The Miami Student Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826
VOLUME 138 NO. 49
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO
In 1974, The Miami Student reported that a new constitution, which allowed for the restructuring of student government, would be voted on. The proposed constitution would combine Student Senate and other organizations into Association Student Government.
Editor Amanda Seitz specialreports@miamistudent.net
SPECIAL REPORTS
Board evaluates president in private By Amanda Seitz Special Reports Editor
The outcome of the board of trustees’ annual evaluation of President David Hodge’s performance remains a mystery to the public and press. The leader of the university’s review happens in the privacy of an executive session meeting. The Miami Student submitted a public records request for information related to President Hodge’s performance reviews on Jan. 14, 2011. Miami University General Counsel Robin Parker denied that request. “As I advised the reporter, the Board of Trustees does not prepare written annual evaluations of the president,” Parker wrote in response on Jan. 31, 2011. Hodge’s 5-year contract is up for renewal June 30. Although the board of trustees said they hope to offer renewal to Hodge, they won’t say how they rate his performance behind closed doors.
The contract The president’s written employment contract says Hodge must undergo an annual performance evaluation. “On or before July 1 of each calendar year, Dr. Hodge shall initiate the evaluation process for the period that began on Sept. 1 of the previous calendar year by submitting to the Board a self appraisal,” the contract reads. The board then meets with Hodge to discuss his performance. While the evaluation itself is not written, Hodge submits a written list of goals for himself and the university. These goals are copyrighted and Associate Vice President Dionn Tron said The Miami Student is not allowed to reprint the strategies. The goals are topics Hodge has stressed to the university over the last few years. They
include topics such as Greek life improvements, retention rates and diversity infusion at the university. “I would hope no one on campus would read those and go, ‘that’s a surprise,’” Hodge said in an interview. “I’ve tried to be transparent about everything I can.”
The review President Hodge’s review is an informal process said trustee chairman Donald Crain. Crain has not yet evaluated the president as a chairman but was able to detail how the annual evaluation works. Crain said the chairman evaluates the president in an executive session meeting. Data from the Association of Governing Board, a group that supports university administrators, boards and presidents, shows 55 percent of public institutions have the full board give the evaluation while only 10 percent have just the board chair give the evaluation. The remaining 35 percent use other methods to administer evaluations, such as compensation or assessment committees. “We will look at the president’s goals and expectations and give the board chair their comments and their views on the various issues and the chairman reviews the president,” Crain said. Crain hasn’t thought about changing the evaluation process because he believes it’s effective. “That’s the way Miami has always operated,” Crain said. “We’ve gotten excellent results. I do know that Dr. Hodge has received excellent evaluations from the board.” Evidence would suggest Hodge’s evaluations have been good. In 2009, The Miami Student reported that Hodge had turned down $68,000 in performance-based bonuses offered by the trustees. Hodge said he has refused all bonuses the
CONTRIBUTED BY MIAMI UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHY
President David Hodge is reviewed annually by the Board of Trustees in executive session. board has offered him. But Hodge doesn’t think the review process is about bonuses, he believes it’s a time to focus the direction of the university. “Those goals are rarely around me, they’re around what the university accomplishes,” Hodge said. “This isn’t about my level of activity, it’s about moving forward for the university. I’m going to take personal responsibility to move the university forward.” Although Hodge said he has no problem with alerting the public about the review process, he sees value in having a private evaluation process. “In the annual goals I like to talk about our vulnerabilities, there’s no reason to draw attention to them,” Hodge said.
“Most people in a public session will be more guarded.”
No oversight The Ohio Board of Regents places faith in the trustees to evaluate the president and does not conduct its own evaluation, according to Press Secretary Rob Evans. “It is one of the important duties of a board of trustees,” Evans said. “Trustees at public universities are in a sense the same kind of stewards of public trusts as an elected official.” Boards of regents in 10 other states
wSee REVIEW, page 9
New ASG leaders set goals Pi Beta Phi to return June 1 By Matt Levy Senior Staff Writer
Miami University students have chosen their new student body president and vice president. Nick Huber and Matt Frazier won the student government election last week with 56.73 percent of the vote, beating Bryan Klipsch and Jon Gipson, who received 40.2 percent of the votes, according to numbers supplied by current student body Vice President Tim Hogan. “This university has given me so many opportunities to develop myself,” Huber said regarding the election results. “This has really hit home for me in terms of humility and I’m just so fortunate for being able to do this.” Elected on the self-titled Legacy Party ticket, one of Huber’s biggest priorities is continuing current student body president Heath Ingram’s initiative of increasing school pride among first and second-year students. “We all enjoy the lives we have as Miami students because of the contributions that have come before us, and once other students understand that, it will help them become stewards of the Miami experience in the future,” Huber said. Huber also discussed plans to make available to incoming first-year students the array of extra-curricular activities as they begin their time at Miami, incorporating members from athletics and various first-year programs into the weekly Associated Student Government (ASG) meetings and increasing the transparency of ASG’s meetings through technology and student engagement. “Increasing the history and (improving awareness) of current events on campus with first and second-year programming is a huge thing for us,” Huber said. “Engaging students between orientation and the
first day of classes is also something we consider urgent.” According to Huber, president Heath Ingram will spend the next few weeks teaching him how to be a successful president. “My last responsibility is to give the incoming president as much support as I possibly can,” Ingram said. “When my term ends on graduation day, (I want to be) confident that I have done all I can to help Nick have the most successful year he can next fall.” Ingram seemed pleased with the election results and both he and Huber noted how clean the election was from all sides. “I really am thrilled he ran a great campaign, a clean campaign and I think he’s going to continue to build off some of the work I did and I couldn’t ask for any more than that,” Ingram said. Taking the position of Vice President of Campus Activities is Brianna Picciuto, who won the position against Christian Trapp. Picciuto garnered 40.2 percent of the vote, beating Trapp’s 33.5 percent. “I’m really excited to learn about all the new events we have coming up first semester,” Picciuto said. “I’ve already jumped into everything this week, kind of transitioning already. I’m looking forward to starting out right away even though I don’t officially become VP of Campus Activities until next year.” According to Picciuto, current Vice President of Campus Activities Michael Emling has already started the process of acclimating her to her new role. The only other cabinet position students voted for last week was the Vice President of Student Organizations, which taken by current ASG treasurer Meghan Wadsworth who ran unopposed. According to Picciuto, ASG will begin the process of voting in the remaining cabinet positions Tuesday night, continuing over the next two to three weeks.
Sorority back on campus after 13-month hiatus By Amanda Seitz Special Reports Editor
While Miami University struggles to overcome the image of sorority debauchery that plagued the campus last year, one of the sororities that left a stain on the Greek system will return. Pi Beta Phi (Pi Phi) will come back June 1. Last year, Pi Phi damaged the Lake Lyndsay Lodge during their spring formal. A letter sent to the university from lodge owner Lyndsay Rapier-Phipps painted a scene where students vomited throughout the night, women and their dates engaged in intercourse throughout the building, vases and building ornaments were smashed, human feces was found outside the building and students were so intoxicated, they were cut off from the purchasing more alcohol by the bartender. The sorority’s national chapter proposed a fall return to the university sometime last week, Jenny Levering, director of Greek affairs said. Eily Cummings, a representative for Pi Beta Phi, said the chapter will use special methods to ensure future wrongdoings don’t happen. “We’ve created several layers of added support to assist the chapter as it transitions, this includes local alumnae advisor, fulltime resident consultants who will live on
campus and a chapter assistance officer,” a representative said. Levering said returning members who choose to be part of the Ohio Zeta chapter will need to go through the new member program again. “If women want to stay on board they’re going to have to go through the new member process,” Levering said. “It will be restarting the chapter from the beginning.” Consultants from the national chapter will interview past Pi Phi members during April to discuss future membership. “We do not know yet (how many members will return) because all of the undergraduate alumnae have been notified but we have not heard back from them,” a representative said. Following their reinstatement, Levering said the chapter will be on social probation for a year, meaning they will not be allowed to host any socials with alcohol. The chapter will also be able to participate in two recruitments next year. “They’ll be running their own recruitment process in the fall and they’ll be a part of the spring recruitment,” Levering said. Pi Phi said they would offer continuous open bidding in the fall. Levering said the sorority would also be admitted back into their old suite but the sorority is still discussing the matter with the Office of Residence Life.
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Campus
Tuesday
April 5, 2011
Editors Lauren Ceronie Jenni Wiener campus@miamistudent.net
NEWS Miami to phase out coal use BRIEFS By Jenni Wiener Campus Editor
FYI Collegiate Chorale presents spring concert The Miami University Collegiate Chorale, conducted by Jeremy Jones, visiting assistant professor of music, will present its annual spring concert April 8 and 9. The concert will feature works from Beetoven, Brahms, Durufl and Handel. Choral selections by North American composers of the 1800s and 1900s will also be featured in the show. The show will be held 8 p.m. in Kumler Chapel on Miami’s Western Campus. Chorale President Emily Hall said Kumler is a particularly good place for this concert. “Acoustically, Kumler is the coolest place on campus,” Hall said. “The way the sound carries will be perfect for this music. It is the best place to hear these kinds of great works.” Tickets are $7 for the public and $5 for students and seniors and are available at the Miami University box office.
App helps libraries shelve books Shelving library books? There’s an app for that. Miami University Associate Professor of Computer Science and Software Engineering, Bo Brinkman and junior Matt Hodges, computer science major, have developed a prototype application for Android smartphones that can help libraries shelve books more quickly and efficiently. The application, “Augmented Reality System for Shelf Reading,” looks at books on shelves and reads which books are out of place and need to be reshelved. Brinkman and Hodges presented the prototype application at the biennial conference of the Association of College and Research Libraries in Philadelphia April 2. They hope to test the application in one of Miami’s libraries by the end of fall semester. For more information visit http://www.users. muohio.edu/brinkmwj/ar/.
Miami University President David Hodge announced the official sustainability goals and commitments in an e-mail to the Miami community Monday night. According to David Prytherch, Miami’s sustainability coordinator, the vast majority of the sustainability goals and commitments remain the same as recommended by the Sustainability Committee. There are, however, two major changes that have been made to the report. The first of these is that a sunset date has been set for burning coal at the plant on Miami’s campus. “There had been conversation about this for a long time on the committee, but the organization, Beyond Coal, really helped to move that conversation forward,”
Prytherch said. “The goal is to have a gradual phase out of burning coal with a target sunset date of 2025.” Junior Christian Adams, events coordinator for Beyond Coal, said the organization really hopes the 2025 date is the maximum date and the university aggressively pursues a quicker transition from coal. “Beyond Coal is very excited about the sunset date since we have really been lobbying for it,” Adams said. “We are curious to see the 2025 date play out. We personally feel the university could make the conversion by 2020, which would show a stronger commitment to sustainability. It is definitely a huge step with putting the date in there, but we look forward to promoting and prioritizing a quicker transition for Miami.”
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Organization celebrates Autism Awareness Month By Sarah Title For The Miami Student
April, for most, is a month when summer is in sight and busy lives are winding down. But for the newly founded chapter of Autism Speaks at Miami University, April is the busiest time of the year. Months of planning among 50 active members and multiple fundraising activities throughout the year have led up to Autism Awareness Month. Katie Weeks, the founder and
president of the Miami chapter, said her internship last summer with the organization in Chicago was what inspired her to start a chapter here on campus. “When I decided I wanted to do this I reached out to people who I thought might be interested, special education majors and speech pathology majors,” Weeks said. “It began with a group of five girls.” From there it grew. At the first meeting, close to 200 people showed up, all interested in spreading awareness around campus. Weeks is interested in spreading
awareness to the community as well. “I’m trying to promote the organization at community centers in town,” Weeks said. “I’m hoping families affected by autism will come to fundraising events.” With smaller fundraisers throughout the year such as bake sales, raffles and pottery painting, the club has raised $6,000 so far and still hopes to raise another $2,000 with their upcoming 5k on April 17. Weeks said she is confident many people will show up to the event because there is a great deal of support for the organization coming from
By Hannah Stein For The Miami Student
ALLISON BACKOVSKI The Miami Student
Students celebrate the Holi festival Saturday on Central Quad.
It’s election season at Miami University and for more than just Associated Student Government (ASG). Monday, March 28, the Residence Hall Association (RHA) held elections for the positions of president, vice president, finance director and communications director for the 2011-2012 academic year. These positions have been filled by Jessica Easterly as president, Devin Bachman as vice president, Peter McCaughley as finance director and Melissa Rohr as the communications director. For the upcoming year, there are many different elements that the executive
Miami chooses to end RefWorks Subscription By Kaila Frisone For The Miami Student
Miami University will not renew its subscription with RefWorks this summer. RefWorks is a citation management tool that allows students to generate bibliographies that Miami has been subscribing to since 2006. Miami decided to end its subscription with RefWorks for financial reasons. Because other credible programs are available free of charge, the library found this to be the best decision especially with recent cuts in state funding, said Eli Sullivan, a psychology librarian. “While we are discontinuing RefWorks, this is an opportunity for us to better allocate our resources to serve the university community, “ Eric Resnis, instruction coordinator at King Library, said. According to Resnis, there are more free citation services today than there were in 2006. “The landscape is different today than it was when we first began subscribing,” Resnis said via e-mail. “There are now
students and staff alike. “If we ever need anything from the faculty they are so helpful,” Weeks said. “I think it’s because so many people are affected by autism.” At least half of the members have family members, neighbors or friends with autism. April 4 through April 8 Autism Speaks will be at the Hub handing out facts and statistics about autism, hoping to reach out to more students and staff who are affected. Weeks also said she hopes people who
wSee AUTISM, page 5
New RHA leaders call for collaboration
Students wage paint war
Speaker to address experiences in Cuba Cuban poet, journalist and novelist Pedro Perez-Surday will be at Miami University Thursday, April 7 to present “The Symbolism of Race in Cuba Today.” This multimedia presentation will address the experience of being a black Cuban in Cuba 50 years after the 1959 revolution of Fidel Castro. The presentation will take place 4 p.m. in 111 Harrison Hall. Miami’s Humanities Center for American and World Cultures as well as the departments of English and Spanish and Portuguese are sponsoring the presentation. It is free and open to the public.
Vice President for Finance environmentally and financially and Business Services, David sensible. We are creating a stratCreamer, said this goal is grad- egy that is affordable with no adual because if it all happened at ditional cost to students.” once, there would be a cost that The second change being implethe university mented is a new cannot manage. recycling goal, “Over a longer said Prytherch. “The goal is to period of time we Miami is looking should be able to at creating a feahave a gradual make better headsible waste diverphase out of way and move rate, meaning burning coal with sion more towards that the goal is to geothermal en- a target sunset date reduce the amount of waste being ergy, which we are of 2025.” sent to the landalready starting fill by reenergizon with Stoddard DAVID PRYTHERCH Hall and Elliott SUSTAINABILITY COORDINATOR ing and expanding the recycling Hall,” Creamer program. Miami said. “Making gradual changes will be increas- wants to divert the majority of its ingly favorable financially with waste from the landfill by 2017. “Currently, we send the burning coal. We believe we can make headway and transition away from coal in a way that is See COAL, page 5
numerous free non-subscription citation management software products that match the functionality of RefWorks.” Zotero and Mendeley are two of the possible options for students looking to replace RefWorks. Zotero, a Firefox browser plug-in with Internet accessibility, allows users to organize items, take notes and share libraries with collaborators, according to Resnis. Mendeley is similar to Zotero but differs because it provides a social aspect that can connect a user to others with mutual research interests. This program also offers a mobile app, according to Resnis. The databases allow students to export citations to a program called EndNote Web, Sullivan said. Resnis said EndNote Web functions similarly to RefWorks; it can import citation information, generate a bibliography and configure a paper. “Since there are other programs we can use, I don’t think this will be a problem with students at all,” junior Megan St. Arnauld said. “Sites like easybib. com and citationmachine.net work as well.”
board would like to improve and focus on. “My main goal is to strengthen the relationship between RHA and other organizations on campus,” Easterly said. “I really want to see more collaboration with different organizations and departments. I would like to see legislation really being pushed (and) I just want to improve our reputation on campus. We already have a solid reputation but we can only improve from there.” Similarly, Rohr states that it is important to improve RHA’s reputation and get their name out more. She also adds, “RHA has such good resources for on campus students,
wSee RHA, page 5
Giant egg hunt to be held on campus By Erin L. Cox For The Miami Student
Students should keep their eyes open for hidden eggs on campus Monday, April 18 for the giant egg hunt Miami University’s Program Board will hold. “I can’t wait to look for eggs on my way to class,” Miami senior Heather Shiets said. “If I found one it would make my day.” The egg hunt will last all day across campus and an evening portion of egg games, such as egg-on a spoon races, will take place on the Shriver Center’s west patio from around 5 to 7 p.m. “We were trying to think of things that people associate with spring,” cochair for the event Kelin Handville said. According to Handville,
close to 1,000 eggs will be hidden all over campus, but mostly on the central part of campus. “Students can participate just by seeing an egg and picking it up,” Handville said. The majority of the hidden eggs will be regular pastel colored eggs with candy in them, but there will also be some golden eggs, Program Board Vice President of Communications Stephanie Walters said. According to Handville, the golden eggs will have a ticket for a redeemable prize students will pick up at a later time. Prizes will include various gift cards, but primarily Visa gift cards for students to spend at a location of their choice. “Since Program Board
wSee EGGS, page 5
THE MIAMI STUDENT
TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011 ♦ 3
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Community
Tuesday
April 5, 2011
Editor Melissa Tacchi community@miamistudent.net
Disputed Senate bill passes By Rebecca Zemmelman For the Miami Student
Sophomore says bar staff uses chokehold Officers arrived at Brick Street Bar and Grill at 11:45 p.m. Saturday to hear 20-year-old Miami University sophomore Allen Roberts yelling, “I’m gonna whoop somebody’s ass,” police reports said. Roberts was asked to leave after jumping the line to get into the bar with two other males, police reports said. Police reports said Roberts told police Brick Street staff grabbed him and put him in a chokehold. Roberts said he was upset because the staff knocked out his earring, police reports said. Roberts and another male, Shadrach Jackson, were both charged with assault.
Male urinates in sight of officer While police were busy with a violation in the alley beside 114 E. Collins St. at 1 a.m. Sunday, nature called for one Miami University sophomore. Eighteenyear-old George Harry Charles walked over to the side porch of the house — Natural Light in hand — and unzipped his fly, police reports said. Police reports said one officer shined his flashlight on Charles and told him to go inside and use the bathroom, but Charles said he had to wait for the cops to leave the area and began urinating. When Charles realized the officer was a cop, he started apologizing, police reports said. Police reports said Charles was issued two citations for underage drinking and disorderly conduct.
Visiting student sleeps on stranger’s couch Miami University students arrived home to find a stranger passed out on their couch with their front door screen and window broken at 2:15 a.m. Saturday, police reports said. The stranger turned out to be a University of Cincinnati student named Lucas Caroli, police reports said. Caroli was taken into custody where he began asking if police patrols go all the way to Tampa, police reports said. Police reports said Caroli thought he was in Saratoga, Fla., visiting his brother over spring break, but commented on the weather being colder than expected. Caroli began peeing on the cell bed before officers directed him to the toilet instead, police reports said. Caroli apologized several times and was cited for burglary and underage drinking before being transported to Butler County Jail, police reports said.
Ohio Governor John Kasich signed Senate Bill 5 into law after being approved in the Ohio Senate and House of Representatives March 31. This controversial bill was approved by a vote of 52-44 in the House and 17-16 in the Senate. This bill plans to remove and change many of the public employee rights in attempts to balance the Ohio Budget. Such changes include the way the public can collectively bargain, what they can bargain and a removal of the right to strike, according to Representative Teresa Fedor. This change in law will affect all Ohio communities and families, if it ever goes into effect. However, with the rallies all over Ohio and the outrage of most every public employee, it may very well not take effect, Fedor said.
Fedor has been speaking at many rallies in Columbus. She said if the petition for repeal gets 231,000 signatures from 44 of the 88 counties in Ohio by June 30, the bill will be on hold and put on the ballot in the upcoming election. This will then go out to a vote, and may not be passed by Ohio voters. Fedor said by design, Senate Bill 5 will break the backs of the unions in Ohio. “I believe this bill is a quality of life issue when it comes to public employees,” Fedor said. According to Fedor, this bill is a job killer, yet during Kasich’s campaign the rhetoric was all about stabilizing jobs. “Many people are going to become unemployed,” Fedor said. “They want to track down people from all over the United States to come to Ohio, but they are dragging the people from in Ohio right out. We are an exporter of jobs.”
City holds discussion on Route 27 re-route By JD Prewitt Staff Writer
The city of Oxford held an open house Wednesday to judge the public’s opinion on the possible rerouting of trucks traveling through Oxford on Route 27. In August 2008, the city council requested the corridor be evaluated for improved pedestrian safety and traffic flow along with a comprehensive traffic, safety and impact study, according to a memorandum from City Manager Doug Elliott. After three years and a federal funding earmark, the project is starting to get off the ground. Keith Smith, environmental engineer with the Ohio Department of Transportation, said the meeting’s purpose was “to gauge the will of the public to see whether or not to proceed with the reroute of US 27 within Oxford.” The open house allowed Oxford citizens the opportunity to see the results of the pedestrian and vehicular traffic studies and the two potential reroute design plans. While both include displacing traffic from High Street to Chestnut Street, the first plan involves funneling vehicles through Main Street up to Church Street. The second includes the use of Locust Street straight to Route 27, both of which offer the least amount of pedestrian traffic throughout the city, but are also causing a stir within the Oxford community. “I think their goal is good, something needs to be done but I don’t particularly agree with the situation,” Oxford resident Don Dawley said. Resident George Robd sees a
fiscal discrepancy with the new route designs. “It’s a good idea if you can engineer a solution but I don’t think there’s the money for it,” Robd said. The city council’s proposed price of the project is set at $1.5 to $2.2 million but this estimate does not include right-of-way acquisition or utility relocation costs, according to the council. The total estimated cost presented at the open house, which accounts for intersection and pavement upgrades, roadway widening and onstreet parking changes, is between $2 million and $5 million. With a projected 600 vehicles being rerouted per day, the chief goal of the project is to limit the amount of pedestrian interface with trucks. Thirty percent of these trucks do not have a required stop in Oxford and are merely passing through, according to Smith. As of now, the accident rates along the 10 intersections within the Route 27 stretch are above state averages. While there was a plan to simply create a connector route around the city, township residents refused the idea. Vehicles would be “traveling through farm land and pristine areas and it wouldn’t solve the problem of trucks passing through Oxford,” Smith said. Regardless, the proposed sites already meet federal roadway regulations and would involve the least amount of improvement, according to the council. The next steps are for the city and ODOT to conduct environmental reviews and start preliminary engineering.
Parishioners lend helping hand St.Mary’scommunityworkbox Oxford community members will be given the opportunity to have more than a little help around the house April 9 and April 16. A group of St. Mary’s Catholic Church members will be making themselves available to anyone who calls within the next two weeks to have chores done at their home, according to the church’s Director of Campus Ministry Kimberly Wagner. “Often times we wash windows, rake leaves and do some garden work,” Wagner said. “We weed a lot of flower beds.” The group of 15 volunteers, including 14 Miami University students, will be doing such
work in order to raise money for various Ecuadorian villages, Wagner said. “At this point, we have already raised enough money for the 15 applicants’ traveling expenses,” Wagner said. “All of the proceeds from the chore services will go directly to the Ecuadorian communities and their needs.” As a part of their mission trip, these students will be traveling to Ecuador to discuss their religious belief while contributing manual labor where it is needed. “We do not know exactly what they will be having us work on just yet but I imagine we will be performing small construction jobs for the villages we visit,”
Wagner said. Although mission trips are taken annually, this year’s applicant pool was much greater than prior years. “Usually we have about 14 or 15 people apply to go on these trips,” Wagner said. “This year we had 36 applications.” Miami sophomore Kate Rapnicki was selected to go on the trip. “We have been meeting since January and we just had our orientation last week to discuss how we are going to help the people in these villages,” Rapnicki said. “I think it is going to be a really fulfilling experience that we will never forget.” Reporting by Melissa Tacchi
Likewise, Ohio House member 50.1 percent to 30 percent, accordMatt Szollosi said Senate Bill 5 is a ing to Szollosi. solution looking for a problem. Mark Morris, a Miami Univer“In the three years preceding sity professor and a board member Senate Bill 5, there were a total of of Fairfield City Schools, is not sure five labor union how the passage of strikes in the state this bill will affect of Ohio,” Szollosi “They want to track his district because said. “None of them down people from the bill has so many were in the year of changes within it. all over ... but they 2010. The goal of Morris also are dragging the this bill is to limit questioned why labor strikes, but people from in Ohio Ohio is de-funding that is clearly not right out. We are an education when it necessary here.” is already facing so exporter of jobs.” According to many cuts. Szollosi, this bill is “Even at Miami, TERESA FEDOR estimated to save there is a 15 perHOUSE REPRESENTATIVE Ohio $1.3 billion, cent cut,” Morris but Fedor and Szolsaid. “This, then losi said the savings will be due to trickles down directly to the faculty, the requirement that state employees students and their educations. The will have to pay a full share of their focus should be on education to pension contribution and 15 percent prepare ourselves for a global econof their health care. omy, but instead we are diminishing According to Szollosi, the bill also the education.” took away the necessity for pay to be Miami Sophomore Libby Martin protected by a union, even though declares herself as a Republican and people are allowed the option of approves the bill. being in the union. The Fair Share “Honestly, public unions have Amendment made the people who become too demanding in the last were protected by the union pay to decade in terms of pay and bensupport the unions. However, now efits,” Martin said. “If private comOhioans do not have to pay by law, panies need to make cut backs which will encourage free load- due to financial trouble, why can’t ing and will ultimately diminish the public sector do the same? the unions for their lack of funds, Everyone is struggling to bounce Szollosi said. back right now, and unions are Additionally, the bill lowered the only making the government’s job threshold to de-certify a union from more difficult.”
New owners renovate Oxford, Miami Commons
ANDREW BRAY The Miami Student
First-year Avery Altman enjoys the renovated Oxford Commons’ living room
By Sarah Sidlow Staff Writer
Oxford Commons and Miami Commons are under new ownership and expecting renovations. Capstone Properties closed the deal on close to 90 percent of the condominium units in each area on March 16, said Development Manager Christopher Mouron, who was responsible for finding the properties and closing the deal in Oxford. Capstone Properties is no stranger to Oxford. Capstone built and owned Hawks Landing in 1994. “Oxford was always good to us and we’ve always been looking for an opportunity to get back,” Christopher Mouron said. Capstone plans to do a full renovation on Oxford and Miami Commons including new kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, windows and amenities, President of Capstone Properties Mike Mouron said. “I was drawn to the charming communities, courtyards and mature landscapes,” Christopher Mouron said. “The properties had lots of opportunities, they just lacked direction.” Capstone purchased one-bedroom, two-bedroom and four-bedroom condominiums. Christopher Mouron said this variety in housing was another attraction. “With juniors and seniors being the only group that’s allowed to live off campus, we have found across the country the older students get, the fewer roommates they want,”
Christopher Mouron said. All of the Capstone Properties, Mike Mouron said, are also petfriendly. There will be an additional pet deposit and a small monthly fee for students to keep pets in these properties. Capstone plans to wire all of the condominiums for cable and Internet, which are currently not provided with students’ rent. Capstone plans to cover the water and sewer expense in addition to cable and Internet. Sophomore Mike Ballanger is excited for this change. “Looking for places to live after the dorms is hard,” he said. “But this definitely sounds like something worth checking out, especially if I can bring a pet.” Condominium prices start below $400 a bed per month for four-person condominiums, and go up to $699 a bed per month for one-person units. Capstone Properties’ management is located in Birmingham Ala. They have been in the business for 20 years and currently manage over 5,000 bedrooms of student housing on 80 college campuses including Bowling Green State University, Kent State University and Xavier University. “We’re very familiar with the buckeye state,” Mike Mouron said. According to Christopher Mouron, Capstone plans to have renovations done in August. Students can already view model condominiums which include all of the planned renovations and represent the new furniture Capstone plans to bring in to all the units.
THE MIAMI STUDENT
COAL
continued from page 2 majority of campus waste to the landfill,” Prytherch said. “There are lots of opportunities to recover recyclables and fuel sources. We want to move away from our current system and send the minority of our waste to the landfill by recycling more valuables, such as aluminum, paper and plastic, which would actually make money for the university.” As of now, the university is not expecting any costs that will not fit in the current budget, Creamer said. However, he said the university is still in the process
TUESDAY APRIL 5, 2011 ♦ 5 of assessing and creating a financial strategy. “We believe these goals and commitments are attainable and are making headway to an environmentally sustainable approach to the objectives,” Creamer said. “We are very excited about the development and looking forward to achieving the goals. It is a very significant and important day for everyone at Miami.” According to Prytherch, this is an important opportunity for the Miami community. He went on to say these commitments are just the beginning of a long process to become more sustainable. The implementation of these goals will take a lot of collaboration from the entire campus.
RHA
continued from page 2 for things (such as) funds for residence hall events and (it) is also a great way for other campus groups to get any information about their events to all of those on-campus students.” While getting out RHA’s name and improving its reputation are important, Bachman places emphasis on something different. “My goal is make RHA a more student-friendly organization,” he said. “(I want to make) it fun while making sure we’re still representing the student body, making sure we’re improving life for students on campus while having fun.” In addition to the changes the executive board would like to make in order to improve RHA as an organization,
there are also ways in which McCaugh- together and benefit each other and ley believes RHA can improve its utili- will make many improvements in the zation of funds and use funds in more 2011-2012 year. “I think we compliment each other creative ways. very well and I fig“The main goal I ure if there is a probwant to work for is to have our funds uti“My main goal is to lem, all of us as an executive board will lized more,” he said. strengthen the find a resolution “I want to do more relationship between that will benefit all promotion of fundRHA and other parties involved,” raising and making the funding board Bachman said. organizations on more accessible.” Agreeing with campus.” One major fundBachman, Rohr said, raiser McCaughley “each has such skill JESSICA EASTERLY and confidence tied would like to focus RHA PRESIDENT ELECT with amazing peron is the breakfast in sonalities there is no bed program. way that they could achieve anything less “It’s where you, community council, than greatness.” makes breakfast in bed for residents With this confidence, the exand they pre-order before,” he said. ecutive board believes that they “It’s something we’ve found to be rewill be able to improve RHA next ally successful in the past.” year more than this year and in The members of the executive previous years. board all believe that they work well
AUTISM
continued from page 2 haven’t heard of the club will look to join. Amanda Lanham, the club’s incoming president, is looking forward to the future of the club. “Next year I want to work with the volunteer coordinator, Courtney
EGGs
continued from page 2 is based at Shriver, we wanted to do something that would involve the entire campus, not just Shriver,” Walters said. Handville said the event is a form of publicity for the Program Board. “We thought this would be a fun way to get Program Board’s name out there and get students involved,” Handville said. Walters said she thought Miami students enjoy competitive activities, so
Lynch, to work more with kids hands on,” Lanham said. She says the connections they’ve made in the community and on campus will help her achieve this goal. Lanham stressed the importance of spreading awareness and acceptance not just during this month, but all year round. “So many people are affected, people should be accepting and understand that some people are different,” Lanham said. students will want to participate and it makes the event fun and exciting. “It’s hard to go to an event at a specific time,” Shiets said. “Having it all day lets students be able to participate when they’re free, so I think a lot of people will look for eggs in between their classes.” According to Walters, Program Board thought the egg hunt would get students excited because many students probably used to do egg hunts in their childhood. “I used to hunt for eggs when I was a kid and I haven’t in a long time,” Shiets said. “This will give me a chance to relive some great childhood memories.”
6
Opinion
Tuesday April 5, 2011
Editors Noëlle Bernard Thomasina Johnson editorial@miamistudent.net
➤ EDITORIAL
The following pieces, written by the editorial editors, reflect the majority opinion of the editorial board.
Openly scrutinizing president’s review crucial P
resident David Hodge receives be gestures of good faith to stuan annual performance review dents, faculty and alumni who have conducted by Miami University’s unanswered questions, for instance, Board of Trustees. The review regarding the university’s current is undocumented and conducted state of affairs amidst an economic during a closed executive ses- budget crisis. sion where the president’s perforThis board recommends the Board mance is discussed and his personal of Trustees publicize Hodge’s pergoals and goals for the university formance review. It is important to are presented. stress Hodge’s performance is not On June 30, Hodge’s 5-year con- being criticized, rather evaluated to tract will be up for renewal and the discuss his position as an influenBoard of Trustees must determine if tial decision maker for the good of a renewal contract is the university. necessary, however, By presenting data details exposing the openly to the Miami Press releases and community, confidecision process are shielded away public sessions of dence in the univerfrom the public and future will not the annual review sity’s the press. be questioned. In The editorial are essential. These the end, this will be will be gestures of beneficial because a board of The Miami Student views the broader spectrum of good faith to annual performance constructive critistudents, faculty review of President cism may be exand alumni. Hodge as vital for changed, therefore the documentation producing more of the university’s reliable results. growth and progress. The president Ultimately, the editorial board should receive the same amount of believes in the future a hired scrutiny as all other members of Mi- outside source should conduct ami’s faculty and staff. the president’s administrative Closed meetings are accept- performance review. Although Miami has had a long able on the basis that they offer an intimate setting necessary for history of using the Board of Trustproperly expressing the univer- ees as the sole performance evalusity’s vulnerabilities and discuss- ators, they may be out of touch ing unpopular topics that encourage with the needs of the university. An outside source will conduct a less indispensable change. Yet, while closed meetings may biased review because the source be the best option for the Board of will have the advantage of looking Trustees to ensure efficient perfor- at the university from an outside mance review, the editorial board perspective that can see Miami’s thinks press releases and public strengths and weaknesses from an sessions are essential. These will objective lens.
Sorority must earn return P
i Beta Phi (Pi Phi), one of the so- by The Huffington Post. Miami has rorities involved in the disciplin- a strong Greek tradition and many ary actions during spring 2010, is students are a part of Miami’s Greek slated to return to Miami University community. The bad reputation that June 1, 2011. Returning members these two sororities, and several fraare required to complete the new ternities get may turn potential stumember program again, the chapter dents away from Miami. will be on social probation for one Although the board believes genyear, the chapter der bias may be a will be able to hold factor in the amount two recruitment ses- Miami has a strong of negative media sions, in the fall and Greek tradition but about sororities, as in the spring and will opposed to fraterniPan-Hel must not ties, the Greek combe returning to their turn a blind eye to munity must sufformer sorority suite on campus. ficiently prove they any illegal The editorial have learned someactivities, like board of The Miami thing from their early rushing or Student believes punishment and are underground that although the truly willing to bestrengthening of come a better orgasorority parties. Miami University’s nization because of Greek system can be the punishment. an asset to both the The board enuniversity and the community, the courages Miami’s Pan-Hellenic Aspunishment of certain Greek organi- sociation (Pan-Hel) to play an aczations, like Pi Phi, can sometimes tive and comprehensive role in the be misleading and may not fit the reintroduction of previously banned crime. The board feels two recruit- sororities and fraternities. Pan-Hel ment sessions, along with the re- must not turn a blind eye to any ilclaim of the former Pi Phi suite may legal activities, like early rushing be letting the sorority off too easily or underground sorority parties. For for the infamous formal at the Lake the Miami Greek system to become Lyndsay Lodge. This, along with a better asset to the university and Alpha Xi Delta’s (Fuzzie) formal to Oxford, each organization must at The National Underground Free- prove they are worthy enough to dom Center led to a listing as one of earn a spot in Miami’s long-standing the biggest college scandals of 2010 and esteemed Greek community.
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 Julia Engelbrecht Photo Editor
JOHN KROES lde-online.com
➤ LETTERS
Honors program offers education alternative In response to the opinion piece “Honors segregates Miami” from April 1, I feel that it is important to point out that the author seems to have been lacking some facts. A critical part of the Miami University Honors requirements is embedded in the online portfolio. Part of the Tier 1 requirements is demonstrating an understanding of different academic areas (sciences, social sciences, math, English, art) please forgive me if these are not the official names. Also, the removal of the Miami Plan from the requirements, in my understanding, was because most Honors students already had many of the requirements fulfilled and had achieved a broad spectrum of learning. Therefore, the Honors requirements were set up to ensure the broad spectrum breadth of learning but also to allow students to guide their education in a depth of learning. In my opinion, the Honors program simply offers a different method of achieving a liberal education. Megan Jashinski
jashinme@muohio.edu
Honors challenges, not excludes As a member of Miami University’s Honors Program, I was immediately drawn to the recent article, ‘Honors Segregates Miami’, curious to see exactly how this opinionate was going to clarify her radical position. Upon reading her article, I was offended at how little information the author actually had of the Honors Program and its requirements before she proceeded to tear it to pieces and call it “completely bogus.” While her first and arching point, which states that Honors students do not have to complete Miami Plan, is true, she was severely misinformed about how much we actually have to complete. Yes, we do not have to go into the five foundation areas. Instead, we have 30 learning outcomes that we must
justify that we have completed by the time we graduate, as well as nine specifically Honors classes or Experiences, three of which that must connect together in a sequence of Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3, similar to the Thematic Sequence of the Miami Plan. These learning outcomes essentially replace all the classes that Miami Plan would fulfill, creating math, science, literature/philosophy, art and social science requirements that must be fulfilled regardless of major, as well as sections labeled Reflection, Intercultural Understanding, Collaboration, Inquiry, Critical and Integrative Thinking and Communication. Furthermore, instead of just completing the requirement by taking a class, we must write a reflection paper about each of these outcomes, detailing how we learned the intended outcome. Think about that. We are required to write 30 sizable essays, outside of class, that may or may not get a passing grade. We can only submit these once or twice a year. If we don’t fully establish that the requirement has been completed, we are forced to re-do the essay while still in the same deadline. Furthermore, even if we may not be held to the requirements of the Miami Plan, we are still held to all the requirements of our individual colleges in addition to the requirements of the Honors Program. So yes, Honors students are “held to a standard separate” from the rest of the university. But think about it; each college has a different set of graduation requirements, because they are all different programs. Honors is just like this. We are held to a different set of standards and requirements because we applied to a different set of standards and requirements; these requirements aren’t meant to separate or exclude, but to challenge those who have signed up for the task. Brittany Spear
spearba@muohio.edu
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Opinion
THE MIAMI STUDENT
➤ ORIANA’S OBSERVATION
TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011 ♦ 7
➤ SAM SAYS
➤ ESSAY
Excessive U. S. Stressed? Be footloose and debt-free Seniors: spend involvement fleeting time dangerous with friends This semester has put stressors on all of us. We’ve seen changes happening to us as we move forward, out into a world that moves at a quick pace. And sometimes we forget that we don’t have it so hard, that whatever change we experience isn’t torturing us as badly as we think — we Oriana aren’t stuck back in Pawlyk the 1700s fighting to break free of our oppressors and corruption all over again. If you have been reading any news website or newspaper in the last few months, you would know Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain and now Libya have been experiencing protests in opposition to leaders who’ve been ruling for years. They are a part of many other Middle Eastern and North African protests known as the “Arab Spring,” a series of demonstrations considered to be “revolutionary” civil resistance. But Libya has been a bigger concern, especially since armed conflict has burdened the country. Since midFebruary, opposition forces of Moammar Gadhafi’s 41-year rule have become violent and pro-Gadhafi forces have retaliated. Moreover, the U.S. has something to say about it. Since Republicans have re-established their place in Congress, they’ve moved against President Obama mostly on domestic and economic policy. But they have mixed views on introducing forces in Libya.
How far will Obama and Congress need to go to alleviate one country? How do we know we won’t get completely involved in the entire “Arab Spring?” According to NPR, while most Republicans traditionally favor a dynamic and strong foreign policy, other GOP’s have a different view. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul explained, “Some say, well, this is no big deal, the president should be able to fight war whenever he wants to fight war … I beg to differ and our founding fathers beg to differ.” Furthermore, Minnesota’s Rep. Michelle Bachmann, said on NBC’s Today Show Wednesday “the new Obama doctrine” of humanitarian intervention would allow the U.S. to enter one country after another: “I don’t think that’s in the American interest for us to enter into one country after another.” But the U.S. has always been a “war-weary” country. We intervene when necessary. Gloria Borger, CNN Senior Political Analyst said it best: “We don’t want to go it alone. Yet we’re not sure we trust others to take the lead.” Yes, the United States tends to have the “police of the world” denotation attached to our name, but Borger makes a point. Should Libya be put on our shoulders? What do we gain from taking the lead? What do we lose? Obama addressed last Monday, “We should not be afraid to act — but the burden of action should not be America’s alone.” It’s been rumored that Obama is taking orders from the Arab League and the U.N. Yet, why is that such a problem in America’s eyes? First we say, “Wait, it’s not a good idea to intervene,” but then we criticize when we are told what to do? Obama can’t seem to win with this one. Obama administered a successful vote in the UN Security Council against Libya — but the only way people will be happy is if Gadhafi doesn’t make himself leader 42 years running. Now it’s a matter of where we draw the line. How far will Obama and Congress need to go to alleviate one country? How do we know we won’t get involved completely in the entire “Arab Spring?” This isn’t a “kill two birds with one stone” kind of method. Roots of unrest in other countries cannot guide America’s foreign policy forever.
Rose Feller. Lawyer. Sister. She has the best my statements and have shoe collection portrayed in a movie. a mental breakdown In one of the opening scenes of In Her when my parents Shoes, Maggie Feller, played by Cameron Diaz, calculated just opens up her sister’s closet. She pushes the clothes to the left and right and there it is: shelves full of shoes neatly displayed in see-through cases. It looks almost like a shoe museum featuring any type someone is looking for. As an obsessive shoe shopper, it made me feel better about how many shoes Rose Feller owned. I am definitely not the person that owns one pair of gym shoes, one pair of work shoes and one pair of slippers. My shoe collection takes up about one of my three closets at school. My closet at home has built in shelves designated for shoes. They all get rotated between seasons and it keeps growing every season. I mean, I cannot wear the same flats to Skipper’s and then to work the next day. Some may say I have a problem because I beERIN KILLINGER The Miami Student come a kid in a candy shop when I enter a shoe how much I spent store. My mom always from August to Desaid, “Before you buy something ask yourself is cember. This was not the first time I was told I this purchase for a need or a want.” Well, when it had to change my spending habits. However, comes to shoes, I always make sure that the pur- this time I actually listened. My spending habits chase is a need. Then the question is raised is why changed and I stayed within the tight perimeters shoes? In the words of Rose Feller, “Because they I was placed in. It was time to actually decide if always fit.” spending an enormous amount of money was Shoes-shopping is just a small piece of a larger worth it. It taught me a valuable lesson because problem in the American culture. I was sitting in once I graduate college, the cord is cut and I am King Library pondering through the New York financially responsible for myself. There is no Times website when I decided to move onto one to fall back on, and I am pretty sure Michael my homework. I was reading Kors’ Berkley heels will not be an article for my American paying the bills. If we want those Studies class. Sharon Zukin So I applaud those who are tangible objects wrote an article in 2003 titled, working through college; the “Attention, Shoppers: Your savers and those who are finanthen we have to Dreams in Aisle 3.” The article cially independent. It is rough save, save oh and talks about how shopping has trying to change a large habit save some more. shaped the landscape of Ameriand save money. However it is Consumerism needs a lesson that every college stucan culture. Sometimes we search for our dreams within dent needs to learn before they to stop shopping. Our culture always taking over our lives are fully independent. What we wants the next addition just want in life usually has to be and our values. fulfilled through money. Our to flaunt to anyone that takes dreams of working for CNN notice. It becomes a status or finding the cure for cancer do not lay within symbol. But are our ambitions and dreams rethe Nordstrom department store and especialally in the next pair of Steve Maddens I decided ly those Jimmy Choo shoes. You also have to to charge? weight those options between feeding yourself When I go to buy shoes, I actually do think and material items. If we want those tangible about what I am going to wear with. I do a mental scan of my wardrobe and then decide if it will objects then we have to save, save oh and save be worth the money. The answer usually is yes. some more. Consumerism needs to stop taking There is just one huge problem with this. This over our lives and our values. Shoes will always practice of spending causes debt, addiction and fit and make me happy, but money will give finding my dreams in the wrong places. me a life. I probably will be very grateful to my parMichelle Ludwin ents after this semester because they put me on ludwinma@muohio.edu a budget. I had to sit down over break, print off
➤ ESSAY
Fountain of youth often negates wisdom, misleads priorities Growing up, our parents controlled everything. They controlled where we grew up, went to school, what we ate for dinner, what time we went to bed and when we took a bath. Our parents made decisions for us that they thought were best. Our 7 and 8-year-old selves didn’t mind this tyranny so much; perhaps this was because we hardly noticed it. We were reliant on our parents because we had no desire to try to cook pancakes for ourselves in the morning, nor did we know how to find our own ride to soccer practice. But as we grew up and sought autonomy and freedom from our parents, they begged to differ that the “tween” years were the appropriate decision-making age. Never did I suspect that while we were trying so hard to be like them, our parents were actually trying to be more like us. Today for many adults there are products and services on the market that advertise on the platform that they will make you trendy, up-to-date, in-style or younger. Having been thought of as 10 years younger than your true age can make someone’s whole week. For a woman in her 30s, getting carded at a restaurant is equivalent to someone saying you haven’t aged since college. While we’re crossing our fingers that we’re mature enough to avoid showing ID, the older generation is ready and willing. Moreover, anti-wrinkle creams, Botox, make-up and miracle
medicines are all put to use fast-paced world. throughout America so that peoWhat is it about the fountain ple feel that they look younger. of youth that makes it so desirWhy are Americans so obsessed able to take a drink from? Parents with the idea of looking half their know of the adolescent struggles age? What good does it do to try we endured, bur how could they and shave off years of the life one want to return to a time when they has already lived? were just as unsure of who they For instance, Facebook original- were too? ly began as a social networking tool Perhaps they aren’t trying to for college-aged students. With the journey back; instead they want recent wave of parents and even to keep up with the journey ahead. some grandparents hopping on In the new millennium, surviving the technology train, even one’s without some sort of connection grandma to the cywill write on ber world her grandis almost Why are Americans so child’s wall obsessed with the idea of i m p o s to offer sible. The looking half their age? a birthmedia inAging is a natural day wish. tertwines P a r e n t s biological process. That is youth and are spendbeauty how the circle of life ing just as so tightly operates, as much as much time it’s hard some people want to to see the on Facedifference. book as we reverse it. With all are. They the produpdate their ucts availstatuses, upload and tag pictures and chat able for use, it’s hard not to try with their children online. If stay- them out. Aging is a natural biological ing connected on Facebook is the latest trend, there is no doubt process. We start young and then parents are going to jump on the grow old. That is how the circle bandwagon. BlackBerry smart- of life operates and as much as phones and iPhones are just one some people want to reverse it or more way parents are trying to stay stop the cycle cold, neither techhip and trendy. While many need nological device nor skin product these phones for work, some have can scrub away the wisdom in them just for play. By download- life’s experience. ing the latest apps and learning Sarah Title the ins and outs of texting, parents titlese@muohio.edu are just trying to keep up with the
As graduation and summer are approaching, I feel like reflecting on time well-spent and maybe not so well spent. College is of course about an education, but what else will really leave an impact on you after you leave? Friends, professors, organizations Samantha you joined, sports Friedman teams or clubs? For everyone the college experience is different. Four years really does fly by. Looking back, I wonder if the time I spent was well-spent or would I have done anything differently. Before beginning college, most students can’t wait for the parties, new people, a new place and especially being away from home. Most students probably forget about the endless amounts of work they’ll get and stay on top of while also trying to have a “life.” What’s really important though is having real friends, not friends who will just take you to some fun, crazy party, but a friend who’s there for you on a long night at the library or on a night where you need a break from going out. Many students probably hardly even remember their crazy nights out, so what was really the point? Sure, sometimes those nights are fun, but in the end you probably won’t remember the night, but you’ll most likely remember whom you were with. College is all about moving away from home, starting life away from your parents and figuring out what’s next in your journey of life. It all flies by so fast. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that four years has passed us by. Most students start to realize that maybe they’ve taken their time here for granted when they hit senior year. They realize, holy crap I have one year left, and then “poof” off into the real world. Yah, it can be a scary thought, but I feel like it’s time. I realize now that I want to spend my last weeks with friends who will stay friends post-graduation. Pretty soon we’ll all be off all over the country with jobs, grad school and whatever else. We won’t be able to all be in one place again, for the most part. So I find myself trying not to decline invites to dinner or trivia, unless I really just can’t, because there are only so many days left. Leaving college also makes us think about what we wish we had done while we were here, or maybe what we shouldn’t have done. Many students have the goal of the 14 Day Club at CJ’s, or eating at every restaurant in Oxford, which are fun, but again the people you make the memories with will stick with you. Having a huge group of friends isn’t what’s important, it’s really the few close friends you’ll know you’ll have even when you’re not here anymore. College is an important transition from high school and being at home, to becoming an adult. Most students come and spend time with all the other people in their residence hall, go out at least every weekend, if not on a Thursday night too and sometimes class comes second. There are also students who have a good balance of both, and class always wins when something is due or an exam is coming up. And there are also students where school is their main priority and friends come second. Having a balance is important. Spend time with friends enjoy every minute. I don’t mean enjoy every minute with friends at the bars or parties, just enjoy what college has to offer, including new experiences, classes, internships and being away from home. It flies by and one day you’ll wake up and realize you have four weeks left. When you get this close you really start to realize the people who had an impact and the memories made with them.
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8
April, 5 2011
The Miami Student Oldest university paper in the United States, established in 1826
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COURTYARDS OF MIAMITIRED OF TOO MANY ROOMMATES?THE COURTYARDS OF MIAMI has your solution! We are located on E. Central Ave, between Campus and Main St. We offer neat, clean, and colorful housing at affordable prices. The Courtyards has 2 bedroom apartments, shared by just 2 students for $2300/per person-includes heat and water & 1 bedroom + a study for 1 person for $3300. All residents enjoy off street parking, on site laundry, yard space with a shelter that has tables and grills! The MU bus stops at our front door, and all apartments have been recently renovated with several upgrades! We are just down the street from the REC and within walking distance to campus. On site office with flexible hours and payment schedules. Stop by, contact Carolyn at (513) 659-5671 or www.thecourtyardsofmiami.com for more information Thank you.
Houses NEWER CONDO TRENDY 4 BEDRM~2 FULL BATH~EQUIPPED KITCHEN~LAUNDRY~OFF STREET PARKING~GARAGE~CAN HELP WITH FURNISHINGMike 513 266-1685m2deuce21@hotmail.com HOUSE FOR RENT 4 Bedroom House, 2 full Baths, 2 car garage, washer/dryer, full kitchen, cable and hi speed internet in every room, large closets, all electric utilities, landlord pays water, sewer, and trash. Less than 4 years old. Call Lou @ (513) 658-2590 House for rent 418 Lincoln Ave. Available 2011-12AFFORDABLE4 bedroom/2 bathhardwood floorsback porch & off st. parking 513-532-7565 513-523-0655 For rent Newly remodled student housing for 2011-2012. Accommodates groups from 3-5. Close to rec center with laundry room, dishwasher, and central air. Great rates for quality housing. Call Tosh at 907-4472
Roommate Needed 2 Female Housemates NeededNeeds 2 neat & fun females to share a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom house. $2500 per semester, utilities not included. Close to campus, near mtpl MU Bus Stops. Contact Julia at 860-575-7897
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McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital is pleased to welcome
DEREK JOHNSON, L.Ac, MSOM
in the practice of Acupuncture Derek Johnson holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Miami University, and a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science from Midwest College of Oriental Medicine in Chicago. Mr. Johnson is seeing patients at the McCullough-Hyde Medical Building 5151 Morning Sun Road, Suite B, Oxford, OH Call (513) 524-5420 to schedule an appointment To learn how acupuncture can help you, visit www.simplybestudio.com
McCullough-Hyde
MEMORIAL HOSPITAL A tradition of caring. A new vision of health.
110 N. Poplar Street Oxford, OH 45056 513 / 523-2112 www.mhmh.org
THE MIAMI STUDENT
9 ♦ TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011
please recycle!
When you’re finished reading
The Miami Student,
Please join us to celebrate the Women’s Center’s 20th anniversary! Thursday, April 14th, 2011 The Women’s Center will host a
Breakfast and Program 9:00-11:00AM
To attend the breakfast please RSVP by April 8:
Shriver Center Heritage Room
womenscenter@muohio.edu
To be followed by
or call 513.529.1510.
Afternoon Tea and Open House
1:00-4:00PM 210 MacMillan Hall
continued from page 1 conduct evaluations of the institutional president. In Tennessee, on top of president evaluations administered by the institutional board of trustees the state’s Board of Regents conducts a performance evaluation. The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) works with the president to establish goals for the university, similar to Miami’s process, according to TBR Communications Director Monica Greppin. “It provides an opportunity for the institution leaders and the system chancellor to review the goals set for each institution and evaluate their progress toward reaching them,” Greppin said.
Above and beyond
With no guidelines to stipulate university president evaluations in Ohio, Full tea with savories institutions are left to develop their (scones & light desown method of evaluation. Some colleges do not even adminserts) provided ister an annual review for their presidents. Still, others chose to put their leader under a thicker lens. Both The Ohio State University (OSU) and Ohio University (OU) issue press releases upon completion of the annual evaluation. OSU’s board of trustees recently commended Gee for retention and graduation rates in a Dec. 8, 2010 press release. Upon completion of OU’s presidential annual evaluation in the executive meeting, the board may share comments about the president’s review in a public meeting. In 2008, the board of trustees commissioned a national association to complete a comprehensive performance review of OU’s current president, Roderick J. McDavis. These types of reviews are meant for presidents that are committed to the university, said Amanda
Miami University Students for Life, True Feminists of Miami University, and Young America’s Foundation Proudly Present…
REVIEW
ABORTION AND FEMINISM
Wednesday, April 6. At 8:00 PM. Culler 46
Adolph, senior vice president for marking of the Association of Governing Boards. Adolph’s association gives comprehensive assessments of university presidents around the country, including OU’s recent president evaluation. “Typically the institutions don’t necessarily engage in comprehensive reviews if there is a problem, it’s looking at really growing the president” Adolph said. Adolph said 92 percent of public universities conduct an annual review of the president while 53 percent of public universities conduct a comprehensive assessment of the president. And, a January 9 article in The Chronicle of Higher Education, “Governing Boards Get SeriousAbout Presidential Reviews,” said more and more universities are asking for stringent reviews to be done earlier in the presidency and more frequently. Some universities are even asking for board of trustee evaluations. Adolph’s board recommends consistency in evaluations. “We recommend a comprehensive presidential assessment every couple of years,” Adolph said. “It’s best when there’s an objective party, where people on campus feel more comfortable talking with an outside party.” Although Miami is a member of the AGB, they have not had the board conduct an outside review — and they don’t plan on it. “The president has been very responsive to the need of the university and the board,” Crain said. “We don’t see a need at this point for an assistance or a second look.” While the board of trustees debates Hodge’s contract renewal, Hodge said he’d continue to be evaluated by all members of the university community. “I feel like I’m being reviewed every day, I’m being reviewed by the rest of the campus who needs to feel comfortable and confident that we’re moving in the right direction,” Hodge said.
L VE WHERE Y U LIVE
THE KATE WELLING DISABILITY AWARENESS LECTURE SERIES
513-523-4532 www.oxre.com rentals@oxre.com
19 South Beech Street, Oxford, Ohio 45056 Sales: 513.523.7253
The Disability Culture: Enhancing Today’s Economy MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011 7:00 P.M. 128 PEARSON HALL
Mr. Gregory Fehribach
The presentation will address the challenges and opportunities facing both Americans with disabilities and employers in fulfilling the promise of legislation aimed at providing equal opportunities for people with disabilities in the workforce. An attorney with a disability who uses an electric wheelchair as a mobility aid device, Gregory S. Fehribach is a leading consultant on accessible design and founder of The Fehribach Group. Widely considered a leading consultant on accessible design projects, Greg evaluates every project using a comprehensive approach that encompasses a multitude of factors, from ADA compliance, to diversity management, to ensuring a client’s return on investment. Combined with his extensive legal training and background, this integrated approach sets him apart from architectural compliance and code consultants.
Co Sponsorship provided by the Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity/Office of Disability Resources; Bernard B. Rinella, Jr. Learning Center; IT Services/IT Communications; Career Services; School of Education, Health, and Society; Student Health Service; Center for World and American Cultures.; and the Office of Student Wellness Programs. 0LDPL 8QLYHUVLW\ (TXDO RSSRUWXQLW\ LQ HGXFDWLRQ DQG HPSOR\PHQW
10
Tuesday April 5, 2011
MVP race remains wide open
BASEBALL
Sports
Editor Michael Solomon sports@miamistudent.net
NEXT GAME: 6:35 p.m. Wednesday at The Ohio State University
’Hawks fall in series finale
Sam Hitchcock
That’s Debatable The NBA MVP is going to Derrick Rose. Stan Van Gundy may look like Ron Jeremy but he is right, the Chicago Bulls are the best they have been since MJ and the media has already decided it. Rose has been outstanding (the unquestioned leader of his team) and deserves the trophy so it is completely logical as well. The NHL, however, has a wide-open MVP race with three contenders who make compelling cases. In my opinion, here are the three candidates and their arguments on who should win and why. Corey Perry: Possibly hurt in the voters eyes by the fact that he looks like an IT support employee, Perry is firing bullets scoring 44 goals this season while logging big minutes all season (having played in every game). Perry’s Anaheim Ducks are on the right side of the standings sitting currently seventh in the West, but the Ducks will need Perry to finish his remaining three games strong if he hopes to ensure the Ducks another playoff run. Perry was only 22 when the Ducks beat in the Senators for the Stanley Cup 2007, but Perry’s tie for second in game-winning goals (10) has the Ducks thinking they control their own destiny if they can sneak into the postseason. Jonathan Toews: He plays in the big market in Chicago, he is very charismatic and charming and has been the staple for the Blackhawks in a year that has been marred with injuries and failure to meet expectations (currently holding onto dear life at eight in the Western Conference after winning the Stanley Cup last year). He is 22 but has shown leadership beyond his years and like Perry, Toews is peaking at the right time of the season. Toews provides intangibles that go beyond score sheets, as he has the highest plus/minus of any player in the top 10 points whose last name does not end with Sedin and has plus 24 points higher than St. Louis and plus 16 points higher than Perry. He has seven game-winning goals this season, and if the Blackhawks make the playoffs and can upset Vancouver, he will be the reason. Daniel Sedin: Not sure what the parents of these two twins did, but some laboratory tests may need to be done as they are quickly establishing themselves as candidates for the best brother tandem in sports (not yet the Mannings but give them time.) Daniel has done everything anyone could do to win the Hart Trophy. He is leading the league in points, is first among any other top forward in plus/ minus and has his Vancouver Canucks locked to win the Presidents Trophy (best record in the NHL). While he and brother Henrik keep somewhat of a low profile for how good they are (both are Swedish in a Canadian market), he has been dominant and scored goals when it counted (10 game-winning goals). While voters may count it against him for having such an outstanding brother in Henrik and the ever-improving American Ryan Kesler, the media often can be susceptible to over-thinking the balloting rather than giving it to the player who has played or performed the best the entire season. His statistics and success show this, Sedin deserves the Hart Trophy more than anyone. With Henrik winning it last year, the Sedin family gatherings should have a little more silverware than in years past. Now all they need is that pesky Stanley Cup.
SCOTT ALLISON The Miami Student
Senior catcher Adam Weisenburger swings at a pitch against Eastern Kentucky University March 23 at McKie Field at Hayden Park.
By Alex Butler Senior Staff Writer
No matter how long he stared at the statistics sheet, the numbers stayed static. Coach Dan Simonds was the last man out of the dugout Sunday, April 3, after the Miami University baseball team fell to Ball State University 6-3 and slid to second place in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Division. Simonds sat at the end of the bench, in a shady corner, trying to find the areas to improve his ballclub before coming to the conclusion that his bats could have been better. “That’s baseball,” Simonds said. “You get a guy that’s throwing the ball well, their first guy was a pretty good pitcher. It’s disappointing because I think we are better. Offensively we have to come around. Our pitching was certainly good enough to win the series … We just didn’t put enough innings together and we have to improve that way.” The unpredictable weekend weather was a microcosm of the play on McKie Field at Hayden Park as the RedHawks (13-14, 4-2 MAC) were shut out by an ace arm Friday 2-0 and survived a slugfest 11-8 Saturday before surrendering Sunday’s skirmish and the series. Cardinal lumber roughed up sophomore starter Brooks Fiala and freshman Seth
SYNCHRONIZED SKATING
Varner’s relief arm for four runs in the first three innings before the RedHawk offense could answer. “We had some good at bats and we couldn’t really get down on ourselves or anything like that,” senior Kyle Weldon said. Sophomore designated hitter Kevin Bower followed a Weldon single when he stepped to the plate in the fourth frame looking to touch all the bases. With two outs, Bower took a Cardinal offering and blasted it to the top of the right field fence, just missing a home run but bringing Weldon home from first to make the score 4-1. But Bower stayed stranded when the ’Hawks ended the frame with just one run. “We definitely could have threatened more offensively,” Simonds said. “To face a guy that way and not put more pressure on them offensively … we have to do a better job. We have to do a better job offensively and get better with some of the guys in the late part of our lineup.” The Red and White were blanked in the next three innings before Weldon answered in the eighth. With one out, the senior belted a waist-high pitch over the center field fence for a solo home run. Junior right fielder Ryan Curl then hit an RBI single to close the inning down 5-3 to the men from Muncie. But the Cardinals (6-19, 4-2 MAC) plated all the
insurance they needed with a ninth inning run and shut ’Hawk bats down in the bottom of the inning. “They applied pressure all weekend and that’s what you have to do to win,” Weldon said. “I thought we came out and hit well and pitched well all weekend long. We just need to keep working on those two things.” The Red and White step out of conference to battle the Indiana University Hoosiers at home 8 p.m. Tuesday. “We may give a couple guys some opportunities and see how they swing the bat,” Simonds said. “But we are going about it to win every game. We have some good pitching. The biggest thing is to get us ready for MAC play and we might need to see a few things and some other options that can contribute.” Weldon hit homeruns Saturday and Sunday to give him a team leading six on the season. The senior is hitting .343 in cleanup duty with 105 at-bats and leads the lineup with 24 RBI, 62 total bases and a .590 slugging percentage. He hit .416 for the series with four RBI and three runs scored. Senior catcher Adam Weisenburger batted .400 with two RBI and four runs scored. The bottom three hitters in the RedHawk lineup hit 3 for 31 (.096) with just three RBI.
NEXT GAME: all day Friday in Helsinki, Finland
Red and White take flight for Finland By Melissa Maykut
skated with poise and power as the intensity of the music increased. The music was suddenly cut After qualifying for the world championships off. The team stopped gliding across the ice and with its second place finish at the national champi- returned to the center where coach Carla DeGiroonship, the Miami University senior synchronized lamo was waiting. skating team will compete in the World SynchroCoach DeGirolamo focused on an arm nized Skating Championships April 8 and 9 in movement that could be cleaned up and imHelsinki, Finland. proved, then sent the girls back out onto The RedHawks often have themed practices be- the ice to practice before beginning the fore going into a competition. There was an ugly music again. dress theme, a costume theme The goal these past few and before going to Milan, Italy, weeks has been to make “I’m expecting to for the Spring Cup Feb. 13, the sure everyone’s body positeam wore red, white and blue show that we’re one tions are the same, make sure to practice for representing the counts are sharp and that of the top teams that the United States. the team’s skating is clean deserves to be at this and synchronized. At 9 a.m. Saturday morning, competition and that’s “We’ve been making sure the 20 girls on the senior team were dressed in blue and white the girls are skating with full how it should be.” intensity and full activation for their Finland-themed pracevery time they skate so that tice.TheobjectiveofSaturday’s JANA FONDA when they go out to compete practice was to clean up the SENIOR MIAMI UNIVERSITY it’s just business as usual,” details of the team’s two proDeGirolamo said. gramsbeforeleavingforFinland Fifteen of the 20 girls on the senior team will Monday morning. compete in worlds for the first time in their skatSixteen girls skated through their long program ing careers, but rather than be nervous, the girls are themed “Hypnotized in a Dream,” as four extras excited and bonding over the experience. skated behind the main group. The RedHawks Staff Writer
It is sophomore Aziza Alaoui and senior Amanda Zanotelli’s first time competing at worlds. For them, the excitement and anticipation for worlds has just been building over the last couple of weeks. “At nationals we put out two really great skates and the past month we’ve just been pushing just that little bit further to make little improvements on small things and rack up a couple more points,” Aziza said. “It’s just been kind of like putting the icing on the cake.” Senior Jana Fonda is one of five girls on the team who has skated at worlds in the past. This season being her third trip to worlds, Fonda is considered a veteran on the senior team. “I’m expecting to show that we’re one of the top teams that deserves to be at this competition and that’s how it should be,” Fonda said. The senior team will get time to practice Wednesday and Thursday in Finland and will begin competition on Friday. “I know the team is ready,” DeGirolamo said. “I know they are going to go out and skate even better than they did at nationals, which I thought was outstanding, so I think as long as they go out and do what they’ve been doing, they will represent Miami and the United States well.”