newsrecord.org @NewsRecord_UC /TheNewsRecord @thenewsrecord pg. 4 | Adjuncts hold pg. 9 | UC volleyball team equality demonstration wins tournament at NKU Wednesday, September 18, 2019 What it’s like to volunteer abroad in Tanzania DAVID REES | FEATURES EDITOR Volunteer Excursions (GIVE) Volunteers — an While many college organization offering students consider volunteer opportunities studying abroad, few in Southeast Asia, Africa consider volunteering and Central America abroad. that focuses on global Fourth-year citizenship, sustainable animal biology and development and environmental studies immersing students in student, Tess Palluzzi, new cultures. Palluzzi traveled all the way to heard of other college Africa to volunteer in students who had Tanzania this past May. traveled with GIVE, such Palluzzi went to This Story Continued Tanzania through on Page 5 Growth International UNIVERSITY PARK APARTMENTS VIA GOOGLE Student dead for days before discovery KEELY BROWN | NEWS EDITOR “Apparently he skipped class that day and had dinner plans with a friend and he didn’t show up,” Miller said. “Then I began Jackson Durham, a 20-year-old second-year DAAP student to worry. I just had a really bad feeling.” studying Industrial Design at the University of Cincinnati, died After work, Miller went to Durham’s room at UPA. She in University Park Apartments (UPA)—a university-managed knocked on the door multiple times and, after no one housing property—and was discovered Aug. 30, according answered, she contacted UPA. to UC Police Department (UCPD) and Cincinnati Police “I called the RA that was on call in UPA and told them that I Department (CPD) reports. was worried about my friend and that they should go check on Two other students, Leah Miller and Jacob Wocks, were him,” Miller said. “I was concerned about my friend and they named as witnesses on both reports. Miller is a fifth-year sort of just said, ‘Okay.’ I have no idea who I was even talking communications student and was a close friend of Durham. to; I was shaken up at that point.” Wocks is a fourth-year mechanical engineering student, the UPA representatives elected not to check on Durham after resident advisor (RA) on the third floor of UPA’s south building Miller voiced her concerns. and was Durham’s roommate. Resident Education and Development (RED)—the office On Aug. 28, Durham and Miller “hung out” for 1.5-2 hours at responsible for student service and support, daily operations her off-campus apartment, she said. Miller dropped Durham and student education in residence hall communities—did not off at UPA and received a text message from him around 6:30 respond to multiple requests for comment. p.m. Miller said she called Durham multiple times Thursday night The next day, Aug. 29, Miller called Durham after her class and was not able to get in contact with him. around 4:30 p.m. He didn’t pick up. Miller said she didn’t think On Friday morning, Miller still had not heard from Durham. Tess Palluzzi (right), a fourth-year student in animal biology and anything of it until a mutual friend reached out to her and environmental studies, traveled to Tanzania in May through the GIVE This Story Continued on Page 2 asked if she had heard from Durham. program. PROVIDED BY TESS PALLUZZI September 18, 2019 Page 2 Rush week draws crowd ‘I just had a really bad feeling:’ Student KEELY BROWN | NEWS EDITOR evening of Sept. 13 until 10:30 but it’s important for the dies in University Park Apartments p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m.- students to know that they This Story Continued from Page 1 The University of Cincinnati 1:30 p.m. and all-day Sunday, are evaluating where they Greek life community held its Keith explained. Following can see themselves, so it’s She later found out he had skipped class again student body. annual fraternity rush week each round of recruitment, important to ask questions that day and became even more concerned. However, Juan R. Guardia, assistant vice and sorority recruitment this potential new members are and to try to have meaningful He never skipped class—he loved what he did president for student affairs and dean past weekend. able to rank the organizations conversations.” as a DAAP student, she said. of students, sent an email to UC student There are 26 active that they would like to Keith encourages students After getting a phone call from her mother residents at 1:33 p.m. Aug. 31, which said: fraternities and 16 sororities continue visiting and using a to step outside their comfort that morning, Miller began to panic. “Yesterday, we experienced the death with more than 3,000 students mutual selection process they zone and try something new As soon as I heard her voice, I just kind of one of our Bearcats in University Park involved in Greek life from are invited back to a certain and said Greek life positively of broke down and I was like, ‘Mom, I’m Apartments. This has been a very difficult UC’s Uptown, Clermont, Blue number of chapters. impacts UC in a number of really worried—I haven’t heard from one of time and it has impacted us all differently. Ash and medical campuses. This process repeats the ways. my friends in about 40 hours,’” Miller said. Immediately following an event like this, Hundreds of students following weekend — with “Many of our Greek “She kind of was the one that got the ball there are a wide variety of reactions you participated in this year’s the exception of Saturday — students hold leadership rolling and contacted UC police, [who] said may experience that are understandable and fraternity recruitment and with rounds beginning in the positions in other student they would be able to meet me there to do a expected. I encourage you to talk to others for formal recruitment, according afternoon and lasting until organizations, [and] our wellness check.” support, try to follow your normal routine, and to John Keith, director of 9:30 p.m. in which fraternities community has completed UCPD officers were dispatched to UPA for take care of yourself.” fraternity and sorority life. and sororities narrow down over 67,000 hours of an attempt to locate at 11:03 a.m. Aug. 30. The UC Department of Public Safety, UC “Fraternity and Sorority selections until the potential community service and has UC police officers Jamie Leon and Kennerly Police and CPD did not respond to multiple Recruitment has been new member is down to her raised over $263,000 for Newlin responded to the call. requests for comment. happening in some form final two chapters. On Sept. Philanthropies,” Keith said. Miller and the officers arrived outside A cause of death has not been determined, or fashion at UC since our 22, sorority hopefuls will “Further, this community room 3237, knocked and heard no answer. as autopsies generally take 12 to 14 weeks, first fraternity came to the find out which of her final provides a sense of belonging They went down to the lobby and contacted said Lt. Tom Fallon, investigative commander community 179 years ago,” two choices she was placed and connectedness to Durham’s roommate, Wocks, who met the trio of the Hamilton County Heroin Task Force. Keith said. “As more and more in by receiving a “bid,” or an over 3,000 students and is in the lobby. The identity of the substance found at the organizations began joining invitation for membership. constantly looking for ways “I asked him, ‘Have you seen Jackson?’” scene has not been confirmed and will not campus, there became a need Students participating in to contribute to the campus Miller said. “He said no, that he knew be released until after the investigation is to coordinate recruitment either of the recruitment and Clifton communities.” that Jackson was going to go take a nap complete, he said. events and large-scale processes should expect to There are other ways Wednesday night. He assumed that [Durham] The Heroin Task Force investigates opioid ‘recruitment weeks’ have been get meet a lot of people in to join Greek life at UC had been out with friends on Thursday and overdoses and works to track overdose deaths traditionally coordinated what seems like a short span without participating in the then hadn’t seen him Friday.” back to the supplier of the drugs. Generally, by the two councils that of time, Keith said. whirlwind of rush week. According to CPD’s police report, Wocks the task force takes three to four months coordinate recruitment: “The process is designed to There are four councils — said he had last seen Durham Wednesday at 5 to complete its investigation. They have Interfraternity Council (IFC) help students narrow down IFC, College Panhellenic p.m. Wocks declined to comment to The News investigated 148 deaths in Hamilton County so and Panhellenic.” what organizations they Council (CPC), National Pan- Record. far this year, Fallon said. More than 600 women think are a good fit for them, Hellenic Council (NPHC), Wocks took the officers and Miller up to the “In the last couple years, we’ve only had two registered to participate in the so talking plays a huge role Multicultural Greek Council dorm room and unlocked the door. Officers or three incidents relating to UC students,” he formal recruitment process, in both processes,” Keith said. (MGC) — all of which have Leon and Newlin remained in the hallway as said. “[UC] is not a hotspot area for overdose which began Sept. 13 and will “People will ask questions very different recruitment to not alarm Durham and make him feel like deaths.” conclude Sept.