ESTABLISHED 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES
Volume 148 No. 13
Miami University — Oxford, Ohio
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020
HEALTH OFFICIALS CONFIRM:
NO CORONAVIRUS AT MIAMI
Suspended professor reinstated JULIA ARWINE NEWS EDITOR
JENNIFER BAILER TOLD THE COMMUNITY TO "WATCH SOME FOOTBALL, WASH YOUR HANDS AND BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER," ON SUNDAY. ASST. PHOTO EDITOR BO BRUECK
STAFF REPORT
THE MIAMI STUDENT Two Miami University students suspected of having coronavirus tested negative and are no longer under isolation. Dr. Amy Acton, director of the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), confirmed the two students, who have been isolated since last week, do not have the 2019 novel coronavirus in a press conference at the Gross Student Athletic Center on Sunday night. “I am very pleased to share that the results are negative for both students, and they are
thrilled,” Acton said. The students, who had recently returned from traveling throughout China, were originally isolated on Tuesday, Jan. 28 in their off-campus residence after reporting to Student Health Services (SHS) with flu-like symptoms. SHS reported the students’ symptoms to Butler County General Health District, who conducted multiple tests on the students and sent samples to ODH and the CDC. “These students were the victim of circumstance, and they have been very cooperative and graceful,” Acton said. Acton also emphasized the Miami community’s need to stay compassionate and not give in
to racially-charged fears. Miami officials were joined at the press conference by representatives from the Ohio Department of Health and Butler County General Health. Butler County Health Commissioner Jennifer Bailer said the students are no longer in isolation, as of several hours before the press conference. The students have also been cleared to “conduct all their normal activities,” Bailer said, including attending their scheduled classes. “They’re doing very well,” Bailer said. “What CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
A biology professor who was suspended and almost fired for having a hallucinogenic-producing plant in a university greenhouse has been fully reinstated. Professors Daniel Gladish and John Cinnamon faced disciplinary action for their roles in the cultivation of an Iboga plant last year. The Iboga plant is an African tree with roots that can be used to produce a hallucinogenic drug. Cinnamon allegedly brought Iboga seeds back to Miami University from a trip to Africa. Gladish, director of Miami’s Hamilton campus conservatory, grew the plant to study it. Miami’s American Association of University Professors (AAUP) advocacy chapter protested the severity of the punishment and shortly after created a petition that garnered thousands of signatures internationally. Cinnamon has been on medical leave since the start of the disciplinary process and has had no hearings, said Claire Wagner, director of university news and communications. Gladish was suspended with pay but never lost his title. Following hearings that took place throughout the fall of 2019, Gladish signed a resolution agreement to cease termination procedures against him and return to his position as a professor of biology and biological sciences on Wednesday, Jan. 29. This includes the reinstatement of his tenure, Miami’s AAUP chapter president, Cathy Wagner, said. “We are thrilled that justice has prevailed, at least in this part of the case,” Cathy Wagner said. Though Gladish was able to return to work as a professor, he did have to give up his position as director of the conservatory. And, as part of the agreement, Gladish also tendered a letter of resignation effective Jan. 1, 2024. Gladish said he was surprised by this latter condition since he was already considering retiring relatively soon, but that he ultimately found the resolution to be fair. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Myaamia Center sees change in leadership JULIA ARWINE NEWS EDITOR
Chief Douglas Lankford of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma took the stage of the tribe’s newly renovated Council House and called for two people to join him: Myrtis Powell and Bobbe Burke. The two women have long had a relationship with the tribe, and on Friday, Jan. 24, they were thanked for their roles in connecting the tribe and Miami University, which had long gone unassociated until 1972, when the tribe’s chief at the time visited Miami unexpectedly. The thank you was especially heartfelt for Burke, who retired from her position as Coordinator of Miami Tribe Relations at the Myaamia Center — the heart of Miami’s relationship with the tribe. Though neither woman was born into the tribe, Burke and Powell were instrumental in growing the presence of Myaamia students at the university and in instituting the Myaamia Project in 2001, which would become the Myaamia Center twelve years later. Burke was working in the Office of Student Affairs in 1991 when Powell, the Vice President of Student Affairs at the time, began leading advances in university-tribe relations by bringing the first Myaamia student to campus. In the years following, Burke coordinated projects about the tribe and for the students, which led to her learning about the history and culture of the Myaamia and other Native American peoples, an interest that deepened the more she worked with the tribe. Powell retired in 2002, and Burke continued to grow more invested in the university and tribe’s relationship. In 1994, she became the Coordinator of Miami Tribe Relations, the title she held until her retirement at the beginning of 2020.
KARA STRASS (LEFT) AND BOBBE BURKE (RIGHT) ATTENDED THE MIAMI TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA'S ANNUAL WINTER GATHERING. NEWS EDITOR JULIA ARWINE
“It’s been a wonderful educational trip for me,” Burke said. “I don’t think I could have told you one significant thing that happened to American Indians when I first started this.” Burke has witnessed firsthand how the Myaamia Center has grown and strengthened,
especially in bringing Myaamia students together. They don’t just show up to their Myaamia classes; they socialize and form friendships, and many come to the Winter Gathering, an event that brings members of the tribe together in Miami, Oklahoma each January.
After working closely with tribe members at the Myaamia Center like Daryl Baldwin and George Ironstrack and attending the Winter
NEWS
CULTURE
SPORTS
OPINION
Black Hair Magic:
Losing your heroes hurts:
Champ!
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
This Issue
a deep dive into protective styles page 5
MU students reflect page 6
Heartbreak
Miami football player watches dad win SuperBowl
Oldest daughters know what it's like
page 10
page 12
This Week
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HEALTH OFFICIALS CONFIRM:
NO CORONAVIRUS AT MIAMI FROM FRONT
made them ill, we’re not really sure — some other virus.” Bailer declined to disclose any information regarding the identities of the students. Both Bailer and Acton received the test results from the CDC just hours before Sunday’s press conference. Many students speculated on what would have happened had the cases been confirmed. “[I heard people] saying the city of Oxford would be in a little bubble on lockdown and people wouldn’t be able to go Uptown and everything, first-year Ashley Hess said. “It’s kind of intimidating because then you’re worried about your classes and what would happen if you’re not going in person and taking it all online. So I’m relieved, to say the least.” Other students weren’t too concerned by the possible cases. “I wasn’t necessarily too worried in the first place because it’s like a less-bad flu, pretty much,” Bobby Maris, a first-year games and simulation major said.
NEWS 3
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020
Dylan Hoy, a first-year interactive media studies major, said his family was more troubled than he was. “They called me a couple of times, and a couple of friends off-campus contacted me, like ‘Oh we heard about the coronavirus, how bad is it?’” Hoy said. “I told them it just wasn’t that bad.” Campus events, including the Confucius Institute Lunar New Year celebration and the men’s and women’s basketball games against Central and Western Michigan, were canceled last week. The women’s game has been rescheduled for Feb. 4, and the men’s game has been scheduled for Feb. 27. Acton and Bailer emphasized that there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus nor any patients under investigation at Miami, in Oxford or in Ohio. “Go out, do your thing, watch some football, wash your hands, and be kind to one another,” Bailer said. @miamistudent eic@miamistudent.net
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
To Our Neighbors – International Students at Miami University We believe that life is a gift freely given to every person in every nation. With the recent news of the coronavirus grabbing headlines around the world, we are reminded that good health is also a gift. Our hearts break at the fear and anxiety caused by the uncertainty around how little we know about this disease. We care for all whose lives have been touched by this disease – particularly family members and loved ones directly impacted. We believe that your presence is a gift. We welcome you and look forward to the ways you will enhance our community this semester, whether you are a new or returning student. We admire and praise your courage to study far from your first home. We seek to learn from you and share our hospitality with you. We stand in solidarity with you during this time of
Myaamia Center sees change in leadership FROM FRONT
was even made an honorary member. Burke said she’s grounded by the students and hopes to maintain connections with them in the future. “I hope and feel that I will always be welcome here,” she said. Kara Strass, the former Miami Tribe assistant at the Myaamia Center, is replacing Burke with a slightly amended title: director of Miami Tribe relations. This means the Myaamia Center’s executive team is now fully composed of members of the Miami Tribe. Strass grew up near Fort Wayne, Indiana, where many myaamiaki, Myaamia people, live. The capital of the Myaamia Na-
tion before removal, it is the second-largest population center of the tribe besides Miami, Oklahoma, the current capital. Her family has always been deeply involved with the tribe, and she has worked at the Myaamia Center since 2015, while studying as a graduate student at the university. To Strass, some of the Myaamia students she works with are family — literally. “I’m related to students,” she said. “That [relationship] is unique.” Being a part of the tribe gives Strass an entirely different perspective on her position. She puts a greater focus on the cultural aspects of the tribe and can relate to the Myaamia students differently than Burke. Burke helped establish relationships
“It’s a job that’s both personally and professionally fulfilling.” -Kara Strass
between the tribe and the university in areas like student affairs and athletics. Strass hopes to extend those relationships until every student who comes to Miami knows about the tribe and how it is connected to the university. From the tribe’s perspective, Strass hopes to increase opportunities for the Myaamia students to practice their culture, like ribbonwork and traditional stomp dancing. “It’s a job that’s both personally and professionally fulfilling,” she said. Burke’s breadth of institutional knowledge is something Strass admires about her former boss and hopes to emulate. Burke worked with Strass for several years at the Myaamia Center and is happy to see her take on such an important role, even as she reflects, nostalgically, about stepping down. “It’s hard because I’ve always been a worker,” Burke said, “but I am definitely not worried … I can’t say enough about how lucky the Miami Tribe is that [Strass is] interested in doing this work.” As Strass helps take the Myaamia Center into the future, she has plans to more fully weave the relationship with the Miami Tribe into the fabric of Miami University. “We’re a small department with big goals,” Strass said. @ArwineJulia arwinejk@miamioh.edu
fear and anxiety swirling around a little-known disease. Thank you for choosing to study at Miami University. Thank you for joining us to live in this community. We invite you to consider Oxford your home as well. Pastor Lawrence Bartel, Oxford Presbyterian Church Pastor Marc van Bulck, Oxford Presbyterian Church Rector Sara Palmer, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Pastor Logan Dysart, Faith Lutheran Church Pastor Caleb Henry, Oxford United Methodist Church Marcy Miller, Executive Director, Hillel at Miami Fr. Jeff Silver, St. Mary Church & Catholic Campus Ministry
Suspended professor reinstated FROM FRONT
“It was a compromise on both sides,” he said. “It was a legal settlement.” Gladish also received a Presidential Letter of Reprimand, a formal censure signed by President Greg Crawford that will be permanently added to Gladish’s personnel file. “As a Schedule I controlled substance, the Iboga plant cannot be possessed or researched without obtaining the required permits and licenses,” Crawford wrote in the letter. Gladish, who did not have the proper documentation to possess or study the plant, was in direct violation of this rule. The university acknowledged no research was ever performed on the Iboga plant by Gladish or any other person, said Claire Wagner. Gladish was also reprimanded for not restricting access to the Iboga tree, which allowed a student last year to take an Iboga seedling home, who allegedly claimed they would use it to get high. “Your policy and practice of permitting student workers to access seedlings of plants fails to adequately address the risk to those students or others who come into contact with plants containing dangerous substances,” Crawford wrote. Gladish said AAUP was very supportive and helpful to him throughout the process and expressed gratitude to them. “I am very happy to be able to return to doing what I thought was my calling in life,” Gladish said. “I am very thankful for that and happy that that was the outcome.” @ArwineJulia arwinejk@miamioh.edu
University Senate votes to modify cap on teaching, clinical professors, lecturers MADELINE PHABY STAFF WRITER
University Senate approved a resolution to modify the cap on the number of teaching, clinical professors and lecturers (TCPLs) across all academic divisions at its meeting on Jan. 27. Currently, the Miami University Policy and Information Manual (MUPIM) section 7.11 states that “Lecturers and Teaching faculty may not exceed 25 percent of the total number of full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty.” The new resolution discards this university-wide cap in favor of different caps for each academic division. The new caps are: • College of Arts and Science (CAS): 25.0 percent • College of Creative Arts (CCA): 25.0 percent • College of Education, Health and Society (EHS): 35.0 percent • College of Engineering and Computing (CEC): 25.0 percent • Farmer School of Business (FSB): 25.0 percent • College of Liberal Arts and Applied Science (CLAAS): 30.0 percent The revision also features a clause requiring senate approval to change these caps. This section wasn’t originally included, and many senators were concerned divisional deans could change the established caps without consulting faculty. Scott Kenworthy, associate professor of comparative religion, discussed the possibility of divisions raising the TCPL caps because TCPL faculty are much less expensive to hire than tenure/tenure track faculty. “There’s been many cases where a department asks for tenure/tenure track ... but was told ‘no, we don’t have the money for that, but you can have a TCPL,’” Kenworthy said. “These people have exactly the same training as I do and teach the same range of courses, but they get paid less to teach more and have no job security.” Cathy Wagner, president of Miami’s Amer-
MIAMI AAUP PRESIDENT CATHY WAGNER ENCOURAGED SENATORS TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS WITH THE POTENTIAL POLICY CHANGE. STAFF WRITER MADELINE PHABY
ican Association of University Professors advocacy chapter, spoke at the outset of the meeting. She encouraged senators to further amend the policy so that faculty — not just deans — have a say in departmental composition. “If this resolution passes, faculty will no longer have real input into faculty composition decisions,” Wagner said. “The question for you is whether this is what you want.” Despite the issues raised by several people,
other senators disagreed with their concerns and wanted to vote on the resolution as it stood. Chip Hahn, associate clinical professor of speech pathology and audiology, eventually requested senate wrap-up discussions and vote. “We can circle the airport for days; eventually the fuel’s gonna be burned, and we’re gonna crash,” Hahn said. “We keep doing the same thing over and over and expect a differ-
ent outcome.” Thomas Poetter, chair and professor of educational leadership, requested an amendment to the resolution mandating senate to approve any changes to the caps. The amendment was added, and senate passed the resolution with two nays and three abstentions. It will now be sent to the Board of Trustees for final approval. phabymr@miamioh.edu
4 NEWS
BERRYRD@MIAMIOH.EDU
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020
MIAMI STUDENTS JUMP INTO 2020 DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY campus team along with two other members. Finfrock said he chose Warren after learning they shared many of the same political views. “When I see a candidate as good as Elizabeth, who I agree with [on] almost everything,” Kravitz said, “that is a candidate I want to fight for because I know she’s fighting for me.” Sophomore Zach Resatar is a self-proclaimed “digital captain” and “hype team” member for Pete
“It’s not just enough to vote in my eyes.”
again, she decided to continue her support for him by volunteering. “It benefits me in my classes, especially my political science classes,” Blake said. “I think I’m more knowledgeable about certain topics that we’ll discuss.” Blake said she thinks between students’ academics and their social lives, they don’t have time to focus on political campaigns as much. Finfrock believes people are disconnected from politics. “I just think that young people look at politics and don’t see themselves reflected in it because it’s very old,” Finfrock said. “There’s a lot of older people in it. And so, you need young people who can energize the young base.”
Kravitz said he believes this sentiment among young people is changing, as he sees more youth becoming involved in activist movements, supporting gun reform and climate change awareness. While Finfrock, Kravitz, Resatar and Blake all support their respective candidates, they said they would support whoever received the Democratic Party’s nomination. “I don’t want to get to November and feel like I could have done more,” Finfrock said. bammeraj@miamioh.edu
- Zach Resatar
BEN FINFROCK AND SHELBY FRYE ARE WORKING ON DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGNS. STAFF WRITER ABBY BAMMERLIN
ABBY BAMMERLIN STAFF WRITER
Phones rang non-stop inside one of the Armstrong Student Center’s many study rooms. Students waited for the inevitable “hello” and began reading off the script in front of them. As the call came to a close, the Elizabeth Warren campaign supporters marked whether they had the constituent’s support in the upcoming primaries. On Feb. 1, Miami University junior Ben Finfrock and first-year Ja-
cob Kravitz led a team of Elizabeth Warren supporters during one of the team’s phone banks. As of Jan. 31, there were 11 Democrats still in the running for the primary with the hopes of challenging incumbent Donald Trump in the presidential election. Given that the Ohio primaries are only a few weeks away, many Miami students, like Finfrock and Kravitz, decided to take a more active role in campaigning for their candidates. Finfrock and Kravitz are both a part of Elizabeth Warren’s Miami
Buttigieg’s campaign. In these roles, he shares breaking news about the campaign on social media. “It’s not just enough to vote in my eyes,” Resatar, a political science major, said. “I feel like it’s almost my duty to let other people know what this campaign is all about.” Zoe Blake, a sophomore political science major, is volunteering for Bernie Sanders’ campaign. She said she’s helping organize phone banks and “friend to friend” campaigns, which Blake will use to recruit others to volunteer on the campaign. Blake said she has volunteered on other local campaigns, but after learning Sanders was running
Layoffs mirror Miami’s reaction to 2008 recession RACHEL BERRY NEWS EDITOR
Almost two weeks ago, Miami University announced the elimination of 39 staff positions across all campuses due to budget reallocations. This isn’t the first time measures like this have been taken. Following the stock market crash in September 2008, Miami announced a plan to cut $16 million across all divisions, asking each division to devise its own plan to cut costs. As a way to reduce spending, the university put a hiring freeze on staff positions and reduced the amount of searches to fill open faculty positions. In February 2009, Miami began the first in a series of staff position eliminations, as University President David Hodge emailed staff members that 64 positions would be eliminated. This included 10 employees of Miami’s former public radio station, WMUB. The station contracted out to Cincinnati Public Radio as a way to cut back on expenses during the budget cuts. In October 2009, 33 additional positions were eliminated. In the early 2010s, the university went through more rounds of employee lay-offs following low enrollment in the first-year class and budget cuts from the state. During these budget cuts, Hodge held forums to discuss the university’s financial situation. In total, the university saved $64.5 million from budget reductions and a lack of salary increases, said David Creamer, senior vice president for finance and business services, who started at Miami in June 2008. In total, the university had 420 less employees in 2011 than in 2008. This includes layoffs, retirements and those leaving the university for other reasons. The majority of the positions cut from 2009-2011 were never re-filled. The university has around 300 fewer employees now compared to 2008. “In my opinion, Miami responded very well to the Great Recession,” economics professor Mike Curme wrote in an email to The Miami Student. “Tough decisions were made in a timely fashion and in a manner considerate of our mission.” Although Miami spent years cutting the budget after the stock market crash, Creamer thinks the university is in a better place financially. “I think we’ve recovered well,” Creamer said. “We’ve developed ways for how we manage things … I think given the growth and demand for our programs, the things that we were able to do to enhance services for students suggests that we made many good choices.” Creamer said the university doesn’t really think back to the recession in terms of finances, but rather focuses on
preparing for the future. Carolyn Hardin, an American studies and media and culture professor who researches the economy, agreed with this sentiment and said Miami is doing well financially compared to other universities. This fall, Miami welcomed its largest first-year class ever of 4300 students. This isn’t true of all universities, though. According to Forbes, in 2019 postsecondary enrollments decreased by 1.3 percent, a trend that has been continuing for the last decade. “Miami has to face that reality,” Hardin said, referring to the state of higher education. “We’re in a higher education recession right now.” Moody’s Investor’s Service, a site that ranks colleges based on economic outlook, labeled Miami as “stable” in 2019, the second-highest rating a university can earn. Creamer said one difference between Miami’s economic planning now and a decade ago is that the university currently creates budget plans for five or 10 years in the future, trying to anticipate changes before they occur. Previously, the university only planned one or two years in advance. It’s impossible to fully predict the future, though, which leads to changes in the plan — like the current acceleration of budget cuts. “[The plan is] going to change; that’s the only thing that I can guarantee,” Creamer said. “When you try to estimate the future, you have to accept the fact that you’re going to be wrong.” The university originally hoped to avoid layoffs and to eliminate positions through attrition, meaning not filling positions opened up through employees resigning, retiring or leaving the university. However, Miami currently faces budgetary challenges due to the lower number of students graduating high school and the drop in applications of international students from China, Creamer said. This resulted in the elimination of 137 total staff positions, including 39 layoffs and 98 positions opened through attrition. Creamer said whenever a position opens through a resignation or retirement, the university evaluates whether it needs to fill that position. The 39 employees whose positions are being eliminated will serve in their current roles until July 1. Looking to the future, Creamer said Miami will make decisions based on how large and drastic of a budgetary impact the university is facing. He said the university would evaluate its options at that time but didn’t say that future layoffs are out of the question. @racheldberry berryrd@miamioh.edu
The anti-drinking culture: PROHIBITION IN OXFORD
PHOTO FROM 1921 RECENSIO
MADELINE PHABY STAFF WRITER
Miami University, widely known for its legendary bar scene and rampant drinking culture, was once an anti-alcohol stronghold. The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited the “manufacture, sale or transportation of intoxicating liquors,” was ratified on Jan. 16, 1919 and went into effect on Jan. 17, 1920 — a little over 100 years ago. Oxford residents fought for prohibition long before this, though. The Women’s Temperance Crusade, which was founded in New York in 1873, became extremely influential in several small towns across Ohio — including Oxford. Though the Temperance Crusade was short-lived, support for prohibition in Oxford remained alive. David
the anti-alcohol sentiment among Oxford residents, according to Fahey’s book, “The Women’s Temperance Crusade in Oxford, Ohio.” While the 18th Amendment outlawed alcohol on a national level, many state and local governments instituted their own prohibition laws prior to 1920. Oxford City Council enacted two such laws: one from 1888 to 1891 and another that began in 1905 and continued until 1933, when national prohibition ended. Ohio’s own prohibition law, which resulted from a 1918 referendum, took effect in 1919. The measure was fervently supported by then-Miami University president Raymond Hughes, who wrote a letter encouraging Ohio governor James Cox to openly support the referendum, claiming that catering to the temperance movement would guarantee his reelection.
“Since drinking at bars wasn’t an option, Miami students had to find a different way to party during Prohibition.” Fahey, professor emeritus of history, wrote that few small-town temperance movements are as well-documented as Oxford’s. Between the 1880s and 1900s, there were many robberies, stabbings and shootings at local saloons, and the violence only strengthened
Since drinking at bars wasn’t an option, Miami students had to find a different way to party during Prohibition. One of the largest social events of the 1920s was the junior prom, which was held in Herron Gymnasium (now Phillips Hall) every January. Grainy photos in Recensio
yearbooks from that decade show hundreds of students dancing and mingling in their elegant dresses and suits. Though these gatherings were evidently tamer than a night at Brick Street, the 1921 edition of “Recensio” claims that year’s prom raged on until 2:30 a.m. “Recensio” doesn’t contain any photographic evidence of illegal drinking at parties, but the 1926 edition drops subtle hints that it did happen. The last few pages of the book list humorous descriptions of each fraternity and sorority, and several contain references to drinking. The brothers of Delta Tau Delta are referred to as “screaming inebriates,” while the brothers of Sigma Chi supposedly “g[a]ve good parties where everyone has a good time, staggers home and wakes up in the morning with a headache and a taste in their mouth like a dark brown horse.” The 21st amendment, ratified in 1933, repealed prohibition. However, individual states and cities were free to enact their own alcohol-related laws. In Oxford, only beer containing 3.2 percent or less alcohol-by-volume was legal to sell and manufacture. This remained true until 1979, when a local referendum allowing the sale and consumption of all classes of alcohol was passed. Restrictions on alcohol sales weren’t fully lifted until 1980, when another referendum permitting the sale of liquor on Sunday was passed, and it wasn’t long before Oxford became what it is today. phabymr@miamioh.edu
GLYNNEE@MIAMIOH.EDU
NEWS 5
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020
‘Did you get a haircut?’
and other thoughts about black hair
SARA BEY
STAFF WRITER How many times did the black girl in your class switch up her hairstyle last semester? Isn’t it crazy how it was down her back on Friday, but then she came back on Monday with it shoulder length? What’s that all about? Maybe you decided to compliment her on her drastic haircut, and she froze before she decided how to respond. Or maybe you asked how her hair grew out so long, and she stared at you for a long time. Or, maybe she even said hi to you, and it took a while for you to register that it was her because her hair looked different from the last time you saw her. For black women who frequently change their hairstyles, these situations happen all too often. It happened to senior statistics major Alison Tuiyott recently when she came to class wearing long faux locs after previously wearing her hair naturally. “[A classmate] comes over and is like, ‘That’s so interesting, how did your hair grow over the weekend?’” Tuiyott said. “I was gonna say something honest, but since everyone [is lis-
tening], let me just make a joke, ‘cause it’s like, surely this man will get it.” “So I said, ‘I took all the hair from my body, and I braided them and put them into locs, then I put them on my head.’” The classmate who questioned Tuiyott didn’t know if she was joking and didn’t laugh, Tuiyott explained. “He was like, ‘Huh — for some reason, I don’t know if you’re telling me the truth or not.’” Because Tuiyott answers these sorts of questions often, she said she’s come up with different responses. “Oh, I just don’t care anymore. [Sometimes I just] tell people to look up key terms. It saves a lot of time.” Black women wear their hair in many different ways. “Protective styles” is the overarching term for hairstyles that are “low manipulation,” or styles that you can leave alone for one to six weeks after installation. Some examples of these include cornrows, box braids and wigs. “[Protective styles] allow your hair to grow and retain moisture,” said junior kinesiology major Taylor Wright. “They’re less damaging [than doing your hair everyday], so these styles are meant to help.” Having go-to answers can save a lot of embarrassment and awkward
ILLUSTRATIONS BY CONNOR WELLS
situations for black women. Sophomore psychology and pre-medical studies major Dornu Biragbara knows what it’s like. “I don’t change [my hair] that often, but when I do, it comes off as a shock to other people,” she said. One Monday last November, she went to her McCullough-Hyde volunteer program as usual, but instead of wearing her normal wig, she wore her natural hair in a top bun. “The nurses didn’t recognize me, [asking me] ‘What’s your name? Are you a new volunteer?’” she said. “No, I’ve been working here for two months!” When white people do recognize her and compliment her hair, Biragbara said it’s not all bad. “It’s positive, mostly. It’s just annoying when I get the ‘I didn’t even recognize you!’ or when you start touching on it or asking too many questions,” she said.
Sophomore speech pathology and audiology major Kaleigh Hollyday said that, as a white person, it’s sometimes difficult to figure out how to properly compliment a black classmate’s hair. “I think a lot of times with ‘politically correct’ things I’m trying to be good, and I just end up being offensive,” Hollyday said. “I don’t want to offend anyone when I’m trying to give a compliment.” “Every time I go to do it, I’m like, ‘is it okay to compliment on that?’ I always get stressed about it, so I usually refrain,” she added. But Wright said she doesn’t get offended by comments if they come from a place of genuine interest. “Questions aren’t racist if they truly don’t know [about black hair],” she said. “Confusion can be eliminated if you just inform people.” Because Wright’s hair is so long, she said a lot of people ask her if her hair is real or a wig. “I’ll answer questions and tell people why and how I grew out my hair.” For people like Hollyday, who grew up in predominantly white communities, asking questions about different black hairstyles is another type of education they have received at Miami.
“There was legit no ethnic diversity in my town whatsoever, so when I got here, I was really unaware of all the differences,” she said. “Sponging was new, the difference between a wig and a weave, everything was new but really interesting.” The reason why black women change their hairstyles so frequently is different for everyone. “Every three weeks I get a brand new feel. It’s a new me,” Tuiyott said. “Even with wigs and stuff, I like to play with new personalities. I get to have fun and be myself in all sorts of ways.” Biragbara agreed, adding that different styles offer different benefits to black hair. “It helps your hair grow,” she said. “Also, because it’s [winter], we need more hydration to maintain length and thickness in the winter.” “It is a full-time job,” Wright added. “It requires 10 times more maintenance than straight, non-kinky hair.”
“We like to be a different person every week. We have that choice. ” - Dornu Biragbara Hollyday said she has noticed a cultural shift in how other races view black hair. “There’s definitely a shift right now in terms of appreciating how beautiful black hair can be in its own right,” she said, “without changing to be more like white hair.” “[We wear these styles] not to assimilate, necessarily; it’s just because it’s easier for us,” Biragbara said. “And we like it; we like to be a different person every week. We have that choice.”
STAFF WRITER
Thirteen Miami University seniors and three alumni have been named semifinalists for the 2020-2021 Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant competition. This is the most semifinalists the university has ever had named in a single year. Every year, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, the largest U.S. exchange program, offers research, study and teaching opportunities in over 140 countries to college graduates. “I think from my perspective, being able to work with these students has been such a tremendous pleasure,” Karla Guinigundo, director for Miami Global Initiatives and Fulbright program ambasador, said. Fullbright also offers International Education Administrators (IEA) seminars grants to educational professionals to help expose them to different education systems and to assist senior level administrators initiate partnerships and collaborate on a global scale. Cathy Bishop-Clark, an associate provost and dean of Miami Regional’s College of Liberal Arts and Applied Sciences, and Cheryl D. Young, assistant provost for Miami Global Initiatives and continuing education, received IEA
seminars grants. Miami had 29 total applicants to 20 different countries this academic year. The semifinalists are: • Johanna Alexander, a psychology major with an East Asian studies minor, applying to be an English teaching assistant in South Korea. • Elena Arduin, a public health and premedical studies double major with a community-based leadership minor, applying to be an English teaching assistant in Taiwan.
assistant in Russia. • Madeline Marshall, a strategic communication and political science double major with a community-based leadership minor, applying to be an English teaching assistant in South Korea. • Elizabeth Martin, an integrated English language arts education major with an English literature minor, applying to be an English teaching assistant in South Korea.
• Avery Comar, a history and Russian, East European and Eurasian studies double major, applying to be an English teaching assistant in Russia.
• Natalie Mullen, an international studies and global & intercultural studies double major with Arabic and German minors, applying to be an English teaching assistant in Malaysia.
• Peter Fortunato, an international studies major with statistics, geography and Spanish minors, applying for an open study/research award in Spain.
• Sophia Pauken, an international studies major with Arabic and German minors, applying to be an English teaching assistant in Jordan.
• Sarah Frick, a quantitative economics major with Japanese and statistics minors, applying for an open study/research award in Japan.
• Rachel Pieratt, an international studies and Spanish double major with Latin American studies and political science minors, applying to be an English teaching assistant in Peru.
• August Hagemann, an economics and Russian, East European and Eurasian studies double major, applying to be an English teaching
• Katherine Rogers, a German and history double major with a French minor, applying to be an English teaching assistant in Germany.
SKYLER PERRY STAFF WRITER
Miami University’s Associated Student Government (ASG) is out for blood. ASG is co-sponsoring their first blood drive from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 11 in Armstrong Pavilion A/B. The blood collected during the drive will go to benefit 23 different partnering hospitals and health centers including McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital, Dayton Children’s Hospital and Fort Hamilton Hospital. The blood donated will service 15 counties in total. Annika Fowler, ASG’s chief of staff, donated for the first time last semester. “I think it is a great service event that, if you are willing and able to do, it’s a great way to give back and support those in need,” she said. “It’s pretty convenient when drives are set up on campus.” The whole donation process normally takes less than an hour. Donors will also receive a free “Donor Strong” long sleeve T-shirt upon completion. Those looking to donate should register at www.donortime.com using sponsor code #963. It is also recommended by The Community Blood Center that on the day of donation donors dress comfortably, drink plenty of water, bring a list of any current medications and have a form of ID. There are a variety of things that may prevent donors from giving blood including if they have donated in the last 56 days. Those hoping to donate should visit The Community Blood Center’s official website for more information about screening requirements. @skylerlperry wperrysl2@ miamioh.edu
@sara_bey beysc@miamioh.edu
Miami students, alumni and faculty selected as Fulbright semifinalists DAN WOZNIAK
ASG TO HOLD BLOOD DRIVE
• Hana Vera, an international studies, Latin American studies and premedical studies triple major with a Spanish minor, applying to be an English teaching assistant in Mexico. • Nicole Anselmo, who graduated in 2019 as an international studies major, applying to be an English teaching assistant in Kazakhstan. • Camila Rodriguez, who graduated in 2019 as an integrated mathematics education and mathematics double major, applying to be an English teaching assistant in Spain. • Julia Zorc, who graduated in 2019 as a creative writing and interactive media studies double major with a history minor, applying to be an English teaching assistant in South Korea. The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board looks for students that have demonstrated interest in cultural exchange, have strong academic records and teaching or tutoring experience, Guinigundo said. Six out of the 14 Miami students selected as semifinalists for the 20192020 Fulbright U.S. Student competition received grants. Vera initially heard about the Fulbright scholarship through a friend. If
selected, she would spend nine months teaching and volunteering in Mexico. “I chose Mexico because I am very interested in the historical, political and social connections that the U.S. and Mexico share,” Vera said. “On a more personal note, I [also] have a lot of family that live in Mexico that I have never met and would love to learn more about their culture and my paternal roots.” Bishop-Clark will travel to India in March, and Young will travel to Taiwan in April to make use of the IEA grants they received last month. “I wanted to do this on behalf of Miami,” Young said. “I think there are some missed opportunities in the fact that we haven’t engaged much with Taiwan.” Miami had 14 students from Taiwan enrolled last year and has had three Miami students study abroad in Taiwan since 2011, Young said. During her three week stay in Taiwan, Young hopes to diversify Miami’s study abroad experiences, develop partnerships with Taiwanese academic institutions, cultivate research opportunities for faculty and students, and foster classroom-to-classroom connections for global understanding and learning through technology. Young was born in Oxford, and started her career at Miami 36 years ago. “I’ve lived in other places, but I deliberately chose to come back to Oxford,” Young said. “Oxford is my home town, and I love it here, and I love Miami University.” @dan_wozniak wozniad2@miamioh.edu
6
SPECIAL REPORT: CORONAVIRUS
DOYLECA3@MIAMIOH.EDU
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020
Arizona State University
Baylor University
CONFIRMED
Tennessee Tech University
Miami University
Wesleyan University
FALSE ALARMS DESIGN EDITOR CONNOR WELLS
OXFORD STORES OUT OF MASKS, DISINFECTANTS RACHEL BERRY NEWS EDITOR
Cold medicine, bandages and cremes line the shelves in the pharmacy section of Walmart, but one row remains empty. Where the masks usually reside sits a taped sign: “We do not have any face masks. Sorry for the inconvenience!” An identical bright orange message is posted on the pharmacy window. Heather Louden, Walmart’s frontend team lead, said the store has been out of medical and hardware masks since Saturday, Jan. 25. Small hand sanitizer bottles have been sold out since Sunday, and the store is running low on Clorox wipes, disinfectant and isopropyl alcohol. “It’s not something that we’ve ever really run dangerously low on,” Louden said. Louden said she doesn’t know when the store will be able to restock these items. The norm would be two weeks, but it might be up to three or four weeks
until they are able to reshelve large amounts of masks and hand sanitizer bottles. Walmart wasn’t expecting to sell out of these items, and Louden doesn’t want to make any promises as to when they’ll be back in stock, especially because their local supplier is low, as well, due to high demand in the area. She isn’t sure why they sold out of these items before the coronavirus threat emerged but noted it is flu season, and many Miami University students returned to campus last week. ACE Hardware sold out of masks last Tuesday, about six hours after the announcement that two Miami students were being tested for the coronavirus, said Vincent Smith, merchandiser lead. Either late Wednesday night or early Thursday, a staff member had to drive to an Indiana warehouse to restock their supply because the local warehouse was out of stock, Smith added. The shelves of the CVS on Spring Street and South College Avenue, where masks are usually sold, were also empty
on Sunday night. The manager said he couldn’t comment about a potential increase in sales. Kroger store manager Lauren White said they still have masks, hand sanitizer and other illness-related items in-stock, although they have noticed an increase in sales of such items in recent days. Despite all the fears about the coronavirus, the CDC doesn’t recommend wearing masks. “While limited person-to-person spread among close contacts has been detected, this virus is not currently spreading in the community in the United States,” its website says. According to The Washington Post, a typical disposable mask won’t protect against any type of virus but is more effective for those who are already sick to prevent the spread of the disease to others. @racheldberry berryrd@miamioh.edu
How did Miami handle suspected cases of the coronavirus? Dean of Students discusses CEILI DOYLE HANNAH HORSINGTON THE MIAMI STUDENT
A week before students returned to campus, Miami University’s Institutional Response Team began to formulate plans with the Butler County Health District and Ohio Department of Health in case of a possible outbreak of the coronavirus. Miami has plans for a number of different worst-case scenarios. Pandemics? Active shooter drills? Global viruses? Check, check, check. So when two students walked into Student Health Services on Monday, Jan. 27 experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus, the university responded swiftly. “My job is to make sure when an unexpected circumstance happens the students have support,” Dean of Student Kimberly Moore said. Moore, a member of Miami’s Institutional Response Team, considers herself an advocate for students above all else, and helped coordinate with Butler County and the state health department to provide daily communication to the two isolated students: phone calls, emails and visits to drop off any needed items. Miami’s Dining Services delivered meals to the two students and a primary contact from the university — specifically from the Dean of Students’ office — regularly visited the students along with a representative from the Butler County Health District. Moore explained that Miami works
plans, addresses xenophobia
lock step with the Ohio Department of Health and Butler County Health District who take their guidance from the CDC. The university works with these organizations to gain information about potential dangers and formulate action plans. Jennifer Bailer, the health commissioner for Butler County Health District, spoke during a press conference on Sunday and confirmed the university, county and state were prepared. “A system was put in place a few weeks ago as the coronavirus ramped up in China, and we knew that travelers would be returning here,” Bailer said. And if the test results had come back positive? “We were ready,” Moore said. “We had plans. We were ready with this particular virus if it came back positive.” But the dean of students was unable to share details of the university’s plan, she said, because the next time there is a potential outbreak of disease these plans will change. “We can’t have something in black and white that holds us accountable to a plan that was designed in the context of this circumstance,” Moore said. “We have to have room for us to be able to respond accordingly to the facts of any particular incident.” Moore stressed the university followed the guidelines given to them from the county, state and CDC to allow for the best practices. The university also condemned racist behavior on campus. University President Greg Crawford
addressed concerns during Sunday’s press conference, explaining that in Miami’s communications to the community he asked for compassion and empathy. “At a time like this, when you’re facing challenges, the best comes out in people,” Crawford said. “All around this campus, I really saw love and honor showing through in these challenging times.” But there have been several instances of racism targeted toward Chinese students at Miami on social media in the past week, including in the Miami University Parents and Family Members private Facebook group. Moore often spoke to parents whose worried calls to the Dean of Students’ office about the virus bordered on xenophobic remarks. “Fear is a dangerous thing,” she said. “If we remember humanity in each other and use empathy and apply empathy then we are less likely to have fear get the best of our actions.” There was one coronavirus-related incident, involving a student, directly reported to Moore’s office, but the number of bias incident reports has not spiked in the past week. Moore urged students to set an example for the rest of the university and community and to lead by example. “If you value inclusion, live it.” horsinhp@miamioh.edu @cadoyle_18 doyleca3@miamioh.edu
The college campuses with suspected cases of coronavirus as of Jan. 31, according to The New York Times.
A ‘thousand miles away’:
International students react to the virus infecting their hometown CAROLINE HAUBENSTRICKER STAFF WRITER
As Shaoyang Zhou walked through Armstrong Student Center to class last Tuesday, he knew people were watching him. Some stopped and stared, but this was exactly the reaction he was hoping for. Zhou purchased a hazmat suit, and on Tuesday, Jan. 28, he decided to wear it around campus to raise awareness for the 2019 novel coronavirus itself and the devastating impact it has had in his community in Wuhan. Zhou is a senior at Miami University majoring in economics. He was born and raised in Wuhan, the origin of the outbreak. He stayed in Oxford over winter break but tries to stay in constant connection with his family. Zhou said there was a case of coronavirus near his parents’ home and that hospitals in Wuhan are under intense pressure. Far from home, Zhou decided to take measures into his own hands to protect himself. He first went looking for a surgical mask, but since those were out of stock, a gas mask was his second option. “I am [a] thousand miles away [from home], and I feel bad for the fact that there seems to be nothing I can do,” Zhou said. “I wish people [would] know that things are bad back in Wuhan. People are suffering, [and] I wish people can pray for Wuhan, cheer the city up.” “My family is the thing that I worry about the most,” Zhou said. “I keep telling them ‘don’t go out’ every single day, just for the 1 percent
chance [they] get infected.” Zhou isn’t the only Miami student worried about family back home. Miami has around 70 students from Wuhan. Twelve students were unable to return for the spring semester due to the travel ban that prohibits people from leaving Wuhan, said Yuenan Jin Rodriguez, international student coordinator of Miami Global Initiatives. Wuhan has been on lockdown since Jan. 23, with bus and train services stopped and tunnels closed off, according to Business Insider. “We are working with a handful of [the students] to come back later in the semester,” Rodriguez. Students from Wuhan have been reaching out to Global Initiatives, specifically Molly Heidemann, the director of international student and scholar services, to continue their education at Miami. Global Initiatives has directed students to work with One Stop to ensure they are able to pay tuition for their Miami education because banks in Wuhan are closed due to the outbreak, Rodriquez said. After the news broke that two Miami students were being tested for the virus, Heideman sent an email to international students. “We know there have been a lot of concerns and fears regarding the coronavirus,” the email read. “I know it is very hard to be far from home during a situation like this. I hope that all your friends and family back home are safe and well.” @haubenstrickerc haubence@miamioh.edu
GORMANWM@MIAMIOH.EDU
ENTERTAINMENT
Dua Lipa may have said ‘Don’t Start Now,’ but I’m starting to love her anyway WILL GORMAN
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR When Dua Lipa took home the Grammy Award for Best New Artist last January, I was happy. When she released her comeback singles “Don’t Start Now” in November and “Future Nostalgia” in December, I was happy. And this past week, she dropped “Physical,” a jaw-droppingly good retro-pop banger with a beautiful accompanying music video. And I can’t stop listening. The song is phenomenal – it manages to harness the power of ‘80s pop whilst bringing Olivia Newton-John’s original lyric “let’s get physical” into a distinctly 2020 musical landscape. The music video displays a beautiful array of color, choreography and directorial creativity courtesy of Lope Serrano. I’m currently obsessed with this song. And regardless of whether or not I’m still addicted to its synth lines in a week, I can confirm that it’s really fucking good. And it’s jarring for me to say that so soon after the song’s release because I’ve never really considered myself to be a Dua Lipa superfan. I laugh along with Twitter memes that call her by the affectionate nickname “Dula Peep,” I’ve frequently joked that her name sounds like the language education app Duolingo and I didn’t really listen much to her self-titled debut album. I love pop music, but it’s never been my favorite genre. I listen to a lot of artists who’ll receive far fewer Spotify plays on their biggest hits than a little-known Dua deep cut, but I’m still going to advocate for her continued success going forward. Here’s why: she’s a fantastic example of a celebrity making a positive impact. The English singer-songwriter has rarely shied away from her Kosovo Albanian heritage – for starters, she’s a rare example of a celebrity with eastern European heritage in the western world who hasn’t adopted a stage name. Lipa started not only a foundation but a music festival dedicated to helping Kosovo prosper – that’s a level of advocacy I don’t see from most popular musicians. As a result, she was the first ever person to receive the keys to Pristina, Kosovo’s capital city. She even called on her fans to donate to relief funds in the wake of November 2019’s Albania earthquake. That’s a solid amount of advocacy already for someone whose mainstream breakthrough was less than three years ago. And it’s not necessarily a pop star’s responsibility to use their platform or their fame to advance social causes, either. It can be a tricky pitfall – Taylor Swift has been criticized for waiting until a full decade into her career to speak up about politics, but beforehand, she’d been slammed for staying quiet. Lipa’s only real “scandal” as of late has been her visit to a strip club following the Grammys at an afterparty hosted by Lizzo, but even that felt like a weak trip-up for her successful career. Supporting sex workers shouldn’t be a critiquable offense. So I’m all for celebrating the long-awaited arrival of “Don’t Start Now” in the top 10 of the
TIM CARLIN BRIAH LUMPKINS
ASST. NEWS EDITORS Assistant News Editors Tim Carlin and Briah Lumpkins discuss their thoughts while watching the Super Bowl LIV Pepsi Halftime Show. This conversation was edited for clarity.
LIPA’S SOPHOMORE ALBUM “FUTURE NOSTALGIA” WILL BE RELEASED ON APRIL 3. TWITTER @DUALIPA
Billboard Hot 100 this week. It’s a sign that Lipa is succeeding – she beat the dreaded “Best New Artist curse” and even came back to present the award at the 2020 Grammys last month. My Dua hype is now at an all-time high – listening to “Physical” for the first time produced such a reaction that I told my friends I’d be seeing that night that they’d have to listen to the song if they wanted me to hang out with them. And when “Don’t Start Now” was playing as I walked into Bar 1868 over the weekend, I basically had a mini-meltdown because no one was dancing. And I really, really wanted to dance. (Disclaimer: I still did, just a bit more subtly.) Point blank, she’s my favorite pop success story of the past five years. I love it when good people thrive. So while I wasn’t a Dua Lipa superfan before the “Future Nostalgia” album cycle began, I might be changing my tune from here on out.
“That’s a solid amount of advocacy for someone whose mainstream breakthrough was less than three years ago.”
@wllgrmn gormanwm@miamioh.edu
‘Miss Americana’ will endear, or at least explain, Taylor Swift to you COLUMNIST
“Miss Americana,” the new Taylor Swift documentary, made me feel guilty for going through a period in which I no longer liked Swift. I discovered her in 2010, and her second album helped me through a dramatic eighth-grade friendship breakup the following year. I was officially a fan, and so was nearly everyone else I knew, regardless of gender. Since entering the music scene in 2006 with a pop-country self-titled album, Swift has been, in theory, one of the least problematic celebrities of her magnitude ever. When she had the audacity to use the word “shit” on her 2017 album “reputation” and reference alcohol, she shocked fans everywhere with her sudden maturity — even though she was nearly 30 at the time. She’s donated hundreds of thousands of dollars (possibly millions) to libraries, schools, victims of natural disasters, fans’ college funds and other philanthropic causes. She’s one of the few artists (if not the only one) who I can enjoy and
A tale of a half-baked halftime show
SHAKIRA AND J. LO WERE SELECTED TO REFLECT THE CULTURE OF MIAMI, WHICH HOSTED SUPER BOWL LIV. TWITTER @SHAKIRA
“MISS AMERICANA” FIRST PREMIERED AT SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL AT THE END OF JANUARY. TWITTER @NETFLIXFILM
KIRBY DAVIS
7
sing along to with the kids I babysit. I’ve always felt that the most problematic things Swift has ever done were star in the film version of “Cats” and pretend to be from the South when she’s really from Reading, Pennsylvania, just an hour northwest of Philadelphia. But most people feel differently, as Lana Wilson’s documentary explores. Swift herself narrates how, at a certain point in her career, the world decided it was no longer impressed with her and subsequently launched a “TaylorSwiftIsOverParty” hashtag. This was after her final public feud with the Kardashian West clan, which had been years in the making. Remember when Kanye West interrupted Swift’s 2009 VMAs acceptance speech to praise Beyoncé? Neither one forgot the experience. “Miss Americana” offers an as-yet-unseen window into how Swift felt during those years in which she was effectively “cancelled,” beyond what she sung about in her revenge album “reputation.” She explains, exasperated, that it is “fucking impossible” to make all of her fans and critics
happy; they want her to speak about politics, but not too much, they want her to divulge details about her relationships but not be a slut, and they want her to grow up while continuing to cater to her younger fanbase. The documentary also sheds light on what was going on behind the scenes during Swift’s 2017 sexual assault case against a Denver DJ who groped her at a fan event and chronicles Swift’s journey to being a genuine feminist and outspoken liberal. “Miss Americana” showcases Swift’s personal growth since the beginning of her career, and its narrative offers a window into what it’s like to be a female celebrity — which entails all the horrific societal pressures of being a regular woman, but with all of them amplified. The film is insightful, fun and, at times, devastating. If it doesn’t endear Swift to you, it will certainly explain her. You can stream “Miss Americana” on Netflix. Rating: 4/5 stars @kirbdavis daviskn3@miamioh.edu
Tim: I think it was really smart that they started out with Shakira. Briah: Okay, can I say something? I don’t think either of them are singing. Shakira, she can probably do better than J. Lo as far as singing and dancing at the same time. J. Lo, I just don’t think possesses that talent. T: I definitely think their background tracks were turned up a couple notches. [Bad Bunny enters the stage] T: I could have done without the collaboration. I just think he did not sound good at all. He was definitely singing live — and he was out of breath! Also, not a fan of him wearing a durag. B: Yeah. That’s cultural appropriation. B: I think despite the great song choices [by Shakira], she had the opportunity to bring Beyoncé [on stage] and bring the house down. [J. Lo enters the stage] T: Right off the bat, I can see Beyoncé’s influence in this performance, and that’s not even from a subjective place. That’s from an objective place. This is Beyoncé’s outfit from her first solo Super Bowl performance. Do you agree? B: Um, I would have to say that I do. J. Lo’s career, if we want to go back that far, has been very much influenced by the black community. And it’s evident in a lot of her work. [J. Lo performs “Get Right”] B: This song, I will say, is actually good. Because I don’t like people around me. T: Is this one of the ones that Ashanti wrote? B: I’m not sure. T: Interesting. T: This entire Super Bowl performance was very … adequate. That’s the word I would use to describe the whole show. B: So you left feeling satisfied? Is that what you’re trying to say? T: I left feeling how I expected to feel. My expectations were low, and they were met. Mostly by Shakira. I think J. Lo’s “Hustlers” moment and the moment with her daughter were the highlights of her portion. B: You know, I don’t want people to read this and think we’re shitting on J. Lo because that’s not the point. J. Lo can dance! She’s a performer! T: She’s a performer, but she’s no one’s vocalist. You’re in the biggest arena of the year. Let me hear you belt, girl! B: Moral of the story is … just let Beyoncé do it. T: The moral of my story is not “just let Beyoncé do it,” but when you live in a world of Beyoncés, of Michael Jacksons, of Princes, and then this is what follows … I’m automatically going to be let down. B: I would love to know the process the committee goes through when selecting a Super Bowl halftime performer. It’s not like they just let any Joe Schmo on the street perform during the Super Bowl. There has to be a lot of thought that goes into it. And I feel like in recent years, I’ve seen a decline. T: My final thought is … step it up. Beautiful performance. Vocals? Questionable all around. Dancing? Amazing; top notch. It just wasn’t there vocally for me, and I need more in that department for a performance of this magnitude. B: I agree. I do. I think, very specifically, J. Lo’s vocals weren’t there for me. But at the same time, I don’t think they ever have been. But I love that they’re embracing a more diverse population, especially women. I hope that in the future there will be more women and more people of color on stage. T: I completely agree. I think if we take the vocals from Shakira’s section, the visual performance from J. Lo’s section, and put it all together in the end section, it’s the perfect Super Bowl performance. But sadly, that math doesn’t add up in real life, and we were left with fragments of a perfect show. B: I want a halftime show that makes me completely forget I’m watching a football game. Rating: 2.75/5 stars @timcarlin_ carlintm@miamioh.edu @briah_lumpkins lumpkibm@miamioh.edu
8 CULTURE
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020
HEADLEDD@MIAMIOH.EDU
The (Tik)Tok of the town REBECCA WOLFF
THE MIAMI STUDENT When you hear the phrase “TikTok,” does your mind immediately go to the 2009 hit single by pop star Ke$ha, or do you picture an endless stream of videos of young people across the world? If you are one of Lizzy Young’s 143.8k TikTok followers, you might say the latter. With more than 5.9 million likes on her videos, Miami University junior Lizzy Young has become something close to famous. When she first launched her account in December 2018, she had no idea that one of the first videos she would ever post would be the one to catapult her enormous following. “It got, like, 15,000 likes, and for someone with, like, no followers, it was just weird,” Young said. It might seem odd that a girl with
no followers could get thousands of likes and views on a random video, but the algorithm TikTok uses to promote users’ videos doesn’t always take a user’s following into consideration. Although there are a few theories of how the algorithm actually works, the Hypebot theory makes the most sense in Young’s case. Basically, TikTok’s system will push a user’s new video in a blend of popular ones so that they don’t see a string of bad videos in a row. Depending on how much of your video is watched and how many likes or shares it receives, it may end up getting promoted to thousands of other users. “It’s crazy how much it’s grown from last year and I just love how anyone can become big on the app,” Young said. “You don’t need an agent to discover you or anything.” Even though she currently has 5.9 million likes on her videos,
“It’s crazy how much it’s grown from last year and I just love how anyone can become big on the app.” - Lizzy Young
Young doesn’t consider herself a social media influencer. Young certainly has the following to make an impact, but she doesn’t plan to expand her “brand” any more than she already has, and wants to keep her TikTok and Instagram presences separate. Young also doesn’t take herself, or her channel, too seriously. This part of her personality also helps block out the haters — she rarely thinks of the negativity she receives in the comment section. “I don’t really care about the negative ones,” she said. “A lot of them are just annoying, and they’re funny cause it’s, like, people with no followers, so they’re not showing their face or anything.” It’s always a little plus to her when younger girls comment nice things and say they love her and her videos. And who doesn’t love a compliment or two? Some of her biggest fans and supporters are the brands she has worked with. Young has worked with Tinder as an ambassador, DIFF eyewear, BooHoo, Princess Polly and Hero Cosmetics. If you’re thinking of downloading the app and adding to its 500 million active users, the clock is TikTokin.’ wolffrg@miamioh.edu
DESPITE HER THOUSANDS OF FOLLOWERS, YOUNG DOESN’T LET THE FAME GO TO HER HEAD. CONTRIBUTED BY SARAH BROWN.
NOTES OF NOSTALGIA
Ode to a foggy first day of classes WILL GORMAN
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Aug. 29, 2016 was my fifth day on Miami’s campus after I’d first set foot on the red bricks and moved into Thomson Hall. My phone lit up, abuzz with my alarm at 7:00 a.m. I’d been using a “sleep clock” app that a Buzzfeed listicle called a “college essential.” I’d read an array of similar posts to help me develop some sense of preparation for my first-ever undergraduate courses. The alarm ended up being helpful – it woke me up at seemingly the perfect time. I was concerned about my wake-up time, of course, because while I’d had a great time watching “Pirates of the Caribbean” with people I’d never met before the previous night, I’d foolishly signed myself up for an 8:30 a.m. class. I sat and scrolled through my phone for around 45 minutes before deciding it was time to get ready. I groggily tapped around to find my schedule so I could see exactly where I’d be heading. At orientation, my SOUL had told us not to walk around campus with a physical map of campus out because then we’d really look like first-years. So before classes started, I’d studied said map and written down directions in my notes app from Thomson to each academic building I’d need to navigate toward. Feeling somewhat refreshed by 8:15, I ate a blueberry Pop-Tart (because my parents weren’t there to make me eat breakfast before school) and made my way through the foggy morning to Pearson 116 for MBI 111. I walked that route through Western campus, past Cook Field and eventually crossed High Street to reach Pearson, sitting down in an intimidating lecture hall. Eventually, I started making small talk with the
girl next to me – we were pleasantly surprised to learn that we’d also be in FRE 201 together right after microbiology. I thought I’d won the lottery, making a friend who would be in not just one, but two of my classes. For a dayone connection, I’d struck gold. As my inaugural Oxford autumn became my first blustery Ohio winter, I couldn’t help but notice how each class became its own world, a microcosm of student life and an unpredictable grab-bag of intellect. My French professor led us in a meditation in the wake of the 2016 general election, I got to talk to my MAC 143 professor about “Big Brother” before a relevant lecture and I fainted during a documentary about prions in microbiology. Every day, I encountered irreplicable moments with classmates who were strangers before the semester began – and, in most cases, would become strangers again after we’d turned in our final assignments. Over the past four years, I’ve hopped in and out of a number of different student organizations, attended over 40 different courses and studied abroad in Luxembourg with over 100 different Miami students. That’s a lot of familiar faces. I’ve now seen eight semesters worth of first days of classes go by. Rooms full of unknowns have become chambers of recognition where I can walk in, see an old friend and feel much less intimidated and out-of-place than I did as a first-year. Jan. 27, 2020 wrapped up my last-ever first day of classes. While my sentimentality wants to mourn my last chances to watch my classrooms become communities, I’m mostly just glad I won’t have to do another awful first day icebreaker. gormanwm@miamioh. edu
“I thought I’d won the lottery, making a friend who would be in not just one, but two of my classes.”
MU Quidditch team goes for the gold(en snitch)
DESPITE PLAYING A SPORT INVENTED IN THE WIZARDING WORLD, MU’S QUIDDITCH PLAYERS RELISH THEIR TIME ON THE FIELD AS MUCH AS ANY ATHLETE. THE MIAMI STUDENT ZACH REICHMAN.
LEANNE STAHULAK STAFF WRITER
Standing near one of the hoops, 5-foot-2-inch first-year Olivia Scott clutches a deflated volleyball in one hand and keeps a PVC pipe between her legs with the other. She shifts back and forth on her toes, knees bent and eyes alert. From the left, fellow first-year Evan Baker slams into her, throwing his weight and height into the tackle as he grapples for the deflated ball. Scott shakes him off without flinching, twisting her shoulders to protect the ball and fend off his attack. Without looking at Baker, she hurls the ball at one of his teammates, who is holding a different red-and-white striped volleyball. The opposing team member drops the ball and sprints back toward his own hoops, while Scott’s team sweeps up the fallen ball and advances. “Good job, Olivia!” a fellow beater yells from the sidelines. On the field, play continues as Scott’s team hurtles for the hoops and scores. The head coach calls for substitutions and Scott jogs off the field with a few others. This isn’t soccer, or basketball or rugby. It’s Quidditch, the same sport created by J.K. Rowling in the “Harry Potter” series. While these players don’t fly or chase after winged golden balls, the magic of the sport is still captured by the mandatory broomsticks players must run with and the classic three hoops made for scoring. This is the tenth year that Quidditch has been offered as a club sport at Miami, with players hailing from all athletic backgrounds. This year, the team comprises runners and swimmers, lacrosse and soccer players, basketball and volleyballers, dancers, mixed martial artists and cheerleaders. Quidditch holds just a little bit of everything for everyone, and members emphasize that you need neither an athletic nor “Harry Potter” background to play. “It’s a great way to get active in college, stay active, stay healthy, but it’s also a great way to make
friends,” senior head coach and chaser Jackson Cleaver said. “These are some of my closest friends here on the team and they made my college experience what it is today.” In the actual game, teams supply seven players to the field: three chasers, two beaters, one keeper and, eventually, one seeker. Chasers work to put the quaffle, a colored volleyball, through one of three hoops while the keeper and opposing chasers defend it. The beaters handle bludgers, three dodgeballs, throwing them at players to take them temporarily out of the game. Players hit with a bludger have to drop whatever ball they’re holding, “dismount” from their brooms and run back to their hoops, touching one before they’re allowed to reenter play. After 18 minutes, a snitch, a person wearing golden shorts, is released onto the field, a tennis ball in a sleeve velcroed to the back of their pants. Both teams’ seekers chase the snitch around the field, engaging in wrestling-like tactics to get their arms around the snitch and snatch the tennis ball. One-armed tackles are legal for seekers and others out on the field. When first-year chaser Declan Palmer saw the Quidditch team’s table at Mega Fair, he was intrigued but skeptical. As a joke, he and his friend decided to go to the first practice last semester, and it didn’t take long for Palmer to fall in love with the sport. “It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Part of it is the camaraderie and part of it is the competitiveness,” Palmer said. “This is one of the most tight-knit and best communities I’ve
ever been a part of, and I’ve been here for not even a full year — that tells you how much time we spend together and how close we’ve been.” Competitive is a word several team members used to describe Quidditch. It’s a full-contact, co-ed sport requiring mouthguards but no other protective equipment. Tryouts aren’t necessary to join the team, but Miami’s intensity and hard work has pushed them to the top of the regional and national rankings. Last year, they became the Great Lakes regional champions. This year, they ended up third in the region and it still guaranteed them a spot in nationals. Currently, Miami’s Quidditch team sits at 13th in the nation out of about 90 teams. “In one sense, we love hanging out together and practicing together, but we also really push each other to get better, because we want to do well,” junior president and beater Matthew Sorkin said. “To be able to have that fun along with people being competitive about it is what makes me love it so much.” Part of the reason senior chaser Katie Rauch joined Miami’s Quidditch team was the promise of physicality. “It’s really funny because you’ll get out there and you’ll play a team, and they won’t expect it,” Rauch said. “Because they look at you and they see a girl, and they don’t think you’re going to tackle them, and it’s fun when you get to take them to the ground.” Every Quidditch game requires at least two female members from each team to be on the field at any time, and Rauch emphasized that Quidditch has set a new standard for sports. “It’s radically inclusive,” Rauch said. “It sets a model for other sports for how you can play co-ed or even just any gendered sport, because it allows you to play as the gender you identify as.” To see Miami’s Quidditch team in action, head to Cook Field on Saturday, Feb. 22 for the team’s home tournament. Among the competition is Bowling Green State University, Cleveland State University, and the University of Michigan, who defeated Miami at regionals. Let the games begin. stahullc@miamioh.edu
CULTURE 9
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020
DATTILEC@MIAMIOH.EDU
Losing legends:
How celebrity deaths hit us hard
DAVID KWIATKOWSKI ASST. CULTURE EDITOR
It seems that lately, news of another celebrity tragically passing away is always trending on social media, leaving the world continuously heartbroken. People post tributes on their Twitter and Instagram accounts, but you’ll be hard pressed to find an explanation in any of the captions as to what really makes us want to pay tribute in the first place. Dan DiPiero, an American studies professor at Miami University said celebrities are so important to today’s generation because they represent our shared experience. “Pop culture figures are one of the few remaining areas of commonality that are shared across a plurality of Americans,” DiPiero said. “In a world that can often feel fractured, divided and disparate, there is an increased sense of importance placed on experiences that we can share.” With the recent death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, any kid who’s thrown a crumpled-up paper ball into the trash while proclaiming “Kobe!” was devastated. Bryant’s death, along with celebrities like Cameron Boyce, Mac Miller and Juice Wrld, are all examples of the lives of larger-than-life individuals being cut short under tragic circumstances, leaving people to ask themselves, “Why?” Elizabeth Kiel, an associate psychology professor and the director of Miami’s Behavior, Emotions and Relationships Lab, theorizes that young people are being prematurely confronted with their own mortality. “It certainly flies in the face of our assumption that we will lead a very long and fulfilling life,” Kiel said. “And to have that assumption challenged can be very disconcerting and emotional. It can leave us very anxious and helpless about the uncertainties of life.” Kiel recommends that the best way to process the deaths of these celebrities is to allow yourself to go through the grieving process like you would for a family member and to not be afraid to talk about it with other people. “Grief is part of the human experience,” Kiel said. “And it is okay to feel grief about [these deaths] in that way. Talking to other people who feel similarly could be helpful in processing those emotions. More often than not, connecting with others in times of distress is more beneficial than isolating yourself from feelings.” Here are four Miami students doing just that: revealing how they have processed the loss of so many young legends. May Alhashash: Sophomore biology major May Alhashash was inspired by Kobe Bryant ever since she picked up a basketball at the age of five. From Bryant, she learned more than just how to be a better player. “I’ve learned from him to trust the process,” Alhashash said. “And to understand that hard work will always top talent, no matter what.” Attending 6 a.m. basketball practices in high school and putting in all the effort she possibly could for her team only scratches the surface of Alhashash’s internalization of Bryant’s values. “My personality [became] attached to his
IT’S ALWAYS HARD TO LOSE OUR HEROES. MU STUDENTS REFLECT ON THEIR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. ILLUSTRATOR MIN KIM.
mentality,” Alhashash said. “When personality attaches to one’s mentality, it’s like an unbreakable bond.” When Bryant tore his Achilles mid-game and continued to shoot his free throws, he inspired Alhashash to never quit or count herself out. When news broke of the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Bryant, his daughter Gianna, two of his daughter’s teammates, their parents, the assistant coach of their basketball team and the pilot, Alhashash was driving back to Oxford from Cleveland to start the spring semester. Her friend in the passenger seat broke the news to her, and Alhashash immediately got goosebumps. “He’s just one of those guys that was a legend and, as the saying goes, legends don’t ever die,” she said. “His passion and love for the game will live throughout the people that follow him. While Kobe meant the world to me, everyone in that crash meant the world to someone.” Sydney Herrick: Sophomore art history major Sydney Herrick remembers being immediately googly-eyed
“While Kobe meant the world to me, everyone in that crash meant the world to someone.” - May Alhashash for Cameron Boyce after seeing the promos for “Jessie” at 11 years old. “It was around the age you start forming crushes,” Herrick said. “And I just saw this beautiful freckled boy on my television.” Herrick was an avid fan of the show, and considered Boyce’s character, Luke, one of the best. “I was pretty convinced that I was going to somehow end up with Cameron Boyce at that
point in my life,” Herrick said. But while Herrick grew up and stopped watching Disney Channel, Boyce fell out of the forefront of her mind. However, once the news broke of his passing, it was one of the first times Herrick felt anything in response to a celebrity’s death. “He was one of the first people from our generation we grew up with that passed,” Herrick said. “I’ve also never had a familial death, so I don’t know how to react because I’ve never experienced it personally. It really made me stop and take pause that part of my childhood had died.” Michael Bonds: Junior sports management major and thirdstring quarterback for the football team Michael Bonds first remembers hearing Juice Wrld’s music the summer after his freshman year of college during a football workout. “I immediately liked his lyrics,” Bonds said. “I liked what he was saying, it was pretty catchy.” He appreciated how far he had come for someone his age and how he established himself as a fixture in the music scene as quickly as he did. He and his friends always had Juice Wrld’s music playing in the background when they hung out, and so when tweets began to surface that he had died while Bonds and his friends were at breakfast, Bonds was in extreme disbelief. “I really thought it was fake,” Bonds said. “A lot of people talking about it assumed it was.” Bonds didn’t accept the news as fact until he saw an article the next day officially pronouncing Juice Wrld dead. “I was super shocked and sad,” Bonds said. “I really felt like he had a lot of potential as an artist and as a person.” Chelsea Worrell: Sophomore pre-med and psychology major Chelsea Worrell relied on Mac Miller to supply the music for the soundtrack of her life. From hearing “Knock Knock” in the car on the way home from soccer games to listening to “Donald Trump” at one of her first high school parties as a freshman, Worrell always gravitated towards Miller’s distinct style. Miller’s music was also something that she and her twin sister shared and bonded over. It was her sister who broke the news of his death, and it immediately spawned a long, deep conversation spanning topics from his music to drug use and addiction. “His death was very similar to a friend of mine at home who also overdosed,” Worrell said. “At the time, the fentanyl crisis was at an all-time high, and it goes to show you that no matter how famous you are, drug problems extend all the way.” Worrell plans to go into the clinical psychology and psychiatry fields after she graduates. Events like Miller’s death inspire her to keep pursuing that track. “Sometimes, I question my major,” Worrell said. “But to think that I could be helpful to people in similar situations like Mac, it comforts me. Mac didn’t want people to suffer the way he did, and if I can help one person by treating their mental illness, that makes me happy.” Worrell knows that Miller can never truly be gone because he left a legacy behind him. “He’s kept alive through his music,” Worrell said. “So it’s a bit different. When you lose a family member, you can’t hear their voice all the time.” kwiatkdm@miamioh.edu
The land of Milk + Honey:
Miami students create thrift shop, side hustle MIA LEE
THE MIAMI STUDENT From black velvet polka dot tops to cream sweaters and oversized cardigans, Milk + Honey’s Instagram feed is full to the brim with pops of color and trendy clothing options. This thrift store’s Instagram-friendly aesthetic was born last summer as a side hustle, created by co-owners Jaque Owens and Hailey Thies — both Miami University students. Owens and Thies have merged the trendiness of thrift shopping with the convenience of the internet. They advertise articles of clothing on their Instagram page, allowing customers to scroll from post to post, pursuing pieces that catch their eyes. “It’s been a really nice creative journey and a creative outlet for both of us,” Thies said. Owens works on the logistics side of the business while Thies creates content for Milk + Honey. The two work together to coordinate photoshoots, manage content, ship orders and make sure every customer has a great experience. Owens and Thies met in high school during their junior year and found a common interest in thrift shopping. They shopped together every weekend after that. Then, at the
the beginning of last semester, they wanted to cultivate their shared passion into something more. They wanted to focus their brand on mindful consumption and sustainable fashion while also making thrifting more appealing for younger generations. Hannah Valdez, a junior at Miami University, said she appreciates Milk + Honey’s mission to upcycle and reduce waste. “I thought it was a well-done business, because when you look at what they’re doing with fashion, they’re just trying to upcycle thrifted items that already exist,” Valdez said. “They’re making it look new, fun, exciting and trendy. I think that’s a really cool
“They’re making it look new, fun, exciting and trendy. I think that’s a really cool marketing strategy.” - Hannah Valdez
marketing strategy.” Milk + Honey follows various Instagram feeds and Pinterest boards for inspiration. “We didn’t feel like there were a lot of clothing options in Oxford, especially if you want to be sustainable,” Thies said. Milk + Honey is hustling through the seasons to find, create and promote new inventory. Over the weekends, the co-owners continue their tradition and go to local thrift stores in the Columbus area to select items that fit current trends. They determine the listing price range based on the item quality. Once a new item is posted, a bidding process begins. Anyone has the opportunity to bid on the items from 12 p.m.-9 p.m. The highest bidding rate wins the item, and 10 percent of each purchase’s proceeds go to a different charity each month. After the bidding process is over, the winner of the item has 24 hours to respond and complete the payment process. Junior Camdyn Yoder has been a Milk + Honey customer since its inception. “I really like how ethical it is and just buying second hand is a lot better than buying from mainstream sources,” Yoder said. Each package is personalized for the customer, with the option to ship it or pick it up
MILK AND HONEY’S THRIFT SHOP BRINGS A SWEET NEW OPTION TO THE OXFORD CLOTHING SCENE. CONTRIBUTED BY @MILKANDHONEY_OXFORD.
in the Oxford area. As their business continues to grow, Milk + Honey hopes to create a new website in the near future. Check out their Instagram at @milkandhoney_oxford. leem9@miamioh.edu
Sports
10
VINELCA@MIAMIOH.EDU
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020
His dad just won the Super Bowl!
A crumpled newspaper, an empty stomach, no sleep and the rest of Super Bowl LIV through Deland McCullough II’s eyes
CHRIS VINEL
SPORTS EDITOR As Patrick Mahomes hit Damien Williams for the go-ahead touchdown pass, Deland McCullough II’s world turned into a blur. McCullough II had been sitting in Section 101, Row 12, Seat 20 of Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, watching his Kansas City Chiefs go down by double digits in the first three quarters of Sunday’s Super Bowl LIV. But after Mahomes and Williams gave Kansas City the lead with three minutes left in the fourth quarter, McCullough II and everyone around him scrambled. They were handed field access passes and hurried toward the elevators. “My mom was, like, sprinting,” said McCullough II, who just finished his freshman season on Miami University’s football team. They waded through a crowd of more than 62,000 people, trying to get on the field. Moments later, McCullough II, his mom, Darnell, and two of his three younger brothers, Dasan and Daeh, watched, as his dad, Deland McCullough, and the Chiefs clinched a Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The elder McCullough was a Miami Athletics Hall of Fame running back in the 1990s and is now Kansas City’s running backs coach. “Seeing it in real life — smack dab right on the field — people holding the trophies, people holding up the newspapers, it’s just, like, ‘Wow, this is real.’” McCullough II said. “You’ve got dudes laying down in the confetti, crying. It was just a big moment, especially with the way that we [the Chiefs] won the game.” He’d only witnessed scenes like that in video games. McCullough II, while standing on the field, saw a stray newspaper being trampled by the herd of celebrating people. He grabbed it and held on tight. He later said he kept everything he could from this weekend. Kansas City won in heroic fashion, trailing, 20-10, with less than seven minutes left, before clawing back to win, 31-20.
“It was crazy. The nerves were going,” McCullough II said about the dramatic comeback his dad’s team staged. “By the time they [the 49ers] got up, and it was no longer a one-possession game, I remember looking around. “Little kids were crying to their moms, saying, ‘It’s over.’ This was in the fourth quarter. We all thought it was over, but then, with the Chiefs being the Chiefs, they scored 21 unanswered points in six minutes.” He was surprised by the comeback, but it made sense. Kansas City fell behind by double digits in both of its previous playoff games this year, before charging back to win. “I guess the Chiefs have a very good reputation of just making your nerves go wild,” McCullough II said, “before coming back and winning.” McCullough II’s nerves had been simmering at a slightly higher level than usual all weekend anyway. He arrived in Miami with his family Friday. In the hotel, he looked over and noticed the soon-to-be Super Bowl MVP, Mahomes, on the phone. He saw Tyrann Mathieu and a group of fellow Kansas City Chiefs hanging out. And that was before the game even happened. “I mean, Patrick Mahomes, that’s a guy everyone dreams of seeing, and I’m just casually hanging out, [and I see him],” McCullough II said. “It’s like, ‘Man …’” And then there was his dad. “He was hyped up,” McCullough II said. “He was super excited and super confident coming into the game … But he was his normal self, just a lot more excited and ready for the game.” On Super Bowl Sunday, McCullough II woke up shortly before noon. His dad, hours away from coaching in a Super Bowl, brought breakfast — pancakes and bacon — into the hotel room. McCullough II, his mom and his brothers left the hotel and got to the stadium around 2 p.m. All afternoon, they tailgated with eight
buses worth of the family and friends of other Chiefs players and coaches. Hours later, he was with the same group, when he heard the crowd roar. One of his dad’s protégés, Damien Williams, put the game out of the 49ers’ reach, scoring a 38-yard touchdown with 1:12 remaining. In the bustle of the moment, McCullough II was running through the stadium. He didn’t see the game-clinching play, but he heard the stadium erupt while scurrying toward the field. As the clock hit zero, he ran up to his dad, embraced him and congratulated him. McCullough II’s phone started to blow up. He was bombarded with more than 50 texts. “At least 40 of them were people I hadn’t talked to in years,” McCullough II said with a laugh. “People would congratulate me on my dad and the family. But, they’re congratulating me like I played in the game. I was like, ‘I was just there watching it.’ The funniest ones, to me, were just like, ‘Oh, congratulations on the win.’ Of course, I said, ‘Thank you,’ but in my head, I’m like, ‘I didn’t play.’” Then came the afterparty. McCullough II was “dead-tired” and hadn’t eaten since before the game. He found some sliders to munch on and tried to shake off the drowsiness. He fought it into the early hours of Monday morning, through the 3 a.m. ride to the airport and the five hours of waiting with no charge left on his phone battery. He stayed awake until after the two-hour flight and the more-than-one-hour drive back to Oxford. 26 hours, no sleep, not much food. Just a Super Bowl trophy for his dad and the best weekend McCullough II had enjoyed in a while. Monday afternoon, when he finally returned to his dorm in Flower Hall, Deland McCullough II hung the crumpled newspaper on the wall above his bed and went to bed. @ChrisAVinel vinelca@miamioh.edu
(TOP) DELAND MCCULLOUGH II (LEFT) AND HIS FATHER, DELAND MCCULLOUGH (BACK RIGHT), POSE IN A PHOTO BOOTH AT THE SUPER BOWL AFTERPARTY. (BOTTOM: FROM RIGHT TO LEFT) DAEH MCCULLOUGH, DELAND MCCULLOUGH II, DELAND MCCULLOUGH, DARNELL MCCULLOUGH AND DASAN MCCULLOUGH TAKE A FAMILY PHOTO ON THE FIELD AFTER THE SUPER BOWL. CONTRIBUTED BY DELAND MCCULLOUGH II
SCOREBOARD FRIDAY
HOCKEY
SATURDAY
MEN’S BASKETBALL Miami....................................... 55
Miami......................................... 2
Northern Illinois..................... 70
St. Cloud State...........................4
HOCKEY Miami.........................................0
TENNIS Miami.........................................4
St. Cloud State........................... 3
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Miami.......................................80
Cincinnati.................................. 3 Bowling Green......................... 59
’Hawks Talk “It should be a great crowd and great game. Any time you play your rival, you definitely should be up for it.” ⁃⁃ Men’s basketball head coach Jack Owens on his team’s Battle of the Bricks matchup Saturday at Ohio University.
VINELCA@MIAMIOH.EDU
RedHawks welcome Broncos for Tuesday night matchup MIKE GUISTOLISE STAFF WRITER
After a short sabbatical because of a coronavirus-induced, midweek cancellation, Miami men’s basketball returns to the court tonight against Western Michigan. With the Broncos sporting the same record as the RedHawks (9-12, 2-6), both teams will be fighting to lunge themselves back into contention in the Mid-American Conference. “(Western Michigan is) a solid team,” Miami head coach Jack Owens
SPORTS 11
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020
said. “I think it’s going to be two teams that are hungry for a win.” The Broncos have struggled getting their offense going against MAC opponents away from home, averaging just more than 64 points per game. Their overall season average is 71.7. The RedHawks last saw action Saturday afternoon — a loss to the Northern Illinois Huskies — when Owens gave a new look to the offense. The team’s leading scorer, junior guard Nike Sibande, and junior forward Milos Jovic came off the bench despite being usual starters. They were replaced by redshirt sophomore guard Isaiah Coleman-Lands and sophomore guard Mekhi Lairy. Jovic’s move to the bench worked out. He hit double figures in points, so it will be interesting to see what his role is going forward. Sibande was a non-factor until the final ten minutes due to foul trouble. In a conference where most games are usually close, Owens’ decision about Sibande is quite the head scratcher. The ’Hawks are currently on the outside looking in with a 2-6 record in the conference, and bringing their main ball handler (and best player) off the bench is going to require an explanation. Looking ahead, Miami and Western Michigan both rely on two juniors to do the bulk of their scoring. Similarities continue with both teams having
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bud Knight MICHAEL VESTEY
THE MIAMI STUDENT
issues on the defensive side of the ball, giving up an average of 73 points per game. The question is, which team is now desperate enough to claw for a crucial conference win? Player to watch Nine straight games in double figures have thrust freshman guard Dae Dae Grant into being the No. 2 offensive option for the RedHawks. It couldn’t have come at a better time with Dalonte Brown struggling in conference play. It’s a pleasant sight to see Grant — who averaged 26 points per game in his senior year of high school — emerging as the future face of MU Basketball. guistom@miamioh.edu
SCOUTING REPORT The Game
Tipoff........................................................................7 p.m. Tuesday at Millett Hall TV/Radio: ESPN+, Miami Sports Network from Van Wagner, RedHawk Radio on YouTube Live
MIAMI REDHAWKS
Record ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 9-12, 2-6 MAC Offense ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������73.7 ppg Defense ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������72.7 ppg
PROJECTED LINEUP
Player..............................................................................(position, height, key stat) Dae Dae Grant ����������������������������������������������������������������������(guard, 6’2”, 9.6 ppg) Isaiah Coleman-Lands ��������������������������������������������������������� (guard, 6’0”, 7.5 ppg) Mekhi Lairy ��������������������������������������������������������������������������� (guard, 5’8”, 8.1 ppg) Dalonte Brown ������������������������������������������������������������������(forward, 6’7”, 11.6 ppg) Bam Bowman �������������������������������������������������������������������� (forward, 6’8”, 7.0 ppg)
WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS
So, the Super Bowl hangover is over. Another NFL season is in the books. And, from the looks of it, it was yet another banner year for the advertising industry. Assuming someone watched every NFL game this season, he or she would have endured just less than 50 hours of national (non-local) commercials — coming to an average of 47 minutes a game. While the Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning offense was league-leading, it ended up having the ball only 29 minutes a game, ranking 21st in the league. Not too bad, right? Well, in the NFL Playoffs, not even counting the multitude of commercials that ran during the Super Bowl, more time was spent on commercials than the Chiefs tallied on offense all season. Oh, and again, that’s only counting national commercials, not the ones run in local areas. This seems like a problem. Looking at “ball-in-play” studies, which measure the amount of actual live action occuring during a game, football seems to come off looking, well, not great. A 2011 Wall Street Journal study (and no, it hasn’t changed much since then) found, out of an average run time of three hours and 10 minutes, NFL games feature 11 minutes of action — 5.8 percent. The MLB isn’t too much better, coming in at a measly 10.2 percent, while the NBA, NHL and major European soccer leagues all feature figures between 35 to 50 percent, in that order. The NFL, unsurprisingly, runs far ahead of the pack in commercial numbers, with more than 50 percent more
30-second commercials than its closest competitor, the NBA. So, what does this all mean? Football, when looked at objectively, is incredibly wasteful. Spending three hours of time to watch 11 minutes of action. However, that doesn’t quite paint the full picture. Programs such as NFL RedZone try to minimize dead time and maximize action by bringing highlights from around the league, and rebroadcasts of the game often edit out the time between plays. There is another factor to consider, as well. More than many sports, football owns a social factor. I’ve been to more Super Bowl parties than watch parties for any other sport combined, and that fact may ring true for many others. And, while commercials may seem boring while we watch at home, they give us another thing to talk about. The Fansville series of Dr. Pepper commercials had college football fans hooked for two seasons running (including the, uh, controversial Season Two Finale during the CFP National Championship, R.I.P. Big Fan), and Dr. Pepper has already announced a third season. Super Bowl commercials are always rated and debated, some up to weeks after their airing. They’ve become cultural touchstones — those Budweiser ads with the puppy and the horses! Being friends! And puppy-monkey-baby. That happened. Everyone remembers the iconic ads, whether good or bad. And I’d argue that’s a tradition worth keeping. Even if they take up way too much time. @VesteyTMS vesteymj@miamioh.edu
Record ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 9-12, 2-6 MAC Offense �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 71.7 ppg Defense ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 73.6 ppg
PROJECTED LINEUP
Player..............................................................................(position, height, key stat)
JUNIOR FORWARD DALONTE BROWN TRIES A JUMP SHOT AGAINST NORTHERN ILLINOIS ON FEB. 1. BROWN SCORED THREE POINTS IN THE GAME. NORTHERN STAR JARRETT HUFF
B. Artis White ������������������������������������������������������������������������(guard, 5’9”, 8.9 ppg) Michael Flowers ������������������������������������������������������������������� (guard, 6’1”, 17.9 ppg) Jason Whitens ���������������������������������������������������������������������(guard, 6’5”, 15.4 ppg) Titus Wright ���������������������������������������������������������������������� (forward, 6’8”, 6.0 ppg) Brandon Johnson ������������������������������������������������������������(forward, 6’8”, 14.5 ppg)
DICKERSON HITS MILESTONE IN CLOSE REDHAWK VICTORY LUKAS NELSON
THE MIAMI STUDENT Lauren Dickerson almost amazed herself. After becoming just the second Miami women’s basketball player in program history to score 2,000 points in a career, Dickerson thought back to her pre-college days. “It means the world to me,” Dickerson said, “especially because I didn’t get a thousand points in high school.” The moment happened early in the second quarter. After a first quarter where neither team could buy a basket, both offenses came back to life. After a layup by WMU’s redshirt sophomore guard, Jordan Walker, made it, 15-12, Miami junior guard Kenzie Schmitz missed a three, but freshman guard Peyton Scott grabbed the rebound. Scott passed to Dickerson, who shot a three from the top of the key. Nothing but net and history. With over 2,000 points to her name, Dickerson played facilitator, assisting redshirt junior forward Abbey Hoff and junior guard Monique Esbrand on consecutive 3-pointers to put the RedHawks up by double digits. After a back and forth second quarter, a jumper by senior forward Savannah Kluesner with under a minute to go in the half gave Miami a 31-23 halftime lead. In the third quarter, the RedHawks came out firing with two straight Scott jumpers. Another three by Esbrand jump-started a 12-4 run, in which the RedHawks were a perfect 5-of-5 from the field. After a jumper by Dickerson put Miami up, 49-35, it was Western Michigan’s turn to make a run. Two straight baskets by redshirt senior forward Breanna Mobley cut Western Michigan’s deficit to 10, and Miami head coach Deunna Hendrix called a timeout to stop the run. It didn’t matter. The Broncos scored the last five
points of the quarter to make it a 49-44 game after three. After a layup by Kluesner to start the fourth, Western Michigan scored six straight points, and a three-pointer gave the Broncos their first lead of the game. From there, the game was back and forth, with neither team leading by more than five during the quarter. “We know basketball is a game of runs,” Dickerson said. “So they went on their run, and it was time we focused up and made our run.” After not playing for three quarters, junior forward Kelly McLaughlin gave the RedHawks some much-needed offense, including two free throws to put Miami up 58-55 midway through the fourth. Western Michigan wasn’t done yet, though. After an Esbrand three put the RedHawks up by five, the Broncos responded, scoring seven straight points to give them a 63-61 lead with three and a half minutes to go. Miami came right back, as Dickerson drained another jumper and assisted on a Kluesner basket to give the RedHawks a 66-63 lead they never relinquished. During the five-game losing streak they snapped last Saturday, the RedHawks lost three games by single digits. This time, however, they
were victorious. “In close games, you’re constantly trying to educate for the next one,” Hendrix said. “So to finally come out on top in one of these, I’m sure, will boost our confidence.” After a few free throws by the RedHawks iced the game, the final score was 70-67. On a night where Lauren Dickerson was the main star for the RedHawks, she was also the leading scorer. She finished with 21 points and seven assists. “The kid is fun to watch,” Hendrix said. Kluesner was the only other RedHawk to score in double figures. She picked up a double-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and a monster defensive effort with two blocks and two steals. After two straight victories, Miami will host the Toledo Rockets on Wednesday. The game is at 7 p.m. in Millett Hall. @LukasTheDream nelso156@miamioh.edu
SENIOR GUARD LAUREN DICKERSON DROPPED 21 POINTS AGAINST WESTERN MICHIGAN ON FEB. 3 AND REACHED 2,000 CAREER POINTS. THE MIAMI STUDENT MACY WHITAKER
John Harbaugh, Miami alum and current head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, won the 2019 Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year Award Saturday. He became the second Miami graduate to claim the prize in the last three seasons, joining the Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay, the 2017 recipient.
Opinion
12
RIGAZIKM@MIAMIOH.EDU
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020
STAFF EDITORIAL
There’s no coronavirus, but racism sure isn’t the antidote. The following reflects the majority opinion of the Editorial Board. At a press conference on Sunday, Miami University officials revealed the two Miami students suspected of having the coronavirus tested negative for the disease. This announcement came four days after the university notified the Miami community there may be coronavirus in Oxford. “At a time like this, when you’re facing challenges, the best comes out in people,” University President Greg Crawford said during the press conference. “All around this campus, I really saw love and honor showing through in these challenging times.” Apparently, Crawford wasn’t following the community’s reaction on social media as closely as we were. Our staff was appalled by the people, specifically Miami parents, whose alarmist reactions allowed for speculation and fear mongering, demonstrated a total disregard for the well-being of our peers and were, ultimately, xenophobic. An email was sent out last Tuesday informing the Miami community two students with suspected coronavirus awaited test results from the CDC. As soon as the notifica-
tion was sent out, misconceptions about the isolated students and the coronavirus began to pop-up in various online communities, such as the Facebook page “Miami University | Parents and Family Members.” Some posts, both within these groups and on social media in general, questioned why students from China were allowed to return to campus or why all Chinese students weren’t screened for the virus before being allowed to attend classes and other student activities. Our staff understands why an individual’s first reaction to news of suspected coronavirus would be to worry about their child’s health. But that fear does not justify being racist. The initial announcement explained the two students were isolated from the rest of the student body. The university outlined how to stay up-to-date on the suspected cases in Oxford as well as best practices for disease prevention. Crawford pointed out the university was following procedures used by other major universities dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. On top of the daily health updates sent out by the university, The Miami Student and other local news sources closely covered
Give credit where credit is due — that means to Billie Eilish
LEXI WHITEHEAD
THE MIAMI STUDENT As I scrolled through my Twitter timeline last week, I noticed a lot of tweets about Billie Eilish, something not out of the ordinary for the past few months. After releasing her debut album in March 2019, Eilish quickly rose to fame. The hot topic trending on Twitter this time? Her first time at the Grammys. At the 62nd Grammy Awards on Jan. 26, Eilish was the star of the night, winning five of the six awards for which she was nominated. She became the youngest person to ever win Album of the Year and the second person (and first woman) to ever win the Big Four: Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best New Artist. Throughout the night, Eilish remained humble. Her speeches were short and, at times, apologetic. She said that Ariana Grande deserved the award for Album of The Year, talked about how the other nominees’ fans would give her hate and for her final award of the night, simply said, “Thank you.” Yet, instead of congratulating this 18-yearold girl on a major accomplishment, people on the internet are tearing her down and saying she didn’t deserve it. It’s sad to think that a teenage girl like Eilish might feel bad for being so successful, despite the amount of work it took for her to get there. She makes music in a bedroom with her brother, Finneas O’Connell, that over 55 million people listen to on Spotify. Although she only recently came into the mainstream, her success is not something that happened overnight. She released her first song in 2016, followed by her debut EP in 2017. I’ve heard maybe three songs by Eilish. Whether you are a fan of her music or not, you have to admit that she’s obviously doing something right.
Eilish’s debut album, “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go,” won two Grammys. The album’s themes include depression, climate change and drugs, among other important topics, and the music style bleeds into several genres. It very clearly means something not only to Eilish and her brother, but to the fans as well. But her critics reduced the work to senseless pop simply for the sound of a few songs (in addition to the fact it’s largely popular on the radio and among teenage girls). Between being mocked for not knowing Van Halen, to predatory posts and hashtags trending on her 18th birthday and now people saying she doesn’t deserve a Grammy, it seems like Eilish just can’t catch a break. We should be glad that there’s a space in popular music for young girls like Eilish in a time where female artists are so underappreciated. After the 2018 Grammys, the president of the Recording Academy said that women needed to “step up” if they wanted to recieve the same recognition as male artists. This comment discredited all of the women that have acted as the backbone of popular music, and music in general, for as long as I can remember. Female artists going unrecognized or underappreciated is not an issue unique to the music industry. Despite her movie “Little Women” being nominated for six Oscars, Greta Gerwig was not nominated for Best Director, a category filled with male names. In the same realm, Lupita Nyong’o was not even nominated for her performances (plural) in “Us.” Young girls in the public eye are especially scrutinized for everything that they do. Charli D’Amelio, a 15-year-old TikTok influencer, is ridiculed for posting harmless dance videos on the app. Even Greta Thunberg, another 17-yearold and a prominent climate activist, is harassed online by everyone from internet trolls to government officials and the President of the United States. Billie Eilish is a pop sensation who deserves everything she’s accomplished so far. If the Recording Academy, of all people, can recognize that, so can we. The misogyny that breeds unwarranted hate against girls and women is exhausting. You can be disappointed that your fave didn’t win without tearing other artists down, especially when the artists themselves are so supportive of each other. Let girls and women exist, let them enjoy things and let them succeed. whitehan@miamioh.edu whitehan@miamioh.edu
the story. Worry does not excuse fueling the fire of rumors. Concern does not condone racism. Imagine you’re isolated in your room, thousands of miles from home and potentially sick with a virus that has been declared a global health emergency. Or that you are thousands of miles from home, perfectly healthy and facing vitriol from members of your community based off of where you’re from. We are not naive. We know that the possibility of coronavirus fueled prejudice among some students on this campus. It’s no secret how often international students are ignored by some of the domestic students on this campus. So when you have a group of people that are often marginalized and something like this happens, you have a recipe for ugliness. But, there is a silver lining. There was one incident reported to Dean of Students Kimberley Moore, but Moore told our reporters the majority of students who reached out to her within the last week wanted to know how they could help support students who were isolated. Miami’s Associated Student Government published a letter detailing where students
could find information on the coronavirus, how to prevent it, how to stay updated and reminded students and community members to uphold the Code of Love and Honor. Hillel and Miami University’s Diversity Affairs Council released a statement condemning the xenophobia and racism directed toward members of the Asian community. In the end, the majority of students on this campus demonstrated more empathy, level-headedness and maturity than many adults who tried to add to the discourse online and by calling the university in the past week. Every day, we witness the ways that fear tactics are used to create false threats to our livelihood and scapegoat vulnerable populations. When facts are readily available to you, and you choose to ignore or dispute them, that is willful ignorance. Use those critical thinking skills you’ve paid thousands of dollars to acquire here at Miami and recognize the best thing you can do is be sympathetic to the students that are directly impacted here and at their homes thousands of miles away.
Miss Americana and the oldest daughter complex
KIRBY DAVIS COLUMNIST
I live in a house with three other oldest daughters, and it shows. Our house is always clean. We’ve mastered the art of domestic coziness, provide our younger friends a candlelit respite from their dorms and if someone is making a breakfast more elaborate than cereal or toast, they always cook for everyone. Rarely is one of us upset for more than 20 minutes before the others notice and sit them down to talk about their feelings or offer to bake them cookies. We are all currently, or have previously been, leaders of student organizations. Our families like to communicate their issues with each other through us. We are all stressed. We’re all products of a society that pressures oldest siblings, but specifically oldest daughters, to be more empathetic, independent and caring than everyone else. Taylor Swift is an oldest daughter. At the start of director Lana Wilson’s new Netflix documentary on Swift, “Miss Americana,” the film’s subject says she built her image on being the “good girl.” “My entire moral code, as a kid and now, is a need to be thought of as good,” Swift says. “... And, obviously, I’m not a perfect person by any stretch, but overall the main thing that I always tried to be was … like, a good girl.” Women in our society, oldest daughters or not, are conditioned to be the “good girl” — to be empathetic but not overbearing, to be independent but not bossy, to be smart but not too smart, lest we rob a man the opportunity of explaining something to us. And studies have indicated that eldest children are typically leaders, more independent than their younger siblings, caring, hardwork-
ing and even more likely to behave cautiously. Oldest daughters have the misfortune of bearing both of these immense societal pressures simultaneously, which has produced generation after generation of responsible and profoundly anxious young women. Last summer, being an oldest daughter even became a niche meme on Twitter, which supported these claims. My personal favorite tweets were “oldest daughters need to unionize” and “Parents be like ‘that’s my emotional support eldest daughter.’” This is not to say that younger siblings do not have to shoulder any of these burdens; not every family has daughters, and in lots of families, younger siblings take on as much or more responsibility than their older sisters or brothers. But I feel confident in saying, as an oldest daughter who knows many other oldest daughters, that we face a unique, constant pressure to be the “good girl.” We’re not supposed to cause trouble, ever; we’re supposed to help others navigate through it or prevent it entirely. This isn’t always bad. My role in my family has taught me how to listen to and help solve other people’s problems. It has instilled in me senses of responsibility, accountability and several other resume-ready qualities. But it has also made me profoundly anxious; I worry constantly about my own wellbeing as well as the wellbeing of everyone around me. I never lost the feeling that everything I do is being closely monitored and judged, even though it’s been a long time since my parents worried that my D+ in pre-algebra doomed my brother and sister to the same fate. I grew so used to taking care of other people, whether it was my friends or my siblings or the kids I babysat, that I’ve struggled in college to buy into the idea that “self-care” is equally important. Every time I screw something up, I still feel like I’m disappointing everyone I’ve ever met. But those tweets, and Swift’s words in “Miss Americana,” and my shared experiences with my housemates, help; other oldest daughters, you’re not alone. Also, we have to laugh about these things so we don’t cry. @kirbdavis daviskn3@miamioh.edu
Miami University and Community Federal Credit Union 1969 - 2019
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