ESTABLISHED 1826 – OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES
The Miami Student FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 WWW.MIAMISTUDENT.NET
VOLUME 144 NO. 7
MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO
Off-campus living: High costs, low quality
Freshman 15: More fiction than fact
IAN MARKER THE MIAMI STUDENT
STUDENT LIFE
AUDREY DAVIS THE MIAMI STUDENT
TYLER PISTOR THE MIAMI STUDENT
Pictured: All Bed, No Breakfast, one off-campus student residence. Many students complain of leaky ceilings and absent landlords. HOUSING
BONNIE MEIBERS SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The front door is missing a screen. It’s dark inside because the house lacks overhead lighting in most of the rooms. The basement has mold and mildew, and the upstairs shower leaks into one of the downstairs bedrooms. This is “Main Squeeze,” home to seven female Miami students. The house’s problems are not uncommon. Students are living in off-campus
NEWS p. 2
MIAMI STUDENTS MARRYING YOUNG Despite national trends, some Miami students choose to get engaged or married during college.
housing that is often run-down and not always up to code, according to John Cordell, founder of Inspection Plus. Cordell said that, typically, landlords do not want home inspectors to look at their properties. “The landlord doesn’t want us to come in and tell him he has a problem,” Cordell said. But because the houses are old, there tend to be many problems. Cordell said the most common problems he finds in homes are electrical issues and environmental issues like asbestos, mold and lead paint.
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS PROVIDE COMFORT Eight students across campus live with ESAs, including several cats, dogs and a bearded dragon.
CULTURE p. 4
HUMANS OF OXFORD Brian Long, yo-yo extraordinaire, shares his tricks and talent of the trade
OPINION p. 6
DELVING INTO THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MASS SHOOTINGS Final piece in the Editorial Board’s three-part series related to mass shootings
SPORTS p. 10
BATTLE FOR THE VICTORY BELL Football team ready to beat rival, break Cincinnati Bearcats’ nine-season winning streak against RedHawks
TODAY IN MIAMI HISTORY
Tijero said she feels she isn’t getting her money’s worth in Main Squeeze. Unlike the group living in Main Squeeze, a group of juniors that live at 340 N. Locust feel they are living in one of the more affordable homes for rent in Oxford. Also unlike the girls at Main Squeeze, the group of men living at “The Lodge” is not renting from a realty company, but a private landlord. Despite the benefits of this setup, HOUSING »PAGE 8
FRESHMAN 15 »PAGE 8
Despite Starbucks, Miami Meningitis case confirmed, promises to prioritize local student seeking treatment DINING
LAUREN OLIVER THE MIAMI STUDENT
NEWS p. 3
Senior Julieta Tijero and her housemates said empty Natural Light beer cans were littered throughout the basement when they moved in. While the rest of the house was cleaned before the tenants arrived, the basement was neglected. As for the leaky shower, the landlord, Park Place Realty, “solved” the problem by moving the shower curtain lower so it could block more water. This solution, Tijero said, hasn’t solved the problem. “Instead of fixing it, they just put a Band-Aid on it,” she said.
Among college first-years, the concept of the “freshman 15” is infamous, yet some research indicates that number is far lower, and that students need not worry about gaining weight. According to an Ohio State University study, the average college student only gains between 2.5 and 3.5 pounds during his or her freshman year. The study showed no more than 10 percent of college freshmen gained more than 15 pounds, and some even reported losing weight. The study also determined that college has little to do with the weight
Administrators say Miami University values and supports area businesses and locally sourced foods, yet the introduction of the corporate brand Starbucks to campus has some worrying about the fate of those local goods. Senior Ellyn Needel said she worries Miami will start to put local business on the backburner. “If Miami wants to say they support local businesses, they should make it a priority.” Patisserie bakery, which Starbucks will replace in the spring, currently sells a variety of deserts and baked goods, but the most popular originate from Winans Fine Chocolate and Coffee in Piqua, Ohio. Winans has several locations throughout the Dayton area, and has been a longtime vendor for the university. Miami alumna Laurie Reiser and her husband Joe are fourth generation owners of the company. Jon Brubacher, director of food purchasing and procurement, said he understands concerns about the shift from local to corporate, but promises that Winans — along with other local vendors — will continue to be of importance to Miami. Brubacher said all of the oncampus salad dressing is supplied from Marzetti’s in Columbus, the pulled pork is from Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati and Young’s Jersey Dairy provides the ice cream for the milkshakes at Miami Ice and Encounter. Last year, the 41,000 burgers
served at Encounter were made with locally raised beef from Reserve Run Farm — a longstanding partner of the university. Drew Johnson, Miami alumnus and owner of Reserve Run Farm, said the relationship began after students at the time were dissatisfied with the food. “There had been a lot of student requests for higher quality food, and that turned into a link to high quality local products,” Johnson said. “When I approached Miami, it was like I walked through the door on the right day and we really hit it off well.” Now, four years later, Johnson said the relationship continues to strengthen, and does not see the benefit of Miami straying away from local. “There’s so many quality people and products around here that to just give all your business to a big corporation and take what they can give you would really be a disservice to the student body,” Johnson said. “I can’t see the reason for getting away from local business.” Brubacher said that while bigger corporations may be moving in, there are no plans to stop partnering with local business. “Local continues and always will be a focus,” Brubacher said. “We do as much local as we can, [so] please be assured that we are not moving away from local.” Due to licensing agreements, Winans Chocolate cannot be sold at the upcoming Starbucks location on campus. However, it will still be provided at other locations, including dining sites such as MacCracken Market, King Café and LOCAL »PAGE 8
HEALTH
VICTORIA SLATER MANAGING EDITOR
Miami University confirmed a case of meningitis on campus Tuesday, with all signs pointing to the less severe viral strain. The student is a male who lives in Morris Hall, fellow residents say. He is currently receiving treatment. Cindy Traficant, a practice administrator at Student Health Services, said the bacterial form of meningitis tends to be the most dangerous, while the viral strain is generally less serious, more common and easily treated. “Most college students carry the viral diseases that cause meningitis, but very few will actually develop meningitis,” she said, adding that only about 1 in 1000 infected people will develop symptoms. But health and student affairs staff aren’t taking any chances. They have notified and educated those who have been in close proximity to the student about the signs and symptoms of disease, said Claire Wagner, Director of News and Communications. “We were all really scared when we heard,” said first-year Morris resident Mackenzie Rossero. “But I think the university did a good job of educating us and responding to the situation really quickly.” Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and the spinal cord, and can be caused by bacterial, fungal and viral infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, viral meningitis affects about 10 in 10,000 people every year in the U.S. Symptoms of meningitis include
typical flu-like symptoms, with a severe headache, stiff neck and sensitivity to light. The viral strain of meningitis can spread communicably — the same way similar viruses like the flu and cold do through the air, touch and bodily fluids. The only way to prevent the disease, Trafficant said, is to eat well, rest and wash hands frequently. After the university was notified of the student’s diagnosis, Traficant said she visited the student’s residence hall to educate his fellow residents about the importance of washing hands and the difference between bacterial and viral meningitis. Unlike with the bacterial strain, treatment for viral meningitis does not include medication, but rest, intravenous fluids and allowing the disease to run its course. “Someone with the viral strain will typically be treated for a week or so, usually in the hospital, but it may take him a few more weeks to feel back to normal,” Traficant said. “It certainly takes a toll on your body.” Miami University highly encourages, but does not require, students to receive the meningococcal meningitis vaccine — which prevents many of the bacterial strains. However, this vaccine will not prevent the viral strain, Traficant said. “But it is still very important to vaccinate yourself against the bacterial strain because meningococcal meningitis can be very serious,” she added. Student Health Services did not release the identity of the student diagnosed with meningitis, or where he is being treated, due to doctorpatient confidentiality.
On this day in 1931, The Miami Student reported that three first-year students spent a night in jail after attempting to mark their initials on the old Oxford water tower in green paint. The first-years were warned that a similar offense would be punishable by a fine of $100 in the future.