The Miami Student | January 28, 2020

ESTABLISHED 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES

Volume 148 No. 12

Miami University — Oxford, Ohio

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020

Phi Delt recolonizes, aims to ‘break the stigma attached to Greek life’

PHOTO EDITOR JUGAL JAIN

ZOEY BECKER

THE MIAMI STUDENT More than two years after Miami University’s chapter of Phi Delta Theta (Phi Delt) was suspended, the fraternity has recolonized and is looking forward to recruitment in the coming weeks.

In 2017, the chapter was kicked off campus by its national council for violating its risk management policies. This came nearly two centuries after Phi Delt formed at Miami in 1848.

Last semester, Phi Delt consultants, or members of its recolonization team, began the process of finding members for their new chapter. Now, the organization consists of 20 “founding fathers” and aims to recruit around 30 more this spring.

“Becoming an official chapter is the biggest hurdle in front of us,” refounding president and sophomore Alex Kalix said.

Kalix never saw himself as a “fraternity guy” going into college, but after becoming a founding father of Phi Delt, he decided to run for president.

“I saw the opportunity to shape an organization to be one that I would have wanted to join if it was offered to me as a freshman,” Kalix said.

After becoming an established chapter, Kalix’s next goal will be to grow and CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

DESIGN EDITOR CONNOR WELLS

RACHEL BERRY NEWS EDITOR

Thirty-nine Miami University employees will lose their jobs by July 1, as the university expedites its previously planned budget cuts and reallocations.

The university developed a five-year plan last spring to cut more than $17 million from academic and administrative departments, totaling about $3.5 million per year. This would have

cut 1-2 percent annually from academic departments, administrative divisions — including the president’s office — and auxiliary operations, including intercollegiate athletics.

In an email to all faculty and staff on Jan. 23, President Greg Crawford, who received a $75,000 bonus for the 2019 fiscal year, announced this plan would be expedited, following approval from the Board of Trustees (BoT) at its December meeting. The updated plan will result in savings of more than $24 million: $7 million

more than the original.

While the original goal was to cut $3.5 million in fiscal year 2021 from non-academic departments, the university now plans to cut more than $15.3 million in the same time period.

Michele Gaither Sparks, vice president and chief marketing and communications officer, said the acceleration of the plan was due to an “unprecedented change in higher education,” CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Miami plans $3.6 million indoor equestrian center, other construction projects HANNAH MEYER

THE MIAMI STUDENT Miami University's campus will look different by this time next year.

The university is currently completing seven large construction projects, including a $3.6 million indoor equestrian center.

Construction on the equestrian center is set to begin this summer and finish by the end of 2020. The project will be entirely financed by donations and will be located on the site of the old outdoor center, said Robert Bell, interim director of planning, architecture and engineering. The new facility will essentially be an empty building to cover the old outdoor riding arena.

It will include stands and heating and will allow the team to practice throughout the winter.

Bell said the indoor facilities have been planned since 2013 when the construction of the current stable began. The project has been on hold until the university could find funding for the facilities.

Other ongoing construction projects include Stanton Hall, which is currently being renovated and should be ready to house incoming first-year students this fall. Pearson Hall should finish construction this spring, Robert Bell said.

Within Armstrong Student Center, a smoothie bar is planned to be in place before spring break, which will be located in the old Rowan boutique across from Cafe Lux. Beginning this summer, Dodds Hall will be closed to students as it is renovated during the next academic year. This renovation was originally planned to be completed in conjunction with Stanton Hall but was postponed due to the large size of the incoming first-year class, said Cody Powell, associate vice president of Facili-

ties, Planning and Operations, at the December Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting.

The current Student Health Center will also be torn down this summer, with plans to reconstruct the building to house Miami’s nursing and audiology departments, as well as the health center. While the Clinical Health Sciences and Wellness Building is constructed, the health services will be relocated to Harris Hall — a former dining hall that hasn’t been used since the spring of 2017 — which has undergone slight construction in preparation for its transition into the temporary health center.

Construction within Harris Hall includes the demolition of the kitchen and east dining areas in favor of clinical exam and counselling rooms, as well as updates to the current heating and cooling systems, which is estimated to cost approximately $4.4 million, Bell said. Once the Clinical Health Sciences and Wellness Building is finished, Harris Hall will act as a “swing space,” undergoing slight renovations so that it can be adapted for whatever future needs the university might have as renovations in other buildings continue. This could include office or classroom space, Bell said.

There are also plans to renovate the plaza between the Psychology Building and Pearson Hall, which is expected to take place during the upcoming summer and fall.

“We always have the need to update things,” Bell said, who added that while renovations have mainly been focused toward the residence buildings, there will be a shift back toward academic buildings within the next few years.

Bell estimated that each renovation takes CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

This Issue NEWS

THE PLANNED INDOOR EQUESTRIAN FACILITY WAS ENTIRELY FUNDED BY DONATIONS. PHOTO EDITOR JUGAL JAIN

CULTURE

Nerf Wars wreak havoc in Oxford

SPORTS

Kicking off the semester with a big ol' bummer

Cracking the Codex:

A look at unique art

OPINION

Kobe

1978-2020 page 5

page 7

page 10

page 12

This Week

2 FYI

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020 Named the Best College Newspaper (Non-daily) in Ohio by the Society of Professional Journalists.

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NEWS 3

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020

BUDGET REALLOCATIONS CONTINUED FROM FRONT

referencing the fact that enrollment at universities nationally is declining due to a decrease in students of college age. Sparks said the university was aware of the decline and has been preparing for it.

“It was decided that we needed to accelerate the reductions in order to develop new academic programs and scholarships sooner rather than later,” Sparks said.

In the email, Crawford said 40 staff positions would be cut in order to fund student scholarships and academic programming.

Sparks said the number is now 39 because it was determined that one of the positions didn’t need to be eliminated.

The university hasn’t yet decided how to distribute the scholarship funds, Sparks said. Academic initiatives that are supported by this money include new programs like data analytics and nursing, which were created as part of the Boldly Creative Initiative, which seeks to create new faculty-developed academic programs.

“Miami is taking proactive measures to be able to invest in innovative and in-demand academic programming and to grow student scholarships to attract the best and brightest students in this competitive landscape,” Sparks said.

Divisional and departmental leadership sent out additional emails notifying employees of position eliminations within their individual departments.

The university is eliminating five positions from University Communications and Marketing, seven from Enrollment Management and Student Services, 14 from Finance and Business, six from Student Life and seven from the regional campuses. Each vice president made the decision as to where to make cuts within their division.

“We strive to make these decisions in ways that least impact our employees and in

ways that allow units to focus on their most critical operations and streamline functions,” Crawford wrote.

Affected employees will be given outplacement assistance and job counseling.

They were also encouraged to apply for other jobs across the university, Sparks said. Unclassified staff, meaning those who aren’t paid hourly, will be given a month of paid professional leave if they haven’t obtained other employment within five months. They are also entitled to one week of severance pay for every year worked after five years if they cannot find employment within that time frame, Sparks said.

According to a list of frequently asked questions provided by Sparks, Miami considered offering early retirement but ultimately decided this was not in the best interest of the university.

“Miami is not trying to cure a budget deficit,” the document stated. “The reductions need to be made in strategic areas. Offering early retirement often results in the university losing employees in key areas where reductions are not needed or wanted.”

The 39 layoffs will save the university $3.3 million.

These budget cuts come after a defunding of higher education in recent years both across the state of Ohio and nationally.

According to the Center on Policy and Budget Priorities, state funding for two and four-year universities in the 2017-2018 school year was $6.6 billion below what it was before the 2009 recession after adjusting for inflation. The state share of instruction at Miami in the 2019 fiscal year was 7.76 percent less after adjusting for inflation than in the 2008-2009 fiscal year, according to data from the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

In 2019, Miami spent $190,000 on lobbying the federal government for “higher

education and research funding,” according to the Lobbying Disclosure Act database. He also lobbied the state, but it’s unclear how much money was spent.

As a result of these drops in funding, universities across the state have been forced to find ways to reduce spending.

Last spring, Ohio University’s Athens campus announced their academic colleges will be required to cut $19.3 million over the next four years, The Athens News reported.

According to The Columbus Dispatch, “the university will look to ‘strategic retirements,’ voluntary separation agreements with tenured faculty and the elimination of open positions to minimize the need for a reduction in force.”

In 2017, Kent State University created a University Employee Separation Plan in an effort to meet its objective of cutting 1 percent of the university’s operating budget, which amounts to about $7 million. The plan rewarded employees who had worked at the university for 15 years or more for retiring by providing them with their entire annual base salary to a certain maximum, divided into payments over five years, according to the university’s website.

Wright State University was forced to cut $30.8 million from its budget in 2017 and reduced spending by $53 million in the 2018 fiscal year, according to the Dayton Daily News. It will take the university more than 20 years to recover, the Daily News reported.

The Miami Student reached out to David Budig, chair of the BoT, who was out of the office traveling. Ted Pickerill, secretary to the BoT and executive assistant to the president, and David Creamer, vice president for finance and business services and treasurer, both referred The Student to Sparks.

Miami plans $3.6 million indoor equestrian center, other construction projects

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

approximately 14 months, which would span over the course of two summers and a full academic year.

While the university typically aims for 14 months, it depends on the size of the building, Bell said, adding that it is often harder to renovate academic buildings than it is residence halls, because the former requires the planning of “specialized space” for students, as well as offices for professors and various labs, depending on what the building is used for.

Besides these renovations, there are plans to renovate Bachelor Hall, Ogden Hall and Bell Tower Place Dining Hall, as well as to add an e-sports area in Armstrong Student Center within the next five years. meyerhl@miamioh.edu

@racheldberry berryrd@miamioh.edu

Phi Delt recolonizes, aims to ‘break the stigma attached to Greek life’ CONTINUED FROM FRONT

“build a reputation as the gentleman’s fraternity on campus.”

Alumni Relations Chair and junior Jon Pax says the formation of a brotherhood of gentlemanly scholars is “not your traditional thought” when you think of the word fraternity.

“We’re trying to break the stigma attached to Greek life,” Pax said. “In my opinion, [our chapter] will be very different than what Phi Delt was before, and what much of Greek life here on campus is now.”

Although Kalik has a goal to expedite the process and become an official chapter in six months, it usually takes nine months to a year.

And, in addition to the normal roadblocks, Phi Delt’s chapter house is subleased to Kappa Alpha Order (KA) until 2021.

“We’re basically starting from the ground up,” junior refounding warden Kevin Burakowski said. “Even from a financial and housing standpoint, we’re starting all over.”

Starting over includes filling positions and subcommittees, putting new management positions into place and working on recruitment.

“There are a lot of things that could hinder us going into recruitment — but we’re not going to let them,” Burakowski said.

Phi Delt, which has had dry housing since 2000, doesn’t plan on running into any of the issues that faced the previous Miami chapter.

Alcohol is prohibited in a dry house, but members can still drink outside of the premises if they choose to do so.

“We need to hold ourselves up to an even higher standard,” Burakowski said. “We can remember our past, what the chapter was before we came in, and use that to help guide us and help us make smarter decisions into the future.”

Phi Delt will be holding rush events, where students can meet and talk with members of the fraternity, this week at the Farmer School of Business. beckerzf@miamioh.edu

PHI DELT RETURNS TO CAMPUS THIS SEMESTER PHOTO EDITOR JUGAL JAINZ

4 NEWS M R A

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BERRYRD@MIAMIOH.EDU

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020

G

REMODELS ELEVATOR

JUSTEEN JACKSON

THE MIAMI STUDENT Miami University students and staff using wheelchairs may now have an easier time navigating Armstrong.

Over winter break, an elevator inside the Armstrong Student Center (ASC) became more accessible with new buttons installed on floor panels both inside and outside the elevator.

The renovations were made after the 2017 addition of similar features in the Shriver Center. The additions cost just under $100,000 total and were paid using Armstrong’s budget for improvement projects.

“These types of improvements are important to college campuses and beyond to show examples of universal design and a commitment to accessibility and inclusion for people of all abilities,” said Dan Darkow, coordinator of the Miller Center for Student Disability Services. “The floor control buttons offer a solution for people who have their hands full or for those conscious of touching high-traffic surfaces with an alternative way to access elevator controls.”

The Miller Center is a place for Miami students to obtain services and accommodations for equal access at the university. The Miller Center and ASC teamed up to begin the elevator project in the fall of 2018. Shriver and ASC are the first to receive these updates to cater to the number of guests who tour those buildings.

The additions aim to help Miami move toward universal design and inclusivity. Universal design is a set of design principles with the goal of accommodating as many people as possible, regardless of physical or cognitive abilities, said Robert Bell, interim university architect and director of planning, architecture and engineering.

“Social sustainability is becoming more of a conscious discussion,” Bell said, “and universal design plays into that and just making spaces usable by more people helps with that social sustainability as well.”

Social sustainability is the ability of a community to develop processes and structures meeting the needs of its current members as well as support future generations, according to Business Dictionary.

Katie Wilson, director of ASC, said that while the building meets Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, Miami wants to bridge the gap between ADA compliance and universal design.

“It’s part of the overall support that we provide for students to be successful,” Wilson said. “We want it to be welcoming, accessible and friendly to all. That requires us to go above and beyond.”

Other future accessibility updates in ASC include reflective strips along the edge of stairs to create contrast for people who have limited visibility.

“Being able to use these enhanced access features has been a great feeling and provides an increased level of independence as I navigate through my day,” said Darkow, who is a wheelchair user.

For more information about accessibility at Miami, visit the website for Miami’s Miller Center for Student Disability Services. @heyitsjusteen jacks250@miamioh.edu

OVER J-TERM, ACCESSABILITY FEATURES WERE INSTALLED IN ONE OF ARMSTRONG’S ELEVATORS PHOTO EDITOR JUGAL JAIN

Miami Art Museum to feature Myaamia ribbonwork MADELINE PHABY STAFF WRITER

One of the Miami University Art Museum’s new exhibitions for the spring semester will feature several pieces of Myaamia ribbonwork — both historical and contemporary.

The exhibition, titled peepankišaapiikahkia eehkwaatamenki “Myaamia Ribbonwork,” opens on Tuesday, Jan. 28 and closes on June 13.

At the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma’s Winter Gathering on Friday, Jan. 24, Kara Strass, director of Miami Tribe relations, gave a presentation on the upcoming exhibition and some of its most notable pieces.

In her presentation, Strass introduced the five themes of the exhibit: shimmering, losing, discovery, making and family. These themes are meant to highlight the ongoing nature of the ribbonwork tradition and show visitors that it is not merely a historical practice.

“We were trying to think about how to create something that’s not just ‘I go and I see these pieces,’” Strass said. “We wanted to tell a community story.”

Though many Native American tribes produce ribbonwork, Myaamia ribbonwork is unique for its distinctive geometric motifs — particularly diamonds — and the heavy presence of red, black and white in its designs.

Strass said that these motifs and colors were prevalent in Myaamia clothing and artwork long before European contact made the acquisition of ribbon possible. Though it is unknown whether the designs have a symbolic meaning, this “Myaamia aesthetic” is a common form of expression for Miami Tribe members.

“These geometric designs are something that’s pretty easily recognizable,” Strass said. “So if you want to express your identity and Myaamia culture, these patterns are one way of doing that.”

George Ironstrack, assistant director of the Myaamia Center, said that ribbonwork hit its first “peak” during the 1830s. During this period, the Miami Tribe received large sums of money from various treaty settlements and, in turn, spent this extra money on products such as ribbon.

RIBBONWORK, SHOWN HERE ON A MOCCASIN, IS AN ART FORM THE MIAMI TRIBE IS BRINGING BACK INTO PRACTICE MORE AND MORE. NEWS EDITOR JULIA ARWINE

However, the tribe began to suffer a cultural and financial decline as it ceded more and more of its land and, eventually, was forcibly removed in 1846. This decline caused art forms, such as ribbonwork, to fall by the wayside.

“Eventually, you don’t have enough land to sustain yourself anymore, so the payments and annuities are being used to sustain your community at the most basic level,” Ironstrack said. “So, very complicat-

“It was very important to us that we didn’t just bring in historic objects and put them in a box and let people look at them,” - Kara Strass

ed art forms like ribbonwork go into a decline.”

Ironstrack said that, in the past 20 years, several individuals have made a concerted effort to revitalize the ribbonwork tradition. This effort began shortly after the drive to reawaken myaamiataweenki, the Miami Tribe’s language, but largely parallels it.

Tribe members like Karen Baldwin and Scott Shoemaker have spearheaded the effort to make ribbonwork a common and accessible facet of Myaamia culture by holding over 100 workshops so members of varying skill levels can learn and practice their skills.

In addition to ribbonwork, the tribe holds workshops that teach members how to make other culturally relevant objects, such as moccasins and lacrosse sticks.

Last spring, Joshua McCoy, a Miami Tribe member and Miami University sophomore, made a pair of traditional moccasins in a workshop with Scott Shoemaker. Later, his mother stitched blue, red and

white ribbonwork into the sides of the moccasins.

McCoy proudly wore his newly-fashioned moccasins during the tribe’s annual stomp dance on Jan. 25. He said that he was inspired by his father and great-uncle, who wear moccasins with similar ribbonwork patterns on them.

“I’ve had pairs of moccasins before, but I never made ribbonwork for them, so it’s pretty special and meaningful for me,” McCoy said.

Strass said that, by juxtaposing older pieces of ribbonwork with contemporary ones in the exhibit, the Miami Tribe hopes to demonstrate that Native American cultures are far from extinct.

“It was very important to us that we didn’t just bring in historic objects, put them in a case, and let people look at them,” Strass said. “That can perpetuate this idea that Indians are something that only existed in the past.” phabymr@miamioh.edu

Jeff Pegues appointed national trustee HANNAH HORSINGTON STAFF WRITER

The Miami University Board of Trustees (BoT) has appointed Jeff Pegues, a 1992 Miami graduate, to serve as a new national trustee.

Pegues, who is the chief justice and homeland security correspondent for CBS News, said he is honored to have the opportunity to help his alma mater in the coming years.

“When Miami accepted me as a student in the class of ’92, I began a journey that made me a better person as well as gave me direction and purpose,” Pegues said in an interview with The Miami Student.

“I’ve been trying to return the favor over the last three decades.”

Before joining CBS, Pegues earned multiple Emmy nominations for his reporting at local news stations in Baltimore and New York City.

The national reporter has returned to Miami for various events over the years. In September 2018 he presented and signed copies of his latest book, “Kompromat: How Russia Undermined American Democracy,” about how Russian hackers influenced the American news cycle and 2016 presidential election.

Prior to being selected by the BoT, Pegues delivered the 2019 commencement address in Yager Stadium.

“Everyone is excited to welcome

Jeff Pegues to the board and to include his perspective from years of experience reporting on significant topics across the country,” said Claire Wagner, Director of University News and Communications.

The BoT consists of up to 17 members. Nine reside within the state of Ohio and are appointed by the governor with the consent of the State Senate. Two are non-voting student trustees, and up to six are national trustees who live out of state and serve as non-voting members of the BoT. National trustees allow the board to gain varying perspectives and input into university matters.

“The Board and I are thrilled that Jeff Pegues has agreed to become a member of Miami’s Board of Trustees. He is an incredibly accomplished individual who will be able to provide leadership and a unique perspective given his extraordinary insight on so many topics for his alma mater,” said David Budig, chair of the Board of Trustees.

Pegues plans to take full advantage of his new role at his former university.

“As a member of the Board of Trustees,” Pegues said, “I hope to help ensure that Miami University remains among the best in the country and a place where dreams can be realized.” @h_horsington12 horsinhp@miamioh.edu

PEGUES, A CBS NEWS CORRESPONDENT, HOPES TO MAKE THE MOST OF HIS TIME AS A NATIONAL TRUSTEE. UNIVERSITY NEWS & COMMUNICATIONS

“I hope to help ensure that Miami University remains among the best in the country,”

- Jeff Pegues

GLYNNEE@MIAMIOH.EDU

Empathy across lines BRIAH LUMPKINS

ASST. NEWS EDITOR Miami University professor Hillel Gray knows that empathizing with others who hold opposing views can be frustrating. Gray aims to close this gap by teaching his students firsthand how to empathize with some of the most controversial groups in the nation.

Empathy and the Religious “Enemy” is an ongoing fieldwork project led by Gray. Students participating in this project have had the opportunity to interview members of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) and the Neturei Karta, an Orthodox, anti-zionist Jewish group, since 2017.

Gray said the project does not focus on the theology of these groups but aims to help those who hold opposing views to the group relate to one another without condoning their actions or passing moral judgments. The student researchers ask the members about their personal lives and what life is like for them outside of the church.

Over J-term, Gray and seven student researchers made their way to Topeka, Kansas, to visit Westboro.

The group attended church services and worship nights and were invited to the members’ homes.

Throughout the week they conducted interviews, asking the members about their day-to-day lives to bet-

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020

ter understand them as people.

Gray first became involved with Westboro after submitting a request through a dialogue box on the church’s website to meet with them. He became curious after seeing some of their street preaching in Atlanta during his time teaching at Emory University.

“So many people act as if they’re insane or wrapped up in bigotry or as if they’re cruel and have no way to relate to human beings,” Gray said. “So I was curious to see what it would be like to actually talk to them and connect to them, and would we be able to have any kind of communication.”

Going into what Gray calls the “pilot interview” in the spring of 2010, he was very nervous. As a Jewish man, he was unsure how the group would react to him, knowing their overt views against Judaism.

But, Gray was surprised.

He described the members during their meeting as polite and very soft-spoken. There were no vicious attacks on his identity or arguments about theology.

“I left feeling very curious and fascinated and encouraged about speaking with them again because it seemed doable,” Gray said. “And it seemed like there was so much to learn because people were not approaching them in this kind of way.

So there was no way to learn about them.”

When Gray came to Miami later that year, he kept in contact with members of Westboro. He and a few members of his team made their way to Topeka to visit the church and conduct interviews.

In 2011, in an attempt to show his students how he conducts his research firsthand, he proposed that the Comparative Religion Department invite a few members from Westboro to Miami. The proposal

HILLEL GRAY PRACTICES EMPATHY BY SPEAKING WITH MEMBERS OF THE WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH. CONTRIBUTED BY HILLEL GRAY

prompted outcry from students, according to a report from The Miami Student.

In response to the Comparative Religion Department dropping the proposal, Westboro made an appearance at Miami to picket at the corner of Maple Street and Spring Street. Across the street, they were met with a group of nearly 600 students who participated in a “Unite Miami” rally which protested against Westboro.

After Westboro came to picket at Miami, Gray continued contact with the church. In class he taught lectures on the methodology of approaching people and interacting with others in an empathetic way, using his research with Westboro as an example. But it wasn’t until 2017, when a student approached Gray about being involved in his research, that he finally allowed students to attend the trips to Topeka with him.

Senior psychology and comparative religion major Sofia Vlahakos has attended the trip three times.

Her hope is to become a lawyer with a concentration in family law and believes practicing empathy through this fieldwork is preparing her for her future career.

“If I can sit down and talk with the Westboro Baptist Church, who can’t I talk to?” Vlahakos asked.

“This is a tool in your toolbox. This ability to empathically understand someone else. I just don’t see the

“If I can sit down and talk with the Westboro Baptist Church, who can’t I talk to?”

- Sofia Vlahakos

harm in doing that with everyone.”

Gray said some have expressed concerns about the project’s connection with Westboro and question his research.

“There are all sorts of objections to my work,” Gray said. “I think a lot of the concern that we get comes initially when people assume that we’re somehow condoning what they do.”

Miami alumna Margaret Hamm, who has been on the trip three times, says those who disagree may not understand the purpose of the project.

“One of the main parts of our project is that it’s okay not to agree,” Hamm said. “It’s okay to completely disagree with everything that the Westboro Baptist Church — or just, in general, a person that you’re engaging in a conversation with — has to say. We’re not pushing for everybody to be on the same page with

each other. We are simply trying to create a space in which people who do have differing viewpoints can come together and discuss them in a civil, calm, composed, understanding way.”

Although Westboro may be an extreme, Gray hopes the interviews that he and his students conduct are able to help them in their own personal lives.

“I’m not trying to change them; I’m trying to change us,” he said.

“I’m trying to change what I can change about myself, what I can change hopefully about my students — which is our own prejudices, our own inability to relate to somebody else as a human being. Our own flaws or gaps or points where we can no longer approach and listen to somebody with empathy.” @briah_lumpkins lumpkibm@miamioh.edu

NERF WARS CAUSE COMMUNITY DISRUPTION

“You’re asking high schoolers to use good judgment, and that doesn’t always happen,” -Lara Fening

ILLUSTRATED BY CONNOR WELLS

ABBY BAMMERLIN STAFF WRITER

The snow was still crisp as Oxford Police Department (OPD) Lieutenant Lara Fening was answering a call about an alleged trespassing on

a local Oxford community member’s property. There were footprints on the resident’s upper and lower decks. When Fening looked closer, she noticed that the imprints were of bare feet. With two kids of her own in high school, she knew the culprit.

As the new year began, so did the annual tradition of Talawanda High School students: Nerf Wars. With the wars underway, OPD received an increase in Nerf-related reports.

Between Jan. 1 and Jan. 3, OPD responded to five separate incidents involving the Nerf Wars.

The game is run by Talawanda students and takes place outside school grounds. Students pay a $10 fee to play and split up into teams.

After that, students are armed with Nerf guns and a singular mission: to be the last team standing. Students are not allowed to shoot players that are on school grounds or that are naked.

Fening said the main problem with Nerf Wars in the Oxford community has been the use of cars. A police report filed Jan. 3, detailed multiple instances of Nerf War participants creating traffic violations.

“Participants were blocking other cars in, blocking roadways and blocking exits to parking lots, and that’s just not okay,” Fening said.

“There’s going to be a car crash because these are inexperienced drivers; they’re distracted, and they’re trying to do reckless things with the car, so it’s a terrible combination.”

To try to address some of her concerns, on Jan. 5 Fening posted to the OPD Facebook page asking parents to discuss the issue of unsafe driving with their students.

Miami sophomore and Talawanda alumnus Josh Huddleston participated in the Nerf Wars during his sophomore and junior years at Talawanda. He doesn’t recall the police becoming involved in the game although he does remember using cars frequently while playing.

“A lot of people would just drive around like [in a] stupid way,” Huddleston said. “It was kind of

pointless, really, because no one would ever get out of their cars. So everybody would just be driving in circles really fast around the neighborhoods.”

Fening said she thinks the competition can work if students focus less on the use of cars.

“It could be a harmless, entertaining activity,” Fening said.

“Kids are at least bonding together. They’re not playing devices on a screen; they’re actually interacting.

But of course, they take it too far, and it’s gonna ruin it.”

The nature of the game has also concerned some residents of Oxford. Fening said that many residents see the students running and blocking parking lots and fear for their safety.

“That’s kind of scary to all of them,” Fening said. “They think that there’s something going down, not realizing it’s just a game.”

In one incident, Fening said 4050 teenagers involved in this year’s Nerf Wars were caught trespassing in an Oxford resident’s yard. A fight had started by the time OPD was called to the scene. In another incident, students ran around a park naked in order to avoid being shot.

“You’re asking high schoolers to use good judgment, and that doesn’t always happen,” Fening said. “You rely on good judgment in a competition like this, and inevitably they’re going to fail to some degree.” bammeraj@miamioh.edu

6 CULTURE

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020

HEADLEDD@MIAMIOH.EDU

SUSTAINABLE TOGETHER:

MU climate groups unify efforts

WITH THE CREATION OF THE STUDENT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, MIAMI’S ECO-GROUPS TAKE THE FIRST STEP TOWARD A HEALTHIER CAMPUS. CONTRIBUTED BY ALLISON SOUTH.

DUARD HEADLEY CULTURE EDITOR

The climate strike held on Miami’s campus last semester left some participants partially unsatisfied. At the strike’s close, student leaders like Cassie Conrad and Allison South felt that something needed to change.

The event, populated by many students from environmentally-centered groups and those who were simply passionate about the environment, saw protesters surround Miami’s Marcum Conference

Center. Some marched uniformly, wielding colorful signs displaying slogans like, “Act now or swim later” and, “Don’t be a fossil fool.” Others were less restrained. Some shouted and banged on the walls of the Marcum Center, where University President Greg Crawford was holding a Board of Trustees meeting.

“There were so many groups doing so many things,” said Conrad, president of the Miami eco-group Zero Waste Oxford (ZWO). “A lot of them didn’t represent what we were actually trying to accomplish.”

Conrad said the event felt like a

perfect representation of how Miami’s eco-groups interact on campus.

There are over a dozen groups with an environmental focus at the university and until recently, they had little in the way of contact or communication with one another.

With so many organizations overlapping one another, effort was wasted and potential members for each club slipped through the cracks. Members of the groups were left wondering if there was a better way to coordinate their efforts.

Although Miami’s many ecogroups work toward a similar goal of making Miami more environmentally-friendly, they each have their own way of going about actualizing those goals.

ZWO focuses primarily on hosting workshops that educate students about how to eliminate waste from their lives, as well as putting on a “Pop-Up Thrift Shop” in Armstrong three times a semester. The group sets up their store in room 1072, turning the blank study space into a sea of retro reds, glamorous greens and brilliant blues.

“The thrift shop is our most wellknown event,” Conrad said. “It’s also my favorite because it gets our message out in a way that students can easily understand and connect with.”

Where ZWO works toward changing Miamians’ attitudes toward waste, Miami’s Eco-Reps targets dorms specifically.

South, Eco-Reps’ president, said she’s glad the group has an area on campus they’re dedicated to, unlike some other eco-groups.

Destination: Staycation JENNA CALDERÓN

THE MIAMI STUDENT Many of us flocked to our homes and various travel destinations over the lengthy winter break, but some folks decided to remain in Oxford. Four of them offered to share a snapshot of their experiences.

Michaela Dray: While most Miami University students took a six-week vacation, Michaela Dray made use of her time off working for her landscape ecology lab. She spent five hours a day focusing on the role of invertebrates in their environment.

Dray, a junior zoology major from Toledo, Ohio, says Oxford was very different from the usual hustle and bustle of the semester. The weekend partying sounds that she’d grown so accustomed to ceased, leaving her Hawks Landing apartment complex eerily quiet.

A few times, she walked Uptown with her miniature goldendoodle, Mo, and was shocked by the number of families and children she saw out and about.

“It was kind of nice to remember that Oxford isn’t just [for students],” Dray said.

The only place still crawling with college kids? Kofenya. Students

need their caffeine fix, even in the winter.

When she wasn’t in the lab working, she was developing her new project — one where she looks at ants and their role with plant mutualism, and how white tail deer impact this relationship. Dray also spent plenty of time running to her favorite spots on campus and hanging out with her roommate.

Madeline Murchland: Sometimes, a six week long winter break just doesn’t fit into the schedule.

That was the case for sophomore geology and political science major Madeline Murchland, who spent her time bouncing between Oxford, Dayton and Cincinnati over J-term.

On Tuesday and Thursday evenings, Murchland, a member of the MU Gymnastics Club, coached gymnasts ages one to 18 in Dayton, then turned around and judged the sport in Cincinnati.

Though gymnastics occupied much of her time, she also found herself spending a typical nine-tofive workday in Shideler Hall, where she worked in the Geology Museum and as part of a research group.

Her favorite part of staying on campus over break was having time to just do her own thing.

“It was kind of nice to remember that Oxford isn’t just [for students].”

- Michaela Dray

“I liked having the room to myself for a while and not worrying about when I needed to go to bed, that kind of thing,” said Murchland.

But eventually, the novelty wore off.

“You know, it gets a little lonely,” she added. “There’s not much to do.

I mean, everything’s closed.”

Friends from home drove down a few times, roommates made a couple visits and her research group kept her company, but campus still felt empty.

Amanda Darrah: Others remain in Oxford for more practical reasons.

Amanda Darrah, junior integrated social studies major, was already paying rent toward her Annex apartment, so she opted to stay and take a class over J-term.

Darrah spent most of her time doing classwork for her art history class or preparing for spring semester. When she found herself with extra hours in the day, she did things she wouldn’t normally have time for: video games, reading or painting.

Though she’s used to Oxford being much different than her hometown of Mason, Ohio, where there are lots of people and things to do, Darrah says the contrast was even more noticeable over break.

“I think the first time I saw somebody walking on campus was [on Jan. 23],” she joked. “It’s deserted.”

Darrah noted that things students may take for granted aren’t as accessible during the winter term.

Restaurants like Skipper’s had altered hours, Bagel & Deli didn’t deliver and professors’ office hours were shortened.

Despite the changes, Darrah is

“Focusing on [the dorms] allows us to work in a really cohesive manner,” South said. “We’ve got our system down pat, and we’re able to move towards specific goals in a way that I’m not sure every other org on campus is.”

Some of Eco-Reps’ most consistently-successful efforts are their weekly trash audits. Members of the Eco-Reps team sift through the dorm’s collective trash cans, sep-

in 2018, he could tell the groups on campus were anxious for that to change.

“Talking to members of each group, you could tell they all wanted to be doing more and doing more together,” Sizemore said. “So we went through a few brainstorming sessions and finally came to a pretty satisfactory conclusion.”

As the 2019-2020 school year dawned, the situation for ecogroups on campus changed. At the start of the year, the university reached out to each of the environmentally-focused efforts to create the Student Sustainability and Climate Council. At monthly meetings, the presidents of each organization meet with one another and Sizemore to voice their concerns and discuss where to go from here.

“It gives us the chance to present ourselves as a united front,” Conrad said. “We can join together and really let the university know we’re here and we care.”

Through this council, student organizations now have clearer lines of communication, both with one another and with the university. Although South still has her reservations about Miami’s sincerity towards sustainability efforts, she’s optimistic about the existence of the council. “[The council] might not give us a ton of influence over how Miami thinks, but it at least gives us a platform to voice our concerns and coordinate how we want to go forward from here,” South said.

Conrad felt like the climate strike was disorganized, disruptive and disheartening. But once the protestors had dissipated and the dust had settled, the sun didn’t set on Miami’s environmental efforts.

“We can join together and really let the university know we’re here and we care,” - Cassie Conrad

arating the recyclables from the non-recyclables. Auditors hope to demonstrate to the dorm’s inhabitants just how accidentally wasteful they can be.

Through events like the trash audits and the pop-up thrift shop, each eco-group on campus has established their own way to help save the planet.

But until recently, they didn’t have a good way to coordinate and focus their efforts.

Adam Sizemore, director of Miami’s Sustainability Department, said when coming into his position

Things are finally starting to move toward positive progress, she said.

“The council, it might seem like a small thing, but it’s evidence that Miami is taking steps in the right direction,” Conrad said. “Coming off of things like the climate strike and into things like [the council], I think it’s pretty clear that there’s a trend towards environmental interest that isn’t going away anytime soon.” headledd@miamioh.edu

thankful that she stayed in Oxford.

She feels better prepared for the upcoming semester without having to deal with the transition of getting back to school.

“I don’t have to unpack, I don’t have to get used to everything again, I don’t have to clean my room; it’s all just ready,” she said.

Sam Tyndall: Being home can be great, but for most, it’s not the best place to get things done. Sam Tyndall, a chemistry major from Fort Wayne, Indiana, cut his winter break at home short for just this reason.

As a junior, Tyndall has started working on his post-graduation plans. He used the last few weeks of J-term to get ahead on the future by shadowing a graduate student in Miami’s chemistry lab while working on a project that consisted of using copper substances to introduce a substrate to a target molecule.

After a long day in the lab, Tyndall concentrated his extra energy on his career goals: applying for internships with places like the Department of Energy and an Air Force research base, as well as studying for the Graduate Record Examination, or GRE. “The best part was knowing that I was getting stuff done,” Tyndall said about his break. “It was nice to have a little peace before the storm before everyone gets back, too.”

He only wished there were more activities going on on campus.

“I would play soccer,” he said, “but there’s not that much going on in terms of intramurals [during the winter].”

calderjm@miamioh.edu Additional reporting

by Leanne Stahulak.

ILLUSTRATION BY CONNOR WELLS

CULTURE 7

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020

DATTILEC@MIAMIOH.EDU

Ocean ambassadors dive into marine conservation LEXI WHITEHEAD

THE MIAMI STUDENT One thousand six hundred and twenty-five miles south of Oxford, five Miami University students spent a week of their J-term submerged in the Caribbean Sea. From Jan. 11-19, members of the Miami Scuba Diving and Snorkel Club took a trip to Tom Owens Caye, an island 25 miles from mainland Belize, to delve, dive and help preserve the ocean.

“It’s what you think of when you think of an island in the middle of the ocean,” said sophomore Jake Humbert, the club’s vice president.

Palm trees and conch shells cover the island, which only spans an acre and a half. There is no cell service or running water.

The trip was booked through Reef Conservation International (ReefCI), a company that allows volunteers come to the island to help them with their research and conservation efforts, in addition to diving.

People come from all over the world to participate in ReefCI’s program. One

of Humbert’s favorite parts of the trip was meeting people from England, France, the Netherlands and Russia, and sharing his passion for scuba with them as well as with his fellow Miamians.

Through ReefCI, the club learned about different threats to marine life such as coral bleaching, the overfishing of lobster and the invasive lionfish.

Later, they were able to help protect against these threats.

Club members collected data on coral bleaching, noting which types of coral existed in the area and which types were bleaching. They also researched the lobster population, measuring to find the average size and finding out if the lobsters had eggs.

They also helped preserve the Caribbean by hunting and spearing lionfish, which are invasive to the area and therefore harmful to other species.

“As scuba divers, we’re the ambassadors of the ocean,” said junior Abby Porter, the club’s president and founder. “If you’re going to expect it to be there in 50 years, you have to take care of it.”

THE SCUBA DIVING AND SNORKEL CLUB TOOK THEIR MARINE CONSERVATION EFFORTS TO NEW DEPTHS DURING A TRIP TO THE CARIBBEAN. CONTRIBUTED BY ABBY PORTER.

Porter said “getting one step closer to becoming a divemaster and seeing how much the club has grown to be able to take a trip,” were her favorite parts of the excursion.

The scuba club founder received her Advanced Open Water certification on the trip, while other members of the club received their rescue certifications and lionfish tracker certifications.

During their dives, the Miamians watched Caribbean marine life up close. They saw many animals, including different Caribbean fish species,

Miami music on a national stage: MUSO and Miss Ohio team up

nurse sharks, barracuda, pufferfish, stingrays, starfish, Moray eels, coral, crabs and even dolphins.

The club also dove at night in a protected area, and even though fishing and harvesting was banned, the coral still suffered from bleaching.

Although the club is based in southwest Ohio, far from any ocean, they take advantage of local connection to marine life — visiting the Newport Aquarium and holding fundraisers for conservation.

And, scuba classes are available at

CULTURE EDITOR

Amid the bright lights and dazzling dresses of the Miss America pageant, each contestant showcased a unique talent. Miss Missouri twirled a sparkling baton, Miss Oklahoma strutted her stuff with a jazzy dance number and the pageant’s winner, Camille Schrier from Virginia, blasted colorful foam from giant glass beakers in an extravagant experiment.

Caroline Grace Williams, Miss Ohio and a Miami University alumna and current employee, brought a piece of Miami into the talent portion of her performance.

As she took to the stage Thursday, Dec. 19, Williams performed a stirring piece from the opera “Gianni Schicchi” by Giacomo Puccini. The song, “O Mio Babbino Caro (Oh My Dear Papa),” is a light soprano number that sent Williams’ voice soaring into the upper octaves as she took her turn in the spotlight.

“It was surreal,” Williams said.

“But it was an honor to represent Ohio and Miami in every phase of competition.”

But the music she sang to wasn’t any old recording — it came straight from the instruments of the Miami University Symphony Orchestra (MUSO). Instead of finding another arrangement of the piece, Williams decided to call upon Miami’s musicians to back her up as she sang in front of a national audience.

Ricardo Averbach, MUSO director and conductor for their rendition of “O Mio Babbino Caro,” said the experience was a thrilling one and right up MUSO’s alley.

“It was a rather unique and exciting opportunity,” Averbach said.

“We’re always looking for unique performance opportunities for our orchestra. We want to be doing things that no other program in the country is doing.”

Averbach said MUSO worked with Williams to modify the song for her televised performance. They had to shave it down to 90 seconds, despite the piece’s typical two-to-threeminute runtime, due to the nature of her time slot.

Williams said taking even a second or two off the song was a challenge.

“I didn’t want to cut any part of the song because I felt it was important to keep the full story arc from

CAROLINE GRACE WILLIAMS BROUGHT A PIECE OF MIAMI WITH HER TO THE NATIONAL STAGE. CONTRIBUTED BY CAROLINE GRACE WILLIAMS

beginning to end,” Williams said.

“Luckily Professor Averbach was able to accommodate a 90 second version that fit both our needs.”

According to Averbach, not only did the modified version work well for Miss Williams’ televised time slot, the shortened rendition actually made some sense in the context of the piece.

“It was actually quite fitting stylistically,” Averbach said. “It makes quite a bit of sense for the character Miss Williams was playing to sing in a faster, more emotive style.”

The national exposure and opportunity to work with Miss Ohio gave some MUSO members an additional jolt of excitement when preparing the piece.

MUSO President Taylor Wallace said that while they didn’t do anything too different than normal when practicing the song, the unique ener-

“I think this collaboration shows the power of community,” - Caroline Grace Williams

gy was palpable.

“It was pretty much business as usual,” Wallace said. “But we were all so excited about this performance, we were able to put that excitement into our music and have it come through in the music.”

In addition to the energy and excitement that came from the group’s prominent performance, Wallace said she appreciates how Williams honored her ties to Miami onstage.

“Something like this is so cool because it showcases the link between Miss Williams and Miami,” Wallace said. “It shines a light not only on the place she got her degree, but on the place she lives and works at. She’s a RedHawk through and through.”

Although Williams didn’t walk away as the winner at the end of the night, she believed she delivered a performance to be proud of.

“I think this collaboration shows the power of community,” she said.

“People are always willing to share their talents and lend a helping hand — we just have to ask. I could not have gotten this far without the help of my Miami community.”

Averbach agreed.

“No matter who won the contest itself, we’re very thankful to have been able to work with Miss Williams and to play our music for the world,” he said. “And as always, we’re already looking forward to our next performance.” headledd@miamioh.edu

whitehan@miamioh.edu

HUMANS OF OXFORD:

An imagination unleashed KELLY MCKEWIN STAFF WRITER

DUARD HEADLEY

the rec center for closed water dives.

Looking toward the future Porter, Humbert and the rest of the members are hopeful the trip to Tom Owens Caye might become a regular feature for Miami’s Scuba Diving and Snorkel Club.

“With most companies, you just get to go diving and don’t get to do the conservation part of it,” Porter said.

But she was glad the club got to dip its toes into environmental protection all the same.

What’s black and white and has monsters all over?

Well, that’s how most of Nick Felaris’s drawings can be described.

“I can’t stop drawing monsters,” Felaris admitted.

Felaris is a first-year studio art major, but he’s been an artist for most of his life. In the first grade, his love of cartoons and video games inspired him to start drawing his own comics and his passion for art snowballed from there. At times, he often found it hard to keep his drawing in check.

“I used to draw all over my tests and homework in school,” Felaris said. “That hasn’t really changed.”

But it was during his junior year of high school after taking part in a “Young Artists at Work” program that Felaris began tackling bigger projects and taking his art more seriously. He painted two murals for local organizations in Toledo, Ohio and created album covers for a number of local bands and musicians.

In 2018, he created an Instagram account, @nickfelaris, to showcase even more of his work — scrolling through it now, anyone can see nearly two years’ worth of dedication to creating prints and designs in his signature black and white style.

Since coming to Oxford, Felaris has expanded his horizons. He sold prints at the Oxford Farmer’s Market as well as on commission and recently designed a large canvas print of a monster eating a bowl of ramen — now displayed Uptown at Ramen Hachi.

Though his artwork is distinctive, Felaris said there are no specific art styles he’s tried to mimic over the years. His designs often spring to mind as he’s actively drawing or

painting them.

“I have a really crazy thinking method, I guess,” Felaris said. “I’ll get started on something and I’ll see monsters and cicadas and melting heads just coming up. I don’t really think, I just do it and it’s really fun.”

Outside of art, Felaris often reads and is a huge music fan, both consuming and making it. He listens to records, has worked as a street performer in the past and often composes jazz or hip-hop on digital music programs.

A fan of graffiti art as well, Felaris created the tag “Codex” for himself to sign his art with because he felt it described his array of artistic interests.

Recently, Felaris began a new project with first-year English major Alex Benedict, titled “Splice” where the pair collaborate on a drawing and piece of writing that go together.

Each week, Felaris sends Benedict a sketch and Benedict sends Felaris a poem, which the other then has to use as inspiration for their next piece. They’ve found a lot of common themes in their work, often drawing on Greek legends or other mythology for the project.

Benedict said he was intrigued

by Felaris’ artwork early on in their friendship because it reminded him of his own creative work.

“I was drawn to a lot of his artwork,” Benedict said. “It was really tonal and I saw a lot of spontaneous elements in it. It reflected a lot of what I do in my writing.”

Felaris is looking forward to continuing the “Splice” project, in addition to his other projects. He’s not sure where his art will take him, but he doesn’t mind as long as he’s creating.

“I just want to burst out with more stuff,” Felaris said. “I want to make a world with everything.” mckewikm@miamioh.edu

FOR NICK FELARIS, DOODLING ON TESTS TURNED INTO FOLLOWING HIS ARTISTIC DREAMS..

CONTRIBUTED BY NICK FELARIS.

Travel

8

DOYLECA3@MIAMIOH.EDU

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020

How I became Europe’s biggest loser JULIA ARWINE NEWS EDITOR

It began in Slovenia.

I was traveling through the Balkans with a school group as part of a “study tour” for one of my classes. We were scheduled to depart for Sarajevo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, that morning.

I woke up early and walked to the nearby post office to mail a package, but confusion caused by the language barrier meant it took longer than I anticipated — I sprinted back to the hotel just in time to make the bus, only to realize I’d left my wallet at the post office.

My professor held the bus as I raced back and forth once more and collapsed into my seat. I fell asleep and woke up two hours later, just as we were approaching the Croatian border.

I reached for my phone to check the time, but my coat pockets were devoid of any phone — so were my jeans pockets, my purse and my backpack.

By the time we stopped for lunch, I’d come to terms with the fact that it was gone.

I figured I would just have to buy a new one, and in the meantime I would use the cheap and barely-functional Android every Miami student received upon their arrival in Luxembourg.

It could call, text and access Google Maps; that would get me through the next couple of weeks.

“You’re very calm about this,” one of my classmates remarked, but mentally I was hitting my head against a wall.

We arrived in Sarajevo late that night, and the next morning, I checked Facebook on my laptop to find a woman in Ljubljana had found my phone and, using the Miami ID tucked into the card holder on the back, looked me up on Facebook to let me know.

Excitedly, I messaged her my address in Luxembourg. Moments later, she replied that she had given it to the police. We were traveling with a local tour guide, who told me she would be able to pick it up for me when she returned to Slovenia.

Effusively grateful, I considered the problem solved.

The next day, the study tour ended, and our week-long break began, and my group was headed to Rome.

Sitting in the tiny airport’s café, we waited for check-in time. When the time came, we got in line at the front desk, and I rummaged in my pockets for my backup phone.

I came up empty — and it wasn’t in my purse, or my backpack, or my carry-on.

“Don’t tell anyone else this,” I said

to my friend Brooke, “But I’m going to go look for my phone.”

“Julia, no,” she said, exasperated, but I was already gone.

It wasn’t on our café table, and our waiter hadn’t seen it. The information desk sent me to the lost and found, who sent me to airport security, who took me into an airline’s office to translate, who called the local police to report a stolen phone, though I insisted I could’ve just lost it and just wanted to know if anyone had found it.

My friends were through security by this point and were watching with increased anxiety as the security line grew longer.

Brooke explained the situation, and one of my other friends convinced an employee to take him to search the lobby for me. While he searched, I was upstairs, being ferried from office to office, and he returned to the gate empty-handed.

“I didn’t find her,” he said.

“What do you mean, you didn’t find her,” Brooke said, starting to panic.

“Don’t worry,” he replied. “There’s no way she left this airport.”

At that point, I was leaving the airport.

I filed the first police report of my life in a small, dimly-lit room where the chatty officer translated my situation to two older officers smoking cigarettes while I kept a nervous eye on the clock.

Finally, the officer walked me back into the airport and deposited me in the security line. Feeling thoroughly

downtrodden, I trudged slowly thinking of how stupid I was to lose two phones in as many days, when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

“Is that your friend?” a man ahead of me asked, pointing to the other side of security.

I did indeed see one of my friends, waving at me and pointing at something in her hand: my phone.

She’d accidentally picked it up off the table of the café and put it in her purse, and hadn’t realized until she’d gotten through security. Since she had no way of contacting me, we had been trapped for the past hour and a half in a dramatically ironic comedy of Shakespearean proportions.

My group then went from Rome to Florence to Cinque Terre; it was on the train to the latter where we got off in a hurry, one stop earlier than anticipated in the little town of Corniglia.

The owner of the Airbnb we were staying in drove us to the mountaintop villa, a kilometer from the nearest village in either direction along the coast.

The villa’s terrace had a stunning view of the mountain greenery and the Mediterranean Sea far below.

I reached for my phone to take a picture.

It wasn’t in my pocket.

And of course, it wasn’t in any of my bags. I realized with deepening despair that I must have left it on the seat of the train. By this point, my friends had more or less run out of pity for me.

To be honest, so had I. I brooded over the utter joke my

life had become. Clearly my phones and I were not destined to be together.

I tried to see if I could track my backup phone and, shockingly, was actually able to get a spotty signal: it was in the train station of Monterosso, two towns over.

But, I had no way of getting there that night, and we were leaving early the next morning. The only way I could retrieve it would be to get up at dawn, hike into Vernazza and take the train (without a ticket) into Monterosso — with no way of telling time or contacting the others once I left.

If all went seamlessly, I would make it back to Corniglia in time to meet the others and catch our train to Venice. If anything went wrong, I would be royally screwed.

The risks out-weighed the benefits, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave the phone behind when I knew exactly where it was.

So, the next morning, I set off on the narrow mountainside path.

When I arrived in Monterosso, the man in the station told me that the worker who found my phone would not be in for two hours — luckily, I had the time to spare.

I caught the employee who had my phone on his way in the door of the station, retrieved it and hopped ticketless back on the train to Corniglia just in time.

About a week later, back in Luxembourg, a package came from Slovenia: my original phone, returned to me at last. Not for the first time (and not

SHEER DUMB LUCK HELPED JULIA RECOVER HER LOST PHONE(S) ABROAD. NEWS EDITOR JULIA ARWINE

for the last), the things I’d lost had all come back to me through a combination of the kindness of strangers, my own stubborn persistence and sheer, dumb luck.

Telling the story to friends and family over and over again, I couldn’t help but feel like there was a metaphor in there somewhere, but we were all too busy laughing to find it. @ArwineJulia arwinejk@miamioh.edu

Pura Vida

Soaking in Costa Rican leisure

MAYA FENTER

MAGAZINE EDITOR AT-LARGE

MAYA TOOK A MINUTE TO EXPERIENCE THE COSTA RICAN’S MOTTO, PURA VIDA .

MAGAZINE EDITOR-AT-LARGE MAYA FENTER

“Good thing we got a car with fourwheel drive,” my mom said as my dad eased on the gas pedal to inch our rental car up a gravel path.

There was an arrow-shaped sign with the name of our bed and breakfast painted on it pointing us in this direction, and yet, I wasn’t convinced this was the right way.

It took us about as long to drive up the hill as it would to walk. Once we got to the top, there was a little grass clearing that served as the parking lot, complete with a few white stones spaced apart to mark four parking spots.

My parents and I had flown into Costa Rica for a family vacation the night before and spent the night in a hotel close to the airport. Today was the first of three stops of our trip: a bed and breakfast called Casa Rural — Aroma de Campo (Country House — Smell of the Land).

The building was U-shaped with three rooms on each side and a kitchen, office and the workers’ rooms along the back. In the middle of it all was a shaded outdoor patio with rocking chairs, potted plants, a large dining table and two hammocks, all looking out on a lush array of fruit trees and flowering bushes. I truly felt hundreds of miles away from the Chicago winter.

Eric, the owner, was in the middle of writing the menu for dinner on a green chalkboard. “Sopa: Tomate,” it read so far.

He told us everything we needed to know about the place. Dinner is served at 7 p.m. Breakfast is from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. They have two dogs and a parrot named Koki who can speak four languages but sometimes bites. The water is fine for brushing your teeth, but don’t drink it. Here’s the fridge with bottled

water that you can drink, as well as beer and juice.

Our room had one queen bed, one twin bed, each made up with paisley patterned quilts. The queen bed had a mosquito net hanging above it and tucked behind the headboard, but the woman assured us, “No hay mosquitoes” — the window had a screen, protecting us from the pesky insects. There was no air conditioning, just a ceiling fan.

In the bathroom, there was a sign by the toilet instructing guests to toss their toilet paper into the small trash can instead of flushing it. It reminded me of my study abroad trip to Argentina a year ago, but my mom was clearly a little unsettled by the practice.

It was no five-star hotel, but it was quaint, charming and homey.

We spent the afternoon hiking at the national park, which was about 15 minutes down a (paved) road, and pretty much the only attraction in the area, aside from a larger resort-style hotel with touristy activities like zip lining and horseback riding.

When we got back to the bed and breakfast a few hours later, I slumped into one of the hammocks. Both dogs came trotting over to me and laid down underneath the hammock. I was there for hours, dozing off a few times and savoring the beautiful greenery, my lack of obligations and the dogs’ company.

This felt like pura vida — the simple life Costa Ricans reference in their motto.

As the sun set, Eric began turning on all of the lights around the courtyard, which included a string of small bulbs over the dining table, a small fake white Christmas tree and other lamps hanging on the walls.

About an hour later, right before dinner, all the lights went out. Blackouts feel a bit darker in the Costa Rican countryside, but there was something calming about it.

Eric apologized as he stuck up some bright battery-powered lights and placed lanterns on the table. He said it was because of the wind, which had been gusting all afternoon. He reassured us that this happens fairly often, the lights should come back soon and that dinner was pretty much already done.

The long wooden dining table had enough chairs to seat 16 people. But tonight, it was just me, my parents and another couple. We took our seats and surely enough, the power came back just in time for the first course.

We all introduced ourselves and asked one another where we’re from over a bowl of homemade tomato soup.

They said they were from France, and I found myself surprised.

Oh right, tourists can come from places other than the United States, I thought, sheepishly aware of my ethnocentrism.

The husband didn’t speak any English. The wife spoke some, but some questions and answers got lost in translation. My dad is the only person in my family who knows French, and he probably hasn’t used it in a few decades, but it was enough to fill in the gaps.

When I woke up and went outside the next morning after a restless and sweaty night of sleep, the French couple had already checked out and left. I sat at the dining table with my parents and was served a typical Costa Rican breakfast of scrambled eggs, gallo pinto (the country’s version of rice and beans), a tortilla and fried plantain.

I said goodbye to the dogs and Koki (he didn’t respond to my farewell in either English or Spanish). My parents and I piled our luggage into the car and eased back down the gravel hill. @maya_with_a_y fentermc@miamioh.edu

DOYLECA3@MIAMIOH.EDU

TRAVEL 9

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020

It feels like the very first time ...

This winter, I traveled to New York City and got a chance to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s in the city with my friends and family. I was upset it didn’t snow during my time there, but the holiday spirit was alive and well. I felt like I was walking through a movie set under the big lights of Times Square. This wasn’t my first trip, but I feel like every time I visit New York I leave a little piece of myself there.

PHOTO EDITOR JUGAL JAIN

PHOTO EDITOR JUGAL JAIN

Little moments, big realizations.

SAMANTHA BRUNN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

“I WAS FAILING A PILLAR OF MY PERSONA ...” IN CANADA. ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR WILL GORMAN

Francophone mishaps in frigid Montréal WILL GORMAN

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve found it challenging to answer why I decided to go to Montréal in early January.

The most truthful version is that I wanted to go somewhere over break and my friend Charlotte suggested Montréal. We could stay with her friend, Madi, who’s finishing up her last year at McGill University, she said, which sounded good enough for me.

But explaining that to relatives during the holidays felt weird — “I’m visiting a friend-of-afriend” sounds invasive, even if my presence was entirely welcome. I settled on a mix of “because I wanted to travel somewhere” and “so I could practice my French again.”

Studying French may be the best example of how my mom has influenced my life. The woman who, so enamored with French art and culture, made me change schools after second grade so I’d be able to learn the language.

Her fervor was a lot to take in at eight-yearsold but, in the long run, it was effective.

After completing a French minor in college, four years of high school classes and a semester abroad in Luxembourg living with a French-speaking host family, I thought I had the language under my belt.

And it might still be. But Montréal was another beast entirely.

It turns out that the jokes my French professors had always told were rooted in truth: Québécois French is incredibly jarring to listen to if you’re aiming for conversation. Even “bonjour” sounded unrecognizable to my untrained ear.

It wasn’t all bad — reading and translating French signs and understanding them again was a thrill, one that I hadn’t felt since I studied abroad. On a few occasions, it actually helped us get around — and you’d better believe that boosted my Francophile ego.

But my ego definitely took a few hits as well.

There were a couple of exchanges with attendants at museum desks where I’d been greeted in French and tempted to respond in French, but I couldn’t bring myself to risk a language fumble and have to finish the conversation in English.

I tried speaking French to a hostess at a restaurant, which worked for about 30 seconds until she asked me something I didn’t under-

stand and I replied with some weird grunt that was meant to sound like approval. She then asked me if I needed the English version of the menu.

Not my best moment.

The first night we spent in Montréal, we went out in the cold weather to a club not unlike a higher-budget rendition of our very own Brick Street — the whole “sweaty crowd, loud music” vibe was all too familiar.

On our way into the club, the bouncers outside were trying to corral the throng of people standing in the frigid air. As we tried to figure out where the line started and where it ended, a booming voice shouted out, in French, telling everyone to stand up against the wall if they were in line.

I wanted to respond to him in French, but I was as clueless as anyone else who didn’t understand.

After dancing through a few songs inside the club, one of Madi’s roommates turned to me and shouted, “This song means ‘the alcohol is water!’”

I took a moment to listen to the song thumping up against our eardrums and noticed that it was pretty easy to make out the hook, which was a consistent repetition of “l’alcool c’est de l’eau.”

Upon realizing I could understand it, instinct kicked in: “I know, I have a French minor,” I said.

But the reality is I didn’t know until she told me. I had no idea I was hearing French music at a popular club in a Francophone territory — for a music nerd like me, that concept is the very intersection of my two most innocuous passions.

I felt out of my element in a city where I expected to feel the opposite. I was failing a pillar of my persona.

A couple weeks removed from the trip, I’m not as dismayed that my Canadian French-speaking hopes were dashed — I’d rather speak English in an English-speaking city than flounder at speaking French in the same place.

The way the trip panned out, it became more about getting to explore Montréal and having fun rather than trying to engulf myself in a deep cultural experience. Looking back, for the sake of satisfaction, it was probably better that way.

And honestly, it was too jarring hearing new ways to pronounce “bonjour.” gormanwm@miamioh.edu

“Tiene hambre?” Are you hungry?

I snapped back to reality after spacing out as I watched a group of four and five-year-olds jump rope.

“Sí, claro,” I said offhandedly. Of course I was hungry, all I’d had for breakfast was pancito — bread, made cuter with a -cito tacked on the end — with strawberry jam. And it was nearly 1 p.m.

Juan opened his camouflage lunch box and rummaged around for a moment before he found what he was looking for. He handed me a mango, first inspecting it to make sure the small dent in its skin hadn’t damaged the inside of the fruit.

Suddenly, I felt the need to hold back tears.

It was such a small thing. But that mango was one of the only things he had to eat that day, and he wanted to give it to me.

I and 12 other Miami University students studied in Peru over J-Term, where we learned all about AfroPeruvian history and culture and spent time at a community center for children and the elderly who live on the brink of poverty in Nasca, Peru.

It’s hard to square your experience as an American student studying abroad in a country where more than 50 percent of the rural population lives in poverty. It’s even harder when many of the people we encountered didn’t think racial and gender disparities, of which there are many in Peru, existed.

I interviewed Juan, my elderly friend from the community center who gifted me the mango, about the pension system in Peru and what his life is like living in poverty with a disability for my class project. It took some trial-and-error to get through my questions, not only because my Spanish could still use some work, but because he couldn’t imagine what the government would do for him if he could ask for more.

The premise relied on knowing what he could hope for. But, when you’ve never been told or seen what an ideal world could look like, what’s always

been can easily feel like what will always be.

And so, in the middle of the Peruvian desert, I found yet another reason to support a free press and access to information.

It may not have been on either of the class’ syllabi, but I also learned how to slow down and calm down. Ask anyone who knows me, and they’ll tell you any number of jokes with my lack of patience or my intensity as a punch line. But when you’re without WiFi and deadlines, with lots of time to think, you have all the time in the world to learn how to break bad habits.

I lost my credit card on top of a sand dune in Huacachina, but it didn’t even matter. What normally would have sent me in an anxiety spiral was an afterthought when I remembered to cancel my card later that day — once I had brief access to WiFi in a restaurant.

Instead, I sandboarded and rode a dune buggy that certainly wouldn’t be licensed to drive here, and I didn’t even panic when we skidded over the biggest sand dune I’d ever seen and dropped down the other side.

Who am I kidding, I did panic a little.

I definitely won’t miss my host mom yelling at us for sleeping with the fan on because she was convinced we’d catch pneumonia despite the 80+ degree heat.

But I’ll miss the slow afternoons. The ones where we had enough time for an hour-long lunch and a nap, the heat lulling me to sleep more than I think I ever have since coming to college.

And I already miss the feeling of standing on top of Machu Picchu, knowing that everything I could see from that point is the entire world the indigenous population that once lived there knew.

It’s kind of a comforting realization to know so many of the things I spend my time worrying about never crossed their minds, so maybe I shouldn’t worry, too.

The world is so large, and I’m so small, anyway. @samantha_brunn brunnsj@miamioh.edu

J-TERM IN PERU WAS A SERIES OF TRIAL -AND-ERRORS, PLUS NAPS. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SAMANTHA BRUNN

Sports

10

VINELCA@MIAMIOH.EDU

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020

2,000 miles from Los Angeles, the RedHawks feel Kobe Bryant’s legacy CHRIS VINEL

SPORTS EDITOR On the most memorable sports day in recent memory, Mekhi Lairy and many of his teammates were lacing up their Adidas sneakers and slipping on their red Miami jerseys when one player entered the room and yelled the news.

Down the hall, Dae Dae Grant was in the training room, waiting to get taped up, when Nike Sibande and Josh Brewer sprinted in.

“They said, ‘Hey, bro, Kobe just died,’” Grant said. “I said, ‘Stop lying.’”

The rest of the stunned world joined Grant in saying the same thing.

Sunday morning, Jan. 26, 2020, National Basketball Association icon Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif. Bryant was 41 and less than four years past his retirement from basketball.

“When they first said it, I didn’t believe it at all,” Lairy said. “It couldn’t be real. I still don’t believe it.”

After Sunday’s practice, Grant said the RedHawks sat in the locker room, quietly reading about Bryant’s death.

By then, the whole world was shouting “Kobe!”

But that’s nothing new. It’s been that way for years, as kids would crumple up anything they could find and shoot it into a trash can while confidently yelling his name.

“Anything. I’m talking about paper in school,” Grant said before Lairy cut him off.

“It didn’t matter what — rocks, pencils,” Lairy said.

Imitating Bryant is a generational staple, and it isn’t limited to off-court shenanigans. “[I yell it] if I take a deep shot, not in a game, but just playing with my guys,” Grant said.

“Anytime I’m taking a fade and playing around, [I scream,] ‘Kobe!’ I ain’t ever hit a fade like him, though,” Lairy said.

Bryant racked up five NBA Championships, an MVP award, 18 all-star selections and too many other accolades

“I still don’t believe it,” -Mekhi Lairy

‘Forever grateful’ Miami’s club soccer president bids farewell after a successful career BURZIN KOHINA

THE MIAMI STUDENT Will Bolton idolized Frank Lampard.

He wanted to do everything like the former Chelsea star midfielder and now head coach. Bolton styled his play after Lampard and slotted into the same positions.

“I have idolized Frank Lampard and think I play the same way Lampard did,” Bolton said.

That includes leadership.

Bolton, a senior accounting major, serves as Miami University’s club soccer team president. He’s been with the team since his first year of college, originally joining to make friends with his teammates and continue playing the game he loves.

Bolton played soccer in high school, so it was no question he was going to try out for the team. When he joined the club three years ago, he was honored to have been selected, as around 70 students try out every year, and not many are chosen.

While Bolton was simply happy to be a part of the team, he always wanted to go the extra mile and eventually lead. In his senior year, he became the president of the club.

Combined with the help of vice president Josh Campbell and co-treasurers Sam Miller and Daniel Smullen, Bolton recruited 11 new members last fall, including nine first-year students.

“Will Bolton is a good guy and a really good leader for us,” said Sean Patrick Dosedel, a first year on the team. “He has really gelled the team together. He is very organized.”

But Bolton’s new leadership role came with possible consequences.

Before the season, his coach ad-

SENIOR WILL BOLTON ALWAYS HOPED TO BE MIAMI’S CLUB SOCCER TEAM PRESIDENT. CONTRIBUTED BY WILL BOLTON

vised him not to be surprised if he turned out to be the worst player on the team, as the president always gets caught up with organizing games and the three team practices per week — a stark contrast from high school, where everything is organized by the coaches.

However, Bolton feels he had a good season both as a player and president, and was happy with the way his career came to an end.

But he still can’t believe his time with the club is over.

“I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much for sure, as I am not into anything else [besides soccer],” Bolton said when asked what his Miami life would’ve been like without the team.

His personal favorite game was a match he played against the University of Cincinnati in his sophomore year. It was a big game for the team, as UC was a massive rival and a tough opponent. He gave Miami the lead in the first half by scoring a 35-yard volley goal followed by an extension goal in the second half.

Last season, Bolton’s final, was tough yet successful. The team competed in 10 games before Oct. 19, resulting in it finishing second in the Midwest Alliance Soccer Conference. The players qualified for the regional playoffs, where they played two matches against the University of Illinois and Purdue University, respectively.

The first game ended in a 1-1 draw with the president scoring their only goal. This game was followed by a scoreless tie that ended Miami’s campaign. A win was required to get through to Nationals.

When it ended, Bolton wrote an appreciation post and added a few of his favorite soccer pictures to Facebook the night after the loss.

He shared his gratitude, thanking his teammates, including some, like Massillon Myers, whom he played with for four years. “[Four] years of Miami Club Soccer came to a close last night,” Bolton wrote in a Facebook post.“Forever grateful to have been able to play with such talented players each year and have my boy, Massillon Myers, alongside me for every season.”

As he bids farewell, Bolton has one final message for the future of Miami University club soccer.

“Try to form a relationship with the guys on the team early, so you can maintain it in the years to come,” he said.

That’s what he did, and his time at Miami would not have been the same otherwise. @bkohina kohinabp@miamioh.edu

to list in 20 NBA seasons, all with the Los Angeles Lakers.

“He was a student,” Grant said. “He was a really smart basketball player.

Things you wouldn’t think that he studied, he did. That’s why he was so good.”

“When you think of Kobe, you think of how hard he worked,” said Miami head coach Jack Owens, who admitted Bryant was his favorite athlete.

Owens called Sunday “a truly emotional day, for everyone.” His wife, Kamilah, is from California, and the couple, along with their three daughters, are Lakers fans.

Despite Bryant being considered one of the greatest basketball players and sport ambassadors of all time, Owens didn’t focus on hoops when talking about Bryant’s tragic death with his team. “[His death] kind of put things in perspective, to be honest with you, about how precious life is,” Owens said, relaying a message he had shared with his team. “You have to thank God for the moments you have on this Earth.

With your loved ones, you have to express how you feel about them and tell them on a regular basis.”

Luckily, that’s what the sports world and beyond expressed to Kobe Sunday and for the last 20 years — even from a college basketball team 2,000 miles away. @ChrisAVinel vinelca@miamioh.edu

Kobe Bryant 1978-2020

CONTRIBUTED BY CREATIVE COMMONS

Pfister: The 2019 football team brought Miami football back

THE MIAMI REDHAWKS HOLD UP THEIR MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP SHIRTS AND SIGNS DURING THE MAC CHAMPIONSHIP POSTGAME CELEBRATION DEC. 7 AT FORD FIELD. STAFF WRITER BRADY PFISTER

BRADY PFISTER STAFF WRITER

When the clock hit double zeros on Miami University football’s 2019 campaign after the RedHawks fell to Louisiana in the Lending Tree Bowl, the media had one last shot to pick the brain of Miami’s ever-opinionated head coach, Chuck Martin, before he turned the page to the 2020 season.

So I asked him what he thought the legacy of this team would be. And, for the only time I can remember in my three years and dozens of Martin pressers, he gave me a rather brief answer.

“I don’t know,” Martin said.

“That’s for you guys to decide.”

OK, Chuck. Challenge accepted: The 2019 RedHawks will forever be remembered as a clutch group of young players who overachieved to officially bring Miami football back.

This team made its living on winning close games no one really gave them much of a chance to compete in. The RedHawks thrived in the underdog role, riding that momentum all the way into Detroit to steal the Mid-American Conference Championship from Central Michigan.

You could feel it starting in the offseason. There was almost a sense of relief to be back under the radar in the MAC. It felt liberating for these young players to be able to go out and prove themselves without the suffocating pressure of expectation.

Coming into 2017, the RedHawks possessed the momentum of a sixgame regular season winning streak with high hopes of taking the next step to win a conference title. Instead, they couldn’t get out of their own way and squandered a perfect combination of

talent and experience to finish 5-7.

The following season, the ’Hawks returned quarterback Gus Ragland, a stable of experienced running backs and a game-changing receiver in James Gardner, but close losses and injuries caused Miami to underachieve once again.

After two years of promise and disappointment, the 2019 RedHawks finally returned to playing with low expectations.

I, like many other pundits around the league, thought 5-7 was the ceiling for this team, considering the loss of team leader and linebacker Brad Koenig along with other mainstays on the defense combined with a true freshman taking snaps at quarterback.

No problem. It was almost as if this attitude freed the young ’Hawks to play aggressively in close games, instead of simply trying not to lose.

Throughout the entire 2019 season, Miami was favored by bettors in Las Vegas just three times. By the end of the year, the RedHawks earned the nickname “SpreadHawks” for their ability to win close games experts thought they would lose on their way to an 8-6 finish.

They won in a variety of different ways, too. Rarely was it pretty.

Unlike many championship teams, on paper, the RedHawks were unimpressive, especially on the offensive side of the football. Miami averaged just more than 24 points per game, good for ninth in the league while only Eastern Michigan and Akron rushed for less yards per game than the ’Hawks.

Yet, week after week, they found gritty ways to squeeze out a victory.

Miami benefited from a timely 47-yard touchdown run from running

back Jaylon Bester to steal a rainy road victory from Kent State, held off Nathan Rourke, the MAC’s best quarterback, against Ohio and leaned on kicker Sam Sloman to put the MAC Championship out of reach from Central Michigan.

This was a tough team that rarely overpowered anyone but stuck together better than any program in the league.

And as a result, the team is in the best condition it’s enjoyed since Ben Roethlisberger played here.

In 2020, the RedHawks return starting quarterback Brett Gabbert, his two favorite receivers Jack Sorenson and James Maye along with Tyree Shelton and Bester in the backfield.

The defense has a bright future thanks to freshman standouts including Ivan Pace and Lonnie Phelps.

But what has me optimistic about the future of this program is the apparent shift in culture that has transpired over the last three seasons. In 2017, the RedHawks choked away close games regularly despite being one of the most talented MAC teams.

2019 was different. This team relished the opportunity to compete in tight contests. Other Miami teams I have watched dreaded such games.

Sure, Miami will go from the hunters to the hunted in 2020, but the core group of players Chuck Martin has developed in his program proved this season that they possess the necessary tenacity to consistently compete for a MAC crown.

And for that, the Miami RedHawks are back.

There’s your team’s legacy, Chuck. @Brady_Pfister pfistejb@miamioh.edu

VINELCA@MIAMIOH.EDU

SPORTS 11

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020

Take it from her coaches

Freshman Peyton Scott isn’t normal

FRESHMAN PEYTON SCOTT HAS IMPRESSED PEOPLE AROUND MIAMI’S WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PROGRAM WITH HER PRODUCTION AND HER POSSSESSION OF THE “IT” FACTOR. THE MIAMI STUDENT MACY WHITAKER

LUKAS NELSON

THE MIAMI STUDENT One hour.

That’s how long it took women’s basketball coach Deunna Hendrix on the first day of practice to realize Peyton Scott wasn’t a normal first-year.

“She has what we call the ‘it,’” Hendrix said. “She has it. She just wants to get stuff done. We knew pretty quickly that she would make an impact on our program.”

Scott, a Lynchburg, Ohio native, has

already made an impact in her first season with the RedHawks. The freshman guard has started all 19 games, placing second on the team in minutes played.

They’ve been productive minutes, too. She is averaging 11.6 points per game.

Hendrix wasn’t the first coach to recognize Scott’s talent early on. Her high school coach, Whitney Lewis, first noticed Scott when she was playing for her high school’s youth program in the fourth grade. Even then, Scott was the de facto leader of her youth team, as she would be all throughout middle school

and high school, Lewis said.

Scott continued that trend in high school, where she played under Lewis for Lynchburg-Clay High School.

During her high school career, Scott was a four-year letterwinner, as well as a two-time All-Ohio selection and a three-time all league selection. During her senior year, she averaged 27.4 points, 10.9 rebounds, and five assists per game.

Scott also broke the all-time record for most points in a career at Lynchburg-Clay, finishing with 2,202.

The person whose record she

broke? Her coach, Whitney Lewis.

“It’s pretty unique,” Lewis said.

“Peyton and I have a pretty good relationship, and we’re both fairly competitive … We always kind of liked to make jabs at each other — her more than me — and she caught up with me. I was super happy, super proud of her.”

Scott doesn’t just care about her stats and records, though. Although she racked up plenty of those in high school, she cares more about winning and being a good teammate.

“She never really got caught up in the records,” Lewis said. “First and foremost, she wanted to win, and that’s just her competitive spirit, her competitive nature. She wanted to do whatever she needed to do to make sure we were successful as a team, and that always came first.”

That includes cheering on her teammates’ successes, even when she’s on the bench.

“She was just as happy to see her teammates succeed as she was herself, and that was the biggest thing with Peyton,” Lewis said. “If she came out of the game for a breather, if we scored, she was the first one off the bench, you know, just clapping and cheering for her teammates. It’s something special, not just a player, but as a person.”

It’s because of her success and humility that Scott still has fans back home in Lynchburg. Even outside of Lynchburg, fans of opposing teams would talk to Scott after games, which she would always make time for, per Lewis. Even now, after Scott graduated, opposing teams still ask about how her, and how she’s adjusting to college basketball.

“She didn’t just make an impact on our community, but also our league and everything else,” Lewis said. “We’re all cheering for her and rooting for her.”

During her senior year of high school, Scott signed on to play basketball at Miami University. She cites the culture of the team as one of the main reasons she committed to play for the RedHawks.

“I wanted to be a part of not only a winning culture, but a family culture,” Scott said. “And I felt when I came to Miami on campus, they really were bought into that.”

Last March, Megan Duffy, the head coach who recruited Scott to play for Miami, accepted a new job as the woman’s head basketball coach at Marquette University. However, new head coach DeUnna Hendrix was already familiar with Scott’s game, having scouted a lot of Ohio recruits as the former head coach of High Point University. When Hendrix came to Miami, she knew how important keeping Scott would be.

“In that first week, it was begging her to stay,” Hendix said, “because I knew who she was and got to watch her in AAU.” Luckily for Hendrix, Scott stayed committed to the RedHawks.

Even though Scott makes it look easy, adjusting from high school basketball to college basketball is anything but easy. For her, the biggest adjustments were the pace of the game and learning the culture of college basketball. For that, Scott said her teammates have been very helpful on and off the court.

“They’ve been very intentional with me,” Scott said, “just pulling me aside or stepping in just to say small things that’ll help better myself and the team in general.”

Scott still has a long way to go in her college basketball career. However, when asked what kind of player she was going to develop into, Hendrix didn’t hesitate.

“Whatever she wants, to be quite honest,” Hendrix said. “I don’t know what her personal goals are. She’s a humble kid. I don’t know if she’d be one to ever share them if she had them.”

Hendrix is exactly right. When asked about her personal goals, Scott said she just wanted to help her team get better.

Hendrix has a bit loftier expectations.

“Hopefully, one day, her jersey will be retired in the banners,” Hendrix said, “but it’ll be right next to those championship banners.” @LukasTheDream nelso156@miamioh.edu

Spring semester opens in midst of MAC-sketball SCOUTING REPORT THE GAME

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Tuesday at Millett Hall TV/Radio: ESPN+, Miami Sports Network from Van Wagner, RedHawk Radio on YouTube Live

MIAMI REDHAWKS

Record ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������9-11, 2-5 MAC Offense ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������74.7 ppg Defense �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������73.1 ppg

PROJECTED LINEUP

Player �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������(position, height, key stat) Dae Dae Grant ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ (guard, 6’2”, 9.3 ppg) Nike Sibande ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������(guard, 6’4”, 14.1 ppg) Milos Jovic �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������(guard, 6’4”, 4.1 ppg) Dalonte Brown ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� (forward, 6’7”, 12.2 ppg) Bam Bowman ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� (forward, 6’8”, 7.1 ppg)

CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS

Record �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������10-8, 4-2 MAC Offense ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 82.9 ppg Defense �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������76.5 ppg

PROJECTED LINEUP

Player �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������(position, height, key stat) Dallas Morgan �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� (guard, 6’1”, 8.1 ppg) Devontae Lane ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ (guard, 6’2”, 9.6 ppg) Kevin McCay �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� (guard, 6’5”, 15.4 ppg) Rob Montgomery ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� (forward, 6’6”, 11.0 ppg) David DiLeo ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� (forward, 6’8”, 14.1 ppg)

TMS staff Super Bowl pick’em

MIKE GUISTOLISE STAFF WRITER

While the students were away, the ’Hawks did play.

And not very well.

While most of the student body was celebrating the holidays, the men’s basketball RedHawks were hard at work, trying to show their young core could hang with the rest of the Mid-American Conference.

Miami started the break well — with a 3-1 record to finish out December — and was able to show resilience in the face of its top scorer, junior guard Nike Sibande, going down with an injury for a short stint.

Then, January opened MAC play with a heartbreaker against Central Michigan, and inconsistencies allowed close wins (with the exception of Akron) slip away from the RedHawks throughout the rest of the month.

The ’Hawks now share the MAC East Division basement with Ohio, with the same in-conference record of 2-5. Tuesday’s rematch with Central Michigan will keep the RedHawks on their toes, as the Chippewas boast four players averaging

double-digit points per game.

The RedHawks have also had struggles defending big men who shoulder the bulk of the scoring, and Central Michigan senior forward David DiLeo is exactly that.

Miami also has to keep tabs on senior guard Dallas Morgan, who cooked the RedHawks’ defense and drained five threes in the last meeting between these squads.

Now, with Miami faithful at their backs, the RedHawks will get another crack at the Chippewas in a Tuesday evening MAC showdown at Millett Hall.

Player to Watch With his field goal percentage falling further and further away from where it was around finals week, Nike Sibande is ready to bring his class back in session. The scoring has been there for him, but not every game; lockdown defense fueled his latest performance against Eastern Michigan however, so we will see if Sibande can get Millett rocking with one or two of his incredible dunks. With revenge in the minds of the RedHawks, Sibande is primed to bounce back. guistom@miamioh.edu

’Hawks Talk

Chris Vinel (Sports Editor)................................................ Kansas City Chiefs Brady Pfister (Staff Writer)............................................... Kansas City Chiefs Mike Guistolise (Staff Writer).......................................... Kansas City Chiefs Josiah Collins (Co-Host of Press Box Thoughts)............. Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Geshan (Co-Host of Press Box Thoughts)........... Kansas City Chiefs Lukas Nelson...................................................................... Kansas City Chiefs

“I think we’ve got to develop a little bit of a killer instinct,”

Madeline Conroy............................................................... Kansas City Chiefs Lily Freiberg....................................................................... Kansas City Chiefs Samantha Brunn (Editor-in-Chief)................................. Kansas City Chiefs Ceili Doyle (Managing Editor).......................................... Kansas City Chiefs

Michael Vestey................................................................. San Francisco 49ers Zach Goetsch.................................................................... San Francisco 49ers

- Miami head baseball coach Danny Hayden on his team’s goal after its first preseason practice

Opinion

12

RIGAZIKM@MIAMIOH.EDU

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020

STAFF EDITORIAL

It is with a heavy heart we write this editorial today The following reflects the majority opinion of the Editorial Board.

Happy spring semester, Miami University! It was an eventful J-Term, and we’ve got a lot to catch up on. The Miami RedHawks played (and lost) the Lending Tree Bowl, that sushi place finally opened up in Armstrong and the university announced 39 staff positions will be eliminated as of July 1, 2020.

Surprised by that last one? We bet!

On Jan. 23, University President Greg Crawford sent an email to Miami faculty announcing 40 staff positions would be eliminated across the Oxford and regional campuses. Since then, The Miami Student confirmed one of the initial 40 positions will not be cut, but there was no follow-up from Crawford or the administration communicating that change.

Crawford said these cuts were necessary to “streamline” operations while investing in new academic programming and scholarships. He also alluded to how cuts like these are a reflection of the national decrease in state funding of higher education.

We believe the failure to transparently communicate how and why these decisions were made, paired with the university’s support of the politicians who are to blame for inadequate state funding, is a

slap in the face to the staff members losing their jobs.

Crawford failed to explain why the cuts came so quickly or what other options might have been explored in his initial email.

Vice presidents were told they needed to cut a certain amount from their budgets. It is unclear whether the university told them to avoid staff reductions at all costs.

When asked for comment, administrative officials declined to be interviewed and pointed our reporter to Michele Sparks, Miami’s vice president and chief marketing and communications officer.

The Student reached out to Sparks on Thursday afternoon, but was informed she was unavailable for an in-person interview or phone call before our print deadline on Monday, opting to communicate solely by email.

The lack of straightforward communication was not a stellar start to our staff’s proposed new year’s resolution, but we aren’t surprised.

This close-lipped mentality opens Miami up to internal criticism and causes unnecessary confusion for faculty members whose jobs are on the line, while creating an unstable work environment that doesn’t value individuals.

How are employees supposed to feel stable if the university is suddenly cutting

To all the boys we’ve loved(?) before TIM CARLIN DAVID KWIATKOWSKI THE MIAMI STUDENT

This column is pulled from a conversation with two of our reporters who discussed their experiences growing up as gay men.

Tim Carlin: So, where do you want to start with this?

David Kwiatkowski: I think we should start where you said.

Tim: Okay, do you want to go first?

David: … No. Tim: Okay, so I came out in waves. I first came out to my friends when I was in sixth grade. By the time I got to high school, everyone just kind of knew. Throughout high school, it just became more known. I never hid it from anyone.

I came out to my mom the day after Donald Trump got elected. I had this irrational fear that Mike Pence would start some sort of LGBT witch hunt, and I would be sent to a conversion camp. I don’t know where my fear came from, but I remember it being a driving force in my need to tell my mom.

When I came out to my mom, it honestly wasn’t a great experience. Not because she wasn’t supportive, but because I knew I wasn’t ready to tell my dad.

I felt guilty for bringing my mom into a secret I wasn’t ready to share with the rest of my family.

David: You told your dad recently, didn’t you?

Tim: Yeah, I was just sitting in my dorm one night thinking it was almost becoming a disservice to my dad and my brothers that everyone in my life knew I was gay, except them.

It felt like I was withholding this huge part of myself. I felt bad that I hadn’t told them, not for their sake, but for my own. So, I texted my brothers right in the moment, and the next morning I called my dad and told him. It went really well.

So yeah, that’s my coming out story.

David: Wow, okay. My turn.

I kind of always knew I was gay, but I thought I was doing a really good job of hiding it. People used to ask me in elementary school, and I would get so mad, like “Why would you ever say such a thing?”

I came out to my best friend, Julianna, at a sleepover when I was 15. I was so nervous to tell her that — even though we were sitting right next to each other on her bed — I told her over Snapchat. She was surprised because she thought I was going to tell her I liked her.

My mom was always cool with it, but telling my dad was not fun. We didn’t get along that well afterward.

My dad’s side of the family still isn’t okay with it. They still ask where my girlfriend is, even though they know.

They used to give me shit for painting my nails when I was younger, but now I’m in college and I’m going to strut into Thanksgiving with my painted middle fingers up.

Tim: My family used to give me shit for playing with Bratz dolls!

David: Me too! I used to steal my sister’s Bratz dolls all the time. *** Tim: I think there’s a stigma around asking people if they’re gay.

David: Yeah, I will never ever ever make the first move on a guy. Sexuality is too delicate a subject to talk about with just any man.

Tim: I think men are conditioned from a very young age to not talk about their feelings or be open about their sexuality unless it’s in

a derogatory way.

David: I’ve never deeply connected with another guy before … ever.

Tim: I also don’t feel like I’ve found that here yet, which is sad. I feel like I only know a handful of gay men on this campus.

David: Yeah, I think you’re the only gay man that I know on campus. I never know who is gay and who is not when it comes to boys. Girls are just so much more open about it.

Tim: It all comes back to this stigma around it. Girls are more open to talking about feelings, sexuality and fluidity. Whereas, if a boy even hints at any of those things, he’s labeled and ousted from his community. *** David: The first guy I ever had a crush on was actually one of my close friends, which sucked because he was straight. But, at the time, I thought maybe he liked me back.

Tim: Oh God, mine too!

He was one of my close friends in middle school. He was one of the first boys I came out to, and I just kind of naturally fell for him. He accepted me for who I was and never judged me for anything. He had this big head of curly hair, and he always knew how to make me laugh.

It was just easy to have a crush on him.

David: Mine was in high school. He was one of the first guys I ever considered a close friend. We got along really well and bonded over pop culture. We had inside jokes and he seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. Plus, he was a hot basketball player!

When I was crushing on him, I wasn’t even out yet. He was part of the reason why I came out.

Tim: I got over my crush a long time ago, but I’m annoyed because once we got older, he got hot!

My crush on him started to fade because I realized it was never going to happen. After I had been secretly crushing on him for a while, he actually started dating one of my close girlfriends. In the moment I was so hurt, but it was for the best because it forced me to move on.

David: Well … my crush ended because he was a little homophobic at the time. I wanted to come out to him after I told Julianna, but I didn’t know how. She asked him if he’d ever had the feeling I was gay, and he didn’t have the best response.

I was heartbroken. Not because I lost my crush, but because I lost my friend.

Tim: Have you spoken to him since then?

David: Yeah, he’s actually still one of my close friends. We were 15 years old. We’ve both grown up emotionally, and he is honestly one of my biggest supporters now. He texted me after I came out to everyone and told me how proud he was of me for being myself.

What about you?

Tim: We’re really close friends still. We kind of fell off for a while in high school, but we became close again our junior year. I still consider him to be one of my closest guy friends. *** David: So, is this the end, then?

Tim: I mean, I guess? Do you have anything else to add?

David: Not really. I just love airing my dirty laundry for The Miami Student.

Tim: Ha! Until next time … Bye! @timcarlin_ carlintm@miamioh.edu @daygave__ kwiatkdm@miamioh.edu

five times the amount of funding they said they would? How can employees afford to trust an institution who so clearly isn’t doing everything it can to protect them?

Miami needs to communicate better. But more importantly, the university needs to advocate for policies — and politicians — that support their employees’ and students’ interests, because budget cuts are inevitable if nothing is done to compel the state of Ohio to actually give a damn about higher education.

In 2018, the country saw the lowest increase in state support for institutions of higher education in the last five years.

Ohio was one of the luckier states, seeing only a 0.1 percent decrease. But in 2019, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine proposed a budget plan that would only see a 1 percent increase in state funding for public colleges and universities over the course of two years.

Miami’s tuition promise gives students a guaranteed price, but each incoming class is faced with a higher tuition bill than the last. Miami’s website estimates NonOhio residents in the class of 2024 will pay over $50,000 a semester to attend Miami.

And even with those numbers, Miami is anticipating a $5 million revenue loss in the 2019-2020 school year.

DeWine is a Miami graduate. He has relatives that currently attend this university. The Miami University Men’s Glee

Club even sang at his inauguration in 2019, and Miami’s lobbyist, Randi Thomas, was in attendance.

If DeWine was really a proud alumni of this university, he would invest in keeping public universities like Miami afloat.

And if Miami really found these staff cuts as heartbreaking as they claim to, they would be doing any number of things differently: like prioritizing saving people’s jobs, promoting civic responsibility and encouraging students to vote for candidates who are actually going to invest in fixing America’s broken higher education system.

So, once again, our staff is saying what the university won’t.

With the primaries coming up, The Student encourages our readers to research which candidates are prioritizing public higher education.

Vote for candidates that will support public institutions and provide students an affordable (or free) education without compromising the resources provided to students or the integrity of the employment prospects offered at these institutions.

Invest in the candidates who are investing in your education. Don’t vote against your own interests, and demand more from this institution.

Life isn’t like the movies, it’s better TIM CARLIN

ASST. NEWS EDITOR It was a night like any other. I had just finished washing my face and could still taste the mintiness of my toothpaste. I laid my head on my pillows and opened up my new favorite app — TikTok. Watching the short, comedic videos became a part of my nightly routine when I downloaded the app last semester. I get a sense of peace from ending my days with a lighthearted laugh.

But, as I scrolled through the endless loop of

videos on this particular night, I noticed a new trend that didn’t make me laugh.

I watched TikTok after TikTok of teenagers sitting silently in their bedrooms while the song Ribs by Lorde played in the background.

Through overlaid text, people expressed sadness that their youth was fleeting, and regret over not receiving a movie-like experience during their adolescence.

I felt pity for teenagers I’d never met before.

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A D V A N C E .

TO READ MORE, VISIT MIAMISTUDENT.NET

M E N T O R .

I N V E S T .

GIVING CIRCLE GRANTS Over $123,000 awarded in grants last year!

If you are a student, staff or faculty member of any of the Miami University campuses – you are invited to apply for grants ranging from $2,500 to $20,000!

• Applicants are invited whether solo or in groups, teams or organizations.

• Grants awarded for programs, projects, initiatives and research that are not profit-making endeavors.

Think big!

Finalists will be part of Hawk Tank, a fast-pitch event where our Giving Circle members will vote for their favorite projects to receive funding.

April 23, 2020 6:30-8:30 p.m. • Shriver Center Past winners include: Miami Women’s Basketball, Habitat for Humanity, Advancing Women in Entrepreneurship, MobilePack Miami, Computer Science in Modern Biology and more.

APPLY BY FEB. 17

MiamiOH.formstack.com/forms/ grantapplication_19_20

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