The Miami Student Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826
VOLUME 138 NO. 15
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO
In 2004, The Miami Student reported Miami University was reviewing its disciplinary processes and student code of conduct after failing to provide at least nine sexual assault victims with the final outcome of their cases as required by federal law.
CAC revamps Homecoming
By Stephen Bell Campus Editor
Students will see changes to this year’s Homecoming events as the 2010 committee created a new lineup of activities for Reinvent Red. “CAC is turning the week into a competition,” said senior Cortni Kossmeyer, Homecoming co-chair for the Campus Activities Council (CAC). “Events are open to all students and student organizations.” Kossmeyer said this year’s festivities will allow student organizations to compete against one another. “One cool thing about this year is the blood drive,” she said. “It’s open to all students, but donors from student organizations can earn points.” She said 46 organizations are registered to participate in the events, which include the blood drive, uptown window decorating, flag football, Homecoming court and the Homecoming parade. The student organization or residence hall that accumulates the most points will receive $1,500. The winner will be announced at halftime during the Homecoming football game. Another new feature of Reinvent Red is the uptown pig roast. Kossmeyer said CAC is working with the Black Students Action Association (BSAA) to deliver live
SCOTT ALLISON The Miami Student
Miami University students celebrate Homecoming 2009 with a bonfire at Millett Hall. This year, Homecoming events will be different from the past. music and Voices of Color, a BSAA annual event. “We are trying to collaborate and bring multiple student organizations to the same place at the same time,” she said. Red Fest is also a new addition
to Miami’s 2010 Homecoming celebration. Kossmeyer said Red Fest will take place Oct. 22 on Roudebush lawn and will feature a Style Your Sole event hosted by Tom’s Shoes. Kossmeyer said the parade and
rally will take place at Tailgate Town before the football game to attract more alumni. In all, Kossmeyer said the CAC hopes to involve more students and organizations in this year’s Homecoming activities. The weeklong
celebration runs Oct. 18 to 23 and leads up to the Miami v. Ohio University football game at 1 p.m. Oct. 23. For a full schedule of Reivnent Red activities, visit www.muohio. edu/homecoming.
CAMPUS
Female student reports sexual assault
Businesswomen establish, develop organization
At 7:45 p.m. Saturday, Oxford police met with a 19-yearold female Miami University student at McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital regarding a suspected sexual assault. The female reportedly told police she had been drinking at an off-campus residence and woke up Saturday morning outside an on-campus location. She reportedly said she believed she had been sexually assaulted and called friends to take her to McCullough-Hyde for an examination. Police are reportedly continuing to investigate the report.
By Matt Levy Staff Writer
Up against the strongly maledominated world of business, Miami University’s female business students have banded together to form one of the newest and largest student organizations on campus. Miami University Women in Business (MUWIB) was founded in spring 2010 after MUWIB President Alexandra Webber attended a conference at Harvard University and saw a similar program there. The organization has seen its membership skyrocket and now boasts more than 170 members, making it one of the largest business organizations
Kathleen Kennedy, a memon campus. ber of MUWIB’s faculty board “The business world is maleof advisers, said the Farmdominated,” said Tory Paez, er School of Business staff secretary for MUWIB. “Womwas very helpful in stating en are much more underreprethe organization. sented at CEO and upper-level “Dean (Roger) Jenkins, management and make 78 cents Michelle for every Thomas dollar a man The organization has seen (director makes.” its membership skyrocket of business According to the and now boasts more than student ormission 170 members, making it ganizations statement and develon the MU- one of the largest business o p m e n t ) WIB web- organizations on campus. and Farmer School of site, one of Business the primary goals of the organization is to faculty have been incredibly provide opportunities for wom- supportive,” Kennedy said. Another aspect of the MUWIB en to further their experience in mission plan revolves around the business world.
THE
INSIDESCOOP
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Miami University foreign language students are going to be quizzing other Miami community members about their abilities.
Learn about how students started a chapter of Zeta Beta Tau on Miami’s campus.
FEATURES, page 5
PASSION FOR PITA
Pita Pit re-opens its High Street storefront.
COMMUNITY, page 4
CAMPUS, page 2
CUTTING CABLE
Time Warner Cable closes its Oxford location.
COMMUNITY, page 4
SPLIT WEEKEND
Miami University hockey wins a game over the University of New Hampshire Wildcats, but drops one Saturday.
Wed
WWW.MIAMISTUDENT.NET ENTERTAINMENT: NEW SECTION! Check out our new online section for music and movie reviews.
ENTERTAINMENT: SLIDESHOWS
SAVE YOUR STUFF Oxford police give suggestions about keeping your residence safe during fall break.
In observance of fall break, The Miami Student will not print an edition Friday, Oct. 15. Have a safe and enjoyable break!
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SPORTS, page 12
COMMUNITY, page 4
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wSee MUWIB, page 11
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Fri
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View slideshows of Friday’s Bone Thugs N’ Harmony and Saturday’s a cappella concerts.
CAMPUS: THE PRICE OF EDUCATION Former MU president James Garland discusses education costs.
Como estas?
FRESH FRATERNITY
forming relationships and connecting with local and national businesses and corporations. “A significant aspect of our organization is philanthropy work with the goal to help other women in their business endeavors,” Paez said. Paez said this means helping women specifically in the Oxford area with the financial support to get their businesses off the ground. According to MUWIB’s plan, this entails partnering with Bad Girl Ventures, a Cincinnati-based microfinance organization that selects, educates and guides young women entrepreneurs and bestows low-interest loans to promote a
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Campus
Tuesday
October 12, 2010
Editors Stephen Bell Courtney Day Amanda Seitz campus@miamistudent.net
NEWS Professor targets bullying BRIEFS By Stephen Bell Campus Editor
FYI ‘Niihka’ to replace Blackboard system The name Niihka (pronounced ‘neeka’) has been chosen as the name for the Collaboration and Learning Environment, which will replace Blackboard in fall 2011. Niihka, which means “friend” in the Myaamia language, won the naming contest by a large margin, beating the three other finalists. Votes were cast by 1,134 people from the Miami University community. The winner of the contest, Kathleen Pickens-French, is a public services librarian at Rentschler Library at Miami’s Hamilton campus. Pickens-French said “It’s easy to say, catchy and is fantastic use of our Miami cultural heritage.” Pickens-French will receive a $200 Miami University Bookstore gift card in addition to the distinction of naming the new service. Forums will be held for faculty, students and staff to learn about the Sakai implementation project and to ask questions and view demos of potential system functionality. More information about the Sakai project can be found at www.muohio.edu/sip.
Miami University Assistant Professor Anthony Peguero has teamed up with Cartoon Network to create a multi-platform anti-bullying campaign. Peguero, a professor of sociology and gerontology at Miami, said Cartoon Network contacted him more than a year ago to be part of an advisory group for an anti-bullying campaign. He said network executives were most interested in targeting “the bystander effect.” “It is estimated that more than 75 percent of students have witnessed bullying at their school,” Peguero said via e-mail. Airing last week on Anderson Cooper 360, Cartoon Network’s public service announcement (PSA) is the first of many to hit airwaves, according to Peguero. He said the PSAs target young males, Cartoon Network’s key demographic. “It became evident early on that Cartoon Network’s audience of young men and boys … was to be the target of the campaign,” Peguero said. “We on the advisory board made it clear the campaign should try to reach as many members of the school and
community as possible.” Peguero said PSA spots on CNN were geared toward adults, highlighting the campaign’s multi-platform structure. He said while the campaign targets teens and adolescents, he doesn’t believe America’s youth is solely to blame. “I don’t think youth have changed, I think it’s our schools that have changed,” Peguero said. “Schools have become sites of ‘uber’ competition … One consequence of this is that students see their peers as competition and not as fellow human citizens.” Ann Fuehrer, associate professor of women’s, gender and sexuality studies, said society perpetuates individual gain, and as a result, students tend to attack one another. “I think we are a very individualistic and competitive nation,” Fuehrer said. “If only a few people can succeed, many people are left trying find ways to feel good about themselves, and they do this by … treating other people badly.” Fuehrer also said parental influence is responsible for the current bullying crisis. “Unfortunately, some people model (discriminatory) behavior for their children,” she said. “It’s all about feeling good about ourselves in a culture that makes us feel bad.”
Peguero said attitudes toward bullying do not always reflect its severity. He said many individuals discount bullying as a “normal” part of youth experience. “Ultimately, our nation’s discourse on bullying is at the core of this social problem,” Peguero said. “Somehow, and over many generations, bullying has reached normative social and cultural status within our schools.” David Morgan, a junior and co-president of SPECTRUM, agreed with Peguero’s sentiments about attitude. He said failing to reprimand children for using derogatory speech is a cause of bullying and homophobia. “I think a lot of it could be parental,” Morgan said. “If your child is saying ‘that’s gay’ and you are not calling them out, they think it’s acceptable.” With the recent slew of teen suicides, Peguero recognized the convenient timing of his campaign. He said while cyber-bullying is on the national radar, targeting one facet of bullying will not solve the problem. “Needless to say, there is no single ‘silverbullet’ that could vanquish all bullying,” he said. Cartoon Network will release more antibullying PSAs in the coming year.
He got the beat
EVENTS Art museum holds historical presentation The Miami University Art Museum will be holding a talk free and open to the public. The talk will take place at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 13 at the Art Museum. The talk is entitled Telling Tales: Understanding the Historical Framework of Uncle Remus. It will be led by Nishani Frazier, assistant professor in the department of history, and Cheryl L. Johnson, associate professor in the department of English and women’s studies. Both professors will present an explanation on the Uncle Remus stories that were published in the late 1800s. The presentation will also focus on plantation literature and early black culture literature.
ALLISON BACKOVSKI The Miami Student
The Remnants perform at the A Capella All-Star performance Saturday in Hall Auditorium.
Students drill campus with pop quizzes By Noëlle Bernard Senior Staff Writer
The Miami University community’s foriegn language knowledge will be tested Oct. 12 by students in the Foreign Language Education 2011 Cohort. The students have designed a foreign language pop quiz project where students, staff and faculty will be given a language ambush that tests their foreign language skills. According to senior Christine Hartz, a Spanish education major, the purpose of the quiz is to raise awareness throughout the Miami community about the importance of a foreign language presence. “Basically we’re doing it as a way to advocate for foreign language,” Hartz said. “We’re trying to just raise awareness of the importance of speaking a foreign language and what it means for students to learn things about another culture and to promote a global perspective through speaking another language.” The students from the cohort will be using the Discover Languages Pop Quiz to test unsuspecting students, faculty and staff randomly at various locations such as
King Café, King Library, Shriver Center, Haines Food Court, Irvin Hall, Farmer School of Business and Bell Tower Place. “We’re planning on just polling random strangers, any people that walk past,” Hartz said. “We’re going to ask them simple questions like, ‘What time is it?’ (or) ‘What’s the weather like?’ in Chinese, Spanish, French and German.” Junior Ellen Anderson, a French education major, hopes people will understand and respond in the targeted languages. “I’m not really sure what the foreign language ability is at Miami,” Anderson said. “I know a lot of students have to take a little foreign language in high school (and) I know a lot have to take a little bit in college, but I know that the language majors are not that plentiful at Miami, so I’m really hoping that we will get some response.” The results will be graded and tallied on the scale of whether students receive a response in the correct language, in English or with no response at all. Once the ambush is complete,
wSee LANGUAGE, page 11
THE MIAMI STUDENT
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2010 ♦ 3
WE ADVOCATE FOR JUSTICE WE PROTECT EQUALITY WE EDUCATE LEADERS VISIT US: Miami University Law Day Fair Shriver Center, Multipurpose Room Oxford, OH October 20 • 10:00a.m.–1:00p.m.
indylaw.indiana.edu
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Tuesday
October 12, 2010
Community
Editor Bethany Bruner community@miamistudent.net
Time Warner Cable to close By Lauren Ceronie For The Miami Student
Female receives two citations in same night At around 1 a.m. Friday, a female, later identified as Miami University first-year Kaya Gieniusz, 18, reportedly walked up to a plainclothes officer at The Woods Bar carrying what appeared to be an alcoholic beverage with washed off X’s on her hands. The officer identified herself and reportedly asked Gieniusz how old she was. Gieniusz reportedly told the officer she was 18 and she was very sorry. Gieniusz was reportedly arrested and taken to Oxford Police Department, where she was issued a citation. Gieniusz then reportedly refused a ride home or a phone call, telling officers a friend would meet her in the lobby. At 1:55 a.m., Gieniusz was reportedly still in the lobby when the dispatch officer reportedly noticed repeated banging on the window and screaming coming from outside. When officers responded, they reportedly found Gieniusz making noise along with a friend who was trying to calm her down. Gieniusz was reportedly uncooperative and rude to the officers and was taken back into booking. Inside, Gieniusz reportedly continued to be rude and was cited a second time for her actions. Gieniusz then reportedly took the ticket and crumpled it into a ball. The officer reportedly told Gieniusz she would need to keep the information on the ticket for court. Gieniusz was cited for underage possession of alcohol and disorderly conduct.
Male urinates on door, runs from police At around 2 a.m. Friday, officers reportedly noticed a male throw a bottle from the second floor balcony of Bella Place Apartments. When officers followed up, they reportedly found two males outside the door, neither of whom had thrown the bottle, but one of whom was urinating on the front door of a residence. The urinating male, later identified as Miami University junior Matthew Kilianski, reportedly began to run when he noticed the officers. When Kilianski reached the stairs, his pants reportedly began to fall down and he tripped down the stairs, falling onto the sidewalk. Kilianski then reportedly got up and kept running toward the McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital loading dock, where his pants fell again. Kilianski then fell to the ground and officers caught up to him. Kilianski was taken to Oxford Police Department, where he reportedly told officers he had done nothing wrong and that he ran because “cops scare him.” Kilianski also reportedly told officers he had not been drinking. According to police reports, Kilianski had the odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath and bloodshot eyes. Kilianski then reportedly admitted to officers he had been drinking before going uptown, but said he was a responsible student and a productive member of the community. Kilianski was cited for underage intoxication, obstructing official business and disorderly conduct.
Nov. 17, Time Warner Cable will close its Oxford office. The office, located at 114 S. Locust St., cut its operating hours to Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. a year ago due to lack of business. According to Time Warner Cable Communications Manager Cynthia Godby, the office is still not receiving enough business to stay open. Godby does not expect the office closing to affect Time Warner customers in Oxford. “We are still committed to the students and the Oxford community,” Godby said. “We will do whatever we can to make them happy.” Time Warner is considering having operatives in town when Miami University students move in to make the installation process run more smoothly, according to Godby. “This will have no effect on scheduling service calls or paying bills,” Godby said. Subscribers will be able to pay bills online and Time Warner offices will be open in Middletown and Tri-County Mall in Cincinnati. Services will also be offered at Wal-Mart for customers to exchange equipment. “Students and customers can call our active hotline anytime for service,” Godby said. Godby said Time Warner has also been working on expanding its social media outreaches.
“Social media is a way to move forward in assisting customers,” Godby said. Subscribers with Twitter accounts can tweet Time Warner to ask for assistance. The company is also working on using Facebook to contact customers. Oxford City Manager Doug Elliot was disappointed Time Warner is leaving town. “We were happy to have a local location, but we understand that this is a business decision,” Elliott said. He said Michael Grey, director of government affairs at Time Warner, informed him Oct. 4 Time Warner would be closing its office due to lack of business. Elliott said city council members were disappointed with the decision, but were unable to do anything about it. With Time Warner leaving Oxford, locals will turn to other options, Elliott said. “This will promote competition,” he said. “The phone company can provide cable and phone, and as far as TV, a lot of folks have dishes.” Miami senior Sara Robison, a Time Warner customer, said the office closing will not stop her from using Time Warner Cable. She said as long as customers can pay bills online and schedule service appointments, the Oxford office is not necessary. “We pay our bills in the mail and I’ve never even been to the Oxford office,” Robison said. “Whenever we’ve needed something fixed, Time Warner has come to us.”
Agency discovers safety violations at area businesses By Lauren Hetzel For The Miami Student
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating several area businesses in response to recent workplace accidents, including an injury, a fatality and an alleged willful failure to properly record occupational injuries or illnesses. An employee at Braden Sutphin Ink Co. was injured Sept. 8 after a 2,000-pound ink barrel fell on him. “Obviously it was an accident,” said Bill Wilkerson, an OSHA assistant area director. “Whether there were causes that led to the accident that may have been prevented and whether or not there were violations of OSHA regulations are still being investigated.” Wilkerson said he is hoping to have the investigation completed in the “very near future.” A John R. Jurgenson Co. construction worker was killed on the job Sept. 24 when a dump truck backed over him at around 10 p.m.
Currently, there have been no ac- injury or illness. “We absolutely disagree 100 pertions proposed against the company. cent,” saidAlan E v e n with the best “Our primary mission is H. McCoy, vice president equipment to work in the private of government and the best and public attention, ac- industry and to make sure cidents can those businesses adhere to relations for still happen, the regulations that have AK Steel. “The agency especially been published by doesn’t believe when workthe industry.” that our record ing with large was accurate equipment, BILL WILKERSON and we absoWi l k e r s o n ASSISTANT AREA DIRECTOR lutely disagree said. U.S. OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND O S H A with that,” HEALTH ADMINISTRATION McCoy said. issued AK AccordSteel Corporation eight citations Oct. 5 for the ing to McCoy, OSHA conducted company’s failure to properly record the seven-month-long investigation workplace injuries for more than into the corporation as a result of a study released a number of years three years. Five of the citations were con- ago that published findings speculatsidered to be willful violations of ing the general downward trend of workplace injuries across the counOSHA’s regulations. OSHA claims the corporation try was not accurately reported in created an environment of intimida- some cases. McCoy described the studies as tion that led workers to believe they would be punished for reporting an nothing more than a theory. He said
Get’cha ‘Thug’ on
these studies sparked the attention of Congress and led OSHA to create its own investigations. “First of all, they are wrong and we are right in the way we classified our injuries,” McCoy said. “And, even then, what they have alleged to have found is an extraordinarily small record. “ According to OSHA, AK Steel has been inspected nearly 140 times and received just fewer than 500 citations since 1972. McCoy said the company stands by its records. “Our primary mission (for conducting investigations) is to work in the private industry and to make sure those businesses adhere to the regulations that have been published by the industry,” Wilkerson said. According to Wilkerson, there may be anywhere from zero to 10 investigations going on at one time. Because of the local business concentration, Wilkerson said the area office’s investigations tend to focus on Hamilton and Montgomery counties rather than Butler County.
Keep belongings safe over fall break When you go home for fall break, keep your belongings safe in your off-campus apartment or house by following these safety tips from Oxford Police Department (OPD) Sgt. Jim Squance: • Participate in OPD’s vacant house check program. You can fill out a form at OPD or online to have Oxford police check on your property at least once a day. • Temporarily stop newspaper and mail delivery. Squance said having a stack of newspapers or a full mailbox are a tell that no one is home, leaving your home vulnerable. • Give the appearance of being home. Squance suggests having lights and a radio or TV on a timer so people on the outside looking in would think you are home. Also, do not change answering machine messages to say you are not home. • Take valuables home with you. “If you can take it home, take them,” Squance said. “If you can’t take it, make sure it’s locked away somewhere out of plain view.” • Lock doors and windows. Make sure the last person out has locked all doors and windows, especially those in a basement or on the ground floor. Reporting by Bethany Bruner ALLISON BACKOVSKI The Miami Student
Bone Thugs n Harmony performs in front of a sell-out crowd Friday, Oct. 8 at Brick Street Bar and Grill.
Pita Pit reopens in same location Pita Pit has come back from its summer vacation, reopening Saturday, Oct. 9 in its previous location at 33 E. High St. The restaurant, which closed due to slow business in May, still has the same menu. Pita Pit is now under the ownership of the national franchise. The restaurant had previously been individually franchised. Oxford Economic Development Director Alan Kyger said Pita Pit USA, Inc. had retained ownership of the High Street property. When the individual who had owned the franchise closed, the national corporation decided to re-open the restaurant. According to Kyger, the process of a national corporation reopening a local franchise does not occur often. The last time this process took place in Oxford was with LaRosa’s Pizzeria. Pita Pit is open 11 to 3 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 11 to 4 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Reporting by Bethany Bruner
Features
Editor Amelia Carpenter features@miamistudent.net
Tuesday October 12, 2010
5
By Kayley Williams For The Miami Student
The search for something different As a first-year, Miami University junior Graham Kenworthy wanted something different when it came to pledging a fraternity. He wanted an organization that suited him. “When I began looking to join a fraternity, the majority of them had the football brotherhood feeling,” Kenworthy said. “I just couldn’t find the niche I was looking for.” Kenworthy said he decided to take the issue into his own hands and figure out how difficult it would be to start a fraternity of his own. Kenworthy lived in Dodds Hall with another student, whose father was a member of Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT) fraternity. The father told his son and Kenworthy he wanted to bring the fraternity to Miami University. ZBT had been a fraternity at Miami prior to Kenworthy’s attendance, but ZBT nationals had terminated the chapter due to low membership rates. Recruitment ceased, the remaining ZBT brothers graduated and the organization was no longer. So, after gathering support from other male students who were interested, Kenworthy and his roommate contacted the ZBT national office and eventually scheduled campus visits at King Library with an executive director. At the conclusion of one of the meetings, the executive director at the time wished the prospective members luck on their exams. Kenworthy was the only one to respond. “Thank you,” Kenworthy said. Kenworthy was immediately identified as a potential leader and is now the president of ZBT at Miami. “You never know what a simple thank you can do,” Kenworthy said. “In my case, it changed my life.” Kenworthy said he left with a sense of accomplishment but a lot of work ahead. Kenworthy continued to e-mail the director throughout the year. Then the group traveled to Indiana University where the ZBT headquarters were located to re-initiate the fraternity on Miami’s campus.
Fire it up There were 23 founding fathers who re-initiated the fraternity March 1, 2008 at Indiana University. The 2010-11 academic year is ZBT’s second full year on Miami’s campus. The brothers agree they have come very far, but there is always room for improvement. “Anyone can simply join an organization,” said sophomore ZBT member Robert Wehinger. “It takes a true set of leaders to build something from the ground up.” According to Kenworthy, the fraternity revolves around personal development of a higher level. The personal philanthropy of ZBT is “getting on the ball,” meaning to get involved and get ahead. The organization asks sponsors to help support the Children’s Miracle Network, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children’s hospitals. The sponsors then have their name featured on a massive ball that is rolled around campus as a method of advertisement and to further gain support for the cause. Sponsors last year included Skyline Chili and Moonshine Screen Printing. The ZBT members said another respectable part of starting in a new fraternity is responsibility. Kenworthy attends presidential meetings every Thursday and executive board meetings between weekly chapter meetings. Kenworthy said his biggest concern is keeping the fraternity safe. “It’s a big deal keeping everyone in line, but it’s a
challenge I’m willing to take,” Kenworthy said. The ZBT brothers said it’s nice to be able to start from scratch and build a respectable brotherhood on a selective basis. They said they are able to develop closer friends and reach out to those who would seemingly be a positive addition to what they’re looking for as family. ZBT is still a comparably small fraternity by numbers — the first pledge class consisted of 10 males, and for the 2010-11 academic year it has reached approximately 30 members. It was primarily founded as the nation’s first Jewish fraternity. Now, all men of good character are welcome, according to www. zbt.org, the fraternity’s national website. The members said they do not wish to be identified as a Jewish fraternity at the collegiate or national levels. “We are proud of our past, but we are looking at the future,” Wehinger said.
Brotherly love The ZBT members all shared a piece of advice for fraternity rush. “Most importantly, don’t go by reputation,” said sophomore ZBT member Mike Vaggalis. “Go out and give everyone a chance.” The ZBT members said fraternities and sororities alike are often given outwardly rude or comical nicknames, but they are not always accurate. According to Kenworthy, ZBT is a non-pledging fraternity, which means it uses the brotherhood program and fills positions of leadership. The organization also has open recruitment and is a non-hazing fraternity. Men who decide to join the fraternity can be initiated within weeks of a bid, while in intensive pledging it can take as long as eight to 12 weeks. The ZBT members said they look at pledging as a form of hazing because there is a selection process involved. According to sophomore member Dan Hess, ZBT believes as brothers they are all automatically equals. Hess said they do not deem it necessary to earn a position as a brother through various acts because the organization believes in equal voices that are equally respected. ZBT holds its chapters in its community corridor weekly. The men said their chapter meetings were always a good time. They discuss how they can be more actively involved and they pride themselves in being dedicated to the Greek life and taking part in the other available philanthropies. “It’s nice to have your own input, but it’s most rewarding to see what we plan come to life,” sophomore member John Amy said. The brothers are currently pursuing a fraternity house, but for now they agree there are plenty of places to go, including annex houses and houses uptown where elder members live. The ZBT members all had different reasons for why they enjoy being a part of the fraternity. “I’ve built so many more relationships than I ever did freshman year,” Amy said. “I love spending time with my brothers.” Vaggalis agreed. “You know that when you leave, you’ll look back years from now and these are the times that will be most memorable,” Vaggalis said. “They’ll make you want to laugh, smile and maybe even cry.” Wehinger was most intrigued by the potential of the fraternity. “The best part is challenging the convention of what a fraternity at Miami should be,” Wehinger said. “We’re here to up the Greek image. We want to be our own people.” The ZBT members said it was an honor because of the magnitude of the Greek tradition at Miami. They hope someday brothers alike will look back and regard them as the ones who got ZBT up on its feet and spreading its wings. “It is so much more than just three letters,” Hess said.
Street, holar house on Church Sc s an Ev e th of s ep s. of ZBT pose on the st apter house for decade ch r ei th The founding fathers as ed rv se d T an which was build by ZB HANNAH MILLER The Miami Student
THE MIAMI STUDENT
6 ♦ TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2010
THE MIAMI STUDENT
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2010 ♦ 7
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Tuesday October 12, 2010
Opinion
Editors Thomasina Johnson Jessica Sink editorial@miamistudent.net
➤ EDITORIAL
The following piece, written by the editorial editors, reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board.
Underage drinking must be stopped before it starts A
s many students have noticed, annoying for both the customers and this fall, the Oxford Police De- the bartenders. partment (OPD) is strictly enforcBars must feel comfortable that ing the drinking age at bars uptown. each customer who enters is reOPD is publicizing its fight against ally the age they are. The door staff underage drinking in police reports must be persistent in checking idenand many more law-violating stu- tification, as the success of the bar dents and bartenders have been ar- depends on their work. Identificarested than in previous years. tion scanners or flashlights would The editorial board of The Mi- allow the bar entrance operation to ami Student berun safely and in lieves the best a more streamway to lower the The board recommends lined, organized number of unOPD utilize the visual manner. derage drinkers To further powers of uniformed at uptown bars discourage unofficers to their is to stop them lawful drinkfrom getting acing, the board fullest extent. cess to alcohol encourages before they start OPD to be more drinking. One of transparent in its the best methods of ensuring only surveillance of underage alcohol 21-year-old and over customers consumption. Plainclothes police will drink is equipping the bouncers are often very effective in catching and bar staff with the proper tools and stopping underage drinkers, but and knowledge to check identifica- as recent police reports have shown, tion. The staff must be adequately bar staff may easily perceive these trained and have identification flash- plainclothes officers chasing after lights or scanners in order to stop underage drinkers as a fight between under-21 customers from entering average citizens. as over-21 customers. Often, cusThe board recommends OPD utitomers who are of legal drinking lize the visual powers of uniformed age are asked to show identification officers to their full extent. When multiple times once they enter the underage drinkers see uniformed bar and purchase drinks. This prac- police in or around the bars, they tice, while a preventative method, will internalize the importance of is often ineffective and downright adhering to the law.
The Miami Student Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826
EDITORIAL BOARD Catherine Couretas Editor in Chief Erin Fischesser News Editor Erin Maher Managing Editor Scott Allison Online Editor Thomasina Johnson Editorial Editor Jessica Sink Editorial Editor Stephen Bell Campus Editor
Courtney Day Campus Editor Amanda Seitz Campus Editor Bethany Bruner Community Editor Katie Giovinale Sports Editor Amelia Carpenter Features Editor Samantha Ludington Photo Editor Hannah Miller Art Director
Rule of thumb Pita Pit re-opens Fill the Pit in your stomach with the return of those delicious pitas!
Miami hockey, football losses You win one, you lose one. Good luck at the next game!
BeautiFall weather Soak up the last remaining rays before winter comes.
Midterm stress Goodbye weekend fun, hello flashcards, highlighters and textbooks!
Fall break The extra day is worth its weight in gold.
Campus construction Hopefully the dust will settle soon.
www.miamistudent.net
They think they’re going green with those solar panels on the roof but if you ask me this place is still going in the dumps
I hear that
CHAD STEBBINS The Miami Student
➤ LETTER
Resolutions targeted at ignorance If you know me and my track record with The Miami Student, you probably think that I’m writing this letter to the editor to applaud Catherine’s decision to eliminate the Amusement section from The Miami Student. I can assure you that Catherine’s decision was not an easy one, and I have a lot of respect for anyone that can stand up to her staff (and friends) to do what she did. I think that is a huge step in the right direction for The Miami Student. However, the resolutions denouncing Anna Turner’s article that are making their way through Student Government, RHA and diversity groups on campus are not targeted at the Amusement, nor are they targeted at alternative media and satire, they are targeted at ignorance, hate, stereotypes and exclusion on our campus. The students behind this movement that Ms. Turner portrays as the true villains of Miami in her “Amusement Eulogy” on Friday share several things in common... They don’t want prospective students parents’ first impressions of Miami to be an offensive and backwards article in the student newspaper. They don’t want to see their classmates alienated by the opinion of a select few of their bitter peers. Their favorite TV shows and movies are satires and comedies, and they come from all corners of the political and cultural spectrum on this campus. It’s their editorials and their resolutions crafted with the single purpose to stamp out stereotypes and fix Miami’s branding problems that constitute true freedom of speech that’s been used to defend some of the things published in The Miami Student over the past two years. Our goal was never to destroy Amusement or sap all the humor from Miami’s campus. And it’s truly sad, and almost frightening, that some people don’t see it that way. The articles that created this whirlwind on campus were simply not satire, nor were they funny. They were offensive and they were hurtful, and that is what we want The Miami Student to eliminate.
MATTHEW CICCONE
SECRETARY FOR OFF-CAMPUS AFFAIRS ASSOCIATED STUDENT GOVERNMENT CICCONMR@MUOHIO.EDU
Somewhere along the line, no one thought to close the gap between what the writers thought was funny and what entertained the public. I really, honestly hope that Amusement can return in a couple years when the dust settles. It is an important publication, but what it needs — and what it has lacked for years — is focus. Why is Amusement not solely about Miami and about the things that take place here (outside of who walks on sidewalks)? If Amusement wants to be about music, movies and social commentary, then why is it not about Miami bands, Miami theatre, Miami movies, and well-done critiques of Miami life? From time to time there have been other alternative publications in the community, but this is supposed to be the flagship. It should be a standing challenge to every future generation of Miami student to resurrect Amusement and make it a good, funny paper — one worth reading again.
JONATHAN GAIR
EDITORIAL EDITOR EMERITUS MU ‘09
Amusement must not be hateful As a senior, I have managed to see Amusement as both an independent publication and a section of The Miami Student. While I did not always embrace Amusement, I did see its integral role as one of Miami’s media outlets. It was edgier, had more controversial articles and was generally pretty entertaining. When I returned from being abroad last semester, I noticed something significantly different. Amusement was still satirical, it was still edgy, but to be honest, it was simply neither amusing nor entertaining. I read articles that were spiteful and excessively negative, and instead of leaving with a smile on my face, I left with a sense of disgust. I would like to point out that only certain articles garnered this reaction, many of which have already been publicly criticized. Other articles, such as the Oct. 8 Dickerson piece, have certainly inspired a chuckle. Come back Amusement, be the alternative voice that we need, and when you do return, try to focus more on the humor and less on the hate.
CHRIS VAZQUEZ
VAZQUECW@MUOHIO.EDU
Removal of Amusement inevitable It is with great sadness that I read about the final nail in Amusement’s coffin. Unfortunately, it seems as though this decision was inevitable. This year, more than ever, the publication has replaced wit and humor with weird for the sake of weird and shock for the sake of shock. How can anyone claim that what has been presented to Miamians over the past year was real satire? What’s even more troubling is former editor Anna Turner’s farewell column. Is it supposed to be her honest opinion of Miami’s media culture, or is it just another test of public reaction that she can later claim was all a joke? Sadly, this seems to perfectly capture Amusement’s greatest problem, the inability to let readers in on the joke.
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Opinion
THE MIAMI STUDENT
➤ THE BITTER AND THE SWEET
Needed: WPA 2.0
Obama’s administration owes college students and recent graduates more than just employment hope. He owes them the tangible opportunity to gain experience and income while helping the nation. Our so-called “boomerang” generation doesn’t have Thomasina to be defined with economic disparity. Johnson A recent Pew Research survey found “almost one-infive grown children (age 18-34) now lives with his or her parents. And of those grown children, about a third say they used to live independently elsewhere before returning home.” Staying at mom and dad’s does not necessarily mean you’re unproductive. In a nation where families are often very spread out, living at home can build strong familial ties. However, the wave of hopelessness and regret for the future that is often experienced by current jobsearching students and graduates needs to stop. It’s detrimental to the psyche of the future of our nation when our students are having a hard time seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. A drastic change must occur. When President Franklin Delano Roosevelt first implemented the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1935, the goal was to provide millions of jobs to unemployed Americans who had lost their jobs due to the Great Depression. Not only did the WPA give work and income to these men and women, it created some of the United States’ most beautiful and functional public works, such as the Timberline
There’s no denying it, our nation needs us. Lodge in Mount Hood National Forest, Ore. and the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut. In my hometown in Wisconsin, many beautiful park lodges were built and they are still used and loved today. There’s no denying it, our nation needs us. According to a 2004 article in The Christian Science Monitor, the national parks are desperately seeking help in order to live up to their full glory. In a more recent Sacramento Bee article, the California state parks are falling into horrifying states of disrepair due to lack of maintenance help. Besides our treasured national and state parks, there are many other national problems that could benefit from the help of many hands. If the Gulf oil spill tragedy had had more workers cleaning up the oil, the problem wouldn’t have been as horrific. Let’s forge a strong bond between being patriotic and helping our students and recent graduates find work while they adjust to their new lives. If implemented correctly, the government could offer no-cost or reduced-cost college credit for current students working on WPA-style projects. These students could earn credit in American history, sociology, community engagement or even fine arts, depending on the project and the professional instruction. For recent graduates, Obama’s administration could offer a steady income to cash-strapped graduates who want to help clean up America. Like the AmeriCorps, these programs would benefit both the students and the communities, but it would have less of a time commitment and would be set up more as a nine to five job than a volunteer program. The recent graduate could have the opportunity to work on projects near home or experience living in a different part of the country, all while helping the country. These plans may sound expensive and, like the WPA was, they would be. But, like the WPA, the benefits would outweigh the costs in the long run. Think about it: you could be a part of helping America become stronger and more beautiful.
TUESDAY,OCTOBER 12, 2010 ♦ 9
➤ PERSPECTIVE
Journalism is alive AMELIA CARPENTER
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted jobs in journalism would decrease moderately through 2018. I’m challenging that. People are up in arms with the state of the economy, and some who want to study journalism shy away from the “failing career.” Now more than ever, people are consuming news. I like to think my colleagues at The Miami Student are the watchdogs for Miami University. The university budget is an important and challenging issue, especially with the major cuts the university has to make as a result of the economy. The editorial board advises the administration each week on what’s best for the Miami community. We joke sometimes that if The Miami Student were not reporting on some of these issues, the student body may have no idea how their money was being spent.
I can’t predict the future, but I know journalism is a career that will not go away. When people ask me what my major is, I joke about how I’m going into journalism for the money. Journalism is in a transitional stage. Advertising is down, which is a reflection of the economy, and therefore, newsrooms are downsizing significantly. Where there were once 175 employees, there are 50 … or worse. The Birmingham Eccentric, my hometown’s newspaper in Michigan, is struggling to stay afloat. Local celebrities like Linda Solomon, a famous photographer from the area, contribute articles in the hopes of keeping it alive. At the Doing Good Journalism event held in spring 2010, a panel of six award-winning journalists displayed their work. One gave me the glimmer of hope journalism majors
sometimes need. “I feel like I won the lottery as far as my job,” Hagit Limor, Channel 9 investigative reporter, said. Limor stressed journalism jobs are being created and there’s hope for young journalists in college. “The tide, I think, has changed,” she said. Without good journalism, people discover there is no democracy, Limor said. I wanted to hug her. Journalism is alive. I’ll agree that jobs in journalism will decrease through 2018, but not because they aren’t out there. Journalism is for those who are constant learners, good listeners and who want to inform and help people. People shy away from journalism because no one knows where it’s headed. I don’t have a solution, I just know there is one.
CARPENTER is features editor for The Miami Student
➤ ESSAY
Celebrity standards unrealistic Rich, famous and talented. Gracing the cover of magazines and showing up to fabulous parties with a posse of photographers trailing behind them, celebrities are a staple of American culture. Our society worships them by buying their products, seeing their movies and trying to look like them. In order for human beings to properly introspect, we need a basis of comparison. There is no real standard for attractiveness or beauty, so we use celebrities as a measuring stick for ourselves. Unfortunately, this comparison is ruining the self-esteem of women across the nation. If we’re not as thin as Eva Longoria or Scarlett Johansen, then we’re fat. If we’re not as fit as Jessica Biel, then we’re out of shape. The careers of these women depend on their figure and they need to look the way they do. To compare ourselves to that high standard deprives us of a realistic self-image. Celebrities have taught us to believe beauty means being thin, that being happy means being thin. According to examiner.com, 91 percent of women surveyed on college campuses had attempted to control their weight through dieting. Dieting is not the worst of what celebrities are doing to our body images. Every year, more and more girls die from anorexia out of sheer desperation to have the “perfect” body. A survey done for Social Psychology found nearly
half of college women said they were unhappy with their bodies. This dissatisfaction is sweeping across the nation and must be put to a stop. Girls with eating disorders are getting younger and taking more drastic measures than ever before. How do celebrities have this power over us? Girls deprive themselves of a basic human need because someone they have never met looks skinny on a magazine cover. Is it because we give them too much control? After all, they are not advertising anorexia as an option. Nonetheless, they are aware of the power they posses. They need to start practicing what they preach and give girls the confidence to have a positive self-image. I can’t help but think what a different place it would be if we didn’t have public figures like celebrities. What if we didn’t have this voice in the back of our heads telling us how to be? Would anorexia exist at all? Would we be happier? Women need to fight back. We need to stand up for ourselves and know we are not as fat as celebrities make us out to be. We have power too, and we need to exercise it. So grab that cheeseburger, ladies, and enjoy every bite.
SARAH TITLE
TITLESE@MUOHIO.EDU
➤ ESSAY
Two-party system constrains voters As November approaches, it brings with it all the excitement and mud slinging of the mid-term elections. This election will have a tremendous impact on the rest of President Obama’s term, essentially deciding what he will be able to accomplish in his remaining two years in office. If the majority party in Congress switches from Democrat to Republican, accomplishing the goals he has set out for his presidency will become even more difficult than they have been already, but that’s just how things go in a system that is very “Us v. Them” and in which voters usually only have two choices in a given election. For my entire lifetime, this is how the American political system has worked. It has always been Republicans v. Democrats, sometimes with a third-party candidate involved that nobody believes will win. But is this system really working? Honestly, I do not believe that it is. In the first half of a presidency that was won based upon promises of change, reform and hope that our country could move in a new direction, the best that could be done was, generally speaking, ineffective compromise. In an article published in The New York Times titled “Third Party Rising,” Thomas Friedman comments, “The best our current two parties can produce today — in the wake of the worst existential crisis in our economy and environment
in a century — is suboptimal, even when one party had a huge majority. Suboptimal is OK for ordinary times, but these are not ordinary times.” Friedman makes a good point. The two-party system forces complicated issues to be viewed as also being two-sided arguments, which in most cases is a gross oversimplification of the matter at hand. By only having two major parties, voters must compromise their beliefs and ideas and settle for whichever party comes closest to offering what they want from their government. It seems that in voting for someone in an election it is not only important that you are supporting one candidate, but that you’re also voting against the other option. It feels more like a football rivalry than a constructive debate on how to improve our nation and the lives of the people who live in it. By aligning yourself with a party, you open yourself up to comments like “She’s really cool for a Republican,” or shock from your family when they find out that you’re “one of those liberal college kids.” As I sit here actually watching a football game that is interspersed with political ads, I can’t help but think there should be parties that actually reflect the ideas of the people who vote for them. Sure, one party might match more closely with your ideals than the other, but how good of a fit is
it really? In the next few years, the U.S. political system will hopefully see some changes. I agree with Friedman when he says, “We have to rip open this two-party duopoly and have it challenged by a serious third party that will talk about education reform, without worrying about offending unions; financial reform, without worrying about losing donations from Wall Street; corporate tax reductions to stimulate jobs, without worrying about offending the far left; energy and climate reform, without worrying about offending the far right and coal-state Democrats; and proper health care reform, without worrying about offending insurers and drug companies.” What we need is not only someone who wants to affect change, but someone who also has the ability to do so outside of the shackles of the two-party system and the necessity of appeasing the needs of a party that encompasses the political ideology of half a nation. It seems to me one of probably many changes that will need to occur for that to happen is a shift away from the current two-party system that would allow for the expression of a wider variety of beliefs and a breaking up of the power held by the Republican and Democratic parties. ALICE LADRICK
LADRICAE@MUOHIO.EDU
➤ STRATEGICALLY SPEAKING
Tear down the “wall” Recently, The Digital Journal, a publication in Toronto, Canada, printed an article about two Toronto residents who started a campaign against the social media giant Facebook. Quit Facebook Day is a movement urging users of the site to deactivate Jessica their accounts Sink on May 31, 2010. So far, 37,692 people have committed to quitting Facebook on that day. Joseph Dee, a web technologist, and Matthew Milan, a partner at Normative Design, a company that develops templates for the Web, are the founders of the movement and they state their reason for abandoning Facebook on their website QuitFacebookDay.com. “We don’t think Facebook has much respect for you or your data, especially in the context of the future,” the site says. “We just can’t see Facebook’s current direction being aligned with any positive future for the Web, so we’re leaving.” While a campaign with 37,000 supporters may seem insignificant compared to the more than 500 million users currently on Facebook, it appears concepts of security are still important to many people and the movement continues to grow. After all, what is wrong with
Counterculture is not a bad thing and a desire for privacy should be respected, not shunned. wanting privacy? Facebook offers opportunities to network, stay in touch with friends and share photos and videos, but are the benefits really worth the risks? Even though there are “privacy” settings in place, no one can really be sure their information is secure. After all, Mark Zuckerberg himself, creator of the site, claimed to have access to every single user regardless of the privacy settings in place. It is also more than likely the computer masterminds of the world have long been able to hack into the system. Nothing on the Internet is foolproof and nothing on the Internet should be considered private. Beyond security concerns, the Facebook obsession is a reflection of societal norms. We want to be an open book, allowing the world to know everything about us. We can’t wait to put our entire lives online for all to see, but is that responsible? Are we participating simply because everyone else is doing it? If the popularity of a small movement called Quit Facebook Day shows anything, it shows that to some, the Facebook fad is just that, another fad. Like all fads, it will eventually lose its appeal and be replaced by something new. Facebook is engaging, but frankly, also addictive. The fact that the Internet can have so much power over peoples’ lives is disconcerting. The point is, while Facebook may be part of the current culture and status quo, it doesn’t mean users should follow it blindly without understanding the risks. Counterculture is not a bad thing and a desire for privacy should be respected, not shunned. Just because “everyone else is doing it” doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do. Really, with only so many hours in a day, “liking” things and planting cyber crops in Farmville is not really a productive use of time. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have become part of normal culture, an outlet for communication, but they shouldn’t control our lives. Perhaps Quit Facebook Day is one in a long line of coming campaigns to liberate users from the shackles of Facebook. That is something to “like.”
10
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Tuesday,
October 12, 2010
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THE MIAMI STUDENT
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2010 ♦ 11
Seminar to discuss Miami Plan, liberal education By Joe Bennett For The Miami Student
Oct. 18, Miami University will host a discussion titled Goals for College Education to discuss the importance of a broad liberal education, specifically The Miami Plan. The discussion will address how best to prepare students for life after college. Thanks to a recent study done by Hart Research Industries, students can have a better idea of what employers want in potential employees. “Employers want their employees to use a broader set of skills and have higher levels of learning and knowledge than in the past to meet the increasingly complex demands they will face in the workplace,” the research said. The research goes on to say employers’ standards may change as hiring is affected by the economic downturn. With this knowledge, colleges have been shifting toward a far more general and broad liberal education outside of the more specialized programs students tend to pursue. The Miami Plan is the equivalent curriculum at Miami University. Through this curriculum, students gain leadership, knowledge through context and teamwork skills that are designed for a strong liberal education. Not all students agree with this concept, though, including junior Kyle Mollison. “I don’t buy it,” Mollison said. “Employers don’t care about how well I work with others. They want experience. It’s a waste of my time and my parents’ money.” Because the research results
addressed the issue that a broad education is what employers want, it will remain in place for now. Miami is addressing the importance of a liberal education with the Goals for College Education event. The program is being run by the Center for the Enhancement of Learning, Teaching and University Assessment (CELT) to try to better grasp the details of what skills and tasks employers want their future employees to accomplish with the skills liberal education programs provide. CELT Director Cecilia Shore had more insight as to the goals and talking points of the event. “They are having the event for delivering strategic goals of providing an outstanding education for Miami students,” Shore said. The Miami Plan is set just at the right bar for success, according to sociology and anthropology Professor Theodore Wagenaar. Wagenaar is the leader of the forum, which is involving faculty, teaching assistants and professors in the discussion. “One of the things we heard from students about the Miami Plan was that first-years originally did not like it, but once they became juniors and seniors they began to appreciate it for what it was and how it was going to get them a job,” Wagenaar said. While some students loathe the system, they cannot seem to protest the results. The Hart research and the upcoming seminar both address the issues of what a specialized program means. “Employers don’t care about their majors, they care about the skills that they learn in college,” Wagenaar said.
Associate professor promotion process to change By Adam Giffi Senior Staff Writer
The university senate met Monday, Oct. 11 and passed a resolution to support associate professors in their quest to gain promotions to professor. Last year, the senate passed a system where all associate professors received a major review on their performance every three years from their department, the dean and the provost. This created too much paperwork and also forced those associate professors who
were not interested in promotion to go through review, according to senate member Jeanne Hey, who also serves as the program director of international studies. Hey brought the final motion before the senate to tweak the system and explained the change after the meeting. “Now we’ve reduced that review system to only two required times in an associate professor’s third and sixth year,” Hey said. “The review only goes to the provost level at year six.” After the sixth year review, a non-promoted associate
LANGUAGE
professor will seek promotion and guidance on his or her own. While senate passed the resolution, it is not made official until after the senate minutes are approved and there is a 10-class day lapse of time. Hey elaborated on how this impacts the student body. “To be honest, this has very little to do with students, but it’s good for Miami University and good for Miami students to have a productive faculty that is being promoted regularly not only to associate professor but to full professor as well,” Hey said.
MUWIB
continued from page 2
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the results will be recorded and the students will create advocacy brochures for local school districts advocating for the teaching of foreign languages. “Each student in our class is going to be making a one-page brochure or pamphlet to send to local school districts advocating for foreign language,” Hartz said. “We’re going to use this as a tool for raising awareness for parents, students, teachers, administrators and local school districts (about) why it’s important to learn a language.” Junior Marian Obenro, a Spanish education major, is excited to see the results because she thinks it will give foreign languages an opportunity to display their significance and worth. “It seems like foreign languages are like kind of shunned now because people think that math, science and English are more important,” Obenro said. “They don’t understand that there are benefits to learning a foreign language, whether cognitively or just knowing someone’s culture more.” The results will be available 24 hours after the completion of the project.
manageable payback rate. “The name is confusing, but it really means women being bold and taking chances,” Paez said. “The knowledge and business education they get (from Bad Girl Ventures) is going to improve their businesses beyond the money aspect.” MUWIB is creating its own student satellite of Bad Girl Ventures called BGV: Oxford College Edition to help female business owners in the Oxford community. Candace Klein, the founder of the original Bad Girl Ventures, will speak to the Miami community at 7 p.m. Oct. 13 in Farmer School of Business, room 1000. “Miami would be the first of hopefully many
campuses establishing a satellite program for local residents,” Kennedy said. “MUWIB members would be directly responsible for the program while partnering with community leaders and interested faculty.” Junior Sarah Lechleiter, a member of MUWIB, said she joined because of the connections it allowed her to create. “I was looking for an organization where I could get involved in a variety of different activities and network with other women in business,” Lechleiter said. Lechleiter said the group leaves a very powerful impact on the Miami and Oxford communities. “The group will continue to grow and build on current initiatives of hands-on business experience and supporting women on campus and within the community,” Kennedy said. “MUWIB is a group of amazing, passionate, dedicated women.”
12
Sports
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Guide to ranking football JM Rieger
Rieger Report
E
very year people complain, including myself, about how bogus the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) is and how college football needs a new playoff system implemented. However, one of the biggest problems that is often overlooked is how teams are ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll and in the Coaches Poll. After beating New Mexico State 59-0 Oct. 2, the then No. 3 team in the nation, Boise State, somehow dropped from number three to number four in the rankings, while Oregon jumped up from the fourth spot to the third spot after a victory over No. 9, Stanford. Most recently, the top team in the country, Alabama, fell to number eight after a 35-21 loss to South Carolina, moving Ohio State to the top spot in the rankings and Oregon to number two. You may wonder what the problem is with this, especially since these teams will be tested throughout the rest of the season and by the end of the year we will be able to determine the best team based on who has survived their schedule. Both Ohio State and Oregon have plenty of tests remaining on their schedule, but the issue still remains that Boise State, that has done nothing but win games this year, was somehow jumped by Oregon even though both teams were in the top five and neither team had lost. In addition, teams that have struggled this year regardless of records, such as Oklahoma, Auburn and Florida, are still ranked in the Top 25. Therefore, I have come up with a three-step guidebook to help writers, coaches and fans determine how to rank teams in college football so certain teams are not excluded from major bowl games simply because they did not get enough respect at the beginning of the year. First: If a team loses two straight games, they should not be included in the Top 25. Florida has lost the past two weeks to Alabama and to Louisiana State University, and yet they are still in the Top 25. They have not beaten a ranked opponent all season, and they are still ranked 22 while teams such as Michigan, Miami (Fla.) and Oregon State are left out of some polls. Say what you will about these teams, but each team deserves to be ranked above Florida. Second: Your conference matters … sometimes. I don’t want to hear about how great the South Eastern Conference is because if anything this is a down year for them. The Big Ten is definitely the second best division in college football, and one could even argue they are the best division. The top three divisions should garner added respect from voters, but beyond that, rankings should be handled on a team-by-team basis regardless of whether they are in a traditional BCS conference. Therefore, never count out Boise State, because if they have shown anything over the past few seasons, it is that they can beat anyone they face regardless of record, ranking or conference. Third: If two teams are ranked in the top five, one team should not jump another top five team unless one of those schools loses. Otherwise, why rank teams in the top five? The top five represents the cream of the crop. Therefore, it is ridiculous to say one is better than the other when they are all probably capable of beating each other. But hey, at least we have the tournament to sort everything out. Oh wait, wrong sport. Looks like it might be another year until Cinderella gets to compete for the national title.
Check out www.MURedHawks.com for schedule and ticket information.
HOCKEY
Editor Katie Giovinale sports@miamistudent.net
NEXT GAME: 8:07 p.m. Friday at St. Cloud State
RedHawks split first series By Hannah R. Miller Staff Writer
Predictions called for an even matchup between the Miami University hockey team and the visiting University of New Hampshire (UNH) Wildcats. The RedHawks and the Wildcats took a game apiece at Goggin, the ’Hawks winning 6-3 Oct. 8 and the Wildcats winning 6-3 Oct. 9. Physical play and offensive opportunities characterized the weekend series, each team coming away with nine goals and more than 50 shots. The initial game of the series between the Wildcats and the RedHawks was a hard-fought battle. After a scoreless first, the offense for both teams erupted in the second, making it a five-goal middle period. The Wildcats started the scoring with a goal from Phil DeSimone. The RedHawks responded with quick goals from Justin Vaive and Steve Mason, putting the ’Hawks up 2-1. Miami was called for too many men on the ice late in the period, giving UNH a power play opportunity that ended in a Wildcat goal from Mike Sislo. Miami acted quickly in a give-and-go play between Carter Camper and Alden Hirschfeld. Camper sent the puck into the net, beating UNH net minder Matt DiGirolamo stick side. The ’Hawks took a 3-2 lead into the final period. In the third, Camper beat DiGirolamo again just after the three-minute mark of the period. The Wildcats did not rest, and Connor Hardowa’s shot from the point made its way past Miami’s Cody Reichard to bring UNH within one. In a late power play for the RedHawks, Camper found Hirschfeld in front of the net and Hirschfeld went bar down on DiGirolamo to increase the Miami lead to two goals once again. Hirschfeld added an empty netter with 35 seconds remaining to seal a 6-3 victory for the RedHawks. Saturday’s game started in familiar fashion for the ’Hawks. It was another scoreless first, the third in a row this season for Miami,
MICHAEL GRIGGS The Miami Student
UNH goalie Matt DiGirolamo and Blake Kessel try to stop Alden Hirschfeld from scoring Oct. 9. including the exhibition game Oct. 3. The zeros on the board were quickly erased in the second, but this time it was the Wildcats getting the jump. Miami broke the scoreless tie on a goal by Hirschfeld, but the RedHawk lead did not last. Just past the halfway mark of the period, the Wildcats unloaded for five goals from a mere nine shots. “Not one of us played our game,” Camper said of the second period. “Individually we didn’t play our games and as a team that wasn’t us.” The last time the RedHawks allowed five goals in one period was against New Hampshire Oct. 17, 2009. The RedHawks came out hard in the third
trying to claw back from the four-goal deficit incurred in the second, but the 20-minute period proved to be too short. In the middle of the period, Reilly Smith tipped in a shot from Hirschfeld, and three minutes later, Camper netted his third goal of the weekend. Just as it looked like the ’Hawks could come back, the Wildcats’ Stevie Moses sent a blast past Cody Reichard on a breakaway, making the score 6-3. “When two good teams go at it, that’s what happens,” Head Coach Enrico Blasi said. “We’re going to have to get back to work and try to limit our mistakes first of all and get ready for St. Cloud, which is going to be a huge series as well.”
Schedule
women’s cross country
football
soccer
tennis
SATURDAY
SATURDAY
FRIDAY
FRIDAY
Penn State National Meet 11 a.m. State College, Penn.
Central Michigan 12 p.m. Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
Ohio 3 p.m. Oxford, Ohio
ITA Ohio Valley Regionals All Day Knoxville, Tenn.
men’s cross country
hockey
SATURDAY
SATURDAY
Falcon Invitational 11:30 a.m. Bowling Green, Ohio
St. Cloud State 8:07 p.m. St. Cloud, Minn.
FIELD HOCKEY
SUNDAY
Akron 1 p.m. Oxford, Ohio
volleyball FRIDAY, SATURDAY
Eastern Michigan 7 p.m. Ypsilanti, Mich.
NEXT HOME GAME: 12 p.m. Saturday vs. Kent State
Big Ten teams overpower ‘Hawks By Drew McDonell Staff Writer
The Miami University field hockey team faced defeat Oct. 7 and 8 as they took on The Ohio State University (OSU) Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines. The RedHawks continued their busy weekend as they conquered the Central wwMichigan Chippewas. Head Coach Jill Reeve anticipated the Big Ten games to be a positive challenge for her team. “There was a little extra tension when we entered the games with opponents who are historically stronger,” Reeve said. “Performing under pressure is something we have to train and this weekend provided us with that challenge.” The RedHawks started their weekend Oct. 7 as they headed to Columbus, Ohio to take on No. 6 OSU. The Buckeyes lived up to their national ranking as they dominated the field for the majority of the game. Within the first half, OSU sunk
four goals into the net while taking a total of nine shots on goal. At half time the score was left at 4-0. The Buckeyes came back onto the field just as strong the second period, scoring a goal five minutes in. The RedHawks did not give up and freshman Kelsey Lund fired back, scoring the first goal for the RedHawks. The defense remained strong as freshman Sarah Mueller made eight saves on goal, shutting out the Buckeyes for the remainder of the game. While the RedHawks played hard, they were not able to overcome the four-goal deficit the Buckeyes presented to them. The game ended with a score of 5-1. “In the beginning, everything was kind of shaky and we had to make a lot of adjustments,” Mueller said. “We need to work on focusing and working hard right from the beginning.” The RedHawks then headed to Ann Arbor, Mich., where they took on the No. 15 Michigan Wolverines.
Miami was first to put points on the board as freshman Emily Gruesser made the first goal 15 minutes in. Michigan fought back, sending a goal past Miami’s defense, leveling the score 1-1. The game did not stay tied for long, as another Michigan player shot another goal, putting the Wolverines in the lead. Michigan continued to gain momentum as they continued to attack the goal. The Wolverines landed a third goal at the end of the second half, bringing the score to 3-1. The RedHawks returned to the second period seeking revenge. Three minutes into the period, senior Mary Hull scored the RedHawks’ second goal of the match. The remainder of the second period went back and forth between the two teams until the last five minutes, when Gruesser made another successful shot on goal, tying the game 3-3. The game went into overtime and the Wolverines scored four minutes later, clenching the win 4-3. “The mental challenge of
facing off against two topranked teams back to back was challenging,” Reeve said. “The outcomes have been disappointing, but the efforts have been excellent, we’ve learned valuable lessons from each match, win or lose.” The RedHawks remained in Michigan to take on the Central Michigan Chippewas. Miami started strong, as Hull scored the first goal in the eighth minute of the match. The match remained evenly played through the first period with neither team dominating the field. Central Michigan scored in the final minute of the first period, leveling the game. The Chippewas continued to fight hard in the second period, as they struck first scoring another goal within the first two minutes. The RedHawks did not allow the Chippewas to keep the lead for long. Hull scored shortly after, tying the game up once again and in the final minutes of the game, senior Kate Snyder sunk a goal into the net giving the RedHawks the win 3-2.