April 12, 2016 | The Miami Student

ESTABLISHED 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

Volume 144 №46

Miami University — Oxford, Ohio

REPORT REVEALS SHIFT IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Lawsuit reveals FSB professor’s experience

Tenure system key to quality, AAUP says

Sex discrimination in Finance Dept.

FACULTY

LAWSUIT

MEGAN ZAHNEIS

REIS THEBAULT EMILY TATE

NEWS EDITOR

Full-time tenured faculty numbers are down 26 percent in the past 40 years, and the number full-time tenure-track faculty has diminished by half, according to an annual report released Monday by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP).

The 14-page “Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession, 2015–16: Higher Education at a Crossroads” outlines the trends in academic workforce composition and suggests several methods of achieving a more equitable balance.

The author of the report, Washington D.C.-based AAUP senior researcher John Barnshaw, said restoring the tenure system to its former glory is key to revitalizing higher education.

“The tenure system protects academic freedom, facilitates shared governance, spurs pedagogical and research innovation, and bolsters student learning and retention rates,” Barnshaw ADJUNCT »PAGE 8

EDITORS AT LARGE

RENEE FARRELL PHOTO EDITOR

TAKE BACK THE NIGHT Students and staff brave the rain to protest sexual assault and rape culture during F-WORD’s annual march.

Students react as gun activist plans walk at MU DEMONSTRATION

MAGGIE CALLAGHAN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Gun rights activists will parade through Miami University’s campus on Saturday, April 30, openly carrying their firearms in support of an open carry law on college campuses.

Leading the demonstration will be Jeffry Smith, a firearm instructor and activist from Cincinnati.

Smith has organized

At Miami, black-white graduation gap shrinks DIVERSITY

ANGELA HATCHER NEWS EDITOR

According to the report, “Rising Tide II: Do Black Students Benefit as Grad Rates Increase?”, released March 23, Miami University is ranked highly for its work in shrinking the gap between the graduation rates of its white and black students.

The report lists Miami in the top 10 under the category of “Top-gaining fouryear public institutions for black students.”

The report cites the university specifically for closing the gap between black and white students by 10.7 percent. Graduation rates for the years 2003-2013 for black students improved by 10.5 percent at Miami and the overall graduation improved by 0.4 percent.

Miami’s graduation rates for the year of 2013 were at

71 percent for black students and 81 percent for the remainder of the graduating student body.

However, the 71 percent graduation rate for black students refers to the 3.65 percent of black or AfricanAmerican students on campus, whereas the 81 percent graduation rate refers to the 80.75 percent of students on campus who are white.

“Diversity should be considered in different ways,” said Jonika Moore-Diggs, senior associate director of admission and alumnus of Miami University, “We tend to think of diversity as black and white, or as just checking a box. We need to move away from that and celebrate all kinds of diversity.”

Moore-Diggs also noted the statistic does not account for multi-racial students, a category that was intrograduation »PAGE 3

similar events at other public Ohio institutions, including the University of Cincinnati, Ohio State University and the University of Akron. He has also planned scheduled an event this Saturday at Bowling Green University.

“What I want is to get conversation, dialogue and discussions going between people’s rights and laws,” Smith said. “I am confident OPEN CARRY »PAGE 3

A.J. NEWBERRY THE MIAMI STUDENT

Jones named Oxford Chief of Police

When Mary Elizabeth Thompson joined the Farmer School of Business faculty in 2013, she was part of a group considered to be rising stars in the finance department.

Thompson was coming off an esteemed academic career, graduating with honors from her undergraduate and graduate institutions, while receiving exemplary evaluations as a graduate instructor during her Ph.D. candidacy.

But Thompson, who teaches intermediate financial management, was employed by Miami University for less than two years before a series of microaggressions left her feeling isolated and ostracized by her male colleagues, according to court records and documents obtained through the Ohio Open Records Act. Those incidents were made public when two female finance professors decided to sue Miami University this spring, alleging gender discrimination and violation of the Equal Pay Act. Although Thompson is not a plaintiff in the case, the lawsuit’s initial complaint cites the treatment she received as an example of the culture of discrimination within the finance department.

One such incident came to a head on Feb. 25, 2015, when the finance department’s Promotion and Tenure Committee met for an annual review of the untenured assistant professors in the department.

Thompson was among the faculty evaluated.

FINANCE »PAGE 3

DOUG CHAN THE MIAMI STUDENT

POLICE

JACK EVANS NEWS EDITOR

Former Oxford Police Department Lt. John Jones was officially promoted to Chief of Police on April 1 after having served as acting chief since Dec. 4 of last year.

Jones took over for Robert Holzworth, who began his term as chief in December 2012. Holzworth is

struggling with an ongoing medical condition and has been on sick leave since Dec. 4, said Jones. The Oxford Police Department would not comment further on Holzworth’s illness.

Jones was hired in 1998 as a part-time police dispatcher while a student at Miami University. He went on to graduate Miami in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in sociology and

public administration. He also recieved a Master of Science in the administation of justice in 2001 from University of Louisville. His police career then continued with a promotion to full time officer in 2002 and he has spent the last 14 years with the Oxford Police Department.

Jones said he was selected as chief in large part due to his leadership ability, experience and passion for the

community.

“I displayed leadership, I’ve been a proven supervisor here. Before being a police chief I was a lieutenant, before that I was a sergeant. I’ve always had that drive,” Jones said. “I think people see me as being very driven and very community oriented with other activities that I do in the community.” chief »PAGE 3

NEWS p. 2

NEWS p. 2

CULTURE p. 4

OPINION p. 6

SPORTS p. 10

TEACHING FACULTY INTERNATIONAL NAMES, CULTURE

THE RISE OF INT’L STUDENTS IN ATHLETICS

A CASE OF THE JAKES PLAGUES BIRTHDAY GIRL

COLUMNIST CHAMPIONS JOURNALISM

SPIETH’S LOSS: THE FALL OF A GOLF LEGEND

Center for Teaching Excellence sponsors series of workshops led by int’l panels.

Coach says international students add depth and maturity to teams.

Relationship deterred by one woman’s negative name association.

Milam muses about how out of touch readers are with the role of newspaper, reporters.

Columnist says golfer’s failure at Augusta reveals his humanity.

2 NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

Staff trained on international students INTERNATIONAL

MACKENZIE ROSSERO THE MIAMI STUDENT

In their attempt to improve the academic experience of international students at Miami, The Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) is offering workshops to university faculty to foster positive relationships with the increasing numbers of international students attending Miami.

The workshops offered include “Chinese Names,” “Understanding Chinese Students at Miami” and “Best Intercultural Classroom Practices.” Many of these workshops are presented as a Q&A, with a panel of international students answering questions from Miami faculty.

These panels allow international students to explain the many nuances of their educational experience including misunderstandings regarding plagiarism policies and their reluctance to speak up in class, a trait originating in foreign cultures that don’t welcome commentary or participation in school.

The panels are increasingly relevant. As of 2013, Chinese students make up 28.7 percent of the 819,644 international students studying in the United States, according to the latest available data from the Institute of International Education. At Miami, university data shows Chinese students made up 75.8 percent of the 1,324 international students in 2013.

The university’s international student population has grown from 840 enrolled in fall 2010 to 2,374 enrolled in fall 2015. In the last five years, Miami’s international student population has grown by 182.62 percent.

The oldest of the workshops, the “Chinese Names” program, has been offered for nearly a decade. In this hour-long workshop, Chinese students guide Miami faculty through their class rosters and coach them in the pronunciation of the Chinese names.

Minjie Wang, a third-year

business student from China, said professors’ efforts to pronounce international names do not go unnoticed.

“During classes, every time one of the teachers is trying to record attendance, the professor always tries their best to pronounce our names,” said Wang. “It shows that Miami people do care about international students’ lives.”

The workshops offered by CTE are primarily need-based, created as a response to university faculty members requesting tools to improve their understanding of international students.

Gregg Wentzell, assistant di-

Teaching.

The Lilly Conference has grown since its establishment in 1981 to become a four-day conference on presenting insights and research on college teaching. The Lilly Conference is held at Miami University and the 36th Original Lilly Conference will be held from Nov. 17 to 20.

Miami is also working to improve international students’ experience with a new Journalism 101 course that is half domestic and half international students. In this class, the students are able to exchange information on the different types of media and the restric-

It’s a small band-aid on a bigger problem.

MOLLY HEIDEMANN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ISSS

rector of CTE, said most of these workshops have been developed in recent years and are typically offered once an academic year.

“CTE is trying to do our part to support faculty and, in turn, to support [international] students so they feel that they have the best possible learning experience while they’re here,” said Wentzell.

CTE works with other Miami programs and departments, including International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), the Confucius Institute and the American Culture and English Program (ACE), to facilitate these workshops.

CTE’s other contributions to Miami faculty include its Faculty Learning Communities which group faculty members into teams to enable the effective sharing of teaching techniques. Additionally, CTE offers faculty consulting to develop effective teaching plans and supports The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, a movement advocating for advances in post-secondary education. This support extends to Miami’s hosting of the Lilly Conference on College

tions on that media in the United States and abroad.

The course is being offered for the first time this semester, but it’s yet to be determined if the course will be offered again in the future.

“I thought it would be fascinating,” said Cheryl Gibbs, one of the professors teaching the course, “to have discussions like we have in Journalism 101 about the purpose of the media and democracy with students who come from countries that may not be democracies.”

However, some faculty feel that Miami’s efforts to better international students’ academic experience are not adequate.

“It’s a small band-aid on a bigger problem,” said Molly Heidemann, assistant director of ISSS. “It’s not far-reaching enough. I’m hoping this is the start of some more robust training and education for campus.”

CTE’s next workshop on international students is “International Students’ Perspectives on Academic Integrity” and will be held at 2:30 p.m. on April 20 in 320 Laws Hall. Register online before April 19 to attend.

NEWS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

AAUP and AFSCME gather in solidarity STAFF

HAILEY MALLENDICK SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the local chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) held a solidarity meeting last Tuesday evening in Shideler Hall.

The AAUP held the meeting to show their support for AFSCME as they prepare for contract negotiations with the university. Their contract, which covers the 860 employees who maintain Miami’s housing and dining services, is approaching its June 30 deadline.

Dustin Jones, the president of Miami’s AFSCME chapter and custodian at Clawson Hall, spoke at the meeting about the main points in their contract negotiations.

“We will be focusing on the wages and benefits,” Jones said. “We want enough to live, not to get rich.

It used to be a stable job with great benefits, but they are getting rid of the benefits.”

Housing and dining staff are currently paid a $10 an hour starting wage. However, when budget cuts were made in 2008, many employees began doing the work of multiple people.

In a November interview with The Miami Student, Jones said each manager used to have about three or four buildings and were able to quickly address issues. They went from ten units down to five and now have only five managers for five different quads.

At the solidarity meeting, Jones said many workers in his chapter who have been forced to double their workload and change their work routines due to understaffing.

“The staff in housing was cut in half,” Jones said. “So many things we used to do haven’t been done since 2008. We used to clean toilets three times a day, now only once.

Cleaning the banisters hasn’t been done since J-Term, but since norovirus [hit campus], they are paying

people overtime to come in and do the work we used to do every day.”

During the meeting,many members of the AAUP spoke out in support of AFSCME’s efforts. Gael Montgomery, a visiting assistant professor of French and Italian and a member of the AAUP, spoke about the importance of the staff’s work for the university.

“I understand in an abstract way why your jobs are considered less important because it is not the main focus of the university,” Montgomery said to AFSCME members. “However, I have a realistic idea that, without you, I cannot do anything.”

Jones agrees the university could not operate without AFSCME’s work.

“Miami needs to start treating their staff as assets to this organization instead of costs,” Jones said in November.

Miami has attempted to outsource the work done by the housing and dining staff to cut costs, but has not been able to find employees who could do the same quality of work for less money. “[The university] brought in [employees] from Marriott and Compass for rooming and dining to see if they can do the work cheaper, but they can’t, and they were surprised by what we do,” Jones said. “The fact that we have such a strict attendance policy shows that they need us.”

The university has also attempted to hire more students to do the same quality of work. It used to be that students would come in and prep food, and there would always be food service on the line to verify portion control and food quality. If something was looking unpresentable, food service would take it back and make it right or get rid of it.

“The students are learning work ethic,” Jones said in November.

“I don’t want them to think that students don’t have any regard for quality, but when your liveliAAUP »PAGE 9

Genocide, Holocaust victims receive month of awareness COMMUNITY

KAROLINA ULASEVICH THE MIAMI STUDENT

RENNEE FARRELL THE MIAMI STUDENT

WHEELY? Miami students prepare artwork for the 2016 Oxford Kinetics Festival on Sunday, April 17 at Millett.

Miami University and the city of Oxford now recognize April as Genocide and Holocaust Awareness Month due to efforts by Miami University Students Against Genocide (MUSAG).

The month’s recognition on campus comes from a resolution MUSAG passed with ASG while the recognition in Oxford comes from a proclamation passed by local government.

MUSAG president Natalie Roberts said she is pleased with the results of her organization’s hard work with Miami students, faculty and community members.

“We felt that this was the right time to have Miami University recognize April as Genocide Aware-

ness and Prevention Month,” Roberts said.

MUSAG worked closely with Miami’s Genocide and Holocaust Education (GHE) committee who Roberts said have been passionate about this topic for many years. By bringing both organizations together to work toward this goal, Roberts said, she felt confident that the proclamation would be completed.

Senior Aryn Swing led the student committee who wrote the resolution for ASG. “If we can just remember the victims of violence, we will let their memories live on,” Swing said.

“With recent conflicts, like the current crisis in Syria, sparking people’s interests, we really want to promote to students to pay attention to what’s going on.”

AWARENESS »PAGE 8

Increase in international student-athletes brings depth to fields, courts ATHLETICS

EMILY SIMANSKIS THE MIAMI STUDENT

The percentage of international student athletes in NCAA Division I sports has increased over the past 10 years, a change that is reflected in Miami’s own varsity rosters.

According to data on the NCAA’s website, the number of international student athletes has increased as little at 0.2 percent in Division I football to as much as 9.1 percent in Division I women’s field hockey over the past 10 years.

At Miami, the men’s basketball roster includes three international athletes, and the women’s field hockey roster lists seven international athletes. The teams are, re-

spectively, 18.75 percent and 31.8 percent international.

Although these athletes face unique challenges, such as coping with language barriers and acclimating to American culture, Miami coaches say their skills and attitudes are a welcomed asset to their teams.

“I think that the international players bring something different to the team,” said Iñako Puzo, the head women’s field hockey coach.

Because some international field hockey players begin playing earlier, their skill level is at or above that of domestic students, said Puzo.

The way they see and understand the game can be different from a domestic player, offering a unique perspective out on the field.

“There is a period of maturity

and a growing-up period that may, in fact, come at a quicker pace than most American students,” said John Cooper, the head coach of the men’s varsity basketball team. “Typically you’re never ever worried about their character and those things because it’s the one thing that strikes you, as they’re typically really high character people.”

The NCAA classifies international athletes as nonresident aliens, individuals who are not citizens of the United States and are in the country on a temporary basis. Nonresident aliens do not have the right to remain in the country indefinitely.

Dion Wade, a sophomore shooting guard for Miami’s varsity men’s basketball team, is one such athlete.

Wade is originally from Belgium

and transferred to Miami from Auburn University.

Overseas, sports and academics are very separate, said Wade.

Since colleges in Belgium do not have varsity sports, Wade saw the appeal of attending school in the United States.

Wade said that international students have more to offer their teams than just diversity.

“It’s a different style of play too,” said Wade. “The American game is a lot more physical, and the overseas game is more of a mental game.”

Wade conceded that, although many international student athletes have preconceptions before attending college in the United States, finding a school that fits the athlete’s taste is important.

“When people overseas think of the [United] States, obviously they think of New York, L.A., big city style, stuff like that. But then coming to Miami is a little bubble,” said Wade. “It just depends what you like, to be honest.”

The majority of Division I sports in the NCAA have seen an increase in international athletes. For example, the percentage of international athletes playing men’s basketball has doubled from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent in the past 10 years.

Despite the overall trend, some sports’ ratio of international to domestic athletes has remained stagnant or has slightly decreased. The percentage of international stuATHLETES »PAGE 9

NEWS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET FROM FINANCE »PAGE 1

According to Dan Herron, a professor of business legal studies in the finance department and thenchair of the Promotion and Tenure Committee, other members of the committee found fault with Thompson’s attendance record at departmental events.

One professor, Terry Nixon, who did not respond to requests for comment, noted that Thompson had missed four afternoon seminars — a matter that he believed raised questions about her “collegiality.”

But, Herron said, those seminars are informal and not required.

“They decided to pick on her, and I honestly don’t have any idea why,” Herron said. “Nowhere does it say these seminars are required, nowhere does it say they are mandatory and they’ll affect your annual review.”

This disagreement led to a “heated discussion” between members of the committee, in which Herron noted that Colin Campbell, another non-tenured professor under review, had also “missed” several afternoon seminars, according to documents obtained by The Miami Student.

Campbell’s absences were not formally acknowledged, Herron said. However, Thompson later received a letter from the committee saying she had not met their expectations for participation in the department and should make a point to attend more of these events.

“I assert that I was clearly held to a higher standard than untenured male members of the department,” Thompson wrote in a statement to administrators.

Then, on March 1, 2015, Yvette Harman, a tenured professor in the finance department and one of the females suing Miami for gender discrimination, requested that her superiors approve an office relocation for Thompson.

Both Harman and Thompson declined to comment for this story, given their roles in the ongoing lawsuit.

“I think it is important for her to be given the chance to move to a more ‘friendly’ office,” Harman wrote in an email to then-department chair Steve Wyatt. “As her mentor, I am concerned that she is being subject to tacit, and maybe even overt, bias From open carry»PAGE 1

that the people who participate have the same mindset as I do and want to have conversations.”

It is currently legal to openly carry a firearm in Ohio, meaning that the gun can be fully visible.

However, it is illegal to carry a firearm — whether it is visible or concealed — on many college campuses, including Miami’s.

After an alumnus asked him to organize a walk, Smith came to Miami last month to scout the campus and plan a route for his demonstration. He was openly carrying his gun.

To Smith’s surprise, on the day he came to plan the route, a Miami student called the police and notified them that somebody was walking on campus with a gun. Smith said the student who phoned in was not scared and merely wanted to inform the police. MUPD could not comment on the nature of the call.

“Students realize how vulnerable they are,” Smith said. “You guys are sitting ducks.”

Sophomore Jamie Drost said he recognizes the potential threat that college campuses face and that guns are part of the solution.

“If you think about an active shooter situation, when you have a group of people able to legally carry firearms, that adds to the amount of people that are trained to handle a situation like that,” Drost said.

A crowd of over 70 people attended the first open carry walk with Smith at the University of Cincinnati in 2014. Smith began organizing these walks after he met a University of Cincinnati student who was beaten up after attempting to intervene in the beating of a fraternity brother.

Smith believed that not enough action was taking place to change legislation.

However, there is pushback from many Miami students and

NEWS 3

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016 where she is.”

Harman explained that tenured male faculty in the department would often visit untenured male faculty in her area, socializing and whispering, but “ignoring her completely.”

“It was very juvenile,” Herron said. “She just finally had it.”

Harman ended her email with urgency, suggesting Wyatt act “sooner rather than later.”

Herron said watching these events play out prompted him to notify his superiors within the university, but he was disappointed at the response he received.

“I did my legal and ethical duty in making the administration aware of this situation from my dean’s office to the provost’s office to OEEO,” he said. “If some administrator had just had the courage to step in and say ‘stop, this is wrong,’ if anyone above me had had the guts to do that, we would have none of this today. None of it.”

Instead, the university’s Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity (OEEO) hired an outside attorney, Juan Jose Perez, to investigate the claims of gender discrimination.

In August 2015, Perez submitted his report of the investigation, which rebuffed Herron’s claims that the Promotion and Tenure Committee had violated Miami’s policy on gender discrimination.

Miami paid Perez more than $18,000 to look into the exchange from the Feb. 25 committee meeting, records show.

He wrote that, because all but one member on the Promotion and Tenure Committee had voted to hire Thompson, it didn’t make sense that they would later discriminate against her on the basis of sex.

“It is beyond logical explanation that six of the seven respondents voted to hire Dr. Thompson and then approximately 18 months later, without explanation, those same six individuals decided to discriminate against her because of her gender,” Perez’ report states.

Herron, a practicing attorney, however, said this reasoning is deeply misguided.

“That is a blatant misstatement of the law,” he said. “What Perez is saying is if you get hired by a company and a couple years later you’re subject to gender discrimination and

harassment, it didn’t happen. That is one of the most ridiculous misstatements of the law I’ve ever heard. It’s just not true.”

Just days after Perez released his final report, Herron requested a review of the investigation.

The Harassment/Discrimination Review Panel Committee at Miami agreed that questions remained unanswered and requested that Perez perform an additional investigation and write up a supplementary report.

In a statement to the Review Panel Committee, Thompson testified that not only were the males on the Promotion and Tenure Committee (or, the “Respondents”) discriminating against her, but so, too, was Perez.

“The Respondents acted deliberately and maliciously to treat me in a discriminatory manner,” she wrote. “I now realize that I have been victimized twice — once by the Respondents and again by Mr. Perez with his inexplicably onesided investigation.”

Perez did not respond to The Miami Student’s requests for comment.

In his supplementary report, Perez said a number of times that it was “beyond the scope of his investigation” to evaluate other incidents of concern in the department. These included Thompson’s office relocation and the pay discrepancy that Harman and finance professor Kelly Brunarski, the second plaintiff, cited in their lawsuit.

“The university takes allegations of discrimination in any form very seriously,” said Claire Wagner, university spokesperson. “The independent investigator concluded that there was no evidence to support the faculty claim of gender discrimination. Miami intends to vigorously defend this lawsuit and denies it has engaged in discrimination of any kind.”

However, because Herron, Harman and Brunarski believe Perez conducted a careless investigation into their claims of gender discrimination in the department, Harman and Brunarski filed the lawsuit against Miami University on Feb. 15.

The professors are awaiting the university’s response, which is expected in the next few weeks.

parents who fear the repercussions of bringing guns to Miami’s campus. Evan Fackler, a Miami graduate student, doesn’t understand how there can be open dialogue with one side of the conversation armed while the other is not.

“My concern is that this group comes here with a nefarious ulterior motive and without respect to our own community decisions to live and interact in a certain way,” said Fackler. “And they are coming here to create a spectacle that doesn’t lend itself to the kind of open debate they claim they want to have; a spectacle that will in fact be unnecessarily provocative.”

Fackler doesn’t believe Smith fully grasps the possible repercussions of such an event.

“Regardless of what they hope to achieve, it sure is a classy thing to be doing in Oxford, Ohio of all places, considering four students were injured in a school shooting in Madison, Ohio last month and a Middletown High School student was arrested for bringing a gun to school in February,” said first year Kenny Halt, a member of College Democrats.

According the event’s Facebook page, of the 594 people invited, 29 people are going and another 76 people are interested.

Some students do not believe that the walk is a safety concern for the campus, Drost said.

“In this case, the people are doing it to prove a point,” Drost said. “Even if you agree or disagree with their reasoning, nothing negative is going to happen because of it.”

Smith asks that participants take a number of safety precautions. For instance, he asks that all participants carrying a longarm, such as a rifle or shotgun, keep the chamber empty and always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.

As Smith explained, the cham-

ber of a gun is like a dryer, and the round is the clothes. Without the clothes inside the dryer, the dryer will not dry the clothes.

So, without the round inside the chamber, the gun will not fire.

Participants may carry loaded magazines for their longarms, but are asked to keep the chamber empty. However, there are no rules for those carrying sidearms, like a pistol or handgun.

“Sidearms will more than likely be loaded, but triggers will be covered,” said Smith The university posted an announcement about the march on the MyMiami homepage for students last Friday and notified parents on their Facebook page.

“The university will not take disciplinary action against students under the Code of Student Conduct solely for legal possession of a weapon while participating in this organized event,” the announcement read.

According to Smith, he has already been in contact with the chiefs of both the Miami University Police Department (MUPD) and Oxford Police Department (OPD), as well as Miami’s general counsel.

“Mr. Smith has been very proactive in notifying us about these events,” said MUPD Cpt. Ben Spilman.

MUPD plans to monitor the event, but Spilman said they do not believe there needs to be any special supervision “Smith and his group seem to be very organized. We aren’t concerned because there has never been a problem [at other walks] before,” said Spilman.

This is not the first time Miami has made headlines with gun rights and laws. In 2014, Miami, along with other Ohio institutions, was sued by gun activists for banning firearms on campus.

Fackler encouraged those who disagree with Smith’s walk to join him in a peaceful protest.

FROM chief »PAGE 1

Respect for the Oxford community and its members is a trait that runs very deep with Jones.

“I think I get respect from people in the community because I’m willing to listen. Everybody wants to be heard. They want to tell their story,” Jones said. “I may know that I’m going to arrest them. And I may know that their story really isn’t going to affect that decision to arrest but sometimes that opportunity to vent or to tell their side of the story is very relieving to them. Have that respect and treat people with the respect.”

Those who work with Jones on a daily basis know that he is not someone who likes to sit still.

“He’s very self-initiating, eager to bring order to life and not lazy, not in the least bit,” said Lt. Lara Fening. Chief of Police is typically a desk job with multiple meetings a day, Fening said.

She believes Chief Jones is likely to break that mold.

“He is very non-traditional. I would venture to say that he will be out there working the street,” Fening said.

Jones brings with him a strong focus on what he calls “community-oriented policing” to the office of Chief.

“Community-oriented policing is … partnering with the community to solve problems and issues,” Jones said. “It’s not just about crime problems, there may be parking issues, there may be litter issues, there may be quality of life issues. But whatever the issue is, we won’t solve it ourselves.”

Jones and the OPD are also applying this community-involved strategy to issues as complicated and broad as the recent trend in FROM graduation »PAGE 1

duced in 2010 for those students who could not identify with a single race or ethnicity. The mixed race category accounts for 3.02 percent of all students on campus.

“By no means are we thinking, ‘We’ve made it!’ No,” MooreDiggs said. “We are, however, working diligently to make those gains on this campus and it shows an intentionality coming directly from our office and the entire university.”

Susan Schaurer, assistant vice president for Enrollment Management and director of admissions, stated that, both in-state and out of state, Miami University is making a conscious effort to increase cultural diversity on campus.

Schaurer cited the Bridges program as one of the many admissions initiatives that has been a successful tool for cultivating diversity on campus.

Bridges is an overnight visit program for high school seniors who have a commitment to and appreciation for cultural diversity. It brings together students from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds to showcase the resources the campus has in place for diverse students.

At its inception in 2007, the program had only 44 participants. The Bridges program had over 600 participants this past year.

48 percent of all black students currently on campus participated in the Bridges program.

“Being able to increase enrollment and decrease the graduation Smith said he has never been confronted by protest before, but he encourages open dialogue between the two sides.

“The bottom line is that we are seeking conversation, not confrontation,” said Smith According to the event’s Facebook page, the walk will begin at 1 p.m. at Cook Field.

heroin use.

“With the current heroin problem, we are not going to arrest our way out of this problem, we are not going to be able to lock up every person responsible for heroin,” Jones said. “We are going to have to partner with some people — a lot of different people — in that situation.”

This past February, OPD installed officer Matt Wagers as the school resource officer for the Talawanda School District.

Wagers works to provide school safety and, Chief Jones hopes, positive community relationships to young children.

“A lot of these kids are at-risk youth, and their view of law enforcement is at night when the parents are fighting or mom is passed out from heroin and the police are showing up,” Jones said. “A lot of people don’t think these things happen in oxford, but they do. That may be the only involvement they have with police officers.”

Jones has long been a fixture in the Oxford community, and many locals have strong relationships with him. Cpt. Ben Spilman of the Miami University Police Department recalls time spent with Jones as they were both beginning their police careers.

“I knew him when he started with Miami as a student. In fact he and I were just talking on the phone a little bit ago and he reminded me of the time when I had taken him on a ride along with me when I was a patrol officer. I took him out to see some areas of campus, including some lesser known areas like the roof of King Library,” Spilman said.

“He’s a tremendous person. I think he’s gonna be an outstanding police chief for the city of Oxford.” gap is a huge feat for the university,” said Schaurer. “We will continue on this path of intentionality to ensure we retain these students.”

The current retention rate for black students on campus between their first and second year is 91.4 percent, compared to 90.3 percent for the entire student body.

“It was after these years that the retention rate is lower,” said Schaurer. “But not lower than the average.”

First-year Mona Mae Juwillie’s concern lies in the “inclusivity” aspect of diversity.

“It’s one thing to say that this university is all about ‘inclusivity’ and that ‘inclusivity’ is reflected in our institution’s values,” said Juwillie. “But inclusivity here feels intangible to me.”

To make inclusivity tangible for students like Juwillie, the Office of Enrollment Management and Student Success was created to focus on student retention, especially regarding students of color.

The Bridges program is run through that office and was altered so that even once admitted, Bridges students feel they have mentors and an outlet built into the university to ensure their success and retention.

Moore-Diggs urges students to take a more active role in the pursuit of their own success on campus.

“Don’t expect things to come to you. Seek out resources, no matter who you’re with or who you’re reaching out to,” said MooreDiggs. “Reach out. There are resources here. We hear you.”

miamistudent.net

recycle this newspaper.

4 CULTURE

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

Phi Tau remembers late brother GREEK

KELLY BURNS

THE MIAMI STUDENT

A group of male students in lacrosse gear gathered on Cook Field on Saturday.

They stood in a tight huddle, dressed in shorts and red jerseys despite the freezing temperature.

The group put their hands into the center of their circle.

Thrusting their fists down in unison, they yelled, “Briggs!”

With that, Phi Kappa Tau’s Justin Briggs Memorial Lacrosse Tournament began.

Justin Briggs, a sophomore member of the fraternity, passed away over the summer.

With the tournament, Phi Tau was able to honor his memory and his love of lacrosse.

Alec Prophit, a member of Briggs’ pledge class, was heavily involved in the planning of the tournament.

“It’s been crazy,” he said. “But when you’re doing something like this that’s going to mean a lot to a lot of people, and Justin obviously meant a lot to us, it makes it easier to go the extra mile because you want it to be done well for someone you cared about.”

Prophit said the tournament was never meant to be competitive, but rather was a way to remember Briggs and raise money for a good cause.

“We wanted to do something that brought all of his Miami friends together and also do something that Justin loved to do,” Prophit said. “He played lacrosse in high school, and he was really good, so this was kind of perfect.”

“We figured that we might as well raise money for a good cause while we’re having fun,” added Phi Tau President Robby Nigro.

All profits from the tournament, a total of $6500, were donated to the Justin Briggs Memorial Scholarship Fund through Honduras Hope. This fund was set up by Briggs’ family after his death to help children in Honduras get an education.

Nigro said the entire point of the event was to remember Briggs, who was Phi Tau’s brother and many Miami students’ friend.

“I don’t even know who the winner was,” he said with a laugh.

“It wasn’t about winning or losing. It was about having fun.”

Junior Scott Sutton agreed that the event was not a competition but rather a way to have fun.

“We have a lot of athletes, but

“We just wanted to be there to support our friends and to do it for Justin,” Kern said, “It meant a lot to me and to my friends that knew him.”

More than the game, though, Kern was struck by the atmosphere of the event and the way in which it honored Briggs.

“You could just tell that the Phi Taus were there and were supporting each other and everyone else there was supporting them too,” she said. “It wasn’t supposed to be sad because he was always happy.”

The tournament was only one of the many events that the fraternity has put on in Briggs’ honor.

The fraternity sold tickets for

SHUMANDB@MIAMIOH.EDU

Pedal Punk: Miami to host innovative circus act

It wasn’t supposed to be sad because he was always happy.

CONTRIBUTED BY PATTI LIBERATORE

they were all gassed,” he said.

“But they all loved it. Everyone had a great time.”

Prophit was overwhelmed by the amount of support that he received for the project.

He received texts and calls not only from members of his fraternity, but also from people who knew Briggs and just wanted to help celebrate his life.

Fraternities and sororities raised money to donate to Briggs’ charity before they even participated in the tournament.

“A lot of the sororities and fraternities started GoFundMes and they raised between $500 and $1000 each” Nigro said.

Sophomore Sarah Kern and her Delta Gamma sisters attended the event and played against some of the fraternity brothers.

the Clayton Anderson concert at Brick Street on April 7. A portion of the profits from the concert was also donated to Briggs’ charity.

They held other events like the concert and a GoFundMe campaign earlier in the year. They also had wristbands with the words “Live like Briggs” made and may soon have a bench dedicated to him.

The weekend brought people together to remember Briggs and his life. At the concert on Thursday, the crowd joined together and sang “Happy Birthday” to Briggs, who would have celebrated his birthday on April 10.

“No matter what, he always had a smile on his face and brought out the best in people,” Nigro said.

“And we want to thank everyone who participated this weekend.”

Cirque Mechanic’s inventive “Pedal Punk” show combines bicycles, storytelling and acrobatics to celebrate American ingenuity.

THEATRE

ELIZABETH HANSEN

ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR

Bicycles hanging from scaffolding await the Cirque Mechanic acrobat as she prepares to launch herself from the trampolines below, flip as she sails through the air and finally mount herself onto a bike.

As a part of Miami’s Performing Arts Series, Cirque Mechanics will be performing their show, “Pedal Punk,” at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at Millett.

“Spectacle Magazine even called it, ‘the greatest contribution to the American circus since Cirque du Soleil,’” said Patti Liberatore, director of the Performing Arts Series.

The show is built around pedal-

powered mechanisms. Its main attraction, the gantry bike, is a giant contraption strong enough to allow acrobats to perform all sorts of tricks.

“It’s an engineering feat in and of itself,” Liberatore said.

Former BMX rider, Chris Lashua, founded Cirque Mechanics in 2004.

It’s not just a typical circus, but rather one that celebrates American ingenuity combined with storytelling and acrobatics.

Since this year at Miami is designated as “The Year of Creativity and Innovation,” the Performing Arts Series saw this show as a perfect opportunity to not only entertain audiences, but also educate students about the endless limits to creativity.

CIRCUS »PAGE 5

What’s in a name?: Navigating a life of Jakes RELATIONSHIPS

MACKENZIE ROSSERO THE MIAMI STUDENT

DARSHINI PARTHASARATHY THE MIAMI STUDENT

STREET SCENE The Departments of Music and Theatre performed Kurt Weill’s Tony Award-winning play over the weekend.

Editors’ pop culture picks Things we watched, read, listened to and streamed while taking a break from our responsibilities over the weekend “LOVE STREAMS” TIM HECKER

Hecker is a sound artist from Montreal and a professor at McGill University. “Love Streams” is his eighth studio album. He’s been referred to as an “ambient sculptor.” However, “Love Streams” is punctuated by clear, abrasive uses of technical instruments and complex programming. Hecker reportedly took 15th century monastic music (music sung by monks) and transposed it into digital software before making manipulations of the resulting scores. His previous works were steeped in atmosphere and obscured by white noise, distortion and short-circuiting amplifiers, but “Love Streams” turned to a jovial, playful sound. It’s rewarding to see one of his past works, “Dropped Pianos,” a series of sketches on piano from 2011, turned into a full-bodied track in “Bijie Dream.” Following the course of an artist’s development yields litle “Easter eggs” like this, making the artist-listener relationship more personal. — Kyle Hayden, Design Editor

“FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS” HUNTER S. THOMPSON

On the surface, Hunter S. Thompson’s semi-autobiographical novel is a crazy celebration of party culture. Two men, a journalist and his lawyer, embark on a roller coaster of a journey to Las Vegas, armed with an extensive assortment of drugs and alcohol — beer, tequila, pot, cocaine, acid, peyote, ether, you name it. However, a critical eye will see this story as more than just tales from a wild weekend in Sin City. As they descend deeper and deeper into their drug-addled states, the men find themselves riddled with anxiety and paranoia, and they end up in increasingly dangerous situations. Filled with brilliantly lurid descriptions of their narcotic-fueled escapades, this brilliant piece of Gonzo journalism acts as a nuanced critique of the American Dream and the never-ending drive for excess that defines it. — Devon Shuman, Culture Editor

She’s wearing a bright pink headband. It’s metallic and reads “Happy Birthday!” in big, block letters. She’s a few Trashcans in, but her roommate has had more.

Her roommate holds her shoulders and pushes her through the bar, approaching boy after boy and insisting that they kiss her. It is her birthday, after all.

She keeps rejecting them, and her roommate keeps yelling, keeps asking. She just wants her roommate to shut up. She wants to go dance.

Another boy, right in front of her.

“Kiss her! It’s her birthday!”

The boy looks at her curiously and, when he leans in, she doesn’t cover her mouth or step away like she did to the other boys. If she does it once, if she just kisses one boy, her roommate will stop and they can get back to their night.

It’s just a kiss, after all.

When she pulls away, the boy smiles at her. He introduces himself.

“I’m Jake.”

A deep frown forms on her face.

She does not like Jakes.

••• To her, the name “Jake” is as horrible as a swear word. There have been three notable Jakes in her life.

Jake #1 — her freshman year boyfriend. He asked her to be “[his] girl,” stood her up and then dumped her over text. And, in case that wasn’t enough, he later dated her best friend and broke her heart as well.

Jake #2 — the guy from health class. He was a year older, but she knew he was trying to use her. She never let him.

Jake #3 — the Homecoming

King. He came to her for advice and later asked her to the school dance. He left her at the afterparty to have sex with his ex-girl-

She expected this.

He is a Jake after all. friend.

That was it. Three bad Jakes to prove that the rest of them were surely rotten. She was done with Jakes forever.

••• The guy in front of her looks nice, but didn’t they all? She has met plenty of Jakes since coming to Miami and is willing to be friendly if, and only if, there were no feelings, no relationships and no heartbreaks.

This Jake’s smile begins to fade but his arm still reaches for her hips, trying to coax her into dancing with him.

Her frown turns into a scowl.

She defiantly sidesteps him and his hand hardly brushes her.

She looks into his eyes and speaks honestly.

“I do not like Jakes.”

••• Later, through a post from a mutual friend, she finds a photo of Jake #4 on Instagram. Shamelessly, she clicks on his profile and scrolls through it. The most recent post was a #WomanCrushWednesday for his girlfriend of two years.

She expected this. He is a Jake after all.

Still, she can’t help hoping that someday, she’ll meet a Jake that will prove her wrong.

WWW.MIAMISTUDENT.NET

5

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

FROM SPEITH»PAGE 10

FROM TENNIS»PAGE 10

FROM PACQUIAO»PAGE 10

someone we all could relate to.

Look at Tom Brady: the guy grew up wealthy and is now one of the best athletes in history, making millions and setting records left and right, all while being married to a super model.

It doesn’t take a genius to recognize greatness, but at a certain point the average person has to ask, “What else can this guy do?”

The same is true with Spieth. Golf fans tune in to witness greatness. He’s the player we’ll tell our kids about when we’re older, but it is almost nice to see him slip up a little.

Sunday was a reminder that the golden boy robot Jordan Spieth is made of the same stuff as the rest of us. His genes are premium while ours are Kroger brand, but they’re genes regardless. Like the rest of us, though, even premium products have flaws.

Unfortunately for Spieth, his great screw-up happened in front of millions of people. We’re lucky that our gaffes happen at the office or in the comfort of our own home.

Spieth will go down as one of the best in history, barring a scandal or complete loss of talent. His goof-up undoubtedly stings, but if it helps at all, he gained at least one fan this weekend.

cause it gives us confidence going into the tournament and will help us to finish our season on a good note.”

Next week the team returns home to Oxford for two matches. Miami goes up against Bowling Green University (2-14) at 1 p.m. Friday.

They face Eastern Michigan University (4-14) at 1 p.m. Sunday.

back to his nation may come at a cost.

“He doesn’t have money problems now,” Arum said. “But of course, he’s going to have money problems if he’s going to be building hospitals out of his own pocket instead of letting the [Philippine] government build the hospitals.”

Pacquiao, who earned a reported $160 million for his bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May, will reportedly receive $20 million for the Bradley fight. Pacquiao’s fights have generated more than $1 billion in pay-per-view revenue in the United States.

For a man to walk away from that kind of money, which he rightfully deserves, it’s dumb.

If Pacquiao wins the election and

wishes to actually improve the Philippines, he is more likely than not going to be spending his own money.

In a country that urgently needs resources to pay for relief and an economic reconstruction, a person can’t single-handedly be the one to do that.

Since Typhoon Haiyan hit, the Philippines sends out $22 million a day in debt payments. Even his advisers have tried to convince Pacquiao that he cannot support an entire nation on his own.

To attempt to keep the country afloat, Pacquiao needs a steady money stream, but will he have time to balance both worlds of politics and boxing?

The 37-year old was elected to the Philippine House of Representatives five years ago. Although he has had experience juggling two completely separate jobs, being a senator

is much different than being in the House of Representatives.

Ultimately, Pacquiao is an incredible fighter who would be walking away too soon. Sure, the Mayweather fight was a huge disappointment, and the Bradley win was uneventful, but it just seems like it’s not the right time for him to say goodbye.

“In my heart, I’m 50-50,” Pacquiao said. “But I love my family, and I won’t hurt my family, my kids.

I don’t know, I might enjoy my retired life or I might want to come back. It’s hard to say because I’m not there yet. But right now, my decision is to retire.”

If this is the last of his boxing days, at least he’s walking away for a good cause: the people of the Philippines.

JULIA RIVERA

RIVERAJL@MIAMIOH.EDU

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6 OPINION

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

Survivng the dreaded group project without losing your hair EDITORIAL

The following piece, written by the editorial editors, reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board.

As we all know, group projects are the bane of the college student’s existence. Whether you’re paired up with the kid who doesn’t know how to spell “teamwork” or you’re just plain anti-social, team-based assignments are perhaps the only classroom challenge where many students might actually prefer a test or essay. All this being said, there are a few things that can be done, by students and professors alike, to help alleviate the headaches that group projects cause.

To start, the formation of the right team is key in any successful group endeavor. Whenever professors let you choose your group, try to seek out people that you know to be excellent workers and that will take the class seriously. They do not necessarily have to be your friends. In fact, many times it is almost disadvantageous to pair up with friends as your more intimate understanding of each other is counteracted by the temptation to goof off and not get work done.

This is all under the assumption that the professor does not randomly assign groups.

If that is the case, all we can say is to hope for the best. Maybe if the college gods are shining down on you, you’ll get put with that cute, quiet girl/guy that sits in the corner. Maybe.

In any case, once the group is formed you’ll have to get down to business. Most people who enter into group projects are going to be shy about making connections and brainstorming

ideas. To make things easier on yourself and others, try to step up and lead your team by initiating the generation of ideas and asking people’s opinions on how to tackle the assignment.

It’s important not to be bossy, but if you can show your teammates that you have everything under control, everyone will work much more confidently and productively. Or, at the very least, fake it ‘til you make it.

One of the most frustrating situations in a group project is when one person is stuck with either all or the majority of the work. In order to avoid this situation, start delegating who will do what early on in the process. If you are the one in charge, this should be easy. Even if you are not, though, make sure to speak up and make your opinion heard about how the group should divvy up work. It’s more than likely that people will appreciate a clearer and fairer approach to finishing the assignment.

If worst comes to worst, there is always the option of talking to the professor. However, as the purpose of group projects is to let students see what working together with people in the professional world will be like — a world where there isn’t always someone to complain to — this option should be a last resort. Besides, no one likes a tattletale.

Furthermore, it is now widely accepted that one of the best tools to use when starting a group project is Google Docs. We are all for making life easier, but it is important to under-

stand that simply typing words onto a communal document severely decreases the real human interaction that most projects usually require. Again, in the real world this may not necessarily be an option.

You should tread lightly when using such

PowerPoints? Fine. Group essays, where every person has a different writing style? Perhaps not so much.

tools, as the full experience of being able to communicate in person with different types of people is still an experience worth having, even in today’s increasingly digital world.

Finally, if the project is long term, start it immediately. Procrastination is a problem for many in college, but this problem is compounded when you have multiple people all expecting someone else to get everything started.

The last thing that anyone wants is to not be able to go to 90s Night Uptown because your group succumbed to the Bystander Effect and

Criticism of The Miami Student helps to shed light on the true goals of journalism JOURNALISM

MILAM’S MUSINGS BRETT MILAM COLUMNIST

I’ve always been uncomfortable with the term journalist. For the longest time, it felt too pretentious, too daunting and just too much right now.

But, in essence, I, and everyone that works at The Miami Student, are journalists. We are fellow students, yes, but also journalists, covering the university, student life and the local community.

In my four years with The Student as Online Editor, reporter and columnist, I’ve observed the tension between these two roles we assume: the student and the journalist.

Not tension I myself feel, but the tension our readers often convey with their comments about how we ought to operate.

Whenever the paper runs a story that, in any way, sheds a negative light on the university — whether it’s the drinking culture, the Greek system (especially the Greek system), pay disparities, crime and so on — I see the comments disparaging us for doing so.

Sometimes those comments come from parents of students or potential students, feeling as if we’ve ruined Miami for them.

Sometimes those comments come from former students — alumni — also wondering why we’re poisoning their nostalgic “love and honor.”

Sometimes those comments even come from past editors of the Student, feeling as if we’ve gone off the rails compared to what they would do.

This particular subgroup is the most head-scratching to me, as they ought to know better.

The usual refrain is, “Why are you so negative about Miami?” Or, “Why do you even go to Miami if you hate it so much?” Or, “What a rag this paper has become.” Or, if it’s in relation to the Opinion section, “What a liberal rag this paper is.”

The insinuation is obvious enough — print only that which makes Miami look good. But that’s not the role of a journalist. The role of a journalist, whether they’re covering government, business, leaders and yes, universities, and whether they write for the New York Times or The Miami Student, is to tell the news, be it positive or negative.

Our particular job is to ensure the university is held accountable, not to be a public relations arm of the administration. And, if we are doing our jobs accurately and truth-

fully, the benefit is to the student body enrolled at Miami and the surrounding community.

Just this month alone, the Student published stories on the salary database for Miami, a gender discrimination lawsuit brought against Miami and Miami’s dependence on contingent faculty.

In the prior month, Miami was found to be among the least compliant with Sunshine Laws.

Last year, other front page stories included the amount each student pays in fees to athletics, faculty concerns with regional restructuring, where theft occurs around Miami’s campus (I wrote that piece), Miami’s suspension of three fraternities during the summer and various stories on sexual assaults on campus.

Going back to 2014, there were stories on student meal plan costs (an ongoing issue at the moment, too), students and drunkorexia and an examination into the budget for ASG. Would anyone argue that the student body, the surrounding community, prospective students and alumni are better off not knowing these stories?

This is not a pat-on-the-back musing. This is not a rah-rah, let me defend the Student’s honor musing. I’m seriously inquiring if people think we ought to not run those stories, if we should just sit on them and remain quiet.

Last month, when McKay was suspended, comments told us to do exactly that: stay silent on it, as McKay had been through enough.

But our job is quite the opposite.

Moreover, the criticism that we are always negative doesn’t make sense, either.

There’s the Slice of Life and Humans of Oxford features in the Culture section, giving an inside look into student life and activities on campus.

Or there are the victories of the various sports teams at Miami inside the folds of the Sports section.

Or the photographs of campus often spread throughout each newspaper edition.

Again, our job isn’t to ensure some ratio of positivity to negativity; it’s to report the news as it comes and relay necessary information to the community we serve.

Media criticism is my favorite area of journalism, second only to opinion writing, and nobody ought to go into writing of any kind, much less journalism, if they don’t have thick skin and are unable to take criticism.

For example, in my four years, I’ve unfortunately seen many typos in headlines, subheadlines and within the body of stories, many of which I also failed to notice and correct in the online version. Likewise, we’ve had to correct or retract stories and, in one case, dismiss a reporter

for plagiarizing.

The Student does its best to aim for the highest quality every issue, but as humans, sometimes we’re going to fall short. There’s no publication free from those types of errors.

But the types of criticisms I’m talking about are fundamentally misunderstanding The Student’s mission as a paper and our relationship to the university while creating that unnecessary tension between the role of student and journalist.

In particular, I find the comments on the Opinion section pieces to be the most baffling. Obviously, we get the aforementioned “liberal rag” criticism, even though anyone of any political persuasion can write to us.

However, it’s the comments conflating opinion pieces with our newswriting I find confusing. The Opinion section and the News section of the newspaper are separate entities, occupying their own space and rules.

The only opinion piece endorsed by the newspaper is the editorial board piece, which itself is still distinct from the news section.

Now, criticism of what Opinion editors choose to run in the Opinion section is valid. In other words, not everything that’s emailed to us necessarily ought to be printed for a variety of reasons. For instance, in November of 2014, running an anonymous letter to the editor from a supposed professor about international students was probably worthy of criticism.

Along the same vein, Joey Hart’s satirical pieces routinely draw outrage for turning the Student into The Onion. But there’s a place for satire within the Opinion section and the entire newspaper doesn’t have to be The Onion to achieve that.

Now, criticism of my job, as the Online Editor, in posting Hart’s satirical pieces to social media is fair.

If you think I should make it much more obvious that Hart’s pieces are satirical, I understand.

As I’ve been saying, there are areas where there are valid, constructive criticisms of what we do and other areas where it seems there’s a misunderstanding of what we do as a newspaper and as journalists.

In life, we have a tendency to make sense of the world through a “contrasting other” — everything, then, turns into a battle of us vs. them.

None of this is about student media vs. the university, student media vs. the student body or anything like that.

It’s about the search for truth, transparency and accuracy.

And if we’re doing our job right, sometimes that means making those in power uncomfortable.

MILAMBC@MIAMIOH.EDU

didn’t begin research until the night before.

However, we don’t just call upon students to ease the burden of cooperative assignments.

It is important that professors heed certain guidelines when creating such collaborations.

We understand that group projects are sometimes necessary due to time constraints.

For example, having the class watch just a few group presentations instead of dozens of individual presentations is a much better reason to assign group projects than simply wanting less to grade. This is a tradeoff everyone can understand.

We believe allowing students to anonymously grade each other after turning in the assignment is a great way to hold students accountable for their work within the group and ensure that students have an incentive to contribute. Responsibility is key in any cooperation.

And for the love of God, please only assign tasks that can easily be collaborated on. PowerPoints? Fine. Group essays, where every person has a different writing style? Perhaps not so much.

In the end, patience, tolerance and understanding all emerge as exponentially important virtues that when a group project assignment rears its ugly head. Practice these enough, and the next time you have to work in a team, hopefully you won’t be tearing your hair out, one follicle at a time.

Keep your algorithms out of my social media TECHNOLOGY

MARISSA STIPEK THE MIAMI STUDENT

Mondays get a bad rap. They mark the end of the weekend and the start of yet another workweek. However, there is one small thing I look forward to about Mondays.

Every Monday, I click the Spotify icon on my computer to check out the “Discover Weekly” option, a specially curated list of songs chosen just for me.

“Discover Weekly brings you two hours of custom-made music recommendations, tailored specifically to

It’s fun to see what people are doing at a given time, and the constantly moving feed is what keeps users engaged.

you and delivered as a unique playlist,” according to the company’s website. “Every song in Discover Weekly is based both on your own listening, as well as what others are play-listing and listening to around the songs you love.”

Admittedly, Discover Weekly isn’t worth the hype I give it. While every now and then the playlist provides me with a new hit, the vast majority of the songs are misses.

Sometimes it’s a track by an artist I generally like, but that just doesn’t appeal to me as much.

Sometimes it’s a song all my friends have been singing, or that I know is popular on the radio, but that I can’t stand.

And sometimes I end up with a heavy metal head-banger or banjostrumming country tune — genres so far off from my tastes that I question how this playlist could ever be interest-based.

So, while the feature is well-intentioned and definitely provides a little fun for my Monday mornings, I can’t say that it is always accurate.

A computer algorithm that monitors my listening and tries to make predictions about my preferences will never know me as well as I know myself. And the assumption that it could is becoming problematic, as

more and more forms of social media are adopting algorithms in an attempt to tailor users’ experiences.

Facebook has been doing this since 2014, and last month, Instagram announced that it, too, would be experimenting with “a new, content-controlling algorithm [that] will spotlight posts that it thinks users will most want to see at the top of their feed,” the Huffington Post reported.

Instead of photos appearing chronologically in users’ Instagram feeds, those that are assumed to be uninteresting will be bumped down, while those that are popular may sit at the top for longer periods of time.

But, wait. Doesn’t this take away from the whole premise of Instagram — the idea that posts are seen instantly?

It’s fun to see what people are doing at a given time, and the constantly moving feed is what keeps users engaged. Personally, I like having something new to see each time I open the app or hit refresh.

The algorithm will judge your interest based on how much you interact with other users’ posts. A “like” shows interest, but not as much as a comment, which is given more weight.

But what if the algorithm chooses wrong? What if it eliminates accounts I do like, taking away my opportunity to interact with them further? The aim is to enable users to see more content without the worry of an overly cluttered newsfeed, but it seems this streamlined process will just narrow options down.

The new format means new rules. Instagram already resembles a strange competition of sorts — users vie for the most followers, likes or comments. Now, this type of positive feedback will be even more crucial to ensure users stay relevant in their friends’ feeds. Lifestyle or company accounts will gain more power as well, making users’ feeds more of a glorified ad reel than a glimpse into the lives of their family members and friends.

There are times and places when computer-generated suggestions can be fun. I like that Netflix gives me recommendations based on what I recently watched or added to my list.

When I’m online shopping, it can be helpful if the website gives more ideas of products I might like. And, even though it sometimes makes me question my listening habits, I get a kick out of Spotify’s Discover Weekly playlists. But I don’t think algorithm use is necessary or beneficial to Instagram.

Unfortunately, the attempt to personalize Instagram will do just the opposite — it will take freedom away from users and ultimately make them detached from their experience.

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EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

Trump voting demographic reveals racial anxiety POLITICS

GRETA HALLBERG COLUMNIST

Last month, political scientist Lynn Vavreck came to Miami’s campus. She’s a professor at UCLA and writes for the Upshot, a political blog by the New York Times that I read pretty regularly. I was geeking out.

Her talk was about the 2016 election — a wacky one, to be sure — and focused primarily on the rise of Donald Trump. With Trump’s candidacy, no rules apply. Political scientists have been wrong about his unexpected success at every stage of the election.

Vavreck explained Trump’s popularity by examining the groups of likely Republican primary voters.

In 2012, Romney did well among economic conservatives and moderates. Santorum won the Tea Partiers, Evangelicals and bornagain Christians. Cruz’s supporters are among the same vein — the ultraconservative niche groups.

But Trump? He fares equally well among moderates and the far right.

It’s a total anomaly.

But Vavreck’s hypothesis, supported by data, is that they’ve been looking at the wrong groups.

It’s less about political and religious ideology and more about their racial identity. Those who feel strongly connected to their white identity are more likely to support Trump. Those who experience racial anxiety, that is, those who feel discrimination against whites or feel threatened by other races, make up a strong base of Trump voters.

So Trump’s white ethnocentric rhetoric isn’t a new opinion among the American public.

Trump is simply echoing the sentiment of a lot of voters on the “white” issue. He’s capitalizing on this divide, revolutionizing the way that GOP candidates target different voter groups.

These people feel that they are losing their rights, that they are being targeted because they are white. Trump supporters feel disillusioned from Democrats, who are seen as extending rights to non-whites, and thus taking away their rights.

Vavreck’s discussion of racial anxiety among Trump voters reminded me of an article in the Huffington Post: “‘When You’re Accustomed To Privilege, Equality

OPINION 7

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

Feels Like Oppression.’”

Sure, by extending rights to other peI hear this kind of conversation around college scholarships. The MTV documentary “White People” features a girl who is upset that she did not receive financial aid when so many of her non-white counterparts did. I’m not sure if it was need-based or merit-based, but this girl had such an air of entitlement when it came to her scholarship. In reality, more than two-thirds of all merit-based financial aid goes to Caucasian students, according to a 2011 study

by FinAid.org.

Extending scholarships to minority groups does not take away scholarship money from whites.

Sure, there might be a finite pool of money for financial aid, but it’s a huge freaking pool. Giving immigrants, non-whites, non-straight people and even women rights does not take rights away from any other group. That just isn’t how the rights guaranteed to us by the Constitution work.

I’m white. I’m straight. I come from a financially secure background. I know that by simply being born into my family, I have an immense privilege. I did nothing to deserve it, just like my friend born to drug dealers in inner-city Cleveland did nothing to deserve being born into his situation. I don’t feel threatened by his success or his entry into grad school. In fact, he has worked harder to get into college than I ever had to.

Trump argues that “Mexicans are taking our jobs.” Nobody is “stealing” jobs from anybody.

Competitive markets, including the labor market, are what make capitalism, well, capitalism. Employing illegal immigrants a rate below the minimum wage goes against the law — I’m not advocating for that — but any rational business owner is going to try to cut costs in any way possible. That means employing people for the lowest possible wage, for which immigrants and minority groups are often willing to work.

Let’s keep in mind that the 14th Amendment, the one that extends equal rights to all American citizens regardless of race, was passed in 1868, following the Civil War. The Civil Rights Act, which outlawed discrimination based on race, was passed nearly 100 years later in 1964.

HALLBEGM@MIAMIOH.EDU

Upcoming open carry rally evokes call to maintain Miami’s peaceful campus CAMPUS LIFE

EVAN FACKLER GUEST COLUMNIST

On April 30, a group of reactionary Second Amendment advocates intends to parade across Miami’s campus carrying guns in an ill-conceived attempt to convince our university to adopt policies allowing concealed campus carry. Such policies would add elements of secrecy, mistrust and danger to classrooms, dormitories, libraries and dining halls.

In short, they stand in direct opposition to the sort of campus culture that thousands of students, faculty, staff, administrators and community members have fostered here at Miami, and they make a mockery of our commitment to the power of reason over the right of might.

The organizers of the open carry event say they are committed to making their demonstration educational, and in engaging the campuses they visit in Ohio (Miami will be the fifth since 2014) in a dialogue.

In a forum post on opencarry. org inviting the larger open carry community to attend the events here and in Bowling Green this month, poster BB62 writes, “You, students, and the general public will get the most from this event by your being willing to engage people in conversation, by listening and responding, not by walking by or by saying sternly ‘It’s my RIGHT!’ when asked why you’re participating.”

We should welcome their stated willingness to engage in a dialogue, particularly those of us who disagree with their vision. They are very clear about this vision and the purpose of the spectacle they intend to create on April 30.

“The purpose of these Walks is twofold,” writes BB62, “1) to engage in dialogue with students and members of the public regarding the RKBA [right to keep and bear arms], and 2) to push for, via activism and conversation, legal concealed campus carry.”

This should give us pause.

These protestors seek to redefine our campus culture by making guns a permanent part of life at Miami. This mission is informed by all the illogic and paranoia we’ve come to expect from certain advocates of gun rights. It is marked by a devious shift in the

terms by which we would engage in dialogue and a cynically narrow vision of open, reasoned debate.

Thus, as we see in BB62’s post, gun free zones, like Miami’s campus, are re-termed “Criminal Empowerment Zones.” Such a description becomes accurate only if you happen to agree that an absence of guns leads to criminality, while the presence of guns and their implicit threat of violence puts people at ease.

This same one-dimensional paranoia has been on display in other open carry demonstrations in Ohio. At a rally in Cleveland, for instance, Mr. Smith — supposedly the same Mr. Smith organizing the event in Oxford — claimed that, by prohibiting firearms on campuses,

from firearms is perhaps lower than anywhere else any of us have ever lived.

So we may be forgiven for wondering why concealed carry should become part of our campus life. We enjoy this space without weapons, not because their prohibition has been legislated down to us, but because we’ve never seen a need for them or desired their presence, as meager and unsuccessful attempts to change university policy in the past, by Concealed Carry on Campus, have demonstrated. Nor do we need them now, as Mr. Smith suggests.

Mr. Smith’s previous demonstrations on Ohio campuses have been small affairs, with low turnouts, both in support and

We enjoy this space without weapons, not because their prohibition has been legislated down to us, but because we’ve never seen a need for them.

“school administrators are legislatively creating a victims zone.”

The culture of Miami University is not a “victims zone,” as Mr. Smith suggests. Which is not to say that there aren’t real problems or patterns of victimization here. But to suggest that the conscientious decision to prohibit firearms on campus has somehow created victims is to fail on a number of logical fronts. Primarily, though, it fails to consider the real reasons we may choose not to live, work, eat, play, love and learn in an environment where the specter of violence is made visibly present — as it will be when Mr. Smith visits campus April 30.

In the end, it seems to me that this is not a Second Amendment issue, as Mr. Smith’s organization wants to make it. It’s not even about whether or not guns may make us safer or put us more at risk. It’s about the kind of community we choose to forge here. And largely, it’s about the community we’ve already forged here, on a campus marked distinctly by the beauty of the Miami Valley, situated in what is to many an idyllic Midwestern town, where the threat of danger

in opposition. It would appear that nobody particularly cares much one way or another about Smith’s vision.

But we should. He arrives here from Cincinnati to suggest that we must accept his vision for our community. He asserts that guns should be a part of our daily lives on campus and, more broadly, in Oxford. But he’s not a member of our community. He plays no active role in maintaining or enriching this community or this campus’s life. And he doesn’t seem to understand why we may choose to enjoy a gun free campus.

I hope, in response to Mr. Smith’s open carry demonstration, t­he community at Miami will join me and others — in protest, yes — but more to embody and speak for our own vision of what this campus is and should be — a place of learning and a place without the weapons that speak too violently, have been used to silence too many and for which we have no need.

FACKLEET@MIAMIOH.EDU

Miami faces lawsuit because Hodge stepped on Seal SATIRE

JOEY HART

ASSISTANT OPINION EDITOR

President David Hodge confessed Sunday that the likely reason the university is facing a gender discrimination suit is because he stepped on the seal last semester.

“I can assure the entirety of the Miami community that the reason for this suit is not because of any systemic discrimination,” Hodge said in a statement Monday. “I just stepped on the Seal. My bad, guys.”

Hodge said the damning event occurred late one weekend night during first semester. He explained that he accidentally stumbled onto the Seal while walking back from Uptown to Pulley Diner.

This set off a chain of bad luck that led to February’s suit, which alleges that Miami uses discriminatory practices in payment of staff.

Hodge went on to say that he harbors “deep regret” for not immediately rubbing the turtle heads underneath the sun dial overlooking Central Quad to cancel out the infamous curse, an inaction for which he has faced severe criticism.

Matthew Simmons, professor of marketing, said Hodge’s actions are “unacceptable for a university president.”

“There are some fundamental things that a president should know,” Simmons said.

“Be cooperative with your staff, respect the student body and of course, don’t put a curse on the school by violating an age-old superstition.

These are simply the basics.”

Sophomore Phillip Pratt said he stands by Hodge’s decision to not rub the turtles.

“Everyone knows that fraternities make their pledges pee on those turtles,” Pratt said. “I’m not going to condemn a man just because he did what anyone would have done.”

Junior Rebecca Mailey said she doesn’t necessarily believe the suit originated with a simple campus myth. She explained that she knows multiple couples who have kissed under Upham Arch and later broke up, meaning that such legends perhaps don’t have as much credibility as people give them.

“It seems pretty unbelievable to assume that this allegation of discrimination came from anyone stepping on the Seal, even if it was President Hodge,” Mailey said. “Maybe we should consider the fact that discrimination does exist in this world.”

Simmons, though, was dismissive of any opinion that the curse of stepping on the Seal isn’t genuine.

“What are these people going to say next, that Peabody Hall isn’t haunted?”

The preceding piece is a work of satire.

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FROM CIRCUS »PAGE 4

wrote.

In an interview, Barnshaw said students may not realize the impact that an increasing reliance on non-tenured faculty could be having on their education.

“There’s some pretty good research to indicate that faculty that are full-time, tenure-track really could help students in gateway courses — those introductory course, 100-, 200- level courses — as well as help … with student retention and success,” Barnshaw said “All of those things are very important for student outcomes, as well as for colleges and universities overall, as well as the academic labor force and the larger labor force once those students graduate.”

AAUP data also suggest a correlation between classroom activity and the greater academic freedom granted to tenured professors. From a sample of over 2,200 faculty members nationwide, full-timers were 10 percent more likely than their non-tenured colleagues to experiment with teaching methods, 10 percent

more likely to experiment with their course content and 8 percent more likely to teach material that “might challenge students’ understanding of their social world.”

It’s a phenomenon Cathy Wagner, a tenured professor of English and vice president of Miami’s AAUP advocacy chapter, has experienced firsthand.

“Any professor who gets tenure will have had the strange experience of realizing that they are a bit freer than they were before, even if they didn’t realize it,” Wagner said. “That certainly was the case for me … I changed my teaching when I became tenured. I started experimenting more.”

Wagner, like Barnshaw, considers tenure a vital cog in the academic ecosystem.

“The tenure-line folks are the ones who are doing the research and generating knowledge and passing that knowledge directly to students,” Wagner explained.

“We are supposed to be thinking and doing research, and we need to be able to do it without a sense that we will be wasting our jobs if we say something unpopular or if we research something unpopular.

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Junior Cody Philips led a group of students in writing a proclamation for the City of Oxford.

He worked closely with mayor and Miami professor Kate Rousmaniere while drafting the proclamation that she signed April 5.

Although the students first planned to enact the declaration at the state level, they decided to set their sights locally first.

Mary Jane Berman, director of Miami’s Center for American and World Cultures, has also worked to raise awareness with the students about genocide.

“We first had to build credibility and start at a local level, and Miami was the showcase for this,” Berman said. “By starting locally, on our campus and in our city, we hope to remember and honor those who died, educate each other about past atrocities, recognize the signs and confront them to prevent today’s or future genocides.”

She also stressed the impor-

tance of studying past genocides like the Holocaust to identify early warning signs.

“History teaches us that mass atrocities and genocides can be prevented, and intervention is the key,” Berman said.

The GHE committee and MUSAG also partnered with the Center for American and World Cultures to bring a series of educational events to campus.

There are four events planned for the month including a lecture on indigenous people by Erin Debenport at the Armstrong Student Center, an exhibition on extremist propaganda at the Miami University Art Museum, a screening of films about genocide at the Shriver Center and a presentation of over 5000 names of those lost in the Holocaust at The Hub. Swing said she believes these events will help people connect with the issue.

“Hearing someone’s personal struggle and account is something unfathomable to us,” Swing said.

“Expect to be moved.”

“It’s really essential for academic freedom, I think, and for freedom of speech, freedom of thought.”

But, Barnshaw said, tenured positions are being undermined for budgetary reasons, stemming from recent cuts in state appropriations. A generation ago, state appropriations comprised about 30 percent of a university’s expenditures. Now, that number has dwindled to 11 or 12 percent.

Spending on instruction, according to the AAUP report, comprises less than one-third of a university’s budget. Academic support and student services make up an additional 14 percent, and research accounts for only 9 percent of the average budget.

Thus, tenure and tenure-track faculty make up a diminishing portion of university payrolls, and according to Barnshaw’s report, students suffer, perhaps unwittingly.

The problem Wagner and Barnshaw see is an institutional one, compounded over nearly half a century, but not an intractable one.

“If the students and parents un-

derstand that we could be using our resources differently, and that the university could be better supported, then I think that pressure will push up on the administration, and then push upward onto the Board of Trustees, and then that will push upward eventually onto the state level and to the legislation,” Wagner said.

Yet Wagner and Barnshaw expressed optimism that the report could inform change.

“Hopefully it can help raise awareness that universities really have been terribly starved and forced into a kind of marketingoriented behavior that diverts from the educational mission, [where] we’re really more about finding students to come here than we are about teaching them once they’re here,” Wagner said.

If not, the consequences could prove dire for would-be students.

“If it keeps on going like it is,” Wagner said, “then we’re looking at a situation where education is going to be increasingly unequal and people who can’t afford to take out state loans won’t be able to go to someplace like Miami at all.”

FROM AWARENESS » PAGE 2

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“We are always looking for fun things to do that students will love and that the general audience will enjoy,” said Liberatore, “[Pedal Punk] also gives us the opportunity to support something else that’s happening in the community and support learning.”

Liberatore reached out to Holli Morrish, co-chair of the Talawanda-Miami Partnership, at their Performing Arts meeting about bringing Pedal Punk to the Oxford community.

“We were sitting around the table talking and Patti said, ‘Something’s come across my desk and I might be able to bring something to the community that’s relatable.’ So that’s how “Pedal Punk” came together,” Morrish said.

Ellie Witter, Assistant Director for Audience Development for the Performing Arts Series, is excited not only for the performance, but for the educational aspect as well.

“What Cirque Mechanics is going to do is bring some residency and outreach things,” Witter said.

“They’re going to be coming to two different classes [at Miami] on Tuesday, both in the creative arts. But then they’re also going to be going over to the high school.

They’re going to learn about all the machines behind the mechanics and how they are putting this whole show together.”

The Performing Arts Series and Cirque Mechanics will be working with Talawanda High School students who are interested in engineering and the Oxford Kinetics Festival, an annual festival celebrating all things kinetic.

“Our art department is very involved,” said Morrish. “They’ve done some projects with bicycles and then some other things kinetically powered.”

Students participating in the Oxford Kinetics Festival create the artwork presented both at home and in the classroom.

“This is such a popular thing,” Morrish said. “My daughter’s friend wants to be an engineer, and her friend called and said ‘Hey, do you want to help me build this thing?’

And so they built this little track with a ball that moves through it.”

Prior to their performance at Millett, Cirque Mechanics will put on a private show at Talawanda High School for engineering students to show how science, technology, engineering and arts can all combine to produce a show like “Pedal Punk.”

“This is a really strong example of a community collaboration and something that everyone has embraced and gotten involved with,” said Morrish. “It’s so cool. It’s not a fancy word, but that’s what it is. It’s just so cool.”

Tickets for “Pedal Punk” are $12 and can be purchased online or at the Campus Avenue Building.

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9

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

And the Band Played On...

FROM AAUP » PAGE 2

hood is on the line and you take great pride in your work because that is your job, that is your bread and butter, it is taken more seriously by staff because that is our entire lives.”

After the meeting, Cathy Wagner, professor of English and vice president of Miami’s AAUP chapter, stressed the importance of supporting AFSCME members.

“They really need our solidarity and support,” Wagner said. “I think all we can do is put out the word that we are supporting them and help raise awareness.”

Donald Ucci, a professor of engineering and member of the AAUP, echoed Wagner’s sentiment.

“I would love to see a unified approach from the faculty, staff and students to work with the administration,” Ucci said. “It is very important for us to stand together.”

A Special Lecture by

Dr. Don Francis World-Renowned Pediatrician and Epidemiologist

Portrayed in the award-winning 1993 HBO film, And the Band Played On

Thursday, April 14

Additional reporting by Audrey Davis

7:30 pm • Benton Hall • Room 102 Sponsored by: The Mallory-Wilson Center for Healthcare Education and the University Honors Program

FROM ATHLETES » PAGE 2

Executive Coordinator: Matthew Mannion With over 30 years of experience in epidemic control and vaccines, Dr. Don Francis spent 21 years working for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) focusing on vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, cholera, smallpox, and hepatitis B. Dr. Francis also directed the WHO’s Smallpox Eradication Program and was a member of the WHO team investigating the world’s first outbreak of Ebola virus in 1976.

He has worked on HIV/AIDS since its emergence in 1981 and initially directed the AIDS laboratory at the CDC. His early efforts to call attention to the threat of AIDS and warn of the inadequacy of the public health response were chronicled in And the Band Played On.

Includes discussion about the Zika virus

dents playing men’s baseball has marginally decreased from 0.9 percent to 0.8 percent, and women’s volleyball has seen a decrease from 3.1 percent to 2.2 percent.

In addition to the unique perspective and oftentimes higher skill level that international student athletes bring to the court, said Cooper the impact working with these student athletes has had on him. “[It is] what they bring to you,” said Cooper. “It’s the culture and the things they bring to you and the things you learn.”

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’Hawks finish on top at Hilltopper Invitational TRACK AND FIELD

BEN BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER

The Miami University men and women’s track and field teams competed in the Hilltopper Invitational this weekend in Bowling Green, Ky., earning victories in three events and top-five finishes across the board.

The meet, hosted by Western Kentucky University, featured 18 schools from around the country.

Senior Laura Bess picked up Miami’s first victory of the meet in the 1500-meter run, finishing in 4:31.32, five seconds ahead of the next finisher. The time automatically qualifies her for the Mid-American Conference Championships and places her fifth in the current MAC standings.

“I felt really good during the race.

I just tried to stick with the leaders through 800 meters, and then after that I took over,” Bess said. “I was surprised with how strong I felt toward the end of the race, so I’m really

glad to have my training start to pay off.”

Bess wasn’t done after the 1500, earning a second place finish in the 800-meter run as well. Her time of 2:13.14 ranks her sixth in the MAC. Freshman Alexis Szivan took fifth in a time of 2:14.03.

“I didn’t feel as strong as I did during the 1500, but I was able to use my endurance to take me from dead last after the first lap to second overall by the end of the race,” Bess said.

In steeplechase action, sophomore Alesha Vovk set a meet-record in a personal best of 10:52.68. This automatically qualifies her for the MAC Championships, places her third in the current MAC rankings and is the eighth fastest time in Miami history.

On the men’s side, sophomore Jordan Rice took third in 9:40.97, which is the second fastest MAC time this season.

Senior Jess Baker set a new outdoor best in the high jump with a

winning leap of 5-7. This mark is likely good enough to qualify Baker for NCAA Regionals, but qualifiers are not officially announced until the end of the regular season.

“I’ve really been trying to get a regional mark, so I think being nervous about that definitely helped,” Baker said. “I was really focused coming into the weekend, and I’m really happy with how it turned out.”

Senior Peter Stefanski jumped 6-8.75 for the RedHawk men, finishing second overall.

In women’s shot put, Miami put two athletes on the podium.

Junior Arionna Darling continued her string of strong performances with a second place throw of 51-5, and junior Ashley Frahm’s toss of 48-8 was good enough for third.

Senior Kathie Wollney improved her MAC-leading 400-meter hurdles time by .14, finishing third overall in 1:01.94. Sophomore Morgan Rice was close behind, taking fifth in

IAN MARKER THE MIAMI STUDENT

Junior Arionna Darling placed second in the women’s shot put at the Hilltopper Invite on April 9 in Bowling Green, Ky. with a throw of 51-5.

1:02.97.

“I think everyone’s in really good spirits after this weekend,” Baker said. “Most people are starting to reach their goals, and it’s great to get

the outdoor season going on a high note.”

The Red and White are back in action this weekend at the Ball State Challenge in Muncie, Ind.

SPORTS BRIEFS BASEBALL SWEEPS OPPONENT FOR FIRST TIME IN NEARLY TWO YEARS

FLAVIN CLAIMS THIRD TROPHY OF SEASON

SYNCHRONIZED SKATING PLACES NINTH AT WORLDS

Miami baseball swept Bowling Green State University in a three-game series over the weekend. It is MU’s first series sweep since May 15-17, 2014.

In Saturday’s matchup, Miami cruised to a 5-1 victory behind sophomore right-handed pitcher Gus Graham, who pitched 6.2 innings, allowing zero runs and four hits. In game one of Sunday’s doubleheader, the RedHawks grabbed an early 6-0 lead. The Falcons had a late surge, but Miami won 7-5. The second game of the doubleheader went to extra innings. In the bottom of the 12th, senior outfielder Jake Romano gave Miami the 4-3 victory with a walk-off sacrifice fly.

Sophomore Patrick Flavin won his third individual title of the season and second in a row Sunday at the Hoosier Collegiate in Columbus, Ind. He shot rounds of 72 and 68 to finish at fourunder par for the event. It is his fifth top-15 performance of the season and fourth in a row. The Miami golf team earned its first team title of the season, tying with No. 33 Purdue University. Both teams finished even at two-over par.

The Miami University senior synchronized skating team finished ninth out of 26 teams at the ISU World Championships last weekend. Twenty-one countries were represented, and the RedHawks were one of two teams representing the United States. Miami recorded a combined score of 175.00. Team Russia 1 won the event with a 212.69 score, Team Finland 2 placed second with a 207.84 score, and Team USA 1 (the Haydenettes) finished third with a 206.95 score.

Headlines beyond Oxford: Lebron James commented on the Golden State Warriors’ historic pursuit of 73 games: “I actually got to witness some history.” If GSW beats Memphis Wednesday, they pass the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls for most wins in an NBA season.

Golf’s golden boy Jordan Spieth finally reveals humanness in much-needed fall COLUMN

JACK YUNGBLUT On Sunday afternoon, a Google search of Jordan Spieth returned glowing headlines such as “Spieth in control with Masters victory in sight.” Less than an hour later, they were replaced by “Jordan Spieth on the verge of historic collapse at the Masters.”

Golf’s golden boy posted a quadruple bogey on the par-3 12th hole after finding the water twice. An otherwise perfect weekend was ruined by a single-hole performance reminiscent of one of my rounds at the local public course.

Common folk like you and I would might be able to shave a few strokes off our score and forget about it when the round is finished. Spieth, unfortunately, suffered a Chicago Cubslevel collapse on golf’s greatest stage.

This isn’t a bad thing though.

In possibly the most boring and plain sport in the world, Spieth is not only the best player; he is one of the

most boring and plain as well.

A simple glance at his biography tells the story. A former top amateur player and NCAA All-American, he quickly rose through the professional ranks and makes millions of dollars a year.

In a world full of feather-ruffling superstars, he has managed to stay squeaky clean.

Spieth is golf personified. Privileged, white, talented and clean-cut.

He’s the cool kid at your high school who drives around the nice car his parents bought him, his cheerleader girlfriend in the passenger seat.

Yet, he doesn’t beat up nerds, and he didn’t steal his girlfriend from a freshman. He has it all: athletic, good-looking and talent we plebs can only dream of.

It’s pretty easy to hate the guy, but you can’t. He’s not outspoken and never makes headlines outside of setting records for the history books.

It’s like if Johnny Manziel spent free time at the soup kitchen instead of the VIP room in Vegas.

He isn’t Tiger Woods, dropping

Pacquiao leaving too soon COLUMN

JULIA RIVERA If Manny Pacquiao knows what’s good for his family and his country, he won’t walk away from boxing.

Count promoter Bob Arum is among boxing followers who believe Manny Pacquiao’s retirement from boxing is likely to be more of a trial separation.

Arum promoted Pacquiao’s decision victory over Timothy Bradley Jr. at the MGM Grand Garden Saturday night and has the rights to any

Pacquiao fights through 2017. When Pacquiao announced his retirement after the win, he left the door for a comeback wide open.

“He’s torn,” Arum said. “His wife wants him to retire. He’s running for office, and if he wins, which he will, there will be tremendous responsibilities that go with it.”

Pacquiao is one of the senatorial candidates running for office in the 2016 Philippine Elections, which are scheduled for May 9. Pacquiao’s known generosity and desire to give

f-bombs on live television and fist pumping his way through the back nine. Tiger was No. 1, and perhaps the greatest of all time. But he played like your drunken uncle at a family golf outing.

He certainly isn’t John Daly, who also plays as somebody’s drunken uncle and just happens to drive the ball 350 yards onto the fairway.

Spieth needed this. He needed to seem human.

Golf has desperately been looking for a new face since the moment Elin Nordegren bashed Tiger’s back window in with a nine iron.

Spieth, Rory McIlrory and others have tried, but no one has captivated audiences like Tiger or Jack Nicklaus have in the past.

The sport needs a player who brings in the casual fan. Tiger was the type of player who prompted even your mom to come into the room and watch because she knew she was witnessing greatness.

And it wasn’t just greatness, it was SPIETH »PAGE 5

SIDELINE MLB REDS

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CUBS

RedHawks earn third consecutive MAC win TENNIS

SCOTT SUTTON

THE MIAMI STUDENT

The Miami University tennis team (8-9) earned their third consecutive Mid-American Conference match win with a near-perfect weekend, beating University of Buffalo (10-6), 5-2, Friday and University of Akron (13-9), 5-2, Sunday.

Miami began the match against Buffalo with a doubles victory from sophomore Hannah Shteyn and senior Ana Rajkovic, who topped freshmen Chantal Martinez Blanco and Mercedes Losada Rubio, 7-5.

Freshman Emily Struble and sophomore Nelli Ponomareva won their doubles match against sophomore Christine Haraldson and Laura Holterbosch, 6-2, giving Miami an overall 1-0 lead.

Buffalo took the first singles victory when sophomore Tanja Stojanovska defeated MU freshman Anzhelika Shapovalova, 6-0, 6-2.

The ’Hawks went on to win the next four matches to seal the win. Shteyn, Ponomareva, Struble and junior Andreea Badileanu collected the victories.

Head coach Yana Carollo was happy with her team’s effort.

“We rearranged doubles and are playing more focused,” Carollo said. “The desire is high and we are

executing out patterns better. Also, we have great experience of playing many good teams which has helped us. Our confidence as a team has increased. That’s what we need towards the end of the season. The team wants to finish at its highest expectations.”

Miami started the match against Akron with a clean sweep in doubles play. The same pairs from Buffalo’s match played together, along with the pairing of Badileanu and Shapovalova. Badileanu and Shapovalova beat sophomore Ariadna Blinova and junior Shannon Newnes, 6-3. Ponomoareva and Struble topped freshman Luisa Echeverry and senior Martina Zerbola, 6-3. Shteyn and Rajkovic’s match went unfinished.

Miami had another four straight victories to clinch the overall match win. The wins came from Ponomareva, Badileanu, Rajkovic, and Struble.

Struble defeated Zerbola, 6-3, 6-0 for her fourth straight win. She is now 4-0 in MAC play.

“We have just stayed confident,” Struble said. “We’ve been confident that the work we have been putting in all year would pay off, and it has.

Winning as many MAC matches as possible is very important for us beTENNIS»PAGE 5

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TODAY IN HISTORY

HAWKS

Kobe Bryant records his ninth 50-point game of the season in an LA Lakers loss to the LA Clippers. His 50-point efforts are the most in a season since Wilt Chamberlain’s in 1964-65. This season, the last of his career, Kobe averages 17 points per game.

NBA

94

CAVALIERS

109

2007

PACQUIAO »PAGE 5

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