THE INdependent student newspaper at the university of cincinnati
Vol. CXXX Issue 70
thursday , april 22, 2010 bearcat bowl iv UC football head coach Butch Jones debuts with the 2010-11 team. page 6
staff ed Those in CAT are being marginalized by students even though they’re Bearcats like the rest of us. page 4
the blue bomber Capcom goes back to its roots with “Mega Man 10.” page 3
love is in the hair
UC affirms faith in faculty’s grading james sprague the news record
Coulter loeb | the news record
enjoying the weather Students Otis Pinkard, a third-year pre-med student, and Page Kagafas, a second-year diatetics student, sit out in the sun near Tangeman University Center and look down at Nippert Stadium.
Students can complain all they want about professors grading hard at the University of Cincinnati, but unlike at other universities, instructors won’t be canned because of it. A recent incident at Louisiana State University involving a professor being removed for grading too hard has raised a question — can this happen to faculty at UC? Dominique Homberger, a biology professor at LSU, was removed mid-semester from an introductory course she was teaching. Homberger gave quizzes at the beginning of every class to ensure student attendance and completion of reading assignments. She also refused to curve course exams and would list 10 possible answers instead of the standard four. This was done to eliminate students relying on guesswork. More than 90 percent of the students in Homberger’s class were failing or had dropped the class. Due to the course load and student complaints, Homberger was removed. At UC, remediation would be recommended before removal, said Valerie Hardcastle, dean of the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences. Faculty is reviewed every year concerning their performance, Hardcastle said. Most grievances regarding faculty grading are due to students who have not been able to adjust to the higher expectations in college in comparison to high school. “In a lot of instances the grading is appropriate,” see GRADES | page 3
Slate 59
events earth day celebration when:
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, April 22
where:
MainStreet
Join UC | Sustainability for the university’s 40th Earth Day celebration. The Bearcat Bike Share program will officially start and guest speakers are scheduled to appear. A picnic on McMicken Commons is also scheduled to take place with other “green field day events” as well. The events are open to anyone wishing to come and watch. Contact Sean Tubb at sean.tubb@uc.edu for more information.
4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, April 23
where:
Tangeman University Center Room 400B
lead Undergraduate Student Government
captures SG elections james sprague the news record
The results are in from this year’s University of Cincinnati undergraduate Student Government elections. The results were announced at SG’s meeting Wednesday, April 21. Among the victors were Drew Smith and Mark Rooney, Slate 59, as next year’s SG president and vice president. Election campaigning began April 5, with voting taking place on Blackboard beginning on April 19. The Blackboard poll closed voting at 5 p.m., April 21. The team of Smith and Rooney received 3,894 votes, compared to 2,750 for Martin Jarvis and Chris Carey, their opponents on Slate 47. There were a total of 1,530 “no” votes.
international coffee hour when:
Smith, Rooney voted in as new pair to
The University of Cincinnati is hosting its monthly coffee hour for international members of UC’s community. International students and educators are invited to the event to hear more about the university’s services. For more information, call Andrea G. Siouris at 513-558-1810 or through e-mail at andrea.siouris@uc.edu.
It was Slate 59’s campaign team that put them over the top, said Mark Rooney, vice president elect. “Our campaign team did a phenomenal job,” Rooney said. Rooney also offered praise for the campaign of his opponents. “Jarvis and Carey had a great campaign,” Rooney said. “It’s disappointing that one of us had to lose.” Jarvis and Carey said they’re not disappointed. “It was a great election,” said Chris Carey, who ran on the opposing slate. “We wish Slate 59 the best of luck.” Jarvis applauded the student body for voting. “It just proves that no matter what you spend or what you do, that your voice can be heard,” Jarvis said. Rooney expressed an see election | page 3
book of eli when:
9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, April 23
where:
MainStreet Cinema
Come down to the MainStreet Cinema to check out Denzel Washington navigate through a destroyed America alone, in an attempt to keep a book that holds the secret of humanity’s survival within it. Tickets are $2 with a UC ID. Call Stuart Revis at 513-556-0943 for more information.
1 News 3 Spotlight 4 Opinion 5 Classifieds 6 Sports
james sprague the news record
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Section editor
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Student Government’s proposed student diversity board was a talking point at SG’s April 21 meeting. The proposed board would be to exclusively serve the undergraduate student body and parallel the University of Cincinnati’s diversity council, said Shy Ruparel, an at-large senator. The diversity board will act as a guideline for SG in getting more students involved, said Lane Hart, the internal holdover senator. The amendment concerning the board will require a two-thirds majority vote from the 10 active tribunals of student government. A planned vote on a campus no-smoking bill was delayed until the April 28 SG meeting. SG was also asked for an endorsement of a
O NLINE www.newsrecord.org
weather forecast
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sg’s new administration Drew Smith (left) stands with outgoing student body president Tim Lolli at the Student Government meeting Wednesday, April 21. Smith|Rooney received approximately 3,900 votes.
SG proposes diversity board legislation
index
fri
sam greene | the news record
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new program presented by Katherine Ramstetter, assistant director for academics at UC’s Center of Enhancement for Teaching and Learning. The “Thank You, Professor” program aims to institutionalize how you can evaluate and express appreciation to faculty, Ramstetter said. The idea behind the program is based on a system currently in use at The Ohio State University. There will be a form for a student to write in what a professor did well regarding their instruction. The form will then be sent to the professor and the professor’s chair. The goal is for the form to become a part of the structured evaluation of the professor, Ramstetter said. Representatives from Microsoft will be flying in from Washington State to confer with SG on the UConnect e-mail system. Issues with the system, such as the delay in messages to students concerning
TNR POLL Do you feel faculty at UC should create a consistent grading scale?
Looking for some experience or want to join the team? The News Record is hiring. Stop by the office, Room 509 Swift Hall, to pick up an application for the 2010-11 academic year.
class cancellation this winter, will be addressed. SG also unanimously approved a diversity outreach calendar to be administered to by the external holdover senator. The purpose of the calendar is to list monthly activities hosted by student minority groups. It will also be open to any registered student group that wants to list their events. “This is a great thing and will fight the thought that we don’t do anything in Student Government,” Ruparel said. The final order of business in the meeting was a vote to approve $1,644 for the upcoming SG inauguration dinner to be held at the Faculty Club. The bill was passed by an 18 to seven vote, with one senator abstaining. One senator felt the price tag for the event was a little too much. see diversity | page 3
greek week Check out an exclusive slideshow of UC’s Greek community committing all sorts of debauchery on campus.