TNR - 10.29.09

THE INdependent student news organization at the university of cincinnati

Vol. CXXVIV Issue 17

thursday , oct . 29, 2009

staff ed The original intentions for Halloween are ghosts of the past. page 3

basketball preview

senses fail Review on the band’s latest show at Bogart’s. page 4

Looking to women’s and men’s seasons and a look at The Big East. page 6

UC students given chance for HIV tests paul kreiner the news record

Stop AIDS, a non-profit organization fighting the infection of HIV and AIDS through education and services, gave free HIV tests to students and faculty Thursday, Oct. 22, at University Health Services West Campus Clinic.

Participants had a swab of oral liquid from their upper and lower gums to be examined for HIV antibodies. Afterward, they were asked a series of questions about their previous sexual experiences to determine risk factors.

“We only use two types of tests,” said David White, Community Investment Coordinator for Stop AIDS. “There is a blood test or an oral test. The blood test gives results within 10 minutes while the oral test takes 20.”

Only the oral test was used at the university because that is what they were provided, White said.

Todd Rademaker, director of education and testing and on-campus test administrator, said Stop AIDS has a variety of financial sources, including the Department of Health.

“We offer these tests for free because we don’t want cost to be a barrier,” Rademaker said. “We want to make tests more accessible and get rid of the stigma that goes with testing so that it becomes more routine.”

There are approximately 4,000 to 6,000 individuals living with HIV inside the Cincinnati region and an estimated 25 percent of people who have HIV aren’t aware they are infected, White said.

Part of the statistics’ uncertainty comes from the two methods with which individuals may be tested.

One method is confidential in that the individual gives his or her name to help narrow statistics but does not give the organization the right to release the name. The second method is anonymous and requires that positive results cannot be counted in case the individual has had more than one test.

Of the people tested, 20 percent were females; 29 percent of HIV infected receive the disease from heterosexual sex. Men who have sex with other men make up onethird of individuals infected.

Another 33 percent could not be determined due to multiple risk factors. Thirteen percent were between the ages of 18 and 30, according to the Stop AIDS Annual Report from 2008.

The date of the next on-campus testing has yet to be determined, but it usually occurs once per quarter, Rademaker said. Stop AIDS also offers free testing at 220 Findlay St. Monday through Thursday by appointment 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., or Friday walk-ins from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 421-AIDS.

kareem elgazzar | the news record

women’s basketball head coach Jamelle Elliott (left) and men’s basketball head coach Mick Cronin talk things over between their two teams’ practices Wednesday, Oct. 28. The men’s team plays its first preseason game Thursday, Nov. 5; the women’s team starts Nov. 9.

Season ticket sales to rebound T

james sprague the news record

he University of Cincinnati athletic department announced two new ticket plans to fill the sales gap created by the loss of season tickets for the upcoming men’s basketball season.

These changes are also meant to address the decline in ticket sales since the 2002-03 season.

The new, tiered pricing format, provides separate ticket price levels for exhibition, non-conference and Big East conference games. The ticket packages, a Weekend Warrior Mini-Plan and a Big East Beast plan, are designed to make attending games at Fifth Third Arena

possible for those who do not want to make the season-long commitment.

“For those who can’t commit they still have an affordable opportunity,” said Brad Wurthman, director of marketing for fan development.

“Before, I think, it was too exorbitant, and now all Cincinnati fans have a chance to get involved.”

Both plans, priced at $100, feature four games against Big East opponents. The weekend plan is for families or groups with young children, as it will feature special halftime entertainment at each game. The Big East Beast plan is an effort to help the team in their push to Madison Square Garden and the Big East tournament. “[The goal] is to put forth some of the better values in college sports,” said Michael Waddell,

senior associate director of athletics. “People have been patient with it. Our core has remained there, and what we do now is to try to zero in on top of that core and build more for the fans, by providing real value, to real fans, in a real way.”

There was an increase from the 2007-08 season to the 08-09 season of 13 percent in paid attendance, while student attendance increased by 4 percent and ticket revenue by 8 percent – an all-time high for UCATS membership, in addition to increased donations, according to statistics provided by Waddell.

While the 2008-09 season showed improvement compared to the 2007-08 season, one area still suffered: season tickets. The number of season tickets sold for last season declined 12 percent from the year before.

It is partly the result of season ticket holders becoming upset about ticket price slashing, see tickets | page 2

photos by sam greene | the news record

FIFTH THIRD ARENA can seat up to 13,176 people in the 20-year-old venue. With the introduction of new ticket packages for the 2009-10 season, sales might increase. weather

Ecstasy might be linked to mental deficits 69° 56 57°°

brief

Darwin Symposium when

where

4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 20 McMicken Room 127

A panel of professors will be discussing Ken Miller’s “Only a Theory?” Thursday’s event marks the beginning of a Darwin-themed event on campus. Events will take place from Thursday, Oct. 20 to Saturday, Oct. 31, and revolves around Darwin and his evolutionary theory. For more information, call Wendy Beckman at 513-556-1826. index

1 News 3 Opinion 4 Entertainment 5 Classifieds 6 Sports

Gin A. Ando the news record

The drug ecstasy’s lesser-known physical harm is being scrutinized

by University of Cincinnati researchers on two fronts with the help of a grant worth more than $400,000.

Krista Medina, an assistant professor of psychology and Judith Strong, a research associate professor of anesthesiology at UC are co-principal investigators in the study. The research revolves around the drug MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy.

“We are looking at ecstasy and the brain,” Medina said.

“We are more interested in the chronic effects.”

The National Institutes of Health is funding the project with a two-year, $471,000 grant.

Medina, who is responsible for the portion of the study regarding the brain and MDMA’s affects, is

building on results she gathered from the last three years.

Results limited to 500 university students in 2007 found 14 percent used the drug sometime in their life while approximately 7 percent did it within the year. Results in 2008 showed the same percentage of the latter.

Ecstasy itself is unique in that it is both a stimulant and a psychotic drug.

Serotonin transporters are also potentially affected by use of MDMA. Serotonin, while functioning normally in the human body, is partly responsible for sleep, depression and, one of the study’s main focuses, memory.

In order to map the effects of ecstasy, Medina and Strong are using brain imaging and examining the DNA of subjects.

Strong’s study will involve genetics and serotonin transporters in the subjects.

“The idea is, there’s one gene

that makes you susceptible to the effects of ecstasy,” Strong said. “It’s the genes that make you more susceptible in a certain environment.

Most psychiatric drugs deal with [serotonin transports.]”

Strong emphasized how, like cancer, it is a question of susceptibility and not so much as a cause.

“With things like hemophilia, if you have the genes, you have the disease,” Strong said. “It’s not genes that produce something like alcoholism – alcohol is involved.”

The study will begin recruiting former ecstasy users within the week. Altogether, the project will include 150 people with 50 people in three categories: those who took ecstasy, former marijuana users and a control group. The purpose of the former marijuana users is to compare any memory loss with those who used MDMA.

“People that have used [ecstasy] have 10 to 20 times the normal memory deficit,” Medina said.

“That’s what’s particularly alarming about it.”

Medina also did studies on effects of alcohol, nicotine and marijuana along with her data collection on MDMA in the past.

MDMA’s usage in the Cincinnati area, however, is not as prevalent as in some places.

“MDMA indicators were reported as mixed in the Midwestern region,” according to the Community Epidemiology Work Group Report published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Indications of MDMA use were low to moderate in St. Louis and Cincinnati, but stable in Detroit.

The members of the control group have already been tested and approximately 30 people of the 50-person groups will have their brains scanned and studied.

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from cats | page 6

Darnell Wilks also return this year, with each of them splitting time at forward and guard.

The returning big men for the Bearcats are sophomore Yancy Gates, senior Steve Toyloy and junior Anthony McClain.

Gates was a 2008-09 Big East all-rookie player and is expected to play a lot of power forward in the 2009-10 campaign.

The Bearcats are looking to end their fouryear NCAA tournament drought, although FROM SWAN | page 4

to look like Odette. Touchet, in addition to performing Odette, delivers a triumphant performance as Odile. She easily flies through 32 fouettés, turns done in succession, one of the most difficult moves a dancer can accomplish.

She adds her own double turns and ends with a mischievous smile.

Successfully tricking Prince Siegfried to declare his love for Odile instead of Odette, von Rothbart and Odile flee the stage laughing.

Siegfried finds Odette, who is consumed with grief because the swan maidens spell cannot be broken since the prince was unfaithful. Once FROM TICKETS | page 1

“Whenever you start to cut the equity, when you have a season ticket holder that’s invested, or even a MiniPlan holder that’s invested; and they’re buying something at full price, and you come through and slash something by 20, 30, even 50 percent, its value really alienates that patron and you’re not really building for the future,” Waddell said.

Other reasons for the decline range from the current economic situation to the men’s team not having recent success on the court.

FROM MISFITS | page 4

all without losing a beat. Then came a tribute to legendary hardcore act Black Flag, Cadena’s former band, as they covered the song “Rise Above.” Closing out the show with “We are 138” and “Die, Die My Darling,” the audience erupted, with surfers thudding onto the stage and into the monitors.

With the carnage completed, Only stuck around afterward for 45 minutes; signing autographs, for the fans that survived, on items ranging from T-shirts to crumpled album sleeves. While doing

Cronin cautions people to not get too excited just yet.

“We play in the Big East, everyone has good players in our league,” Cronin said. “The thing that is going to decide whether we win or lose will be our execution, togetherness and our toughness.”

The Bearcats start the season at home against Prairie View A&M. Tip off is set for 7:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 16.

Odette and Siegfried are reunited, Odette forgives him when von Rothbart bursts onto the stage. A fight ensues and Odette and Prince Siegfried throw themselves off of a cliff into turbulent waters so they can be together in death, finally breaking the spell.

“Swan Lake” requires 24 Corps de Ballet members, which Cincinnati Ballet does not have.

In order to perform this ballet, Cincinnati worked with BalletMet Columbus.

The next performance by Cincinnati Ballet will be the Nutcracker showing from Dec. 17 through Dec. 27. Tickets are $30 each.

“We’ve tried, since we got here in 2006, to build up equity and build up value for the fan,” Waddell said. “Now, obviously, winning helps.”

An additional issue from previous years is the marketing of the basketball program.

“I think, for years and years, when we were doing ticket marketing here, we were more interested in the transaction instead of building the fan and fan development,” Waddell said. “We have a great product in basketball this year.” this, Only was asked when a full-length album of new material could be anticipated.

“We’re recording right now, and we’ll have a new album in the next five to six months.”

He was also asked if The Misfits, aficionados of the grave, would play until they were in theirs. To this he responded with a chuckle, a smile, and said, “No, because I don’t plan on dying.” That doesn’t seem to be much of a stretch for this band, to become part of the undead they often sing about.

from SENSES | page 4

show. Senses Fail performed admirably, as they always do.

But perhaps a stronger set list would have really knocked the performance home. But when

you play to a venue that isn’t close to selling out, sometimes all the energy in the world is for naught.

from ELLIOT | page 2

who led UC in scoring last season with 16.3 points per game and will be looked to as a leader this season by her coach.

“She’s definitely on me with that,” Roudebush said.

“Especially when I don’t talk during practice, she’ll remind me.”

UC opens the regular season at home against Furman at 7 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 15, and plays a tough out-of-conference schedule before beginning Big East play against Louisville Saturday, Jan. 2.

UC also travels to Elliott’s former school when they play UConn, Thursday, Jan. 7.

“I was in Connecticut for 16 years so for me that’s like a second home,” Elliott said.

“It’s going to be emotional, it’s going to be hard for me but at the same time, my team’s going to be looking at me to be a leader.”

THERE’S A SPOT FOR YOU

send your resume and writing samples to newsrecordnews@gmail. com

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WRITER’S

BLOC

JEREMY DAVIS

Audit request on Fed must be answered

People are getting fed up with the Federal Reserve.

“End the fed!” some say as the economy remains on shaky grounds, with a potential depression looming not far ahead. People are looking for answers.

Some of those answers may be found in the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009 (HR 1207), which, if passed, would shed light on what the Fed is doing with our tax dollars through a full scale audit.

The Fed, the unelected central bank of the United States, has not been truly accountable to Congress since it was created in 1913.

Protection of the value of our dollar was the principle rationale for its inception, which has lost more that 95 percent of its purchasing power since the Fed came into existence.

The actions of the Fed, when combined with the Department of Treasury and Congress, has thrust the national debt to more than $11 trillion and added on nearly $13 trillion thanks to recent bailouts and loans. One would think that a private bank such as the Fed – having the power to manipulate our money and potentially endanger the free market – would be subject to higher scrutiny

by Congress and have more transparency.

Despite all this, the Fed still refuses to tell members of Congress and the American people which financial institutions have been given large amounts of funds.

Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida recently asked Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, about which foreign banks were the recipients of Federal Reserve credit swaps of more than half a trillion dollars, which Bernanke answered with a telling, “I don’t know.”

“Half a trillion dollars and you don’t know who got the money?”

Grayson responded.

It’s no wonder a majority of Americans are supporting the need for more transparency.

A recent poll conducted in July by Rasmussen Reports found 75 percent of Americans actually favor auditing the Federal Reserve and making the results available to the public. Only 9 percent of adults think it’s a bad idea to audit the Fed and oppose it, while 15 percent said they weren’t sure.

HR 1207, introduced by Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, has gained support from both republicans and democrats, with 307 co-sponsors since it was first introduced earlier this year, making this issue a bipartisan one. And how could it not be? Government waste of money agitates everyone.

Critics blame the current economic crisis on the Fed’s money manipulation through centrally planned interest rates and its nonstop printing of money, resulting in massive inflation; this will lead to the eventual destruction of the dollar, more bailouts and a rise in unemployment.

But Fed defenders say the Fed is already audited by Congress’ Government Accountability Office and other outside agencies. They are correct, but these audits are not detailed enough. They leave out a review of the Fed’s dealings with foreign central banks and governments, as well as the monetary policy decisions and agreements forged between them.

The Fed currently enjoys certain immunity from any effective oversight by the GAO simply because the GAO is limited in what they can actually audit when it comes to the most important issues: The ones that address the health of our nations’ financial system and directly affect the strength of the U.S. dollar.

HR 1207 would amend certain sections of the current laws to remove the restrictions on how the GAO can audit the Federal Reserve, allowing nearly unfiltered congressional oversight into the secretive nature of the Fed’s actions.

“What we do want, what we insist upon, is that no longer will decisions that carry so much economic weight be made in absolute secrecy,” wrote Rep. Ron Paul in his weekly column, Texas Straight Talk, on his Congressional Web site. “We want to know what arrangements the Fed makes with other governments and central banks. We want to know who is benefiting from the actions of the Fed and what deals are being made.”

“We need to know who the Fed deals with, what they buy, how much they spend, and who benefits,” Paul said. “As good as any step towards Federal Reserve transparency is, anything less than full disclosure at this point is unacceptable.”

Congress must answer the call and fulfill its responsibility to its constituents and its constitutional authority over monetary policy.

Should Congress keep a closer eye on the Fed or should it take a hands-off approach? Let Jeremy know at daj8@mail.uc.edu.

opinion discussion board for all walks of life

Apartheid active in Middle East Nancy paraskevopoulos

This summer was the first time I’d been to the Mediterranean Sea in 10 years. The last time was when I was in Greece at the turn of the millennium.

My sisters, cousin and I were taking a walk around town, and a gypsy girl kept following us around; she was aimless and bored with nothing better to do.

When we got to the sea, the gypsy girl ran in with all her clothes on, screaming into the froth.

I had never seen anything like it. The image has stayed with me ever since.

This summer on my trip to the Middle East, I ran screaming into the sea with all of my clothes on and felt a sort of freedom I had never expected to find. I found a sort of liberation I never knew I was looking for. I swam out far in my skirts, body-boarding back to shore, grateful for the salt in my sinuses; I was jubilant beyond measure.

And then I remembered Suheir.

Suheir was born in, and currently lives at, the Deheishe refugee camp in Bethlehem. The poverty in this place was like a combination of old European cities and West Philadelphia: Every

street was a narrow alleyway full of wrecked homes and rubble.

It was set up by United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and is currently at three times capacity.

Not yet 100 years old, the camp was full of ruins.

Bullet holes pepper walls allowing passers-by to peek into people’s homes. She reminded me of my Thea Voula after a funeral, vivacious and spicy, tinged with an interminable sadness right behind her eyes.

Suheir has lived here her entire life, about an hour from this beach, and is forbidden to go. She is literally a refugee in her own country.

Apartheid is very real. Apartheid exists when some people have separate roads based on their ethnic and/or religious identity. Apartheid is real when some people are waved through checkpoints and others have to wait hours in the sun, caged in and with guns in their faces. Apartheid is real when nationalized healthcare doesn’t apply to some people. Apartheid is real, and its long and bony fingers interlock here with colonialism and repression of democracy.

It is illegal to approach someone about not

joining the military in the “only democracy in the Middle East.”

With that, I’d like to share a poem by Laurie Siegal, a delegate with the Interfaith Peace Builders.

“I Am A Refugee in My Own Country” as told by Suheir - Deheisheh Refugee Camp Why have us suffer?

All the time we are under oppression The Soldiers come They explode the house When we stop suffering When?

When can I take the children to the beach?

We are human I don’t know what we do We want real peace We need your help We are not alone We need your heart We will be free one time Nancy Paraskevopolous is a member of the Campus Anti-War Network and the Racial Awareness Program.

you can run but you can’t hide.

“Glee” dominates ratings, viewers peter springsteen | the news record

Stephanie Kitchens the news record

This fall, “Glee,” a musical dramedy, became a cult phenomenon after the first episode – approximately 7.3 million viewers tuned in, according to Nielson ratings – and its popularity is still gaining momentum.

Unfortunately, new episodes will not be aired until November, although that does allow for time to catch up on missed episodes or to start watching the show.

Getting your “Glee” fix this week will not be difficult; “Glee” is mentioned on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, iTunes and episodes are also available online. Fox has been using a unique and very assertive marketing campaign for the show and it seems to be paying off.

Constantly being bombarded with new leaks, information and teasers make sure that viewers always have “Glee” on their radar. As long as the show maintains its appeal, this marketing strategy will compliment the show. But if the show starts to slip, it could backfire: People will become bored and

annoyed by constantly being bothered. Sometimes too much hype can have negative consequences.

There is a Biggest GLEEk (a gleek is a term for anyone who is a Glee geek) competition: The person who has the most Tweets, Facebook statuses and invitations to their friends to join the competition will be the winner. The biggest Gleek will have the opportunity to meet the cast or win “Glee” merchandise. This brilliant marketing idea uses its fans to promote their product for them, while compensating the ones who do the best job. Not a bad deal, eh?

Meanwhile, there is some talk about the social commentary in “Glee.” There have been complaints that it is too stereotypical. The cast is a very diverse group, but does it perpetuate stereotypes? The answer is both yes and no.

There is the powerful, outspoken black girl who has strong Aretha-esque pipes. There is the skinny loser kid in a wheelchair who has no friends. There is the token Asian chick and flamboyant gay guy who loves fashion and keeping his hair perfectly primped. Of course, there is the overzealous, fame-hungry, goody two-shoes and bitchy, yet gorgeous, cheerleader; and

let’s not forget the cute quarterback, whose friends are the jocks.

The teachers include an attractive Spanish instructor who looks out for the kids and encourages them to sing. In contrast, there is a butch cheerleading coach who is out to sabotage the Glee club.

OK, so this is no doubt a stereotypical cast.

But “Glee” puts the popular kids and the losers in one room to set aside their differences so they can win the show choir sectionals. In the meantime, they become friends and entangle themselves in love triangles; the audience really gets to know the characters beyond their stereotypical façade.

The show also deals with some important and serious topics such as coming out of the closet, bulimia, comprehensive sex education and teen pregnancy. It’s very dramatic with a comedic flair accented by magnificent musical numbers. Overall, “Glee” has found the perfect recipe for success.

Stephanie Kitchens is a second-year journalism student at the University of Cincinnati.

Halloween follows in other holidays’ footsteps Every year it’s the same thing at the University of Cincinnati when Oct. 31 rolls around: loud music, pumpkins with obscene images carved in them, women running down Calhoun Street in weather inappropriate costumes.

There aren’t any trick-or-treaters; one would be hard pressed to find a celebration that doesn’t involve alcohol.

What ever happened to All Hallows Eve? The Celts, who inhabited presentday Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated the new year at the end of the harvest and beginning of winter, approximately Nov. 1. Winter is associated with death, and the Celts believed the season change blurred the lines between the dead and the living.

On the eve on the new year, Oct. 31, the Celts celebrated Samhain, building large bonfires to burn crops and sacrifice animals to ward off evil spirits and please the culture’s gods.

They attempted to tell each other’s fortunes during the ceremony and wore costumes of animal heads and skins.

The Romans – the group that later led to the rise of Catholicism – conquered the area in A.D. 43, ruling for

400 years. Two Roman pagan holidays were combined with the Celts Samhain: Feralia, the Roman commemoration of the dead, and Pomona, a day to honor the goddess of trees and fruit.

Christianity spread to formerly Celtic lands, bringing with it All Saints Day, a day to honor saints and martyrs, as decreed by Pope Boniface IV. It was no accident the Pope picked Nov. 1 for this holiday: Historians agree that he was attempting to replace the older, pagan traditions of celebrating the dead with a Catholic equivalent.

In Medieval England, All Saints Day was Alholowmessee, morphing into All-hallows or All-hallowmas.

The night before All-hallowmas, the night of the old Celtic holiday became known as All-hallows Eve, or modern-day Halloween.

Later, Nov. 2 became a holiday honoring the dead called All Souls Day, similar to Samhain: Celebrants would have bonfires and dress in costumes; however, this time the costumes

Staff Editorial

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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.

focused on Christian iconography, such as devils, angels, saints, martyrs and other characters.

So those children who weren’t allowed to trick-or-treat because Halloween is the devil’s holiday, the joke’s on you. Your parents should have done their research.

But let’s jump ahead to college-age students. Plastic pumpkins full of candy are replaced with cases of beer. Little girls dressed up as cats or angels are replaced by barely legal and scantily clad women donning costumes like the sexy cat or a Victoria’s Secret angel.

It seems what once a celebration of pagan rituals turned Christian holiday has strayed far from its original intentions. The focus on death, spirits and costumes is still there, but all of the ritual and original meaning is gone; however, that can be said of almost any holiday.

Take Thanksgiving for example. In grade school, students are fed the myth of happy Indians and grateful Pilgrims rejoicing in a bountiful harvest.

Actually, food was rarely plentiful for America’s early settlers and the European transplants did more harm than good for the Indians.

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And the mother of all holidays is a joke. Christian or not, almost everyone celebrates Christmas. No, not the birth of Jesus, but the commercial holiday it has become: you know, the presents, twinkly lights, sleigh bells and all of that.

In the spring we have Easter and that infamous rabbit. What does our long-eared friend have to with the resurrection the messiah of one the world’s largest religions? And what is the bunny doing hiding eggs?

What about America’s birthday?

Fireworks weren’t in mass production in 1776, yet no Fourth of July celebration is complete without at least some cheap firecrackers or sparklers.

And what about St. Valentine? His holiday has turned into a commercial free for all of chocolates and roses.

President’s Day? Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday? Veteran’s Day? All excuses to take a day off of school.

Holidays aren’t about what they commemorate any more, they’re just an excuse to party. So throw on your costume – be it a bad version of Lady GaGa or your sheet that doubles as a toga – and get out there and celebrate. Happy Halloween.

enTertainment editor sean peters

CLASSIFIEDS Manager KELLY TUCKER

OPINIOn Editor JAMIE ROYCE

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opinion Apartheid active in Middle East

We e k e n d E d i t i o n Oct. 29, 2009

www.newsrecord.org

WRITER’S

BLOC

JEREMY DAVIS

Audit request on Fed must be answered

People are getting fed up with the Federal Reserve.

“End the fed!” some say as the economy remains on shaky grounds, with a potential depression looming not far ahead. People are looking for answers.

Some of those answers may be found in the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009 (HR 1207), which, if passed, would shed light on what the Fed is doing with our tax dollars through a full scale audit.

The Fed, the unelected central bank of the United States, has not been truly accountable to Congress since it was created in 1913.

Protection of the value of our dollar was the principle rationale for its inception, which has lost more that 95 percent of its purchasing power since the Fed came into existence.

The actions of the Fed, when combined with the Department of Treasury and Congress, has thrust the national debt to more than $11 trillion and added on nearly $13 trillion thanks to recent bailouts and loans. One would think that a private bank such as the Fed – having the power to manipulate our money and potentially endanger the free market – would be subject to higher scrutiny

by Congress and have more transparency.

Despite all this, the Fed still refuses to tell members of Congress and the American people which financial institutions have been given large amounts of funds.

Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida recently asked Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, about which foreign banks were the recipients of Federal Reserve credit swaps of more than half a trillion dollars, which Bernanke answered with a telling, “I don’t know.”

“Half a trillion dollars and you don’t know who got the money?”

Grayson responded.

It’s no wonder a majority of Americans are supporting the need for more transparency.

A recent poll conducted in July by Rasmussen Reports found 75 percent of Americans actually favor auditing the Federal Reserve and making the results available to the public. Only 9 percent of adults think it’s a bad idea to audit the Fed and oppose it, while 15 percent said they weren’t sure.

HR 1207, introduced by Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, has gained support from both republicans and democrats, with 307 co-sponsors since it was first introduced earlier this year, making this issue a bipartisan one. And how could it not be? Government waste of money agitates everyone.

Critics blame the current economic crisis on the Fed’s money manipulation through centrally planned interest rates and its nonstop printing of money, resulting in massive inflation; this will lead to the eventual destruction of the dollar, more bailouts and a rise in unemployment.

But Fed defenders say the Fed is already audited by Congress’ Government Accountability Office and other outside agencies. They are correct, but these audits are not detailed enough. They leave out a review of the Fed’s dealings with foreign central banks and governments, as well as the monetary policy decisions and agreements forged between them.

The Fed currently enjoys certain immunity from any effective oversight by the GAO simply because the GAO is limited in what they can actually audit when it comes to the most important issues: The ones that address the health of our nations’ financial system and directly affect the strength of the U.S. dollar.

HR 1207 would amend certain sections of the current laws to remove the restrictions on how the GAO can audit the Federal Reserve, allowing nearly unfiltered congressional oversight into the secretive nature of the Fed’s actions.

“What we do want, what we insist upon, is that no longer will decisions that carry so much economic weight be made in absolute secrecy,” wrote Rep. Ron Paul in his weekly column, Texas Straight Talk, on his Congressional Web site. “We want to know what arrangements the Fed makes with other governments and central banks. We want to know who is benefiting from the actions of the Fed and what deals are being made.”

“We need to know who the Fed deals with, what they buy, how much they spend, and who benefits,” Paul said. “As good as any step towards Federal Reserve transparency is, anything less than full disclosure at this point is unacceptable.”

Congress must answer the call and fulfill its responsibility to its constituents and its constitutional authority over monetary policy.

Should Congress keep a closer eye on the Fed or should it take a hands-off approach? Let Jeremy know at daj8@mail.uc.edu.

discussion board for all walks of life

Nancy paraskevopoulos

This summer was the first time I’d been to the Mediterranean Sea in 10 years. The last time was when I was in Greece at the turn of the millennium.

My sisters, cousin and I were taking a walk around town, and a gypsy girl kept following us around; she was aimless and bored with nothing better to do.

When we got to the sea, the gypsy girl ran in with all her clothes on, screaming into the froth.

I had never seen anything like it. The image has stayed with me ever since.

This summer on my trip to the Middle East, I ran screaming into the sea with all of my clothes on and felt a sort of freedom I had never expected to find. I found a sort of liberation I never knew I was looking for. I swam out far in my skirts, body-boarding back to shore, grateful for the salt in my sinuses; I was jubilant beyond measure.

And then I remembered Suheir.

Suheir was born in, and currently lives at, the Deheishe refugee camp in Bethlehem. The poverty in this place was like a combination of old European cities and West Philadelphia: Every

street was a narrow alleyway full of wrecked homes and rubble.

It was set up by United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and is currently at three times capacity.

Not yet 100 years old, the camp was full of ruins.

Bullet holes pepper walls allowing passers-by to peek into people’s homes. She reminded me of my Thea Voula after a funeral, vivacious and spicy, tinged with an interminable sadness right behind her eyes.

Suheir has lived here her entire life, about an hour from this beach, and is forbidden to go. She is literally a refugee in her own country.

Apartheid is very real. Apartheid exists when some people have separate roads based on their ethnic and/or religious identity. Apartheid is real when some people are waved through checkpoints and others have to wait hours in the sun, caged in and with guns in their faces. Apartheid is real when nationalized healthcare doesn’t apply to some people. Apartheid is real, and its long and bony fingers interlock here with colonialism and repression of democracy.

It is illegal to approach someone about not

joining the military in the “only democracy in the Middle East.”

With that, I’d like to share a poem by Laurie Siegal, a delegate with the Interfaith Peace Builders.

“I Am A Refugee in My Own Country” as told by Suheir - Deheisheh Refugee Camp Why have us suffer?

All the time we are under oppression The Soldiers come They explode the house When we stop suffering When?

When can I take the children to the beach?

We are human I don’t know what we do We want real peace We need your help We are not alone We need your heart We will be free one time Nancy Paraskevopolous is a member of the Campus Anti-War Network and the Racial Awareness Program.

you can run but you can’t hide.

“Glee” dominates ratings, viewers peter springsteen | the news record

Stephanie Kitchens the news record

This fall, “Glee,” a musical dramedy, became a cult phenomenon after the first episode – approximately 7.3 million viewers tuned in, according to Nielson ratings – and its popularity is still gaining momentum.

Unfortunately, new episodes will not be aired until November, although that does allow for time to catch up on missed episodes or to start watching the show.

Getting your “Glee” fix this week will not be difficult; “Glee” is mentioned on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, iTunes and episodes are also available online. Fox has been using a unique and very assertive marketing campaign for the show and it seems to be paying off.

Constantly being bombarded with new leaks, information and teasers make sure that viewers always have “Glee” on their radar. As long as the show maintains its appeal, this marketing strategy will compliment the show. But if the show starts to slip, it could backfire: People will become bored and

annoyed by constantly being bothered. Sometimes too much hype can have negative consequences.

There is a Biggest GLEEk (a gleek is a term for anyone who is a Glee geek) competition: The person who has the most Tweets, Facebook statuses and invitations to their friends to join the competition will be the winner. The biggest Gleek will have the opportunity to meet the cast or win “Glee” merchandise. This brilliant marketing idea uses its fans to promote their product for them, while compensating the ones who do the best job. Not a bad deal, eh?

Meanwhile, there is some talk about the social commentary in “Glee.” There have been complaints that it is too stereotypical. The cast is a very diverse group, but does it perpetuate stereotypes? The answer is both yes and no.

There is the powerful, outspoken black girl who has strong Aretha-esque pipes. There is the skinny loser kid in a wheelchair who has no friends. There is the token Asian chick and flamboyant gay guy who loves fashion and keeping his hair perfectly primped. Of course, there is the overzealous, fame-hungry, goody two-shoes and bitchy, yet gorgeous, cheerleader; and

let’s not forget the cute quarterback, whose friends are the jocks.

The teachers include an attractive Spanish instructor who looks out for the kids and encourages them to sing. In contrast, there is a butch cheerleading coach who is out to sabotage the Glee club.

OK, so this is no doubt a stereotypical cast.

But “Glee” puts the popular kids and the losers in one room to set aside their differences so they can win the show choir sectionals. In the meantime, they become friends and entangle themselves in love triangles; the audience really gets to know the characters beyond their stereotypical façade.

The show also deals with some important and serious topics such as coming out of the closet, bulimia, comprehensive sex education and teen pregnancy. It’s very dramatic with a comedic flair accented by magnificent musical numbers. Overall, “Glee” has found the perfect recipe for success.

Stephanie Kitchens is a second-year journalism student at the University of Cincinnati.

Halloween follows in other holidays’ footsteps Every year it’s the same thing at the University of Cincinnati when Oct. 31 rolls around: loud music, pumpkins with obscene images carved in them, women running down Calhoun Street in weather inappropriate costumes.

There aren’t any trick-or-treaters; one would be hard pressed to find a celebration that doesn’t involve alcohol.

What ever happened to All Hallows Eve? The Celts, who inhabited presentday Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated the new year at the end of the harvest and beginning of winter, approximately Nov. 1. Winter is associated with death, and the Celts believed the season change blurred the lines between the dead and the living.

On the eve on the new year, Oct. 31, the Celts celebrated Samhain, building large bonfires to burn crops and sacrifice animals to ward off evil spirits and please the culture’s gods.

They attempted to tell each other’s fortunes during the ceremony and wore costumes of animal heads and skins.

The Romans – the group that later led to the rise of Catholicism – conquered the area in A.D. 43, ruling for

400 years. Two Roman pagan holidays were combined with the Celts Samhain: Feralia, the Roman commemoration of the dead, and Pomona, a day to honor the goddess of trees and fruit.

Christianity spread to formerly Celtic lands, bringing with it All Saints Day, a day to honor saints and martyrs, as decreed by Pope Boniface IV. It was no accident the Pope picked Nov. 1 for this holiday: Historians agree that he was attempting to replace the older, pagan traditions of celebrating the dead with a Catholic equivalent.

In Medieval England, All Saints Day was Alholowmessee, morphing into All-hallows or All-hallowmas.

The night before All-hallowmas, the night of the old Celtic holiday became known as All-hallows Eve, or modern-day Halloween.

Later, Nov. 2 became a holiday honoring the dead called All Souls Day, similar to Samhain: Celebrants would have bonfires and dress in costumes; however, this time the costumes

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focused on Christian iconography, such as devils, angels, saints, martyrs and other characters.

So those children who weren’t allowed to trick-or-treat because Halloween is the devil’s holiday, the joke’s on you. Your parents should have done their research.

But let’s jump ahead to college-age students. Plastic pumpkins full of candy are replaced with cases of beer. Little girls dressed up as cats or angels are replaced by barely legal and scantily clad women donning costumes like the sexy cat or a Victoria’s Secret angel.

It seems what once a celebration of pagan rituals turned Christian holiday has strayed far from its original intentions. The focus on death, spirits and costumes is still there, but all of the ritual and original meaning is gone; however, that can be said of almost any holiday.

Take Thanksgiving for example. In grade school, students are fed the myth of happy Indians and grateful Pilgrims rejoicing in a bountiful harvest.

Actually, food was rarely plentiful for America’s early settlers and the European transplants did more harm than good for the Indians.

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And the mother of all holidays is a joke. Christian or not, almost everyone celebrates Christmas. No, not the birth of Jesus, but the commercial holiday it has become: you know, the presents, twinkly lights, sleigh bells and all of that.

In the spring we have Easter and that infamous rabbit. What does our long-eared friend have to with the resurrection the messiah of one the world’s largest religions? And what is the bunny doing hiding eggs?

What about America’s birthday?

Fireworks weren’t in mass production in 1776, yet no Fourth of July celebration is complete without at least some cheap firecrackers or sparklers.

And what about St. Valentine? His holiday has turned into a commercial free for all of chocolates and roses.

President’s Day? Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday? Veteran’s Day? All excuses to take a day off of school.

Holidays aren’t about what they commemorate any more, they’re just an excuse to party. So throw on your costume – be it a bad version of Lady GaGa or your sheet that doubles as a toga – and get out there and celebrate. Happy Halloween.

enTertainment editor sean peters

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HOT TOPICS

nick grever

Classic films overlooked by students

On one of the rare occasions that I logged in to Facebook and perused its contents… OK, who am I kidding? The other day, I logged in for, like, the fifth time and saw an interesting list. It seems that College Living and Spotlight Editor Ariel Cheung neglected to see a large number of movies and has created a list to help her catch up.

Last I checked, the list spans 83 films and has quite a few big names. So far, only “Pulp Fiction” is checked off. Still standing are such movies as: “The Matrix,” “Clerks” (1 and 2 and “The Boondock Saints.”

In other words, her list would shock many people at some point or another. Of course, I doubt many people saw all of the movies she listed, but I could all but guarantee that everyone has seen at least a few. The movies on her list are the classics – the movies you have to see. Or, I don’t know, you’re labeled as a dork I guess.

But Ariel’s list got me thinking. I consider myself sort of a movie buff, at least in my favorite genres. But I went through her list and saw movies that I hadn’t seen either. With that in mind, here is my list of movies people have to see, followed by the list of movies that’ll drop some jaws. Because, and this is something we can all agree on, we all freaking love lists!

The first movie everyone has to see is “The Matrix.” You can skip the sequels if you want, but if you want to see the origin of most action movies, this is it. I remember when I first saw this film. I instantly fell in love with the stunning effects, cyberpunk feel and general badassery of the characters. And while it may be trite now, but back then, “bullet time” blew everyone’s minds.

Next would have to be “The Departed.” Scorsese’s epic battle between two cops is so damn suspenseful; you actually sympathize with DiCaprio when he starts popping some pills. The writing is great, the ending is fantastic and it has Jack Nicholson being his usual, crazy, self. Front to back, an entertaining film.

Finally, everyone has to see “Watchmen.” I don’t care if you’re a comic nerd or not. If you allow yourself to really enter the world and work to pick up some of the smaller themes, it will definitely pay off. I know many people who read the comic after seeing the movie; that’s an accomplishment for any movie these days.

And now for the movies I haven’t seen. Be prepared, I don’t want anyone’s spit all over the paper.

The first is “The Godfather.”

To my credit, the kid who lived above me decided to start screaming when I tried to watch, and didn’t stop until I turned off the disk, but whatever. I haven’t gone back and tried again.

For shame…

The second would have to be “American Beauty.” I think I’ve been told the plot and every twist in the movie, but I should still see it. Every time I hear of the film, I am told of its snappy writing and impeccable style. Sounds right up my alley.

And finally, “A Clockwork Orange.” I’m a big fan of messed up movies and this one generally tops that list. I think this may be a movie to watch during the day, with some lights on. It’ll be one hell of a ride.

So readers, do your friends a favor. If they haven’t seen a movie that’s in your library, lend them a copy. I’ll be constructing a care package for Miss Cheung myself. Or even better, have a movie night. Share these great films together.

Because no one should have to live their life without knowing what “I love lamp” is referencing.

entertainment covering campus and beyond

Green hell comes to Newport james sprague the news record

Green Hell came to Newport Oct. 27, as the legendary horror-punk band The Misfits performed at the Southgate House as part of their 2009 fall tour.

The show opened with local bands Banderas and The Frankl Project. The Frankl Project, a trio described as “punk with flavor,” certainly matched that tag. Constant tempo changes, mixed in with a potpourri of styles ranging from melodic punk to jazz, kept the crowd of local punks and suicide girls satiated enough.

Banderas followed, a group that won a Cincinnati Entertainment Award in 2007 for being the best local Hard Rock band. The music, which has been termed “dune boogie” by the band, definitely livened the crowd. It was difficult for the audience not to be involved with front man Jeremy

Constantinople, who was channeling Iggy Pop and slinking around the stage; while keyboardist T.R. McHenry, dressed as what appeared to be a usedcar salesman, imitated Kevin Bacon in “Footloose,” gyrating with a tambourine.

At the end of the Banderas set, the floor at Southgate House was full of fiends. Halloween had come early for these folks, as witnessed by the appearance of several dressed as ghouls, goblins and other things that go bump in the night. One soul even came as a full-blown Crimson Ghost, lurking at the fringe of the audience like a specter.

The theme song to the horror flick “Halloween” signaled the arrival of the headliners, as bassist Jerry Only, guitarist Dez Cadena and drummer Robo attired, as always, in spiked leather and face paint; they appeared on stage through an eerie green mist. The Misfits are not known for wasting time on stage and they certainly didn’t as they

started immediately with their song “Halloween.”

That turned what was once a seemingly peaceful audience into a teeming mass of writhing bodies, and it never let up; neither did the pace of the set, as the Misfits seemed determined to set a land-speed record in playing it.

Only and his crew also included some selections from the Michael Graves-era Misfits, such as “Saturday Night,” “Forbidden Zone” and “American Psycho.” At this point he told the crowd “We’ve written a new song, and you’re the first ones to hear it live.” The song, “Land of the Dead” debuted. It was inspired by a George Romeroís cult film series; to no surprise, it didn’t vary from the style. At this time moshing gave way to crowd surfing, with various bodies flung onto the stage while Only and Cadena side-stepped them, all without losing a see MISFITS | page 2

SENSES FAIL Joins less than marginal concert line-up at Bogart’s nick grever the news record

Some bands are simply better suited for a smaller stage. Sometimes, a more intimate venue allows a band to truly fill the room. They can interact with their fans and get right in their face. It can lead to a more visceral concert experience.

Senses Fail is not one of those bands.

Playing at Bogart’s Wednesday, Oct. 28, Senses Fail was able to adequately fill the space with their blend of hardcore and screamo. Too bad their supporting acts did little to pump up the crowd for the finale.

Due to confusion of the show’s starting time, I missed Fact, the opening act. But judging by the reaction to the band’s name when Senses Fail’s leader singer Bud Nielsen gave them a shout out, I didn’t miss much.

Next up was the Australian act Closure in Moscow. This is an act well suited for a smaller club. If they had more time to craft their sound, they might have had a chance at impressing some new fans.

But sadly, they were in Bogart’s and their sophomoric take on The Mars Volta style sound was lost. Their attempts at progressive guitar work and high flying vocals sounded more like a group of high schoolers practicing in their basements. They meant well, and the core structure is set, but the X factor isn’t. With a little more time to hone their sound and make it their own, they may have a shot at success. But that time hasn’t yet come.

Next up were the scenecore staples, A Skylit Drive. The crowd’s

reaction showed the band was well received. Their blend of heavy keyboard mixing, breakdowns thrown in at every opportunity and a singer who can pierce eardrums with his falsettos was a big hit with the children. Their skinny jeans and V-neck shirts probably helped, too.

While the instrumentation was passable, vocalist Jag Jagmin’s singing is what killed the mood. Anything resembling head banging or dancing pretty much stopped when Jagmin began to sing. A friend of mine perhaps said it best, saying, “I didn’t know animals were allowed in here. Who let a chipmunk sing?”

While the fans of ASLD surely enjoyed the act, the rest of the crowd took the time to check their MySpace on their Sidekicks.

Luckily, Senses Fail was able to put on a show worthy of the venue, even if Bogart’s was only at approximately one-third capacity. When comparing material from their new album, “Life is Not a Waiting Room” to their previous works, maturity is a big factor in the evolution.

The guitars are crunchier, the bass and drums meaner and Nielsen’s vocals more vicious. Throughout the set, it was easy to differentiate between their new and old music.

Always a little neurotic, Nielsen’s on stage banter was a bit offputting. He remembered and apologized for ranting at the Cincinnati show of the Vans Warped Tour the previous summer.

As the show progressed, Senses Fail blasted through many of their greatest hits. This might not have been in Senses Fail’s best interest.

While it surely made many longtime fans happy, a more powerful mix of old and new cuts would have kept the energy level higher.

Overall, openers that failed to engage the whole audience flawed the see SENSES | page 2

Courtesy of senses fail

THE BLEND OF hardcore and screamo music from Senses Fail was not enough to draw a decent crowd to Wednesday, Oct. 28 show.

Film does not register on EMF meg groves the news record

It seems like every time a film produced with low quality camera work makes it to theaters, public relations buzz jumps up to extol the film’s ingenuity and creativity. It happened with “The Blair Witch Project,” more deservedly with “Cloverfield” and most recently with this month’s release of “Paranormal Activity.” Sadly, watching “Paranormal Activity” is about as exciting as sitting through a live action feed of C-SPAN. The movie opens with couple Katie and Micah (pronounced Mee-kah) and Micah’s new camera, which he plans to use to discover the strange occurrences and sounds they have been hearing inside the house. As it turns out, Katie has been haunted since the age of 8, even surviving a house fire 15 years earlier; a fire of mysterious and unknown origin.

The couple’s byplay is both annoying and mind numbing. Micah thinks she’s the cutest girl ever, and he’s the best boyfriend excepting his strange

fascination with electronics. As the movie progresses, so does the pain of witnessing their interaction. She’s terrified and he isn’t taking it seriously enough.

Tension mounts when Micah denounces her for failing to mention her demon stalker before moving in together. Watching the two together is almost as bad as Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn in “The Breakup.”

Katie calls in a psychic to help with her dilemma.

Of course he’s unable to help. He refers the pair to a demonologist. Enter more bickering. Katie wants to call, Micah wants to solve the mystery himself. After all, it’s his house and his girlfriend being threatened.

Predictably, the movie’s major events take place at night. The predominant tactic used throughout the film is a simple time ticker placed in the lower right corner of the screen, which is sped up until viewers see whatever spooky event is due to take place while the happy couple sleeps. It was an interesting technique the first time, but by the 18th night it’s not only stale, but a struggle to muster enough energy to watch for whatever happens on screen.

In the end, it amounts to watching an hour’s worth of their bedroom door slamming over and over and over again, with minor variations. By the second half of the film, the theater was filled with the sound of boisterous yawning, and all of the other 10 people in the theatre with me gave up all pretense of movie-going etiquette and started to talk among themselves. I can’t say I blame them.

I wanted to say something redeeming about this film, so I’ll just say that if you manage to make it through the soporific first hour, the last few minutes of the film are pretty scary. Just don’t expect it to make up for the time you wasted waiting to get there.

I’m normally a fan of most independent films, especially low-budget horror, but “Paranormal Activity” doesn’t offer anything new, fresh or even interesting. By the time the film ended I was aching for spinning heads or at least some projectile pea soup. Next time Oren Peli should leave the demon possession stories to the likes of William Peter Blatty and William Friedkin. At least “The Exorcist” was funny.

Swan Lake dazzles with Corps de Ballet stephanie kitchens the news record

Coming upon the Arnoff Center for the Arts, the contemporary architecture of the building is the intriguing first impression for a passer-by.

Last weekend, the center was a hive of activity as the Cincinnati Ballet performed one of the most beloved and timeless love stories, Swan Lake.

On the last day of the weekend’s performance, Sunday, Oct. 25, the theater was near capacity, an exceptional feat for a Sunday matinee.

When the curtains rose, glittering leaves surrounding the stage and an backdrop showing the forest’s depth were breathtaking.

The dancers were on stage as the curtain rose to reveal their dazzling array of peasant courtesy of cincinnati ballet

THE CLASSIC BALLET took stage for the Oct. 23 to Oct. 25 weekend show.

costumes, which are normally plain earth tones.

Prince Siegfried and his friends joyously danced around the stage, exhibiting excellent Corps de Ballet work.

The first notable performance was by Liang Fu as Benno, Prince Siegfried’s friend. Fu has incredible strength and executes his pirouettes forcibly and without fail. Fu performed a solo and danced on the same level as principal dancers although he is only a member of the Corps de Ballet.

After the friends danced together, Prince Siegfried’s mother interrupted to congratulate him on turning 21 she also presented him with his gift, a crossbow. She also reminded him that it would soon be time to marry. The prince, who is not in love, protested.

That night, the prince goes out to hunt with his new crossbow. He comes across a swan that turns into a beautiful woman: Odette, the queen of the swan maidens. She was turned into a swan

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by the evil Baron von Rothbart who uses a spell to turn young maidens into swans and holds them captive. Seeing the prince, Odette starts to flee but he drops the crossbow, assuring her that he will not hurt her.

In this first encounter, Odette and Prince Siegfried dance together and fall in love. Principal dancer Ogulcan Borova danced the role of Prince Siegfried and principal dancer Janessa Touchet danced the role of Odette. Together, they formed a cohesive unit, moving seamlessly through the intricate steps. Their facial expressions and the tenderness of their movements showed the audience that they were irrevocably in love.

The next day, there is a grand ball encouraging Prince Siegfried to choose a wife. Princesses come from other countries to dance for him, but he keeps his promise to remain faithful to Odette and rejects each princess. Then, von Rothbart appears with his daughter Odile who is bewitched to look see SWAN | page 2

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NEW DINING CENTER HOURS E CenterCourt opens at dawn with the full choice of stations open until 7p.m., and then our most popular stations stay open until midnight. This repeats on weekends, opening at 10:30a.m. and closing at midnight. MarketPointe is open Monday–Thursday from 7a.m.-8p.m., and Friday from 7a.m.-2p.m. with an amazing variety of choices. StadiumView is open Monday-Friday for lunch from 11a.m.-2p.m., and reopens for dinner from 5p.m.-7p.m.

StadiumView will serve a variety of all-you-care-to-eat food options as at CenterCourt, within the atmosphere of a café.

FOR RENT Hollister Street. 3 bedroom, newly remodeled, hardwood floors in living room and halls. Newly carpeted bedrooms, ceramic tile in kitchen and bath. Colorful, clean and secure. 2 blocks to UC. $795/month. Email garysmart@fuse.net.

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Hiring salesperson to work 20+ hours/week. Flexible schedule. Hourly pay + commission. Email resume to cfeltner@jt3corp.com or apply in person.

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HOOTERS NOW ACCEPTING APPS! Hooters of Springdale is now accepting applications for Hooters Girls, Hostesses and Cooks. So if you’re a hard working person with a great attitude and looking for a chance to make great money, then apply in person at Hooters of Springdale – 12185 Springfield Pike Springdale, Ohio. Check us out on Facebook and www.hootersrmd.com!

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EVENTS Evolution Ball at Sunrock Farm near NKU on Halloween, October 31, 8:00 to midnight. Dress as an extinct species or transitional fossil. Music, beer, and haunted habitat. $10. Space limited.

Reserve now: 859-7815502. www.evolutioneducation.org.

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tnr all the time

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UC Blackout Game

Saturday, November 7th At Nippert Stadium

UC vs.

UCONN

6

We e k e n d E d i t i o n Oct. 29, 2009 www.newsrecord.org

SABEL’S

HAUS

GARRETT SABELHAUS

Cincy will get their swagger back in 2009

Remember the time when teams would come to Fifth Third Arena and be afraid to play the Bearcats.

Back when Kenyon Martin, DerMarr Johnson and my favorite, Pete Mickeal were playing, they would run teams out of The Shoe night after night.

High flying alley oops on the reg, crossovers on the reg and blowing teams out by 20 or more points on the reg.

UC needs that back, and this is the year for it to happen.

Since the “glory days,” the Cats haven’t just lost their signature Jordan uniforms, they’ve lost their swagger in the last several years during the rebuilding process.

The blame can’t be placed on anyone in particular. Although, the case could be made that former UC president Nancy Zimpher put an abrupt end to the success of the Bearcats’ basketball program when she fired Bob Huggins.

But all that is behind us now and the 2009 Bearcats have a chance to regain their swagger.

“The whole team has a whole different attitude this year,” said point guard Cashmere Wright.

“We have an attitude toward winning and embarrassing people, not just winning.”

With the addition of Jaquan Parker and a healthy Wright, UC’s leading scorer Deonta Vaughn won’t have to worry about bringing the ball up court every possession like he did last year.

And Lance Stephenson (assuming he’s eligible) is a guy that can score the ball better than Vaughn.

Stephenson is a player that probably would have gone straight to the NBA out of high school.

Instead, the league made a rule that all players had to be at least one year removed from high school before being drafted into the NBA. But even with the addition of the new exciting players at UC, I’m probably most looking forward to watching Yancy Gates in his second season in the Big East.

With a year of experience under his belt, Gates can start being the dominating big man in the Big East. Sort of like Hasheem Thabeet from UConn last year, but better.

What I like most about Gates is his ability to rebound. Last year, UC rebounded the ball, especially offensively, a lot better than the previous season.

Remember the year before when UC’s tallest player was Adam Hrycaniuk and he didn’t even lead the team in rebounds.

John Willimason, at 6 foot 7, did.

Last year, UC had 457 offensive boards with Gates compared to 405 the year before when Williamson was the “big man.”

And Gates has the ability to be better than Thabeet. The 6-foot-9 center is a bigger presence than Thabeet, who is kind of lanky.

Both players weigh around 260 pounds, but Thabeet is more than six inches taller than Gates.

Having Gates down low for the Cats isn’t the only thing that impresses me about Mick Cronin’s 2009 team.

Their bench is deep for once.

Let’s say the starters to begin the year, are: Wright, Vaughn, Stephenson, Gates and Steve Toyloy. (I would say Ibrahima Thomas instead of Toyloy, but he is ineligible until Dec.13.)

That leaves UC with either Thomas or Toyloy to come off the bench and Jaquan Parker to step in for Wright. Also Sean Kilpatrick will be available to give Stephenson or Vaughn a breather as a shooting guard.

They’ll also have Rashad Bishop, Larry Davis and Dion Dixon that will be available, just to name a few.

All of the possible choices will only make Cronin’s job easier.

The one thing I seem to hear every year about UC is that they have some good players, but they’re not deep so they won’t make it in the rough and tough Big East.

This year is a different story.

With all of Cronin’s options, he’ll be able to rest his guys plenty to get them through the Big East.

I’m predicting a great year for the Cats (kiss of death). I won’t predict how they’ll do in the NCAA Tournament, but I will say that they’ll be there, which is a start.

The only thing that could make this run sweeter would be a win over Xavier at the Cintas Center, Sunday, Dec. 13 – the day Thomas becomes eligible. committing to Cincinnati.

Think UC will get there swagger back this season? E-mail Garrett at sabelhgt@mail.uc.edu

sports covering all uc sports

Elliott, Cats set to start fresh garrett Sabelhaus the news record

Taking over a team that has won just six Big East Conference games in the last two years, UC women’s basketball head coach Jamelle Elliott has her work cut out for her.

Elliott is the new head coach in 2009-10, when J. Kelley Hall was fired April 10, after two seasons with the Bearcats.

The new coach and her team was given added motivation recently when they were picked to finish last in the conference.

“That’s voted on by the coaches in the Big East Conference,” Elliott said. “It wasn’t something that I was totally surprised about, but that was something I wasn’t used to, coming from Connecticut and being No. 1.”

Elliott has also been busy working on her team’s chemistry, which she said is one thing that the team lacked when she took over.

“When you talk about being a really good team, I’m talking about relationships off the court, trust,

communication; all those things that it takes to be a good team,” Elliott said. “When I first took the job, I saw that was kind of lacking a little bit.”

The team has heeded the advice of their head coach and are now interacting more than they have in the past.

“We just had to make sure that we stuck together when things weren’t going well on and off the floor,” said senior guard Stephanie Stevens. “As long as there’s team chemistry then everything can go well for us.”

On the court, UC will be without Shelly Bellman who will miss all of the 2009-10 season with a knee injury. Bellman started all 28 games for the Cats last season and averaged 6.9 points per game. Cincinnati also graduated its second-leading scorer in forward Jill Stephens.

The Cats return leading scorer Kahla Roudebush, see elliott | page 2

kareem elgazzar | the news record

jamelle elliott has begun her renovation of the women’s basketball program.

High expectations sam weinberg the news record

“We have a chance to have a really good team.”

—MICK CRONIN, UC MEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH

R

eturning with a talented group of veterans and a star-studded class of freshmen, the University of Cincinnati’s Men’s Basketball team is gearing up for another exciting season.

UC head coach Mick Cronin has spent the last three seasons rebuilding the team from the ground up and returns this year with a multitude of depth and talent.

“We have some good guys back and some new talent,” Cronin said. “We have a chance to have a really good team.”

Leading this year’s freshmen class is the 12th-ranked recruit in the nation Lance Stephenson, according to Rivals.

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound shooting guard was a 2009 McDonald’s High School All-American and graduated with 2,946 points, making him New York’s all-time leading high school scorer.

“His talent offensively transcends his youth [and] he’s going to make a big impact,” Cronin said. “Guys like him don’t come along everyday.”

Freshman Jaquon Parker and red-shirt freshman Cashmere Wright are also expected to see a lot playing time, splitting minutes with each other at point guard.

Cronin expects both players to have a big impact on the team.

“We don’t have to play a tired point guard,” Cronin said. “We’re going to be able to keep a fresh point guard in the game and its going to make it easier on both of them and help them have a better year.”

One of the biggest additions to the team this year is Oklahoma State transfer Ibrahima Thomas.

The junior forward stands 6 feet 11 inches and 230 pounds.

“He’s a seven-foot guy who can shoot threes, score in the post [and] he’s a shot blocker,” Cronin said. “Thomas is going to totally change our team.”

Freshman guard Sean Kilpatrick, a McDonald’s High School All-American candidate, will add even more depth to the roster.

Returning guards include third-team all-Big East player and senior leader Deonta Vaughn as well as junior Larry Davis, sophomore Dion Dixon and junior Eddie Tyree.

Since Vaughn’s freshman year, he has been UC’s leading scorer and he will be moving back to shooting guard this year to help give the Bearcats a better offensive attack by making room for Parker and Wright at point guard.

Juniors Rashad Bishop and see cats | page 2

file art | the news record

Wildcats begin year atop Big East sam elliott the news record

Although conference play doesn’t begin until the day after Christmas, the Villanova Wildcats are the early favorite to become this season’s men’s basketball Big East conference champions.

The Wildcats posted a regular season record of 26-7 last season and made it to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament before falling to the University of North Carolina, the eventual national champions.

Villanova received 10 first-place votes out of a possible 16 in the Big East coaches preseason poll Wednesday, Oct. 21, including University of Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin’s vote.

“Villanova obviously went to the Final Four, and they’ve got three McDonalds All-Americans starting in their backcourt. That’s probably enough right there,” Cronin said.

Senior guard Scottie Reynolds, who has averaged 15 points per game his entire career at Villanova, leads the Wildcats.

West Virginia University (23-12) returns four starters from last

year’s team, which was reason enough for the Big East coaches to select the Mountaineers to finish second in the league this season. West Virginia received five first-place votes in the preseason poll.

The final first-place vote went to the University of Connecticut.

Seniors Jerome Dyson and Stanley Robinson, along with sophomore guard Kemba Walker, will also be looking for back-to-back Final Four appearances.

Cronin credits returning players as the main reason Villanova, WVU and UConn took the top spots in the preseason predictions.

The defending regular season and conference tournament champion University of Louisville Cardinals were picked to finish fourth.

ESPN’s Dick Vitale, in his preseason national top-40 rankings, puts the Wildcats, Mountaineers, Huskies and Cardinals seventh, ninth, 10th and 12th, respectively.

The Big East coaches picked Georgetown, Syracuse, Cincinnati and Notre Dame to round out the top eight.

Cincinnati players have different thoughts on their team’s seventh-place selection, the highest for the program

file art | the news record

since joining the conference in 2005.

“I feel it’s just right,” said senior guard Deonta Vaughn. “It lets me know that coaches are giving us a lot of respect this year for having us as high as they have us being

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that we lost to some teams that we feel we shouldn’t have lost to last year. Coming in it lets us know we still have to work harder.”

Teammate Larry David doesn’t share Vaughn’s feelings and calls being picked seventh “a big motivation.”

“I’m not going to put our heads too hot, but I don’t like [the seventh-place pick],” Davis said.

“I think we’re going to finish better than seventh.”

Although he voted in the poll, Cronin doesn’t place much faith in the Big East coaches’ preseason predictions.

“I think it’ll be a lot more unpredictable,” Cronin said of the upcoming season. “I’d be in shock if it came anywhere close to the preseason predictions. I think that [the poll] could be totally off other than Villanova at the top.”

Another thing Cronin isn’t buying into is the national observation that the Big East may experience a “down” year.

“What you might see this year is some teams finish higher than they’re picked, and maybe a few teams that are picked to finish high finish low,” Cronin said. “But I don’t think it’ll be down.”