index
COVER PHOTO BY PAT STRANG | PHOTO EDITOR
CoB professors propose provisions for voting
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How to prevent theft during the break
A Little Help From Seelbach’s Friends
Winter at UC
Serving Cincy
Bringing Holiday Cheer
67 THE BEST OF UC Word on the Street
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(Thanks to those of you who voted for the biggest Best Of UC yet!)
Holiday movie preview
A Netflix Christmas
Grammy madness
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Volleyball ends 2011 season
—SEASON’S GREETINGS — NEWSRECORD.ORG — INDEX
Album Alert: The Best Albums of 2011
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The News Record, an independent, student-run news organization of the University of Cincinnati’s Communication Board, is printed during the school year every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, except holidays and examination periods, from its office located in 509 Swift Hall and is distributed to the UC community. The News Record distributes to more than 80 locations and has a weekly circulation of 22,500. One copy per person is free. Additional copies can be picked up at The News Record office for $1.
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Rowing dominates fall season
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ARIEL CHEUNG MANAGING EDITOR SAM GREENE
Kelly Finally Clocks Out
11 The Crosstown Shootout
15 SPORTS EDITORS SAM WEINBERG BRITTANY YORK
CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER ANNA BENTLEY
COLLEGE LIVING EDITOR HOLLY ROUSE
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CHIEF REPORTER JAMES SPRAGUE
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Burglaries rise during holidays LANCE LAMBERT | SENIOR REPORTER Burglaries and the holiday season — often thought of as going hand-in-hand — rapidly approach, leaving students limited time to prepare provisions before leaving for their Winter break. Holiday crime has already struck the University of Cincinnati’s Main Campus after $23,000 worth of computer equipment was stolen Nov. 28 from the McMicken Hall computer lab, located in room 116. In the wake of a November home invasion, UC put out a crime alert after several off campus students were led around their house at gunpoint. A masked gunman escaped the scene, but his work is similar to two robberies on Flora Street and Ohio Avenue that occurred in September, according to Local 12 WKRC.
The university area often sees a spike in crime not during the winter break, but instead in early January, when students come back to town to find their homes broken into and possessions stolen, said Capt. Karen Patterson of the UC Police Division [UCPD]. “Spikes [occur] when students come back,” Patterson said. “Students leave doors and windows unlocked and burglars break in.” Patterson offered suggestions for protecting against home invasion and burglary. “Lock everything up, maybe leave a radio on — make it hard on them,” Patterson said. Students should be wary of packing belongs up in their car the night before they leave for Winter break because often burglars will take advantage, Patterson said. She also suggested contacting UCPD if suspicious
UC study shows how energy efficiency can save hundreds With winter’s high energy bills looming, home owners can save hundreds of dollars by applying energy-efficient alterations to their homes. Energy-efficient homes can save Cincinnati residents $59.6 million on energy bills and can create more than 300 jobs, according to a study released on Dec. 2 by the University of Cincinnati’s Economic Center and the American Council for an EnergyEfficient Economy. The study, commissioned by the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, shared research findings with local government officials and businesses as an attempt to spread energy-efficiency awareness. Homeowners would see savings within the first year and see savings of $500 per month after the first year. “The bottom line is energy efficiency uses less energy and is the least expensive way to save [on your energy bills],” said Andy Holzhauser, executive director at the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance. Methods of energy efficiency include improving your ceiling ducts, windows and installations, along with adding high-efficiency furnaces, Holzhauser said. “Energy efficiency is not often thought of as a tool for economic development,” Holzhauser said. The study finds a 20-30 percent savings on homeowners’ energy bills,
Holzhauser said. “I think by enlarge this is affordable to any homeowner,” Holzhauser said. “Anyone who feels a call to action should participate.” The study — which began nine months ago — shows energyefficiency techniques could create 317 local construction and manufacturing jobs by 2030, pumping $13 million in additional wages into the local economy. Homeowners who improve their home’s energy efficiency would increase their home’s value, said Jeff Rexhausen, associate director of research at the University of Cincinnati’s Economics Center. The emissions of carbon dioxide would decrease by 250,000 metric tons, sulfur dioxide by 1,640 metric tons and nitrogen oxide emissions would fall by 340 metric tons, according to the research. 20
Range of Levelized Costs (cents per kWh)
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LANCE LAMBERT | SENIOR REPORTER
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Energy Wind Efficiency
CoaliGCC solar PV
the Greater Cincinnati Energy association
behavior is seen or heard. “I think we really rely on people acting as our eyes and ears,” Patterson said. “If you see something during the holiday season, call us.” As for UCPD, they stay fully staffed during the winter break, Patterson said. “The size of force does not decrease on holiday break, we are here,” Patterson said. “Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.” Officers are able to patrol the campus more frequently during the winter break because they do not have police reports, car locks and other incidents to attend to, Patterson said. UCPD assigns a robbery taskforce during November and December to ensure enough police are staffed for the holiday season, Patterson said.
COB professors pitch Ohio voting provisions to improve democracy LANCE LAMBERT | SENIOR REPORTER With midterm elections behind us and the presidential election nearing, University of Cincinnati researchers are attempting to improve the logistics of democracy. Two UC professors won a second-place prize — from the Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences — for their research that aims to improve voting policies, reduces overall waiting times and protects against voter disenfranchisement at Ohio polls. Michael Fry, an associate professor of operations and business analytics, and David Kelton, academic program director of business analytics at UC, worked on the research. UC funded the research through two grants totaling KELTON in $15,000 — allowing Muar Yang, a UC graduate student, to join the professor’s research. Current voting doesn’t prepare certain precincts fairly, Fry said. “One machine for X amount of voters ignores the time it takes to vote,” Fry said. “Ballots are not the same in length. Urban areas typically have longer ballots than rural areas, causing long lines for
city voters.” The research by the UC group used analytics to develop improved voting machine allocation policies, which would provide a fairer system. “Previously in 2004 and 2008, Ohio decided the presidential elections, but really long lines in the state caused many voters to go home,” Fry said. “Ohio laws state all voters in long after close must be allowed to vote, though some precincts do not obey the law and many voters do not want to wait in long lines.” Urban areas with low income and minority voters are affected most by voter disenfranchisement, Fry said. “Ohio has made it easier for people to vote early by absentee ballots, but other approaches need to be taken, Fry said.” Many people spend a long time voting because they do not read the issues on the ballot before they vote, Fry said. Researchers argue that if the state had posters of the issues along the voting lines in precincts, it would speed up the voting process. In 2009 the Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 260 (HB 260) — which mandates a more sophisticated approach to voting-machineallocation decisions in Ohio. It requires public-policy decision makers to consider queuing effects of machine allocations by measuring the expected voter arrivals and expected service times to calculate queue lengths — HB 260 awaits approval from the Ohio Senate.
Seelbach’s journey: Taking risks
Peer support helped openly gay council member make Cincinnati history KATIE ELLIOTT | TNR CONTRIBUTOR
myself,” Seelbach said. “It doesn’t matter who you love or who you are, if you’re transgender, you can make it in the world. There are a million people who are living proof of that.” Chris Seelbach officially took his seat on City Council Dec.1 and said he hopes to watch Cincinnati evolve into a progressive-minded city, another challenge he is ready to conquer. “I’m definitely ready to get to work,” he says. “It feels good.”
EAMON QUEENEY | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
NEWS — NEWSRECORD.ORG — SEASON’S GREETINGS —
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“Take me or Leave Me”— a song from the musical “Rent” — is a karaoke favorite for Cincinnati City Council member, 32-year-old Chris Seelbach. The lyric “Take me for what I am” has been his lifelong demand for acceptance — a plea for equal rights. Seelbach won the ninth seat on council as Cincinnati’s first openly gay council member seven years after the repeal of Article XII. Seelbach was on the executive committee to repeal Article XII — a charter amendment passed by voters in 1993 that prohibited city officials from passing any laws including sexual orientation as a protected class. “Those really honest one-on-one conversations, thousands upon thousands, is how we were able to repeal it,” Seelbach said, as he recounted petitioning from doorstep to doorstep. Seelbach’s hands navigate the surface of a coffee shop’s table in Over-the-Rhine, the neighborhood he calls home, as he maps out his plans for revising public transportation, which include replacing the Brent Spence Bridge, creating a Martin Luther King Jr. Drive exit from I-71 to the University of Cincinnati and establishing a fixed rail system. Seelbach retains a youthful optimism and energy. The boy who played Bill Clinton in his seventhgrade mock debate — the teen who risked social rejection to invest in gay rights advocacy — grew up to be a Cincinnati politician. “He has the audacity to go after something even if it seems crazy,” said Andy Ruffner, a longtime friend and mentor to Seelbach. “When he wants something to happen, generally, it happens. Like a year ago, when he told me at dinner that he was going to run for council — he did it.” Seelbach said he faced much adversity on his road to council. “There seemed to be a lot of things stacked against me,” Seelbach said. A Louisville native, Seelbach moved to Cincinnati to study at Xavier University. There, he received the prestigious Jesuit Ideals and 14th Annual Cultural Diversity awards partly for his role in forming Xavier’s gay/straight alliance — the first ever in a Catholic university. He’s made many accomplishments in his lifetime, ones that required those initial risks and risks that required a profound level of self-confidence. Seelbach is a long way from his closeted adolescence, filled with fear and uncertainty. In the 1990s, he had no social model on which to plan a life.
“In high school, the only people I knew who were gay were the people I saw on Jerry Springer,” Seelbach said.“There was no possibility in knowing that I could be who I am and find somebody to love, to have a job and a family. It just wasn’t realistic back then for me.” He said his parents went into their own metaphoric closet when he came out of his. “It was very tough on them for a long time. Like many parents, it took them going through their own process of figuring out what it all meant,” Seelbach said. “Unfortunately, this happens when kids are young and still need parents who will just say ‘I love you and I don’t care who you love.’ That doesn’t happen very often.” Ruffner remembered the time when Seelbach was estranged from his parents. Ruffner and his partner would take Seelbach to dinner on occasion. Jokingly, they dubbed themselves his “gay parents”. “In some ways, I am who I am today because of those struggles with my f a m i l y, w i t h society a n d with
what are you looking forward to this holiday season?
“The snow and my family, wearing comfy clothes, sitting by the fire, watching Christmas movies and eating lots of food.” – Courtney Shade, second-year sociology student
“I’m looking forward to doing absolutely nothing except work. I guess I’ll see family. I don’t see family as much as I used to, but I’m OK with that, because they’re all loud and obnoxious.” – Erin Zeis, third-year English student
No place like home for this holiday season
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—SEASON’S GREETINGS — NEWSRECORD.ORG — COLLEGE LIVING
BRITTANY WEIR | FRESH
Friday night, I bought a box of candy canes and proceeded to distribute them among several of my friends in Daniels Hall. When they commented on my sudden show of holiday spirit, I was forced to admit that I had a slightly ulterior motive. Over the years, I realized that I can be a slightly less than agreeable person when stressed. Thus, the candy canes were a preemptive measure — I’d hoped they would remind my friends that I actually am a rather nice person, and will become one again when finals are finished. After all, ‘tis the season of freshman finals. In actuality, my classes are not very difficult and I am most likely stressing over nothing. Nevertheless, I think tradition pretty much requires my fellow freshmen and me to feel slightly terrified, and keeps the consequences of failure running on an endless loop in our brains. I find myself occasionally slipping into the misinformed mind set that finals are already over — all I can think about is Winter break, sleeping in, going home to see my family and friends, sleeping in, the holiday season and sleeping in. I have a feeling that the sleeping in aspect is going to be pretty spectacular — dorm bunks aren’t nearly as bad as I feared — but the thought of sinking into my own bed in my own room is right up there with nirvana at this point. My hometown is pretty far from campus, so I haven’t visited home since the school year began in September. I’ve discovered an interesting phenomenon: when everything is going wrong and you’re feeling like attending college was the worst mistake you’ve ever made, your room at home becomes the single most perfect, peaceful place in the entire world. SEE FRESH | 13
“Probably just being with my mom and my puppy. I get to see my boyfriend, too.” – Lauren “Spending time with quality people, Kline, second-year fine arts student having a good time at home with my family, putting up some Christmas lights and listening to some music.” – Dan O’Brien, first-year music education student
World AIDS Day - World AIDS Day takes place each year on Dec. 1. The University of Cincinnati uses it as a way to promote AIDS awareness and safer sex practices among students.
- This year, it was sponsored by the Student Wellness Center, the UC Women’s Center and LGBTQ Center. - The Student Wellness Center’s focus was to arm the UC community with condoms, cupcakes and sexual health resources – all of which are available daily. - Free “Safer Sex Kits” were given away; they included flavored lubricant, STI testing resources and counseling center information. - The Student Wellness Center is located in 675 Steger.
COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS
GATHERING GLOBAL SUPPORT A huge red ribbon hangs on the North Portico of the White House on World AIDS Day December 1, 2011 in Washington, DC. and is currently recognized by 148 different countries around the globe. The event began in 1988.
Free birth control in 2012 EMMALEE REISER | TNR CONTRIBUTOR
COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS
PILLS OF PREVENTION Dr. Paul Norris, assistant professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology for the University of Miami, displays a handful of the birth control pills currently available in the United States.
It might not be 100 percent effective, but soon prescription birth control will be 100 percent free. In August, the Obama Administration passed the Affordable Care Act, which includes legislation mandating that all private health insurance plans must cover birth control for women, as well as several other services. The change came after a recommendation by the esteemed Institute of Medicine, which advises the government.The new requirement, which will take full effect in January 2013, is likely to have extensive implications for women nationwide. Perhaps one of the most heavily affected demographics will be college-age women: it’s no secret that being a college student can often also mean being strapped for cash, and at costs of $50-$75 per month, plus the cost of an annual check-up to provide the prescription, birth control is likely to be cut out of a tight budget. SEE BIRTH CONTROL | 13
BEARCATS SERVE
QUEEN CITY
KARA DRISCOLL | SENIOR REPORTER
“At Christmas, people will ask for an allotment check for gifts but their history tells us they’ll spend it on drugs and not gifts for family members,”Veith said. While the payee department of Freestore Foodbank works with clients on the allotment of their money during the Christmas time, the majority of employees at Freestore focus on the organization’s holiday operations. “The Christmas season is organized but very busy,” Veith said. “We see around a thousand people each day and the number grows larger when it’s closer to Christmas.” While large numbers of impoverished people go to the Freestore Foodbank to pick up a chicken or canned foods for holiday dinners, some are merely concerned with finding a warm place to sleep for the night. “It’s as basic as people having the need to be warm,” Hammitt said. During the day, the poverty-stricken people can seek refuge at nearby non-profit organizations like Freestore Foodbank. It’s not uncommon to see people sit in the building for the entirety of the day just because it’s safe and warm, Veith said. Yet when the non-profit organizations close for the night and shelters are at capacity, many are left on the streets to bare the cold. “There were three fires last week in abandoned buildings because homeless people go there and set fires as a source of warmth,” Veith said. “Consequently, the vacant structures burn down.” There’s no clean-cut solution to homelessness and poverty and students should know that OTRCH serves people who are just like them, Hammitt said. “The best way for students to understand Over-theRhine is to go down there and explore it for themselves,” Hammitt said. Through the Center for Community Engagement and UC organizations like Into the City and Preservation SEE SERVING | 13
Candy cane sales boost holiday spirit
KARA DRISCOLL | SENIOR REPORTER
system. The UC chapter of EWB is currently working on an innovative project in Burere, Tanzania. The group envisions a sustainable building for education to replace the previous schoolhouse that crumbled to its foundation. This December, EWB will work on a Pre-Implementation form that gives detailed descriptions of design calculations, architectural drawings, costs and construction schedules. If the national panel approves their plans, the EWB could start building the school as earlier as spring or summer break, Jones said. “EWB projects are so important to help Africa’s development because in the end we are only enabling Africans to do what they’ve wanted for themselves all along — to better the lives of their families,” Schutte said.
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Engineers Without Borders members will spend the month of holiday festivities awaiting the results of their project plans. “There’s so many people in the world who are so less fortunate and we need to do everything we can to help them,” said Fundraising Chairman Alex Jones. The University of Cincinnati chapter of Engineers Without Borders [EWB] solicited donations with holiday flair for international engineering projects. On Friday, EWB held a candy cane sale on McMicken Commons. All profits went to funding the organization’s projects that aid African countries in the development of third world villages. The festive candy cane sales yielded more than $75 in one day. “We’ve met our expectations for fundraising and
maybe even exceeded them,” Jones said. The student group has been hard at work raising money for their philanthropic projects the entire school year. EWB members attribute the support of the community to their success, said vice president Mark Schutte. “Without the support of our UC and Cincinnati communities, we would not be able to affect any real change in our partner communities,” Schutte said. “We owe a lot to the large network of donors, supporters, and believers that help make EWB-UC as effective an organization as possible.” Though candy cane sales and eliciting money is a normalcy for many organizations, the work that EWB is anything but ordinary. Their projects extend to the most destitute of the impoverished — communities that often don’t have electricity, water or a proper educational
COLLEGE LIVING — NEWSRECORD.ORG —SEASON’S GREETING’S —
For the last 12 years, Tom Banks has endured the bleak winter weather of Cincinnati in Over-the-Rhine’s Washington Park. Now in his 60s, it’s difficult for Banks to survive the dropping temperatures as a homeless person living outdoors. This holiday season, Banks will be in his new residence, an Over-the-Rhine Community Housing (OTRCH) apartment, next to his neighbor, University of Cincinnati student Nate Hammitt. “Now Banks is the watchdog and so proud of his apartment,” Hammitt said. Banks is a part of a large population in Over-theRhine battling harsh conditions this winter. Hammitt is one of many students from UC working to combat the
negative effects of homelessness in the community. As a volunteer for Over-the-Rhine Community Housing, Hammitt spends many Saturday mornings cleaning properties, renovating houses and sprucing up abandoned lots. OTRCH is dedicated to serving the lowincome community by developing more than 600 housing units for rent at affordable rates. “OTRCH is very community-driven, and there is such a rich spirit of people just wanting to help each other out,” Hammitt said.“There aren’t many organizations that cater to the most destitute.” Fourth-year student Abbey Veith, an intern for the Freestore Foodbank, assists the payee department with the distribution of welfare checks and helping clients allot their money in a responsible way. Some people have issues managing their money, so the payee department manages their budget, Veith said.
COURTESY OF OTRCH
BEARCATS SERVE CITY This holiday season, student volunteers from the University of Cincinnati have been lending helping hands to those in need.
eamon queeney | senior photographer
BIG EAST CHAMPS UC’s football team captured a share of the Big East regular season title — the team’s third in the past four years — following the 35-27 win against UConn Saturday.
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—SEASON’S GREETINGS — NEWSRECORD.ORG — SPORTS
cats capture share of big east brittany york | sports editor The University of Cincinnati football team won a share of the Big East Championship Saturday for the third time in four years, sending the seniors out of Nippert Stadium with a lasting memory as the team defeated the University of Connecticut 35-27. Though it was Senior Day, the Bearcats were led in scoring by their underclassmen, providing hope for promising seasons to come. On third down of the Huskies’ opening drive, redshirt junior defensive lineman Walter Stewart snatched the ball directly out of UConn quarterback Johnny McEntee’s hands in the end zone for a touchdown, giving the Cats an early lead. Stewart was credited with a sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery, tackle for loss and touchdown on that play. “Not too many times do you get a sack in the end zone and get the football out in the same play — the percentages are real low on that,” Stewart said. “I’ve never done it in college, but in high school you can get away with a lot more. It’s something I’ve thought about throughout the season — that if I could just get close enough, I could just take the ball out and not have to hit him or anything. — I’m just happy that I had the opportunity to make the play.”
The Bearcats’ next score came near the end of the first quarter and was the result of another defensive touchdown — this time from junior safety Drew Frey, who picked off McEntee and ran the ball into the end zone to tack on an additional six points. The touchdown was the first of Frey’s career, and it led to a 14-0 Cincinnati lead. On the Bearcats’ next possession, sophomore quarterback Munchie Legaux hit freshman wide receiver Alex Chisum on a 22-yard pass to extend Cincinnati’s lead to 21-0. Legaux completed 15 of 35 passes for 217 yards — a career high — and threw for three touchdowns. He connected with sophomore wide receiver Anthony McClung, who had 142 receiving yards — also a career high — for two of those touchdowns. The Bearcats’ defense held the Huskies to just six points in the first half. UConn tacked on two more field goals late in the third quarter, reducing the Bearcats’ lead to 28-12. In the fourth quarter, Connecticut tried to make a comeback, narrowing Cincinnati’s lead to just eight points; but the Cats managed to hold the Huskies off and come away with the win. Head coach Butch Jones said the victory over Connecticut was great for the team — especially in terms of the adversity the Bearcats faced coming into the season, projected to finish fifth in the Big East.
“’I’m just very proud of everyone associated with our football program and everything we have gone through and worked through and to keep fighting and playing,” Jones said. “The number one goal of our football program is to graduate and to win academically, and our second goal is to win Big East Conference Championships. I’m very proud of our players.” Though the Bearcats won’t be going to a BCS Bowl, they are happy to have accomplished their goal of winning the conference championship. Senior linebacker JK Schaffer, who had 11 tackles to finish with more than 100 total tackles for the third straight season said it means a lot to accomplish something that the team’s worked so hard to do. “I walked down there and saw the trophy,” he said. “How can you explain a feeling like that? “You work hard through the winter, the spring and the summer and camp. You put in a lot of work just for this game today, so to go out there and see the clock hit zero with us on top, it was an unbelievable feeling — especially being a senior. The other two championships were great, but winning it as a senior is a different kind of feeling. I’ll never forget this for the rest of my life.” The Bearcats will travel to Memphis, Tenn., where they’ll take on Vanderbuilt in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Dec. 31.
THE BEST OF UC AWARDS 2011 The votes have been counted, the victors decided. The News Record readers have decided, with more than 11,000 votes, what makes up the best and brightest of the University of Cincinnati experience. From Best Burger to Best UC Athlete, readers voted from Nov. 7-30 on 35 different categories. While some winners enjoyed three-peats, including Best Burger winner Five Guys Burgers and Fries and Thirsty Thursday winner Uncle Woody’s, there were also a few upsets — twotime Best Fraternity Sigma Chi, for example, was overthrown by Pi Kappa Alpha for 2011. Check out the results below, and for more information on Best of UC, visit our website, newsrecord.org.
MOST POPULAR CATEGORIES Best Coffee
Best Concerts
Best Sandwich
Sitwell’s: 3% Panera: 3% Highland: 2% Baba Budan’s: 2% Roxx Electrocafe: 2%
Southgate House: 9% Madison Theatre: 5% U.S. Bank Arena: 4% Mad Hatter: 1% Mad Frog: 1%
Panera: 10% Potbelly: 10% Cincy Steak & Lemonade: 7% Subway: 6% Quiznos: 2%
Taza Coffee: 40% Rohs Street Cafe: 26% Starbucks: 21%
THREE-PEATS
These victors have won the Best of UC awards three years in a row. Quite the accomplishment. Bravo, crew.
Best Smoke Shop: The Smoke Store Best Clothing Shop: Urban Outfitters Best Carryout: Party Source Best UC Sports Team: Football Best UC Athlete: Isaiah Pead
2nd: Kappa Kappa Gamma 3rd: Delta Delta Delta
Several past champions saw their victories go up in smoke when they were bested by a competitor: Category
2011
2010
Best Fast Food
Chipotle
Chick-fil-A
Best Concerts
The 86 Club
Riverbend
Best Fraternity
Pi Kappa Alpha
Sigma Chi
Best Sandwich
Penn Station
Spicy Pickle
Best Res. Hall
Turner Hall
Calhoun Hall
Two-time Best UC Athlete
Fast Facts: 2011 rushing yards: 3,071 Career TD: 32 Hometown: Columbus Height: 5’11” Weight: 200 lbs.
Best Fraternity: Pi Kappa Alpha 2nd: Sigma Alpha Epsilon 3rd: Beta Theta Pi
Best UC Athlete:
Isaiah Pead (Football): 22% JK Shaeffer (Football): 20% Eric Finan:
(Cross Country)
13%
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Best Chinese Food: King Wok Best Coffee: Taza Coffee Shop Best Ice Cream: Graeter’s Best Burrito: Chipotle Best Indian: Krishna Carryout Best Pizza: Dewey’s Best Newport Bar: Hofbrauhaus
Best Sorority: Chi Omega
2011 UPSETS
ISAIAH PEAD
Two-time champs
Penn Station: 34% Jimmy John’s: 16% Big Al’s: 15%
BEST OF UC AWARDS — NEWSRECORD.ORG — SEASON’S GREETINGS —
Best Chili: Skyline Chili Best Burger: Five Guys Burgers and Fries Best Clifton Bar: Uncle Woody’s Best Spirit Wear: DuBois Bookstore Best Tattoo/Piercing: Beelistic Best Hookah Bar: Gypsy Cafe Best Dining Hall: MarketPointe Best Thirsty Thursday: Uncle Woody’s
The 86 Club: 54% Riverbend: 16% Bogarts: 11%
Grammy mania: R&B stars square off
Controversial artists R. Kelly, Chris Brown vying for award Kyle pope | tnr contributor
—SEASON’S GREETINGS — NEWSRECORD.ORG — ENTERTRAINMENT
The 2011 Grammy nominees were announced Nov. 30, and with Arcade Fire’s out-of-nowhere Album of the Year win still fresh in the mind, this year features up and coming alternative and electronic artists coming in strong with major nominations. Album of The Year: In a perfect world, Foo Fighters’ “Wasting Light” should win this award. Unfortunately, Adele’s omnipotent “21” seems to be all the rage and a sure bet to win the award. But be careful not to underestimate the world’s obsession with Lady Gaga. Where’s this year’s Arcade Fire? Nowhere to be found in this category. Record of the Year: I’ll tell you who it’s not going to be: “Grenade” by Bruno Mars. After his abysmal performance with Janelle Monae and B.O.B. last year, I doubt Grammy voters want anything to do with him. Unless they desperately want another “everybody is special” anthem, I’d say Katy Perry is out, too. As for the Mumford and Sons, Adele, and Bon
Iver, it’s all up in the air. Best New Artist: It seems like two types of artists win this award. The most well known and the virtually unknown. In this case, it’ll come down to Nicki Minaj or Skrillex. If Skrillex won, it would mark a milestone for Electronic and Dance music, being the first of the genre to win this award. As for Bon Iver, he isn’t even new! Best Pop Vocal Album: Cee-Lo showed that he is a great songwriter even without Danger Mouse or Goodie Mob on “Lady Killer”. Despite that, he still has to top Lady Gaga and Adele. Rihanna and Bruno Mars don’t even register. In the end, the award goes to Gaga. Best Rock Album: Considering that Foo Fighters’ “Wasting Light” is the only album that is also nominated for Album of the Year, it seems like an easy decision. Although Jeff Beck’s album pays homage to the late, great guitar Messiah, Les Paul, it could win the voters’ hearts and pull off the upset. Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance:
them. El Debarge, Kelly Price, and Ledisi put out good music, but they aren’t winning this. Best Rap Album: One thing is for sure; it will go to Kanye West. The only real question is will he be sharing it? Though Jay-Z and Kanye collaborated to sit atop the “Throne,” “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” is Kanye’s true radiant gem.
Great films arrive just in time for Xmas Keith bierygolick | entertainment editor The year in film is almost over, and before you can make any judgments about the best of the best, you need to check out these upcoming releases: “A Dangerous Method” (Limited release) Watch Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) and Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) face off
courtesy of Sony pictures classics
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Megadeth has had too many chances and Foo Fighters will win enough awards. It’s time to let the new generation of heavy metal receive their award. Mastodon’s “Curl Of The Burl” is more than qualified. Best Alternative Music Album: Radiohead is always a safe bet. Why? Because it’s Radiohead. Critically, however, “The King of Limbs” is their weakest album. This category belongs to “Torches” by Foster the People. The album was shoved down our throats, but somehow “Pumped Up Kicks” still sounds crisp on the radio. Best Country Album: Even with veteran George Strait’s“Here For A Good Time” still producing No. 1 hits, country music is changing.Taylor Swift is modern country and “Speak Now” will win this award. Best R&B Album: The most interesting category of the night will pit two controversial singers against each other in Chris Brown and R. Kelly. I think we all hope it comes down to them, because it should come down to
PSYCHOLOGICAL MIND FUCK Michael Fassbender and Viggo Mortensen inhabit the roles of Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud.
in this provocative film about the early days of psychoanalysis. One could describe “A Dangerous Method” as a period piece, but if anything could get me to watch a period piece, it’s the promise of a third collaboration between director David Cronenberg and actor Viggo Mortensen. They’re two for two in my book with “A History of Violence” and “Eastern Promises”. “The Adventures of Tintin” (Dec. 21) Forget the Oscar-baiting “War Horse,” this is the Spielberg movie you need to check out over Christmas break. After all,“Tintin”is based on a series of classic comic books that have been described as Indiana Jones for kids. And with producer Peter Jackson (“The Lord of the Rings”) on board, this promises to be an event film that has no problem enchanting adults and children alike. “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (Dec. 21) Remakes tend to scare me away, especially remakes of acclaimed foreign thrillers that I’ve already seen. However,“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” has a chance to surpass its Swedish original. Why? Director David Fincher. Fincher’s last two movies (“The Social Network” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) have been interesting detours in a career full of great films, but let’s be honest here, Fincher is at his best when he’s dealing with extreme violence. (See, for example, his serial killer films “Seven” and “Zodiac” as well as his testosterone-filled “Fight Club.”)
Unafraid to push boundaries, Fincher is an ideal fit for “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”. “Rampart” (Limited release) In “Zombieland,” Woody Harrelson refers to Bill Murray as Bill Fucking Murray. I think it’s time to start referring to Harrelson as Woody Fucking Harrelson. And it looks like “Rampart” will only reinforce my feelings, because his performance as a dirty cop is already drawing heavy Oscar buzz. “Shame” (Limited release) Michael Fassbender is having one hell of a year. After“Jane Eyre,”“X-Men: First Class”and“A Dangerous Method” he’s saved the best for last. Fassbender plays a New York City sex-addict whose life spirals out of control in “Shame,” a film that stirred controversy recently when it received the dreaded NC-17 rating. “The Sitter” (Dec. 9) Focusing on the world’s most irresponsible babysitter (Jonah Hill) taking his neighbor’s young children out for a night on the town, “The Sitter” is directed by David Gordon Green (“Pineapple Express”) and promises to be raunchy good time. “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” (Dec. 9) Set during the height of the Cold War, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” centers on a disgraced secret agent’s search for a Soviet mole believed to have infiltrated the British Secret Intelligence Service. This sophisticated British spy film has been receiving rave reviews from across the pond and is easily my most anticipated movie of the year.
Celebrate Christmas with TV’s best
KEITH BIERYGOLICK | ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
With finals finally over, take advantage of your newfound free time this holiday season by diving into the best television shows available on Netflix’s instant stream. “Archer”: Imagine the suave James Bond as a selfabsorbed asshole with a witty one-liner permanently in reserve — that’s Archer. Working for his deranged mother at ISIS, an international spy agency, Archer uses global emergencies as an excuse to hilariously demean, insult and offend his colorful cast of co-workers. “Arrested Development”: With the recent announcement that “Arrested Development” is officially going to be made into a movie, there is no time like the present to catch up on one of the best TV comedies in recent memory. After the patriarchal George Bluth Sr. is imprisoned, the only sane member of the family (Jason Bateman) tries to keep his extremely dysfunctional relatives afloat. “Breaking Bad”: If you’re not watching this crystal meth phenomenon yet, I really don’t know what to tell you — other than to hurry up and watch it. Be warned though, “Breaking Bad” is every bit as addictive as the illegal drug its characters create. “Christmas Time in South Park”: Just in time for the holidays, Matt Stone and Trey Parker have put together a collection of “South Park’s” best Christmas episodes. Charles Manson, Mr.
Hankey the Christmas Poo and Satan all make appearances in this seven-episode compilation that attempts to demonstrate the “true” meaning of Christmas. “The League”: Are you into fantasy football? If you answered yes, but don’t watch “The League,” then there is something seriously wrong with you. “Louie”: In this FX series, comedian Louis C.K. is basically given free rein to do whatever he wants, and the results are often depressing, frequently hilarious and always interesting. “Mad Men”: In the AMC show that just won’t stop winning Emmys, take a peek into a smoke-filled 1960s ad agency and follow its mysterious top executive Don Draper as the cutthroat business world begins to take its toll. “Party Down”: A group of actors, writers and comedians move out to Los Angeles to make it big. Instead, they end up catering endless Sweet sixteens, corporate benefits and high school reunions. Created by the actual Hollywood star Paul Rudd, “Party Down” makes failing to reach your dreams tremendously entertaining. “Terriers”: Recovering alcoholic and ex-cop Hank Dolworth partners with his criminally inclined best friend to start a formidable, if a little unprofessional, private detective operation. “Terriers” was cancelled after only one season on air, and I’m still mad about it. Hopefully through Netflix’s instant stream it can reach a wider
COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS
NOT CANCELLED ANYMORE Rejoice with news of an “Arrested Development” movie and head on over to Netflix for a refresher course on the series. audience, because it certainly deserves to. “The Walking Dead”: Apocalyptic zombie head shots. Do you really need any other reason to watch? “Weeds” : Nancy Botwin is your typical suburban mom in every way, if you ignore how she earns a living, that is. After the death of her husband, Botwin tries her hand at selling that sticky icky, leading to predictably hilarious results.
every time I do, I end up with something I couldn’t be more stoked to share with my fellow students in print. As I sit in the TNR headquarters now, it’s hard to believe that my time here is whittling down to a few remaining hours. I might not be the most outgoing and involved Bearcat on campus, but the group of workaholic, sleep-deprived students that occupy this office have somehow become my campus family. Despite my best efforts to the contrary, I’ve branched out and made new friends during my time as a section editor, and I couldn’t have more respect for the staff. They work hard and play hard. And they never hesitate when it comes to working 12-hour days — often Kelly Tucker without pay — to put out the most informative, engaging publication they can for the UC faculty, staff and students. These people don’t “play newspaper.”They eat, sleep and breathe it. I’ve passed many a late Tuesday night that could have been spent studying in the library editing studentsubmitted album and concert reviews in between sporadic smoke breaks with G. Alan Ando and Anna Bentley. I can count the number of Sundays I’ve slept in during the past academic year on one hand; Sunday
morning budget meetings mean high-tailing it to campus at 11 a.m., followed promptly by a Starbucks run with Holly Rouse, Blake Hawk and whoever else needs the extra kick of caffeine to launch a long day of production. I’ve had the privilege of working under three editors-in-chief — Taylor Dungjen, G. Alan Ando and Ariel Cheung — all who have been inspirational in their determination and leadership over a group of incredibly talented section editors, writers and photographers. We’re all journalism junkies at heart, and working at TNR has been the first time I’ve really felt like I fit in on campus. I’ve finally been able to let my nerdiness flourish. To everyone who picks up The News Record and flips to the entertainment section before immediately turning to the sports page, thank you. Whether you love or hate what I’ve done with the section in my time here, it means so much just to be able to write and edit for an audience. I’m looking forward to seeing where Keith BieryGolick’s enthusiasm and drive takes him as he steps in as the new entertainment editor. As for me, I hope that I’ve served the TNR readers as well as my time on the staff has served me. Maybe I’ll see you around — or maybe I won’t — but in any case, thanks for reading.
eleven
I have called 509 Swift Hall my second home for more than two and a half years. What started as merely a front desk job to earn rent money has blossomed into one of the most fun, hectic and rewarding experiences of my college career. After leaving Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism behind after only one quarter, I had no idea what to expect from UC’s Journalism Program. I just knew I wanted to get back to the city, my boyfriend and my family for the remainder of my academic studies. I couldn’t be happier with all that I’ve learned from my stellar professors and courses as a UC journalism student. It’s those long nights in the TNR newsroom, however, that I’ll look back on for the rest of my life when I’m remembering my college days. As a TNR entertainment reporter, I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of my favorite musicians, including but not limited to: Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional, Richard Edwards of Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s and Jeremy McKinnon of A Day to Remember. I’m not trying to name drop here; I’m simply recalling the highlights of my journalism career that previously wouldn’t have been possible. I never would have had the guts to request interviews with anyone I respected and admired so much had I not needed to meet a TNR deadline. I’ve essentially learned to feel the fear and move on, and
ENTERTAINMENT — NEWSRECORD.ORG —SEASON’S GREETINGS —
Editor gives thanks, bids UC farewell
album alert
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—SEASON’S GREETINGS — NEWSRECORD.ORG — ENTERTAINMENT
tom seiple | Senior reporter
Looking back over the year, here are the top five albums that, in my opinion, are absolute must-haves in any music library. 5: Taking Back Sunday – “SelfTitled” I’m a huge TBS addict, and so this album got the most play out of any new album I picked up this year. That being said, I can’t put it at No. 1 because the album didn’t break any new ground. But in typical TBS fashion, it is extremely well-crafted. There was a lot of animosity generated toward TBS’s previous record “New Again” (I happen to be a huge fan of that album) and this year’s self-titled record was unanimously seen as a return to the old TBS while still managing to retain the progress they’ve made over the years. TBS’s music continues to be raw and rough around the edges, but increasingly mature. “Taking Back Sunday” is a sing along record. Because of that, the album demands to be blasted at full volume and screamed to at the top of your lungs. There’s plenty of angst in the lyrics to go along with an abundance of energy and power. I simply loved this record and kept coming back to it as one of my favorites of the year. 4: Mutemath – “Odd Soul”
The Top 5 Albums Mutemath’s album “Odd Soul” wasn’t what I expected at all — and thank goodness for that. “Odd Soul” is super funky and dense with shades of the blues thrown in for good measure. It took me a few listens to get on the same page with the record, and really get a good feel for it. Eventually, I came to the realization that Mutemath is progressing away from being a jam band. They are now moving toward becoming a blues based band with shades of The Black Keys and other similar bands. “Odd Soul” contains some of the tightest instrumentation I’ve ever heard. Darren King, the drummer of Mutemath, is an absolute god of the drum kit and it shows on this record in ways that their other albums just haven’t allowed. The beauty of “Odd Soul” is that it gets better with every new listen. It’s constantly moving up the charts for me. 3: Death Cab For Cutie - “Codes and Keys” This is another album, which after first listening to it, sort of faded into the background this year. I was really gung-ho about it for two weeks and then became sort of disillusioned with it. I picked it back up a few weeks ago, and it reemerged as a classic Death Cab album with tremendous replay value.
} 2011
Earlier this year, Palladia, a TV station owned by VH1, released an episode of “Story Tellers” with Death Cab on it. In the special the band shared the stories behind their songs. For me, it really opened up the heart of Ben Gibbard’s song writing and the passion the band has for their music. The music on “Codes and Keys” diverges from the typical Death Cab blueprint. For a while, I was beginning to think that Death Cab was completely stuck on one particular sound that they could never escape. But this album completely contradicts that theory. “Codes and Keys” is lush and full of ideas that go beyond anything Death Cab has experimented with before, and for that reason, it is one of my favorite albums of the year. 2: Grouplove – “Never Trust a Happy Song” You’ve surely heard this band playing their hit “Tongue Tied” on a recent Apple commercial. Grouplove was one of the best new names I came across this year, when their album “Never Trust a Happy Song” absolutely exploded. They share a similar spotlight in the alternative music scene that Foster The People are now experiencing in the pop music world. Grouplove seemingly took over my iPod for a week straight and have continued to captivate me since then. Despite the album’s brilliance, I find myself incapable of listening to it in one sitting because I can’t get past the second track. The album is simply too catchy. It’s great music for a party with a great sing along quality that manages to turn heads simply because of how much damn fun it is. “Never Trust a Happy Song” will have you toe tapping and dancing within 30 seconds before the first track even finishes.
FILE ART | THE NEWS RECORD
TAKING BACK SUNDAY With their new self-titled album, TBS reestablishes credibility with their fans and triumphantly return to the altertanative music scene after a lackluster 2009 album.
COURTESY OF RYAN RUSSELL/DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
EXPERIMENTING FOR CUTIE Death Cab for Cutie take a chance on their new album by trying out a slightly new sound. 1: City and Colour – “Little Hell” There are two reasons why Dallas Green, who records under the alias of City and Colour, put out my favorite album of the year. First, the album is an absolute work of art and is incredibly captivating. “Little Hell” manages to perfectly blend folk, rock, and blues. There are very few artists who could construct an album this unique, while also toeing a line of cliché comparable to other bands in the genre. The second reason “Little Hell” is the best album of the year, is Green’s continued development as a musician. This is his third album and easily his best. He definitely has found a groove, and because of that his junior album could have simply imitated his previous works. Instead, it broke the mold and set a new standard for Dallas Green as a musician and an artist. As far as the album’s sound, there aren’t many flaws with it. My least favorite track is the opening track, which I still find pretty enjoyable. The title track is beautifully haunting and other tracks like “Grand Optimist” and “O’ Sister” are so pure vocally and instrumentally. Lyrically, “Little Hell” is sharp, pointed, but not contrived. Musically, the band is colorful, passionate and direct. As far as a work of art goes, “Little Hell” has earned a place amongst the greatest albums I’ve heard. Not just this year, but ever.
FROM BIRTH CONTROL | 6 per month plus the cost of an annual check-up to provide the prescription, birth control is likely to be cut out of a tight budget. “This particular piece of legislation will have a great impact on removing the barrier of cost for both the birth control and the well woman visits for a lot of women,”said Amanda Lynch, a student employee at the UC Women’s Center. Legislation like this has a particularly important impact on the women of UC, Lynch said. “Because all UC students are required to have health insurance, this means that all women on our campus will have access to birth control without a co-pay.,” Lynch said Second-year nursing student Marissa Garcia has personally felt the effects of not being able to pay for birth-control, she said. “I take birth control for more than contraceptive reasons,” Garcia said. “It helps with other things too,” Garcia said. “When I was in high school I got it for free from Planned Parenthood, because my insurance wouldn’t cover it, but when they had to make budget cuts I started having to pay up to $70 a month on it.” Once she was no longer able to get it for free, she
stopped taking birth control as she could not handle that kind of financial strain, she said. “The Affordable Care Act is a good thing because a lot of girls like me can’t afford birth control now,” Garcia said. “This is a good way for them to be able to stay protected without going broke.” In addition to easing financial burdens for women, the government will also benefit economically from the Affordable Care Act. According to the Guttmacher Institute, the federal government saves $7 in assistance programs for every $1 spent on family planning. According to the US Department of Health and Human services, the Affordable Care Act ensures that all women receive “preventative services” at no additional cost. These include “well-women” visits (annual physicals with a gynecologist), breast feeding support, diabetes and HPV screening, domestic violence screening, and FDA-approved contraception with no copay or additional charge. “The Affordable Care Act helps stop health problems before they start. These historic guidelines are based on science and existing literature and will help ensure women get the preventive health benefits they need,” said Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Visit www.hhs.gov/opa/affordable-care-act for more information on the Affordable Care Act.
FROM FRESH | 6 Thankfully, I haven’t had too many moments like that, but it will be interesting to see if my old room can live up to all the hype. I have to say, it has been amusing to see how college students, myself included, who claim to be overwhelmed by studying and paper-writing, can find time to have fun. In the midst of all the chaos, my friends and I have managed to decorate for the holiday season, go Christmas shopping for our families and plan for a white elephant gift exchange. For everyone who hasn’t taken at least a little time off from studying, I highly recommend it. Everyone needs at least a little time off from studying, or you end up going insane and not remembering what you so desperately crammed anyway. Another thing that has kept me sane is making plans for when I finish my exams. I didn’t realize it until the other day, but this winter break is going to be the last big break before the end of spring quarter, seeing as spring break is not very long. With that in mind, I hope everyone takes full advantage of the time off. Have an amazing holiday, and I’m already looking forward to seeing everyone when we get back. FROM SERVING | 7 and UC organizations like Into the City and Preservation Action Network, students have the opportunity to make a difference for those struggling in the neighborhood. “We should make more connections between Over-the-Rhine and UC. I think action is what’s really important,” Hammitt said.
UC falls in round two of NCAA tourney
Volleyball finishes 2011 season 27-10 sam weinberg | sports editor
file art | the news record
STRONG ROOKIE SEASON University of Cincinnati freshman setter Caylin Mahoney finished her first year as a Bearcat with 1,501 assists, while also recording 270 digs and 104 kills.
With a three set to two loss Saturday in the second round of the NCAA tournament against the No. 21 Florida State Seminels, the Cincinnati volleyball team ended its 2011 season. The Bearcats narrowly missed their first Sweet 16 appearance after losing to the Seminels with set scores of 25-23, 16-25, 25-20, 20-25 and 15-13. Offensively, the Bearcats had four players post double-digit kills. Junior middle blocker Jordanne Scott led Cincinnati with 25 kills, while Becca Refenes, Missy Harpenau and Megan Turner posted 21, 14 and 10 kills, respectively. In the first round of the tournament, the Bearcats defeated the Samford University Bulldogs three sets to two, with set scores of 25-17, 22-25, 25-16, 23-25 and 15-9. Scott and Harpenau again led the Bearcats, with 19 and 13 kills, respectively. Harpneau also had a strong defensive performance, posting 19 digs to record a double-double. Scott finished the season with a team-high 482 kills, while Harpenau finished with 458 kills and 407 digs. Freshman setter Caylin Mahoney also had a strong
season, finishing her rookie year with a team-high 1,501 assists. Overall, the Bearcats finished their 2011 season 2710 and 12-2 in Big East play. Cincinnati started off the season slow with three-straight losses in the Northern Illinois Tournament, but rebounded with a win against rival Kentucky and three-straight wins in the North Texas Tournament to capture the tourney Cup. The Bearcats also had a strong outing in the Rainbow Classic, where they went to the finals and lost to the home-court favorite No. 12 Hawaii. After suffering two-straight losses in the Big East/ Big Ten Challenge, the Bearcats rebounded with sixstraight wins before losing their only Big East games against Seton Hall and Louisville. Cincinnati closed out its regular season 10-1, with the one loss coming against Ohio University at Fifth Third Arena, which ended the Bearcats’ 48-match winning streak — the longest home winning streak in the nation. Before losing to the Bobacts, however, the Bearcats captured the program’s first Big East tournament championship with wins against Villanova in the quarterfinals, Marquette in the semifinals and Notre Dame in the finals.
Cincinnati dominates in fall regattas
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—SEASON’S GREETINGS — NEWSRECORD.ORG — SPORTS
Rowing team bests Ohio State, Dayton in pre-season sam weinberg | sports editor
The football and volleyball teams haven’t been the only University of Cincinnati athletic squads capturing titles this quarter, as the Bearcats’ rowing team has had six boats finish in first place this fall. While the main season doesn’t start until spring, the Bearcats competed in three regattas this past fall — the Head of the Ohio, the Head of the Hooch and the Ohio tri-team meet — all of which are head race style, in which boats start in a single-file line and race against the clock for time, passing other boats if needed. The rowing team is comprised of the varsity squad — which competed in all three races — and the novice squad, which rowed in the tri-team meet. Both the varsity and the novice squads began their fall slate Oct. 1 at the Head of the Ohio — a four-kilometer race in downtown Pittsburgh on the Alleghany River — and had the four-person varsity men’s boat and the eight-person women’s boat place in first. The four-person men’s boat also set a course record, as the Bearcats finished the meet taking 10 of the 15 medals and the cup championship. While the Bearcats found success in Pittsburgh, the Head of the Hooch meet — a five-kilometer race on the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga, Tenn. — was the varsity team’s best race of the
fall season. The Bearcats took home 11 gold medals, six silver medals and five bronze medals to finish in fifth place overall. “It was awesome to see our team pull together toward a common goal we’d been working so hard for all season,” said sophomore varsity rower Paul Gordon. “It was an incredible experience to stand atop the podium with my teammates.” In the tri-meet regatta — involving Cincinnati, Ohio State and Dayton — both the varsity and the novice teams had strong performances. The men’s varsity eight boat and the novice women’s eight-boat finished in first place, while the novice men’s four-boat finished in second. “It was a special race when our varsity eight beat Ohio State on their home course at the meet,” Gordon said. “It was the first time a UC men’s eight beat an OSU men’s eight in many years, and it was probably the best race of the year for the men’s varsity eight.” The men’s novice eight-boat and the women’s novice four-boat also had one third-place finish each. “We have chances to capture a lot of championships in spring,” said freshman novice rower Cody Slusher. “We have good teams, and we need to work hard in the offseason.”
Photo provided by paul gordon
ROW YOUR BOAT The University of Cincinnati rowing team had six boats finish in first place, one in second place and two in third place following the three fall regattas the squad participated in. Craving more TNR? Check out our online sports slideshows and videos during the holidays @
NEWSRECORD.ORG
RIVALRY APPROACHES
CROSSTOWN SHOOTOUT The University of Cincinnati men’s basketball team will play the No. 11 Xavier Musketeers Saturday at the Cintas Center in the 79th annual Crosstown Shootout. In last season’s meeting, the Bearcats defeated the Musketeers 66-46 at Fifth Third Arena, marking the largest margin of victory for either team since the 2001-02 season when Cincinnati won 75-65. The Bearcats will enter the rivalry match 5-2 and will be coming off a 57-51 win against the Georgia Bulldogs Friday in the SEC-Big East challenge. Offensively, Cincinnati has been led this season by its two guards, Sean Kilpatrick and Dion Dixon, who are averaging 15 and 13.4 points per game, respectively. Senior forward Yancy Gates is averaging almost a double-double per game this season, with 12.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. The Musketeers will enter the match 6-0 and are led by senior guard Tu Holloway, who’s averaging 18 points per game.
CROSSTOWN SHOOTOUT STATS • This season’s meeting will be the 79th installment of the Crosstown Shootout. • The Bearcats lead the series 48-30.
• The schools are less than two miles apart, making the game the closest rivalry in the country.
• Throughout the rivalry’s history, the game has been played at six different venues, including the Cintas Center, Fifth Third Arena, UC’s Armory Field House and Xavier’s Schmidt Field House. The majority of games, however, have been played at U.S. Bank Arena and the Cincinnati Gardens. • From 1948-1958, the two teams met twice per year instead of just once. • Since the 1999-00 season, Xavier has won eight of the 12 games.
• Cincinnati’s longest winning streak in the rivalry is 12 games, which spanned from 1957-1967.
SPORTS
Penn State bids Paterno adieu
Finan conquers conference
Conference rearrangements
Cincinnati senior runner Eric Finan won the Big East Men’s Cross Country Championships Oct. 29 with a time of 23:17.07. Finan advanced to the NCAA Championships Nov. 21, where he finished 25th in the nation.
UC football asserts its dominance The University of Cincinnati football team defeated the University of Connecticut 35-27 Saturday at Nippert Stadium to capture a share of the Big East regular season title — the team’s third in the past four years.
Joe Paterno was fired as head coach of the Penn State University football team Nov. 9 in light of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal. Paterno was the head coach of the Nittany Lions for 46 years.
Syracuse and Pittsburgh announced Sept. 18 that they would be leaving the Big East conference to join the Atlantic Coastal Conference. Just more than a month later, West Virginia announced it will leave for the Big 12.
Replacing Mike Thomas
The University of Cincinnati hired Whit Babcock Oct. 22 to replace former A.D. Mike Thomas, who left for Illinois University Aug. 10.
FIFTEEN
It was a good quarter for Cincinnati athletics. The volleyball team, football team and Eric Finan of the men’s cross country team all represented the university with strong finishes in the Big East. The univeristy also said goodbye to Mike Thomas and hired new athletic director Whit Babcock from the University of Missouri. While sports at the University of Cincinnati excelled, the Big East conference started to crumble when Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia bolted for other conferences, leaving the Big East with just five football teams. In Big Ten news, Joe Paterno was fired from Penn State University, following 46 years at the helm of the school’s football team.
UC volleyball wins Big East
For the first time in program history, the University of Cincinnati volleyball team won the Big East tournament by sweeping Notre Dame three sets to zero in the finals Nov. 20 in Milwaukee, Wis.
SPORTS — NEWSRECORD.ORG — SEASON’S GREETING —
THE QUARTER
PAT STRANG | PHOTO EDITOR
READY TO RUMBLE In last season’s 66-46 victory against the Xaver Musketeers, Cincinnati senior forward Yancy Gates recorded 22 points and 14 rebounds to end UC’s three-year crosstown drought.
SIXTEEN
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