December 4, 2015 | The Miami Student

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The Miami Student FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015 Volume 144 №26

Miami University — Oxford, Ohio

MIAMISTUDENT.NET

Reclaimed: Our energy, their story In Appalachia, the tops of mountains are blasted off, revealing seams of coal underneath. While underground mining once employed thousands, mountaintop removal mining has made it possible for a dozen miners to strip a single mountain.

Then the coal is taken to preparation facilities where it is cleaned in a cocktail of hard chemicals.

It’s then shipped by train and on river barges commonly seen on the Ohio River.

CSX

Coal is burned in one of the power plants in southwest Ohio owned

by Dayton Power & Light and Duke Energy, among others, generating electricity. Miami’s steam plant on Western Campus that heats the university also runs on coal.

Finally, Ohioans are able to turn their lights on, heat their homes and power projectors, computers and classrooms.

KATIE HINH PAGE DESIGNER

As energy sources shift, consequences of coal dependence reach near and far ENVIRONMENT

JAMES STEINBAUER EDITORIAL EDITOR

Miami University currently owns 7,000 tons of coal — enough to heat the Oxford campus for nearly three months — sitting in a massive storage pile off Route 73, kept aside for a rainy day.

The pile of coal is an accumulation of nearly half the 12 barges delivered to the university before the contract with its coal provider, The Coeclerici Coal Network, expired in early June.

Coal generates nearly 39 percent of U.S. electricity.

Many of the power plants owned by Dayton Power & Light that provide the electricity for the charge in our laptops and the lights on Miami’s Oxford campus are powered by coal from destructive mountaintop removal and poisonous underground mines.

But due to stricter environmental regulations and the increased availability of cheap natural gas following a fracking boom, hundreds of institutions, utilities and communities are moving away from burning coal in their power and heating plants — including Miami University.

Nearly five years ago, spurred by a Sierra Club campaign to retire more than 60 on-campus coal plants across the United States, Miami made a commitment to stop burning coal in its old steam plant, located behind Peabody Hall, by 2025.

“The gears are already turning,” said Yvette Kline, Miami’s director of sustainability.

“The goals that will be done are on track to being done within the next 10 years.”

Federal data shows that 27 gigawatts of capacity from coal-fired generators will be retired from 175 power plants between 2012 and 2016. In July, natural gas exceeded coal as the primary generator of U.S. electricity.

The first time was in April.

If natural gas prices stay competitive, that 7,000 tons of coal on Route 73 could be the last 7,000 tons that Miami University ever burns, and the significance of this will be felt closer to home than in the atmosphere.

Miami’s sustainability goals, its shift away from fossil fuels and its movement toward geothermal and other forms of renewable energy — though good for the environment and, ultimately, Miami’s image — will have tragic consequences throughout the ‘hollers’ and coal mining communities of Appalachia.

“You’re going to have an impact in whatever you’re doing, whether it’s hydraulic fracturing in Ohio or lithium mines in Bolivia for all the batteries you’re going to need,” said Brian Currie, a geography professor at Miami. “There is no free lunch, and nobody is clean.”

Our connection

From its origins all the way to Oxford, the coal stored in the shed off Route 73 followed a typical path in the nation’s old energy economy.

Miami’s coal is from West Virginia. The Patriot CoalKanawha Eagle Mine, to be specific — an underground coal mine about 15 minutes south of Charleston. Patriot Coal is a subsidiary of Peabody Energy — the largest coal company in the world.

COAL »PAGE 2

‘Love them or leave them, just don’t destroy them’ In West Virginia, coal industry reshapes mountains, culture ENVIRONMENT

REIS THEBAULT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

KAYFORD MOUNTAIN, West Vigrinia. — Here, Junior Walk lives off the land.

He travels the same trails his grandfather once did. His great-grandparents are buried up here. He doesn’t bother with a cellphone — where he lives, it won’t get reception — and he loves his guns.

But coal mining, he says, is threatening that existence.

What’s more, mining — and, in the last 25 years, a particularly nasty brand called “mountaintop removal” mining — is desecrating Appalachia, its environment and its people.

When Junior stands atop one side of Kayford Mountain, he can look in any direction and see the scars of mountaintop removal. In this area, Kayford used to

be the range’s saddle pass — the lowest part. It is now the highest. The tops of surrounding mountains have been blown off. It’s easier, quicker and cheaper to get coal that way.

The landscape, however, will never recover.

Much of the coal that powers Miami University’s campus and the Oxford, Ohio-area is extracted from mines like those that surround Kayford Mountain.

The state has long been a hub for coal mining and, in Appalachia, almost nobody is unaffected by the industry. Junior is 25 years old.

Coal companies ramped up mountaintop removal mining in the mid ‘90s, when he was a kid.

“I’ve watched them tear it all up,” he says.

On the West Virginian horizon, where the mountains used to dip and soar,

KYLE HAYDEN DESIGN EDITOR

Kayford Mountain in Boone County, West Virginia was once the saddlepath — the low point in its region of Appalachia. Now, it’s the highest point, surrounded by mountaintop removal strip mines.

NEWS p. 2

NEWS p. 3

CITY COUNCIL VOTES MIAMI PROF NEW MAYOR

BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO VOTE ON TUITION PLAN

Educational leadership professor Kate Rousmaniere elected Oxford mayor

Guaranteed tuition plan is expected to pass at today’s board meeting

CULTURE p. 4

the contours of many are now flat. This is what Junior wants the world to see.

And, on a damp November weekend, it’s what he says he wants to show us, a couple journalists visiting from Ohio. But he also wants to show us his culture.

“You boys wanna eat some squirrel tonight?” he says, his way of greeting us.

We couldn’t say no. Trying to make conversation, play it cool, we ask him, “Is it light meat or dark meat?” Clearly, we’re not from around here.

“I don’t know, it’s meat meat,” he says.

Junior has long hair and a bushy beard. He deftly rolls his own cigarettes. And, of course, he makes a mean squirrel stew.

“Squirrel season comes in the middle of September,” he says. “I’d say it’s a staple meal in the fall.”

He’s an avid hunter, but not for the sport of it — “those people are dicks,” he says. Whatever he shoots, he eats.

“The way I was raised is, whenever you kill an animal, you’re gonna eat that animal,” he says. “The culture here in Appalachia is that of self-reliance, of being able to take care of you and yours.”

It’s this lifestyle that Junior says coal companies are endangering.

“They’re not only destroying our water and land, but also stripping away our culture,” he says. “There’s not that much habitat left for squirrel or deer, or wildlife in general.”

Junior, like most who live in coal country, comes from a lineage of miners. His father and grandfather worked in the mines. He was born KAYFORD »PAGE 5

OPINION p. 6

SPORTS p. 10

WRITER RECOUNTS FIRST-YEAR GIFT EXCHANGE

BOARD APPLAUDS ALL-GENDER RESTROOMS

CLUB FOOTBALL SEEKS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Students in Emerson Hall celebrate holidays, relieve stress with White Elephant

Editorial board recognizes Miami’s transition to a more inclusive campus

Undefeated Miami club football team travels to Virginia to vie for national title

2 NEWS

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015

NEWS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

Miami professor elected mayor of Oxford GOVERNMENT

EMILY WILLIAMS

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Miami professor Kate Rousmaniere has been elected as Oxford’s new mayor. Rousmaniere, who received the position in a unanimous vote at the Dec. 1 City Council meeting, will be serving alongside councilmember Mike Smith, Oxford’s newly-elected vice mayor.

Smith is an interior designer with Miami’s Planning, Architecture and Engineering Department.

Former mayor Kevin McKeehan will continue to serve on the City Council.

After she and Smith were sworn in, Rousmaniere took a moment to thank McKeehan before leading her first council meeting.

“I don’t want to do anything

without thanking the former mayor Kevin McKeehan who’s been a role model of steady leadership and friendly leadership, community engagement…and working together,” said Rousmaniere. “It’s because of Kevin that I was interested in running for mayor.”

Rousmaniere has been a resident of Oxford since 1992. She is a professor in Miami’s Educational Leadership department and specializes in the social foundations of education, the history of American education, women educators and the history of teachers and teacher unions.

As a Miami professor, one of the

Study Guides 101: How students pass finals ACADEMICS

KEVIN VESTAL

THE MIAMI STUDENT

First-year Caley Wexler has a not-so-secret study strategy to prepare her for exams — and no, it does not involve prescription drugs.

Inspired by the success of her older sister, Wexler decided to make study guides to help improve her test scores for Business 101.

Rather than limit her guides to personal studies, she posts them online for her classmates.

Creating study guides is not complicated. About a week or so before an exam, her professor provides a list of key terms for the class to know, and Wexler comes up with a definition for each one through a combination of her notes, her textbook and Google.

Jackson DeJure, another resident of Emerson Hall, similarly posts his own study guides for Biology 115 on Facebook for all to see. He invites classmates to correct any spelling or content mistakes they might find in his work.

“Come exam time, there’s no way a vocabulary question could

trip me up,” DeJure said.

While everyone is able to utilize his final product, DeJure finds creating the study guide to be a useful study tactic in and of itself.

“I’m the only one that gets to use my study guides for active learning,” he said. “I have to make it and think about the wording and definitions and all that, while most people just have to read through it

In this way, generous students can leave behind their notes for future generations.

and make sure they remember all the terms, at least vaguely.”

Miami students have been posting study guides online for years now, especially for more content heavy subjects like history, science and foreign language. Websites like Quizlet and Studyblue allow users to post and share flashcard sets free of charge, while search tools help

FROM COAL »PAGE 1

And up until October, it owned the Kanawha Eagle mine.

After mining, the next stop was the Kanawha Eagle’s prep plant, where the coal was cleaned in a mixture of chemicals to remove impurities and crushed to a specific size — in Miami’s case, it needs to be 1 ¼ inch by ¼ inch stoker grade.

In February 2014, West Virginia’s Department of Environmental Protection reported that about 108,000 gallons of slurry — a hazardous cocktail of chemicals, heavy metals and other waste products from cleaning coal — spilled from the Kanawha Eagle’s Prep Plant into the adjacent Fields Creek, polluting the creek for days.

From the prep plant, coal is transported via CSX rail to the Kanawha River, which meets the Ohio River at Point Pleasant, West Virginia. The coal then begins its journey West, toward Cincinnati.

During the 19th century, coal powered the grand, romantic steamboats that inspired Mark Twain, traversing the same, winding waterway it does today. Now, the coal is pulled in large barges by lackluster tugboats.

For most of the coal traveling to Ohio from Appalachia, the final stop is one of the coalfired power plants along the Great Miami River, many of which are owned by Duke Energy, Dayton Power & Light or Butler Rural Electric Cooperative — the three energy providers that power Oxford.

In Miami’s case, trucks delivered coal directly to the steam plant, where it was dumped through a grate in the parking lot, or to the growing pile on Route 73.

At least, that is how it used to be.

Impacts

users filter content in order to find a specific university or professor.

In this way, generous students can leave behind their notes for future generations.

However, some students take a more entrepreneurial approach.

These students are selling their detailed notes to peers, who could ace exams without having to sit through a single lecture.

On Oct. 28, four months after Miami’s contract with its coal provider expired, Patriot Coal completed its Plan of Reorganization under the Chapter 11 restructuring process of the United States Bankruptcy code.

The company sold its assets and the Kanawha Eagle Mine was closed permanently.

“In light of the challenging market conditions … the Board and management team have determined that this process represents the best path forward for Patriot and its stakeholders,” said Bob Bennett, president of Patriot Coal, in a press release announcing Patriot’s application for bankruptcy.

This is just one example of the story of coal in the United States — an industry that many believe is on its way out.

Websites like luvolearn.com are littered with offers for everything from geology to art history, with prices averaging $4 for a few page of notes, and around $12 for final exam study guides. In order to determine product quality, users rely on a brief preview and a seller ratSTUDY GUIDES »PAGE 9

But the shift from one source of energy to another is nothing new. The movement away from coal is simply the next step in the evolution of our energy dependence.

From the moment Homo erectus discovered that rubbing two sticks together produced a flame 400,000 years ago, timber had been humans’ dominant source of fuel — for light, for heat and for cooking. The Romans used it to heat their elaborate baths and its over-harvesting led to the demise of Easter Island’s Rapa Nui people.

It wasn’t until 1882, when the first Edison power plant was built to supply energy to New York City, that coal was used to generate electricity in the United States. By the mid1900s, coal was the leading fuel producing electricity in America. Coal-fired generation of electricity saw a steady rise throughout the twentieth century.

On Miami’s campus, and indeed, all over the United States, the next shift is already underway.

“It’s repeating itself with hydraulic fracking. If you just black out natural gas and put coal in there, it’s the same thing,” said Michele Morrone, a professor and coordinator of environmental health science at Ohio University. “Communities are rushing to get paid because of their need for survival and it’s this cycle that keeps repeating.”

West Virginia’s coal region has long been an environmental disaster zone. Now the nation’s shift from coal to natural gas means that even the compensations of the coal economy — steady employment for thousands of miners and the people who sell them goods and services — are gradually washing away, leaving social and economic devastation across Coal Country.

“Of course, the changes we make will have ripple effects,” Kline said. “We have been rightly challenged on the environmental implications of fossil fuels, but we can’t take the social implications back either. Those are the conversion of an entire economy.”

When that conversion to natural gas is complete, when coal moves out and what little jobs left in West Virginia are no longer available — when all is said and done — what comes next?

Enter Adam Hall.

Uncertainty

Adam is a full time volunteer at Coal River Mountain Watch, a non-profit concentrated in Naoma, West Virginia, where he is working to rebuild communities and improve the quality of life of those affected by the powerful coal industry.

strengths Rousmaniere thinks she brings to the job is her ability to facilitate good “town-gown” relationships — interactions between the university and the Oxford community.

“The relationship between Oxford and the university is very good, and it’s going to get better,” said Rousmaniere.

For the past four years, Rousmaniere has served on Oxford’s City Council, first as a councilor and, for the past two years, as vice mayor. Before her career in local government, she was highly involved in the Oxford community, serving on the board of the Family Resource Center and volunteering

with the Oxford Senior Center.

“I want to get to know all parts of the community even more and encourage more people to be involved in the local government,” Rousmaniere said.

Among the items on the agenda for her term is an upcoming zoning study that she said will help define the ways in which Oxford develops. The study will include any issues with student housing.

“It will help us as a community to have a better sense of control about what we want,” she said.

The city currently is in need of more senior and moderate income housing, Rousmaniere noted.

Food allergies cause concern for campus dining DINING

BONNIE MEIBERS

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

On Nov. 20, while at Western Dining Commons, firstyear DK Dews grabbed and ate what he thought was a chocolate chip cookie.

Only after chewing and swallowing his first bite of the unlabeled cookie did he realize it was a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie.

“My throat started to itch really badly and it started to close up,” he said.

Dews is severely allergic to peanuts — an allergy he has been told he will never grow out of.

Dews then called the Student Health Services Center, where he got a recorded message that then prompted him to call 911. While he was waiting for the ambulance to arrive, Dews injected himself with epinephrine through an EpiPen. He was in the hospital for five hours.

“Patrons with food allergies can

dine without worry at this location,” according to Miami University’s Dining website.

“Maybe if everything was labeled, I think that would be so important,” Dews said. “I know that they do mostly, but sometimes there won’t be a sign next to something or an old sign because something is not there anymore.”

Steele Fitzwater is a sophomore.

His allergies cover the gamut — wheat, barley, rye, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, peas, kiwi, cauliflower, peas, asparagus, broccoli, pineapple and bay leaves.

“I’m at Western probably two times a week,” Fitzwater said.

“The food they have is good, especially if you’re looking for something healthy.”

Junior Kyra Klonz also has extensive allergies. She is allergic to gluten, dairy, soy, nuts, apples, carrots, celery, oysters, clams, plums, corn and white potato.

Klonz said that she would often ALLERGIES »PAGE 9

sword. What will be the boon of West Virginia’s environmental woes could be the bane of its population.

“Occupational health effects will be lessened but community effects will probably rise as that shifts. Coal is declining.

Natural gas is cheaper and seemingly more abundant,” Morrone said. “Overall, Appalachia suffers from coal, from poverty, now from natural gas. It has a long history of resource extraction.”

For the last 50 years, coal been the dominant, in fact, singular, industry in West Virginia, filling the pockets of the meek and the powerful alike. Politicians with heavy stakes in all aspects of the coal industry have pulled the ground from under the feet of any other businesses hoping to enter the state.

As natural gas begins to grow and companies like Patriot Coal go out of business, nothing is coming in to replace the dying industry. And people are going elsewhere KYLE HAYDEN DESIGN EDITOR because of it.

Adam Hall points out the historic features in the “How do you convince these really inheadquarters of Coal River Mountain Watch. grained, indoctrinated, entrenched, powerful people that their way of life is dying The population in southern West Virginia and they better fix it while they still can beis predominantly 55-and-older. The state is fore their state goes bankrupt?” in a natural birth decline — more people are dying than those who are being born. Worse, Reclamation people are moving out. Young people.

Adam paces the floors at Coal River In March, The Charleston Gazette re- every night, asking himself how to solve ported that West Virginia is losing popula- that exact question. He doesn’t know the tion faster than any other state. From July answer, but one day soon, he says, he is go2013 to July 2014 the number of residents ing to be able to point to something. declined by 3,300.

He likes to admire the floors at Coal Adam is in the business of reversing this River as he paces — dark wood floors that trend. It’s the driving force behind all his were part of the original building. work at Coal River.

Once, a man visiting Coal River suggest“The kids who are born here, they ed the organization sell them, that it could don’t want to stay. I want to change that. get a quarter-million dollars for the hardI want them to at least take a bit of pride wood back in Manhattan. But he would in their state,” he said. “But you’ve got hear none of it. to have an obligation, and you can’t do “I said ‘No, you ain’t taking my floors,’” that when they are lopping off the tops of Adam recalled, scanning the room with these mountains and leaving a huge mess satisfaction and pride. around, poisoning the water and the air and They were a part of his home, part of the killing people wholesale!” place where he dedicated countless nights Needless to say, Adam wants coal out. of blood, sweat and toil. The floor was hidAnd because of institutions like Miami den under layers of tile and thick, gunky University, which are replacing their depen- adhesive. It was hard to get to. Adam spent dency on coal with a dependency on natural more than a week scraping off the gunk gas, he is getting his wish. Just not in the way and buffing the floors until they glowed. he and other activists were hoping.

Adam was sitting on a gold mine. But “I wish we were as powerful a force as the shipping away a part of Coal River Mounfree market. But the free market has unfortu- tain Watch to make a quick buck just nately spoken for coal, and it has said, ‘You seemed wrong. The floors weren’t going are done.’” anywhere. They were staying right where To Adam, coal’s exit is a double-edged he found them.

NEWS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

Board of Trustees to decide on fixed tuition costs MONEY

BRITTON PERELMAN CULTURE EDITOR

The Miami University Board of Trustees will vote today about the implementation of the Miami Tuition Promise. If passed, the tuition guarantee would go into effect for the incoming class of fall 2016.

The Miami Tuition Promise would ensure that tuition and room and board fees remain consistent throughout all four years of a student’s college career.

Vice President of Finance David Creamer said he would be surprised if the board doesn’t approve the Tuition Promise.

“Families are finding this much more attractive, given the uncertainty and some of the large price changes they’ve experienced in the past,” said Creamer. “I think this will become the dominant approach to how tuition is set for students in the future.”

In April 2014, the Associated Student Government (ASG) passed a resolution urging the Board of Trustees to consider some kind of guaranteed tuition program.

Over the next year-and-a-half, the Board of Trustees discussed options with the Finance and Audit Committee, and ASG reaffirmed its support several times, including unanimous support at a Sept. 15, 2015 meeting.

“It was well perceived because this is something that’s been inside ASG and everyone knows about for quite some time,” said Amy Berg, secretary for communications and

media relations for ASG. Creamer said he hopes it will make the cost of college easier for students to plan.

“Hopefully, it makes it easier to plan for the cost of your education so that you’re not wondering what the cost might be at any point throughout the four years you’re here,” said Creamer.

Although there would be an initial increase for each incoming class of

There’s a bit of stress when you sign up for college. It’s exciting, but there’s some stress about looking at finances. So if we can alleviate some of that, it will help.

CLAIRE WAGNER

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

first years, the increase is due to the fact that the price would then remain fixed for the following years.

The Tuition Promise would guarantee a fixed rate for full-time students taking 12 or more credit hours and a fixed per credit hour rate for part-time students taking up to 11 credit hours each semester.

Guaranteed tuition plans, such as the Miami Tuition Promise, make it easier for families to plan for college financially.

“Your scholarships are fixed when you come in, but your tuition

continues to rise,” said Creamer.

“And under this plan, the difference between your scholarship and tuition will remain the same over the four-year period.”

During yesterday’s Finance and Audit Committee meeting, Creamer expressed the hope to announce details of the Tuition Promise in soon-to-be-sent acceptance letters.

Claire Wagner, the director of communications, said there has already been an increase in Early Decision and Early Action applications for the 2016-2017 school year. She also said she believes families will benefit from knowing the cost of a four-year undergraduate education.

“We think it will be helpful to families,” Wagner said. “We’ve heard for several years from student leaders who swear that their parents said this, too — that certainty or predictability is so desirable when looking at four years of college.”

Knowing how much a year at Miami will cost would allow students, and their parents, to take control of finances. Wagner also expects the tuition guarantee to be something that is marketable for prospective students.

“There’s a bit of stress when you sign up for college,” said Wagner. “It’s exciting, but there’s some stress about looking at finances. So if we can alleviate some of that, it will help.”

The Board of Trustees will vote about the Miami Tuition Promise at their meeting today.

Library sees drop in book check-outs, but resources remain popular among students CAMPUS

PAOLA GARCIA

THE MIAMI STUDENT

First-year Emily Ward walks to King Library to get some homework done. Although heading to the library, she passes by shelves of books and heads to a study room to meet with some classmates.

Ward is part of an increasing population of college students who primarily use the library not for books, but for other available services.

As technology is rapidly changing, the need to check out books at King Library is decreasing, making the library’s available resources adapt to better fulfill students’ needs.

As of Dec. 1, 2,932 undergraduates currently have 7,893 library items checked out. These include library books, other reading materials, laptops and headphones.

The undergraduate student that has checked out the greatest number of items during their semesters at Miami has 185 items.

Rob Withers, Libraries and Armstrong Institute of Media Studies (IMS) instructor, said despite fewer printed books being checked out, librarians have kept their traditional role of guiding us-

NEWS 3

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015

ers to resources.

“As most finding aids, journals, and books have moved online, we increasingly support the ability of students to access information in a digital environment,” Withers said.

With resources evolving in libraries, there will be more demand for librarians in the future, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, which says the employment rate for librarians is estimated to grow 7 percent by 2022.

There were 6 percent fewer checkouts for circulating books in the fiscal year 2014-15 than the years before. Despite the decrease, there were 102,376 book checkouts and 110,196 renewals for printed books in the 2014-2015 fiscal year. Books accounted for 47 percent of all checkouts and 95 percent of all renewals.

Along with books and e-books, students are able to check out a number of other resources at King Library, such as digital equipment, study room keys and miscellaneous supplies.

In the last fiscal year, there were 68,578 checkouts for computers and 38,415 checkouts for study rooms in additional to the book checkout. These checkouts

account for 30 and 15 percent of all checkouts, respectively. Even though miscellaneous supplies, like rulers and colored pencils, account for only 0.33 percent of all checkouts, this converts to about 1,000 checkouts a year.

Junior Mary Kate Kuchers said she doesn’t go to King Library often, except for group projects.

“I’ve only checked out one book during my whole college career,” Kuchers said. “I wish the library could rent out Canon DSLR cameras.”

Although there are many students checking things out, there is a flow of students in and out of King Library at any hour of a day.

First-year Maria Taylor said she goes to the library frequently, but hasn’t needed to check out a book yet.

“When I go to King I usually go to do some research on the computers, study or have lunch,” Taylor said.

Taylor is one of many students who go to King to study for final exams.

“Being a double major and with finals approaching, I really appreciate the quietness of the upper levels at King,” she said. “At this time of the year, I wouldn’t go to any other place to study.”

Two Miami alumni vie for Ohio congressional seat

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE STATE OF OHIO

State Rep. Tim Derickson (left) and State Sen. Bill Beagle (right) are Miami alumni campaigning for John Boehner’s former position as U.S. Representative of Ohio’s 8th Congressional District.

POLITICS

EMILY TATE

MANAGING EDITOR

Three Miami alumni have seized new opportunities for public office since John Boehner’s resignation at the end of October.

Paul Ryan, a 1992 Miami graduate and congressman from Wisconsin, assumed Boehner’s former position as U.S. Speaker of the House Oct. 29.

Now, Ohio’s 8th Congressional District must decide in a special election next spring who will be its next U.S. Representative.

Of the eight declared candidates, all are Republicans and two are Miami alumni.

State Senator Bill Beagle and State Representative Tim Derickson share a lot in common. Both are Miami Mergers, have children attending Miami this year and graduated in the ’80s with business degrees.

They also agree this run for Congress was never part of their plans. But now, after years in the state legislature, each alumnus believes he is the best candidate to represent not only the state, but the country.

Beagle, a business owner and former stay-at-home dad living in Dayton, says he is looking forward to a competitive campaign.

“This is a big opportunity for our whole congressional district,” Beagle said. “When I gave it some thought, having served in the legislature for almost five years now, and representing a big portion of the [8th] district, it made sense that I would run for this seat. I know this district very well, and I’ve represented it very well.”

He said his experience at Miami helped shape his personal life and his career. And it taught him the value of hard work — Beagle worked at Bagel & Deli for three years.

“My ties to the university run very deep,” he said. “I have a lot of affection for Miami.”

If elected, Beagle said his focus would be in workforce development, national security issues and spending issues. Beagle believes his experience as a problem-solver would allow him to “help fix Washington.”

“I don’t want to hand over a world to my children’s generation that is just so deep in debt,” he said.

His daughter Morgan, a senior

at Miami, said her dad is a great listener and really cares about his constituents. As a business major herself, she thinks his background as a business owner gives him the right mindset for the job.

“My dad says this a lot and I think it’s so true: ‘You should run your government like you run your household, and you don’t spend more on your household than you can afford.’ Run the government a little bit like you run a business.”

Derickson grew up in Oxford and devoted 25 years of his life to farming. From there, he moved into healthcare, then started two businesses before entering public office.

“I believe all these aspects of my career really lends to diversity in experience for this particular role,” Derickson said.

When Boehner announced his resignation in September, Derickson, a devout Christian, said he prayed about what to do before making a decision.

“I decided to throw my hat in the ring,” he said. “It really wasn’t part of my plan. The real reason I decided to do this is I have had some success in the Ohio House.”

Derickson still lives in Oxford, just four miles from Miami’s campus. His daughter Katie graduated from Miami in 2014, and his son Matt is a junior now.

Matt said his family spent summer nights in Uptown Park when he was younger, and in high school, they went to a lot of hockey games together. After all of the election talk in the last few weeks, he said a few things about his dad have really stood out.

“He’s not doing it for himself,” Matt said. “He’s doing it because he feels like this is what God is telling him to do. His heart is in the right place, and he actually cares for people in his district and wants to do as much as he can to help as many people as he can.”

Both candidates are calling on the help of the Miami College Republicans to do some grassroots campaigning in the area.

“The number of students that are willing and looking forward to helping us — it’s just humbling,” Derickson said.

The deadline for candidates to file their names is Dec. 16 — after that, the race is on to fill Boehner’s congressional seat — and just maybe a Miami alumnus will be the one to do it.

Part 2: The end of the beginning and finding a home away from home SERIES

ELISE VASKO

THE MIAMI STUDENT

The following is the second in a four-part series following a group of students through their first year of college. The first was published Oct. 2nd.

When to do laundry, how to navigate from Pearson to Peabody and what food to order at Pulley’s — for Oak Hills High School graduates and Miami first-years Joe Anderson, Rylan Hixson, Becca Miller and Samantha Bosse, these are all just part of the learning curve.

While all four graduated from the same high school, and are now at the same college, each has taken his or her own path at Miami. Now near the end of their first semester, the four first-

years reflected on their time at Miami so far.

“I’m definitely more driven now and I’m definitely a lot more responsible than I was in high school,” said Anderson. “You have to really be responsible for your actions and hold yourself accountable, otherwise you really fall behind.”

Anderson said he feels even more adjusted to being at college now than he did two months ago. He said his friends, along with his course schedule, have helped ease the transition.

“I think the friend group I got into as well as the classes I got were a good starting off point to know what college is going to be about and what classes are going to be like, and it’s positive just to have that knowledge moving forward.”

In contrast, Hixson said he is still

working to adjust academically.

“The way you learn is completely different than in high school,” Hixson said. “You have to adapt your learning style, and you have to work harder.

Finding a balance between social life and schoolwork is hard to do.”

Miller has also found the academic component to be a challenge, but said she has found the social aspect to be easier than she anticipated.

“It’s been a little stressful class-wise, but I’ve adjusted quite wonderfully socially and I think that’s partially because everyone in marching band is so accommodating,” said Miller.

For Miller, marching band helped her feel more comfortable at Miami, and is how she met many of her new friends.

“You see one of [the band members] walking down the street and

they’ll wave to you. You see so many people you know from band all the time, wherever you go.”

Similarly, as a member of Miami’s dance team, Bosse said she has made many friends through her extracurricular.

Being on the dance team, Bosse said her parents often drive up to watch her perform at football games, and at times this can make the transition from living at home to living at college more difficult.

“I feel like I’m adjusting pretty well, but I’m so close to home that I probably see my parents too often,” said Bosse. “They come up for the games, so I’m still very tied to home.”

However, Bosse said, she appreciates the newfound freedom she is experiencing while away at school.

“I like that I can be wherever I want

whenever I want. I don’t have to be anywhere. Even class is pretty much optional,” Bosse said. “It’s all on me, which I like, because I’m good at being where I need to be. I make my own decisions here: good, bad, or indifferent, I make my own choices.”

Looking back on his first semester, Hixson said the overall experience was all of what he expected, and then some.

“I expected to love it and I did, I expected to make friends and I did, but apart from that I didn’t know what to expect, and that’s what made it so special,” said Hixson.

“What makes it even more special is that I know that these seven semesters that I have left here are all going to be different, unique and special, and I’m excited to not know, and then to discover.”

4 CULTURE

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015

An impromptu ‘Friends-mas’ party

The hunt for the perfect tree begins in Uptown Park UPTOWN

HOLIDAYS

ALISON PERELMAN THE MIAMI STUDENT

Cookies, candy canes, hot chocolate, tea and toffee. Christmas music on Pandora and two tiny trees by the window. A few ugly sweaters and a $5-10 gift. Eleven people stuffed into a 148-squarefoot room.

It may not sound like Christmas, but to a group of friends from the basement of Emerson Hall, it’s close enough.

They decided to do a gift exchange, sending out a group text about the plans over Thanksgiving break.

They procrastinated organizing Secret Santa, and ended up doing something similar to a White Elephant gift exchange. They figured it would be more fun for everyone, like a game, and it was really just about spending time together.

“It’ll be a fun time just to hang out with everyone after Thanksgiving and to relax during finals before we all leave,” Madison Ryan said.

Madison and Sierra Bailey-Van Kuren talk about their gifts and how exactly the exchanging will work while waiting for the others to arrive.

“I got ramen,” said Sierra. “I was disorganized and did not buy any

gifts … but then someone offered to go get the ramen for me and came up with the whole idea, so I didn’t really even think of it.”

Sierra jokes about stealing cleaning supplies from the janitor’s closet and wrapping those up, too.

Surprisingly, almost everyone had proper wrapping for their gifts.

Haley Uline thought she was going to have to use graphing paper, and even started drawing patterns on it, but then Michael Gunderman showed up with wrapping paper for her to use.

Victor Pinto is the only person to show up with gifts wrapped in newspaper.

“He used the quality wrapping paper,” Abby Hurley shouts.

As everyone starts to arrive, cookies are passed around and water heated to make hot chocolate.

“You’re making hot chocolate with water?” scoffs Nick Bakonyi.

“Do we have milk? No. We’re not that privileged,” Sierra snaps back at him.

Finally, around 9:30 p.m., everyone is crowded into the small room.

They gather around to take a few group pictures, then the exchange begins.

Everyone sits in a circle with the presents on display in the middle.

FRIENDS-MAS »PAGE 9

J-Term: Six weeks of binge-watching bliss TELEVISION

DEVON SHUMAN

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

With classes wrapping up today, students have just one week of final exams and intense studying left before it’s time to head home for the winter. While the warm days and clear skies of summer often pressure us to go outside, cold and snowy winters are the perfect justification to stay inside and do what we do best — binge-watch TV shows.

With that in mind, here are five new and upcoming shows to check out over Winter Break.

“Fargo,” FX With its expert writing, brilliant acting and masterful use of setting, “Fargo” is one of the best series on TV. Set in the same universe as the Coen brothers’ Oscar-winning film of the same name, the psychological crime drama follows the cops

and criminals in northern Minnesota and North Dakota. While the first season was set in present day, the second season jumps back to 1979 as a young Lou Solverson (father of Molly from season one), played by Patrick Wilson, investigates a case involving a local crime gang and a major mob syndicate.

With an all-star cast that includes Jesse Plemons, Kirsten Dunst, Ted Danson, and Nick Offerman, season two is consistently releasing perfect episodes of television every Monday. The season finale airs December 14, don’t’cha know. If you’ve fallen behind, you can catch up on Hulu or FX.com.

“The Knick,” Cinemax One lesser known show, “The Knick” features Clive Owen as Dr. John W. Thackery, a cocaine- and opiate-addicted surgeon at New York’s Knickerbocker Hospital in the early 1900’s.

PERELMBK@MIAMIOH.EDU

MACKENZIE ROSSERO THE MIAMI STUDENT

More than anything else, the Christmas tree is symbolic of the holiday season. Many shy away from artificial trees, arguing there is nothing better than seeing a real Christmas tree light up your living room. The customers at the Oxford Lion’s Club Christmas tree sale in the Uptown Memorial Park would agree.

Every year, the Oxford Lion’s

Club sells a variety of Christmas trees to students and Oxford residents. This year, the 56th annual sale, there were 243 trees to choose from, with prices ranging from $20 to $75. All profits from the sale go back to the Oxford community, Lane Library and community service scholarships, among other things.

With lively Christmas music as background noise, juniors Marquette Gasser and Julia Olmsted came shopping for their tree. Olmsted had never had a “real” Christ-

mas tree before and was excited to choose one.

“I want a big one,” she said. “We have a big house so it would look kinda weird otherwise.”

Gasser, one of her housemates, disagreed.

“I wanted a tiny one because they’re so cute,” said Gasser.

Compromising, the girls ended up with a medium-sized tree that fit another one of their requirements — inexpensive.

CHRISTMAS TREES »PAGE 9

Humans oƒ Oxford Ben Baacke: The ‘golf ball boy’ of Emerson PEOPLE

AUDREY DAVIS

THE MIAMI STUDENT

No matter the time of day, it’s almost guaranteed that a bouncing noise can be heard coming from room 346 in Emerson Hall.

Everyone below the room has heard the sound, but no one questions what it is, they only complain about what they hear.

Residents on the second and third floor started to assume the noise was coming from a golf ball, so the mysterious person making the noise was given the name “Golf Ball Boy.” “Golf Ball Boy” lives with three of his best friends from high school and prefers to go by his real name — Ben Baacke. The residents on the floor below were right though, he was, and still probably is, bouncing a golf ball on the floor of his room.

Ben found the golf ball walking to Western Campus (he thinks), but his roommate, Josh, swears he brought it from home.

“No, no. I found it on the ground walking to Western,” Ben laughed.

“That’s why it’s so special.”

“We should sacrifice the golf ball to the abyss!” one of his roommates yelled.

This started a whole other argument between the four of them.

“Wait, can we retrieve it after, or does that defeat the purpose?” Ben asked.

“No, that’s like giving a blanket to the homeless and then taking it

COLIN SHIMROCK PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

back because you’re cold,” another roommate said.

Constant, playful bickering between all four of the roommates is a given. But, usually, it’s just about who is beating whom in Super Smash Bros.

One of his roommates hands him a controller as they start a new game.

“Can’t you see I’m in the middle of an interview here?” Ben asks.

He takes the controller anyway.

“Why is Ben playing this game right now?” a roommate asks as Ben’s character struggles to stay alive.

Ben’s attention left the interview completely, but later, inevitably, he returned to bouncing the golf ball.

James Oaks — Official Miami snapchat-er

WINTER TV »PAGE 9

What to see at the movies over Winter Break FILM

JACK RYAN

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

December is traditionally a great time at the movies, and this winter is no different.

Kicking off this month’s run of high quality flicks are a handful of independent films coming this weekend. Most notable is Spike Lee’s “Chi-Raq,” a satire of gangviolence in Chicago’s infamous south side. “Chi-Raq” stars Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes and Samuel L. Jackson, and is supposedly the controversial director’s return to form after a series of misfires.

Two major foreign films, Justin Kurzel’s “Macbeth” and Paolo Sorrentino’s “Youth,” also hit the domestic market Dec 4. “Macbeth” is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s timeless drama, with major stars Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard playing the title role and Lady Macbeth, respectively.

“Youth” is Sorrentino’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning “The Great Beauty,” and looks to secure the Italian director another Best Foreign Film nomination.

The following Friday, Dec 11,

also sports three major releases: “In the Heart of the Sea,” “The Big Short” and “Legend.”

“In the Heart of the Sea” looks to reveal the true story behind Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick,” and, knowing director Ron Howard’s history in disaster film with “Apollo 11,” this is sure to be a unique cinematic experience.

“The Big Short” is a biographical dramedy that covers the 2008 financial crisis and sports a large cast of big names — Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling and Christian Bale, to name a few.

Finally, “Legend” is the crime biopic of the notorious twin gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray, both played by the immensely talented Tom Hardy.

I don’t even need to explain what will be happening Dec 18, since “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” has transformed from a series reboot into a global phenomenon.

Featuring veteran cast members reprising their roles (Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill), newcomers to the galaxy far, far away (Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Daisy WINTER MOVIES »PAGE 9

CONNOR MORIARTY PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

PEOPLE

ELIZABETH HANSEN THE MIAMI STUDENT

James Oaks is only a first year, but his face is known throughout campus.

During his first four months at Miami, he met the former Secretary of Defense and Seth Meyers.

How? James is the official Snapchat-er of Miami University.

“It’s really cool because there are over 18,000 students here that have a lot of pride in their campus so we get to show it off to the rest of the world,” says James.

James landed his job through a high school internship with his

district’s communications director running their Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. He’s now able to pitch his own ideas for the Miami Snapchat feed, including the newest feature, “Oh Snap!” in which all the events going on around campus are featured.

“We receive snaps from Miamians all over the world so it’s neat to see just how expansive our reach is,” says James.

His Snapchat internship has even earned him an additional job producing digital content for the hockey and football teams.

“I was at a hockey game taking a bunch of videos and I edited together a little recap from the hockey game,” James says.

“Within two hours, I got hired by the hockey and football teams.”

James’ first-year college experience has been different compared to that of other first-years, but, for him, having the opportunity to provide a behind-the-scenes look into what goes on around campus has been a great experience.

“It’s definitely made the first year of college a lot more fun,” James says. “This has been a great way to kind of start off college just because I’ve been able to go to a lot of great things that I probably wouldn’t have gone to without the job. It’s allowed me to share unique parts of Miami that many people might not get to see everyday.”

FRIDAY September 18, 2015

WWW.MIAMISTUDENT.NET FROM FRIENDS-MAS »PAGE 4

FROM WINTER MOVIES »PAGE 4

When their name is called they can pick a gift from the pile or steal someone else’s, but a gift can only be stolen twice and everyone has to wait until the end to open them.

The noise in the small room grows as gifts are contemplated and chosen, the guys talk about football and comments are thrown everywhere.

As soon as the sports talk starts, Madison protests.

“No football, it’s Christmas.”

Someone picks up Haley’s gift and Kyle Weaver is in awe.

“Holy crap, who wrapped that?

That is gorgeous!”

Finally, Abby Hurley decides to steal and a theft frenzy ensues. Everyone gets confused and the rules have to be discussed again.

After everyone has their final gift, they open them one at time.

Peter Ollermann tries to guess what his is as he pulls newspaper out of a big empty container. He finally gets to the bottom.

“Condoms! I’m going to use them right now!” Peter shouts as the room is filled with laughter.

He stretches one onto his head, only to realize his mistake a few minutes later.

“Oh god, it’s like I bathed in oil.”

Sierra becomes incredibly happy when she realizes her gift is a light saber.

Haley gets a shot glass. Abby gets a headband basketball game.

She wants to play it right away, but is slightly disappointed when she reads that assembly is required.

Kyle gets a harmonica — his roommate will surely hate him.

Michael gets a cheese ornament.

Nick gets a blanket. Victor gets chocolate and headphones.

Jackie gets a magic eight ball.

“Will I pass my finals? ... Yes!” she shouts with arms raised. Everyone cheers.

And Madison gets the ramen.

Torn paper is piled on the floor and cups of hot chocolate sit forgotten on the dresser. Kyle attempts to play his harmonica. Peter uses his last condom trying to see how many ping pong balls will fit in it.

Jokes and laughter fill the air again, a taste of the holiday break waiting on the other side of finals week.

Ridley), and ambitious director J.J. Abrams, there is no doubt in my mind that this will be the biggest movie of the year.

Dec 18 also sports “Son of Saul,” a Hungarian film that follows an Auschwitz prisoner struggling to properly bury his son. “Son of Saul” is the current front-runner for the Best Foreign Film Oscar in February, and is undoubtedly worth searching out.

The only thing that could possibly top Dec. 18 as the best film day of the year is 2015’s current Christmas line-up, which features four films that will most likely be considered among the years best.

“Joy” is the most recent film from “Silver Linings Playbook” director David O. Russell, and Russell manages to bring most of that prolific cast back together for this biopic of Miracle Mop inventor, Joy Mangano, with Jennifer Lawrence taking the lead role Another major director makes his long-awaited return on Christmas day — Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino continues his recent streak of historical dramas with “The Hateful Eight,” an ensemble-cast driven western that should appease any fan of violence, witty dialogue or cult films.

Although “Hateful Eight” carries some controversy along with its release, it’s doubtful any film will have a greater cultural impact this year than “Concussion.” Starring Will Smith as CTE-discovering pathologist Emmet Omalu, “Concussion” tackles the NFL’s denial and lack of action towards the destructive disease with brutal honesty.

Finally, Christmas Day provides the wide release opening for “Carol,” the Cate Blanchett/Rooney Mara romantic drama that has opened to universal acclaim for the two leads, as well as director Todd Haynes’ impeccable work.

Unfortunately, things slow down substantially in January, with only two films debuting worth major recognition.

FROM WINTER TV »PAGE 4

At a time when little was known about proper medicine and surgical procedures, going under the knife was an often fatal experience. Though emotionally turbulent, Thackery is nonetheless passionate, and is constantly pushing boundaries in an attempt to lower the Knick’s mortality rate. Painting a grim, but beautifully realistic picture of life at the dawn of modern medicine, “The Knick” is worth a watch this winter break. The finale airs at 10 p.m., Dec. 18. Cinemax subscribers can catch up at Cinemax.com or Xfinity On Demand.

“F is For Family,” Netflix Any fan of Bill Burr knows that he can be more than a bit vulgar at times. He swears frequently, hates political correctness, and has no time for bulls***. Now, he’s channeling all that anger through the perfect medium — an animated sitcom.

Based loosely on Burr’s childhood, “F is for Family” focuses on a middle-class family in the 1970s, a time when society was much more lenient when it came to mild physical punishment, drinking and driving and leaving children unsupervised.

Netflix already proved it can produce top-of-the-line animated television with “BoJack Horseman,” and, with Laura Dern and Justin Long lending their voices and Vince Vaughn executive producing, “F is For Family” will hopefully hold its own in the currently flourishing genre of adult animation.

The first season of “F is for Family” will be available to stream on Netflix starting Dec. 18.

“American Crime,” ABC Call me a hipster, but I generally detest anything produced by the major broadcast networks (CBS, ABC, NBC). I find that in order to get good ratings, their programs tend to neglect smart writing and storytelling so that they can appeal to a wider audience.

“American Crime” is the rare exception. Similar to “True Detective,” “American Crime” ignores the overplayed tropes of the cop procedural genre and instead uses

a crime investigation as a way to construct deep, complex characters and explore psychological themes.

While the first season of the anthology series followed the aftermath of a murder in Modesto, California, the second season focuses on a high school student in Indianapolis who accuses members of a championship basketball team of sexually assaulting him. With brilliant performances from Timothy Hutton and Felicity Huffman, “American Crime” is one of the best shows on a major network.

“American Crime” premieres at 10 pm, Jan. 6 on ABC. “Angie Tribeca,” TBS Just as “American Crime” redefines the cop procedural drama, “Angie Tribeca” aims to parody it.

Rashida Jones stars as the titular character, a 10-year veteran of the LAPD’s RHCU (Really Heinous Crimes Unit). Along with her partner, Jay Geils (Hayes MacArthur), Tribeca investigates what TBS refers to as, “the most serious cases, from the murder of a ventriloquist to a rash of baker suicides.”

Unfortunately, the trailer makes it seem that the comedy might, at times, lean more toward silly than witty. However, with guest stars such as Lisa Kudrow and Gary Cole, and with comedic all-stars Steve and Nancy Carell at the helm, “Angie Tribeca” is not a show to be overlooked.

“Angie Tribeca” will premiere with a 25-hour marathon starting at 9 pm, Jan. 17, on TBS. Also, mark your calendars for the Golden Globes Jan. 10 and keep an eye out for some promising holiday specials such as Bill Murray’s “A Very Murray Christmas” Dec. 4 on Netflix, and a special New Year’s Day episode of “Sherlock.”

FROM CHRISTMAS TREES »PAGE 4

“We were looking for the cheapest tree we could find,” explained Olmsted with a laugh.

Among their decorations for the tree, the girls list things from Walmart, found objects and handme-down ornaments from their parents.

But, there are extra responsibilities if you go with a real Christmas tree — they have to be watered and can be a potential fire hazard. The real trees also shed pine needles, but Gasser and Olmsted have that one covered.

“That’s my job,” said Gasser. “I clean the living room.”

After the girls made their decision, Dale Rolfes and Tim Hutzel, both members of the Oxford Lion’s Club, took the tree off its spike and carried it to the baler. The baler condenses the tree in a net more suitable for transporting.

Balancing the tree on their shoulders, Gasser and Olmsted began

/9

The first is “Anomalisa,” surrealist writer Charlie Kaufman’s stop-motion release, which should give “Inside Out” a serious run for its money in the Best Animated Film category. As of now, however, “Anomalisa” has only a broad release date of sometime in January.

Last, and my speculative pick for best film of the year, is “The Revenant.”

Opening Jan 8, “The Revenant” is the story of betrayed fur trapper Hugh Glass and his search for revenge. Leonardo DiCaprio looks to finally end his Oscar drought, and director Alejandro G. Iñárritu and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki hope to complete backto-back wins after the success of “Birdman” last year.

No matter which movies you choose see this holiday season, spend part of your Winter Break at the movie theater.

the trek to their off-campus home, where they planned to set up their “tree burrito” in preparation for the holidays.

The tree types offered at the sale this year include Scotch Pine, Douglas Fir and Fraser Fir. Oxford Lion’s Club member Dale Rolfes describes the Scotch as having a silvery tone and a wonderful smell — though it is the most expensive of the three.

Each year, at the end of the sale, the remaining trees are donated to the Family Resource Center. The Lion’s Club also provides the 12foot tree displayed in President David Hodge’s house.

The Oxford Lion’s Club will be selling Christmas trees Uptown until just before Christmas Day, or until all of the trees are sold. The sale is open from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 12 to 6 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday.

WWW.MIAMISTUDENT.NET

5

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015

KYLE HAYDEN DESIGN EDITOR

A mountaintop removal mine site sits a short walk from Kayford Mountain. Over 500 mountaintops have disappeared from West Virginia according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

FROM FOOTBALL»PAGE 10

KYLE HAYDEN DESIGN EDITOR

Activist and Coal River Mountain Watch volunteer Junior Walk rolls a cigarette and explains the workings of minesite reclaimation, where nature is reintroduced to the tops of mountains after they have been mined.

FROM KAYFORD »PAGE 1

and raised near Whitesville, on the banks of Coal River. Junior felt the effects of the coal industry before he ever saw a mountaintop removal mine.

“Our water was really bad when I was a kid,” he says.

He remembers turning on the tap in his parents’ house and watching red, foul-smelling water drip out. This happened after a mining blast cracked the aquifer near his house and allowed coal slurry — the toxic, sludge-like byproduct of coal washing — to seep into his family’s well.

His water stayed contaminated for several more years.

By the time he graduated from high school, Junior was ready to leave. He applied and was accepted to a couple colleges before he realized he didn’t have the money to pay for it. So he did what so many of his town’s high school graduates do: he went to work for a coal company.

At 17 years old, Junior began working at the same coal plant his father worked at, doing general maintenance. Some days it wasn’t so bad — he’d cut the grass. But others, he’d find himself in the basement of the plant, waist deep in coal slurry, spraying the sludge with a pressure hose to move it through grates in the floor to a storage impoundment.

“No respirator, no goggles, fumes coming up and hitting you in the face,” he says. “I quickly realized that if I kept doing that, I was going to die.”

He only worked there for six months. But it didn’t take long for Junior to start working for a coal company again. After a couple odd jobs and a stint living out of his car, Junior began working as a security guard on a mine site.

He immediately felt out of place.

“I felt miserable about it,” he says. “The more I thought about it, the more I was like, ‘I don’t want to be a goddam cog in their machine of poisoning people.’”

After he left that job, Junior became a fulltime activist and got involved with several prominent local environmental groups. Among others, Junior worked with two late, world-renowned activists,

Larry Gibson, whose family has Kayford Mountain in a land trust and who started the Keeper of the Mountains Foundation, and Judy Bonds, the former executive director of Coal River Mountain Watch, where Junior now volunteers.

Since then, he has been fighting coal companies head-on. He lobbies the state and federal government and speaks at colleges across the country to raise awareness. He’s also organized demonstrations and sit-ins.

“If hippies wanna find themselves a big piece of yellow equipment to chain themselves to, I will point it out to them,” he says. “I’ll hand them the lock.”

He won the Brower Youth Award, an environmental prize, for his actions and has been to jail twice, arrested during protests.

However, his outspoken views are dangerous ones to have here in southern West Virginia. When Junior first started doing anti-coal work, his father, who still worked for a coal company at the time, had to kick Junior out of the house.

“He didn’t want to, but he had to because he knew if I was doing this work, and I was living under his roof, he would’ve lost his job in a heartbeat,” Junior says.

But there are others, mostly people who work in the coal industry, who genuinely wish him harm — groups with names like Citizens for Coal and Coal Miners Militia, who don’t like what Junior’s doing.

They want the coal jobs to stay.

“They’re the type of people who’re the reason I carry a pistol everywhere I go,” Junior says.

He says he gets threatened; people have pulled guns on him, shot toward him and cut his brake lines.

“It’s the fact that I’ve been at this for as long as I have,” he says. “I haven’t calmed down on it at all.”

Environmentalists like Junior and those who oppose him represent two extremes here. The majority of people, though, are somewhere in the middle — they may not like the coal companies, but they rely on them for paychecks.

“They’re just trying to survive,” says Michele Morrone, a professor and coordinator of environmental health science at Ohio University.

“Coal has made that possible.”

Morrone, who has worked all her professional life in Appalachia,

writing about and researching public health, says the area’s focus on coal has bred an economic reliance on the industry.

“The lack of diversifying and educating people has placed a lot of families in a trap,” she says.

That’s because coal is quickly falling out of favor, usurped in many places by natural gas. As coal companies lay people off, communities here are suffering. Counties in Appalachia are among the nation’s poorest and drug addiction is rampant.

“There are no jobs here,” says Adam Hall, a full-time volunteer for Coal River Mountain Watch.

“If you work in a gas station, you are a reputable person here, right?

You have something. That’s not the kind of place that I think people should live in.”

Adam says that, in order for the region to recover, communities must realize that the coal industry’s days are numbered.

“You know, coal gave us this, but coal also left us that,” he says.

“They ain’t coming back again.

There’s no boom coming. It’s just a bust and a bust and a bust now.”

Adam is an idealist. He’s confident Appalachia will again prosper.

Junior is less so. He says he doesn’t have much hope for the future.

“I’m a pessimist,” Junior says.

But that won’t stop him from fighting.

“What else are you going to do, you know?” he says. “The fact of the matter is, even if they do all the mining they do before they leave outta here, you still gotta raise hell about it, because people gotta know about it. If people don’t know about it, it’s like it never fuckin’ happened.”

Much of the world still runs on coal, yet few people in places like Oxford, Ohio or at Miami University see the effects the industry has at the point of extraction. Junior and Adam have made it their lives’ work to make people aware.

“Be mindful, just be mindful,” Adam says, speaking to us like he’s talking to the rest of the world.

“Every time you touch that light switch, that’s not free. And it’s not just your money that pays for it.

There is water that gets poisoned for it. There is air that gets poisoned for it. There are people who die for it.”

for 197 yards and five touchdowns on nine carries. He now leads the league in both rushing yards (864) and rushing touchdowns (13).

“Oakland is the only loss that we’ve had since I’ve been on the team, so it was obviously our biggest game. We had it circled on the calendar all year,” Zuccaro said. “It was definitely fun to go up there and blow them out.”

Oakland wasn’t Miami’s first taste of revenge this year.

MU defeated Coppin State in Week 2 — a game Ogilbee cites as the favorite memory of his fouryear career with the team.

“There’s only a couple players left from that team that played Coppin State in the national championship four years ago,” Ogilbee said.

“The fact that we were able to go to Baltimore — to their home field — and beat them this year, was a great accomplishment.”

But the impressive part of the win is the adversity Miami faced that week.

Team members weren’t able to book a charter bus to travel to Baltimore, so they resorted to an eighthour carpool. After leaving Oxford at 5 a.m., they reached Baltimore just three hours before the 7 p.m. kickoff.

“We beat them 7-6 in one of the craziest games I have ever seen,” Ogilbee said. “I think that was the biggest statement victory we had this year, showing NCFA that we are here to play.”

Adversity isn’t a new theme for the ’Hawks.

Several starting players have faced season-ending injuries this season, forcing others to learn new positions to fill the void.

“It’s the 12th week of the season, you’d think everyone has a set position,” Ogilbee said. “We have a quarterback starting to learn safety, we have a safety running linebacker/receiver, we have our starting running back learning linebacker — it’s amazing knowing these guys want to win so bad, they’re gonna put aside their pride and learn a new position because we want the team to win it all. That’s why we got this far.”

It’s no surprise success comes so easily to the RedHawks — ­­­head coach Jay Fry Sr. has a history of

winning himself.

Fry Sr., a Miami graduate, played under Woody Hayes as a linebacker on the 1950 Mid-American Conference and Salad Bowl championship team and as an all-MAC guard under Ara Parseghian in 1951.

His coaching career includes stops at several college teams, a couple Canadian Football League teams and the NFL’s New York Giants.

Fry Sr.’s son, Jay Fry Jr., is also a Miami alum and serves as offensive coordinator for the club team.

Fry Jr. is close with John Harbaugh, Miami graduate and Super Bowlwinning head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, and receives game advice from him.

“We are very fortunate to be coached by these guys who volunteer their time for us,” Zuccaro said. “They don’t get paid. And they’ve worked at all different levels … we’re lucky to have such good coaches with the experience that they have.”

Most of the club athletes played football at some level before coming to Miami. Ogilbee started playing football his senior year of high school, while Zuccaro started in sixth grade. Other team members played peewee football or are high school athletes of another sport who never had the chance to play football.

No matter the skill level, joining the club team gives players the opportunity to continue their athletic careers without the commitment needed for a varsity program.

Players attend practice three times per week and review film on their own time.

It also gives students new responsibilities.

Ogilbee, who serves as president, and other officers put in 20-30 hours of work per week communicating with referees, the NCFA and other teams; making sure referees are paid; booking charter buses for travel; managing team equipment and working on the schedule.

When Ogilbee joined the team his freshman year, he stuck with it and never looked back.

“It’s easily the best decision I’ve made since coming to Miami,” he said. “The guys I’ve been around, the coaches I’ve been around, the things that I’ve learned in four years of club football — it’s something I’ll never forget.”

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6 OPINION

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015

EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

Gender neutral restrooms are a first step toward an all-inclusive environment EDITORIAL

Earlier this month, Miami relabeled four private restrooms in Armstrong as all-gender.

The previous labels on the restrooms, designating them for “family” use, did not encourage or discourage use by any gender. However, by clearly marking these rooms as gender neutral, Miami is sending a stronger message in support of the transgender community and the gender neutrality movement.

According to the American Psychological Association, sex refers to a person’s biological makeup (ie: private parts). Gender refers to “the attitudes, feelings and behaviors that a culture associates with a biological sex,” and gender identity refers to one’s sense of self as male, female, or transgender.

Replacing placards on restrooms might seem like a small, ineffectual change, but it symbolizes a shift in attitude. This made us wonder what a

The following piece, written by the editorial editors, reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board. gender-neutral university would look like, and if this is even a possibility.

The Office of Residence Life already makes efforts to be inclusive.

Resident Assistants (RAs) are taught to ask residents their preferred gender pronouns upon meeting, to avoid future confusion or discomfort.

This helps RAs achieve one of their main goals — to establish a supportive relationship with their residents. By asking about this important aspect of an individual’s identity, RAs show they value and care for those who live in their halls.

But what about those of us who aren’t RAs and didn’t receive this training, or who don’t live in dorms anymore? How can we interact with peers in a way that shows awareness of and consideration for diversity?

The idea of asking questions about gender identity might be intimidating, or sound like it would lead to uncomfortable conversations. How-

ever, it can help us avoid awkward — and offensive — mistakes, like calling someone by the wrong pronoun.

Hopefully, one day this type of education will be implemented earlier.

Instead of dividing pre-school children into groups of boys and girls, thus instilling gender norms, maybe we will treat everyone the same.

As our society transitions — hopefully to a more accepting one — we will all need to be a little more understanding. Yes, everyone should make an effort to ask one another about preferred gender pronouns. On the other hand, failure to do so should not be seen as a malicious attack or character judgment, but rather as an honest mistake.

Here at Miami, the renovated restroom signs aren’t the first step toward a more accepting environment for all genders. Newer residence halls like those at Maplestreet Station have coed floors, where rooms of boys alter-

nate with rooms of girls.

Could this layout ever be applied to all dorms? Perhaps some residence halls could be designated as completely gender-neutral, with boys and girls intermixed not only on floors, but also in rooms.

Students would have the opportunity to choose whether or not they would be comfortable living in this type of hall, the same way they now have the opportunity to choose their Living Learning Community.

Other colleges and universities have already done this, according to campuspride.org. Some, like University of Arizona and University of Utah, have special social justice wings designated for gender-neutral rooms, and others, like University of Louisville, have LGBTQ-themed communities. At New York University, and San Diego State University, gender-inclusive housing is available to all students.

What would the world look like if gender neutrality extended into other areas of life? Could there be all-gender multi-stalled public restrooms?

What about locker rooms at gyms?

What if when you walked into a store, there were not separate sections for men’s and women’s clothing?

If this sounds unreasonable right now, think of how things might change in coming decades or even centuries. Racial segregation was once the norm, and now it sounds ridiculous to discriminate based on skin color. Right now, it is important to recognize that these restroom signs are a step in the right direction.

This adjustment is a sign that societal views are changing, even if it’s done in small steps.

We are realizing that people do not necessarily fit into socially prescribed categories. Those who don’t shouldn’t be shamed, judged or ignored. They should be accepted.

Against the fossil fuel economy: Finding alternatives in the age of climate change ACTIVISM

KYLE HAYDEN DESIGN EDITOR

Contained in this issue of The Miami Student are some of the most important stories young people could tell about our world.

The “sacrifice zone” of Kayford Mountain in West Virginia is a place I never learned about. It is a place I was made to think about for 15 minutes during a Miami Plan class anyone at this university can take. I was horrified and intrigued by the statistics and information presented to us in our homework assignment about mountaintop removal mining. This is one of the foundational experiences of education. Naturally, the journalists at The Student wanted to know more as well, and when faced with the information that the university buys energy from Dayton Power & Light, a supplier that purchases coal from this region, they departed for Kayford, West Virginia to learn.

Reporters from The Student inquired about the technical, emotional and social ins and outs of mountaintop removal mining. They witnessed the horror and environmental destruction induced by mechanization and our desire for energy. They witnessed the emptying of communities torn by disease, cancer, drug use, unemployment and environmental degradation.

Kayford, and many other mine sites in West Virginia, are places where the market is truly free.

The WV Department of Environmental Protections, I learned, was little more than an arm of the coal industry, approving whatever permits necessary to improve profits. There, nature and people are turned into commodities, reduced to numbers and “inputs” in a system that grinds them to death and finds replacements.

The remaining areas untouched by the coal industry in Appalachia are striking and beautiful. The state was clear cut of its old-growth forests in the 18th and 19th centuries, but most of the “old” forests in West Virginia could be more than 150 years old.

The Appalachian Mountains, if viewed from above, reveal the story of mountaintop removal. Satellite images of the region show the mountain chains undulating gracefully though the eastern United

States. If you look closely, however, you will see spots of gray-yellow throughout West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky. These spots are mine sites where mountaintops have been removed for the mining of coal. The landscape has some kind of disease.

It appears to have an archipelago of cancer cells jumping through its peaks and valleys.

This is the place where our energy comes from. The story of our energy is so important in understanding how we see our world and how students at this university think about and interact with this earth. However, our story does not end with just electricity: energy has to do with almost every part of our lives.

Geologists assert we exist in a new period of geologic history known as the “Anthropocene.” When future archeologists dig into the soil, they will find evidence of a civilization of Homo sapiens. Among many other signals of our civilization they will find steel, concretes, many kinds of plastics near our bones. They will dig into ice cores (assuming there is ice left) to find that concentrations of carbon dioxide and other “green- house” gasses increased dramatically in the brief period humans inhabited Earth.

Miami University pays a cheap rate for its carbon-fueled electricity. In the city of Oxford, however, most homes are powered by wind power generated in Texas. The citizens of Oxford last year voted for and approved an electric aggregation program that allowed the citizens of Oxford to buy renewable electricity in bulk from a supplier. Residential homes in Oxford are charged 5.56 cents per kilowatt-hour. The rate for coal energy is markedly lower — around 4 cents — and since the university uses so many kilowatt-hours a day,this is the more reasonable choice. I submit the university must divest from coal and natural gas as soon as possible.

It’s too easy for us, in our position of power and choice, to the set an orderly timeline while humans within our borders are suffering immensely for the energy we desire.

The climate crisis is not limited to the Midwest. The concentration of carbon dioxide among other greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere will reach harmful levels in this century — well above the ‘recommended’ 350 parts-per-million concentration.

Concentrations regularly peak around 400 ppm. Atmospheric carbon levels

are monitored by a research facility on Mauna Loa in Hawaii. We don’t yet know how severely this added carbon will ravage the Earth’s systems. We have no previous knowledge to model the severity. We have begun to experience the planet’s systems trying to retain equilibrium. We have already begun to experience increasing aridity in parts of the planet that may be uninhabitable deserts by the end of the century. We will see floods, sea level rise, and massive extinctions of more sensitive species that have no other place to go in their respective bioregions. In these areas of increasing aridity, like the Middle East, agricultural systems have failed in conjunction with decades of foreign terrorism and governmental meddling: throwing human populations into disarray, violence and desperation. There should not even be a debate about the science of this matter. Corporate apologists will put in their best efforts to keep reform and

sensible action from happening in order to protect their interests.

Sea level rise, increasing aridity, increasing salinity of soils, the acidification of our oceans and the wholesale destruction of the planet we depend on for life are the results of a corporate power structure fixated on short term profits. We have been on a marauding conquest of borrowing against the future. Its perpetrators have ignored the screams of a tortured Earth and will retreat to their gated and guarded communities when the public realizes a techno-industrial civilization sustained by non-renewable hydrocarbons is a zero-sum game. These oil barons and their minions in the car industry are terrified citizens might take notice and charge them with the environmental crimes they are responsible for. So far, they have done a great job convincing us their personal benefit is better for us all.

This is patently false. However, we

love our fossil fuel overlords. We enshrine our cars. We install lights everywhere, we have air-conditioning, electric and gas heat. Mid 20th century housing developments and their homes were built without insulation because the assumption is that there would be cheap, available energy indefinitely. We developed this pattern of living when we became the primary boosters of cheap fossil fuels. We even keep bright lights on all night over the cars we have yet to sell. We worship speed, convenience and replacement.

Our cities, roadways, supply chains, infrastructure — our entire society depends on the convenience and speed of a fossil fuel economy.

In my lifetime, it has become mandatory to organize our lives around this economy. If we had the proper institutions in place that challenged the mechanisms of our economy, educational programs that teach simple living, sustainability and justice, we wouldn’t have droves of graduates lining up in suits to work for the fossil fuel industry.

It seems as though education, both public and private, narrowly instruct obedience and rote memorization of standardized facts into children. This leaves children who grow into adults ecologically and economically illiterate, therefore unprepared to face or question a world in which politicians and their owners (corporations) fund and legislate the unfettered destruction of the environment.

It is an unfortunate circumstance that in order to make a living, students of geology or soil geography who graduate this year will walk into events like Career Fair and be faced with three options: Find oil, find coal, find natural gas. By burning the stuff, we add carbon to the atmosphere, and this behavior must absolutely stop. It’s this paradoxical reality that so many people face, but we refuse to opt out of. What would happen if the economy stopped growing? Is this question too scary for most people to think about?

When I met activist Junior Walk on Kayford Mountain, he expressed this very sentiment, already seeing the collapse of the fossil fuel economy in his home state.

“One day, people are going to go the store, and there ain’t gonna be any bread on the shelves.” Walk said, and it won’t be pretty.

We desperately need to begin

showing children there are other ways to live. They will have to face this future whether or not they are educated. Many are already experiencing this future. Many around the world never experienced abundance at all. Chris Hedges wrote in his 2010 book “The World As It Is,” “We must build a new political and economic consciousness centered around the tangible issues of sustainable agriculture, self-sufficiency and radical environmental reform.” These issues of environmental justice are intertwined with the current movements for racial and social justice.

New Urbanist Andres Duany has a radical side which emphasizes the future city will not be a sprawling metropolis of hyper-advanced “smart” technologies, but a tightly knit agrarian community with little access to these highly refined energies. Duany and his wife are responsible for the design and planning of popular vacation destination Seaside, Florida.

But beyond the “quaint” architectural forms and walkable communities, the not-so-distant future looms.

Duany sees the collapse of complex systems and the incoming end of oil as potentially dangerous for social cohesion if we don’t plan ahead.

Environmental activists, social justice activists, radical planners, peace advocates and pacifists inveigh against a largely white, hetero-patriarchal capitalist machine that uses the mechanisms of fear, violence and dominance to assert and maintain power.

For billions in the world, wealth and security are not available at the push of a button. Hundreds of millions of humans and animals alike will experience adverse effects from climate change this century. Everyone will be effected. As author John Michael Greer has pointed out in his book “The Long Descent,” “Climate change is not a problem. It is a predicament. We ignored the problem of climate change so long that it became a predicament.” Greer asserts that predicaments cannot be “solved” in the ways problems are traditionally identified. It is a predicament in the sense that it is an uncomfortable reality we will face no matter what.

We have a moral obligation as the instigators of this ecological catastrophe to mitigate and resolve its yet unmeasured consequences.

HAYDENKA@MIAMIOH.EDU

Starbucks red cups are refreshingly simple, not religiously offensive RACE

MARY WILLIAMS GUEST WRITER

I would not be writing on the subject had we ceased conversation on it, but alas, society loves a good grudge … the stage is set: It was November and that means that before Thanksgiving had even occurred, Christmas decorations were up, Christmas music was playing and Christmas cups, were, well, enraging a surpris-

ingly high number of American citizens.

Traditionally, Starbucks is known for having iconic, wintery, Christmas images displayed on all three sizes of its cardboard cups that hold hot beverages. At this season’s ‘Christmas Cup’ unveiling, customers became enraged at the reveal of a crisp, red cup that portrayed just one image: the Starbucks logo.

According to what I have seen on television and my friends’

iPhone screens, Americans are claiming that the red cup is a “war on Christmas.”

Personally, while I religiously celebrate Christmas, I find the lack of imagery on the cup refreshing and appealing to all religions during the holiday season.

As it does not target one specific religion as “correct” for the holiday season, it is usable by all.

We as a society tend to forget that during the Christmas season, other religions are also engag-

ing in religious practices, such as Hanukkah, which is widely practiced in the United States. Yet I have never seen popular Hanukkah images appear on a Starbucks cup.

My point is this: we as a society have reached a “damned if we do, damned if we don’t” stalemate.

Had Starbucks put solely Christmas images on their cups, would people of other religions not have been upset? If Starbucks had put images that signify a dif-

ferent religion, such as Judaism, would Christmas lovers have not been in an uproar? Why do Christmas lovers need a cup that they eventually throw in the garbage to solidify their Christmas spirit?

Christmas was, after all, built on religious values and ideals rather than the paper vessel for a Gingerbread Latte.

WILLI394@MIAMIOH.EDU

EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

OPINION 7

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015

The problem-solving process: Compassion should not be a competition LIFE

MILAM’S MUSINGS

BRETT MILAM COLUMNIST

A.J. NEWBERRY NEWBERAJ@MIAMIOH.EDU

Family leave policies should be a top priority on policymakers’ to-do lists POLITICS

GRETA HALLBERG COLUMNIST

Planned Parenthood has received a lot of flak since the July leak of an incriminating video that suggested a Planned Parenthood doctor was selling fetal tissue.

Since then, the Republicanled Congress has proposed measures to defund the non-profit.

The video is admittedly haunting. The government funds — either through federal grants or Medicaid reimbursements — 41 percent of Planned Parenthood’s revenue. While nearly $530 million is a small chunk of the federal budget, it’s obviously significant to the organization.

Most of the services Planned Parenthood provides are important preventative measures, especially in women’s health. They test and treat STDs, provide contraceptives and screen for breast and cervical cancer. According to its 2013-2014 annual report, just 3 percent of the services it provides are abortions. While not insignificant, it is important to note that abortion services are not the majority of what it does.

Additionally, federal funds are not allowed to go to PP’s abortion services under the law. Planned Parenthood’s actions might technically be legal, but they have moral and ethical implications. While the video leak is appalling, I’m not certain cutting federal funds to the organization will have the desired effect.

The bigger issue at hand is that the fight over Planned Parenthood has garnered so much attention. Feminists constantly speak out in favor of Planned Parenthood and the valuable services it provides. I’m not discounting that. Heck, I even wrote an article about the value of providing contraceptives in Tuesday’s edition of The Student.

What concerns me is how much coverage the media gives

government services that go to preventing and terminating unwanted pregnancies. This is coupled with slim coverage of the lack of services for women who want to have children.

What does this say about our values as a society? If media is a reflection of a society’s values, we apparently give more importance to terminating and preventing pregnancy rather than embrace starting a family and

If America wants to continue to be a leader in equality, family leave policies should be higher on the political agenda ...

providing resources for women who truly need it.

Sure, many employers offer paid maternity leave as a benefit.

Google and Ernst & Young are among the Fortune 500 companies that offer paid family leave.

However, it is not a nationallymandated policy.

Most Americans would be shocked to know that we are on a short list of countries that do not have national paid maternity leave policies. Suriname, Papua New Guinea and a few Pacific island nations join us.

It’s safe to say we are the only developed country without such policies. Our closest democratic allies, France and the U.K., offer at least 26 weeks of paid maternal leave. Germany offers 52 weeks or more.

Even more shocking: countries that Americans typically perceive as oppressive toward women, like Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, have comprehensive national maternity leave. It’s less than 14 weeks, but it’s better than the goose egg offered by the United States.

If America wants to continue

to be a leader in equality, family leave policies should be higher on the political agenda than Planned Parenthood.

I am in complete support of preventative measures for unwanted pregnancies. Organizations like Planned Parenthood provide them to women who otherwise cannot afford them. But those measures are already in place. Implementing a national maternity leave policy would be a new change, offering aid to women who want to have a job and raise their children. A true egalitarian feminist should focus on these new policy ideas.

Instead, leaders of the feminist movement are getting their undies in a bundle about the (probably unlikely, in all political reality) defunding of an organization — an organization that will still generate money in other ways if the government slaps it on the wrist by cutting federal funds for two years.

By the way, the most vocal women who speak out loudly in support of Planned Parenthood are usually the political elites that will never use its services anyway. Case in point? Actress Lena Dunham is vocal about the issue, yet has an estimated net worth of $12 million and, likely, a robust insurance plan.

I see a disconnect here.

As champions of human rights, feminist activists and politicians in America should switch their attention to policies that make it possible for women to have jobs and families. Paternal or family leave would alleviate some of the burden of working women and let both sexes share the parenting duties.

Let’s focus on passing policies that would promote equality for families that already exist instead of worrying about preventing measures that might not even pass.

HALLBEGM@MIAMIOH.EDU

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER WHEN FINISHED.

The United States is a nation of finger-pointers and reactionaries built upon the need for one’s side (re: team) to win.

When New York City officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were killed in an ambush by Ismaaiyl Brinsley Dec. 20, 2014, the head of the police union, Patrick Lynch, said Mayor Bill de Blasio had “blood on his hands.”

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani added to those sentiments, saying four months of propaganda, including from President Obama, inflamed hatred of the police.

It doesn’t take much further Googling to find conservative pundits and the like also blaming Black Lives Matter for any violence against police and worse, calling them a hate group.

When a Planned Parenthood was attacked Nov. 27, 2015

by Robert Lewis Dear, killing a police officer and two others, progressives blamed the rhetoric of pro-lifers.

Jeet Heer, senior editor at The New Republic, Tweeted, “Shorter GOP: Just because killer believed in & repeated our lies about PP, doesn’t mean we are responsible.”

A Washington Post column

by Ruth Marcus was headlined, “Republicans deserve some blame for the Planned Parenthood shooting.”

“Extreme rhetoric combined with falsehoods tips the balance toward greater culpability,” Marcus said.

When terrorists coordinated a devastating attack on Paris Nov. 13, 2015, it ushered a week’s worth of conservative fervor over why the United States can’t accept Muslims because Muslims are bad people.

Donald Trump, the GOP frontrunner, openly suggested shutting down mosques in the United States and wouldn’t rule out compiling a database on all Muslims.

And now, as recent as the San Bernardino shooting Dec. 2, progressives are engaging in what I call empathy huffing and puffing, implying conservatives have blood on their hands for not doing more to prevent these mass shootings and, therefore, just must not care.

That’s a lack of good will (and obviously, as my other examples showed, conservatives lack the ability to distribute good will to their ideological differs, too).

Anyone with a heart cares and is saddened by senseless violence. A difference in how best to respond to a problem doesn’t necessarily indicate a difference in empathy.

In the aftermath of the shooting, The New York Daily News had a new cover reflecting this attitude with big bold, white letters that said, “God isn’t fixing this,” with the subheadline, “As latest batch of innocent Americans are left lying in pools of blood, cowards who could truly end gun scourge continue to hide behind meaningless platitudes.”

I’m assuming that cover is based on the GOP presidential hopefuls, such as Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, John Kasich and others, who all Tweeted similar sentiments of “praying for the victims.”

I’m not a religious person,

but are we really going there?

Do we really need to revert to prayer-shaming?

Gina Ferazzi, an LA Times photojournalist, posted to her a Twitter a photo of evacuated workers from the San Bernardino shooting. They stood in a circle on a golf course across the street from where the shooting took place and they prayed.

I guess they ought to have been protesting and pushing for some new gun control measure that obviously and most simply could have prevented the shooting, instead.

Finger-pointing and the blame-game, looking for a connection between rhetoric and violence and empathy one-upmanship is not constructive.

A sure-sign that someone is in reactionary mode rather than rational mode is when they’ve reduced a complex problem to a simple solution.

For one example, CJ Werleman, an op-ed columnist for Middle East Eye, tweeted out: “When we Australians prayed for gun violence, we had 1 mass shooting per year.

In 1996, we banned guns. No mass shootings.”

Aside from my other issues with that Tweet (such as the lack of context to “banned guns”), is the apparent ease with which Werleman thinks the U.S. could and ought to duplicate the Australian model.

We’ve had 14 years of reactionist policy-making wrapped up in hysteria in response to the threat of terrorism. I’d rather not see that played out with respect to the relatively rare phenomenon of public mass shootings.

So, while I’m not praying, I am offering caution in how we approach policy. Does that mean I don’t care about the victims of the San Bernardino shooting?

Does blood fall onto my keyboard as I type this?

Finger-pointing and the blamegame, looking for a connection between rhetoric and violence and empathy one-upmanship is not constructive.

We continue to talk past each other, misunderstand each other and most importantly, assume bad intentions in the other.

Sometimes, like with Trump, there’s enough unambiguous language there to assume those bad intentions, but for the rest of us normal human beings? Giving your ideological differ good will is the foundation for listening and therefore, problem-solving.

Humans are a stubborn lot and politics has become that game of “my team vs. your team.” Combining those two things creates an unwillingness to even want to hear what the other side is saying.

I don’t care about winning or losing. I care about what the truth is.

I don’t care about “my team” or “that team.” I care about what the truth is.

I don’t care about trying to find a way to blame my ideological differs for far-reaching complexities. I care about untangling those complexities and finding what the truth is.

Seeking scapegoats instead of the truth is the surest way to a closed mind and a self-righteous mouth.

MILAMBC@MIAMIOH.EDU

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015

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FROM STUDY GUIDES »PAGE 2

ing system akin to websites like eBay and Amazon.

This form of business however has brought several young entrepreneurs under fire.

“I would caution students not to go the entrepreneur route,” said Brenda Quaye, Miami’s coordinator for Academic Integrity.

She suggests that students first ask the permission of their instructor, as many view course material as personal property. Most instructors have no issue with students studying together, but this can become a slippery slope when money is involved.

In 2010, California State University cracked down on 23 students using NoteUtopia.com in violation of the state education code, which bans the sale of class notes for commercial purposes.

Miami has a similar policy toward the sale of class notes, and has urged instructors to copyright their material. While each incident is reviewed on a case by case basis, both the buyer and seller can potentially be charged with academic misconduct based on severity and intent.

According to Quaye, Miami has never had a serious problem with FROM INTERNATIONAL»PAGE 10

“Not only is it about being a good player, but they need that desire to become better. They’re not just students. They’re athletes.”

Nastia Vasyukhina, a sophomore tennis player from Moscow, Russia, was recruited to Washington State University and transferred to Miami this year.

“I really like the experience I have had playing for Miami and I

students selling their notes to peers, but advertisement for these services will likely trigger investigation.

Although she is a business major, Wexler has no intention to make money off her study guides.

For her, the recognition from her peers is enough.

“I would feel bad making people pay for something I can make so easily,” she said. “I guess I’m just too nice.”

DeJure also rejects monetary payment, preferring to be thanked for his free service through chocolate and high-fives.

“The class isn’t curved, so helping others does me no disservice in terms of my own grade,” DeJure said. “If, however, the class was curved per exam, I might not be so willing to share my study guides and notes from office hours with my classmates.”

Despite positive feedback online declaring her “an angel,” Wexler was less than pleased with her second exam grade. Ironically, classmates that used her guides reported significantly better results. While her major is fairly competitive, Wexler isn’t bothered by this difference in the slightest.

“I want everybody to do well,” she said. “Even in competition, teamwork is important.” like the relationship I have developed with my coach,” she said.

Vasyukhina has been playing tennis for 12 years. Because of the sport’s popularity in Russia, she found opportunities to begin her career there. She said she is ready to further her career and improve herself over the next few years at Miami.

“I don’t think I will go pro because of all the injuries connected with professional sports and the

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FROM HOCKEY»PAGE 10

Hawks’ recent struggles because of the team’s ability to make quick improvements.

“Our focus is on execution and finishing out chances in practice and hoping that correlates to the game,” Caito said. “You can tell with our performance in the games and in practice, it’s getting a lot better. Like I said, execution is key for us, and if we keep focusing on that, we should be good.”

MU’s improvements were on display in the series against Omaha. In the seven games prior to the Omaha matchup, Miami had been outscored 19-7 in 5-on-5 hockey. Against UNO, Miami scored three goals in even play to Omaha’s four. That’s a 108 percent improvement in 5-on-5 goal differential.

Head coach Enrico Blasi said Thanksgiving break was good for his players and the team has been practicing hard the last two weeks.

“The break came at a good time for us,” Blasi said. “It was well-needed for our physical stature and also for our mental state of mind. I thought we battled hard against Nebraska Omaha. We had a good week of practice leading up to Thanksgiving and a couple good days so far this week in preparation of Colorado College.”

Senior forward Kevin Morris is looking for his team to come out strong this weekend against Colorado.

“Obviously the games this weekend are huge,” Morris said. “I think it’s a big opportunity for us to get back on the right track. We’re working to establish our identity, and we’re playing for two wins.”

MU plays Colorado College at 9:07 p.m. Friday in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Saturday’s puck drop is 8:07 p.m. After this series, the RedHawks will be off for winter break until Jan. 2, when they play Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

FROM BASKETBALL»PAGE 10

of the game, much like they were forced to in the season-opening loss to Xavier University.

“We’ve gotta be able to come out and be locked in and focus from the very beginning of that game, and understand and value each possession, which is key,” Cooper said. “Take care of the basketball, rebound the basketball, do the little things on the road, which you really need to do in order to be successful.”

Tipoff is 1 p.m. Saturday in Indianapolis, Ind.

eat the same three meals every day of the week before she moved off campus. “[Food allergies are] a matter of life and death for some students and we don’t take that lightly,” said manager of culinary support services, Mary Barrera.

Miami University’s dining services has received a total of 52 awards since 2004. Many students choose to attend Miami because the university is willing to accommodate those with allergies and food sensitivities, according to Barrera.

The National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) nationally ranked Western Dining Commons for its selection of allergenic, vegetarian and vegan foods. The dining hall is the only location on campus to offer a station solely for those with food allergies.

Fitzwater likes the allergenic station at Western because he can eat

there without the worry of running into complications from eating food that has been cross contaminated or contains something he is allergic to.

“It is repetitive after a while, but you gotta do what you gotta do,” Fitzwater said.

Barrera said all foods served at the allergen free station are prepared on dedicated equipment that has never been used to prepare foods with the top eight allergens or gluten.

The top eight allergens are dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat. The allergen-free station also caters to those who have a gluten sensitivity or intolerance.

The equipment at the allergenfree station is cleaned between uses and the dining staff is trained on the proper techniques to ensure food is prepared in a safe manner.

The point that Barrera says she and her staff stress to students is communication.

“We want students with a question about food to talk to us,” she

said. “The information students can gain from speaking with us is invaluable.”

Miami Dining is willing to specially prepare food upon request for students with special dietary needs.

For instance, Barrera said, at Mein Street in Armstrong Student Center, students can ask to have their stir fry made on a separate cooking area in an individual pan that is cleaned after each use, as opposed to the main grill that is only scraped after each use.

“If you reach out to them, they are willing to accommodate and more than happy to meet your needs to the best of their ability,” Klonz said.

Overall, the dining experience for students with food allergies is positive.

“It would have been nice if [Miami] had a sign saying what the cookie was,” Dews said. “But at the end of they day, I’ve been living with this food allergy for 18 years now and should’ve known better than to eat something that was that questionable.”

large financial aid side,” Vasyukhina said. “So, unfortunately, I will not go pro, but I will keep playing for the rest of my life. I love this sport.”

Miami’s men’s basketball team also has one of the larger percentages of international players on a varsity sport. The team has a player from Croatia, from Niger and from Belgium, and two student managers from China.

Assistant basketball coach Trey

Meyer works to recruit potential student athletes and develop them at Miami as both students and players.

“International recruiting is becoming more and more important by the day due to all of the talent that’s overseas,” Meyer said.

“There are tons of kids from all different countries that aspire to play Division-I basketball and earn a prestigious academic degree such as the one offered at Miami.”

International recruitment for bas-

ketball works in a variety of ways: coaches have connections overseas, attend events that showcase international players, watch the FIBA games that take place overseas and communicate with scouts.

“Miami goes anywhere and everywhere to seek out potential student-athletes,” Meyer said. “We have certain qualities that we look for so we literally search everywhere for those in order to bring the best possible to Miami.”

FROM ALLERGIES »PAGE 2

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015

FROM FRIENDS-MAS »PAGE 4

FROM WINTER TV »PAGE 4

When their name is called they can pick a gift from the pile or steal someone else’s, but a gift can only be stolen twice and everyone has to wait until the end to open them.

The noise in the small room grows as gifts are contemplated and chosen, the guys talk about football and comments are thrown everywhere.

As soon as the sports talk starts, Madison protests.

“No football, it’s Christmas.”

Someone picks up Haley’s gift and Kyle Weaver is in awe.

“Holy crap, who wrapped that? That is gorgeous!”

Finally, Abby Hurley decides to steal and a theft frenzy ensues.

Everyone gets confused and the rules have to be discussed again.

After everyone has their final gift, they open them one at time.

Peter Ollermann tries to guess what his is as he pulls newspaper out of a big empty container.

He finally gets to the bottom.

“Condoms! I’m going to use them right now!” Peter shouts as the room is filled with laughter.

He stretches one onto his head, only to realize his mistake a few minutes later.

“Oh god, it’s like I bathed in oil.”

Sierra becomes incredibly happy when she realizes her gift is a light saber.

Haley gets a shot glass. Abby gets a headband basketball game. She wants to play it right away, but is slightly disappointed when she reads that assembly is required.

Kyle gets a harmonica — his roommate will surely hate him.

Michael gets a cheese ornament.

Nick gets a blanket. Victor gets chocolate and headphones.

Jackie gets a magic eight ball.

“Will I pass my finals? ...

Yes!” she shouts with arms raised. Everyone cheers.

And Madison gets the ramen.

Torn paper is piled on the floor and cups of hot chocolate sit forgotten on the dresser. Kyle attempts to play his harmonica.

Peter uses his last condom trying to see how many ping pong balls will fit in it.

Jokes and laughter fill the air again, a taste of the holiday break waiting on the other side of finals week.

At a time when little was known about proper medicine and surgical procedures, going under the knife was an often fatal experience. Though emotionally turbulent, Thackery is nonetheless passionate, and is constantly pushing boundaries in an attempt to lower the Knick’s mortality rate. Painting a grim, but beautifully realistic picture of life at the dawn of modern medicine, “The Knick” is worth a watch this winter break. The finale airs at 10 p.m., Dec. 18. Cinemax subscribers can catch up at Cinemax.com or Xfinity On Demand.

“F is For Family,” Netflix Any fan of Bill Burr knows that he can be more than a bit vulgar at times. He swears frequently, hates political correctness, and has no time for bulls***. Now, he’s channeling all that anger through the perfect medium — an animated sitcom.

Based loosely on Burr’s childhood, “F is for Family” focuses on a middle-class family in the 1970s, a time when society was much more lenient when it came to mild physical punishment, drinking and driving and leaving children unsupervised.

Netflix already proved it can produce top-of-the-line animated television with “BoJack Horseman,” and, with Laura Dern and Justin Long lending their voices and Vince Vaughn executive producing, “F is For Family” will hopefully hold its own in the currently flourishing genre of adult animation.

The first season of “F is for Family” will be available to stream on Netflix starting Dec. 18.

“American Crime,” ABC Call me a hipster, but I generally detest anything produced by the major broadcast networks (CBS, ABC, NBC). I find that in order to get good ratings, their programs tend to neglect smart writing and storytelling so that they can appeal FROM STUDY GUIDES »PAGE 2

ing system akin to websites like eBay and Amazon.

This form of business however has brought several young entrepreneurs under fire.

“I would caution students not to go the entrepreneur route,” said Brenda Quaye, Miami’s coordinator for Academic Integrity.

She suggests that students first ask the permission of their instructor, as many view course material as personal property. Most instructors have no issue with students studying together, but this can become a slippery slope when money is involved.

In 2010, California State University cracked down on 23 students using NoteUtopia.com in violation of the state education code, which bans the sale of class notes for commercial purposes.

Miami has a similar policy toward the sale of class notes, and has urged instructors to copyright their material. While each incident is reviewed on a case by case basis, both the buyer and seller can potentially be charged with academic misconduct based on severity and intent.

According to Quaye, Miami has never had a serious problem with

WHEN YOU’RE FINISHED READING THE MIAMI STUDENT, PLEASE RECYCLE

to a wider audience.

“American Crime” is the rare exception. Similar to “True Detective,” “American Crime” ignores the overplayed tropes of the cop procedural genre and instead uses a crime investigation as a way to construct deep, complex characters and explore psychological themes.

While the first season of the anthology series followed the aftermath of a murder in Modesto, California, the second season focuses on a high school student in Indianapolis who accuses members of a championship basketball team of sexually assaulting him. With brilliant performances from Timothy Hutton and Felicity Huffman, “American Crime” is one of the best shows on a major network.

“American Crime” premieres at 10 pm, Jan. 6 on ABC. “Angie Tribeca,” TBS Just as “American Crime” redefines the cop procedural drama, “Angie Tribeca” aims to parody it.

Rashida Jones stars as the titular character, a 10-year veteran of the LAPD’s RHCU (Really Heinous Crimes Unit). Along with her partner, Jay Geils (Hayes MacArthur), Tribeca investigates what TBS refers to as, “the most serious cases, from the murder of a ventriloquist to a rash of baker suicides.”

Unfortunately, the trailer makes it seem that the comedy might, at times, lean more toward silly than witty. However, with guest stars such as Lisa Kudrow and Gary Cole, and with comedic all-stars Steve and Nancy Carell at the helm, “Angie Tribeca” is not a show to be overlooked.

“Angie Tribeca” will premiere with a 25-hour marathon starting at 9 pm, Jan. 17, on TBS. Also, mark your calendars for the Golden Globes Jan. 10 and keep an eye out for some promising holiday specials such as Bill Murray’s “A Very Murray Christmas” Dec. 4 on Netflix, and a special New Year’s Day episode of “Sherlock.”

students selling their notes to peers, but advertisement for these services will likely trigger investigation.

Although she is a business major, Wexler has no intention to make money off her study guides.

For her, the recognition from her peers is enough.

“I would feel bad making people pay for something I can make so easily,” she said. “I guess I’m just too nice.”

DeJure also rejects monetary payment, preferring to be thanked for his free service through chocolate and high-fives.

“The class isn’t curved, so helping others does me no disservice in terms of my own grade,” DeJure said. “If, however, the class was curved per exam, I might not be so willing to share my study guides and notes from office hours with my classmates.”

Despite positive feedback online declaring her “an angel,” Wexler was less than pleased with her second exam grade. Ironically, classmates that used her guides reported significantly better results. While her major is fairly competitive, Wexler isn’t bothered by this difference in the slightest.

“I want everybody to do well,” she said. “Even in competition, teamwork is important.”

FROM WINTER MOVIES »PAGE 4

Ridley), and ambitious director J.J. Abrams, there is no doubt in my mind that this will be the biggest movie of the year.

Dec 18 also sports “Son of Saul,” a Hungarian film that follows an Auschwitz prisoner struggling to properly bury his son. “Son of Saul” is the current front-runner for the Best Foreign Film Oscar in February, and is undoubtedly worth searching out.

The only thing that could possibly top Dec. 18 as the best film day of the year is 2015’s current Christmas line-up, which features four films that will most likely be considered among the years best.

“Joy” is the most recent film from “Silver Linings Playbook” director David O. Russell, and Russell manages to bring most of that prolific cast back together for this biopic of Miracle Mop inventor, Joy Mangano, with Jennifer Lawrence taking the lead role Another major director makes his long-awaited return on Christmas day — Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino continues his recent streak of historical dramas with “The Hateful Eight,” an ensemble-cast driven western that should appease any fan of violence, witty dialogue or cult films.

Although “Hateful Eight” carries some controversy along with its release, it’s doubtful any film will have a greater cultural impact this year than “Concussion.” Starring Will Smith as CTE-discovering patholoFROM CHRISTMAS TREES »PAGE 4

“We were looking for the cheapest tree we could find,” explained Olmsted with a laugh.

Among their decorations for the tree, the girls list things from Walmart, found objects and handme-down ornaments from their parents.

But, there are extra responsibilities if you go with a real Christmas tree — they have to be watered and can be a potential fire hazard. The real trees also shed pine needles, but Gasser and Olmsted have that one covered.

“That’s my job,” said Gasser. “I clean the living room.”

After the girls made their decision, Dale Rolfes and Tim Hutzel, both members of the Oxford Lion’s Club, took the tree off its spike and carried it to the baler. The baler condenses the tree in a net more suitable for transporting.

Balancing the tree on their shoulders, Gasser and Olmsted began FROM ALLERGIES »PAGE 2

eat the same three meals every day of the week before she moved off campus. “[Food allergies are] a matter of life and death for some students and we don’t take that lightly,” said manager of culinary support services, Mary Barrera.

Miami University’s dining services has received a total of 52 awards since 2004. Many students choose to attend Miami because the university is willing to accommodate those with allergies and food sensitivities, according to Barrera.

The National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) nationally ranked Western Dining Commons for its selection of allergenic, vegetarian and vegan foods. The dining hall is the only location on campus to offer a station solely for those with food allergies.

Fitzwater likes the allergenic station at Western because he can eat there without the worry of running into complications from eating food that has been cross contaminated or contains something he is allergic to.

“It is repetitive after a while, but you gotta do what you gotta do,” Fitzwater said.

Barrera said all foods served at the allergen free station are prepared on dedicated equipment that has never been used to prepare foods with the top eight allergens or gluten.

The top eight allergens are dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts,

gist Emmet Omalu, “Concussion” tackles the NFL’s denial and lack of action towards the destructive disease with brutal honesty.

Finally, Christmas Day provides the wide release opening for “Carol,” the Cate Blanchett/Rooney Mara romantic drama that has opened to universal acclaim for the two leads, as well as director Todd Haynes’ impeccable work.

Unfortunately, things slow down substantially in January, with only two films debuting worth major recognition.

The first is “Anomalisa,” surrealist writer Charlie Kaufman’s stop-motion release, which should give “Inside Out” a serious run for its money in the Best Animated Film category. As of now, however, “Anomalisa” has only a broad release date of sometime in January.

Last, and my speculative pick for best film of the year, is “The Revenant.”

Opening Jan 8, “The Revenant” is the story of betrayed fur trapper Hugh Glass and his search for revenge. Leonardo DiCaprio looks to finally end his Oscar drought, and director Alejandro G. Iñárritu and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki hope to complete back-to-back wins after the success of “Birdman” last year.

No matter which movies you choose see this holiday season, spend part of your Winter Break at the movie theater. the trek to their off-campus home, where they planned to set up their “tree burrito” in preparation for the holidays.

The tree types offered at the sale this year include Scotch Pine, Douglas Fir and Fraser Fir. Oxford Lion’s Club member Dale Rolfes describes the Scotch as having a silvery tone and a wonderful smell — though it is the most expensive of the three.

Each year, at the end of the sale, the remaining trees are donated to the Family Resource Center. The Lion’s Club also provides the 12foot tree displayed in President David Hodge’s house.

The Oxford Lion’s Club will be selling Christmas trees Uptown until just before Christmas Day, or until all of the trees are sold. The sale is open from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 12 to 6 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday.

fish, shellfish, soy and wheat.

The allergen-free station also caters to those who have a gluten sensitivity or intolerance.

The equipment at the allergen-free station is cleaned between uses and the dining staff is trained on the proper techniques to ensure food is prepared in a safe manner.

The point that Barrera says she and her staff stress to students is communication.

“We want students with a question about food to talk to us,” she said. “The information students can gain from speaking with us is invaluable.”

Miami Dining is willing to specially prepare food upon request for students with special dietary needs. For instance, Barrera said, at Mein Street in Armstrong Student Center, students can ask to have their stir fry made on a separate cooking area in an individual pan that is cleaned after each use, as opposed to the main grill that is only scraped after each use.

“If you reach out to them, they are willing to accommodate and more than happy to meet your needs to the best of their ability,” Klonz said.

Overall, the dining experience for students with food allergies is positive.

“It would have been nice if [Miami] had a sign saying what the cookie was,” Dews said.

“But at the end of they day, I’ve been living with this food allergy for 18 years now and should’ve known better than to eat something that was that questionable.”

10 SPORTS

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015

SPORTS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

Undefeated club football pursues national championship FEATURE

GRACE REMINGTON SPORTS EDITOR

At a university where winning is only expected at the Goggin Ice Center, club football is redefining expectations.

The undefeated Miami University club football team travels to Salem, Virginia this weekend in pursuit of the National Club Football Association national championship against Middle Georgia State University.

“Since the start of the season, we all knew [reaching the championship] was a possibility,” sophomore safety John Zuccaro said. “We knew we could actually do it, but I don’t know how many guys ac-

tually believed it. Then the more we kept winning, and the more we came together as a team, we got closer and closer and we realized ‘hey, if we keep playing like we are, we’re going to get there.’”

Though the team is new — it was founded in 2007 — it already has a history of winning.

The RedHawks (10-0) have just three losses in the last four seasons, and two of those came to the eventual national champions. This season, they’ve been ranked No. 1 nationally since Week 3.

But what sets these players apart from others is their passion.

“It’s for the love of the game,” senior linebacker and team captain Zak Ogilbee said. “None of us are out here playing for a scholarship

or playing to get noticed by somebody. We’re here because we love playing football.”

Saturday brings MU its first trip to the title game since 2012, when the RedHawks went undefeated in the regular season, but lost to Coppin State University in the championship game.

Last year, their only loss was against Oakland University, and it kept the ’Hawks too low in the rankings and out of the postseason.

Oakland ended up winning it all.

The rematch came this season in Week 5, and the RedHawks routed the Grizzlies 47-9.

Sophomore running back Ty Russ had a breakout game, rushing FOOTBALL »PAGE 5

CONTRIBUTED BY MITCH OCRAN

Junior wide receiver Colin Hogan leaps for a one-handed catch in Miami University club football’s 40-0 victory against Ohio State University on Oct. 24.

Headlines beyond Oxford: The “World Cup of fraud” continued Thursday, as 16 more soccer officials were arrested and hit with a 92-count indictment featuring charges of racketeering, money laundering and wire fraud in the FIFA scandal.

Colleges see increase in MU finishes first half international varsity athletes against Colorado College INTERNATIONAL

KRISTA SAVAGE

THE MIAMI STUDENT

Recruiting athletes from outside of the United States is a growing trend in college athletics, as international student-athletes play an increasingly prominent role in NCAA competition.

According to thesportsjournal.org, 17,653 international student-athletes competed in NCAA competition during the 2009-10 school year, a large increase from the roughly 6,000 that competed in the prior decade.

At Miami University, 18 of the 534 varsity athletes are from countries other than the United States.

Miami University has six varsity teams with international athletes on the roster: men’s baseball, men’s basketball, women’s tennis, women’s field hockey, women’s diving and women’s soccer.

The team with the largest international population is women’s tennis.

More than 60 percent of its players were recruited internationally, including the head coach and associate head coach.

According to tennis associate head coach Ricardo Rosas, a native of Mexico City, the competition for

international tennis players among colleges is extremely competitive.

The market for players is more competitive than it has been in previous years, not only among Ohio universities, but also at universities across the United States.

Rosas and tennis head coach Yana Carollo, who hails from Russia, handle all recruitment for the tennis team. Recruitment processes for international students start when student-athletes are around 17 years old. Both coaches travel to several tournaments throughout the year to recruit players.

“With international recruitment, it is important to know people. It’s all about connections,” Rosas said. “We know the coaches from other schools and from international schools we recruit from. Those international tournaments are our base.”

The coaches attend two tournaments in the United States and a few overseas. Two types of players compete at these tournaments: those looking to start their professional careers, and those looking to start their college careers.

“Recruiting is all about seeing them perform, getting to know them and asking questions,” Rosas said.

INTERNATIONAL»PAGE 8

RedHawks host IUPUI MEN’S BASKETBALL

BEN MOLNAR

THE MIAMI STUDENT

After a week-long break from competition, the Miami University men’s basketball team hits the road for a game against Indiana University — Purdue University Indianapolis on Saturday.

The RedHawks (4-3) are coming off last Saturday’s 64-63 comeback victory against University of Central Florida.

Head coach John Cooper likes how balanced his group is becoming and how much depth the team has.

“I think it goes to making sure we get guys in the game,” he said. “I do think there’s gonna be nights where there’s gonna be someone who’s gonna be on that night and be able to give us what we need and give us that lift.”

Senior guard Eric Washington leads the RedHawks with an average 12.1 points per game and 18 total steals. Senior guard Geovonie McKnight is close behind, averaging 11.4 points per game.

As a team, MU shoots 41.5 percent from the field, while holding

opponents to a 42.8 shooting percentage.

Cooper thinks the team is maturing through each game, but he always wants his team to give him their maximum effort day in and day out.

“I don’t know if they’re ever as mature as I want them to be,” Cooper said, joking. “I think you always want more. In order to be special, you have to go beyond yourself and go beyond what you feel are your limits and your capabilities. I’m asking for more and more and more, and they say that I gave you all I got, and that’s when I say just give me a little bit more.”

IUPUI (2-6) has lost its last four games, including a 61-58 loss at Ball State University on Tuesday. Junior guard Darell Combs leads the Jaguars with 14.8 points per game.

Cooper said the players need to refocus as they head to Indianapolis, and that they need to come together and bond during the road trip.

He also said the team needs to start strong to avoid having to make up lost ground in the waning minutes

HOCKEY

HARRISON SCHWARZ STAFF WRITER

The Miami University men’s hockey team finishes the first half of the season this weekend against Colorado College. The RedHawks are 5-7-1 (2-5-1 National Collegiate Hockey Conference), while the Tigers are 1-13 (0-6 NCHC).

Miami hasn’t won a game in its last four tries, and its last three games have gone to overtime. Most of the recent frustration can be chalked up to good competition and unluckiness.

Two weeks ago, No. 4 University of North Dakota swept the RedHawks. UND claimed a 6-2 victory on Nov. 13 and a 4-3 victory in OT on Nov. 14.

In game one of its series against No. 6 University of Nebraska Omaha, MU tied Omaha 3-3 in regulation and unofficially won the game in 3-on-3 overtime on Nov. 20, earning an extra point in the standings.

UNO took the second game 3-2 in overtime on Nov. 21.

Senior defenseman Matt Caito said he isn’t worried about the RedHOCKEY »PAGE 8

TODAY IN HISTORY

1982

Georgia’s Herschel Walker wins the Heisman Trophy. The junior running back beats out Stanford quarterback John Elway and Southern Methodist running back Eric Dickerson.

Walker finished third in the voting for the award as a freshman and finished second his sophomore year.

SIDELINE NFL PACKERS

ANGELO GELFUSO THE MIAMI STUDENT

Freshman foward Ryan Siroky tries to get a pass off two Nebraska-Omaha defensemen. Siroky has one assist in 14 games this year.

Senior defensive lineman Bryson Albright and redshirt junior defensive lineman JT Jones were named to the Mid-American All-Conference team Wednesday. Albright earned second-team honors, while Jones earned third-team recognition.

Albright finished the year with 51 tackles, 7.0 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. He added three fumble recoveries and an interception on the year. His sack and tack-

les for loss totals ranked third in the MAC in 2015.

Jones finishing the year second in the MAC with 10.0 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss. He added 52 tackles, a forced fumble and a team-high 12 quarterback hurries in 2015. His top performance of the season was in a 2813 win over Eastern Michigan in which he set a school record with four sacks.

WOMEN’S HOCKEY TAKES ON LINDENWOOD After winning four of its last five games, the Miami University women’s hockey team hosts Lindenwood University-Belleville in a two-game series this weekend.

The American Collegiate Hockey Association ranks Miami (7-2-1) as the No. 7 team in the coun-

try and Lindenwood (9-2-2)as the No. 2 team.

Junior right wing Rachael Booth leads MU with 11 points (seven goals, four assists). Junior goaltender Emalee Wills ranks second in the ACHA with a .99 goals against average and owns a third-best .944 save percentage.

SWIMMING HOSTS 22ND ANNUAL INVITATIONAL In the 22nd annual Miami Invitational, the Miami University men’s swimming and diving team hosts Denison, Emory and Urbana Dec. 3-5. The women’s team hosts host Denison, Emory, Urbana, Ball State University and University of Toledo.

After one day of competition, the men’s side stands in fourth place with with 350.5 points. Denison leads with 778.5 points.

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ALBRIGHT, JONES RECEIVE MAC HONORS

The women’s side leads the competition with 659 points. Emory’s 479.5 points place it second.

Entering the weekend, the men’s team stands at 1-2 on the season in dual-meet competition, while he women’s team is 3-3 in dual meets.

The three-day invitational began Thursday and will continue through Saturday.

BREAK THE TENSION $

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