March 1, 2011 | The Miami Student

The Miami Student Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826

VOLUME 138 NO. 43

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO

In 1982, The Miami Student reported a 17-point plan created by Associated Student Government outlining suggestions for a new recreation center was presented. The plans included basketball courts, a track above the sports center, a pool and a theater.

Ingram to address state of student body

Eight halls lose funding

By Kaila Frisone

By Shannon Pesek

“The mindset of the students For The Miami Student needs to be developed and to change over the next coming Student Body President Heath years in order to make that jump Ingram will address the Miami from a really good public school University community to articu- in Ohio to a top-tier ranked institulate his vision tion like we are,” and concerns “This is the type of Hall said. for the univerSome students venue that would sity as his term also think the really allow me to comes to an end Miami commuthis semester. nity, especially articulate the According concerns that I see the student body, to Ingram, a needs to do within the student student body more to improve body and bring president has its reputation. not addressed Behavior students and the Miami comamong some other community munity in apstudents members together.” especially has proximately affour years. fected Miami’s HEATH INGRAM With both reputation in STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT the problems the local setting, and the sucbut some becesses that have occurred in the havior has also hit the past year, Ingram said he thinks national spotlight. it’s important for him to comMatthew Weber, first-year stumunicate with students, faculty dent and ASG senator from Haviand administration. ghurst Hall, said students need “I felt very strongly that this is to be more responsible to uphold an important event and it’s one that Miami’s reputation. the student body president owes “Students need to hold each the student body,” Ingram said. “I other accountable for their acfeel as if I’m responsible for com- tions,” Weber said. “If someone municating with the student body, sees someone else getting out of and I think that this is the type of line, it shouldn’t be socially unacvenue that would really allow me ceptable to tell them their behavto articulate the concerns that I see ior is unacceptable.”

Among the many other topics within the student body and bring students and other community Ingram will address are the financial struggles Miami is experimembers together.”

Ingram said he wants his speech encing and how ASG is involved to inspire students to take ownership of their education at Miami.

See INGRAM, page 9 According to Ingram, excelling educationally will promote the university and students.

EXTRAS WANTED! “I’m trying to get everybody to realize that each one Do you still want to be in of us together controls the fuGeorge Clooney’s movie ture of Miami’s reputation,” The Ides of March? he said.

Not only will Ingram talk about It’s not too late to sign up how students can better Miami to be an extra. through academics, he will also Crews filming the movie address students’ social behavior. are looking for 708 extras With the past year’s problems in for Thursday, March 3. the Greek community as well as student behavior uptown, he To become an extra, thinks it is time for students to restudents must e-mail alize student behavior influences a digital photograph of Miami’s reputation. themselves, their name, “All of us have to come tocell phone number and gether and think about how each e-mail address to dareone of us can do our own part todreamcastingextras@ to make Miami better,” Ingram gmail.com. said. “This is the only way Miami is going to be able to comIn addition, students must pete with the best schools in put “Miami U. Student” the country.” in the subject line of Ingram said he wants Miami to the e-mail. have a competitive mentality so the Extras for the film are uninstitution can increase the value paid and must be willing of the Miami degree and its reputation. David Hall, secretary of pubto stay on set all day. lic relations for Associated Student Reporting by Lauren Ceronie Government (ASG), agrees with Ingram’s platform.

RHA takes action after trend of low attendance For the Miami Student

Eight Miami University residence halls will no longer be receiving funding due to low attendance from leaders within each.

The halls that have lost funding because of attendance problems are McFarland, Richard, Dorsey, Havighurst, Hamilton, Bishop, Heritage Commons and McKee halls.

The Miami University Residence Hall Association (RHA) serves as a liaison between students, Resident Assistants (RAs) and the administration in creating opportunities for programming and enrichment. Residence halls typically request between $100 and $1,500, according to RHA Director of Finance junior

Jim Millward.

Every residence hall on campus has a group of students who represent its community council within RHA. The general assembly (GA) members are responsible for attending a meeting once a week and working for the university as a whole, Millward said.

The GA of each residence hall is responsible for requesting funds for the hall he or she is representing, so members’ attendance at the meetings is imperative, Millward said.

Millward said GA members can miss up to five meetings before their hall loses funding.

Millward said those halls lose the ability to request funds for programming from RHA’s Funding Board. Halls that request funding must present a five to 10 minute

presentation to RHA’s funding board, which then decides how much (if at all) to grant the hall.

GA member Rose Kaplan, who has never missed a meeting, said it is unfortunate halls are losing funding.

“It’s very easy not to lose the funding,” Kaplan said. “At the beginning of the year, the rules are clearly laid out. Five absences are very generous.”

Millward said in an emergency case a member of the GA can call in a proxy to attend a meeting in his or her place, which would prevent the hall from losing funding.

The majority of this funding comes from the student fee, according to Associate Director of

wSee FUNDING, page 8

w

SAMANTHA LUDINGTON The Miami Student

The lobby of the Farmer School of Business houses props for George Clooney’s new movie, The Ides of March.

Students hope to cash in on Clooney visit

By Sylvie Turner For The Miami Student

George Clooney and Ryan Gosling have chosen Oxford to film their upcoming movie The Ides of March. Clooney, who was spotted a few weeks ago scoping out Miami University’s Farmer School of Business (FSB), will return to campus with co-star Gosling Feb. 28 through March 4.

Filming will take place the first half of the week, Feb. 28 through March 1, at FSB. The crew will

move to Walnut Street and Campus Avenue March 2 through 4.

During the visit, students should take advantage of what they know best, technology.

The website meetthefamous. com allows anyone to join the ranks of the paparazzi.

It doesn’t matter if the picture is taken on a camera phone or digital camera, although high quality pictures make the most money, according to the site.

Upload your photo to the website and wait for your confirmation e-mail to be sent.

The site will then pitch the photo to more than 1,000 worldwide publications with all of the sales tracking back to the contributor, according to the site.

The site claims contributors get paid 60 percent of all commissions collected, which range from $10 to $100,000.

There are many variables involved in how much each photograph sells for, according to the site. This includes factors such as who the celebrity is, the

wSee CLOONEY, page 8

Wal-Mart bus route test proves promising, parking plans future trials

By Adam Giffi Senior Staff Writer

The Wal-Mart access shuttle proposal has successfully completed test trips from Miami University’s Oxford campus to the retailer roughly three miles away. Despite these tests, an official route will not be implemented just yet.

According to Vanessa Cummings, assistant director of parking and transportation services, after test runs Feb. 19 and 20, more test runs are still necessary.

“The route was a good success,” Cummings said. “We want to see what the demand is. We want to see if every other week is

something that needs to be looked at. We want to look at the average number of riders.”

The next test routes will occur March 19, April 2 and April 16.

They will depart from the Shriver Center at 1:30 p.m. and pick up students from Wal-Mart at 2:30 and 3:30 p.m.

Cummings said one pickup time and location will likely be the norm if a permanent Wal-Mart route is established.

Cummings said the Shriver pick up seems sufficient.

“We found that the people that rode came to Shriver for the first pick-up time,” Cummings said.

“After that, they really weren’t

picking up new people, they were just picking up people that didn’t fit on the shuttle in the first round.”

Another element that is being adjusted is the size of the vehicle.

“We’re going to take a larger sized bus than the one we took the last time,” Cummings said. “The first time what we did was used the access vehicles and then somebody else drove as well. Both of them made several trips to get everyone out there and back, so we’re going to use a full-sized bus this time instead of using the access bus.”

David Keitges, director of international education, volunteered to drive on the original test runs.

According to Keitges, over the course of Saturday and Sunday, roughly 70 students took advantage of the service.

“I happened to be there and we were using an 11 passenger bus, which didn’t fit the bill,” Keitges said. “So I drove my car to WalMart to pick up the slack.”

Keitges said the Wal-Mart endeavor is a project that includes several departments contributing in an effort to provide the service for students.

“This was a joint project,” Keitges said. “Associated Student Government, the Parents Council, international education and parking services are involved in this at some

level. We’re involved because international students generally don’t have cars. Transportation is quite an issue for international students and one of their top concerns here at Miami.”

Keitges said testing the Wal-Mart route has brought scrutiny from many students.

“I do think if people want to complain about Wal-Mart, that’s certainly their right to do so,” Keitges said. “People need an opportunity to go shopping. If they would like us to not go to Wal-Mart because they have a political agenda against it, then maybe they should

wSee BUSES, page 9

2

Campus

Tuesday

March 1, 2011

Editors Stephen Bell Amelia Carpenter Amanda Seitz campus@miamistudent.net

NEWS Business club helps with taxes BRIEFS

By Alex Rogers

For The Miami Student

FYI Professor to lecture about statistics Joel Best will present a lecture “Damned Lies and Statistics” Tuesday, March 1 at Miami University.

Best, a professor of sociology and criminal justice at the University of Delaware, will speak about how statistics are often confusing to those who produce them and those who read them.

The lecture will explore why it is essential to understand statistics and how they were produced.

Best is the author of Damned Lies and Statistics: Untangling Numbers from the Media and More Damned Lies and Statistics: How Numbers Confuse Public Issues.

The lecture will be held at 4 p.m. in Benton Hall room 102. Admission is free and open to the public.

Theater department to perform The Wiz The Wiz, a theatrical production based on the story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz will be performed by Miami University’s Main Stage theater department the first two weeks of April.

The department of music will be teaming up with Main Stage to produce the show.

It will be the 12th annual John D. Yeck production and is directed

by Paul Bryant Jackson, professor of theater.

Associate Professor of Music Tammy Kernodle will be in charge of musical direction. Performances will take place at 8 p.m. April 7 to 9 and April 14 to 16 as well as 2 p.m.

April 17.

Tickets will be sold at the Miami box office located in Shriver Center and cost $9 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 to $8 for students and youth.

For more information, go to www.tickets.muohio.edu.

Senior recieves language scholarship Miami University senior Christina Schoeler has received a Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) for an intensive Summer Institute in the Middle East.

Schoeler, a diplomacy and foreign affairs major, is one of 575 students chosen for this scholarship.

The CLS program is a seven to 10-week program spent studying 13 critical need foreign languages in Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Morocco and Tunisia.

Schoeler will spend the summer studying at an intensive summer institute in one of these countries.

The CLS scholarship will cover the cost of travel, room, board and intensive language instruction.

The U.S. government administers the CLS program in an effort to expand the number of Americans studying critical need foreign languages.

Schoeler was chosen out of 5,200 applicants for this scholarship.

BY THE NUMBERS FY09 return rate:

-22.5%

FY10 return rate:

+13.48%

FY11 return rate (July 1 to Jan. 31, 2011):

13.5%

Miami University Women in Business (MUWIB) has partnered with the Regional Earned Income Tax Credit Collaborative (EITC), which is led by United Way of Greater Cincinnati, in a humanitarian mission to aid the residents of Oxford.

Faculty adviser to MUWIB Kathy Kennedy explained the procedure in depth.

“By offering free, quality tax preparation and ensuring eligible families claim the earned income tax credit, volunteers with the Regional Collaborative helped file

15,758 returns, bringing more than $18.6 million back to the local economy last tax season,” Kennedy said.

Essentially, it is a tax return, according to MUWIB President Torey Paez.

Paez said the Miami Honors Program originally handled this project, but since it more directly affects business organizations, MUWIB took control.

During summer 2010, Kennedy said she consulted with workers at Legal Aid, a non-profit legal services organization dedicated to providing legal assistance to lowincome citizens. Through this meeting, the opportunity to work

together arose. Paez said she received wide support from both the group and the community. The organization has received positive publicity for which Paez said she is extremely grateful.

“The project really ties and links what’s happening on campus with what’s going on in the community,” Paez said. “I think a lot of times we can be in a little bubble here, and it’s really great to be able to connect with the outside world.”

Kennedy said all volunteers must work a minimum of 12 hours during the tax season, which lasts from Jan. 29 to April 15.

Kennedy said volunteers

receive intensive online and onsite training, along with certification from the IRS. The volunteers then administer state and federal tax returns. They e-file these taxes at no expense to Oxford community members who earn less than $49,000 a year, according to Kennedy.

“I am incredibly proud and impressed with the dedication of and professionalism of the Miami students participating in this project,” Kennedy said. “The participants are giving back to the community as volunteers and learning valuable business skills while

wSee MUWIB, page 8

Student to join Lindau Nobel Laureate meetings

By Jackie Miller For The Miami Student

Amanda Storm, a Miami University biochemistry Ph.D. student, will be traveling to Lindau, Germany in June and have the opportunity to meet successful scientists and researchers in the fields of physiology and medicine.

Storm was recently selected to join young researchers from 70 different countries for the Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting. Established in 1951, the six-day event consists of lectures from Nobel Laureates with a focus on medicine and physiology. More than

20,000 people applied for the honor, and only 550 were chosen to attend.

Storm was encouraged to apply for the meetings by her adviser and research director Carole Smith.

In order for a nominee to be eligible, his or her laboratory must be funded by the Storm Department of Energy. Individual schools can nominate up to two students. After this, the Department of Energy has a

panel that reviews every application submitted by a U.S. institution. Then, a panel in Lindau, Germany decides who the finalists will be.

There were more than 500 applicants from the U.S. alone, and 80 were chosen to attend.

At the meetings, Storm will have the opportunity to interact with Nobel Laureate prizewinners and other young researchers.

Attendees also have the opportunity to meet with the prizewinners in an informal setting. This allows the graduate students to talk about their successes, struggles and current research with

people they wouldn’t otherwise get a chance to meet.

“This is a really valuable experience for structuring your own future,” Storm said.

By networking with other graduate students and successful researchers, Storm will have even more resources for her future endeavors.

“This is a great honor not just for Amanda, but for Miami,” Smith said. “It shows the quality of our research and teaching abilities because she was deemed an exceptional applicant.”

Smith directs the projects and

wSee NOBEL, page 8

Fraternities to host Ying Yang Twins uptown

By Stephen Bell Campus Editor

“Yeah!” “Okay!” These are likely the jeers students will hear Thursday as the Ying Yang Twins hit the stage for the Green Beer Day celebration at Brick Street Bar and Grill.

The act is part of a concert event for Green Beer Day, which will take place from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3.

Sponsored by Sigma Phi Epsilon, Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Pi, the event is privately held, with approximately 750 wristbands circulating among the fraternities. The wristbands are $15 and will be sold privately by fraternity members.

Gregory Diddel, a senior and member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, said he hopes a big act like the Ying Yang Twins will draw an even bigger crowd than 2010.

Diddle said while his fraternity held a smaller gathering this time last year, Thursday’s event at Brick Street will be more entertaining.

“I actually stumbled across the Ying Yang Twins,” Diddel said.

“I talked with their agent and he said they are the best college rap act he has ever seen. He knows they are going to kill it.”

Diddel said the group will perform their best-known anthems in addition to covering other artists.

“They have a 75 minute set, so I’m assuming they are going to do all of their stuff and then samplings and cover acts of other artists,” he said.

Additionally, college groups Timeflies of Tufts University and Trey Palms of Loyola University Maryland will also take the stage during the event.

For Diddel, whose cousin Cal Shapiro is a member of Timeflies, the event holds special meaning.

“Timeflies is an extremely talented group with some incredible music that they haven’t released yet,” he said. “The fact that Cal is my cousin only makes this show more exciting for me because Miami gets a real treat by seeing them this early into their music careers.”

Founded at Tufts University, Timeflies is an electro-poprap group that takes inspiration from many different genres, according to Cal Shapiro, the group’s co-founder.

Shapiro started the group with friend Rob Resnick, who Shapiro described as the “beat man.”

While Shapiro raps and sings, Resnick chiefly crafts the beats behind Timeflies’ catchy

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO COURTESY OF MYSPACE

The Ying Yang Twins will perform at Brick Street Bar and Grill on Green Beer Day. electro-rap anthems.

Shapiro said he and Rob first met while playing in another band.

“A couple of guys started a funk, hip-hop band, Rob was the

wSee CONCERT, page 8

Miami University investment portfolio in recovery mode

By Amelia Carpenter Campus Editor

When the economy took a turn for the worse in fall 2008, Miami University investments took a hit along with it. Now, the economy is in recovery mode and Miami’s investment portfolio is following suit.

In fiscal year (FY) 2009, Miami’s return rate on investments was negative 22.5 percent, according to Bruce Guiot, director of investments and

treasury services.

That negative return rate caused a shuffle of funds so Miami could offset the loss of financial aid and scholarships. Scholarships are the largest recipient of Miami’s endowment contributions. Approximately 4.5 percent goes to scholarships each year, according to Guiot.

To offset the decline, Guiot said the university increased its contributions to financial aid and scholarships in the past few years.

Typically, Miami investment rates

of return run with Harvard University, Yale University, Dartmouth College and Georgetown University, schools with large assets and positive return rates year-to-year based on National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) data.

Miami’s investment portfolio hit a high point Oct. 31, 2007 when the pool was $429 million. In turn, Miami’s return rates ranked 57 of 726 in the annual endowment study by the NACUBO for FY 2007.

Since its high, Miami’s invest-

ment portfolio quickly decreased until Feb. 28, 2009, when the investment pool fell to a low point of $287 million.

NACUBO rankings had Miami return rates in the bottom quartile for FY 09, according to Guiot.

This year, Guiot said Miami ranked 234 of the total 825 participating schools’ return rates in the NACUBO annual endowment study for FY 2010.

Total investments are comprised of

wSee INVESTMENT, page 8

THE MIAMI STUDENT

TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2011 ♌ 3

The Miami Student is looking for designers.

E-mail design@miamistudent.net for more information.

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4

Tuesday

March 1, 2011

Community

Editors Bethany Bruner Melissa Tacchi community@miamistudent.net

Turnovers for Talawanda

By Halle Gerboc For The Miami Student

Underage students receive citations uptown At around 1:15 a.m. Saturday, an Oxford Police Department officer on bar patrol reportedly noticed nobody was checking IDs at the door of CJ’s Bar. The officer reportedly entered the bottom floor of the bar and noticed a “young looking” male holding what appeared to be an alcoholic beverage.

The male reportedly attempted to hand the drink to another male, who walked away.

The male, later identified as Miami University first-year Aaron Anderson, 19, then reportedly took multiple drinks from the cup.

When Anderson saw the officer, he reportedly attempted to put the drink down.

Anderson was reportedly identified and arrested.

At around the same time, the officer reportedly noticed a female with no wristband or marks on her hands holding what appeared to be an alcoholic beverage.

The officer reportedly approached the female and asked her for identification, but she said she did not have any.

When asked her age, the female reportedly said “Please let me go home.”

When asked her age a second time, the female reportedly repeated the same thing.

The female was reportedly taken into custody and identified as Miami University junior Molly Norris, 20.

Anderson and Norris were both cited for underage possession of alcohol and released.

Male drops beverage at sight of officer At around 12:30 a.m. Friday, Oxford Police Department officers conducting bar checks at Woody’s One Up Bar reportedly noticed a “young looking” male on the dance floor holding a cup that appeared to contain an alcoholic beverage.

The male reportedly turned around and upon seeing the officers dropped the cup.

According to police reports, “the look on his face was one of surprise.”

Officers reportedly stopped the male and picked up his cup, which appeared to contain whiskey and cola.

The male, identified as 20-year-old Miami University sophomore Ross Piermarini, reportedly began arguing with the officers while he was being handcuffed.

Piermarini reportedly insisted he was not holding anything, but he had not yet been told why he was under arrest.

While searching Piermarini’s wallet, officers also reportedly located a fake Illinois driver’s license with Piermarini’s name and a different date of birth.

Piermarini reportedly had a wristband on his arm and stamps indicating he was older than 21 years old on his hands.

Piermarini reportedly told the officers he had consumed two beers.

Piermarini was cited for underage possession of alcohol and possession of a fake ID and released.

Sophomore claims he has no ID At around 12:30 a.m. Saturday, an Oxford Police Department officer conducting bar checks at The Wood’s Food and Spirits reportedly noticed a male with X’s on his hands holding what appeared to be an alcoholic beverage.

The male reportedly saw the officer and put the cup down.

The male was reportedly stopped and asked for identification, but he said he did not have any on him.

The male was later identified as Miami University sophomore Alexander Kashian, 19.

Kashian was cited for underage possession of alcohol and released.

A new slate of administrators will be heading the Talawanda School District in the 2011-12 school year as district veterans retire and some positions are left open to cut costs.

Jean Eagle, principal of Bogan Elementary School, is going to assume the role of director of human resources, according to Talawanda Community Relations Director Holli Morrish.

Joan Stidman from the Hamilton County Educational Center will become the director of cur-

riculum, Morrish said.

Board of Education member Lois Vollmer expects the transition to go smoothly.

“I have all the confidence in the world that Stidman will do an excellent job,” Vollmer said.

According to outgoing Superintendent Phil Cagwin, these changes were part of a strategic three to four year cost reduction plan.

Cagwin will be retiring at the end of the school year and current assistant superintendent Kelly Spivey will take over as superintendent. According to Cagwin, the assistant superintendent

position will not be filled in an effort to reduce costs.

Additionally, the board has decided both Stidman and Eagle are going to assume not only their new positions but will also split the tasks of director of guidance, Cagwin said.

This is all part of the consolidation plan, which Cagwin said has already reduced spending by $50,000.

“I think it will be a very positive change, and I feel confident that they will not lose a beat,” Cagwin said. “It seems that most members of staff are taking on these extra tasks with open minds.”

Cagwin said the Talawanda Board of Education is working very strategically to make these changes positive.

Miami sophomore Dustin Meyer agrees with Cagwin that the changes will be beneficial to the district.

“Considering this kind of work is being done everywhere right now, it seems that Talawanda is making really smart changes,” Meyer said. “Education and the loss of budgets and grants is very popular in the news right now.

It is nice to see that Talawanda is taking a different approach to consolidate.”

New site helps hackers reach wireless networks

By Hannah Stein For the Miami Student

Over the years technology has made it easier for hackers to take advantage of people on the Internet, but a new website called Firesheep has made hacking significantly easier, according to Miami University Information Security Officer Joseph Bazeley.

Firesheep can intercept unencrypted cookies from websites such as Google, Twitter and Flickr, Bazeley said. This website can allow hackers to impersonate a victim by simply clicking on their name on a sidebar. Firesheep can’t steal information such as passwords, but it can allow the hacker to impersonate his or her victim when they’re already logged on, he said.

“Typically, the malicious person doesn’t know you,” Bazeley said.

“But because it’s so easy the other thing to consider is that the person knows you and tries to destroy your reputation.”

Bazeley said in order to protect people from these sorts of attacks, the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) has increased.

“Using VPNs creates an encrypted tunnel,” he said. “The traffic the malicious person sees will be gibberish to them and they can’t read it.”

Websites such as Facebook, Amazon and online banking sites

now have VPNs that will keep their users safe from these attacks.

Miami provides a VPN on its MUWireless network, but its second network, MU-Guest, is not protected, Bazeley said.

He said if for any reason a student can’t connect to MU-Wireless, he or she should take his or her computer to the Remediation Center in Robertson Hall where IT Services is located.

Even while off campus, anyone with an affiliation with Miami can go to https://muvpn.muohio.edu and input their uniqueID and password to automatically be protected, he said.

Places in Oxford such as Kofenya and Double D’s Diner have free Wi-Fi that is not protected. In this case, students and faculty can still receive that protection from the Miami VPN. Kofenya employee and Miami senior Sam Smart said she doesn’t believe they will be taking any extra action to prevent their customers from attacks.

“There’s nothing really you can do about it,” she said.

She also said students should take advantage of the VPN provided

by Miami.

Like Kofenya, Double D’s Diner owner John Anderson said students in the diner will be protected by the VPN provided by the school and the company therefore will not be taking

ANDREW BRAY The Miami Student

Wireless internet is available at some locations uptown. Students can use Miami’s virtual private network at these restaurants. any extra action to prevent attacks.

Anderson said it is important to have VPNs for a few reasons.

“I think that what another man builds, another can take apart,” Anderson said. “No matter what we do, evil people will be there to do something bad. Once you’re into someone’s computer, there are a ton of nasty things you can do.”

According to Bazeley, what Firesheep enables is a federal crime, though no charges have been pressed against its creators or those who

use it.

“I don’t think it’s been a big enough deal,” he said. “Companies have had no financial loss. It has to be above a certain threshold and this isn’t big enough to meet it.”

Students are also worried about the rise of the new website.

“I think it’s scary,” Smart said. “It’s basically like a peeping Tom on the Internet.” Bazeley warns students to always use MU-Wireless and to take advantage of the VPN provided to them while off campus.

Maple Syrup Festival provides unique expereience

By Dan Hogan

For The Miami Student

For the 45th consecutive year, Hueston Woods State Park will host the Maple Syrup Festival for two weekends in March.

On the weekend of March 5 and 6 as well as the following weekend, March 12 and 13, there will be a pancake breakfast at the Hueston Woods Lodge followed by sugar bush tours through the Big Woods.

On the tours, visitors will be educated about the process of turning sap into maple syrup.

The festival was originally started because of the unique nature of the sugar bush area in Hueston Woods. In recent years, there has been a decline in sugar maple trees in the Northeastern United States and Canada, but the population has stayed strong at Hueston Woods.

For years, these trees have been tapped for maple syrup, and once a year the process is celebrated.

Chad Smith, a naturalist for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, helps plan the event and will lead interpretive tours through the sugar bush trail.

The trail goes through the state nature preserve at Hueston Woods.

“Within that preserve there are large, mature sugar maple trees and we tap several of them,” Smith said. “The trail leads down to the sugar shack where there is an evaporator inside where they cook the sugar down to syrup.”

The Maple Syrup Festival is a popular event and many visitors are expected to attend.

Average attendance at the event is between 2,000 and 3,000 people, according to Smith.

“We do get students and folks from all around the community,” Smith said. “The event is within driving distance from Dayton and Cincinnati.”

ERIN KILLINGER The Miami Student

Each Saturday and Sunday, there will be a pancake breakfast at Hueston Woods Lodge from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The all-you-can-eat breakfast includes pancakes, sausage, orange juice, coffee and hot chocolate. The cost is $6 per adult and $5 for children 10 and under.

From noon to 4 p.m. after meeting at the main beach parking lot guests will be led on sugar bush tours and will learn the history of turning sap into maple syrup.

Flames fly in car hood Around 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Oxford Police Department officers responded to the intersection of Beech and High streets in response to a disabled vehicle in the road.

Upon arrival at the scene, officers reportedly observed smoke

and flames coming from under the hood of a Toyota Camry.

Oxford Fire Department officials were notified.

By the time firefighters responded, the Camry was reportedly a total loss.

The driver of the vehicle

reportedly told officers she had attempted to pull the vehicle into a gas station because it was stalling.

As she reportedly tried to turn the vehicle, smoke began to come up from under the hood.

Reporting by Bethany Bruner

“There is such interest in the event,” Hueston Woods General Manager Tom Arvan said.

“Kids enjoy seeing how the trees are tapped and how the syrup is made.”

The event is appealing to community members, visitors and Miami University students alike. Miami junior Josh Gahm attended the festival last year and said he is even more excited about this year’s event.

“The food was great and the hike through the trail made it a great day,” he said. “I would encourage all my friends to go next week.”

Little will be changed for the 45th anniversary because the event has been so successful in previous years.

“It will be business as usual,” Smith said. “We will do the hikes rain or shine.”

TMS

www.miamistudent.net

ONLINE

Editor Hunter Stenback features@miamistudent.net

Tuesday

March 1, 2011

5

Features For the past 13 years, the Features section has been a staple of The Miami Student, providing content that is both relevant to the Miami University community and deserving of more than just a run-of-themill news story.

Over my five-month tenure, I have considered it a great privilege to preside over such a unique outlet, one in which highlighting the many talents of our diverse student body is the norm rather than the exception.

Yet, as with most good things, this era too must come to an end.

Today marks the last time the Features section will grace the pages of The Miami Student.

While the Features section boasts a rich history — there has been a Features editor as long ago as 1925 and the section has had its own page in each issue since Sept. 16, 1997 — the landscape of newspapers is changing.

As newsprint prices continue to climb, the graphics-heavy page design that has made Features exceptional has become increasingly difficult to justify.

Pulling the plug on Features is especially bittersweet for me. The section has undoubtedly run some of the most impressive pieces to print in The Miami Student. I also understand the vital importance of keeping Miami’s student voice healthy long into the future and a designated Features page significantly weighs down that potential.

While I am sad to see my section disappear, I am confident The Miami Student will return from spring break a stronger, leaner, more content-rich publication.

As for the future of features in The Miami Student, all is not lost.

In today’s world, it’s becoming harder to get the facts straight.

When I log onto the Internet, I’m bombarded with breaking news as news sources try to get the information out faster than their competitors. Unfortunately, this need to get news out faster and faster does have drawbacks.

Jan. 8, 2011, CNN announced Gabrielle Giffords had been shot in the head and killed by a gunman.

Hours later, of course, this statement was retracted. It’s sad that misinformation is so quickly propelled in the world of the media these days.

Today, when I read articles, even from the most respected news sources in the industry, I cringe at the obvious mistakes and typos.

These gaffes would not have happened in the past when accuracy and investigating issues were valued over cranking an article out in fewer than 30 minutes.

At The Miami Student, we’re always looking for ways to deliver breaking news, but we’re also trying to make in-depth articles a priority.

With the Special Reports section of The Miami Student, which will be unveiled after spring break, we’re going to do something a little different, something most news organizations would be baffled by. We’re going to take our sweet time.

While they will no longer be populated in a designated space, the demise of the Features section ensures the most relevant stories will be printed on the front page rather than being buried.

As I transition to my new post as online editor, I maintain my commitment to delivering cutting edge content on The Miami Student website. While our page count in print continues to shrink, the growth of our online presence remains a bright spot for the future of news at Miami.

I also give many thanks to the Features editors of the past and humbly give way to new Special Reports Editor Amanda Seitz. While one era ends, the resurrection of Special Reports begins and will undoubtedly continue the Features tradition of bringing interesting new issues to the forefront.

Thank you for your readership and continued support of The Miami Student.

Fondly,

Features Editor stenbahe@muohio.edu

During my year-and-a-half tenure as a campus editor, I’ve seen dozens of articles that deserved a closer look and more of our attention, but because of three-day deadlines and the need to fill space, these important stories were often printed hastily.

Instead of just breezing by the important things like budget cuts, racial tensions on campus and elections in 500 words or less, we’ll be breaking down the big things and examining what they really mean to our readers. We’ll be interviewing more people and devoting more space and time to delivering the most powerful, accurate and fascinating information in our articles.

This is an important time on our college campus, in our community and in our nation. America is experiencing one of the most devastating financial downfalls on record, our university is going through numerous changes and as a people we have become more and more polarized. This is why it’s important for us to take a deeper look at all of the issues we’re faced with everyday. It’s important for us to talk to as many people as we can and get as many facts, ideas and opinions as possible.

We’ve had a Features section since 1997, and we don’t plan on abandoning it. We’ll still be printing stories about the unique classmate you sit next to or the success of a local business. Features aren’t going away, they’re just finally going to have the chance to make a debut on the front page or in our various other sections. Features don’t always deserve to be tucked away in the middle of the newspaper.

As the Special Reports editor, I look forward to hearing from our readers. We’re interested in what you’re interested in. If you notice an interesting trend on Miami’s campus or in the community, let me know and we’ll dig further.

That’s our job here, making sure we’re gathering all of the facts, all of the details and getting them right.

Sincerely yours,

Campus Editor seitzam2@muohio.edu

HANNAH MILLER The Miami Student

6

Opinion

Tuesday March 1, 2011

Editors Sam Kay Jessica Sink editorial@miamistudent.net

➤ EDITORIAL

The following pieces, written by the editorial editors, reflect the majority opinion of the editorial board.

Test bus route to Wal-Mart aids in decision process T

he Miami Metro recently con- surrounding retailers don’t offer. The ducted several trial runs to test route will give students more variety the potential for a bus to Wal-Mart. because no matter where Wal-Mart The trials were deemed successful chose to be located, students, even due to the support of approximately those without vehicles, deserve an 70 participating students. With the opportunity to reach it. bus route still in the preliminary Ultimately, the Miami Metro stages of development, more tests to needs to continue perfecting the determine locations route with more of bus stops and tests. A decision the size of a transneeds to be made The university portation vehicle regarding how often needs to follow will occur March the bus route will through with be available for stu16, April 2 and dents. However, the April 16. honoring student issue of establishing The editorial board demands to the a bus route to Walof The Miami Stubest of its ability.

Mart has been in dent is pleased with question for years. the Miami Metro serMiami should vices for its willingwork to make sure the bus route hapness to listen to the demands of stupens.

The university needs to follow dents’ needs by testing a bus route to Wal-Mart. For most students, a trip to through with honoring student deWal-Mart is difficult because of the mands to the best of its ability. retailer’s location three miles away In addition, if Miami cannot afford to ensure a bus route that runs from campus. weekly, a route that occurs biweekly International and first-year stuor monthly is a better option than dents especially are at a disadvantage omitting the project. without a route to Wal-Mart because It is important that the route is the distance necessitates a vehicle. successful because it will benA bus route that takes Miami efit students just as the current bus University students directly to Walroutes benefit students who utilize Mart will provide them with purservices at 2 a.m. chasing opportunities Kroger and

Residence hall funding loss unfortunate S

ome residence halls on for RHA to consider its current Miami University’s campus will system of assigning funds. soon be losing special event funding Although general assembly due to attendance concerns. members should be responsible General assembly members who for fulfilling their duties, review represent the Residence Hall Asso- of the system could offer some ciation (RHA) within each residence insight into how the issuance hall are required to attend meet- of money could be handled in ings each week the future. and can miss up to Funding, both five before there through the resident Although general are consequences. and RHA assembly members assistants These consesystems, is important should be quences result in for students living on responsible for loss of money up Miami’s campus. to $1,500 to be The special profulfilling their duties, used for funding grams organized with review of the system this money provide hall events. could offer some The editonot only fun activities insight into how the for students to get acrial board of The Miami Student quainted with others issuance of money is disappointed have fun, but could be handled in and general assembly can also serve as a the future. members have not setting to increase been participating awareness about imin weekly meetportant issues. ings and consequently have lost the Especially for first-year students, much-needed funding for residence these events can be the foundations hall events. for college friendships and help to Leadership positions require re- reduce the anxiety of transitioning sponsibility, and attending weekly to college. meetings is part of that responsibilIn so many ways, these proity. The allowance of five absences grams are important and beneficial t is generous and more than fair. o students.

General assembly members It is unfortunate that some halls who have this role should take will lose the funding that would it seriously. have helped in the creation of t In addition, it might be time hese events.

Thumb and Thumber

SHANNON CORCORAN The Miami Student

➤ LETTERS

Unions must stand against collective bargaining legislature This letter is in response to the articles covering the protests by the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association (OCSEA) and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) against the attempt by Gov. John Kasich and the legislature to eliminate collective bargaining.

Public employee collective bargaining is defined as a good-faith process between management, Kasich, and a public employee union, OCSEA and AFSCME, representing its employees. The two parties negotiate wages, working hours, working conditions and other benefits. It benefits both parties because the governor is able to negotiate with one set of people and it gives the State Employees Union bargaining power. Collective bargaining is the quintessential idea upon which the state union system is based.

The key word here is “good-faith” and it appears to have been breached. Evidently, it wasn’t good enough for the union to agree to so many concessions that already affect the quality of life of thousands of employees and their families.

Now, the governor and legislature want to take things a step further. Kasich was quoted as saying “If lawmakers don’t dismantle public employees collective bargaining, then I will.” Is this really the only solution? Has the governor or legislature considered all of the ways and means of reducing government waste before destroying the very critical role collective bargaining has played for so many years? How about increasing the payroll tax on certain Ohio professional sports teams? After all, they sure put out a great product or service that benefits us all.

It’s easy to make decisions affecting other people’s lives when those decisions do not affect your livelihood, something that is shared by the private sector as well. Why must the employee continue to be punished for the mistakes of government and corporate leadership or lack thereof? When will these “leaders” finally own up to their mistakes and share in the pain as well? Gov. Kasich, show some compassion. There are better ways to deal with the budget shortfall. OCSEA and AFSCME, continue to protest and know that all unions across the land are coming to support you.

Your rule of thumb My last Green Beer Day

Being in a wonderful relationship

Puttin’ on the Hits

George Clooney filming on campus!

Star sightings!

Bipolar weather

Submit your Thumbs online at www.miamistudent.net/thumbs.

The Miami Student Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826

Green Beer Day

James Franco presenting at the Oscars

EDITORIAL BOARD Erin Fischesser Editor in Chief Thomasina Johnson News Editor Erin Maher Managing Editor Scott Allison Online Editor Sam Kay Editorial Editor Jessica Sink Editorial Editor Stephen Bell Campus Editor

Amelia Carpenter Campus Editor Amanda Seitz Campus Editor Bethany Bruner Community Editor Michael Solomon Sports Editor Hunter Stenback Features Editor Samantha Ludington Photo Editor Hannah Miller Art Director

Journalists in Libya

JOE BIALEK

JGBIALEK2@ROADRUNNER.COM

Opinion

THE MIAMI STUDENT

➤ PERCEIVING REALITY

Start saving your work right now After my last couple of pieces in which I skimmed the whole world of technological reliance, I promised myself I would hold off on the tech references for a while. Then, the unthinkable happened. In the middle of the introduction to my English midterm, the color wheel of cheerily disguised Karli pain started spinning.

Kloss Patiently I waited it out, believing my trusty Mac, affectionately and unnecessarily named Sebastian, was merely having a little bit of a temper tantrum.

After approximately 10 minutes, I began to get a little nervous. Anxiously chewing on my lip, I manually turned it off, as my limited knowledge of computer technology bid me to do.

Turning it back on, the most dreaded of all of Mac symbols appeared. No happy, glowing apple greeted me, it was the blinking folder with the flashing question mark. The manila folder of death.

I had seen this symbol once before several semesters back after my poor laptop was dropped on the tiled floor of my first-year residence hall.

It still worked, but when I took it in for a check up over the summer, the eternally efficient Genius Bar workers told me to start backing up my stuff on an external hard drive. Even Macs can crash, they warned me. I took that advice into consideration, but didn’t buy that external hard drive until the following summer.

Secure in the knowledge that all of my pictures from my semester in Luxembourg were safely stashed in an external drive, I didn’t give much thought to periodically backing up my work, a thought that kicked me right in the teeth as I alternated between panicked tears and desperate pleas to Sebastian to just turn back on.

I took my battle-weary laptop to the nearest Apple store where my Genius Bar attendant shook his head sadly.

With the gravity of a surgeon informing a family that they’ve lost a loved one, he explained that I would need a completely new drive and nothing was recoverable. The days without my laptop were akin to being dropped in a foreign country with only a passport and a knapsack. I wandered from library to library, lab to lab, a vagrant hoping to get my work done amid the masses of public computer users. Simply put, I was lost.

My laptop was mailed back to me with a brand spanking new hard drive within a week, but it was a completely blank slate. I was able to transfer first year and sophomore years’ data, but junior year was completely lost to me.

My playlists disappeared, and somehow iPhoto jumbled and duplicated all of my pictures. Like visiting an old friend who is suffering from amnesia, I’ve been trying to return everything to its prior place.

It’s incredibly frustrating, especially recognizing I’ve lost all of my work from this year due entirely to laziness.

My case could have been much worse. I could have lost everything I’ve done in college. However, it still sucks enough for me to make a public service announcement.

I beg and beseech you all to start backing up your work. Miami offers two handy features to us, the M-drive on the campus computers and net disk.

These external servers will save your life if your laptop crashes. Save everything you’ve done, even if you don’t think it’s all that important.

As college students, our laptops basically become extensions of ourselves. Frankly, I’ve found this particular fifth appendage more valuable at times than my real ones. Take my left foot, but please, for the love of God, leave me my data entry for my independent study.

It’s hardly necessary for me to stress how reliant we are on technology. It has become beyond integral to every aspect of our lives. So, do yourself a favor and use some technology to protect yourself from the potential fallibility of technology. Back up your work on as many outside sources as possible.

TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2011 ♦ 7

➤ ESSAY

➤ ESSAY

Friendship creates everlasting bond Oil use When I was younger, my mom used to tell me you can have many best friends for many different reasons. She emphasized the importance of friendship and how it shouldn’t be taken for granted. As a sixth grader who thought she knew everything about life already, I wrote this off as yet another boring “mom lecture” and pretended to care while I daydreamed about how to climb to the top of the social ladder.

After spending all weekend flipping back and forth from Sex and the City and Friends, I revisited these words of wisdom and thought maybe some truth lies in her words. Friendship is not analyzed to death the way other relationships are, but perhaps it should be. After all, where would we be without our friends?

Whether or not we like to admit it, we are dependent upon people. There are times when we can’t get everything done that we need to, so we seek the assistance of a reliable friend. Sometimes life consumes us and we need someone to vent to.

Friends help us to stay levelheaded and see clearly when we cannot. Are there a series of steps or levels one must climb in order to reach the top of the friendship pyramid?

Once you are given the title of a friend, you are held to certain expectations that cannot be abandoned or ignored. Friendship is a specific kind of love. Friendships are not as easy to throw away as relationships are, and it’s more than OK to have many friendships at once.

When I think about my own friendships, I cannot pinpoint a specific moment when I became friends with each of these people. Friendships are gradual

and cannot be rushed into something they’re not.

According to Communication Mosaics, there are specific stages of friendship and you cannot pass over them. Imagine if someone you just met started lamenting about their personal family life. You would most likely be taken aback because you haven’t developed any trust with each other yet.

Friendship is the basis of most relationships.

We all watch movies and TV shows where two best friends become involved and end up fitting perfectly together. Monica and Chandler did it in Friends and Ashton Kutcher and Jennifer Garner did it in Valentine’s Day. My parents always tell me what great friends they are aside from being married. When couples are interviewed, the words “best friend” are usually thrown around somewhere. In order to have a special love connection, you first must form a friendship in order to sustain the relationship.

Yet friendship can form some sticky situations.

Caring about a person can sometimes lead to hurt feelings or awkward conversations, but all with the intention of saving a friendship. Are there some things that friends just shouldn’t do? Is there a line that friendship can cross?

Friendship is not an apples-to-apples comparison. Each friendship between people is unique to the people involved. There is no way to gauge what may be right for a specific pair. We can, however, all agree that our meaningful friendships are important and have uniquely shaped our lives.

SARAH TITLE

TITLESE@MUOHIO.EDU

➤ ESSAY

Real life: better than Oscars?

With the 83rd Academy Awards ceremony held Sunday, Feb. 27, news and information have been flooding newspapers, websites and television commercials and even rolling onto every household’s dinner table.

Predictions were made, blogs were written and analysis and tweets about the final results were created.

There were 56 nominated movies Sunday night competing for the 24 categories, from best picture to costume design and from directing to writing. No matter who finally took the gold home, the ending probably did not satisfy everyone’s taste.

Often, we run to the cinema to see the latest movie. We cry when an emotional scene brings tears to the actor or actress’ eyes.

We laugh when humor bursts out of the comedian’s mouth.

We feel sad when the film tells a tragic story and we are happy when the hero and heroine finally live happily ever after. We totally throw ourselves into the plot, thinking of ourselves as the major characters, and we are deeply and emotionally affected by the development of the story. In the end, when we stand up and step

out of the cinema, we suddenly realize that we are back into our real lives. Movies are stories, not real life. A movie condenses someone’s life to little more than one hour long, focusing on one or two major events and eliminating every detail or common occurrence happening in daily life.

Almost all traditional movie stories have a happy ending, but what about real life? Not all of life can always be smooth and God cannot always guarantee a satisfied ending and happy results. We are ordinary people leading a common life sometimes without any earth-shaking events. But we are, indeed, the directors and the heroes of our lives just like a real, natural movie. Why not nominate yourself as the real best Oscar winner?

You can be the best director ever, whether it is a romantic movie, comedy or horror. Being the master and the director, you can lead your life in any way you want, but you have to consider every step seriously before you determine your direction because sometimes we can easily get lost.

You also have to decide what you really want because life is

so short. Finally, you also can predict your own destiny. Everything is in your control.

You can also be the best actor or actress. Every day, we show our true self to others. Every expression on our face is natural and real because our naked feelings would never lie through our teeth. We shout out when we are scared or angry, we cry when we are dumped into tragedy and sorrow, we can laugh loudly when we feel very happy from the bottom of our heart.

You may not have the fantastic costumes or expensive makeup like the movie stars on the big screen, but you have the most natural, beautiful and unique face and personality. You may not have the reputation as a superstar, but you are right on the way to achieve your own success. You may not have many fans surrounding you, but you are the director of your life. Don’t be jealous of those people wearing fake smiles and walking on the red carpet in Hollywood. From now on, just be the hero of your real life.

QIAO SONG

SONGQ@MUOHIO.EDU

➤ ESSAY

Don’t be afraid to be real Trust is something that should be expected in every healthy relationship, but establishing trust can be very difficult in the beginning stages. The “honeymoon” phase of a relationship is often the time when that trust is tested. You have the option to either be completely honest or simply continue the false ideal of self … perfection!

We all know this phase, and most of us love it.

This is the opportunity for everyone to start fresh and put old relationships behind us.

When I am in this phase, I am perfect. I try to keep up the facade that I live the perfect life. I want him to think that I am completely in control of everything. This idea of perfection always seems to become my demise at the end. The truth always eventually comes out. Looking like a liar is the best way to end a relationship way before it really starts.

I can’t help but wonder why we do this to ourselves. Why do we promote this fake version of ourselves instead of being completely honest from day one?

Many reach this crossroads when discussing past relationships or past sexual encounters. Let’s be honest, there is a certain stereotype associated with the big number. If a male has a high number, he is simply being a man, but for females it’s a different story. Many females feel ashamed of their past experiences and tend to shave off their numbers here and there. Sadly, we live in a society in which males and females aren’t equal. If a male and a female have had the same number of sexual partners, they will be treated completely differently. It’s the whole notion of “walk of shame” versus “walk of fame.”

Men are constantly glorified for their experiences while females are judged.

I have often heard that there is formula all females should follow when asked to reveal their number: Take your number, cut your number by 50 percent and add one person.

Is this formula really supposed to ensure that you won’t be judged for your past experiences?

I have always been taken aback by this notion of sexism.

From personal experiences, I can tell you that lying about something like this can hurt you later. No one wants to wake up one day and realize they are dating a stranger, that everything you thought about the other person is a lie.

Lying about anything is a bad way to start a relationship. Whether it’s past sexual encounters or something simple like your favorite NBA team, honesty holds more weight. Trust me, you will end up looking like a fool when the truth comes out.

I know it is scary to put yourself out there for another person to analyze. During this beginning phase, you should be getting to know the other person. If you are looking for a meaningful relationship, it’s important to realize that you are laying down the foundations for your relationship. Imagine the pressure of being perfect. The person you choose to be in a relationship with should be the one person you find complete comfort in. There is nothing better than being loved for the person you have been, are and will become.

You don’t need to be perfect. Growing with each other is a beautiful thing. Being perfect is so 2010.

Let’s rub off our masks and get real!

JOY ALISE DAVIS

DAVISJA3@MUOHIO.EDU

must decrease With all of the new movies coming out about hypothetical alien invasions or natural disasters, I thought of a more realistic and relevant situation that we might face in the future. What would happen if we found out we were on our last drop of oil?

With many events in the news recently, oil prices have risen continuously to $100 per barrel and are likely to increase even more.

According to the motorist group AAA, the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline rose to $3.287, which is the highest level since October 2008. In 2005, the world’s oil demand was approximately 83 million barrels per day, and experts predict world oil consumption will reach 100 million barrels per day in the year 2020.

The CIA World Factbook notes that the major oil reserves around the world have an approximate total of 1,349 billion barrels of oil left.

If we did a simple math calculation, it would be approximately 15 or 20 years, accounting for the variations in numbers, before oil completely runs out.

It is most likely to be less than 15 years because by the end of that time oil will become so scarce it would be commercially unproductive to pump and refine oil. It will cost oil companies more money to produce commercially applicable gasoline than the money gained from gasoline sold. This is because a large amount of oil reserves are located in primitive places like the Arctic.

If we did a simple math calculation, it would be approximately 15 or 20 years, accounting for the variations in numbers, before oil completely runs out.

Therefore, it would take a lot of drilling equipment to just pump it out. In addition, we have not accounted for the cost of pollution if companies do succeed in tapping into those primitive oil reserves.

In short, we need to find a new source of energy now before it is too late and it doesn’t need to be renewable.

In the past, when oil prices soared, we simply turned to the OPEC countries and asked them to pump more oil. As a result, the increased supply will match the demand and lower prices.

We can’t do that anymore. Many experts say oil-producing countries have collectively hit a peak oil, which means the global oil production is at its highest point. Therefore, it is impossible for the countries to match the continuous increased oil demand.

On the other hand, the information and numbers provided by government-related agencies are questionable. WikiLeaks released information that said Saudi Arabia’s oil reserves have been overestimated by approximately 40 percent.

How do we know that the government might be releasing untrue or rigged facts about oil just to maintain a calm public?

So, we have perhaps 20 years left and what have we accomplished to alleviate this situation? In truth, nothing.

Every single eco-friendly green technology that is commercially available to the public has not attained a zero-gasoline factor. The final products of this green technology all use some form of crude oil in its production.

In 20 years, we will be married and raising our children. What kind of future would you like to pave for our children? That is the decision we have to make right now.

CHARLES LEE

LEEC2@MUOHIO.EDU

THE MIAMI STUDENT

8 ♦ TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2011

CONCERT

FUNDING

drummer and they brought me in to sing,” he said. “Once Rob showed me how talented he was, we kind of went our own way and formed Timeflies.”

The group released its first single in October, and since then has played venues throughout Boston and New York City.

Opening for acts like Ludacris and Asher Roth, Timeflies will follow Thursday’s performance with a string of other performances. Shapiro said he is particularly excited to take part in Miami’s Green Beer Day festivities.

“We are excited to get a taste of Green Breen Day,” Shapiro said.

“It sounds like it is going to be pretty awesome.”

Anyone interested in attending Thursday’s event should contact a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon, Phi Delta Theta or Sigma Pi fraternities.

Residence Life Rob Abowitz.

“Funding for the RHA comes from the housing activities fee that all students have to pay,” Abowitz said. “The funding is distributed by the board to all of the halls through a request process.”

The money from the fee is divided up between

continued from page 2

NOBEL

continued from page 2 seeks funding for them. She and Storm then collaborate to decide on the best plan for carrying out their experiments. Storm is in the lab on a daily basis to track the progress of the projects.

The pair’s current focus is protein transport in plant cells and how the proteins aid in photosynthesis. Storm is trying to find out how the protein moves between cell membranes. It is currently unknown how the protein is structured and how it moves.

Storm said she hopes to be able to witness the protein moving in order to better understand how it functions.

Storm is unsure about what she wants to do in the future, but she is leaning toward staying in academia and teaching future students. Whatever she chooses, she hopes this opportunity will open many doors for her future.

“I am so psyched … I didn’t expect to get past the first round,” Storm said. “It was a great surprise.”

continued from page 1

CLOONEY continued from page 1

exclusivity of the photo, the story and the circulation of the publication it sells.

Sophomore Margeau Barnes is familiar with celebrity activity.

“I live in a suburb of Detroit (where a lot of movies are

INVESTMENT continued from page 2

endowments (typically restricted funds), non-endowments (essentially the university’s checking account), foundation funds and the independently managed gifts such as trusts, annuities and separately invested assets.

Miami’s asset size as of Jan. 31, 2010 was $394 million and as of June 30, 2010 was $345.5 million with a combined rate of return on investments of positive 13.5 percent, a steep increase from FY 09’s rate of return at negative 22.5 percent, according to Guiot.

In the future, Guiot said he hopes for Miami to have an annual rate of return between 8 and 12 percent.

“Anything about (5.5 percent), and we’re doing well,” Guiot said.

In light of the financial crisis, the state of Ohio and the federal government responded by helping higher education.

Ohio tuition froze and made progress toward the national average. In addition, the Ohio College Opportunity Grant was eliminated for community college students because of the federal financial aid increase of the Pell Grant.

The University System of Ohio and Board of Regents Press Secretary Rob Evans said no institution in Ohio fell close to the 1.75

community council, programming such as Late Night, After Dark, RHA Cinema and RHA itself, Abowitz said.

If a hall loses its privilege to request funding from RHA, RAs may still apply for funding if the programming is from the RA, said Tim Staples, coordinator of residence life.

“The funding requests from RAs are not usually turned down,” Staples said. “It is all based on discretion.”

Staples said an example of RA-run programs includes

the most recent Soul Food program that was held in the residence halls.

Millward plans to continue to encourage the GAs to attend every meeting and not lose funding over something as simple as attendance.

“I understand that a lot of students cannot meet outside of the RHA, but our meetings are only once a week, Mondays at 7 p.m.,” Millward said. “When the students signed up and ran for the position, they knew the attendance policy.”

filmed), so all summer there were celebrities roaming around my town,” Barnes said. “I wish I would have known about this website before.”

Barnes wasn’t the only one who was interested.

“I’m around FSB almost everyday, so it’d be really cool if I could get a picture and make some money off of it,” sophomore Tracey McKay said.

Claire Wagner, Miami director of news and public information,

said there is not much the university can do when it comes to pictures being taken outside.

“We’re a public university, which means we don’t have much control over what happens on outside property,” Wagner said.

The only clear guideline that is stated in Miami’s Policy and Information Manual says photographs taken inside a classroom warrant the permission of the professor instructing at the time.

percent number for fiscal trouble.

“Everybody just hunkered down and rode out the storm,” Evans said.

Guiot said the state would be distributing 11 payments rather than 12 for FY 2011. Guiot said Miami could see at least some of the 12th payment depending on the governor’s budget plans.

“Things are a lot better than they were back then,” Guiot said.

“When you look at (Miami’s) total revenue, the vast majority is coming from tuition.”

Guiot said while it hurts for the state to reduce the subsidy, it’s more about the ability for students and parents to afford the tuition and the retention rates.

Guiot is optimistic for Miami’s investment portfolio for FY 2011.

He said for the first half of FY 2011 the return rate is 13.5 percent. That number matches the return rate for FY 2010.

Evans said the outlook for FY 2010 is positive across the state’s public institutions but was less optimistic about the state itself.

“I haven’t heard from any campus yet that they’re looking at worse revenue pictures after because things have really started to turn around and while those portfolios may be real sensitive to downturn, they’re real sensitive to acceleration,” he said. “The state’s revenues lag a little more and fell just about as fast … It’s going to be a while before Ohio gets close to the revenue we were at in 2008.”

MUWIB

continued from page 2 juggling full class schedules and other extracurriculars.”

According to its mission statement, MUWIB aspires to create, engage and enhance the education of young women pursuing careers in business. It further states that through philanthropic endeavors like this one women may grow not only as individuals, but as aspiring

Student passport problems possible Miami University students studying abroad received an e-mail Thursday, Feb. 24 recommending any person needing a new U.S. Passport or renewal submit it prior to March 4 because of a potential government shutdown.

A representative from a Visa and Expeditor Service in Cincinnati passed the message along.

Congress may not pass an appropriations bill to fund the continuation of the federal government after March 4 and the passports may not be issued or could be restricted and cause indefinite delays.

Reporting by Amelia Carpenter

business people.

“I think it’s really awesome that Miami students are learning the skills that make them even capable of doing taxes for other people,” said Staci Richardson, a first-year member of MUWIB. “I think that says a lot not only about Miami students, but the quality of education.”

The tax site is located at the Oxford Family Resource Center at 5445 College Corner Pike and it is open Tuesdays from 4 to 7 p.m.

www.miamistudent.net 2011-2012

THE MIAMI STUDENT

TUESDAY MARCH 1, 2011 ♦ 9

INGRAM

BUSES

continued from page 1

continued from page 1

with the search for solutions, Ingram said.

He will talk about Miami’s relationship with alumni and the importance of their financial support.

Ingram said he also plans to acknowledge recent Miami achievements such as winning the GoDaddy.com Bowl and being recognized as the second best institution for undergraduate teaching in the nation.

President David Hodge and newly-named Provost Bobby Gempesaw will be attending the event.

The speech will be held at 6 p.m.

March 29 in Taylor Auditorium at the Farmer School of Business.

Ingram will open up the floor for discussion and questions after his presentation.

step forward and drive students to a shopping mall down in Cincinnati.”

Both Cummings and Keitges said no other motivating factors, such as decreasing the number of students parking on campus, are being considered in the creation of the service.

According to Cummings, the goal is to keep the service free so that it is accessible for all students. However, she said this is not a guarantee, especially if demand proves to be limited.

Cummings said if students are interested or have feedback about the route, they should contact her at (513) 529-2224 or e-mail parking services at parking@muohio.edu.

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For Rent

Live uptown this summer! A variety of Units available. Contact Red Brick at 524.9340 for more info.

Summer Camp counselor SUMMER OF YOUR LIFE! CAMP WAYNE FOR GIRLS Childrens sleep-away camp, Northeast Pennsylvania 6/18-8/14. If you love children and want a caring, fun environment we need Counselors for: Tennis, Swimming, Golf, Gymnastics, Cheerleading, Drama, High & Low Ropes, Team Sports, Waterskiing, Sailing, Painting/Drawing, Ceramics, Silkscreen, Printmaking, Batik, Jewelry, Calligraphy, Photography, Sculpture, Guitar, Aerobics, Self-Defense, Video. Other: Administrative, CDL Driver, Nurses, Bookkeeper, Nanny.

Interviews on the Miami Campus March 3rd. Select The Camp That Selects The Best Staff! Call 215-944-3069 or apply at www.campwaynegirls.com

For rent 4 bedroom duplex available in Northridge in a quiet residential area beginning in May. Perfect for graduate students and professors.

Call 513.257.7237 for more info.

PLUM ST. APARTMENTS newly remodeled 2 bedroom units located across from Miamis Rec Center.

W/D, DW, air condition, carport. $2350 per person/per semester for 2 or $4000 per semester for 1.

Summer Move-In available for $400 per person. 513-839-0354 for more info.

NEW ENGLAND SQUARE 2 bdrm units, only 1 block from Campus!

Newly remodeled with stainless steel appliances, new ceramic tile/carpet, heat/air. W/D, DW in each unit. Offstreet parking. $2650 per person/per semester. Summer Move-In available for $400 per person. 513-839-0354 for more info.

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For rent Single units available for 11-12. Roommate Matching available for 11-12. 513-523-2015 or www.parkplacerealestate.net for more info Camp Counselor! FUN and REWARDING Summer Job Opportunities in Cincinnati! Enjoy the out-doors while leading and teaching children recreational activities as a summer day camp counselor.

Weekdays 9:30-3:30 PM. Positions include: basketball, drama & singing, gymnastics, maintenance, male group counselors, nature & camping, bb air rifle, soccer, swimming instructors (current life guarding required, WSI preferred), team sports and other activity leaders. Camp Session: June 20 ñ July 29. Pre-camp work available in May; staff training held 5/21 & 5/28 & evening 5/27.

Cincinnati location near Winton Woods. Call Camp Wildbrook 513-931-2196 or email Campwildbrook@cinci.rr.com For rent Singles available and roommates needed for next year. Contact Red Brick at 524.9340 or www.redbrickoxford.com for more info.

Employment Opportunities Local Real Estate Company is now hiring for paid Fall Internship.

Contact Sarah @ 513.257.7034 for more info.

For rent New, Spacious 4 bedroom/ 2 full bath house available for 11-12 school year. $2050 pp/per sem.

Contact Red Brick at 524.9340.

SINGLES available in the Mile Square for 11-12 school year.

Contact Red Brick at 524.9340 or www.redbrickoxford.com

Apartments SOUTH CAMPUS QUARTER OPENED August 2010 Modern Living ~ Contemporary Design Located across from the REC Center. For more information call (513) 523-1647 or visit southcampusquarter.com

Now hiring Spring and Summer painters wanted. Contact Matt @ 513.257.7237

For Rent

Roberts Apartments 2011/12.

One-Bedroom Apartments. Great Location! Close to Campus. 2 Blocks from Uptown. Laundry Facilities.

Off-Street Parking. Spacious and Well-Maintained. 513-839-1426 www.roberts-apts.com

House for Rent 2011/12 4 Bedrooms, 1 bath. Permit for 4. Laundry room includes W/D. Next to Ace Hardware. $10,000 per semester.

513-255-4100, www.odcproperties.com

For Rent: Studio, 1 Bedroom, 2 Bedroom, & 4 Bedroom Apartments.

Flexible lease terms. Check Us Out www.foxandhounds-apartments.com www.oxfordrents.com Call 523-2440 Text 335-7044

Condo for Rent 2011/12 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath, furnished Condo. Includes W&D. Permit for 4. Water, waste & trash included. $4,500 per semester.

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Houses

1 Bedroom condo 2011/12 1 Bed, 1 Bath. Furnished Condo, includes W&D, Water, Waste & Trash Permit for 2, $3,000 per sem.

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NEWER CONDO TRENDY 4 BEDRM~2 FULL BATH~EQUIPPED KITCHEN~LAUNDRY~OFF STREET PARKING GARAGE~CAN HELP WITH FURNISHING Mike 513 266-1685 m2deuce21@hotmail.com

HOUSE FOR RENT 3 Bedroom House, 2 full Baths, 2 car garage, washer/dryer, full kitchen, cable and hi speed internet in every room, large closets, all electric utilities, landlord pays water, sewer, and trash. Less than 5 years old. Call Lou @ (513) 658-2590

HOUSE FOR RENT 4 Bedroom House, 2 full Baths, 2 car garage, washer/dryer, full kitchen, cable and hi speed internet in every room, large closets, all electric utilities, landlord pays water, sewer, and trash. Less than 4 years old. Call Lou @ (513) 658-2590

2 BR TOWNHOUSE NOW RENTING for fall 11-12. Great Location one block from campus: 22 E Central. Well maintained. Large spacious rooms. Off-street parking.

Call First Financial Bank (513) 867-5576.

For rent Available for 11-12: Large 2 bedroom house located 1 Block from Uptown and Slant Walk. Includes parking for 2 and 2011 summer at no extra cost. $2450 pp/ per sem. Call 524.9340

Uptown Apts 2011-12 Across from BW-3s, behind Pour House. 108 S. Main, Permit for 3, $1900 per semester/person. Large kitchen, big living room, A/C, some furnishings.

Call Dan, 513-543-4470

House for rent Spacious 4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bathroom House now available for 11-12 school year.

One Block from Metro Stop. $2650 pp/ per sem. For more info call 513.524.9340 or visit www.redbrickoxford.com

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Needed: roommate 4 fall 2011 Looking 4 FEMALE roommate for Fall 11 semester. 302 1/2 S. Main St. (MAIN DESIRE). GREAT LOCATION, directly in front of bus stop, near up town & campus. House & bedroom FULLY FURNISHED. Would live w/ 3 female seniors, own bedroom & share bathroom w/ 1 roommate. Rent negotiable. Call 847-894-0770

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THE MIAMI STUDENT

TENNIS

TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2011 ♦ 11

NEXT HOME GAME: 12 p.m. Friday vs. Marshall University

RedHawks get by Austin Peay, North Texas

By Sam Hitchcock Staff Writer

The Miami University women’s tennis team knew coming into the weekend it had two formidable opponents in Austin Peay University and North Texas University.

After starting the spring season on a high note, the RedHawks had lost four of their previous five matches and a new beginning was on their mind.

They were able to capitalize on the opportunity as Austin Peay was the victim of superb singles play Friday, Feb. 25.

Miami’s No. 1 singles player, Anastasia Dracheva (6-4, 6-1), No. 2 player Stephanie Danesis (6-4, 6-2)

and No. 3 three player Megan Martzolf (6-0, 6-0) all won their matches comfortably in straight sets, leading the RedHawks to a 6-1 victory at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center in Louisville, Ky. Head Coach Anca Dumitrescu was all smiles after the match.

“I was proud of the way that the girls competed in singles,” Dumitrescu said. “We were poised despite losing the doubles point. Austin Peay played well, but we were a little tougher today.”

Friday, the ’Hawks benefited from some good fortune as Austin Peay arrived to the match undermanned. The Lady Governors found themselves defaulting at the third doubles spot and the sixth

singles slot. With Riekie Honiball (6-1, 6-4) and Cara Wald (6-2, 3-6, 1-0 (10-7)) taking care of business at No. 4 and No. 5 singles respectively, Austin Peay’s only win came from its doubles escaping with two hard-fought victories.

Saturday, the RedHawks tried to ride their momentum facing previously nationally ranked opponent North Texas University. The Mean Green were ranked 70 in the country only two weeks prior and earlier this year got as high as 60 overall. The RedHawks understood the need to win consistently against the nation’s best if they were going to receive public recognition, and Saturday they were all business.

Dracheva found herself victim

to a heartbreaking defeat at number one singles, but her teammates more than compensated as all remaining singles and doubles positions won their matches.

Winning certainly makes road trips easier, and Dumitrescu was delighted with how her team played.

“I was very proud of how the girls competed today and this weekend,” Dumitrescu said. “We got behind at number one doubles and kept our composure and came back to win the match. Anastasia and Megan got down in the beginning of their matches but kept fighting, too. This weekend, we defined our identity as a team with a big heart who faces adversity with class and who never gives up.”

Danesis continued what was a very successful weekend for her as she (6-1,6-2), Honiball (6-2, 7-6), Wald (6-4, 6-4) and freshman Nimisha Mohan (6-0,6-2) won in straight sets. Danesis, Honiball and Wald all found themselves victorious in doubles as well as the Mean Green were overwhelmed by the RedHawks’ scrappy play.

Next, the Red and White return from their grueling road trip to home court against 49th ranked Marshall University. The ’Hawks proved they have the depth and will to compete with anyone in the country. With the Thundering Herd winning seven of their last eight matches, they will have the opportunity to make a statement to the rest of the NCAA.

TRACK

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2007 2008

Meets PwC at a blood drive,

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networks with PwC via college

being impressed by PwC’s community outreach

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programs, Andy found more surprises at PwC.

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© 2011 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. All rights reserved. In this document, “PwC” refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (a Delaware limited liability partnership), which is a member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each member firm of which is a separate legal entity. We are proud to be an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer.

MU takes third in MAC

By Melissa Maykut Staff Writer

The Miami University women’s track and field team placed third out of 12 teams Feb. 25 and 26 at the Indoor Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championships held at Bowling Green State University.

After the first day of action, the ’Hawks earned 24 points, placing them in a tie for fifth with Western Michigan University. However, the Red and White stepped up their performance Saturday, earning 57 points for a total of 81, placing them in third. The Red and White’s third-place position tied a school record for best indoor finish in school history.

“We took third overall, and we came up a lot over the boards,” junior Rachel Patterson said. “It was nice to see peoples’ names come up and have a lot of us set school records.”

Patterson was a significant factor in Miami’s impressive finish.

She won the 5,000-meter run Friday, setting an All-MAC record time of 16:32.01. Saturday, Patterson won the 3,000-meter contest in a season-best 9:39.44. She was named the meet’s Most Outstanding Track Performer and First Team All-MAC. The freshmen on the team played a key role in Miami’s third place finish. Erica Mudd placed fourth in the pentathlon with 3,587 points, including third place finishes in the high and long jumps. Saturday, Mudd won the high jump title with a personal best clearance.

Like Patterson, Mudd was named First Team All-MAC. Freshman Kori Tatman placed sixth in the pole vault with a personal best, and classmate Tori Paterra placed eighth in the shot put with a personal best toss. Sophomore Alexandra Roberts placed second in the shot put, breaking her own record from last year and setting a school record heave of 15.26 m/50-00.75.

Roberts was pleased with her performance over the weekend and is optimistic about the team’s remaining indoor season and the outdoor season, which begins March 25.

“We came into the meet with low expectations, but a lot of people had a really excellent meet,” Roberts said. “Our team can only get better over the next eight weeks.”

Five more ’Hawks qualified for event finals Saturday. Junior Diona Graves qualified for the 60-meter dash finals and 200-meter dash finals, coming in sixth in both preliminaries. Sophomore Katie Scannell placed third in the 400-meter dash, and junior Rachael Clay placed fifth. Sophomore Layne Baggett placed first in the 60-meter hurdles with a personal best time of 8.54, and took second in the finals.

The RedHawks return to action March 4 and 5 when they compete in the Alex Wilson Invitational in South Bend, Ind.

12

Tuesday March 1, 2011

Are stacked teams the best option?

Michelle Ludwin

View from the Nest

I

t always sucked if you were the kid last to be picked during a game of dodge ball, but there was a theory to why you were picked last. As the leader of a team, you always pick the most agile and strong person from the group. The theory is the more of those people you have on your team, the better chance you have in winning the game.

However, there are some major gaps in that theory and it can be shown through looking at the history of sports.

One of the most recent examples of a powerhouse team is the Miami Heat.

The team is basically stocked up with the best players in the NBA and was predicted to be one of the best teams this season. The owners of the Heat worked hard and made deals just to make sure LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade became part of a dynasty. All players known for specific reasons, the Heat was expected to break the Chicago Bulls’ record of 72 regular season wins. As most of you know, that did not happen.

So, where do the excuses begin?

First, there were the injures of Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem. The second excuse is inconsistent play and the players needing to be able to communicate with one another. That is a very key component in any sport when there is more than one person involved. No communication between players basically is a recipe for frustration, poor attitude and ultimate demise of a team.

However, there is a bigger thing missing from the excuses listed already. The mixture of the players’ egos causes the lack of communication and failure to produce wins.

James and Bosh signed contracts earning them more than $110 million over six years and Wade signed on for earning more than $107 million over six years.

That is probable cause to inflate an already large ego. Sportscasters and other journalists have called these three players “SuperFriends” and they are known for being close friends. Even if they are close friends, on the basketball court they are competing against one another to make the most shots and play their best game. Not always are they looking to work together.

This is not the first time big name players have played on the same team and at first claim to get along and play like a team. Give them a year or two and you will start to see the team crumble under your very own eyes. They start getting endorsements, large houses, fast cars and start forgetting about the team they are part of. Their egos and heads start becoming bigger and bigger. Before you know it, they start fighting with their “teammates” and start requesting to be traded to a different team. Classic example: Shaq and Kobe … we all know how that ended.

So, why do owners and coaches make the conscious decision to stack up their teams with the best players? The obvious first reason is to win, which is what the Miami Heat intended to do. However, the coaches failed to look at the larger picture and what would happen one, two or 10 seasons down the road. It is pretty much obvious and bluntly in front of everyone’s faces. Separate all of the powerhouses into different teams. It might work to stack a team in a pick-up game, but not in the professional leagues.

Splitting up some of the best players in the league causes greater rivalry and competition. It makes the viewing of a game even better for spectators. I would rather sit through a nail biter than see someone lose by 50 points. There is more adrenaline and exhilaration for everyone involved. So, for those coaches getting ready to trade or draft any players, make sure the players’ egos can actually fit into the locker room with the rest of the team, or else the team will become just another story of failing to live up to expectations.

BASKETBALL

Sports

Editor Michael Solomon sports@miamistudent.net

NEXT GAME: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at University at Buffalo

RedHawks clip Falcons

By Alex Butler Senior Staff Writer

All of the clocks appeared to freeze Saturday afternoon at Millett Hall as Orlando Williams caught a chest pass at center court. The sophomore could only see empty floor space as he bounced the rock and went airborne as fans fell silent.

Williams then coiled his body and bent his arms with the basketball behind his head before slamming it home with a two-handed dunk.

It was the guard’s night as he netted a career-high 26 points in the game, leading the Miami University RedHawks to an 84-77 victory over the Bowling Green State University Falcons.

“The player of the game as far as I’m concerned was Orlando Williams,” Head Coach Charlie Coles said. “He came out today and showed us that he’s got confidence. He had his best college game. He had four turnovers, but how about the couple steals he got? So, to me that’s courage. You been playing bad, and now you shoot eight-for-nine and five-forsix from the three. We couldn’t have done it without him.”

At the 4:29 mark of the second half, Williams had yet to miss a shot. He had made 8-8 field goal attempts and 5-5 three-point attempts.

Junior Julian Mavunga finished with 22 points and had 11 rebounds, while senior Nick Winbush also had a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Coles’ crew (15-14, 10-4 MidAmerican Conference (MAC)) fell behind 4-0 to open up the home contest. At the 13:23 mark of the first half, the Red and White took a 14-10 lead sparked by an outstanding play

by Williams.

The sophomore caught the ball in the right corner and got off a quick perimeter shot while getting fouled. The shot fell, as did Williams, followed by another

BASKETBALL

point from the foul line.

“I think the adrenaline was just rushing,” Williams said. “I wasn’t really tuned in to how many points I had or how many shots I made, I was just trying to get a win and do what’s best for my team. When I got the ball and I was open, I just took the shot with confidence.”

The plague of confidence infected a united RedHawks squad and resulted in a 21-6 run and a 24-14 spread with just more than 10 minutes remaining in the half.

The Falcons (12-17, 7-7 MAC) fought back to within six points, but the hot ’Hawks took a 42-33 lead at the half. Williams led an offensive attack that shot 56 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three-point range in the first half. Williams netted 14 points in the first half, while Mavunga had 11 points.

Sparked by a 10-0 run in the second stanza, the Falcons were within five points of closing the gap, but the Red and White caught fire again and made it 52-40 with a 7-0 run.

Another Williams’ three gave the RedHawks their biggest lead at 68-53 with less than 10 minutes to play, but the Falcons weren’t done fighting.

“They came out more aggressively in the second half, but I thought we matched their intensity, especially early on,” Mavunga said. “Down the stretch we kind of let up, and they took the opportunity to come right at us.”

After cutting the lead to seven points, the Falcons flew with a 9-1 run and trailed by just two points. Up 79-77, the home crowd stood up hoping for the ’Hawks to hold on.

With 38 seconds showing on the clock, the Falcons were forced to foul and the ’Hawks made one attempt immediately.

Falcon guards swarmed the perimeter in hopes of getting an open look, but a game- tying

MICHAEL GRIGGS | The Miami Student

Senior Nick Winbush slams in two of his 16 points Saturday. three pointer fell short to preserve the RedHawks’ victory.

“We just have to make sure in the future we don’t relax like that,” Mavunga said.

“One thing that Nick Winbush did, being the leader that he is, is tell us ‘Hey, we’ve been in this position before and we know what it feels like to let it go and it’s not a good feeling.’ We knew we had to really fight and come out victorious.”

Ohio University knocked off division-leading Kent State University after the RedHawks’

win, meaning that the Red and White are once again tied atop the MAC East with Kent State.

“We didn’t really play the best game offensively or defensively, but at this point you can’t complain about winning games,” Winbush said. “We’ve got to keep winning games to try to get the league championship.”

The Red and White head to Buffalo, N.Y. to take on the University of Buffalo in their final away contest of the regular season. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

NEXT GAME: 7 p.m. Wednesday at Ohio University

Red and White win home finale against Zips

By Melissa Maykut Staff Writer

The Miami University women’s basketball team finally made it over the hump Satur-

day afternoon as it won its final home game against the University of Akron Zips 77-64.

The RedHawks got off to a strong start with a defensive steal by freshman guard Han-

MICHAEL GRIGGS |The Miami Student

Freshman guard Hannah Robertson goes up for an easy two points as the University of Akron’s Taylor Ruper looks on Saturday.

nah Robertson, who then took it down the court to score the first points of the game. With a threepoint shot and field goals by sophomore guard Courtney Osborn, junior guard Maggie Boyer, sophomore forward Kirsten Olowinski and junior forward Lillian Pitts, Miami was up 21-6 with 11:42 remaining in the first half.

An exciting three-point shot

by Osborn with two-tenths of a second left on the buzzer brought the fans to their feet and put Miami up 32-19 with 6:54 left to play. The shot has now made Osborn the 19th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point mark.

“The shot clock was running out, the bench was yelling down and I tried to put it up there, maybe get an offensive rebound and it just went in,” Osborn said.

Grabbing 10 of their 15 defensive rebounds within the last eight minutes to play, the Red and White held on to a 13-point lead at 38-25 going into the half.

Miami hit 50 percent of its field goals and shot 37.5 percent from behind the arc.

Miami held a comfortable lead over Akron throughout the second half. Field goals from Pitts and Olowinski at the start of the half put the RedHawks up 42-25. A three pointer and layup by Osborn with 16:02 to play increased the gap to 20 points at 50-30. The Red and White took their largest lead of the game at

62-40 when Boyer made two free throws with 9:25 remaining in the game.

Head Coach Maria Fantanarosa said she finds herself respecting the characters of every member of her team, especially that of Courtney Osborn.

“She makes my optimism a reality,” Fantanarosa said. “She came out in this game tonight on fire, and there was no way she wasn’t going to help us both offensively and defensively.

That got Maggie fired up, it got Kirsten fired up … it gets contagious, and this is good, contagious energy Courtney is continuing to bring to this team.”

The RedHawks visited the University at Buffalo Wednesday, Feb. 23 and had cut a 15-point Buffalo lead to just one point with 1:47 left in the game. Hannah Robertson’s shot rimmed out, but freshman forward Erica Almady got the rebound and made it a 72-71 game. Buffalo put up a strong defense the remainder of the game, and Miami lost a heartbreaking 77-74 contest.

“Even with eight seconds left on the clock, we were still believing,” Fantanarosa said. “Our defense is giving us a chance to be in the games, and we’re getting more confident in each other to win these games.”

The ’Hawks will travel to Athens, Ohio, in their last regular season game at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 2 to take on the Ohio University Bobcats.