As of Jan. 30, 2023, 51 mass shootings have taken place.
As the nation’s record of gun violence continues to increase, questions concerning the proceedings of the 118th Congress are back on the drawing board. The normalization of gun violence is a dangerous approaching phenomenon. As mass shootings expand their reach, more people are being touched by the effects of gun violence.
As mass shootings expand their reach, more people are developing a direct connection and suffering effects of some kind of gun violence.
On Jan. 21, 2023, 12 people died and nine were injured in a shooting at a local dance hall in the thriving Asian American suburb, Monterey Park, California. Locals gathered for a night of tradition and celebration on the eve of the Lunar New Year.
“The Lunar New Year is one of the community’s largest celebrations and holds countless traditions for each family.” Zach Ng, a member of the Asian American Students Association, said. “It’s an opportunity to bring good luck and fortune into the new year and leave the bad luck behind. Since we’re such a diverse community, it’s a unifying experience.”
The gunman attempted a second attack at another nearby dance hall but was disarmed by Brandon Tsay, a dance hall employee. The search for the attacker ended the next day when law enforcement tracked down his vehicle. The gunman was found inside his van, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot.
“Growing up in the 2000s and
2010s, I hate to say it but I’m numb. I remember Sandy Hook, Parkland, Pulse, Uvalde, all of the anti-Asian hate since COVID broke out, and the list goes on.” Ng said. “I feel for the victims, their families and for my community. I fear for our safety and prosperity as a community and country, but that’s what makes it feel like another day.”
The national gun violence archive defines a mass shooting as having a minimum of four victims
with family-friendly beaches and hiking trails.” Shane Stewart, a senior from San Mateo County, said. “To hear that something so tragic struck such a beloved community is definitely painful, but I feel the most for the Asian American community, which is highly prevalent in San Mateo County.”
Last year a bipartisan package of legislation was passed that hoped to reduce the threat of gun violence in our country. The law included many changes including
According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 63% of adults say they would like to see Congress pass another round of legislation addressing gun violence, but 78% of adults think new gun laws will do little to nothing to reduce gun violence.
House Democrats have joined President Biden’s call for new limits on access to firearms, but Republicans combat their efforts with proposals for legislation that seeks to protect those who sell,
and programs with hopes to save lives and bring an end to the mass shooting epidemic that currently exists in America.
Giffords is a non-profit gun violence prevention group founded by former congresswoman Gabby Giffords. In 2011, Giffords was shot in the head by a gunman who killed six people and injured 12 others at a constituent event in Tucson, Arizona. She then stepped down from office in 2012 to focus on her recovery. After the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook, Giffords co-founded the organization and dedicated her life to gun violence prevention.
shot, either injured or killed, not including any shooter who may also have been killed or injured in the incident.
One day after the Monterey Park gunman was found, seven people were shot to death in San Mateo County, Calif. Just two days apart and 384 miles away 19 people lost their lives at the hands of gun violence. As of Jan. 25, a suspect, Zhao Chunli, 67, is in custody. With the recent shootings in the first month of 2023, Congress is once again stalemated on gun control.
“Half Moon Bay was my go to beach spot as a kid. It’s generally regarded as a safe community
protection for victims of domestic violence and an enhanced review process for buyers under the age of 21. The back to back shootings in California speak to the bill’s effectiveness on actually reducing gun violence.
“It’s true that a lot of Americans think there is a gun violence problem in this country. A very large majority of them favor some gun control measures.” Dr. Gregory Koger, Professor and Chair of the University of Miami’s Department of Political Science, said. “But it is very difficult, if not impossible to get congressional Republicans to approve of any measure which restricts access to firearms.”
own and make firearms. Due to this gridlock, Congress is unlikely to come up with a bipartisan consensus to act on any gun reform in response to the recent incidents.
“Republicans in the Senate negotiated the best package they could in the last Congress.” Koger said. “That doesn’t mean that they will not pass legislation that from their point of view, addresses the Gun Violence Crisis, but they will not pass anything that restricts access to firearms.”
Organizations including March For Our Lives, Everytown, and Giffords, have been founded with the purpose to inform communities, fight for laws, policies
The group has brought expertise to many legislative decisions and helped craft over 500 pieces of legislation to be presented to government officials. The organization was a part of the implementation of Florida’s “red flag” law passed after the 2018 Parkland shooting. The law provides a path for police to ask a judge to temporarily bar dangerous individuals from possessing or purchasing a firearm.
“We encourage you to be aware of how your elected officials stand in regards to gun violence prevention.” Samantha Barrios, the Florida State Director at Giffords, said.
To reduce mass shootings, experts have some ideas. Proposals include thorough background checks, wider “red flag” laws and an assault weapon ban to restrict or prohibit access to the kinds of rifles shooters often use. Because little research exists on the effect of gun policy on mass shootings, it’s hard to say the impact measures would have.
“Growing up in the 2000s and 2010s, I hate to say it but I’m numb. I remember Sandy Hook, Parkland, Pulse, Uvalde, all of the anti-Asian hate since COVID broke out, and the list goes on.
Hairology, in collaboration with multiple student organizations, will be throwing their first annual hair show on Feb. 7, 2023. Scheduled during Black Awareness Month, “Hair-i-tage” will trace the history behind hairstyles and fashion from the African Regions, Afro-Europe, the Caribbean and Afro-Latino communities.
Students will have the opportunity to learn how to book a hairstylist on campus, buy supplies, take classes with masterclass stylists and snap photos in a hair themed photo booth at stations throughout the venue.
Over 30 student models and 10 student hair stylists alongside Hairology’s e-board have come together to showcase a variety of elaborate Afro-Centric hairstyles to present to the University of Miami (UM) com-
munity.
“The theme of the show is Hair-itage, a play on the word Heritage,” Camryn Brown, the Co-President of Hairology, said. “We aim to showcase, but also educate the audience on how cultural hairstyles have evolved across the African diaspora.”
A total of 10 student organizations have collaborated with Hairology in support of the event. Organizations including the Yellow Rose Society, African Students Union, Black Awareness Month, Distraction, Planet Kreyol-Haitian Student Organization, National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc., Lucha Latina, UFuerza Latino Dance Team and Mission JA will staff stations throughout the event hosting activities and interacting with guests.
Distraction, the magazine of the students of the University of Miami, will be at the hair show with maga-
zines and hole punchers. As students make their way through the stations at the show, organizations will hole punch a card given to them. When the card is completed with hole punches from all the student organizations, participants will get free Insomnia Cookies.
“I hope that the student body gets to see a side of fashion that they might not usually see.” Salvatore Puma, the Managing Editor of Distraction Magazine, said. “To white people we might care about how we style our hair, but the Black community has so much culture tied into their hair styling that UM’s popular ponytails and messy buns just don’t.”
The Black Awareness Month (BAM) Committee selected one person to oversee the Hair Show Committee, Madison Smith. Her job was to give feedback and advise the planning of the event. The BAM
Committee will also help during the day-of as well. The BAM Committee Is proud to be part of an event that recognizes and appreciates the culture and beauty of Black hair.
“As a Black woman, our hair is often a source of pain and embarrassment, due to societal pressure to have it perfectly manicured and puttogether.” Dahlia Mason, the Chairperson of Black Awareness Month, said. “Seeing Black hair in a positive light reminds me that my hair is nothing to be ashamed of.”
Hairology is a young student organization, founded five years ago. Their mission statement is as follows:
“The purpose of Hairology is to educate the University of Miami community and spread awareness about the diverse array of hair textures and types. We aim to promote the acceptance of all hair in society and inspire
individual confidence within our student population.”
Hair is a significant symbol for African-Americans and Hairology hopes to celebrate their culture within UM. Intentionally titled the first annual hair show, Hairology hopes to continue hosting the event in the future.
“I want Hairology to continue to grow and become an organization that attracts students to embrace their natural hair.” Arielle Swilley, the Co-President of Hairology siad. “The maintenance of natural hair can be frustrating sometimes, but I hope that through the hair show, everybody can discover the intimate relationship they can have with their hair.”
Mark your calendars for Feb. 7, 2023 and to check out the first annual hair show “Hair-i-tage” for yourself. Follow @umiami.hairology
Documents signed by Fredrick Douglas and Martin Luther King Jr. A pair of shackles from the transatlantic slave trade. Signed albums from cultural groundbreakers. These are just some of the artifacts UM students will be able to see at the Black History 101 Mobile Museum next week.
The award winning collection will be on display on February 9th from 10am-3pm in the Shalala Student Center Activities Room
Dr. Khalid el-Hakim, founder of the Black History 101 Mobile Museum, spent 30 years probing through different flea markets, auctions and antique shops to seek out hidden relics. Today, he holds a stockpile of over 10,000 African American artifacts that tell 400 years of black history. He travels around the states and even internationally with his collection to spread the wealth of knowledge.
“I’m motivated by the need of people to have a full understanding of black history, the contribu-
tions and achievements of African Americans. I want to make sure people have access to these types of stories so I’ve been willing to travel around the country and visit places I’m invited to,” el-Hakim said.
The traveling museum came to UM for the first time back in 2018 and now is back following the pandemic. Christopher Doell, director of programs of academic excellence, knew that the mobile museum was something that UM students needed to see after his first encounter with the exhibit.
“After speaking with Dr. el-Hakim for a few minutes, I knew I wanted to bring the program to our campus… It’s one thing to learn history, but it’s another to engage with it in a personal way. We wanted to make it a recurring program, but of course COVID turned everything around. We’re very happy to bring this important exhibit back to UM now,” said Doell.
This year, the mobile museum will feature a new exhibit called
Hip Hop at 50. The collection will include cultural and historical artifacts from over five decades of hip hop culture, offering a glimpse into how hip hop has made an impact on popular culture.
The Black History 101 Mobile Museum visit was organized by the Office of Academic Enhancement and is one of many events happening on campus during Black History month. Lauren Lennon, president of the united black students, is ecstatic that a non-student organization has arranged events in the name of black history.
“[The museum] demonstrates the value and direct connection of the Black experience to American history. Also, it encourages the inclusion of Black history within our UM community where diversity and inclusion are institutional priorities,” Lennon explained.
The museum’s visit comes after Florida Gov. Ron Desantis’ decision to prohibit an Advanced Placement high school course on African American studies. Dr. el-
Hakim stressed that the decision is why his visit is more important now than ever before.
“Having black history education is important so people understand the importance of having a more equitable and just society. Having a black history education helps us have a better understanding of
the need to be inclusive of all the stories of black Americans,” elHakim said.
The exhibit will be on display from 10am-3pm and El-Hakim will be speaking during the event starting at 12pm. Students interested in attending can register here.
“ChatGPT, the cutting-edge language model developed by OpenAI, is revolutionizing the way we interact with artificial intelligence.”
That is the response of ChatGPT-3 (ChatGPT) to the request, “write the first line of an article about ChatGPT.”
The sample is characteristic of many of ChatGPT’s products: not perfect, nor particularly creative, but certainly better than one might expect from an AI chat bot.
Changing the request to, “write an article about ChatGPT,” yields a several paragraph product in a handful of seconds. As the output gets lengthier, the more repetition, clichés and borrowed information become apparent.
ChatGPT, the latest edition of a chatbot software developed by Open AI in late November 2022, has shocked many. The chatbot can complete a wide range of tasks in seconds, including writing an essay, poem or letter about a given topic, generating code, translating a passage, conducting research and answering complex questions in a markedly human way. It distinguishes itself from other chatbots with its nuance and ability to fine-tune its own responses with further information from the user.
At the University of Miami, like many educational institutions, questions of a new threat of cheating or plagiarism have abounded.
“Please review your assignments and learning assessment methods to determine how they might be susceptible to ChatGPT, but also consider incorporating the tool in your courses to facilitate learning,” said Jeffery Duerk, the University of Miami provost, in an email sent to UM faculty on Jan. 19, 2023.
Duerk also encouraged faculty to interact with UM’s writing center resources and attend a series of educational events on artificial intelligence.
His approach to the issue echoes the sentiments of Yelena Yesha, the Knight Foundation Endowed Chair of Data Science and AI and a professor of computer science at UM. Yesha encourages embracing the chatbot’s assets, while remaining cautious of its fallbacks. “It will empower equally, the faculty and educators as well as the consumer, the students and scientists, but it will not replace them,” Yesha said.
ChatGPT’s lack of transparency gives Yesha pause. The technology’s background is relatively unknown, making it difficult to
ensure the resource is empirical and accurate.
She encourages the creators to share their algorithms so the code can be corrected for constraints and biases.
“Certain things or certain information can be either omitted, constrained or misrepresented,” Yesha said. “Technology can inadvertently produce misinformation.”
With Microsoft’s recent multibillion dollar investment in Open AI, both companies have voiced commitments to make ChatGPT safe and responsible through future development.
As the chatbot becomes safer, more accurate and more widely used, it could serve a role in more mundane tasks. However, as Yesha describes, there must always be a human somewhere in the process.
In the case of writing code, developers could use ChatGPT to complete more rote tasks, akin to the way many use calculators to do long division.
Victor Milenkovic, a professor of computer science at UM and the founder of UM’s computer science department, compared using ChatGPT to write code to the task of computing the square root of 7.
Complex on paper, yet simple with a few keystrokes on the calculator, the calculator is well equipped for such a direct task. However, it requires the user’s knowledge of the square root sign to serve a purpose. Otherwise, the result is just an unwieldy long decimal. Similarly, code written using ChatGPT requires the wherewithal of the programmer to ensure useful code.
“If you’re using this tool in the future, you’ll have to learn how to use the tool and, in particular, develop skills to test the program,” Milenkovic said.
He adds that most of programming is a debugging process. He shared a story about a fellow professor who suspected his students were cheating on their coding assignments. Instead of trying to charge them with plagiarism, he graded them based on the quality of their faulty program. The students did not know how to test nor debug their program. Even with a functioning program, Milenkovic uses other methods to combat cheating efforts, employable across other fields. He dedicates the lab section of his classes to supervised coding, compelling the students to code their own work. He also uses OneDrive, a cloud service, to track the history of the code, and varies his assignments by the semester.
Nicole Hospital-Medina, a frequent lecturer for first-year writing at UM and a poet, uses a similar trick, asking students to handwrite a paragraph response in the first class to get a baseline for students’ writing ability.
Hospital-Medina is not too concerned with plagiarism in her class using ChatGPT.
“The writing is usually very boring. very generic, very overly generalized, lots of generalizations and no engaging anecdotes. There’s nothing clever about it,” HospitalMedina said.
This makes it easy to detect the chatbot’s work.
She adds that the chatbot is uncreative and incapable of being experimental, making it a very poor poet and further dampening the quality of its performance in her class.
“The way that ChatGPT is right now, it’s not an asset in any way,” Hospital-Medina said in regards to her writing class.
More generally, she said it could aid startups, for example, in place of hiring a content creator or marketer. She advises, though, that this approach still has pitfalls, particularly in the loss of self-expression.
Across academic subjects, the consensus appears to be that ChatGPT requires at least one human’s judgement, intuition and creativity in complex processes.
In the more rudimentary skills, ChatGPT is competent, but using it in place of original work contradicts the point of learning the fundamental skills.
In language learning, for example, students begin by learning a very basic level of speech. The use of Google Translate, and now ChatGPT, are very difficult to detect at this level. As students grow stronger in the language, automatic translators become less useful, while online dictionaries become more essential.
“Once you develop the skill, then you can use technology as a supplement,” said Viviana Pezzullo, a lecturer in French at UM.
She advocated against completely prohibiting technology and instead rethinking language learning.
“I think learning languages will change,” Pezzullo said. “Right now we are still heavily reliant on memorization.”
To make an assignment “ChatGPT-proof,” educators can try to add a human element. In the rote tasks that ChatGPT executes well, professors say to embrace it.
“Use it to the fullest extent and do amazing, amazing projects, but be aware of the pitfalls,” Milenkovic said.
The U.S. poultry industry is scrambling to control the latest avian flu outbreak that has decimated bird populations across the United States.
The virus, known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) has caused more than 58 million bird deaths in commercial and backyard flocks since Feb. 2022. As a result, the price of eggs and other poultry products have skyrocketed over the past year, rising by almost 60% in 2022.
Many UM students who purchase eggs from stores like Publix, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods Market have noticed the dramatic increase.
“The increase in the price of eggs has been utterly insane,” senior piano performance major Jonathan Reichenberger said. “Just a few months ago I used to be able to get a dozen for about $1.50 and now they’re at nearly $5 no matter where you shop.”
Even for students who don’t buy eggs on a regular basis, they still notice the rising price of poultry products elsewhere in their grocery bill.
“They don’t make a large impact on my bill because I’m not buying eggs every time I go to the store due to my allergy,” junior marine affairs major Kiera Fielding said. “I do notice when they make up a large portion of my bill even if I’m purchasing half a carton or the least expen-
The United States is not the only country affected by the outbreak. Given the migratory behavior of bird populations, H5N1 has spread across continents and affected over 37 European countries in the past two years.
On Oct. 31, 2022, England poultry farmers were ordered to put their farms on lockdown amid rising avian flu outbreaks.
The United States witnessed a similar case in 2015, where nearly 51 million birds died as a result of the virus. The majority of the outbreaks in 2015 were due to farm-to-farm transmission, whereas farm-to-farm transmission in the current outbreak only accounts for 15% of cases.
Once a bird is infected with the H5N1 virus, the animal may experience coughing, swelling around the head, diarrhea, tremors, fatigue, and overall produce less eggs. As the illness worsens, infected birds usually pass within 48 hours.
The recent outbreak also raises concerns about the possibility of a new “global influenza pandemic,” given that H5N1 has the potential to spread to mammals. In Montana, three grizzly bears were recently infected with H5N1, demonstrating that the virus has already mutated.
The virus is highly transmissible among avian species and spreads rapidly among flocks, but scientists are assuring the public that the risk of a rapid
spillover into humans remains low.
UM students enrolled in biology and immunology classes have held discussions around the issue, asking the question of whether or not this outbreak has the potential to threaten human health.
“Once a virus is released into the world it never goes away. And for the rest of time, new viruses will keep mutating and becoming a threat,” junior biology major Izzy Sowells said. “That doesn’t mean that every virus will cause a pandemic on the scale that COVID did. We just have to take standard precautions and take scientific advice seriously.”
From the relocation of the Corner Deli to the installation of Instacart last semester, the University of Miami has had no shortage of new dining experiences. When campus re-opened for the spring 2023 semester, UM students quickly discovered another change to UM dining: mobile ordering in the Hecht-Stanford and MahoneyPearson dining halls.
Instead of ordering from the staff, students getting food from the Flame, Deli by Design, and Create stations place their orders using a QR code located at the dining hall entrances or the station itself.
Many students feel this new system has created positive changes.
Derek Hart, a sophomore majoring in English, thinks mobile ordering prevents long waits, which can be helpful for students in a hurry.
“It’s nice not having to wait. There’s times where there was a very long line. You don’t necessarily have to be waiting for 10 to 15 minutes sometimes, especially in a
rush that could be very hard,” Hart said.
Sofia Passante, a sophomore majoring in English, says she and her friends all use mobile ordering and points out that this new system streamlines students’ dining experiences.
“It’s great because they text you when your order is ready,” Passante said.
Passante and Hart both agree that mobile ordering should have been introduced to campus dining halls earlier.
“I think that it would have been great if it was implemented earlier, but it’s here now,” Passante said.
The implementation of mobile ordering was announced less than a week before dorms re-opened, so the new system came as a surprise to some students.
“I was not expecting mobile ordering to be implemented this soon, but it definitely is a great addition to the school environment,” Passante said.
Unlike the dining halls, not every dining option on campus offers mobile ordering. UM Dining
announced that Daybreak, Tossed, Miami Chicken Company, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Pollo Tropical and Archivist Cafe would have self-ordering kiosks beginning this semester. However, some other UM dining locations still lack self-ordering options. Some students think mobile ordering should be a widespread feature of dining options at UM.
“I think more mobile ordering would be better, just considering that students have had really busy schedules for a long time and mobile ordering is a great way to eliminate the need of having to wait in line,” Hart said.
While this is freshman mathematics major Kinda Khoury’s first semester at UM, meaning she has not experienced the dining halls without mobile ordering, she thinks it should be implemented in other locations across campus as well.
“I feel like some places that are super crowded should do it,” Khoury said.
Even though many students are in favor of the mobile ordering system, Hart, Khoury and Passante do not think it creates enough of a
reason for students to eat in dining halls as opposed to other dining options on and off campus. Passante argues that students may choose other options for reasons other than convenience.
“I don’t think mobile ordering is necessarily incentivizing people to go to the dining halls over the food
court or other dining options because other off-campus dining options offer delivery and other food on campus might be better,” Passante said. “I think it’s also about food quality.”
Students can visit @UMDining on Instagram or Twitter for more information and updates.
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2017 Las Vegas shooting where more than 50 people were killed, former Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin defended gun rights with an argument analogous to the aforementioned phrase.
“To all these political opportunists who are seizing on the tragedy in Las Vegas to call for more gun regs, you can’t regulate evil,” Bevin said.
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As politically polarized as the U.S. is, Americans from all walks of life agree that mass shootings are reprehensible. One thing Americans can’t agree on, however, is how to stop them.
Gun control is one of America’s most politically divisive topics and a point of contention at all levels of conversation, from informal student discussions to legislative battles. Second Amendment purists tirelessly aim to protect the right to bear arms and have spent nearly two years blocking a vote for universal background checks.
Gun-control advocates, however, often fail to fully grasp the rationale behind gun-rights proponents’ opposing reformation. If we could better understand gun-rights talking points, then we could better impede them to achieve proper gun control.
A common argument gunrights advocates have adopted to defend their position and denounce school shootings simultaneously is that “guns don’t kill people, people kill people.”
The afternoon after the deadly
The statement amassed 6,000 retweets almost immediately, with around half of those showing support for Bevin’s unsuitable statement. By disentangling shooters from the weapons they use to carry out their crimes, politicians can
er says “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” they imply that it can’t be a combination of both that contributes to the violence.
The reality is that people do kill people, but it is often done so with guns. According to Center for Disease Control mortality data, in 2020, firearm-related injury became the leading cause of death among children and adolescents. Over a 10-year period from 20092018, the United States had 288 school shootings, which is 280 more than the next highest country. Since then, we have seen little improvement.
Every day that passes, the
opened fire killing three people in the Beverly Crest Community in Los Angeles, adding up to a staggering total of 19 people killed in one week due to gun violence. In the wake of such a shocking death toll in such a short period of time in just one state, one has to consider why the “people killing people” have access to guns in the first place.
Australia, a nation that enforces strict gun control policies, has drastically lower firearm-related incidents than the U.S. That wasn’t always the case, but Australia took aggressive action following a major tragedy. In 1996, 35 people were killed and 28 were injured in a mass shooting in a tourist area in the Australian state of Tasmania.. The Australian prime minister at the time, John Howard, quickly moved to tighten firearm policy in the country.
“After this wanton slaughter, I knew that I had to use the authority of my office to curb the possession and use of the type of weapons that killed 35 innocent people. I also knew it wouldn’t be easy,” Howard said in a 2013 op-ed for The New York Times.
denounce horrific incidents involving guns while maintaining their support for gun laws with no teeth.
To a layperson, this argument seems intuitive. Naturally, a gun cannot be fired without someone pulling the trigger, but this argument is the paradigm of a “false dilemma” fallacy, which presents only two options instead of a broader spectrum. When a gun support -
U.S. misses an opportunity to save lives. In the first month of this year, California alone saw four mass shootings in just one week. Among these shootings was the attack at a Monterey Park nightclub where 11 people were killed during a Lunar New Year celebration; the Half Moon Bay shootings where seven people were killed at two mushroom farm locations; and on Saturday morning, a gunman
While people do kill people, proper gun control has in practice drastically reduced acts of mass violence in other nations. If guns don’t kill people, but people kill people, then the problem lies within the individuals handling these weapons. In an effort to determine the causes of gun violence, the American Psychological Association (APA) found that factors such as economic status, mental health, anger management issues and exposure to
“Every day that passes the U.S. misses an opportunity to save lives. In the first month of this year, California alone saw four mass shootings in just one week. “
violent media all positively correlate with inclinations towards gun violence.
These facets of the problem must be addressed through institutions that might aid in fewer displays of gun violence such as proper mental health treatment and programs that assist those living in poverty.
With that being said, the recurrence of gun violence in the U.S. can’t be solved by only focusing on the social issues that exist in America. At the core of the solution is the regulation of guns at the state and federal level. A mentally-ill person is treatable, but until there are universal methods to identify and treat those who need help and identify those who might pose risk to the safety of others more clearly, the problem should be approached in whatever way will prevent harm to the public.
Another common argument from gun lobbyists is that the American public feels safer and that crime is deterred when they are able to freely wield firearms. Research conducted by the Harvard Injury Control Research Center suggests the opposite, and the commonly cited statistic of 2.5 million people using guns to defend themselves or their property annually is based on faulty analysis from a 1990s study.
“The evidence is equally compelling that having another weapon, such as mace (spray) or a baseball bat, will also reduce the likelihood of property loss. What guns do is make hostile interactions — robberies, assaults — much more deadly,” David Hemenway, the director of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center, said.
This serves to starkly undermine the notion that people kill people, not guns. While a person wields the weapon, the se -
verity of injury caused is often dependent on the weapon rather than the person. Anger clouds judgment and having a trigger at one’s fingertips is contribut -
and their resulting violence for good. Opponents view it catastrophically: police officers storming into their homes, stealing their guns and arresting any
or UBIs, already have proven positive impacts on gun violence. In the last 30 years, over three million gun sales were blocked by a background check.
least one famous case, an unlicensed arms dealer sold a gun to a shooter who killed 32 people in Odessa, Texas. Tightening up UBIs is something very attainable in our society - the law already exists at a federal level and it would just be eliminating a loophole - and this is an achievable way to control gun violence. That said, it is just one step on the long road to quelling gun violence.
ing to America’s gravely unique shooting problem.
The term “gun control” is, on both sides, sometimes misunderstood. Proponents sometimes visualize gun control as a cureall decree that wipes out guns
resisters. The truth is that gun control will be neither of these things, but a process with individual steps. A beneficial first step would be tightening universal background checks.
Universal background checks,
However, there is still room for improvement. Individual state laws allow private gun sales to not require a background check, which allows a swath of the population to access guns when they might use them for harm. In at
This year, Feb. 14 will mark four years since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.. Four years following the death of 17 students and staff and the United States is still hovering over possible gun reform solutions. Many survivors of the Parkland shooting turned to activism in an effort to work to achieve tangible change In 2018, they created March For Our Lives, an organization dedicated to ending the widespread gun violence through education and civic involvement. Today, March For Our Lives has organized hundreds of protests across the country to denounce gun violence and has registered more than 50,000 new voters. Ultimately, “you can’t regulate evil” is no argument in comparison to innocent lives lost and it certainly doesn’t invalidate evidence that gun reforms can actually work. Sure, restrictions on gun access would not completely eradicate mass shootings, but these restrictions are proven to save lives. In this context, touting “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” is a defeatist argument that would allow the status quo to continue: Mass shootings will continue unabated. Even if just one mass shooting is prevented, the gun reforms would have served their purpose. I’m sure many Americans would agree on that.
BY LAUREN FERRER STAFF WRITER
As Valentine’s Day approaches, the scramble for plans begins. Whether you’re taken, single or just cruising through the year, there is something for you to do on this day to celebrate love. Love can come in all shapes and sizes. It’s not just for your significant other, but also love for yourself and the friends that keep us smiling every day.
For those thinking of a \romantic night for two, the city of Miami has that much to offer and more. From romantic dinner dates at Crazy About You in Brickell to hitting up a drag brunch at Palace in South Beach, there is something for everyone to enjoy. But sometimes, going above and beyond with those you love makes for memories that last a lifetime.
“My favorite Valentine’s Day was last year when we went on a couples’ trip with
my sister and her husband and her bestie and her husband to Disney for the Festival of the Arts,” senior creative advertising major Gaby Torna said.
Happening through Feb. 20, Disney’s Festival of the Arts is your opportunity to experience art in the happiest place on Earth. Art galleries, delicious cuisine and live music are just a few things one can expect when attending.
“It was so much fun and so cute because we ended up waking up at like 3 a.m. and heading straight to Epcot,” Torna said. “It truly felt like Valentine’s Day, especially with all the photo passes we took that were all Valentine’s Day and art themed. I even dressed up with my Valentine’s Day Minnie ears and heart-shaped lollipop earrings.”
Galentine’s Day, usually celebrated the weekend before Valentine’s Day, is the time to honor friendships, new or old, in all of their forms. Although not an official holiday, many are jumping at the idea to celebrate and shower in love those in your life who are always there for you. Who else are you going to call for lastminute outfit inspiration, late-night life advice or to rant about the little things that a partner just won’t get?
“What I like about Galentine’s Day is that it allows people who are not in a relationship to also celebrate Valentine’s Day, which fundamentally is a day to celebrate love,” sophomore marketing major Aris Montero said. “I feel like love doesn’t only have to be within a relationship, but also relationships of friendship.”
‘Tis the season for aesthetic Pinterest boards of beachside picnics, chocolatecovered strawberries and tiny heartshaped cakes that go viral almost every month. Getting together with those you love most truly is the reason for the sea -
Along with the mush and gush of Valentine’s Day comes the group of people who would simply rather wallow in singlehood and indulge themselves with
endless amounts of heart-shaped chocolate. Is there a better way to celebrate singleness than binging the most cliche, yet touching romantic comedies?
Because of its increasing popularity on various social media platforms, one can predict “How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days’’ making its well-deserved comeback in the rom-com genre.
In the early 2000’s hit romantic comedy, advertising executive Benjamin Barry (Matthew McCaugnehey) makes a bet that he can make any woman fall in love with him. At the same time, magazine writer Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) is composing an article about the steps that led her boyfriend to dump her. In search of the best techniques, Andie employs a number of dating “don’ts” to get Ben to break up with her.
“I loved Andie’s character. Usually the women in rom-coms are portrayed as damsels in distress, but Andie was the complete opposite,” Ava Kezirian, a firstyear student studying broadcast journalism and theatre arts, said.
Kezirian elaborated further on the movie’s subversion of typical romantic comedy plots, praising it for standing apart from the rest.
“It’s a great Valentine’s Day movie because it shows a realistic relationship dynamic rather than a romanticized, fake one. To me, that’s much more romantic than something unrealistic,” Kezirian said.
If you couldn’t tell, UM students will celebrate this worldwide day of love in a plethora of ways, from the cutely conventional to the utterly unorthdox. Whether it’s a romantic night out with your significant other, a Galentine’s day picnic or a cozy movie night, gather your loved ones and make sure to celebrate love in all its forms.
No matter how you choose to celebrate (or not celebrate) Valentine’s day, we’re grateful for an entire day dedicated to love.
Get your wallets ready! It’s time to buy cGet your wallets ready! It’s time to buy chocolate boxes, teddy bears and jewelry. That’s right, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner.
If you’re struggling to decide how to spend the day, look no further than The Miami Hurricane’s list of eight ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day in Miami.
Picnic on the Beach
Pack a blanket, a picnic basket and some delicious food. One of the most relaxing activities is enjoying the beautiful ocean view and breeze. With a plethora of white sand beaches to choose from, you can’t go wrong with this option for Valentine’s Day. However, if you’re looking to enjoy a quieter option, hit up Crandon Park or Bill Briggs State Park on Key Biscayne. Bonus points if you go for sunset.
Dine at Miami’s Finest
It’s no secret that Miami holds some of the finest and most romantic restaurants. Going to a nice restaurant on Valentine’s Day is a safe option and will surely be pleasant spent with the people you love. With many options in Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Miami Beach and more, you are sure to find a nice spot. However, Valentine’s Day is notoriously one of the busiest nights in the restaurant industry, so be sure to secure a reservation and aim for an earlier time to avoid the crowds.
Peacock Garden in Coconut Grove offers a secret-garden feel with fairy lights against lush greenery. If you’re looking for fine dining and french cui -
sine, check out LPM Restaurant and Bar in Brickell. For those looking to go on a lunch date before the crowds, head over to Pura Vida in Coral Gables, Fla. for a fresh, healthy meal.
Bake Valentine’s Day Treats
A lot of people get chocolate on Valentine’s Day. But — let’s be honest — the majority of the cheap chocolate gift boxes aren’t the best. It’s time to upgrade your Valentine’s Day treats. Google is your best friend for finding the perfect recipe. Replace Hershey kisses for a homemade chocolate lava cake. Baking brings people together and is sure to be a memorable (and delicious) way to spend the night.
“Moonlight & Music” Valentine’s Day Concert
If you’re a fan of jazz music, this concert is sure to set the perfect mood for your night. Located at Deering Estate, this festival will feature jazz singer Bianca Rosarrio with Nikki Kidd as the opening performance. General Admission is $60, which secures seating on the lawn. The concert starts at 8 p.m. on Feb. 14, which allows guests to enjoy music under the stars.
Whether it’s a couples massage, facial or hair appointment, Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to do some self care. Miami has many salons, so book that spa treatment! Spend a little extra on yourself to rejuvenate your body and mind. Head to GoldenTouch Haircuts in Lakeside Village on campus for a
fresh cut, stop by Avant-Garde Salon & Spa in Coral Gables, Fla. for a massage or check Alix Earle’s favorite IGK salon in downtown Miami.
Have you always wanted to take a sunset boat cruise? Well, Valentine’s Day is the time to have that experience. Miami has many different cruises to offer from private excursions to dinner aboard the boat. Take in the skylines and pink and orange colors the sun sets over the city.
Watch a Rom Com
Not up for facing the Valentine’s Day crowds? No problem. Fire up the big screen and put on your favorite rom-om. Get a good laugh and some relaxation all from the comfort of
your own home. Enjoy a classic like “When Harry Met Sally,” or catch up on movies trending on TikTok like “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.” You can even relive your high school days with a cheesy Netflix original like “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.”
Host a Valentine’s Day Craft Party
It’s time we bring ourselves back to the elementary school classrooms. Remember when we used to decorate shoe boxes and paper bags to put valentines in? Do that. Get a group of friends together, make your very own valentine holder and stick your homemade Valentine’s Day cards in there. Write a heartfelt message and show those people how much you love them.
With increasing conversations about climate change and the environment, Miami has become an area for concern due to sea levels rising. Because UM students and faculty have been researching new technologies and ways to live in this changing world, some have become curious about regions of the world like Antarctica.
As climate change continues to impact our world, some people are making an effort to learn about the effects before it’s too late. During winter break, sophomore David Kronman visited Antarctica and got to see the effects of climate change firsthand.
From a young age, the marine affairs and geography major has loved scuba diving, calling it the best way to experience the ocean. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pa.
Kronman always wanted to study “something in the marine sciences’’ at UM.
“I loved the campus — especially the Rosenstiel School — as well as the research,” Kronman said.
Currently, Kronman helps others cultivate a love for the ocean as a dive guide at Grove Scuba. On campus, he is involved with the scuba club and works at Outdoor Adventures in Lakeside Village. Kronman says he has “a lot of fun with that.”
However, Kronman’s interests in the ocean are not limited to Miami’s tropical climate: additionally, he has been fascinated by Antarctica. As a marine affairs major, Kronman says that the currents in Antarctica are unique since they are isolated.
“I’ve always been interested in Antarctica because who doesn’t love penguins?” Kronman said.
When Kronman was nine, he opened a bank account to start
saving for a trip to Antarctica and saved everything he earned for 11 years.
“It was a long time, but it was everything I hoped for,” Kronman said.
Before Kronman’s trip to Antarctica, he says his main interest in marine science was sharks. Although he still loves sharks, he became more interested in polar conservation following the recent trip.
“This has to do with climate change, conservation management and fishery sciences because overfishing and overharvesting have been a big threat,” Kronman said. “Climate change has been a topic that has come up in every class, with examples of the damage caused by it or evidence for it.”
Going to Antarctica allowed Kronman to see the receding glaciers.
“For my geography major, it was cool to see graphical appli-
cations of geography, whether it be navigating through ice or mapmaking,” Kronman said.
Through his marine affairs major, Kronman has become more knowledgeable about sustainable tourism policies and their significance for marine protected areas. Kronman’s future plans include getting involved with lab or field research.
“There is a lot that interests me, but the Rescue a Reef lab and the Shark Research and Conservation Program are just two of the many that I would love to join.”
Fortunately for Kronman, his time at UM has been worthwhile.
“This was where I learned what I wanted to do and because it was really fun,” Kronman said.
Kronman continues to delve into various research topics and appreciates UM for the one-ofa-kind education. He has found that the faculty at the Rosenstiel School have served as a community he can lean on when figuring
out his post-graduation plans.
“We learn about all sorts of different topics, from geography to specific chemical processes and biological systems, so I feel that I will be prepared to move on with a career after I graduate,” Kronman said.
Where can you go to watch award-winning short films right here at UM for free? Look no further than Shorts Miami International Film Festival (SMIFF), which comes to the Bill Cosford Cinema from Feb. 3-5.
Its premiere year, SMIFF is a three-day festival created by UM School of Communications faculty to celebrate narrative and documentary short films. What separates it from other, more popular film festivals is its low-cost entry fee for filmmakers ($15 or $20) along with the cash prizes awarded in a real-life venue.
Over the three days, festival attendees will get to view films from the U.S. and all over the world, including Spain, France, Italy, Iran, Mexico, Brazil, Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and the United Kingdom.
Friday will focus on narrative short films, Saturday will spotlight documentaries and Sunday will conclude with an international
focus on Serbian short films. Featuring short films on the isolation of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, the rush to prove a man’s innocence after a murder charge and unfilled dinner tables, viewers can experience 10 unique stories in under three hours.
On Saturday, the festival will highlight the reality of online dating in “Dating Internet Strangers” and show the journey of converted Muslim women from South Florida in “Three Latina Muslims.” SMIFF will wrap up its weekend with a deep look into Serbian film making and archived footage of a refugee camp that helps to convey Serbia’s rich history.
Awards to be announced include Best of the Festival, Best Narrative and Best Documentary, which each carry a cash value of $500.
Wondering who decides these winners? A jury of international industry professionals will award these cash prizes to the most engaging films on Sunday Night. Among the
jury and originators of the festival is Antonio Mora, Associate Professor at the UM School of Communication and the Frances L. Wolfson Chair in Communication.
The remainder of the jury include a mix of journalists and celebrities like Nigerian-born actress Sope Aluko (“Black Panther”), American actor Néstor Carbonell (“Bates Motel”) and movie director David Frankel (“The Devil Wears Prada”).
Rounding out the jury of eight are independent producer/showrunner Zorana Popović, former ABC News Senior Vice President Phyllis McGrady, current ABC News “Nightline” anchor Byron Pitts and “60 Minutes” producer Ira Rosen, whose report on the opioid epidemic won more awards than any segment in the show’s 52-year history.
Those interested in attending can visit shortsmiami.com to reserve a free ticket as well as preview a full list and synopsis of each film showing.
In the past few years, reading’s popularity has skyrocketed among Gen-Z. In particular, many TikTok and Instagram users have fallen in love with contemporary romance novels among other genres. As we read more romance novels, we discover our favorite tropes, which are common patterns that a storyline takes on, such as enemies to lovers, friends to lovers and more.
In celebration of Valentine’s Day, here are five book recommendations based on the trendiest romance tropes!
Many romance readers cannot resist a page-turning, enemies to lovers story where the main characters start with hatred and end in love with each other.
“Beach Read” by Emily Henry presents a perfect example of this beloved trope. Henry tells the addictive story of January and Gus, two writers who have hated each other since college. When January’s father dies, she goes to unpack his beach
house and discovers that her next door neighbor is Gus. They challenge each other to swap writing genres, so January has to write a contemporary story while Gus has to write a romance. Full of witty banter and lovable characters, “Beach Read” is truly a must-read for fans of this popular trope.
“Heartstopper” by Alice Oseman is a heartwarming graphic novel series about the blossoming relationship between teenagers Nick and Charlie. When the boys are placed in the same home room, Charlie develops a massive crush on Nick, but the pair just become friends. As the school year progresses, Nick and Charlie both discover new things about themselves and each other.
The novel tackles topics such as mental health issues, LGBTQ+ representation and relationships, bullying and more.
“Heartstopper” was also adapted into a hit Netflix series last year, so after you finish reading the first two graphic novels, you can binge watch the award-winning show!
“Love and Other Words” by fan-favorite writing duo Christina Lauren is the epitome of second chance romance. Macey and Elliot were two best friends in love until a falling out caused them to break up. 10 years later, now working adults, they bump into each other and are forced to face their painful memories in order to see if they could have a future. With its dual timelines and strong chemistry between the main characters, “Love and Other Words” is a must read for fans of second chances.
“By the Book” by Jasmine Guillory is an underrated, forced proximity romance that alludes to Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.” Isabelle, a 25-year-old editorial assistant, works in a publishing house, but feels stuck. She hears of an opportunity to go to the house of a highprofile author who has yet to deliver a manuscript. This author happens to be Beau Towers, an attractive celebrity with severe writer’s block drafting a tell-all memoir.
Beau is rude, stubborn and unfriendly, but Isabelle is able to help him start a manuscript. However, to accomplish this, she must stay at his house. The proximity forces the two into a productive working relationship and perhaps something more. “By the Book” is a delightful, easy read for anyone who adores fairytale retellings and a captivating slow burn.
“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid is about beloved Hollywood actress Evelyn Hugo and her seven marriages. The novel takes the form of a biography in which journalist Monique interviews Hugo, who, after a long career, finally wants to tell her story to the public.
Does Evelyn find true love with one of her seven husbands? Why did she handpick Monique to do the coveted interview? Why is she ready to share the details of her life after all these years? All is revealed in one of the most popular historical fiction novels in recent years.
It was a cloudy and cool day in Coral Gables on Friday afternoon during the Hurricanes’ first media availability of the year. The gray, uncolored skies were only symbolic of the way in which Miami’s season ended in June when the Arizona Wildcats beat the Hurricanes, 4-3, at Mark Light Field.
A stunning result, Miami had reached the College World Series the prior seven times it had secured a national seeding in the NCAA Tournament. Looking for vengeance, the ‘Canes are locked in with their first game approaching.
“Everybody knows what the goal is this year and it’s getting to Omaha,” Miami outfielder Zach Levenson said. “Nobody liked the way last year ended.”
The Hurricanes seemed to run out of gas near the end of 2022, and the pitching staff will have a tough task to accomplish in trying to replace Carson Palmquist. The former Friday night starter for the Hurricanes was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 2022 MLB Draft and led Miami in wins (nine), innings (84), strikeouts (118) and games started (16).
“We need our starters to go longer in games,” head coach Gino DiMare said. “We went to our bullpen throughout the second half of the season. We did not get good enough quality starts from our starters.”
As the Hurricanes have been hit with inevitable roster changes in the offseason, older faces in the locker room are already being recognized.
Pitcher Andrew Walters and third baseman Yohandy Morales Walters both received preseason All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball in December.
Walters, Miami’s closer in 2022, was the most reliable arm from the bullpen.
Not allowing a run until his 17th appearance against Pittsburgh, Walters finished with a team-low 1.65 ERA last season.
“Starters got to extend, we’ve got to go six innings,” Walters said. “Bullpen, I think, was our best asset last year. We are going to keep that, for sure.”
Morales played a big role in Miami’s offensive success in 2022. The slugger finished with a slash line of .329/.411/.650, along with 18 home runs and 59 RBI.
“Our goal is to get to Omaha,” Morales said. “We are here putting the work in every day, Monday through Sunday.”
Among the top 16 players on MLB’s current draft prospects board, Morales is expected to have another strong season at the plate and in the locker room.
“You don’t ever see him pouting. No negativity,” DiMare said. “Not just with how he plays but how he handles himself. Yo-Yo’s got that ‘it’ factor. It helps.”
To help Morales, the Hurricanes have found some strong pieces in the transfer portal. Miami landed notable bats like Dario Gomez and Ian Farrow from Nevada and Florida Gulf Coast, respectively. Gomez hit .350 in two seasons with the Wolfpack and Farrow set a program record for the Eagles by hitting 21 home runs and driving in 75 RBI.
The Hurricanes’ roster includes a total of nine freshmen, and each will likely need time to develop. If anyone seems to be in a position to make an immediate impact, however, first-year infielder Blake Cyr may be the one.
“Blake Cyr is an exciting player to watch. He plays with a lot of energy, a lot of passion. He can swing the bat, he’s got a lot of bat speed. He can run, he’s very quick,”
DiMare said. “Blake stands out to me as a hitter.”
Cyr was rated as the fifth-best shortstop and 29th-best player overall in the state of Florida by Perfect Game.
Looking to achieve a national seeding in back-to-back years, Miami will face a gauntlet of an ACC schedule that includes six other schools rated in D1 Baseball’s top 25 rankings.
“Our strength of schedule is always going to be good,” DiMare said. “That’s always a good thing. I tell our guys, you don’t have to worry about being one of those teams that you’ve got to win 45, 48 games, even 50 games.”
Miami will begin its season with a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions on Friday, Feb. 17 at 7:00 p.m.
It is no secret that Miami men’s basketball is one of the top offenses in the nation.
The Hurricanes average just under 78 points per game, which is third best in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and top 40 in the NCAA. Everyone knows players like Isaiah Wong, Nijel Pack and Jordan Miller are critical contributors to Miami’s offense. However, there is one often overlooked player just as instrumental in the ‘Canes success — guard Harlond Beverly.
A Detroit native and Montverde Academy graduate, Beverly is an exceptional bench piece. Offensively, the fourth-year junior can score on all levels, from inside the
paint to multiple feet outside the 3-point arc, and he can do it efficiently. This season, Beverly is shooting 45% from the field, 30% from 3-point land and 88% from the free throw line —all of which are career-best marks.
He also brings height to an undersized Miami team. Beverly is 6-foot-6, which allows him to use his length to help the team immensely on defense, especially at the guard position. Although Beverly stands five inches taller than Pack, the two players are within five steals of each other, even though Pack has logged almost 350 more minutes of playing time.
“Harlond is a great all-around player,” Pack said. “It’s like an inspiration to see him play. I’ve seen him make some crazy passes
and [showcase] his athletic ability – and then his defense ability too [is an inspiration]. When he gets in the game, we put him on a guy that when we need a big stop, we can count on him to get. The level he’s playing right now for us is really good.”
While his performance on the court is certainly inspirational, his basketball journey is even more so.
In November of 2021, Beverly missed the entire 2021-2022 season due to a lingering back injury sustained the previous year. As a result, he did not play basketball for ten months and constantly questioned if he would ever step on the court again.
“Back surgery is very often a career-ending injury,” Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga said. “Har-
lond was very conscientious in making his way back. He worked very hard and got himself in great shape.”
While out, Beverly watched Miami make it to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history from afar. After the 10-month break, he was more than ready to contribute.
“Last year I didn’t get to play, and [last year’s team] was a great team, so I just wanted to be a part of another great team like that,” Beverly said after Miami beat Boston College on Jan. 11. “The way we’re playing right now, it feels good just to be a part of it.”
Now, Beverly is showing Miami fans his true abilities. Against Boston College, he dropped a seasonhigh 15 points after shooting 6 of
7 from the field. In the following game against Syracuse, he bested that mark with a new season-high 16 points in just over 20 minutes. As the season has progressed, his minute totals have increased simultaneously, cementing himself as a crucial part of Miami’s rotation.
“[Beverly] worked his butt off to get in shape and to be fully healthy,” Miami assistant coach DJ Erving said. “I think now he’s finally finding his rhythm, and I think the most important part is he’s embracing the role that he has on his team. He’s such a smart basketball player, and he lets the game come to him –and I think it’s a credit to him that he was still learning the game while he was out. I’m not surprised with what he’s doing.”
Miami women’s basketball has experienced its share of adversity throughout the 2022-23 season. Injuries to forwards Destiny Harden and Latasha Lattimore altered the team’s rotations, and a slow start to the season cast doubt on UM’s lofty preseason expectations.
Thursday’s matchup against Boston College (BC) was no different. The Hurricanes (137, 6-3 ACC) trailed by as many as 12 points, but just as they had previously, they showcased their resilience and defeated the Eagles, 86-65.
“We wanted the scrum,” Miami head coach Katie Meier said. “All week, we were talking about [how] it was gonna be a backyard brawl, and it was. It was a very physical game, but it was nice to see that toughness from our team.”
BC’s early lead featured an
uncharacteristic showing by the team from behind the arc.
The Eagles (13-10, 3-7 ACC) entered this game shooting only 27.2% from deep for the season, ranking last in the ACC. This was not the case against Miami, as BC made three of its first four 3-point attempts and shot out to an emphatic 14-2 lead within the game’s first five minutes. BC again took a 12-point lead in the second quarter before veteran forward Destiny Harden spearheaded a 12-2 scoring run that breathed new life into the Hurricanes.
Harden’s 13-point first half cut BC’s lead to just four, 4137, at the break. The sixth-year standout finished with a game and season-high 23 points and a career-high 11 makes and 16 attempts from the charity stripe. She also snatched a career-high seven steals.
“She just kind of did her thing,” Meier said regarding
Harden’s performance. “The seven steals, from a four-player, that was incredible, so [Harden] was everywhere.”
Miami carried over the momentum it created at the end of the second quarter and continued it in the closing half.
The Hurricanes took their first lead of the night on a steal-andscore by guard Haley Cavinder with 5:45 remaining in the third. Cavinder was the commander of Miami’s 31-point outburst during the third, scoring all 10 of her points during the quarter. The Fresno State transfer also knocked down Miami’s first two 3-pointers of the night.
“Haley’s such a competitor. I can’t tell you how fun it is,” Meier said. “She got out-run on one play and I lit her up and screamed at her … and then she just raised her level of the game.”
Miami extended its lead to double digits with 0:11 left in
the third on a pull-up jumper by guard Karla Erjavec, whose 13 points set a season-high for the graduate student.
UM’s tenacious fourth-quarter defense held BC scoreless over the last 7:09 of the game on the way to its 21-point victory.
The ‘Canes will begin a twogame road trip on Sunday as they take on Wake Forest at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m., and the game will air on ACC Network Extra.
Miami men’s basketball gave up an 11-point second half lead against the Pittsburgh Panthers on Saturday afternoon at the Petersen Events Center, losing 7168. Pittsburgh scored 11 straight points in the last two minutes to overtake the Hurricanes, which had three turnovers in the same amount of time.
Miami, which led for nearly 28 minutes of action, played great basketball until the final moments of the game, when the Panthers upped their intensity on both sides of the court.
“We played very well in the first half,” Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga said. “We led almost until the bitter end, [but then Pittsburgh] came back and
made some big plays, and we obviously weren’t able to hold on to the lead. [The Panthers] deserve all the credit.”
The victory is Pittsburgh’s (15-7, 8-3 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)) first against the ‘Canes since December of 2020, and just its third win in their last 10 games against Miami (16-5, 7-4 ACC).
The Panthers’ Blake Hinson and Jamarius Burton led the way for Pittsburgh in terms of scoring, with 21 and 19 points, respectively. Hinson hit 5 of his 11 3-point attempts, including one with 1:35 left in the game that cut Miami’s lead to three.
Burton made a tip-in with 33 seconds left to give the Panthers the lead for good.
Up until the last two minutes
of the game, the ‘Canes had played exceptional basketball. Star guard Isaiah Wong hit several contested shots throughout the game and ended up scoring 14 points and grabbing six rebounds. Guard Jordan Miller led Miami with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, 14 of which came in the first half.
The first half featured a 15-2 Miami run that helped give them a 33-28 lead at halftime. Right before the break, Hinson hit a 3-point jumper as time expired. The jumper ended up being the difference in the contest.
Miami’s loss is its third consecutive defeat on a Saturday – the ‘Canes fell to both Duke and NC State by a bucket the previous two weeks. All three of the losses were on the road, and
Miami is just 4-4 away from the Watsco Center this season.
With this Hurricanes team poised to enter the NCAA tournament, the road losses are a cause for concern about their ceiling in March.
Miami looks to get back to its winning ways against the Virginia Tech Hokies on Tuesday night at the Watsco Center. The ‘Canes look to stay undefeated at home when the match tips off at 7 p.m.
The No. 10 Miami Hurricanes (3-1), a preseason top-16 team, were rewarded with a host nomination for the ITA Kick-Off Weekend. The ‘Canes hosted the No. 18 UCLA Bruins, No. 24 Iowa State Cyclones and Florida International University (FIU) Panthers at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center in Coral Gables, Florida. Miami advanced to the finals of the tournament before coming up just short against the Cyclones, 3-4.
The four-team tournament occurred over the course of the weekend with UM first battling against FIU. The winner would advance to play the victor of UCLA and Iowa State, adding extra stakes to the South Florida rivalry.
Miami started the day on fire as it dominated all facets of the game to collect the doubles point. Junior Audrey Boch-Collins and
freshman Mia Mack crushed their opponents, 6-0, while redshirt sophomore Alexa Noel and junior Isabella Pfennig finished the next match, 6-3. Fifth-year senior Devenia Achong and fourth-year junior Maya Tahan were winning, 4-3, when the match was abandoned.
Leading 1-0, it was a race to see which of the Hurricanes could finish first. UM collectively demolished the Panthers early on, as every player won their opening set.
Noel was forced to a tiebreaker on Court 1 but comfortably won, 7-6 (7-1), to complete the first set sweep.
Achong on Court 2 was the first to finish, as she sprinted to a 6-3 6-2 victory. Tahan finished next as she won, 6-3, 6-3, to put the ‘Canes a victory away from winning entirely.
On Court 1, Noel finished the deal, as she blanked her opponent in the second set to win, 7-6, 6-0, and advance Miami to the championship game. The final three
matches were called with UM leading or tied in every match.
While the ‘Canes were likely gearing up to face the No. 18 UCLA Bruins (1-2), it was actually the No. 24 Cyclones (3-1) who moved along to the finals, as they edged UCLA, 4-3, in the waning light Saturday evening.
The following afternoon, the Hurricanes and Cyclones would duke it out on a fittingly windy day. The Cyclones struck first, as they narrowly snatched the doubles point. On Court 3, BochCollins and Mack fell, 3-6, while Achong and Tahan came up just short as they lost, 4-6.
Despite trailing, there was an air of optimism as the singles play commenced. Needing four ‘Canes to prevail, five of six won their opening sets with only Boch-Collins trailing on Court 4, 3-6.
Tahan leveled the match with an impressive 6-2, 6-1 victory on Court 6. The junior finished the weekend undefeated for the ‘Canes. Next, Pfennig pushed Mi-
ami ahead, 2-1, as she came out on top, 6-3, 6-4.
Mack put the Hurricanes tantalizingly close to victory, as she defeated the No. 114-ranked Cyclone, 7-5 6-4 on Court 5. With UM now up 3-1 and needing one more victory, only Courts 1, 2 and 4 were still up in the air.
Iowa State answered quickly, claiming one of the three remaining points as Boch-Collins lost, 3-6, 4-6.
With Courts 1 and 2 remaining, things took a scary turn as Achong fell behind, 2-5, in her third set on Court 2 and Noel trailed, 3-5, on Court 1.
Noel battled off one match point and at 4-5, had three opportunities to tie the third set, but she lost the next three points to lose, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6.
With all hope now resting on Achong’s shoulders, she responded, winning three straight games to tie the set at 5-5. The Cyclones proved too strong as Achong was defeated, 6-2, 4-6, 5-7 to give
Iowa State a 4-3 victory in the ITA Kick-off Weekend.
“I think that, kind of, the rhythm of the match went their way after doubles. Typically, if we lose the doubles point, we don’t really carry it forward. But I think that doubles affected us today a little bit and we can’t let them happen,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “But, once again, listen, I give a lot of credit to Iowa State. I think their energy, their enthusiasm, the way they played, the way they came after us — I think it caught us by surprise a little bit at some positions. We can’t let that happen if we want to win matches like that. But, look, I’m proud of the effort. Our girls laid it out there today. It was just that they were a little bit better than us.”
The Hurricanes have a chance to get back in the win column when they play Florida Gulf Coast this Friday. The match is set to take place at noon at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
dearv@themiamihurricane.com.
V’s take is The Hurricane’s most controversial and longest-running column. It is a satirical work published biweekly by students and for students. Using our generation’s “colorful” language to address all things sex, love and gossip on campus, V is not for the politically correct or easily offended.
Let’s be real, we are at the mercy of the University of Miami’s social media influencers. These TikTok, YouTube and Instagram icons have positioned themselves atop a social pyramid with profound trickle-down consequences. It feels like more and more often, these monarchs reign over our group conscious of what’s “in” and what’s “out.”
Whether it be bulky Stanley Tumblers, the impractical “The Tote by Marc Jacobs,” overpriced YoungLA crew neck t-shirts or matching spandex gym-sets (camel toe sold separately… literally); if they post it, we’ll buy it. From mega-star @Xandrapohl to TikTok icon @Gailthegirl of UM’s campus, we flock like a herd of sheep. To their each and every whim we so quickly waiver.
However, it has been brought to my attention that over this past weekend, a positive force of influencer power has finally caught wind. UM’s biggest influencer, Alix Earle, said “yes” to a lifetime of disappointment in the backyard of an off-campus Sigma Chi frat house during the SigChi “wedding” party. Clad in white, Mrs. Earle, walked (or stumbled) down an aisle with the eyes of UM’s most impressionable upon her.
I don’t mean to beat you over the head with a history textbook, but if our past has taught me anything, it’s that we have a track record of mainstreaming these influencer fads within a matter of days. So, come Valentine’s Day, I expect that beyond a shadow of a doubt, 75 percent of the UM student body will be in wedlock. We can all thank Alix Earle, or better I say Mrs. Alix Earle-frat-guy, for helping our campus move toward a more virtuous and monogamous community of happily wedded 20-year-olds. So long, pool parties and Friday night dick-appointements and hello to a life-time of resentment and day drinking (not the fun kind).
Sure, Earle’s “big day” may have been a large-scale spectacle (complete with actual brand endorsements) for Greek life affiliates to get belligerent at and no actual vows were exchanged between the newlyweds. However, if the explosion of flare-leggings and blonde balayage have indicated anything, it’s that we tend to take things a little too far and this time it may be as far as the altar. I just hope I get a plus one.
Till death do us part. Yours always, V
