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THE NEWS RECORD / UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

MONDAY, MAR. 6, 2017

NOELLE ZIELINKY | STAFF REPORTER

DAAP held its first Makers Market this past Saturday where students, alumni and other members of the Cincinnati design community sold their artwork.

This artwork ranged from graphic prints to ceramics to woodwork. The event was held on multiple levels of the DAAP building, and it was bustling with visitors the entire time. Vendors were able to explain their artwork to potential buyers and give them a sense of who they are.

Sammi Hayes, a fourth-year fine arts student, makes paper plants. She says that a particular assignment sparked her inspiration for this idea.

“I’ve always loved the shapes, forms and colors of plants,” said Hayes. “Combining that with pattern design felt very natural, so in response to the assignment I created my first paper plant installation.”

Since then, this project has taken over Hayes’ main body of work. The process to make these plants, though seemingly simple, is quite interesting.

“I begin by screen printing bright patterns onto green paper,” explained Hayes. “Then I hand cut and assemble plant sculptures from that paper.”

Vendors were located on multiple floors of the DAAP building, which encouraged potential buyers to venture around the different tables to see what everyone had to offer. The overall atmosphere was very upbeat, and all of the vendors were more than happy to answer questions about their artwork or explain the different steps taken in order to create their art.

Some of the artists also

sold handmade clothing, such as t-shirts with printed designs on them and shorts with patchwork detail. Handmade jewelry was also sold, as well as hanging plant holders made from types of colored yarn and rope.

Dan Whitsell and Terah Coleman explored new mediums with their artwork that they sold at the market. Whitsell, a third-year industrial design student, and Coleman, a fifth-year industrial design student, were curious about creating a line of smaller bags, experimenting with new materials.

“I have experience making bags and other soft goods,” said Whitsell. “And Terah was interested in experimenting with different products and construction methods, so it felt like a good option for the Makers Market.”

These two made small bags made out of used denim and made them into something practical.

“We focused the project around reusing worn-out jeans for the denim bags and experimenting with embroidery. Our goal was to make simple and useful objects that gave new life to the materials,” said Whitsell.

Joe Walsh, a 2015 DAAP alum, sold his graphic prints, shirts and pins.

“My art is me drawing things how I wish they looked, most of it technically of a real thing, or a memory,” Walsh said. “But I put it through a stylistic lens, usually making it more geometric and symmetrical than the thing really is.”

All artists and makers presented their most intricate and compelling artwork at this market and drew in crowds from the UC community and the greater Cincinnati area.

DAAP throws first‘Maker’s Mart’

SHAE COMBS | PHOTO EDITOR

Artist Amanda Bialk speaks to customers about her handmade ceramics at the

DAAP Makers Market, March 4, 2017.

JACOB FISHER | STAFF REPORTER

Ohio’s public transit system appears poised for a comprehensive expansion as the state’s House of Representatives pass House Bill 26, which would increase statewide transportation funding by $10 million.

“There’s a lot of stuff in this bill that’s trying to help local governments,” said Representative Robert McColley, a key sponsor of the legislation. “They’re crying out for help.”

The bill, which passed with an 83-13 vote, comes in the wake of a 2014 study by multinational engineering and design firm Parsons Brinckerhoff that called for Ohio to double its transportation funding. It outlines an $8 billion spending budget, which poses a “potentially significant annual revenue gain for counties,” according to Ohio’s Legislative Service Commission.

Though the need for public transit grows steadily each year, its funding has slowly declined. Accounting for inflation, state funding for transit has been cut in half since the turn of the century.

While Ohio consists of numerous metropolitan areas that necessitate public transit access, representatives from car-dominated rural and suburban districts have long resisted

efforts to increase state transit funding.

Representatives from the Ohio House hope the funding will ease access to funds for local projects like the Western Hills Viaduct. Levying additional funds for some of the state’s pilot programs to alleviate highway congestion is also a focus.

The bill commissions a joint effort between the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to study the proposed Eastern Bypass of Cincinnati.

Derek Bauman, vice-chair of the pro-public transit organization All Aboard Ohio, called the proposed bypass “a multi-billion dollar suburban sprawl-inducing highway project.”

According to Bauman, transportation funding needs to go to public transportation and not new highways, citing over 70 new miles of interstates that will require regular maintenance from other pending projects.

The bill contains a provision that reduces the absence of a front license plate to a secondary offense if the vehicle is legally parked.

Representative Alicia Reece unsuccessfully attempted to instate a provision which would make driving without a front plate a secondary

offense as well, citing the death of Sam DuBose at the hands of former University of Cincinnati Police Department Officer Ray Tensing in July 2015.

“Sam DuBose didn’t do anything wrong, and he’s dead today with a bullet in the head,” said Reece during the legislative session.

Ultimately, the provision did not pass. According to Ian Rice, a second-year political science and pre-law student, it would have been little more than “a Band-Aid on a much bigger problem.”

“Changing a law on a license plate requirement will not fix the issue [of] racial biases in our society,” said Rice. “We need to make sure that, as a society, we are more inclusive.”

Although it doesn’t look like the bill would cause any change in funding for UC’s transportation system, some students hope that its passage might persuade the university to revisit fund management for its current public transit services.

“We need to focus on expanding services such as NightRide and the shuttle program,” said Rice. “UC has great programs when it comes to transportation, but expanding our current programs will allow us to serve more students and provide a safer environment for everyone.”

Ohio Legislature passes HB 26Bill increases transportation funding by $10M

PROVIDED

Cincinnati Metro Bus at Fountain Square.

MOUNIR LYNCH | STAFF REPORTER

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Medicine have discovered a new way to personalize treatment for patients with difficult brain and blood cancers.

A team of scientists from the UC Cancer Institute has discovered a variety of potential therapies that can treat cancers lacking essential tumor-suppression factors that occur naturally in the body. Anna and Harold W. Huffman Endowed Chair for Glioblastoma Experimental Therapeutics and UC cancer researcher Dr. David Plas, MD, told Cell Reports last month about the groundbreaking discovery in his research.

“We found a new combination of therapeutics that could treat cancers that lack a protein called PTEN. PTEN is an important tumor suppressor, which means that it stops cell growth and division according to the needs of the body,” said Plas.

Dr. Plas’ laboratory at UC discovered that stopping

the patient’s production of a protein called S6K1 could eliminate PTEN-deficient glioblastoma cells. Glioblastoma is known as the most aggressive form of brain cancer and one of the most difficult to treat. Medical Director of the UC Brain Tumor Center and professor in the College

of Medicine’s Department of Neurosurgery Ronald Warnick, MD, is excited to see what this project is discovering right on UC’s campus. Dr. Warnick believes that this kind of therapeutics research is necessary for treating brain tumors.

“There is a desperate

need for novel therapeutic agents for patients with glioblastoma,” Dr. Warnick told Cell Reports.

After having discovered the connection between stopping S6K1 production and the elimination of PTEN-deficient glioblastoma cells, Dr. Plas’ research team at UC tested

multiple drug combinations for their ability to eliminate PTEN-deficient cancer cells. Dr. Plas’ lab was ultimately successful in finding a drug combination that could achieve his desired results.

Atsuo Sasaki, PhD, and Hala Elnakat Thomas, PhD, from the College of

Medicine’s Division of Hematology Oncology were both collaborators in this study. The American Cancer Society, the National Institutes of Health, the UC Brain Tumor Center and the Anna and Harold W. Huffman Endowed Chair funded the study for Glioblastoma Experimental Therapeutics and the UC Medical Scientists Training Program.

The next step in the research is using this drug combination to test the safety and application of the new drug combination using models with an end goal of sending the combination for a clinical trial.

“We have great hope that our new data will lead academic and industry researchers to investigate S6K1 as the center of new combination strategies for cancers of the brain, blood and other tissues,” Dr. Plas said.

This combination of drugs has the potential to become a game-changer, according to Dr. Warnick.

UC med college discovers treatment for brain and blood cancers

JAE S. LEE | THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS | TNS

A scar from a brain surgery is seen on Chase Sims’ head at Prestonwood Baptist Church on April 20, 2016 in Plano, Texas.

MONDAY, MAR. 6, 2017

EMILY STOLTZ | CHIEF REPORTER

Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, may become even more ubiquitous as researchers develop more commercial uses for them. However, scientists face the challenge of landing the aircrafts on moving objects.

Manish Kumar, who is an associate professor of mechanical engineering, and his colleague Kelly Cohen along with University of Cincinnati researcher Nicklas Stockton presented a different approach to overcoming this challenge at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics SciTech 2017 Conference in January.

Their approach revolved around the concept of fuzzy logic, or the use of inferences and

generalities, as opposed to exact measurements and precision. Although science is largely concerned with acute accuracy, fuzzy logic is a tool that people use in everyday life, which is oftentimes referred to as intuition.

However, the science behind intuition can be applied to many of the tools people use every day. Kumar, Cohen and Stockton presented a simulation at the conference that showed the benefit of fuzzy logic in navigation. The goal was to make the devices more “adaptable,” said Cohen in an interview for UC Magazine.

These developments could make drones more practical if they are made to be as flexible as human logic. “In linguistic terms, we say large, medium and

small rather than defining exact sets,” said Cohen. “We want to translate this kind of fuzzy reasoning used in humans to control systems.”

Although the aim of computers has traditionally been absolute accuracy, drone researchers are now realizing the usefulness of estimating or “degrees of truth.” In an effort to make drones more useful to people, the fuzzy logic approach promotes this idea of making computers think like humans. According to MathWorks, this concept can also be referred to as “soft computing.”

The ability of drones to be capable of navigating and landing in dynamic conditions opens the door for many practical uses of drones. According to the essay published by Kumar,

Cohen and Stockton, “There is a growing need for intelligent, reliable control methodologies …especially in congested areas such as disaster areas or urban centers.” Additionally, many delivery companies are shifting toward the use of automated aircrafts.

According to the essay, “Fuzzy logic provides a way to perform flight control of an sUAV [small unmanned air vehicle] using linguistic variables and control rules, which can be easily understood and tuned using intuition.”

Although Cohen conceded that the simulation was preliminary, he expressed confidence in his team’s presentation. “Compared to other state-of-the-art techniques of adaptive thinking and deep learning, our approach appears to

possess several advantages. Genetic fuzzy is scalable, adaptable and very robust,” Cohen said.

According to Cohen, the University of Cincinnati is a leader in fuzzy logic development and asserts that engineering students familiar with the concept

will greatly increase their opportunity in the job market.

According to UC Magazine, the team’s research was funded by a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.

JUSTIN REUTTER | NEWS EDITOR

The University of Cincinnati saw a 15 percent increase in awards funding in the last fiscal year, according to the annual Sponsored Awards Report.

UC received around $211.2 million in awards funding in the 2016 fiscal year, compared to just under $183 million in 2015 in 2015.

However, this seems to be just the beginning of a rebound.

UC posted a total of $197.8 million in awards funding in 2006. Over the next four years, funding increased, rising as high as $284.8 million in total awards in 2010, before falling over the next four years to $181.1 million total in 2014.

The increase in funding was driven by the Great Recession, said UC Vice President for Research Patrick Limbach, who presented the report.

“What we saw between 2006 and 2010 was a temporary bump,” said Limbach. “One of the things the federal government did to stimulate the economy was put a lot into research funding.”

Now that the economy has significantly recovered, that funding has been significantly reduced.

This is similar at academic institutions across the country, said Limbach.

The largest number was research funding, at a total of $153.4 million, up from $125.1 million in 2015.

This represents a 22.7 percent increase in research funding.

Research funding accounts for a full 72.6 percent of all awards funding received by the university in the last fiscal year, according to the report.

The bump in research funding is primarily accounted for by the UC College of Medicine, with innovative research in patient centered outcomes research on how to improve patient experiences, said Limbach. This accounts for a $23

million research grant to the College of Medicine.

In addition, UC’s neuroscience program is one of the most successful programs in the country, and it does “groundbreaking” research, said Limbach.

The next largest number was student aid funding, which received $39.6 million, compared to $41.2 million in 2015.

This represents a 5.19 percent decrease, meaning that while research skyrocketed, UC students received nearly $2.17 million less in student aid awards even though UC sets record enrollments.

Student aid represented 18.76 percent of all awards funding for the university in fiscal year 2016.

The UC Office of Academic Affairs was not available for comment on the decrease.

Certain colleges posted double and even triple digit increases in funding. The College of Arts and Sciences had a 16 percent increase in funding that was driven by behavioral psychology studies into smoking cessation, according to the highlight report.

“We have also purposely increased efforts to obtain more funding for educational projects such as the LSAMP [Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation Program] where we partner with other colleges, the choose Ohio first grant and the IUSE NSF grant to promote active learning in classes across the college,” said Arts and Sciences Dean Ken Petren.

The university is ranked 51 among all institutions in both federally financed and general Research and Development expenditures, according to the report.

Limbach said that the research funding increase was about “recognizing the quality of the work that our students and faculty are doing,” and that “the funding enables them to produce outstanding work, and allows them to keep getting the resources that they need.”

JACOB FISHER | SENIOR REPORTER

A lover of books, beer and Mass Effect, Matt Teaford doesn’t fit the conventional stereotype of a politician.

A writer, photographer, entrepreneur, University of Cincinnati graduate and candidate for Cincinnati City Council in 2017, Teaford describes himself as “socially liberal and fiscally moderate.” His casual, laid-back demeanor conveys a character quality that is seldom observed in the gritty and often ruthless world of American politics: authenticity.

“I love people from all parties,” said Teaford. “What I do not love is the parties’ leadership for the past couple of decades.”

An ideological independent, Teaford’s campaign for city council is not his political debut. In 2016, he ran for the Kentucky House of Representatives on the Republican ticket, but withdrew preceding the general election.

Teaford withdrew from the race in the wake of a lawsuit filed by former Campbell County Democratic Chairman Paul Whalen, which disputed Teaford’s Kentucky residency status. Ultimately, Teaford said his decision to withdraw stemmed from issues with party leadership.

“People from the party leadership would say ‘You can’t stand with LBGTQ rights. You couldn’t stand for women’s rights issues,’” said Teaford. “And if I would’ve won, even if I would’ve, I would’ve switched to independent almost immediately.”

Teaford has long been an opponent of the two-party system, saying that both the Democratic and Republican parties “pander to a very small but loud and vocal group.” A Gary Johnson supporter in the 2016 general election, Teaford highlighted the failure of both major parties to nominate favorable candidates.

“It was choosing between corruption and chaos,” said Teaford.

The historic unfavorability of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump reflects the current limitations of the U.S. election process. Per Teaford, the country needs “more third party voters” who will “vote on issues rather than party lines.”

Teaford cited Sen. Bernie Sanders, a key figure in the 2016 Democratic primary. “He did run as a Democrat, but he’s really a socialist,” said Teaford, who supports Sanders’ opposition to the influence of big donors in politics, arguing they foster a “culture of cronyism.”

“I don’t agree with Bernie Sanders on

everything, but I do appreciate the fact that his average contribution was $20,” said Teaford.

Teaford says as a municipal politician, he will fight for transparency in government spending. In an email with Ballotpedia staff writer Anna Wendland, Teaford outlined a commitment to develop a “better, easy-to-understand website for the city to track down where their tax money is going and if it’s being spent effectively.”

Teaford bears strong personal ties to the city’s ongoing heroin epidemic. In 2011, an overdose took the life of Teaford’s older brother, Floyd. In combating the drug crisis, Teaford advocates a “treatment first” approach.

“There’s no reason to throw them in jail,” he said of nonviolent drug users, reiterating his support of marijuana legalization and stressing the importance of easing access to medical cannabis.

Until the 2017 city council election on Nov. 7, Teaford will continue campaigning, meeting with potential voters to gauge which issues are important to them whilst shedding light on his own values.

“I’m all for personal freedom,” Teaford said. “People should not have to live in fear of who they are.”

2 / NEWS

Drones becoming more popular with researchers

Winners and losers in awards funding 2016

Matt Teaford stands out among politicians

DREAMSTIME | TNS

Camera drone lying at a park.

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The News Record is the editorially independent student-run news organization of the University of Cincinnati. It serves UC students, staff, faculty, alumni and the Cincinnati community with award-winning news and information on a variety of media platforms. The free newspaper is published on Mondays and Thursdays and is distributed to more than 80 locations on and near UC campuses. TNR’s website, www.newsrecord.org, is updated as news breaks and offers video, audio and interactive features. TNR’s app and podcasts are available for download on mobile devices.

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Managing Editor Lauren Moretto

News Editors Justin Reutter Parker Malatesta

Chief Reporter Emily Stoltz

Life & Arts EditorIsabella Jansen

Opinion EditorKarly Williams

Sports EditorDavid Wysong

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MONDAY, MAR. 6, 2017

LIFE & ARTS / 3

ISABELLA JANSEN | ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

The UC Programs and Activities Council (PAC) hosted a Lineup Reveal Party for Uptown West Fest 2017 on Thursday.

Bearcats were encouraged to come out to Keystone Bar and Grille from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. where they had the chance to win door prizes, hang out with the members of PAC and, most importantly, be the first to learn who would be performing at this year’s spring concert.

Students in attendance were the first to find out that Vic Mensa featuring blackbear will be performing at UC’s first ever Uptown West Fest.

This event will take place at 8 p.m. on April 8 on Sigma Sigma Commons, and it is free for UC students. All you need is

your Bearcat Card.Chris Smedley, a third-

year pre-pharmacy student, is more than excited for this upcoming event.

“Ono Fest was a blast last year, and I am excited to hear some new songs of Vic Mensa, considering I only know one,” said Smedley.

For those who are not too familiar with Vic Mensa, he is a Grammy-nominated rapper from Chicago, Illinois. Some of his songs include “Down on My Luck,” “U Mad” featuring Kanye West and “No Chill” featuring Skrilex.

Students can also expect to see Matthew Tyler Musto, better known as blackbear. Blackbear is an American hip-hop recording artist, singer, songwriter and record producer. He has collaborated with music artists such as Justin

Bieber, G Eazy and Mike Posner.

Chelsea Feist, a second-year health sciences student, may not be too familiar with these performers, but she is still very excited to attend.

“I love any free concert, and I am always looking for fun and new things to do with my friends, so this will be a great way to end the semester and start the summer off right,” said Feist.

With already 311 people interested and another 261 saying they are going on the official Uptown West Fest Facebook page, this is sure to be one of the best and most attended events of the school year.

Mark your calendars, tell your friends and keep your Bearcat Cards in a safe place because this is an

event you are not going to want to miss.

While a month may seem a while away, PAC has numerous events for students taking place between now and April 8.

On March 6 PAC is providing students with a Skyzone Bus Trip. While the event is free, it is on a first come, first served basis. There will be two buses meeting at the Campus Recreation Circle, each with 100 available spots. One leaves at 6 p.m. and the other leaves at 7 p.m. Dinner will also be provided.

They are also hosting an event this Wednesday, and students can enjoy pancakes in TUC Atrium from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. These pancakes aren’t just any old pancakes; they are world famous pancake art

created by Dancake. Later that day, students can also enjoy a hypnotist in DAAP Auditorium.

All of these events hosted

by PAC are free for all students, so get out there and see what they have to offer.

RUSSELL HAUSFELD | SENIOR REPORTER

CCM’s production of “Mack and Mabel” last weekend was a wicked paradox of a musical.

It is set in the “Golden Age of Comedy” and is chocked full of pink vests, purple bowler hats, a rainbow of dancing women and topped off by a slightly-out-of-tune piano emanating from the pit for a real “silent pictures” vibe. Amidst the slew of vaudevillian show tunes — the story of this piece is, at its core, a deeply sad one.

Mabel Normand became one of the first leading ladies in film in the early 1900s and was an instrumental figure in the success of famous actors like Charlie Chaplin.

Her expressive, wide eyes and playful body language charmed not only filmgoers, but also her director at Keystone Studios Mack Sennett. The two of them had an ongoing love affair, and Sennett often made Normand the star of his short films.

The musical opens with the introduction of Mack (Alex Stone) as he reminisces on days when movies were full of slapstick comedy and happy endings in a tune

called “Movies Were Movies.” He describes, in his pompous circus-ring-leader-like fashion, the onscreen antics of stars of old and the many films he had directed.

A large movie screen descended from the rafters to display a montage of silent film footage, all perfectly in time with the music emanating from the pit orchestra. This screen is brought out to show off clips throughout the rest of the production.

We are then introduced to Mabel (Emily Celeste Fink), watching her go from selling 15-cent bratwursts to becoming a star in Mack’s studio.

As Mabel’s career begins to boom, Mack bosses her around, claiming that he is the reason for her success – and for a while, Mabel just takes it.

The first act ends with Mabel asserting herself and taking control of her artistic pursuits. She leaves Mack’s film studio to work on a serious film, resulting in Mack taking a video camera to the beach and creating “The Bathing Beauties,” a short film of gorgeous women dancing on a beach. The stage fills for this number, appropriately named “Hundreds of Girls.”

When Act II begins, we

see Mabel return to Mack’s studio, only to leave once again after being ignored and insulted. She continues living a life of stardom, going on a cruise to Europe with another man who forces her to take heroin to “calm down.”

As the age of silent comedies dwindles away in favor of more serious pictures, Mabel, too, begins to dwindle.

She gets caught up in a media scandal with her then-lover, loses public popularity and struggles with heroin and alcohol addiction. Mack comes to visit Mabel one last time, attempting to get her to star in a new film he is directing. After the final song ends and Mabel agrees to star in the picture, the production comes to a decidedly unhappy ending.

Mabel abruptly dies of tuberculosis at the tender age of 38, and the movie is never made.

After all the whimsical songs, the slapstick shenanigans and the tap numbers are finished, the movie screen descends once again from the rafters. It displays a black-and-white photograph of a beautiful woman and reads, “In Memory of Mabel Normand 1892-1930.”

Programs and Activities Council to host Uptown West Fest

CCM produces ‘Mac and Mabel’

CHRIS SWEDA | CHICAGO TRIBUNE | TNS

Vic Mensa performs at Lollapalooza in Grant Park on Saturday, July 30, 2016 in

Chicago.

COURTESY OF CCM | MARK LYONS

Are You Feeling Sad or Down?

Do You Have a Parent With Bipolar Disorder?

Researchers at the Department of Psychiatry of the University

of Cincinnati are conducting a research study looking at the

efects of a dietary supplement (N-acetyl-cysteine) on mood

symptoms and brain functioning in adolescents and young

adults at familial risk for bipolar disorder.

The purpose of this study is to investigate if taking this dietary

supplement helps to improve mood in adolescents and

young adults who are at familial risk for bipolar disorder and

are feeling depressed.

Participation includes doing two MRI scans. The MRI scans will help to investigate the efects

of this dietary supplement in the brain.

Participants need to be between 15 and 24 years old and be available for study visits over 8 weeks.

Parents need to be available for one interview to conirm the diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

Participants may receive up to $200 in compensation for their transportation and/or time for study

visits. All study visits, tests, and procedures will be provided at no cost to participants.

For more information

Contact Max Tallman at maxwell.tallman@uc.edu or (513) 558-4102

If you said “YES” to both questions, you may qualify for a research study at the

University of Cincinnati

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BrewCats: Listermann unveils riveting Rosie brew on Int’l Women’s Day

RUSSELL HAUSFELD | SENIOR REPORTER

International Women’s Day — this Wednesday — is rapidly approaching. With it comes the release of Listermann Brewing Company’s Riveting Rosie, named after the historic Rosie the Riveter illustration.

According to Soapbox Cincinnati, this brew was inspired by Listermann Vice President Karenna Brockman seeing a female firefighter working out in her full gear.

“It was really powerful to see this woman working out to save lives, and it just hit me,” Brockman told Soapbox Cincinnati. “I thought, ‘How can I celebrate the strong women of Cincinnati?’”

So, she decided to celebrate women by creating a hibiscus rose-hipped saison, which will be unveiled during the release party at Listermann Brewery Wednesday night. Listermann has paired up with the Women Helping Women charity, which will receive a portion of the donations from the party.

There will be music from breezy local band Coconut Milk, food trucks and a raffle for tons of local services including

spas, restaurants and brewery swag.The word on the street is that there will

also be some kombucha collaboration available at the party. Algis Aukstuolis posted on the party’s Facebook page: “For all the kombucha fans coming: this was just transferred from the fermenter to the brite tank today. I tasted it and it turned out awesome! Can’t wait to bottle it and share it with everybody!” Accompanying the text was a picture of a Skinny Piggy Hibiscus Kombucha with a Rosie the Riveter portrait on the label.

GO: Riveting Rosie Release Party, Listermann Brewing Company, 1621 Dana Ave., Wednesday, March 8, 3 p.m.

If you miss the initial release party, another woman-themed party is taking place a week later at the Overlook Lodge. They’ll be serving Riveting Rosie, too. The proceeds from this event will also help support a charity — Girls With Pearls. This is a leadership program for elementary and junior high school girls designed to keep them in school.

GO: “Liquid Courage: We Can Brew It!” The Overlook Lodge, 6083 Montgomery Rd., Wednesday, March 15, 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m.

MONDAY, MAR. 6, 2017

4 / SPORTS

DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR

The University of Cincinnati football team begins spring practice this week.

Beginning Monday, new head coach Luke Fickell will oversee his first spring practices at UC. Aside from spring break, the team will have practice multiple times a week until April 14 when they will play in their Spring Game.

“From what I have seen, everyone is juiced up to be able to compete and actually be able to transfer everything we have trained for over the winter and show off our skills on the field this spring, and become closer to being the best,” said running back Gerrid Doaks.

Fickell replaced former UC head coach Tommy Tuberville.

After four seasons, Tuberville resigned from Cincinnati in December with a 29-22 overall record and a 0-3 bowl game record.

In 2016 his team failed to make a bowl game after going 4-8 on the season.

“I feel the difference from the past is just that we have a great team bond and team chemistry going into [spring practice] already, and it is just getting started. Everyone is wanting to be out there and learn and be coached,” said linebacker Jaylyin Minor.

Fickell is not the only new coach in Cincinnati. He has hired his own staff as well.

On the offensive side of the ball, new coaches joining him include running backs coach Gino Guidugli, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Denbrock, offensive line coach Ron Cook, special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Doug Phillips and wide receivers coach Joker Phillips.

On defense, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Marcus Freeman, cornerbacks coach Willie Martinez and defensive line coach Al Washington have all been added to the staff.

Brady Collins was also named director of football sports performance.

“All of our coaches are outstanding, from the strength coaches on up,” Minor said. “We are in this all together, and they let that be known and coach us with respect. They never speak on the past; everything is a positive motive with them. It just feels great being around the new coaching staff.”

Wide receiver Rashad Medaris transferred to UC last summer, so he was not here with Tuberville and the 2016 team last spring. However, he said he likes every coach on this season’s staff.

“They all came in with a plan,” Medaris said. “They’re determined to win, so they’re pushing us to our full potential, and I like that.”

With the team practicing Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week, Doaks highlighted three goals he believes the team has.

“Build chemistry with one another as an offensive and defensive unit,” Doaks said. “Become the most physically and mentally strong team to step on a football field in order to compete and handle any adversity that comes our way [and] master our plays and assignments so we can be prepared to compete at our best ability.”

Minor says a goal for the team is to just get better.

“[Our goals are to] learn the system, play fast and get better day by day,” Minor said. “Get that great team chemistry ready for the season and come out healthy and get ready for fall ball.”

The Bearcats will play their annual Spring Game at Nippert Stadium at 7 p.m. on April 14. The first regular season game will be Aug. 31 against Austin Peay State University at Nippert.

JASON SZELEST | STAFF REPORTER

The University of Cincinnati women’s basketball season has come to an end, with the Bearcats suffering a 74-61 loss to the University of Houston in the first round of the American Athletic Conference tournament.

The loss marked their ninth in their final 11 games, following a 14-5 start to the year.

Head coach Jamelle Elliott believes her team’s struggles down the stretch can be used as learning tools for the future.

“Sometimes you have to go through a season of disappointments down the stretch for you to learn, and be motivated, and be hungry, and light that fire under you,” Elliott said. “The look on the faces of those players in the locker room… I think we have lit that fire.”

Some of the team’s improvement this year must be attributed to junior forward Shanice Johnson, who led the team with 15.2 points and 9.7 rebounds in her first season as a Bearcat.

Johnson, along with

three-year starting point guard Ana Owens, will be expected to lead this team next season.

“I think we have a great solid foundation in that locker room, starting with Shanice and Ana as leaders,” Elliott said.

Behind them, Elliott believes the young players on her roster have the potential to step up and perform.

“Our freshmen are talented,” Elliott said. “They did not know what it was like to go through a season. It is a lot different from high school to college, and now that they know what it takes, I think they are going to prepare better, work on their game and be smarter about nutrition and things.”

Those young players will have opportunities to earn minutes, as UC loses two starting guards in Bianca Quisenberry and Brandey Tarver.

In their four years, Elliott believes the duo taught the other players a lot more than simply how to play good basketball.

“The people in the locker room that are going to be remaining in this program,

if they do not take those things from those two guys, it is a shame,” Elliott said. “There is so much that they can learn from the way those seniors played, from the way they carried themselves as people and as players.”

Despite the disappointing finish, Elliott said she wants to focus on the overall season the girls had and the improvement they displayed from previous years.

Their final record of 16-14 was the team’s first winning record since the 2006-07 season.

“You never want to lose a game, it is always disappointing to lose, but I want to think about the success that we had this season,” Elliott said. “For Bianca and Brandey to leave here as seniors with a winning record, that is something to be proud of.”

For the future, Elliott feels optimistic of the potential her team possesses.

“A lot to be excited about for the future,” Elliott said. “I am looking forward to it. I wish we could start the season tomorrow, but everybody needs a break. We are going to be better.”

DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR

Covered in body paint, he helps bring smiles to kids’ faces.

“When you first meet someone and they’re covered in body paint, you just know it’s going to be a good time,” said Evette Mcclure, a foster parent from Cincinnati.

Tom Grabo, 28, is a Cincinnati sports fan. You can see that by just looking at his Twitter handle, @CincySuperFan.

He does not want to keep anyone from experiencing a sporting event in the city.

Grabo is one of the founders of Sports Games for Kids, an organization aiming to bring children facing hardships a day to watch sports teams in Cincinnati – all expenses paid.

The idea started during the Cincinnati Reds’ 2013-14 offseason, when a group of Reds fans known as the “Power Stack Pack” thought of their childhood memories at Reds games. They then decided they wanted to share their love of baseball and the Reds with children whom may never get to experience a game.

“We came together and said we want to start doing something more for the community,” Grabo said. “We all tried to figure out something that was really close to us, and, of course, the Reds was pretty obvious. We wanted to share that special memory of a first Reds game, or of just a Reds game, with kids who are going through a lot.”

During their first event in 2014, 85 kids from The Children’s Home of Cincinnati went to a Reds game.

Since then, they have worked with the Children’s Home of Northern Kentucky, Bethany House Services and others, bringing kids to Reds games, Futbol Club Cincinnati matches, University of Cincinnati football and men’s basketball games, Cincinnati Cyclones games and Dayton Dragons games.

“Reds Games for Kids is what we originally called ourselves because we had planned to do Reds games, then we decided

to expand to other sports in Cincinnati because we could find better ticket deals [and] we had other opportunities, and we didn’t want to give those chances up, and we wanted to bring as many kids as we could to any kind of games in Cincinnati,” Grabo said.

Mcclure, her son and his friend and India, a girl Mcclure is foster parenting, attended a Cyclones game.

She said they had a lot of fun and were given a nice surprise.

The group in attendance had a spotlight shined on them as they sang “God Bless America.”

“We didn’t know we had to do that,” Mcclure said. “We kind of faked it because nobody knew all the words. He was just like, ‘Smile and keep your mouth moving.’”

Mcclure said India enjoyed her first hockey game.

“That went right up her alley. Anything that’s loud and wild, she likes it,” Mcclure said.

Cambria Chambers is also a foster parent and attended a Cyclones game as well.

Chambers said everyone who works for Sports Games for Kids is friendly and accommodating.

“I think they’re doing a wonderful thing because there’s a lot of kids out here that don’t get the opportunity to go to games and sporting events because lack of funds,” Chambers said.

When Sports Games for Kids went to Cincinnati Bearcat football and basketball games during the 2015-16 seasons, they received help from UC athletic director Mike Bohn.

“I believe the first one was for a football game and he said, ‘We will provide you with 40 tickets to this game, free of charge,” Grabo said. “After that game, I sent him a few pictures and I told him about how much of a difference he made for these kids, and he said, ‘Lets’ do it again.’”

Moving forward, Sports Games for Kids will be holding a fundraiser at Scene 75 on March 26. Details can be found on RGFK.org.

Football team begins spring practice

Women’s basketball loses in AAC tournament

Group takes kids to sporting events

JEAN PLEITEZ | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Shanice Johnson (21) goes for a shot while being guarded by SMU defenders,

Tuesday, January 17, 2017 at Fifth Third Arena.

COURTESY OF SPORTS GAMES FOR KIDS

DAVID WYSONG | SPORTS EDITOR ETHAN RUDD | STAFF REPORTER CLAUDE THOMPSON | STAFF REPORTER JASON SZELEST | STAFF REPORTER

The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is almost a week away.

The Cincinnati Bearcats are a projected four- or five-seed, and many of the players have called this team special, so how far can they go? Our sports experts Ethan, Claude, Jason and David predict where UC will get to in the big dance.

Ethan: Sweet 16I think the Bearcats have a legitimate

shot at advancing into the Sweet 16. They have depth and are a balanced team on both sides of the ball.

Currently, ESPN has UC (26-4) as a No. 5 seed in the south region.

Based on the same projection, UC would most likely have to play West Virginia (24-7) in the second round.

That’s a tough matchup, and UC will have to keep pace with one of the NCAA’s top-20 scoring offenses.

UC does have the NCAA’s No. 5 scoring defense, though, and could give WVU a fight. Plus, West Virginia has had their hiccups, most notably in losses to Temple and Texas Tech.

However, to advance past the Sweet 16, UC would have to defeat top-seeded North Carolina (26-6), a tall task considering the Tar Heels’ offensive prowess as they rank No. 11 in the nation.

Claude: Second RoundThe Cincinnati Bearcats only have four

losses, which is more than what a lot of teams can say in Division I NCAA basketball.

The conference tournament is coming up, which will test the team’s mettle against teams they’ve recently lost against, including Southern Methodist University and the University of Central Florida.

Let’s assume that the Bearcats take care of business and win their conference tournament, like they should. With four losses, that would put the team at a four- or five-seed.

I think this team has a lot of talent, one

of the most talented rosters that head coach Mick Cronin has ever had, and the team is going to get a win in the national tournament, but I don’t know if the team has what it takes to overcome its offensive struggles and will fall in the second round.

While we would love to see them go all the way, their ability to score consistently only shows up one out of every five games. It won’t be enough to overcome some of the better teams in the tournament, and the Bearcats will be watching the Sweet 16 from home.

Jason: Sweet 16By most expert accounts, the Bearcats

are looking at a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament.

The last time Cincinnati was a five seed, they suffered one of an increasingly popular five versus 12 upsets to Harvard University.

This roster is a little different, however, as they do not rely solely on one player to put points on the board.

The balanced scoring this team has to offer, where four different players can lead them in points on any given night, has given UC a legitimate offense.

That offensive production, coupled with the suffocating defense that has become a staple under Cronin, will get them past the 12-seed trap and will play a four-seed in the second round.

After that, the Bearcats will most likely be playing a No. 1 seed, such as Villanova or Kansas. To put it simply, they just don’t have enough firepower to take one of them down.

David: Elite Eight I have been very high on this team all

season. They have six players who score over

7.5 points per game, giving them a lot of different scoring threats.

Most teams in the nation that have a lot of scoring options don’t have a great defense, and UC does.

As long as UC’s offense can continue to put the ball in the basket, this is one of the scariest teams headed into tourney time.

How far can the Bearcats go?

JEAN PLEITEZ | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Kyle Washington (24) drives to the basket in the inal home game of the season against Houston at Fifth Third Arena,

Thursday, March 2, 2017.