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UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2015
Students create club to educate, eradicate modern-day slavery HUY NGUYEN | CONTRIBUTOR
MADISON SCHMIDT| PHOTO EDITOR
UC students Rajiv Karani and Fabian Jesuthan create Free the Slaves to educate students about modern-day slavery and join the movement of fighting against it.
Students banded together against modernday slavery at the University of Cincinnati’s first Free the Slaves meeting Wednesday afternoon. Fabian Jesuthan, a fourth-year pre-medical student, and Rajiv Karani, a third-year pre-medical student, started the UC chapter because they could not stand the fact that forms of slavery still exist in the United States and throughout the rest of the world. The two began by contacting the Free the Slaves international lobbying organization, and have been working on forming the UC chapter since last spring. “I didn’t really know too much about [modern day slavery],” Karani expalined. “After I heard about this organization, I just went to the website, the Free The Slaves website, and I spent a long time just reading about the stuff, watching their videos. We both thought that UC doesn’t have an organization that is purely dedicated to fundraising to help this cause.” According to the Global Slavery Index (GSI), there are approxamently 35.8 million
DOCTOR, ASSISTANT DEAN RECOGNIZED FOR NON-PROFIT WORK
2014 CHAMPION FOR CHILDREN
people currently stripped of their natural human rights and exploited for varying types of labor throughout the world. Slavery and human trafficking occurs in every county in the world, despite the institution being universally outlawed. The country with the highest count of slavery to date in absolute terms is India, followed by China and Pakistan, each with its own form of slave labor, according to the GSI. Sixtyone percent of those living in slavery are in India, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Russia. Today, the United States has about 60,000 people in modern slavery, according to the same index. Much of this slavery comes in the form of human trafficking, according to Free the Slaves. Attendees at Wednesday’s meeting discussed Rose Odine, a former slave who was misled into leaving her home in Cameroon and forced against her will to work as a nanny in an apartment building not far from the Lincoln Memorial of Washington, D.C. SEE FREE THE SLAVES PG 3
$1.3M gift establishes pancreatic cancer research fund at UC ELYSSE WINGET | STAFF REPORTER
MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR
Dr. Christopher Lewis, Village Life founder and assistant dean for diversity and inclusion in the College of Medicine, walks with locals from the village of Shirati in Tanzania during a VLOP trip in 2013. With the help of volunteers from VLOP, Lewis strives to improve life, health and education in Tanzania. MATT NICHOLS | STAFF REPORTER
Dr. Christopher Lewis, who has been instrumental in offering opportunities for UC students to make a difference throughout the world, was honored by the non-profit organization 4C for Children Jan. 24 as a “2014 Champion for Children” for his work in East Africa with the Village Life Outreach Project. Lewis, assistant dean for diversity and inclusion in the College of Medicine, associate professor of family medicine and UC Health family physician, founded the Village Life Outreach Project in 2004. The Village Life Outreach Project is a non-profit organization partnered with UC that offers students and faculty a chance to travel to rural communities in Tanzania and help impoverished locals get back on their feet. The project aims to help communities in three categories: providing access to clean drinking water, offering access to proper health with healthcare and preventative healthcare education, and
improving educational outcomes in the community through partnerships with local schools to UC. Students who participate in the program have an opportunity to see first-hand how their work can impact communities. “The emotions I felt over there were much more overwhelming than I can put into words,” said Malia Hess, a fourthyear nursing student. “It was very simply the most rewarding two weeks of my life, knowing I was able to somehow alleviate some suffering and improve the lives of these very special people a small amount.” Hess is just one of over 300 UC students that have given their time, effort and hearts to Village Life, not only in Tanzania, but here in Cincinnati as well. “A big part of what we do is bringing lessons that we learn in Tanzania back home to our local community,” Lewis explained. Village Life has worked with over 40 schools from elementary to college level
in the Cincinnati area to promote the program and to inspire change in the community for years to come. “The experience was phenomenal,” said Daniel Ruter, a 2014 UC graduate in biological studies. “One of the things that I was happy to see Dr. Lewis get this award for is that it was recognizing that all of these students and people that are traveling to Tanzania with Village Life are actually the ones that are impacted the most.” “I feel this experience made me a better person, and I would love to go back sometime in the future,” Hess said. Lewis said he is honored to have received such recognition. “The 4C for Children organization is top notch,” Lewis said. “For people like that to have an interest in me and what I’ve been doing, and for them to recognize what I’ve been able to accomplish with my partners in Village Life and UC, is SEE TANZANIA PG 3
A recent $1.3 million donation to the University of Cincinnati helped establish The Steven Goldman Memorial Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund to aid pancreatic cancer research, prevention and recovery. The gift, which was given by the family of Steven Goldman, will be dispersed in increments of $50,000 to $60,000 per year to individuals who show interest in studying pancreatic cancer. William Barrett, a director of the UC Cancer Institute, is one of the individuals in charge of reviewing applications for the fund. “Once a year, anybody, be it scientists or physicians here at the university, are invited to submit plan proposals to study something in pancreas cancer,” Barrett said. Syed Ahmad, the director of the UC Pancreas Disease Center and professor of clinical practices, will also review applications. Ahmad believes this funding is necessary to pancreatic cancer research. “It is estimated that by the year 2020, [pancreas cancer] will be the number one cause of cancer death,” Ahmad said. Ahmad also said that only 2 percent of federal dollars distributed by the National Cancer Institute go to pancreatic cancer. “This is a trickle of funding for a river of need,” Ahmad said. Although the funds are limited, Barrett hopes funding will continue to grow in the future after the university sees the effects this type of research has in advancing the field of medicine. Jun-Lin Guan, chair of the UC Department of Cancer Biology, thinks this funding is going to help increase the university’s chances of finding a cure and bettering the outcome of pancreas cancer. “More research in this type of cancer is needed,” Guan said. Pancreatic cancer is hard to detect due to the fact that it is internal, which makes this type of research even more valuable, Guan said. The research is not only valuable to UC; it also affects thousands of individuals nationally and internationally. Barrett also explained the importance of the funding in regard to the ability to collaborate between colleges to develop new ideas. “So many important discoveries are SEE CANCER FUND PG 3
Microsoft senior technical evangelist breaks down data visualization for students PATRICK MURPHY | NEWS EDITOR
Yale University professor Edward Tufte has found a way to make numbers look sexy. Based on Tufte’s 1983 book “The Visual Display of Quantitative Information,” a senior technical evangelist for Microsoft David Giard gave a cursory explanation of such topics as data-ink, metadata and “the lie factor” to University of Cincinnati students, faculty and staff in Braunstein Hall Friday. Giard helps people build phone and Windows 8 applications for the Microsoft platform. Giard also speaks to student groups, holds workshops and conferences and works with start-ups in his residence of Chicago. In data visualization, the objective is to clear away the data ink, or the unnecessary lines and distractions that deter from the main point of the numbers or figures. Visually, this looks like minimal grid lines, with more of an emphasis of the numbers leaping out at the viewer. The model of data visualization, as selected by Tufte, is Charles Minard’s chart
of Napoleon’s Russian Campaign of 1812 which depicts in numbers and visuals the invasion and retreat of Russian troops over a period of time. “It’s just a beautiful visualization; there is just so much information that is packed in such a small space, and [what took 90 seconds to explain], you can really look at this and go ‘wow, Napoleon got his butt kicked,’ ” Giard said.“All of that just jumps out at you so quickly.” Giard’s main message was about finding the delicate balance in displaying data accurately and in such a way that it does not warp the data’s meaning. “The biggest message I took from my reading [of Tuftes’ book] was ‘think about what really is the data and emphasize that,’ ” Giard explained.“In visualization we tend to add a lot of extra stuff, a lot of metadata or redundant data. We need to learn to recognize what is the data visualization.” Giard also suggested the consideration of “the lie factor,” which is the size of the SEE DATA VISUALIZATION PG 3
DANIEL DEITSCH | CONTRIBUTOR
David Giard, a senior technical evangelist for Microsoft, talks to UC students, faculty and staff about data visualization and the importance of focusing on a piece of data’s actual meaning.
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Jeff Bridges soothes in ‘Sleeping Tapes’ CHRISTOPHER STROHOFER | CONTRIBUTOR
Twigs snap underfoot and birds and crickets chirp in the distance. Actor Jeff Bridges tells you that you’re taking a guided tour of Temescal Canyon. A softly humming synth holds the scene together as you and Bridges walk past the pines and streams. This scenario oozes etherealness and almost seems too fantastical to hold a grain of truth. However, this scene is one of many that Bridges narrates in his soft-spoken ambient album “The Sleeping Tapes.” “The Sleeping Tapes” came about when website-building service Squarespace approached Bridges with the idea of a spoken-word project aimed at helping people get to sleep. Bridges was a perfect candidate since directing duo and siblings Joel and Ethan Coen’s breakout success “The Big Lebowski.” Bridges’ voice has since served as the staple for contentment and enlightenment. This latest project could have easily become a muddled mess of rambling stories and a stream of conscious monologue, but collaborator Keefus Ciancia holds the album together with his talent for producing atmospheric tones. Ciancia received well-deserved critical acclaim for his collaboration with T Bone Burnett for the soundtrack of “True Detective.” In “The Sleeping Tapes,” his musical vision takes more of a leading role besides Bridges’ fascinating narration. The sounds on display here are extremely dynamic for an ambient album. At times the tones feel startling or perhaps ominous before lazily transitioning to beautiful chimes and bells. Bridges’ frequently will fall into narrative ramblings. At one point, he climbs out of bed to go to the bathroom and spends some time regarding the moon and the patterns on the carpet. In any other context, these may be unwelcome distractions; however, these meanderings serve to compel the listener to only halflisten to the storytelling. If you make it to the track “Temesel Canyon” without drifting to sleep, you’ll accompany Bridges on a guided auditory tour of the canyon that is this track’s namesake. It’s an 11-minute adventure where you and Bridges find Spanish doubloons, carry an office chair up the canyon and hang-glide off the peak. He paints a scene of pines and bubbling streams, encouraging you to lazily exercise your senses and imagination as he gently describes this fantasy hike. All the proceeds from this project go to a charity Bridges has supported for many years, No Kid Hungry. Throughout the tapes, the sounds of children at play fade in and out, encouraging fond retrospection. On the last track of the album, Bridges mentions the cause these tapes support and the children’s laughter reprises, this time denoting all the children who were able to eat a much-needed meal thanks to the help of this project. This is a collaborative effort, as Bridges reminds us in the closing track “We’re All in This Together” and everyone involved benefits. It’s creative, interesting and a benevolent project in every way — a project you can support while enjoying a well-earned, good night’s sleep.
On display: top illustrated books
FILMNATION ENTERTAINMENT
Jessica Chastain as Anna, who will do anything to ensure that Standard Oil is at its strongest. The film’s title refers to 1981, a notorious year for crime.
‘Most Violent Year’ masters conventions of genre TONY JOHNSON | STAFF REPORTER
Why is crime — organized or otherwise — such a phenomenon within film and pop fiction? That question comes to mind when meditating on “A Most Violent Year,” 41-year-old writer/director J.C. Chandor’s crime drama starring Oscar Isaac (“Inside Llewyn Davis,” the upcoming “Star Wars” film) and Jessica Chastain (“Zero Dark Thirty,”“Interstellar”). The film revolves around a New York City heating oil company owner, Abel Morales — portrayed by Isaac — whose Standard Oil brand is on the verge of becoming one of the most powerful businesses of its kind in the Big Apple in 1981, which is one of the most violent years in New York City’s history — hence the film’s title. However, the road to security is not always secure itself. Morales, along with his wife, Anna — played by Chastain — are under enormous pressure from the city’s Assistant District Attorney (an understated, tasteful interpretation from David Oyelowo) for tax evasion and fraudulent financial procedures, which are depicted as “part of the game” of the NYC oil industry. During their evasion from the law, they simultaneously must confront the seemingly rampant violence and armed robberies that haunt the company’s oil truck drivers. Freelance and hired criminals hijack the trucks and sell the oil to Abel and Anna’s competitors. Anna calls for the drivers to bear firearms and for Abel to acquire fake permits for them. But Abel, under pressure from the city’s assistant D.A. and fearful of a
potential escalation in violence if he arms his drivers, opts to maintain normal transportation procedures. In order for Standard Oil to rise in the ranks, Morales makes the seemingly safe and sound decision to cut a deal that puts his company directly on the East River, allowing him access to barges carrying oil directly from the water and the ability to store an abundance of summer-bought oil at low prices to be sold in the higherpriced winters. Morales puts down 40 percent of the total deal’s worth with 30 days to find the rest of the money, which he is promised by his bank. But when violence intensifies on the roads of New York and leaves Standard Oil to take the fall, the bank backs out, and Morales is left with the daunting, potentially damning task of finding 1.5 million dollars by his deadline. The story is one we’ve seen on the silver screen many times before: A man or woman or a couple in a tumultuous environment set against the backdrop of organized crime in an urban jungle must overcome the obstacles of the violent Darwinian world they find themselves a part of. But that is what makes these stories so timeless and what justifies the frequent re-imaginings, re-works and re-makes. The notion of protagonists thrust in difficult situations and gray ethical areas is so timeless because it holds so much truth to the human condition. What makes “A Most Violent Year” different, though, is its melodramatic dynamics between Oscar Isaac’s Abel and Jessica Chastain’s Anna. While Abel strives to keep his company’s record as clean as possible,
bordering on being too conservative, Anna is constantly working behind the scenes, fudging numbers and doing what she has to in order to keep what was once her father’s company strong. It is a gripping account of how family, business and politics are often codependent, leaning against each other to make the house of cards we all inhabit. Isaac and Chastain are absolutely stunning, two Hollywood players deserving of all the praise they can find. They, along with David Oyelowo, are three performers clearly caught at the top of their game, pumping massive amounts of life into the veins of the script that undeniably dwells on familiar territory. The story, despite its exploration of things mostly explored already in the crime drama genre, is well-paced, precise and well-executed. “A Most Violent Year” is the third film from Chandor, whose style is elevated by truly recognizable cinematography from Bradford Young (“Selma”). The direction, cinematography and beautiful art direction from Doug Hustzi (“American Gangster”) and costume design from Kasia Walicka-Maimone (“Moonrise Kingdom”) all come beautifully together to thrust us into 1981 New York City. “A Most Violent Year” is a superb example of how to create a world that feels more real on a silver screen than outside the theater doors. Intense and beautifully shot, “A Most Violent Year” is a great take on the crime drama genre. It fails to break through genre standards or elevate the genre, but it remains an exceptional accomplishment that — along with its cast and crew —deserves our attention.
To publish a sequel or to exploit an icon?
ZACK HATFIELD | ARTS EDITOR
A recent exhibit at Langsam Library left me wanting to add more children’s books to my reading list. The exhibit, curated by Melissa Cox Norris and designed by Anna Freeman, is displayed in Langsam Library’s fourth floor, and shows images from the New York Times’ Best Illustrated Books of 2014. Each book is separately available to read in the College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services Library. Since 1952, the New York Times has annually chosen 10 of what they deem the best illustrated books of the year. Many of these books in turn end up on the list for the Caldecott Medal, considered the most prestigious award for children’s illustrations. It’s interesting to note the similarities and juxtapositions between the illustrations, as well as the dialogue they conduct with the history of children’s illustrations. Many of 2014’s winners seem partially in debt to the impressionistic panache from the ’50s, although there are some exceptions, like “The Promise,” written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Laura Carlin, which gorgeously renders cityscapes with subtle hues of colored pencils and watercolors. Not that the illustrations that throwback to the vintage books do a bad job — the multicolored pictures in earthy textures in Yasmeen Ismail’s “Time for Bed, Fred” captures the playfulness of youth perfectly. Two of the books — “Harlem Hellfighters” and “Haiti My Country” — are illustrated poetry collections, the latter a compilation of poems by Haitian schoolchildren. Many of the books capture real events. William Grill weaves historical narrative with a rich vibrancy of images in “Shackleton’s Journey,” which chronicles the adventures of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton. “Harlem Hellfighters” follows black soldiers from New York City during World War I. It’s rewarding to see the large range of nationalities represented in the exhibited books, and it becomes clear that illustrated books have much to offer not only to children, but to adults as well. “These illustrated books are works of art that can be enjoyed by people of all ages,” Norris said in an email. “A good children’s book is timeless. The exhibit will be on display through fall semester at Langsam Library, fourth floor.
| CAI LISA
Harper Lee’s second book sparks controversy ZACK HATFIELD | ARTS EDITOR
With the recent announcement from publishing conglomerate HarperCollins that a “new” Harper Lee novel would be released this summer, the Internet has been divided between skeptics proclaiming their disappointment and fans rejoicing. The upcoming book, titled “Go Set a Watchman,” will be the first since Lee’s 1960 debut novel — American triumph “To Kill a Mockingbird,” currently her only published novel. But the reality is that Harper Lee may not want this manuscript to be read by the public. TKAM is, of course, a non-disputable classic, engrained into the moral and literary fabric of our country despite the number of people who’ve never read it. But many criticisms have sprouted in the wake of this latest announcement, with many expressing doubts that “Watchman” is something that should be published. A slew of think pieces with melodramatic titles have already been offered. There’s “Don’t Do it, Harper Lee” from the New York Times, “The Sadness of a Sequel” from The Atlantic and perhaps most bluntly, “Do We Really Want to Read a New Harper Lee Novel?” from the Los Angeles Times. I have mixed feelings about all of this. As someone who read “Mockingbird” in the sixth grade, who memorized entire passages for a high school production, who has seen the movie countless times, the natural instinct for me is to want the book to be published. If anything, wouldn’t the book — which is actually a prequel written before “Mockingbird” and told from the older vantage point of Scout, its idealistic narrator — serve as valuable insight to Lee’s writing process? Maybe, but it could be that Lee and her fame is being manipulated. At 88
years old, nearly completely blind and confined to an Alabama nursing home, it’s not hard to imagine that Rupert Murdoch-owned HarperCollins could be taking advantage of Lee, exploiting her literary legacy for a guaranteed bestseller (“Watchman” has been steadily scaling the Amazon bestseller chart on presale). Many people are contextualizing the new release as a New Harper Lee Novel. The previously mentioned opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times even compares it to David Foster Wallace’s “The Pale King” and John Kennedy Toole’s “The Neon Bible.” But this is not a posthumous book. Lee is still alive, and although she seems, through vague and scarce sources and press releases, fairly content with releasing the book, it’s disconcerting to not know how much say she has in all of this. The announcement comes only two months after the death of her sister Alice, who served as Lee’s confidant and literary adviser. The timing of everything is a bit curious, to say the least. It may be hard not to compare this situation with one that happened a couple of years ago involving another icon and media-termed “recluse” of American letters, J.D. Salinger, who passed away in 2010.
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Like Lee, Salinger’s work was simultaneously made required reading at some schools and strictly banned at others. Salinger spent the second half of his life writing but not publishing anything, and his unauthorized biographers announced they would be releasing much of his unseen writing. Coincidentally, these writings, planned for post-2015 publication, will also feature the young protagonist (Holden Caulfield) who catapulted the author to fame. Although tempting to at once get on board with the project, Salinger never sanctioned this personal writing for publication. So the question is ultimately, should we get to read work by authors against their will? Lee, in a way America’s own Boo Radley, didn’t publish a follow-up to TKAM because she detested the spotlight and feared the inevitable comparisons. Now it’s hard to scroll through social media and not see her name thrown into a headline. Indeed, it seems that Harper will profit from this — but which Harper? Those who fear “Watchman” won’t live up to the hype shouldn’t compare it against TKAM. Instead, we should see it as a literary curio that could offer glimpses into Lee’s craft and decision making. Lee’s artistic legacy is in no danger of being diminished by what at its worst would be a fascinating draft that led to one of America’s most valuable and thematically relevant novels of the millennium, and at its best a completely new narrative rich with Lee’s perceptive storytelling (unless you’re one of the conspiracists who still think Truman Capote wrote all of Lee’s work). But it’s a legacy that shouldn’t be taken advantage of for capital. So the question shouldn’t be whether or not we want to read another Harper Lee novel. I know I want it to be published. But does she?
NEWS / 3 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2015 / NEWSRECORD.ORG
US House of Representatives passes bill to ban funding for abortion CASSIE LIPP | CHIEF REPORTER
While state laws are making it harder for Ohio abortion clinics to remain open, students around the U.S. question the government’s right to regulate women’s decisions about their reproductive health. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Jan. 22 to permanently ban federal funding of abortions. This includes any funds received from Obamacare health care plans. The bill passing coincided with March for Life, an annual anti-abortion rally held in Washington, D.C., on the anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision to legalize abortion. “The difference from the Hyde Amendment — in force annually since 1976 to ban federal funding for abortion — is the attempt to make it permanent and especially to deny coverage for abortion under [the Affordable Care Act’s] subsidized plans,” said Anne Runyan, University of Cincinnati professor of women’s, gender and sexuality studies. Runyan said the bill was largely a symbolic move House representatives took after more severe restrictions failed. The bill is not likely to be taken up by Senate and will most likely be vetoed by President Barack Obama, she said. Second-year communications student Alex Spitzer said he does not believe abortion rights should be up to the government. “To me it’s sounding like the government is trying to rule somebody’s life,” Spitzer said. “It’s up to you what you want to do with your life. It’s not up to the government.” House representatives created the bill on Jan. 22 less than 24 hours after the bill they originally planned to discuss met opposition. The original bill proposed to ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and included an exception for victims of rape who report the crime to the police. However, many disagreed over the
DANIEL DEITSCH | CONTRIBUTOR
The Planned Parenthood Elizabeth Campbell Surgical Center is Cincinnati’s only open abortion clinic.
exception, as the majority of rape victims do not report the crime. According to statistics from the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, about 68 percent of rapes in the last five years were not reported. In a statement released by the White House, Obama said the House bill “would intrude on women’s reproductive freedom and access to health care and unnecessarily restrict the private insurance choices that consumers have,” the international news agency Reuters reported. “More serious have been state legislature moves in Ohio and elsewhere that resulted in clinic closures by denying public hospitals to provide admitting arrangements unless a waiver [is obtained],” Runyan said. The only abortion clinic remaining in Cincinnati — Planned Parenthood Elizabeth Campbell Surgical Center — barely avoided
FROM FREE THE SLAVES PG 1
Jesuthan and Karani hope to be able to inform the student body of the modern-day international disaster and inspire them to assist in raising awareness of the matter. “One of the best things we can do as students is start this chapter at UC,” Karani said.“And in the future, if this organization keeps going strong every year, we can raise a lot of money to help.” The goals of UC’s FTS chapter are primarily to increase the awareness and discussion of modern slavery. The group also strives to fundraise through various means in order to support the FTS and its associated grassroots organizations throughout the international community that directly fight for freedom and prevention. “Trying to help these grassroots organizations is extremely dangerous, because all these slave owners, they’re armed, they have the police (in other countries) working for them,” Jesuthan said.“We will hold fundraising events, collect funds, and we will send this to Free The Slaves. Some of the events that we have in mind are bake sales, restaurant takeovers, guest speakers and trivia nights.” Much of what the FTS and its allies do includes lobbying for political pressure on societal systems that breed slave culture, pushing for the raiding of known slave suppliers and buyers, and the education of both non-slaves and former slaves to ward off and thwart future attempts. “I think whenever people think of slavery, they think of
closure after it received a citation from the Ohio Department of Health in October 2014. “At Planned Parenthood we work every day to make sure women receive the high-quality health care they need in a safe, respectful environment. That includes abortion,” said Danielle Craig, director of communications for Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region. Ohio law requires abortion clinics to form transfer agreements with private hospitals to care for patients in case of any emergencies that occur due to an abortion performed in the clinic. However, many privately owned hospitals might not form transfer agreements with abortion clinics due to religious reasons. Elizabeth Campbell Surgical Center was unable to form transfer agreements with any private hospitals in the area. Ohio abortion
people enslaving African-Americans back in colonialization, and they don’t realize it goes on now, especially people being a slave in the country,” said Jack Barendt, a second-year classics student.“I don’t think people really think about that, and that other people our age have to think about that.” Karani believes that the only way to become passionate about the work of FTS is to put oneself in the shoes of a slave. “Imagine all the hard work all you people have to do, and how oftentimes it feels overwhelming,” Karani said.“Now imagine doing that same work a hundred times harder for about 18 hours a day in very dangerous conditions that could result in you getting an infected leg or beaten at the end of the day.” “And still go on to work the next day, because they have no medical help, no nothing,” Jesuthan added.“They have to work no matter what happens.” FROM CANCER FUND PG 1
made by people working together,” Barrett said. Ahmad’s hope for the fund is that it will continue outside of the laboratory. “If we are going to make progress in improving survival for pancreas cancer, the progress made in laboratories have to eventually get to the patients,”Ahmad said. This is an opportunity for students to get involved in what Ahmad said will become the most deadly cancer one can face. “Students interested in a career in research that want a challenge, this is your opportunity,”Ahmad said.
FROM DATA VISUALIZATION PG 1
effect shown in the graphic over the size of the effect in the actual data. In other words, the question Giard said should be asked is whether the visualization actually matches the data. “That’s what happens a lot; making it look good becomes more important than the accuracy of your visualization,” Giard said.“Accuracy should always be number one — period.” Sneha Satish, a second-year computer science graduate student, enjoyed the data-packed event more than she expected. “I think the event was really informative, especially for people who don’t really know what visualization’s all about,” Satish said.“People from diverse fields would never know what it is about. I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it very much, but I definitely think we should have more events like this.” Mouli Balaniabban, an aerospace engineering graduate student, agreed. “I was expecting more of a technical presentation, like talking about tools and how to use them, but it was more conceptual — thinking about what is needed and what is not needed,” Balaniabban said. The speaker was presented by a new conglomerate of student organizations called SuperGroup, containing the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, UC Robotics Team, Information Technology Student Association, Women in Technology and the Association for Computing Machinery in collaboration with UCIT. The SuperGroup’s next event is focused on educating UC students on GitHub, a collaborative website that allows multiple students to interact with different formats of data. “It’s just a really good collaboration tool,” said Byron Hutchins, an eLearning engagement coordinator at UCIT
clinics unable to form transfer agreements can apply to the Ohio Department of Health for a variance or receive permission to remain open if they have made other arrangements, such as agreements with individual doctors. Elizabeth Campbell Surgical Center remains open after the Ohio Department of Health approved its request for a variance. The department has the right to revoke the variance at any time for any reason. “Planned Parenthood will continue to do everything in our power to protect a woman’s right to make her own personal medical decisions,” Craig said.“Planned Parenthood will continue to be here for the patients who rely on us, no matter what.” Owen Blodgett, a first-year architecture student, said although he is not a proponent for abortion, he does not think it is the government’s place to restrict a biological choice. “What kind of bothers me is when people get angry about where their tax dollars are going,” Blodgett said.“A belief system and a moral code isn’t something you’re going to completely align with the government all the time.You have to make some sacrifices as a citizen.You’re not always going to be in direct agreement with everybody else — that’s kind of how democracy works.” Rachel Diller, a second-year fine arts student, said she believes the government does have a right to restrict abortion if enough citizens are against it, because the government should represent what the people want. “[Abortion legislation] has to do with the people because we decide what goes through and what doesn’t,” Diller said.“We can push things to happen, and so it’s up to us to have this voice. If a lot of people are for it, then the government will do things to make it happen, and vice versa.”
PROVIDED
FROM TANZANIA PG 1
amazing and quite an honor.” 4C for Children is an organization that specializes in high-quality childhood education and care, helping over 40 counties in Ohio and Kentucky. Lewis expressed his utmost gratitude to the UC community and UC Health for providing so many valuable opportunities for students and faculty. UC Health has been a generous benefactor for the program, recently gifting the project $1.05 million to pay for new equipment and to help fund future expeditions. “We are very excited about celebrating our ten years and moving into the next decade with a strong partnership with UC and UC Health,” Lewis said. and a fourth-year history student.“It’s a great way for you to collaborate on making documents, creating code or actually doing graphic design work.” GitHub, co-founded by former UC student Chris Wanstrath with former Harvey Mudd College student Tom PrestonWerner, is valued roughly at $3 billion. Containing 3.4 million users, the tool is attributed as the largest code host in the world, according to technology experts from Delft University of Technology and Eindhoven University of Technology. GitHub can be found in Canopy’s tools and recourses section by looking for the cat in the octopus costume. Tony Iacobelli, president of the Information Technology Student Association and a second-year information technology student, said SuperGroup began in the fall semester of 2014. “We try to do a lot of our speakers though this SuperGroup, just because we’re able to reach a broader audience, and we’re also able to better bring people of different majors that necessarily wouldn’t be included in the outreach of, let’s say, the IT student association,” Iacobelli said.“Once you factor all of these organizations in, you realize that this is something that a lot of people can actually relate to and might benefit from.” The SuperGroup started its operations after realizing these individual groups were duplicating events and really got off the ground in efforts to consolidate the sparse amounts of people that would come to the individual organization’s events. Considering data visualization, the group is looking to potentially expand to the American Institute of Graphic Artists in the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning, or students in marketing. “We really want to focus on building community, and so all of these different coalitions between student groups is just the best way for us to leverage our funds and leverage our efforts,” Hutchins said.
4 / COLLEGE LIFE
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2015 / NEWSRECORD.ORG
Group weaves together socializing, service opportunities
UC’s Knit for the Needy group allows students to utilize their craft by creating scarves, hats and more for people in need.
Knit for the Needy members donate handmade items to homeless community, hospitals, nursing homes RENEE GOOCH | STAFF REPORTER
Students who share a passion for knitting and crocheting have a place to practice their technique with Knit for the Needy, an on-campus organization that creates and donates items that will keep the homeless warm during the winter. Funded by the Student Activities Board, Knit for the Needy holds meetings at 6 p.m. every Thursday in 532 Old Chem. According to the program’s website, the studentoperated group has the mission to provide handmade items to local charities, hospitals and nursing homes and to teach students not only how to knit and crochet, but also about people in need. SAB donates $300 a year to Knit for the Needy, which
MCCLATCHY
covers costs for the main bulk of supplies, including yarn and knitting needles. Other supplies are brought in by members or donated by their chosen charity. “Right now, we only fundraise for only one organization called Scarf it Up for Those in Need, which is a charity based in Northern Kentucky,” said Katie Hughes, a second-year graphic design student and Knit for the Needy president. “Occasionally, we will partner up with local hospitals and nursing homes around the area.” Scarf it Up for Those in Need is a non-profit charity group established in 2003 that serves Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, according to its website. The association originated with six women who donated hundreds of handmade scarves to the poor and needy. In 2008, the women expanded their inventory to handmade mittens and hats. “At the end of last semester we donated seven garbage bags full of winter apparel for Scarf It Up For Those In Need. The big black trash bags – not the dinky ones,”
Hughes said. “I would say we used at least 70 balls of yarn throughout the semester to accomplish this.” Ingrid Hall, a second-year accounting student and treasurer for Knit for the Needy, described the differences between knitting and crocheting. She explained that knitting uses two needles and crocheting uses one hook, but both techniques make similar items. “You can do whatever you want,” Hall said. “You can knit, you can crochet, or you can even weave on a loom. It doesn’t matter as long as you are making it with yarn — that’s what really counts.” Knit for the Needy provides its members with service hours in return for their handmade artworks. Completion of one scarf earns members four service hours, a hat earns two service hours and mittens and other items earn one hour-and-a-half service hours. The requirements state that scarves must be at least 4 feet long and about the width of the palm of a hand. Hats must fit on an adult head and mittens must fit on an adult hand, Hughes said. The only exception to these requirements is when items are being made for small children. These service hours are focused mainly on students awarded the Cincinnatus scholarship for incoming freshmen. Members of Knit for the Needy who are receiving service hours for other reasons must complete all necessary paperwork themselves. “Cincinnatus is a scholarship at UC, and in order to maintain the scholarship you have to receive 30 service hours per year,” said Abby Miller, a first-year environmental engineer student. “I’ve gotten 12 hours so far this year from Knit for the Needy, but I won’t receive all 30 from them.” Sarah Baryluk, also a first-year environmental engineer student, explained that the club is improving her knitting skills. Baryluk also talked about her love for the organization and how knitting and crocheting is a dying hobby. “I heard about this group from some of my friends, and I’ve been crocheting since the 7th grade,” Baryluk said. “Honestly, you run out of things to crochet when you have been crocheting for that long. This is a great way too keep crocheting and not have a pile up to my head of scarves that I won’t even be able to use.”
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SPORTS / 5 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2015 / NEWSRECORD.ORG
Bearcats pull off back-to-back conference road wins JAELYNNE JOHNSON | SPORTS EDITOR
The Bearcats improved their overall record this weekend during two games played Thursday and Saturday evening, the first against Southern Methodist University. UC had something to prove going into the game after losing a conference match against East Carolina University on Feb. 1. The Mustangs are at the top in the American Athletic Conference in scoring offense, scoring margin, field goal percentage, field goal percentage defense, rebounding defense, rebounding margin, assists, scoring defense, 3-point field goal percentage, assist-to-turnover ratio and defensive rebounds — making it seemingly difficult for the Bearcats to come out with a win. The Bearcats were able to defeat SMU 62-54 in Dallas, Texas, in front of a crowd of 7,098. SMU is the second team ranked in the top 25 of the nation that Cincinnati has played this season “We’ve got to be prepared on the offensive end to fight for position, to fight for rebounds, if we’re going to have a chance to score against them,” said associate head coach Larry Davis before the game. “We can’t turn the ball over and give them layups, and we’d better run the ball some. When we get misses, we’d better push it and see if we can’t get some stuff in transition.” Senior center Cannen Cunningham led the Mustangs with 14 points and one steal while forward Jermaine Sanders led Cincinnati in scoring with 15 points, nine rebounds and one steal. The Bearcats did not get off to a good start Thursday evening against SMU (19-5 overall, 10-2 American Athletic Conference) by committing 10 turnovers in the first half. After regrouping, they straggled by five points going into halftime. Cincinnati shot 56.8 percent for the game, in comparison to SMU’s 36.5 percent. The Bearcats were also able to outrebound the Mustangs 32-25. UC committed 17 turnovers overall, but only four in the second half, and overcame a 28-14 deficit in scoring around the basket.
“Sanders led us in rebounding, deflections and scoring tonight, and that’s what a senior does when his season is on the line,” Davis said. The Bearcats (17-6 overall, 8-2 American Athletic Conference) returned to Cincinnati for another conference contest against the University of Southern Florida Saturday evening at Fifth Third Arena. The USF Bulls had just suffered a 61-48 home loss to Temple University on Wednesday. This marked the 35th game between the two teams, with Cincinnati having a 26-8 record overall against USF. Key plays came from sophomore Kevin Johnson, who was able to sink three three-point shots followed by a basket from Shaq Thomas, which allowed UC to come out victorious against the Bulls by a five-point margin 63-58. Going in to the contest, USF had a 7-16 overall record and were 1-9 in the American Athletic Conference. Davis has directed the Bearcats to a 9-4 record since the absence of head coach Mick Cronin in December, when Cronin was diagnosed with arterial dissection. After the Bearcats built a 16-point lead against the Bulls, they lost their power in the second half, which almost cost them the game. “I’m not pleased with how we played for a large portion of the game, but we survived what could have been disaster for us,” Davis said. UC was led in scoring by junior guard Farad Cobb with 16 points. Teammate Octavius Ellis was able to produce a good game, pulling down 10 rebounds, two steals, three blocks and three assists. Cincinnati was able to finish off with nine points in the final minute of the game. Five were from sophomore guard Troy Caupain and four were from Cobb. This win brings Cincinnati to a 17-6 overall record and makes them 8-3 in the AAC. Next up, the Bearcats travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday for yet another conference match against Temple University. Tip off time for the game is set for 7:30 p.m. and can be viewed on CBS Sports Network or listened to on 700 WLW.
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Sophomore guard Kevin Johnson scored 11 points against USF on Saturday, Feb. 7 in Fifth Third Arena.
Tennis welcomes assistant coach JAELYNNE JOHNSON | SPORTS EDITOR
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Jamelle Elliot, women’s basketball head coach, recomposes her team during a losing game against Memphis Jan. 28. After their loss against USF, the women’s basketball team now stands at 6-17 overall.
Women’s basketball falls to USF JAELYNNE JOHNSON | SPORTS EDITOR
The University of Cincinnati women’s basketball team lost its fifth game against the University of Southern Florida Bulls Saturday evening in Tampa, Florida, marking the 26th overall meeting between the two schools. The Bearcats lead the overall series 14-12. Key notes for the Bearcats going into Saturday’s contest included being ranked sixth in the American Athletic Conference and 124th nationally in three-point field goal percentage, shooting 32.3 percent from behind the three-point line. They are also second in the AAC and 46th nationally in personal fouls committed, averaging just 15.5, and they are ranked 93rd nationally and second in the conference in free throw percentage at 71.1 percent. “It’s not about the score; it was a situation where we had some really easy shots early on and for some reason there was a lid on the basket,” said head coach Jamelle Elliott. “Unfortunately the shots weren’t able to drop for us in the first half.” USF presented UC with a fast-paced game, and Cincinnati simply could not keep up.
The Bulls took advantage of two scoring droughts from the Bearcats. One was in the first half when they went on a 13-0 run and the second coming from another 13-0 run which made the score 58-20 at the 8:40 mark of the second half. As a team, the Bearcats shot 24.2 percent in comparison to USF’s 38.6 percent. Cincinnati was 2-of-15 from the threepoint range with freshman Makenzie Cann hitting both shots for UC from behind the arc. As a team, USF committed only six turnovers overall and got 11 assists in comparison to UC’s 14 committed turnovers and five assists. Cann achieved double-digits in scoring for the fifth time this season with 10 points. Teammate Marley Hill also turned in her 17th double-digit scoring game of the season with 13 points, leading the Bearcats in scoring. With this loss, Cincinnati now holds a 6-17 overall record and is 3-8 in the American Athletic Conference. Up next, the Bearcats return to Fifth Third Arena for another conference match against the East Carolina University Pirates (15-8 overall, 6-6 American Athletic) on Tuesday with a 7 p.m. tip off time.
Women’s tennis head coach Eric Toth is welcoming former Oklahoma State University standout Eric West as assistant coach — a position West was drawn to because of the University of Cincinnati’s multifaceted sports program. “It truly is an honor to be here at the University of Cincinnati,”West said. “Growing up I always had a passion for college athletics. After learning more about the whole athletic department and its rich tradition in all sports, I knew that coaching at UC was an opportunity I could not pass up.” West brings both Division I playing experience and high-level youth coaching experience to the Bearcats. Before coming to UC, West was the director of junior development at Shadow Mountain Racquet Club and an assistant tennis professional at Oak Tree clubs in his home state of Oklahoma. At the two tennis clubs, he was involved in developing junior players and preparing them for college tennis. West has very simple philosophies when it comes to coaching and bringing the best out of his players. “I’ve always liked coaches that I could relate to and led by example,”West explained.“If I show my players that I work hard and bring passion to the team, then I’m hoping that they will follow my lead.” Growing up, he was never the “biggest player,” he said, but believed that if he worked hard and studied the game of tennis, he would equal out the size of his opponents — both qualities he hopes to bring to the team. West was attracted to his new position by a drive to have a winning season and
Sat. Feb. 21 @ 2 p.m. Women’s tennis vs. Ball State @ Western Fitness Club
Fri. Feb. 13 @ 3 p.m. Lacrosse vs. Notre Dame @ Sheakley Athletics Complex
Sun. Feb. 22 @ 1 p.m. Women’s tennis vs. Temple @ Western Fitness Club
FEB. 21-25
FEB. 10-18
Tues. Feb. 10 @ 7 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. ECU @ Fifth Third Arena
Wed. Feb. 18 @ 7 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. Xavier @ Fifth Third Arena
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UC’s women’s tennis’ current record is 2-2 overall, 1-1 in the American Athletic Conference. Their first conference win was against UCF on Saturday, Feb. 7.
FEBRUARY SPORTING EVENTS
Sat. Feb. 14 @ 2 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. Tulane @ Fifth Third Arena
the potential of the team. He also felt that was something that was missing in his last positions. “Coach Toth and I are going to do our best to put these girls in winning positions,”West said.“We would love to see this season lay a great foundation for this year and years to come.” West has been playing tennis since he was 5 years old, and he never lost the passion for it. Although he played many sports growing up, tennis was the one he always found himself going back to. Coming out of high school, he received a scholarship to play tennis for Oklahoma State University — what he calls “an incredible experience.”. “Words cannot describe how thankful I am to Coach Toth,”West said.“We have always had a great relationship since I’ve known him and I always told him that I want to be a college tennis coach. For him to choose me to be an assistant over all of the other qualified applicants is remarkable.” The relationship between West and the team seems to be going well, as it garnered its first conference win of the season against University of Central Florida in a tight score of 4-3. Junior Kelly Poggensee-Wei suffered a loss in her doubles match with teammate Lauren Bellinger against UCF’s Caroline Eberhart and Kennan Johnson, but was able to bounce back in her singles match against Eberhart, 6-4, 6-4. Other wins for the Bearcats came from freshman Bellinger, Ali Miller and Hannah Wille, who won their singles matches over their UCF opponents. The tennis program looks to continue its winning stride as it heads north to face the University of Toledo Friday.
Tues. Feb. 24 @ 7 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. USF @ Fifth Third Arena
Wed. Feb. 25 @ 7:30 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. UCF @ Fifth Third Arena
6 / COLLEGE LIFE
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2015 / NEWSRECORD.ORG
‘Girl Code,’ ‘Guy Code’ hosts bring humor, life lessons to campus MORGAN COOK | CONTRIBUTOR
Nearly 400 students filed into Zimmer Hall Wednesday evening to attend a comedic performance by Tanisha Long and Jeff Dye of the hit MTV shows “Girl Code” and “Guy Code.”The act revolved around topics ranging from dating and homework to life after college. “What a treat to be here,” Dye said. “I love Cincinnati. I love all things Cincinnati. I’m a big fan of all you got going on here. I like bearcats. I’ve never seen one, but it sounds adorable. A fierce little kitty cat.” “Girl Code” and “Guy Code” are MTV shows that give behavioral advice to young men and women. The event was brought back to the University of Cincinnati by the Programs & Activities Council after being incredibly successful in 2014, when Carly Aquilino and Chris Distefano came to campus to present it. According to Dye, most universities put a restriction on what he and Long can talk about during their performance. They are usually advised to avoid
sensitive topics like homosexuality, but at UC they were given free reign and no restrictions regarding the speaking matter. Both Dye and Long believe this enables them to better connect and relate to the audience. As a student stood up to leave during the performance, Dye quickly asked her why. Jokingly, she responded that the things he was saying were against her beliefs, only to let a guilty Dye and a visibly shaken crowd know that she was really just going to a basketball game. Karly Sutton, a first-year marketing student, said she thought the performance was incredible. She felt that Dye touched on enough sensitive topics to make the crowd a bit uncomfortable at first, but then turned around with hilarious jokes that quickly lifted the mood. The crowd was predominately female, only including about 40 men, though the males in the crowd were just as engaged with the presenters. Long was particularly impressed with UC. She said he couldn’t believe what a
nice campus the university has and how nice all of the students are. She even went on to say that if her university’s campus had been that nice, then maybe she would have actually gone to class. “Their performance was so funny,” said McKenzie Kraincic, a second-year accounting student. “Wednesdays are typically terrible days, but they made this Wednesday so much better than it would have been.” The session ended with Long and Dye making a peculiar prank call. A woman in the audience said she accidentally left her bra at a student’s house, and that he refused to answer her phone calls. So the duo called the man pretending to be police officers to persuade him to give it back, prompting non-stop laughter from the audience. When the performance was over, audience members were able to actually meet Long and Dye and take a photo with both of them. Although this is only the second year PAC has brought Girl Code, Guy Code to campus, members hope to do so again in the future.
BAILEY DOWLIN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Tanisha Long and Jeff Dye make a prank call during Girl Code/Guy Code Wednesday.
Anime UC features Japanese culture TIFFANY WALKER | CONTRIBUTOR
If most people believe animations are meant for children, the University of Cincinnati’s Anime UC begs to differ. Passionate about anime, a type of Japanese animation, members meet once a week to watch their favorite shows and discuss different aspects of Japanese culture. The anime club was established at UC in 1997, around the time “Pokémon” was in its prime, according to Briece Pinson, vice president of the club and a third-year medical lab science student. Since then, other anime, like “Bleach” and “Full Metal Alchemist,” have come around and sparked the interest of current students, inspiring them to get involved. The anime club currently has around 150 members registered through Campus Link, the university’s organization directory. According to the Campus Link profile of UC’s anime club, it’s purpose is to “promote Japanese pop culture and to dispel myths and stereotypes associated with fans of Japanese animation.” Pinson believes it is important to be able to have a place where students can share similar interests. “This is a good way for people to be able to come together and meet other fans,” Pinson explained. “It also introduces people to new shows that they have never heard of.” Many members at Thursday’s meeting said they were just recently introduced to anime. Others, however, were exposed to it at a younger age. Bridget McCurdy, a third-year fine arts student, said that she grew up with anime by watching Toonami on Cartoon Network. “I didn’t really get into it though until my senior year of high school,” McCurdy said. “[After] coming here, I just typed in [Campus Link] to see if there were any clubs and I found one.” During the club’s weekly meeting, members watch different anime chosen by club members. Favorites include “K-on!,”“Katekyo Hitman Reborn!” and “Inuyasha.” The most fascinating aspect of anime is that it gives you a sense of Japanese culture, members said. Some club members also feel that the stories present new aspects to our own culture. “It’s hard to describe anime in just a couple of sentences because of how different the shows can be from each other,” said Jacob Piatt, a fourth-year computer science major and president of the Anime UC. The anime club participates in other on-campus events like UC Game Day, Pinson said. UC Game Day will be collaborating with student groups including the Defense of the Ancients, Magic the Gathering and League of Legends and Chinese Mutual Aid Association, among others. “We are also in the process of forming a gaming association for campus that oversees UC Game Day and it is all of these gaming communities and us in one group to put on this event,” Pinson said. The anime club also takes part in events off campus by going to different anime conventions. On Jan. 31, 43 members of the Anime Club went to Ohayocon at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The three-day event focuses on the art, culture and community surrounding Japanese animation. Christopher Sheridan-Bebeau, a fifthyear mechanical engineering student, was one of the students who attended the Ohayocon. One of the coolest parts, he said, was the cosplay. “Cosplay is what people do when they want to dress up as their favorite character and they impersonate that character,” Sheridan-Bebeau said. The anime club meets 7 p.m. every Friday in 544, 644 and 645 Baldwin. A different anime plays in each room, and members can choose which to view.
MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR
James Witten, a second-year information technologies student (right), places his cards during his turn in a game of Magic the Gathering during UC Game Day. The event, created by the UC League of Legends Team, incorporated participants from multiple gaming clubs across campus.
Students compete in video game tournament MATT NICHOLS | STAFF REPORTER
Laptops, gaming consoles and desktop computers filled Swift Hall Saturday as University of Cincinnati students came together for some friendly competitive gaming. Participants clustered around Xboxes, Gamecubes, PlayStations and more to the tune of light dubstep, and the smell of fresh pizza. The event, which had its debut in the fall, featured tournaments for several popular video games, including “League of Legends,”“Dota” and “Super Smash Bros.” UCLoL, a club sport team for League of Legends players at UC, was featured as the largest group at Game Day, bringing in 13 teams for a 5 vs. 5 tournament along with plenty of spectators. The group was established three years ago, and since then, the UCLoL community has grown to include over 600 members. “When you’re moving to a new environment, you tend to hold onto things you’re familiar with, and you seek out people that share passions that you have,” said Chris Postell, a fourth-year political science student and director of the event. “What we do as gaming communities and gaming clubs is we exist as mediums to bring those students together.” Although the event brought in many talented competitors, one in particular stunned the audience —Dominick McBlhiney, a student who will be transferring to UC in the fall, is ranked in the top one thousand players in League of Legends, which is claimed to be one of the most popular video games in the world. Amazingly, he was able to accomplish this without half his limbs. Born with only half of his arms and his legs ending at the knee, McBlhiney has overcome a myriad of challenges and is now a highly ranked member in the LoL community. “I’ve been using a computer for about 18 years, and I’m 21 now,” McBlhiney said. “I’ve basically been on [League of Legends] all day, every day, ever since I can remember.” McBlhiney keeps a positive outlook on life and tries to bring some humor into the game. “To cope, I make a lot of cripple jokes,” McBlhiney said. “Honestly, I would give you a hand, but I can’t really do that.” Many other gaming communities were involved in this semester’s festivities. The games included “Magic the Gathering,” “Dota,”“Hearthstone” and “Super Smash Bros.,” all of which hosted separate tournaments. “Six years ago, I don’t think there was a single student organization for video games,” said Brad Conyers, a 2014 graduate student in computer engineering and coordinator of the Hearthstone competitions. “Now we have several different UC groups that do all
these great things.” The Dota club, created only a month ago, was surprised to see over 40 competitors for its first event. The Super Smash Bros. tournament was another popular event, gathering nearly 100 students for a single and paired matchup. “I’m a freshman, and I hope we can keep on doing this until senior year,” said Bonosumi Sato, a first-year Asian studies and economic student. Outgoing UC students and organizations that care about bringing the community together were responsible for making the event possible. “At the beginning of the year, I knew I wanted to somehow get together with gaming communities and bring the nerd culture together,” said Briece Pinson, a third-year medicine student and vice
president of Anime UC. Pinson, along with several other student organization leaders, worked tirelessly throughout the year to coordinate the event and make it happen. Although Game Day mainly features gaming, Anime UC offered tired gamers and anime fans a place to relax and enjoy anime shows. “A lot of people here might not know what anime is, so we’ve been showing it for ten hours,” Pinson said. “Anyone can come in and hang out if they like what’s playing.” With continuously growing interest, Game Day at UC is on track to quickly become a gaming tradition. “I think video games are a really good outlet for people to take a break from the rigors of classes,” Postell said.
MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR
Students crowd around a computer in Swift Hall to watch the live League of Legends tournament.
MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR
Over a hundred students came by Swift Hall to watch, play and compete in the UC Game Day.