EXTRA 11.30.11

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWS ORGANIZATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI | WWW.NEWSRECORD.ORG NOVEMBER 30 - DECEMBER 6 | 2011

From Tutus and Tiaras to Ballet and Beer

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Making ballet hip for a new generation

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AT&T PARTNERS WITH UC 3

UK COMPOUNDS STORMED

BY IRANIAN STUDENTS 5

SCORCESE GETS PERSONAL 8

BIG EAST POWER RANKINGS 10

HEADS OR TAILS: URBAN MEYER 12

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COVER PHOTO BY IAN JOHNSON | FOR VERGE MAGAZINE

CoB sets up diversity council

Egypt holds elections

UC professor heads to China for conference

UK compounds raided in Iran

From tutus and tiaras to ballet and beer The Muppets return

Big East Power Rankings

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Will Urban Meyer win a national championship in five years?

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THE NEWS RECORD The News Record, an independent, student-run news organization of the University of Cincinnati’s Communication Board, is printed during the school year every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, except holidays and examination periods, from its office located in 509 Swift Hall and is distributed to the UC community. The News Record distributes to more than 80 locations and has a weekly circulation of 22,500. One copy per person is free. Additional copies can be picked up at The News Record office for $1.

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UC researchers take findings to China MATT MAHN | STAFF REPORTER

COB develops diversity program for students BEN GOLDSCHMIDT | TNR CONTRIBUTOR

crime blotter

Two robberies occurred in the Clifton area to the south of the University of Cincinnati Main Campus Thanksgiving Day. At 12:45 a.m. Nov. 24, two suspects held a victim at gunpoint on the 200 block of Emming Street.

The suspects stole cash, credit cards and the victim’s cell phone.

The victim described the suspects as both black males, 18 to 22 years old; one 5-foot5-inches tall, 140 pounds and the other 5-foot-11 inches, 180 pounds. Both suspects were dressed in all black.

Later that night...

Another robbery occurred that night, at 11:30 p.m. on the 2200 block of Stratford Avenue.

Three suspects approached a female exiting her vehicle and one suspect brandished a gun.

The suspects then fled the scene in the victim’s car. Again, suspects were described as black males in their early 20s, dressed in dark clothing.

Cincinnati Police and the University of Cincinnati Police Division encourage residents to report crime or suspicious behavior whenever it is spotted.

If anyone has information about

this incident or any others, call Crime Stoppers at (513) 352-3040.

Crime Stoppers offers rewards for information leading to arrests.

Friday, Nov. 25

When: 4:25 p.m.

Where: 345 Clifton Court What: Disorderly conduct Suspect: Arrested When: 12:30 a.m.

Where: 234 Goodman St. What: Possession of dangerous drugs Suspect: No Arrest

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UCPD

Thursday, Nov. 24

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A global telecommunications company is teaming up with the university of Cincinnati to call for more diversity in the business world — starting with academia.

Recently, AT&T Ohio partnered with the Carl H. Lindner College of Business to provide funding for the Business Diversity Pathway program — a program committed to reaching out and providing resources to underrepresented students.

“The goal of the Business Diversity Pathway is to better diversify the business student population, and we really do that by working with students from high school through [college] graduation,” said Marianne Lewis, associate dean for undergraduate programs, director of Kolodzik Business Scholars and professor of management.

AT&T Ohio’s recent donation of $10,000 is specifically going to support what the Business Diversity Pathway calls “shadow days.”

Where high school students spend a day on campus with a current business student.

“Shadow days give students some

role models, set some expectations and get them excited about being at a university,” Lewis said. “It’s really a soft sell, not hardcore recruiting into UC. It’s about building comfort with being in a university and being in a college of business.”

AT&T is not the only business that is contributing to the drive to diversify.

Procter & Gamble provided funding to start the program last year.

These contributions make more than just shadow days possible for students, as mentoring and career guidance planning are also available, Lewis said.

Scholarship money is available to those who are in financial need, though program directors are looking to expand in this area in order to provide scholarship money to even more students, Lewis said.

“Businesses tend to have a very good understanding about the importance of diversifying the academic population, because if we don’t start diversifying within the college, we’ll never help these students get to them,” Lewis said. “For these companies, it’s critical that they diversify their employees so their employees reflect the market they’re trying to serve.”

An ambassador of the University of Cincinnati community will present her research on rural development to the world at an international development conference.

Beth Walter Honadle, a planning professor and principle investigator of the research, will travel to Guangzhou, China, next month to present her research on U.S. rural development. She will present at the Inaugural Lingnan International Forum and Conference on Urban and Regional Development in the 21st Century.

Honadle is one of 17 international speakers invited to the forum Dec. 16-18.

The forum will act as a hub for worldwide developers to learn from the trials and programs of other nations.

“Our preliminary findings suggest that Stronger Economics Together (SET) program makes a lot of sense in terms of building the capacity of rural areas to make their own regional economic development plans,” Honadle said. “We are finding some of the challenges [rural United States] faces, such as large distances, which makes collaboration difficult.”

SET is sponsored by the USDA Rural Development, in partnership with the Regional Rural Development Centers,

and it is for interested counties that want to work together to develop and implement a regional economic development strategy or plan.

“It involves survey analysis and site visits to select regions that are participating in the [SET] p r o g r a m ,” Honadle said.

Honadle worked with school of planning associate HONADLE professors Christopher Au f f r ey, Johanna Looye, Rainer Vomhofe and assistant professor of planning Marisa Zapata to analyze the effectiveness and the practicality of rural development efforts in coordination with the USDA. “I am struck by how similar the issues we are dealing with in our rural areas are to those in other countries,” Honadle said.

Honadle said she hopes the research will provide valuable feedback and new ideas to advance the project.

“I hope to use comments on my paper to revise the manuscript and submit it to a journal for publication after the conference,” Honadle said.

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Nation & World

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Iranian protesters stormed two British diplomatic compounds in Tehran, smashing windows, hurling petrol bombs and burning the British flag in protest against sanctions imposed by London.

American Airlines and its parent company AMR Corp. filed for bankruptcy Tuesday to cut costs, combat soaring fuel prices and dampened travel demand.

Michael Jackson’s doctor, Conrad Murray, was sentenced to four years in prison for his conviction of involuntary manslaughter.

Anders Behring Breivik, the mass murderer from Norway, will avoid prisons after psychiatrists have concluded that he is suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.

Following a deadly NATO air strike in Pakistan Saturday, a top Pakistani army general said Tuesday that the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers were the result of a “deliberate act of aggression.”

Egyptians vote for first time since Mubarak hannah allam | mct newspapers

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Mohannad Sabry | MCT

SMOOTH FIRST VOTE Members of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party setup booths on Monday to assist voters in Cairo.

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the square, voters participating in a military-run election were betraying the “martyrs” who had died fighting for civilian rule, a key demand of the revolution. At the closest polling station to the square, lines stretched for hundreds of yards as a cross-section of Egyptian society came out to vote.

Unveiled college students, elderly Coptic women wearing gold crosses and Islamists in flowing black robes all stood patiently for their turns at the ballot box.

“I decided to vote for the ‘Revolution Continues Bloc,’” said Hana Ashraf, 20, a first-time voter and a Tahrir protester. “The bloc includes the revolutionary youth movements, and I want to make sure they have a voice in the parliament.”

For more information, visit newsrecord.org/ nationworld

NATION & WORLD — NEWSRECORD.ORG —TNR EXTRA —

CAIRO — Defying predictions of violence and chaos, Egyptians flooded polling stations Monday to cast ballots in the first elections since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.

Polls were slow to open in several districts because judges were late or ballots hadn’t arrived, but overall, voting unfolded smoothly and Egyptians said they didn’t mind the hours-long wait because, for the first time, they felt their vote would be counted. Mubarak’s regime was known for rigged elections and voter intimidation.

“For the first time in my life, my voice will mean something,” said Mohamed Nassar, 36, a telecommunications manager, who spent hours in line at a polling site in the hardscrabble Seyyida Zaineb district. “I’ll wait as long as it takes.”

The capital, along with the port city of Alexandria, and large Upper Egyptian towns, launched the first round of staggered parliamentary elections that are scheduled to end in March.

After a particularly fitful month that included a week long, deadly battle between security forces and anti-military protesters, it was uncertain right up until the eve of elections whether the polls would go on. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which has ruled Egypt since Mubarak resigned last winter, was dead-set on timely polls in order to stick with a road map that guarantees it exclusive control of the rocky transition period.

The Muslim Brotherhood was the council’s primary backer in keeping elections on schedule, to the ire of liberal parties who would have needed the Islamists’ backing to force out the entrenched generals. But nothing would keep the group from its moment, and much of the voting Monday

looked like “a Brotherhood coming-out party,” Islamist expert Shadi Hamid, now in Cairo, wrote on Twitter.

The Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party passed out baseball caps and rain ponchos — all emblazoned with the party’s scales-of-justice logo — to voters standing outside in inclement weather.

At hundreds of polling places, the party had set up “information booths” festooned with campaign posters. They helped voters find polling places and gave them tutorials on filling out ballots.

Freedom and Justice Party members insisted it was just community service, not campaigning, though the information slips voters received were stamped with the party logo. It wasn’t just Islamists campaigning close to polls and within 48 hours of the election — a violation of the electoral code — virtually every party distributed leaflets right at polling stations.

“We’re just helping. It’s not about voting for our party. We just want people to vote,” said Marwa Sobhi, 30, a Freedom and Justice volunteer at a downtown polling station where the Brotherhood directed traffic, helped the disabled and elderly, explained the voting process, and had monitors inside the station.

Hundreds of protesters camped in Tahrir Square and outside the nearby Cabinet building, meanwhile, watched the voting with a mix of anger and trepidation. They had boycotted the vote, saying that any parliament elected under the auspices of the military would be illegitimate and unrepresentative. They fought — and nearly 40 died — for the right to stage a sit-in calling for the end of military rule.

In the eyes of the young, battered men occupying

COVER STORY

Ballet

CINCINNATI

Company strives to appeal to younger, hip crowd

IAN JOHNSON | FOR VERGE MAGAZINE

MOVING AND GROOVING Members of the Cincinnati Ballet rehearse for “Theme and Variations” in early March.

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STEPH KITCHENS | FOR VERGE MAGAZINE It’s opening night of the last production of Cincinnati Ballet’s 2010-2011 season, and the excitement in the air is palpable.

Audience members file into the Aronoff Center for the Arts, trying to locate their ticket numbers, jostling past people already seated and settling into place.

As the latecomers hustle in, the room fills with a low hum while people read their programs and chat with each other.

Victoria Morgan, artistic director and CEO of Cincinnati Ballet, gracefully steps on stage to introduce “Infamous Love Songs.”

The petite, pixieish woman welcomes the nearly full house and asks everyone to fill out a survey tucked inside each program. The multiple-choice questionnaire inquires about the audience member’s age, ethnicity, level of education and so on.

The room buzzes as people shuffle in their seats, extracting pens to answer the questions: How did you first learn about Cincinnati Ballet? How many Cincinnati Ballet performances have you attended overall? Which Cincinnati Ballet performances did you attend during the 2010-2011 season?

Surveys like this are helping Cincinnati Ballet executives evaluate whether their company’s performances are reaching target audiences — which is particularly important, given Cincinnati Ballet’s recent efforts to “re-brand” its image and appeal to a larger and younger demographic.

The survey helps the staff learn more about the members of the audience so they can continue to meet their customers’ needs.

“We all have realized that we have to be relevant

today,” says Terry Honebrink, group relations coordinator for Cincinnati Ballet. “If all we did were ‘Swan Lake,’ ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Sleeping Beauty,’ we would die off.”

Cincinnati Ballet is not alone: Across the country, ballet companies are trying to appeal to larger and potentially younger audiences; for many, it’s about economic survival.

Ballet was first developed in 17th-century France during the reign of Louis XIV, and to some extent, ballet’s long history might be working against it in a modern culture that is all about fast, high-tech entertainment.

So ballet companies are continually evolving and experimenting with combining ballet with other forms of dance. For example, Cincinnati Ballet’s “Infamous Love Songs” was a compilation of three choreographers’ works — each emphasizing the lines and movements used in ballet, while combining it with modern dance.

None of these pieces of choreography featured dancers decked out in pink tights, their hair slicked back in the proverbial ballet bun, as they would in traditional ballets. And while old-school ballet fans might find the modern costumes to be too revealing — the female dancers in “Infamous Love Songs” wore

If all we did were ‘Swan Lake’, ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Sleeping Beauty’, we would die off.

—TERRY HONEBRINK CINCINNATI BALLET GROUP RELATIONS COORDINATOR

sheer black shirtdresses pulled over what looked like bras and panties — costumes like these are becoming more common in contemporary performances.

In fact, ballet’s evolution is often played out through modern costuming choices.

Choreographer Stanton Welch, artistic director of Houston Ballet, has created several pieces in which dancers wear skimpy costumes. Welch’s “Tu Tu,” which he choreographed in 2003, has the female dancers dressed in tutus and bras and the males dressed solely in booty shorts. On Houston Ballet’s website, Welch describes the ballet as being “a playful, humorous look at classical ballet. ‘Tu Tu’ is tart and very tongue-in-cheek.”

However, some audience members still want to see the classical, traditional ballets, rather than the newer adaptations. To ensure that audience members will attend performances and keep coming back for more, ballet companies must make sure their seasons offer both classical and contemporary ballet programs. That way, the company can serve those who appreciate traditional ballet — “La Bayadère,” “Les Syphides,” “Don Quixote,” “Giselle” and “Romeo and Juliet,” to name a few — while attracting new faces in the crowd who are more receptive to contemporary works, like those choreographed by the likes of George Balanchine, Welch, William Foresythe and Trey McIntire.

In addition to offering more diverse types of dance and costuming, ballet companies are trotting out new outreach strategies to attract audiences.

“A lot of companies are using social media to attract a larger and younger audience,” says Jennifer Stahl, senior editor of Pointe Magazine. “ABT [American Ballet Theater]

STEPH KITCHENS [LEFT] IAN JOHNSON [ABOVE] | FOR VERGE

DANCING THROUGH LIFE Members of the Cincinnati Ballet rehearse before a performance. The Cincinnati Ballet is rebranding to appeal to a younger audience.

COVER STORY— NEWSRECORD.ORG —TNR EXTRA —

IAN JOHNSON | FOR VERGE

BEND AND SNAP Members of the Cincinnati Ballet rehearse for “Theme and Variations” in early March.

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often assigns a corps member to tweet or video blog their tour to engage audience members. Some companies are even using deal-a-day sites like Groupon to capture a technologically savvy — which usually means younger — audience.”

Although social media is becoming an integral part of local art scenes, actively engaging in the community is also essential to remain viable, says Cincinnati Ballet’s Honebrink.

Cincinnati Ballet has advertised through billboards placed around Cincinnati that feature dancers in stark contrast from the background, creating a dramatic visual effect.

And even more impressively, Cincinnati Ballet dancers have literally been taking their message to the streets: The dancers started staging performances in city neighborhoods to gain more exposure and give people the opportunity to see Cincinnati Ballet without the hassle of going downtown.

“We had a performance at the College of Mount St. Joseph [a Cincinnati-based private college] back in the spring and it was wonderfully received,” Honebrink says.“We also have our trainees and CB II’s [Cincinnati Ballet II dancers] doing lots of outreach programs all over the city. They have performed at schools, senior and community centers, libraries, businesses, stores — anywhere we can lay a floor or clear a large enough area they can perform.”

Creating partnerships with local nonprofit and for-profit organizations are also enabling ballet

companies to attract wider audiences.

Stahl notes that many companies host “Beer and Ballet” events, as well as cocktail parties where young professionals can mingle with dancers. The general public gets a chance to be toe-to-toe with professional dancers and learn about dance in a nontraditional way.

Another ballet company that engages in innovative partnerships is Joffrey Ballet in Chicago, which has been highly successful in reaching younger audiences.

For the release of the film “Black Swan,” Joffrey Ballet established a relationship with Equinox Fitness, creating ballet-inspired fitness programs. Participants learn how to plié, tendu and twirl, and then are offered deals to attend performances to watch professionals do similar movements in shows.

Unlike many ballet companies, Joffrey Ballet is not specifically seeking out a younger demographic, although it does seem to attract t h e m , according to

Christopher Clinton Conway, the company’s executive director.

“I think the difference between us and others is that we don’t create a different identity to attract young people, because that comes across as disingenuous,” he says. Conway believes that creating a new brand is not a sustainable practice, although it may deliver initial results.

However, intentional rebranding does work for other companies. Ballet San Jose unveiled new branding efforts last season after experiencing financial difficulties in recent years.

Lee Kopp, the company’s marketing director, says the younger demographic has been responding to the new branding materials, which he described as very clean with sans serif fonts and crisp photography.

One of the most inventive ways this company has attempted to engage a younger audience is by launching a college program that makes performances more affordable for students — even enabling them to snag some of the best seats in the house.

A typical performance ticket costs $100, but through this program, a patron covers $90, enabling students to purchase two tickets to any Friday or Saturday night performance for $10 each.

The program has been highly successful: It sold 1,400 tickets to students from 56 different colleges, and a significant amount of those students returned to the theater through the program.

Increasing ticket sales reflect a positive turn for ballet companies that have been struggling with adapting to current times and maintaining an audience during the recession.

“But we also found that the economy is picking up,” Kopp says. “People are buying the expensive seats first, not the rear balcony. Every show sold out every $100 ticket before any other section sold out.”

This is uplifting news for ballet companies and ballet lovers alike. As curtains open and close on ballet performances across the country this season, only time will tell how successfully these outreach programs and modern approaches to the art form will be at growing audiences and appealing to a younger demographic as they jeté into the future.

Godfather of gangster cinema gets personal keith bieryGolick | entertainment EDITOR

It doesn’t surprise me that the king of gangster pictures is making a children’s movie; the only surprise is that it has taken him this long.

Just get Martin Scorsese, the legendary filmmaker behind such bloody classics as “Goodfellas,” “The Departed” and “Raging Bull” talking about the history of film, and listen to the pure childlike enthusiasm he has for it.

What does genuinely surprise me is that he has turned to 3-D technology to spin his latest yarn: the tale of Hugo Cabret, a 12-year-old orphan living in the walls of a 1930s Paris train station.

Despite all that, in many ways this is Scorsese’s most personal film yet.

“My whole life has been movies and religion. That’s it. Nothing else,” he once stated. (At one point in time, Scorsese strongly considered becoming a priest.)

Religion is a theme tackled in several of his films, most notably “The Last Temptation of Christ”and“Mean Streets.”

In “Hugo,” however, he tackles his

deep and personal love of moviemaking by using the newest technology to create a magical sense of spectacle that provides the blueprint for how 3-D ought to be used.

Forget what you’ve seen or heard about 3-D until you’ve seen it done the Scorsese way. With 3-D working as another tool in his belt of cinematic tricks, which includes the occasional trademark of long-tracking shots and quick edits, Scorsese creates an unbelievably vivid world. After a screening of the film, James Cameron, the director of the 3-D sensation “Avatar,” called it the best use of the technology he’s seen — and that’s including his own films.

If you look closely at the characters populating the snowy Paris train station in “Hugo,” you’ll recognize many of them as stand-ins for Scorsese himself.

Most obvious is the crotchety old toy maker, played by Ben Kingsley, who is quick to anger because of his deafening self-doubt as an artist. This parallels Scorsese’s own cocaine-fueled artistic self-doubt before the filming of 1980s “Raging Bull.”

Fascinated by the enchanting power

of moving pictures, something he inherited from his clock-making father, Hugo sets off on a quest to rebuild an automaton that his father worked on before his untimely passing. In Hugo’s big and eager eyes, it is impossible not to think of Scorsese’s humble beginnings as a filmmaker.

The passion we see in Hugo is the very same passion seen in the renowned director’s expression every time he talks about one of his films. This infatuation and true zeal for cinema is why Scorsese has become as successful as he is today.

This gusto also makes it impossible for the movie-goer not to be swept up in what some would call a mere children’s story.

Even though on the surface it could be described as a children’s film, “Hugo” has much more thematic and emotional depth than most other movies you’ll see this Oscar season.

In addition, by using 3-D as a narrative device to make a movie about the history and power of cinema, Scorsese has made a film that will go down in history.

Courtesy of MCT Campus

“HUGO” OUTDOES “AVATAR” According to the director of “Avatar,” Scorsese’s “Hugo” contains the best use of 3-D technology yet.

Muppets reunite to delight of young, old alike

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sean peters | SENIOR REPORTER

“Together again,” sing the Muppets in their classic 1984 film, “Muppets Take Manhattan.”Well, 27 years later, it’s time for an encore, because the Muppets are back on the big screen with their timeless and lovable antics.

Strangely enough, “The Muppets” retains all the continuity from previous films (aside from “Muppet Treasure Island” and “The Muppet Christmas Carol,” which were standalone literary interpretations).

Decades after their last big show, the Muppets fizzled away to nothing but

Courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

MUPPET-FUELED MANIA Jason Segel has Muppet fever as he writes and stars in a charming new film that aims to bring the Muppets back to the big screen in style.

pleasant memories. Kermit is a recluse (Kermit the hermit) who is burdened with heartache and loneliness after his troupe disbanded. He still displays paintings of his oldest friends, though one of them is hidden behind a drape.

What happened with Miss Piggy? “It ain’t easy being green.”

Of course, there’s a conflict the Muppets must overcome in the film.

Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) is a rich oil baron who plans to demolish the Muppets’ original theater and studios to drill for oil.The Muppets must put on one last show in order to earn enough money to buy back Muppet studio, which requires reuniting all the Muppets.

Responsible for the reunion is Walter, a young man (in Muppet form) who is infatuated — nay — obsessed with Kermit and the gang.The Muppets were often the only thing the young outcast could relate with, aside from his overly supportive older brother, Gary (Jason Segel).

Assuming I’m not the only twentysomething who identifies with this, it’s safe to say Segel wrote this movie not just for children experiencing the Muppets for the first time, but also for those who’ve been keeping goofy with the Muppets their entire lives.

Growing up, the Muppets were essential members of my family. “The

Muppet Show” was on constant replay, as Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy were often utilized to pacify me into a serenely engrossed active audience member. As a legal adult, I have no trouble admitting the Muppets are still wildly relevant to me.

Segel is the luckiest Muppets fan in history. Not only is he given the go-ahead to write a Muppets screenplay for major release, he also stars in the film and is given a Muppet-ized version of himself as a memento.

Amy Adams costars as Mary, Gary’s fiancé. Her involvement in the film is mostly that of the cliched straightfaced woman who doesn’t quite “get it” but willingly plays along because she recognizes it makes her loved ones happy. While Adams’ delivery is acceptable, the character is too flat to relate with on any human (or Muppet) level.

If the Muppets have ever brought a smile to your face, it’d be hard to ignore this film. Do your best to ignore some of the blatant in-film advertising Disney sneaks in, because this movie is not about pushing products or brand names: “The Muppets” is about reuniting with old friends.

Album Alert: Discover new gems Tom Seiple | senior reporter

This week, for my album alert, I dug up a few great new releases from fresh names I’m sure you’ve never stumbled across. Here are some great new albums from bands just starting to gain more notoriety.

Dear Lions – “Lying to My Lies” EP “Lying to My Lies” is a great four-track look into what Dear Lions is all about. The vocals remind me slightly of Beirut, but the instrumentation is more reminiscent of a jam band or an atmospheric sound.

I also can’t remove myself from the distinct sound that emulates Young the Giant (formally The Jakes).

It’s a pleasant listen and not very abrasive.

I look forward to seeing if their sound continues to tighten up or it continues to have this flowing orchestral feel in the future.

Various Artists – “Absolute USA Punk Rock” This is a compilation album of some great ’90s emo and punk rock. This might be the album you’d show to a friend who thinks punk rock is only bands like Bowling for Soup or The All-American Rejects.

The album is a beautiful post-punk demonstration.

There’s tons of yelling, tapping guitar work, lots of tempo changes and performances from names that are long since dead — Empire! Empire! might be the only current name on the album.

“Absolute USA Punk Rock” is the most complete collection of music from this ’90s subculture I’ve heard.

Pilots in Orbit – “Did You Grow Up Too Fast?”

Continuing on with the ’90s punk rock scene, Pilots in Orbit handles the genre better than most.

“DidYou Grow Up Too Fast?” is a wonderful blend of quick guitar licks, tempo changes and grungy vocal work. The album is everything you should

have expected 15 years ago, however, because it is more modern, there is definitely a better production quality to the music and instrumentation.

This album is a true gem and really deserving of attention, I’ve not heard something this well crafted from such a young band in a very long time.

Super Elastic Bubble Plastic – “Chances” Heading to the more hardcore side of things, SEBP kicks a whole lot harder than any of the previous works I’ve mentioned.

There’s plenty of grungy guitar work, yelling and heavy bass.

The album itself is a little dark and a bit abrasive, while also sounding a little out there melodically. So it does sound a little messy.

For this exact reason, I find “Chances” pretty genuine. There isn’t much fluff to the album, and it kicks hard enough to keep you captivated all the way through.

Caleb – “To the Ends of the World” If there’s ever been a band that got close to nailing the sound of The Killers’ “Hot Fuss,” it’s this one. Caleb’s album is musically diverse, melodically captivating, and honestly crafted. Everything from the instrumentation down to the vocals reminds me of “Hot Fuss.”

But that doesn’t mean that the album isn’t unique. There are certainly influences from other bands like Coldplay and Death Cab for Cutie to be found within the album.

During my first listen, “To the Ends of the World” brought me back to my first encounter with a Deas Vail album. I got finished with Deas Vail’s first EP and said, “Wow, this is going places.” This is the same feeling I get with Caleb’s work here.

Groove Zero – “Empty Fruit”

The last album I have is the most unique of the bunch. Funk, jazz and smooth rock influences bleed throughout Groove Zero’s “Empty Fruit.”

The bass moves with a thick-sounding skill and the guitar work evokes classic funk and soul music. There’s a little rap that pops up on one of the tracks, and I thought for a split second that Justin Timberlake might hop in on the chorus.

There are a few guitar solos that simply melt your ears and plenty of great falsetto vocal work. A different sound for the alternative rock scene,“Empty Fruit” delivers an exceptionally unique experience.

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Sam Greene Managing editor

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@ScottJWinfield

@samberg89

@SGdoesit

It’s pretty hardcore.

Would have fit in well with the late ’70s Oakland Raiders.

I think they’ll get better — as soon as they discipline themselves to maintain and extend leads.

Not really shocked and don’t really care.

It’s real football.

When Yancy Gates says the Bearcats are on the same level as Marshall, they can’t expect to make it to the Sweet 16.

The man has true grit.

Hilarious! The closer we can get real life to NFL Blitz, the better.

Not a good sign for a season that had so much potential.

Not promising. The Crosstown Shootout might be kind of ugly.

What do you think about Bernie Fine?

I’ll side with Hoffman on this one. I mean, it’s disgusting. I don’t really know what else to say.

When the dude’s wife says she knew what was going on, it’s pretty bad.

I think he’s the tip of the iceberg. Don’t be shocked when more allegations surface.

It’s a web of debauchery.

Fortunately, I think people our age are learning to speak up about stuff like this sooner.

Outcome of the BengalsSteelers game?

Bengals 20-17

Bengals 31-14

Bengals 17-13

Steelers 24-17.

Oh, I dunno. I really don’t watch the NFL at all.

LSU 10-9

LSU 17, Alabama 10

Alabama. You can’t fool Saban twice. He’s the Belichick of college football and my hero.

LSU, and they’ll cover whatever spread there is, too.

College football national championship prediction?

I’ll go with Alabama.

ten

—TNR EXTRA — NEWSRECORD.ORG — SPORTS

Final Big East power rankings prior to bowl season Before we jump into the rankings, a little clarification is in order about who could potentially end up winning the Big East, since the current situation is more confusing than a 500-level philosophy class.

Currently, Louisville sits on top of the conference standings at 5-2, having already claimed a portion of the Big East’s regular season title, but there is a good chance that there will be a three-way tie by the end of Saturday.

Cincinnati and West Virginia are both 4-2 in conference play, and if both teams win their respective games Saturday, it would create a threeway tie for the conference title, but who would get the Big East’s coveted BCS automatic qualifier bid?

Normally, ties are broken by who won the headto-head game during the regular season, but the problem here is that Cincinnati beat Louisville, who defeated West Virginia, who in turn won against Cincinnati.

If all three teams finish 5-2, the second tie-breaker will be the team’s BCS standing, with West Virginia almost certainly taking the cake and getting the automatic bid.

If West Virginia loses and Cincinnati wins, however, then the Bearcats will be BCS bound because of the head-to-head win against Louisville.

Though, if Cincinnati loses and West Virginia still wins, then Louisville will receive the bid since they defeated West Virginia in the regular season, meaning all of Mountaineer nation just became huge

Bearcat fans.

Anyway, on to the rankings and this week’s schedule. Records are in parenthesis, last week’s rankings are in brackets.

Louisville [2] (7-5, 5-2 Big East) – You have to give the Cards the top spot after their 34-24 win against South Florida last weekend to clinch at least a portion of the conference title. Kudos to Charlie Strong for getting his young team to win five of its final six games, especially after beginning the season 2-4.

West Virginia [1] (8-3, 4-2 Big East) – Would have given them the No. 1 ranking if they had defeated Pittsburgh in a more convincing fashion. A 21-20 win against the Panthers is nothing impressive. The Mountaineers better bring their A-game against the Bulls this weekend if they want that BCS bowl berth. I’m sure there’s nothing more Skip Holtz would want to do than play spoiler this weekend at home against WVU. Cincinnati [4] (8-3, 4-2 Big East) – Following two-straight losses to West Virginia and Rutgers, the Bearcats salvaged their season last Saturday with a dominating 30-13 win against Syracuse.

Rutgers [3] (8-4, 4-3 Big East) — The Scarlet Knights were poised to capture their first Big East title ever. A win against UConn — a team Rutgers has beat the past three seasons — would have tied them in first place with Louisville, but then they went and embarrassingly got their keasters handed to them to finish in second. I guess there’s always next year.

Connecticut [6] (5-6, 3-3 Big East) — While

the reigning Big East champs have no chance of winning the conference again, they certainly have opportunities to make sure other teams don’t get the chance either. They ruined Rutgers’ chance at a Big East title last weekend and could do the same to Cincinnati this weekend.

Pittsburgh [5] (5-6, 3-3 Big East) – Almost played spoiler to West Virginia last weekend with a heartbreaking 21-20 loss. The Panthers should have an easy game against Syracuse to finish out their disappointing season.

South Florida [7] (5-6, 1-5, Big East) – The Bulls could succeed this weekend where Pittsburgh could not last Saturday: Beat the Mountaineers to crush their BCS dreams. Is it likely? No, but here’s to hoping.

Syracuse [8] (5-6, 1-5 Big East) – With four-straight losses, I’m sure the players have just been counting down the days until they can sit in the stands and watch the much more successful basketball team.

If they could only win one or possibly two Big East games this season, I’m sure they’ll have a blast in the ACC. Good riddance.

BIG EAST WEEKEND SCHEDULE Connecticut @ Cincinnati (Noon Saturday, televised on ESPN and ESPN3.)

No. 23 West Virginia @ South Florida Syracuse @ Pittsburgh Finished with their seasons: Rutgers, Louisville

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Heads orTails:

Will Urban Meyer win a national championship within two years?

twelve

—TNR EXTRA — NEWSRECORD.ORG — SPORTS

Success will come quickly for Meyer at OSU

The only thing that will stop Urban Meyer from getting his third BCS Championship in seven years is health problems.

The Ohio native and former University of Cincinnati assistant will be going into a better situation than any other new coach for the 2012-13 season, thanks to an ever-improving Braxton Miller at quarterback and a defense that should improve with age.

Meyer has also said that he will keep Luke Fickell on in some capacity, ensuring an easier transfer of power in Columbus.

Ohio State has close to unlimited funding, strong name recognition and all the facilities Meyer will need to bring another title to the state capitol.

Additionally, thanks to his success in the SEC, Meyer should be able to JASON HOFFMAN do something never before seen at Ohio State: recruit from the south — namely Florida.

As we all know, Florida and California produce a ton of talent and another thing OSU has never really had: speed.

The speed factor was the main reason Florida was able to wax the Buckeyes in the 2006 title game, and Meyer built that Gator team.

Another thing that makes it likely the Buckeyes will return to the promised land of college sports is because the Big Ten will be going through some growing pains next year.

Illinois will probably have Butch Jones on the sidelines; Penn State might not even have a football program; and Wisconsin and Michigan will look like this year’s Buckeyes, thanks to graduating starters, which leaves Nebraska as the only team left to contend.

Given his history of quickly winning and then leaving, it’s safe to say Meyer will win in the next couple of years, then leave yet another team; this time, for the greener pastures of some executive advisory role in the National Football League similar to John Cooper.

Have fun Buckeye fans.Your team will once again be the beneficiary of coaching harlotry.

Meyer needs time to build new Buckeyes PHOTOS COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

PASSING THE TORCH Following a six-year tenure as head coach of the Florida Gators, Urban Meyer [above] will take over as head coach at The Ohio State Univeristy. Former head coach Jim Tressel [below] resigned May 30 because he failed to notify the school of NCAA violations regarding the football team.

There’s no chance that Urban Meyer brings a national championship to Ohio State in two years.

Can he possibly bring one to Columbus in maybe five? Sure, that’s much more realistic.

The Buckeyes’ recruiting class that’s coming in next year is one of the worst in recent memory, as they’re not even in ESPN’s top-25. I can’t even remember the last time that’s happened.

While not necessarily bad, they have zero five-star recruits and just one ESPN top-150 player — very un-OSU like.

The players coming in were also recruited

by Tressel and have no loyalty to Meyer. It’s going to take him a year or two to get on the same page with them and the same page as the current Buckeye squad, too.

Don’t get me wrong.

Meyer is a great and proven coach, and I think he can take that team and make them competitive in the Big Ten right off the SAM WEINBERG bat — I just don’t think he has the talent right now to compete with the faster South Eastern Conference teams in a national championship scenario.

He might bring in a Big Ten title or two right away, but there’s no way he wins a national championship in the next two years. He needs time to bring in his own recruits and time for the current players to get used to his new schemes and coaching style.

I think, however, in five or so years, OSU will be the juggernaut of the Big Ten and will be able to compete with SEC powerhouses like Alabama, Florida and Louisiana State University.