THE INdependent student newspaper at the university of cincinnati
Vol. CXXVV Issue 53
monday , march 1, 2010 the crazies
an ariel view TNR editor crosses over to the dark side ... of sports. page 4
Remake lacks depth compared to the original 1972 movie. page 3
briefs israel peace week
10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 1 to March 5
when
Ohioans pay for UC lawyer Taxpayer dollars appropriated to foot $1.5M bill for outside counsel
Tangeman University Center
where
The University of Cincinnati College Republicans and College Democrats collaborate with Bearcats for Israel during Israel Peace Week, March 1 to March 5. The groups will focus on the issues surrounding the struggle for peace in Israel and the Middle East. Information will be available in Tangeman University Center from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. Josh Burton, a representative from the College Republicans, will participate in a discussion with Bobby Duncan of the College Democrats. The discussion is in response to the Campus Anti-War Network’s failure to provide balanced perspectives, according to the UC College Republicans. mike wilson visits campus when
7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, March 1
where
516 Swift Hall
Interested in learning more about the Tea Party craze? Cincinnati Tea Party founder Mike Wilson will be on the University of Cincinnati’s campus talking with students and guests about the ideals of the organization as well as answering questions regarding his bid for becoming a state representative. If time permits, Wilson will answer questions. The speech is an open invitation. For those wanting to stick around, the event will move to Mac’s on West McMillan Street after the meeting. anything goes when
8 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Thursday, March 6
where
Patricia Corbett Theater
College-Conservatory of music students are putting on the show set on a ship sailing from New York to London. The Tony Award-winning musical is part four of a six-part series with music and lyrics by Cole Porter Tickets range from $26-$28 for general admission and $15-$17 for student tickets. For information, call the CCM office at 513-556-4183. index
hey batter, batter
Bearcat baseball beat the No. 13, Ohio State Buckeyes. page 6
gin a. ando the news record
The dismantling of the Health Alliance group of hospitals and physicians has prompted the University of Cincinnati to hire a Washington-based firm for services. Hogan and Hartson, a global firm with offices in more than 20 countries, was hired to do the work. The agreement has Hogan and Hartson’s services ringing in at $675 per hour. The hiring of outside counsel to represent UC is not a new practice, said Greg Hand, university spokesperson. Ohio’s attorney general Richard Cordray has
authority to appoint private law firms to work on specific cases for the state’s institutions. The total budget for the case — which totals more than $1 million — is what is causing problems. Because the university is not footing the bill by itself, Ohioans will be funding the case through state taxes. In addition to the attorney general’s ability to assign representation, UC’s Office of General Counsel has the authority to appoint attorneys on behalf of the university without approval from UC’s Board of Trustees. “It’s a complicated business matter,” Hand said. “We got a firm that specialized in
Sexual assault report targets school policies
T
amanda woodruff the news record
he Center for Public Integrity released the results of a 12-month investigation of the relationship between sexual assault victims and university authorities. Students who are allegedly responsible for sexually assaulting another student often receive little or no punishment, according to the report. Although schools are required to follow the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, Title IX and the Clery Act, often times those requirements are the only ones in tact. Therefore, school authorities only have to do the minimum. Sexual assault victims are often hesitant to come forward because they are embarrassed or fearful. Other times, victims refuse to report the assault because of little trust or faith in university authorities, according to the report. There is a lack of transparency in the judicial affairs system and the tendency of authorities to “shy away” from such cases because of alcohol, drugs and other factors, according to the report. Furthermore, those who do come forward “can encounter secret disciplinary proceedings, closed mouth school administrations and off-the-record negotiations” or “lead students to drop complaints, or submit to gag orders,” which is illegal, according to the report. In addition to the three federal laws, the University of Cincinnati established the Women’s Center in 1978, a place for students to find support, including peer advocates and references for counseling. Neighboring schools followed suite, including Northern Kentucky University in
protection policies for students at uc
“On campus it’s based on the preponderance of evidence.”
1
—amy howton, asst. director of women’s center
1984 and Xavier University in Fall 2007. Community-based colleges such as Cincinnati State and Sinclair College do not have designated women’s centers. All institutions of higher education are required to have a department for judicial affairs, which is where sexual assault victims claim to find the most trouble and the least transparency, according to the report. “It was obvious that these things were confidential and you weren’t supposed to be disclosing the name of the person you accused,” said Kathryn Russell, a University of Virginia student included in the investigation who says she was raped. “It was an absolute lost cause from the first meeting and interaction I had with anybody on that campus.” Russell took her case to university officials who ruled in favor of the accused student, listing the incident as a “mistake,” according to the report. “In municipal court, it’s based on evidence beyond a reasonable doubt whereas on campus it’s based on the preponderance of evidence,” said Amy Howton, assistant director of UC Women’s Center. The latter test of evidence is more subjective, allowing a jury or authorities to believe the more probable story or more convincing argument of a “he said, she said” debate. UC see report | page 2
2 3
Title IX – the 1972 act is usually referenced in terms of athletes. It requires that all students are free of sexual discrimination, including sexual assaults and harassment. It is illegal for a university to ignore instances of sexual assault.
FERPA – The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act protects the private records of students. It allows students to have access to educational records, to challenge the content of the records and to control the disclosure of the records. It presents a vague interpretation, which officials can utilize to address embarrassing or detrimental situations, including a sexual assault between two students. Clery Act – The act is named after Jeanne Clery, a student who was killed by another student in 1986. It requires that schools disclose information pertaining to criminal acts on or near campus. It includes 1992 provisions titled Student Assault Victims’ Bill of Rights that protect both parties involved. Source: Center for Public Integrity
WORD ON THE STREET What are your thoughts on the process for reporting a sexual crime? “If someone on campus is definitely convicted of that, shouldn’t the university do something? I know someone who was sexually assaulted and the police did not believe her. Why be more victimized by the university?” —john mccain, fourth-year anthropology student
1 News 3 Entertainment 4 College Living 5 Classifieds 6 Sports
health care. There haven’t been any questions [regarding the choice].” “Chambers USA,” a research and recognition publication for legal services, ranked Hogan and Hartson as No. 1 in the Washington D.C. area for health care work. Despite the regularity of requiring legal expertise, the staff and professors of UC’s College of Law have not worked to represent the university, said Louis Bilionis, College of Law dean. Although Hogan and Hartson hired UC College of Law graduates, the connection was not a factor in the decision to hire the firm, Hand said.
“If you report it to the police, then they’ll ask you a series of questions like where you were and the nature of the situation. But it seems like [the university] makes you feel like you’re the criminal.” —Preeti Shastri, second-year biology and journalism student
bananas in pajamas
weather forecast
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anna bentley | the news record
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flamboyant fans cheer Two UC fans sport unique costumes in the stands during the women’s basketball game Saturday, Feb. 27, against Pittsburgh. Despite the fans’ energetic efforts, the Bearcats lost to the Panthers, 72-60.
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