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A&E
From decade of dominance to unranked: Why is UM football incapable of recreating previous success?
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Julia Sanbe// Design Editor
of exercise and sport sciences. who has been at UM since the 1970s.
The problem with being as good as the Hurricanes were for as long as they were is that anything short of competing for a national title now feels like a failure.
But things have changed since the glory
For starters, Hard Rock Stadium is a far cry from the Orange Bowl, the former home stadium of the Miami Hurricanes, located in
“That was our stadium and in losing that stadium, we lost the students wanting to go out to football games,” Alvarez said. “It became a chore to go all the way up to Miami
For UM students looking for instant gratification, and living in a city like Miami where entertainment options are endless, traveling 45 minutes to Hard Rock without a guarantee Miami will win has become a
Problems with recruiting have accelerated Miami’s fall, with universities now recognizing the immense wealth of high school football talent in South Florida. When Howard Schellenberger came to UM as head coach in 1979, he upped the program’s recruiting efforts in South Florida by declaring Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm-Beach counties the “State of Miami.” Jimmy Johnson, head coach from 1984-1988, made a point to continue what Schellenberger started.
But competition has stiffened, as every Division I program now recruits players from South Florida.
“If you are a guy coming from Palmetto, South Dade, Northwestern or Central and Nick Saban flies a helicopter to your field and asks you to play football for him, I mean that’s pretty impressive,” Rothwell said.
The fact is that many other college football programs have become more attractive to potential recruits, with better fan bases, better facilities and more money to work with, not to mention recent success.
As a private school with 11,000 undergraduate students, Miami’s financial situation is different from most of the larger, public institutions that are consistently at the top of the college football rankings.
Analysts have said that problems with the program’s fan base, facilities and financial situation stem from a disconnect between administration, the athletic department and the coaches and players.
“You have an athletic department that clearly is not really showing that this is something that they are willing to try to make changes,” said ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit on College GameDay Saturday morning. “You look at the powerhouse programs, Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State — president, AD, head coach — same vision. They are aligned in their vision for what needs to happen. recruiting, budget staff, that’s what it takes. Miami doesn’t have that.”
Since 2006, Miami has averaged a 7-5 record and has had five different head coaches, with the constant turnover contributing to a decade of mediocrity.
Arts & Entertainment
CAMPUS LIFE Busy and misunderstood: A day in the life of theater students
Contributed photos
Luciana Ragolia, left, and Jenna Hochkammer, right, are senior musical theater majors at the University of Miami.
BY JARROD HOUSEKNECHT
A&E EDITOR Few college majors are more misunderstood than musical theater students. More than just acting, the University of Miami (UM) Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) musical theater program captures a high level of student talent, one that many students in other sections of the university may not understand.
Luciana Ragolia and Jenna Hochkammer, senior BFA students from Setauket, New York and Birmingham, Michigan, discussed the high-energy task of being a musical theater major with The Miami Hurricane.
Ragolia, a self-proclaimed “In the Heights” fanatic, developed her love for theater early on.
“In sixth grade, I was a gymnast but broke my ankle, so I auditioned for the school musical ‘Cinderella’ and got the lead,” Ragolia said. “It just stuck with me from there.”
Hochkammer, a fan of Broadway legend Bernadette Peters, found success at a young age, winning major performance competitions. “I won a competition in high school called ‘Access Broadway,’” Hochkammer said. “I was Miss Access Broadway. That was my moment where I thought, wow, I could do this.” Both stressed how different their college admissions processes were compared to typical students. “It takes extra steps of showing them our talent,” Ragolia said. “I got into [UM], but then I had to wait to see if I got into the program itself.” Hochkammer provided an alternative backstory, explaining she did not originally plan to apply here. “I did not apply here until after I auditioned,” Hochkammer said. “I did a walkin audition, where you don’t schedule ahead of time. Miami happened to be hosting one with a bunch of other schools where students walk in over the course of days, so I went.” Ragolia discussed the types of classes the major covers in-depth, some of which may seem unorthodox to students in other majors.
“Starting as freshman, we have music theory, then voice and speech learning about different accents and dialects, movement classes, lectures about the anatomy of vocal cords, acting, singing for the stage and dancing,” Ragolia said. “As seniors, we have classes about auditioning in the real world, branding ourselves, marketing and how to film ourselves to send out to professionals and put together a showcase.”
UM’s musical theater professors bring talent to the classroom, Ragolia said, as many have backgrounds in Broadway productions and years of performing experience.
“Our professors are theater people, which is a very specific brand of human,” Hochkammer said. “I’ve had some of my professors every semester since I was a freshman, so you establish close, professional relationships that you don’t get in other departments.”
Having the same classmates and professors for four years provides a sense of community for BFA students, Ragolia said.
“It’s a high-school feel, because it’s not as many people,” Ragolia said. “We’ve known each other since before we got here, but having an immediate family is one of the reasons why I’m still at this school. I know if I was stranded on the side of the road that at least one person, if not all twenty of them, would save me.”
Hochkammer echoed Ragolia’s thoughts.
“We’re all so supportive,” Hochkammer said. “It’s not easy to stand in front of your classmates, performing a piece on an eating disorder, bearing your soul. People discount that all the time. Think about how much anxiety public speaking gives other people. That’s my everyday life.”
A common misconception that both students stressed is the difficulty of balancing their work and personal lives with their majors.
“During rehearsals, I don’t really have much of a personal life,” Hochkammer said. “We typically have class everyday from about 9 [a.m.] to 5 [p.m.] or even 6 [p.m.], at night, but at 7 [p.m.] you’re expected at rehearsal. Rehearsals go until 11 [p.m.]. It’s just crazy busy and hectic, because the same professors teaching classes go and spend all night with you at rehearsals.”
Ragolia said that majoring in musical theater is not for the weak of heart, given the hectic schedule.
“This major is something you should only go into if you are super passionate,” Ragolia said. “If it’s not running through your veins, you won’t be able to keep up.”
Ragolia went on to address the stigma of being a theater student and how students outside the program may view them.
“They think we’re weird,” Ragolia said. “They think we sit in circles and yell at each other, following by singing and dancing, but we have work to do. We still have to get a grade in every class, so on top of the performance aspect, I have to write essays to fulfill that.”
Hockhammer emphasized how difficult theater studies is compared to its perception.
“People think we do nothing, which is crazy,” Hockhammer said. “I’m still expected to write a thesis paper and do coursework for other academic classes outside the major. We do the bulk of our work in class, but that means I can’t zone out. I have to be actively participating.”
Both young actresses made it clear performing is not the only career path for theater students.
“Teaching is probably the biggest path, but there’s many different jobs,” Ragolia said. “There’s producing, writing, casting. Most of my classmates want to do more than just performing.”
“I’m currently working at GablesStage, a theater in Miami at the Biltmore [Hotel],’’ Hockhammer said. “I’m learning about arts administration, what it takes to run a theater, cast and produce shows. It’s an outdated idea that you can only be an actor. During the pandemic, I applied to modeling gigs, film and TV, things I never thought I’d do.”
Both actresses can be seen onstage in performances later this semester as Ragolia triumphantly returns as Sonia in “Godspell,” and Hockhammer tackles the role of The Baker’s Wife in “Into the Woods.”
ENTERTAINMENT UM hosts Latin Billboard Awards, students brave rainy weather for a glimpse of celebrities
BY RACHELL SOLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Flocks of University of Miami students hurried to the Watsco Center hoping to catch a glimpse of the largest names in Latin music, full of excitement and anticipation despite continuous surges of strong winds and heavy rain.
The long-awaited Billboard Latin Music Awards were hosted at UM’s Watsco Center on Thursday, Sept. 23, with dazzling appearances from musicians including Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez.
The annual event recognizing the best artists in Latin music was televised and streamed live by Telemundo. Artists including Karol G and Camila Cabello were spotted emerging from limousines and SUVs, as the crowd of students cheered and snapped photos.
The award’s one-year limit for eligible work was expanded to 18 months after the cancellation of its 2020 edition during the pandemic, while the Tour of the Year Award was excluded entirely. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, tickets were limited and sold out quicker than expected, giving students no choice but to stand under the rain to see their favorite stars.
Kiara Gaviria, a freshman accounting major, was among the many students camping out in front of the Watsco Center after a frenzied hour of searching around the building for the perfect view of the red carpet entrance. She explained how her excitement to see someone as popular as Bad Bunny was motivation enough to stick it out through the gloomy weather.
“It was definitely worth the hour of walking to find the right spot to lookout,” Gaviria said.
Inside the Watsco Center, viewers enjoyed a night of surprises and heart-felt tributes. Cabello opened the show with a high-energy performance of her latest single “Don’t Go Yet,” while Cortez closed out the show with an impressive rendition of his song “En Mi Cuarto.”
The late Dominican musician Johnny Ventura was recognized for his legacy in Merengue music while the work of the late Mexican star Juan Gabriel was celebrated through a tribute of his hits.
This year, Puerto Rican-native singer and rapper Daddy Yankee was honored with Billboard’s Hall of Fame Award, marking an important night for Reggaeton music.
The night’s most anticipated category, Artist of the Year, was awarded to Latin trap and hip-hop musician Bad Bunny, known for hits including “Yo Perreo Sola,” “Yonaguni” and “I Like It,” featuring Cardi B and J Balvin. Bad Bunny also received the award for Best Latin Album for his project titled “YHLQMDLG.”
Other popular artists who returned home winners of the night’s coveted awards include Karol G, The Black Eyed Peas, Prince Royce and Maluma.
Although the excitement and laughter surrounding the Watsco Center’s gates signaled that standing in the rain was worth it, students can hope that next year they will be able to access seats inside if UM decides to serve as host again.
CAMPUS LIFE Cinematic Arts Commission shows free films on campus every week
BY LAYOMI ADEOJO
ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR The Cinematic Arts Commission (CAC), one of Hurricane Production’s seven committees, hosts weekly movies every Wednesday and Saturday at the Lakeside Village Auditorium.
As an organization, CAC strives to provide UM students with the highest level of motion picture entertainment and the best on-campus movie theatre experience possible. Beyond movie premieres, CAC also gives its members the chance to learn about movie programming, promotion, and presentation.
In addition to exclusive giveaways and guaranteed seats at each movie screening, committee members also get to select which movies are shown each semester, a combination of eleven films recently screened in theaters and two throwback films.
According to Diego Ortega Wall, a senior majoring in Business Technology & Motion Pictures and the chair of CAC, students interested in joining can learn more by adding the organization on Engage, attending their weekly 8 p.m. meeting on the third floor of Shalala, or coming to one of the movie screenings.
“We want to encourage all students who love movies to feel welcome in our organization and at our screenings,” Wall said.
Check out the full list of movies showing this semester here:
Tel Aviv University Sackler School of Medicine
New York State/American Program
The Sackler School of Medicine-New York State/ American
Program offers an outstanding four year medical school curriculum, taught in English, leading to the M.D. degree. The Program is chartered by the Regents of the University of the State of New York and is accredited by the State of Israel.
Students do their clerkships and electives in the hospitals in Israel, the U.S. and Canada. One of these hospitals, Sheba Medical Center, was selected by Newsweek magazine as one of the top 10 hospitals around the world. Graduates participate in the National Resident Matching Program and return to the United States for their residency training. Since its commencement in 1976, over 2,000 alumni have completed their residency training at the most distinguished hospitals in the United States and Canada. www.sacklerschool.org provides extensive information about Sackler SOM. For further information, e-mail sacklermed@sacklermed.org
DIVING Springing globally: Gullstrand returns to UM following lifelong Olympic dream
Josh Halper // Photo Editor
Freshman Emma Gullstrand prepares for a dive during practice on Monday, Sept. 13 at the University Center pool.
BY CAL FRIEDMAN & WYATT KOPELMAN
EDITORIAL STAFF
Springing off the diving boards at the University of Miami is something many dream of yet so few can achieve.
Coming to Coral Gables from Sweden was the best choice she made in her diving career, but she didn’t have much time to settle in to her new life in South Florida. Instead, freshman Emma Gullstrand packed up for two journeys of a lifetime.
“She basically got here and within a couple of days, we had to go dive in a meet just so she could qualify to go to the qualifying meet for the NCAA Championships,” Miami head diving coach Randy Ableman said. “It was just this huge whirlwind of her coming from another country and being thrown into the situation.”
A trip to the NCAA Championships for a freshman diver is plenty memorable in any year. And yet Gullstrand was primed for more success upon realizing there was more to come in a year like 2021.
Following years of training in the 3-meter springboard with her national team in Sweden and competing in European Diving Championships, the accumulated experience and hard work paid off. Gullstrand’s journey to the Olympic stage in Tokyo that same summer became official. “I was there for the Olympic qualification a month before, so I knew the pool and it felt kind of like home,” Gullstrand said about arriving in Tokyo. “We didn’t have so many spectators because of COVID, which was kind of okay because we don’t have many spectators anyway in diving.” The legendary experience of competing in the same world-class aquatic facility as the world’s marquee diving talent was alone enough to cherish. “I tried to not have any expectations, which is hard,” Gullstrand said. “It was a great experience to just be around all these amazing athletes, not just the Swedish ones, but from all around the world. It was really cool to walk outside the village and say, ‘Okay, this is just amazing.’”
The cross-globe adventure wasn’t guaranteed, however. Similar to qualifying for the collegiate level’s grandest stage in the NCAA Championships, Gullstrand was again forced to prove herself, earning her way onto the Swedish national team while the waiting part of the process lingered.
“It was kind of a rough month there with just practicing, but then when I got the news, I said, I’m going to go, and I’m going to do my best and try to not have too many expectations, because it’s the first time and it’s just going to be fun,” Gullstrand said.
Gullstrand said Sweden’s national coach, Ulrika Knape, called her on a Monday morning to tell her she would be going to Tokyo.
“I couldn’t tell anyone at all,” Gullstrand said. “It was very funny because every time I got some kind of news, every morning practice I had after that, Randy’s asking me, ‘Did you get any news?”
From making a splash in the European Championships to the Olympic Games, Gullstrand leaped a learning curve of preparing for competition against the nation’s best talent. But the growing reality of Gullstrand’s success didn’t always appear visible.
Her freshman year at UM started in remote fashion from Jönköping, a seaside town in southern Sweden, due to ongoing pandemic travel restrictions, which prevented travel to the United States. And when Gullstrand finally touched down in Miami in January, a particular change was apparent: a new coach.
“The guys kind of took me on and they supported me through this whole thing, this month with no news if I knew I was going to go or not. It was kind of rough, but they’ve been here and they were supporting me, and it’s been amazing and I’m so grateful that I actually got here,” Gullstrand said.
Ableman, who watched Miami’s diving program load up with Olympians in over 30 years, knew there wasn’t a better relationship to expand upon.
“She’s had one coach in her whole career and he was a great diver here in the U.S. and someone that I looked up to,” Ableman said.
Even though Gullstrand hailed from another corner of the Atlantic Ocean, the coaching staff and her teammates at UM quickly made her accustomed to the character and uniqueness of the Hurricane family.
“She’s got a good mix of being a very hard worker, always early to practice,” Ableman said. “One of the first kids there and the last to leave. She takes things very seriously but at the same time, she’s extremely funny and easy to talk to and be around. We spend so much time together.
We had just had a very short amount of time on the athletics calendar to start working together. She’s like the hardest working athlete I’ve ever had,” Ableman said. “It was just so cool how she dealt with the adversity of the whole situation in leaving her country.”
When added to hard work, plowing through adversity tends not to go unnoticed, especially when her family is fascinated to see each step from multiple time zones away.
“My grandpa’s absolutely my biggest fan, so my grandma calls me every time I compete or every time I go somewhere on FaceTime, and I show them around a little bit,” Gullstrand said. “They’re just so happy that I got here.”
Upon her return to UM, the bar has already been raised for Gullstrand’s prowess to lift Ableman — the multi-time ACC Diving Coach of the Year — and one of the nation’s most premier programs, towards recaptured national success.
“This will be her first full season and our season’s so long. We started basically training on the first day of school and we don’t have our championships until the middle of March,” Ableman said. “So, we’re really going to work on the little things down the road that will hopefully pay off for her.”
