The Miami Student | September 29, 2022

Title IX turns 50: How the law has changed Miami’s sports

REAGAN RUDE ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR

When Jennie Gilbert played vol leyball for Miami University in 1982, the women’s team played at Withrow Court — a building so old it no longer exists — because Millett was reserved for men’s sports.

While the men’s basketball team traveled on charter buses to away games, Gilbert and her teammates drove themselves in vans to their competitions. If she signed up for a course, the professor was allowed to decline her enrollment solely because of her gender.

Title IX, the landmark legislation that outlawed sex-based discrimina tion in educational programs and ac tivities, was signed into law in 1972, but it took decades of slow yet steady progress to create the more level playing field that exists now.

The successes of Title IX

Gilbert, now the associate athletic director and Title IX coordinator at Miami, is glad about the improve ments that have been made in the bill’s 50 years.

“Compare that to where we are now, [there’s] significant differenc es,” Gilbert said. “In fact, if you talk to our current women athletes, they have no idea that such inequities even existed.”

Gilbert said although great strides have been made, much of the still present inequality stems from differ ences in market and television value, largely driven by football.

“The top football programs are paying their coaches exorbitant amounts of money because of what success [in football] brings to the uni versity,” Gilbert said.

At Miami, the average annual head coach salary for a men’s sport is $212,792, while the salary for a wom

en’s sport is $79,282, although the disparity is skewed by football.

Men’s sports are still paid more for broadcasting rights, but Gilbert said viewership has been rising for women’s, especially for softball and basketball.

“[Sports networks] are really paying attention and starting to pay more for the privilege of broadcasting these sports which now is increasing salaries for those women coaches,” Gilbert said.

Where Miami still falls short

Gilbert said the value differences are hard for universities to address, but more efforts can be made to shorten the gap through equal mar keting and promotions of men’s and women’s sports.

“If you’re marketing and promot ing a football program for 100 men, you should be doing close to that for 100 women and investing that same amount,” Gilbert said. “How can we

expect bigger crowds for women’s sports if we’re not telling people when we play?”

Karli Spaid, a junior on Miami’s softball team, also took notice of how men’s and women’s athletics are pro moted unequally at Miami.

“[On the Miami athletic page] I’m always seeing football or basketball or baseball being promoted, and a lot less softball, field hockey, soccer, skating,” Spaid said. “We have one of the best skating teams in the county, and they’re not shown, and then a football game is promoted 15 times back to back.”

Spaid said she’s also noticed dif ferences in gear and equipment for male and female athletes.

“I’ll see male athletes with cooler shirts, backpacks when we haven’t got ours yet, nicer shoes … just pretty much more and better quality gear,” Spaid said. “Facilities are the same

City Council’s dissent against Roe v. Wade overturning draws crowd

LUKE MACY ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR

Nearly every seat was filled in Oxford’s Court House during city council’s meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 20.

“There’s all kinds of an audi ence,” Mayor William Snavely said as he walked in.

Resolution for reproductive freedom sparks controversy

Many people attended to share their opinions about a resolution of dissent against the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June.

The resolution was drafted by Councilors Amber Franklin and Alex French. French was absent from the meeting due to a family loss, but Franklin shared her reasoning for drafting the resolution.

“We have had three months to witness the havoc, chaos and harm being inflicted on the lives of people who are pregnant as a result of bans and severe restrictions on access to abortion care across this nation,” Franklin said. “A resolution is sym bolic. It is not an ordinance or a law and cannot change the current state of affairs regarding access to abortion care in Ohio. However, res olutions can be statements of resis tance, which also become historical documents.”

Don’t get your wallet out, these shrinks are paid with treats

REAGAN RUDE ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR

RAQUEL HIRSCH THE MIAMI STUDENT

The Student Counseling Service (SCS) at Miami University offers a variety of therapeutic approaches to their students — from cognitive be havioral therapy to group sessions to rubbing canine bellies.

Dog therapy has risen in popular ity across the country and continues to grow at Miami as well. Specially trained and certified, these fourlegged therapists have more to offer than being cute and good at cuddling.

Miami began offering dog therapy in 2008. Mary O’Leary, now the lead dog handler for the program, worked in the athletic department at the time. After seeing student reactions when she brought her dog to work with her, approached SCS with a proposal.

“In the first few years, it was Mary visiting a few meetings, going to a few

different residence halls,” Melanie Uy, the dog therapy coordinator for SCS, said. “We then started to grow into weekly drop-in sessions [at SCS] which over the past year and a half, we’ve now doubled that, so we have it twice a week now.”

In her first year as a handler at Miami, O’Leary brought her dog, Sugar, to a sexual assault counseling clinic, where she noticed that one girl appeared especially impacted by trauma.

“She sat with her back against the wall, knees to her chest, she didn’t want to interact with anybody,” O’Leary said. “She kept pushing the dog away, but Sugar’s the type of dog that doesn’t allow people to ignore her.”

Despite the girl’s evasions, Sugar kept coming back to her. After a few attempts, the dog playfully placed her nose on the girl’s water bottle, and turned her head sideways.

“She looked up into her eyes and made her smile,” O’Leary said. “The counselor and I both looked at each

other and started laughing … she was gonna get to her one way or another.”

That girl ended up returning to dog therapy every Monday until she graduated. O’Leary said as soon as the girl entered the building, not even in the room yet, Sugar’s tail would be gin wagging.

“‘I’m always gonna be here for you,’ that was basically what she was saying,” O’Leary said. “You never

know how your dogs are gonna affect [others], and I don’t even try to guess anymore.”

In addition to bi-weekly sessions, the program also holds events in Armstrong for midterms and finals, as well as by-request visits to res idence halls, faculty groups, class rooms and student organizations.

Student band celebrates one year since first performance and looks to put out album

META HOGE SENIOR STAFF WRITER

It’s around 9:30 p.m. on a Thursday night. Miami University students begin to fill The Oxford Pub, ready to see the band taking over Oxford’s music scene – Under High Street.

After spending a few minutes tun ing instruments and warming up, the band began to play while Under High Street is composed of Miami students Jonah Simpson, Dylan Brackis and Evan Flagel, plus alumnus Beau Hartrum.

Simpson, one of the band’s gui tarists, and Flagel, the drummer, met

because they are both members of Al pha Epsilon Pi (AEPi). The two talked music and had a couple jam sessions together before starting to play in public settings.

Brackis, also a member of AEPi, was then brought on as bassist. Har trum, who knew Simpson from their first year, joined as the second guitar ist.

On Sept. 21, Under High Street reached a milestone. The day marked one year since the band’s first perfor mance at Bar 1868.

Flagel said they got the gig through a fraternity brother who worked there after he saw them play at a bonfire at the AEPi house.

“[He] was telling us that his manager really wanted to have live mu sic there,” Flagel said. “So he got us in contact with her and that’s how we got a setup for our first show.”

Since then, Under High Street has played in multiple settings, includ ing house parties, battle of the bands competi tions and a weekly show at The Oxford Pub.

Simpson said the band has be come more co hesive in the past year.

“Music is kind of like sports,” Simpson said. “You build chem istry. The more you play with someone, the tighter you get and the better ev erything starts to sound.”

The band has also developed some original songs and are in the process of recording and putting out an Ex tended Play record (EP). The EP is still in the works, but they are hoping to have it out this semester.

They have started to play originals at their shows in addition to covers.

Brackis said he has the most fun playing their originals because it feels good when people like something the band made.

“I know [playing originals] might not get the best reaction, but when you do get a good reaction, it feels amazing,” Brackis said.

The band also plans to put out a full album, which will most likely in clude some songs from the EP. They are hoping to have the full album out by the end of the year.

Simpson and Flagel are seniors this year, so the future plans for Un der High Street are unclear post-grad uation. Hartrum said leaving Oxford makes performing together difficult, but they will continue to play together if possible.

“We enjoy playing together,” Har trum said, “And if we can, we will.”

SENIOR MIAMI GOALIE ISABELLE PERESE BLOCKS A SHOT AGAINST OHIO STATE PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY MIAMI ATHLETICS

BY GRACE

THE COURT HOUSE'S SEATS WERE NEARLY FILLED FOR CITY COUNCIL'S SEPT.

MEETING.

PHOTO BY LUKE MACY.

STUDENTS ENJOY FRESH

AND DOG THERAPY WITH RENATE CRAWFORD AND NEWTON.

PHOTO BY REAGAN RUDE

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expressed in The Miami Student are not necessarily those of Miami University, its students or staff.

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Don’t get your wallet out, these shrinks are paid with treats

Uy said dog therapy offers many benefits and can be effective at low ering stress and making students feel connected.

“There’s research behind interac tions with animals, specifically dogs and mini horses,” Uy said. “They’ve done physiological markers, like it decreases heart rates, breathing rates normalize … even by just bringing smiles to faces and laughing.”

Caylee Bunker, a first-year biol ogy major, said she has noticed the stress-relieving benefits herself.

“I had a dog at home, and he would always cheer me up, so it’s nice to come see the dog here,” Bunker said. “He’s very friendly so it’s just relaxing and nice to not be stressed about anything.”

Uy noted that dog therapy can be especially helpful for college students.

“A majority have moved away from home, from their pets, they don’t have their family and so they look for comfort, they look for some sense of familiarity,” Uy said. “Com ing to a dog therapy event can remind them of what is back home waiting for them, make them feel like they’re connected here and have something they’re excited about.”

Lily Cunningham, a first-year psy chology major, attended dog therapy for the first time on Sept. 19 and plans to start going weekly.

“I used to have a dog – it always relieved my stress when I got to spend time with him,” Cunningham said. “So I just thought it would be a nice little way to break up my Monday by spending time with a dog.”

The program, one of the most popular before the COVID-19 pan demic, has seen attendance increase since in-person sessions resumed in fall 2021.

“[Dog therapy] has provided a lot of support and connectedness,” Uy said. “It’s been something that peo ple look forward to. It’s a great way to connect with people, friends around you, classmates you’ve never met … it’s only going up and up.”

The bi-weekly dog therapy ses sions are held in Harris Hall on Mon days from 2-3 p.m. and Thursdays from 3-4 p.m. SCS will also be hold ing a Therapy Dog Day on Monday, Oct. 3 from 1-4 p.m. at Central Quad to help students destress during mid terms.

Fri

UniDiversity Festival

Uptown Park

Celebrate Latin American and Caribbean heritage with animals, music and dancing.9/30

Fri

All Choirs Concert

Hall Auditorium

Enjoy the vocal stylings of Chamber Singers, Glee Club and Choraliers.9/30

Mon

5:30 p.m.9:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

Lecture Series: Hank Green Livestream

Armstrong Pavillion C

Watch a livestream of this sold-out lecture with Crash Course legend Hank Green.10/3

Wed

Love, Honor, Access Tie Dye

The Seal

Tie dye free shirts and tote bags for Disability Identity and Culture Month.10/5

Sat

Homecoming Parade

High St. to Tallawanda St. Join Miami for its first homecoming parade in eight years. 10/8

Sat

Oxtoberfest

Uptown Oxford

Enjoy a beer garden, live music and vendors at Oxford’s first Oxtoberfest.10/8

7:30 p.m.

11:00 a.m.2:00 p.m.

10:00 a.m.

1:oo p.m.10:00 p.m.

MARY O’LEARY LEADS THE DOG THERAPY PROGRAM AT MIAMI. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY MIAMI UNIVERSITY

City Council’s dissent against Roe v. Wade overturning draws crowd

Snavely then asked the public for comments just after 8 p.m. Com ments continued for nearly an hour and a half.

Deena Green, president of Miami University’s Students for Life, was the first speaker, asking on behalf of the organization for the council not to pass the resolution.

“This resolution does not change law, yet it projects to the rest of our state, nation and those who will one day read about this in history that we advocate for the death of the helpless, preborn children who do not get a say on whether they live or die,” Green said. “All of this in the name of it be ing reproductive freedom.”

Kathy Brinkman, the communica tions director of the League of Wom en Voters of Oxford, quoted a letter in the Washington Post, which the orga nization partially funded, to demon strate support for the resolution.

“‘Women have lost the funda mental reproductive rights afforded to generations before us,’” Brinkman said. “‘This step backward perpet uates societal inequalities and falls disproportionately on people of color and low-income communities.’ To night we applaud Council Members Franklin and French for heeding the call for lawmakers on all levels to act in order to restore and protect our rights.”

A total of 26 audience members voiced opinions on the resolution,

with 15 people against the resolution and 11 people for it, some on behalf of organizations and others speaking for themselves.

Councilors Chantel Raghu, Sna vely and Glenn Ellerbe all shared that they did not necessarily agree with abortion but believed the resolution should be passed to avoid limiting op tions for citizens.

“I’m a man of faith and a man of science, and I ultimately espouse peo ple’s choices over forcing someone to behave in a certain way,” Ellerbe said.

“I’m not going to be a person that says I need to force someone to make a choice about themselves because that is an autonomy situation as well as an equality situation.”

The council voted at 9:51 p.m. The resolution was unanimously passed.

Public participation brings celebration

Snavely issued a proclamation of National Hispanic Latino American Heritage Month which goes from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Snavely presented the proclamation to Jacqueline Rioja Velarde, the associate director of the Center for American and World Cul tures at Miami.

“I just want to say gracias,” Ve larde said. “Thank you to everyone for this recognition of the Hispanic Lati no American Heritage month. It’s an honor for us having this opportunity to celebrate every year in a commu nity like Oxford that’s welcoming us.”

Velarde then invited audience members to join her at the UniDiver sity festival, starting at 5:30 p.m. on

Sept. 30 at Oxford Uptown Parks.

Concerned citizen speaks about homelessness

During public participation, Anne Fuerher, facilitator of Oxford Citizens for Peace & Justice (OCPJ), spoke about homelessness in Oxford, saying that at any time, nearly 100 people face homelessness in Oxford.

Fuerher then brought up concerns over the sustainability of a cold shel ter provided by the Family Resource Center (FRC) for homeless people in Oxford. The cold shelter is the only shelter option in Oxford.

“Two years ago, members and friends … of OCPJ raised $14,000 to enable the cold shelter to op erate an additional month and to provide housing assistance to other FRC clients,” Fuerher said. “This is not a sustainable source of financial support, but it does reflect concern

among members of the community for the well-being of those who are un-housed.”

Councilors Raghu and Jason Bracken expressed support during closing comments for focusing on ways to help homeless people in Ox ford.

“I also support sustained efforts towards housing and addressing homelessness and basic needs,” Bracken said. “It’s my chief priority since I’ve been elected on council, and I’d like to keep pushing for that.”

Amtrak platform ranked highly

During final remarks, Councilor David Prytherch mentioned progress on a proposal for an Amtrak station to be put in Oxford.

“Our Amtrak platform grant ap plication is ranked so highly that it’s almost inevitable that it will get ap proved, which is $2 million in grant

dollars,” Prytherch said. “What that means is in ’26 or ’27, a train is going to stop at a platform, and you will be able to ride it from Oxford.”

Prytherch said the plan has been in the works for a while but should re sult in more money for the city.

“As we contemplate some of these other big things we do, we have to do that upfront investment to see the long term return, but the way we’ve been pulling down grant dollars from major infrastructure projects, the model we’re working on is really working,” Prytherch said.

Oxford City Council will meet again at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 4 at the Ox ford Court House. The meeting can also be viewed on the City of Oxford’s website.

macylj@miamioh.edu

ASG appoints committee and council positions

META HOGE SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Miami University’s Associated Student Government (ASG) appoint ed seven senators to committees and the Student Life Council at its Sept. 20 meeting.

First, an election was held for the steering committee’s two open seats.

ASG’s steering committee is re sponsible for helping senate mem bers write legislation and deciding what legislation gets presented at ASG meetings.

College of Arts and Science (CAS)

Academic Senator Spencer Mandzak and Farmer School of Business (FSB) Academic Senator Jackson Abram were nominated from the floor.

Both Mandzak and Abram were elected.

Next, two senators were elected to the Student Life Council.

The Student Life Council assists the Vice President for Student Life on matters relating to conduct regula tions. The council also helps plan the Lecture Series and Performing Arts Series.

Off-Campus Senator Kerrigan Grabow, FSB Academic Senator Nikhil Patel and CAS Academic Sen ator Tyler Williams were nominated from the floor.

Patel and Williams were elected.

Lastly, three appointments for ASG’s judicial council were con firmed.

The judicial council handles ap peals related to student organizations receiving ASG funding.

Speaker of the Senate Wes Payne appointed three senators: Grabow, CAS Academic Senator Maggie Ryan and On-Campus District 7 Senator Patrick Houlihan.

Sports leadership and management expands to three majors

REECE HOLLOWELL ASST. ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Miami University students in terested in entering the non-ath letic side of sports now have more options than ever with the expan sion of the Sports Leadership & Management department into three separate majors.

A department of the College of Education, Health and Society, Sports Leadership & Management (SLAM) will now have students choose from sport management, sport coaching or sport commu nication & media as their area of study, effective beginning the fall 2022 semester.

Prior to this change, SLAM was a single overarching major where students would specialize in one of four concentrations – sports man agement, coaching, sports journalism and sports media. The new majors are expanded versions of these con centrations, each offering its own unique path for students.

Melissa Chase, SLAM department chair and professor, said this decision was made to account for the massive rise in interest in the major over the last several years.

“If you think back to 2012, we’re a brand new major. And around that time with our major in sports studies, we probably had 200 or less majors,” Chase said. “Well, SLAM becomes a major with these four different con centrations … It just exploded, and we have 500 to 600 majors, and with that we saw the need to say ‘Hey, we should change from concentrations to majors.’”

While the majors have overlap ping courses and professors, they each offer unique opportunities for students who may find one particular section of the sports world more in teresting than another.

Sport management

Sport management is focused on teaching business and operations skills, and is often paired with a major

or minor from the Farmer School of Business.

“People who end up in sport man agement really are looking for leader ship positions with a variety of sport organizations,” Chase said. “It could be professional, it could be collegiate, it could be nonprofit, it could be rec reational or youth.”

Sport coaching

Sport coaching is, unsurprisingly, about giving students tools to lead teams of any skill level.

“We’re one of the very few univer sities in the country that offers majors where you could pursue sport coach ing, and we did so because we have a very long history of preparing coach es,” Chase said. “Whether it’s under graduate or graduate, our students pursue opportunities to become coaches at professional, collegiate or high school levels.”

Sport communication and media

Sport communication and media is centered more on the intersection between sports and technology, with the department looking to the future of careers in sports.

“What we did is we took those two concentrations that were sport journalism and sport media and combined them, working with [the Department of] Media, Journalism and Film to offer a great collaboration of sport and media, but they also get some experience in taking classes that

are more applied,” Chase said. What the change means for current students

Students who chose SLAM as a major prior to this change will still be able to finish out their degree in their chosen concentration if they wish, but faculty are encouraging these stu dents to switch into one of the newly available majors to take advantage of what they offer.

Sophomore Hayley Luby is one student who chose to make the switch, now a sport communication and media major.

“I’m more into writing and the media production side,” Luby said. “I took two media classes last semes ter – that helped me figure out what I wanted to do and make the change this year.”

Luby said the SLAM faculty has made the transition painless, and had only good things to say about her time at Miami.

“I’ve had nothing but good expe riences, everyone’s willing to help you. All the advisors have been really helpful since it’s all new-ish,” Luby said. “I’m glad they came out with the sports communication & media major … I think it’s been a really good change.”

Shelby Wright, a junior sports leadership & management major, said she’s sticking with the original SLAM path.

“I did briefly consider the sport

communication & media as a co-ma jor, but it’s not really for me, that’s not really what I want to do,” Wright said. “I do have friends that have changed and they’re super excited that you can dive deeper into that versus just hav ing one or two classes on the topic.”

Wright, who started at Miami as a chemistry major and later switched, was also emphatic about enjoying what SLAM has to offer.

“I changed my major to SLAM and now I’m at the right school with the right major, and it’s been such a great experience,” Wright said. “All of the faculty that I’ve worked with have been absolutely amazing, and they’ll go out of their way for you … I can’t wait to continue to be involved with SLAM and see more opportunities as they come.”

Student feedback is going to be a big part of the future of SLAM, Chase said.

“We’re really excited about these new programs. We’ve built it, now we’re waiting for students to con tinue to come,” Chase said. “I would say that would be the biggest thing is now watching our programs develop and operate, offering more and more opportunities for Miami students to get involved in sport in whatever way they wish.”

OXFORD CITY COUNCIL’S SEATS WERE NEARLY FILLED FOR THE SEPT. 20 MEETING.

PHOTO BY LUKE MACY

GRAPHIC BY ERIN MCGOVERN

MEGAN KUYKENDOLL, DIRECTOR OF MIAMI’S SEXUALITY EDUCATION STUDIES CENTER, DEMONSTRATES SUPPORT FOR THE RESOLUTION.

PHOTO BY LUKE MACY

MEMBERS OF STUDENTS FOR LIFE GATHERED WITH OTHERS AGAINST THE RESOLUTION TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS.

PHOTO BY LUKE MACY

LUKE MACY STAFF WRITER

SEAN SCOTT CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR

Running a university is hard.

At Miami University, 17 Trustees, a 20-member Executive Cabinet for the president, an 11-member Pro vost’s Office, an academic dean for each college and a host of other ad ministrators come together daily to make decisions that impact students and faculty alike.

In an effort to condense the in formation on administrators spread across a dozen websites, The Miami Student has compiled a who’s-who of administrators and how university leadership functions.

Who answers to the state government?

As a public institution, Miami has a close relationship with Ohio’s state government. The governor, for ex ample, appoints most of the Board of Trustees.

Amy Shoemaker, Miami’s general counsel and chief ethics officer, re ports to the state attorney general in addition to the university president and Board of Trustees.

Some decisions have to be ap proved by the Ohio Department of Education before Miami is free to implement them. These include changes in tuition, like the addition of the mental health fee, as well as the creation of new majors like arts man agement and arts entrepreneurship in 2021.

Board of Trustees

Each year, the governor appoints an Ohio resident, with advice from the Senate, to serve a nine-year term on the board. These members are the only trustees who can serve as officers on the board and are the only voting members.

The governor also chooses two students enrolled at Miami to serve staggered two-year terms. These two

students are not allowed to attend ex ecutive sessions for the board and do not vote.

The board itself then selects up to six non-compensated National Trust ees, who must be notable alumni residing outside Ohio, to serve threeyear terms on the board; they cannot serve more than six years. National Trustees can vote and serve as chairs only within committees.

The Board of Trustees is the only group at the university with the abil ity to grant honorary degrees and rename buildings. It also oversees ad ministrative decisions and gives pow er to the president to make university policies.

David Creamer, Miami’s treasur er and senior vice president (VP) for finance and business services, said many financial decisions also have to go through the board.

“The board, when we do construc tion projects, has to approve those,” Creamer said. “They review the finan cial statements of the university to make sure that the university is fiscal ly operating in a responsible way, so they rely upon me to make sure that information is provided to them.”

The board is required to meet at least four times a year. Mary Schell is the chair for the board and currently, only four National Trustees serve the board.

President’s Executive Cabinet

President Greg Crawford makes decisions in tandem with the Pres ident’s Executive Cabinet (PEC), a 20-member board of VPs, directors, associate VPs and assistants.

The PEC meets weekly to collab orate on big-picture issues facing the university. At the height of the pandemic, it met twice a week, and several members sat on the COVID Response Team.

Some members of the PEC do not report directly to Crawford. Dawn Fahner, associate VP for human re sources, reports to David Creamer. Susan McDowell, VP for research and innovation, is also a member of the

Provost’s Office and reports to Inter im Provost Liz Mullenix.

Most members of the PEC oversee a team of other people, as well.

David Seidl, VP for Information Technology (IT) and Chief Informa tion Officer (CIO), ultimately over sees 120 people in the IT department, though only five directly report to him. Still, he tries to keep his door open to everyone.

“I like [an organization] where people can walk in,” Seidl said. “I like one where the CIO is not scary, so my goal has always been to not be a scary CIO.”

Provost’s Office

The provost is Miami’s chief aca demic officer. Currently the position is held by Mullenix, but that may change as the university is searching for someone to fill a permanent posi tion.

Mullenix said the position is fo cused on internal problems and the execution of strategic plans.

“I feel very excited about support ing and celebrating the faculty,” Mul lenix said. “I’ve met with almost every department chair both in Oxford and on the regionals for an hour, oneon-one. I figured that would be the best way to learn about their degree programs and their faculty and what they’re doing.”

Mullenix is new to the Provost’s Office this year and still learning. During his tenure as provost, her predecessor Jason Osborne oversaw the implementation of the academic policies laid out in Miami’s Strategic Plan, including leading an academic program review, creating an honors college and revamping the Global Mi ami Plan, now the Miami Global Plan.

Mullenix is supported by an ad ditional 10 members of the Provost’s Office. This includes a senior associ ate provost, three additional associ ate provosts (two of whom are also deans), VP McDowell, four associate VPs and an executive assistant.

As the most academically focused branch of administration, most staff

in the Provost’s Office deal with a spe cific aspect of education at Miami.

Academic Deans

Each academic college has a dean who directly reports to the provost while also working with associate provosts, VPs and other deans. Three other deans work for the university libraries, graduate school and un dergraduate education. All the deans serve on the Council of Academic Deans, which works with other ad ministrators to advise the provost.

Deans directly oversee depart ment chairs and office staff but indi rectly oversee their entire academic colleges. For example, dean of the College of Arts and Science (CAS) Chris Makaroff only has 40 people reporting to him, yet he is in charge of nearly 10,000 people.

“My duties are to serve as the lead administrator for the CAS, overseeing 28 academic departments, two insti tutes, and nine centers/facilities,” Makaroff wrote in an email to The Student. “As CAS Dean, I oversee ap proximately 350 full-time faculty and 300 graduate teaching assistants, 135 staff, and 7,500 undergraduate and 1,400 graduate students.”

Some of the academic college deans’ specific duties include recruit ing majors, approving courses, over seeing budgets and curriculums and evaluating faculty promotion and tenure.

Prior to becoming interim pro vost, Mullenix was the dean of the College of Creative Arts. There, she said one of her favorite parts of the job was fundraising.

“A dean’s job is very external,” Mullenix said. “The deans are in charge of fundraising for their divi sion, raising money for scholarships and professorships and programs.”

What’s the difference between assistants and associates?

Depending on the department a person is in, having assistant or asso ciate before a title may mean some thing different.

In the Provost’s Office, Cox said

associate provosts or VPs come from teaching roles, while assistants come from staff positions.

In an email to The Student, VP for Student Life Jayne Brownell wrote that associates rank higher than as sistants in her department. Kimberly Moore, Dean of Students and associ ate VP for Student Life, the depart ment’s only associate VP, would take charge if Brownell was out.

Across departments, Miami has nine assistant VPs and six associate VPs. There are 16 associate deans and six assistant deans across each aca demic division.

Makaroff wrote CAS’s three as sociate deans are tenured professors who represent the humanities, natu ral sciences and social sciences.

“They help me manage the depart ments’ day-to-day operations within their cognate areas,” Makaroff wrote. “ … Our assistant dean is not a faculty member but rather a chief academic advisor who oversees the day-to-day aspects of our advising activities and manages our advising staff.”

Why it matters

On a daily basis, students have little reason to interact with adminis trators. But the decisions administra tion makes impact students, faculty and staff alike.

Beyond impacting students, Seidl said the structure of an organization’s administration reveals its values. Who gets a seat on the PEC is just as important as who gets left out.

“[The structure] matters enough that if you’re looking at institutions, it can be indicative of certain behaviors or of ways that they function,” Seidl said. “Structure and how they actu ally work doesn’t always line up one to one, but it can be an indicator as you’re looking.”

Additional Reporting by Asst. Campus & Community Editor Alice Momany and Social Media Editor Megan McConnell

scottsr2@miamioh.edu macylj@miamioh.edu

Cheryl

Dean

Miami works to rehire visiting assistant professors after the pandemic

motivated. They’re more engaged.”

Hudson said teaching four classes can be taxing, but he enjoys teaching at Miami and anticipated a heavy workload as a VAP.

“For the classes where I’ve not had a [Teaching Assistant], that gets a lit tle overwhelming, but for a 4-4 load at a more teaching-focused school, especially with contingent faculty, it’s what you expect,” Hudson said.

Although Hudson was hired last year, he said he has noticed more VAPs this year in CAS, including the hiring of his wife, Janice Hudson, who is also a VAP in the department of geography.

started looking for other places,” Mrebit said.

Mrebit taught on a 4-4 teaching load at Miami. He stays on staff in case CEC needs him to teach.

“If they need me, they hire me,” Mrebit said. “That’s what they told me from the beginning. Of course, I’d like to go back, but that’s the market, it depends on situations.”

Mrebit said he has not received any notice if he will be teaching in the spring 2023 semester. Mrebit is teaching one course at UD and is looking for a full-time job but said it’s difficult to find one in higher educa tion.

ALICE MOMANY ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR

In 2020, more than half of the visiting assistant professors (VAPs) at Miami University did not have their contracts renewed for the fall 2020 semester as the university prepared to lose tens of millions of dollars from the COVID-19 pandemic. Two years later, the university is working to re fill those positions.

VAPs are full-time non-tenure track faculty members that operate on yearly contracts. Contract renewal depends on need from their depart ment, and contracts are renewable for up to five years.

According to the Integrated Post secondary Education Data System (IPEDS), for the 2019-2020 school year, Miami employed about 220 fulltime, non-tenure track, instructional staff with faculty status on an annual contract. For the 2020-2021 school year, the number decreased to 93.

Farmer School of Business returns to preCOVID-19 employment

In the Farmer School of Business (FSB), Jessica Bathe, personnel man ager for FSB, said about 20 VAPs did not have their contracts renewed.

“We were given instruction to have our [other] faculty teaching at their maximum workload as [much as] possible,” Bathe said.

In fall 2021, Miami’s Board of Trustees voted to allocate $24 million to hire more VAPs and refill some of the positions cut by the pandemic.

IPEDS has not yet released data for the 2021-2022 school year, but Bathe said FSB has returned to its “pre-COVID workload.”

In an email to The Miami Student, Jenny Darroch, dean of FSB, said the department hired 8.5 full-time equiv alent VAPs in 2020. A decimal indi cates part-time VAPs that teach less than four classes a semester. In 2021, FSB hired 27 VAPs, and in 2022, FSB hired 12.125.

“The following year [2021], when things kind of flattened out a bit, our dean really wanted to help, and the Provost Office agreed, and we went back to our pre-COVID workload … and that’s where you see that huge influx,” Bathe said. “We had to hire 27 people to get us back to where we were.”

Currently, FSB employs 31 VAPs. In 2019, it employed 33.

“We’re technically three-fourths of a person down, but our class size this year was significantly lower than last year too, so that fluctuates ev ery year with our temporary faculty based on how many majors we have and what department they’re in,” Bathe said.

VAPs in College of Creative Arts “comparable” to 2019 Similarly, the College of Creative

Arts (CCA) is seeing an increase in the number of VAPs teaching in the department.

“There were obviously budget concerns during COVID, and it’s tougher to cut tenured people, so the visiting people took the bigger hit here, but my understanding is a whole lot of those have come back,” said John Weigand, interim dean for CCA.

Although Weigand could not pro vide exact data, he confirmed that the percentage of VAPs in CCA is “stable” and comparable to the number of VAPs in 2019.

“I know we were really tight with [hiring], but it’s come back up be cause visiting people are critical to the mission,” Weigand said.

VAPs enjoy teaching de spite heavier workload

Sean Hudson, a VAP in the Col lege of Arts and Science (CAS), was hired for the 2021-2022 school year. He is in his second year at the uni versity on a 4-4 teaching load – four classes in the fall and four classes in the spring – in the department of ge ography.

Hudson, who previously worked at the University of Delaware, said he feels supported by his department and enjoys his students’ ambition.

“I really enjoy [Miami],” Hudson said. “The undergrads here are great. It’s hard not to draw comparisons, but the undergraduates are way more

Harvard professor predicts American government’s future at Miami lecture

TAYLOR STUMBAUGH THE MIAMI STUDENT

More than 250 people, Miami University students and faculty alike, piled into the Heri tage Room in Shriver Center Wednesday, Sept. 21 to hear Daniel Ziblatt go through the histo ry of American democracy. He examined the causes and effects of its downfall.

“While our democracy was fundamentally incomplete, this also means that constitutional hardball administered the middle part of the 20th century,” Ziblatt said.

Ziblatt, a professor of government at Har vard University, has written three books: “How Democracies Die,” “Conservative Parties and the Birth of Democracy” and “Structuring the State: The Formation of Italy and Germany and the Puzzle of Federalism.” He is a New York Times best-selling author and won the Wood row Wilson Prize for the best book in govern ment and international relations.

Tim Melley, director of the Humanities Center coordinated the lecture. The Center’s Altman Program brings 10 to 12 visiting intel lectuals, artists and writers to Miami each year for a series of lectures. The theme for this year’s lectures is “Contesting Authority.”

“[Ziblatt is] a leading thinker in the world on how democracies are created and how they fail,” Melley said. “And that’s what we want to think about this year, we’re thinking about au thority.”

During the lecture, Ziblatt went into detail about political polarization and how political ri vals don’t see each other as just opponents but enemies, foreshadowing a democratic break down.

Ziblatt said the election of former President Donald Trump has also put a stress on democ racy. He said Americans were not alarmist enough to the challenges Trump was posing to democracy.

“In [Trump’s] rhetoric in particular, the condoning violence, willingness to challenge basic constitutional rules,” Ziblatt said, “... all of this was a behavior that we had seen in other places and other times … so we already saw the warning signs.”

The two major questions of the night were how resilient American democracy is and what can be done to strengthen it.

Ziblatt said old, rich governments rarely break down. With this in mind, he said, the odds of democracy dying in America are un likely because even with inner turmoil, our gov ernment has been around far longer than many other countries’.

Ziblatt went on to talk about extremists. They are created when a political party veers off course dramatically, he said, and when a party goes off course, it loses voters.

“This is the essence of why democracies are more effective than authoritarian systems be cause they have the power of self correction, it’s

often messy,” Ziblatt said.

Ziblatt emphasized the unfairness of the majoritarian system, which allows the party that wins fewer votes to win power repeatedly. He’s concerned that it has a feedback effect on the Republican Party – it has protection in the marketplace, which causes them not to try to reach over 50% of voters.

Ziblatt pointed out that this kind of self-cor recting political marketplace is dangerous for a democracy because a party can radicialize with out paying the price of losing voters.

He concluded his lecture with ways to fix these problems, including providing a positive right to vote in the constitution, adding Su preme Court term limits and getting rid of the electoral college.

“I think the way out of this is to democratize our democracy,” Ziblatt said.

He finished his lecture by saying he is op timistic about American democracy and that even though the country has faced rough days, there are also many positive improvements happening in government.

Carson Mentir, a senior creative writing major, attended the lecture because he has an interest in political science and political philos ophy.

“He did a great job honestly,” Mentir said. “I had a chance to really skim over his book but did not have a chance to read the whole thing, but he did a very good job of summarizing the ideas that he encapsulated in it.”

stumbata@miamioh.edu

Christopher Makaroff, dean of CAS, did not respond to requests for comment on the number of VAPs in the department throughout the past four years.

Competition for tenure affect VAPs Abdulmajid Mrebit, a former VAP in the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), had a different ex perience from Hudson.

Mrebit was hired before the pan demic in January 2020. He found out in April 2022 that his contract would not be renewed for the fall 2022 se mester. Mrebit currently works as a part-time professor at the University of Dayton (UD).

“I knew since April that Miami might not accept me, so I already

“Of course, everybody wants to be tenure track … but it’s a kind of competition,” Mrebit said. “Univer sities look for the ones who do more research and bring more funding to their departments.”

Despite not being renewed, Mre bit said he liked teaching at Miami.

“I really enjoyed the department, and [CEC] was very organized, very supportive and encouraged students to do better,” Mrebit said.

Beena Sukumara, dean of CEC, and Jason Lane, dean of College of Education, Health and Society (EHS), also did not respond to requests for comment.

@alicemomany momanyaj@miamioh.edu

Miami student embraces gun-control activism with open arms

MADI JEROME STAFF WRITER

This summer, Peren Tiemann spent a week end in New York City being interviewed and photographed for Town and Country magazine.

How did they get there?

By leading an effort to end gun violence in the U.S.

After the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018, Tiemann, then 13-years-old, saw March for Our Lives online and knew they wanted to make a difference.

After looking on the internet for ways to help end gun violence, Tiemann found Stu dents Demand Action and decided to join the team.

Students Demand Action is the largest grassroots youth-led gun violence prevention movement in the country. Tiemann, now a first-year public administration major at Mi ami University, has been working with the or ganization for four years. They said Students Demand Action works to end gun violence from all perspectives in communities.

“For me, that’s been a lot of school safety work in my high school at home and now here on campus,” Tiemann said, “as well as doing a lot of LGBTQ+ focused intersections of gun vi olence prevention work.”

Tiemann was able to build a chapter of Students Demand Action at their high school in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The chapter facili tated substantive changes, transforming ac tive shooter drills to be trauma-informed and changing the laws in Oregon to prevent fire arms from being legally carried in schools.

Avery Hamill is a National Advisory Board and National LGBTQIA+ Student Affinity Group Leader in Students Demand Action. They met Tiemann around the time of the 2020 election.

“Peren inspires me because of their work ethic,” Hamill said. “Everything that they take onto their plate gets done. Peren is like the glue that holds a bunch of projects together and the driving force behind a lot of [advocacy work].”

In the month they’ve been at Miami, Tie mann has already gotten involved with Asso ciated Student Government and Diversity, Eq uity and Inclusion (DEI) Representatives. They plan to start a Students Demand Action group as well.

Their activism doesn’t just stop at gun con trol, though.

“For the most part, I am trying to dive into voter registration, activation and ensuring that voter suppression is eliminated,” Tiemann said, “as well as queer advocacy and ensuring that LGBTQ+ people are safe. As well as just diver sity, equity and inclusion as a whole. I think it’s super important that everyone feels safe and protected for their identity and experiences.”

Flynn Williams, is a National Advisory Board and National LGBTQIA+ Student Affini ty Group Leader in Students Demand Action as well. Williams attended the same high school as

Tiemann, and the two co-led Students Demand Action at their school.

“I’ve never met someone more passionate and able to organize and rally people,” Williams said. “It’s just been great to be able to learn from them because we work with the same or ganization.”

He said Tiemann was one of the main rea sons he chose to participate in Students De mand Action.

“Working with them and meeting all these wonderful people gave me the confidence to put myself out there and apply,” Williams said. “When applications came around the second time I decided to go for it. They were one of the huge influences of why I had applied.”

Beyond college, Tiemann said they hope to continue their fight for gun control and other activism.

“I know beyond college I will continue to participate in all of these fights,” Tiemann said. “I hope to spend more of my time doing advo cacy and all kinds of important, crucial orga nizing in whatever community I find myself in … I’ll either run for office or be a community organizer for the rest of my life.”

In November, Tiemman’s feature in Town and Country Magazine will be published. There, they’ll be exposed to their widest audience yet.

“I’m going to be a part of their Annual Philanthropy Summit this year focused on first-time voters and youth advocacy,” Tiemann said. “I had never done anything like a photo shoot before, so that was super awesome. I’m really grateful for that opportunity and it was really nice to get to meet some other awesome youth advocates from across the country.”

PEREN TIEMANN HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN THE ACTIVIST GROUP STUDENTS DEMAND ACTION.

PHOTO BY SARAH FROSCH

ABDULMAJID MREBIT AND SEAN HUDSON HAVE HAD DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES AS VISITING ASSISTANT PROFESSORS. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY MREBIT AND HUDSON

and Community

DeWine invests $2 million to help students with disabilities

ALICE MOMANY

ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine an nounced he is investing $2.1 million for Ohio college students with dis abilities to help with tuition and other educational expenses for the 20222023 school year.

The funding is available for stu dents registered with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD). OOD’s College2Careers program is a government-funded program that employs vocational rehabilitation (VR) counselors to help college stu dents with disabilities reach their career goals. It also provides financial aid and technology assistance to stu dents.

Wendy Taylor, the VR counselor for Miami University, said more than 50 students who already receive help through OOD will qualify for funding. Eligible college students can receive up to $1,000 for the school year, split evenly between semesters.

Taylor said students who think they might be eligible for OOD are encouraged to reach out to her to start the process. To qualify, a stu dent must receive OOD services and complete the 2022-2023 Free Appli cation for Federal Student Aid (FAF

SA) form.

“A student would sign up with me, we would figure out whether or not they’re eligible for my services, we would write a plan, and then I would send that money to the Bursar’s Of fice and it would get added to their account,” Taylor said.

Although Taylor works specifical ly with Miami students, anyone who applies for OOD can work with a VR counselor from their hometown.

Kinshuk Tella, a senior at Miami who is legally blind, meets virtually with a VR counselor in his hometown of Dayton because he found more use in their services. Tella said he’s already talked to his VR counselor about starting the process to receive the grant money.

“I need to fill out the FAFSA, get that student aid report to [OOD], and then after that, I don’t know what the process looks like, but I know it goes through some rounds of approval,” Tella said. “I think once my counselor approves the funding, her boss has to approve it, and it’s finalized.”

Taylor said students need to reach out to her soon to ensure they get the most funding they are eligible for.

“If a student gets signed up with my services, and we can get the plan written before Oct. 21, I can help with $500 towards this term,” Taylor said. “Even if they don’t get signed up with

me by then … I would have the abili ty to help with $500 towards spring term or possibly summer term, de pending on the student’s situation.”

Oct. 21 is the cut-off date to re ceive funding for this semester.

Kim Jump, the communications chief for OOD, said this funding will help students with disabilities achieve the same academic goals that may come easier to students without dis abilities.

“Students with disabilities … often have more costs that they’re paying out due to various conditions ... and [this funding] is a way of leveling the playing field,” Jump said.

Although OOD receives state and federal funding, there was extra room in the budget this year that went to ward helping students.

“This sort of announcement is unique because we’re doing this $1,000 for this particular school year, and the reason we’re doing this is be cause, with Gov. DeWine’s support, we wanted to offer additional finan cial support to students with disabil ities toward their educational expens es,” Jump said.

Tella said he is glad the funding is being invested into students and hopes he receives the full amount of $1,000. Although he believes the grant will help many students with disabilities, he said this is just a first

step. “[Aid for students with disabili ties] is variable based on individual counselors and the agency state by state which is an issue in my opinion,”

Professor Thomas Garcia combines his parents’ love of Brazilian music and literature

City, he went on to earn his first bachelor’s and master’s degrees in guitar performance. Ten years later, Garcia decided to leave New York because he no longer wanted to be in the music industry.

He went on to study at the University of Massachusetts where he earned his master’s degree in musicology, and at Duke Universi ty where he received a doctorate in historical performance with an emphasis in ethnomusi cology. However, Garcia did not find his true passion until he became a professor at Miami.

“What keeps me going is the small number of students who are really dedicated,” Gar cia said. “I’m passionate about what I do and how I do it. My aim is to instill that passion in students … to change the way they think about music and think about life so they have a great er appreciation of how the world is connected.”

Blake Villers, a senior public administra tion major, said his first impression of Garcia was a good one. He’s had Garcia as a professor for the past three semesters for The History of Rock and Roll (MUS 225), Rock in the 1960s (MUS 415), and currently for Brazilian Music and Film (MUS 204).

Tella said. “It’s hard to deal with, so as far as future funding goes, I think they should be offering more funding for students in general.”

Students who think they might be eligible can go to OODWorks. com and fill out the application form. Taylor encourages students to signify

they are a Miami student on the form to ensure they are matched with her.

Students can also fill out the ap plication on the Miller Center for Stu dent Disability Services website, but

CHLOE MCKINNEY THE MIAMI STUDENT

Thomas Garcia wants to be remembered as “a good professor, a good musician, a good colleague.”

Garcia, professor of ethnomusicology (the study of non-Western music cultures) at Mi ami University, hopes to expand his students’ knowledge of the world through music.

Garcia was born in Brazil and came to the U.S. with his parents as a child. His mother was a concert pianist in Brazil, and his father was a professor of Brazilian literature. Garcia said he feels his career is a mix of his parents’ careers.

“I kind of combined both things,” Garcia said. “I’m a musician who specializes in Brazil ian music, and I write about Brazilian music.”

Garcia didn’t always plan on becoming a musician. In fact, he said his mother discour aged it.

“All my life I heard ‘You can do anything you want except be a musician,’” Garcia said. “She knew it was a hard life.”

So, he started his college career at North western University as a pre-med student and studied music at the same time.

He quickly found neither of those majors suited him there.

“I was injured in my first year at Northwest ern and spent a lot of time in hospitals,” Garcia said, “and decided I had an allergy that preclud ed me from being a medical doctor, and that was that. I hated hospitals.”

Garcia then applied to The Juilliard School for music, where he was the only candidate accepted out of 65 others. There, in New York

“He’s the best professor I’ve had at Miami,” Villers said. “I think we have some of the best professors, probably in the country. I’ve never had a bad experience with one, but he is above everybody.”

Sid Steketee, a sophomore biology major, said Garcia is different from most of her other professors because he is humble about his tal ents.

“I really just love watching him play the guitar because it is so mesmerizing,” Steketee said. “He is so above and beyond talented at it. Whereas other professors give a lecture and it’s like, ‘look, I’m so smart,’ which is great because they are … but you know what I mean? It’s dif ferent.”

Student reactions to his performances like Steketee’s are the reason Garcia performs.

He puts performances on for his students and said those are his proudest accomplish ments.

“Students walk away from those live events going, ‘wow.’ It’s got something they’ve never heard, something they are not familiar with,” Garcia said. “And the idea is to get them to not just listen to music they are familiar with but to start thinking about music in different ways.”

Above all, both Steketee and Villers agreed that what makes Garcia unique is the way he connects with his students.

“He cares about his students,” Villers said. “He makes active efforts to know students per sonally and make connections with everybody.”

mckinn15@miamioh.edu

students do not need to be registered with the Miller Center to receive help from OOD.

@alicemomany momanyaj@miamioh.edu

‘Dirty Dodds’ gets a makeover

cive to building community.”

SOPHIA DEVILLEZ

THE MIAMI STUDENT

Miami University’s Dodds Residence Hall, known among students as “Dirty Dodds” for its bugs, leaks, mold and other issues, was renovat ed over the summer. Some have replaced the nickname to be “Delectable Dodds.”

Adam Collins, a Miami alum, lived in Dodds during the 2017-2018 school year. He described living in Dodds as the “biggest test Miami had to offer.”

“The state of Dodds Residence Hall during my short-lived occupancy was not the best,” Collins said. “I can say the outdated features of the residency humbled those who had the honor to live there. It built character and some pretty good relationships that lasted through my time at Miami, even post graduation.”

Robert Abowitz, associate director of Res idence Life, said the renovation was 15 years in the making and had nothing to do with the “Dirty Dodds” nickname.

The building lacked a multitude of upgrades including air conditioning, heating, ventilating, sustainability and design compared to other renovated buildings, Abowitz.

Natalee Blackford, resident director for Dodds, said these previous issues have fortu nately been dealt with.

“I love the renovations Dodds has under gone,” Blackford said. “The building is beauti ful, and I love the layout because it is so condu

The refurbished building has provided stu dents with a greater opportunity to reach out to other residents with a new, first-floor com mon area — a contrast to the previous set up in the basement and several study rooms in each hall. Blackford said residents have been using the common area for watching movies, playing ping-pong and more.

While these new renovations are a great improvement, some students still have com plaints, like Devin Beall, current resident and first-year finance major.

“[The renovations are] nice,” Beall said. “However, the water pressure and heat in the shower is not consistent. It’s actually very bad, and I feel like it shouldn’t be a problem consid ering we just renovated.”

Many students have requested the showers be fixed, almost all of them lacking hot water and pressure.

Sarah Norton, another resident and firstyear human capital management and leader ship major also had a grievance.

“The dorm is pretty nice overall,” Norton said. “The only thing that bothers me is that the elevator has been out of order for a bit.”

The completion of the Dodds renovation leaves one residence hall still in renovation on campus. Ogden Hall on Academic Quad is currently being renovated, and Abowitz said he doesn’t know which halls may be next.

GRAPHIC BY ALICE MOMANY

PHOTO BY JESSICA MONAHAN

PHOTO

PHOTO BY JAKE RUFFER.

AMES RADWAN FOOD EDITOR

You know, the best part about the Food Section here at The Miami Student is seeing everyone’s food-related opinions on display. From dining halls to Armstrong Student Cen ter to off-campus potato options, everyone who writes for Food has something to say about something they eat.

Sometimes, however, these food-related opinions are just plain wrong.

If you look to the right of this column, you’ll see a vitriolic, hate-based column on why Bagel and Deli (B&D) “sucks.” It’ll tell you steamed bagels are the stuff of the devil, that our beloved B&D doesn’t deserve the hype.

And that’s what’s tough about the Food Section. Anyone can write anything — even if it is an absolutely undeserved, wholly WRONG opinion on a beloved Miami staple.

So, Bagel and Deli, worry not. I have arrived, as your editor in shining armor, to defend your steamed bagels, hilarious names, homey atmo sphere and years-long B&D Challenge. After all, you’re an Oxford, Ohio classic for a reason.

The biggest problem that some people have with B&D bagels is that they are steamed. While I agree that this texture threw me off at first way back in 2019, during my first bite of an Earth Day, let me introduce you to some Earth-shat tering news: not everyone eats their bagels the same way.

New York boils them. Most nationwide chains toast them. And, here in Oxford, Ohio, we steam them. There’s a reason B&D’s tip jar proudly states that if you order your bagels toasted, they’ll know you’re a first-year student. It’s tradition. And we love our traditions here at Miami University.

There’s also a reason that places like Pane ra Bread or Einstein Bros. offer you the option to toast your bagel. Eating your bagel the same way as everyone else is not a requirement. No matter what way you order your bagel, the ba gel police are not going to jump out from behind the pastry case and arrest you.

Some people don’t like their bagels crispy, crunchy or break-a-tooth-y. Some people don’t like them boiled. And some people don’t like them steamed. But if you’re really in the mood for a bagel that isn’t steamed, Kroger is just down the street… you can buy one and boil it yourself at home.

As long as it’s round with a hole in the middle and made of bagel dough, it’s a bagel, no matter which way it’s cooked. I will stand by that.

Plenty of other things make B&D, well, Ba gel and Deli. The punny, pop-culture-based

names of each one of their over 90 options nev er fail to elicit a laugh from me. Though I think the Tonya Harding Club and the Salty Hor are the two that I hear people laugh about the most, I saw the MILF Bagel for the first time when I last visited B&D and am still giggling about it.

There’s also, of course, the B&D Challenge.

I’m not talking about the MAP event every year during which you get to build your own ba gel and B&D will mayyyybe put it on their menu (though their FAQ states that you’re welcome to propose your own recipe idea anytime).

No, I’m talking about the whole “eat every bagel on our menu in four years and get immor talized on our wall” thing. As if the food weren’t good enough already, what an iconic way to make people keep coming back for more!

Right now, I know five different people who are eating their way through the challenge. Two are running Instagram accounts (@davids_ wonderful_adventure and @matthew_eats_ bagels) where they photograph and rate each bagel.

(Spoiler alert: only one bagel has received a perfect score on both accounts so far.)

B&D Challengers take it seriously. And as someone who gets the exact same thing ev ery time — Earth Day on sourdough rye, hold cucumber, add pickles — it’s kind of funny to watch their reactions when they bite into a ba gel they love (usually the Crunch & Munch… let’s be real) versus when they bite into the Nas ty Nassar.

In the end, though, I think what makes B&D so special is not the bagels they serve, the titles they name them or the people who strive to eat them all in four years.

It’s the community — the fact that B&D is an Oxford staple of drunk students stumbling home from the bars, new first-year parents vis iting during move-in or Family Weekend and just plain old bagel lovers alike.

Almost everyone I know has a favorite bagel at B&D. My dad likes the Squid, and my mom the Aunt Beanie’s. All three of my best friends love the blue Crunch & Munch (like the rest of the Miami population). My partner tried the Lottery Bagel a few weeks back and got a com bination he loved so much he rated it a 10/10 on his bagel-rating Instagram, @davids_won derful_adventure.

Bagel and Deli brings us together. Whether you’re tipsy at 2 am or sober at 8 am, looking for sweet, salty or savory, you can always count on B&D to deliver a bagel experience that will leave elitist New Yorkers shaking their heads in dis gust and leave the rest of us just wanting more.

radwanat@miamioh.edu

...Or not to bagel?

DEVIN ANKENEY ASST. OPINION EDITOR

I’m pretty sure I’ll have a hit out on me after this piece, but it has to be done; Bagel and Deli Shop sucks.

The famed late-night shop next to Skipper’s Pub on High Street is a staple of current Mi amians and alumni alike, known nationwide by former students for its signature plethora of bagel sandwich options.

The only problem — the food that it serves? That’s not a bagel.

Merriam-Webster (and every New Yorker and Pole ’round the world) defines a bagel as “a firm doughnut-shaped roll traditionally made by boiling and then baking.”

Let’s – real quick – break that down.

First up to bat: a FIRM doughnut-shaped roll. Firm! Notice it does not say firmer than cot ton candy, nor does it say firmer than a dough nut itself, but firm. And, Miamians, friends and enemies, B&D’s bagels are not firm.

Maybe you feel that bagels which you deem “firm” are too difficult on the teeth, rendering your poor mouth aching after eating that horrid treat New Yorkers have been nagging on about for decades. But, maybe, just maybe, you’ve not had a proper bagel before.

I promise you that a true bagel will never break your teeth.

In fact, a good bagel allows your pearly whites to sink smoothly into the dense, pillowy meat of the roll before tearing off your bite with glee.

Let us move on, shall we?

Next up is the following: “traditionally made by boiling.”

Ah ha! Ah ha! Ah ha, say I!

This shop that so proudly touts its bagels (it’s quite literally in the name) does not follow the core function of bagel-making. They steam the godforsaken “bagels.”

So proudly do these hooligans steam their bagels that they discuss, on their FAQ page, the act of you, the customer, having an inter est in purchasing a steamer to make these sog gy bread circles for yourself for the low cost of about $1400. Though, they suggest, instead, that you simply spend that money to travel from wherever you end up to Oxford and buy one of theirs.

I simply cannot stress enough how far they have strayed from the fantastical product Polish Jews invented centuries ago.

It’s gross, actually. Yes, you know what? It’s gross. I said it.

Maybe the names are fun. Maybe the con tent of each sandwich is stellar. Maybe the steamed “bagels” won’t burn your poow wittle mouf nor burn your wittle tongue.

It simply isn’t a bagel.

I have no problem with the concept of gen erational memories: passing down experienc es from father to daughter, mother to son or grandparent to grandchild.

In fact, I quite love it.

Having a place you used to frequent during the “best years of your life” and then giving that experience to your child creates both a bond and an unparalleled déjà vu.

But wouldn’t it be so much better if they boiled their bagels…?

Steamed bagels directly create a soggy, fartoo-soft, thin, flavor-poor and unsweet dough nut that ultimately depicts a product completely dissimilar to a proper bagel besides in shape.

I can get past the overused Grateful Dead bear logo that burns my eyes as I pass every fourth student on campus. (Look at me, Mom! I did learn to be nicer in college!)

I even quite like the logo, the name and the quaintness of its slim form factor next to the equally popular restaurant Skipper’s, forcing the famous pub to put up the “No Bagels” sign next door.

Genuinely, it makes me feel at home.

I know it does for most of you, too. And, to be completely honest, I probably wouldn’t change it for anything else.

A staple like B&D, good or bad, is a staple nonetheless, and while I might feel that its name is wildly misleading and its products lack luster, that means nothing for how you should remember your drunken nights years from now, looking back and enjoying old memories from good times.

But no, really, those things aren’t bagels, I’ll sign my death certificate right now. Those things. Are not. Bagels.

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Five fall film festival favorites

teenagers, portrayed by Taylor Rus sell and Timothée Chalamet, as they fall in love and travel across the U.S..

Despite its bizarre description, the film has been well-received, winning the Silver Lion at VFF in addition to the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Russell’s performance.

Reviewing the film for Time, jour nalist Stephanie Zacharek summed up the film by saying, “‘Bones and All’ is fastidiously romantic. It’s so carefully made, and so lovely to look at, even at its grisliest, that it ends up seeming a little remote, rather than a movie that draws you close.”

“Bones & All” releases to theaters Nov. 23 from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

“The Fabelmans”

Easily the most anticipated mo ment of the fall festivals was the unveiling of legendary director Ste ven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans,” a semi-autobiographical film about a young boy discovering his love for film in post-World War II America.

is “Tár,” director Todd Field’s first film in 16 years. Cate Blanchett por trays an accomplished composer who faces a personal crisis after disturbing allegations are brought against her.

Blanchett’s performance has been called a career-best by many critics, winning her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at VFF.

Reviewing the film for The Hol lywood Reporter, journalist David Rooney wrote, “‘Tár’ is a mesmeriz ing character study, its fine-grained details extending with needling pre cision into the shadowy recesses between its oblique scenes. The key talking point will be Cate Blanchett’s astonishing performance — flinty, commandingly self-possessed and ever so slowly splintering under pres sure.”

“Tár” comes to theaters Oct. 7 courtesy of Focus Features. “The Whale”

REECE HOLLOWELL ASST. ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Venice Film Festival (VFF), To ronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Telluride Film Festival (TFF) — all part of the highly publicized fall festival season.

Seen as a test for films vying for industry awards and public interest, these festivals allow critics and au diences to provide early reactions to highly anticipated films before their wide releases.

With the season in full swing, here are five notable films to keep an eye on.

“The Banshees of Inisherin”

The latest film from Martin Mc Donagh, director of “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” “The Ban shees of Inisherin” has been one of the most critically acclaimed films of the season.

Previous collaborators Colin Far rell and Brendan Gleeson play two men whose friendship is suddenly brought to an end in 1920s Ireland.

After its VFF premiere, the film won the Golden Osella for Best Screen play, with Colin Farrell also receiving the Volpi Cup for Best Actor.

Describing the film’s tonal bal ancing act, entertainment journalist

GRAPHIC BY EMILY HOGAN

Richard Lawson wrote in Vanity Fair, “It’s a curious thing, watching these two rough men in a rough place bick er over something as squishy as hurt feelings over a friendship — and for McDonagh to be the one staging it. But McDonagh adds, as he’s wont to do, a nasty twist.”

“The Banshees of Inisherin” re leases in theaters Oct. 21 from Search light Pictures.

“Bones & All”

Featuring one of the most auda cious premises of the year, “Bones & All” is the newest from “Call Me by Your Name” director Luca Guadagni no. The film follows two cannibalistic

Maya Hawke sets the perfect melancholic fall mood with ‘MOSS’

CHLOE SOUTHARD STAFF WRITER

Yes, Maya Hawke sings.

Although she’s best known for her role as Robin Buckley on Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” Hawke has been making music since 2019, when she released two singles: “To Love a Boy” and “Stay Open.”

In 2020, Hawke released her first album, “Blush.” The record was a mix of indie, folk and a bit of pop, and I really enjoyed it. “Blush” received fairly good reviews on Metacritic, es pecially for being a debut album.

On Friday, Hawke released her second album, “MOSS.” It’s a mellow, indie record that displays Hawke’s talent for songwriting. The album is quite different from “Blush,” as it’s much more acoustic and minimalis tic.

It has also become my soundtrack for this fall season.

The combination of Hawke’s wispy vocals, melodious guitar and pretty instrumentals is perfect. It’s a warm-sounding record that total ly sets the mood for walking around campus on a brisk fall morning.

“MOSS” presents Hawke’s self-re flective and gloomy narrative style of songwriting. In an interview with FLOOD Magazine, Hawke revealed that the album is meant to portray everything she has learned about herself and life in recent years.

“Movement is cool, but moss is fucking beautiful,” Hawke said in the interview. “And there’s this idea that independence, movements, drive, and loneliness is how you make art, that being a rolling stone, being by yourself, is how you make art. The way a stone makes art is by sitting still and letting nature act upon it.”

“MOSS” begins with “Backup Plan,” a track that does a great job at establishing the overall mood of the album. Hawke’s vocals are accompa nied by some simple guitar chords.

She sings of finding metaphorical aspects of herself she’s lost: “Your pencils, your dress socks / Your char ger, your bike lock / Anything that’s not in your junk drawer / I wanna be anything you’ve lost that you might be lookin’ for.”

Next is “Bloomed Into Blue,” which has heavier instrumentals than “Backup Plan.” Hawke sings about what can be interpreted as per sonal growth. She gives the listener a bit of a story here, and, at the end, includes some spoken word poetry.

On the endearing but bittersweet “Hiatus,” Hawke explores what she wants in a relationship. She acknowl edges that her lover may cheat on her, but she’ll “forgive him when he does.” The song is very calming, and

Hawke’s vocals are simply gorgeous.

“Hiatus” is definitely one of my fa vorite tracks off “MOSS.” I can imag ine myself listening to it on a rainy fall day.

“Sweet Tooth,” which was re leased as a single for “MOSS,” picks up the pace. It sounds upbeat, but the lyrics are quite vulnerable. Hawke sings of tough love, whether it’s be tween her and her mother, a lover or a friend: “I’m grateful for everything you put me through / It’s the only reason I’m any good to talk to / When I’m sick or suffering, I’ll still call you / About my big, sore sweet tooth.”

“Crazy Kid” fea tures Will Graefe. I’m admittedly not a big fan of it for that reason alone. I don’t like his solo verses or lines, even after listening to the song a few times. His harmo nies with Hawke sound nice, but I would’ve preferred for Graefe to stay on backing vocals.

The next track is “Luna Moth,” which was also a single and another personal favorite of mine. It reminds me a lot of Phoebe Bridgers, which may be why I love it so much. It’s a sad song, as Hawke shares how negatively she views herself.

I have to say, I’ve listened to this track literally every day since it was released. It seriously made me ready for sweaters, pumpkin spice and sce nic, late-night autumn drives.

“South Elroy” is a bit faster, which I liked. Much like “Sweet Tooth,” the lyrics are gloomy despite the cheerful beat. The song takes a slow, almost disorienting shift toward the end, with Hawke repeating the lines, “Oh my God, I gotta slow down now.”

The next track, “Thérèse,” opens with that same line, “Oh my God, I gotta slow down,” but it’s a huge shift from “South Elroy.” Be warned, I’m about to go on a tangent about this song. It was released as a single, and as soon as I heard it, I was obsessed.

The imagery that Hawke uses in her lyrics is beautiful, and I love the instrumentals. Not to mention the music video for this track is stunning as well — a cinematic commentary on the sexualization of womens’ bod ies. This song has been my number one streamed song for the past four weeks on Spotify.

“Sticky Little Words” and “Over”

are both playful-sounding tracks that include some beautiful guitar chords. “Over” is a bit slower-paced and soft until an array of instrumentals comes through halfway in the song, then dies down again for a more mellow ending.

“Restless Moon” is a rather catchy track, and the only way I can describe it is the way FLOOD Magazine did: “a campfire sing-along.” I can genuinely picture listening to this song with my friends at an autumn bonfire.

Perhaps one of the saddest songs on “MOSS” is “Driver.” Here, Hawke

The film features an ensemble cast including Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Gabriel LaBelle and Judd Hirsch. It received a rap turous response at its TIFF premiere, winning the coveted People’s Choice Award and receiving many proclama tions placing it at the front of the race for Best Picture at next year’s Acade my Awards.

“This is someone who has gifted the public killer sharks, rampaging dinosaurs, alien ambassadors, high melodramas, rollicking old-fashioned adventures, spills, chills and spectacle galore,” said journalist David Fear of Rolling Stone. “The most thrilling thing he could have given us, howev er, turns out to be a young man with a movie camera, and the chance for an older, wiser man to finally turn that camera on himself.”

“The Fabelmans” comes to the aters Nov. 23 from Universal Pictures. “Tár”

Another critical darling from VFF

A six-minute standing ovation greeted Brendan Fraser following the VFF premiere of Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale.”

Fraser, who plays a 600-pound man attempting to reconcile with his daughter after a series of per sonal tragedies, has been the major talking point of the film, winning the Actor Award at TIFF. Aronofsky, best known for films like “Black Swan” and “Requiem for a Dream,” also took home three awards at VFF.

Writing of Fraser for New York Post, journalist Johnny Olekasins ki said, “As an adult action star, his characters had the wide eyes of kids making exciting new discoveries. Charlie has that same twinkle when he speaks of his teen daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink), who loathes him and whom he desperately tries to recon nect with while he’s still alive.”

“The Whale” releases in theaters Dec. 9 from A24.

@HollowCentral hollowrr@miamioh.edu

Joe Keery’s new album begs the question: Can actors make good music?

EMILY SIDERITS THE MIAMI STUDENT

We all know and love Steve Har rington from Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” but few fans are aware of ac tor Joe Keery’s musical pursuits un der the stage name Djo (pronounced Joe).

Departing from his former band Post Animal, Keery debuted his al bum “Twenty Twenty” in Septem ber 2019. Djo entranced many with the twelve tracks of psychedelic rock reminiscent of Tame Impala. In sum mer 2022, he performed his music in

let my ego get the best of me/ in the age of excess / less may be best for me”

“On and On” is Djo’s clever in terpretation of his experience with social media. The repetitive notion of the song makes the listener feel like they’re scrolling through their phone themselves. This introduces the exis tential undertone to the song.

His most personal song on the album is undoubtedly “End of Be ginning,” as he sings about leaving Chicago. This song feels more like a ballad in comparison to the songs leading up to it. Djo parts with the old version of himself, singing “And when I’m back in Chicago, I feel it / Another version of me, I was in it.” I find myself coming back to this song frequently.

The next songs blur together. “I want your video” is a funky tune reminiscent of Harry Styles’ “Cinema.” De spite its name, the song “Climax” sounds quite repetitive and falls flat. “Change” offers a break to the trance these songs put you in. This eclectic song is upbeat and catchy while still feeling meaningful.

gets personal about her parents’ re lationship. Hawke’s parents, actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, have been divorced since she was young. “Driver” reveals that Hawke wishes she could’ve seen a real, un scripted romance between her moth er and father.

“Mermaid Bar” closes the album as Hawke encourages listeners to “Come for scallops, come to hear our song / Come if you’re in awful, bad trouble / Come if you’re certain you don’t belong.” It’s a pretty song — not my favorite, but it suffices as a good closer.

It’s safe to say that I’ll be stream ing “MOSS” for the remainder of this fall (and possibly the year). While the record is rather minimalistic, there’s no doubt Maya Hawke is a gifted singer and songwriter.

Hawke can act, sing and write. Is there anything she can’t do? Maybe it’s the nepotism baby magic, but boy, does she make it work.

Rating: 9/10

@_chloebowie_ southacr@miamioh.edu

a series of music festivals, announc ing the arrival of his upcoming album in the fall.

On Sept. 16, he released his al bum “Decide.”

The idea of Keery using Djo to detach from his celebrity identity intrigues me. Before listening to the album, I worried I would only be able to hear Steve Harrington’s voice singing into my Airpods.

“Decide,” however, feels like I’m listening to something else entirely.

His first song “Runner” opens with the classic sounds of psyche delic rock, a trippy yet upbeat tune with abstract lyrics. Of all the songs featured on this album, “Runner” is the most similar to Tame Impala and introduces the overarching theme of the album of Djo’s relationship with change as he grows older.

He seamlessly transitions “Run ner” into “Gloom,” which features Djo’s bass and guitar skills. “Gloom” takes an energetic approach to saying goodbye and being over friendships.

Djo’s album takes a deeper turn with “Half Life.” This song is a rapid ly changing mix of self loathing and thought provoking lyricism. “I see/ I

The song transi tions into “Is that All It Takes,” a 20-second in terlude that features an other smooth transition into “Go For It.” These songs, plus the closers, “Figure You Out” and “Slither” are forgettable. Part of me wishes he didn’t include any of these final songs since they overshadow the better work on the album.

I half-expected Djo to sing about his experience on “Stranger Things.” A show as mainstream as “Stranger Things” plays an encompassing role in the life of many, which makes me assume that it would completely en compass Djo’s and spill over into his work.

“Decide” serves as a reminder that public figures aren’t the two dimensional icons we create in our heads. The fact that Keery can pro duce good songs that aren’t in the pop genre and act is genuinely im pressive.

His album is a coming of age that the media rarely gets to see — one that takes a deeper dive into the overall lostness that many experi ence in their twenties. His songs are a stream of consciousness that evoke emotions of nostalgia and existential dread.

Rating: 7/10

BY MACEY CHAMBERLIN

‘Don’t Worry Darling’ Dirties the window

EVAN STEFANIK

THE MIAMI STUDENT

This review contains minor spoil ers.

Despite all the dreamed-up drama about “Don’t Worry Darling,” the film dominated the box office its debut weekend.

Sophomore director Olivia Wil de’s pop culture picks attracted audi ences, such as singer-songwriter and newer actor Harry Styles and May Queen protagonist Florence Pugh.

“Don’t Worry Darling” places Al ice (played by Pugh) in a ’50s highclass living simulation where the men go off each day to work on their mystifying “Victory Project” and the women never ask questions.

Pugh exists effortlessly within the horror genre, leaving reality behind with a curiously expressive face.

She and her opposite Frank (played by Chris Pine), leader of the commune, acted with acuity in a scene alone together in the kitchen. Pine especially embodied the antago nist, fixing his eyes with an all-seeing glare.

Frank’s wife Shelley (played by

Gemma Chan) stole the screen in each of her scenes. Dean (played by Nick Kroll) added comedic value as Wilde’s partner and Styles’ best mate.

Styles, however, was unimpres sive. Often reactionless and too quiet to hear, he stifled the deeper threat of his insecure inner character. At least Styles’ passive performance misled the audience into trusting that his fellow men had no clue about their phony lives.

The first act provides great mo mentum and suspense. Alice cracked open the plot perfectly, waking her self up early with fistfuls of hollow eggshells.

By contrast, the middle section felt long and boring. Not much happened besides Alice getting trapped over and over again in her housewife routine.

The thrill eventually returned with a shocking social commentary. When following expensive male author ity figures, troubled men like Jack (played by Styles) might go too far to assume dignity for themselves, then try to assert their marriages into his ideals.

Alice escaped hers cathartically.

Bunny (played by Wilde) offered

a second and stronger twist. Her sud den compassion for neighbor and nemesis Alice ironed out the film’s major secret and reflected strength in solidarity within the final few min utes.

Katie Silberman’s screenplay made sense of a somewhat elusive story, written with tight dialogue that translated concisely to the camera. She and Wilde saved as much time and mind as possible, but confusion still came and went during the two hour viewing.

While keen with sexual symbol ism, the creators occasionally stretch the other horror tropes so far their power deflates. For instance, they ladened the action music with moan ing sounds. Otherwise, the film had a memo rable soundtrack, authentic costumes and clear characters, capturing a par adise in between the true, forbidden world.

The hallucinatory “Don’t Worry Darling” appears worth people’s pret ty pennies.

Rating: 7.5/10

stefanec@miamioh.edu

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“‘Don’t Worry Darling’ and the future of Harry Styles” is the 19th episode of The Miami Student’s entertainment pod cast, Pop Culture Convos.

“Don’t Worry Darling” has been one of the most overex posed films in recent memory, with press fueled by the rifts between its director and stars. If no press is bad press, this movie could be huge, but what will that mean for everyone behind it?

In this episode, co-hosts Maggie Peña and Sean Scott talk about how this film’s drama could impact Florence Pugh, Ol ivia Wilde and Harry Styles, plus what it may mean for the box office.

ACTOR AND DIRECTOR OLIVIA WILDE’S NEWEST MOVIE PREMIERED TO MIXED REVIEWS.

PHOTO BY MATTHEW FROST, CC BY 3.0 VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

RedHawk Football Starts MAC Season At Buffalo

STEVEN PEPPER STAFF WRITER

It’s time for MACtion!

Coming off a huge upset victory over the BIG 10’s Northwestern, Miami (2-2) will ride its momentum into Buffalo (1-3) to begin Mid-American Conference (MAC) play this Sat urday. In the preseason, 20/24 voters chose the RedHawks to represent the MAC East Division in the conference championship at the end of the year.

The RedHawks are a MAC-best 30-12 in their last 42 games against conference oppo nents, including winning four of their last six games versus the Bulls. However, the ‘Hawks have not won in Upstate New York since 2016.

The ‘Hawks have won three-straight MAC openers since 2019. However, the home team is the 1.5-point favorite. According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Bulls have a 64.4% chance of winning.

The last time the two squads met ended in a 45-18 Miami victory at Yager Stadium. Quarter back Brett Gabbert threw a 58-yard touchdown on their first offensive play. He was impressive throughout, completing 21/28 passes for 351 yards and four touchdowns.

Unfortunately, Gabbert will not suit up for the RedHawks as his injury suffered in week one still has no timetable for return. In his place has been Aveon Smith.

Smith is 2-1 as the starter, however, the red shirt freshman is a less efficient thrower than Gabbert. At Northwestern, he averaged 3.3 yards per pass while connecting on 7/19 tosses, far less than the 200 to 400-yard passing days we commonly saw from Gabbert.

Miami Head Coach Chuck Martin under stands Smith’s limitations and decided to call run plays more than double the time as passing ones.

“Staying ahead of the chains for our offense is important,” Martin said Monday. “It’s im portant for any offense, but it’s more important when you have an inexperienced quarterback. You’re not quite as explosive as you may be if you had a more experienced guy like Brett back there.”

The run-heavy game plan for the RedHawks

prevailed in Evanston. Running back Keyon Mozze carried the ball 21 times for 171 yards, in cluding breaking one for 66 yards in the fourth quarter that set up a Smith score.

The ‘Hawks should look to pound the rock in Buffalo, as the Bulls allow a horrendous 181.5 rushing yards per game (108th in the country).

Buffalo’s offense is the opposite. The Bulls dropped a 50 bomb on Eastern Michigan last week, only sending out the punter once.

Bulls quarterback Cole Snyder has come alive with seven touchdowns in his last three games after a dud performance at Maryland. Also, the team records 131.8 yards per game on the ground.

“They do all the things great offenses do,” Martin said.

However, Buffalo might be in for a Sny der-dependent Saturday afternoon. The Red Hawks are sneakily the nation’s 11th-best run defense, only giving up 83.5 yards.

Last weekend, the ‘Hawks held Wildcat run ning back Evan Hull, who previously averaged 217 all-purpose yards per game, to 62 rushing yards and ten receiving on receptions.

The Bulls’ only win so far in 2022 occurred when Snyder threw the ball the least, and the ground game produced almost 100 yards.

It takes a lot of preparation before a match up against a Power-Five team. Following a win at Northwestern, there is speculation that the RedHawks could take their foot a bit off the gas against a MAC opponent.

However, RedHawk offensive lineman Reid Holskey assured the press on Monday that the team is not going to that Saturday lightly.

“Buffalo’s gonna be a good team,” Holskey said. “We have no intention of coming into a game feeling any less motivated to play than the week before.”

Buffalo started their conference play early with a win over the Eagles. All it takes for the RedHawks is to win over the Bulls, and they can begin the rest of the schedule 1-0 in the MAC East Division.

Kickoff is underway this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EST on ESPN+.

@stevenpepper38 pepperse@miamioh.edu

No offense? No problem! Defense and special teams lead RedHawks to shock upset of Big Ten’s Northwestern

MICHAEL VESTEY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Running back Keyon Mozee was the shining star of a struggling Miami University offense on Saturday, as the RedHawks won 17-14 over Northwestern. The RedHawks clinched the game with about a minute remaining on a 36yard Graham Nicholson field goal.

The first major play came with just over eight minutes left in the first quarter. As Miami quar terback Aveon Smith lined up to throw, he had the ball stripped by Northwestern’s Cameron Mitchell – but neither Mitchell nor another ad jacent Wildcat defender could pick up the ball.

RedHawk right tackle Reid Holskey fell on the ball to spare Miami a costly early turnover.

Northwestern wouldn’t be denied for long, though.

A methodical drive with some excellent throws by quarterback Ryan Hilinski got the Wildcats to the doorstep. While running back Evan Hull’s third-and-goal rush from the 1-yard line was stuffed, Miami safety Eli Blakey was pe nalized for offside, and Hilinski snuck over the goal line on the subsequent play to give North western a 7-0 lead.

Miami got a tremendous break when Blakey forced a fumble and Ryan McWood recovered it at the RedHawk 24 with 13 minutes left in the second quarter.

The offense finally found first gear, and drove down the field with a miss from Smith intended towards a wide-open Miles Marshall, and Marshall who would have almost certain ly strolled in for a touchdown notwithstanding. However, they stalled out after a series of penal ties inside the red zone, and Graham Nicholson hit the post from 38 yards out to keep the score at 7-0.

With the final drive of the half – following an excellent punt block from the RedHawk special teams unit – Miami finally put a drive togeth er. They capped it off with a 12-yard pass from Smith to Mac Hippenhammer to tie the game at 7 going into the break.

Neither offense found much of anything in the third quarter. The RedHawk special teams got their second punt block of the game, but

couldn’t capitalize on the good field position.

Punter Dom Dzioban, who had already un corked punts of 57 and 59 on the night, pinned Northwestern inside their own 15, but Miami allowed Hilinski to find a 29-yard-pass on 3rd and 17 to get Northwestern out of danger.

Northwestern would end up driving down the field, but opted to attempt a 4th and 4 in stead of a field goal and saw the pass fall incom plete.

On the following drive, Miami marched into the red zone, but Nicholson’s field goal attempt was blocked.

After a few more stalled drives from either side, a methodical Wildcat drive was finished by running back Cam Porter punching in a 2-yard touchdown run after receiving a direct snap to give Northwestern a 14-7 lead.

The RedHawks wouldn’t have to wait long for an answer, though: three plays later, Mozee ripped off a 66-yard run before being pushed out of bounds at the 1-yard line. Smith snuck over the goal line on the next play to tie the game back up with just over seven minutes left in the fourth.

As the rain began to fall over the stadium, the game reached its climax.

The RedHawks, beginning at their own 23, drove 58 yards in 13 plays and took over six minutes off the clock before Nicholson knocked through a 36 yard field goal to give Miami the lead.

The game was sealed with yet another turn over for the RedHawks, their third of the night, as Northwestern receiver Malik Washington’s fumble was recovered by Miami defensive back Ja’Von Kimpson as time ran out.

Coach Chuck Martin’s first win over a Power Five opponent as Miami head coach (and only second-all-time against FBS out-of-conference opponents, after last year’s bowl win over North Texas) takes the RedHawks to 2-2 to end the out-of-conference slate.

Northwestern concedes its second straight upset after last week’s loss to FCS Southern Il linois as the Wildcats fall to 1-3.

@VesteyTMS vesteymj@miamioh.edu

Players to Watch During the 2022-2023 Hockey Season

TEDDY JOHNSON CO-HUMOR EDITOR

Despite being 7-27-2 last year, there are many things to be hopeful for this hockey season. The Red hawks played half of their games against top-10 teams last season, and they were tied or ahead in 20 of those games by the time the third period rolled around.

The young core that carried the team last season still remains. Hope fully, with experience from last sea son, Miami University’s young guns will be able to get over that third-pe riod hump and restore “The Brother hood” back to its rightful place at the top.

Which young guns should you be watching this year?

Well, after watching many of Mi ami’s games up close last season, I believe these five players are going to make the biggest impact during the 2022-2023 hockey season.

5. Ludvig Persson

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

thing. Just nicer, bigger facilities, better locker rooms.”

Isabele Perese, a senior goalkeep er for Miami’s field hockey team, said her experience as a female athlete at Miami has been a very positive one.

“I do believe [we] are treated equally,” Perese said. “I think we have a lot of support in the athletic depart ment, specifically Jennie Gilbert, and I think she really supports and pro motes the female athletics at Miami, and we all feel valued by her.”

What needs improvement beyond Miami

While she hasn’t noticed gender inequalities at the collegiate level, Perese acknowledged there’s still

All Hail King Ludvig.

Last season Ludvig Persson set a school record for saves in a season, after shutting down a whopping 1,027 shots in 33 games. While his goals against average and save percentag es were not stellar, he still managed to make key saves that kept our boys running with some of the best teams in the country.

Persson did let some goals trickle in last year that probably should have been saved, but there is not much you can do when your defense is allowing the shot count to tick into the 50s.

However, with another year of experience under his belt and a more seasoned defense in front of him, Persson is bound to be a red brick wall in front of the net this year.

4. Matthew Barbolini

In hockey, there are some games where the puck just seems to go ex actly where you want it to go.

For Matthew Barbolini, it proved to be a common occurrence.

Barbolini managed to have five

work to be done in regards to pro fessional sports and at other college institutions.

“We always see professional ath letes using their voices and platforms to take a stance on this, and I 100% agree that there’s still a lot of work to be done with equal pay and equal op portunity,” Perese said. “I know that I’m just lucky enough to have always had a good experience.”

Spaid said she would like to see more attention given to women’s pro fessional sports as well.

“The amount of people that talk to me and they’re like, ‘So you’re just done after college?’ and I’m like, well I would love to play professional softball,” Spaid said. “It’s crazy that [they] don’t even know that’s a thing.”

multi-point games, including one against the No. 8 team in the country and 2019 National Champions, Min nesota Duluth. His hard work on the ice earned him an invite to the Nash ville Predators Development Camp this past summer.

Furthermore, Barbolini managed to be the only Miami skater to have a positive plus/minus rating. He also successfully won just over half of his faceoffs. Pair Barbolini with team mates Red Savage and PJ Fletcher, and the Redhawks are bound to have a lethal first line for this upcoming season.

3. Hampus Rydqvist

Hampus Rydqvist is one of those players you wish you could have ten of, because when he is on the ice good things happen.

Of the players currently on the team, Rydqvist had the fourth-most shots on the team last season, despite being a defenseman. His style of play facilitates puck movement in the of fensive zone.

However, Spaid noted that both college and professional softball, like several other women’s sports, is gain ing popularity.

“They’re on the up and coming. They get more likes, views and atten dants every year,” Spaid said. “The softball college World Series has had more viewers than the baseball col lege World Series for the past two years.”

Title IX’s next frontier:

Defending transgender athletes Through its 50-year lifespan, Ti tle IX has dramatically changed the world of sports by ensuring half of the population could actually play them, but questions remain over how the law applies today to transgender and gender-neutral athletes.

Arguably, Rydqvist’s biggest contribution was his ability to block shots. He blocked 52 shots in his 28 games played. The Swede won the team award for most outstanding de fensive player, likely due to his shot blocking efforts and his superb play against attacking foes.

You can expect big things on both sides of the puck from Hampus Ryd qvist this season.

2. PJ Fletcher

I ran into PJ Fletcher the other day and he assured me that the team will be a lot better this year. His of fensive production and 24 points last year earned him the team’s most out standing offensive player award, and we should expect nothing less from him this year.

PJ was one of four Miami Players invited to NHL developmental camps this past summer, where he faced off against other rising hockey stars. Knowing that he is an elite enough player to be invited to one of these camps boosts my confidence that Mi

Ohio is at the center of this debate due to the recent passage of Ohio House Bill 61, which seeks to ban transgender students from playing sports.

Gilbert said Miami aims to sup port all of its athletes, and they’ve had a number of athletes whose pronouns were different from the sport they played in.

“They may not have gone through the transgender process but they choose to dress differently from the traditional gender dress for their sport,” Gilbert said. “We’ve had a number of individuals who once they graduated, chose to [transition], and we’ve been very supportive of them.”

Spaid said she thinks athletes should get to choose which gender’s

ami’s offense is in safe hands for this upcoming season.

1. Red Savage

I would be remiss not to mention Savage on this list. Even if you don’t really follow the hockey team, you have likely heard about him. Red burst onto the scene last season, tally ing 16 points in 35 games. Due to his efforts he earned four NCHC Rook ie of the Week Awards, an NCHC C0-Rookie of the Month in January and the team award for most out standing rookie player.

Red came into Miami already hav ing been drafted by the Detroit Red Wings, and he did not fail to live up to the hype surrounding an NHL draft ee. His shifty style of play enables him to get the puck deep into the offensive zone and create opportunities that you didn’t even know existed.

Keep an eye on Miami Hockey’s poster child this season. I believe that last season was just the beginning for this future NHL star.

john1595@miamioh.edu

sport they would prefer to play in.

“I would be upset if somebody beat me, but also, if anybody beats me I’m going to be mad,” Spaid said. “I think it should be up to them.”

Gilbert said although the admin istration aims to support its LGBTQ+ students, it’s still in the process of de termining what that support should look like.

“It’s difficult for the adminis trators to know what’s helpful and what’s not because it’s still so new for everybody,” Gilbert said. “But I think all of us are supportive of provid ing opportunities for those that are non-binary or transgender.”

rudere@miamioh.edu

MIAMI FANS CELEBRATE IN THE RAIN OUTSIDE RYAN FIELD AFTER THE REDHAWKS’ 17-14 UPSET OVER NORTHWESTERN PHOTO BY MICHAEL VESTEY

SOPHOMORE DEFENSIVE BACK JOHN SAUNDERS DIVES TO BREAK UP A PASS LAST WEEK.

PHOTO BY JESSICA MONAHAN

Aveon Smith’s Journey: From Backup to delivering Miami’s First Big Ten Victory Since Ben Roethlisberger

ering his options, Smith decided to take his talents to Oxford, Ohio.

“I just liked the academics,” Smith said. “The fact that I could enroll early and start early was one of the big reasons.”

For his first two seasons Smith was forced to ride the bench. While it wasn’t the ideal situa tion for a com petitive guy like Smith, he took it in stride.

an opportunity to get in-game colle giate experience.

“[From that Robert Morris game] I learned to be decisive,” Smith said. “...When I’m in that moment, just do what I feel like is best for the team.”

Head coach Chuck Martin was asked in a recent press conference about what he told Aveon following his first career win as a starter.

He told reporters he asked Aveon if he was sore. When Aveon told him he wasn’t feeling sore Martin told him, “Well you’re gonna be sore next Saturday!”

Facing a tough Bearcat squad the following Saturday, Aveon and the Redhawks got out to a fast start. An early 17-7 lead quickly evaporated however, after Cincinnati found its footing and held Miami scoreless in the second half, on their way to a 3817 victory.

Miami Sports Scoreboard

OLIVER STERN THE MIAMI STUDENT

After stepping in for injured start ing quarterback Brett Gabbert, Aveon Smith has been a steadying hand for the Redhawks.

After a spectacular end to the 2021 season for Gabbert, expectations were high for the 2022 Redhawks. Gab bert’s injury was a major setback for the team, but thankfully, Miami Uni versity had its insurance policy within the quarterback room.

Despite the uncertainty surround ing the position, the team has rallied behind its new quarterback. Smith, the redshirt freshman from Lexing ton, South Carolina has had an inter esting journey to his first career start at Miami.

As a team captain at White Knoll High School in Lexington, Smith was an electric playmaker that could get it done with his arm and his legs. His junior year, he threw for 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns along with 1,000 yards and another 14 scores on

the ground. Despite all of his success during his junior season, Smith strug gled to find offers from Division I pro grams.

“In high school there weren’t a lot of us that went Division I so it was a grind for sure,” Smith said. “I had to go to a lot of camps and I reached out to a lot of coaches my sophomore and junior year.”

He followed those junior year to tals up with a similarly spectacular senior season.

In just five games, Smith tallied 27 total touchdowns and once again demonstrated his dual-threat ability. In that fifth game however, Smith suf fered a torn ACL that would end his season.

“That set me back for a little bit,” Smith said. “I had to go to therapy and I had to do a lot of different things to get ready for the college level. But that was just a minor setback.”

As Smith sat at home recovering from his injury, he turned his at tention towards where he would be playing his college ball. After consid

“It was a lovehate experience because you know, I wanted to play but at the same time I had some learning to do,” he said. “My leg wasn’t 100% speed-wise, so it was a good learning experience being behind AJ [Mayer] and Brett [Gabbert].”

Fast forward to the 2022 season and Smith finally got his call to ac tion. Already down 37-13 to Kentucky in the fourth quarter, Smith was able to get his feet wet for playing against SEC competition after an injury to the starting quarterback Gabbert.

“You just stay ready so you don’t have to be ready,” he said. “...When the time came I just had to be mental ly prepared.”

After being thrown into the fire against current No. 7 Kentucky, the Redhawks shifted gears to face Rob ert Morris of the FCS in week two.

In his first career start, Smith took care of business. He threw for 155 yards with a 14/22 completion rate. He added 38 more yards on the ground and threw for three touch downs. Two of those went to senior receiver Mac Hippenhammer.

Robert Morris presented Aveon

The resilient Smith used that game as a lesson for how to play non-conference opponents. Despite only completing 7 passes, Aveon came alive late in Miami’s next game against Northwestern.

With the game tied and about six minutes to go, Aveon and the Red hawks methodically marched down the field, making consistent gains and chewing clock. With 21 seconds remaining Graham Nicholson made a 36 yard field goal to seal the 17-14 victory, Miami’s first against the Big Ten since 2003, when future hall-offamer Ben Roethlisberger was under center.

Martin’s first win against a Big Ten opponent did not come via his first-team All-Mac quarterback Brett Gabbert. Instead, the dynamic Smith, who has had to prove doubters wrong his entire career, made a statement on Saturday night.

It wasn’t the way Martin and Red hawk fans envisioned the start of the season to go, but Aveon Smith has provided a spark when Miami needed it more than ever.

@OliverStern15 sternoj@miamioh.edu

Miami hockey’s Swedish Connection: How Ludvig Persson and Hampus Rydqvist Ended Up at the Same Place, An Ocean Away From Home

Ludvig traveled to Texas to join the Lone Star Brahmas, while Ham pus ended up with the Maryland Black Bears.

The pair were separated physical ly, but they remained close.

“We had a little physical detour when Ludvig was in Lone Star and I was in Maryland where we were both separated, but we still talked every other day,” Rydqvist said.

Unfortunately, their season in the NAHL was shut down due to the be ginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Luckily, both ended up receiving of fers from Miami.

Ludvig was the first to commit.

full college hockey experience is the best part about being here,” Ludvig said.

Beyond Miami, the pair each want to pursue professional hockey careers. For Ludvig, the goal is very simple.

“NHL for sure,” Ludvig said. “We’ll see what happens, but that’s my answer.”

Hampus simply wants to contin ue his hockey career for as long as he can.

Field Hockey

Sept. 16

Miami….3 Ohio….0

Sept.17 Miami….2 Fairfield….1

Sept. 23 Miami….3

@ Bellarmine….1

Sept. 25 Miami….1

@ Indiana….2

Football Sept. 17 Miami….17 Cincinnati….38

Sept. 24 Miami….17 @ Northwestern….14 Soccer

Sept. 22 Miami….2 Ball State….2

Sept. 25 Miami….3 @ CMU….0

WILL KEHRES

THE MIAMI STUDENT

Picture this: two Swedish best friends end up playing hockey and going to college together in Oxford, Ohio.

Sounds like things could get pretty interesting, right?

Fortunately, this isn’t the begin ning of some low-budget Netflix proj ect. It’s the story of Ludvig Persson and Hampus Rydqvist, both juniors on Miami’s NCAA Division I hockey team.

Close friends for about six years, the pair have had quite interesting hockey careers leading up to their time at Miami.

Hampus was born in Gothenburg, Sweden, the second-largest city in the country. He started playing hockey at the age of two for an organization known as Frölunda HC.

He played for Frölunda until he

was 15, then spent two years play ing for the Malmö Redhawks, before returning to Frölunda for two more years.

Ludvig was born in the Gothen burg area as well, hailing from a suburb outside of the city known as Hindås. He started playing for his lo cal team around the age of six, then joined Bäcken HC, another organiza tion based in Gothenburg, playing for the club from the ages of 10 to 17.

From Bäcken, Ludvig went on to spend three years playing for Frölun da, the final two alongside Hampus, after he returned from his stint with Malmö. During their time together with Frölunda, the pair became close friends.

After their careers with Frölun da came to an end, both Ludvig and Hampus had college hockey aspira tions, so they came to the U.S. to play junior hockey in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) with hopes of receiving Division I offers.

“Miami contacted me in early De cember of that year, and I came to visit and I just loved it,” he said. “It’s a really good opportunity, coming here and playing some of the best compe tition in college hockey.”

Hampus ended up committing as well, and knowing that Ludvig loved the school made him confident in his decision.

“When I first had contact with [Miami], Ludvig was already com mitted, so I knew a little bit about the school. I knew it was going to be a good fit, and I knew that if Ludvig liked it, then I liked it.”

Hampus and Ludvig agreed that their favorite memory together has been their experience at Miami.

“It’s really hard for our friends to understand what we do here,” Ham pus said. “How we do school and hockey and everything and what a high level the hockey is here.”

“Playing in front of really good fans and all the buildings we go to and all the new places we see together, the

“The dream is always to play in the NHL, but the goal is probably just to live off hockey for as long as possible, to just enjoy hockey,” Hampus said. “A hockey career is not that long, and to be able to live off that for as many years as possible, that’s what I want to do.”

After first meeting in Gothenburg, splitting up and traveling to Mary land and Texas, and finally reuniting in Oxford, it will be interesting to see where hockey takes this duo next.

Until then, catch the pair at Gog gin Ice Center, where each will be playing a very important role for the Redhawks this season. Ludvig is slat ed to be the starting goaltender, while Hampus will be a top-pair defensem an and a fixture on the power play.

The team kicks off the year against Ferris State this Saturday at Goggin. Puck drop is scheduled for 5:05 pm. kehreswe@miamioh.edu @willkehres

Volleyball

Sept. 15 Miami….2 Xavier….3

Sept. 16 Miami….0

@ Cincinnati….3

Sept. 23 Miami….0 Ohio….3

Sept. 24 Miami….1 Ohio….3

Savage Brothers Suit Up For Redhawk Hockey

EDWARD ORZECH STAFF WRITER

Senior Ryan Savage and his soph omore brother Red Savage have traveled across states, countries and continents all for the sake of the cold ice, fast play and brutality that hock ey draws crowds for.

The Savage brothers’ entire lives have been defined by hockey. Their father skated at Miami and went on to play 674 games in the NHL. Three of their uncles have suited up for a professional team. The brothers were practically born with sticks in hand.

Ryan said hockey was the most important part of their upbringing.

“It was everything, basically, to us,” Ryan said. “We both kind of knew from a young age that it was al ways our dream to come [to Miami].”

In 2021, the brothers played on the same team together for the first time.

The siblings had practiced togeth er before, but finally playing together on the same ice required some ad justing. But by the time the season started, the two were comfortable with each other’s play styles. Red said he always admired Ryan, (who is three years older) when he skated.

“I kind of…looked up to him as something way bigger than me,” he said. “It’s pretty awesome to play to gether.”

A second year on the ice together should help their coordination. Ryan said their experience helps on the ice because they understand each other’s strengths. He stopped short of saying there was a unique sibling connec tion.

“I don’t know if we have telepathy yet,” he said. “Maybe one day we’ll see.”

This could be the last year of the Savage duo on the ice.

Ryan is a senior supply chain

business major. He said he has an internship in place for next summer. However, Ryan could take the offer of an extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA to athletes because of the shortened 2020 COVID-19 season. But he said that decision isn’t his top priority.

“I’m kind of just focusing on the season, staying healthy,” Ryan said.

Things could look very differ ent for Red as well. The Detroit Red Wings selected Red as part of their 2021 draft. He participated in the teams’ developmental camp last summer. He said he still isn’t sure what jersey he will be wearing next season.

“[I] still would love to come back and play [at Miami], but if they asked me to go play for that assignment, then we’ll make a decision,” Red said.

The brothers are focused on the upcoming season. The team strug gled last season with a 7-27-2 record,

but the brothers are excited to get back out on the ice. Ryan said he’s been impressed with the new recruits for the RedHawks.

“We have a really strong freshman class,” he said. “And I think every one’s just ready to take the next step.”

Both Savages play offense with Red playing center and Ryan manag ing the wing. They expect to see their fair share of ice time together.

RedHawk fans should enjoy the brothers while they can, because they might be elsewhere next season.

At least, until the next Savage comes along.

@edward_orzech orzeched@miamioh.edu

AVEON SMITH THROWS A PASS AGAINST CINCINNATI ON SEPT. 24 PHOTO BY JESSICA MONAHAN

Why “voting with your dollar” is so important

SAM NORTON COLUMNIST

Sometimes with the control that lobbyists, corporations and other external factors have on the lawmak ers in this country, it can feel like the direct role of the American citizen in diplomacy is dwindling.

However, there is a very efficient way in which we the people can have an impact on how we want our coun try to look, and that is the concept of voting with your dollar.

“Voting with your dollar” is a term I learned only this past summer, on a trip to the Pacific Northwest with the organization GIVE Volunteers. As we were winding down one night, one of my guides explained this concept to our group.

“Voting with your dollar” is the idea that the way in which one spends their money directly reflects the way in which they want their country to look, and that it should therefore influence consumerist decisions. Basically, by spending your money somewhere, you’re saying, “This is something I support.”

This applies mainly to the large corporations from which we buy so many different products. Because these products are produced a certain way and every corporation has cer tain values by which they abide, the idea is that, as a consumer, you also invariably support their values with your purchase.

Take, for example, two stories of major fashion brands that have been in the news recently for the very rea sons I listed above.

The first is Shein, a huge fast-fash ion brand that has become popular because of how inexpensive its items are. But it has also come under fire for its production methods.

According to The New York Times, it has been accused of violat ing human rights and child labor laws in the production of its clothes over seas, mainly in China, with little pay and unsafe conditions.

Moreover, because of how cheap most items are, they do not last long for customers and, despite the large quantities bought, will inevitably and quickly end up in the landfill. This perpetuates a linear cycle of fashion that creates unfathomable amounts of waste.

On the other hand, there is the in credibly popular outdoor brand Pata gonia, which has been in the news re cently due to its founder giving away his fortune in the company in order to help fight climate change.

Patagonia was already known for its quality clothing items, sustain able materials, activism and its Worn Wear program. Now, when you visit its website, you are met with the bold statement, “Earth is now our only shareholder.”

Clearly, this is a brand that has set out to do so much more than creating profit for its CEO. It is a brand that

has put the planet, and therefore the people that live here, at the forefront of its mission.

Consumerism is rampant in America today, and although it is im portant to do your best to limit how much you consume, one cannot com pletely avoid it. Therefore, it is imper ative to be smart in how you purchase and be sure that what you buy aligns with your own values.

The best way that my volunteer guide explained it is like this: if you wouldn’t want your own country to turn a blind eye to human rights, child labor, neglect of the environment or any other ethical issue of sorts, then why would you buy from a brand that is okay with that?

However, it is no secret that of ten the more ethical and sustainable brands are more expensive. It is an unavoidable part of consumerism, but it can be looked at in a different way.

Rather than buying five shirts that were made in a cheap and wasteful manner, why not buy one or two high er-quality pieces of clothing? Think of it as an investment — not only for the planet, but also for yourself.

Instead of hopping from one fash ion trend to another, buy good clothes that will last you years and always be exactly what you want.

This does not just apply to clothes and environmental issues, although they are the most obvious examples. Look for companies that drive social

It’s suicide prevention month, and it’s time to stop making suicide jokes

people could be suffering through in considerate dialogue, crippling lone liness and depression for almost 10 years before they take action.

Some people don’t have the choice to joke about suicide. They don’t have the privilege to marginal ize something that is incredibly real. Words that come out of someone else’s mouth are words that swirl in side of the mentally ill all the time as they beg for the thoughts to leave.

Nobody asks for suicidal thoughts, and nobody wants to hear jokes about them.

It’s extremely disappointing to still hear suicide jokes on campus af ter last year, when Miami University lost one of our own students, Daniela DiSanto.

and economic justice, that are char itable and that are known for fair treatment of workers. Donating to charities yourself is also a great way to vote with your dollar, even if it is just a small amount.

Corporate America has incredible sway over the political landscape, and the corporations with lots of custom ers can funnel the most money into shaping the country in a way that helps them. If we, as citizens and consumers, start being more selective about what brands we support with our dollars, we can display what we want our country to look like.

Elections only happen every cou ple of years, but Americans spend over 25% of their income on con sumer goods. Consumerism is such a large part of the American identity, so why not use it to push for good?

As a republic, the voters of this country must show our representa tives in the government what we pri oritize, and voting with your dollar may be the most important way to do so.

nortonsm@miamioh.edu

Poll: the difficulties of Miami’s new parking system

AMES RADWAN OPINION EDITOR

If you are a returning student who drives a car at Miami University, you know that the school’s parking sys tem has changed since last year.

The new changes have caused confusion and stress among many Miami students. In a recent Twitter poll put out by The Miami Student, a clear majority of the 28 voters — 53.6% — agreed that the new “zonal” parking system was not easy to use/ understand.

Twenty-five percent stated that the system was “kind of” easy to use/ understand, and the smallest per centage of voters — 21.4% — said that it was easy to use/understand.

everyday on-campus student.

But even yellow passes can be con fusing. Last year, there was only one yellow pass that students could buy for the entire semester. This year, Mi ami has introduced a weekly yellow pass at $15 a week — but any one stu dent can only purchase this pass four times throughout the semester.

Four weeks of coverage for $60 versus one semester of coverage for $100. You do the math.

AVA KALINA COLUMNIST

TW: This story contains con tent addressing suicide, selfharm and mental illnesses.

The year that I entered as a freshmen into Loudoun Valley High School, William Robinson took his own life on a playground only hun dreds of feet from the front door of our school.

“Too weird to live, too rare to die,” he wrote on the yellow shiny post supporting the swings.

Less than a year later, I was sit ting in a freshman biology course, when we heard on Facebook about a student who climbed the water tower in an attempt to jump — but fell be fore he could make it to the top, and survived. The water tower was closer than the playground.

Our school was quickly dubbed “Death Valley.”

In Purcellville, Virginia, talking about suicide was no longer taboo. We had assemblies, conversations with friends, meetings with school counselors and teachers checking in on us. Suicide had become real, and jokes about it became practically ob solete.

In contrast, I’ve been surprised — and, honestly, really disappointed — at the amount of casual dialogue surrounding suicide I’ve heard here at Miami University. Casual dialogue, not in a comfortable conversational way, but in an inconsiderate, joking manner.

There are two ways that I catego rize jokes of suicide:

1. The turn of phrase

2. The call for help or dark, but re alistic, humor

The ‘turn of phrase’ is the casual joke heard throughout the day; it’s usually blurted out when someone has too much homework to do, isn’t looking forward to a situation or is complaining about a menial task.

“I have so much homework, ugh, I just want to kill myself.”

I shudder as the phrase hits my ears. I have so much to say, but I choke on my words before I can get them out to tell them, “That’s not funny.”

These flippant remarks desensi tize the second category of joke: the cry for help. It usually involves some one who struggles with depression, self-harm, anxiety and/or other men tal health issues who makes a passing remark about committing suicide. It’s terrifying to hear when it comes out of someone’s mouth for whom it is a very real issue.

Although they are unfortunately stuck in our everyday dialogue, sui cide jokes are always inappropriate.

Studies show that acts of suicide usually occur 8-10 years following a person’s onset of symptoms from mental illnesses. This means that

Daniela tragically passed away in the fall of 2021 while she was a sophomore at Miami. The campus community gathered together in a beautiful way to take mental health seriously. A tree has since been plant ed on Central Quad in Daniela’s hon or.

This year, Congress passed a bill flooding money into mental health services, Miami University hired six new full-time staff to support men tal health on campus and backpacks across campus are pinned with pur ple and blue ribbons, but, somehow, suicide jokes aren’t being left behind.

I hope that we can change our di alogue before another William. I pray that the words become obsolete from this campus before another Daniela.

If you or anyone around you is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please reach out to Student Counsel ing Services.

kalinaae@miamioh.edu

Clearly, we are a campus divided when it comes to being able to under stand the new parking system.

Though the system is all laid out on Miami’s parking website, it’s done so over several pages.

The revamped Student Parking Details webpage breaks down exactly who can have a car at Miami, clarify ing car rules for everyone from firstyear students to commuters. Then, once you’ve figured out if you can have your car in the first place, you must check the campus parking map to determine where you’re allowed to park it.

Red, blue, white and yellow — Mi ami has a veritable rainbow of park ing passes available, with the most all-encompassing being red, available for pay only to faculty and staff. If unwilling to pay, these categories of people also receive a free white park ing pass.

Blue services graduate students, graduate assistants and resident as sistants; yellow is for your average,

There are only four lots on cam pus in which yellow-pass owners can park at all times: Chestnut Fields, Ditmer Field Lot, Millett Hall West Lot and Yager Stadium East Lot, none of which are particularly close to Academic Quad. New this year, yellow-pass owners are “zoned” into a certain lot, which is causing stress for some students.

Then there are commuter passes for our students who commute from outside of Oxford. Commuters can buy a pass daily for $2 a day or get the regular $100-a-semester deal. New commuter-only spots have been placed in lots on campus.

Between all of these new changes mixed in with old parking pass for mats, it’s no wonder to me that over half of polled students were confused.

Consolidation of all of the web pages and information listed above into one all-inclusive informative page could perhaps help to resolve this issue and solve parking problems on Miami’s campus once and for all. We are always searching for our readers’ opinions on our articles. Make sure to check out our Twitter page (@miamistudent) this Monday, Oct. 3, to vote in our next TMS-reader poll!

radwanat@miamioh.edu

OPINION COLUMNIST SAM NORTON. GRAPHIC BY HANNAH POTTS

OPINION COLUMNIST AVA KALINA. GRAPHIC BY HANNAH POTTS

The chicken and the

The cycle keeping women’s

of the limelight

EDITORIAL BOARD

Fifty years ago, the infamous then-President Richard Nixon signed into law what is today known as Title IX, leading to a 545% increase in women’s collegiate sports participation since its inception.

The only problem? Hardly any of us have noticed.

As an Editorial Board, no more than a third of us have attended a women’s sporting event here at Miami University while enrolled.

Thirteen of us, out of 15, have been to a men’s sporting event.

This major milestone for Title IX begs the question: why don’t women’s sports get the same attention as men’s?

The Miami Student’s Editorial Board believes that the answer has two main culprits: students and the marketing of Miami athletics.

Boiled down to basics, Miami Univer sity is a business. Businesses seek profits and profits come from where? What’s profitable. Miami students by and large do not attend women’s sports at the same rate as they do men’s sports.

The university will promote what will gain revenue, and if students do not come to women’s games, Miami won’t try to sell the product.

The solution for this half of the prob lem is as follows: go to the games!

Miami sports games are free for Mi

ami students, so why aren’t we going to games more frequently? Why aren’t we supporting our female athletes?

Right now, many women’s match es are attended by family and friends, other athletes and even the occasional group from Kramer Elementary. From what the Editorial Board has seen, very few students without pre-existing ties to the women’s teams show up to support them.

There are also outright negative au diences. One member of our Editorial Board attended a women’s basketball game last semester, in the spring of 2022. They were surprised to witness, while there, multiple men cursing and yelling insults at the women on the court.

We the students can change that kind of atmosphere and bring a positive, en ergetic, love-and-honor environment courtside, fieldside and rinkside. All we have to do is show up and get excited.

Now, let’s break down the next cul prit: Miami Athletics and its marketing strategy.

Whereas Miami is a business, it is also a home for its student body. Failing to promote women’s sports will, too, limit attendance. Failing to ticket more sport ing events will, too, limit attendance.

This is no place for the blame game.

Students need to go to women’s games and treat them like the spectacu lar feats of collegiate athletics that they are, and Miami needs to promote these

athletics on an equitable basis to ensure its student body and Oxford community are aware of the events taking place.

But there is also a responsibility that lies upon the capable shoulders of we RedHawk students.

Let’s think of it this way: we, the stu dents, have the opportunity to attend sports games for free for four years. This is not an opportunity we’ll easily receive at any other point in our lives.

Even better, the sports are good.

A sixth-place-worldwide synchro nized skating team, a field hockey team that is coming off of its 5th MAC cham pionship in a row and a record-breaking thrice-champions softball team — when are we ever going to be able to cheer for all of these amazing women in person for the stunning price of zero dollars and zero cents ever again?

Currently, Miami women’s sports is suffering from what the Editorial Board believes to be a vicious cycle of chickenand-egg.

People aren’t attending their events as much as the men’s events, though, let’s be real, sports-match participation here at Miami, even in the men’s sector, is not necessarily the highest of Mid-American Conference schools. If people don’t at tend sporting events, Miami will not put more money into them.

Women’s sports at Miami receive less than half the revenue than do men’s sports as of fiscal year 2020-2021, which

almost definitely affects the lower at tendance levels. Higher revenues mean greater funding, which means incentives for attendance. If you know you’ll get a free hat, scarf, t-shirt or blanket from a sporting event, aren’t you more likely to attend that than a sporting event without free things?

It’s up to us, the students, to up the attendance levels and the hype for our women’s sports here at Miami. The more we participate in being a good audience for our student athletes, the more we embody our campus qualities of love and honor for them, the more Miami will, too.

Also, follow them on social media — there are Instagrams for the synchro nized skating team, volleyball team, soft ball team, basketball team, field hockey team, ice hockey team and more.

Plus, from the mouth of our Sports Editor himself: if you are a sports fan, take a chance on a women’s team. They’re varsity athletes for a reason — they are very talented, and the games are fun to attend. If you go once, there’s a large chance you’ll want to go again.

So show up and show out for our women’s sports teams here at Miami. Let’s show them how much we appreci ate them and cheer them on to, hopeful ly, another year of MAC championship wins.

Chandler Brobst,

Ashlee Barker, MD

GRAPHIC BY MACEY CHAMBERLIN

Fashion 101: Developing Personal Style style

JACK SAMPSON THE MIAMI STUDENT

Just like any other hobby or in terest, getting into fashion can be a daunting task, especially if you don’t have anyone in your social circles who has knowledge of it.

If you are interested in diving into the field but don’t know where to start, I may be of some assistance.

My name is Jack Sampson, I’m a Miami University junior studying Bi ology. I am by no means an expert in fashion; I am simply someone who is comfortable with how they dress and wishes to help others who are stuck because I know the struggle of devel oping a personal style.

Everybody starts somewhere, so let me try to make your process eas ier.

This will be the start of a series of articles that give advice on developing personal style. However, we cannot

begin without defining the term “per sonal style.”

We can boil it down to a broad explanation: personal style is wear ing clothing that you feel comfort able in. Maybe your personal style is wearing pajama pants and a baggy sweatshirt everywhere; maybe it’s wearing a three-piece suit on a daily basis. There really is no “best style” because everybody enjoys something different.

Step 1: Prepping your closet and getting your measurements

The first step to developing a per sonal style is preparing your current closet for a revamp.

Most people have those stray shirts, pants, shoes, jackets, etc. that sit on a shelf or are worn very rarely, if ever. It could be that you don’t like any of your clothing and want a clean slate.

Whatever the case is, one cannot

build a wardrobe without clearing up some space. The easiest solution: get a big trash bag or bucket, fill it with this clothing and donate it to a thrift store like Goodwill. Other clothing, if it is too valuable to simply give away for free, can be resold to make sure waste is reduced. Unless your clothing is too deteriorated to wear, it should not be thrown away.

There is one last boring part for preparing to get new clothing: finding your measurements.

Buying clothing that does not fit you is not fun, and some companies’ return policies are just overly com plicated. A lot of clothing retailers have the exact measurements of their products listed on their websites, so if you know your own then it will save a lot of effort, time and potentially money.

Common measurements include sleeve length, chest length, shoulder length, inseam and waist size. I find it

Monkeys and Kate Moss – The

easy to find these by taking a garment I know fits me well and measuring all of these with a ruler or tape measure.

Step 2: Get inspired

Now it is time for the fun to start.

This step can also go before the other, but I find it nice to have an open closet and your measurements first.

What am I talking about? I am talking about finding inspiration, of course!

Unless you are the next greatest clothing designer, you may not be able to just think of clothing you like out of thin air.

This is where you spend some time finding content creators or char acters in media, like television shows or movies, who dress in ways that you really enjoy. It is one thing to appreci ate someone’s style, but it is another to think to yourself, “I wish I was the one wearing that right now.”

If you catch yourself with the lat ter in your head, you are off to a great start. I will go into more detail on this in the next article with specific exam ples of creators that inspire me.

If this stresses you out at all, I urge you to give it a shot.

I was once in your position, but with time I have been able to fill my closet with clothing that I feel looks good on me, but more importantly I have clothes that I feel comfortable in. You may not get it at first, or you could already have your closet reflect ing your personal style.

Wherever you may be in this jour ney, don’t be afraid to step into un charted territory.

sampsojw@miamioh.edu

ALLISON LEE THE MIAMI STUDENT

It’s no surprise that over the years, social media has evolved immensely. As Vine and Musical.ly turned into Tiktok, and as people flooded from Tumblr onto Instagram, trends have changed quite a bit.

Gone were the days of knee socks and ripped tights, smudged eyeliner and the club scene. The past few years have been dominated by wellness and self care — athleisure, skincare and self love have been circulating the internet since COVID-19 hit.

Now, with a new Arctic Monkeys album set to release in October of this year, Skins (a popular British television series which ran from 2007-2013) audios trending on Tiktok and party culture are making a comeback, and it’s safe to say that the “Clean Girl” aesthetic is fading away. he 2014 inspired “Messy Girl” aesthet ic is making its return.

Although brands like Brandy Melville and Zara have been slowly reintroducing low-rise jeans, plaid mini skirts and gauzy threads for years now, social media influencers and celeb rities are reflecting this within their style now more than ever.

Inspired by ’90s-2000s grunge, the “Messy Girl” aesthetic is pioneered by Kate Moss, Al exa Chung and Lana Del Rey, and is carried out through younger celebrities like Olivia Rodrigo and Lily-Rose Depp.

Chainmail, leather and animal print are widely popular within this trend, especially when it comes to party clothes. Leather pants, combat boots and tube tops are replacing the high waisted jeans and corsets that have been prevalent in social media. Oversized den im jackets, graphic baby tees and last night’s makeup is becoming more socially acceptable.

This is a major shift from the matching ath letic sets, dewy “no makeup” makeup look and emphasis on looking put together. The “Clean Girl” aesthetic has been a staple around cam pus — what will this shift look like, and will it be as long lived?

Kendra Dawson, first year sports manage ment student, was sporting denim shorts and a white crop top.

“I really like this new aesthetic,” Dawson said. “It’s so low maintenance and it doesn’t force me to look perfect.”

Several Tiktok influencers notorious for living this lifestyle post videos often showing people how to ‘look expensive,’ another huge

aspect of the overall aesthetic.

“A lot of [the ‘clean girl’] aesthetic was so materialistic, almost,” Dawson said. “It was all Lululemon and Altar’d State, but now the trends are becoming more accessible to people who maybe can’t afford that or can’t put in the amount of effort people are asking for.”

The mention of mental health isn’t surpris ing; again, the “Clean Girl” aesthetic stemmed from the mental health renaissance. While the topic of well-being isn’t a stigma anymore, more people have opened up about the non-ro manticized aspects of mental health, especially regarding Borderline personality disorder and Bipolar disorder.

Tiktok consistently has viral audios that stem from television shows such as Skins and Bojack Horseman. ‘Francis Forever’ by Mitski has also been trending, with the lyrics like “On sunny days I go out walking/ I end up on a tree lined street/ I look up at the gaps of sunlight/ I miss you more than anything”– so it’s no won der that this rising aesthetic is making a come back.

Trends come and go all the time. From messy to clean, and now from clean to messy.

With social media and Tiktok dictating what’s in and what’s out, it’s hard to tell how long this grunge revival will last. It’s certainly hard to tell if it’ll take over Miami’s student body — will the Redhawks swap their tennis skirts and Golden Gooses for Doc Martens and pleated plaid? Only time– and Tiktok– will tell.

leeam8@miamioh.edu

JACK SAMPSON GIVES ADVICE ON HOW TO START YOUR FASHION JOURNEY. PHOTOS BY JACK SAMPSON

Confessions of a Floridian in Ohio

“What is a hurricane like?”

AMES RADWAN OPINION EDITOR

Dear readers, I am an out-of-state student. If you’ve ever met an out-ofstate student, you know that we tend to make it our entire personality just to not be from Ohio.

Our states might suck too, but at least our pro football teams win, our weather makes up its mind and we don’t have to drive 30 minutes to get a bagel that isn’t steamed.

However, I am from Florida, which beats even Ohio out for the title of “most memed state in the country.”

From our one-gloved governor to Marvel’s rejected Phase Five super hero, the Florida Man, it’s common to see my home state — or even my hometown — in the papers.

Florida’s notoriety is great for making “being from FL” my entire personality. After all, I don’t think I look like I’m from Florida — I don’t wear Mickey Mouse ears to class, I’m not over the age of 65 and, most im portantly, I have all of my teeth — so it usually comes as a shock to strang ers that I’m not a Michigan-hating, country-music-night-at-Brick-loving, chili-consuming child of the corn.

(I have picked up the “Ope!” while I’ve been here, though. I blame that on the fact that all of my roommates are Midwesterners.)

So, as a self-appointed and very unofficial student representative of the Sunshine State, I thought it might be prudent to address some of the most common questions I’m asked whenever I tell you Ohioans my hometown.

“Have you ever seen a gator?”

TEDDY JOHNSON CO-HUMOR EDITOR

Due to the popularization of the term, “Let’s Go Brandon,” Brandon’s worldwide have been feeling the im pact of this phrase.

Have you spoken to Brandon re cently?

If not, no need to fear. The Mi ami Student reporting team recently spoke to a few Brandons who had various feelings on the rise of “Let's Go Brandon.” Here are a few of their interviews.

First, our reporters spoke to Bran don James, a tenth-year senior here at Miami University.

Reporter: Thank you for meet ing with us, Brandon.

Brandon: No worries. LET’S GO BRANDON!

Reporter: Thank you, Brandon. How do you feel about the use of the term, “Let’s Go Brandon”?

Brandon: I love it baby, abso lutely love it. Trump 2024. Reminds me of my glory days playin’ ball back

Nope, never. Our down-south highway Alligator Alley is actually full of crocodiles that we put alligator masks on to fool tourists.

It works, too. Why do you think our taxes are so low, our roads are so slow and our politics blow? Tourism.

(Yes, I’ve seen a gator. A few wild ones, but mostly captive at our local minigolf courses — and no, I’m not kidding.)

“Have you ever fought a gator?”

Okay, in all seriousness, no — but I do know how to fight one, if need be.

In elementary school, we watched copious videos of what to do if we were ever attacked by a gator. That zigzag stuff from the movies is straight bull. Run. But if it does catch you in the water, it’ll try to get you in a death roll — you have to roll with it to avoid getting a limb ripped off.

Of course, if you can get it before it bites you, even a kid has enough force to hold a gator’s jaws shut with their hands. Their bite-down muscles are a lot stronger than their open-mouth ones.

“Okay, Ames, you put your hands around the killing thing’s mouth, but you don’t give it the power to kill you.”

We learned this at six years old, by the way. That’s Florida for you.

I know this is an article in the hu mor section, but I am dead serious.

They did take the practical version of this “Gator-Grappling 101” course out, though, after Little Timmy got a bite taken out of him the year before I showed up.

I heard his hospital bill cost an arm and a leg — but at least the in surance folks just had to wait until the gator passed ‘em to collect.

Really, there’s two kinds of peo ple when it comes to a hurricane: there are the people for whom the hurricane will cause serious dam age and upend their lives, and then there are the youth of Florida.

Hurricanes can be scary if you’re not properly protected, but as long as you’ve got somewhere safe to ride out the storm, most people just pick up a Publix “hurricake” and a bottle of alcohol, then head out to their nearest hurricane party, which, yes, are a real thing.

I’m worried for the people of Florida right now, of course, what with Hurricane Ian hitting, but at the same time… I know that FSU, USF and UF are about to have hurri cane bashes for the ages.

“Do you know a Florida Man?”

No, but I do have a (tenuous) con nection to a Florida Woman.

The week before my high school graduation, I had just gotten out of an exam and had a hankering for some French fries. There was a Burger King nearby, so I headed over, only to find it closed. Figuring that I’d just missed the hours or forgotten a holiday, I went to the nearby WaWa for mac n’ cheese instead.

(You Ohio people are missing out on WaWa, by the way. That and Pub lix are the only Florida chains I miss up here.)

It turned out that the Burger King was closed because, get this, a Florida Woman all hopped up on the special kind of something that you can only find in the Sunshine State got arrest ed there. That’s pretty commonplace for Burger Kings in Florida.

What was less commonplace was the seven syringes they found on her person during the arrest.

Perhaps “on” her person is the wrong way of putting it. More like “in” her person, if you get my drift.

So, yeah, that’s why I didn’t get Burger King fries that day. In typical Florida fashion, I’m making this story all about me.

And yes, this is all true. You can Google it.

“Aren’t you at the wrong Miami?”

Ha ha ha ha ha. Hilarious, guys. I NEVER hear this one. You’re so orig inal. You should come write for the humor section.

In fairness, we make this mistake in Florida, too. A friend of mine who was looking at the University of Mi ami senior year very excitedly told me that, if we both ended up at Miami, we could live together!

“Yeah!” I said, and then I never talked to her again out of pure embar rassment.

Calling All Brandons

in high school. I was the starting quar terback all four years of high school and every time I’d score, the crowd would chant, “Let’s Go Brandon.”

Reporter: Most impressive. How was your playing career for your school? Successful?

Brandon: Yes we were incredibly successful. I was basically Joe Burrow because my offensive line could not block and I carried the team. Unfor tunately, I got hurt in the last game of my senior season. If I didn’t get hurt, I prolly woulda gone pro. *Glances at non-existent bicep muscle.*

Reporter: Alrighty then. Do you have anything else you would like to say about the popularization of the term, “Let’s Go Brandon!”?

Brandon: Yes, lots of things ac tually. First of all, the January Capi tol Riots *air quotes for emphasis* were just peaceful protests. Second of all, Trump 2024 and Trump foreva. Fourth of All, Let’s Go Brandon.

Reporter: Thank you, Brandon. Do you know Uncle Rico from Napo leon Dynamite?

Brandon: Isn’t that that one

short French Guy?

Reporter: Thank you Brandon. Have a nice day.

The next Brandon reporters spoke to proved to be a little more elusive to find. He goes by Brandon of the Southern Isle and lives as a recluse wandering Miami’s campus. Reports say he believes he lives in Middle Earth and tries to use “The Force” on a daily basis.

After spending 3 hours wandering campus, our team found Brandon of the Southern Isle and began to ask him some questions.

Reporter: Hello Brandon, Could I ask you a few questions?

Brandon: *swings nerf sword at reporter*

Reporter: Brandon, I just want to ask a few questions.

Brandon: *tries to use the force to choke reporter*

Reporter: Brandon, please. Brandon: If you insist, peasant.

Reporter: What do you think about the use of the term, “Let’s Go Brandon?”

Brandon: I know not what you

mean.

Reporter: Have you not heard people saying, “Let’s Go Brandon” to insult our President?

Brandon: No. What is this Presi dent you speak of?

Reporter: Uhhhhh, he is the leader of our country.

Brandon: Nonsense. Danaerys Targayren is the only leader of the Earthen Realm.

Reporter: She’s not real.

Brandon: Thou art not real!

Reporter: Brandon… Brandon: Do not take me for some conjurer of cheap tricks you fool! Now be gone!

Unfortunately, our reporter did not get much out of Brandon of the Southern Isle so our team tried one more Brandon, found wandering the halls of Armstrong Student Center.

Reporter: Hey Brandon, Thanks for agreeing to an interview with us.

Tell me, what do you think about the use of “Let’s Go Brandon?”

Brandon: Hate it.

Reporter: Why? Brandon: Because.

Headline Dump

TEDDY JOHNSON CO-HUMOR EDITOR PATRICK SULLIVAN CO-HUMOR EDITOR

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GRAPHIC BY ERIN MCGOVERN

But seriously, guys, who wouldn’t want to come live in Ohio? This place is fantastic. You have Skyline Chili (I’m vegetarian); the Browns, Bengals and Blue Jackets (I’m a Buccaneers and Lightning fan); UDF (give me my WaWa) and “Hell is Real” billboards (okay, these actually do make me chuckle).

Clearly, I have every reason to have moved up here.

Though in some ways, it’s like I never left Florida. It rains every day there, too. Our roads are constantly under construction and yet somehow never get fixed. Every once in a while, one of our sports will get really good, and then get so bad that the nation never lets us forget it.

And, of course, it’s one meme state to the next. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

radwanat@miamioh.edu

Reporter: Tell me more. Brandon: No.

Reporter: I’m trying to raise Brandon Awareness.

Brandon: In that case…

Reporter: Go on.

Brandon: Everytime I am at a sporting event I hear Let’s Go Bran don and just hearing people say my name sets my teeth on edge. It's like I can’t escape it. I stopped hearing the “Let's Go” months ago and now all I hear is “BRANDON.” Please, you must help me. I am trapped inside Brandon.

Reporter: *visible confusion* Brandon: *grabs reporter by shirt collar and whispers* Please, help me with the voices. They won’t go away.

Reporter: I’d recommend you take up your issue on YikYak. *runs away as fast as possible*

After reading this article, I hope you understand how Brandons worldwide feel about the “Let’s Go Brandon” movement.

john1595@miamioh.edu

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photo story

The leaves, they are a-changin’

JAKE RUFFER PHOTO EDITOR

Temperatures drop, greens turn to orange, t-shirts turn to sweaters and every food or drink you can imagine becomes pumpkin-flavored.

Through the last two-hundred years Miami University and the town of Oxford have woven a long, devoted love story with au tumn, and this school year isn’t the end of it. Behind the start of classes and the publishing of midterm

grades, a crisp, cool back drop has set in.

Pumpkins and ghosts already adorn porches of student houses uptown, and the city prepares for its first ever Oxtoberfest. The festival promises a biergar ten, live music and other

fall activities.

Robert Frost visited Mi ami many times, but it must have been fall that made him call it “most beautiful.”

LEAVES TURN AND FALL ON ACADEMIC QUAD.

STALLS AT THE FARMERS MARKET ARE CHANGING THEIR COLORS TOO.

PHOTO BY COSETTE GUNTER

THE APPLETREE BOUTIQUE

PHOTO BY JAKE RUFFER

STUDENTS STROLL PAST THE DUBOIS BOOK STORE ON HIGH STREET WHICH HAS ALREADY GEARED UP FOR FALL.

PHOTO BY JAKE RUFFER

PHOTO

PHOTO

PHOTO BY JAKE RUFFER