September 21, 2012 | The Miami Student

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

ARIANNE KREKELER, KIM PARENT,VALERIE WESTIN THE MIAMI STUDENT

Miami University students and alumni celebrate Homecoming Week festivities.

VOLUME 140 NO. 10

FRIday, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO

Homecoming Edition

TODAY IN MIAMI HISTORY In 1957 The Miami Student reported that Miami’s homecoming celebration would include fireworks in addition to the annual Homecoming Parade.

MU gauges risks abroad By Chelsea Liebenthal

For the Miami Student

Last week, Miami University junior Shawn Kennedy, a student studying abroad in Luxembourg at the Miami University Dolibois European Center was reported missing after disappearing on a day trip to Interlaken, Switzerland. Though Kennedy did not respond to an interview request, Junior Erica Bockhorst, also a current participant in the Luxembourg program was contacted via email. Bockhorst said Kennedy had traveled to Zurich, Switzerland with one of the locals, someone he hadn’t met before, where he was robbed of his belongings including his passport. The local had befriended Kennedy’s tour group but Kennedy was the only one who went along with him. Bockhorst said Kennedy was found after four days when he wandered into a police station in Basel, Switzerland. “The police notified the embassy and word of Shawn’s location and the fact that he was safe quickly spread,” Bockhorst said. “Shawn feels bad that everyone was so worried about him, but was unable to return to Luxembourg due to his passport being stolen.” Despite Kennedy’s incident, Bockhorst said she felt prepared for her study abroad experience and recalled the safety sessions Miami hosted prior to the beginning of its study abroad session. “During these sessions, they gave us a lot of advice about safety and the culture of being abroad,” Bockhorst said. “They told us that people in foreign countries don’t smile as much, tips are included and watching our passports at all times was very important. They suggested we engage in the culture, but to be smart about

getting to know locals too well.” Cheryl Young, risk manager for Miami programs abroad, described the key to a successful study abroad experience as a combination of preparation by the university and the students’ accountability for themselves. “Safety is a matter of awareness and being practical—fit in, be aware of your surroundings at all times and be a smart traveler,” Young said. “Don’t travel at night in unfamiliar locations, have access to communication methods and means and have an emergency action and communication plan.”

unfamiliar culture,” Young said. In addition to the mental preparation students should undertake, Young said students traveling overseas must purchase international health insurance to guarantee they will have access to English speaking medical care and case management at all times. A less well-known danger that lurks abroad is cyber safety, according to Young. “Virtual kidnapping is a reality faced by Miami University students in the past,” Young said. “Parents and families of study abroad

Students get caught up in a lot of different feelings and lose sight of that keen awareness and need to remain alert needed in an unfamiliar location, in an unfamiliar culture.” Cheryl Young RISK MANAGER FOR MIAMI PROGRAMS ABROAD

Staff members of the Miami University Global Assistance program are available to aid students in formulating such a plan, according to Young. Before partaking in any study abroad session, Young said she recommends that students have an in-depth grasp on the customs of the country they’ll be residing in by researching how to interact with the new culture they will be immersed in. She said students should attempt to envision the health, safety and security issues in their specific location and how that could affect the educational experience, and to remember these concerns once they have arrived at their destination. “Students get caught up in a lot of different feelings and lose sight of that keen awareness and need to remain alert needed in an unfamiliar location, in an

students need to be aware of an extortion scam being perpetrated against the families of study abroad students.” In an attempt to teach students how to defend themselves against this danger, this week Miami hosted a special event on cyber safety while studying abroad, facilitated by the FBI. The dangers Miami students have encountered while abroad, including Kennedy’s situation, have had a significant impact on some students preparing to go overseas themselves. Junior Brenna Haven, who plans to study abroad in Australia in summer of 2013, said her concerns have been spiked. “After hearing about what’s happened to other students while studying abroad I’ve become more aware of how dangerous it can be,” Haven said. “I’ll definitely be more cautious now because of it.”

Fire department issues 31 charges against fraternities Freeland Oliverio Staff Writer

Lab results have confirmed the drugs found at the Phi Kappa Tau and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity houses Aug. 19 to be cocaine and marijuana, according to Sgt. Jon Varley of the Oxford Police Department. “Lab results normally take anywhere from a week to two months to return,” Varley said. “People believe that it’s like CSI, where you can drop off results and get them by the afternoon. But this is not the case.” In addition to these drug confirmations, the Oxford Fire Department has filed a combined 31 firework and fire code violations against both houses, according to Oxford Fire Chief John Detherage. Neither the Fire Department nor the Oxford Police Department specified which houses received which charges. “At this point [The Oxford Fire

Department] has issued 31 civil citations between the two houses and the individuals living in those houses,” Detherage said. “The houses have been charged with various offenses, including numerous fireworks offenses and fire code offenses.” These charges, although originally filed by the Oxford Fire Department, are now in the hands of the Oxford Police Department, according to Detherage. The Oxford Fire Department filed the fireworks and fire code offenses against the Phi Kappa Tau and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternities Aug. 19 after responding officers found members of both houses shooting fireworks at one another. After the two houses refused to cooperate, the Oxford Police Department issued warrants to search the houses, where they found the drugs. The Oxford Police Department will be issuing a press release with further details regarding this investigation sometime this week.

Film screening stimulates debate over ethnic studies By Allison McGillivray Campus Editor

Miami University brought the struggles of Mexican American students close to home with a screening of the documentary Precious Knowledge Sept. 13. Precious Knowledge shares the stories of four students enrolled in the Mexican American Studies program at Tucson High School in Arizona. The documentary was filmed during the 2008-2009 school year

when House Bill 2281 (HB2281) was debated and passed by the state of Arizona. HB2281 imposed a ban on ethnic studies classes including the Mexican American Studies program at Tucson High School, by claiming that they promote anti-American ideals. Elena Albarrán, assistant professor of Latin American, Latino/a and Caribbean studies, organized the

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