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THE 132-YEAR-OLD AWARD-WINNING INDEPENDENT STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

VOL. CXXXIII ISSUE LVVVVVVVVI

The News Record MONDAY | FEBRUARY 25 | 2013

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UC student found dead on highway Cincinnati Police receive reports of a body on I-71, student hit by vehicle KARA DRISCOLL NEWS EDITOR NEWSRECORDNEWS@GMAIL.COM A student from the University of Cincinnati was found dead on the highway early Sunday morning.

Cincinnati Police received reports of a body on I-71 north at approximately 2:04 a.m.

Officers found the body of Christopher Walker, a third-year architecture student, near the 3.3-mile post on the northbound side of the highway, said CPD Officer Dennis Zucker.

Police believe Walker attempted to

for approximately two hours, cross I-71 and was struck by a vehicle. according to police reports.

The driver did not stop after the Police questioned Balint, accident. and charges are pending.

Police identified Lauren We must “This is just another Balint, 21, as the driver of once again blow to the UC the vehicle. community,” said Lane Balint was driving stand to Hart, UC student northbound in an support our body president. “My Oldsmobile Intrigue thoughts go out to when she struck Walker, Bearcat Family.

Christopher Walker’s according to a press -Lane Hart, UC family and friends. UC release from CPD . student body president experienced another Walker was pronounced tragic loss of life early this dead at the scene. morning and we must once The highway was shut down

again stand to support our Bearcat family through this difficult time.”

Walker graduated from Bellefontaine High School, approximately 60 miles northwest of Columbus, in 2010.

He received a $1,000 scholarship from the American Institute of Architects to attend the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning.

The accident is still under investigation.

Walker is the sixth UC student to die during the 2012-13 academic year.

The News Record will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.

Room rates will increase next year UC officials approve 2 percent increase for residence hall costs BENJAMIN GOLDSCHIMDT CHIEF REPORTER NEWSRECORDNEWS@GMAIL.COM Room rates for residence halls will increase 2 percent in the 2013-14 academic year.

The cost increase marks the second across-the-board room rate increase for the University of Cincinnati in the past four years, said Robert Ambach, senior vice president of administration and finance at UC. The newly approved plan will enable UC Housing and Food Services to achieve a balanced budget, and is meant in part to offset the 1 percent reduction of meal plan costs. There will now only be two meal plan options: one traditional block plan of 186 meals and another unlimited plan.

Students will not be able to give friends access to dining halls with the unlimited plan, but will retain that ability with the 186 block plan.

“Do [parents] really want to pay for their student’s meal plan and their friend’ meal plan because of all the swiping of guests?” Ambach said. “So we’re trying to find a balance.”

UC ranks sixth in comparable room rates in Ohio, behind Youngstown State University, Cleveland State University, Akron State University, Toledo State University and Ohio State University, Ambach said.

“The proposed room and board rates are a result of the evaluation of the capital and operating needs, occupancy rates, enrollment projections, market competitiveness and contract service costs,” according to the report released by the board.

Morgens Hall is set to open in the fall semester of 2013, and the recommendation the Board of Trustees passed established rates for single and double occupancy rooms — ranging between $7,876 and $8,350.

Alongside the room rate increases, the board passed a resolution to remove the $252 campus life fee for distancelearning students.

“Many and most of our distancelearning students actually don’t reside in Cincinnati or even the state of Ohio, and they don’t [use] the recreation center and other things being funded [with the campus life fee],”Ambach said.

The UC Board of Trustees passed both resolutions unanimously.

BILLION DOLLAR BABY Proudly Cincinnati reaches its $1 billion goal four months early BENJAMIN GOLDSCHMIDT CHIEF REPORTER NEWSRECORDNEWS@GMAIL.COM Last week, The University of Cincinnati joined the 1 percent.

Proudly Cincinnati took in $1 billion in a single, eight-year fundraising campaign — a feat only 1 percent of American universities have accomplished.

“We’ve now become one of those charities in Cincinnati that people want to give to, and want to be a part of,” said Francis Barrett, chairman of the UC Board of Trustees.

The Proudly Cincinnati campaign reached its fundraising goal four months ahead of schedule.

“Years, decades from now, when historians are unfolding the pages of UC’s history, two words will be said: well done,” said Otto Budig Jr., co-founder of the UC foundation.“Reaching the objective was not the end, but the beginning.”

Kathy Wolf, vice president of marketing, communications and employee relations at the UC foundation, said the campaign’s success derived from a culture of philanthropy at UC, and wants to support that culture in hopes of increasing donations in the future.

“This has set the table for future fundraising, we actually are ramping up,” Wolf said. “Our goal is to reach $125 million a year when the campaign is over, and we

aren’t even making that now.”

The UC Board of Trustees discussed the possibility of launching another largescale fundraising campaign in its meeting Tuesday, but will continue traditional fundraising regardless.

“Hitting this billion dollar milestone has helped us set the tone for what’s to come in the future,”Wolf said.

The university plans to finish out the end of its campaign on a high note, focusing on its strategic plan aimed at making the university a first-choice destination.

More than 91,000 donors contributed to the eight-year campaign started in July 2005, and UC President Santa Ono wants to reach 100,000 donors by June.

“Today does not mark the end of our fundraising efforts,” Ono said. “We will continue our efforts until July.”

About 57 percent of the $1 billion came from UC faculty and staff, and one-third of the donors came from corporations and foundations outside UC. The money is primarily being used for scholarships, endowed chairs, upgrading current university facilities and creating new ones.

Donors have the option to give to specific causes they believe passionately in.

In many cases, donors gave money to set up endowed chairs — university positions created and paid for through private donors. About $45 million donated created 30 new endowed chairs.

About $101 million is committed to scholarships and financial aid, and about $37 million of that sum will create 479 new scholarships. Much of that scholarship money is already being awarded, and approximately 10,700 recipients of Proudly Cincinnati funded scholarships already graduated.

Donors also designated their contributions for new facilities geared toward their interests. The Cincinnati Cancer Center, the Alumni Engineering Learning Center, the Gardner Family Center for Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders, and the Sheakley Athletics Center were all created as a result of Proudly Cincinnati donors, among others.

Orville Simpson and the Lindner family are among the top donors to the university.

The Lindner family donated about $40 million for the creation of the Lindner Center of HOPE. Simpson, founder of Victory City and local retiree, donated $10.2 million for urban planning.

Seeing the success of the Proudly Cincinnati campaign inspired optimism and gratitude in the UC administration.

“It … makes possible the American dream … it makes possible the dreams of every student and the dreams of faculty and staff,” Ono said. “We cannot overstate the gratitude we have to our support. I couldn’t be more proud than I am today.”

support for

51 FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS

$101 MILLION

$173 MILLION

for financial aid & scholarships

$37 MILLION

created brand new scholarships

$171 MILLION FUELING RESEARCH ADVANCEMENTS

for Academic Health Center & UC Health programs & facilities Creation of the Cincinnati Cancer Center

Taste of Belgium to open near UC on Short Vine Renowned eatery signs 10-year lease with Uptown Rental Properties BRYAN SHUPE SENIOR REPORTER NEWSRECORDNEWS@GMAIL.COM

LAUREN PURKEY | PHOTO EDITOR

CHICKEN AND WAFFLES The local eatery will serve its favorite menu items like waffles.

The locally renowned waffle eatery, Taste of Belgium, plans to add a new location on Short Vine.

Taste of Belgium signed a 10-year lease with Uptown Rental Properties for a 39,000 square foot property located between University Avenue and Daniels Street. Jean-Francois Flechet, owner of the restaurant, said the Belgian bistro’s doors will open by July and will include an enhanced bar experience, complete with an 11,000 square foot patio.

“The beer selection will be expanded significantly and waffles will still be available, day or night,” Flechet said.

Though Flechet didn’t reveal the new menu, he said costumers can expect almost all of the favorite menu items, as well as smaller “bite-size” servings.

Flechet is not concerned with Short

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Vine’s recent economic slump and believes his business will flourish in the Clifton area.

“I think Short Vine has a lot of potential just like Over-the-Rhine had a lot of potential,” Flechet said. “And after doing my research I think [this] is the right timing.”

Dan Schimberg, president of Uptown Rental Properties, said the new addition to Short Vine will be a Belgian beer house in the evening, and will still serve breakfast, lunch and dinner to students and professionals alike.

Taste of Belgium is just one of many potential eateries to contribute to the rejuvenation of Short Vine, Schimberg said. Uptown Rental Properties is currently developing the once thriving business district in hopes of returning it to its former glory.

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College students in danger of credit debt Study shows young Americans take on more debt than previous generations lance lambert staff reporter newsrecordnews@gmail.com College students trying to build credit by using a credit card have reason to think twice after a study showed they might carry any debt with them to the grave.

A recent study from Ohio State University shows younger Americans are taking on more credit-card debt than their parents — and are taking longer to pay it off.

“If you project out life expectancy, then younger cohorts are not going to be able to pay off their credit-card debt by the end of their life, and they will die with debt,” said Lucia Dunn, an OSU economics professor and co-author of the study.

The study concluded people born between 1980 and 1984 would have approximately $8,200 more debt than their grandparent’s at the same age and about

Research maps food deserts

$5,700 more than their parents.

Dunn believes the trend will continue for younger generations, though most undergraduate college students are born after the years evaluated in the study.

The large amounts of credit-card debt will likely lead to action from banks around the country, Dunn said.

“I don’t think [an economic crisis] will happen, because the banks will step up,” Dunn said. “Banks are going to have to get tight on giving credit.”

The study shows if banks raise the monthly minimum required payment by 1 percent, it will help young people pay off debt at a faster rate, Dunn said.

The national total of student-loan debt reached $1 trillion in 2012, as younger generations also are accruing more debt to go to school than their parents and grandparents.

“I think that credit has become such a way of life,” said Julia Heath, director of

University of Cincinnati’s Economic Center.

Restaurants did not accept credit until a few years ago, and now almost all businesses take it, Heath said.

“Student loan debt is just crippling kids when they come out of school,” Heath said.

“For the individual student with significant amounts of debt they will be unable to do a lot of transitional things, such as go to graduate school, get married, buy a home or have kids.”

The large amounts of debt will hurt consumption spending, which makes up a large percentage of the economy, Heath said.

Like the housing bubble, Heath believes the debt held by young people could bust and cause an economic crisis.

“If you find out your degree is really not worth as much as you thought it might be and took on too much debt, its not like you can give that degree back, like you can a house in foreclosure, you can’t give your

degree back and student loan debt is not dischargeable,” she said.

Ironically, some student who use credit cards to improve their credit are instead hurting it by taking on more than they can pay.

“My intent when I got the card was to only use it to pay for gas, but in the end I was using it other things when I was out of money,” said Grant Torok, 21, a former Xavier University student and resident of Clermont County. “In the end, I hurt my credit because I had more bills than I could pay.”

Torok dropped out of Xavier University after one year, leaving with a big chunk of student-loan and credit-card debt.

Students who do not finish college are at more of a disadvantage because they do not have a degree to help pay off their debt, Dunn said.

CPD evaluates new cruisers Cincinnati Police in process of choosing new police car dani kokochak senior reporter newsrecordnews@gmail.com

UC researchers study Cincinnati regions with low access to healthy food brooke beery senior Reporter newsrecordnews@gmail.com Researchers from the University of Cincinnati released a study mapping citizens’ access to healthy food in Cincinnati, finding the Walnut Hills area could be in danger of becoming a food desert.

“A food desert is a region where the people who live there don’t necessarily have spatial access to healthy foods,” said Michael Widener, an assistant professor of geography and lead researcher of the study. “Generally, it’s an area where the population has lower income and poor transportation access.”

The study used data from the Metropolitan Planning organization, which sketches patterns of where commuters travel to get their food.

Researchers then compare the routes with current data on supermarket locations.

“The UC area is actually fairly covered by healthy food sources, however, just north of UC there are some regions that are really more at risk,”Widener said. “In particular, if the grocery store in Walnut Hills closes, that’s going to probably cause some issues for that neighborhood.”

Prior studies done on food deserts were based purely on where residents lived, not where they traveled during a typical day.

Widener and his team expanded on previous studies by considering commuting data into their research and factoring in mobility.

But their study only examined residents who traveled to grocery stores by car. As a next step, the researchers plan to look at transit commuters.

“The goal of all this research is so that we can plan our cities better,” said Steven Farber, assistant professor of geography at the University of Utah and researcher of the study. “It helps us locate areas where we need to build better facilities that offer healthy food and it also means that we might have to rethink our transportation systems to allow more accessibility to supermarkets.”

The study will appear in the wellness journal Health & Place in May. For more news coverage, go to newsrecord.org.

The Cincinnati Police Department is in the process of choosing a new cruiser after the discontinuation of the Ford Crown Victoria and aging of the current vehicles.

The department is testing police package cars from several different manufacturers, instead of automatically updating to the Ford Interceptor.

“The Ford vehicle changed completely, the whole platform of the car, the drivetrain, everything,” said Dave Cavanaugh, assistant fleet manager. “It’s a whole new and different car from the Crown Victoria.”

Ten Interceptors, Dodge Chargers and Chevrolet Caprices have been purchased, and are being tested in the field by officers.

Criteria for the vehicle are fuel mileage, driving and handling ability, durability and performance in harsh weather conditions.

Officer feedback will also be taken into consideration.

“We wanted to spend some time with these cars in the field and, basically, see how they hold up,” Cavanaugh said. “If anything in particular goes wrong with them, we want to be aware of it and weigh that as a factor in picking a car.”

Half of CPD’s current vehicles are considered, or nearing, their ‘out-of-life cycle.’

A vehicle is considered out of life when

the cost to repair or replace parts outweighs the cost of purchasing a new vehicle, or when the vehicle has high mileage.

“We need to be continuously replacing cars anyway, on a regular basis, with the number of cars we have,” Cavanaugh said.

“We replace a certain amount every year to keep them rotating.”

CPD has been using the Ford Crown Victoria since the late ’80s, even through major body changes in the early ’90s, Cavanaugh said.

During the testing period, the current Crown Victorias have remained the main staple for police cruisers.

A decision on the new police package car will be made in June or July, Cavanaugh said.

The University of Cincinnati police department replaces its cruisers every three years, to ensure the vehicles are upto-date and running properly.

“The vehicles run, basically, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said UCPD Captain Rodney Chatman. “There is no magical equation … [but] we have found that three years is the average amount of time that a vehicle lasts, and remains safe.”

Emphasis on UCPD’s use of Segway vehicles to patrol campus is growing, and the one-man vehicles are constantly in use.

A total of five Segway vehicles currently patrol UC’s campus, and three new ones are on order, Chatman said.

file art

NEW CRUISER CPD is in the process of choosing a new cruiser after the discontinuation of the Ford Crown Victoria.

Kasich calls for Medicaid expansion At least 275,000 Ohioans eligible for coverage lance lambert staff reporter newsrecordnews@gmail.com Hundreds of thousands of low-income Ohioans will receive healthcare coverage following Gov. John Kasich’s decision to expand Medicaid.

Ohio is joining a growing number of Republican-controlled states to fulfill an option in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also know as Obamacare, to cover individuals living at, or below, 138 percent of the federal poverty level — approximately $15,000 per year for an individual and $32,000 for a family of four.

Medicaid currently covers about 2.2 million Ohioans. Ohio law prior to the expansion covered adults with dependents at, or below, 90 percent of the federal poverty level and did not cover adults without dependents. A family of four making $20,000 or below would qualify under the old guidelines.

Kasich estimated at least 275,000

Ohioans would be eligible for coverage under the expansion.

“Ohioans will recapture, over the next seven years, $13 billion in our money to help these working poor and those searching for jobs to be able to get healthcare,” Kasich said.

The expansion will save state dollars spent on emergency room visits from patients without healthcare and help rural hospitals.

“When they visit emergency rooms and cannot pay, we pay for them and I don’t believe this is sustainable in a way to do business in Ohio,” Kasich said.

Kasich emphasized he is not a supporter of Obamacare, or an individual mandate, but does believe the expansion will help “the working poor.”

The federal government will reimburse 100 percent of the cost of Medicaid expansion for first three years and would then phase down to 90 percent after that.

Last year, the US Supreme Court ruled states have the ability to opt in or out of the program, but cannot partially implement

the expansion.

“I think it is very likely the federal government could change the reimbursement rates to states,” said Greg Lawson, statehouse liaison and policy analyst at the Buckeye Institute.

The Obama administration already floated around the proposal of cutting the reimbursement rate before the US Supreme Court ruled that states could opt out, Lawson said.

The Congressional Budget Office Monday announced the national debut will reach $23 trillion by 2023, which will likely put more pressure of the federal government to cut spending, Lawson said.

Kasich said Ohio would “reverse this decision” if the federal government changed the reimbursement rates in a way to make the state pay more for expansion.

If the rates do change, the state will likely be unable to reverse its decision because of political problems resulting from future changes in leadership, Lawson said.

From waffles | 1 “Short Vine is really under an amazing renaissance right now,” Schimberg said.

“Between now and the spring of 2014, I think you can expect to see extensive new buildings, renovations and restorations along the Short Vine quarter … and with Bogart’s having gone through a renovation, and they just signed a 10-year lease with Live Nation, Short Vine is the

up-and-coming entertainment district for the University of Cincinnati.”

Other future Short Vine establishments include Mio’s Pizzeria and a Fifth Third Bank.

Uptown Rental Properties is currently negotiating with several other restaurants and brew houses, Schimberg said.

The News Record is searching for desk editors for the 2013-14 academic year.

Contact Kara Driscoll for more information. newsrecordnews@gmail.com

509 and 510 Swift Hall University of Cincinnati 45221-0135

Office phone 556-5900 Office fax 556-5922

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Life & Arts 3

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Blood donor diaries

‘Rain’ soaks crowd with talent

Intimate theater atmosphere lends credibility to show

Giving blood leads to vast collection of free stuff Madeline Adams CONTRIBUTOR newsrecordent@gmail.com I am like most college students. I love free stuff.

Free dinner at a student group meeting? Sure, add me to the roster.

Yeah, I’ll listen to your bank’s new proposed savings account made especially for college students, as long as I can get a pair of sunglasses for my trouble. Of course I’ll help you move at 7 a.m. Saturday, as long as you give me that coffee table we talked about.

Hoxworth realizes I am not in the minority. It knows people love free stuff.

I’ve put some of that free stuff to good use. I have an over-abundance of T-shirts, many of which I received for giving blood.

My place of residence is a poorly insulated Corryville house, so I decided to solve one problem while fixing the other.

I am making a T-shirt blanket that will feature my favorite free shirts.

Besides free stuff, Hoxworth also keeps its donors happy by distributing coupons. Upon signing in at the registration desk, prospective donors receive a coupon at most blood drives.

Cincinnati favorites such as Skyline and United Dairy Farmers offer coupons to thank donors.

Depending on the donation type, the donor will receive coupons corresponding with the length of his or her donation. While a whole-blood donor will receive a pint of Homemade UDF ice cream, a platelet or double-red donor will acquire a half-gallon of the dairy treat. Hoxworth works hard to keep its promotions interesting in hopes of attracting potential donors.

Blood drives at the University of Cincinnati offer promotions especially targeted toward college students.

Jersey Shore-inspired sweatshirts, UC-labeled tumblers, a fleece blanket embroidered with the UC logo and, of course, the beloved Santa Ono bobblehead are all examples of how Hoxworth tries to attract college students with certain promotions.

One of the less popular promotions Hoxworth has to offer is a raffle that donors can enter to win. A lot of people pass up the opportunity to enter because it is not a sure thing.

I have a friend who won tickets to the Dave Matthews Band Caravan — a concert featuring 30 acts — from a Hoxworth blood drive raffle.

Unable to attend the concert, she sold the tickets online for $400. She didn’t complete the donation process because her red blood cell count was too low, but was still encouraged to enter the raffle.

One item most people know they get for free when donating blood is food.

A donor has a plethora of food options to choose from; blood drives provide almost every brand-name cookie ever produced.

The American Red Cross teamed up with Keebler for its “Be A Good Cookie” campaign. Keebler wants to make sure no good deed goes unrewarded by supplying blood drives with its delicious treats.

I am always excited when I hear about what new promotion I am going to get when I go in for my next donation, though at times I need to remind myself of a very important truth that I sometimes forget: When you donate blood, it’s not about what you get, it’s about what you give.

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Katie Griffith Arts Editor newsrecordent@gmail.com The Know Theatre’s atmosphere is so intimate, when it rains on stage the audience not only sees it but feels it, too.

“When the Rain Stops Falling” began and the theater was silent — only the sound of rain pelting a man’s umbrella could be heard when a spotlight highlighted his face.

He broke the silence with a scream. Then, as if to answer his cry, a fish fell from the sky.

The audience comes to know this man as Gabriel York (Nick Rose) in the second scene of the play. Gabriel tells

the story of the decline and fall of the American empire from 1975-2015. In his story, it’s not a miracle that a fish fell from the sky — it’s a miracle it exists at all.

He also reveals the dreadful living conditions of the year 2039. It never stops raining, fish are unheard of and even worse; he hasn’t seen his son, Andrew (Jon Kovach), in 20 years.

Among all of the emotional scenes, Gabriel’s monologue reigns, seeped passion and undeniable talent. His face turned a darker shade of red with each word, veins protruded from his neck and tears streamed gently down his face as he pondered the life he’s had to face alone.

Loneliness becomes a chronic theme weighing on each character, and the deeply saddening story is reflected in the fixed set and lack of elaborate props. One table, seven chairs, a window and the sound of incessant rain — no music, but the occasional scream and lighting effects reinforce the setting and mood.

The audience follows the fictional American depression back and forth through time as the story of Andrew’s life unfolds — or re-folds, whichever way one chooses to look at it.

The nine-member cast includes older and younger versions of characters — sometimes on stage at the same time — but never aware of each other’s presence.

It might take the entire hour and 50

minutes of the production for the viewer to understand the connection between characters, but the time spent telling the story is worth the wait — and sometimes confusion.

“When the Rain Stops Falling” is full of insightful one-liners and a bit of comic relief that pokes fun at the modern world, but in a subliminal way that doesn’t interrupt the flow. The outstanding talent of the cast is boldly underlined by the exceptional story and one unexpected turn in the plot.

The audience will cry, laugh and want to scream in unison with the cast — venting their own frustrations brought forth by such relatable topics.

What is the unspoken reason that set off the horrible cycle of parentless children and childless parents? In what way does a shoe, a vase, letters and an umbrella intertwine the character’s lives — and what’s with the frequent screams of anguish?

The answers to these questions are answered through a tale of hopeless cycles of abandonment, lost love and one man who had the courage to change it all. Audience members will watch with a tight brow and unbreakable concentration that can only be relieved when the rain stops falling.

“When the Rain Stops Falling” runs through March 16.

Phil Didion | Chief Photographer

PURIM COSTUME CONTEST Students gathered at the Catskeller for Esther Fest Saturday.

ESTHER FEST CELEBRATION Jewish community dresses up in honor of Purim holiday Tia Garcia Multimedia Editor newsrecord.living@gmail.com University of Cincinnati students gathered at Catskeller Saturday night with elaborate costumes to celebrate a traditional Jewish holiday.

Hosted by Cincinnati Hillel, a gathering place for Jewish students and young professionals, “Esther Fest” was a celebration of Purim, which commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from Haman, who plotted to kill all the Jewish people before Queen Esther stopped him.

“Purim is a time where the Jewish

community can come together to celebrate our heritage, culture and tradition,” said Jake Henderson, a thirdyear urban planning major.

A tradition of Purim includes dressing up in costumes or masks during the celebration. For “Esther Fest,” students were encouraged to wear costumes and a $100 cash prize went to the most creative costume.

“This is a really old holiday in Judaism where, just like in the rest of history, they always save the Jewish people in the end,” said Joni Levi, a fourth-year international business and information systems major.

“It’s a big celebration and we dress up to

honor what Queen Esther did back in the day.”

In addition to food and drinks, the celebration included henna tattoos, a photo booth and the traditional Purim Shpiel (story). During the shpiel, members of Cincinnati Hillel acted out the story of Queen Esther and Haman.

“We want [students] to learn about the holiday and realize that not all Jewish holidays are serious and have to be held at the temple,” said Sarah Ganson, the program and engagement associate of Cincinnati Hillel. “Some are just about celebrating with others and having a good time.”

Wrestling star shines in forgetful fare The Rock shows another side in ‘Snitch,’ fails to save film from bargain bin Christian Glass Contributor newsrecordent@gmail.com Like a car, a good movie is a fine-tuned machine. Working only on the engine and expecting the air filter and radio to work right isn’t realistic.

Like a faulty car, “Snitch” focuses too much on a father’s blind love for his son while completely ignoring subplot and character development, which throws off the entire premise of the movie and creates a disconnect with the audience.

The film stars WWE champion Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as John Matthews.

Matthews goes undercover for the Drug Enforcement Administration to save his son from imprisonment after he was set up in a drug deal.

Viewers are never given a chance to care about Matthew’s son, who becomes a caricature of an innocent boy who doesn’t belong in the system.

Though Matthews works for the DEA, he is not the badass agent one might expect, especially with a wrestling star portraying him.

It becomes apparent Johnson is not comfortable portraying the role of an

average joe — partly because of awkwardly written dialogue, and partly because most average joes don’t clock in at 6 foot 4 inches tall and 265 pounds.

In his defense, Johnson made a sincere effort to break away from his prototypical “smash-shoot-smash” approach to acting.

It takes a full 90 minutes before he shoots a gun, and doesn’t take a swing at one low life.

“Snitch” is proof that a poorly written script can stifle a talented cast.

Susan Sarandon is constricted in her role as District Attorney Keeghan, who routinely delivers clichéd lines like “There are rules, my hands are tied.”

A subplot with Jon Bernthal of “The Walking Dead” is never fully developed.

He’s an ex-con on the straight and narrow, and that’s about all one comes to find out about him. Yawn.

The most realistic scenes seem to be recycled from “The Wire,” an HBO series about illegal drug trade the movie weakly mimics.

In an attempt to stun audiences before the credits roll, a statistic comparing jail sentences for first-time drug offenders versus other horrifying crimes is shown,

but the message is lost in clichés and relentless paternal love.

The movie will soon be lost in a bargain bin — if anyone could remember it enough to put it there.

After my showing of the film, a man leaving the theater answered a phone call he ignored throughout the movie.

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“Hey. Sorry, I was in a movie. I just saw ... ” He turned around to look at theater six’s sign.“I saw Snitch.”

A man forgetting the name of the movie he just saw says more about the film than can be said in any review, but the fact he ignored the call several times means something as well.

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Life & Arts

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Students given vision, purpose, faith Speakers gather at conference to offer tips for leadership development Annie Moore Senior Reporter newsrecord.Living@gmail.com The University of Cincinnati exposed about 190 students to innovative campus leadership skills Saturday during the 28th Annual Student Leadership Conference.

Hosted by Student Activities and Leadership Development at the Kingsgate Conference Center, Nicole Ausmer and Terri Hurdle, conference committee cochairs, planned the event.

“If they want to be student leaders, we have to give them the tools to become better leaders so they can enhance their college experience,” Ausmer said.

The conference opened with remarks from Student Government President Lane Hart and Vice President Maesa Idries about their respective paths to leadership.

“Whether it’s here in student government, in Greek life, women’s issues, sustainability, alumni, athletics — there’s a whole host of things and none of that is off the table for students to get involved with,” Hart said. “So take something you’re passionate about and really make it your own.”

Joshua Fredenburg, a nationally recognized leadership speaker, gave an opening address about the four questions leaders should ask themselves: “Do I have self-awareness?” “Do I have a vision?”

“Am I leading with a purpose?” “Do I have courageous faith?”

“I think it was very interesting,” said third-year chemistry major Samuel Magnusen. “He brought up a lot of points that you can actually relate to and see how to apply them to your life.”

Participants separated into different sessions that featured presentations focused on leading with the right partner, the path to leadership, public speaking and feminist leadership.

“I thought it was really interesting,” said Neah Gray, a first-year environmental engineering student. “It taught us that if you have someone who’s bringing you down, you can’t be a good leader for other people.”

Following lunch, Lisa Kathumbi, UC alumna, gave a keynote address on her experience leading with local and international groups for women’s rights in Washington, D.C. and Botswana.

Final sessions featured discussions about fighting apathy and promoting student involvement. Fredenburg gave a final address to encourage and motivate participants.

“I thought it was really motivational. As a [first year], I don’t know what I want to do yet,” said first-year engineering student Morgan Jones. “I’ve been thinking about changing my major but not really wanting to because I’m scared of not getting a job in

the field I want, but now I think I’m going to change my major.”

Hart and Idries were excited to discuss the multiple leadership opportunities UC offers.

“One thing I really have a problem

with is saying no,” Hart said. “Sometimes it gets me in trouble, but sometimes it also leads to a lot of new and exciting things:. opportunities to lead, to give back, and really make an impact on whatever it is you’re interested in.”

PHIL DIDION | CHEIF PHOTOGRAPHER

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT UC alumna Lisa Kathumbi addresses her leadership experience for women’s rights.

Dialogue With Dean continues Arts and Sciences Dean discusses Maymester, pushes interaction with students

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Emily Begley Senior Reporter newsrecord.Living@gmail.com The dean of the University of Cincinnati’s McMicken College of Arts & Sciences is continuing his efforts to strengthen connection and communication with students.

Dean Ronald Jackson II encouraged students and staff to voice their opinions during the third session of Dialogue With the Dean, a series aimed to relay important information about McMicken and foster communication between students and the dean.

Hosted in the African American

Cultural & Resource Center Thursday, audience members enjoyed food and drinks while Jackson discussed his priorities for McMicken and upcoming events.

“Essentially the goal is to engage students, build community and to communicate the priorities of the college,” Jackson said.

Jackson’s top priority for the college is currently McMicken’s Maymester — a new program offering a mini semester of handson, engaging classes like The Poetry of Bob Dylan and Field Geology of Cincinnati.

The majority of classes begin May 6.

Another priority is to enhance research support for students and faculty and developing more Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math education, Jackson said.

Jackson stated his goals for students include international experience, internships, service learning and undergraduate research.

These experiences are a part of what the dean calls the “McMicken student experience,” which entails creating the experience of a liberal arts college within a large university.

A combination of these should create a well-rounded global citizen who is prepared for the work force and to engage in the community, Jackson said.

’CAT COMICS Bennett Nestok Cartoonist

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The event additionally allowed A&S students, faculty and staff members to ask questions and directly express thoughts and ideas to Jackson.

The variety of topics discussed included classes and technology.

“I think the most important thing about this event is that students are able to interact with the dean,” said Jazmyne Jackson, a third-year chemistry student.

“This shows that Mr. Jackson is passionate about his students and is interested in the concerns we have.”

Jackson believes cultivating a relationship with students is crucial to his position. “[Students] are the reason why we’re here,” Jackson said. “A university without students is not a university.”

Jackson anticipates hosting Dialogue With the Dean every other month, and plans to incorporate engaging activities, such as a spoken-word event, open to all McMicken students.

“The main point of events like this is to bring people in positions of power down to a personal level,” said Matt Bova, a thirdyear statistics student.

For more information about the McMicken Maymester, visit http://www. artsci.uc.edu/McMicken_Maymester/.

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FOR RENT 1-6 Bedroom Apartments/ Houses Available University Investments, LLC ucapartments.org 513-202-6694 Terrific Locations at Affordable Prices Apartment for rent. One bedroom. $345/month. Near UC. 513-3829000.

Two-bedroom, available now or through January 1. Go to our website, UC4Rent.com, or call 513621-7032 FIVE BEDROOM, TWO BATH, REMODELED THREE-STORY HOUSE. Two blocks to campus, oversized eat-in kitchen with dishwasher, large bay window living room, laundry, parking, cats welcome free. Available in August. $1,650 per month. Call Jeff, (513) 379-5300, or email gray5393@ mailstation.com. No text messages, please.

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6

Sports

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MCT CAMPUS

End of good ol’ racing The new era of NASCAR’s Sprint Cup is the saddest for motor racing Jason Hoffman Editor-in-Chief sports.newsrecord@gmail.com

It’s time to go fast and turn left.

The season of unkempt women and morbidly obese men sporting cut-off jean shorts and no shirts hoping their favorite drivers Git-R-Done is upon us and, quite frankly, I really miss the way things used to be.

NASCAR has become another victim of corporate excess, and a lack of empathy for its fans just like almost every other sport.

I never really thought it would happen to patron sport of getting drunk and sunburned, but all one needs to do is look at the backstretch grandstands from Sunday’s Daytona 500 to see it’s over.

Instead of grandstands filled with fans, they were covered up by massive plastic signs for advertisers — an unfortunate trend that started several years ago at Daytona and Talladega Superspeedways, but has now become a mainstay at most of the circuits.

The reason is tickets for the races simply cost too much — a ticket to most races costs more than $75 to sit in a crappy seat in an undesireable location.

Back when I first started going to races, in 1990, tickets were cheap, there was little fanfare and they gave out free cigarettes because the series was called the Winston Cup. Nowadays, RJ Reynolds is banned from even being mentioned and instead of cigarette companies, Sprint now carries title sponsorship for the series — I miss the cigarette sponsor days.

Also back then, teams usually only had one or two cars per stable.

That setup has been replaced with four-car teams, but the big three ownership groups have satellite teams they sell equipment to and receive performance input from, so basically there are four, eight-car teams and a few independents left fighting for a pittance every week.

When Jimmie Johnson won this year’s Daytona 500, he crossed the finish line with the same equipment as members of Stewart-Haas Racing, Phoenix Racing and two independent, satellite teams.

With all the incestuous goings on in the garage area, it’s impossible to cheer for the little guys.

The Daytona 500 is unfortunately a massive monument of NASCAR’s new era of commercialism being more important than the fan experience.

The sport that used to cater to smalltown America has become a place where celebrities want to be seen, and names and images are more important than wins — see: Earnhardt, Dale Jr. and Patrick, Danica.

Paying inflated ticket prices and knowing that only a handful of teams have a chance to win is something that should star reserved for baseball and basketball, not a sport that started because a bunch of southerners needed to see who the fastest bootlegger was Sure, the Sprint Cup is back, and, to be honest, I will be watching for most of the year and probably will attend at least one race, but it doesn’t mean it will be as fun as it used to be.

Get rid of the well-adjusted, corporate Prima donnas and make the sport worth watching again.

Check out newsrecord.org for all your Bearcats sports news.

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DOWNWARD SPIRAL University of Cincinnati center Cheikh Mbodj attempts to block a Notre Dame shot during the Fighting Irish’s 66-60 win at Fifth Third Arena Jan. 7.

No luck for UC vs. Irish Wright, Kilpatrick combine for six points in 62-41 defeat Joshua a. miller sports editor sports.newsrecord@gmail.com

Standout University of Cincinnati players Sean Kilpatrick and Cashmere Wright combined for six points Sunday afternoon against No. 25 Notre Dame.

As a result, the Fighting Irish dominated the Bearcats, 62-41.

Wright attempted an uncharacteristically low two shots in his 23 minutes of play and Kilpatrick, like UC’s entire team, struggled offensively, going 3-13 from the floor and 0-3 from 3-point range.

Cincinnati shot 31 percent as a team, including a dismal 16 percent from behind the arc.

Cincinnati — ranked as high as No. 8 in the country in late December — has now dropped five of its last six games.

Making the NCAA tournament no longer a certainty.

“I don’t think about it at all,” Kilpatrick said. “We’ve just got to take it a game at a time. We’ve got to focus on getting the win first before we can worry about the tournament.”

Jerian Grant led ND with 13 points. UC

(19-9, 7-8 Big East) senior guard JaQuon Parker scored UC’s first four points of the game, but Notre Dame (22-6, 10-5) converted its first four field goal attempts to take an 8-4 lead with 15 minutes remaining in the first half.

Notre Dame completely took over following the under-16 media timeout, going on a 11-2 run to take a 19-6 lead. The Fighting Irish were 8-12 from the field after 12 minutes of play, compared to 3-13 for UC. The Irish cooled down offensively toward the end of the half and Shaq Thomas’ five points provided a brief spark for UC, but the Bearcats weren’t able to cut into Notre Dame’s lead.

The Irish led 29-15 at the half, dominating UC with superior passing — 11 assists on 12 baskets.

UC’s leading scorers Sean Kikpatrick and Cashmere Wright combined for only three points in the first half, while Wright didn’t attempt a shot in the game’s opening 20 minutes.

Things quickly worsened for UC at the beginning of the second half, as Erick Atkins added five quick points to Notre

Dame’s lead, 34-15.

JaQuon Parker scored 10-straight points midway through the second half and, after a jumper from Shaquille Washington, the Bearcats cut Notre Dame’s lead down to nine points with 10:26 left to play.

Notre Dame’s Jack Cooley hit a 3-pointer on the Irish’s next possession to re-ignite Notre Dame’s rout.

Notre Dame went on an 11-2 run after Cooley’s 3-pointer, which all but wrapped up the game.

Grant led all scorers with 13 points.

Parker was the only Bearcat in double digits with 12.

Parker admitted Cincinnati’s recent losing streak has taken a toll on the team.

“It’s tough on the locker room, after coming from the Sweet 16 and starting to feel like a winning culture around our school, and then coming and losing five straight,” Parker said. “It’s time to turn it around.”

Cincinnati has five games left to revive its once promising season. The Bearcats return to Fifth Third Arena Saturday at 2 p.m. to take on the University of Connecticut Huskies.

Bearcats scratch out Friars Hollins leads Bearcats to second straight Big East win Annie Moore senior reporter sports.newsrecord@gmail.com

The University of Cincinnati women’s basketball team won another Big East game Saturday, defeating the Providence Friars 64-45.

Junior guard Dayeesha Hollins led the team with 17 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Hollins was one of three Bearcats in double-digit points. Junior forward Tiffany Turner and junior guard Kayla Cook contributed 12 and 10 points respectively.

UC head coach Jamelle Elliot attributed her team’s win to having a full, healthy roster.

“I think it all starts with the fact that we had 11 healthy bodies. This is the second game in a row that we’ve had 11 healthy bodies ready to play. I don’t think it’s any secret that we’ve been successful the last couple games and I’ve had options coming off of the bench,” Elliot said. “There hasn’t been as much pressure on two or three players to have to play 35 or 36 minutes a game, which means we aren’t tired, we stay fresh and we’re able to produce a lot more with more bodies out there.”

Hollins opened the scoring for UC, putting up the first five points of the game.

Both teams remained close throughout the first half, until the four-minute mark, when the Bearcats began to pull away.

Providence edged ahead 19-17 midway through the half, but Cincinnati responded with an 11-2 run over the next 5:46 to take a 28-21 with 3:58 left in the half.

Cincinnati led 31-26 at the half, as a result of shooting 41.9 percent from the field, and holding the Friars to just 35.5 percent. The Bearcats also out-rebounded Providence 22-16, and scored nine points off turnovers.

The Bearcats went on a 14-4 run to start the second half, which put UC soundly ahead at 45-30. Providence got no closer than 10 points the rest of the game, as Cincinnati’s defense held the Friars to 23.3 percent shooting (7-for-30) in the second half.

An accidental collision took both sophomore guard Alyesha Lovett and junior forward Jeanise Randolph out of the game at the 5:54 mark, but the Bearcats marched ahead, going on a 7-0 run to take the lead to 64-43 with 2:06 left in the game.

Cincinnati shot 45.5 percent (25-of55) from the field and, knocked down 80 percent (12-of-15) of its attempts from the free-throw line.

“We are getting confidence now

ever since we got that big win against Marquette. We can start playing, that ten game losing streak hurt our confidence,” Cook said. “After we got that win against Marquette we’ve had a completely

different mindset. We go into each game thinking we can win.”

Cincinnati plays its final home game of the season March 2 against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

Sarah Ramsey | staff Photographer

HEALTHY SQUAD PREVAILS University of Cincinnati women’s basketball head coach Jamelle ElliotT led her team to back-to-back Big East Conference wins for the first time this season Saturday afternoon, as the Bearcats defeated Providence 64-45.

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