The Miami Student Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014
VOLUME 141 NO. 29
MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO
TODAY IN MIAMI HISTORY In 1992, The Miami Student reported there had been nine complaints of discrimination filed by students, staff and faculty in the 1990-91 school year, according to an Office of Affirmative Action report. Four of the nine were sexual harassment complaints. Assistant Director of Student Leadership and Program Development Jane Goettsch said, “There are probably a lot more cases that don’t get reported for a variety of reasons.”
MU students line up for a taste of ASC BY REIS THEBAULT CAMPUS EDITOR
A building several years in the making, millions of dollars in fundraising and inescapable promotion, Miami’s newest red brick addition opened its doors as this year’s second semester began. A veritable mass of students flooded the Armstrong Student Center (ASC) after its official opening Jan. 27. For many, it was the first time they saw the building’s high ceilings, open spaces and glass-walled offices meant to promote increased student interaction. It was also the first chance to sample the new dining hall options. The mall-style food court was at the epicenter of the opening’s chaos. Both Miami students and Oxford residents formed lines lasting as long as an hour and 45 minutes. Katya Michaels, an Armstrong dining employee, was working at the Haines’ Boulangerie the opening night. “In the beginning, it was crazy,” she said. “It was ridiculous because everyone wanted to come.” This sort of reaction, ASC board member Allison Gnaegy said, was to be expected. Similar to Maplestreet Station’s opening, students heard of something new and flock to it. Those in dining knew it was coming and did their best to prepare, Gnaegy said. “They anticipated it,” she said. “A lot of people who work in the food court have been in the dining system for a while, so that kind of experience helps.”
Executive Manager for Armstrong Student Center Dining Services Kristina Rotundo agreed and said another reason for the lengthy wait time is the robust and customizable menus, something students had requested during ASC’s planning stages. “Anytime you open a new restaurant there are always long lines initially,” Rotundo said, “which quickly go away as students learn the routine of points of service, menu options and understanding the customization options.” Opening night however, the crowds did not die down. “We served over 600 people at Boulangerie alone,” Michaels said. Michaels was swamped that night, but she kept her cool. “You either dealt with it or people KATIE TAYLOR THE MIAMI STUDENT would get really angry,” she said. Students socialize as they sample an array of foods in the recently-opened Armstrong Student Center. “They got angry anyway.” Sophomores Sarah Blocksidge Tyman said. and Cheyenne Woodall were among Boulangerie’s early popularity really good attendance,” she said. Tyman said the money was already those disgruntled patrons waiting for was no fluke. The sandwiches are One event in particular that drew Boulangerie’s Panera Bread-esque worth the long lines and occasional a well-dressed throng of people was in the ASC budget so it just made sense to put it toward something free soups and paninis. order mishaps, Woodall said. the SnowBall. “We had to wait 30 minutes just “I love [Boulangerie],” she said. “There were over 1,500 at the that could benefit all students. As time goes on, ASC will begin to place the order,” Blocksidge said, “They have sandwiches you can’t get SnowBall,” Gnaegy said. “then had to wait 25 minutes to anywhere else.” SnowBall, which took place in to feel less like a spectacle and more get our food.” Rotundo also reported positive re- ASC’s Pavilion, was Miami’s an- like a part of the campus; in fact, Woodall was equally peeved. views and high popularity. swer to Prom, but far more decadent. Gnaegy said, it already has. “It was interesting to see how stu“They kept messing up or“We served 29,648 customers as With ice sculptures, a DJ, elaborate ders,” she said. “They need to hire of close [Feb. 2], with outstanding lighting and catered food, SnowBall dents automatically settled into the more people.” feedback on the menus, pricing and aimed to kick off ASC’s event sched- building,” she said. “It was like it had ule in style. always been there. It seemed like a Admittedly, the food court service,” she said. The lavish party also had a really easy transition in.” was and still is understaffed, While the food may have received Despite long food lines and an asevidenced by flyers advertising a lot of attention, both positive and large budget. “Our budget was $36,000 but tronomically high SnowBall budget, employment there. negative, various other facets of the “We are still understaffed,” Mi- building have received excellent we only spent $30,000,” ASC ASC seems to be living up to the board member and SnowBall plan- hype as students continue to file in chaels said. “We are getting kind feedback, Gnaegy said. of desperate.” “All of our opening events had ning committee member Cole and out of Miami’s newest building.
No rose for Miami alumna BY JANE BLAZER COMMUNITY EDITOR
PHILL ARNDT THE MIAMI STUDENT
MU STANDS AS ONE
Students, staff and faculty walk together on Unity Day, Feb. 1. The group reflected on the acts of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
55 percent to graduate with student loans BY JAKE ZALAC
FOR THE MIAMI STUDENT
In this year’s State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama vowed to assist those with crippling student debt by limiting monthly payments. “We’re offering millions the opportunity to cap their monthly student loan payments to 10 percent of their income, and I want to work with Congress to see how we can help even more Americans who feel trapped by student loan debt,” Obama said in the address. With the promise from the President of low loan payments, and the Free Application for Federal Student AID (FAFSA) due June 30, Miami University students on financial aid begin to wonder how much they will pay after graduation. The answer is, according to Brent Shock, Miami’s director of financial assistance, is around $300 a month, which is the national average loan payment a student will pay after graduation. But this could differ for Miami students depending on their income. According to several surveys conducted on the class of 2012-2013,
the majority of employed alumni reported salaries between $30,000 to $59,999 in their first year. In 2012, 55 percent of Miami students were receiving some form of a student loan, Shock said. The national average of students receiving student loans in 2012 was 71 percent. This was higher than Ohio’s average of students receiving loans, which was 69 percent. Ohio is the ninth highest in the nation in terms of student debt post-graduation. “This could be because the state focuses more on improving higher education rather than enhancing aid provided to those that would be attending,” Shock said. In 2012, Miami students graduated with an average of $27,817 worth of debt, Shock said. However, in the past four years, the average amount of debt of all Miami students increased by only 4.6 percent, which, according to Shock, is the lowest among all Ohio schools. “I really think [Miami] has done a great job of keeping the rate from increasing more than it did,” Shock said. The school with the highest increase is Ohio State University,
coming in at an increase of 43 percent. Sophomore Erik Weaver has received loans since his first year at Miami. He said he is aware of all the rules and stipulations that come with the responsibility of handling student aid, including the established sixmonth grace period after graduation. “You just have to stay up-to-date on these things in order to know how to prepare for it after graduation,” Weaver said. When requesting a loan, he explained, students are asked how much they want. However, how much they actually need for a given timeframe, such as a semester, is not assessed. “Loan debt is the worst when people take out a loan for multiple years’ worth of tuition at a time rather than by year or semester,” Weaver said. “That’s when the interest payments skyrocket.” He also said he utilized the option of a pay-as-you-go plan, allowing students to make monthly payments while still in school to ease the debt after graduation.
LOANS,
SEE PAGE 8
Miami University alumna Alli Restko said she had the experience of a lifetime as a contestant on ABC’s reality TV show, “The Bachelor.” Near where she works, Restko entered Chicago’s open auditions in hopes of falling in love with Venezuelan bachelor, Juan Pablo. When she went to the audition, Restko said she was discouraged by the long line. But, before giving up, a Bachelor employee pulled her aside and took her into a private room. “[The employee] shut the door and she was like, ‘We like you. We want you,’” Restko said. After the Chicago interview, she was sent to California for additional interviews and drug testing. She was notified three weeks later she had been chosen to be on the show. According to Restko, the possibility came as a surprise to her. “I actually never really watched the show,” Restko said. “It’s kind of funny, I would just chime in on random episodes with my sister. She’s a huge fan, and so are my parents.” It was Restko’s family and friends who helped her decide to accept the invitation. “I decided ‘Hey, why not?” Restko said. “40,000 girls auditioned for the show and I was the one picked, and I obviously was single.” Deciding to go on the show meant agreeing to be accompanied by a camera every waking moment of the day Restko Said, as the contestants are filmed around the clock. But the constant camera coverage does not always translate into actual airtime when the massive amounts of footage are edited into a twohour show. Restko said she was taken aback by the process.
“I expected to be shown a lot more,” Restko said. “For instance, there was this soccer date … he called me MVP and did a whole trophy ceremony thing and they didn’t show any of that. It’s funny what they pick and choose.” Restko said she often left the room when drama occurred between the other girls, which she believes kept her from being featured much on air. “I never got a one-on-one date and I was kind of upset about that because I am not very pushy, and in these group-date settings, I just kind of fell to the back,” Restko said. Restko did not end up with a rose, and was kicked off yesterday’s show, Feb. 3. Restko said her connection with Pablo was friendly rather than romantic, and there were no hard feelings over their goodbye. “We talked about his daughter, we talked about our families. I have a big crazy family and so does he, there was always a great connection, just never a spark,” Resko said. “He was very fair. If he didn’t feel it, he wasn’t going to waste your time.” Restko said she had the experience of a lifetime. She said she had no regrets and became really close with the other girls on the show. “My experience in general was incredible,” Restko said. “I got to travel, we went overseas, I honestly think I met life-long friends.” Restko majored in journalism and mass communication at Miami, participated in club soccer and was a sister of the Alpha Phi sorority. Restko said Miami definitely played a role in her Bachelor experience. “Going to Miami was a risk for me because I only knew one other person going there,” Restko said. “I guess it kind of opened me up
BACHELOR, SEE PAGE 8