ESTABLISH 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
Volume 146 No. 5
Miami University — Oxford, Ohio
2 SEXUAL ASSAULTS REPORTED SEXUAL ASSUALT
EMILY WILLIAMS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Two sexual assaults were reported Friday, both of which occurred early that morning, Sept. 22, in campus residence halls. A female student was sexually assaulted in an East Quad residence hall by “one or more males,” according to a safety bulletin released by Miami police this afternoon. Police are seeking three black males in their twenties for questioning. The bulletin included descriptions for the three men: — Male #1, approximately 6’3”, about 300 lbs., wearing a red t-shirt and black pants. — Male #2, about 5’6”-5’8”, approximately 200 lbs., wearing blue jeans, dark t-shirt, and appears to have a tattoo on his left tricep. — Male #3, about 5’10”-6’, about 240 lbs., wearing red shorts, black shirt and black shoes and red baseball cap. Also early Friday morning, a female student reported she was sexually assaulted in Symmes Hall by a man she did not know. She told police he had walked her home from Uptown. The man is described as white, about 5’8”-5’10”, aged 1822, with dark brown hair and a slim build, wearing a gray t-shirt, blue shorts and a baseball cap. “Miami Police are aggressively investigating the inciCONTINUED ON PAGE 11
JUNIOR DE’VANTE MONTGOMERY PROTESTS SEXUAL ASSAULTS THAT TOOK PLACE THIS PAST WEEKEND. PHOTO BY RYAN TERHUNE
Trials set for Oxford rape case suspects SEXUAL ASSUALT
EMILY WILLIAMS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Trial dates have been set for two of the three men suspected of raping a 19-yearold woman in Oxford in February. Roger Simpson, 23, will go on trial Jan. 2, 2018 and Elijah Mincy, 21, will go on trial Jan. 23. A trial date for 21-yearold Rodney Gibson II has not been determined. They face a combined 72 charges of rape, sexual battery and kidnapping.
The 19-year-old female who was assaulted is not a Miami student, Oxford Police said, and was visiting friends in Oxford on Saturday, Feb. 11. She was at a party with her friends when they were separated and she was “lured to another apartment by the three males” where they assaulted her, according to a statement from Oxford police chief John Jones. Butler County prosecutor Michael Gmoser described the incident to The Miami Student in July as “a case of almost near unparalleled brutality.” Gibson and Mincy were previously enrolled at Miami’s Hamilton campus and
“It’s a case of almost near unparalled brutality.” Michael Gmoser, Butler County Prosecutor
held part-time positions in dining for the university. According to police records, Gibson’s residence is the Level 27 apartment where the reported assault occurred. The three suspects were arrested on CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Architecture program ‘Never going to replace’ Tom Dutton Too soon to know what’s next
FACULTY
BONNIE MEIBERS NEWS EDITOR
OPCRRC CHAIR, PATRICK MEADE (BACK RIGHT) AT OXFORD NAACP MEETING. PHOTO BY JUGAL JAIN
Bridging relations between Oxford Police and the community CÉILÍ DOYLE
ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Oxford’s police advisory board is pushing the Oxford Police Department (OPD) to record data for all stops officers make — even those that don’t result in citations or arrests — in an effort to improve relations between law enforcement and the
NEWS P.2
KATTY KAY’S TAKE ON TRUMP The BBC anchor shared her “view from outside” at Hall Auditorium.
community. Officially known as the Oxford Police Community Relations and Review Commission (OPCRRC), the board acts a bridge between the public and the Oxford police department, especially when it comes to the subject of race relations. CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
The death of Miami University architecture professor Tom Dutton has left a gaping hole in the communities where he lived and worked. “We’re never going to replace Tom,” said Mary Rogero, interim chair of Miami’s Department of Architecture and Interior Design. “I don’t know that we can.” Dutton was the founder and director for the Center for Community Engagement in OverThe-Rhine (OTR), located just north of downtown Cincinnati. Dutton, 65, died on June 13 of this year. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in October. He was active in issues related to affordable housing, poverty and racial equity. His areas of study were history theory, social responsibility and social justice.
CULTURE P.5
OPINION P. 14
WALKING THEATRE OPENS HEARTS
INVESTIGATING SEXUAL ASSAULT
’HAWKS RUN AT HOME IN ‘RUMBLE’
The group uses the arts to inspire community activism.
The “preponderance of the evidence” standard is best for student safety.
Miami’s cross country team dominated at home this weekend.
“Losing [Tom] really shook up the community,” Rogero said. “I don’t like seeing that office door closed.” Rogero said that the faculty has not talked about how to fill Dutton’s vacant teaching position or his position in the OTR program — and won’t for quite some time. “This is still fresh. I just don’t know the answer to that yet,” Rogero said. “We haven’t had a discussion about it as faculty yet.” The department will fill Dutton’s teaching position, but it is still unclear whether that position will be tied to the OTR program as well. For now, architecture instructor John Blake is serving as interim director for the Center for Community Engagement. Blake has been with the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
SPORTS P.16
SCIENCE PAGE 8
b ac k p a c k t h e
Y R R E B N A R C W I LD E R N E S S MONONGAHELA NATIONAL FOREST, WEST VIRGINIA FALL BREAK, OCTOBER 12–15 • PRE-TRIP MEETING ON OCTOBER 3
REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 2 VISIT MIAMIOH.EDU/OPC TO REGISTER
OUTDOOR NATION
CAMPUS CHALLENGE
2017 Sept. 18–Oct. 15 Download Outdoor Nation app from Google Play or iOS App Store Questions? Contact Jen Siliko at jen.siliko@MiamiOH.edu or visit MiamiOH.edu/OPC
2 NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
NEWS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET
Dutton to be honored at Oct. 7 memorial service FROM PAGE 1
program for a number of years. “[Blake] was the likely successor to keep Tom’s work and the momentum going,” Rogero said. “He is doing a terrific job as interim director right now.” The OTR program started in 1996 as a capstone for architecture students. Over the years, Dutton became intertwined with the OTR community.
Two communities
“He had such respect and so many relationships in both the OTR and Miami communities,” said interior design associate professor May Ben Bonham. Senior Maggie Woolf, who took Dutton’s American Studies course, recalled his gentle demeanor at the front of the classroom. “He’s always pushing for more, more, more, but not in a hard way,” Woolf said. “He has this softness about going around and challenging you and pushing you to your best but not making you feel so overwhelmed that you’re gonna crack... He helps you through the steps of growing up and dealing with all these things that overwhelm us at times.” Building on those relationships, students and faculty in the architecture department participate in designing and building projects in collaboration with the OTR Housing Network. The program is designed to give students a “service learning” experience that cannot be reproduced on Miami’s main campus.
Because of Dutton’s passion for the program, it is comprised mostly of architecture students. Those students design and build spaces for low- and moderate-income residents. Education students also participate in the program, student-teaching full time at Rothenberg Preparatory Academy, a K-12 Cincinnati public school in OTR. However, the program is open to all majors and got its first journalism student in 2016. “Students have the best things to say about him,” Bonham said. Senior Emily Waldinger, who studied under Dutton in OTR, admired his compassion and the way he listened to every person equally. “Every single word that you had to say — whether it was a student, or a scholar, or another professor, or a homeless person, or someone dealing with an addiction, or just anybody — he valued every word they had to say,” Waldinger said. Outside of the new restaurants, boutiques, art galleries and other destination spots, OTR is known for crime and drugs. Dutton worked to get outsiders to see that this community was more than that. “He worked really hard to get students to understand and think about their position of privilege, the burden of having that position,” Rogero said. “He wanted students to see and understand the struggles of other people. He focused on empowering the voices of the underserved.”
Magda Orlander, one of Dutton’s students in OTR, interned with the Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center, and after graduation, returned to the area to continue working for the organization. Orlander admired Dutton’s ability to recognize and utilize his position of privilege. “He’s a white, educated person in this neighborhood and this community of largely people who don’t look like him, and he never made a point of hiding that,” Orlander said. “He was just so capable of standing up for people without taking away their voice, without speaking instead of them.”
Dutton’s legacy
Dutton’s wife, Janis, worked with Miami to set up the Thomas A. Dutton Memorial Fund. Money raised will go toward keeping his work in OTR going. Proceeds from a T-shirt, designed by architecture students, will go to the fund. There will be a campus memorial service for Dutton from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 7 in the Dolibois Room in the Shriver Center. The formal program will start at 2 p.m. On Oct. 6, the day before the memorial, at 1 p.m. there will be a group photo in front of Alumni Hall. Devon Shuman contributed to reporting for this story. This story originally appeared on https://patch.com/ohio/miamiuniversity-oxford. meiberbr@miamioh.edu
BBC anchor Katty Kay talks Trump and her ‘view from outside’
BBC’S LEAD ANCHOR SHARED HER “VIEW FROM OUTSIDE” AS A BRITISH JOURNALIST COVERING U.S. POLITICS. PHOTO BY JUGAL JAIN
LECTURE
AUDREY DAVIS NEWS EDITOR
BBC’s lead anchor, Katty Kay, spoke Monday evening at Hall Auditorium as part of the Miami University Lecture series. As a British journalist covering American politics, Kay talked about her “view from outside” and her take on all things President Donald Trump. “So you try explaining Donald Trump to the rest of the world,” Kay began, “because that’s my job at the moment. Every single paper I read in Europe during the election campaign was incredibly bewildered, dismayed by, curious and concerned about the election of Donald Trump.” Kay addressed a few of the reasons she believes Trump came to power, coming from her experience traveling around the country and, specifically, around the rust-belt in Ohio. She also said the populist political sentiments being felt in the U.S. are in Europe, as well. “The feeling of people being forgotten, the feeling that immigration has meant that some people have suf-
fered, the feeling that globalization has left some people behind, that is exactly what you heard in the German election that we just had on Sunday,” Kay said. “In fact, in Germany, we interviewed people that described themselves as ‘the forgotten men and women.’ Exactly the same language as people describing themselves here.” In other ways, Kay said, the United States differs extremely from Europe, politically speaking. “Nobody does elections like the United States,” she said. “That’s why it’s so much fun to cover them. They are longer — God they are longer. They are more expensive — way more expensive. And no one gives us Sarah Palin and Donald Trump in a space of eight years, and as a political reporter, I thank you for that — that is like crack to a political reporter.” From a journalistic standpoint, Kay talked about how exhausting it is to cover this administration, unlike the previous three she’d covered. “It’s like covering politics on steroids,” she said. “Just take the headlines today: the NFL story, Jared Kushner’s emails, North Korea … You have a massive prospect of the
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potential, serious potential, of a war with a nuclear power. All of the oxygen in the journalism and political system gets sucked up by the president’s tweets.” Which is why, Kay said, the hurricane in Puerto Rico got almost no media coverage — Trump hasn’t tweeted about it. “We, as news consumers, have to become more savvy about what we are reading on the internet,” Kay said. “It’s not going to get any better. The onus is not just on news consumers, but it’s on people like me in news organizations that deal with facts. We have to keep doing a better job.” Kay ended her lecture on a positive note. “The institutions of the country are strong and resilient,” she said. “Journalists are doing their jobs. They are holding politicians to account in both parties. The courts are doing their jobs. And the political process is working. The civil service is doing its job. … And the other thing that’s been encouraging is the number of women who put their hands up and said they want to run for political office.” davisa10@miamioh.edu
Tab!
TOM DUTTON LEFT A LASTING LEGACY AT MIAMI AND IN OVER-THE-RHINE. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
New senators, exec. council members elected in Senate session ASG
JAKE GOLD
ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Two senators and two members were chosen by ASG Senate in a several-hour Senate session on Tuesday. The four new representatives — Adrian Radilla for the Third District in Senate, Atticus Block in the College of Engineering and Computing academic seat in the Senate and Bradley Davis and James Gale on the Executive Council — were elected by a majority vote after a lengthy debate over a bureaucratic bill to alter the election process for student seats on the Board of Trustees, Student Affairs Council and University Senate. The bill proposed several amendments to the relevant bylaws, including a controversial segment changing the Student Trustee Selection Committee from a fifteen-person group to a seven-person group. Formerly, the committee included the student body vice president, secretary for academic affairs, secretary for diversity affairs and six at-large members selected by the student body president. SB 021596 replaces the vice president with the president and replaces the secretary for diversity affairs with an appointed representative from the Diversity Affairs Council. It also proposes that the secretary for academic affairs and the six at-large members are removed entirely from the committee. Senators primarily contested the lack of inclusion for an international student in the committee. International students make up nearly ten percent of the student body, Sen. Molly O’Donnell noted. “It’s racist, honestly, to expect that the seven domestic students speak for all international students on this campus,” O’Donnell said. Senators voted on two amendments to the bill to roll back the shrinking of the Student Trustee Selection Committee. The first proposed that the Secretary for Academic Affairs be restored to the committee; the second, that the “a representative chosen by the Diversity Affairs Council Executive Board” be replaced with the Secretary for Diversity Affairs. The first suggested amendment was passed with only nine representatives voting against and six abstentions, including Parliamentarian Jack Fetick — an author of the initial legislation — and Sen. Austin Worrell, a former ASG cabinet member and current candidate for Oxford City Council. The second proposed amendment failed, falling only two votes short from the 25-vote threshold for adding amendments to bills. After the two amendments were debated — with the first added, and the second not — Senate compromised on the amended bill, choosing to table the selection committee changes until Sept. 26. The remaining portion of the bill, which modified the timing for nominations by the student body president, was passed. A copy of the draft legislation, revised this afternoon in a two-hour session, was obtained by The Miami Student. In it, the secretary for academic affairs is reinstated; the secretary for diversity affairs is maintained (as opposed to the representative chosen by the Diversity Affairs Council, as the amendment dictated). Two at-large members — both of whom must be senators — are nominated and elected by the Senate and would be added to the council. Though international student representation was a key issue in Tuesday’s debate, there is no guarantee in the bylaw amendment that the new at-large members will be international students. In exchange, the document offers, the chief of staff will solicit questions from the Senate to ask in the student trustee interviews. At least four of the questions will be asked by the chief of staff. goldjb@miamioh.edu @jake_gold
NEWS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET
Council approves zoning changes, aiming to improve student housing
Trial dates set for Feb. rape case suspects
Sycamore St.
CITY COUNCIL
+34 +1
Church St.
Bishop St.
+6 Main St
+18 Campus Ave.
Vine St.
JAKE GOLD
ASST. NEWS EDITOR
City Council unanimously approved sweeping zoning changes to decrease living costs, increase housing availability and move student rentals closer to Miami’s campus in Oxford’s Mile Square. The eight separate ordinances were first read on Tuesday, Sept. 5, and then approved on Sept. 19. In them, the Planning Commission and Director of Community Development Jung-Han Chen lay out a vision for an Oxford that allows high-density student rentals to cohabitate with the city’s historic character. The biggest changes come in density and occupational limits. Council decreased the required lot size and now allows use of accessory buildings — any secondary building on a lot that is not connected to the primary residence — as dwelling units. The ordinances also commit two areas of Oxford — see the map for more details — that will be rezoned: one area is bordered by Tallawanda Road, Sycamore Street, Main Street and Vine Street; the other, central Mile Square, and is bordered by Campus Avenue, Church Street, Beech Street and Heather Lane. In the rezoned areas, some residential districts have been modified to allow more families to live in the same home. In effect, these changes allow more students to live in a rental home. Because the rezoned districts were chosen for being “ideal” for redevelopment while “respecting the historic character of the neighborhood”, estimating the number of additional housing spaces — and the actual change in cost — is difficult. The best way to tell is to wait and see. In voting for these ordinances, council effectively invited developers to revisit Oxford with new complexes.
Tallawanda Rd.
FROM PAGE 1
High St.
+32 Campus Ave.
Spring St
Poplar St.
Main St.
Beech St
July 14 and are being held at the Butler County Jail. Gibson and Mincy’s bonds are set at $250,000 and Simpson’s at $300,000. All three suspects entered not guilty pleas at their arraignments. Mincy’s attorney, Michele Temmel, filed a motion on July 28 to reduce Mincy’s bond. The motion was denied. Temmel filed another motion Sept. 8 requesting the court reconsider reducing Mincy’s bond. Mincy had no prior criminal convictions and has cooperated with investigators, the motion claims. The statement refers to the Cincinnati native as a Miami University first-year student studying psychology at the university’s Hamilton campus and references Mincy’s job as an employee at Garden Commons, a dining hall on Miami’s Oxford campus. The motion calls the case a “he-said, she-said case” and alleges it is “questionable” whether the victim was “substantially impaired” at the time of the offense. Kelly Heile, who is representing the Butler County prosecutor’s office on all three cases, confirmed that this second motion to reduce Mincy’s bond was also denied. Leading up to the trials, there is still a substantial amount of evidence to sift through, Heile said. “It doesn’t really speak to the strength of the evidence,” Heile said. “But what it means is that there’s a lot of stuff to go through and a lot of information to sort out.” willi501@miamioh.edu @emilye_williams
3 NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
Campus
Central Ave
+11
goldjb@miamioh.edu @jake_gold
Chestnut St GRAPHIC BY RYAN TERHUNE
BIG DATA BOLSTERS STUDENT SUCCESS TECHNOLOGY
ADRIANA DELOACH JAKE GOLD THE MIAMI STUDENT
In 1956, Miami’s 16th President, John D. Millett, suggested that Miami adopt a “selective admission policy” for the first time. Up to that point, all admission had been first-come, first-served. This was the first time Miami considered data from an applicant’s high school record. In the Digital Age, Miami still uses data for admission — and practically every aspect of the student experience. As machine learning algo-
rithms and artificial intelligence grow stronger, universities across the country — including Miami — have started to harness the data they’ve collected to enhance student experience and reduce student turnover rate. Michael S. Kabbaz was the first-ever associate vice president for enrollment management in 2011 and has kept Miami on the cutting edge of data analytics. Kabbaz, now the senior vice president for enrollment management and student success, works with “big data” programs that are designed to bolster student success. Using algorithms, Kabbaz and Miami advising teams can analyze historical
course data to determine “indicators” — small things that, though appearing insignificant, have in the past told a bigger story about student performance. Indicators — like, for instance, a barely-passing grade in one class — could show that lookalike students from the past are at risk of not graduating in four years or dropping out. Armed with this knowledge, faculty can intervene. “We can engage in a proactive conversation,” Kabbaz said. “[It] helps us hone in on the advising conversations to better support students.” When advisors join the discussion, they can offer tutoring or other assistance. The big data
E V E N T S
algorithms can give them guidance: What worked in the past? How does that compare to now? Miami isn’t the first university to engage in predictive analytics. Institutions nationwide like Arizona State University use big data to automatically “nudge” students to perform tasks to help them complete their degree. Their datasets can include family data, financials, grades and other anonymized information. With the power of big data, large universities can help students — especially first-generation college students — navigate the institution’s complicated bureaucracy. Given the vast amounts of
T H I S
information available, there are other possibilities for big data on campus: Student ID cards alone are used to move between buildings and make purchases. For students concerned about Big Brother, Kabbaz says they shouldn’t be. Right now, the data isn’t used for anything except monitoring and optimizing academics. “Anything outside of the academic side,” Kabbaz said, “that’s not at all looked at at this point in time.” deloacac@miamioh.edu goldjb@miamioh.edu @jake_gold
W E E K
“The Flick”
FLOURISHMiami
Little Marlana
Bike Auction
Studio 88 Theatre Wednesday - Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Psychology Building, Room 12 Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
Uptown Park Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
Miami Police Services Center Saturday, 10 a.m.
This Pulitzer-winning play tells the stories of the staff at The Flick, a run-down New England movie theater. The funny but poignant show plays with concepts of love, friendship and the act of moving on. Go to miamistudent.net to read more about the show and its cast.
Learn about the elements of positive psychology and how to implement them into a busy student life. The Tuesday session will focus on five behaviors demonstrated to improve mental health, resiliency and optimism.
Marlana VanHoose, 20, has an inspirational story that’s just as powerful as her voice. The gospel singer has never let her blindness or her cerebral palsy impede her musical career. The free concert is part of Oxford’s Fall Community Concerts series.
Lost your bicycle in the last year? You may find it at the Miami Police annual bike auction. Every fall, the department auctions off unclaimed bikes at rock-bottom prices. So don’t lose your bikes, kids. Purchases can be made with cash or check only.
Know of an event you want The Miami Student to bump? shoot us an email at news@miamistudent.net or tweet to @miamistudent
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
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SECURE YOUR HOME FOR JR/SR YEAR Our homes are renting now for 2018-19 and 2019-20! All homes are next to campus and uptown. Gather your group today and go to www.schmatesrentals.com. Don’t be stuck in an apt. Junior and Senior year.
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Summer 2018 May 28-June 15, 2018
Informational Meeting on Tuesday, October 3 in 160 Williams Hall, at 7 PM About the Program: Get the ultimate insider's view of the advertising and public relations industry through field trips, guest speakers, and panel discussions. Meet industry leaders from every corner of the public relations and advertising world from large agencies to small non-profits.
A three-week intensive experience in NYC. Meetings with Miami alumni and other professionals in public relations and advertising. Opportunities for internships may be available.
Apply online now! www.miamiOH.edu/study-abroad/inside-nyc Deadline: October 20th
For any questions, contact: Bill Brewer, APR brewerwe@miamioh.edu
PERELMAK@MIAMIOH.EDU
CULTURE 5
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
Walking Theatre Project opens hearts with first open mic night
VICTORIA LYNN PLAYS CELLO ON KOFENYA’S STAGE RAHKEL BREWSTER THE MIAMI STUDENT
STUDENT LIFE
KEVIN VESTAL
THE MIAMI STUDENT
A flock of origami cranes dangled above the cluttered stage as Kashia Ellis-Taylor stepped up to the microphone. She pulled out her phone from the pocket of her rainbow speckled overalls and began to read aloud the poem on her tiny screen. Much like its namesake, “Lightning” was quick. Immediately after she finished the
poem, Ellis-Taylor began reading another piece she had written, leaving no space for applause. She announced she would end with a series of poems that featured lines borrowed from “Hamilton” lyrics. The audience, which included many thespians, cheered at the mention of their favorite musical. On Thursday evening, The Walking Theatre Project held its first ever open mic night at Kofenya. Twenty performers shared their poems, songs and stories with the Miami students and faculty in atten-
dance. The group, which uses the arts to inspire community activism, wanted to create a place for people to express themselves. “We have always talked about it at every first meeting of the year,” said the Walking Theatre Project’s president, Maddie Mitchell. “This year we decided we’re actually going to do it.” While the open mic night cost no money to attend, the Walking Theatre Project encouraged community members to bring household goods to donate to victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. A GoFundMe was also set up to collect monetary donations. “We were seeing things on the news about how water bottles there cost $65,” Mitchell said. “That’s ridiculous. We wanted to do something to help the victims.” With help from Miami’s Office of Community Engagement and Service, the Walking Theatre Project partnered with Matthew 25 Ministries to deliver soap, paper towels, toilet paper, shampoo and other cleaning supplies to people in Texas and Florida. Mitchell wasn’t sure what to expect from the open mic night, but said she was stunned by the evening’s variety. In addition to several poets and musicians who played the keyboard, guitar or ukulele, acts ranged from a cappella Irish dancing to an interactive lesson in the fundamentals of beatboxing. In addition to the supportive crowd that surrounded the stage, there were several Kofenya patrons pushed to the corners of the café, their heads buried in a book or laptop. When Victoria Slabinski played her cello, however, all but two studious souls had their eyes locked on her dancing bow. Even the baristas were lulled by the music, going as far as to wait between songs before
Miami hosts 15th UniDiversity Fest COMMUNITY
NATE SCHWARZ
THE MIAMI STUDENT
The smell of jerk chicken and fresh-cooked empanadas swirled in the air at Uptown Park as Miriam Triana Serrano delivered her final remark to the crowd. “Uno para todos, y todos para uno.” The phrase, which translates to “one for all, and all for one,” was a summary of the festival’s goal of unity. The diverse crowd of Oxford community members, children with painted faces and Miami students lounging in the grass unleashed their applause as Serrano paused before introducing the next speaker. Serrano volunteered to be this year’s emcee for Miami’s annual UniDiveristy festival. The festival celebrates Latin American, Hispanic and Caribbean cultures at Miami, as well as the idea of a global community. “The festival is the kick-off for Hispanic heritage month at Miami,” Serrano said. “I was born in Mexico and grew up in a Spanish-speaking home celebrating this culture my whole life. It’s really nice to have a celebration of my culture on this primarily white campus.” For the first time in the festival’s history, Miami Hispanic, Latin American and Caribbean students had the honor of giving the festival’s second welcome, after Cincinnati’s President of the Hispanic
Chamber of commerce, Alfonso Cornejo. The melody of steel drums played by the Talawanda High School Steel Band kicked off the afternoon’s events after brief remarks from Cornejo and Oxford Mayor Dr. Kate Rousmaniere. The band played for a half hour, showcasing traditional music of the Caribbean. This was Miami’s 15th UniDiversity festival to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month. Ms. Jacqueline Rioja Velarde, the Associate Director of Miami’s Center for American and World Cultures, said this festival was the largest to date. “The beauty of the festival is about creating a synergy between not only Miami University and the Oxford community, but the larger community,” said Velarde. “We go beyond Butler County. The festival became a community, a space for those who want to celebrate cultures.” The purpose of the Unidiversity festival is not only about the entertainment of celebrating Latin American, Hispanic and Caribbean heritage. The festival’s goal is to create a space of intercultural connection and, at the same time, civic engagement. Historically, the festival has hosted student, Oxford community and Butler County organizations who promote cultural interconnectedness and diversity. This year more than 20 organizations from Oxford and the surrounding area partook in UniDiversity’s information fair. The information fair is the core of the festival, according to Velarde.
Community organizations have the opportunity to share their work and how it relates to a diverse community. As the festival continued, more live shows and events were put on including the Cincinnati Baila!, Hispanic ballet and a traditional Latin American fashion show. Organizations, merchants, and traditional Latin food vendors in the Oxford community also had events set up at their information booths. At 6:30, an hour before the closing ceremony, the Miami Latin American, Hispanic and Caribbean students gave the UniDiversity 15th anniversary celebration address. The address included Serrano’s speech on the importance of community unity. The International Peace Day flag parade began immediately preceding the students’ remarks. However, this year featured a major addition. This is the first year the International Peace Day parade has included Not in Our Town, a group with the goal of keeping violence and prejudice out of the Oxford community. “This is our way to show support for the community and our Latino students,” said Serrano. The festival concluded with closing remarks from Velarde. As of now, there are no future plans to change UniDiversity but to continue to let it grow and bring the Oxford community closer together. schwarn2@miamioh.edu
PERFORMERS FROM OXFORD’S UNIDIVERSITY FESTIVAL, WHICH CELEBRATED MULTICULTURALISM BO BRUECK THE MIAMI STUDENT
using the blender. While many of the performers were members of Miami’s theatre department, anyone was welcome to sign up for a time slot. “I enjoyed most the people that we didn’t know,” said Rachael O’Reilly, the Walking Theatre Project’s vice president and emcee for the evening. One such performer was first-year Fredrich Yeager, who made his slam poetry debut. Racked with nerves by his first open mic night, he said he was oddly comforted by his sinus infection, which made it difficult for him to hear himself talk. “I was much more nervous than I expected,” Yeager said. “I do mock trial, so I’m used to public speaking, but this was terrifying.” In spite of his fears, Yeager performed “I’m Tired.” After building confidence, he returned to the stage later in the evening with two more intensely personal poems that lambasted Donald Trump and cis-normative violence. In light of the evening’s success, Mitchell and O’Reilly said the Walking Theatre Project will likely organize another open mic night soon. In the meantime, the group will collect stories from veterans in order to write a play to honor their sacrifices, to be performed around Veterans Day in Uptown Park. “Sometimes you have to start at home,” O’Reilly said. “We would not have a home without them.” In this way, the Walking Theatre Project hopes to create more outlets for people to express themselves while supporting social activism within the Oxford community. vestalkc@miamioh.edu
Slice of Life:
Armstrong atmosphere
STUDENTS LOUNGE IN THE SHADE ROOM RYAN TERHUNE PHOTO EDITOR
STUDENT LIFE
EMILY DATTILO
THE MIAMI STUDENT
In typical Ohio weather fashion, the sky seems to be struggling to choose a mood. Raindrops indecisively drop from the clouds, dotting the stairs that lead to Armstrong, while the glowing rays of the sun make me regret my choice to don a sweatshirt. As I push open the door, the quintessential college scene meets my eyes. Nearly half of the couches and chairs are occupied, backpacks and books opened, yet the mood of the room remains casual. Students and teachers walk past me, some heading straight to the dining area where Miami Ice has opened for the day, while others, like myself, scan the room for an open seat. Quiet conversation is a given, headphones block out the persistent dining hall chatter, and cellphones are ever present because Snapchat and Instagram don’t take study breaks. I conveniently sit in a chair far from an electrical outlet so instead of scrolling through Twitter and draining my already depleted battery, I tune into the sounds around me. Nearly ten different conversations play out simultaneously as students chat about everything from adding a co-major, to a club team’s latest win, to
drinking games, to Spanish vocabulary, to memorization study tips, to not getting enough sleep. As I climb the stairs to the dining floor of Armstrong, an entirely new scene reveals itself. The predictably long line is present at The Toasted Bagel and the tantalizing smell of ice cream drifts over from Miami Ice where students are patiently awaiting the sugar pick-meup we all need on a rainy day. The noise is noticeably louder due to the television shouting the latest football scores and political arguments of the day, the crashing of metal pans at the stir fry station and the countless conversations at the tables. I brought some homework along, so I make an attempt to study, but quickly discover that it’s difficult to conjugate Spanish verbs while sports broadcasters are yelling at you. Putting my books away, I order a strawberry smoothie and descend the stairs back to the main floor which, at least in my case, is more conducive to getting homework done. After an hour, I’ve finished my assignment and smoothie, so I pack my backpack, zip up my windbreaker and head outside, only to find that the Ohio sky has finally made up its mind. The forecast for the moment is rain. dattilec@miamioh.edu
6 CULTURE
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
PERELMAK@MIAMIOH.EDU
WHAT HAPPENED IN CLINTON’S ‘WHAT HAPPENED’ BOOKS
JAKE GOLD
ASST. NEWS EDITOR
After reading some reviews and criticism of Hillary Clinton’s latest book, I was prepared to write a scathingly negative review of her literary recollection of the 2016 presidential election. “What Happened” tore into the media, Bernie Sanders and his loyal, further-left supporters. Clinton is tossing a live hand grenade, I pre-wrote in my head, into a slowly-healing Democratic Party. If she loves the party so much, why would she do this? I wonder if the reviewers and Democratic operatives read the same book I did. Sure, Clinton’s book is a lengthy vent. She’s upset with the media’s scandal-centric coverage. She’s upset with politicians who galvanized supporters with catchy and exciting messages — without necessarily working out the numbers. But most of all, she’s upset with the unfair treatment that she and other women receive in politics. I should disclose: I was not a huge Clinton fan, and I’m still not. We disagree on policy. She’s made some decisions that I don’t agree with. She’s flipflopped her opinions on issues. But, as she points out in the early chapters, so have a lot of other politicians. And they, as Clinton writes, don’t serve as such a “lightning rod for
fury.” They’re not dubbed unlikeable or untrustworthy; their authenticity isn’t called into question. They don’t get called divisive for merely stating opinions. “Some of this is a direct result of my actions: I’ve made mistakes, been defensive about them, stubbornly resisted apologizing,” Clinton notes. “But so have many men in politics. (In fact, one of them just became President with the strategy of ‘never apologize when you’re wrong, just attack harder.’)” And it’s an excellent point, at least to me. Joe Biden, who I can say — anecdotally — has been described by many progressives as an excellent presidential candidate. Biden, who wrote the most problematic parts of the Patriot Act and the 1994 Crime Bill and voted for the Iraq war. Remember how that was such a problem when Clinton did it? Now, to be fair, Clinton’s campaign was itself negative. It’s hard to lose against Donald Trump, and part of that is her — and her campaign staff’s — own doing. To her credit, Clinton acknowledges that. But there were a lot of other factors that resulted in her loss. Russian meddling becomes a bigger subject of media and governmental attention every day, and sexism — while ignored by a decent number of liberals and conservatives — played a major part. Clinton explains these concepts clearly and convincingly. She’s obvi-
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ously a good writer: You don’t become a U.S. Senator and the Secretary of State without being a talented communicator. So it’s technically an easy read. The most interesting part of the book for me is the insider perspective into the decision-making behind Clinton’s loss. I didn’t follow the election politics too closely, so even though some of what is mentioned in “What Happened” was also mentioned in news reports in 2016, it was new to me. Plus, given the recent information about Jared Kushner and his emails, there’s some sweet, sweet irony in reading Clinton’s defense of hers.
Hike-A-Thon PLUS partners with 4 Paws 4 Ability COMMUNITY
KATE RIGAZIO
THE MIAMI STUDENT
In the dry heat of Saturday afternoon, 25 local community organizations lined a slate-colored gravel path under the shade of red and white tents at Hueston Woods. Passing hikers had a wide range of activities to chose from, with organizations offering everything from a hearty helping of popcorn, to a meet and greet with a friendly albino corn snake. The 11th annual Hike-A-Thon PLUS was in full swing. Every year Miami Health and Wellness and Miami Trails Association host the event in an effort to bring together community members and learn more about the surrounding natural areas. A trail map was given to hikers that drew out trails for beginner, moderate and experienced levels. This year’s Hike-A-Thon partnered with Miami University’s 4 Paws 4 Ability chapter to help raise money and awareness for the organization — that fosters and works to place service dogs with children or veterans in need — and the community goal had a special significance to their organization. “If we hiked a collective 2,000 miles we would get $5,000 for a child or a veteran in Butler county that has applied for a service dog through 4
Paws 4 Ability,” said Sarah Wikum, vice president of Miami’s 4 Paws chapter. Hikers are also encouraged to track and report how far they hiked and count their miles toward the community goal. The Hike-A-Thon’s community goal was to have hiked 2,000 total miles in a day, their largest goal yet.va By the time the Hike-AThon finished at 3 p.m., a total of 2,690 miles had been hiked, giving 4 Paws their donation. The impact the Hike-A-Thon had on 4 Paws went beyond a donation. It also allowed Oxford community members to interact with some of the dogs currently training in the Miami chapter and learn more about what 4 Paws does as an organization. The 4 Paws dogs could be found lounging under the cool shade of the 4 Paws booth, in a VIP spot toward the entrance of the event. Along with their distinctive vests, the pups were modeling 4 Paws bandanas, which hikers could also have for a $6 donation. The dogs truly were the guests of honor, posing for photo ops, excitedly interacting with new friends and even getting to partake in the hike themselves. “It was a super great socialization experience for our dogs since there were so many families from the community there with their kids,” said Kelsie Foster, president of Miami’s 4 Paws chapter. “Our dogs got to meet a
ton of new people.” The dogs were not the only Miami animals that had the opportunity to interact with Oxford community members. Local nature education and preservation organizations, such as the Hefner Museum of Natural History and the Miami Apiculture Society, engaged with hikers to add an educational component to the event. Children could be heard giggling under Hefner Museum’s tent as they timidly took turns petting the the smooth scales of the albino corn snake wrapped in the hands of Haley Atkins, a senior at Miami University and a Hefner representative. One brave young hiker, sporting a pair of black cowboy boots and light gray t-shirt, even held the the snake by himself, squealing the entire time his mother tried to take a picture. “It is really great for the natural areas as most students don’t know the reach of the natural areas,” said Atkins. “It’s a great way to learn about the natural reach and the surrounding area.” Hikers were able to leave the event with a good workout and more knowledge about the natural areas surrounding them. The partnership with 4 Paws and fantastic local turn-out led many participants to agree this year’s Hike-A-Thon was the most successful to date. rigazikm@miamioh.edu
I’d give the book four and a half stars. Read it, figure out what it’s actually about. At the worst, you’ll learn a little bit about the 2016 election and understand how we can do better going forward. Also, funny note: For those who want people to “stop re-litigating the 2016 election,” why did “What Happened” sell the most copies of any nonfiction book in like five years? Got ya there. goldjb@miamioh.edu
Swing Syndicate: ‘Back in the Swing of Things’ DANCE
EMILY DATTILO
THE MIAMI STUDENT
Students began to file out of last classes and dining halls, ready to head home. A lively event on Armstrong Terrace captured the attention of passersby. Old tunes, like “Sh-Boom,” drifted over the lit terrace as pairs of students performed a variety of dances. Swing Syndicate, one of Miami’s student dance organizations and the oldest of its kind, hosted the first of their monthly events entitled “Back in the Swing of Things” Tuesday evening. It was a chance for the experienced and inexperienced alike to share a few hours together through dances such as the Charleston, the Lindy Hop and the East Coast. “We try to recruit people through performances on campus,” said club president, senior Rebecca Raig. “New people should come because it’s a great stress reliever, a way to learn a new skill and a great way to meet new people.” Though some may have hesitations about learning a new skill, the club members clarify that experience isn’t necessary. There’s an opportunity to learn fundamentals including triple steps, swing outs and inside and outside turns, while later on, personal twists are added. “I have two left feet, but they’re two good feet, so I manage,” said sophomore Ben Brush. “At first, it was very intimidating to dance with the people who are really good, but they’re very approachable.” Students with majors ranging from music to engineering were in attendance; it’s one of those clubs that unifies people from all different backgrounds. “I’m a terrible dancer, but everyone was so friendly and welcoming that after a while of coming to lessons, I got used to being with the people,” sophomore Jessie Hicks said. “It’s a social, communicative form of
dance.” Swing Syndicate offers its members the opportunity to join a friendly community while learning a new skill. Executive member, junior Megan Archdeacon shared how the club helped her overcome some social anxieties. “It’s an open, accepting group,” she said. “You don’t need to talk, you get to just go dance with people and feel connected.” The event was just beginning and the atmosphere on the terrace was casual, yet filled with energy. Music that resembled another era played from an Apple laptop, a pleasant combination of the old and new. Mid-song, students felt completely comfortable walking up to another member and asking if they’d care to dance. “The swing community is where I met all my lasting friends, not my class friends; these are people I hang out with in my free time,” treasurer Nichole Rook said. These are friendships that go beyond a brief hello while passing on the sidewalk; members go to dinner together, walk to classes and meet up on weekends. In between dances, they laugh and socialize with each other, talking and laughing as they catch up. As the evening drew to a close, the last song faded and the members burst into applause. Then they were off to get ice cream Uptown. Swing Syndicate hosts weekly lessons every Tuesday evening where student instructors teach lessons ranging from beginning to intermediate. For exact time and location, check their Facebook page. For those interested in joining the swing dance competitive team that will compete this February, auditions are Thursday, September 28 (time and place to be determined). dattilec@miamioh.edu
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11
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
FRAN JACKSON (FAR RIGHT), PRESIDENT OF OXFORD’S NAACP CHAPTER, LEADS A MEETING AT BETHEL A.M.E. CHURCH. JUGAL JAIN ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
FROM COMMUNITY- PAGE 1
“Our role is to validate the stories, opinions, feelings of everybody in relation to the police, and even the police themselves,” said Jonathon Joseph, a senior at Miami and a member of OPCRRC. The commission’s sole student representative, Joseph has lived in Oxford for most of his life. Growing up as a young black man in a predominantly white small town, he said he has always been aware of the way different races interact. An OPD officer once stopped Joseph while walking late at night in the alley by Will’s Pizza Uptown. Joseph wasn’t provided a reason for why he was stopped, he said. So far, the board’s success in pushing OPD to report all stop data has been limited “We can’t say if there is a race-based problem without the data — all we have are incidences,” Rosenberg said. “We want to know about anecdotes, but also we don’t want to make sweeping generalizations.” The OPD uses the Butler County Dispatch’s computer system, which at this point is not capable of tracking stop data, according to OPD’s Chief John Jones. “Stop data is a great idea in theory, but it is lot more difficult to provide realistically,” Jones said. “Traffic stops are easy, but we do a lot more than that. For example when I’m out on patrol and I talk to several dozen people, should I be recording each of those incidents as a
stop?” Shana Rosenberg, an Oxford resident and member of the PCRRC, praised Jones for being open to the commission’s requests. She and Patrick Meade, chair of the OPCRRC, have taken part in several applicants’ interviews to become a part of the OPD force. However, Jones is hopeful the department will have this technology by 2020, which is the goal the Ohio Collaborative, a 12-person panel that establishes statewide standards for law enforcement agencies, has set in place for Butler County. “Regardless, I want people to know that I am willing to listen,” Jones said. “If anyone feels as though they’ve been mistreated by an officer, we want to know about it. We’re very transparent, and it is our job to treat everyone with respect and dignity.” Amber Franklin, associate professor in Miami’s speech pathology and audiology department and fellow OPCRRC member, echoed Jones’ desire to hear from community members. “I know that Chief Jones wants to understand the city’s climate and our job isn’t just about looking for problems. We want to know how the community experiences police and how the police experience the community,” Franklin said. In order for grievances about OPD’s interaction with the public to be addressed, Franklin urged complainants to attach their names to their comments –
Two sexual assaults reported FROM SEXUAL ASSAULTS- PAGE 1
dents and working to identify the assailants in both cases,” said Claire Wagner, spokeswoman for Miami University. Miami University Police increased foot and bike patrols this weekend on campus, Wagner said. John McCandless, chief of Miami University’s police department, confirmed there was “enhanced patrol” this weekend, and, at the time of publication, had no updates on the investigations. At least two other sexual assaults involving Miami students have been reported this semester. The two reported assaults also occurred on the same night. A woman who is not a Miami FROM ESPORTS - PAGE 16
of the three players from the active roster last year graduated, graduate student Mitch Mazzei has returned to be the team’s head analyst. Of the three new additions, last year’s analyst Brad Frysinger has joined the team’s active roster. This will bring experience from both sides of the program to the previously successful team. Every Miami Varsity Esport game will be live streamed at twitch.tv/MiamiUniversityOH and commentated by team analysts. stemmlmf@miamioh.edu
whether in person at the commission or by contacting the police department. An incident four years ago between two Miami students and an OPD officer catalyzed the OPCRRC’s formation. The two students, a white woman and a black man, were dating. While the two were walking together Uptown, a male officer approached them. He allegedly accosted the female student and used a racial slur when addressing her, in the context of her being her boyfriend’s “lover.” A few days later, Ann Wengler, education chair of Oxford’s chapter of the NAACP and then a learning specialist at Miami’s Rinella Learning Center, learned about this incident from the boyfriend of the girl who was confronted by the officer, when they were discussing his research on diversity. “My reaction was complete shock,” Wengler said. “It was upsetting to hear and I immediately went to share this with members of the NAACP.” Wengler, as well as Fran Jackson, president of the Oxford NAACP and fellow NAACP member Linda Musmeci Kimball went to OPD’s then-interim Chief Bob Holzworth. From OPD’s perspective, Holzworth, who died from cancer in the summer of 2016, could not confirm whether or not the incident took place. In Oct. 2013, the NAACP held a public forum with former Lt. Tom Horvath and they talked about creating an oversight
commission. “We were blown away by the amount of individuals, young black men and even middle-aged African American women who spoke about racial profiling in Oxford,” Patrick Meade, chair of the OPCRRC said. “The important thing to note is that even now, many at OPD don’t believe it happened,” Wengler said. “But there was no reason for [the boyfriend] to lie when he brought it up in the context of our discussing talking about white privilege.” Some Oxford community members hesitated during initial talks about creating an outside police advisory board, claiming that racial profiling doesn’t take place in Oxford. They also argued that the alleged incident in 2013 was just that — an alleged incident. Franklin disagreed entirely. “I don’t think the question is does it happen — sometimes it’s a call from a neighbor (and an officer has to follow up on a call) — or are they being stopped by an officer without any impetus for a stop,” Franklin said. “Marginalized people don’t feel comfortable reporting incidents like that.” The commission’s purpose remains clear to Joseph. “Knowing we’re here is not enough,” he said. “We want to provide a sense of belonging and inclusion for non-traditional members of the Oxford community.” doyleca3@miamioh.edu
to
student reported to police that, late Sept. 2, after she had a drink with a male Uptown, she woke up a few hours later in an unfamiliar apartment with him. She fled the apartment to find her friends, who contacted police, and she was taken to the hospital. A female student reported that she was sexually assaulted in Ogden Hall between midnight and 2 a.m. on Sept. 3. She told police she met the male student off campus and had invited him to her room. If you have any information about either incident, contact Miami University police at 513-529-2222. willi501@miamioh.edu @emilye_williams
A SMALL GROUP DEMONSTRATED NEAAR ASC IN RESPONSE TO THE ASSAULTS ARYAN TERHUNE PHOTO EDITOR
Football bounces back with first MAC win FROM FOOTBALL - PAGE 16
Penalties were an issue throughout last season and were a common occurrence Saturday. Miami accumulated 10 for 102 penalty yards. “Overzealous coming over the top on the field goal, and then a late hit on them,” Martin said. “It was probably pretty even in the first half, of both teams doing some overzealous things and hurting themselves.” With the penalty problem persisting the
second half began, but the fireworks that defined the first 30 minutes were non-existent. The only score in the latter half of play was a 34-yard field goal from MU’s sophomore Sam Sloman. This kick put the score at 3114, which would become the final score. Stepping up for the ’Hawks was Redshirt junior linebacker Sam Connolly, who filled in for the injured junior Junior McMullen. Connolly’s impact was paramount, as he finished the contest with nine tackles — one
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of those for a loss — and one interception. For his performance, Connolly was named MAC East Defensive Player of the Week yesterday. “Sam Connolly is a hero today. No Junior McMullen, Sam hasn’t played five downs in three years and Sam plays a whole football game, on the road, against a really sophisticated offense,” Martin said. gilliecf@miamioh.edu
TOUCHDOWN
Science
12
NGUYENM3@MIAMIOH.EDU
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
Brewing ideas: Course covers science of fermentation PARIS FRANZ
THE MIAMI STUDENT
It’s Wednesday night, and some Miami students are cracking open a few beers. It’s a typical college scene, except for the location: a chemistry laboratory. “Principles in Fermentation,” first offered as a class for Fall 2016, is cross-listed in chemistry, microbiology and chemical, paper and biomedical engineering. The course emphasizes the science of fermentation, with the goal of teaching students how to apply the theory they’ve learned in class. The class was created after a Miami alumnus, Dave Dafoe, reached out about bringing Miami students to Moonshine University, a distilling school he founded in Louisville, KY. Christopher Makaroff, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, approached Michael Crowder and Luis Actis, respective chairs of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Department of Microbiology, about Dafoe’s interest. The three decided to offer a course in fermentation in the fall, and then have the students attend Moonshine University in the winter. Dafoe is currently offering tuition-free instruction over J-Term to Miami students who have completed the fermentation class. The courses typically cost thousands of dollars per student. “Principles in Fermentation” includes lectures on the details of fermentation, detailing the mechanisms of proteins and specific enzymes. The lecture also covers a variety of food products that involve fermentation: how yeasts work, how cheeses and fermented meats are made, how beer is brewed and how spirits are fermented. But the class isn’t all lecture. Students perform experiments with real beers. In lab, students measure the carbon dioxide produced by yeast, analyze beers for color and cloudiness and determine the amounts of bitterness compounds in the beer. “When [the students] look at a bottle of beer now, there’s all these statistics on the side and they know what every component is,” said Crowder.
A.J. NEWBERRY
The class also samples beers in order to taste the differences they are testing in the lab, so students must be 21 or older to take the class. This semester, the class will visit MillerCoors’ Trenton, OH, brewery and Municipal Brewery, a craft brewery in Hamilton, where students will see the beer-making process behind-the-scenes and talk to brewing experts. The interdisciplinary nature of the course is its most unique aspect. Breweries send the class real problems to solve
on their behalf. The students are then divided into groups containing members with different majors to analyze the problem from different perspectives and present their solutions. The enthusiasm of the faculty involved in the course was contagious, Crowder said. “Other faculty members were so excited about this course, they started asking, ‘Can I be part of this?’” said Crowder. Senior Shawn Dougherty, a chemical engineering major, took the class last
fall. He remembers being impressed by the science behind creating the beers and the enthusiasm of the faculty. “The professors were there to have fun,” said Dougherty. “I really felt like the professors enjoyed the class as well as the students, and that made the class really fun, because they came in every day and learned something as well.” In response to student feedback and Miami’s ongoing issues with high-risk student drinking, the class now includes lectures on the psychology and biology of drinking and addiction. “Alcohol production is actually a science marvel,” said Crowder. “We are trying to instill an appreciation, but also there needs to be a concern that alcohol [consumption], if too much, can be quite problematic.” Crowder and Actis have big dreams for the future of the class. They would like to start by adding a prerequisite course and eventually extend to creating a series of courses that will cumulate in the receipt of a Certificate in Fermentation Sciences. Ultimately, they would also like to set up a beer, liquor and wine analysis lab run by students. The lab would provide students with experience, supply companies with an analysis service and give the school a new revenue source. But for now, Crowder and all the other faculty involved in the class believe even taking one course in fermentation will open doors for students. “The craft brewing industry is exploding right now,” said Crowder. “There is going to be such a high demand for the training in one class that they got here.” Jessica Cleland, a chemical engineering senior currently taking the class, is excited about what the rest of the semester will bring. “I’m very excited about the career potential with this kind of class,” said Cleland. “And how it’s going to prepare me for the field, and the new ideas and perspectives it’s going to give me in the future.” franzpl@miamioh.edu
A THREE-DIMENSIONAL SOLUTION THAI WRIGHT
THE MIAMI STUDENT
RYAN TERHUNE PHOTO EDITOR
Human body parts are currently being replaced by inanimate objects. This isn’t a horror movie. It’s an engineering lab Graduate student Louis Krieger designs 3D models to replace skin and tissue in medical product testing and training. Like many scientists, Krieger’s goal is to develop solutions to issues plaguing society. Krieger is working toward a Master’s degree in the Chemical, Paper and Biomedical Engineering Department. After first settling into life as an undergraduate at Miami, Krieger decided to join the research lab of Jessica Sparks and continues to work under her mentorship. His efforts in the lab have focused on designing life-like 3D models of skin and tissue. These models exhibited similar swelling and physical properties to living organisms. This has the potential to transform medical training by shifting testing on cadavers, animals and clinical trial participants over to 3D models. With his recent transition from undergraduate to graduate student, Krieger has also shifted the focus of his research, though he remains in the same lab. Grateful for the breadth of study he was exposed to as an undergraduate, he now enjoys the ability to take courses focusing on areas in which he has found a passion. He is currently using 3D models to create training aids to teach nursing students about early-stage pressure ulcers, commonly known as bedsores.The 3D models used in this study are tactile recreations of images taken of early-stage pressure ulcers. These ulcers affect those on bed rest and paraplegic individuals, such as veter-
I used to live in this thing!
ans recovering from combat injuries. “These ulcers are the result of the bone compressing the artery and blocking its ability to distribute nutrients to a specific area,” Krieger said. “At very early stages, this is reversible by simply moving the patient; blood circulation will resume allowing the ulcer to correct itself. These ulcers can range from mild discoloration of the skin to severe tissue damage, infection of the muscle or bone, and even death.” Pressure ulcers are a serious health issue. The Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality reported that approximately 2.5 million people were affected by pressure ulcers in 2016 and more than 60,000 patients die annually as a direct result of these ulcers. Krieger’s research aims to make early detection more simple and reliable using paper-based 3D models designed here at Miami. Since everyone perceives color differently, variations in pigment of the area are quantified using a spectrometer, a scientific instrument which uses light to record and measure differences in color. In his research, Krieger uses it to verify the model printed shows nearly the exact same pigments. His research experience, Krieger said, has given him more confidence, both in himself and the power of science to solve problems. “It’s easier to come up with solutions than people actually think,” Krieger said. “It’s just that the scale of them is a lot smaller than people anticipate.” wrigh101@miamioh.edu
NGUYENM3@MIAMIOH.EDU
SCIENCE 13
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
Scholars conduct summer research ALYSSA MELENDEZ THE MIAMI STUDENT
If you were to ask senior Jada Harris what she did over the summer, she would say that she wrote a play: a play that will, hopefully, be performed as part of the Independent Artists Series on Miami University’s campus in the spring. If you were to ask Bryce Linkous what he did over the summer, he would say he helped create an effective cancer-detection method. More specifically, he would say he studied a type of medical imaging called optical coherence tomography (OCT) that has the potential to detect bladder cancer. Both Harris and Linkous received these opportunities through the Undergraduate Summer Scholars (USS), a program offered by the university’s Office of Research for Undergraduates (ORU). Through USS, students are paired with a faculty mentor who guides the student through the research process of a project of their choosing. They work together throughout the whole summer, with most projects carrying on into the fall and spring semesters. “When most people think of research, they think it has to be scientifically related,” said ORU director Martha Weber. “But that isn’t always the case. Research is an important skill that spreads across all disciplines, whether that be chemical engineering or creative arts.” Every year, 100 students are accepted into the program. Upon acceptance, these students receive a $2,600 fellowship award, $400 project expense and a tuition-only waiver for the six credit hours of independent study they’ll be com-
pleting. In order to apply, a student must have achieved junior-level standing, or 60 credit hours, prior to the research summer. Harris said that, a year ago, she couldn’t have anticipated what she would accomplish through her research. “I remember my friend telling me about the program last year and on a whim. I decided to apply, not really knowing what research I would do or if I’d even get accepted,” Harris said. “But here I am now, a year later, working with the Chair of the Theatre Department trying to get my play published.” Harris, a theatre major, originally came up with the idea for her play, “Same Blood,” as part of an assignment for a class. “We had to write a 10-minute play for my playwriting class,” she said. “I came up with the idea of a dystopian world where there were few minorities left. Those that still existed were forced to hide underground.” Harris talked about how she created the characters Adam, a bi-racial man, and Eve, a black woman. The play details their relationship and highlights the struggle many minorities face. “This play is not supposed to be attacking anyone of any sort. It’s just the thoughts I’ve had from recent exposure to the media, to the people around me and how their emotions are affected by these times that we’re living in,” said Harris. “Everything I wrote is just from the heart.” While Harris came up with her ideas by walking around campus and immersing herself in songs such as “Black Butterfly” by Deniece Williams and “A Change is Gonna
DISCOVERIES
Come” by Sam Cooke, Linkous, a bioengineering major, generated his hypotheses through in-depth reading of scientific bioengineering books. “Coming into this a year ago, the only relevant classes I had under my belt were Physics 1 and 2,” said Linkous. “I knew practically nothing about OCT, but I was interested in medical imaging, and through my academic advisor I was introduced to my USS mentor, Dr. Hui Wang.” In Spring 2017, Linkous and a fellow student learned about the physics and engineering behind OCT from Wang. He met with them on a regular basis and assigned them relevant textbook material to read. “I would say we did a pretty good job of learning that spring,” said Linkous. “When summer came around, we jumped right into it.” Instead of solely absorbing information that summer through USS, Linkous had the opportunity to put all he had learned into practice. By the end of the summer, he and his team had assembled the individual parts of the OCT device. However, despite the significant progress made by Linkous, Wang and his fellow students, there is still a lot to be done until the device is complete. Linkous reflected on the rigor of his research experience. “It requires being willing to learn,” he said. “You have to realize that you’re not going to be an expert on the topic at the beginning. Even three months or 20 years into your research, you’re still going to be learning things and challenging yourself every day.”
Science in the news
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Binge-drinking in college reduces employability A new prospective study at Tel Aviv University suggests that drinking habits, not drinking itself, may impact future careers. Researchers found that heavy drinking six times a month reduces the probability that a new college graduate will land a job by 10 percent.
A new piece in the Easter Island population puzzle 0000110011000 0000110011000 0000110011000 0110000000110 0011000001100 0001111111100
The nearly 900 giant stone statues discovered on Easter Island in 1722 seemed at odds with the small population found living there at the time. A new detailed study from UC-Davis on the farming potential of the island suggests it could have sustained 17,500 people at its peak.
melendak@miamioh.edu
How do poisonous frogs resist their own poison? 0000110011000 0000110011000 0000110011000 0110000000110 0011000001100 0001111111100
Researchers at UT-Austin discovered that a small genetic mutation in the frogs — a change in just three of the 2,500 amino acids that make up the receptor — prevents the toxin from acting on the frogs’ own receptors, making them resistant to its lethal effects. Receptors provide insight on how to better design drugs for pain relief and nicotine addiction.
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Smartphone apps treat depression Australian-led research in collaboration with Harvard Medical School supports that smartphone apps are an effective treatment option for depression. These digital therapies pave the way for accessible interventions for millions of people suffering from depression. There is currently no evidence to suggest that apps can replace or outperform standard psychological therapies or antidepressant medications. RYAN TERHUNE PHOTO EDITOR
Gates’ Goalkeepers report: Taking the pulse of health news MORGAN NGUYEN SCIENCE EDITOR
Midterms may be gradually approaching on campus, but in the global health arena, a report card has already been issued. Bill and Melinda Gates presented their foundation’s assessment of the world’s progress in addressing health and poverty to the United Nations General Assembly this past week. Various health indicators were assessed including child and maternal mortality, stunted growth, malaria, vaccine use and HIV/AIDS. The primary purpose of the report is indicated in its name: Goalkeepers. In 2015, the United Nations committed itself to a collection of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that together illustrate what all member states would like the world to look like in 2030. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation issued this report to hold policymakers and
donors accountable to these SDGs. Goalkeepers is the result of three years of research — a huge statistical undertaking — and tracks progress for 18 data points included in the SDGs. The report will be issued every year until 2030 with the intention to accelerate the fight against poverty and ensure money spent on development has a maximal impact. The health issues identified mostly plague developing nations, but the Gates emphasize the importance of international donors and political support. The report is issued at a crucial time when the Trump administration is considering large cuts in foreign aid. Goalkeepers is as strategic as it is informative. Its graphic-heavy layout and inclusion of stories behind the data help bridge the communication gap between global health researchers and policymakers. The report includes case studies on family planning in Senegal, financial services for the poor in India, and so on. It also presents
a larger picture of global data for poverty, stunted growth, tuberculosis and other SDGs. The Gates support universal health coverage, stressing the importance of primary care. Data in the report shows promising gains and also reveals areas for improvement. Death from AIDS and malaria have fallen, while vaccine use and access to basic healthcare have gone up. However, health disparities between the rich and poor countries have widened and many maternal and infant deaths are preventable ones. The report’s projections for 2030 in relation to the SDGs set in 2015 are a stark wake up call. It is the responsibility of private donors, federal aid, and the minds of a new generation of global health researchers and advocates to answer it. nguyenm3@miamioh.edu
14 OPINION
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
HARTJT@MIAMIOH.EDU
MIAMI MUST KEEP ITS COMMITMENT: TITLE IX DECISION The following reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos introduced new interim guidelines Friday for how universities deal with sexual assault investigations. The biggest change was removing the Obama-era mandate that universities use the “preponderance of evidence” standard when deciding Title IX hearings. “This [preponderance of evidence] standard essentially asks, ‘Is it more likely than not that the Policy Prohibiting Harassment and Discrimination was violated?’” reads Miami University’s Title IX protocols. With the new DeVos guidelines, universities can continue to use the preponderance of evidence standard or, now, they can switch to a “clear and convincing” standard, which places the standard of evidence somewhere between a preponderance of the evidence and the stringency of “beyond a reasonable doubt.” Moving to the “clear and convincing” standard would make it more difficult for
investigators to prove the responsibility of sexual assault within a university setting and, critically, would make it more difficult for victims to find respite in Title IX protections. “For now, our established judicial processes will remain in place,” wrote Claire Wagner, university communications director, in an email. For now. Wagner also said that Miami will study the new interim regulations and that it “remains committed to complying with Title IX and its assurance of fair and equal educational opportunities.” Miami made the right decision in sticking to their established “preponderance” standard. We sincerely hope the university holds to this policy into the future. The very nature of sexual assault is what makes it hard to prosecute in the first place. Often, incidents are clouded with conflicting accounts and little eyewitness testimony to the most important aspects of the case. Therefore, a prepon-
Growing student body, more cost To the editor: Official Miami seems ecstatic about our record enrollment this fall. Judging by the major effort to build new residence halls, this may not be a temporary blip but, instead, may reflect a furtive plan to substantially and permanently increase the size of the student body: Three new dorms on Western Campus, one new dorm on Maple Street, a new dorm on the Withrow Court site, one new dorm on North Quad and conversion of the Miami Inn into a dorm. Somebody, somewhere has decided that a major expansion of dorm capacity is needed to house a permanently major increase in the number of students. The benefits of increased enrollment are obvious: More dollars from more tuition, more fees and more room and board charges collected from more students. But economics teaches that the costs of a decision have to be weighed against the benefits. In this case the costs are substantial, involving not only dollars and cents but, more fundamentally, the potentially corrosive effect on the character and quality of Miami. The dollar-and-cents costs are considerable: They include not only the millions of dollars in interest expense paid to borrow funds to build new residence halls, but the permanently increased operating costs incurred in cleaning, maintaining, repairing and staffing them. The interest payments end, but increased operating costs permanently inflate Miami’s expenses. In addition, if the quality of undergraduate teaching is not to suffer, there is the additional cost to hire more faculty to teach more students -- again, permanently inflating University expenses. And if they are to be accessible to students, there will be the further
costs of creating additional office space for more faculty. However, if the faculty isn’t increased in line with increased enrollment, then quality will suffer as class sizes grow, as meaningful student-faculty interaction in them diminishes and as classes close quicker making it harder for students to enroll in courses they need to graduate. Another potentially costly problem is the growing lack of sufficient classrooms needed to teach more classes to more students -especially as the Armstrong Center occupies former classroom space in the buildings it has absorbed. Is Miami going to build new classrooms to keep pace with increased enrollments? If so, that will inflate costs too. Transcending dollars and cents, and more disturbing, is the erosion of the unique character of Miami as our enrollment climbs. Consider outstanding undergraduate universities like Wake Forest, William and Mary or Dartmouth: Would they substantially increase their enrollment to boost their revenues? Or would they be more concerned that significantly increasing size would erode their essential character? Would they tell us that as “new Miami” gets bigger, the challenge of sustaining the best of “old Miami” gets harder as the institution drifts into becoming just another less-distinct, medium-sized state college? Would they understand that increasingly dubious rankings based on past performance may only mask this slide (while making a mockery of our “prodesse quam conspici” motto)? And would they have the wisdom to solicit input from their major stakeholders (including faculty and current students) before embarking on a course fraught with such peril? JAMES BROCK Professor of Economics brockj@miamioh.edu
Letter to the editor: Political extremism only causes problems To the editor: While political differences are a constant and even valuable part of civic life, political extremism is an increasing and dangerous trend. Such extremism exists on both the left (e.g., Antifa-related violence at protests, attempts to prevent speakers such as Ann Coulter and Milo Yiannopoulos from talking on college campuses) and the right (e.g., the killing of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, voter suppression). This increased polarization is harmful as it divides our communities and makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to negotiate and solve our nation’s challenges. Our concern is the extreme words and actions of our elected representatives at all governmental levels, including Candice Keller as our Ohio House rep, Warren Davidson as our U. S. House rep and Donald Trump as President. Keller’s use of far right imagery (the Nazi swastika juxtaposed with Planned Parenthood’s logo in a since deleted Facebook post), appearance on a white power advocate’s (Sonny Thomas) radio show, citing of false crime statistics regarding undocumented immigrants from the Center for Immigration Studies (identified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center), calling for the possible imprisonment of elected officials in sanctuary cities, defense of confederate monuments and support for the utterly uncompromising economic stance of the Freedom Caucus are alarming. In Davidson’s case, his uninformed and almost complete dismissal of the significant body of research on climate science, lack of inclusiveness (in speaking about minorities and immigrants at an Oxford town hall, he seemed to suggest that Christian men are more important than other citizens) and harsh economic views (e.g., at another town hall, Davidson told a constituent, in regard to her adult son, that her son did not deserve health care coverage since he was un-
employed) are concerning. Finally, Trump’s bigoted statements toward various minority groups, refusal to listen to the U.S. intelligence community and failure to condemn the KKK/neo-Nazis/white supremacists in an unambiguous and sincere manner make cooperative agreements nearly impossible. We believe that this extremism, which does not represent the viewpoint of most Americans and prevents bipartisan solutions to our nation’s problems, must be replaced by a focus on shared values. For example, instead of taking absolutist stands on economic, social and scientific issues which leave no room for working with those with differing positions, our political representatives need to seek common ground and work together to unify our country. Further, they must recognize that such cooperative action is a truer reflection of patriotism as it promotes better solutions, fosters greater trust and better reflects the American values which have contributed to our country’s greatness. Above all else, our politicians must offer evidence-based support for their positions. Differences in values are a natural and desirable part of American life; our society benefits from the checks and balances provided by having multiple political parties and platforms. For our system to work more effectively, we need elected officials who are honest, informed and committed to making the U.S. a country which meets the needs of all of its citizens. When our elected officials through their words and actions exhibit political zealotry, are divisive and adopt intractable positions, we all pay a steep price. In our estimation, the removal of extremism in our local and national politics is a key step in coming together to make our great nation even better. LARRY NADLER MAJORIE KEESHAN NADLER Former Professors nadlerlb@miamioh.edu
derance of the evidence is the only way for any meaningful justice to ever be served to survivors. Additionally, many sexual assault survivors already find it difficult to come forward after they are assaulted. Increasing the standard of proof that they must demonstrate to make their case would only make the challenge of coming forward more difficult. The Obama-era guidelines were controversial, and a preponderance of the evidence is the lowest standard of proof in our legal system. However, given how challenging it can be to prove sexual assault and how easy it is for victims to feel intimidated by the more costly, more stringent criminal justice process, the need for this standard in university Title IX hearings remains. Colleges cannot convict students of crimes, but they are obligated, under Title IX, to address sexual violence. Criminal standards of proof make it more difficult for colleges to comply with Title IX. According to the Chronicle of High-
er Education’s Title IX tracker, there are three open Title IX complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights over Miami’s handling of sexual assault cases. There exist cases where students fabricate claims against other students in this realm. These specific cases are not in any way representative of the vast majority of sexual assault survivors who come forward and seek justice. In short, this standard of justice benefits the truth in the overwhelming number of cases. It is imperative that Miami continues to focus on prevention in addition to the improvement of its process of student justice. The university should continue to pour efforts into educating all students about sexual assault and how to prevent it. The school is not a court of law; guidelines such as the Obama-era ones exist not to punish the accused, but to protect victims. Keeping this standard of evidence is essential to continuing to provide that protection.
SINGLE-PAYER HEALTHCARE HAS NEVER WORKED, AND HERE’S WHY IT NEVER WILL LUKE SCHROEDER COLUMNIST
After multiple botched attempts, congressional Republicans have yet to follow through on their campaign promise to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare. As stated by Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH), the ACA promised, “If you liked your plan, you coul d keep your plan; if you liked your doctor, you could keep your doctor; premiums would go down by $2,500; the Obamacare exchanges would work; the website would be secure; and emergency room visits would go down”. He continued, “Those are all false statements and signs of failure. Look no further than the fact that 19 of the 23 Obamacare co-ops have already gone bankrupt.” While many Democrats won’t (publicly) admit it, everyone knows the ACA is falling apart. Insurers are fleeing the exchanges at breakneck speed – next year, nearly half of all U.S. counties will offer only one insurer on the exchanges. Care is too expensive, and the immense weight of the federal bureaucracy is crushing free market competition, at the detriment of the consumer. The events of the past few months have proved one thing: There will never be a perfect healthcare bill, and there will never be a perfect healthcare system. However, it is congress’s duty to do what they can to create a better system, even though that will guarantee strong opposition. A replacement must come soon, and it must not repeat Obamacare’s fundamental mistakes. While there are many options for improving our nation’s healthcare system, that is not what this column is about – this column is about the type of healthcare plan that this nation should never pursue. Just a few days ago, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced a single-payer healthcare bill into the United States Senate, a bill he claims would guarantee “Medicare for all”. As many will remember, Bernie championed this idea on the campaign trail during the 2016 presidential primaries. In 1987, Sanders said: “if we expanded Medicaid [to] everybody, [gave] everybody a Medicaid card — we would be spending such an astronomical sum of money that, you know, we would bankrupt the nation.” Interesting. Back then, Bernie seemed to at least have some sense. With his recent single-payer proposal, he has proven that he’s perfectly willing to “bankrupt the nation”, just to pander to his far-left base. Bernie’s single-payer crusade may seem like a decent concept to many on the far-left, but in reality, it would wreak total havoc on the United States. According to a report from the Urban Institute, a liberal think tank, Bernie’s plan would increase federal spending by over $30 trillion in the next decade. Just to put this astronomical figure in perspective, it represents an increase of our current national debt by more than 150%. Another report from the Center for Health and Economy estimates that Bernie’s program could cost even more, up to $47.55 trillion in the next decade – the report also projects the plan would cause medical productivity to decrease by 20%. Bernie has proposed draconian tax increases in order to pay for his plan, but they would offset far less than half the cost according to the Urban Institute’s analysis. Among the proposed increases are a 7.5% increase in payroll taxes and an across the board 4% increase in individual taxes. These figures are absolutely dismal – Bernie’s plan is not sustainable, and it is laughably far from realistic; it would
mean more debt, less freedom, more taxes and a lower standard of care for every American of every background. So, the Sanders single-payer plan would be a total failure, but what about other instances where similar programs have been tried? Colorado, Vermont and California have all attempted to implement their own forms single-payer. Sure enough, single-payer has failed horrendously in each of those states too. Just last year in Colorado, a single-payer ballot initiative was rejected by nearly 80% of the state’s voters (who have opted for Democratic presidential candidates for more than a decade). The program, “ColoradoCare”, would have required a 10% payroll tax increase for every Colorado resident, and would have cost the state $38 billion a year to run – this figure would have doubled the state’s entire operating budget. Even with the huge tax increases, the program was projected to run a quarter billion-dollar deficit in its first year of operation. What about in Bernie’s liberal home state of Vermont? The state tried to impose single-payer in 2014 and failed spectacularly. The proposed “Green Mountain Care” program would have required a 160% increase in state taxes, including an 11.5% increase in payroll taxes, and would have sent doctors and hospitals into turmoil. Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, a liberal Democrat, scrapped the plan entirely. “In my judgment,” he said, “the potential economic disruption and risks would be too great to small businesses, working families and the state’s economy.” But surely, in the particularly liberal state of California, they have something figured out, right? Wrong. The “Healthy California Act”, California’s most recent attempt at single-payer, has been shelved by State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, a Democrat, who called the idea “woefully incomplete,” and noted there were “fatal flaws in the bill.” That legislation would have imposed $400 billion of new costs on California, well more than double the entire state’s budget. To foot the bill, the state would have had to raise their (already astronomical) taxes by around $200 billion. A state legislative analysis recommended an increase in state payroll taxes by 15% to cover the cost. These economic realities, just like the proposed legislation, are utterly unfeasible. But wait, Canada has a single-payer system, right? Yes, they do, but its track record should serve as a warning to those who insist on implementing a similar system in our country. According to the non-partisan Fraser Institute, “There is an imbalance between the value Canadians receive and the relatively high amount of money they spend on their health-care system. Although Canada ranks among the most expensive universal-access health-care systems in the OECD [a large organization of industrialized nations], its performance for availability and access to resources is generally below that of the average OECD country.” More spending, more waiting and a lower quality of care – that is the reality of single-payer in Canada. Single-payer is a failure at home and abroad – don’t fall for the far-left’s empty promises and false rhetoric. The only lasting solution to the American healthcare system will include more free market competition, not less. It will mean less domineering from Washington, not more. Only time will tell if congress can get this done, but it must be done soon – the American people deserve better than Obamacare, and they certainly deserve better than single-payer. schroelm@miamioh.edu
HATCHEAM@MIAMIOH.EDU
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
A.J. NEWBERRY
OPINION 15
NEWBERAJ@MIAMIOH.EDU
@AJNWBRRY
Trump’s tweets show authenticity despite brashness JILL TEITELBAUM
THE MIAMI STUDENT
Calm. Collected. Eloquent. These words may bring to mind many orators and leaders, but they certainly don’t bring to mind a certain fiery and impulsive one: President Donald J. Trump. Whether someone supports President Trump or not, most will agree that he’s not afraid to speak his mind. His unfiltered thoughts, most clearly displayed through his personal Twitter account, manage to excite and enrage hundreds of thousands of people simultaneously. Apart from revealing his hotheadedness, and that even presidents misspell words, there are two special, underappreciated aspects of this: transparency and engagement. Trump’s mistakes and outbursts show authenticity. There is no doubt that he is the one tweeting. His tweets are not perfect because President Trump is not perfect. While the previous sentence may be the understatement of the century, the fact of the matter is our president is genuine and far from untouchable. Americans, and anyone else with a twitter and uncensored internet privileges, can hurl jabs, insults or even praise at him. @realDonaldTrump has 38.8 million followers and his tweets are regularly featured in the news. For example, on Sunday he tweeted, “I spoke with President Moon of South Korea last night. Asked him how Rocket Man is doing. Long gas lines forming in North Korea. Too bad!” “Rocket Man” refers to the dictator of North Korea,
Kim Jong-un. It is a classic example of Trump’s habit of name calling. Although some point to this habit as an example of Trump being a bully, which in a few instances may be true, his name calling is usually daring, and sometimes even entertaining. This is especially true when directed at common enemies such as ISIS, who he has repeatedly called “losers.” At first glance this seems elementary at best, and a political blunder at worst, but his name calling demeans them. In people’s minds, he reduces them from unstoppable terrorists to a gang of miscreants. They are not invincible. They are not cool. They will not win. President Trump says what he’s thinking, and what some people may also be thinking, but who don’t have the platform or guts to say it. It takes guts and a degree of insanity to call out world leaders and terrorists. Luckily, it doesn’t take either to call out the president. People aren’t scared to tweet at or about the president. People won’t disappear in the middle of the night if they do. Being unafraid to speak your mind, especially to such a powerful person, is a blessing, and a rare one. President Trump is one of the most powerful people in the world. The ability to tweet at him is not only made possible by the first amendment, but by his willingness to continue using Twitter. It often takes losing something to realize how missed it would be. If President Trump were to take the advice of former Secretary of State, and loser of the 2016 Presidential election, Hillary Clinton, to delete his account, the result would not be national peace. At first it would be
celebrated by many as a triumph. However, eventually it would be a void. Radio silence. When we are accustomed to a noise, its absence can be eerie. After all, there is such a thing as too quiet. I’m grateful for our ability to tweet at, tweet about and retweet the leader of the free world. If nothing else, it inspires conversation and gives the people another, albeit unconventional, channel to assert our voice. Americans can pretty much say whatever they want, within reason. We should take a moment to appreciate our freedom before we rattle off a barrage of hate against anyone who disagrees with us. Don’t stop practicing free speech; just stop taking it for granted. A classic joke by Ronald Reagan nicely reflects what we take for granted: “The story was an American and a Russian arguing about their two countries and the American said, ‘Look, in my country, I can walk into the Oval Office, I can pound the president’s desk and say “Mr. President, I don’t like the way you’re running our country!’ And the Russian said, ‘I can do that.’ And the American says, ‘You can?’ He says, ‘Yes. I can go into the Kremlin to the general secretary’s office pound his desk and say “Mr. General Secretary, I don’t like the way President Reagan is running his country.’” Ultimately, I prefer the President’s imperfect and candid tweets, as opposed to either carefully manufactured ones or none at all. teiteljh@miamioh.edu
Miami’s parking ticket fines excessively expensive SPENCER NAY
GUEST COLUMNIST
As a first year, I was using my dad’s car on campus for the weekend and parked it in a lot behind Anderson Hall. I thought to myself: This lot hardly ever has cars in it — what’s the worst that could happen? The next day, I noticed a parking ticket on my windshield. I kicked myself for being careless, admitted I was wrong and agreed it was right to pay the fine. What I did not think was right was the price of the fine. As per the student handbook (6.4.C), Miami University charges a $75 fine for parking in a restricted area. I believe that this fine is outlandishly high for no practical reason. To put it into perspective, according to their website, The Ohio
State University fines students $39.25 for “parking disregarding signs.” Miami University parking services charges substantially more for the same offense. If a student were to “park in a prohibited area marked by signs” at the University of Akron, they would be charged $25 for the first offense, $30 for the second and $35 for the third offense and beyond. This means that if I were to commit the same offense as I did behind Anderson Hall on Akron’s campus, I could do it twice and still pay less than Miami’s whopping $75 fine. The price of a fine at these other universities is reasonable, especially considering they are located in urban areas. Was I surprised when I discovered I owed an entire $75 for parking my car in a half empty lot for the night? Yes. But, parking services does allow students to submit a request for an appeal. In my case, it was one strike and you’re out. By this,
frankly, I was not surprised. Having parking fines and enforcing them is important to maintain the efficiency and convenience of parking lots and streets on campus. The main reason for setting a fine for parking illegally is deterrence. Some students pay extra for the privilege of having a guaranteed space with their pass. It is fair to ticket students without a pass for parking in those areas. Likewise, if a student knows they will have to pay a fee, they will likely find a place to park further away and walk from there. However, $25-$40 is more than enough to deter most college students who are living on a budget. When the fee is set at $75 it becomes about making a profit, not serving your students. nayst@miamioh.edu
Sports
16
SIMANSEC@MIAMIOH.EDU
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
RedHawks run at home for the first time since 2014 CROSS COUNTRY
ESPORTS
PATRICK KECK
THE MIAMI STUDENT
Miami’s cross country runners ran further than their travel bus for Saturday’s meet. The Red and White competed on their own home course for the RedHawk Rumble, their first time competing at home since 2014. The RedHawks dominated in both the women’s six-kilometer race and men’s eight-kilometer race. Both teams had eight runners in the top ten and scored 20 points -- the men winning by 33 and the women by 37. Sophomore Sean Torpy continued his hot streak, coming away with his first collegiate victory. Last week’s Mid-American Conference Runner of the Week, Torpy improved on his personal best from last week by running 25 minutes and five seconds. The men’s team strength was their pack presence, which was seen in groups throughout the race. There were only 17 seconds between third runner senior Matt Bromley and eighth runner sophomore Danny Reynolds. “The plan was for the men’s team to go out in the first 3K in 9:30,” said Bromley. “Then take two minutes easy. From there work with your partner with two minutes hard and one minute easy un-
MICHAEL STEMMLER THE MIAMI STUDENT
SOPHOMORE CLAIRE LINN CATCHES HER BREATH AFTER FINISHING 16TH. MIAMI HOSTED A CROSS COUNTRY MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2014. RYAN TERHUNE PHOTO EDITOR
til you believe that you could hold the hard effort until the finish.” The race was structured as a workout for both teams. “It was a small race this weekend with only a few teams, so we took advantage of that and used it as a training run,” said Coach Tom Chorny. The women were led by both senior Maria Scavuzzo and sophomore Carly Davis, who finished first and second overall. This was Davis’ highest placing in a cross country race as a RedHawk -- her first time in the top ten.
Graduate student Allison Klonne and senior Alesha Vovk and Redshirt senior Elise Brady rounded up the scoring five. Vovk finished fourth in 22 minutes and 36 seconds, while Brady and Klonne worked together to place sixth and seventh with times of 22 minutes and 53 seconds and 22 minutes and 56 seconds, respectively. “We were paired up with someone of comparable speed and we went out at race pace slightly below for the first 2500 meters,” Brady said of the women’s race strategy. “[We] went into an in-
terval segments of 2 minutes hard and 1 minute moderate.” Coach Chorny said the decision to make the race a workout was to have “a solid block of training” and to practice “certain aspects of a race or practicing certain strategies within a race.” The RedHawks compete again this Friday at Cedarville University for the All-Ohio Championships. The men’s 8K is at 2:00 p.m., and the women’s 6K is at 2:45 p.m. keckpm@miamioh.edu
Field Hockey falls to non-conference opponents Wake Forest and Michigan State
FIELD HOCKEY FELL AT HOME TO MICHIGAN STATE ON FRIDAY AND AWAY TO NO. 11 WAKE FOREST ON SUNDAY. RYAN TERHUNE PHOTO EDITOR
FIELD HOCKEY
CHRISTOPHER BERRY THE MIAMI STUDENT
The RedHawks lost their second game of the weekend after falling to No. 11 Wake Forest 4-1. Miami falls to 4-6 overall (2-0 Mid-American Conference), and Wake Forest improves to 5-4. After quickly falling behind 3-0 in the first half, MU fought back and played evenly for the remain-
VARSITY ESPORTS GEAR UP FOR FALL SEASON
der of the game. “A well-executed counter attack from Wake Forest with just a few minutes gone on the clock sentenced the game,” head coach Iñako Puzo said. “However, we kept trying to cut the gap up to the end of the game. As a coach this is what you are always expecting from your players. They have to keep playing hard and smart without being influenced by the scoreboard or the time left on the clock.” MU played 21 different players
in their matchup against the Demon Decons, showing the depth of Miami’s lineup and the confidence Puzo has in his entire team. “We are trying to win games as a team all while working on the development of the entire roster,” Puzo said. Miami’s lone goal came when freshman midfielder Neely Lochmoeller deflected a shot by junior midfielder/forward Paula Portugal into the top of the net. The RedHawks were outshot 17-5 by Wake Forest and had fewer penalty corners as well (3-8). MU played a much closer game Friday when they fell to Michigan State in a 3-2 game that ended in a last second buzzer beater from the Spartans. The RedHawks are winless at home (0-4) and the Spartans improve to 6-5 on the season (1-1 Big Ten Conference). MSU had more shots (18-14) and more penalty corners (8-7) than Miami in Friday’s contest. The Spartans also scored first in the seventh minute on a breakaway goal to go up 1-0. The RedHawks answered six minutes later when Portugal scored her eighth goal of the season. The goal came off a penalty corner when sophomore midfielder Marie-Claire Gorner stopped the ball and allowed Portugal to beat the Spartans’ goalkeeper. Miami went into halftime tied 1-1. “Especially in the second half, I think we controlled the game very
well,” Puzo said. In the 57th minute of play, freshman midfielder Leonor Berlie scored her second goal of the season to put MU up 2-1. “We scored and we went up,” Puzo said. “After we scored the second goal, we played not to lose the game. We stopped playing to win the game.” MSU responded less than five minutes later in the 61st minute with a rebound goal after Miami’s junior goalkeeper Maddie Passarella made a nice save off the initial penalty corner. “I think sometimes after a long weekend we are tired going into the next week and sometimes our morale is a little low, our energy is a little low,” junior back/midfielder Avery Sturm said. “I think that’s something we could work on as a group to fix early in the week to carry on into our later games.” That low energy toward the end of the match proved to be the deciding factor as the Spartans scored as time expired on another penalty corner to beat the RedHawks. “Come out everyday, whether it’s a game, whether it’s a practice, whether it’s lifting, and give 100 percent,” senior back Makenna Colby said. “That’s something that everyone needs to work on.” Field hockey looks to Friday at 1 p.m. at Kent State to rebound from the weekend’s loses. berrycm2@miamioh.edu
Miami Varsity Esports announced its 2017-2018 team roster on Wednesday, Sept. 13. After a week of tryouts, the full team consists of 22 members. Within each game -- Overwatch, League of Legends and Hearthstone -- the teams are led by a faculty or graduate student team manager but primarily coached by student team analysts. The Miami Overwatch team had great success late last year within the Tespa League Spring Series, and they look to continue that success within the Tespa Collegiate Series this fall. The ’Hawks’ expanded their roster from last year’s eight-person team to a team of ten. With four returning players -- all who take on a different role within the game -- working with new players to fill the gaps may prove difficult. However, according to returning player Sam Yancer, the team still has big aspirations for the season. “A big goal of ours is to get to the live finals,” Yancer said. “It’s a huge thing for us. It’s going to be hard this year, but we’re going to try our best. Then, I think we want to win the spring season, because spring is naturally where we’re better.” Miami’s League of Legends team has had a weekend full of competition during the group stage of the American Video Game League: Collegiate League of Legends Championship (AVGL). In the group stage, Miami is currently ranked second in the entire tournament with a record of 8-1 and will play their last group stage match on September 27 at 8:00 PM. If the team advances, they will move onto the knockout stage, where they will compete in a best of three, single elimination format. According to Jungler Jacey Miller, only having one new addition to the team’s roster will be its greatest asset. “Since we have five returning players from the starting roster last year, we’re going to have a lot of synergy left over and that will translate into us being really proficient starting off the season,” Miller said. This has already been shown through its dominating performance during the group stage, and strong promise of a deep playoff run with a chance to play live at one of the largest Esports stages -- Dreamhack Denver. With a consistent first place ranking in both tournaments, the ’Hawks’ Hearthstone team was one of the top competitors last year in the Tespa Training Grounds and Collegiate Series. However, during each round of playoffs the RedHawks were never able to take first place. This year, the new team shows potential coupled with the drive to call themselves victors. While two CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
Football bounces back with first MAC win FOOTBALL
COBURN GILLIES STAFF WRITER
Marking the beginning of Mid-American Conference play, Miami football (2-2, 1-0 MAC) defeated Central Michigan University (2-2, 0-1 MAC) 31-14 on the road. Gus Ragland had three touchdowns on Saturday afternoon. The Redshirt junior quarterback set the tempo from the opening kickoff. His six-yard scamper to paydirt and three-yard touchdown pass to Redshirt sophomore tight end Quentin Hardy saw MU take a 14-0 advantage after the first quarter. CMU wouldn’t go down without a fight, though. With 10:39 left in the second quarter, senior quarterback Shane Morris answered the call with a two-yard rushing touchdown to cut the deficit to 14-7.
This would be the closest the Chippewas would get, thanks to a quick response from Ragland and the ’Hawks. Not even 1:30 after Morris’ rumble into the end zone, senior wide receiver Sam Martin was on the receiving-end of a 50-yard scoring connection -- putting the RedHawks up 21-7. On the day, Martin caught two passes for 72 yards. Seven minutes later, a 31-yard end zone burst from Redshirt junior running back Kenny Young saw the Red and White extend their lead to 28-7. Notably, Young dealt with a death in the family prior to kickoff. “Kenny Young losing a relative, basically a brother, 24 hours before [University of] Cincinnati, plays his tail off at Cincinnati,” Miami head coach Chuck Martin said. “Goes home the last two days — we haven’t seen him since Wednesday -- he
comes in and plays his tail off for his teammate.” In an effort to quell Miami’s offensive onslaught, John Bonamego’s squad closed the first half with senior wide out Eric Cooper hauling in a 28-yard touchdown pass. MU led CMU 28-14 at the end of the half. A comeback seemed in the cards for CMU. However, the Morris-to-Cooper connection to end the first 30 minutes was the last time the hosts would score during the affair. “First half was just really good offense by us against a lot of different looks from Central’s defense,” Martin said. “Defense, obviously, too many penalties in the first half. They made plays to get 14, but we also kept drives alive when we had chances to be off the field with penalties. We got to continue to do a better job to play smarter.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
VOLLEYBALL PLAYED AT MILLETT HALL THIS WEEKEND, BEATING BOWLING GREEN 3-1 ON THURSDAY AND LOSING 3-1 TO WESTERN MICHIGAN ON SATURDAY. THE REDHAWKS ARE NOW 1-1 IN THE MAC. PHOTO BY ANGELO GELFUSO