October 28, 2016 | The Miami Student

ESTABLISHED 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016

Volume 145 №16

Miami University — Oxford, Ohio

Miami students decide to vote early, absentee

AT MU, A SPIKE IN DRINKING VIOLATIONS

Weighing the costs of casting a ballot in Ohio

ARRESTS, DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS INCREASE FOR THIRD YEAR IN A ROW

POLITICS

ALCOHOL

JACK EVANS

CARLEIGH TURNER

As the national presidential campaigns crank up the pressure in their final push for voters on November 8th many Miami students have decided to get the stress of voting over with early.

Miami has 6,057 domestic, out-of-state students across its Oxford and regional campuses, according to 2015 Miami Institutional Research. While these students are eligible to register to vote in Ohio, many members of this significant chunk of voters elect to fill out absentee ballots that allow them to vote as a member of their home state.

Early voting ballots, which include absentee ballots, as well as in-person early votes, already number at 6,003,292, according to The United States Elections Project. Total early voting could make up 34 percent of the vote this election season, estimates Michael McDonald, the founder of The Elections Project and associate professor of political science at the University of Florida.

Despite the large number of absentee voters nationwide, sophomore Nick Froelich said there are compelling reasons to vote here in

However, some feel that Cleveland is forgetting its long standing status as a downtrodden, cursed city.

“If Cleveland wins another championship this year, the city will completely lose its identity,” sophomore and Chicagoland resident Dylan Flanagan said. “I think the entire state of Ohio would implode if Cleveland suddenly becomes the city of champions.”

“Cubs fans, along with Blackhawks fans, are all bandwagon fans,” Passel responded. “Cleveland sticks with its teams through thick and thin, we deserve it so much more.”

However, after the Cubs 5-1 win and the Indians’ 6-0

If you are going to get in trouble at Miami University, it’s probably going to be for drinking alcohol.

Last year, Miami reported 856 liquor law violations that led to disciplinary action and 176 arrests due to liquor law violations, according to its Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

The numbers surpass last year’s 2014 totals, which included 794 disciplinary actions and 150 arrests. A year earlier, in 2013, Miami reported 643 disciplinary actions and 105 arrests.

Susan Vaughn, director of the Office of Ethics and Student Conflict Resolution, said she is not worried about the numbers increasing because they are not significant enough to show a trend.

“I’ve been here 32 years, and there’s no way to justify or explain increase or decrease,” Vaughn said.

Vice President for Student Affairs Jayne Brownell is not especially concerned about this year’s increase either, but does hope the report shows that Miami is holding students accountable for their actions.

“I think that there is a lot of

WORLD SERIES »PAGE 4

VIOLATIONS »PAGE 2

Humans of Oxford

In Cincinnati, a story of eviction

Students can now convert meal swipes

The girl in the red dress

Part 2 in a series

NEWS EDITOR

ABSENTEE »PAGE 2

THE MIAMI STUDENT

RYAN TERHUNE THE MIAMI STUDENT

Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs fans watch Game 2 of the World Series on Wednesday night at Top Deck bar Uptown.

Big C’s talk trash while baseballs fly SPORTS

BEN BLANCHARD SPORTS EDITOR

When touring Miami University’s campus, prospective students are told of the four Big C’s, cities that begin with C that send a high number of students to Miami. These cities, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Chicago account for a large percentage of Miami’s students.

Wednesday night at Brick Street bar, two of the Big C’s, Chicago and Cleveland, battled on the big screen in Game 2 of the World Series.

Cubs and Indians attire was widespread across the bar and campus, with both the Chicago and Cleveland “C” seen on countless baseball

caps.

A title has been a distant memory for generations on both sides, as the franchises combine for 176 seasons without a pennant victory.

For the Cubs, in their first World Series in 71 years and hoping for their first title since 1908, a series victory would mean the end of the “Curse of the Billy Goat” that has haunted Cubs fans for lifetimes.

“Chicago fans have been waiting literally 100 years,” sophomore and Chicagoland resident Will Malpede said. “The Indians don’t stand a chance.”

Following the Cubs’ 5-1 victory Wednesday night, the series is tied 1-1 heading back to Chicago.

“Definitely wish we

Cleveland, Chicago students clash over penant droughts could’ve won both at home,” sophomore and Cleveland resident Grant Passel said.

“But I’m still confident.

First the Cavs and now the Tribe, Believeland is going crazy and the Cubs have no chance of beating us.”

For Clevelanders, an Indians championship would continue an incredible year for the city. LeBron James led the Cavaliers to an NBA Championship over the Golden State Warriors and a 3-1 Finals deficit, ending the city’s championship drought across the NFL, NBA and MLB that began in 1964.

Everyone told her she was the lucky one. She’s going to her top choice university and her boyfriend is here with her.

She didn’t have to endure the college breakup. She’s so lucky.

What others deemed luck, she deemed social purgatory. The constant battle between wanting to see him, but not wanting to let precious moments that could be spent making new friends slip by.

The battle between comfort and the fear of the unknown.

He, on the other hand, was completely okay with throwing comfort by the wayside.

She texts him.

Four hours later, a re-

She walks toward him.

He is her boyfriend. She’s allowed to say hi. This is normal.

He sees her and frowns.

He grabs her gently by the arm, pulls her to the corner and whispers in her

NEWS p. 2

CULTURE p. 3

EDITORIAL p. 6

SPORTS p. 8

CITY OF OXFORD GRANTED FUNDS FOR NEW TRAIL

NINE THOUSAND FEET UP, THEN DOWN

PREPARING FOR AN AMERICA WITHOUT OBAMA

VOLLEYBALL ON THE CUSP OF HISTORY

A $750,000 OKI grant will help fund Phase II of the Oxford Area Trail.

The Student’s assistant culture editor jumped out of a plane to write this.

Eight years of scandalfree governance will be sorely missed.

RedHawks have a chance of beating the 1980 win streak record.

JULIA WILSON

THE MIAMI STUDENT

JAKE GOLD and JACK EVANS

THE MIAMI STUDENT

sponse.

“I think it’s best if we just spend time with other people. This is college.”

She had been at Miami University for two weeks and had seen her boyfriend only once. But he loved her, and she loved him. This was normal.

That Friday night, as she got ready with the two friends she had made since being at school, she put on a red shift dress and brown leather sandals. This was the outfit she would dance away her troubles in. Nothing bad could happen if she felt this pretty.

She walks through the entrance of the bar, her senses overwhelmed with pulsating music and neon lights. As she pushes her way through the masses to find a spot to dance, she sees him.

Fear fills her chest.

PEOPLE

DINING

COMMUNITY

“Thank you all for coming out today,” said John, Director of the Homeless Coalition.

It was one week since we had come to the building north of Liberty where residents were told they had less than two months to pack their bags and leave, and already the time was ticking away. John, Daulton and I sat on folding chairs outside the brick building with four residents. It was the end of a rainy afternoon, and we had caught the break in the storm.

In the week that had passed, the four residents had continued to search for housing they could afford and move into before an

In response to negative feedback about changes to the meal plan, students on the Diplomat meal plan can now convert some of their swipes into declining balances. However, most of these students will lose up to $1.50 per converted swipe.

“Our team is dedicated to serving you,” read a Dining Services email on Oct. 25.

“And as a way to say thank you for your patience this fall, we are providing you the opportunity to transfer [between 19 and 29] of your unused buffet meals to declining balance dollars.”

The number of swipes that a student may convert depends on their meal plan.

With a “Diplomat Minimum” meal plan, a student can convert 19 swipes, or $123.50 in declining bal-

EVICTION »PAGE 4

MEAL PLAN »PAGE 2

TESS SOHNGEN

OVER-THE-RHINE CORRESPONDENT

SCOTT O’MALLEY THE MIAMI STUDENT

ear.

She walks away as fast as she can, her face collapsing. She falls into the arms of her best friend and begins to sob.

The girl in the red dress is free.

WATCH THE NEW DOC ONLINE at miamistudent.net

2 NEWS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016

NEWS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

Ambassador and admiral speak to Miami students at Janus Forum POLITICS

JULIA PLANT

THE MIAMI STUDENT

Ambassador Wendy Sherman and Adm.l James Stavridis spoke to Miami University students and faculty Wednesday night in the semiannual Janus Forum.

The speakers were given the prompt: “What are the Foreign Policy Challenges Facing the Next US President?”

In response to the prompt, Sherman and Stavridis focused on six issues they believe will be the most important for the president-elect to address in office: the Islamic state, income inequality, relations with Russia, relations with China, relations with North Korea, and the growing presence of cyber in today’s world.

Stavridis spoke of the need for hard power when dealing with ISIS, stating that the United States will not negotiate the end of conflict with the Islamic state. Sherman recommended that instead of sending hundreds of thousands of US troops overseas, we should train the citizens of Iran to fight back against terrorism themselves.

Sherman recognized the growing income inequality internationally to be a rising problem. She believes it is the president’s job to focus on building the economy here in the US so we have continue to have economic power internation-

BETH PFOHL THE MIAMI STUDENT

Ambassador Wendy Sherman (left) and Adm.l James Stavridis (right) spoke on Wednesday night at the annual Janus Forum.

ally.

The speakers brought up concerns with both Russia and Putin’s desire to recapture the power of the Soviet Union. Both speakers agreed that there will never be a complete agreement between the United States and Russia, so compromise will be necessary.

“We should confront where we must, but cooperate where we can, because neither of us can afford to stumble backwards into the Cold War,” said Stavridis.

When it comes to China, Stavridis stressed the need to cooperate, especially when it comes to China’s powerful presence over the Philippines in the South China sea.

“The good news is there are places where we can work together,” Sherman said, emphasizing diplomacy with China.

The speakers also addressed the urgent problem of North Korea’s nuclear weaponry. The country has recently claimed that by 2020 they will have a weapon with the ability to reach the continental United States.

The speakers suggested that convincing North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons might be the only solution.

“This is an excruciatingly difficult challenge, much harder than the Iran negotiation because North Korea has nuclear weapons,” said

Oxford receives $750,000 for new trail COMMUNITY

JAMES STEINBAUER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The city of Oxford has received a $750,000 grant from the OhioKentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments to fund an additional section of the Oxford Area Trails.

The grant, which was secured last week but will not be in hand until 2019, will be matched by an additional $450,000 donated by the city, Miami University and local residents for an overall project budget of $1.2 million.

The dollars will cover the cost of plans and actual construction of a trail that will run from State Route 73 east of Oxford to Peffer Park, along U.S. 27 in the southern part of the city.

The new trail is only the second phase of a larger trail plan that will encircle Oxford like a wheel, acting as a highway between historic landmarks, neighborhoods and sites like the Black Covered Bridge, Talawanda High School and the Knolls of Oxford. “[The city] wanted to create a from absentee »PAGE 1

Oxford.

“Your vote counts more in Ohio,” said Froehlich, an executive member of College Democrats with extensive voter registration experience. “No Republican has ever won the presidency without the state of Ohio and Democrats have only done it twice — once with FDR’s third term and a second time with JFK.” The relative deciding-power of Ohio voters is perhaps the strongest reason to vote in Ohio instead of absentee. An analysis by the website WalletHub gave the Ohio voter a vote power score of 141.06 — fifth in the nation. This score was calculated through a combination of Fivethirtyeight’s win probabilities, the number of electors for a given state and that state’s population over 18.

from meal plan »PAGE 1

ance. A “Diplomat Standard” plan converts 24 swipes to $156 in declining balance. And the “Diplomat Premium” plan converts 29 swipes to $188.50 in declining balance.

Each student is reimbursed $6.50 per swipe converted. For first-year students on the Diplomat Premium Plan, this is equivalent to the per-buffet-meal swipe cost that they initially paid when they purchased their meal plan. However, on-campus students who don’t fall into this group will be losing between $0.56 and $1.50 per

recreational path that would connect the neighborhoods, major destinations like schools and all these other historical and recreational assets we have,” said David Prytherch, chair of the city’s planning commission. “So this trail is the wheel, but it’s also the spokes, because we want people to get out to the trail for alternative transportation in addition to recreation.”

The city is still working on the first phase of the trail -- which runs from the Black Covered Bridge to the Dewitt Cabin north of State Route 73 and is expected to be completed in 2017 -- so it has not yet hired an outside group to design the full plan.

Nonetheless, construction of the the new leg of the trail is tentatively scheduled to start and finish in 2019.

“Part of that depends on how accurate that $1.2 million is,” said Sam Perry, the Oxford city planner. “So it’s kind of a chicken-andegg situation where we didn’t want to spend $100,000 designing this and not get the grant. We got the grant and now we’re going to get a

detailed design in place.”

The money can also be spent to ensure that the natural environment is not negatively impacted by trail construction. Perry said one particular concern for the city is the Indiana Bat, which roosts in large trees such as oaks, maples and cottonwoods. The bat is listed as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and roosting trees can’t be removed during the bats’ hibernation period from October to April.

Oxford Mayor Kate Rousmaniere said there’s a correlation between having the city’s recreational spaces and economic development.

“Around the country and the state, Oxford is known as a really beautiful town. People love to come here and we want to keep encouraging that,” said Rousmaniere. “We don’t just want to be ‘Anywhere USA.’ We want to be the place people come back to.”

This article was produced in cooperation with patch.com, a community-focused website with content produced by Miami journalism students.

The issue of voting convenience has would-be student voters split on absentee ballots. Some don’t want to go through the process of re-registering to vote in a presidential election season that has frustrated them.

“I was discouraged because I didn’t think it mattered who got elected, regardless of the outcome.

I figured that I wouldn’t go through the trouble of de-registering in New Jersey and registering in Ohio,” said Lindsay Cerio, a sophomore. “It was [easy], even though I was pretty much undecided when I got the ballot. And then I had to make a quick decision and send it back in about a week.”

Others, like Froehlich, find in-person voting to be the easier route.

“First off, it’s so much easier to vote in person. You can just show up

— it takes about fifteen minutes. Usually, it’s at Shriver Center or Hamilton schools, it’s super easy,” said Froehlich. “Or, if you register to vote here, you can early vote and go to the Butler County Board of Elections and just get the whole thing over with.”

When asked about his voter registration experience, Froehlich, who has registered hundreds of voters this election season, said some students just use the claim of absentee voting to avoid him.

“Well, everybody says that they’re going to absentee vote, well at least everyone who decides not to register here,” said Froehlich. “They say ‘I’m going to send in a ballot by mail.’ I’m not too sure that they’ll actually do it because it is a longer process than voting in person. Many times, people just don’t want to talk to me.”

swipe through the conversion process, according to costs on Miami’s Dining Services website.

ASG passed a resolution in support of the swipe-to-declining-balance exchange program on Oct. 1.

“The administration is already taking big steps to respond to ASG’s feedback this year, and I’m thrilled that this option is available for students,” said James Oaks, ASG secretary for on-campus affairs. “I hope that this change will be the first step in making meal plans more convenient for students next year.”

The newly established Student

Dining Committee helped push these and other recent changes in response to student dissatisfaction with the Diplomat meal plan. In the past month, the Student Dining Committee helped return to-go pizza and salads to Bell Tower Place.

Miami University Dining Services founded the Student Dining Committee this year in order to help ameliorate student frustration with many of the changes to the meal plan. The committee includes representatives from the Miami Residence Hall Association, Associated Student Government and others.

Sherman, who played a vital role in passing the Iran deal.

Both speakers warned the audience of the growing presence of the cyber world, fearing an attack at the same level as 9/11 over the internet.

Sherman reminded the audience that there are no set norms when it comes to the internet, and it will be the next president’s job to help get up to speed with the increasingly cyber-dependent world.

Sherman and Stavridis were selected by the students of the Janus forum due to their vast experience in military and diplomatic fields in the US government.

Stavridis led the NATO alliance and global operations as Supreme

from violations »PAGE 1

myth or rumor or assumption made by students about how many people drink on campus and what happens to them,” Brownell said.

“I think their awareness about how many people (have received disciplinary action or been arrested) is a good thing for them to know.”

Miami’s Annual Security Fire and Safety Report, released Sept.

30, is federally mandated under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act. This act requires all colleges and universities receiving federal funding to submit an annual report about campus crime.

Miami’s numbers are collected by multiple agencies — including local law enforcement, residence life, the Office of Ethics and Student Conflict Resolution and the Division of Student Affairs — and reflect crimes that have occurred on Miami-owned property.

Violations that occur at fraternity houses or other off-campus locations are not included.

The report is considered a tool for prospective Miami students and their families who are looking for a snapshot of crime on campus. In addition to reports on arrests and disciplinary action related to alcohol use, the report discloses sexual assaults, drug violations, murders and robberies. In 2015, Miami had 21 reported sexual assaults, 121 drug law violations resulting in an arrest, zero murders and one robbery.

Vaughn said the numbers of students disciplined or arrested for liquor law violations are one of the least telling factors of what is happening on campus and should not affect students’ decisions to come to Miami.

“Numbers are the least influential part of any decision — whether to drink or go uptown or not,” Vaughn said. “It’s the visit to the campus on any given weekday or weekend. What are you seeing that’s going on here? Again, whether you’re arrested or not, what is the culture about on campus? It’s not about numbers.”

With 10,597 more students than Miami, Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, reported 106 fewer liquor law arrests than Miami for 2015. OSU, with 58,322 students, reported 200 arrests in that category; the University of Cincinnati, with 35,313 students, reported 25 arrests.

Vaughn said seeing an increase in arrests in Oxford is not necessarily a bad thing.

“Having a lot of arrests doesn’t mean [a community] is a bad community, it probably means [the community] is a really good community,” Vaughn said.

Capt. Benjamin Spilman of the

Allied Commander and served as senior military assistant to the Secretary of the Navy and the Secretary of Defense. After 9/11, he led Deep Blue, a naval think tank for innovation.

Sherman has served as the Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. She played a key role in passing the Iran Deal and was awarded the National Security Medal by President Obama.

With the presidential election quickly approaching, the Department of Political Science wanted to continue political discourse among Miami students, said student moderator and Miami senior Kirsten Fowler.

“Since 9/11, we’ve seen changes in the international arena in how countries interact with each other.”

Fowler said. “New threats have emerged, so the next president will face some particularly challenging things, and it’s interesting to hear an expert’s position on those things.”

Dr. Patrick Haney, chair of the Department of Political Science, said with this year’s strange election, all we have done is degrade the level of political discourse. “[The Janus Forum] was a real breath of fresh air to raise the level of discussion up, to be serious, to be in depth, and I think they accomplished that goal with flying colors,” said Haney.

Miami University Police Department said the number of students arrested or disciplined on Miami’s campus is relatively small, compared to Miami’s population of 18,620 students. And the numbers don’t necessarily reflect how many students are drinking on Miami’s campus, he said. But the numbers do represent how Miami police officers respond to situations that they observe.

“Our concern is making sure that people are safe.We take enforcement action primarily as a means to keep people safe,” Spilman said.

Andrea Nicholson, junior at Miami University and Delta Zeta’s vice president of programs, said she is embarrassed about how many students were being arrested for liquor law violations at Miami.

“I hear those numbers and as a student on Miami’s campus, I don’t want to be associated with that, nobody wants that to be that headline,” Nicholson said. “I’m shocked -- but at the same time not that shocked.”

Last week, Delta Zeta chapters across the country partnered with the Coalition of Higher Education Association for Substance Abuse Prevention on I Have a Choice, a national initiative to promote the dangers of irresponsible drinking.

Miami’s Delta Zeta chapter pushed the campaign via social media and recruited nearly 200 students to sign a pledge to drink responsibly. The pledge sheets was displayed outside the Farmer Business School building as a culmination to the initiative.

Nicholson said the numbers in the Clery report should be a wakeup call.

“I think that drinking on this campus is a huge issue, but it doesn’t become an issue until the arrests happen,” Nicholson said.

“It’s your choice. It’s your choice to make informed decisions and it’s your choice to drink responsibly.”

Brownell said it is important to consider the individual students represented by the numbers. Each arrest or disciplinary action significantly affects a student’s life. She hopes increased education efforts will help decrease negative consequences.

“There is always going to be a certain amount of curiosity and experimentation in college-aged students. I don’t think we will ever be at the point where those violations are zero,” Brownell said. “But I hope that we would be able to help students make more educated decisions, so that we do see these numbers go down.”

This article was produced in cooperation with patch.com, a community-focused website with content produced by Miami journalism students.

SHUMANDB@MIAMIOH.EDU

CULTURE 3

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016

9,000 feet up, then right back down: Skydiving with the MU Dropouts

ALISON PERELMAN THE MIAMI STUDENT

Alison Perelman took the opportunity last weekend to jump out of a plane with the MU Dropouts, Miami’s skydiving club.

ATHLETICS

ALISON PERELMAN

ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR

The door of the plane flies open and is pinned to the wing. The cold rushes in — somewhere below 20 degrees.

“Okay, Alison, swing your feet out,” Scott shouts over the noise of wind and the engine.

I bring my legs around and out from under myself. My right leg gets caught by the winds and I jerk it back. Why did I not think about that happening? I tell myself to focus on the small platform, left leg now.

Breathe. I don’t feel my heart pounding. Maybe it has stopped completely. This is it, the moment it becomes real. I’ve been waiting for it to hit me and it finally has. I probably look terrified.

I am no longer aware of my actions. It’s as if the connection between my brain and muscles has been numbed, and things are simply happening around me. My hands are guided to the harness — hold on.

My head tilts back. Breathe. What am I about to do? Thumbs up. Lean forward, rock back and down.

----We pile into the van — me, Noah, Mom, Nana, Britton and even her dog, Indy. I’m the only one here to skydive. The rest are just part of the audience.

Scott, one of the divers who works at Skydive Warren County, drives us back to the base. I feel anxious, maybe butterflies. I’m almost fidgety, distracted. I’m not paying attention to the questions my nana asks or the answers Scott gives. But it still hasn’t hit me yet.

I fill out a few pages of paperwork, sign my life away. Then I stand around to wait for further instruction.

Nate Mara, president of the MU Dropouts club, is here — he arranged the whole thing for me. The Dropouts are Miami’s skydiving club. Mara, or another exec member, comes out just about every weekend for members of the club to jump. The group also periodically takes trips to Chicago to experience indoor skydiving in a wind tunnel.

Two other students are here to jump for their first time, sophomores Adrianne Miller and Saif Alnuaimi.

The two faces of Eric Andre TELEVISION

DEVON SHUMAN CULTURE EDITOR

With his collar propped up and his hair lazily arranged in frazzled cornrows, comedian Eric Andre sits across from a petrified Haley Joel Osment and reads from the notecards on his desk.

“Now you tweeted out, ‘Not only am I not a Scientologist, but I challenge their s***bag legal team to come at me guns blazing,’” he says before gesturing to his co-host, Hannibal Buress. “Now Hannibal agrees, but I stayed out of that one.”

The look on Osment’s face, a mix of confusion, shock and pure terror, echoes what many viewers think when they’re first exposed to Andre’s show — What the heck is going on?

These sorts of insane interviews

are commonplace on “The Eric Andre Show,” Andre’s parody of lowbudget, public-access talk shows.

Through secret techniques that they refuse to reveal until the show is finished, Andre and Buress score interviews with major celebrities — Jimmy Kimmel, Howie Mandel, T.I., to name just a few — and then do whatever they can to make their guests as uncomfortable as possible.

From pulling out firearms and asking his guests if they’re “into guns,” to stripping down completely and chasing them around the set, nothing is off-limits for Andre. He will even regularly demolish his comically cheap set in an effort to catch his victims off guard.

The other half of his show features Andre publically pranking ANDRE »PAGE 5

“I don’t like waiting,” Miller says.

Her sleeve consumes her hand and covers her mouth as she bounces between feet, but she claims to be excited.

“I’ve always wanted to do it.”

Alnuaimi sits alone, eating what appears to be a full breakfast meal from Pulley diner. This doesn’t seem like a great idea to me for someone who’s about to jump out of a plane.

I had only a banana earlier.

Scott calls us over for training.

We gather around, listening and mimicking motions as he explains how to jump, fall, pull the parachute and land. It all seems simple, but I worry that I won’t remember any of it once I’m out of the plane, plummeting toward the Earth.

The three of us get geared up to go — wind suits, harnesses, gloves, altimeters, goggles. Adrianne goes first, and then it’s my turn.

I do a quick interview for the camera that will capture everything once we’re in the air. We walk over to the plane, and I realize now that I actually want to do this.

The engine roars and wind from the propeller whips under the wing where I stand. But then the pilot says we have to wait for the clouds

to clear so there’s visibility.

We head back to the warmth of the building and wait. And wait.

And wait and wait and wait.

I sit with my family and stand under the propane heaters, check the sky outside and check again, watch as a second big group goes through their training. I notice our names on a TV screen with our ETAs. Mine reads 45 minutes.

The minutes go by but soon jump back up to over an hour. I get asked twice if I want to take the harness off — no, I’m pretty comfortable and it’s keeping me warm.

But the excitement has faded away. Even my anxiousness is gone.

I’m just pissed. Why do I have to wait so long? I don’t even want to go skydiving anymore.

Eventually, I take off the gear and glare up at the still partly cloudy sky. I pace around, trying to decide what to do. I’m ready to leave and forget it. I look around and notice that almost everyone else has. Then the woman at the desk finally says there’s a good chance.

I gear up again and we get the okay.

I clamber into the plane, squished on the floor next to the pilot. Now

I’m nervous.

The plane rattles as it makes its way across the grass. I keep my head down, waiting for takeoff. The familiar flip in my stomach tells me we’re off the ground.

I look out the window and then at my altimeter — still 8,000 feet up to go.

I can feel the temperature change in the tips of my fingers and toes. At 5,000 feet, Scott starts to strap us tightly together. I focus on breathing.

----We somersault, the world turning, upside down for just a second.

Then we fall through the sky. But it doesn’t feel like falling — my stomach doesn’t drop, I don’t wake with a jolt. The air resistance holds us up, guiding us as we speed toward the ground.

I don’t close my eyes, but I don’t see anything either. Everything is a blur of white and blue.

It’s as if I’m outside of my own body, my brain making its own decisions — the surge of adrenaline SKYDIVING »PAGE 5

Humans of Oxford Feng Peiheng: From China to the United States PEOPLE

ALYSSA MELENDEZ THE MIAMI STUDENT

From Beijing to Oxford.

From Feng Peiheng to Penny.

From cube buildings with six floors below ground-level and flat rooftops to red-brick buildings with sloped roofs and only one floor underground, if that.

From a busy city with 12 million people to a quiet town with just over 21,000.

From days of checking out grocery items and being met with a blank stare and silence to the cashier who actually takes an interest in your life and says, “Hi, how are you doing?”

DANIELA MUNOZ PERALES THE MIAMI STUDENT

Feng Peiheng has overcome many cultural differences while transitioning to Miami.

From the familiar stir fry and rice to an endless supply of pizza and what looks like mashed potatoes, but you don’t know because it looks too gross to try.

From a place where you fit in and

have the same look as everyone else to a place where you’re the outcast.

From a culture where it’s typical to keep a distance between peoPEIHENG »PAGE 5

‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’ a step in the right direction for YA film FILM

KIRBY DAVIS

THE MIAMI STUDENT

“Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” follows a pretty basic Young Adult book-to-film formula.

But it has just enough impressive acting and stunning visual effects to prevent it from floundering like most YA adaptations before it (e.g.

“The 5th Wave,” “Beautiful Creatures,” “City of Bones” and “The Maze Runner”).

This one is based off Ransom Riggs’ 2011 bestseller of the same

name. Our protagonist is Jake (Asa Butterfield), a bored Florida teen with detached parents and no friends, who finds solace in his grandfather’s company and the man’s aging tales. His grandfather speaks of a home off the coast of Wales that he spent time in during the 1940s; the house allegedly protected children with magical powers (“peculiars”) and was run by a mysterious matriarch named Miss Peregrine (Eva Green).

When the old man is mysteriously and gruesomely killed, Jake’s father (Chris O’Dowd) accompanies

his son to this remote island for closure. Jake discovers that the house exists after all, and so do its storied residents. In addition to Miss Peregrine, there’s a girl who controls fire and a boy who brings inanimate objects to life, as well as Emma (Ella Purnell), Jake’s love interest.

They live in a “Groundhog Day”style loop that traps them in Sept.

3, 1943 forever. Living in the loop protects them from a wicked clan of outsiders (led by Samuel L. Jackson’s Barron) hunting them down. When their blissful isolation is threatened, the “peculiar” gang

teams up with Jake to fight back.

Since “Miss Peregrine’s”’ source material is a YA novel (it’s currently dominating Barnes & Noble’s Teen section), I can’t condemn it for not being scary enough. Tim Burton’s directing elevates this could-be childish tale to a dazzling, innovative one.

I’ve never been a huge Burton fan, but I can’t think of anyone who could do a better job directing this film. It strikes a satisfying balance between reality and fantasy, and it’s borderline silly without going overboard on cringe-inducing humor.

The cast helps. Besides Butterfield’s stilted American accent (which I can’t even knock, because the film does so itself at one point), he holds his own against a delightfully dark Green and a loony Jackson.

Ella Purnell is also solid as the enigmatic, blonde-wigged Emma.

Her “peculiarity” is the ability to fly.

In addition to acting as Jake’s love interest, she serves as a guide for Jake in unraveling the mystery surrounding his grandfather, Miss PerPEREGRINE »PAGE 5

4 FYI

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016

FOR RENT Named the Best College Newspaper (Non-daily) in Ohio by the Society of Professional Journalists.

James Steinbauer Editor-in-Chief

Emily Williams Managing Editor

Carleigh Turner Web Designer

Kyle Hayden Design Editor

Abbey Gingras Social media coordinator

Audrey Davis, Jack Evans, Megan Zahneis News Editors Devon Shuman Culture Editor

Natalie Utt Business Manager

Elizabeth Hansen, Alison Perelman Assistant Culture Editors

Ali Hackman Assisstant Business Manager

Maddie LaPlante-Dube, Graham von Carlowitz Opinion Editors Joey Hart Assistant Opinion Editor Ben Blanchard Sports Editor

Charles Cucco, Mike Coutre Advertising Representatives James Tobin Adviser Drew Davis Business Adviser WDJ Inc. - Bill Dedden Distributor

Renee Farrell Photo Editor

Cartoonist

Senior Staff Writers

Photography Staff

A.J. Newberry

Maggie Callaghan Laura Fitzgerald Hailey Mallendick Bonnie Meibers Morgan Nguyen Mary Schrott Tess Sohngen

Angelo Gelfuso Beth Pfohl Brianna Nixon Daniela Munoz Perales Darshini Parthasarathy Jalen Walker Ryan Terhune Scott O’Malley Tyler Pistor Whitney Reddan

Designers Will Fagan Katie Hinh

Opinion Columnists Madeleine LaPlante-Dube Graham von Carlowitz Kyle Hayden

Sports Columnists Jack Reyering Ryan McSheffery

Website: For advertising information: Send us a letter?

www.miamistudent.net miamistudent@gmail.com eic@miamistudent.net

The Miami Student (Tuesday/Friday) 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.

Read more online

STUDIOS AVAILABLE 2ND SEMESTER Affordable fully furnished studios. Amenities include: ALL utilities including wireless internet & cable, parking, & on-site laundry. $2,600.00.

Call 524-9340 for a tour. www.plumtreemiami.com GREAT LOCATION University and Withrow, ’17-’18 school year, permit for 4, 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, living room, kitchen, washer/ dryer in basement, central air, garage. $3800/person/semester 812-350-4357

18 WOODRUFF IN MILE SQUARE. 4BED/1BATH. 3 blocks from High St. Washer/ dryer. Driveway/Garage. $2750/ PP per semester ’17-’18. 440867-8317

APARTMENTS ROBERTS APARTMENTS Great Location! 200 Block of North Main and Beech Streets.

1 and 2 Bedroom Apartments available for 2017-2018. Website: www.roberts-apts.com Email: info@roberts-apts.com 513-4611165 and 513-839-1426 from world series »PAGE 1

on one thing.

“It sucks that neither game was close,” Malpede said. “While I’ll obviously take it if we’re the one on top, I hope the next few games are closer and more fun to watch.”

“Definitely agree with that,” Passel said. “Nobody wants to watch a blowout.”

The World Series continues tonight at 8:08 p.m. with Game 3 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The game will be broadcast live on Fox.

at miamistudent.net

Miami University and Community Federal Credit Union Proudly Serving Miami University and the Oxford Community Since 1969

Offering Remote Deposit Capture

MIAMISTUDENT.NET

ROOMMATE NEEDED LOOKING FOR 1 FEMALE ROOMMATE ROOMMATE NEEDEDFOR2NDSEMESTER. TENANT WILL HAVE HER OWN BEDROOM AND SHARE A FULL BATHROOM WITH ONE OTHER FEMALE. SPACIOUS FLAT WITH LARGE KITCHEN AND LIVING ROOM. ALL UTILITIES, CABLE & INTERNET ARE INCLUDED. OFF STREET PARKING. RENT IS $2,450.00 PER SEMESTER. FOR MORE INFO CALL: 513.524.9340.

WWW. PLUMTREEMIAMI. COM

from eviction »PAGE 1

October 31 deadline. They had less than five weeks.

“The new manager said [he] doesn’t accept Section 8 housing, so you have two months to move,” said Earl, one of the four residents.

“Even saying that is actually illegal,” said John.

Also illegal is the claim made by managing company Brickstone, the managerial branch of Model Group, that they cannot turn on the heat because the copper and metal had been ripped out and taken to be sold by someone who broke in two years ago, according to the residents.

Earl said he and the other residents had to buy fans to stay warm in the winter, but even that didn’t keep out the cold.

“They don’t respond to nothin’,” said Birdie. “Nothin’ but the rent.”

“I just asked a simple question: ‘What day did I move in?’” said Cat. “They said they were gunna call me back but...”

“No, they’re not going to call you back. They just want you to leave,” Earl said to her.

“We didn’t think they could come up here and do what they’re doing, but they did. So what do we do now?” said Birdie. “We’re all sick.

Why are you doing this to us?”

One of the residents had to go back inside to take her medicine.

Her leg was giving her so much pain that tears threatened to escape her eyes. But she wouldn’t let them.

She wouldn’t accept help heading back inside, either — she had done it plenty of times and could still do it now. She leaned heavily on her cane as she climbed the steps up to the door.

The building has no elevator, and every resident has to climb the steps just to reach the front door. Birdie also moved slow, especially up the steep steps to her apartment at the back of the building. An ambulance comes by almost every week to pick up Cat and drop her back off with new medication. She calls Earl when she returns to help her back into the building. Earl, despite his able-body

appearance, suffers from chronic asthma, diabetes and kidney disease.

“You know they’re talking about you, too,” said Birdie. She makes eye contact with me and squeezes her lips together, all her wrinkles digging deeper into her skin.

The manager from Brickstone came around the building asking if people had been harassing her or the other tenants. Harassing?

Miss Birdie said there had been nothing of the kind. The manager asked if she had talked to the people who had been coming around the apartments.

“I said I haven’t talked to them since, even though I have,” said Miss Birdie, giving me a wink and toothless smile.

John smiled.

“What do the four of you want — if you got what you wanted?”

Josh asked.

“More time,” said Miss Cat. “I’d rather move,” said Earl.

“This is my first apartment that I’ve bought in my entire life. I came in and I stayed.”

And after 32 years of keeping to himself and calling this place home, Earl is ready to move on but not without standing up for his home and those who shared it.

“I want to be in a place I know I’m going to be ‘til the day I die, so I don’t have to go through this or something like this ever again.”

Birdie was not ready to give up her home just yet.

“I didn’t come in to get put out,” she said.

“Each person needs to do what’s best for each individual person, but I’m confident that people tend to get better offers by sticking together. I don’t think you’ll lose anything by holding out,” said John.

In the current state of the building and resident leases, Brickstone could not evict them by Oct. 31, said John. Before Model Group could legally evict the residents, the company would have to review the current leases, file a letter of eviction and then go through the legal procedures if the residents refused to leave or concede to a new lease.

“When you play a game of cards you don’t show all your cards at once… If this group wanted to… this group could say, ‘yeah, rehab the building for us,’” said John.

Before the rain came back, we packed the folding chairs in Daulton’s car and bid the three residents goodbye. Birdie teased Cat, who then tried to hit her with her cane. Earl shook his head, but they were all smiling.

John was no stranger to working with Model, trying to stop the company from evicting residents and changing affordable housing into market-rate apartments.

Never had the Coalition been successful in the fight to allow residents to keep their homes. But this time would be different. John had a plan, one he had never attempted before, and the wheels were just beginning to turn.

Please recycle this newspaper when finished

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:

RA

IO

D

E

N

E • F

M I AM I U A ND C O M N

S ITY ER I V UN I T Y M

U L C REDIT

N

improving lives everyday

5120 College Corner Pike • 420 Wells Mill Dr. (513)523-8888 • (513)529-2739 • www.muccu.org MUCFCU is not a legal entity of the University

21 Lynn Ave ste102 next to Oxford Spirits

WWW.MIAMISTUDENT.NET

5

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016

FROM HOCKEY»PAGE 8

standing,” Blasi said. “Coach Brekke does a great job with the penalty killers, and our

schemes and system are very aggressive. I think if you’re a hockey player, you want to play that style, and guys have bought into our system. We’ve

seven touchdowns and 1064 yards.

Junior defensive back Jason Beck and freshman defensive back Vince Calhoun have been EMU’s biggest defensive anchors so far this cam-

paign. Beck has 64 tackles while Calhoun has added 48 tackles and two interceptions.

MU is currently on an eight game win streak versus Eastern Michigan.

Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and will be streamed live on ESPN3.

FROM SKYDIVING »PAGE 3

FROM PEIHENG »PAGE 3

forces me to open my mouth, making me want to exclaim my sudden awe and joy, until I quickly realize that’s not a good idea.

I almost miss Scott’s signal, even though it’s right in front of my face. Then I notice him pointing to the altimeter and move both hands to grab for the safety-orange toggle by my hip. I find it and pull.

We’re quickly jerked upright, suspended and floating through the air. I suddenly feel like myself again.

“Alright, you can take your goggles off so you see more clearly.”

I pull the goggles down to my neck and look around. I let out a laugh. “Oh my god!”

“So what’d you think, Alison?”

“That was incredible. I can’t believe I just did that.”

I can’t think of any other way to describe what had happened in the past 30 seconds.

As we glide down to the ground, Scott points out things that are just tiny spots to me. I look around in wonder at the blue horizon that seems so close and the patches of green and brown beneath my dangling feet.

And, whether from adrenaline or wind, or both, I can’t stop smiling.

ple to a culture where closeness is accepted and, in a sense, craved.

From never playing a sport in your life to joining the badminton club.

From the comfort of being taught in Chinese to the inconvenience of being taught in English and being forced to understand the difference between whether and weather.

From a place where major changes are not allowed to a place where you can explore any and everything that interests you.

From a place where scientists aren’t treated well to a place where they are.

From having your parents pay for everything to being responsible for the bills of your own tuition.

From a message on a screen to a reality.

This is what it was like for Feng Peiheng when she moved to Miami University.

Where she came from and where she is currently are two entirely different planets. But she’s happy where she is now.

FROM FOOTBALL»PAGE 8

Recycle this newspaper when finished.

Send us a letter! at editorial@miamistudent.net

Read more online at miamistudent.net

been able to get to pucks and make life difficult for opposing power plays, and that’s a direct result of buying in and sacrificing for each other.”

The puck drops in Steve “Coach” Cady Arena 7:35 p.m.

Friday and 7:05 p.m. Saturday.

Fans are encouraged to wear costumes in celebration of

Halloween weekend. Friday’s game will be broadcast live on Fox College Sports, and Saturday’s tilt can be streamed at NCHC.tv.

FROM FIELD HOCKEY »PAGE 8

ing game. That’s the only game we know how to play.”

The RedHawks are coming off a two-win weekend against nonconference opponent Appalachian State and MAC opponent Ball State. OU comes off last weekend with a double-overtime loss to Kent State, a MAC opponent, and a loss to non-conference foe Michigan State.

If the RedHawks win on Satur-

day, they’ll secure second place in the MAC standings. If they lose, they’ll tie with OU for second. Regardless, Miami enters the weekend knowing that it will play in the tournament.

Saturday will also recognize the team’s five seniors, goalkeeper Alysa Xavier, forwards Geagy Pritchard and Carla Romagosa, midfielder Megan Moody and back Kelsi White, for their contributions.

246 kills on the year.

The RedHawks come into the weekend fresh off two of its best defensive performances of the year, as they held University of Toledo and Ball State University to a .093 attacking percentage in six sets of action last weekend.

The back line is led by junior libero Maeve McDonald, who was named Miami Athlete of the Week. The defensive specialist tallied 30 digs, averaging five per set. Even more impressively, she finished with only

one reception error in 29 attempts for a .966 reception percentage.

“We are trying to be consistent and focus on our side of the net. We need to have that mindset going into a big match like this,” McDonald said.

Miami now puts it all on the line in what may be the most important weekend of the regular season, as the RedHawks look to set a new school record and take down their fiercest conference rivals in their upcoming doubleheader at Millet Hall.

I can work hard and not exercise and all this stuff,” he said. “You know, it’s an unsustainable way of living.”

This commitment to personal well-being is essential to Andre’s success on his show. Despite the program’s deliberately unpolished aesthetic, making it is a “long, grueling, hellish” process.

While shooting, Andre and his team often work 18 hours a day, seven days a week. They have to plan out 150 bits, enough for 11 episodes — and that’s all before actually shooting and editing.

“People don’t realize how much work goes into it,” he said, with a hint of exhaustion in his voice.

“It’s funny how hard it is to put so much work into making something look shitty… But I wanna show people how goddamn hard it is to make this show. It’s really a nightmare.”

In fact, after wrapping up the fourth season of his show, Andre sees the New York Comedy Festival as a welcome respite from the trials of filming.

“The New York Comedy Festival is easy, man,” he said. “I just show up and tell jokes.”

To aspiring comedians, Andre suggests going to clubs and seeing what other comedians are doing, but he also notes the importance of exposing yourself to new ideas outside of comedy, from music, literature, art and travel.

Most importantly, however, he says you must be willing to “face your fears,” citing Louis C.K. and Richard Pryor as all-time great comedians because of their ability to be vulnerable on stage.

Although he may seem comfortable and in control on his show, Andre is facing his fears every day on set.

“I’m nervous probably every single segment I do,” he said.

“There’s never a time I’m not nervous shooting the show. It’s very hard.”

The first three seasons of “The Eric Andre Show” are available on Hulu, while the fourth season can be viewed on Adult Swim.

Andre will be performing at the New York Comedy Festival Nov 1-6.

FROM PEREGRINE »PAGE 3

and Miami went on to best Missouri State in the semifinals but lose to Kent State in double overtime in the finals.

“We have to go out to win the game, with the mentality that we need to win the game in order to get the second seed in the tournament,” Puzo said. “And just be persistent in attack and play the passFROM VOLLEYBALL »PAGE 8

huge rivalry game. The Huskies ended the RedHawks’ season 11 months ago with a 3-1 win in the MAC semifinals.

NIU boasts the reigning MAC West Defensive Player of the Week, senior middle blocker Jenna Radtke.

Over the past weekend, she averaged three kills and 1.12 blocks, finishing with a .400 attacking percentage. Senior outside hitter Mary Grace Kelly is the Huskies’ primary offensive weapon, as she leads the team with

FROM ANDRE »PAGE 3

people in New York City. Like his interviews, these pranks are wild and surreal, aiming to garner over-the-top reactions from the citizens he interacts with. In one episode, he dons police riot gear and runs frantically around, asking for directions and pleading with random passersby: “Please, help me! Have you seen a bunch of guys dressed just like me?”

In many ways, Andre’s noholds-barred, on-screen persona is a manifestation of the Freudian id. He’s loud and abrasive, and though much of his material is clever and calculated, it often takes on an air of utter randomness.

Which is why, when I had the opportunity to join Andre on a conference call to promote his upcoming appearance at the New York Comedy Festival, I was surprised to discover that in real life, Andre is very much the opposite of the character he depicts. Periodically, his bizarre humor broke through, such as when his connection dropped and the moderator asked if he could hear him.

“Yes, I can, you sweet little onion,” Andre replied.

But for the most part, the Eric Andre I listened to was calm and collected, endowed with a serious commitment to his work and nothing like his outlandish character.

“I think there’s the kind of misconception or the romanticization that, like, an artist has to be, like, all dysfunctional and on drugs,” Andre said. “I think the opposite is true, at least for me…

The more I take care of myself, the better, the more creative I feel.”

Andre says that in order to stay prepared and keep good care of himself, he meditates twice a day, exercises daily and sees a therapist at least once a week. He also ensures that he eats three meals a day and gets eight hours of sleep a night.

“I used to, you know, be really hard on myself and sleep a few hours a night and skip lunch so

egrine’s house and himself.

While the story’s historical allegories are a little heavy-handed (it’s 1943 Europe and the monsters hunting the kids are called “hologasts”), it’s the historical context that helps ground the far-fetched plot. The most terrifying villains in “Miss Peregrine’s” aren’t the eyeless gang of monsters after the kids but the Nazis bombing their house.

This film had me gripped until the climax, when it dissolves into candy-coated, cartoonish lunacy.

As you can imagine, the kids band together to use their collective powers against the bad guys. The outcome is unsurprising and disappointing considering the creative scope of the rest of the story.

“Miss Peregrine’s” may not function well on its own as a horror/fantasy hybrid. But if you take into account the fact that it’s based on a relatively juvenile story, it’s enchanting enough to overlook its predictability. Plus, breaking from current tradition, there aren’t any sequels in the works to exploit the story for more than it’s worth.

There is a market for YA adaptations, but it peaked at 2012’s “Catching Fire” and has been on a steady decline ever since in both quality and box office success.

“Miss Peregrine’s” can’t singlehandedly revive the YA film adaptation genre, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Please follow us on twitter Recycle this newspaper when finished.

@miamistudent

6 OPINION

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016

EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

In his final days, we have Obama nostaliga The following piece, written by the editorial editors, reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board.

R

egardless of your thoughts on President Obama’s politics, there’s no doubt that the guy is, put simply, just really cool. He has the casual air of the law professor at University of Chicago, where he worked before his presidency. He has an ability to connect with people through speaking skills that rival JFK’s and he gives the American people a sense that they matter to him.

And in the final weeks of his presidency, we at The Miami Student are getting Obama nostalgia.

We’re going to miss him because of his personality. Before Obama, there was a general rule that presidents could not be funny lest they put the seriousness of their politics in jeopardy.

Not Obama. He’s been on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” “SNL” and “Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis.”

He’s cracked savage jokes at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, sent the first tweet from the Oval Office and created some-

We’re going to miss Obama because of the way he cared visibly about the state of the country.

what of a communication legacy.

He’s set an almost unfollowable precedent in terms of connecting to the American people: by speaking effortlessly, honestly, bluntly, humanely and without script about issues facing all Americans, not just certain groups of them.

In a way, he’s created a new challenge for both of America’s presidential candidates in the upcoming election. One speaks bluntly, but in a way that has alienated much of the American public.

The other avoids alienation, but in a way that does not “wow” the American public like Obama’s soaring “Yes, we can” rhetoric.

We’re going to miss Obama because of the way he cared visibly about the state of the country.

He cried during his speech about gun control and the Sandy Hook shootings back in 2012, and again in January of this year in a speech about gun control. He has the ability to connect with his audience on a human level, coming across

The dip: You need to learn how to fail in order to succeed LIFE

MICHAEL STEMMLER THE MIAMI STUDENT

I’ve written some shit. Not from the perspective that I have written a lot, but, on a few occasions, I have sat down to write and my laptop started to smell like the feces I was scribbling down on the paper.

I knew there was no way I could actually try to publish these, let alone dare to show them to my editor, because who would want to read a rant about Harris Dining Hall, the time I sprayed an RA with Febreze or even a careful evaluation of why all the outlets in my dorm face downward (spoiler: it’s because whoever designed them hated the ideas of convenience and ease of access).

With all these articles — first written, then deleted — I never realized the true reason of my instinctual scroll to the big red “X” in the corner without saving the documents.

It only recently dawned on me that I was simply trying with all my might to avoid the inevitable failure I would have. I have held back from trying to publish my ridiculous ideas because I was afraid of being rejected by my editor or my readers (if I actually have any, shoutout to you). But if I did just go ahead and publish them, would I just fail or be a failure?

We walk a fine line between failing and believing we are failures, and unfortunately, we tend to identify with the latter before we accept the former. If we start to believe that we are failures, it inhibits our ability to succeed and often causes us to give up trying altogether. Yet, if we

allow ourselves to fail over and over again, we start to push closer and closer to success.

This phenomenon is called “the dip” and is basically the part where we fail again and again on our road to mastery of any skill or task. Most people choose to quit amid the struggles of the dip, but for those who continue to fail and learn from their failures, they start to move out

ly, I wish I knew.

The sad reality is that I’m probably not even in the dip yet, which means I have a long way to go from here. But as the late great Bob Ross said, “There are no mistakes, just happy accidents.” Like Bob Ross, I realized that I had to separate my idea of my self from the idea of my work. The two are different and should be treated as such. When we

Most people choose to quit amid the struggles of the dip, but for those who continue to fail and learn from their failures, they start to move out of the dip and rapidly upward on the road to excellence.

of the dip and rapidly upward on the road to excellence.

Here, in the depth of the dip, is where we most often associate ourselves as being failures instead of accepting the fact that we are failing.

Franklin D. Roosevelt once declared, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” but the truth is that the one thing we have to fear most is deeming ourselves as failures.

In that state, nothing is possible and we all turn back to mediocrity instead of embracing excellence.

In my mindset, I didn’t just write stupid articles that would fail, but I wrote stupid articles that made me a failure.

Where did this lead me? Honest-

identify with our work, we believe we are failures if our work fails.

However, as I go through my trials and tribulations, my past fear of being a failure has subsided, because I know that as each failure comes, I am only getting closer to ultimate success.

So stay tuned — you might just stumble upon some random rant or strange story from me in the future as I slowly but surely work my way up in opinion writing. But, my real hope is that when you encounter your own “L’s” each day, you realize each of them is just another “W” hidden in disguise.

STEMMLMF@MIAMIOH.EDU

as both authentic in his words and informed in his policies.

We’re going to miss Obama because we’re going to miss Michelle. The relationship between POTUS and FLOTUS is so celebrated for its mutual respect, its strength and its intimacy that in August, Miramax released “Southside with You,” a biographical film detailing the first date of Barack and Michelle.

Michelle Obama embodies excellence for women and has attempted to create a country in which all females can feel strong, important and empowered to do anything they want to do. She declared that “black girls rock” earlier this year in an encouraging statement that no other first lady has ever uttered.

She founded Let’s Move! in hopes of tackling America’s unique obesity problem, and because of her implementation of The School Lunch program, she’s responsible for making school lunches free for low-income kids,

as well as making them healthier and well-balanced. She co-founded Joining Forces to help support our veterans. In short, she’s dedicated the last eight years to lifting everyone up. And we’re going to miss her —and the president — for that.

We’re going to miss Obama because he is the only president in decades that has gone this long in office without a “scandal.” We’re going to miss him for the novelty with which he has treated the position of the presidency, molding it into something that fits him and the American people of the 21st century.

We will miss his charm, the poise of his family and the way he did not allow politics to obscure his personality. His time in office has divided the country in terms of whether or not his presidency has helped or hurt America.

But history will surely paint him as the most connected, genuine president this country has ever had.

Miami students were made for Saturdays in Oxford CAMPUS

HALEY JENA

GUEST COLUMNIST

Over fall break, I drove up to Michigan State to visit a friend. As soon as I stepped into Spartan territory, I felt the prodigious competitive spirit in the air. I saw almost every single passerby decked out in spirit wear. And, oh — everything was green.

It was clear that everything centered around football, with school spirit as the visible evidence. Friday night resulted in an early bedtime, compared to the usual time at Miami, due to a home game the next day. Saturday was an early wake up in order to get ready for the pregame and tailgate. By 3:00 p.m., I was one of approximately 75,000 people in the stands in a sea of green and white apparel and jerseys. I had never been in a college football stadium so full.

Now, drive 265 miles south to Oxford for a home game at Miami.

Except, wait — most students don’t know or don’t care that it’s game day.

At a Miami football game, you’re one of approximately 15,000 — if you even go to the game. Upon visiting East Lansing, I noticed for the very first time the staggering difference in the two football cultures.

But guess what? Miami doesn’t need to be a Big Ten school to have fun on Saturdays.

Oxford has more bars than you can count on two hands, with Beat The Clock and Broken Clock packed to the brim with day drinkers any given Saturday. The thumping of music can be heard from blocks and blocks of day parties, and pub grub from Skipper’s or a steaming bagel

from Bagel & Deli await you on High Street to help replenish and recover.

For those that don’t like to drink, there are boutiques for shopping, several community events during the weekend, cities like Cincinnati a relatively short drive away — and not to mention, football games. Our football team is just as motivated and hardworking, even if we aren’t favored to win national championships or have as many fans in the stands.

“Whenever the weather is nice

We don’t need a huge football game to motivate us to go out and have fun, in whatever way it might be.

— or even not nice, actually — I still want to go out in the afternoons to see friends and hang out with other people that want to go out during the day,” says sophomore Meg Hanna.

We don’t need a huge football game to motivate us to go out and have fun, in whatever way it might be. And when we do win, our love and honor is comparable to any other amount of school spirit.

Saturdays are for Miami students — we don’t need a Big Ten football team to have fun.

JENAHM@MIAMIOH.EDU

Want to become an editorial writer? Email us to find out how!

Write to us! A letter, an essay, anything! Get in touch at:

editorial@miamistudent.net

editorial@miamistudent.net

EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

OPINION 7

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016

Redhawks mascot put down Irrational or not, fear is what I got after breaking wing LIFE

GRAHAM VON CARLOWITZ

SATIRE

JOEY HART

ASST. EDITORIAL EDITOR

Miami Redhawk mascot Swoop was put down late Wednesday afternoon after veterinarians determined his quality of life was severely hampered by a broken wing.

The bird, which had served as Miami’s mascot for nine years, broke his wing last week throwing out T-shirts at a hockey game.

Once veterinarians determined that there was no hope for recovery, he was fed a mixture of bird seed and strychnine and passed away about twenty minutes later.

Sarah Plume, Swoop’s trainer and handler, said she was “deeply upset” to see him go.

“Everyone who came into contact with this majestic creature was saddened by his death,” Plume said. “It was a tough decision to put him down, but I know it was the right one.”

Swoop’s body will be donated to Miami’s Department of Biology, where his skeleton will be stripped of its flesh and used as a model for zoology students.

Plume said that this donation will help to alleviate the pain that has come with Swoop’s loss.

“I will at least be able to sleep at night knowing that the scientific knowledge gained from studying Swoop’s skeleton may help save other large, terrestrial mascot birds,” she said.

The bird, which was born in Oxford on September 15, 2007, spent his whole life helping to pump up crowds at Miami sporting events. In between games, he was kept in a large bird cage in

the basement of Millett Hall.

Recently, the university had come under fire from Humans Against Mistreatment of Mascots, an animal rights group that specializes in monitoring the wellbeing of animal mascots on college campuses. In 2012, HAMM charged Miami with “careless

“Everyone who came into contact with this majestic creature was saddened by his death.”

handling” of Swoop.

“This bird should be set free, not cooped up at a school where the student body can’t be bothered to fill half of its football stadium at games,” the organization’s statement said at the time.

Plume, though, said she resented that accusation.

“Swoop was more than just a mascot and more than just a bird to me,” she said. “To me, he was a friend.”

Upon first inspection, the biologists working on Swoop’s remains have reported that his insides look “eerily similar” to those of a 20-year-old human male. In other news, junior sports management major Chris Glover is still missing.

HARTJT@MIAMIOH.EDU

RULE OF THUMB ADA LAWSUIT SETTLED Miami reached an agreement with the Justice Department in the wake of a lawsuit filed by a blind student. Miami will make significant improvements to technology accessibility to accommodate students with disabilities.

EDITORIAL EDITOR

I celebrated my birthday a few weeks ago — I’m an October baby — and while all the recognition for a job well done on, uh, living another year is fun, I couldn’t help but look ahead to the day at the end of my birthday month, the 31st. Like one’s birthday, Halloween tends to remind people that they should be glad they have survived this long.

Congrats, here’s some candy!

I tend to look at it a little different, though, analyzing the many sources of fear my life offers. In my experience, I have learned that fear, while never providing a shortage of paralysis, can be broken down into three categories: there’s rational fear, like the fear that the smell of one’s fart might make it to those around him; there’s irrational fear, like the fear that somehow one is responsible for a crime they are sure they did not commit, like smelling someone else’s fart and fearing that you might be responsible, despite your concerted effort to hold all flatulence in; and last, there’s the fear of the unsure, that is, the fear could be rational, but it could also be irrational, like when no one’s sure who just let one loose.

On the phone the other day with my brother Clay, I encountered a thought-out, rational fear. Clay lives in Brooklyn and, as such, utilizes the subway system daily. After leaving a movie screening at a hip bar one night, he and his wife waited on the subway platform for their train. Clay, always an anxious one, leaned over the side to see if any trains were incoming. In doing so, he bumped into what happened to be a featherweight girl who took off upon contact, flying onto the tracks below.

“Jesus,” I said, “was she all right?”

“Yeah, she was fine. We helped her up with time to spare — the train wouldn’t be coming for another ten minutes,” Clay started.

“Then, when she was safely back on the platform, she just took off. I mean, she ran away without saying or doing anything.”

“What the hell? No ‘thank you’ or anything?” I asked.

Clay went on to explain his fear — a rational one indeed — that perhaps this girl regularly found

her way onto the train tracks and, upon being rescued, would poke around for some reward, some pity coffee or cash to make her feel better. He feared that she was a crook, a roundabout pickpocket bent on feeding off the sympathy of Brooklyn subway riders. The reason she hadn’t prodded at him was because first, he was with his wife and thus unlikely to offer a sympathy date, and second, because he felt no guilt in the supposed crime at all.

“It was like she jumped onto the tracks and used my brushing her as an excuse,” he explained without remorse.

I experience irrational fear when I sit in my apartment, where I live with two guys who were just names to me a few months ago named David and Sam. Oftentimes I sneak into the vacant fourth bedroom, which now exists as a den of sorts, a room with a couch and television. Officially, the room is “totally free to anyone,” but I fear that, since both the furniture and

cape plan is, how ridiculous my assumption of Sam’s reaction is — especially since he has indeed caught me a few times, only to offer a simple, “Hey dude.” But irrational fears always have some modicum of reality — in this case the reality that Sam could lay claim to the couch and television — which makes them all the more powerful.

Worse still are the fears that are up in the air, the probability of which can neither be confirmed nor denied.

For example, I fear that David, the blonde hulk figure who works as an athletic trainer, is going to kill me, or at least punish me in some way. The thing is, when you live in an apartment with a community fridge, sharing is inevitable — or micro-stealing is, at least.

So those mornings come around when I don’t feel manly enough to drink my coffee black, and thus need a few drops of 2 percent to get me going. Take those few drops

In my experience, I have learned that fear, while never providing a shortage of paralysis, can be broken down into three categories . . .

TV belong to Sam, whose room neighbors the “den,” I am not truly welcome.

Sitting on Sam’s couch, I find myself jumping up at the faintest sounds, fearing that this time, the footsteps outside belong to Sam, who will burst through the door in a psychotic rage and kick my ass right off his sinking sofa.

Since such action is so imminent in my mind, I have a plan of flight prepared that sees me shivering, standing in the doorway with the remote in hand, ready to dismiss the television’s service while my other hand will flick the light switch. From there, I toss the remote and dash across the common room to the other side and slide into my room, safe and sound. And still shaking.

The crazy thing about it is that I know how ridiculous my es-

and multiply them by five days a week, and you have a significant shortage of milk, one that might make hulk David a little angry. My fear is that he plans on force-feeding me a gallon of the milk, a fitting punishment, I might add.

But I am beginning to come to terms with some of my fears. I understand that, while some might be warranted, the worst possible outcome is that I die, and that would just make either of my roommates feel guilty for a week or two. And if I survive, I’ll just lay off the milk and couch for a week or two…apparently, memories are short-lived in my head.

(If either of you are reading this, please do spare me some mercy.

Hug it out?)

VONCARGH@MIAMIOH.EDU

HALLOWEEN IS HERE Halloweekend has arrived, praise be unto October. Stay safe, have fun and, above all, beware the clowns of America!

FOOTBALL TEAM STREAKING The Redhawks are riding an unprecedented 2-game win streak into week 9 and hope to extend it against MAC foe Eastern Michigan

OCTOBER BASEBALL ROLLS ON The World Series is underway and is appealing to two out of the four C’s of Miami (Cleveland and Chicago). That means 50 percent of the student body, right?

follow us on twitter @miamistudent

A.J. NEWBERRY NEWBERAJ@MIAMIOH.EDU

read more stories online at miamistudent.net

8 SPORTS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016

SPORTS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

Miami hockey wraps up home stand with doubleheader against bowling green HOCKEY

BEN BLANCHARD SPORTS EDITOR

Looking to maintain momentum from a 5-0 blowout win over Maine, the Miami University hockey team takes on Bowling Green State University in a home doubleheader this weekend.

MU is now 2-1-2 after tying and beating Maine last weekend, and the young RedHawks received the second most votes of any unranked program in the latest NCAA rankings.

For a 26-man team with 14 freshmen and six sophomores, this early success has been surprising to many.

Freshman goaltender Ryan Larkin has been a key contributor to Miami’s solid start, as he has allowed one goal or less in three of his last four starts, including his first career shutout against Maine. Larkin’s .931 save percentage ranks him 12th in the nation.

“Larkin had a great summer, and he was recruited for a reason,” head coach Enrico Blasi said. “He’s a very focused young man and he’s executing in games, and we hope that continues.”

BGSU enters the weekend series 0-5-1 following a 6-1 loss to Ohio State, a team that Miami tied 3-3 two weekends ago. The Falcons’ winless start has been surprising and disappointing, as many expected more considering last season’s 22-14-6 record.

The RedHawks are 49-59-8 alltime against the Falcons, though Miami is 18-1-1 in its last 20 meetings

ANGELO GELFUSO THE MIAMI STUDENT

Junior defenseman Scott Dornbrock prepares to take a backhand shot against the Waterloo Warriors. Dornbrock has two goals and an assist through five games. with Bowling Green, winning both games last year.

The last time BGSU travelled to Oxford, then-junior and now senior forward Anthony Louis scored with two seconds remaining in the game to defeat the No. 14 Falcons 2-1. This season, Louis, a Chicago Blackhawks prospect, has five points through five games, including two goals in the 5-0 victory over Maine.

“Bowling Green’s an in-state rival, and they’re going to come out

like they always do, trying to beat us in the first 10 minutes,” Louis said.

“We’re going to be ready, and it’ll be a battle from Friday through Saturday night. We’ll be ready for it.”

Junior defenseman and captain Louie Belpedio has been critical for MU on both ends of the ice, as the Minnesota Wild prospect has six points so far while also anchoring the RedHawks’ defense efforts.

Offensively, Miami’s top forward line of Louis, sophomore Josh Mel-

nick and freshman Carson Meyer has sparked a unit that struggled to generate even-strength offense during the first few games of the season.

“The win over Maine was a great confidence booster, everyone’s contributing and that’s huge,” Melnick said. “We’ve watched film on Bowling Green the past few days, and they’re a good team. They play the game the right way, so we’ll have to bear down and focus on our own play and habits to be successful.”

Special teams have been a strength for MU all season. After allowing one early power play goal in its Oct. 7 season opener at No. 14 Providence, the Miami penalty kill has successfully killed off 29-straight power plays and is tied for the national lead at 96.7 percent. MU’s 90.9 percent kill rate last season was the second best in the country.

“Our special teams have been outHOCKEY »PAGE 5

VOLLEYBALL LOOKS TO SET SCHOOL RECORD FOR CONSECUTIVE WINS VOLLEYBALL

KYLE STEINER

THE MIAMI STUDENT

The Miami University volleyball team has a chance to make history this weekend. With wins over Bowling Green State University and Northern Illinois University, the RedHawks (18-4, 10-0) would set a new school record for consecutive games won.

The current mark of 18 set by the

1980 MU squad has remained untouched for the last 36 years. This year’s team looks poised to break the record, as it is riding a wave of momentum into the weekend slate. The Red and White have not dropped a game since September 2, sweeping 13 of the 17 matches in straight sets.

“Our team and our staff is just taking it one game at a time. We have to just stay in the moment,” head coach Carolyn Condit said.

The MU squad is committed to its

coach’s main message.

“We have just been focused on how to beat two really good opponents this week in Bowling Green and Northern Illinois. That is our main goal and continuing the streak would just be a bonus,” junior captain and middle hitter Meredith Stutz said.

Breaking the record will not come easy, as Miami faces two of the MidAmerican Conference’s premier teams. The weekend action begins 7

Battle of the birds: RedHawks vs. Eagles FOOTBALL

COBURN GILLIES

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Following two straight victories over Kent State University and BGSU, the Miami University football team looks win three consecutive games for the first time since 2010 when it faces Eastern Michigan on the road 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

The RedHawks enter the tilt with a 2-6 overall record and are 2-2 in Mid-American Conference play, good enough for sole possession of third place in the East division.

Eastern Michigan is 5-3 overall and has a 2-2 conference record in the West division coming off a loss against Western Michigan.

While the season has left a lot to be desired from the ‘Hawks, these recent wins have skyrocketed morale surrounding the program.

“Confidence from the Kent State win helped us,” head coach Chuck Martin said. “I think we’re getting better every week at a lot of the little things that have hurt us in the past and I think the biggest thing is the confidence in the fourth quarter to play and to just keep playing and trying to make plays.”

As former starting quarterback Billy Bahl is nearing return from his

ailing upper body injury, backup redshirt sophomore quarterback Gus Ragland has continued to impress in relief. Ragland put together a career best performance last weekend against Bowling Green, going 22of-35 for 215 yards and three touchdowns.

With an apparent quarterback controversy brewing in Oxford, Coach Martin commented on whether or not Ragland will continue to be featured under center.

“It’s nice to actually have an option that you have a couple healthy quarterbacks,” Martin said.

Another strong performance this week against the Eagles could earn Ragland the starting role for the remainder of the season.

Offensively, Miami is led by Ragland and the redshirt sophomore running back duo of Kenny Young and Alonzo Smith. The two backs combined for 162 yards on 22 attempts for one rushing touchdown against BGSU. Another offensive leader, sophomore wide receiver James Gardner, was injured during the game. Luckily, the ‘Hawks are optimistic that Gardner may return shortly.

“It’s too early to tell. Uh, he was banged up. We will probably know more tomorrow [Tuesday]. It’s not a

life-threatening injury so we’re hopeful he’ll be ready to roll Saturday,” Martin said.

Defensively, expect to see the Red and White led by sophomores cornerback De’Andre Montgomery and linebacker Junior McMullen. On the season, Montgomery has 38 tackles and three interceptions while McMullen has contributed 57 tackles, five of which came for a loss.

An unlikely hero emerged last weekend against Bowling Green, as the entire special teams unit stepped up in a big way. Redshirt freshman Kyle Kramer won MAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his punting exploits against the Falcons.

Look for this unit to loom large once again in determining the outcome of the contest against the Eagles this Saturday.

“We did a crazy great job with our punt team and with our kickoff team,” Martin said.

EMU head coach Chris Creighton’s offensive is driven by the two-headed quarterback tandem of redshirt junior Brogan Roback and junior Todd Porter. Roback has thrown for eight touchdowns and 1059 yards through the air while Porter has chipped in FOOTBALL »PAGE 5

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016 | 10:45–8:00PM

p.m. Thursday night against the Falcons, who stand at 16-7 overall with a 6-4 conference record. BGSU has won 7 of its last 8 games.

The Bowling Green attack is led by senior outside hitter Jelena Sunjic.

The veteran standout leads the team with 298 kills on the year, averaging 4.32 per set. Senior libero Madeline Garda leads the Falcon defense, averaging 6.4 digs per set for a total of 512 on the season.

The ’Hawks then get a day off

before they face the Huskies at 5 p.m. on Saturday night in a highly anticipated matchup between the MAC’s top two teams. NIU (18-4, 10-0 MAC) currently boast a 13 game winning streak in its own right. The matchup will likely have huge consequences in determining the top seed for the conference tournament.

MU needs to look no further than last season to find motivation for the VOYLLEYBALL »PAGE 5

Field hockey faces OU

ANGELO GELFUSO THE MIAMI STUDENT

Senior forward Carla Romagosa pushes the ball past the Appalachian State defense. Romagosa has five goals and 11 assists this season.

FIELD HOCKEY

EMILY SIMANSKIS THE MIAMI STUDENT

In its final home and regular season Mid-American Conference game, the Miami University field hockey team prepares to take on rival Ohio University at home 12:35 p.m. Saturday before the MAC finals next weekend.

Miami enters the weekend with an overall record of 10-7 and a MAC record of 4-1. The RedHawks look to break .500 in Oxford as they are 4-4 at home.

OU looks to improve its record of 6-10 overall, 3-2 in the MAC and 2-6 away.

“It’s a team that has a lot on the line for them, well for both teams, but especially for them in terms of the tournament,” head coach Inako Puzo said. “I’m expecting a team that’s going to come here very aggressive in terms of hockey, to try to play very fast from the beginning. To go to the attack because they need the win.”

This regular season closer resembles last year’s — Miami and OU faced off in Athens before the MAC tournament, with Miami ultimately winning 3-0.

OU went on to play Kent State in the semifinals, losing that contest, FIELD HOCKEY »PAGE 5

Miami Dining has partnered with Miami's Indian Student Association to bring you this special event!