The Miami Student Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826
VOLUME 139 NO. 3
TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011
TODAY IN MIAMI HISTORY
MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO
In 1952, The Miami Student reported that university regulations prohibited the use of automobiles within the village of Oxford. The university considered the use of an automobile “unnecessary and undesirable.” Students who wished to use a car for a legitimate purpose could obtain permission. Unauthorized use would result in a $10 fine and repeated violations could result in suspension from the university.
Miami rejects Franco filming By Jenni Wiener Campus Editor
Miami University is starting to look like a hot commodity for film producers. Since the filming of Ides of March this spring, another major production company has requested to film on campus, but was turned down. James Franco’s production company, Rabbit Bandini Productions, contacted Miami over the summer about potentially filming a cable television reality program on the life of undergraduate students this fall, said Richard Campbell, director of the journalism program and interim chair of communications. “We had some discussions in person and through email with Franco’s production partners,” said associate director of university communications, Claire Wagner. “We were unable, however, to come to an agreement with his company.” Wagner said she, Campbell and some
communications faculty were involved in the decision-making. Legal counsel was also brought in to review questions on the matter. Originally, Rabbit Bandini was willing to give Miami a say in what would be aired and said it would portray the well-rounded life of undergraduates, according to Campbell. However, the company later changed its mind and brought in a legal team that wanted to reserve the ability to fictionalize elements of the story without Miami’s prior consent. The university was not in agreement with these terms. “The university would have been allowing them to film on our campus, with our students and faculty members,” Campbell said. “Miami needs to have some say in the matter for the purpose of protecting its reputation and undergraduates.” Wagner agreed saying, “We were not able to come to a location agreement, which includes aspects such
as privacy and the location for filming on campus. We were concerned about students and their well-being.” Franco’s production partners had also talked to the communications faculty about incorporating an academic component in the filming. Students in certain communications classes could have been involved in hands-on production of the film, Wagner said. However, the discussions ended before more details were established about the independent study. “I was disappointed when Rabbit Bandini changed their mind,” Campbell said. “I thought we had it all set up and ready to go, but then they changed their plan. It would have been great for our students to have that kind of experience.” The eleventh hour changes Rabbit Bandini requested derailed the deal. “We never fully had a final set of factors for how it would play out,” Wagner said. “We were concerned for student safety and getting
everyone’s permission.” This included the permission of students, faculty and residence halls. “Our academic setting was not in agreement with their creative ideas,” Wagner said. There was no agreement that even came close to being signed, according to Wagner, but there was potential for Franco to come to campus in the fall to talk with students and lend a creative hand. “Franco is currently in the process of filming a movie in Detroit,” Campbell said. “So he would have potentially been close enough to visit three or four times.” Miami sophomore Rachel Cohen was shocked to hear that Franco could have come to campus. “I love James Franco,” Cohen said. “It would have been really cool if he came here, but it might have been distracting or put pressure on students to behave a certain way.” Junior Halle Francis was disappointed to hear that
CONTRIBUTED BY DAVID SHANKBONE
Academy Award nominated actor James Franco’s production company showed interest in filming at Miami but was denied. Franco wouldn’t be here this fall. “James Franco is a great actor and super cute,” Francis said. “It would be awesome if he filmed on campus.”
Wagner said if Franco’s company changes their conditions or comes up with a different plan, the university would be open to further discussions in the future.
Alumna serves as nation’s only polygamy beat reporter
Regents’ deregulation plan draws mixed reviews from universities
By Noëlle Bernard
By Amanda Seitz
Editorial Editor
There are crime reporters, business reporters and sports reporters. Miami University alumna Lindsay Whitehurst is a polygamy reporter. With television shows like TLC’s Sister Wives and HBO’s Big Love polygamy is a new cultural phenomena. Whitehurst is a native of the Chicago suburbs. She graduated in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and American Studies. During her three years, she wrote for The Miami Student, was a member of the Society for Professional Journalists and interned with the Cincinnati Enquirer and Hamilton Journal-News. After Miami, Whitehurst’s first job was as a reporter for The Herald Bulletin in Anderson, Indiana. Then about two years later, Whitehurst relocated to The Daily Times to cover
the Navajo Reservation in Farmington, New Mexico. Her time spent in New Mexico lasted about a year until she heard of a job opening with The Salt Lake Tribune in Utah as a weekend police reporter. “I had the sense that I always wanted to live in different places and see a little bit of the country,” Whitehurst said. By November 2010, The Salt Lake Tribune approached Whitehurst with a new beat pioneered by former reporter Brooke Adams. The beat was to cover the country’s polygamy news. Whitehurst jumped at the offer and hit the books researching the history of polygamy, the Mormon Church and the offshoot sects of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). She works with both old and new media as an online blogger and writer for the newspaper. “There’s always more to learn,” Whitehurst said.
“There’s a lot of background about polygamy. I’ve had some background because I’ve been here for a couple years. But there’s still a lot of reading to do.” Whitehurst said the most challenging aspect of her job is portraying polygamy with unbiased representation. “It’s a very polarized topic,” Whitehurst said. “People have very strong opinions and anytime you get into religion, there’s a lot of strong opinions. Especially when you’re talking about a nontraditional way of life. What I try to do as much as humanly possible is really listen to everybody on both sides. Then you try to get as close to the truth as humanly possible.” Recently, she has covered the trial and sentencing of Warren Jeffs, the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). In 2008, a
POLYGAMY, SEE PAGE 5
Union sues over free speech By Amelia Carpenter Online Staff
CONTRIBUTED BY JSMJR UNDER CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE
Labor unions around the country have used inflatable rats similar to this one to protest unfair labor practices.
A local union has sued Miami University President David Hodge and Police Chief John McCandless for violating free speech rights. Laborers’ International Union of North America, Local 534 had a peaceful labor demonstration starting August 18 where they inflated a giant rat balloon in the right-of-way in Patterson Avenue, according to legal documents. Both Oxford police and campus police surrounded the group and eventually threatened to prosecute members for criminal trespass and destroy the rat balloon. A union spokesman declined to comment during ongoing litigation. Miami’s News and Information Director, Claire Wagner, also declined to comment.
Special Reports Editor
After months of chatter about “charter universities” for Ohio’s higher education system, the Board of Regents has proposed a plan sure to change the way universities do business. The plan, which calls for a multi-tiered system to categorize universities as “enterprise universities” would free colleges from what the Ohio Board of Regents describes as “archaic” and “duplicative” mandates and regulations. It could be implemented as early as July 2012. But before Ohio jumps into the uncharted world of enterprise universities, academic institutions and the Ohio legislature will have time to debate and examine the proposal. Miami University, which could qualify for the highest tier of deregulation by being deemed an “International Enterprise University,” is still weighing the benefits of the program. “What we’ve received doesn’t provide a lot of detail,” Vice President of Business Services David Creamer said. “We continue to monitor, it’s a significant proposal. Before any decision would be made there would be a good bit of deliberation with the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff and students.” Creamer said he is unsure if Miami will decide to opt into the program that would relieve the university of mandates concerning Board of Trustee term limits, enrollment caps and attorney general approval on small claims. The plan still keeps some mandates; universities would still be held to a maximum tuition increase of 3.5
percent per year. Although deregulation sounds attractive to universities, freeing themselves from the state mandates also comes at a price. The plan calls for universities to put 10 to 20 percent of the funding they receive from the state into a scholarship fund for high performing in-state students or as the Ohio Board of Regents calls it, “The
we’ve talked about universities saving money, they would be able to redirect some funds into a merit based scholarship. There’s a bonus in that [universities] are raising their ability to attract.” Bowling Green State University doesn’t qualify for the International Enterprise University level but is interested in other phases of the Enterprise University program, according to BGSU
Before any decision would be made there would be a good bit of deliberation with the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff and students. David creamer
VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS SERVICES
Pre-Eminent Scholar’s Award Foundation.” “It’s an option for the university to provide an incentive to attract and retain the best and brightest students,” Ohio Board of Regents spokeswoman Kim Norris said. But Creamer — and officials at other universities — are unsure if they’ll be able to afford the costs of the PreEminent Scholar’s Award Foundation. If Miami wanted to be an “International Enterprise University,” the highest level of deregulation, it would need to forfeit 20 percent of the money it receives from the state – which would total $11 million – to the scholarship fund. The Ohio Board of Regents believes universities can make up for the cost of the scholarship funds with the cost-savings measures listed in the Enterprise University plan. “It would be redirecting funds,” Norris said. “As
President Mary Ellen Mazey. She is concerned about the money universities wouldn’t be able to touch, because it would be redirected to the scholarship fund, but is excited for the plan, especially since BGSU is subject to restrictive enrollment caps that would be lifted should it opt in. “I certainly endorse the mentioned scholar funds,” Mazey said. “I think we could benefit there, eliminating the caps would be beneficial.” Ohio State University spokesperson Jim Lynch said the university “looks forward to working with the Chancellor.” Before universities begin implementation of such a plan, the proposal needs to be sent to the Ohio legislature for review. “The next step is that this all has to go to the legislature,” Norris said. “At that point, we’ll have a better idea of what types of restrictions we can free universities from.”
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CAMPUS
Editors Lauren Ceronie Jenni Wiener
TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011
NEWS BRIEFS
campus@miamistudent.net
FYI
Student pays Sundial repair costs
Award winning poet presents at Miami
By Taylor Dolven
The Creative Writing Program, along with the Department of English, presents poet Sophie Robinson who will be visiting Miami University 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 30. Robinson lives and works in London. She wrote her first chapbook, The Lotion, in 2010, which was recently shortlisted for the Michael Marks Prize for Poetry Pamphlets. Other works of hers include Infinite Difference: Other Poetries by Women in the UK, Voice Recognition: 21 Poets for the 21st Century and The Reality Street Book of Sonnets. She is currently completing a PhD in Queer Poetics at Royal Holloway at the University of London. The event will be held in the Bachelor Hall Reading Room and is free and open to the public.
For the Miami Student
The Tri Delta Sundial is back on campus after an absence of over a year. The restored sundial and base were reinstalled just in time for alumni weekend at the end of June, according to Cody Powell, assistant vice president of operations for physical facilities. Miami University graduate Will Longhini remembers the day well. While working at Alumni Hall this past summer, Longhini spotted the sundial on the back of a truck without any notice. “I was so excited to see it,” Longhini said. “It is one of the coolest features on campus.” Longhini was especially excited to have it back be-
cause he was there the night it was damaged. While walking through central quad during finals week May 6, 2010, he said he noticed that some screws were loose on the sundial’s base. He tried calling the office of physical facilities, but they were closed. After submitting a report online with his iPhone, he saw Bradley Hoffman, then a Miami junior, jump up and grab the sundial, causing it to topple over. Hoffman and a group of other men then ran in the direction of uptown. Longhini was later asked to identify Hoffman. “I thought the sundial was really old and it might not be able to be replaced,” he said. While the court case was developing against Hoffman, Longhini didn’t hear
SUNDIAL, SEE PAGE 5
ANDREW BRAY THE MIAMI STUDENT
The newly repaired Tri Delta Sundial stands majestically once again.
University Senate focuses on finances and the future
Journalist to lecture on post 9/11 world Journalist and bestselling author Peter Bergen will present his first lecture of a series called “10 Years Later: How 9/11 Changed America’s Place in the World” 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 12 in Hall Auditorium. Bergen is a national security analyst for CNN and the author of the New York Times bestseller The Longest War: The Enduring Conflict between America and Al-Qaeda. He has reported on al-Qaeda, Afghanistan, Pakistan, counterterrorism, homeland security and countries around the Middle East for many American publications. The lecture is free, but tickets are necessary due to limited seating. Tickets will be available starting Wednesday, Sept. 7 for the general public.
anything about it again. The total cost of repairs to the sundial, not including the new base and alterations, was about $28,000. The university initially paid out of pocket for the repairs, but a court case has now resulted in Hoffman being held financially responsible for the damage he caused. “Ultimately, the individual who did the damage did cover the cost of the majority of the repairs,” Powell said. Susan Lipnickey, legal counsel for Hoffman and a professor in the Education department at the university, would not comment on the issue. She also refused to comment for an article
By Lauren Ceronie
Campus Editor
JULIA ENGELBRECHT THE MIAMI STUDENT
EXTREME MAKOVER: MIAMI EDITION Consturction continues on the Armstrong Student Center.
Financial issues have been at the top of every government agenda for the past few months and the University Senate agenda was no different at its first meeting of the year Monday. University Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs Bobby Gempesaw started the meeting with good financial news with the new operating system Niihka. Over a year and a half, Niihka is estimated to save the university over $750,000, according to Gempesaw. While the new open source system will save the university money, the administration’s focus with the switch was to enhance learning,
Gempesaw said. Already more courses are using Niihka. In the past, 76 percent of courses used Blackboard compared to the 80 percent of courses that are already on Niihka. The senate also discussed the proposed “enterprise universities” proposal. Miami University qualifies to be an enterprise university where it would be subject to fewer state regulations but also receive less state money. University Senate Chair Steve DeLue cautioned members of the senate to research the enterprise university proposal thoroughly before making any decisions. “We need to ask some good questions about the enterprise university concept,” DeLue said.
“A healthy skepticism is called for.” If Miami were to become an enterprise university, the state would reallocate 10 to 20 percent of the schools funding, equivalent to $7 million to $14 million. “We have already lost millions of dollars due to past budget crises and we are about to lose more,” DeLue said. “The current level of state funding is down to what it was in 1991.” University Senate chair Steve Wright spoke about the current budget troubles Miami is experiencing. The university received the June 2011 state allocation of $5.3 million and was able to have a strong financial closing at the end of the
USENATE, SEE PAGE 5
Oviedo study abroad program experiences successful first year By Andy Martin
For The Miami Student
Students and professors alike are excited to share their stories of Miami University’s recently founded study abroad program in Oviedo, Spain. Having ended their first spring and summer terms quite successfully, Robert DiDonato and Jose Manuel Dominguez-Burdalo, the two faculty members that set up the program, are already looking forward to students signing up to go abroad for spring semester 2012. DiDonato said the program gives students a chance to fully “experience the culture of Spain from the ground up.” With full immersion into not only the language, but also the culture of Spain, students had the opportunity to live there a full spring term, or visit during the summer term for about five weeks. The program consists of
students living in an Oviedo household while taking classes taught by both Miami professors and Oviedo University’s faculty. Classes are taught at Oviedo University’s Casa de las Lenguas, with a variety of courses based around not just Spanish majors, but business majors as well. This means that while knowing an advanced level of Spanish is important, junior Laurie Jacob, who participated in both the spring and summer terms, stated that classes at Oviedo will do much more than simply improve Spanish speaking skills. For last year’s spring term, 22 students signed up and for the summer term, 17 students traveled to Oviedo, including sophomore Sarah Kruse who, like Jacob, did both. “The experience of getting to live with a host family and experience Spanish life and culture firsthand made a huge difference in my learning experience,” Kruse said.
CONTRIBUTED BY ROBERT DIDONATO THE MIAMI STUDENT
Students bike through Spain with the Oviedo study abroad program. “Just living in a foreign country and partaking in their culture and language can give one an entirely new outlook on the world.” While education and learning is an important part of this program, something DiDonato referred to as a “learning adventure vacation,” there is a nice treat for the
students at the end of the summer term. Jacob expounded on a 10 day trip where students get to follow The Pilgrims Road to Santiago de Compostela. “The pilgrimage at the end was my favorite part. We had to talk to the villagers as we went and it was difficult at times, but the
stories some shared and the view of the Santiago Cathedral was so worth it,” Jacob said. The whole point of the program is to immerse Miami students fully into the language and culture of
OVIEDO, SEE PAGE 5
Miami tracks off campus students’ addresses in case of emergency By Chelsea Davis
For The Miami Student
When students log onto BannerWeb, they may notice a pesky reminder to update Miami University on their local address. For some this seems puzzling and new, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. For a few years now,
Miami has required students to provide their local address, Claire Wagner, director of News and Public Information said. If the student is living on campus, the university already has their address and the student isn’t required to fill anything out. Students living off-campus, are required to give their local, off-campus address.
“This isn’t new,” Wagner said. “The only thing that may be new is how we’re reminding people.” According to Wagner, students cannot continue onto BannerWeb without submitting the required information. This is the university’s way of reminding students to update their address. According to Wagner,
the university wants offcampus addresses strictly to benefit students. “We’ve been enhancing our emergency communications for the past few years,” Wagner said. “When the Dean of Students gets a call about an off-campus emergency, they know who and how many students are in that house.”
According to Wagner and the Office of Student Affairs, they cannot use the information for instances like last year’s Indian-Themed party. This information is only to be used for emergency purposes. If addresses weren’t provided and a student got in trouble for drinking at their home by the police, they would still get in trouble with
the university. The reasoning behind this hasn’t been met without opposition or questioning. “It’s nice that they, the university, still care, but I don’t want to get in trouble for throwing a party just because they have my address,”
ADDRESSES, SEE PAGE 5
www.miamistudent.net
TUESDAY, August 30, 2011
How We Are
Making a Difference Unplugged, Untapped GAME ON! Campus-wide competition in residence halls to make students aware of utility consumption and efforts to reduce it.
GO GREEN - TURN OFF THE STEAM! Turning off room heaters when not needed saves 17% of the steam energy every month.
Occupancy Sensors Light sensors help save energy by turning on and off automaticaly.
Lighting More efficient lighting installed in many buildings.
Steam Traps and Valves Replacement of steam traps and valves help reduce steam waste and save energy.
Utility Usage Bulletin Boards Residence hall bulletin boards encourage students to be aware of utility consumption.
HDRBS Improved Energy Efficiency Committee Commitee lauched to find ways to help the campus embrace sustainability.
Sustainability in Housing, Dining, Recreation and Business Services
Plant-Based Plates All non-china plates are made with a combination of bamboo and sugar-cane.
Corn-Starch Based Cups All clear-plastic cups are made from corn-starch.
Bio-degradable Materials at Dividend$ All carry-out containers are made of fully bio-degradable materials.
Recyclable Plastics Based on what plastics can be recycled at Miami University, all plastic products are rated number one or two recyclable.
Environmently Friendly Cleaning Products At our dining locations and residence halls, cleaning products are made with environmentally friendly materials
Waging War on Waste An annual event where dining locations educate students on how much they contribute to food waste.
Napkin Dispensers At most of our dining locations, napkin dispensers placed on every table reduce paper waste by 30%.
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community Editor
COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY@miamistudent.net
TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011
POLICE
Rash of assaults occurs over weekend BEAT Drunk senior wants her fast food faster Miami University senior Tayler Philips was charged with drunk driving and prohibited blood alcohol content (BAC) 4:30 a.m. Tuesday. Philips, 22, pulled into a parking spot near the end of the drive-thru line at McDonald’s and began acting belligerent and cussing because she didn’t have her food yet, police reports said. An OPD officer was getting food in the drive-thru when the restaurant manager told him Philips was drunk. Philips was trying to get in the locked front door of McDonald’s when the officer walked over to her. Philips told the officer she was still waiting on her food and admitted she had been driving, police reports said. A McDonald’s employee brought Philips her food and the officer sat her down at which point he recognized a strong odor of alcohol and slurred speech from Philips. She told police she had two beers at 8:15 p.m. and was okay to drive. Philips’ BAC was .215, police reports said.
Officer cites male with vodka bottle Miami University sophomore Austin Hawley received multiple citations 2:30 a.m. Saturday. Hawley, 20, was standing on the sidewalk in front of 14 N. Campus Avenue talking on the phone with a bottle of Skyy Vodka in his hand, police reports said. Officers found he was underage and had a fake identification in his wallet. Hawley was arrested and cited on charges of underage drinking, open container and having a fake identification.
Couple tries to steal fromWal-Mart A couple attempted to steal $700 worth of merchandise from Wal-Mart around 11:20 a.m. Friday. The greeter called a manager when checking the couple’s cart on their way out after the alarm sounded and noticed barcodes ripped off merchandise, police reports said. The couple decided to leave the store without any merchandise, driving a maroon Chevrolet Lumina with Ohio plates, police reports said.
Attempt to talk to women earns junior open container charge Miami University junior Joshua Carey was arrested on a charge of underage drinking around 1:30 a.m. Sunday. Carey, 20, was outside Skipper’s Pub talking to two women on the sidewalk. The only thing wrong was he was holding an open container of alcohol. Carey was cited for underage drinking and having an open container.
By Amelia Carpenter Online Staff
The Oxford Police Department (OPD) reported four off-campus assaults in a period of 24 hours. One Miami University student was the victim of a felonious assault 2 a.m. Saturday at 125 E. Walnut Street. The victim’s knee and hip are dislocated from the assault, police reports
said. The victim told police that two males were yelling and taunting him and a female from across the street. Witnesses told police the males were provoking a fight. The two males were assaulting the male victim when a third attacker joined in, police reports said. The female tried to stop the three males who fled the scene by car when calling 9-1-1 was mentioned, police reports said. Police say there is at
County eliminates 49 polling places but adds campus voting location By Sam Kay
Editor in Chief
The Butler County Board of Elections (BOE) has opted to reduce the number of polling places in Butler County from 149 to 100. However, voting will be easier for Miami University students because a polling place is being added on the Oxford campus. According to BOE Director Jocelyn Bucaro, the primary motivation for reducing the number of polling places was to reduce the number of private properties used as polling places. Bucaro said there was some question as to whether private property owners could exercise control over electioneering taking place on their land. “There have been questions raised in the past about folks who like to stand outside polling places handing out literature,” Bucaro said. “There have been questions about what the owners of those buildings can do.” Bucaro said there have been cases of owners asking such people to leave the property. Public facilities also comply with the American with Disabilities Act, which not all private voting sites had, Bucaro said. The savings from operating 49 fewer sites will be about $16,000 per election. The savings result from not having to pay rent to private sites and having fewer technical personnel roving from polling place to polling place. Another reason it is
possible to operate fewer polling places is the increasing popularity of early and absentee voting, Bucaro said. In the 2010 election, 21 percent of voters voted early. Bucaro expects that number to increase this year. BOE chose which sites to eliminate by calculating drive-times to polling places. Most voters will have a drive of five minutes or shorter. In two or three of the county’s 299 precincts, voters will have to drive 11 or 12 minutes, Bucaro said. “We took the farthest address in a precinct and calculated driving distance to a polling place in that precinct,” Bucaro said. “That is how we were able to ensure no voted would have to drive an exorbitant distance.” Voters will be notified of the changes by orange postcards telling them their precinct number and polling place. Junior Kaitlin Schroeder is pleased there will now be a polling place on campus. Schroeder is registered to vote in Oxford because she feels more invested in local issues. “(Having a polling place on campus) will drive up voting,” Schroeder said. “So many people do things out of convenience.” The first time Schroeder voted in Oxford, she got lost on the way to her polling place, an Episcopalian church. “Especially for freshmen who don’t know the area, voting on campus is easier,” Schroeder said.
least one suspect. Twenty-one-year-old Miami senior Michael K. Edwards was charged with the second assault for punching another male in the face at 2:30 a.m. Saturday. Police were notified of a third assault around 2:30 a.m. Sunday at Brick Street Bar and Grill. The male victim was walking towards the bar from the dance floor when several black males started attacking him and pulled him back onto the dance floor. The victim had red marks and knots on his back and neck from being punched and kicked before he got away, found his friends and left the bar,
police reports said. The victim declined medical care, police reports said.
Four assaults were reported to the Oxford Police in 24 hours. In another incident, three males attacked a male Miami student walking home around 4:30 a.m. Sunday. The three walked out of the “Champagne High” house located on E. Church St. The victim ran to the front door of Sigma Phi Epsilon where he knew there were cameras,
police reports said. The victim told the three males they were on camera, and they began to attack him, pulling off his shirt, police reports said. The victim told police he was in the fetal position while the three males were punching and kicking him before another male broke up the fight. Police say as the three males walked away, one stopped, pulled down his pants and wiped his butt with the victim’s shirt before twirling it above his head in big, circular motions. The victim recognized the males as members of a fraternity and did not know them by name, police reports said.
ELIZABETH HAERING THE MIAMI STUDENT
CLOWNING AROUND Several clowns participate in an arts parade through Uptown Oxford over the weekend.
New trash cans required within Mile Square Plus By Bethany Bruner News Editor
Garbage bags lining the street on pick-up day are a thing of the past in the city of Oxford’s Mile Square Plus because of an ordinance passed July 19 by Oxford City Council. Environmental Specialist David Treleaven said the new waste wheeler totes began being delivered by Rumpke last week. According to rental records, about 700 of the totes will need to be delivered. Treleaven said some properties within the Mile Square Plus were already utilizing these totes. The cost to purchase a waste wheeler tote is $100 through Rumpke. Renting the totes is also an option that costs to $3 a month. Treleaven said students in rental properties should
discuss with their landlords who is going to be responsible for paying for the new waste wheelers. Treleaven encouraged students to rent their totes instead of trying to buy them from local hardware stores because if they’re rented through Rumpke, Rumpke is responsible for maintenance of the totes and replacing them if they become damaged. Treleaven said the waste wheeler totes are being required as a result of the city seeing increased complaints about scavenging animals in years past. “Part of the issue was people were putting things out in plastic bags, not trash containers, and animals were getting into the bags by tearing them open or because vandalism had caused the bags to be open,” Treleaven said.
He said the lids on the totes will also reduce the amount of windblown litter. Another benefit of the new totes according to Treleaven is the reduction in possible leachate issues. Leachate is the name for what occurs when precipitation mixes with the garbage and becomes contaminated. Treleaven said leachate, if it gets loose, washes into the gutters and sometimes into creeks. The new totes will help prevent this from occurring. The new waste wheeler totes are required within the Mile Square Plus, a map of which can be found on the city’s website. The city of Oxford is specifying that for a property with one to four tenants, one waste wheeler is required. For five to eight tenants, two containers are required.
For nine to 12 tenants, three containers are required. Any residence housing more than 12 tenants is required to have four containers. Treleaven said the number of totes was determined based on industry averages for the amount of waste
generated by four people. Treleaven said a good way to reduce the amount of trash put out is to recycle. Recycling bins are available through Rumpke. To request a recycling bin, call city of Oxford Utility Billing at (513) 524-5221.
Fairfield woman missing Fairfield police are asking for help in the search for a missing woman. Katelyn Markham, 22, has been missing since Aug. 14. She was last seen around 11:30 p.m. Aug. 13 at her Fairfield townhouse at 5214 Dorshire Drive. Markham is a student at the Art Institute of Ohio in Cincinnati. Her case has been featured on Nancy Grace’s show on CNN
Headline News and on NBC’s Today Show. Markham is 5’3” and weighs around 130 pounds. She has green eyes and brown hair with blonde streaks. A $25,000 reward is being offered. If you have information on Markham’s whereabouts or disappearance, call Fairfield police at (513) 829-8201 or Crimestoppers (513) 352-3040.
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www.miamistudent.net
CAMPUS TUESDAY, August 30, 2011
When you’re finished reading
The Miami Student,
FROM PAGE 2
about the case that ran in the April 15, 2011 issue of The Miami Student. When the sundial was missing for graduation, there was a lot of negative reaction, according to Powell. “There were a lot of students hoping to have their picture taken by the sundial, but it wasn’t available,” Powell said. Longhini remembers how upset his classmates were. “It is one of the coolest features on campus. I felt bad that people couldn’t take pictures with it,” he said. The new sundial was welcomed by a positive reaction by
please recycle!
A new level in luxury student living! Apartments available for the 2012-2013 school year!
SUNDIAL,
USENATE, FROM PAGE 2
2010-2011 year. However, the upcoming year does not look as financially solid. “The new academic year is expected to be more troublesome because we expect a decrease in state funding of 17.4 percent for Oxford,” Wright said. A proposal for moving teacher evaluations online was
OVIEDO, Contact CKC Rental Agency at 513.523.7263 for more details!
FROM PAGE 2
Spain, but also have the security of experiencing Oviedo with peers and an organized program. “It was really nice being with other Miami students, but another great thing was Oviedo’s diverse mix of cultures,” Jacob said. “It
ADDRESSES, FROM PAGE 2
Miami junior Evan Bruch said. This was a concern for a number of students. Wagner said the university having a student’s address doesn’t make them more likely to get in trouble for throwing a party. “Anytime a student does [throw parties], the only way they can get in trouble [with the
POLYGAMY, FROM PAGE 1
Saints (FLDS). In 2008, a massive raid of the FLDS Texas ranch revealed information and evidence implicating Jeffs in several cases of statutory rape. He was convicted earlier this month of sexually assaulting two young girls, ages 12 and 15, who he took as two of his 78 polygamist wives. In Utah, there are roughly 38,000 people living in polygamist communities. But Whitehurst said not everyone who lives in one of these communities is in a plural marriage. Polygamy is a complex subject that is difficult to convey to unfamiliar readers, according to Whitehurst, especially since
returning students. Everyone on campus was Tweeting and posting pictures on Facebook, Longhini said. Leah Reitz has been a Miami tour guide since the beginning of the summer. During the sundial’s absence, Reitz led tours through the Center of Performing Arts instead of the sundial area. While explaining the traditions surrounding the hub, Reitz would mention the good luck traditions of the sundial. “The tour goes by it now,” Reitz said, “I act like it’s always been there.” Powell is glad to have the Miami tradition back. “Unfortunately, the process took longer than I anticipated, and that’s unfortunate. But we are very glad that the sundial is back and looks good,” Powell said. presented to the senate by the ad hoc committee on faculty online evaluations progress reports. The committee said moving the evaluations online would save money and allow students to write longer responses. The committee brought up the concern that response rates would be lower if the evaluations were moved online instead of given in class. The committee said they would come up with incentives for students to fill out the evaluations. wasn’t just Spaniards.” To get involved and sign up for the Oviedo program, a sophomore standing or higher is required, as well as the completion of Spanish 311. The program’s tuition fee is around $5,380. Interested students should contact David Motta in the Spanish and Portuguese Department located in Irvin Hall. university] is if they violate the student code of conduct or if the police are involved. Merely having their address doesn’t change this,” Wagner said. The only people with access to the database of student addresses is the administrative staff within the Office of Student Affairs, the Dean of Students and some other administrative staff, according to Wagner. The information is private and intended for safety purposes only. she herself is not a practicing LDS member. “I really do feel torn myself morally,” Whitehurst said. “You can’t not feel when you’re a reporter. As much as you’re objective and should write objectively, you’re human so you can’t help but have feelings about what you’re covering. Especially when you’re talking about the rape of children.” Whitehurst’s work as a journalist has just begun. She encourages aspiring journalists and writers to stay motivated and diligent. “It’s an important profession,” Whitehurst said. “It’s important to have smart, capable responsible people out there reporting news. It’s essential to our democracy. It’s hard work and it can be hard to make it in this business.”
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OPINION
Editors Noëlle Bernard Thomasina Johnson
TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011
editorial@miamistudent.net
EDITORIAL
Miami must approach Enterprise University plan critically The following piece, written by the editorial editors, reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board.
L
ASHLEY CEROLI THE MIAMI STUDENT
Rule of Thumb Great overall turnout at Mega Fair Now first-years’ inboxes can be slammed with Listserv welcomes.
Miami’s first football game this week Even though the game will be away, fans can catch the team for free online!
ike many Ohio schools, Miami University is considering the Enterprise University plan. This new approach to academic funding and planning is designed to save the state money by reducing the governmental red tape schools encounter with financial, functional and academic goals. Schools opting in would be subject to less government regulation but would be required to reallocate a significant portion of funding they receive from the state to a scholarship fund. While other university administrations in Ohio have already enthusiastically endorsed the plan, the administration at Miami is taking its time to analyze the plan further before making any decisions. The editorial board of The Miami Student
applauds Miami for taking time to carefully analyze the pros and cons of the Enterprise University plan. Although Miami meets seven of the nine benchmarks to become an enterprise university and can be considered an International Enterprise University, it is taking time to answer questions and is not jumping the gun on this complicated and multi-faceted subject. Jumping to any conclusion quickly could be dangerous and detrimental to the future of Miami, and the school knows this. This board is impressed Miami is trying to choose the correct long-term path for the school — one that can make it competitive and high quality for many years to come. We encourage the administration to continue to
approach the plan with an appropriate level of skepticism. The board welcomes some elements of the Enterprise University plan., like scholarship support for students. However, other facets of the plan could negatively impact transparency. Money issues may continue to plague the university. It is far from a foregone conclusion that the money saved circumventing regulation be worthwhile. Input from faculty and students will be crucial in deciding whether and how Miami pursues status as an Enterprise University. We call upon the administration to establish a means by which faculty and students can participate and have a voice in the process of inquiry.
Student on the Street What’s your advice for new students? Study harder in your life than you ever have had to.
Syllabus week being over School is kicked into full gear now. Tests and papers are on their way.
Brooke Wilson Sophomore
Butler County reducing polling stations
Don’t wear a lanyard.
This could limit the amount of voters in the upcoming elections, but Miami is getting an oncampus polling place..
Rachael Mott
Great weather Hopefully, Irene and her friends won’t send torrential downpours our way.
Sophomore
Don’t get an alcohol citation in the first two weeks. Nobody likes “that guy.” Megan Schmeisser
First-years walking across the Seal Weren’t they warned of the impending doom for crossing the sacred Seal? They had better study extra hard for their upcoming exam.
Sophomore
Go out and let loose. Colin Dewire
VMA success
Sophomore
Beyonce’s pregnancy and the way she announced it was adorable.
The assults this weekend in the Police Beat This weekend, let’s make it safer.
Learn that you rule the street and not the cars. Bizzy Allread Sophomore
The Miami Student
Don’t travel in packs.
Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826
Sophomore
Cory Madsen
EDITORIAL BOARD Sam Kay Editor in Chief Bethany Bruner News Editor Colleen Yates Managing Editor Noëlle Bernard Editorial Editor Thomasina Johnson Editorial Editor
Lauren Ceronie Campus Editor Jenni Wiener Campus Editor Michael Solomon Sports Editor Amanda Seitz Special Reports Editor
All letters must be signed in order to be printed. Please send letters via e-mail to: editorial@miamistudent.net We reserve the right to edit for length, content and clarity.
8 a.m.s are annoying. Richie Volz Junior
www.miamistudent.net
TUESDAY, August 30, 2011 OPINION
The Bitter and the Sweet
ESSAY
Thomasina Johnson
Robert Gerlach gerlacrb@muohio.edu
Reverberations of riots could threaten freedom of speech How many times per day do you use social media? Let’s be honest: Facebook, Twitter and for those of you who have Blackberries, Blackberry Messaging (BBM) is as common as eating and breathing. These communication tools have become our lifeline to friends, family and the rest of the world. However, these vital tools have been in jeopardy this year. The Arab Spring taught us countless lessons of ordinary impassioned citizens standing up for their beliefs, organizing powerful demonstrations with the use of social media. Social media became a big-league player in media, often at the expense of journalists and bloggers. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, (CPJ), 45 percent of all imprisoned media workers worldwide are bloggers, web-based reporters or online editors, and Arab countries are some of the “worst
online oppressors.” While these facts are frightening, citizens of the Western hemisphere tend to forget how easily harassment from online activity could happen to them, safe in countries who presumably have laws protecting free expression. Most people send out hundreds of tweets, BBMs and Facebook wall posts without thinking about who may see them. Jump to August, about eight months after the riots across North Africa and the Middle East. North London and other U.K. cities experience costly and damaging riots. Although the Arab Spring organizers and the London rioters had very different agendas, both groups used social media to plan. Most of the planning was instigated on Facebook, Twitter and BBM, which uses the internet to send messages and is harder to trace senders and receivers. Prime Minister David Cameron has recently
announced he is looking for new ways to stop rioters from communicating and said media organizations had a responsibility to hand over raw footage and, in the case of Blackberry, any BBM information used in connection with the riots. His goal is “to give the police the technology to trace people on Twitter or BBM or close it down.” I understand where he’s coming from: the riots were devastating and Cameron wants to do all he can to stop them from reoccurring. It’s smart to preemptively strike against criminals, but is this really the best way? Cameron’s idea is too extreme and farfetched to seriously aid the police in capturing those involved in criminal activity. While inciting criminal violence, like looting and assault is one thing, having access to almost any social media record can (and has) proved disastrous. Remember last year when the Tunisian Internet
Agency created fake Google, Yahoo and Facebook login sites and the government stole password information? Having access to personal information at the snap of a finger is much too powerful for any government to handle. It’s an invasion of privacy and free expression. The U.K. is a major player in this new focus on how social media will shape our world. If Cameron’s ideas become accepted by the British government, who knows which country will follow suit? It’s not crazy to think that the United States, being a long-time ally of the U.K., could seriously consider a law accepting governmental control of social media in case of a riot or demonstration. Cameron’s ideas can easily escalate into infringements of free speech, and, because of the lasting devastating effects on a tradition of free expression, is just as criminal as the rioters.
Perceiving reality Karli Kloss
Professors should listen to, respect student arguments Getting through syllabus week is about as difficult as spotting a first-year uptown for the first time. By the time Year Four rolls around, you can sleepwalk through this glorious week of syllabi recital, routine introductions and well-intentioned, if somewhat flat, jokes from the faculty. You don’t think that much can throw you for a loop at this point — we know our system well. Speaking with the arrogance that can only come with being a senior, I walked into each class thinking I already knew what every professor had to say. However, as I was idly doodling in the margin of my first syllabus, a professor I had never had before started talking about his subject with what I can only describe as contented glee. He welcomed us to learn, ask questions and never settle for what we believed we already knew. I’ve heard similar speeches, but for some reason, this time around the words struck a chord. Maybe there was more sincerity in his tone than I’m used to hearing. The idea of
contradiction and discussion is usually reserved for the liberal-iest of liberal arts classes, but realizing that this professor would truly welcome questions, uncertainty and infant ideas about big things made me look a whole lot closer at my previous years of study. I wish I could count the number of times I’ve had ideas shot down, then beaten with a stick, by certain teachers. As an example (and one highly specific to a political science major), I had never before dared to strongly argue that supranational organizations have the potential to replace the revered nationstate. Any class discussion expressed hope that the European Union has the potential to efficiently restructure governance was treated with everything from raised eyebrows to outright ridicule. I have pretty thick skin, but getting laughed at by a professor in front a roomful of peers can cut through even my sizable ego. And there are professors like this in every
ESSAY Andrew Duberstein dubersaj@muohio.edu
A post-Bruno Mars era: The shelf life of pop music On Sunday evening, postVMAs (Video Music Awards), I found myself in awe. I have been overjoyed with the marvelous news of Beyonce’s pregnancy (a hearty mazel tov to her and Hova). I have wondered why “Tyler the Creator” lacks a more expansive vocabulary and shuns helping verbs. I have even mistaken Bruno Mars for Lady Gaga at least once. As I scour my Twitter feed idly in the night’s odd hours, examining the VMA hashtags, I start to wonder — who will still be relevant among those names
in 10 years? Or, phrased differently, when is the dawn of a post-Bruno Mars era? Pop musicians have a notoriously short shelf life. Just as glowing youth fades to wrinkles or spritely associate professors become tenured warlocks, time frequently saps beauty, especially in popular music. Any new album will be unwholesome and undesirable after six weeks, the musical equivalent of campus dining. Unwitting DJs become sadists. After those consecutive listens, Adele will be no more desirable than the “tik tok”
7
single department. Benevolent scholars, most all of them — but lacking a certain sensitivity towards how we lesser intellectuals learn. You don’t get to a doctoral level without mastering your subject area — I get that. But I find it frustrating to see how many professors allow personal biases to influence and to some degree construct their students’ perspectives on what they learn. I would never, ever presume to believe I knew more than someone with his or her Ph.D., but just because I haven’t read the library and half that she has, doesn’t mean I can’t try to theorize based on what I do know. There are many who would argue that studying literature is, at best, a fanciful way to waste college tuition. But, generally speaking, I defy you to walk into an English class, plop a theory on the table and have a teacher treat it with scorn. I’ll let my Miami University pride shine through a bit here, but you don’t go to MU unless you have achieved and
maintained more than a modicum of academic excellence. We want to be challenged, but we would like our ideas respected. I think some professors forget just how young some of us are and just how much more learning we wish to do. By shooting down an idea that doesn’t jive with his doctoral thesis, a professor is stunting a student’s ability to learn, not encouraging it. Before the faculty starts flooding my inbox with angry emails (again), allow me to say that I have yet to take a class and walk away with no new information. I’ve had professors that have made me so angry my left eye will twitch, but those are also the ones I’ve learned life lessons from, if not entirely academic ones. To round out my theme, my message to the newbies getting their collegiate sea legs is to not be afraid to argue — someone will listen to you. To the old hands returning, maybe talk back a bit and stir the pot — your ideas do matter and you’re part of an institution that exists to nurture them.
of Ke$ha’s beats or the best Drake ever had. You will pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars (this reference acknowledges its age) as you wish people would stop quoting particular tracks on Facebook. Interestingly, however, some names loom in pop music for decades. Since the days of NWA, Dr. Dre has remained relevant. Beyonce, too, has persisted longer than most women in show business. Eminem could spend an entire album talking about cutting coupons or seasonal vegetables, and we would likely still buy it. Persisting in music is accomplishable. However, consumption and immediate gratification until expiration is far more likely. A number of items in your life probably follow a very similar path — a new car, a new relationship or campus dining. At
first, these things are perceived to be genuinely enlivening. Over time, the pleasure decays as we accustom ourselves to each of them. Yale psychologist Paul Bloom, who has never been mentioned within 500 words of Eminem, has written extensively about this inverted “U” of pleasure, a parabola over time, most notably in his 2010 book, How Pleasure Works. At first, we only sort of like novelty. After a few secondhand listens from a friend’s iPod, it catches. The only route to happiness seems to be a $1.29 iTunes download. We listen, and listen, and binge until all the consumption seems to suffocate the desire, when we resolve to harm the next radio disc jockey who believes “Rolling in the Deep” is still tolerable. As I type away to R. Kelly’s “Ignition (Remix),” I acknowledge that some pieces are perhaps eternal and not
Recent natural disasters will raise insurance costs Just eight months into the year, 2011 has already become the costliest year for natural disasters in recorded history. The previous record for global expenditures on property damage from natural disasters belonged to 2005, the devastating year of Hurricane Katrina. According to Munich Re, a global insurance company, in 2005 it was estimated that the world as a whole spent $220 billion (adjusted for inflation) on repairing property damage caused by natural disasters. Yet after the first six months of 2011, the world suffered $265 billion in economic losses, surpassing 2005 as a whole. To put it in perspective, the first six months of 2011 have been more costly than all damages accumulated from 1982 to 1986. And the numbers will only grow, especially after the recent damages from Hurricane Irene on the East Coast. Global warming is not the only theory that explains the increases in property damage from natural disasters. Peter Hoppe of Munich Re’s Geo Risk Center believes that one of the major factors is exponential population growth. As global population increases, people need to develop new homes in new areas, giving hurricanes, floods, and other forms of disasters more targets to hit. And it’s not just an increase in population; it’s also due to the specific regions that people are moving to. Despite all of the hurricanes in the last decade, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States says that 53 percent of all Americans live in a coastal county. Considering the coastal counties of the contiguous United States only take up 17 percent of the country’s landmass, there is an obvious desire to live by the coast. People are moving away from the often mundane
lifestyles of America’s heartland to the exciting coastal cities and beach homes they’ve always dreamed of, further increasing the amount of property damage from natural disasters that tend to occur along coasts including hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons and floods. Peter believes global warming is the other major player because it causes ocean temperatures to rise. When ocean temperatures rise, there is “more evaporation and a higher potential for extreme downpours” like the torrential rainstorms that caused deadly floods in Australia earlier this year. However, global warming is a direct effect of population growth so until we learn to limit our population, we are going to have to learn to deal with more disasters. If you’re anything like me, you’ve once or twice thought about how nice it would be to attend a college on the coast. But after seeing the aftermath of Irene and the tsunami in Japan, it’s comforting to know we are several hundred miles away from any beach. But although we don’t have to worry about tsunamis, mudslides or hurricanes, we will feel the effects of increased insurance costs. Bob Hartwig of the Insurance Information Institute said three of the 15 most expensive natural disasters in recorded history have occurred in the last 18 months, “pushing up the cost of providing insurance in many parts.” The insurance companies are not necessarily worried about a disaster striking in Southwest Ohio. They just need to raise all types of rates to cover losses from recent disasters across the world. So if you’re paying any type of insurance, whether it’s for your car, property or life, expect your rates to rise, at least until we learn to limit global increases in population.
fated to this path. Kanye’s “My Dark Twisted Fantasy” still gets high marks for quality ERIN KILLINGER THE MIAMI STUDENT almost a year after “Happiness is a Warm Gun” its release. Bloom might argue are vastly different sentiments that this is because Kanye’s by the same songwriters. tracks have a steeper shape to Maybe, then, the secret to their parabola — it takes more a post-Bruno Mars era lies in time to appreciate it fully, the fact that Bruno will probgiven the complexity. Drake ably not reinvent himself and raps about topics which sug- remain “vanilla pop.” Being gest a man who grew up in slightly difficult to grasp, as a neighborhood with decent Kanye and Paul Bloom might public schools and a strong agree, can in fact be an asset, a sense of community; he might preservative for the pop genre. not last the decade, but those We yearn for enough novelty who strive for a more baroque, to spark inspiration yet enough textured listening experience familiarity to sustain interest. can consistently intrigue us. The artists who play off this “Watch the Throne” does not remain on our playlists; those channel Jay-Z’s The Black who do not “dougie” into the Album or Kanye’s Late Reg- dustbin of pop music history. istration — subject matter So, Bruno, I beg you: be novel has changed, styles evolved. — surprise us just enough, The Beatles spent a decade exploit the joy in anticipation reinventing themselves — “I and we’ll see you next year at Want to Hold Your Hand” and the VMA’s.
www.miamistudent.net
TUESDAY, August 30, 2011
8
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Editor MEGAN MCGILL
ARTS@miamistudent.net
TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011
9
Year of the Arts: What does this mean? By Megan McGill Arts and Entertainment Editor
Sounds of the marching band practicing filter through dorm room windows, giant posters are parked outside the Campus Avenue Building and students hear about concerts and exhibits; but how much does the average student really know about the arts at Miami University? According to Rosalyn Benson, assistant dean of the School of Fine Arts, every year is a year of the arts for members of the School of Fine Arts (SFA). But 2011-2012, officially proclaimed “Year of the Arts” by President David Hodge, will make sure everyone knows it. According to Jeanne Harmeyer, marketing manager for Music and Theatre, James Lentini, dean of the School of Fine Arts, pitched the idea to President Hodge over the summer, and “Year of the Arts” was only made official about a month before classes started. “We quickly designed a logo
and started advertising,” Harmeyer said. Students arriving on campus for the start of school were greeted by yard signs bearing the colorful new logo posters containing verbs pertaining to the arts. “It is very important that those words on the poster are verbs,” Benson said. “Year
of the Arts is about celebrating the way artists do things and how they change lives. It’s about so much more than just performing and entertaining.” Lentini echoed Benson’s sentiment. “We want to provide that creative spark to all students,” he said. “Creative thinking sparks industry and
influences science. The arts educate students, influence people and have a big impact on everyone.” According to Harmeyer and Lentini, the School of Fine Arts will be teaming up with other schools in the university this year. The Year of the Arts is also about celebrating the large
presence the arts has had on Miami’s campus for many years. According to Lentini, President Alfred Upham established the School of Fine Arts in 1929, but the arts were a vital part of life on campus long before that. “With over 200 arts events a year, it can be easy for them to slide under the radar. Year
of the Arts is about celebrating that the arts are alive and well at Miami,” Lentini said. According to Lentini, President Hodge was thrilled about the idea of spotlighting the arts in a special way this school year. “This is a great year to celebrate because the Miami University Marching Band will be the only collegiate band appearing at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Phillips Art Center will be opening and we will be bringing back distinguished alums at the end of the year for a special event.” Lentini said. Aside from special events and intercollegiate partnerships, the university wants to hear specifically from students this year. Students can contribute stories of their personal encounters with art by sending an email to MyArtStory@muohio.edu. “Arts have a big impact on everyone,” Lentini said. “Everyone has an intimate relationship with the arts.”
Professor and students collaborate on School of Music “Collage Concert” alumnus enjoys national success By Christi Mueller
For the Miami Student
“Collage Concert: Dancing through Time and Space” was advertised as a collage of the arts including music, dance and graphic design. Violinist Harvey Thurmer, professor of music at Miami University, graphic designer Emily Wait, Miami student of Graphic Design and Violin Performance and dancer and choreographer Julie
ANDREW BRAY THE MIAMI STUDENT
Mulvihill collaborated to illustrate what they interpreted when they listened to particular pieces of music. While the performers admitted that what they see in the music isn’t what everyone might see, the performance usually fit quite nicely with the music. The dancer illustrated her reaction through movement and costume, while images were shown on the large screen behind the performers. The screen enhanced the experience with colors and sometimes shapes that alluded to the musically induced emotions the creators of the performance felt. Perhaps the most visually striking piece was “Starlight” from Night Time by Sebastian Currier. With only some dots on the screen depicting stars and lines, the music synced
up perfectly with the images being displayed to the audience. A single line coming in and out seemed to tangle up in the music. This portrayed the possibility of time travel and what that might look like to a creative mind. “Sleepless,” also from Night Time, pulled in the audience by presenting the story line. Thurmer played an intricate part in the story, playing off the dancer, adding something very interesting that none of the other pieces had: interaction. The two seemed interested in each other, but the dancer almost wanted to get away, while the violinist captured her and played her like a puppet through the music he was producing. Finally, the dancer gave in and became curious of the violinist, touching him in anticipation at the end of the song. Since this was the only piece that had any kind of interaction, it seemed the lone dancer could do no wrong. Most audience members appreciated the brevity of the show. In 35 minutes, the performance gave the audience a taste of modern art in both a relaxing and awe-striking way. Those who loved modernism were very interested in the movement of the dancer and the significance of the graphic design incorporated in the show. Those who only came to get a slip signed for class still walked away fulfilled by a beautiful evening of music.
The Help: Movie pales in comparison to book By Emily Wehmeier For The Miami Student
It is often said that the book is better than the movie and this remains true with The Help, a film based off Kathryn Stockett’s bestselling novel. The story follows two black maids, Aibleen and Minny, played by Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer respectively, as they help a white recent college graduate make it into the world of editing. The movie was a great disappointment to me since I had already read the book. During the entire film,
I felt that if people in the audience hadn’t read the novel, they would wonder why Celia Foote was played so quirkily. A two hour long movie can’t possibly hold what 500 and some odd pages of a novel can offer, but the film left out essential details. The film did not adequately portray how caring Aibleen is and how faithful she is to her job of raising the white girls and boys of Jackson, Mississippi. Interactions between Aibleen, Mae Mobley and her younger brother are so much more powerfully described
in the book, while the film only quickly showed Aibleen telling Mae Mobley that she is good, kind and smart. The book was set up in such a way that you heard from Aibleen, Skeeter and Minny’s point of views. Each character had a chapter where the reader could see into their feelings about getting caught writing something so daring for the time. Each character had something to lose, which isn’t so easy to pick up on in the movie. Skeeter’s relationship with
Stuart is glossed over in the movie, so audience members that hadn’t read the book didn’t understand that Stuart had actually proposed to Skeeter. Kathryn Stockett is a fabulous writer and the book was exceptional. Clearly others agree since it held the No. 1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller list for six weeks. The movie was a disappointment as it left out pivotal events in the book and did not delve into the emotions of the characters as readers of the book enjoyed.
By Daniel Hamlin Staff Writer
Miami University boasts a large number of famous alumni. Most students can rattle off a list that includes former President Benjamin Harrison, Super Bowl winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, hockey gold medalist Dan Boyle and politicians such as Paul Ryan and Steve Driehaus. There is one person who might be often overlooked, but should be included nonetheless. Enter Steven Reineke. Reineke boasts a resume of which most musicians can only dream. He is the current music director of the New York Pops and is also the principal pops conductor for the National Symphony Orchestra, Long
“He truly seemed excited throughout the whole performance and the excitement was contagious,” Pesarchik said. Reineke opened the concert with a set of music featuring the orchestra, including one of his original compositions “Celebration Fanfare.” After this set and a brief intermission, Reineke brought Menzel to the stage for a powerful second half that included many of the Broadway hits that made her famous. This list includes hits from Rent, Wicked, the television show Glee and more from her own album, I Stand. Reineke and Menzel interacted throughout the second half, and brought the near sold out crowd to their feet three times. The final time, after perhaps her most
He truly seemed excited throughout the whole performance and the excitement was contagious.” MOLLY PESARCHICK MIAMI SENIOR
Beach Symphony Orchestra and Modesto Symphony Orchestra. He is easily one of the most sought after pops directors nationally. Reineke graduated from Miami with degrees in Music Performance and Music Composition, and has not turned back since. In July, Reineke performed at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, with the world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra and Broadway powerhouse Idina Menzel. He was asked to open the Blossom Festival with this Opening Night Benefit Concert and did so with energy and passionate leadership. Based off student opinion, the concert was a wonderful success and Reineke can be given his share of credit. Senior Molly Pesarchick attended the concert at Blossom. “I loved the concert,” Pesarchick said. Pesarchick said Reineke brought a special energy to the performance.
famous song “Defying Gravity,” the crowd stood tall almost until the post concert fireworks took flight. Gary Speck, professor of music at Miami, arrived to Miami at the same time Reineke did. Speck and Reineke collaborated in the Miami University Wind Ensemble, where Speck directed and Reineke performed on trumpet. “It was pretty obvious from the start how much talent [Reineke] had,” Speck said. Speck is not surprised Reineke has been so successful. “He had the three necessary ingredients: talent, hard working and humility,” Speck said. “(He is) an excellent alumnus in every way.” Miami has the Cradle of Coaches, a former US President, a Super Bowl winning quarterback and a handful of politicians. Reineke, however, deserves his spot in the Miami alumni spotlight.
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SPORTS
Editor Michael Solomon
sports@miamistudent.net
TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011 JM RIEGER
NEXT GAME: 3:00 p.m. FRIDAY at MONMOUTH COLLEGE
doing it the right way
’Hawks fall against BigTen foes
the rieger report
“Nothing short of abysmal.” That was the language used by the NCAA to describe the Southern Methodist University (SMU) football program when they handed down the “death penalty” to the school in February 1987. This is the harshest penalty the NCAA can administer to an athletic program, which bans a school from competing in a sport for an entire year. Since then, the NCAA has yet to hand down the death penalty to another Division I athletic program, but that trend may end soon. Recent scandals around college football at powerhouses such as the Ohio State University, the University of Miami (Fl.), Louisiana State University (LSU), the University of Southern California and the University of North Carolina have made this one of the worst stretches, at least from a publicity standpoint, in college football history. Improper benefits and various other violations have seemingly become the standard in college football, and the increased media attention has turned college football into a pseudo-professional league. The creation of megaconferences and the desire to win at any cost has shifted the focus of college football away from the student-athlete and the academic side of collegiate athletes. Instead, it seems as if many schools are only focused on two things: the scoreboard and the Benjamins. Nowhere is this more evident than at Miami (FL.), where numerous current and former Hurricane football players have been implemented in an investigation involving a convicted ponzi schemer, Nevin Shapiro, who allegedly provided cash payments, prostitutes, abortions and gifts to 72 different players. In addition, there have been reports that various athletic and university personnel may have been complicit all along, which begs the question of where the
priorities of these coaches and university administrators lie. Clearly, the overwhelming majority of these people had no idea that any of these violations were occurring, but even if one university official had an iota of knowledge that any of the violations at any of these major schools were taking place, those schools need to reevaluate their athletic departments. Too much influence is placed nowadays on winning and on winning at any cost, and it hurts not only the athletes and the athletic programs, but also the game of college football. Many Miami University students are often frustrated that the RedHawks have yet to win a national title in any sport, and that many of our major sports such as football and basketball have struggled in the past and in some cases continue to struggle. But these students also ignore some of the underlying factors behind these struggles. Almost every powerhouse college football program spends millions upon millions of dollars on their head coach, while at the same time failing to spend even a million dollars on the president of the university. In many cases, these head coaches make as much as seven times what the university president makes. It makes you wonder where the priorities of these schools lie. Meanwhile, Miami does not even spend half a million on either President Hodge or on Head Football Coach Don Treadwell. At the same time, Miami consistently has one of the highest overall GPAs and graduation rates of any athletic program in the country. Is another “death penalty” needed to send a message to these schools about where they should be placing their priorities? Maybe, but what is for sure is that Miami will continue to be the model for how an athletic program should be run, and this alone should be enough to bolster student support and pride in Miami athletics.
SCOTT ALLISON THE MIAMI STUDENT
Junior Olivia Miller aims to make a play against Northwestern University Sunday as the Miami bench watches.
By Daniel Wheeler for the miami student
The Miami University Field Hockey team dropped the season’s first two games over the weekend, losing 3-0 and 4-0 to Indiana University and Northwestern University respectively. Sophomore goaltender Sarah Mueller made a strong showing in both efforts though, as she recorded a total of 14 saves. Mueller blocked seven of Northwestern’s shots Sunday in Oxford. Many of those shots came from inside of the circle, requiring an aggressive, pad-stacking display of athleticism. However, Northwestern forwards Regan Mooney and Megan Jamieson’s inbounding corner-shot plays proved to be the difference,
accounting for two timely second-half goals. Redhawk underclassmen Gabby Goldach and Kaitlin Evans stepped into critical offensive roles over the weekend to contribute five combined shots. Nonetheless, Miami certainly missed graduated forwards Mary Hull and Kate Snyder, who scored 35 percent of the team’s points in 2010. “The seniors who we lost were great players — core members of the team,” senior midfielder Amanda Seeley said. “They had the speed, the dedication and the motivational skills that brought our team together.” Seeley and other ’Hawk back/midfielders put on unrelenting pressure through
the neutral zone against the Wildcats. They provided for the forwards both offensive momentum with strong outlet passes along each sideline and encouragement after dispiriting collisions with the Northwestern defense. “[The 2012 class] has their personal goals and has experienced many different senior classes; we are all on the same page for setting the example of hard work, mental toughness and inner motivation,” Seeley said. “The team has started out this season with such positive bonding, and we are pretty relaxed. Each senior has their role on the team and have high hopes for each other member of the team to take care of business.” Of course, with every early season contest, Miami grows
farther from last season’s MidAmerican Conference (MAC) championship loss to Kent State University. Less than a year later, the 2011 roster searches for a former clarity and attempts to turn a possible title game hangover into the consistent motivation to reach 2010’s highly placed bar. “I think we have a lingering taste of a championship left in our mouths,” Seeley said. “Making it all the way is always in the back of our minds, but we are more focused on the journey and on cultivating a season this year that will make the next coming year that more lucrative.” The Red and White hit the road for a contest at 3 p.m. Sept. 2 against Monmouth College in West Long Branch, NJ.
RedHawks ready to run in 2011 By Josh North
For The Miami Student
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY MICHAEL PEARSON
Keeping that man in check Sophomore defensive back Dayonne Nunley watches for the ball as he keeps redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jake Wurzelbacher close by during football training camp.
Last season, the Miami University Cross Country teams had a great amount of success in both the men’s and women’s programs. This season, they will look to build on that success and push the program to new heights. The men are coming off of a second place finish in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) last season and look to have a very nice group returning this season. “We have finished in the top four the last 15 years,” Head Coach Warren Mandrell said. “We’re hoping to be thinking about winning the MAC championship when it’s all said and done.” Mandrell spoke very highly of junior frontrunners David Eikenberger and Jared Eick. Eichenberger, who placed fourth in the MAC championship meet last season in the 8k race, has a chance to make the National meet this season according to Mandrell. Miami has sent a member of the men’s team to the National meet in five of the last eight years. Mandrell also expects to
get numerous contributions from underclassmen. Sophomores David Wing and Matt Marol are expected to score for the team as well as Daniel Garleb, who red-shirted last season but ran distance track for the Red and White. Mandrell also believes he has a nice crop of freshmen coming in who could help contribute to the team. The women’s team, coached by Kelly Phillips, also is looking to continue to perform well despite the loss of many seniors including
are coming off second team All-MAC seasons and Bingham ranks fifth in school history in the 6k race with a time of 21:20. “This year is going to be an interesting but fun year,” Phillips said. “We are a really young team with 10 new freshmen and we’re pretty solid up front. Those freshmen look ready to run.” Jessica Hoover, a freshman from Hilliard Davidson High School near Columbus, Ohio, ran a sub-five minute mile in high school and is
We are a really young team with 10 new freshmen and we’re pretty solid up front. Those freshmen look ready to run.” Kelly phillips
CROSS COUNTRY COACH
national meet qualifier Rachel Patterson. However, the team still has plenty of senior leadership to look up to. Maggie Bingham, Jillian Dickman and Kelly Miller are all entering their senior seasons and look to lead an exciting young crop of RedHawks. Bingham and Miller
ready to step in right away. She has impressed coach Phillips with her workouts. Sophomore Kate Carter and freshmen Elisa Frazier and Alex Chitwood are also ready to step in right away. Both teams start the season this weekend at the Dayton Flyer 5k Challenge.