The Miami Student VOLUME 138 NO. 52
Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826
Friday, April 15, 2011
MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO
In 1970, The Miami Student reported approximately 150 students had been arrested and “hundreds more” had been victims of tear gas after a six-hour occupation of Rowan Hall, home of Miami University’s Naval ROTC program at the time. Students felt Rowan Hall represented the “war machine.” A full 700-person battalion of the National Guard was called in to diffuse the situation.
City of Oxford loses local business owner Bill Berry passed away Tuesday morning, store’s future uncertain
By Sam Kay Editor in Chief
Seniors hoping to get one last bit of good luck by rubbing the Delta Zeta turtles prior to graduation will probably not be able to do so. Repairs on the Tri Delta Sundial and the Delta Zeta turtles will almost certainly not be completed by commencement, according to Cody Powell, senior director of utilities and building maintenance. The cost of repairs to the sundial may reach $28,000, according to Powell. The brass and bronze monument was initially damaged May 6, 2010, when Miami University junior Bradley Hoffman climbed inside of it, causing the sundial to topple, according to the Miami
ANDREW BRAY The Miami Student
Flowers and paintings were placed outside Bill’s Art Store on Wednesday after local residents learned of owner Bill Berry’s death.
By Bethany Bruner
University Police Department. After the incident, the sundial was kept in storage for several months while Miami University figured out what to do with it. According to Powell, the delay was caused by uncertainty over the outcome of the court case and difficulty in choosing whether to attempt to repair or completely replace the Sundial. “We spent a fair amount of time trying to figure out what to do with it,” Powell said. “We talked to several different artists and the company that manufactured it originally, deciding whether to remanufacture the whole thing or fix it. That took more time than what it probably should’ve.” Ultimately, Miami chose to repair rather than replace the sundial. It was not until February that the sundial was moved to local artist John Cline’s shop for repairs. Cline said the damage to the sundial was so extensive it had to be completely dismantled and each major component reshaped. “None of the rings are designed to take an impact like what it sustained. Almost every major component was damaged,” Cline said. “Although something
News Editor
The Miami Student received word on Wednesday that Bill Berry, the owner of Bill’s Art Store located on High Street had passed away. Berry worked extensively with the Oxford Community Arts Center and local artists while providing art supplies for Miami University art, architecture and graphic design students and Oxford residents. Bill’s Art Store had been open for more than three decades. Sidewalk art, paintings and flowers had created a small memorial to Berry outside. Patrons of the store left messages reading “You were an amazing person” and “You will be missed, RIP Bill.” City of Oxford Economic Development Director Alan Kyger said Bill’s Art Store had been in business on High Street for as long as he could remember. “He’s been one of the long-term business patrons of our uptown district,” Kyger said. “His store has always been a very stable and consistent presence providing a much needed product. We need retail stores like what he offered uptown.” An email from Art Department Administrative Assistant Jennifer Fox, distributed to all art majors, said a decision on the store’s future would be made soon. A sign on the door of Bill’s Art Shop said the store would remain closed through Friday, April 16. Kyger said he had not heard any definite plans for the store to remain open or to shut its doors. The email from Fox said Berry had been found unresponsive Tuesday morning by a family member at his home. No cause of death has been determined at this time.
is made of metal, it is very fragile if it sustains a fall. It’s not designed to be bounced across the pavement like a beach ball.” Reshaping the metal has required the use of multiple subcontractors with specialized stamping and rolling equipment. The work is moving slowly to avoid further damage, Cline said, because some of the components may be irreplaceable. Although the company that manufactured the sundial in the 1960s is still in business, Cline said much of the equipment used to manufacture it is no longer there. “We’re trying to salvage as much as we can, because if something is completely scrapped, you might not be able to find a replacement for it,” Cline said. When it returns, the sundial will no longer be perfectly spherical, according to Cline. “We’re going our best to bring it as close to round and concentric as possible,” Cline said. “I don’t think it will ever be exactly the way it was back when it was installed in the early 1960s.” The sundial is a major icon of the university and used by many alumni to relate to their time
wSee SUNDIAL, page 5
CONTRIBUTED BY JOHN CLINE
Parts of the sundial, including the iconic turtles (top), are catalogued while they await their return to Miami. Artist John Cline repairs the Tri Delta Sundial (bottom).
Million dollar men: Who gets paid the most at Miami? By Lauren Ceronie Campus Editor
Every October, Miami University releases the University Salary Roster that includes the pay of all full-time employees at Miami. The salary roster is public record and can be found at King Library. Since the October release however, Miami’s roster of employees has changed, including employees in the upper-echelons of the university. Here’s an updated list of the five highest paid people at Miami:
1. Don Treadwell- $400,000. Miami will welcome the new head football coach with the highest salary in the university, according to General Counsel Robin Parker. This salary will top former head coach Mike Haywood’s $300,000 salary. Treadwell’s salary is not “inordinately high” when compared to Big 10 schools, according to Parker. Treadwell’s paycheck is based off Haywood’s salary at the time of his departure from Miami, according to Jason Lener, deputy director for
athletics. After Miami’s football team won the Mid American Conference, Haywood received an increase in salary, which then transferred to Treadwell. Treadwell will also be eligible for bonus pay throughout the year for his team’s academic and athletic success, according to Lener.
2. Dr. Roger Jenkins- $381,881. Jenkins is a professor and dean of the Farmer School of Business. Jenkins’ salary is based on the market for professors and deans in business, according to Parker. This means Jenkins’ paycheck is based on salaries in business schools across the country, according to Parker. Salaries in this market tend to be higher than in other academic divisions, according to Parker. “In higher education, the pay range is driven by the underlying discipline,” Parker said.
3. President David Hodge$380,000 While some may be surprised that Hodge is not the highest paid employee at Miami, this is not uncommon at
universities, according to Parker. “It’s not unusual for the president not to be the highest paid person at an institution,” said Parker. Hodge’s salary is competitive in the Ohio market as well as with schools of similar size, according to Parker. The salary roster also does not take into account the value of Hodge’s house and car, Parker said.
Tuffy’s smoothie rounds out the top five highest paid people at Miami. Blasi has been leading Miami’s hockey team as head coach for the past 12 years and has signed a contract to stay through the 2016-2017 hockey season. Like Treadwell, Blasi’s salary is also based on the salaries of other conference hockey coaches,
according to Lener. Blasi is also eligible for bonus pay throughout the season for academic and athletic success, Lener said. “We’re very fair with what we’re paying Coach Blasi and Coach Treadwell,” Lener said. “When you’ve got good leaders on and off the field you want to keep them around.”
4. Conrado “Bobby” Gempesaw- $310,000 Gempesaw will take the position of provost and executive vice president of academic affairs at Miami May 1. Before coming to Miami, Gempesaw was dean of the Lerner College of Business and Economics at the University of Delaware. Gempesaw’s salary will top current Interim Provost John Skilling’s pay of $250,000. Like Jenkins, Gempesaw’s pay is also based on what other university provost’s are paid.
5. Enrico Blasi- $300,000 The man who has his name chanted by hundreds of students on a regular basis and has his own personalized
GRAPHIC BY ERIN KILLINGER
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Campus
Friday
April 15, 2011
NEWS BRIEFS FYI Professor honored with Harrison Medallion Distinguished professor and Chair of Statistics, A. John Bailer, will be honored with Miami University’s Benjamin Harrison Medallion May 7 at the commencement ceremony. Recipients of the Harrison Medallion are outstanding members of Miami’s faculty or staff who have contributed to national education. Bailer is noted for his research record of 122 research articles which he authored and co-authored, 35 book chapters and reports and five co-authored and co-edited books. Besides all the research, he has also held leadership positions in professional organizations including the American Statistical Association. He received the 2009 Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate Instruction and Mentoring, as well as the University Distinguished Professor Award in 2005, among others.
Editors Lauren Ceronie Jenni Wiener campus@miamistudent.net
Editor Amanda Seitz specialreports@miamistudent.net
SPECIAL REPORTS
Tenure rates to see decline
By Jenn Smola Staff Writer
An extinct position Across the nation, the number of tenured faculty at universities is going down but at Miami University the number of tenured professors remains high. Twentyseven percent of college instructors are full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty, which is a large decrease compared to 75 percent in 1960, according to a 2009 report in The New York Times. Miami’s percentage of tenured faculty for 2010 is higher than the national average at nearly 59
percent. Though the number has decreased slightly over the past 20 years, the rate of decrease hardly competes with the national average.
An elite club Miami tries to find a mix of tenured professors, full-time professors and visiting faculty, according to Interim Provost John Skillings. “They all contribute in important ways,” Skillings said about different types of instructors at Miami. Candidates for tenure are expected to demonstrate
high-quality teaching and academic advising, significant research, scholarship and creative achievement and service to the community, according to Miami’s tenure and promotion guidelines. A Miami professor must work at Miami for six years before being tenure eligible, Skillings said. The faculty member is evaluated by their department each year, as well as by the provost for the fourth through sixth year. The department chair, provost, president and board of trustees must approve the promotion. Even when professors meet these expectations, however, they
still may not be tenure-eligible. For example, professors who attained their Ph.D. from Miami may not achieve tenure rank unless they were grandfathered into the 1979 policy or have worked at another university for at least three years.
You get what you pay for Miami’s tenured faculty may earn anywhere from $73,900 to $102,800. Non-tenured faculty earn on average anywhere from $36,200 to $64,300, annual salary reports in The Chronicle of
wSee TENURE, page 5
Crowning a new king
Glee club holds spring concert Songs of spring are here: birds chirping, music seeping through open windows and, of course, the Men’s Glee Club. Glee Club will hold its spring concert 8 p.m. April 15 and 16 at Hall Auditorium. The concert, conducted by Jeremy Jones, visiting assistant professor of music, recently named permanent conductor of the group, will include choral music by American composers of the 20th century as well as German works. In its 104-year history, the Glee Club has performed at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, a preOlympic arts festival in China and at Harvard University. Admission is open to the public. Tickets are $5 for students and $7 for adults and are available at the Miami Box Office.
Teacher receives award for service and mentoring Associate Professor of history and American studies, Peggy Shaffer, received the 2011 Elizabeth Kolmer Award from the Mid-American Studies Association (MAASA). The award honors teaching and mentoring in the field of American studies and service to MAASA. Shaffer has directed Miami’s American studies program for over a decade. She specializes in American cultural history and is the author of See America First: Tourism and National Identity,1880-1940.
JULIA ENGELBRECHT The Miami Student
Chi Omega holds the annual King of the Wing competition in Central Quad April 14.
ASG discusses sustainability, elects cabinet members By Matt Levy Senior Staff Writer
Miami University’s Associated Student Government (ASG) is busier than ever, filling out next year’s Executive Cabinet while still considering new legislation. In a four and-a-half hour-long meeting Tuesday night, ASG passed one resolution, tabled another, introduced two new pieces of legislation, voted on an emergency funding request for a new student group on campus and elected four Executive Cabinet positions. A resolution on the eventual replacement of Miami’s coal plant, located behind Peabody Hall on Western Campus, was seen as too problematic to be voted on during Tuesday’s meeting. The resolution, authored by senators Carlos Suarez and Alex Shillito and by Todd Zimmer of the Beyond Coal movement, calls for Miami to begin the process of closing the plant within the next decade and pursue other greener options. Many senators felt not enough research had been put into the resolution from its authors.
“Miami wants to get rid of coal within the spend more money.” Narmar Doyle, Secretary for Academic Afnext 25 years,” said senator Brian Breitsch, referring to the Strategic Priorities Task Force fairs, felt the resolution had too many problems report. “The resolution says within the next de- to pass. “It’s one of the cleanest coal plants we have cade. I think that’s pushing it too far. We need in the country and I’m conto work in sync with the Stracerned we’d pass something tegic Priorities Task Force, not that would come back to bite take what they’re giving us and “There are other us,” Doyle said. push it even further.” steps we can be Suarez clarified that the resoThe resolution was tabled supporting to help for further discussion at a lution encourages the universithe university go later point. ty to begin the process of shutting down the coal plant within ASG also saw representatives greener over the the next decade, not cease opfrom the campus group Guiding next few years.” erations entirely. He also sug100, a newly-formed organizagested the staff that works tion which aims to help students MATT FRAZIER there be slowly phased out or who are interested in teaching ASG SENATOR reintegrated into the campus’ in urban and inner-city environreplacement power system. ments. Fifteen members of the “I can’t support this because group will be traveling to prothere’s no education component in here, it’s just grams in Detroit, Mich. and Lima, Ohio in May. bashing coal,” said senator Matt Frazier. “There Because the group was created two weeks ago, are other steps we can be supporting to help the they were not able to apply for ASG funding at university go greener over the next few years, so all we’d be doing is telling the university to See ASG, page 5
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Changes to Latin honors to be delayed Construction ongoing for By Lauren Ceronie Campus Editor
The requirements for graduation with distinction, also known as Latin honors, will change beginning with the class of 2012. Previously, the university had planned to implement the changes for May 2011 commencement. The new requirements will be based on class rank in each academic division, according to Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs John Skillings. Class rank in the College of Arts and Sciences will be further divided by Humanities, Social Science and Natural science. Miami University has decided to change the requirements to make the Latin honors system fairer to all students,
Skillings said. “There is different grading criteria in different academic divisions so it would be fairer for students to be ranked by class rank instead of grades,” Skillings said. Currently, students receiving a bachelor’s degree must have a 3.5 GPA to graduate cum laude, a 3.75 GPA to graduate magna cum laude and a 3.9 GPA to graduate summa cum laude. With the new requirements, the Latin honors will be based on percentages, according to Skillings. Students with a GPA in the top 2 percent of their academic division will graduate summa cum laude. The next 5 percent of students will graduate magna cum laude and the next 10 percent will graduate cum laude, according to Skillings.
University Senate decided to change the requirements for graduation with distinction in 2007, but decided to wait and implement the new changes for the class of 2012, according to Skillings. “There was a recommendation that we renew the Latin honors for May graduation, but the requirement wasn’t in the Student Handbook for the class of 2011,” Skillings said. “In fairness to the students we decided to delay for a year.” Summer 2011 the office of the registrar will calculate the average GPA in each division and post the results on their website so students can see about what GPA they need to aim for in order to graduate with distinction, Skillings said.
wSee LATIN, page 5
utility demand of ASC By Melanie Henterly For The Miami Student
Electrical upgrading is the latest change on Miami University’s central campus to meet part of the utility demand for the future Armstrong Student Center. “We are improving electrical capacity to the central campus area,” said Vice President of Finance and Business Services David Creamer. “Most of the project has already been completed.” The project, known as the “Central Campus Electrical Modification,” consists of installing new equipment and in some cases modifying existing
systems, according to electrical project manager, Dan Patterson. The system is being changed from a 4,000-volt system to a 12,500-volt system. The total construction for the central campus electrical modification will be completed by the end of August, according to Patterson. The Central Campus electrical modification is being paid for through the funding of the future Armstrong Student Center, according to Creamer. “It will cost $3.1 million for the central utility part of it,” Creamer said.
wSee UTILITY, page 5
THE MIAMI STUDENT
FRIDAY APRIL 15, 2011 ♦ 3
James O’Keefe Daring to go where the drive-by, liberal media dare not go in the pursuit of truth.
Presented by Miami University’s Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) and The Project Veritas APRIL 18, 2011 . 8:00 PM . FARMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, ROOM 1000
ACORN . NPR (NATIONAL PALESTINIAN RADIO) . NEW JERSEY TEACHERS GONE WILD .
Planned Parenthood: Modern day eugenics
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Friday
April 15, 2011
Community
Editor Melissa Tacchi community@miamistudent.net
Law allows more snow days By Rebecca Zemmelman For The Miami Student
Police discuss new ways to ID suspects Burglary, theft and vandalism are more prevalent this week with 11 of 16 total police reports between 11 a.m. Monday and 11 a.m. Thursday involving at least one of each incident. Police said they would be employing new tactics over the weekend to identify the individuals responsible.
Student reports Adderall missing from apartment A Miami University senior returned home 6:30 p.m. Saturday to find the door unlocked and a bottle of prescription Adderall missing from the living room table, police reports said. The student searched his apartment for two days with no sign of the bottle, which had been in plain view from outside, according to police reports.
Males throw rock through fraternity window Pi Kappa Phi fraternity members said a rock was thrown through the basement window 2:15 a.m. Tuesday and a witness then saw a group of five to eight males running away, police reports said. Miami University Police Department officers stopped three males matching the witness’ description walking on Oak Street, but the witness was unable to positively identify them, police reports said.
Junior claims sign thrown into house A female Miami University junior was in bed when she heard breaking glass at the front of her house on Wooster Place 2:45 a.m. Wednesday, police reports said. She ran to the window, saw that a real estate sign had been thrown through the window and saw a male with short dark hair who was hard to identify run to a nearby house, police reports said.
House Bill 36 was officially signed and passed into law by Ohio Governor John Kasich Wednesday. The bill will restore the number of calamity days, commonly called snow days, in Ohio public schools from a maximum of three to a maximum of five. The bill was passed by the Senate on April 6 and delivered to the Governor a day later, according to Mercy Sutyak, legislative aide to Ohio State Senator Edna Brown. According to Sutyak, the maximum number of calamity days was five until 2008 when former Governor Ted Strickland decided to reduce the number to three. However, Ohio Republican Representatives Casey Kozlowski and John Carey decided to sponsor this bill after their districts had particularly harsh winters, leading the school systems to surpass their limit on snow days.
“Senator Brown voted for the bill because she understands that some of Ohio’s regions may experience weather that makes it very difficult to transport students to school and provisions have been put in place to allow school districts to make up the missed instruction time by various means,” Sutyak said According to Talawanda Local School District Superintendent Phil Cagwin, Talawanda had used seven calamity days this year. Prior to the passage of the bill, Talawanda would be making up four days in June after school was supposed to be on summer break. However, according to Cagwin, Kasich signed the bill as an emergency bill which means it will go into effect right away, taking away two of Talawanda’s summer make-up days. The bill also allows the district to accumulate partial days, taking away one more make-up day from Talawanda. Talawanda will be in school only one extra day this year, June 6.
“I am happy about this bill,” Cagwin said. “The days that are made up in June are difficult to keep kids focused and learning at their highest potential. It helps financially too.” Fairfield City Schools board member and Miami University political science professor, Mark Morris, is neutral about the decision but pleased that the bill has finally been decided on. “We can now organize our calendars for next year and notify the parents in the school district,” Morris said. “I am glad we will not be having to make up as many days in the summer.” Miami sophomore Julia Byers supports the passing of the bill. “I think that Northern Ohio school districts should go back to 5 calamity days per year,” Byers said. “It is extremely hard to predict how bad an upcoming winter will be. In my opinion it is easier to schedule in the five extra days versus only scheduling three and having to pay teachers and keep students well into the summer to make-up for the snow days.”
Ohio House passes new abortion bill for minors By Shannon Pesek Senior Staff Writer
The process for an underage girl to get parental consent for an abortion is being amended through House Bill 63 and Senate Bill 8. These bills state trial courts have to be sure there is a legitimate reason for the patient not to inform the parent, Ohio Representative Lynn Slaby said. “It is important these bills pass because without standards at the trial court and juvenile court level, appellate courts cannot review what the trial courts decided,” Slaby said. The bill has already been approved through the House and is now going through approval in the Senate, Slaby said.
“This bill will provide these standards to determine if the child fully understands the consequences of the procedure she is asking for, without undue influence,” Slaby said. Rachel Barga, President of the Students for Life organization at Miami University, supports this bill because of its protection of women’s safety. “It’s crucial not even in terms of the anti-abortion movement, but in terms that a child should be aware of the complications and symptoms of this invasive surgery,” Barga said. Slaby said the bill is strictly for Ohio residents. “The bill significantly addresses when a teenager does not want parental consent because there is a
process that already exists federally not to notify parents. This bill clarifies in Ohio,” Slaby said. First-year student Katherine Holt identifies herself as an abortion rights supporter and feels the bill would be a positive change. “A child who chooses to undergo the procedure should know the importance of her decision, and unless she has very important reasoning, parents should be notified,” Holt said. Slaby said the bill will be supported differently depending on whether or not someone is anti-abortion or abortion rights supporters. “Typically, those that are abortion rights supporters see it as being restrictive, where those that are anti-abortion see it as clarifying,”
Slaby said. Though the bill is still waiting to be passed in the Senate, Slaby hopes to see it go into effect in four to five months. The Senate first needs to pass the bill and any changes need to be sent back to the House. From there, the governor obtains the bill and it falls into a 90-day waiting period, Slaby said. Representative Slaby was the co-sponsor of this bill, however, there are two other bills like it in Congress, he said. Barga hopes to see this bill be passed and see it go into effect as soon as possible. “If a child is under 18 they need consent to get their ears pierced, it should be the same for abortion,” she said.
Picnic in the park
Hamilton considers taking mobile speed cameras off streets The city of Hamilton has officially proposed the removal of mobile speed camera units that netted the city $90,000 last year. According to Sgt. Steve Henderson of the Hamilton Police Department, informal talks regarding the demise of the unit within the department are due to budge cuts that have reduced the number of officers in the department from 126 to 115, with more cuts planned for the future. While the city is still deciding whether or not to keep the mobile speed camera, another obstacle the city has to consider is its contract with Redflex, the company that runs the unit’s database. The vehicle, which is deployed with an officer that tests the system before and after deployment, is only permitted by city ordinances to dispatch in school zones and park areas where warnings can be posted of its use. While the city of Middletown also has their own version of speed cameras which are placed in fixed positions at different intersections throughout the city, Oxford is not likely to see speed cameras anytime in the near future according to city manager Doug Elliott. According to Henderson, the vehicle receives most of its workout where the Butler County regional Highway comes into Hamilton next to Garfield Junior High School. In this area, the speed limits drops drastically from 65 miles per hour to 20 during school hours. Reporting by JD Prewitt
Oxford Fire Department officials enjoy lunch Thursday afternoon.
ANDREW BRAY The Miami Student
Insurance company claims almost $69 million By Lauren Hetzel Staff Writer
The Ohio Insurance Institution (OII) said it received almost $69 million in insurance claims in losses from the severe storms that hit Ohio in late February. The OII said the storms that hit Ohio on the night of February 27 dropped three to four inches of rain in areas of northern Ohio that had already been drenched earlier in the month. As the storm moved across the state, it caused flooding that ranged in severity in a number of areas in southern Ohio. Most Miami University students report having no property damage from the storm, or even really recalling the severe rain at all. However, senior Alex Von Eckartsberg said he specifically remembers the storm because a tree limb fell on his neighbor’s car across the street. “He always had that car parked in the same spot in front of his house,” Eckartsberg said.
“I mean, I feel bad that the tree completely smashed it but, at the same time, I always hated that car so I was kind of like, ‘yes!’” President of Red Brick Property Management Matt Rodbro said the company did not need to file any insurance claims after the storm. “We always have damage but nothing out of the ordinary this year,” Rodbro said. OII spokesperson Mary Bonella said she doesn’t really consider the February storms to be “unusual” or “a novelty.” “This is just part of living in Ohio,” Bonella said. Bonella referenced the Groundhog Day Blizzard which also took place in February this year. According to the OII Winter Storm History records, the storm resulted in insured losses totaling $23 million or more. “The types of losses we sustain in Ohio aren’t to the degree of some other states, so that’s good,” Bonella said. According to Bonella, OII has estimated
$15,000 in claims thus far. Bonella said OII can only estimate the amount of money from the claims made in February for two reasons. First, in order to come up with the total, the OII surveyed insurance companies throughout the state that deal with property and casualty claims. “The survey didn’t cover all individual providers in Ohio,” Bonella said. Twenty-four companies participated in this survey, which represents a range of 30 to 78 percent of the auto, homeowners and commercial insurance markets. The claims filed with companies that did not participate in the storm survey were, as a result, not included in the $69 million estimate. Second, in some cases, Bonella said property damages might not have been detected yet. She also said most claims were closed within eight to 10 days of filing and some could simply not have been finalized by the time the survey was issued.
THE MIAMI STUDENT
FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2011 ♦ 5
TENURE
continued from page 2 Higher Education revealed. With the cost of tenured professors being high, Miami is looking to slightly decrease the number, according to David Creamer, vice president for finance and business services. “The number of tenured professors will likely drop slightly,” Creamer said, but also pointed out that the negative implications of curbing tenure dramatically would far outweigh any financial savings. Miami might have some opportunities to eliminate tenure in the near future, according to Joe Sampson, a clinical faculty member in the journalism department at Miami. “The University Senate passed a resolution last fall that allows academic divisions to hire more lecturers and clinicals,” said Associate Provost Raymond Gorman, via email. “This might result in about a 1 to 2 percent reduction in the number of tenure track faculty each year for the next few years.” “We have an aging faculty at Miami. There’s going to be a heavy turnover of faculty in the next five to ten years,” Sampson said. Gorman agreed that an aging faculty means an opportunity for the university to hire different types of employees. “From a teaching-load perspective, for every five tenure track faculty who retire, they could be replaced by four lecturers or clinical, thus saving the university money,” Gorman said. Despite the higher cost of tenured faculty, tenure is important in higher
about. Teaching is taking more and education, according to Skillings. “Tenure is an important concept more of a backseat,” Brock said. Also taking a back seat are partin terms of protecting academic freedom,” Skillings said. “For Miami to time faculty members, according attract and maintain the best faculty, to Brock, who says part-timers are “horribly overworked and underwe need to offer tenure.” Although Miami paid.” Jon Patton has a higher percentis one of these age of tenured and “If we eliminated part-time instructors. In addition to tenure-track faculty tenure, it would working full-time than other universicause the salary for IT services, he ties, it’s hard to deof faculty is teaching a decitermine the cost of sion sciences class having a greater proto skyrocket.” this semester. portion, according “I definitely to Creamer. JAMES BROCK feel we’re un“Students recogECONOMICS PROFESSOR derpaid,” Patton nize that their educasaid. He noted tion is a little more expensive, but their experience is part-time instructors don’t have resources for things like gradgreatly enhanced,” Creamer said. Economics professor James ing and generally have to grade Brock suggests eliminating tenure in everything themselves. Patton also suspects demand for universities would be like creating a part-time instructors is increasing. free market in professional sports. “If we eliminated tenure, it would Though he received two offers to cause the salary of faculty to sky- teach additional classes next semesrocket,” Brock said, adding that ter, he won’t be accepting both. “I couldn’t possibly teach two professors would be more likely to classes,” he said. “I wouldn’t have switch job locations. time to do it.” Secretary of Academic Affairs for Associated StuOver-researched dent Government Narmar Doyle The tenure system isn’t without said having various types of faculty its flaws though, according to Brock, is valuable. who said as tenure-track faculty “A mix of tenured and non-tenured work towards attaining tenure, they faculty is important,” Doyle said. are given less teaching responsi- “Some students need that mix.” bilities in order to focus on research Doyle said tenure-track profesand publication. sors offer research experiences and “We overemphasize research and opportunities that students need and publishing in the tenure system, couldn’t get elsewhere. As for student preference, Doyle relative to teaching,” Brock said, said students don’t seem to favor one adding that through the tenure protype of faculty over another. cess, “we’re institutionalizing a bias “If you asked, I don’t think most against teaching.” students would be able to tell you the “(Research) becomes kind of a difference,” he said. cache that you can somehow boast
Spring swing
ASG
continued from page 2 the beginning of the year. Some members of ASG expressed concern that partially funding Guiding 100 would set a precedent that would lead to other organizations abusing their emergency funding privileges, but due to the special circumstances surrounding the late creation of Guiding 100, funding was allocated. They will receive 33 percent of their original funding request. ASG, in consecutive executive sessions voted in more members of President-elect Nick Huber’s Cabinet for next year. Jonathan
LATIN
continued from page 2 The change in requirements will affect the regional Miami campuses as well, according to Skillings. Caleb Picou, electrical engineering and engineering management major, said he is glad the new requirement will be in place by the time he graduates. “Engineering majors usually have some of the lower GPAs because of the rigor of the curriculum,” Picou said. “This is a good scale to go by because the top people in the field will still get the highest honors.” The new requirements may also motivate students in rigorous majors, according to Picou.
UTILITY
continued from page 2 The Armstrong Student Center is being paid partly through gifts and partly through student fees, according to Creamer. This addition to student fees does not go into effect until the completion of the student center in 2014. The Central Campus electrical modification project is only one of the construction projects happening around campus in preparation for the Armstrong Student Center. “There are other utilities
ANDREW BRAY The Miami Student
Katy Hord (top), Leisa Kozak and Christine Herald (above) participate in the activities of Springfest.
SUNDIAL continued from page 1
here, Powell said. “Students and alumni want to have their picture taken with it and we’re doing everything we can because we recognize that it’s an important issue for many,” Powell said. “It’s one of the most photographed areas on campus and there’s a great desire to have it back by alumni weekend.” Senior Emily Hall said she had hoped to take pic-
tures with the sundial prior to graduating. “It’s a really important part of the landscape of the university that’s been missing for a long time,” Hall said. “With all the traditions surrounding it, it would’ve been really nice to have it back in time for seniors to say goodbye to their university.” Many campus tour guides have not been walking by the wooden box standing in place of the sundial, according to junior Leah Bock, a tourguide. “Some of us do a different route now because there’s no point in going where the
sundial is missing,” Bock said. “I just tell (groups) about the Upham Arch and seal and leave out the sundial.” According to Butler County Area One Court records, Hoffman was found guilty of criminal damaging. Hoffman was ordered to pay restitution to Miami, fined $750 and given a suspended sentence of 90 days in jail, according to records. His case was scheduled for review yesterday, but the review was postponed because the precise amount of restitution will not be known until repairs are completed.
Wheeler will serve as secretary for Diversity Affairs, Tyler Sinclair will be secretary for Academic Affairs and Christian Trapp won the newly-created position of secretary for Alumni Affairs. Michael Trivelli made an appearance on Skype to campaign for the position of Treasurer for ASG from all the way in China and won . ASG also passed a resolution in support of Earth Day, authored by senators Carlos Suarez, Alex Shillito and Dan Welsh. The resolution outlines that during the ASG meeting taking place Tuesday, April 19, the lights inside the room in Harrison Hall where ASG is held will be turned off and encourages students universitywide to turn their power off during Earth Week. “Grades mean a lot to people and knowing that they can have a GPA lower than a 4.0 and still receive honors might motivate students with average GPAs,” Picou said. Junior Blair Donahue said she thought the new requirements will make graduation with distinction fairer. “I think one of the best things they did in deciding this was separating by schools because it’s definitely harder to get a high GPA in some schools,” Donahue said. The work the office of the registrar will do to calculate average GPA’s in each division will be helpful to students, according to Donahue. “With the requirement not based in GPA anymore it may be harder for students to gauge where they are going into graduation,” Donahue said. being done at the same time,” Creamer said. The small road running between King Café and McGuffey Hall, called McGuffey Drive, was involved in construction the weekend of April 9 and had some students curious about traffic changes. Signs indicated the street would be for two-way traffic, but this was only the case for the short period it was being used for construction. “The street was two-way just so people could get into and out of parking lots,” Patterson said. It will not be changing to a twoway street in the future. “That would be a nightmare.”
6
Opinion
Friday April 15, 2011
Editors Noëlle Bernard Thomasina Johnson editorial@miamistudent.net
JOHN KROES | LDE-ONLINE.COM
➤ EDITORIAL
The following pieces, written by the editorial editors, reflect the majority opinion of the editorial board.
Percentage of tenured faculty should not decrease M
iami University’s percentage of tenured faculty is significantly higher than the national average of 27 percent of college instructors tenured or on the tenure track; Miami has 58.59 percent. As a university, Miami strives to retain high quality professors who are experienced and devoted to teaching students but also are heavily involved in increasing their knowledge through research ventures. Such instructors are prime candidates for tenure if they continue to meet the requirements of the university through a series of evaluations. Furthermore, a Miami professor seeking tenure must have worked at the university for at least six years. Miami is considering new evaluation methods to decrease the number of professors granted tenure, however, the number has already decreased over the past 20 years. Moreover, the report introduces the fact that Miami graduates who teach at Miami are excluded from receiving tenure. The editorial board of The Miami Student recognizes that while the difference between Miami’s percentage of tenure professors and the national average is high, it should not be viewed as negative to the university. In light of the current budget crisis, Miami is looking to find more ways to cut expenses to meet the new budget. If the university maintains a high number of tenured professors, then more money will need to be allocated. Although non-tenured instructors should also receive high salaries, the money should not be found by granting
tenure to fewer professors. Having a high percentage of tenured faculty is directly beneficial to students’ educational experiences. Miami is ranked No. 2 nationally as an undergraduate teaching university and that ranking reflects the quality of professors and their commitment to students. Yet, it is essential the university is selective when deciding which professors should receive tenure. Student evaluations need to be taken into considerable account when a professor is seeking the tenure distinction. Once a professor is tenured, it is easy for their duty as a professor to lag behind because they already did the work to solidify their credibility and now they are focused on research. It is important to stress that professors need to take their tenure seriously and remain focused on educating students. Instead of doing their research while on sabbatical in a teaching vacuum, this board recommends professors involve undergraduates in their research in creative ways. This board also disagrees with the university rule that Miami graduates cannot receive tenure and are only allowed to teach at the university for seven years. It is understood that Miami may be encouraging diverse professors who offer new ideas and do not succeed from a lineage of Miami professors. While the board understands this is a sensible policy, certainly an academic background at Miami should not preclude the possibility of teaching here for more than seven years.
New Latin honors system will increase fairness M
iami University will change the Latin honors system, beginning with the class of 2012. Instead of having a set-in-stone, university-wide GPA system for determining the level of honors a student may receive, students’ GPAs will be ranked with other graduates’ GPAs in their academic division. This system is aimed at making the Latin honors system more fair for all students. The editorial board of The Miami Student applauds the university administration for trying to make Latin honors more equal for each student. From personal experience, the board is very aware that certain departments have often times very different levels in grading, difficulty in course material
and expectations. However, Miami’s largest college, the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) is composed of 56 majors, 55 minors and 3 co-majors. There are 6,220 undergraduate students in CAS. With this high level of academic diversity, the board is concerned that there is also a difference in course grading policies and GPAs. The Latin honors change is certainly fairer than the previous policy, but it is by no means perfect. The board recommends Miami administration should look carefully into each major to see if GPA and grading differences exist. Ultimately, the most fair way to make sure students’ grades are measured against those of their peers is to separate honors by department.
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 Tacci Community Editor Michael Solomon Sports Editor Amanda Seitz Special Reports Editor Julia Engelbrecht Photo Editor
➤ LETTER Sundial must return soon I’m graduating in less than a month and the Tri Delta Sundial is still nowhere to be found. Instead is a hideous looking wooden box in its place. I remember being told during my first campus tour here the image of the Tri Delta Sundial and MacCracken Hall is one of the most photographed in the state of Ohio. I want to see
the sundial back in place before I’m forced to leave this beautiful campus on May 7. I need to rub those turtle heads for luck one last time so I can get a job before I graduate. So I’m just throwing this question out there for anyone who can answer: Where is the sundial? David Miller mille272@muohio.edu
➤ LIBERTY AND JUSTICE
Veil ban masques Islamophobia Monday, April 12 marked the first day France’s ban law to wear “hijab” (Islamic head coverings) whenon the “burqa” and “niqab” (head coverings worn by ever in public. This has led many people to believe some Muslim women which cover the face) went into any woman wearing a face covering or veil is forced effect. According to The New York to do so, which is a huge assumption. Times, an estimated 2,000 women Additionally, if French legislators really support in France wear full-face coverings the rights of women, they should support and respect out of a total Muslim population the rights of French women to choose how then want of five million. to dress and express their identity. How do I feel about Islamic “Veils are a threat to public safety.” This is a ridicuface coverings? Well, I am not lous argument considering how small a population Muslim, nor am I a woman, so I it affects. This reflects the Western societal idea we don’t think it really matters how have that people who hide their face are distrustful. Ty I feel about full face coverings. I Does the French government really think women in Gilligan believe everyone has the right to full face-coverings are going to suddenly go on crime express their religious and cultural sprees and be unable to be identified by witnesses beidentities however they feel is appropriate. However, cause their faces were covered? many people seem to disagree with my mentality I feel quite the contrary; doesn’t having your face of neutrality on issues which don’t affect them. As completely covered garner MORE attention and make a result, women in many nonyou MORE identifiable? “Sir, did Muslim countries are often met you see the woman who robbed with outright hostility simply for you?” “Yes Officer, she was wearFrench citizens the way they dress. ing a full burqa.” That description are becoming I have identified four main would probably narrow the field a uncomfortable with arguments which have been arbit in a typical French town. increasing Muslim ticulated regarding support for “The Veil Ban shows opposibans on Islamic face-coverings. tion to Radical Islam.” As stated populations and are French politicians dislike their earlier, full face-coverings are not searching to solidify a citizenry to be veiled behind a feature of Islamic extrem“French identity” which solely black chadors, but apparently ist groups; they are present in many excludes foreigners. citizen veiling themselves bedifferent communities and sects of hind Islamophobic ignorance is Islam, most of which are NOT “excompletely acceptable. tremists.” It seems to me banning “Veils are oppressive.” Really? To whom? This is the veil just attempts to make Muslims less visible the most verbalized argument against women wear- in daily life; a reflection of increasingly racist and ing veils. Liberals and feminists worldwide have Islamophobic sentiments in France and many other convinced themselves that no woman would will- Western European countries. ingly CHOOSE to wear a veil; therefore, they must “Veiled women go against French secularism.” be forced into wearing it. This is an elitist and paternal This is the claim made by many right-wing French view of women who choose to wear face coverings. politicians, including President Nikolas Sarkozy. Has anybody actually asked the women themselves They don’t really oppose religion as a whole. They how they feel about it? Many polls and interviews oppose Islam. They should at least be forthcoming show most Muslim women who wear face coverings and admit what they are targeting. The truth is, many were the first in their families to do so and donning French citizens are becoming uncomfortable with inthe veil was a personal choice as a means to express creasing Muslim populations and are searching to soreligious or cultural identities. lidify a “French identity” which excludes foreigners. Unfortunately, many people associate veiled Mus- This is proven by the growth of the “National Front” lim women with radical, conservative Muslim sects political party in France; a far-right, arguable fascist and this is usually not the case. Many people asso- political party. Not to mention their name is kind ciate the veil with oppressive governments such as of scary. French politicians are appealing to these Saudi Arabia and Iran where women are required by groups, which is a dangerous path.
Your Rule of thumb Spring weather!
Stumbling through Bishop Woods drunk on your way to class
Waffle fries at Shriver!
Saying goodbye to Miami friends soon
Opinion
THE MIAMI STUDENT
➤ SAM SAYS
FRIDAY, APRIL 15 2011 ♦ 7
➤ NOëLLE’S NOTIONS
➤ ORIANA’S OBSERVATIONS
Texting while LAM Foundation offers hope, support Brain may driving must play into be banned political views BRB. TTYL. G2G. These are all familiar terms to our generation. Most of us can’t remember life without our cell phones. Many of us probably say we feel “naked” without them, which is why they go everywhere we go — and most of the time in our hand, pocket or cup holder for easy access. At any given moSamantha ment during daylight Friedman hours over 800,000 vehicles are driven by someone using a cell phone, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA). Many of us are so engrossed in conversations via texting all the time that the thought of putting our phone down is difficult. We walk to class texting or talking on our phones. I’m sure there has to be someone who has walked into something because they forgot to look up enough. But where should the line be drawn? Getting into your car should probably
Talking on your cell phone alone is enough of a distraction; adding anything else seems ridiculous. I don’t think anyone wants to risk their life over a text message. be the place to stop texting, emailing and BBM’ing. Even research done about talking on the phone using a hands-free versus handheld doesn’t show a big difference in the cognitive distraction, according to the NHTSA. People all across the country seem to forget what a distraction cell phones are in general, especially while driving. It’s good to see many states creating handsfree laws for talking on your cell phone and slowly texting laws are also being implemented too. But can they really be enforced? In 2009 5,474 people were killed in car crashes involving driver distraction, according to police-reported data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and the National Automotive Sampling. This accounts for 16 percent of total fatalities. Just driving around Oxford I’ve noticed people texting or talking on their cell phones and sometimes even eating while they’re driving, too. Talking on your cell phone alone is enough of a distraction; adding anything else seems ridiculous. Of all people killed in distracted driving related crashes, 995 involved reports of a cell phone as a distraction, according to NHTSA. Maybe the risk isn’t publicized enough or people are willing to take the risk, but you should be able to stop texting while you drive to run errands. For long rides too, just don’t respond until you’re at a rest stop or call them. I know many people don’t have a hands-free device, but it’s worth getting. In most states you can get ticketed for being on your phone and it will save your life. Ohio doesn’t currently have any bans for distracted driving according to the NHTSA. It is one of only a few states. Illinois has a ban on all cell phone use, handheld and hands-free for bus drivers and novice (under 19) drivers, as well as a texting ban, according to the NHTSA. Indiana also has a ban on cell phone use for novice (under 18) drivers and a texting ban. Michigan has a ban on texting for all drivers and Kentucky has a ban on cell phone use for bus and novice (under 18) drivers and a ban on texting for all drivers, according to the NHTSA. Most states have at least a ban on all cell phone use for at least some drivers and many states are starting to ban texting for all drivers. When all these laws started coming out, I remember not being really sure what the exact laws are. It’s good to know though, especially for the state you live in and where you travel by car. It will not only save your life, but will save you from a ticket and fine. Even if you live in a state with no laws you should really still not text and only use your phone handsfree, I don’t think anyone wants to risk their life over a text message.
I learned a new word this past weekend, while attending a banquet in honor of hundreds of women from around the world living with an incurable disease. One of these women is my Aunt Sophia. The word is lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). Try saying that four times fast (it’s pronounced limfan je-o-lio-mi o-ma-to sis). It is a rare lung disease that effects almost exclusively women, according to lam.uc.edu. The disNoëlle ease occurs when unwelcomed Bernard muscle cells, also known as cysts, develop and grow on the tissues of the lungs obstructing airways, blood and lymph vessels. The cells are not cancerous but they grow rapidly to the point where the lungs are prevented from providing oxygen to the entire body. Eventually, women with the disease will require the use of external oxygen tanks to regulate oxygen flow and need lung replacements. Sophia’s diagnosis is mild but the chances the disease will become progressively worse are great. I attended the banquet in Cincinnati because I knew my aunt was sick and would appreciate my support. Plus, Cincinnati was barely an hour away and offered a chance for my boyfriend to meet a few members of my extended family. However, I did not realize the finality of her illness until I witnessed other women with different stages of LAM surrounding me. Seeing a 30-yearold woman wearing an oxygen tube that was attached to a disguised external oxygen box startled me. I caught myself thinking, “Aunt Sophia can’t be that sick, she doesn’t require an oxygen tank yet.” But, this assumption just further exposed my ignorance of the disease. I learned that LAM was discovered in 1937 and there is no known cause. Moreover, the disease affects women during the prime stages of their life between puberty and menopause. There have been even a few cases when women have discovered they have LAM during a pregnancy after a sudden lung collapse. Much research is required to uncover the origin of LAM and to discover an attainable cure. Unfortunately, LAM is extremely rare and it is estimated that there are 1,000 known women who have the disease in the United States alone. Yet, the disease affects women worldwide and many women are living undiagnosed. It is suggested that women suffering from chronic coughs, asthma, chest pains and frequent shortness of breath may have LAM but are unaware. I felt completely helpless after learning all the statistics and information because I love my aunt
and I do not want to think that she may be growing sicker. I rarely see her enough as it is since she lives in Florida. She is not the sickly type. She is vivacious and loves the outdoors. She is one of the strongest most independent women I know. She has watched me grow up from a stubborn, wily adolescent to a considerably better behaved young woman. I can’t imagine life without hearing her rambunctious laugh or Jamaican accent. My Aunt Sophia provides a portrait of my family history. I come from a long line of loud independent Jamaican women. Rarely, will the volume level of any conversation not exceed the suggested “inside voice.” We yell because we each demand the right to voice our opinions and there are no bounds to the propriety of topics. Sophia is the center and I cannot image these coveted interactions without her unforgettable presence. This past summer, I spent 10 days visiting my mother’s native country, Jamaica. Sophia is my mother’s sister and she planned the trip for just the women of the “family” to spend time with my estranged g r a n d f a t h e r. Visiting Jamaica for the first time was different from what I ERIN KILLINGER The Miami Student expected, aside from the promised white sand beaches. I anticipated seeing beautiful vegetation, lots of people vacationing at resorts and smiles of happy people everywhere I went. But, the trip was purposely arranged to provide my younger cousin and me with a glimpse into the real side of Jamaica beyond the stereotypical tourist expectation. Sophia wanted us to see the Jamaica my mother and her sisters knew. Instead, Jamaicans look like regular people and are hard working people who do not all sit around listening to reggae. I gained perspective and acceptance of my culture because of the encouragement and earnestness of Sophia. The finality of LAM is unbearable to imagine. It is painful to think that I am just a college student struggling to grapple with the fact that someone I love is suffering and I can do hardly anything to remedy the progress. Ultimately, more funding needs to be raised for my aunt to be cured. The banquet had a silent auction and open bidding floor for financial pledges to fund further research for a cure for LAM. Watching the people in the room eager to support one another was a great encouragement for me to witness. Last year, the foundation raised over $100,000 and I hope this year that number was exceeded. The foundation’s motto is, “A Breath of Hope,” and I am excited to know that they are working tirelessly to return hope to women living with LAM.
➤ ESSAY
First year holds valuable lessons My first year here at Miami University will be over in less than a month. I never knew time could pass by so quickly. I remember feeling antsy and impatient waiting for summer to come in high school, but now, in college, I couldn’t feel more differently. I’m not ready for the year to end; not ready to accept the fact that three weeks from today, I’ll be leaving my room in Tappan Hall forever. But even if the past seven months have passed quickly, I still learned a lot in that time and most of it was outside the classroom. For example: - If you jump in the fountains behind the Shriver Center, make sure you stick your landing; the bottom is quite slippery. Or at least, don’t jump in wearing jeans and a flannel shirt, because these items become very heavy when wet. - Any sport you can imagine will become 10 times more fun when played in a dorm hallway. Also, be careful with Sky Balls. They really do bounce high and the ceiling tiles aren’t always as sturdy as they appear. - If you have a dry-erase board on the outside of your door, inappropriate things will be written on it. But that’s mainly the reason why you should get one. - If you have couches in the basement of your residence hall, pushing them together will create a makeshift bed. Blankets for forts are optional. - Do whatever you can to avoid sleeping on a residence hall room floor — you’ll come close to breaking a hip when you try to sleep on your side. - Sledding at Peffer Park is one of the best outdoor experiences you’ll have during the winter months, but be sure to avoid that spot in the middle of the hill with the rock. It hurts. - If you’re a guy and you’re too macho to
wear a scarf, suck it up – they help. - Go Uptown to Wild Berry and buy an Air-Zooka. They make a lot of noise and they shoot big blasts of air at people’s faces from far away. They add some diversity to the frequent Nerf gun shoot-outs. - If midnight showings of a new movie are sold out, sometimes there are 3:15 a.m. showings. These are not too late. If you need an excuse, just say you’re in college. - If you see something round in the hallway, don’t kick it. It might be fruit. - Don’t use duct tape to hang Christmas lights in your dorm room. It sticks, but you’ll probably be re-painting your wall at the end of the year. - Shag carpet feels wonderful on your feet, but vomit is nearly impossible to clean out of it. - Don’t be a man – rent broomball shoes. - If you end up deciding to flip a coin to decide whether or not you’re going to skip class, just don’t bother – you’re not going to class. - Even if you think your roommate is around, close your door when you leave – if you don’t, you might come back to your room several hours later to find half of your shoes missing, your bedding switched with your roommate’s and your roommate’s clothes in your closet. Paulo Coelho said, “You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one; each day brings a miracle of its own. It’s just a matter of paying attention to this miracle.” The pieces of advice I just listed are things I could’ve missed if I hadn’t been paying attention – are you paying attention? What have you learned today? Matt Metzler
metzlemr@muohio.edu
We always hear in the news how the new congressional dominating GOP is battling President Obama, the Democrats and even sometimes themselves. Well, I suppose since we are $14 trillion in debt (and rising) there is no amicable correspondence until this problem gets solved. Oriana This article will lay Pawlyk out the basic what’sgoing-on-in-the-U.S. facts. But what fun would it be if I didn’t tie some research into it? Some biological research actually, that distinguishes the way conservatives think from the way liberals think. So let’s proceed. The week of April 11, the U.S. House and Senate had until Friday to pass the 2011 spending deal. The deal is said to cut $38.5 billion in spending for the rest of the fiscal year (until Sept. 30). The representatives are scheduled to vote Thursday. President Obama has always been clear on spending and tax policies in the U.S.: Tax the rich and keep living families making less than $250,000 from higher taxes. So is it that the U.S. has a spending problem? The GOP says yes — cut spending, but do not raise taxes by any means. So how exactly do Republicans and Democrats recognize this threat of financial crisis or any domestic crisis for that matter? Well, the answer may be bigger than public opinion: it could tie to the development of the brain. Ever wonder why you side with a political party the way you do? Some would say it deals with your upbringing — what your parents think politically will inherently be passed down to you until you “break free” from their thought process. This answer politicians and scientists alike have been seeking out for decades could be resolved in a new study led by Ryota Kanai of University College London. Kanai found “liberals generally had a larger anterior cingulate cortex — a comma-shaped region near the front of the brain that is involved in decision-making.” Conservatives “had larger amygdalas — almond-shaped structures that are linked with emotional learning and the processing of fear.” So what does this mean? These studies support the already established notion that liberals tend to manage conflict better while conservatives tend to recognize threat and are quick to act on this threat. These personality traits can now be linked to this developmental study of brain structure. The MRI scans conducted for the study showed “substantial differences” in the 90 young adult participants who ranked themselves on a five point scale from “very liberal” to “very conservative.” Another study conducted at the University of Nebraska was yet another eye opener, literally. According to the political scientists and psychologists in charge of the study, the difference in liberals and conservatives lies in “gaze cues” — they were tested to look at face gazes on a computer screen. The study showed liberals were more inclined to follow the gaze, while conservatives did not. This suggested “people who lean right value autonomy more; alternative explanations suggest liberals might be more empathetic or that conservatives are less trusting of others.” Of course these are all theories. The study doesn’t factor in how the shape of the brain changes due to age, experience or other factors. Kanai even released at the end of the study, “More work is needed to determine how these brain structures mediate the formation of political attitude.” Wednesday, President Obama unveiled the deficit reduction plan. Before he did, the GOP leaders, especially John Boehner, agreed the president isn’t taking enough into consideration. “Washington has a spending problem, not a revenue problem,” Boehner said. Republicans see the threat. Democrats are looking to work through it. Sound familiar? Raised taxes, federal deficits, whatever it may be, it’s not just simple economics. Will this new budget deal be the answer? Will we see changes by 2023 as promised? Maybe. But don’t go picking at your brain for the answer.
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April 15, 2011
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Prime location.. Price reduced! Quaint house on E. Withrow, 4 bdrm, 2 bath, basement with washer /dryer. Permit for 4 $2900/person/semster.
COURTYARDS OF MIAMI TIRED 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.
‘11-’12 School year Bishop and Withrow, upstairs apt. Permit for 4, 2 large bdrms, 1 bath, great front porch!$2895/person/semester 812-350-4357 For rent 2011/2012 School Year6 bdrm house with 2 full baths, offstreet parking and washer/dryer CORSO REALTY 513-520-1111 OR 513-868-9700 RENT REDUCED!!$1750/pp/ps. Free Summer Rental! Available June 1 for 2011/12. 49 Indian Cove Circle, across from Hawk’s Landing. Will have new carpet, new flooring, new paint, will be spotless!! 4 bdrm/2 bath, garage, all appliances including washer and dryer. Will also consider monthly rental. Call Barry at 864-680-7913 or email barrykeith1@gmail.com. For Rent 2011-2012 Great Properties available for the 2011-2012 school year. Contact OXRE at 513-523-4532 www.OXRE.com Love Where you Live! Oxford Real Estate, Inc.19 S. Beech St.Oxford, OH 45056 www.oxre.com513.523.4532 HOUSE FOR RENT15 W. Vine St.Close to Campus, Close to Uptown.3 Br.1850. per student per sem. Free Summer Ren 513-518-7461
Apartments SOUTH CAMPUS QUARTER OPENED August 2010 Modern Living ~ Contemporary Design -Located across from the REC Center. For more information call (513) 523-1647 or visit southcampusquarter.com Roberts Apartments2011/12. One-Bedroom Apartments. Great Location! Close to Campus. 2 Blocks from Uptown. Laundry Facilities. Off-Street Parking. Spacious and Well-Maintained. www.roberts-apts.com 513-839-1426
For rent 2011/2012 School Year6 bdrm house with 2 full baths, offstreet parking and washer/dryer CORSO REALTY 513-520-1111 OR 513-868-9700 NEED SOMEONE TO ASSUME LEASE Looking for someone to assume my lease in the Spring of 2012.Two bedroom apartment at Campus Courts, right across the street from the rec. $3300 forthe semester (if living on own, cheaper if you have a roommate). All utilities included except electricand cable/internet plus a free parking spot. WILLING TO PAY THE $400 SECURITY DEPOSIT FOR THE ASSUMER OF THE LEASE!If interested please call Stephanie at (440) 376-4601.
Houses NEWER CONDO TRENDY 4 BEDRM~2 FULL BATH~EQUIPPED KITCHEN~LAUNDRY~OFF STREET PARKING~GARAGE~CAN HELP WITH FURNISHINGMike 513 266-1685 m2deuce21@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
niihka
Miami University Collaboration & Learning Environment
{
Sakai & the Engaged University in the 21st Century:
eArn enGAGe exPLore [credits]
Community, Collaboration, Classroom
[ your mind]
}
[the possibilities]
SUMMER SESSIONS at the University of Pittsburgh
enroLL
Director of Academic & Faculty Services, Indiana University and Sakai Fellow
with an introduction by
Bobby Gempesaw
[in summer sessions]
Provost, Miami University
Make the most of your summer break! Pick up some extra credits to get a head start on the fall semester. Credits are transferable to most colleges and universities around the country.
Register today at www.summer.pitt.edu
SUMMER SESSIONS
David Goodrum
2011
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES COLLEGE OF GENERAL STUDIES
Wednesday, April 20 4:30 pm Upham Hall, Room 001 Niihka means ‘friend’ in the Myaamia language.
Sports
THE MIAMI STUDENT
FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2011 ♦ 9
CLUB EQUESTRIAN
The Miami Student RedHawks win Zone finals is looking for designers.
E-mail design@miamistudent.net for more information.
Miamipowered Idolby pepsi
By Melissa Maykut Staff Writer
With a dominating performance at the Zone 6 Hunt Seat Finals hosted by Otterbein University April 9, Miami University’s hunt seat riding team rode away with the victory, which qualified them for Nationals. Overall, the hunt seat team earned a score of 49 points, 13 points higher than second place University of Kentucky (UK). Led by head coach Heather Pinnick, this is the first time the team has made it to Zones or Nationals since 2006. “We’ve been working really hard and we were just going into it to just do our best,” Pinnick said. “We started our day with a winning ride and it just went on from there.” Hunt seat is forward-seat riding; the horse’s movement and form are judged, as well as the rider’s equitation or position on the horse. Whether competing on the flat or over the fences, the rider needs to have proper leg position with weight in the heels, good posture and have their eyes looking up. Facing strong and experienced teams like the University of Findlay and UK, Miami’s hunt seat team took Zones by storm, placing
The Miami Idol Finalists: Jeremy Myeroff Molly Pesarchick Evelyn Duskey Brian Rice Alex Tyree Anne Chesnut Nikki Tesino Kyla Manious Phillip Iscman Tony Ramstetter Brian Beckman Marian Gbenro Haley Flynn Josh Carey Andrew Yun Amanda Smith
in the top three spots for all eight team classes of the competition. Miami also placed in five of the eight individual classes. Rider Tom Schoen was victorious in the Walk-Trot, while Krysten Kasting placed second in the Walk-Trot-Canter. Maddie Macleod finished second in the novice flat class, while teammate Allie Drost rode away with the novice fences title. At the intermediate level, Kelly Herdman won the flat class and Kitty Sarosy won the fences. In the open level, the smallest division of all eight classes, Maddie Smith placed first in the flat class. Jamie Donovan jumped to a first place finish in the open fences class. Compared to teams like Findlay and Kentucky, Miami has less experience at Zones and Nationals and does not have an indoor arena, which cuts the team’s practices down to one or two a week during the winter. “No one expected us to do as well as we did, but we deserved it,” Donovan said. In the individual classes, Emily Turville placed first in the Walk-Trot class. Kat Gitz finished fifth in the intermediate flat, but rode to a first place victory in the novice fences.
Monday, April 18 @ 7:30PM Lower Alexander Tickets $12 Admission includes a FREE Miami Idol T-Shirt, drinks, and specialty desserts.. Meal Plans, Cash, and Credit Cards accepted
Jamie Yeager finished third in the intermediate fences and Smith finished seventh in the open flat. “I could hear the team cheer for me even though I wasn’t competing for the team,” Gitz said. “It was as if I was competing for the team and that was really special. It shows that the team is very united.” Over Gitz’s four years as a rider, the 60-person team has grown into a family. They give each other pep talks before competitions and have even made up team cheers. During Zones, the team held onto little fourleaf clover lucky charms the coaches had given them while a teammate was competing. “We bring a whole new kind of spirit to Zones and the sport,” Gitz said. The team will be weight lifting, swimming, and riding as many different horses as possible to get physically and mentally prepared for Nationals May 5 and 6. Kentucky is the second team from Zone 6 that will compete at Nationals. Findlay placed third at Zones, failing to qualify for Nationals for the first time in 10 years.
COLUMN
continued from page 10 where colleges reign supreme. 4. BOSSABALL: This Volleyball-Soccer-Gymnastics hybrid is one of the few sports that also incorporates elements of capoeira, also known as Brazilian break dance fighting. Let me repeat. BREAK. DANCE. FIGHTING. Played on an inflatable surface that has trampolines built into the center of the court, Bossaball is a one of the most ridiculous sports played today. Think about it, kicking, heading, or hitting a ball over a net, played on an inflatable with trampolines on the beach.
10
Sports
Friday April 15, 2011
Look out for that golden snitch
TRACK AND FIELD
Editor Michael Solomon sports@miamistudent.net
NEXT MEET: All Day Friday at All-Ohio Championships
MU prepares for busy weekend
Adam Hainsfurther
Hainsfurther’s Holler
W
hat do you get when you take a group of old rich white men who have too much money, slightly younger rich guys who claim to be going broke, even younger guys who claim to be treated like slaves … who get paid millions and another group of young guys who in the past have claimed that $15 million was not enough to feed their families? If you said lockouts in half of the major North American sports leagues you’d be correct. Yes, if the current NFL labor “negotiations” are any sign of what the future holds, we could be in for a long, long year. But fear not loyal readers, there will always be sports for you to get your fix from and I have taken it upon myself to come up with a list of them. So without further ado, I present to you the “Official Hainsfurther’s Holler Guide to Lockout Sports.” 1. CHESS BOXING: Do you love the strategy aspect of football? Are you worried that an unfilled craving for unadulterated violence may leave you no choice but to commit a violent crime? Then have I got the sport for you! Introducing chess boxing. All the blood and punching mixed with intellect and strategy will make you forget all about football, and mostly because of the high concussion rate. Yes, if you want to see a guy pull off a Ruy Lopez while fighting off a brain bleed chess boxing may indeed be right up your ally. 2. SLAMBALL: What do you get when you cross basketball, hockey and Red Bull-addled adrenaline junkies? The answer is the first ever cracked-out basketball hybrid. Yes the original gangster of extreme editions of the major sports, Slamball, is back and ready to break some necks. Mason Gordon founded the sport and league in 2002 and hoped to create a sport that was more like a reallife video game than an actual sport. That seriously was the goal. When the league attempted to re-launch its TV broadcasts in 2009, Chris Albrecht, then the president of IMG Global Media (who partnered with Gordon and other partners to revive television broadcasts of the sport) told the New York Times “It’s like a liveaction video game.” Sounds like the perfect replacement for the NBA, heck it even sounds better. 3. QUIDDITCH: Yes, you read that correctly. Quidditch has come to the Muggle world. In all honesty, Quidditch has the potential to become quite the full-contact sport. The no-longerfictional game is almost identical to the one we’ve been reading about since the mid-1990s, only nobody flies, there’s no magic involved and the snitch isn’t a flying gold ball but rather an extremely fast person covered in gold from head to toe. Although still in the early phases of development, the game has a large college following and a season which culminates in the yearly Quidditch World Cup
wSee COLUMN, page 9
Senior Justinn Eddie (middle) competes in the 4x100 meter relay Saturday at the Miami Invitational.
By Melissa Maykut Staff Writer
After a dominating performance at its home invitational April 8 and 9, the Miami University women’s track and field team will compete in the All-Ohio Championships at the University of Cincinnati April 15 and 16. Four runners will compete in the Mt. San Antonio College (SAC) Relays in Walnut, Calif. After winning its home event with 111 points, the women’s team is looking forward to building on their momentum. “There will be some good competition,” head coach Kelly Phillips said. “It will be a great opportunity for the team to get ready for some big meets coming up like our conference meet.” Last season, the women’s team placed fourth at the All-Ohio Championships with 89 points, while Mid-American Confer-
ence foe Kent State University won the meet with 151 points. Junior Maggie Bingham, who finished second in the 3000-meter steeplechase last year at the event, will not participate in the All-Ohio Championships on Friday. Bingham, juniors Rachel Patterson and Jillian Dickman and senior Katie Lenahan will compete in the Mt. SAC Relays. Similar to when the throwers split from the team to compete at the Missouri Relays, Phillips wants her four athletes to compete against a stronger field of runners and earn marks for NCAA qualifiers. The top 48 athletes from the East Region and the West Region compete in the NCAA Championships in May. The Mt. SAC Relays gives Miami’s four distance runners a chance to get a top 48 mark. Like its female counterpart, the men’s track and field team ran away with the Miami Invitational title last weekend.
CONTRIBUTED BY SCOTT KISSELL
While the majority of the team will compete in the All-Ohio Championships, senior Michael McCarty and junior Jordan Goffena will travel to the University of Tennessee to compete in the Sea Ray Relays decathlon. After a successful performance at the Miami Invitational, the men’s team is ready to hit the track and have another powerful weekend. “The competition should be at a much higher level and the chances of quality weather is better,” head coach Warren Mandrell said. The rest of the team will compete at the AllOhio Championships with the majority of the women’s team. The Red and White finished fourth at the meet last year with 79 points, but Mandrell is hoping for a stronger outcome. “Last year a lot of guys were sick and it just ended up being a down slope after the Miami Invitational,” Mandrell said.
SYNCHRONIZED SKATING
Red and White place tenth at Worlds By Melissa Maykut Staff Writer
After a memorable second place finish at Nationals, Miami University’s senior synchronized skating team placed 10th out of 21 teams at the World Synchronized Skating Championships in Helsinki, Finland April 8 and 9. On the opening day, the RedHawks skated out onto the ice of the Helsinki Ice Arena ready to dazzle the sold out crowd – nearly 7,000 people – of synchronized skating fans cheering “USA, USA”. “It was the first time any of us have skated in front of a sold out crowd before so it was a really great experience,” senior Kelly
Critchfield said. The skating team had two unofficial practices Wednesday and Thursday right before the competition started. After traveling for a whole day, the Red and White used the practices to get their feet under them and get used to Finland’s ice rink, which was larger than the rink in the Goggin Ice Center. On Friday, the ’Hawks performed its short program choreographed to “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” The team had a flawless skate, earning a component score of 28.21 and a technical score of 28.43. For the first day of competition, the RedHawks were awarded an overall score of 56.64, placing them in ninth.
Both teams from Finland held first and second place, while the Haydenettes, the second team from the United States, sat in third. On Saturday, the senior team skated its free skate program, themed “Hypnotized by a Dream.” The team had one deduction due to a slight bobble from one of the skaters, but the team pulled through with a solid performance. With a component score of 55.59 and a technical element score of 51.51, the RedHawks earned a combined score of 106.10. For the two days of competition, the RedHawks notched an overall score of 162.74, which placed them in tenth. Both teams from Finland won the
top two spots, while the Haydenettes finished in third. “I think overall we were happy with both programs,” senior Stefani Andrews said. “They were just as good if not better than Nationals.” Last season, the Red and White failed to qualify for the World Championships. The RedHawks qualified the previous five seasons. “We just wanted to go out there and show people we should’ve been there last year and just skate our best,” Andrews said. The senior team will reunite with the junior and collegiate teams April 15 and 16 to perform in the Miami University Ice Show at Goggin Ice Center. The show will begin 7:30 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday.
Program Board Proudly Presents:
Spring Forward with Program Board
The Golden Eggspedition Campus-wide Egg Hunt All day: Monday April 18th Redeem prizes from 5-7 Shriver West Patio
For more info facebook.com/ProgramBoard
Enjoy inflatable fun and carnival food! Wednesday April 20th Shriver Back Patio 4-8pm