THE NEWS RECORD

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NEWS:

NEWS:

SPORTS:

SPORTS:

SPORTS:SPORTS:

ENTERTAINMENT:

ENTERTAINMENT:

ENTERTAINMENT:

NATION AND WORLD:

COLLEGE LIVING:

University of Cincinnat Student Body President Alan Hagerty seized the opportunity to attend the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Washington, D.C. this past weekend.

AIPAC identifies itself as “America’s pro-Israel lobby” on the organization’s website. Hagerty and 217 other student body presidents attended the event at the Washington D.C. Convention Center and participated in small breakout sessions focused on young political leaders.

Hagerty traveled to the nation’s capital with the goal to lobby for more Federal Pell Grants at UC, but found there was no opportunity to do so.

“I was hoping I could get one-on-one or small group time, [but] there were [around] 60 people in the lobbying sessions,” Hagerty explained. “It was all focused on American/Israel politics. I didn’t have a chance to talk about Student Government … or Federal Pell Grants.”

Although he was unable to lobby for Federal Pell Grants, Hagerty gained knowledge valuable for a political career.

“[There were] sessions geared toward young political leaders, so I got to learn from other young political leaders that are in office,” Hagerty said. “[I learned] the way that they ran and the things they’ve found successful … the

way Washington works in a sense.”President Brack Obama and Benjamin

Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, were among the political leaders that spoke at AIPAC. Hagerty described AIPAC as, “the largest lobbying event in DC every year.”

Hagerty commented that much of what he learned at AIPAC can be applied to Student Government. Hagerty said he can now share with the Student Government at UC “how [to] work with elected officials … how [to] meet with them and talk about an issue or a topic.”

Hagerty is the third student body president from UC to attend AIPAC, making this the third consecutive year that UC has been represented at the event.

A UC environmental health researcher has been given a Young Investigator Award — one of 15 prestigious funding awards given by the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) this year.

The recipient of this award, Hung-ming Lam, has proven herself as an innovator in her field repeatedly. In part of being named a 2012 Steve Wynn Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award recipient, she will receive a $225,000 grant

to continue her work in the field of prostate cancer research.

“I’m honored by this recognition and look forward to moving this translational research concept forward,” Lam said.

Lam has worked for a UC department-based team that identified a new therapeutic target in prostate cancer, what is called the G-protein coupled receptor 30 (GPR30). Lam and her team are working to test whether or not GPR30 is an effective target for treating prostate disease.

Lam noted that there is no curative

treatment for advanced hormone refractory prostate cancer. GPR30 could be a good target for treatment while not reducing the quality of life associated with chemotherapy.

Since beginning her work at UC in 2007, Lam has worked primarily with estrogen receptor and prostate cancer, and has the recipient of several awards along the way. In 2011, she received the Outstanding Abstract Award from the Endocrine Society.

Young Investigator Awards are given to prostate cancer researchers

— generally under the age of 35 — and are intended to pinpoint and support future leaders in the field, according to the foundation’s website, pcf.org. Applicants must have at least worked in a junior faculty position and have a great commitment to the field of prostate cancer.

More than 74 global professionals reviewed a total of 148 applicants for the Young Investigator Award. Of the 148 applicants, 15 researchers were awarded with the Young Investigator Award for the class of 2012.

Increased tuition rates were just one of the proposed changes to next year’s budget discussed at a presentation during Wednesday’s Student Government meeting.

The University of Cincinnati’s Department of Administration and Finance will be recommending a 3.5 percent increase in tuition across the board.

The only exceptions will be the College of Pharmacy with a 9.5 percent increase and the College of Law with a 5.5 percent increase in tuition.

The larger increases, for those two colleges were said to make the tuitions more in line with other Ohio universities.

An increase in parking fees for faculty and students — the first in five years — and a 4-percent increase in room and board will also be proposed, said James Plummer, vice president for finance.

“I think everybody understands the situation that the university is in, and I don’t think anybody wants to do any kind of an increase,” Plummer said.

Concerns were raised when Plummer said cuts would be made

to almost every department on campus, including public safety and student life.

“When you look at the budget there are some things that are protected. It’s not a flat cut, and there are certain departments that need to be protected,” said Alan Hagerty, Student Body president. “It’s finding that equity and making sure that we don’t cut our core services that are vital to the operations of the university, such as public safety.”

The department of administration and finance will be making their budget recommendations to the Board of Trustees on March 27.

NEWS 3

LIVING 5

6

HULA HOOPLA!

LIVING

A lot more people [are] coming to the club just

starting for the fi rst time, which is really cool because

you get that initial hoop feeling, and it’s euphoric.

—MARIA JACOBVICE PRESIDENT OF HOOPDANCE CATS

NEWS8

Smokers at the University of Cincinnati soon might have to fi nd another place to get their fi x.

In the annual meeting of the Undergraduate Student Government, Graduate Student Governance Association and Faculty Senate March 8, senate members discussed the potential for a smoke- or tobacco-free campus.

After debating the terminology in two separate bills, 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.

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.

“Just like the other bills that have been going on, everything is just aimed at really enhancing the well-being of our students and showing them how to be healthy in the future,” said Matt Strohhacker, SG co-director of health and fi tness.

SG originally intended on striving for a tobacco-free campus, but the bill was altered after Wednesday’s meeting to focus only on smoking.

“We aimed for tobacco-free at fi rst, because we

thought that would have been a good step for the university,” said Natalia Holmes-Lau, SG co-director of health and fi tness. “We would have been the fi rst public college in Ohio to be tobacco free.”

The driving force behind the initiative was two SG surveys from May 2010 and October 2011. Combined, SG surveyed 9,030 respondents — approximately 22 percent of the campus population — of which two-thirds were in favor of a smoke-free campus.

“The survey is really what reigns supreme,” Strohhacker said. “There’s going to be people opposed and [those] who support it — that’s going to be with any topic you discuss, especially one as controversial as this.”

Student Government attempts to pass

smoke-free initiative

2010Ohio bans smoking

statewide in all enclosed workplaces

STUDENTS TO SG:BUTT OUT

NEWS 9THE REPORT AND THE RETORT

Numbers are not published data, leading to questions of fabrication and the integrity

of the report as a whole.— Students for Liberty

Can data be trusted? If so, it is a telling result. A follow-up question may be asked whether any other options

would be equally agreeable.— Students for Liberty

Questionable source of data. The question asked was

unclear, as it was possible to interpret it as whether it was in terms of the current

policy or the enforcement of the rules.

— Students for Liberty

Could be interpreted in multiple ways. Unclear

whether question is referring to a non-smoking resolution

and should not be used as evidence to support one.— Students for Liberty

39.6%

58.6%

44.1%

79.2%

Main Campus respondents saying policy is e� ective

Respondents who support a tobacco-free campus

Main Campus respondents saying policy is ine� ective

Respondents believing UC has obligation to

student well-being

{{{{

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

INITIATIVE RECEIVES MIXED REVIEWS

NATION10

1. WASHINGTON — Taking a page from its past, the NAACP will go before a United Nations panel in Switzerland this week to argue that new voting laws approved by some U.S. states violate civil and human rights by suppressing the votes of minorities and others.

A delegation from the venerable civil rights organization will present its case in Geneva on Wednesday before the United Nations Human Rights Council, a body that normally addresses troubles in places such as Libya, Syria and the Ivory Coast.

The Geneva appearance is part of an NAACP strategy rooted in the 1940s and 1950s, when the group looked to the United Nations and the international community for support in its domestic battle for civil rights for blacks and against lynching.

“It was in 1947 that W.E.B. Du Bois delivered his speech and appealed to the world at the U.N.,” NAACP president Benjamin Todd Jealous said Thursday. “Now, like then, the principal concern is voting rights. The past year more states in this country have passed more laws pushing more voters out of the ballot box than any point since Jim Crow.”

Supporters of the new laws say the action by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is a curious move, but one that isn’t likely to produce tangible results.

“The NAACP can appeal to whatever body it chooses to — the U.N. doesn’t run our elections,” said Catherine Engelbrecht, president of True the Vote, a tea party-founded anti-voter fraud group that’s seeking to mobilize

thousands of volunteers to work as poll watchers and to validate existing voter-registration lists.

“It has been talked to death whether or not (requiring) ID disenfranchises anyone.” Jealous acknowledged that the Human Rights Council has no direct authority over American states, but he hopes that it can exert influence through public pressure.

“The power of the U.N. on state governments historically is to shame them and to put pressure on the U.S. government to bring them into line with global standards for democracy, best practices for democracy, that’s where we are,” he said. “There are plenty of examples — segregation of the U.S. to apartheid in South Africa to the death penalty here in the U.S. — of global outrage having an impact.”

Jealous said the U.N. panel will hear Wednesday from two Americans impacted by the new laws: a convicted felon who served her time and a University of Texas student who might not be able to vote this year because of a law approved by the state legislature requiring voters to show government-approved photo identification.

Since last year, 15 states have passed new voting laws; currently 38 states, including some of those 15, are weighing legislation to require people to show government-approved photo identification or provide proof of citizenship before casting their ballots.

Other changes adopted or under consideration by states include restricting voter registration drives by third-party groups such as the League of Women Voters and the NAACP; curtailing or eliminating early voting; doing away with same-day voter registration; and rescinding the right to vote of convicted felons who have served their time.

3

WORLD 11

4. KABUL, Afghanistan — A U.S. soldier has killed more than a dozen civilians in a shooting spree in southern Afghanistan before being detained, officials say.

A member of the Khandahar provincial council who visited the site of the shooting in Panjwai district said at least 16 civilians were killed when the soldier left his base early on Sunday morning and opened fire.

“Eleven members of my family are dead. They are all dead,” Haji Samad, an elder from Panjwai district, told the AFP news agency.

Captain Justin Brockhoff, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), could not confirm any fatalities in the incident.

“This is a horrific incident, and our thoughts are with the families of the

affected. Our initial reports indicate multiple civilians — between four and six — are wounded. Those civilians are receiving care at coalition medical facilities,” he told Al Jazeera.

“At this point we do not have an indication — we can not speculate about the individual’s motives.”

Al Jazeera’s Bernard Smith, reporting from Herat, said the soldier entered three houses near the base and opened fire on civilians.

“We are now being told by the police sources that the U.S. soldier left his base at 3 a.m. It would have been pitch-black wherever he walked,” he said.

“The soldier went through three separate houses, shooting at people as they slept in their beds. After the soldier shot these people, he turned himself in.”

Civilian casualties have been a major source of friction between

President Hamid Karzai’s government and the NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Karzai condemned the shooting rampage and labeled the incident as “intentional murders” and demanded an explanation from the U.S.

The victims of the shooting spree, which left up to 16 civilians dead, included nine children and three women, Karzai’s office said in a statement.

Najeeb Azizi, a Kabul-based Afghan analyst, said the shooting will have deep repercussions on the already tenuous relations with the U.S.

“A very bad message the Afghan people are getting — that if U.S. military remains in Afghanistan beyond 2014 and their attitude and behavior remains the same — of killing innocent civilians — what will be the consequences, and how will the Afghan people respond to it.”

5

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT14

MOVIESM

ARCH MADNESS 2012 —

MARCH 12-25, 2012 —

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15

KYLE STONE | STAFF REPORTER

Every once in a while, I fi nd myself sitting through a fi lm that makes me truly re-evaluate my own morals and integrity as a human being, a fi lm that leaves me completely fl oored — silent and stunned in my seat.

It hadn’t happened this year, until recently.“A Separation,” the winner for Best Foreign Film at

the Oscars, portrays the gripping story of a husband and wife who divorce after 14 years of marriage, setting off a sequence of events that challenges each character to reconstruct his or her everyday life.

When Nader (Peyman Moadi) and Simin (Leila Hatami) divorce, their 12-year-old daughter, Termeh (Sarina Farhadi), is forced to choose who she wants to live with.

In addition, Nader is forced to hire caretakers for his father, who suffers from the late stages of Alzheimer’s, all while he is at work.

Nader’s love for his father is the driving force to all of his major decisions, as well as the driving force to the plot’s progression.

As the story unfolds, the characters become exceedingly engulfed into various controversies: It’s heavy, emotionally demanding and very likely to conjure tears.

The compelling nature of “A Separation” lies in its believability and writer/director Asghar Farhadi’s

ability to craft a story without favoring the interest of any one character over the other.

“A Separation” unquestionably has admirable ambition, as it tackles many sensitive issues and themes successfully.

It examines the very foundations of modern society, tying themes of family life, fi nancial struggle, politics and religion into every facet of its two-hour run time.

The fi lm raises many questions, primarily:

“Who will be affected by my actions?” and “What will the repercussions be?”

Despite being an Iranian fi lm, “A Separation” channels its energy through a universal medium — which is quite impressive, considering the writing could have very well pigeonholed the entire movie into capturing just one demographic or culture.

The directorial style and cinematography are both full of life, leading to a very realistic approach of the entire confl ict. The soundtrack was minimal as well,

going along with the theme of realism.The acting was, more or less, flawless. The best

performances come from Moaadi and Farhadi, as both gave absolutely chilling renditions of their respective roles.

“A Separation” is a grand achievement in cinema, pondering tough questions that transcend the fi lm’s foreign setting.

FIVE FOREIGN FILM OSCAR WINNERS2010: “In a Better World” (Denmark)

2009: “The Secret in Their Eyes” (Argentina)

2008: “Departures” (Japan)

2007: “The Counterfeiters” (Austria)

2006: “The Lives of Others (Germany)

“THE HUNGER GAMES” — MARCH 23

This best-selling young adult book series has been pegged as the next “Twilight,” but with real talent behind the camera (Gary Ross, the writer of “Big” and director of “Seabiscuit”), “The Hunger Games” looks like it actually has a chance at being a good movie.

Oscar fi lm asks big questions

COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES CLASSICSSEPARATION BREEDS DISCONTENT Peyman Moadi [left] plays a man struggling to deal with his recent divorce.

SPRING BREAK MOVIE PREVIEW

KEITH BIERYGOLICK | ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

“RAMPART” — IN THEATERS

Woody Harrelson (“White Men Can’t Jump”) turns in the best performance of his career as a dirty Los Angeles cop who earns the nickname “Date Rape Dave” for allegedly murdering a suspected serial rapist. Brutally violent, misogynistic and racist, Dave defends himself by saying “I hate everyone equally.” Harrelson is magnifi cent, but director Oren Moverman deserves credit for fi nding ways to make a fi lm about corrupt cops feel interesting and fresh.

“21 JUMP STREET” — MARCH 16

Fresh off a surprise Oscar nomination for his supporting role in “Moneyball,” audiences will get their fi rst look at skinny Jonah Hill in action when “21 Jump Street” is released. Hill pairs with Channing Tatum (“Dear John”) as a couple of underachieving cops straight out of the academy who are sent back to high school to go undercover and bring down a synthetic drug ring. Do we really need a remake of “21 Jump Street”? No, but Hill has been on a hot streak lately, and the trailer looks good.

“CASA DE MI PADRE” — MARCH 16

In “Casa de mi Padre,” Will Ferrell speaks only Spanish and goes up against two of Mexico’s fi nest actors (Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna) in a movie that doesn’t look like it takes itself too seriously; and with Ferrell in tow, that’s probably a good idea.

“JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME” — MARCH 16

On a menial trip to the store to buy wood glue, Jeff (Jason Segel) looks for signs from the universe to determine his life path. While doing this, he runs into his brother (Ed Helms) and might have found the meaning of his life. It sounds serious, but with Helms and Segel, there’s sure to be a few laughs.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

ENTERTAINMENT 17

Hip hop might be dead, but it was never barren; and in the boroughs of South London, Manchester and the Midlands of England, its spirit thrives in “grime” music.

Grime is hip hop’s adolescent child, fresh from the ’00s with a feistier fl avor of rap that synergizes nicely with the energy of young emcees. It hasn’t yet made an impact in the United States, but if and when it does, it promises to revolutionize the art of spittin’ bars.

Right now, for any Yank who wants to check out the grime scene, the Internet is the only place to do it, which is fi ne because there are plenty of artists — new and old — tapping into the Net for exposure. Through a bit of industrious searching it’s even possible for fans to tune into the live radio sessions of these artists and catch their weekend gigs in popular British raves.

Although the developing online availability is exciting for foreign fans, it’s disappointing for the rappers who are interested in forging a career with their music. As the world awaits the arrival of a

fi nancial model that can effectively facilitate online entertainment, most of these grime musicians are stuck without a reliable way to make ends meet through records.

Since the artists are blocked from potentially lucrative monetary rewards, it is mostly passion for the craft that drives them to fl ood the web with new grime videos and “wicked” tunes.

What’s most striking about the grime scene is how cultural diversity manages to fl ourish. Where hip hop fi rst carried the soul of African American and Hispanic culture almost exclusively, grime seems to be more ambiguous.

In virtually every grime track, the British accents of the rappers are unmistakable, but it’s also common to catch use of Jamaican, American, Arabic and African accents mixed in as well.

Race seems to have little to no infl uence in how rappers perform vocal infl ections, and it doesn’t seem to affect the language they choose to incorporate into their lyrics.

It’s not unusual in grime for a Caucasian rapper from Manchester to rap

with a heavy Jamaican accent and even use Jamaican slang. Popular Birmingham rapper Vader has expressed his racial affi nity in his lyrics: “I’m on a Benetton vibe, color ain’t nothing, that’s why I’m

cool with the Asians, blacks, whatever heritage, Caucasian.”

These boundaries were pushed even further in the recently released music video for a track entitled “Marka,” produced by Dub Phizix and featuring Manchester rapper Strategy. The video showcases

Caucasians dressed in Native American garb, wearing feathers and war paint while rapping with thick Jamaican accents.

The video’s perverse style has raised some concern among a small portion of viewers who regard it as an example of thoughtlessly trivializing other cultures.

But at the same time, it captures an essential element of grime and broader

social trends in England. It refl ects the severing of ethnic roots and the shedding of cultural strings in favor of something more malleable. This may be a form of diversity that is easier for society to embrace, because it implies acceptance without tiptoeing around unfamiliar customs.

It would, of course, be naïve to think that this progression signifi es a drastic fi x in race relations through music. It is potentially a hopeful signal of open mindedness, but still, both grime culture and English culture are packed with ample supplies of racial issues that continue to trouble daily life.

It would also be ignorant to think that because grime might be promoting racial harmony in some way, it is purely a noble offshoot of hip-hop. The truth is that grime still has its fair share of violent, destructive and misogynistic lyrics.

The grime scene’s title is well earned because like its predecessor — hip hop — grime embodies a gritty, grimy lifestyle; fueling the urban heartache that many impoverished young street-dwellers call life.

UCHENNA ONOYE

The word redefi ne should be on a list of what the band Green River Ordinance does.

Their sophomore album “Under Fire” best illustrates what they have done in order to make this happen.

Leaving behind their pop rock roots and trading them in for a harder, edgier sound, “Under Fire” captures who the band currently is, not who they were. Forget the past; this album shows Green River Ordinance are ready to explore more sides of their sound

At fi rst listen, “Under Fire” makes anyone who has listened to them before take a step back — but in a good way. The album wasn’t supposed to have walls of guitar. It was expected to have more the same pop elements their previous album

“Out of My Hand” had.“Dark Night,” the fi rst track on

the album, is the best example of the band’s harder, meaner sound as Denton Hunker’s drumming really stands out. Unlike any other song, he provides those hard-hitting notes that

really make the listener want to drum along with him. Josh Jenkins’ vocals echo alluringly throughout the song, attaining a haunted quality.

The fi rst single, “Dancing Shoes,” goes

back to the band’s roots from their fi rst album where they offer up a more acoustic side to their sound. This is a song about love, best illustrated by Jenkins’ lyrics: “Spent all week waiting/ Now my mind’s on you/ hold my loving arms/ My loving arms are for you.”

One thing that has stayed the same, and only expanded, is their ability to

create acoustic songs in addition to the electric material.

Presenting a good transition between the new and the old, “Heart of Me” displays both elements of who they are today as well as who they always have been. It includes the newfound harder sound but also incorporates the pop sounds they originally had.

The only downside to the record is the song “San Antone.” It is a song that has more country twang to it than anything they have ever done. Even though it’s a decently catchy tune, it sounds like it should be on a country record, not this one.

All in all, “Under Fire” is a step in the right direction for Green River Ordinance. They are defi nitely on to something if they can manage to continue to reinvent themselves.

SPORTS 19

Wow, it’s amazing how quickly two years can go by.

I remember back in the spring of 2010 when I fi rst started as a sports editor at The News Record. Pete Marx — the editor before me — was writing his last column, and I remember thinking about what I would say in mine when that day would come.

Well, the day has fi nally come, and my time at The News Record has come to an end.

What an awesome time it has been, and, of course, there are a ton of people I need to thank for making my time here a staple in my college career and an experience I’ll never forget.

First, a shout out to Leonard Penix, who fi rst got me started at TNR in the fi rst place. If it wasn’t for your words of encouragement, I don’t even know if I ever would have started writing.

Also, just a general thanks to all the journalism professors I have had at UC. I can honestly say I don’t think I ever had one professor I didn’t like, and, I think I can safely say that each journalism class I took made me a better writer in some way. I wish I could individually thank you all, but there are just too many people to name.

Even though I’ll be winding down my journalism career to attend law school next year, if I could go back in time to my freshman year, I wouldn’t change a thing. The skills I’ve learned while being a student journalist have proven to be invaluable, and to anyone who isn’t sure what to major in, I can’t say enough good things about UC’s journalism program.

Secondly, a shout out to Gin Ando and Ariel Cheung.

Gin, what you did as editor last year was simply amazing. You brought TNR through one hell of a time, and

you did it with class. One day, we will indeed roll down the Strip blasting “The Champ” in our stretch limo. Then we will skip the casinos and play NHL 95 on a virus-ridden computer. I will be practicing; I suggest you do the same. Seriously.

Ariel, you took over for Gin and have done wonders. The paper is having one of its best years ever, which all of our awards

can attest to. Even though you tried to institute a no drinking policy at the offi ce — which, I told you wouldn’t last — it was a blast working as an editor this year.

Also, I want to give a shout out

to Sam Greene, who’s been a great managing editor

and friend. Sam, you’re truly a jack-of-all-trades,

as you’re one of the best writers, editors and photographers I have ever met. It’s been a blast working and hanging out with you these past few years, and, one of these days, I’ll fi nally get you that bottle of Manischewitz I owe you.

I also want to thank Garrett Sabelhaus and Pete for giving me the opportunity to write for the sports page my sophomore year. You guys were awesome editors, and it looks like you guys are doing pretty well for yourselves out in the real world.

I want to give a special shout out to Sam Elliott, who is probably one of the best writers and editors to have gone through the UC journalism program. Sam, I never told you, but I probably learned more about writing from you than I did from any class I took at UC.

It was a blast being your co-editor, and I know I’ll see your ugly mug on ESPN or in a national paper one day, as you truly are one of the greats. Until then, I’ll continue to enjoy taking your money at fantasy football, as you’re quite awful at it.

Hunter Tickel, it sucked we didn’t get to work together for very long, but it was fun while it lasted. It’s good to hear you’re doing well, and when you get back in Cincy, hit me up if you’re ever hankering for an ass beating in Pocket Tanks.

To Brittany York and Josh Miller, I know I leave the sports page in good hands. Both of you are great writers and nowhere near as lazy as myself, so I’ll be expecting big things from you two.

To Jason Hoffman, I know you’re going to be a great EIC next year. You have some sweet ideas, and I’ll enjoy seeing where you take TNR. As always though, roll Tide roll.

To all the other editors at TNR who I’ve worked with, thank you. Thanks for making the offi ce such a fun place to work at week in and week out, and thanks for putting up with my loud-mouth nonsense three times per week — especially Lil’ Tony and Scott Winfi eld; it’s been real Bs-ing with you two.

Thank you to all the designers for

making the sports page look awesome and putting up with my dumb InDesign questions, and thanks to all the photographers for taking such sweet photos to go with our stories.

Also, thanks to Ryan Koslen, Jeremy Martin and Jeff Geiser for always helping me out and hooking me up with golden nuggets and interviews.

I also need to give a special shout out to my family; but before I do that, however, I feel like I should give myself a pat on the back here for putting up with all the terrible column ideas you guys have thrown at me in the past three years. I love each and every one of you, but damn if some of your ideas weren’t terrible.

Seriously though, thanks to all my aunts, uncles and cousins for being the most encouraging and supportive family members one could ask for. I want to give a special thank you to my grandma and grandpa for being two of my biggest fans and keeping and laminating every story I’ve ever written. You guys are beyond amazing, and I love you both.

Last but not least, a special thanks to my dad, to whom I owe pretty much my entire college experience. You were the one who encouraged me to chase my dreams of being a sports journalist and enter UC’s journalism program — despite my hesitations — and you’ve always been my No. 1 fan and critic, which I know you’ll continue to be. It’s been one hell of a road, but there’s no way I would be where I am today without you and your support.

If I forgot to mention anyone, my apologies, but seriously, it’s been real, UC. Here’s to everyone who has made my college experience truly the best four years of my life.

/sappiness.

TNR sports editor signs o�

WEINBERG’S TOP SPORTS MOMENTSBEST OVERALL SPORTING EVENT:

BEST BASKETBALL GAME COVERED:

BEST FOOTBALL GAME COVERED:

SECOND-BEST FOOTBALL GAME:

SPORT MOST COVERED:

NCAA BRACKET20

ALBUM ALERTALBUM ALERT 21

REGION BREAKDOWN22

While the Midwest isn’t the hardest part of the bracket, it’s not the easiest either.

The University of North Carolina controls the region’s one seed, marking the 13th time the Tar Heel’s have been slated in a No. 1 spot.

UNC finished the regular season 29-5, and are the NCAA’s second-best scoring team — averaging 82 points per game — and are also ranked first in the nation in rebounding.

Out of the Big 12 conference, Kansas secured the No. 2 seed, while Georgetown out of the Big East locked the No. 3 seed.

Up until they lost in the Big-12 tourney to Baylor, the Jayhawks were a projected No. 1 seed, while Georgetown finished its regular season fourth in

the Big East and ranked No. 14 nationally. Other notable teams in the Midwest

include Michigan and Temple at the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds, respectively.

Michigan concluded its regular season with big wins against Michigan State, Ohio State, Indiana and Wisconsin, finishing the season with the 11th-highest rating percentage index in the country.

The San Diego State Aztecs were seeded at No. 6, and could be a potential dark horse out of the Mountain West Conference.

Other than the No. 7 St. Mary’s vs. No. 10 Purdue game, there shouldn’t be many upsets in the Midwest region, with UNC pretty much getting a straight path to the Elite Eight.

The East region of this year’s NCAA Tournament will take place in historic Boston, and will likely be the most challenging region in this year’s tournament.

The No. 1 seeded Syracuse Orange — fresh off an upset loss to the one and only Cincinnati Bearcats in the Big East Tournament — are still one of the favorite picks to win the region and the tournament.

Ohio State comes in at the No. 2 seed, and should walk through its first game against Loyola and its second round games against the winner of Gonzaga and Bob Huggins’ West Virginia team.

Thanks in part to an impressive run through the Big East Tournament, the Bearcats were awarded the No. 6 seed and will face No. 11 Texas in the first round. Long story short, Texas

is 0-8 against the ranked teams, while Cincinnati is 7-3 against top-25 squads.

If UC can get through Atlantic Coastal Conference champ Florida State — who should handle St. Bonaventure in its opening game — the Bearcats could set the stage for a showdown with Ohio State to advance to the Elite Eight.

Vanderbilt — the Southeastern Conference tourney champions — will face off against a very dangerous and well-coached Harvard team that’s capable of a few early-round upsets. If Harvard gets to the round of 16, however, Syracuse will finally send them back to the library.

In the Bearcats can get to the Elite Eight and find themselves in a rematch between them and Syracuse, the Orange will likely cruise past them to the Final Four.

College basketball pundits will be all over the forecast of No. 1 Kentucky and No. 2 Duke facing off in the Elite Eight, but these two traditional powerhouses aren’t likely to.

The South might be the most unpredictable region because there is one thing all top-five seeds share: None of them won their conference tournament.

The No. 8-seeded Iowa State Cyclones are a curious case, as they tend to play to the level of their opponents — evidenced by their wins against Kansas and Baylor, and losses to Drake and Northern Iowa. If the Clones squeak by the talented, yet under-achieving UConn Huskies, they could give UK fits if they bust out a zone defense.

The No. 5-seed Wichita St. Shockers are probably due for a run after sleepwalking through the Missouri Valley Conference during the regular season. The Shockers tout 7-foot senior center Garrett Stutz, who offers the size to possibly out-play Wildcat National Player of the Year candidate Anthony Davis.

A couple sleeper teams are the No. 12 VCU Rams — who made a run to the Final Four last season — and No. 4 Indiana, who beat UK, OSU and MSU at

home this season.No. 6 UNLV — who clipped

No. 1 seed North Carolina this year — could play the role of spoiler and bracket buster.

For Xavier, it depends on what Musketeer squad shows up. If it’s the one that dominated in the first quarter of their season, then the Muskies are due for another signature program run. If it’s the team that struggled in the Atlantic 10, however, it could be a one-and-done for XU.

The West region is top-heavy at the guard position — an encouraging observation for Michigan State, who should be able to use its strength and size to waltz relatively easily through this bracket.

Drawing a possible third-round matchup with Memphis — arguably the strongest eight-seed — is dangerous, but the Spartans have been far too consistent this season for an early hiccup.

The No. 5 New Mexico Lobos are

pitted against another mid-major — Long Beach State — in the notorious No. 5 vs. No. 12 seed trap game. The Lobos were one of the hottest teams in the nation in the final months of regular season play, pummeling ranked teams like San Diego St., and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to garner the Mountain West tourney crown.

Louisville has been arguably the most inconsistent team in the nation, and, due in large part to their streakiness in particular

shooting the basketball, are the most risky pick for a deep run of the bracket.

Marquette and Murray St. are set for a duel between two of the best guards in the country in Darius Johnson-Odom and Isaiah Canaan. Canaan is averaging 19 points per contest and shoots 47 percent from beyond the arc, while Johnson-Odom — who may have won the Big East Player of the Year award had teammate Jae Crowder not — scores

a clip less than Canaan with 18.5 points per game.

The Golden Eagles return nearly everybody from last year’s Sweet 16 team.

The Missouri Tigers can pose matchup problems for any team with their unorthodox four-guard starting lineup. If the Big 12 conference champs face MSU in the regional final, the game will be decided by how the Spartans deal with the Tigers’ foot speed.

AS BROKEN DOWN BY | HUNTER TICKEL, SAM WEINBERG ANd JOSH MILLER

This year’s NCAA Tournament will come down to a “Big” fi nal, and by that I’m talking about a Big East vs. Big Ten battle for the title.

I picked Michigan State to win the championship last year, but I made a mistake betting against the Big East. Not this year. Not with the yellow brick road that Syracuse has to the fi nal, either.

S y r a c u s e won’t be challenged in the tournament until they face a Big East opponent, and that means Cincinnati in the Elite Eight. Yeah, I said

it. Cincinnati will play Syracuse in the Elite Eight after knocking off Texas, Florida State and Ohio State.

Texas can’t beat Cincinnati. Florida State will underestimate the Cats and Ohio State’s army of one — meaning Jared Sullinger — will

be stunned by Cincinnati’s spread offense from a superior conference.

New York had its parade rained on by a hail of 3-point shooting when the Bearcats sent the Orange back upstate in the Big East tournament, and while it saddens me to see the Cats have to take them on again, I just can’t see Syracuse being made a fool twice in the same month.

In other upset news, Indiana has been the consistent party-poopers of this season and will keep their thievery streak alive when they spoil the party for both the University of Kentucky and Duke, meeting — and then losing to — Michigan State in the Final Four to set up a national championship matchup between the Spartans and Syracuse.

23TNR’S FINAL FOURNearly 12 years ago, Michigan State

cut down the nets in Indianapolis, and the Spartans will do it again — except this time in New Orleans.

The Spartans garnered their fi rst conference tournament title this season since their national championship team. Draymond Green told CBS Sports that he is looking to leave a footprint of Mateen Cleaves-esque proportions. I think a national crown will suffi ce.

The East region will likely cause many people headaches, so bear with me.

The Cincinnati Bearcats showed the country the blueprint for beating No. 1 seed Syracuse: Eliminate its transition points; hit the offensive glass, and counter its zone with your own zone defense.

That said, Syracuse should roll through a bracket, laden with bracket busters.

The No. 2 seeded Ohio State Buckeyes will be the biggest fl op of the tourney. West Virginia will make OSU look like a stick in the mud with its length and zone defense. The Buckeyes lack the shooters and playmakers to answer the bell, as Bob Huggins will exercise a measure of revenge toward one of his most despised peers: Thad Matta of Ohio State.

In the South, the likes of Wichita St. and Baylor will give No. 1 Kentucky an uncomfortable game with its size if either team plays zone.

In the West region, there will be a Midwest regional fi nal showdown between Big Ten champ Michigan State and Big 12 champ Missouri.

The Midwest bracket is probably the hardest to get out of. Kansas

and North Carolina each have at least two lottery picks, but both have been incredibly inconsistent.

Michigan — led by freshman Trey Burke — will secure its fi rst Final Four in the 19th anniversary of the Fab Five, as the Wolverines knocked off the likes of No. 4 seed Indiana, No. 1 MSU and No. 2 OSU this year.

In the West region, John Calipari and his talented band of freshman one-and-dones will once again underachieve and lose to a more veteran team with a superior coach — like UConn. Shabaz Napier will channel his inner Kemba Walker and lead the Huskies to their second-straight improbable Final Four.

Side note: Notre Dame will “zip up” Xavier in the fi rst round.

I quite honestly have no idea who comes out of the West region, and, unless Jimmer Freddete is granted another year of eligibility and suits up for BYU one last time, I don’t really care. In an Elite Eight battle of Big East schools, Marquette rides Jae Crowder’s corn rows to a close victory against Louisville.

With Syracuse and Ohio State at the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, respectively, and eight teams that played in their conference tournament championships, the East region is the toughest in the tournament. As badly as I want to pick the Bearcats, I think the Orange will be too

much to handle this time around (baring any academic or drug related suspensions).

In the Midwest, I think Kansas and North Carolina live up to their seeding and face off in the Elite Eight. I’m scared of Marcus Robinson, and I can’t stand Roy Williams or his obnoxious 1960s suits, so I’m going with the Jayhawks.

Final Four: UConn vs. Marquette, and Syracuse vs. Kansas.

National Champs: N/A. Regardless of who wins, the championship will surely be forfeited within the next few years as a result of some sort of obscure violation, or tragic paper work error.

UC Prediction: The Bearcats will shoot a lot of 3-point baskets, play really good defense and, Justin Jackson will run all over the place wreaking havoc and making the “Justin Jackson Mean Face.” Somewhere in between all of that, UC will have a very impressive showing, including an upset of Ohio State in the Sweet 16. Go Bearcats!

I can’t help it. Every year I fi ll out a bracket, I’m presented with an internal confl ict — do I pick Cincinnati to win it all; or do I think through their matchups rationally and meticulously then base my decision on that?

Ul t imate ly, it’s really hard for me to “bet” against the team that I’ve been rooting for all my life. I mean, I’m pretty sure I cried during the 1996-97 NCAA Tournament when Danny Fortson, Melvin Levett and the rest of the Bearcats lost to Georgia Tech in the Regional Semifi nals — true story.

Anyway, this year is different. Yes, I’m picking Cincinnati to win it all, because I go to school here and have been watching them play for years; but I’m also picking them because I think they are perfectly capable of doing so. They proved that when they beat No. 2 Syracuse — arguably the best team in the country — at Madison Square Garden in front of a sold-out crowd full of orange.

Granted, the Cats only scored 14 total points in their fi rst half performance against Louisville when the Big East Championship was on the line; but head coach Mick Cronin said the players admitted overconfi dence. I think that 14-point performance cures overconfi dence and puts them into a position to fi nish off the season playing their best basketball.

If everything goes as planned, I’ll get to see a Bearcats-Buckeyes matchup in the Sweet 16, where the Cats show Ohio who’s boss, followed up by a couple of Big East rematches where UC will stun the country and knock out Syracuse in the Regional Finals, then Georgetown in the National Semifi nals.

In the South, Indiana will have a nice run; but Duke is about due for another Final Four appearance.

Missouri will dominate the West bracket; and Louisville is going to knock out Michigan State in the Regional Semifi nals.

Tournament winner? NCAA

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT24

NEW YORK — The University of Louisville Cardinals outplayed the Bearcats at Madison Square Garden Saturday night, defeating them 50-44 in the Big East Conference finals to win their second conference championship.

Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin attributed the Bearcats’ loss to their tendency to be “overconfident at times.”

“[I’m] very disappointed for my players, because we didn’t give our best effort tonight,” Cronin said. “We have a tendency to be on cruise control. I would have been much happier if we had to play Syracuse again tonight where my guys would have thought that we had to have a great effort.”

The Bearcats shot just 24.1 percent in the first half and went 0-for-9 from behind the arc, heading to the locker room with a total of only 14 points — the lowest number of points ever scored in a half at a Big East Conference championship game.

Shooting wasn’t their only issue, however. UC finished its first 20 minutes of play with only one assist.

“Our passing was as bad as it’s been — I’m sorry — our lack thereof,” Cronin said. “So I was very, very disappointed in that we dug a hole because we wouldn’t pass the ball.”

In the second half, the Bearcats played harder and shot better, going 13-for-22 from the field; but their effort was too little, too late.

Senior forward Yancy Gates, who finished the game with nine points and six rebounds, said he could tell a difference in the Cats’ preparation for the Louisville matchup, compared to their readiness for the games against Georgetown and Syracuse.

“A lot of people didn’t have the same focus as we did when we first got out here,” Gates said. “I was trying to tell guys we need to find a way to pick it up … We weren’t prepared to play a hard game until the second half, so we paid the price for it.”

With 2:35 remaining, junior guard JaQuon Parker made a layup, then got a steal on the other end, providing

UC with the chance to make it a one-possession game, down by only four points.

The Cats turned the ball over, however, failing to score on their final five possessions.

UC went 1-for-7 from the foul line, with Parker missing four shots and senior guard Dion Dixon missing two.

“When you’re making a comeback, you have to make free throws,” Cronin said. “We didn’t do that — 1-for-7 in the second half — you’ve got no chance to make a comeback if you do that. You’re 5-for-7, and instead of being down four, you’d be tied.”

Junior guard Cashmere Wright led the Cats with a game-high 16 points. He and Gates were both named to the Big East All-Tournament team.

Wright said the Bearcats’ loss does not mean an ending. “We’ve still got games to play,” he said. “We can’t look

back. We can’t look at this game no more. We’ve just got to look forward and keep pushing in practice and get better.”

The Cats return to action at 12:15 p.m. March 16.