VOL. CXXXIII ISSUE LVVVVVVI FREE - ADDITIONAL COPIES $1

LAUREN PURKEY | PHOTO EDITOR

AT THE TOP University of Cincinnati President Santa Ono talks in depth about the issues facing the university, the accomplishments of faculty and staff and his goals during his tenure at UC. Ono stressed UC’s commitment to safety and his administration’s top priorities.

TOP ’CAT CHATSanta Ono discusses budget, safety and more

Short Vine entertainment district plans embraced by

offi cials, citizens

Council approves

application

RYAN HOFFMAN NEWS EDITOR NEWSRECORDNEWS@GMAIL.COM

Since taking offi ce in October 2012, University of Cincinnati President Santa Ono quickly adjusted to his leadership position. Ono identifi ed his top priorities and responsibilities, tackling his new labor-intensive position head on. In an exclusive interview with The News Record, Ono discussed his top goals, accomplishments and potential problems facing UC in the future.

When offi cially named president, Ono said his administration had two major priorities that needed to be addressed immediately. The fi rst involved fi lling the vacant positions in the faculty hierarchy.

Currently there are four — out of 15 total — interim deans and four other interim positions in the President’s cabinet.

“We have been … taking active steps to stabilize the leadership of the university,” Ono said.

The rigorous process for fi lling leadership positions involves not only rules set by the UC Board of Trustees, but also an order for fi lling positions.

“The important thing is that things have to be done sequentially in an organization of this size when your trying to hire someone … you have to go through a process,” Ono said.

Before any hires could be made, the president position had to be locked down, Ono said. Before any deans can be hired, the provost position — for which a search is currently taking place — has to be fi lled.

“You need to know who your president is going to be before you try to recruit your permanent provost because the provost and the president are really partners,” Ono said. “It’s a sort of staggered kind of approach, and if you don’t follow that — as some institutions do — you get into trouble sometimes.”

Ono acknowledges it is not ideal to have any interim positions, but it is inevitable at an institution of this size.

“There always will be some interim people because we have great leaders that will be attractive for other institutions to try to recruit away,” Ono said.

Ono already appointed several people to his cabinet, and hopes to fi ll most — if not all — of the interim positions by the end of 2013.

“I’d rather take a little bit of time and make the right decision than rush it and bring in somebody who is not qualifi ed or who doesn’t really want to be here,” Ono said.

Ono’s other top priority, producing a responsible budget, remains on less stable ground. Questions surrounding the federal budget could impact research funding, and changes to Ohio’s formula for distributing funding to public universities will directly impact how much state funding UC will receive.

The new formula is based on the current three-year-rolling-average of completed courses and degrees. Current data has yet to be completely gathered, but simulations using data from previous years indicate UC will be in a strong position when it comes

to state funding.“The good news is that in all those

iterations three of those universities have come out looking like they will either stay fl at or actually increase in terms of funding in the next biennium and those three universities are Ohio State University, UC and Wright State University,” Ono said.

Government funding — along with other sections of the budget — will directly impact how much — if at all — tuition will increase in the 2013-14 academic year.

Ono made it a priority to minimize any tuition increases.

“In a lot of states the increases have been three to three-and-a-half percent, we want to land well below that,” Ono said.

With a new biennial budget being drafted by the state, it is uncertain what, if any, increase is going to be needed, or if there will be a cap on how much tuition can be increased. Last academic year, tuition increased 3.5 percent — the maximum amount it could.

“There’s not a fi nal answer on [tuition costs] right now … it will be minimal,” Ono said.

MONEY MAKER

State and federal funding only make up a portion of an annual budget that exceeds $1 billion. A large part of the budget is private gifts and donations made to the university.

In June, UC will fi nish its Proudly

BENJAMIN GOLDSCHMIDT CHIEF REPORTER

NEWSRECORDNEWS@GMAIL.COM

To further assist the development and business growth in the Uptown area, Cincinnati City Council approved an application Wednesday to create an entertainment district on Short Vine.

Since city council approved the Uptown Consortium’s application, 15 more businesses can apply for a liquor license, said Brad Thomas, a representative for Uptown Consortium. The new district will be known as the Short Vine Community Entertainment District.

The amount of liquor licenses available to any given community depends on its population — one license for every 2,000 residents. Creating entertainment districts allows for more licenses to be obtained, Thomas said.

“The benefi ts to Corryville are more jobs, more businesses, increased entertainment destinations,” Thomas said.

The project would bring in additional income revenue for the city and additional sales tax revenues for Hamilton County.

Thomas said two businesses — Island Frydays and Turophilia Quesadillas — expressed an interest in expanding and attaining a liquor license. Owners of popular food carts in the area told the Uptown Consortium and Cincinnati Councilmember Laure Quinlivan they are looking for “brick and mortar” locations to expand their businesses, and could apply for liquor licenses.

Transforming Short Vine into an entertainment district saves money for businesses with liquor licenses, as it would reduce license renewal costs, Thomas said. Quinlivan noted there would not be a change in the application process for liquor licenses.

“Still, everyone who applies has to go through the state just like they normally would to get their liquor licenses. It just makes it more affordable,” Quinlivan said.

Thomas said several other successful entertainment districts have been created in Cincinnati neighborhoods, including Northside, Over-the-Rhine, The Banks, Pleasant Ridge, Price Hill and Madisonville.

“This continuous development along with the Uptown transit district, the streetcar, will really help tie together our urban core and make it a united economic unit,” Thomas said.

AACRC celebrates grand reopeningAfter fi ve months of renovations, center hosts ribbon-cutting ceremony

BROOKE BEERY SENIOR REPORTERNEWSRECORDNEWS@GMAIL.COM

A jubilant celebration with African drums, dancers and a choir marked the grand reopening of the University of Cincinnati’s African American Cultural and Resource Center Tuesday.

The event, which included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, fi ttingly took place on Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.

“This is an absolutely magnifi cent place,” said UC President Santa Ono. “The fi rst time I saw [it] I was simply stunned.”

“This renovation gave us an opportunity to refocus the center so that it is of more fl exibility for the students, more focused on the students and more focused on the history that brought us here,” said Greg Hand, UC spokesperson. “It’s also meant to inspire us about future possibilities.”

At the beginning at the ceremony, Eric Abercrumbie, AACRC director, performed a ritual libation. He poured onto a plant symbolizing good fortune for the past, present and future of the facility.

“This is a community center,” Abercrumbie said. “It’s a university center like Greek letter organization houses or the

women’s center, but this center is focused on African-American life, especially in Cincinnati.”

Renovations began in August 2012 and included new furniture, carpet, television and displays of cultural art.

“We opened the walls up and added a new student lounge which can fi t double the amount of people,” Abercrumbie said.

The room contains a large mural with pictures of graduates — such as Tyrone Yates, city council member and vice-mayor of Cincinnati, and UC Trustee Rob Richardson — who made their mark in the community.

“It’s inspiring to see such proud displays of our culture,” said Taquisha Hutchman, a fourth-year Africana Studies student.

The room features two new fl at-screen televisions and will be used for student activities including dance classes and choir practices. The center will be open to all members of the UC community.

“Even though it is African American in name, it is still, above all else, a student center,” said Chris Allen, an AACRC faculty member. “It’s for students of the campus. We encourage people to come on in and take part in our facilities.”

CHIEF.NEWSRECORD@GMAIL.COM | 513.556.5908

THURSDAY | JANUARY 17 | 2013

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

Follow TNR on Twitter: @NewsRecord_UC

Like us on Facebook:facebook.com/TheNewsRecord ONLINE

The News Record

LAUREN PURKEY | PHOTO EDITOR

GRAND CELEBRATIONS Eric Abercrumbie, AACRC director, acts enthusiastically while talking to the audience at the grand reopening of the African American Cultural and Resource Center at the University of Cincinnati Tuesday, Jan. 15.

SEE ONO | 2

NEWSRECORDNEWS@GMAIL.COM2 Local News

NEWSRECORDNEWS@GMAIL.COM | 513.556.5908

DIAMOND CRUMPTON SCOTTSTAFF REPORTER

NEWSRECORDNEWS@GMAIL.COM

A prestigious award recently given to the Cincinnati Central Riverfront plan partly refl ected the work of the University of Cincinnati.

The riverfront plan received recognition for its planning by receiving a National Planning Award from the American Planning Association (APA).

The Banks — including city, county and developer’s investments — is projected to have a $556 million impact on Hamilton County’s economy.

The plan will convert 195 acres of unused land between the Ohio River and Cincinnati’s Central Business District into a new park.

John Deatrick, The Banks project executive, said the award and any other recognition will help attract more funding.

“Cincinnati has been trying to fi gure out what to do with the riverfront for 200 years, because it fl oods,” Deatrick said.

The county and city council hired the Urban Design Associates (UDA).

The Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana Regional Council of Governments hired Parsons Brinckerhoff to work on designs for the Fort Washington Way corridor.

“That’s how the riverfront plan was born,” Deatrick said. “It took over 200 years to develop, but we think it will. It’s nothing that anyone couldn’t have done without 3,000 best friends.”

The UC Economics Center completed the economic study and served as an impartial third-party reviewer.

UC was hired to analyze the economic impact of The Banks project on Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

The UC study found the project substantially affected the area because of the massive amounts of construction. The operation of the businesses and residential establishments will have an even greater effect.

The redevelopment of the riverfront is part of The Banks, which included two sports stadiums, a museum, restaurants and major transportation improvements.

The News Record covers state, local and campus news. For news articles, feature stories, multimedia projects and photo galleries, visit newsrecord.org.

SG resumes contentious debateUndergraduate senate members discuss smoking ban on campus

JAKE GRIECO SENIOR REPORTERNEWSRECORDNEWS@GMAIL.COM

The University of Cincinnati Undergraduate Student Government passed a bill to reform the university’s smoking policy Wednesday.

The Student Rights and Interest committee plans to survey students to better understand the student body’s opinion on the smoking policy.

“The best thing we can do is to try to fi nd a solution that will appease all students,” said Rudy Sunders, DAAP tribunal senator.

Northern Kentucky University recently became a tobacco-free campus Jan. 9. With other universities in the area discussing reformation to its policies, SG wants to

keep UC ahead of the curve. “This is a way for us to be at the

forefront of the discussion,” said Maesa Idries, SG vice president. “[NKU’s tobacco ban] was nothing mandated by the state. That was something the university decided to move toward.”

The current UC smoking policy enacted in 2006 restricts smoking within 25 feet of all university building entrances, exits, air intakes and operable windows. It is the

responsibility of the faculty and student body to enforce the policy.

Lane Hart, student body president, highly

encouraged the senate to work with

university offi cials and public safety offi cers to devise a method for enforcing the new bill.

“How to enforce it is one of the

biggest questions we’ve had in the past,”

Hart said. In the 2011-12 meeting

of the Undergraduate Student

Government, Graduate Student Governance Association and Faculty Senate debated the smoking policy. The Undergraduate SG voted 19-2-0 in favor of the smoke-free campus bill. GSGA and Faculty Senate, however, voted against the stricter tobacco-free initiative 0-23 and 8-10, respectively.

During the meeting in March 2012, members of SG discussed various ways in which the policy could be implemented, including a gradual phasing in with the use of a few designated smoking areas on campus.

The bill requires a proposal for reform to be submitted by week 12 of the semester. The Undergraduate Student Government, Graduate Student Government and Faculty Senate will meet Feb. 14.

The best thing we can do is try to fi nd a solution that will appease all students.

- Rudy Saunders, DAAP tribunal senator

509 AND 510 SWIFT HALL

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

45221-0135

OFFICE PHONE 556-5900

OFFICE FAX 556-5922

THE NEWS RECORDF O U N D E D I N 1 8 8 0

COPY EDITOR

The Banks recognized nationally

With help of UC Economic

Center, riverfront planners

presented with esteemed award

A CULTURAL CELEBRATION

FROM ONO | 1

LAUREN PURKEY | PHOTO EDITOR

A FRESH START The African American Cultural and Resource Center reopened its doors after facility renovation with a celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday.

Cincinnati Campaign — an effort started in 2008 aimed at raising $1 billion in donations. The most recent numbers have the campaign more than $12 million short of the $1 billion goal, but Ono quickly pointed out that the past two years have been successful.

“We’ve been bringing in approximately $125 million a year,” Ono said.

The end of the Proudly Cincinnati Campaign by no means signifi es the end of UC’s lofty fundraising goals and efforts.

“You can’t stop raising funds,” Ono said. “We are taking a hard look at how we go about raising philanthropic dollars and we will do everything we can to make sure that revenue stream continues.”

UC’s fundraising efforts have recently been brought into the spotlight thanks in large part to conference realignment and facility renovations needed to enter more prominent conferences, such as the Atlantic Costal Conference. UC recently announced fundraising plans to renovate Nippert Stadium to the tune of $60 to $70 million.

“We’re reasonably confi dent we’ll be able to raise those dollars,” Ono said. “It’s not clear how long it will take. The sooner we get it done the sooner we can start building but there’s a lot of enthusiasm.”

Meetings with big donors will take place in the near future, but Ono wouldn’t identify any potential donors or timeline.

Ono would like to see the fundraising efforts start as soon as possible — after a clear and responsible plan is established — which will dictate the pace of construction.

“If we do it in an accelerated way then we’re going to have to move everything to another site, which would most likely be Paul Brown stadium,” Ono said. “If we do things a little bit more slowly then we might still be able to play in Nippert while we’re doing construction. How rapidly we are

able to bring those funds in will determine the pace of the project.”

‘NO LARGER RESPONSIBILITY’

Perhaps the one responsibility Ono most aggressively pursued since taking offi ce is public safety.

Less than 40 days after offi cially being named president, a standing committee involving leaders from around the city convened to discuss how safety on and around campus could be increased. The safety summit produced an action plan, which included increasing patrols on campus by 30 percent.

“Although I’m happy with [the action plan] there is still a good bit of work that still needs to be done and we’re committed to doing that,” Ono said.

The second meeting for the safety committee is scheduled for Friday. With the tragedies at Sandy Hook Elementary causing universities around the country to evaluate their active shooter policies —San Diego State University is making seminars on how to survive campus shootings required for all incoming freshmen — UC’s active shooter policies could be a large part of the conversation at Friday’s meeting.

“The presidents cabinet does on regular intervals discus [active shooter policies],” Ono said. “We haven’t had a specifi c discussion after what happened in Newtown, but it’s a good idea, maybe we should talk about it and see exactly what we do here at UC and see how it might differ from [what’s happening] at San Diego State.”

UC currently does an active shooter simulation once a year, said Greg Hand, UC spokesperson.

But Ono is open to suggestions regarding safety, something he feels is his top responsibility.

“I feel that one of my biggest responsibilities as chief executive of this

university is to make sure that the current students faculty and staff of this institution feel safe,” Ono said. “There is no larger responsibility for me than that.”

THINKING LONGTERM

Several months in the university’s highest offi ce has brought many needs to Ono’s attention. One thing Ono said he aims to accomplish is not only strengthening the university, but the community.

“I’ve been really trying to focus on [making] this beautiful community one that’s even more welcoming to new individuals, where there really are true connections between the faculty and the students and the students and the staff,” Ono said.

The recent tragic deaths of three UC students in the past month have served as a tangible example of the UC community’s strength.

“You know when your challenged with something tragic like the death of [these students] what people will remember after they graduate, after they leave here and retire is what it meant to be part of this university and I think one of the most important jobs I have is to do everything I can to support that kind of community,” Ono said.

While producing a responsible budget and fi lling faculty positions are needs that must be immediately addressed, Ono feels this is his greatest long-term responsibility.

“What I want to do more than anything else — not just for this semester but for the remainder of my tenure as president — is to have more of that glue so that this school remains a special place.”

For more information on President Ono and his administration’s progress on policies, check out newsrecord.org

KEITH BIERYGOLICK MANAGING EDITORMANAGER.NEWSRECORD@GMAIL.COM

Bars have become a very dangerous place for Adam DeVine after the unexpected success of “Workaholics.”

DeVine plays the narcissistic, loudmouth telemarketer/partier Adam Demamp, and because of the copious amount of drugs his character does on the show, whenever he runs into fans they only seem interested in getting him plastered.

“When I go out to bars dudes are like, ‘I’ma buy you a shot.’” DeVine said. “I’m like, ‘How about a beer fi rst?’”

Too much drinking is a problem DeVine’s character struggles with on the show, but in real life that’s the least of his worries.

The fi rst time anyone ever recognized him from “Workaholics,” they used one of the show’s burgeoning catch phrases in the completely wrong context. In the show, “tight butthole” means something is cool, and “loose butthole” means something is not. This particular fan didn’t seem to grasp that.

“I’m stopped at a stoplight, as people normally are, and this guy walks across the street and looks at me and goes, ‘Adam.’ So I’m like, ‘Hey, what’s up man?’ And then

he goes, ‘You’ve got a tight butthole man … You’re butthole is tight.’” DeVine said. “Then everybody is just staring at me like he knows the tightness or looseness of my actual butthole. Which I’m gonna go on the record and say I’m almost positive the guy didn’t.”

DeVine’s fi rst brush with fame proved a little awkward, but nothing could compare with the initially pleasant gift he received at a concert.

“This girl made me cupcakes, and I was like, ‘Oh, kickass. Thanks for the cupcakes,’” DeVine said. “Then I went home and found a lock of her hair in the cupcakes … like she wanted me to devour her hair or something bizarro.”

Those occasionally quirky encounters with fans are a small price to pay for the show’s other benefi ts, such as partying like arena rock stars with The Black Keys and fi lming a cameo for the new season of “Arrested Development,” where the guys will play ticket takers for an airline. DeVine describes his character in the show as “totally inept” and a “huge idiot,” not unlike his character on “Workaholics,” which is not unlike who he is off the screen.

“I’m actually dumber than the character,” he joked, before reconsidering. “The core of the person is pretty close. Like I’m a little bit of a maniac, you know. Blake [Anderson] is a little bit of a sweetheart and Ders [Anders Holm] is a little uptight.”

DeVine thinks he’d be dead if he resembled his character on the show any more closely.

“Adam Demamp wouldn’t survive in the real world — he’s just chugging stuff that you’re not supposed to chug; and jumping off things you’re not supposed to jump off of; and falling off things that you’re not supposed to fall off of,” DeVine said. “He lives a very dangerous, rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle.”

No matter how exaggerated, there is defi nitely more than a kernel of truth in the show. During the fi rst season, Blake, Adam and Kyle Newacheck, who directs the bulk of the episodes and plays the wonk-eyed drug dealer, Karl, actually lived in the house they shot the show in. And before getting their break with “Workaholics,” DeVine and Holm actually worked as telemarketers. Holm did political fundraising and DeVine

sold steaks, steak knives and various other worthless products.

Needless to say, many of their ideas come from real-life experiences.

The third love of Adam’s life from season one, Chelsea Niederdeppe, is based on the actual third love of his life, Chelsea — although Niederdeppe is one of DeVine’s best friend’s last name he used because “it’s such a kickass last name.”

The episode “Checkpoint Gnarly” is actually the story of his buddy who drank a few beers, pulled up to a DUI checkpoint and bolted into the nearest bushes, leaving his car completely abandoned.

In “Booger Nights,” which premiered Wednesday, Adam and the guys try to roast one of their coworkers. The problem is no one thinks they’re funny. When watching that episode, it’s hard not to think about the guys’ humble beginnings, making Internet videos that nobody watched as the sketch comedy group Mail Order Comedy.

“Kyle, Blake and myself were roommates for like seven years,” DeVine said. “Even though we were across the country from each other when we were kids, we all have very similar tastes in music and movies and that’s why we were immediately such best friends.”

DeVine grew up and went to high school in Omaha, Neb., before moving to California because of the Jack Black and Colin Hanks movie “Orange County.”

“In the movie, Colin Hanks is like, ‘I want to go to Stanford. I can’t go to this community college, it’s horseshit.’ Then they show where they are living and it’s just hot babes in bikinis,” DeVine recalled. “I was like, I wanna go to that community college. So I moved from Omaha to Orange County and went to that community college.”

On the fi rst day of improv class at Orange Coast College, DeVine met Blake, which led to the creation of Mail Order Comedy and eventually snowballed into a series on Comedy Central.

“I’m like, ‘This dude with the little fro is really funny — we should be writing partners.’ And then he introduced me to Kyle and we started making videos together,” DeVine said. “Then two years later I met Ders at the Second City, which is like an improv school in LA, and from then on we’ve just been making videos together.”

Ders helped Mail Order Comedy bring “Workaholics” to Comedy Central by bringing more professionalism to the group. Ders really wanted to use the videos to do something bigger, and the only way to do that was to take everything more seriously. So the guys started conducting pitch meetings once a week to present ideas.

“That doesn’t mean we weren’t drunk when we were doing our pitch meetings,” Devine said, but the group brought in better ideas and it’s all been, for lack of a better word, “tight butthole” ever since.

NEWSRECORDENT@GMAIL.COMNEWSRECORD.LIVING@GMAIL.COM Life & ArtsAwkward encounters come with job

MANAGER.NEWSRECORD@GMAIL.COM | 513.556.5908

‘Workaholics’ star Adam DeVine recounts dangerous situations, weird gestures

3

3250 JEFFERSON AVECINCINNATI, OH 45220

513.861.3343 (EDGE)*SUBJECT TO CHANGE

UniversityEdgeUC.com

Fully Furnished All Inclusive

Private Bathrooms

Leather Furniture Package Movie Theater

Parking Available*24 Hour Fitness Center

Free Tanning

Washer/Dryer in Every Apartment

Get Yours TODAY!

UnivEdgeUC_4.19167x10.75_Spot.indd 1 1/7/13 4:52 PM

Season presented by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation and Heidelberg Distributing Company.Season presented by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation and Heidelberg Distributing Company.

Student rush tickets just $15.*Call 513-421-3888 or visit

www.cincyplay.com for tickets.*One ticket per student ID.

Ten years have passed since the witch trials, but Abigail still searches for redemption in

this suspense-filled world premiere.

Jan. 19 – Feb. 17, 2013

By Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

Sponsored by Tony Alper

What really happened to The Crucible’sAbigail Williams?What really happened to The Crucible’sAbigail Williams?What really happened to The Crucible’sAbigail Williams?What really happened to What really happened to What really happened to What really happened to What really happened to What really happened to What really happened to The Crucible’sThe Crucible’sThe Crucible’sThe Crucible’sThe Crucible’sThe Crucible’sThe Crucible’sAbigail Williams?Abigail Williams?Abigail Williams?Abigail Williams?Abigail Williams?Abigail Williams?Abigail Williams?What really happened to The Crucible’sAbigail Williams?

for salvation.

PROVIDED

PROVIDED

OPINION.NEWSRECORD@GMAIL.COM | 513.556.5913

Life & Arts‘Lips’ get raw, wet at MOTR Pub

‘Gangster Squad’ stretches reality, history

‘Zero Dark Thirty’ great fi lm

Keep calm, throw on rushes

Local band set to record debut album in spring, rocks OTR audience

Accents, inability to put story together mar what could have been great fi lm

Story behind hunt for bin Laden compelling, believable

Rush week begins, friendly fi ghting encouraged

4

CHRISTIAN GLASS CONTRIBUTORNEWSRECORD.LIVING@GMAIL.COM

“Gangster Squad” is a test for how far “inspired by a true story” can be stretched.

Without the tiresome fl ash of violence during the opening credits, the audience is left with a hollow script that only Josh

Brolin overcomes, leaving Sean Penn to scratch his way into frame and Ryan Gosling to sit in the bleachers while practicing his awful accent.

The movie checks all the cliché boxes. A wife who says she “needs a husband, not a hero”? Check. The cop with a devil-may-care attitude, who only changes his tune after fi nding something worth fi ghting for? Check. The trap leading to tragedy? Groan, sigh and check.

The audience will know who dies 15 minutes before it actually happens due to lazy foreshadowing.

The fi lm is set in post World War II as Sgt. John O’Mara (Brolin) leads an undercover group of clean cops determined to put an end to gangster Mickey Cohen’s (Penn) takeover of the West Coast. The brains (Giovanni Ribisi), the brawn (Anthony Mackie), the sharpshooter (Robert Patrick), the

comedic relief (Michael Peña) and fellow Sgt. Jerry Wooters (Gosling) — who joins the fray to rescue Cohen’s main squeeze (Emma Stone) — are included in the guerilla group.

You can fi gure out how this ends — the same applies for the fi nal confrontation. Now all of those references to Cohen’s boxing days make sense.

Director Ruben Fleischer is mostly known for his comedic side — responsible for both “Zombieland” and “30 Minutes or Less”— which makes sense, since it feels like “Gangster Squad” is intended to be one big joke. The punch line is Fleischer takes some of today’s hottest actors, dresses them in swanky suits and watches them fl ounder. The problem is nobody else is amused.

Anytime opening credits include the phrase “inspired by a true story,” it’s

expected that the director is going to take some liberties to make his or her movie more exciting. The only thing that’s historically accurate in this movie is Cohen’s name.

Cohen didn’t get arrested for murder after getting into a fi stfi ght. He politely served four years for tax evasion, was released and became a celebrity of sorts. While a fellow inmate did come after him with a lead pipe, Cohen died in his sleep many years later — and the guerilla group never existed.

Despite a cast that should be able to turn a child’s script into gold, “Gangster Squad” boldly goes where every movie of its kind has gone before. It will end up in the same place too — the bargain bin.

Still interested in seeing Gosling hit on Emma Stone? Rent “Crazy, Stupid, Love” and call it a win, because “Gangster Squad” just doesn’t cut it.

GRACE ZBEIGIEN STAFF REPORTERNEWSRECORD.LIVING@GMAIL.COM

The University of Cincinnati’s Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity kicked off its rush week Monday with some chilly-weather fun.

With donated ice shavings, the fraternity hosted a free snowball fi ght on Sigma Sigma Commons and offered hot chocolate to any passers-by who felt the urge to toss a snowball.

The event allowed the Alpha Sigma Phi members to get to know some of the men who were interested in the fraternity.

The turnout pleased Nathen Morris, the president of Alpha Sigma Phi, who remained excited to see who could potentially make a future Alpha Sigma Phi member.

“It’s kind of like a funnel system, where the events get more and more exclusive, until the end where we actually offer them to be in the fraternity,” Morris said.

The men of Alpha Sigma Phi become more selective when choosing its rushers as the week goes on. The men who continue to be invited will be offered bids for the fraternity at the end of the week.

Morris said the whole fraternity is looking forward to the year ahead — from the growth of the fraternity, to the busy schedule of this week and beyond.

“We’re just really excited about this year. We have a lot going on, we’re growing pretty fast and I have a good feeling about this year,” Morris said. “I’m excited.”

WOODROW GOLDSMITH SENIOR REPORTER

NEWSRECORD.LIVING@GMAIL.COM

“Zero Dark Thirty” recreates the drama behind one of the most extensive manhunts in history, and though the end is well known, the cast and crew make the story fresh and suspenseful enough to produce one of 2012’s

best fi lms.For the 10 years following the Sept.

11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington D.C, America made it a priority to fi nd Osama bin Laden.

Director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal — who previously collaborated on 2008’s “The Hurt Locker” — take the audience on a mission through the eyes of the fi ctional character Maya (Jessica Chastain). Her journey to fi nd bin Laden begins in 2003, where she is assigned to work in the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan with Dan (Jason Clarke).

Though Maya faces frustration, false leads and even death, she does not stop until Armed Forces raid bin Laden’s compound and kill him in 2011.Historical thrillers can be tricky to fabricate. Knowing the end to a story can often stifl e the narrative’s suspense, but the human element Bigelow and Boal inject into the story make “Zero Dark Thirty” a masterpiece.

Much of the credit should go to Chastain. Her fantastic portrayal of a CIA operative who is obsessed with her mission keeps the fi lm from becoming a robotic, by-the-books historical thriller. Chastain is the heart and soul of “Zero Dark Thirty.” She continues to impress with this performance, which differs drastically from her previous work.

Outstanding supporting performances from Clarke, Kyle Chandler and Jennifer Ehle, enable the movie to stray from convention and remain constantly engaging.

Bigelow is an expert in creating tension and suspense, and Boal’s dialogue is a masterful blend of emotion and fact. Their collaboration is one of the great fi lm partnerships of the last decade.

Creating believable characters in a war-torn world can easily turn a fi lm political and lazy; but through Maya and the other characters in the fi lm, Bigelow and Boal illuminate the humanity of a manhunt consumed by death.

BRANDON WEINSTEIN STAFF REPORTERNEWSRECORD.LIVING@GMAIL.COM

Jesse Fox, vocalist for The Slippery Lips, yelled “Let’s get wet!” to the audience before the band dove into its opening song Monday night at MOTR Pub.

The fl oor vibrated to “Skin Trade,” a musical onslaught against the fur industry, as guitarist Jen Warren punched out a series of power chords to match drummer Macy Fox’s relentless pounding and substitute bassist Daisy Schwartz’s bold riffs — Bunnie, the band’s bassist, stayed at home due to an illness.

The raw sound and the band’s high level of energy made for an entertaining performance, provoking cheers from the audience. They chanted, “The Lips” between every song.

The Slippery Lips are MOTR Pub’s January house band.

“We really like MOTR — everything about MOTR is awesome,” Jesse Fox said. “I like the fact that it has a smaller stage so you can get closer up to people. I like that vibe — being closer to the audience is fun.”

The Slippery Lips is recording its debut full-length album this month, which the band expects to release in April.

The band uses live tracking to record its songs, which contributes to its raw sound. The Slippery Lips prefer its music to have some grit, rather than the airbrushed sound common to mainstream music.

“The sound that we like to go for is a little more raw,” Warren said. “We don’t want to sound really produced.”

This process keeps The Slippery Lips authentic sound intact. The band fuses rock, garage and grunge elements to support Jesse Fox’s vocals, which are mostly spoken or shouted like the Ting-Ting’s or The B-52’s lyrical delivery.

Listening to songs like “Home Wrecker” and “Skin Trade” gives the audience a sense of what drives the band to strive for its authentic delivery. The content of its songs vary, which adds lyrical diversity and keeps things from getting stale.

“We have some deep songs and we have some drinking songs,” Jesse Fox said. “But I think that talks a lot about our personalities too. [Jen] and I are like activist types, looking out for animal rights and stuff like that, but at the same time we like to have fun.”

Warren said ensuring the audience has a good time is important to her, whether it is through the band’s music or watching its members rage on stage — something the band does very well.

Warren and Jesse Fox’s stage chemistry works like Yulia Volkova and Elena Katina of t.A.T.u. — only rougher. Macy Fox proves he can play the drums competently while standing up, sitting down or wildly kicking his feet in the air. In addition, Jesse Fox said Bunnie is a jump rope champion who sometimes shows off her skills between songs.

“We just want people who come to our

shows to have fun,” Warren said. “As long as they look like they’re having fun and shaking their butts, then I’ll shake my butt.”

The Slippery Lips plays shows at Comet, MOTR Pub and other bars all over

Cincinnati. The bad is scheduled to play at the Southgate House Revival Feb. 8 and will play at 10 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. at MOTR Pub every Monday for the remainder of January.

PROVIDED

TYLER BELL | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

“LETS GET WET” Cincinnati band “Slippery Lips” played a live set for a small audience at MOTR Pub Monday night.

MARISA WHITAKER STAFF REPORTERNEWSRECORD.LIVING@GMAIL.COM

The University of Cincinnati and the Undergraduate Student Government wants to help certain individuals pay for wheelchairs.

SG will host “Ballin’ For Abilities,” a wheelchair basketball tournament, open to disabled and non-disabled students Sunday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Campus Recreation Center.

Bryan Scheck, director of disability services, and Sara Whitestone, a fi rst-year biomedical sciences student, created the event to raise money for Sara Spins, an organization that provides students with disabilities tools to pursue a higher education.

The organization helps individuals balance college tuition and fi nancing for wheelchairs.

“Also, because this event is located in the Rec, there will most likely be students overhearing us and making their way down to the courts,” Scheck said.

Scheck believes the diversity exposure will be a positive move for UC’s campus and hopes for fi ve to 10 teams to participate.

“Having events that allow students to understand peers more as well as having a learning experience that they can take with them the rest of their lives is an important aspect of this event,” he said.

Whitestone, president of Sara Spins, created the organization with a friend during the summer of 2012.

“Events like Ballin’ For Abilities highlights that we are truly an accessible, equal and inclusive campus,” Whitestone said. “It’ll be great to see my peers take a ‘spin in my wheels’ so to speak.”

Teams of fi ve to seven can register for $50 online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WYF3RQJ. All of the proceeds collected will benefi t Sara Spins.

‘Ballin’’ tourneyon tap

Sunday event to benefi t Sara Spins, students in wheelchairs

STOP BY SWIFT 509 TO LEARN MORE

THE NEWS RECORD IS LOOKING FOR ITS NEXT EDITOR IN CHIEF

PROVIDED

SARAH RAMSEY | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

SNOW BALL FIGHT The men of Alpha Sigma Phi throw snow balls to promote its fraternity during rush week.

Classifi eds 5

1,2, or 3 issues$0.60 per word

+$10 for 7 days online

4,5, or 6 issues$0.50 per word

+$20 for14 days online

7, 8, or 9 issues$0.40 per word

+$30 for21 days online

10+ issues$0.30 per word

+$35 for30 days online

ONLILNE CLASSIFIED AD RATES 7 days: $25.00 14 days: $40.00 monthly: $75.00 semesterly: $150.00

CLASSIFIEDS POLICY1 All ads must be prepaid.2 Out-of-town advertisers must send check with copy.3 NIU’s must be signed and fi lled out before acceptance of ads.4 All ad changes are due two days prior to publication.5 No refunds unless a mistake by The News Record’s staff occurs in the advertisement. Refunds are not granted for ads placed, then cancelled. Adjustments are limited to the portion of the ad which is incorrect. Under no circumstances will an adjustment be issued greater than the cost of the ad.

6 To receive student discount, current verifi cation must be shown.7 Students or student groups may not use display or classifi ed discounts for non-university, for profi t businesses.8 Advertisers should check their ads the fi rst day of printing. The News Record is not responsible for more than one incorrect insertion.9 The News Record reserves the right to reject any ads at its discretion, with or without notifi cation to the advertiser.10 These policies are not negotiable.

DEADLINESDeadline for classifi ed ads is 4 p.m., two days prior to

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

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

For classifi ed and display advertising information, please call

513-556-5900.

EQUAL HOUSINGOPPORTUNITY

All apartment rental/sublet advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing

Act of 1968, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national

origin, handicap or familial status, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or

discrimination. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any

advertising for apartment rentals or sublets which is in violation of the law.

Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are

available on an equal opportunity basis.

RAT

ES

FOR RENT

THE NEWS RECORD IS LOOKING FOR ITS

NEXT EDITOR IN

CHIEF

STOP BY SWIFT 509 TO LEARN

MORE

Apartment for rent. One bedroom. $345/month. Near UC. 513-382-9000.

Two-bedroom, available now or through January 1. Go to our website, UC4Rent.com, or call 513-621-7032

Looking for an apartment? www.ucapartments.com

Now leasing for 2013-2014 school year! www.ucapartments.com

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

1-6 Bedroom Apartments/Houses AvailableUniversity Investments, LLCucapartments.org513-202-6694

Terrifi c Locations at Aff ordable Prices

SIX BEDROOM, THREE BATH, REMODELED THREE-STORY HOUSE. Three blocks to campus, eat-in kitchen with dishwasher, laundry, parking, central A/C, large yard, cats welcome free. Available in August. $1,750 per month. Call Jeff , (513) 379-5300, or email gray5393@mailstation.com. No text messages, please.

FOUR BEDROOM, TWO BATH, REMODELED TWO-STORY HOUSE. Three blocks to campus, eat-in kitchen with dishwasher, hardwood fl oors, laundry, parking, cats welcome free. Available in August. $1,195 per month. Call Jeff , (513) 379-5300, or email gray5393@mailstation.com. No text messages, please.

TWO HOUSES BEING REMODELED NOW!! EVERYTHING NEW!! Each three stories, four blocks to campus, fi ve and six bedrooms, three baths, eat-in kitchens, laundries, parking, cats welcome free, Available in August. $1,695 and $2,095 per month. Call Jeff , (513) 379-5300, or email gray5393@mailstation.com. No text messages, please.

Now Renting for FallVideo Tours @ UC4RENT.COM513-621-7032Two-bedroom, available now, $950. UC4Rent.com 513-621-7032.Insurance broker needed for Randolph County agency. Excellent retail location. Prefer experienced, independent licensee in property and casualty, but will work with other lines. Fax resume and cover letter to (336) 799-4301 or mail to 805-B High Point St., Randleman, NC 27317.

SPORTS.NEWSRECORD@GMAIL.COM | 513.556.5913

SportsSPORTS.NEWSRECORD@GMAIL.COM6

LAUREN PURKEY | PHOTO EDITOR

BACK ON TRACK Cincinnati junior forward Titus Rubles dunks against Notre Dame earlier this season.

NICK BOEING CONTRIBUTORSPORTS.NEWSRECORD@GMAIL.COM

The University of Cincinnati men’s basketball team held on to defeat the DePaul Blue Demons 75-70 Tuesday night, after losing star senior point guard Cashmere Wright to an apparent knee injury.

Wright put in another dominant performance before leaving the game at the 15:12 mark of the second half, after going 8-11 from the fi eld for 20 points to go along

with seven assists. Wright returned to the bench, but never re-entered the game.

Initial reports indicated the injury isn’t too serious and occurred in his right knee — not his surgically repaired left knee, which suffered a torn ACL in 2008.

UC (15-3, 3-2 Big East) snapped out of its recent offensive slump, shooting 59 percent from the fi eld, including 46 percent from behind the 3-point arc. Depaul also shot well — 47 percent from the fi eld, including a career-high 32 points from forward

Cleveland Melvn.The Bearcats led by 13 points when

Wright left the game, after the fi fth-year senior scored eight points during a 12-point UC run in the closing minute of the fi rst half.

Without Wright, Cincinnati leaned on the defense of its big men and the steady scoring of Sean Kilpatrick and JaQuon Parker, who had 18 and 12 points, respectively.

Kilpatrick hit three of his four 3-pointers and went 7-10 from the free-throw line, including two crucial free throws with less than 10 seconds remaining in the game.

The Bearcats used strong interior defense to hold off the Blue Demons for the majority of the second half, getting seven blocks from senior center Cheikh Mbodj — an Allstate Arena record for an opponent — and three more from junior David Nyarsuk.

Cincinnati fi nished the game with 12 blocks, which also set a new Allstate Arena

record for blocks in a game by a visiting team.

Despite its steady defensive play, which earned UC a 70-59 lead with 1:02 seconds remaining in the game, the Bearcats nearly fell victim to a miraculous comeback in the fi nal minute.

The Blue Demons scored 11 points in a 55-second span to cut the lead to 73-70 with seven seconds to go. Melvin scored six points during that span, Brandon Young converted a layup, and Charles McKinney made a 3-point shot thatcut the Bearcats lead to three before Kilpatrick went to the free-throw line with a chance to ice the game.

Kilpatrick sank both free throws to effectively put the game out of reach for the Blue Demons.

The Bearcats return to Fifth Third Arena Saturday to take on the Marquette Golden Eagles (12-3, 3-0 Big East). Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

UC’s pre-combine NFL Draft previewKiper lauds Travis Kelce, predicts George Winn as steal of the draft

JOSHUA A. MILLER SPORTS EDITORSPORTS.NEWSRECORD@GMAIL.COM

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. shared his input on several University of Cincinnati football players Wednesday morning in the fi rst of a series of NFL Draft conference calls.

Tight End Travis Kelce will almost certainly be the fi rst UC player taken in the 2013 NFL Draft, but Kiper also thought very highly of UC running back George Winn.

“Right now I’m projecting him [Travis Kelce] as a third [round pick], but with the chance maybe to be a two,” Kiper said. “Winn, I think, would probably be a fi fth or sixth round pick and, at that point, I think you’re getting a real steal.”

Winn, who scored a 58-yard touchdown on the Bearcats’ fi rst offensive play of the season against Pittsburgh fi nished the season with 1,334 yards and 13 touchdowns, after spending the previous two seasons as

the primary backup to Isaiah Pead (St. Louis Rams).

Winn projects to be drafted in the 5th or 6th round by both ESPN and CBS sports — Kiper believes he could be 2013’s Alfred Morris (a 2012 6th round pick of the Washington Redskins, who fi nished the 2012 season with 1,613 yards rushing).

“A guy that I think will be a great 5th or 6th round pick — you’re always looking for that next Alfred Morris — is George Winn at Cincinnati,” Kiper said. “George Winn, for me, is a very underrated player who I thought defi nitely showed the capability of being a guy who can contribute in the National Football League as a nice late round pick.”

Kiper currently rates Kelce as the third best tight end in the draft, behind Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert and Zach Ertz from Stanford.

Kelce led the Bearcats in both receiving yards (772) and touchdowns (8) this season, which he capped with a game-winning 81-yard touchdown reception in the Belk Bowl against Duke.

“Kelce is a guy — obviously you look at the bloodlines there [Travis’ older brother Jason is the staring center for the Philadelphia Eagles] — where you think about the size that he brings to the table at 6 foot 5 — a big kid that can run,” Kiper said. “He made some really good catches down the fi eld [where] I thought he adjusted to some poorly thrown balls.”

Kiper also shared his thoughts on Kenbrell Thompkins and Walter Stewart.

“[Walter] Stewart, when he was out there healthy and at full strength,

I thought had a chance to be a guy that could help a team as

a pass rusher,” Kiper said. “I think Stewart could be a nice pickup late and present some versatility. [Kenbrell] Thompkins has a chance as a priority free agent, catching the football and making some plays in the passing game.”

Stewart seemed certain to be UC’s top

prospect at the beginning of the season, before suffering

what most thought to be a career-ending neck injury. Although he will come with a signifi cant injury risk, he is the type of talent teams could take a chance on late in the draft.

Thompkins, who was the No. 1 rated junior college wide receiver in America in 2010, will have the chance to improve his draft stock at the NFL combine Feb. 23-26.

Travis Kelce Tight End

Walter Stewart Defensive End

Kenbrell ThompkinsWide Receiver

George Winn Running Back

ESPN Position Rank: 3rd CBS Sports Position Rank: 4th

ESPN Overall Rank: 100CBS Sports Overall Rank: 103

Draft Projection: 2nd-4th Round

ESPN Position Rank: NRCBS Sports Position Rank: NR

ESPN Overall Rank: NRCBS Sports Overall Rank: NR

Draft Projection: 6th-Free Agent

ESPN Position Rank: 57CBS Sports Position Rank: 24

ESPN Overall Rank: NRCBS Sports Overall Rank: 337

Draft Projection: 5th-6th Round

ESPN Position Rank: 57CBS Sports Position Rank: 52

ESPN Overall Rank: NRCBS Sports Overall Rank: 440

Draft Projection: 7th-Free Agent

[George] Winn, I think, would probably be a fi fth or sixth round pick and, at that point, I think you’re getting a real steal.”

- Mel Kiper Jr. ESPN Draft Analyst

Bearcats outlast Depaul, improve to 15-3Wright leads Bearcats with 20 points, leaves game with knee injury

Other Cincinnati Players in Late Round Draft Contention

Dan Giordano - Defensive EndDrew Frey - SafetyDominique Battle - Defensive BackPat O’Donnell - PunterMaalik Bomar - Linebacker

FILE ART

LATE ROUND STEAL UC running back George Winn (pictured above) could be one of the best sleeper picks in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Interested in representing the UC Student Body on the Board of Trustees?

Apply today to be the Undergraduate Student Trustee! Applications can be found in the Student Government Office, 655 Steger Student Life Center, or online at www.uc.edu/sg.

Questions? Contact Joe Blizzard at blizzajc@mail.uc.edu or 513.556.2558.

All applications must be turned into the Student Government Office by 5:00 PM on Monday, February 4th, 2013.