Oct. 12, 2017

pg. 10

Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2017

Friday the 13th face revealed

pg. 4

FC Cincinnati looks for new home pg. 11

Bearcats take on the Bulls pg. 13

Why religious fundamentalism should be curbed

FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 8, 2017 Interactive

THE TV CROSSWORD

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

TNR staff question of the week:

If you could be any beer, which would you be?

Dos Equis, because i am the most interesting man in the newsroom -David Wysong, Editorin-Chief

I’d be a pale ale, because I have a pasty complexion and I am still bitter about this election -Erin Couch, Copy Editor

Blue Moon, because I like to think I’m the perfect combo of bougie and cheap - Shae Combs, Photo Editor

I’m rootbeer becuase I too am not 21.

- Parker Malatesta, News Editor

I’m O’douls because I’m not 21.

- Noelle Zielinzki, Life & Arts Editor

ACROSS 1 “Dharma & __” 5 “One Day __ Time” 8 __ away; galloped off 9 Supermarket walkway 12 Desi and Lucy’s daughter 13 Carrie’s dad on “The King of Queens” 14 Small dog, for short 15 “Get lost!”

16 “El __”; Charlton Heston film 18 Stallone, to friends 19 Connery or Penn 20 Rodriguez of “Modern Family” 21 James or Scott 23 Actor Lloyd __ 24 Gung ho 25 “To __ the Truth” 26 Actor Flynn 28 “...__ by your outfit that you are a cowboy...”

29 Laura or Bruce 30 Voight and Gosselin 32 Actor Alastair __ 35 __ Paulo, Brazil 36 Clark __; role on “Smallville” Solution to Last Week’s Puzzle

(c) 2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

37 38 40 41 42 43 44

I’m a Little King. I’m small and sweet, but it doesn’t take very much of me to mess you up.

Plus people call me a king all the time.

-Mounir lynch, Opinion Editor

“The __ Ranger” “__ Don’t Eat the Daisies” Star of “Dr. Ken” Venetian blind pieces Actress Meara Brian __ of “Chicago Med” Unpleasant spouses

DOWN 1 Oliver’s dinner 2 Actor on “NCIS” 3 Adams or Falco 4 Seventh letter 5 __ Hotchner; role on “Criminal Minds” 6 One of Michael Jackson’s brothers 7 Bit of sooty residue 10 Grandma’s portrayer on “Fresh Off the Boat” 11 Actress __ Durance 12 Record albums, for short 13 __ moment; instant of sudden realization 15 “__ Me No Flowers”; film for Doris Day and Rock Hudson 17 Adams or Johnson 19 Set __; leave shore 20 Acting part 22 Cosmetics company 23 Scotland’s Loch __ monster 25 Slight coloring 26 Bradley and Begley 27 Gathers crops 30 Actor Eisenberg 31 “__ Life to Live” 33 Actress Laura __ 34 Ryan or Tilly 36 “__ Plus 8” 37 Singer Horne 38 “__ Pray Love”; movie for Julia Roberts 40 One of the girls on “The Brady Bunch”

Arrogant B---ard Ale, because I’m an arrogant b---ard.

-Justin Reutter, News Editor

I’d be a Smirnoff Ice because I’m the fun person that everyone likes, but don’t like to admit sometimes, and let’s face it, it’s actually freaking delicious.

-Claude Thompson, Managing Editor I may never show it here at UC, but I’m a Raging B---h.

-Stephanie Smith, Online Editor I would be a 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon.

Obviously I’m craft beer because I’m the king, not a peasant. And I’m a little fruity for sure. Plus, I’m a big fan of the 21st Amendment.

-Jason Szelest, Sports Editor

Things to do this week & weekend: • BLINK Oct. 12-15 from the Banks to OTR from 7 p.m.- 12 a.m.

• Cinema in the Cemetery: ‘ Hocus Pocus’ @ Linben Cemetery @ 8 p.m. Oct. 13 • Pin Back performs @ Woodward Theater Oct 13 @ 9 p.m.

• Cincinnati Cyclones game @ US Bank Oct. 14 @ 7:35 p.m.

• Salute 5K walk @ Newport Oct 14 @ 8:30 a.m.

•

Shakespere and the Queen City @ the Cincinnati Museum Center now-Oct. 29

• Kidd-Chris Show Live @ Madison Theater Oct. 15 @ 8 p.m.

• Cincinnati Out of the Darkness Walk @ Sawyer Point from 6-9 p.m. Oct. 15

News

Candidates face off for Cincinnati mayoral debate PARKER MALATESTA | NEWS EDITOR

Simpson highlighted Cranley’s work on the Innocence Project, saying it has “done a lot.”

Cranley took a broader approach, saying Simpson’s life trajectory is “inspirational.”

The prospect of streetcar expansion is a divisive topic between the two.

Simpson noted that citizens can’t “fully rely on the bus system.”

She said the city will have to see development around the streetcar for them to strongly consider an expansion.

Cranley has been an opponent of the strictly-downtown transit system since its upbringing. “We should help the most amount of people,” he said.

Simpson replied by stating the importance of Cincinnati striving to be a 21st-century city. “[I’m] not afraid to talk big picture,” she said.

When asked about the 10 percent-voter participation in the mayoral primary, Cranley laughed. “I’m hoping for a bigger turnout,” he said.

“The city is objectively a better place than it was four years ago,” he said.

Simpson noted that the voter turnout was double when compared to 2013, and that two-thirds of voters didn’t vote for the incumbent Cranley.

Turning to the opioid epidemic, Simpson proposed a multi-faceted approach. She highlighted the importance of Narcan and making sure treatments are available.

“We should require a tough love approach,” Cranley said. “There needs to be a change in the entire industry.”

“I proposed legislation,” Simpson said in reply. She claimed that Cranley has vetoed more than his two predecessors combined.

Regarding funding for the rehab of the Western Hills Viaduct, Cranley made clear that Hamilton County owns the bridge.

Simpson called it the “most important infrastructure project.”

“We will have to commit some dollars,” she said.

During the closing statements, each candidate was clear with their message.

“We need a bold vision,” Simpson said.

“We have the ‘mayor of good enough.’”

“We are making progress,” Cranley said. “If you don’t believe we are progressing, vote for Ms. Simpson.”

PROVIDED

Mayor John Cranley

PROVIDED

City Council Woman, Yvette Simpson

“I love this city. This city deserves a leader with an open-ear, an open-door and an open-heart.”

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- City Council Woman, Yvette Simpson

Oct. 12, 2017 newsrecord.org

The two mayoral candidates for Cincinnati — incumbent John Cranley and councilwoman Yvette Simpson — participated in a debate Tuesday at the Cincinnati Art Museum.

The winner of the election in November will earn a four-year term to guide the city with the country’s 28thlargest economy.

Opening statements from the two candidates cemented their central arguments for the debate.

“The city is better off than it was four years ago,” Cranley said. He cited the soccer team FC Cincinnati and General Electric’s headquarters on the Banks as signs of development and success.

“I love this city,” Simpson said. “This city deserves a leader with an open-ear, an open-door and an open-heart.”

When questioned about the city’s tight budget, a polarizing issue between the two politicians, Cranley said it should be “prioritizing police, fire — things people care about.”

Simpson took a shot at him, saying “[you] don’t have a recession to blame for the budget.” She believes that operations need to be lean, with centralized functions. She also highlighted the importance of investing in technology.

“Balancing the budget isn’t easy,” Cranley said. He noted the improvement of the city’s credit ratings through S&P and Moody’s under his administration.

Economic development is a topic that is tied strongly to each candidate’s central theme.

“History matters,” Cranley said. He cited his success in office the past four years, with which Simpson replied, “my opponent has no plan.”

Simpson discussed recent conversations she has had with citizens of Walnut Hills, where her campaign office is located. “[They’re] excited about development, but they’re worried it won’t include them,” she said.

“We need a mayor that can work with businesses, not against them,” Cranley said.

When capital improvement was brought up, the response from each candidate was quite similar.

“We have to do an assessment. We have to have money set aside,” Simpson said.

Cranley said the topic was a “huge issue.”

“We are doing as much as we can,” he said. He did note that city facilities are the last thing citizens feel, putting a greater importance on the improvement of roads and bridges.

Investments made in minority firms

was perhaps the tensest topic of the night, being brought up twice, first

by Simpson in a segment where the candidates were prompted to ask one another a question, and another time by one of the moderators.

“My opponent keeps trying to create a false narrative,” Cranley said. He cited his creation of the Office of Economic Inclusion as a sign of progress.

“The numbers show progress, those are facts. We should be celebrating the progress,” he said.

“We have to make sure our system is working,” Simpson said in response. “We have to think bigger.”

The candidates were then pressed on their plan to get e-commerce giant Amazon to build their second headquarters in Cincinnati.

“Amazon is about more than incentives,” Simpson said. “They’re looking for the city of the future — the city I want to build.”

“We are already working on our bid,” Cranley said. He said the city plans to draw up a joint proposal with Northern Kentucky. “We need collaborative leadership,” he said.

The topic of tax dollars was then brought up. The candidates were questioned about city wants, such as a refurbished U.S. Bank Arena and a specific stadium for FC Cincinnati. “[Tax dollars] should not go to any of those,” Cranley said. They both agreed that the most important issues were the Brent Spence Bridge and the Western Hills Viaduct.

Cranley noted the possibility of combining the U.S. Bank Arena and FC Cincinnati projects.

“We need to look outside the city for resources. It won’t be enough,” Simpson said, citing taxpayer dollars.

“We need to rebuild our relationship with D.C.,” she said.

Discussing Metro bus improvements, Cranley said we need a “true public transportation system.”

He said he had recently met with Uber, to devise a “future-oriented transit plan.”

“It’s not working. This administration isn’t doing anything,” Simpson said. “We need to study our system.”

She highlighted the importance of “late routes” for late shift workers.

When asked about specific neighborhoods that need improvement, Cranley declined to specify. Simpson, on the other hand, brought up Winton Hills as an area that has seen little investment.

Midway through the debate, the candidates were asked to compliment one another. The prompt brought laughter to the entire crowd and both Simpson and Cranley.

News

Peltz loses bid for P&G board seat, despite expensive proxy fight PARKER MALATESTA | NEWS EDITOR

CONCEPT ART FOR FC CINCINNATI’S PROPOSED STADIUM

FC Cincy looking for new home as MLS expansion decision nears

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Oct. 12, 2017 newsrecord. org

JUSTIN REUTTER | NEWS EDITOR

For a cost of $200 million, FC Cincinnati is looking to build a stadium in an effort to join the MLS. The franchise has promised a $250 million “legacy investment” to the city, but the cost of an expansion fee for joining the MLS would eat $150 million of that, leaving the city to kick in the remaining $100 million price tag.

The concept is based on the Allianz Arena, home of FC Bayern Munich.

Currently the team uses UC’s Nippert Stadium.

The new stadium could be built in three potential sites — the West End, Oakley or Newport near the banks of the Licking and Ohio rivers.

Incumbent Mayor John Cranley and mayoral candidate Yvette Simpson both emphatically said that they do not support using taxpayer money for the building of a new stadium.

Cincinnatians are wary of financing a new stadium deal after being burned by what Business Insider called the “most lopsided of any NFL public stadium deal,” in the form of the Bengals’ Paul Brown Stadium.

In 2010, stadium costs made up 16.4 percent of the county’s general budget. In 2015, the county paid $7.5 million for a $10 million scoreboard upgrade.

FC Cincinnati is not asking for the city to pay with tax revenue, FC Cincinnati President Jeff Berding said at a Hamilton County Commission meeting.

The stadium could be paid for with a combination of tax increment financing (TIF) from the city and bonds backed

by revenue from admissions, which presumably would be issued by a local government. TIFs divert property tax dollars away from local governments and reinvest them in a public purpose at the site where a development occurs. A TIF alone would not raise $100 million.

Some students are cautiously supportive of the deal.

“I would like to see FC Cincinnati to have a facility to themselves as long as it’s not incredibly intrusive to residents, wherever the club decides to break ground at,” said fourth-year international affairs student Preston Parrish.

Currently, FC Cincinnati pays $5,000 per game to use Nippert Stadium, according to a copy of the contract between UC and FC Cincinnati obtained by The News Record.

The contract runs through Dec. 31, 2018, and will renew for an additional three-year term at an additional 2 percent increase.

For example, $5,100 per match for the second three years, and $5,202 for the three years after that.

If FC Cincinnati receives a bid to join MLS, the contract requires parties to renegotiate the terms of their contract in “good faith,” according to an additional clause of the contract.

MLS is expected to award two of four slots by the end of the year. It is widely believed that a franchise capable of building a stadium worthy of hosting MLS games will have a much higher chance of getting a bid.

This week, Nelson Peltz, founder of Trian Fund Management, reportedly lost his bid to win a board seat at Proctor & Gamble Co. The activist investor has waged the largest and most expensive proxy fight in U.S. history. A preliminary vote count revealed that all 11 current directors had been reelected without revealing the count.

Trian owns approximately $3.5 billion of P&G shares. Trian and P&G spent over $60 million lobbying for shareholder support.

“Peltz is trying to bring swooping change to the company’s upper level management,” said a former UC student that works in the financial industry. “He feels they’ve become comfortable with mediocre results and is clogged up in bureaucracy norms which might be a thorn in P&G’s long term health.

There’s also a question to the legitimacy of the recent proxy vote which decided Peltz would not be joining the board.”

P&G shares dropped 0.17 percent on Wednesday, following market close. Their stock is up nearly 9 percent on the year.

“According to our proxy solicitors, today’s vote is too close to call, and it will take more time to determine the outcome,”Trian said in a statement. “We await the certified election results by the independent inspector of election. Trian is pleased with the support we have received from shareholders and all of the nation’s independent proxy advisory firms. We believe shareholders’ voices are being heard at P&G today, thanks to Trian’s involvement.”

Predominantly, the fund has avoided proxy fights and has communicated its way into boardrooms. General Electric granted a board seat to Trian on Monday. The move this week offers flashbacks to a similar vote that Trian lost at DuPont Co. in 2015.

“With approximately $3.5 billion invested in

P&G, Trian has a vested interest in the longterm success of the company,”Trian said.

“If elected to the P&G Board, Nelson Peltz plans to start engaging collaboratively with his fellow directors. He has a long history of working collegially with boards and management teams and is looking forward to working closely with P&G’s leadership to revitalize P&G.” Over 400 people attended the shareholder meeting at P&G headquarters. Retail investors own roughly 40 percent of the company, compared with an average of 12 percent at the S&P 500, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

“Regardless of the final voting results, Trian believes management and the Board have been put on notice by shareholders — a continuation of the past decade’s underperformance is simply unacceptable,” Trian said.

P&G’s stock is up more than 20 percent following Mr. Taylor’s rise to CEO in 2015.

According to Trian, they seek to invest in high quality — but undervalued and underperforming — public companies, and to work collaboratively with management teams and boards of those companies to execute operational and strategic initiatives, all of which designed to drive long-term sustainable earnings growth for the benefit of all stakeholders.

“Trian is confident that P&G shareholders will hold the board and management accountable and will be far less tolerant of lackluster performance going forward,” Trian said. “Trian believes in P&G’s potential and wants to see the Company grow market share again and deliver long-term sustainable value for the benefit of all stakeholders. We feel strongly that a shareholder voice is needed in the boardroom and that Trian’s approach will help revitalize P&G.”

TNR FILE.

News

SG holds first town hall meeting in ten years ZACHARY PERRIN | STAFF REPORTER

AARON DORSTEN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Student Government holds an open meeting for the public in TUC Oct. 5, 2017.

Students gathered in TUC Cinema Thursday to field questions during Student Government’s first Town Hall in the last decade.

They asked questions on a wide range of issues through Twitter and on notecards to a panel of seven senators and six executives, all in two separate rounds of discussion.

The first question of the night asked senators to give their reactions to the self-described “alt-right” leader Richard Spencer’s intentions to speak at UC. “Ultimately, there’s nothing we can really truly do if a speaker wants to come to a public university,” At-Large Senator Sam Mangold-Lennett said.

“If he wants to set foot on campus we believe he is entitled to do that. But I believe our role as student government is to speak out, not necessarily against his ideology, but to tell students to be wary about what is going on around campus.”

One service SG can provide is making students aware of resources available.

“Whether that be identity-based centers, safe spaces or letting them know what rights they have, and what rights the speakers that are invited

or welcomed on campus are allowed to have,” At-Large Senator Sinna Habteselassie said.

Considering the recent shooting in Las Vegas, students also questioned SG’s stance on open carry laws.

Currently, open carry is legal on campus if the carrier is not inside of a building.

“As a public school, the only thing that I’m really at liberty to say is that we are committed to following the laws and regulations set by the federal government and the state government, and open carry does fall under the second amendment, upheld by the supreme court,” UFB Senator Laith Shehadeh said.

While open carry is legal on campus, the university does not allow concealed carry. One student expressed the desire for a student body vote on the issue during the executive panel.

However, a student body vote would not actually change the standing rules the university has in place, even if it passed.

Instead, the student decision would be passed to the Board of Trustees, who could then choose to vote or not vote on the issue.

Mike Arnold, former SG executive and member of the UC College Republicans,

complained that SG was not answering enough questions.

“At the beginning it seemed really positive; they were answering most of the notecard questions. But at the end there, it seemed that questions were being selected by what they wanted to answer,” Arnold said. “[It] just shows how student government is afraid to answer to students’ questions.”

Last year, Arnold ran for president of SG, coming in third behind Bashir Emlemdi and Kevin Leugers.

At-Large Senator Chandler Rankin denied that SG was avoiding answering difficult questions.

“Some of the questions weren’t really relevant to each panel,” Rankin said. “If it was senate and we thought it was more relevant for exec, we saved them. Some of the questions we couldn’t understand the legibility of, so we just weren’t able to ask them. We fumbled over some of the questions nobody wanted to clarify.

We were fielding questions from Twitter as well. We were going straight in order, again by relevance of question.”

Three out of the nine Twitter questions with the #SGTownHall hashtag were not addressed. A total of 20 questions were discussed over the hour-long event.

California wildfires destroy hometown of UC student PARKER MALATESTA | NEWS EDITOR JUSTIN REUTTER | NEWS EDITOR

Oct. 12, 2017 newsrecord.org

Wildfires blaze in Northern California with a death count of 21 and rising.

More than 20,000 have been ordered to evacuate as of Tuesday Night.

Authorities have encouraged others not directly in danger to pack bug out bags with documents and medicines in case they are forced to evacuate at a moment’s notice.

“I grew up in the Bay Area my whole life and moved here for college,” said third-year graphic design student Paige Silverman. “A couple of my high school teachers have lost their homes and there’s a fundraising page for them. I know some kids that go to school in Santa Rosa as well.”

Most of the fires were ignited Sunday, driven by dry conditions and high winds from 50-79 mph.

“I lived slightly more south towards San Francisco, so my friends and family are okay, but the sky is dark and there’s a lot of smoke in the air,” Silverman said.

The blazes mostly started between 9-11 p.m. Sunday and grew into large fires before firefighters had a chance to respond.

“A 100-year-old World War II veteran and his wife passed away because they couldn’t make it out in time,” Silverman said. “There’s a couple that came back to their home and found a single lemon that was untouched, but everything else was destroyed, and he told his wife that they could use it in their drinks that night — the whole ‘When Life Gives You Lemons’ thing.”

October has historically been when California gets its largest and most damaging wildfires, when low humidity and dry conditions are prevalent. There is no rain in the forecast for the next seven days, meaning these conditions are likely to persist.

“I think the most amazing part is all the people that are gathering supplies for others and setting up personal donation boxes to help out and trying to give people as much as they can.

It hurts my heart that my hometown is being destroyed like that and I wish I was there so I could do more,” Silverman said.

IRFAN KHAN | TNS

5

he Anahiem Hills fire rages along 241 and Santiago Canyon Rd Monday, Oct. 9, 2017 in Orange, Calif.

Life & Arts

STEPHEN VONDERWISH | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

CThe sixth annual CliftonFest brings people from across Cincinnati to Ludlow Avenue Saturday October 7, 2017.

STEPHEN VONDERWISH | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Chalk drawings line Ludlow Avenue for CliftonFest Saturday October 7, 2017.

CliftonFest 2017 celebrates cultural history of city EVAN CREW | CONTRIBUTOR

alike to embrace the hills and race through the city.

The Clifton Chase, a family-oriented race to find clues and complete challenges, spanned the Clifton Plaza to the business district and offered prizes for the winners.

There was even a Pet Parade in which guests were encouraged to dress up their pets and march into Clifton Plaza, where there were prizes awarded to the winners of various categories.

Senior UC student Lauren Lindley found that while many of the events may not have been targeted toward college students, the community engagement made the festival worth the visit.

“It seems like it was geared more towards older adults and their children, but it was cool to see the community coming together for something,” Lindley said. “I would check it out again next year.”

Other students such as senior Isaac Keller found themselves appreciating the diverse people that the event attracted.

“It was great to see a lot of new faces in Clifton that we normally don’t see,” Keller said.

Oct. 12, 2017 newsrecord. org

CliftonFest at Clifton Plaza Friday and Saturday attracted guests of all kinds, celebrating the varied artistic talents and rich culture that the area has to offer.

The weekend-long music and arts festival returned for its sixth year and was once again free for all visitors. The event was created by local residents, business owners, neighborhood sponsors and volunteers to help bring the Clifton community together.

A fundamental feature of CliftonFest has always been the abundance of live music the festival offers, and with two dedicated music stages, this year’s event did not disappoint — it boasted eight diverse musical acts spanning across the two days.

Wrapping up Friday’s musical cast was the Jump ‘n’ Jive Big Band, a 19-piece swing band that energized viewers with their spirited arrangements.

Exemplifying the diversity of Clifton music, Saturday’s musical performances concluded with

the rock-reggae band, The Cliftones. Their unique instrumentation and groovy hooks inspired attendees of all ages to let loose and dance.

Music wasn’t the only form of art celebrated at CliftonFest. Two nationally-known 3-D artists, David Zinn and Truman Adams, along with many other local artists, came to share their incredible talent in the form of live art chalk drawings on the sidewalks.

From a shockingly realistic giant grasshopper that guests could “ride” and take photos on, to a vibrant depiction of the Cincinnati city skyline during the day versus the night, the scenes depicted in the exquisite chalk art left many guests speechless.

Junior UC student Sam Payne was among those impressed.

“The sidewalk chalk art was unbelievable,” Payne said. “I’ve seen stuff like that online, but it was really cool to be able to see it in person.”

While the vast selection of music and breathtaking art would be enough to attract many, there was still far more to enjoy at CliftonFest.

The CliftonFest 5K encouraged walkers and runners

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STEPHEN VONDERWISH | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Artist create chalk drawings representing local institutions at CliftonFest Saturday October 7, 2017.

STEPHEN VONDERWISH | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The sixth annual CliftonFest brings people from across Cincinnati to Ludlow Avenue Saturday October 7, 2017.

Apple Festival brings a harvest of fun for everyone TIFFANIE CLARK | CONTRIBUTOR

The Apple Festival, held every October at Immanuel Presbyterian Church, all started with a grandmother’s recipe — a recipe used by grandchildren Georgia Kightlinger and her two sisters as a means to raise money and serve their community.

Although none of the members or volunteers seemed to quite remember the exact date this event began, everyone seemed to agree it has been going on between 8 and 10 years.

Darlene Pielage, however, gave the last word when she said, “It has been ten or more years. We decided to do it one year and it went on from there.”

“My grandparents have a committee where they plan stuff in general, and the Apple Fest kind of falls under that umbrella,” Avery Slusher, a resident of Madeira who was helping children paint miniature pumpkins said. “We also have such a small congregation of about 30 people so we do it to get people to come to church — I mean nowadays, not many people come to church.”

Slusher also said that she had recently returned from Kathmandu, Nepal from a mission trip, which she said was promoted in one of the various

decorated booths that populated the front lawn and parking lot. The booths were, for the most part, free activities geared towards children or outreach.

One booth was called, “Shoeboxes for XMAS.” At this booth, participants could pick out a few toys either for a boy or a girl and wrap them up. After wrapping the gift, they could write a note wishing a merry Christmas or kind thoughts. The gifts will be donated to St. George’s food pantry for the upcoming holidays.

Another booth was named after a play the church will be performing this Christmas called, “Year of the New Star and Eclipse.”There, the kids made crowns with plastic rhinestones, Captain America rings, spiders and rockets ships with real lights in them.

Most of the materials for these crafts were made out of recyclable materials.

While some children made crafts, other picked floating ducks for free prizes.

Some tumbled in the blow-up obstacle course. One of the parents at the event, Steve Wolf, said it was easy to keep the kids having fun throughout the day.

“They’re entertained, you’re entertained.

They’re taken care of. It’s great,”Wolf said.

MCT

The festival didn’t skimp on providing the children anything — not even refusing to give double gifts or two balloons. Boribunsunk Bunchorntavakul, a grandmother visiting her daughter from Thailand, also said the event was successful in keeping kids entertained.

“They have many things to play with,” Bunchorntavakul said. “She really liked the bouncy house. She [drew on] the pumpkin and is waiting for the balloon.”

There was a steady flow of children, parents and those who had preordered their pies. Each pie was sold for $15, and the slices were sold for $2 each.

They also sold drinks for 25 cents, chips

for 50 cents and hot dogs for $1.

By 3:50 PM all the pies were gone, except for a few frozen ones. The members of the congregation came together, folded up chairs, wiped tables and packed up the boxes one-by-one.

They placed them all inside the empty parlor of a few couches and a piano.

Many toys were left over.

At the end of the festival, some people dozed off on pews, while others swatted bees that gathered around the sticky trash can. The congregation at Immanuel Presbyterian just want to give, have people visit their church, show love to the children — and they did just that; purely, humbly and completely.

Oct. 12, 2017 newsrecord.org

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Life & Arts

Brewcats: Braxton Blueberry Pie Brown Ale, a comfort for a rainy day JUSTIN REUTTER | NEWS EDITOR

Cincinnati local Braxton Brewery’s sophomore effort at collaboration with Graeters’ Ice Cream was a smashing success.

Based on seasonal Elena’s Blueberry Pie ice cream, Blueberry Pie Brown Ale is aromatic, reasonably fullbodied and sweet, without being overwhelmingly so. It is the perfect beer for a rainy fall day, curled up in a blanket while rain patters softly on the window.

At first sniff, the ale has a distinct scent of blueberry and perhaps maple. The pour is a dark amber, with a rich, nutty color.

The flavor does not disappoint, leading with a forward, fruity flavor. However, the sweetness does not overwhelm, as it is followed by the brown ale base, with notes of cinnamon, vanilla and brown sugar. The brown ale acts as a breading, very much emphasizing the fact that the ale is emulating a blueberry pie.

The aftertaste is surprisingly bitter, but not unpleasant.

It is a perfect dessert beer, begging to be paired with

other sweets such as chocolate chip cookies or perhaps an actual slice of pie.

Ringing in at a 7 percent ABV, this one is a little higher in alcohol content than normal for brown ales, making it all the more perfect for warming you up and comforting you on a rainy fall day.

Cost must be considered, however. At $10 per fourpack, it is expensive on a college budget. However, like the Graeters’ ice cream it is based on, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to a good cause, “The Cure Starts Now,” an organization dedicated to funding cancer research.

This beer shows a marked improvement over Braxton and Graeter’s first collaboration, Black Raspberry Chip Stout, which, besides being completely unobtainable to the vast majority of fans who wanted it, was a major letdown in terms of flavor. It seemed to promise notes of cocoa and fruit, but ultimately delivered only the taste of a basic stout and disappointment.

The Blueberry Pie Brown Ale can be picked up at your local liquor store or Kroger.

TNR FILE.

SHAE COMBS | PHOTO EDITOR

Oct. 12, 2017 newsrecord.org

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Life & Arts

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Face of Friday the 13th superstition revealed

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Oct. 12, 2017 newsrecord. org

NOELLE ZIELINZKI | LIFE & ARTS EDITOR

As everyone knows, Friday the 13th doesn’t have the best reputation. This day is notorious for bringing bad luck to all in many ways. The origin of the fears surrounding Friday the 13th is still unclear, though variety of factors could contribute to the several superstitions associated with it.

This day has become so feared that people have coined a name for the fear of Friday the 13th — friggatriskaidekaphobia. The origin of this tongue-twisting condition comes from Frigga, the name of the Norse goddess — from whom the word Friday is derived — and triskaidekaphobia, or fear of the number 13. This condition is also sometimes called paraskevidekatriaphobia. And, according to a study done by the North Carolina Stress Management Center and Phobia institute, an estimated 17 to 21 million people suffer from this phobia.

According to an article in the International Business Times, the superstitions behind the number 13 are extended to several areas of business and operation. Many cities do not have a 13th Avenue or 13th Street, while

some high rise buildings avoid having a 13th floor. Some hospitals also do not label rooms with the number 13, and many airports will not have a gate 13.

The number 13 itself has had a bad reputation for centuries now. There has been a longstanding myth that if 13 people eat together, one of them will die within the next year. This myth comes from both the last supper when Jesus ate with his 12 disciples before his death, and also from a popular Norse myth. In this myth, 11 close friends of the god Odin are dining together when their dinner is crashed by Loki, the god of evil and turmoil, making him the 13th dinner guest.

The number 12, on the other hand, is historically seen as the number of completeness. Among a few of examples of this are 12 months in a year, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 hours of the clock, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Jesus and 12 Descendants of Muhammad Imams. 13 has often been seen as an outlier.

As for Friday, many hypothesize that because, according to Christian scripture, Jesus is said to have been crucified on Friday, the day is deemed unlucky. Another origin of the bad

luck surrounding Friday comes from Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales.” In these tales, Friday is considered a day of misfortune and bad luck. Also, in several publications from the 17th century, Friday was considered a bad day to begin a new project, take a trip or have a major life change.

Devin Dodridge, a second-year operations management student said he’s mainly a skeptic of the superstitious day.

“I mean, I don’t really view it as anything anymore just because nothing bad has ever happened on it before,” Dodridge said. “I get freaked out if I see a random black cat or something, but other than that, it’s nothing.”

Second-year international business student Annie Heyob and second-year accounting student Mitch Fischer don’t believe in any of the supposed bad luck that happens on Friday the 13th.

“I don’t believe in any of those superstitions,” Heyob said.

“Yeah, I don’t believe in any of them,” Fischer said. “None at all.”

• Friggatriskaidekaphobia is the name of fear of Friday the 13th.

• According to Christian scripture, Jesus is said to have been crucified on Friday, so the day is deemed unlucky • There has been a longstanding myth that if 13 people eat together, one of them will die within the next year.

• Many cities do not have a 13th Avenue or 13th Street because of the superstition around the number 13.

• A lot of tattoo shops offer flash sales for spooky tattoos.

Sports

The Bready bunch: Accomplished UC swimmer looks to sister for inspiration JASON SZELEST | SPORTS EDITOR

As mammals, we are naturally conditioned to gravitate toward land.

There are those select few that deviate from the predisposed tendencies of the animal group we fall into, however.

Among them is University of Cincinnati senior distance swimmer Chris Bready, who discovered his thirst for water at an early age.

It was through his sister Cheryl, who competed collegiately at the University of Northern Colorado, that Chris first gained an interest in the sport.

“My sister swam. She is six years older than me and she was on the swim team, just like the summer league swim team, and it looked fun, so I decided to join,” he said.

The rest is history, as Bready now hold multiple school records in the sport he thought looked fun.

In 2017, Bready competed in the NCAA championship in the 500-meter and 1,650-meter freestyle, while shattering four University of Cincinnati swimming records.

All the while, Bready has still been pushed along by Cheryl.

“Absolutely [she has been my biggest source

of inspiration],” Bready said. “She swam from when she was probably six until 20, through her first two years of college. She decided to come home because she was home sick, but I would have to say that she definitely was definitely my greatest inspiration.”

With only one season to go before graduation, Bready has set high goals for himself in order to finish off his career strong.

“I would just love to finish it off with a fourth conference championship in the mile,” Bready said. “Going back to NCAA’s for my second year and trying to get top-16 there. I want to reach All-American status and also cap off my career with an open water race, which I have been getting into recently. I am trying to make the U.S. National Team for open water.”

Aside from his own goals, Bready hopes he can help the program for years to come after he graduates, passing on his knowledge to the younger swimmers.

“With all my experience I have over the past three years and more, just being on the swim team and other teams back in Texas, I am trying to give all the younger kids all the knowledge I have,” Bready said. “I am trying to help them be as best prepared as

PHOTO PROVIDED BY UC ATHLETICS.

they can be.” Bready, the ultimate locker room guy, can be found hanging out with his teammates, even when out of the water.

“Honestly, I hang out with the team a lot,” Bready said. “Whether it is playing video games or frisbee, capture the flag and stuff like that. I like being active and outdoors, just hanging out with some buddies.”

The native of Missouri City, Texas and operations management student hopes to travel around a bit once his time at UC culminates.

“In terms of a job, I am fine with relocating

wherever to the job that fits me best,” Bready said. “I would also like to travel the world a little. I know after I graduate next summer, I am going to Iceland with my family for two weeks just to celebrate the college success I have had, swimming and academically. Just really trying to reset and enjoy it for two weeks, the family time that I lost from being away from them for awhile.”

You can catch Bready and the rest of the Bearcats swimmers in action when they take on Cleveland State University on Friday at 2 p.m. in the Keating Aquatic Center.

Bearcats attempt to stop the running of the Bulls JASON SZELEST | SPORTS EDITOR

Bearcats upcoming games UC vs South Florida 10/14 UC @ Southern Methodist 10/21 UC @ Tulane 11/4

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patience in the pocket,” Fickell said. “He is taking what is there, and again we have grown. You have seen that from start to finish.”

In his last three games, Moore has completed 56 percent of his passes and thrown five touchdowns compared to one interception, while averaging 290 yards through the air per game.

He has also rushed for two scores in that span.

Ultimately, Fickell believes this game could come down to special teams play, an aspect of the game he has not been happy with lately.

“When I look at a team that we are getting ready to play, I like to press play on the special teams to find out what they are really about,” Fickell said. “I know South Florida has a great offense and they have a great defense and all these things, but when you press play on the special teams and watch that, you are going to find out what the culture of the program is all about.”

The game kicks off at 7:30 pm at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. It will be broadcast on ESPNU.

Oct. 12, 2017 newsrecord.org

TNR FILE.

In the past two matchups against the University of South Florida, the University of Cincinnati football team has surrendered a combined 110 points.

During those two games, in which they were outscored by an average of 31.5 points, their inability to stop the run was brought to the forefront of their struggles, as they gave up 290.5 yards per game on the ground.

To stop the Bulls this time around, the Bearcats must contain senior quarterback Quinton Flowers, who is the reigning American Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

“He is very dynamic,” said Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell. “His ability to spread the field molds into what they do, to give him space. If and when he takes off, he can change a game.

You saw them down 16-0 in the opening game against San Jose State, and in the second quarter he decided to take over the game, and they had no answers for him. He can make plays with his feet, he can extend plays, he can

take off and go the distance. I think this is probably the most explosive quarterback that we will face this season.”

Flowers has completed 63-of119 passes for 934 yards and ten touchdowns on the season, while adding 395 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

Defensively, the Bearcats have not been able to make stops lately, surrendering at least 38 points in each of their last three contests.

Fickell believes the biggest problem this point is their selfassurance.

“It is about gaining some confidence,” Fickell said. “That is where we are right now. Navy kind of put us in a little bit of a tough situation, and sometimes you get your confidence kind of knocked down a little bit.

You have to go back out there.

You have to believe in the things you are doing, and find ways to continue to get better.”

Offensively, the Bearcats will rely on junior quarterback Hayden Moore, who Fickell believes has improved of late.

“Hayden did a really good job last week of having some

Sports

Stafford, Dayes react to disappointing USMNT loss DAVID WYSONG | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

PHOTO PROVIDED BY UC ATHLETICS.

UC hockey dominating division II, eyes set on moving up

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Oct. 12, 2017 newsrecord. org

JASON SZELEST | SPORTS EDITOR

While many Bearcat fans have focused on the struggles of the football team this season, many of the other squads on campus have quietly put together winning teams.

In case you did not notice, Cincinnati even has one team on campus that is still undefeated.

The University of Cincinnati men’s hockey team, who compete at the Division II level of American Collegiate Hockey Association, currently sits at 9-0, and have outscored their opponents by a combined goal total of 88-28 to date.

“It feels good,” senior marketing student and team president Damien Lona said.

“We started last year 9-0, so we are looking to break our previous season’s record.

Obviously, Cincinnati is not a big hockey hotbed, so we do not get as much support as some of the other teams, but we do like the fact that we get to represent the school well and have pride in being a winning team.”

Cincinnati may not be known for its hockey acumen, but the Bearcats have managed to sift through the best of what Cincinnati has to offer, bringing in the necessary recruits to win on a consistent basis.

Freshman finance student Donald Ennis was attracted to the school by the success his friends experienced while competing as a Bearcat.

“I had a lot of friends that were on the team in previous years, and friends that competed against UC in previous years who had nothing but good things to say about them.

That is what ended up bringing me here,” Ennis said.

Due to the Bearcats’ success, offers have

been extended for them to compete at the Division I level, though they currently do not have the funds they would need to feel comfortable indulging in the expenditures that playing at that level would require.

“It has to do a lot with funding,” Lona said. “You have to have a certain amount of funding to be able to go up to that next level from the school. Our budget is pretty high and the school only offers a certain percentage of that for us. We appreciate that, but there is a lot of area we have to cover with player fees.”

Loma says that the team’s ultimate goal is to eventually make the transition to Division I. “We are looking into stuff like that now, we just want to make sure we are doing it the right way,” he said. “The more you win, the more people are going to be able to help and the more the school will help. An opportunity to go up will be there.”

According to sophomore biology student Dalton Drumm, the best part about playing is when the fans come out to support them.

“The thing I like the most is when the fans get involved,” Drumm said. “When a good amount of people come out to watch our games, it makes it a lot more exciting.”

The Bearcats currently play at Sports Plus Cincinnati, but are actively searching for venues closer to campus, with the plan of implementing a shuttle service that could transport fans to and from the games.

Cincinnati hits the ice again as they put their undefeated record on the line against Wright State University at 9:10 p.m. Friday at Sports Plus.

Tuesday was doomsday for American men’s soccer.

The United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) lost 2-1 to Trinidad and Tobago — who had won only one match prior to the meeting — in the final qualifying match of the hexagonal group stage. The loss, plus a last-second Panama win over Costa Rica, eliminated the U.S. from eligibility in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. This will be the first World Cup without the USMNT since 1986.

This comes as a disappointment to many, as the sport’s popularity in America has steadily grown since the establishment of the MLS in 1993.

“I think it’s heartbreaking,” said University of Cincinnati women’s soccer head coach Neil Stafford. “You’ve seen sort of the growth of U.S. soccer, especially in my lifetime … To see the start of MLS and to see FC Cincinnati in this day of age, and to see us not make a World Cup — I mean, it’s heartbreaking.”

A challenge that comes with qualifying matches is that they are played in teams’ home stadiums. The USMNT’s loss on Tuesday came on the road in Ato Boldon Stadium, the home of Trinidad and Tobago.

“Obviously, it’s disappointing that the U.S. will not be going to the 2018 World Cup,” said UC men’s soccer head coach Hylton Dayes. “Sometimes qualifying is more difficult than the actual World Cup. Because of the challenge of playing in tough away environments over a qualifying period of two years.”

Moving ahead, the USMNT is looking at a bleak immediate future, with no

opportunity to compete for the sport’s highest honor for the next five years.

“I can’t imagine people will be keeping their jobs,” Stafford said. “You got five years to sort of build it again. I’m not sure if knee-jerk reactions are the exact way, but certainly change has got to happen. How much? I’ll leave it to the people that get paid the big bucks.”

Dayes believes the sport’s popularity in America will take a hit, but he still has a positive outlook for the future.

“We will definitely lose the surge in popularity that happens every four years around the U.S. World Cup matches,” Dayes said. “This will affect the development of the game here in the short term, but I think in the long run the development and popularity of the game will continue to grow and prosper.”

Despite the men failing to give their fans the opportunity to see them play on the biggest stage, the U.S. can now put all their hopes in the women’s team, who will likely make the 2019 women’s World Cup, after winning the event in 2015.

“It’s hard to see [USMNT] go down like that, but we stand behind them and we’re proud of what they’re doing, just like the women’s team,” said UC women’s soccer midfielder Katy Couperus.

Behind the hopes of players like 18-year-old Christian Pulisic, who was second on the team in goals and first in assists, there is reason for optimism.

The fate of their 2022 World Cup hopes now rest in the hands of him, and the other young players the USMNT will spend the next five years developing.

STEPHEN M. DOWELL | TNS

Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo (1) stops a goal shot by USA player Bobby Wood (9) during World Cup qualifier match at Orlando City Stadium on Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. The U.S. won, 4-0.

Opinion

Mounir’s weekly MOUNIR LYNCH | OPINION EDITOR

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U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team

2.

YouTube ads

3.

Flavored Hummus

On Tuesday, the U.S. Men’s Soccer Team was disqualified from its first World Cup since 1986. The team lost to Trinidad and Tobago — a country of only 1 million people — by a score of 2-1. We know we aren’t a soccer nation, but American soccer fans have a lot of national pride. Regardless of how we perform internationally, the American fan base is strong, and the chants of “I believe that we will win!” get me so hyped every time. I would’ve loved to see the U.S. team play in Russia during what I would consider a new Cold War. You can’t give up on your nation’s team, but its really hard not to right now.

I want to support my favorite creators, but I really don’t have the patience to watch or even click on a 30 second-ad before or during their videos. Our community’s shared impatience causes professional YouTubers to lose a lot of revenue, and we should think about that more, but AdBlock is so convenient.

Being from a Mediterranean family, this whole flavored hummus craze is driving me crazy. Red pepper hummus, Sriracha hummus and even pumpkin hummus have been popular for years now, and I am really happy all my friends now enjoy the mush people used to make fun of me for eating back in the day. However, I’m not the entitled Arab who says you’re not allowed to eat any hummus that isn’t what I grew up eating. Every Mediterranean country claims they know hummus the best anyways. It’s a “meh” from me.

4.

XXL Cyphers

5. Netflix

Their original content isn’t amazing, and their selection is decreasing. 30 Rock, The Office, a lot of Disney content and seasons 9-14 of Family Guy are all leaving Netflix this month. What the heck am I supposed to do? I don’t watch Narcos, House of Cards or Arrested Development like everyone else, so pretty much all of my favorite stuff is gone. But for Stranger Things, I will keep on using Netflix.

The new season drops on Oct. 27 and I can hardly contain myself.

Fundamentalism on campus must be curbed JUSTIN REUTTER | NEWS EDITOR

different.

For one, campus and student groups do not harass and intimidate students when going about the business of recruiting, fundraising and outreach — even campus faith groups like H20 manage to keep it civil and be accepting of all walks of life. If a group can spread their message in a nonthreatening and civil way, there should no issue with the use of public space, but there has to be a line.

Hate speech like that — or like the possible speech by Richard Spencer — could even be permitted if they are scheduled to be there. However, the student body should be able to elect to hear them or not, and it should only be permitted if it does not disrupt the days of our student body who simply wish to go to class unmolested by someone’s loud, angry, vitriolic diatribe about how we are all “sinners” who are “going to hell.”

It is also quite comical that the university says they cannot do anything about curbing hate speech on campus, but God forbid a student smoke a cigarette in a public space in peace.

It is about time that something is done about the former.

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Religious fundamentalist preachers on campus must be curbed, or at least heavily monitored. While universities are a place for ideas to be challenged and debated in a thoughtful, constructive way, what hate speakers are doing is not that.

This happens often during demonstrations at UC. Too often have these speakers targeted, harassed and intimidated individual students who are simply trying to go about their day. This particularly manifests itself in a misogynistic or homophobic way, such as a “preacher” yelling after a girl, who looked like she was desperately avoiding eye contact to not draw unwanted attention, telling her she was “going to hell for her promiscuity.”

Last week, one “preacher” drew a crowd. He told one woman that her purpose was to simply be a “babymaking machine,” and used frequent crude, vile gestures and language with the intent of shaming LGBTQ individuals.

Similar speech in public wouldn’t and shouldn’t be tolerated from

students of the university, and we pay out the nose to be here. Why should this be tolerated from a random lunatic from God-knows-where?

While the university must be a marketplace of ideas, it must also be a safe learning environment, and people like this make members of the community feel unsafe.

Furthermore, dealing with the local campus crazies creates an unneeded headache for UCPD, who must needlessly dedicate officers to protect them from the student body, and vice versa. This is doubly true when the “preachers” begin to draw large crowds in opposition to their message.

It might even be different were these speakers at least paid for the time and space to “protest.”This would have to include paying a fee for the space and time itself, along with paying UCPD for their own protection, including overtime if needed. But right now, this cost is swallowed by the university, and by extension, you as a student.

“But that’s a slippery slope! Where do we draw the line between them and everyone else?”Well, that could be a point, imaginary devil’s advocate.

But it is important to remember two things regarding how they are

Oct. 12, 2017 newsrecord.org

I’m a fan of rap music, and if you are too, you should watch XXL Magazine’s freshman cyphers and freestyles. XXL publishes videos of up and coming rappers competing in old school freestyle rap battles or solo freestyles. It is super fun to see your favorite artists back when they first made it big. Sometimes you discover that some of your favorite rappers are total garbage at improvising though, and that’s pretty tough to watch.

STEPHEN VONDERWISH | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

September 6, 2017 — Westboro Baptist Church members protest the annual meeting of the National Baptist Convention USA Inc. at the Duke Energy Convention Center.

Opinion

Catalonia’s independence: Mishandled by Spain, but still unlikely TIM GOLDENBERG | STAFF REPORTER

In a recent referendum marred by violence, the Catalonia region of Spain voted in favor of independence by an overwhelming 91.96 percent, establishing what Catalans saw as a clear mandate for independence. However, regardless of this, Catalan independence just doesn’t seem feasible moving forward.

Independence referendums are a very shaky matter within legal structures, as their inherent purpose is generally to leave the legal structures they are in. Spain’s system of government is decentralized, with 17 autonomous communities all acting as part of a unitary state that has clear divisions of power between the central government and the provinces.

Said autonomy is a large driver behind the independence movement. However, considering this, the independence referendum remains clearly illegal under the Spanish Constitution, which does not permit independence votes by any of the autonomous communities. The Constitutional Court of Spain made that very ruling in response to the referendum, subsequently being supported by the European Commission, the executive body of the European Union.

A similar referendum was held in 2014, with the 80.76 percent of residents voting in support of independence. Much like this referendum, it was declared illegal and largely fell by the wayside across the rest of Spain. The primary difference in this referendum was the response of the Spanish government, which

resorted to violence in attempting to stop the referendum from happening. Riot police were deployed across the Catalan region, attempting to prevent voters from accessing polling locations, seizing ballot boxes and injuring hundreds in clashes with voters. These actions, more than anything else, have been the fuel of Catalonia’s fire; granting them an event to rally around in their search for independence. A clear mishandling of the situation by the Spanish authorities, one could speculate that a quieter approach much like the one in 2014 could have seen a less incensed independence movement.

There is no denying that Catalonia is different from the rest of Spain. Its primary language is Catalan, a Romance language that developed separately from Spanish and contains many French influences in addition to the Spanish ones. The atmosphere there is distinct, and much of the population regards themselves as culturally separate from the other parts of Spain. However, while cultural differences can act as fuel for independence, it’s far from the largest actor in such affairs.

From an economic standpoint, Spain cannot afford to grant Catalan independence even if it desired to do so.

Accounting for 19 percent of Spain’s gross domestic product last year, Catalonia represents a significant economic powerhouse within the Spanish economy.

The same economic strength that leads Catalans to believe they can be selfsufficient is why Spain will not allow independence to be attained. In addition,

its independence relies on recognition from other states, and it’s rather unlikely that the nations of Western Europe, primarily affiliated with the European Union, will cast support for an action that negatively impacts a fellow EU member state Furthermore, a successful Catalan independence would be seen positively by separatist movements across Europe, such as the ones in Flanders and Scotland. Such factors would lead to further instability on the continent in a time when European

leaders are attempting to secure further economic and social stability.

While it’s certainly a realist approach to the topic at hand, Catalan independence doesn’t serve Western European interests.

Given that, it’s unlikely that any of them would support the independence, and without support, the referendum will fizzle out just like the one in 2014. Catalonia’s independence was always going to be a reach, and is now clearly a reach too far.

ALBERTO ESTEVEZ | TNS

Catalan people who were gathered outside the Ramon Llull school clash with Spanish National riot policemen during the 1-O Referendum in Barcelona, Catalonia, on Oct. 1, 2017. National Police officers and civil guards were deployed in Barcelona to prevent people from entering polling centers and voting in the Catalan independence referendum, which was banned by the Spanish Constitutional Court.

Letter to the editor: Gun regulations must be tightened JOE BIALEK | READER

Oct. 12, 2017 newsrecord. org

This letter is in response to the articles covering the recent shooting in Las Vegas.

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RICARDO RAMIREZ | TNS

Serge Rene, owner of Rene’s Security and Training, on Friday, Aug. 5, 2016 in Orlando, Fla. Central Florida has more than 380 licensed gun dealers and, despite laws prohibiting it, at least a half dozen have felony and domestic violence convictions.

The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution states: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Obviously, the need for a state militia has been replaced by the National Guard and Coast Guard whereby trained military personnel are entrusted with the defense of this country against domestic enemies. Their weapons are tightly controlled and safeguarded.

The only two reasons for a citizen to own a firearm are for hunting or defense of the household from intruders. In either case, ownership of a

handgun, shotgun or rifle is more than adequate to satisfy these purposes.

There is absolutely no need for any U.S. civilian to own any weapon more powerful or sophisticated than these.

Accordingly, all handguns, shotguns and rifles must be licensed and registered to the degree necessary to match weapon to owner at the click of a computer key. Furthermore, we must guarantee that the mentally ill do not gain access to them under any circumstances. Finally, if we had prohibited the purchase of more sophisticated weapons, several innocent victims would not have died or been harmed at shopping malls, college campuses, Congressional meetings, churches and now concerts. We as a country must deal with this issue immediately, lest our society fall back to the days when everyone carried a holster.

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