September 23, 2016 | The Miami Student

ESTABLISHED 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Volume 145 №7

Miami University — Oxford, Ohio

Miami takes steps toward diversity

AT MU, MAKING SURE ALL CAN VOTE

EducationCounsel recommendations considered

ORGS. IN A REGISTRATION ARMS RACE

DIVERSITY

POLITICS

EMILY WILLIAMS

BONNIE MEIBERS

MANAGING EDITOR

THE MIAMI STUDENT

Miami University is making steps to implement recommendations from EducationCounsel, an education consulting firm that visited Miami’s campus last April.

The firm interviewed about 200 students, faculty, administrators, athletic coaches and staff about their experiences related to diversity and inclusion at the university and asked them for ideas on how Miami could improve.

Based on those interviews, as well as additional research about Miami’s population and practices, EducationCounsel provided the university with a document of their findings and recommended actions. The report was also informed by Miami’s 2020 Plan and the firm’s experience with diversity and inclusion issues nationally and with similar institutions.

“Miami University is a unique, undergraduatefocused public institution at an important moment in its history,” the report states.

As the admissions process becomes more selective and more out-of-state students continue to enroll, the university has expressed its commitment to diversity, but, according to the EducationCounsel’s interviews, “...many stakeholders on Miami’s campus believe that Miami has yet to achieve these goals fully…”

In response to the report, the university will be taking three immediate steps.

President Crawford will be conducting a presidential listening tour, a process

university.

Last year, Miami reacted to that reality, creating theStudent Success Center (SSC) to increase retention and graduation rates and serve as an advocate for students struggling to navigate the university due to complex life circumstances. It is located in 119 Campus Avenue Building.

“When you look at a student who is in the classroom, there’s the academic challenge that you necessarily should have in college, that’s why you’re here. But there’s all that other stuff that’s around them that might be affecting their academics,”

With 46 days left until the general election and 17 days until the cutoff for voter registration in Ohio, political organizations on Miami’s campus are working in full force to get students registered to vote.

One of those organizations is College Democrats, which has been working in tandem with local Hillary for America staffers to increase voter registration awareness on Miami’s campus.

Sophomore Nick Froehlich, College Dems communications director, said his organization makes voter registration forms available at each of their meetings and 24/7 at their Armstrong Student Center office. Froehlich estimated he’s personally registered about 200 voters this semester, and that a handful of his colleagues maintain about the same rate. Last semester, a voter awareness campaign saw College Dems register 400 voters on campus in a two-month span.

Froehlich said that when he approaches students about voter registration, reception is mostly positive. “[Most people are] either receptive or indifferent [to me asking if they’re registered to vote], never hostile,” Froehlich said. “A lot of people are appreciative, even if they already are registered to vote. They’ll say, ‘It’s nice to see you out here,’ or something like that.”

Neither College Democrats nor Hillary for America enforce specific quotas for how many voters their volunteers must register, but rather operate on a goals-based system.

Senior Landon Drumm, who works for Hillary for America, said the organization’s goals vary from week to week. For example, the target number of voters to register was higher during move-in week than during the weeks of the summer.

Numerous other organizations on campus, including the League of Women Voters, Associated Student Government (ASG), the Butler County Board of Elections, the Ohio Democratic Party, Miami College Republicans, NextGen Climate, Students for Life and the Feminist Majority Group, have also joined the effort to register voters.

Though each promotes a specific political agenda, these organizations all aim to increase awareness of the importance of voting.

“We all want the same thing: to have Miami stu-

RETENTION »PAGE 5

REGISTRATION »PAGE 5

REPORT »PAGE 2

RYAN TERHUNE THE MIAMI STUDENT

Miami University senior Magda Orlander leads a delegation of steel workers into Roudabush Hall on Thursday, Sept. 22. The group hoped to bring awareness to what they see as unfair labor practices by contractors that the university employs.

Miami University Board of Trustees meets today Allocating up to $180 million for new dorms, renovations GOVERNANCE

JAMES STEINBAUER MEGAN ZAHNEIS THE MIAMI STUDENT

Miami University’s Board of Trustees is expected to vote this morning on the allocation of up to $180 million for the construction of two new residence halls and renovations to academic buildings.

The bonds would provide $38.5 million for the creation of a new residence hall on the old site of the Inter-Collegiate Athletics varsity tennis courts on North campus. The tennis courts were removed over the summer and will be relocated to the west side of Yager Stadium. The new residence hall erected where they once stood will provide approximately 340 beds and is expected to be completed by fall 2018.

Another $37 million would be allocated to the creation of a second residence hall on Tallawanda Road where Withrow Court once stood.

The new residence hall will provide more than 270 beds and is expected to be completed by the fall of 2018.

The two new residence halls would fill a 600-bed shortfall on campus. With a total of 3,650 students, this year’s incoming class was the biggest in Miami history, and a recent Housing Master Plan update anticipates a demand of 8,100 total beds on campus by fall 2018.

RENEE FARRELL PHOTO EDITOR

On Feb. 23, the Board of Trustees unanimously elected MU President Gregory Crawford. Today is Crawford’s first time making public remarks.

Nuns call attention to Ohio voter purge

STUDENT LIFE

TESS SOHNGEN

CARLEIGH TURNER

Tess Sohngen is a Miami journalism student studying in Over-the-Rhine. This article was previously published in Streetvibes.

The Cincinnati Circus Company presented a dancer as part of a Late Night Miami Event in the Armstrong Pavillion Thursday evening.

THE MIAMI STUDENT

This article was previously published on patch. com, a local news site run

by Miami’s Public Affairs reporting class.

VOTER PURGE »PAGE 4

College can overwhelming. Students are expected to balance academics, social lives and sometimes even side jobs and athletics.

And some students have even more to worry about.

Food insecurity, financial instability, dependent children and homelessness are all issues that a population of Miami University students face during their time at the

If you haven’t voted in the last two years, you might have been purged from the voting registrar.

“You don’t want to go to the polls on election day to find out you’ve been purged,” said Carren Herring. Sister Herring spoke at the Hamilton County Board

space for the College of Engineering and Computing and for the Pearson Hall renovation, which should begin in fiscal year 18 and is expected to cost upwards of $60 million.

Miami currently has over $50 million in unpaid bonds from a similar funding initiative in 2007. Pickerill said the university will use money it makes from this round of bond sales to pay off past debts.

“The university has always made good on its bonds,” Pickerill said. “And when you issue new bonds, you can take the proceeds and pay off, early on, the old bonds.

And we’re getting lower interest rates than those past bonds.”

Additionally, the Board is expected to approve several other resolutions, including the allocation of $150,000 in unrestricted funding as quasi-endowments for the Pre-Law Center and Student TRUSTEES »PAGE 2

‘Start here if you don’t know where to go’

COMMUNITY OVER-THE-RHINE CORRESPONDENT

A.J. NEWBERRY THE MIAMI STUDENT

“We’re committed to having freshmen and sophomores live on campus,” said Ted Pickerill, secretary to the Board of Trustees. “We’re pretty much at our capacity right now and we need these two new residence halls to accommodate that.” $11 million would be allocated to the renovation of the second and third floors of the west wing of Hughes Hall.

This will create additional

NEWS p. 2

CULTURE p. 3

EDITORIAL p. 6

OP-ED p. 7

SPORTS p. 8

ONLINE

THE FRESHMAN SHOCK EXPERIENCE

HUMANS OF OXFORD

AN AMERICAN ‘ACCIDENT’

FREE SPEECH OR HATE SPEECH

FOOTBALL SEEKS FIRST WIN

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Writing for the Media scholars write on their first week at Miami University.

Colton Rowell: The life of Dave Franco’s doppleganger.

This week’s U.S. bombing in Syria calls into question our place in the conflict.

Last Friday, a religious group protested on campus. Did they go too far?

0-3, RedHawks face archrival Cincinnati in the Battle for the Victory Bell

Stay up-to-date on the outcome of today’s meeting.

2 NEWS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

NEWS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

‘The real shock of the freshman experience’ Written by members of the 2020 class of Writing for the Media Scholars

Sex ed: When did everyone become ‘sexperts’?

RELATIONSHIPS

EMMA KINGHORN THE MIAMI STUDENT

I’m not a person that has ever struggled when interacting with members of the opposite sex. I don’t psych myself out. I love the flirtations, the dates, the rush. But in this new, tumultuous, college world, where people throw their bodies around like confetti, leaving the implications and feelings that follow sex flittering through the air, I am lost. It’s as if there was a course on my schedule I just forgot to show up to for the entire semester. I just stand in the middle, watching this blizzard fill the air surrounding me. It’s like I missed this class every day of the week, where everyone learned how to do all these adult things, and what to say and what to do and how to be “sexy.”

Words like “sex”, “birth control” and “condoms” litter the conversations of college students, swapped and shared like the latest

round of mono. But for a privateschooled Catholic girl, entering the collegiate world of sexually consenting adults is every bit as shocking and provocative as Miley Cyrus’s relationship with her foam finger.

Growing up in a culture that reeks of chastity, this new world with its all-encompassing, anything-goes, get-what-you-can, where-you-can, with-who-you-can lifestyle that so many college kids lead floods my brain with shock.

I mean, what isn’t shocking about walking two miles roundtrip in the mid-August afternoon heat just to purchase 72 insurance policies to justify your need for a multitude of sexual gratification?

“I may have missed my quiz and class this morning, but I’ve had really great sex the past two nights, so it’s so worth it.”

Everyone around me has sex.

Lots of sex. Seventy-two condoms’ worth of sex. With the same person, with different people, with guys, with girls, with condoms,

without condoms. Oral sex, rough sex, sensual sex, all of the sex.

And I don’t know any of it.

I don’t know how it’s okay to wake up in the morning to a stranger’s naked back staring you in the face, staring down all the things you don’t remember, or the things that, in the light of day and with the clarity of a sober mind, you might not want to. I don’t know how one deigns to make out with the naked, nameless, boy in their roommate’s bed, while the roommate lies still naked beside him.

When did everyone become “sexperts”?

When did it become okay to give so much of yourself to someone you know so little about?

When did Trojan wars for love turn into Trojan condoms?

When did sex stop being about the person you love and start being about your body count?

When did people with names and feelings become just another tally on a whiteboard?

RYAN TERHUNE PHOTOGRAPHER

A pair of soccer players rest for a moment in the grass at Cook Field.

FROM TRUSTEES » PAGE 1

Affairs, and the renaming of the Department of Family Studies and Social Work.

Occasionally, the University allocates funds from large private donations that are unrestricted — meaning donors don’t specify a specific use for their money — as long-term financial support for strategic initiatives. Two of these quasi-endowments, pending approval Friday, will be awarded to the Pre-Law Center and to the Division of Student Affairs. The PreLaw Center will receive $50,000 and Student Affairs — which oversees all student organizations and Greek life — is slated to get $100,000.

Trustees are also expected to approve a resolution renaming the Department of Family Studies and Social Work to the Department of Family Science and Social Work, on the recommendation of department chair Elise Radina.

The name change, Radina wrote in a memo to University Senate’s Executive Committee, “reflects the national trend in the field in terms of locating Family Studies within a scientific context.”

The Board meets from 9 to 11 a.m. today in room 180-6 of the Marcum Conference Center.

FROM REPORT » PAGE 1

which he started upon his arrival in July and will continue throughout the semester.

The report, citing similar actions taken by presidents at James Madison University and the University of Florida, explained that the listening tour would provide the foundation of knowledge necessary to take future actions and would also demonstrate Crawford’s commitment to making significant steps toward change.

Miami will also be establishing a clear policy on diversity and inclusion. According to the EducationCounsel’s report, the university must provide a statement of its vision for and commitment to diversity and inclusion before it can meet its goals in those areas.

The report warned that, although linked, diversity and inclusion are two unique concepts — a distinction which must be clear in the statement.

Finally, a new organization, the President’s Coordinating Council on Inclusive Excellence, will be formed in response to the report’s call for an “empowered, multidisciplinary team.” The first mission of the group will be to establish a clear diversity policy statement.

According to Crawford, this process will also involve evaluating the role the existing Council on Diversity and Inclusion (CODI) will continue to play.

The responsibility of the Council is to advise the president and the provost on matters involving diversity.

An addition to the three suggestions which Miami is adopting immediately, EducationCounsel recommended committing to a sustained process, starting with a reassessment of Miami’s current policies. The firms also suggested clearly defining what “success” means in terms of diversity and inclusion and establishing a detailed measurement system.

Other recommendations included improving the alignment of diversity and inclusion strategies across functions, offices and divisions. “...there does not appear to be a common understanding of Miami’s diversity and inclusion goals or common sense of purpose toward achieving them,” the report stated.

Several recurring themes arose during the firm’s interviews, one of which was a possible “identity crisis.” According to the report, some interviewees described a tension between Miami’s traditions and its recent efforts to focus on diversity.

In an email to the student body, faculty and staff on Wednesday, President Crawford shared the full EducationCounsel report.

The report has not been studied in depth, Crawford said, but he wanted to share the information immediately “in the interest of openness and transparency.”

“Moving forward, it’s vitally important that all be offered a voice, and there will be ample opportunity for everyone to be heard; we encourage you to express yourself and to participate,” Crawford said.

RECYCLE IF YOU ARE FINNISH

The loneliness of ‘figuring out life’ CAMPUS

CEILI DOYLE

THE MIAMI STUDENT

I wake suddenly, my thoughts blaring to the tune of my alarm.

“Where am I again?” I think to myself as the constant ringing echoes in my head. I’m still not used to my dorm’s surroundings. My fingers grasp the side of the desk, knocking aside headphones, deodorant and my watch, while searching for my phone in order to end the incessant ringing. I force myself to sit up and ignore the pounding inside my head, while desperately scanning the room for the nearest bottle of water. Slowly, the night’s events come back to me in a splash of colors, slurred words and blurry memories.

“So college.”

While it’s true it’s fun — the Hawaiian Extravaganza theme parties (complete with Tiki Torches, leis and dozens of cases of beer lining the walls of the luau-decorated swimming pool), the 1 a.m. Jimmy Johns orders while stumbling on the way back to the dorms and the semi-coherent revelations made throughout the night — it’s also lonely.

The real shock of the freshman experience isn’t so much the unadulterated freedom or parties galore. It’s the feeling of apprehension lying in the pit of my stomach, while discovering that “figuring out life” on my own is not quite as glamorous as it seemed while I was living with my parents.

It’s the sense of desperation I experience lying on my bed staring anxiously at the ceiling and pausing every so often to glance at the blank screen on my phone,

waiting for an invitation to a party that will never come. Or worse yet, it’s an invitation to a party that came but left me lying in the dust, struggling to keep up with new attitudes and new cultures.

In college, people truly can and do whatever they want. It blows my mind, having come from a household in which my last New Year’s Eve curfew was set at 10 o’ clock. I’ve strained under the weight of the rules I was held accountable to for the entirety of my life, and now my new environment provides less risk for ultimate rebellion.

Making friends is harder than I ever anticipated, and harder still when it appears as though everything else is falling into line for everyone else that I know from back home. The nights spent in quiet contemplation only draw further upon my insecurities as I play back videos and gaze at photos from months ago. Finding my people, or at least a group of kids with vibrant personalities and a modicum of moderation, has proved challenging so far, and doesn’t appear to be getting any easier as the weeks drag on.

Loneliness doesn’t suit me; I’m not sure if it really suits anyone, and while the first few weeks of college may be a period of adjustment for all, the universality is lost on me when I hear my best friends going out, having fun, working hard and mastering the art of college as I master the art of eating alone. I know that there are still four years ahead of me and new experiences at my fingertips, but it’s relieving to acknowledge the truth — sometimes college, despite the promise of everything amazing to come, is incredibly lonesome.

Walking through the rain and a realization CAMPUS

KELLY MCKEWIN THE MIAMI STUDENT

It was just rain. Yet, as I trudged through the storm with rainwater coating my glasses and running down my nose, I still couldn’t help but wonder if there was a chance I could die in the short walk from Armstrong to my dorm. My cheap umbrella had failed me, my socks were soaked and it certainly felt like I was drowning out there.

The rain subsided a little — not that it mattered, seeing as I was already drenched, but it gave me a moment to wipe my glasses off and run towards the arch over Etheridge Hall’s entrance. Emerson was just another minute away across the quad, but I needed a moment to catch my breath in a dry place after sprinting most of the way there.

Suddenly, my purse emitted a faint buzzing sound, and I pulled my phone out, trying to avoid getting it wet. It was a call from my mom — not entirely surprising, seeing as I hadn’t called her in three days and she expected frequent phone calls.

I tapped the decline button on my phone, not wanting to begin a 45-minute phone call when I still had to run across the quad in the

rain, and instead sent a quick text: “Can’t talk right now, call you when I get home.”

As the words popped up on my screen in the small green text bubble, the implications of what I had just said struck me. Not once in the two weeks that I’d been here had I referred to my dorm as “home.” It was always “my room” or “my residence hall” or “Emerson,” but never “home.”

I looked across the quad at Emerson, at the beautiful brick building with its patio and uniform windows and the four pillars that perfectly frame the door.

I considered the whole quad for a moment — the criss-crossing sidewalks, the leafy trees, the expanse of grass. Even in the evening rain, the place was gorgeous, but more importantly, as I looked it over, I realized it actually was home.

I had made friends in Emerson. I had movie nights with people on my floor. I spent time there doing homework and eating microwaved mac and cheese.

It was the place I lived and the place where I had a community of people I was a part of. It had only taken me two weeks to realize it.

The rain had slowed to a drizzle, so I slipped my phone back into my purse and sprinted home across the quad.

TMS ONLINE MIAMISTUDENT.NET

SHUMANDB@MIAMIOH.EDU

CULTURE 3

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Humans oƒ Oxford

Miami’s new four-legged students

Colton Rowell: Is that Dave Franco?

PEOPLE

ELIZABETH HANSEN

STUDENT LIFE

ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR

ALISON PERELMAN

ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR

Edgar likes soft, fluffy rugs, frozen peanut butter and leaves.

He always drinks water too fast, causing the hiccups, and gets excited when bikes whiz by on the sidewalk.

Only four months old, Edgar arrived at Miami a little over a week ago. He’s a different kind of student, a part of the 4 Paws for Ability program.

The 4 Paws dogs are working toward becoming service dogs and are currently in the socialization part of their training. They wear special red vests (or temporary bandanas) and must follow certain rules, so students should ask the foster parents before petting these adorable pups.

Four of Edgar’s sisters are in training on campus as well. Together, they are considered the “Aristocats” litter, all named after characters from the animated Disney movie — Edgar, Frou Frou, Duchess, Adelaide and Amelia.

While some make fun of it, Edgar’s foster moms think his name suits him well because he acts like an old man.

“He’s like an old soul in a little puppy body,” senior Lauren Martyn said.

He enjoys sleeping all day — especially on his back during class — drools everywhere and lets out embarrassing, smelly farts.

But Edgar is still just like any other curious, sly, clumsy puppy.

While playing, he occasionally catches himself in the mirror and barks at the reflection. He scarfs down his food and rolls in the grass on the way to class.

Martyn and junior Kelcey McDevitt were in class in a Benton lecture hall when Edgar started sliding down the rows of seats because of the sloping tiled floor.

“The girl in front of him jumped because I think he finally kicked her and she was like, ‘oh my god,’” McDevitt said, laughing.

“And we’re trying to pay attention in class, but at the same time we’re bending down, scooping him, trying to pull him toward us,” Martyn added.

Edgar slides on the tile in Martyn’s house too while playing ball — another favorite activity.

“He is not very coordinated,” McDevitt said.

But he’s not the only one. One of his sisters, Frou Frou, isn’t scared of anything and is always eager to try new things. When she went down stairs for the first time, she got excited and went so fast that she did a somersault.

Unlike Edgar, Frou prefers tile over carpet.

“Our apartment is carpet with some tiling in the kitchen and by the front door, and she chooses to only sleep on the cool tile,” senior Annie Schulz said. “Even if it means getting hit with the front door every time someone comes

LAUREN MARTYN THE MIAMI STUDENT

Edgar sleeps during class in his favorite position — on his back, legs in the air, everything hanging out. home.”

Frou also loves to play fetch with a tennis ball, and she’s been known to steal slippers from her foster moms’ (Schulz and junior Rachel Rumpke) roommate. She doesn’t have a long attention span — always sniffing and looking around. And she loves to be around people.

“Anytime someone leaves the living room area, she follows them to make sure she isn’t missing out on something better,” Annie said.

When Colton Rowell moved to Hudson, Ohio, he wasn’t just in a new place; he had a new identity — Dave Franco.

Now, what does Colton, who is a member of Cru, MUSA, MUSF, Pi Sigma Epsilon and Delta Tau Delta, and who is also a campus tour guide, have in common with the actor?

They look identical.

While studying abroad in Spain this summer, Colton was living in a hostel with four other strangers.

Two of his roommates were teenage girls visiting from London.

“The first day and a half [the one girl] said nothing, but she honestly believed Dave Franco was sleeping a few feet from her,” said Colton.

When the girls saw Colton two days later, they couldn’t stop laughing.

“This was our first interaction, so my friend and I were just standing there. We had just changed, and they were just laughing at us. I was very, very confused,” said Colton.

The girls went on to explain they thought Colton was, in fact, Dave Franco.

This happens often when Colton meets new people.

RENEE FARRELL THE MIAMI STUDENT

“When I came [to Miami] it was every day at least five times — ‘have you ever heard you look like Dave Franco?’ And I’m like, ‘once or twice.’”

Now, he even responds to Dave.

“Our fraternity has to do a bandstand event [for Greek Week].

There are only a couple of us signed up to do it, and I told them I’d be late,” he said.

“But we need Dave Franco!” they responded.

As a tour guide, Colton is constantly meeting new people. And new people are constantly meeting Dave Franco.

“At the end of the presentation

all the tour guides walk to the front and [introduce themselves]. I’ll say, ‘Hey I’m Colton. I’m a sophomore from Hudson, Ohio.’”

And almost every time, he sees a girl’s phone pop up to take a picture.

But this small-town Ohio celebrity isn’t affected by the paparazzi.

He just likes to help individuals.

“Personally, I’m all about relationships and living well through helping others, making strong relationships, having friends and always being a kind face when people need it.”

A kind, Dave Franco-resembling face.

Hillel film screening sheds light on sexual assault FILM

HANNAH FIERLE

THE MIAMI STUDENT

ANNIE SCHULZ THE MIAMI STUDENT

Frou Frou sits nicely and smiles for the camera, enjoying her “time off ” at home.

That is one thing all the puppies have in common — wanting to be the center of attention.

Seniors Brandon Fogel and Madeline Burke’s foster dog, Adelaide, thinks her tail is the enemy.

During a serious conversation at Brandon’s musical rehearsal, Addi ran into the middle of the circle and began chasing her tail.

“No one in this group cares about me right now because they are all watching the cute dog,” Brandon thought in that moment.

Addi shares Edgar’s love for sleeping on her back with legs in the air, as well as rolling in the grass. She has even divided Brandon’s lawn up for her own personal use — one side for the potty, the other for grass-rolling.

She enjoys collecting acorns, leaves and sticks in her mouth during the walk to class. Addi also loves giving kisses and has been branded the sweetest of the siblings.

No matter how much puppyfun they have, though, they all know it’s business when the vest goes on.

Check out two of the 4 Paws pups’ Instagram: @edgarallenpup2 and @FrouFrou_4paws

Hillel, the Jewish students’ association, screened the critically acclaimed documentary “Brave Miss World” on Tuesday at the Armstrong pavilion. The event was also sponsored by Miami organizations including Jewish Family Service, GLBTQ Services, Women Helping Women, Miami University Women’s Center, Office of Student Wellness and It’s On Us. Director Cecilia Peck visited Miami for the screening and led a discussion afterward. Peck’s previous work includes “A Conversation with Gregory Peck” about her father, the iconic actor, and “Shut Up & Sing,” a documentary about the Dixie Chicks that was shortlisted for the 2007 Academy Awards.

“As an organization, we like to bring programming to Miami that helps to educate others about Israeli culture,” said Hila Katz, an Israeli fellow and Hillel advisor. “By showing ‘Brave Miss World,’ we also hoped to tap into the conversation about sexual assault on campus and have a strong and positive voice on the issue.”

“Brave Miss World” is the incredible story of Linor Abargil, an Israeli beauty queen, who was crowned Miss World just six weeks after being brutally raped by a tour guide while traveling in Italy. The documentary follows Abargil’s journey as she publicly announces the tragic incident ten years later and finds the strength, through family, friends and religion, to help others.

Over the course of the documentary, Abargil travels all over the world and eventually begins touring United States college campuses to tell her story and help other women in similar situations. Today, Abargil is happily married with three children and practices law in Netanya, Israel.

In addition to being an inspirational, groundbreaking documentary, “Brave Miss World” has started a campaign for awareness and education about sexual assault and rape. The film is screened at college campuses and has been shown to countries around the world. A program for high schools around the country is currently in development.

“For me, the film is a guide to how any first responder should act when confronted with a report of rape,” said Peck. “The first words, whether from a parent, a friend or a campus advisor, or law enforcement, should be ‘It wasn’t your fault. I believe you, and I’m here to help you.’”

The “Brave Miss World” outreach campaign has served over three million survivors of sexual assault and rape. Any individual who submits a story to the website receives a curated response from a professional.

“I hope this film helps to shift the national dialogue on sexual assault, especially on college campuses,” said Peck. “Women should not be held responsible in these situations, but instead young men should be educated on how to respect women so that these offenses can be prevented.”

Before the film, President Gregory Crawford and his wife, Renate, gave a video message to the audience, voicing their hope that the film could help Miami continue to learn and combat sexual assault on campus. After the screening, a special video address recorded by Abargil was played, specifically addressed to Miami and Hillel, thanking the audience for their support.

Peck expressed her excitement that although the film has been shown at dozens of college campuses, Miami was the first to receive a personalized message from Abargil.

Dr. Crawford’s outspoken support comes at a time when many universities have been hesitant to form strong outreach campaigns for victims of sexual assault.

“I’ve found out that there is a lot of pushback from schools in finding perpetrators responsible for intimate partner violence (IPV) or sexual assault,” said Nikolai Levinsohn, former Hillel president, who has performed extensive research about on-campus sexual assault during his time at Miami. “I think this lack of action adds to the stigma that reporting sexual assault is looked down upon, which many victims are facing.”

Hillel hopes to continue making positive strides toward making Miami a safer and more educated campus.

As a follow up to the film, Hillel will host a Kravmaga class, a traditional form of Israeli self-defense.

With this program, they hope that women on campus will feel empowered and safer by knowing how to protect themselves.

Swing Syndicate: Social dance club teaches members power of swing, community DANCE

MEGAN BOWERS

THE MIAMI STUDENT

Sophomore Megan Archdeacon stands in the center of a large circle of people dancing. As the upbeat music plays, each person takes turns coming to the center to dance with her.

It is her birthday and the Swing Syndicate always celebrates these properly with a “Birthday Jam.” The Swing Syndicate is a social dance club that meets every Tuesday to teach its members how to swing dance. They learn around six dances as well as some other routines over the course of the semester, including the East Coast, the Lindy Hop and the Charleston.

These dances are put into prac-

tice once a month when the club holds dances in Shriver.

“The monthly dance is meant for everyone,” said junior Publicity Chair, Jackson Herbertz. “People who are really good are there and maybe freshmen who don’t know as much, but we try to encourage as much mixing as possible.”

These monthly dances are also a good way to spread the word about the club.

“We get people who have never come to our lessons before, but a friend dragged them to one of our monthly dances, and they seem really interested, so they come to the next lesson,” said senior Co-President Klementina Stojanovska.

The club also hosts an annual event every February called “Mood Swings.”

“The annual dance allows us to bring in people from different swing scenes and colleges and have a good time,” said senior Co-President Mackenzie Haney.

The group gets about 60 people to come to their monthly dances and has a regular attendance of around 25 at weekly lessons.

The weekly lessons are generally focused on one dance in particular, which changes week to week and increases in difficulty throughout the semester.

“We try to build up from lesson to lesson as much as possible by teaching an easier dance the first two weeks and then moving to a slightly more difficult, but fun dance,” said Herbertz. “Then by the end of the semester we will teach something with more solo dancing.”

Apart from polishing everyone’s dancing skills, the weekly lessons provide the members with the opportunity to meet new people.

“We have people switch partners throughout the entire lesson because it is a social dance and we want people to get to know everyone,” said sophomore Social Chair Megan Archdeacon. “We switch every five to 10 minutes to make sure everyone goes around the circle at least once.”

This in turn helps members with their dancing skills as the partner they practice with actually affects the way they dance.

“It prevents you from getting used to dancing with just one person because the way one person dances is completely different from how someone else dances,” said

Haney.

Everyone who is currently in the club had different expectations coming to Miami and not all of them included being in a swing dancing group.

“When I came in, I initially wanted to join the co-ed hip hop team, but unfortunately didn’t make it,” said Haney. “A friend in my dorm told me to come to swing because he thought I would like it, and I came and fell in love instantly.

The positive atmosphere that surrounds every event the group holds is something that is rare to find.

“You see a lot of people doing amazing and then a lot of people who aren’t doing very well, but SWING»PAGE 4

4 FYI

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

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FROM SWING »PAGE 3

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they’re laughing and not caring about it and still having fun, which is great,” said Herbertz.

Dancing itself is a huge stress relief for almost everyone. It also helps boost confidence for people who don’t usually like to be in the spotlight.

“I get a little scared people are going to judge me, but then I get out on the floor and start going with people, and it just feels awesome and incredible,” said Archdeacon.

Withdrawal from swing dancing is a real problem when the summer from purge »PAGE 1

of Elections and marched with Nuns on the Bus Tuesday, Sept.

13, to protest the Ohio voter purge.

“The big thing is to let people know,” said Sister Monica McGloin, from the Dominican Sisters of Hope. “If people knew they would be outraged.”

Twelve thousand voter in Hamilton County and 2 million Ohioans have been purged from voting rolls since 2011, according to David Little, a public affairs consultant who orchestrated the Sept.

13 march. As a major swing state in Presidential elections, these voters could mean the difference between one candidate or another sitting in the Oval office in 2017.

“The purge disproportionally hits people who are poor and living in cities,” said Little.

Because low-income families and city dwellers are more mobile—they tend to change addresses more often and are at a higher risk of homelessness—they are more likely to be removed from the voting rolls, according to Little. People of color are among the most impacted, as well.

Citizens who have not voted in the last two years are at high risk of being purged from the voting rolls because the state assumes they moved to another voting district. Local boards of election determine who is purged by mailing a “confirmation notice” to these citizens’ addresses, requiring them to provide personal information and return the notice to confirm their address. With no response, the person loses their Ohio voter registration.

“Some did move… but we’re finding thousands of people who fall through the cracks,” said Little.

Even if someone has not moved, they are still at risk for losing their voter registration. This “supplemental process” created by Secretary of State Jon Husted purged over 51,000 voters in Cuyahoga

begins, so the executive board encourages everyone to branch out in their own communities to find the closest swing scene they can.

This has the added improvement of making people stronger dancers when they return the next semester.

The club strives toward helping people become the best dancer they can be and expand their relationships.

“I always encourage people to branch out in their own communities and to find the closest swing scene they can so they can build more relationships and make those lasting impressions,” said Haney.

County – Cleveland’s county and the county with the largest population – in July 2015, for which 80 percent was attributed to Husted’s “supplemental process,” according to Nuns on the Bus. “The Board [of Elections] said they are operating under State law, so we should go to the State legislator to talk about it,” said Sister McGloin.

After their march outside the Hamilton County Board of Elections, the Nuns on the Bus rode their orange school bus to Venice on Vine in the heart of Over-theRhine to register people to vote in the upcoming election. The group will continue to assist community members to register in neighborhoods in and around Cincinnati.

“Voting is important to me as a citizen,” said Rita, an Over-theRhine resident who came to Venice on Vine to register to vote.

Rita said that many people are deterred from going to the polls on election day after discovering, within a week of the election, their voting location changed. Citizens should receive a letter of where to vote after registering, but those who don’t re-register may not receive this letter.

Unregistered voters who go to the election booth are given provisional ballots, which are often not counted because of the time and effort to count all the votes, according to Little.

Nuns on the Bus sang “Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho” as they marched, accompanied by local musicians on a trombone, saxophone, and trumpet. Their march was symbolic of the Biblical story of the Battle of Jericho where the followers of Moses marched around the walls of Jericho until the walls collapsed.

“We’d like the walls of the purge to come tumbling down,” said Sister McGloin.

There is no penalty for re-registering, and the deadline for registering to vote is Oct. 11.

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WWW.MIAMISTUDENT.NET FROM FIELD HOCKEY »PAGE 8

the MAC. “Weird things happen in this conference,” said Kramig.

Akron’s 12 non-conference goals tie for fourth in the MAC and double the six scored by Miami. However, the 15 goals they’ve allowed are a league high that well exceeds Miami’s fifthranked mark of nine.

The Zips’ scoring duo of forwards freshman Chloe Allen and senior Sarah Sivic look to pressure the RedHawks’ defense, as they have combined for eight goals at this early point in the season.

The RedHawks will have little time to recover from Friday’s game, as they are right back 1:00 p.m. Sunday with a matchup against the Buffalo Bulls.

Buffalo (3-3-2) is another semifinalist from last year’s MAC tournament. Sophomore forward Carissima Cutrona leads the UB

FROM REGISTRATION » PAGE 1

dent voter turnout to be at a record high,” said Julia Koenig, a campus coordinator for Feminist Majority Foundation.

The millennial population will be the largest one represented in this year’s election, topping even that of the baby boomers, said David Miller, a 2013 Miami graduate who works for NextGen Climate, a tax-exempt nonprofit organization focused on bringing climate change to the forefront of American politics.

“Millennials have an immense power,” Miller said. “They have the opportunity to have their voice be heard and it’s important for them to turn out to vote.”

Drumm thinks it is important for millennials to get out and

5

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 offense with six goals, ranking her second in the MAC. Maniaci hopes that her team’s prior experience against this week’s opponents doesn’t prove to be its downfall.

“Going against people who we’ve seen before is even more challenging because you feel comfortable, but it’s a different situation every time you come into a game,” Maniaci said.

The RedHawks hope to build off of their non-conference play, but coach Kramig recognizes the challenges ahead for his team.

“I don’t think anything can really, fully prepare you for the Mid-American Conference. It’s just crazy competitive,” he said.

“You’ve just got to take care of your own business, you’ve got to play your own game, and you’ve got to be sure of your own effort.”

The RedHawks will begin the MACtion in home games 4 p.m.

Friday against Akron and 1 p.m.

Sunday against Buffalo.

vote for a different reason.

“We [as millennials] have this reputation of being lazy and apathetic and this election would be a great way of showing the country that we care about our future and our society,” he said.

Froehlich thinks students understand how important this election is. And it is especially important to vote in Ohio, he said. Out-of-state students are often unaware that they can vote in Ohio as students of Miami University, Drumm said, making them more hesitant to register.

But having their voices heard here in Ohio, as opposed to back home, wherever that may be, can make a difference.

“Ohio is the swing state of all swing states,” Froehlich said.

FROM RETENTION » PAGE 1

said Janet Mallen, senior assistant director of the SSC. “If you’re sitting in a classroom and you’re hungry, then that’s going to be a little difficult.”

SSC Director Kim Ernsting said students may have to visit multiple offices in Miami to get an issue resolved, and some may not even know what resources are available to them. The SSC acts as an institutional switchboard, guiding students to resources they need and keeping in touch with them until the issue has been resolved.

“We want this to be a place where you can come back,” Ernsting said.

“We want to be a checkpoint for students.”

Senior javelin thrower, Tessa Brooks, said she thinks the center is a great idea.

“It’s a good resource for students who are in need of some direction,” Brooks said.

Of the undergraduate degreeseeking students who entered the school as freshmen in the fall of 2014, 90.3 percent returned for official enrollment in fall 2015, according to Miami data.

In an effort to increase those numbers, the SCS has instituted a process for students who are planning to withdraw during or after the semester from Miami and give them an exit interview of sorts.

“What we are trying to do is ask ‘Is there anything we could do to help you stay?’ ” Ernsting said. “We want to try and make sure that you

can leave well, so if you choose to return it’s easy.”

This process has allowed the SSC to gather a year’s worth of data about why students are choosing to leave Miami, as well as analyze trends, to see if any changes need to be made to keep students at the university.

The SSC is currently analyzing the data.

“We are trying to pay attention to what the students are experiencing along the way,” Ernsting said. “With the goal of finding out, when possible, can we make it better. So that it enables students to stay here and graduate.”

As part of its mission to keep students enrolled at Miami, the SSC has also instituted a food pantry for students with immediate food needs.

The food pantry, created by Miami’s Summer Scholars students who money left over from their food allotments to good use, is located in Mallen’s office.

Mallen said there is a need for the food pantry, even though the number of students with food insecurity is not large.

“One of the questions I ask students regularly is, ‘Have you eaten today?’ ‘Do you have food?’ ” Mallen said.

While the SSC food pantry can solve students immediate need for food, the program would direct those with long-term food insecurity issues to resources such as the Oxford Community Choice pantry, Mallen said. That group cur-

rently serves about 300 families in the Talawanda school district, according to its website.

Local churches also provide free dinners on Wednesday nights, for anyone in the community, no questions asked, Mallen said.

Mallen and the SSC are also concerned about students who have dependent children.

“They’re a pretty resilient bunch that I have encountered,” Mallen said. “My concern is with the ones that are feeling overwhelmed and how can I get them at least maybe counseling. Can I get them resources for child care? Do they need to connect to the family resource center in town?”

Mallen noted that students with children typically present with a multitude of complex issues, such as housing insecurity, GPA issues and struggles to graduate on time.

While many such students can figure out such challenges, some seek assistance.

“When it gets to be overwhelming, I hope they can get connected to resources and if I am one of those resource hubs for them, great,” Mallen said.

Although helping these populations of students is incredibly important to the SSC, the center is available for any student in need of getting in touch with resources on and off campus, to make their time at Miami better.

“People ask us all the time what kind of people we see here,” Mallen said. “We see them all. There’s no one story.”

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6 OPINION

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

After U.S. ‘accident’ in Syria, a time to reevaluate The following piece, written by the editorial editors, reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board.

T

he United States has been involved in a lot of “accidents” lately. Over the weekend, the United States “accidentally” bombed and killed more than 60 Syrian troops in an attempt to blast members of ISIS, according to the Russian government.

This comes after a deal struck by Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart in Geneva almost two weeks ago to ease tension and hostilities in Syria, what many in the media and government have referred to as a “ceasefire.”

Well, it’s not a ceasefire. That became especially apparent when America killed 60 Syrian troops and put Syria back on the defense.

It became apparent when Russia and the United States didn’t hold on their ceasefire in February. And it became apparent when a Syrian Arab Red Crescent warehouse and a United Nations aid convoy, on its way to the 250,000 starving and exposed Syrian citizens in Aleppo, were bombed. The United States claims that the bomb was the responsibility of Russian war-

planes. Russia and Syria both deny involvement.

Why should any of this matter to us? Because in 46 days we’ll have to decide which candidate is fit to be commander-in-chief.

When is military force justified?

Is it justified when we need to protect American values abroad? What

ian government said that the attack on the Syrian troops allowed “the Islamic State to advance around Deir el-Zour province where the attack took place.”

Because of the attacks, Assad is saying that the United States is trying to protect the Islamic State. We know this to be untrue, but when

strike and the circumstances surrounding it to see if any lessons can be learned,” they said.

Shouldn’t the strikes be reviewed beforehand? Is there a lesson to be learned from murdering through nothing more than ignorance and misinformation?

We are so deep into this conflict

When is military force justified? Is it justified when we need to protect American values abroad? What happens when we’re using military force to protect American values in a war we don’t even understand?

happens when we’re using military force to protect American values (more than aid another country) in a war we don’t even understand?

The weekend’s accidental American attack on Syria, the country it is attempting to aid but the country whose citizens — men, women and children — it has already killed over the past six years, has snowballed into a horrifying situation. The Syr-

you’re a Syrian living in fear every single day of the Islamic State, the United States’ bombs and Russian forces, it’s easy to believe. If anything, this weekend showed how little the United States actually knows about what’s going on. Even the statement released by the U.S. Central Command revealed ignorance and confusion.

“The coalition will review this

Official Street Preachers: Practicing freedom of speech or hate speech?

that no one is actually sure if the use of military force is justifiable anymore. The almost-ceasefire showed that military force is exhausting resources and is no longer effective or necessary (if it ever was, seeing as the United States’ desire to oust Assad was eventually rejected in fear of leaving a power vacuum that ISIS would then capitalize on).

What is justifiable is the defense of

A first-year’s look ahead LIFE

DARCY KEENAN

THE MIAMI STUDENT PROTEST

VICTORIA SALLES

THE MIAMI STUDENT

Everyone is probably aware of the incident that happened last Friday around noon in front of Armstrong. A group that called themselves the Official Street Preachers decided to come to our home and preach to our family about how we should live our lives, who we are allowed to love and what faith we should believe in.

Miami University, soon after the start of the incident, sent an email to all students stating that “as a public university Miami must allow individuals to exercise their right of free speech.’’ However, were they utilizing their First Amendment right, or just inciting hate speech? According to the law there is a difference between hate speech and hate crime.

It is unclear where exactly you cross the line from one to the other, but hate crime is illegal and is described as “a crime motivated by racial, sexual, or other prejudice, typically one involving violence.”

I cannot see that manifestation as anything but extremely violent: their words were violent, their actions were violent.

In spite of that, it seems like they had the right to be violent as long as they weren’t physically harming anyone. That raises the question, then, whether individuals can claim the First Amendment after being verbally sexist, homophobic and/or racist. Then it seems like mass prejudice is allowed in the United States, so I guess individual prejudice is also

allowed.

Let’s look from another perspective. Let’s say that the group was claiming that Hitler should have finished with all the Jews when he had the chance. Would that be fine as well? Should they be able to freely state that without any consequence?

Is that freedom of speech? Because in my perspective that does not look any different from terrorist groups arguing about why they killed thou-

gious principles.

In December 1966 the United Nations created the The International Covenant on Civil Political Rights (ICCPR) treaty that constituted the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights not only allows states to prohibit hate speech but actually recommends that they do so.

However, the First Amendment

I must say, I don’t see prejudice as a problem, as long as you are worshiping whatever that is inside your house and you are not offending anyone in the process.

sands of innocents. But maybe that is also considered freedom of speech.

So where should we draw the line?

Should we wait until it evolves into bigger proportions? Should we sit tight and accept that prejudice is just something we cannot change? Or should we define a line between my space to exercise rights and theirs?

I must say, I don’t see prejudice as a problem, as long as you are worshiping whatever that is inside your house and you are not offending anyone in the process. My mother used to say that “your right ends at the point that your neighbor’s right begins,” meaning that there is a line between what you believe and what you should respect regardless of the fact that it goes against your reli-

protects hate and humiliation. Any group of individuals is allowed to go to the street and humiliate, oppress or persecute people and claim it to be under their First Amendment rights, as long as they are not physically doing anything to harm anyone, independent of the physiological harm that it might cause.

America is known for equality, but hate speech is in no shape or form allowing for equality. According to the constitution, we are all created equal and that means that we should all be respected, regardless of our sexual orientation, religion and race.

SALLESVC@MIAMIOH.EDU

RYAN TERHUNE THE MIAMI STUDENT

“Official Street Preachers” — identified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, demonstrated on campus last week.

aid convoys, of troops who are willing to fight ISIS on the ground. But that’s not happening.

In the past, force was justified under the guise that we were saving American ideals. To some extent, almost all of the wars of the past 60 years have been under that guise.

See John F. Kennedy: “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”

But we are paying the price and the liberty, freedom and safety of the Syrian people still haven’t been secured, nor have we found a way to crack down on ISIS. We barely have a cohesive strategy, other than destroying innocent civilians’ homes in an effort to scare or target an enemy that barely has a central hub.

The United States does not have a reason to continue with its current war game. It’s time to reevaluate and “see if any lessons can be learned.”

Many times, you see seniors who are close to graduating reminiscing on the past four (or more, no judgement) years of their lives.

They talk about all the wonderful memories, all the friends they made, that embarrassing thing they did halfway through their first semester that they thought was the biggest deal, but that they’ve realized wasn’t memorable to anyone but themselves.

It’s bittersweet, and people love to read it, but this is the opposite of that.

I’m a freshman — I’ve been on campus for less than a month.

But this is the longest I’ve ever been away from my parents, younger brother and dog. This is the longest I’ve been away from my best friend. This is the first time I’ve shared a room with someone. This is the first time I’ve been able to make all my own decisions. This is scary.

Everyone remembers what it’s like to be a freshman. You’re afraid of screwing up academically, socially and physically. You double and triple-think everything.

You have the legend of the freshman fifteen hanging over your head so you’re trying to figure out how to incorporate more apples and less cookies into your eating habits; trying to figure out some way to balance your classes with your social life, with your “me time” (I’ve already bingewatched all of “Orange is the New Black,” and yes, I cried at the end of the fourth season) and sleep.

Though it’s only the first month of classes and I know I have no right to complain about the workload, because it’s only going to get worse, it’s already so much more than I had to do in high school.

Not only have I been on this campus for such a short time, I have an awful sense of direction as it is. I can’t even tell you the amount of times I’ve gotten lost. I got lost last week, after being here how long?

I was going to my friends’ dorm to hang out. They’re in Hepburn and I’m in Scott. It usually takes me about 10-15 minutes to get there, but I wasn’t paying attention during the beginning of my journey because I was on the phone with my mom. I ended up unsure of where I was because the buildings on campus look the exact same and it took me over thirty minutes to get there. THIRTY. MINUTES. I’ve decided that I’m never going there again and if they want to hang out with me, they’ve got to come to Scott.

I think the biggest lie I was told coming into freshman year was that making friends would be a breeze. When people talk about their college years, they always talk about how easy it was for them to find “their people,” to find their clique.

I’m not sure about the rest of my class, but the other day I realized that I haven’t really befriended anyone in my classes. I made two friends on my own and then all but forced them to introduce me to everyone they knew (which was also two).

The only thing keeping me from ripping out my hair when I think about the amount of friendships I’ve formed here is that clubs haven’t really started

This is the first time I’ve been able to make all my own decisions. This is scary.

yet. Who knows, maybe once the clubs start picking up, I’ll realize how effortless friendships really are. Let’s hope, yeah?

My biggest goal for college (besides getting a degree, that would be pretty great) is to really figure out who I am as an individual.

Not as Monica’s best friend, not as Billy’s sister, not as my parents’ daughter, but as myself.

Nothing else attached.

So far, living on my own and making my own decisions has made me realize a few things that I value. At home, I valued being social more than I valued my sleep. But maybe that was just an awful way of rebelling against my parents, because, since I’ve been here, I’ve had no problems cutting off conversations in order to go to sleep.

I’m excited to see what other values and morals come out during the time on my own. My older brother realized he values God his freshman year, and now religion is a major part of his life. I really hope that I can have a similar revelation, I hope that I can find something I’m passionate about. And then I hope I can find other people who are passionate about the same thing.

But I know that all the other freshman here, and everywhere else, are feeling the same exact way that I am, which makes all these feelings and confusion so much easier to deal with.

KEENANDM@MIAMIOH.EDU

EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

High school failed to prepare student for realities in college LIFE

MICHAEL STEMMLER THE MIAMI STUDENT

In all reality, somebody did once tell me the world was gonna roll me, but me, being the dullest tool in the shed, didn’t think that would be true. Yet, as I walked into my first college class, I could only be described as looking kind of dumb with my finger and my thumb in the shape of an “L” on my forehead.

We had a quiz on the first day of class, but worst of all, it was on the homework that was due BEFORE the first class. The quiz hit me; it

What was the point of even going to class if I had to learn everything on my own? What was the point of coming to school in the first place?

hit me hard. Never in my life had I experienced this pure barbarity.

I was expected to come into class and take a quiz on the stuff I had to learn before I even had the class.

What was the point of even going to class if I had to learn everything on my own? What was the point of coming to school in the first place?

I then suddenly realized: the days of learning about the syllabus and writing a cool fact down on a piece of paper for the teacher were over.

I was now in college.

But then I remembered — my high school prepared me for this.

As a three-time recognized National Blue Ribbon School (whatever that means), and just recently deemed a New American High School by the Federal Department of Education (it’s pretty much like Obama said we were the best), my high school was “a four-year, comprehensive school with a strong emphasis on preparation for college.” I thought I was set.

Now, to my surprise the days of guided notes were over, teachers no longer accepted late homework and for the first time, I ac-

OPINION 7

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

tually have to check the syllabus.

Teachers don’t give out a list of school supplies to buy and I have to sit down and actually read the book to learn vital information that would determine any future success in the class. All these foreign activities were presented to me within the first week of school, but it only made me ask the same question, “Did high school prepare me for this?”.

The simple answer: no. I was babied in high school. Everything was already done for me, and I just had to retain it. My high school even eliminated taking finals for those who had an 85 percent or higher in classes to prevent grades dropping from an A to a B (by the way, 89.5 was an A in my high school to make us look even better). We strived for excellence on paper, which simply eliminated any similarity to the college experience.

It wasn’t just the fault of the administration — I was also at fault.

I could’ve tried studying on my own or doing my math homework, but I never did because school was simply easier. I didn’t step out of my comfort zone, which made making new friends and trying new activities here a lot harder.

Yes, instead of watching episodes of SpongeBob in my English classes, I should’ve been working to develop my research skills.

Now, in high school, when you walk into a class and find out there are seniors with you, things are okay. They probably are just a little taller, have bits and pieces of facial hair, maybe they even have deeper voices; however, to the first year in college, seniors are full blown adults. Mighty statues of muscle, full beards, and voices deeper than the first 20 minutes of “UP,” are a scary sight for the fetus first year.

So yeah, it seems logical that college would be different than high school, but for an institution that prides itself on college preparation, I just seem to fall short in all categories. But oh well, as I walk down each new hall, I just have to remind myself, “you can’t win ‘em all.”

STEMMLMF@MIAMIOH.EDU

RULE OF THUMB

Detroit is a city worthy of America’s respect despite decades of hardship, class struggle EDUCATION

JACK EVANS

NEWS EDITOR

“If New York is a measure of our financial might and Los Angeles a yardstick for our imagination, Detroit is a gauge of our soul.” — Frank Bruni, from “The Spirit and Promise of Detroit” in The New York Times.

I’m technically from Northville, Michigan. It’s a suburb with good public schools and good food located about halfway between Ann Arbor, where the University of Michigan is, and Detroit. It has neither the liberalism and trendiness of one nor the history and pain of the other.

Northville is alright, I spent most of my life there. But the place that I feel tied to, the place that I love and the place I want to build, is Detroit.

There is an apathy for Detroit in Northville. There is an apathy for Detroit almost everywhere I go, given form by fear of the grit and the poverty and the people and rein-

forced by a belief that its problems are its own.

That’s the biggest thing, really. A belief that Detroit’s problems are its own.

The Motor City’s problems are borne of America’s problems. Racial tensions and suburb migration.

Reliance on manufacturing industry that is liable to head overseas.

Mismanagement of the community due to greed and lust for power, abysmal literacy rates and a failing educational system. An unchecked assuredness that a city so great could never fall. These are factors that we have seen at play on different levels everywhere in the U.S. Detroit just had the perfect storm.

This socioeconomic hurricane demolished the place I am from.

But I believe that Detroit’s successes are also part of the American story. A resurgence of volunteerism.

The dawn of the tech industry.

Urban farming. Culture and arts forged from pain and loss. And, perhaps, most American of all, the spirit to fight as the underdog when

the pundits and statistics and your neighbors say “It’s over, Detroit is dead.”

During high school summer mornings, I would hang a right out of my neighborhood onto 6 Mile.

And I would head east to the heart of the city. If you stay on 6 Mile long enough, you hit broken patches.

Burned out churches and entire blocks boarded up.

But there is hope.

I still went. I believed. I tutored second graders on 6 and Lahser. I had a tech job in downtown, all the way past where 6 Mile becomes McNichols and maybe I should have taken the freeway.

But I had to see. To claim a piece of that city for myself, to call it where I am from, I had to understand that Detroit’s problems are my problems too. If we don’t interact with Detroit and fix it and learn why this happened, we will be powerless to prevent such a collapse again.

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Cursed seal on campus requires innovative solutions to reduce students’ bad luck CAMPUS

GRAHAM von CARLOWITZ EDITORIAL EDITOR

I’ve always enjoyed little thrills, like springing from the 2nd floor of my house as a child. It borders craziness, but the danger is minimal for the most part. The Seal we have here on campus, now that thing provides a source of actual danger.

What a double life our university’s administration lives, what an utter paradox. They provide us graciously with luxurious study rooms in the student center, offer office hours so we can pick our professors’ minds, hell, we even have Starbucks coffee. It’s great, it is. Well riddle me this, then. Why, if your institution is driven to produce little Einsteins like an assembly line, would they knowingly place a chaotic keystone piece on campus? Why would they have a cursed seal?

Whether or not the Myaamia Tribe has anything to do with the tradition of flunking after stepping on the Seal is beyond me, way over my head. That son of a bitch is cursed though, I know from expe-

rience. Not that I failed an exam, thankfully. But after one Friday night handstand on the Seal, a five-second one, I pompously add, my luck was burned and my ankle turned the very next day. It actually snapped.

Convinced? I mean, the thing is like a greedy troll guarding the bridge, accepting our failure as compensation for passing. Only in our case, the bridge is literally at the center of campus. Passing by is inevitable.

Ankles with the durability of Twizzlers and foul creatures aside, I return to the university’s responsibility for our well-being and beg that they take care of this palpable pest on campus. Suggestions? I have a few, and a suggestion box at the scene of so many crimes is of course one of them.

What about delivering a gumball machine to The Seal, 1 Hub Lane, Oxford, Ohio? Fed-Ex the thing, if it fits, it ships. That way, students rushing to exams could chew off their stress as opposed to being chewed out by their parents afterwards.

Maybe we could hire a clown to juggle on the seal. Admittedly a quirky solution, indeed. But I bet no one would go near the damn thing with a Ronald McDonald lookalike lurking about.

These are oddball considerations, agreed, yet I am sure legitimate solutions will arise amid our Factory of Knowledge. My job is merely to open the discussion. Let’s have a dialogue about it.

Don’t get me wrong, tradition is a wonderful selling point for Miami.

I’ve heard tour guides spew out enough tradition to develop a new course in the history department.

But the Upham Arch Spiel and the Cradle of Coaches clamor suffice in that regard.

The Seal, unlike its cute counterparts of the Arctic, elicits little joy on campus. It’s the college equivalent of an annoying hall monitor, always on the prowl with the worst intentions. So let’s make our great campus better (and safer) one passed exam at a time. Are you with me?

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THE END OF “BRANGELINA” Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who married in 2014, served as an example that long-term relationships were possible in Hollywood. Alas, no more.

MIAMI PROFESSOR AWARDED THE “GENIUS GRANT” Daryl Baldwin, director of the Myaami Center, was one of 23 named as a MacArthur Fellow this year. The honor includes a stipend of $625,000.

ANOTHER FRATERNITY SUSPENDED Zeta Beta Tau fraternity was kicked off of campus for allegedly hazing its new members.

CONSTRUCTION OF TWO NEW RESIDENCE HALLS The prospective project would be for 600 additional students and would likely cost over $16 million.

The art department is hiring.

contact design editor haydenka@miamioh.edu

A.J. NEWBERRY NEWBERAJ@MIAMIOH.EDU

The art department is hiring.

contact design editor haydenka@miamioh.edu

interested in design or illustration?

interested in design or illustration?

8 SPORTS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

RedHawks eye Victory Bell, first win

SPORTS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

FIELD HOCKEY TRAVELS TO MICHIGAN

ANGELO GELFUSO THE MIAMI STUDENT

Sophomore wide receiver James Gardner challenges Western Kentucky’s Branden Leston last Saturday. Gardner has four touchdowns in three games this season.

FOOTBALL

COBURN GILLIES

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Entering week four of the 2016 season, Miami football has yet to collect a victory following an 0-3 start.

This week provides an exciting opportunity for the RedHawks, as they make the short trip to Nippert Stadium, where they will face archrival Cincinnati (2-1) in one of the oldest rivalry games in the nation, the Battle for the Victory Bell.

Last season, the ‘Hawks lost at home to the Bearcats in a tightly contested affair, 33-37.

Regardless of the outcome of the game this year, the rivalry still holds significance for many associated with the universities and programs.

“Huge game for everybody at Miami. Like I always say, I never hardly run into any Miami alumni that doesn’t mention the UC game almost within the first ten seconds,” Head Coach Chuck Martin said. “We know how important this game is to our school, to our fanbase, to our alumni base.”

While Miami came up short on the scoreboard last Saturday against Western Kentucky, the defense made a strong impact.

“Defense, big step forward.

Not only from the first two games this year, obviously, but from a year ago,” Martin said.

This kind of defensive improvement from one year to the next could dictate the final score in Chuck Martin’s third ever Victory Bell bout, an honor no Miami coach has been able to secure since 2005.

“Cincinnati is another daunting task. Obviously, anybody that watched the Houston game last week, which I did on TV, knows how talented Cincinnati is on both sides of the ball and how much size they have and how much speed they have,” Coach Martin said.

Unfortunately for the RedHawks, they will have to battle UC with an injury-riddled lineup, as health issues have plagued the program up to this point.

“We’re not [healthy]. Obviously, last week, and I don’t know what the list is but we’re up in the 15 range of guys that should be playing but are not,” said Coach Martin on the health of his team. “Ro’ will probably still be a late week decision.”

The Bearcats will be led on the offensive side of the ball by sophomore quarterback Hayden Moore who has thrown for seven touchdowns along with three interceptions for 785 yards.

The second year signal-caller will be looking to make his throws to senior wide receiver Nate Cole who leads the team in receptions and touchdowns.

Senior defensive back Mike Tyson leads the UC defense in interceptions with three, and could play a pivotal role in their efforts to stop Miami’s passing attack.

While Tyson will do his best to anchor the secondary, look for senior linebacker Eric Wilson to supplant the team’s efforts in stopping ball carriers, as he paces the Bearcats in the tackling category with 35 total tackles.

UC will be coached by Tommy Tuberville, who is in his fourth season with the Bearcats.

Miami’s sophomore quarterback Billy Bahl is coming off statistically the best game of his career, as he threw for 339 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore defensive back De’Andre Montgomery has interceptions in Miami’s last two games, and looks to continue his streak Saturday against UC. The game will be televised live on ESPNEWS at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

ANGELO GELFUSO THE MIAMI STUDENT

Senior forward Carla Romagosa handles the ball facing Duke’s Alyssa Chillano. Romagosa has five assists through eight games

FIELD HOCKEY

EMILY SIMANSKIS THE MIAMI STUDENT

This weekend, the Miami University field hockey team looks ahead to a Mid-Atlantic Conference matchup against Central Michigan, hoping to continue last season’s success in the MAC. The RedHawks (3-5) take on Central Michigan (1-6) in Mount Pleasant noon Friday for their first conference game of the season. Miami will then face Michigan State (4-3) in East Lansing 2 p.m. Saturday in a non-conference game.

Coming off Sunday’s 3-0 loss to second-ranked Duke, Miami looks to replicate some of their MAC success from last year. The team made it to the championship versus Kent State, fought a hard game, and lost in double overtime.

“I think every year is different.

Every year has new obstacles for us going into MAC play,” Kelsi White, a senior midfielder/back said. “And with the MAC it’s always a toss-up because every game is a battle and you can go in thinking and looking

at, maybe the rankings, but that doesn’t mean very much. When you actually get to MAC play, it’s just all about who wants it more at that point.”

Miami was 5-1 in conference play last year and 7-7 in non-conference play, suggesting a different team mentality when playing MAC opponents.

When asked about this different mindset for conference games, senior midfielder/forward Geagy Pritchard said, “Yes there is — it is a conference game — but every single game is just as important. I think we are going to try to be as intense as we can and really work for each other and try to win.”

Last season, Miami was 2-1 on the road compared to 3-0 at home.

“I think ideally you always want to be playing on your home field — that’s the best environment to be in — but, for those of us who are upperclassmen, we know Central’s field, we know how it plays,” White said.

Against Central Michigan, Miami is 37-28 all time. Most recently, the RedHawks were dominant in a 5-0

Soccer kicks off MAC play at home SOCCER

MATT DAVIDSON

THE MIAMI STUDENT

The Miami University women’s soccer team begins Mid-American Conference play this weekend, with home tilts against the University of Akron and the University of Buffalo.

The RedHawks (3-4) are coming off a tough non-conference schedule that consisted of dramatic double-overtime wins against Western Kentucky University and University of Illinois, as well as a 1-0 regulation win over Florida International University.

Miami’s four losses came against the likes of University of Evansville

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win last year.

The last time Miami played Michigan State, 2013, the ‘Hawks won 2-0, though they’re 5-14-1 all time against the Spartans. Michigan is 0-1 in Big Ten play so far this year.

Pritchard has six goals on the season — second on the team to Paula Portugal’s 10, and credits her offensive success to her teammates’ play.

“I can really pay respect to my teammates. My teammates keep feeding me and they support me and I just try to find the back of the net,” Pritchard said. “But I really couldn’t do it without my teammates and the defense bringing the ball all the way up. It’s a team effort. I just happen to be in the right place at the right time.”

Alysa Xavier, a senior, has shined in net throughout all eight of Miami’s games this season.

Starting this weekend, Miami will face one MAC opponent a weekend for the next six weeks, all leading up to the possibility of playing in the MAC semifinals and finals in November.

BRIANNA NIXON THE MIAMI STUDENT

Junior defender Jenny Barr strikes the ball against Texas. Barr has a goal and an assist through nine games this season.

and three much larger programs from Virginia Tech, Purdue University and the University of Miami.

“I think we had a pretty tough schedule and I think it set us up for some good looks of what we’ll see and even a little bit beyond what we’ll see so that’ll really set us forward and give us a little bit of an advantage going into MAC play,” senior goalkeeper Vic Maniaci said.

Maniaci shined in non-conference play, finishing with a MACbest 44 saves and earning MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors for her performance against the Miami Hurricanes and shutout at FIU. Maniaci credits her defense for handling many of the leaguehigh 113 shots that opponents have rattled off against MU. “My backline is amazing. They take a lot of blows as well so they stop a lot of things before they even turn into opportunities,” Maniaci said. “They definitely do a lot more that isn’t as recognizable.”

Miami will get their first conference test 4:00 p.m. Friday in a home fixture against the Akron Zips (3-5), a team they last saw in the semifinals of last year’s MAC tournament. Miami took that match 1-0, but head coach Bobby Kramig recognizes the unpredictability of FIELD HOCKEY »PAGE 5

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