March 28, 2017 | The Miami Student

ESTABLISHED 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES

TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2017

Volume 145 №34

Miami University — Oxford, Ohio

Two dead in Oxford after drug use

Fire destroys Oxford home FIRE

OPD warns of ‘dangerous batch’

EMILY WILLIAMS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A fire destroyed a home in Oxford last week on Wednesday, March 22.

Since the fire occurred over spring break, the residents — all Miami students who were renting the property — were not home at the time and no one was injured, but the fire left the home a total loss, officials said.

The Oxford Fire Department responded to the fire around 2:30 a.m., and the fire was put out in about an hour. No other homes were damaged, but some cars parked on the street nearby were damaged.

The fire appeared to have started at the rear of the house, but the cause of the fire will go down as undetermined, said Oxford Fire Chief John Detherage.

Though the room where the fire started was determined and a likely cause identified, it cannot be proved he said, though it does not look to be suspicious.

The building was heavily involved in the fire when officials arrived, Detherage said, and footage from a nearby security camera confirmed that the fire had been well under way before the fire department was notified.

The estimated damage totaled just over $300,000.

Junior Zach Peterson, a resident of the home, creFIRE » PAGE 6

DRUGS

JAKE GOLD

ASST. NEWS EDITOR

RYAN TERHUNE PHOTO EDITOR

Oxford and Miami police increased their preventative and educational measures prior to and during Green Beer Day this year.

Green Beer Day goes on with amped-up police presence GREEN BEER DAY

KIRBY DAVIS ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Green Beer Day, Miami’s annual 24-hour party binge, occurred again this year. Students donned commemorative t-shirts, trekked Uptown and downed green alcohol and bagels. From 2 a.m. on March 16 to 2 a.m. on March 17, the OPD cited 66 total offenses.

But both MUPD Chief John McCandless and OPD Chief John Jones reported that this was relatively ordinary.

“I actually think that Green Beer Day would be a fairly non-event without media coverage from the outside,” said Jones.

Miami has been heavily criticized in recent months

Ainsley Wagenseller: So ‘full of life’

FACEBOOK

OBITUARY

JACK EVANS TESS SOHNGEN

THE MIAMI STUDENT

Over 200 gathered in Oxford yesterday to celebrate the life of a radiant young woman.

Ainsley Atwell Wagenseller, 23, a senior student at Miami University died in a car crash on Friday, March 17, 2017 as she was driving home for spring break.

Ainsley lived in Louisville, KY and attended Ballard High School. She leaves behind her father and mother, Judson and Linda Wagenseller, and three beloved

sisters, Shelby, Aubrey and Jordan.

At Miami, Ainsley studied nursing and worked at Brick Street, where she and other employees became a family away from home. Her friends and family attest that Ainsley’s passion was to care for others. She was planning to move to Washington D.C. to pursue nursing after graduation this May. Ainsley played soccer in high school and swam for a local swim team with her sister Shelby, where Ainsley excelled. Shelby fondly recalls sharing mozzarella cheese sticks and French fries with her sister at swim meets.

for its alcohol issues, after a weekend in February that saw 21 students hospitalized with alcohol-related complications. But media scrutiny did not seem to faze this year’s holiday and its participants, as the number of citations and arrests were not notably different than years prior.

“From a strictly on-campus perspective, we certainly weren’t any busier [than last year],” said McCandless. “If anything, I would say it was a little less busy in terms of calls.”

However, the MUPD and OPD did increase preventative as well as educational measures prior to and during Green Beer Day. “The only difference is we just tried to get out and operate a little heavier on the days

prior to Green Beer Day,” said Jones. “Our thinking is that students are preparing for the party, going out there and buying stuff, so if we can do a little prevention and deterrence there that might help.”

According to a press release issued by the OPD, they arrested seven people for fake IDs in the two days before Green Beer Day. On March 15 at 11:07 p.m., the OPD also arrested a Swerve’Em Taxi driver, citing him for an open container in a motor vehicle and littering.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) also assisted this year, working with the OPD to establish an OVI checkpoint at the intersection of Church and North Main Street.

“We do our best to provide

adequate staffing to target areas and help prevent impaired driving,” said Lt. Clint Arnold of OSHP. They made one OVI arrest at the checkpoint and four others elsewhere, but could not confirm whether those involved were students.

The OPD Friday, March 17 press release detailed Oxford’s “GBD festivities” as well as their added precautions before the holiday.

“The Oxford Police Department would like to thank the many students who acted responsibly and respectfully throughout the day, as well as the community members and organizations that stepped up and assisted with prevention efforts such as GREEN BEER DAY » PAGE 2

Two non-student Ohio residents died on Saturday, likely due to an overdose on a “particularly dangerous batch” of cocaine in Oxford, though no cause of death has been released yet. The Oxford Police Department believes that this batch of cocaine may be laced with another substance, but it’s unclear what.

“The cause of death in both of these cases is not known and will likely not be released for weeks until toxicology results are revealed,” a press release from OPD says. “Police believe that cocaine use may have preceded the deaths, but again the investigation is ongoing.”

On March 25 at 12:30 p.m., OPD took a call to the 300 block of W. Vine Street.

A 24 year old woman, Megan Dawson, who lives in Oxford, was found dead in a bathroom. Soon after, OPD was dispatched to the corner of S. Main Street and Chestnut Street. A 23 year old man, William Vollmer, resident of Hamilton, was being given CPR. The police determined that Vollmer was deceased.

“There could be a parCOCAINE » PAGE 2

A letter from the new Editor-in-Chief EMILY WILLIAMS

THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

I remember the moment I decided to become a journalist. It was in December of my senior year of high school, and I was driving to the library.

Or maybe the bank. Wherever it was it was somewhere close, but my 10 minute drive turned into a meandering 30.

It was raining, as it does on most of my favorite days.

Nelson Mandela, former South African president and anti-apartheid revolutionary, had just died. NPR’s entire program was dedicated to Mandela and the vigils held worldwide in his honor.

I don’t remember anything in particular that was said or who the journalists interviewed, but I remember that I started crying as I looped around and around the city block, not able to turn off the radio.

I wanted the opportunity to do what those journalists were doing — to take that confusion, that grief, those memories, that admiration and make sense of it, to make a narrative that says, “This is important. Don’t forget it.”

The first week at Miami, I joined The Miami Student with one goal — to become a better writer. Within a few weeks, I had another goal — to be the editor-in-chief someday. Well, readers, I am happy (and, to be frank, nervous) to say that day is here.

An extremely condensed version of

my resume: Junior. Majors in journalism and marketing. Native of Dayton, OH. Three years with The Miami Student, in writing and editing positions.

Twenty-one years a relentless optimist.

My hopes for the following year are high, maybe imprudently so, but I cannot stress enough to you, as a reader, how deeply I hope to do this thing well.

It’s not difficult to find find critics of journalism, especially in 2017, but the sentiment isn’t new. Hell, even Gandhi didn’t like journalists.

“I believe in equality for everyone, except reporters and photographers,” he said.

And I get it. Journalists don’t always get it right, but, I believe, there is a key difference between the journalists that Gandhi resented and the journalists I try to emulate.

That difference? Earnestness.

To be earnest is to show sincere and intense conviction. Both elements are equally important: to be entirely free of pretense and to put one’s full effort and energy to the task.

The journalists who do both, I believe, though they may make mistakes, are truly in the practice to better lives.

It’s a huge responsibility. To publish a news article is to say that you have amassed quotes and facts and figures and photos and observations and crafted them into a digestible collection of paragraphs that represent, as Carl Bernstein put it, “the best obtainable version of the truth.” It almost

sounds crazy. Maybe it is.

But that’s something that I love about journalism — the audacity to try to make sense of the things that are going on around us every day.

The Miami Student is no stranger to criticism. Though we hold ourselves to professional standards, I urge readers to remember that The Miami Student is a living, evolving classroom. Regardless of the age of our publication, even the most seasoned members of our current editorial staff are still neophytes in the realm of journalism.

We’re students who aren’t removed or immune from the events and issues which we write about on our pages.

We live them and feel them and experience them, too.

But we are earnest. We are eager.

We are open to criticism and open to learning.

Our office is on the third floor of the Armstrong Student Center, room 3018. If you have something to share, something to tell us — a critique, a story or just a hello — please, come see us. Sure, you can comment on our Facebook, but nothing can compare to a face-to-face conversation.

Though I cannot guarantee that I’ll never make the wrong call or overlook an error, I can guarantee this: I will listen. I will be open. And I will be earnest.

Contact Emily Williams at

eic@miamistudent.net.

OBITUARY » PAGE 8

NEWS p. 2

CULTURE p. 4

TRAVEL p. 6

EDITORIAL p. 12

OP-ED p. 12

SPORTS p. 14

A CHANGE IN YOUR SCHEDULE

A LIFETIME OF WATER BOTTLES

SPRING BREAK TRAVELS 2017

A GOOD HARD LOOK AT HARD DRUG ABUSE

BUDGET THREATENS GREAT LAKES

WOMEN’S HOCKEY BACKTO-BACK CHAMPS

MU’s registrar is implementing changes in class times, scheduling.

“I don’t remember any water bottles I carried before it...”

From Icelandic glaciers to a mountaintop in Appalachia, our travels.

Two deaths in Oxford this weekend remind us of the severity of cocaine use.

Livelihoods and ecosystems depend on these waterways.

Team celebrates its third National Championship title in 4 years.

2 NEWS

TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2017

NEWS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

ANGELO GELFUSO THE MIAMI STUDENT

Men’s basketball head coach John Cooper (left) and women’s basketball head coach Cleve Wright (right) will not be returning to Miami for the 2017-2018 season.

Miami’s head basketball coaches will not return for 2017-2018 season BASKETBALL

EMILY SIMANSKIS SPORTS EDITOR

On Friday March 10, it was announced that Miami would not be renewing the contract of men’s head basketball coach John Cooper and that it would be relieving women’s head basketball coach Cleve Wright.

Both changes come after 2016-17 seasons that ended with 11-21 regular season records.

“It’s a gut-wrenching decision, thinking about making those kinds of decisions,” Athletic Director David Sayler said. “I just felt that each program needed a different direction and a different energy within the program to get us back to where I want to be, which is competing for championships in the Mid-American Conference.”

Both teams lost their first game in MAC tournament play, ending their

chances of a MAC Championship.

Though disappointing ends to these seasons, men’s basketball has not won more than 13 games in its past five years with Cooper as head coach and women’s basketball’s 11 wins this season was the most Wright has seen during his time at Miami.

“I think that for both of them you have to look at their recruiting base and where we are and how many scholarships are coming open,” Sayler explained why the changes came this year. “[We’re] trying to make decisions to best ensure the future of the program in the quickest fashion, in terms of turning it around. That’s a lot of what goes into looking at these situations.”

Sayler spent time with both teams on the Friday the changes were announced. Since the 10th, several of the teams’ student-athletes have seen Sayler for reassurance about the future but most responses have been positive.

Redshirt junior guard Dion Wade was one of the athletes who stopped in to talk to Sayler.

“Obviously, it sucks because the coaches are great people, but the change is needed since they haven’t had a good record since they’ve been here even though they’re great people,” Wade said. “We’re just kind of nervous right now to figure out what’s going on and who we’re going to have coming in. I’m hyped up about it, but at the same time I feel ok about it.”

The athletic department is conducting a national search to fill the positions and is holding the studentathletes’ best interests at heart, though Sayler is also looking to benefit the Miami community with the choices. It is no secret that Millett Hall is vastly under-attended on game days and the changes should also benefit the teams’ fans.

“In both cases, someone with great energy, a real great work ethic.

Very personable, good in the community,” Sayler said. “I really want coaches that are going to rally the student body, I think that’s important for us to look at and consider – to try to get out and spend more time with Miami students and working with them on coming to more games. And also great contact and someone who’s had proven success.”

Undoubtedly, the student-athletes will miss the coaches they’ve come to know during their time at Miami.

“He gave the team a home-feel,” Wade said. “If you ever had a problem you could always go up to him and talk to him about it. The relationship I’ve built with the coaching staff -- I’ll have to do that all over again.”

Cooper acknowledged that the nature of a coaching position combined with his team’s losing records led to the administration’s desire to not renew his contract, but he will nevertheless miss being able to impact the

lives of the athletes he coaches.

“It always starts with the young men that you had the opportunity to coach and to be a part of their lives – that’s what it’s all about and certainly a lot of the friendships that were made and being able to be around the Miami community,” Cooper said. “Me and my family live here in Oxford and certainly will remember it and we enjoyed our time here.”

For now, the community looks forward to the announcement of new coaches and to a hopefully, more competitive next year.

“I believe in the school and the ADs here and that they’ll make the best decision for us,” Wade said.

“So, I’m excited to see what’s going to happen and what kind of coach we’re going to get. It’s a brand-new start.”

A women’s basketball player could not be reached before publication.

Changes coming next semester for early registration, class schedules ACADEMICS

MEGAN ZAHNEIS NEWS EDITOR

As Miami students gear up to register for fall semester classes, they can expect a number of changes.

For one, the time in between class sessions is being increased from 10 to 15 minutes, a move university registrar Dave Sauter anticipates will be popular among students.

“Between classes, [you can] grab a cup of coffee, get to your dorm, walk to your car,” Sauter said. “It will be a whole lot easier.”

The earliest classes offered will still start at 8:30 a.m., with the next block of class meetings beginning at 10:05 a.m. instead of 10:00 to allow students more travel time. Sauter said that the current 10-minute interlude was implemented in the fall of 2013, when Miami began offering a winter term. At that time, class meeting times needed to be made longer as a way of compensating for the shorter semesters.

Priority registration is also being rolled back for this fall, with early registration privileges only being granted to disabled students and veterans — who are required by law to be granted early registration — and student-athletes, whose travel schedules often limit classroom time. In the past, Sauter said, he’s also offered priority registration to nursing students who serve clinicals and other students who have internships.

“We look for those groups that have a legitimate narrowing of their schedule choices,” Sauter said.

“We’re trying to get rid of some of these things that have no real value, that have existed for a while that maybe shouldn’t exist.”

As part of these changes, members of the University Honors Program will be allowed to register in BannerWeb 10 minutes prior to the

HEATHER MCCOWAN THE MIAMI STUDENT

Priority registration is being rolled back for this fall, with early registration privileges only being granted to disabled students, veterans. time ticket for their class (first-year, sophomore, junior or senior, as determined by number of credit hours earned). Previously, all honors students were able to register several days prior to the opening of university-wide scheduling. A first-year honors student was able to register before a senior not in the Honors Program, a convention Sauter found impractical.

“Early registration [for this fall] is going to be narrower than it is now, and I would say appropriately narrower.” Sauter said. “It’s gone a little wild, a little crazy. 3,500 students [in a student body of approximately 17,000] doesn’t sound like ‘priority’ anymore.”

The last major registration-related change being enacted for this fall is the introduction of a university-wide process for course waitlists, eliminating the need for individual departments to establish their own protocol for students waiting to get into popular classes. The new system will

eliminate all existing “force-add” and departmental waitlisting processes.

“If it’s a class of 20 and you’re the 21st student [to register], you will go on a waitlist. No more force-adds, no more handing around a piece of paper [and] finding the faculty,” Sauter said.

Kim Ernsting, director of Miami’s Student Success Center, said the existing system has long been a source of frustration for students and administrators alike.

“I think what’s challenging with the force-add process is that there’s not one standard way that it’s done across campus. Different departments or different divisions would have a procedure that’s not the same,” Ernsting said. “Our hope in the Student Success Center is to begin to identify some of these navigational issues that students run into and asking the question about, ‘Is there anything that we can do to make it better?’”

The answer that Ernsting and

Sauter settled on came by way of the Farmer School of Business, which uses a proprietary online system to offer students seats in closed business courses during the fall and spring semesters. That system is available to students twice for each semester, once during the initial registration period and again prior to the start of the semester.

Marti Kyger, Assistant Dean for Enrollment Management & Director of Divisional Advising in FSB, said the software allows FSB officials to use students’ DARS to determine who is offered a spot in a class.

“We pull critical information from the degree audit such as the student’s major, minor, thematic sequence, how many earned hours he has, what he’s already registered for,” Kyger said. “We have a few questions that we ask with regards to prioritizing requests, why it’s critical that [the student] get the course at this time, etc.”

And while the university’s model won’t be a carbon copy

of FSB’s, Sauter says it will operate in a similar manner.

“In a political science class, the chief departmental advisor will say, ‘OK, I’ve got a class of 20. I now have a few openings. I have eight students on the waitlist. Who should be in the class? Not the incoming freshman, non-political science major. We want to get the junior who needs the class.’”

Currently, there are several hundred courses piloting this new system, which allows students to add themselves to a course’s waitlist via BannerWeb. At the time they are added to the list, students are able to enter information about why they would like to be considered for a seat in a particular class given their class standing or course schedule. They can also select whether they’d like to be considered for all sections of that course or just a specific one — all features found in FSB’s model.

Kyger said that enforcing a universitywide waitlisting protocol will have multiple benefits.

“I do feel we are able to handle many more requests this way. I also feel we can make our best decisions this way, because we can prioritize the requests appropriately and then if we can’t offer a seat to a student, we can either provide some advice or some other opportunities or, at minimum, explain why the student can’t be seated at this time.”

And, Ernsting added, the waitlist procedure will give department administrators a means of benchmarking course popularity.

“It helps [departments] get some insight into the kind of demands there might be or interest in taking particular courses, so they can consider how many sections of a course they might offer in the next term,” Ernsting said.

The waitlisting and priority regREGISTRAR »PAGE 12

EIC@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

NEWS 3

TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2017

JULIA TEGG THE MIAMI STUDENT

Miami students dedicated their spring break to volunteering and community learning through the Center for Civic Engagement.

Students serve local communities on ‘Staycation’ CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

BEA NEWBERRY THE MIAMI STUDENT For many, a spring break “staycation” seeks relaxation. Not for all.

Some spend their break doing something that will influence their life missions.

For the nine undergraduate students of Oxford and Hamilton’s Staycation program, the hiatus from school meant serving locally.

The group spent four days and three nights of immersive learning about poverty, homelessness, addiction, and food instability close to home, thanks to the Center for Civic Engagement of Miami Hamilton.

The Center reuses 70-80 percent of its programming from year to year. Core partners include Sojourner addiction recovery, Shared Harvest Foodbank, and S.E.L.F., Supports to Encourage Low-Income Families.

With the headlining mission of the program being povertyimmersion, issues like hunger are integral and prioritized year after year. According to Feeding America, Ohio ranks 15th in country for rate of child food insecurity and Butler County has food insecurity rate is 14 percent.

However, this being the cohort’s ninth time around, the center did what it could to keep the social issues relevant. The program listened to what causes were most important to applicants, then set up visits to cater to those concerns.

Based on input from this year’s interviews, racial equality and mental health were the causes added to the agenda.

This diverse lineup of passions was paired with a wide range of students. Chris Klefeker, Coordinator for Service-Learning & Volunteerism at Miami Hamilton, made it a goal to draw from different majors, ages, ethnicities, religions, socioeconomic backgrounds, and personal beliefs.

“We have tremendous, tremendous diversity in this cohort, and have in every cohort,” Klefeker said.

Each year, the program has had a cap of ten students. The chances to clique diminished, and the chances to take full advantage of the program increased, according to the Center for Civic Engagement.

At the beginning, icebreaking opportunities were prioritized.

“They’re learning about a lot of deep, personal issues and sharing personal experiences, so we want them to feel very comfortable with each other,” Klefeker said.

Prior to each visit, students were mentally prepared by news articles, TED talks, interactive tasks, and reflective questions.

This approach reflects the greater goals of Staycation: exposure and education on hard-hitting social issues. “[Staycation] has also changed my views on the causes of homelessness, poverty, addiction, and so much more. It is important that we all focus on the similarities between us rather than the differences,” said Julia Tegge, a Miami Hamilton freshman.

Participants like Ryan Stephens, Miami Hamilton senior, admitted that their eyes were opened to the reality of those down on their luck, to which most may turn a blind eye.

“I see them for who they are, that maybe they have just had some issues that come up, but they they’re working hard to work through their situation,” Stephens said.

Coordinators said it is not uncommon for participants to change majors or future directions in life post-Staycation.

Klefeker said it is nearly guaranteed that all participants became more involved on campus and more prideful of the local community. They often become advocates for one or more public issues.

“Before I just wanted to be a social activist. Now I want to do that and maybe somehow work in the political world to help people in poverty and race issues,” said Tiernee Gonzalez, a Miami Hamilton student.

After hearing it year after year, the program decided on this shirt slogan: “Staycation. The vacation that changed my life.”

To further sell students on the Staycation program, all expenses are paid. “It’s very important to us that students are not out one dime,” Klefeker said. To her, costs should never inhibit giving back.

Apply. Get accepted. Serve.

That is all.

Staycation members will be publicly presenting their experience on Friday, March 31 at 3 p.m. at the Miami Hamilton Downtown Center.

there’s a new sheriff in town contact newberaj@miamioh.edu to join the design staff, partner.

RYAN TERHUNE PHOTO EDITOR

Renovations came to a close for Miami’s Hefner Museum of Natural History in Upham Hall.

Renovations wrap up in Upham MUSEUM

SAMANTHA BRUNN THE MIAMI STUDENT After completing renovations over this past J-term, Miami’s Hefner Museum of Natural History is rolling out the red carpet to welcome visitors to the improved exhibits.

However, the “red carpet” is only figurative, as a main objective of the renovations was, in fact, to remove the old carpeting. Instead, to welcome patrons, a taxidermied brown bear beckons passersby to visit the museum which is stationed at the main entrance of Upham Hall.

“The old carpeting had buckled, and it had become a safety hazard,” said Steven Sullivan, director of the museum. “Carpeting isn’t good for museums, as it can harbor pests that patrons bring in on their shoes and, in turn, damage the specimens. So, the renovations had to happen eventually.”

Sullivan believes the carpet fiasco was actually a timely blessing, as other projects resulted from the facelift. New labels for the specimens were written and placed, and student volunteers are currently scanning and 3-D printing some of the more unwieldy specimens that cannot typically be placed in the Discovery Trunks the museum loans out to local elementary classrooms.

“The specimens that are too deli-

cate, heavy or rare to be placed in a trunk are being scanned and printed so we can now bring those things to the community, whereas we couldn’t before,” Sullivan said.

Hefner museum serves about 8,000 patrons on-site annually and another 4,000 off-site, through the Discovery Trunks program and presentations by museum staff.

The museum staff is also currently working on upgrading their curriculum to match the state standards to better serve the classrooms who utilize their facility and services.

“We serve not only Miami students and professors, but the surrounding tri-state region,” Sullivan said. “We are working on catering to those extreme audiences. Right now we are working with a student in the computer science department to develop an app for the Francis Gallery where visitors can scan a QR code and choose the level of engagement they’d like to experience in the exhibit, and then read that level of detail in the labels provided on their device.”

Sarah Mariette, a first-year zoology and anthropology major, volunteers for Hefner museum and helped with the renovation process.

“Before winter break, I worked a lot on packaging up specimens to keep in storage and moved the signs down to storage as well,” Mariette said. “It was a really cool opportunity to learn about the best methods for storing specimens. After J-term,

I have been involved with redoing many of our exhibits, bringing up specimens and signage and making it all fit. I learned how to use a drill so I could help hang up mounts. All of the volunteers have had a hand in this renovation one way or another, and it’s been really fun.”

There are about 15 student volunteers working at the museum, each contributing four hours of work every other week. The volunteer schedule is customized to each student’s needs, making it easier for any student to get involved.

Mariette elaborated on the varied tasks for which student volunteers are responsible.

“Every day at the museum is different,” Mariette said. “The volunteer work is really hands-on and there is an opportunity to work on a wide variety of tasks. Some things I’ve done are work on solutions for lighting in the gallery, assist with exhibit design, hang mounts and move specimens, set up for classes that use our classroom, help with our reorganization process.”

Currently, Mariette is working on designing a bookmark.

“Our work applies to every student,” Sullivan said. “And I’d love to have a robust discussion with students on whether that’s true. These are student-driven projects, and they give students practical experience ...

We’d like to emphasize that we want to collaborate with all students.”

Students attend conference in D.C. POLITICS

ERIN GLYNN THE MIAMI STUDENT Rather than the beaches of Florida or Cancun, I spent my spring break in the legislative offices of Washington, D.C. and Columbus with a group of 55 other Miami students.

The government relations network (GRN), headed by Randi Thomas, has partnered with dean and university librarian Jerome Conley since 2012 to run this “alternative spring break conference,” in which students advocate on behalf of Miami and higher education in general.

“Students from diverse majors have a common purpose in making Miami not only a primary university in Ohio, but also in the nation,” Conley said.

This year, more specific issues required student testimony. At the federal level, we asked legislators to consider the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, which provides programs such as Pell grants and Stafford loans.

Contrary to what some people, myself included, might think, meetings in Washington D.C. do not have more influence than the meetings in Columbus. In fact, the opposite may be true. We discussed Governor John Kasich’s budget with state representatives, emphasizing the university’s position, which happily mostly aligned with our own position — that the proposed require-

ment to have the university allocate $300 per student per semester for their textbooks would be financially detrimental to the quality of education at Miami.

Each student had opportunities to tell their own stories about college affordability, an issue dear to all 56 student attendees. Some legislators were more receptive than others. Ohio State Senator Kris Jordan likened issues of college af-

fordability to the topical healthcare situation.

“If you know everything’s paid for by somebody else you’re going to take what you can, you know, just like a doctor will run tests for everything if it’s paid for rather than just giving you the one medication you’re likely to need,” Jordan said.

The most amenable legislators and aides had connections to Miami, and it was astounding to note just how many had those connections, not only in Columbus but just as prominently in D.C. I had three meetings on my first day in Washington. One staffer was

a recent Miami graduate, one staffer’s father was a Miami alum, and one representative had a daughter currently enrolled as a sophomore at Miami.

I was far from the only conference newcomer surprised by the breadth of Miami alumni in the state and federal legislatures.

“This conference has really opened up my eyes to what the GRN does at Miami University and how we prepare students to go into the field of either politics or advocacy,” said sophomore political science student Matt Pall.

Pall noted the receptiveness of the legislators he encountered.

“My biggest takeaway is how accessible not only representatives are at the national level but also at the state level and how there are multiple channels to reach these policy-makers,” Pall said.

Dean Conley felt the fifth GRN “alternative spring break conference” was a success.

“I feel this conference has accomplished its goals in fostering relationships between students and educating legislators about university issues,” Conley said. “I hope we’ve made an impact in the way people see Miami University.”

I’m inclined to agree. Both national and state representatives were effusive and helpful even to those of us that weren’t their constituents, but the best encounter by far was walking into the office of Ohio State Senator Darrell Kick who immediately declared upon our entry, “Whatever you kids want, I’ll make it happen. I love Miami!”

Culture

4

SHUMANDB@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2017

Bottled up: A lifetime of water bottles STUDENT LIFE

EMMA SHIBLEY

THE MIAMI STUDENT

When I was 12, my mom bought me a half-gallon water bottle because I joined the cross country team — plain red with a white lid and convenient-carry handle. The illustrated label showed it gleaming in a vaguely idyllic campsite where everything was Coleman brand, bonfire and all. Every Saturday morning, even if we were already running late, Mom would empty the ice maker into the water bottle until it couldn’t hold any more then fill in all the gaps with water from the sink, the lukewarm liquid melting the hard, dry edges of the ice cubes.

After every sweaty, heaving race, I would drink a pale purple Gatorade bought with two bucks from concessions, followed by long sips of water from the red Coleman. During my two years running middle school cross country and track, I scratched up the flip-top lid and handle running my thumbnail along the plastic seams, leaving what looked like anxious toothmarks from a lesser beast.

The Coleman swung unevenly at my side when I walked and often leaked on the floor of the team bus, garnering attention when the last thing I wanted was for anyone to look at me. But now, I don’t remember any water bottles I carried before it. Water has never tasted so good or so cold.

When I was 14, we were supposed to have one-gallon water jugs for late-July marching band. My mom went above and beyond and

brought home a two-gallon blue tree stump with a spout, wide and sturdy enough to sit on; I could hardly twist off the lid without using both embarrassed hands and squeezing the rotund receptacle between my sunburnt thighs. I brought it the first day of band camp and, ashamed, left it promptly in the car. The next day after work, Mom went back out to Walmart for a comparatively sleek, red, one-gallon model, so then I had the same one as everyone else.

When I was 18, I could not for the life of me remember to take a reusable water bottle when I left my room for the day. I flirted with all the good brands: Smartwater, Fiji, the nameless Redhawk label. “Mmm,” a French bottled water connoisseur murmured somewhere in the world. “Zees ees a very good year.”

But I hated the over-filtered taste, hated that I was spending money on something that I could get from the fountain for free. The cheap crunch of the single-use bottles of water in my hands reminded me of road trips and gas stations and just-passingthrough’s; I felt like a visitor, a tourist even, certainly not a native. I began buying one at the beginning of the week and refilling it until the bottle was so crumpled it couldn’t stand up straight. It reminded me a little of myself, a freshman mess just limping through.

When I was 19 and I sat in front of my laptop on the floor of my room in Stoddard Hall and bought myself a 32-ounce Nalgene water bottle in Clear Pink. I settled on the narrowWATER BOTTLE »PAGE 12

Humans oƒ Oxford

Spirit of Dumbledore in D.C. TRAVEL

CÉILÍ DOYLE

THE MIAMI STUDENT

As I stood outside the gates and peered through the bars of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., the White House appeared a lot smaller than I expected it would be. For all the hype and hoopla the famous mansion holds in the grandeur of its name and history the actual size of the place was underwhelming.

The area surrounding the gates of the White House, Lafayette Square, was packed with tourists from across the globe. A smattering of Korean, Arabic, Spanish and even Lithuanian could be heard across the pavilion.

The most notable aspect of being so close to the White House was the amount of protesters assembled in the square.

One large group of demonstrators in particular was gathered outside the gates demanding that Washington stop aiding Israel and supporting lobbyists who continue to promote the “illegal occupation of Palestine.”

They sported Palestinian flags and shouted through the street that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) was supporting the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people. Jewish and Islamic protesters crowded the gates before they marched to the AIPAC conference later in the day.

As my family and I walked further away from the masses I spotted one little girl and her mother carrying signs around their necks. The girl, who couldn’t have been more than seven or eight years old, held up her sign proudly. It read: “Dumbledore Would Not Approve.”

CÉILÍ DOYLE THE MIAMI STUDENT

Protestors gathered outside of the White House over the weekend. One girl’s message referenced a beloved “Harry Potter” character to promote equality and respect for all life.

I went over to ask her if I could take a picture of her sign, asking her for her name and offering up a highfive before running to catch back up with my family as we made our trek to the Jefferson Memorial.

But throughout the rest of the day I couldn’t stop thinking about this little girl and her sign — it was so simple yet so elegant. She managed to condense the complexities of a huge international crisis that not many world leaders would be able to explain in comprehensible terms.

I was struck that by referring to such a beloved fictional character who stood for equality and respect

for all life, no matter how difficult, she made her cause a universal one.

Seeing that little girl during my trip gave me hope that no matter how dismal or dark our current political atmosphere may seem, with divided party lines and a divided countryside, the call for decency and integrity in America is always ringing. We truly are blessed with the freedom of speech and right to assemble — especially directly outside the gates of our president’s home— and I wouldn’t trade those freedoms for anything. They are what make us DUMBLEDORE »PAGE 12

Annie and Sam: A little less platonic STUDENT LIFE

MACKENZIE ROSSERO THE MIAMI STUDENT

RYAN TERHUNE PHOTO EDITOR

Gaby Fleming: Making her own way a semester late PEOPLE

MAYA FENTER

THE MIAMI STUDENT

For Gaby Fleming, move-in day came a bit later than the rest of the incoming freshmen.

In fact, the big day came a whole semester late.

She committed to Miami University during her senior year of high school and made plans to room with her friend since kindergarten.

But come summer, Gaby’s plans changed. She would not be spending her fall semester in Oxford.

Instead, she spent what would have been her first semester of college receiving treatment for anorexia.

It began with a partial hospitalization program in which she spent six hours each day, five days a week receiving intense eating disorder treatment.

She continued her treatment at The Renfrew Center, a residential treatment facility in Florida. It involved eating meals under staff supervision, group therapy, cooking classes and yoga.

She spent her 19th birthday there.

She graduated from the center on Jan. 5, 2017, after about five months of treatment.

She came to Oxford after winter break along with all of the returning students.

While everyone was settling back into their dorms, she and her new roommate were arranging the furniture.

While everyone was reuniting with their friends after five long weeks, she was just learning the names of the people in her corridor.

During the first few weeks, Gaby struggled to find friends in people who had already found theirs.

“I’m still in the ‘forming friends’ phase when everyone else has formed friends and now it’s the ‘get to know you better’ phase,” Gaby said.

She has to find her own eating schedule, and make sure she doesn’t get “too busy” to eat.

She has to meet regularly with a therapist and a dietician to keep her mental health and diet on track.

She wanted to find an eating disorder support group on campus.

When she couldn’t find what she was looking for, Gaby decided to form her own group: MADE (Miami Against Disordered Eating).

The new organization aims to provide a community similar to the one Gaby had while in treatment: a group of people all going through the same thing. “[MADE is] a support group for people who have eating disorders so they can have a community here in college where it’s especially important because there are so many stressors,” she said.

Even after two months into the semester, every day poses new challenges — whether that’s finding someone to eat lunch with or setting aside time to eat lunch at all.

But Gaby has begun to find her stride and her place. Oxford has finally started to feel like home.

They were both drunk, and, when Sam asked her to go back to the house, she couldn’t think of a reason to say no.

It was after 1 a.m., early Sunday morning. Normally, they just went back to the house and hung out with his friends — no, their friends. But, tonight, there was something different in his tone.

“Okay.” Annie thought about it — the words and the way he had said them. “I just don’t want anyone to see me...”

Her sentence trailed off, but they both knew what she was thinking. Most weekends ended with them hanging out in the public living room. She wasn’t opposed to a change in plans, but she also didn’t want anyone to see him lead her up to his room.

It was so different to think of Sam this way. But, why not? Recently, gradually, somehow, he had grown from the platonic friend that told her about his girl problems and texted her everyday to someone she could see herself with. Someone she could stand to be a little less platonic with.

Part of her had hoped something like this was coming. And, after a

RYAN TERHUNE PHOTO EDITOR

Annie was ready to be more than just friends with Sam. But, she had never risked hurting someone’s feelings for a boy before.

year and a half of friendship, maybe it was time. She liked him, and he clearly liked her.

But an unwelcome face flashed through Annie’s mind, and she tried to ignore it. It belonged to her friend Ashley. Well, maybe “friend” wasn’t the right word.

Ashley and Annie weren’t close, but they ran in the same circles and, regardless of their relationship, Annie would never needlessly hurt her.

As of recently, Sam had been the one Ashley called after late, drunken nights Uptown. Annie knew for certain that they had hooked up at least once — more than that if Ashley was telling the story.

In the time that it took for these

thoughts to cross through her mind, Sam had led Annie through the house and they had run up to his bedroom. His mouth was on hers and her carefully chosen outfit was off her body and on the floor.

Soon, maybe too soon, Annie broke away.

“I can’t do this,” she told him. “I can’t do this... because of Ashley.”

“What, why?”

“You’ve been hooking up, and I can’t do this to her knowing that she might have feelings for you.”

“That was so long ago — you don’t get it. She’s irrelevant.”

But it was Sam who didn’t get it. It RELATIONSHIP »PAGE 12

‘Beauty and the Beast:’ Disney capitalizes on nostalgia in charming but uninspired remake FILM

KIRBY DAVIS

THE MIAMI STUDENT

The question raised by this “Beauty and the Beast” is not whether it’s good or bad, but if it’s necessary.

It’s not.

As with 2015’s lovely but utterly pointless “Cinderella,” Disney has tossed millions at a surefire hit just for the hell of it ($160 million, to be exact — I kept expecting Richard Attenborough to pop up and remind the audience that they had spared no expense).

It’s practically a scene-for-scene remake of the original animated film, and this bodes well for protective fans but poorly for Disney. Why

revive the story if you’re not going to add anything to it except a snarkier LeFou and an unprecedented, melodramatic ballad from the Beast?

The 1991 classic of the same name is, objectively, good. It was the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture, and its titular characters stand as the only beast-human couple in the American Film Institute’s 100 best love stories (besides King Kong and Fay Wray, which is different because King Kong doesn’t transform into a dashing prince in the end — I assume; I’ve never seen it).

That “Beauty and the Beast” was released at the beginning of Disney’s so-called 1990s “renaissance.” It was sandwiched between “The Little

Mermaid” and “Aladdin,” also slated to be made into live-action films in the next few years. “Cinderella,” which raked in over $540 million at the box office on a $95 million budget, proved that remaking beloved animated films is a lucrative art, and this year’s “Beauty and the Beast” turning over a profit in its first weekend substantiated that.

It’s easy to see why these films are being made, but disheartening nonetheless. I dread the day when a live-action, Robin Williams-less “Aladdin” plows recklessly over my childhood.

If you can ignore all of this for 2017’s “Beauty and the Beast’s” DISNEY »PAGE 12

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TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2017

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Travel

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TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2017

MADELEINE LAPLANTE-DUBE THE MIAMI STUDENT

Whispered rumors at the base of Iceland’s Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier MADELEINE LAPLANTE-DUBE EDITOR-AT-LARGE

JÖKULSÁRLÓN, Iceland — I’d never seen icebergs before. I’d always imagined them covered in penguins or polar bears, layered with lazy seals and sea lions, resting. But at Jökulsárlón, an icy lagoon at the base of Iceland’s Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier, quiet pieces of ice floated bare, decidedly devoid of life. Some pieces, nearly sapphire blue in the haze of the falling snow, cracked and groaned ominously.

“Jökulsárlón is only about 80 years old,” my friend read in her Lonely Planet travel guide on our way to the lagoon. The roads were slippery and our trusty two-wheel drive rental car was skating over them, barely sticking. Ahead, behind and to each side: a complete whiteout. We swerved and slipped along at half the speed limit.

It was the first bad weather we’d encountered in our trip, almost a reprieve from the beauty of the previous days. Often throughout our route I felt that we were driving in a car surrounded by a green screen, like stars in a low-budget movie. The impos-

sible landscapes felt like a façade – even as we passed snow-covered lava fields, gigantic brown mountains looming like sentries over tiny farm houses, steaming geothermal hills and huge, bowl-like calderas, part of me was afraid to roll the windows down.

Maybe then I’d see that there were men behind the magic.

En route to the lagoon, though, it felt like the green screen had stopped working. We were surrounded on all sides by white static, with maybe 10 meters of visibility. It was a wintry environment that made it hard to believe what we were reading in our guide – that Jökulsárlón was a direct product of climate change.

The ice in the lagoon is thousands of years old. But the water it floats in is only about as old as my grandfather. The 20th century chopped into the base of Breiðamerkurjökull, the largest glacier in Europe, with unbelievable force, causing it to retreat anywhere from 30 to 70 meters per year in 1900s. When we finally arrived at the site, the glacier tongue had retreated nearly six kilometers from the sea.

“And now it’s a tourist attraction,” my

An Inevitable peace: Re-discovering myself in Chile

CHRIS WARREN THE MIAMI STUDENT

friend said as we squinted against the snow into the blue-gray abyss of the lagoon.

We dodged past groups of people slipping along the black rocky shore. They grinned into clicking cameras, raising their arms wide like they were trying to fit the vast landscape into their arm span, their backs to the ice. They took rocks from the shore and blinked against the snow before leaving, disappointed with the powder covering the blue bergs. Bad picture weather.

I don’t pretend to know anything about the Icelandic language. Most of the trip was a cacophony of the four of us mispronouncing rarities of nature, town names and roads we weren’t supposed to drive on.

But the little I do know is that the first part of the name Breiðamerkurjökull, “breiða,” can be defined in a couple of ways. “Breiða” is a form of the adjective “breiður,” which means broad, spanning or wide. But it is also an infinitive verb which, combined with the right mix of words, means “to rumor.”

As we walked further from the parking lot, tracing the minutely expanding shoreline of the lagoon, the snow blanketed the

CHRIS WARREN

GUEST COLUMNIST

CAJÓN DEL MAIPO, Chile — The application closed in less than an hour. Several setbacks had held me back all semester, and now circumstances were hinged on less than 60 minutes. I pulled out my laptop and quickly filled out the application, letting out a sigh of deep relief when I clicked “submit” seven minutes before the application closed. All I could do then was wait.

The email came a week later, and I couldn’t believe it — I had been accepted to study abroad in Santiago, Chile that upcoming spring! The next two months were a whirlwind of finalizing documents, expediting passports and attending meetings to prepare for my fivemonth trip.

Rather than study through a Miami program, I decided to go through the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC), an organization that offers lower prices for trips all over the world. I knew South America was for me because of my love for Spanish, the outdoors and adventure.

I also wanted an opportunity to start fresh, knowing that there would be no Miami-affiliation with the program. I had had it with the sticky bar floors, politics and cutthroat nature of Farmer. I needed the opportunity to push myself, meet new people with fresh perspectives and delve into questions about spirituality, family roles and finances — questions that had been hitting me hard for the past few years.

I would live with a host family, attend university with Chileans, take only Spanish classes and immerse myself in the culture. I didn’t know fully what to expect, but I was ready to dive in.

When I arrived, my host family welcomed me, speaking in Chilean Spanish. I was greeted by a 24-year-old man with a flowing mane of hair, a couple in their mid-50s, a yippy border collie and a house surrounded by cacti and succulents (my host mom swears they give the house feng shui). My housemate from Reno, Nev. and I embraced our new family in tradi-

sounds of cameras behind us. A seal popped his head up, gliding gracefully through the water for air before dipping back beneath the blue. And in the quiet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the cracks and groans of the ice beyond the gray of the whiteout were whispers of something deeper, rumors of impending retreat.

More than the impossible landscapes we’d already seen, the white of the sky felt like the biggest façade we’d seen so far. The snow acted as a misleading reassurance that no, this lagoon was normal, these bits of ice were breaking off naturally, the cold is permanent.

But the ice, slowly filtering toward the sea, whispered rumors of something different: There really were men behind the magic, masters creating the vanishing act.

I stood at the shore, watching the ancient ice bump together, not so different from the rest of the tourists. Just another human, coming here to document the existence of the thing I helped create, before climbing back into the car, turning the ignition and skating back onto the road, away, as if I, as if we, could escape it.

tional Chilean fashion, a handshake with the men and a side-kiss with our host mom.

We were immediately ushered inside by the smell of food. We had arrived during the biggest meal of the day, lunch. The table was set to perfection with plates full of fresh vegetables and wine. This was followed by pastel de choclo, a Chilean dish of sweet corn with olives and eggs at the bottom of clay bowl. When things couldn’t get any better, we were served mote de huesillo, which translates as husked wheat with sun-dried peaches. The conversation was light-hearted and challenging, and before I realized it, two hours had passed. I knew I was going to be in good hands.

It’s surreal to look back on the past weeks here. During my second weekend in Chile, I decided to go backpacking with some new friends. After seven hours of bus hopping and hiking to a park that is only an hour and a half drive away, we arrived. Little did I know that half of the park was on fire and that, before the trip’s end, I’d carry a stray dog up a mountain and I’d watch helplessly with my fellow hikers as a random cow wandered onto our campsite, eating all of our food.

Yet, through all of this, I found a place of solitude, stripped my clothes off and idly watched wildlife play in a nearby creek for hours. Joy and peace have been inevitable.

Two and half months later after arriving in Chile, here I am, staring at the Andes Mountains preparing for a two-day climbing expedition. It’s cliché to say, but this experience has been cathartic. I’ve met people from all over the world, improved my Spanish, hitchhiked in the middle of nowhere and have a stronger understanding of what I truly value in life.

There’s been the challenges and joys dealing with a culture that values family over individuality, but all of these have helped shape me into where I am now. I’ve emerged out of a deep hole of depression that threatened to swallow me whole last semester. I’ve re-experienced joy, re-disciplined my mind and body and have re-emerged as my idealistic, impulsive, freegoing self.

WILLI501@MIAMIOH.EDU

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TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2017

JAKE GOLD THE MIAMI STUDENT

Mercado de Bazurto: A market that’s not for marketing majors JAKE GOLD ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

CARTAGENA, Colombia — Starting at 6 a.m., “The People’s Market” is full of a lot of things: a variety of mostly unappealing smells, obscure and nameless (well, nameless in English) fruits and native Cartagenos buying their groceries at bargain prices.

But for the popular tourist destination that Cartagena is, the city’s Mercado de Bazurto is almost totally devoid of travellers.

And it’s not hard to tell why. Mercado de Bazurto lacks the romanticism and polish you’d expect in a tourist trap.

There are no whimsically dressed janitors to clean fish guts from the floor, no imagineers dreaming up ways to streamline your shopping experience and provide you maximum satisfaction.

No, Mercado de Bazurto is pure Colombia.

So pure, in fact, that you really can’t go without a guide. Even the most adventurous travelers risk getting lost in the fastpaced and maze-like marketplace.

Mercado de Bazurto was originally positioned close to Cartagena’s center, where the current conference center sits.

It was loud and smelly, but the vendors refused to relocate after several requests from city officials. A conveniently timed fire — destroying 70 percent of the original marketplace — changed their tune, and Mercado de Bazurto now sits 15 minutes from its original location. It’s a quick, but crowded, bus ride from most city locations.

Before you enter the market, the first thing that hits you is the smell. It varies from place to place — the market is big — but it can be simply described as garbage disposal leak meets farmland manure.

The farm smell comes from a special Colombian tradition: Despite the multitude of dogs snoring on the market floor in the South American sun, many shopkeepers have pet birds. Birds get lonely, just like us, so their owners bring them to work. And boy, do they stink.

The heat doesn’t help the stench, either. In late March, the heat index sat around 105 degrees Fahrenheit. For much of Mercado de Bazurto, the roof is

comprised of patchy, thick canvas that lets in plenty of sunlight. It might be better if there was no roof at all. At the risk of understating it, the market is hot.

The first patch of the market is mostly fruits. Many are native to South America.

We tried a granadilla, an orange-like fruit that’s filled with sweet, clear seed sacs, and a “tree tomato,” which is a sweeter tomato. We also tried a clementine, which was good, too.

As you get deeper into the market’s labyrinth, the vendors transition from fruits to vegetables, and then slowly to more carnivorous endeavours. They’re smart about it, though — you see freshcaught fish and shrimp before you see the cow eyeballs. How polite.

In the predatory belly of Mercado de Bazurto, there is a real ceiling and tiled floors. They’re slick with animal juices, but look past that. It’s not important. The temperature is refreshingly better regulated, too. By my estimate, it was probably around 80 degrees.

Except for the pleasant change of scenery, the meat-eating side of Mercado de Bazurto holds no punches. Whole chick-

ens, cut vertically in half, lay on tables, with mostly-grown eggs and other internal organs fully exposed. Cow hooves, eyeballs and udders are available for sale.

“They use every part of the animal,” our guide proclaimed proudly. I felt sick.

Despite the imagery still imprinted on my eyeballs from the meat section, we were hungry. Our guide found a vendor selling fried seabass and yuca (potato, essentially). Anthony Bourdain apparently ate there when he was in Cartagena. Anthony Bourdain has good taste. It was spectacular.

Leaving the market was a breath of fresh air, even with the normal hustle and bustle of a Colombian city. On our walk back to our B&B in Getsemani, we stopped in the American-style mall for a bottle of water. Compared to the $0.15 per pound potatoes in Mercado de Bazurto, the $1,500 iPhones seemed absurdly expensive. And the Colombian fast food restaurant wasn’t nearly as good as the tiny shop in the market. But I don’t think I’m ready to become a People’s Market person just yet.

DISCOVERING HORSESHOE BEND DEVON SHUMAN

MANAGING EDITOR

PAGE, Arizona – U.S. Route 89 in northern Arizona is just like most highways in the American Southwest — barren, dusty, cutting through a vast desert expanse dotted with pale green shrubs and the occasional cactus. Unlike my hometown north of Boston, where the suburbs fill the map like a geographic jigsaw puzzle, this area is hauntingly unpopulated, the roads stretching for miles in between cities with names like Wahweap and Lechee.

But 20 miles south of the Utah border, in between mileposts 544 and 545, there stands a small brown road sign that reads “Horseshoe Bend” and points down a dirt path to the west. Cars and vans travelling down the path must avoid crisscrossing tumbleweeds before arriving at a large parking lot filled with vehicles sporting license plates from all over the U.S. and Canada.

The hike to Horseshoe Bend is as bland and sandy as the road that leads to the trailhead. Hikers climb for a quarter-mile up a gradual dirt trail before descending for another half-mile. Trudging through the desert, it’s difficult to not wonder where the hell you are — the flat, desolate landscape extends for miles in every direction, with mesas and mountains lining the horizon in the distance.

But then, something spectacular happens.

As you near the end of the trail, the Bend slowly reveals itself. What once seemed like a continuation of the desert floor drops away, revealing a U-shaped canyon plummeting 1,000 feet below. Standing at the rim, you can spot rafters and kayakers below, tiny specks on the Colorado River, which has been carving this meandering chasm out of the rock for millions of years. It’s a massive, hidden marvel, an

BRENDAN LEONARD THE MIAMI STUDENT

oasis of beauty amid an otherwise empty landscape.

I sit on the rock and dangle my feet over the edge, nervously aware of the emptiness beneath my toes. One wrong movement, one erroneous weight shift would result in a horrid tumble into the canyon below, but yet I can’t pull myself away. There’s something delightfully humbling about balancing on the rim, touching the void, inching as close as I can toward the massive, natural splendor surrounding me.

Eager to share this image with my friends and family back home, I pull my phone out of my pocket (extremely carefully) and start snapping photos, attempting different angles and styles, doing everything I can to capture the magnificence

of the moment.

But nothing works.

No matter what setting I use, no matter how far I push my luck leaning over the lip of the canyon, there’s something missing from the photos. Each one looks great, but they’re simply not depicting the sheer vastness of this natural pit. Maybe it’s my phone’s inability to capture depth, or maybe it’s because I have the photography skills of a 3-year-old with a Kodak, but the pictures fail to represent how deep, how colossal this hole in the ground truly is.

But there’s more to it than that. The thrill of this landmark isn’t solely visual.

The photos can capture how gorgeous it is, but they can’t reveal the wonder of walking down the trail and watching the des-

ert floor disappear. They can’t convey the exhilaration of standing at the edge of the abyss as the wind whips around you.

I close my eyes and think of the explorers who travelled here centuries ago, the adventurers who braved the barren desert, waiting for the moment the landscape would give way to such profound beauty.

It was a different time, an era when maps had final edges, daring people to venture into the unknown.

There might not be as much uncharted territory today, but visiting Horseshoe Bend, I can still feel that same sense of discovery.

I put my phone carefully back in my pocket, and I open my eyes.

NEWS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

The Last 50 Miles: Spring break on the Appalachian Trail

GREEK LIFE

ANGELA HATCHER SENIOR STAFF WRITER As I struggled up the side of Blood Mountain, wheezing, barely able to breathe under the pulsing heat of the midday sun, I began to cry.

My shoulders were numb under the weight of the backpack that now felt like an extension of my body. My feet and an-

FROM HOCKEY »PAGE 14

I appreciated was that the girls that are younger on the team, they talked about how they wanted to win for the senior class because there’s six of us seniors and that was our last game ever,” Mooney said. “It meant a lot to us – how much they cared to win for us. We were just so excited and it was a great celebration, especially back to back with pretty much the same team as last year.”

For a women’s club hockey program that was non-existent and wildly less successful several years ago, the seniors have built the team up to its national champions caliber that it is today.

FROM BASEBALL »PAGE 14

The comeback was complete and the game headed to extra innings.

The RedHawks were looking for a hero, and they found one in Steve Sada.

In the bottom of the tenth with Hall at second base, the senior second baseman singled to left field to give the ‘Hawks their first conference win -- snapping their threegame losing streak in the process.

“The kid [Steve Sada] is a career worker. There’s not a guy you would point to on our team, before Steve, in terms of who the hardest worker out there is,” Hayden said.

FROM CLUB »PAGE 14

games as he always finds himself unable to find comfortable clothing to match the weather.

“I’m always too cold because I didn’t wear my sweats, or too hot because I put on the sweats. Can’t ever get it right,” he said.

Games are usually marred by bad weather, which leaves bitter officials often making questionable calls.

“We chirp the refs every now and again because they are pretty garbage,” says Baba.

The team generally goes into games confident in their ability to

TRAVEL 8

TUESDAY, MARCH 28 , 2017

kles were swollen underneath my boots and I could feel my blisters bleeding onto my wool socks. My heart was racing from the exertion of climbing the mountain.

My clothes were thoroughly soaked with sweat. Every step I took burned my muscles with a deep, stabbing fire.

Tears welled up at the corner of my eyes and began spilling down my cheeks.

My friends, the strongest two men of my temporary trail family, had made it up the mountain long before me and came

Visalli was named the ACHA’s tournament MVP. Ireland Mooney and Booth had three goals and four points each in the tournament. Kaley Mooney had her two championship game goals and four assists. The RedHawks were a well-balanced team, as the other points from the tournament came from 10 other players.

The team came back to Oxford with the big championship trophy and won’t start practice until the fall; they’ll wait until then to look to next spring and another chance to make history. For now, though, the RedHawks will relish in their historic victory.

“It’s kind of the end of the year, but it’s something that will live with you

“And for him to get that hit, man, I feel good for him.”

Due to a schedule change, the subsequent pair of games were played as a doubleheader.

The previous game’s success was not replicated in the final two games against the Broncos, as MU fell short 8-4 and 4-0.

“Today’s doubleheader was frustrating. Offensively, we have to do more to stay in games,” Hayden said.

Game two started out with a bang for the ‘Hawks. Two runs were scored in the bottom of the first, including an RBI double from freshman designated hitter J.T. Stone to

win, largely inspired by their four loyal fans.

“Games are interesting. Sometimes they’re just awful, and sometimes they’re good. When parents come to the games Mom expects Division 1, Dad anticipates JV.” Baba describes himself as “not a go-to starter” on a team that has proven to be a contender this season.

As of my interview with Baba, the team sits at a 4-1 record with a recent 16-5 victory over Purdue, which qualifies them for the end of season conference tournament in St. Louis from April 28th-30th.

grinding towards a halt miamistudent.net

hustling back down the side of the mountain, sliding down the steep corners.

“Angela, we’ll take your pack. You’re so close, you can do this,” one of them said, looking at me sincerely.

I couldn’t speak. The combination of my wheezing and tears left my throat dry and aching. I shook my head.

If I was going to make it up the damn mountain, I was going to do it with the damn backpack. They walked up with me at my tortoise like pace. Words of encouragement flowed from their mouths, but all I heard was the wind gently whispering against the rocks beneath my feet.

Blood Mountain was a cruel joke. There are about five steep rock formations on the way to the peak, each one a tease of “You’re here, you made it to the top!” only to realize you still had half a mile ahead of you. I wanted to scream.

I dragged my feet in a forward like motion.

And then my best friend, Brittany, came down the precarious mountainside.

She smiled at me.

“You’re almost there, Angela. You did it.”

Seeing her jolted the last bit of energy I had in me final strides up the mountain to see what awaited me.

I forced myself up the mountain. Right foot, left foot.

The trees cleared at the peak and to the left was nothing but open air. I stared at the view and the tears came racing down my cheeks again, clearing some of the dirt off my face.

I was overcome with emotion.

Exhaustion from the trek up the mountain that sucked the air out of my lungs and the energy from my muscles.

Pride for the fact that I pushed my body and my mind to do something I never thought I could be capable of.

Awe for the breathtaking mountain range that spanned before my eyes, seemingly infinite. Awe for the view that

no words can describe, no picture can capture, but that will forever live in my heart. Awe for the mountain air that was finally beginning to course through my lungs.

Blood Mountain was magical.

When I signed up for the Outdoor Pursuit Center’s spring break backpacking trip, I’m not sure what I expected. It was advertised as “no experience needed” and I -- a novice outdoorswoman -- was itching for adventure -- not the kind where you hop on a plane to Cabo San Lucas and drink until you drop, but the kind that makes you see the world with new eyes and makes you look within.

I found adventure. Along the way I also found challenge, hardship, hailstorms, blisters, laughter, tears, friends, passion and a love for the places in this incredible world that you can’t get to in a car.

Being disconnected from the material world for six days. Not showering for a week. Peeing and pooping in the woods.

Eating oatmeal, jerky and protein bars for the first time. Hiking endlessly through mountains and wilderness. Meeting the amazing people that will spend the next seven months of their lives trekking the trail in its entirety from Georgia to Maine. Spending my spring break with people who I will never forget and grew to love. Conquering mountains. Rediscovering what it means to feel alive.

Each day was so challenging yet so simple: Wake up, watch stars fade into sunrise, lace up your boots, pack your backpack and walk. It’s only been two days since I came off the trail and I’ve never quite missed something so much.

4,458 feet above it all, standing on top of Blood Mountain. 4,458 feet. It was in that moment that I knew I would be leaving a piece of my heart and soul on the Appalachian Trail. And it was in that moment that I knew I would return.

forever and this team will always have that bond as a championship team,” Hicks said.

Mooney echoes her coach’s sentiments, “This year, it was different because, for me and for the six seniors, it’s our last game ever playing competitive hockey. After doing something for most of our lives, it was hard to believe that that was the last game of something that you’ve done for your whole life. And this year, doing it back to back and that being our last game ever was just the icing on the cake. Finishing off my hockey career, as well as my teammates’ career, with a National Championship win.”

give the home team an early tworun advantage.

Back and forth from both teams left the score 3-2 in favor of Miami, then Western Michigan seized control of the game and the series at the top of the sixth inning.

WMU poured it on in the following three frames, scoring six runs. Sophomore shortstop Connor Smith’s two run triple made the score 8-3 favoring the Broncos in the top of eighth proving to be the proverbial knockout punch of the doubleheader.

Miami starting pitcher Zach Spears took the loss for the day.

The sophomore gave up four runs

— three earned, one unearned — on seven hits. The lefthander struck out two hitters while walking three.

Danny Hayden believes the collapse was a result of the ‘Hawks’ inability to make WMU uncomfortable by bringing runners home.

“Offensively, we have to do more to get into a baseball game, to put pressure on the other dugout.

Western Michigan played a fairly clean day of baseball today. But, if you’re putting pressure on them every inning, maybe you make them crack a bit more.”

The finale saw senior pitcher Brad Schwartz take the mound, but from the jump the game went

downhill. WMU scored two runs in the first inning via a throwing error from Redshirt junior Spencer Dull and a wild pitch from Schwartz.

Western Michigan struck again in the top of the third with two more runs off the bat of junior centerfielder Tanner Allison to make the score 4-0, which was enough to ensure a series victory and a doubleheader sweep.

Next time Miami takes the field will be on Tuesday March 28, as they visit Northern Kentucky University at 3:00 p.m. The two programs will complete their homeand-home series.

RECYCLE WHEN FINISHED RECYCLE WHEN FINISHED RECYCLE WHEN FINISHED RECYCLE WHEN FINISHED RECYCLE WHEN FINISHED RECYCLE WHEN FINISHED RECYCLE WHEN FINISHED RECYCLE WHEN FINISHED

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TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2017

Photo courtesy of L’Oréal Paris

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by Aimée Mullins Groundbreaking Athlete, Fashion Icon, Actor, TED All-Star and Design Innovator

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10 FYI

TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2017

GREAT SPRING & SUMMER JOBS! Named the Best College Newspaper (Non-daily) in Ohio by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Emily Williams Editor-in-Chief

Jack Evans, Devon Shuman Managing Editors

Carleigh Turner, Alyssa Melendez Web Designers

A.J. Newberry Design Editor

Britton Perelman Social Media Coordinator

Audrey Davis, Tess Sohngen News Editors Megan Zahneis Special Projects Editor Joey Hart Opinion Editor

Natalie Utt Business Manager

Allison Perelman Culture Editor

Ali Hackman Assisstant Business Manager

Emily Simanskis Sports Editor

Charles Cucco, Mike Coutre Advertising Representatives

Ryan Terhune Photo Editor Heather McCowan Assistant Photo Editor Kirby Davis Entertainment Editor

Cartoonist

A.J. Newberry

James Tobin Adviser Drew Davis Business Adviser WDJ Inc. - Bill Dedden Distributor

Senior Staff Writers

Designers Will Fagan Katie Hinh

Ceili Doyle Sarah Camino Jake Gold Tess Sohngen Bonnie Meibers

Opinion Columnists

Sports Columnists

kyle Hayden Angela Hatcher Gretchen Shelby

Ben Amend Brianna Nixon Beth Pfohl Claire Mullaney Daniela Munoz Perales Darshini Parthasarathy G M Akand Sabik Kat Holleran Kaiyuan Luo (Bob) Madison Cook Nikki Hammarlund Renee Farrell Whitney Reddan

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Photography Staff Allison Gay Angelo Gelfuso Aneesh Jain

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The Miami Student (Tuesday) is published during the school year by the students of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

The content of The Miami Student is the sole responsibility of The Miami Student staff. Opinions expressed in The Miami Student are not necessarily those of Miami University, its students or staff.

CORRECTIONS POLICY The Miami Student is committed to providing the Miami University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication.

OXFORD PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT The Oxford Parks and Recreation Department is currently accepting job applications for the following spring & summer positions.

Applicants must be at least 15 years old to be considered for employment.

WATER SAFETY INSTRUCTOR: $10.00/hr. for Swim Lessons up to 15/hrs. per week for eight weeks. Approx. hours 10am – 1pm.

This position may be combined with a lifeguard or supervisor position for additional hours.

CERTIFICATIONS: Current certification in lifeguarding and Water Safety Instructor.

POOL SUPERVISOR: $10.00/hr.

– Supervise lifeguards, produce schedules, provide customer service and maintain a safe facility.

CERTIFICATIONS: Current certification in lifeguarding and CPR for the Professional Rescuer (CPR/FPR).

LIFEGUARD: SALARY: $9.00/ hr. – Must possess or be enrolled in lifeguarding certification course and CPR/FPR, as well as complete and pass routine training sessions with Oxford Parks and Recreation Department.

CONCESSION SUPERVISOR: SALARY: $9.25/hr. – 25 – 35 hours/week, with a flexible schedule. Supervise and train concession workers, inventory products, prepare staff schedules and provide customer service at the park concessions, pool concessions and pool gate.

Fresh roasted coffee by Oxford’s one and only roaster available at a location near you: Kroger Market Street at McCracken Moon Co-op DuBois Book Store Or visit our store for a wide selection of coffees from around the world at: 21 Lynn Ave ste102 next to Oxford Spirits

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CONCESSION WORKER: SALARY: $8.50/hr. – Prepare and serve food, operate cash registers, maintain clean work environment and provide customer service at the park concessions, pool concessions and pool admission gate.

Pool concession, pool gate and park concession .

SUMMER CAMP LEADER: $8.50/hr. – 20 to 40 hrs. per week (late May – August). Supervise and engage camp children, plan activities, communicate with parents/guardians and maintain a positive public image. Experience with children required.

CERTIFICATIONS: Most possess current CPR/First-Aid/ AED, or willing to be trained prior to employment.

RECREATION TECHNICIAN: SALARY: $10/hr. – App. 12-15 hrs. per week April – September.

Assist with sports field prep, sports programs and other community events as needed.

Previous outdoor field work and sports experience a plus; must be able to lift 50 lbs. Flexible schedule includes some weekends, evenings and early mornings. Valid Driver’s License required.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: ACity of Oxford application must be mailed, faxed or delivered to: Oxford Parks and Recreation Dept. c/o Casey Wooddell 6025 Fairfield Road Oxford, Ohio 45056 Office: (513) 523-6314 cwooddell@cityofoxford.org http://www.cityofoxford.org Please note position(s) of interest.

FROM DISNEY »PAGE 4

tw0-hour runtime, it’s a delight — albeit an artificial one. Every scene is seeped with over-the-top production value, each musical number as meticulously plotted as the animated version’s, which is borderline silly when applied to real people.

This film’s charm lies not in its ostentatious scenery but in its (ambiguously accented) cast. Moviegoers would be hard-pressed not to be captivated by Belle, played by Emma Watson with just enough ferocity simmering below her broody bookworm surface, or even Dan Stevens’ witty, self-deprecating Beast.

Emma Thompson is Mrs. Potts, Sir Ian McKellan is Cogsworth (a part he turned down in 1991), Ewan McGregor is Lumière and Stanley Tucci is a sassy harpsichord.

Watson is certainly pitch-perfect as Belle; sometimes, such as the scene in which the Beast introduces her to his castle library, it’s difficult to pinpoint any differences between her and the character she was seemingly born to play. But Gaston (Luke Evans) and LeFou (Josh Gad) might be the best things about this film as a whole — Evans is almost endearing in his unintentionally hilarious state of brazen insensitivity, and Disney vet Gad (remember Olaf?) is brilliant as his bumbling sidekick.

If you liked the last “Beauty and the Beast,” by all means, go see this one. Director Bill Condon redeems himself in the way of CGI, having handled both “Breaking Dawn” films a few years ago, with a computergenerated Beast (for the record, he fought to forgo CGI for a mask and makeup but was shot down).

FROM DUMBLEDORE »PAGE 4

uniquely American and allow us to choose our own paths and help others who are born less fortunate onto the same path.

While the size of the White

Certified Lifeguards/Swim Instructors and Activity Leaders –Archery, Arts & Crafts, Basketball, BB Air Rifle, Maintenance, Male Group Counselors, and Nature and Camping - needed for FUN and REWARDING summer day camp in Cincinnati. Six week session begins June 19 – July 28, M-F 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Contact Camp Wildbrook @ 513-931-2196 or campwildbrook@cinci.rr.com.

FROM RELATIONSHIP »PAGE 4

was so different for boys to hook up with their friends’ ex-girlfriends — they would laugh and deem themselves Eskimo brothers. But when a girl slept with her friend’s ex-boy? She got called a bitch.

Annie tried to explain this, but Sam clearly didn’t understand.

Confusion clouded his face, and Annie was drunk and didn’t know how to say it better. She wanted him so badly, and she wanted him to know that — but it wasn’t enough and he wouldn’t believe her.

Annie gathered her clothes and got dressed, but Sam chased her into the hallway.

“Please stay — we can talk about this and figure it out.”

Annie left anyway.

That week, she confessed her feelings to Ashley. She told her how she felt about Sam, without revealing what had almost happened.

“Well,” Ashley had said, “I’m going to keep hooking up with him unless you tell him. If you have feelings for him, do something about it.”

Silence hung between them, and Annie could hear what Ashley hadn’t said aloud: “I don’t care how you feel.”

Annie had never risked hurting anyone’s feelings for a boy. She didn’t want that type of drama.

Besides, boys were temporary and replaceable. They always had been.

Though, now, Annie couldn’t help but wonder if the rules should have been different for this boy, who had been her best friend -- who she hadn’t heard from in two weeks and who she used to talk to every day.

And, she couldn’t help but wonder if she had ruined it all.

This film is visually stunning. The ballroom dancing scene, narrated by Thompson’s rendition of the theme song, is probably the most impressive, but Belle’s rural French village and its surrounding countryside are pretty breathtaking as well. Plus, naturally, Watson’s embodiment of the character lends an added depth to Belle’s internal conflict about the Beast and torment over leaving her father in his castle. She and the Beast are also gifted backstories in this version, and they’re just as heartbreaking as you’d expect.

Again, the fact that it scarcely deviates from the 1991 film’s storyline is both a positive and negative. It’s enjoyable, but begs the question: why? Did people really want this?

The gap between Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” films is just 26 years; “Cinderella’s” was 65, “Alice in Wonderland’s” was 59 and “The Jungle Book’s” was 49. But when a liveaction “Mulan” is released in 2018, it will be just 20 years after the original was released. “Tinker Bell” came out in 2008, but Reese Witherspoon is already set to star in a new version sometime in the next decade.

Disney certainly wields a lot of power in the film industry, and “Beauty and the Beast’s” release is unsettling because it has the potential to set a precedent for future, non-animated remakes as well. The first “Harry Potter” film is nearing its 16th birthday — by current standards, isn’t that due for a remake?

Watson is too young to play McGonagall, but how about an unnamed Gryffindor upperclassman?

House may have paled to the image my mind had conjured over years of television newscasts and bad action movies, the spirit in which it was founded was vibrantly on display during my visit to our nation’s capital.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2017

The Miami Student It is, and always has been, better than your phone.

JUGAL JAIN THE MIAMI STUDENT

Our writers weren’t the only ones having fun on break: our new photgrapher Jugal set his lens on Los Angeles.

FROM NFL »PAGE 14

sign a true number one wide receiver without taking on long term risk is a big win.

Cleveland Browns sign OG Kevin Zeitler and C JC Tretter Grade: A It may come as a surprise, but Zeitler was probably the most coveted free agent on the market. At just 26 he is already one of the best guards in the league and many lineman are productive well into their 30s (see exteammate Whitworth above). Combine him with Tretter and guard Joel Bitonio, who the Browns re-signed this offseason, and Cleveland might have the best interior offensive line in football. It’s clear the Browns braintrust wants to make sure their future franchise QB will be kept upright.

Detroit Lions sign OT Ricky Wagner and OG T.J. Lang Grade: AThe Lions got both the second best guard and tackle available to join an offensive line that looks promising going into next season. With last

FROM WATER BOTTLE »PAGE 4

mouthed cap in Beet because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to drink from the shallower wide-mouth version without spilling on myself. I spent so long deliberating the perfect make and model that my friend Austin, out of simple boredom, memorized my credit card number over my shoulder. My roommate Madison (an outdoorswoman extraordinaire) cheered daintily when I completed

FROM REGISTRAR »PAGE 2

istration changes are just two of the revisions being planned long-term.

Sauter and Ernsting have drawn inspiration from a best-practices list compiled by third-party consulting firm Educational Advisory Board (EAB), and plan to roll out more changes in fall of 2018. Among those are are a revamped DARS interface,

year’s first-round pick Taylor Decker set to anchor the left side for years to come, Wagner and Lang should provide all around protection for QB Matt Stafford. It should be noted that the players who were replaced, OG Larry Warford and OT Riley Reiff, signed elsewhere in free agency for more or the same money as the Lions’ new upgrades -- bumping up my grade on these signings.

Jacksonville Jaguars sign CB A.J. Bouye, DE Calais Campbell, S Barry Church Grade: B The Jaguars, with their seemingly endless cap space, were again able to land three of the top players in free agency. Bouye, Campbell, and Church are all good players and they signed market value contracts.

The Jags filled in some holes which should allow them to pick the best player available when the draft rolls around. The reason I only give these signings a ‘B’ is that it is likely that the best player available when the Jags are on the clock in the first round will play one of those three positions. In

this case, having these veterans on the roster may take away playing time from a rookie.

Chicago Bears sign QB Mike Glennon Grade: C A lot of people were alarmed that Mike Glennon will be getting paid $15 million a year, but that’s a bargain for a starting quarterback. The problem is that Glennon will be the starting quarterback. The past few years there has been a growing fascination with Glennon and I can only think it’s a case of “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” From a football perspective he is a downgrade from Jay Cutler (sorry, Chicago).

Cleveland Browns receive QB Brock Osweiler, 2018 2nd-round Pick, 2017 6th-round pick Houston Texans receive 2017 4thround pick Grade for Browns: A+ Grade for Texans: D This was a really cool trade be-

cause it was the first NBA-style salary dump ever in the NFL. The growing cap combined with the fact that it now rolls over from year to year means that many teams are flush with cap space -- none more so than the Browns. They were able to smartly use this space to park Osweiler’s laughable $18 million cap figure this season and receive a 2nd-round pick as compensation. The Texans really swallowed their pride in admitting so quickly they’d made such a huge mistake and paid dearly for it.

New England Patriots receive WR Brandin Cooks, 2017 4th-round pick New Orleans Saints receive 2017 1st-round pick, 2017 3rd-round pick Grade for Patriots: B Grade for Saints: B The blockbuster trade of the offseason so far, New Orleans sent a young pro bowler in Cooks to be Tom Brady’s new favorite weapon. I don’t think Cooks will have a comparable effect to when Randy Moss joined the team, but he should be productive. I thought this was fair on both sides and helps both teams. The

Saints received significant draft compensation and are able to let Michael Thomas grow into the number one receiver role.

In waiting to write this article, I had figured I would be able to grade big name signings of Tony Romo, Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Charles, and Jay Cutler. However, they face their own obstacles to being signed, and none of them seem like they’re going anywhere any time soon. Jerry Jones doesn’t have any reason to release Romo before June 1, Charles and Peterson are aging running backs with injury concerns and are facing competition from a loaded draft class, and the Bears letting Cutler walk and signing Glennon says all you need to know about his situation.

These storylines aren’t likely to work themselves until training camp. Until then, keep reading for weekly draft coverage.

Check out an extended version of this column on miamistudent.net.

my purchase, a Nalgene virgin no more.

I had butterflies about putting on my first stickers, like I was marking up not the water bottle but an extension of my very own body, a seemingly permanent tattoo for the smooth rosy plastic. I was terrified that the wrong placement would reveal that I was trying too hard — if they were overlapping too much, I would look messy and overzealous and cluttered, but if they didn’t overlap enough,

someone would surely know I took a painstaking minute to place them neatly at right angles, which would reveal I was not really an extraordinary outdoor adventurer at all, just a sincere but infrequently practicing disciple at the church of trees and flowers and skies.

I decided I would never go out and intentionally buy stickers to express myself, that I would only put ones on my Nalgene that had come to me on the winds of life and slap them on

like passport stamps. My water bottle became an object through which I document, for no one but me, where life leads. I take with me wherever I’m going an adhesive collection of where I’ve been.

On the last Saturday of spring break, my mom and I loaded up the car for the drive back to Oxford. Before leaving the apartment, she stuck her head in the fridge.

“I’m a little bit hungry,” she said.

“You want an apple?”

I declined — I’d eaten one a few minutes before.

“You want a water?”

“I have… mine already,” I said.

In the car, the flimsy plastic of hers shone with condensation, refreshing and cool to the touch. My Nalgene was only half-full, the water a day old and tepid. But I screwed off the fading magenta cap and tilted my head back for a drink. breezes and

a scheduling wizard that will generate potential schedules for students based on the courses they need to take and the ability for students to register for a full year of classes at once.

Eventually, all students may be required to fill out a four-year “road map”, or academic plan, plotting their schedule semester by semester.

“Having the option to create a road map for your four years, for your journey here at Miami, I think, gives students a chance to think about what they really want to learn and to think about the holistic picture of how to make the most of their time at Miami,” Ernsting said.

Sauter said the road map could be used as a way to provide targeted

guidance to students perceived as being “at-risk” — for instance, an international student who struggles with English or a student who plans to double-major.

“It could be, if you’re more of an at-risk student, we say, ‘Once you do your road map, you need to see your advisor every time you make changes or every time you’re going to drop

classes because we want you to succeed,’” Sauter said. “We don’t want to call students out, but we want to be able to say, ‘Something’s not going right academically for you.’”

Ultimately, Sauter and Ernsting said, the goal of these initiatives is to instill a greater sense of intentionality in the student scheduling process, thereby increasing retention and four-year

Trades

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Opinion

12

EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2017

Cocaine deaths bring hard drug use into necessary light The following piece, written by the editorial editors, reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board.

Y

esterday, the Oxford Police Department released a warning to residents about a possible “particularly dangerous” batch of cocaine out on the streets.

This announcement comes in the wake of the deaths of two non-student residents of Oxford, a man and a woman both in their twenties, found dead on Saturday. The exact cause of death, police said, will not be determined for several weeks until the toxicology tests come back, but cocaine use is suspected cause in both cases.

At a school where substance abuse has been the talk of the town for the past few weeks, this development is a sobering reminder that these issues literally mean life or death. While the main focus of community discussion has been alcohol, the issue of other illegal drug use, particularly that of hard drugs, cannot be swept under the rug and forgotten.

In Opinion Editor Angela Hatcher’s column in the last issue of The Miami Student, she faced a question from a student about experimenting with cocaine. Retreating from her normal laid-back style of advice giving, Hatcher condemned use of the drug, telling her own painful story of watching a significant other become addicted and say-

The facts and anecdotes tell the same story: cocaine is an incredibly dangerous drug that has the potential to ruin, and even end, lives. ing plainly, “If you make the choice to do cocaine, I hope you do so responsibly, but I truly feel that there’s no way to do coke responsibly.”

The National Institute on Drug Abuse lists the following as potential long term effects of cocaine use: “loss of sense of smell, nosebleeds, nasal damage and trouble swallowing from snorting; infection and death of bowel tissue from decreased blood flow; poor nutrition and weight loss from decreased appetite.”

Additionally, there is a significant chance of overdose stemming from cocaine use that includes the risk of heart-attack, stroke, seizure and coma in the short term. Overdose threats increase significantly with the combination of alcohol use along with cocaine.

The facts and the anecdotes tell the same story: cocaine is an incredibly dangerous drug that has the potential to ruin, and even end, lives. And remember, these facts don’t even reflect the present threat of a “particularly dangerous” batch that police say may be present in Oxford.

This generation of students has been through many years of anti-drug use campaigns and anti-abuse messages from parents, schools and all sorts of other media.

However, when you get to college, it can be hard to distinguish between what can seem like casual and moderate substance use and something that is ruining people’s lives.

All that can be asked of students and other young adults is that they think hard about any situation involving drugs and all the risk

factors that go along with using any particular drug. The events of this past weekend exist in tandem with other cycles of abuse within our region, from alcohol abuse here at Miami that has caused a death this semester, to heroin outbreaks that still threaten communities across Ohio and other similar states.

All these factors demand consideration from everyone in the community, and there is only so much that law enforcement and the student newspaper can do and say.

With that being said, though, if you or anyone you know has problems with substance abuse, know that Student Counseling Services offers substance use assessments in which they work with students to resolve the issues surrounding any and all of the above.

For those scared of facing discipline from the school, as Miami’s website says, “The recommendations resulting from the substance use assessment are strictly confidential and not a part of the student’s academic record.”

It does cost $250 charged to the student’s bursar account, but in the grand scheme of things, that meeting may be a small price to pay. SCS can be reached at 513-529-4634.

Ask Angela: You can find love anywhere LOVE

Dear Angela, Do you think people in college can fall in love? I think I might have fallen in love with a friend who doesn’t love me back. Some of my friends insist that I’ll get over her eventually, that I’m not really in love and that I won’t meet anybody I love until after college, but I don’t agree. What do you think?

Sincerely, An Anonymous Miami Student Dear An Anonymous Miami Student, Your friends that insist you won’t truly fall in love until after college are simply wrong. Every time I get a question where “friends” are giving such bad advice I sit here at my computer and shake my head.

Shaking. My. Head.

Enter Ask Angela, certified Love Guru™.

But not actually. Human emotion gives me anxiety.

To answer your question succinctly, of course you can fall in love in college. That’s not a matter of opinion, it’s a simple fact.

You can fall in love at any place during any moment of time and don’t you dare let anyone convince you otherwise. Love isn’t restricted by the social construct of time, love is free flowing, like a stream or maybe more like a torrential downpour, and happens whenever the hell it wants to. College kids are just as likely to get struck by Cupid’s arrows as the next person.

Cupid don’t discriminate.

And that’s not to say that what your friends are saying is completely invalid. We live on a college campus where it’s considered taking an “L” if you don’t go home and bang someone on the weekends and you’re considered “whipped” if you get tied down in a relationship.

There’s a million other things to worry about in college -- srats and frats, what bar you’re going to on Friday night, which student orgs you actually want to be a part of.

Throw love on top of that mix and yikes, that’s quite a full plate.

I suppose I can follow your friends’ logic in the sense that it’s so rare to find love on a college campus. Everything is hookups and no strings attached, and that’s something that I’ve always advocated for because it’s nice to have something chill on the side that’s more of a low key commitment.

But the notion that your status as a college student prevents you from falling in love -- true love -- is bogus and it’s sad to me that this is something people actually think on

this campus.

Since when did being in love become not cool? Being in love is freaking awesome. You see stars on cloudy nights, sunshine while it’s raining and you always have a smile plastered on your face. It completely befuddles me that people believe you can’t fall in love in college.

You think you may have fallen in love? No one else on this entire planet needs to validate or invalidate that, you’re allowed to feel every damn thing you’re feeling.

But since you said you “think” you may have fallen in love, I would like to provide you with a series of questions to give you a solid yay or nay to whether or not you’re in love with this mystery gal.

Do you find yourself staring at this girl and thinking, “Damn, she’s gorgeous” when she’s in her natural habitat of no mascara, sweatpants on, eating a pint of ice cream?

Do you feel a sunny, pleasant, tingly feeling when you are in her presence? Or when you see her across campus? Or when her name pops up on your phone when she texts/snaps you?

Do you find yourself concerned with what’s going on in her head when she furrows her eyebrows and pouts her lower lip? Or do you simply find yourself concerned about every little thing she does?

Do you find yourself awake at night, halfheartedly watching Netflix and thinking about what she’s doing at that very moment? And wondering if she’s thinking about you?

Congratulations, my friend.

You’re in love. You’ve been sipping on love potion number nine.

The moon has hit your eyes like a big pizza pie, that’s amore. You’ve been dancing down the street with a cloud at your feet, that’s amore.

And there’s not a damn thing wrong with that.

You can and you will fall in love in college. I did. It was a beautiful feeling that can compare to nothing else in the entire world. It was also a trainwreck. But that’s a story for another day.

Screw hook ups and no strings attached, those are for people who are terrified of falling in love and confronting their feelings. It’s for the people who have built a wall of cement around their hearts and don’t remember how to let love in anymore. Trust me when I say that is no way to live. I have built up so many walls that I wonder if anyone will ever be able break them down.

And for what?

You are capable of recognizing the most amazing emotion in life, embrace that.

A.J. NEWBERRY NEWBERAJ@MIAMIOH.EDU

Don’t take any offense to this, but your friends are fucking idiots when it comes to all things love related.

You don’t just “get over” love. I’m here to validate that twinkle in your

eye and that pep in your step.

Love is a complicated thing, but when you find someone who makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, you have to run toward that and run

toward that with open arms.

Embrace the love, Angela TMSASKANGELA@GMAIL.COM

Trump’s budget proposal puts the Great Lakes in danger ENVIRONMENT

JACK EVANS

MANAGING EDITOR

Before I made the decision to pack up my life and come down to school in the soyfields of Southwest Ohio, I lived in Michigan, like so many other students here.

I love my home state. We have the largest state park and forest system in the country. We have more coastline than any other state but for Alaska. We border four of the five Great Lakes (more than anywhere else) and have over 11,000 inland lakes — second only to, again, Alaska.

In fact, Michigan holds so much water that at any point in the state, you can never be more than six miles from either a lake or the coast.

Pretty much every drop of water in Michigan, whether bubbling forth from crystal springs in the Upper Peninsula or trickling out of a manufacturing plant and into the Rouge River, eventually ends up in a Great Lake.

For a while in Michigan’s history, and consequently the history of the rest of the Great Lakes region, this manufacturing trickle — or dumping, rather — did serious harm to the waters and the communities and ecosystems that relied on those waters.

Lake Erie, Ohio’s little slice of the Great Lakes, was especially hard hit. Time magazine declared the lake a “giant cesspool” in 1969 due to primarily large amounts of untreated sewage entering the water.

To solve these longtime problems — and to protect one of our nation’s most financially, culturally and environmentally critical ecosystems — the federal government created the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GRLI) in 2010. The program receives almost $300 million annually from the Environmental Protection Agency. This money goes towards cleaning up toxic incidents, combating invasive species and restoring wetlands, among other important efforts.

So here’s the kicker of this long-winded introduction: In the Trump administration’s most recent budget proposal for the EPA, annual Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding was slashed by 97 percent — $300 million to $10 million dollars. This is the single largest dollar-amount cut out of the 42 EPA programs slated for reduction.

This is a death blow to the life of the Great Lakes.

On a directly consequential scale, this act has the potential to condemn the natural wildlife

of the lakes to the dual-threat of toxic pollution and invasive species like the Asian Carp.

On a longer-term scale, this act affects the livelihoods of communities that depend on the quality and bounty of the lakes, which, due to the large amount of freshwater the Great Lakes supply to communities across the U.S., is a lot of different livelihoods.

Beyond the ecological damage likely to the region if the proposal passes, the politics of the move are befuddling. But for Wisconsin and Ohio (barely), every state in the Great Lakes region voted for Trump in the 2016 Republican primaries. The citizens in these states are often the heartland, downtrodden working men and women that Trump appealed to throughout his campaign. So many of these people — especially in Michigan —have strong ties to these beautiful, natural lakes. Why would he strongly alienate this potentially favorable voting block further?

And at the cost of a not-earthshattering $290 million dollars?

Contact your congressmen and representatives – I know I will – and let them know that these lakes and waterways are worth restoring.

EVANSJM4@MIAMIOH.EDU

13 OPINION

TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2017

EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

A response to a recent article in The Miami Student LETTER TO THE EDITOR

S.G. ALEXANDER GUEST COLUMNIST

The recent article in the Miami Student titled “ ‘Scaling Up’ the dropout rate for Physics department” by Alyssa Melendez asks the question “are Miami Physics professors intentionally making their classes unreasonably hard? Are they trying to weed people out?”

Ah, the weed out course; this myth has been around for at least forty years, and probably a lot longer. In fact, I remember invoking it myself during my first year of engineering school at Penn State back in the mid 1970’s. During term break, I remember my mother calling from the kitchen, “Stephen, would you come in here for a minute?” I knew that when she called me Stephen that she was likely upset. When I arrived, she was holding my grade report from the just finished term (in those days, parents received your grades in the actual mail). I already had a good idea what she was looking at: a B, a couple of C’s, and, yes, one even worse than that. She looked at me over the tops of her glasses and said, “what’s going on here? You were an honors student in high school and never brought home grades like this.” I tried to explain to her that the courses I was taking, Calculus, Chemistry, and Physics, were very difficult, and, echoing what I heard from other students, that these were wellknown “weed out” courses that are unreasonably hard and intentionally designed to limit the numbers of engineering and science majors. My mother didn’t respond right away, but she took off her glasses and looked right at me and said, “oh, I was not aware of that, but, if that is indeed the case, I suggest that you work quite a bit harder so that you don’t weed yourself out.”

Eventually I did take my mother’s advice, and I finally realized that increasing the level of my effort was the only way that I could succeed as an engineering major. I was able to graduate on time with a respectable,

yet quite unspectacular, GPA just above a 3.0. I applied for five entry level engineering jobs and received five very good offers. It was during the interviews for these jobs that I finally learned why the courses that we took were so damn difficult, i.e. “weed out classes.” More than one interviewer commented how much they liked to hire engineers from Penn State. The rigor of the program guaranteed that anyone who completed it really has acquired the necessary knowledge and skills to be a successful engineer that a company would be eager to hire. In short, the value of my recently acquired diploma was determined by the reputation of the quality of the program. A few years later, when I applied to Ph.D. programs in physics, I relearned this lesson. I applied to six programs and received six offers of admission, all with assistantships or fellowships.

At Miami, are the introductory courses that engineering and science majors take more difficult than high school courses or courses at some other college or university?

Yes, they most definitely are. Do all of the students who come to Miami to major in engineering or science pass these courses? No they don’t.

Why is that? The rigor of the program determines the value of the degree. Our goal is that when you leave Miami with your degree in hand that it will have a high value in the marketplace of jobs and/or graduate/professional school admissions.

Several points in the article require clarification or correction. The description of the SCALEUP format adopted here at Miami is not adequately described.

Prior to two years ago, all introductory physics classes were taught in a lecture format where students listened and took notes as the instructor covered the material and did example problems. The most frequent student comment that the department received during this time was, “I understand everything that you do in lecture, but when I try to do the homework problems, I don’t know where to start.” This represented a real problem for both

the instructors and students; exams consist entirely of problem solving – if students don’t know where to begin their homework problems, they surely will struggle with exams.

The Miami version of SCALEUP is based on the two premises: (1) learning physics is hard for most students, and (2) most students learn best by active participation in hands-on activities, especially problem solving. Our approach to SCALEUP is divided into three activities: Reading Assignments. Students are assigned to read a few sections from their textbook before class.

We realize that most students won’t completely understand what they have read – it is the rare student or professor for that matter, who can understand a new topic in science or engineering with the first reading. But, it is the necessary starting point.

In Class Work. The instructor briefly lectures on the most important topics from the assigned read-

lems, but as the class goes on, most are showing definite signs of beginning to understand the material.

Homework. Several problems covering the material from class and similar to the whiteboard problems are assigned for homework. Students may work on these independently or in groups. If they need it, students can get assistance on their homework from each other through an online student discussion site (Piazza.com) that we have set up.

In addition, our graduate teaching assistants staff a drop in help center where students can ask homework questions, and all of the instructors have office hours.

Does the Miami version of SCALEUP work better than our old lecture based format? That is a difficult question to answer. It would be nice if we had a set of students who could take the entire course in the lecture format. Then, we could wipe their minds clean, and have them repeat the course under the SCALEUP format and see if they

“Ah, the weed out course; this myth has been around for at least forty years, and probably a lot longer.”

S.G. ALEXANDER, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS

ing, concentrating on those ideas that are essential for applying the material to problems. Students then work in groups of three to solve problems on whiteboards or do lab activities. The purpose of this is to address the student comment “I understand everything that you do in lecture, but when I try to do the homework problems, I don’t know where to start.” We bring this step into the classroom where students who are confused can get help from their classmates, teaching assistants, and the instructor. This pattern of short lectures followed by a student activity is repeated for the entire class. All of us have noticed that students are typically baffled with the first few whiteboard prob-

do better. To date, we have had no volunteers to participate in this study. Most instructors agree that in a subject like physics, there are about ten percent of students who will excel and get A’s no matter what you do and about ten percent who will fail or withdraw no matter what you do. Jennifer Blue who does research in physics education is trying to determine if we are making a positive impact on those in between students who, with SCALEUP, may get B’s instead of C’s or C’s instead of D’s. Is SCALEUP a Harry Potterlike magic wand that can be used to wave over students’ heads and they will magically become educated in physics? No. Physics has always been and always will be very dif-

ficult to learn. There are no magic wands, only hard work. Our hope is that SCALEUP is a better way to attack the hard work part.

Final Grades in PHY191. The article states that for PHY191, “the class average is an F, over 10 percent of the students have dropped.” The data provided on the Miami registrar’s website shows this final grade distribution for PHY191 for fall semester 2016: 17% A, 31.5% B, 20.5% C, 8.5% D, 7.9% F, 14.5% with a course wide GPA of 2.48 which is in the C+/B- range. It should be noted that the Miami Bulletin defines a grade of C as “Satisfactory,” which we interpret as meaning that the student is adequately prepared to take any course having PHY191 as a prerequisite. While we don’t like the DFW numbers in the distribution, they are very typical of the other first year courses taken by engineering and science students at Miami, see e.g. CHM141 and MTH151.

Exam Format. In a perfect world, every physics class would have no more than about 30 students, and the instructor could give exams where students are required to solve problems and show all of their work, i.e. free response problems. In this perfect world, the instructor should be able to see the process by which the students arrived at each answer. In the real world of PHY191, we have almost 500 students for three instructors.

We would like to live in that perfect world, but we don’t. Over the years, we have experimented with many different exam formats: all multiple choice, multiple choice with partial credit, and a combination of multiple choice and free response.

Last fall, we got permission from our chair to use graduate teaching assistants to grade free response problems for exams, so this year we are giving exams that are 70 percent multiple choice and 30 percent free response. Many students are of the opinion that multiple choice questions trip them up: “I was frustrated with the multiple-choice exams, and that was the main thing that messed me up in the end.”

READ THE REST ONLINE AT MIAMISTUDENT.NET

Selectivity: The difference in a college degree ACADEMICS

CARLY BERNDT GUEST COLUMNIST

Two of the more-than-two consequences that comes with being a College of Arts and Sciences student at Miami that I have learned to accept are: 1) people will probably assume you are a Farmer student and 2) people will probably wonder why you are not a Farmer student.

Though I do not understand why this is, CAS students tend to get overshadowed by the intersection of Patterson and High.

After spending 3 years in the CAS, it is hard to not notice the impact of this overshadowing. While there are certain benefits that come along with being a CAS student, the appeal of the benefits that come with the “Farmer School of Business” title drove me to investigate pursuing an entrepreneurship minor.

I will preface this by saying that I knew I did not actually want an entrepreneurship minor; I have happily been in the philosophy and English (creative writing) departments for my three years at Miami.

That being said, “happily” does not necessarily mean “100 percent satisfied with everything all the time.”

I had noticed my complaints of the CAS were often met with, “Oh, we don’t have that” when posed to longtime Farmer students, and I wanted to test the truth value of that statement.

One of the major consequences– probably the major consequence– that comes with being a creative writing student is that there is not one student on this campus that does not think creative writing courses are “easy A’s.” This should not come as a shock to anybody

because it’s true. The only people I have met that haven’t succeeded in a writing course were people who straight up never came to class and/or didn’t do their work. Other than showing up breathing with your homework completed, you’re pretty much set.

There are a couple obvious issues with this circumstance. For starters, this sends the direct message that if you don’t have to put in effort, you shouldn’t while also directly disrespecting the department and the field.

Additionally, the students in the department are hurt, both by students who lack effort as well as by students who lack talent. One of the first things I noticed in my one-and-only-ever entrepreneurship course (ESP 101) is that every professor was honest about the selectivity and rigor of the program.

While the rigor of creative writing programs is not as much of a concern, the question of selectivity is where I take up issue.

If you ever competed in a recleague sport as a child, odds are you have received a participation ribbon or two in your lifetime. The issue that I’ve seen time and time again in the creative writing courses is similar to the issue of giving out participation ribbons insofar as it devalues and hurts those who actually excel in the subject. Additionally, this perpetuates the idea that failing is the single worst thing that can happen to a person (which it is not).

I believe part of this issue stems from the idea that creativity can’t be graded. I remember in elementary school being afraid that I would fail READ THE REST ONLINE AT MIAMISTUDENT.NET

GAGE SKIDMORE FLIKR CREATIVE COMMONS

Tomi Lahren fired from “The Blaze” after announcing pro-choice views POLITICS

HANNAH MEIBERS GUEST COLUMNIST

Tomi Lahren has been permanently suspended from Glenn Beck’s “The Blaze.” On March 17, the fiery conservative appeared on ABC’s “The View,” announcing her support of abortion rights. During the show, Lahren proclaimed, “You know what? I’m for limited government, so stay out of my guns, and you can stay out of my body as well.”

Lahren has avidly supported President Trump, and has even said to have been an “unofficial” adviser to Trump’s social media team during his campaign. She has given her unsavory opinion on topics such as Colin Kaepernick, the Women’s Marches, and even the Black Panthers. Her mighty roar has been heard all across the U.S., but Glenn Beck has finally silenced it. Or has he?

I have watched many of Lahren’s talks, rolling my eyes and biting my tongue. Growing up in a conservative household, I have been accustomed to doing homework with Fox News or “The Sean Hannity Show” playing in the background. However, I have grown to create my own opinions, neither left nor right, but simply empathetic.

As a college student, just as Lahren was a few years ago, I am striving to be the best I can be. Fresh out of the University of Nevada, Lahren began her search for an internship that suited her political knowledge.

She aimlessly applied to One America Network, but instead of being offered an internship, she was offered her own show. Lahren, just as her audience, should be very proud of this accomplishment. She did not buy into her career, she earned it.

For this reason, I cannot shame Lahren for her hard work. However, I can easily direct your attention to her online videos that have offend-

ed me on several occasions.

Nevertheless, Lahren is a powerful individual and has shown that she is fearless in times of distress. I admire this.

I find Lahren honest, even when announcing a personal libertarian opinion. I question The Blaze’s integrity more than Lahren’s. In my eyes, she seems to be but a puppet on a string, The Blaze as her puppet master. She forms her own opinions, but how often has she restrained herself on air or on Twitter because of the people behind the scenes? The answer could be any number between zero and a thousand.

I hope the best for Lahren as she journeys down this new road. Even if I don’t always agree with Lahren, I must commend her for her strength and unwavering determination. Congratulations, Tomi – for revealing your humanity.

MEIBERHL@MIAMIOH.EDU

Sports

SPORTS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

14

TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2017

Women’s hockey wins back-to-back National Championships Third ACHA D1 National Championship in four years HOCKEY

EMILY SIMANSKIS SPORTS EDITOR

Miami women’s hockey won the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) National Championship for the second year in a row on March 19 in Columbus. The back-toback championships add up to three ACHA D1 National Championship titles in the past four years for the RedHawks.

The No. 3 ‘Hawks defeated the No. 1 Liberty University Flames 4-1 in a victory marked by senior Emalee Wills’ strong goaltending and the game-winning goal from senior captain Kaley Mooney.

“In the championship game, I think we overcame a lot of adversity.

We were the underdogs for the semis and finals because we had lost to both of those teams during the season,” Mooney said. “In the semis and the finals, we really were all on the same page and all had one goal in mind, so we really came together as one unit and won when it mattered.”

The best of three quarterfinals series was a rematch of last year’s National Championship game between the determined RedHawks and the Grand Valley State University Lakers.

In the first game, Miami bur-

ied three unanswered goals in the third period to overcome a 2-1 deficit and claim the 4-2 victory. Miami squashed any of the Lakers’ hopes for a comeback in the second game, winning 2-1 on 45 shots to GVSU’s 18.

The No. 2 Adrian College Bulldogs waited for Miami in the semi-final game, knowing that they had swept the RedHawks in Oxford during the regular season. The Bulldogs’ confidence led to an early short-handed goal, though Miami would answer with a goal from freshman forward Ireland Mooney to tie the game.

Senior forward Katie Augustine would quickly follow Mooney’s goal with the game-winning goal to take a 2-1 lead. Adrian fought to counter but a goal from junior forward Alyssa Visalli and two from senior forward Rachael Booth put the game away 5-1. The win sent the RedHawks to the national championship game for the fourth time in four years.

“We knew that we lost to both of those teams prior, but we all were just so motivated and so together as one unit that we just knew that we weren’t going to lose those games if we all played together and for each other,” Mooney said. “It was a great attitude and great mood before the game.”

After decisive victories throughout the tournament, the RedHawks

were sluggish to open the championship game against Liberty University.

Goaltender Wills gave her team a chance stopping all 19 of the Flames’ shots in the first period.

The Flames found the back of the net first on a 4-on-3 power play in the second period, but junior defenseman Nicole Matthews nudged a loose puck past LU’s goaltender and sent the RedHawks into the second intermission with a 1-1 tie.

The RedHawks flew into the third period, outshooting the Flames 13-2.

The offensive pressure resulted in the go-ahead goal from Kaley Mooney and the Flames couldn’t phase Wills.

LU’s final push came after pulling their goaltender but senior defenseman Jordan Hanson halted hopes of a comeback with her empty net goal to make it 3-1 with 1:48 to go.

Kaley Mooney sealed the deal with another empty net goal and Wills stopped 28 of the 29 pucks she faced, as the RedHawks went on to win their third championship in four years.

Only one other ACHA program has won back to back championships.

“Our experience in the tournaments and our experience in big games with all the seniors and juniors that we have I think it was a big positive for us and something

PHOTO COURTESY OF MIAMI WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Miami Women’s Hockey celebrates their third ACHA National Championship title in four years. that we definitely leaned on when we had some tight moments or when we had some games that were closer than we wanted at that point,” head coach Scott Hicks said. “The moment wasn’t too big, we were able to play with poise and stick to our game plan

Baseball tastes defeat in first MAC series BASEBALL

COBURN GILLIES THE MIAMI STUDENT

In their first taste of Mid-American Conference play, the baseball team (5-16) were on the losing end of a three game series at home against Western Michigan University (11-9).

Despite winning the first game 4-3 in extra innings, Miami fell short in the final two by scores of 8-4 and 4-0.

The RedHawks came into the three-game set on a three-game skid, with a 3-7 mark over their last 10 games. Western Michigan, losing once before the series, posted a 7-3 record before seeing conference action.

Game one gave the ‘Hawks a familiar feeling as WMU struck in the first inning by way of a two-out, solo home run from senior third baseman Grant Miller, giving the Broncos a 1-0 advantage in the early going.

From then on it was a pitcher’s duel, with both sides vying for a spark as the contest progressed into its later stages. In the top of the sixth, the long

BRIANNA NIXON THE MIAMI STUDENT

The RedHawks lost two of the first three games of the MAC series to Western Michigan University, 8-4 and 4-0. ball made another appearance in sophomore-on-sophomore fashion.

This time, it was Western Michigan’s left fielder Nate Grys, touchingthem-all with a two run homer off MU’s sophomore starting pitcher

Shane Smith. This increased the Broncos’ lead to 3-0.

Luckily, this would be Smith’s last mistake, as the right hander pitched seven innings, giving up three runs, eight hits, while striking out four and

walking none.

“We got a good start from Shane,” manager Danny Hayden said. “He’s been consistent, but he was a bulldog today. He was awesome.”

Despite being down, the ‘Hawks weren’t out, though they needed runs. Answering the call for MU was the infield duo of Redshirt junior Ross Haffey and Redshirt senior Adam Yacek.

Haffey singled to left field to lead off the inning and found himself in scoring position after a WMU wild pitch. Yacek then ripped a single up the middle to drive home Haffey to make the score 3-1.

This sequence gave Miami the momentum they needed, and their fight for momentum came into fruition in the bottom of the eighth.

With runners at the first and third base and no one out, catcher Hayden Senger had an RBI bunt single to make the game 3-2. The score became 3-3 as sophomore centerfielder Dallas Hall scored off a wild pitch.

BASEBALL »PAGE 8

Club sports hustle: Club lacrosse player ‘Danger’ Baba CLUB SPORTS

MAX DAVIS

THE MIAMI STUDENT

In the newest rendition of intramural hustle, we move away from the intramural fields and over to their sexy next door neighbor, club sports. Club sports athletes gracefully walk that fine line between too good for intramural, and not quite varsity material.

Player Profile Name: Jonathan “Danger” Baba Year: Sophomore Sport: Club Lacrosse Position: Sideline Specialist Average Hair Length: Flowing, cut just below the ear Average 40 Time: 5.8 seconds

Team Motto: “It was a greaser!” and “Possession shot!”

This week, I had a chance to sit down with Jonathan “Danger” Baba, a sophomore defenseman for Miami’s club lacrosse team. As a semidetermined student-athlete, Baba took me through a week with the team, revealing all and sparing no one.

Unlike intramural teams, or at least I’d say the vast majority of intramural teams, club teams have practice several times a week (side note: for any intramural teams that have practices, do less). Club lacrosse practices are held every Tuesday and Wednesday from 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Naturally, practice actually begin around 7:50 p.m., when the majority of the team shows up.

“Practices are interesting, we usu-

ally have music playing on the loud speakers. Usually ‘Today’s Top Hits’ including Migos and Chance to name a few. Strangely, we split the field with Club Quidditch.”

At these practices, the team is led by a wholesome, charismatic coach who reminds you of your favorite, estranged Midwestern uncle (not the creepy one).

Baba comments, “He’s more of a Saban than a Meyer. Very supportive of all the players.”

After a half-lap that leaves many wheezing, the team breaks into individual stretches that do very little to minimize the chances of injury.

Passing drills follow, giving the team ample time to catch up with one another while avoiding stray balls.

The talent of the team is really showcased during the next part of practice, where the team runs sixes

-- essentially scrimmaging. Here, we see the team transcend the intramural level of competition, as we see the collection of former-prep-school stars break out old dodges and trick shots that leave ankles broken and defenders lost.

The team represents Miami in collegiate competitions against other schools and, for whatever reason, hosts these games at Mason High School.

“The speakers at Mason High School on opposite ends of the field are about five seconds out of sync on songs. It gives the other team pregame headaches -- they never see it coming,” Baba said of the team’s pregame mental strategy.

Consistent with Ohio weather, Baba finds trouble prepping for the

in tight situations and find a way.”

The six seniors on the team now wear three championship rings to commemorate their time at Miami.

“It was so exciting. One thing that HOCKEY »PAGE 8

NFL Free Agency grades NFL

NICK SCHLETER

THE MIAMI STUDENT

The free agency period in the NFL kicked off with the start of the league year a couple weeks ago on March 9.

It was the usual flurry of activity for the first 48 hours and things have since settled down. While teams continue to make moves, most of the big name signings are over (with a few exceptions).

It’s often said that winners of free agency are losers on the field, but ask a Bengals fan whether they have fun watching their team stand by idly March after March. I’m here to tell you which moves warrant excitement and which moves might get your GM fired (which I’m sure fans of some teams wouldn’t mind).

Tampa Bay Buccaneers sign DE Chris Baker and WR DeSean Jackson Grade: A+ It’s nearly impossible to build a team through free agency, but you can certainly solidify one. These are two great pickups by the Bucs. Bakers is a productive player and rock solid against the run who signed a three-year deal averaging $5.25 million per year -- a rare free agency steal. Jackson is still one of the most productive deep threats in the league and signed a reasonable deal.

GM Jason Licht behaved like a winner in free agency.

Philadelphia Eagles sign WR Alshon Jeffery Grade: A The Eagles went into free agency with gaping holes on the offensive and defensive perimeter. Signing the top WR on the market in Jeffrey was a good start to getting the young QB Carson Wentz some capable weapons. The reason this signing gets an ‘A’ is because Jeffrey was willing to sign a one-year proveit deal. Jeffrey has an injury history and was suspended at the end of

CLUB »PAGE 8

NFL »PAGE 8

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