March 11, 2014 | The Miami Student

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

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

VOLUME 141 NO. 39

MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO

TODAY IN MIAMI HISTORY In 2004, The Miami Student reported the Oxford Police Department (OPD) sent out a press release warning students they would be out patrolling Uptown in the wee hours of the morning on the upcoming Green Beer Day. Underage drinkers were to be taken promptly to Butler County jail for the night.

MU advances in MAC tourney BY ZACH MACIASZEK FOR THE MIAMI STUDENT

For the second straight year, the RedHawks are packing their bags for Cleveland. The Miami University men’s basketball team weathered a comeback from Kent State University in the waning minutes of the second half to earn a 71-64 victory and advance to the second round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament. The RedHawks will take on their rival Ohio University, who defeated Ball State University in its first round match-up. This is the second year in a row the ’Hawks have advanced to the second round under head coach John Cooper. “I’m really, really happy for our kids,” Cooper said. “Over the course of the season, this group could easily have tucked it in during some earlier times in the season. Yet still they’ve always found the resolve to come back and be competitive. And many games from a ‘man’ standpoint we’ve been outmanned, but they found a way to get a home [tournament] game and they found a way to take care of business.” Sophomore guard Willie Moore led Miami with 17 points. He was followed by senior guard Quinten Rollins and junior guard Will Sullivan, who each scored 13 points. Junior guard Kris Brewer paced the Flashes with 15 points on 4-13 shooting from the field. Both squads shot an identical 45 percent from the field. The difference was at the foul line, where MU converted 24-31 attempts compared to Kent State’s 14-17. Play was relatively even for both teams in the first half. The RedHawks flourished in transition,

forcing turnovers and pushing the ball down the court for attempts at the rim which often resulted in trips to the foul line. MU converted 13-18 free throws in the opening period. But the offense became stagnant in the half-court and the ’Hawks struggled to develop any rhythm. Miami managed only four assists against seven turnovers, but the story was not much better for Kent State who recorded four assists versus eight cough-ups. On the RedHawks last possession of the opening half Sullivan was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 3.2 seconds remaining. He sank all three of his attempts to give the ’Hawks the lead 33-31. On the subsequent possession the Flashes’ Brewer banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to seemingly reclaim the lead and the momentum for Kent State heading into the locker room, but after official review the basket was wiped away. The ’Hawks’ ball movement in the half-court was noticeably crisper in the opening minutes of the second half as they added to their lead. Leading the way for Miami was Moore, who scored 11 points in the first ten minutes of the second half as MU built a 52-42 advantage. The largest lead they held was 13 points. The Flashes, playing for their postseason lives, refused to slink away quietly into the night, riding a 15-7 run to pull within two points 59-57 with four minutes to go. The half-court offense stalled once again in the waning minutes of the game, as the ’Hawks took the air out of the ball and seemingly prayed for the clock to expire.

BASKETBALL, SEE PAGE 5

SCOTT KISSELL THE MIAMI STUDENT

NOTHIN’ BUT NET

The Miami basketball team lost the Batttle of the Bricks to Ohio University 82-76 in OT Saturday but they knocked off Kent State 71-64 in the opening round of the MAC tournament Monday night. Sophomore guard Willie Moore led the team in scoring in both games, with 24 and 17 points, respectively.

Knights in Shining Armor ride to town

College of Creative Arts holds forums for dean candidates BY REIS THEBAULT CAMPUS EDITOR

CONTRIBUTED BY HAYDEN HYNDMAN

From left: Knights In Shining Armor co-founders Rick Snyder and Tony Pastiva pose with their pedi-cabs, Oxford’s newest form of transportation. Students can hail a Knight by calling 513-601-TAXI

BY MOLLY LEASURE FOR THE MIAMI STUDENT

What started as a way to impress the ladies has turned into Oxford’s newest, and perhaps most distinctive, form of transportation. Thanks to an investment from the Miami University Student Venture Fund (MUSVF), two sophomore roommates have started Knights In Shinning Armor (KISA), an Oxford pedi-cab service designed to transport students all around town. The new business just successfully completed its first trial run this past weekend. And, according to the cofounders, they have already pedaled in a few hundred bucks. “We have already seen it will be a success, it can work here,” Co-founder and Miami junior Rick Snyder said. This past May, Snyder and Pastiva were approved for funding as

part of MUSVF’s growing efforts to fund locally-started student businesses and grow the fund’s presence in Oxford. The buggy-esque pedi-cabs certainly turned heads this weekend, with students taking pictures and snapchats of them and asking for rides all around Uptown just for the thrill of it. “We even took moms and daughters from Sushi Nara to Decibel as moms were taking selfies,” Snyder said. The initial concept was originally framed around giving chivalrous rides to ladies heading home from the bars late at night, Snyder explained. “Knights that take you home, I joke they can even do the princess Diana Wave,” Snyder said. The pedi-cabs can also be used for dates, according to Snyder. “We can even come pick someone

up with flowers, and one pedi-cab even plays music,” Snyder said. Snyder and his roommate, Miami junior Tony Pastiva came up with the idea last year after Snyder, a Westport, Conn., native, rode a pedi-cab in New York City. But this isn’t Snyder’s first rodeo. He has spent his past few summers operating a successful ice cream truck in his hometown. Miami junior Abby Purdum expressed her interest when seeing the pedi-cab uptown. “I would definitely use it, it would be a great way to end the night and I would feel much safer taking that then getting in a cab by myself,” Purdum said. “Right now the only option is a taxi Uptown and the pedi-cab is a unique experience for people,” MUSVF president and Miami senior

TAXI,

SEE PAGE 8

In an academic year that has seen the hiring of a new Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of the Farmer School of Business, Miami is preparing to make another hire as candidates for dean of the College of Creative Arts attend open forums throughout the next seven days. Of the three candidates, Miami currently employs two, one of which is the current college’s interim dean. The other, Leslie Bellavance, is a professor and dean of the School of Art at Alfred University in Alfred, NY. Bellavance’s forum is 4-5 p.m. Wednesday, March 12 in Art 100. She has worked in several university art departments since 1981, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and James Madison University. Throughout her career, Bellavance has held administrative and teaching positions, along with working as an artist and, in her résumé, said if she is hired she will bring to the college her imagination and leadership. The second open forum, Peg Faimon’s, Miami’s Department of Art chair, is scheduled for 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Thursday March 13 in room 109 of the Center for Performing Arts. Faimon has more than 20 years of experience at

Miami, working as a graphic design professor, the co-director of the Armstrong Institute for Interactive Media Studies (AIMS) and, most recently, chair of the Department of Art. Aside from her experience in the classroom, Faimon is the founder of her own graphic design firm Peg Faimon Design in addition to her experience as a founding director of Miami Design Collaborative. Elizabeth Mullenix, Interim Dean of the College of Creative Arts and the third candidate for the permanent position, will have her forum from 4 to 5 p.m. Monday, March 17 in Art 100. Mullenix, who, in her application, said she did not originally intend to apply for the job, has several years of administrative experience in Oxford. She arrived on campus in 2006 as the Chair of the Department of Theatre and remained in that role until she was appointed interim dean last summer. Mullenix, a Cincinnati native, also teaches theater. Prior to her time at Miami, she taught University of Illinois and served as associate dean of the College of Fine Arts at Illinois State University. The dean of the College of Creative Arts will oversee 158 full-time faculty and 100 undergraduate and graduate students in an academic division that has 10 available undergraduate degrees and six graduate degrees.


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March 11, 2014 | The Miami Student by The Miami Student - Issuu