ESTABLISHED 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES
Volume 150 No. 9
Miami university — Oxford, Ohio
THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022
In this issue
“Politicians can choose their voters”:
They went to see history; Redistricting causes They didn’t problems for Ohio primaries know they’d become a part of it REAGAN RUDE
CAMPUS & COMMUNITY Ohio’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill sparks mixed opinions from students and community members - page 5
ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR Warsaw, Poland’s two-story Central Railway station is bustling with activity. Hundreds of people line the walls, and trains arrive by the hour delivering even more. Yet no one is departing – they have nowhere to go. Among them, a group of Miami University students
ENTERTAINMENT Jon Batiste shines in the spotlight after winning Album of the Year - page 6 FOOD Holy schnit!
- page 7
GRAPHIC BY MACEY CHAMBERLIN
LAURA GIAQUINTO STAFF WRITER
SPORTS How Basketball HC Travis Steele Plans To Turn Around The Program - page 11
Cameron Tiefenthaler, a Wilks Fellow and sophomore at Miami seas ballot this spring while she spends her semester studying abroad in Luxembourg. Many Ohioans will also experi-
OPINION Standing with our LGBTQ Community: Anti-LGBTQ Legislation Has No Place Here - page 13
will split its primaries between May 3 and another not yet agreed upon date. At the start of February, Tiefenthaler requested an overseas ballot
PHOTO STORY Art through race and history: Miami Art Museum spring collections - page 14
that she would be sent a ballot. About three weeks ago, however, Tiefenthaler received a new email from her Board of Elections. Because the Ohio Redistricting Commission’s
third set of district maps had been struck down by the state Supreme Court, the Board wouldn’t be able to mail her a ballot in time for her vote to be counted. Alternatively, the Board of Elections asked if Tiefenthaler would be and mail back. She emailed back yes and was sent a PDF. The email Tiefenthaler received included a disclaimer regarding the elections which had maps still in the making. The email read: “The State Central Committee candidates are not on this ballot, more than likely an August 2 election will be held for this election and state representative candidates. Don’t hesitate to get a hold of us if you have any questions.” From here, Tiefenthaler still faced some challenges mailing her ballot.
“The only tricky thing was that they also emailed me the PDF version of the content that was being printed on the envelopes. I was a little confused as to if I was supposed to print out those sheets to tape them to envelopes and then put that inside of another envelope,” Tiefenthaler said. the envelopes and didn’t hear back, so that’s what I did.” Three envelopes later, Tiefenthaler sent her ballot out. “It’s been a little bit of a mess,” Tiefenthaler said. “Especially with the Board of Elections and trying to coordinate the overseas ballots and making sure you can still vote in the elections that are going to be running on May 3.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
When Matthew Kantin, a junior marketing major at Miami, enrolled for Chabad’s spring break Livinglinks trip to Poland back in January, he had no idea what was in store for him. “I was looking for a new perspective, and to meet new people from around the country,” Kantin said. “I [wanted to] gain a better understanding of what the Jewish people had to go through at one point and how fortunate we are now.” Livinglinks is an educational student trip to Poland that exposes students to Jewish European history through visits to concentration camps, synogogues and Holocaust memorials. When war broke out in to Poland, however, the group of 28 students decided to adjust its itinerary to help. Josh Akum, a junior information systems and analytics major at Miami and fellow participant, said they helped out from the beginning of the trip. “We went to Warsaw, Lublin and Krakow, and in each city we volunteered and helped with the refuof the trip, we went to Warsaw Central station and prepared packages of food and supplies to get to them.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Synchronized skating team glides Miami seniors look tremendous success in the World forward to upcoming to Championships graduation ceremony SEN NGUYEN
Miami’s President Gregory Crawford shared his enthusiasm for the ceremony in an email to The Miami Student. “We are thrilled to be able to have a more normal commencement ceremony for this class, which has powered through the pandemic,” Crawford wrote. “These soon-to-be graduates bility and adaptability in the past two years.” Avery Clark, a senior strategic communication major, said it’s almost unbelievable how close she is to the graduation ceremony. “It’s like a month away already,” Clark GRAPHIC BY ERIN MCGOVERN said. “It doesn’t feel SEN NGUYEN real. It probably won’t feel THE MIAMI STUDENT real until it actually happens … but I’m very excited. It’s very exciting With less than four weeks un- that Miami's moving in a positive ditil graduation, Miami University rection with this pandemic.” seniors and administrators have Mindy Clark, Avery’s mother, is shown anticipation for the forth- also excited for the upcoming comcoming commencement ceremony. mencement and intends to share The 2022 spring commence- the joy with other members of the ment, taking place on May 14 and 15, family. “I’m ecstatic, I cannot wait,” and non-socially-distanced ceremo- Mindy said. “Her dad and her sister ny since 2019. are coming, and myself.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
THE MIAMI STUDENT Miami University’s senior synchronized skating team was one of the two United States representatives at the 2022 ISU World Synchronized ished the event in sixth place overall. Between April 7 and April 9, the World Championships — held in Hamilton, Ontario — welcomed 23 teams to compete on behalf of 19 nations. During the short program on April 8, the RedHawks were the sixteenth team to take the ice. to a powerful version of “House of the Rising Sun,” to earn themselves 71.77 points. This was the second time they broke the 70-point mark in the 20212022 season, with the previous high of 73.83 coming in the U.S. National Championships. the short program, sitting one place above Team Haydenettes, the other U.S. representatives from Massachusetts, with a three-point cushion. In this session, Team Helsinki Rockettes from Finland earned 82.76 points, followed by representatives from Canada, Team Les Supremes and Team Nexxice with 81.51 and 77.65 points, respectively. Placing fourth was Team Marigold Ice Unity, also from Finland, with 77.48 points.
THE SENIOR SYNCHRONIZED SKATING TEAM WORKS THROUGH A SET AT AN EARLY MORNING PRACTICE AT GOGGIN PHOTOGRAPHER JAKE RUFFER
skate session on April 9, the RedHawks returned to their signature femme fatale theme. They graced the ice with a medley of four songs: “I Put a Spell on You” by Annie Lennox, “Catch Us if You Can” by Elle King, “A Little Wicked” by Valerie Broussard and “Kill of the Night” by Gin Wigmore. A clean and elegant skate earned the RedHawks 133.13 points in the session, meaning they broke the 130-point in free skates for the second time this season. The previous occasion came during the National Championship where they hit a season high of 140.84 points. With 204.90 points, Miami stood sixth overall in the championships. The RedHawks held a comfortable gap from the teams below them,
with the seventh-place Team Berlin 1 trailing them by roughly 18 points. In the thirteenth appearance in the competition, the program has recorded its third best placing ever, only eclipsed by the fourth-placing team in 2006 and the silver medallists in 2007. This year’s competition was won by Team Les Supremes with 236.31 in total. Team Marigold Ice Unity and Team Helsinki Rockettes, both from Finland, rounded out the top three with 228.72 and 226.20, respectively. In fourth place was the other Canada representative Team place, just above Miami, was Team Haydennettes with 212.99 points. @Sennitzer nguye251@miamioh.edu
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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022
Most awarded college newspaper in Ohio at the 2020 Regional Mark of Excellence Awards by the Society of Professional Journalists.
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Sarah Grace Hays Multimedia Editor
Macey Chamberlin Soren Melbye Design Editors
Skyler Perry Magazine Editor
Fri
Sean Scott Lexi Whitehead Campus & Community Editors
4/22
Devin Ankeney Business Manager
Jack Schmelzinger Sports Editor
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Sat
Ames Radwan Opinion Editor Devin Ankeney
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4/23
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CORRECTIONS POLICY
The Miami Student is committed to providing the Miami University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication.
Butler County SWAT team responds to armed robbery in Oxford REAGAN RUDE After some time, an altercation occurred between Stapleton and the resident of the contacted police for help. After Stapleton refused to cooperate with OPD, the Butler County Regional SWAT team was called in. Several hours later, Stapleton voluntarily surrendered without incident. Stapleton has been charged with aggravated robbery and kidnapping and was transported to Butler County jail. Another person, Kyle Johnson, was in the apartment at the time of Stapleton’s arrest and was also arrested due to outstanding warrants unrelated to the robbery. The incident was the second of its kind in Oxford in two weeks, following a separate armed robbery that took place at Red Ox Drive-Thru on April 9. rudere@miamioh.edu
Miami seniors look forward to upcoming graduation ceremony CONTINUED FROM FRONT Last year, the commencement ceremony involved the necessary measures against COVID-19. Each graduate was permitted a maximum of six guests, who would be placed in socially distanced “pods.” Masks were required, as was social distancing, and virtual attendance was an option. This year, Esha Kallam, a senior statistics and analytics co-major, said she’s glad the ceremony won’t have any COVID-19 restrictions. “I would have been a little annoyed that not only would my senior year have gotten ruined by COVID restrictions … but I also wouldn’t have gotten a regular graduation but a ‘COVID graduation,’” Kallam said. While the past two years have seen students sent home before taking classes primarily online for the 2020/2021 school year, Kallam said she’s excited that her last year of college has been relatively normal. Rajershaker Kallam, Esha’s father, plans to attend the ceremony with the rest of their family. He recalls attending the high school graduation of Eshas brother in 2020, when the pandemic started. “It was just one thing at a time — social distancing with masks and everything,” Rajershaker said. Commencement preparation has undergone several changes this year, including moving the master’s awards ceremony outdoors and adjusting the main ceremony’s starting time to 10:30 a.m. Jessica Rivinius, senior director of news
Large-scale talent show that includes
8:00 p.m. 11:00 p.m..
Electric Root Festival Oxford Uptown Parks An arts and culture community event celebrating people of color.
2:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m.
10:30 a.m.
Millet Hall 43rd annaul Red Brick Run 5K event.
Reading of the Names Upham Hall Honoring victims of the Holocaust and other genocides.
10:00 a.m.5:00 pm
Ames Radwan
Opinions expressed in The Miami Student are not necessarily those of Miami University, its
The Oxford Police Department (OPD) responded to a report of a male who had been held at gunpoint at the 4900 block of College Corner Pike, where Parkview Arms Apartments are located, on Monday, April 18, at around 8 p.m. Upon arrival, the victim said he had been robbed in Somerville and then held at gunpoint in the passenger seat of a car driven by the suspect. The suspect, Kalib Stapleton, is a 28-yearversity. The victim said Stapleton believed he had stolen a mouth grill from him and wanted his property back. According to a press release by OPD, Stapleton drove the victim to the Parkview Arms Apartments while holding the victim at gunpoint. The victim was brought to an apartment with Stapleton and the resident of the apart-
Harry T. Wilks Theatre
Sun
Mihaela Manova
The Miami Student is published biweekly during the school year by the students of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR
Miami’s Got Talent 2022
and communications at Miami, wrote in an email to The Miami Student that there has been steady increases in graduation rates during the past few years. “Our graduation rates have continued to increase,” Rivinius wrote. “Our retention rate well. Obviously, this is a leading indicator of future graduation rates.” Cameron Kozlay, a senior sport leadership and management major, said he’s been looking forward to the ceremony and also the post-graduation adventure. “I’ve been looking forward to moving on to the post-graduation part of my life,” Kozlay said, “I’m really excited to see all of us in caps and gowns.” communication major, said that after taking an extra year, she’s ready to celebrate her commencement this May. Although she didn’t have a preference for social distancing or not, Cavanaugh said not having a mask mandate would be a plus. “Being maskless will be nice considering we’ll be sitting in the sun for the ceremony,” Cavanaugh said. “So if it’s hot, that’ll be a nice bonus for it.” Beginning on Saturday, May 14, the commencement ceremony will span over two days, with Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Sharon Bannister, an alumna of Miami’s class of 1988, as the speaker. @Sennitzer nguye251@miamioh.edu
Th/Fr 4/28-29
Sat 4/30
& Racism
Shriver Center Heritage Room An exploration of persisting racism.
Millet Hall Miami’s largest organization showcases their creativity.
1:00 p.m. -5:00 p.m., 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
4:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.
THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022
3
“Politicians can choose their voters”:
Redistricting causes problems for Ohio primaries states that will have their primary
CONTINUED FROM FRONT The situation Tiefenthaler referred to as the “current districts potential district maps were rejected a fourth time agreement about what constitutes an The showdown is between the nor has sided with the court’s three Democrats in rejecting the proposed maps for heavily favoring the Repub-
This makes the original primary date of May 3 impossible for House and Senate primaries, even for voters who While congressional and local of3, the exact date of House and Senate with general elections, they need to
2022, is the last available date for a primary election in Ohio,” the Ohio majority decision gust 16, 2022, or later, including four
Grace Kelley, a junior Goodman ambassador at Miami, is worried about redistricting causing are trying to get redistricting information out to students as soon as
be in my district or not,’ that could
engaged than older generations, ForGerrymandering reduces voter turnout and favors more extreme
the past decade, Ohio has had a disproportionate Republican dominance “We’ve been represented in the
heavily favoring either Democrat or Republican candidates that they are “The outcome of the election is essentially predetermined,” White-
old age group tend to vote less than other age groups and this holds true “Habits of civic engagement develop early in life, so if you are civically engaged in high school or in college you tend to stay engaged throughout
four Democrats for the past 10 years,” viding information about elections
in a district that is solidly Republican, and you’re a Democrat, you basical-
engaged early on, you are likely never District 8 is not generally under-
checks for updates on Ohio’s districts to pass along that information to Mi-
Gerrymandering isn’t unique to just Republicans; it is also used by
good for democracy, for people to be
“We worry about confusion — people might think the primary isn’t happening at all, so people don’t show up, and then if they move the primary or hold a special election, people not
home state of Maryland, Whitesell said, gerrymandering favors DemoIn 2015, an amendment was add-
cy, said people who vote in primaries tend to hold more extreme political views that are not representative of
fewer people getting a say in who is
said the reform requires the breakdown of districts to mirror the overall
“Who’s likely to show up in a Republican primary? Likely someone more conservative than the average
“Ohio is approximately 55% Republican and 45% Democrat, so the districts should also be approximately
show up in the Democratic primary tend to be more liberal, and also more ideologically committed,” For-
That’s not how they look right now,”
ones who control the primary process which tends to then lead ordinary
Without set maps, voters are left wondering who their candidates are and candidates wondering who their than a month, candidates’ campaigns are long underway even though they don’t know which exact ballots they’ll “For a lot of these districts, the general area, it’s not going to change too much, but in areas where it might be a competitive race, every vote can -
same kind of partisan redistricting process that we’re used to, but because we have to follow these new 8 and shares boundaries with three
Because of this, Miami students can
Roughly two-thirds of Ohioans in a typical year have little to no direct contact with the government, Forren
“With the sophistication of the software packages that are used to draw the district lines, we really are in a situation where politicians can choose their voters rather than the For Miami students in the military or studying abroad, voting is also a “Even notwithstanding the curto be an overseas voter,” Tiefenthaler through to request the ballot, to have national postage and to plan things your ballot will even be received in time and you’ll follow all the instruc-
meetings, emailing city council with concerns or posting political views on
let distance prohibit my voice from
Younger Ohioians tend to be less
giaquiln@miamioh.edu
Davidson has represented District 8 know this neighborhood is going to
Oxford City Council passes They went to see history; several resolutions after tense They didn’t know they’d start to meeting become a part of it agenda in front of him and if he could
CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR / ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
a resolution to revise the Employthe new policy, but the online agenda Snell referred to incorrectly listed the “We’re not having a debate,” Sna-
During public comment, Oxford resident Steven Snell asked why
in-person meeting began with the For the past three meetings, that the city’s agenda platform, Granicus, still shows the Pledge at the top of “I’m seeing a pattern emerge, so giance at the start of these meetings, and who made that decision?” he made the decision after reviewing cially laid out, Snavely opted to stop “The next time we review the rules Snell questioned if Snavely had an
line agenda was posted before Snavely and Elliott reviewed the rules and opted not to include the Pledge until
changes, the city added eight weeks of paid parental leave that didn’t take time away from accrued vacation or sick leave, followed by four weeks where employees can apply accrued Because members of the police the standard city contract, the resolutions were necessary to update their
“The Granicus tool that we use [to post agendas] online does not allow
Prior to the change, all three unions accounted for maternity leave but required employees to use ac-
template that’s locked in and it does
Two out of three unions also had pro-
the printed version does not, so there is a discrepancy based [on] the tool
change, all new parents will be able to
Snell questioned whether the mistake invalidated the online agenda, and Greene said the city is looking into agenda platforms other than Granicus because of the inability to
“It’s nice to think that unionization and the union and management relationship doesn’t need to be ad-
passed a resolution opposing House Bill 563, which would limit municipalities’ ability to regulate short-term rentals such as lutions adjusting the contracts for the city’s three police unions to align with the city’s updated parental leave
dent Senator positions on Miami have an additional item to weigh in on this election: an amendment to
passed a bill to implement a land acknowledgement into the orgathat Miami is built on the land of
While the land acknowledgement since that meeting, constitutional amendments require a vote from the Omar Elghazawi, Parliamentarias a representative organization for the document that gives us our legitother internal documents, which can be voted on and changed completely internally, [constitutional amendments] … need a simple majority
a meaningful way to honor that land Vada Stephens, Secretary of Diintroduce land acknowledgements to sporting events, course syllabi and other aspects of Miami culture at an
“It was very emotional giving [supplies] to these people that had
mother wanted to take the train to Berlin with her children to stay with Several other refugees at the station pitched in to purchase tickets for “I just remember hearing them just see and tell how much they’ve been through and how courageous Kantin said the trip has given him a lot of perspective on his own life and has made him more grateful for
people that were just desperate and
“I’m lucky I get to do assign-
Sanford Sharp, a junior psychology major, said the group also bought educational materials for the children whose schooling had been
have the opportunity to get a degree
scottsr2@miamioh.edu
She recounted how they had managed to make it out of Ukraine, and her plans to travel to Germany to stay
For now, Elghazawi says current
generosity displayed by those who
were in the train station, some were on air mattresses, others were on
One of the women they spoke to had two young children nestled next
Several families spoke of the relatives they had been forced to part family spoke of their father, who had remained in Ukraine to stay with “It was sad hearing the way they were talking and just how sad they
don’t think I would have said prior to Poland that I’m lucky to have asto witness both the past and the present through his study abroad experimemorial sites and the history of World War II, in reality we experienced what’s going to be in textbooks in the future for the Russian invasion very heavy trip but meaningful nonesaw on the trip, the students said it made them want to enact positive “We visited a lot of cemeteries, and they’d give a story about who the person was and what they did,” Kansomeone’s gonna be saying my story,
already against the war prior to the trip, they said being face-to-face with its consequences made them more “We don’t want it to be used too much so that it loses its meaning,”
these grounds, and it conducts our business for these grounds,” Elghaz-
of items that families needed and went to stores to purchase clothing,
-
proposed amendment came after 2021-2022 Student Body President
Elghazawi said the amendment is one way to raise awareness of the university’s history and show respect
The group had raised almost $28,000 back home by posting on social media, contacting friends and family and collaborating with do-
most of the refugees didn’t speak English, one member of the tour group knew Russian and was able to trans-
cally to read it will be made by future knowledgement is a copy of the acknowledgement on the Myaamia
The refugees in Poland were predominantly women, children and the elderly, as most adult men were required to remain in Ukraine to help
… I’m glad that we’re able to do this and not have to wait until the next
Student body to vote on amendment to ASG constitution CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR / ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
CONTINUED FROM FRONT
Should the amendment pass, Stephens said he hopes it will inspire future change at the university and ple and powerful way of showing
identity and passion for service were
scale when you actually meet the
to repair the world and do what we can to make the world a better place,”
interesting walking around the cities and seeing how many anti-war pro-
we went to were, it was extremely in-
… It was pretty much all either an-
rudere@miamioh.edu
toward correcting the stories and practices that erase Indigenous peoWhile this is the only amendment to go to a vote since Elghazawi, a senior, came to Miami, Elghazawi said he hopes to see more amendments in reach out to leadership to propose “Ultimately our job is represent-
in which we can ingrain this knowledge and this history in a bigger way and in a more intentional way so that no student leaves Miami not knowing To ensure that the land acknowledgement remains a sign of respect without losing meaning, Stephens -
they feel we aren’t doing that adeStudents can vote on the amendment next Wednesday and Thursday, where on the ballot, 16 academic sen-
scottsr2@miamioh.edu
PHOTO PROVIDED BY
Campus and Community
4
THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022
Oxford learning communities respond to Ohio’s proposed education bills
Masking without a mandate SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
SEN NGUYEN
college students reported increased
THE MIAMI STUDENT
pandemic.
As states across the U.S. look to pass legislation limiting education on divisive topics in school, stu-
continued to mask up. Due
to
the
pandemic’s
complications. -
risk calculus depending on their circumstances, and it’s simple
House Bill 322 and House Bill said some individuals are doing the State and Local Government Committee since June, target discus-
potential health complications.
to respect everyone and maintain integrity.
segregation,” Holmes told WKYC,
do more.
-
resentment and even anger at
one race is superior to the other.” -
in that they have not done more to
-
students. universities, including race, sex and ethnicity.
-
said. “I don’t think I’ve seen any
“I think individual instructors are
Despite the many challenges,
helping students in these situations
topics that matter to them.
Some universities are already reinstating masking policies
-
concepts are closely linked to the
rish said. theoretical approach that aims to races, genders and classes. When discussing the role that the teaching tion, Coates compared it to the values that Americans hold.
eral.
legislators should not over-regulate system produces. “Our universities train education
properly.
program removes the AP designa-
Sunderhaus, some students also
-
education,” Coates said, “then guess
voice more and over-articulating to make sure that my speech isn’t
-
nated courses. -
said. “And, I do not think the university has done a good enough
class settings.
do that.” Caudill said he valued the importives to immediate communities as
her mask during large lectures or
aren’t going to have the same per-
@meggy_nicole mcconnmn@miamioh.edu
-
impact on K-12 education and on teachers. -
need a union.”
dents are not going to have the same
anxiety.
to take a “three-dimensional analyeach other.” nam War, and current ones that her depth.
“I think our young people are castanding that our country’s history is
-
@Sennitzer nguye251@miamioh.edu
to me.” -
in schools today.
Miami honors professors with biennial Distinguished Service Award “I love teaching,” Womack Smith “It’s a huge process,” Womack
THE MIAMI STUDENT
Casey also said Womack Smith’s devotion to the university and its stu-
these days as department chair.” Womack Smith received this year’s have impacted students, a department or the university. It is given every other year, and recipients need at
-
ack Smith has helped increase the elor degrees students can complete
tion to create a video depicting the
the degree.”
-
launch the English Studies major at
-
-
right in and either steering the ship -
Chester. -
same time.”
director at Hamilton and the presi-
helping students’ education, and 84 -
Womack Smith said she enjoys all ty. tution going,” Womack Smith said.
also include leading a contact-trac-
-
County and creating a project called campus. “She has a very close relationship
mortality rates in the county. -
students leadership opportunities.”
-
“Faculty across the university -
her roles. -
-
leagues in her department and to the university.”
@lukejmacy macylj@miamioh.edu
THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022
5
Dining outsourced to Aramark Corporation to improve quality JAKE RUFFER PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Miami University will outsource all of its on-campus dining operations to a partner company. Miami announced the Aramark Corporation, a large-scale food services provider, will take over June 1. After a search that began in October, Miami selected Aramark over Chartwells, the company that has provided dining services in the Armstrong Student Center since July 2021. The announcement details plans for more dining options, upgraded digital ordering systems, renovations of Bell Tower Place and King Cafe, and the inclusion of national chain restaurants and local businesses. David Creamer, Miami’s senior vice president for Finance and Business Services, said the search for a new dining provider started with a goal to improve the quality of Miami dining after a perceived decline during the pandemic. “When we did student surveys, that came back to us,” Creamer said. “What we’re trying to make sure is that our training and other functions are well-developed and that we’re
putting the best quality product possible in front of our students.” In the university’s announcement, Creamer noted Miami’s “long and successful history” of providing its own dining services, but said it was ultimately time to tap into the resources of a larger company as most universities do. “We do believe they’ll bring some expertise that we simply can’t do as a smaller dining operation,” Creamer said. “We typically do about $50 million of activity. We’re working with companies that do $5 to $10 billion.” The university hopes a partnership with Aramark will help overcome recent challenges faced, especially wells’ contract with the Armstrong dining areas, Chartwells employees would sometimes move to dining
the contract is a move in the right direction. “The best thing that we can do for our workers is to try to recruit more help up here,” he said. “This should help our workers because everybody’s
biggest threat to Miami’s dining operations and the main reason for the Aramark contract. sometimes there’s no other choice,” Mills said. Creamer said Aramark’s help with attrition and turnover down, and in turn reduce lines and wait times at all locations while producing a higher quality dining experience. spread to other areas of Miami. foremost, it can stymie the problem so we can concentrate on hiring for other places,” he said. “I personally am on a mission to try to get as many people to work here as I can.” Dining employees will have the option to remain employed by Miami or switch to Aramark. Creamer doesn’t anticipate many employees looking to switch because a big part of Aramark’s role is bringing in new workers, and Miami’s retirement ent employees’ needs. Employment opportunities will also extend to former Chartwells em-
THE ARAMARK OUTSOURCING WILL INCLUDE A RENOVATION OF KING CAFE. PHOTO EDITOR JAKE RUFFER
ployees, and workers will operate together in the same spaces under one operation managed and supplied by Aramark. A cashier at Emporium who wished to remain anonymous said last Sunday he had not heard about Miami’s partnership with Aramark. Senior director of Food and Beverage Brent Mason did not respond to requests for comment.
With the transition beginning in just under two months, Creamer said it’s too early to tell how the Aramark partnership will pan out. He’ll be working through the transition with the company over the summer to prepare for the fall semester. Additional reporting by Asst. Opinion Editor Devin Ankeney.
Ohio’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill sparks mixed opinions from students and community members ALICE MOMANY ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR Just weeks after Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill became law, Ohio introduced its own version of the bill in early April. The legislation has caused some controversy in the Oxford community. Indigo Miller is the co-president of Spectrum, a student organization at Miami University devoted to creating an inclusive community for LGBTQ+ students. They said the bill didn’t come as a surprise. “I think it’s a wake-up call of where Ohio is at,” Miller said, “and it’s easy to forget where we are in terms of pursuing rights for queer people.” Bill 616 was introduced by Ohio State
Representatives Mike Loychik and Jean Schmidt. The bill would limit teaching on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools and restrict instruction on topics such as Critical Race Theory (CRT) and diversity, equity and inclusion. The bill would prohibit kindergarten through third-grade teachers from teaching “any curriculum or instructional materials on sexual orientation or gender identity.” Students in fourth through 12th grade would be allowed to have these conversations in the classroom as long as they are “age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” Additionally, the bill would bar school boards from using textbooks and instructional materials that “promote any divisive or inherently racist
concepts.” These concepts include CRT, intersectionality theory, the 1619 project, diversity, equity and inclusion topics, inherited racial guilt or any other concepts the state board of education deems “inherently racist.” Similar to House Bills 322 and 327, which focus on how racism, slavery and inequity, including CRT, are taught in schools, HB 616 adds onto those restrictions by including limitations on conversations surrounding sex and gender. introduction of the bill, they had a mix of initial emotions. “It made me scared and angry
it, and then to see if I could do something about it,” Miller said. Miller said the bill won’t prevent a child’s knowledge about the LGBTQ+ community, but instead tion for young children and make adolescence harder. Jamie Adams, an Oxford resident, supports the bill and feels that sexual orientation should not be taught in schools. Adams’ son is going into kindergarten, and she believes these conversations should be left up to parents when they feel the time is right. “They’re not even ready for a boyfriend/ girlfriend until around 13/14 years old,” Adams wrote in an email to The Miami Student. “They’re too young to understand at this age what they want or who they want to be.” Adams acknowlGRAPHIC BY HANNAH POTTS edged that some parents might not know how to have
these conversations with their children or may be narrow-minded in their teachings, but she hopes most children will gather a shared understanding of acceptance. “I know some people say you can’t leave it to the parents because they can pass on biased information to their kids, but I still have hope that there are decent human beings in this world who will teach their children that not everyone is the same and ent,” Adams wrote. Although Miller said they didn’t experience these conversations when they were in elementary and middle school, they had a few high school teachers talk about sexual orientation and gender identity in their classes. For Miller, conversations in high school were integral in helping them discover their own gender identity. “Having those conversations, even though my association with them was a little delayed, was sort identity, and I’m fortunate enough that that was able to happen for me in high school, but obviously, this bill In addition to fostering a safe environment for students to identify with the LGBTQ+ community, Miller is also worried about how this bill queer people. “Mental health for queer people, especially young people, is so important to acknowledge,” Miller said. “Banning these conversations from the classroom is just going to bolster bias and prejudice against queer kids, and make, perhaps, bullying worse and increase the stigma of being queer.” Sabrina Jewell is the treasurer of the Oxford area PFLAG chapter, a naprovides education, support and advocacy for families, friends and allies of the LGBTQ+ community. She
argued that it’s important to have these conversations in the classroom because sometimes children cannot express themselves in their homes. “We want to make sure that our children are supported and are safe in the schools and in our community,” Jewell said. “We have a pretty conservative community, and many times our students are their true selves at school because they can’t be their true selves at home.” Jewell is worried that Ohio lawmakers are trying to create unnecdren from being themselves. Because Oxford is a smaller city, Jewell said, it has the opportunity to cities and the state. “We’re a small community … we don’t need more divisiveness,” Jewell said. “We need more coming together and being accepting and loving, because there’s just a lot of other crazy can’t take care of our people here in our own little towns and state and country, we’re gonna be a big mess.” Spectrum is holding a silent protest against the bill in front of Armstrong Student Center on April 22. The event aligns with this year’s Day of Silence, an annual event to raise awareness for LGBTQ+ students silenced in schools. Miller said people can also get involved by being informed and contacting lawmakers. going on, then you can move forward by contacting representatives,” Miller said. “Another way is to stay updated on the news.” To voice your opinion on Bill 616, on the Ohio House website. @alicemomany momanyaj@miamioh.edu
Miami artists showcased in a night of music and lights LEXI WHITEHEAD CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR Bright lights, moving patterns and distorted designs covered the high arched wall and ceiling of Kumler Chapel Tuesday night, accompanied by student music at High Street Records’ visual showcase. About 60 people sat in the chapel’s pews on Miami University’s Western Campus to watch the showcase, which was organized by High Street Records in collaboration with Creativity City, Oxford Originals, Redhawk Radio and Next Level Audio and Visuals (NXLVAV). Mike Rellick, president of High Street Records and senior at Miami, said the organization decided to hold the event to celebrate the return of inperson events and showcase Miami artists. “We saw an opportunity to be able to have more concerts and live events at Miami and … showcase the artists that are part of our record label, as well as some artists that are independent,” Rellick said. The showcase opened with two performances by student musicians covers. The visual excitement began with the third performance, by Ethan Kraus, a junior business economics
major. He sang original songs and Beatles covers, while a big yellow and orange circle pulsed on the wall behind him. It stretched across the wall and ceiling, lighting up faces in the audience. The light show aspect of the showcase was put together by NXLVAV, a student organization focused on learning about and creating immersive visuals. Oxford Originals supplied the sound systems, and High Street Records musicians, as well as others, performed. Redhawk Radio broadcasted the event, and it was part of Creativity City’s week of events. organizations] was great,” Rellick said. “Everybody was understanding what they were doing, and everybody would do.” After a short intermission, Reese Tyra, a senior physics and music performance major, took the stage as FVTRSM. He played electronic beats from his computer, and although there was a hiccup in his performance when it died, he was able to plug it in and continue the show. “My computer dying has always been a fear of mine,” Tyra said. ”Believe it or not, that was not the most awkward thing that has happened to me during a set so overall, it was good. I’m really happy
with how it sounded.” Tyra’s music was loud, distorted and far-reaching, matching the visuals that accompanied his set. NXLVAV projected a moving kaleidoscope design, full of blue, white and purple, as well as diamond/ glass-like patterns and pops of other colors. The design shined throughout the room as its lines moved and intersected with each other. “I liked the visuals. I was a little focused, so I didn’t get to see it all that much,” Tyra said. “I used a bunch of glass samples in a lot of the songs, so I was like, ‘I want it to look like glass.’” Following Tyra’s set was Hanekaii, who also played electronic beats and remixes. For his set, multicolor waves danced across Kumler’s walls. The intensity of the visuals matched the intensity of the music, with lots of colors constantly moving, changing and fading into others. of the night was Parallel, who played original beats. The visuals for this set were the most complex, fading from
one lighting design to the next. Some of the visuals included black and white lines swirling around, natural scenes such as a grassy forest, trees with fall leaves and mountainscapes, and multiple white lines going around in a circle, resembling a record spinning. Bryanna Renuart, a senior economics major, attended the showcase because she has a friend in High Street Records who helped organize it.
“I thought it was super cool,” interesting and slightly edgy pocket of Miami I’ve found so far. But I love this chapel — I think it’s really beautiful, so it was super cool to see all the lights in here, and I thought all the music performers were super talented.” @nwlexi whitehan@miamioh.edu
A LIGHT SHOW BY NEXT LEVEL AUDIO AND VISUALS ACCOMPANIED THE MUSICAL SHOWCASE HOSTED BY HIGH STREET RECORDS AND OTHER STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS. PHOTO BY JARED LARKIN
6
entertainment Jon Batiste shines in the spotlight after winning Album of the Year
THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022
collaborative bandleader, and now he’s one of From a quick look at his experiences before he turned thirty, it makes sense why he would win Album of the Year over the artists expected The last time this happened was with Kendrick Lamar in 2015, and Michael Jackson holds the Forbes named him one of the 30 Under 30 for music, citing his career at “The Late Night Show” and his art director position at the instrumental part of the movie “Soul” that came out in 2020, improvising jazz songs for the music score and allowing creators to animate His dedication to working on the score of
Who? Even Batiste looks confused about winning
STAFF WRITER
out the moment I heard he won the Album of the Year, and my mom had no idea what was happening because her TV was a few seconds Not only is he an amazing music artist, but Suleika Jaouad, while she was in treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukemia and has stayed by her side while undergoing a second round of treatment since she relapsed earlier this Batiste’s drive for singing the music in his His work, superior musical knowledge and versatility aren’t the only elements that have to winning the Grammy says it all; he creates
AT JUST 35 YEARS OLD, JON BATISTE HAS RECEIVED A PLETHORA OF ACCOLADES, INCLUDING 2022 GRAMMYS “ALBUM
ABBEY ELIZONDO
Each time one of his nominations was announced, we anxiously waited to hear his
artists for the joy of creating the music he wants Batiste had an air about him that I liked, playing comical music during Colbert’s punchlines and having honest conversations like an old friend
The artists expected to win wrote the songs they knew would make top charts for many
He signed with Colbert in 2015 as the musical director of “The Late Night Show” and
If you happened to miss the Grammys, watch Batiste’s speech after he wins Album of
Batiste leaves the 2022 Grammys with more Lil Nas X, sit in the front row, ready to receive yet people still don’t remember his name by the It’s the biggest night of the year for music Born in Metairie, Louisiana, Jon Batiste Finally, more than three hours into the ceremony, Album of the Year is about to be Lenny Kravitz reads the card as the room
had already released two albums by the time he was an undergraduate at The Juilliard School, where he earned a bachelor’s and master’s
I hadn’t heard any of his music, not even on the radio, beyond his brief jazz sessions on lateon my laptop while on the phone with my mom,
@earlgreyincense elizonar@miamioh.edu
everything from a professional pianist to a
‘Everything, Everywhere, All At Once’ lives up to its name SEAN SCOTT CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR / ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR ‘Everything, Everywhere, All At Once’ lives up to its name In the decade since distribution it has become the dominant force at A24 movies don’t make much money, but they rake in critical Academy has a streak of snubbing most of the distributor’s projects … But still, the Rotten Tomatoes scores and online chatter speak for I thought A24 peaked in 2019 with “Midsommar” and “Booksmart,” two
“Everything, Everywhere, All At Once” may just be A24’s magnum
Waymond Wang (played by Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan), Chinese
Evelyn’s father Gong Gong visits
laundromat business gets audited, the couple’s daughter Joy, portrayed by Stephanie Hsu, wants to introduce her girlfriend Becky to Gong Gong,
parents’ begrudging acceptance of her queer relationship while coping with depression and the “nothing matters” mindset that comes with
As the family heads to the IRS
emotional character, yet still manages to get the most laughs of any main character, except maybe Jamie Lee
Deirdre, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, Evelyn is suddenly introduced to the It’s impossible to talk about the I’m sure I’ll love watching it a second, third and hundredth time, but nothing compares to the experience maximalist, absurd and surprisingly Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert expertly balance laughs, tears and genuinely jaw-dropping moments in a way that shouldn’t work and yet led to one of the most enjoyable movies Yeoh delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as she struggles to make sense of how her choices in From a strained relationship with her daughter to literally learning about the multiverse, Evelyn has plenty on her mind to make her break down, and Yeoh portrays all the emotions For her part, Hsu steals the show
Beyond the acting, “Everything, Everywhere” excels on a technical cinematography before the multiverse even got introduced, and I’m heavily biased in favor of any movie that introduces characters in mirrors, but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong, With a $25 million budget, I’d
MICHELLE YEOH STARS AS EVELYN WANG IN “EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE, ALL AT ONCE,” GRAPPLING WITH THE
And while I promised no spoilers,
It’s too soon to tell if “Everything, Everywhere, All At Once” will shake
Every object in this movie carries
The only way to get there is after at
Part of the reason the movie’s
to: googly eyes, rocks, a racoon puppet, a Jeremy Scott jacket straight from @tinyjewishgirl’s TikTok and,
in the top 10 best quality movies I’ve ever seen, and I can’t wait to see what
need giant set pieces and CGI monsters to work, and the plot is
In a movie where randomness is an intentional plot rule, nothing
What’s that? Its next project is about a little talking shell who wears
I’m down for large-scale blockbusters any time, but A24 doesn’t need to do that to tell a good
unexpectedness, and it leads to one of
Everywhere” could go toe-to-toe with
Rating: 10/10
“Morbius” feels like a bad April Fool’s joke REECE HOLLOWELL THE MIAMI STUDENT It’s rare to see a big-budget, universally reviled and mocked upon release, but Sony’s latest Spider-Manadjacent mess “Morbius” has proved
Outside a few well-executed shots, Espinosa is mostly a non-factor nonsensical action scenes, he actively Considering that action is the primary source of entertainment in
However, there is a segment of
Whatever that something is, they must be looking really, really hard to Directed by Daniel Espinosa, “Morbius” is the embodiment of everything wrong with modern
While Arjona is responsible for the
much better while staying engaging for nearly twice the length, certainly more, but also highlights just how Suicide Squad” has better humor, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” has better action and “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
Compared to some of the best the past few years, “Morbius” seems determined to stick out as little as possible, reducing its potentially interesting material to borderline “Spider-Man” cinematic universe, it Rating: 2/10
The terrible CGI doesn’t help characters when they’re in vampire mode, adding to the clutter of already The vampires themselves are terribly designed and look awful,
there is an audience for “Morbius,” one that is getting something of value
By contrast, “Morbius” attempts to force romance between Leto and Adria Arjona’s Martine Bancroft,
no sense for her character to couple
Sitting at an abysmal 16% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and a served as a punching bag for critics who are growing impatient toward
too seriously or try to earn any kind of
for edgy or scary, but it just came out Also not endearing is Jared Leto’s
A similar misuse occurs with
contrast, “Morbius” fails to be good at anything in particular while not even amounting to more than the sum of
@HollowCentral hollowrr@miamioh.edu
Like Leto, Smith has proven himself capable in the past, but he just isn’t an intimidating enough presence to work as a villain, and his motivations Smith is actually able to tease out a few laughs, most of them accidental; if his demented screams of “Michael!” during what are supposed to be tense moments don’t elicit a chuckle,
least interesting protagonists in any Leto has given some memorable performances in the past, but none
a boring and predictable plot, one-dimensional characters, lame dialogue and poorly-implemented
plays everything so straight that any
anyone who sees it into a vampire thirsting for the blood of the Sony
While the equally cringy “Venom”
greatest failure is being dreadfully and by the time the credits are rolling it feels like a long, elaborate trailer playing before a hopefully worthwhile
potential for relatability, sympathy or Being released in such close that managed its tonal juggling act
PHOTO CONTRIBUTOR: GAGE SKIDMORE FROM PEORIA, AZ, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, CC
FOOD
7 THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022
‘The Weekly Veg’:
Vegetarian Philly cheesesteaks What drew me in was the promise of a 15-minute cheesesteak – for a college student, quicker is usually better, and a shorter cook time means a longer eat time. One of the ingredients, though, threw me for a loop: seitan. I had never heard of it, but I decided to give it a try. Plus, the
THE FOURTH EDITION OF THE WEEKLY VEG SERIES FEATURES VEGETARIAN PHILLY CHEESESTEAKS. FOOD EDITOR AMES RADWAN
AMES RADWAN FOOD EDITOR
Philly cheesesteak. Wandering around that market, with the hot grease dripping down
I wasn’t always a vegetarian, you know. Until the age of ten, I rather liked meat: Subway meatball subs split with my dad, a thin patty from Whataburger or even the occasional calamari. One of my favorite meat memories must have been when I was eight or nine years old. My aunt lived in Philadelphia at the time, and during a visit to her new city, she took me to the Reading Terminal Market for a
sticking to the corner of my mouth, is something I remember vividly to this day. But strangely enough, I haven’t had a Philly cheesesteak – or a vegetarian version – since. I guess I thought it could never live up to the memory. This week, though, I decided to try it anyway. There are dozens of vegetarian/ vegan Philly cheesesteak recipes on the internet, but I settled on one from
that Kroger sells – Sweet Earth – is the brand used in the recipe, so it was a perfect match. Another pretty weird ingredient was liquid smoke. I don’t eat much smoky food, so I forewent this one entirely, opting not to even try to hunt it down in Kroger. Aside from that, the rest
of the ingredients are pretty simple: bread, cheese, mushrooms, peppers and a few spices, like garlic, paprika and Italian seasoning. Some changes that I made: I realized halfway through the recipe that I was out of onion powder and hadn’t picked up more at the grocery store, so I added a little extra garlic instead. Additionally, since I had left out the liquid smoke entirely, I used smoked paprika and added a little more than what the recipe had said to
Holy Schnit! DEVIN ANKENEY ASST. OPINION EDITOR To dine at a restaurant is an unnecessary expense — one, I might add, that requires from college students the extra oomph of value and quality that comes from a favorite place or menu item simply to make it worthwhile. Knowing this crucial fact, many businesses and restaurants will create deals to lure students in and persuade them to spend a few extra dollars on a meal that is not from a dining hall or pieced together from ingredients purchased at Walmart and Kroger. Steinkeller, a German beer hall residing underground in a faux subway station on our very own High Street, came to that realization with the creation of (what I must start calling) the ever-so-holy Schnitzel Day. Half-priced schnitzel on Tuesdays. You’ve read that correctly. Not just a few but half-priced. A thin slab of juicy, tender meat breaded and laid over a bed of spätzle – dressed with a thin coating of lemon caper cream, or a-CEO price tag to a much more manageable $12. I am not one to eat out all that much. As I said before, it tends to not be worth the expense, but the slashed price of the meal that is otherwise equivalent couldn’t yank me in any faster than it did. The small businesses of our beloved Uptown know the target demographic: us (at least in the fall and spring). They’ve come to of us into purchasing their unique products. This is a crucial example of mutual the restaurant gains from a more sizable customer base. Not all of us can be expected to shell out for a singular meal thrice a day every day, so
I also opted for typical Kroger sub rolls and regular dairy-based provolone. I’m not vegan, but you can easily go the vegan route by substituting these two things for the vegan options called for in the actual recipe. Finally, since I don’t have a food processor, I chopped the mushrooms and seitan by hand. The only issue with this recipe,
felt the need to add a sprinkle of salt of all, however, was that the seitan was incredibly thick and almost too something like the Impossible Burger or the Beyond Burger, which build of meat for non-meat-eaters, and something like this. I felt like I was eating meat, and
ingredients. I turned the Oxford Kroger upside down looking for seitan up picking a lot of the seitan out of second shelf from the bottom in the refrigerated Plant-Based section near Dairy. The recipe itself is super quick and easy to follow, so no problems there. Hannah Horsington, the assistant editor for The Miami Student Magazine, was my assistant-slashenough to put together a short video on my process for cooking these Philly cheesesteaks, and even kinder enough to eat them with me! We dug into these Saturday for lunch, and The mushrooms and peppers were delicious – even Hannah, who isn’t a big mushroom fan, pleasantly enjoyed the mushrooms, claiming that they weren’t overpowering. The bread was also deliciously crispy. (She ended up rating this recipe a 7/10.) I, however, thought there could have been more cheese than the one slice called for in the recipe. I also
of just mushrooms, peppers, cheese and spices. If you are the kind of vegetarian who enjoys the thick, chewy texture of meat and wants to see that replicated in a vegetarian dish – I have great news for you. Otherwise … not so much. was good and I did really like the vegetables. It’s a very hearty recipe that can be done very quickly, cheaply and easily, and it brought back fantastic memories. With that being said, however, I think this may into seitan. I didn’t like it, plain and simple, and I’ll be sticking to my beloved veggies from now on. Rating: 7/10 Have a recipe you’d like to see on The Weekly Veg? Email it to me and I’ll be happy to test and rate it. radwanat@miamioh.edu
Bring back Bell: a love letter
going out to eat can be a special occasion, a holiday or a beacon of light shining through hall cuisine and whatever wrong food we were given from an Armstrong restaurant. A night with half-priced schnitzel – and fantastic schnitzel at that – creates the perfect atmosphere for anyone looking to enjoy a nice night out with a healthy serving of hearty German food. The dish was so perfectly cooked, proportioned and served that I couldn’t help feeling an intense déjà vu when exiting the stone-brick-walled, low-ceilinged restaurant and walking up the stairs. Instantly, I had been transported to Stuttgart, and I was dazed until I made it back to my apartment. I say to all of those businesses, so many of whom shutter and change hands after only a count-on-one-hand number of years: follow the model brought to us so fantastically by Steinkeller. Half-price burger nights, pizza nights or anything of the like (though it may be tough to of schnitzel on Tuesdays) will be a fan favorite and will certainly create crowds on days 12 dollars may not be cheap, but halving the price tag you’re only used to when going out for Mother’s Day is certainly worth pursuing. To Oxford small business owners wondering if they should heed my advice, just know that Steinkeller got it to work on me, as I’ll be down in that stone cellar every Tuesday night, devouring a plate of perfectly thin, tantalizingly crispy and comfortingly hot schnitzel. @devin_ankeney ankenedw@miamioh.edu
Apply today! The alumni association is looking for awesome Miami students to work with us June 8-12 during Alumni Weekend. Thousands of alumni head back to Oxford for a weekend of Miami fun, but we can’t pull it off without YOU! Earn some extra summer cash, make connections with alumni of all ages AND drive a golf cart around campus all weekend. Apply by May 23. We can’t wait to hear from you! Learn more and apply at
BELL TOWER PLACE DINING HALL HAS BEEN CLOSED SINCE OCT. 2020. FOOD EDITOR AMES RADWAN
AMES RADWAN FOOD EDITOR Dear Bell Tower Place, I discovered you about three weeks into my Living on North Quad, I had previously eaten mostly at Martin and Garden, with forays to Western for dinner most nights due to my marching band practices. But I would always see you as I walked to and from my classes, your namesake beside you, tolling out the hours. Eventually I stopped in to grab lunch between classes one day, and from then on, I was in love. Your stir-fry at Wok This Way was the best on campus, and the guy who worked the stirfry bar at the same time as when I would always stop in learned my order by heart. (Tofu, one egg, extra broccoli, soy sauce — and normally brown rice, with noodles on Thursdays only.) Soon enough I didn’t even have to order — I could just show up and get in line, and bam, there would be broccoli sizzling in the wok. Extra broccoli — lots of it, just the way I liked. Sometimes I would show up and get stirfry for lunch after my 1:15, just before the bar closed, and then wait until it reopened again for dinner to go back for seconds. Your stir-fry was just that good. I also kept going back to your taco bar, the Sonora Stop, even when I got allergic reaction after allergic reaction throughout the year from guacamole cross-contamination in your sour cream. My avocado allergy isn’t that serious, always worth it for one of your good old taco salads, even if the workers did give me weird looks every time I showed up with a bowl of spinach and veggies from the salad bar and asked for beans, sour cream and queso on top. You are the reason I fell in love with cheesecake. Ask my friends and family — I was a fervent cheesecake hater growing up, enemies with its squishy texture. But your chocolate cheesecake was the only dessert option at lunch one day, and I discovered that that I can remember — chocolate and plain — and sometimes I would even get both, though I usually limited myself to one. And although I was a vegetarian and didn’t partake in this, your chicken chunks were the Last year, upon my return to campus, I was so looking forward to your soy-sauce-covered
noodles, allergic-reaction-inducing taco salads and even an occasional bowl of pasta with marinara. Sure, I can get these things from other places — stir-fry in MacCracken, taco salads at Maplestreet and pasta literally anywhere — but no one does them quite like you did. Imagine my disappointment when I got one sad, lone burrito out of you before you became the COVID-19 dining hall and then closed, seemingly forever. I eagerly awaited the beginning of this year, thinking that you would open again, ready to force my underclassman friends to use their guest swipes to let me back through your double doors. Then I went to grab lunch with a friend in I miss you, Bell Tower Place. And with Aramark’s recent acquisition of and enjoy at least one more meal from you, one last time. When it takes over on June 1st, Aramark Miami announcement. It’s going to make plans to showcase local Oxford restaurants in Maplestreet, implement a Taste Test Kitchen in Western and even bring in food delivery robots. That’s all well and good. But I’m most excited, Bell Tower Place, about your glorious and triumphant return to literally being the top of the campus food chain. Two years now I’ve gone without Wok This Way, Sonora Stop and the Campus Grill. Two years now without that fantastic cheesecake. I can’t wait to have you back. To Aramark: I understand needing to change other things on this campus when it comes to dining. I’m excited for your new developments. But I promise you, Bell Tower Place needs very little overhauling. I think I speak on behalf of the student body when I say that we don’t want this campus’s favored dining hall to be changed or redone — we just want it to be open. If you take away my stir-fry, taco salads and cheesecake for good, you are going to have one very unhappy student on your hands. Please bring back the Bell we all know and love. radwanat@miamioh.edu
humor Dear Nestlé (Can I call you Nes?)
8
THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022
HARRISON CRONE THE MIAMI STUDENT Dearest Nestlé, Humans, the lazy creatures we are, have created countless devices in order to make life easier. We have developed supercomputers to aid my Hot Pocket experiments, atomic bombs in case Putin decides to start WWIII, and telescopes that can see deep into the depths of Uranus. All these things said, how have we not developed a machine that can cook Hot Pockets all the way through? If you have not had a Hot Pocket, you are a fool and I will explain to you the incredible intricacies of this contains all the ingredients needed to sustain life: sauce, cheese, sometimes even meat; all wrapped in a savory pastry crust. Of course the ham and cheese one reigns supreme over the others. I love hot pockets despite growing up in an anti-Hot Pocket family. There were many times in my life I reached for a loose Hot Pocket, while my siblings glared at me in disgust. However, my love for Hot Pockthese savory dough tunnels — inaccu-
rate heating. The borders seem to be either super-hot with the center still frozen or vice versa. I can guarantee that if you take a Hot Pocket (in this crowave it for two and a half minutes, ture errors. Nes, this isn’t even a new probevery single time. In fact, I struggle to taste food now because my taste buds have been through so much pain, no, so much torment of being singed by a Hot Pocket that is hotter than Greg Crawford wearing his road biking gear. As a Hot Pocket Activist and loyal consumer, I deserve better. problem, but only one of these solutions can be considered feasible I mean…we could stop eating Hot Pockets but this is clearly not the correct solution, nor is it economically viable. Recently, I spent all my birthday money on a Hot Pocket mega pack which contained over 100 of my beloved ham and cheese Hot Pockets. To not eat these masterful creations is a slap in the face of capitalism and waste management. It is a radical solution, but I felt it would be irre-
sponsible of me not to mention it. Like the prior solution, this next one sucks. How long do you think it would take for a Hot Pocket to cook in a conventional oven? According to my extensive experiments and calculations, it could take up to half an hour! And might I remind you, it takes two and half minutes to be cooked in a microwave. Time is money and I do not know about you, but I do not have either one of those. I need more time to make money, and money to buy more Hot Pockets.
youth. You were there for me when I broke my shin trying to do a trick on a Razor Scooter and when my sister kicked my hamster down the stairs. Even now I worship your ham and cheese wonders. However, I cannot continue to blindly support your ignorance. It breaks my heart to do this
HUMOR EDITOR Many of you are probably like me and wear some of these stereotypical brands wherever you may be on campus. Everyone loves a good pair of Lululemon leggings or GymShark by being called a stereotypical Miami student, don’t continue reading. GymShark A relative newcomer to the Miami clothing scene, gym hardos sport ness center while benching one rep of 300 pounds or to class at the Farmer Castle of Business. If you hear an obnoxious grunt while visiting the Rec, simply turn your head to the mating call of a gym rat and you will see a beefcake wearing head-to-toe GymShark gear. The moment someone puts on GymShark, they crank their Beats headphones to max volume and start yelling what their split is to someone who probably doesn’t care. Forget to read the warning label and somehow
you will forget that normal human beings swing their arms when they walk. in the mirror?”... “Oh, he is wearing GymShark.” Birkenstock A favorite among fraternity boys at Miami, this Australian-based company produces some of the most versatile sandals your parents can buy. In the summer and winter you can comfortably sport these shoes with those Nike swoosh ankle socks that were white before you wore them to Brick Street. Walker’s in Uptown Oxford likely brings in mucho dinero selling Birkenstocks to the Miami’s ELITE upper-class. Follow someone wearing this socks and sandals combo in order to The North Face Easily the most popular backpack brand on campus, The North Face foot peaks or for the student gasping
and improve ourselves. Your Love, Harrison Crone cronehr@miamioh.edu
this tragic issue: make the Hot Pocket thinner. Do not be mistaken, I like my food like, mega thick. For example, I and burrito bowls with double everything at Chipotle. However, as a man of reason, I ask if it is necessary to have such a thick Hot Pocket? Is it not for the thickness of the pocket that causes such pain and grief? The indisputable answer is yes. Thus, we must thin THE pocket for the betterment of our modern society As you may have deduced, I remensely. Hot Pockets were the invisible hand on my shoulder, guiding me through the tumultuous waves of my
LOYAL CONSUMER AND HOT POCKET ACTIVIST, HARRISON CRONE PROPOSES A SOLUTION TO THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE, NESTLÉ, IN ORDER TO FIX THE EXISTENTIAL ISSUE FACING HOT POCKETS EVERYWHERE. GRAPHIC HARRISON CRONE
Stereotypical Brands of a Miami Student TEDDY JOHNSON
Nes-Lee but I think it is time for us
for breath as they ascend the mountain beginning at academic quad and Students at Miami choose this backpack as their companion due its unrivaled ability to hide alcohol purchased from The Den. North Face backpacks appear to be full of textbooks when in reality, this feature enables you to bring in copious amounts of alcohol into your residence, virtually undetected. The relationship of Miami students and North Face backpacks rivals that of Dora and her incredible, singing backpack.
Canada Goose Clearly, Canada Goose jackets were at the top of many Miami students’ Christmas this year and Santa came in the clutch. Upon returning from J-Term, I could look in any direction to see someone looking toasty warm in a Canada Goose winter parka while I froze in shorts and a sweatshirt. Why anyone wants a coat that costs the same as a tuition payment is beyond me, but I do know that many valiant
geese died so that Miami students could stay warm. Let’s take a moment and remember the many fallen geese who died so that we may be warm during Ohio’s frigid winters. Bagel and Deli Are you blonde? In a sorority? Do you wear oversized sweatshirts with leggings? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you likely are the proud owner of one of those infamous Bagel and Deli sweatshirts. Reportedly, a Miami tour guide saw over 31 students wearing these sweatshirts during one of her 90 minute tours. If you answered yes to all of these questions, then you probably own the pink version and are wearing it right now, regardless of the fact that 75 degree heat radiates down upon us. This sweatshirt pays homage to a band nearly as iconic as Oxford’s most beloved drunk food spot and has found a happy home among many of Miami’s students.
Lululemon on this list. Lululemon easily wins the title of most stereotypical brand on Miami’s campus. The amount of money that has been spent on Lululemon apparel at Miami rivals the amount of my tuition money funneled into FSB. What’s the secret to those high waisted leggings being so comfortable? Obviously, the little logo adds to the supreme comfort of those incredibly unique leggings. Leggings that look exactly the same, are one-third of the price, yet do not have that logo prove to not be nearly as comfortable. Furthermore, I have heard from an anonymous source that Lulu harvests the souls of dying lemons in order to masterfully craft such an incredibly soft material. Oxford desperately needs a Lululemon store in order to better serve the students at Miami University. While this list may not be comprethe most stereotypical. john1595@miamoh.edu
Lululemon I would be remiss not to mention
Headline Dump HUMOR EDITOR
Maggie Jones (Field Hockey) Replaces Red Savage (Ice Hockey) as Miami’s Star Hockey Player
Men Named Teddy are Now Four Times More Likely to be Ghosted After Random Brick Street Make Outs Than Guys With J-Names
International Student Shocked When She Learns Oxford Doesn’t Have Palm Trees
TEDDY JOHNSON
Fraternity Boy Mistakes Alligator Snapping Turtle for Miami Sundial Turtles, Surprised When it Bites Back Breaking: New Miami Basketball Coach Travis Steele Doesn’t Train Steel-Type Pokemon Opinion: Miami is More of a Field Hockey School Than Ice Hockey School Newton Crawford is Actually an Animatronic Dog Kidnapped from Disney World Woman Allergic to Cats Tells One “It’s Not You, It’s Me” and Cries Man Changes Name to King Boo After Being Ghosted for the Seventh Time This Weekend Rural Illinois Student Surprised When Farmer School of Business Doesn’t Offer Agriculture Classes
Things You Probably Shouldn’t Have Said During Mom’s Weekend So Is That a Club Sport? And Other Questions You Shouldn’t Ask the Miami Tennis Team Miami Creates Dishonors Program requiring 2.0 or Lower GPA: FSB Students Flood Applicant Pool Upham Hall Falls Further Into Disrepair: Nobody Cares Plague Outbreak Attributed to Freshman Boy Who Ate Chicken from Martin Dining Hall Miami Employee Sneaks in Beer to Work Hoping to Disguise it as Urine Make It Miami Student Mistakes Cherry Blossom Petal for Snowflake Causing Him To Choke and Die Man Walks Over Seal in Front of Tour Group, Tour Guide Shoots Him on the Spot
style
THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022
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MIHAELA MANOVA STYLE EDITOR -
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The 6 Designers Who Created a New Fashion Capital
PHOTO OF STREET STYLE. DESIGN BY ANN DEMEULEMEESTER PHOTO FROM CREATIVE LAB / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
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sports
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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022
How Basketball HC Travis Steele Plans To Turn Around The Program At Xavier, Steele brought in a nationally ranked class every year as head coach, including two ranked in the top-20. As an assistant, he helped secure two top-10 nationally-ranked classes. His groups featured many 4-star athletes, a type of player that Miami has never seen. Steele believes that he is a successful recruiter because of the trust he builds with players. “Do they trust [me] at the end of the day?” Steele asked. “If they don’t, then you are not going to get them. If they do trust you, I think you got a chance.” Steele hopes to continue his success recruiting high-level talent at Miami. He knows that there are good enough players to compete for ing coached around this area his entire career, he has many relationships that can help him To get a desired high schooler to commit to Miami, Steele wants to hammer to prospective families the academic advantage of playing for the RedHawks. “Miami sticks out like a sore thumb, in a good way, amongst all the other MAC schools when you look at the academics,” explained Steele. “It’s the best school, and it’s got the best campus. We’ve got a lot to sell here.” The ball does not bounce forever. Few players make the professional ranks, and most of those who do only last a couple of years. Those players need an education to carry them through the rest of their lives. “Once you get a Miami degree, you’re set for life,” Steele said. NEW MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH TRAVIS STEELE POSES WITH ATHLETIC DIRECTOR DAVID SAYLER AT STEELE’S OPENING PRESS CONFERENCE PHOTO BY JAKE RUFFER
STEVEN PEPPER THE MIAMI STUDENT After a 14-18 2021-2022 season, Miami University hired former Xavier head coach Travis Steele, age 40, to replace Jack Owens as the head coach of its men’s basketball team. Steele spent 14 seasons at Xavier, including the last four as head coach. He recorded a 70-50 record and made two postseason appearances during his time at the helm of the Musketeers. Steele spent his early years coaching AAU and high school teams in Indiana. He fell in love with Miami around that time because he used to bring his players to Oxford to witness the beauty of the campus. He said “the Miami brand” drew him into becoming the 28th men’s head coach in school history. “When you think of college, you think of a place like Oxford,” Steele said. Miami’s strong basketball tradition was a big draw for Steele.
“You think of all the NBA players that have played here,” Steele said. “This is the winningest program in the [Mid-American Conference].” Miami has won 21 league titles and made 26 postseason appearances. Unfortunately, the RedHawks have not been able to keep up with their historical success for over a decade. The RedHawks produced one winning season in the 2010s. They have not claimed a conference regular-season title since 2005. Additionally, they haven’t reached the NCAA Tournament since 2007, which is also the last time they won a conference tournament championship. lieves that he has a great opportunity to reestablish the Miami brand. “I just felt that this is a sleeping giant when academics, the basketball tradition,” Steele said. “It’s all there.”
cancy, Miami knew Steele was the guy to turn things around. “Travis Steele brings with him an exceptional recruiting pedigree and results,” said Miami Director of Athletics David Sayler in a press release. “He also brings unmatched energy, a CEO-like-vision for where Miami Basketball can and should go, and a relentless work ethic to match that vision. He is the right person to raise our program to the next level and put us back in the upper echelon of the Mid-American Conference and beyond.” One of the reasons that may contribute to the RedHawks’ lack of recent success has been recruiting. recruit a comparable class to MAC rivals. The 2021 class did not have a single name listed on 247Sports. But luckily for Miami, they hired a recruiting ace.
new four core values of the program. “Number one is we compete at every moment,” Steele explained. “Number two we carry our brother, which is being invested in your having swagger, you know, having that belief. And the fourth thing is strive for magus, which is basically striving for more, constantly having that growth mindset.” Once Steele gets the right young men in the locker room, it is go time. He will work all spring and summer to develop players that can win games. Currently, Miami does not have a commit in the 2022 class. Despite being the head coach for less than a month, Steele has traveled to visit families and watch games in Ohio, Michigan sion for the program. He is determined to bring the Miami brand back. @stevenpepper38 pepperse@miamioh.edu
Things are looking up for the Orange and Blue General Manager, has shown massive signs of improvement from last season. Alongside the hiring of Albright’s Union colleague Pat Noonan as head coach, the club has already achieved two of the four wins required to match last season’s total by defeating Orlando City on the road in the third match of the season and Inter Miami at home in the fourth. The underlying stats support this improvement as well. mately meant to show how many goals a team shot from the ground close to the goal will have a higher xG, while an acrobatic attempt or one from a narrow angle will have a lower one. FC Cincinnati, at the time of writing, is 3rd in ous positions on a frequent basis, regardless of how many goals are actually scored. The more dangerous chances a team gets, the more they’re so even if results are mediocre or poor (as they FC CINCY’S “THE BAILEY” THE TEAM’S RABID FAN SECTION MAKES NOISE AT AN FC CINCINATTI GAME EARLIER THIS SEASON PHOTO BY MICHAEL VESTEY
MICHAEL VESTEY STAFF WRITER It’s that time of year again - when the resident FC Cincinnati fan on The Miami Student vorite team (and greatest source of personal the ever-present excuse being “the MLS is starting!” Well, it’s already started, and we can begin to draw broad, unreasonable conclusions from these small sample sizes.
“There’s plenty to be hopeful about on the pitch as well … have provided real hope for a dynamic attacking presence … shore up a defense which saw signs of improvement last season from their worst-in-history 2019 performance.” But FC Cincinnati ended the 2021 season as the worst team in the league (for a third congoals conceded in league history, behind the 2019 FC Cincinnati team.
But this time, dear reader, the optimism isn’t reckless. (It’s not reckless, right? Please don’t tell me it is. I can’t be wrong about this team four years The Bailey, the stadium’s supporters section, dium. It consistently provides one of the best atmospheres in the league. The team, strengthened by sensible, economical signings after the appointment of former Philadelphia Union assistant technical director Chris Albright as
results should roughly match what’s being put Should. With this team? In this city? Who knows what’s actually going to happen? But at worst, given Reds owner Bob Castellini’s advice about what fans of the other team playing in this city this summer should do, they’ll at least be providing somewhere for fans to go. vesteymj@miamioh.edu @VesteyTMS
Miami faculty and students abuzz over U.S. men’s national team’s World Cup qualification SEN NGUYEN
THE MIAMI STUDENT Miami University faculty and students shared their heightened anticipation for the U.S. men’s national for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This will be the team’s return to the tournament after missing out on the 2018 World Cup held in Russia afdisastrous rounds in the CONIn this year’s competition, the U.S. was drawn into group B with top-seeded England, plus Iran and one of Wales, Scotland and Ukraine. be decided in June. Scotland plays Ukraine on June 1, and the winner
plays Wales to advance to the tournament on June 5. gy major, said she thought their qual-
“I think it was really close,” Buse said. “But I’m glad that they got that opportunity.” Rocco Manzo, a senior clinical lecturer of management at Miami is looking forward to seeing how the U.S. will perform in the group stage. “I think that they’re in a challenging pool with England,” Manzo said, “ then hopefully get a favorable pairing in the next round.” undeclared major, talked up the often downplayed quality that group B as a whole could possess..
“I think England is actually underestimating the United States,” Gonzalez said. “The team’s actually looking strong, and I feel Iran is also a strong team, and hopefully, they’re not underestimated either.” Taking into account the unplayed Ukraine, Gonzalez acknowledged the challenge posed for the U.S. “I think all three European teams [Wales, Scotland and Ukraine] are looking like good teams,” Gonzalez said. “All could be quality teams.” Gonzalez believes the U.S. has a good chance of playing past the group stage. “I think the odds are there,” Gonzalez said, “and honestly, they’re pretty high. Due to the fact that they play
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ing technology in business and deco-major, believes the U.S. will make an impact at the tournament. “I do think that we will upset England,” Erwin said. When asked about the chances of the U.S. winning the 2022 World Cup, Erwin remained cautious yet did not rule it out completely. “I want to say yes, but I’m looking at the stance of every team possible,” Erwin said. “It’s a low chance, but I think we can do it.” Gonzalez also believes a tournament win would be challenging, but he cited how Croatia
“Making it all the way, it’s a very hard shot,” Gonzalez said. “ … Like Croatia … No one believed in them. They’re big underdogs … There are always underdog teams and you never know who can make it.” tar, will begin on Nov. 21 with the matchup between Senegal and Netherlands in group A. The U.S. men’s national team will open its campaign against the undecided winner of Wales, Scotland and Ukraine on Nov. 21 before taking on England on Nov. 25, the Friday of Thanksgiving. @Sennitzer nguye251@miamioh.edu
THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022
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What to watch for in this year’s NBA Playoffs IAN ENDERS THE MIAMI STUDENT “BANG!” You can probably imagine that being said by everyone’s favorite NBA broadcaster ESPN’s Mike Breen. And the iconic plays that go with it. It is every NBA fan’s favorite time of the the Eastern and Western Conference are locked in after the NBA Play-In tournament, and if the Play-In games were any indication of how the
For (Round 1) eryone should be watching is the 2-seed Boston Celtics vs. the 7-Seed Brooklyn Nets. The Nets at one point were the 1-seed in the Eastern Conference without Kyrie Irving’s services, but then they went on an 11-game losing streak in the absence of superstar small forward Kevin Durant. The Nets aren’t your traditional 7-seed and
some say they’re the best 7-seed of all time. The Nets are 1-2 in each meeting between these two teams with Durant and/or Irving on the court. The games Brooklyn have lost have been decided in the last minute or by a game-winning basket by Boston. Watch for Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart guarding superstar point guard Irving and Jayson Tatum against
and 4.2 assists per game (APG) will have help from fellow star scoring threat James Harden, who is averaging 22.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, and 10.3 APG. This tandem also has plenty of help from a rising star Tyrese Maxey and other members out of Philly, it is time for the 76ers to put up or shut up.
and it is unfortunate one of these teams has to the past six seasons, and just like the 76ers they date Joel Embiid told us to “Trust the process.’’ Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons, who were expected to be a part of the process Embiid was talking about, are no longer in Philadelphia.
Last year they were the #1 overall seed in the NBA and they missed their opportunity to make Kawhi-less Clippers in six games. Trade rumors have been swirling around center Rudy Gobert, and star guard Donovan Mitchell seems to be
seasons but still haven’t made it past the East-
victory against the Dallas Mavericks and a deep
Allen Iverson led them to the NBA Finals where they lost to Kobe and Shaq’s Lakers. This year, Embiid, who averages 30.6 points per game (PPG), 11.7 rebounds per game (RPG),
their core together. @IEnders13 endersis@miamioh.edu
Brokemond and RedHawks ride seven-run first inning to win over Indiana JACK SCHMELZINGER
With two runners on, he pulled a 2-1 fastball
SPORTS EDITOR
KENNETH DECROSTA STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Benji Brokemond joked and posed for photos with The Miami Student’s Ken Decrosta before Miami’s 9-7 win over Indiana Tuesday. Brokemond put on for the camera, and apparently he didn’t neglect his warm-ups. After starter Michael Spinozzi scraped narrowly avoiding more damage, Brokemond Then the RedHawks exploded. The next batter Zach MacDonald doubled down the line, and Brokemond was well past Miami ended up batting around, with help from hitters four through eight. After the nine batter Willy Escala swung through a fastball, Brokemond returned to the batter’s box.
second with thoughts of a triple but got tagged diving into third, sending the RedHawks out in ning. gerous Hoosier lineup the rest of the way. They held in check Matt Ellis, the Big 10 home run leader, and Josh Pyne, who’s been on base in 20 straight games. Brokemond left the game in the top of the eighth inning after it looked like he tweaked post win. It’s been a stellar start to Brokemond’s sophomore season. All of his numbers are up; he’s hitting .346 and getting on base over 45 percent of the time, and his slugging percentage has risen from .382 to a cautionary .519. In an interview last week, Brokemond contributed some of his success this year to having
under his belt. “Coming in with some experience is super recover and get my body right for the season. It was perfect for me.” He also commented on why he came to Miami. “The biggest thing that made me want to come to Miami was seeing a group of people that just cared for each other so much,” Brokemond said. “Teammates that actually treat each other like family.” And because it’s always fun to hear a center position: “Playing center, I like how I can see the
again this weekend at Kent State. @jackschmelznger schmelj2@miamioh.edu
Up next: Friday, April 22 Track and Field and Cross Country @ Indiana Women’s Tennis @ Bowling Green 1 p.m. Baseball @ Kent State 6 p.m. Softball vs California 6 p.m. Saturday, April 23 Men’s Golf @ Ohio State Baseball @ Kent State 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Softball vs California 4 p.m. Sunday, April 24 Men’s Golf @ Ohio State Baseball @ Kent State 1 p.m. Softball vs California 1 p.m. Women’s Tennis @ Buffalo 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 27 Softball @ Eastern Kentucky 6 p.m. Thursday, April 28 Track and Field and Cross Country @ Pennsylvania
BENJI BROKEMOND, DOM MAGLIOCCA (#40) AND JJ WOOLWINE (#14) LOOK OUT AT MCKEE FIELD BEFORE TUEDAY’S GAME
BROKEMOND JOKES WITH TEAMMATES IN THE DUGOUT
Friday, April 29 Men’s Golf MAC Championship @ Northern Illinois Baseball vs Ohio 3 p.m. Softball @ Akron 3 p.m. Saturday, April 30 Women’s Tennis MAC Tournament @ Ball State Baseball vs Ohio 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Softball @ Akron 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
BROKEMOND HAS A LOT TO SMILE ABOUT: HE’S HITTING .346 SO FAR THIS SEASON
BROKEMOND LEADS ALL QUALIFIED REDHAWK HITTERS WITH A .978 OPS
HE’S ALSO EXCELLENT IN CENTER FIELD AND ON THE BASES
“I have no regrets,” James beck is ready to take the next step in his basketball career J’NAI KNOX THE MIAMI STUDENT “Interesting.” That’s the word former men’s basketball forward James Beck used to describe his athletic career – one riddled with injuries. “I haven’t played a game here not injured. Every game I’ve played I’ve been injured.” The Grand Rapids, Michigan native transferred to Miami University from Oakland University after two seasons. He sat out his junior year per previous NCAA transfer portal rules
JAMES BECK DUNKS A BALL AT MILLETT HALL EARLIER THIS SEASON PHOTO BY ZACH REICHMANN
eligibility at Miami. Despite battling injuries, Beck persisted. He said that the people who supported him were what kept him going. “I’ve had three surgeries,” Beck said. “Two rods put in both my shins and one for my disent but I just keep pushing through it.” As for his academics, the family science and social work major had two options after last
season ended: stay at Miami or pursue his career. Like every other NCAA athlete who played during the 2020-2021 school year, Beck has a bonus year of eligibility left due to the pandemic. He could have chosen to play another year under new head coach Travis Steele but decided to move forward in his athletic career. “I’m already graduating so… the main reason for me is, I’m a person that wants to focus on one thing at a time and really give it my all,” Beck said. Although still healing from injuries, he has two goals in mind. One is to conduct his own home care business and the second is to pursue a professional career playing basketball. Beck plans to start training at the end of May, connect with an agent and hopes to sign a pro-contract from there. “It’s been a long college journey,” he said. One word to describe how he feels about his future: “prepared.” knoxj@miamioh.edu
Sunday, May 1 Baseball vs Ohio 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 3 Baseball @ Toledo 3 p.m. Softball vs Ball State 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 4 Softball vs Ball State 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Friday, May 6 Baseball @ Illinois 7 p.m
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Opinion
THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022
Please don’t stop talking about Ukraine
DORA expansion proposal Op-Ed
GRAPHIC COURTESY OF THE CITY OF OXFORD
JAYNE BROWNELL
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT AND DEAN OF STUDENTS
For years we have heard from students that “the only thing to do Uptown is drink.” This sentiment led us to create “Late Night Miami” programming several years ago, providing alcohol-free events on campus every weekend to
STEVE LARGE
We also hear from students already in recov-
VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT LIFE
KIMBERLY MOORE PHOTO COURTESY OF DEPOSITPHOTOS
AVA KALINA
have left Ukraine behind, world news outlets have not. And guess what? Miami Universi-
THE MIAMI STUDENT On Thursday, Mar. 24 of this year, Russia invaded its neighbor and post-Soviet state, Ukraine. The world was shocked. In basic international relations classes, I was taught that interstate war is in the past and that the rapid loss of life and mass destruction over a disagreement of ideas ended with the Cold War. I was taught that war today is almost always protracted and within a state, and that This is why I and the world were stunned with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the complete disregard to sovereignty and the immediate mass destruction. The invasion made eyes across the world watch in horror – unactionable, confused horror. Everyone was talking about it, social media was ablaze and, even though not everyone knew the exact intricacies of Putin’s motivaous dilemma had risen in eastern Europe. Despite my two-month TikTok phase in the summer of 2019, when the mind-draining app was all the rage, I haven’t scrolled on it since. I’m adamantly anti-TikTok – I’m scared of its addictive algorithms and time-sucking capabilities – but I acknowledge that it’s a vital part of the 21st century and Gen Z culture, and I’ll admit it’s pretty hilarious. TikTok’s virtue – and vice – is its ability to harness an entire world through the recognition of songs, jokes and dance moves. And on Mar. 25, 2022, it used this ability to spread awareness of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Now it’s mid-April, and the trends on Ukraine have quickly passed, but the war has on such a massively important event, as a global politics major who regularly reads about the war for homework, but to me it seems as if nobody is talking about it anymore. It’s been reported that 2,685 civilians have an estimated 14,000 Ukrainian military perFor perspective, 4,431 US soldiers died in the Iraq War. In 7 years. Even though the social media algorithms
Times and The Wall Street Journal for its students. I highly, highly recommend taking advantage of these resources for easy access to instant world news. We are lucky to have access to fairly reliable media platforms that can report on the war in real time while we sit at home, but even though the news outlets are free for Miami students, the reporting itself comes at a price. At least six journalists have died in Ukraine while tracking the war. They’re risking their lives to tell the stories of these atrocities. So given their lives. Although the attention on Ukraine might the world that aren’t even remembered once they leave the TV screen or expire from an Instagram story. It’s vital to acknowledge these ongoing crises: terror in Afghanistan from the Taliban, a famine in Yemen due to rebel insurgency, a civil war in Syria and violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to name only a few. Although it’s no longer common to see on TikTok, the damage that Putin’s government has done to Ukraine is still relevant even on our campus and in our community. Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine, is Cincinnati’s sister city and received massive Russian damage at the beginning of the Ukrainian-American Solomia Semenyuk and her friends raised $3,000 for a service group in Ukraine. Oxford has ties to this war – more so than you might think. The Russian government has a masterful history of state-run media and a modus operandi of heavy propaganda, always in favor of the regime. But we students have the resources, the platforms and the freedom to speak out about such atrocities and make sure that the So please don’t stop talking about Ukraine. kalinaae@miamioh.edu
ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT FOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS Those of us in Miami’s Division of Student Life have had many conversations with students, colleagues and Oxford residents in recent weeks about the City of Oxford’s proposal to expand the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) policy from a summer initiative to a year-round practice. DORA allows establishments in an area of Uptown to sell alcoholic beverages in designated cups that can be consumed outdoors in the DORA from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. Our understanding of the city’s motivation for this change is to bring more “vibrancy” to Oxford and to encourage more people to spend time Uptown. Much of the concern expressed so far, including in The Miami Student, has been about trash, sustainability and the potential abuse of the policy, particularly by students. As leaders in the Division of Student Life, all of whom reside in Oxford, we are opposed to the DORA expansion. While we agree with some of the arguments already outlined, we have some additional concerns based on conversations we’ve Drinking patterns among our students have changed over time. While many people assume that “all” students drink and “most’’ participate in binge drinking or blackout culture, the nition of non-drinker or moderate drinker in Further, when we look at results from Miami’s annual student health survey, administered to students of all class years, alcohol consumption has been declining in recent years. Thirty-seven percent of respondents reported not drinking at all in the last 30 days, and 86% participated in only low-risk drinking behaviors. This matches national trends that show that college student drinking is decreasing. Students who do not drink alcohol or are low-risk drinkers are often invisible in the Oxford community whereas students at front-yard parties and local bars are more noticeable. But
do not revolve around alcohol. Students who choose not to drink or who drink occasionally and moderately tell us that going to concerts in enjoying the farmer’s market or just walking around High Street provides them with a sense of community and belonging in Oxford and at Miami. It is these students who are being forgotten in the proposal to expand DORA. Students who choose to consume alcohol
“Students who do not drink alcohol or are low-risk drinkers are often invisible in the Oxford community whereas students at front-yard parties and local bars are more noticeable.” already have a variety of options to do that Uptown, some with outdoor access. Most of those students act responsibly. They see alcohol consumption as a normal part of college life, and would continue to do so with an expanded DORA. experience, without alcohol present, deserve places Uptown where they can go to shop, socialize and enjoy the outdoors. The expansion of this policy would remove the already limited alcohol-free options for them Uptown. Please don’t leave these students behind, Oxford.
A neo-Luddite manifesto… of sorts moment of time I have unoccupied because I was taught to fear boredom. So, like the Luddites before me, I decided to try to rid myself of the technologies taking away my humanity. I bought a Nokia feature phone. I’ve now spent a few days disconnected – or unplugged, if you will – from the blue screens, the plethora of some peace in the physical world around me. The most glorious and wide-eyed moments in my life paled in comparison to the short moments wherein I left my iPhone home and kept my head up, looking at my surroundings, unencumbered by the façade of limitless connections and possibilities. Most people referring to another as a Luddite do so as an insult. It’s
DESIGNER-AT-LARGE OWEN BERG
DEVIN ANKENEY ASST. OPINION EDITOR “Lud·dite ROGATORY: a person opposed to new technology or ways of working. ‘A small-minded Luddite resisting progress.’” board self up from under the covers and I tap my phone, which lives next to my skull as I sleep … only to realize it’s 1 a.m. and I have yet to fall into a richly-deserved slumber. If I can’t sleep, I might as well play the Wordle, scroll on Twitter or Instagram or watch an episode of gertips, so why don’t I spend another hour digging deeper into The Internet of Everything?
I hardly imagine that train of thought to be unique to my sleep-related misfortunes. In fact, I must believe what I’ve just described is a relatively universal phenomenon; blue-screen desperation. Seeing what “my friend from that thing I did when I was 7” is up to on Instagram in the middle of the night, or in the middle of a class for that matter, is like quenching a desperate thirst while on a trek across the Sahara. It took no more than 30 seconds of looking at my actions from a third-person perspective to understand that I’ve been addicted. I don’t know what I expected. After all, it’s been prescribed to me since 2007 that I should spend every waking moment in front of the blue-light-
portal-to-the-universe devices at my Once I broke that gilded, techno-centric eye I had for the modern world, I immediately found a need within myself to break free, as though it were an addiction to drugs or alcohol. My former editor beat me to this realization, I will admit, though I’ll assert that I strove to take it a step further than simply deleting social media. Of course, I no longer have social media apps on my phone. I no longer open it every hour, or even every week ital void. But I found that it was not enough. Even with those gone, I still open up HBO Max and watch an episode
discourse. I take the badge of Luddite as a badge of honor because the negatives that technology has brought me have to modern technology, the industry to disconnect from reality with a fake one of preposterous circumstance. I have begun to ask myself in a Postman-esque manner, “What is the problem to which this technology claims to be a solution?” If I can’t answer that question, I resolve to rid myself of said technology. This process may be painstaking, or years in the making due to societal barriers when it comes to social media, Duo Two-Factor Authentication, TopHat or the like, but it is worth it. I can only beg of those not too far lost in the trenches of the mental warfare of our world of digitality that you
“What is the problem to which this technology claims to be a solution?” is a failure of modern culture to see the rejectionist ideologies of those striving to have an individualistic pulse for a mere moment as a debilitating trait of one’s personality. Though the Luddites of the past may have not been the sharpest tools in their respective drawers, the modern term is used as an insult against those who see technology as what it is: advertising-fueled addiction, used to create revenue through entertainment and the destruction of serious
ask that question that Neil Postman posed, that question that I am posing now to you, as we venture deep into a new realm of unprecedented lifestyles. Put down your phone and leave it at home for only one day. It will be hard. It will be worth it. @devin_ankeney ankenedw@miamioh.edu
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Can the science be separated from the scientist? purposes behind these photos, I was reminded of another famous scientist
my introductory bio classes, I have tists who made groundbreaking disalso recently learned about a scientist in my art history class. That scientist was Louis Agassiz, a 19th-century biologist and geologist who was born in Switzerland but worked in the United States. The scientists that I have learned about, including Agassiz, lived and made their discoveries in the past, often many decades ago. Basically, environment than the one we live in today. Approximately two weeks ago in my art history class, we were studying the early forms of photography. For homework, we were assigned to look at the earliest known photos of slaves. There are multiple layers involved in those pictures and current events, but I will not get into that (although I encourage anyone reading this to look into the ongoing lawsuit about these photos). These “daguerreotypes,” as they are called, were commissioned by Louis Agassiz to aid his advocating for polygenism – the belief that diforigins – and “prove” biologically that whites were superior to people of color. Aside from being shocked by the
his hateful views. James Watson and his partner curately construct and explain the structure and function of DNA. Needless to say, this is one of the most important discoveries in the history of science, due to its implications for the advancement of medicine and many ments. However, Watson has a long history of controversy, most famously from stealing the discoveries of Rosalind Franklin. Her work was critical in completing the puzzle that is DNA structure, but she got almost no credit from Watson and Crick in their the multitude of other ignorant comments that I have linked above, have all but destroyed Watson’s legacy. Nevertheless, he was a crucial is Agassiz discovered that the earth had an Ice Age and was one of the fathers of natural science. Their work cannot be discredited, so how do we approach these discoveries with the knowledge that the people behind them were so hateful? As I was considering all of this (while I should have been doing my art history assignment), I was reminded of the popular debate: “Can we separate the art from the artist?”
This debate questions whether it is morally correct to consume an artist’s work if they have been accused or found guilty of a hateful or otherwise wrong act. I am taking it rection: can the science be separated from the scientist? One of the arguments I have heard in the “art vs. artist” debate, claiming that it cannot be separated, is as such: because art is an extension of oneself, an artist’s work is inherently based on and representative of their own personal character. Therefore, it would be impossible to separate the art from the artist and it is immoral to support artists who have done or said hateful things. however, I do not think that it can be applied to the question of science vs. scientist. This is because science, unlike art, is not an extension of the scientist. The science we discover has althe world works. Although Watson
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and Agassiz made the discoveries eventually. It would only have been a matter of time because what the scientists discovered was not created by them – it already existed. Knowing the structure of DNA or what Earth looked like 10,000 years ago is amazing, and I believe that it is entirely possible to celebrate these discoveries and erase the scientists behind them. In fact, per Vox News, “[Watson’s] remarks prompted the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York, where Watson was a director from 1968 to 1994, to sever its ties
with the Nobel Prize winner on January 11 [2019].” Scientists like Watson should be criticized – their character should not be celebrated – but it is still feasible to embrace the discoveries. It is important that we do not forget the true character of people, even those who have been previously held in such high esteem, but in the end, science is science.
Letter to the Editor: In Standing with our LGBTQ Community, Anti-LGBTQ Legislation Has No Place Here and nonbinary youth in danger. versity’s Sexuality Education Studies Center (SESC) and related partners, we align ourselves with our professional organizations (e.g., National Council on Family Relations, National Association of Social Workers, American Psychological Association Study of Sexuality) and other major professional groups (e.g., American emy of Pediatrics) in condemning these political attacks on the health and well-being of LGBTQ youth and those who care for them. We are concerned about not only the obvious negative impact of the laws that are passed, but also the potential negative impact of having such public and political debate about LGBTQ youth — an already vulnerable group. We also know that
DESIGN EDITOR
The following statement is shared on behalf of the following individuals Carlson Sexuality Education Studies Center (SESC), related partners of the SESC and various members of The full list of 250+ supporters can be found in the online issue of the Mi-
Florida signed into law its socalled “Don’t Say Gay” bill last month. Now, more than a dozen states — including Ohio — have followed suit by introducing legislation that would prohibit or censor discussion of sex-
ual orientation and gender identity in schools from kindergarten through Grade 12. Across the U.S., a record number of anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in 2022. State governments have taken aim at transgender and nonbinary youth in particular, attempting to (and in some cases succeeding at) blocking access to denying trans girls the opportunity to participate in youth sports. Alabama was the most recent state to enact such legislation, passing two laws earlier this month. The mone therapy to trans youth, forcing
doctors to choose between violating the ethics and standards of care of their profession or being charged with a felony. The other prohibits instruction or discussion about sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools for children in kindertrans youth to use bathrooms and locker rooms based upon the sex they were designated at birth rather than their gender identity. With more than 84% of transgender students and more than half of nonbinary students already reporting feeling unsafe at school because of their gender, further entrenching discriminatory practices into the school environment continues to put trans
much aware of these legislative attacks on their community. LGBTQ Miami students: We want you to know that we see you, we’re here for you and we’ll do all that we can to educate others about the destructiveness of these laws. Earlier this month, Ohio legislators introduced HB 616, which would disallow curriculum or instruction pertaining to “diversity, equity and inclusion” (including Critical Race Theory and Intersectional Theory), and — like Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law — would prohibit or censor curriculum or instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity, from kindergarten through high school. Earlier this year, HB 454, a specommittee hearing. This legislation would prohibit doctors from providyouth. It would also force teachers, counselors and other school personnel to break the trust of their stu-
dents, compelling these professionals to tell parents if a student reveals that they are or may be trans or nonbinary — even if sharing such information with a parent could be dangerous for the student. Society’s rejection, continued discrimination and aggressive action against the LGBTQ community sigof depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts and behaviors among LGBTQ youth. Fortunately, we know what is needed to combat these negative outcomes for this group — research has shown the critical importance of familial and community support and acceptance. For the health and well-being of LGBTQ youth, we implore legislators in Ohio, across the country and around the world to stop these legislative attacks. Rather than terrorizing an already marginalized group for political gain, those in positions of to tackle real community problems, such as poverty, addiction, racism, intimate partner violence, hunger and homelessness. We hope that you will join us in moving toward the vision of the SESC inquisitive and collaborative environment for LGBTQIA+ community members and for those whose scholarship and practice focus on gender and sexuality. Be on the lookout for SESC activities and research opportunities, or contact us directly with your ideas at . We also support student-led efforts to support our queer and trans community, such as the Silent Protest for LGBT Kids, Against Ohio HB 616 (Don’t Say Gay). For those interested in showing support with their physical presence, the protest is happening on Friday, April 22 from noon to 6 p.m. in front of Armstrong Student Center.
photo story Art through race and history: Miami Art Museum spring collections 14
THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022
MAGGIE PEÑA ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR / ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
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KENNETH DECROSTA
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penaml@miamioh.edu @maggieloup
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