September 13, 2011 | The Miami Student

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

VOLUME 139 NO. 7

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

TODAY IN MIAMI HISTORY

In 1980, The Miami Student reported that seven Iranian students who were studying at Miami University had retained their student visas, despite the US government revoking visas as a result of the Iran hostage crisis. The report stated that the students were able to retain their visas because they had not yet completed their undergraduate degrees.

Butler County, Oxford unveil new alcohol enforcement protocols

ASC bids come in $8 million too high

By Lauren Ceronie

Campus Editor

LISA GEHRING THE MIAMI STUDENT

New protocols suggest that bars give patrons wristbands at the door and a stamp at the bar for those over 21.This is in an attempt to curb underage drinking in the uptown district.

By Sam Kay

Editor in Chief

Patrons of bars uptown this year may have been asked for identification more than they are used to. This is just part of a multi-faceted new alcohol enforcement policy being put in place by the Butler County Prosecutor and Oxford Police Department (OPD). The policy will affect everything from how bars are checked for compliance to an initiative to encourage students to call 911 if they or a friend are in danger of alcohol poisoning.

OPD Chief Steve Schwein said a change was needed to put a stop to Oxford’s “weekend problem.”

“During my 21 years as chief, we’ve been doing the same thing over and over, and it’s not effective as we would like,” Schwein said.

“We did enforcement, the bars did their thing, the prosecutor did their thing, kids did their thing and we all met in court.”

Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Gmoser has been working with Schwein since late spring to

MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO

formulate the new policy.

Gmoser said the volume of alcohol violations in Oxford has reached a critical mass.

“We’re dealing every weekend with alcohol abuses that end up in the hospital,” Gmoser said. “Alcohol can kill you. The chief doesn’t want to call parents and say ‘I’m at the hospital, and your son or daughter has just died of alcohol poisoning.’”

Some of the most noticeable changes will be taking

patrons’ identification at the door, giving them a wristband, and then again at the bar, giving them a stamp.

OPD will also now carry out compliance checks using a pair of uniformed officers instead of plainclothes officers. However, OPD will challenge bars by sending underage individuals to purchase alcohol. According to Schwein, the underagers will “look underage” and have identification verifying that

We did enforcement, the bars did their thing, the prosecutor did their thing, kids did their thing and we all met in court.”

STEVE SCHWEIN

CHIEF, OXFORD POLICE DEPARTMENT

place at bars. OPD met with bar owners of the summer to introduce a new set of protocols. While the protocols are voluntary, Schwein said most owners have been eager to cooperate with police in a way that helps business.

The new protocol states that bars should check

they are underage.

Most over 21 bars will not stamp at the bar but will continue to check identification at the door.

According to Schwein, the new measures will make enforcement easier for both

Alcohol, SEE PAGE 4

The first phase of construction for the new Armstrong Student Center (ASC) may be underway, but the cost of the project is still uncertain.

Construction bids for the ASC were nearly $8 million higher than Miami University originally estimated.

Miami, along with BHDP Architecture, a Cincinnati architecture firm, estimated the ASC would require a $50 million total budget with $31.8 million of that budget going to construction costs.

However, the lowest bid by any of the construction companies was $39.6 million, according to David Creamer, vice president of Finance and Business Services.

This poses a problem for the university since state rules do not allow the university to accept bids that are over 10 percent of the original estimate, according to Creamer. The bids,

made by multiple construction companies, were more than 25 percent over the original estimate.

“This certainly was a surprise to us,” Creamer said.

In spite of this, Miami will continue construction on the ASC as planned.

After receiving the much higher than expected bids, Miami examined what led to the variance in the cost estimates. The university discovered two problems in the original estimate. The first problem was a recent spike in the price of construction, according to Creamer.

“The construction environment has had a lot of pressure on it,” Creamer said.

The second problem was an increase in the price of materials, in particular the price of steel, used for the construction.

The project for renovations and improvements on the residence halls and dining halls will likely see a similar situation where the construction bid is much higher than

the original estimate, according to Creamer.

To continue construction on the ASC, Miami will pull funding from other areas of the budget to cover the cost gap. Over $2.3 million of the utility work that is scheduled for Rowan and Gaskill Halls will now be pulled from the Utility Enterprise budget, according to Creamer. The same amount will be taken from the Capital Renewal and Replacement funds.

The university plans to match the rest of the cost gap through fundraising. It hopes to obtain an additional $5 million in pledged gifts and $17 million in naming opportunities in the building.

Creamer presented the news about the construction bids to the University Senate Monday.

“Usually when I come here, it’s not the best of news and this time is consistent with that,”

ASC, SEE PAGE 3

Pi Beta Phi completes first rush after return from suspension

By Emily Glaser

For The Miami Student

After a year of suspension, Miami University’s chapter of Pi Beta Phi sorority is back on campus and recruiting.

The group’s fall rush resulted in 16 bids being awarded.

The sorority, which was suspended in the spring of 2010 for disorderly conduct, worked with the Cliff Alexander Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life to devise a recruitment plan.

“Miami University’s Greek Life notified Pi Beta Phi it would be allowed to participate in Continuous Open Bidding (COB), which allows the chapter, in this instance, to recruit upperclassman to be a part of Pi

Beta Phi,” said Alex Roark, Pi Beta Phi’s Leadership Development Consultant.

According to Roark, COB is a recruiting process frequently used by sororities when they are short of reaching a Panhellenic total.

The rush took place this past week; the official events began Sept. 5, according to Kayte Fry, associate director of the Cliff Alexander Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Leadership.

According to Roark, when the sorority was suspended, its current members were given Undergraduate Alumnae Status (UAS). Some of these women will rejoin the sorority, but many women will be new to Pi Beta Phi. The sorority will also

be allowed to participate in rush this spring, a more formal process that will include first-years.

“Essentially, since its just one chapter and since they were open recruiting with just their chapter, they can create their own events and own timeline, whereas spring rush is overseen by the Panhellenic Council and is more formal,” Fry said.

Pi Beta Phi’s national organization worked with the university to put new regulations for the chapter in place.

“The first piece of the plan includes adding fraternity officers to help guide the chapter, including local alumni

PI BETA PHI, SEE PAGE 3

Miami ranked as elite in commitment to teaching for third year running

By Sam Kay

Editor in Chief

Miami University has once again been recognized for outstanding commitment to teaching by U.S. News & World Report. The newly released 2012 rankings place Miami third in the nation for commitment to teaching, behind Dartmouth College and Princeton University.

“That’s pretty good company,” said Miami President David Hodge.

“It speaks volumes about the commitment Miami has to providing a great education to undergraduates.”

Miami has been ranked among the top schools for commitment to teaching for the past three years.

This year, only 12 schools were recognized for teaching.

However, Miami has dropped in

the rankings of national public universities, from 34th last year to 40th this year.

Among all national universities (public and private) Miami fell from 79th last year to 90th this year.

“Our overall ranking was dropped again, and I’m absolutely perplexed by that,” Hodge said. “If you look at our numbers, Miami has a great national reputation as a school that is committed to and advancing undergraduate education … we produce students who are very competitive when they graduate.”

U.S. News & World Report cited Miami’s living learning communities, the Howe Center for Writing Excellence and Senior Capstone experiences as “outstanding examples” that play a role in promoting student success.

ANDREW BRAY THE MIAMI STUDENT

THE SHOW GOES ON Josh Seboon (bass) and Joe Kenny (lead guitar) of the band The Oxidentals perform at StadiUm Bar and Grille Saturday night.

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CAMPUS

Editors Lauren Ceronie Jenni Wiener

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

campus@miamistudent.net

CNN correspondent reflects on 9/11

By Taylor Dolven Assistant Campus Editor

How did 9/11 change America’s place in the world? Peter Bergen spoke

BERGEN at Hall Auditorium Tuesday night to answer this question as part of Miami University’s Lecture Series.

Bergen’s involvement with 9/11 related topics spans all the way back to an interview he conducted in 1997 with then-Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. An audience member asked if he was scared during the interview.

“Not at all,” Bergen said, “Anyone in this room knows more about him now than I did at the time. He hadn’t done anything wrong yet when we met him.”

Al Qaeda chose to attack the media capital of the country and the attacks were amplified a million times over by media coverage, Bergen said.

Sept. 11, 2001 marked the first time the continental

US had been attacked since the British burned down the White House in the War of 1812, Bergen pointed out. He said the attacks in 2001 were a tactical success for Al Qaeda, but a strategic failure.

Tactically, the terrorists were more successful than they had thought possible, Bergen said. They didn’t plan on the buildings collapsing completely.

But strategically, on the other hand, they were not so successful.

“They didn’t expect that kind of reaction from the US,” he said. “Al Qaeda, which means ‘the base’ in Arabic, lost the best base it ever had.”

Miami senior Abbie Schwab was surprised by how uplifting the speech was.

“It was interesting how he put such a positive spin on it,” Schwab said. “I had never heard that before.”

Bergen was engaging and charismatic as he divulged descriptive details of his firsthand accounts of interactions with members of Al-Qaeda.

When an audience member’s phone rang, he even cracked a joke saying, “It’s Osama bin Laden, no need to answer.”

Bergen encouraged the audience to put things in perspective and not to live in fear of future terrorist attacks. He said that only 17 Americans

have been killed in terrorismrelated events on US soil in the past 10 years.

“If we continue to be fearful, we give Bin Laden the victory in death,” he said.

Al Qaeda is experiencing decaying popularity in the Middle East, Bergen said.

It is well understood in the Arab world that Al Qaeda is responsible for the majority of the violence.

“I’m not saying they’re completely out of business, but we can think about a postAl Qaeda world,” he said.

Bergen spoke of the differences between pre and post 9/11 America. He said there used to be 16 people on the no-fly list and today, there

are thousands. In his opinion, these security measures paired with public awareness and TSA restrictions make it nearly impossible for a tragedy of that magnitude to happen again.

Lecture Series member and Miami senior Kimberly Glennon thought Bergen’s speech was original and relevant.

“He brought a unique front-line perspective that not many people are familiar with as far as the War on Terror,” Glennon said.

The next Lecture Series event will feature 10-time Emmy winner Armen Keteyian to speak about ethics in sports reporting Monday, Oct. 24.

‘Niihka,’ meaning ‘friend’ in Myaamia, not so polite in Arabic

By Lauren Ceronie Campus Editor

Miami University’s new Niihka site has posed quite a few challenges for students and professors alike since its implementation. However, some professors are facing more challenges than others with Niihka. In particular, some professors are facing issues with the name of the site itself.

The name Niihka means

“friend” in the Myaamia language, but it can also be taken as an offensive phrase in Arabic. As a result, Arabic professors are calling Niihka “the system” instead of its proper name.

While this may seem like a huge gaffe on Miami’s part, Elizabeth Bergman, assistant professor of Arabic in the department of German, Russian and East Asian Languages said it’s not uncommon and not that

big a deal.

“It’s really difficult to have a word or phrase in one language that isn’t offensive in another language,” Bergman said.

The Arabic professors have warned students that the word Niihka can be offensive so those students know if they happen to study abroad in an Arabicspeaking country, according to Bergman.

“We take the language

and our teaching seriously,” Bergman said.

To demonstrate the commonality of a word that means nothing in one language meaning something unpleasant in another language, Bergman told the story of the Chevy Nova. In English, the name “nova” seems innocent, even pleasant.

“When you think of a nova you think of an exploding star that’s brilliant and

beautiful,” Bergman said.

However, in Spanish, the word doesn’t seem so brilliant and beautiful. Nova can be taken as “no va” which literally translates to “it doesn’t go” in Spanish.

Saeda Nader Abu-Attiyeh, visiting faculty in the Department of German, Russian and East Asian Languages, agreed with Bergman that the Niihka situation isn’t something to fuss over.

“I’m a native speaker and I don’t think this is that bad,” Abu-Attiyeh said.

Like Bergman, Abu-Attiyeh told a story to show how common this situation is.

“We had a meeting here in Irvin with professors from the department,” she said.

“We were all sitting and one professor said something in Hindi and a German professor was shocked. The word meant nothing in Hindi but something bad in German.”

Professors honored by peers with Distinguished Scholar Award

By Erica Griffith

For The Miami Student

This year’s recipients of Miami University’s Distinguished Scholar Award are professors Ann Hagerman, biochemistry, and Sheila Croucher, American studies. Recommendations were submitted by colleagues and looked at by the Committee on Faculty Research.

Ann hagerman Ann Hagerman, surprised by the achievement, was honored and “pleased that other people have recognized what I’ve done.”

She said she didn’t apply for the award, but put together a comprehensive packet two years ago, thinking, “Well, that went into a

black hole.”

However, her accomplishments were recognized this year as she is awarded a $2,000 grant for furthering her investigations. Because of her consistent and active research since 1982, Hagerman’s productivity stands out. She admitted there were many obstacles along the way making it easy to lose enthusiasm, but her resilience in research prevailed.

Hagerman’s well-known work in tannin chemistry includes trying to combine detailed chemical information with compounds in the natural world. Currently, her work involves all the different levels included in how compounds impact biology. She describes how some people study specific aspects of

chemistry, “but mine affect many different systems.”

Her studies include “lots of different facets of the same question.”

In the future, Hagerman hopes to be an editor of scientific writings. She explained that there is a constant need for people interested in communicating technical knowledge to a technical audience, rather than communicating to the general public.

“I hope to finish out my career feeling like I continued to be active in my research and mentoring my students,” Hagerman said.

She places a huge emphasis on the importance of students learning to carry out their own research. She describes Miami as “a place where you can do that” because of all the unique

features and disciplines the school has to offer.

Sheila Croucher Sheila Croucher, author of three books and a variety of other articles, was “pleasantly surprised” by her nomination.

She said she felt “very honored” to receive the award and was grateful that the community appreciated the interdisciplinary nature of the work she has been doing. She believes she was chosen for the award because her creative work “in some ways falls through the cracks.”

A question she often explores is “What does it mean to belong?” Questions of identity and belonging fascinate her

and she investigates how these concepts cut across disciplinary boundaries.

Topics that reverse conventional assumptions are Croucher’s specialty. For example, on a trip to central Mexico in the summer of 2006, she came across an American settlement and instantly became fascinated by this seemingly turnaround notion.

She addresses this trend in her book, The Other Side of the Fence: American Migrants in Mexico (2009).

This occurrence is not happening solely in Mexico, which merely seems like the tip of an iceberg.

This instance seems like the tip of an iceberg because it is not solely happening in Mexico. According to Croucher, this could even be an increasing trend in

Mexico and in other places.

Never bored with her work, Croucher expresses how scholarship is an important part of what Miami professors do. In her own words, she describes a big theme at Miami: “scholarship and teaching to inspire students.” She said she receives immediate gratification from teaching.

But with scholarship and research, she echoes Hagerman in saying “it’s a lonely endeavor at times.”

There is often lag time between the initial work and end results, which can be frustrating intellectually.

However, the hard work is always worth it in the end.

Croucher said she acknowledges that it is “nice to have your peers recognize and appreciate that work that we all do.”

Alumnus shows success can New student ID cards omit be achieved with any degree personal information

By Chelsea Davis

For The Miami Student

Though many often link success at Miami University to The Farmer School

Sokol

of Business, when discussing Miami graduates, that is not always the case. On Thursday, Andrew Sokol, a 1984 graduate, will tell faculty and students how he made millions with a B.S. in chemistry.

Sokol has had a number of interesting, exciting and important jobs, ranging

from consulting at J. Norman Stark Co., L.PA., in Cleveland to working for the United States Naval Air Warfare Office. His latest venture began in 2004 and is part of the reason Sokol will be speaking at Miami.

He is now the Founder and Managing Partner of Protech Polymer Products, Ltd. in Cleveland.

Protech’s purpose is to develop, manufacture, market and distribute the PRESTO! ™ brand of products, which Sokol created. These products are the first UV (Sun) cured products available to the retail market. Some of these products include the Fix-It Pro Pen, designed to repair scratches, and the One-Time™ Deck Sealer.

“He’s an example of a [chemistry] geek, who made an important discovery and went on to make it big,” Christopher Markaroff,

the chair of the chemistry department, said.

According to Makaroff, Sokol believes his time at Miami and his degree from the university helped him get to where he is today.

“We invited him back to show how you can combine a degree in science with the business world,” Makaroff said. “We want students to see all the different types of careers you can have with a chemistry degree.”

Sokol will hold two different presentations on Thursday for the chemistry department. The first presentation will be 4:10 p.m. in 100 Hughes Laboratories and is titled “Radical Concepts in UV Photopolymer Technology.” The second is in the same room, at 6 p.m.

There, Sokol will present

SOKOL, SEE PAGE 3

By Samantha Callender Staff Writer

This year, Miami University students were welcomed back to their new residence hall with new university issued identification cards but one vital and seemingly crucial piece of information is omitted from these new ID cards: student’s birthdates.

Aside from a smart-chip upgrade and an aerial view of MacCracken Hall on the front, the ID cards have much of the same information on them as in previous years — student’s name and (to many students’ disappointment and embarrassment) picture from their first year. The removal of the birthdates from the new ID card has raised a lot of question and concern from students all across campus.

John McCandless, Chief of the Miami University Police Department, and also a member of the committee that mapped out the ideals of the new ID cards, said that when considering what information to put onto the cards, safety was a large issue that was taken into consideration.

“We wanted to err on the side of caution for the students,” McCandless said.

“With the new [ID] cards being able to do much more, we wanted to reduce the possibility of further compromising safety, should the student lose their card.”

Although the omission of the birthdates on the cards wasn’t a unanimous decision made by the committee, it was the closest they could get to a general consensus on how to strengthen student security.

“Putting a birth date

would make it that much easier for identity theft to happen,” McCandless said.

“Not only would the thief have access to their room and abuse of student card privileges, the window for abuse and theft of personal information would be much greater.”

Some students find the omission of the birth date to be a hassle, especially when it comes to affairs at bars and clubs uptown.

Many of these establishments require a Miami University ID with a birth date in order to get in.

A representative from Brick Street Bar & Grill Restaurant said that students should bring one government issued form of identification (driver license, state ID), along

ID Cards, SEE PAGE 3

www.miamistudent.net

PI BETA PHI, FROM PAGE 1

advisors, a full-time Resident Leadership Development Consultant and a Chapter Assistance Officer who are already in place,” Roark said.

The women in the chapter will also have to continue their risk management education and have clearly defined member expectations.

Grand President of Pi Beta Phi, Mary Loy Tatum, expressed excitement in

ASC,

FROM PAGE 1 Creamer joked at the beginning of his presentation.

The faculty in the senate chuckled at Creamer’s joke, but followed up with very pointed questions about the potential cost increases for the ASC. Most of the questions focused on where the original cost estimate for the ASC went wrong.

“Looking back is there any internal control that you need to change in your department?” asked James Kiper, chair and professor in the department of computer science and software engineering.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

3

they have a fall rush so they can have more members before we do spring rush.”

According to Roark, there was no specific quota they were allowed to reach in the open bidding process, as there is with spring rush.

Roark said Pi Beta Phi awarded 16 bids during this informal fall rush.

the recognition and recruitment of the chapter and emphasized expectations for the women.

“We have created a plan, which includes several added layers of support, in order to change the culture of the chapter and to ensure it models Pi Beta Phi and Miami University values,” Tatum said.

Junior Megan Esper, a member of Alpha Delta Pi, is not opposed to Pi Phi getting two rushes.

“I’m happy for them,” Esper said. “It’s good that

Jenny Levering, director of student affairs in the Cliff Alexander Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life did not comment by print time.

Creamer, along with Robert Keller, the university architect, said the cost gap came from unforeseeable events, not from any mistake by BHDP Architecture.

“We’ve had a very good track record for quite a while,” Keller said. “This occurred strictly from market volatility.”

The university often works with outside architecture firms and engineers and very seldom has issues with estimate and bid differences, Keller said.

This is another chapter in the long saga of the ASC. Funding for the ASC was hotly debated among Miami

students and Associated Student Government members when the new student center was originally planned. The ASC was originally slated for completion by 2013, but budget constraints and feasibility issues have pushed the completion date to January 2014.

The Board of Trustees will have to approve the changes to the budget before the university can start pulling funds from the Utility Enterprise Budget and the Capital Renewal and Replacement Funds budget.

The Board of Trustees will meet 9 a.m. Friday in the Multipurpose Room of the Shriver Center.

THOMAS CALDWELL THE MIAMI STUDENT

OFF TO THE RACES

Drkvers take their positions at the starting line for the championship lap of the 12th Annual Miami University Grand Prix sponsored by Miami Entertainment Saturday afternoon.. Navy ROTC won the race.

ID CARDS, FROM PAGE 2

with their Miami ID. “I’ve never personally experience a problem getting into a club without my ID, but I just don’t understand why they don’t have a birth date,” said sophomore Kerry Dever.

“Normally, when places ask for two pieces of identification, I use my license

SOKOL,

FROM PAGE 2

EASY SUDOKU

“Chemistry: Multipath Career Opportunities (Or, How My Degree Changed the World & Made Millions).”

Sokol will also be meeting with Jeff June’s entrepreneurship class at 11:15 a.m. in 2040 FSB. “This sounds like a really interesting talk – well both of them do,” said junior Katie Graham. “I wish that I could go, but I’m not a [chemistry] major or in June’s class.

It’d be cool if they opened it up to everyone. Anybody could benefit from a talk like that.”

One hope is to have Sokol come back to Miami and give more presentations, according to Makaroff.

“He’s a pretty dynamic

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HARD SUDOKU

and school ID. I can’t do that anymore which is kind of annoying.”

When told that some students aren’t partial to the omission of the birth date, McCandless said that Housing, Dining and Guest Services (which handles the affairs related to the identification cards), will take student opinions into consideration.

“The committee meets every so often, and student

concerns are brought up concurring the new card system in all aspects. Birth date omission is something they would take into consideration when discussing all aspects of the cards and student concerns with them,” McCandless said.

“It’s still in transition. So far, reviews have been good. But if improvements or changes need to made, the committee will bring these suggestions up.”

speaker,” Makaroff said.

All three presentations promise to be lively and informative.

According to Sokol, he is not one for boring meetings; he is a strong supporter of high impact presentations.

“I can’t stand boring lectures,” Sokol said. “God knows I’ve sat through enough of them. I like to jazz it up a bit. This isn’t church – I won’t be at the podium.”

The idea of performing for an audience doesn’t phase Sokol at all. He is a fourth degree black belt in Tae Kwan Do, founder of Miami University’s Korean Martial Arts Society and also a theatrical fight coordinator for short and feature length films.

“I’m a recognized stunt coordinator for Hollywood, but I don’t have to carry around a SAG (Screen Ac-

tors Guild) card,” Sokol said. “I do it because it’s fun and you get to meet some really nice people.”

Wowing the crowd isn’t the only thing Sokol is focused on, however. The content of the presentations is very important to him, as well.

“When I walked out of college, I expected a job to be waiting for me,” Sokol said. “But you have to make those doors open for you. I want [the students] to learn from my mistakes.”

Expect to see many demonstrations, hear a few jokes and watch him dazzle the crowd with tales from his fascinating life.

“He’s actually a fourth degree black belt … and he’s done work for the government in Russia,” Makaroff said. “He’s got a very colorful history.”

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COMMUNITY

Justin Reash Sarah Sidlow

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

Community Editor

COMMUNITY@miamistudent.net

POLICE

BEAT Hundreds riot on High Street Dancing leads to police investigation A female Miami University student reported a sexual assault to Oxford Police at 2 a.m. Friday. The victim told police she was dancing with a guy at The Woods Food and Spirits where he repeatedly tried feeling under her dress. She thought the male was feeling on the outside of her underwear and felt his penis against her, but was not sure if it was exposed or underneath his clothing, reports said.

The suspect is unknown.

By Amelia Carpenter Online Staff

A disturbance involving hundreds of people broke out on High Street early Sunday morning. It was about the time the bars closed when several groups of people were fighting in a street crowd outside Brick Street Bar and Grill and 45 East. Officers tried to stop the fighting while onlookers watched. Oxford Police Department (OPD) Patrol Sgt. Jon Varley said

officers were not able to file reports because the suspects got away.

“We were really short staffed Saturday night. The officers were outnumbered to the point where there wasn’t a whole lot they were able to do to get it controlled short of basically pepper spraying the whole crowd,” Varley said.

“If it would’ve gone on much longer, it’s probably what it would’ve come down to.”

The unrest lasted about a half hour, Varley said. He said OPD knows one group

involved in the fights is from Cincinnati and another may have been a group of Miami University students. No injuries or victims have been reported.

Junior Alexandria Webb, who was uptown at the time of the incident, said she was shocked by what she saw.

“Nothing like this ever happens in Oxford, so I just wanted to get out of there,” Webb said.

People were standing on cars and police responded by pushing back the crowds with

sticks, according to Webb.

The ruckus, which lasted approximately 20 minutes, began suddenly and escalated quickly.

“All of a sudden people started shouting ‘riot, riot,’ and sprinting to the area in front of Brick Street,” Webb said. “I kept thinking, ‘where are we right now?’”

So many people were in the street that cars and buses were unable to get through.

Several buses were forced to temporarily divert their routes around High Street.

Junior Alicia Starc was uptown at the beginning of the riot.

“We turned around and there were guys in the street fighting,” Starc said. “Cops surrounded them and people just flooded into the street.

People were just pushing and shoving in front of Brick.”

Traffic was blocked around Brick Street due to police cars that had pulled into the street.

Additional reporting by Sam Kay, Editor in Chief.

Drunk male uses female ID Police found Miami University senior Hubbell Smith, 19, passed out in the fetal position on Withrow Street around 4 a.m. Saturday. Smith woke up after multiple attempts and said he could stand, but was unable to when he tried, police reports said. Police were asking Smith questions, which he responded, “yes,” to everything. Smith gave the officer his phone and a fake Pennsylvania driver’s license that came up as a female’s in the system. The officer asked Smith if he was drinking liquor or beer and Smith responded first that he was drinking liquor, but then paused and said “beer.” Smith was cited for a fake ID, underage drinking and disorderly conduct and taken to McCullough Hyde Memorial Hospital.

Student slams door on officer At 3 a.m. Sunday, police were drawn to loud music and two males fighting on the second floor of Bella Place Apartments.

The males went inside and slammed the door on the officer twice before he entered the apartment. Sophomore Jacob Pierron was sitting on the couch when the officer came inside and asked him to turn the music down, police reports said. The officer then started questioning Pierron who slammed and locked the door on the officer. Police saw the males walking around inside and spraying air freshener, ignoring the officer’s requests to enter. The males’ roommate came home and let the officer inside and continued upstairs to two bedrooms, one of which smelled like weed, the other with the door closed and the males inside. Pierron came out of the room eventually and had a fake identification and a prescription bottle of Vyvanse, an adderall-like drug. Pierron could not prove he had a prescription for the drug at the time and was cited for obstructing official business, underage drinking and having a fake identification before being transported to Butler County Jail.

TMS www.miamistudent.net

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ALLISON BACKOVSKI THE MIAMI STUDENT

Old time rock ‘n’ roll Destination Earth channels their inner KISS to perform in Uptown Park Saturday.

City Council proposal would revive red brick roads

By Jessica Barga

For The Miami Student

It’s doubtful that most students stop every day to think about some of the basic aspects of Oxford, such as roads and water systems, that are used constantly. Yet without these essentials, everyday functions would come to a grinding halt.

The city of Oxford maintains all of these systems and more.

Of course, this requires planning and a budget, and that is exactly what the Oxford City Council is preparing to begin next year. Parts

ALCOHOL, FROM PAGE 1

bars and the police.

“We now feel we have the cooperation of the establishments,” Schwein said. “We want to end any kind of cat and mouse mentality … this is a team effort to make it safer in town.”

Junior Leslie Jaeck says she noticed the increased enforcement at Brick Street Bar and Grill, but doesn’t mind getting stamped although she is 21.

“I don’t find it annoying,” Jaeck said.

Jaeck said uniformed officers performing compliance checks would also be a good deterrent to underage drinking. However, Jaeck is opposed to the increased enforcement at private parties.

“They shouldn’t be busting into house parties,” Jaeck said.

Significant changes are also occurring with enforcement at private parties.

“We will be very staunch in our enforcement of parties,” Schwein said. “Patrols will diligently watch for pre-gaming.”

Enforcement measures will include sending underage individuals into parties to see if the hosts serve them.

of the plan span five years until 2016. A total of $6.2 million is being proposed by the Oxford City Council for capital improvements for the city. The tentative plans will be finalized in October and are slated for approval in November, according to Doug Elliott, Oxford City Manager.

“We want to maintain the infrastructure that we have,” Elliott said. “[We have a] lean, yet responsible list of capital improvements …we [also] want to get back to addressing the resurfacing of the streets.”

Indeed, street repairs

rank at the top of the list of projects for the proposed capital improvement fund, with $300,000 being allocated to street resurfacing.

“We had skipped a year [of resurfacing],” Elliott said.

Another $253,000 will go toward repairing a segment of the brick street surface uptown on Main and Poplar streets, according to Elliott.

“Some sections [have been done] already; you can tell the difference when you drive over them,” Elliott said. The rest of the brick segments are soon to

be refinished as well.

Also, to augment basic street repairs, an additional $20,000 will be proposed toward making sidewalk, curb and gutter improvements.

“Along with the rebuilding of High Street, we’re also going to put in a new water main,” said Joe Newlin, finance director for the city of Oxford.

This will be done as High Street itself is repaired. The water main running under US Route 27 will also be renovated. In addition, the sewer fund will allocate $2.4 million, some of

which will go toward making upgrades to the returnactivated sludge pumping station (RAS) for Oxford.

The fund would also propose $420,000 for improvements to the parking garage located uptown.

As for the acquisition of any new office spaces for the city of Oxford, Newlin said, “There was a study done on the old high school to see if it would meet any needs in the future.”

The proposal is slated for approval in November. If approved, the plans will take effect beginning in 2012.

Officers will also use “litter, noise and open containers … to investigate and shut down parties where overconsumption and underage consumption is evident,” according to OPD’s new procedural order.

OPD will also send a letter to the landlord of residences where parties take place.

Both Gmoser and Schwein said student safety is at the heart of the new policy.

“This comes from our hearts,” Schwein said.

“We want these kids to graduate safely.”

As such, it is now official OPD policy not to issue citations for consumption in the event that somebody calls an ambulance for their drunk friend.

“If you call 911 because your roommate is drunk, don’t be afraid of getting cited or getting your roommate cited, just don’t leave somebody passed out.”

Schwein said.

OPD’s procedural order states, “citations will generally not be issued on these types of calls. No one should be afraid to call the police or ask for medical help.”

In a letter to students, Mark Weisman, owner of 45 East, Brick Street Bar and Grill and Will’s Pizza,

said he urged OPD to adopt the policy.

“I argued on behalf of the students that no student should be conflicted about calling an ambulance for fear of everyone getting in trouble,” Weisman wrote.

“Your actions might mean the difference between life and death, so please get an ambulance and play if safe!”

Vice President of Student Affairs Barbara Jones said a similar policy is in the pipeline to be enacted on campus in about a month. The “friendly referral” policy was inspired by a trip in late July to the University of Illinois. The delegation included various administrators as well as three OPD officers.

Since the trip, “we’ve worked more closely with OPD,” Jones said.

More alcohol enforcement changes may eventually be coming to campus.

Currently, OPD and MUPD carry our separate programs for alcohol education.

OPD’s alcohol diversion program consists of a class, community service and a fine, which goes to a police fund.

Gmoser says his office will be taking charge of the diversion program and

administering a county-wide alcohol diversion program.

There is currently no firm timeline for the establishment of the county-wide program, which would apply to Miami University, Gmoser said.

Once the program is under control of the prosecutor’s office, it will undergo some changes. “[The program] is not going to be a bite out of the apple,” Gmoser said.

“We’re trying to make the apple more sour. We don’t want this to seem like an easy out.”

It is important to make the program county wide so that it is available to residents of all socioeconomic backgrounds, not just students, according to Gmoser.

Expanding the diversion program will also allow more “youthful offenders” to avoid a smudge on their permanent record.

“Youthful offenders, however irresponsible, still have some growing up to do, and perhaps they should have that one chance when so much is at stake,” Gmoser said. “I don’t want to be the instrument to ruin the lives of youthful offenders.”

The underlying philosophy behind Gmoser’s alcohol enforcement is

simple: individuals under the age of 21 should not drink alcohol.

“There is no such thing as ‘drinking responsibly’ if you are under the age of 21,” Gmoser said. “It is illegal, irresponsible and a lack of good judgment to drink alcohol if you’re not 21. Unfortunately, there’s a mentality of ‘it’s not going to happen to me.’”

To that end, Gmoser says programs like AlcoholEdu have been ineffective.

“It hasn’t worked,” Gmoser said. “Let’s face it, it becomes like junk mail. [The university] means well, they can say ‘we tried.’ I’m going to be man enough to say if something I’m doing isn’t working.”

Jones said Miami has seen some positive results from AlcoholEdu, but that the program must be part of a comprehensive enforcement effort.

“Our statistics show us two things,” Jones said.

“Students learn more about what constitutes risky behavior, and we have seen a decrease in high risk behavior. AlcoholEdu by itself is not going to change a culture. It has to be part of a larger program of awareness and enforcement.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Editor MEGAN MCGILL

ARTS@miamistudent.net

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

Student produces US film premiere

Live performance of classical music is alive and affordable

By Dan Hamlin Staff Writer

Contributed by Jon Kovach THE MIAMI STUDENT

By Ali Clymer

For The Miami Student

Everyone knows, or perhaps has been, “that” kid in high school: the one who everyone seems to agree is worth Nothing, the one never doing the bullying but always being bullied. Everyone can say that it is sad, but the mixed media production entitled Nothing shows us that it is so much more than that. The film cries out that we are all, in fact, people, and that everyone deserves love and respect.

Born in Belgium in as a novel by Nic Balthazar, Nothing is inspirational. “[The story tells people to] put themselves in other people’s shoes before they judge them [and just] be respectful,” Co-Producer and Director of Photography Zach Cieslak said.

Nothing was soon turned into a mixed media production, which then led to a film.

The producer of the US premiere in Oxford, Ohio, Jon Kovach, stumbled across the foreign film and fell in love with it. After some research, Kovach came across

the script of the mixed media production and decided to contact Balthazar in order to bring his touching message to America.

“His excitement and his passion was the key to making all of this work and he has been more than helpful,” Kovach said.

Nothing stars Ben, a teenage boy with Asperger’s syndrome, a type of autism, who tells a relatable story of high school struggles and people banding together to soar over seemingly indestructible obstacles. It touches the hearts and enlightens the minds of all who come into contact with the compelling and complex story and its characters.

The production is part theater, part film, mimicking Balthazar’s European production that has now reached Germany, France and Australia.

“This is our first time doing anything like this,” Kovach said about bringing Balthazar’s project to the states.

Kovach could not express enough the importance of the author, Nic Balthazar, and his message in this whole experience.

Miami University students can be excited to support their

own in a completely untapped and unexamined part of the entertainment industry.

Although some casting for the production has already taken place, the crew is still looking for other Miami students to get involved in the project. Open positions include producers, additions to the marketing team, operators, extras and designers of lighting and sounds.

This is the first time we’ve done anything like this” JON KOVACH

SENIOR

To contact the team you can email them at unityproductions.ohio@gmail.com or if you would like to investigate more on your own you can visit their website at www.unityproductionsohio.weebly.com.

The project is only about 25 percent finished at the moment, according to Kovach, but previews are expected this semester with the hope of a full release on Miami’s campus in January 2013.

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There is a skit somewhere on the Internet that pokes a little bit of fun at the music revolution. An elderly woman speaks to a younger child, presumably a grandchild, and heads to the radio to turn on classical music. She says something along the lines of “Here Johnny, let’s listen to some Eminem.”

It might be comical at first, but dig deeper. Could the likes of composer masterminds such as Bach, Beethoven and Mozart really be in danger?

Common sense says there is no way these figures could ever be lost, but this question is something to think about.

David Sheldrick, the assistant director for audience development and artist services for the Performing Arts Series at Miami University said “The Classical industry is in a small decline. Funding from states is down and the audience is getting smaller.”

When asked about the Performing Arts Series in particular, Sheldrick commented attendance is “holding steady.”

Many significant classical orchestras across the United States are facing growing debt and shrinking audiences. The Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, a longtime member of the great United States “Big Five,” headed to bankruptcy court in April.

In addition, a number of smaller orchestras such as Honolulu, Seattle and the Florida Philharmonic are facing bankruptcy or devastating budget cuts.

Perhaps the biggest reason for this is a shallow turnout at programs.

The decline in popularity could be directly linked to the increasingly elderly age of the majority of the

audience of classical music.

The current generation is not spending as much time at the performance halls.

To fight this issue head on, The Cleveland Orchestra promoted an “Under 18 Free” program this past summer at Blossom Music Center. This flagship idea is simple: if you are under 18 years of age, your ticket is free. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) offers another special for the younger generation.

The “Ignite” program targets audience members aged 18 to 30 and gives a special discounted ticket of $12 to see any Orchestra Concert.

The CSO also offers a special college night, at which $12 gets a ticket to the concert and access to a special afterparty with free food, prizes and a chance to meet the musicians and conductor.

Another association tackling this issue is Enjoy The Arts. Membership for men and women under the age of 35 is a mere $35 dollars.

With this membership, a voucher for free or significantly discounted tickets are granted to over 25 Cincinnati arts organizations including the CSO, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Ballet and numerous art museums. isit Enjoy The Arts website at https://enjoythearts.org/.

According to Sheridan Monroe, the president of Miami’s chapter of the National Association for Music Education said, “Orchestras are targeting the younger generation by appealing to newer and more popular forms of music.”

These might include movie soundtracks, pop songs and other creative elements including visuals. Looking at the upcoming CSO schedule, a wide variety of guest performers, conductors, and a good balance between well

known classical music mixed with lesser known pieces offers audience members a vast array of options.

“Classical music has not changed much throughout the years, but society and technology have changed a lot. Major orchestras are trying to invent new ways to attract audiences,” Ricardo Averbach, Miami University Symphony Orchestra direcior, said “There is a boom of opera performances that are now broadcast live and presented in commercial movie theatres all over the world.”

This year, the Metropolitan Opera from New York City will be airing live performances across the United States of famous operas including Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Verdi’s La Traviata.

The success of this program has been quite profound, and is now spreading to other areas including concert music.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic, under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel, has begun to air concerts locally in the hopes of gaining a wider audience and more revenue.

“Youth orchestras are creating a new meaning for classical music,” Averbach said.

The Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, directed by Dudamel, is perhaps the most well known in the country.

Locally, the CSO offers a youth orchestra that meets weekly, as does the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra.

“Everyone in this business needs to do their part,” Averbach said.

Music is an important outlet for creativity and offers numerous benefits to those that perform and listen to it.

Take some time to embrace the genius of composers and simply soak in the melody, rhythm and harmony.

Metal artists wage “Sonic War” on the greater Cincinnati area

By Claire Krieger For The Miami Student

“Waging War on Sonic Mediocrity.” This quote can be found on the bio page of Schallkrieg, a Cincinnati area metal rock group. I was able to sit down with the two founding members of Schallkrieg, Kevin Brown (vocals) and Kenney Knipe (lead guitar).

When asked how they would describe their sound to someone who has never heard them, the members said that they consider themselves progressive metal and that their sound is comparable to the band Rush, only with heavier guitars.

Schallkrieg’s origins were a pretty wonderful coincidence.

Kenney Knipe was a Miami University student looking to start a metal band.

Unfortunately, he did not know of any musicians in the area with the same aspiration.

He decided to put an ad on Craig’s List stating what he was looking for and some of his musical influences. Kevin Brown read the article and cited practically the same bands as his influences, so he decided to email Knipe.

The two were both Miami students at the time and thus the band was formed. Most of the other members of the band were also found in unconventional ways. While bassist/vocalist Andrew Ris is Brown’s high school friend, Brown and Knipe found rhythm guitarist Tyson Hammock on

Myspace and drummer Kent Morales on a website called Bandmix. Coincidentally, all members of the band already resided in the Cincinnati area.

The band members have more in common than geographic location; they share many of the same musical influences.

“I think for all of us, every single person in the band, it starts with Dream Theater,” Brown said. “I mean we all listened to Dream Theater and went ‘Wow that’s really cool, I want to do that.’ That’s pretty much the story for every single person in this band.”

Some of the other influences Brown cites are Symphony X and Protest the Hero.

Schallkrieg was formed with a mission to create intelligent music.

Brown said, “We’re not in it to become rock stars, to become super rich, or to get girls. We’re in it to make music with integrity, and to show other musicians that you don’t have to sell out your potential to make music that people want to listen to.”

The name Schallkrieg is a German word that means sonic war; the members chose it because they felt it was a one word statement completely defining who they are.

On Miami’s campus, Schallkrieg has a small following of devoted fans who are always encouraging others to attend the band’s shows. Schallkrieg has played shows on Shriver’s back

Contributed by Kevin Brown THE MIAMI STUDENT

Schallkrieg will be performing at Radiodown in Covington. From left, Kent Morales,Tyson Hammock, Kevin Brown, Kenney Knipe, and Andrew Ris comprise the band. patio and even performed in a composition recital at Souers Recital Hall in the Center for Performing Arts.

Brown explained that most of their Miami-based fans are not typically fans of metal.

“Most of our fans from [Miami] aren’t [metal heads], they’re musicians, they understand music and they listen to the music as opposed to the genre,” Brown said.

One of Schallkrieg’s Miami fans is senior Leah Logan.

“As far as Schallkrieg goes, I listen to quite a few metal

bands and I haven’t heard anything like them,” Logan said. “Not only do they have the heavy metal aspect, but Kevin plays the keyboard and uses clean vocals. That gives them not only the acoustic aspect but also a progressive aspect. I would definitely recommend checking them out even if you don’t really listen to metal.”

Along with playing gigs around Miami’s campus, recently Schallkrieg has been playing a lot of shows in the Cincinnati area. They hope

to continue this trend and eventually begin playing shows in Columbus and other bigger cities.

Schallkrieg has also played some national shows, opening up for major acts like Darkest Hour, Born of Osiris, The Human Abstract and As Blood Runs Black. There are currently some good prospects for them to play national shows like these again.

They are also currently working on their first full album — they released a demo in 2009. They hope to make a

video for the first single from the album, “Duck Tales” in the near future and hope to release the album within the next few months.

If you are interested in seeing Schallkrieg in action, you can catch them at Radiodown in Covington, Kent., opening for Winterhymn on Saturday, Oct. 8.

In the meantime, more information can be found on their website www.schallkrieg. com or their Facebook page www.facebook.com/ schallkrieg.

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OPINION

Editors Noëlle Bernard Thomasina Johnson

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

editorial@miamistudent.net

EDITORIAL

Alcohol policy needs more opinions from the university

PATRICK GEYSER THE MIAMI STUDENT

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Community must blame attacker, not rape victim I find myself once again writing about rape, and rape apologia on this campus.

Last semester, I wrote about a poster board in a dorm, which implied that women are in part responsible for their sexual assault, by framing a set of self-protection techniques as “prevention.”

I briefly explored the deeply problematic connotations of the board, the consequence implicit in it, that if one is raped, one has failed to “prevent” it, by not taking the necessary precautions and is therefore somehow complicit in their own assault. I tried to convey how monumentally wrong such an attitude was. And now, I find myself once again compelled to assert this idea.

I have heard, in the past week, a heaping pile of victim blaming, sometimes even with the pre-amble “we should never blame the victim but …” I must reiterate to the people who are a part of this community, THERE IS NO “BUT.” Discussions of what an assault victim was wearing, doing, drinking, etc., are completely irrelevant to a discussion

about a violent assault, unless however, you are interested in deciding how the victim is to blame.

At the basis of such rhetoric surrounding rape and sexual assault, is of course, the assumption that women’s bodies are public property, that unless each woman takes excessive, life-invading precaution, her body is for the taking.

There can be no other implication in a discussion about whether or not a woman “tried hard enough” to avoid assault.

While I hesitate to liken something as benign as a robbery to the vicious and violent crime of sexual assault, I ask you, on what planet would a discussion of “why that guy was walking alone at night” make it into a courtroom defense of an armed robbery? We know that robbery is wrong, plain and simple. Why are we in this community incapable of affording the same basic moral principle to a victim of such a personal, vicious and violent attack? Why do we fail, so consistently, to make the discussion about

the attacker? We would all do well to remember this; nothing causes a person to be raped but the horrific luck of being near a rapist who wants to rape her.

Women (and men) have been raped in skirts and in sweatpants, in their homes and in the homes of trusted friends. They have been raped while completely sober, and completely drunk.

Nothing a person does prevents rape, besides the impossible task of “always avoiding a rapist.”

And like I said before, they don’texactlywearneonsigns.

So in the future, please do think about what you are saying in such discussions.

If you’re truly interested in not being a victim-blaming rape apologist, leave discussions of the victim’s actions out of the picture and start focusing on the moral depravity of the attacker.

No one is responsible for the violent assault of another but the person doing the assaulting.

The Butler County prosecutor and Oxford Police department (OPD) have collaborated to implement a new alcohol protocol, aimed at catching underage drinkers more effectively.

Uniformed police will be observing bars and bars are encouraged to double-check IDs, first at the door for wristbands and also at the bar for a hand stamp. The police will step up patrolling of private parties looking for underage and binge drinking. The new protocol includes instituting an amnesty policy for underaged students taken to the hospital for overconsumption of alcohol. Also, the alcohol education program run by OPD for first-time alcohol offenders will be expanded county-wide.

The editorial board of The Miami Student supports decreasing underage

alcohol consumption and the best way to make sure the new program is effective is to work with Miami University. The program is clearly targeted largely at the digressions of Miami students and should have been created with the full cooperation of Miami’s administration from the very beginning. The university has a wealth of information and resources about the drinking culture and with their assistance, Butler County can create an even more effective drinking program.

The policy also seems to be based on an ethos of prohibition. The county must remember that the mentality that all underage drinking is irresponsible is ignorant of alcohol education. Underaged drinking will happen, much like unprotected sex will happen — it cannot be

ignored blindly. Education about how to drink responsibly, even if you are underage, is very valuable and could save lives.

Paying special attention to house parties is a smart idea because many underaged drinkers pre-game at houses, which can be dangerous. The new doublechecking policy at bars can prove effective, but may be easily circumvented by those with fake IDs. Double-checking, first with a wristband, then with a hand stamp, could also easily hold up a crowded, rowdy bar line late at night on a weekend.

Safety is clearly the number one goal for OPD and the prosecutor, and with assistance from the Miami community and its resources, the new alcohol program can become very effective.

Rule of Thumb 9/11 remembrances The beautiful tributes nationwide brought tears to our eyes and reminded us to be thankful for our country.

Rain cancelling Miami’s 9/11 10-year Commemoration The miserable weather kept us from properly remembering lost Miamians.

Peter Bergen’s visit The journalist and author gave an inspiring lecture.

Key cards The new cards cannot work as a second form of ID uptown but also help prevent identity theft.

Group members not pulling their weight This is why we like individual projects.

Jessie Hall

halljs2@muohio.edu

When you’re finished reading

The Miami Student, please recycle!

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

ASG and RHA elections, starting new session Here’s to an exciting start to a great year!

WRITE US! All letters must be signed in order to be printed.

EDITORIAL BOARD Sam Kay Editor in Chief

Lauren Ceronie Campus Editor

Bethany Bruner News Editor

Jenni Wiener Campus Editor

Noëlle Bernard Editorial Editor

Michael Solomon Sports Editor

Thomasina Johnson Editorial 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.

Please send letters via e-mail to: editorial@miamistudent.net we reserve the right to edit for length, content and clarity.

www.miamistudent.net

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2011 OPINION

NOëlle’s notions

Last week, I conducted the hardest but most rewarding interview of my college career. I had the honor to speak with a father whose daughter died aboard United Airlines Flight 175 on 9/11.

His daughter, Alicia Nicole, was a Miami University alumna with a bright future.

I spent 30 minutes solemnly listening to her composed father describe the beauty of his lost daughter. My heart ached and I held back tears as John Titus openly spoke of his grieving process and how the loss deeply affected his wife and remaining three children.

Titus said, “Grief has the power to destroy and it also has the power to recreate.”

This statement has resonated with me because I have never faced grief. It’s frightening to think that the way you deal with grief can affect how you heal, even after a decade. Titus spoke about his youngest son’s reaction to the death.

Alicia was the oldest of four and a 10-year gap separated her from her younger brother, Eli. But this gap strengthened their relationship. Titus said, “Alicia was like a second mother to him.” Eli was a senior in high school when his sister was killed and he reacted to his devastation with anger. Titus explained that for his family’s growth, it was necessary for each member to grieve in their own way.

Alicia had a profound impact on her family the void she left will remain empty.

Typically, tragedies strike unexpectedly. That’s why they

ESSAY SARAH TITLE TITLESE@muohio.edu

We all have memories of our childhood that are forever ingrained in our minds. The time we broke our wrist, all the quarters we got from our lemonade stand, the first time we ever got grounded. These moments are staples symbols of our youth and we remember them fondly now as we try to prepare ourselves for this thing called life.

There is however, another memory that sticks out in not just my mind, but all of our minds. While the context and setting of this memory varies among all of us, the feelings

ESSAY J. DANIEL WATKINS WATKINDJ@muohio.edu

In dealing with death, people seem to come across it as a scenario in which criticism of it or the air around it is either in poor taste, or plain hurtful. What about criticism of it creating a mockery?

What does it say about death, when the form of a memorial is a few shots of Clydesdales that ends with a Budweiser logo? Death becoming “buy American” should rank lower than criticism.

In another light, what does it matter when this same day is full of reflections about every person telling the story of where they were when the tragedy occurred? Do conversations telling me I will “never forget” tell me this to create a connection?

The question is not where I was when it happened, and it shouldn’t be.

Why does it matter that an

LIBERTY AND JUSTICE

NoëLLE BERNARD

Ty Gilligan

Tragedy teaches us to unify, rebuild families

US media should focus on East African famine

are so brutal. The Titus’s loss is insurmountable but my conversation did not end in tears or bitterness. It ended with me feeling encouraged and excited for the chance to tell Alicia’s story. I was encouraged because in spite of losing an integral member of his family, Titus sounded more thankful to have had the chance to love Alicia than he was angered by her untimely death. It was her smile that he emphasized to me, rather than his grief. I can guarantee that not a day goes by without a remembrance of Alicia to filtrate the minds of a family member.

I am blessed to say that I have never experienced grief.

My loved ones have not left me and I take that for granted. Sunday’s 10th anniversary of 9/11 was an emotional and tough day for America. It was a time for all to reflect on that fearful day.

One thing 9/11 teaches us is that life is fragile. The devastating losses felt by thousands of Americans is astounding and it cannot be vindicated by life’s fragility. Those families were wronged and people were unjustly murdered for the sake of a terrorist group setting an example eliciting Americans. But stories like Alicia Titus’s serve to remind us that bitterness and anger do not have to dictate our lives. Alicia gave her family a sense of peace in the hours they were told of her death.

She was a flight attendant on United Airlines Flight 175, the second hijacked plane that crashed into the south

7

tower. The morning of 9/11, Alicia’s mother Bev, overslept. She woke up suddenly to an energy that made her sit upright in bed. She heard Alicia’s voice calling, “Mom” and looked at her clock and it read 8:42 a.m., the exact time Alicia’s plane was hijacked.

Bev tried to fall back asleep but she was compelled to get up and turn on the television in time to watch Alicia’s plane crash into the second tower. This remembrance is important to the Titus family because it was out of the ordinary. Titus said his wife rarely turned on the television, so for her to do it on that morning meant something.

Moreover, Titus said, “[Bev] felt Alicia calling her to witness what was going on.”

But it was a final vision of Alicia on the plane that gave Titus peace. He saw her at the back of the plane stroking the head of a two-year-old boy on her lap. The serenity he saw in Alicia helped him accept that she already made the transition. He said, “I felt like it was her coming to me saying, ‘Dad it’s okay. I was already at peace.’” What was remarkable about the vision was that a few months later, Titus looked at the passenger list online and found the exact same boy in his vision.

The story of the Titus family is one that I am proud to be able to tell. 9/11 was a horrible crime but to think that one family has become more unified in their loss, gives me hope that when evil steals away joy, there is a chance for restoration.

The East African nations of Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia are facing a severe famine which the United Nations (UN) has called the worst in 60 years. The UN and African Union have estimated 13 million people are in need of food aid and as many as 750,000 people are at a risk of death in the upcoming months.

The BBC reported that hundreds of thousands of Somalis have fled to Kenya and Ethiopia in search of water and food. Last week, it was reported that 444,000 refugees live in the Dadaab refugee camp, just across the Somali border in Kenya.

To put these numbers into perspective, this is equivalent to the entire population of Ohio facing starvation, the entire population of Columbus facing possible death from starvation and the entire population of Cleveland living in one single refugee camp made of tents (population numbers taken from 2010 US Census). These numbers are staggering, and little attention has been brought to this crisis.

The Pew Research Center recently published a study which showed that in July and August only 0.7 percent of broadcast time has been devoted to covering the East African crisis.

Looking at the front pages of US newspapers this week, you would have no idea the East African famine is even occurring. On Friday, Aug. 9, none of the front pages of USA Today, The Chicago

Tribune, Cincinnati Enquirer and The New York Times even featured a small blurb about the Horn of Africa famine. Stories that were on the front pages of US newspapers included a ban on the sale of crib bumpers, a report that 9 percent of college students use drugs and a review for the film “Contagion.” This is as shameful as it is embarrassing.

The American media’s lack of coverage of the event can be attributed to the slowevolving nature of the crisis. The media likes natural disasters and crisises that happen immediately and provide them with dramatic images that will get the viewers attention. The East African famine has been drawn-out and slow to develop, which diminishes its attractiveness to news outlets. The UN officially declared a famine in two Southern Somali regions on July 20 and warned that over 12 million would require food aid, according to CNN. The media had plenty of time to gear up coverage of the impending famine, but they didn’t.

The media has occasionally reported on the story, but seems to have grown tired of its lack of new “media worthy” developments. This angers me because relief agencies are not receiving as much funding as they could because western media is not stressing how crucial the situation is.

The UN said on Sept. 5 that only 63 percent of its $2.5 billion in promised humanitarian assistance had been funded by donations, meaning 37

percent was still needed.

Additionally, the media has lacked intensive coverage of the crisis because of its complicated political nature. Somalia has essentially had no effective government since 1992 and is classified as a “failed state” by the Fund for Peace. The issue is further complicated by the military group, al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda. The group controls much of the famine-stricken area and is refusing to let aid groups enter the region.

The mainstream media apparently doesn’t have the time or willingness to actually explain the political factors which caused this famine, and which could possibly prevent it reoccurring in the future.

Americans should care about the crisis because America has provided over $500 million in drought-related assistance to Somalia and the Horn of Africa in the past year alone according to the Christian Science Monitor.

The US media has a responsibility to inform the public of events such as this, and they have failed fantastically.

If you would like to help the East African Famine victims please donate via the following relief organizations; The American Red Cross at www.american. redcross.org, UNICEF at www.SupportUnicef.org and World Vision at www.donate. worldvision.org. You also can text “FOOD” to 864233 to donate $10 to UNICEF’s relief efforts.

September 11 anniversary reminds us to slow down, reflect are the same. Confusion, fear, naïveté are all words I would use to describe my 10-yearold self on Sept. 11, 2001.

The extent of what I knew was what I saw on the faces of my elementary school teachers, the extent of what I understood was no more than the adults around me. I watched as teachers gaped at the TV and tried their best to put on a strong face.

It was the morning of school pictures and I was in fifth grade. Ruling the school was what mattered most to me and words like twin

towers or Pentagon didn’t matter much to me. Yet, I somehow can’t shake the feeling of that day 10 years later.

It wasn’t my understanding of the events that made me fearful and confused, but the way my family was that day.

My parents were people who I could look to for answers and advice, but that day they had none. They were at a loss for a good explanation to give to such a young and innocent 10-year-old. They allowed me to watch the news, which provided me with pictures and live footage but not

anymore clarity.

As each year passed, I began to understand more and more what 9/11 had done to our country and now that it is the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our country, I can’t believe that it has been a decade. I remember everything so perfectly, and so vividly. We went through middle school, high school and half of college in what has been dubbed the “post9/11 era.” The events of that day haunt me every time I go to the airport, visit Washington, D.C. or Manhattan

and the day I drove through Somerset County. The most documented event in history seeps into our living rooms and our libraries. Being from Connecticut, everyone knows someone directly whose life and family were affected by the day. Everyone has friends with parents who work in the city, friends who had to evacuate their apartment for months.

While it is easy to switch the channel when commemorative coverage comes on, as I was tempted to do Sunday morning, it is also

important to put the remote down and watch. To remember. It is not easy by any means to watch real buildings with real people inside collapse in a heap, but it is important. We owe it to our country, to those who we lost, to those who so bravely walked into the burning buildings. It is important to remember these people not just on 9/11 but every other day of the year. We owe it to ourselves, children of the post-9/11 era, to understand what we grew up commemorating. We shall never forget, and always remember.

The vision of remembering is tainted by a desire for vengeance overwhelming majority of my peers were sitting in classes? I understand that people seek to process the event and relate, especially to such a disastrous one as this, but it does not follow to make a majority of the coverage about these topics.

While there is purpose in remembrance, there is none for dwelling. As a nation, we seem stuck here. I would hope for everyone to believe that this day of mourning was exactly that, but the observable facts lead us elsewhere. There are three writers in particular which had an eye on this exact topic.

I refer to Paul Krugman’s short piece published on his blog Sept. 5, as well as Hunter S. Thompson in a piece he wrote shortly after the event.

A lesser-known writer, Marty Beckerman, put a few of his

tweets together to create a more coherent piece on the subject matter.

Krugman thought his piece would be so controversial that he disallowed comments on it as it went live. His position was to place blame on the politicians who held a heavy hand in the events which took place in the past 10 years.

Those included vengeful wars in the guise of well-meaning intentions. He called it shameful that the disaster was used to fight wars “for all the wrong reasons.” While I don’t here seek to place blame, I am interested in why he was so worried about the response.

But he is right in saying that this terrible event was used to perpetuate even more atrocities. Death was used to beget more death, and those who say they feel the pain are not automatically entitled

to the moral high ground.

Remembering where you were when someone else suffered a tragedy does not make you a victim. Similarly,Marty Beckerman tweeted, “You want to remember it outside the context of what came later: the wars, torture, witch hunts, religious fervor.

You want to but you can’t.”

It’s incredibly important to not turn a blind eye to this.

While there were those who suffered, there was plenty more suffering brought around to appease the emotional scars people felt and not a reasonable response based on legitimate facts.

While we recall what happened that morning, why not recall instead all the lives that were lost in the name of that day? All the people sent to die, people sent to kill, people captured and tortured, what

about those people? Isolating one event, without what was after or before, paints a poor unfinished picture.

In his ESPN piece around the time of the incident, Hunter S. Thompson closed with this: “The lid is on. Loose Lips Sink Ships. Don’t say anything that might give aid to The Enemy.”

Thinking back over the last 10 years, I could not help but grieve over the accuracy of this statement. The way in which legal abuse has taken place at Guantanamo Bay (see episode #310 of This American Life), and the way in which U.S. citizens themselves became the number two suspect, placed directly behind “the ghost of Bin Laden.”

When the focus of your victims is how they would want to be avenged, you can

be sure that all that’s left to do is fight. Emotional motivation easily overruns reason. But victims aren’t the only people with rights. And the furor with which indictments against ‘the enemy’ are made is something to be considered. Torture is wrong.

War is reprehensible. And to justify either on such emotional grounds, should fail to reach fruition.

That’s the lesson that should have come, lessons on policy, not whether or not there should be towers or memorials. And when Krugman calls the way real lessons have been commandeered by political ends “shameful,” I am right there with him. I don’t need to tell you I’m talking about 9/11.

I’m sure you remember it, just try and remember everything that’s happened between now and then.

8

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10

SPORTS

Editor Michael Solomon

sports@miamistudent.net

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2011 JM RIEGER

the rieger report

what OXFORD is missing on GAME DAYS Every Saturday, hundreds of thousands of college football fans throughout the country gather not only to support their school but also to fire up their grills early in the morning. Students, alumni and fans all come together in stadium parking lots prepping for the big game and hoping that their team will pull out the big W. However, this tradition is noticeably absent from Miami University. While there are some die-hard alumni and fans who consistently stake out their spot before every football game, the student body is busy watching the Ohio State anniversary game or some other college football game that is somehow more important than their own school’s game.

These are the same students that gloat to their friends at Ohio State about how great Miami is compared to almost any other school in the nation. These are the same students that brag about Miami’s beautiful campus. These are the same students that will soon become one of the thousands of great Miami alumni throughout the country. But these are also the same students who never went to a football game following the Family Weekend game their freshman year.

If nothing else, it is simply ironic how these students can seemingly support every part of this great university, but fail to show even an ounce of support for one of the most visible parts of Miami: its athletics.

Campus Activities Council and Red Alert help to boost student involvement and school spirit at Miami, but they still lack the student support and loyalty to Miami athletics that is

necessary the change the culture and tradition here.

Couple this with the fact that both of these organizations fail to market themselves and their events such as Tailgate Town to anyone other than the freshmen class at Miami, and voila: you get student apathy, the single biggest cancer to any athletic program.

On top of this, the single biggest group on campus, the Greek Community, is remarkably dormant come game day but manages to pack Millett Hall for Delta Zeta’s Puttin’ On The Hits dance philanthropy event every February. You tell me what’s wrong with this picture.

There is no reason why students should miss out on one of the best experiences in college, tailgating, regardless of how good or bad Miami is that year.

Across the nation, students show up in numbers to tailgate, regardless of how good or bad their team is, simply because of the experience. The real question is what don’t Miami students get?

The RedHawks have one of the best teams that they have had in years and have a real shot to leave their mark on college football this year. In addition, for the first time in the past few seasons, Miami has an opportunity to sell out its home opener against Bowling Green State University on Sept. 24 due to the fact that season ticket sales are up over 10 percent this year and the fact that Family Weekend is the same weekend.

The real question is will students take advantage of this opportunity to support their team and to pack Yager Stadium in two weeks.

Heaven forbid Ohio State is on TV at the same time.

Red and White dominate field at Miami Open

By Josh North

For The Miami Student

In their first and only home meet of the season, the Miami University men’s and women’s cross country teams won handily, with winning margins of 25 and 30 points, respectively.

The women were particularly impressive by taking four of the first five finishers in the 5k race.

Seniors Kelley Miller and Maggie Bingham led the way by running times of 18:11 and 18:20. Sophomore Kate Carter placed third with a time of 18:48.

“The team ran and raced very well,” Head Coach Kelly Phillips said. “Overall, times were significantly faster than times that were run on our course last weekend.”

Redshirt junior Jillian Dickman placed fifth with a time of 19:02 and redshirt sophomore Monica Fischer rounded out the

scoring for the Red and White by finishing eighth with a time of 19:14.

For the second consecutive week, the ’Hawks didn’t run their entire squad. Most of the freshmen were held out of the race after running last week. The freshmen ran by themselves at the Dayton 5k Challenge.

“Our young runners are doing great, they’re the most focused freshman class that I have ever had,” Phillips said. “Right now, our team chemistry is fantastic so I am really looking forward to seeing how that translates into our racing.”

The RedHawks will be heading to Michigan State University next week for the Spartan invitational on Friday.

The men’s team was equally

CROSS COUNTRY, SEE PAGE 3

’Hawks drop two contests

SCOTT ALLISON THE MIAMI STUDENT

Junior midfielder Olivia Miller runs down the field en route to a goal in Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Michigan State University Spartans. Insert: Miller and senior Amanda Seeley celebrate Miller’s second goal of the weekend Sunday.

By Daniel Wheeler For The Miami Student

The Miami University field hockey team lost two games this weekend, falling to both The University of Virginia and Michigan State University with scores of two goals to one. The ’Hawks continue their homestretch next weekend with a record of 1-5.

On Friday afternoon in Oxford, junior midfielder Olivia Miller shot six balls on net in an effort to knock off the then 4-1 Virginia Cavaliers. She scored off of a corner shot rebound in the 51st minute to tie the game at one, yet a late second half Cavalier goal decided the contest. Miami contained Virginia steadily throughout the afternoon, but the Cavs’ timely eighth and 68th minute goals rounded out the match in their favor.

Virginia goaltender Jenny Johnstone saved four of Miami’s

five shots, as opposed to Miami goaltender Sarah Mueller’s four of six. Junior forward Britt Knouse and freshman forwards Jessica White tallied Virginia’s two goals.

Olivia Miller scored another goal against Michigan State on Sunday afternoon in Oxford to raise her team-high goal total to four in six games.

“The defender looked to transition up field, but I was able to read it and intercept the pass,” Miller said of her goal against the Spartans. Miller accounted for all of the Hawks’ points on the weekend.

Second half play was stagnant until Miami midfielder Amanda Seeley sprinted down her right sideline to pressure Spartan goaltender Molly Cassidy, requiring a pad-stacking save. Soon afterward, freshman midfielder Ali Froede stopped State’s subsequent drive, diving airborne to stickcheck the opponent and send the

action back towards Cassidy.

Momentum shifted between both sides until a 68th minute penalty shot opportunity for the RedHawks. Unfortunately, as the Red and White faithful rose to their feet, the Miami bid flew wide of the net and the Spartans maintained control for the match’s remaining 30 seconds.

Sunday’s loss marked another close decision on the RedHawks’ schedule, accounting for one of the season’s three single-goal losses. As Miami treads the fine line between success and failure, Olivia Miller focuses on building a winning season.

“I think that we’re playing well and developing chemistry,” Miller said. “The coaches are really pleased with the improvements in the way we’ve played.”

The RedHawks will attempt to turn out of their two-game skid 3 p.m. Friday in Oxford against The College of William and Mary.