ESTABLISHED 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES
TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017
Volume 145 №38
Miami University — Oxford, Ohio
CUSTER BEING CONSIDERED FOR STEM CELL STUDY
ASG FILLS NEW CABINET
WSU student fractured spine at Oxford party
JACK EVANS MANAGING EDITOR
ASG
INJURY
EMILY WILLIAMS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ryan Custer, a Wright State University student who was severely injured at an Oxford party, is being considered for a stem cell study at Rush University Hospital in Chicago. The 19-yearold, a first-year forward for the Raiders’ varsity basketball team, will be evaluated for five days before doctors determine if he qualifies for the study. Custer suffered a severe spinal injury after jumping into a makeshift pool at a party on S. Main Street on Saturday, April 8. Custer collided with another person’s knee when he slid into the pool, causing the injury. Custer was immediately transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center where he underwent surgery on his spine that night. Feeling in Custer’s legs has not returned, and he has only recently regained some movement in his fingers. Custer was transported from the UC Medical Center to Rush Hospital on Sunday, April 22. According to a post from the Ryan Custer Recovery Care Page, a Facebook page updated almost daily by Custer’s family, he spent the first day in Chicago getting acclimated in his new room in Rush’s ICU and meeting the doctor who will lead the study, Dr. Richard Fessler. Dr. Fessler, a renowned spinal surgeon, has focused his research on developing and refining new ways to perform minimally invasive spinal surgeries. In 2010, Fessler performed surgery on former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, which Custer was happy to learn, the post said. The five-day period of testing began Monday, and, if selected for the study, treatment for Custer will begin on Friday. The study, called the SCiStar study, will evaluate how the injection of AST-OPC1, particular neural cells produced from human embryonic stem cells, at a single time 14 to 30 days after an injury can benefit the patient’s recovery. According to the SCiStar webpage, the study’s researchers are seeking adults between the ages of 18 and 69 who recently experienced a spinal cord injury in the neck which resulted in a loss of feeling below the site of the injury in addition to some paralysis in the arms and legs. HBO has contacted Dr. Fessler about following a patient through this research process. “Ryan thinks it would be cool to do it, so we said yes,” an CUSTER » PAGE 10
RYAN TERHUNE PHOTO EDITOR
Dustin Hornbeck, a Miami doctoral student and chief organizer ofThe Oxford Science March climbs onstage before an estimated crowd of 450 . See the photo story online at miamistudent.net
Hundreds gather for satellite ‘March for Science’ in Uptown Oxford SCIENCE
MEGAN ZAHNEIS SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Oxford joined over 600 cities in 69 countries in hosting a March for Science event on Saturday, April 22, internationally recognized as Earth Day. The satellite march in Oxford was attended by hundreds and featured a slate of speakers from the university community, including the mayor of Oxford, Miami’s provost and an Associated Student Government (ASG) cabinet member. That guest list was the handiwork of Dustin Hornbeck, a first-year doctoral student in Miami’s educational leadership program. Though the flagship March event occurred in Washington, D.C., Hornbeck was inspired to coordinate an Oxford edition after seeing
a friend do the same at the University of Michigan. Hornbeck, a former high school history and government teacher who also led his school district’s teachers’ union, admits to not being a “huge marcher,” but felt compelled by recent political actions to take action. “Trying to join people together as a community of citizens who share common ideals, about the idea that science is a good thing for humanity and that the environment ought to be protected, was what I really had in mind,” Hornbeck said. In mid-February, Hornbeck enlisted sophomore Max Leveridge, president of Miami’s Environmental Appreciation Club, for help planning the march. Leveridge was uniquely qualified for the job, as a triple-major in environmental earth science, environmental science and sustainability, and he needed no convincing from
Humans of Oxford Florida Wu: Sunshine State of mind
Hornbeck. “Science in and of itself is extremely important because it allows us to look into why the world is what it is, why stuff happens why it does,” Leveridge said. “For Oxford to get behind that, it shows unity between the community and the university.” Together, Leveridge and Hornbeck coordinated details of Saturday’s event, which began with participants meeting outside Armstrong Student Center at 11:30 a.m. Participants marched to Slant Walk, with Hornbeck leading chants via megaphone along the way. The crowd clustered in the grass along Slant Walk, braving windy weather for an hourlong rally. Among the speakers were Kate Rousmaniere, Oxford’s mayor and a historian, university provost Phyllis Callahan, ASG Secretary for Academic MARCH » PAGE 3
Miami’s Associated Student Government elected representatives for the five remaining 2017-2018 executive cabinet positions last Tuesday at its penultimate senate session of the 2016-2017 school year. Juniors Alex Wortman, Sean Perme and Quentin McCorvey were elected by the senate to serve as secretaries for infrastructure and sustainability, off-campus affairs and diversity affairs, respectively. Senate elected two firstyears to the cabinet: Secretary for Communications and Media Relations Gaby Meissner and Secretary for Academic Affairs Annika Fowler. Perme, Meissner and Fowler all served as ASG senators for the 2016-2017 school year. Wortman served on the senate during his first year at Miami, and McCorvey has served as an academic senator for the school of Education Health and Society since a special election in February. All five students elected will be paid $3,550 with a small, annual percentage increase, according to ASG bylaws. Two special positions were also filled during Tuesday’s meeting. Junior Jack Fetick, this year’s Speaker of the Senate, was elected to serve as next year’s parliamentarian, removing his cabinet status, but making him a voting member of the senate. Hana Hall was elected to the position of Speaker Pro Tempore of the Senate. Results of today’s senatorial races, as well as information about previous elections for 2017-2018 cabinet positions, can be found online at miamistudent.net.
Credits required for graduation reduced for next academic year Provost grants exceptions to engineering programs ACADEMICS
SAMANTHA BRUNN SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Miami University Bachelor Degree programs are required to reduce their credit hour requirements from 128 to 124 for the 2017-2018 school year and onward. In May 2015, the Ohio Department of Higher Education determined that Bache-
lor Degree programs must not require more than 126 credit hours for completion, unless additional coursework is needed to meet professional accreditation or licensing requirements, according to the Guidelines and Procedures for Academic Program Review Manual (Directive 2015-016) from the Ohio Department of Higher Education. Carolyn Haynes, associate provost for undergradu-
ate education, explained why there was lag time between the state mandate and Miami’s actions to comply with the policy. “Miami received the new copy of the policy on May 1, 2015,” Haynes said. “So, we were not able to begin discussions among the academic leadership until Fall 2015.” Haynes said the Academic Policy Committee identified CREDITS » PAGE 10
JUGAL JAIN THE MIAMI STUDENT
PROFILE
KEVIN VESTAL THE MIAMI STUDENT For Florida Wu, finding somewhere to go for spring break was a no-brainer. The answer was in her name. During the semester, Florida saved up money by stocking shelves at MacCracken’s Market Street. Customers commented on her name tag, but Florida admitted she’d never visited the Sunshine
State. At least she hadn’t yet. Florida picked her American name while attending Beijing Huijia Private School, months before she enrolled at Miami University. “In China, no one is named Beijing,” Florida said. “I picked Florida because it’s like the sun and my brother said it would be special.” While the flight to Orlando wasn’t cheap, it was her best HUMANS » PAGE 10
JANUS Forum rescheduled, new speaker, location announced EVENT
ERICA EDWARDS TESS SOHNGEN THE MIAMI STUDENT
The steering committee of Miami University’s JANUS Forum will host two speakers who will discuss the mounting conflict between the #blacklivesmatter and #bluelives-
matter movements at 6 p.m. this Thursday in the Farmer School of Business’s Taylor Auditorium. The event was originally scheduled earlier this month and was set to feature political commentator Heather Mac Donald and documentary filmmaker Dawn Porter. However, due to illness, the event was postponed. In
NEWS p. 2
CULTURE p. 4
SCIENCE p. 6
EDITORIAL p. 12
SPORTS p. 14
TRUSTEES VOTE FOR $6 MILLION CONTRACT
FARMER’S MARKET FOSTERS OXFORD ARTS SCENE
THE BUZZ ABOUT MIAMI’S NEW CLUB
CRITIQUING NEW DIVERSITY STATEMENT
WOMEN’S BASEBALL CLUB HOSTS CLINIC
Funds to renovate and expand parking lots for central campus.
Local artisans have a vision for the future of public art in Oxford.
Students revive apicultural interest in Oxford, a beekeeping landmark.
“Overall, the statement focuses the ‘why’ and neglects the ‘how.’”
The scrimmage was the first official event for the new club sport.
Porter’s place, former governor of Maryland and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Martin O’Malley will be speaking. The Black Lives Matter movement, is “a national organization working for the validity of black life,” and that actively works to “(re)build” JANUS » PAGE 10
CROSSWORD PUZZLE See p. 5
2 NEWS
TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017
NEWS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET
MIAMI ALUM LANDS WINNING DEAL ON ‘SHARK TANK’ ALUMNI
MEGAN ZAHNEIS SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Rick Pescovitz wasn’t ready to give up yet. The 1985 Miami alum and Cincinnati-based entrepreneur had submitted a pitch to “Shark Tank,” for his company, Under the Weather, but after a year there was still no word from the acclaimed investment reality TV show. Under the Weather makes portable pop-up tents aimed at outdoor sports spectators. The idea was conceived after Pescovitz grew tired of the suboptimal weather conditions he often endured on the sidelines his three kids’ soccer games — he needed a weatherproof way to watch. The “pod” design Pescovitz dreamed up is made of wind- and water-resistant polyester and offers shelter from winter cold and summer sun alike. Clear front and side panels allow users a 270-degree view of the outside environment. Pescovitz thought it was a pretty good idea, and so did customers who bought $2 million of pods last year. But the Sharks weren’t convinced, so Pescovitz decided to get creative with a product demonstration and show them just how weatherproof his pods are. In the winter of 2016, Pescovitz stepped into one of his pods in the midst of a snowstorm, sans shirt — and captured the whole thing on video. He heard back from producers five minutes later.
That was in March 2016. In September, Pescovitz flew to Los Angeles to tape his appearance on the show. There, he’d ask a panel of billionaire investors to take on an equity stake in his company — or, as Pescovitz put it, “get in a bubble and help our sales double.” Pescovitz said the experience was an invigorating one, with his taping slot scheduled for 6:50 a.m. “It was just really nerve-wracking being in front of [the Sharks], but as soon as I opened my mouth, it just started to flow,” Pescovitz said. “It was intense. I was in front of them for an hour and 20 minutes and they cut it down to like eight minutes.” What Pescovitz said resonated with the Sharks, several of whom were interested in investing. But he wound up signing a deal with Mark Cuban, who offered him his initial ask of $600,000 for a 15 percent stake in Under the Weather with a 12-month option to buy more equity. The episode featuring his pitch didn’t air until this month, though, so Pescovitz had to keep the results of the taping a secret. Pescovitz, who majored in broadcast journalism and communications with a political science minor at Miami, has followed an atypical career trajectory since leaving Oxford. He worked as a sports producer at Cincinnati’s WKRC-TV and sold jewelry, apparel and uniforms before founding Under the Weather and renovating an abandoned tennis club in the Cincinnati area. But for now, Pescovitz’ path seems set: he’ll continue working with Cuban
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
JAKE GOLD ASST. NEWS EDITOR
CONTRIBUTED BY RICK PESCOVITZ
Rick Pescovitz (right) stands next to his pop-up tent for spectating sports, which appeared on reality TV show “Shark Tank.” and his team to develop the Under the Weather product line, an effort he says is going well thus far. “If I travel and I bring a couple of the pods with me in their circular bag, people know of Under the Weather
and they’ll bring it up to me. They don’t know who I am,” Pescovitz said. “It’s neat to see that something you’ve created is actually being used and people have great response from it.”
OHIO REP CONFRONTS COMMUNITY POLITICS
BONNIE MEIBERS NEWS EDITOR Warren Davidson, representative of Ohio’s congressional eighth district, paid a visit to Oxford on Wednesday, April 19. Miami’s College Republicans organized the town hall event in the community room on the second floor of Lebanon Citizens National Bank (LCNB) Uptown. College Republicans facilitated the meeting for members of the Oxford community who had wanted to speak with Davidson, said director of communications for the organization, Luke Schroeder. The community room was standing room only with an audience made up of mostly Oxford residents. “He wasn’t very well received,” said junior Kyle Chance. “When he answered [questions], there was a lot of yelling back at him.” There were several outbursts from the audience: “That’s not very Christian of you.” “I’d like to send you to Mexico and see how you like it.” “I hope we can have dialogue.” “They definitely have a right to be upset, they’re allowed to voice their opinions,” Chance said. “A town hall is the perfect place to do that. Town halls with just your supporters are campaign rallies.” Davidson opened up the town hall
by giving some introductory remarks about his time in Congress. Members of College Republicans then passed out notecards to those sitting in the audience on which they were asked to write their name, where they were from and their contact information. Davidson then spent the rest of his time answering questions from the audience on those notecards. The notecards left unanswered by the congressman will be answered by his staff. “We knew a number of people who requested the meeting wouldn’t agree politically, but I thought the people were respectful,” Davidson told The Student. “They wanted their questions answered, and they weren’t always happy with the answer, but I think they were happy to get an answer.” Although neighboring cities in Butler County tend to lean right politically, those who are permanent residents of Oxford are more progressive. “You can look at the demographic data,” Davidson said. “This is one of the more Democrat, progressive leaning regions of the eighth district, and I think that showed up in the meeting.” Davidson, who identified himself as a data-driven man several times during his visit, was elected after John Boehner left office in October of 2015. “I’m pretty new to this,” he said. “But I’ve tried to hit everywhere in the district.” After his town hall meeting, the
Trustees approve $6 million for parking, construction
BONNIE MEIBERS THE MIAMI STUDENT
Ohio Representative Warren Davidson of the eighth district spoke with students and Oxford residents Uptown. congressman spoke to a political science class on U.S.-Iranian relations. Davidson is on the Finance Committee and the Subcommittee for Terrorism and Illicit Finance. Ohio Senator Bill Coley also visited with College Republicans on Wednes-
day. This meeting, in Harrison Hall, was much different from the town hall earlier in the day. There were just over 20 members of College Republicans present at this friendlier meeting. He spoke and then took members out to Buffalo Wild Wings.
Miami’s Board of Trustees voted to expand parking and infrastructure in central campus, approve two new degree programs, create several quasi-endowments and make other nominal changes to the university’s facilities in their bi-monthly meeting on April 21. The board approved a $6 million infrastructure contract for central campus. “Improvements include renovation and expansion to six parking lots, the art quad landscape and hardscape, gutter and curb repairs on Maple Street, tunnel top/sidewalk replacements on Maple Street and related signage. The project will be performed in phases and is expected to be complete by November,” reads the University News and Communications statement. The renovated and expanded areas will include the two lots near Shriver Center, the lot near MacMillan Center and the lots near Cook Field, according to David Creamer, Senior Vice President for Finance and Business Services and Treasurer. The board also approved two new degrees at Miami: a Bachelor of Science in Education Studies in the College of Education, Health and Society and the Master of Fine Arts in Experience Design in the College of Creative Arts. The Experience Design MFA (called the “xd: MFA”) is a collaboration between the university’s graphic design and interactive media studies departments, offering a degree for students wishing to improve their design or user experience skills. The trustees approved an expansion of “quasi-endowments” (essentially, small earmarked portions of the university’s $560 million endowment) for the College of Education, Health and Society. The total of all new quasi-endowments is $8,050,000. Of that amount, $2.5 million is allocated to EHS scholarships, $2.5 million is allocated to EHS discretionary spending, $1.5 million is allocated to discretionary spending for the Department of Kinesiology and Health, $1.5 million is allocated to equipment and facilities for the Department of Kinesiology and Health and $50,000 is allocated to the “long-term priorities” of the Department of Family Science and Social Work. The board of trustees also voted to name a new residence hall “Presidents Hall,” to change Tom Herbert’s role (now vice president for advancement) to “senior vice president for advancement,” and to approve emerita/emeritus status for retiring faculty and administrators.
Introducing ‘Reframe’: A podcast about teaching and learning at MU EDUCATION
PARIS FRANZ THE MIAMI STUDENT The College of Education, Health & Society (EHS) has introduced “Reframe,” a new podcast featuring the work of its faculty, students and alumni. “Reframe” was launched this January. There are currently eight podcasts posted under the “News” section of the EHS webpage. “We decided to call it ‘Reframe’ because [the podcast] is reframing society and culture, looking at it from a different perspective,” said James Loy, the creator of the podcast. He said the podcast seeks to share the work of students and faculty and to communicate the fresh viewpoints that arise from their discoveries. A copywriter and editor for EHS, Loy had already been writing articles about the work and accomplishments of EHS students and faculty. Having over 12 years of experience with radio and voice-over work, creating an audio version of those stories seemed
like a natural next step. Loy hopes the podcast will be a way for the college to reach and engage with a new audience. “The podcast is a way to create more of an engaging story that relates to an audience at a different level,” said Loy. “You are actually hearing the voices of the people that we interview... it kind of brings the story to life more, and some audiences may respond to that or it may resonate with them more than a written page.” Assistant professor Andrew Saultz is also excited about the potential outreach of the podcast. Saultz’s research on performance management parallels between teachers and physicians was featured in a “Reframe” episode. As he often does research on education policy, he feels it is vital to reach an audience beyond other researchers. “I do a lot of research on education policy, and so when I complete research I try to reach out to media outlets – really try to get that message out to a different audience,” said Saultz. “I know researchers might
read my piece, but we are looking at other people that might influence education policy as well.” Associate professor William Berg, whose research on movement was featured in “Reframe,” believes that connections with the community will be the most beneficial long-term impact of the podcast. The awareness and connections created by the podcast could generate more support that could possibly translate into more funding, said Berg. It could also help faculty find research populations. Sometimes EHS researchers study special populations, for example people with a specific disease state. Finally, Berg thinks that the connections generated will benefit students by finding outlets for internships, volunteering and other “realworld” experiences. “If we are regularly featuring faculty and their research in social media, which students consume readily, they may learn about opportunities in their own institution that they otherwise wouldn’t have known about,” she
said . Amity Noltemeyer, an associate professor in the educational psychology department, agrees that the podcasts are an opportunity to create connections, especially with alumni. The “Reframe” episode on Noltemeyer’s research on school culture involved an interview with a Miami alumnus and the alumnus’ inclusion in the podcast strengthened her connection back to Miami, said Noltemeyer. Noltemeyer also pointed out that featuring the work of students on the podcast is a way to recognize their achievements. The podcast can also attract potential undergraduate and graduate students. The podcast can make information easily accessible to potential students that are considering attending Miami, said professor Thomas Poetter, whose work with curriculum studies was highlighted in the podcast. “Students who come to Miami are looking at our website. They are looking at it deeply. They are trying to find
out answers to lots of questions, like ‘Is this a place I’d like to come to school? What are the faculty like, what are they interested in doing?’” said Poetter. Poetter believes that the podcast can make information about the students, faculty and culture of EHS easily accessible to potential students that are considering attending Miami, helping them come to a decision. Now that the podcast has been created, it faces the task of increasing awareness and building its audience. Michelle Cosmah, a clinical faculty member whose work on evolving teacher environments was the topic of an episode, believes that the biggest challenge for “Reframe” will be expanding its audience. But for those who are listening, Cosmah thinks “Reframe” brings insight and reflection. “[The podcast] is another avenue for learning,” said Cosmah. “It really allows students to get to know their instructors better, to get to know their research, but also get to know what’s important outside of the classroom content.”
EIC@MIAMISTUDENT.NET
NEWS 3
TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017
FROM MARCH » PAGE 1
Affairs Trent White, geologists Jason Rech and Jonathan Levy, biologist Michelle Boone and professor emerita of interdisciplinary studies Muriel Blaisdell. White and Callahan stressed the importance of science in modern society in their speeches. “No matter what our students choose to do, they will forever be affected by things like Alzheimer’s, cancer, the effects of concussions … We cannot fix these problems without research and we cannot fix these problems without money for research,” White, who is studying to become a teacher, said. “This is what science does for us. This is why science is important. Our students all need to know that science tells us how to live better on this planet, to make this planet work better for us.” Callahan, who is trained as a neuroendocrinologist and also participated in the march portion of the event, concurred. “Science impacts virtually all aspects of our lives and our future,” Callahan said. “So as a society, we must recognize and promote evidence-based policies in support of science — not just on one designated day, but every single day.” Hornbeck was determined to keep politics out of Saturday’s proceedings, saying he turned down politicians who asked to speak at the rally in order to maintain nonpartisan status. Speaker Levy, who heads Miami’s Institute for the Environment and Sustainability (IES), said the march was not intended to be political. “[The march] doesn’t have any specific political action built into it. It’s not meant to alienate anyone from any specific party. The idea of supporting science, you would think, would be a nonpartisan issue,” Levy said. Nevertheless, Levy acknowledged, the perceived need for an international show of support is unprecedented. “Fifteen years ago, I think, we would have been pretty surprised that we would have needed a march for science to go along with Earth Day,” Levy said. “This phenomenon
‘March for Science’ in Uptown Oxford
RYAN TERHUNE PHOTO EDITOR
of the government turning away from science is something that is not new, but has become more important, more critical and is being done to a greater degree than has been done before.” For his part, Levy’s Shideler Hall colleague Jason Rech expressed frustration with the Trump administration’s treatment of scientific issues during his speech Saturday. “Science is not just this long laundry list of facts. It’s a way of knowledge. It’s a way that we organize material and tease out alternate facts, that we test them over time and figure out how to move society forward,” Rech said. “For a climate change scientist, I really don’t know how to respond when I hear comments that climate change science is a hoax perpetuated by a foreign government.” Sophomore physics major Ben Amend said Trump’s “general dismissal, even outright denial” of scientific issues such as climate change brought him to the march.
Amend carried a sign designed to look like a Tweet from Earth (@ ThirdRockFromTheSun) to @realDonaldTrump: “The concept of global warming was created from evidence collected by thousands of climate change scientists.” Amend’s was one of many signs carried by attendees Saturday. Other slogans included “There is no Planet B,” “The oceans are rising...and so are we,” “Science is hope — don’t deny it,” and “Without science, it’s just fiction.” The crowd also joined in chants such as, “I don’t care what they say, objective facts are here to stay,” and “Science, not silence.” The most common refrain involved Hornbeck prompting, “Show me what democracy looks like,” with the response, “This is what democracy looks like.” Amend said he was encouraged by the experience. “It was comforting to know that there were so many people in this area who agreed on the importance of science in education, government,
and society [and] were also willing to publicly march in support of it,” Amend said. Junior chemical engineering major Jack Parrish was pleasantly surprised by Saturday’s showing. “There was a lot more people than I might’ve expected going in,” Parrish said. “It wasn’t just one demographic; there was lots of students, lots of members of the community, some kids from high school, all coming together to support a cause that they feel strongly about.” Hornbeck, too, was pleased with Saturday’s turnout, which he said took priority over the 2,500 people who expressed interest in the march via a Facebook event. “I think where the rubber hits the road is where things are important, where people actually mobilize themselves to come together,” Hornbeck said. “Social media’s a powerful mechanism, but clicking something is a whole lot different than leaving your home and going and showing people
that you stand with them in solidarity. Otherwise we could all Skype in to a march and you don’t even have to leave your house. That’s not activism so much, in my opinion.” Parrish said the show of citizen activism was welcome, if somewhat rare. “We put ourselves in a sort of bubble at Miami. You can just kind of ignore what’s going on around you, just stay inside the bubble where you feel comfortable and safe,” Parrish said. “I think it’s important to realize that we’re a part of something much bigger and we are the future of the country, being college-educated young people.” And he was grateful for the opportunity to get involved. “To be part of something like [the march] was special,” Parrish said. “Regardless of whether it was effective or not as a way to get my voice out there, I think it was important to take part, just as sort of a statement.”
Blood drive Open to All Miami Students & Faculty!
Thur., April 27 11:00 am – 5:00
pm
Heritage room - 3rd Floor SHriver Center Sponsored by:
Panhellenic Association and Interfraternity Council (IFC) Black Student Action Association Delta Sigma Pi Professional Business Fraternity Invisible Illnesses, Phi Epsilon Kappa Pre-Dentistry Club, Psi Chi
FREE ood Be the G T-shirt gister to e r u o y n e h w give blood!
Heather MacDonald
Martin O’Malley
Can Both Black and Blue Lives Matter? APRIL 27, 2017
Farmer Business School Taylor Auditorium
6:00 PM Reception follows in Forsythe Commons No Admission Charge — Ticket Required Open to the Public — Limited Seating
Tickets are available at the Miami University Box Office in the Campus Avenue Building (513) 529-3200
Make Your Appointment to Donate Today! DonorTime.com - Use Sponsor Code 963 or call 1-800-388-4483 (Option 1)
Eligibility Questions? Email: canidonate@givingblood.org Bring a friend & save more lives!
MiamiOH.edu/janus #JANUSMiamiOH
Culture
4
SHUMANDB@MIAMISTUDENT.NET
TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017
‘THE WILD PARTY’ CAPTURES THE SPIRIT OF THE 20s THEATRE
ERIN GLYNN THE MIAMI STUDENT For fans of rebellion, sexual liberation and general debauchery (basically the 1920s as an era), the Miami University Department of Theatre’s production of “The Wild Party” is a thoughtprovoking feast for the senses that should not be missed. “The Wild Party” began as a narrative poem written in 1928 by American Lost Generation writer Joseph Moncure March, but it was adapted in 2000 as a Drama Desk Award-winning, Off-Broadway musical by Andrew Lippa (“The Addams Family” and “Big Fish”). The result is assuredly a period piece that nonetheless showcases characters progressive even by 2017 standards. The characters in “The Wild Party” can be hard to swallow at first— to borrow F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous critique on the 1920s upper class in “The Great Gatsby,” “They were careless people...they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness.” Yet, the charm and charisma of the entire cast inevitably makes it hard for one not to root for these shallow, selfish partygoers. Abby Chafe dazzles as Queenie with vocal talent that ranges from breathy Vaudeville tunes to stirringly powerful numbers. Brenton Sullivan also captivates the audience with his stel-
lar performance as Black. Both actors possess excellent stage presence and harmonize well together, managing to stay soulful and genuine with the difficult material. Remy Willocks (Jackie) stands out as phenomenal talent in his poignant dance solos, and Alisha Bond regularly steals scenes as Kate. The pacing of the show can be tricky, with a slow, mounting tension throughout the entire party that culminates in a truly jarring climax, but the cast navigates this well and with a palpable enthusiasum. Designed by Miami associate professor of theatre Gion DeFrancesco, the literally electric set conveys the frenzied energy of the period. It utilizes many Vaudeville posters that ensure the audience never forgets that the world of Queenie and Burrs was one built upon and shrouded in a sense of artificiality. A number of portraits hang, positioned cunningly around the set to suggest that the love the characters show toward one another is always secondary to the narcissistic passion they have for themselves and their fame. DeFrancesco took inspiration from the works of American painter Reginald Marsh and discussed in the show’s program his desire to capture the foreboding associated with Vaudeville success, writing “the colors are vivid, gaudy like over-ripe fruit...the specter of the future surrounds this party, and makes its way into the party space itself.”
The production’s lighting design, created by Miami assisstant professor of theatre Marly Wooster also cultivates that sense of apprehension, adding a hyperstimulating quality that seems unreal. The lighting also draws a sharp contrast between the tones of the scenes, helping the audience to distinguish between the “shiny façade and gritty reality” of the characters and set, as Wooster put it. If you’re in the mood for a vivacious celebration and thorough examination of life in the 1920s, make sure to catch “The Wild Party” on its run at 7:30 p.m. on April 26-29 and at 2:00 p.m. on April 30th at the Gates-Abegglen Theatre.
BETH PFOHL THE MIAMI STUDENT
The Department of Theatre’s production of “The Wild Party” continues through April 30 at the Gates-Abegglen Theatre. See the photo story at miamistudent.net
Humans oƒ Oxford
LOCAL ART SCENE THRIVES AT FARMER’S MARKET UPTOWN
BEA NEWBERRY THE MIAMI STUDENT The unveiling of 3,000 murals in Cincinnati by Artworks took 30 years. Thirty-six of the 52 city neighborhoods host at least one mural. A recent column from the Cincinnati Enquirer labeled Hamilton as possibly the next Over-the-Rhine, because of a resurgence of “cultural play” and the placement of new statues outside the Fitton Center for Creative Arts. Members of the arts community in Oxford hope to see their town next in line. The Oxford Farmer’s Market is one step in the right direction, said Larry Slocum, the market’s manager since 2006. “As more people want to see more of an arts scene, it will happen. That is the way life goes,” Slocum said. “So I look forward to that.” Local residents and market vendors Masha Stepanova and Joe Prescher of Stella’s Yen agree that the public arts scene in Oxford may just be in its early stages. Stepanova and Prescher met at the University of Iowa, then each eventually reconvened in Oxford, where Stepanova is a librarian at King Library, specializing in Slavic languages. Since 2013, they have been selling and commissioning distinctive crafts like hand-bound books, bags, wood burnings, stone carvings, walking sticks and jewelry. Their most recent project was the completion of their naturallylit, wood-filled home studio. Additionally, their outdoor storage space holds larger installations in progress, like “Stella,” a ballerina sculpture and the namesake of their Oxford Farmer’s Market booth. They have a setup that satisfies them. Artists by trade, they find great pleasure in making art for others. They admitted the market is a simple way for newcomers to join the arts scene, rather than search hard for an exclusive society. They keep an optimistic outlook on the status of public arts. “It’d be great to get more public art going,” Prescher said. “It’s a great time for Oxford right now to get things moving and this market is something we can anchor in.” The pair has mused on the idea of filling more spaces with art on High Street. “It’d be great to have artists
KAT HOLLERAN THE MIAMI STUDENT KAT HOLLERAN THE MIAMI STUDENT
Ian Banks: Driven to success PEOPLE
EMMA KINGHORN THE MIAMI STUDENT
JUGAL JAIN THE MIAMI STUDENT
The Oxford Farmer’s Market crops up Saturday mornings in the Uptown park offering fresh produce and handicrafts. coming out, contributing to the culture uptown,” Prescher said. During the summer season, Stepanova says Uptown “really blooms.” Faced with some zoning and funding limitations, there is actually a greater obstacle at play. They believe that the push must come from the ground up. The Historic and Architectural Preservation Commission has encouraged a greater art presence and sees opportunities for art projects around town, Prescher said. Currently, the Oxford Community Arts Center drives almost all community art engagement outside of the university. It keeps its calendar busy with classes like architectural photography, watercoloring, life drawing, African dance and community theatre. Other market vendors believe in the power of art engagement, as well. Maegan Burkart, creator of a fiber art collection called Little Patch Alpacas since 2010, uses her own farm’s alpacas, sheep, and llamas to sheer, spin, and dye unique blends and textures. She gives her time to the SPROUTS, an Oxford Farmer’s Market kids program that uses scavenger hunts to teach children what happens to food before it comes to
the grocery store. “When you see the kids realizing these things, it’s awesome. It might grow. Last year was my first year and we had a lot of fun,” Burkart said. Slocum, who used to help elementary school teachers use music to teach math, science, and English, described the SPROUTS program as an “interactive adventure” with a turnout of 40 to 60 kids every Saturday morning. Libby Birch of Lobel Nursery also lends her time to OCAC, where guest speakers and art demonstrators visit young and art-loving community members. “I’d do it again,” Birch said of her years teaching art. And that she has. She has a large role in the after school programs at OCAC that offer experiences kids wouldn’t necessarily get in a regular classroom. Under her market tent, she sells modified versions of the earth, each with a story. Her selection of low-maintenance, native plants keeps college plant-lovers in mind. She collects and constructs wind mobile materials from places like Lake Erie or her neighbor’s bamboo backyard. She reclaims fabrics, hunted down at Goodwill, to hand sew into bags. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Ian Banks is always surprised when people ask what it is that he chose to have etched into his forearm with permanent ink. “If you’ve driven a car, you’ve seen it,” he said. For anyone not well associated with motor vehicles, the circular design with varying numbers and perpendicular lines is a gear shift ― a stick shift, to be exact. “They’re more fun to drive,” he explained. “It takes more skill.” During his freshman year of high school, Ian began capturing photographs of exotic cars that caught his eye as he drove around his hometown of Columbus. Sharing them on @mutualistic — his car-focused Instagram — became a way for him to make connections, build a portfolio and help him find people in the business. Ian wants to be in the industry and has been trying to work his way into it ever since. Ian thinks a car tells a lot about its owner. “The amount of money you’re willing to put into a car reflects the amount you’re willing to work,” he said. Ever since a luxury car owner let him drive one once, his dream car has been the McLaren. The intense speed and futuristic design represents everything Ian
wants in his life — high-adrenaline moments. His first car wasn’t quite as luxurious, a Honda Civic ’97 — the best he could do at the time. He laughs about it now but is quick to proclaim his love for his first car. It was more than just a car, though; it was a motivation for someone who dreamed of driving luxurious cars around I-270. “It showed me what I needed to work up from,” said Ian. He’s so highly motivated to start building his success that he couldn’t wait to get started. He decided to turn his high school english project into his own startup company, Fine Mark Social. The business manages and maximizes companies’ social media platforms, often working with individual realtors. His interest in social media grows from its different connecting abilities, something he learned from first running his car-themed Instagram account. Ian and his three other partners meet via Google Hangout three times a week. It’s difficult to align all of their schedules, but it’s worth it. This is part of his plan for success, to find people he can trust to help him split the work and manage time. His other tenet of personal success is to invest in himself, and his own businesses. Fine Mark Social’s success is only the beginning. “It shows me that anything in life is achievable,” Ian said.
IF YOU’RE READING THIS ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, GOD BLESS YOU
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SHUMANDB@MIAMISTUDENT.NET
TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017
DANCE THEATRE PERFORMS SPRING CONCERT The company’s show, held this weekend, featured a variety of dances, music and styles THEATRE
HANNAH FIERLE THE MIAMI STUDENT As the bright, swirling Technicolor background lit up Hall Auditorium, the audience was instantly pulled in. Dancers in long, medieval gowns began to twirl from behind the curtains until they were interrupted by a young man in full 1970s hippie garb, carrying a boombox playing “Stayin’ Alive.” The Dance Theatre’s opening number was much like the show as a whole: an eclectic mix of styles of dance, music and costumes that made for a visually dynamic performance. Miami’s Dance Theatre puts on two annual concerts, one each semester of the school year. The spring concert’s daring and experimental flair that created a truly spectacular show. The show, which was composed of ten dances, showcased not only the physical talent of the dancers, but the creativity and vision behind the scenes. The first routine, entitled “Little Hustler on the Prairie,” featured a more classical style of music and dance, with a disruption of psychedelic 1970s funk. The juxtaposition between the two styles created a fun and quirky opening to the show, drawing laughter from the audience with the gentleman’s disco moves. In a number titled “Ruminate,” a group of seven dancers performed a dark and dramatic number, touching on themes of women’s liberation and stereotypes of the millennial generation. In an avant-garde contemporary style, the group startled the audience with a collective shriek at the end. A particularly riveting number was a social commentary on the Black Lives Matter movement, performed to Macklemore’s musical manifesto, “White Privilege II.” With such a controversial subject, a statement was given prior to the number that the dance was an artistic expression and did not necessarily need to be agreed with. The routine, one of the larger of the show, featured a group dressed
in different black and white hip-hop outfits. The dance was an interpretive style of hip-hop, that often coincided with lyrics being rapped in the music. At the end of the number, the cast gathered on stage with signs and pickets, voicing a desire for peace and equality. Another standout featured soloist Matt Hurtado beginning in the audience and progressing to the stage. The routine, set to impossibly quick tribal music, utilized stacked wooden boxes as props. Hurtado balanced and swung from the boxes, seamlessly incorporating them into the unique number. From a routine in which the dancers began tied in rope from which they untangled themselves, to a beautiful lyrical number featuring long scarves of fabric, the performance experimented with different props and styles that made for a beautiful visual and immersive experience for the audience.
ANGELO GELFUSO THE MIAMI STUDENT
Miami’s Dance Theatre performed their spring concert this past weekend in Hall Auditorium.
Redhawk Roost
Redhawk Radio to host free indie concert in Armstrong MUSIC
KRISTIN STRATMAN THE MIAMI STUDENT For Miami students who are looking for some new music to add to their summer playlists, Redhawk Radio is offering a solution. This Wednesday, Redhawk Radio will be hosting a free spring concert featuring the bands Argonaut & Wasp and Cross Country. The concert will run from 8-11 p.m. in the Armstrong Student Center in Pavilion C. Argonaut & Wasp, the headlining band at the concert, is a four-man band hailing from Brooklyn, New York. The four members, Trey Schibli, Theo Klein, Alec Donkin and Chris Corsico, create their music using a combination of physical instruments and a synthesizer. Their music gives an alternative, chill vibe. Cross Country is a local band comprised of four Miami students, Ezra Saulnier, Thomas Meyer, John Clooney and Emily McColgan. Formed in 2015, their music has an indie rock sound. “[Our music] is definitely made to be performed live,” said Saulnier, Cross Country’s lead singer and guitarist. “It’s a lot more simplified than a lot of electronic music — it uses a lot of guitar, so it can be performed live and is a bit more easily digestible.” Jason Tulloch, a senior analytics and finance major who is a member of Redhawk Radio, coordinated the spring concert. Tulloch chose these bands to introduce the Miami community to an
FARMER’S MARKET, CONTINUED
The future of Oxford’s public arts may be hard to define, but it is on the minds of many market-goers. Prescher and Slocum shared that, one day, they would like to construct an entryway arch to the space, as a public declaration of the market. To be a part of the dialogue, all are welcome at the farmer’s market, which
up-and-coming band while offering a local taste as well. This is the first free spring concert offered by Redhawk Radio, said Claire Stemen, a senior english major who is involved with Redhawk Radio. According to Stemen, the expected crowd will be around 150, so this concert will certainly call some more attention to the local music scene. “We want to get to a point where we can have a spring music festival here every year, like the one they have at Ohio University,” Stemen said. “We just need enough interest in it that the university will back it.” The purpose of this concert is twofold, said Madeleine LaPlante-Dube, another senior english major involved with Redhawk Radio. The mission is to give Redhawk Radio more of a presence on campus and to introduce a larger portion of the Miami community to local and upcoming music artists. “There’s this unique, underground music culture at Miami that really is overlooked by many in the Oxford community,” said LaPlante-Dube. “Our goal is to bring some more awareness to the local music scene.” Redhawk Radio’s Free Spring Concert offers an important opportunity for local and underground music to be celebrated. Saulnier also says that supporting the local music scene is a crucial thing to do. “It’s important that if you’re doing something locally, that it gets some sort of recognition,” he said.
prides itself in “cultivating community.” Slocum estimated that there are 200 student visitors at the market among the 900 total visitors each week. The market sits just behind Uptown’s Memorial Park on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon during the summer season. All firsttime guests receive “GREENback” coupons to use toward purchases.
DEVON SHUMAN MANAGING EDITOR
Across 1. 3-letter designation for English courses 3. “Doctor Who” network 5. Volunteer school grp. 8. “_ _ unto others…” 9. 3, in ancient Rome 10. In Farmer, it comes after Business? 11. “Hamlet” has 5 13. A type of tea or cigarette 15. A ridiculous failure 16. Shakespeare’s “Look!” 17. Good _ _ days 18. Yin and _ _ _ _ 19. With 31-across: Successor of Hodge 21. Restroom, in Manchester 22. Economic bubble marked by speculation in Internet-company stocks 26. _ _ _ _ _ _ Borealis 27. Grp. gathering for guzzlers 29. Toward the back, at sea 31. See 19-across 33. Darwin’s vessel: _ _ _ Beagle 34. Climbs to the third floor of Upham
SEE ANSWERS IN NEXT WEEK’S ISSUE
Down 1. 3-letter designation for teacher education courses 2. “_ _ Scrubs” 3. Iota or modicum 4. Area of Miami’s campus once filled with thick forest 5. Not a Mac 6. _ _ and fro 7. A simile or metaphor, e.g. 9. They may be enjoyed on one knee at a bar 10. 8:30, to many 12. What BP spilled 14. A type of scarf or snake 15. Hat material of many a conspiracy theorist 19. Layers of paint 20. In film prod. lingo, the process of re-recording dialogue 23. Tootsie Roll Industries, at the NYSE 24. King has one 25. A shop or market 28. Page 9 has many 29. “Say _ _!” 30. Not AM, but _ _ 32. “So we beat _ _, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
Science
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WILLI501@MIAMIOH.EDU
TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017
A.J. NEWBERRY THE MIAMI STUDENT
How professors teach Climate Change TESS SOHNGEN NEWS EDITOR How do you teach Miami University students a politically-charged topic like climate change? Erase the smoke and mirrors, and show them the facts. That’s what Miami assistant professor Kevin Armitage and John Tchernev do in their classes. Step one: look at the research. “I was someone who had heard about climate change, I generally believed that it was probably true… it seemed like there was a lot of different types of information out there, and I wasn’t sure what to trust,” Tchernev said. While in graduate school at Ohio State University (OSU), Tchernev took a class that examined how the public learns about climate change and the public dialogue around it. Experts from other departments often came to talk with the class and answer questions. “It was a chance for me to read a lot of the scientific research on climate change, which when you read it, it’s really very clear…. it is happening, it’s already happening, the globe is warming and humans are behind a lot of it,” said Tchernev. “The only areas of uncertainty are how bad it’s going to be and exactly what’s the timeframe when these things are going to happen.” Where does the research come from? Tchernev turns to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) annual report – an over 4,700-page analysis of the scientific, technical and socio-economic information around climate change set up by the United Nations to inform governments across the globe. Tchernev refers to
the 130-page Synthesis Report and uses an even shorter version in his News and Numbers class. “How uniform the scientific consensus is…it’s almost unprecedented in the history of science,” said Armitage, who received his Ph.D in American History. Of the thousands of peer-reviewed articles on climate change, only 22 deny the human impact on global warming, and none of those are based in ongoing research, Armitage added. The largest document arguing the IPCC is the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC), a mirror image of the IPCC in appearance but not substance. Rather than composed of a group of scientists, the NIPCC is a group of climate change “sceptics” financed by the libertarian Heartland Institute. “That’s the best, strongest anti-climate change argument that scientists can come up with; and in class, in just one hour, we found a lot of problems with it,” said Tchernev. “It’s biased, it cherry-picks data, and that’s the strongest argument they can come up with, with a lot of money behind them.” So what about the climate change “sceptics” in the classroom? Although neither professor has had a student in their classroom come out against climate change, the potential is there. “You have to account for denialism,” said Armitage. “As far as I know, we’ve only had two denialists in our faculty.” Both worked in Farmer School of Business, he said. “If students think they’re in the minority in a class… they will be afraid to talk because they don’t want to be outcast or
ostracized, but also, sometimes people just don’t really want to get into heavy political stuff unless they’re really pushed into it, so I think that’s one barrier that we face with that,” said Tchernev. “I’ve found mozst students want to know what the facts are and what the science says,” said Armitage, “and [students] almost uniformly get it right away.” Armitage presents an analogy to his students: Most students recognize that smoking causes heart problems and lung disease. Why? Because there is overwhelming scientific evidence to support that claim. But throughout the 1960s, 70s’ and 80s’, many smokers, non-smokers and media figures denied this because the tobacco companies hired public relations and communications professionals to fog the link between smoking and lung cancer. “It was an extremely successful strategy for them,” said Armitage. In his class, Armitage asks the students to read “Merchants of Doubt,” a book by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway that shows how a small group of scientists and businessmen cloud public understanding of the tobacco industry and climate change. Tchernev uses the documentary version in his class. In both cases, the students discover that the same people who worked for the tobacco industry now work for ExxonMobil Pacific Gas and Electric and other climate change deniers. “The primary goal of most propaganda is it’s not usually outright… but rather the claim that the science is in doubt,” said Armitage. Tchernev agrees that part of the success of this small group of climate change “sceptics” is the fault of effective strate-
gic communication, in which he received his Ph.D at OSU. His current research focuses on how entertainment media can persuade a person’s opinion, from satirical political comedy like “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” to environmental TV shows, to science fiction movies like “The Day After Tomorrow.” “There are lots of ways where it can go wrong… you could lose a sense of reality, or it could seem like it is overblown… sometimes people don’t like having a persuasive or a preachy message inside of an entertainment context,” Tchernev said. “So it doesn’t always work, but what we have found is that with well-told stories that are engaging and also things with humor, things like The Daily Show; these can really help people be interested in something that maybe they wouldn’t have noticed otherwise, and it could also make them pay more attention, and it can also make them learn something,” he added. But how interested in climate change are students at Miami? Armitage said he found most of his students to be engaged in climate change discussion, and once they know the facts, they are eager to discuss policies around adapting to and lessening global warming. “[Students] may not know what to do about it, or they may not feel comfortable discussing it a lot in class because they… don’t want to get into uncomfortable situations where someone disagrees with them, especially because it is a very politicallycharged issue,” said Tchernev. While Earth Day has come and passed, Armitage and Tchernev continue to peel away the politics from climate change, one class at a time.
Students revive Oxford’s beekeeping past with Apiculture Society KELLY MCKEWIN THE MIAMI STUDENT The Butler County Beekeeper’s Association (BCBA), a group populated by local farmers and beekeepers from the 31 honey-selling farms around the county, recently gained two new members — members who do not fit the typical demographic of the group. Jack Fetick and Luke Elfreich, juniors at Miami University, joined the BCBA after deciding to found the Miami Apiculture Society, a club devoted to keeping bees and learning about the species. The pair first decided to found the club a year and a half ago when they came across a story in a magazine about the work of Alex Zomchek, the president of the BCBA and a faculty member at Miami’s Ecology Research Center. Neither Fetick nor Elfreich had kept bees before, but they were intrigued by the concept and wanted to learn more about the practice. “It’s the perfect mix of all these things. I think it’s a great platform for environmental awareness here. It’s a good way for kids to get involved,” Elfreich said. Additionally, the pair was inspired by beekeeping’s close ties to Oxford. Known
as the “Mecca of beekeeping” by those familiar with the history of apiculture, Oxford was the location of the first modern beehive, invented by Lorenzo Langstroth. Langstroth, a clergyman from Philadelphia, moved with his family to Oxford in the late 1850’s, where he built and patented the first hive with movable frames. He imported Italian queen bees and planted thousands of flowers on his 10 acre property in an effort to cultivate more honey. His successful hive design became the norm for most beekeepers in the country, both in the 1850’s and today. His former home, Langstroth Cottage, resides on Patterson Avenue and was inducted as a National Historic Landmark in 1982. For Fetick, with this historic connection, it only made sense to begin keeping bees on the campus where the industry first began. “I’d walk past the Langstroth Cottage and see the historical marker out there talking about how important it is and how a whole industry, a whole world, was revolutionized here in Oxford, Ohio,” Fetick said. “So I was like ‘wow, that’s pretty cool. That’s something Miami has that nobody else really has.’” It has been a year and half in the making, but the club is finally getting off the
PROVIDED BY THE MIAMI APICULTURE SOCIETY
ground this spring, with Zomchek offering all the advice and support he can give to the club. For him, the founding of the club has come as a somewhat welcome surprise. In the 23 years he has been at Miami, he has had the occasional student interested in learning
more about bees or the research he does on them, but has never had anyone approach him and ask to learn how to keep them. While he has always wanted someCONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE
WILLI501@MIAMIOH.EDU
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TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017
THE NECESSITY OF DISCOMFORT Science and Sustainability in the 21st Century KYLE HAYDEN COLUMNIST What are you willing to give up for a living planet? What should we be willing to do to reverse the circumstances that have brought us to this point? What is all the worry about? These questions run the gamut of environmental thought today. The Al Gores of the world, liberal environmentalists, seem to think that just a reorganization of the current energy infrastructure into a “green and sustainable” one will allow us to continue “enjoying our standard of living.” I used to believe that, but then I slowly realized it was just that — a belief — and not an understanding of the present situation. I wish to challenge this set of assumptions. Education is destroying what you thought you knew yesterday. The definition of research is that one gathers materials to reach NEW conclusions. Unless we are prepared to depart with the idols of today, we are not serious. We can choose either a living planet OR an industrial economy. The world’s wealthiest people (North America, Europe, Australia) are choosing an industrial economy. Outside the “core” nations of the world, the negative effects of industrial production and organization are exported to “peripheral” regions and the propagandists call this “development.” Make no mistake: if the world’s poorest 3 billion people disappeared today there
would be no significant change in global emissions of carbon dioxide. The burden of becoming RESPONSIBLE bears on the conscience of the world’s wealthiest people. If you are reading this newspaper, that means you (and I). Environmental thought in the 21st century will have to break with current ideas of sustainability. First: ask yourself how much of what you think about sustainability has been supplied to you by the strategic communicators from various industries. These industries, mind you, have terrible “track records” of behavior and in reality no one should trust their environmental advice, no matter how appealing and well designed. Sustainable “solutions” under this view would leave destructive forms of living unchallenged. This is a place where everyone could live in a green fantasy world powered by wind farms and solar panels. This of course would make a lot of money for General Electric. The truth no liberal environmentalist wants to talk about is that greenhouse gasses (e.g. sulfur hexafluoride) produced by plasma etching equipment are tens of thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide. Or that the rare-earth minerals extraction process to make cell phones, laptops and most electronics equipment are some of the dirtiest and most dangerous jobs on the planet. Just run a search for Baotou, Upper Mongolia. Note I did not insist you use the internet. These are just two of the
Coffee Grounds Bring New Energy to Miami Farm BRENNEN KAUFFMAN THE MIAMI STUDENT The new project at the school’s farm composts hundreds of pounds of coffee per week. The two students sitting in the car behind the Armstrong Student Center don’t drink a lot of coffee. Shawnee Waters, the grad student behind the wheel, goes through a reusable K-cup maybe once or twice a month. Hanna Gonce, the junior math major riding shotgun, doesn’t drink any caffeine. The ten buckets of coffee grounds in the back seat are more than they’ll make in a lifetime. They’re also business as usual. Waters and Gonce run the Coffee Grounds Project for Miami’s Environmental Health and Safety Office. Every Friday, they collect used grounds from buildings across campus and bring them to the new Miami Institute for Food Farm for composting. Last semester they collected just over 2,000 pounds and they’re on track to beat that total this week. They recently added their first location from uptown and a second car to help gather everything. The composting project is the brainchild of Waters and farm education manager Lauren Wulker. Until last year, the grounds from the campus didn’t go to the farm behind Yager Stadium. A thirdparty company, Organix, would collect them and bring them elsewhere to be composted. But while many environmentally friendly companies have grown, composting companies have struggled to keep their clients. “The market’s gone way down,” Waters said, adding that Miami has stepped in to fill the gap. “It has to be in-house now.” Gonce started working with the Environmental Office two years ago as a Zero Waste ambassador for her dorm. “It just kinda snowballed from there,” said Gonce. She was working on the battery recycling project last spring when Waters approached her about the new coffee project. They only collected from three places in the first month -- Armstrong, Cole Physical Facilities Building, and the Miami Rec Center. That increased to seven collection spots by the end of last semester and nine by February. This growth has doubled the average amount of coffee grounds they collect per week, from 106 pounds last semester to 216 this semester. After collecting the grounds at Armstrong, the two of them split up. Waters takes another car to collect from
the other main suppliers: the Maplestreet Station facilities, King Library, and the Oxford Coffee Company. Gonce will pick up smaller trash bags from six buildings on campus. They both end up dumping their grounds at the farm at roughly the same time. Gonce comes into Alumni Hall just after noon to collect the grounds from the faculty lounge. None of the eight professors inside pay much attention as she goes through the collection process. The farm makes it easy for the smaller buildings to collect the grounds by supplying a plastic bucket and a roll of trash bags for each location. She takes the bag out of the bucket, weighs it on a portable electronic scale, and opens a new bag in the bucket. The bags end up in the trunk, left untied for easy access later. “I go home smelling like this,” Gonce admits, “and it grosses me out.” Meanwhile, Shawnee pulls up to the Oxford Coffee Company. Located on Lynn Street next to LaRosa’s Pizza, Oxford Coffee is a roaster, supply store, and coffee shop. The owners reached out to the Farm in January about donating some of their grounds. Barista Tom Bellamy says the shop will give grounds away upon customer request. “People really like coffee in their gardens,” says Bellamy. Using coffee grounds for gardening has several benefits. The original beans are acidic and too much acid is bad for plants, but the grounds are much closer to neutral; most of the acid is brewed away in the drink. They’re also rich in nitrogen, which speeds up decomposition and helps plants fuel their photosynthesis. The composting happens at the “historic Austin-Magie farm,” run by Miami’s Institute for Food a mile north of Oxford. The road into the fields changes from a winding two-lane to a gravel drive to a dirt trail. The last few days had been below freezing, but when Gonce finished her rounds and pulled up to the farm, it was warm enough that the dirt had turned into mud. The composting piles are on the left of the dirt road, across from the actual fields. Bales of hay are built into a makeshift container to hold the grounds and the occasional bad crop. “The grounds go in the middle as our main source of nitrogen,” says Gonce. It takes a few weeks of collection to completely fill the compost pile, and a few more months before it will be used in the field. Waters hopes the project will continue growing after she graduates in May. “You want to get the local community involved,” says Waters.
KYLE HAYDEN THE MIAMI STUDENT
myriad failures of our current environmental thought paradigm. The second and perhaps greater challenge is to make what seems like a difficult and impossible task now into an enjoyable series of (dare I say) adventures instead of self-assigned austerity. State-enforced austerity already exists. This austerity comes in the form of deep cuts to healthcare, education, library and public parks spending; for thinking human beings these are basic social services. If you care to visit any small town in Ohio, or you come from one (like me) you can understand the impact of this austerity. We cannot continue to force the world’s poor into drudgery; we must free them and free us all. However, our idea of freedom has a lot to do with something someone else told us, and that too must be seized and revised. The necessity of discomfort is twofold. We are going to have to become intellec-
APICULTURE, CONTINUED
thing like Fetick and Elfreich’s club to come along, he has refused to start a club on his own, worried that there would not be enough interest or enough members that could sustain even one hive. He was even concerned when Fetick and Elfreich first asked to start the club, worried that even they could not generate enough interest to make the club viable. “I was skeptical. I said to them upfront ‘I will give you as much time as you need, but if you’re going to do this, do it seriously. Create a club that’s sustainable, like the bees themselves. Don’t let it die with you.’ I didn’t want to give them several hundred of my hours only to watch them graduate and wait another 23 years for somebody else to come along,” Zomchek said. Zomchek was surprised not only when Fetick and Elfreich came back each and every time they faced an obstacle starting the club — such as trying to obtain permission from the university to keep hives on campus or realizing they needed to build a fence to put around their hives — but also when he realized they had at least 20 or 30 other students willing to dedicate their time to the Apiculture Society. “They just kept coming back. Every time we ran into an obstacle I thought, ‘They’re done.’ But they kept pushing and pushing and pushing. And with every meeting, there have been more and more people,” Zomchek said. “Every time there has been a sit down meeting or an obstacle, challenge or call to work, I keep getting jazzed and excited, because they’re not only coming, but they’re coming with enthusiasm and excitement, and they’re getting the work done.” Fetick and Elfreich obtained permission from the university to keep their hives behind Boyd Hall and hope to keep two and a half beehives this year, with hopes of expanding to more in the future. The club recently finished building all of the hives and inserted the bees into them, beginning their colonies for the summer. “We just want a club that people can keep bees and continue to realize the legacy of beekeeping on campus and how important it is, and how much fun it can be,” Fetick said. While Fetick and Elfreich try to make the club as much fun as possible for the members, there are some serious undertones to their efforts. Honeybees have faced a growing mortality rate over the course of the last 25 years. A survey from the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that nearly 44 percent of bee colonies died between the summer of 2015 and the spring of 2016. However, their survey relies on self-reporting from only a small percentage of beekeepers around the country, making many experts guess that the figure is actually
tually uncomfortable. To discard the idols of the previous two centuries is going to require walking away from allegiances to those who convinced us we needed them: ideas of comfort, of success and of value. To be patient in an emergency will also be a terrible discomfort. We may have to become physically uncomfortable as well; learning skills that deal with reality instead of everything we “trained” for in college. This might require for more people the use of the body in working and a serious engagement with the mind and confronting the non-human world and trying to get along with them instead of USING them. To build movements around a meaningful environmental ethic that has no allegiance or bias for the current arrangement of affairs will be either the beginning or the end of this century. HAYDENKA@MIAMIOH.EDU
higher, especially in eastern states like Ohio. Zomchek estimates that nearly 60 percent of bees in Ohio die each year, which poses a challenge when it comes to making up the loss. He says back in the 1970’s, when he first kept bees, the loss rate over the course of a year was only about 3 percent, making this a significant difference. “I don’t care who you are, you can’t stay in business if you lose 60 percent of your product every year,” Zomchek said. This yearly loss, as well as the threat of extinction overall can have serious consequences for humans. About one-third of all food consumed by people needs to be pollinated by bees. However, as most of these foods are fruits and vegetables, this one-third contains about 80 percent of all vitamins and minerals humans need to survive. Without bees, these foods will not necessarily disappear, but they will become significantly more expensive to buy. As Zomchek explains, this can cause a chain reaction of negative consequences for people. With fruits and vegetables more expensive to buy, many families will opt to buy cheaper foods that are often processed and loaded with unhealthy fats and sugars. It’s difficult to tell how the future of the honeybee will go, but at least for the future of the Miami Apiculture Society, Fetick and Elfreich have plans. Though they only have two and a half hives this year, they plan to do everything they can to keep them healthy and hope to expand in the future. Over the summer, members of the BCBA and Zomchek himself will come to the Oxford campus to care for the hives, and, in the fall, the club will take over again and harvest and sell their honey to people on campus. Fetick, who lives in Cincinnati, also plans to drive in over the summer when possible to monitor the hives. The plan is also to expand the club in the future to include more hives in more locations on campus. Elfreich even has tentative plans to turn Lorenzo Langstroth’s cottage into an on-campus farmer’s market; however, as the cottage currently houses the Butler County Regional Transit Authority, this plan is still just a dream for the founders. For Zomchek though, the club itself is a testament to how long he has been passionate about beekeeping. As a boy who fell in love at his first taste of honey, he now gets to teach and share his passion with a new generation of young people. “A childhood passion turned into a lifelong interest turned into a professional problem and solution,” Zomchek said. “I was always hoping something like this was going to come on campus.”
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MORE OF THIS WEEK IN PHOTOS
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(left) Miami’s Alpha Beta Sigma chapter at the 2017 “G. W. A: Greeks With Attitude” Step Show at Millet Hall. (above) Alpha Kappa Alpha’s performance was a blend of hip-hop, history, and horror movie spoof. (left) Miami’s Alpha Beta Sigma chapter at the 2017 “G. W. A: Greeks With Attitude” Step Show at Millet Hall. (above) Alpha Kappa Alpha’s performance was a blend of hip-hop, history, and horror movie spoof. (bottom left) Stage Left’s production of Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd haunted Wilks Theatre this weekend as RedHawk softball (below) rallied to swept a three game series against Buffalo, holding onto their first place position in the Mid-American Conference.
BETH PFOHL THE MIAMI STUDENT
FROM JANUS » PAGE 1
the Black Liberation movement, according to their website. The Blue Lives Matter movement “[seeks] to honor and recognize the actions of law enforcement,”according to their website. Additionally, they endeavor to “strengthen public support and provide much-needed resources” to those in law-enforcement and their families. This semester’s JANUS Forum will spark dialogue between two
controversial figures. Heather Mac Donald has been outspoken on the Black Lives Matter movement since the riots in Ferguson, during which she described a “Ferguson effect.” O’Malley, representing the Black Lives Matter side, served as Maryland’s governor during the riots in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray in 2015. O’Malley was criticized for saying “All lives matter” in 2015, but he later apologized and has since came out in support of Black Lives Matter. Someone marked their distaste
FROM CREDITS » PAGE 1 FROM CUSTER » PAGE 1
an April 22 Facebook post reads. “Another step in the plan God has mapped out for Ryan.” A fundraising page created for Custer, “The Ryan Custer 33 Recovery Fund,” is close to raising its entire $100,000 goal. At the time of publication, the fund was just about $4,000 shy of the 100k mark. Over 6,500 people have liked the page and are following along with Custer’s recovery through the family’s Facebook updates.
FROM HUMANS » PAGE 1
option to spend spring break. “If I stay at Oxford there is nothing to do and nobody to play with,” Florida said. After moving to Ohio and out of her mother’s eyesight, Florida dyed her hair purple, then gold, finally landing on flamingo pink tips to symbolize her adventurous spirit.
which degree programs would need to change their requirements in October of 2015 and held interviews with chairs of departments to find the best ways to meet the credit hour requirement. Diane Delisio, senior associate dean for the College of Engineering and Computing, said the deans of each college on Miami’s campus received a memo in April 2016 notifying them of the change in required hours and outlining a timeline of steps needed to address the change. “The process entailed a review of the curriculum by every depart-
It was this spirit that drew her to skip the warm beaches in favor of Orlando’s theme parks. Florida and four friends took a plane to see Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. Despite having never read the books, Florida was charmed by the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. She was also impressed by Cinderella’s Castle but wasn’t a fan of the Magic Kingdom’s long lines or army of Disney
BRIANNA NIXON THE MIAMI STUDENT
for the two speakers on a flyer of the event posted outside the Armstrong Student Center. Both pictures of the speakers were crossed out; “NO!” was scribbled by MacDonald’s photo; and “NO FASCIST POLICE STATE” was scribbled by O’Malley’s photo. Mac Donald, a conservative political commentator and journalist, will represent the perspective of proproactive policing. She is a Thomas W. Smith Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank, and serves as an editor for the Manhattan Institute’s quar-
terly magazine, the City Journal. Mac Donald has been granted numerous awards for her journalistic coverage of contentious topics like immigration reform and crime prevention, namely the Civilian Valor Award from the New Jersey State Law Enforcement Officers and the Quill & Badge Award for Excellence in Communication from the International Union of Police Associations. Time Magazine credited O’Malley as “one of America’s top five big city mayors” during his 1999-2007 stint as mayor for the greatly reduced
crime rate in Baltimore. During his tenure as Maryland’s governor, O’Malley legalized marriage equality, passed the DREAM ACT to promote college education to more local adolescents and ended the death penalty in his state. Janus Forum attendees are encouraged to tweet questions for the speakers during the forum with the hashtag #janusmiamioh. The event will is open to the public and will be followed by a reception in FSB.
ment,” Delisio said. “We were looking for ways to reduce our requirements to 124. Some programs had free elective hours that could be cut. But other engineering departments, after benchmarking themselves against other programs in the state of Ohio, realized they couldn’t.” Delisio said that while some of the engineering departments do not qualify for the specific exception granted in the guidelines, they will need an exception as well. “We are accredited by ABET, or Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology,” Delisio said. “They don’t require a certain number of hours, but they require coverage of certain topic
areas. And when you look at that in totality, you can’t complete it in 124 hours.” The university holds the power to grant exceptions when it sees fit. Due to the ABET standard, the Provost granted those engineering programs an exception. “The Ohio Department of Higher Education asks universities to generate a process for determining those exceptions,” Haynes said. Delisio said that while it is unfortunate some departments will still require 128 hours, the students will be grateful for the well-rounded curriculum. “When students graduate from an
ABET accredited program, it ensures quality to a prospective employer,” Delisio said. “We want our graduates to be competitive in the workplace.” But if graduating with the highest number of credits had been a statewide competition, Miami students from every department across campus would have won. “Most other Ohio public institutions had graduation requirements with a lower number of credits than did Miami,” Haynes said. “So, they did not have to undergo this change.” After the conclusion of the 20162017 school year, Miami graduation requirements will be on par with other public universities in Ohio.
princesses. Florida preferred Universal’s roller coasters, even if they upset her stomach. “Just one is okay, but when you finish all the rides you will feel gross,” Florida said. Strangers still ask her why she picked Miami University instead of the other Miami school in Florida. Her answer? Ohio’s sunshine suits her just fine.
GREETINGS FROM THE PAST IN 2017, WE USED TO PRINT NEWSPAPERS ON MURDERED TREES. BUT... WE ALSO HAD SOME PRETTY COOL STUFF LIKE PHONES AND IPADS. YEAH, I HOPE ITS WORTH IT.
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Cleveland Browns (from PHI): CB Tre’Davious White, LSU The Browns are another team with needs top to bottom. With Trubisky off the board and an enticing crop of QBs in next year’s class, the Browns should continue to build their young defense. After Sidney Jones’ achilles injury, White became the second ranked corner on my board. -NS Arizona Cardinals: WR Corey Davis, Western Michigan Larry Fitzgerald can’t play forever, and Corey Davis has the talent and skills to be a more than capable replacement. The all-time NCAA leader in receiving yards, Davis had a long and productive career at Western Michigan and should be a great fit in the Cardinals’ offense. -MH Philadelphia Eagles (from MIN): RB Dalvin Cook, Florida State The theme of the offseason so far for the Eagles has been adding dynamic playmakers for Carson Wentz. This pick is no different as Cook made a living breaking long runs for the Seminoles. The Eagles can afford to wait at CB because of a deep class. -NS Indianapolis Colts: OLB/DE Haason Reddick, Temple Haason Reddick is one of the most versatile players in the draft this year, which should come in handy for the Colts considering they need help at almost every defensive position. Reddick wowed scouts at the NFL Combine back in March, and would be the Colts’ best passrushing prospect since Dwight Freeney. -MH Baltimore Ravens: OLB/DE Takkarist McKinley, UCLA The Ravens lost Elvis Dumervil this off-season, and Terrell Suggs can’t play forever. McKinley steps in right away to “affect the quarterback” -- which has to be the most popular phrase in football right now. -NS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: S/LB Jabrill Peppers, Michigan Peppers, one of the most controversial prospects in the entire draft, is a nice fit for a Tampa Bay defense that would be able to accommodate his ability to play defense essentially without a position. Peppers is a high ceiling prospect, and if the Bucs are able to get the most out of his talents, he could prove to be one of the best players in this draft. -MH Denver Broncos: OT Ryan Ramczyk, Wisconsin The Broncos missed the playoffs a year after winning the Super Bowl largely because of porous offensive line play. Currently there are no left tackles on the Broncos’ roster. A player like Ramczyk who comes
Oakland Raiders, CB Gareon Conley, Ohio State The third member of Ohio State’s incredible secondary is a perfect fit for the Raiders. Conley fills the position of greatest need and is the best player available. Conley allowed an NFL passer rating of 14.0 on throws into his coverage last season -- 25.6 points worse than throwing the ball out of bounds every play. -NS TRADE: New York Jets (from HOU): CB Marlon Humphrey, Alabama The Jets benefit greatly from their hypothetical trade earlier in the draft. Humphrey has been discussed as a top-10 pick after a great season at Alabama and there have been rumors that the Jets would even consider taking him at No. 6. While they do not end up with their quarterback of the future in Round 1, this still leaves them the option of exploring alternatives later in the draft. -MH
Dallas Cowboys: SS Obi Melifonwu, Connecticut Another case of pairing old college teammates at the same position, Melifonwu would join fellow UCONN alumni Byron Jones in the Cowboys’ secondary. After losing four starting defensive backs, the Cowboys should look to draft corners and safeties early and often. Melifonwu is a nice start because he can probably play both. -NS Green Bay Packers: OG Forrest Lamp, Western Kentucky The Packers had arguably the best offensive line in football last season, but lost two key pieces this offseason in guard T.J. Lang and center J.C. Tretter. Picking a guard in the first round is not a sexy pick, but Lamp is a solid blocker and would play an essential role in protecting the Packers’ most prized asset -- QB Aaron Rodgers. -MH Pittsburgh Steelers: ILB Jarrad Davis, Florida At his pro day, he showed off outstanding athleticism for the position and would replace Lawrence Timmons at inside linebacker for the Steelers. Davis and Ryan Shazier would be the fastest young pair of linebackers in the league. -NS
Winning 3-1, the only run the RedHawks gave up came from an RBI groundout. This came off the bat of OU senior shortstop Tyler Finkler. Zach Spears, the sophomore starting pitcher for the Red and White, tossed six innings, struck out seven, with Finkler’s one run as the only blemish on his record. The tie-breaking third game between the two bitter rivals culminated in the ultimate matinee -- it lived up to the billing. Ohio got on the board first, scoring two runs in the bottom of the third behind the exploits of Ibarra. The offensive catalyst pushed a double down the left field line, advanced on a fielder’s choice and scored from third on a throwing error. Sophomore first baseman Rudy Rott followed suit for OU, doubling to left field to make the score 2-0 after
three innings. One inning of solace would follow for both programs before the Red and White would answer the call. MU’s Tyler Harris, filling the designated hitter role, evened the score with a two-run double to right center field. With the game now tied, Miami was on the cusp of their first MAC series victory. A throwing error in the bottom of the fifth would give OU a 3-2 lead they would not give up. Senior second baseman Ty Black was the Bobcat that scored the decisive run. Outside of a one-game, Tuesday meeting at home at 6 p.m. against Morehead State University, the RedHawks take the field for another MAC series this weekend. The ‘Hawks will play visitors to Bowling Green starting at 3:05 p.m. on Friday.
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Seattle Seahawks: OT Garrett Bolles, Utah This is one of the best fits in the draft. Bolles’ skillset lends itself to the zone-blocking scheme the Seahawks run. Bolles’ says he wants to put people in the dirt, and the fiery Seahawks’ OL coach Tom Cable will encourage that attitude. -NS Kansas City Chiefs: ILB Zach Cunningham, Vanderbilt Cunningham is a rangy middle linebacker who is capable of making plays all over the field -- the new prototype for inside linebackers in the NFL. A sure tackler and surprisingly decent in coverage, Cunningham would be a welcome addition to an already stellar Chiefs defense. -MH
FROM BASEBALL »PAGE 14
YOU’RE REALLY GOOD AT READING THE NEWSPAPER.
S ITY ER I V UN I T Y M
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Tennessee Titans: WR John Ross, Washington The NFL’s new fastest man goes to play with its fastest QB. Usually players with Ross’ speed have problems with drops (see: Will Fuller last year) or route running, but he has neither. He’ll be the difference maker on the perimeter Mariota has been needing. -NS
New York Giants, TE David Njoku, Miami (FL) Njoku has been rising on draft boards in the past few weeks after a freakish combine performance, and the Giants’ current tight ends could be modestly described as less than freakish. Njoku would make an already dangerous Giants’ passing attack even more lethal and should be a key piece on what should be a title-contending team in 2017. -MH
Questions, comments, or just think we have no clue what we’re talking about? E-mail Mitch and Nick at hausfemj@miamioh.edu and schletna@miamioh.edu.
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Washington Redskins: RB/WR Christian McCaffrey, Stanford The Redskins lost DeSean Jackson this offseason and will need to revitalize their offense if they plan on keeping Kirk Cousins, their $24 million man, in town and happy. McCaffrey’s elite rushing and receiving ability would add another dimension to Washington’s offense and his returning ability is a bonus as well. - MH
Miami Dolphins: TE OJ Howard, Alabama This is the steal of our draft so far. Howard is faster, stronger, taller, quicker, and heavier than a widely heralded freak in David Njoku. He is also the top run-blocking tight end in the class. It is an unfair combination which means HC Adam Gase will never have to take him off the field. -NS
New Orleans Saints (from NE): CB Chidobe Awuzie, Colorado This is where I’m predicting the real run on CBs starts. The Saints pass defense has been lost at sea for several years, and they should look to this class as a Land Ho! of sorts. Awuzie’s excellent slot coverage is a hot commodity in the age of three WR sets. -NS
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New Orleans Saints: ILB Reuben Foster, Alabama Character concerns have caused Foster, one of this year’s best overall players, to fall in the draft. That being said, I’d be very surprised to see the Saints pass on a potential franchise cornerstone in Foster. Comparisons to Luke Kuechly and Patrick Willis shouldn’t be taken lightly, and his nastiness may be just what the Saints need to toughen up a very porous defense. -MH
Detroit Lions: DE/DT Malik McDowell, Michigan State McDowell is another high-ceiling prospect, but he comes with a bit of a lower floor. At MSU, he showed flashes of being an elite defensive force, but his skills are still somewhat raw. The Lions are in need of a strong interior presence on their defensive line and, if he pans out, McDowell could be just what Detroit’s defense needs. -MH
Atlanta Falcons: DE Vidauntae “Taco” Charlton, Michigan Charlton has been teased as a potential top-10 pick, and if he manages to slide to Atlanta, they will not hesitate to call his name. Charlton had a very productive season for a relentless Michigan defense last season and offers upside for a Falcons team that needed help rushing the passer in this year’s Super Bowl. -MH
RA
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the Bills WR and Clemson alumni Sammy Watkins was the tie breaker. Williams is suited to fill the gaping hole at WR2 for the Bills. His physicality downfield will prevent teams from double teaming Watkins. -NS
from a pro-style scheme and can start at left tackle immediately is a must. -NS
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Opinion
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EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET
TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017
A critique of the Diversity Task Force’s statement The following piece, written by the editorial editors, reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board. Recently, the Diversity Task Force, appointed by President Crawford, asked for feedback on its latest policy statement concerning diversity and inclusion at Miami, which can be found on Miami’s “Institutional Diversity” subsite. The following represents The Student’s take on this latest version: To start, most of the issues that the statement brings up are pertinent in general terms but fall short of providing specific guidance and direction for Miami’s policy. The document states actions such as “attracting the widest array of talented students, faculty, and staff,” “deliberately designing curricula that promote deep learning and provide critical learning opportunities” and “providing support, professional development, and working conditions for students, faculty, and staff that lead to longterm retention, satisfaction, and growth” as intiatives the university is committed to undertaking. While these actions may pass the eye test, they all lack the concrete backing that would allow Miami students and others to under-
As it is now, though the goals are sound, there is no way to measure whether or not Miami is achieving them. stand exactly how they will work in the real world. How, specifically, will Miami attract “the widest array” of talented individuals? What will be the design of curricula that will promote diverse learning? What type of support will the university provide to the Miami community in this context? These goals demand teeth to back them up if they are to convince the Miami community that change is coming. In addition to the endogenous claims in the document, its exogenous claims lack a proper base as well. The paper cites several studies in a single footnote at the bottom. Claims that students who engage with multi-
cultural perspectives gain more opportunities or that students who interact with diverse peers are more likely to succeed are weakened when the only backup provided in the body of the text is, “Research has repeatedly demonstrated...” This problem is amplified in the last paragraph of the statement, where no sources are provided for similar claims. Overall, the statement focuses on the “why” and neglects the “how.” The university’s diversity statement should be a document to which the school can be held accountable. As it is now, though the goals are sound, there is no way to measure
whether or not Miami is achieving them. These problems can be addressed by making the entire statement more concise. This piece should cut down on the amount of institutional jargon it uses and focus on concrete, objective and demonstrably quantitative goals and claims that will give students a clear understanding of what the university plans to do in terms of diversity. This includes the citation of evidence in a clear and transparent manner, as opposed to hiding it in the footnotes. The positive aspects of this statement should not be ignored. The fact that it mentions several groups that are often left out of the diversity conversation (class, diasbility, age, military status, visa status and others) is a very encouraging sign. Defining diversity, too, was a necessary addition to the statement. Additionally, the fact that the task force is asking for feedback at all demonstrates its commitment to working for the community. With the aforementioned critiques, though, it is our hope that it can be made that much better.
‘Disabilities’ in SDS is problematic DISABILITIES
TO THE EDITOR: Dear President Crawford and the Miami University community, I am writing to you with a concern that impacts a wide variety of students here at Miami. As you likely know, Miami University has a variety of services available to students who need additional services, such as an interpreter, quiet space for exams and wheelchair assistance, to name a few. These services are offered by Student Disability Services (SDS). While I am very appreciative of SDS — in fact, I receive services from them — I am concerned by the name of the organization. The word disability has a negative connotation and people who are registered with the SDS are seen by many as disabled. Every time a student registers, a letter is sent to one’s professors from “Student Disability Services.” There is a stigma associated with walking into the SDS office or the Rinella Learning Center based on the titles. I am not saying Miami University
needs to get rid of the Student Disability Services by far, but I am concerned with the title and the negativity that comes with it. I think Miami needs to change the title to something else that is on the more positive side. I would suggest changing it to Student Accessibility Services, or something similar. I believe this will send a more positive message to students but also a message to students who are on crutches or in wheelchairs that there is a service on campus that will help assist them with their needs. I would like to note a few universities and the title of their departments that help students access the help they need to succeed in their college careers. Kent State University located in Kent, Ohio, and Ohio University located in Athens, Ohio, both call their department Student Accessibility Services, along with Clemson University located in Clemson, South Carolina, and William and Mary located in Williamsburg, Virginia. Illinois State University, located in Normal, Illinois, calls their department Student Access and Accommodation Services, while Bowling
Green State University, located in Bowling Green, Ohio, calls it Accessibility Services. These are just a few schools that I looked up and saw what they called their departments that assist students with accommodations that will help in the students’ college career. I would like to see what we, as the Miami University community, can do to change the title of the department to a more positive one. I would like to even ask students registered and not registered with the department and see how they feel and think about the title, along with professors, advisors and other members of the Miami University community. I believe that students, professors, advisors and other staff members should be asked to vote or come up with a title that best fits the department and the one with the most votes would become the new title. I would like to hear what the university board has to say about the current title and for them to start the process of changing the title to a more positive one. HAILLIE A. ERHARDT ERHARDHA@MIAMIOH.EDU
A.J. NEWBERRY NEWBERAJ@MIAMIOH.EDU
Students: Be respectful of memorial trees TO THE EDITOR: I am writing on behalf of alumni and friends of the university who have placed memorial trees and benches across our campus to honor or memorialize a loved one. Twice in the last couple of months two of these memorials have been vandalized. A couple of months ago an entire plaque and cement base were stolen from an evergreen tree on Slant Walk that was placed by the brothers of Sigma Nu ’64, ’65 and ’66 when a classmate and friend of theirs passed away. Not only was this troubling to the classmates who purchased the memorial tree, but this act of vandalism also cost the university $500 to have it replaced. Within the last week
someone vandalized a memorial tree on Slant Walk that was placed by the classmates and friends of Jennifer Jensen, a young alumna who died far too young. The plaque states, “To think in such a place, I led such a life.” The vandal – who, by the way, is also lucky to be in such a place – disrespected the deceased and her loved ones when they ripped the memorial tree from the ground. One could easily appeal to the Code of Love and Honor to show how these acts violate basic beliefs of our university community. These acts of senseless vandalism are heartbreaking for loved ones. They are also deeply offensive and contemptuous as to violate basic norms of human decency. Memorial trees were planted by
loved ones who thought enough of a person to pool money together to purchase a tree and who often travel significant distances to attend a ceremony to see the tree planted. For those loved ones, that tree is an embodiment of the person who they lost, too often before their time. Whoever would do this, please know that these trees were planted out of love. They were gifts, given to beautify the campus that we all share and to memorialize an individual who was deeply loved. Please show these trees the respect they are due. They are not yours. Please keep your hands off.
DEVONA MILLER MILLE239@MIAMIOH.EDU
YACKETY YACK YACK. IS THAT ALL YOU KNOW HOW TO DO? WRITE DOWN YOUR RANTS AND LET US JUDGE THEIR LEGITIMACY-- THEY MIGHT GET PUBLISHED EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET
RYAN TERHUNE PHOTO EDITOR
Destigmatizing ‘Disability’ DISABILITIES
TO THE EDITOR: Student Haillie Erhardt recently asked President Crawford and the Miami University community to consider changing the name of Student Disability Services (SDS) because of the stigma associated with using services from an office with the word “disability” in its name. While SDS and the Students with Disabilities Advisory Council (SDAC) honor Erhardt’s commitment to an inclusive, just environment at Miami and affirm her observations about the stigma surrounding disability, we feel that removing “disability” from Student Disability Services would not be the best choice for the Miami community. We acknowledge that the stigma associated with disability is very real and feel that the true injustice lies not in the use of “disability” as a descriptor or identity, but rather in how society perceives the term and those who identify with it. In fact, disability does not mean someone is broken, and it certainly does not mean that person is inferior. Therefore, we believe removing the word “disability” from SDS’ name may perpetuate the stigma by implying that disability should be hidden or minimized. In addition, we feel that another name, such as “Student Accessibility Services,” is not only more nebulous but also might be construed as euphemistic. As euphemisms often do, this terminology could stifle, rather than enrich, our campus’ culture surrounding disability. As a campus, we have more work to do to embrace disability as both a term and an identity — to educate, rather than avoid. In fact, the word “disability” has a positive history outside of Miami as a term used to identify the Disability Rights Movement, Disability Studies, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Association of Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD). SDSnotonlyworkswithintheseand other frameworks to provide services to students who have disabilities but is also passionate about educating the university community about the social
movements surrounding disability. To that end, SDS has partnered with Miami’s nationally recognized disability studies minor and SDAC, a student organization working to educate faculty, staff and students about disability culture and provide a sense of community for students with disabilities. Miami also celebrates an annual Kate Welling Disability Awareness Lecture that brings compelling, high-profile scholars to campus. “Disability” is the word that links these efforts and brings people and programs together at Miami. We believe changing the name of SDS will disrupt this cohesion, dissociating the office from other initiatives meant to bring the disability community together. We agree with Erhardt that emphasizing accessibility is paramount, but disagree with her assessment that it is unfortunate that “people who are registered with the SDS are seen by many, as disabled.” As students with disabilities and the professionals who work with them, we have witnessed firsthand that disability can become a positive part of one’s identity as opposed to a deficit. Erhardt’s letter comes at an important time for SDS. The office relocated to Shriver Center this semester, and we hope new opportunities will accompany the new space. Recently, SDS and SDAC have been exploring ways to utilize some of this space in Shriver as a location for students and members of the Miami community to gather, engage and learn about disability in a cultural and historical context. We envision this space following the example of Miami’s Women’s and Multicultural Centers. SDS and SDAC recognize that there is so much more to disability — and to identifying as an individual with a disability — than simply receiving accommodations. We want to celebrate disability and difference rather than obscuring or diminishing it. With these goals in mind, we feel that the name “Student Disability Services” encompasses the disability experience most thoroughly, and it is therefore more inclusive and better fits the community and tradition of disability at Miami. SDS@MIAMIOH.EDU SDAC@MIAMIOH.EDU
13
TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017
More than just the ‘Miami Mold’ BODY IMAGE
CARLY BERNDT GUEST COLUMNIST Earlier today, around the time that I realized I needed to write a column for this week, I stumbled upon a column titled “It’s time to see through Miami’s typical body image” that was published a few days back. As the title suggests, this article is a critique of Miami’s social culture–more specifically, the social culture that Miami’s female student population partakes in. The critiques that this article makes are neither new nor unfounded, though the way the author assigns blame to Miami, by suggesting there is a “Miami mold,” is something I can’t help but disagree with. To suggest there is a “Miami mold” to blame for negative or harmful stereotypes and expectations that exist within our
social culture is to also suggest that these issues do not exist elsewhere–a claim that is, of course, false. Ridiculous and harmful expectations for all women exist universally; whether or not they are set by men or other women or by ourselves (or by anyone else for that matter), to sum up these issues as being the fault of any single school or institution does nothing more than ignore the much deeper societal and cultural issue where these expectations and stereotypes are founded. If you buy a house and the inspection finds that your home’s foundation is shot, along with a handful of other more minor issues (i.e. popcorn ceilings, ugly kitchen, etc.), your contractor will tell you that fixing the structural issues need to be priority number one. The problem is after buying the home you only have enough money to fix one set of issues: the one major
issue or the few minor issues. After your contractor tells you that your house will likely not cave in in the immediate future, you decide to splurge on a new kitchen and new ceilings. Your house stays standing, so you decide to upgrade your bathrooms a few months later. A few months after that, you get a new roof. You continue to ignore the major, structural problem for so long that you’re shocked when your neighbor calls you to deliver the news that half your house has caved in. Blaming the “Miami mold” for the harmful effects of expectations of women and women’s bodies is the same thing as buying granite countertops because your house isn’t going to cave in tomorrow; even if we fix the “Miami mold” problem, the root of the problem exists still. BERNDTCN@MIAMIOH.EDU
Foster care system is failing: U.S. children deserve more FAMILY
LINDSAY CERIO GUEST COLUMNIST I had a friend in high school that experienced the negative effects of the foster care system firsthand. Her father was an abusive alcoholic, when he was actually around. Her mother was unemployed, addicted to drugs and would disappear for extended periods of time. At age 11, my friend was the primary caretaker of herself and her three younger siblings. Her family could never make rent payments on time and there was never enough food in the house to feed the mouths of each child. At age 14, her mother was deemed an “unfit parent” and received a notice that they would be evicted from their home. Over the course of the week that followed, various social service agencies stepped in to “handle” the situation. They separated my friend, her sister and her two brothers across various foster homes in New York, the majority of which were group homes not conducive to raising toddlers and elementary-age kids. Two years after these inciting incidents occurred my friend recounted these heartbreaking stories to me. She described the separation anxiety and fear that she faced daily because she could not regularly contact her siblings and was worried about their safety. This one case exemplifies aspects of the failing system. It is crazy to see how quickly social services respond to situations like these without considering too carefully how it would affect those involved. The foster care system is broken, and not enough is being done to fix it. Children are crippled with mental illnesses from both the neglect to their physical welfare as well as the traumatizing experiences they have faced. Foster parents are poorly equipped with the skills to take on such a task, regardless of the training they undergo. The government is failing to provide sufficient funds to social service agencies to
take care of these approximately 400,000 youth each year. Universities conducting research and organizations advocating for foster youth have publicly recognized these issues, yet the system is still an unsuitable mandate for children with unfit biological parents. So what must be done? In 1999, the federal government passed the Foster Care Independence Act – a bill that grants $140 million annually to youths being aged out of the system, for services such as healthcare, education and employment preparation. While in theory this seems to solve the issue of homelessness and lack of healthcare for former foster children, age 18-21, it only provides a limited amount of money to each individual. About 10 percent of youths, or about 40,000 children, under fostered supervision are aged out each year. Divided up equally, this governmental stipend amounts to only about $3,500 per eligible person, per year. This money is supposed to be used for the aforementioned services, but it hardly pays for enough of anything. In a Los Angeles study, 30-40 percent of aged-out foster youths interviewed reported to researchers they spent their first night emancipated from the system on the streets. These numbers are unacceptable – if they had the financial stability to live on their own, the percentage of initial homelessness would not be so large. The focus on older youths is critical to at least give them the opportunity for future success, despite their unstable upbringing. However, this puts younger foster children at a disadvantage. If there already isn’t “enough money to go around,” then mitigating the problems as they arise rather than later in life, once they’ve been compounded upon further struggles, should be the focus. The government should increase the dollar amount they provide to social service agencies so, at the bare minimum, basic physiological needs of every child are met. The additional money can also be used for more in-depth home stud-
VERTICAL FARMING: SUSTAINABLE? MARIA TAYLOR COLUMNIST We need to rethink industrialized factory farming and quick. The agricultural revolution boomed back in the 18th Century which allowed the industrial revolution to change the world we lived in. So, this is a good thing with more access to food, food produced on higher levels and a decline in world hunger, right? Wrong. The agricultural revolution not only ruined the society humans had been living in for thousands of years, but it took our environment into a downward spiral that we may not fix in time. The agricultural revolution sparked war between mankind on drastic levels since it was one of the first times we as a species started assigning ownership to land. If we weren’t killing each other, the diseases spread by factory farming were. The domestication of animals
was needed for living purposes, but on the massive levels we’ve allowed to be perceived as appropriate have caused an influx of diseases carried by our animal friends. Influenza, TB, smallpox, Measles and even the common cold are all linked back to the domestication and farming of livestock. But let’s argue for a second, the domestication and cultivation of animals in small populations allowed the human population to grow. That’s great, we’re living and able to reproduce at rates higher than we were dying. But we were still dying. Hunter and gatherers shifted camps quickly and effectively. The quick rise in populations allowed us to establish villages and cities which ended up doing more harm than good. We created perfect living petri-dishes for microbes and diseases to spread. We may have been reproducing at large rates due to the advancements made with farming and domestication of meat, but death was
ies and successful training programs. More problems lie in the fact that most agencies are looking to rule prospective foster parents in, rather than rule them out. This means that while interviews, background checks and home studies are being conducted, the foster agencies are desperate for anyone who shows an interest in becoming certified, thus doing so quickly without adequate knowledge of who they are really dealing with. Once certified, parents must participate in training programs to better prepare them to nurture the children with whom they will come into contact. The results of a study done at the University of Georgia concluded that there is no correlation that the training curriculum improves an adult’s ability to parent. It does, however, enhance their perceived self-efficacy, leading to the notion that parenting foster children is “not too difficult.” It is due to reasons like these that abusive, neglectful and overall incompetent foster parents slip through the cracks, further damaging both the children and the system as a whole. Where is the government with its trillion dollars of discretionary spending? In 2015, the United States Government spent just over $598 billion on our military – which is four times as much as the next largest militant country. Only 6 percent of the $1.11 trillion the government spent in 2015 was on healthcare. Logically speaking, we could cut our military spending in half and still have both the largest military, and a significant additional percentage of Americans covered by health insurance. Are PTSD-stricken foster children not a good enough reason to either increase or reallocate government outlays? Are the high percentages of homeless individuals crippled by substance abuse not reason enough to grant more money to social services agencies? Do foster children not deserve as much of an opportunity to succeed because they were born into a family that could not take care of them? occurring at the same rate. Our lifespan declined drastically for a long time. Sounds great. We’ve moved on from disease altering life-spans and have outsmarted microbes like the common cold and smallpox for the most part. What has factory farming done to the environment? Not only did we introduce foreign species of plants and grasses but we allowed our carbon footprint skyrocket with meat production worldwide having quadrupled in the last 50 years. Globalagriculture.org breaks it down for us easily: in 2014 meat production reached a high of around 315 million tons. An estimation of 450 million tons will be produced by 2050 yearly. Cows, pigs and chickens, the top three livestock handled in factory farming, have increased by over 50% percent in population for each animal, chicken an upward of 114%. In 2016, 164 million metric tons of CO2 and methane gasses were produced by livestock in the world, and meat makes up 47.6% of greenhouse gasses from average food consumption based on the factsheet produced by the University of Michigan in
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French election shows changing attitudes in Europe
BLONDINE LE CAIN Flickr Creative Commons
Marine La Pen, presidential hopeful and lthe heir to France’s populist Front National party at a 2012 rally POLITICS
JOSH BRODY GUEST COLUMNIST On April 23, 2017, France held the first round of its presidential election, narrowing the field to two candidates: Emmanuel Macron of the center-left “En Marche!” party and Marine Le Pen of the rightwing National Front. The two will face off on May 7 to determine the presidency. Although foreign elections are not heavily followed by U.S. media, this one is notably similar to the election in the United States this past November and could also be a
Although neither candidate is entirely similar to Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, this runoff election is very similar to this past November’s in the U.S.
turning point for Europe. Although Macron is not a political veteran to the extent of Hillary Clinton, he represents globalism, free markets and a liberal immigration policy. He is a former investment banker who was Deputy-Secretary General from 2012 to 2014 and Minister of Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs from 2014 until 2016. Le Pen, on the other hand, promotes a protectionist economy, secularism and the closing of French borders for additional immigration. She wants France to withdraw from the European Union. The National Front Party was once considered a
fringe, far-right party with antisemitic and racist undertones. JeanMarie Le Pen, Marine’s father and the party’s founder, once said that the gas chambers of the Holocaust were “just a detail in the history of World War II.” The younger Le Pen has made several efforts to improve the image of the party including removing her father from the party and branding the National Front as the protector of the working class and restorer of historical greatness to France, essentially a policy of “Make France Great Again.” Her efforts have paid off tremendously. A party that was once considered a radical and insignificant group gained a majority of France’s seats in the European Parliament in 2014 and now has the opportunity to hold the presidency. Although neither candidate is entirely similar to Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, this runoff election is very similar to this past November’s in the U.S. Far left candidates such as Bernie Sanders in the US and Jean-Luc Melenchon of France were defeated early on, leaving center-left Clinton and Machon, and right-wing Trump and Le Pen. France is facing many serious economic and security concerns including high unemployment among youth, Islamic terrorism and generally high levels of crime in certain areas. Le Pen favors a hardliner protectionist approach which includes increasing border security, reducing immigration and potentially leaving the European Union and NATO. To some extent, Le Pen resembles Trump’s intentions to build a wall between Mexico and the U.S., reduce travel and immigration from certain countries and leave international agreements such as NAFTA. Will this hardliner, protectionist approach be what it takes to alleviate the problems that plague France, Europe and the world? Only time will tell. BRODYJA@MIAMIOH.EDU
When considering the welfare of United States citizens, foster children can no longer be overlooked. If we, as a country, will not fight on behalf of these disadvantaged children, then who will? Their biological parents certainly won’t. We must stop dismissing foster care as a lost
cause, as something that can never be mended. There is no “quick fix” to the problems the system is faced with, but with the right support we can make strides to a safer, more nurturing environment for the children.
August 2016 for U.S. households. So, what is the future of farming if we want to somehow protect our environment that is deteriorating away? The future of farming is: well… not any kind of farming we’ve become comfortable with. Farms are businesses, and ones that are becoming less and less valuable unless you’re at the head of a factory farm rolling in the bundles of money you make. It’s also clear that as a society we are obsessed with technology. Our world is crying out for help in the way we’ve destroyed it, and our global size is demanding a new revolution in our agricultural system. The technology is here, we just need to stand behind it and support it. Companies like AeroFarms, FreightFarms, and BoweryFarming have the right idea. They’ve taken farming on land and put it inside. Vertical farming is what we need, and it works. It allows produce to be aligned in a systematic way for the purest and cleanest forms to be grown. Conditions can be manipulated for produce to be grown all year long and without the use of pesticides and fertilizer since variables can be changed and controlled easily.
These farms are able to exist in any urban environment, unlike the agricultural system we have now that takes up hundreds of acres. Not only is it using less space, farming like this uses less resources too. Bowery states they use 95% less water than traditional agricultural farming and produce 100x more on the same footprint of land. Less CO2 emissions, less harm with fertilizers and pesticides and a more effective urban setting with farming is what we need to help the environment. There would be less demand for deforestation, and species affected by pesticides like the bees and butterflies would be able heal. Let’s take a stance against factory farming and look at what we can do to change the way we’re treating the world. Start buying from your local farmer’s market, Oxford is a fantastic place to start. Findley Market isn’t a far drive either! Decreasing your meat intake by even one day a week and combining it with buying produce at a local market and these steps with help us heal the environment we’ve … well, trashed.
CERIOLR@MIAMIOH.EDU
TAYLO193@MIAMIOH.EDU
Sports
SPORTS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET
14
TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017
MOCK NFL DRAFT: TMS COLUMNISTS’ TOP PICKS
ERIK CRAIGO THE MIAMI STUDENT
Miami women’s club baseball scrimmaged at the club’s first clinic on April 19 at Cook Field.
WOMEN’ S CLUB BASEBALL HOLDS FIRST CLINIC BASEBALL
EMILY SIMANSKIS SPORTS EDITOR The metallic “ping” of bats hitting baseballs and the softer thuds of baseballs hitting gloves punctuated cries of encouragement from the members of Miami women’s club baseball. Seventeen people took to Cook Field last Wednesday for the club’s first clinic – the first step in a movement to encourage girls to play baseball. “This is such a big movement,” junior Jeremy O’Bryan said. “Girls just don’t play baseball anymore, girls play softball and us being out here is making a statement. It’s something that is out of a lot of these girls’ realm of experience and comfort zone. Being out here today is nice to see that everyone’s really embracing the game.” The women’s baseball club at Miami is the only active collegiate club in the U.S. and the second club of its kind in North America. For the past several months, the club has been working on spreading the word about their organization, reaching out to other universities about forming their own club and planning Miami’s student-run clinic. Seventy-five degrees and a warm breeze welcomed the players at dusk. When the bell tower tolled 6:30 p.m. the participants stopped fielding popflies and hitting off tees to scrimmage. Cook Field’s lights turned on, but were unneeded by the baseball players and
the ultimate Frisbee players in the background. “This event today was definitely a step towards the future,” club president Lexi Ross said. “We have six new girls and we got to get out on the field and see how everyone plays. More team bonding, which is always important in sports -- hitting, fielding and basic drills we can do.” Those with more baseball experience and who had been leading the drills let the girls rotate through various positions on the field. Everyone took turns hitting the safety baseballs off a tee into the uneven field. Though the balls bounced over gloves, double plays were made and several slid into home plate to ensure a run in a game where no one was keeping score. “Go go go go go go go go!” Assistant Professor in SLAM and co-advisor to the club Brody Ruihley encouraged each batter. After the ball was dead, he reminded the players, “Play at second and third, nine outs.” The light-hearted atmosphere was needed for an event from a club that’s faced skepticism. Girls are encouraged to play softball instead of baseball throughout their growing up and there’s resistance to girls attempting to break into a male-dominated sport. Members and non-members of the club acknowledge the stigma and ignore it. “[The members] are really passionate about it. I thought it would be fun to play again,” non-member and former high school softball player
Anna Kate Schmeling said. “I think it’s really cool and a really cool community because everyone’s excited and supportive instead of competitive.” The club is reliant on its members to spread the word and its message, and has been supported with equipment donations from Club Sports. Players supplied their own gloves and exchanged gloved high fives when rotating positions. The scrimmage ended with an uncountable number of outs and home runs and a meeting in front of home plate. Popsicles and Fudgesicles were supplied by Ross but the players waited to cool off until the club’s other co-advisor, Dr. Callie Maddox, finished her closing remarks. “Keep the momentum going because in the fall we’re really going to push hard,” Maddox said. “We have a great core.” She promised a couple more meetings before the end of the semester and a trip to a Cincinnati Reds’ game. As the clinic ended and as the final weeks of spring semester approaches, the club aims to maintain their movement’s momentum. Baseball and softball experience or not, the attendees of the clinic all played for the girls who cannot. They huddled closer together as the closing remarks ended – united by their love for the sport, the movement or both. “Team on three,” Ross said, raising her hand. Sixteen other hands joined hers. “One, two, three.” “Team!”
‘Hawks baseball drops two of three against Bobcats BASEBALL
COBURN GILLIES STAFF WRITER On the heels of a seven-game win streak, the Miami baseball team (16-25) was brimming with confidence entering their most recent series against Ohio University (19-20). Their recent form has taken a hit, as they lost two of three in Athens by scores 9-5 and 3-2, winning the middle game 3-1. Still without a Mid-American Conference series victory, the ‘Hawks lost their fourth three-game MAC set of the season. This sees the Red and White maintain their fifth place spot in the East Division with a 3-9 record. OU moves up to second place in the East, boasting a 5-7 conference mark. To start the first game, it was MU that kept rolling. Redshirt junior first baseman Ross Haffey flew out to left field, driving home senior left fielder Tyler Harris for the sacrifice fly. But this opening one-run advantage would be short lived. At the plate,
Harris finished 3-for-4 with a solo home run in the top of the third. In the bottom of the first, the Bobcats would get a leadoff home run from their offensive leader -- senior center fielder Spencer Ibarra. Two hits followed, but the runners were stranded as the scoring chance was neutralized for the time being. This was only the beginning for Ohio. The hosts had 16 hits in the opener and scored four runs over the next three innings. Junior left fielder Evan Bourn, accounting for half of the offensive production in this span, hit two solo shots in the bottom of the second and the fourth innings. Showing their resilience, Miami overcame this 5-2 deficit by scoring three runs in the next two innings. Freshman Cal Elvers knotted up the scored in the top of the fifth. The right fielder’s RBI plated home two RedHawks to keep pace with the Green and White. The Bobcats would push the pace to the ‘Hawks’ breaking point, scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings to put away the
RedHawks 9-5. This ended the Red and White’s seven-game winning streak. The second game would be telling to whether or not the RedHawks would win their first MAC series and would be a closer affair. After two innings of back-and-forth baseball between the two sides, Trautwein Field’s crowd of 471 were treated to offensive baseball in the top of third inning. That’s when Miami’s second baseman Landon Stephens stepped up to the plate. With the bases loaded, the freshman slapped a one-out single to left field to score two runners, giving the ‘Hawks a 2-0 advantage in the earlygoings. Sophomore centerfielder Dallas Hall, the next batter for MU, would fly out to left field -- scoring one for the sacrifice fly. Just like that, Miami had a 3-0 lead after three innings. This would be all the offense necessary, as the ‘Hawks would see this score until the end.
Bell Tower Place FRIday, April 28, 2017
11:00AM–2:00PM
Join us for freshly grilled food & sunshine!
BASEBALL »PAGE 11
should be thrilled to have the chance to add him to their front line. -MH
COLUMN
NICK SCHLETER MITCH HAUSFELD THE MIAMI STUDENT NICK: While this may be The Miami Student’s first mock draft, it certainly isn’t ours. We did three just to arrive at this one. Going through your own mock draft combines the intrigue of a puzzle with the power trip of pretending to be in charge of the entire league. MITCH: Mock drafts, at their core, are one of the stupidest practices that flood the internet today. Every year so-called “analysts” start attempting to predict the landing spots for the season’s next top batch of recruits in February, and every year the “unprecedented” happens and hardly any analysts end up being close to correct. It’s akin to having hundreds of bloggers post about their March Madness picks… in December. All criticism aside, mock drafts are still a fun way to measure the talent in a given year’s draft class and are a good way of identifying a specific team’s needs. While these picks may be far from the actual results of the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, these are the choices that we feel would best benefit each of the respective teams. Without further ado, we’d like to present the first ever Miami Student NFL Mock Draft: Cleveland Browns: DE Myles Garrett, Texas A&M Garrett has once-in-a-generation talent and is one of the most freakish athletes in the draft. The closest comparison I’ve seen for Garrett is either Wolverine or a grizzly bear. Any player who can vertically jump 41 inches and run a 4.6 40-yard dash at 271 pounds probably deserves those comparisons. -MH San Francisco 49ers: SS Jamal Adams, LSU The 49ers have enough holes on their roster that they could take any of the next eight players selected in this mock draft and it would be a good pick. That is usually an indication that a team should trade down, but absent any trade partners, Adams would be a superb pick. He’s the best defensive back in this class. It would be fitting for first time GM John Lynch to spend his first ever draft pick on his old position. -NS Chicago Bears: DE Solomon Thomas, Stanford Solomon Thomas is an animal on the outside and will be able to supply constant pressure for a Bears’ defense that hasn’t quite had the same tenacity since the days of Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher. In another year, Thomas would be talked about as a potential No. 1 pick, so the Bears
Jacksonville Jaguars: RB Leonard Fournette, LSU Last season, the Dallas Cowboys selected Ezekiel Elliott at this spot. The Jaguars surely noticed how much pressure it took off the Cowboys’ young QB and look to do the same by drafting Fournette. -NS Tennessee Titans: CB Marshon Lattimore, Ohio State Lattimore’s combination of length and speed make him one of the most tantalizing prospects in what looks to be a very deep class of corners. His high upside and great coverage skills should be a great addition to a Tennessee team whose secondary should be loosely referred to as a pass “defense.” -MH TRADE: Houston Texans (from NYJ): QB Mitchell Trubisky, North Carolina Despite playing the fewest games among the top available QBs, Trubisky is the most pro-ready. The Texans are now built to win now everywhere except QB, so they take the plunge and trade for their quarterback of the present and future. -NS San Diego Chargers: FS Malik Hooker, Ohio State Anyone who watched an OSU game last year knows that Hooker has elite ball skills and has a knack for making big plays after an interception. The Chargers struggled to fill the gap Eric Weddle left behind last year, so Hooker should be a no-brainer here. -MH Carolina Panthers: DE Derek Barnett, Tennessee Barnett is possibly the most underrated player in the draft. His production actually exceeds Myles Garrett’s over the last three years -- especially in the SEC. While he cannot run or jump as well as Garrett (join the club), he should defend the edge just as well. -NS Cincinnati Bengals: DT Jonathan Allen, Alabama Allen came into draft season being hyped as a potential No. 1 overall pick, but questions about his long-term health have caused his stock to slip. However, Allen was among the best defensive players in college football last year and his mammoth presence on the interior should greatly help a Bengals defense that was carved in the running game last season. -MH Buffalo Bills: WR Mike Williams, Clemson Close call between Williams and Corey Davis, but the connection with DRAFT »PAGE 11
GARDEN COMMONS
MAY 3, 2017 • 5–8PM featuring
Young’s Jersey Dairy Ice Cream Miami Ice Gelato Prizes from Graeters, Spring Street Treats, & Mitchell’s Ice Cream