September 27, 2011 | The Miami Student

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

VOLUME 139 NO. 11

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

TODAY IN MIAMI HISTORY

MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO

In 1977, The Miami Student reported that construction on Western Campus would likely alter traffic patterns on Patterson Avenue. One of the worries expressed was that traffic from Route 27 coming into Oxford would create traffic problems at the intersection of Spring Street and Patterson Avenue and the intersection of Patterson Avenue and Chestnut Street. The light at Spring Street could not be changed, but a traffic signal was to be added at the Chestnut Street intersection.

Hodge, Blasi gain following on Twitter

By Hannah Stein Senior Staff Writer

How to keep a post under 140 characters or mastering the art of the hashtag are skills President David Hodge and Head Hockey Coach Rico Blasi learnedwhen creating their recent Twitter accounts.

Students who follow prominent figures such as Hodge or Blasi may assume that a spokesperson tweeted for them, however, both tweet themselves and try to do so as much as possible.

“I was encouraged by some of our folks in communications to do this as a way to share what’s happening with the community,” Hodge said. “I tweet particularly towards students but I also aim to alumni.”

Given the amount and variety of activity in the Miami University community, knowing what to tweet can be a challenge, according to Hodge.

“I try to choose a mixture of things I think will be interesting,” Hodge said. “I often try to do things where I can do a picture or a URL that people can go to and follow up so there’s more to it than just the tweet.”

On top of Facebook, Google+ and other social networking sites, Twitter provides another mode of communication that higher-level officials can use to build relationships with students and the general public.

“I hope it adds [to my relationship with students],” Hodge said. “The one concern I have is I can’t possibly answer all the questions that get directed to me and I don’t want to feel bad if I don’t answer a question.

But I enjoy the opportunity to share things with the students and community.”

Like Hodge, Blasi said he feels having a Twitter is a way to boost his relationship with students and his team.

“I just like to be

connected with everybody and the team and see what’s going on,” Blasi said. “I go on there everyday. I think it provides an opportunity to see a different side of everybody.”

In his first 24 hours on Twitter, Blasi gained more than 900 followers. Currently, Blasi has 1,372 followers to Hodge’s 913.

Students said they appreciate that Hodge and Blasi tweet themselves instead of having a spokesperson handle the accounts.

“I think having them directly tweeting, as opposed to someone doing the tweeting for them, makes a big difference on their relationship with students,” sophomore Sam Burgoon said.

“It makes what they are saying seem so much more real and personal, rather than their assistant saying something that will make the coach sound good. It creates a closer connection with the students.”

Burgoon said having recognizable faces tweet in an already close-knit community sets Miami apart.

“It’s probably more common for large schools to have Twitter accounts for the coaches or presidents, but it probably isn’t them directly tweeting,” Burgoon said. “As for somewhat smaller schools like Miami, I don’t think it’s common, especially directly from those people, to have a Twitter. So the fact that Miami does have those accounts makes a difference in campus connectedness.”

After his first tweet stating, “Time to see what this twitter thing is all about,” Blasi said he understands the means of communicating with students are changing rapidly, and that he just has to keep up.

“This is a new age of technology which everybody’s got to conform [to] and be a part of,” Blasi said.

Follow Hodge @ PresHodge and Blasi @CoachBlasi.

Sigma Chi under investigation again Miami University is currently looking into allegations of hazing by the Sigma Chi fraternity. The university received an anonymous tip regarding the alleged incidents.

Sigma Chi had been on suspension until Dec. 31, 2010 for damage done to a hotel room in Columbus earlier that year.

The fraternity also came

under fire in September 2010 when police were dispatched to their house on Sycamore Street after a member fired a weapon off the house’s balcony.

Sigma Chi fraternity was founded at Miami in 1855.

The Miami Student will update this story as more information becomes available.

CHRISTINA CASANO THE MIAMI STUDENT

WORLDLY WARBLINGS The Global Rhythms concert sold out Hall Auditorium Friday and Saturday night. The concert, directed by Miami alumnus and visiting faculty member Srinivas Krishnan, featured guest artists from around the world performing alongside students.

Westboro Baptist Church announces plans to picket Ohio State, Miami, local high school

By Lauren Ceronie and Amanda Seitz

For The Miami Student

Invited or not, Westboro Baptist Church is proceeding with plans to make an appearance on Miami University’s campus Tuesday, Oct. 25.

The plans, however, have changed. WBC will not speak to a Religious “Extremism” class anymore, but instead they hope to picket on the sidewalks of Miami’s campus.

WBC listed on its website that its members will picket Miami University, Ohio State University and a local high school Oct. 25. Picketing will take place from 4:15 to 4:45 p.m. on Miami’s campus, according to the WBC website.

In an interview with The Miami Student last week, WBC spokeswoman Shirley Phelps-Roper said the organization would not go out of their way to picket the university if she were uninvited to speak to a class.

Monday, Phelps-Roper told The Miami Student the group would picket at Miami because they had already purchased plane tickets to Ohio before they were uninvited.

“We got [plane] tickets, so we’re coming,” PhelpsRoper said from Oklahoma where she was picketing a soldier’s funeral.

When the religion

department originally proposed a WBC visit, documents obtained by The Miami Student stated the church had “stipulated that they would not conduct pickets in the vicinity of Miami University or Oxford.”

Phelps-Roper said the university had not contacted her or Westboro Baptist Church since The Miami Student reported that they were uninvited.

After the comparative religion department announced that it would not proceed with plans to bring Phelps-Roper to the classroom, they scheduled tentative arrangements to have religion professor Hillel Gray speak about his work. It is unclear if the presentation will still occur. Interim Comparative Religion Department Chair Steve Nimis declined to comment.

As a public university, Miami cannot stop the picketing from occurring but they can confine the visit to certain areas.

“The Westboro Baptist Church has a First Amendment right to demonstrate on the perimeter sidewalks of Miami University,” Miami Director of Communications Claire Wagner said.

Wagner and university officials did not have further comment.

Finance professor and attorney Wayne Stanton said if WBC’s picketing gets out

of hand, Miami can pull the plug.

“People can protest on the public sidewalks but they can’t on private property,” Stanton said, adding that Butler County records list Miami’s board of trustees and president as the property owners. “Miami is a public university and belongs to the state but the property is

what collective community response would be appropriate,” Adams said.

Through postings on the group’s website page, students, faculty and alumni have suggested a variety of responses ranging from making donations to groups Westboro targets to having a positive celebration of diversity and life, Adams said.

The Westboro Baptist Church has a First Amendment right to demonstrate on the perimeter sidewalks of Miami University.”

CLAIRE WAGNER

MIAMI DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

privately owned. If someone were speaking and the crowd became violent the university would also be able to stop them.”

Phelps-Roper said WBC plans to notify local law enforcement of its plans.

In response to the WBC’s planned picket a group of students created a Facebook event titled “Stand up to hatred: Counterpicketing the WBC.” Senior Christian Adams, an administrator for the event page, hopes to counter the WBC with a non-violent event.

“It’s still in the formative stages, trying to figure out

Adams and the event creator, fellow Miami student Raphael Guenther have also scheduled a brainstorming session to explore options for counter protesting. The session will be held 2 to 4 p.m. Tues., Oct. 4 in the MacMillan Great Room.

Adams said he thinks a response from the Miami community to Westboro Baptist Church is necessary.

“I firmly believe that approaching hatred with apathy will never resolve those issues,” Adams said. “This is not so much about changing the WBC’s minds, but reaffirming our positive values in the community.”

2

CAMPUS

Editors Lauren Ceronie Jenni Wiener

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

campus@miamistudent.net

Food truck will serve students around campus

By Samantha Callender Staff Writer

Inspired by the rising trend on the West Coast, New York and on other campuses nationwide, Miami University is adding a new kind of experience to dining on campus. Currently under construction, a “food truck” will travel around to different locations on campus serving various dishes to those who use meal plans and to those wanting to use cash.

The truck, which will run on propane and gas and currently has no official title, will give students the flexibility to eat while mobile, according to Nancy Heidtman, director of Dining Services. The goal and vision of the truck is to keep students well nourished and fed on the go, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late

night meals.

“We’re also hoping to reach more students, making dining convenient. Even for those who live off campus or for faculty as well,” said Jon Brubacher, manager of Food Purchasing and Operations Analyst.

The truck will be an innovative dining experience for students, in addition to being a fiscally responsible accommodation to the high demand for dining on campus.

“It will alleviate pressure off of our busiest dining centers, (which are mainly on east and central quad),” Heidtman said. “The truck will allow us to meet needs without having to try and build another dining center, which would be a hassle of acquiring space and funds.”

Some students on campus are already familiar with the “Crepe Cart,” which travels to different locations on

campus during various times and sells specialty crepes.

The same idea applies to the food truck, which is going to have a menu that is custom designed.

Marketing the menu and food truck service to students will also be modern

even after sporting events, is something Dining Services hopes will keep students drawn to the food truck.

“I really enjoy the Crepe Cart when I can catch it, so I think having something like this food truck will definitely be something I’m interested in,” sophomore Bria Howard said.

While there are mulWe’re also hoping tiple aspects of the food to reach more truck that are down pat, a few things are still students, making dining convenient. under construction.

“As far as a name for the truck and a specific jon brubacher MANAGER OF design, we are still unFOOD PURCHASING sure. Once we receive the vehicle in the coming months, we will be able and innovative. Heidtman to be more concrete in the and Brubacker said they details regarding vanity,” hope to use social media Heidtman said. “But for such as Twitter to keep stu- now, we have a pretty good dents updated and abreast idea of what we need to do of the whereabouts of the in order to make the utilitruck. Tweeting their loca- zation of this new dining tion at different times, and experience successful.”

LISA GEHRING THE MIAMI STUDENT

THE EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD Members of Kappa Alpha Theta and Lambda Chi Alpha compete in Greek Week Speed Pyramid Friday evening on Cook Field.

Leadershape institute changes date to allow increased participation

By Allison McGillivray Staff Writer

Student Activities and Leadership has decided to move the next Leadershape institute to May to allow more people to participate. However, a former Leadershaper is concerned about how this will affect the overall experience of Leadershape.

Every year, Miami University chooses 60 student applicants to participate in the week-long Leadershape program where they engage in team building activities to develop leadership skills.

According to Eric Gudmundson, a graduate assistant for Student Activities and Leadership, students are accepted into

Leadershape from “every aspect of Miami, from organizational leaders, leaders in the Greek community as well as just students that have that niche for leading with integrity.”

Gudmundson claims Miami chooses these diverse students to unite them under a common purpose.

“We focus on breaking down stereotypes,” Gudmundson said. “I don’t care if you are a member of this group or this sorority that doesn’t come to Leadershape. You are an individual and you are just here to learn like the other people.”

Gudmundson says that Leadershape creates strong friendships between students in a short period of time.

“It’s a group you grow so close [to] over the week

because you have tough conversations and you are with them so much that you get to know them on a different level,” Gudmundson said.

Sophomore Taylor White agrees that he has made a lot of friends through Leadershape that he still has today.

“I guess the biggest thing I’ve taken away from it, other than some of the principles that they instill, is that I made a lot of friends,” White said.

“I basically walked away with 60 new friends.”

Katie Wilson, senior director of student engagement for Student Activities and Leadership, said Student Activities and Leadership has been thinking about moving Leadershape to May for a long time.

“We’ve gotten a lot of feedback that there are some

leadership opportunities, study abroad opportunities and internship opportunities that prevent people from being able to participate in August,” Wilson said. “We really wanted it to be available to all those people that previously had been excluded.”

Wilson said having Leadershape in August causes students to have to leave their internship on Aug. 8, whereas having Leadershape in May would allow students to only wait one week before beginning their internship.

Gudmundson said moving Leadershape to May might allow students to apply the Leadershape principles to their home communities.

White is concerned that the move might change the

special bond that happens between Leadershapers.

“I think it’s a bad decision in my opinion,” White said. “I think that one of the most valuable experiences that we had was that it was a week before school starts and you walk out with all of these close friends and we went back to school two weeks later and we all still wanted to hang out whereas, if you do it in May it’s not the same.”

Gudmundson suggests having communication over the summer and Leadershape reunion in the fall to bridge the gap between May and the start of school.

“We are looking into more passive summer communication and we are looking into have a larger reunion right when we get back to school to

reacquaint everyone,” Gudmundson said.

White said that having activities planned for the Leadershapers at the start of school would help maintain the relationships built at Leadershape, but he is still not sure it will be as effective as having Leadershape in August.

“I think that would definitely be an alternative if they have to move it to May, but I think the way they had it was a pretty awesome experience,” White said.

Wilson said Student Activities and Leadership will continue to evaluate how effective having Leadershape in May is and make possible changes as needed such as offering a Leadershape in August once every four years.

FSB entrepreneurship program Plans in place for Rec Center renovation Ashley receives high ranking once again By Laughlin

By Rebecca Peets

For The Miami Student

If you pick of a copy of the October issue of Entrepreneur magazine, you’ll see Miami University’s name in headlines. In a survey of over 2,000 schools, The Princeton Review places the entrepreneurship program at Miami 15th in the nation for undergraduate programs.

“It reflects on the prestige of Farmer School and its faculty,” said Joe Kowalkowski, a first year business major.

This review adds to the 20 distinguished teaching awards already held by the faculty of the Entrepreneurship program. The criterion for the rankings is based on teaching in the classroom, mentorship and immersion in real world experiences for students. Miami’s faculty is made up of professors who have entrepreneurship experience themselves and professors who are familiar with the academic side, Dr. Alan Oak, executive vice president for academic, said.

“I think FSB’s rank is so high amongst other business schools because the professors truly care. They carve students to become the best

For The Miami Student

critical thinkers as well as teach them how to be professional,” said Ty Simonton, undergraduate business major and member of Miami’s Entrepreneurship club.

Miami has five mentorship programs and 11 entrepreneurship organizations and clubs on campus. These are not only made up of business students, but draw students from all majors across the university to promote an environment with a wide variety of ideas similar to an ideal workplace, Oak said.

“It is an opportunity for an engineering student to learn skills techniques and concepts to help him or her take a passion that they have and enhance it and make it into something they can do when they graduate,” Oak said. “It is an outstanding program in that respect. It is a great opportunity for all Miami students.”

The entrepreneurship program in the Farmer School of Business allows students to engage in real-world client projects, internships in start-up companies and in the developing world and create their own businesses through the Red Hawk Hatchery, Dr. Brett Smith,

director of the entrepreneurship program said.

“We throw students into the deep end of the pool and the idea is that then they learn how to swim,” he said. “We want to give an outlet for students who want to leave campus and not work for someone else but start their own business.”

The Hatchery is a series of three courses where students can design and launch a business to enter into after graduation.

“We are trying to build the best undergraduate entrepreneurship program,” Smith said. “I think we are making great strides and the rankings are a reflection of that.”

Students are just as enthusiastic about the program’s high ranking.

“The ranking should help attract more companies to recruit our students, which is a bid deal for us since our economy is still suffering and job placement is down across the country,” Kowalkowski said.

Although the economy is never certain, the ranking by the Princeton Review is certain to affect the entrepreneurship program and Farmer School of Business in a positive way.

Construction and renovations continue at Miami University as the Fitness Center considers new upgrades not only for this year but also for the long run.

Nearly everyone who frequents the recreational center can agree that there is simply not enough space to get your daily grind on. Doug Curry, the Fitness Center director said that the current fitness center has about 1.5 square feet per potential user, which is much lower than the national average.

Miami sophomore Courtney Wilke said long waits at the rec can be frustrating.

“Every time I go to the rec center, there are waits for the cardio machines,” Wilke said.

“This forces me to go use the track upstairs, which can be even more crowded. The large crowd prevents me from getting in a quality workout.”

Curry says changes will be made in accordance with students’ needs and requests.

According to Curry, it will be a minimum of five years before any structural changes or additions will be made to the current rec center. Regular meetings are being held and preliminary

drafts of potential additions have been made. There is not yet a projected cost for the potential expansions.

“This isn’t a new idea or concept,” Curry said when asked about expanding and renovating the rec.

The fitness center currently views expansion and redistribution of space in terms of lean, or an evaluation of all current processes of how business and services are handled. According to Curry, when there is a waste in time or money, new processes are created to make the operation more efficient. For example, the customer service center area may be opened up and the pro shop will possibly be expanded using existing space. Curry said that a lot of projects are taken on according to LEAN, which makes it the most efficient process as possible.

The number of students visiting the rec center has increased in the past few years – a number currently averaging 3,000 per day. According to Curry, the student’s needs are always put first.

This year, the rec welcomes several new pieces of equipment, classes and technical upgrades. Curry emphasized how important it is for the fitness center to stay on the cutting edge of fitness, saying

that the rec receives anywhere from three to ten new pieces of equipment a year. New treadmills have been ordered for the cardio room and the TRX suspension training classes begin in October. Stereo systems have been upgraded and iPod players have been purchased for group fitness instructors.

These, among other things, are the newest additions to the fitness center.

Curry said there is more to the recreational sports center than the workout areas.

The Outdoor Pursuit Center has equipment for rent such as canoes, bikes and fishing poles and this year, it is sending students on three international adventure trips.

Withrow Court, which was the Rec Center that preceded the current fitness center, is now home to many club sports as well as functioning indoor facilities for softball and many other university sports. The equestrian facility is also part of the recreational sports center.

When Curry arrived at Miami University in 1995, roughly 50 to 60 group fitness classes were offered.

Now, that number tops 100. Miami’s fitness center is continually morphing and changing into a functional unit for students and its other members.

COMMUNITY

JUSTIN REASH SARAH SIDLOW

COMMUNITY@miamistudent.net

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

3

POLICE

BEAT Hamilton campus buys building Delta Zeta reports damage to benches At 1 p.m. Friday, a Delta Zeta sorority employee told officers two teak wood benches located in the rear yard of the a sorority’s headquarters building were damaged. Both arms were broken off both benches and found on the ground in the area around the benches.

There are no suspects.

Female reports multiple incidents Around 1:15 on Saturday, a female Miami University student reported several incidents on her property on East Vine Street in the last few weeks. Around Sept. 10, a wooden porch with cushions was taken from her porch.

She and her roommates suspected that this might have been a joke from a friend.

Two weeks later, someone tried to kick her side door causing a large hole that is still waiting to be repaired by the landlord. The most recent occurrence happened overnight in the victim’s living room. The female and her roommates stated they all went to bed on the second floor around 2 a.m. When they came downstairs the next morning, picture frames, their Time Warner cable box and a sorority poster had all been taken. They believe the door was locked overnight but they were unable to say for certain, according to police reports. There was no sign of forced entry and there are currently no suspects.

By Sarah Sidlow Asst. Community Editor

The Miami University Board of Trustees has approved an $850,000 bid on a building that will expand the Miami University Hamilton campus. The property was the site of the Richard Allen Academy. It was the school’s only academic building, housing an elementary school grades K-6, according to Principal Alita Benson.

The academy chose not

to outbid Miami University and is currently looking for another site, which may prove to be an economic stretch. The real challenge, according to Benson, will be to find another building in the same area. Benson stressed her concern over losing current students to the potential change in location.

Miami currently has no concrete plans for the building, according to Perry Richardson, Communications Officer for Miami-Hamilton.

The addition will extend the Hamilton campus beyond University Hall, where the Nursing and Business Technology programs are held, to University Boulevard at the end of the block.

“It’s always made sense,” Richardson said.

“But it wasn’t for sale. It was cost-prohibited and we got a better deal on it in this economy. The right time presented itself and it made sense; obviously the board agrees.”

The opportunity could

not have come at a better time.

“Given enrollment projections and planning for future space, we’re going to need it,” Richardson said.

The Hamilton campus is near capacity for classroom space and at capacity for lab space in some disciplines, according to Richardson.

The university may decide to move Campus Kids, the daycare program, into the new space to open up Schwarm Hall and expand the student center.

Funds for the purchase

Additional reporting by Katie Johnson

Car crashes into Miami Village Apartments Website combines payments

By Jessica Barga

For The Miami Student

ANDREW BRAY THE MIAMI STUDENT

An Oxford Police Department officer takes photos of the car that crashed into the Miami Village Apartment complex early Saturday morning. A drunk driver went through the guardrail and into the building. No injuries were reported.

By Sarah Sidlow

Asst. Community Editor

At approximately 2:30 a.m. Saturday, David Miller, a recent Miami graduate, was walking back to his girlfriend’s apartment at the Miami Village Apartments.

His night took an unexpected turn when he heard a loud noise and saw a wall of dust.

“It sounded like a bomb went off,” Miller said. “But I realized that was probably pretty unlikely.”

Miller and his girlfriend ran across the parking lot to the source of the noise. A car had driven through the wall of the building and into an apartment on the first floor, all the way to the trunk. The front two tires were resting on the bed belonging to the apartment’s resident.

“The person who lived there worked at 45 [East Bar & Grill], so they were still at work. If someone had been there, they definitely would have died,” Miller said.

Miller, who worked at Miami for two years as a resident assistant, checked the apartment to see if anyone was home. He called 911 as he watched the driver and passenger climb out of the car.

“Their arms were all bloody. They climbed out the side and onto the top of the car. They were obviously hammered,” Miller said.

“It was such a weird thing to watch. They started wandering around and trying to walk away.”

The car had dragged the guardrail up to the side of the building and Miller

had the driver and passenger stay against it until the police came.

“I’m sure the 911 call would be hilarious to listen to. I was trying to explain what happened, and at the same time I was yelling at them to stay put,” Miller said.

The Oxford Police arrived four or five minutes later. In all, there were about six police cars, two wreckers, an ambulance and a fire truck, according to Miller.

“I was very thankful for my RA training,” Miller said. “It helped me stay calm and handle the situation.”

Police reports indicate that the white Chevy Malibu split the guardrail at the intersection of Campus Avenue and Chestnut Street. The car drove into

apartment 114 and came to rest on the bed.

The driver, Justin Rauss, 21, had some cuts on his hands. Rauss had no other visible signs of injury and refused transportation to McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital. The responding officer smelled alcohol on Rauss’ breath and realized he had slurred speech and at times was incoherent, according to reports. Rauss was wearing wristbands from bars and claimed he had nothing to drink.

He failed several sobriety checks and was arrested on charges of drunk driving..

When police checked Rauss’ car, they found a pipe under the driver’s seat with residue of marijuana in it. Rauss was also charged with having drug paraphernalia.

Elections director sentenced in break-in

By Lauren Hetzel For The Miami Student

E-mail Julia at

came from the Capital Improvement fund in the Hamilton Campus account.

Richardson is unsure whether more money will be required for renovations on the building. This decision depends on what the building will ultimately be used for. The building is already set up for classroom spaces, an additional, and potentially cost-saving perk for Miami.

Former Butler County Elections Director Tippi Slaughter avoided jail time Wednesday after being found guilty on charges of stealing $1,700 from the Butler County Democratic Party.

Instead, Slaughter received five years probation and 60 hours of community service in a six-month period.

In August, Slaughter pleaded guilty to two charges of theft in office.

Both are fourth degree felonies.

She was indicted June 22 following a June 12 break-in investigation at the party’s office.

Slaughter’s boyfriend at the time, James C. Schmidt Jr., 47, was charged with the break-in.

“We were alerted [that Slaughter had stolen the money] from the police after they had made the discovery,” said Kathy Wyendant, chair of the Central Committee for the Butler County Democrats.

Wyendant said Slaughter had given no indication that criminal activity was in the future.

“There were no signs,” Wyendant said. “It was completely a surprise.”

Miami University junior Rachel Keesey said, “She was stealing public money and there’s really no excuse for that. She has to be held

personally accountable for whatever happens.”

Although she pleaded guilty, Slaughter argued that her ex-boyfriend, James C. Schmidt Jr., forced her to steal the money.

Court records also cite an addiction to prescription pain medications as a contributing factor to Slaughters actions.

“Obviously, that might have contributed to why she did it. But it’s not like she was stealing from another person, she was stealing from Butler County citizens,” Keesey said.

“She did repay the money immediately,” Wyendant said.

Slaughter has since made restitutions to the party,

as well.

Additionally, Slaughter has resigned from both her position and the Butler County Democrats.

Slaughter’s sentence also requires her to get a job and to pay both a $25 per month supervision fee and her court costs.

She must also go through a substance abuse assessment.

“A number of things can happen, if she violates probation depending on how egregious that violation,” Probation Officer Wayne Gilkison said.

For Slaughter, a probation violation would result in being sent to jail for the 18-month sentence hanging over her head.

For students struggling to remember to pay rent, utilities and other expenses each month, there is hope.

Rentshare.com is a new website designed to consolidate monthly payments among roommates.

According to Ian Halpern, co-founder and president of the company, the website is a social online rent payment service that lets you pay online [and] split and share with roommates and also split and share expenses such as groceries.

Users can sign up online, add their roommate information and associate their account with a credit card or bank account.

“We become the middleman,” Halpern said. “One person usually collects all the money, [but] we send the one payment to the landlord.”

At the end of the month, money is drawn directly from each roommate’s associated bank account and the money is pooled into one check for the final payment.

Halpern said the idea had humble origins.

“The idea came about two years ago,” Halpern said. “I was living in New York City and I was running out of checks and stamps. I decided to try and build into this more.”

He said that using the site to collect payments relieves any stress inherent with peers handling money.

Rentshare.com has been beta-tested for about a year, Halpern said, with a public site that launched last week.

“We’re expecting to grow pretty quickly,” Halpern said.

There are currently about 200 users.

Miami University students say the site sounds helpful and convenient.

“When your bills come it’s always a hassle, and I think it would work really well,” senior Katie Burger, who currently lives offcampus, said.

First year Gabriella Simeone believes that if she moves off-campus in the future, she will definitely keep the site in mind.

“Everything’s going so digital and tech-based, I’m sure it will gain a lot of popularity.” Simeone said. “I think it’s just one less thing to worry about if you know your money is going to the right place [each month].”

4

OPINION

Editors Noëlle Bernard Thomasina Johnson

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

editorial@miamistudent.net

EDITORIAL The following piece, written by the editorial editors, reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board.

Students, community must come together to create school pride

PATRICK GEYSER THE MIAMI STUDENT

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Denial of WBC promotes safe learning environment I sent a letter to The Miami Student following last Tuesday’s announcement that Shirley Phelps-Roper of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) would be visiting Oxford. I was informed by the editorial staff – and a subsequent Miami Student article — that this announcement was premature and that Ms. Phelps-Roper is not, in fact, invited to speak to any class or audience at Miami.

Since that time, the Westboro Baptist Church announced on their website that they are planning a protest on our campus for Oct. 25.

WBC’s website refers to Miami University’s students as “cowards” for not espousing

the group’s extremist views on homosexuality, religion and politics.

I hope others in the Miami community share both my disgust that WBC views tolerance as a flaw and my enthusiasm that our faculty, administration and student body care more about a safe learning environment than promoting an agenda of hatred. While I’m not excited for the prospect of witnessing WBC’s hateful practices firsthand, I take solace in the fact that Miami is a place which values the same rationality and tolerance that Westboro Baptist Church abhors. I’d much rather be protested by zealots and bigots than give

them an audience.

I’m a straight, rational, practicing Christian who supports gay rights and condemns hate speech. I also support the First Amendment, even the unfortunate provision that it protects bigoted actions like those exercised by the Westboro Baptist Church. If these facts about me make me a target for their protest, I welcome their screaming. Because it only highlights how fortunate I am to be part of a community that does not give voice to such hatred.

Andrew Troller

trolleaf@muohio.edu

WRITE US! 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.

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

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

JUSTIN REASH COMMUNITY 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.

Saturday, Bowling Green State University (BGSU) defeated the Miami University RedHawk football team with a final score of 37-23. While the loss was disappointing, the team has many more opportunities to regain their wins. The RedHawks have two consecutive home games, with next Saturday’s game against the University of Cincinnati.

Although Miami lost the game, the attendance was extraordinary. The game was sold out, with 20,828 people, the third-largest crowd since Yager Stadium was renovated in 2005.

Tailgate Town was also well attended and the many enthusiastic fans helped promote school spirit.

Going to college football games and tailgates are a classic part of a college experience. The atmosphere of camaraderie

is essential for building up school spirit and pride.

The football game is not just limited to the players — many members of the Miami community are affected, as well. Cheerleaders, coaches, support staff, the band and the university as a whole are represented with each football game.

Students, parents, alumni and community members must reach out to the football team and the university and support them by attending games. It can be viewed as disrespectful to not only the football players, but everyone else involved in the team, if attendance is low at games.

The Miami community must not give up on the RedHawks because of a slow start to the season.

Don Treadwell is a firstyear coach, and it is to be expected that with a new

leader, players are still getting used to a new system. Fans must realize that there will continue to be growing pains for the team this season.

Now, more than ever, student support is vital for the success of not only RedHawk athletics, but the university as well . Associated Student Government (ASG) and the Resident Hall Association (RHA), as well as the Greek community and other student organizations must reach out to promote athletics on every level, not just football. With strong outreach, organization and student inclusion, Miami athletic events can become an important part in many more students’ college experiences. School pride can be infectious and spread like wildfire: all it needs is a little push and some faith in the next game.

Rule of Thumb Crashing a car into a Miami Village apartment Roads were made for a reason. In this case, thankfully no one was injured.

Family weekend It was great to see so many parents all over campus reliving their glory days.

Families overcrowding uptown It was impossible to find parking, the wait for a restaurant averaged about 40 minutes and Kroger looked like Apocalypse Now.

Food truck Soon students will be chasing down food like an ice cream truck.

Global Rhythms concert The attendance was great. So many people came out to support and enjoy the concert.

Dying Honey Bees worldwide At least we won’t have to run away from bee stings.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011 OPINION

STRATEGICALLY SPEAKING

ORIANA’S OBSERVATION

In the 2008 Presidential Election, Hillary Clinton’s ambition to capture delegates, states and votes was well implemented. The actual result of her success was minimal.

She just didn’t have enough to overcome Obama’s lead.

On June 7, 2008, Clinton ended her campaign and endorsed our current president, Barack Obama, for the remainder of the election.

In summer 2010 while I was in Washington, D.C., I had the pleasure of interviewing Mary Katharine Ham, The Weekly Standard staff writer and Fox News contributor. Ham shared her expertise on the ClintonObama match up. “Obama was treated as a celebrity — Hillary came with too much baggage, McCain came with all the Bush baggage, but Obama was just this cool guy, so transcendent.”

Today, President Obama’s ratings have plummeted, reasons pertaining to the financial crisis, economic and unemployment disparity, unfavorable foreign policy negotiations, to name a few.

And ironically, according to a recent Bloomberg poll, Hillary Clinton is the nation’s most popular political figure. Clinton has a 64 percent favorable rating in comparison to the president’s 50 percent rating.

According to the Quinnipiac University Poll, 51 percent of the nation feels the Democratic president

ESSAY MICHELLE LUDWIN ludwinma@muohio.edu

#ReclaimYourTV #ThingsPeopleDoThatGetMeMad, #2thingsIKnow, BULLYING IS FOR LOSERS, #peoplealways, were a few of the top Twitter trends on Sunday afternoon in the United States.

But these trend lists only remain for a few hours and then something gets promoted and knocks a word or phrase off the list. An entire college has even been known to start hashtagging words and it will end up on the trending list. Trending is a huge factor for Twitter.

It is like what Heidi Klum says on her show Project Runway, “In the world of fashion, one day you are in and the next day you are out.” On Twitter it is no different, a trend can be popular for several hours or a day and then another scandalous story breaks and trumps everything else.

ESSAY J. Daniel Watkins watkindj@muohio.edu

When the announcement came that the religion department dropped its proposal to bring the spokeswoman from Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) onto campus, I felt disappointed. As if, for all their interest, they had decided the scathing public eye was too much. The feelings of those involved were ostracized to the point that this proposal was undone. It is always sad to see public opinion kill the pursuit of reasonable interest.

To think that at a college level, professors were pressured so intensely to turn away from their goals or ideas is discomforting. The group cry of ‘don’t let in the hate group’ is based on the same sentiment.

5

Oriana Pawlyk

JESSICA SINK

How far have women really come in politics?

‘Seward’s Folly’ teaches lessons on making tough decisions

doesn’t “deserve” a second term, while only 41 percent would re-elect him.

Clinton has made statements saying that after serving as Secretary of State for the Obama Administration’s first term, she will leave her post. Where will we see Clinton next then? What would this country look like if she won in 2008? Or an even better question: what if she ran again?

Many articles hit the web this past week on why she should or should not run again, but Clinton remains focused on her current job.

She’s also made a stance on a new position: to urge a greater female role in politics.

Speaking last week to the United Nation’s General Assembly, Clinton said, “When we liberate the economic potential of women, we elevate the economic performance of communities, nations and the world.”

But Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s first female president joined in saying, “Despite notable progress, gender inequality persists.”

The United States may have Clinton, a fierce politician who seems to always keep her guard up against anyone, male or female, and also three women sitting on the Supreme Court. But Rousseff makes a point to women everywhere: where’s the recognition?

According to Stephanie Coontz, author of A Strange

Stirring: The Feminine Mystique and American Women at the Dawn of the 1960s and a CNN contributing writer, “Women now earn more B.A.’s and M.A.’s than men do, and they have pulled even in Ph.D’s.”

Education levels and experience are mutually exclusive entities from gender dominance. Yet atop the economic, political and educational world, men tend to establish themselves and will dominate to delay a female presence if necessary.

Even with go-getters like Clinton, there are setbacks.

In an article I wrote last year, “Women take charge in new economy,” I evaluated a study that explained the change in regime due to the current economic crisis.

Men were losing jobs, women not as often, so women took on new responsibilities and job positions.

Still seven months later, with “women on the rise” so to speak, the numbers say the positive thing, but the feelings say another.

Men work hard, but females have made their presence known. Not to say women should always be the dominant force and depose men, but there should not be a culture shock when a woman takes charge in her business, political position or if one day a woman becomes president. Take the job for what it is: well earned and well deserved.

In 1867, financial difficulties in Russia contributed to its willingness to sell some of its land possessions in North America. U.S. Secretary of State William Henry Seward saw an opportunity for something great. Although Seward could not have imagined the great value of the land next to Canada, he understood the importance of U.S. territorial expansion. At his instigation, the U.S. Senate approved the purchase of Alaska, 586,000 square miles of land, from Russia for $7.2 million on Aug. 1, 1867.

Alaska is known today as a great American treasure, not only providing beautiful landscapes and amazing wildlife, but also great natural resources like oil and gold.

However, Seward was ridiculed for most of his life after his push for the purchase of the land. Known as “Seward’s Folly” and “Seward’s Icebox,” the purchase of Alaska was thought foolish and irresponsible because it seemed only a cold wasteland, with nothing valuable to offer.

Today, a statue stands in honor of William Henry Seward in Seward, Alaska to show appreciation for his forward thinking and his understanding of a good bargain. The statue is engraved, “When asked what the most significant act of his career was, Seward declared, ‘The purchase of Alaska. But it will take a generation to find out.’”

Established as the 49th state in 1959, “The Last Frontier” is twice as large as the state of Texas and an extremely valuable asset to the United States. It would not have even been part of America if not for the insistence of a man named Seward.

Like William Seward, we all have choices and sometimes have to make unpopular

them get through the current economic slump. Right now, more than anything, the U.S. needs a leader who will not only be honest with the American people, but also have the courage to sometimes make the difficult decisions required to keep America safe and prosperous.

For the rest of us, in life, the paths are not always going

Sometimes hard decisions in the moment prove beneficial in the long run and just because a decision is unpopular does not mean it is wrong.” decisions. It takes courage for a leader to make a decision that goes against the status quo. To be honest or take an unpopular route is difficult and it takes a strong person to handle criticism. The story of the purchase of Alaska shows that sometimes hard decisions in the moment prove beneficial in the long run. Just because a decision is unpopular does not mean it is wrong.

With political tension high, the American people are gearing up for a long and exhausting campaign season. With a majority of Americans frustrated and angry with elected officials, the prospect of more arguing in Washington may not be particularly pleasant.

According to a Bloomberg National Poll conducted Sept.

9-12, more than four in 10 Americans have given up hope in Washington’s ability to help

to be clear. The decisions are not always going to be easy and the results are not always going to be as expected. Yet, with preparation and an understanding of goals, there can be confidence in any decision. A sign of a true leader is one willing sometimes to take the demanding path to achieve success.

When faced with the unknown, stay true to yourself and your convictions. Remember Seward and all the other figures of history that were laughed at, mocked and bullied for what they believed and the choices they made. Have courage, and be a leader who questions, innovates, and dreams in light of adversity. “Seward’s Folly” proved one of the greatest purchases in American history. What are you going to achieve?

The pursuit of popular trends, college bonding only a hashtag away I would like to take the time to look back over the first month of school and denote some hash-tagging or trending events that have occurred on Miami University’s campus. #Freshman. It will happen every year until this world ends or as soon as we begin using the newest and latest social media site. The weekend before school resumed and the first week of classes, Twitter was full of first year hash-tags. Regarding how first-years run in packs, wear lanyards around their necks and somehow get lost in Oxford, Ohio. Thank you to first-years for keeping us upperclassmen amused before our own life problems start to unravel. #RealWorldStruggles.

If you live off campus,

everything at first can seem like a first world struggle. You have to grocery shop, Time Warner Cable refuses to install Internet for a whole week and the water heater needs to be replaced two times in one week. During these times, you can have a small relapse into how easy it was to live in a dorm, but that relapse only occurs for about half a second.

These first world struggles only occur about once a month when bills come and some have to decide whether to eat for the day or use that money for the bars Uptown. Bars: 1 Students: 0. #ClubKing. Already after the first week of classes, King Library was jammed packed with students studying and doing homework. The library is always joyous on a Sunday afternoon or night because it

is when people realize school starts up the next day and they actually might want to finish their Anthropology book. And then you have people who just want a coffee and spend five hours attempting to study, talking with their friends and checking Facebook all at the same time. It is always an adventure in “Club King,” but if you do not already know, third floor and the hidden cubicles in the children’s library are the golden gems to get work done.

If those are taken, I hope you brought headphones to drown out all of the noise. #CareerFair. This is one of the most stressful days of the entire year for several groups of students. You need to attend pre-recruiting events, have the correct attire, memorize your elevator speech and smile a lot. It is the one day

of the year when you want everything to go perfectly. It either crashes and burns or the company asks you back for another interview. Students learn patience from having to wait in line for over 20 minutes to hand over the perfectly crafted resume and woo recruiters. Being asked back for another interview makes wearing uncomfortable heels completely worth it. Stressing, highlighting the career fair booklet and researching each firm pays off in the end. You just have to keep telling yourself that over and over and over again. #FamilyWeekend.

This past weekend was full of events and certainly lots of families strolling through Oxford. This is also the weekend where some students clean their homes for the first time

and maybe actually cook a meal on their stove. There might be a lot going on during the weekend, but it is time well-spent with the family. As we continue to grow up and spread our wings, we will not have a weekend set aside every year for family — minus all major holidays and family events. Be thankful your family trekked their way to Oxford.

Remember this weekend only happens four times in your collegiate career.

There have certainly been more trending events on and off campus this year. And there will be more to come as the semester moves along. These events are more than just the hash-tag we give to them on Twitter. Just remember, they might be important today, but they certainly might not be important tomorrow.

Injustice for injustice is only pushing further down the wrong road Hatred. And if all this cycle perpetuates is hatred, where on earth do we go? Where do people who want to ask questions, who want to inject reason into the conversation fit in? The answer is they don’t.

They drown out. They hope that small articles help people see things in a light that won’t push everyone to the point of yelling.

In Plato’s Republic, Socrates and Polemarchus discuss the notion of justice and it arrives at an interesting point when Socrates asks the following question: “Then people who are harmed must become more unjust?” Polemarchus answers in the affirmative that it seems that way. The thinking

goes like this: if you are to do an injustice towards an entity for being unjust, is this not another injustice? In relevance here, we have the already perceived hateful (unjust) group of WBC. Furthermore, the reaction of the community was to inject a large level of shame into the air surrounding the invitation. This is injustice number two. People were not even willing to allow this person a chance to speak in an academic non-public forum.

Instead, those opposed espoused the position of hating the hated. We end up with people showing off their signs to one another from across the street. And while a protest holds value all on its own,

it has been made clear that people here are angry. When we started with a position of hate, one that is necessarily based on emotion, we have to apply something unruly to a form of rule. As we’ve seen here, WBC feels they have been denied and will now seek retaliation. They mention specifically on their website that they feel there is a form of academic injustice done by not allowing a truly open exchange.

This is interesting further, because had the original plan for an interview gone through, they would have agreed to not picket the campus in any way.

I know that a lot of people avoid seeing it in this light because it is easy to disavow

protecting speech by proxy.

For example, if speech is hateful, and I dislike hate, I therefore disapprove of hateful speech. But this is a poor reasoning. This operates similarly to how WBC does. Instead of saying that these are opinions they hold and have consciously arrived at, they express only their desire to remain close to God and his Word. Don’t let your defense be that hate is bad. This is beneficial to no one.

In a structure of political society that is based entirely on the ability to share opinions (that’s why it’s amendment number one!), nobody can express enough the importance of this. No matter how much

you disagree with an opinion, you have no right to keep it from being heard. No matter how much you disagree with what they say and I wholeheartedly encourage this disagreement, you have to realize that if they weren’t allowed a venue to say it, it’d amount to nothing being said at all. Nobody is asking you to adopt a position outside your own.

Just for a second think about WBC as the weird kid in school. A solution is to hope the weird kid will go away, nobody will pay attention and everyone will forget. Take heed, because this is a good example of how the weird kid isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

6

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7

Gospel singers hope to inspire with music

By Lisa Reymann

For The Miami Student

The message is simple: they are at your service. Through the power and passion of song, the Miami University Gospel Singers (MUGS) hold true that from the spreading and singing of the word of God, anything is possible. This past Saturday, MUGS put on their annual Parent’s Weekend concert at the Oxford Bible Fellowship Church with an event filled with much more than just singing.

MUGS got its start as an organi-

zation in the 1970s from the simple desire by both students and faculty to find a means of “lifting up the name of Jesus and to share his grace,” as written in the group’s mission statement. And of course, do it all through the wonders of music. Once every week, the group meets to do just that.

Will Tillman is a senior music major who has been singing with the group since he was a first year.

“It’s nice to sing with my peers and have a common goal to focus on God. If you have a bad day, you come and sing and it really sets you up for a good rest of the week.” Tillman said.

As the concert began, the group proved they could do more than just sing. Students first took the stage with a stepping routine entitled “Step

By Design.” These “Christ Steppers” used their entire bodies to form a percussive rhythm in the form of claps, steps and chants. Next, two students performed their own choreography alongside a sign language interpreter to create a “Praise Dance.” Both groups gave stunning representations of how worship doesn’t necessarily need words to portray spirituality.

The last portion of the performance involved the Gospel Singers and a

smaller group of singers called the “Praise Team.” Songs such as “Our God Is Greater” and “Tú Estás Aqui” evoked such emotion, audience members rose to their feet to participate. In between songs, representatives from MUGS offered up prayers and encouragements to both God and the people within the church.

What stood out most was the happiness everyone had for being with their friends and family, being in that space and having the ability to give thanks and praise for being alive and for being with their God. Sophomore Amy Cameron

attended this concert, as well as others in the past. “I love how praise worthy everything is to God. You can just feel the love coming out of everyone when they sing,” Cameron said.

The performers presented themselves with great hospitality and were warm and welcoming to everyone in attendance. Personal beliefs were not required to check in at the door, only the willingness to lend an ear for an hour to hear what the group had to say. It was a deep and moving show that truly reflected all the singers’ and dancers’ efforts in making it enjoyable and meaningful.

Miami theater department hosts award-winning alumnus

By Christina Casano

For The Miami Student

LIZ HAERING THE MIAMI STUDENT

SUNDAY STRINGS The Oxford Trio performs Sunday afternoon at the Oxford Community Arts Center.

Every year, the Theater Department at Miami University makes a great effort to bring in guest artists from around the world. The best-received guests are often those that make their impact close to home. Yesterday and today, the department is hosting 1991 alumnus Chip Walton.

Walton is the founder and Artistic Director of Curious Theatre Company in Denver, Colo., which he created in 1997.

A major factor in his desire to start a theatre company was that he wanted to have more of a voice in the artistic process.

“I’m not interested in theatre as just entertainment,” Walton said. “I use theatre to make people think about the world in which they live in new and different ways.”

The Curious Theatre Company is dedicated to bringing new, developing shows to Denver.

Walton believes that new works extend beyond world premieres.

“We won’t produce something already done in Colorado,” Walton said.

Walton expressed that there are very few exceptions to the rule. Walton and Curious Theatre Company have both won numerous local and national awards, making them important resources for theatre students at Miami.

Walton said his visit is a great opportunity to give back to Miami.

“I had such a great experience in the theatre department and at Miami,” Walton said. “The opportunity to give back and share my experiencewithstudentsisexciting.”

He will be sharing his experiences in the theatre profession with students on Monday at a lunch as well as at a workshop on Tuesday.

It’s important for young artists to know that they can take charge of their own lives in theater.”

CHIP WALTON

MIAMI THEATER ALUMNUS

“I hope to communicate that it is possible, and, in cases, powerful to create your own work in the sometimes brutal profession that is theatre,” Walton said.

It can be daunting for students to look to the future outside of a university setting.

Walton knows of many involved in theatre that have struggled.

“It’s important for young artists to know that they can take charge of their own lives in theatre.”

Walton said.

His visit marks the first in an unofficial series of guest artists and workshops made possible by the Theater Department.

Femme fatales emerge from shadows at Miami art museum

By Emily Ketterer For The Miami Student

Femme fatale is a classic Hollywood genre of film noir wrought with crime, drama, seedy characters, rich cinematic texture and dark, shadowy moods. The Miami University Art Museum is currently hosting a film series about the beautiful, mysterious femme fatales of the 1940s and 1950s.

Professor Shira Chess of Miami University’s communications department has organized the Femme Fatale Film Series in conjunction with Miami University’s Art Museum exhibit Out of the Shadows: The Rise of Women in Art. The era of film noir highlights a time in United States history when women were literally and figuratively emerging out of the shadows and taking on new roles both on and off screen.

Before World War II and film noir, women were playing roles in film that were melodramatic and predictable. But the femme fatales of film noir are dangerous and exciting.

Chess selected each movie in the series to examine four different types of femme fatales. Phyllis of Double Indemnity (the first film in the series) is strong, calculated and manipulative.

“In some ways, these are really horrible, negative characters but at the same time they were really pushing the kinds of roles that women could have forward, both on and off screen,” Chess said. “It was dealing with insecurities in our country and at the same time making opportunities.”

Ronald Scott, a communications professor, is introducing the first film in the series. He said black and white films allow you to see light

and shadow more so than in color films. Light narrates the world in which these femme fatales live.

The texture and the mood of these

Scott also said you couldn’t truly appreciate color movies until you see what happens in black and white. To him, these films pull you

Giving the opportunity to see films as a community can create a different type of dynamic on campus. We can create a culture of movie-goers and critics.”

Shira Chess

COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSOR

films mimic the dark and the light worlds that we all inhabit, making the films real and gritty.

“If you have never seen noir before, its so rich,” Scott said. “It doesn’t matter what you know or don’t know, it just opens the door for analysis. They are such fun movies to play with.”

in, make you feel and really make you to think.

After each film, there will be an optional 30-minute discussion in which students and faculty have an opportunity to converse about various aspects of the film. These forums will allow the audience to delve deeper and really think

about what they have just watched.

Chess looks at the films she selected as media artifacts that give us a look into history. She organized this film series after noticing the lack of opportunities around Oxford to view different types of media critically.

“Giving the opportunity to see films as a community can create a different type of dynamic on campus. We can create a culture of movie-goers and critics,” Chess said.

Double Indemnity, the first film in the series, is being shown at 7 p.m. this Thursday at the Art Museum.

Subsequent films include Miss Sadie Thompson (Oct. 20), Detour (Nov. 3) and Kiss Me Deadly (Nov. 17). The series is free to attend for all.

For more information about the film series go to Miami Art Museum’s website.

8

SPORTS

Editor Michael Solomon

sports@miamistudent.net

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

JM RIEGER

RedHawks fall to Falcons

the rieger report

hockey does not miss a beat

By JM Rieger Staff Writer

The Miami University football team lost the turnover battle for the third time in as many games, falling to Bowling Green State University 37-23 on Saturday. The loss drops the RedHawks to 0-3 on the year, while the Falcons improved to 3-1.

Saturday’s Family Weekend contest brought more than 20,000 fans out to Yager Stadium, the third largest crowd since the stadium was renovated in 2005.

The Red and White held Bowling Green to 310 yards of total offense, over 200 yards below their season average, but they were not able to overcome a Falcon squad that used field position and a veteran receiving corps to their advantage, especially in the second half.

“We didn’t come to play today,” junior defensive lineman Austin Brown said. “They were the better team and that’s why we lost the game.”

Bowling Green’s average starting field position was nearly seven yards more than Miami’s, which made a huge difference especially following some of the costly turnovers the RedHawks committed throughout the game.

“They came out and they just played way better than us today,” redshirt junior quarterback Zac Dysert said. “We didn’t come out ready to play.

We weren’t on the same page that’s what killed us the most

JESSI THORNE THE MIAMI STUDENT

Junior quarterback Zac Dysert releases the football as Bowling Green State University’s Chris Jones closes in during Saturday’s game.

I feel like. Offensively, getting signals from the sideline, running the right routes — no one was on the same page.”

Despite early mistakes by both squads, Miami trailed by only three at the half following a 45-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Mason Krysinski, the longest of his career. A 72-yard kickoff return by sophomore cornerback Dayonne Nunley opened the second half for the Red and White, but the ’Hawks failed to capitalize when a pitch play on fourth and goal to redshirt sophomore running back Erik Finklea was stuffed by the Falcon defense.

Bowling Green then marched down the field on a 16-play drive that was capped off with a seven-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Matt Schiltz to senior wide out Jordan Kamar. This gave the Falcons

a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Miami answered with a touchdown of their own to start the fourth, but a 96-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Anthon Samuel put the exclamation point on what would become a 14-point victory for the Falcons.

“Bowling Green is an explosive team,” Head Coach Don Treadwell said. “We had some momentum and if we were able to capitalize on that I think it would have made a difference in the game in terms of a momentum change, [but] they stepped up and made plays when they needed to.”

Junior center JoJo Williams missed the game Saturday, which had a huge impact on an offensive line unit that gave up six sacks against Bowling Green, after only allowing four through the first two games. Redshirt

sophomore offensive lineman John Anevski filled in for Williams, while freshman Marcus Matthews got the start at left guard.

Sophomore wide receiver Nick Harwell racked up his second straight 100-yard game, catching eight balls for 139 yards, while Finklea led all rushers with 25 yards on nine carries. Defensively, redshirt senior linebacker Ryan Kennedy led the team with eight tackles, while redshirt senior safety Anthony Kokal had seven takedowns to go with a forced fumble.

Miami will now look forward to this Saturday when they welcome the University of Cincinnati to Oxford in the annual Battle for the Victory Bell.

“We were really hungry today,” Brown said. “Our focus is Cincinnati [now] as soon as the game [was] over.”

Miami splits opening weekend MAC games

By Chris Hopkins For the miami Student

The Miami University women’s soccer team opened their 2011 Mid-American Conference (MAC) season in Kent, Ohio against the Kent State University Golden Flashes.

Both teams had to deal with rainy and muddy conditions on the field but the RedHawks were able to leave the rain soaked field with a 2-1 victory. The game started slowly as both teams were scoreless in the first half but 52 seconds after the break, sophomore Katy Dolesh scored her fourth goal of the year. Then 30 minutes later, Kayla Zakrzewski added to her powerful sophomore campaign by scoring her team leading sixth goal of the season and giving the Red and White a 2-0 lead.

A testament to Kent State’s raw effort, they went down swinging as they were able to score in the 87th minute but it was too little too late and redshirt freshman goalie Allison Norrenberg was on point and ended the late rally.

This was Miami’s first MAC victory of the season.

“The kids played very well,” Head Coach Bobby Kramig said. “It’s always difficult playing up here and even more difficult today because it rained all day and the field was swampy creating difficult conditions. They did a great job of staying on task, keeping their composure and playing composed. They worked hard and earned this one. I’m very proud of them.”

Norrenberg continued her dominance between the posts

in Buffalo, N.Y. Sunday by tying a career high with five saves but unfortunately for the ’Hawks, they needed one more. The RedHawks game against the University at Buffalo was a real defensive battle as they were scoreless going into overtime. A mere 1:18 into overtime, Buffalo’s Aubrey Stahl received a pass from Taylor Thompson and blasted a shot by Norrenberg.

Miami had a lot of difficulty on the offensive side of the ball, as they were only able to amass one shot on goal in the first half and three in

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the second.

“We certainly gave a good effort in the game,” Kramig said. “The kids played hard and fought for it. It was a difficult Sunday game. There was a lot of crashing around on the field; neither team could really get control of the ball.”

The RedHawks are back on the field Friday for their MAC home opener against Ball State University. Sunday, the Red and White will host the defending MAC regular season champs, the University of Toledo Rockets.

Last year my colleague, Adam Hainsfurther, wrote a column titled “Is this the end of ‘Ricoville?” that called for Miami University’s Head Hockey Coach, Enrico Blasi, to be fired following an early NCAA tournament departure.

Despite the disappointing end to last year’s season, the Red and White enter the 2011-2012 season ranked No. 1 in the nation

by College Hockey News (CHN) even after losing All-Americans Andy Miele and Carter Camper from last year’s squad.

Before we get to Hainsfurther’s ridiculous suggestion that we should fire Rico, let’s take a trip down memory lane and remind ourselves what this team has accomplished under Coach Blasi.

Blasi not only is the winningest hockey coach in Miami history, but he has also led his team to the highest winning percentage of any team in college hockey over the past six seasons.

Blasi has won the CCHA Coach of the Year Award four times, the second most in league history and has led Miami to six straight 20-win seasons.

Blasi has done more for Miami, and specifically Miami athletics, than many alumnus will ever do for their alma mater in their lifetime, yet calls from students and alumni like Hainsfurther to fire one of the most successful coaches ever at Miami does nothing but set back this great university.

Despite an early tournament exit last season, the RedHawks brought home their first CCHA Tournament title and had their first Hobey Baker Award winner when Miele took home the top hockey player award last April.

The Red and White boast one of the best goalie tandems in all of college hockey

in Cody Reichard and Connor Knapp, not to mention a lineup that is full of veterans and playmakers.

Miami will once again face one of the toughest schedules in college hockey, facing off against three teams ranked in the CHN top 10.

This Sunday’s exhibition matchup against the University of Windsor will tell fans a lot about this year’s squad, but I do not expect them to miss a beat.

The ’Hawks have both the experience and the drive this season to make a run not only at another Mason Cup, but also at the University’s first NCAA national championship.

Hainsfurther places all of the blame for the ’Hawks inability to win in the postseason on Blasi, while ignoring the fact that sometimes teams choke or do not live up to expectations, regardless of how well the coach prepares his or her team.

This is true not just in hockey but across the board in every sport.

It is why the underdog always has a shot, especially in collegiate athletics, but Miami has learned its lesson.

Do not forget the two straight Frozen Four trips that Miami made prior to last year’s early exit.

Do not forget how long it took for Miami to win their first Mason Cup. Do not forget the veteran leaders returning to this year’s squad.

Miami’s experience and hunger for their first title will be enough to rejuvenate the Brotherhood.

Therefore, the question we should be asking ourselves is not whether or not we should fire Rico, but rather will we continue to support our school and our team for everything that it means to us as students, as alumni and as fans.

For love and honor.

NEXT HOME GAME: 3 p.m.

SUNDAY vs. Windsor (Exhibition)