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131 YEARS IN PRINT VOL. CXXXII ISSUE III
THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 22 | 2011
Volleyball bests Evansville 3-2
sports | 8
THE LIST
A look inside the minds of America’s youth.
college living | 6
Student default rates spike nationwide
JAMES SPRAGUE | CHIEF REPORTER
Recently released statistics from the United States Department of Education show that the rate of college students defaulting on federal student loans continues to rise — and it’s a trend that includes the University of Cincinnati. The national default rate jumped from 7 percent for fiscal year 2008 to 8.8 percent for fiscal year 2009, according to statistics released by the DOE Sept. 12. The increase was seen throughout all sectors of higher education — public, private and for-profit institutions — as the statistics examine more than 3.6 million students from approximately 5,900 schools nationwide who began loan repayments between October 2008 and September 2009. Of those 3.6 million students, more than 320,000 had defaulted on their loans by Sept. 30, 2010.
CCM grad awarded Emmy
The DOE did not consider those who defaulted after that time period as part of the data set, but the numbers still illustrate a growing issue facing both students and loan companies. “These hard economic times have made it even more difficult for student borrowers to repay their loans, and that’s why implementing education reforms and protecting the maximum Pell grant is more important than ever,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “We need to ensure that all students are able to access and enroll in quality programs that prepare them for wellpaying jobs so they can enter the workforce and compete in our global marketplace.” UC was not immune to the rising numbers, as an analysis by The News Record shows that since fiscal year
SCHOOL DEFAULT RATE (BASED ON DEPT. OF EDUCATION STATS)
8.8% U.S.
Average
7.9% Univ. of Akron
IN BRIEF
Midpoint Music Festival when where
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7. Downtown Cincinnati, Over-the-Rhine
MidPoint Music Festival launches today with 186 musical acts on 18 stages in the downtown area. Musicians from Australia, New Zealand, China, Wales, Canada and locations all over the United States will join Cincinnati’s favorite local acts for this three-day indie extravaganza. Performances kick off at various venues at 7 p.m. each night, with final shows beginning at 12:30 a.m. For more information, visit mpmf.com/festival. INSIDE
3 Opinion 6 College Living 7 Classifieds 8 Sports
MOVE-IN NEARS
Partnership developing third housing complex
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UC named inspiring campus LANCE LAMBERT | STAFF REPORTER
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF UPTOWN RENTAL PROPERTIES LLC
NEW ON BLOCK TThe new housing on Vine Street, slated to be a 20,008 sqare-foot complex with 102 apartments,, will have its own private parking and will take up almost an entire block. LANCE LAMBERT | STAFF REPORTER
Uptown Rental Properties and partner North American Properties plan to start work in 2012 with a $20 million budget for the project; A new Corryville housing project will replace a century-old school building to accommodate $15 million of the projected budget will be spent University of Cincinnati graduate and medical on hard construction to remove Schiel School and build the new complex. students as soon as December 2012. Schiel School, which closed in 2010, was Uptown Rental Properties, LLC has received unsuitable for remolding, Schimberg said. approval to demolish “We preferred an Schiel School to pave adaptive reuse,” said the way for a new fiveSchimberg, who first story apartment complex, considered reusing the containing more than vacant school as an 100 rooms, located on institutional, commercial Vine Street. office space or as Set to open residential apartments. —DAN SCHIMBERG summer 2013, the new “As an office building PRESIDENT OF UPTOWN RENTAL 20,008-square-foot complex we would have came PROPERTIES, LLC and parking lot near the up 200 parking spaces UC will take up an entire short,” Schimberg block, consisting of 102 apartments, retail and a said. “And there was no room to build a Fifth Third Bank branch. parking garage.” Corryville’s new apartments are designed Rehabbing the school into residential units for UC graduate and medical students along with employees of nearby hospitals, was considered, but the project would have only said Dan Schimberg, president of Uptown created 40 residential spaces at a $7 million loss, Schimberg said. Rental Properties. “Schools in general are hard to reuse because “The apartments are for people who want to live, work and play in the uptown area,” they are built for one use, have a lot of hall space and not many parking spaces,” Schimberg said. Schimberg said. The companies hope to start leasing in COULTER LOEB | CHIEF December 2012, and the PHOTOGRAPHER complex marks the third BUILDING recent project between FOR FUTURE the partners. Two leasing The partners have started companies have completed on 65 West — a 129-unit apartment building teamed up for located in Clifton Heights, a third time to construct student and a 16-unit apartment housing, replacing building on West Charlton Street and Jefferson a century-old Avenue. The two projects school. have a combined budget of $35 million. Amy Robinson, a graduate admissions officer for UC who oversees graduate recruitment, agreed it is important for outside businesses to help accommodate for the increase in graduate students. UC is expected to see an 8.8 percent increase in enrollment of graduate students from 2010 to 2011.
Once again, the University of Cincinnati has garnered accolades for its celebrated architecture. UC joins the ranks of the world’s most inspiring campuses, selected in a recent top 10 list by lifestyle and business magazine “Delta Sky.” Other universities ranking in the top 10 include The University of Chicago and University of Virginia, each meeting the physical settings and overall design standards the magazine used to compile its top 10. Since UC’s1989 architectural transformation, it has become a center of national attention for its unique campus. “Here, architecture students can literally study among the best. In 1989, the school decided to revitalize the campus, asking top architects — including Franks Gehry and alumnus Michael Graves — to design its new buildings,” the magazine article explained. World rankings are nothing SEE CAMPUS | 7
The apartments are for people who want to live, work and play in the uptown area.
JAMES SPRAGUE | CHIEF REPORTER
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EAMON QUEENEY | PHOTO EDITOR
LINES OF SYMMETRY UC’s campus was recognized as one of the most beautiful in the country.
Former UC basketball player dies
Lionel Harris, an awarded member of the 1973 Bearcats’ basketball team, died Sept. 9, 2011. He was drafted in the 15th round of the 1973 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He attended the University of Cincinnati from 1971-1973 and graduated with a sociology degree. After college, he accepted a position in the procurement office of the D.C. Department of Recreation until his retirement. Harris — a D.C. local legend — was buried on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011 in Washington, D.C.
Statistics show theft dropping drastically in September
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Despite alerts, crime is decreasing
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SEE LOANS | 7
BETHANY CIANCIOLO | STAFF REPORTER
A University of Cincinnati alumnus is making a name for himself in the entertainment industry on a national stage. Travis Hagenbuch, a 2007 graduate from UC’s CollegeConservatory of Music, took home his second Primetime Emmy Award on Sept. 10 for his work on the 53rd annual Grammy Awards, which took place in February. Hagenbuch took the award for lighting design and direction in the variety, music, or comedy special category. From Ottawa, Ill., Hagenbuch is an associate lighting director for Full Flood Inc., a lighting design company known for its diverse design capacity. James Gage, Hagenbuch’s mentor and professor of theater design, said Hagenbuch’s talent makes him perfect for his second Emmy Award. “He was extremely creative when he came into our program as a high school student,” Gage said. “He’s a very humble person. You would never know he has all of these wonderful awards.” Hagenbuch’s first Emmy recognized his work for the 2010 Winter Olympics’ opening ceremony in Vancouver. He will be working on lighting design for the 45th annual Country Music Association Awards in Nashville, airing Nov. 9 on ABC. “Travis is an expert,” Gage said. “He’s a great creative energy. He has the artistic capabilities but he’s also technical [and] computer savvy. I think Travis always had that duel capability.”
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In a span of two weeks, the University of Cincinnati community has received four email alerts from the UC Police Division regarding robberies or burglaries in the neighborhoods surrounding campus, which begs the question: how prevalent is crime at UC? The answer: crime is decreasing. In an analysis conducted by the News Record, statistics show that despite the flurry of emails advising the UC community of local crimes offenses such as robbery, theft, assault and rape are dropping on campus. UCPD crime statistics show that only six thefts have occurred on the Uptown campus — including East and West Campus — in
September 2011, compared to 42 in August 2011. Robberies have also dropped on campus this month as none have been reported as of press time, compared to two reports in August 2011. Assaults have also decreased, as UCPD daily logs show no reported assaults to date for September 2011, compared to two reports in August. Only one of the incidents the UCPD detailed in the four emails involved a UC student — the Sept. 13 armed robbery of a student at 10 W. Hollister St. — but it is not keeping campus police from working with the Cincinnati Police Department to prevent future incidents from occurring to both students and residents living on or around campus.
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“The investigation of these crimes is being conducted solely by CPD,” said Eugene Ferrara, chief of the UC Police Division. “However, we are in connection with them to explore possible options to increase police presence in these neighborhoods around campus.” Despite crime decreasing so far in September, however, it is likely would-be criminals are aware of the return of students to campus and surrounding areas, Ferrara said. “We have no empirical data indicating the criminals are tracking our student’s activities,” Ferrara said. “But, I think it is reasonable to assume that they are aware that more students are out and about now that SEE CRIME | 7