The Miami Student Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826
VOLUME 139 NO. 27
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2011
MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO
TODAY IN MIAMI HISTORY In 1997, The Miami Student reported that Spring Street Market food prices were higher and rising more frequently than local grocery stores. The manager of the market said high prices were due to the market’s small purchasing bulk.
Miami spends millions, hopes to save more By Taylor Dolven Asst. Campus Editor
IT Services has a goal of saving $3.7 million by July 1, 2012. Because of the short timeframe of the deadline, the university turned to an outside consulting firm called Accenture for help with the project, according to Debra Allison, vice president of information technology. “Assistance from consultants is necessary,” Allison said via email. After a study performed by Accenture last spring, the university will undergo an overhaul of the internal operations of IT services, Allison said. Accenture is currently conducting similar projects at Yale University and the University of Michigan. Accenture was paid $3.1 million to come up with the transformation project, Allison said. Senior Director of Strategic Communication Cathy McVey said the savings will be repeated every year. “If we hit our goal, in the first year we will pay off the expense,” she said. “Every year after that we will save $3.7 million.” The company has worked at other universities and contributed to similar projects. “It is very expensive,” McVey said. “But we feel it is necessary to get the return we need.”
The project is broken into four main initiatives that began implementation in September, according to McVey. The first is governance, which aims to create one university body in charge of big changes in IT instead of the different departments making these decisions individually. “Right now with everyone making their own decisions, there is no way to look at the big picture,” McVey said. The second is data center consolidation, which hopes to identify all data servers that are not located in the main Hoyt Hall center and relocate them. McVey estimated about 200 servers are currently located outside the main center. The third is application rationalization, which will eliminate excess software use. Accenture surveyed different departments across the university to determine what major software packages are being used and for what, according to McVey. “The more complex, the more difficult,” she said. “We want to figure out places we can be simple.” The last initiative is the IT support organization and process design which will make IT services more efficient but still meet the needs of faculty and students, McVey said. “Right now the Farmer school has a number of positions that support their faculty and students, while IT in arts
and science are supporting way more people,” she said. “Should we be more fair in how we portion support?” Allison said the university reviewed several proposals from outside consultants and Accenture was not the most expensive. The university put out a request for proposals in the summer, according to Allison. One other company called Bain was much more expensive because of different transformation methods, including more time spent on campus. The other company was less expensive than Accenture. “It seemed clear to all of us that they didn’t have the expertise to make an engagement like this successful,” she said. The reason this kind of help is so expensive is because the university is paying for all of the Accenture consultants’ travel, lodging and meal fees as well as the company’s hourly rate while they are on campus, according to Allison. “Built into [the cost] is the company’s intellectual property,” Allison said. “The expertise consultants have gained through their experience in having other universities and organizations make these same kinds of changes. We checked with IT colleagues at Yale University and University of Michigan
before the final decision was made to select Accenture.” Alan Ferrenberg, associate vice president of business and infrastructure services, said the transformation is a team effort between Miami and Accenture. He thinks the change will be a big advantage for Miami. “Without a big effort like this and the external assistance, we would not be able to implement these changes,” he said. “In the end, it is going to be good savings.” Thirty people in IT services are working alongside the Accenture consultants.
“That involvement will grow as this effort picks up more steam,” she said. Funding for the consulting firm came from a part of the university budget set aside for unexpected problems or opportunities, Ferrenberg said. “The price tag is high but the savings are high,” he said. “All and all it is worth it.” The $3.1 million price of Accenture covers on site assistance and travel costs, but Ferrenberg said the most important part is the expertise. “If we knew how to go about this we would have already done it,” he said.
Construction delays push new high school opening to August By Catherine Ubry
For The Miami Student
Faculty and students in the Talawanda school district will have to wait a little longer than planned to move into the new Talawanda High School. The opening has been pushed back from January to August 2012. Due to critical project delays including wiring technology, temperature controls and classroom locations, the school will not be ready by Jan. 17, the original opening date, according to District Superintendent Kelly Spivey. The delays are due to various projects not being completed on schedule, including completion of cement work, cleaning, building inspections and various other projects, according to Spivey. Unfortunately the setback will cost more money due to the fact that the district will have to pay operating costs for two high schools, along with other factors including transportation. The transportation schedule will change and more minutes will be added between the middle and high school routes, which will cost more money, according to Spivey. “Talawanda School District hired a construction management team to schedule the work and monitor the progress of the construction,” Spivey said via email.
“Two weeks ago, it became obvious to the owners that the certificate of occupancy may be on schedule, however, critical projects that would impair the instructional practices (wiring for technology) could take several weeks.” “It is extremely important to continue to focus on the success of our students and staff,” Spivey said via email. Talawanda High School currently has 1,023 students, according to Spivey. All students and staff will
the positives,” she said. “We are so excited to have a new state of the art building.” As for what will happen to the old high school once the new one is completed, the building will be kept until construction for the new elementary school will begin, according to Spivey. “The Board determined last spring to keep the building until we know when we can construct the new Kramer Elementary School,” Spivey said. According to Spivey,
We want to focus on the positives. We are so excited to have a new state of the art building.”
Kelly SPIVEY
SUPERINTENDENT, TALAWANDA SCHOOL DISTRICT
make the move to the new facility on the first day of school in August 2012. Miami University sophomore Rob Schaepe said he feels the move will be better in August. “I feel like it’s better to start the school year in August,” he said. “If it were me, it wouldn’t really make sense to start in the middle of the school year, I’d rather just have it be the full year in a new building.” Spivey said the setback isn’t setting back the district. “We want to focus on
the Ohio School Facility Commissions will notify Talawanda when the funding will be available for construction of the new school. The Talawanda Board of Education also is willing to consider a lease option during the transitional period, although as of now, no interested party has yet come forth. “The majority of the staff, students and community are disappointed that the move is delayed,” Spivey said. “However, no one wants to move into a building that isn’t complete.”
SINGING IN THE SNOW
“This is expertise that we don’t have.” The other advantage to outside support is that the advice is impartial, according to Ferrenberg. “It is a lot of money, everyone wishes it was less,” he said. “This is what it costs if you are trying to get this kind of expertise and we really do need it.” Ferrenberg said there is talk about getting student input at some point, but most of the changes will be invisible to
1t, SEE PAGE 3
ANDREW BRAY THE MIAMI STUDENT
Miami University’s Collegiate Chorale and Glee Club performed for a sold-out Hall Auditorium Tuesday night. Tuesday also marked the first snowfall of the winter season.
ASG passes resolution in support of restructuring Miami Plan By Matt Levy
Senior Staff Writer
While Miami University students begin to prepare for finals and winter break, Associated Student Government (ASG) met Tuesday night to discuss some far-reaching legislation that could change what students learn and when they learn it. On the table were a large revision to the Miami Plan for Liberal Education and major changes to the academic calendar. Student Body President Nick Huber and ASG Secretary for Academic Affairs Tyler Sinclair presented a resolution that would gauge ASG’s support for a global restructuring of the Miami Plan. According to Huber, the Miami Plan was first adopted in 1992 but did not see its first revision until 2010. The new revision will attempt to address flaws with the current Miami Plan and focus on incorporating and considering credit for “high-impact” educational experiences into the academic environment that take place outside the
classroom, including Living Learning Communities, internships and study abroad experiences. “I think this is the most important bill we’ve discussed all semester,” senator Peter Dougherty said. “We’re not just saying we approve the change, but with the student body behind us we could show we’re behind change at Miami University. I’ve seen firsthand the problems that have come with the current Miami Plan requirements. There needs to be a shift with how we implement it here.” Many senators voiced their agreement with the pitfalls of the Miami Plan. “I think there’s obviously flaws with the current Miami Plan. I can’t think of anybody who hasn’t had some kind of problem,” senator Cole Tyman said. Some senators felt merely expressing support for change would not be enough, and that any changes should be given student consideration before going into effect. “Once this starts rolling, we’ll need to pay attention to it,” senator Amber Myhal said. “If we’re going to
suggest something once this all gets started, we need to be aware of what we are getting ourselves into.” Sinclair and Huber stressed the collaborative nature they hoped to have with the university as it begins to consider the proposed changes. “We’re not going to be blocked out of discussion on this,” Huber said. “We’re just making a simple statement, but this simple statement is going to open the floodgates for what’s to come,” Sinclair said. “We’re going to be behind this all the way and have our input heard all the way until this is implemented.” The resolution passed with unanimous support. ASG also discussed a resolution in support of the coming revisions to Miami’s academic calendar. According to Calendar Subcommittee Chair Maria Cronley and University Registrar Dave Sauter, who first presented the proposed changes to Miami’s academic calendar at the Oct. 11 ASG meeting,
ASG, SEE PAGE 5
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CAMPUS
Editors Lauren Ceronie Jenni Wiener
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2011
campus@miamistudent.net
Student makes second appearance on MTV By Adam Giffi
Senior Staff Writer
Miami University sophomore Derek Zike is just like most Miami University students: he enjoys hockey games, meeting new people and heading uptown. However, there is a difference: he’s a television star. For the second time, Zike will be featured in an episode of the popular MTV series True Life. In January 2009, he suffered a paralyzing spinal cord injury while playing hockey. He was just 17 at the time. In September 2009, the first show aired, titled “I’m Rehabbing My Injury,” which documented several teens, with different backgrounds and personalities, healing from crippling injuries. Zike said, filming this episode during such a difficult time was an experience ended up being a positive in
One piece of Miami that made the transition easier for Zike, and one of his favorite parts of being a student here, is the hockey team. “I still love hockey and I love getting to cheer the RedHawks on at the games It is kind of weird for me to see myself and I also like to watch the on TV, but I think it would be cool if practices,” Zike said. other students saw it.” According to Zike, the shoot took place on Nov. 18 DEREK ZIKE and True Life filmed at the MIAMI UNIVERSITY SOPHOMORE Goggin Ice Center, as well as King Library, Martin Dining Hall, Stadium Bar and here. I haven’t really had too Grill and other locations. Life crew. This time around, many problems,” Zike said. While Zike himself will not Zike said it was the ways he “The access bus has been rebe watching the episode, he has adjusted to campus life ally helpful to get around and does hope others on campus that the production sought I feel like I’ve transitioned see it when it comes on. to document, with the hope relatively easily.” “It is kind of weird for me of displaying through him what it can mean to be While some days have to see myself on TV, but I physically handicapped in a admittedly been better than think it would be cool if othuniversity setting. others, Zike said he has over- er students saw it,” Zike said. “I was in high school at all made great strides while “I hope they would see it and the time and since then I’ve here, including being able to understand that I’m a fully made the transition to col- use his arms better, utilize functioning Miami student lege,” Zike said. “By show- his fingers and ultimately do and that my injury doesn’t keep me from much.” ing my life on campus, they more than ever on his own. his life. Since then, Zike’s journey has led to Miami and the pursuit of a sport studies major, while again attracting the attention of the True
want to show how successful I have been in working through my injury.” Zike said he has truly enjoyed his Miami experience. “It’s been pretty great
CONTRIBUTED BY DEREK ZIKE
Sophomore Derek Zike will be featured on MTV’s True Life for the second time.
Miami budgets overtime pay following job cuts Teacher education
department adds 2 chemistry programs
By Jenn Smola
Senior Staff Writer
Despite hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on overtime pay in 2010, Miami University officials say the amount of overtime is not due to staff cuts made in 2008. Miami’s physical facilities department (PFD) tends to earn the most overtime of all university departments each year. The amount of overtime pay for campus facilities operations was up 13 percent from 2008 to 2009. At $849,415, the overtime pay for the PFD in 2010 decreased significantly, down nearly 19 percent from $1,046,806 in 2009, according to numbers from Human Resources. “These numbers are heavily influenced by events outside the control of the staff in these operations,” David Creamer, vice president of finance and business. “They don’t control things like the weather or special events like the Dalai Lama visit.” The PFD overtime is not all covered by the PFD budget, but from the billing for services provided to other departments like the residence halls or for special events, Creamer said. The PFD monitors its budget throughout the year, so if the PFD is over-budget after a job at a residence hall, for example, the department will bill the residence hall the rest of the cost, according to Creamer. While the PFD overtime budget for the 2010 fiscal year was $213,190, it doesn’t necessarily mean that
By Hannah Stein Senior Staff Writer
ERIN KILLINGER THE MIAMI STUDENT
the PFD was over budget, because overtime pay comes from a variety of sources. “In the time I’ve been [at Miami], they’ve always been under budget,” Creamer said. Additionally, some campus utilities require attention around the clock, Cody Powell, assistant vice president of operations, said. For example, the campus’s steam plant, chilled water plant and high voltage electrical distribution system are required by the state of Ohio to be staffed continuously, Powell said. When university employees have to work to maintain these operations during the holidays, they receive premium pay, which is higher than an employee’s hourly wage. Premium pay is included in yearly overtime dollars, but employees who earn premium pay aren’t working more than 40 hours per week, according to Creamer. The unpredictability of the weather also plays a big role in the amount of overtime each year, Creamer and Pow-
ell both acknowledged. “The last two winters have been especially challenging,” Creamer said. “The campus has an expectation for the sidewalks, roads and building entries to be safe and passable during snowfall,” Powell said. “We have no control over the weather, so we do see significant fluctuation in our overtime expenses as a result of these weather related events.” University officials keep a close eye onovertime spending, Powell said. “Overtime is closely managed and tracked against a specified annual overtime budget, even considering we do not have full control of circumstances creating overtime,” Powell said. Creamer said reduction in staff can cause additional overtime hours, but is typically cheaper in the long run. “The reduction in staff does occasionally necessitate some unplanned overtime,” Creamer said. “But this is still less expensive than adding
additional staff.” Despite some large reductions in staff over the last three years, the facility operations have been asked to control the amount of overtime, Creamer added. Sophomore Charlie Schreiber said he appreciates the work and dedication of university employees. “I think the employees do an amazing job,” Schreiber said. “You can’t budget for a snow day, you can’t budget for a power outage. Campus needs to be able to function, and university employees help make that happen even when it means working overtime.” “The vast majority of our employees are very dedicated and respond to problems even when they would prefer to be at home in bed or with their families celebrating a holiday,” Powell said. “They respond because of their commitment to their jobs and our responsibility to provide a safe place for our students to live and learn.”
University creates community forWWII veterans By Lauren Ceronie Campus Editor
Last Sunday in an interview on This Week, former Secretary of State Colin Powell implored Americans to reach out to veterans in their community and to create an accepting place for those returning from the battlefield. The task of integrating veterans back into civilian life has been a challenge for years and after World War II, Miami University faced the same issue. When WWII ended, thousands of veterans were able to attend college on the G.I. bill and Miami was no exception. After the war, the number of students at Miami reached 5,500, over twice the number of students that attended
This is part of a series The Miami Student is running about the University Archives. All information in the following article was obtained from the University Archives with the help of University Archivist Bob Schmidt. before the war. The inundation of students created a housing crisis for the university. At first, students were packed into the gym at Withrow Court, but since this living arrangement was unsuitable for most students, Miami decided to build Veterans Village, better known as “Vetville” in 1945. Vetville consisted of 196 temporary housing units. The units were 20 feet long and 24 feet wide, about the size of an average dorm room. However, unlike a dorm room, the Vetville units cost $37.50 a month to rent. Also unlike
dorm rooms, units contained a small kitchen and compact bathroom. Many of the veterans in Vetville lived with their families in the tiny units. While the living quarters may have been cramped, Vetville was a tight-knit community. The village had a mayor, a fire department and a newspaper called the Villaganda. The paper reported on Miami and state news, but focused on the goings-on in Vetville. Stories included lists of new renters with a blurb about each person, gossip, village events and even a story about a lost puppy that was found.
The wives living in Vetville even wrote a cookbook called “50 Ways to Cook Hamburger.” The members of Vetville shared laundry facilities and had a market for the village. While Miami expects the future residence hall renovations and projects to cost around $500 million, the creation of Vetville cost a comparably paltry sum of $55,000. As tight-knit as Vetville might have been, it was a temporary community. University President John D. Millett (1953-1964) disliked Vetville and viewed it as a blight on Miami’s campus. He was also convinced the village was a firetrap, and in fact, several fires did break out in the village. In August 1958, Veterans Village was dismantled.
When it comes to Miami University’s majors and departments, there seem to be innumerable possibilities. However, Miami’s teacher education department just recently approved the chemistry education and life chemistry programs. Chemistry education will license those students to teach just chemistry, whereas life chemistry means that when students graduate from Miami, they will be licensed to teach courses such as biology as well as chemistry, Ann MacKenzie, associate professor in the teacher education department in the school of Education, Health, and Society, said. Over the years, MacKenzie said she has heard students express the desire for a chemistry or life chemistry education program. MacKenzie said she finally spoke up and proposed the idea for these majors when she realized there was a serious need for them. “Based on the needs [we found] from our academic adviser and myself, I went ahead and said we really need to have these,” she said. “I keep in touch will my former students and they keep me informed and they will say ‘hey, we need more students coming out of Miami with these degrees.’ It was [also] based on the economic market. In terms of hire-ability, chemistry education and life chemistry education have more demands than some of the other [programs].” Some students agree with MacKenzie that additional programs such as these are necessary. “With today’s job market being rather selective, job-seekers are looking for ways to make their resumes stand out amongst the crowd,” sophomore early childhood education major Kiersten Wyatt said. “Teachers are no different and we look for every possible way to enhance our resumes.
Specializing in a particular subject is highly recommended as it will increase our chance of receiving a job. So, thank you Miami for offering new chemistry education programs. These programs will offer students more opportunities and teacher education students will hopefully have an even higher job placement rate.” The same professors who teach other science courses will teach these new programs as well, MacKenzie said. “In education they have a lot of science requirements,” she said. “So the professors who teach the other science courses will teach these.” Because of the high number of science courses required, many students choose to double major, MacKenzie said. “I think that’s also a misconception that chemistry education is easier, but our programs are as rigorous as pre-med,” she said. “We have a higher GPA requirement, now at 2.5, but we’re probably going to make it even higher.” Although the chemistry education major is just as difficult as pre-med, some students think that it will still greatly benefit all education students, not just ones who originally weren’t going to major in chemistry education. “I think this will benefit education majors because I think if some people like science but do not want to go pre-med or into the medical field, Miami will now allow them to have a career that is science related and allow them to teach,” sophomore Allie Bunney said. While these two programs were added, both earth physics education and life physics education were taken away. “In the years we offered those majors very few students took advantage of them and there was just a lack of demand,” MacKenzie said. Students will be able to enroll in these programs beginning in the spring, MacKenzie said.
www.miamistudent.net
IT,
FROM PAGE 1 ible to students and will have a low impact on student life. As far as tuition prices, he is unsure of the effects. “We can’t say that what we are doing will keep tuition from going up, but what we can do is
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2011 minimize the impact IT has on future tuition increases by lowering cost,” he said. Ferenberg’s job for the next year is to make this project as successful as possible. Senior Ben Richardson thinks the project is a good idea. “It’s a great deal,” he said. “From an economic stand point that’s a
great trade-off because it will start paying off immediately for faculty and students.” Improvements in IT will improve student life, Richardson said. Accenture will remain on campus through the first wave of implementation and then it will be up to the university to execute the rest, Ferrenberg said.
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POLICE
BEAT City weighs pedestrian safety plan Driver commits ‘gas-and-go’
By Michelle Rowley
Around 9 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 27, the clerk of the KDS Gas Station reported that a subject driving a black Jeep pulled up to a pump without paying. The subject pumped about $62 dollars worth of gas before leaving the scene. The clerk said a white male got out of the car, put the nozzle into the Jeep and begun pumping gas. While the gas was pumping, the male got back into the Jeep. Once the pump turned off, the male simply drove away without even taking the nozzle from the vehicle. There was no damage found to the pump once the male drove away. The Jeep could not be located at the time of the report.
Within the past few years, many proposals have been made by different groups in Oxford to increase the safety of walkers and bikers on and off campus. A new proposal from outgoing city council member Grieg Rutherford might have drivers seeing more red: at certain strategic times of the day, such as class changes, all lights at certain intersections would turn red at once to allow more pedestrian traffic. Rutherford is highly involved in the matter and said it is not the city who brought forth the issue of campus pedestrian safety, but Miami University’s parking transportation department. Miami brought the issue to light over a year ago after many students had voiced concerns for their safety when crossing the street between classes. Miami has brought the issue before Oxford’s City Council
For The Miami Student
over numerous times over the past year, Rutherford said. Although Rutherford did not have exact numbers, he has said that multiple students are hit and badly injured each year. Yet, even more students are being hit but not filing a police report simply because they don’t have the time, or because the injuries are not severe, according to Rutherford. A study of traffic patterns run by Rutherford has been in progress for the past year to monitor the number of cars passing through the Oxford campus and throughout northwestern Butler County. As a result of the study, proposals have been made to try to resolve the problem. The first proposal suggested creating a bypass that would go counterclockwise around the city from U.S. Route 27 to State Route 73. This proposal was turned down for manifold reasons including funding, according to Rutherford. A second proposal
suggested that the city utilize Chestnut and Locust streets for traffic to pass through Oxford without having to pass through campus. However, due to much resistance from the residents of these two streets, the second proposal was also rejected. Once this was rejected, an alternative plan to change Oxford’s traffic light functions was made. This latest proposal, made by Rutherford, suggests that all traffic lights on campus would momentarily turn red, allowing a greater volume of students to cross the streets safely, a method known as “scrambling.” “Scrambling” is a method used by cities with high volumes of both cars and walkers such as London and New York. To allow walkers to cross in large amounts, all lights turn red to ensure safe crossing. Sophomore Kristin Bell said the situation is not currently that bad, but that drivers do need to be more careful
and pedestrians do need to be more vigilant. “I think that the scrambling technique might work well and benefit pedestrians, but it could hinder students living off-campus because they might not get to class on time,” Bell said. While red lights might also discourage some students from driving to class, this is only a secondary concern for the city, according to Rutherford. Discouraging driving stems from a concern not just with safety, but with the environment as well. When students are idling at a very slow pace, they are not only using more gas, but also creating more emissions, according to Rutherford. Rutherford has suggested many different ideas to solve this problem such as putting in parking meters on Spring, Maple, Oak, Tallawanda and other streets, giving compensation to students who register a bike with the city, and making certain streets one-way.
David Prytherch, a geographyprofessorandMiami’sSustainability Coordinator has also been working with Rutherford and the city council to increase safety procedures. “I have been involved in an ongoing process to develop a Campus Circulation Master Plan that seeks ways to promote safe, efficient, and sustainable transportation around campus,” he said. “This plan was drafted by a design consultant for Miami’s Physical Facilities Department. And it does, among other things, explore possible crosswalk and intersection improvements to improve pedestrian safety.” However, Prytherch said there is nothing in this particular plan that would include freezing traffic lights and discouraging students from driving to class. Rutherford said Miami needs to take the situation very seriously and survey students to see what their needs are, as well as find how safe they truly feel.
Ohio veterans see bleak job outlook
Rainy season surpasses regional records
By Andrew Grant
Sightings of rain boots, umbrellas and puddles of water inside doorways of buildings have become an unusually frequent occurrence this past November. The area of Cincinnati and Oxford had such a high quantity of rainfall in the past four weeks, that according to National Weather Services (NWS) representative Seth Binau, a new precipitation record was set for November. The area saw a total of over eight inches, surpassing the record from 1985 of 7.51 inches. Cities like Dayton and Columbus also broke precipitation records, and the buckeye state saw an average of five to seven inches. While Binau’s office studies meteorology, a shorter time scale of weather patterns than climatology, Binau predicted that Ohio may experience a winter with an increased presence of precipitation. “I’m sure the winter months will bring some big snow storms,” Binau said. “We can expect to see more significant events in the next few months spinning off of the weather we’ve experienced in November.” According to the NWS, the culprit of the considerable trend in rainfall is a weather shift called ‘La Niña’. It’s caused by low surface temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific, south of Mexico and Central America, and
For The Miami Student
Soldiers are returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan to find that there are fewer and fewer options for jobs. Ohio is among the worst statistically in available positions for veterans looking to work after their tour of duty is completed, according to recent studies by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Mike McKinney, spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Veterans Services, said this is not only a trend that is specific to Ohio. The entire country is facing increased unemployment rates of veterans across the board. “The national average rate of unemployed veterans is around 11 percent,” McKinney said. “Ohio is in the top 10 of states, with an unemployment rate of 14.8 percent.” The most current data is from June of 2011 and it only shows the rate of each state and not the rate of the counties that are a part of it. It is difficult to determine what factors specifically have affected the rate, according to McKinney. “It’s a combination of factors, but it’s hard to say what specifically is affecting it,” McKinney said. “The economy isn’t the greatest right now and some employers are reluctant to hire veterans.” Some employers worry about the health of the veteran and how it might affect their work. “People would like, as we would, to have clear answers to why the increase in unemployment,” McKinney said. “But there really isn’t a clear answer to be had.” It is sometimes difficult for a veteran going through the process of readjustment to civilian life or going through post-traumatic stress disorder, according to McKinney. Translating military knowledge and training into a non-military lifestyle can be challenging for some. For others, the transition is easy. Miami University junior Evan Deaton has a family member that is in the military but is not active. His father is still a part of the military today. Deaton said what his
father did during his service really helped him prepare for civilian life. “My dad was pretty fortunate that he got a job right after his time,” Deaton said. “I can understand how difficult it might be for a service man or woman trying to find work.” There are many organizations set up to help veterans find work, go back to school or get vocational training if they desire. Every county has a job center for veterans specifically, according to McKinney. “There are many alternatives for veterans who want to further their education,” McKinney said. “Counselors are available to specifically help veterans get back into the workforce.” There are also many different programs currently being set up in Ohio that can help alleviate some of the veteran unemployment, according to McKinney. JuniorMatthewSeikelfeels that veterans who are willing to work should be allowed to and not discriminated by employers. “I feel bad for them if they don’t get the job only because they are a veteran,” Seikel said. “If they are considered to be equal candidates, why wouldn’t you hire them?” According to McKinney, there is a bill currently in Congress that will help with incentives to hire veterans to various jobs across the country. “The VOW Act is currently in office, and that would offer tax credit to companies who hire veterans,” McKinney said. Other bills have been previously passed to help support the veterans. “The post-9/11 GI Bill can pay for schooling and gives a good living stipend for veterans,” McKinney said. “And the Civil Relief Act helps protect the veterans of pre-9/11 wars.” “These people deserve to have a chance at any job they want,” Deaton said. “They protect our country for us, so the least we can do is give them the opportunity.” For more information about Veterans services, visit: http://dvs.ohio.gov/home/ county_veterans_service_ officers.aspx.
By Lisa Reymann
For The Miami Student
continues a pattern which brings in a higher number of storms to the Pacific Northwest and the Ohio Valley in the late fall. La Niña typically proceeds through winter and often into early spring. However, Binau said that weather patterns going a few months in advance are hard to predict. “We can make predictions that this area will be in this particular weather pattern for a while, but we do short term forecasts so it’s difficult to judge,” Binau said. With all the talk of global warming and climate change among scientific and governmental circles worldwide, recent events of extreme weather are under examination to determine if climate change is truly beginning to show its effects. Mark Boardman is a Miami University professor of geology who specializes in climate change. The way he sees it, weather fluctuates but trends in climate change will not be able to be analyzed until at least 30 years after the events already took place. He compared the concept weather patterns to the concept of the stock market: it is going to rise and fall many times throughout a given period of time. “People shouldn’t get hysterical every time it dips down,” he said. “Climate change isn’t a direct result of human effects, but it’s true that humans are affecting the climate. We are in the middle
LISA GEHRING THE MIAMI STUDENT
Two students attempt to beat the this week’s bleak weather.
of an experiment that we can’t turn off right now. Even if we made a drastic decrease in carbon dioxide emissions, the climate is going to continue to modify itself, and we have to adapt as humans.” Rachel Swihart, a junior geology major pointed out just how closely temperatures and precipitation are tied together. “As average worldwide temperatures intensify, atmospheric water moisture will increase, as will the amount of evaporation that takes place,” she said. “This could certainly lead to a surge in precipitation in certain areas.” Binau said that a time scale
of 50 to 100 years is a more common increment of time in which weather is researched to note any major adjustment in weather. “Meteorologists can’t tie singular weather events or seasonal patterns to climate change,” he said. “Multiple seasons will end up dictating what the temperature is doing. It’s really not the best use of science to blame climate change as the driving force for differing weather patterns.” Bring out the snow boots and get ready to bundle up; according to Binau, it is predicted there will be a significant amount of snow in the forecast this winter.
State legislation benefits Pell Grant recipients By Kevin Blank
For The Miami Student
On Nov. 16, the Ohio House of Representatives accepted an emergency clause to House Bill 167, which was previously passed by the senate. This emergency clause makes all state and federal financial aid for Pell Grant and Ohio College Opportunity Grant recipients tax exempt. Prior to the passing of the bill, Ohio students were only tax exempt from tuition, books and fees. The clause specifically states that recipients of these grants will not be taxed on all college related expenses, including room, board and meal plans.
According to Representative Tim Derrickson, Ohio state representatives continually push and encourage high school students to pursue a college degree. With the passing of House Bill 167, representatives hold high hopes for further participation of Ohio residents in higher education. Furthermore, Ohio representatives have agreed that exempting the above individuals from taxing their financial aid can be done without putting a large dent in the state’s budget. According to the clause itself, the budgets of meal plans, and room and board are just as relevant for an Ohio student as any other expense. “It’s a bit crazy for a
student who applied for a Pell Grant or an Ohio College Opportunity Grant to be taxed based on how Ohio schools want to spend their money,” Derrickson said. According to Derrickson, the bill was brought to his attention from a student that attended Ball State University. The student told Derrickson her views on the matter and the representative took things to the next level. According to Derrickson, the bill was passed on March 22 and confirmed by senate in July. “The emergency clause was added in the senate due to the fact that had it not been added, the bill would not have taken effect until 90 days after the governor
signed it,” Derrickson said. “There is not going to be much of a difference. If kids really are driven to get a college education they are going to do it regardless of if their aid is taxed or not,” Miami University senior Brett Hoffman said. “If a student wants higher education they will seek it out.” According to the bill, 99,663 students in the state of Ohio received financial aid in the 2010-2011 school year. The average award given to each student was $3,714. With the passing of House Bill 167, Ohio students will be more encouraged to attend a university of some sort and be able to do so within their budget.
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2011
ASG,
FROM PAGE 1 possible adjustments include: starting the school year after Labor Day, restructuring fall break and Thanksgiving break, lengthening finals week to minimize exam conflicts as well as lengthening winter break considerably and adding a short winter term in during that time. According to Sinclair, coauthor of the resolution along with Huber, any changes would go through an implementation
committee, meaning ASG’s immediate job was to show student support or disapproval for the process to begin. “I think this is a fantastic bill and something we need to pass today,” Dougherty said. “The winter term will allow Miami to raise more revenue from having classes, students can take more classes, and they can also use that time to take internships. I think everything the Calendar subcommittee did was a great job and we should move forward.” Many senators agreed on the
possibilities the short winter term, or “J-mester,” could offer them. “I was initially against the idea of the J-mester,” senator Sam Ellis said. “I think after hearing what the implementation committee plans on doing, this could be highly successful. Study abroad is another option for this time. As someone who never got the chance to study abroad, I wish I had more chances in that area.” Some ASG members felt there could be drawbacks to
the J-mester that would not be immediately obvious. “My only concern with the Jmester is that first-year students struggle with being involved on campus, and that long break is dangerous to their immersion into campus life because studies have shown students most often feel the effects of homesickness when they come home for a long period of time after being away at college for a semester or a few months. Other than that, I have no real
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problem with the J-mester,” Secretary for Diversity Affairs Jonathan Wheeler said. “I think while all these topics are still up for debate, it could be something left for the implementation committee to discuss. I think whatever they decide, as long as there’s some sort of transparency behind their decisions, this resolution should pass,” senator Nithya Kumar said. The resolution was passed by a roll-call vote.
Committee on Student Media Organizations
COSMOs
• new student-run media organizations • leadership positions with existing
student-run media orgs
SINGING THE NIGHT AWAY
ANDREW BRAY THE MIAMI STUDENT
The Men’s Glee Club brought the first snows of the season with their “Socially Awkward” November holiday concert.
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OPINION
Editors Noëlle Bernard ORIANA PAWLYK
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2011
editorial@miamistudent.net
EDITORIAL
University needs student input on restructuring Miami Plan
MADELINE HRYBYK THE MIAMI STUDENT
The time for wholesale reform of the Miami Plan has finally arrived. Associated Student Government recently passed a resolution in favor of this “global restructuring.” The Miami Plan has been implemented to give students a wellrounded, liberal education, but it should be applicable to most student majors and departments. It is vital that students play a central role in revising the Miami Plan. The College of Arts and Sciences, the college with the most students, has many requirements that match with Miami Plan requirements. Yet to have one or two science classes that do not match up with the Miami Plan makes it infeasible for the student to take
an extra course just to graduate. There should be some flexibility between advisers and students, in which there could be some advising authority for students to make a case for that extra course to count toward the Miami Plan. Specific classes under the Miami Plan should also be encouraged for all students to take. All students should leave Miami with knowledge that will progress them into their futures — there are some classes that are indispensible. Just as business majors take a public speaking course, all students should take an economics class, science class, geography course and/or history course, of which the content should captivate and make the student
literate in the material presented. No Miami graduate should lack an understanding of some core scientific and historical ideas, such as evolution or the basics of US history. Miami Plan courses also give different departments the chance to “convert” new majors, and should be staffed by outstanding faculty. ASG needs to be aggressive on this issue to have student input before a final decision is made. This should not just be an online survey, but a diverse, multifaceted approach toward all at the university. Representatives from each school, many majors and even departmental advisers should all work together to revise the Miami Plan.
Rule of Thumb Michael Solomon leaving TMS staff Thank you for your dedication to the paper and introducing the newsroom to Sporcle!
JM Rieger joining staff Welcome to The Miami Student staff, JM! You will do well as sports editor.
Improving pedestrian safety New provisions are in the works to help make the red bricks safe for walkers and bikers. PATRICK GEYSER THE MIAMI STUDENT
Hockey back in national rankings
Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826
EDITORIAL BOARD Sam Kay Editor in Chief
JUSTIN REASH COMMUNITY Editor
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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.
Derek Zike Congratulations for the opportunity to tell your incredible story on MTV. Your life is an inspiration!
Holiday lights in Oxford Houses and uptown are decked out with holiday lights, Christmas trees and inflatables!
First snow coinciding with concert Miami’s Glee Club and Collegiate Chorale sang while Oxford got its first glimpse of snow.
New chemistry program Proof that student feedback is working now that students have more chemistry course options.
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Hockey’s eight-game unbeaten streak puts the RedHawks back on the map.
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2011 OP ED
the bitter and the sweet
Remember in junior high and high school when you had to make timelines? From the geological ages to the history of the U.S to the life of Ernest Hemingway, timelines were always assigned as a quick way for students to spend five minutes reflecting about their subject. It’s probably one of the worst assignments to give a child (although adding your own drawings of a chest of tea being thrown in the sea or Hemingway’s six-toed cats can be fun), because how much of that information will really be absorbed? Will a 15-year-old U.S. history student really remember that the Fugitive Slave Act came before the Alien and Sedition Act? In reality, timelines are only helpful if the people viewing them are truly interested in the information. Otherwise, a historical skit may be a better way to teach the Lewis and Clark expedition. The same holds true for Facebook’s new Timeline feature. In essence, it takes all your posts that you ever made on the social media site (that’s right, even that picture that you never wanted to see again of your high school homecoming dance) and allows you to create an online scrapbook of your life. According to a recent USA Today article, the Timeline feature will collect photos or posts with the most ‘likes’ or comments and include them in your timeline. All 800 million Facebook users
Perceiving Reality
thomasina johnson
KARLI KLOSS
Timeline feature creates useless addition to Facebook
Stripping it down: A few more realities about the post-Miami job market
The people who truly care about your life and development as a person have photo albums filled with all of your happy, sad, awkward or proud moments. They know how you felt when you graduated high school, went to college, got a job, got engaged and went through other life milestones. will have five days to control what information is hidden and they will still be able to delete parts of the Timeline once it’s published. On the Facebook discussion page about the Timeline, most people do not agree with the new Timeline and want the choice to either have the Timeline or stay with the current chronological feed. As for me, it all comes down to the simple high school assignment: Who really wants to see your timeline? The people who truly care about your life and development as a person have photo albums filled with all of your happy, sad, awkward or proud moments. They know how you felt when you graduated high school, went to college, got a job, got engaged and went through other life milestones. The funny thing about Timeline is that it’s mainly created for the very crowd who can never understand the true you: those random friends you still kept, even though you haven’t talked to them since confirmation or the cute boy or girl you met at the bar last night
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who’s trying to find out if you’re worth the effort. One of my good friends just deleted Facebook. After being an active user since high school, she switched over to Timeline and quickly became afraid her privacy was in jeopardy. She didn’t want to be a part of a company that squeezed itself into every crevice of her life. She told me she felt like her true friends would keep in contact with her through phone calls or emails, and that the art of meeting someone and striking up a conversation with him or her has been lost because of Facebook. For her, focusing on the quality of friends over the quantity and keeping old, embarrassing photos hidden was more important than being constantly logged in. Should you leave Facebook because of Timeline? I doubt I will because I’m not a very active user of Facebook — I log on once a day for a few minutes. But one thing’s for sure: I’ll leave the personal scrapbooks to Creative Memories and rainy afternoons.
Fears and expectations about life post-graduation tend to be skewed toward how optimistic or lazy we feel on a given day. With the exception of our prestigious and pampered Farmer’s School of Business (FSB) children, many of us will not be getting a starting salary of $50,000 and immediate relocation to the Upper East Side of Manhattan. We will need to [temporarily] labor in ungratifying positions, doing endless hours of grunt work when we hit the job market. But is that really such a terrible thing? The reasons are diverse, the manifestos varied — but one of the more fibrous threads of the Occupy Wall Street movement is unemployment. The dreaded U-word, feared by national leaders from every walk of the international system, is part of a larger dialogue on our current market system. However, this column is not going to be about why the 99 percent (side note: aren’t you just sick of that phrase yet?) is right, wrong, disadvantaged, whiny or revolutionary — it’s hitting a little bit closer to home. If you are reading this column there is a strong possibility you are a student at Miami University. Not to patronize my fellow classmates, but Occupy Wall Street is not about you, because you will be getting a job after graduation. It might not
be the best job ever, but it will be a job. Miami has the highest four-year graduation rate of a public university in Ohio, and is ranked seventh nationally. As a Miami student, you are already at an advantage when it comes to finding a job. What we lack in diversity, we make up for in networking, patronage and just plain schmoozing. Visiting some friends at Ball State University a few weekends back, we decided to have a boys’ night — meaning my roommate and I ventured to a strip club. It was dirty and dank and everything I could have hoped for in a place called Joker’s Wild located in Muncie, Ind. Because we’re girls and don’t know the rules, we ended up having a lengthy conversation with one of the dancers. We asked her how she felt about stripping for money and whether it affected her home life and other typically female of questions. She answered simply: it’s a job. It pays her bills and will help her pay for school eventually. In fact, our friend Luke told us later, one of the girls he knows from Ball State works at Joker’s Wild. Returning to Miami, it struck me how out of place that scenario would be in our brick-paved, Christmas-lighted Ox-bubble. I’m not judging those girls in the slightest, and they do make decent money, but
frankly Miami seems to have a different standard for us. Yeah, that sounds snotty and privileged, but guess what kids? The majority of us here are snotty and privileged, and that’s what is going to get us those jobs the Republican primary campaigns are so concerned about. We’re not entering the service sector post-grad, we’re starting a few steps below middle management and at 22. I tend to pick on the FSB students when making these exaggerations (because frankly some of them deserve it), but it’s true, they are set to go practically out of the gate. And while I envy the starting salaries many of them will get, I’m not the least bit concerned about when my career is going to start. What sets our students aside is work ethic, and that graduation rate shows it. We work hard at Miami. There’s no reason why we won’t work hard out in the real world. Many, if not most, of us have been given advantages and I think that’s a perspective that gets lost in the chemical fire of stress that is the three weeks between Thanksgiving and salvation. Unemployment is a national problem, there’s not denying that. But I think some of us need to be reminded about how well off we will be when we graduate, and that everything will work out if you work at it — just breathe.
the contrarian J. Daniel Watkins
An atheist reflects on celebrating the Christmas season; Why do people keep asking why I enjoy holiday tunes? Each and every year, I expect that come holiday season, someone aware of my atheism will probe the following with their nose in the air, and condescension in their tone: “How can an atheist celebrate Christmas?” I expect always, multiple variations upon this question during my holiday season. It’s an annual occurrence of apropos remarks containing ideas on the very nature and state of the holiday itself. But, it wouldn’t be very American to think Christmas could not rise beyond its station. So where does that leave an atheist with an affinity for holiday tunes and delicious holiday themed pastries? It starts with consideration that while many religious people celebrate a holiday around this time, and in their particular ways, Christmas has become the most acceptable and open to
all, with a fewer number of specific practices. So while many spend their revelry in celebration of a specific birth, I do so with similar notions: that each and every one of us as people can at the least give each other cause to be happy. While most of the religious under and over tones are lost on me, the thick wave of happiness and “good will towards men,” is not. I am no anomaly in lacking a religious reason to get excited. Secondly, a common reason for celebration often comes in the ‘family’ umbrella. I want to make a distinction between families and loved ones. Loved ones are those you have come to respect and adore for their relation to your life, and hopefully someone you’ve intentionally kept around. While family can come under this category, it is not necessary that they do.
It starts with consideration that while many religious people celebrate a holiday around this time, and in particular ways, Christmas has become the most acceptable and open to all, with a fewer number of specific practices. Families aren’t automatically worth celebrating. Arguably, the subject of most debate around this time of year is gift shopping. Common criticism wants you to think gifts are shallow, they are merely unfounded wants and you’re not a very good person for desiring them. Often, I think such statements call into question way more topics than people are prepared to defend. Why is a focus on material goods a bad thing? Why could it be wrong for loved ones to shower someone
else in this way? So on so forth. While Black Friday paints an often-obsessive picture with getting things on the cheap, things sometimes not affordable, its economic precedence outshines another necessary part. All these discounts, all these deals are commonly to buy for someone else. It wouldn’t be holiday shopping if everyone merely went out to buy cheap things irrelevant of the fact it’s a holiday season. Logically, you can’t separate a day to buy intensely for others, without the accompanying
notion their desire to buy, is to buy for someone else. For instance, when I mentioned I snagged a game on the cheap to my mother, I was met with the response “You’re doing it wrong.” Internet phrasing turned motherly advice when bringing into focus that the idea has always been at this time of year, to do something for others. The rest of the year, we shower ourselves with attention, wants and necessities. No problem. But during this time of the year, something in the air lets everyone participate. You don’t need to be religious. You don’t need the perfect family. And if you’ve got no one else, it is with ease that you can walk into a coffee shop and feel the warmth inherent with the season. Around this time, people always say the concept of Christmas is misguided or
tainted. I disagree. Maybe it’s become something else, something better. While pepper spraying a fellow shopper is obviously irresponsible and going too far, those are the kind of things we do for love. Let’s not underestimate the joy a person might receive when watching their most loved person open up a gift on Christmas Day. Even so, these are isolated incidents in the single digits, compared to the six or seven digit number of shoppers. It’s almost as if the “Spirit of Christmas” inexplicably rises out of the music, lights and gloves holding a warm drink taken over a scarf with your favorite company. No mandatory church services and no forced awkward family encounters. The Spirit of Christmas finds it’s grounding in the space between us, and for an atheist, it is that simple.
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SPORTS
sports@miamistudent.net
jm rieger
NEXT HOME GAME: 7:05 p.m. Dec. 10 vs. Ohio state
Editor Michael Solomon
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2011
the rieger report
Overcoming the learning curve Despite being picked to win the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Division this season, the Miami University football team wrapped up a disappointing season with their third straight loss last week against archrival Ohio University, finishing 4-8 on the year. However, all is not lost for this young squad. Many of you may remember former Miami Head Football Coach, Michael Haywood, who won one game in his first season, only to win 10 the following year en route to the team’s first conference title since 2003 and their first bowl appearance since 2004. Haywood was able to develop and recruit players between his first and second year and was also able to better implement his offensive and defensive schemes. Current Head Coach Don Treadwell will be able to do the same next year. Some of Miami’s best players were not heavily recruited coming out of high school and this ability to find dark horse recruits will allow the RedHawks to field competitive teams every year. Although Miami had the worst rushing offense in college football, they were still able to move the ball down the field behind the arm of quarterback Zac Dysert. The RedHawks finished the season ranked 14th in passing offense, averaging nearly 300 yards per game. The Red and White had one of the best receiving corps in the country and will only lose Chris Givens going into next season. Wide out Nick Harwell had one of the best seasons in Miami history, catching a single-season record 97 balls for nearly 1,500 yards and nine touchdowns. He is also on the Biletnikoff Award watch list, the award
annually given to the nation’s top receiver. By comparison, Oklahoma State University junior wide receiver Justin Blackmon, who won the award last season, has nearly 200 fewer yards receiving in as many games played and has only caught six more touchdowns than Harwell. Harwell was also named to the All-MAC First Team along with cornerback Dayonne Nunley. Freshmen wide receivers David Frazier, Dawan Scott and Willie Culpepper helped complement one of the deepest receiving corps in the MAC this year and will only improve going into next season. If Miami can establish a consistent running attack in 2012, their offense will be next to unstoppable. The RedHawks only lose 13 seniors from this year’s team and have already locked up 16 players in recruiting, including 11 from Ohio. And defensively, Miami will be one of the most experienced teams in the MAC. There is a lot to look forward to next season. The Red and White will continue to learn Treadwell’s system, which will lead to fewer turnovers and fewer costly penalties. Dysert and Harwell will be competing for some of the top offensive awards in the country, and Miami’s defense will dominate opponent’s air attacks, as they return some of the best pass rushers in the conference in Austin Brown and Wes Williams, in addition to Nunley and fellow defensive back D.J. Brown. The easy thing is to roll over and give up on this team. The real question though, is if Miami students will remain patient, remain passionate and remain loyal to their school.
’Hawks hope to continue unbeaten streak in Michigan By Tom Downey
For The Miami Student
The Miami University men’s ice hockey team is taking an eightgame unbeaten streak into December. The RedHawks beat Bowling Green State University 4-0 in the first game and then tied them 4-4 in the second. However, they failed to win the shootout. At the Denver Cup Classic, the Red and White defeated Providence College 6-2 and then beat No. 9/10 University of Denver 4-2 to win the Cup. It was the second time the team has won the Denver Cup Classic, with the first coming in 1997. Junior Reilly Smith was named tournament MVP following his three-goal performance in the event. “I think it does a lot for our confidence,� Senior Cameron Schilling said. “Denver’s an elite team, so it shows we can compete and defeat elite teams like Denver.� The RedHawks now travel to Marquette, Mich. to take on the Northern Michigan University Wildcats. The Wildcats are 5-6-3 overall and 2-5-3-2 in Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) play. However, the team has only lost once during their eight home games this year. That loss came against Michigan State University. The team also plays on an Olympic sized rink, which is larger than what the Red and White typically play on. Smith said the larger rink might work in favor of the RedHawks. “It’ll be something to get used to, but in the past we’ve flourished on the larger rink and we have a lot of young and fast players that should be able to use the ice to their advantage,� Smith said.
MU loses season finale to Ohio By Tom Downey
For The Miami Student
The Miami University women’s volleyball team finished their season with a 16-16 record and a 7-9 mark in MidAmerican Conference (MAC) play. Thanks to a late season surge, the team snuck into the MAC Tournament where they lost to Ohio University in the quarterfinals. Head Coach Carolyn Condit described the season as “average to below average to what this program is capable of.� The team started off the season strong, going 12-8 and 3-1 in conference play. However, the team began to struggle in October, only winning one game and losing eight straight games in MAC play. “I think the losing streak reflected a lack of maturity in how we compete to win,� Condit said. “We had great effort, but we seemed to tailspin
when the going got tough. It’s hard to explain but I think our athletes got too caught up in the points of the match rather than taking it one game at a time and enjoying playing good volleyball.� The team also struggled with injuries, especially in the left side hitter position. However, the team won four straight games against the University of Akron, the University at Buffalo, Bowling Green State University and Western Michigan University in the month of November, which helped them grab the No. 7 seed in the MAC tournament. “When you lose eight games in a row, the competitors on the team step up, especially the seniors,� Condit said. The MAC was especially strong this year as they were ranked seventh of 32 conferences. In addition, four teams were selected to go to the
NCAA Tournament, setting a new conference record. Senior Cassie Farrell was named to the All-MAC team, leading the team in hitting percentage and blocks. She was also second on the team in kills. Defensively, sophomore Madison Hardy, who finished the season with 529 digs, led the RedHawks. “We lose no one in the backcourt, and the rest of the team will be improved,� Condit said. “Chelsea Visk will become a standout player. We need to be number five or higher as we get into the middle of the MAC season as we begin to pull ourselves up toward the top of the standings. We finished seventh, and I’d like to see us finish in the top four.� The Red and White will be a young team next year and while it may take them a little while to gel, they should be rounding top form by the end of the season.
SCOTT ALLISON THE MIAMI STUDENT
Senior Alden Hirschfeld scores the third of Miami’s four goals against Bowling Green State University junior goalie Andrew Hammond Nov. 19. Miami is riding an eight-game unbeaten streak going into their series with Northern Michigan University. “We’re going to have to focus on the size of the ice and spread the ice open and focus on one on one battles down low.� Miami and Northern Michigan last faced each other in 2010 in Oxford, where the RedHawks dismantled the Wildcats. The ’Hawks won the first game 4-0 and then won the second game 9-1. The RedHawks continued their streak of CCHA honors, as Reilly Smith was named Player of the Week while freshman forward Austin Czarnik was named Rookie of the Week. This is the second time both Smith and Czarnik have won these awards
this season. Smith has won CCHA Player of the Week four times in his career. In addition, a Miami player has won a CCHA award for each of the past four weeks. Thursday, several ‘Hawks received more honors for their solid month. Smith was named CCHA Player of the Month, while Czarnik was honored as the Rookie of the Month. Senior goalie Cody Reichard was named Goalie of the Month by the league. The Red and White are also inching into the national rankings again. They are currently No. 18 in the USCHO poll, one spot ahead of the University of Michigan.
Schilling said the Red and White are not too concerned with their ranking. “Rankings don’t mean much right now,� Schilling said. “It is nice, but we have to get our CCHA standing up. This is a huge weekend coming up, since we’re not doing [too] great in the CCHA.� It is the first time the RedHawks have been ranked since Oct. 24. The Red and White are currently in fifth place in the CCHA. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. for both Friday and Saturday. Following this series, the RedHawks will play a home and home series against Ohio State University the following week.
Miami falls short against UC By Josh North
For The Miami Student
The Miami University men’s basketball team (2-3) lost another close game Tuesday against the University of Cincinnati (4-2) by a final score of 56-47. Senior forward Julian Mavunga once again led the RedHawks with a dynamic 26 point, 12 rebound performance. Mavunga scored his 1,000th-career point as a member of the RedHawks Tuesday night and also notched his 10th career 20-point game and his 17th career doubledouble. Mavunga is leading the team in points and rebounds on the year, averaging 21 points and 10 rebounds per game. He is also second on the team in assists, racking up nearly three assists per game. “If we can keep him playing well, we won’t be far away from being a good team,� Head Coach Charlie Coles said. “We still struggle with running plays, but we’re improving on how to get him the ball where he wants it.� Coles again cited turnovers as the main problem for the ’Hawks. Miami had 15 turnovers in the game against their in-state rivals and the Red and White were only able to score 47 points despite shooting a respectable 47.5 percent from the floor. Despite the team’s overall offensive struggles, the RedHawks were within
two points of the Bearcats late in the game. Coles has been encouraged by Miami’s defense. “Our defense is getting better,� Coles said. “We’re doing a real good job on that end [of the court] and our confidence level is increasing.� Sophomore forward Jon Harris was second on the team in scoring with eight points. The team’s lack of balance is an issue that Coles plans on addressing in the near future. Redshirt
sophomore Bill Edwards, who was held scoreless against Cincinnati, will be integrated more into the offense to help boost the ’Hawks offense. The RedHawks will travel to the University of Troy on Saturday looking to even up their season record at 3-3. Miami was victorious against the Trojans at home last season 80-73. The Red and White return home after the game against Troy to face-off against in-state foe Wright State University at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 10.
SCOTT ALLISON THE MIAMI STUDENT
Senior forward Julian Mavunga slams home two of his 26 points Tuesday night vs. the University of Cincinnati.The RedHawks hopes to snap their two-game losing streak Saturday night in Alabama against the University of Troy.
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