TNR 1.13.11

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWS ORGANIZATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI | WWW.NEWSRECORD.ORG

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132 years in print Vol. CXXXI Issue XXX

THURSDAY | JAN. 13 | 2011

BENCHMARK

MAKING THE GRADE

spotlight | 3

Kilpatrick, Wilks pace Cats in win

sports | 8

Legacies might affect admissions Jason Hoffman | SENIOR REPORTER

Did your parents or siblings graduate from UC? Were your SAT/ACT scores less than “above average”? If you answered “yes” to both questions, there are new studies claiming you might have been the beneficiary of “legacy benefits,” which are supposedly occurring at the nation’s top institutions of higher education.

Michael Hurwitz, a Harvard doctoral student, published a study stating legacy students are seven times as likely as gaining entrance to a prestigious university over their non-legacy peers.

The topic of legacy admissions to top academic institutions has long been an issue of concern for Richard D. Kahlenberg. The senior fellow at the Century Foundation published his

It’s fundamentally unfair because … it has nothing to do with the individual merit of the applicant.

— richard d. kahlenberg senior fellow at the century foundation

findings about the topic in his book, “Affirmative Action for the Rich: Legacy Preferences in College Admissions,” in September 2010.

“It’s fundamentally unfair because … it has nothing to do with the individual merit of the applicant,” Kahlenberg told The New York Times.

The Times reported that Hurwitz’s study looked at application information

Gilyard’s robber convicted

from 133,236 students during the 2007 application process.

As far as UC is concerned, the undergraduate student application includes legacy information on the first page. Discussing the topic with admissions counselors at Xavier, Northern Kentucky University and Dayton, found that undergraduate admissions were not actually weighted by “legacy” status.

The universities admitted there was marketing targeted toward children of graduates, but as one Xavier counselor who requested anonymity said,“We don’t really worry about marketing ourselves to them too much.”

The other factor in legacy admissions might lie in the details of childhood and lower-level education of legacy students. see LEGACY | 4

FILE ART | THE NEWS RECORD

SOME ADDED HELP Family name might assist college applicants in receiving admission.

PHOTOs BY ANNA BENTLEY | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Denise thomas | staff reporter The man who robbed former University of Cincinnati football player Marshawn “Mardy” Gilyard pleaded guilty during his hearing Monday and was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Dion Harmon, 31, of the Cincinnati College Hill neighborhood, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated robbery in exchange for Hamilton County assistant prosecutor Ryan Nelson dropping the other two counts of robbery and one count of having a weapon under disability.

Had all of the charges been included, the maximum prison sentence for Harmon could have totaled up to 28 years.

Gilyard, the former UC wide receiver, was driving his 2010 Camaro home from a fishing trip on May 17, 2010, harmon when Harmon brandished a gun and robbed him and Gilyard’s friend, Terry Hobbs, one month after Gilyard was drafted to play for the St. Louis Rams as a wide receiver for the National Football League.

Harmon took $300 in cash and diamond necklaces valued at $1,000 from both men at a BP gas station in the 2600 block of Jefferson Avenue in Corryville.

As part of the plea bargain, Harmon cannot receive early release from prison.

Gilyard was present at Harmon’s sentencing.

FILE ART | THE NEWS RECORD

JUSTICE IS DONE Gilyard’s assailant will serve a prison term.

Charges dropped against UC student James Sprague | News Editor

HONORING A KING UC’s African American Cultural and Resource Center Choir pays homage to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with music during Wednesday’s program.

mlk TRIBUTE UC celebrates civil rights leader’s legacy

james sprague | NEWS EDITOR

T

he University of Cincinnati celebrated the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Wednesday and, in turn, charged those in attendance to continue working toward the accomplishment of his dream.

The tribute, “The Mis-education: There is still more work to be done,” was hosted in Tangeman University Center’s MainStreet Cinema and featured musical selections from UC’s African American Cultural and Resource Center Choir, speeches from UC President Greg Williams; Tracie M. Hunter, a member of the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission and video featuring UC students responding to diversity issues like homosexuality, undocumented immigrants and black male graduation rates.

The focus of the celebration was that while progress has been made, there is still work to be done in the struggle for human equality.

“There is still much left to do,” Williams said.

“Although we’ve come a long way, there are many things that have to be done.”

Among those things is to remain engaged with the civil rights struggle, Williams said.

“It’s a time to remember, a time to rejoice and a time to recommit to those principles [King] lived and died for,”Williams said.

Mitchel Livingston, vice president for student affairs and services at UC, reminded the audience of King’s goal of a “just community,” one of equality.

“That’s the community we deserve here at the University of Cincinnati,” Livingston said.

The keynote speaker, Hunter, was much more vivid in her challenge to the audience of achieving King’s hopes.

Hunter — a Democrat who is in a hotly contested recount with Republican John Williams for Hamilton County juvenile court judge — compared her recount struggle with King’s and questioned the audience why the United States had not found a way to end the war on drugs, exploitation of third-world countries and more black males being in prison than in schools. see MLK | 4

Disorderly conduct charges were dropped Monday against the University of Cincinnati student who stripped down to his running shorts for a security checkpoint at the Richmond, Va., International Airport.

Aaron Tobey, a fifth-year architecture student at UC, was due to be arraigned Monday on disorderly conduct charges for the incident that occurred Dec. 30.

The prosecuting attorney, however, asked a Virginia judge to drop the charges because he felt Tobey’s actions had not constituted disorderly conduct or met the state’s standard of the charge.

Tobey was exercising his civil liberties and it was right for prosecutors to drop the charges, said Steve Benjamin, Tobey’s attorney.

Tobey said that he was pleased the charges had been dismissed and felt that his incident could spur more dialogue concerning the issue.

“I think it opens the door tobey for people to begin to speak about issues like this more freely and openly,” Tobey said, “without the fear of repercussions for voicing their opinion in a civil and thoughtful manner, no matter which side of the issue they might be on.” in brief

MUCH TO DO The audience at UC’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration listens to speakers challenge them to finish King’s dream.

SGA approves bills, elects senator ANTHONY OROZCO | STAFF REPORTER

Student Government met Wednesday night over a home-cooked meal prepared by College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services (CECH) Dean Lawrence Johnson, to pass initiatives and elect a new senator at-large.

Early in the meeting, SG voted unanimously to remove voting power from political party chairs in the Governmental Affairs Committee.

“We want to keep the committee a nonpartisan committee,” said Sen. K.D. Miller. “There are also political groups on campus other than the college Democrats and Republicans. We thought of making them all voting members but the committee should be five to 10 voting members,” Sen. Miller said.

SG also approved a First Annual Offeamon queeney | photo editor

A BUSY EVENING SG weighed in on multiple issues and elected a new at-large senator during Wednesday’s session.

Campus Housing Fair in association with the LOC101 organization to aid students in their search for housing.

Next, seven UC students gave presentations to SG for the at-large seat. Nominees consisted of first-year students: chemical engineering student Marcum Storts, classics student Luci Simon, finance student Bhavik Modi, Kathleen Hurley and international student Tumal Karunaratne. The at-large senator position has been open since Shy Ruparel resigned in early November 2010.

Upperclassmen presenting were fourth- year health sciences student Nloh Masango-Obigo and Kevin Hitt, a sophomore biochemistry and biology student.

By 9 p.m., Kathleen Hurley was elected as senator at-large. Hurley proposed working on a text service for UC students for preferred school events, a UC ‘How-to’ website for common problems for new students and pregame pep rallies.

“We had seven great candidates,”said Mark Rooney, SG vice president. “We are confident that Hurley will make an outstanding at-large senator.”

NEWSRECORDNEWS@GMAIL.COM | 513.556.5908

Keller’s IGA on Ludlow Avenue remains closed as financing to repay the store’s back property taxes fell through, according to a store spokesperson. The store, a Clifton fixture since 1939, had hoped to reopen Monday morning after making contact with representatives of the Ohio Tax Commission. It is unknown when or if the store will reopen.

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NATION & WORLD 2 Haiti celebrates life, mourns its dead Weekend Edition Jan. 13 | 2011

NEWSRECORD.ORG

Jacqueline Charles, Trenton Daniel and Frances Robles | Mcclatchy newspapers

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Some people here are marking this painful day in bed, the hurt too much to bear.

By the early hours of the first anniversary of the deadly earthquake that rocked Haiti, Haitians had visited individual tombstones and passed by mass graves, where hundreds of tiny wooden crosses mark the spot where tens of thousands of Haitians are buried.

A year ago, a 7.0 earthquake killed a city’s worth of people; the government here estimates as many as 300,000. Their names have not been logged, and some are still under rubble.

About 810,000 people they left behind are still homeless from that day’s devastation. But on Wednesday, Haiti’s 10 million survivors declared a national holiday to take the time to remember, to say goodbye to the ones they lost and thank you for the lives they still have.

“God saved my life and that of most of

my family. I want to thank him for what he’s done for me,” said Bernard Valcin, 40, who lives in a tent with his wife and three children, ages 16, 12, 10.

On the day the ground shook a year ago, Valcin said he was walking his children home from school. Under a red light, he dropped to the ground, and covered them with his belly.

When he arrived home, his wife was covered in rubble. Only her face was visible.

Three months ago, Valcin got a job driving a Ministry of Health ambulance picking up cholera patients at night. But even with his monthly $375 salary, it’s still not enough to rent a $1,250-a-year, oneroom shack.

“Everyone has a destination,” the Rev. Jonathan Joseph of the Connection of Haitian Baptists Churches said in Creole from an oversize stage at the Champs de Mars survivor camp. “You have a time to be born. You have a time to die.”

He spoke to a gathering of people who raised their hands to praise God and danced against the backdrop of a

broken national palace and thousands of tattered tents.

“We have 10 million citizens. The quake killed 300,000. We still have 9.7 million. We have a reason to celebrate life,” Joseph told The Miami Herald on his way to Leogane, which was all but flattened by the quake.

“Our message is today, ‘We need the engagement of Christians to revive the church to transform the Haitian nation.’“ He means rebuild not just their homes, but their souls.

“We need to reconstruct the spiritual mentality. We want to revive the mentality and remove this mentality of dependence so Haitians believe for themselves they can change their country,” he said. “There is a spiritual problem that needs to be resolved.

“January 12 is an opportunity to save Haiti.”

But most of all, it’s a day of remembrance and of being thankful in this deeply religious country. see haiti | 7

Carl Juste | MCT

ONE YEAR LATER Ethelia Cheri, 60, holds a photo of her daughter, who died in last year’s devastating earthquake.

Hezbollah shuts down Lebanon Borzou Daragahi | los angeles times BEIRUT — Lebanon’s fragile government collapsed Wednesday over an investigation into the assassination of a former prime minister, just as its current leader met with President Obama in Washington.

Eleven ministers close to Lebanon’s Hezbollah-led opposition withdrew from the Cabinet, dissolving a political status quo that has prevailed since a May 2008 agreement ended fighting between the country’s pro-Western political alliance and a camp backed by Syria and Iran.

Hezbollah, the powerful Shiite Muslim political organization and militia, and its Shiite and Christian allies pulled out of the government after months of negotiations brokered by Saudi Arabia and Syria failed to produce a compromise over the tribunal examining the 2005 assassination of Rafik Hariri.

The former prime minister was leader of the country’s Sunni community and father of the country’s current premier, Saad Hariri. The tribunal is expected to accuse members of Hezbollah of complicity in the killing, prompting the group to warn that it would refuse to hand over any suspects or allow its name to be tarnished. Hezbollah has also demanded that Hariri disavow the tribunal, a step the prime minister was apparently unwilling to take.

Both sides said they were open to further dialogue and compromise.

“We are in a new political and ministerial crisis,” said Boutros Harb, a lawmaker allied with Hariri, at a news conference.

“There is no room for bargaining over the tribunal and justice.

We remain open to dialogue without compromising (our) general principles.”

The political crisis darkened the mood in this country of 4 million people, which has been enjoying a stretch of relative peace and economic prosperity. The Lebanese army deployed extra troops throughout Beirut in case of possible skirmishes between young Sunni and Shiite men. The stock market slipped precipitously, with one cornerstone real estate conglomerate down 8 percent.

But a senior U.S. official, traveling in Qatar with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also noted that Hezbollah and its allies so far have been using only legal means to try to bring down the government and there have been no signs that they are trying to mobilize supporters in the streets. see lebanon | 7

GINA FERAZZI| MCT

CITY IN GRIEF A well-wisher kneels at the memorial site for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords outside her Tucson, Arizona, office, on Tuesday, January 11.

Giffords’ condition improves Sam Stanton | Mcclatchy newspapers

TUCSON, Ariz.

— As doctors Tuesday gave their most optimistic assessment yet for critically wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the parents of the accused gunman in Saturday’s mass shooting broke their silence, expressing deep sorrow for the lives lost when their 22-year-old son allegedly opened fire.

“There are no words that can possibly express how we feel,” the parents of Jared Lee Laughner said in a statement issued after days of seclusion inside their home in northwest Tucson. “We wish there were, so we could make you feel better.

“We don’t understand why this happened. It may not make any difference, but we wish that

we could change the heinous events of Saturday. We care very deeply about the victims and their families. We are so very sorry for their loss.”

Giffords’ doctors, meanwhile, said her condition has improved and were upbeat Tuesday about her prognosis and that of all six victims who remain hospitalized.

“She has a 101 percent chance of surviving,” said Dr. Peter Rhee, trauma chief at the University of Arizona Medical Center and a former combat surgeon who worked in Iraq and Afghanistan. “She will not die.”

Rhee and other doctors now think it’s likely she was shot through the front of her head and that the bullet exited the rear, meaning the last thing she saw Saturday may have been

the accused gunman taking aim with his 9mm Glock pistol.

Laughner is being held without bail on federal charges in Phoenix and may face the death penalty. Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Raner C. Collins ordered all federal judges in the state not to participate in Laughner’s judicial proceedings because one of those Laughner is accused of killing is Arizona’s chief federal judge, John M. Roll. A judge from another state likely will preside.

The statements from Giffords’ doctors and Laughner’s family were issued on the eve of a visit

by President Barack Obama to Tucson, where he will attend a memorial service Wednesday evening with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Secretary

Janet Napolitano, the former governor of Arizona.

Giffords remains in critical condition, but Rhee said Tuesday she’s able to breathe on her own, although doctors have left a tube in place to reduce the risk of pneumonia developing.

Doctors have cut back significantly on her sedation and said she’s able to make slight movements on her right side. She also has been able to follow simple commands such as moving her thumb when asked.

“I have a lot of confidence that she’s going to recover,” Rhee said, noting that the survival rate for such wounds is “abysmal.”

He credited the rapid and large response to the first 911 calls. Within 14 minutes, the see giffords | 4

Jewish leaders decry Palin’s remarks

By James Oliphant | Mcclatchy newspapers

WASHINGTON — Sarah Palin’s remarks Wednesday in which she accused critics who would tie her political tone to the Arizona shootings of committing a “blood libel” against her have prompted an instant and pronounced backlash from some in America’s Jewish community.

The term dates to the Middle Ages and refers to a prejudice that Jewish people used Christian blood in religious rituals.

“Instead of dialing down the rhetoric at this difficult moment, Sarah Palin chose to accuse others trying to sort out the meaning of this tragedy of somehow engaging in a ‘blood libel’ against her and others,” said David Harris, president of the National Democratic Jewish Council, in a statement.

“This is of course a particularly heinous term for American Jews, given that the repeated fiction of blood libels are directly responsible for the murder of so many Jews across centuries — and given that blood libels are so directly intertwined with deeply ingrained anti-Semitism around the globe, even today.”

“The term ‘blood libel’ is not a synonym for ‘false accusation,’’’ said Simon Greer, president of Jewish Funds for Justice. “It refers to a specific falsehood perpetuated

by Christians about Jews for centuries, a falsehood that motivated a good deal of anti-Jewish violence and discrimination.

Unless someone has been accusing Ms. Palin of killing Christian babies and making matzoh from their blood, her use of the term is totally out of line.”

U.S. Rep Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., who was shot in the head Saturday and remained in critical condition in a Tucson hospital, is Jewish.

Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said “it was inappropriate at the outset to blame Sarah Palin and others for causing this tragedy or for being an accessory SARAH PALIN to murder. Palin has every right to defend herself against these kinds see palin | 7

Sudan violence eases as secession vote continues ALAN BOSWELL | Mcclatchy newspapers

Alan Boswell | MCT

A SNAPPED SUDAN A group of Southern Sudanese youth celebrate the start of voting in a referendum that allows the region to choose independent statehood.

JUBA, Sudan — Fighting in Sudan’s disputed area of Abyei quieted Monday after more than 30 people died in clashes over the weekend as southern Sudan began polling in a landmark referendum on independence.

Following three days of fighting, a northern militia and southern security forces in Abyei confronted each other only once Monday but didn’t fight, according to officials.

The clashes came as southern Sudanese turned out in droves in a referendum that began Sunday and is set to continue the rest of the week. The oil-rich, warscarred region is expected to vote overwhelmingly to separate from the rest of Sudan, splitting Africa’s largest country.

The referendum is seen by

southerners as the end to a long and painful journey — for 50 years, southerners struggled against Sudan’s Arab central government in Khartoum, christened during colonial rule as the nation’s power center.

Decades of civil war and famine followed, killing 2 million and leaving southern Sudan as one of the least developed inhabited places on earth.

The mood at the polling centers is celebratory and at times sober, as memories of the painful past fuse with hopes of a better future.

“I’m standing here for independence,” said Sharelady Amach, a young southern Sudanese who recalls her lost childhood spent hiding in the bush rummaging for food and sleeping under trees. “Now we will be able to develop our

country and build roads, schools and hospitals.”

The vote is being monitored by a wide array of international and regional groups.

Even if a vote for secession is quickly recognized, the division won’t be clean.

Abyei is the most contentious spot along the lengthy, disputed border with the north that’s destined to form the boundary between the two new states.

Long administratively part of the north, its permanent residents, the Ngok Dinka, consider themselves southerners.

Northern nomadic cattle herders who use the land for seasonal grazing, the Misseriya, also claim the land.

According to the 2005 peace accord ending the civil war, see vote | 7

3

Weekend Edition Jan. 13 | 2011 NEWSRECORD.ORG

SPOTLIGHT

Lifelong learner makes the grade ariel cheung | managing EDITOR A bona fide “jack of all trades” is the best way to describe Mary Fox. After being handed her diploma from Western Hills University High School in 1975, she entered the work force as a secretary dispatcher for the

Cincinnati Recreation Commission.

She’s been a medical transcriber for Bethesda North Hospital, a mother and an employee at the Cupboard — a head shop on Vine Street.

But the career roamer wasn’t satisfied.

She felt that as the only sibling of four to not attend college, she missed out. Although Fox, now 53 years old, thought it was too late for her, she wanted to make sure her daughter, Ellen, had the opportunities Fox herself hadn’t.

“I kept telling my daughter,‘Come hell or high water, you’re going to college if I have to work two jobs,’ ” Fox says with obvious affection. “Then she commented, ‘Mom, why don’t you go to college? It’s always been a dream of yours.’ ” The comment stirred inside F o x

along with some advice from her father.

“My father was nearing the end of his life, and you tend to talk a lot about your past experiences when you’re near the end,” Fox says. “And he made a comment that really stuck with me: Don’t die with any regrets.”

Fox had her share of regrets. She and her husband divorced after having one daughter. She now lives in Finneytown with her partner, Gregory Cox, 60, who worked in informational systems at General Electric Co., and his teenage son Steven, while her daughter attends the Kansas City Art Institute in Kansas City, Mo. But her biggest regret was never receiving the college education she craved. After realizing her dream, it took Fox almost one year to finally take the step toward getting a degree.

“I had to get over a lot of personal road blocks I had put up for myself, but as you get older, you kind of get pushed into this rut — ‘This is what you’re supposed to do,’ ” Fox says. “And it took me a while to break down those barriers and say, ‘Why don’t I go to college? What’s keeping me from it?’ And the only thing keeping me from it was me.”

So in 2005, Fox enrolled

at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. She pushed herself toward business classes to get started, but by the middle of her second year, she knew it wasn’t what she was looking for.

Fox talked with her family to figure out what she should do. Considering her love of languages, they suggested she become an English teacher.

With her associate’s degree of arts from Cincinnati State in tow, Fox came to the University of Cincinnati to pursue a bachelor’s degree. The difference between the community college and the state university was obvious.

“There were a lot more people. I felt a little lost,” Fox says. “But it was fun. I’m still young at heart. Inside, my brain tells me I’m 25, even though my body tells me I’m older.”

With salt-and-pepper hair usually worn in a careful braid and a warm, wool sweater, Fox doesn’t look like the typical college student. But she joins a growing number of middle-aged adults who are putting away the briefcases and going back to school.

“I have been seeing, with the change in the economy, people out of work are opting to come back to school,” Fox says.

“But I think I’ve approached it with a more open mind and am doing what I love, where they’re still ‘gotta get a job.’ ” After Fox abandoned her business classes to figure out just what it was she loved, she took a few British literature classes and then zeroed in on the linguistics program, coupling it with anthropology “because languages and culture are tied together.”

Fox decided to work toward

photos by lauren justice | multimedia editor

BRIDGING THE GAP Mary Fox, a 53-year-old non-traditional student at the University of Cincinnati, is older than most of the students, and in some cases, her teachers, in her classes. Fox put the obvious age gap aside and instead chose to make friends and was able to appreciate the learning process, as she had been away from it for a long time. a double major in linguistics and anthropology, taking between 12 and 15 credit hours per quarter.

She also works part-time at the Engineering Research Center as a student employee to help pay the bills.

“Sometimes it’s been difficult to mesh home life with school because I try to be there for the kids’ stuff,” Fox says. “But for the most part, I’ve been able to keep up. It’s been a juggling act: some late nights falling asleep at computers doing papers.”

Luckily, Fox has a solid support system at home.

“The kids have helped out at home,” Fox says. “Gregory took an early retirement, so he’s kind of home and handles the majority of the stuff, which leaves me free to catch up on homework or the kids’ activities.”

But Fox’s return to school provided an unexpected benefit for her children.

“Because I was new to college and I’ve been through the hoops, now I can help my daughter and help Steven with his decisions on what to look for in a college — the application process, the financial aid,” Fox says.

Fox and her daughter took similar math and biology classes while Ellen was in high school, so they were able to help each other with homework. When Ellen had to write a research paper, Fox took her to UC’s Langsam library, where she was able to research the topic and check out materials.

“It’s brought us a lot closer together,” Fox says. “There’s no way I could have done it without them there.”

In the four years Fox has been at UC, she’s

completed the requirements for her two majors, and was on track to graduate last year until her professor, Alan Sullivan, announced UC would become one of a handful of colleges in the nation to offer a bachelor’s degree in archeology.

“Archeology and ancient cultures have always fascinated me,” Fox says. She added the third major to her course load, which pushed back her graduation date to next year.

But Fox doesn’t see the extra year of school as a setback. She planned to apply to graduate school after attaining her bachelor’s degree, but her extended stay in Cincinnati means she is able to continue caring for an elderly uncle in the area.

“When Dr. [Sarah] Jackson came back and said, ‘Well, you’re not going to be able to graduate this year,’ it’s like, OK, I’m supposed to stay in Cincinnati, maybe it’s for my uncle,” Fox says.

“I kind of approach life with that view — everything happens for a reason. I started out in business and look where I ended up. Life is always changing, so I’m leaving myself open.”

Her absolute optimism is what really stands out. Despite a lifetime of setbacks and possible regrets, she conveys an air of serenity and certainty and has a calming effect. Take that, coupled with her determined chin, fire in her eyes and what can only be described as chutzpah, and you start to get the feeling that this chick could rule the world.

Her positive attitude also helped Fox through classes where she was sometimes older than the teachers, a matter she found “a little disconcerting.”

“Some of [the students] kind of looked at me like, ‘Oh my God, my mom’s in my class,’ ” Fox says. “But I was able to make friends, and I wasn’t too intimidated by it. I knew I could do the work.”

Non-traditional student tears down road blocks to get an education

To Fox, the age difference was sometimes even a benefit.

“Freshman undergraduates, they’ve been going to school for 12 years. They’re sick of school, but Mom and Dad say [they’ve] got to go to college to get a good job,” Fox says. “I’d say I seem to have a better appreciation for the learning process because I’ve been away from it for a long time.

“I see kids sleeping in class and I want to shake them and say, ‘You’re missing out on this.’ [College] has always been a dream of mine. I see it as a fulfillment of a dream of mine.”

While Fox has a better appreciation for the educational system, she realizes that her age can be a hindrance at times, too.

“Because I’m older, I feel a little intimidated to take part in some of the extra-curricular activities on

campus,” Fox says. “Free concerts, football games. I love football, I just don’t feel like, as I’m older, I’m part of some of those activities.”

As a non-traditional student, Fox is in the age minority on campus. While the Transfer and Lifelong Learning Center is available to assist non-traditional and transfer students with the admission process, Fox says she wished there was a way to connect with students like herself.

“All the activities are great for the undergrads, but I’m a little old for that kind of stuff,” Fox says. “I’d like to see some place for older students to go. Or just get-together nights where we can help each other with homework or support.”

While high school students have guidance counselors and teachers to advise them on their application process, Fox was left to her own devices.

“It’s trial and error,” Fox says.

“When you’re coming back in your middle-30s or middle-40s, it’s like, ‘Where do I start?’ That was the hardest part: getting started.”

But Fox’s journey since beginning at UC has been worth the trouble. She expects to

graduate some time during the 2011-12 academic year.

“I think it’s going to be great,” Fox says. “I’ve been waiting a long time to do this. I’m taking what I would have taken if I could have gone after I got out of high school.”

But receiving three bachelor’s degrees will not be the end of her journey.

“I love learning; I’m not going to stop once I graduate with this,” Fox says. “I’m going to go on for a master’s and a Ph.D.” And Fox sees no limit to where those degrees will take her.

“I’d like to do forensic anthropology possibly,” Fox says.

“I’m also looking at a program at Indiana U that’s trying to preserve Native American languages that are in danger of extinction. So there are a couple of different ways — research, work for the government. Wherever the wind takes me.”

The college experience has been something Fox never thought she would have the opportunity to explore, but once she broke down the barriers holding her back, she completely changed her way of life.

“If you open yourself up to the experience and it’s something you’re really passionate about, it can be done — you’ll find ways to do it,” Fox says.

And her positive outlook is what makes her the most non-traditional student of all.

Lauren Justice | multimedia editor

GATEWAY TO LEARNING Although Fox was intimidated at first, she admits she loves learning and has waited a long time to return to school. She says she won’t stop attending UC even after receiving her three bachelor’s degrees — ­ she has plans to further her academic career and earn a master’s and Ph.D. NEWSRECORD.LIVING@GMAIL.COM | 513.556.5913

4

Weekend Edition Jan. 13 | 2011 NEWSRECORD.ORG

From giffords | 2 ambulance was on scene in the Safeway supermarket parking lot where the shooting started. Soon 11 others and three helicopters joined in, and the first patient made it to the University of Arizona trauma center within 30 minutes of the shooting.

From Gloomsday | 5 would it do us? And if it’s averted, it’s just another one to enter into the annals of unfulfilled predictions.

So let’s stop crying, let’s stop wailing and blaming and maybe start looking for solutions to all our problems. With the collective intelligence of our race, it’s hard to think that there’s anything impossible to solve.

Let’s recognize there’s a way to desalt ocean water to give to thirsty kids. Let’s understand that religions might never be reconciled with one another but that extremists are called that for a reason. Let’s stop thinking cleavage caused the Haiti earthquake and start thinking about saving us.

Because without a humanity, what would there be left to declare war on?

From BEARCATS | 8

from LEGACY | 1 Inferences might lead to an understanding that the son or daughter of a Harvard graduate would have a wealthier upbringing accompanied with a private school education. As stated by the New York Times and their academic researchers, these factors would lead to higher SAT scores.

Other data showed that “underrepresented minorities

are 4.2 times more likely” to gain college acceptance. Thomas P. Espenshade, a sociologist at Princeton, inferred that the athletic advantage applied to minorities in a study he conducted.

Undergraduate admission is generally determined by class standing, SAT/ACT scores, and the profile filled out on the university application.

FROM MLK | 1 “If this is the best the United States has to offer,” Hunter said, “then you should be asking yourself the question ‘Where and how do I get off?’ ” Ignorance and complacency about such matters is no longer excusable, Hunter said.

Hunter also challenged the audience to stand up and change the world’s current state.

“You have an ethical and moral obligation to leave this world a better place than you found it,” Hunter said. “What are you

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personally going to do differently than what was done before you to make this world a better place?”

Hunter left the podium after concluding her speech to a standing ovation from the audience.

The ceremony closed as Eric Abercrumbie, director of UC’s AACRC, read the names of victims in the recent Arizona shooting incident, which was followed by the audience joining hands for the singing of “We Shall Overcome.”

my team up,” Both teams began the game trading baskets, with neither squad able to break away from the other. But with a little more than seven minutes to play in the first half and the Bearcats ahead 17-16, the Bulls went on a 7-0 run to take a six-point lead — their largest of the game.

South Florida’s lead would not last long, as the Bearcats went on their own 19-7 run to regain the lead and enter halftime with a 37-32 lead.

“We were in the drought of all droughts to start the game and then Larry Davis and Sean Kilpatrick came in and gave us an offensive whip,” Cronin said.

The second half started out

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much like the first, with both teams trading points. With 12 minutes left on the clock and the Bearcats controlling a 12-point lead, the Bulls went on a 6-0 run to come within four of Cincinnati.

With the Bulls quickly closing on the Bearcats, Wilks took the reigns and led Cincinnati on a 10-3 run, netting eight points himself to give Cincinnati enough cushion to secure the win.

“I thought this was maybe Darnell Wilks’ best game of the year,” Cronin said.

The Bearcats return to action Saturday at noon against the No. 4 Syracuse Orange in Syracuse, N.Y.

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5

Weekend Edition Jan. 13 | 2010 NEWSRECORD.ORG

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Hope lies beyond Gloomsday

sean peters | chief reporter I have been a published hater of the rash of movie remakes for several years now. All signs seem to point to a pandemic of driedup imaginations as a cause for the unending torrent of one remake after another.

One thing I’ve noticed is the profiteering on cult classics — previously underappreciated works whose quality outlived trendier films that cashed in on passing fads.

“Glee,” I’m looking at your bastardization of “Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

Horror films have been at the head of slipshod remakes, starting in 1990 with the acceptable, yet wholly unnecessary redo of “Night of the Living Dead.”

While it was directed by Tom Savini, the longtime collaborator with the creator of the “Dead” series George A. Romero, and produced

by Romero himself, the original 1968 “Night of the Living Dead” was a milestone in horror film and needed no postscript.

Romero later admitted he allowed the film to be made only because he was not happy with the portrayal of Barbara in the original, as she was far too vulnerable and clichéd as a damsel in distress.

It is apparent this was in mind while the 1990 remake was made, as Barbara evolved from Judith O’Dea’s portrayal as a terrified blonde to Patricia Tallman’s shorthaired action heroine.

Let’s remember “Dawn of the Dead” and “Day of the Dead” were both remade later in 2004 and 2008 respectively, with “Dawn” garnering the most critical acclaim.

Let’s not remember 2006’s “Night of the Living Dead 3-D.” Not horrifying, but horrible.

Speaking of 3-D theatrical releases, one series that might benefit from the thirddimensional treatment is “Star Wars.” With a tentative 2012 release, I don’t need an excuse to watch “Star Wars” in theaters again. It’s been almost 15 years since the special editions came out in theaters, which aligns pretty closely with the start of my obsession with the galaxy far, far away.

Imagine how many friends and families will come together to see the “Star Wars” saga like they’ve never experienced it before.“Star Wars” holds relevancy across several generations, something George Lucas is well aware of.

The films will be released chronologically along the series line, meaning they’re starting with “Episode One: The Phantom Menace,”

according to starwars.com. So, purists of the original trilogy will have to wait a bit longer to get their preferred 3-D treatment, but I can guarantee you’ll even see the haters in theaters at every premiere — myself included.

Another remake on the way is “The Green Hornet.” Starring Seth Rogen and Jay Chou, this interpretation of the Green Hornet’s origin will likely not take as serious a route as Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins.”

Bruce Lee, the man who made Kato a household name, is primarily the reason “The Green Hornet” caught on.

As half of a superhero team, Kato’s role was a bit more ambiguous. He’s the Green Hornet’s chauffeur, but is the driving (no pun intended) action force in most adventures.

I’ll be interested in seeing is how they’ll portray the dichotomy between a bumbling hero (Rogen) with an expert sidekick (Chou).

It’s easy to get discouraged by these remakes, but it doesn’t indicate the death of cinema. The Coen brothers succeeded with their remake of “True Grit,” which doesn’t surprise me since they were working with Jeff “The Dude” Bridges.

Let’s just hope “Tron” isn’t remade again.

bennett nestok | The news record

The world — she is in shambles. Australia is underwater. Lebanon’s government is no more and Tunisia’s might be headed in the same direction. Haiti is still largely in ruins even one year after the earthquake that killed more than a quarter of a million people. Pakistan’s floods have been largely glossed over.

Here in America, Hurricane Katrina’s destruction is still visible. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head during an event that ultimately ended with more than a dozen people wounded a dozen dead. Glock pistol sales have, actually, seen an increase, as more people are arming themselves.

Such is the state of the world.

2012 is one year away. North Korea is said to be on the brink of, well, continuing a war that didn’t officially stop. Could the Mayan calendar have predicted this? Unlikely. But still. After being basically inundated with news of the dastardly and true prophesies, it’s become difficult to really assess the shape of humanity.

All this is happening as we Americans battle to see justice served to an Australian under “house arrest” in Britain for reportedly raping or harassing women in Sweden.

That’s not to say Julian Assange isn’t a point of contention. Despite freedom of speech and the press being the two things that allow journalists to be daring and valiant, the story becomes convoluted and murky when secrets become a bargaining chip in a case that could very well have, if it hasn’t already, irreversible international repercussions.

But enough about us, let’s be mindful of other things happening around here. And by here, I mean the earth.

Sudan’s splitting up the country. And voters “might” be being “intimidated” with “bullets” fired from “guns” as it were, despite President Omar al-Bashir’s insistence that he “would be fine” with the country splintering and breaking in half – via referendum. That comes from a country whose civil war left millions of people dead.

Mexican drug cartels are committing mass murders, leaving headless bodies near highways and killing mayors and other provincial governors with guns from U.S. border states. The Rio Grande is running red.

I find it hard to believe that I haven’t seen someone with a “The End is Neigh” sandwich sign draped over them yet.

Aside from that, the problem now isn’t so much of keeping people alive in a medical sense, it’s about having enough space on the planet for all the people who survive, according to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, a British group.

They claim overpopulation poses a greater threat than climate change, which, in itself is a quandary. That’s climate change, not global warming — I’m not getting my hands dirty in that.

Speaking of the environment, how about that old oil spill in the Gulf? And the countless birds that plummeted from the sky in Arkansas? And the dead fish? And the April eruption of Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland that brought a blanket of ash and darkness to parts of Europe? What happens next? If you haven’t told your firstborn you love them today, it’s highly recommended.

It’s disconcerting to see all of that on paper. The news that defined the last year or two more so than the last decade is a harbinger of something.

But what?

The answer is, really, nothing. Humanity is on course to be human.

At any given point, something’s happening.

Something bad. But when it all comes to a head, when it’s all measured in a certain span of time, it just looks bad. Hopeless.

Apocalyptic.

If we look at it like that, the world’s been ending for as long as we’ve been able to have the thought to begin with.

So, enough with the doom saying, the soothsaying and looking to Nostradamus to see what’s next. Even if he could predict the next misfortune, disaster or tragedy, what good would it do us? And if it’s averted, it’s just another one see gloomsday | 4

OPINION Remakes make, break industry

Focus should be on Giffords’ shooter Saturday marked a now infamous tragedy on the calendar for our nation after Jared Lee Laughner, 22, allegedly attempted to assassinate U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, Ariz.

The politician is being held in critical condition at Tucson’s University Medical Center after receiving a gunshot wound to the head during her meeting with constituents for a “Congress On Your Corner” event outside a Safeway supermarket in Tucson.

Six died and 12 were injured during the spray of gunfire, including Giffords’ staffer Gabe Zimmerman, Arizona chief federal Judge John M. Roll and 9-year-old Christina Taylor Green.

In crises such as these, it is no surprise that Americans are pointing their fingers in countless directions, searching for a party to blame for these deaths.

Is it the political media’s fault for heightening debate and rhetoric to personal attacks, rousing the population’s emotions to a dangerous level?

Is it Sarah Palin’s fault for posting an image on her Facebook page depicting cross hairs

over cities on the map where her Democratic rivals reside?

Is it the fault of Arizona’s comparatively lax gun laws that permitted Laughner to be carrying a firearm on that day?

All of these questions have been asked, and as politicians gear up STAFF for defense in the midst of EDITORIAL tragedy, one must wonder — what about the alleged shooter? Why is it so difficult for our nation to place blame on the man who pulled the trigger?

In a country where acts of internal political violence are so few and far between, is it possible that the alleged killer was simply severely mentally unstable?

The media, of course, has not overlooked this possibility. Recent findings show that sharp personality changes occurred in Laughner during and shortly after high school.

Although this could hold true for any young person, a high school friend of Laughner’s, Zach Osler, also said to an ABC News reporter,

“[Laughner] did not watch TV; he disliked the news. He didn’t listen to political radio, he didn’t take sides, he wasn’t on the left, he wasn’t on the right.” Osler added, “He wasn’t shooting people, he was shooting at the world.”

A sensible statement considering, despite the obvious political figures Laughner targeted, the vast number of seemingly random bystanders who died at Laughner’s hand. A true political assassin would probably not have as reckless.

In short, it’s certainly wise that Americans review the harsh political rhetoric that has been firing between parties, amplifying as issues become more and more personal to our society.

However, Americans also need to focus on the individual criminal at hand rather than speculate which party or online graphic put him up to the deed. Laughner will be held accountable for his own actions.

As far as we know, no one put a gun in his hand and forced him to shoot. Similarly, the more we take responsibility for our own actions, the stronger we will inevitably be as a nation.

Kasich’s budget cuts will hurt UC students Congratulations to the University of Cincinnati graduating class of 2011!

Although they will be soon leaving this great university for a job market in one of the worst conditions the U.S. has seen, they leave just in time to avoid what will seemingly be a spiraling downturn in Ohio’s education system.

It’s undisputed that newly elected Gov. John Kasich, a former Wall Street investment banker, was elected on a campaign platform which was proud of its ambitions to “cut [education] spending so we can cut taxes.”

But what will these cuts in education entail? For starters, we see ambitions to cut state subsidies of higher education, meaning university students will face higher tuition costs.

Cuts in state funding of

education will mean fewer opportunities for students and state institutions to advance.

Not to mention Gov. Kasich’s plans to cut the costs of primary and secondary LETTER TO education in the THE EDITOR state of Ohio.

Our newly elected governor has proposed shortening the school year and putting more students in each classroom so we can cut down on teachers’ salaries, completely disregarding how this will play into the efficiency of our school system.

Kasich has displayed an interest in eliminating and even consolidating some of Ohio’s school districts to cut administrative costs, taking the control of schools out of the hands of local residents and putting it in the hands of his administration.

Patricia Frost-Brooks, president of the Ohio Education Association, calls Gov. Kasich’s proposals “devastating to Ohio’s economy and Ohio’s classrooms.”

And as students, we will be the first to feel the devastating effects.

As a student, you might feel the effect of these detrimental proposals by losing a job in research you once had (as many of my friends working for their public institutions already have), seeing a decline in on-campus events or simply seeing an increase in your tuition costs.

Why should we be swayed by Gov. Kasich’s calls for education cuts as a means of “fiscal responsibility” when, just last Friday, he announced huge pay raises for his cabinet positions, some by nearly $50,000?

If we are left in a society where

education is only offered to those wealthy enough to afford it, not only will the middle- and working-class Ohioans suffer, this state will suffer, and our democracy will suffer.

Last month, the UC’s Student Government president, Drew Smith, sent an e-mail to the student body urging them to sign a petition to Gov. Kasich asking him to not cut school funding, and for that, I thank him.

But I urge you all to go beyond simply signing a letter. Speak out.

Spread the word. Join a student movement asking Gov. Kasich to keep in mind that a brighter student body means a brighter future. And remember, democracy is not a spectator sport.

Abdul Mouneimne is a second-year politcal science and inernational affairs student.

Marijuana policy reform strikes Cincinnati The United States officially declared a “War on Drugs” in 1971. Despite other narcotics posing much greater risks to public health, efforts have been focused largely on the prohibition of marijuana.

After all these years, supply and demand for marijuana has only increased (as well as organized crime, incarceration of nonviolent offenders and costs to taxpayers), leading many to the conclusion that the government is fighting a losing and unworthy battle.

This is why many individuals and organizations, such as Students for Sensible Drug Policy, support drug policy reform.

Ohio is one of just 13 states that has decriminalized marijuana possession for personal use.

Decriminalization means that such possession is a minor misdemeanor (comparable to a traffic ticket), the penalty for which is a citation and a fine of $150 — no jail time, no criminal record.

This fact might come as a surprise, since in 2007, the city of Cincinnati actually passed an ordinance re-criminalizing the possession of marijuana in any amount.

LETTER TO Until June 2011, getting THE EDITOR caught with a single joint within city limits qualifies you for jail time and a criminal record and disqualifies you from receiving state funding to attend college.

A major argument for the ordinance was that it would reduce the rate of violent crimes, but the Cincinnati Beacon reported statistics that showed that only one year after the ordinance’s passing, the numbers of murders, rapes, burglaries and robberies all increased.

Many supporters of drug policy reform expressed their discontent with this ordinance to the City Council. Justin Jeffre, political candidate and blogger behind the Cincinnati Beacon, made an impassioned speech before council in favor of repealing the ordinance.

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Members of UC’s chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy wrote to the council, expressing our support for the repeal.

For the 2011 budget, council voted 5-4 to repeal the ordinance, putting Cincinnati again under the state decriminalization law.

While drug policy reform might seem daunting to some, it has happened here in Cincinnati, and supporters are fighting for it across the country on all levels.

It’s easy to think on the large scale, but grass roots activism is the path which leads to big changes, and we all can, and should, hold our local government accountable.

The UC Students for Sensible Drug Policy is a chapter of the international organization (ssdp.org). We meet every other Monday at 5 p.m. For more information, contact UCSSDP@gmail.com.

Annie Huelefeld is a third-year philosophy student and president of UC SSDP.

6

Weekend Edition Jan. 13 | 2011 NEWSRECORD.ORG

PHOTOs BY EAMON QUEENEY AND SAM GREENE | THE NEWS RECORD

A SNOW DAY AT UC RHAPSODY IN WHITE The University of Cincinnati was recently named one of the most beautiful campuses. Canceled classes or not, UC provides for some stunning visuals when it snows.

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Weekend Edition Jan. 13 | 2011 NEWSRECORD.ORG

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From haiti | 2

Get in shape with UC tennis classes starting January 23rd. http://www.uc.edu/ce/commu.

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From sudan | 2

Haitians believe for themselves they can change their country,” he said. “There is a spiritual problem that needs to be resolved. January 12 is an opportunity to save Haiti.”

But most of all, it’s a day of remembrance and of being thankful in this deeply religious country.

Hundreds of white-clad mourners — many weeping, some shrieking with

grief — gathered for a special Mass at the base of the battered Notre Dame Cathedral and under tarps in downtown Port-au-Prince.

“Everything can stand strong again,” said Alceu Petit, 69, who lost three children, a cousin and uncle in the quake. “We recognize this day so that we can remember ... Everybody here is persevering.”

From lebanon | 2 Lebanon’s political system is divided roughly into a pro-Western coalition called March 14 and an Iranian and Syrian-backed camp called March 8. They have been at odds since the 2005 assassination.

Under the 2008 peace agreement brokered in Qatar that ended an outbreak of fighting between the two camps, Hezbollah joined with its rivals to form two consecutive governments.

In the latest dispute, Hezbollah officials and their allies said they were angered by Hariri’s refusal to convene an immediate Cabinet meeting to discuss the tribunal and other matters of state

COMMUNITY

Considering the results of the attempts to resolve the crisis and the U.S. pressures, and despite the responsiveness of the opposition that was blocked by the (government) ... we decided to make way for others to create a government that can fulfill its duties,” said Minister of Electricity Gebran Bassil, reading from a prepared statement in a televised news conference.

They demanded that Hariri try to form a new government, a process that will take time and likely worsen the security situation. In case of a prolonged political vacuum, a caretaker government

with limited powers would manage day-to-day affairs.

The opposition camp quickly demanded that Hariri try to form a new government. The senior Obama administration official said Hezbollah may be disappointed with the outcome of pulling out of the government.

“It’s not clear Hezbollah is going to be able to recreate the government in a form Hezbollah would like to see,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Los Angeles Times staff writer Paul Richter in Doha, Qatar, and special correspondent Meris Lutz in Beirut contributed to this report.

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accord ending the civil war, Abyei is supposed to be voting in its own referendum right now on whether to join the north or south, but it isn’t happening due to a dispute of whether the Misseriya are eligible to vote.

According to a U.N. official, who asked not to be named because he’s not authorized to speak on the matter, a group of Misseriya and southern security forces skirmished on Friday in Abyei, although it isn’t clear who fired the first shot. One southern soldier was killed.

Heavy fighting then broke out on Saturday and spilled into Sunday, as wellarmed Misseriya attacked southern security posts.

Both sides tell a different version of the events.

“Southern forces started shooting at some of our cattle, and so we fired back,” said Sadig Babo Nimir, a Misseriya leader in Khartoum, of the Friday encounter. He then said that on Saturday, the Misseriya positions received heavy missile bombardment from the southern side, resulting in the attacks on southern positions.

The Misseriya lost 13 people in the fighting, he said.

Southern officials said they’re fighting a northern-backed militia group.

“They are heavily armed. They have machine

guns and artilleries. That is how we know these are not normal Misseriya,” said Philip Aguer, a spokesman for southern Sudan’s military.

As many as 23 people from their side died during the fighting, southern officials said.

A high-level security meeting involving both sides’ community leaders seemed Monday to have “calmed” the Misseriya, the U.N. official said.

Leaders from both sides are due to meet Wednesday to negotiate a migration route for the Misseriya herders, who normally head south into Abyei at this time of year for pasture.

From palin | 2 of attacks, and we agree with her that the best tradition in America is one of finding common ground despite our differences.

“Still, we wish that Palin had not invoked the phrase ‘blood libel’ in reference to the actions of journalists and pundits in placing blame for the shooting in Tucson on others.

While the term ‘blood libel’ has become part of the English parlance to refer to someone being falsely accused, we wish that Palin had used another phrase, instead of one so fraught with pain in Jewish history.”

Early Wednesday, Palin posted a lengthy video on the Web in which she defended the provocative speech employed by her and other conservatives — and condemned the violence in Arizona. Yet she also strongly pushed back at any notion that inflamed and sometimes gun-laden rhetoric played any role in the attack. She called allusions to that effect “irresponsible.”

Last year, Palin’s political operation targeted Giffords’ district in a map that

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critics said were gun sights, but a Palin aide argued earlier this week were surveyor’s marks. That map immediately became a focus of controversy in the wake of the shootings, with some directly blaming Palin for the attacks.

Prominent conservatives rallied around Palin and the terms “blood libel” soon began circulating — and some were angry that Palin wasn’t more urgently defended by party leaders.

“To the gutless GOP establishment who watches in silence the blood libel against” Palin, wrote commentator Andrew Brietbart Tuesday evening, hours before Palin’s statement was posted. “We will be watching.”

And although she was criticized by some on her Facebook page, the power of Palin’s appeal to her admirers was also on full display. Within hours, more than 25,000 people had expressed their support for her remarks.

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Weekend Edition Jan. 13 | 2011 NEWSRECORD.ORG

tickel your

FANCY

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UC hoops: Back in business?

Following Cincinnati’s dominating, 20-point blowout of rival Xavier, the question I found myself begging the answer for was: is Bearcats basketball back?

Throughout the course of the past three seasons, UC has been in a college basketball abyss, failing to even reach the conversation for garnering an NCAA tournament berth since the departure of former head coach Bob Huggins.

Meanwhile, less than five miles from the UC campus, a blue empire was born — Xavier, Cincinnati’s most-despised rival. The Musketeers have reached three consecutive Sweet 16’s at the tournament and qualified for the big dance five consecutive years.

Times have been hard for the UC fan base to say the least; Thursday’s win eased some of the pain.

The victory shed light on one distinctive advantage Cincinnati had throughout the Shootout: depth. This was typically an Achilles’ heel for the Bearcats in recent seasons while head coach Mick Cronin was rebuilding the program.

“Like coach [Cronin] says, ‘We’ve got a lot of players on the bench that could be somewhere else and start,’ ” said senior forward Darnell Wilks.“With the talent we have coming off the bench, it’s hard for other teams to compete with.”

Xavier’s Tu Holloway entered the rivalry game pacing Xavier with 21.3 points per game and drawing comparisons to one of college basketball’s leading scorers.

“Holloway is playing as good as anybody in America not named Kemba Walker,” Cronin said.

But after 2-of-13 shooting and a five-point effort against UC, he might be regarded as one of the biggest choke artists in college basketball.

Cincinnati wore him down with size, physicality and depth on defense. Guards Dion Dixon, Larry Davis and Sean Kilpatrick all have at least three inches on Holloway and took turns putting a hand in his face.

Sunday’s 72-61 loss at No. 7 Villanova might elicit a blunt “no”to my opening question, but that’s illogical to me.

The Bearcats fell behind by 21 points in the second half against the Wildcats while facing the fiercest full-court pressure they have seen to this point in the season. They also had to deal with poor officiating.

Despite all the adversity for the then-undefeated Bearcats, they managed to fight and claw their way back into the game, trimming the deficit to seven points before falling short.

“Nobody was giving up on each other,”Wilks said. “We still have fight. There was a time in my freshman year when that lead could have kept building and building.”

The current squad has an X factor that Cronin’s teams have lacked up to this point in his five-year tenure: heart.

No Cincinnati team since the Huggins era has played with as much grit and dedication as this season’s group.

The main factor for this is the veteran leadership the Bearcats have this season. With rebuilding the program like he has had to, Cronin has yet to have that before this year.

Six seniors and two juniors provide the glue for Cincinnati.

Two of those seniors, Wilks and Davis, have humbly and willingly welcomed coming off the bench to provide a spark.

“Me and Larry, being seniors, we know our roles,” Wilks said. “We accepted that.

Personally, it really doesn’t matter to me as long as I can come in and contribute mostly defensively and rebounding.”

These Bearcats are the most unselfish team I’ve seen in years. They all know their duties and are content regardless of how much playing time they receive. They fully grasp just how scarce minutes are on this talented team.

Only the rigors of the upcoming daunting Big East schedule will determine if Cincinnati garners elite status in the nation’s best and deepest conference.

SPORTS 3-game road stretch awaits UC sam Elliott | Sports Editor The Bearcats played outside of Fifth Third Arena just four times through their first 15 games of the season, using the friendly confines of their home court to help string together 15-straight wins to begin the year.

Cincinnati’s first loss came in its first conference road trip of the season, a meeting with Villanova at The Pavilion in Philadelphia Sunday.

After rebounding at home against South Florida, the Bearcats play their next three games on the road — two against top-11 opponents.

“The issue [is] you can conceivably play well and lose two out of three, one out of three or all three,” said head coach Mick Cronin. “Welcome to my world.”

The Bearcats’ only three-game tour of the season begins Saturday

at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y., against the unbeaten and No. 4 Orange.

“I like the fact that we physically match up with them.

From a physical standpoint, we can match up with people,” Cronin said. “For us, it’s going to be a matter of execution. We’ve got to have great toughness and we’ve got to have great execution to beat a team that’s undefeated and obviously one of the best teams in the country.”

UC visits No. 11 Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., Wednesday before facing St. John’s Jan. 22 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Cronin has preached the importance of winning at home.

Next comes stealing wins on the road, an ability improved along a season’s experiences.

“Early on, usually the home teams prevail quite a bit and then it seems to loosen up. Maybe kids get used to playing in the tougher environments on the road as the season goes on,” Cronin said. “Are we ready for it? We’ll see. I take them one at a time.”

The Bearcats learned a valuable lesson from their first league road match, one they’ll take with them entering their upcoming stretch of road games.

“We know that on the road, it’s going to be hard playing in environments like we did at Villanova,” said redshirt freshman Sean Kilpatrick, who scored 11 points against the Wildcats.

“With the refs, they’re not really going to give us much. We’ve got to fight through it and we have to find a way to get the win.”

BENCH LEADS BEARCATS

TO WIN SAM WEINBERG | SPORTS EDITOR

F

ollowing their first loss of the season Sunday, the No. 25 Cincinnati Bearcats returned to their winning ways Wednesday, with a 74-66 win against the University of South Florida at Fifth Third Arena.

Despite the Big East’s best defense facing USF’s struggling offense that averages a conference-low 62.5 points per game, the win did not come easily.

“We’ll take a win any way that’s necessary in the Big East,” said Cincinnati forward Darnell Wilks. “It’s hard to win games in the Big East. It was an ugly game, but I felt like we came out and fought in the second half and we got the win.”

The Bearcats’ depth proved to be the difference maker, with 39 points coming from the bench and 10 UC players getting on the scoreboard.

“Obviously, it’s nice to get 39 bench points, and it’s always a plus as a coach to get that many points off your bench,” said Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin. “We’ve all got 13 scholarships and you’ve got to play them.”

Cincinnati guard Sean Kilpatrick led the team, coming off the bench to record a game-high 18 points while Wilks scored a season-high 12 points off the bench to tie his career high.

“That’s my job,” Kilpatrick said. “That’s all I try to do is lift see BEARCATS | 4

SAM GREENE | ONLINE EDITOR PAT STRANG | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

SPARK OFF BENCH Sean Kilpartick scored a game-high 18 points in 23 minutes off the bench against South Florida Wednesday, making four 3-pointers.

AUTOMATIC AT STRIPE Darnell Wilks tied his career high with 12 points Wednesday against the Bulls. The senior made all eight of his attempts from the free-throw line and forced a game-high four steals for Cincinnati.

LAX 2011 schedule set SAM WEINBERG | SPORTS EDITOR

Entering its fourth season, the University of Cincinnati women’s lacrosse team will once again play a rigorous schedule.

In their upcoming 2011 season, the Lady Cats will face six teams ranked in the final 2010 Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse College Association’s top-20 poll.

Last season, the Bearcats also played six top-20 teams, finishing the season 5-12 and 0-8 in Big East play.

“Once, again we have a tough schedule lined up,” said Cincinnati head coach Lellie Swords.

“We are excited for the 2011 season and the challenges that lie ahead.”

The Bearcats will open their season with a four-game road trip beginning Feb. 13 against Jacksonville University. UC will then travel to play Davidson, High Point and NCAA tournament qualifier Vanderbilt before retuning home.

Cincinnati opens its 2011 home schedule against Oregon March 6. The Bearcats will play two more games at Nippert Stadium against Detroit and No. 16 Stanford before going back on the road to face Duquesne and the team’s first Big East match against Louisville.

The Bearcats will finish the season in Big East play with five of their seven remaining opponents ranked in the top-20, starting with No. 13 Loyola (Md.) at home and No. 8 Georgetown on the road.

Cincinnati will host Villanova and No. 18 Rutgers before traveling to face Connecticut and No. 10 Syracuse.

The Lady Bearcats will play their final game of the season at home against No. 14 Notre Dame — the team’s final home game at Nippert Stadium. Beginning in 2012, the team will host its home matches at the Jefferson Avenue Sports Complex.

If the Bearcats qualify, the 2011 Big East Tournament begins May 7 in Washington, D.C. “Playing teams that advanced to the 2010 NCAA tournament, including conference teams such as Georgetown, Notre Dame and Syracuse only helps our program develop,” Swords said. “Our team is ready to have a breakout season.

Eamon Queeney | Photo Editor

CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT HOPES The Cincinnati Bearcats have failed to qualify for the Big East tournament in their first four seasons. Conference play begins March 27 against Louisville.

OPEN 10:30AM 3:30AM EVERY DAY CLICK HERE!

Sam Greene | Online Editor

BIG EAST BATTLES UC’s next three games are on the road — two against top-11 teams.

513-475-9999 SPORTS.NEWSRECORD@GMAIL.COM | 513.556.5909

IN BRIEF

MEN’S SOCCER TRIO EARNS ALL-OHIO HONORS University of Cincinnati midfielder Matt Bahner earned first-team honors, while forward Nick Weightman and center back Roger Thompson were named to the all-Ohio second team by the Ohio Soccer Coaches Association.

Bahner was also named to the Jewish Sports Review’s all-America first team Tuesday. The junior led the Bearcats with seven goals and six assists in 2010 and earned all-Big East second team honors after leading UC to the conference tournament semifinals.

Weightman totaled four goals and two assists during his senior season at Cincinnati, including the Bearcats’ lone regulation goal against No. 7 Connecticut before advancing in penalty kicks in the Big East quarterfinals.

Thompson started every game of his sophomore season — his first at Cincinnati after transferring from Graceland University. He helped anchor a UC defense that allowed just 14 goals in 19 matches.

WOMEN’S SOCCER ADDS ASSISTANT COACH After serving as a volunteer assistant last season, Tiffany Roberts has been hired as a full-time assistant coach with the Bearcats women’s soccer team.

A 2007 graduate of Santa Clara University, Roberts was a four-year starter at midfield and helped lead the Broncos to four NCAA College Cup appearances, including a trip to the 2004 Final Four.

“Tiffany has played at the highest level and we are thrilled to have her share her experience with our players,” said UC head coach Michelle Salmon. “As a coach, she understands the game.

Her passion to better players and teach the game is a tremendous asset to our program.”