story telling, like a sitcom.” It would be difficult to find sitcom characters like the animal plastic surgeon Dr. Armond, who cannot move any part of his face. But with such a variety of characters, Kroll hopes to appeal to many audiences. “Our feeling is that we want to create a buffet,” Kroll said. ”Hopefully if you come to that buffet, you’re going to find something you like.” It will help when Kroll’s friends, including Andy Milonakis, appear on the show. “That’s the coolest part about having your own show.You can hire your friends or people you admire as great comedy minds and put them on the show and just have a blast,” he said. His stand-up specials for Comedy Central are where he met some of his famous friends. Through improvisation and character development, Kroll made his characters living, breathing entities. “You always learn more and more about the characters every time you do them,”
Kroll said. “But the truth is I try to build unless there’s a funny, solid reason for it. them out and get as much information as I There’s nothing that can’t be made funny, can physically and what their backstory is. but I’m not interested in shock for shock’s Then have fun and see where it takes you.” sake.” “Fun” is the operative word, as Kroll also said that his show will not Kroll said he tries to focus on specific events or people, he do comedy whenever and wants the show to stand out on however he can. “There’s a Our feeling is its own. hundred ways to be funny, “We wanted to make that we want to so even when it’s not something that felt relevant serving my career, I just create a buffet. and completely current love cracking jokes,” but without being tied Hopefully if you he said. “It’s become to references of people an all-encompassing come to that and things that won’t be thing that I truly love. important in six months,” buffet, you’re Even if I had another Kroll said. job or wasn’t making going to find The next six months will a living doing comedy, something you be important for Kroll. He is or when I make a ton continuing to work on “Kroll of money I’ll still be doing like. Show” and is set to appear on comedy.” “Parks and Recreation” again, as well as Though his love of humorous the second season of “Burning Love.” He is entertainment extends through many extremely thankful for every opportunity different styles and genres, Kroll said that he has. his goals do not include eliciting a response “If you had told me in college that ten from his audiences. “Nothing is ever off-limits, but there are years later, I’d have two TV shows – one certain types of jokes I’m not overwhelmed with my name on it – I’d be like ‘well, I with making,” Kroll said. “Because just did it,’” Kroll said. “I’m incredibly grateful to make a joke about subject matter just at this particular moment that I get to do for the shock value - I’m not interested in exactly what I want to do.”
Women and Finance ‘Lessons your mother never taught you’ in financial independence MOLLY SHOCKEY CONTRIBUTOR NEWSRECORD.LIVING@GMAIL.COM The University of Cincinnati community is invited to attend “Women & Finance: Lessons Mother Never Taught You,” a class that teaches young KOTLER adults how to be financially responsible during difficult life situations. Created and taught by Suzan B. Kotler, president of Kotler Financial Services, an investment advisory firm in Cincinnati, the class will take place Saturday from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. in 1 Edwards, Rm. 6132. Men are also welcome to attend the event. Kotler created the class approximately 19 years ago because growing up in poverty taught her the importance of money management. “My goal is to provide a level playing field for women in the financial area — to teach them survival strategies for all stages of their lives,” Kotler said. “[Women are] at a distinct disadvantage, and what I try to do in my limited way is to level the playing field a little bit so that women can see that they can do all these things and understand why it’s important to take care of themselves.” The class will focus on the four stages of life every woman can experience — being single, married, divorced or widowed. Kotler will discuss how to plan through each situation from a female and wealth manager perspective. “I think that for younger women it’s really, really critical, because if you start off with good habits, you’ll set the stage for having a very successful financial life,” Kotler said. “Everybody has different situation, but if you learn about something, even if it doesn’t affect you personally, it may help you to help someone else.” The six-hour class is $69. Workbooks are included.
JAW DROPPING PERFORMANCE Felicia Boswell as Felicia and Bryan Fenkart as Huey in “Memphis.”
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THRILLING, EMOTIONAL
‘Memphis’ tells story of music conquering racial prejudice KATIE GRIFFITH ARTS EDITOR NEWSRECORDENT@GMAIL.COM
much. He’s a high school dropout who doesn’t know how to read, but his ignorance and strong southern accent create a character trait that adds comic relief to the Live theater should be as common otherwise serious circumstances. as going to the movies. There’s nothing Huey gets a job at a radio station smack better than being entertained by real dab in the center of the dial — the acronym people with real talent on stage. The Tony is unimportant because Huey fumbles over Award-winning musical,“Memphis,” proved the letters live on the air. The station claims this point at the Aronoff Center with its to play the blues, but Huey plans to opening-night performance. play what he thinks is the real From the tips of their toes to the curl of their lips, Mama told me version — the black blues. Mixed feelings the cast members delivered not to dream big/ throughout Memphis with so much enthusiasm about “colored people the audience began to But Mama lived music” on the radio participate. Viewers her life running threaten Huey’s could hardly wait until credibility, but oldthe end of a scene to scared/I am fashioned feelings are show appreciation. stronger and I’ll drowned out by the “Memphis” tells youth’s positive reaction. fight longer. the story of a radio DJ, Huey becomes a star. Huey (Bryan Fenkart), his He gets the girl, a radio forbidden passion for “colored contract and a TV show called people music” and one specific “Rhythm and Blues with Huey woman who sings it. Calhoun.” Huey lives in Memphis, Tenn. in the ’50s, The onstage depiction of the TV show a time when segregation was a way of life. is one of the most riveting aspects of the He is a middle-aged white man who never performance. The audience could see the understood the difference between black dancers and singers being filmed, and a and white. In fact, he doesn’t understand
black and white version was projected on a screen above the live presentation. It was a successful way to portray the talent of the cast from all angles. But behind the success of every production were people who disapproved of the music and even worse — those who despised Huey and Felicia’s (Felicia Boswell) biracial relationship. In one of the best songs of the show, Felicia expresses her determination to succeed. She sings, “Mama told me not to dream big/But Mama lived her life running scared/I am stronger and I’ll fight longer/I’ll do what Mama never even dared/Colored women with few chances/Has to do what she must do/I will make my colored dreams come true.” In an A cappella ending, Felicia’s voice pierced the silence in the theater. Not a note was missed and not a jaw in the audience was closed. “Memphis” brings back meaning to the saying, “There is no business like show business.” It gives viewers a new appreciation for the birth of the blues and the courageous African Americans who helped shape what it is today. “Memphis” is showing at the Aronoff Center through Feb. 3.
Yo La Tengo ages, alters sound Three decades in, thirteeth album calls for change of pace and highlights confidence, maturity of genre leaders GEOFFEREY DANIELS STAFF REPORTER NEWSRECORDENT@GMAIL.COM Yo La Tengo released their debut album nearly 30 years ago. The Hoboken, N.J. band includes Ira Kaplan, Georgia Hubley and James McNew, all who accept various levels of vocal responsibility and are more than capable of switching off between drums, guitar, keys and bass in any order. Now, in their third decade of activity, the band has weathered numerous changes, both to their line-up and in the musical landscape. Long established as pioneers of the indie rock world, each member is well into their 50s. Yo La Tengo’s thirteenth album release, “Fade,” demonstrates the decades spent making music are only improving the band’s scope and vision. Because of their expert status Yo La Tengo would be inclined to pen a song like album opener “Ohm.”The tune is a Zen-like chant about not losing any more of our time
on earth by “resisting the flow” of it all. However, it is the nearly unparalleled sensibility and focus that allows them to pull off a track about such a weighty and cliché-inducing topic without sounding clichéd or indulgent at all. On past records filler tracks and Kaplan’s habitually excellent guitar solos occupied the negative space. But the fillers and solos tired out casual listeners once the song approached the 10-minute mark. “Fade” sees the band in a more pensive and less explosive mode. It is a largely peaceful record, with lyrics touching on subjects that range from aging to pondering possible outcomes in the lives of long-lost friends. The album is filled with quirks and nuances that successfully break up the threat of monotony on what is a rather subdued record. “Well You Better” features a funny keyboard lick as an interlude to the urgent meditation of the first two songs. Standout track “I’ll Be Around” sounds
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especially poignant as Kaplan’s acoustic fingerpicking cuts the tension created by the fuzzy guitar work and swelling keys featured throughout the rest of the album. But “Fade” is not without minor flaws. Fans of the older jam-heavy sound may find the passive nature and abstract subject matter of the record paints too monochromatic of a picture. Also, the majority of previously released albums feature 13-15 songs. “Fade” only has 10, which results in an album that feels fleeting or slight compared to others. However, these potential handicaps largely translate into strengths, as they highlight a confidence and maturity that few bands in indie-rock can convincingly sell. It is always nice when a band truly believes in their music — something Yo La Tengo genuinely does — but it is all the more impressive when they are willing to avoid possible stylistic retreads in favor of tapping into more restless tendencies as heard on “Fade.”
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6
Sports
Its all about image at Notre Dame Fighting Irish, major programs protect football by any means necessary JAMES FREEMAN COLUMNIST
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Everyone knows America’s most famous fake girlfriend, Lennay Kekua. She was the girl Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o had an online relationship with, who supposedly died in September after losing her ongoing battle with leukemia — hours after Te’o’s grandmother passed away After months of stories about Te’o and his ability to play with a heavy heart, it was discovered that Kekua was the creation of a California man — Ronaiah Tuiasosopo. Notre Dame didn’t hesitate to hold a press conference once Deadspin broke the story nationally. Te’o is the supposed victim of a hoax placing him in the a-block of every national media outlet’s evening news. The story of 19-year-old Elizabeth Seeberg — an actual story — wasn’t told. On Sept. 1, 2010, Seeberg reported a sexual assault to Notre Dame police that took place in the dorm room of an unnamed football player. The player in question was not brought in for an interview with police until 15 days later. Ten days after the incident — 5 days before the player was brought in for questioning — Seeberg committed suicide. Two games were played in the time it took the Notre Dame police to even get in contact with this player. One of those games ¬¬— a 28-24 loss to Michigan — was the day after Seeberg died. How is the Te’o story getting national headlines on a daily basis when Seeberg’s was relegated to the back page of the sports section? Seeberg was a girl with real dreams and real goals. Kekua was a character created by a man in California. Who cares if Te’o lied or was lied to? The day after the alleged assault, Seeberg reportedly received a text message from a friend of the football player that said, “messing with Notre Dame football is a bad idea.” There is this growing trend in college football to do whatever it takes to keep bad news hidden and protect the football brand of their school. Few people remember the name Declan Sullivan, the Notre Dame student who was killed when the 40foot scaffolding lift he was filming practice on collapsed during a windstorm. This all happened four days before the Seeberg incident. It was questioned whether Sullivan should have been on a lift when there were wind gusts of more than 50 mph. Notre Dame should have been under media scrutiny following those two incidents in a five-day span. It should have been called out for a lack of leadership in its football program. Instead, athletic director Jack Swarbrick refused to take questions regarding Sullivan and those stories were swept under the rug. Notre Dame built a memorial next to the practice field to honor Sullivan. It is only fitting that the memorial has the “F” in “Notre Dame Football” capitalized. Football trumps everything. Notre Dame knew about the Te’o hoax in December, but continued to talk to the press and add to the lie as if it were true. The Irish couldn’t risk the bad public relations days before its first chance at a national championship in more than 20 years. This isn’t just a Notre Dame issue, but an issue spread across all of college football. Penn State University covered up child molestation allegations of assistant coach Jerry Sandusky to protect their brand. Former Ohio State University head coach Jim Tressel covered up NCAA violations to keep his best players on the field. A University of Miami booster — Nevin Shapiro — gave cars, vacations and prostitutes to players. In all of these instances, traditionrich universities were trying to prevent their football brand from taking a hit in the public view. Anything that threatens football, it seems, must be taken care of at any cost. The leaders of college football have compromised its integrity — Notre Dame is just the most recent example. When Notre Dame football takes the field in August and the players slap the “Play Like a Champion Today” sign, we should all remember Elizabeth Seeberg. Her legacy was lost so that Notre Dame fans could continue to sing “Notre Dame, Our Mother” after every home game in blissful ignorance. “And our hearts forever love thee Notre Dame.”
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No. 2 UConn crushes UC Bearcats drop sixth straight Big East contest ANNIE MOORE SENIOR REPORTER SPORTS.NEWSRECORD@GMAIL.COM
The University of Cincinnati women’s basketball team lost its sixth-consecutive Big East Game Saturday night at Fifth Third Arena, falling to the No.2 Connecticut Huskies 67-31. The UConn game is always special for UC Head Coach Jamelle Elliott, as she faces her former head coach Geno Auriemma. “[Geno] wants to be there for me, but sometimes it’s hard,” Elliott said. “If I can talk to anybody about anything I know that it’s him and I need to utilize and do more of that.” UC started off strong, with a pair of long jumpers from sophomore guard Chelsea Jamison and junior guard Kayla Cook to take an early 4-0 advantage. The Huskies responded by going on a 13-0 run, which began with a three from junior center Stefanie Dolson. Connecticut led 4-13, before fouling freshman guard Alexis Durley, who made both shots to bring the score to 6-13 with 13:15 left in the half. The Bearcats shot just 12.5 percent from the field (3-24), including an 0-7 performance from three-point range. The Huskies out-rebounded the Bearcats 30-13, with the Bearcats bringing down just one offensive board in the first half. UC’s offensive struggles would continue in the second half, with the bearcats shooting just 26.7 percent from the field. “They are struggling right now obviously,” Auriemma said. “They have had some injuries and they are having trouble scoring points. We are probably not the team you want to play if you are having trouble scoring points.” UConn scored 32 of its 67 points in the paint and out-rebounded UC on the offensive glass 14-6, which it converted into 17 second-chance points. Sophomore guard Alyesha Lovett paced UC with nine points. This was Lovett’s fourth-straight game with eight points or more. Junior guard Dayeesha Hollins had seven points and Cook added six points and four rebounds. “We learned from the mistakes that we made against them,” Lovett said. “And that makes us better when we play other teams” The Bearcats next hit the road for a two-game stretch, first facing off against Georgetown University on Tuesday at 8 p.m. and then heading to South Bend, Ind. to take on No. 3 Notre Dame Feb 2 at 2 p.m.
PHIL DIDION | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
BIG EAST STRUGGLES Cincinnati point guard Dayeesha Hollins drives toward the hoop against a UConn defender during the Bearcats 67-31 loss to the Huskies Saturday night at Fifth Third Arena.
Heads or Tails: Who will win the Super Bowl?
DOUG KAPUSTIN | MCT CAMPUS
RICK WOOD | MCT CAMPUS (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL)
The Baltimore Ravens
The San Francisco 49ers JOSHUA A. MILLER SPORTS EDITOR
JASON M. HOFFMAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The San Fancisco 49er’s are undefeated in Super Bowls — 5-0. No other team that has played in more than one Super Bowl can say that. Sunday night the 49ers will push that mark to 6-0. The Harbaugh Bowl, as it’s already come to be known, is a dream match up for the NFL and football fans alike. It’s a battle of sibling head coaches — Jim Harbaugh (San Franciso) vs. John Harbaugh (Baltimore) — coupled with Ray Lewis’ final game and Colin Kaepernick’s meteoric rise to stardom. The story line are everywhere. However, this game’s story will be written by Kaepernick’s play. Unless the overly tattoo ed youngster goes down with an injury, the 49ers will prevail. Although this same Ravens franchise proved that it is indeed possible to win a Super Bowl with an average quarterback and a great defense, they didn’t do so against Kaepernick. Ray Lewis led the Ravens to a 2000 Super Bowl victory with Trent Dilfer leading the offense, but they defeated an equally unimpressive quarterback — Kerry Collins of the New York Giants. Kaepernick, along with Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russel Wilson, are completely changing the game of football with the ability to blend legitimate pocket passing abilities with the elusiveness of a scrambling quarterback. In games as evenly matched as Sunday’s appears to be, one or two individual plays often make the difference. Kaepernick has the ability to extend plays and be that difference maker. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco doesn’t San Francisco 28, Baltimore 24.
The last time the Baltimore Ravens played in a Super Bowl, the millennium had just begun, the Y2K fears subsided, 9/11 had not happened and Ray Lewis was just one piece of the greatest defense to ever play in the NFL. Fast-forward 12 years, and the landscape of America has undergone drastic changes. America is stuck in a rut of political partisanship, the world keeps getting hot then cold, guns are responsible for world hunger and chaos rules the Middle East. The Ravens will win the Super Bowl. Allow me to explain. In the late ’90s, Jim Fassel, who now coaches the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League, led the New York Giants. Opposing the “G-Men” was the Brian Billick-run former Cleveland Browns — the only team in NFL history to win fiveconsecutive games without scoring an offensive touchdown. Although Fassel managed to stop Y2K from happening during a visit to Detroit, he forgot to properly plan for the cunning, knifing action of Lewis in the middle of Marvin Lewis’ defense. After the Super Bowl, Trent Dilfer was promptly cut from the Ravens’ roster in favor of a guy who now is an assistant high school quarterback coach. This made Dilfer very unhappy, and we all know what happened next. It’s true that nobody has it better than the other Harbaugh squad, but the ink is about to run out of the 49ers’ tattoo gun. Colin Kaepernick is going to meet Ed Reed at some point, and Alex Smith will come in and fold. In the end, the deep ball will slice the 49ers’ defense up, and Lewis’ final squirrel dance will end at Disney World, since the park will finally let him in. Take the points and enjoy the new Mercedes commercial.
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