The Miami Hurricane - Feb. 8, 2016

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Campus welcomes special-needs citizens for longest-running service day PAGE 3

Evelyn Choi // Staff Photographer

SHARING SMILES: Freshman Taylor McCloskey and her FunDay buddy Susy share a laugh in the University Center Saturday afternoon. FunDay is the longest-standing service day at the University of Miami and brings more than 300 special citizens from the surrounding area on campus to enjoy a day of fun and games.


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NEWS

THE MIAMI HURRICANE

February 8 - February 10, 2016

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Candidates announce campaigns for 2016 elections By Marcus Lim Staff Writer

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tudent Government (SG) has announced the eight candidates campaigning to be the next SG president, vice president and treasurer. The candidates are organized into three groups: Empower U, One Team, One U, and True To You. The campaigns consist of three students running for the respective positions except Empower U, which consists of only junior Jacob Rudolph running for president and sophomore Austin Eng running for vice president. The candidate running for treasurer dropped out due to medical reasons. One Team, One U includes juniors Jason Goldenberg and Emeline Savidge running for president and vice president, and sophomore Andrew Weinstock running for treasurer. Their goal: establish a real connection and two-way conversation between SG and the student body. “We have very intelligent people on this campus with great ideas that we are not hearing because they are not reached out to,” Goldenberg said. In True To You, Vikesh Patel is running for president, Ashley Pittaluga is running for vice president and Morgan Owens is running for treasurer. Patel, Pittaluga and Owens are all juniors. “Each of us has our own reasons for deciding to run, but our vision is the same,” Patel said. “For us, it is not about doing this for ourselves, but rather our fellow Canes ... each Cane has a voice that should be heard and ref lected in our student government.” Although Empower U is down one candidate, Eng said he thinks what he and Rudolph stand for will make up for not having a prospective treasurer. “Empower U inspires students to discover their potential to have a positive impact on themselves and our community,” Eng said. “Oftentimes, we

ignore small injustices such as microaggressions against other races, violations of school policy, etc. because we feel powerless to intervene or prevent such actions.” Filing for candidacy began on Jan. 11 of this year and ended on Feb 1. During that time, the candidates planned their strategies and reached out to other students to find out whether they would want to run together. The SG president generally serves as a bridge between students and administrators, helping the student body with any initiatives that will benefit them and liaising the feasibility with higher-ups in the university. The vice president mainly oversees the Freshman Leadership Council that molds freshmen into leadership roles, while the treasurer’s job is to help allocate funds and resources according to the interest of students. As graphic campaigning – the official announcement of the campaigns through posters and images around campus – begins at 8 a.m. on Monday, students will have an idea of what policies each group brings to the table. In addition, the candidates will hold meetand-greets in the Hecht-Stanford Dining Hall, the Rathskeller and the food court, and will speak to different student organizations about their platforms. They will also have the chance to debate against each other at the Lakeside Patio at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The student body will then have three days to vote on Orgsync, beginning Monday, Feb. 15 and ending Wednesday, Feb. 17, when the results will be announced at 5:30 p.m. Aalekhya Reddam, the Student Government executive at large-internal who is responsible for facilitating communication between the branches of SG and arranging SG-wide events, explained possible alternate scenarios with the voting process. “If one team gets more than 50 percent, then they are the winners and there will be no run-off,” Reddam said. If no ticket gets the majority of votes tallied, then there will be a runoff election between the top two tickets the following week from Monday, Feb. 22 to Wednesday, Feb. 24. In a run-off election, candidates can be elected to individual positions, regardless of their party. The result would then be announced at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 24.

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Hallee Meltzer // Photo Editor

Empower U is made up of presidential candidate junior Jacob Rudolph and vice presidential candidate junior Austin Eng.

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Hallee Meltzer // Photo Editor

Under One Team, One U, junior Emmy Savidge, junior Jason Goldenberg and sophomore Andrew Weinstock are running for vice president, president and treasurer, respectively.

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Hallee Meltzer // Photo Editor

The True to You campaign is composed of juniors Ashley Pittaluga, Vikesh Patel and Morgan Owens, running for vice president, president and treasurer, respectively.


February 8 - February 10, 2016

THE MIAMI HURRICANE

NEWS

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY

Nonprofit organizations revamped during PhilADthropy

FunDay consolidates activity stations to foster closer personal connections By Amanda Herrera Senior News Writer

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By Marcus Lim Staff Writer

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he 2LIVES Foundation, a nonprofit organization formed in honor of slain journalist Steven Sotloff, was one of 13 local organizations to take part in the seventh-annual PhilADthropy over the weekend at the University of Miami’s School of Communication (SoC). Teams of SoC students were tasked with rebranding the organizations with entirely new advertising materials in just 25 hours. Professor Meryl Blau started PhilADthropy in 2010. Blau wanted to create an imaginative way for students to learn what it was like to work for a company while simultaneously helping organizations that would otherwise be unable to hire an agency and pay for a complete rebranding. “These nonprofits will get about $10,000 worth of work including advertising, print campaigns, social media, interactive and so forth,” Blau said. “Everyone had a great and successful time with the projects. The time and effort that they showed will be worth it.” The students were introduced to each other on Friday morning and briefed by their assigned organization on its marketing goals. It was then up to the students to create a campaign by the next morning. After the introductions, the 25-hour marathon began. Students worked tirelessly through the night, coffees in hand, to bring their teams’ concepts to reality by 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, when they presented the materials to their clients. School of Communication Dean Gregory Shepherd said in the opening ceremonies on Friday that PhilADthropy benefits all groups involved by combining work experience with community service. “It is the best of two worlds. Students get real-world experience building campaigns, and at the same time, cam-

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Evelyn Choi // Staff Photographer

MARKETING MARATHON: Students design advertisements and marketing strategies for nonprofit organizations during PhilADthropy at the School of Communication Friday night. paigns are built for those who really need it,” Shepherd said. One of the organizations that benefited from PhilADthropy, 2LIVES, was founded by Arthur Sotloff and honors the memory of Sotloff’s son, Steven Sotloff. Steven was a journalist from South Florida who was beheaded by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in 2014 while covering the plight of Muslims in Syria. The foundation will offer scholarships to young journalists and provide safe training and grant support to help prevent others from suffering the same fate as Steven. Arthur said he feels that each scholarship would honor the memory of his son. “This organization wants young journalists who want to have a voice to come back home safe and sound,” Arthur said. Carlen Dickerson, a sophomore in the SoC, was awarded the first 2LIVES scholarship at UM in December 2015. A group of nine students assisted 2LIVES in redesigning their logo, setting up a website, making promotional materials, revamping social media and creating a channel on the music-streaming service Spotify, among other things. The team also made print ads for 2LIVES, one of which showed a masked photographer trying to take a photo while being pushed back by three figures with

raised riot shields. The poster suggests a protest zone and the message reads, “If you are bold enough to provide a voice, we will be your shield.” Mia Rafowitz, a senior on the team that worked with 2LIVES, said that she was touched by what the organization strives to achieve. “It really resonated with us,” Rafowitz said. Rafowitz, an advertising major, has taken part in PhilADthropy since her sophomore year. Arthur said he was grateful that 2LIVES was selected for PhilADthropy. After finding out about the event through the Miami Herald, he was one of the 13 chosen organizations out of 120 nonprofit applicants. “I feel blessed that we had this opportunity,” Arthur said. “We feel honored to be one of the orgs to be selected. This will help us spread awareness.” The other foundations included Susan G. Komen of Miami and Fort Lauderdale, National Voices for Equality and the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame.

unDay, the longest-running annual service day at the University of Miami, was smaller than it was in years past on Saturday, as organizers tried to reclaim a community feel some felt had been lost. Last year’s service day was widespread throughout the campus, with activity stations spread across the center of campus from the Foote Green to the Shalala Student Center. This year, however, the FunDay executive board decided it was time to bring back the intimate “community” feel, according to senior and Funding Chair Micaela Nannery. “We felt that it had [become] a little too widespread,” Nannery said. “We wanted to make sure that there were enough personal connections.” FunDay pairs more than 350 special-needs citizens, or “buddies,” from the Miami-Dade area with student volunteers for a day of games, food and fun. More than 650 University of Miami students participated. Sophomore Earl Generato said he participated because he had a neighbor with special needs growing up and understood the struggles they have in society. He said he remembers how the other kids in his neighborhood would stigmatize his neighbor for “being different.” “This day is really about just understanding that we are all the same,” Generato said. “We all have the same arms and legs. We’re all human.” This year’s theme for FunDay was Around the World. Attendees participated in crafts like decorating passports, watch student-led dance performances and play different instruments, including bongos. Nannery, who first volunteered as a freshman, said the purpose of the event was to have fun but also to bridge the the gap of misconceptions and prejudice that exists when interacting with intellectually disabled people. “We want to promote positive relationships, especially among young students and our buddies,” she said. Sophomore Angelica Previero said she volunteered for FunDay exactly for that reason—to have a positive relationship with her buddy, one borne out of a feeling of safety and connection. “It’s great day for them to come out to a safe environment and connect with other people who are really just like them,” she said.


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NEWS

THE MIAMI HURRICANE

February 8 - February 10, 2016

CAMPUS LIFE

Business school alumni promote Bloomberg Terminal By Jorge Chabo Senior News Writer

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Victoria McKaba // Assistant Photo Editor

dam Umanoff and Owen Minde of Bloomberg Finance were at the University of Miami’s School of Business Friday to discuss the capabilities of the Bloomberg Terminal, a computer system that provides financial data to users. The terminal acts as a database that stores all sorts of information related to industries that Bloomberg reports on. It acts as a large business library, updating in real-time, providing news from every major news outlet on any subject in the business world. The event, named “Lunch with Bloomberg,” was put together by Ignacio Fernandez, a Master of Business Administration candidate for 2016. The objective was to show students how to

leverage Bloomberg tools, set themselves apart and get set up with the terminal as well as to discuss the partnership with UM. According to Umanoff, Bloomberg provides data, analytics, news, communication tools, electronic trading and superior customer service. “We’re here to show you, really, the power of Bloomberg,” Minde said. “It’s an extremely powerful tool.” Minde began his presentation with a broad view of the current global economy. He then analyzed certain countries and eventually made his way to the information the tool provides for the U.S. Minde showcased the Bloomberg platform and what it can provide the user with. One current theme that he felt was interesting was the Chinese currency, the yuan, and its entrance into the global economy. Through the use of the terminal, Minde was able to use the riskassessment tool to compare risks across countries and to show how China’s is considerably low, according to the tool. “Bloomberg provides us with a wealth of information about each and every country,” Minde said. One noteworthy comparison he presented was the Florida 50 Index,

learning course outside of the accessible terminal. This tool allows students to gain information about certain privatesector concepts. It also provides students with a platform where they can post their resumes and connect with recruiters from companies like Goldman Sachs. Umanoff stresses the necessity of knowing the industry before an interview. The Bloomberg Terminal, along with BMC, has the information that would give students the upper hand going into the job market. According to Umanoff, UM provides a certain number of free certifications for students interested in the BMC course. The goal of this event, according to Fernandez, was to expose students to the tool that is available on campus for Julianna Kolakowski // Contributing Photographer students to use. It is very useful for gainINTRODUCING NEW TECHNOLOGY: Attendees ask questions to speaker Adam Umanoff of Bloomberg Finance ing information about any task a student during the School of Business’ event Lunch with Bloomberg Friday morning in the Storer Auditorium. may need it for, whether that’s homework, studying for a company interview which shows the companies that drive berg Institute. In partnership with UM, or finding jobs. Florida’s economy. This index was cre- according to its website, the institute “Bloomberg is a window to see the ated and made public just last week by “infuses financial training with the same world of finance,” Fernandez said. the University of Miami and their part- transparency, efficiency and clarity we bring to our core businesses through nership with S&P 1500. After showcasing the terminal, Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC).” Umanoff spoke briefly about the Bloom- BMC is an eight-hour, self-paced online

JUSTICE EXPERTS DISCUSS FREE SPEECH

CLARIFYING CONVERSATION: United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit Judge Adalberto Jordan and former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States John Paul Stevens host a question-andanswer panel about free speech versus campus speech in the Shalala Student Center Friday afternoon.

Justice Stevens was appointed to the Supreme Court during President Ford’s term in 1975 and retired in June 2010 as the third-longestserving justice. Since his retirement, Justice Stevens has authored two books, “Five Chiefs: A Supreme Court Memoir” and “Six Amendments: How and Why We Should Change the Constitution.”


February 8 - February 10, 2016

THE MIAMI HURRICANE

Opinion

OPINION

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The Miami

HURRICANE Founded 1929 An Associated Collegiate Press Hall of Fame Newspaper BUSINESS OFFICE: 305-284-4401 FAX: 305-284-4404 For advertising rates call 305-284-4401 or fax 305-284-4404.

ECONOMICS

Fears of higher federal interest rates unwarranted

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t has been more than six weeks since the Federal Reserve chose to raise interest rates for the first time in years. Much has happened in 2016 already, including the Bank of Japan’s decision to introduce negative interest rates. In this climate, many expected the Fed to back down and bring rates back to where they were before or even lower. However, that would By Andrew Langen be a mistake. Recently, the Fed chose to stay the Economics Columnist course and to leave interest rates unchanged for the next month or so. January has been marked by pessimism. Investors have become wary of China’s ability to grow its economy in the long term and oil prices have fallen, meaning that the stock market has been steadily dropping for the last month. Many have tried to draw a link to the interest rates by saying that an increase in rates has led to companies borrowing less, and as a result, not performing as well. Although companies do not borrow at the Federal Reserve rate, the changes it makes causes ripples throughout the financial world.

The key difference is that the months prior to the Fed decision were the aberration, not the norm. Cheap borrowing is dangerous and a similar situation contributed to the collapse of the housing market and the most recent recession. Obviously, borrowing is not the evil. This is why the increase was relatively small in order to not completely kill off borrowing. Moreover, the Federal Reserve is interested in the economy of America as a whole. It tends to favor the labor market over the stock market. There is plenty of reason for optimism: 151,000 jobs were added this January; while not particularly large relative to other months, this figure is certainly reason to celebrate. The unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in years, no cause for alarm there. Certainly, this could be a sign of something bigger and more dangerous. It could absolutely lead to another downturn. At the same time, recessions have been predicted as being over the horizon since the last one. A joke among economists is that they have successfully predicted nine out of the last five recessions. Ultimately, the Federal Reserve’s decision to raise interest rates in December and leave them flat in January was the right one. By balancing the need to maintain the health of the economy against fears that a larger increase would cause a serious destabilization, they have charted the best possible course. But that won’t stop people from complaining about it. Andrew Langen is a junior majoring in economics and math.

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even Halloweens ago, 13-year-old Danny New proudly wore a suit draped in “Yes We Can” buttons to school. When he arrived, it turned out that every boy sported the same costume. Except for the one kid who had discovered girls – he was smart enough to be Edward Cullen. But Danny and the others were ecstatic to be Barack By Danny New Obama for a day. Barack Obama was just the coolest. He Humor Columnist was young, confident and knew a lot about the Chicago Bulls. In other words, he didn’t have wrinkles or a belabored war story. He was the presidential candidate who middle schoolers could dig. Eight years later, those middle-school students are now in college and have traded in their school planners for...more expensive planners from the college bookstore. And once again, they have a candidate who they all seem to support. Although he may seem more like Old Man Jenkins from “SpongeBob,” he is still in an eerily similar situation. His name is Senator Bernie Sanders and he is becoming the next Barack Obama. It’s a tricky recipe to become the next Barack Obama. First, you need another candidate who has been the media-proclaimed winner for a year. You see, that won’t work with the hipster generation known as the millennials. They

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THE MATURITY COLUMN

Senator Bernie Sanders: next Barack Obama

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nick Gangemi

need to feel like they made their own choice, even if there’s only one other alternative. Mainstream just won’t sell at Urban Outfitters. Also, you have to preach borderline “socialist” values and plans for your presidency. College students certainly aren’t all socialists, but they live in a relatively socialist community. They live on a campus where food, healthcare and even condoms are provided by the people in charge. A utopia, if you will. So it makes sense that college students would be down for the philosophies that aren’t so far off from the ones outlining the best four years of their lives – not that Bernie Sanders and condoms should ever be in the same thought. With that said, there also has to be a solid chance that the candidate would legalize marijuana. In this case, Senator Sanders is actually in the demographic that needs it most, battling flamingo-neck posture at a crisp 74 years old. Regardless, let’s face it: weed is a big deal for college students – their parents told them to eat their vegetables when they were younger, so the hipster in them demanded to smoke it instead. If Bernie Sanders will deal legal hemp and then provide free healthcare for the crazy post-trip shenanigans, then he is basically offering the circle of life. He’s Rafiki. So yeah, Senator Sanders has the resume for becoming the next Barack Obama. In fact, in the Iowa Caucus he held 84 percent of the under-30 demographic, which is a solid B. And if C’s get degrees, then maybe B’s get you ... a presidency? Well, as long as your first name starts with it. Danny New is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. The Maturity Column runs alternate Mondays.

The Miami Hurricane is published semi-weekly during the regular academic year and is edited and produced by undergraduate students at the University of Miami. The publication does not necessarily represent the views and opinions of advertisers or the university’s trustees, faculty or administration. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of The Miami Hurricane’s Editorial Board. Commentaries, letters and cartoons represent only the views of their respective authors. The newsroom and business office of The Miami Hurricane are located in the Student Activities Center, Student Media Suite 200. LETTER POLICY The Miami Hurricane encourages all readers to voice their opinions on issues related to the university or in response to any report published in The Miami Hurricane. Letters to the editor may be submitted typed or handwritten to the Student Activities Center, Student Media Suite 200, or mailed to P.O. Box 248132, Coral Gables, Fla., 33124-6922. Letters must be signed with a copy of your Cane Card. ADVERTISING POLICY The Miami Hurricane’s business office is located at 1330 Miller Drive, Student Activities Center Student Media Suite 200. The Miami Hurricane is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the university’s fall and spring academic terms. Newspapers are distributed for free on the Coral Gables campus, the School of Medicine and off-campus locations. DEADLINES All ads must be received, cash with copy, in The Miami Hurricane business office, Student Activities Center Student Media Suite 200, by noon Tuesday for Thursday’s issue and noon Friday for Monday’s issue. SUBSCRIPTIONS The Miami Hurricane is available for subscription at the rate of $50 per year. AFFILIATIONS The Miami Hurricane is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and Florida College Press Association.


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OPINION

THE MIAMI HURRICANE

February 8 - February 10, 2016

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Gluten-free craze not necessarily beneficial for health

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he gluten-free diet began as a means to elicit awareness of celiac disease, a serious autoimmune disease where an immune response is triggered in the lining of the small intestine in the presence of gluten, causing the malabsorption of nutriBy Faizah Shareef ents. Over the course of a few years, Health Columnist the gluten-free diet has become more mainstream. Gluten-free items line general grocery stores, celebrities tout its benefits and the public claims loss of fatigue, lethargy and bloating. However, many of these individuals may not even understand what gluten is. Gluten is created when proteins glutenin and gliadin come into contact and form a composite that lends to the elasticity and chewiness of bread. It is one of the most prevalent protein mixtures consumed and can be found in wheat, barley, rye and many other whole grains. How-

ever, when looking at human agriculture, wheat only entered the game 10,000 years ago. From an evolutionary perspective, this is merely a blink of an eye. According to Dr. Stefano Guandalini, medical director of the University of Chicago’s Celiac Disease Center, this amount of time is not enough to elicit a genetic change in the metabolism of humans. Therefore, one can argue that the gluten in wheat is not something we are engineered to consume in the quantities that we do. Researchers have argued that reducing gluten consumption leads to steadier levels of glucose throughout the day and that gluten sensitivity, a lesser version of celiac disease, is actually very prevalent in the general population. Peter Gibson, a professor of gastroenterology at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, through a double-blind study testing gluten sensitivity, was able to support the idea of a state distinct from celiac disease. However, the development of this “disease” has only been significant since 1950. Joseph A. Murray, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, was able to genetically track the progression of gluten sensitivity and found that more individuals in the past 60 years have developed gluten sensitivity than before. It has also been found that wheat consumption has decreased since the 1950s inversely with incidence, which makes the situation even more confounding. This actually led researchers to believe that there was no problem inherent with gluten but rather overall changes to the human diet dur-

ing that time that has created this autoimmune phenomenon. There has been an overall shift from whole grain to white f lour consumption since 1950, which has been correlated to malfunctioning microbiome, or the diversity of gut bacteria. This in itself could have caused overuse and death of bacteria required to digest gluten. However, society is dangerously overcorrecting for white f lour consumption by passing off wheat altogether. Due to the public hype around gluten, companies began increasing gluten-free products, which tend to be significantly more expensive than their conventional counterparts. They also tend to contain less fiber and fewer fortified vitamins than whole grains, since most gluten-free goods are just white rice f lour. Whole grains are filled with minerals and nutrients required for proper bodily function, such as zinc, magnesium, iron, fiber and B vitamins. By cutting out an entire food group, many gluten-free individuals develop nutritional deficiencies simply for the purpose of following a national trend. Although they are certainly not options for celiacs, foods containing gluten are not inherently evil. At this point, it is difficult to say whether people should remove gluten completely from their diets. We need more conclusive data directly connecting gluten to the digestive issues in the general population. At this rate however, giving up whole grains when there are no obvious clinical implications for one to consume gluten could cause more harm than good. Faizah Shareef is a junior majoring in exercise physiology.

ENTERTAINMENT

‘Master of None’ diversifies media portrayal of Indian Americans

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lthough it was only released a few months ago, Netf lix’s new series “Master of None” has garnered a volume of appraisal leveled to no other in 2015. Co-created and produced by comedic “Parks and Recreation” star Aziz Ansari, “Master of None” follows protagonist Dev (played by Ansari), a 30-year-old actor, through his daily triumphs and travails as he seeks his big break in New York City. The show deftly portrays a range of topics, from the By Ramya Radhakrishnan hard reality of aging out of your wild early 20s into the quieter Contributing Columnist suburban adult lifestyle to dealing with parental attachment as you get older. However, perhaps the most pertinent issue Ansari ingeniously touches on in the series is the portrayal of Indian Americans (and for that matter, minorities in general) in American television. As a child born and raised in America by two Indian-immigrant parents, finding Indians on television was always somewhat of a novelty to me. Like most other kids born in the late ‘90s, I would come home from school and f lip through Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, settling on sitcoms or cartoons to watch. Initially, I would question why there was no one with my complexion on “Drake and Josh” or “Rugrats.” Over time, I simply grew accustomed to it. On the off chance that an Indian character would pop up in a TV show, they usually had a very one-dimensional and stereotypical role. The characterization of Indian men on television often centralizes on their thick accents or heavily studious, anti-

social nature, exemplified by popular characters like Raj from “The Big Bang Theory” and every male from the NBC sitcom “Outsourced.” Similarly, the roles of Indian female characters are usually relegated to the concept of “exotic” women with a plotline revolving around their ethnicity no matter how developed or interesting their character profiles are. An example is Cece from the TV sitcom “New Girl.” On an episode-to-episode basis, many jokes (often disparaging in nature) are made about Cece’s ethnicity, but her character barely even bats an eye at them. Stereotypical minority roles are common in mainstream media, but there have been several breakthroughs in the last few years. South-Asian women, such as Mindy Kaling and Priyanka Chopra, have broken stereotypes set in the past by nuancing the previously one-dimensional definition of Indians through their work on “The Mindy Project” and “Quantico,” respectively. Instead of completely whitewashing the actresses’ backgrounds or forcing them into stereotyped caricatures, both shows illustrate each character’s complex identities and allow the viewers to interpret the characterization for themselves. Ansari’s work in “Master of None” takes further steps to break these boundaries by not only exposing the racism Ansari has experienced as an Indian actor in Hollywood, but also by illustrating the practical inconveniences of being a minority trying to find success in the entertainment industry. These shows demonstrate that it is possible to create a successful, poignant and nuanced series without compensating for ethnic identity. To me, progress is not just having more Indian-American actors on television – true progress comes when these Indian actors can actually be defined by their intricate, disparate and full-f ledged personalities rather than buried under exaggerated ethnic stereotypes. Ramya Radhakrishnan is a freshman majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology.


February 8 - February 10, 2016

THE MIAMI HURRICANE

EDGE

7

‘Ayikodans’ dance performance displays Haitian spirit, aesthetics By Ramya Radhakrishnan Contributing Edge Writer

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yikodans” at the Adrienne Arsht Center brings audiences a performance of music and dance through storytelling of spirituality and historical struggles. On Friday, a group of students from Hecht and Stanford Residential Colleges had the opportunity to experience the passion and vibrancy of Ayikodans. The Ayikodans dance troupe, founded and directed by Jeanguy Saintus, is a premiere professional dance company in Haiti. The dance group is rooted in traditional Caribbean culture and celebrates the contemporary Haitian aesthetic, portraying a completely different side of Haitian lifestyle for those who associate the country with poverty and helplessness. The program began with “Phases,” a three-movement piece that draws from exploration of style and texture in contemporary dance. Representing the choreographer’s artistic approach, this trilogy featured one dancer in each movement depicting the variations in form and human emotions. The phases depicted the actuality of the human condition through minimalistic costuming, prop use and setting. Each dancer translated the pain and suffering portrayed in the dance trilogy through their precision and expressiveness. Complete with live vocalists, the piece truly allowed the audience to internalize this art by creating an intimate atmosphere. After the intermission, the company performed the world premiere of M’Angaje, a commissioned piece by the Arsht Center for its 10th anniversary. M’Angaje, which means “I am committed” in Creole, is inspired by the spiritual connection between the unknown, the unseen, the spirit and ourselves. The piece depicted the necessity for human beings to seek the spirits during great distress. Featuring nine dancers with vocal and percussive accompaniment, this lively piece filled the auditorium with an unmatched level of enthusiasm and vibrancy. The piece was performed with such passion and energy that it led to a full standing ovation and was a favorite of many attendees. “My favorite part of the performance was the second act because of the usage of drums and the lively dances that went along with the music,” freshman Ashley Brooks said.

ETHNIC DANCE: Ayikodans, a Haitian dance troupe, performed contemporary pieces related to spirituality and history at the Adrienne Arsht Center.

Photos courtesy Marie Ostensson Photography


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EDGE

THE MIAMI HURRICANE

February 8 - February 10, 2016

‘The Bashment’ podcast discusses pop culture, social issues By Emily Dabau Edge Editor

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ith a vision of giving young people from diverse backgrounds an opportunity to express their opinions on a variety of topics, University of Miami seniors Kladius Maynard and Elayna Paulk started “The Bashment.” The podcast is run by students and discusses pop culture, social and political issues, current events, and UM news. Maynard came up with the idea to start the podcast during winter break. He thought about working on it with Paulk and told her about it on New Year’s Day, as a sort of resolution. “Every time we converse, we always laugh about what is happening in pop culture. So when I thought about doing the podcast, I knew it would only be successful if I had her join me,” Maynard said. As a Canadian Jamaican, Paulk felt partnering with Maynard, who is from the British Virgin Islands, would be a great way to share the voice of different cultures. “We want to allow students similar to us to share their ideas and opinions on this platform we’ve created,” Paulk said. “We are unique and rich in culture and we want to use ‘The Bashment’ as a celebration of our culture. It allows our voices to be heard.” When brainstorming a name for the podcast, the duo wanted a title that presented all the facets of their lives, from being college students to their West-Indian and Caribbean descents, Maynard explained. They decided on “The Bashment” because it’s the Caribbean word for a party.

“[Bashment is] a party where all kinds of music of different genres and places are played or are mixed together to produce a mashup. We feel that the name speaks to the vision of the podcast where people from different backgrounds can come together, express themselves and have fun,” Maynard said. The co-hosts planned their first episode on Jan. 14, releasing it on Jan. 21. They are now three episodes in. The two plan the podcasts together and record them on Wednesday nights in the editing suites of the School of Communication. The episodes are then uploaded to the website, thebashment.com. So far, topics discussed in the podcast have included Stacey Dash and her views on eliminating Black History Month, the Kardashians, Adele, Beyoncé, #OscarsSoWhite and Donald Trump.

MAYNARD

PAULK

“Every episode, we discuss a few issues related to pop culture. We always have a personal segment that lets the audience get to know us better each time, and we rant about a pressing social issue,” Maynard said. In the most recent episode, the topic was black stereotypes and social media norms that many consider inappropriate. The discussion also touched on feminism and victim-blaming. To showcase different voices and opinions, the hosts bring dynamic guests to the show. For the third episode, the guest was their friend Barbara Poudzius, a Brazilian American. She was given creative input and the freedom to choose what to talk about. “We recognize and acknowledge the benefit of diversity on the show and we celebrate persons with divergent and unique opinions,” Maynard said. “We believe that it is really important that we give people our age the opportunity to insert their voice into any conversation, whether they want to come on to laugh and have a fun time or they want to rant about a pressing issue.” As the pair continues working together, their purpose for the project is simple: to give college students the opportunity to share their unfiltered positions on issues important to them. “Our primary goal is to appeal to a wide and diverse college audience,” Paulk said. Anyone interested in joining “The Bashment” or guest hosting should contact Maynard and Paulk at thebashmentpodcast@gmail.com.

EDGE BRIEFS

S ʻFor the Recordʼ Release Party ‘Cane Records, one of the first studentrun record labels at UM, will bring together a variety of musical talent Friday night at the Rat. From

6-8 p.m., listen to live music from this year’s artists at the “For the Record” release party while enjoying food and drinks.

S

UProv Show As Feb. 14 approaches, join the University of Miami improv team, UProv, for some pre-Valentine’s Day laughs. The group will be

performing a variety of comical sketches in the Shalala Student Center Activities Room South beginning at 8 p.m. on Thursday.

Anti-Valentineʼs Day If you’re over the gushiness, join the Federacion de Estudiantes Cubanos from noon to 4 p.m. Thursday on the Rock for Anti-Valentine’s Day activities. The event

will feature baked goods (made without love), heartbreaking henna, a chance to X your ex and pie-ing Cupid in the face.

Emily Dabau may be emailed at edge@themiamihurricane.com DESIGN BY AMY MELTZER


February 8 - February 10, 2016

Sports

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Hurricanes sting Yellow Jackets with 75-68 win

Miami downs Duke 61-53 with strong defensive performance

By Cody Brown Senior Sports Writer

By Tej Joshi Copy Editor

T

T

he No. 17 Hurricanes played a game of their own on Super Bowl Sunday as they headed up to Atlanta to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Miami’s 75-68 win over Georgia Tech has the Canes just one back for the ACC lead as a few teams ahead of them dropped games on Saturday evening. The Yellow Jackets (12-11, 2-8) played very well at home and were a tough challenge for Miami throughout the game. The Canes (18-4, 7-3) seemed a tad lethargic to start out, unable to get going on offense. It took nearly three minutes for the team to score their first basket of the game. Luckily, freshman forward Anthony Lawrence Jr. and sophomore guard Ja’Quan Newton sparked the Canes coming off the bench. Newton’s athleticism and energy provided the Canes with a couple of opportunities for easy baskets in transition, while Lawrence kept multiple possessions alive by hustling for loose balls and chasing down offensive rebounds. From there, Miami’s main man, redshirt senior guard Sheldon McClellan, took over. He scored six straight points during a stretch at the end of the first half and led the Canes to a 33-32 lead at halftime.

Victoria McKaba // Assistant Photo Editor

ALL IN: Redshirt senior guard Sheldon McClellan dunks during the men’s basketball team’s win over Duke at their January matchup at the BankUnited Center. The Hurricanes won against Georgia Tech 75-68 Sunday afternoon.

McClellan, who finished the afternoon with a gamehigh 22 points, picked right back up in the second half by hitting his first three-pointer of the game on the first possession. Miami as a whole took it up a notch offensively in the second half, getting timely scoring from junior guard Devon Reed, but the gritty Yellow Jackets wouldn’t go away and kept it tight until the end. Miami ultimately clinched the game by sinking nine straight free throws in the final minutes of the game. With this win, the Canes moved into a tie for second place in the ACC standings and put themselves in a great

position to claim a regular season ACC title by the season’s end. Miami still has remaining games against Louisville, Virginia and North Carolina, the three other teams at the top of the standings. If the Canes find a way to win those games, they will be able to win their second ACC title under Head Coach Jim Larrañaga and will find themselves in the driver’s seat for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament come Selection Sunday. The Canes continue their quest for a championship against Pittsburgh at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in the BankUnited Center.

he No. 16 Hurricanes defeated ACC rival Duke 61-53 at the BankUnited Center on Sunday afternoon. The Canes were up for the vast majority of the game and at one point led by 19. The game started off close as the teams were tied up at nine at the midway mark of the first quarter. From there, the Canes went on a 6-0 run heading into the second quarter. For the Canes, the second quarter was nearly perfect. The Canes did not give up a single field goal throughout the quarter. “Well, obviously that’s one of the best defensive performances I’ve ever seen,” Head Coach Katie Meier said. The Blue Devils (17-8, 6-5) were only able to muster a measly two points in the period, the fewest points Miami has allowed in a quarter this season. The Canes excelled in their half-court defense

SPORTS

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Number of Hurricanes to appear in the Super Bowl, more than any other college football team, according to CBS Sports.

as they forced Duke to take shots deep into the shot clock and closed out on shooters effectively. “It was more our half-court defense, we didn’t turn them over a bunch,” Meier said. Just when the Canes appeared to have sealed a defensive victory, the Blue Devils caught fire in the third quarter. Duke shot a scorching 10-of-14 from the field in the period. The change in offense was so dramatic that in the third quarter, the Blue Devils scored double the amount of points they had scored in the first half. Heading into the fourth, it seemed the game would come down to the wire as the Canes’ lead dwindled down to 44-36. Junior guard Adrienne Motley came to the rescue for the Canes, scoring nine points in the fourth. The Canes (20-4, 8-3) kept the lead until the end of the game. The Blue Devils were without their best player in sophomore guard Azura Stevens. She leads the ACC in rebounds with 9.4 per game and she is second in the conference with 19.1 points per game. She suffered a leg injury earlier this week and has missed the Blue Devils’ last two games. “We prepped as if she was playing and her not playing didn’t really affect us,” Motley said. Motley and redshirt junior forward Keyona Hayes led the way for Miami. Motley finished with a game-high 21 points and Hayes added 13 points and seven rebounds. Hayes in particular played well in the paint. “We have been really focusing on Keyona Hayes being a finisher,” Meier said. The Canes next play Georgia Tech at 7 p.m. on Thursday in Atlanta.

Erum Kidwai // Staff Photographer

READY, SET, SCORE: Junior guard Adrienne Motley plans out her next move during the Hurricanes’ win over the Blue Devils 61-53 Sunday afternoon at the BankUnited Center. This was the 20th game of Motley’s career in which she scored at least 20 points.


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THE MIAMI HURRICANE

February 8 - February 10, 2016

TRACK & FIELD

Women’s track wins Armory Invitational By Chloe Harrison Contributing Sports Writer

T

he No. 16-ranked Miami women’s track team won the 2016 Armory Track Invitational in New York City over the week-

end.

In the women’s weight throw, Precious Ogunleye and Tiffany Okieme had a one-two finish. Ogunleye’s 21.27-meter throw was the third-best in UM history and a new personal record. Okieme was just behind her with a throw of 20.55 meters. Senior Alysha Newman set a new school record in her second-place pole vault jump of 4.50 meters, the second-best mark recorded in the NCAA this season. Junior Ebony Morrison won the women’s 60-meter hurdles, setting a new personal best at 8.22 seconds. Morri-

son’s time ranks fifth-best in the event in school history. Placing fifth in the women’s mile was Anne Den Otter. With a run of 4:59.72, the freshman became the third member of the women’s track team to run the event in under five minutes. In the women’s 4x400-meter relay, the two relay teams finished second in different categories. Erin Ford, Jamika Glades, Anthonia Moore and Samantha Gonzalez ran in the four-heat college division, while Aiyanna Stiverne, Brittny Ellis, Destiny Washington and Shakima Wimbley ran against four other schools in the invitational division. The teams had respective times of 3:44.74 and 3:36.41. Wimbley, a 2015 Indoor All-American in two events, also won the 400-meter dash in 52.90 seconds. For the men, Carlos Mangum won the weight throw, notching a 19.68-meter throw. Coming off last season’s Indoor All-American campaign in three events, John-Patrick Friday finished fourth in the triple jump at 15.32-meter. Henri Delauze, Anthony Wolliston, Joseph Ryan and Thomas Gassner earned fourth place in the men’s 4x400-meter relay at 3:18.19. David Njoku, who also plays tight end on the football team, placed sixth in the men’s high jump at 2.03-meters.

The track team will compete in two different meets next weekend. The first is the Tyson Invitational, one of the biggest meets in the indoor season, at the Uni-

versity of Arkansas in Fayetteville. The other is the LSU High Performance Meet in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

FILE PHOTO

FLYING HIGH: Senior Alysha Newman competes in the 2014 Miami Invitational track meet. This weekend, Newman set a school record in the women’s pole vault at 4.50m during the Armory Track Invitational in New York City.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Hurricanes finish 1-2 in ITA tournament By Mark Singer Sports Editor

T Giancarlo Falconi // Staff Photographer

FULL FORCE: Sophomore Wendy Zhang hits a forehand shot during the Hurricanes’ January matchup against Georgia Tech. Zhang beat Kelsey Laurente in three sets to seal the win against Oklahoma State during the ITA National Team Indoor Championship.

he No. 11 Hurricanes dropped their first two matches of the season at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship held in Wisconsin over the weekend. After losing 4-2 to No. 12 Michigan on Friday and 4-3 to No. 17 Texas Tech on Saturday, Miami secured a 4-3 win against No. 10 Oklahoma State on Sunday to close out the tournament. Miami played in the 16-team tournament for the 12th consecutive year. The Canes got off to a rough start against the Wolverines on Friday with the duo of senior Stephanie Wagner and sophomore Wendy Zhang dropping the first doubles match, 6-1. Michigan clinched the doubles point shortly after, but Miami pulled ahead by winning the first two singles matches.

The lead was short-lived. Wagner, the No. 9-ranked player in the country, lost her singles match to No. 19 Brienne Minor in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. Michigan sealed the victory with No. 17 Ronit Yurovsky’s threeset win over sophomore Sinead Lohan, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. The Canes then lost to Texas Tech on Saturday after having a chance to win the match up 3-1. Zhang led 5-2 in the second set and had a match point against Sabrina Federici, but the former No. 1 junior in Great Britain rallied back to defeat Zhang. Texas Tech’s Sarah Dvorak downed senior Clementina Riobueno in a three-set battle, 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 6-4, for the 4-3 victory. Miami (4-2, 1-0) bounced back to take a close match against Oklahoma State on Sunday. Wagner and Zhang started the day by beating the No. 9 doubles pair of Maria Alvarez and Kelsey Laurente, 6-2. Oklahoma State won the next two doubles matches for the doubles point, but Miami excelled in singles play. Wagner dominated No. 27 Katarina Adamovic, 6-1, 6-1, in her singles match. Lohan, the No. 7-ranked player in the country, then came back after the dropping first set beating No. 38 Vladica Babic, 2-6, 6-2, 6-0. Zhang clinched the victory for Miami by taking down Laurente in three sets, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, in the final singles match. The Canes next play Baylor at 11 a.m. on Feb. 15 at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.


February 8 - February 10, 2016

clings to guys she wants to fix, as if they’re helpless puppies. I’ve tried to convince her she deserves better. She’s smart, pretty and hard-working, so why does she keep dating this type? It brings her down. Yet every time I try to talk to her about it she says I’m bitter just because I’m single. What should I do? Dear V, My best friend and I have known each other for years. Throughout our lives, I’ve watched her move from dating one loser to the next. I hate to say it because it sounds mean, but it’s true. The first guy had a drinking problem, the second guy lost three jobs and the new guy smokes weed every day and is living with his parents. It seems she always

Sincerely, Watchdog Wendy Dear Watchdog Wendy, First things first: if you tell a girl to stop seeing someone, she’s just going to want to see him more. It’s true. Sometimes girls who have their lives together go for bad boys. That isn’t to say that your bestie has bad taste, but it

THE MIAMI HURRICANE

could mean she dates these guys to escape reality. If she was with someone who’s as motivated as she is, she’d have to focus on real life all the time and keep up with her beau. But with these bums, she can hang out on the couch eating munchies whenever she wants to with no consequences. She’s simply top dog because the people around her are less successful. This will start to lower her own self-esteem. If she falls head over heels for one of these guys, she might end up marrying someone who’s a slob and doesn’t contribute to the household. Even worse, she might end up heartbroken by a guy who’s lazy in all aspects of his life, including keeping her happy. Eventually, the guys she dates are going to start affecting her own habits. Attitudes and personalities are contagious, so encourage her to start dating someone who will motivate her to do more than

DEAR V

watch reruns of Nickelodeon in his parents’ basement. Set her up on a few blind dates. Snatch her phone, open up Tinder and swipe right on guys who are out of her norm. Get her mind off the guys who are parasitic and instead surround her with people who will encourage her and build her up. Hopefully, she’ll find a connection with someone better for her. If not, all you can do is continue to urge her to aim higher. She’ll eventually realize that you know what you’re talking about and you’re not just jelly. It might just take a few more “fixer-uppers” for her to move forward. -V

AWARDS On Thursday, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association announced the winners of their 33rd annual Gold Circle Awards in the digital media category. This year, the program attracted 4,232 entries from student-run publications at colleges, universities and secondary schools. The Miami Hurricane received the following awards: First place, on-campus personal opinion issue Jackie Yang, “Drugs, All-Nighters Prove Detrimental to Finals Preparation” Third place, general feature Sherman Hewitt and Lyssa Goldberg, “Digital Dating Sparks Relationships, One Swipe at a Time” First place, non-fiction article William Riggin, “Coral Gables Police Houses Military-Grade Weapons” Second place, single sports photograph Nick Gangemi, “Winning Streak Winds Down” First place, photo illustration Staff, “Savor Global Flavors” Third place, photo slideshow Nick Gangemi and Eddie Sanchez, “Front Row at Ultra Music Festival Opening Night”

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February 8 - February 10, 2016

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