The Miami Student | April 24, 2018

ESTABLISHED 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES

TUESDAY, ARPRIL 24, 2018

Volume 146 No. 26

Miami University — Oxford, Ohio

BAM 2.0, ADMINISTRATION MEETINGS CONTINUE ACTIVISM

JACK EVANS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Miami administrators met with Black Action Movement (BAM) 2.0 leaders April 20 in second closed-door, Friday-morning meeting.

The activist members of BAM 2.0 organized themselves in mid-March after a controversy surrounding a racial slur used by a Miami student on social media resurfaced.

Since then, BAM 2.0 staged several demonstrations and has pushed the university to address a list of demands that includes building new space for the Office of Diversity Affairs (ODA), better mandatory education for students on diversity and race and more intense recruitment efforts for prospective diverse students.

Vice President for Student Affairs Jayne Brownell and BAM 2.0 spokesperson Josiah Collins, both of whom attended the session, said it was productive: education, space, easier bias reporting and a system for communicating regular updates were all discussed.

Rather than building an entirely new structure, the ODA might move into a larger space in the east wing of Armstrong, potentially over Summer 2019, said Brownell, though other options are still being considered.

For the rest of semester, BAM 2.0 plans to shift its focus to building its ranks and developing relationships with its allies, said Collins.

“We’re just trying to make sure we are building each other up in the community and not focusing so much on the administration and more on the

Hailey Castro, Adam Battle and graduate student Sophia Feller man the craft table Saturday at the Oxford Community Earthfest in Uptown Park. Arthur Newberry Design Editor

Anthropology 416: Digging for stuff ARCHAEOLOGY

AUDREY DAVIS

MANAGING EDITOR

It’s a chilly spring morning outside Miami’s McGuffey Museum. A group of anthropology students make their way down Spring Street around 10 a.m. toward the former home of William Holmes McGuffey.

The scene they enter resembles that of a murder investigation, with areas sectioned off by caution tape and six boarded-up holes in the ground.

But students in professor Jeb Card’s Anthropology 416 class see things a little differently. After setting down their backpacks, groups of three head to their designated hole in the ground, trowels and clipboards in hand. Each group steps into their sectioned-off area and removes the board covering the square hole.

Minutes later, students spot Card walking down Spring Street with a few shovels in one hand and a coffee mug in the other.

Card steps onto the grass and surveys the area. He stands tall among his students,

Pro-choice, anti-abortion displays vandalized at Hamilton campus JACK EVANS CÉILÍ DOYLE

ASSAULT

THE MIAMI STUDENT

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TWO CASES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT REPORTED OVER TWO DAYS

VANDALISM

Last Tuesday a pro-choice display at Miami’s Hamilton regional campus was stolen on the central campus grounds. This theft followed an act of vandalism from the previous week — an anti-abortion display of crosses was destroyed by two students, both of whom were captured on film.

Both groups — Miami University Hamilton Students for Life (MUHSFL) on the anti-abortion side and Students for Reproductive Justice on the pro-choice side — condemned the destruction of property.

“Just as we wish our freedoms of speech and expression to be protected, we also wish the freedoms of all students to be

dignified. His hair is peppered gray, and his casual jeans and button-down are accented by a tie covered in hieroglyphics.

Card drops the shovels and walks to each of the three sections, two holes in each section.

“Okay, remember to get your depths,” Card says.

Each group of students is bent over their designated hole, stretching string across the diagonal and measuring the depth from the

CÉILÍ DOYLE NEWS EDITOR

STUDENTS AT THE HAMILTON CAMPUS MADE DISPLAYS FOR PRO-CHOICE (ABOVE) AND ANTI-ABORTION STANCES. CONTRIBUTED BY AMY MALOTT

Last week two cases of sexual assault were reported to Miami University police (MUPD) by female students on Tuesday, April 17 and Wednesday, April 18.

The first incident was reported to have “occurred in the early morning hours of Saturday, April 14, 2018 in a residence hall room at Dorsey Hall,” according to an email from MUPD that was sent to the student body on April 18.

The second report stated in

an email from MUPD on April 19 that the sexual assault “occurred in the early morning hours of Wednesday, April 18, in a room at a multi-unit residence in the 100 block of East High Street.”

Currently there are no suspect descriptions available for either incident report. MUPD urged anyone with further information to come forward to the police by calling (513)-529-2222.

For continuing coverage of sexual assault, visit miamistudent.net doyleca3@miamioh.edu

Lilly and Me: Learning Responsibility LILLY & ME

DEVON SHUMAN

MANAGING EDITOR-AT-LARGE

There was still about an hour of light left before the sun set on the weekend, so I grabbed Lilly’s leash and led her to the dog park yet again.

Now that I’ve stopped letting her off the leash on our walks, I’ve been making an effort to visit the park at least once or twice a day since it’s the only

NEWS P.3

remaining place she can run freely. I figured that, at this late hour, there would be few other dogs to distract her and we could practice playing fetch, an activity I’m happy to report she is starting to figure out. She’s now at the point where she’ll chase after the ball when I throw it; the second (and rather important) half of her game still needs some work.

When we arrived, there were two other pooches at the park: a beautiful, brown-and-white husky a little bigger

CULTURE P.4

than Lilly, as well as one of those little, white, fluffy, two-pound squeaky toys some people refer to as dogs.

Normally, Lilly is fine with tiny dogs. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body and would never intend to hurt another canine. That said, she often underestimates her own strength and, in an effort to get the little yappers to play, will nip or push a bit too aggressively. It’s rarely a problem; I just have to pull her off for a moment,

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SPORTS P.14

HOW DO YOU DEFINE A HOOKUP?

SCIENCE GOES ON AIR AT MIAMI

‘THE CROUTON GUY’

VANDALISM IS NOT PRODUCTIVE

NFL MOCK DRAFT

We asked students in Armstrong to drop their answers in a box. See how Miami defines the word on page 6.

NPR’s Ira Flatow talks yeast, paleontology and frozen frogs for radio.

Meet a first-year dedicated to bringing back croutons to dining halls.

If you are weighing in on the abortion rights debate, use your words!

Join some of our best sports writers as they debate this year’s picks.

TENT SALE APRIL 26

SHRIVER CENTER WEST PATIO WEATHER PERMITTING

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DOYLECA3@MIAMIOH.EDU

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018

Anthropology 416: Digging for stuff FROM FRONT

middle.

“Oh, that’s exactly what you’re already doing. Okay, awesome.”

While the Anthropology Department has held teaching labs examining over 10,000 artifacts, from ancient homo erectus tools to pieces from the Inca Empire, this is the first time students have gotten the chance to work in the field on campus.

Last November, Card came to Stephen Gordon, administrator of the McGuffey Museum, to discuss potentially digging in the area. This is the first time a class like this, applied archaeology, has existed at Miami. It’s a capstone for both the anthropology department and the newly created archaeology minor.

The McGuffey House was built in 1833, making it the second oldest building on campus after Elliot Hall. It was in that house that William Holmes McGuffey created his first “Eclectic Readers” — a series of books used to help teach students to read through stories of honesty, hard work and moral and ethical standards. McGuffey’s readers spread through

schools across America, making McGuffey a household name.

After McGuffey left Miami, the house went through various owners and renovations until Miami University purchased the home in 1958 and turned it into the museum it is today.

Card and Gordon discussed which areas around the house would yield the biggest potential for finding artifacts. The side of the house facing Williams Hall had windows and doors that were previously boarded up, leading Gordon to think that side had once been the front of the house.

The spot in the back was chosen simply because it was the back of the house and when a garden was put in the same location, pieces of brick and other small artifacts were found.

And the spot along Spring Street was primarily chosen for visibility, so people could have an idea of what was being done, Card said. They even put a banner up so passersby could learn more about the program.

At each group, Card chats with his students while monitoring their progress.

“So, we’ve been getting a lot of

Abortion rights displays vandalized at Hamilton campus FROM FRONT

soil change,” one of the students says to Card.

“Are you debating whether to close the level?”

“Yes.” “What are your depths?”

“We’re not quite down…”

“I didn’t ask that,” Card says.

“What are your depths? Let’s get your walls cleaned up, they can be a little more straight. Use the square trowel.”

Each time the soil changes in any way, how it feels or sounds, that’s a different level, Card says.

“It’s like bullet casings next to a body,” he says. “Those bullet casings aren’t useful if they’re found 3,000 miles away, but if they’re found next to a body, they’re really damn important.

Context is everything.”

So, the students photograph and draw maps of everything throughout the process.

One of the challenges of this dig is the fact that it is a class with set time constraints. Typically, Card says, a full-time dig is eight hours or more of consistent work every day, whereas this class only has an hour and a half on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the remainder of the semester, weather

depending.

This day, Thursday, April 19, marks day four of being out in the field, meaning they’ve had under 8 hours of total work time. But Card is pleased with how much they’ve accomplished in that time.

The group behind the house has been having the most success. So far, they’ve found several small artifacts dating back to the 19th century, consistent with what they’d expect from the time McGuffey lived in the house.

What they’re really hoping to find is context — a line of bricks, for example.

A student approaches Card and stretches out her hand. Glass.

Card tells her to bag it. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

One group near the road has had similar luck.

“Any artifacts today?” Card asks.

“Just a piece of glass.”

“Cool, cool,” he says. “Wait, there’s more of that clay! What is that?”

“Yeah, it’s here, too.”

“You know what, try to clean that up a little. See if it’s a thing.

I don’t think it’s a thing, but I

don’t really know. Just try not to remove it. Also, I saw you got in the Bigfoot course! There were so many people asking to get in.”

Next semester, Card is teaching a new course: “Investigating the Paranormal.” This time, it’s on Bigfoot, but in the future he’d like to tackle other myths and legends. He also happens to co-host the podcast, “Archaeological Fantasies,” which has over 60,000 subscribers.

Every so often, the sound of dirt pattering against a plastic tarp can be heard from each of the groups. One student holds up a foldable wooden contraption with a wire net while another dumps a bucket of dirt on top.

The student with the sifter shakes the dirt back and forth over a plastic tarp, hoping to catch any artifacts they might have missed.

One students gets excited after spotting something among the dirt on her sifter. She hurries over to Card and hands him her finding.

“Really wanna know?” Card asks as a smile stretches across his face.

Read the rest of the story online at miamistudent.net.

Tammy Kernodle awarded Benjamin Harrison Medallion AWARD

respected — regardless of content or viewpoint,” reads a MUHSFL instagram post.

The former president of MUHSFL, Ellie Wittman, a sophomore, became the vice president of the Oxford Campus’ Students for Life group after she transferred here. She said that “college campuses are a marketplace of ideas,” and that resorting to vandalism and theft only broke down that freedom of expression.

Students for Reproductive Justice leader Amy Malott, a senior at the Hamilton campus who led the effort to set up the pro-choice display, agreed with Wittman. In the past she said, the two ideologically-opposed factions have been mostly respectful of one another.

“It’s been a really respectful discourse,” said Malott. “You know, we don’t really talk to each other about it. It’s just there, present on campus.”

Wittman said that in the few years she belonged to MUHSFL, she never had direct issues with students for Reproductive Justice or Malott, but the annual anti-abortion cross display has been kicked down at least twice before.

The stolen display from the College Students for Reproductive Justice exhibit has not yet been recovered, but police were alerted to the theft.

Malott was forced to replace the Students for Reproductive Justice exhibit with her own resources and restore the original exhibit which was comprised of wire hangers A report was sent to campus security, but unfortunately there were no cameras that faced the part of the quad that Malott’s display was on.

A friend of Malott’s told her that she saw a woman carrying around parts of the display shortly after it was stolen, but the friend ignored it.

“It was a miscommunication because she thought maybe I said to take to take it down,” said Malott. “She didn’t want to walk right up and go ‘hey, what are you doing.’”

Despite the acts of vandalism and theft Malott and Wittman remained hopeful that Miami University Hamilton Students for Life and College Students for Reproductive Justice can continue to coexist peacefully. doyleca3@miamioh.edu evansjm4@miamioh.edu

BEA NEWBERRY STAFF WRITER

The most significant recognition Miami has to offer faculty was awarded to Tammy Kernodle last Wednesday, making her the first African American woman to receive the award.

The Benjamin Harrison Medallion Award is granted annually to those who make an “outstanding contribution to the education of the nation” in teaching, research and service.

Past awardees include Oxford Mayor Kate Rousmaniere in the Department of Educational Leadership and John Bailer, recipient of this year’s Knox Distinguished Teaching Award, in the Department of Statistics.

Kernodle teaches musicology and is an affiliate faculty member of American Studies, black world studies and women, gender and sexuality studies. She is an author, performer, pianist, vocalist and lecturer.

She has been teaching at Miami for 20 years.

Few of her students were aware of her award initially.

One student, sophomore Jamie Chahino, shared that when such a “humble woman” as Kernodle announced the news in class, it only made them more proud to have her as a professor.

“She honestly is one of the most intelligent teachers I’ve ever had,” Chahino said.

“She wants the best for her students. I was very happy for her because I knew how much she did for the Miami students and community.”

Kernodle said her division and department inspire and allow her to think outside of the box. She also thanked the College of Creative Arts Dean, Elizabeth Mullenix, for her support.

Other awardees at the April 18 event were accredited with working inside and outside of the classroom in a variety of ways, with Kernodle an exemplar of such proclivities.

PRES. CRAWFORD PRESENTS TAMMY KERNODLE HER AWARD. BO BRUECK THE MIAMI STUDENT

been excluded,” Kernodle said. “And to expand what was written about in terms of not just music, but American history as a whole. That part for me is so centric. And I do that in everything I do from performing to teaching to writing.”

The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the world’s largest museum, education and research complex, has likewise been touched by Kernodle’s work.

She has served as a consultant for the recently opened National Museum of African American History & Culture’s music division and worked on its “Musical Crossroads” exhibit, which has been up since September 2016. Her upcoming work focuses on the Anthology of Hip Hop and Rap. Upon receiving this most recent accolade, Kernodle shared her desire to invoke the name of Marian Musgrave, the first black woman faculty member hired at Miami in 1969, which was also the year Kernodle was born.

“As the first black woman to receive this award, I honor [Musgrave’s] legacy here and I honor the legacy of faculty of color who have come here to serve,” Kernodle said. newberbm@miamioh.edu

“I can think of less than a handful of academics who can match the accomplishments, and at such a young age and cross-disciplinary prestige of Dr. Tammy Kernodle,” said Provost Phyllis Callahan, quoting Professor Robert Darden of Baylor University.

The Benjamin Harrison Medallion is not the first university-wide award for the musicology professor. In 2014, she was recognized with the Effective Educator Award.

She has innovated the music and American Studies curriculums by creating new courses such as “Enter the Diva: American Women in Music 1900 to Present” and “Roots of Black Music: Blues, Gospel and Early R&B.” As a scholar, she has an extensive body of work that contributes to the literature of African American music history.

She has published more than 20 scholarly works, edited the three volume “Encyclopedia of African American Music,” authored the biography “Soul on Soul: The Life and Music of Mary Lou Williams” and contributed to programs on the BBC and NPR. “The most rewarding part is being able to write people into histories that have

EVENTS THIS WEEK

w

w

Events to catch this week on Miami’s campus and in Oxford

Ethics Week

Meditation Session

128 McGuffey Hall Tuesday 2-3 p.m.

128 McGuffey Hall Tuesday 2-3 p.m.

Miami’s Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) is showing their support for journalists around the world. There are four things SPJ is encouraging everyone to do this week: tweet #FreeAustinTice to support a freelance journalist last seen in Syria in 2012, email miamiuspj@gmail. com with an ethical dilemma you’ve faced, send electronic postcards to five imprisoned journalists through cpj.org/freethepress and be sure to tag #MUEthicsWeek and #PressForEthics on social media.

The Mindfulness and Contemplative Inquiry Center is hosting a free mediation session to help you relieve the stress that comes as the semester nears its end.

At least for an hour, you can escape the outside world and focus on yourself.

The event is sponsored by HAWKS Peer Health Educators, Delta Epsilon Mu and Generation Action.

Black Feminist Theory & Afro-Futurism 2080 Armstrong Student Center Wednesday, 4:30-6 p.m.

Celia Peters, filmmaker and artist, and Holly McGee, assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati, are leading a discussion on black feminism and afro-futurism in “Black Panther” and beyond. As a filmmaker, Peters produces her work through authentically diverse characters. McGee specializes in U.S. and African American history with an emphasis on black women’s intellectual history.

A Modern Acropolis Millett Hall Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Join Miami University Fashion and Design (MUF&D) in the largest student-run fashion show in the nation. Their 12th annual show features 20 students designers, 60 models and a trunk show with boutique shopping. The trunk show begins at 6 p.m. while the main fashion show starts at 7:30. Tickets can be purchased online at MUF&D’s eventbrite site.

MEIBERBR@MIAMIOH.EDU

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TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018

Science Friday Live host Ira Flatow comes to Miami EVENT

CÉILÍ DOYLE NEWS EDITOR

NPR’s Science Friday radio host Ira Flatow beamed as he took the stage of Miami University’s Hall Auditorium on Saturday evening.

“They’re doing some great science on this campus, it’s wonderful to see,” Flatow said to the packed audience. “We look at you as part of the show, so if you hear something or see something that strikes you as funny, or if you don’t — we’ve had some boos in the past — feel free to laugh or applaud or let us know how you’re feeling.”

Saturday night’s recording of Science Friday was titled “Live at Miami: Nature’s Secrets” featured segments from two Miami professors, Nicholas Money and Richard Lee. Miami alumna and assistant professor of biology at Mount St. Joseph University, Clara do Amaral, was also on the air with Lee (her former professor) and Denise Su, the curator and head of paleobotany and paleoecology at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Miami’s Men’s Glee Club also performed throughout the recording of the podcast starting the night off with a bang with a rendition of Tom Lehrer’s “The Element Song.”

NPR’S SCIENCE FRIDAY RADIO HOST IRA FLATOW ON STAGE AT HALL AUDITORIUM. MATT HECKERT THE MIAMI STUDENT

Later on Flatow and Money, a mycologist and director of Miami’s Western Program, discussed the role that yeast plays when researching fungi.

“I like the title,” Flatow said, referring to Money’s new book “The Rise of Yeast: How the Sugar Fungus Shaped Civilization.”

“It wasn’t my first choice,” Money said, laughing. “My first was ‘Yeast of Eden.’”

After Money left the stage Flatow introduced Su who talked

about her work in paleobotany and paleoecology and her research in both which focuses on building a more cohesive history of how our ancient human ancestors lived and which environmental factors shaped the evolution of mankind.

“I always say it’s like putting together a puzzle, but you have to find the piece yourself,” Su said.

Su shared several skulls of ancient otters and talked in depth about how fossilized bones can tell historians and archaeologists more

Miami student stands for Syrian refugees

about the environment in which these animals lived in.

Students, faculty and community members in the audience also had the opportunity to ask questions throughout the recording of the episode.

One man asked Su, “What did we eat and what was our activity like, maybe, two and a half million years ago?”

While Su said that we don’t know exactly what humans ate, it’s safe to assume a lot of our nutrition

ASG rounds off cabinet elections

PROFILE

ASG

JULIA ARWINE

ANDREW TILBE

To many, the Syrian refugee crisis may seem to be a far-away thing — the product of a war seen only through TV screens. But, to junior Sara Al-Zubi, the plight of refugees is real and present, even here in Ohio, and she has taken it upon herself to do whatever she can to help resettle refugee families who have traveled across the ocean to find safety in America.

Sara, a human capital management and leadership major on the pre-med track, was born in Mongolia and lived in Jordan from when she was two years old until she was about eight. She is the oldest of three children, and her family decided to move to the United States because they knew opportunities for women were limited in the Middle East.

They ended up in Indianapolis, then later moved to Lexington and finally settled in Cincinnati. It was a difficult change, to say the least.

Sara learned English faster than anyone in her family and, as a result, took on somewhat of a parental role within the family.

Now in the U.S., aspects of herself that she had never questioned before set her apart from the broader culture.

Although being an immigrant and being a refugee are different in many ways, the shared experience of adjusting to culture shock and overcoming a language barrier gives Sara a way to relate to the displaced Syrian families she works with, especially when she comes into direct contact with them through Cincinnati’s RefugeeConnect program. This program focuses not only on bringing refugees into the country, but also into the community.

“I realized that what I did all of my childhood for my parents…carrying everything on my shoulders…I just switched out my parents for refugees,” she said.

Newly resettled families are often suspicious and wary of Sara and her fellow workers when they first meet, but through their shared understanding of how difficult it is to start over, they end up forging strong relationships.

“I don’t see them as just people I work with,” Sara said. “They are family.”

Sara has a better idea than most when trying to understand the world these refugees are trying to escape. Her family has been back to Jordan multiple times since immigrating to the US, most recently about two years ago.

The civil war in Syria, which began

Miami University Associated Student Government (ASG) elected 7 new cabinet members in their meeting on April 17, rounding out their cabinet seats for 2018-2019.

Junior Charles Kennick was elected as the secretary for off-campus affairs. Kennick is a public administration and anthropology major. This year on ASG, Kennick served as a 5th district off-campus senator. Earlier this month, Kennick ran as a vice-presidential candidate in the student body president election.

Kennick ran against junior James Gale. Gale is an economics and urban and regional planning major and served on ASG this year as a 1st district off-campus senator.

Gale was also a presidential candidate in this year’s student body presidential election.

After Gale, junior Michael Zele was elected as the secretary for communications and media relations. Zele is a finance major in the Farmer School of Business (FSB).

He ran against juniors Daljeet Singh Gadiwale and Gaby Meissner.

Junior Molly O’Donnell was elected as the secretary for infrastructure and sustainability.

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

JUNIOR AND RECIPIENT OF THE HARRY S. TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP, SARA AL-ZUBI POSES IN ARMSTRONG. HEATHER MCCOWAN THE MIAMI STUDENT

in 2011, has put immense strain on Jordan, a small country the size of Indiana without major industry or resources. Jordan has taken in over 1 million Syrian refugees since the start of the war. Meanwhile, schools and healthcare facilities are saturated with refugees, and most of the neighbors in the area Sara’s family once lived are Syrian.

In the north of the country, the war is never far away. “[It’s] so close to the border, you can hear the bombing,” Sara said.

“It’s not distant, it’s not a news story, it’s not the TV. It’s in your backyard.”

There are about 5,000 refugees settled in Ohio, with around 400600 of them in the Cincinnati area.

Legislation from the current presidential administration has made it more difficult for refugees to complete the already long process of entering the United States, and so fewer are arriving than ever before.

Throughout the trying course of resettlement, the refugees Sara works with have shown her incredible positivity, resilience and perseverance.

Sara’s work with refugees has largely centered around getting them access to better healthcare, especially regarding mental health.

She has seen firsthand the trauma fleeing from a war-torn country inflicts on refugee families.

She has even started her own nonprofit called 3Sisters Foundation, which puts in place an Arabic-speaking hotline for refugees struggling with mental health.

The work that most stands out in her mind is what she did two summers ago as part of RefugeeConnect.

Sara’s job was part of the organization’s programming for refugee children. Throughout the summer, she would take the kids from one family out to do fun, normal things, like going to the pool, park or library.

Th first time they went to the library, she tried to get library cards for the kids. The librarian asked for the children’s birthdays. They looked at Sara, confused. They didn’t know when their birthdays were.

In part, this is due to the war in Syria making it difficult to get a hold of official records. In part, it is due to a lifestyle that doesn’t allow for much celebration.

“A lot of those kids spend a lot of time in camps, and [birthdays] are not really what’s on your mind,” Al-Zubi said. “It’s so much about survival that the kid part of it gets left out.”

On the way home from the library, one of the young girls asked Sara what she wanted to do with her life.

“Oh, I want to be a doctor,” Sara said.

“But you’re a girl,” the child said.

“Yeah,” Sara replied.

“Okay,” she said. “Can girls be doctors?”

“Of course,” Sara told her.

“Well,” the girl said, “I want to be like you.”

It’s moments like this that make direct work with refugee families dearest to Sara’s heart.

Besides her work with RefugeeConnect and the founding of the 3Sisters Foundation, Sara is involved with many other CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

was found by gathering various vegetation.

The final guests of Science Friday, Lee and Amaral, discussed their work with flies and frogs and how these insects and amphibians can adapt to extremely cold environments.

“When you say freeze tolerant does it really actually freeze solid?”

Flatow asked Amaral about the two wood frog specimens she brought on the show.

“Yes, they really freeze solid,” Amaral said.

“So, I can hit them on the table?” Flatow asked jokingly.

“You probably shouldn’t,” Amaral replied.

Lee also spoke about his research on Antarctica studying the Belgica antarctica, a wingless midge and the only insect found in Antarctica. The midge is also considered to be the largest animal on Antarctica, coming in around less than a quarter of an inch long.

Flatow wrapped up the recording by thanking Miami president, Greg Crawford for organizing the event and the Glee Club ended the evening by performing “Oh Shenandoah.”

Those interested in listening to episode can tune into “Science Friday Live” from 2-4 p.m. this Friday, April 28. doyleca3@miamioh.edu

O’Donnell is a double major in public administration and statistics and served on ASG this year as a senator for the College of Arts and Science (CAS). She ran against Riley Docherty, who did not show up to the elections on Tuesday.

Next, junior Annika Fowler was re-elected as the secretary for academic affairs. Fowler is a double major in finance and political science and ran unopposed.

Sophomore Tatum Andres was elected as speaker pro tempore.

Andres is a political science major and served in ASG this year as a district 5 on-campus senator. She ran against junior Kelleigh Beatty and sophomores Zoe Douglas and Craig Beuerlein.

Junior Nick Froehlich was elected as the parliamentarian. As parliamentarian, Froehlich will serve as an advisor to student government regarding parliamentary procedure. Froehlich is a Western major and served on ASG this year a 7th district off-campus senator.

He ran unopposed.

Junior Madeline Zinkl was elected as the chief of staff. Zinkl is a political science and accountancy major and served on ASG this year as the secretary of finance. Zinkl ran unopposed.

Tuesday’s elections rounded out the cabinet seats for the 2018-2019 school year. tilbear@miamioh.edu

COUNCIL SIGNS BIKESHARE CONTRACT, DISCUSS MIN. WAGE CITY COUNCIL

SAMANTHA BRUNN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The City of Oxford has finalized and signed a contract for a bikeshare service that will be rolled out in the next few months.

“We hope to have it by the end of the school year, but more realistically it will be this summer,” Doug Elliot, Oxford city manager, said during the April 17 city council meeting.

Miami University President Gregory Crawford received a letter from Elliot notifying the university of the bikeshare contract.

Candi Fyffe, HR director for the city, presented an ordinance to city council that would set the minimum pay rates for part-time and seasonal city employees.

Debate ensued as to whether or not the $8.50 per hour minimum is a reasonable standard.

“I have a problem with the $8.50 minimum pay rate,” councilmember Chantel Raghu said.

“When the average rent here in Oxford is around $750, you’re expecting these unskilled laborers to pay 80 percent of their wages in rent.”

While Fyffe originally said the minimum applied mostly to students and unskilled laborers, she reiterated that many of those people who take the part-time employment are not solely relying on their wages from the city.

“Yeah, but for those unskilled laborers that’s still a poverty wage,” Raghu said.

Councilmember David Prytherch suggested looking into the issue more deeply when the 2019 budget and salary negotiations come up later in the year, around mid-October through November.

Council also discussed the lack of LEED (Leadership in Environmental Energy and Design) certification for the recently approved Municipal building renovations which was brought to their attention by Raghu.

The renovations will not be CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018

RIGAZIKM@MIAMIOH.EDU

Food trucks and fun draw seniors to Springfest EVENT

KEVIN VESTAL STAFF WRITER

In a year where April showers looked more like blizzards, MAP’s annual Springfest celebrated a return to the season’s more traditional weather. A crowd of students passed under red and white balloon arches to find academic quad adorned with flags and inflatables.

Natalie Quintero’s snow cone looked like an oversaturated tie-dye project. Syrup oozed in every color between the crushed ice crystals as she lapped up their ambiguously fruity flavor. Her friend Emma Jacky opted for more consistency, limiting herself to a solid blue cone.

On the sidewalk behind them, a woman pulled a wagon full of Doritos and water bottles. She was followed by someone in a cartoonish owl costume, the mascot for The Verge apartments.

“Do you know where you’re going to live next year?”

Jacky didn’t know where she’d be living, but it wouldn’t be in Oxford. Come fall, she’ll start her speech pathology master’s program at Indiana University.

For some seniors on the brink of graduation, Springfest marked their first visit to campus on a Saturday in quite some time.

“I came strictly for the free food,” said Jalana Phillips between bites of a food truck favorite: macaroni and cheese topped with Buffalo chicken.

Joining Phillips was her friend and fellow senior Jada Harris, who was excited that Springfest’s food options had expanded beyond funnel cake and cotton candy. Ten minutes after her arrival, she declared this year’s Springfest as her best.

“It’s sad that this is my last one, but it’s great that I’m going out with a bang,” Harris said.

Meanwhile, after putting a dent in their snow cones, Jacky and Quintero surveyed the quad’s activities. They watched a girl jump off an inflatable tower and decided that heights weren’t on the day’s impromptu agenda.

The duo walked past a table stacked with two piles of Springfest t-shirts, one baby blue, the other banana yellow. Jacky eyed the yard sign nearby: “5 Tickets for a Shirt.”

“I thought they were supposed to be tank tops,” she said.

Quintero nodded. “How else are you supposed to show off your guns?”

While in line for “Tin Pan Alley,” a carnival game where players tossed wiffle balls into cups, Quintero spotted an empty dunk tank.

“Do you want to sit in there and I’ll throw?” she asked.

“Why do I have to sit in there?”

“Because I feel like you have better aim than I do,” Quintero said.

Jacky’s aim proved true enough to win her a single ticket from the carnival game, but neither friend was in the mood for a dip.

Instead, they wandered over to an inflatable obstacle course, promising to keep any competitive inklings between them at bay.

Sadly, their race was not meant to be.

The person stationed at the obstacle course pointed toward the line of people waiting to

get a stamp on their hand, proof they had signed a liability waiver and were free to ride the spinning gravitron, zoom down the zipline or bound through the host of American Ninja Warrior-esque attractions.

As they waited, Quintero noticed the DJ responsible for reminding her of Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” which drowned out the roaring fans that fueled inflatables.

“I need him to play the yodel boy remix,” Quintero said, referring to the Walmart yodeler of internet fame.

Jacky promised to go with her to put in a request, but the two decided that the DJ probably had a fixed playlist for the afternoon.

Impatient, Quintero and Jacky ditched the line in favor of cotton candy and some “Chicken Mac” of their own. In the time it took them to get food, the line to sign a waiver had evaporated. Too full for rides, the duo ditched their plans and grabbed water bottles in order to hydrate before heading uptown. vestalkc@miamioh.edu

Caleb Russell fights to bring back croutons DINING

EMILY DATTILO STAFF WRITER

The Crouton Guy sits at a table outside Cafe Lux twirling his white earbuds, a light brown backpack perched on his lap. He wears glasses, a black hat emblazoned with a red M, a grey-and-blue sweatshirt, black pants and black shoes.

Caleb Russell, a first-year theatre and arts management double major, is the face behind the crouton plea, and his sole request is the return of those crunchy hunks of bread to all dining halls.

This adventure commenced when Russell started a diet last semester and turned to dining hall salads as a healthy alternative from unhealthy options like pizza and french fries.

He quips that he’s one of those people that goes to a restaurant and orders the same thing every time, and he’s very particular. For instance, only three cucumber slices are allowed on his salad, always accompanied by carrots, cheese, low-fat Ranch dressing and, of course, croutons.

Russell’s crouton love began at a young age. When Russell was a kid, he’d go to Golden Corral with his family, fill up a plate with croutons and dip them in ranch dressing before savoring each crunchy bite. Lucky for him, first semester, clear bot-

tles brimming with croutons stood guard beside each salad bar. Then the unthinkable happened: the bottles vanished and the croutons went with them.

When the croutons disappeared, he asked if others had noticed, using the Miami Class of 2021 Facebook page as a platform. Russell’s posts garnered lots of attention. The first one received 130 likes in just two days.

“Part of me continues it because it’s sarcastic and it’s fun,” Russell said, “and part of me just genuinely wants croutons. That’s it.”

The Crouton Guy’s pleas even gained the attention of ASG. Craig David Beuerlein, a first-year ASG member, posted on Facebook that Miami Dining removed the croutons because tortilla strips were deemed healthier. In response, Russell immediately set to work comparing nutrition facts and made an interesting discovery.

According to his research, the calories for tortilla strips and croutons are the same. The slight difference appears in fat and sodium content. Russell’s later Facebook post closed with the poignant message: “Are we going to let 0.2 grams of fat stop us from getting back our croutons?!! #bringbackourcroutons.”

Though his dedication has mostly resulted in positive re-

sponses, some students don’t share his enthusiasm. They view the crouton debate as a waste of valuable time and don’t seem to find humor in the situation.

“Imagine if you put all the effort you’re putting into getting croutons back in the dining halls into something academically useful or socially important,” one Facebook user commented.

CALEB RUSSELL’S STICKER.

To clarify, though “Crouton Updates” do pop up fairly often on the group page, the posts aren’t typically more than a couple paragraphs long.

Russell explained that the posts really don’t take too much time, typically only about five minutes. He responded to the comment above saying, “At least at the end I could say I tried to make change instead of just pointing out problems.”

Other students view the crouton conversation as an irritation rather than a problem in need of a solution.

“I just think that out of the 2,000 people [in the Facebook group], only like 200 people, max., care,” said freshman marketing major Emily Dye. “So I just think it’s really annoying.”

First-year nutrition major Iris Puthoff said though she does miss the croutons, the work of the dining hall staff needs to be considered.

“I’m aware that Miami’s dietitians are working hard each semester to implement healthier methods and cooking recipes,” Puthoff said. “In the grand scheme of things, the dieticians cannot place croutons as a top priority food to focus on.”

Another student, freshman political science major and fourth district on-campus senator Zoe Douglas, just doesn’t like croutons. However, she does see the cause’s upside.

“Even though I think there are a lot more important issues on campus,” Douglas said, “I think it’s a great opportunity for people to get engaged, hear about what ASG is, how can we get involved and make sure that they feel that their voices are heard.”

Russell admits croutons aren’t exactly the most pressing problem in the world, or even

on campus, but his movement illustrates the larger idea of taking action for a cause.

His posts have evoked different student concerns regarding other notably absent dining hall items including the rarely-present alfredo sauce, the lack of hamburgers, the missing nacho bar at Western and the vanishing panini press at Maple.

On April 17, The Crouton Guy posted a sticker he designed for the movement. Once again, likes and comments flooded the post.

He says if there’s enough interest, he’ll probably buy a set of 200 stickers, sell them for a dollar and stick the rest around campus.

He thinks it would be pretty funny to have kids five years from now see them all over campus and wonder what in the world “bring back our croutons” meant.

“If you want actual change to get done,” Russell said, “You start with small things and then you just add small things on top of that and see how far you can get.”

ASG has remained active in the crouton debate, most recently bringing it to a vote and moving the cause to an on-campus committee. They also met with Geno Svec, Miami’s senior director of food and beverage.

The Crouton Guy is currently waiting to hear back. dattilec@miamioh.edu

Lilly and Me: Learning Responsibility

DEVON AND LILLY STOP BY THE SEAL. SABIK AKAND THE MIAMI STUDENT

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

instruct her to calm down and then let her play again, which she will usually do more responsibly the second time around.

Sometimes, like this past Sunday, she doesn’t learn her lesson. In those cases, I’ll have to get her back on the leash and take her for a walk elsewhere so she can expend her energy in a less hostile manner. The nice thing about Oxford’s park, however, is that it offers a separate, smaller play area, a miniature park for dogs under 20 pounds. Often, when two dogs are experiencing compatibility issues, the owner of the smaller dog will take them in there so each of the dogs can enjoy the parks separately.

That only works if the dog’s owners are paying attention.

If, as was also the case on Sunday, they happen to be sitting on a bench, their noses buried in their phones, oblivious to what their chew toy is getting himself into, they’re not available to help fix the situation. You see, there’s a sizeable fence separating the two parks, and a dog that, in a game of 20 Questions might be described as “smaller than a bread box,” needs its owners to haul it over said fence in order to access the park that it’s best suited to. When those owners are otherwise preoccupied, I’m the one who’s forced to take action and remove my dog from the park

she should be allowed to enjoy.

Okay, I’m aware of the obnoxious and entitled tone in my voice here. But I find it’s hard to not adopt a sense of entitlement whenever you assume responsibility — even outside the confines of the dog park.

This past semester, for instance, I’ve made a concentrated effort to help keep my house tidy. I always rinse my dishes and put them in the dishwasher, and I start every Sunday morning by putting the kitchen and living room through a deep clean. From this, I’ve gained a clearer and more relaxed headspace, a self-motivating sense of accomplishment and an irrational response of immense anger whenever I watch one of my roommates dump a dirty dish in the sink and carry on their way. Never mind that just a year ago, I was the roommate who would get blackout drunk, trash the living room with empty beer bottles, leave the kitchen counter riddled with half-eaten pizza crusts and lie in bed until noon the next day as others picked it all up.

Now, I’m responsible, so how dare my other housemates not leave an equally spotless trail behind them?

If you read my spring break column, you’ll recall that our camping trip was cut short by a storm, and Lilly and I were back in Oxford

by Tuesday evening. This left us a solid four days with the campus virtually to ourselves.

Each morning, Lilly and I would walk our usual loop — down along the Miami trails, up through Cook Field and back through campus. One day that week, Oxford got hit with its own snowstorm, and we were able to trek through the grassy fields and red-brick quads as white flakes drifted down silently around us.

Even when cluttered with students hurriedly making their way to class and tour groups clogging up Slant Walk and the Seal, Miami’s campus is undeniably brilliant. But,

seeing it like this, untarnished by any other sound or soul, I was left speechless by its ethereal beauty. That 15-minute trek from Bachelor to the Phi Delt Gates was like a walk through time, a chronological tour of the four years here that changed my life.

I walked under the arresting tower of Upham Hall, the astounding building that caught my eye when I first visited Oxford as a highschool senior, when it was promised to me that during my time at Miami I would find my soulmate and kiss her under the arch — not every campus-tour promise comes true, it seems.

I walked through the now-bare Bishop Woods, whose once-lush forest provided cover for me to take a drunken leak one night early my freshman year, a poor decision that almost earned me a public urination citation — luckily the MUPD officer who caught me was in a good mood that evening.

I walked past Armstrong and down Slant Walk, the same route I followed countless nights after exiting the newsroom at 2 a.m. to trudge back to my off-campus house at the corner of Vine and Poplar.

I walked by academic buildings and campus dorms, dining halls where I’d shoveled stale pizza before class and libraries where I’d crammed for final exams. I walked by gardens and bell towers, birds and squirrels (yes, even in the snow), brick and ivy — all of it snow-covered and quiet, there for only me and Lilly to enjoy.

And throughout this walk through the past, it was difficult to not think about the future. In less than a month, I’ll leave this campus behind and embark into that frightening realm that college seniors refer to unnervingly — and often in hushed whisper — as “the real world.”

The real world with its nine-to-fives, its bills and taxes, its lists of chores and errands and jobs to apply for and older relatives to take

care of... its endless responsibilities.

It was those very responsibilities that were running through my mind as I stood with Lilly outside the main dog park, waiting for the owners of the combative little fluffball to finish up and leave so we could go back in and enjoy the open space. I had done my part. I had been the responsible owner. So why was I the one being punished? And how was I going to survive in a world of responsibilities where other adults can’t always be counted on to do what they’re supposed to?

There’s a lot I didn’t accomplish in my time at Miami: classes I failed to attend, awards I didn’t win, papers and stories I didn’t put my all into, opportunities I never capitalized on, chances I never took, things I wanted to say or do but never could bring myself to out of fear or anxiety or whatever it was that held me back.

But, if I could sum up everything I’ve learned these four years into a single lesson it would be this: There’s nothing to be gained from dwelling on the past. You can’t fix what you’ve done wrong; you can only move forward. Sometimes you’re going to mess up, and the best thing you can do is try better in the future, whenever your chance may arise again.

And sometimes, others are going to mess up too. They’re going to make a mistake or flake on their responsibility, or maybe just make the decision that’s right for them, and you’re going to be the one negatively affected by it.

You can’t decide what others do or think or feel. Sometimes, all you can do is step outside the park, find a way to appreciate the present — the moment — for what it is and enjoy yourself once it’s your turn again. shumandb@miamioh.edu

MITCHE49@MIAMIOH.EDU

CULTURE 5

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018

Miami gets lucky as Rockin’ Road to Dublin stops in Oxford DANCE

MAYA FENTER STAFF WRITER

Growing up, Irish step dancing was a staple in my elementary and middle school talent shows. Every year, there would be at least one girl wearing a wig with tight red ringlet curls, a green dress with a Celtic pattern and black shoes with white knee-high socks.

Rockin’ Road to Dublin wasn’t like that, though, and I could tell that before the show began.

I had only ever been to Hall Auditorium for lectures, for which the stage was bare except for a podium and maybe a screen for a slideshow in the back (crazy, I know).

But on Saturday, April 21, speakers were stacked on either side of the stage. Two sets of elevated stands were arranged in the back for the musicians and their instruments — drum kits at the top, guitars and violins on the lower platform. The backdrop featured a giant drawing of a Celtic knot and a row of spotlights hung by the ceiling lit everything up in blue.

As the lights dimmed, a disembodied voice made an announcement warning the audience about the use of strobe lights and haze.

With that, I knew I was in for something completely different than my classmates step dance on the small stage in my elementary school gymnasium.

Co-creators Scott Doherty and Chris Smith started working on the show seven years ago.

Both have backgrounds in show business — Doherty is the 2009 Men’s World Champion of Irish Dance and has toured in Riverdance.

Smith has performed in shows at Busch Gardens, Williamsburg and toured with The American Rogues, one of the top Celtic rock bands. In addition to their role behind the scenes, they perform as the lead dancer and lead percussionist in the show, respectively.

They were driven by the hope to create something that had never been done before — a fusion of Irish dancing and rock and roll in a show with live music, dancing and singing.

“What we’ve done is take the best parts of an Irish dancing show and the best parts of a rock concert and formed them together into one entity,” Smith said. “You have all

ROCKIN’ ROAD TO DUBLIN ON TOUR IN 2016. CONTRIBUTED BY ROCKIN’ ROAD TO DUBLIN

the pieces from both genres in one world.

We take traditional Irish dancing and added this rock and roll element of a live band and a rock concert feel. It’s got a little something for everyone, whether you want dancing or singing, or just music alone.”

The show opened with a sweet duet between the male and female lead dancers, Doherty and Ashley Smith-Wallace. She was wearing an airy white dress that floated around her as she danced. It was the only time anyone wore any color other than black.

It was a boy-meets-girl, love-at-first-sight scene.

And then, Doherty ripped his long-sleeved shirt off, revealing a fitted, black muscle tank.

The male lead singer emerged wearing a leather vest and snug leather pants. The electric guitars cut in. Instead of light fiddle tunes, the dancers stepped along to strong drum beats and guitar riffs.

The cast of Rockin’ Road to Dublin is comprised of 36 people, including 14 dancers, two singers, eight musicians and 12 crew members.

The act’s focus shifted from dance to instruments to singing.

An emotional duet cover of “Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane was accompanied by a kiss shared by the pair of vocalists at the end of the song. The kiss gave me reason to believe that their relationship might extend beyond the stage, but I can’t say for sure.

A musical number showcased solos from the violin players, one wearing a cowboy hat and the other wearing lacy fishnet tights under a pair of black jean shorts.

A playful dance number involved a group of male dancers trying to woo the female dancers with their moves. The female performers played hard to get, but I was shamelessly impressed with their ability to jump and land as if they were weightless and create rhythms by shuffling their feet across the stage, all while keeping their upper body relatively motionless.

Some acts combined all three elements, such as the vocalists singing a medley of classic rock favorites, including “Any Way You Want It” by Journey, “Back in Black” by ACDC and “Baba O’Riley” by The Who, with the crew of dancers stepping to the music.

“The biggest thing behind this is that it’s a show for everyone,” Smith said. “I know ev-

eryone always says that, but we literally have dancing, singing, music, we have soft numbers, heavy numbers, we have everything you could possibly want so people from 5 up to 70 will enjoy it and all leave happy and get something out of it, and we’re excited that we can do that for people.”

The show’s demographic truly was anywhere between 5 to 70, if not broader. College students wearing Miami sweatshirts, parents tugging along children in pastel-colored dresses and polo shirts and older couples in sweater vests and floral blouses made up the sold out crowd.

After the final act, everyone stood up, clapping and smiling.

Smith doesn’t have any groundbreaking message that he wants to send. He simply wants the audience to be entertained.

“We’re not trying to change the world, we’re not trying to push any boundaries, we’re just trying to let people have two hours of a lot of fun,” Smith said. “You get to watch great dancing by world-champion dancers, you get to listen to some great music, you just get to leave happy.” fentermc@miamioh.edu

STUDENT WRITTEN AND DIRECTED PLAY TO PREMIERE THIS WEEKEND ON HAMILTON CAMPUS

Miami University Fashion and Design gears up for their big show

tionally and mentally battering,” said True-Omaits. “My character in the show is not only an outspoken racist, he is the head of the Klan, which, as you can imagine, puts me in a really negative headspace.”

True-Omaits said it has been hard for him to separate himself from the character he is portraying on stage, but believes in the importance of the play.

“Letting bigotry and hate govern our lives could make this world a reality, and personally, that scares me to my core,” said True-Omaits.

“This show will shake the audience awake and hopefully remind them that bigotry, racism and intolerance exist and are unfortunately still thriving.”

Jalana Phillips, a senior theatre major, says the play is important considering the current climate at Miami.

“I believe Miami’s campus is at a tipping point when it comes to diversity and its treatment of its minority students,” said Phillips.

“With the ‘What is Love and Honor’ campaign happening, I think this show is important in seeing how bad things could get it if we don’t start implementing changes now.”

Harris was inspired to write “Same Blood” after the 2016 presidential election.

“As Trump was running for office, I saw in the news that he was getting a lot of attention from people in the KKK and neo-nazis,” said Harris. “They thought that this man was going to ‘Make America Great Again’ in a way that somehow agreed to their views. That frightened me!”

Originally a ten-minute mini-production, Harris began writing after listening to “In My Arms,” a song by Johnnyswim.

She began developing it into a fulllength play, the first she’s written, last May — a process she said took about three months.

Harris faced challenges finding a location for the performance. The venue Harris wanted was being

spoke a little bit about their inspirations before the panelists gave DUARD HEADLEY their feedback.

STAFF WRITER Collections varied greatly in style and design with outfits rangIt was a beautiful sort of chaos. ing from brightly colored swimThe room was draped in a hun- wear to chic, monochrome crop dred different colors, filled with tops with gunmetal grey flowing dozens of outfits arranged on rows pants. of tables.

The inspirations for the collecBlack lace sat next to resplen- tions varied as well. One designer dent gold polyester and tie-dye based their collection on traditionskirts lie side-by-side with striking al Korean clothing, complete with black and white bomber jackets. pinpoint needlework and ornate Across every inch bows. Another of the tables, deline illustrated signers had laid the polarizing out their collecnature of hutions in preparamanity, and was tion for the final made of a fabric wave of critiques, patterned with creating a radiant black and white mosaic of fabrics. designs. Others Saturday, kept it simple, April 22 was the like one designday of the final er who based design tweaks her collection off for Miami Uniof a love for the versity’s Fashion beach. and Design proMany designA SAMPLING OF FABRIC IN ONE OF THE MUFD COLLECTIONS. ers faced chalgram. DesignKAT HOLLERAN THE MIAMI STUDENT ers brought their lenges for the first complete pieces time during this in front of a panel of advisors, who process. Whether it was working then gave them notes on anything with models, struggling with sewthey thought needed touching up ing spandex or even picking up a before the upcoming weekend’s sewing needle for the first time, the fashion show. designers overcame numerous ob“We aren’t telling them to stacles to produce their collections. change anything major,” said MeThe care and passion put into gan Langhals, one of MUFD’s ad- the outfits was evident. As models visors and a panelist for the final walked in and out of the door, the critiques. “This is the last line of room morphed into a stage in chic critiques before everything goes New York, then far-away Korea, out, so we want to be sure every- then suddenly a warm and sunthing looks good and will hold up ny beach. The clothes the models on stage.” wore served as gateways to places Megan was one of three pan- far away from midwestern Oxford. elists at the event. The other two This year’s fashion show will were Melanie Mortimore, costume display the works of 23 designers designer and assistant professor of in total, and nearly 60 models will theatre at Miami, and Lisa Mar- walk in the show. tin-Stuart, adjunct professor of art “This is my only extracurricand theatre. ular.” said Wes Remsey, a senior Designers brought their collec- student and model in the show. tions into the room one by one, “It’s such a tight knit community, worn by the models who would wear them in the actual show, and CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

THEATRE

MAIA ANDERSON STAFF WRITER

Senior theatre major Jada Yvonne Harris will debut her play “Same Blood” this weekend at Miami’s Hamilton campus. Harris, who is also directing the production, has worked for the past year to develop her script.

“Same Blood” is a dystopian story set in the year 2060 in which white supremacists have taken over the United States and called for the extinction of all minorities.

The main character, Adam, believes he is the last Black person in the country and hides his identity.

He runs into a friend, Eve, a pregnant black woman who tells him of a resistance preparing to fight against the racist regime.

While the premise of “Same Blood” can seem unimaginable to most, Harris says it is a realistic possibility.

“The story of ‘Same Blood’ is not a guarantee of what is to come, but rather a warning of where our nation might go without the equality and justice that it currently lives without,” said Harris.

The play touches on sensitive issues surrounding race — several actors play members of the Ku Klux Klan and use racist language. This is intentional on Harris’ part, as she hopes to make clear that racism in the States is alive and well.

Kelcey Anyá Broomfield, a firstyear graduate student in the theatre and practice program, says the offensive content is necessary for the purposes of the play.

“I think that it is a conversation that needs to be had,” said Broomfield. “I think that it is something that will shake up this campus and probably upset a lot of people, but that’s kind of the point. We want to get people thinking and talking, even if they’re mad.”

Junior theatre major Daniel True-Omaits struggled with his openly racist character.

“For me, personally, it was emo-

used for a different student production, and Harris said she feared her play would never be performed before her graduation this May. Thankfully, through connections she made during a theatre festival in Hamilton, Bekka Eaton, the associate professor and director of theatre engagement at Miami’s Hamilton campus, allowed her to use Phelps Hall.

Harris also had personal challenges along the way, as the play is intensely personal for her.

“This play is a medium that allows me to be my most vulnerable,” said Harris. “I tend to be very personal with my writing. This show is one of my worst fears coming to life, but I knew that I had to share it.”

“Same Blood” will be the first time Harris will see something she wrote come to life on the stage, as well as her first time directing.

“I feel like this is the best way to end my senior year,” said Harris.

“I am extremely excited about this, but also nervous.”

After she graduates in May, Harris plans to move to California where she will pursue a career as an actor, writer and producer.

The cast has been working long hours to prepare for the show, rehearsing four evenings per week for four hours at a time. Rehearsals began just four short weeks ago, which Broomfield says is not much time in the world of theatre.

Despite the short amount of time, the cast has worked tirelessly to present a high-caliber performance.

“Everyone’s been working really hard and it’s great to see the show start to shape up,” said Bloomfield.

True-Omaits said he hopes the play will serve as a positive force for anyone who attends.

“I believe in this show,” he said.

“I believe in Jada. I believe that the world is what we put into it and I’m putting in love. I just hope others will learn to put a little more love into the world, too.” ander198@miamioh.edu

FASHION

6

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018

7

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018

How does Miami define:

The mostly commonly used word was...

with the runner up...

Sex x35

A HOOKUP

*

But the difference between respondents who used a longer phrase like “sexual encounter” also tended to write longer responses overall.

Sexual x17 sexual encounter x6

have/having sex x7

sexual contact x2 sexual act sexual fufillment sexual engagement sexual desire

*defined from students and written on little pieces of paper

Like, Sex Sex? 69% Sex

respondents scribed no doubt that a hookup means sex.

26% Between

A Square Approach ARTHUR NEWBERRY DESIGN EDITOR

For the better half of the spring semester, our publication has been seeking to bring our readers conversations about relationships on campus. We have been trying to understand what modern intimacy, desire and fulfillment look like in college. But maybe as we should’ve expected, talking to student journalists about your sex life isn’t at the top of students’ lists.

So we set up a table in Armstrong,

put out a suggestion box and asked one question: How do you define a hookup?

A first year male was the first to approach our table in the student center.

“I’ve gotta send this to my friends. This is so crazy,” he smiled as he took a picture of the question on his phone, “we were just talking about this last night.”

For hours, he said.

His answer: sex.

Over 100 people came and shared their thoughts. From a sea of passersby, we collected answers from (to name a few): a polyamorous student, students

4 respondants used “physical”

in an indie rock band, several couples, more than one member of the Associated Student Government and (via phone) a student’s 53-year-old dad.

Most people stayed for 2-3 minutes, choosing their words carefully. One student remarked, “You know, no one ever asks if you want to hook up. I think you just use it when you’re talking about what you did.”

For some people, discussing semantics just isn’t sexy, for others it’s simply not part of the rules of the game.

The student who answered “sex” was

respondents expressed that a hookup could mean sex, but left the door open for other definitions.

among the largest demographic. But the question then becomes, how do you define sex?

During the weekends of April 13 and 20, you may have seen our tent uptown, where people came and shared their stories about nightlife, parties and the dating scene.

We’re continuing to cover relationships, sex and hookups at Miami , so if you’re interested in learning more about our project and how you can share your story, visit: miamistudent.net/whats-your-status

<1% Not

one respondent stated hookups are “anything but sex.”

4 respondants used “emotional” While 8 respondents used the word anything, 8 others also used the word not to indicate the limits of their definition.

However–like this note— the majority of these invoked the word to mean hookups are not emotional.

<1% Other We couldn’t quite figure out what this meant.

Some other frequently used terms...

11 casual

kissing 9 3 persons used the word(s): 2 persons used the word(s):

two people 5

casual sex 3

strangers emotional attachment actual

Some of our favorites...

making out 6

no strings attached

mutual

consensual

friends

intention

spontaneous

intimate

exclusive

probably

fling

defined

penetration

friend

date

knowing

future

second base

The debrief: how guys and girls talk about hooking up CÉILÍ DOYLE NEWS EDITOR

Scribed over the phone, it took this father a minute.

It’s good to keep things in tune.

Oh! What’s there?

Two Saturdays ago I woke up to a slew of text messages: “Wtf happened?!?!?!”

“Wow wow wow we need to debrief” “Wake up bitches, I want to chat over some McDonald’s breakfast” “Should I come home now for debrief and breakfast (aka McDonalds and McDick)?”

My friends and I jumped in the car to discuss what exactly had transpired the previous night, over Egg McMuffins and hashbrowns.

We talked about how we’d all managed to wake up in different situations, and we grilled one another over who we woke up next to and why.

Our generation plays a lot of mind games. The way we communicate with each other is confusing and indecisive, which complicates the way we build relationships, have sex and hook up in college.

Throughout the past semester, I have spent a lot of time talking about sex with my girl friends. But recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about how and why the way guys think and talk about hooking up is so incredibly different from the way girls do.

Two weeks ago, our editor-at-large, Emily Williams, and I talked to eight guys from four different fraternities for a podcast for the Student.

We started off by asking each of the guys what their last date was like, but it

quickly evolved.

We discovered what it’s like from their perspective when a girl they’re hooking up with, but not dating, is convinced she can change his mind about commitment, or how dating apps change the way guys approach girls at bars.

According to them, they don’t overanalyze every interaction they’ve had with a girl. And they certainly don’t flood their group chats at 8 a.m. on Saturday mornings with flurries of expletives and demands to talk about the previous night’s hookups at Mickey D’s.

“Guys, for the most part, say what they mean,” one of my best guy friends often says.

“Be direct,” he tells me.

That text from the kid who asked you

to formal and said “it’s cool if you don’t paint me a cooler” — it’s actually cool.

That guy from Brick who you thought was hot, but is also a tool — tell him you’re not interested rather than make up excuses for why you can’t leave the bar with him.

I’m not going to make a judgement call on how sound his advice is when applied to each person’s individual situation, but I do think there’s some universal truth to what he says While navigating relationships, sex and “hookup culture” in college is a minefield, the key to guys and girls understanding each other is to be more direct about your experiences and the connections you forge along the way. doyleca3@miamioh.edu

8 FYI

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018

Council signs bikes-hare contract, discuss min. wage

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certified due to the cost of acquiring the certification. However, the city plans to aim for the same standards in their construction.

“While it’s not specifically LEED certified, it’s designed with LEED principles,” Michael Dreisbach, the city’s service director, said.

Council approved Melanie McDaniel’s requested use of Oxford Memorial Park to teach a free PiYo (Pilates and Yoga) class on Tuesday and Thursday nights at 6 p.m. May 1 through Aug. 21.

As a Miami alumna, McDaniel previously owned a local studio until the university recreation center was built and her business “was no more,” McDaniel said.

Now that she has time outside of her work schedule, McDaniel said she wants to give back to the community and offer the classes free of charge, and no equipment is necessary for participation.

Other highlights of the meeting included a contract renewal with University of Cincinnati Physicians Company, LLC for continuing education and EMS medical direction, the introduction of the Public Arts Commission that has been over a year in the making and the approval of culvert construction on the corner of state Route 73 and Oxford Milford Road.

The construction will close part of Oxford Milford Road, but 73 will remain open. The work is planned for the early summer as to avoid the hassle of rerouting extra traffic.

Mayor Kate Rousmaniere issued proclamations of Genocide and Holocaust Education and Prevention Month, Earth Day and Arbor Day. A tree will be planted in Leonard Howell park on April 28 to commemorate Arbor Day. Council approved Butler County United Way’s request for a craft beer booth at their kickoff event which will be held on June 26 in Oxford Memorial park. The event will celebrate the new partnership between the Butler County and Oxford branches.

The city contract with Rumpke recycling is up in 2019, and Raghu said there is an opportunity for the city to find new avenues for composting capability.

There are no class 2 composting companies in the vicinity, but Raghu believes there is an opportunity to work with some outside sources to make curbside composting a reality in Oxford.

Council’s next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. brunnsj@miamioh.edu @samantha_brunn

Ben Finfrock Asst. Opinion Editor

Cartoonist Arthur Newberry

Senior Staff Writers Samantha Brunn

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Please get some sleep.

Seriously.

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The Miami Student is published on Tuesdays during the school year by the students of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

The content of The Miami Student is the sole responsibility of The Miami Student staff. Opinions expressed in The Miami Student are not necessarily those of Miami University, its students or staff.

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

Miami student stands for Syrian refugees FROM NEWS 3

organizations.

She is a member of the Ohio Refugee Advisory Council, which advises the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services on matters relating to resettlement. She is the founder and director of Peace of Mail, a project in which people from around the world wrote letters to refugee children.

She is also the founder and president of the newly-formed Refugee Advisory Council at Miami, which plans to raise awareness on-campus of the refugee crisis. And she is a Country Ambassador of the United Nations Humanitarian Affairs, where she works on recruiting North American students for a UN symposium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Going into next year Sara, plans to continue work on improving healthcare

for refugees and trying to create a scholarship to bring more refugee students to Miami.

Recently, Sara was awarded the prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship, which grants her $30,000 to attend medical school and work towards her dream of being a doctor and a public servant.

She is the only 2018 Truman Scholar from Ohio and the first from Miami University in 15 years.

She is honored and excited to be given such an opportunity but does not define herself by that achievement alone.

“I never did anything because I wanted to have that label,” she said. “I saw the need and I saw that I may have a chance at helping these people.”

Miami University Fashion and Design gears up for their big show FROM CULTURE 5

and a great place to meet new people and see smiling faces.”

Remsey said that being a model was deceptively difficult. Despite what people might assume, mastering the proper walk and stoic-yet-stylish personality is a tough process.

Over 200 models tried out initially.

For the first time ever, designers were offered an incentive to design for male models, being reimbursed for the cost of their outfit if they created a look for a man. According to Steele Fitzwater, president of MUFD, this has led to

more male models in the show than ever before.

Following the final critiques, MUFD set up a table in Armstrong to bolster interest in the upcoming fashion show.

Models and members gathered at the table underneath shining silver balloons. The amassed models strode confidently through the halls of Armstrong, advertising the table through periodic mock fashion walks.

MUFD’s fashion show will take place 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 28 in Millett Hall. headledd@miamioh.edu

arwinejk@miamioh.edu daviskn3@miamioh.edu

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#WhatIsLoveandHonor These three departments join the other departments, programs, and groups at Miami University that have come out with similar statements.

Check out the Facebook page of BAM 2.0 at /BlackActionMovement2.0 and follow them on Twitter @BAM_98_ to find out what YOU can do to stand up against racism and white supremacy at Miami.

The Department of Educational Leadership (EDL) joins the students of the Black Action Movement (BAM) 2.0 and others who have called for systemic and institutional change in response to recent and historic acts of racism on our campus. We also reaffirm our commitment to be actively anti-racist and to stand against white supremacy through our teaching, research, service, and activism.

EDL is guided by a core set of values and principles including our commitment to the creation of “a more democratic, socially just world through intentional conversations, curriculum, and activism that reflects an attention to diversity, a focus on social identities, equitable practices, and how power, oppression, and privilege impact education.” Given these commitments we stand in solidarity with the faculty, staff, students, and community members who are actively working to improve the campus climate at Miami University. We call upon Miami University to hold ourselves and each other accountable for these commitments as we seek to support and participate in ongoing campus initiatives that serve to create a more socially just campus community.

We hear and support the students of color on Miami’s campus and believe that we are all complicit in systems of white supremacy when we do not actively work against them. This requires speaking up, showing up, and creating alliances. Our active support must move beyond this statement.

EDL Faculty and Staff Elisa Abes Brittany Aronson Denise Taliaferro Baszile Durell Callier Michael Evans Kathleen Goodman Kathleen Knight Abowitz

Joel Malin Kathleen Mecoli Molly Moorhead David Perez Virginia Phelps Thomas Poetter Stephen John Quaye

Kate Rousmaniere Andrew Saultz Dianne Suiter Lucian Szlizewski Natasha Turman Lisa Weems Cindie Ulreich

The Department of Family Science and Social Work (FSW) stands with the students of the Black Action Movement (BAM) 2.0 and others who have denounced recent overt acts of racism on our campus and who have called for change to Miami University’s culture and practices.

FSW faculty and staff pledge to do our part to continually examine how we can do better, and be not only pro-diversity and pro-inclusion but also anti-racist and anti-white supremacist. We will challenge each other to live up to our department’s social justice mission: in the classroom climates we create and course content we curate, in our recruitment and retention of students of color and faculty of color, and in holding ourselves and the Miami University administration accountable. We invite all of our undergraduate and graduate students to join us, the FSW faculty and staff, in dialogue and action—because if we are not doing something to actively combat racism and white supremacy, then we are part of the problem.

FSW Faculty and Staff Bonnie L. Crabtree Angela L. Curl Sharon Custer Michael Evans Richelle Frabotta Karleah Harris

Anthony G. James Katherine A. Kuvalanka Megan Kuykendoll Jane E. Newell W. Sean Newsome Angela Plessinger

M. Elise Radina Amy Roberts Anne Roma Carolyn Slotten Terri Spahr Nelson Jonathan Trauth

We, faculty and staff of the Department of Teacher Education (EDT), stand against recent and ongoing racist incidents on and off campus. We strongly support the students of the Black Action Movement (BAM) 2.0 and all who have denounced racism on our campus. We support President Crawford’s recent statement: we oppose hate, intolerance, and bigotry. We also support institutional action to eradicate racism on our campus.

The Department of Teacher Education stands in solidarity with all who are working to build a community based on respect, inclusion, and mutual understanding. We value diversity and dialogue, as we strive to create a campus where students feel safe and a sense of belonging. As faculty entrusted with the preparation of professional educators, we endeavor to foster growth, character, and good judgment in our students. As stated in our department’s mission statement: we are dedicated to preparing teachers to confront social injustices.

And to all our students of color we would like to say: We value and appreciate you. We hear you and recognize the recent incidents as unacceptable acts of bullying and threats to your safety. As a department we will work toward a more inclusive and just Miami University.

10

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018

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TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018

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12 OPINION

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018

DAVISKN3@MIAMIOH.EDU

The abortion rights debate shouldn’t be a ‘battle’ at Miami The following reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board.

In the last few weeks, the abortion debate has come to a boiling point at Miami’s Hamilton campus as two groups, representing both sides of the debate, have had their displays vandalized and outright stolen.

Two weeks ago, Miami Hamilton’s chapter of Students for Life (a national nonprofit whose mission is to “abolish abortion”) set up what the organization calls the “Cemetery of the Innocents” on campus. The display featured rows of white, wooden crosses in the ground, each representing “10 babies that die by abortion each day,” according to an accompanying sign. In short order, someone had vandalized and kicked the crosses out of the grass.

Then last week, the local College Students for Reproductive Justice chapter erected their own demonstration on Miami’s Hamilton campus, in response to Students for Life’s display — wire clothes hangers nailed into the ground papered with pro-choice messages. This display

Miami, roll up the partition, please

was stolen a day later.

Local media outlets are characterizing the conflict as a “battle” between the two groups, but that makes it sound as if the student organizations themselves are fighting one another. That’s not what’s happening here.

Both Hamilton’s Students for Life and Students for Reproductive Justice chapters know the pro-choice/anti-abortion debate is a hell of a lot broader than Miami, and one of the most contentious on a national level. Each organization also acknowledges that the other has a right to their own opinion, and they’ve been coexisting on Hamilton’s campus for years.

So, this back-and-forth vandalism, perpetrated not by the groups themselves but unknown (presumably uninvolved) individuals, feels less like a “battle” and more like a bad episode of “Parks and Recreation.”

If this were an episode of “Parks and Rec,” the vandalism of both pro-choice and anti-abortion displays on campus would probably continue until it sparked an ugly town hall

I bought Neutrogena stress relief body wash and I’m still depressed KIRBY DAVIS

OPINION EDITOR

ILLUSTRATION: CONNOR WELLS

BEN FINFROCK

ASST. OPINION EDITOR

Before I begin, I would like to say I fully understand that there are many pressing issues on Miami’s campus right now. Sexual assault and race relations are two that come to mind, and both these issues take precedence over my petty concerns.

Since the First Amendment exists, though, and I have been given this platform, here are my petty concerns.

I need to address an issue for the men of Miami University — one that deals with our right to privacy in the restroom. One which centers around our right to use the urinal and not have our genitalia exposed to the men beside us.

This issue is the lack of partitions in between the urinals on campus.

The restrooms at Miami have a shockingly low number of partitions in between the urinals, and by “low,” I mean there aren’t any. Just look in the bathrooms in academic buildings such as Harrison and Upham Halls, or in residence halls such as Havighurst.

I would really appreciate it if every time I went to the bathroom, I did not have to expose little Ben to the world.

It’s not like I’m standing far away from the urinals. In most cases, I am pressed right up against them in order to not expose myself.

However, this only solves the issue part of the time.

In some buildings, the bowls of the urinals are only two feet off the ground. This means I would have to do a squat in order to not expose myself, and I am not about to squat for my privacy. These urinals are also extremely close to each other, which makes the situation worse.

Aside from the fear that the gentleman next to me is staring at my genitalia, the lack of partitions, quite simply, creates awkward situations in the bathroom. There have been multiple times when I’ve walked into a bathroom without partitions between the urinals, and used the stall to avoid an awkward interaction with the only other person in the bathroom.

I fully understand that there are a lot more pressing concerns that need to be addressed.

But this seems like a simple and cheap fix, which would make a lot of people really happy.

A stainless-steel urinal divider can be purchased on Amazon for $119.99, and a plastic one as low as $95. Of course, there are differences in price depending on the size of the partition, but in this case, size truly does not matter.

The material doesn’t even matter. Miami could literally put pieces of cardboard in between its urinals, and I would be satisfied.

The lack of partitions in between urinals is not just an issue at Miami. Go to any major-league sports stadium, arena or concert venue and you will witness the sheer lack of partitions.

The lack of consideration by not putting dividers in between urinals is up there with taking away legroom on airplanes and making women pay for tampons in public restrooms. These tactics do not take the general population into consideration, and are simply done by businesses to cut down costs and put money in their pockets. finfrobd@miamioh.edu

brawl, after which Leslie Knope and the Parks Department gang would stake out the quad in question until they caught the people responsible.

But this is not a sitcom. In real life, issues like this are handled through healthy discussion and debate, not violence and vandalism.

We, obviously, don’t know exactly what the people who vandalized these displays hoped to accomplish, but we can assume they were trying to draw attention to their own side of the abortion rights debate.

Acting out like that, though, attracts the wrong kind of attention. That behavior doesn’t illuminate their argument, but discredits it by making the side they’re representing look bad.

If you disagree with a student organization’s message so much that you feel the need to point that out to them, do so in a civil way. Ask them questions, engage in conversations and acknowledge that, while you’re entitled to your own opinion, they are too.

Two weeks ago, I correctly self-diagnosed for the first time ever. This did not impress the Student Health Services doctor who confirmed my suspicions I had a sinus infection, but I was pretty pleased with myself.

Anyway, I was a little irritated as I hiked to pick up my Amoxicillin at CVS, but mostly relieved. “I have a sinus infection” is an acceptable excuse for canceling plans or not making any at all; “I’m depressed” is not. A sinus infection is also a tangible, acceptable reason for feeling shitty; depression is not.

I’ve written about this before because I’m incapable of processing anything I feel unless I spit it out into a Word doc afterward. When I wrote a couple months ago that I’d come to terms with my depression, I was already thinking about a follow-up column. I would talk about how the Lexapro I was prescribed didn’t just take effect, but worked psychiatric magic. I’d gush about how I swapped my requisite four cups of coffee a day for green tea and how I self-medicated with yoga and deep breathing exercises, not with pasta. Or wine.

For a couple weeks after the column was published, I held onto the idea that, since I was fine at the time, I could decide to be fine for good — even when I stopped taking the Lexapro because it alleviated my anxiety, but didn’t take my depression with it. Even when my

bad days started to outnumber the good ones, the fact that I was still having good days at all made me feel like I was just being melodramatic the rest of the time.

Then, I stopped having good days altogether. I didn’t want to be at school anymore, but I didn’t want to go home, either. I was so exhausted I felt weighed down by a massive psychological boulder. But not attending class and newspaper meetings made me feel worse. I wanted to see my friends, but I couldn’t summon the energy to be around other people for more than half an hour or so.

Then, two weekends ago, something occurred to me as I approached my 20th hour of watching “Gilmore Girls.” By “watching,” of course, I mean “re-watching for the sixth time.” And by “re-watching,” I mean “listening to the show play on my laptop so I could feel like I was doing something besides laying in bed in the dark mid-Saturday because I didn’t have the energy to do anything else.”

And by “occurred,” I mean “finally got through to me even though other people have been telling me this for months”: I couldn’t choose to not be depressed any more than I could choose to not have a particularly resilient unibrow.

More importantly (and the main point I’d like to make), I realized how lucky I am to have friends who send me depression memes and put up with my mood swings and started subbing our wine nights for coffee dates when I started taking Prozac. The last few weeks

would have been bad regardless, but worse without them.

I’ve struggled with depression since high school. But I didn’t say anything to my friends about it until last semester, and I didn’t speak honestly about it until the past couple months.

Depression is one of the most internalized things you can experience. It’s nearly impossible to express how it feels (I haven’t been able to come up with anything more eloquent than “shitty”), even to people who have similar issues, because no two people experience it exactly the same way.

I’m not advocating for anyone to talk to the people around them about being depressed, because I realize everyone’s situation is different. And I want to emphasize that, while I don’t regret saying something, I do wish I could go back and do so more carefully.

But I don’t regret talking to my friends about it. I wouldn’t have sought help if they hadn’t talked me into going to therapy and taking an antidepressant and making me feel like I wasn’t crazy for doing those things.

What’s helped me more, though, than opening up to my friends and using lavender-scented stress relief body wash and even Prozac, is coming to terms with something I’ve known for a long time but didn’t want to accept: Depression sucks. daviskn3@miamioh.edu

A message from the President April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. In recent years, our Miami University community has been part of a national conversation. Many are speaking out against power imbalances between men and women, as well as abusive behavior in a variety of settings. From #MeToo to #TimesUp, women and men alike are rallying against these abuses.

In some ways, society is catching up to an awakening that started on college campuses decades ago, when increased recognition of sexual assault led to expansion of Title IX and other programs. Sexual and interpersonal violence is far too common everywhere.

One incident of sexual and interpersonal violence is one too many. At Miami University and everywhere, we must always strive to do better. We stand together with survivors of sexual and interpersonal violence, and will continue to support their efforts to recover from the trauma and pain inflicted on them and those around them.

To the Miami Student, Associated Student Government and so many dedicated students, thank you for helping to keep these issues front and center. We need the help of all Miamians to reduce instances of sexual and interpersonal violence on our campus, in our town, and everywhere. We will work with you by fully investigating all reports and holding perpetrators accountable. As a university, we have hired a new leader for our student health and wellness services and are

launching a new model called the Healthy Miami Collaborative – encompassing the Student Health Center, sexual and interpersonal violence, mental health and other wellness topics. We will continue to strengthen our efforts at both prevention and response.

Let’s resolve together that we will not be uninvolved bystanders. If you see dangerous or inappropriate behavior, stand up to it, or call someone who can. It might just be a gut feeling that someone needs help, and you should trust those instincts. All of our initiatives combined cannot substitute for friends and fellow students who do the right thing. Please use all the resources we offer [https://miamioh.edu/campus-safety/sexual-assault/] , including our partnership with Women Helping Women. Also, Miami’s diversity website [http://miamioh.edu/diversity-inclusion/programs-resources/ report-incident/] makes it easier to report incidents including bias, harassment, sexual assaults and hate crimes.

If an incident occurs, please report it. That is the way to get victims of the incident the help they need and to hold people accountable. Together, we can continue the progress we have made so far, and make our campuses safer and more secure.

Signed, Gregory P. Crawford, President Cathy Bishop-Clark, Interim Dean,

Miami University Regionals, College of Liberal Arts and Applied Science Jayne Brownell, Vice President for Student Affairs Phyllis Callahan, Executive Vice President and Provost Jerome Conley, Dean and University Librarian David Creamer, Senior Vice President, Finance and Business Services Mike Curme, Dean of Students Michael Dantley, Dean of the College of Education, Health and Society Marek Dollar, Dean of the College of Engineering and Computing Tom Herbert, Senior Vice President, University Advancement Michael Kabbaz, Senior Vice President, Enrollment Management and Student Success Chris Makaroff, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Liz Mullenix, Dean of the College of Creative Arts J.P. Natale, Vice President for Information Technology Jim Oris, Associate Provost for Research and Dean of the Graduate School Robin Parker, General Counsel Ted Pickerill, Secretary to the Board of Trustees Marc Rubin, Dean of the Farmer School of Business David Sayler, Director of Athletics Ron Scott, Associate Vice President, Institutional Diversity Randi Malcolm Thomas Esq., Director of Institutional Relations

We know you have opinions.

Share them with Kirby at daviskn3@miamioh.edu.

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018

OPINION 13

A.J. NEWBERRY NEWBERAJ@MIAMIOH.EDU

What’s wrong with a little self(ie) obsession?

KELLY BURNS

THE MIAMI STUDENT

Tell me what’s wrong with selfies.

All of us, even me, see someone stretching their arm out in the street, making their friends crunch in behind them, and silently judge them. Just a little bit.

Why? Face it, selfie culture is our culture.

It’s permeated almost every facet of our lives. And even though we judge the people with selfie sticks, you can bet we will take the same selfie in the same place as soon as that person moves out of the way. So we might as well embrace it.

The criticism that generally gets thrown around is that we focus too much on the picture and not enough on the experience.

That’s fair. But I think we’ve managed to find a balance.

Selfies, posed pictures and impromptu photo shoots are just another way of bonding. Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t feel even the slightest bit affirmed when your new friend takes a selfie with you.

You don’t take selfies with just anyone, after all.

I’ll cede the point that taking constant, vain, selfies probably isn’t a help to anyone. But if it makes you feel confident about yourself, go for it. I’ll probably scroll past it on Instagram, but besides that it has no impact on my life.

As far as I see it, the people who take selfies aren’t these people. The bigger culture is surrounding groups of people who want to remember doing whatever they’re doing through a photograph.

We’ve always done this. The only thing different is the person taking the picture.

Most of us are not using selfies, or photos in general, to focus on ourselves.

We force our friends to be in them, or we cut out everything but our eyes so we can get the view behind us. We send Snapchat videos of our friends doing stupid shit, and if it’s funny enough we save it.

The only difference is it’s an iPhone and Cloud saving the footage instead of a video camera.

I’m not saying everything we do should be about that selfie moment.

Not everything is a photo-op.

I’m saying that there’s nothing wrong with snapping a selfie with your friend on a night out in Oxford, you probably won’t remember it anyway.

There’s nothing wrong with hyperextending your arms in order to fit the entire background in the frame. The older generation may not approve, but when have they ever?

Back in the day, the new generation had rock ‘n’ roll, hippie culture, those terrible 1980s outfits. As far as I know, the older generation was never too keen on those trends.

There’s always going to be criticism.

There are always going to be people who say we’re dumb and wrong, that we’re disconnected.

They clearly have never had a group of people shining phone lights on you to improve your lighting, while three others yell out posing tips and two people snap pics in portrait mode to make sure they get the best angle.

It’s technological and the origin is inorganic, sure. But the experiences it captures are natural and as free as what has come before.

Open up that mouth of yours.

burnskl2@miamioh.edu ILLUSTRATION: NINA WILLIS

Send us a letter to the editor at eic@miamistudent.net

14

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018

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SIMANSEC@MIAMIOH.EDU

SPORTS 15

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018

Baseball loses first MAC series of season FROM PAGE 16

runs (one earned). He surrendered two hits, but struggled with command at times, walking six. He struck out seven batters and threw 122 pitches.

The loss moved Spears to 2-3 on the season.

Northern Illinois’ starter, freshman Michael Lasiewicz, also threw a gem. Lasiewicz pitched a complete game, while only allowing one run on five hits. He walked just one and fanned 11.

The series finale lacked fireworks early too, as the game was scoreless through three and a half innings.

NIU threatened in the bottom of the fourth, loading the bases, and scoring a run on a suicide squeeze bunt.

MU senior starter Gus Graham eventually worked out of the jam, giving up only that one run – the only score he’d allow.

Graham was dominant the rest of the day, as he pitched a one-run complete game. He gave up 5 hits and two walks,

but struck out seven.

Still down 1-0, Miami waited until the eighth inning to respond.

With one out in the inning, Senger manufactured the first RedHawk run of the game.

He singled, stole second base, reached third on an error and crossed home on a wild pitch to knot the game at one.

Three batters later, with freshman center fielder Parker Massman and Redshirt sophomore left fielder Kyle Winkler on base, sophomore second baseman Will Vogelgesang bounced into a fielder’s choice to score Massman from third and give Miami a 2-1 lead.

Northern Illinois threw home trying to get Massman, but the freshman beat the throw, allowing all runners to stay safe on the play.

Sophomore designated hitter Cal Elvers plated both Winkler and Vogelgesang with a two-run double to center field, extending MU’s advantage to 4-1. The last run of the inning came when

SOPHOMORE PITCHER SPENCER MRAZ RUNS OFF THE FIELD AFTER ENDING AN INNING AGAINST NORTHER ILLINOIS. FERNADO LOPEZ THE NORTHERN STAR

Texidor singled to left, bringing in Elvers.

In all, the RedHawks scored five runs in the inning.

Graham (W, 3-0) held the Huskies scoreless in the last two innings to finish off his first career complete game and earn the 5-1 win.

Miami will continue its road trip on Wednesday, with a 4 p.m. game at non-conference Butler. vinelca@miamioh.edu @ChrisAVinel

Puzo signs five-year contract extension FIELD HOCKEY

EMILY SIMANSKIS SPORTS EDITOR

Miami field hockey head coach Inako Puzo will lead the RedHawks for five more years, as Puzo was signed to a five-year contract extension last week.

“I want to thank President Crawford, David Sayler, Jude Killy and Jennie Gilbert, not only for supporting me personally and giving me the opportunity to lead the Miami Field Hockey team, but also for their unconditional support to the program and our student-athletes,” Puzo said in a news release from the athletic department.

Puzo has been at the helm of Miami field hockey for the past seven seasons and is at an even .500 overall record (62-62). Though in Mid-American Conference play, Puzo has coached his teams to an impressive 29-12 record.

This past year, he coached the RedHawks to a 12-9 overall record, and an 8-0 MAC finish to win the MAC. The RedHawks went on to win the MAC tournament championship. After beating Stanford in the first-round of the NCAA tournament, the ’Hawks ultimately lost

HEAD COACH INAKO PUZO WILL BRING PASSION TO MIAMI FIELD HOCKEY FOR FIVE MORE YEARS. ANGELO GELFUSO THE MIAMI STUDENT

to No. 2 Duke.

“I feel that I still have a lot to give to Miami and have a lot energy to do so,” Puzo said in the release.

The RedHawks lost five seniors after this year’s campaign, though standout juniors forward Paula Portugal and goalkeeper Maddie Passarella will return next season.

Portugal logged 52 points, and Passarella had 37 goals against in 21 games.

Puzo will likely stand on the sidelines with assistant coaches Chip Rogers and Rayell Heistand next

season.

“It was a very easy decision,” Puzo said in the release. “I want to stay and continue to help this program to excel in the MAC and at the national level. The administration showed me their interest for me to stay and I did not hesitate for a second.”

The Miami field hockey team’s 2018-19 schedule is yet to be announced. simansec@miamioh.edu @emilysimanskis

DUFFY EARNS CONTRACT EXTENSION THROUGH ’22-’23 SEASON WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BEN PANZECA

THE MIAMI STUDENT

After just one season as a head coach, Megan Duffy has inked a contract extension that will keep her with Miami for the next five years.

Duffy led the women’s basketball program to the biggest turnaround season in the nation for a first-year head coach. She was one of four rookie head coaches to reach 20 wins, pushing the ‘Hawks to a 21-11 record.

“I’m just really excited that President Crawford and David Sayler made even more of a commitment to me and my staff,” Duffy said. “I’m thrilled to work with them to hopefully reach that championship level we’ve been talking about.”

The RedHawks earned a firstround bye in the Mid-American Conference tournament after going 12-6 in conference play, and advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2008.

The ’Hawks would lose to Central Michigan 61-58, who went on to win the tournament and advance to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament.

Entering next season, Miami

HEAD COACH MEGAN DUFFY HOPES TO COACH THE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM TO A MAC CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. MACY WHITAKER THE MIAMI STUDENT

will be led by sophomore guard Lauren Dickerson and junior forward Kendall McCoy, who both earned All-MAC honors under Duffy this season. Dickerson was chosen First-Team, while McCoy earned Honorable Mention.

Duffy is looking to add to her talented squad in the offseason, and has already drawn signa-

tures from two Ohio-products, Alexis Straw and Kennedy Taylor, while also adding Vanessa Garelts from Illinois.

Tickets for the 2018-19 season are now available, though the schedule hasn’t been announced. panzecbj@miamioh.edu @benpanzeca

Wanted: writers as opinionated as Toronto Maple Leafs’ fans and smarter than Boston Bruins’ fans.

FRESHMAN TAYLOR RATHE PITCHES TO OHIO ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON AT THE MIAMI SOFTBALL STADIUM. MACY WHITAKER THE MIAMI STUDENT

From the TMS draft room FROM PAGE 16

partner, positional value and need dictate the physical, athletic corner from the Buckeye State as the best pick. -NS Denver Broncos: QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma The Broncos need their QB of the future and, sitting at No. 5, Baker Mayfield is the last of the four big QBs on the board. The Broncos have former first-rounder Paxton Lynch and Case Keenum who is coming off of a career year in Minnesota. Keenum will not likely replicate last season’s success and Mayfield could create an entertaining battle for the starting QB job in Denver. -KH from the Buckeye State as the best pick. -NS 5. Denver Broncos: QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma The Broncos need their QB of the future and, sitting at No. 5, Baker Mayfield is the last of the four big QBs on the board. The Broncos have former first-rounder Paxton Lynch and Case Keenum who is coming off of a career year in Minnesota. Keenum will not likely replicate last season’s success and Mayfield could create an entertaining battle for the starting QB job in Denver. -KH 6.

Indianapolis Colts (From NYJ): OG Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame Quentin Nelson has proven to be the best offensive lineman in this draft class and arguably the best one in the last 10 years. This interior blocker will give Andrew Luck more time in the pocket, allowing him to stay upright – something Luck has struggled with during his time with the Colts. -JH 7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: RB Saquon Barkley, Penn State In taking Barkley, the Bucs can add a dimension to their offense that has been missing for essentially the entirety of Jameis Winston’s career. Barkley is one of the top RB prospects to come into the pros in a while and his ability to both run and catch the ball at an elite level should fit into the Bucs offense – or frankly, any offense in the NFL – very nicely. -MH 8. Chicago Bears: LB Roquan Smith, Georgia Roquan Smith is a freak whose play-speed and recognition allowed him to take what should’ve been easy screens and destroy them behind the line of scrimmage. He was dominant in college in all aspects of the game and could have a Luke Kuechly-like impact. Would fill the current hole in the Bears’ lineup from Day One. -NS 9. San Francisco 49ers: WR Courtland Sutton, SMU The Jimmy G. era is in full swing in San Francisco. He needs receivers to throw to and Sutton is the best WR prospect in this year’s draft. The Niners shored up their defense with the signing of Richard Sherman, so the glaring need here is a No. 1 WR for Jimmy G. to target. -KH 10. Oakland Raiders: LB Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech Tremaine Edmunds is the best linebacker in the draft and the Raiders could bolster their defense by adding him. The speedy Virginia Tech product could prove to be a huge addition to their previously 23rd ranked defense with his playmaking ability. -JH 11. Miami Dolphins: EDGE Bradley Chubb, North Caro-

lina State Chubb is an elite pass rusher and if he manages to fall this far in the draft, the Dolphins should be sprinting to the podium. After cutting Ndamukong Suh, and with Cameron Wake entering his age-36 season, the Dolphins have very little depth at the pass rusher position. Chubb should fill the role beautifully and provide Miami with a building block on their defense for years to come. -MH 12. Buffalo Bills (From CIN): QB Lamar Jackson, Louisville This is among the best case scenarios for Buffalo. Their roster is too depleted to burn valuable draft capital on trading up. Jackson is on par with other top prospects as a passer and is otherworldly as an athlete. -NS 13. Washington Redskins: TE Dallas Goedert, South Dakota State Alex Smith is a fresh face in Washington this year and, as we learned from his time in K.C., he loves his tight end. The Redskins’ current TE, Jordan Reed, can’t stay healthy. Head coach Jay Gruden has a background as an offensive coordinator and could jump the gun to get a TE with the tools and potential of Goedert.

-KH 14. Green Bay Packers: CB/S Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama Fitzpatrick is the most talented and versatile defender in this year’s draft class. He also fits perfectly in Mike Pettine’s defense. His ability to play anywhere in the secondary gives him a chance to be an impact right after being drafted. -JH 15. Arizona Cardinals: S Derwin James, Florida State Getting a top-5 talent like Derwin James at pick 15 is an absolute best-case scenario for the Cardinals. After cutting Tyrann “The Honey Badger” Mathieu, the Cardinals can immediately replace him with James and last year’s second round pick, Budda Baker.

-MH 16. Baltimore Ravens: EDGE Harold Landry, Boston College The edge defenders fell in this mock, but I’d be surprised if Landry was on the board come Thursday night. His elite agility testing is highly correlated with success at the position. He played through injury this year, but his 2016 tape was as good as any in the class. -NS For the rest of the first round picks (17 through 32), head to miamistudent.

Miami has not had a player taken in the first round since Ben Roethlisberger in 2004, and that won’t change this year. However, we are expecting senior CB Heath Harding to be the program’s second player drafted since 2013 – likely on day three. Look out for WR Jared Murphy, TE Ryan Smith and possibly TE Liam Salquist to also get calls on Saturday from teams looking for quality undrafted free-agents to compete in training camp.

Questions, comments, think we have absolutely no clue what we’re doing? Reach out to us at: Kevin Haid: haidkt@miamioh.edu Jj Hartwell: hartwejm@miamioh.edu Mitch Hausfeld: hausfemj@miamioh.edu Nick Schleter: schletna@miamioh.edu

Sports

16

SIMANSEC@MIAMIOH.EDU

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018

From the TMS draft room: Allen goes first

BASEBALL LOSES FIRST MAC SERIES OF THE SEASON BASEBALL

CHRIS VINEL STAFF WRITER

ILLUSTRATION:CONNOR WELLS

NFL DRAFT

KEVIN HAID, JI HARTWELL MITCH HAUSFELD NICK SCHLETER Welcome to the second annual Miami Student Mock NFL Draft.

We’ve made significant progress since last year’s edition and have even added two other writers to the “draft room.” As a quick preface, our selections are the picks we would make in the best interest of the team – not necessarily what we think is going to happen. As a result, we had a few “hot takes” and a couple players that slid despite

being atop most draft boards.

1. Cleveland Browns: QB Josh Allen, Wyoming The Browns went out and acquired Tyrod Taylor this offseason, as well as Jarvis Landry and a few other key pieces of their future.

Whoever the Browns take at No. 1 will be behind Taylor for at least a season. Taking Allen – who has a huge upside and a cannon for an arm – will be a pick for the future, which is the Browns’ main focus.

-KH 2. New York Giants: QB Sam Darnold, USC At 37 years old, Eli Manning’s

time as a quarterback in the NFL is coming to an end. The New York Giants general manager, Dave Gettleman has said he wants someone who will last a long time. Sam Darnold arguably has the best upside of all QBs in the draft. He has a lot of learning to do, and the two-time Super Bowl MVP Manning would be a great mentor for the young Darnold. -JH 3. New York Jets (From IND): QB Josh Rosen, UCLA Rosen, in my opinion, is the best QB in the draft. “Character concerns” that consist of qualities like “being too smart,” having interests

outside of football and “not loving the game” have been overhyped and are partially untrue. With this move, the Jets ideally land their first permanent stalwart at the quarterback position in a very long time. -MH 4. Cleveland Browns (From HOU): CB Denzel Ward, Ohio State The Browns should trade out of this draft slot, if possible – the deal between the Jets and Colts showed how valuable picks at the top of this year’s draft are. If they can’t find a CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

Spring Showcase shows promise for ‘Hawks FOOTBALL

JJ HARTWELL

THE MIAMI STUDENT

The parking lot outside of the Dauch Indoor Sports Center was filled with RVs and cars, as hundreds came to watch the Miami football team show off in its final spring practice. Inside the DISC, there were bouncy castles and games for the younger RedHawk fans, but the majority of people filled the stands and were riddled up and down the sidelines.

The RedHawks ended their Spring Showcase with words from head coach Chuck Martin.

“I couldn’t be more excited,” Martin said about the upcoming season. He couldn’t contain his smile, as he talked about the growth of his team throughout spring training.

Martin was signed to a contract extension earlier this year, keeping him in Oxford until January 2021.

This upcoming year will be his fifth season as head coach.

Also returning this year is redshirt senior quarterback Gus Ragland with his record as a starter at 10-6. Led by Ragland, the RedHawks looked solid on the offensive side of the ball.

“We had an awesome spring,” Ragland said. “It felt right to end on a good note at the spring showcase.”

There was some uneasiness moving into spring because the RedHawks were short on receivers, as Ragland and the ’Hawks lost three of their primary targets.

Tight end Ryan Smith, receiver Jared Murphy and receiver Sam Martin will graduate in the spring and Miami looked for replacements to bolster its offense.

“There is plenty of skilled play-

REDSHIRT JUNIOR GUS RAGLAND QUARTERBACKS A DRILL AT THE SPRING SHOWCASE ON SATURDAY AT THE DISC. EMILY BRUSTOSKI THE MIAMI STUDENT

ers on offense,” Martin said.

The Showcase proved Martin’s confidence was justified. Receivers sophomore Dominique Robinson and redshirt sophomore Jack Sorenson and tight ends sophomore Quentin Hardy and Redshirt junior Nate Becker did a great job working as replacements. Hardy capped his day off with an impressive route that led to a touchdown.

The offensive line looked strong, Ragland looked confident in the pocket and the running backs sophomore Jaylon Bester, senior Alonzo Smith and senior Kenny Young look to build off of their 2017 campaign. They combined for 1,552 yards rushing and 370 yards receiving.

“The pace of play is what excites me,” Martin said. “When you have guys that get it, they go – they play fast.”

On the defensive side of things, Miami looked strong despite losing a lot of stars, especially in their

secondary. The RedHawks look for replacements for graduating defensive backs Heath Harding and Tony Reid.

Redshirt junior Cedric Asseh looked superb the whole day when covering who seemed to be Miami’s No. 1 outside receiver, Robinson. Asseh looks to take over as the primary cornerback for the RedHawks’ defense this year.

Standout defensive backs consisted of sophomore safety De’Andre Montgomery, junior cornerback Zedrick Raymond and sophomore safety Mike Brown.

The group showed off their athleticism with an interception a piece throughout the day.

Last year, the linebackers were led by soon-to-be seniors Brad Koenig and Junior McMullen, who both had a fantastic year and look to follow it up with another. Other notable linebackers on Saturday were redshirt sophomore Nigel Adams and junior Myles Reid.

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The RedHawks’ defensive line did a great job containing everything between the tackles. Junior defensive lineman Doug Costin, senior defensive lineman Nate Trawick and senior defensive end Pasquale Calcagno didn’t let anything get by them on the inside.

They’ll likely be a nightmare for any offensive line that has to face them.

Amidst the excitement of the Spring Showcase, Martin was careful to note there are still four months until Miami’s first kick-off – four months until the team that went 5-7 last season has a chance at redemption.

“We’ve got a long summer and a long fall camp before we even get to Marshall,” Martin said.

The ’Hawks start their season on September 1 at Yager Stadium, time TBD. hartwejm@miamioh.edu

After winning their first four Mid-American Conference series, the Miami RedHawks (2313, 9-6 MAC) dropped two of three games to the Northern Illinois Huskies (13-25, 5-10 MAC) this weekend for their first conference series loss of the season.

Miami lost the first two games of the series – 5-2 on Friday and 2-1 on Saturday – before picking up a 5-1 win in Sunday’s series finale.

The ‘Hawks managed just eight runs over the course of the three-game set. Before this series, Miami had scored eight or more runs in four out of their last five individual contests.

However, the Huskies were held to just eight runs as well, making the series a battle of the pitching staffs.

Neither team could score through the first three innings on Friday. Miami jumped ahead when an NIU throwing error allowed Redshirt senior first baseman Ross Haffey to score from second in the top of the fourth.

Two batters later, with junior catcher Hayden Senger on second, junior left fielder Mackay Williams singled to left to drive in Senger and make it 2-0 MU. MU sophomore starter Spencer Mraz – who came into the game with an ERA well under 2.00 – was cruising until the fourth inning, when Northern Illinois’ offense came alive and tagged Mraz for four runs.

The big blow to Miami was a two-run double down the rightfield line by senior third baseman Brad Wood that allowed the Huskies to take a 4-2 lead.

Mraz was removed with two outs in the inning in favor of junior Shane Smith. Smith got the RedHawks out of the inning without any further damage. He’d go on to pitch the rest of the game, giving up just one run – a solo home run to senior center fielder Scooter Bynum in the fifth inning.

Northern Illinois was able to shut down Miami’s bats the rest of the way to claim a 5-2 series-opening victory. Miami loaded the bases in the top of the ninth, but couldn’t work its usual magic, as all three runners were stranded.

Mraz (L, 4-1) earned his first loss of the season, pitching 3.2 innings, while allowing four runs on five hits and one walk.

His earned run average is now 2.54.

The Huskies struck first in Game Two, and took a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Miami evened the game in the top of the sixth, when sophomore third baseman Landon Stephens ripped an RBI double to score senior shortstop Adrian Texidor from second base.

The RedHawks wouldn’t hold the lead for long, as Northern Illinois moved back in front with an RBI single a half inning later. It was one of just two Husky hits on the afternoon.

Neither team scored the rest of the way, as Northern Illinois clinched a 2-1 win and a conference series victory.

Miami’s offense failed to capitalize on a strong start from junior left-hander Zach Spears.

Spears tossed eight innings and CONTINUED ON PAGE 15