UC Pride, even in the loo

We've seen numerous basements, offices, and family rooms adorned in red and black, but never a bathroom. UC student Chris Trimbach ('12) recently tweeted @proudlycincy photos of his parents' (Michael, '83 and Eileen, '86) red and black bathroom that looks more like a mini Bearcat museum. The bathroom has been work in progress for about 5 years, and has a ticket from every UC football bowl game since the Humanitarian Bowl. It even includes a signed Big O jersey and a ticket from the first game played at the Shoemaker Center! These are true diehard Bearcats fans!

Do you have a room in your house decorated in Red and Black from the floor to the ceiling? Can you top the Trimbach's Bearcat bathroom?

Training for a Marathon? UC alum has tips for you!

David with poster of his book

If you have ever considered training for a marathon, you may want to pick up UC alumnus David Levine's book: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Marathon Training! He also gave us some great insight about his experiences at UC and what he has learned since he graduated.

When did you graduate from UC and what was your major?
1980, with a major in Political Science.

What were some of the most memorable experiences you had at UC?
Way too many to write, and possibly some things would be inappropriate to mention.  I guess you could say, I grew up a lot at UC.  I do remember a housemate, Reid Horowitz, giving me a book on running in 1977.  He said, “I don’t know why I’m giving this to you, but I sense it will help you somehow.”  Well, since my first book is on running, I guess it helped - and I still have that book.


How did UC transform your life?
In several ways, but possibly the most important, I learned to question why.


What makes you proud to be a graduate of UC? Why are you Proudly Cincinnati?
UC was the first time in my life where I found I loved learning.  I learned a lot there.  Sparks began at UC, which later turned to flames.

Explain what you did after graduating from UC. What are you doing now?
Writing has always been a big part of my life, since UC.  Just after graduation, I wrote for a local paper; did PR for a theater; covered stories for a magazine, and moved to Los Angeles.  I was even an assistant to an Academy Award-winning writer  at one time. I spent a lot of my time working at studios, and after 13 years, I still work at Sony Studio, on the old MGM lot.  I stopped writing for a while, and took up endurance athletics - I wanted to see the ocean and get outside. Well, here I am writing again.  I have a few other articles which I already wrote as well.

David after an Ironman race

What have been your biggest accomplishments in your career?
The book was a good one; winning a huge theater acting award; completing Ironman races are exciting; and I have loved helping people achieve dreams and get faster, as a coach.  However, I sense that the definition of being young at heart is when you feel as if you haven’t really achieved much, and have a world of accomplishments yet unturned.  That would be me.

How did you decide to write your book about marathon training? How long did it take you to finish your book?
I have long been frustrated with the ineffective methods which most non-pro, adult athletes use to train for endurance running events.  A friend e-mailed me that a publisher was looking for writers for a book on marathon training.  I had her submit a writing sample of mine, and boom, we were in.  Our deadline was six months, and that was about how long it took to finish everything.

How does it feel to have a book that is selling nationally?
I’m not sure.  I’ve done a few lectures, but I do that sort of thing anyway.  You know, I had this idea that one day I would walk into a huge bookstore and find someone glancing at my book. Shuffling over to that person, I would mutter, “Great book,”  and then calmly walk away.  So I one day I saw this enormous bookstore closing forever.  Sad, but great discounts and I remembered this nutty idea. When I walked through the doors, I found most of the shelves to be empty, and if they ever had my book, there was no sign of it anywhere.  So I never had the experience of receiving much recognition as an author.  On the other hand, it is a new world.  Nearly all of the books I have purchased lately have been online and I seem to have received some amazing reviews on Amazon.com. 

Anything else you would like to highlight about your career or your relationship to UC?
I miss those days at UC.  Don’t get me wrong, life gets better, if you remain positive.  However, having time to simply learn, and nothing else, would be something I would now absolutely cherish.  In fact, I’m toying with the idea of going back for a master's, if I can figure out where to find the time.  Creating time to learn is something we adults place far too little emphasis on.

Watch UC Football with Alums in D.C.

Penn Quarter Sports Tavern
Photo credit: www.dckickball.org

Calling all UC alumni living in Washington, D.C.! Join fellow Bearcats at the Penn Quarter Sports Tavern to watch each UC football game this season. The Tavern is now the "official" UC alumni spot in D.C.

Penn Quarter Sports Tavern will hang the UC flag outside/inside the bar, offer drink/appetizer specials, and give UC alumni their very own space on the 2nd floor to watch the games. And for every UC alum you bring with you to the Tavern, you'll get a raffle ticket to win a UC-related prize! Many thanks Penn Quarter for their support of UC Alumni in D.C.!

Join us this Saturday, Sept. 3 to watch the Bearcats take on Austin Peay at 7 p.m.!

Summer Send-Off Welcomes Newest Central Ohio Bearcats

Increasing numbers of Columbus high school grads are heading down I-71 to Cincinnati for a great college education. Many members of the newest class recently participated in the largest UC Summer Sendoff ever in Central Ohio.

The August 24 Summer Send-off brought together 130 incoming freshmen and parents from the Columbus area, joining about 15 Central Ohio alumni who formally welcomed them to the UC family just weeks before their official campus move-in. The event was held at the Dublin headquarters of Ashland, Inc.

Besides greeting old and new friends among their Columbus-area peers, students and parents heard from UC Alumni Association Executive Director Myron Hughes, Proudly Cincinnati Columbus Campaign members Scott Simmers and Bob Mayer, and current UC Student Body Vice President Michael Linger. The common message: You made a great college choice, there’s a long and strong connection between UC and Central Ohio, and we’re thrilled to welcome you to the Bearcat family.

Pizza and ice cream was followed by a raffle, where four lucky freshmen won $250 gift cards to the UC Bookstores and another received a UC hat signed by Football Coach Butch Jones.

About 6,000 alumni live and work in Central Ohio, making it one of the largest concentrations of Bearcats anywhere outside of Cincinnati. The regional alumni network is one of the UC Alumni Association’s most active in the U.S.

President Williams Speaks in Cleveland Next Month

Before being named President of the University of Cincinnati in 2009, many people first learned about Gregory H. Williams by reading his gripping memoir, Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He Was Black.  Because of his unique perspective and powerful life story, President Williams has been invited to the City Club of Cleveland to participate in a Friday Forum on Post-Racial America, which takes place Friday, September 9 at noon.

From the event website:  The election of President Obama in 2008 led many to ask if America had finally transcended its racial divisions. The term “post-racial” emerged – suggesting our nation had become color-blind. University of Cincinnati President Gregory H. Williams, the author of a best-selling and award-winning memoir, Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He Was Black, will examine these issues through the eyes of someone who has often found himself in the middle. President Williams grew up until the age of 10 believing he was white. After the revelation that his father was half black, he began a remarkable journey along the color line that opened his eyes to the reality of racism, poverty, repression and struggle in 1950s and ’60s America.

The event is open to the public and tickets can be purchased by clicking here or by calling 216-621-0085. For more information, visit the City Club of Cleveland’s website by following this link. The event is part of the 2011 KeyBank Diversity Thought Leadership Series.

Limited tickets are available, so make your reservations now and be there for a memorable discussion!

Chicagoans for Cincy Support UC's College of Engineering and Applied Science

Artist Rendition of Learning Center Coffee-Cafe

Approximately 300 miles from their alma mater, at the W Hotel in downtown Chicago, a group of UC alumni and supporters gathered for breakfast at the Wave restaurant. This group of alumni along with the Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS), Carlo Montemagno, his wife Pam, and Senior Director of Development at CEAS, John Lagow, discussed the Proudly Cincinnati campaign for the college. The alumni in attendance at the breakfast were Denny DeMoss (’77), Bob Fealy (’73), Blake Layda (’99),  Chris Mekus (’72), Spes Mekus (’72), and Bob Schneider (’70).

Artist Rendition of Learning Center Mainstreet Corridor

Dean Montemagno reported that CEAS has helped raise close to $23 million since the launch of Proudly Cincinnati.  Two priorities of CEAS are building a Learning Center and creating an Honors X Engineering Program. The new Learning Center will be located on the eighth floor of Rhodes Hall.  It will include two reconfigurable classrooms, three “project” rooms, space for small group and individual study, space for tutoring and advising, faculty offices, entry lobby, info center, and a coffee bar. The Honors X Engineering Program will have an accelerated curriculum and enhanced co-op experience, allowing high caliber students to graduate in four years, instead of five.

Artist Rendition of Learning Center 8th Floor Plan

Chicagoans for Cincy! leader, Bob Fealy has been instrumental in raising $6.9 million toward the $10 million goal; $1.8 million has been raised specifically for CEAS with a college goal of $2.75 million.  Bob’s generous support and leadership has encouraged other UC grads to join his mission of supporting current and future UC students.

Sharing Bob’s passion to give back to the college is Denny DeMoss, who received a BSNE in Nuclear Engineering, and subsequently an MS degree from the University of Illinois.  While Denny was an undergraduate, he co-oped with Sargent & Lundy, where he is currently Senior Vice President and Project Director.  Denny, along with another Chicago UC alum, Tom Behringer, set up a Sargent & Lundy Scholarship fund for UC Engineering students.

Blake Layda, present at the breakfast and a member of Chicagoans for Cincy!, has generously created an endowment fund with his college roommate, John Wagner.  Blake graduated with a BSCE in Civil Engineering from UC, where he participated in co-op and was a competitive swimmer.  Blake presently is Vice President and National Director of Commercial Real Estate at Jones Lang LaSalle.

Chris and Spes Mekus are co-owners and Managing Principals of Mekus Tanager, Inc., and have been supporters of UC for over 20 years.  Even though they are both graduates of DAAP, Chris with a BArc in Architecture, and Spes with a BSDe in Interior Design, they are on the CEAS Advisory Council and are supporters of CEAS.

Bob Schneider was also in attendance for the breakfast.  Bob graduated from the College of Engineering with a BSME in Mechanical Engineering and then went on to earn a JD in Law.  He and his wife Janice, also a UC graduate, now live in Chicago where Bob is a trial lawyer, partner, and head of the Intellectual Property Department of Chapman and Cutler LLP.

Check out more opportunities to support CEAS and participate in Chicagoans for Cincy!

The Path Not Traveled

Phil Kanet, University of Cincinnati Alum and University of Cincinnati Foundation Director of Communication, recently reflected on his life and experiences at UC.

A recent birthday found me reflecting on where things stand in my life – career, family, etc. All those questions about where the 35-year-old me stacks up against what the 20-year-old me figured I would be doing and even what the world looked like then versus now.

At some point along that stream of contemplation, I remembered a very specific piece of career advice that one of my professors at UC divvied out. It was my senior year and I had a healthy amount of electives to fill out my graduation credit requirements. The topic of copyright law came up, specifically as it related to the music industry that was just starting to see the effects of file sharing, streaming and online piracy. His advice envisioned the future of music in holograms --- that is, multi-dimensional performances right in the comfort of one’s living room. See also Star Wars or Trek.

His specific advice? “If you’re currently sitting there wondering what to do with your career, go to law school and specialize in hologram copyright law – you’ll make a ton of money!” While I otherwise have enormous respect for this professor (who shall remain nameless) and must acknowledge that we do live in a world where 3-D televisions for the home are only a trip to Best Buy away – I think it’s safe to assume this professor’s last name wasn’t Nostradamus.

Sure, it’s human nature to wish we would have taken a few different steps along the way. But at least I didn’t latch on to that advice and incur the expense of a law degree only to sit here 15 years later and wonder why I’m not sitting on a pot of gold via trekky projections of Lady GaGa falling off her piano or Caleb Followill melting down.

Can anyone else top this tale of misinformed career advice? What about the opposite? Did you have a professor give you spot-on career advice you wish you would have followed in hindsight?

Chicago Hosts Summer Send-Off Events

Going to a college over five hours away can be scary for an 18-year olds who has never had to live on their own.  This is why a Summer Send-Off event is held every year, so incoming UC students from the Chicago area can meet one another before fall classes start.  In a school of over 41,000 students it is nice to know a familiar face.

This year there were two Summer Send Off events held.  The events were the same, just at two different places and two different times, so incoming students from the Chicago area and their parents had the best chance of attending.  The first gathering was held on Thursday, July 28 at the home of UC alumnus Jeff Hopkins.  The second was Saturday, July 30, at the home of Bob and Kathleen Kaska (Kathleen and her daughter are UC alumni and her son is a current student at UC).

The gatherings were not only a chance for incoming students and parents to meet other families, they also helped the students learn a little about what to expect when they get to Cincinnati.  They were able to talk to alumni and current students as well as feast on Graeter’s Ice Cream, from the famous Cincinnati establishment.  There was also a raffle held for the incoming students where a few lucky winners walked away with UC Bookstore Gift Certificates and other great prizes.

Chicago is a hidden jewel when it comes to UC supporters who take care of their own, and organizing this Summer Send Off event is a great example.  There are over 4,000 UC alumni in the Chicago area, yet fewer than 20 students from the Chicago area will be freshmen at the University of Cincinnati.  Congratulations to the incoming class of 2011; the next few years will be ones that you never forget!

UC Alum Finds Home (Away From Home) With Chicago Cubs

Inspirational. Awe-inspiring. Storybook. Those are just some of the words one might use to describe UC alum and Bearcat baseball standout Tony Campana’s rise to the big leagues. But even those lofty adjectives may not fully do his story justice.

Growing up in Kettering, Ohio, near Dayton, Tony was like any other kid. He loved sports, especially baseball, and frequented Reds games at Riverfront Stadium with his family (though he was a Cleveland Indians fan at heart). But at the young age of 7, Tony was dealt a curve ball – when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The chilling diagnosis required immediate surgery to remove a tumor, followed by eight months of intense chemotherapy. Campana has said that he sometimes pulled out clumps of hair to entertain friends and really had no idea how dire the situation was. But thankfully, after ten years of checkups and tests, doctors were confident the disease was in remission and considered him fully cured.

Tony stands at second base after his
first major league hit against the
Reds at Great American Ball Park.

That wasn’t the only hurdle Tony had to overcome on his way to the top. His small, wiry frame and focus on speed and defense was a stark contrast to the trend in the big leagues – as sluggers like Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds re-wrote the record books and fed fans’ love of the longball.

In fact, Tony’s high school coach wasn’t sure he would land on a college team; but he ended up finding a home down the road at the University of Cincinnati. During his time as a Bearcat, Tony honed his game and demonstrated the value of speed and strong defense, breaking UC’s all-time single-season record for stolen bases with 70 in 2007 and establishing a new record for career steals with 104.

He was a BIG EAST first team selection during his senior season in 2008 and showed enough promise to be drafted by the Chicago Cubs. After playing in the minor leagues for nearly four years, Tony got the call all minor leaguers dream of: he was finally going to play for the Cubs, and even better, he was going to make his Major League debut against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.

Campana is congratulated by
teammates after getting his first
career home run.

Tony had his own fan club amassed behind the Cubs’ dugout that night, and was even picked up from the airport by his mother. He also had to turn off his cell phone because he was getting so many calls wishing him good luck.

After entering the game as a pinch runner in the 7th, Tony stepped up to the plate in the 8th inning. Though he thought he’d be nervous, he locked in and smashed an RBI-double for his first major league hit, putting the Cubs ahead in the game and sending his fan section into hysterics.

Even though the Cubs ended up losing the game, Tony had a moment he’ll never forget. And Tony has since gotten revenge on the Reds, roping a line-drive to the wall in Wrigley Field that turned out to be his first Major League home run – inside-the-park of course – and the difference in the game as the Cubs beat the Reds 4-3 on August 5.

So even though many Reds fans consider it treason to root for the Cubs (they are in the same division after all), don’t be surprised to see more Cubs jerseys around Cincinnati as Campana continues to defy the odds and establish himself as a rising star. And hopefully, UC alumni in Chicago will cheer extra loud for a fellow alum whose grit, determination and perseverance makes us all Proudly Cincinnati.

Ohio Networking for Bay Area Bearcats

Pete's Tavern

Younger alumni who live far away from Cincinnati generally want two things from their UC alumni experience:  1) Stay connected with the university in some way, and  2) Network with each other for personal and professional reasons. Events that meet both goals are a home run — even if they take place beside the ballpark instead of inside it.

The UC Alumni Association co-organized an Ohio college networking event and Happy Hour for YPs on July 28 in San Francisco. About 35 Bay Area alumni from UC, Dayton, Miami and Xavier attended and had a great time. The location was a place called Pete’s, which is literally across the street from AT&T Park, the San Francisco Giants’ home stadium.

Having Southwestern Ohio in common, those in attendance could easily talk about “back home” and their college days, including the rivalries between schools. And since they’re also part of the Bay Area community, alums find great benefit to expanding their own networks in this way.

The idea of a multi-university alumni event like this isn’t new; the UC Alumni Association partners with its counterparts at Ohio schools to do these events in other places when possible. And it’s a great way to help alumni realize that ongoing involvement with UC can take many forms; what’s important is to simply participate.

Wherever you live, check out the list of regional alumni networks across the U.S. and jump in! Just click here to learn more.