THE INdependent student news organization at the university of cincinnati
Vol. CXXVIV Issue 13
wednesday , oct . 21, 2009 survivors Local women who beat breast cancer tell their stories. page 3
omar cummings Former UC soccer player explodes in the MLS page 6
the fashion dungjen “Shoes are the exclamation point at the end of a fashion statement.” page 4
New dept. head pushes Jewish culture carly tamborski the news record
Professor Gila Safran Naveh began her new position as the head of the Department of Judaic Studies and Jewish Foundation Chair Tuesday, Sept. 1, with a mission to be a positive leader in encouraging the growth and success of the Judaic Studies department at the University of Cincinnati. In the past, she has received many awards, including UC’s A.B. Cohen Award for excellence in teaching, the Edith Alexander Award and the George C. Barbour Award. Naveh is also on the board of several Jewish committees, journals and conferences. Naveh said the department is facing many new challenges, but is working on a strategic plan with a manageable set of goals, concrete strategies, methods to attain those goals and a plan of action. Naveh has a Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of California at San Diego. Her areas of expertise include Holocaust studies, Freud and Judaism, gender and Judaism and Jewish women’s humor. She has published several articles, papers and books about these topics and is fluent in several languages. “My objective is to establish here a sense of place and a healthy environment where the faculty and students work across disciplines to develop to their full potential,” Naveh said. “My dream is to make this department a well-endowed, internationally known hub for scholars and students who’ll bring exciting new ideas to the University of Cincinnati and to the entire Jewish community of Cincinnati.” Zane Ruben, a Jewish student, looks forward to a possible improvement because of Raveh’s influence. “I’d like to see a couple more courses on Judaic studies,” said
Ruben, a fourth-year finance major. “It’d be nice if they offered a Jewish course that’s about more current events, like Jewish life after the Holocaust.” Naveh’s personality and enthusiasm is a draw for Taylor Lionberger, a fourth-year bio-psychology student. “I took a class with her during spring quarter,” Lionberger said. “I think she’ll do a good job. She seems like an incredibly intelligent and worldly woman.” McMicken College of Arts and Sciences reported that an increasing numbers of students are showing interest in degrees in Judaic Studies. As a student board member in Hillel and the president of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity, which is a historically Jewish fraternity, Ruben said her improvements could bring increasing awareness to Jewish life at UC. “I believe there are lots of Jewish students on campus, but I also believe there are a lot of Jewish students who don’t consider themselves Jewish,” Ruben said. “We only initiate about 20 to 30 new pledges a year.” Undergraduate enrollment increased from 425 students in the 2007-08 Fall quarter to 639 for the ’09 Winter quarter since Naveh began her role as acting head of the department, reported Maskil, the Judaic Studies publication. Naveh organized the Lichter Lecture Series, which featured notable Jewish faculty members, scholars and writers. She also coordinated a visit last spring from the Consul General of Israel, Daniel Kutner. “I hope to instill in my faculty a renewed sense of pride in being a part of the Judaic Studies department,” Naveh said. “I also hope to strengthen our ties to the scholarly community and to the community at large.” Before Naveh was appointed, UC worked with local organizations that contribute to the sense of Jewish community.
kareem elgazzar | the news record
THE JUDAIC STUDIES program at UC has a new department head. Gila Safran Naveh aims to expand the Jewish presence on campus.
“I grew up in the south where there wasn’t much in the way of Jewish culture,” Lionberger said. “I feel like UC by itself has a very strong Jewish presence considering we have places like Hillel, Chabad and Hebrew Union College right down the street.” Naveh plans to strengthen the department’s collaboration with the Hebrew Union College, Xavier University, Cincinnati State, Miami University and Northern Kentucky University by possibly creating joint programs or hosting joint events. She is also looking to build relationships between the Judaic Studies department and other departments, such as business, history, women’s studies and fine arts.
Say bye bye to Rimai
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coulter loeb | the news record
monica rimai, interim president of the University of Cincinnati, will be joining two other former UC administrators at the State University of New York as senior vice chancellor and chief operating officer.
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he University of Cincinnati is saying farewell to another administrator this year after the State University of New York (SUNY) system Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Monica Rimai as senior vice chancellor and chief operating officer. The SUNY Board of Trustees met Tuesday, Oct. 20, to discuss and make its final decision. In an Oct. 16 e-mail to UC deans, directors and department heads, Rimai said if she was offered the position, she would accept. She is set to begin in her new capacity Sunday, Nov. 1. The appointment could be delayed several days, however, as Rimai is scheduled to have knee surgery Friday, Oct. 30. “While I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the University of Cincinnati, the SUNY position represents a tremendous opportunity for me and for my own professional development,” Rimai said in the e-mail. “I feel strongly that UC would benefit greatly from a fresh perspective at the senior leadership level, and I would like to do my part to help bring about at least some of that change.” At SUNY Rimai will be responsible for navigating the system’s $10 billion annual all-funds budget and infrastructure management and operations. “Monica’s success in public higher education makes her the best choice to lead SUNY’s complex financial, legal, compliance, regulatory, audit and human resources functions and to participate in our strategic planning efforts,” said
Nancy Zimpher, UC’s former president and SUNY chancellor. “I commend the Board of Trustees for appointing Monica to a position where she can help ensure the success of SUNY faculty, students, staff and the communities our campuses serve.” Rimai was appointed as the university’s interim president on March 17, after Zimpher accepted the chancellor position at SUNY in February. In September, Vice Provost of UC International Mitch Leventhal announced he was leaving the university to take on a similar role at SUNY after Zimpher created the position and suggested the board appoint Levanthal to its vacancy. His last day at UC was Sept. 11. Rimai came to UC in 2005 – she and Zimpher served together at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee before coming to Cincinnati. Rimai took over as the interim president in May. Her SUNY appointment requires Rimai live within close proximity to SUNY’s Albany headquarters. Within her SUNY contract, Rimai has a $5,000 housing allowance. Her annual salary will be $325,000 – she will also receive a university vehicle for transportation, according to information provided by SUNY spokesman David Henahan. Rimai’s annual salary was $300,000 at UC.
“The SUNY position represents a tremendous opportunity for me and for my own professional development.” —monica rimai, uc interim president
UC scientists make discoveries assisting in longetivity
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taylor dungjen the news record
alexandra buzek the news record
5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21 TUC Room 417
Confused about what and who is on the ballot? The Political Science Students Association of UC is hosting an event that aims to help sort out some of the issues being voted on. Snacks and refreshments will be provided and Chris Moran of the League of Women Voters is scheduled to speak.
Student Death A University of Cincinnati student died unexpectedly Monday, Oct. 20, according to Cincinnati police. The second-year student was found in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house, where he resided. weather
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An enzyme that might lead to a longer life by accelerating metabolism was recently discovered with help of University of Cincinnati researchers. George Thomas, a professor who specializes in cancer and cell biology helped make the discovery. With the help of Sara Kozma, an associate professor in the same field, Thomas worked with other research facilities and experimented with the S6K1 enzyme. When removed from the body, the enzyme led to a reduction in the chance of obesity by enabling the body to burn calories faster. The reduced risk of obesity and having the body use more energy effectively gave certain laboratory animals a longer life span. The theory states that restriction of caloric intake leads to a longer life span, said Andrea Harmon, Thomas’ assistant researcher. Thomas and his team began experimenting to find answers about the growth process of cells is regulated and how they are related and develop into disease. Their study might also help explain cell growth regulation, and how some cells might develop
into human diseases as well, Thomas said. “A cell has to grow and then differentiates into functions,” Thomas said. “Cells have a size limit and when they reach that limit, they split and then proliferate into daughter cells, often retaining some of the same functions as the mother cells.” Scientists first examined proteins, which have a direct effect on metabolism. Metabolic rates also have a link to aging. To find the components that changed, scientists worked backward, Thomas said. Thomas’ team predicted removing the S6K1 enzyme would have an effect on the growth of an organism. Fruit flies were tested first, as knockout models – models with the enzyme removed from their system – because fruit flies can develop to an alteration within nine days, Thomas said. Results showed flies were half their typical size, which confused the researchers. “If the organism was smaller they must have less cells,” Thomas said. “But then research proved that the same number of cells were present in both sizes, but the smaller organisms simply had smaller cells.” The team then moved on to mice. Knockout mice consumed more
calories, but burned the energy very quickly. The more energy consumed leads to less stored fat. Longevity is increased because the obesity factor is decreased. AMP kinase, a protein, is activated, which slows growth processes, leading to a longer life span. So far, this has only proven successful in female mice, and scientists are still unsure as to why males do not respond the same way, Thomas said. There are also negative or unidentified side effects in the experiments. Female knockout models have a very low birth
rate and female fruit flies were completely sterile. This supports the belief that changing the genes that reduce fertility aids in longevity. Although tweaking the enzyme in animals elongates the life span, the effect on humans is still questionable. The enzyme might increase longevity, but if isolated from a complex system such as the human body, the consequences are still unknown. The enzyme is involved in many other functions of the body and might be unable to function correctly without it.
michael p. Mckeown | the news record
Dr. Sara Kozma and Dr. George Thomas aided in the development of longevity research and found an enzyme that might elongate the average life span.
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