April 14, 2015 | The Miami Student

The Miami Student Established 1826

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015 VOLUME 142 NO. 48

WWW.MIAMISTUDENT.NET

MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO

iLife: A generation obsessed with technology Studies show symptoms of ‘technology addiction’ resemble those of drug and alcohol dependency TECHNOLOGY

ELISABETH GREVE THE MIAMI STUDENT

Walking down the sidewalk at Miami University, many students may not make eye contact with a single person. Most are too busy staring at a 3 x 5 inch retina display screen sitting in the palm of their hand — ­ behaviors many researchers have begun to describe as signs of addiction.

For most students, the first thing they do after waking up and the last thing they do before going to bed includes checking Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.

Some students even struggle to sit through an 80-minute lecture without discretely checking their texts and emails.

A study conducted at the University of Maryland followed 200 college students who were asked to give up all media for 24 hours.

Researchers found that after one full day of being “unplugged,” students discussed feelings resembling signs of alcohol and drug withdrawal. They

had anxiety, craving and experienced an inability to function well.

Students and teachers also feel the negative effects of technology in the classroom. A survey conducted at six universities among nearly 800 college students found that around 90 percent of respondents felt their use of technology distracted them from the classroom lecture, and 39 percent recognized they were distracting others.

Sophomore and Media and Culture major Alicia Di Scipio acknowledges the effects of technology on herself and others in the classroom.

“I believe the advances that have been made in technology have positively contributed to education, but they have also changed the way professors have to teach,” said Di Scipio. “Our generation’s attention spans are shorter because we are constantly multitasking, we work on multiple screens at once, we listen to music while we read and we check our phones when we get notifications.”

Richard Campbell, a professor and Chair of the Department of

Media, Journalism and Film, said he recognizes the use of technology in class among his students.

“It’s your choice if you’re going to have other things open on your computer and have them as distractions,” Campbell said. “Good students know to minimize distractions and just focus, but I think it’s harder to focus today and the challenges of being a good student today are harder than they used to be because of technology.”

The rules for technology use differ among every professor at Miami. While some teachers allow students to decide for themselves which technology would be smart to use, others collect cell phones in a bin at the beginning of class.

Some professors even set up student assistants throughout the room to monitor and eliminate any technology use.

“I personally don’t have a policy on technology,” said Joe Sampson, clinical professor of journalism.

“You’re spending a lot of money on your education, and if all you do is TECH ADDICTION »PAGE 5

Researchers found that after one full day of being “unplugged,” students discussed feelings resembling signs of alcohol and drug withdrawal.

JALEN WALKER THE MIAMI STUDENT

Junior Feng Zhang uses Facebook during one of his classes. A study shows 90 percent of respondents feel their use of technology distracted them from the classroom lecture.

OMG: Social media writing habits sneak into students’ academic work

A.J. NEWBERRY THE MIAMI STUDENT

TECHNOLOGY

ALANA HALLETT THE MIAMI STUDENT

Whether glued to smartphones, or their laptops in class, students are usually connected to social media in some way. The constant influence of 140 character tweets, hashtags and texting slang makes us wonder if these habits have an effect on the way students use English, both inside the classroom and out.

Pew Research showed in 2008, 50 percent of teens said they sometimes use informal writing styles instead of proper capitalization and punctuation in their school assignments. In a 2013 study from re:fuel, 86 percent of students reported they use Facebook regularly.

“Language use is evolving, and technology is impacting that, but I see it in small ways, like not capitalizing ‘I.’ That’s something I can teach them to fix,” said Miami English professor, Christine Alfonsi.

Writing is a significant part of students’ everyday lives. For college students, punctuation and capitalization is especially

important, considering that errors on resumes can make a student look unprofessional.

Pew Research showed 50 percent of teens said their schoolwork requires writing every day; 35 percent said they write several times a week.

However, still, students claim they separate their social slang from formal writing in school.

“I feel like I catch myself using slang when I’m speaking, even sometimes in a professional setting,” sophomore Laylaa AbdoulKarim said. “But not when I am writing papers for school. That’s formal, and I just subconsciously know to write grammatically correct.”

The use of technology is growing, especially for college students.

Platforms like Microsoft Word, which autocorrect misspellings, punctuation and grammatical errors, can easily cover up students’ mistakes. According to a recent study college explorer study from refuel, college students spend 14.4 hours of multitasking on across devices in pursuit of entertainment.

“The biggest issue I see with SOCIAL MEDIA »PAGE 9

MU police department implements use of body cameras CRIME

supplement to the officer’s report.”

Miami University Chief of Police John McCandless said he thinks the LAUREN OLIVER THE MIAMI STUDENT body cameras will be useful in moderating what could otherwise turn The Miami University Police De- into tricky situations. partment (MUPD) recently began a “I think that they come in a time new policy of body-worn cameras where people want transparency, during their patrols. and the cameras help keep everyone Although tension between po- on their best behavior — not only lice officers and civilians across the citizens, but police offices, as well,” United States has recently escalated­ he said. and there has been a demand for law While the body cameras aid in enforcement to adopt body cameras, monitoring behavior, they also serve the MUPD considered the idea near- as replacements for the police in-car ly one year ago, finally executing it cameras. The 10 initial car cameras, April 3. which have been limited to just one, After much deliberation within were outdated at nearly 12 years old, the organization, MUPD enforced and also cost around $2,000 each — the policy and required officers to be plus an extra fee for installation. equipped with this new technology. However, each body camera costs According to the MUPD policy, only around $700.

“The BWC device is used to reAlthough there may have been cord certain activities … thereby skepticism regarding the pricing of creating an unbiased visual and/or the body cameras, McCandless said audio record of the incident and a they would save on spending in the

M

TODAY IN MIAMI HISTORY UNIVERSITY

BATMAN PRODUCER SPEAKS »PAGE 2

long run. “[The car cameras] were so old that we couldn’t fix parts anymore because of the expense involved,” McCandless said. “That type of technology doesn’t last forever, and when they were purchased so long ago, we got use out of them. [However], I think the body cams will serve us a lot better.”

The cameras will not be used throughout the entire day, but rather only during appropriate circumstances. According to policy, such situations include traffic stops, arrests and transports, vehicle searches, physical or verbal confrontations or use of force, OMVI (operating a motor vehicle impaired) investigations, field sobriety tests, as well as several others.

In order to ensure the cameras will not be tampered with, the police officers will plug them in after each ANGELO GELFUSO THE MIAMI STUDENT

BODY CAMERAS »PAGE 9

MUPD officer Aaron Baker sports one of the new body cameras the department recently purchased.

In 2006,The Miami Student newspaper reported a group of Nazis marched around the Oxford campus with signs, flags and swastika armbands in protest of a pro-immigration forum at the Hamilton campus.The group originally intended to protest there, but when they got lost and ended up at the wrong address they went ahead with the protest in Oxford. “We want white people to grow some spine,” said picketer Gary Robinson.

COMMUNITY

OFF-CAMPUS GRAFFITI SPREE »PAGE 3

CULTURE

FLYING OVER SWISS ALPS »PAGE 4

OPINION

FIRST AMENDMENT, DEAD »PAGE 6

SPORTS

SOFTBALL SPLITS »PAGE 10

2 UNIVERSITY

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

CAMPUS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

Crossing the Line: Greek life addresses addiction HEALTH

SKYLAR DUBELKO THE MIAMI STUDENT

The National Institute of Mental Health reported that 25 percent of all college students struggle from an eating disorder, and a 2013 study by the National Eating Disorders Association shows eating disorders have increased on college campuses.

An event Monday, Crossing the Line, will bring awareness to this issue, as well as addiction problems on Miami’s campus. Hosted by five Greek organizations, Alpha Epsilon Pi, Delta Gamma, Delta Kappa Epsilon, Kappa Kappa Gamma and Delta Epsilon Phi, Crossing the Line will take place from 7-8 p.m. in Armstrong Student Center Pavilion B. According to an article from the Journal of College Student Development, “When Does it Cross the Line?: College Women’s Perceptions of the Threshold Between Normal Eating and Eating Disorders,” by Megan R. Yost and Laura A. Smith discusses how, on college campuses, it is more likely that a friend would notice changes in the physical and/or mental wellbeing of one of their peers long before a doctor or psychologist would.

“The point at which one crosses the line from dieting to an eating disorder becomes extremely important to identify, because this boundary likely determines the point at which someone would seek help, or would recommend that a friend seek help,” Yost and Smith wrote.

The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders reported that many college students might not even realize they have a serious health problem, or may mistakenly regard their dis-

order as something they will grow out of.

Left untreated, eating disorders can lead to permanent physical damage, ranging from more mild side effects, such as hair loss, to extreme side effects, such as death. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate out of any psychiatric disorder.

While many people recover from eating disorders treated at an early stage, the longer these disorders are left untreated or ignored, the more likely they are to cause severe medical and psychiatric damage.

The social scene at Miami seems to be driven by how much alcohol one consumes ALICIA DI SCIPIO SOPHOMORE

Crossing the Line intends to equip students with the information necessary to educate students about how to identify issues related to disordered eating and other mental illnesses, along with how they can seek help.

Designed to hit points about using alcohol and other substances, Crossing the Line will also inform students about how to identify when a student is abusing either or both, how to respond to a crisis and how to cope with excessive stress, said Maggie Graney, a Kappa Kappa Gamma delegate involved in the event’s planning.

The event will also cover the Good Samaritan rule, a policy implemented in the fall of 2013, aimed to give students the opportunity to seek medical help for themselves or one of their peers if they are under

the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, without fear of suspension, expulsion or legal punishment.

Miami has also been facing increased issues related to high-risk alcohol consumption among students, ultimately leading to the creation of an Alcohol Task Force on campus.

“Results show that Miami students’ high-risk drinking behaviors are consistently higher than the national average (35 percent at midsemester vs. 28 percent) and that Miami students were more likely than other college students nationwide to report binge drinking,” said Miami University’s official website.

Sophomore Alicia Di Scipio said she sees that playing out on Miami’s campus.

“Drug use and alcohol consumption is a prevalent problem on this campus,” Di Scipio said. “The social scene at Miami seems to be driven by how much alcohol one consumes, and whether or not you’re willing to participate [in] drug [use]. I think administrators at Miami try to educate students and attempt to prevent overconsumption of substances, but we need to find new ways to change the conversation about how to responsibly consume alcohol.”

Crossing the Line will give students the opportunity to interact with a panel of members from the Oxford community who have professional experience with these issues.

The panel is comprised of Sgt. Susan Tobergte from the MUPD, Susan Vaughn, the director of the Office of Ethics & Student Conflict Resolution, Jayne Malpede, Coordinator of Substance Abuse Services from the Student Counseling Service, Ashley Wilson, Coordinator of Women’s Services from the student Counseling Service and Becca Geston, Sexual Assault Response Coordinator from Health and Wellness.

M.I.A.M.I. Women host second symposium EVENT

SIYU ‘FISH’ WU

THE MIAMI STUDENT

The Miami Initiative for Advancing, Mentoring and Investing in Women (M.I.A.M.I. Women) will hold the second annual Women in Leadership Symposium from April 23-24.

The opening session at 7 p.m.

April 23 will take place in Armstrong Student Center Pavilion and feature two keynote speakers.

April 24 features Women’s Leadership and Male Ally Awards break out sessions, keynotes and lectures.

“We have a huge team that helped us for the event,” said Susie Brower Sadler, the senior director of Development for M.I.AM.I. Women. “The planning actually started right after the 2014 Women in Leadership Symposium last year. We reached out to the people who attended to find out what they like and possible topics they are in-

terested in.”

The two keynote speakers, Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, are Pulitzer Prize-winning authors of the books “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide” and “A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity.”

The two speakers have successfully attracted the public to participate in the coming symposium. Almost 500 free tickets have already been reserved.

Sadler said the two authors will discuss turning “worldwide oppression” into opportunities for women.

“I think it is a very important topic, not just for women, but also for the Miami community,” she said. “That includes students, alumni, faculty, staff and local community members.”

The principal topic that Kristof and WuDunn will discuss is the human trafficking issue and the solutions they composed in “A Path

Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity.” The book describes how human trafficking is not exclusive to developing countries, but is also prevalent in the United States.Ohio particularly has a high rate of human trafficking.

Another discussion, Sadler said, will be “The First Five Years After Graduation Young Alumnae Panel.”

Darinka Sutic, president of the Panhellenic Association, will moderate a “Young Alumnae Panel” on April 24.

“Guests will share their own experience about what they took from Miami University and transferred to the real world,” Sutic said. “The audience will receive great advice, ideas and skills.”

Advanced tickets for the two keynote speakers can be reserved at the Miami Box Office at earliest convenience and registration information is available on the Miami Alumni Association website.

JING LONG THE MIAMI STUDENT

KRACKIN’ OPEN KREGER President David Hodge helps cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the newly renovated Kreger Hall Friday, April 10.

E-cigs, vape included in ban HEALTH

SARAH KNEPP

THE MIAMI STUDENT

With the opening of Studio Vapes, a new vape shop Uptown, the popularity — and acceptance — of “vaping” at Miami is growing.

And with this rise in popularity, the university policy regarding electronic cigarettes is adapting well.

E-cigs, a smokeless, electronic “cigarette” with vapor and nicotine, emerged in 2003, and now millions of Americans use them, including many Miami students.

Despite being less harmful and containing fewer chemicals and toxins than traditional cigarettes, the potential (but unconfirmed) health risks involved with the use of e-cigs led Miami University to change its policy regarding tobacco use in 2013. The new policy prohibits the possession and use of all forms of tobacco on campus, including vapors and e-cigs.

Leslie Haxby McNeill, assistant director of Student Health Services, was one of the main proponents to have all forms of smoking and tobacco banned from use.

“We don’t know the long-term effects, and we don’t know what the second-hand effects are,” McNeill said.

One of her main concerns with e-cigs is that, like regular cigarettes, they still contain nicotine.

“With nicotine, it doesn’t matter how you get it,” McNeill said. “It’s still a highly addictive substance and is bad for your body.”

Studio Vapes has an array of options for e-cig users, including 200 flavors and adjustable nicotine levels for each blend. This adjustable nicotine can help lessen the negative effects of smoking e-cigs, especially addiction.

“You can get zero nicotine — no addiction,” Ian McLaughlin, one of the owners of Studio Vapes, said in a previous interview with The Miami Student.

The lower nicotine levels can also aid addicted smokers in quitting their habits, McLaughlin added.

Student Health Services has noted that the implementation of a

campus-wide ban has also helped smokers quit, and that students are, in general, smoking less. For assistance, Student Health Services can prescribe quitting aids, like nicotine patches, to students that do need help controlling their addiction.

These aids come at a discounted or no cost to members of the Miami community and can be either prescribed or simply provided by Student Health Services, depending on the severity of the addiction problem.

As for enforcement of the smokeand tobacco-free policy, students admit it is pretty lax, even in residence halls. But for other students, it’s part of their job to ensure students do not

You can get zero nicotine — no addiction.

IAN MCLAUGHLIN OWNER, STUDIO VAPES

have or use smoking materials.

Maria Latta is a junior and Residence Assistant on campus. She help keeps the campus tobacco-free as part of her job, and is required to intervene when she sees residents using tobacco.

“I’m supposed to write an incident report, and let OESCR [Office of Ethics and Student Conflict Resolution] take it from there,” she said.

According to the Code of Student Conduct, OESCR provides violators access to the cessation programs offered by Student Health Services and, if the problem persists, reprimands and sometimes even removes students and employees from Miami’s campus.

But McNeill said that, overall, most people are respectful of the policies to not smoke on Miami’s campus.

“I think a lot of students want to be healthy,” McNeill said. “ It’s sort of a community norm. Most people don’t smoke and most people don’t use tobacco.”

Emmy-winning Batman producer to speak about challenges in his career EVENT

JACK KOCHMAN

THE MIAMI STUDENT

The master of all things Batman is coming to Miami University to speak to students on Wednesday, April 15, at Wilks Theater. Michael Uslan, an Emmy-winning producer, will speak about the difficulties he faced during production of multiple Batman movies.

Uslan has produced every Batman movie from Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman to Christopher Nolan’s modern trilogy (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises), including a multitude of animated movies spawning from television series such as Batman: The Animated Series and The Batman.

Each spring, the Wilks Lead-

ership Institute sponsors a Leadership Lecture. Eric Buller, the director of the Wilks Leadership Institute, leads the search for prospective speakers.

He selects the speakers on criteria such as relevance, appeal to students and having a good story to tell.

“The Batman series of movies (most recently the Dark Knight trilogy) is very popular with students,” said Buller.

Buller said the intent is to bring in a speaker that can deliver a relevant and interesting leadership message to students to encourage reflection of each of our own leadership beliefs and journeys.

The hope is to connect Uslan’s difficulties with students who are entering the job market.

The major problem Uslan faced early in his career was the difficul-

ties with production — no studio wanted to make the Batman movies. Now, years later, the movies are bringing in multi-millions.

Uslan will discuss his experiences in accomplishing something that he was passionate about, despite facing obstacles along the way.

There is also an overarching theme that can be applied to comics and life. Batman has no superpowers — just his passion and beliefs.

“We believe [Uslan] has a very important and beneficial message to deliver,” said Buller. “However, given his experiences in filmmaking and other creative works, he will certainly be entertaining.”

Before his involvement with movie production, Uslan was a teacher. He incorporated the same values expressed in his experiences through producing the

Batman movies.

Uslan wanted to spread his knowledge, and began teaching at Indiana University in 1971.

He taught a course entitled “The Comic Book in Society” the first college course to focus on comic books and superheroes.

Since then, other universities have adopted similar classes.

Miami has its own comic-based program.

Mark McKinney helps organize a study abroad program called “Culture and Comics in Brussels.”

“There are many reasons to study comics,” said McKinney.

“Comics and their contexts can tell us about many topics, for example, the relations between popular culture and high art or the mass media.”

Uslan, in particular, embodies taking an interest and

making a living out of it.

He has written an autobiography titled, “The Boy Who Loved Batman,” in addition to his productions.

Ryan Sonkin, a first-year at Miami, thinks that makes the presentation more appealing.

“Someone made a career out of their passions,” said Sonkin.

“This is important to me as a student who is worried about where I will end up in life.”

Uslan’s presentation will attract a diverse audience. Students majoring in media or journalism, business or education can all look for something to relate to Uslan’s history.

“I think this audience will be more diverse than expected,” said Sonkin. “Batman transcends anything that could separate us as students.”

COMMUNITY@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

COMMUNITY 3

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

Butler County seeks to reconcile social worker contract

POLICE BEAT

Graffiti vandals deface Oxford homes

Afternoon assault at The Wood’s

Between 1 and 7 a.m. Sunday, vandals embarked on a graffiti spree across town, bravely armed with a can of cherry red spraypaint and nocturnal anonymity.

According to OPD, the suspects are still at large, but their vibrant, explicit work has tainted several blocks.

The cancer spreads down W. Church St. where can be found a star, which OPD suspects is “Satanic in nature,” and a swastika.

A home on N. Beech St. was defaced with the word, “cumster.”

A home on W. Withrow St. was tagged with the crudely scrawled, “Sex Shack” and on a blank sign before a structure formerly a church was sprayed, “666.”

The vandals’ stupefying cleverness crept to N. Campus, where “F*ck Boys” was written on the side of a house. A structure on E. Church St. was tagged with the C-word, again in bright red spray paint. Two other structures were painted with unreadable verbiage, OPD said.

OPD said they are concerned these incidents may have been inspired by recent news coverage regarding similar vandalism on and off-campus.

At 5:11 p.m. Saturday, OPD was dispatched to the intersection of Church and Main Streets in response to an alleged assault at The Wood’s, 17 N. Poplar St. A Wood’s employee claimed he was hit once in the back of the head and twice in the nose by the assailant, who he had followed from the bar to the intersection upon the arrival of an OPD officer.

The officer spotted the employee following a white male, who the officer immediately recognized as the same suspect he had transported to Butler County Jail two weeks prior, after he mailed himself four pounds of marijuana.

The employee reiterated to the officer his accusations against the suspect, who admitted to smacking the victim upside the head but denied blows to the nose, according to OPD. The suspect repeatedly stated he was drunk, OPD said, though the rank odor of an alcoholic beverage wafting from his person had already let that cat out of the bag. He was cited for assault and taken to OPD. He was released on his own recognizance to a sober friend. Indeed, the same friend who was with him at his drug trafficking arrest and attempted to flee the scene.

County commissioners negotiate with union over working conditions UNION

ELLIE CALLINAN

THE MIAMI STUDENT

Butler County management and its union social workers are in the process of negotiating a new salary contract. The negotiation process is confidential; however, it involves both parties competing for differing interests, mainly over salary amounts.

In late August and September, 48 Butler County social workers participated in a 20-day strike.

Both union and non-union members formed picketing lines in Hamilton to raise awareness in the community.

The protestors were asking for pay increases in their contract. They eventually came back to work, but negotiations have continued since.

The union contracts are often three-year agreements. Usually, the process reopens every three years and both parties have the opportunity to reconsider certain features and rewrite a new proposal based on the effectiveness of the previous contract.

The current negotiation development, however, has been in progress since June 30, 2013, when the last contract expired.

The union and management have been bargaining ever since.

Butler County’s Human Resource Director, Jim Davis, explained the two parties are having difficulty settling certain issues,

which is why this specific negotiation process has taken so long to complete.

“We are continuing to exchange proposals, but there is no way of knowing how long this will go on for,” Davis said.

Rebecca Palmer, the union president, believes the reason

a highly debated topic in unions, especially in regard to how the salaries compare to those of nonunion and private sector employees. For management workers, it is difficult to find out how high the salaries are for private sector personnel because there is salary secrecy, according to Davis.

If one party is unwilling to compromise or recognize past concessions, then there isn’t much to negotiate.

REBECCA PALMER UNION PRESIDENT

the process has taken so long is due to a failure on the part of Butler County to recognize their interests. She claimed the county does not appreciate the value of social work and it is evident in their wages.

“If one party is unwilling to compromise or recognize past concessions, then there isn’t much to negotiate,” Palmer said.

According to Palmer, union members benefit from the ability to depend on other workers and a contract to be treated fairly. They emerged in Ohio when the state allowed public sector employees to bond together within a certain profession. The members attempt to combat unjust working conditions, hours and pay.

Union social worker wages are

In the public sector, however, knowledge of employee salaries is more easily accessible, and is sometimes even published publicly.

Davis said it can often be challenging to decide what the appropriate wages are for public government workers. Butler County uses a salary administration plan to assess the proper pay for the employees.

“We administer salaries and we compare ourselves to other similarly situated agencies across other counties,” Davis said. “We try to make sure we are where we need to be.”

According to Davis, Butler County management hopes to settle the agreement soon and has been working hard to do just that.

Barons Bus Lines partners with local transits for successful College Connection service TRANSPORTATION

GRACE MOODY

THE MIAMI STUDENT

Barons Bus Lines’ recent College Connection service is finishing a successful year of providing transportation services to colleges around the Ohio area. College Connection was added last year and offers pick-ups and drop-offs for students from eight colleges.

Of these colleges are The Ohio State University, University of Cincinnati, Miami University, Eastern Michigan University, University of Michigan, West Virginia University, Marietta College and most recently added, Ohio University.

According to the familyowned bus service’s Vice President, John Goebel, the College Connection is especially popular among students during college breaks. Goebel is pleased with the ridership from Miami, which is usually about eight to 10 students each day.

He credits the success of the recent College Connection to working directly with colleges themselves and partnering with local transits to increase students’ travel possibilities. A popular transit that Barons partners with is Greyhound.

“Many students will take it to Toledo and then transfer to Greyhound, or have their parents pick them up there to go to Cleveland,” Goebel said. “Riders also commonly ride from Miami

M

to Indianapolis and then transfer to Greyhound from there to get to Chicago.”

Baron’s College Connection also has a local transit bus stop located close to Cleveland State University. Goebel said it is strategic partnerships with

sophomores don’t have cars, and we all know how difficult parking can be at universities,” Goebel said. “We also offer very discounted rates.”

Due to a partnership with local transits, discounted prices and convenient drop-

College Connection was added last year and offers pick-ups and drop-offs for students from eight colleges. local transits such as this that makes transportation for students much easier.

First-year Delaney Mandel, a Miami student who has traveled on Barons Bus Lines’ College Connection, enjoys the convenience of this transportation service to visit her friends at other schools. Mandel particularly visits the University of Cincinnati often for $10 a ticket.

“It makes it more convenient since I’m a first-year student and I don’t have a car,” Mandel said. “So, in order to visit people it’s very convenient to have the bus system that connects universities.”

In addition to working with local transits, Goebel mentioned some other advantages of the College Connection. He explained the extra convenience for underclassmen students who do not have a car on campus.

“Most freshmen and

offs and pick-ups, Goebel is pleased with the success of the College Connection.

Within its first year of service, however, Barons has noticed some need for improvement and has made a few changes within its College Connection service.

Along with providing transportation within nearby colleges, Barons Bus Lines recently added a line from Charleston, West Virginia’s capital, to Morgantown, home of West Virginia University.

Another change made with this service is a decreased number of routes from Miami to the University of Cincinnati. Goebel said that these routes were cut due to low ridership.

It is the Friday and Sunday routes that were recently cut.

Students will now have a more limited number of routes to choose from to get to University of Cincinnati.

KYLE HAYDEN DESIGN EDITOR

Germ-fearing female pulled over for drunk driving, mistakes police car for own car At 12:56 a.m., Friday, an OPD officer pulled over a red Mazda at the intersection of Oxford-Millville Rd. and University Park Blvd. after clocking the vehicle traveling south at 61 mph — 16 mph over the speed limit of 45 mph.

The driver, the sole occupant, admitted to having consumed two drinks of Makers Mark and Diet Coke at Buffalo Wild Wings earlier that evening.

Speaking to the suspect, the officer could smell the drinks ripe on her breath, and observed her words were slurred, OPD said.

Having driven barefoot, the suspect insisted she put on her high heeled shoes before exiting the vehicle to perform the field sobriety tests.

The officer, citing warm weather, assured her this was not necessary. However, fearing “germs on the ground,” the suspect eventually exited the vehicle in her heels, immediately stumbled and planted her hand on the car for balance.

After that confidence-inspiring start, the suspect revealed six clues of intoxication and at one point lost her balance and flung her arm toward the officer to hold

her up. The suspect decided she would search for her gym shoes in a bag in her backseat. The officer obliged, but the female instead approached the police cruiser and grasped the driver’s door handle.

Suddenly realizing she did not, in fact, drive a police cruiser, the suspect slowly removed her hand and moved on to her vehicle in which no shoes were found.

The officer identified a rather clean patch of sidewalk and convinced the suspect to continue the tests barefoot. However, this was no help and she failed as deftly as in her heels, saying, “I know this doesn’t look good,” according to OPD. The officer arrested the suspect on suspicion of OVI and transported the 26-year-old woman to OPD, where she was notified of her license suspension and refused a breath test, saying, “I am not denying I have done anything wrong,” but fearing she was over the legal BAC limit of .08, OPD said. As she spoke with officers, the slur in her speech thickened, which indicated to officers she was “still climbing,” according to OPD. She was cited for speed and OVI.

IN OTHER NEWS LIBERTY

Liberty Township residents oppose new Kroger

CINCINNATI

Lauren Hill died April 11

A group of citizens are taking their grievances with the grocery store construction to court.

The 19-year-old college student from Cincinnati, who played basketball for Mount St. Joseph, lost her fight with brain cancer.

— Journal-News

— The Enquirer

NATIONAL

INTERNATIONAL

Jodi Arias sentenced to life in prison

Obama and Raul Castro meet

A legal battle lasting seven years ended in a life sentence for Arias, who killed her ex-boyfriend in 2008.

— The Associated Press

At the Summit of the Americas conference Saturday in Panama, Presidents Obama and Castro made history when they met and shook hands.

— The New York Times

WHEN YOU’RE FINISHED READING

PLEASE RECYCLE

4 CULTURE

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

KIGGINLA@MIAMIOH.EDU

Running off Swiss mountains

BRITTON PERELMAN THE MIAMI STUDENT

TRAVEL

GREAT BRITTON I wasn’t going to leave Switzerland without running off the side of a mountain.

It was my first weekend on my own and all I wanted to do was go paragliding. But the weather in Interlaken was against me. I had to cancel and reschedule twice — first because of rain, then because of fog at the take-off point.

I’d seen pictures and stick figure GIFs of how paragliders take off.

You and an instructor are attached to a colorful parachute. Starting at the top of a mountain, you run down and the wind eventually hoists you into the air.

The rest is easy. You sit on a little seat previously disguised as your backpack, glide around, and enjoy the view.

I’d never done anything like it before.

The second cancellation left me in tears. I’d wasted one of my precious weekends to walk aimlessly around a Swiss town and hadn’t even made it into the mountains. I was left with three more hours on Sunday before I absolutely needed to be on a train back to Luxembourg. My phone vibrated with a message from my mom back in the States.

“You know how amusing it is that you’re so determined to jump off a cliff, right?!”

“Yes, I’m aware. But I think it’s something I’ve convinced myself I need to do.”

Then the fog began to clear and two hours later I was on the top of a mountain amid a foot or so of fresh snow. My paragliding instructor, Nick, gave me a lime green coat and plopped a helmet on my head. Then he clipped me into my equipment — a harness that

went around my knees and arms — and attached my equipment to the orange parachute on the ground behind us. I tried to walk a few steps and wondered how the hell I was going to be able to run at all.

“Are you excited?” he asked.

“Uh, I don’t know,” I said.

I had been excited before.

Now that feeling was gone. But I wasn’t scared. It was like I was in shock and had switched to auto-pilot because I didn’t know how to handle the situation. I laughed a little. “I don’t know.”

Nick laughed, too. “That’s okay.”

Together, we took a few preflight pictures with the GoPro. Nick checked everything one last time. Then I heard his voice right behind me.

“Alright. One. Two. Three.”

And then I was running — well, hobbling — down the side of a mountain. I felt a hard, upward pull from behind and, after only a few steps, we were in the air.

We glided through the last wisps of fog and everything opened up in front of us. Sunlight, the first I’d seen all weekend, filtered through the mountaintops across the valley.

It hit the two deep-blue lakes that border Interlaken and the green grass in the fields below. It made the snowcapped mountains shine. I was so silent that Nick had to keep asking me if I was enjoying myself.

I swung my feet, heavy with borrowed boots, in the air. They looked giant compared to the bare trees covered in thin layers of snow on the mountainside beneath us.

As Nick maneuvered us upward on the gust of wind and my stomach lurched, I thought about how it was like being on a swingset hanging several thousand feet in the air.

We flew around the nearest mountain. Nick pointed — Lake Brienz on the left; Lake Thun on the right; the field in the middle of it all where we would be landing. My fingers were pink and raw from the cold, but I didn’t want to cover them with my sleeves and miss out on taking pictures. Everything below looked so minuscule. It made me

feel huge, until I looked over at the mountains and felt small again.

I watched as a black bird flew in front of us. Nick said we were just like that bird now, and I realized a childhood dream of mine was coming true.

Flying is more peaceful than I had imagined — quiet and calming.

Even though we were soaring through the air, it wasn’t loud. It’s only in the videos that you hear the deafening thunder of the wind.

I loved every second, which simultaneously felt like it went by both very slowly and way too quickly. But isn’t that how the best things in life go by — far too fast and wonderfully slow all at once?

And then, though it felt like we’d just started, we were beginning our descent.

“Do you like roller coasters?”

Nick asked.

I do. So, on the way down, he pulled us into turns like loops on their side. It felt nothing like a roller coaster. Instead of feeling my stomach drop while going down a hill on a ride at Kings Island, it felt like my insides had relocated to my brain. I clenched my teeth and laughed uncontrollably.

We leveled out and approached the ground, though it felt like we were doing so much too fast. I was convinced we were going to hit a man who was facing the other way and had no idea we were flying right toward him.

“Are you ready to stand?”

Nick asked.

“Yes,” I said, but I didn’t mean it. I wasn’t ready to stand because I wasn’t done flying. We were so close to the ground again, but all I wanted to do was be back in the air, soaring above everything.

Later, as my train pulled out of Interlaken, I glanced out the window and up at the mountain.

There, a handful of paragliders swooped and circled above me. I smiled and watched them fly until they were out of sight.

BRITTON PERELMAN

PERELMBK@MIAMIOH.EDU

PHILL ARNDT THE MIAMI STUDENT

KINETICS KING Sculpture student Dennis Mitchell displays the bike he made for the Oxford Kinetics Festival.

IAN MARKER THE MIAMI STUDENT

AUXILIARIES AT ATTENTION The Winter Color Guard International held championships at Millett Hall Thursday and Friday.

‘Game of Thrones’ realigns itself in season premiere TELEVISION

JACK RYAN

STAFF WRITER

This review may contain spoilers for “Game of Thrones.” If you haven’t seen the first four seasons, go find someone with HBO and read no further. You’ve been warned.

“Game of Thrones” is undoubtedly a show of spectacle.

On almost any given Sunday, we tune in to watch dragons scorch the earth, fantastic creatures fight each other to the death, and enormous kingdoms fall to the ground. However, even the strongest competitors need a breather every once in a while, to help reload for another great run. The aptly titled season five premiere, “The Wars to Come,” serves as both a transition and exposition for the upcoming season of the renowned fantasy series.

Nothing seems to be going right in Westeros. In the wake of his recent murders, Tyrion has sank into an alcohol-fueled depression. Cersei is dealing with the aftermath of her father’s death and prophecies from her past.

Daenerys is losing her hold on both her dragons and her people.

Although she is free from Joffrey’s reign, Sansa still appears lethargic and insomnia-ridden as she travels cross-continent with Littlefinger. Honestly, only a handful of characters so much as smile in this episode, creating an invariable sense of dread that helps connect the multitude of storylines.

Along with this contagious despair comes set-up upon set-up for all of our characters, reaffirming their stances as we realign ourselves with them. All of the active fighting we see here is in training, with dummy swords and no intention to kill. Several groups of characters are either preparing to travel, or starting their journeys elsewhere. This step is about getting us ready, or making us think that we’re ready, for the imminent shocks ahead.

There are very few surprising moments here, with perhaps the

biggest shock of the episode being the extremely low amount of violence, especially by “Game of Thrones” standards. By my count, only two men die on screen: an Unsullied, whose throat is slit by a masked rebel, and Mance Rayder, the “King-BeyondThe-Wall.”

Mance, clearly the more important of the two, is sentenced to death at the stake by King Stannis, before being mercifully put down by Jon Snow, who is continuing to be the most honorable character whom no one seems to respect. These deaths are equally surprising in nature, and their overstated nature makes them feel much more personal than those of previous battle scenes.

While these exciting events are few and far between, even a slightly bland “Game of Thrones” episode cannot be dismissed as average. The acting is consistently strong, the stories are interesting separately and as a cohesive whole, and the pacing is so perfect that jumping from one end of Westeros to the other feels completely natural and rarely forced.

Similarly, the sheer production value of “Game of Thrones” can never been understated, creating the most realistic fantasy world since Middle Earth, if not ever.

Idols tumble, beasts rage, and people die, all while maintaining an atmosphere so immersive that these unbelievable events seem realistic. And while not being an actual part of the show, HBO deserves some serious credit for making HBO Go and HBO Now stable enough to handle such a premiere.

If nothing else, “The Wars To Come” proves “Game of Thrones” is so naturally successful that even a universe-wide latency period can not prevent it from being compelling and gripping television. Soon enough, we’ll be back to the shocking, violent and thrilling hit series we’ve come to know and love.

EVENTS APRIL 15

APRIL 15

APRIL 16

APRIL 16

APRIL 17

Movie Night @ the Ar t Museum

Dylan Scott with Drew Baldridge

Outdoor Tai Chi

Fashion Week Speaker

Avenue Q Musical

7 p.m.

9 p.m.

7 a.m.

5:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

MU Ar t Museum

Brick Street Bar

Meet outside Hall Auditorium

Farmer 25

Gates-Abegglen Theatre

WWW.MIAMISTUDENT.NET

5

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

FROM TECH ADDICTION »PAGE 1

Miami University and Community Federal Credit Union

Annual Debt Consolidation Loan Special!

LIMITED TIME OFFER!

Lower Your Monthly Payments & Save Money by consolidating your credit card and personal loan debt with Rates as Low as 7.99% 5120 College Corner Pike | Oxford, OH 45056 Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Butler County.

come to class and play on your phone, then that’s on you.”

In 2015, the total cost for an Ohio resident attending Miami was $25,342 and $41,449 for

a non-Ohio resident. For most courses, that’s $57 and $124 per class period, respectively. And still, many students spend classroom lectures browsing Facebook and checking texts from group chats.

WHEN YOU’RE FINISHED READING

The MiamiStudent

TO A P P L Y,

contact us

(513) 523-8at or visit 888 muccu.org

PLEASE RECYCLE

improving lives everyday

(1) Rate applies to approved loans with a repayment terms of 60 months or less. Rates/APR, terms and conditions are subject to individual credit worthiness and must satisfy MUCFCU’s standard loan underwriting criteria. Rate are subject to daily change without notice. All loans are subject to a minimum $40 loan processing fee which will increase the APR. APR=Annual Percentage Rate. Call, email or make an appointment to learn the complete details for this promotional offering. MUCFCU is not a legal entity of the University.

We’re here for your healthcare needs Allergy Shot Clinic Hours are on our website

513-524-5566

Physical Therapy & Rehab 513-664-3800 Do you have a sports injury or chronic pain that won’t go away? Contact the Health Center to schedule a free screen with a McCullough-Hyde Hospital Physical Therapist who specialize in sports and spine injuries.

Free screens available on: Monday from 11:00am-12:30pm Thursday 3:00-5:00pm

Discover your next move at the

Pinnacle Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine 513-856-5971 Dr. Matt Daggy, Board Certified in Sports Medicine, is available at the Health Center on Thursday mornings to see and treat students.

When Student Health Center is closed, an alternate would be: Urgent Care at Ross Medical Center 513-856-5944 2449 Ross-Millville Rd., (US 27 S), Hamilton Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00am - 8:00pm Saturday - Sunday 10:00am - 6:00pm Emergency Department

EDUCATION DOESN’T END WITH GRADUATION

9-1-1 or 513-524-5353

GRADUATE EDUCATION EXPO • Explore more than 30 graduate programs offered at Xavier.

• Meet Xavier faculty, staff and current students.

• Learn about admission, course requirements and financing your Xavier education.

Wednesday, Oct. 22 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

Cintas Center xavier.edu/gradexpo

110 N. Poplar St., Oxford, OH 45056 513-523-2111 www.mhmh.org

No time to Car Shop?

New & Used Vehicle Purchasing Service

1.99%

Rates as low as

APR

(513)523-8888

muccu.org

6 OPINION

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

College newspapers should hold administration accountable, not the opposite EDITORIAL

Last Friday, the board of directors at Northern Michigan University’s student newspaper, The North Wind, dismissed the newspaper’s faculty adviser, Cheryl Reed, and refused the current student managing editor — the only applicant — the position of editor-in-chief.

Their justification: Reed was teaching The North Wind’s editors to use the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to request public records, like university contracts and travel expenses for members of the administration, and to write transparent investigative journalism pieces.

The board’s response is alarming and shows a blatant disregard for both the First Amendment and the role a newspaper holds in a democratic society.

In a statement on the issue, The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) called for the reinstatement of Reed and for the university ad-

The following piece, written by the editorial editors, reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board. ministration to evaluate the practices of the North Wind Board of Directors to ensure it observes free press principles.

“Colleges and universities that are fortunate enough to have student newspapers should give advisers the freedom to teach students about good, ethical journalism without fear of retribution if something less than positive is published about the institution,” Dana Neuts, SPJ national president, said.

Nobody, whether it is a government, business or university, is going to be completely transparent. That is where the position a newspaper holds in society becomes essential.

Whether it is Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncovering Nixon’s involvement in the Watergate scandal, broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow’s attempts to end Senator Joseph McCarthy’s reign of terror, The North Wind’s efforts to shed light on

CONTRIBUTED BY THE NORTH WIND

The front page of The North Wind’s April 9 issue.

Northern Michigan’s tactless spending or The Miami Student’s endeavor to explain the complexities of sexual assault on a college campus, it is

Journalistic failures in Rolling Stone article hurt rape survivors’ reputations, not just the magazine’s SEXUAL ASSAULT

I remember hitting the share button on my Facebook in November for the Rolling Stone article “A Rape on Campus.” As an aspiring journalist myself, going through Sabrina Rubin Erdely’s brilliant, detailed writing that was shining the national spotlight on an important issue through the harsh reality of Jackie’s account, I was stunned in amazement thinking to myself “she got it right.” When the story went under investigation a few days later, I went into denial because I wanted the story to be right. Instead, she got it very wrong.

On April 5, Rolling Stone released the investigation of how they could have gotten the story wrong, conducted by Steve Coll from the Columbia School of Journalism. I cannot explain every important detail of the over 330-page report, so I encourage everyone to read about its findings to understand the story.

In summary, Coll stated that Rolling Stone’s story was a “failure of journalism” and one that never should have happened.

It saddens me to hear those words and to agree with them. Rolling Stone failed and now the wrong people are suffering the consequences.

After reading the investigation report, it is clear that Erdely and the editors of Rolling Stone made the mistake of neglecting the basic rules of reporting. It is valid to say that it is Jackie’s fault for giving false information to be published to begin with, but the bigger fault was on Rolling Stone because if they looked, they would have seen the problems with the story.

For example, if Ederly asked actual questions to the Phi Kappa Psi

chapter with details of the attack rather than simply asking “Do you have a comment?”, she would have found out the chapter did not receive pledges in the fall.

Or, if Rolling Stone followed up with Jackie’s three friends that found her that night, instead of giving them pseudonyms, Erdely would have discovered that the conversation of their social lives being on the line never came up, showing a lie in Jackie’s story.

Their excuse was protecting Jackie. They did not want to risk losing Jackie’s cooperation, so they did not go digging into her story. They mostly avoided trying to find people who could verify the things Jackie said, regardless of whether she asked them to refrain or not. The editors saw that holes in the story weren’t closing and some facts were not lining up, but they chose to ignore it.

If it were my newsroom, I would have dropped Jackie’s story when questions were not getting answered and red flags started to rise.

It was clear that Jackie was their only source of information, and they knew they needed more to take the piece from a chilling narrative to a verifiable news story.

When Jackie didn’t want to give the name of the lifeguard who orchestrated her attack, and when she stopped answering phone calls when Erdely told her she needed the name, I would have gone looking for another narrative to tell. I would have laid out the rules to the new source: I would need to know everything and talk to anyone she mentioned. Even if I was under a time crunch, and the story was not as dramatic as Jackie’s, at least I would have the cooperation I needed to get it right.

But Rolling Stone thought the more dramatic account would have a bigger impact, and it did in the worst way possible.

Rolling Stone’s original hope was to alarm people about sexual assault on college campuses and to challenge universities to do better job of punishing perpetrators. The story they published was gripping, but in all honesty, it was just another story about sexual assault — it did not have a call to action like it needed.

But call to action or no, “A Rape on Campus” painted a picture of rape accusations that is detrimental to the efforts they were initially attempting to support. Rolling Stone has created a mess, sending a message that women lie about rape. Social scientists that analyze crime reports show that two to eight percent of rape allegations end up being false. Hardly a drop in the bucket, magnified to the extreme with this story.

Because this is about sexual assault, a crime that is more “he said/ she said” than others, there is now a preconceived notion to not believe sexual assault survivors. Now there is a shadow on the efforts universities are putting forth to try and create a safe environment for sexual assault survivors, and it will keep growing.

I admire Rolling Stone for wanting to contribute to the fight against sexual assault, but then they should have followed journalistic practices by the book and not have dismissed gaps in the story out of concern for Jackie. By trying to protect one victim, Rolling Stone has hurt many more.

ABBY KELLY KELLYAA4@MIAMIOH.EDU

the responsibility of a newspaper to hold the administration accountable.

Equally, if not more prominently, the newspaper serves as an important medium for students and faculty to hold thoughtful and constructive conversations on the issues of the day.

What if Miami didn’t have this channel for discussion? What if the conversations about Greek life, drinking culture, sexual assault, racism and Bishop Woods were non-existent? Or worse, confined to Yik Yak? It is important to note that the Miami University administration has no say in the direction or coverage that The Miami Student newspaper chooses to take. The Miami Student is a student-run organization with students working on both the editorial and business sides of the operation.

Regardless of any input that faculty members or the newspaper’s adviser have, it is the student editors who

have the final say and that is exactly how it should be.

The North Wind’s problem hasn’t happened to The Miami Student in the past five years.

When the administration doesn’t like something the Student has published, it doesn’t dismiss the adviser or scold the editor-in-chief.

It responds, like other disgruntled readers, with a Letter to the Editor.

The Miami Student is not here to make Miami look good or bad; it’s here to report the facts, and there should never be fear that a university will retaliate against a college newspaper for doing so, even if those facts shed an unflattering light on the university.

This might be a landmark case for college newspapers and it is important that student newspapers across the country join hands in solidarity with The North Wind in an effort to protect editorial freedom.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

There is nothing humorous about sexual assault I am the President of Women Against Violence and Sexual Assault.

With that being said, I have witnessed a lot of eye rolling, exasperated sighs and crude jokes at my expense at numerous events that I have helped organize in an attempt to raise awareness, as well as at events I have protested in an effort to bring to light the facts and voice my opinion to those who think rape victims are “privileged” (how’s that 48k treating you George Will?).

I have always been privy to the fact that people, for some strange reason I cannot comprehend, find rape funny. As someone who endured the hardships of sexual assault, I personally don’t find humor in it. People always feel uninhibited to crack a rape joke but then when it comes around to actually talking about rape and assault, and the truthful facts that follow them, people bottle up, sigh in frustration, and walk away believing that they could never be raped or be a person who rapes.

April 10, I helped the men of MARS, Men Against Rape and Sexual Assault, pass out free Gatorade bottles at the Phi Delt Gates. In a smart marketing strategy, the MARS men had placed informational stickers on the bottles promoting MARS, WAVES, and the F-Word.

I would entice my peers and encourage them to come get a

free Gatorade by simply yelling, “FREE GATORADE,” and nothing else. I would let the stickers and my WAVES T-shirt speak for themselves.

A group of men, no doubt coming back from rowdy Uptown activities were walking by our table, which proudly displayed the MARS logo on a bright blue background, and what their organization was. After my “Free Gatorade” shpeel, one of the men within the crowd yelled in an act of cowardice, for all of High Street to hear, “I’m not against rape.” If you are reading this now, and you know who you are, I hope you’re ashamed.

I responded “Okay asshole, have fun in hell.” In hindsight, I should have run up to him and handed him a Gatorade and told him that he’s going to be thirsty in hell.

This is the problem with rape culture. People feel free to joke about rape culture, assault and violence, but then when the time comes to actually face the repercussions and the facts, people are silent.

Rape won’t stop being a problem until people don’t find it funny anymore. People need to grow up and deal with the facts: rape happens, and there’s nothing funny about it.

MARY WILLIAMS

WILLI394@MIAMIOH.EDU

To prevent texting and driving accidents, the public needs more exposure SAFETY

Imagine that you are meeting your friends at Skipper’s and you are running late. You are driving a little faster than you should, and your phone is buzzing and beeping with incoming messages asking where you are.

You decide to send them a quick text that you are down the street, and fail to notice the student starting to walk out into the road. Next thing you know, that one text has changed countless lives.

These accidents occur every year, and the number of deaths caused by texting while driving continues to climb. The Because Texting and Driving Kills organization found that if you are texting while driving, it is 23 times more likely you will get in an accident. The Cohen Children’s Medical Center declared in 2013, that texting while driving is the number one cause of teenage deaths. Even though the danger and statistics about accidents from texting while driving continue to climb, the interest and news coverage of the issue is rapidly declining.

Why is there hardly any news coverage of texting while driving occurrences? Did other events become prioritized in the news? Has society become so desensitized to the deaths of young adults in automobile accidents because of texting and driving, that they are no longer fazed by the stories?

In a college town where many

Texting while driving is still a very pressing and prominent matter that should have proper news coverage to keep people aware and informed.

Even though it is not being told in the news, many new and innovative things are being implemented every year to try and decrease the statistics.

Organizations such as It Can Wait are being funded and supported.

How can people follow the laws if they are not informed about what is happening around them?

students walk to all their destinations, it may be hard to be concerned and stay informed about the issue.

It does not help that to find information about the latest occurrences in texting while driving, one must specifically search for it and dig through other various news articles.

This seems like a disservice to the public, since this information could save lives.

People who have been affected by texting and driving accidents are speaking out and trying to tell the world their stories. New texting and driving laws in various states are being passed and making phone usage while driving illegal. There are a text messaging bans in 42 of the states, including Ohio. Cell phone applications are being created, that allow the phone to detect when it is in a

moving car, and will then shut down all the different distracting functions, including texting. Is none of this no longer news worthy?

How can people follow the laws if they are not informed about what is happening around them? How can people be informed and safe drivers if they are not aware of the dangers and consequences of their actions?

Every time a teenager gets in the car, there is a chance they will believe they can send a quick text and still manage to drive at the same time. Or maybe someone in the other oncoming car thinks the same thing.

Do not wait until it is too late.

Do not wait to see a familiar face involved in a texting and driving accident to regret not being informed.

Seek out more information about texting while driving and push for more news coverage. Are you willing to risk your life, your friend’s, your parent’s, or your child’s life behind the wheel? Get involved and stay informed, one day you may end up saving a life SHANNON LAGASSA

LAGASSSL@MIAMIOH.EDU

TMS

ONLINE MIAMISTUDENT.NET

EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

Obama should urge a measured transition for Cuba’s sake GLOBAL

President Obama and Cuba’s Raul Castro pledged to turn the page on 50 years of hostile relationship at their historic meeting on Saturday in Panama City.

As the end of his presidency draws near, Obama seems eager to make a name for himself as the president who, through peaceful negotiations, brought both Cuba and Iran back into the fold — two of the largest wins for democracy since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Although breaking the crippling trade and travel embargoes against the largest Antillean country, as well as removing Cuba from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism is long overdue, Obama should exercise caution during the transition, not for the U.S.’s own sake, but for Cuba’s.

A report by the Oakland, California-based Institute for Food and Development Policy and Food First, an organization promoting sustainable agriculture, found that most of the food Cubans eat every day is grown without synthetic fertilizers and toxic pesticides. Organic farming — considered just a fragment of the food supply in the U.S. — is feeding close to the entire population of the island nation.

Cuba’s organic food system developed in response to a disaster.

Before 1990, 50 percent of Cuba’s food was imported — a direct result of centuries of colonial food production where Caribbean island

countries produced luxury export crops such as sugar, coffee and tobacco and imported food for their own people.

After 1989, the collapse of the U.S.S.R. and the withdrawal of Soviet aid, 1,327,000 tons of chemical fertilizers and pesticides were no longer imported, crippling Cuba’s already marginal imports and its ability to grow crops in the conventional, industrial ways brought about by the green revolution.

Cuba’s response was unprecedented. The government eliminated 80 percent of the state-run farms and turned them into worker-owned cooperatives. Cuban’s were allowed to farm the land rent-free as long as they met production quotas and crops produced in surplus could be sold at farmers markets, providing an incentive for farmers to use innovative organic technologies such as biofertilizers and compost.

Another response to the food crisis was the development of “urban agriculture” or organopónicos: organic, high-yielding community gardens made from short concrete enclosures filled with soil and compost.

The response succeeded better than anyone could have hoped.

There are currently more than 87 thousand acres of land being used for urban agriculture in Havana alone with businesses and schools in the city producing food from their own organopónicos. Today, sustainable food practitioners

revere Cuba’s system as a model of self-sufficiency.

However, Cuba has recently been garnering attention from more than just sustainable food proponents.

Big Ag, which forcefully lobbied Congress and the White House to end the embargo, is applauding the president’s actions on Cuba. Their plan: to supply thousands of farmers with modern tractors, roundupready seeds and the synthetic fertilizers and pesticides the island has been without for nearly 30 years and have 11 million Cuban’s eating American Corn Flakes for breakfast within the next decade Trade with U.S. agribusinesses could be potentially devastating for Cubans — who are healthier and live longer than many of their Caribbean counterparts. In Mexico, a 12 percent increase in obesity corresponded with the implementation of NAFTA, which allowed American companies like Walmart to enter the country and sell inexpensive, processed food.

President Obama should exercise caution in altering travel rules and trade restrictions on Cuba and leave Big Ag out of the conversation to prevent the island’s food system, a model system and beacon of hope for sustainable agriculture proponents throughout the world, from being destroyed.

I take immense pride in my recycling record. I go out of my way to bring reusable bags to go grocery shopping. I always turn the lights off when I leave a room. I thought I was the green queen.

Then I met Bill McKibben. He’s an environmental journalist-turnedactivist who has actively been protesting the Keystone XL Pipeline.

He regularly writes for big name publications – Slate, The Atlantic, and Mother Jones to name a few.

He had a piece published in The Boston Globe this week. McKibben is the real deal.

He’s also been arrested. McKibben was jailed for three days for organizing an environmental protest ­­— an unlikely fate for a seemingly soft-spoken man.

I met McKibben last Wednesday when he came for a lecture about his environmental activism. I was lucky enough to be part of his press conference with some other student media. I got to ask him about the representation of climate change in the media, further protesting plans, and how Congress can help prevent climate change.

It was when he talked about the very real severity of carbon emission levels that it finally hit me — I’m not doing enough. In fact, my recycling and energy efficient light bulbs are hardly making a dent.

It’s our dependence on fossil fuels that’s really going to screw us over. And I don’t just mean Miami, Ohio, or even America.

Globally, humans are addicted to crude oil and that’s slowly destroying our planet.

The technology for sustainable options like solar panels and wind energy is available. Heck, some of these are even implemented at Miami. We’ve got geothermal energy on Western Campus.

frankly, this gridlocked Congress isn’t going to get anything done.

Climate change has, unfortunately, become a partisan issue. The oil industry pours millions of dollars into campaigns and lobbyists, making it politically challenging to even consider emissions-reducing legislation.

Bill McKibben wants us to get organized. Youth and college students may feel limited in their voices. One person can’t face Exxon

With the masses on our side, we can help prevent measures that futher damage our Earth.

Electric cars are becoming mainstream, though admittedly not perfect yet. Even so, there are fuelefficient models that don’t require as many stops at the gas station.

Bonus: easy on your wallets and the planet.

Yet here we are, driving our cars half a mile to class and collectively burning through nearly 20 million barrels of oil daily. For the old and middle-aged (sorry, professors), climate change doesn’t pose an immediate threat. You’ll be long gone before the world melts. But my peers, we won’t. The doom is impending.

To make any kind of change, we need widespread action. Quite

Get educated through social media POLITICS

More than likely you’re old enough to vote, right? You’re a smart student, you try to stay informed on current events, you check Google news every now and then. That’s definitely more than your friends back home (Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, etc.).

But how often do you check Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? Personally, one of my favorite ways to get news is through the trending section on Facebook. Sometimes it’s just obscure families on the outskirts of America setting off fireworks inside or something.

Now, think about how often you see politicians on social media.

Recently, a slight ‘scandal’ occurred between Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and potential presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Paul and his staffers created a fake Pinterest account under the former Secretary of State’s name, creating a wide range of ‘boards.’ The account pretty much consisted of satirical aspects of Clinton’s life and her aspirations to be in the White House.

Once Pinterest learned of the account, the company deleted it, as it goes against their policy of creating fake accounts. This might not seem like a major interference on Clinton’s potential political

campaign, but it was publicized by the media at a time she probably wasn’t in favor of. The first place I learned of this scandal was on my Facebook news feed.

However, I was outraged to find that this story about Pinterest accounts was higher on my news feed than recent ISIS developments.

So, how much do you know on Rand Paul or Hillary Clinton’s stances on ISIS and their opinions of how to handle the situation?

Probably not much. And how much do you know about Rand Paul’s fake Pinterest account for Hillary Clinton. Probably more than you should.

Our vote is so important, even though it might not seem like it. It’s crucial to ignore the petty and childish performances that the media offers about politicians and especially during a time of campaigning. Learn about their stances and specific topics that you’re interested in. It’s not about how many likes a photo gets or how many people favorite a tweet, it’s about the issues at hand. The issues are staring us in the face, and one day, a presidential candidate — maybe you — will have to confront them.

EMILY DAWSON DAWSONEH@MIAMIOH.EDU

JAMES STEINBAUER

STEINBJT@MIAMIOH.EDU

Students should organize to combat climate change SUSTAINABILITY

OPINION 7

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

Mobil (and other offenders) alone.

But fear not. There is immense strength in numbers, and our numbers are huge.

We have the ability to organize.

With the masses on our side, we can help prevent measures that further damage our Earth. We can actively work against the companies that want to continue to feed our reliance on oil for the sake of profits.

The biggest assets we have in making significant changes are each other. Any bottles we recycle in the process are just a bonus.

GRETA HALLBERG HALLBEGM@MIAMIOH.EDU

Spring (Simulated)

Two Halves Make a Whole ESSAY

This is the story of how I met my Vietnamese doppelganger. Let’s go back eight months ago, with me on my couch at home freaking out about making a whole new circle of friends during college. This sounds like any typical freshman fear right?

Well, this was absolutely terrifying for me. This meant I would have to meet a LOT of new people when I am incredibly socially awkward and shy. You can’t get me to shut up once you know me (be warned) but the initial greeting is something I still struggle with. Therefore, I did what every typical freshman (in my mind at the time) does the minute they get their room assignment: Facebook stalk people so I know exactly who will be where before I get there. My efforts were not in vain. I noticed a girl had posted that she would be on the same floor and down the hall from where I would be. Before I really knew what I was doing, I clicked the “add friend” button. This was August 2nd, 2014.

When she accepted the request so quickly, I was unprepared and proceeded to freak out for the next seventeen days in typical ‘me’ fashion.

When I finally calmed down enough to think rationally, I realized I must seem like some freak that just asked out of the blue to be her friend on Facebook. (Again, mostly in my head; I only have people I know in person as Facebook friends so adding this stranger was an entirely new

CONTRIBUTED BY ZHENGXU LI

concept to me.) So what do I do? Of course! Send an awkward message to her trying to explain myself: Hi! I don’t want to scare you or anything by messaging/friend requesting you, but I noticed that your room at Miami is around the corner from mine, so I thought I would say hello early.

My name is Danielle. (By the way I am super jealous of your profile picture. So pretty! >.<). She messaged me back a minute later. I, of course, again freaked out and proceeded to run and tell my parents.

DANIELLE RYMERS FRESHMAN MIAMI STUDENT

SAPHIRA HOANG FRESHMAN MIAMI STUDENT

This is a part of the winning essay from the International Friendship Writing Contest, put on by MUISO. To read the rest of the essay, visit our website at miamistudent.net.

RULE OF THUMB GLBTQ STUDENTS FEEL UNWELCOME Last week,The Miami Student ran a story on a study that showed how GLBTQ students feel less like they belong on campus than their fellow students in Greek life and we think this demands change.

AN END TO ‘CONVERSION’ THERAPIES In response to a petition in honor of Leelah Alcorn, a Cincinnati transgender teenager who committed suicide, President Obama called for an end to ‘conversion’ therapies for gay and transgender youth.

A. J. NEWBERRY NEWBERAJ@MIAMIOH.EDU

SPRING HAS SPRUNG The flowers are blooming, the temperature is rising, students are wearing shorts and sun dresses, but allergies abound.

8 FYI

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

The Miami Student Reis Thebault

Katie Taylor

News Editor

Editor in Chief

Victoria Slater Associate Editor

Kyle Hayden Design Editor

Steven Volchek Business Manager

Brett Milam Online Editor

Betsy Zilch Asst. Business Manager

Emily Tate, James Steinbauer University Editors

Maggie Milliken National Advertising Director Classified Advertising Director

Lauren Kiggins Culture Editor

Sydney Medema, Charles Cucco, Advertising Representatives

Chris Curme Police Beat writer Abbey Gingras, Amanda Hancock Opinion Editors Grace Remington Sports Editor

Bonnie Meibers Emily Williams Jordan Rinard

Drew Davis Business Advisor WDJ Inc. - Bill Dedden Distributor

Connor Moriarty Photo Editor

Senior Staff Writers

James Tobin Adviser

Editorial Writers

Staff Writers

Gregory Dick Andrew Geisler Brett Milam Steven Beynon Eva Bandola

Designers

Sports Columnists

Alison Treen Rebecca Huff Krista Savage Kelly Higginson

Will Fagan Julie Norehad Katie Hinh

Andrew Geisler Justin Maskulinski Jordan Rinard

Photography Staff Phill Arndt Kim Parent Jalen Walker Connor Moriarty Emily Callahan Angelo Gelfuso Katherine Hoggett Emily Sabanegh Andrew Katko Ian Marker Jing Long

Cartoonists

Patrick Geyser Chris Curme

Website: www.miamistudent.net For advertising information: miamistudent@gmail.com

The Miami Student (Tuesday/Friday) is published during the school year by the students of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

The content of The Miami Student is the sole responsibility of The Miami

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

CORRECTIONS POLICY

The Miami Student is committed to providing the Miami University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication.

WWW.MIAMISTUDENT.NET

FOR RENT

NOTICE

SCHMATES HOME RENTALS We are now renting for 2016/17.

Secure a home for JR/SR year!

Visit us @ www.schmatesrentals. com VILLAGE GREEN APARTMENTS Located at 518 S. Main St., Oxford. Now leasing for 2015-2016.

2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom apts. 1-4 People; Price based upon occupancy. Rent includes HEAT, water, sewer, refuse. Off-street parking; Large lawn. On-site Laundry Room. Walking distance to Rec Center. Contact: 513-255-0241 Email: VillageGreenApartmentsOxford@Gmail.com

GREAT SUMMER JOBS! OXFORD PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT The City of Oxford Parks and Recreation Department is currently accepting job applications for the following summer positions. Summer staff is required to work either July 3rd or July 4th to be eligible for employment.

WATER SAFETY INSTRUCTOR SALARY: $10.00/hr for Swim Lessons up to 15/hrs a week for eight weeks.

Approx. hours 10am – 1pm.

CERTIFICATIONS: Current American Red Cross certification in lifeguarding and Water Safety Instructor.

POOL SUPERVISOR SALARY: $9.25 CERTIFICATIONS: Current American Red Cross certification in lifeguarding and CPR for the Professional Rescuer (CPR/FPR).

LIFEGUARD SALARY: $8.50 CERTIFICATIONS: Current American Red Cross certification in lifeguarding and CPR for the Professional Rescuer (CPR/FPR).

POOL CONCESSION/PARK CONCESSION CASHIER SALARY: $8.25 Pool concession; Pool gate and Park concession SUMMER CAMP LEADERS SALARY: $8.25 CERTIFICATIONS: Current American Red Cross CPR and first aid, or willing to be trained. Experience working with children is required.

SUMMER SNOOPER DAY CAMP INSTRUCTOR SALARY: $8.25/hr up to 20 hours/ week for 7 weeks June -August CERTIFICATIONS: Current American Red Cross CPR and First Aid, or willing to be trained. Experience working with preschool children is required.

RECREATION TECHNICIAN SALARY: $10 - $12 / hour. App. 12-15 hrs. per week April – September.

Assist with sports field prep and other programs/events in the Parks & Recreation Department. Previous

HOUSE FOR RENT Available May-Summer 2015 and Fall/ Spring Semesters 2015-2016 $1900 pps semester for 4/ students pay utilities OR $2150 pps semester for 4 includes utilities except cable 4 Bedrooms – 2 Full Bathrooms 1 Living Room & 1 very large family room, Washer/Dryer, Central Air Conditioning, Dishwasher & Pantry 1 Car Garage – Driveway & Street Parking Deck & Tree Shaded Corner Lot, Creek & woods between back yard & Taco Bell House is on the corner of Lynn St. and Vereker Drive House is next to Taco Bell.

Call Terry at 513-313-9285 anytime.

UPTOWN LOFTS & HOUSES FOR RENT THIS SUMMER – CONTACT RED BRICK FOR MORE INFO. 524.9340 Or visit www.redbrickmiami. com ROBERTS APARTMENTS Great Location: Close to uptown/campus. 2 Bedroom Townhouses available for 2015-16 school year. 1 bedroom apartments available for Spring Semester 2016. 513-839-1426 or 513-461-1165 www.roberts-apts.com info@robertsapts.com

FINEST HOUSE RENTAL: mid Aug 2016 to mid May 2017 $2000 to $2500 per person. Individual contracts. 1027 Arrowhead Dr., Large 2000 sq. ft. two story 5 bedroom house with private conversion bedroom, 2 baths, like new with luxury accommodations, COMPLETELY FURNISHED, all the extras students want: Guarantee one of Oxfords finest rentals, wall mount TV, free hi-def cable TV & hi-speed Internet, new flooring, washer, dryer, dishwasher, glass top stove, built-in microwave, 2 refrigerators, parking, porch & private back patio & large wood deck, grill & picnic table, lawn service, Large fenced yard partial wooden with access to Miami common, tool shed, New roof and new vinyl siding, Central air, thermal windows, extremely well insulated, big savings on utilities. Alan Barone 740-4074114, barone.alan@gmail.com FROM BASEBALL »PAGE 10

Dermatology Practice Opening New Locations in Ross & Oxford Accepting New Patients Weekly • Accepting Most Insurances www.dermatologist-plasticsurgeon.com

Premier Plastic Surgery and Dermatology Assoc.

Additional Offices in Hamilton & West Chester!

800-248-0491

team notched four innings of one-hit baseball from the bullpen combo of sophomore Brad Schwartz and senior Will Schierholz to close out the Bulls.

“Schwartz has emerged as a guy we can count on,” Hayden said.

The offense gave Banks some unfamiliar run support after scoring five in the first. Junior Gary Russo led MU, hitting 2-4 with two RBIs. The win was Miami’s first home victory of the season.

Sunday started off slow, but Buffalo took a 3-0 lead by the end of the fifth inning. After the seventh, the Bulls led 6-0.

He was pleased with senior Ryan Haynes and sophomore Ryan Marske, who both pitched out of jams. Overall, Hayden was happy with bullpen throughout the weekend series.

Hayden said the offense remains a focus and wants to see it improve in the coming weeks.

“We’ve got to get back to the basics with what our approach is,” Hayden said. “It’s not a swing thing, it’s not a mechanical thing,

outdoor field work and sports experience a plus; must be able to lift 50 lbs. Flexible schedule includes some weekends, evenings and early mornings. Valid Driver’s License.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: A City of Oxford application must be completed and mailed or faxed to: Oxford Parks and Recreation 6025 Fairfield Road Oxford, Ohio 45056 Fax: (513) 524-3547 http://www.cityofoxford.org Please note position(s) of interest.

Certified Lifeguards/Swim Instructors and Activity Leaders – Archery, Basketball, BB Air Rifle, Maintenance, Male Group Counselors, Nature & Camping, Soccer – needed for FUN and REWARDING summer day camp in Cincinnati. Six week session begins June 22 – July 31, M-F 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM. Contact Camp Wildbrook @ 513-931-2196 or Campwildbrook@ cinci.rr.com.

WORK AT THE DRIVE-IN THEATRE! Part-time positions are available at the Holiday Auto Theatre near Hamilton, OH, off of Old Oxford Road. We are seeking friendly and energetic applicants to fill roles in the box office, concession, landscaping, IT, and maintenance. Perks include free movies! We operate March through December, with great rates for MU students, faculty, and staff! Flexible with schedules and seasons you desire to work. Pay starts at $8.10/hr. Please call 513-868-3456 for more information and to set up an interview.

Would like to hire Strat Com major for tutoring and help with organization.

Please call 614-313-8000 if interested.

SINGLE AVAILABLE FOR 2nd SEMESTER - 117.5 W. HIGH, UNIT D – 1 bedroom/ 1 full bath – $2,000 per semester. Located UPTOWN! Call 524-9340 for more details.

Available for 2015-2016: 105 W. SYCAMORE – “Cardinal Corner” Studio with 1 full bath and kitchenette - $2,600 per person per semester **ALL utilities included and FULLY Furnished!** FOR MORE INFO OR TO SCHEDULE A TOUR CONTACT 524-9340 OR VISIT WWW.PLUMTREEMIAMI. COM LOOKING FOR A ROOMMATE FOR NEXT YR (15-16): FIRST SEM ONLY “Blue Me Away” 2 bedroom/ 1 full bath – Looking for 1 female roommate for 1st Sem only. You will have your own bedroom. Call 524-9340 for more details “All Bed No Breakfast” Looking for 1 female roommate for 1st Sem Only.

Call 524-9340 for more details.

FULL YEAR “Fratican” Looking for 1 male roommate for both semesters. Call 5249340 for more details.

“Los Pollos Hermanos” Looking for 1 male roommate for the year. Call 524-9340 for more details.

Houses for group sizes of 3 – 8 people available for 2016-2017. www.plumtreemiami.com or call 524.9340.

AVAILABLE FOR 2016-2017 FOR FOUR PEOPLE: 333 N. LOCUST – “The Retreat” 4 bedroom/ 2 full baths - $2,000 per person per semester FOR THREE PEOPLE: 112 E. CHESTNUT – “Miami Vice” 3 bedroom/ 1 full baths - $2,200 per person per semester FOR MORE INFO OR TO SCHEDULE A TOUR CALL RED BRICK @ 524-9340 OR VISIT WWW.REDBRICKMIAMI.COM

it’s what’s between their ears right now.”

The RedHawks attempt to rebound this week at the Joe Nuxhall Classic in Cincinnati, Ohio.

They play Wright State University Tuesday and either University of Cincinnati or Xavier University Wednesday.

Miami has lost to all three teams this season. Cincinnati won 3-1 in the season opener, and Xavier swept the RedHawks 5-10 in both games March 16 and 17. MU fell 7-3 to Wright State March 24.

The RedHawks look to gain any type of momentum before MAC play resumes this weekend.

First pitch against Wright State is 3 p.m. Tuesday.

WWW.MIAMISTUDENT.NET

9

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

FROM SOCIAL MEDIA »PAGE 1

FROM BODY CAMERAS »PAGE 1

students’ writing is that students are often multitasking and just not giving their writing the time and attention it needs to be clear, focused, and correct,” Alfonsi said. “Writing is definitely a process, and few of us can turn out a beautifully written paper or blog post without feedback, revision and editing. Having a constant source of entertainment and communication at our fingertips can be powerful, but it can also be a huge distraction.”

Social media is not the only distraction in students’ lives.

Digital media as a whole, including gaming platforms, and online streaming platforms all influence students’ academic performances. Therefore, as more media evolves, students’ habits begin to as well.

“The English language is also constantly evolving, and I see social media’s influence as part of this evolution,” Alfonsi said. “It’s not necessarily a terrible thing, but an inevitable thing that happens with language.”

day, and then only supervisors will be able to access or edit the visual information. The footage will be stored for up to seven days, and if decided that the video does not need to be retained, it will be deleted.

Junior Jake Harvey said he also sees potential benefits of the body cameras.

“I think it’s good, as it’ll show the whole story for incidents and not just when someone decides to turn on their phone camera,” Harvey said. “If a situation escalates, now we can get the entire backstory of what happened as to how the police officer made their decision.”

However, junior Alexis Moten is not so optimistic, as she said they are pointless.

“I find it hard for them

CAST YOUR VOTE ON

APRIL 15

TH

to be very effective,” Moten said. “I don’t see why they need the cameras, especially when I don’t see Miami’s police presence on campus in the first place.”

Moten believes the footage is only from the perspective of the police officer, as they can decide when exactly the cameras are turned on.

McCandless said although people may have their reservations, and the cameras have only been in use for less than two weeks, the MUPD is positive about the future.

“I think they’re going to be a good thing for a lot of reasons, and the fact that our officers are excited to have them is good,” he said. “We’ll wait a few months to get a good idea of whether we’ve got everything figured out, but for now they seem to be working well.”

WHEN YOU’RE FINISHED READING

AT WESTERN DINING COMMONS DOORS OPEN AT 8:00PM EVENT IS AT 8:30PM

ONLINE

EVENT IS FREE WITH DINNER OR $5 GENERAL ADMISSION

MIAMISTUDENT.NET

FIRST 125 PEOPLE GET A T-SHIRT!

PLEASE RECYCLE Est .

1946

MeHas MuSIC

HAMILTON • BLUE ASH

/MIAMIDINING

www.mehasmusic.com

@MIAMIUDINING

AVENUE Q

MUSIC AND LYRICS

By ROBERT LOPEZ and JEFF MARX

BOOK

By JEFF WHITTY

DIRECTED BY SAFFRON HENKE

BASED ON AN ORIGINAL CONCEPT By ROBERT LOPEZ and JEFF MARX

WARNING: CONTAINS EXPLICIT MATERIAL

A MUSICAL BY MIAMI UNIVERSITY THEATRE

Summer Savings Take advantage of the lowest tuition in Northeast Ohio*

Earn college credits from Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) and seamlessly transfer them back to your university.

• Save hundreds per class and graduate faster • Attend convenient campus locations or online learning options • Fulfill general education and core major requirements

April 16–18 and 23–25, 7:30 p.m.

April 26, 2:00 p.m.

Gates–Abegglen Theatre $10 Adult, $8 Senior, $7 Student Miami University Box Office 513–529–3200 • MiamiOH.edu/boxoffice AVENUE Q

Is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019 Phone: 212-541-4684 Fax: 212-397-4684 www.MTIShows.com

Tri-C offers affordable, high-quality education all year. Spend your summer wisely. *Cuyahoga County residents $104.54 per credit hour; other Ohio residents $131.77 per credit hour

tri-c.edu/visiting 800-954-8742

Where futures begin

SM

15-0161

10 SPORTS

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

SPORTS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

Miami track and field wins All-Ohio Championship TRACK AND FIELD

HARRISON SCHWARZ THE MIAMI STUDENT

Against a field of 14 schools, the Miami University women’s track and field team won the All-Ohio Championship Saturday with 152 points. The men’s team totaled 130 points to place second behind Ohio State University.

The women’s team bounced back from a fourth place finish at the Miami Invitational, which head coach Kelly Phillips described as “disappointing.” Phillips was impressed by her team’s performance in the AllOhio meet.

“What a difference a week makes,” Phillips said. “We had a great performance. We had 60 alums there. Seeing the alums screaming their heads off – the girls just rose to the occasion.”

Men’s head coach Warren Mandrell was equally satisfied with his squad’s performance.

“The meet was good,” said Mandrell. “The athletes had a good performance. It was good competitive

racing across the board. There were a bunch of alums back. It was a great sunny day for them to see a nice track meet.”

The men’s team compiled several top 5 finishes.

Junior runner Joe Stewart led the RedHawks, taking first place in the 5k with a time of 14:28.62.

Two Miami runners achieved personal best times in their respective events. Senior runner Joey Comisford’s PR came in the 800-meter run. He finished third with a time of 1:52.18. Sophomore Andrew Dusing placed second in the 800 with a time of 1:50.56. His PR is the sixth fastest time in Miami track and field history.

“It hasn’t really hit me yet,” Dusing said on his accomplishment.

“It definitely was exciting. I think my strong finish is a testament to how hard the team trains. The coaching has been great. I’ve been given an opportunity at Miami where I can succeed.”

Sophomore Stephen Biebelhausen ran a 3:53.09 to take second in the 1500-meter run.

In the field events, senior javelin thrower Tyler Yee won the javelin

throw with a mark of 199-05, which ties his season best. Junior high jumper Peter Stavinski placed second in the long jump with a leap of 6-08.75.

The Miami women also saw themselves on the podium frequently.

In her first race this season, senior Anna Lamb finished first in the 10k with a time of 37:13.48.

A 12.50 time gave sophomore Briah Owens a third-place finish in the 100-meter dash. Sophomore runner Alexis Jimson-Miller took third in the 200-meter dash with a 25.39 time.

Five other RedHawks finished in second place in their respective events.

In field action, junior high jumper Jessica Baker finished tied for second in the long jump with a person best leap of 5-06.00.

Senior hammer thrower Martha Szekely inched closer to Miami’s outdoor hammer throw record after finishing fourth in her event with a throw of 180-08.

In her last three meets, junior shot putter Amelia Strickler has placed

RedHawks clinch share of MAC title TENNIS

JORDAN RINARD

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

After winning its 12th straight conference match and eighth consecutive match overall, the Miami University women’s tennis team clinched a share of the Mid-American Conference title Saturday.

The title is their seventh consecutive regular season championship and 21st overall. The RedHawks (13-6, 7-0 MAC) downed Bowling Green State University 7-0.

“We won pretty easily today, 7-0,” head coach Yana Carollo said.” We played well and did our best. We need to continue to work on the same things: having aggressive doubles, playing at the net and putting pressure on the opponents.

We didn’t have a lot of competition today, but we’re preparing to compete against the tougher teams.”

Senior Ramona Costea and sophomore Andreea Badileanu continued their dominant doubles stretch, winning their 13th consecutive match in a 6-0 decision against sophomore Antonina Farrar and freshman Emily Witt.

Because Bowling Green (0-15, 0-6 MAC) had only five players, the Falcons were forced to forfeit one of their doubles matchups.

The ‘Hawks won all five singles matches in straight sets. Senior Alix Thurman recorded a 6-1, 6-2 victory against freshman Megan Miller. Senior Christine Guerrazzi added another 6-1, 6-2 win over sophomore Harley Hutchison for her seventh straight singles victory.

Freshman Nelli Ponomareva beat Witt 6-3, 6-1, and freshman Hannah Shteyn defeated Farrar 6-1, 6-0. Freshman Erin Rodriguez earned her second MAC victory in a 6-0, 6-0 triumph against fresh-

man Sydney Seeley. Junior Ana Rajkovic was credited with a win by default due to the Falcons’ lack of players.

“It was a great match,” Guerrazzi said. “Bowling Green had only five players, so we got a point right from the start. We played pretty well and kept our momentum going through the whole match. We need to keep our momentum high going into next weekend, and we need to keep focusing on the game plan.”

The RedHawks return to Oxford Sunday for their home finale against Ball State University (114, 1-1 MAC). The matches begin at 1 p.m. It will be the final home match of Costea, Guerrazzi and Thurman’s collegiate careers. Miami can clinch the regular season MAC title outright with a win or a loss by Western Michigan University against Northern Illinois University.

CONNOR MORIARTY PHOTO EDITOR

Sophomore Tessa Brooks competes in the shot put Saturday. Brooks did not place, but MU junior Amelia Strickler finished first with a 53-11.75 mark. first in the shot put. This weekend, Strickler won the event with a personal best 53-11.75 throw.

“There’s just something about shot put and wanting a 4 kg ball to go as far as possible,” Strickler said. “It’s one of those sports where you can still win and still not do your best.

Even if you are a national champion,

you can still not throw as far as you want to. You always want more.”

The men’s team returns to action Saturday at the Hoosier Invitational in Bloomington, Indiana. The women’s team takes a one-week break from competition and returns to the field April 22 for the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa.

’Hawks win first home game, fall to MAC cellar BASEBALL

DANIEL TAYLOR STAFF WRITER

The Miami University baseball team fell to last place in the MidAmerican Conference standings after losing two of three games over the weekend to the State University of New York at Buffalo. Miami fell 6-11 Friday and bounced back with a 6-3win Saturday. The ’Hawks fell 6-0 Sunday.

The Bulls (9-18, 4-8 MAC) moved out of the cellar and jumped the RedHawks by means of good pitching and offense and capitalizing on RedHawk miscues.

Friday night began well for the Red and White (6-25, 4-8 MAC), as they scored the first two runs of the game. However, the Bulls rallied for four in the fourth inning and

added five in the sixth inning to pad the lead.

Senior Ryan Powers pitched 5 1-3 innings and allowed eight runs. Only one run was earned, due to six RedHawk errors.

“That was about as bad as we could’ve played,” manager Danny Hayden said. “We’ve played some bad baseball this year, none worse than that.”

Hayden said the goal was use Powers to get a win and begin making up ground in the MAC, but the errors were too much to overcome.

In Saturday’s game, sophomore righty Jacob Banks gave the team a shot in the arm. In 5 innings, Banks allowed three runs to cross the plate.

After Banks left the game, the team notched four innings of one-hit BASEBALL »PAGE 9

Softball splits series with Bowling Green and Western Michigan SOFTBALL

JORDAN RINARD

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The Miami University softball team fell to second place in the Mid-American Conference East after splitting a series with Bowling Green State University and a series with University of Toledo.

The RedHawks (23-16, 7-3 MAC) notched a 4-1 victory and 4-3 loss against BGSU Friday.

Miami beat UT 5-0 Saturday, but fell 3-0 Sunday.

“We wanted to go 3-1, but we went .500. It’s still a good weekend for us,” head coach Clarisa Crowell said. “We played well, but we couldn’t get any timely hits. [Junior pitcher] Amber [Logemann] had a good weekend.

We had some good at-bats and opportunities to score. We need to keep our heads up. Our pitching and defense did a good job.”

In Friday’s first game, Miami scored first when senior outfielder Tiyona Marshall crossed the plate on a fielding error by the Bowling Green (13-19, 4-6 MAC) in the first inning. Junior infielder/designated player Tanya Busby did the same in the third.

The Falcons scored an un-

earned run in the bottom of the third, but Marshall answered with an RBI and unearned run in the fourth.

Logemann gave up two hits and struck out eight in a complete game. Marshall and Busby each went 2-4 in the game. Marshall tallied two runs and a RBI, while Busby notched one run.

Bowling Green retaliated in the second game by opening up a 4-0 lead after three innings.

The ’Hawks rallied, as Marshall and senior shortstop Kylie McChesney each scored an unearned run in the fifth inning, and senior third baseman/pitcher Remy Edwards picked up an RBI in the sixth.

Despite the comeback, three of the four batters in the final inning either grounded out or were thrown out.

Senior pitcher Megan Mattera struggled in the start, allowing four earned runs on six hits in 2 1-3innings of work. Busby went 2-4 with an RBI. In their first meeting with Toledo (15-24, 2-8 MAC, senior first baseman Shanyn McIntyre scored on a fielding error and senior outfielder delivered a two-run shot in the second to give Miami a 3-0 lead in the second inning. The

Bridal & TEA

BOUTIQUE The Marcum Hotel & Conference Center

IAN MARK THE MIAMI STUDENT

The Miami University softball team tries to score a run with a runner on first base during Saturday’s game. The RedHawks rank second in the Mid-American Conference East.

RedHawks rounded out the scoring with a RBI double from Lipscomb and a RBI from Marshall in the sixth.

Logemann’s notched seven strikeouts in a complete game shutout for her 19th win of the season. The win makes her 7-0 in MAC play.

In the second game, the Rockets shut out the Red and White with a run on a solo shot in the first and two RBIs in the fourth.

Miami had its chances to score but went 0-5 with runners in scoring position.

Logemann had a rocky start in her third start in four days, allowing three runs on five hits in 4 innings. Marshall and Busby had two hits on the day.

“We tried to take it one game at a time,” Busby said. “We did a good job of staying together and fighting together, but it’s not what we wanted. We need to tighten things up with our pitching and our hitting. Our defense is doing a good job of keeping us in games. We need to make things simple and if we can put it all together, we’re a hard team

to beat.”

The RedHawks return to Oxford this weekend to host Northern Illinois University in a doubleheader. First pitch is 1 p.m. Friday. Miami’s busy weekend continues with a two-game series against Western Michigan University Saturday and Sunday.

“Western Michigan and Northern Illinois are good hitting teams,” Crowell said. “Our pitching and defense needs to continue to do a good job. Offensively, we need to score some runs, like we need to do every week.”

MAY 3, 2015 • 11:00AM–3:00PM visit us online for more information

MiamiOH.edu/Bridal Tea And Boutique discounted tickets • vendor list • event photos

951 East Withrow Street Oxford, OH 45056