The Miami Hurricane: Feb. 7, 2024

Vol. 94, Issue 10 | Feb. 7 - Feb. 20

Here we go again Another cycle of housing problems on the horizon News // Page 2

Mold plagues Frost practice rooms News // Page 3 MBB scores only 38 in loss to UVA

Sports // Page 10

Roberta Macedo // Graphics Editor

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NEWS

Here we go again, UM students on the hunt for housing

BY JENNY JACOBY & LAUREN FERRER EDITOR IN CHIEF & MANAGING EDITOR

W

hile the University of Miami is preparing to open the doors to Centennial Village, more than 10,000 students are preparing to secure an on-campus housing spot or risk facing the fluctuating Miami rental market.

Outdated dorms, health hazards, new renewal policies and disproportionately high rent increases are standing in their way as the housing application process begins this week.

University Village Students living in University Village who are eligible for on-campus housing next year will no longer be guaranteed the ability to renew their rooms.

Previously, student residents in the UV could fill out a simple application to renew their same room for the following semester or academic year. With this process, most UV residents could skip the stress of applying for housing all over again and secure the spots they already hold.

This opportunity is no longer an option for the next application cycle.

“Although it won’t affect me, I feel like the change of the renewal rule isn’t really fair to current juniors that will want to stay in their existing apartment,” Corinne Kelly, a junior entrepreneurship major living in the UV, said.

Another UV resident, who asked to remain anonymous, expressed their continued disappointment with the on-campus housing process, especially now that they are in a position that would have otherwise guaranteed them another semester or year of housing.

“This time of year is always so stressful. I know the housing department does the best it can, but with so many students and so few options, every year feels like a toss- up,” the student said. “I have always ended up on a waitlist and have had to move in with random roommates halfway through the semester.”

Mahoney-Pearson One of the current options for first-year students, the Mahoney-Pearson Residential colleges, have faced challenges with outdated appliances and rumors of suspected moldcaused illnesses among floors.

Despite filed maintenance requests and athome test filters, actual mold has not been

confirmed.

However, many students attribute their constant symptoms of sickness to the fungus, including sophomore Drake Johnson who endured a never-ending sinus infection nightmare living in Pearson.

After months of visiting various urgent care centers, including the Lennar Medical Center and being told the issue was simply allergies, Johnson was prescribed basic antibiotics and nasal sprays to cure his congestion, but nothing seemed to work.

He then consulted an eyes, nose and throat specialist who told him that he had nasal polyps, a swelling of the nasal lining.

“He [ENT specialist] said they were caused by a condition called allergic fungal sinusitis, caused by allergies and takes a while to develop,” Johnson said. “But he said when mold and fungus make their way into your nasal cavities it acts as a catalyst. He said it most likely came from the mold in my room which is why it got so bad so fast.”

And, just a few months into the school year, a broken laundry machine in Mahoney caught fire, quickly put out with a fire extinguisher, adding to the concerns of residents.

“The dryer was removed. It’s still not replaced,” Freshman Morgan Black who experienced the fire firsthand said. “And they just put fans out and said don’t use the laundry room for a good two days. But they didn’t address it, tell us what to do or even really fix the problem.”

Disproportionate student rent costs The renter market in Miami has finally begun to cool down, but not for those seeking out student-directed apartments near campus.

Red Roads, located within one mile of UM, is a popular student housing spot that has skyrocketed in rent over the past two years.

Unlike many other housing options, the complex offers an expected range in cost for their apartments, with some ranges stretching nearly $1,000. There is no guarantee when students join their waitlist on what the final cost will be.

“When I was first quoted for rent before moving in, they told me it would be $600 less than what my rent ended up being,” Junior Nathan Lacoste, who was a resident there last year, said.

When he went to renew his lease the following year, they increased his monthly rent

again by $600. Some of his friends’ leases were raised over $1,000. He left for Life Time, which offered nearly the same rate for much newer buildings and significantly improved amenities.

“They definitely have inflated the cost of rent there, [Red Roads, The Cloisters Miami and Vox] targeting solely students,” Lacoste said.

Current UM residents of Vox Miami have reported similar issues with their leases being raised between $150 to $300 per month. This has prompted some students such as junior Marley Gans to find other off-campus housing arrangements.

“I was really upset that the cost for Vox went up especially since there was no change in the amenities or just the apartment itself,” Gans said.

“Vox knows that students would rather live with other students, so they probably leverage that in comparison to other buildings.”

The Cloisters Miami The Miami Hurricane last covered the events at The Cloisters Miami living facility in October. At the time, students in certain apartments were experiencing frequent maintenance issues including gas leaks and pipe problems, but not receiving prompt responses from building staff.

Since then, many residents TMH was in contact with have hired lawyers and moved out of the facility. One resident stated signing an NDA was part of the terms to end their lease.

In the months since, random inspections and towing have taken place, even for students with parking passes. Those towed have been charged fees up to $150 according to the Facebook group.

The complex has also made a substantial shift in switching their property to not only be for UM students but for anyone who meets their qualifications.

“They’re definitely beefing up their promo,” Gianna Rettew, who lives in a townhome, said. “They’re handing out goody bags and hosting a petting zoo but we still can’t get basic repairs.”

Since moving in, Rettew’s family has hired a lawyer to negotiate terms and communicate with the facility’s lawyer.

“It is certainly not the best place to be, but it is livable and is no longer urgently dangerous, at least in my apartment.”

February 7, 2024

THE MIAMI HURRICANE

Centennial Villiage to open in August

BY CAROLINE VAL CO-NEWS EDITOR

C

entennial Village, the latest development in the University of Miami’s plan to reshape the campus’s skyline, is slowly inching closer to housing a new generation of ‘Canes.

The $335 million project is set to have five residential colleges for first-year students, with the first two residential colleges and a new dining hall opening in August 2024. This means Centennial Village will now be an option in the 2024-2025 housing application opening this week.

One of the more controversial features of Centennial Village is the unique co-ed communal bathroom layout.

“When a student goes down the hall to use the restroom, they will enter a lockable single occupancy restroom with a sink and vanity, toilet and shower,” a statement provided to The Miami Hurricane on behalf of Housing and Residential Life (HRL) said.

“I’m excited that I get to be in a new building,” said Michael Coffie, a sophomore who was recently selected to be a residential assistant for Centennial Village next year. “But I’m not really a fan of the bathroom layout. I’ll adjust though.”

The architectural feat has already taken over where Hecht Residential College once stood, and it will soon replace all of Stanford Residential College and the Hecht-Stanford dining hall.

“Students can expect new stations, featuring All-Day Breakfast and ‘Delicious Without,’ an all-new allergen-friendly station,” HRL said.

“This new state-of-the-art dining hall will excite us with two stories of innovative cuisine, a showcase Bake Shop, an expanded Teaching Kitchen and much more.”

At least 875 beds are slated to be available in the first two residential colleges, with 1,150 being added to this figure with the opening of the last three residential colleges.

Included in the hundreds of thousands of square feet of UM’s newest on-campus housing endeavor are amenities such as classrooms, conference rooms, meditation rooms, recreation lounges and music practice rooms. Faculty and staff apartments will also be available in the new Centennial Village.

February 7, 2024

NEWS

THE MIAMI HURRICANE

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UM Frost students’ concerns crescendo with deteriorating practice rooms

BY LAYLA GRAVELLE STAFF WRITER

O

nce resonant with constant echoing melodies, the outdated practice rooms at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music have left students with accessibility challenges and concerns about the impact on their education and health.

“The school prioritizes our practice schedule so much,” Lexi Foss, a music industry major and classical voice principal, said.

“The problem is we do not have the proper facilities to practice in.”

Constructed in 1961, the Bertha Foster Memorial Music B u i l d i n g ’s old architecture is causing a series of problems that students face every day.

From bacteria growth to accessibility diffic u l ties, the state of the rooms is far from how it should be for the aspiring musicians to practice e f - fectively.

Located on the west side of campus by Lake Osceola, breathing inside the building is difficult, as the hot and stagnant air remains trapped inside because of limited airflow. Mold can be found in corners and crevices, on the ceilings, in the ventilation system and in the stairwell, which creates unhealthy air quality inside the building.

“It’s frustrating because my instrument is my voice and requires a lot of breath control,” Foss said.

“Breathing inside the building in general is difficult, let alone singing opera, which requires so much lung capacity.”

Air purifiers can be found in a few of the larger rooms on the first floors where musicians who play larger instruments tend to practice, but the majority of the rooms don’t have them or are too small to fit an air purifier inside.

Foss and other students often leave the upstairs door cracked open with a plastic trash can in hopes of creating more circulation throughout the building.

However, this DIY air conditioning doesn’t provide enough airflow to create a comfortable work environment. Without a proper airconditioning system, the structure holds humid air inside and creates a moist environment within the rooms, making it uncomfortable and hot.

This moisture in the Foster building is also contributing to mold growth, leaving water in the ventilation and the carpet upholstery an ecosystem ideal for it to grow and flourish. This climate has become a breeding ground for bacteria and pests, like cockroaches, to thrive, which Frost students often see scurrying throughout the practice rooms.

“You can probably find mold in most places throughout the building, especially on the second floor,” Sierra Hudson, an instrumental performance and English major, said. “I play bass, so our practice rooms are on the first floor and get more attention, but for the most part they seem to pretend these problems don’t exist.”

In addition to the poor conditions of the building, disabled students in the Frost school are facing various accessibility challenges due to the dated

features.

“It’s one of the only buildings on campus that do not have pushbutton doors because it’s a historic building,” Foss said. “To get upstairs you have to exit the building and go up a long ramp. It’s quite the process and it’s extremely difficult for disabled students to have to navigate.”

With heavy doors that have large sills at the bottom, many disabled students are left struggling to get into and out of the building on a daily basis.

The metal at the bottom of the doors makes it difficult for those in wheelchairs to wheel over without getting stuck and the doors are difficult to push at their weight. The ramp to go upstairs is steep and makes going to the second-floor practice rooms a challenge.

The accessibility issue also affects those who play large instruments, like bass or cello, who have to carry or roll their equipment in and out of the building and into practice rooms. Often the musicians who play these larger instruments will have to wait for someone to come along who can open the door for them.

With rooms the size of cubicles and little to no windows, the inside is claustrophobic. From baby grand pianos to marimbas, various instruments are crammed into the practice rooms, offering little space for movement and access for the disabled in the already cramped area.

The Frost School of Mu-

sic has an 800-person student body, and the ratio of the cramped practice rooms to the amount of students is far from enough.

With only 40 small practice rooms, 9 piano major rooms and 4 percussion rooms, it is difficult for students to practice the amount of time they need to.

Even those who choose to reserve a room have allotted time slots and limits, sometimes having to kick other students out and cutting other musicians short of necessary practice time.

These issues have left many students with no other choice but to practice on the grass outside, while some forgo practicing altogether.

“You will rarely be able to find a room during the day,” said Hudson. “Some students even have limits and are only allowed to practice for a short amount of time based on how long they can book a room for.”

The newly constructed recital hall, the Knight Center for Innovation, finished in 2023, cost the University $36.5 million. Yet, many n o tice that those resources have

not been allocated to the Frost School of Music for the improvement of the deteriorating infrastructure.

Despite the increase in concern, there have been no attempts to manage the issues inside the building, largely because it is considered historic on campus.

However, the interior and exterior conditions are being evaluated for possible demolition and reconstruction in the future, and steps are being taken to improve the quality of Frost students’ wellbeing, experience and education at UM. In the meantime, students are hoping that conditions inside the building will improve for the upcoming school year as the Frost school raises funds for the new structure.

“I think taking a month during summer when nobody is here to clean out the whole building would be very beneficial,” said Hudson. “Ripping the carpets out, killing the mold and mildew and tenting the place would improve conditions significantly for Frost students.”

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February 7, 2024

NEWS

THE MIAMI HURRICANE

Tieu Tunes: 3D-printing a musical bridge across continents

BY LAUREN FERRER MANAGING EDITOR

F

rom 3D printing violins in his Mahoney dorm room to 5 a.m. Zoom music lessons in Dooley Memorial classrooms, Ethan Tieu’s story is one of innovation and perseverance on the road to global social impact.

In September 2020, Tieu, a current sophomore at the University of Miami studying neuroscience and computer science, started Tieu Tunes. The program addresses the scarcity of music education in Africa by providing 3Dprinted violins and regular virtual lessons to local organizations in Kenya and Tanzania.

“Even though it’s not necessarily in my academic major, it’s something I enjoy doing,” Tieu said. “It’s a program that allows me to integrate my interest in technology with my fervor for taking initiative and making things work.”

Tieu’s dedication for serving communities goes far beyond 3D printing violins. At UM, Tieu is involved with the American Medical Student Association, Scientifica magazine and InspireU Academy.

“Ethan is so dedicated and is one of the most enthusiastic student leaders I’ve worked with,” Hanna Ebrahimi, vice president of AMSA, said. “As the mentorship chair for AMSA, he makes a genuine effort to uplift those around him by creating exciting opportunities for our members to bond.”

Tieu Tunes began as a passion project, but has since developed into a reliable company recognized at the Clinton Global Initiative.

Tieu’s first group of students are now playing their country’s national anthem at local concerts on the plastic violins of his invention.

His violins and accompanying lessons have not only opened doors for musicians in Africa but also serve as a light of hope and a coping mechanism for underprivileged communities.

“The administrators with the organizations I work with told me that they hear about how my violin lessons are helping with mental health,” Tieu said. “They’re helping people cope with circumstances and many show up early because they’re looking forward to the lessons.”

Tieu learned how to play the violin at 4 years old, and grew up in environments that supported the value of music education. This background propelled his desire to share his

love for music.

“I didn’t want to just give lessons in Miami because Miami is super saturated,” Tieu said.

“But anyone in Miami can find a violin teacher on every block.”

Tieu’s father connected him with professionals who pointed out the lack of opportunity and access to music education in Africa. Although music is valued in African life, religion and culture, because of financial and logistical barriers, people in Africa have trouble accessing proper materials and training.

“I thought, let’s just try to address everything,” Tieu said. “Let’s make a violin program that not only gives violin lessons, but also provides violins.”

Tieu’s first idea was to fundraise, but sending over $100-$150 violins wasn’t sustainable.

“The issue was getting a good quality violin that was actually going to last, especially in such an arid and humid climate,” Tieu said.

“So I started thinking, what if I just made a specific violin that addressed all the challenges.”

Along came the idea for a 3D-printed violin, a customizable and cheap alternative.

Tieu’s 3D-printed violins are made of plastic, a robust material strong enough to sustain the unpredictability of the shipping process, with features like guitar tuners instead of violin pads that make the violins easier to use for beginner level musicians.

A 3D-printed violin costs Tieu around $30 to make. Being a cost-effective and practical solution, 3D printing was the way to go.

But the project was not without its obstacles.

At the beginning, it felt like he was running into roadblock after roadblock.

“The first 3D printer I got, I couldn’t get it working for three months,” Tieu said. “It literally sat on my shelf, and I think it’s because I didn’t push the wires hard enough at the end of the day. I completely disassembled it and put it back together.”

When it came to actually designing the violins, Tieu was immersed into an entirely different field of music he had to essentially teach himself. He knew how to play the violin, but had no idea how to make one.

His first design made no sound. It looked like it would work, but didn’t. He then tried a design that mimicked existing wood models, but that didn’t work either. After consulting professors and friends, he learned that plastic and wood have different material densities and vibrate with different frequencies.

“I had to learn how to make a wooden violin. once a young violin student, I know how frusAnd then I learned that a wooden violin does not trating it is to put your bow on a string and it sound like a plastic one. So then I had to learn sounds like dying cats,” Tieu said. “If I say, to make a plastic violin,” Tieu said. “It’s a multi- let’s start playing a G major scale. They can year experience and I’m still learning now.” pick up a violin and help the students put their Tieu continues to improve his design by 3D hands on the scale. That makes a big differprinting the violins in puzzle type pieces in his ence,” Tieu said. dorm at Mahoney Residential College where The next step for Tieu Tunes is to grow its he then assembles them and gets them tested financial sustainability. At the moment, fundby professionals. ing for the development, creation and shipping After dealing with the miscellaneous fees of the violins is coming out of Tieu’s pocket. and taxes of the overseas shipping process “I want it to be able to survive without me,” once, Tieu found that he could circumvent the Tieu said. “Because I feel like this program has chaos by 3D printing the violins in Africa. the potential to touch a lot of lives.”

The plastic is printed at an outpost near the At the Clinton Global Initiative he was introlocation and then shipped to the organization’s duced to many people who taught him about location. Trained individuals at the locations networking, building a brand and how to fundassemble the instruments and then distribute raise. However, he has found that it is difficult them to the students. to find funding for a project that does not turn Having started the program during the CO- immediate profit.

VID-19 pandemic, learning how to make a “This is more for the community than for the violin was not the only challenge he faced. money,” Tieu said. “I don’t think this will ever be The two organizations he initially worked me extorting these communities for money. It’s with ended up cutting their extracurricular more so this is something they need and want, funding. However, it was those two initial orga- and that does make it harder to get funding.” nizations that connected him to the local comHe eventually hopes to be able to begin munities and introduced him to the organiza- charging a small amount for the violins that tions he works with today, “Swahilipot Hub” would cover the cost of making them. and “Tech Kidz Africa”.

“I’m telling institutions, these violins, you “When I was going through all see what they can do, you’ve had it for these things like my 3D printer free for over two years and your students blowing up in my face, people canare loving it. They’re performing and celing on me, not reaching back out they’re giving back to the community,” or my networking not going as well Tieu said. as I thought it would. I was like, In regards to building an initiative, maybe I’m not doing something Tieu has found that the most right,” Tieu said. “But sometimes impactful projit’s just small hurdles.” ects are those Juggling a time differwhere the individence of eight hours, Tieu ual is going so far wakes up multiple times out of their way to a week at 5 a.m. to teach make it work that a lesson. Because the people rally behind Frost School of Music them with support. couldn’t offer him a “If you have a practice room, Tieu very good program resorts to opening with passion and you classrooms in Dooley lead it with confidence, and Memorial to teach a lesyou keep the momentum going, son. people will want to support it,” To avoid completely virTieu said. tual lessons, Tieu recruited Lauren Ferrer // Managing Editor two TAs in Africa to help UM sophomore Ethan Tieu’s 3D-printed violin and teach the lessons. bow photographed on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024.

“As someone who was

February 7, 2024

NEWS

THE MIAMI HURRICANE

5

Leaders of Tomorrow Initiative calls fellowship back into mentorship

BY SYDNEY BILLINGS NEWS EDITOR

A

ndrés Concha entered the University of Miami with one goal: to impact the school in a positive way, foster community and ultimately lead his peers into success. By creating the Leaders of Tomorrow Initiative, he did just that.

LTI is a bi-modal leadership training program that connects outstanding upperclassmen with promising first and second-year students.

For Concha, a senior majoring in business technology and psychology, LTI started as a passion project, imagined from a sense of responsibility to create a space for like-minded leaders and entrepreneurs.

In August of 2023, the program took its first steps.

“I began meeting with several administrators, including Dr. Heather Stevens, assistant to the SVP for student affairs; our student body president; and consultants both inside and outside the University,” Concha said.

Spearheading the entire process himself, Concha compiled an exhaustive list of potential candidates who would be the perfect fit for the program.

“I cold-emailed hundreds of different students. From then on, I sent out an application to those who passed the first interview, and if they got past the second application, they were interviewed one final time,” Concha said.

After spending roughly 30 hours meeting with consultants, sending and replying to hundreds of emails and reading over 100 applications, Concha eventually narrowed his list down to 12 members, excluding himself.

The resulting cohort was made up of five juniors and seniors paired with eight freshmen and

sophomores, with Concha as an additional mentor and advisor.

Following the first forum with mentors and mentees in the same room, Concha could already see the product of several months of hard work and persistence.

“I was a bit nervous going into it, and I left with the biggest smile on my face,” Concha said.

“The synergy and the synthesis in the room was incredible. Within one meeting, we had already established several working relationships, a collaborative project on AI, consulting on business and several meetings.”

In addition to forums where members of their respective cohorts meet together, the major

I would like to think of us more as a family and a

friend

group

than a leadership program.

Andrés Concha LTI Mentor

draw of the program comes from the mentorship aspect.

“The mentorship component of LTI is where junior and senior mentors are essentially matched with a freshman or sophomore mentee, where they are provided with direct mentorship on a biweekly or weekly basis,” Concha said.

For Claire Kim, a senior majoring in finance and marketing, the mentorship program gave her the opportunity to take a step out of her field.

“An aspect that I found really interesting was that it spanned

across the entire University and wasn’t just business-school specific,” Kim said.

As a senior mentor for LTI, Kim has found this pilot program to be nothing but transformative.

“The best part is getting to meet with them often enough that you get to see that progress–getting to see over someone and help them set their goals has been really amazing,” Kim said.

During mentorship sessions, mentees learn how to market themselves, practice mock interview calls, and perfect their networking strategies. And while some mentor-mentee relationships spanned across majors and professions, there was incredible value in these diverse connections As a psychology and business major, Concha was matched with two mentees in the fields of neuroscience and computer science– but this matchup only enhanced the mentorship process.

“I don’t have the knowledge to enhance their skills within the world of computer science,” Concha said.

“But, I can teach a lot about negotiation, persuasion and public speaking, which allows them to become a more well-rounded leader and establish connections that they otherwise might not have been able to forge.”

One of Concha’s mentees, Ethan Tieu, has made significant strides in the few months he’s been a part of LTI. While Tieu was already excelling before LTI, he has found the program has allowed him to connect with people across disciplines.

“Andrés makes it a point to not only tight bonds with your mentors, but with other mentees. Every other week we meet with our mentors, and then he also assigns meetings with other mentees that he thinks we could learn a lot from,” Tieu said, who was able to meet with fellow mentees in

Sydney Billings // News Editor

LTI Members pose for a group photo following a pinning ceremony.

entrepreneurship to enhance his business skills.

For Matteo Constantine, a senior majoring in business technology with a minor in health management, LTI has allowed him to guide younger students and help them to grow into their full potential.

“LTI has helped me fulfill a goal of wanting to be a mentor to a younger student before I graduate. I think having someone who can just guide you in the steps to get more involved on campus can be really beneficial,” Constantine said.

More than that, Constantine has forged valuable connections with his mentees, such as Alexandre Kim. “I get to know these mentees on a personal level. I get to know about their life, where they come from, what they do, and their personality traits. I’ve connected really well with Alex because I can see in him a lot of aspects of my younger self, along with some of the struggles I went through early in college,” Constantine said.

Given the tight-knit community LTI provides, there’s no doubt that this organization will, and already has, provided students with a community of like-minded

people that they can trust and confide in.

“The reason that LTI was created was to connect people academically, socially, and professionally. But really what it was meant to do was give the people that really devote themselves to impacting the people around them, a friend or a group of people that they could understand,” Concha said.

While several mentorship programs are available across the University of Miami, Concha believes that LTI brings the more interpersonal aspects of a mentor-mentee relationship back into the conversation.

“Though our school does provide a lot of strong mentorship programs and leadership programs, LTI is the first to bond its members, not just in professional matters, but on a deeper level. I would like to think of us more as a family and a friend group than a leadership program,” Concha said.

“I would encourage leaders across the University of Miami, in addition to leaders across all college campuses, to promote honesty, vulnerability and clarity within their teams to foster a stronger, more efficient bond.”

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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

February 7, 2024

THE MIAMI HURRICANE

Celebrate Black creatives at the ‘Canes Black History Film Festival

BY SAMANTHA RODRIGUEZ

O

STAFF WRITER

nly fifteen Black creatives are nominated at this year’s Oscars. According to the BBC, a lack of representation in the media can increase minorities’ insecurity about their future career options in entertainment. With the first- ever ’Canes Black History Film Festival, UBS aims to turn that insecurity into confidence.

UM organization United Black Students and UTrailblazers will host the festival at the Cosford Cinema on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m.. Festival winners will receive $1,500 and participate in the ’Canes Los Angeles Film Showcase.

“The idea stemmed from allowing Black filmmakers to tell the stories of Black students on campus,” Alex Miller, co-president of UBS, said.

UBS is hosting the festival during Black History Month to promote the next gen-

eration of Black filmmakers. Partnering with UTrailblazers, the organization encourages Black creatives to push against industry standards and follow their own.

UTrailblazers is a memorial project that honors the first Black students at the University. Its installation next to the Dooley Memorial Building is a digital touch screen that recaps the inaugural Black students’ struggles.

With its installation, UTrailblazers aim to inspire Black students to fight for their dreams while facing adversity.

Consequently, UBS and UTrailblazers partnered to challenge the entertainment industry’s exclusion of Black artists by putting them in the forefront.

“The industry has had difficulty supporting Black filmmakers and Black artists because they are not listening to what Black artists and filmmakers want to do,” Miller said. “Rather, they are bending the knee to certain trends in certain audiences that may not be as privy

to Black art.”

The organization encourages the industry to give Black creatives greater power by showcasing unique stories from Black storytellers.

“It’ll open their eyes to some of the things Black students see and Black students have to deal with,” Miller said.

“And then, it’ll also give students a little bit more leverage when it comes to expressing themselves toward those who are in power.”

Showcasing authentic Black art made reflects the organization’s hope for entertainment’s future.

Destiny Wiggins, co-president of UBS, feels greater representation is needed behind the screen.

With the ’Canes Black History Film Festival, she works to show the possibilities of an industry that actively empowers Black creatives.

“Straying from a main narrative that only follows stories of oppression when

really you can showcase all the different facets of what Black filmmakers can make or what kind of stories they can tell about the Black experience,” Wiggins said. “That would illustrate a more accepting environment.”

UBS hopes to inspire Black creatives to spearhead their own creations despite underrepresentation in the industry. When those spaces for Black artists aren’t available, Miller urges Black creatives to make them.

“They can be a trailblazer in that way,” Miller said. “If there aren’t any groups that may readily accept you, you can forge your own path in the world.”

Highlighting Black creatives with a festival helps the organizations’ goal to leave a permanent space for Black students on campus.

Follow @umiamiubs and @utrailblazers to see future events and ways you can stay involved throughout Black History Month.

Shorts Miami returns for the second year to Cosford Cinema

BY LAYOMI ADEOJO A&E EDITOR

The Second Annual Shorts Miami Film Festival took place at the Bill Cosford Cinema From Feb. 2-4. UM Students, faculty, staff along with Miami locals and visitors watched screenings of narratives, documentaries and “Made in Miami” films over the three days.

“We are proud to host this international film festival. This festival offers a range of diverse global perspectives, which may challenge and delight as we experience this special opportunity to witness the best contemporary short films produced across the world,” said Karin Wilkins, dean of the University of Miami School of Communication.

The night one screening included the narrative films, with a brief reception afterwards.

After the documentary screenings on night two, attendees got to partake in a special after-party held on the rooftop of THesis Hotel.

Sunday night screened the films focused on Miami filmmakers, with entries coming from schools like UM, Florida International University, and Miami-Dade College, among others. Following the film screening was a panel discussion with filmmakers and Marco Giron, chief of film and entertainment for

Miami-Dade County. The panel was moderated by UM professor Rafal Sokolowski.

Best of the Festival — a $2000 prize — went to “Strange,” a Japanese narrative short by Director Ken Ochiai about two high school students who form a friendship.

Turkish short film “When the Shift Ends” received a $500 prize for Best Narrative, while U.S. thriller “Nash” received a $500 prize for Best made in Miami Narrative .

“News Without a Newsroom” — a film directed by UM master’s student OanaLiana Whaples — won Best Documentary and Best Made in Miami Documentary — awards worth $500 each.

This year, SMIFF organizers received 650 entries from 62 countries and territories, narrowing it down to the 21 finalists screened this weekend from countries like the US, Japan, the Virgin Islands, Turkey, Israel, Brazil, Portugal, Indonesia and Australia.

The jury awarding the prizes featured a mix of UM film faculty and leading industry professionals like Nigerian-born actress Sope Aluko (“Black Panther”), American actor Néstor Carbonell (“Bates Motel”) and movie director David Frankel (“The Devil Wears Prada”).

Read more at the themiamihurricane.com.

Isabelle Sturges//Contributed Photo Attendees at the Shorts Miami Film Festival listen to the opening remarks at the Cosford Cinema on Friday, Feb. 2

February 7, 2024

A&E

THE MIAMI HURRICANE

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UM band Nuclear Monkey goes viral on Instagram reels

BY MORGAN FRY ASST. A&E EDITOR

Nuclear Monkey is taking the stage, or rather the dorm room.

Cramped into one room, the sevenmember band plays their original music for lucky passersby students and their growing online audience.

The band Nuclear Monkey has become well-known for what they call their tiny dorm concerts. What started in the Stanford dorms last year, has now gone viral on Instagram reels, with nearly 750,000 views on their most popular video.

Last year, drummer Tyler Pons and lead singer Nate Neuwirth were having difficulty finding practice space in Frost and started rehearsing in Stanford. Some of their friends would come and sit in on these practices.

“I think at one point, Tyler was like ‘We should just have a show here in the room and have everyone on the floor come from the adjacent floors and we can film it,” Neuwirth said.

The tiny dorm concerts are all

filmed, so that the band can generate content for Instagram.

“We filmed a bunch of videos and had a ton lined up so we could just every other day release one,” Neuwirth said. “Before we were posting like maybe once a week, if that.”

In December 2023, the band gained 20,000 followers in three weeks. The views on Nuclear Monkey’s reels grew slowly and have left them with a new group of listeners on all streaming platforms.

“I think sometimes bands blow up because they’re posting something funny and they get a lot of followers, but they don’t get a lot of listeners on their music because the music isn’t related to the post that blew up,” Neuwirth said.

“We got 20,000 Instagram followers and then that grew to 70,000 monthly listeners, so people liked it just because of the music and that shows.”

The recent increase in listeners has been especially exciting for Neuwirth, who started Nuclear

Dylan McNulty//Contributed Photo The Nuclear Monkey Band members playing their set at a house party on September 16, 2023

Dylan McNulty//Contributed Photo Tyler Pons, a Frost Music School sophomore in the Nuclear Monkey band, on the drums at the United Wesley Coffeehouse on September 7, 2023

Monkey in high school. It wasn’t until his roommate and current band member Pons encouraged Neuwirth to start Nuclear Monkey back up at UM, that the current group came to be.

Today the band includes: Neuwirth as the lead singer, Pons on drums, Max Melo on bass, Eli Katz on piano, Andreas Kellepouris on saxophone, Joel Newoll on trumpet and Julie Giulimachado as background vocals and percussion.

“We’re all just really good friends,” Pons said. “Outside of the band, we hang out every day.”

Their chemistry carries through to their onstage presence, where they find a cohesive, harmonious sound among so many students.

“It’s a big band, it’s a lot of people on stage,” Pons said. “It’s a lot of different sounds you can draw from.”

The band combines a variety of genres including indie rock, jazz, pop, samba, R&B and bossa nova.

“Everyone in the band is really a good musician,” Pons said. “Everyone is studying jazz here, so anything we can think of, we can do.”

Nuclear Monkey currently has 10 songs out on an album called, “What Wild Ecstasy!,” which Neuwirth released in September 2022.

After many months of trial and error, the band is excited to release their second album this April.

Nuclear Monkey was working on the second album at the end of last May, but decided to scrap it, as it did not fit the vision that the group had in mind.

“It was just like we worked so hard at this and this just isn’t it,” Neuwirth said. “It was just obvious. If I were to say ‘Oh I like this,’ I would just be lying to myself. It’s tough.”

The upcoming album was recorded on a cassette recorder, giving the music a unique, vintage sound.

“The cassette creates a really cool vibe, a really cool sound like a

vintage Lo-fi sound that you can’t replicate digitally,” Neuwirth said.

“I’m super excited, but we still have a long way to go in terms of recording.”

Between finishing an album, playing gigs and keeping up with social media content, Nuclear Monkey has been busy. However, the traction they are gaining has motivated them to book a small summer tour.

Nuclear Monkey is going to Richmond, Virginia on May 19, New York City on May 26 and tobe-determined dates in Washington D.C. and Boston.

“There’s never any stress or nerves,” Neuwirth said. “I really just am excited and hoping that we will be playing for some big crowds soon.”

Be sure to follow Nuclear Monkey on Instagram @nuclear.monkey to stay up-to-date with future performances and content. Also, make sure to check out their next performance on Feb. 29 at the Titanic Brewery & Restaurant.

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February 7, 2024

A&E

THE MIAMI HURRICANE

Travis Scott sells out ‘Circus Maximus’ tour night two in Miami

BY OSVALDO ESPINO

G

STAFF WRITER

rammy-nominated rapper Travis Scott is known for countless hits like “goosebumps,” “Antidote” and the legendary “SICKO MODE.” After releasing his fourth studio album “UTOPIA” last year, Scott announced his 39-date “Circus Maximus Tour,” which stopped in Miami at the sold-out Kaseya Center on Jan. 28.

This was my first time seeing Scott perform post-COVID and years since the “Astroworld” era, where he became the household name he is now. Although I never doubted that he’d give a standout performance, I was nervous to see if he could top the rollercoaster ride of his past shows.

It was with this show that I realized that Travis Scott is going to be a timeless artist.

The arena was filled to the brim with energetic “ragers” — the name of Scott’s fans — eager to see “La Flame” turn up in the 305.

The stage covered most of the general admission floor, transforming it into a rock monument from an ancient civilization. Faces cut into stone adorned the sides of the stage and a giant LED screen wrapped around above the platform.

As the lights went out at 9:50 p.m., pandemonium ensued.

The opening track from Utopia, “HYAENA” came on and the crowd went wild as Scott came out dressed as a dystopian leader with futuristic sunglasses and brown football shoulder pads.

The energy of the crowd kept up with Scott’s pace, bouncing up and down for songs like “THANK GOD,” “MODERN JAM,” “Aye” and “BACKR00MS,” which feature the energy-filled spectacles that Scott is known for.

The LED screen also showcased strong visuals making use of filters, camera angles and colors to provide the audience with a glimpse of the utopia that Scott wanted to create.

Scott slowed it down to play fan-favorite tracks such as “sdp interlude” and “3500.” During this break, Travis selected someone from the crowd to ride on the

“parasail,” a floating stage designed to look like a boulder.

Miami had the welcome surprise of having Swae Lee from hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd come out as the night’s special guest. The duo played “Nightcrawler” and “No Type.”

Once Lee left the stage, Travis went into a medley that went deep into his catalog,

For the final portion of the show, Scott went full “rager mode”, blasting “TOPIA TWINS” and “MELTDOWN” and driving the energy back into the crowd.

He then played “FE!N” ten times straight, each time finding a new way to start off the song. It’s become a highlight of the tour as fans have come to expect it.

Frank Schwichtenberg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons// Contributed Photograph

Rapper Travis Scott performs at Openair Frauenfeld, an annual hip hop music festival held in Switzerland, on July 12, 2019.

going into tracks such as “Butterfly Effect,” “Mamacita,” “Upper Echelon” and the Kanye West-assisted, “Praise God.” At the midpoint of the show, Scott performed “CIRCUS MAXIMUS,” a cause for sensory overload with the colosseum visuals, makeshift mountain and guys dressed as gorillas covering the stage.

Tracks like “Maria, I’m Drunk,” “90210” and “R.I.P. Screw” brought Swae Lee back out to the stage. This culminated in Scott doing a tour version of “I KNOW?” that introduced acapella to the arena.

When I knew this was going to happen, I thought it was going to get stale quickly, but Scott is a better performer than some people let on.

After the fifth rendition, he pointed at a fan in the crowd.

“He look like he’s feigning for some more!” Scott yelled, before playing the song another time.

At this point, you could physically feel the ground shaking under the weight of the crowd jumping and moshing.

“Antidote” and “goosebumps” closed the show, before Scott made his dramatic

exit into the locker room while performing “TELEKINESIS.” Scott has come a long way, and his journey hasn’t been easy. For the past decade, he has introduced a mosh pit culture that rock and hip hop have held onto.

When Scott first burst into the mainstream, acts like Fetty Wap, Mackelmore and Wiz Khalifa topped the charts. It was during this era that Scott was mostly known in the underground music scene as the newest Kanye protege.

His Rodeo tour with Young Thug and Metro Boomin in 2015 was known for its off-the-wall approach to rap shows, masquerading itself as something more akin to punk culture.

Scott was the first rapper to truly add crowd surfing and mosh pits to his live show. Something that artists like Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, Ken Carson, and more have all picked up and added to their on stage antics.

He’s maintained this “rage” culture from the beginning of his career and kept it consistently in his shows as the stages and arenas have grown in size.

As a long-time Travis Scott fan, it was exciting to hear songs from his newest projects as well as tracks like “Nightcrawler” which the fans have wanted back on the setlist for years.

His shows are just as enjoyable as they were five years ago. I hope that he never stops performing, because he is one of the best rap performers of the modern age when it comes to stage design, visual effects and crowd energy.

Nearly one-of-a-kind in his genre, Scott constantly pushes the envelope and delivers products and performances that cater to his fan base. He has continually evolved, but has maintained his stage presence at a time when rap artists are often criticized for just hopping on stage and autotuning themselves while their song plays.

Five years ago, a Travis Scott show would blow your mind. Today, Scott is still that same artist that astonishes you with his shows. I wouldn’t be surprised if Scott is selling out stadiums five years down the line.

February 7, 2024

A&E

THE MIAMI HURRICANE

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Netflix and Chill: Top 10 movies to watch on Valentine’s Day

BY VIVICA DUNLAP STAFF WRITER

W

hether you’re practicing some self-love, getting together for Galentine’s Day or celebrating Valentine’s Day with your other half, there’s a movie to watch that’s perfect for you.

A Galentine’s Day Treat 2023 film “No Hard Feelings” follows a New England waitress who is about to lose her family home. Determined to save it, she gets employed by two parents who want their teenage son to go off to college having lost his virginity.

It’s a raunchy sex comedy worth watching if you want to laugh all night long.

That Soulmate Kind of Love “About Time” is a science-fiction movie about a man who can change time. Given this ability, he starts to fall in love with a woman who changes his perspective on life. This film is perfect to watch with someone who you want to keep coming home to.

When You Want to Value Yourself The Most “Waitress,” the 2007 film later adapted into a Broadway musical, tells the story of Jenna, a waitress who learns that she’s pregnant while trying to leave

an abusive relationship. It’s a powerful story of self-love that portrays the inner strength people can carry.

Feelings So Strong, You Have to Sing Them Out Loud The beloved 1950s movie musical “Grease” is about two high schoolers who meet during summer break and end up attending the same school. Inspired by the Shakespeare play “Romeo and Juliet,” it’s part of a long list of musical adaptations that include “West Side Story” and “High School Musical.”

Regaining the Romance You Might Have Lost “Before Sunset” is the second part of Richard Linklater’s romance trilogy about two individuals who meet coincidentally and end up developing a connection, only to be destined to part. “Before Sunset” sees them come together after nine years and answers the

question of if their relationship is true love.

When You’re Still Figuring Out Who You Are The Coming-of-age story “The Edge of Seventeen” features Nadine, a high school girl grieving the loss of her father, the one person she felt truly loved and supported by. This relatable depiction of high school love sees Nadine navigate friendship, difficult family dynamics and fall in love with a classmate.

If You Want To Watch Something Animated “Your Name” is a beloved anime where two characters swap bodies and form a relationship through living each other’s lives. It is also guaranteed to be heartbreaking in the e n d as

day

destiny starts to take shape and the main characters are inevitably torn apart.

When You Need a Good Laugh “Moonstruck,” which won the 1988 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, follows an American widow who falls for her fiance’s brother. Every piece of dialogue will have you laughing and by the end, you’ll be doubled over in pain.

A Good Crying Session “Age of Innocence” is a tragic love story set in the late 1800s about a married lawyer who has an affair with his client. From the beginning, it’s obvious that this story directed by Martin Scorcese will end poorly.

Nights When You Need a Good Screwball Comedy “Bringing up Baby,” an oldie from 1938, watches as actors Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn bicker and try to deal with a pet leopard that swallowed a dinosaur bone. Yes, that actually happens — and it is worth seeing the chaos unfold.

There’s no shortage of romance movies to watch this February, and this list ensures you’ll find something for every mood.

Roberta Macedo// Graphic Design Editor

Get in loser, we’re going to UM: Frost appears in “Mean Girls” movie

BY VIVICA DUNLAP

F

STAFF WRITER

irst official movie stills, then the official trailer and the official poster.

That’s how the Frost School of Music announced their collaboration with the new “Mean Girls” movie on Instagram, providing little context to what role Frost played in the film.

In their first post, @umfrostschool noted a “special surprise,” while the second and third posts hinted at Frost’s film debut without divulging any details.

The debut in question is a Frost sweatshirt worn by a background “band geek” during the famous cafeteria scene.

“Within this fictional world, maybe that student wants to attend the Frost School of Music, or maybe they’ve already been accepted there.

Either way, it’s totally ‘fetch!’” said Emily Bruno, a representative from Frost’s PR team.

The truth was confirmed by TMH after reaching out to the Frost School of Music PR team.

“The buzz around the Frost School of Music’s appearance in the film has been celebrated by the school’s students, faculty and alumni,” Bruno said.

Despite the excitement from Frost staff, some UM students had mixed feelings.

“Very curious as to how they managed to get that in there. I think it would be funny if the School of Music didn’t have any involvement at all and the costume person found it at a thrift store ,and now they’re hyping it up like they had anything to do it with it,” said media management junior Bella Baldessari.

Others echo the same feelings from the Frost School staff.

“It’s good to see the artistic side of Miami be-

ing represented like this,” said Jordelle Beja, a junior studying motion pictures.

Even Frost School of Music Eean Shelton G. Berg has joined the conversation.

“It’s only fitting for an iconic legacy brand like the Frost School of Music to be aligned with “Mean Girls,” a film that continues to make an indelible mark on new generations,” Dean Berg said. “It’s just one more way we can convey the promise of a best-in-class education at one of the top music schools in the world with an even greater number of people across the U.S. and the globe.”

In celebration of the partnership, Frost will hold a special screening of the movie musical on Wednesday, Feb. 7 for Frost students.

And for all students — Frost or not — the sweatshirt featured in the hit film is now available for purchase at the campus bookstore. The school is currently planning a giveaway for this

sweatshirt to the students of UM. “You don’t just need to watch “Mean Girls” to see a student wear a Frost School of Music sweatshirt — just look at the hundreds of Frost School students, alumni, faculty and others who are wearing one, too!” Bruno said.

Despite how small a moment like this may seem, there is something encouraging about seeing UM on the big screen. Frost has received acclaim from various places, including The Hollywood Reporter, which named it one of the top music schools in the world.

“The industry-leading magazine [called] out the ‘Frost Method,’ which ‘gives students a grip on the technological and business side of a career in music, as well as the skills to excel as an artist,’ and its location in ‘the middle of the red-hot Miami art scene,’” Bruno said.

Now on the big screen, Frost continues its legacy as a school producing top artists.

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SPORTS

February 7, 2024 THE MIAMI HURRICANE

Miami’s offense neutralized in a 60-38 blowout loss to Virginia

BY QUINN SHEEHAN STAFF WRITER

M

iami’s last two games have summarized its season perfectly.

They’re a team that can get hot instantly and go ice-cold just as quickly. A furious 56-point outburst in the second half to shock Virginia Tech on Saturday showed glimpses of how great the Hurricanes can be.

Meanwhile, Monday night’s matchup against the Virginia Cavaliers showed the opposite side.

The ‘Canes managed only 38 points in their 6038 loss to the Virginia Cavaliers, their lowest point total since joining the ACC. Miami (15-8, 6-6 ACC) shot 29% from the field and 10% from three-point range while committing 11 turnovers in its 22-point loss.

Junior forward Norchad Omier led the scoring for Miami with 11 points on 5-of-11 shoot-

ing while also grabbing 13 rebounds. No other ‘Canes player made more than three field goal attempts.

Virginia’s offense did more than enough to win, as the Cavaliers shot 48% on field goal attempts, including 5-of-11 from beyond the arc.

Senior guard Reece Beekman paced Virginia (18-5, 9-3 ACC) in scoring, as he poured in 16 points while playing an all-around great game with four rebounds and seven assists.

Although Virginia’s offense was far from explosive throughout most of the game, its defense gave the Hurricanes all sorts of issues on the offensive end, forcing turnovers and contested shots all night.

The Hurricanes began the first frame playing smothering defense, as Virginia only knocked down one of its first nine field goal attempts, and Miami held a 7-2 lead six minutes in.

However, the Cavaliers quickly retaliated with a 12-0 run as Miami’s offense faltered. Virginia’s run eventually swelled up to 23-4 in over 10 minutes of game time as turnovers and missed shots mounted for the Hurricanes.

Virginia used this run to take its largest lead of the half, as the Cavaliers went up 25-11 with three and a half minutes remaining in the frame.

Miami eventually got it down to a 12-point lead by half as the score sat at 29-17.

The ‘Canes coughed the ball up five times and only hit seven of their 25 shot attempts in the first 20 minutes. Omier, who scored seven of Miami’s 17 total first-half points, was the one sign of life on the offensive end.

Beekman and sophomore guard Isaac McKneely led the Cavaliers in first-half scoring, with eight and seven points, respectively. Virginia also racked up four blocks and three steals by

halftime.

The second half proved unforgiving for the Hurricanes, as they only hit one shot through seven minutes. Virginia went on an 11-0 run to bring the lead up to 23.

More careless turnovers killed Miami. It turned the ball over six times in only 10 minutes of second-half play, while the Cavaliers’ offense remained efficient to give them a 26-point lead halfway through the final 20 minutes.

Virginia coasted down the stretch, draining much of the clock and controlling possession to secure the easy victory.

The road gets more challenging for Miami, as it will be back at home against No. 3 North Carolina on Saturday evening. Tip-off at the Watsco Center is set for 4 p.m., and the game will air on ESPN.

Joseph sparks second-half comeback over Virginia Tech

BY LUKE SIMS STAFF WRITER

T

he back-to-back dunks from junior forward Norchad Omier and freshman guard Kyshawn George, respectively, restored Miami’s lead and life in the crowd at the Watsco Center. With just under four minutes left to play, UM had all the momentum, and from there, the ‘Canes never looked back as they went on to complete the comeback to win 82-74 over the visiting Virginia Tech Hokies.

“It was just us having fun out there,” George said. “Seeing my guys perform, big plays, the crowd was loud, just having fun. From down 10ten, battling with my guys and seeing us chip away the lead and make big plays down the stretch, it’s fun to see. I’m happy it happened.”

The ‘Canes were trailing for a large majority of the game. After the Hokies took the lead with just over 10 minutes left in the first half, they held a stranglehold on the game. There was a stretch before halftime where the ‘Canes went without a field goal for the final 8:21 of the first half.

The turnover issues that plagued Miami in past games persisted. Miami finished with nine turnovers in the first half. Head coach Jim Larrañaga talked to his team at the half, and adjustments were made. This led to only two turnovers in the first half.

“The players did not dribble too much,” Larrañaga said. “There’s got to be more to it than that, no. Very simply, against a team like Virginia Tech, the name of the defense is the pack.

If you try and dribble through there early in the possession, you got a bunch of guys in there who will slap the ball out of your hands. That’s what happened. In the second half, we spread them out and shared the ball much better and got much better looks at the basket.”

Junior guard Bensley Joseph sank a huge three-pointer as the crowd roared back to life.

This bucket gave Miami a one-point lead with just under seven minutes to play. Joseph’s defense and energy were a huge addition for UM off the bench. The 14 second-half points from Joseph were key to Miami’s comeback.

“Shoutout to my teammates for instilling confidence in me to just come in and try and make an impact on the team,” Joseph said. “You know, fighting through adversity, we know we’ve had ups and downs all season and this month we know we need to play our best. We know we need to come together fully, just trying to be positive in the locker room, and picking each other up. Kind of knowing we’ve been here before but there’s a lot more work to do.”

The ‘Canes got a huge boost from a healthy Matthew Cleveland, as he contributed the first bucket on his way to 15 points, 13 rebounds and the game-sealing dunk.

Junior guard Wooga Poplar went down two minutes into the game. While he did would return, he was limited when he was out there.

Poplar finished with seven points on just 1-of-5 shooting from the field.

Miami played Virginia Tech just three weeks ago in Blacksburg, Virginia. The ‘Canes were able to escape with a 75-71 win behind a

Jared Lennon // Staff Photographer

Junior guard Bensley Joseph drives down court in the second half of Miami’s game versus Virginia Tech in the Watsco Center on Feb. 3, 2024.

21-point effort from Cleveland. Hokies star Sean Pedulla had 33 points the last time he played Miami. The Hurricanes held Pedulla to 21 points and forced him into uncomfortable shots.

“Having more of a focus on what (Pedulla) does best and what he’s trying to get to,” Joseph said. “The first game was at their home and he

got hot and hit some shots. This one was just trying to slow him down and stop him from making easy shots.”

This was a must-win for the ‘Canes to keep up in the ACC and maximize their chances of making the tournament. Miami is finally back to having its full roster, and it’ll need it in the challenging games going forward.

February 7, 2024

SPORTS

THE MIAMI HURRICANE

11

Hurricanes’ Senior Bowl participants showcased their talents dinator Ephraim Banda, each player showed a high skill level during the week of practices and the game. Kinchens recorded three tackles and broke up a pass against Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman, who was targeting Penn State tight end Theo Johnson.

In a post-game interview with Symone Stanley, Kinchens said he used the Senior Bowl as an opportunity to showcase his proper skill set and that he is confident in his instincts and ability to recognize plays heading into this year’s NFL Draft.

“I feel like I’m versatile. I can go play closer to the ball, I can go play man coverage.

Whatever the team needs me to do, I can do,” Kinchens said.

Despite doubts, he is also confident in his ability to play a physical game, and his Senior Bowl stats prove he can engage that physicality. Kinchens is ranked as the No. 3 safety in the 2024 NFL Draft and the No. 53 player overall by ESPN. Jared Lennon // Staff Photographer Miami guard Javion Cohen showed his versaJunior safeties Kamren Kinchens and James Williams greet before the start of Miami’s game tility this week as well. He has moved around a versus Georgia Tech at Hard Rock Stadium on Oct. 7, 2023. lot during the game, playing multiple positions, including guard and center.

In an interview with The League Winners, Safeties Kam Kinchens and James Williams

BY CHARLOTTE SNOONIAN and guard Javion Cohen all performed strongly Cohen said his versatility, ability to adapt and STAFF WRITER football knowledge are skills he will carry into in Mobile, Alabama, as they played for the umble yet confident is a characteristhe next steps in his football career.

American Team but took a 16-7 loss against tic the three ’Canes who had the op“Knowing what the left tackle all the way the National Team on Sunday. portunity to play in the 2024 Senior to the right tackle has to do and you’re not Coached by former Miami defensive coorBowlhad in common.

H

even in that position. I think that’s the most complicated part that a lot of people don’t see or understand,” Cohen said.

Cohen has been working on his versatility, and he knows that understanding every position’s responsibilities is the key to having a solid offensive line. He credits his high football IQ to playing at Miami, constantly studying film and always preparing.

“A lot of credit to [Miami head coach Mario] Cristobal and [offensive line coach Alex] Mirabal for teaching me a lot about defenses and my amazing teammates who also are passionate about the game and passionate enough to help me learn these things as well,” Cohen said.

Cohen is ranked as the No. 1 offensive guard in the NFL Draft after putting on a strong and confident performance in the week of practice and Saturday’s Senior Bowl, and he is ranked as the No. 56 overall player.

Miami safety James Williams continued the theme of versatility after playing as a linebacker in the Senior Bowl. Since the end of the Hurricanes’ regular season in late November, Williams has put on 15 pounds.

As a linebacker during the Senior Bowl, Williams had five tackles and was the only player on the American Team with a tackle for loss.

In this year’s NFL Draft, he is projected to be a fourth-round pick.

Hurricanes’ third-quarter rally not enough to top Florida State

BY WRIGLEY KORDT STAFF WRITER

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iami traveled to Tallahassee looking to defeat the rival Seminoles and bring itself to a 0.500 record in the ACC, but the back-and-forth matchup ended in a 75-68 Florida State victory.

The Hurricanes came into the match with the second-best defense in the ACC, allowing only an average of 58.2 points per game. The Seminoles, meanwhile, boasted the conference’s second-best offense, averaging 81.5 points per game.

But in the battle between an unstoppable force and an immovable object, Florida State’s offense came out on top.

Despite the high final score, Miami’s defense had several bright spots. The ‘Canes held Ta’Niya Latson, the ACC’s fourth-leading scorer, to 15 points on 4-for-11 shooting. In addition, the Hurricanes scored 21 points off of 17 Florida State turnovers.

However, junior forward Makayla Timpson

erupted for the Seminoles, dropping a 22-point double-double in 32 minutes.

As for Miami’s offense, the second unit led the way, with sophomore guard Lemyah Hylton and junior forward Latasha Lattimore combining for 29 of the team’s 31 bench points. The duo shot a combined 85.7% from the field and finished as the Hurricanes’ two leading scorers.

Miami’s starters, however, struggled throughout the game, amassing 37 points while shooting an abysmal 32.6% from the field.

Those struggles were especially evident in the first half, as the team shot 39.4% from the field and the starters combined for a mere 15 points.

The lone bright spot was Hylton, as she posted 10 of the team’s 33 first-half points.

Despite a rough first half, the Hurricanes came alive in the third quarter, scoring 24 points, including a 12-0 run. During that quarter, the ‘Canes made two-thirds of their field goal attempts, including half of their threepoint shots.

But Miami failed to translate its hot shooting

to the fourth quarter. The team scored a paltry 11 points, making only one three-point attempt and going 29% from the field overall.

What ultimately won the game for Florida State was its ability to take and make free throws.

The Seminoles got to the line early and often, making 13 of their 17 shots from the charity stripe, including six crucial makes in the fourth quarter.

Miami, meanwhile, failed to get to the line, attempting zero free throws in the fourth quarter. Overall, the ‘Canes shot only six free throws, making four of them. The team’s inability to get to the line was especially evident given its shooting woes outside of the third quarter.

The loss knocks Miami’s conference record to 4-6, plunging the team to 10th place in the ACC. The Hurricanes will head back home for their next matchup, a Thursday night bout against ACC rival Clemson. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m..

Miami Athletics // Contributor

Junior guard Shayeann Day-Wilson shoots a jump shot during Miami’s game against Florida State on Sunday, Feb. 4 at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center.

OPINION

12

February 7, 2024 THE MIAMI HURRICANE

Running a marathon doesn’t have to suck

BY PARI WALTER STAFF WRITER

D

uring every organized road race I’ve participated in, there have been spectators with posters asking the runners to “remember your why.”

When my friend and I signed up for the Miami Marathon, we didn’t really have a why. We initially broached the subject and were signed up for the full 26.2 mile race in a matter of 20 minutes, not giving ourselves much time to contemplate the seriousness of the commitment we had made.

With no charitable obligations, no qualifiers to meet and no real time goal in mind, our loftiest goals were to finish the race and loath it for as little time as possible.

Around mile four, when we saw the first sign asking us to remember our why, we continued in silence, contemplating the question, until I said the only thing I could think of: “why not?”

It’s a sentiment I can only think to compare (on an obviously much more severe scale) to a popular phrase among mountain climbers, attributed to British mountaineer George Leigh Mallory when asked by a reporter why he wanted to summit Mount Everest: “because it’s there.”

People often look for justification as to why you would want to do something like climb for weeks or run for hours, but there’s value in just trying something to see if you can do it. A deeper sense of purpose can be motivational, but it isn’t a requirement.

Signing up to run a marathon is a commitment. Not only is it ridiculously expensive to sign up for organized races, but you end up investing time, money and energy no matter how you prepare. As a college student, I have a fairly flexible schedule

and no dependents, and still slacked on my training. If I had a 9-5 job or kids to look after, I can’t imagine trying to work training into my schedule.

It doesn’t help that, especially in marathon running, people tend to exaggerate the barriers to finishing the race once they themselves have done it. Runners don’t hold back in detailing the severity of the distance, painting it to be an unconquerMiami Marathon participants run through downtown for the last leg of the race on able beast.

Jan. 28, 2024.

Running a marathon is no small feat. Of course parts of it are going to be challenging, but that’s part of the experience. For the last hour of the race, I felt like throwing up, like my legs were breaking and Lifetime Miami Marathon & Half poster is every step I took hurt. There’s displayed along the marathon route on Jan. 28, some subliminal pressure to 2024. “perform,” especially when there’s a crowd of your friends cheering you on, but no one says you have to run as fast as you can, or that you can’t walk for a minute if you need to.

And it was difficult to take myself too seriously when DJs stationed at mile 8 were dancing and singing to us, when a Miami Marathon participant approaches the woman handed us ice pops finish line holding up a Peruvian flag on Jan. at mile 14 or when a priest Miami Marathon participants near the finish line on Jan. 28, 2024.

28, 2024. blessed us with holy water at mile 20.

It’s hard to feel sorry for yourself when complete strangers are cheering you on, and I might not have run a record-setting race but my friends still acted like I did and I felt like I did. I mean, how often do we get to prove to ourselves, beyond what we might believe, that our bodies can do things that they’ve never done before?

It’s difficult, but it’s not impossible. Over one million Children run alongside Miami Marathon participeople run marathons every pants as they complete the Miami Kids Mile on year. No one forces you to sign Jan. 28, 2024. up, to train a certain way or race a certain way. You should People gather at the finish line of the Miami Marathon at Bayfront Park on Jan. try to do it however you want 28, 2024. to, and you might as well try to Photos By Alexandra Fisher // Co-Photo Editor enjoy it while you do.

February 7, 2024 THE MIAMI HURRICANE

FEATURE

13

A father and son watch for family at the finish line of the Miami Marathon on Jan. 28, 2024.

A Miami Marathon participant blows kisses to friends and family as she approaches the finish line on Jan. 28, 2024.

Miami Marathon participants smile as they approach the finish line on Jan. 28, 2024.

Miami juniors Jack Norman and Simon Greenstein stand together and hold up the U after completing the Miami Marathon on Jan. 28, 2024.

Runner pumps his fists as he approaches the finish line of the Miami Marathon on Jan. 28, 2024.

Photos By Alexandra Fisher // Co-Photo Editor

OPINION

14

February 7, 2024

THE MIAMI HURRICANE

Even if it’s disappointing, the government is functioning as it should

BY ETHAN MANNELLO STAFF WRITER

has stalled efforts to address gun violence, student loans, paid leave and the minimum wage.

On foreign policy, he fulfilled his vow to strengthen U.S. relations with NATO and pulled

we

W

ith the 2024 presidential election less than 10 months away, public trust in the government is nearing historic lows. In a survey done by Pew Research Center, about 20% of Americans say they trust the government to do what is right. It has been almost seven decades since trust has reached these levels.

Pair this with the American political divide that the Pew Research Center calls “exceptional in its nature” and which Axios reports as only getting deeper, it’s easy to worry about the future of our country. Especially as the last two presidents have had trouble fulfilling their campaign promises.

In former President Donald Trump’s case, most of his main promises fell by the wayside. He failed to lock up Hillary Clinton as he promised his supporters and never left NATO. His vow to build a border wall failed miserably, as he struggled to obtain funding from Congress.

Trump’s attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare sputtered out on Capitol Hill as well, despite the GOP’s control of both chambers for the first half of his term.

President Biden has also had a disappointing presidency. He promised to overhaul immigration policy, and what little he’s done has led to an awful border crisis. Opposition in Congress

national conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.

This is a roundabout way to say that Americans are valid in their concerns about our government.

Our last two presidents have struggled to deliver on many of

out of Afghanistan, but the withdrawal was chaotic and led to the deaths of hundreds, including 15 U.S. service members. Instead of the safer world he promised, the U.S. is now involved in two brutal inter-

their biggest promises and have had even less success reaching over the aisle and making deals with the other party.

Many of Biden and Trump’s failures can be attributed to the deep ideological divide within

Congress. The Pew Research Center found that Congress is more ideologically divided than it has been over the past 50 years. Republicans and Democrats have been moving away from the ideological center

are

dis

sat

isf

ied

.

Roberta Macedo // Graphics Editor

since the 1970s and now a little over 10 moderate Democrats and Republicans hold seats in Congress. Because of this, it is very difficult for either party to pass any impactful legislation they have advertised like

replacing Obamacare or overhauling immigration.

While this may be frustrating, the government is actually functioning the way that it was intended to.

As the Heritage Foundation wrote, “the Framers (of the Constitution) tried again, creating a system of government that did not deny the pursuit of self-interest, but instead helped to direct it toward compromise and consensus.”

One of the main goals of the Constitution was to promote compromise and only allow major change when a majority agreed. In doing this, they added both the separation of powers and checks and balances to the Constitution. These additions not only prevent one section or party in the government from gaining too much power but also make it difficult for our government to function when it is divided.

Because power is diversified throughout the government and each body has a check on the other, one party rarely gains complete power in the government. This means compromise is needed to create any major change within the country, and compromise is almost impossible with the current division in our government.

The government’s current lack of major action is just the government functioning as it should. The founding fathers had a vision for a country that only changes when a majority agrees and compromise can be reached. They also feared rapid, harmful change that more authoritarian regimes could pull off.

Our government isn’t making great progress for a reason, and that reason is an important one.

February 7, 2024

THE MIAMI HURRICANE

V’S TAKE

15

Phone sex for long-distance freshman and those who still somehow made it Welcome back to campus, miserable long distance lovers. Let’s just say after a long month of unlimited action it is starting to get pretty dry in here.

If that’s not you, don’t stop reading; the odds are you might be having boring sex. Whether your partner is thousands of miles away or living in Thesis, this guide’s got your back.

Phone sex: paint the picture with your words,or in the modern world, just flip on the camera.

It might be a tad intimidating, so communicate beforehand and see how comfortable you both are. The odds are if you’re not seeing each other for months, they will be intrigued. Let’s get into it.

Step 1: Find Some Privacy and Dive In I insist that you find some privacy; consent is important, and we wouldn’t want someone to accidentally tune into your symphony of romance and feel uncomfortable.

You know that feeling when

you walk in on your roommate engaging in extracurricular activities with their sneaky link—or, even better, when you catch them in the act across the room while you’re asleep. Not cool, not cool at all; it’s like stumbling upon a surprise party that you definitely didn’t RSVP for.

Step 2. Tease. Tease. Tease.

Don’t just get at it, we are civilized college kids here, get that phone steaming. A genius move is to initiate this when you’re already on the phone. Start with a “remember when” question to set the mood. Describe what you want them to do or what you’re doing. Mention your outfit (they don’t need to know it’s a couple of ripped socks and a stained self-tan t-shirt.)

Step 3: Sound effects It is all about your words here, dirty talk maestroes! We should already be doing it. Use that sexy, raunchy voice of yours. If talking dirty into the phone is as weird as going to your 8 am, start with

some vocals and breathing.

Confidence is key, guys! You know this person, well, at least I hope so.

Step 4: Only For The Experts Facetime. Bed. Laptop on a pillow. Angle. That’s it. All the other rules still apply.

It’s pretty simple, but a few things to remember. Make sure that roommate of yours is out for some “studying” themselves.

And don’t forget to charge your phone; no one wants an abrupt interruption. Speaking of charging things, remember to charge that “toy” of yours. You heard me!

Oh common, are we this conservative?

I hope you enjoyed and good luck to those in that long-distance battle. Remember to be safe and trust the person you are with entirely before trying this out; we don’t want it to backfire. And, of course, it’s perfectly fine to tap out at any moment – you never have to do something you don’t want to. Stay spicy my long-distance warriors!

ADVERTISMENT

16

February 7, 2024 THE MIAMI HURRICANE

INTRODUCING THE DEBUT NOVEL...

ABOUT THE NOVEL JOIN P.I. PEPE MIGUEL IN THE HISTORIC CITY OF

A CORUNA, SPAIN, AS HE RACES AGAINST TIME TO STOP

THE MAN IN TH BALL CAP. DIVE INTO A CAPTIVATING THRILLER, PROMISING HEART-POUNDING SUSPENSE AND DARK SECRETS.

FOLLOW THESE MYSTERIOUS EVENTS AS WE ANSWER THE QUESTION, WILL

PEPE MIGUEL SOLVE THE CASE?