TNR 2.20.12

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

THE NEWS RECORD

132 YEARS IN PRINT VOL. CXXXI ISSUE XXXIII

MONDAY | FEBRUARY 20 | 2012

CATS WORKING TO BURST BUBBLE

sports | 6

DENZEL BRINGS

THE PAIN

entertainment | 3

Coroner dies after 11-day hospitalization ANTHONY OROZCO | NEWS EDITOR Anant Bhati, known for his work as Hamilton County coroner, a doctor and an educator, died early Saturday, Feb. 18 at the age of 71.

Bhati, of Indian Hill, sustained fatal injuries after falling outside the Westin Hotel in downtown Cincinnati Feb. 8, only 15 months after taking office as county coroner. He was taken to and treated at Good Samaritan Hospital and later moved to University Hospital Feb. 12.

Born in Jodhpur, India, Bhati went on to receive his medical degree from

the Sawai ManSingh Medical College in Jaipur, India. He then came to the United States to practice as an obstetrician, becoming a prominent figure in Cincinnati medicine for more than four decades.

Since 1980, Bhati worked as an obstetrician and gynecologist and served as the director of the division of gynecology at Good Samaritan Hospital, according to the Hamilton County Coroner website. Bhati became an American citizen one year after beginning at Good Samaritan.

As a physician, he delivered thousands of babies and was an innovator in surgical techniques using endoscopy, according to uc.edu.

Bhati was an active member in not only the local medical community, but also the University of C i n c i n n a t i community.

“Anant R. Bhati was widely recognized as a compassionate doctor who taught medical students for more than 30 years BHATI at the University of Cincinnati,” said UC spokesman Greg Hand.

Bhati instructed and supervised medical

students and residents at UC’s College of Medicine as a volunteer professor for more than 30 years, according to the university’s website.

Along with his medical work, Bhati also served on the UC Board of Trustees from 2000 to 2009. He also received an Honorary Doctorate of Science from UC — the highest possible award given by the university — in December 2010.

“He was, for nine years, a dedicated and devoted trustee of this university,” Hand said. “In that role, he consistently embodied thoughtful advocacy for higher education.”

SEE BHATI | 5

Investor wills $10.2 million to UC’s DAAP

Education initiative wins award BETHANY CIANCIOLO | STAFF REPORTER

RYAN HOFFMAN | SENIOR REPORTER Millionaire Orville Simpson’s life work to create efficient, clean and prosperous cities will touch the University of Cincinnati.

“We have developed a great relationship with him,” said Robert Probst, dean of the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP).

Simpson, a Hyde Park resident who celebrated his 89th birthday this Sunday, became a millionaire through a series of investments. He has willed that more than $10 million will go DAAP in attempts that it will bring his vision closer to becoming a reality.

However, his true passion has been his futuristicurban-development model commonly referred to as Victory Cities.

Last October, Simpson endowed $10.2 million — almost his entire estate — after his death to fund the new Simpson Center for Urban Futures in DAAP. While it’s uncertain how exactly the money will be allocated, an agreement letter confirming the creation of Simpson’s fund outlined what the money can be used for.

That includes establishing and maintaining an archive of Simpson’s work; promoting research in the field of future urban planning, infusing futuristic urban planning into the curriculum and scholarship programs and providing a necessary facility to accomplish all of these goals.

“He wants to continue to work with us and has promised us a lot of funding, but that’s not really what this whole deal was about for me,” Probst said.

Probst explained that he found Simpson’s work on sustainable urban living for the future fascinating and pertinent to many of the goals of DAAP. The work was brought to Probst’s attention by Simpson’s friend and unofficial financial adviser Chet Cavaliere. Once he saw Simpson’s work, Probst was excited to offer UC as the next home for a department filled with drawings, diagrams and models.

“I was worried about what would happen to his collection of art when he moves into an assisted-living home,” Probst said. “I told him, after looking at SEE ENDOWMENT | 2 INSIDE

3 4 5 6

PHOTOS BY LUCA ACITO | TNR CONTRIBUTOR

THE FIRST STEP City officials gathered at Memorial Hall in Over-the-Rhine Friday for the official groundbreaking of what could become many proposed Cincinnati streetcar routes.

BIRTH OF A STREETCAR City officials break ground on transit route BETHANY CIANCOLO | STAFF REPORTER In celebration of the start of the first segment of the controversial streetcar project, Mayor Mark Mallory broke ground Friday outside Memorial Hall in Over-the-Rhine.

Hundreds of citizens gathered as Mallory, City Manager Milton Dohoney, United States Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Metro CEO Terry Garcia Crews spoke of the benefits that the project’s development is expected to bring to the community.

“I think all of you know that we have been through a lot, but we are fortunate that we have so many enthusiastic supporters,” Mallory said.

“Make no mistake, we are improving this city through the development of this streetcar. It is but one of many components that continue to make Cincinnati great.”

Liz Hauserman, a third-year planning student at the University of Cincinnati, said she is excited to see the final product.

“I’m definitely in favor of it,” she said. “We’ve been talking about the streetcar for three years in classes, and it’s really exciting to see it getting underway.”

The first phase of the streetcar project will include a four-mile-long route that is expected to make 3,700 trips each day during its first year in operation.

Charles Graves III, director of the Department of City Planning and Buildings for Cincinnati, also said he has high hopes for the planned transit system.

“I think it’s going to be an economic engine to vitalize this part of the city,” Graves III said. “I think it’s going to bring people back to the city.

It’s one step in a lot of things that are happening.”

Willie Johnson, a downtown Cincinnatian, said he isn’t so happy about the project.

Tobacco users could face more restrictions if a University of Cincinnati Student Government Association (SGA) recommendation is taken up by the UC

FORECAST

MONDAY

48° 35°

TUE

56° 40°

WED

54° 38°

THU

51° 33°

FRI

46° 25°

“It’s not going to do anything but back up traffic,” Johnson said. “Why not give more money to the buses? It’s going to be a headache. I would like to know how much it’s going to cost to ride the trolley when [citizens] can actually walk that far.”

The official fare price has not yet been determined, but the total cost for the first segment has been estimated at $95 million, with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Urban Circulator Grant Program and the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments [OKI], according to the City of Cincinnati website.

“This is not just a streetcar. It’s going to be an economic corridor,” LaHood said. “If you enhance transportation, you put people to work. You’re putting American workers to work, building America’s infrastructure, and the streetcars are SEE STREETCAR | 2

SEE EDUCATION | 2

Students make tobacco-free recommendations ANNA BENTLEY | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Entertainment College Living Classifieds Sports

ASK ME HOW Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory answers questions from local-media reporters during the streetcar’s route groundbreaking Friday.

A University of Cincinnati partnership to help underprivileged children is making waves.

The Higher Education Mentoring Initiative (HEMI) — a partnership that works to prepare foster students for post-secondary education — was presented with the C o l l e g e Key s C o m p a c t Innovation SCHELLINGER Award for the Midwestern Region this past Monday in Chicago.

Created by the College Board in 2007, the CollegeKeys Compact recognizes programs that increase the percentage of low-income students preparing for and completing college.

“They give an award each year to an innovative program,” said Annie Schellinger, the UC HEMI program coordinator.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to be recognized by a national organization such as the College Board. It’s very exciting and encouraging to be recognized at that capacity.”

HEMI was formed in 2009 between UC’s Partnership For Achieving School Success (PASS), Hamilton County Job and Family Services, the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners, Cincinnati State and Great Oaks Institute of Technology.

Schellinger said that Greg Hartmann, Hamilton County commissioner; and Moira Weir, director of Hamilton County Job and Family Services, came to UC with the idea of a new partnership.

“They had approached UC simply because we are an institute of higher education and [they] thought it would be a good partnership to provide [for] students,” Schellinger said.

Now serving more than 35 students, HEMI recruits and trains mentors for students.

“There are some incredible mentors, and a lot of them are UC faculty and staff,” Schellinger said.

A dozen new mentors joined

FILE ART

PUT THAT OUT Student Government Vice President Michael Linger, [left], and President Alan Hagerty discussed UC’s on-campus tobacco-use policy Wednesday evening.

Check out extended multimedia coverage of the Cincinnati Dance Marathon

Board of Trustees.

SGA co-directors of health and fitness Matthew Strohhacker and Natalie HolmesLau made a presentation on a tobacco-free campus initiative Wednesday to be voted on during a joint-governance session March 8.

“This is only a recommendation to the university president, Board of Trustees and administration,” said Alan Hagerty, Student Government president. “We’re not voting on whether or not campus is smoke-free or tobacco-free … It’s just recommendations so they have their own considerations to take in when they make the final decision.”

A tobacco-free campus policy would prohibit not only the use of cigarettes, but also electronic cigarettes, cigars, hookah and smokeless, oral tobacco products on university property — which is public property.

The current smoking policy for UC’s Main Campus, put into effect in January 2006, disallows smoking inside buildings, athletic facilities and vehicles owned by the

Plus, extended coverage of the UC basketball game vs.

Seton Hall

NEWSRECORDNEWS@GMAIL.COM | 513.556.5908

university, as well as smoking within 25 feet of buildings.

UC East Campus currently has a tobacco-free policy, which was adopted in March 2007.

Strohhacker and Holmes-Lau presented their research, as well as online survey data collected by a smoking-policy taskforce UC President Greg Williams formed last October in an effort to gauge whether or not members of the university community would be in support of making UC a tobacco-free campus.

The survey — which was available on Blackboard to any UC student, faculty or staff member — was kept online for a period of three weeks in October 2011.

During that time, 2,530 members of the university community responded, with 58.6 percent of respondents expressing support for a tobacco-free campus.

SGA members discussed the benefits as SEE SGA | 2

And exclusive content on the House of Brows and Paranormal Cincinnati

@ NEWS RECORD. ORG

2

Monday Feb. 20 | 2012 NEWSRECORD.ORG

From FRESH | 4

From CRONICLE | 3

shopping, I could eat for two days for the price of one meal here. But I am a good cook — if you aren’t skilled in that area, you will either need to continue with the meal plan or start testing frozen dinners until you find some you like.

Another thing is chores. It’s important to figure out a division of labor and schedule, and stick to it.

Be honest about your needs — you might require a pristine bathroom,

so either make sure your roommates respect that, or offer to make that part of your chores.

Safety is another thing to consider.

Cincinnati is a dangerous place. I plan on taking self-defense lessons before next year and stocking up on pepper spray. Don’t be stupid — anyone can be a victim of a mugging or other random act if they are not cautious.

There are other factors to

From VAN HALEN | 3

consider, but hopefully this gets you thinking about how you live your life and what is required for your peace of mind. I still cannot believe that I have effectively stopped living at home with my parents, but I am not nearly as terrified about it as I could be because I have thought things through as meticulously as possible.

This isn’t an experiment anymore — it’s time to live in the real world.

Are you a writer? A photographer? A designer (name this font)? We want to talk to you.

backed by great musicians again.

One thing is for sure, Van Halen have matured past their party-rock days of the ’80s and are attempting to deliver more of a message with their sound.

To quote the enigmatic “Diamond” Dave once more: “A lot of bands mature, which means they start delivering messages. Hey, you got a message, use Western Union.” My thoughts exactly.

The News Record is always looking for talented people to come and help us continue on our streak of being a top-25 college paper in the country. 509 Swift Hall. We have a cardboard cut out of The Rock in the window.

FROM EDUCATION | 1

From Hand | 1

HEMI this month, six of them from UC. “It’s really exciting, because the [UC] is being recognized as an institution that’s serving a diverse group of students,” Schellinger said.

The CollegeKeys Compact did a two-year study of academic preparation and found that many low-income high school graduates fail to enroll in a four-

year college program.

CollegeKeys Compact hopes to see more low-income students being represented in colleges and universities.

“Congratulations to this year’s CollegeKeys Compact Innovation Awards winners for leading the charge toward the common goal of a 55 percent graduation rate by 2025,” said College Board

President Gaston Caperton, “and in giving our students the best possible opportunities to succeed in college and beyond.”

HEMI was one of the 16 national winners for the 2012 award.

CollegeKeys Compact believes that all students have the right to an affordable and successful college experience.

From COLLAPSE | 3 Then there’s the mysterious bag Susan drags along that brings the four characters together, while leaving two of them hanging from a bridge.

Despite the comedic feel throughout, Collapse ultimately offers a hardlearned life lesson.

Trailing the hilarious journey of four lives concludes in a crucial

Our culture is already constantly accused of being indifferent to calamity, and it almost appears as if filming or photographing during these heightened moments of life is a convenient way to make that indifference become natural — to make it seem less callous.

Rarely is it taken to the clichéd extreme where a camera operator would choose to film rather than provide vital aid.

It’s not about filming instead of assisting, but possibly about filming instead of feeling, which could be just as much of a worry.

and moving final scene that will leave audiences pondering the triumph of their own quandaries.

The Know Theatre provides a personal and laid-back experience for any audience. Stop in before the show for a drink at the bar or a bag of popcorn and bring it into the auditorium with you. Sit in the front row and you’ll be close

enough to the actors to touch.

If you haven’t been to the Know Theatre before, make it a point to go, and see Collapse while you’re at it.

The play runs until March 3.

rating:

Linger was one of the many students in attendance on Thursday.

“Hand is a longtime researcher of the history of UC and takes a lot of pride in sharing that information with fellow students and employees,” Linger said. “He does a great job at making the information presented funny and interesting, no matter what he’s presenting. There has also been a lot of interest about putting together some kind of ‘Bearcat Spirit 101’ type class with similar topics that Hand speaks of in these meetings.”

Hand will host another historical lecture on March 15 at 12:30 p.m. It will be held at the TUC MainStreet Cinema.

FROM Endowment | 1

FROM STREETCAR | 1

the collection of his work and his creations, that the university would be happy to archive all the material for him.”

Simpson’s work was on display during Fall quarter in the Philip M. Meyers Gallery. Part of his fund is designated to the revitalization of Simpson’s Victory City Project.

made in America.”

Ryan Welch, 31, of Cincinnati, said he sees the streetcar project as the first step to better transportation service.

“It’s not exactly what I wanted,” Welch said, “But if it’s the best the city can get,

I say go ahead and build it.”

The Streetcar project has partnered with the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority [SORTA] to make sure the routes do not conflict with existing bus routes.

What do you think about the streetcar?

A marvel of transportation? A waste of money? email us: opinion.newsrecord@gmail.com

From SGA | 1 well as potential challenges to adopting a tobacco-free policy in preparation for an upcoming joint session between Faculty Senate, SGA and Graduate Student Government constituents where the resolution will be voted on.

Matters such as the way the policy would be enforced have not been decided, but if the tobacco-free policy were adopted,

an implementation committee would be formed to establish the necessary steps for enforcement and methods of communicating the policy changes to members of the university.

“It’s something that basically every school that has put together a policy like this has done,” Strohhacker said.

As of January 2012, there are 258

colleges and universities that have tobaccofree campuses, according to the American Lung Association.

There are four schools in the state of Ohio that have tobacco-free policies: The University of Toledo Health Science Campus, Ashland University, Mount Vernon Nazarene University and Hocking College.

“We would be the first large state school

to go tobacco-free,” Strohhacker said.

If the bill receives enough support from the university community, the university could begin the process of implementing a tobacco-free campus policy — a process that could take anywhere from six months to two years to be put into effect, but would have to go through the UC Board of Trustees for implementation.

HOROSCOPE:

Today’s Birthday (02/20/12). Use your dreams to push you into unexplored territory. What’s calling you (for the next four years)? Your network provides a solid anchor, but diligence and dedication take you wherever you can imagine. Craft a budget. Get inventive.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19): Today is an 8 -- Review your notes, and fill in the blanks. Do the research for any missing answers. Get outside to clear your head, and take time for yourself. Make leap year wishes.

Cancer (June 22-July 22): Today is a 5 -Your nurturing helps with any anxiety today. An invention from afar brings income. Include futuristic design. Envision the road ahead. A quiet evening relaxes.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): Today is a 7 -- Enjoy

this extra day! Avoid arguments (even if you think you’ll win). Stop for a minute, close your eyes and listen to silence. Be patient with a loved one. Go for peace.

Taurus (April 20-May 20): Today is a 7 --

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Today is an 8 -- Get ahead in your career by accessing your ambition.

There’s no need to travel; let your fingers do the walking.

Email the people you most want to work with.

Gemini (May 21-June 21): Today is a 9 --

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Today is an 8 -The adventure’s just beginning. You end up with something different than you expected. What will you discover?

Flexibility and patience are key.

Authorities may need persuasion, so articulate the benefits of your plan. Changes could seem abrupt to others. Confer with dreamers, and prepare for later launch.

You surprise everyone. Help a partner stand up to critics.

Don’t ignore facts; present your insights. Accept advice from someone who’s blazed that trail.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

Today is an 8 -Obligations may force a delay. Stay in communication, and

CROSSWORD Across

1 USAF NCO 5 Crème de la crème 10 Jazz devotees 14 “Tulip chair” designer Saarinen 15 Plant need 16 Crowning 17 Some HDTVs 18 Hopelessly lost 19 Pasta/rice brand word 20 Basic computer command 21 “Check, mate” 22 Common Cape Cod feature 24 Restaurant kitchen workload 26 Get one’s teeth into 28 Bush spokesman Fleischer 29 Invoice word 30 Encourages 31 “__ a problem” 32 Palm tree starch 33 Organize, in a way 34 Incidentally, in IMs 35 Massachusetts school ... and a description of the two-word meeting that occurs at each circled letter 38 Summer setting in Chi-town 40 Off-the-wall response?

41 61-Across curl 44 Rival

45 Catchall checkbox 46 One point from a service break 48 Football’s Parseghian 49 Thing to cook up 50 “Just like that!”

51 To a greater extent 53 Expert in pop psychology?

54 Vinaigrette ingredient 55 __ ideal world 56 First name in bologna 59 One-named illustrator 60 Touch down 61 Fire sign 62 Stepped heavily 63 What some losers have to resist 64 Cary of “The Princess Bride” 65 “__-mite!”: “Good Times” catchword

Down

1 Severe fear 2 Bolts down 3 Fictional wolf’s disguise 4 Talking-__: tongue lashings 5 Somewhat far 6 Past curfew 7 Part of TGIF 8 “Catch my drift?”

9 Acquired by, in the big leagues 10 “The Alienist” writer 11 Cartoon hero with antennae 12 Twelve-note scale, e.g.

13 Séance contact 21 Lovable droid 23 Clumsy hammerers’ cries 25 Square dance complement 26 Hobby with hooks 27 30-Down genre 30 Classic film involving a split personality 34 A sleeper hit may be on it 36 Went wild 37 Bee complex 38 Circles around the sun 39 Landers lead-in 42 “My sympathies” 43 Exhortation from a gift giver 44 Clan 45 Chances for photos 47 Lake Erie city 50 Small openings 52 Fades to black 53 Create 57 Tee size letters 58 Bully 59 Flight board abbr.

For the answers, go online to newsrecord.org

CHIEF.NEWSRECORD@GMAIL.COM | 513.556.5912

keep track of the details. Don’t overspend, and postpone socializing. You can handle it. Rest up after.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Today is a 9 -- Your partner helps you traverse the difficult parts of the day, when you’re most likely to make a silly mistake or feel insecure. All you really need is love.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Today is a 7 -- Press the pedal down to make things happen. Keep your hands on the wheel, but not too tightly. Look into the distance for upcoming obstacles. Zoom on by.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Today is an 8 -- Build a solid foundation of trust. Raise walls of inspiration, and add a friendship roof to protect from bad weather. It doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): Today is a 7 -- Your loved ones believe in you more than you do. Trust them. They’re probably right this time. Stay patient and thrifty. Eat well, rest up and go outside.

3

Monday Feb. 20 | 2012 NEWSRECORD.ORG

MEDIA

MATTERS

UCHENNA ONONYE

ENTERTAINMENT ‘A different kind’ of Van Halen

‘Chronicle’ life’s many moments

When the chance to snap a perfect photo of something reveals itself, a sense of panic often flutters in the mind of whoever takes notice. Hastily, a phone is whipped out, picture settings are fumbled through, and viewing angles are scoped.

This is all done in an effort to preserve the beauty of a living image — to capture that skyline before the sunset’s amber glow fades into twilight, or snap the snazzy sports car before it races off into the distance, or to get a shot of that glistening mountain of ice cream before it starts to melt.

Not too long ago, leisure cameras were only dug out for significant events — like vacations and graduations — but with image capture devices so easily accessible now, any visual frame of someone’s day can be deemed picture worthy.

“Kodak moments,” as they were once called, have been whittled down to ordinary moments — more frequent, and therefore not as special.

One could feasibly document each passing day of their life if they felt an inclination to do so.

The recent movie “Chronicle” takes a fresh look at this trend.

It is primarily an action flick about three ordinary high school students who stumble into superpowers, but it involves an interesting subplot about the protagonist, Andrew Detmer, and his sudden urge to film as much of his life as he can.

As Andrew trudges down the corridors of his school and along the sidewalks of his dingy suburban town, his camera is always dragged with him (until he develops the power of telekinesis, and then it just hovers with him).

Andrew is an archetypal loner, depressed and antisocial, who keeps his digital lens trained on the misery of his everyday life in isolation.

The movie uses a familiar cinematic trick in which the eye of Andrew’s camera also serves as the eye for the audience.

This way, viewers are given a much more intimate vantage point and are a tangible object inside the story — a passive friend, one who sees all but says nothing.

Never at any point in the movie is there a definitive answer as to why Andrew is so desperate to film his life, but it is clear that he won’t let up, and it’s his stubbornness that partially contributes to his doom.

Using Andrew as an example, the film reflects a real life dissonance between urge and understanding.

There’s a growing obsession many people have with producing digital diaries and digital profiles online, stuffing them with daily images and videos of personal experiences.

It’s as if we’ve suddenly awakened to the possibility of recreating the entire world around us and putting it online, but there doesn’t seem to be a clear rationale behind it.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but “Chronicle” suggests it might be worth pausing to consider the consequences of leaping recklessly beyond a mysterious frontier.

Andrew’s wish to record every detail of his day alienates him from those who try to bond with him. They find his camera to be weird, obtrusive and disrespectful, but mostly insincere.

Hiding behind the camera prevents Andrew from immersing himself in the ebb and flow of his social atmosphere. It becomes a barrier, which only increases his emotional detachment.

In reality, there’s no particular reason why operating a camera should subtract emotion from an experience, but it does seem to happen from time to time — particularly in extreme circumstances.

Viral YouTube videos that involve situations spiraling out of control often have a cameraman or others nearby who seem uncomfortably indifferent to the disaster happening before them.

Instead, they are more concerned with capturing the footage.

SEE CHRONICLE | 2

BLAKE HAMMOND | SENIOR REPORTER

David Lee Roth put it best when he said, “Van Halen is the ‘get the fuck off the sidewalk if you don’t like our driving’ kind of music.”

In the late ’70s and early ’80s, Van Halen was just that: an in-your-face, wheeling-anddealing, steal your girlfriend right off your arm rock ‘n’ roll band.

There were no frills or gimmicks — just a hefty amount of sex, drugs and general debauchery.

And, oh yeah, they were pretty good at making hits, too.

Now, after years of tormenting their fans with sub-par vocal replacements like Sammy Hagar and Gary Cherone, Eddie Van Halen and the crew have reconciled with David Lee Roth and presented a new album called “A Different Kind of Truth.”

After listening to the album, one thing is certain: This is a different kind of Van Halen.

“A Different Kind of Truth” is riddled with the feeling that Eddie and the boys

NOTEWORTHY TRACKS: “Blood and Fire” “China Town” “Big River”

are trying to make up for lost time, which gives the listener the impression that they are just trying too hard.

On the song “Honeybabysweetiedoll,” Eddie rips into a riff that is slightly reminiscent of a nu-metal sound, which, not surprisingly, doesn’t work for the band.

On the lead single, “Tattoo,” Eddie Van Halen’s guitar part sounds like something that could have been a bonus track on a rerelease of “1984.”

With the chorus, “Tattoo tattoo/ Sexy dragon magic/ Tattoo tattoo/ So very autobiographic,” Roth’s lyrics are convoluted metaphorical references to tattoos and could very well be the product of a Ricky Bobby, Lou Reed collaboration.

In the backdrop of the track, “Stay Frosty,” (which is an obvious homage to their song, “Ice Cream Man”) Eddie Van Halen bestows upon the listener a blues infused style acoustic guitar riff.

Although Roth continuously pleads for us to “Stay Frosty,” by the end of the song, you’ll feel more frostbite than chills.

Even with all of their miscues on the record, when Van Halen gets it right, it’s enough to forget about all the missteps.

On tracks like “She’s the Woman,”“Blood and Fire,” and “Big River,” the group finds that unmistakable, irreplaceable sound they

had in the ’80s: A sound that is equal parts catchy and hard, pop and rock.

Plus, getting to listen to Eddie Van Halen play guitar is always a delight that shouldn’t be passed up, even when he is trying to branch out his sound.

“A Different Kind of Truth” won’t go down in history like “Van Halen” or “1984,” but it’s worth the listen just to hear Roth being SEE VAN HALEN | 2

PLAY IT SAFE

WITH DENZEL WASHINGTON

‘Safe House’ delivers all out action, but no originality

BEN GOLDSCHMIDT | STAFF REPORTER You’ve seen this movie hundreds of times before.

There’s nothing new or unique about “Safe House,” but what it lacks in originality, it makes up for in execution. It’s an extremely well-done movie, with action of all sorts lurking around every corner.

“Safe House” hits the ground running, leaving the viewer confused, yet highly entertained. There is no slow build up or long and drawn out background information here. If you’re looking for a mind-bending plot with unpredictable twists and thrills, stay at home.

But if you’re looking for intense action, cat-and-mouse chases, and political meddling, set aside a few bucks for a ticket.

Who needs a compelling story when you have Denzel Washington kicking ass and taking names?

In “Safe House,” Denzel Washington does what he does best — he just does Denzel. For those who have seen him in anything else,

you’ve seen him in this. His character, Tobin Frost, is an ex-CIA agent who predictably fell off the grid and now operates as a freelance badass by trade.

He’s got something the government doesn’t want him to have, and he falls into the lap of the inexperienced agent Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds).

Washington plays his usual cryptic character with an aptitude for being dangerous and making the audience root for him. I wasn’t disappointed, but it would have been refreshing to see Washington do something new.

I was, however, pleasantly surprised by Reynolds’ performance as the CIA rookie.

Naturally, I want to hate him — he’s funnier than me, hotter than me and in this movie he proved that he is more badass than me as well — but in this movie he made a believer out of me.

Usually seen in lighthearted romantic comedies, here, Reynolds pulls off highspeed car chases, spontaneous firefights and a fistful of hand-to-hand combat scenes.

Nothing against Washington, but it’s nice

to see an actor play more than one role well.

But maybe “Safe House” could have used a little more lighthearted romance.

That could have added a twist to it— or at least raised the emotional stakes a little bit.

At the beginning of the movie, for only about five minutes, Reynolds interacts with his girlfriend, but it is such a minor portion of the film that the audience will struggle to remember her name.

It’s as if her character was only added to the film in order to fill some sort of action movie checklist.

What holds this movie back is its lack of originality and general predictability.

If you’ve seen any action movies in the past few years, you can probably place some pretty safe bets on what will happen in this one.

With that aside, “Safe House” was well put together, very entertaining and featured Denzel being Denzel. In the end, that’s good enough for me.

‘Collapse’ into fit of laughs at theater KATIE GRIFFITH | STAFF REPORTER The Know Theatre of Cincinnati is in its 14th season of production and has housed a wide variety of performances such as poetry, documentary, live band and musicals, to name a few.

But their presentation of “Collapse” is a much more traditional display of theater.

Only four cast members and one backdrop.

No sing-alongs, elaborate costumes or funny character shoes — not even a crazed villain.

There is, however, a man coping with posttraumatic stress disorder in a humorous but tragic way, an impotent sex addict and an unseen — but very consequential — drug dealer who goes by the name of Bulldog.

And this goes without mentioning the highly emotive wife who strains to heal her husband, and a recently homeless, somewhat disruptive sister.

“Collapse” has received a League of Cincinnati Theatre Award for its leading lady, Annie Fitzpatrick. In the play,

COURTESY OF DEOGRACIS LERMA

KNOW THY THEATER The Know Theatre of Cincinnati puts on a hilarious and heartfelt play.

Fitzpatrick portrays a woman, Hannah, who is desperately trying to hold her life together while her husband, David, suffers from PTSD.

NEWSRECORDENT@GMAIL.COM | 513.556.5913

After surviving the collapse of the I-35 Bridge (the disaster in Minneapolis in August 2007 where 13 people died and 145 others were injured), David has trouble getting back into the daily routine of his life.

He rarely goes to work, and Hannah believes he’s an alcoholic, when in actuality he waters the family plant with his leftover beer.

Life for Hannah and David (Brian Isaac Phillips) unexpectedly and uncontrollably gets worse when her sister Susan (Torrie Wiggins) shows up with a fairly large suitcase.

Susan’s open-minded way of life rubs off onto David, creating even more drama for Hannah, as well as a couple of life threatening situations for all.

Despite life threatening situations, “Collapse” is laugh-out-loud funny from the very first scene. An impotent sex addict somehow manages to come between Hannah and David, yet ultimately facilitates their recovery.

SEE COLLAPSE | 5

4

Monday Feb. 20 | 2012 NEWSRECORD NEWSRECORD.ORG

FRESH BRITTANY WEIR

Exiting dorm for real-life

Every once in awhile I still feel as if this whole “college” thing is in its experimental phase — that, should I decide it’s just not working for me anymore, I can pack up all my stuff and move back home.

After all, dorm rooms are meant to be temporary. If I move out, the university will start looking for someone to fill the empty spot, and life will continue as usual.

This idea has been destroyed since I put down a deposit for a full year’s rent for my very first apartment.

Like many freshmen, I have decided not to return to the dorms my sophomore year, an idea that is both terrifying and exhilarating.

After all, Daniels Hall has played such an essential role in my freshman year.

Without this dorm, I would never have met some of my best friends, or gotten involved in activities. The support network I have found has made my freshman year so far not just bearable, but amazing. As much as my hall-mates and I complain about the cost of living in tiny rooms that have never once been the perfect temperature, I am honestly not sure I could have survived “living on my own” this first year.

The whole process of finding a new place to live has been much easier than I thought it would be, but I have to imagine that this is not the case for everyone who looks for a place off campus.

If you are thinking of leaving the dorms, or moving out of your parents’ house, and you have not started to look for a place, I would recommend that you start looking today — wait much longer and you could easily find yourself with no options.

First, you need to consider a couple essential things. For most of us, this is the first time we have this kind of decisionmaking power. For the first 18 years of our life, our living arrangements were decided by whoever supported us financially — it is pretty hard to argue with someone about where you live when they are paying for it.

Once we started college, we usually had two options — either live at home or in the dorms. Now we did have some say in the matter, but it mostly boiled down to how many roommates we wanted and which end of campus was most convenient.

Even then, we didn’t all get our first choices. I wanted to live in Stratford, and even though now I could not imagine living anywhere other than Daniels, I was pretty disappointed when I found out I wasn’t going to have a bathroom in my own room.

As you start planning out your next year, I urge you to very carefully consider several things. Figure out what your ideal living situation is, what parts of it are most important to you, and try to match it as accurately as possible, given your budget and time restraints.

This is not something to do halfway. I cannot imagine something more stressful than getting caught in a horrible living situation and having to find a new place to live while trying to keep up with grades.

Here are some of the factors I considered: Sleeping arrangements are a huge priority for me. I have a brother and sister who are much older than me, and so since the age of eight years old, I have effectively been an only child. The idea of sharing a room with three other people and a bathroom with a whole floor terrified me.

I didn’t think I could make it work. Surprisingly, I now find it harder to sleep when there is no one else in the room, so I know that I will have no problems living with roommates again next year.

On the other hand, I have friends who tried the roommate thing and it didn’t work.You might have to compromise on this matter because of finances, but make sure you will have your own space. Otherwise you and anyone you live with will grow to resent each other, and that is stress that no one needs.

Another thing to think about is food. I personally cannot wait until I am no longer required to have a meal plan, because I know that with some creative SEE FRESH | 2

COLLEGE LIVING

Hand’s historical perspective

EMILY MACINTYRE | STAFF REPORTER

Students and staff used their lunch breaks in an educational and thrifty manner by deciding to attend a historical lecture hosted by the Greg Hand on Thursday.

Bearcats may recognize Hand’s name from the many emails sent to their inboxes daily, but there is more to Greg Hand than his position as the University of Cincinnati public relations vice president.

Hand is an accomplished historian.

Recently, Hand decided to share his knowledge with the rest of the UC community.

With Cincinnati’s bicententennial approaching in 2019, monthly meetings about UC’s history have been set into place by the public relations department in Tangeman University Center. Hand began hosting lunchtime assemblies at the beginning of Winter quarter.

“I started the series for UC students and alumni,” Hand said. “Because of the upcoming

bicentennial, many of them have lots of questions about the history of UC.” As a result of all of the inquiries the university has received, Hand decided to put together a series of free monthly talks about UC’s history. All are scheduled at 12:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at TUC MainStreet Cinema.

“January’s talk was on the prehistory of UC, as in higher education in Cincinnati before UC was founded in 1870,” Hand said. “February’s talk is a really rapid review of UC history from 1870 to 2010. I call it 140 Years in 55 minutes.”

In just an hour, Hand was able to cover almost 150 years of UC presidents and leaders.

He spoke of the greats like Charles McMicken and Cornelius G.W. Comegys. Hand also talked about the “not so greats” like Thomas Vickers, an extremely liberal pastor, who enraged students in his leadership and invited rabbis to speak from his pulpit.

Student Government vice president, Michael SEE HAND | 2

FILE ART

HISTORY BY HAND Vice President of public

relations Greg Hand, a historian at heart, is hosting a handful of free history lectures during Winter quarter.

Charitable cause induces 24 hours of dancing Bearcats TIA GARCIA | TNR CONTRIBUTOR More than 800 students rallied behind the slogan, “taking the chance of a lifetime, to give lifetime a chance,” this weekend in the Campus Recreation Center for the Cincinnati Dance Marathon (CDM).

Students spent 24 hours dancing, playing sports, watching magic tricks, learning self-defense, and much more, all while raising

money for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

The event started at noon on Saturday and by 4 p.m., more than 400 students had already been accounted for. Although students are free to leave whenever they want, Stephanie Kenning, vice president of operations, along with other executive board members, encouraged students to stay the entire 24 hours.

“I’m really excited that

this many people are staying throughout the entire event,” Kenning said. “Sometimes people come at noon and leave at 3 [p.m.] and just feel like, ‘Yeah, I came and did my part,’ but I love that so many people are staying.”

While some students joined the event individually, many students came as part of a team, complete with matching shirts, and competed against one another for “morale points.”

Students earned points for how creative their outfits were, how much spirit they showed and for how their dancing moves fared against others.

While the activities throughout the night were aimed at keeping students awake and entertained, there were more sobering parts of the event. Members of the 29 families that CDM helps benefit made appearances throughout the night and spoke to the audience about their experiences at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

“Although the games are fun, it was the stories that really lifted our spirits,” said Weston Ott, a second-year biomedical engineering student who attended CDM for most of the night. “If we were starting to feel tired their stories just helped us gain energy and keep going.”

All of the children who went on stage to speak had a different, uplifting story to share. Some of the children were born with various ailments, but others showed the dancers that some things could just happen by chance.

Ryan Korengel, a sophomore at Madeira High School, was playing golf with his friends one day in September 2008 when

a tree fell on his head. After spending 90 days in Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Ryan proved his doctors wrong and began to walk again.

Although he is partially paralyzed on the left side of his body, Ryan still plays on his high school golf team and hopes to continue playing in college.

“While I still have my challenges, my message to you is have fun with what you can do, and don’t waste time thinking about what you can’t,” Korengel said.

Payton Stephens, an 11-yearold girl who has become a poster child of sorts for CDM, also shared her story.

This is her third year attending CDM, and people know her as “Powerful Payton Stephens.” She was diagnosed as an infant with multiple ailments and continues to receive ongoing care at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

“What I love best about CDM is that they raise money for Cincinnati Children’s and they just support everybody in it and we get to dance and have fun,” Stephens said.

After the children and their families spoke, students were encouraged to go talk to them and get to know their stories better.

The children even participated in some of the activities at the event, from making bracelets to showing people up on the dance floor.

Every family that spoke mentioned how thankful they were to have college students give up a Saturday night to support their cause, and from the spirit of the morale dances, to the mass amounts of twitter updates, it was clear that students were happy to be there #ForTheKids.

PHOTOS BY JORDAN HORRAS | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

DANCE FOR CHARITY University of Cincinnati students participated in the Cincinnati Dance Marathon to raise money for Children’s Hospital.

Taking time for mental health EMILY MACINTYRE | STAFF REPORTER

For a busy college student, relaxation can be hard to come by. That’s one of the reasons why FNL decided to team up with ZenZone to give students a peaceful night designed for them to chill out and unwind.

UC students were able to get involved with a variety of activities which included painting Zen gardens and fi lling them with sand and stones, an oxygen bar and full body massages.

The oxygen bar is a device that is placed around the neck and shoots aromatherapy oxygen in front of the nose in a variety of scents (like lavender and sandalwood) and “moods” (i.e. “relaxed”).

“Taking 20 credit hours this quarter hasn’t given me much time to be able to visit the ZenZone, so I really enjoyed the opportunity to try it out for free,” said Student Government co-director of health and fitness Matt Strohhacker. “Mental wellness is so important to continue working hard and staying focused during tough parts of the school year. I am happy to see a place like the ZenZone on campus offering ways to reduce stress and improve mental wellness in a

quick and cheap way. It’s a great resource for students, staff and people visiting campus.”

ZenZone is a student spa located on the third floor of TUC. Students can come in any time to relax before a test, refresh before a class, get ready to study or any other time by using the exclusive products that are only offered at this unique health spa.

“The ZenZone lounge was the coolest part because I had never had oxygen aromatherapy before, and the guy working was very nice and friendly,” said second-year Spanish student Alexandria Johnson. “The massage was nice as well with all of the settings and different equipment you were able to use while in the chair.”

Johnson’s friend, Natalia Holmes-Lau, also attended the event.

“The event was a lot of fun and a calming experience,” said Holmes-Lau, a fourth-year psychology student. “It was a great way to end my busy week, and I would love to do it again.”

Next week’s FNL event is Casino Night at 7 p.m. in the TUC atrium. For more information on the Wellness Center and FNL, visit, www.uc.edu/wellness.

NEWSRECORD.LIVING@GMAIL.COM | 513.556.5913

KEEPING A HEALTHY MIND UC Student Wellness Center

675 Steger Student Life Center

ZenZone

Tangeman University Center

UC Counseling Center 316 Dyer Hall

University Health Services

 Richard E. Lindner Center

DID YOU KNOW??

5

Monday February 20 | 2012 NEWSRECORD.ORG

CLASSIFIEDS

CLASSIFIEDS POLICY

RATES

1 All ads must be prepaid.

2 Out-of-town advertisers must send check with copy.

3 NIU’s must be signed and filled out before acceptance of ads.

4 All ad changes are due two days prior to publication.

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: Non-Students: Bold Type:

1-3 runs $0.50 $0.60

4-6 runs $0.40 $0.50

7-9 runs $0.30 $0.40

10+ runs $0.20 $0.30

$0.60 $0.70

$0.50 $0.60

$0.40 $0.50

$0.30 $0.40

DEADLINES Deadline for classified ads is 4 p.m., two days prior to publication.

Display ad deadline is 4 p.m., three days prior to publication.

Deadline for Monday issues is 4 p.m. Thursday for display ads.

For classified and display advertising information, please call 513-556-5900.

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.

FOR RENT Looking for an apartment? www. ucapartments.com Now available! 1, 2, and 3 bedroom apartments. Walk to UC. Newly renovated. www.ucapartments.com 513-300-0585.

Now renting for the fall. uc4rent.

FOR RENT com. 513-621-7032.

5 Bedroom House for Rent.

Great Location on quiet street; 2 Blocks from Campus. Home Security System, New windows, Doors, Furnace, and Deck. Many custom built-ins. 2547 Vestry Ave (one block behind Deaconess

EMPLOYMENT

Hospital) Available for August 1st school year.

Always rents quick. 508-4001, 309-3032 Now leasing for August. www.ucapartments.com.

SIX-BEDROOM, THREEBATH, THREE-STORY HOUSE. Two blocks to campus. Just finished being COMPLETELY REMODELLED!! Eat-in kitchen with dishwasher, free laundry, A/C, ceiling fans, window blinds, free parking, cats welcome free, available beginning August, $2095.00. Call Jeff at 513-3795300. “gray5393@mailstation.com” No text messages, please.

SPECTACULAR SEVENBEDROOM, FOUR-BATH, THREE-STORY. Remodeled house, two blocks to campus, 16’x20’ hardwood living room with fireplace. 16’x24’ eat-in kitchen with dishwasher. BONUS COMPUTER ROOM. Free laundry, A/C, ceiling fans, window blinds, two-car garage +additional free parking, cats welcome free.

Available beginning August. $2095.00. Call Jeff at 513-3795300. “gray5393@mailstation.com” No text messages, please.

FOUR-BEDROOM, THREE-BATH HOUSE. Three blocks to campus.

Beautiful new eat-in kitchen with dishwasher. Restored hardwood floors, free laundry, A/C, ceiling fans, window blinds, PRIVATE DECK! Free parking, cats welcome free, available beginning August. $1495.00. Call Jeff at 513-3795300. “gray5393@mailstation.com” No text messages, please.

EMPLOYMENT

FIVE-BEDROOM, THREE-BATH, THREE-STORY HOUSE. Three blocks to campus. Remodeled eat-in kitchen with dishwasher.

Hardwood floors. Free laundry, A/C, ceiling fans, window blinds, free parking, cats welcome free.

Available beginning August. $1695.00. Call Jeff at 513-3795300. “gray5393@mailstation.com” No text messages, please.

please apply at keystonebar.com or personally at 3384 Erie Ave in Hyde Park. Start immediately.

Nice 1,2,3,4 bedroom houses and apartments, great locations, available August rental. Phone: 513378-7919. www.qcr4rent.com.

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

*Great 1,2,3,4,5,6 bedrooms available for September. Call (513) 403-2678.

EMPLOYMENT

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.

Personal caregiver for intelligent, creative, active, physically disabled 54-year-old in Mason. No experience, flexible hours. Drivers license required. $10+/hour. 513564-6999 ext. 88990.

BARTENDING. $250/DAY POTENTIAL. No experience necessary, training provided. Call 1-800-965-6520 ext. 225. $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 who may be looking for a flexible work schedule. Call Scott today to arrange an interview. 513-244-6542.

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

FROM BHATI | 5 Among his many accomplishments, Bhati also was on the State Medical Board of Ohio from 1995 to 2005, and served as the board’s president in 2001.

“His dedication to the community was well known through service on the State Medical Board of Ohio and as coroner, as well as long-term advisory positions in both corporate and non-profit

organizations,” Hand said.

Prolific and committed, Bhati has also served on the boards of Heritage Savings Bank, the Ohio Medical Aetna Medical Advisory Board, the Provident Bank Advisory Board, Hindu Society of Greater Cincinnati, Salvation Army Advisory Board and Regional Board of the ProAssurance Company.

A funeral service for Bhati was carried out at Spring Grove Cemetery Sunday afternoon.

Bhati is survived by his wife Shammi, son Amar of Indian Hill, daughter Shan of Chicago and a grandson.

In lieu of flowers, Bhati’s family has requested that a donation be made to the Darwin T. Tuner Scholars Program, a

diversity scholarship at UC. Bhati also conducted an autopsy in Everett Howard — the UC Upward Bound summer program student that died after UC Police Division officer Rick Haas used a taser to subdue him in August 2011.

The cause of Howard’s death is still undefined.

George Washington. Stephen Hawking. Sally Ride. Michael Jordan. Tiger Woods. Danny Trejo.

None of these people were editors-inchief at The News Record, but you can be. Next year. Come to 509 Swift to pick up your application.

All right, look. There is absolutely no catch.

We’re not going to do anything with personal information, there’s no purchase necessary. The News Record has free tickets to Esquire—as in the movie theater on Ludlow—and you can get them. That’s all. You’re on campus reading this anyway, right? So why not swing down to The News Record’s dungeon newsroom at 509 Swift Hall to claim yours today? Bring in a copy of TNR to prove to us that you love us, and the tickets could be yours.

509 AND 510 SWIFT HALL UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI 45221-0135 OFFICE PHONE 556-5900 OFFICE FAX 556-5922

THE NEWS RECORD FOUNDED IN 1880

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.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ARIEL CHEUNG MANAGING EDITOR SAM GREENE BUSINESS & ADVERTISING MANAGER KELSEY PRICE

SPORTS EDITORS SAM WEINBERG BRITTANY YORK OPINION EDITOR JASON HOFFMAN SPOTLIGHT EDITOR HOLLY ROUSE

ASSISTANT BUSINESS MANAGER JARED HOWE

PHOTO EDITOR PATRICK STRANG

NEWS EDITORS ANTHONY OROZCO SCOTT WINFIELD

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR BLAKE HAWK

NEWSRECORDADV@GMAIL.COM | 513.556.5900

CHIEF REPORTER JAMES SPRAGUE CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER ANNA BENTLEY DESIGNERS MEG DIRUTIGLIANO KATE DAVIS GIN A. ANDO PRODUCTION DESIGNER ERIN HUNTER CLASSIFIED MANAGER KATY SCHERER

6

Monday Feb. 20 | 2012 NEWSRECORD.ORG

TICKEL

YOUR FANCY HUNTER TICKEL

SPORTS Four-straight Big East road wins

Creating Lin-ear polarization For the past two weeks, Jeremy Lin has tread on unprecedented territory, chartered since the turn of the century.

He’s done something that LeBron James, Dwanye Wade, Derrick Rose, Kobe Bryant or even Shaquille O’Neal weren’t capable of: make the National Basketball Association relevant on a national and global scale.

Lin has polarized a league in desperate need of a renaissance following Michael “Air” Jordan’s greatness in the ‘90s. The ‘80s — before my time — I’m told was the greatest decade of hoops with Erving “Magic” Johnson and Larry “Legend” Bird going toe-totoe, renewing a historic rivalry between the Lakers and Celtics.

One player and element both of those decades lacked, however, was the Linear equation. Lin has dropped 169 points through his first seven starts — a record since the 1976-77 NBA-ABA merger.

While Lin has been scoring in bunches, ESPN.com notes he has committed a record 45 turnovers during that stretch, but the only stat that holds water is his 6-1 record as a starter.

The stage that Lin is doing it on is absurd, considering the trials and errors he went through to even have this shot.

He didn’t receive a single basketball scholarship out of high school, before settling at Harvard; and according to ESPN.com, the assistant coach at Harvard told Lin’s high school coach that he was only a Division III-caliber player.

Despite the plaudits he garnered at the Ivy League school in nearly every statistical category, he went undrafted — which is not surprising, considering those who graduate from Harvard are probably more likely to become president than get drafted by the NBA. In the past two years, he’s played for two Developmental League teams, had a brief stint in the Chinese Basketball Association and been cut by two NBA teams — nearly three.

The San Francisco Bay Area native was just days away from being waived by NewYork on Feb. 4. The Knicks contemplated releasing the point guard one week before his contract became guaranteed so that they could sign a new player.

Lin nixed this notion, however, showing aplomb in coming off the bench to total career-highs of 25 points, five boards and seven assists, setting the tone for him to start the next eight games through Sunday.

This year happens to be the Year of the Dragon, which is also the 6-foot-3-inch guard’s zodiac sign. The sign personifies power, wisdom and attention garnering.

With the Harvard alumnus pulling the strings in the nation’s most historic arena —Madison Square Garden — tickets have been selling like hot cakes.

During troubling financial times, fans are going on spending sprees to catch a glimpse of Lin, with students forking up $200 and courtside seats going for $2,000, according to Fox Sports.

“Linsanity,” which began as a trending topic on Twitter, has become a nationwide phenomena, as ESPN and other mainstream news organizations compete to come up with witty headlines for each passing win.

Lin became an iconic sports figure overnight, which makes his “rags to riches” journey that much more remarkable.

Teammate Carmelo Anthony has referred to him as the team’s “Rudy,” but that doesn’t do Lin justice. Rudy was a practice team player, whose appearances totaled one down in his career for Notre Dame, while Lin is having sustained success in the Big Apple — the mecca of professional basketball.

Anyone comparing him to NFL quarterback Tim Tebow is seriously lacking in judgment of talent or sports in general, not to mention the fact that Tebow won the Heisman trophy in college.

There just isn’t anyone out there that can hold a candle to the Lin movement, but there are plenty out there that will liken themselves to him.

Notre Dame — also an underdog — notched its eighth-straight win Saturday, prompting head coach Mike Brey to say in his post-game presser, “Jeremey Lin and the Irish — believe it.”

Check out a photo slideshow from UC vs. Seton Hall @

NEWSRECORD.ORG

JOSH MILLER | STAFF REPORTER

The University of Cincinnati women’s basketball team (14-12, Big East 5-8) traveled to South Orange, N.J. Saturday to take on the Seton Hall Lady Pirates (7-20, Big East 0-13), and escaped a late rally to earn the 54-48 win.

After a tumultuous 0-8 start to conference play that saw the Cats embark on one of the toughest schedules in the country, UC has won five of its last six games, including four-straight games on the road.

Still, with three games left to play, the marks of 14 overall wins and four road conference victories both represent the highest totals reached during the Jamelle Elliott era.

The Bearcats got on the board quickly with a Dayeesha Hollins layup within the first minute of play.

Seton Hall struggled terribly from the field in the first half and started the game with a six-minute drought, finally scoring its first basket at the 13:58 mark on a Brittany Morris jumper.

Unfortunately for UC, the Cats could not capitalize on the early Pirate woes, as they also encountered a five-minute scoreless stretch that left the score at just 2-2 after nearly seven minutes of play.

Sparked by two Bjonee Reaves 3-pointers, the Cats went on a 12-2 run that ended inside of the seven-minute mark to give Cincinnati a 14-4 lead.

After trading baskets for the final six minutes of the half, the Bearcats headed to the locker room with a 26-16 lead.

UC didn’t miss a beat to start the second stanza.

Chanel Chisolm — who played every second of the 40-minute contest — scored four quick points to spark an early 8-2 run that gave the Cats their biggest lead of the night, 34-18.

Behind the play of Chisolm and Hollins, UC maintained a double-digit lead for the majority of the second half, and were up 42-28 at the 7:35 mark.

With just over seven minutes remaining, Seton Hall senior Jasmine Crew put the Pirates on her back and led an inspired comeback, scoring or assisting 16 of the Pirates’ final 20 points.

Despite the impressive play from Crew that sparked a 14-3 Seton hall run — which cut UC’s lead to just three points at the 2:24 minute mark — the Pirates couldn’t quite catch the Bearcats.

With Seton Hall within three points and the shot clock winding down, Reaves drained her fourth 3-point shot of the night to push the UC lead to six points.

Although the Bearcats struggled to make their free throws in the final two minutes, the Pirates would not get any closer than five points.

Crew led Seton Hall and all scorers with 19 points, and Hollins paced UC with 16.

The Bearcats will return home to take on Marquette at Fifth Third Arena at 7 p.m.

CATS SNAG

FILE ART

START TO FINISH Dayeesha Hollins led the Cats with 16 points after 38 minutes of play in their 54-48 win against the Pirates Saturday.

Y T O O B ’ S PIRATE MEN’S BASKETBALL

MICHAEL WYLIE | STAFF REPORTER

The University of Cincinnati men’s basketball team put up a solid 40-minute effort Saturday night to improve its conference standings and earn a win at a pivotal time in the season, defeating the Seton Hall Pirates 62-57 at Fifth Third Arena.

Senior guard Dion Dixon — who finished with 20 points and six rebounds — led the Bearcats (19-8, 9-5 Big East) in scoring.

Cincinnati came out firing shots on offense, as they opened the game on an 18-4 run and used stellar three-point shooting — they were 7-of-12 from behind-the-arc — to secure the lead at the half, 37-28.

The Cats would lead by as many as 14 points for the second time early in the second half before the Pirates cut the lead to as little as four points twice in the last 30 seconds.

Seton Hall was forced to foul Cincinnati in the last minute of play, but the Bearcats sealed the game with a pair of free throws from Dixon and another from junior guard JaQuon Parker, who had 12 points and seven rebounds.

Head coach Mick Cronin was particularly impressed with Parker’s well-rounded style of play.

“You can’t play four guards without him,” Cronin said. “He is a guard on offense and plays twice his size on defense. That is where I have to do a better job in recruiting. I need more guys with his toughness.”

UC 62 SHU 57

NEXT UP: WHEN: 9 p.m. THURSDAY WHERE: FIFTH THIRD ARENA VERSUS: LOUISVILLE

SAM GREENE | MANAGING EDITOR

STRONG DEFENSIVE EFFORT In addition to scoring 12 points, junior guard JaQuon Parker grabbed seven boards — six of which were on defense — to help lead the Bearcats to a 62-57 victory against Seton Hall Saturday.

With Saturday’s performance, Dixon moved into 28th place on UC’s all-time scoring list with 1667 points, passing Tom Thacker (1152).

Cronin was proud of his sophomore guard, but still wants him to improve.

“He was aggressive. There is no doubt about that,” Cronin said. “I have to do a better job with him on making shots inside the paint. He was 3-for-10 inside the paint.”

Seton Hall (18-9, 7-8 Big East) outscored the Cats in the paint 34-16 and were led in scoring by Fuquan Edwin and Jordan Theodore, who had 15 points each.

Cincinnati, however, is 12-1 this season when hitting eight or more three-pointers in a game and were able to capitalize on their effort from the outside.

The Cats will play No.19 Louisville Thursday night at Fifth Third Arena, where they’ll work toward closing out the season strong in hopes of improving their seed in the Big East Tournament and securing a spot in the NCAA Tournament in March.

Tipoff is at 9 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN.

LAUREN PURKEY | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

MOVING ON UP Dion Dixon shoots a quick break layup in the second half of the game against the Seton Hall Pirates at Fifth Third Arena on Saturday, Feb. 18. Dixon led the Bearcats offense, scoring 20 of the team’s 62 points.

Cincinnati coaches set for 2012-13 BRITTANY YORK | SPORTS EDITOR

The University of Cincinnati’s reigning Big East co-champions and Liberty Bowl victors will add a new member to its coaching staff for the 2012-13 football season.

Head coach Butch Jones announced the new staff addition Thursday, in addition to designating new defensive staff responsibilities.

Jones named Roy Manning, who served as a graduate assistant for the Cats in 2010, as outside linebackers coach.

“We are very excited to have the opportunity to add an individual that is a great quality person and an effective communicator, who understands the mission and purpose of our football program,” Jones said.

Manning worked as an offensive graduate assistant at the University of Michigan this past season, where he helped lead the Wolverines to an 11-2 record, including a 2012 Allstate Sugar Bowl championship.

FILE ART Bearcats’ former linebackers coach John NEW DEFENSIVE ROLE Kerry Coombs Jancek, a 20-year coaching veteran, will now will coordinate the defensive passing game. serve as defensive coordinator.

In addition, associate head coach Kerry SPORTS.NEWSRECORD@GMAIL.COM | 513.556.5909

Coombs, who also serves as special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach, was named defensive passing game coordinator; and assistant head coach Steve Stripling — a mentor to UC’s defensive line — was named the defensive run game coordinator.

Wide receivers coach T.J. Weist, who is in his third year of coaching with UC, will take over the role of recruiting coordinator — a role that he previously filled during his two years of employment with Indiana University in 1997-98.

“We have experienced coaches who are great teachers on and off the field and are among the best in college football,” Jones said. “It’s our job to develop these young student-athletes to be the best football players, the best students and the best people they can possibly be; and when they finish their careers here at the University of Cincinnati, we want to make sure they leave here better people.”

The Bearcats begin Spring practice March 1 at the Sheakley Athletics Center, and Bearcat Bowl VI — an open-practice game fans can attend — will take place April 14 inside Nippert Stadium.