TNR 11.23.11

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

THE NEWS RECORD WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 23 | 2011

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TO OKLAHOMA! spotlight | 3

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131 YEARS IN PRINT VOL. CXXXI ISSUE XIX

BACK IN BUSINESS

Explosion at GE Aviation, UC affiliate RYAN HOFFMAN | SENIOR REPORTER Firefighters extinguished a large fire Monday evening at the Aviation — a University of Cincinnati affiliate — in Evendale.

Evendale fire fighters arrived on the scene at 4:43 p.m., minutes after the fire was called in. The fire was under control in about 30 minutes, said Evendale Fire Chief Rick Cruse.

“With the building configuration and location, it was easy to access and there was no problem whatsoever,” said Cruse.

No other buildings or property were damaged in the fire and all GE employees were accounted for unharmed ,said Rick Kennedy, spokesman for GE Aviation.

Nine other fire departments showed up to aid the battle, but only four or five were actually used and the rest were sent home, Cruse said.

Cruse credited the GE staff of firefighters, engineers and security personnel who made the building accessible and turned off the utilities immediately following the explosion.

“They were on top of everything,” Cruse said.

The fire started after an explosion in the building that stores large compressors and machinery used for testing aviation parts. Luckily no one was inside the building at the time of the explosion.

Contrary to previous reports, the explosion occurred in the 401A building, not the 300 building.

The 401A building suffered severe structural damage — two of the concrete walls were blown out in the explosion and the roof was destroyed, Kennedy said.

At this point it’s impossible to know what the cause of the explosion was or what the cost of the incident will be, Kennedy and Cruse said.

“It’s going to depend on what the findings are to know how long it will actually take to nail down the cause,” Cruse said.

Much of the six million-square-foot plant has been under construction over the past year, including renovations of old buildings — some of which date back to the 1950s.

SEE GE AVIATION | 7

Stroke studies expand

FILE ART | THE NEWS RECORD

STILL ON TRACK Though an explosion occurred at a building at the GE Aviation plant in Evendale, the partnership between UC and GE remains intact and unaffected.

IMAGE COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

COURTNEY DANSER | TNR CONTRIBUTOR

KYLE STONE | TNR CONTRIBUTOR

The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital (CCH) are collaborating in an effort to streamline clinical neuroscience research to develop new drugs, devices and treatments for patients in need.

The Network for Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials (NeuroNEXT) — a National Institutes of Health (NIH) program — chose UC as one of 25 clinical sites across the United States to participate in the project.

CinciNEXT as the UC chapter of the program is named aims to both further research and improve treatments for neurological disorders while giving students the chance to work alongside experts.

“CinciNEXT will extend job opportunities to students at the university,” explains Laura Sauerbeck, coordinator for the university.

“It is an evolved process and takes a lot of time, but it supports the infrastructure to make it happen; it will open up the need for study coordinators to general patients.”

This project will not cost the university a dime; in fact, it will actually generate money, Sauerbeck said.

CinciNEXT will also receive approximately $2.2 million from the National Institution of Neurological Disorders and Stroke over seven years to administer and staff the project.

The project is funded through the $10.4 billion NIH received from the Recovery Act signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2009.

CinciNEXT is conducted by Dr. Pooja Khatri, who serves as the principal investigator for UC, director of acute stroke care for the Greater Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky Stroke Team and also is an associate professor of neurology at UC. Dr. Tracy Glauser — an expert SEE STROKE | 7 INSIDE

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Opinion Spotlight Nation & World Sports Entertainment Classifieds

TO CURB DRINKING Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser, in an attempt to hinder public intoxication and violent or criminal behavior, has proposed regulations on get-togethers exceeding 10 attendees for Miami University students.

RIGHT TO PARTY

MU faces permit policy for more than 10 people

Oxford officials propose permit policy for partying hard LANCE LAMBERT | SENIOR REPORTER

Underage drinking in Oxford, Ohio, has Butler County officials contemplating a clampdown.

The Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser has proposed to impose a policy to force anyone having a party with alcohol involving 10 or more people to apply for a “party permit.”

“This is just an idea; [there is] no timeline,” Gmoser said. “The good thing about the idea is it has gotten people to talk about the problem.”

The policy would only be for the Oxford community — the home to Miami University — and would face plenty of legal questions, Gmoser said.

“This idea would face a slew of legislative questions, involving freedom of assembly and other rights,” Gmoser said.“[But] the idea is workable.”

The policy is a proposed deterrent against rowdy behavior and sexual assaults on the campus, Gmoser said. In May of last year, the Pi Beta Phi sorority received a one-year suspension and the Alpha Xi Delta’s sorority received a two-year suspension after the sororities’ events — both off campus — were ridden with intoxicated vomiting.

“Alcohol should not be a rite of passage to adulthood,” Gmoser said. “Every Friday and Saturday night, we see in the reports an unconscious girl was raped or some intoxicated person walked in front of a train or car, or some student ends up in the emergency room as a result of alcohol consumption.”

KARA DRISCOLL | SENIOR REPORTER

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Miami University Police already have strict enforcement of underage drinking laws, but are limited by campus jurisdictions.

“Most parties happen off campus, and often students will drink at bars or other locations which our police force does not have jurisdiction over,” said Lt. Ben Spilman of the MU police.

The force has taken an education and enforcement approach toward underage drinking, Spilman said.

“MU freshmen must take an alcohol education SEE PERMIT | 7

COURTESY OF PAIGE HARRISON

HOW TO DRINK Miami University freshmen must take alcohol-education classes to prevent alcohol related violence and sexual abuse.

Some Americans believe immigrants steal American jobs, but one University of Cincinnati researcher says most immigrants are out to create their own.

The term immigrant is one of much controversy in the United States.

In 2009, foreign-born people made up 12.5 percent of the total U.S. population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

This has hastily led people to believe that immigrants come to the United States and steal jobs from Americans, said Leila Rodriguez, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Cincinnati.

However, a UC researcher is in the midst of dispelling this common perception.

“I wanted to bring attention to the fact that the immigration phenomenon is much wider and complex than just ‘Mexicans in the United States,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez has done extensive research on the Nigerian business community in America. What she has found is that, rather than stealing already existing jobs in the United States, Nigerians come here to start their own businesses.

Although African immigrants make up only a small portion of all immigrants in the U.S., Rodriguez said she finds them interesting because most of them are highly educated and entrepreneurial.

Instead of being rejected by the U.S. job market and forced into self-employment like many other immigrants, they choose this path because they were already entrepreneurs in their native country, Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez researched these small business owners for one year in New York City to determine how they assimilate into this globalized world.

“I trace how Nigerian immigrants come with the African model in mind, but do not just passively adopt Western business ideals,” Rodriguez said. “Instead, they pick and choose what is most useful to them from both models to create something that looks new.”

Rodriguez said she hopes that SEE IMMIGRATION | 7

Rouan has big plans for College of Medicine

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A College of Medicine alumnus has returned to the UC medical campus to lead colleagues and students into a global medical environment.

Dr. Gregory Rouan will serve the University of Cincinnati as the permanent chair of internal medicine.

Rouan will replace Dr. Bradley Brittigan, who left the university in June to become dean of the University of Nebraska’s College of Medicine.

The appointment is effective Jan. 1, 2012 — just seven months from the original date he was named the interim chair for the department.

“It is a distinguished honor to become the chair,” Rouan said.

“It is an opportunity that availed itself and was very much at a time that was optimal for me and certainly congruent with the needs of the department, college and university.”

A 1980 alumnus of the College of Medicine, Rouan is dedicated to advancing the accolades and excellence of the university.

“With collaboration and innovation we will become the leader of improving the health of our local and global community,” Rouan said.

Rouan plans to achieve this goal by implementing a plan to focus the department on faculty development and communication enhancement. The goal is to build upon previous successes relevant to the faculty and allow the faculty to obtain goals they look to achieve, he said.

“The most valued asset of any

organization is its human resources,” Rouan said.

Rouan stressed the need for communication among the department, ROUAN school, physicians and students. The department publishes a biweekly newsletter with the intent of communicating to a wide community. The broad communication goal is extended through the newsletter.

“It allows us to communicate what we’re teaching, how we’re doing and what the next steps are,” Rouan said.

In addition to implementing goals for faculty development and communication, Rouan is focused on strengthening research. The College of Medicine dominates the UC research expenditure,

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absorbing 53.1 percent of the total funding for the university.

And with annual research funding down at UC, Rouan plans to combat the setback with collaboration.

“We plan to promote continued innovation in biomedical research by going back to the fundamentals. We must allow our faculty and trainees to collaborate on research together, understanding what each other bring to the table,” he said.

The department of internal medicine is particularly poised to continue to advance research for cardiovascular and cancer interests, Rouan said.

Though the College of Medicine has an array of developing research projects, SEE ROUAN | 7

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Thanksgiving Edition November 23 | 2011 NEWSRECORD.ORG

CAPITOL CRITIC JASON

HOFFMAN

Federal indecision continues This time of year, when everyone is focused on what they are thankful for as part of reflection and gaining perspective, I offer you something to not be thankful for — the United States Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction or “supercommittee” as it has come to be known.

Birthed as the bipartisan brainchild of President Barack Obama and his Washington, D.C. ilk, the committee was set in motion this past month to seek out solutions to the $1.5 trillion operating deficit of the federal government over the next decade.

The plan was simple: allow Democrats and Republicans to appoint a total of 12 members from the Senate (six from each party) and allow them the full breadth of legislating our future debt away.

Unfortunately, there are several problems with this grand strategy.

First, the idea of this committee that would enact legislation outside of the usual channels (Congressional vote, Senate ratification and presidential signature) is not only simultaneously inane and insane it is unconstitutional.

Secondly, the naïve thought that 12 men and women from separate political sides of the proverbial aisle would actually come to an agreement on the issues of federal spending and taxation is once again ridiculous.

I understand why the president would want to erect this committee — to end the gridlock in the House of Representatives and Senate — but this is yet another case of good initiative marrying bad judgment with a little Constitutional meddling thrown in for color.

Whenever you take 12 members of any political entity that are not aligned, in-fighting and childish behavior are bound to ensue — and maybe even some comedy along the way.

Hilarity ensues when there is no compromise and the childish finger pointing begins, reminding Americans that we waste our tax dollars paying bloated salaries to members of the political elite who pander to their outlier bases.

For instance, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. and Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio will never agree on how to solve debt problems. Murray, a liberal Democrat from the uppernorthwest would like to see taxes increased on the rich while Portman believes that taxing the rich limits job creation, therefore limiting government revenue — income from said taxation.

So, in this overcomplicated game of political posturing, who’s right?

I don’t know. I do know that the philosophy of tax and spend has not worked out so well in recent years, see: unemployment, inflation and debt increases, I also know that this grand plan of a “supercommittee” is not the answer.

The national debt, currently more than $15 trillion and rising, is not going to be reduced by both increasing taxation spending, no matter how noble the intentions behind another stimulus or bailout – it makes no sense.

That would be like continuing to accept credit card offers after maxing out other credit cards while telling your boss he has to pay you more for no reason.

With Congressional ratings at an all-time low and President Obama’s approval rating has struggled to rise above 40 percent since his first year in office, it’s difficult to justify funding even more ideas coming from the beltway.

Instead, let the legislative and executive branches duke it out over the next year and find out what Americans think come next November.

If a solution to the debt problem isn’t sorted out with the current leadership, maybe the next group will work it out – or maybe not.

Choosing sides is for activists and financiers, not journalists.

So I leave that up to you, the reader.

It’s your responsibility to do your research, pick a side and get involved – our constitutional republic is worth more than the 12 members of our latest federal boondoggle.

OPINION Alternative power, UC’s future AMY TOWNSEND-SMALL The student-led push to close the University of Cincinnati coal-fired power plant is gaining momentum, leading to some important questions. Namely, how exactly could we wean ourselves from coal while preserving jobs and high academic profile?

As a professor with a research laboratory at UC (where my group and I measure changes in the global carbon cycle and greenhouse gas emissions), I understand very well the need for a stable power supply on campus. The hospitals certainly rely on this stable source of power.

There are, however, steps that UC should take to reduce our reliance on fossil fuel energy, while maintaining, and even enhancing, the research facilities on campus. The university should also be a resource to the community by invitation and demonstration of sustainable energy policies.

Current and future fund-raising efforts by the university should focus on enhancing research on renewable energy. My alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin, has recently opened a large, state-ofthe-art facility for studying and growing algae for on-site biofuel production.

This facility will provide research opportunities for students and faculty and helps to cement the university’s reputation as a global

leader in studies of energy resources. Here at UC, we have a great opportunity to be pioneers in studies of sustainable, renewable energy.

Algae are one of the most promising energy resources of the future. These species need water and nutrients to grow, and here in the LETTER TO Valley, we have very THE EDITOR Ohio rich resources of both, nearly unparalleled in the United States. We also have growing research programs on campus focused on harnessing the power of photosynthesis for fuel.

Another promising alternative energy source is biogas, or natural gas produced by living organisms. Other states, such as California, have made great advances in powering infrastructure with biofuels.

Here in Cincinnati, we have large landfills producing copious amounts of methane, a portion of which is burned or released into the atmosphere. Another potential source of biogas is municipal wastewater treatment plants.

Currently, most wastewater treatment plants harness the power of microbes to convert organic carbon in waste to carbon dioxide, but other microbial processes could produce methane to supplement our campus’ power supply.

Increased efficiency in campus buildings will also reduce our reliance on fossil fuel power sources. As just one, small example,

an investment in more efficient fume hoods in laboratories on other university campuses has cut energy consumption in those facilities by up to 50 percent.

UC has a world-renowned campus in terms of diversity of architecture. The installation of solar panels on campus buildings would further raise our profile as innovators.

While these panels would only partially offset our carbon footprint, it would make a bold statement to the regional community that we are willing to take steps to reduce our reliance on coal. Plus, alumni and community members, making for a fun fund raising campaign, could individually sponsor solar panels.

Finally, UC should take steps to reduce the number of cars driven to campus every day.

Many campuses have large, free shuttles that serve every portion of the city, whereas here in Cincinnati, our shuttles mainly serve commuters that would likely walk to campus anyway.

Many of us live in far-flung regions of the metropolitan area and spend considerable time and money commuting. An enhanced shuttle service would prove our campus’ commitment to sustainability in Cincinnati through expanded public transportation.

Amy Townsend-Small is an assistant professor of geology and physics at the University of Cincinnati.

FEDERAL HEALTH CARE LAW’S CURIOUS CASE

Social Security needs cost of living boost SHERROD BROWN Belle is a 90-year-old resident of Cuyahoga County who, like so many other seniors, has lived a longer and healthier life because of Medicare and Social Security. But Belle’s income and Social Security benefits barely cover the costs of hearing aids, eye glasses, prescription medications, and rising energy and housing expenses.

Simply put, Belle’s Social Security check, like that of other seniors, has lost its value over the years. That’s because while seniors’ energy, food, and prescription drug costs have increased over the past three years, they’ve only received a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Social Security this past year.

That’sbecauseofanoutdatedandflawedformula for calculating COLAs that does not accurately reflect the real costs facing our nation’s seniors.

Last month, the Social Security Administration announced that seniors would get their first COLA increase in more than two years. But while seniors will finally receive a COLA in 2012, the increase is less than it should be to meet current expenses.

Right now, COLAs are based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). But the groups included in the CPI-W only represent about 32 percent of the U.S. population. It measures the costs of younger, employed individuals – and does not reflect seniors’ expenses, forcing them

to pay rising bills with inadequate COLAs. That’s why I recently introduced the “Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act”. The Act would formalize an already existing Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E) to calculate COLAs for people who are more than 62 years of age, which would more LETTER TO accurately reflect the THE EDITOR needs of today’s seniors.

The CPI-E would take into account seniors’ specific consumption habits and costs of living — adjusting for health care, energy,andfoodcostsforseniors—andthenbeused to determine COLAs for Social Security benefits.

The average person who retired in 1985 received a monthly benefit of approximately $887.27 under the CPI-W in 2009. Under the CPI-E, that senior would have received $954.52 — a difference of $66.25 per month or $795 over the course of one year.

Too many seniors who have worked hard and played by the rules depend on Social Security to help pay for necessities. For others, Social Security has become their sole, or majority, source of retirement income — the result of a financial crisis that wiped out retirees’ pensions, IRAs and 401Ks. I believe we need to reduce the deficit for our children and grandchildren. But I don’t think we should balance the budget at the expense of their parents and grandchildren. Instead of cutting Social Security, I’m fighting to reduce

spending by ending tax loopholes for companies that send American jobs overseas, cancelling taxpayer-funded subsidies for big oil companies and extra breaks for wealthy investors.

We can solve America’s deficit problem without creating an even greater deficit of resources for America’s seniors.

We know that the COLA for seniors is already too low because it is based on the cost of living for a working person — if you’re 70 years old you are more likely to have higher health care costs than a 30-year-old. Yet, despite the fact that Social Security does not contribute to the budget deficit, some Washington politicians want to make COLAs even smaller.

Belle witnessed the creation of Social Security in 1935 and paid into the program throughout her working life. Now, when she and so many others need Social Security the most, some politicians are threatening to make further cuts to the benefits seniors have earned and so rightly deserve. In the 1960s, President John F. Kennedy said, “changes in our population, in our working habits, and in our standard of living require constant revisions.” He anticipated necessary improvements for senior citizens like Belle.

It’s time we ensure seniors receive the benefits they deserve – and so desperately need.

Sherrod Brown is a Democratic Senator from Ohio.

Holidays: time for family not consumerism Black Friday sales strategies ruin holiday meaning

The holidays are supposed to be a time of giving, a time with family and, at the very least, a time of relaxation. We expect to be able to take a few days to collect ourselves from the everyday grind.

But that’s not always the case for some.

Some blue-collar Americans are expected to work holiday hours for the greater good of the company.

But the last time we checked, this was an individualist culture, not a collectivist culture.

As Americans, we are granted certain freedoms and guaranteed certain luxuries. The holidays are a haven for the American laborer, just like summer is a haven for the American student.

But companies like Target and Walmart don’t see it that way.

Recently, retail stores such as Target, Walmart, Best Buy and Kohl’s Corp. announced they will open doors for Black Friday shopping earlier than ever before.

Target is requiring workers to begin

shifts at 11 p.m. Thanksgiving Day and Walmart is starting even earlier at 10 p.m.

In response, a Nebraska man started an online petition to “save Thanksgiving” for American workers. In starting his petition, Anthony Hardwick said, “A midnight opening robs the hourly and in-store salary workers of time off with their families onThanksgiving Day. By opening the doors at midnight, Target is requiring team members to be in the store by 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. A full holiday with family is not just for the elite of this nation — all Americans should be able to break bread with loved ones and get a good night’s rest on Thanksgiving!”

Hardwick’s petition concluded by asking Americans to, “Join me in calling for Target retail stores to push back their original opening time of 5 a.m. on Black Friday.”

Hardwick’s petition has, so far, accumulated 194,000 online signatures — and rightfully so. For one thing, full-time workers get very

OPINION.NEWSRECORD@GMAIL.COM | 513.556.5913

little vacation time outside of the holidays.

We can’t be expected to work year-round without either having a mental breakdown or becoming ill during times of great stress.

Secondly, an integral part of the holidays is the fact that these are the only times of the year STAFF almost everyone EDITORIAL when has the time to visit with loved ones. For example, a son living in Dallas can’t just pick up and travel to Washington whenever he feels like it. But having a few days of personal time (Christmas, Easter, etc.) allows us to move about freely and spend those 24-48 hours with the people who raised or grew up with us. Taking that away takes away the idea of traditional family more than any separation or nontraditional mingling.

The holidays are a cherished time for the majority of us and they need to be protected.

They say don’t bring your baggage to work, but the opposite should remain true as well.

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SPOTLIGHT

Thanksgiving Edition Nov. 23 | 2011 NEWSRECORD.ORG

OOH-KLAHOMA! KLAHOMA! BACKSTAGE PASS

COURTESY OF MARK LYONS

One University of Cincinnati student takes a backstage look at the College-Conservatory of Music production of one of America’s most beloved musicals of all time.

JASMINE EVANS | STAFF REPORTER

its own. Random lines and versus’ from show tunes can be heard in between the coded conversations.

Shortened speech like,“You look gorge [gorgeous] today,” Though the tap dancing cowboys and the dozens of the other stars of “Oklahoma!” are the audience’s main focus, or “That jacket is so hein [heinous,]” can be heard constantly.

As soon as it’s time to go on stage, however, the magic stars of an entirely different nature lurk behind the curtains begins. The transformation from average student to potential of the Corbett Auditorium -- the backstage masterminds.

“Oklahoma!,”set in 1906, tells the story of love, betrayal and Broadway star is a long one. It usually takes between 30 and life in the heart of middle America. But let’s be serious, the 50 minutes just to get wigs and makeup completed.

After hair and make up are complete, the actors and real show is what’s happening off and around the stage. With a 30-person orchestra, 24 wigs and more than 100 costume actresses roam barefoot from one dressing room to the next in their 1900’s-style attire while singing warm-up scales, pieces to keep up with, the“Oklahoma!”crew surprisingly had drinking coffee from holiday-themed Starbucks cups and everything prepared promptly. Full dress rehearsals started fighting over who can go to the bathroom next. only five days before opening night.

When things go wrong, the entertainment factor of That’s five days to get every light, microphone, costume backstage is heightened. When catastrophe strikes, everyone and scene change perfect for when there is a full audience in the house, which means the pressure is high for not only the knows it.

Stocked with bobby pins, spirit gum, makeup remover performers, but the crew as well. and needles and thread, the crew is always ready to repair Behind the scenes, technicians stole the show in their own right. Hardworking with a lot to gossip about, the any mishaps that come their way. In “Oklahoma!” alone, there were countless miniature disasters along the way, but backstage crew creates a setting that’s the audience would never know. like sitting in a glammed As a member of the women’s ensemble was up version of a high school walking to go on stage to perform cafeteria.

Countless “Oklah her next number, she got a MacBooks, iPhones and oma!,” set in 1 story o nosebleed. Next, a hook on a playing cards can be seen 906, te f love, b lls the skirt fell off during the middle etrayal sprawled through the of midd and life of a performance while the actor hallways and floors of the le Ame in t h e heart rica. Bu was on stage. dressing rooms. the rea t let’s b l show e Thanks to the walkie-talkie s e While hyped up r io is what us, ’s happ headsets, word travels fast, so the on vending machine and ar e ning off ound t ensemble was able to call upon a snacks, being on the set he sta substitute while the nosebleed was ge. of “Oklahoma!” is like a remedied and the skirt was repaired continuous sugar high. right away.

With call times as early as noon and Luckily, each crew has a as late as midnight, it takes an energetic person just designated color to help identify to survive. their stations.

For “Oklahoma!”he costume and Since “Oklahoma!” was a relatively low-maintenance show compared to CCM’s earlier, more scenic production wardrobe crew wore yellow, members from wig and make “Coram Boy,” the crew could be seen spending time with off- up wore pink, while those in lighting crew were strapped stage actors as they compared life stories of being related to in neon green rock climbing-esque harnesses to help differentiate everyone dressed in black. celebrities and fabulous trips to Paris — all the while making It’s not just wardrobe that deals with miniature disasters, unofficial plans for post-performance food at Buffalo Wild however.

Wings or for house parties.

When the scenic crew was moving the house from stage “Imagine working and having your manager walk in on you in your underwear getting dressed,”said Ally O’Connell, a right to onstage a table knocked over, creating a loud slam third-year stage management student and personal wardrobe that wasn’t a part of the production; when a lead performer’s assistant. “In any other profession, you would get sued for microphone was ruined, a replacement was soon installed.

“Mics can be tricky depending on the play,” said Jessica sexual harassment, but as a stage manager working in theater Walling, a third-year costume design studnet.“A fun fact it’s normal.” about it is to keep the mics from getting damaged and wet The cast and crew are so comfortable working with each other that it’s not uncommon for the cast to strut around in from sweat, the sound crew wrap them in condoms to keep them protected.” their undergarments.

It’s not just the clothes and the songs that make the show “Of course we have fun at work, we play,” O’Connell said. spectacular; the choreography is something that also must “It’s like getting paid to hang out with your friends.” be taken into account.

To an outsider, the life of musical theater is a world of

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COURTESY OF MARK LYONS

BACK TO 1906 CCM transported its audiences back to 1906 during its production of “Oklahoma!”

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“I based a good deal of the choreography on the original

by Agnes Demille,” said “Oklahoma!” director Diane Lala.“It is difficult to say how long it takes to choreograph a show. For example, the“Dream Ballet”for“Oklahoma!”is fifteen minutes long. I would estimate that about an hour of prep would equal one minute stage time.”

Whether it is the scene where Jud tries to stab Curly with a knife or the wrestling fight between Ado Annie and Gertie, those moves don’t just come out of thin air.

“Dance expresses what words and singing cannot,” Lala said. “It is because of this that “Oklahoma!” is still one of the most loved musicals of all time.”

The appreciation for the art, seeing all of the hard work that goes into a two hour long production and even having the opportunity to talk to the performers and directors made America’s long lasting love of “Oklahoma!” clear.

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COURTESY OF MARK LYONS

ALL-AMERICAN MUSICAL During its Nov. 17 through Nov. 20

production of “Oklahoma!” the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati told a classic story of love, betrayal and life in the heart of middle America. The musical, which originally opened on Broadway in 1943, tells a story that has withstood the test of time.

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Thanksgiving Edition November 23 | 2011 NEWSRECORD.ORG

NATION & WORLD

ROBYN DIXON | LOS ANGELES TIMES

ESCAPING SOMALI WAR

DEATH TO LIFE He now wanders the streets of Mombasa, Kenya, but a year ago Abdi was training to kill.

Trained as suicide bomber in Somalia, boy escaped to Kenya ROBYN DIXON | LOS ANGELES TIMES When his parents were killed in a rocket attack, the only person to show a lonely Somali boy named Abdi any kindness or say a caring word was a family friend named Abdufazil.

The man bought him meat and camel milk. Then he sent the 13-year-old to a training camp to become a suicide bomber.

Abdufazil was a commander of the militant Islamist militia al-Shabab in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, and he told the boy that Christians had killed his parents. He and other al-Shabab fighters urged him to take revenge for the attack.

“I wanted to do it,” said Abdi, a slight, awkward boy with large round eyes and shabby, too-small clothes.

Lying on his thin mattress in the camp in southern Somalia last year, the yearning for his parents was so deep, it hurt. He longed for someone to love and protect him.

“I used to wake up and think of my parents and remember that I was alone,” said Abdi, whose last name is not being used to protect him from possible reprisal.“That was the first thing I would think every day.”

He had one constant companion.

“Death would always be there,” he said. “I was always afraid of death. I was always thinking, ‘When will I die?’“ Now 14, he has escaped the camp and lives in Nairobi’s Eastleigh neighborhood, a throbbing hub of Somali immigrants where boys, ankle deep in mud, push heavy carts in narrow streets lined with kiosks selling camel milk, rice and pasta. He has to share a mattress in a tiny room; when the other tenant goes to work during the day, Abdi can sleep. At night, he hangs around the streets, begging for food or coins.

Abdi is Kenya’s worst nightmare: a trained suicide bomber in the heart of the capital, illiterate, alienated, hungry, bored, despairing. There’s a tribe of young men like him in this country, fodder for extremist clerics preaching the glories of jihad and sacrifice.

The potential for violence escalated exponentially last month when Kenya, which had never invaded another country, pushed into Somalia to destroy the al-Shabab. The surprise military operation, critics say, had more to do with the United States’ counter-terrorism policy than any major threat to Kenya.

The al-Shabab immediately vowed to unleash major suicide bombings in Kenya. So far, the incursion into Somalia has widespread support in Kenya, but analysts say that may evaporate if the al-Shabab does carry out retaliatory attacks.

The promised strikes could come from young al-Shabab fighters trained in Somali terrorist camps. Most, like Abdi,

were recruited in Somalia, but many also come from Kenya and neighboring countries.

Young Kenyans, some converts to Islam from Christianity, are given a cellphone and $5,000 to join the al-Shabab and a promise that their families will get the same amount monthly, said Phyllis Muema, director of the Kenya Community Support Center, a not-for-profit group in the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa that works on rehabilitating Somali fighters.

After they join, the recruits’ phones and ID cards are taken and some families never hear from them again. The families are told that their sons have been killed, said Sheik Juma Ngao, a moderate imam in Mombasa, who said young people were used as cannon fodder in battles.

“They teach them to kill,” Ngao said during a recent visit to Nairobi. “The youth are just duped, and when they go there, they’re militarized. It isn’t easy to escape. If they try to come back to their country, they’re killed.”

Abdi’s story cannot be independently verified, but it is consistent with other accounts of the recruitment and training methods that have surfaced in Kenya through organizations such as Muema’s.

The boy often feels out of place, and can’t help showing it.

He lowers his eyes and fiddles with his hands as he tells his story, or stares numbly ahead.

Abdi, who has never been to school, was molded by his mentor, Abdufazil, whose al-Shabab group is fighting the Western-backed transitional government in Somalia — and the African Union forces who protect it — often by shelling civilian neighborhoods indiscriminately.

Abdi’s parents were sleeping when their house was shelled in the Huruwa neighborhood of Mogadishu in 2009. He believes the African Union forces, known as AMISOM, were responsible. The largest backer of AMISOM is the United States, which has designated the al-Shabab a terrorist group.

After his parents’ deaths, Abdi was homeless for a month.

Abdufazil, who knew the family, took him in to cook for an al-Shabab unit based in a large vacant building in Mogadishu.

“He used to buy things for me. He used to get me delicious food, special food from outside the camp. It was meat and camel milk,” Abdi said. “He used to speak to me in that kind way. He would tell me, ‘You’re a good man.’ It made me feel good and boosted my spirits.”

But Abdufazil and other al-Shabab fighters also told Abdi that he must seek revenge. They gave him a pistol to defend himself, and showed him how to use it.

“I was always afraid to carry the gun,” he said.

A little more than a year ago, Abdi was sent with 90 other young recruits for training in the south. He still had to cook for the group, but he was also trained to die.

About 15 of them were chosen to be suicide bombers and

taught how to drive. The others were trained to be fighters and to use explosives. The first week of the suicide bomber training, they watched videos every day from Somalia and Arab countries.

“I used to be frightened watching it. It was all about suicide bombings and death,” Abdi said. In the videos, he saw two suicide bombers loading vehicles with explosives, driving them into targets and blowing themselves up. After the first week, they watched videos every other day.

They were taught how to blow things up, make explosive devices and lay booby traps on roads. The training terrified Abdi. Spies in the camp listened for the whispers of defection. There was a fence and guards. The commanders were harsh, not fatherly like Abdufazil.

“If they caught you talking about running away, they would kill you,” Abdi said. They said: ‘You have to die. You have to sacrifice your life because these guys killed your father and mother. They will kill your people, so before that happens, you have to sacrifice yourself and kill them.’

“Whenever they talked about the death of my father and my mother, I used to get that courage. I said, ‘OK fine, I’ll do it.’

“But on the other hand, I was afraid of dying. I was very young, too young to die. I wanted to live.”

One day he learned that four boys from one neighborhood, forced to join the al-Shabab, were planning to escape. They recruited Abdi, because as the cook he could move around the camp without suspicion. They delegated the most dangerous part to him: stealing guns they could sell to pay for the journey to Nairobi, out of reach of the al-Shabab. If the militia caught them, they would be beheaded for deserting.

He managed to steal two pistols on a Muslim holiday, one of the few days when the recruits were allowed out of the camp. They sold the weapons for $100 to some livestock traders who were on their way to a market in northern Kenya.

They walked to the border with the traders, and paid $10 each in bribes to cross. The boys took another $10 each and separated. Finally, Abdi got to Nairobi.

Muema, of the Kenya Community Support Center, said returnees face such rejection, alienation and police harassment that they often go back to the al-Shabab in Somalia. “They miss those guns,” she said. “They’re used to being in a war zone.”

Like Ngao, she blames the Kenyan government for high unemployment, inattention to education and failure to act on reports of recruiting by extremists at mosques and schools.

Abdi has few prospects in Kenya. He can’t read or write and doesn’t speak Swahili.

Things are so bleak that he doesn’t allow himself to hope. “My dreams are closed,” he said. “I have no dreams, no life, no future.”

Supercommittee fails, taxation contentious DAVID LIGHTMAN AND WILLIAM DOUGLAS | MCCLATCY PRESS The failure Monday of Congress’ supercommittee — the bipartisan panel that was supposed to cut at least $1.2 trillion from looming federal deficits — will trigger a fresh series of partisan clashes over taxes, spending, Social Security and a host of other fiscal matters, clashes likely to be begin immediately.

The collapse of the 12-member panel, announced Monday in a joint statement by co-chairs Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, sent U.S. stock prices plunging and created at least another year’s worth of fiscal uncertainty in Washington, smack in the middle of an already contentious 2012 election campaign.

“After months of hard work and intense deliberations, we have come to the conclusion today that it will not be possible to make any bipartisan agreement available to the public before the committee’s deadline,” the co-chairs said.

About the only thing the panel agreed on was the final statement of surrender, a four-paragraph press release that vowed to keep fighting for fiscal discipline.

When Congress returns Monday from a Thanksgiving recess, it will quickly confront at least four thorny issues that need to be resolved in the next few weeks.

Lawmakers must consider extending this year’s Social Security 2 percent payroll tax cut; approving extended unemployment benefits; adjusting the Alternative Minimum Tax so it doesn’t hurt the middle class; and changing how physicians are paid for Medicare patient care.

Each is likely to detonate new partisan skirmishes. Each also could increase the deficit, which reached $1.3 trillion the last fiscal year. The national debt climbed over $15 trillion last week.

Next year will bring new challenges.

The Bush-era tax cuts expire at the end of 2012, and because of the supercommittee’s failure, $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts are to be triggered starting in January 2013. Half will come from defense, half from domestic spending, but lowerincome programs and Social Security will be exempt. Medicare cuts would affect providers but not beneficiaries.

Partisan confrontations are likely on each of these issues in an election year when voters are disgusted with Washington, and financial markets are increasingly rattled by Washington’s inertia. Stocks tumbled Monday in anticipation of the supercommittee announcement as the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 248.85 points.

An hour after the supercommittee officially gave up, Standard & Poor’s said the U.S. government’s credit ratings “are

not affected by the announcement.” It remains AA-plus, downgraded Aug. 5 from the previous AAA. But the agency warned that if budget limits enacted this summer are eased, pressure to downgrade “could build.”

President Barack Obama appeared after the panel’s collapse in the White House briefing room and put the blame squarely on Republicans. Too many Republicans in Congress“have refused to listen to the voices of reason and compromise that are coming from outside of Washington,” he said.

And don’t try to undo the automatic cuts, he warned Congress, unless there’s an equally bold alternative.

“Already some in Congress are trying to undo these automatic spending cuts. My message to them is simple: No,” Obama said. “I will veto any effort to get rid of those automatic spending cuts … there will be no easy off-ramps on this one.“We need to keep the pressure up to compromise, not turn off the pressure,” he said.

The mood on Capitol Hill was glum, and analysts said the down mood was well-founded.

“All in all, this is just a stunning combination of cynicism and irresponsibility,” said Burdett Loomis, a professor of political science at the University of Kansas. “This deadlock and the general lack of progress made bodes very poorly for upcoming basic decisions in a political year.”

OPINION.NEWSRECORD@GMAIL.COM | 513.556.5913

OLIVIER DOULIERY | ABBACA PRESS/MCT

STOPPED IN TRACKS Senator Patty Murray D-Wash., and the rest of the Congressional supercommittee failed to reach an agreement on how to best solve the nation’s debt woes.

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Thanksgiving Edition Nov. 23 | 2011 NEWSRECORD.ORG

ARMCHAIR

FULLBACK JASON HOFFMAN

Lions, Pack continue tradition

If anyone knows where I can find a good witch doctor to put a hex on the veer-running son of man, please let me know.

That being said, it’s time for the NFL’s Thanksgiving week, and that means you can turn up the volume and tune out the bickering and chaos of your family. Or, perhaps your family gets along and you don’t watch football on Turkey Day — this makes you un-American.

Last week, teams continued to win without covering the spread, handing me yet another losing-week. The Cowboys beat out the Sex Cannon, Vince Young beat the Giants, Carson Palmer continued his playoff push, and the Patriots proved that names mean nothing when designing a defense.

Allow me to give you something to be thankful for.

(Home team in CAPS) Green Bay (-5) over DETROIT: The Buccaneers almost upset the Pack in Lambeau last week, but Aaron Rodgers and company should right the ship this week and win, going away in the first game of the holiday.

Miami (9) over Dallas: The Cowboys narrowly escaped the capitol last week, and the Dolphins are easily the best bad team in football. Look for the Dolphins to keep this one close but lose by a field goal.

San Francisco (4) over BALTIMORE: The 49ers have the best linebacker corps in football and the running game to beat the Ravens in AFC North fashion. If you have a turkey coma, this one probably won’t keep you awake, but football purists will enjoy the smash mouth style of “Harbaugh Bowl I”.

Minnesota (11) over ATLANTA: Everyone up in Bristol, Conn. looks terrible for thinking the Falcons would be the class of the NFC this year, as they should. The Vikings might be one of the worst teams in football, but they have “All Day,” and Christian Ponder isn’t too bad. I’ll take the Falcons by a touchdown.

Houston (-3) over JACSONVILLE: Even though the hot tub king is starting for the Texans this week, I can’t buy into Blaine Gabbard who looks scared all the time in the pocket. Arian Foster will have a huge day, and the Texans will roll.

Tampa Bay (3.5) over TENNESSEE: The Titans have uncertainty at quarterback this week, and the Buccaneers almost upset the Pack. Look for LeGarret Blount to have a field day against the undersized Titan defense and the Bucs to win outright.

ST. LOUIS (pk) over Arizona: Nobody in America cares about this game, and they shouldn’t. The 49ers are going to clinch their division this week, because it is so terrible.

CINCINNATI (-7) over Cleveland: If it’s brown, flush it down. Andy Dalton should have his Alpha back this week, and the Bengals will win a shootout.

NEW YORK JETS (-8) over Buffalo: How far does the sinkhole go for the Bills? We shall find out this week.

Carolina (-3.5) over INDIANAPOLIS: Peyton Manning might as well start clearing out some space for Andrew Luck in the locker room. At least now we know that Manning truly was the most valuable player in football.

SEATTLE (-3.5) over Washington: The Sex Cannon almost pulled one off against America’s team. This week’s prospects aren’t much better as the Redskins travel to the false-start capitol of football.

No copulation this week when the Seahawks handle business.

OAKLAND (-4.5) over Chicago: The Bears lost Jay Cutler last week and will be going on the road to certain agony as they lose big to the resurgent Raiders.

New England (-4) over PHILADELPHIA: The Patriots are winning with guys that didn’t even make the cut in Canada, because the hoodie has mystical powers. Look for a high scoring affair this week with Brady and the offense now in full-blown ‘eff-you mode.

Denver (7.5) over SAN DIEGO: If the Jets couldn’t stop the veer, the Chargers shouldn’t. Of course SEE HOFFMAN | 7

SPORTS Finan places 25th at NCAA meet TRACK & FIELD

LANCE LAMBERT | SENIOR REPORTER A great last moment effort helped Cincinnati senior runner Eric Finan finish 25th at the NCAA men’s cross country championship Nov. 22 in Terre Haute, Ind. Finan finished the race by sprinting past three competitors, en route to a time of 29:54.6 — a non-track 10,000 meter personal best for Finan — which was 46.6 seconds faster than his time of 30:41.1 at his 60th place finish during last year’s championship meet.

“I’m happy with the results, even though I would have loved to finish in the top 20,” Finan said. “Competitive nature makes you want to finish better, but I gave it my all and finished 25th, and I’m proud of that.”

Finan — the 2011 men’s Big East cross country champion — attributed his strong finish to his FILE ART | THE NEWS RECORD

STRONG SEASON FINISH Eric Finan finished the season placing 25th at the NCAA men’s cross country championships Sunday in Terre Haute, Ind.

development of a “kick” during his UC running career.

“In high school, I never seemed to have a strong finish,” Finan said. “When I came to UC, I developed a strong kick. It was good to be able to rely on my kick today.”

The last runner Finan — who finished second in last week’s NCAA Great Lakes Region men’s cross country meet — edged out was the Great Lakes Region top-finisher Callum Hawkins of Butler.

On and off, rain and a misty course helped to slow runners’ times down as the gravel and ground became soft, Finan said.

Arizona’s Lawi Lalang won the men’s race with a time of 28:41.1, and Wisconsin claimed the team title with 97 points — 42 points ahead of second-place finisher Oklahoma State.

“There is not much training you can do during the week, except prepare yourself emotionally and mentally for the race,” Finan said.

Finan’s 25th-place finish was the best finish by a SEE FINAN | 7 VOLLEYBALL

BIG EAST

CHAMPS Cats capture first tourney title in program’s history SAM WEINBERG | SPORTS EDITOR

F

EAMON QUEENEY | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER PAT STRANG | PHOTO EDITOR

CATS TAKE TITLE Senior outside hitter Missy Harpenau (left) finished the Big East tournament with 39 kills and 35 digs, earning the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player Award. Bearcats’ junior middle blocker Becca Refenes (above) finished the three-match weekend with 21 kills. Refenes and the rest of the squad was honored at halftime during the men’s basketball game Monday night where the Lady Cats received a rousing standing ovation.

or the first time in school history, the University of Cincinnati volleyball team has won the Big East tournament.

The No. 2-seeded Lady Cats swept the No. 5-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish in three sets Sunday in Milwaukee to capture the program’s first ever Big East tournament championship.

“I’m really happy and proud for the university and the team for the accomplishment that they achieved,” said UC head coach Reed Sunahara. “Any time you win a championship, it’s a good year, [and] every championship I can win I will take that in, soak it up and enjoy it.”

Cincinnati defeated the Fighting Irish with set scores of 25-22, 25-21 and 27-25, while posting 16 team blocks and limiting Notre Dame to a .164 hitting percentage.

The Bearcats were led by senior Missy Harpenau, who posted seven kills and 12 digs.

Following her three-match weekend tournament performance in which she tallied 39 kills and 35 digs, Harpenau was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

Joining Harpenau on the all-tournament team was junior middle blocker Jordanne Scott — who finished the tournament with 39 kills — and junior outside hitter Megan Turner, who finished the weekend hitting 33 percent from the field.

Before their meeting with the Fighting Irish in the finals, the Bearcats swept Villanova 3-0 in the first round and knocked out host Marquette in the second round, three sets to two.

Even though this was the first Big East tournament title the Cats have captured, Cincinnati has won the conference regular season championship two times — in 2008 and 2010 — since joining the Big East in 2005.

“They’re both good, but I think we put more of an emphasis on winning the Big East tournament championship,” Sunahara said. “Anytime you finish with a championship though, it’s great.”

Despite winning last season’s Big East regular season title and making it to the tournament finals, where the team lost against Louisville, the Bearcats were picked to finish third in the Big East in the preseason coaches’ poll — something Sunahara did not let effect his team.

“The pre-season stuff is pre-season,” Sunahara said. “It’s how you finish. It’s not where you get picked. You can get picked to finish last, but if we do what we need to do, then we’ll finish on top. All that stuff, we just don’t pay attention to. What we do pay attention to is game-by-game, and we want to finish strong.”

The Big East tournament win locked up an automatic bid for the Bearcats in the NCAA Tournament, where Sunahara hopes to get to the Sweet-16.

Cincinnati has made the tournament the past three seasons but has never gotten past the second round. “[Getting to the Sweet-16] is a goal the team has had since last year, and since we didn’t accomplish it last year but came close, hopefully this year we can get a good draw and achieve it,” Sunahara said.

Before the Bearcats head to San Antonio, Texas, for the NCAA however, they still have Ohio University and Miami (OH) left on their regular season schedule.

SEE CHAMPS | 7

Bearcats exorcise Demons 71-43 BASKETBALL

SAM WEINBERG | SPORTS EDITOR

Following Cincinnati’s 56-54 upset loss against Presbyterian Saturday, head coach Mick Cronin said his team needed to win ugly.

The Bearcats responded Tuesday night with a 71-43 win against Northwestern State at Fifth Third Arena, and, while the Cats started out ugly against the Demons, they ended beautifully.

“Obviously, I don’t think it takes a genius to see that’s the best we’ve played all year, and that’s the best team we’ve played all year,” Cronin said. “Our defense was constant all night, and our attitude was great. It was good to see some other guys play well.”

Cincinnati senior forward Yancy Gates led the Bearcats with 18 points and 11 rebounds to record his second double-double of the season, but the Bearcats also had help from newer, younger faces.

Freshman guard Ge’Lawn Guyn added 10 points off the bench, shooting 3-of-4 from the field, while being lights out from long range with two 3-point baskets. He also converted both of his free throws in a night in which the Bearcats had struggles from the charity stripe, netting 16-of-28.

Cincinnati freshmen Octavius Ellis and Jermaine Sanders also contributed some

points, but junior college transfer Cheikh Mbodj was the real attention grabber, as he made his debut in a Bearcats’ uniform following an injury.

The 6-foot-10-inch Senegal native recorded just two points and one rebound in his eleven minutes of play, but according to Gates, his mere presence on the court had a big impact on the team.

“Cheikh is going to be a big help,” Gates said.

“He took nine minutes off my shoulders tonight.

I was able to come out for longer stretches and come back in fresher. That is a big body. that is a third big body, so coach Cronin can do different things with that — play us together, sub us in.

That is going to be real big as he gets into the flow and gets back healthy.”

The Bearcats got off to a slow start against the Demons, hitting just two of their eight shots nearly five minutes in. Trailing 6-7 at the 14:29 mark, it appeared Cincinnati was ripe for another upset, but the Bearcats kicked into gear and went on an 11-0 run to take a 17-7 lead.

Northwestern State closed the gap and came within five of Cincinnati, but with three minutes remaining in the first half, the Bearcats went on a 12-2 run to enter halftime leading 31-16.

Unlike the Presbyterian game, Cincinnati SEE BASKETBALL | 7

SPORTS.NEWSRECORD@GMAIL.COM | 513.556.5909

SAM GREENE | MANAGING EDITOR

FREE THROW DYNAMO Cincinnati senior guard Dion Dixon netted 12 points in UC’s 71-43 win Monday, hitting 8-of-12 shots from the free throw line.

6

Thanksgiving Edition Nov. 23 | 2011 NEWSRECORD.ORG

MEDIA

MATTERS

UCHENNA ONONYE

Indulge in bacon excess

“Epic Meal Time” is a popular Youtube video series taking the art of unhealthy eating to epic new heights--or to epic new lows, depending on how you look at it.

Millions of hungry viewers tune in each week to observe some culinary mayhem.

The job of the host, Harley Morenstein, and his motley crew of amateur chefs is to assemble some sort of miniature mountain, made entirely out of food, and then eat it.

Harley acts as a burly, bearded, comical goon of a commentator, and he aggressively narrates a playby-play account of the cooking procedure as it unfolds on screen.

The featured dish is usually prepared with a sumptuous array of ingredients, such as fast food, sugary food, greasy food, meat, cheese, a significant portion of bacon and a heavy coating of Jack Daniels whiskey. “Anything that could be considered a vegetable” is strictly prohibited.

No molecule of fat goes unconsumed. The show even has a calorie counter, just in case viewers need an empirical measurement of the gluttony on display. Their latest meal, the “Super Pastry Cake,” which was filled with more candy than what an industrious child might rake in after a trick-or-treat plunder, contained approximately 60,000 calories.

To call the series “shallow entertainment” is probably an understatement, and possibly even an insult to shallow entertainment.

But in all fairness, it’s not totally mindless. The production quality of each episode is of a high standard.

There are humorous gags that are often clever and premeditated. And, though the recipe ideas are ostensibly half baked (and half deep-fried), the final entrée typically winds up looking elegant and, dare I say, appetizing?

In addition, the show is relatively harmless entertainment. Harmless for the viewers, that is. It remains a mystery as to how the chief food devourer on the program, nicknamed “Muscles Glasses,” still has blood flowing freely though his arteries.

But there are no damaging results for viewers because, as Morenstein himself suggests, the appeal of the show is virtual.

“In this day and age, I feel like there’s a big emphasis on organic foods or a lot of negative media in regards to obesity and stuff like that.

We are there eating this, and [viewers] are eating vicariously through us,” he told ABC News.

This is true for most fans. Each episode is merely a fleeting fantasy; a brief, blissful plunge into the depths of culinary opulence.

However, it’s important to note that alongside the pleasure of the meal, there seems to be a further connection made between the fans and the entertainers. It’s not solely based on the cuisine, because beneath it all — beneath the bacon strips, and bacon flips, chocolate sauce drips and Jack Daniels sips — there is a crucial undercurrent of satire.

Harley and his cooks are in constant caricature mode.

They match the distorted food portions with equally distorted personalities.

Harley is an angry-looking figure and his narration is essentially just hostile smack talk, ironically intended to intimidate viewers, or “haters,” as he refers to them. Muscles Glasses is so cool that he doesn’t even need to spit his game. His expression remains stolid behind a pair of aviator shades, and his hulking mass simply waits for the next meal to be presented before him.

It’s this sly pretense of egotism that fans might be drawn to for a few reasons.

First, it makes the show automatically acceptable.

Because caricature seems to imply that whatever failing of humanity is being demonstrated, it is not being promoted. It is SEE MEDIA | 6

ENTERTAINMENT Pop provocateur to top charts BENJAMIN KITCHEN | TNR CONTRIBUTOR If there is one word that is synonymous with Rihanna, it is “provocative.”

Ever since releasing her third album “Good Girl Gone Bad” in 2007, the Barbadian pop singer has only become “badder.” Her latest release “Talk That Talk” is easily more R-rated than 2009’s “Rated R,” her post-Chris Brown confessional, and arguably louder

The album kicks off with “You Da One,” the second single to be lifted from the album. In the same vein as “Rude Boy” and “What’s My Name” before it, the opening track is an islandinfluenced number destined to dominate radios. Produced by Dr. Luke, the mastermind behind hits for Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Ke$ha, “You Da One” is an instant anthem.

than last year’s “Loud.”

Despite being labeled a onehit wonder with “Pon de Replay” in 2005, Rihanna has gone from strong to stronger.

In the past five years, she has scored 11 No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, tying her with Whitney Houston as far as females go and placing her behind only Mariah Carey and Madonna.

“Talk That Talk” released Nov. 21, shows no signs of Rihanna’s chart reign letting up.

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SEE TALK | 6

CINCINNATI

MUSIC

ENTERTAINMENT

AWARDS KELLY TUCKER | ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

There’s nothing like the annual Cincinnati Entertainment Awards, presented by CityBeat, to help us give thanks for the bountiful musical talent that’s sprouted from our city. The lucky award winners include newcomers, longtime local performers and those bands you love to brag about seeing long before they were famous to outof-towners. Sunday night was certainly a proud moment for Cincinnati music fans, and if you missed the party, check out the list of this year’s winners:

GENRE DOMINATORS

Whether you’ve been catching performances by these stellar Cincy acts or are just hearing about them for the first time, these local favorites are the kings (and queens) of their respective genres.

Alternative/Indie: The Seedy Seeds Blues: Voodoo Puppet Bluegrass: Rumpke Mountain Boys Country: Tex Schramm and the Radio King Cowboys

FILE ART | THE NEWS REC

Electronic: Pop Empire

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Folk/Americana: David Rhodes Brown Hard Rock: Banderas

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Hip-Hop: DJ Clockwork

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Jazz: The Faux Frenchmen Metal/Hardcore: Mala In Se Punk/Post Punk: The Dopamines R&B/Funk/Soul: The Cincy Brass Rock: The Kickaways Singer/songwriter: Josh Eagle World/Reggae: The Cliftones CO

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It’s no surprise that funky soul rockers Foxy Shazam earned the title of Best Musical Ambassador, and the array of artists who took home similarly significant awards are in no short supply of equally memorable talent. While some of these hard-working acts are busy touring nationally, be sure to catch a local performance the next time they’re in town to see for yourself what the fuss is about.

Best Musical Ambassador: Foxy Shazam Best Live Act: 500 Miles to Memphis New Artist of the Year: SHADOWRAPTR Album of the Year: Brian Olive – “Two of Everything” Artist of the Year: Walk the Moon

Album Alert: Change tunes with weather TOM SEIPLE | SENIOR REPORTER In wake of the changing seasons, here are some new titles to go along nicely with the transition in weather.

The Antlers – “(together)” Fans of Thom Yorke will really enjoy this album.There’s not as much a Radiohead sound as there is a definite correlation with Yorke’s electronica influences and an abstract taste to it. The beginning of the album really holds together well and is fairly atmospheric with some pleasant melodies and a good electronica beat. The instruments and lyrics come in and out freely with little desire to define verses or choruses. The bottom really falls out in the second part of “Together.” The lyrics become more sparse and sometimes completely incoherent, and the melodies dissolve into synthesizer effects and white noise. I found it amusing simply from the perspective of a listener trying to understand the context of the album and reason behind the loose continuity.

Desertshore – “Drawing of Threes” A really pleasant sounding album,“Drawing of Threes” is composed mostly of piano and acoustic guitar with a little addition of other instrumentation when needed. It’s the perfect blend of atmospheric instrumental work and Brit-pop. The tracks are slow and lethargic, the vocals are overworked and dry, and the sound is lush and full. It’s a wonderful rainy day album with such little energy in it, it’s scary.

Death Cab for Cutie – “Keys and Codes Remix EP” This album was a huge success earlier this year and is still viewed as one of Death Cab’s biggest successes as musicians. These remixes, selected by the guys from Death

Cab for Cutie, are very intriguing. Having listened to the album dozens of times, hearing these fun techno remixes brings more light to the album and furthers the amazing work the guys from Death Cab have come up with.

The album is short, with only seven tracks, but is very colorful and covers everything from old school house music to dubstep.

Spacecamp – “Alibi” EP The band’s name is Spacecamp, so you should expect the music to be fun. These guys are more than just fun, however; “Alibi” is like a room filled with balloons at a birthday party.

The sound is reminiscent of older music by The Wombats, a classic Beatles flow with a little electronic addition. Spacecamp harmonizes with the best out there and adds color to a rather predictable sound. The EP is dynamic and well formatted. It moves fast, slow and all speeds in between while incorporating all sorts of instruments. “Alibi” has witty lyrical work and plenty of catchy melodies.

All together, it’s one of the smoothest EPs from a new band I’ve heard in a long time.

Sunbears! – “You Will Live Forever” Sunbears! is a relatively new discovery in my life. They compose most of their music on keyboard, organ, bells and harmonies. The guitar is subtle and only used to hold together their songs. Musically, the guys are spot on with some really musically advanced chord progressions and tempos. Sunbears! has easily one of the most effortlessly digestible sounds out there. While they are musically sharp, they’re also incredibly comfortable to listen to and encourage singing along, clapping and toe tapping. A healthy mixture of slow tempos and slightly upbeat tracks keep the album marching at a brisk pace and allows the listener

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COURTESY OF ATLANTIC RECORDS

INTRIGUING REMIX ALBUM Death Cab for Cutie released an EP full of remixes from their highly successful “Keys and Codes” album. to admire the work all along the way. I’m impressed with the work these guys continue to do and find it nothing short of brilliant. younghusband – “Crystal EP” Slow, lyrically simple and leisurely, younghusband’s EP progresses at a slow pace. I’m impressed with the ground covered within the slower EP. With only four tracks, it’s hard to say that it is indicative of the sound to come, but it is certainly holds overtones of The Morning Benders. The vocals almost go by unheeded and the music sort of all blends together into a pleasant easy going sound.

Topped off with a fun organ and lots of reverb, “Crystal EP” holds promise.

7

Thanksgiving Edition Nov. 23 | 2011 NEWSRECORD.ORG

CLASSIFIEDS

CLASSIFIEDS POLICY

RATES

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5 No refunds unless a mistake by The News Record’s staff occurs in the advertisement. Refunds are not granted for ads placed, then cancelled.

Adjustments are limited to the portion of the ad which is incorrect. Under no circumstances will an adjustment be issued greater than the cost of the ad.

FOR RENT

6 To receive student discount, current verification must be shown.

7 Students or student groups may not use display or classified discounts for nonuniversity, for profit businesses.

8 Advertisers should check their ads the first day of printing. The News Record is not responsible for more than one incorrect insertion.

9 The News Record reserves the right to reject any ads at its discretion, with or without notification to the advertiser.

10 These policies are not negotiable.

Choose a variety of categories to sell everything/anything. Students may not use UC rates for non-UC, for profit businesses. Valid ID card required for discount.

Students: Bold Type:

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EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

All apartment rental/sublet advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap or familial status, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for apartment rentals or sublets which is in violation of the law.

Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis.

EFFICIENCIES, 1-BEDROOM, 2-BEDROOM, 3-BEDROOM in HYDE PARK for rent in excellent condition. New appliances including dishwashers, A/C. HEAT and WATER paid. Balcony, pool use, 10 minutes from UC. New kitchens and bathrooms. Laundry, off-street parking/garage. Starting at $560 per month. Contact us at 513-477-2920 or pgspropertiesincincinnati@gmail. com.

9519 Haddington Ct Cincinnati, OH 45251, 2 bedroom 2 1/2 bath condo for sale: new complete renovation, track lighting, loft type basement, all new appliances with warranties through 2012, dishwasher and disposal, new storm windows, Italian style porcelain tile throughout, private parking area, outdoor lighting, fenced in/pet-friendly patio, privacy fences, water included, Northgate area, $65,000, calls in evening 513-741-4832 9521 Haddington Ct Cincinnati, OH 45251, 3 bedroom 1 1/2 bath for sale, many upgrades, newer appliances, washer/dryer, antique steel desk, new king-sized bed, other furniture, professionally cleaned, private parking area, privacy fences, water included, Northgate area, $55,000, calls in evening 513-741-4832 One, two, three, four bedrooms and studios. Walk to UC. FREE UTILITIES! Hardwood, laundry,

EMPLOYMENT

FOR RENT dishwasher, parking. Deposit special with approval. Call 513-651-2339.

Three bedroom apartment. $800/ month plus electric, deposit. High speed internet, laundry, free parking.

3 blocks to UC shuttle. Photos: www.egepropertyrental.com Email: whartzler@gmail.com, 281 4855 1 block from UC. 1 bedroom, kitchen, bathroom. Move-in ready. $425 plus deposit. Call Angie 513328-4786.

who may be looking for a flexible work schedule. Call Scott today to arrange an interview. 513-244-6542.

Family seeking after school babysitter. 10-15 hours a week in the Mason area. Must be able to drive.

Call Julie at 513-418-1793.

Movie Extras to stand in the background for a major film.

Exprience not required. Earn up to $300 per day 877-465-5469.

Play it Again Sports needs part time sales clerks. Flexible schedule, fun job. Call Mary at 310-3933.

EMPLOYMENT

Keystone Bar & Grill is open in Hyde Park and we need hostesses. If you have an outgoing personality and thrive in a fast paced environment please apply at keystonebar.com or personally at 3384 Erie Ave in Hyde Park. Start immediately.

BARTENDING. $250/DAY POTENTIAL. No experience necessary, training provided. Call 1-800-965-6520 ext. 225.

DSG Associates, Inc. is looking for individuals to participate in a paid online research study. Sign up for free at www.dsgai.com or call 800462-8765 today! $10-$13 Per Hour. 15-30 Hours Per Week. Paid canvass positions available for Democratic campaign.

Contact CovingtonCampaignJobs@ gmail.com We are currently looking for parttime reps for business to business phone sales. The position pays an hourly plus commission. Perfect opportunity for college students

Keystone Bar & Grill has two locations: 313 Greenup St. Covington, KY and 3384 Erie Ave. Hyde Park. We are currently hiring servers for both locations. Apply at keystonebar.com or personally at either location.

Movie Extras to stand in the background for a major film.

Exprience not required. Earn up to $300 per day 877-465-5469.

from finan | 5

from media | 6 could probably use some serious reevaluation at present.

But secondly, as with the extreme food, the extreme behavior of the hosts allows viewers to indulge in extravagance; behavioral extravagance in this case. People

can vicariously experience the pleasure of dropping their attitude suppressants and letting loose through this group of uninhibited misanthropes.

It is a liberating ritual and it must be widely practiced because, in any group of top

ranked Youtube videos, it is not uncommon to find similar eccentric personalities making a mockery out of self restraint; beckoning the rest of the community to take a walk on the dark side.

Cincinnati runner in the NCAA men’s cross country championship since Ron Stapleton’s 23rd place finish in 1972.

Finan will begin training for indoor and outdoor track in the coming months, with hopes of claiming both the Big East 10,000 and 5,000 meter titles.

“I will try to make the Olympic Trials this coming year,” Finan said.

“If I cut 11 more seconds I will make the A-standard for the trials, giving me a guaranteed opportunity to race.

At the moment, my 5,000 meter time would place me at the B-standard for the Olympic trials.” from hoffman | 5

from talk | 6 club-ready tracks on the album, with the latter already topping the charts. Despite the overwhelming amount of stale dancepop music on radios today, Rihanna manages to keep her album fresh. The next song, the title track, reunites Rihanna with her “Umbrella” and “Run This Town” collaborator, rap legend Jay-Z. When the album hits track five, things begin to get really heated. Standout tracks “Cockiness (Love It)” and “Birthday Cake” are full of sexual innuendo that would make her No. 1 hit “S&M” blush.

“Cockiness (Love It)” features blatant come-ons like “Suck my cockiness, lick my persuasion” and “I love it when you eat it.”

On “Birthday Cake,” Rihanna seductively continues, “It’s not even my birthday, but

he wanna lick the icing off.”

On “Roc Me Out,” Rihanna is just as inviting, not so subtly stating “I’ve been a bad girl, daddy.” She plays teacher on “Watch n’ Learn,” showing her partner just how she wants it: “On the bed, on the floor, on the couch.”

“Talk That Talk” is laced with dirty, state-of-the-art beats and immaculate production, but Rihanna’s fierce female bravado is what sets the album apart from its chart rivals.

Still, the album has its moments of vulnerability. “We All Want Love” is what you would imagine from the title, while the final track “Farewell” enters ballad territory.

The album’s brightest and most tender moment, however, is easily “Drunk on

from basketball | 5

from STROKE | 1

Unlike the Presbyterian game, Cincinnati came out of halftime and didn’t let up, outscoring Northwestern 40-27 in the second half, while shooting 58 percent from the field and 57 percent from behind the arc. The Bearcats were also on their defensive game,

limiting the Demons to just 9-of-29 from the field in the second half and 15-of-54 for the game.

“It’s that old McConathy luck,” said Northwestern State head coach Mike McConathy.

“Cincinnati loses to Presbyterian.

You catch somebody at

the wrong time, and we definitely caught them at the wrong time. They are an extremely hard and tenacious team that got after it.”

The Bearcats return to action at 7 p.m. Friday to play the Marshall Thundering Herd at Fifth Third Arena.

in clinical pharmacology, as well as both the director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at Cincinnati Children’s and a professor in the UC Department of Pediatrics — is the principal investigator for CCH. Other sites include University of California in Los Angeles, University of Colorado in Denver, Ohio State University, and Vanderbilt University.

from GE AVIATION | 1

from immigration | 1 this research will give Americans a new outlook on immigrants and international migration as a whole.

“For some reason we are shocked to learn

Love.” Sampling indie pop band The xx, the song is relentless with its luscious build-up.

It might be one of Rihanna’s best tracks yet.

It’s hard to believe that Rihanna is already six albums into her career, but her craftsmanship pays off. “Talk That Talk” is behind only “Rated R” as her best album yet, and it promises even more No. 1 singles. Rihanna sums it up best in “Cockiness” — “They mad at Rihanna game, taking over your empire.”

Like it or not, she won’t be going away any time soon.

Top picks: “You Da One,” “Where Have You Been,” “Cockiness (Love It),” “Birthday Cake,” “Drunk on Love”

that labor moves around the world,” Rodriguez said. That’s really what most immigrants are — human labor that has moved to another country as a consequence of globalization.”

funding for UC students to study next-generation jet engines sideby-side with veteran researchers.

Ground for the new research institute has not been broken yet and is not planned to be built in the area where the explosion occurred, Kennedy said.

GE Aviation is a regional partner of UC. Earlier this year the two teamed up to begin developing a new research institute for the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

GE Aviation has already committed $45 million in research

FROM ROUAN | 1 maturation of cardiovascular research is a priority. Focused cardiovascular research interests include vascular lipid metabolism, oxidative stress and inflammation in vascular disease and cardiac stem biology. The division also has active trials that explore the issues of coronary artery disease and heart failure.

“If students can be mentored by these

scientists, they will have the opportunity to perhaps discover a passion for research,” Rouan said.

Though it was never an explicit aspiration to become the chair of internal medicine, Rouan built on his previous accomplishments to open himself up to the opportunity of bigger things. Rouan explained that as a young medical student,

becoming the chair of internal medicine was an unfathomable achievement. The advice he gives to young students stems from this sentiment.

“Enjoy the journey and always be prepared for opportunites and they will certainly avail themselves to you,” Rouan said.

now that I say this, Tebow will probably find a new way to abscond money from me — he will lose.

Pittsburgh (-10) over KANSAS CITY: The Chiefs might have had their last ounce of motivation ripped out when the Patriots ran up the score on Monday Night, and they get the unfortunate luck of facing the Steelers coming off a bye.

NEW ORLEANS (-7) over NEW YORK GIANTS: Eli Manning should have a good performance against the Saints, but Brees and the Saints have too much firepower and should eventually roll the Giants.

Last Week: 5-6-2 Season: 61-51-8 from champs | 5 Cincinnati hosts Ohio Friday at 3 p.m. before hosting Miami (OH) Saturday at 5 p.m., both at Fifth Third Arena — matches Sunahara said he will not take lightly.

“We got to take care of business,” Sunahara said. “We can’t look past anyone. Right now we’re just focused on Ohio University.” from permit | 1 class, it is required to register for future classes,” Spilman said. “University police inform students and we strictly enforce the Ohio alcohol laws.”

Such a permit has caused mix reactions among MU students.

“It will cause less house parties, but will result in more students leaving town or going to bars,” said Katie Cole, a fourthyear early childhood education student at MU. “Students will go into bars and just wash off markers.”

Cole said she felt local television media has been portraying MU students wrongly by showing pictures of Green Beer Day — a party which takes place three days before MU’s spring break — while referring to MU’s underage drinking problem.

We might be gone over Thanksgiving break, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy more TNR content. Visit our rockin’ new website, newsrecord.org, for all the online-exclusive content and multimedia coverage. Don’t forget to vote for Best of UC while you’re there! TNR will resume printing Wednesday, Nov. 30.

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