The Miami Student Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826
VOLUME 138 NO. 18
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO
In 1971, The Miami Student reported results of a campus-wide women’s survey found the availability of contraceptives at Miami University was necessary, but a shortage of funds may prohibit action based upon a meeting of the Associated Women’s Students.
Miami continues gender-neutral housing By Ethan Carey For The Miami Student
In an effort to promote a more inclusive environment for students, Miami University has implemented a gender-neutral housing option for those who are uncomfortable in the sexsegregated housing model. According to Demere Woolway, assistant director of the Office of Diversity Affairs and coordinator of GLBTQ Services, the gender-neutral housing option allows more students to feel comfortable with their living arrangements on campus. “At Miami, (gender-neutral housing) is an option for students who are in their second year or older who want to live on campus and who want to choose a roommate not necessarily on the basis of their legal sex,” Woolway said. “This is a good option for some transgender individuals whose legal sex may not be the sex with which they identify. It may also be an option for whom sex-segregated living is not a good option, so for example a gay man who is more comfortable living with heterosexual women.” The gender-neutral housing
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option is in its first year of Bell-Robinson said. “This implementation, according to program is really geared speWoolway, who said there is a cifically towards people who limited amount of space for are uncomfortable living in students seeking this type of traditional corridors.” housing situation. The major reason this opThis year’s program has al- tion has been offered is to lotted 12 beds within Heritage Commons “I think the gender-neutral and Hahne Hall, while plans for next housing option will ... year will provide promote a more positive 16 beds for students environment at Miami.” showing need. “This is the first MATT McCANDLESS year of implemenMIAMI JUNIOR tation,” she said. “Last year was the year that the policies were written and it was de- help those students who feel signed, and this year it has been sex-segregated living arrangeimplemented on a very, very ments are not the best option, small scale.” Bell-Robinson said. Woolway said gender-neuAccording to Coordinatral housing situations typically tor of Residence Life Jamie include suite-style living where Workman, 12 students have restudents have four people and quested gender-neutral housing they all use one bathroom. in its first year of implementaAccording to Vicka Bell- tion, but only 11 of them chose Robinson, associate director of to live within the suite-style the Office of Residence Life, living arrangements. limited space requires students Junior Matt McCandless, have a legitimate reason to re- a former resident assistant in quest gender-neutral housing. Morris Hall, said offering a “There is not a lot of space so gender-neutral housing opthere must be a good reason,” tion is an easy way to promote
diversity and ensure all students are comfortable with their oncampus housing arrangement. “I think that this is a good idea because members of the GLBTQ community are treated differently and I have seen it up close as a resident assistant,” McCandless said. “I think the gender-neutral housing option will offer students more security in their living arrangements and will promote a more positive environment at Miami.” Woolway said while gender-neutral housing is becoming a nationwide trend, it has only been implemented on a small scale. “I can tell you that nationally many of my colleagues at different universities have programs like this in place and it has remained a very small number of students who take advantage of it,” Woolway said. “The wide majority of students are comfortable living in sexsegregated housing, that’s what they’ve grown up with, that’s what their expectations are.” Bell-Robinson said while the program is still young, the university hopes to continue offering a gender-neutral option into the future.
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Senate reviews final exam policy MU looks into extending fall break
By Adam Giffi Senior Staff Writer
With final exams already looming in the not so distant future, the university senate heard proposed revision to the language found in the Miami University Policy and Information Manual (MUPIM) regarding rescheduling a final exam. Maria Cronley, chair of the academic policy committee, presented the revised language to the senate. Cronley said current MUPIM phrasing causes student confusion. “The current MUPIM policy was a little bit ambiguous about whether the final examination rescheduling policy applied only to those students who had four or more exams scheduled in a 24-hour period or whether the policy really was meant to allow other final exams to be moved as well,” Cronley said. According to Cronley’s presentation, the policy committee determined the language was meant to state that only students with four exams in a 24-hour period should be allowed to reschedule. However, Cronley elaborated on other possible scenarios in the newly reworked proposition that allow for students to move a final exam. “We also realize that there are those extraordinary circumstances where a student really needs to have a final exam changed,” Cronley said. “So, we did add an additional clause to account for that saying that those moves are allowed, but we would have to go through
and get appropriate permission from the dean’s office to make those moves.” Many senate members raised concerns not only about the new language but also about the rule in general. Some said allowing weekend finals could help alleviate excessive exams in a 24-hour period. Richard Campbell, director of the journalism program, took issue with the four-test requirement. “This is the fifth institution that I’ve been at and every other institution helped students to not have to take three exams in any one day,” Campbell said. “I think that our rule is fairly arbitrary and needs to be addressed.” Many members in the senate agreed, including Student Body President Heath Ingram. “What I really want to make sure of is that the policy we come up with is the one that gives students the best chance they have to prepare for their exams so that their performance is accurately reflected,” Ingram said. “When they’re forced to cram for even three exams, this is just not sustainable for students.” The policy committee has now been charged with looking into these concerns so they can be addressed. “I know that this is an issue of real interest to students,” Cronley said. “We will take a really serious look at whether four is really appropriate or if we should maybe add a clause that states it is three in a calendar day, or if there is some other solution. I think that it is a valid concern and we will really give it a lot of serious consideration at academic policy.”
By Matt Levy Staff Writer
Miami University students may get to enjoy a lengthened fall break in the future. Miami’s current fall break, which gives students only one day off, is seen by many as not lengthy enough to give students the rest they need from university life. “Miami has a lot of students who not only take full loads of classes, but are also members of all sorts of organizations and extracurricular activities, which brings recognition to the university and gives them a better experience as students,” Student Body President Heath Ingram said. “I think only having Friday off does not give students enough time to go home, decompress and reflect on the semester so far.” Ingram said another problem is the trouble out-of-state students have with their limited time off. “Miami wants to attract an increased student body from out of state and we need to think about how to best serve a changing demographic within our university,” Ingram said. “We have students from way beyond Ohio, and having only one extra day off does not give them the time they need to get back to their families, to go home, to decompress and refocus.” According to Ingram, a
THE
INSIDESCOOP
FIGHTING FLU
BEYOND THE BATTLE
ASG cabinet member Tyler Sinclair opens about his fight against leukemia.
VOTING VENUES
HOCKEY HIGHS
Check out where to cast your ballot in Oxford Nov. 2.
COMMUNITY, page 3
Wed
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FEATURES, page 4
The RedHawks continue to shatter records as they reclaim No. 1 in the nation.
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WWW.MIAMISTUDENT.NET
The Miami Student will not be printing an issue Friday, Oct. 29. Many of our editors and staff members will be attending a national collegiate journalism conference. We look forward to returning with bigger and better ideas for TMS!
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SPORTS: FOOTBALL AND SOCCER Check online for a collection of recaps from this weekend’s games.
OPINION: POLL
SPORTS, page 8 p
off would be beneficial for the university’s goals. “I know it’s a little late in the semester, but if you give students the whole (Thanksgiving) week off, they would get to see their family and consult with their family members about their semester, and you can never underestimate the value of getting home and seeing your family members,” Ingram said. Student Senate President Carson Cowles said a longer fall break would be important to keep Miami competitive with other public universities. “The reason we are pursuing this is because a lot of universities we have benchmarked ourselves to do it,” Cowles said. “There’s been a lot of research about it and students at those universities have better retention rates and do better overall, so that’s why we feel it is important.” According to Mosley-Howard, both Bowling Green State University and Xavier University give students two days off for their fall midterm breaks. “There are lots of pressing issues for us to tackle around the academic calendar,” MosleyHoward said. These include the number of required instructional days taking into account the increasing amount of students from out of state and their stress levels.
u
No Friday issue
Miami University brings flu shots to students across campus.
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resolution was passed in Miami’s student senate but died under further review from the university with no stated reason. “I don’t see the student government letting up on this,” Ingram said. “We just need to keep bringing it up and keep in (the university’s) attention. Then with persistence maybe we could get it. We need to engage in debate about it.” Dean of Students Susan Mosley-Howard has done research into the importance of a longer fall break for students. “We looked at the number of instructional days before and after the midterm time and examined the rise and fall of stress levels among the student body,” MosleyHoward said via e-mail. “I think that Miami needs to consider how many courses actually give midterms and what are student stress levels with midterm preparation time with the fact that we have a growing number of students from out of state who may wish to leave campus during this time.” Mosley-Howard said she has weighed a longer fall break or Thanksgiving break, something Ingram said he also considered. “We have Thanksgiving break in the fall which comes only about a month after the midterm time,” Mosley-Howard said. According to Ingram, the possibility of giving students the entire Thanksgiving week
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Which break in the fall semester would you extend?