September 05, 2014 | The Miami Student

Page 1

The Miami Student Established 1826

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

VOLUME 142 NO. 03

MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO

WWW.MIAMISTUDENT.NET

MU’s alcohol policy: A tale of two sides Misunderstanding of university policy at tailgates leaves students searching for answers

ALCOHOL REIS THEBAULT NEWS EDITOR

When students tailgate before this Saturday’s football game, no matter what their fraternity, sorority or friend may have told them, they will not be legally permitted to drink alcohol. This may come as a surprise for students, but the university stated that student tailgates with alcohol have never been part of the plan. “With the alcohol policy, nothing has changed,” Carole Johnson, assistant director of news and communications, said. “Alcohol is not permitted in the ‘End Zone’ for student tailgating.” The End Zone, the student area, is one of three tailgating sections. The others include the Red Zone and the Red and White Club tent. The Red Zone is a general tailgating area where the public can buy passes to set up tents. The Red and White Club is filled with fans, faculty and alumni who have donated. Johnson said alcohol is only permitted in the Red and White Club tent. The university took issue with The Miami Student’s Sept. 2 article titled, “MU hopes tailgating increases attendance,” which reported word of a policy change allowing students to drink alcohol at tailgates. Despite the university’s claim

that alcohol was never permitted, a number of attendees reported otherwise after last Saturday’s home game against Marshall. Senior Lance Greenberg won a free tailgating spot in the Red Zone for Miami’s opening game. He decided to bring his fraternity. He also decided to bring beer. Something neither he, nor President David Hodge, had an issue with, according to Greenberg. “We were never specifically told, ‘You can’t drink,’” Greenberg said. “Everyone else in the Red Zone was drinking. Even President Hodge came by and he seemed like he was open to the idea of us having a beer.” At the time of publishing, Hodge was unavailable for comment. Greenberg’s fraternity got into trouble with the university last year, so he said they were extra careful. “We were not going to risk anything if we didn’t know for sure that we could drink,” he said. “It makes no sense that they’re now telling us we can’t drink.” Greenberg is not the only one confused by the policy flip-flop. Junior Jillian White, Kappa Kappa Gamma’s social chair, was responsible for coordinating the tailgate for this coming Saturday’s game. She was told in an email from the Interfraternity Council (IFC),“this is the first time Miami will allow tailgating with an open

For additional photos, visit

MIAMISTUDENT.NET cooler policy.” According to the IFC email, an “open cooler policy allows those who are 21 and older to drink in the area assigned to us in the parking lot.” White received that email Aug. 25. “We were told that if we were 21 we could drink beer out of red cups,” White said. White was planning a tailgate, one that would involve an “open cooler,” for this Saturday’s game against Eastern Kentucky. Tuesday’s Tri-Council meeting — where the executive officers of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the Panhellenic Association and IFC, as well as the presidents of each chapter from those organizations were in attendance — changed those plans, catching many people off guard. “We were completely shocked,” Ryan Koerner, VP of programming for IFC, said. “For the longest time, we were told one thing and it never wavered, and then this Tuesday, we found out that everything we had been planning and everything we had been working on had just gotten completely shut down, in the sense of an open cooler policy.” White said the abrupt change has TAILGATE »PAGE 4

CONNOR MORIARTY THE MIAMI STUDENT

GRILL MASTER (Right) Senior Mike Maude with Red Alert grills and serves cheeseburgers in the Red Zone at last Saturday’s tailgate.

Hodge hopes students will seize success at MU Pres. praises university at annual address SPEECH JAMES STEINBAUER UNIVERSITY EDITOR

JALEN WALKER THE MIAMI STUDENT

LIFE’S A BREEZE (Left to right) Sophomore Audrey Hall and juniors Tanya Busby and Cameron Centers enjoy a sunny day outside on Miami’s campus.

TODAY IN MIAMI HISTORY

“Just one second, we need to take a selfie here,” Miami University President David Hodge said as he whipped out his phone mid-speech to the applause and laughter of the crowd. “Good. The day is complete!” Hodge’s sample of modern humor served as a paradigm to his annual address Wednesday evening in which he explained the importance of moving Miami forward. “Change is literally everywhere,” Hodge said. “To navigate this change we need to ground our anticipation, our assessment and our actions in a clear sense of purpose that is guided by our mission.” Examples of Miami’s mission statement have been in abundance this fall semester and students are proving that it is still as important as it was in 1809. In his address, Hodge emphasized learning to write well as one of the most important opportunities that a liberal education can provide.

A strong community does not merely tolerate differences, it seeks them out.” DAVID HODGE

UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

Hodge also described the new Office of Research for Undergraduates in King Library, which serves to facilitate creative work and foster a vibrant learning and discovery environment. HODGE »PAGE 4

In 1940, The Miami Student reported 30 students were to be selected for air training under the Civil Aeronautics Authority. The course combined ground training with real-life flight experience.

UNIVERSITY

COMMUNITY

CULTURE

MIAMI MYSTERY RESURRECTED

STUDENT PARKING

NHL 15 PREVIEW

TWEETS OF THE WEEK

»MIAMISTUDENT.NET

»PAGE 6

»PAGE 2

“Good writing and good thinking go hand-in-hand,” Hodge said. This fall a booklet on Writing at Miami, which features students, alumni and faculty reflecting on why writing matters, was distributed to all students and faculty to stress the importance of writing and a liberal education in graduating thoughtful citizens who will be greater valued by employers.

»PAGE 3

OPINION

SPORTS

FIELD HOCKEY FALLS »PAGE 10


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.