The Miami Hurricane: March 6, 2024

A&E staff predicts Oscar winners and snubs

Breaking up with spring break: What students need to know News

Club hockey’s miraculous journey to the national championship Sports // Page 12

The

Club Ice Hockey team celebrats a goal agianst

at Kendall Ice Arena on

on their run to the national championship game.

4 more months of silence, another vigil held for Gaza

BY JENNY JACOBY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

For the past four months, war has continued to rage and claim thousands more innocent lives in Palestine. For these same four months, Arab and Palestinian students’ demands for the University of Miami administration have remained the same: acknowledge us.

They have continued to be met with silence.

This inspired junior civil engineering major Ramsey Shihadeh, alongside the Arab Students Union (ABSU) and ’Canes for Palestine, to hold another vigil in honor of the 30,000 people lost in Gaza.

“After fve months of basically genocide, and them [UM] not having said a thing, I think it really isolated a lot of us here on campus, and we all were feeling alone,” Shihadeh said.

Held at the Rock Plaza on Feb. 27, pictures and stories of children killed lined the wall and candles illuminated the stairs. Similar to the vigil held four months prior, the candles were lit in honor of all those killed, except this time each candle represented 314 people, not 64.

“These past few months have been pretty diffcult for a lot of us here on campus. We faced a lot of harassment for outspoken support of Palestine. The lack of acknowledgement of Palestinian suffering has left a lot of us feeling like we sometimes don’t belong on this campus and that the University couldn’t care less about us,” Shihadeh said to close the event.

In response to Shihadeh’s closing remarks at the vigil, Patricia A. Whitely, senior vice president for student affairs and alumni engagement, provided The Miami Hurricane with a statement.

“The University is committed

to providing a positive and engaging experience to each student who attends our institution. We understand that each student is individually infuenced by events involving their family, friends, country, and personal experiences. The confict between Israel and Hamas has impacted a number of our students. We continue to connect with students who want to share how it has affected them and how we can offer assistance. The Division of Student Affairs has overseen events on campus that have let students express themselves and their opinions, which is important to our mission of promoting positive discourse of divergent opinions in a respectable manner. We are always available for further dialogue,” Whitely said.

Just a week earlier Shihadeh and other student-leaders from ABSU and Canes for Palestine sat down with Whitely, UM President Julio Frenk and other

“The past few months have been pretty diffcult for us. We faced a lot of harassment for outspoken support of Palestine.”

Ramsey Shihadeh Former President, Arab Students Union

administrators to discuss the current climate on campus for Arab and Palestinian students and how the University can improve it.

“What we want is to see public support for us. We want to see you guys [UM] not afraid to put out a statement and allow the campus community and the rest of the South Florida community to know that the University of Miami also cares about Palestinian students,” Shihadeh said.

On Oct. 9, 2023, Frenk sent an email to the UM community with the subject line “In Solidarity with Israel,” following the Hamas attack that killed about 1,200 Israeli’s. The email made a brief mention of Palestinians, Druze and Bedouins but primarily focused on the University’s ties to Israel. ‘Canes for Palestine and ABSU want to see something similar for Gaza.

“We weren’t condemning the email that they made where they said they stood unequivocally with Israel. All we were asking was for another email that equally acknowledges our struggle and shows that they stand with the Palestinian community as well, and condemn civilian deaths. That’s all we ask for.”

In place of the University’s silence, Shihadeh and fellow students have used student-led avenues to give the issue a presence

on campus, primarily through events like the vigil.

Shihadeh began the event with the story of Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old girl that was trapped in a car with six dead relatives before being killed herself in what is believed to be an Israel tank attack. The audio from the calls between Rajab and the Palestine Red Crescent, a humanitarian organization working with the International Committee of the Red Cross, were played aloud. Then, the sound of Rajab’s screams and gunfre pierced through the inaudible crowd.

The Israel Defense Forces have stated they are “unfamiliar with the incident.”

The event also included the reading of poem “If I Must Die” by Refaat Alareer, written weeks before he was killed in an airstrike, an address from Imam Nasir Ahmad and a statement of support from lawyer Jalal Shehadeh who spent most of his childhood in the West Bank.

“We can’t bring back the 13,000 children that have been killed by Israel in the last fve months. But we can choose to never forget. We can choose to allow their lives not to be lost in vain. We can choose to allow their memories to fuel our advocacy. And as we continue to move towards a free Palestine.” Shehadeh said.

Charlotte Deangelis//Contributing Photgrapher Attendees light each other’s candles at a vigil honoring deceased Palestinians at The Rock Plaza on Feb. 27.

‘Breaking up with Spring Break’: What students need to know

BY GRACE TYLEE STAFF WRITER

With an infux of over 40,000 tourists for spring break in South Beach last year, the Miami Beach Police Department has struggled to maintain security in the neighborhood during one of its busiest times of the year.

Having dealt with hundreds of arrests, DUIs, gun confscations and rowdy crowds in the past, the City of Miami Beach is cracking down on crime this spring break to ensure safety for tourists and locals alike.

In the city’s recently published public service announcement, precautions including bag checks, DUI checkpoints, curfews and even $100 parking fees are set to be enforced throughout March, with some focus on “high-impact periods,” referencing every weekend during the month between Thursday-Sunday.

In anticipation of the chaos that has struck Miami Beach in past years, the following is how MBPD and the City of Miami Beach are planning to tackle any potential threats to safety.

Gun Violence & Permitless Carry

Last spring break, two people were killed in relation to gun violence on the streets of Miami Beach.

Over the past few years, MBPD has also confscated hundreds of guns

brought in by out-of-towners, and the department is now looking to limit as much violence as possible.

As of July 1, 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s permitless concealed carry law also passed in the state, allowing the majority of residents and visitors to carry weapons without a government-issued license. This has posed a new threat to the City of Miami Beach, leading the local government to create measures restricting the presence of guns as much as possible in the community.

A heightened police presence is expected at Miami Beach throughout the month, including reinforcement from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol, Miami-Dade Police Department, Miami-Dade Schools Police Department, MBPD’s Marine Patrol and other municipal law enforcement agencies.

Checkpoints and bag checks at beach access points will also be implemented throughout the city, specifcally during “high-impact” weekends.

Alcohol & Drug Control

South Beach is also known to become extremely popular at night during these busy weekends in March, creating an attraction for alcohol and drug use.

This year’s new measures include strict regulations on alcohol or drug possession, with liquor stores in the Entertainment District now being required to close as early as 8 p.m.

The consumption of alcohol, narcotics and marijuana is already prohibited on the beach. The City of Miami Beach also has a new law, effective Jan. 1, 2023, that makes the smoking of cigarettes and other tobacco products illegal, resulting in fnes between $100-500 or up to 60 days in jail.

Driving Under the Infuence (DUI) sobriety checkpoints will also be placed in the beach town, specifcally along 5th Street on March 8-9 and March 15-16.

For some students, the beach seems less appealing when crowded with tourists for spring break, like for freshman Aarya Shaikh. Yet she plans to simply minimize her time there while still getting to experience all Miami Beach has to offer.

“I’m going home for the frst fve days of break and then heading to South Beach with a couple of friends to spend the next fve days down here,” Shaikh said. “I think it will be packed with students and prices will be much higher, but overall manageable.”

Parking & Transportation

As the city gears up for the infux

of visitors during the upcoming spring break season, Miami Beach authorities are implementing a series of stringent measures to manage parking and transportation effectively.

During high-impact periods, a fat parking rate of $30 will be enforced at city parking garages and surface lots, with that price rising to $100. The fat parking rate does not apply to Miami Beach residents, access card holders, permit holders or employees with proper identifcation.

In light of parking limitations, visitors are encouraged to explore

alternative transportation options such as public transit, ridesharing services, or utilizing the city’s free trolley service, which will operate on an enhanced schedule during high-impact periods.

As the city strives to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for residents and visitors alike, cooperation with parking and transportation regulations is being prioritized by MBPD. By planning ahead and adhering to these measures, spring breakers can contribute to a smoother and more enjoyable visit to Miami Beach, if they choose to do so.

UM welcomes 14th annual reinventing Higher education conference

BY ETHAN MANNELLO STAFF WRITER

Each year, hundreds of educational leaders and experts from around the world gather to discuss the most pressing topics impacting the global education system. This year, the event will take place at the University of Miami for the 14th annual Reinventing Higher Education conference.

The conference will take place on Mar. 7 and 8 at the Newman Alumni Center on the Coral Gables Campus.

The conference’s theme, “Connecting The Dots,” , signifes a reunion of the most important members of higher education around the world to ,“address the role of universities as global

agents of innovation and will explore the need for education systems to be catalysts for positive change in our societies,” according to their website.

IE University of Madrid will be partnering with the University of Miami to host the conference, co-chaired by Julio Frenk, president of the University of Miami, and Santiago Íñiguez, president of IE University.

Frenk also expressed his belief in the importance of the conference.

“Preparing the next generation of university students includes investing more in research and assessment. We must advance the science of learning, and perfect the art of teaching,” Frenk said.

“I look forward to welcoming fellow leaders in higher education to our

Coral Gables Campus so that we may engage in critical conversations and reimagine the student experience for an ever-changing world.”

Laura Kohn-Wood, dean of the School of Education and Human Development, who represented the University of Miami at the 2023 Reinventing Higher Education conference, and Kathi Kern, vice provost for educational innovation at the University of Miami, worked closely with Frenk to make the event happen.

“It wasn’t a typical conference in the sense that you had a presenter and then the audience, like a one-way dialogue,” Kohn-Wood said. “It really attempted to create a conversation both with the panels and also engaging the audience.”

Kohn-Wood hopes to bring this same feeling and more to this year’s conference. To do this, those setting up the conference have added some new features.

“One of the things we’re trying to do this year is introduce what we’re calling provocation pills. These are short 10 to 15-minute sessions, in between the panels, where we highlight some really unique or innovative thing that’s happening in higher education,” Kohn-Wood said. “We have a couple of our university faculty presenting these provocation pills.”

This event serves as an opportunity not just for members of the University of Miami to learn about higher education around the world, but also to share best practices and new devel-

opments that they expect to transform the system for new generations of students.

Kohn-Wood believes “Connecting

The Dots” is a crucial theme to this year’s conference, especially with rising skepticism of higher education.

“The real question of the conference is how we can connect all of the kinds of things that are happening in higher education. People questioning the value, the introduction of AI and content being readily available on the internet.” Kohn-Wood said. “How can we reinvent what we do in the classroom in higher education to really amplify and allow students to engage with the content in ways that aren’t possible when you’re just googling something on your phone.”

Alexandra Fisher // Co-Photo Editor Man looks at the menu posted in front of Elevent Street Diner in Miami Beach, FL.

UM hosts gun safety rountable with Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and Gabby Giffords

BY TRENTON CAMPBELL STAFF WRITER

At a roundtable with former congresswoman Gabby Giffords and exHouse Representative Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, students discussed pressing issues like gun violence and resilience. The urgency of the topics emphasized the need for proactive dialogue and decisive action from more than just individuals in Congress, calling on students to help fght for gun law reform.

Giffords is a living testament to resilience after surviving a gunshot to the head in 2011 at an “On Your Corner” constituent event in Tucson, Arizona; she had to learn how to walk and talk all over again.

At age 24, Powell lost her father to gun violence when he

was shot and killed outside his home in Ecuador.

“It was that traumatic incident that changed our lives forever and led me and Giffords to continually fght for gun law reform in Congress,” said Powell.

As they joined forces in a roundtable discussion on Feb, 28th, there was a sense of urgency to share their mission to confront the alarming surge of gun violence in schools. Together they shared a compelling narrative of survival, advocacy and determination, binding these two women in a powerful partnership against a backdrop of societal unrest.

The Gun Safety Roundtable welcomed over 20 students and student organizations to listen and voice their concerns about the dangers of gun violence.

“I think this was a great way to

start talking about gun safety on college campuses because I feel like it’s not talked about enough. This roundtable discussion is a frst step in starting the conversation about gun violence at the University and what students at UM can do to help this cause,” said Karrington Lawson, a sophomore double majoring in political science and history.

Also in attendance were faculty members including political science professor and head of the UM Hanley Democracy Center, Dr. Gregory Koger, as well as members of the Young College Democrats at the University of Miami, who helped plan the roundtable.

Powell is currently running for a U.S. Senate seat against former Florida governor and current senator, Rick Scott, while Giffords runs an organization in her

UM sororities and fraternities celebrate Greek Week the Hunger Games Style

BY LAUREN WHITESELL STAFF WRITER

Philanthropy is all it takes to convince fraternities to participate in elaborate dance routines–and maybe a little friendly competition.

From Feb. 25 to March 1, the social Greek Letter Organizations in the Interfraternity Council, National Panhellenic Conference and National PanHellenic Council, participated in Greek Week, a series of competitions to increase the visibility and unity of Greek Life on the University of Miami campus. GLOs were divided into “Districts,” or teams, to ft this year’s theme of The Hunger Games.

Greek Week is managed by a variety of students on its executive board, including the head chair, co-chairs and secretary who oversee the majority of the week’s events. The

board also includes students who oversee the blood drive, spirit and participation, merchandise and specifc events, along with team captains for each GLO.

Jordan Tisdale, a sophomore musical theater major and the director of campus activities for the sorority Chi Omega and organizer of Chi Omega’s participation in Greek Week, has been working since the beginning of the semester to get her chapter prepared and has enjoyed seeing everyone get involved.

“I’ve loved seeing everyone participate. I’ve been getting so many pictures and messages of how much fun girls have been having at each event,” Tisdale said.

For each GLO member who participated in Greek Week events, their team received a certain number of “points.” If certain team members were unable to participate in an event, they were

“I am grateful to go to school everyday because I know not everyday is promised or guaranteed”

Karington Lawson

name dedicated to saving lives from gun violence.

Giffords and Powell also had the opportunity to ask the student guest speakers about their experiences with gun violence.

Powell asked Emily Dazinger, a junior political science student and fnance intern for Powell’s ongoing Senate campaign, to describe how gun violence has affected growing up in their generation and culture.

about what individuals like Powell and Giffords can do to help make students’ voices feel seen and heard surrounding the gun violence dilemma.

“Having student-led meetings and discussions with elected offcials would help me and my peers feel seen, as we can discuss issues about gun violence together,” said Miguel Blas, a freshman computer science major.

able to check in to the event to help their team earn points. Teams received bonus points if 60-70% of their team members signed in.

Greek Week kicked off with a feld day on the Foote Green on Feb. 26, where GLOs competed in activities such as tug-of-war, capture the fag, water balloon dodgeball and a potato sack race.

The next day, Chick-fl-A sandwiches were sold and all proceeds were donated to Habitat for Humanity. That same day, the Talent Show portion of the competition took place at Lakeside Patio. The Stand Forever ticket, which includes three students who were elected last week to be the 2024-2025 Student Government president, vice president and treasurer, were invited to judge the talent show.

“It comes down to something as simple as someone popping a bag in the cafeteria and everyone freezing and being subjected to monthly and even bimonthly training drills and shooting drills,” Dazinger said. “And it’s the matter that sometimes you hug your parents when you go to school, and you don’t know if you’ll be able to say bye to them again.”

Powell asked the same question of Lawson.

“I am grateful to go to school every day because I know not every day is promised or guaranteed. I was in private school my whole life,” Lawson said.

“And after the Marjory Stoneman Stoneman Douglas shooting in 2018, I remember having resource offcers on campus, which made me question why schools can’t be a safe space for students to grow and learn anymore.”

Dazinger and Lawson’s comments were followed by a discussion among other students

“Listening to students’ voices and concerns by magnifying their voices,” were more common answers from many of the other students in the room who were in attendance.

Powell recommended that a way for students to help take part in their campus safety is to report anything that seems suspicious and let anyone know about any safety concerns they might have by using their voices.

Before the roundtable ended, Giffords wanted everyone in the room to leave with a powerful message that students could use when fghting for reform.

“Stay passionate, courageous and be your absolute best,’’ and to continue pushing for gun violence reform through the power of voting and informing other students on campus” said Giffords, as she explained to students that they should continue being resilient.

Visit the Giffords website and Powell’s website for more details on gun violence reform.

Still, I rise: Unveilling the Whitely Women’s Leadership Symposium

BY ANYA WELLER STAFF WRITER

Surrounded by female trailblazers, students recently joined together to participate in informative workshops, network, and learn about women’s leadership in honor of Women’s History Month.

On Saturday, March 2, the 11th annual Whitely Women’s Leadership Symposium was held in the Shalala Student Center. This year, the event revolved around the theme, “Still, I Rise.”

“All of you are committed to being here because you are going to rise up,” said Dr. Patricia Whitely, the senior vice president of student affairs and host of the annual symposium.

Since its initiation by the Butler Center for Service and Leadership in 2011, Dr. Whitely has been heavily involved with the symposium. The Butler Center was founded with the goal of being a catalyst for stu-

dents to inspire social change, and the goal of the symposium is doing just that for female students.

“I think it is important to have space for women, who are up-andcoming student leaders at the University of Miami, to hear from role models that have had an interesting and challenging journey before them,” said Whitely.

After opening remarks from Whitely, students heard from Luisa Santos, a representative from District 9 on the Miami-Dade School Board for Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

Santos became fuent in English just a year after moving to Miami from Bogotá, Colombia, thanks to her English education growing up in Miami-Dade County.

Despite discovering that she was undocumented in high school, Santos persisted in her studies and went on to study at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

“I thought I had it all fgured out but realized there was a very limited

path,” Santos said. “I had to not let this defne who I am. I had to carve my own path.”

Attendees also had the opportunity to attend workshops ranging from personal fnance to advocacy and activism.

The hosts of these workshops included advocacy groups and members of the student program, Enough. Established in 2021, Enough strives to create an empowering and uplifting community for women of color on campus. After being invited to the symposium for the frst time this year, student leaders from the program hosted a workshop on imposter syndrome. Especially common among females and minorities, imposter syndrome is the experience of not feeling successful internally, even when performing very highly externally.

“I think Enough brings in people who are willing to learn and then they can go outside and teach others,” said junior Kevmely Antione, a member of the planning team for

Enough.

Madison Rodas, associate director of multicultural affairs at UM, emphasized the importance of creating a space for women to have important conversations about what they are passionate about, and more importantly, how they can bring this to the rest of their community.

“You want to create the space for other women to come in and feel like they belong,” Rodas said. “The fact that there is a symposium that’s centering women is something that already attests to the fact that there are women that are wanting to create this space for you.”

The 11 female student members of the Whitely Women’s Leadership Symposium committee spent the entirety of the fall semester planning this past weekend’s symposium. The committee includes Ashley Babulal, Illiana Bennett, Sydney Corrodus, Marina Deane-Gonazalez, Zina Martinez, Leslie Diaz, Maggie Roberts, Krystelle Emogene, Eliza Lee, Keira Hamilton and Emma

Tews.

“I came to the symposium my freshman year. It was so inspiring. During my sophomore year, I applied to stuff that I was lacking the confdence to do my freshman year. This year, I applied to be part of the committee. It’s a full circle moment,” said junior Sydney Corrodus, workshop chair of the symposium committee.

The symposium concluded with a networking event, where students were able to converse with female experts in felds ranging from law to psychology.

Ashley Babulal, a junior and the co-chair of the symposium committee, helped plan this event with the hope that women would continue to foster these skills in their respective communities.

“I hope attendees get an opportunity to network with women, along with being able to uplift and empower themselves,” said Babulal. “I hope this event builds a community of women back on campus.”

UM housing crisis deepens as many students fear the worst

BY ETHAN MANNELLO STAFF WRITER

Frustration is growing within the student body after the university’s housing sold out within a few hours early this spring, leaving hundreds of students without guaranteed housing for the upcoming academic year.

Rising sophomores were eligible to apply for housing in both Lakeside Village and Eaton Residential College, but with thousands of students looking to secure housing in either of these on-campus dorms, many ended up with no housing at all.

“The housing process at UM is very diffcult and depends on the appointment time you are given,” Trenton Campbell, a freshman majoring in political science and journalism, said. “I was not lucky enough to get housing so I have to be put on a waitlist, with no guarantee if I will get off the waitlist.”

Campbell originally selected to live in Lakeside Village, but is

now stuck on a waitlist hoping a room opens up.

The process to select housing began Feb. 5 when the application opened, and undergraduate students seeking housing had six days to fll out the application and submit a $500 deposit.

Upon submitting the deposit, students waited about a week to be given their appointment time to select their housing on Feb. 23.

According to the housing website, students receive their appointment times through random selection by the housing department.

Before appointment times are given, students group themselves into groups of one, two, three or four, depending on the size of the apartment they want. Then, that entire group is assigned a time to select their housing.

Groups of three and four students got the earliest times, but were only able to see housing units that correspond to their group size. Groups of one and two followed being able to see

housing units for their size group as well as larger groups willing to accept roommates.

“If you get a late appointment time, you’re probably not getting housing,” Campbell said.

Miguel Blas, another freshman majoring in computer science and mathematics, felt disheartened after the diffculty and competitiveness of the entire process.

“The housing process at UM is very diffcult and not promised. With the demands for the Lakeside housing option, it became really competitive,” Blas said.

“Many students are forced to get off-campus housing or wait for any chance they might get for an open room.”

Because of this reality, some students aren’t even trying to get on-campus housing.

Betsy Muller, a freshman majoring in fnance, is one of those students.

“My friends and I didn’t even try for Lakeside, because we heard it wasn’t worth it,” Muller said. “We decided to get Vox in-

stead and it was really easy.”

Vox is an off-campus apartment complex located in South Miami, about a mile away from campus.

According to the University of Miami’s Housing and Residential Life website, once a student moves off campus, they cannot move back on campus. Therefore, Muller will not be able to apply to live at University Village her junior or senior year, which is usually an option for students in upperclassman standing.

Having issues obtaining housing is not abnormal for students at the University of Miami.

In 2023, The Miami Hurricane covered students who, despite having early appointment times and following all of the guidelines, did not receive housing. They were then forced to sit on a waitlist or fnd off-campus housing.

The waitlist did end up clearing, but it was because many students dropped off it.

Students rang the same tune in 2022 when hearing horror stories

of logging onto the housing portal to fnd no rooms available was common.

Many even fnd the whole process confusing. Sebastian Gonzalez is a freshman majoring in public relations who will be living as a resident assistant in Centennial Village next year, but he is still disappointed in the university.

“I just don’t understand how sophomore housing isn’t guaranteed, especially at a school like the University of Miami,” said Gonzalez.

Gonzalez’s confusion is shared by many and it continues year after year.

This housing crisis for rising sophomores is not new for the University of Miami and every year the administration is unable to complete the process without facing a negative reaction from students.

Whether students are sitting on a waitlist or searching for off campus housing, they are dealing with the same issues many students dealt with before them.

Beyoncé topped country charts, but are country fans actually listening?

BY KATIE KARLSON STAFF WRITER

Country folk used to settle their disputes at the downtown saloon, but today they battle it out on the Billboard charts.

During the Verizon 2024 Super Bowl commercial, Beyoncé broke the internet with the release of two new songs as a promotion for her upcoming country album Renaissance: Act II.

Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em,” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Songs and topped the Hot Country Songs chart. Her other release, “16 Carriages,” appeared as No. 9 on the Hot Country Songs and No. 38 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. Most fans were ecstatic about the new songs and their success, but for some, the songs’ high rankings on country charts are a point of contention.

As a fellow Houstonian, I would totally line

dance to Beyoncé’s new songs and consider them to be country. However, Beyoncé is not traditionally a country artist and doesn’t have an established fan base in the genre.

Her songs should be eligible for the Hot Country Songs chart, as they incorporate many traditional elements of the genre, but shouldn’t have debuted as high as they did. Billboard’s method for ranking country songs is a large reason her songs charted so high.

Billboard remodeled its genre-charts methodology in 2012, and now the Hot R&B/HipHop Songs and Hot Country Songs charts take their data solely from the all-genre Hot 100. Any song on the all-genre Hot 100 that’s classifed as country is automatically placed on the Hot Country Songs chart and the songs remain in the order seen on the allgenre chart.

The problem with this change is that the Hot Country Songs chart no longer accurately represents what country radios and country fans are actually playing. Instead, the country chart now refects what the general population is listening to.

Artists like Beyoncé who have an already-

established fan base are automatically going to receive a larger amount of streams than a niche, lesser-known country artist.

While Beyoncé’s songs deserve to chart the all-genre Hot 100, she worked for her streams after all, “Texas Hold ‘Em” shouldn’t have topped the Hot Country chart.

Billboard needs to reevaluate its selection process. None of the genre-specifc charts should be based solely on the all-genre charts. Naturally, there will be overlap, but Billboard should source their data from radio stations and statistics from streaming apps.

Just because a Beyoncé fan listens to her country songs doesn’t mean that country listeners are streaming Beyoncé’s country songs more than Morgan Wallen or Zach Bryan.

Typical country fans don’t associate Beyoncé with country, which was highlighted when a program director for an Oklahoma country station declined a request to play “Texas Hold ‘Em.”

It was later revealed that he was unaware of her new songs. I didn’t know she had released country songs until a few days later either, and I’m an avid country listener.

Beyoncé’s songs may not have the prominent acoustic guitar people are used to when they think of country music, but her releases still deserve to be considered country.

Country music has roots in Black culture and “Texas Hold ‘Em” features elements of traditional country music. For instance, Rhiannon Giddens, a Black folk music artist, was featured playing the banjo. The banjo was brought to America from West Africa via the transatlantic slave trade and holds deep ties to Black culture.

Due to these references, fans theorize that Beyoncé’s three-part Renaissance album centers around going back to where historically Black genres began and reassociating them with Black culture. Renaissance: Act I was inspired by 1970s house music and disco, both of which were popular styles in Black queer communities. Act II focused on country music.

Beyoncé also incorporated modern country charm into her songs with her cowboy hat and Texas twang. Beyoncé and her recent songs are country through and through, there ain’t no doubt about it.

The U.S. needs to change its approach for children online

BY ETHAN MANNELLO STAFF WRITER

Earlier this month, the Senate questioned Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Snapchat’s CEO Evan Spiegel, Tik Tok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew and many other social media executives on their commitment to children’s safety.

The hearing sent the message that the U.S. government is concerned with children’s safety on the internet and is holding social media companies accountable for it, but this is a mistake.

Regulating social media companies is one of the most diffcult tasks for state or federal lawmakers. If lawmakers actually want to protect children, they need to shift their blame elsewhere.

Over the last 3 years, Arkansas, California, Ohio and multiple other states have begun to pass legislation aiming to secure the internet for children.

The lawmakers of these states have also met resistance to all of these laws from the main backer of high profle tech companies, NetChoice.

NetChoice is associated with over 30 tech companies including Meta, Tik Tok, X and Snapchat and their mission is to “to make the internet safe for free enterprise and free expression.”

To do this, they have decided to challenge any law targeted at limiting free expression

on the internet and they believe the newest children safety laws are exactly that.

Take Arkansas for example. Last April, the state government passed the Social Media Safety Act (SB396) which requires parental consent before a child creates a social media account. It also requires companies to correctly verify the age of their account holders through government identifcation.

We often give up some liberties for safety, and if it is to protect children, it might be worth it, but NetChoice disagrees. They challenged the law less than three months after it was passed on the grounds that it “undermines the First Amendment by requiring that Arkansans hand over sensitive and private information to be able to use digital communication services.”

Laws in Utah, California and Ohio have met similar challenges from NetChoice. So it begs the question, are states taking on a battle they can’t win.

ting them (children) use social media, or telling them how to use it, you’re effectively limiting their frst amendment right to free speech,” said Jordan.

A children’s right to free speech was established in the Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines and this right, as Jordan mentioned, is exactly what NetChoice and other lobbying groups claim that the government is limiting.

Roberta Macedo // Graphics Editor

Diana Jordan, a lecturer on communication law and policy at the University of Miami, believes it might be.

“These laws can be seen as a violation of First Amendment rights because by not let-

NetChoice also benefts from the fact that legal precedent is on their side.

“States can always give more protections to its citizens but they can never take away,” said Jordan “States are claiming they are protecting the children, but it can easily be fipped to show the government overstepping.”

Jordan makes it clear that in any of these lawsuits, states will be fghting an uphill battle especially when trying to take away citizen’s liberties.

There are obviously other players present in a children’s navigation of the internet, most importantly, their parents and the company that sells them their phone. Both of these entities have skirted much of the blame, but

they aren’t blameless.

Parents are the easiest person to blame for a child being on the internet. They provide children with a phone, internet or telephone service, and permission to use it how they want. All parents have the option to install parental controls and monitor their children’s screen time, but many don’t.

According to Pew Research, only 40% of parents use parental controls to monitor and block their teens’ online activities and only 39% frequently talk to their children about what is appropriate to view online. While these numbers may seem decent, much more can be done by parents to monitor their children.

Prominent phone companies like Apple and Google also have a role to play in protecting children. Since their products contain the social media apps under fre, they can clearly regulate them. One type of regulation could be app stores requiring parents to approve of their children’s downloads as suggested by the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board.

Another solution could be for companies like Apple and Google to confrm a users’ identity before allowing them to download apps that have age requirements to play. Most social media apps require users to be over the age of 13, but barely verify it correctly.

Internet regulation for children is obviously not off the table, but the current route lawmakers are taking is a dead end. Regulating the companies that control children’s phones or working to teach parents about internet safety, while maybe not as effective, are much more viable methods to protect children on the internet.

ASSISTANT

Michelle Starbeck

WANT TO WORK FOR US? Visit themiamihurricane.com/apply or email editor@themiamihurricane.com.

The Miami Hurricane is published biweekly during the regular academic year and is edited and produced by undergraduate students at the University of Miami. The publication does not necessarily represent the views and opinions of advertisers or the university’s trustees, faculty or administration. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of The Miami Hurricane’s Editorial Board. Commentaries, letters and cartoons represent only the views of their respective authors. The newsroom and business offce of The Miami Hurricane are located in the Student Activities Center, Student Media Suite 200.

LETTER POLICY

The Miami Hurricane encourages all readers to voice their opinions on issues related to the university or in response to any report published in The Miami Hurricane. Letters to the editor may be submitted typed or handwritten to the Student Activities Center, Student Media Suite 200, or mailed to P.O. Box 248132, Coral Gables, Fla., 33124-6922. Letters must be signed with a copy of your Cane Card.

ADVERTISING POLICY

The Miami Hurricane’s business offce is located at 1330 Miller Drive, Student Activities Center Student Media Suite 200. The Miami Hurricane is published every other Wednesday during the university’s fall and spring academic terms. Newspapers are distributed for free on the Coral Gables campus, the School of Medicine and off-campus locations.

DEADLINES

The conditions of agreement for advertisers are outlined on the ad contract form. Please direct any and all questions related to advertising to the Business Manager, Patrick McCaslin. Questions can be emailed to pkm492@ themiamihurricane.com.

AFFILIATIONS

The Miami Hurricane is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and Florida College Press Association.

Hollywood’s best will flock to the infamous Dolby Theater this Sunday at 7 p.m. for the 96th annual Oscar Awards. Actress Lily Gladstone looks to make history as the firstever Native American to win an award while Cillian Murphy hopes to become the first Best Actor recipient for a Christopher Nolan film.

Will pretty-in-pink “Barbie” beat Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” or will “Killers of the Flower Moon” leave them both in the dust? Keep reading to see what the A&E staff predicts will happen at the Oscars this Sunday.

Best Picture: Oz

The biggest award of the night is split between some of the year’s biggest films — Martin Scorsese’s latest masterpiece, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Nolan’s magnum opus “Oppenheimer” and the pinkest nominee ever, “Barbie.”

There is usually much more dis-

emy is more than likely going to award the second-highest-grossing R-rated film.

“Oppenheimer” was a technical achievement combining great storytelling, visual effects galore and an ensemble cast that is only matched by “Barbie.”

The only reason why “Barbie” isn’t a credible threat is the Academy’s treatment of it as a “blockbuster” instead of an “art film.” In recent history, Oscar voters have avoided rewarding blockbusters in favor of independent films.

The Academy snubbing both Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig for Best Actress and Best Director further validates that claim.

Best Director: Lucia

This year’s race for Best Director is highly competitive, with the acclaimed Scorcese and Nolan leading the race. Despite Scorcese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” the fan favorite and expected winner of this award is Nolan for his breakthrough film, “Oppenheimer.”

Arguably his best film to date, Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” explores the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer

story told in the structure of time jumps and complex character studies, “Oppenheimer” captured the attention of audiences around the world and truly cemented Nolan as one of the greatest filmmakers of this generation.

The film delivers breathtaking visuals and an overall immersive experience. Despite its nearly three-hour runtime, its entertaining, thought-provoking narrative makes three hours feel like a second.

Both Nolan and Scorcese demonstrated excellent directing, but the odds are likely in Nolan’s favor for this year’s Academy Awards.

Best Actor: Sam

For Best Actor, 2023 gave us some undeniably amazing performances. However, two out of the five nominees stand out among the group.

Bradley Cooper in “Maestro,” Colman Domingo in “Rustin” and Wright in “American Fiction” were good performances, but the clear competition stands between Paul Giamatti’s portrayal of Paul Hunham in the “The Holdovers” and Cillian Murphy’s portrayal of the titular character in “Oppenheimer.”

of emotion and movement that the film industry has seen in a while, leaving audiences with iconic, memorable moments and scenes.

Murphy will likely take home the award due to his iconic speeches in the film. But it would also be no surprise to see Giamatti giving the acceptance speech.

Best Actress: Lucia

This year’s race for Best Actress looks like it will be a battle of the stones between front-runners Lily Gladstone from “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Emma Stone from “Poor Things.”

Gladstone is the first-ever Native American to be nominated for Best Actress. Both women gave phenomenal performances in vastly different films, making it difficult to compare them.

Stone displayed a range of talent and dedication to her craft in “Poor Things” which took her character to another level. For this, she was awarded the British Academy Film Award for Best Actress, making people predict she would secure the Oscar easily. But after Glad

Female Actor in a Lead ing Role, the out come of this Oscars category is less clear.

Best Supporting Actor: Oz

This year’s Best Supporting Actor award is easily the most competitive of the year, featuring a stacked list of top actors. With nominees including Ryan Gosling, Robert Downey Jr., Sterling K. Brown, Mark Ruffalo and Rob ert De Niro, there is so much tal ent on display.

Downey Jr. reminded audiences in “Oppenheimer” that he can act beyond the capacity of Tony Stark as the mischievous Lewis Strauss. He’s been storming the award show scene, taking the Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice, BAFTA and SAG awards in the category. It would be quite a move if anyone

OSVALDO ESPINO, SAMANTHA RODRIGUEZ, RILEY SIMON, SAM BILLOK & LUCIA MOGLIA STAFF & CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Roberta Macedo // Graphic Design Editor

Colman Domingo

Emma Stone

Bradley Cooper

Best Supporting Actress:

Samantha

Best Original Screenplay:

Vivica

$959 million blockbuster.

Best Cinematography:

Best Original Song: Riley

Da’Vine Joy Randolph from “The Holdovers” is favored to win the award for Best Supporting Actress as her riveting performance continues to dominate the competition, earning her Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globes, Critic’s

The current favorite for Best Original Screenplay is “The Holdovers,” written by David Hemingson, known primarily for his writing and producing for tv projects like “Family Guy,” “Bones” and “Black-ish.” Hemingson brought his comedic chops to the silver screen, combining humor with a more humanist perspective.

A24’s indie darling “Past Lives” has the potential to be the black sheep of this race, overtaking “The Holdovers” and surprising the Oscars audience.

Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach wrote Warner Bros’ highestgrossing film “Barbie,” refining feminist films’ standards with quirky and intelligent dialogue. However, with “Barbie” not being as successful in the awards circuit, its winning chances are low.

Tony McNamara’s “Poor Things” reintroduced Emma Stone to the spotlight with bizarre, yet heartfelt characters. But its exploration of life and romance holds no leverage to the dynamic re-telling of humanity’s darkest era in “Oppenheimer.”

Samantha

Hoyte van Hoytema’s masterclass in combining camera work with storytelling makes “Oppenheimer” the probable champion. Hoytema enthralls viewers through capturing scientific phenomena and emotional breakdowns with identical precision.

“Poor Things” cinematographer

Robbie Ryan equips various lenses and unique filmmaking techniques to transport viewers to a whimsical world. Ryan’s work shows more style, but lacks Hoytema’s intense melodramatic substance.

After garnering a whopping 15 awards since its release, including two Grammys and a Golden Globe, Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie” is sure to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

The lyrics beautifully encapsulate the feelings many girls go through as they grow up. The smooth production by her brother FINNEAS, combined with Billie’s soft, emotional voice, make for a gorgeous, yet heart-wrenching ballad.

Choice, BAFTA and SAG awards.

Randolph’s grit and complexity shines in “The Holdovers,” which made viewers grieve alongside Randolph over a deceased character who was barely mentioned in the film.

“The Holdovers” gave the spotlight to lonely characters who felt betrayed by society, making Randolph feel more relatable.

Both films are intimate portraits of individuals trying to figure out the next stage of their lives and work through the traumas that they have endured in the past.

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Samantha

Best Animated Feature: Vivica

Despite the buzz surrounding “Spiderman: Across the Spider-Verse” and its groundbreaking animation style, the most likely candidate to win this award is “The Boy and the Heron,” also known as “How Do You Live?”

Emily Blunt’s performance in “Oppenheimer” stands as a runner-up as one glance at her character’s unwavering eyes made her the strongest person in the room. Blunt maintained a compelling on-screen presence along side Best Actor nominee Cillian Murphy. Her ending monologue is one for the ages, but doesn’t surpass the tears Randolph made many shed.

Nolan’s powerful adaptation of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s Pulitzerprize-winning biography stands as the likely victor for Best Adapted Screenplay. “The Zone of Interest” writer Jonathan Glazer faces major competition with blockbusters like “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” holding the reins.

Though “American Fiction” writer Cord Johnson has impressed with his adapted screenplay victo-

Renowned animator Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli’s return to the big screen gives the Academy a chance to award him again following his 2003 Best Animated Feature for “Spirited Away.”

Miyazaki has gained cultural relevance in the past decade since his original retirement and has become an influential figure in animated filmmaking. Although “Spiderman: Across the Spider-Verse”

Rodrigo Pietro and Matthew Libatique from “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Maestro,” respectively, equip shadows and coordinate lighting to have a character’s feelings pour onto the screen. Hoytema doubles down on this technique with his film’s powerful ending, which features intense light that symbolizes Oppenheimer’s crushing guilt.

Edward Lachlan from “El Conde” uses black-and-white imaging to highlight the film as a period piece and its undead character. “Oppenheimer” takes this technique to the next level by using B&W to represent the world’s lack of understanding of the events leading to the atomic bomb.

The song fits its scene in “Barbie” perfectly, bringing audience members to tears as Barbie learns of all the tumultuous feelings girls and women endure. “What Was I Made For?” stands out among all the nominees, and viewers would be shocked if it does not win at the Oscars.

With Ryan Gosling confirmed to be singing “Barbie” hit song “I’m Just Ken” at the show, this year’s Oscars will be nothing but newsworthy.

Witness past Oscar winners like Jaime Lee Curtis and Matthew McConaughey bestow awardwinning status to rising stars this Sunday at 7 p.m. on ABC. Though “Oppenheimer” stands as the lead-

Billie Eilish

Robert Downey Jr.

Sterling K. Brown

Student organization advocates for accessible menstrual care

BY MORGAN FRY ASST. A&E EDITOR

Women’s History Month celebrates women throughout the month of March, but one campus organization works year-round to promote women’s health.

PERIOD at UM seeks to raise awareness, destigmatize and put an end to period poverty, which describes the poor accessibility and affordability of menstrual products and education for menstrual hygiene.

The club’s main events include period packing parties, where volunteers assemble menstrual care packages for local women’s shelters, homeless shelters and LGBTQ+ centers.

PERIOD at UM is the University’s chapter of the Period Movement, which was founded in 2014 by two high school students in Portland, Oregon. Since then, the movement has

expanded to schools nationwide, with the UM chapter starting in 2020.

“I think PERIOD made me realize how big of a problem [period poverty] is, once you actually dive deeper into it and you interact with the people that are going through it and you’re hearing these stories,” president of PERIOD UMiami and senior health science major Lex Calderon said.

The club currently consists of around 20 active members and an executive board that meets every week to plan their events. PERIOD’s events focus on the movement’s three pillars: service, education and advocacy.

“For us, it’s important that we also have an education component,” Calderon said. “We teach our peers why we’re doing this, why it’s important to us and just highlight why it should be important to them.”

Period kits include 6 pads, two panty liners and one or two feminine

wipes. The bags also come with uplifting notes written by volunteers written to help the community feel loved when they receive the kits.

“We have so many shelters and so many homeless [people] here in the Miami-Dade community that need menstrual supplies,” Calderon said.

“It’s more than just a period. It’s their hygiene. It’s their health that’s also been affected by not having access to clean menstrual products.”

PERIOD often collaborates with other campus organizations to host these period packing parties. Club members come together to volunteer their time and learn about the significance of period poverty.

“We kind of intertwine our education components with the period packing things,” Calderon said. “So when someone asks for a collaboration, we say ‘yes, we’re able to do a collaboration but we also want at least 15 minutes before to speak on

what period poverty is.’”

Calderon joined PERIOD as a freshman and served as secretary during her junior year. She credits PERIOD for a lot of the growth she has had as a female leader.

“For me as a leader, [I’ve been] able to come forth and create a beautiful, wonderful, strong team of females,” Calderon said. “It’s amazing to see the impact that they are able to do and see the passion that they have for it.”

Sophomore Luna Plaza is a gender studies and gender and sexuality studies major. She also serves as the outreach coordinator and sees PERIOD as a platform to connect with and learn about different organizations in the community.

Plaza is currently working to start a period pantry with local reproductive justice organizers at the Little Haiti Cultural Center.

“I am a youth activist and community organizer,” Plaza said. “I

am thankful for PERIOD at UM, as our organization has helped me network with many community groups and organizations in need of period products.”

Calderon and her majority female leadership team work to provide empowerment and support to individuals in need. Women’s History Month is a time when Calderon reflects on being a role model for women today.

“Women tend to Wget looked down [on], or maybe overlooked in society,” Calderon said. “I think this month is the time that we can really highlight the success of women in multiple areas and the contributions that they have made to society.”

PERIOD’s next packing party will be held in the Shalala Iron Arrow Room on March 28 at 5 p.m. Anyone is welcome to volunteer.

Be sure to follow PERIOD @period.umiami for more updates on future events.

UM students share excitement for Miami Open tennis tournament

BY LUCIA MOGLIA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

As this tennis season continues its course, fans of the sport now turn to the next highly-anticipated tournament: the Miami Open. Held every late March at the Hard Rock Stadium, this tournament attracts tennis fans from all over the U.S and worldwide.

Like its predecessors, this year’s tournament will display fierce competition, a broad range of talent and state-of-the-art facilities for players and audiences alike.

For several University of Miami students, the Miami Open is a highlight of their spring semester.

“My family and I have been going to the Miami Open since I was a kid,” freshman biology major Emma Tews said. “I get excited every March knowing these players I looked up to when I was younger will be so close to me.”

The Miami Open offers a twoweek experience where each day consists of different men’s, women’s and doubles matches. The tournament officially starts on Sunday, March 17 with the women’s qualifying rounds.

Each day gets more competitive as the best go head-to-head for each match and players are gradually eliminated. The women’s final will be held on Saturday, March 30, and the men’s on Sunday, March 31.

“I’m excited for the finals,” Macias said. “I think it’s going to be an Alcaraz and Djokovich showdown which is always pretty interesting.”

This year, wheelchair tennis and Major League Pickleball will also be part of the open, marking the first time both events will take place at any 1000 series tournament.

“I’m glad the Miami Open added these events,” sophomore finance major Maria Amaro said. “It shows an effort to diversify and make the

tournament more inclusive.”

The annual tennis tournament continues to display the world’s top tennis talent and spotlight emerging players. Attendees this year can expect to see renowned stars of the sport such as Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff and many more.

“Since I grew up playing tennis, it was really special for me to watch these players every year,” Tews said. “Although the tournament is held at a farther venue than where it was when I was a kid, my family and I still make an effort to go.”

Since 2019, the Miami Open has been held at the Hard Rock Stadium instead of its original location at the Crandon Park Tennis Center. When this switch was made, many fans of the tournament were disappointed to know they would have to drive extra miles to attend.

“I don’t like how far it is,” freshman finance major Samuel Macias said. “But it’s like going to a UM

football game — you sacrifice an hour or so of driving to end up getting a good experience.”

Attendees will also get to en joy state-of-the-art cuisine as some of Miami’s finest restaurants host pop-ups around the stadium. Some of these restaurants include David Chang’s Fuku, Kiki on the River and Ella’s Oyster Bar.

“I’m really excited to go this year,” Macias said. “The other times I’ve gone have been a lot of fun, and there’s so much to do and see besides watching the matches.”

The Miami Open is a major event on the tennis calendar and an exciting oppor tunity for South Florida resi-

dents to see some of the world’s top talent in action.

Alexandra Carnochan //

Contributed Photo

Fourth-year junior Daevenia Achong returns a ball during her singles win over Columbia sophomore Anna Zhang at the Miami Open on Friday, April 1, 2022.

MSA initiative unites and empowers women of color on campus

BY SAMANTHA RODRIGUEZ STAFF WRITER

Enough, a program by Multicultural Student Affairs, instills confidence in diverse female students through monthly luncheons and group discussions that promote mentorship, leadership and networking skills.

The organization feels women of color’s battle to lead in a white or male-dominated workspace can surge competition between those who need to unite most. Enough hosts then empowerment sessions to remind attendees of collaboration’s power and how one diverse woman’s success can mean a more welcoming future for all.

Madison Rojas, the MSA associate director, works with Enough leaders junior Kevmely Antonie, Enough cofounder Sierra Straker and PhD candidate Guerdiana Thelomar to unite women of color.

“We’re fighting for what we think is a limited resource of power, money, wealth, knowledge,” Antonie said. “When you’re stepping on other people of color, you’re also bringing yourself down.”

As a past first-generation college student, Rojas recalled her previous individualistic mindset.

“Always having it ingrained in my mind that I had to fight for my space, I had to fight for my presence to be recognized in these spaces,” Rojas said. Rojas’ first months as a MSA staff introduced her to an inclusive workspace, which promoted collaboration, contrary to her previous experiences. Her initial mindset then morphed into one that puts ‘we’ before ‘me.’

“I’m in an environment where I’m uplifted,” Rojas said. “You may not be thinking that you’re harming others or not uplifting those around you

until you actually have someone that’s there sharing these things with you because they want you to advance with them.”

Her experience showed an institution’s power when run by empathy instead of domination, the institutions Enough promotes.

“We just need to listen to each other,” Starker said. “Have a fruitful conversation to see where [our partners] are, see how similar we are, to develop that vulnerability and make that space for love to flourish.”

By enlisting more women of color to create more collaborative work environments, Enough sees a loving

world within reach.

“Looking at society now, we have this idea of ‘the others,’ the people who are other than me,” Antonie said. “When you have women of color in those positions of leadership, that idea of otherness goes away.”

The organization invites people to create positive affirmation jars, release negative self-talk and reignite their inner confidence with monthly events. With a “Women’s History Month: Passions, Entrepreneurship, Influence” event on March 7, Enough continues to provide diverse womens’ leadership skills to kickstart their path toward success.

Each event aids Enough’s mission to embody the welcoming and nurturing environment they believe the world can be for women of color.

“As a graduate student, the journey can be isolating,” Thelomar said. “Enough and MSA has been a great way for me to be intentional about having a community for myself and navigating this space.”

“Even if it may feel you’re going through these things alone or you may feel you’re the only one who has certain thoughts or viewpoints, you’re not alone,” Thelomar said. “There’s a whole village and community out there who’s willing and ready to support you.”

Enough works to plant seeds of leadership, positivity and progress in its members and event attendees. Those who represent and spread Enough’s values are the organizations’ future according to its leaders.

Commemorate Women’s History Month with Enough on March 6 at their entrepreneurship discussion at 5 p.m. in the Shalala Student Center. Supporters can follow Enough’s mission to cement diverse female students’ space on campus on their Instagram @enough.woc.

‘Canes take on the world: where students are going for spring break

BY ANNA HANONICK CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Spring break and Miami seem like a match made in heaven, but the city loses its sparkle amidst the 10 p.m. curfews, overwhelming tourist crowds and spike in crime rates.

Despite the increased number of visiting college students in March, some UM students will begin the great migration out of Miami this weekend to get away from the noise.

Students of all grade levels plan to travel during spring break. For some, traveling means taking a trip home to rest and recuperate.

“I’m going home for spring break.

I need to sleep,” said Laren Nygaard, a freshman business major. “Most of my friends are also going home.”

Other students, like sophomore finance major Jayson Rabinowitz, will use the break to catch up on much needed-family time.

“I’m going home to see my family and then to Boulder to visit my sister,” sophomore finance major Jayson Rabinowitz said. “We are going to ski in a steamboat for a few days before I head back to Miami.”

While some ‘Canes prefer domestic travel, others plan to head outside U.S. borders to destinations like the Bahamas or Europe.

“All my roommates are going to Cancun for a break, and the other

kids I know are going to Cabo,” Rabinowitz said.

Spring semester of junior year is a popular time for students to study abroad, but for those who decided not to, spring break offers a chance to visit their friends and get a taste of life abroad.

Junior marketing major Connor Dunham chose to stay in Miami this semester, but will use his spring break for an overseas excursion.

“I am going to Barcelona to visit some of my friends who are currently studying abroad,” Dunham said.

Some students may visit multiple countries during the break to maximize their trip and get a fuller picture of what it’s like to live overseas.

“I am going to Amsterdam to meet up with a couple of my friends who are currently studying in Barcelona,” said junior biochemistry major Bella Haham. “We’re also going to Dublin for St. Patrick’s Day because everyone will be there, so it’ll definitely be an eventful trip.”

Among some graduating seniors, there is an unofficial travel tradition where they head to Las Vegas for fall break, then spend spring break in Nashville to enjoy one last ride as a UM student.

“I am going to Nashville for spring break with some of my friends,” Amanda Coleman, senior market ing major said. “Most seniors tend to go to Nashville for the first half of

spring break, and either stay or split off to do their own thing after.”

Though Miami’s weather, culture and nightlife attract spring breakers from around the U.S., an occasional break from the city can be refreshing for UM students.

Whether they’re in Miami or not, ‘Canes find a way to have a good

Cecelia Runner // Co-Photo Editor

Attendees of MSA’s Centering Self-Love event pose for a photo on Feb. 14, 2024.

Eva Ibert Roca // Staff Designer

From one win to one win away: Club hockey’s miraculous turnaround

BY LUKE SIMS & ASHLEY FREEDLAND SENIOR STAFF WRITER & STAFF WRITER

The University of Miami ice hockey team knew from the frst day of tryouts, the frst practice and the frst game that this season was going to be different.

The team opened the year with a tough test against the University of Central Florida (UCF), a team it had lost to by 10 goals in the season fnale just seven months prior. To both teams’ surprise, the ’Canes were able to shock the UCF Knights 8-5 in an opening road win.

“We went out there, having never played together. We’d just had one practice, and we were able to pull it out against a [Division II] team, and they were so shocked, so shocked,” senior assistant captain Max Mencimer said. “The last game they beat us like 10-0 so they were not expecting that at all, and honestly, I wasn’t either, but it was sick, it was awesome.”

This unexpected victory was a catalyst for a team that is about to play as the number one seed in the Division III Nationals tournament over spring break. This was a team that won a single game last season, a team that couldn’t even get half of its players to show up to practice and had to play games with half its members while opponents showed up with a full roster and committed players.

The Hurricanes had no consistent practice schedules, a sporadic coaching cycle, and a commute of almost an hour to practices during the week. Playing hockey at Miami is not for the faint of heart.

Luckily, for this year’s squad, the group of leaders love hockey and wanted nothing more than to turn the team around in their senior season, and that’s just what they did.

“Our seniors and our captains really pushed kids to be accountable,” sophomore defenseman Owen Gupta said. “Communication was huge, to not skip practice just because you feel like it, and saying, ‘Let’s get people here and let’s work hard.’ Everybody on the team loves the sport, but last year did not feel the same; them getting that love back really pushed all of us to work harder.”

The commitment is felt on and off the ice. This is not just a group of hockey players at Miami; this is a group of friends.

“We’re a pretty close team, probably the closest team I’ve been on in my life,” Gupta said.

That sentiment is felt all over the roster. For senior forward Billy Cincotta, who has been through it all over his four years at UM, this team is special.

“For me, this is more than a team,” Cincotta said. “I’ve never felt better about a group of guys than this year, it’s nice that we’re all super close; that’s not something we had in the past to have that this year has been awesome.”

The buy-in for this group started at the top, and with the work the seniors have put into making this group more than just a hockey team, the guys have all seen that work play out on the ice.

“I feel like our team just committed to put the work in and to be together, and this year our team is so close,” Mencimer said. “I’ve been on a team for three years. Last year, it was kind of tough to even go to hockey ‘cause we always knew that we might get pumped. This year has just brought all of us so close. It’s been the best thing.”

This new sense of comradery among the players helped fuel them to the most success ful season in Miami hockey history. This team was 16-4 in the regular season, 3-0 in the post season, and will enter the championship tour nament as the number one seed.

“Our coaches are focused on having a good locker room and making sure all the team is together as one, and there’s no issues on the bench or anything like that,” freshman forward Brenden Moore said. “And I think it’s worked out well for us because it’s helped us get along as a team and perform well on the ice because we’re not fghting each other off the ice.”

While this newfound committed culture is all Moore knows, it was not always that way.

It takes a hefty amount of dedication to get a group of college students to play puck late at night in Kendall, a 45-minute drive away. Even when players are not playing, they come to support the team.

“In previous years if Tom said to someone, ‘Hey you’re not playing today’, that person was not showing up,” senior goalie Ethan Gany said. “There’s not a chance in hell that a person who was not playing would take their Friday or Saturday to come to support the team, it was just not going to happen. This year we’ve constantly had two to three scratched players come to the game and sit on the bench and help out, that’s a huge difference.”

The team has dealt with destructive coach es in the past, but head coach Tom Immello

brings a renewed heart and soul to the club. He fies in from New York every weekend for the games, ensuring the team is ready for action before they hit the ice.

“He just cares so much about our team, and it means the absolute world to all of us. He fies down from New York every single weekend for us. And he does so much that none of us see. He cares so much, and all he wants is for us to have fun and for us to have an opportunity to play hockey,” Mencimer said.

Immello’s passion for the team resonates with each player, bringing them together and pushing them toward success.

“We wouldn’t be playing hockey without Tom,” Cincotta said.

Immello brings players together and creates a sense of community on the ice.

“Before the season started, I’d say it started with Tom and our leadership. The biggest difference was people leading by example, seeing them commit to making UM hockey fun and good again,” Gany said.

during practices and gets them game-time ready.

The investment that the seniors, the coaches, and all the players have put into this team has let the seniors leave their mark on the program that they love.

“I was in a really odd position, I couldn’t try out due to an injury,” Gany said. “Tom was telling me that I was going to be on a different team, he was trying to get me some games and I just told him ‘Listen, I appreciate the offer, but I’m not going to do that.’ I’d been on the team for three years, and I was the only goalie on a lot of those road trips, and I told him ‘I don’t care if I’m not the starter,’ I just want to see through what I started here.”

These seniors have a tremendous passion for the game of hockey, and to be able to ride out their last season like this has been nothing short of a dream for them.

“My favorite thing to do in the world is play hockey,” Cincotta said.

mi’s game against USF on Oct. 20, 2023, at Kendall Ice Arena.

UM baseball unable to slow down Caglianone, loses fnal game 8-4 to UF

BY JAYDEN GONZALEZ STAFF WRITER

In the series-deciding game between Miami and No. 4 Florida, 2024 Preseason Two-Way Player of the Year Jac Caglianone showed why he deserved the award.

While pitching six scoreless innings, the projected top-10 draft pick stunned the fans at Mark Light Field, hitting his fourth home run of the year to clinch the series victory against the Hurricanes, 8-4.

In the top of the ffth inning, Caglianone took Herick Hernandez’s hanging off-speed pitch for a ride, clobbering it off the parking garage in right feld. Caglianone’s 408-foot moonshot gave himself some insurance runs, as he also took the bump for the Gators.

On the mound, he was stellar, pitching the best game of his season. Caglianone fanned a career-high 11 UM batters, allowing just three hits and two walks in six innings of work. He also tallied three hits of his own, including his second home run of the series.

“[Caglianone] was as advertised,” Miami head coach J.D. Arteaga said. “To pitch and hit, especially in the same game, that’s tough … He has a very bright future ahead of him.”

For a vast majority of the game, the Hurricanes had no answer for Caglianone and the UF pitching staff, getting shut out and mustering just three hits.

“Through seven innings we didn’t really come out and fght,” Miami captain Dorian Gonzalez Jr. said about the team’s offensive struggles. “Caglianone made great pitches all game, we didn’t stick to our approach, and we didn’t execute our game plan today.”

In the eighth, Arteaga brought on Gonzalez in place of Lorenzo Carrier in hopes of giving the team some much-needed momentum. With the bases loaded and two away, the junior infelder gave the Hurricanes life, smacking his third grand slam of the year over the fence in left-center feld, cutting the defcit to three.

UM’s hope diminished quickly, as UF infelder Colby Shelton hit his second home run of the game over the center feld wall off Miami’s Nick Robert, effectively putting the game to rest.

In both games of the series, the winning team scored in the opening frame. That trend continued in the rubber match game, where the Gators struck frst.

After Hernandez retired the frst two batters with little effort, shortstop Antonio Jimenez misplayed what should have been a routine ground out. Jimenez’s error proved costly, as the following batter, Shelton, powered Hernandez’s fastball over the left feld wall, allowing UF to jump out to an early 2-0 lead.

Despite striking out nine batters, the lefty Hernandez struggled against the sheer power

of the UF offense, surrendering four home runs. The Miami-Dade transfer fnished his outing by giving up fve runs on six hits in fve innings of work.

Hernandez’s streak of allowing zero earned runs came to an end on Sunday as well, ending at 15 consecutive innings. In the fourth, UF infelder Ty Evans sent his third home run of the season deep into left-center feld. The next batter, Tyler Shelnut, followed his teammate up with a bomb over the left-feld wall.

Shelnut admired his fourth home run of the season, carrying his bat all the way to frst

base, fipping it and then entering his homerun trot. To the umpires, that was too much, and Shelnut was tossed upon crossing home plate.

With the loss to the Gators, Miami has now dropped 20 of their last 28 games against their in-state rival, dating back to 2015. Miami looks to get back in the win column on Wednesday, March 6, when it takes on the Stonehill Skyhawks under the lights at Mark Light Field. UM midweek starter Ben Chestnutt will toe the slab in Coral Gables. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Sims: Baseball weekend takeaways against Florida Gators

BY LUKE SIMS SENIOR STAFF WRITER

In front of amazing crowds at Mark Light Field, the Miami Hurricanes lost their weekend series with the fourth-ranked Florida Gators but put up a competitive fght. After losing the opening night, Miami responded with a huge win on Saturday. UM was unable to secure a victory in the rubber match.

Here are three takeaways from the Hurricanes’ frst series loss of the season.

‘Canes can play with anyone Miami showed heart in all of these games against an impressive Gators team. The Hurricanes were able to start off fast and hold off the Gators for a while until they pulled away late.

In game two, Miami came out swinging and took the early lead against the Gators. This time, though, the Hurricanes kept it. Led by strong starting pitching and effcient hitting, Miami was able to get a marquee win early on in the season.

The team was not able to keep the energy up in the fnal game, as aside from co-captain Dorian Gonzalez Jr.’s grand slam, the Hurricanes’ bats were pretty quiet.

“I don’t think we were outclassed in any way,” Miami head coach J.D. Arteaga said. “There are little things in the game of baseball that you have to do in order to win when you’re matched up against a good team, and we didn’t do those things.”

This should give Miami confdence that it can play with any team in the country. Battling in these games against tough opponents early

on in the season will pay off down the line for the ‘Canes.

“We’re working our tail off,” Arteaga said. “We’re going to continue getting better and we’re going to keep fghting, every inning, every pitch, every at-bat. It’s right around the corner. We’re going to get to where we need to be.”

Miami might be a little too reliant on the long ball

While hitting home runs is fun, Miami might be banking on homers to fuel its offense a bit too much.

14 of the 17 runs that Miami scored during the weekend series were by way of the long ball. While it’s exciting and gets the crowd on their feet, that is not sustainable over the course of the season. Miami must fnd a way to

score runs in other ways more consistently.

Starting pitching solid again

All three of Gage Ziehl, Rafe Schlesinger and Herick Hernandez were impressive in their starts.

Schlesinger delivered a key Saturday win, as he struck out 11 batters and set the tone for the team. All three starters only let up three runs to an incredibly dangerous Gator offense.

If these three can keep delivering quality starts as the young Miami bullpen develops, the ‘Canes could have an elite pitching staff in every weekend series.

Miami (6-5) welcomes Stonehill to the Light next Wednesday. The frst pitch for that game is set for 6 p.m. and can be seen on ACC Network.

Charisma Jones

// Staff Photographer

Junior second baseman Dorian Gonzalez, Jr. calls himself safe before getting to frst base during the series opener against No. 4 Florida.

WBB celebrates seniors, drops season fnale in overtime to Georgia Tech

BY CALEB SHAPIRO STAFF WRITER

In an afternoon featuring Miami guard Shayeann Day-Wilson’s career-high and two Hurricanes celebrating Senior Day, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets pulled away in overtime against the ‘Canes, winning 71-66.

Miami fnished off its regular season on Sunday in nail-biting fashion, a tug-of-war battle featuring 18 lead changes, eight tie scores and neither team leading by more than fve.

However, despite the teams going punchfor-punch, no one could contain Day-Wilson. The junior dropped 21 frst-half points on an electric 8-of-10 shooting from the feld as UM led by one at the half, 36-35.

Six points later in the second half and the Toronto native had eclipsed her previous point record of 26 at Duke, now standing at 27.

“I felt good, I haven’t felt good in a long time so I was just staying aggressive and I knew I had to step up big today,” Day-Wilson said.

She was one of just two ‘Canes to get into double-fgure scoring on the day. The other was forward Lazaria Spearman, who registered a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

“[Spearman] was unbelievable,” head coach Katie Meier said. “Focused, rebounded, caught the ball, [she] didn’t have a single turnover.

She got into double digits on one of her more impressive plays, knocking down a shot-clock buzzer-beating fadeaway jumper midway through the third, which grabbed Miami the lead at 44-43.

The lead stayed within one possession the entire third frame, and Miami took a onepoint lead into the fourth.

Guard Ja’Leah Williams got the scoring started in the fourth with a steal and score for the ‘Canes off a fast-break layup, yet any potential momentum-shifting plays for Miami were stifed by the Yellow Jackets.

Miami retained a single-possession lead up until just under two minutes left when Georgia Tech guard Tonie Morgan knotted

the game at 60 with a free throw. Seconds later, Day-Wilson clinched her career-high with a layup, adding another lead change to the total.

Free throws would tie the game up once again for GT at 62 before the brawl headed to extra time. The Yellow Jackets had a chance to walk it off, but guard Ines Noguero missed the potential game-winning jumper.

Throughout overtime, foul shooting continued to tell the story of this physical game. Tech converted all six of its free throws, as Miami committed two untimely fouls before fouling intentionally.

Tech was ultra-effcient from the stripe, shooting an 89.5% clip, a stark contrast to the Hurricanes’ 38.5%. When the dust settled, free throws were the glaring difference in the opponent’s performances.

“We did not get any shots to fall in the fourth quarter or overtime,” Meier said. “We killed ourselves at the free throw line.”

Even with the loss, the ‘Canes still have a lot of potential basketball to play in March.

“Jaida came in the frst month and was voted captain, which I’ve never seen in my life. The sacrifces she made to even try to participate on this team. She’s just an inspiration to the team.”

Katie Meier Head Coach, Women’s Basketball

“It’s not over and we play Thursday and we’re just going to rest up and get ready for that,” Day-Wilson said.

In the meantime, Miami can celebrate what it has, including the two seniors spotlighted today, Jaida Patrick and Sophia Zulich.

Patrick, a transfer graduate student, made an immediate impact on and off the court for ‘Canes this season.

“Jaida came in the frst month and was voted captain, which I’ve never seen in my life,” Meier said.

Zulich is also a graduate transfer. She walked on to the team after dealing with injuries much of her collegiate career and now in Miami.

“The sacrifces she made to even try to participate on this team,” Meier said. “She’s just an inspiration to the team.”

Miami enters its most important stretch of the ACC gauntlet, heading to Greensborough, North .Carolina., where it’ll take on the North Carolina Tar Heels on Thursday in the ACC Tournament. Tip-off is at 1:30 p.m..

Miami Athletics // Contributed Photo

Junior guard Shayeann Day-Wilson attempts a jump shot during Miami’s loss to Georgia Tech on Sunday, March 3, at the Watsco Center.

Either you’ve just stepped into college or you’re secretly holding a halo above your head. You’ve mastered the basics, but when it comes to breaking out of the comfort zone, you’re clinging onto it. Time to spice things up. You’ve got to dip your toes into the realm of possibilities. Trust me, you don’t want to miss

Every fortunate soul that has you in bed is blessed, You effortlessly shift from eating ice cream from a bowl to licking it off your partner’s skin. You’re the epitome of the ideal midpoint on Barney’s Crazy Hot Scale, sex is hot, and just crazy enough. You understand the signifcance of syncing with your partner during love making, yet also appreciate some hard

You’re the Samantha Jones of the friend group, unstoppable when you are in action and fueled by sexual desire. Yet, like we remember from the show, Sam used sex as her coping mechanism for her commitment issues. While swinging with your partner might add spice, remember that consistency breeds intimacy. Sometimes, it’s the familiar pleasures like missionary and that post-fuck Dorito indulgence that truly deepens the bond between you two.

Your favorite frat venue on a friday night