TNR - 11.18.09

THE INdependent student news organization at the university of cincinnati

Vol. CXXVIV Issue 23

wednesday , NOV. 18, 2009 lisa phillips Author discusses her biography of a Holocaust survivor. page 3

the fashion dungjen

basketball preview The Bearcats take on Toledo with home-court advantage. page 6

Take an intimate look at the intricacies of threading. page 4

Film jump-starts climate talks Ashley morgan the news record

Coulter Loeb | the news record

Athletics complex approved

The Student Sustainability Coalition hosted a showing of “The Age of Stupid,” the first of a three-part event during the week of Nov. 16, as an introduction to the United Nations Climate Conference in Copenhagen hosted Dec. 7 to Dec. 18.

The objective of the three events is to create local awareness for the issues of climate control and sustainability.

A mixer at Catskeller kicked off the week Monday, Nov. 16. The purpose was to introduce student groups that are involved with sustainability and to inspire other students to join.

Immediately following the mixer, the Student Sustainability Coalition and the

Programs and Activities Council presented “The Age of Stupid.”

“Students will benefit from attending the film premiere because they can learn about things that effect the environment,” said Raisa Garvin, an electronic media student and PAC member.

“The Age of Stupid” is set in the year 2055 and based on scientific projections. The film begins with a quick pan of different parts of the world showing the despair and destruction caused by global warming.

The film’s only actor Pete Postlethwaite portrays a man living alone in a structure 600 miles north of Norway that houses all works of art, every type of species and thousands of servers that contain all produced work.

Postlethwaite’s character analyzes the world’s current use of natural resources through

the eyes of seven real people from seven climate change hotspots. The first sentence of the film highlights the its underlying theme: “We could have saved ourselves.”

After the premiere, people discussed the film. The majority of attendees were in agreement that climate control is a substantial issue, but no one can pinpoint why changes are not being made.

“We’ve got to reach that tipping point to make people care,” said Jeff Cobb, a field organizer for Climate Change Advocates of Cincinnati.

The film uses eye-catching graphics that show the overuse of natural resources by the United States.

“America was not portrayed very well,” said Hannah Sparks, a first-year secondary see film | page 2

Onestop recalls aid Dear Student, You are receiving this e-mail because you have been identified as a student receiving a refund generating a

AMANDA WOODRUFF the news record

BALANCE DUE to the University of Cincinnati.

The refund was not an error. Federal

The University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees met Tuesday, Nov. 17, to discuss a range of topics including the financial support of the Jefferson Avenue Sports Complex construction and reviews of enrollment and research at UC. The football team would utilize the complex as a practice field, but members of the board were urged to understand that the entire university, including other teams and organizations, has access to the complex.

“I am in strong support of this project,” said Gregory Williams, university president. “It’s an important step for the university and I am impressed by the funding from private sources. It will, in fact, be a community asset.”

The board voted the motion into action along with a new rule increasing the signature authority of the president from $1 million to $5 million.

Signature authority allows certain individuals to sign off on fiscal agreements for certain departments.

The $5 million limitation sits in the middle of Ohio public institutions, with the Ohio State University providing no limitation to its president, said Monica Rimai senior vice president of finances.

It was also noted that all gifts received by the university must first be assessed by outside experts as valuable and marketable before they are accepted.

The Student Academic Affairs Committee presented issues including the re-organization of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, from which the School of Advanced Structures derives. Due to the addition of the school, a handful of programs will be relocated to other colleges including the facilities and hospitality degree and sports management. The appropriate faculty will follow.

The Office of Research presented its updates to the board including financial strides and achievements. The university and its affiliates experienced an increase in funding of $24,835,829 from last year to this year. UC alone increased its funding by $23,740,799.

“It’s pretty good considering this is a time when federal funding is going down and we still did well,” said Sandra Degen, vice president for research.

The enrollment report for the current fall quarter shows that the university is up 7 percent, or 2,595 students, from last year. Since 2003, enrollment has increased 17 percent with an 8 percent retention rate. Distance and evening

regulations require UC to refund any credit balance We are NOT ALLOWED

generated by federal aid.

to carry-forward a credit balance to pay future term charges even in the same award year. discovered this we took

ERROR

with our refund process

immediate steps

THIS CORRECTION

When we

to correct it.

was put into place on

11/01/2009 and this resulted in refunds for any student

previously described situation, as

meeting the required

FEDERAL

by

Unfortunately, we

REGULATIONS.

cannot simply reverse

the refund direct deposit or re-apply the refund check.

Regulations

require that students negotiate (cash/

deposit) the refund.

Furthermore, Federal regulations

does not permit UC to

require or force

you to

use these funds to pay the resulting balance. However,

FAILURE

to pay any balance due the University will

result in service blocks and late fees.

If, as a result of the refund, you have a

DUE

BALANCE

you can pay online with eCheck at no additional

cost by clicking on “Pay My Bill” at www.onestop.uc.edu website.

We encourage students to pay the balance

as soon as possible to avoid LATE payment fees or blocks on registration and transcripts.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Should you have questions, please contact the One Stop Student Service Center at 513-556-1000 or via e-mail at onestop@uc.edu.

Regards,

Students are required to return amount of recent refund checks AMANDA WOODRUFF the news record

T

o comply with federal regulations, University of Cincinnati’s financial aid department issued refund checks to 1,174 students during the first week of November, then asked students to return the money.

Federal regulations under Title IV require universities to send refund checks to students who are in excess of their aid amount each term. Universities are not allowed to use the excess amount to pay for future terms, which is exactly what UC did.

The department hired a compliance officer to run an assessment audit on the university’s financial aid practices.

“He identified the logic as not being 100 percent compliant with federal regulations,” said Ken Wolterman, bursar of the cashiers, collections and student accounts office. “Once we figured out there was this error last year and this year, we looked back at everybody’s accounts retroactively until last fall.”

Approximately 44,000 student accounts were assessed, including students enrolled in the most recent summer quarter. Of the 1,174 students with refund checks, 970 were asked to return the amount to the university. The money is and will continue to be the students’ money, but it was incorrectly applied.

Students who enroll late or apply for financial aid after the deadline are included in this group of people.

“We identified those students before the refund checks were mailed or before the direct deposits hit,” said Cindy Hedrick, director of the student accounts office. “We let them know they were going to get the direct deposit or refund and this is what they needed to do.”

The notification e-mail sent to the affected students stated that the “refund was not an error” and that “Federal regulations [do] not permit UC to require or force you to use these funds to pay the resulting balance.”

A small percentage of the students contacted OneStop or administration officials for further explanation of the e-mail.

“I’ll take a copy of each one of their quarters and paste it into an e-mail so they can see where the balance came from, student by student,” Hedrick said.

Wolterman agrees with the general student response to the event.

“It’s the stupidest thing in the world. It doesn’t make sense,” he said. “You’re going see aid | page 2

Student Accounts Office

photo illustration by jamie ritzer | the news record

The students accounts office distributed refunds to 1,174 UC students, and more than 900 of them were asked to return the money.

University of Cincinnati

see bot | page 2

GE plant to be overhauled with help from UC rusty pate the news record

The University of Cincinnati and General Electric Aviation announced a partnership Friday, Nov. 6, to establish a new aerospace research center at or near GE Aviation’s global headquarters in Evendale.

Although the talks between UC and GE Aviation remain in the early stages, a history of collaboration exists between the two organizations.

Many UC graduates go to work for GE, said Tim Keener, a professor and associate dean for Graduate Studies and Research in UC’s

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

“We see this as a win-win for both the university and GE because we will be able to develop other engineering expertise in materials and energy,” Keener said. “GE will be able to have a closer relationship with UC and be able to take advantage of knowledge and scholars that are available here. It will be a unique relationship in the world.”

The plan includes a 15-year tax credit that will help keep 5,000 jobs in the area, according to Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland’s office. The announcement is part of a $161-million initiative

“

GE will be able to have a closer relationship with UC and be able to take advantage of knowledge and scholars that are available here.

—Tim Keener, engineering graduate studies associate dean

to improve the site, located north of campus off Interstate 75.

“GE Aviation has been at the Evendale site since 1949,” Keener said. “Some facilities are very modern and some are World War

”

II-era facilities. In order to be able to maintain their productivity, and to be able to move forward from a business standpoint, they need to upgrade those facilities.”

UC President Gregory Williams

also thinks the partnership will be beneficial to all involved.

“UC is very enthusiastic about the possibilities and tremendous potential for a new and ground-breaking university-industry-state collaboration involving UC, GE and the state of Ohio,” Williams said.

The plan will not only expand the relationship between GE Aviation and UC, but should bolster the region and state’s aerospace economy, Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut said.

“I would like to commend the see plant | page 2

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BASKETBALL SLIDESHOW Check out photos from the season-opener against Prairie View A&M Monday, Nov. 16.

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CROSSWORD

learning remain a large part of the enrollment.

“We are up 9 percent in applications from last fall quarter for next year’s incoming freshmen,” said Caroline Miller, senior associate vice president for enrollment. “I just got a text message this morning saying that 784 applications came in over the weekend.”

PUZZLE Across 1 Vikings quarterback Brett 6 Recipe amt.

10 1960s-’70s NBA center Thurmond 14 Former Apple laptop 15 Eurasian boundary river 16 Expel 17 Marsh grass 18 Italia’s capital 19 “I’ll be there in __” 20 Shed some pounds 23 City square memorial 24 Suffix with Gator 25 Some NFL blockers 28 Begins 31 Woodsy route 33 Bear: Sp. 36 Logger’s tool 37 Either of two Modesto-based vintner brothers 38 Divide earnings equally 43 Fella 44 Charlotte of “The Facts of Life” 45 Fireplace residue 46 Ancient Indo-European 47 “Blue” evergreen 50 Fish-to-be 51 Topeka is its cap.

53 Mariner 57 Talk to the answering machine 61 Post-shower powder 63 Move, to a Realtor 64 Scatter, as seed 65 Impressionist 66 Former Lacoste partner 67 Draws closer 68 Ashram advisor 69 Caustic fluids 70 __-craftsy

The university recently signed a contract with 28 counties in Indiana agreeing to reciprocity for those students to attend UC paying in-state tuition.

The attraction for most applicants can be related to the success of the football team, which is why board members created a sense of urgency to support the

construction of the proposed sports complex.

“It will sit right on the edge of campus as the new visible presentation of the university,” said Mike Thomas, athletic director.

“We’ve raised at least $6 million already.”

It was the final Board of Trustees meeting for both Wyler and Rimai.

all excess aid money, if any, must be refunded to the student.

The refund checks issued during the first week of November reflect in the fall 2009 quarter balance. If a student does not pay the required amount, ultimately creating a “zero balance,”

a service block is applied.

The block will forbid students from enrolling in winter quarter.

“There’s bound to be things that creep up that you didn’t test for, you didn’t plan for,” Wolterman said. “You just fix them and deal with them the best you can.”

“The aerospace industry is one of the top industries in Ohio,” Keener said.

“The NASA Lewis facility in Cleveland and WrightPatterson in Dayton are just other examples of why Ohio is a leader in aviation. This relationship between UC and GE will just expand that and make it even better for years to come.”

Such an approach will benefit more than just UC. “This enhanced partnership will make a significant impact on the region and state’s aerospace

economy and is another example of how businesses and schools are working together to keep resources in the state,” Fingerhut said.

Keener also said the state gets more bang for the buck in the deal.

“This is a small investment by the state for such a huge return,” Keener said. “If you think about the jobs, the tax base, what it means to Ohio – this is a really small investment and I think its an investment that is well worth while.”

and environmental specialist Gary Bramble.

Trombley graduated from UC in December 2008 with a degree in international affairs and history. She will attend the UN conference in Copenhagen where 192 countries will be represented.

Since graduation, Trombley has dedicated her

time to the organization SustainUS, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

Climate control is an important issue for humanity and everyone has a limited time window to combat climate change, Trombley said.

“It’s just about awareness at this point,” Trombley said.

FROM AID | page 1

give me $1,000 and I have to give it back.”

The normal process for refund checks follows a timeline. Ten days prior to the beginning of a term, the first refund check is sent to students in the maximum amount of $1,500.

By the 14th day of the term, Down 1 Dukes in boxing gloves 2 Pound __: cover one’s route, cop-style 3 Screwdriver liquor 4 Classic thesaurus 5 Barely make, as a living 6 Gang land 7 Often furrowed facial feature 8 Identical to, with “the” 9 Checkered pattern 10 Biblical helmsman 11 Koala’s home 12 Prufrock creator’s monogram 13 Abbr. covering unlisted items 21 Famine’s opposite 22 Beginning, informally 26 Leans to one side 27 Wade through the shallows 29 Pep rally yell 30 Insignificant one 32 WWII Brit. fliers 33 Schindler of “Schindler’s List” 34 Former veep Agnew 35 Classic boy-and-dog Disney film 39 Actress Lupino 40 Big name in little trucks 41 Golfer’s goal 42 Put into service again

47 Dwarf who needs tissues 48 Big name in small planes 49 Day to put all your eggs in one basket 52 Pop singer Lavigne 54 French Revolution journalist 55 Golden __: senior citizens 56 Full of the latest happenings 58 Stocking hue 59 Shaving gel additive 60 Stylish ‘60s Brits 61 “You’re it!” game 62 “The Simpsons” Squishee seller

Go online to: www.newsrecord.org to find today’s answers

FROM PLANT | page 1

the University of Cincinnati for their role in GE Aviation’s decision to expand their headquarters in Cincinnati,” Fingerhut said.

The aerospace industry means a great deal to the state of Ohio as a whole, Keener said.

More than 20,000 jobs in the state directly relate to the industry in facilities such as the NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland and WrightPatterson Air Force Base in Dayton – jobs indirectly associated with aerospace might be near 100,000, Keener said.

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education student.

Others disagree.

“We were represented fairly,” said Shawn Tubb, UC Sustainability coordinator.

The last part of the event is the Climate 101 lecture titled “U.N. Climate Talks” at noon, Wednesday, Nov. 18, in the MainStreet Cinema. It features UC alumni Liz Trombley

www.newsrecord.org

UC

vs Illinois

Friday,

November 27th at 12:00 p.m. in Nippert Stadium UC Senior Day

Ò

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spotlight highlighting the best of uc

Photos Courtesy of Lisa Phillips / Photo Illustration by Alicia Kimmet

T

Ariel Cheung the news record

wenty years ago, on Nov. 9, 1989, a wall was torn down and hailed the beginning of a new country without oppression.

But in 1938, Nov. 9 meant something very different to Ruth Kropveld. On that night, Kropveld’s world changed forever as Nazi soldiers destroyed her parents’ milliner shop and nearby stores owned by Jewish neighbors.

Almost 100 Jews were murdered throughout Germany and Austria and more than 25,000 were arrested and sent to concentration camps.

That night, now known as Kristallnacht, or “night of the broken glass,” was the beginning of the story that would take Kropveld from her family and to another country.

Kropveld, who grew up in Bad Hersfeld in northeastern Germany, described her reaction to the aftermath of Kristallnacht to a Holocaust Literature class Thursday, Nov. 12.

“This is something I will have in my mind all my life,” Kropveld said. “It was a terrible thing to see.”

Kropveld’s story is the focus for the new book “Nevertheless We Lived,” by Lisa Phillips, a 2003 University of Cincinnati communication graduate.

As a child, Phillips grew up hearing stories of her grandfather’s experiences during the Holocaust. Phillips’ middle name Rachel was given to her in honor of a lost family member.

Her grandfather’s niece died when she was one year old, a story that brought Phillips to tears on Nov. 12.

Stanley Rich escaped to the United States as a teenager, leaving behind his family and everything he knew.

Before her grandfather died in 1995, when Phillips was 13 years old, he asked Phillips and her family to continue telling his story.

“He looked up with tears in his eyes,” Phillips recalled. “And he said, ‘Please make sure to tell these stories to your children and your grandchildren.’ ” Then, in August 2006, Phillips was introduced to Kropveld, who coincidentally had been good friends with Phillips’ grandfather. After the introduction, Phillips said she felt drawn to Kropveld and her story.

After Holland was liberated, Ruth and her boyfriend, Jesse Kropveld, had two weddings: one was the traditional Jewish wedding and the other, a legal Holland wedding, had to be postponed until the couple could prove they had no interaction with Nazi soldiers.

“I honestly felt like a part of me was supposed to be there,” Phillips said. “It was more, ‘How could I not do it?’ than, ‘How could I?’ ” After deciding to write Kropveld’s biography, Phillips began meeting with her once a week for two years for interviews. It was the first time Kropveld had discussed her experiences in depth.

“I have not talked about my story because it’s very hard,” Kropveld said. “But this is the story of my life.”

As Phillips wrote, she faced challenges.

At first, with the lack of a timeline or boss to report to, Phillips found herself lagging.

Then, Kropveld’s daughter made a request, asking if the book could be finished before her son’s bar mitzvah.

This gave Phillips the deadline and initiative she needed. But between working at her day job and writing the biography, Phillips felt the strain on her social life and down time.

During the day, Phillips would work at a news station in Florida and then return home to work on the biography, sometimes writing throughout the night.

The hardest part for Phillips was being able to comprehend just how big of a project she was undertaking.

Once the book was written, Phillips received help from family, friends and coworkers, who did the editing so Phillips could self-publish the biography.

Photos Courtesy of Lisa Phillips “Nevertheless We Lived” was published in June 2008 and can be found at bookstores Lisa Phillips’ biography tells the story across the country. of Holocaust survivor Ruth Kropveld.

The memoir continues after Kropveld’s One time when Kropveld was staying at a account of Kristallnacht when 15-year-old safe house, Nazis searched it twice. Kropveld Ruth Stern (Kropveld’s maiden name) decided was forced to hide behind a haystack in the barn to seek refuge in Holland by sneaking across as soldiers searched for her with pitchforks.

Germany/Holland border. She left her home After the incident, Kropveld slept in a potato and her family, not realizing it would be 10 field for two days until she could be moved to years before she saw them again. another home.

She traveled with Jesse Kropveld, her Kropveld was sent to live with a boyfriend and future husband, carrying only a family that owned a grocery store. While small backpack and her guitar.

They met two other Jews trying to escape persecution in Germany and joined them.

The group stopped at several safe houses but at one point, they were apprehended and put in jail. Kropveld and the other girl were released, but Jesse was forced to remain behind.

Once Kropveld reached Holland, members of the Dutch resistance movement protected her.

working in the store, Kropveld and her host family used code phrases like “Mary has a baby” in order to communicate. Kropveld also kept a fake ID in case Nazi soldiers asked her for identification.

Kropveld was moved twice more: first to Winterswijk, Holland, where she stayed with a rabbi’s family, and then to another house, where she pretended to be a maid.

She stayed there for almost six months until Holland was liberated in 1945. Once she came out of hiding, Kropveld tried to send a message to her family.

“My parents don’t know I’m living,” she said to a sympathetic soldier who sent a message to Kropveld’s cousin.

Kropveld and Jesse found each other in Holland after the war and were married before moving to Cincinnati to start a new life.

Kropveld opened her own millinery shop, like the one her parents owned which had been destroyed years before.

The Kropveld’s prospered in Cincinnati and Ruth became known as the local “Hat Lady.” Their family grew and flourished; her grandson recently had his bar mitzvah.

While Kropveld had never told her story to the public, she felt it was finally time; she turned 88 on June 27.

“I felt at this point I should tell my story,” Kropveld says. “Not for the tragedy, but [to show] the kindness of humanity — those who kept me alive.”

It’s a story Phillips feels she was destined to tell.

“Too many things have been coincidental,” Phillips says. “I feel like I’m here to tell her story.”

The Yiddish word “bashert” means “destiny” or a “fortuitous match,” and describes Phillips’ feelings toward finding Kropveld and being able to write about her life.

As Phillips sees it, her generation’s job is to continue passing on the stories like her grandfather’s, like Kropveld’s.

“It says in the Torah that you can’t turn a blind eye; it’s forbidden,” Phillips says. “And our generation, choosing not to talk about it, not to think about it — that would be turning a blind eye.”

The book has already become more than Phillips imagined it would.

“There’s no way I could have known it would go so far — how many lives it would reach,” Phillips says.

For Kropveld, the memories that still haunt her today have a positive message.

“It’s very vivid; just last night I couldn’t sleep. It all came back to me,” Kropveld says. “But I’ve learned to not take life for granted. These are things you don’t forget.”

“

I felt ... I should tell my story, not for the tragedy [to show] the kindness of humanity.

”

—RUTH KROPVELD

Holocaust survivor PHOTOS COURTESY OF Anita PHILLIPS

LISA PHILLIPS (LEFT) poses with Ruth Kropveld (center) and Phillips’ mother Anita at a family event. spotlight.newsrecord@gmail.com | 513.556.5913

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opinion Interactions limited for teachers

discussion board for all walks of life

THE

FASHION

DUNGJEN taylor dungjen

stephanie kitchens

Threading: pain in the brows Before Veterans Day, it had been quite some time since I had my eyebrows done. Actually, it was right before I finished my summer internship in Portland, Ore. Missy, one of my Portland roommates, was going for a bikini wax at a quaint, one-room shop, The Wax Shack. I sat in the 90-degree hallway for about 30 minutes waiting so we could hit up the Portland Beavers baseball game.

When they were finally finished and came to find me, the woman who runs the Shack took one look at my eyebrows (which had not been waxed since before I went to Portland about 11 weeks prior), and said “You cannot leave here like that.”

Long story short, that was toward the end of August.

Veterans Day was last week.

That’s a pretty long time to go without any sort of eyebrow grooming or upkeep. My eyebrows, to say the least, were a little out of control.

So, when I went home, Mom offered to pay to have my eyebrows threaded.

Because Mom was buying, I was game. Over the river and through the suburbs of Dayton to the mall we go.

If you’ve never had your eyebrows threaded, it’s quite the experience.

Threading is an old practice traditionally used in Eastern countries, like India and Egypt. In the last couple of years it’s become more popular in the United States. You can even get your eyebrows threaded in Cincinnati. Maison De Sourcils in Kenwood Towne Centre offers threading.

One session with them takes about 10 to 15 minutes, but costs a pretty penny: $32.10 plus tax.

(I went to Nirvana, a shop in Dayton Mall – the price there was $8, four times less than Maison De Sourcils, but also not an eyebrow specialty location.)

It’s a fairly simple process – the only thing the stylist uses is a piece of cotton thread and steady, precise hands. The lack of chemicals or anything else touching the skin means it’s super sterile, which is a plus for a germaphobe or anyone with allergies.

The cotton is wrapped around unwanted hairs, kind of like a lasso. The hair is pulled from the follicle, which means the threading is supposed to last longer than something more common like waxing or plucking.

Because the thread has to lasso the unwanted hairs, it’s ridiculously precise. Even after waxing or plucking with my favorite stylist I usually have to go back through and pluck a few stray hairs. This time, no such thing.

It sounds pretty cool, right?

Sounds like it might be worth your $8 for a simple procedure that lasts up to six weeks.

(The hair removal can become permanent if you have it done often enough.)

But I, for one, will never have my eyebrows threaded again.

Threading took about five times longer than waxing and was at least 1,000 times more excruciatingly painful. I’ve since read testimonials that say the opposite, but, in those testimonials, they also say they were given a numbing spray or had a warm cloth compressed on their eyebrows to make it easier to remove the hairs.

Perhaps it was my anxiety that prevented me from finding any redeeming quality about my experience, but I could feel every hair being yanked from my face and the sound of the thread twisting was too much to handle.

My toes curled. My hands were sweating. I wanted to reach up, grab the woman who was threading my eyebrows and throw her to the ground.

I may or may not have cried.

My younger sister Kasey was next in line to have her eyebrows done. After watching me struggle to maintain composure she opted out of the experience. I wish she had volunteered to go first.

No more threading for me, but if you’re into some sadistic-type of pain, you might want to try it for yourself.

Wild about waxing or would you rather admire your flawless – but throbbing – threaded brows? Tell Taylor at thefashiondungjen@gmail.com.

In January there was a case that went to trial involving Nicole Howell, a high school teacher from Dayton, Ky., who was accused, by a student, of engaging in sexual intercourse with him. The evidence used to support the case was 400 text messages between the two.

Howell was found not guilty this month, yet the case has spurred discussions about inappropriate relationships between teachers and students.

Local Cincinnati news stations and The Cincinnati Enquirer covered Howell’s case, which led to national news coverage, such as Howell’s appearance on the talk show “Good Morning America.”

Banning texting between teachers and students cuts out a useful communication tool. Most students text: on their way to school, during class, during lunch, on their way home from school and while doing homework. As a result, some forward-thinking teachers embrace texting as an easy and efficient way to contact students.

Currently, most schools in the area have no policy about sending text messages to students, but many schools in other parts of the country have banned teachers from texting students after

Where do we draw the line?

Maybe it would be best for teachers to stop talking and communicating with their students altogether to ensure no more sex scandals.

cases similar to Howell’s. For example, ABC News reported that after a string of sex scandals, two Mississippi schools banned their faculty from texting students.

Another approach was taken in Louisiana.

The state implemented a law that every electronic interaction between teachers and students must be documented. The intention is to stop inappropriate contact between the faculty and students.

There is a slippery slope when limiting communication between teachers and students.

Where do we draw the line? Why ban texts but not e-mails? Should phone calls be banned? Maybe it would be best for teachers to stop talking and communicating with their students altogether to ensure no more sex scandals.

Teachers need to determine if texting students

is a risk that they are willing to take; and the students need to have a voice on the matter.

During the first few days of class, teachers should ask students if they are comfortable using text messages to help with their assignments.

Texting students and parents can be helpful if school is canceled due to a snow day, or to notify students of a change in assignment or perhaps an extracurricular activity.

The content of the texts that teachers send to students needs to remain professional and related to the coursework. This would exclude flirting, sexting and scheduling times to meet up outside of the classroom without parental consent.

The teachers’ code of conduct forbids inappropriate personal contact with students.

Texting is either appropriate or inappropriate based on its content: the method of communication is irrelevant. Banning texting is an unnecessary precaution which could lead to more limitations on the communication between instructors and their students. This would be a hindrance to everybody involved and put up a wall of fear in the teacherstudent relationship.

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

battle of the sexes

don wright | THe mcclatchy-tribune

Religion irrelevant in Ft. Hood incident nancy paraskevopolous

Everyone agrees Nidal Hasan killed 13 people and wounded 29 in a shooting at Ft. Hood on Nov. 5, but his motivation is still being speculated.

“It may be hard to comprehend the twisted logic that led to this tragedy, but this much we do know – no faith justifies these murderous and craven acts, no just and loving God looks upon them with favor,” President Barack Obama said in his memorial speech.

But would Obama have said just that if the killer had been Christian? The main focus of the speculation on Hasan’s motives is religion. He is a Palestinian-American and practices Islam.

Popular culture in the United States is not very friendly to Islam. Islam is irreconcilable with the American dream and “every bit as much as communism or Nazism,” Steve Deace said, a 1040 WHO radio personality in Iowa. I wonder if Deace has ever met a Muslim. Or a legitimate Communist for that matter.

More than likely Hasan’s religion was not the main cause. He was one of “only 480

psychiatrists – military, civilian and contractors – serving about 553,000 active-duty troops around the world,” according to the Iraq Veterans Against the War. In their Veterans Day letter to Obama they argue that Hasan simply broke down. This is not so uncommon.

The weight of post-traumatic stress disorder leads 6,000 veterans (out of the 25 million) to commit suicide every year, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA can document an additional 1,000 suicide attempts every month. Bearing the emotional burdens of a soldier deployed four or five times without an outlet to relieve himself, Hasan flipped.

No matter the reason, breaking down and murdering a bunch of people is never OK. But labeling an entire group of people as terrorists is also unacceptable. Assuming an entire racial or religious identity is in cahoots with whomever the United States happens to be at war with is the same philosophy that led the United States to put Japanese people in internment camps during World War II.

We have a lot more rights than a lot of other countries. Veterans Day recently passed, but we shouldn’t remember the perils of war just once a year.

We need to respect our freedom of religion and the diversity it inspires. We need to fight racism whenever we encounter it, no matter who says it or why.

We need to use our freedom of assembly to make Congress ashamed of the fact that almost a quarter of the homeless are veterans. We need to actually support our troops and demand they get all of the benefits they’re entitled to.

PTSD is not a new issue, and neither is racism. If we plan on living in a nation where all people have freedom and are respected, we need to remember our parents and grandparents standing up for each other when it seemed most difficult. If we plan on living in a nation where all people are respected, we’re going to have to fight like they did to make sure that happens.

Nancy Paraskevopolous is a member of the Campus Anti-War Network and the Racial Awareness Program.

Health insurance affordable for most Dear Editor, The Nov. 12 staff editorial “Prompt health care reform unlikely,” cites a figure of 47 million uninsured Americans. This oft-quoted statistic is actually a gross overestimation of the problem, as recent research suggests the number of Americans who cannot currently afford health insurance is much lower.

A new study by June O’Neill, who served as director of the Congressional Budget Office from 1995-99, shows that nearly

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half of those uninsured Americans could likely afford to purchase health coverage. The average “voluntarily uninsured” household makes $65,000 per year.

We should not rush into the creation of a new, expensive health care system without a better understanding of the uninsured population. As long as we continue basing our arguments on inaccurate numbers, it’s hard to see how we can make effective policy decisions.

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MARX’S

Biggie puts in offseason work

THEORY PETER MARX

Cats pathetic, embarrassing against PVAMU The Bearcats’ performance against Prairie View A&M in the season opener was flat out embarrassing.

The players weren’t focused, didn’t play with passion, didn’t have their mind on the game and took the Panthers for granted.

“We didn’t get prepared before the game,” said sophomore guard Larry Davis.

“I think we just sat around, didn’t get ready for the game and we just came out sluggish. We weren’t warm, we weren’t ready, just didn’t have our mind on the game.”

They weren’t prepared? They didn’t have their mind on the game?

“Everybody was still sluggish,” said senior guard Deonta Vaughn. “Some people probably still couldn’t hear the plays or hear what we were running and things like that. But, you know, that’s not an excuse for us. We should be able to run plays against a team like Prairie View A&M.” Guys couldn’t hear the plays? Didn’t know what they were running?

Absolutely pathetic.

It blows my mind that the basketball team wasn’t ready for its season opener.

This is supposed to be a team that’s trying to find an identity, searching for its first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2004-05 season. They should be trying to make a statement in their season opener.

Where is the leadership on this team?

Vaughn has shown he can be a great player, but I’m not so sure he can be the leader the Bearcats need.

“Deonta is a great kid, but he’s got to give us better leadership,” said UC head coach Mick Cronin. “I’ve been on him his whole career about it. This is his year. He’s got to make sure those guys are ready to play.

“Before the game when coaches aren’t in [the locker room], in the pregame meal, you have to make sure guys are ready to play.”

This team acted like they were going to blowout Prairie View without even trying. Where did they get the idea they could do that?

After losing six of their final seven games last season, capped off by a loss to DePaul, who hadn’t won a conference game all season, you would think the Bearcats would be desperate to show everyone they’ve changed.

“The problem is we were over confident without reason,” Cronin said. “You don’t just roll out the balls and win because you have more talent. You have to go out and defend and rebound. The other team practices too, they have a game plan as well. And all that matters is who executes better.”

“I’m sure [the players] are pretty embarrassed right now,” Cronin said after the game.

Don’t give up on the team just yet though. It was their first game of the season.

UC wasn’t the only team to come out flat early in its season.

Kentucky trailed Miami (OH) by 18 points and freshman guard John Wall had to hit a game winner in the final seconds of the game to secure the victory for the Wildcats. So, there’s something to be said about early season struggles.

Cincinnati did show some resiliency to come back and win the game.

“The good thing about last night was if you can have a wake-up call and win it’s great,” Cronin said. “You don’t want to have a wake-up call and lose.”

The Bearcats have a lot of talent and they can still become one of the better teams in the Big East, so I’ll pencil this one in as a case of nerves and bad preparation. But, there are still some fundamental problems that worry me.

UC isn’t a good free-throw shooting team, it can’t get the ball inside to its post players, it struggles to drive the ball to the basket, it takes too many three-point shots and is inconsistent on defense.

I realize this is still a young team and I can live with some mistakes and careless errors if the team is playing with heart and determination. But on Monday night they didn’t come out with any fire at all and were out hustled for most of the game.

Let’s hope that changes Wednesday night.

What’s your take on the Bearcats? E-mail Peter Marx at marxpc@mail.uc.edu.

T

alex brantley the news record

he University of Cincinnati men’s basketball team and its coaches put a lot of emphasis during the summer on being a more physical team.

Through strength training and conditioning, as well as recruiting, they were able to add size and muscle to every position going into the 2009-10 season. Supporting that trend is the continued development of junior center Anthony “Biggie” McClain, who put on 20 pounds in the offseason.

“The Big East is a physical conference and being a big man, I want to give out more bruises in the post than I take this year,” McClain said.

The 7-footer’s playing weight is now 255 pounds, which gives UC another post threat under the basket.

“I’ve noticed he’s been able to hold his position more in the post and [has] gotten better at battling with Yancy [Gates] and Steve [Toyloy] in practice everyday,” said UC head coach Mick Cronin.

McClain agrees saying the competition in practice helps him improve his game.

“Battling with the likes of Yancy in the post at practice everyday has helped me a lot because that’s all you see in the Big East is great players around the basket,” McClain said.

McClain also said the biggest thing he had to work on during the offseason was improving his conditioning: He needs to make sure his body can endure the season with the extra bulk.

Working closely with new assistant coach George Jackson, McClain has been training hard to improve his footwork in the post. His conditioning and footwork could allow him to move around better and prevent injuries to his size 20 feet, which have plagued him early in his career at UC. UC will be doing a great deal of pressing and needs McClain to block shots at the basket when their press breaks down, Cronin said.

“Last year in the St. John’s game he completely changed the tone of the game with his shot blocking. That’s something we’ll be looking forward to him doing more of this season,” Cronin said.

“Offensively I’ve improved on finishing with both hands under the basket and I’m trying to add a mid-range game to my arsenal,” McClain said. “I need to keep working on everything though. To get better you can never settle.”

When asked how much more fans can expect to see him on the court this season McClain’s response was, “We shall see.”

In only eight minutes of play against Saginaw Valley State Thursday, Nov. 5, McClain scored four points, had one block and a steal.

“Biggie did fine, but we won’t totally be able to see how far he’s come until he’s matched up with guys closer to him in height when regular season play begins,” Cronin said.

Fans can see McClain and the rest of the Cats return to action against the University of Toledo at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 18, at Fifth Third Arena.

kareem elgazzar | The news record

anthony “biggie” mcclain blocks a shot against UAB Dec. 6, 2008. McClain finished the game four points, three rebounds and one block in five minutes of play.

Bearcats look to rebound against Rockets “I’m just going to play my game and do what I have to do.” – Deonta Vaughn sam elliott the news record

kareem elgazzar | The News Record

Senior Steve Toyloy brings down one of his nine total rebounds over Prairie View forward Darnell Hugee Monday, Nov. 16, at Fifth Third Arena.

After a season-opening come-from-behind victory over Prairie View A&M Monday, Nov. 16, the University of Cincinnati men’s basketball team is set to hit the hard court for game two of the regular season, this time against the University of Toledo.

Toledo lost its first game of the season to Eastern Illinois 72-62 at home Saturday, Nov. 14.

The Rockets were selected to finish sixth in the Mid-American Conference’s West Division this season in the league’s preseason media poll.

But after a less-than-stellar performance in their season opener against Prairie View A&M Monday, UC head coach Mick Cronin and his team will change the way they approach and prepare for Wednesday’s tussle with Toledo.

“They need to respect their opponent,” Cronin said. “As a coaching staff, we need to make sure they’re respecting the opponent.

The name on the jersey is irrelevant.”

The Cincinnati players felt that their poor start early in Monday’s game came as a result of a lack of focus during their pregame routine. Changes will be made accordingly.

“Before the game we’re not having any playing in the locker room anymore, no music being played and everybody’s going to focus and get ready for the game,” said redshirt freshman guard Cashmere Wright.

Wright doesn’t want to let an early season lack of focus prevent Cincinnati from reaching its end-of-season goals.

“A lack of focus becomes a loss, and a loss

becomes you can’t get to the NCAA tournament, what everybody wants,” Wright said.

The Bearcats’ leading scorer, senior guard Deonta Vaughn, said he went into Monday’s game “a little nonchalant” before leading Cincinnati with 15 points in the victory and pledged to be more focused before facing Toledo.

“I’m just going to play my game and do what I’ve got to do in order for us to win,” Vaughn said.

In order to win, the Bearcats will have to stop a Toledo offense that connected on 46.5 percent of its shots in its season opener, including a 40 percent mark from beyond the three-point line.

Redshirt freshman guard Stephen Albrecht led the Rockets with 15 points and five assists.

Defensively, Cronin expects Toledo and head coach Gene Cross to pack it in tight and force Cincinnati to hit jump shots.

“They’re a very young team; they’re going to change defenses on us,” Cronin said. “I’m sure they have film, and I’m sure they’ll take the same route that some of our recent opponents have taken and try to bait us into a lot of three-point shots early and I’m sure they’ll be boxing out like their life’s on the line.”

In the Prairie View A&M game, the Panthers forced Cincinnati to take 30 attempts from long range. The Bearcats connected on just eight and shot less than 40 percent from the field overall, a mark Cincinnati will hope to improve on Wednesday.

“The goal is for everybody just to play well,” Wright said.

The Bearcats and Rockets will tip off at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 18, at Fifth Third Arena.

briefs bearcats drafted into nba d-league

volleyball inks two players

cats to play at fedexfield in 2012

Three former Bearcat players were drafted in the 2009 NBA Developmental League Draft.

Ronald Allen was selected by the Reno Bighorns with the 10th pick in the eighth round. Allen graduated in 2007 and played two seasons as a Bearcat.

The Maine Red Claws selected Tony Bobbitt with the eighth pick in the seventh round. Bobbitt transferred from junior college and played two seasons with the Bearcats before leaving in 2004.

The Fort Wayne Mad Ants selected Leonard Stokes with the fifth pick in the fifth round. Stokes graduated in 2003 and finished 17th in points on UC’s all-time scoring list.

The University of Cincinnati women’s volleyball team inked Juliana Behrens of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Brittany Haber out of St. Petersburg, Fla., to national letters of intent.

Behrens is a 6-foot-1 outside hitter who helped lead her high school team to four consecutive top-three finishes including a league title her senior year. She was also nominated for the Gatorade Player of the Year Award for the State of Hawaii.

Haber is a 6-foot-2 inside blocker who finished her high school career with 285 kills, 86 blocks, 51 aces and 61 digs.

Haber was an Ultimate High School Sports Top-20 Player in north Florida.

The University of Cincinnati football team has set the location for its 2012 regular season matchup against the Virginia Tech Hokies at FedExField, the home of the Washington Redskins.

The Bearcats will look to avenge the 29-13 regular season loss in Blacksburg, Va., during the 2006 season and their loss to the Hokies in the 2009 Orange Bowl.

“I have a great deal of respect for Frank Beamer and the Virginia Tech program and we are looking forward to renewing our rivalry,” said head coach Brian Kelly.

The Bearcats will look to tie up the all-time series record against the Hokies, who hold a 5-4 advantage all-time against the Bearcats.

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