Xavier University '08 Grad Dies In Iraq War: Lt. Mike Runyan Was From Newark, Ohio

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- An improvised explosive device killed 1Lt. Michael Runyan while he led troops on a convoy in Iraq's Diyala province. He went to high school in Ashland in northern Ohio and was an Army ROTC cadet at Xavier University in Cincinnati, where he earned a degree in criminal justice in 2008. His father was a judge and his mother was a high school teacher. The Pentagon lists his home address as Newark in Central Ohio. Friends who knew him at Xavier said he was a wonderful person. There are many heavy hearts on the campus today, and prayers for the young soldier's family. Lt. Runyan was 24 and now has joined that great band of brothers, those who served this nation courageously and faithfully and gave it everything. The photo above is from the Xavier ROTC website -- what a smile, and what a loss. Service in the armed forces is a serious business that can never be taken for granted. Yet we do seem to take our military for granted -- wars are going on, our troops are training, deploying, bleeding and dying. And we barely bother to notice. This is now up on the Xavier site:

"Runyan was assigned to Bravo Company, 52nd Infantry, out of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and was serving as an anti-tank Stryker Platoon leader. The University issued the following statement on Friday, July 23:'Every young man and woman who attends Xavier University contributes in no small measure to the community we create together at Xavier. The loss of any one of them wounds us all. Michael’s death also touches our hearts as he died courageously serving our country. We convey our deepest sorrow and most sincere condolences of the entire Xavier University community to Michael’s parents and family. We pray God’s love and blessing will comfort them through this time of sorrow.' Services are pending. The Xavier ROTC web site http://www.xavier.edu/military-science/1LT-Mike-Runyan.cfm will post information as it becomes available."

Xavier University Sex-Bias Lawsuit: 2 Fired Female Profs Win 1st Round v. Catholic School

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- This is another major news story that suffers lack of attention in Cincinnati's corporate media. U.S. District Judge Sandra S. Beckwith issued a 28-page ruling last week that rejected Xavier University's efforts to dismiss claims that women faculty members face illegal sex discrimination. She ruled there is some evidence of women receiving lesser pay than men on the Jesuit campus in Cincinnati -- a jury will sort out the facts later this year. Miriam Finch and Tara Michaels were tenured professors in the Communications Arts Department. They were terminated at the end of the 2008-09 academic year after internal faculty disputes, including allegations of dereliction "in carrying out their ethical responsibilities to the University." In refusing to dismiss, Judge Beckwith said: ". . . there is at least some evidence which would support a finding that Plaintiffs' conduct was not the true reason for their termination. For instance, the fact that none of the members of the Faculty Hearing Committee could pinpoint a specific incident in which Plaintiffs were guilty of gross dereliction of duty suggests that the committee's assessment of their conduct was highly subjective." Judge Beckwith scheduled an October trial in Cincinnati federal court on charges the women professors were subjected to age and gender discrimination, retaliation, and violations of the Equal Pay Act. Finch and Michaels contend they were forced out because they complained about disparities; the university describes them as people who could not get along with colleagues.

Judge Beckwith said Xavier's Communications Arts Department was plagued with faculty disputes an infighting:

"This case arises from or at least coincides with the appointment of Professor Indira DeSilva to the position of chair of the Communications Art Department in 2003. The record fairly reflects that the Communications Arts Department was factionalized and beset by in-fighting among its faculty. The lack of collegiality among the staff is a central issue in this because because Xavier claims that [the fired professors] were jointly responsible for the dysfunctional atmosphere in the department and that is the reason they were eventually dismissed. Plaintiffs deny that they were the source of the dysfunction but nevertheless contend that the Communications Arts Department was no different from other departments, such as the Marketing Department, which supposedly had a reputation for demonstrative disagreements among its faculty . . .

"Plaintiffs filed formal discrimination complaints against DeSilva with the University in February 2007. The continuing conflict within the Communications Arts Department and counter-charges of discrimination between Plaintiffs and DeSilva led . . . to . . . an ad hoc committee comprised of several Xavier faculty members and a professor from the staff of Northern Kentucky University to investigate the inner workings of the entire department. Plaintiffs, however, contend, that the ad hoc committee was not formed to investigate the department or their discrimination complaints. Rather, Plaintiffs alleged that the ad hoc committee was formed to investigate them in retaliation for their complaints against DeSilva. The ad hoc committee not only determined that DeSilva did not discriminate against Plaintiffs, it recommended that the University should institute formal termination proceedings against them for gross dereliction in carrying out their ethical responsibilities to the University."

The Case No. is 1:07-cv-00987, Miriam Finch et al v. Xavier University et al, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Xavier is represented by Peter Cassaday, Kristen Marie Myers and Brian Redden of the law firm Beckman, Weil, Shepardson & Faller LLC. The terminated professors are represented by Robert Gutzwiller and Joseph Krause, of Clodfelter & Gutzwiller.

John McCain Tells Xavier University Audience: Ohioans Are 'Hurting'

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain told about 200 uncommitted voters that he plans to spend a lot of time in Ohio heading up to election day: "John F. Kennedy was the last person to successfully win the presidency and not carry the State of Ohio. I'll spend a lot of time here because the people in Ohio and the U.S. are hurting." A few hours after he spoke on the Xavier University campus in Cincinnati, McCain was in the suburbs at a $50,000 per couple dinner, a fundraiser hosted by one of Ohio's richest citizens.

You can read more about McCain's Xavier appearance here. The Arizona senator's passion for "hurting" Ohioans is probably sincere. But he's said other things along the campaign trail that leave questions. In the past, he called the George W. Bush years "a pretty good prosperous time." He's portrayed NAFTA as "a great thing for America." And he's admitted his grasp of economics is weak -- "economics is not something as well as I should."

Hamilton County Republican Chairman Alex Triantafilou sees McCain's trip into SW Ohio as energizng local Republicans, and adds "but I am very energized by the incredibly strong financial support the Senator is getting in our county. Sen. McCain will do very well at his fundraiser tonight!"

Xavier University Lowers The Boom: Old Cincinnati Factory Blown Up During NCAA Tourney

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Xavier University is making noise on and off the basketball court as this video clip shows. An old factory was brought down by explosives today. It was razed to clear space for a campus expansion.

Blog For A Paycheck In Ohio: Clear Channel Seeks Sports Nut In Cincy

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The job was posted Dec. 22 on this State of Ohio database that was created to match up employers with people looking for work. Clear Channel intends to team a blogger with its on-air talkers on WLW-AM, 700, and 1530 Homer. The blogger is supposed to be the local sports guru. No details on the pay rate.

If you can get the state site to function, you can see job description by clicking on the yellow icon next to listing for creative writers in Cincinnati. The Daily Bellwether was able to glean more from Clear Channel, including word that the position would be like an online beat writer who focuses on the Reds, Bengals, Xavier University Musketeers and University of Cincinnati Bearcats. Some details from the company:

"If you like to blog about sports, this is the job for you. We are seeking a creative, self-motivated, proven blogger/online beat writer to write about Cincinnati area sports. This job entails both creating and posting text, photos, and video on Clear Channel Cincinnati websites. Position will also be utilized on-air with 700 WLW and 1530Homer as local sports expert. Job does include work on evenings and weekends."

Ohio's Xavier University: Shipping Fresh Recruits To Iowa's Front Lines

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Some 50 Xavier University political science students are heading to Iowa on a bus chartered by the Jesuit school so they can get a taste of what it is like to work on a presidential campaign. The students have already signed up as volunteers for the GOP and Democratic candidates now scrambling around the caucus state. Xavier plans to pay lodging expenses for a few days, and has helped its students land seats to watch Saturday night's Democratic debate.

Some pros are joining the group. Maggie Nafziger, executive of the Hamilton County Republican Party, will be with the XU volunteers. So will Brendon Cull, 2004 spokesman for the Kerry/Edwards presidential campaign in Ohio. Cull is an XU product and was the chief of staff for Cincinnati's former mayor, Democrat Charlie Luken. Another Cincinnati area political activist, Jeff Cramerding, will be there, too. Cramerding is the executive director of the Charter Committee, an independent third party that holds two City Council seats in Cincinnati and has been a force in local politics since the 1920.

There will be a student-run blog covering the campaigning at HANSOGGATT Blogspot, and Cincinnati journalist Joe Wessels plans to report about the students, too.

The students have been taking a course, Presidential Campaigns 1960-2008, that examines what it takes to reach the White House. The Iowa trip will move beyond classroom discussion and show how things actually work in the field. The Xavier University online portal is here, and some of the material from the students probably will end up becoming a news story on the site.

Cincinnati Council Candidate Charlie Winburn: Wants Those Missouri Voters

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Republican Charlie Winburn's campaign workers have leafletted a big commuter student parking lot at Xavier University, but they didn't check to see if all the cars had Ohio license tags. Which means that Winburn's campaign literature was wasted on out of state residents. Much of it wound up as litter or in trash cans.

Winburn is a former council member seeking a return to office this November. He served on the Ohio Civil Rights Commission under Gov. Bob Taft, and ran unsuccessfully for mayor. He held political appointments under former Democratic Gov. Dick Celeste, but switched parties after the Republicans took control of state government in 1990.

Darren LaCour, opinion and editorial editor for the student-run Xavier Newswire, found a circular tucked under his car's his windshield wiper blade, and he was none too happy to be solicited in that particular fashion. He also says his car has Missouri license plates -- a tip off he's ineligible to vote in Cincinnati. He says the Winburn camp lacked common sense.

"While Winburn might have 'leadership that gets things done for the people of Cincinnati,' he also leaves nice white messes on your car. I am prone to irrational anger over petty things, this was certainly one of them. But while it was bad enough this flyer has left a blemish on my vehicle's pristine, not washed-in-two or three months appearance, I was also irked because the people distributing these flyers did not use common sense.

'My car proudly displays Missouri license plates. And guess what? Missouri is a state, and that state in not Ohio! I live in Missouri and my car says so. Thus, the likelihood of me being registered to vote in an Ohio election, much less a Cincinnati local election, is laughable."

Ohio State Gives Thad Matta $480,000 Raise And Access To Private Jet

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- Ohio State has made the men's basketball coach it hired away from Xavier University in Cincinnati a wealthy man, a very wealthy man. Details about some new revisions to Thad Matta's contract are here. He now makes $2.5 million a year.

Ohio's Xavier University: Ann Coulter's $20,000 Fee Eclipsed By Foes Fundraising

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Xavier University said today that opponents have already raised more money for progressive causes scorned by Ann Coulter than it cost the college Republican chapter to bring her to the school. Coulter is scheduled for a speaking engagement this week.

XU said Coulter's fee was $20,000, and pointed out that gay and feminist rights groups have raked a larger amount through a Web campaign called "Counter Coulter."

In effect, Coulter has become an effective fundraiser for the left. But she costs the right money to sponsor. Is that the law of diminished returns?

The school's official news site reported:

"Coulter, known for her particular brand of anti-liberal, often rancorous commentary, speaks at 7:00 p.m. (Thursday Sept. 6). At the same time, a 'Thank You Ann' rally organized by Equality Ohio and other progressive organizations, such as the National Organization for Women, is taking place on the campus green space. The rally is being billed not as a protest but as a celebration of other viewpoints, and the money raised, which now exceeds Coulter's $20,000 speaker's fee, will be given to humanitarian-focused student groups."

XU said Coulter's fee includes cash from the College Republicans, who collected donations, along with funds from the Young America's Foundation and the college's student government association.

Ohioans Countering Coulter Rake In $$$: But Annie's Xavier U Ticket Sales Slumping

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The counter-Coulter protesters have been so successful they've set a new goal of $30,000. Meanwhile, word is seeping through circles at Xavier University in Cincinnati that tickets sales for an appearance by the blond bombastress at Cintas Center this week are bombing. So far, The Bellwether hears it has been dismally slow. Students get in free with their ID cards. But the public has to pay $5 to see Ann Coulter -- and it now looks like people plan to stay away in droves.

She speaks at 7 p.m. Thursday, a half hour before the University of Cincinnati kicks off against Oregon State in a football stadium across town from the XU campus. Many Cincinnatians seem to have decided that watching Bengals receiver Chad Johnson's alma mater take on the Bearcats will be more interesting than Coulter. The U.C. game, which is being carried by ESPN, is reportedly near a sellout -- a rare event at Nippert Stadium. Still, there has been some interest on the XU campus about the conservative huss-mistress, but it is described as meager at best.

Meanwhile, Coulter's being used as a fundraising prop by groups she has targeted with dragon-breath rhetoric. A link to give money as a way to get back at Coulter is here. Her visit is sponsored by the XU college Republicans, who seem to have come up with a $20,000 speaker's fee. If they hope to recoup the cost via ticket sales, they may take a bath. The kids -- even Republicans -- don't deserve to suffer. Coulter's become rich by lighting ideological fires across the land from her overheated mouth. She could write them a check.

Coming To Ohio: Ann Coulter Booked At Xavier University

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Xavier newswire says the shoot-from-the-lip conservative columnist with Kalashnikovs where others have tonsils is due on the Jesuit school's Cincinnati campus in early September. Ann Coulter is being brought in by the college Republican chapter, and the booking has been portrayed as quite controversial. No kidding.

Andrew Chestnut, who sits on the student-run newswire's editorial board, is not enthusiastic about Coulter's coming, nor does he think much of her ability to engage in intellectual debate.

"For those of you who don't know, Coulter is like the Michael Moore of the other side. Every stance she takes on an issue is pro-Republican and anti-Democrat, without exception. You would think this would destroy her credibility -- knowing in advance what side she will take on an issue sort of removes the element of logic from the equation -- but then again, you would also think that no one would buy supermarket tabloids. And yet they're still there."

Coulter, of course, called Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards a "faggot" earlier this year, then tried to claim she was only joking and that the word is not an anti-gay slur. Many people recoiled, some including Republicans who saw Coulter's Kalishnikovs as firing wanton shots that damaged their conservative philosophy and cause. Final note: Xavier hosted Michael Moore in 2003.

Clark Montessori High School: Ohio Has America's Only Public Montessori H.S.

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Clark Montessori is one of the best things in the United States, and it happens to be a state-supported public school in Cincinnati. It is not a charter school, or a private school. It is a public school in the city system, a magnet open to children of all races and incomes, and it is highly successful. Amazingly successful, really. Kids from the suburbs enroll at Clark, even through their parents must pay tuition.

Seldom does a senior not graduate, and it is rated excellent by the Ohio Department of Education. The graduating classes tend to walk away with millions in academic scholarships that help them pay for college, and almost all go on to university.

Two of my kids are Clarkites, and I sent them there because the school is so damn exceptional. Example: They both spent nearly two weeks of their freshman year backpacking on the Appalachian trail. And there were other adventures that introduced them to the world per the philosophy of Maria Montessori. Clark is small -- only 92 seniors picked up diplomas this year.

I'm mentioning Clark because Thursday I proposed positive posts across the Ohiosphere that would promote our state. (And I missed my own 24-hour deadline to get the post up. Why? I didn't originally intend to include myself, but decided what the heck, jump in.)

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has backed Clark and studied it, and calls the Cincinnati public Montessori exemplary.

"The small design promotes opportunities to learn the skills and values involved in teamwork and group decision-making, in long term project management, and in service to the community. These have combined to with Clark's challenging academic courses to proficiency test results that are far above state norms."

This is a public school, a big city school, and it sits there in Ohio defying all stereotypes. It has long been described as America's first and only public Montessori high school, but there may be imitators out there somewhere. And what do they say about imitation -- isn't it the highest form of flattery.

[UPDATE: 5:30 pm EDT: In a comment below, Jill of the always erudite and informed Writes Like She Talks has gently pointed out that purists may not consider the school in Cincinnati a true Montessori. There could be some room for debate because Cincinnati is experimenting with Maria Montessori's philosophy and, so far (more than 30 years) has successfully adapted it to the American standard education model. There is a a lot of additional information in this article about Xavier University's program that produces certified Montessori teachers, (one can earn a master's degree) which is somewhat pioneering and defying of educational conventions in its own right. Xavier is in Cincinnati, and no doubt because of its influence, kids in Cincinnati can start in a public pre-school program and stay with the Montessori philosophy all the way through 12th grade. I suppose Jill is technically correct. Please read what she says below in her comment.]

Adobe Founder's Concern: Asians Spending Big On Research

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Abobe Systems founder Charles Geschke stopped by Xavier University -- the Jesuit school where he picked up his masters in mathematics 44 years ago -- and warned that China and India are greatly expanding their capabilities to conduct scientific research. Geshke is a Silicon Valley giant and Internet pioneer. His company invented Acrobat Reader and Photoshop, and he openly worried the U.S. could lose its technological edge to aggressive foreign competitors because corporate and government spending on basic research is dragging.

"What keeps me up at night is where our country is in terms of spending and investment in basic research," Geschke said. "China and South Korea have increased government spending on research and development for the last seven years. There recognize that having a large share of researchers and scientists is critical for their future."

Geschke co-founded Adobe Systems in 1982. He questioned why companies are abandoning research and government has cut scientific budgets. "It's very scary. Wouldn't we better off if he had such government funded research projects as alternative energy or stem cell research? Government isn't doing it anymore."

Geschke gave a keynote address at the Xaiver business school in Cincinnati, and recalled how he was studying for a computer science Ph.D. when he heard the Pentagon wanted to switch computers from purely calculating machines to communications tools as well. He said Silicon Valley was swept up in the new research.

"That's what educated the major players in the Silicon Valley, including me," Geschke said.

He told the business school that China and Indian will account for 31% of the world's scientists by the end of this year. For now, the U.S. leads in spending on basic research, but as a total share of the economy science gets less than it does in Japan, Iceland, Sweden and Switzerland. Take out defense research and the U.S. falls to 22nd place. Xavier covered the story, too, and its version of Geschke's talk is HERE.