April 1, 2011 | The Miami Student

tnedutS imaiM ehT

VOLUME who really cares... NO. does anyone read this part??

All the news not fit to print

April 1, 2011

NOT OHIO UNIVERSITY NOT ATHENS, OHIO (thank goodness...)

Blast walls keep students off grass

By Mealy Auks

For the Miami Student

Barriers made of steel-reinforced concrete that once protected Baghdad neighborhoods from insurgents will now protect Miami University grass from students.

As violence decreases in Baghdad, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered all barriers removed. Until recently, the Iraqi government planned to scrap the 12-foot-high barriers. Miami has announced it will be the proud recipient of some of these barriers.

Miami administrator Alfonso Hibachi said the barriers will finally solve the problem of students walking across grass.

“We’ve tried putting in more sidewalks, we’ve tried using chains, nothing seems to work,” Hibachi said. “This gift from the Iraqi government will finally solve our problems.”

Administrators say the barriers will protect the grass and are environmentally friendly to boot.

“And it’s recycling, right? Sustainable? You guys like it when we use the word ‘sustainability,’ right?” Hibachi said.

According to Hibachi, the warweary barriers will be deployed first in the shadow of Warfield Hall to protect the particularly

vulnerable grass in Central quad.

The department of German, Russian and East Asian Languages has announced it will seize on the opportunity to teach its students colloquial Arabic.

“The Iraqi government offered to sandblast all the graffiti from these barriers, but where they saw an eyesore we saw an opportunity,” Arabic instructor Hans von Shaudenfreude said.

According to von Shaudenfreude, Arabic classes will soon be making field-trips to the barriers – walking on the sidewalk, of course – to translate and catalog the spray-painted messages.

Junior Goodspeed Greenfoot said he will not be able to get to class on time once the barriers are erected.

“I can duck under chains or leap over picket fences, but these things are just too big,” Greenfoot said. “Now I’ll have to use the sidewalks to get to class.” As he said this, Greenfoot glanced at a sidewalk grate. “Hey, do you think any of these tunnels go under the grass?”

Hibachi said the barriers will soon be deployed around all grass surfaces on campus, to make it clear to students that cutting across grass is totally unacceptable behavior. To avoid any confusion with the policy, some changes

Police Beat off Ugg goes under, Miami females riot, take hostages At approximately 8 a.m. Tuesday morning a tragedy was displayed on televisions and radios: it was announced that Ugg boots would no longer be sold. As the news spread on and off campus, Miami University’s female students took to the streets in anger and shock.

According to police reports, one group of girls attempted to take hostages at Walkers shoe store uptown, seeking the last few pairs of Ugg boots. After threatening the workers with sharpened sorority paddles, the group was eventually taken into custody after a trained FBI hostage negotiator arrived at the scene by helicopter and assured the group “they would look just fine in Sperrys.”

Student steals PC, gives it back At around 10 a.m. Wednesday, a student walked into IT Services and ran out with a PC. The student was described as wearing a J. Crew Oxford button up shirt with khaki Chino pants and Sperrys.

An officer on the scene commented that “the student would be easy to find because no one on Miami’s campus dresses that way.”

IT Services employees reported the theft to campus police who began an investigation immediately. Approximately an hour later, the student returned to IT Services with the PC. The student told officers on the scene he returned the PC because “it was a PC.”

Drunken Swoop impersonator steals Zamboni, attempts to clean Oxford streets A low speed chase involving several cruisers, a Segue and a Zamboni ended safely Thursday evening on High Street after a man wearing a homemade Swoop outfit managed to slip past Goggin Ice Center security and steal one of the Zambonis. The would-be avian mascot then reportedly attempted to drive the Zamboni uptown.

Miami University police initially tried to pull the man over, but he reportedly took no notice of police sirens or attempts to shoot out the Zamboni’s tires.

The chase was brought to a safe conclusion after an Oxford police officer on one of the department’s Segues managed to pull up alongside the Zamboni and wrestle the self-styled Swoop from the helm.

The man was arrested and charged with grand theft, public endangerment and operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol. At the time of his arrest, he told officers he was “just trying to clean up the streets.”

Students cited for disorderly conduct After a power failure at their house Friday night, a group of five males – seemingly unaware the outage was confined to their house – headed to President Hodge’s house angrily chanting, “No power, no class!”

When officers arrived at the scene and explained to the males that Oxford did, indeed have power, they reportedly seemed crestfallen. One of the males told officers, he “just wanted to relive” the 2008 blackout protest. The males then offered to sell the officers T-shirts commemorating the 2008 event.

April Fool!

Perhaps a bit of explanation is in order for the unusual content of part of today’s paper. This is our April Fool’s issue and our contribution to the revelry induced by spring. For many years an issue such as this one has been a part of Miami tradition.

Only page one is devoted to April Foolery, while all other pages contain the usual news.

Our intentions here are not meant to be snide or sarcastic, but purely humorous and mere fantasy. We hope the student body will receive it with the same spirit with which it was written.

BELLIGERENCE SOUTH The Miami Student

Blast barriers from Iraq like the one pictured above will serve as lawn protectors. The idea behind the barriers is to keep students from walking across all the grass on Miami University’s campus. will be made to Cook Field.

“While we discouraging walking on grass, playing with a Frisbee – especially in the presence of a tour group – is highly encouraged,” Hibachi said. “But Cook Field is currently grass and we can’t risk having people also cut across it. So instead we will pave

it over and then put artificial turf on top of the pavement.”

The installation of the barriers and changes to Cook Field are expected to cost $40 million, according to Hibachi.

“While we are in a tough financial situation, it is important not to forget the importance of grass

to this university,” Hibachi said.

“This investment is totally in line with Miami’s priorities.”

Although final plans do not yet exist, there is also a possibility of Air Force ROTC fertilizer-flights to make the grass especially green on the other side of the blast-proof barrier.

Miami Athletics to turn Division III in Fall 2012, cites budget

By Chamomile Loons For the Miami Student

Miami University’s storied athletic history in Division I sports will soon be over. In an effort to help keep costs down, the university has announced that starting in the fall of 2012, all athletic teams will move to Division III. “I’m very disappointed with the decision,” said Miami freshman student Ross Simon. “I want to be able to have a connection with my university in the future and Division I athletics is certainly a tangible way to stay connected. All of this due to budget cuts is what’s the most upsetting.”

The move to Division III will be a tough one, as Miami will say good-bye to the Mid-American Conference and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and try to find a new conference to join. The most likely

candidate seems to be the Ohio Strategic Priorities Task Force to Athletic Conference, which cur- help find places where budgets rently holds schools such as Ohio could be cut. While the reports Northern University, Baldwin- didn’t detail division moves Wallace College, Otterbein Uni- as a way to cut finances from athletics, the university has deversity and Capital University. cided that going The questions from Division I of what to do “We’d have the to Division III with Yager Stadium, Millett Hall, nicest facilities in would help deand Goggin Ice Division III though, crease costs and help with the Center will be a that’s for sure.” budget cuts. key issue to ad“I’m guessing dress for the uniANONYMOUS SOURCE alumni will not versity, as well ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT be too pleased as attendance at with the jump,” home contests. said the source in “Attendance the Athletic Department. will probably suffer since we’d “It might save some money be playing lesser opponents,” said a source in the Athletic De- financially and make us more partment. “We’d have the nicest competitive in certain sports, facilities in Division III though, but we will also lose the TV that’s for sure.” and media coverage you get The move to Division III from Division I.” comes amid a budget crisis Athletic schedules for the for the university. Earlier this fall of 2012 will be released at year, the university set up the a later date.

April Fool’s in The Miami Student History In 1955

, The Miami Stewdent reported the infamous “kissing bridge” had been ruled off-limits. It was also reported Harrison Hall had been destroyed by a fire because faculty and students had decided to hand transport water instead of immediately calling the fire department.

In 1966, it was reported that President Shriver had cancelled all finals. In protest, uptown reportedly broke into “pandemonium.”

In 1975

, The Miami Student reported the toppling of the Beta Bells. According to reports, a 34-year-old Albanian exchange student had thrown a book out of his room in Elliot Hall and hit the tower, causing it to topple.

In 1976

, The Miami Student reported President Shriver had ordered the city of Oxford to “move out.” All citizens and stores were asked to leave as part of the eviction.

In 1976

, The Miami Student reported the Miami Redskin football team had eaten a Student as part of an annual rite.

In 1980, The Miami Prudent reported Oxford water had high levels of plutonium in it, causing insanity and addiction.

In 1981, The Miami Crudent reported a “fornication

proposal” had been presented to the board of trustees. The proposal would approve 24-hour fornication in dormitory rooms.

By Herb Brunet For the Miami Student

THE MIAMI STUDENT

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2011 ♦ 2

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RICE

continued from page 3

continued from page 3

intelligence had been better regarding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but thought the speech was impressive overall.

“She was well-spoken,” Miller said.

LeeAnn Riggs, a sophomore at Brigham Young University visiting Miami, thought Rice carried herself well throughout the speech and felt hopeful after Rice’s discussion of changing majors.

“She gives her opinions very well and she backs herself up very well,” Riggs said.

Rice also met with a small group of selected students in the late afternoon in the Farmer School of Business for a question and answer session. During the meeting, Rice touched on various topics, including the current unrest in the Middle East, her own time spent in the White House, her views on women in academia and politics and her thoughts on decisions that have been made by the Obama administration.

Rice was chosen as the speaker for the Anderson Distinguished Lecture Series, an annual lecture funded through an endowment established by Jack and Rose Marie Anderson. Past speakers have included Gen. Colin Powell, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

paying is not an unusual fee. It is certainly a large fee, but it is not unusual for the type of speaker that the Anderson fund provides for.”

John Krafft, the Miami University Dolibois European Campus (MUDEC) professor who earlier spoke out against the secrecy around the fee, responded to the newly revealed information.

“That’s obscene,” Krafft said. “This is not about Condoleezza Rice.

This is about our values.

I’d feel the same way about any speaker, of any ideological stance, with any message.”

Krafft also responded to some of the feedback he has read since Tuesday’s story.

“One clown commented: ‘how much do you think Jesus Christ got paid for

2011-2012

his sermon on the mount?’

That’s exactly my point,” Krafft said. “He didn’t get paid anything. Did that commenter imply that the sermon on the mount would have been more valuable if Jesus got paid $150,000 for it?”

Ultimately, Krafft is glad that the issue has been resolved.

“Like I said before, I had hope that this would be cleared up by the university,” Krafft said. “As much as I think we ought to be ashamed for paying Rice, or anybody, that type of money, I am pleased with the university for revealing the fee.”

As the final word on the discussion of “public vs. private” in regards to the contract, Skillings said that there really is no debate.

“As a public institution our dealings are public records and this would be included in the Public Records Act of the state of Ohio,” Skillings said.

“There’s no question about that one.”

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The Miami Student VOLUME 138 NO. 48

Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826

Friday, April 1, 2011

MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO

In 1993, The Miami Student reported the FBI returned 30 books to King Library. The books had been stolen in the 1950s and 1960s by Stephen C. Blumberg. Blumberg reportedly created his own “special collection” of rare books by stealing from libraries across the U.S. and Canada.

Election too close to call ASG results expected to be verified Friday morning

By Sam Kay Editor in Chief

Although a far cry from Florida’s hanging chad fiasco during the 2000 U.S. presidential election, Miami’s Associated Student Government (ASG) election results have nonetheless been temporarily delayed. They were not available by time of press, but will be posted on www.miamistudent.net as soon as they are available.

According to current Student Body Vice President and election coordinator Tim Hogan, the close nature of results has prompted ASG to seek IT assistance to double check the numbers.

“Because of the tight nature of the election, myself along with the elections committee and Heath (Ingram) don’t feel comfortable releasing them until IT checks them in the morning,” Hogan said. “It’s really an integrity thing … we’ve never had races this close, at least over the last three years or so.”

Hogan said this year’s election is remarkable in part because of high initial turnout estimates.

“In terms of turnout, we had really unbelievable turnout compared to last year,” Hogan said. “We need to verify that the overall number, which is substantial, is the correct number.”

Student Body President Heath Ingram said this situation calls for due diligence. “We’re trying to preserve the integrity of this process as much as possible,” Ingram said.

According to Ingram, the results are expected to be verified and available Friday morning.

Fmr. Secretary of State speaks at Millett

By Erin Fischesser Editor in Chief Emeritus

Miami University students were able to get a behind the scenes view into one of the prominent members of the George W. Bush administration when former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Thursday, March 31.

Rice’s speech focused mainly on the current American successes and what the United States needs to do to continue its longstanding tradition of leading the international community.

Rice said her struggles in dealing with issues as secretary of state were eased by a saying she often repeated to herself, an adage she thinks Americans need to remember during trying times as well.

“Today’s headlines and history’s judgments are rarely the same,” Rice said, admitting the headlines guide today’s conversation, but the actions taken will be judged differently later.

She said education may hold the answer to solving the nation’s biggest problems.

“The state of our K through 12 education is our greatest national security threat today,” Rice said.

Outside the borders, Rice said threats to America’s well being are made by failing states, not those that are thriving. She cited this as the reason the United States needs to be active in aiding states that are deteriorating, particularly those in the

Middle East.

“This is a very tough battle, but it is one from which we cannot shirk,” Rice said. “We cannot turn away.”

Rice said the continuing call for democratization in the Middle East is crucial.

“We are going to see now contested politics in the Middle East, and it’s going to be rough and it’s going to be turbulent,” she said. “Once people are in the streets, it’s much, much harder to have a democratic revolution than before they are in the streets.”

Rice was also optimistic about the

recovery of the United States’ economy and reiterated the necessity of immigrants in the nation’s success.

“It doesn’t matter where you came from, it matters where you’re going,” Rice said.

Many of the students, parents, alumni and community members in the estimated crowd of 5,000 at Millett Hall were impressed by Rice’s speech. Nearly all of them gave her a standing ovation upon her exit.

Senior David Miller appreciated Rice’s comment that she wished the

wSee SPEECH, page 2

SAMANTHA LUDINGTION The Miami Student

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice speaks at Millett Hall on Thursday.

Ingram: work harder, play smarter Rice lecture price revealed

By Lauren Ceronie Campus Editor

Tuesday, Student Body President Heath Ingram commended Miami University’s strong student body and challenged the university to continue to improve in his State of the Student Body Address.

“The state of Miami University’s student body is strong and it is, without a doubt, only getting stronger,” Ingram said. “Our university has a lot to be proud of this year as we have received national recognition for a myriad of exceptional accomplishments.”

Miami’s recent ranking as second in the nation for excellence in undergraduate teaching, the university’s high four-year graduation rate and successful athletic teams and student organizations demonstrate the strength of the university, according to Ingram. Ingram challenged Miami to improve further through the Miami Legacy Initiative and the construction of the Armstrong Student Center (ASC.) During the address, Ingram spoke of the Miami Legacy Initiative, which is designed to help

students understand Miami’s history and traditions, create lasting pride in Miami and enhance the value of the Miami degree.

“The Miami Legacy Initiative is designed to develop pride, love and respect from the earliest days of a student’s experience at Miami and help it last for the rest of their lives,” Ingram said.

Part of the Miami Legacy Initiative includes connecting with Miami alumni and soliciting donations in order to make Miami more competitive with schools such as Princeton University and Dartmouth University, Ingram said.

“If we really want to compete we need to begin engendering students with an expectation to give back to Miami and invest in their degree,” Ingram said. “I don’t want to say we’re going to be the best undergraduate university in Ohio or the best school in the Midwest, we should be the best school in the nation.”

President David Hodge, who attended the address, said in a later interview he felt the initiative let students know the future of Miami is in their hands.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY HEATH INGRAM

Student Body President Heath Ingram talks to the audience at his State of the Student Body address.

“The initiative crystallizes what has been part of every president’s agenda, we are concerned that people understand Miami’s history and tradition and what students themselves can do,” Hodge said.

In the address, Ingram challenged students to “work harder and play smarter.” This will improve Miami’s reputation and enhance the value of a degree from the university, according to Ingram.

“I don’t want students to slave over work but we need to make sure we’re doing the best we can to be good students and make sure we’re representing Miami at all times,” Ingram said in a later interview.

Ingram also challenged the administration to build better infrastructure for international students.

“We as a community must recognize that we play an important role in creating a more accepting environment for people of all different backgrounds,” Ingram said.

Finding ways to accommodate international students is high on the administration’s agenda, according to Hodge.

“We’ve had this very rapid increase of international students who have a hugely positive impact on the university but now we need to find ways to accommodate their needs better,” Hodge said.

The Miami Legacy Initiative and the construction of the ASC both act to build the Miami family, according to Ingram.

“The Miami Legacy Initiative is an attempt to engender students with a sense pride and the Armstrong Student Center provides a space, a physical facility, for students to begin that,” Ingram said in a later interview.

The ASC will revolutionize the way Miami students and organizations interact and give students much needed study space, according to Ingram. said.

Ingram said he hopes the Miami Legacy Initiative, ASC and his challenges to the student body will help Miami continue to be a remarkable university in the future.

Jenkins: Oak misspoke, apologized Contract contained no confidentiality clause

By Adam Giffi Senior Staff Writer

Miami University has set the record straight on the issue of the speaker fee for Condoleezza Rice’s Thursday address.

John Skillings, interim provost, contacted The Miami Student to reveal the sum and clear up any misgivings about what qualifies as public record. Skillings said both he and President Hodge were surprised to read that the sum had not been revealed by the business school.

“The information about Condoleeza Rice’s fee is a public record,” Skillings said. “It’s $150,000 that she is being paid for her visit.”

According to Skillings, the nondisclosure clause referenced earlier in the week does not exist in the final version of the contract.

“Here’s what I believe happened: that it was in the original document but as a public institution we had to strike that out because we have to abide by the state laws and we are in an open records situation,” Skillings said. “That was stricken out of the final document that was signed. Frankly I don’t know what document Alan Oak had in front of him, and again I’m not here to criticize him, but the document that we have over here does not have a nondisclosure clause.”

Alan Oak, associate dean for external relations of the Farmer School of Business, who originally stated the fee could not be revealed due to the non-disclosure clause, said he was in error.

“I misspoke,” Oak said. “I had not reviewed the contract specifically. The contract that was provided to us did have the confidentiality initially but it was crossed out. It was an unintentional error on my part.”

Roger Jenkins, dean of the FSB, said no confusion was intended and the FSB fully supports Oak.

BY THE NUMBERS Amount paid to Condoleezza Rice for her lecture

$150,000

Price per minute for Rice’s approximately 90-minute lecture

$1,666

“Alan is an extraordinarily competent professional, he has impeccable integrity and he misspoke,” Jenkins said. “He made an error.

We all do and he has apologized.

I certainly wouldn’t make more of that then what it was. I don’t defend his error, and regret that that occurred, as he does, but we all make mistakes and the university is still very fortunate to have him.”

According to Jenkins, institutional discussions will be occurring to ensure similar issues do not occur in the future.

“What happened this time has already become the foundation, the catalyst, for making sure that it never happens again,” Jenkins said.

“If the university and administration feels like it is safer to just to say up front that ‘a speaker is coming in and here is the fee,’ I have no problem with that at all.”

Skillings reiterated earlier comments, stating the contract has been paid entirely through a donation specifically provided to Miami for fees to bring world leaders to campus.

“All of those funds are being provided by Jack and Marie Anderson’s lecture fund,” Skillings said.

“Those funds can only be used for this purpose. The fee that we are

wSee RICE, page 2

4

Campus

Friday

April 1, 2011

NEWS BRIEFS

Editors Lauren Ceronie Jenni Wiener campus@miamistudent.net

Editor Amanda Seitz specialreports@miamistudent.net

SPECIAL REPORTS

Colleges look to ease cost

EVENT Wilks program holds open house

Some universities find innovative ways to keep tuition down

By Matt Levy

The Harry T. Wilks Leadership Institute and the Department of Geography will hold an open house where the public can offer input for the sustainable development of the south side of Oxford.

The open house will take place Monday, April 4 from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Community Room of LNBC National Bank.

The Wilks program “Shaping Sustainable Communities” has worked with national planning expert Randall Arendt, the Geography department, and the Oxford community to find ways to develop the south side of Oxford in a responsible way.

For more information contact David Prytherch at prythedl@ muohio.edu or 513-529-9284.

The event is free and open to the public.

Senior Staff Writer

In an economy characterized by climbing prices of almost everything – from clothes to gasoline to movie tickets – how do we pay for one of the largest investments in life we will ever make: college?

The cost of a college education has risen several fold over the past couple decades and with the current economic crisis, budgets are tighter than ever. Miami University, for example, currently costs $22,464 for in-state students per year, excluding textbooks and other miscellaneous personal expenses. The university appears to be trying to ensure the quality of its education does not diminish in the face of budget cuts, such as Ohio Governor John Kasich’s recently-proposed 14.5 percent ($9.7 million) cut to Miami, but the cost of a Miami diploma remains high nonetheless. Some universities are exploring alternative strategies.

Enter Sewanee: The University of the South. Located in Sewanee, Tennessee, this small private university gained national

attention recently when it announced a bold plan – to cut tuition by 10 percent.

“The economic climate has changed in recent years, and higher education’s approach to how families pay for their children’s educations must change with it,” said Laurie Saxton, Director of Media Relations at Sewanee via email. “The days of high fees and high discount rates are coming to an end.”

According to Saxton, the university, by charging lower fees, will receive less money but might be compensated with a larger applicant pool and more donations.

“We have already received some support from foundations and increased alumni pledges because of the tuition cut,” Saxton said.

Saxton said although it is too early to know precisely what impact this decision will have, the numbers are undoubtedly up. According to Saxton, the campus received 23 percent more interested visitors than it had at this time last year.

A counterpoint to Sewanee’s plan is that it will not truly have a meaningful impact.

According to Matthew Denhart, the

administrative director and a research associate at the Center of College Affordability and Productivity in Washington, D.C., there are other factors to consider as well.

“What is important when talking about affordability is ‘net tuition’ rather than ‘sticker price,’” Denhart said. “Sewanee has announced a reduction in sticker price. If financial aid packages are likewise reduced then college does not really become more affordable for students.”

In other words, financial aid could be one of the assets reduced with Sewanee’s cuts.

Denhart noted that a lower “sticker price” does not necessarily mean students will be more likely to pay out-of-pocket to attend Sewanee, which he viewed as a good development.

According to Denhart, the Sewanee case is interesting because it goes against what he views is the national trend for universities to charge more and more as their budgets keep getting cut and public universities in Ohio are

wSee COST, page 9

CORRECTIONS It is the policy of The Miami Student to publish corrections for factual errors found in the newspaper.

The March 29 brief, “Alumni name rooms in Armstrong Center” said Roy and Barbara Ostberg have the honor of naming two meeting rooms and a study room within the Armstrong Student Center after their $15 million naming gift last June. The actual $15 million naming gift was made by Mike and Anne Armstrong (1961) not

by Roy and Barbara Ostberg.

It also says “These tiles can be purchased starting at $200 and are only available for alumni and friends within the center.” While the wide range of recognition opportunities within the Armstrong Center begin at $200, the tiles themselves are $2,000.

Mock Trial advances to national championship

By Allison McGillivray For the Miami Student

The Miami University Mock Trial Program will take eight students to compete at the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) National Championship Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa April 15 to 17.

According to Professor Dan Herron, founder and director of the Miami Mock Trial Program, this year marks the 10-year anniversary of Miami Mock Trial winning the national championship.

“This is the 10 year reunion of the national team,” Herron said.

“Maybe history will repeat itself.”

According to Herron, at the beginning of every season the AMTA publishes a fictitious case that each university mock trial team must argue in their tournaments.

“This year it is the wrongful death case of two-year old Joey Davis who swallowed some of his sister’s toy beads,” Herron said. “He did not choke on them but the allegations are that he died from a toxic chemical that was in the beads.”

The structure of mock trial cases are similar to actual court cases, according to Herron.

“It is presented exactly like trial,”

Professor documents Columbus Day Dispute

By Samantha Callender For The Miami Student

After a lead that “something was going to happen,” Leighton Peterson, an assistant professor of anthropology at Miami University, decided to capture the essence of it all on film.

It was 2006 at Colorado College when Peterson first caught wind of the Italian American and Native American dispute over the Columbus Day Holiday.

The following year, Peterson came back with funds and a film crew, ready to capture the story and “let (opposing sides) tell it,” Peterson said.

Columbus Day Legacy, a documentary produced by Peterson and directed

by Navajo filmmaker Bennie Klien, takes place in the center of the Columbus Day Parade in Denver, where Italian Americans and Native Americans clash over the holiday.

The documentary explains how many Italian Americans revere it as an important part of their history, revering and praising the good works of Christopher Columbus, according to Peterson. The film also highlights how many Native Americans find offense in the celebration of the holiday they feel condones the genocide and mistreatment of the indigenous peoples by Christopher Columbus, Peterson said. Putting the viewer in the center of the disputes, the documentary chronicles the tensions that arise between the Italian Americans and Native Americans. From the protest to the violence that ensues, the film highlights the racial and cultural tensions that are the central focus of the dispute.

Peterson and his crew present both sides of the argument, adding commentary and interviews with people on both sides of the issue. Allowing each side

to tell their story was crucial to the film, said Peterson.

Rayna Rogers, a sophomore who attended a special viewing of the film said, “One thing I liked about the film was that it showed where (historically) both the Italian Americans and Native Americans were coming from in their stance on the issue of celebrating the holiday. It didn’t give off any type of bias to me. It just let both sides give their story -- which I think was kind of powerful.”

Peterson said the film goes further than merely telling a story. “This film is deeper than just telling of the Columbus Day Parade (and celebration),” Peterson said. “It also tells of race and history.

It raises the question of whether or not you can say ‘it’s just history?’ or is there something deeper?”

First-year Stephanie Reed also viewed the documentary.

“I never even knew that such controversy surrounding the topic,” she said.

“It made me want to go discover even more history about Columbus and what exactly it was that he did.”

Peterson produced a film prior to Columbus Day Legacy entitled Weaving Worlds which is a documentary that shows the cultural and economic significance of the art of weaving Navajo rugs.

According to Peterson, he lets the films tell the story to an audience where “All (I) can do is pique the interest.”

Columbus Day Legacy will be airing on public television on Kentucky Education Television and other local stations. Check local listings for times. It also will be available soon on DVD and is available online. Further information about the documentary can be found at http://www.nativetelecom. org/columbus_day_legacy.

Herron said. “You have opening statements, you have direct examinations of your own witnesses, the other team cross-examines your witness, they present witnesses you cross examine.”

Each team argues this case four times at every tournament. They argue twice on the plaintiff side and twice for the defense. Each of the four cases is judged by two judges who give the team either a win or loss on their ballot. Whatever team has the best record out of eight ballots wins their tournament.

One of Miami’s four mock trial teams placed first at their regional

tournament by receiving eight out of eight ballots, according to Herron. They then qualified for the national tournament after placing in the top six of their opening round tournament.

“You have to finish in the top six group,” Herron said. “Our top team finished in that. Our second team actually finished seventh, literally a point away from qualifying a second team to nationals.”

According to Herron, the national tournament is divided into two divisions. Each division

wSee TRIAL, page 9

Students try for Emmy Award

By Alexandra Tirrell For The Miami Student

Earlier this year, Miami University students were star struck by the presence of professional actor and film producer George Clooney on campus, but unknown to many students, another sort of film production is here on campus, in the form of a capstone course.

The class, offered by the mass communication department, is Narrative Film Production.

Every spring semester, 16 to 20 applicants are chosen to create a completely student produced film and hopefully win an Emmy Award.

This class is instructed by communications professors David Scholle and Sam Ribbler, both of whom have much experience in the field of film.

“We give the students independence up to a point, but we are always available to assist them on set,” Sholle said. “We also hire two professionals, a gaffer and an LA pro who advises the students.”

This year, both of those professionals are Miami graduates from the communications department. AJ Epstein has been a director of photography for seven Hollywood movies, including Exodus with Andy Garcia and Aidan Quinn. The other is Hollywood electrical expert Jake Hossfeld, who worked on the movie Unstoppable with Denzel Washington, as well as on the recent Clooney movie shot here on campus.

Each student is given a role in producing the movie, from writer to director.

“It’s all student decided,” said co-producer of the film, senior Andrew Bray. “We decide to produce that film, we raise the budget. We approach it as a professional studio film.”

The class begins with the students voting on which script they want to bring to life. This year, they chose senior Evan White’s.

“I was going to make the film anyways, but I think it’s great that it’s something that the whole class can do,” White said. “What’s been

really cool is seeing the script change.”

Named The Cure, the script is about a family that has recently moved to the country, and their struggle to adapt to their new surroundings. Then, a mysterious outbreak completely turns things upside down and, as Bray described it, “our main character must survive the spread of madness in search of The Cure.”

Unique to other student-produced films, The Cure’s cast is completely made up of characters older than college students.

“One of the goals decided is that we want to make a film without any college age actors,” Bray said. “So our main cast has no students in it.”

The crew held auditions in Hamilton and Cincinnati.

When the film is finished, the students will look to submit it in regional festivals.

“Past films from this class have won Student Emmys,” Sholle said. “Rx won the regional Student Emmy for best student film.

Written Off also won the same Emmy and was selected for the Rochester International Film Festival.”

Such experience in a professional and successful film setting will no doubt help the future of these students in the film industry.

“So much of working in TV and film is procedural learning,” White said. “The only way you can get better at it is practicing.”

He added that he will come out of this capstone with not only a newly sharpened skill set, but also a film he can show off in the industry.

The crew is filming March 25 to 27 and April 1 to 3. Because this production is completely student run, including the fundraising, they are encouraging donations to be sent to www.IndieGoGo.com/TheCure.

For interested prospective film aspirers, visit http://www.users.muohio.edu/sholled/ Capstone_Pictures/Home.html to view past films and the application.

Community

Editor Melissa Tacchi community@miamistudent.net

Friday

April 1, 2011

5

Bomb threat causes lockdown

By Justin Reash For The Miami Student

Juveniles nearly derail train, receive citations Two juveniles were arrested Tuesday night after tampering with the railroad tracks and may still see additional charges, police reports said. CSX employees were chasing several white juveniles when officers arrived, according to police reports. Police reports said a loud ‘pop’ noise signaled the conductor of the train to perform an emergency stop. They found spikes and ties across the tracks that would have derailed the train had it not been for them stopping, police reports said. The two juveniles were cited for railroad vandalism, trespassing and interference with train operations.

Law enforcement units from Miami University, Middletown and Cincinnati were called to Talawanda High School to enforce a lockdown after a bomb threat was received on a secretary’s voicemail March 25.

According to superintendent Phil Cagwin, the threat was left by a young-sounding voice.

“After a thorough examination of the school, we decided it was a prank and returned students to their classes around 11:30,” Cagwin said.

Cagwin said they had reason to believe the call was made by a student.

“There were recent disciplinary actions taken by the assistant principal and that’s who they thought it was leaving the message because the voice was young,” Cagwin said.

According to Cagwin, the high school has a district crisis plan for these situations, which was developed in coordination with the Oxford Police Department and state organizations.

“Initially, we search the gym before any other room,” Cagwin said. “After that we move the students into the gym and work our way through each classroom.”

In a school of over 1,000 students, news of the threat spread quickly.

Cagwin believes students contacted

One Miami University sophomore may have found himself in several places he would not have expected Wednesday night.

Police reports said 20-year-old Richard S. Kertis III pushed past two female students to get inside their home at about 3 a.m. before a short chase with the police. Kertis had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath, slurred speech and had trouble standing up, according to police reports. He had an Ohio driver’s license that didn’t belong to him and was issued citations for burglary, underage drinking and having a fake ID before being transported to Butler County Jail, police reports said.

extremely encouraging to see that with our capacities,” Cagwin said.

Miami senior Nick Webber believes serious events like these are to be expected in all high school communities.

“Obviously a bomb threat is to be taken very seriously,” Webber said. “However, a serious event like this should be expected periodically by people living in the immediate area of the school.”

The news of the threat didn’t seem as common to Miami junior Emily Cameron.

“Considering that Oxford is a small community I am alarmed that such a serious incident like a bomb threat occurred,” Cameron said.

School buses adapt to increasing gas prices

By Liz Carpenter

Sophomore eludes officers, enters home

their parents through text messages.

“After talking with our people, I think the parents handled the situation very well,” Cagwin said.

This was the first threat on the school in many years and it is quite uncommon for a bomb threat to be reported in the community of Oxford.

“We haven’t had one in the four years I have been here, but we have to take them all seriously,” Cagwin said.

Cagwin said he was impressed by the response time and professionalism of the law enforcement departments involved.

“The K9 units from Miami, Middletown and Cincinnati were absolutely efficient and it was

For the Miami Student

A 30 percent increase in gas prices has Talawanda and Miami University bus systems exploring solutions to become more efficient.

Because it is difficult to make changes to routes and scheduling mid-semester, the most significant change has been increasing the budget.

Talawanda School District superintendent Phil Cagwin said the district had budgeted with the knowledge that maintaining the current bus schedule would be more costly.

“We have not determined yet whether or not we’ll be able to change our bus schedules significantly,” Cagwin said. “What we have done is budgeted in the increased cost because of the price fluctuation.”

Talawanda’s school system is bound by law to pick up elementary students regardless of where they live. According to

Cagwin, this regulation makes the inflated prices even more problematic. Transporting students living 15 or 20 miles away from school is a significant cost considering the increasing gas prices.

“We currently bus all elementary students that live further than a mile from the school they attend and by law we could extend that to a two mile radius so that would mean more students walking to school,” Cagwin said.

Another option that remains for Talawanda is not transporting high school students because by law they do not need public transportation. The downfall of this option is that high schools and middle schools are on the same routes. The only major change would be fewer students on the bus, not shorter routes, Cagwin said.

The Miami Metro bus system is also feeling the effects of high gas costs. Vanessa Cummings, assistant director of parking and transportation, said there are no plans to change the Miami bus routes mid-semester.

Oxford welcomes Thanksgiving everyday

IRS seeks students for job openings The IRS is recruiting seniors graduating from Miami University.

“Miami University is one of three schools here in Ohio that we consider core schools, the others being Ohio University and Ohio State,” Jennifer Jenkins, employee of the IRS, said.

According to Jenkins, recruiting events will take place on campus April 11.

Jenkins said all students are welcome to come to these events to learn more about the jobs being offered and what will be expected of them if hired. These jobs will be open to anyone, but more specifically would be beneficial to students who are graduating with business or accounting majors.

First year Anna McFadden is looking forward to the opportunity.

“I think it’s a good sign (Miami is recruited) because it shows the IRS sees Miami students as well prepared for the business world.”

The IRS will begin the application process in the near future.

“We do project that there should be a couple job openings posted on the USA Jobs website within the next month,” Jenkins said. “USA Jobs will have the application on it for anyone who wants to apply.”

By Shannon Pesek Senior Staff Writer

Oxford residents and Miami University students will soon be able to have a classic Thanksgiving dinner any day of the week thanks to a new restaurant.

According to Oxford Economic Development Director Alan Kyger, the new restaurant, TGD, will serve turkey, roast beef and all the sides of a classic Thanksgiving Day dinner.

Kyger said TGD will open on 19 W. High St. where Double D Diner used to be located.

He further stated that the restaurant will be “Chipotle styled.”

“TGD will be a combo of a good, old-fashioned sit-down restaurant with fast service,” Kyger said. “It’s the perfect restaurant for customers who are hungry but do not want to go to a sit-down restaurant and who do not want fast food.”

According to Kyger, the restaurant is being started by Miami graduate Nino Natale, which he said will provide an advantage for the company.

“They are starting a new franchise from scratch, so they are going to do it in a place that they are comfortable with and know,” Kyger said. “They are familiar with the clientele, the competition and the number of potential customers.”

Natale is more than excited to start up a franchise in Oxford and has devised a detailed advertising plan.

“To reach to the community, we plan on utilizing fraternities and sororities,” Natale said. “Any person that is in, or mentions, the fraternity or sorority of the day will have all the money donated to the group’s philanthropy.”

Kyger said the first week the restaurant is in business will likely be busy and then it’s up to service to prove the longevity of the business.

“The question is price, product and service,” Kyger said. “If it has these, it will be successful.”

The nearest TGD restaurant to the soonto-be one in Oxford is in Canton, Ohio, Kyger said.

First-year student Emily Hertel is thrilled to have such a unique idea for a restaurant coming to Oxford.

“Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays,” she said. “You cannot get much better than food that tastes homemade at a fast-food speed. I cannot wait for TGD to open.”

However, Cummings said they “encourage people to utilize the buses more instead of driving.”

Miami students, faculty and staff can all use the bus. Senior Karen Rassieur takes advantage of this opportunity.

“My friends and I used the bus system all the time freshman year and it was so fun,” Rassieur said. “With gas getting more and more expensive, I think riding it more often is beneficial to everyone and the environment.”

According to Cummings, there could be slight modifications to the routes in the future to increase the ridership and efficiency.

She said at certain times of the day the buses leave Millett at the same time and although they don’t go to all the same places, it may appear that way.

“I don’t foresee significant changes for next year’s route, just striving to reduce any redundancy in routes and to be more efficient,“ Cummings said.

Reporting by Hannah Stein For the Miami Student

Indian restaurant opens doors uptown Darbar Indian Restaurant has become the most recent of three Indian restaurants to come to Oxford over the past several years.

Darbar Indian, located on 24 E Park Place, opened its doors to the public March 21.

“On Monday we opened just for dinner and it was a great day,” restaurant spokesperson Harmit Ghuman said. “We had a great response and we’ve established some regulars, some people we’ve seen two or three times come back already.”

The restaurant has high hopes for itself despite the two other Indian restaurants in close proximity.

“I think it’s good (to have the other two restaurants) because it provides more competition (and) I think competition pushes everyone to their best,” Ghuman said.

While many people may enjoy the new Indian restaurant, others think that the area could benefit more from a greater variety of restaurants.

“I think that it is good that Oxford has diverse restaurants that contain more than just traditional American food,” firstyear Alyssa Rosen said. “But I think that having three Indian restaurants … is excessive.”

Despite the competition, Darbar Indian believes it has great potential because it has an experienced chef who worked for Ambar India, one of the best Indian restaurants in Cincinnati, Ghuman said.

“You don’t just become the best (immediately),” she said. “I feel like because of that we have the most experience. I think with that experience we are the best food that you can possibly get in Ohio (and) we are very happy with the business.”

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO The Miami Student

TGD, a new uptown restaurant, will be offering Thanksgiving food for Oxford tables on a daily basis.

Reporting by Hannah Stein For the Miami Student

6

Opinion

Friday April 1, 2011

Editors Noëlle Bernard Thomasina Johnson editorial@miamistudent.net

➤ EDITORIAL

The following piece, written by the editorial editors, reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board.

Talawanda, Miami bus reroute must benefit students As gas prices continue to climb, both the Talawanda School District and the Miami University Metro system are considering methods for cutting transportation costs. Talawanda is considering expanding the no-pick-up radius to two miles for elementary students and no bus service for high school students.

Starting in the fall, the Miami Metro may make small reroute changes to some buses in order to be more efficient.

The editorial board of The Miami Student understands the budget constraints of both situations and encourages students to take advantage of buses and walking in good weather. Buses save gas money for students and walking is a healthy, environmentally-conscious method of getting to and from school.

However, before transportation is cut or changed, the best interests of the students must be considered for both cases.

Because the new high school is located by Route 27, a potentially traffic-heavy and dangerous area, students must have alternatives to safe ways of getting home if buses are cut. This board encourages the school district to build safe,

well-lit, easily-accessible sidewalks connecting the school to Oxford residential areas in order to help ensure that those students who can walk to school get there safely. If buses are removed, students must have another alternative to a safe way to get to and from school.

This board also recommends the Miami Metro system re-examine bus routes in order to lower the amount of idle buses and increase the amount of riders for each route.

In the experience of this board, students take the buses to and from Millett Hall when there is a sporting event.

Often, the buses are sitting idle for long periods of time and the amount of riders at the Millett stop is few when there is no game.

This board recommends Millett should be one of first stops to be reevaluated.

Looking ahead to the future of student transportation, this board is eager to see buses that use alternative fuels, such as natural gas, biofuels and electricity. Although these buses may seem expensive investments, if gas prices continue to rise, they may slash fuel costs and help Miami breathe a bit easier.

Rule of thumb April Fool’s day!

Why so serious?

Xavier University and Miami University baseball game cancelled America’s favorite pastime gets the cold shoulder.

Winners of the Associated Student Government’s elections Congratulations on a great campaign to whoever you may be.

Snow

April flurries bring ... May flowers?

Andy Miele Congratulations for being one of the last three finalists for the Hobey Baker award!

Miscommunication about Condi’s contract The price of Condoleezza Rice’s lecture should have been crystal clear.

Thumb and Thumber Submit your Thumbs online at

www.miamistudent.net/thumbs.

We’ll print our favorites!

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

EDITORIAL BOARD Sam Kay Editor in Chief Bethany Bruner News Editor Colleen Yates Managing Editor Hunter Stenback Online Editor Noëlle Bernard Editorial Editor Thomasina Johnson Editorial Editor

Lauren Ceronie Campus Editor Jenni Weiner Campus Editor Melissa Tacchi Community Editor Michael Solomon Sports Editor Amanda Seitz Special Reports Editor Samantha Ludington Photo Editor

NOAH CARL The Miami Student

➤ LETTERS

Graffiti article educates, raises awareness In a response to The Miami Student article about the graffiti that occurred in prelude to Condoleezza Rice’s highly anticipated visit to Oxford. Tim Trovillion wrote his opinion criticizing The Miami Student, claiming that publically detailing the events that occurred may lead to copycat cases or new examples of graffiti. While I hardly care about a few scribbles on a wall put up by a couple of hoodlums, I think that Mr. Trovillion is advocating a shortsighted and potentially damaging idea that I see creeping up in our country.

I’m speaking of the idea of hiding from facts and information.

Unfortunately, parents and government officials feel that we should keep children and citizens in bubbles. We should make the easy decisions in exchange for losing our longterm ability to progress. Moreover, we should ignore the graffiti and simply hope that it goes away, if you will. We seem to want to simply just get by in our current world, instead of trying to change it or make a difference.

I advocate that we face our problems, information and facts directly. Rather than hiding the graffiti, wouldn’t it have been better for campus officials to open up a public forum on how we as citizens can stop the defacement of property? Wouldn’t it have been great if the vandals had an outlet to become educated on their wrongs, or at least a place to voice their grievances?

Freedom of the press is vital to the attainment of a society where everyone feels included. Therefore while many of us do not like what the vandals did, we should be comforted by the fact that we have an aware and focused group of people willing to face reality. Knowledge is power, but not an accessory to graffiti.

David Small

smallde@muohio.edu

Al-Qaradawi’s policies stand against democracy Unless you have been on Mars for the past month or so, (and even Mars gets CNN, I think) you are aware of what has been and is still happening in Egypt today. On Jan. 25, protests began against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s regime. These escalated until Feb. 11 when Mubarak stepped down from office and the Egyptian military took control of the nation. At first glance, it appears as if all is beginning to bode well for the Egyptian people, as they begin to establish democracy.

But the loss of Mubarak may come at a price.

Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a man who left Egypt in 1961 after numerous imprisonments by former president Gamal Abdul Nasser for hateful language and affiliation with terrorist organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood, and was banned from the U.S. and the U.K. for the very same reasons, has returned to Egypt.

He spoke to the crowds at Tahrir Square Friday, Feb. 18 about the rebellion won by the Egyptians and on the future of the region. On the same day, The New York Times reported that Qaradawi has come to stand in Egypt for democracy and pluralism. But his record of hateful speech and actions around the world tell a much different story about him.

On Al-Jazeera TV in January 2009,

al-Qaradawi was quoted as saying Hitler was a “divine tool” sent against the Jewish people. Later in the same sermon, he called upon Allah to “take this oppressive, Jewish, Zionist band of people. Oh Allah, do not spare a single one of them. Oh Allah, count their numbers, and kill them, down to the very last one.” And in January 1998, the Associated Press quoted al-Qaradawi as writing, “There should be no dialogue with these people (Israelis) except with swords.”

Al-Qaradawi has not only spoken out against the Jews and Israel, he was also instrumental in the formation of the riots that occurred across the Middle East in 2005 and 2006 in response to the Danish Muhammad cartoon. On Sept. 30, 2005, Denmark’s biggest daily newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, published a series of 12 cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. One, which was perceived as highly offensive, showed the Prophet with a bomb on top of his turban.

In response, the Arab world protested heavily and violently against Denmark.

These protests resulted in many deaths, including 127 people in Nigeria as a result of church burnings. As several Arab leaders tried to calm the populace, al-Qaradawi rejected calming the violence and in a sermon on Feb. 3, 2006, he declared that day as an international day of rage. He also rejected Denmark’s official apology and declared that, “We say to those Europeans: We can get by without you, but you cannot get by without us. We can get by without your products.”

He also has spoken out in support of the “right” of Muslim men to beat their wives, and has publicly supported the practice of female genital mutilation. Qaradawi writes that “a father who finds it serving the interest of his daughters should do it, and I personally support this under the current circumstances in the modern world.”

Yusuf al-Qaradawi is a hateful man who has called for violent action against Israel and the American Armed Forces. He has spoken out against women’s rights, against religious freedom and against our American values of free speech and freedom of the press. To say that Yusuf al-Qaradawi and others like him, who are now resurfacing in Egypt, are here to support democracy and pluralism is to be blind to the dangers that these radicals present to a country that is to rebuild and create a true democracy for themselves.

Jason Rembrant

rembrajn@muohio.edu

➤ WRITE US

All letters must be signed in order to be printed.

Please send letters via e-mail to:

editorial@miamistudent.net We reserve the right to edit for length, content and clarity.

Opinion

THE MIAMI STUDENT

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2011 ♦ 7

➤ PERCEIVING REALITY

➤ NOëLLE’S NOTIONS

Honors segregates Miami

New ‘History Channel’ surprisingly watchable

The Miami Plan. A topic I promised myself I would never, ever touch again.

But today, I again find myself motivated to bring this subject to the attention of my fellow students. During this week’s Miami University Student Ambassadors meeting, I discovered the rumors I’d been hearing were true; that all current Karli first year and any future Kloss honors students are not being held accountable to the same Miami Plan requirements as the rest of the student body. Before I begin the diatribe, first allow me to elaborate to those who are unfamiliar with the new honors requirements.

In lieu of the five foundation areas we’ve become so accustomed to, these students will have to complete requirements from three Tiers. Tier One — “Laying the Foundation” — has students get their feet wet by volunteering in the community or a research lab, or even joining a book club. Tier Two — “Defining Your Journey” — has them work deeper in an area of interest, like perhaps studying abroad or being an undergraduate teaching assistant to a professor. Tier Three — “Owning Your Education” — finishes the Miami experience with advanced seminars and real world interaction, such as implementing a community service project or giving a presentation at a national conference. To be a graduate of the honors program, you must complete nine of these ‘experiences’ and at least one from each Tier, in addition to keeping an online and ongoing portfolio of your honors experiences; where you’ve seen growth and where you would like to see improvement — a four-year reflective paper, if you will.

Nowhere is there a mention of math, science or humanities-specific requirements.

Now comes the part that will keep my inbox teeming full for the next week. This new program is completely bogus.

A year and a half ago, I wrote one of my first pieces as a lengthy complaint about Miami Plan science requirements.

Smacking of sophomore naiveté, the piece was somewhat churlish and I received quite the backlash. Between patronizing comments in class by professors and downright insulting emails from some of the faculty, I realized this was a serious and sensitive subject for many. However, through lengthy discussions with professors, and a few conversations with John Tassoni, the head of Liberal Education, I began to understand the importance of all these areas of study when it comes to achieving a truly liberal education. We may not always like the system, but it is something each student is held accountable for completing. The science and math requirements suck for social science majors and I have yet to meet a business kid that actually enjoyed his world cultures requirement. Yet, this is how Miami has chosen to define a liberal education and how we are expected to gain the rounded experience that characterizes Miami’s core academic values.

I find it insulting that honors students will be held to a standard separate from the rest of the students attending this school.

These students are given broad-based categories through which they may take their own initiatives. Important to note though, there is nothing that says these initiatives need be outside their major area of study.

This undermines the purpose of academic diversification (i.e. liberal education).

We are told what classes will enhance our education and we take them with exasperation and sometimes anxiety. The classes that have most damaged my cumulative GPA were all Miami Plan. This is how it works and I’ve accepted that, but I will agree with LibEd in that I am a better student because of these challenges.

However, to discriminate graduation requirements based upon program distinction is supremely unfair. Going over the new honors requirements, I believe I qualify as a de facto honors student from the work I completed over the years, but I’m still obligated to take statistics next semester. And I’m hardly the only one.

I fully anticipate a reaction from the faculty for this piece, but I encourage you, my peers and audience, to get more involved in the changes that are occurring on our campus; outright activism is usually a lofty goal, but staying informed is never a bad thing and we should all be aware of evolving policy, whether we’re directly affected or not.

What is your initial impression that comes to mind when you hear the words, The History Channel? Do you immediately think, “Oh, my dad and grandfather watch that channel religiously?” Or do you imagine hour-long programs with aged professors and scholars analyzing the motivations of Adolph Hitler or United States involvement in the Vietnam Noëlle War? Is it even a cable netBernard work that you would consider devoting two hours of your day to watch?

My younger brother is an avid History Channel watcher and I used to be convinced that I would never be caught sitting in front of the television screen listening to Edward Herrmann (formerly starred as Richard Gilmore in Gilmore Girl) narrate stories on World War II misconceptions. It seemed completely sexist and utterly boring to watch old men bicker about the interlocking clues of history. But I have to admit my views have drastically changed.

To be honest, I find history interesting, but spending my coveted hours after school watching television shows about history are not my idea of an entertaining time well

spent. Instead, I would rather enjoy mindnumbing shows like Keeping Up with the Kardashians to keep my attention away from 40-page reading assignments. However, The History Channel is not just for your grandfather anymore, it has changed its demographic focus and it is now one of my go-to channels.

I think the network has changed so that now, instead of aiming to reach prodominetly white 25 and 54 year old males they are reaching out to women too. Yes, you will find those daylong series about the Crusades or the Founding Fathers, but you will also find shows such as American Pickers and Pawn Stars that attract younger viewers.

These are the shows that my remote seems to gravitate towards. I remember stumbling upon one of my new favorite shows, American Pickers while searching for a show that my boyfriend and I both agreed to watch.

He wanted to watch Family Guy and I was determined to have him sit through another 30 minutes of Say Yes to the Dress. But then this ingenious show about two 30-year-old guys from Iowa, knocking on dilapidated doors in search of unusual antiques stole our attention and ended our feud. We were immediately captivated.

According to The History Channel’s website, the show’s mission is to “recycle

America, even if it means diving into countless piles of grimy junk or getting chased off a gun-wielding homeowner’s land.” It is a show about Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, “hitting back roads from coast to coast, earning a living by restoring forgotten relics to their former glory, transforming one person’s trash into another’s treasure.”

The introduction to American Pickers gave my boyfriend and I a show that we can now both agree on watching. We don’t argue over who can control the remote because both know that if it is between 8 and 11 p.m. we are bound to find a repeated episode of American Pickers or even Pawn Stars. I would never have guessed that I would go as far as to say that I prefer to watch The History Channel than catching up on missed episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. Watching Mike and Frank sift through piles of what looks like garbage to find a unique “Standard Oil” sign or a 1920s dress form connects me to American history on a special level. I wish I had an American history where family members held on to great-grandmother’s sewing machine. But unfortunately, I do not because I am a first-generation American and my family heirlooms are lost in transit. Instead, I rely on obtaining the relics of other people’s history to enrich my connection to America. The History Channel is my new obsession and I’m not ashamed.

➤ ESSAY

Friends round out college life satisfaction While I am quietly sitting at King Library typing this essay a female tour guide walks in, with a group of students and parents, to proudly introduce the library.

I can imagine the admiring and hopeful expressions on their faces even without looking up at them. The guide brings them to a beautiful and fantastic picture of Miami University to describing the university’s abundant resources and satisfying studying facilities. She tells them that Miami is the right choice and promises no future regrets.

However, they will never imagine the stressful school life that lies buried in this imaginary picture. They won’t expect the piles of homework and exams that will drive them crazy. They can’t imagine the longing they will have to want to escape from this campus.

Before The Miami Student news show aired Tuesday night, I was busy writing an art paper that was due the following day. One of my colleagues came to me and said she was scared and feeling stressed because suddenly work began piling in front of her all at one time. I could completely understand her feelings because there were two papers and two exams waiting for my fight within the next 24 hours. Without any preparation, I began to broadcast on the air and almost screwed up the whole hour. My mind was completely preoccupied with the work that waited for me.

Since when have our lives become solely occupied with reading textbooks, studying lectures from Power Points, typing a boring meaningless paper or incessantly worrying about improving our GPA? It seems like scores and credits define our lives. I think we have to do something to get our lives back.

What about the times when have to withdraw the moment a close friend whom you haven’t seen for a long time suddenly chat with you on

Facebook because you have to tell them studying comes first. Friendship suddenly becomes unimportant. We have to focus on the formulas and scientific meanings of some technical concepts. We have to care more about grades from our chemistry or physics texts than the Japanese people suffering from nuclear threats. Sympathy gradually becomes cold. I wonder what has happened to our lives?

We are college students, but not possessing the real personalities and characters a college student is supposed to attain. Our creation and motivation are unfortunately buried under piles of schoolwork, quiet and dead. We are doing everything every day betraying our passions. We are devoted to the full-scheduled quizzes, tests and exams, even though there is a life changing activity waiting around the corner. We have become cold to interpersonal relationship; we narrow our sight down to completing our Miami Plan; we sacrifice our youth to accomplishing nothing; we waste our college time by getting lost in our idealized future.

I always say to my friends, “Wait for me” or “Wait this busy time I will get together with you, I will talk to you overnight, I will share in your sorrows, I will accompany you, I will … ” But I have suddenly recognized that I have ignored life all this time.

Someday in the future when you realize that your heart is heavier than your schoolbag, you may have to stop to reconsider your life. Life is about choices, you will be whatever you choose and your fate may be decided by the choices you make. When you yell out “I am done with school, get me out of here,” next time, please remember to be the captain to take some actions to alter the direction of your lifeboat.

Qiao Song

songq@muohio.edu

➤ ESSAY

E-cigs are not the safer smoking alternative In this day and age, it seems like every- samples. The sampled e-cigs contained danthing is becoming electronic. Students can gerous amounts of carcinogens and toxic electronically upload textbooks, pay bills chemicals such as diethylene glycol, an inover the Internet and now they can even gredient used in antifreeze. Even though esmoke cigarettes electronically. cigs do not contain tar, the FDA is worried If you have ever found yourself bored manufacturers are marketing these products and wandering around Wildberry uptown, as safe, especially towards young people. you may have noticed they sell electronic Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, US Commiscigarettes. Your first thought might be that sioner of Food and Drugs announced the these electronic cigarettes must be less FDA is “concerned about the safety of these harmful than smoking a traditional ciga- products and how they are marketed to rette. Why else would people smoke them? the public.”

This is exactly what the electric cigarette Last September, the FDA engaged in a manufacturers want campaign against five you to think but is not major electronic ciganecessarily true. rette distributors that The FDA is making sure Electric cigarettes have unsubstantiated all electronic work by vaporizing claims and poor mancigarettes sold in the a chemical solution ufacturing practices.

United States are lawfully The FDA is making that contains nicotine.

When a person inhales, sure that all electronmarketed so people do a battery heats up part ic cigarettes sold in not unknowingly of the plastic cigarette the United States are believe that electronic turning the solution lawfully marketed so cigarettes are a safe into a vapor that can be that people do not uninhaled. When a user knowingly believe that alternative to exhales, he or she is reelectric cigarettes are traditional smoking. leasing water vapor that a safe alternative to is intended to simulate traditional smoking. a real cigarette exhale.

After a simple The smoking device does not actually burn Google search of electronic cigarette so people can smoke it indoors without car- vendors, you will find websites such as rying the risk of starting a fire or bothering thesafecig.com or breathefreshecigs. other people. However, cartridges contain- com. Website names like these are giving the solution have to be replaced and the ing people the idea that e-cigs are healthy, battery must be charged periodically depend- so it is no wonder the FDA is stepping ing on the amount of use. An e-cig starter kit in to ensure consumer awareness of the costs anywhere from $50 to $150 and single risks involved. cartridge refills cost about $5 depending on Yet, cigarettes have changed drastically in the brand. the last 50 years. During the 1950s, filtered In 2009, the United States Food and cigarettes became popular and a majority Drug Administration (FDA) performed a of people assumed that cigarettes were filaboratory analysis of electronic cigarette nally safe. In the 1970s, “light” cigarettes

dominated the tobacco market, again making people feel safer about their smoking habits. Are electronic cigarettes another stunt to trick users into thinking the product is safe?

Despite FDA concerns, some influential public figures believe e-cigs are a healthier substitute to cigarettes. The popular television show The Doctors ranked e-cigs as the number nine Top Healthy Trend of 2010. On the program, Dr. Andrew Ordon claimed that electric cigarette use “is a lot better than consuming all of that tar and charcoal and carbon monoxide found in other cigarettes.”

Over the next few years, we will probably see an increase of electric cigarette use on campus. E-cigs have become extremely successful in Europe and are gaining popularity in America. Miami has not yet banned them. According to the Miami University anti-smoking policy, smoking is defined as the burning of tobacco or any other material in any type of smoking equipment. Since an e-cig does not burn, this might just be the loophole that student smokers have been searching for.

Electronic cigarettes are a controversial item. It is clear that they do not contaminate lungs with tar but the FDA has provided evidence that they do contain high levels of carcinogenic chemicals. In the long run, I do not think it will matter what the FDA has to say about electric cigarettes because the general public believes that e-cigs are safe. Typically, when fact and public opinion collide, public opinion tends to prevail.

After all, filtered and light cigarettes are still on the shelves and people are buying into them.

Robert Gerlach

gerlacrb@muohio.edu

FYI Page

Friday

8

April 1, 2011

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FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2011 ♦ 9

EDUN Live creates online store Starbucks alters logo,

By Lauren Ceronie

“We have a great team of graphic designers that can take your idea and make it a great looking design,” Sauter said.

Miami University students can now take a small EDUN also works with its designers to keep pricstep toward eliminating hunger and poverty in Af- es competitive with those of local screen printers, rica. EDUN Live on Campus, a student run apparel according to Monte. business, has launched an online store that will allow Right now, EDUN is focused on providing for Mistudents to purchase T-shirts that engender economic ami students, but they hope to involve other EDUN growth in Africa. organizations in the future, said Sauter.

Miami’s chapter of EDUN Live On Campus started “Right now our goal is small and focused on its first online store in March, acMiami,” Sauter said. “Our cording to senior Danny Sauter, long term goal is to expand to outgoing president of EDUN our chapter programs and do and vice president of expansion. things like competitions around Visit the EDUN LIVE Sauter, who spearheaded the designing T-shirts.” online store: development of the online store, EDUN Live on Campus was said EDUN wanted to give infounded at Miami in 2006 in dividual students the ability to partnership with Bono’s EDUN buy T-shirts. EDUN provides LIVE organization, according to www.eloc.storenvy.com Associate Director in the Censhirts for large groups such as student organizations or Greek ter for Social Entrepreneurship organizations, but interest from Katie Mulligan. The student-run individuals spurred the group to organization has the goal of findoffer shirts on a smaller scale, according to Sauter. ing solutions to social issues such as hunger and povThe website sells shirts from past campaigns, but erty and maximizing social change, Mulligan said.

EDUN would like to expand that in the future, accord“We have a duel mission to provide hands on learning to current EDUN President Sam Monte. The site ing of social entrepreneurship to students and to crewill eventually have Oxford and Miami themed shirts ate economic employment opportunities in Africa,” and shirts for benefits and fundraisers that students Mulligan said. might like to purchase.

Since 2006, Miami has established EDUN chap“Our mission is providing for students who want to ters at 15 universities including University of Notre support our mission and want to get a shirt, but can’t Dame and The Ohio State University, according order 30 for an organization,” Monte said. to Mulligan.

Students and larger organizations can order custom For more information about EDUN, students can made T-shirts from the website as well by filling out a visit edunliveoncampus.com. To access the online custom order form online, according to Sauter. store, students can go to eloc.storenvy.com.

Campus Editor

The nearly naked mile

‘MU proudly serves’

By Adam Giffi Senior Staff Writer

In the near future, Miami University will no longer “proudly brew” Starbucks coffee.

Jon Brubacher, Manager of Purchasing and Operation Analysis for Housing Dining Recreation and Business Services said the Starbucks associated coffee locations on campus will soon be experiencing a modification.

“What we have at King Café, at La Mia Cucina and all of our five buffet locations are not Starbucks corporate stores,” Brubacher said. “They are what is known as, right now, ‘we proudly brew’ locations. But that will be changing.”

Coffee drinkers across campus who enjoy the Starbucks brews needn’t worry: the forthcoming change is cosmetic.

“The ‘we proudly brew’ locations are now going to be called ‘we proudly serve’ locations,” Brubacher said. “There will be a new logo to accompany this.”

According to Brubacher, like the corporate locations across the world, Starbucks at Miami will be experiencing a brand update in line with the newly updated logo announced by Starbucks Coffee Company in January.

Brucbacher said that no change to coffee will occur with this transition.

“The new design is not incredibly different,” Brubacher said. “It will feature the updated siren logo, just like on the new corporate designs, but with the words ‘we proudly serve’ written above the circular logo. The coffee will remain the same.”

According to Brubacher, the adjustment will not require any added fees.

“There won’t be any additional charge for this to Miami,” Bruchbacher said. “As we place our orders for new cups or napkins, for example, they will eventually begin to just place in the newly designed merchandise.”

King Café employees can look forward to brand new aprons and hats featuring the updated logo, as Brubacher said those too will be need to be replaced to accommodate the update. According to Brubacher, the large physical logo featured in the center of the King Café retail area will also be replaced.

First year Corrine Hastings approves of the logo but sees the change as irrelevant to her coffee preference.

“I think the new logo looks good,” Hastings said. “I like the simpler design. It probably won’t affect my drinking behavior. But I’m happy that Miami has Starbucks coffee. It’s really good and I enjoy getting it before doing some homework.”

Sophomore Trevor Cook does not like the new logo, but won’t change his behavior because of it either.

“It’s a plainer version of the old one and I think I like the older one better,” Cook said. “The new one is a little blah. It’s still the same coffee though and I’m glad that Miami has Starbucks. It’s my favorite.”

While it may be the latest, this alteration is not the first adjustment coffee Miami has seen. Brubacher described a time before Starbucks on campus: 2006.

“We were getting from our annual survey we didn’t score really high,” Brubacher said. “Fortunately, we were able to work out a really favorable agreement with Starbucks and become a ‘proudly brew’ location. The same time we opened King Café we began serving Starbucks across campus.

We upgraded.”

Brubacher also explained exactly why the deal with Starbucks was favorable for both students and the university.

“A lot of people, when they go into King Café, think that is a corporate store, because we serve a lot of the same beverages, and our coffee menu mostly mirrors the Starbucks stores,” Brubacher said. “However, we have a lot more flexibility with the items we can sell and serve. We have the smoothies, the Uncle Phil’s line, and a beverage selection, such as being able to serve both Coke and Pepsi, that couldn’t exist in a corporate Starbucks.”

The new supplies will likely be reaching Miami by summer in what Brubacher describes as a “soft rollout.” Brubacher said new signage, including any imagery on campus with the old logo, will be replaced most likely over the summer and that the whole transition will be completed early next school year.

“It’s not like you’re going to walk into King Café one day and everything’s going to look totally different or anything,” Brubacher said. “But these adjustments will be occurring.”

COST

continued from page 4

SAMANTHA KERMODE The Miami Student

Participants of the Beyond Coal Underwear Run sprint past Peabody Hall Thursday, March 31.

TRIAL

continued from page 4 holds their own tournament before the final two teams compete against each other for the national championship.

The Miami Mock Trial Program overcame low predictions of success this year, according to Herron.

“We had a huge graduating class last year,” Herron said. “No one really thought we were going to be any good this year and we kind of fooled the experts.”

Junior Pavel Gurevich says this year the program was motivated by missing out on the chance to compete in the final round of the previous year’s tournament after losing a tiebreak to Harvard University.

“Last year we tied for first in

our division at nationals,” Gurevich said. “The tiebreaker we lost to Harvard and Harvard went to the national championship round. We are out to take the national championship this year.”

The program was also able to recruit new members such as firstyear Alex Block.

“I ended up doing it for all four years in high school and absolutely loved it,” Block said. “I got to Miami and heard that they had a really good mock trial program.

They were always in the top 10 at nationals, and I decided that I definitely wanted to give it a try.”

Gurevich said that mock trial has been a rewarding experience for him.

“The reason why I stayed with it is because I love it,” Gurevich said. “It’s a family and we are really, really good.”

Junior Alycia Walker agrees.

“It is a team effort,” Walker said.

Walker is one of the many individual award winners in the Miami Mock Trial Program. Others include Gurevich, first year Deborah O’Neal and sophomore Katie Law. Gurevich, O’Neal, Law, Block, and Walker will all be competing at the national tournament with senior Michelle Markham, Daniela Pierre-Bravo and Joe Luizzi, according to Herron.

Herron said that the Miami Mock Trial Program is a team effort of coaches as well.

“We have a pretty dedicated coaching staff and it’s their dedication that makes this work,” Herron said.

The mock trail coaches include professors Wayne Staton and Dan Haughey, attorney Neal Schuett, law student Lawrence Hilton, graduate assistant Melissa Schuett and Miami alumnus Gus Lazares.

no exception to this.

“Colleges do not often reduce their tuition charges,” Denhart said. “This is why Sewanee’s decision made national headlines. In what other industries does one firm having a ‘sale’ make The New York Times?”

Rob Evans, press secretary on the Ohio Board of Regents, a board responsible for overseeing higher education in Ohio, echoed Denhart in the rarity of what Sewanee wants to do and doubted that it would spread to Ohio.

“Generally it’s pretty rare for your costs to go down by 10 percent, whether you’re an institution or a company or an individual,” Evans said. “I think in Ohio what’s going to happen is we’ll see how the budget changes as it moves through the difference pieces (of getting state legislation).”

According to Evans, Governor Kasich wants to put a stop to soaring tuition prices, capping at a 3.5 percent increase for fiscal year 2011-2012.

David Creamer, vice president of financial and business services and treasurer at Miami, doubts the university will see anything like Sewanee’s plan anytime soon. “(One) needs to understand the tradeoffs with these decisions,” Creamer said via e-mail. “Would this lead to larger classes and fewer opportunities for student participation? If enrollments don’t (end up increasing), what does the university eliminate?

How will this affect the quality of the

student experience?”

The last point was one emphasized

by Creamer. According to him, the value of a Miami education must never be compromised amid budget cuts.

Creamer suggested universities should run more efficiently, which would lead to lower costs, rather than purely cutting and then trying to preserve the educational quality from there.

There are other strategies to reduce costs. The College of the Ozarks, or Hard Work U, located in Point Lookout, Missouri, has a unique approach to making its education affordable: its students work for the university rather than pay tuition. Students work 15 hours a week for the school, doing everything from meal-service to maintenance to cow-milking, making the cost of running the school much lower than most colleges nationwide, and more importantly, making students graduate without any debt. Seven other universities in the nation practice a similar according to public relations assistant and senior student Veronica Barrientos. Enrollment and applications have increased significantly since the economy has plummeted.

“I know they had to turn a lot (of potential students) down over the past couple years,” Barrientos said.

“I’ve always said that this is one of America’s best kept secrets. There’s a large waiting list to get in.”

Like Sewanee, College of the Ozarks proves that everyone has a breaking point to the cost of education. How Miami chooses to negotiate its own costs with its established standard of quality against budget cuts amid an economic crisis is an ongoing evolution.

10

Friday April 1, 2011

Is this the end of ‘Ricoville?’

Adam Hainsfurther

Hainsfurther’s Holler

E

arlier in the school year I wrote an open letter to the Miami University ice hockey team. In it, I asked for just one thing, for them to win our school its first-ever NCAA National Championship. By now, we all know that won’t be happening this year.

Sadly, this has become a pattern for Miami hockey. They’ll win enough games in the regular season to get your hopes up only to fail to do so when it actually matters. But before I go any further, this isn’t going to be a column where I blame the players and their work ethic. I’m also not going to blame a loss on what some see as an unfair home-ice advantage on Saturday for the lowerseeded University of New Hampshire.

In my mind, if the Athletic Department wants to win when it counts the most, there’s one change that needs to be made … Miami hockey needs a new head coach.

Don’t get me wrong; Coach Enrico Blasi is a great coach for Miami. He is able to succeed where almost every other RedHawk coach fails. He puts people in the seats. However, unlike most coaches who are deemed “untouchable” as they get older and their legends grow, Enrico Blasi is given a free pass for a good regular season year in and year out. But for every other coach in every other sport the regular season only matters when you don’t win games, but being consistently good prior to the post season won’t save your job.

Just look at head football coach Ralph Friedgen at the University of Maryland.

The Terrapins bought out the final year of head coach Friedgen’s contract after he led the team to 8-4 record in 2010.

Friedgen was legendary in College Park for his impressive resume with the Terps; a 75-50 record over the course of his 10year tenure, 42-36 mark in conference games and a 5-2 record in bowl games.

And that’s just in 2010 and only in college football. Firing successful coaches happens all the time and not only for recruiting violations. If you don’t win, you don’t win. In the words of the immortal Ricky Bobby, “If you ain’t first, you’re last.”

When it comes to Coach Blasi, I can give credit where credit is due. We’ve gone farther under him than anyone could have ever dreamed of. Winning the Mason Cup for the first time was a great accomplishment. But for a team that came within two minutes of winning a national title just two years ago, the fact of the matter is that it isn’t enough, especially not for this team.

This year’s squad had more talent than any Red and White team in the last 10 years. It contained two Hobey Baker finalists, a handful of NHL draftees and one of the nation’s best goaltenders.

This team should have had no problem heading to St. Paul for this year’s Frozen Four. Yet they didn’t. And that is something worth getting fired up, or just fired, over.

SOFTBALL

Sports

Editor Michael Solomon sports@miamistudent.net

NEXT GAME: 1 p.m. Friday at University of Akron

’Hawks ready for MAC play

By Drew McDonnell

the Buzz Classic earlier this season where both teams competed against the University of Connecticut. The The Miami University softball Zips fell to UConn 9-4 while the team continues their season Fri- RedHwaks triumphed 3-2. day when they travel to Akron, After taking on the Zips, the Ohio, to take on the University team will then travel to Athens for of Akron Zips. Miami will finish another conference game against out their weekend as they travel Ohio University. The Bobcats curto Athens, Ohio, on Saturday rently hold an 11-13 season record to take on the Ohio University and the team contains a dangerous (OU) Bobcats. pitcher. OU’s Emily Wethington The Zips currently hold a 12-9 has contributed to all four of Ohio’s record and will be the first confer- shutouts this season and also is a ence opponent for the RedHawks. strong batter with a run average Akron has a strong team made of 2.96. up mostly of returning juniors “Wethington is a big power and seniors. threat for them,” Russette said.

The RedHawks have been “She recently broke Ohio’s school working hard to prepare record for career homeruns, so for Akron. not letting her beat us will be one “Akron is a quick and scrappy of our main goals. The entire lineteam,” senior Kathryn Russette up is capable of putting the ball said. “They like to run a lot under in play.” many different circumstances in orOhio and Miami have played der to create chaos on the bases. To very different schedules this season minimize the opportunities for Ak- only playing two similar teams so ron to run on us, we have worked to far. Both teams successfully beat keep the bases covered at all times Morehead State with Ohio bringand constantly remain on our toes.” ing in scores of 10-0 and 13-12.

Miami currently holds a 14-10 The rivals also both competed CONTRIBUTED BY MIKE ROTH record with a very different sched- against the University of Louisville Junior pitcher Jessica Simpson delivers a pitch against ule compared to the Zips. While with Miami winning 6-5 and Ohio Morehead State University March 24.

Akron struggled against Morehead winning 7-5.

Meyers said.

State University earlier this season, While Miami has focused on into account.

“The cold weather is a huge The RedHawks will start their the Red and White had no problem different strategies against the obstacle and very tough to preweekend of play at 1 p.m. Friday crushing Morehead twice 8-1 and other teams, the girls also take pare for,” freshman Paige against Akron.

8-4. Both teams also competed in the recent weather conditions Staff Writer

Schedule

baseball

tennis

track and field

softball

Ball State University 6 p.m.

Oxford, Ohio

Bowling Green State 1 p.m.

Bowling Green, Ohio

Oliver Nikoloff Open 11:30 a.m.

Cincinnati

University of Akron 1 p.m.

Akron, Ohio

FRIDAY

GOLF

FRIDAY

FRIDAY

FRIDAY

NEXT TOURNAMENT: Saturday April 16 at Hawkeye Invitational

RedHawks place ninth in Florida

By Hannah R. Miller Senior Staff Writer

After a disappointing showing in their last tournament, the Miami University golf team traveled back to Florida for the Florida Atlantic University Spring Break Classic March 25, 26 and 27. The RedHawks displayed significant improvements in their performance and took fourth place in the tournament.

“It was a good event for us, it’s what we expect to do every week,” Head Coach Casey Lubahn said. “We didn’t win but we put ourselves in a spot to have a great finish. We have things to continue to work on and build on, but this is exactly the mentality and effort level we’re going to need every week.”

Of the 17 teams there, Ohio State University finished first overall with a score of 12-under par.

The Red and White finished in fourth at 5-over par as a team. Individually, freshman Mark MacDonald completed his first career tournament as a RedHawk finishing tied for 19 with teammate Austin Kelly at 2-over par.

“He walked on with us in the fall and for him to come out in his first tournament and perform

like that says a couple things. He’s listened very well, he’s prepared and he’s got a big heart,” Lubahn said.

“With his play this weekend he has secured his spot for the next tournament and we expect to see him continue to grow,” Lubahn said.

“He’s obviously got the ability and the work ethic, now he just needs to gain experience week by week.”

After Friday’s initial round, the ’Hawks found themselves in seventh place. With almost even scores across the board, Sutherland and Kelly shot 73s on Friday, while Michael Drobnick shot a 74 and MacDonald and Ben Peacock each shot 75s. On Saturday, senior captain Nathan Sutherland shot a tournament-low 66 to bring the RedHawks into fourth place after two rounds. Following Saturday’s round Sutherland was tied for third at 5-under par individually.

“Nathan played awesome; it’s great to shoot 66 like that,” MacDonald said. “He didn’t finish how he wanted to, but that day can give him good confidence going into the next few tournaments. He’s a great guy to look up to, he’s a great leader and he’s a heck of a golfer, too.”

On Sunday, Sutherland struggled in the third

round, shooting a five-over par 77 to finish the tournament. MacDonald led the team in the final round with a 2-under par 70. Drobnick finished tied for 24th at 4-over par and Peacock finished tied for 48th at 9-over par.

“Friday and Saturday I put two pretty solid rounds together, so that gave me a little more confidence going into Sunday,” MacDonald said of his team-low score Sunday. “I felt like I really managed my game well, I kept the ball in play and I didn’t put myself in a position to shoot a big number. It was a pretty low stress round, we like that as golfers.”

The RedHawks have only two tournaments until the Mid-American Conference Championships and the team is looking to come together and build upon what they have already accomplished.

“We pretty much had everybody that was playing in contention, helping each other out,” MacDonald said. “We’re all pretty consistent and that’s one thing that’s really good to have as a team heading into the next few tournaments.”

The Red and White tee off next in the Hawkeye Invitational in Iowa City, Iowa on April 16 and 17.