May 08, 2015 | The Miami Student

The Miami Student Established 1826

FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015 VOLUME 142 NO. 55

WWW.MIAMISTUDENT.NET

MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO

So long, farewell AMANDA WANG THE MIAMI STUDENT

JALEN WALKER THE MIAMI STUDENT

Survivor recalls rape, fights to prevent future assaults SEXUAL ASSAULT

KATIE TAYLOR

SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR

PART TWO The following piece is the secondin a series of three that will address the complexities of sexual assault. The first of these was published April 3, 2015 in The Miami Student.

The Assault Tears rolled down her face and hit the sidewalk as she limped down High Street, still wearing the Halloween costume, now in tatters, that she had put on the night before.

Shutting out questioning gazes from the Uptown lunch crowd, her eyes remained locked on the ground for the rest of the long walk back to her dorm in East Quad. “[My Resident Assistant] took me into her room and I told her everything that was going on and she essentially had to explain to me that I was sexually assaulted,” said Grace, who asked that her name be changed to protect her identity. “I wasn’t able to comprehend that at the time.”

Grace was in her first year at Miami when she went out with some friends Oct. 30, 2011. After attending a couple Halloween house parties, the group went to Decibel, an Uptown bar she had never been to.

It was there, very late, that an older male in the group, a Miami student, insisted they all take shots.

Grace recalled him handing her the first. Several minutes later, just as the bar closed, the room began to spin.

Grace scanned the crowd frantically for her friends as a herd of students pushed down the stairs to exit onto High Street, but the next thing she knew she was sitting on the curb, alone and disoriented.

It wasn’t long before she was approached by the student who had given her the shot. Commenting on her disheveled state, he said he would take care of her.

“He put his arm around me and we started walking in the opposite direction of where my dorm was,” Grace said. “And then I don’t remember anything until the next morning.”

When she came to, she didn’t recognize the room, but she did recognize the boy in bed next to her.

The pain hit her when she rolled

M

TODAY IN MIAMI HISTORY

over, saw her clothes on the floor and asked the male what happened.

“He said, ‘We had sex three times – I thought it would be more memorable than that.’ He said, ‘If you want to remember, we can have sex again.’”

When Grace refused and insisted she had to leave, the boy showed her the door.

Finding Justice It was the next morning, the Sunday of her first Halloween weekend in Oxford in 2011, when Grace went to McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital at the urging of her resident assistant. The doctor informed her that the vaginal damage done was consistent with what they see in females after giving birth.

Grace said she had taken no drugs the night before. But a urine sample revealed traces of amphetamine in her system.

McCullough-Hyde staffers suggested a second and more extensive round of tests that could have identified the chemical in her system, but Grace said no. She just wanted to go home and put the trauma behind her.

She realized later that her decision to forgo more testing complicated the possibility of prosecution.

“That left it, legally, a very gray case—‘he said she said.’ The prosecuting office was pretty terrible about it and my case ended up getting dropped because they didn’t think it was a cut and dried case and that it was going to be a waste of their time,” Grace said.

Though her report to the Oxford Police Department did not result in a prosecution, Grace did find out something else the day she went in to the station to report the crime.

The police asked who the perpetrator was, but Grace was interrupted after saying his first name.

“Before I even got his last name out the police knew who I was talking about because the perpetrator was well-known on campus for this type of behavior and criminal action,” she said.

Grace soon learned that the accused had run into sex-related trouble two years before her own assault, but the university had taken no disciplinary action against him.

Miami University and the Oxford Police Department investigated the accused in 2009 after his fraternity brothers reported him for voyeurism. He was accused of recording sexual encounters with women without their knowledge, according

to police records. He was not prosecuted in the criminal courts.

Videos of sexual acts were found in the accused’s possession, but Miami did not hold a conduct hearing because they could not identify the women in the tapes as students of the university, according to an email from university President David Hodge to Grace’s father.

In October of 2013, Grace filed a lawsuit against Miami University for negligence for not expelling the accused after these earlier incidents.

She said that by failing to take action in the earlier case, the university left a predator on campus. Had he been expelled earlier, Grace said, she would not have been raped.

Because it remains under adjudication, Hodge declined to comment on the specifics.

“Obviously, if there’s a case, we have a disagreement about the facts,” he said. “I believe that a lot of things continue to evolve—our ability to respond to any incident, our ability to track behaviors—all of that has been improving at Miami and nationally as we’ve paid more attention to this. By all the accounts that I can see, we have people who are first-rate in their responses that they’re giving to victims when they come forward.”

In the email to Grace’s father, Hodge explained why the administration previously held off on disciplinary action.

“We are a public university and the law and our policies require that all students receive a measure of due process, notice of the charges against them, and an opportunity to challenge the evidence against them before we can suspend or dismiss them…there was not, in our opinion, sufficient evidence adduced as a result of the voyeurism investigation to enable us to initiate the disciplinary action to dismiss [the accused],” the email read.

It wasn’t until Grace reported her own assault to the university that a disciplinary hearing was held.

When the crime and the accused’s name were published in The Miami Student, another female came forward, alleging the student had sexually and physically assaulted her the night before Grace was attacked. “[The accused] began to hit and choke her. [The victim] began to lose breath,” read the second victim’s police report. “[The accused] continued to pull her hair and punch her in the chest. [The accused] also ASSAULT »PAGE 5

Comedian Seth Meyers to perform at Miami in October EVENT

EMILY WILLIAMS ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Seth Meyers, former head writer for “Saturday Night Live” and host of “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” will perform at Miami’s Family Weekend this fall.

Miami’s Performing Arts Series and Miami Activities and Programming (MAP) partner every year to bring in entertainment for Family Weekend.

Meyers was suggested for the slot by the Arts, Concerts and Entertainment (ACE) Board of MAP before being proposed to the Performing Arts Series Advisory Board, Impact Weekend Committee and the Chamber MBA Committee, all of whom approved the idea.

Julia Harrelson, who serves as the board’s co-chair along with junior Mikayla McIntyre, said the idea of bringing Meyers to Miami was met with enthusiasm.

“Seth Meyers was a choice that was very popular and received much encouragement from everyone,” Harrelson said.

The director of the Performing Arts Series, Patti Liberatore, noted that live standup shows from the “Late Night” host are rare.

“Getting to see Seth Meyers do a stand-up comedy show live will be a special treat for Miami families,”

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY PATTI LIBERATORE

Liberatore said.

Meyers will be the third comedian in a row to be the featured performer at Miami’s Family Weekend after Jim Gaffigan’s performance in 2013 and Aziz Ansari’s this past fall.

“Comedians seem to be a great way to satisfy both parents and students,” Liberatore said, “so we’ve tended to focus more on them in recent years.”

The comedian got his start during college in Northwestern University’s improv group, Mee-Ow. During a stint at the Chicago Improv Festival, he caught the interest of a “Saturday Night Live” casting director and was asked to come to New York for an audition.

In 2001, Meyers joined the “Saturday Night Live” cast, using his comedic chops to write for the MEYERS »PAGE 5

Goodwill to open shop in Oxford BUSINESS

MAGGIE CALLAGHAN THE MIAMI STUDENT

The city of Oxford has announced that a new business, Goodwill Industries International, Inc., will be opening a store at the previous Moonshine Printing Company location on Locust Street, which has sat vacant for three years.

Goodwill, a non-profit organization that focuses on providing employment and training to the disabled and veterans as well as clothes and household items to the poor, announced it would move into the location on Locust Street, across from Walgreens, after the Oxford Board of Zoning approved the proposal during its Feb. 18 meeting.

Goodwill plans to tear down the

previous Moonshine building in order to construct an addition to the standing warehouse. The organization also announced that it will have a retail store for shoppers, a merchandise drop off area for donors and a drive-thru donation center to make dropping off merchandise more convenient.

Many students, including firstyear Maggie Handler, are excited about Goodwill and welcome the organization in Oxford.

“It could be a good place to find cheap, unique clothes for costumes or themed events,” Handler said.

According to the Ohio Valley Goodwill website, the Oxford Goodwill location will sell items marketed to both Miami University and the Oxford community.

This will be the second nonprofit organization to come to OxGOODWILL »PAGE 5

On May 8, 1973,The Miami Student reported that coed dorms were not in the cards for Miami University. President Phillip Shriver blamed the Board of Trustees. “In view of their stance on visitation, there would probably be a reluctance on their part to approve coed dorms,” he said.

NEWS

NEWS

CULTURE

MYTHBUSTING MIAMI SORORITY HOUSING

WESTERN DINING RANKS 14TH IN NATION

GREAT BRITTON: TOURISTS VS. TRAVELERS

»PAGE 2

CONNOR MORIARTY PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

»PAGE 3

»PAGE 4

OPINION

SPORTS

BOARD WEIGHS IN ON THE DEATH PENALTY

FORMER SPORTS EDITOR GETS FINAL WORD

»PAGE 6

»PAGE 10

2 NEWS

FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

NEWS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

Families scramble for hotels a year before graduation BUSINESS

ABBY KELLY

THE MIAMI STUDENT

For family and friends of the thousands of Miami seniors who are graduating May 16, finding a hotel for the event began months before graduates put on caps and gowns.

Oxford has only six hotels, each with about 60 rooms. With the number of people coming to town for the commencement, most people are left searching for a place to stay at Hueston Woods State Park or in nearby Hamilton.

However, because those rooms are in high demand, they fill up quickly, prompting parents to start exploring their options as early as May of the year prior in hopes of staying close to campus.

Senior Elizabeth Mitlak’s parents

called Hueston Woods last summer on the first day they started taking reservations for this year’s graduation weekend. But, when they called, all the rooms were blocked out, and they did not get one.

“They called three more places, and they were all booked, too,” Mitlak said. “Now they are just going to driving home [to Indianapolis] after the ceremony.”

Other hotels organize their process more efficiently than receiving a chaotic rush of phone calls trying to book a room on a specific day.

But priority is first given to returning guests.

Assistant Manager of the Elms Hotel, Jodie Anspaugh, said they have set up a loyalty system called the Preferred Parents Program in order to book rooms at the Uptown hotel for graduation.

MAREK KUSPAN THE MIAMI STUDENT

“We add up all your stays throughout the years and we start at the top and work our way down until all rooms are sold,” said Anspaugh.

For guests who have stayed in the Marcum Hotel on campus, Manager Alex Bufler said parents can enter a lottery ticket for each night they

have stayed at the hotel.

“We feel that this method of booking rooms is the most fair, rather that assigning rooms to top occupants. Even if you stay with us for one night, you still have a chance,” Bufler said.

It may be hard to find a hotel in Oxford for the weekend, but

Anspaugh said hotel rooms sometimes open back up if someone does not claim all their rooms. She believes persistence can be key for those who are looking for a hotel for future graduations “Bug us with phone calls and check online,” Anspaugh said.

“Sometimes it pays off.”

After long process, regional Debunking sorority housing myths in Oxford campus identity confirmed GREEK

BONNIE MEIBERS

REGIONAL

REBECCA HUFF

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The final word is in. No more petitions, no more public forums and no more confusion. Miami University’s regional campuses are rebranding and adapting.

The Board of Trustees approved the recommendations outlined by the Process Committee at the Friday, May 1 meeting.

Miami regionals will be semiautonomous and will likely begin to offer 16 to 18 four-year degrees. By the fall of 2015, bachelor’s degrees in liberal studies, information technology and commerce will be offered at the regional locations.

“Everything that I’ve put into Miami has been really good and I’m glad that I was able to stay patient with the process and all the committees,” said Adam Davisson, a junior regional student. “All these changes seem like good changes.”

At the Trustees meeting, President David Hodge spoke about the branding on the diploma.

“Following the recommendations of the Process Committee, the divisional distinctions will remain on the diploma as they are now, but renaming the regional campuses as something else,” Hodge said.

“Something else needs to have both a broad name so that everybody is under the same tent and also an indication that they are the regionals.”

The Trustees also approved the Bachelor of Science in applied communications and the MS in criminal justice, which will be sent to the Ohio Board of Regents for review. A full list of the approved recommendations can be found on

Miami’s website and will be implemented by July 2016.

Vice President Elect of the Criminal Justice Society Joshua Ray Click expressed his relief.

“If the regionals didn’t have a Masters in Criminal Justice I would have had to [go] to UC,” Click said.

A recent report of 2013-14 graduates of Miami’s College of Professional Studies and Applied Sciences showed that 100 percent of graduates in the Criminal Justice program were employed or enrolled in school by fall 2014.

“I am very excited and I feel this program will be one of the top programs in Ohio — if not in country,” Click said. “Because of the hardworking faculty and students, I have hope in Miami and the program.”

With the changes taking place, there’s been some talk about residential housing for the regional campuses; however, Hodge did not support it.

“We don’t want to add that layer of complexity to the regional campuses,” he said, “but we’re very happy to have the private sector consider providing options for students and so forth.”

Not everything is changing. The path to relocate to Oxford will remain as well as the ability to swirl (taking classes at more than one campus). Regional students who wish to transfer to Oxford will still be able to do so, but with suggested advising, according to the resolution.

“At the end of the day, this is all about making sure the students have the greatest number of opportunities and best pathway to success,” Hodge said.

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Contrary to popular belief, Miami University sorority women chose — and continue to choose — to live in sorority suites on campus instead of in sorority houses off campus.

A Panhellenic agreement was made that stated sorority women would live on campus for the benefit of sorority life.

Myths as to why sororities do not have off-campus housing like their fraternal counterparts have been circulating the university for years. One of these myths describes an Oxford city law which states a single house with a certain number of girls is considered a brothel.

Another says that a woman made a large donation to the university in the early 1900s wanting her money to be put toward on-campus sorority housing.

Both are false.

“There is no law prohibiting [offcampus sorority housing],” said Jung-Han Chen, director of Community Development.

The truth is that in the late 1940s members of the National Panhellenic Council at Miami agreed to have sorority housing on campus.

These women thought that creating off-campus sorority housing would cause increased cost to sorority women and increased competition between different sororities.

In the Panhellenic agreement, the women also state that a reason to keep sorority housing on campus is that off-campus housing may cause women in sororities to become more “cliquish.”

“We, as a cross section of sorority women at Miami University, are strongly opposed to sorority houses as residences for

CATHERINE DENNISON THE MIAMI STUDENT

women on campus,” states the Panhellenic agreement.

Because Miami was a predominantly male campus until the mid 1900s, both Greek and unaffiliated women had few housing options compared to the men on campus. In fact, in 1951, women in 10 of the 17 sororities on Miami’s campus were living in temporary housing.

The university’s solution to this problem was creating sorority suites.

“It’s a lot easier to let the campus manage it,” said Jennifer Levering, director of the Cliff Alexander Office and the Office of Student Activities.

In these suites, all situated near each other in Central Quad, women have minimal maintenance and fewer worries than if they lived off campus.

“It is kind of hard to watch my friends at other schools move into sorority houses,” said Kim Brochocki, a first-year and member of Zeta Tau Alpha. “However, I think the idea of sorority quad is really cool because it brings us together

as a Panhellenic community.”

Areas where sorority houses could be built off campus are called R2MS zones. Theses zones are mostly near Miami’s campus and on W. High and Beech Streets.

Sorority and fraternity housing falls under the category of conditional use. This means that the sorority or fraternity, in order to build a house in an R2MS zone, or anywhere, must put together an application to be approved first by the Oxford Planning Commission and then by City Council. According to Chen, these groups talk about issues like parking space and how trash will be managed on the property before coming to a decision.

While there may not be a law prohibiting it, Levering said offcampus sorority housing is not a current reality.

Availability of space in Uptown Oxford and the cost it would take to renovate houses to accommodate as HOUSING » PAGE 5

Greeks vote on stricter party rules for safety GREEK

KATIE CATTELL

THE MIAMI STUDENT

CONNOR MORIARTY PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

MIAMI IN BLOOM Spring flowers take over Miami’s campus, with tulips being the bloom of choice for the university.

In accordance with recent issues, both the Interfraternity Council (IFC) and the Panhellenic Association are voting to make some changes to their social policies. These changes, if passed, are intended to hold the Greek community more accountable for their actions while still allowing them to have a good time.

Colleen Blevins, associate director of the Cliff Alexander Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Leadership, explained the motivation behind the new policy.

“We want [to create] this social policy that puts those safety measures in place and allows the events that are already happening to continue to happen, but with the extra safety,” said Blevins.

The new policy will require chapters to register social events at their chapter and annex houses ahead of time and arrange to have a third party vendor serve alcohol and a third party security team present to check IDs and look out for underage drinking.

These changes will

theoretically prevent underage drinkingaswellasrecklessmixingof alcohol by individuals.

In recent years, multiple fraternities and sororities have been put on social probation or have been removed from campus entirely after violating the student code of conduct.

Beta Theta Pi fraternity closed its Alpha chapter last year after being found guilty of hazing and alcohol abuse. Alpha Xi Delta is the only sorority currently listed on the Cliff Alexander website as being off-campus for the time being, after its chapter was found to have violated student code of conduct in regards to the misuse of alcohol.

Currently, Sigma Phi Epsilon is under summary suspension pending its hearing with the Office of Student Ethics and Conflict Resolution (OESCR). Until a decision has been reached, its charges cannot be disclosed.

However, Zach Scheid, president of the Inter Fraternity Council (IFC) said he doesn’t believe that problems in Greek life have increased.

“I think there hasn’t necessarily been change in their policy from the university standpoint,

I think it’s an increase in reporting,” Scheid said. “We’ve started to understand that the social culture has changed nationally and we need to change with it. And I think that the increased reporting and the increased scrutiny have stemmed from what many may view as a crackdown, but is in fact is just us adjusting to the social changes.”

Some members of the community are skeptical of the proposed changes. Among them is sophomore Rosie Leuby.

“People are going to drink regardless of their age and I think that they just need to focus on making sure it’s safe rather than trying to restrict it,” Leuby said. “We are a Greek community and we have to look out for one another.”

In February, Acacia lost its status as a university recognized organization after it failed to retain enough members by its national’s standards. The same thing happened to sorority Alpha Gamma Delta in January.

Panhellenic voted on and approved these changes Tuesday and IFC voted on Thursday. If passed by both boards, the new policy will be put into effect over the summer.

NEWS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

NEWS 3

FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

JENNIFER MILLS THE MIAMI STUDENT

Miami ranks among top in university dining survey DINING

KRISTA SAVAGE NEWS EDITOR

Last week, Miami University’s Western Dining Commons ranked 14th in ‘36 of the best college dining halls in North America,’ according to an article published by the national chapter of Spoon University.

Spoon University is a national campus publication that serves as a source of recipes and food reviews for college students. According to co-founders Mackenzie Barth and Sarah Adler, it was created as a way to destroy the stereotype of college being the place where “good food goes to waste.”

Molly Barecca is the editorin-chief of Miami University Spoon, and has eaten at West-

ern Dining Commons with her friends. She said they agree it has the widest variety of food selection on campus.

“I love super brunch, personally, because of the variety and the ability to customize options,” Barecca said. “Miami dining is far better than some of the dining halls [my] friends at other schools have described.”

The Spoon ranking considered large state universities and small liberal arts colleges, and used specific criteria to judge the best dining hall, like food quality and overall experience. It lists a sample menu, location of the dining hall and hours of operation for each school.

Western Dining Commons was selected as the best dining experience at Miami. The website

emphasizes the variety of food offered at a selection of stations. It was awarded for the Grill & Roast Station, which provides a variety of fish and poultry, and the Interna-

Western Dining Commons was selected as the best dining experience at Miami. tional Station, which offers cuisine from around the globe.

Kim Kinsel, associate vice president for auxiliaries, said Western Dining Commons is extremely popular among students and staff members.

“They enjoy the beautiful space, the setting and opportunity for outdoor seating,” Kinsel said. “You

Graduating Champions Campaign announced ATHLETICS

GRACE REMINGTON SPORTS EDITOR

Miami University Athletics officially launched the Graduating Champions Campaign, an $80 million capital campaign directed toward improving Miami’s athletics facilities and increasing support for scholarships.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 25 for the new David and Anita Dauch Indoor Sports Center, Director of Athletics David Sayler announced the campaign had already raised $49 million during its yearlong silent phase. The campaign’s end date is summer 2017.

Sayler said he hopes that in the long-run, the numerous improvements will lead to a significant increase in revenue for the athletic programs, which ultimately leads to healthier student-athletes and a supportive fan base.

“It will help us increase dollars, revenue in the athletic department,” Sayler said. “It’ll do that in the way of scholarship support … then you have the ability to recruit better studentathletes who can train year-round in

the different facilities we’re building, which will help them in their goals of getting conference championships, which increases ticket revenue and fan support. When you’re winning championships, those things tend to follow.”

Miami added a weight and conditioning room to the Goggin Ice Center in summer 2014 and completed the first round of Millett Hall renovations this year.

The Gunlock Family Athletic Performance Center is the campaign’s next focus. It will serve as the football program’s new home and will include a sports medicine and rehabilitation center open to all MU student-athletes. Gunlock is expected to break ground within the year.

The campaign funds also contribute to the Legacy Project at Hayden Park, which adds a locker room, coaches’ offices and equipment and training rooms for the baseball team.

The project will open this fall.

Additionally, the Miami Athletics plans to add a soccer stadium complex, an indoor tennis facility, further renovations to Millett Hall and a facelift to the Yager Stadium press box.

A substantial increase in scholarship support tops the to-do list, in order to improve recruiting abilities and reduce scholarship demands on the overall athletic department budget.

Several student-athletes have already begun to reap the benefits from Miami’s new facilities.

“All of Miami’s student-athletes are driven by the desire to fulfill our greatest potential, and that requires opportunities for continued growth and progress,” junior Miami soccer forward Haley Walter said in a press release. “New facilities like the David and Anita Dauch Indoor Sports Center help us get to that next level. I’ve always felt fortunate to play the sport I love at the collegiate level, and the Graduating Champions Campaign is showing just how invested our alumni and friends are in our success.”

Various Miami alumni have contributed to the campaign. John Harbaugh, an ’84 grad and head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, donated an undisclosed gift and is eager to contribute the athletic program’s reCHAMPIONS »PAGE 8

Locals take home victories in the 17th annual Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon COMMUNITY

EMILY O’CONNOR THE MIAMI STUDENT

As Adam Gloyeske crossed the finish line, he knew he had just received his best time ever of 2:32:55.

He was tired, but that couldn’t fight his growing smile. He had just won his first marathon.

Cincinnati hosted its 17th annual Flying Pig races last weekend, April 29 to May 3. The weekend included a full marathon, half marathon, 10k, 5k, multiple relays and smaller races for kids. The winners of the Flying Pig Marathon, May 3, were both local runners.

Gloyeske, 25, is a resident of Hamilton and a graduate from Badin High School, where he fell in love with running in 2004 during his freshman year. Later, he graduated from Northern Kentucky University, where he ran cross country.

M

He has lived in Hamilton since 2008 but spends a good deal of time in Worthington, Ohio, where he attends the American Institute of Alternative Medicine, pursuing his Master’s degree in Acupuncture.

Gloyeske is a brand ambassador for Reckless Running, which is a family-based company in North Carolina founded by Anthony Famiglietti, a two-time Olympian, and his wife.

“The biggest part of success in running is staying healthy and consistent,” said Gloyeske.

He said he does most of his training in Oxford. He trains four months prior to running a marathon and will typically run 100 miles per week, spreading it into seven runs total.

Once a week, he completes a 2026 mile run and incorporates core strengthening workouts.

“I take my diet and recovery seriously,” said Gloyeske.

“Many athletes neglect that part of their training.”

He has run a total of six marathons, including four Flying Pig Marathons, a race in Jacksonville, and another in Columbus. This was his first fullmarathon win, but he won his first half-marathon in March.

“There have been a few ups and downs,” said Gloyeske. “But they are short-lived because I take care of them quickly.”

First place for females, Amy Robillard, is from Montgomery, Ohio, and finished with a time of 2:53:10.

She is 35 years old, and is the assistant cross country coach at Ursuline Academy in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Along with local Ohioans, several Miami University students participated in the Flying Pig Marathon. Tess Cassidy, a sophomore and member of the MU Striders Running MARATHON »PAGE 8

have the traditional style buffet hall within a space that truly embraces the beauty of Miami and Western Campus.”

Miami Dining Services has worked to gain feedback from students. According to Kinsel, this is the best dining hall because it encompasses everything students have requested.

First-year Henry Sacchini lives in Thomson Hall on Western Campus and eats at Western Dining Commons every day.

“I like it because of the convenience and the Grey Stone store,” Sacchini said.

First place in the ranking was given to Boston University (BU): The Fresh Food Company at Marciano. According to BU students, it is the best dining hall on campus.

It includes all-you-can-eat buffet

style dining on the top level, and, similar to Miami Western Dining’s Allergen Free Station, BU offers gluten free and vegan options in the Rise Café in the basement.

Like Miami students, BU students feel their dining hall deserves the ranking it received. Rachel DeSimone is the Editor-in-Chief for Boston University Spoon, and said it is her first choice when selecting where to eat on campus.

She ate there as a sophomore when it first opened two years ago.

“It is big, bright and open, and there are a lot of stations to cover all dining needs. I completely agree with the ranking,” DeSimone said. “This dining hall is extremely modern, comfortable, boasts a variety of awesome choices and makes you feel like you’re almost not even in a dining hall.”

Iconic bricks get needed facelift CONSTRUCTION

MAX PIKRAS

THE MIAMI STUDENT

The quaint town in northwestern Butler County many students call home will undergo a change this month. The brick streets, a signature feature of Uptown Oxford, will be repaved to repair damage.

Construction will begin May 26 at the intersection of High Street and Campus Avenue, and stretch to Poplar Street. Following will be construction at the intersection of High Street and Talawanda Road.

The total cost of the project is $553,232. A grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) is covering 86 percent of the cost.

Belgray, Inc. is the contractor for the project, and will be constructing the removal, repair and installation of asphalt and bricklayers. The existing layers of brick and asphalt will be removed, allowing the construction team to work with a new surface. A layer of aggregate will be added to the ground, followed by 10 to 11 inches of concrete. To complete the roadwork, a layer of new bricks will be placed on top.

“The concrete that was originally put down was not heavy enough, and eventually disintegrated,” said Victor Popescu, Oxford City engineer. “The current project will include an addition of drainage and an increase in concrete thickness.”

The construction has a tentative completion date of July 15, 2015, but the contractor may revise the construction schedule if necessary.

Traffic will take a hit due to the roadway construction, but detours will be posted and sidewalks will remain open for the duration of the project.

“The city, over the years, has committed to do all major highway improvements,” Popescu said, “especially through the downtown area in the summer time when the student population is low and the inconvenience to traffic is minimized.”

The construction this summer is not predicted to cause any problems for the businesses and residents of Oxford.

“It won’t affect the business, but it will affect the traffic and the amount of people coming through Oxford during the summer,” said Brilynn Webb, an employee of The Apple Tree Uptown.

With many boutiques, restaurants and bars, Uptown Oxford has many possible destinations for potential customers traveling on High Street. Business on less-traveled streets in Oxford may see a rise in the number of people who stop in due to the construction.

“On the other side, the construction could significantly affect the business by having more people stop in because of the amount of detours,” Webb said.

EMILY SABANEGH THE MIAMI STUDENT

KICKBACK WITH MAP A student enjoys zorbing on Central Quad as part of the Kick Back with MAP event on Thursday afternoon.

IN OTHER NEWS LOCAL

Lululemon trunk comes to Miami

STATE

NATIONAL

INTERNATIONAL

show

Cincinnati school district superintendent resigns

Indiana HIV winding down

outbreak

Death of top Al Qaeda figure in Yemen

To aid in finals week procrastination, Lululemon is hosting a trunk show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 11 at the Shriver Center.

Forest Hills School District’s Dallas Jackson resigned amid allegations that he bullied teachers to change grades.

Since December, 149 HIV cases have been confirmed, but numbers have dropped in recent weeks.

A U.S. drone strike last month killed Nasr bin Ali al-Ansi, a new public face of the terrorist group in Yemen.

— The Enquirer

— The Associated Press

— The New York Times

— Miami University

WHEN YOU’RE FINISHED READING

PLEASE RECYCLE

4 CULTURE

FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

PERELMBK@MIAMIOH.EDU

Looking ahead: Defining and redefining Oxford culture CULTURE

BRITTON PERELMAN CULTURE EDITOR

BRITTON PERELMAN THE MIAMI STUDENT

On further travel, wanderlust TRAVEL

GREAT BRITTON Great Britton is a weekly travel column by Britton Perelman, a junior studying abroad this semester in Luxembourg. This week is her final column, reflecting on the past four months and looking ahead to future travel.

I never wanted to be a tourist.

I wanted to be a traveler.

A tourist sees the sights, returns home and thinks about her cool vacation, frames her favorite pictures and falls back into routine.

A traveler is an explorer, a globetrotter, a wanderer. Use whatever idealistic noun you want — that’s what I wanted to be. Anything but a tourist.

I packed for Europe specifically so I wouldn’t stick out — neutral colors, nothing to call attention to myself. I read articles, did research about which spots were tourist traps, and absorbed as much information as I possibly could.

Months before I left, I made detailed lists of the places I wanted to go. I counted the weekends of the semester, looked up how long Carnival and Easter breaks were and totaled how many places I could visit.

My list went up to the number 18.

My boyfriend, Luke, saw the list and told me I’d never be able to go everywhere. He said I’d have to pick and choose, that there were some places I simply wouldn’t be able to make it to in four months. I was

determined to prove him wrong.

When I think about all the places I have seen, a flash of memories is associated with each city’s name.

Budapest — the rickety metro trains we rode into the city; seeing the Parliament building reflected in the Danube; hearing our tour guide, Norbert, tell us tales of distraught princes, daring architects and stone lions without tongues.

Venice — water-bus rides across canals; tiny shops full of intricate glass figurines or mysterious masks; the hazy horizon between the sea and the city in the early morning.

London — endless escalator rides in and out of underground stations along the Picadilly, Victoria and Jubilee lines; walking through Hogwarts at the Harry Potter studio; afternoon tea after taking in every inch of Westminster Abbey; meeting a friendly painter in Parliament Square.

Now, Luke was right — not that I like to admit that, especially in print.

I didn’t get to go everywhere on my list. Realistically, how could I have?

During my Monday morning political science class, I passed the time by staring at the map of the European Union propped in front of us. I spotted the countries I’d already visited, my next destination, the places I planned to go before the end of the semester. But I never stopped there.

My eyes were always drawn to the others. The places I wouldn’t make it to see. Portugal. Finland. Romania.

Slovenia. Morocco.

And though the map only showed the general European area, I kept going. I zoomed around a larger map in my head, pinpointing places on the whole globe that I was desperate to see in person. South Africa. Cambodia. Peru. New Zealand. Sri Lanka.

Egypt. Brazil.

My problem is, and always has

been, that I want to go everywhere.

I want a passport full of stamps, friends in far-flung countries and journals bursting with stories. I want to see the sun rise and set from every possible part of the globe. I want sleepless nights, long plane rides and midnight strolls through thousandyear-old towns. I want all of my possessions to fit in a single backpack.

I want to have walked so much that my feet grow accustomed to the pain. I want to leave pieces of myself in each place, so that I can finally call everywhere “home.”

Four short months are not enough if you want to go everywhere. A weekend is not long enough in any city — Cincinnati or Paris, Oxford or Barcelona.

But it is enough to teach you the difference between what it means to be a tourist and what it means to be a traveler. Travelers are constantly searching.

They search for the right turn, the next train, the best deal on a plane ticket to fly across the globe. For restaurants where the locals eat, the unexplored back alleys, the small details of a place that no one else notices. They search for the sights that will leave them disappointed and others that will make them wonder.

For travelers, seeing a fraction of the world is never enough. It is just a taste, an idea of what is waiting to be discovered.

I’ll be back in the States in a week.

Back to constant cell phone service, free refills and bathrooms, Hulu Plus and the English language.

But there is so much more out there — and I’m not done searching for it.

BRITTON PERELMAN

PERELMBK@MIAMIOH.EDU

Official guide to summer binge-watching TELEVISION

DEVON SHUMAN

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

With classes coming to a close, it’s time to start thinking about how to spend your summer break. While going to the beach is fun, summer is also a great time to get caught up on all your favorite TV shows.

What better time to power through three seasons of “The Office” than when you don’t have a five-page paper due the next day? With that in mind, here’s your guide to a summer of binge-watching: “Bloodline” — Netflix Kyle Chandler, Sissy Spacek and Sam Shepard headline this story of a family that runs an inn in the Florida Keys. When their black sheep of a brother returns home, tensions rise and skeletons find their way out of the closet, suggesting that something sinister lies behind the sunny beauty of the Keys. Feeling “True Detective”-esque at times in the way it tackles dark, psychological themes, “Bloodline” is one of Netflix’s best new shows.

“Daredevil” — Netflix Netflix has taken the superhero genre to another level. “Daredevil” follows the story of Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who fights crime using his other superhumanly enhanced senses. Where it differs from other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is in its dark and violent tone.

It is wonderfully gritty and, at times, feels reminiscent of Christopher Nolan’s psychologically thrilling “Dark Knight” trilogy. Vincent D’Onofrio is especially impressive as Wilson Fisk, a crime boss who goes by the name, ‘Kingpin.’ If “Avengers” just

doesn’t do it for you this summer, then check out “Daredevil.”

“Orange is the New Black” — Netflix (June 12) Loosely based on the experiences of Piper Kerman, “Orange” tells the story of a woman who is sentenced to 15 months in prison for carrying drug money at one time in her life.

While Piper’s story is interesting, she is often overshadowed by all the other characters at Litchfield — Red, Taystee, Nicky. There are so many intriguing character arcs and relationship dynamics that it’s a wonder how showrunner Jenji Kohan keeps track of them all. She has crafted an intelligent comedy that also isn’t afraid to tackle some heavy emotional themes. Hopefully season three will continue that tradition.

“Wet Hot American Summer” — Netflix (July 17) If you haven’t seen David Wain’s 2001 cult comedy, “Wet Hot American Summer,” then drop your finals study guides and go watch it right now. The absurdly hilarious parody of ’80s summer camp movies featured many major actors (Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper, etc.) at the beginning of their careers. Now, Netflix is rebooting the film into a TV series that will bring back the majority of the original cast.

While the movie took place on the last day of summer, this season will act as a prequel, focusing on the first day of that same summer. If all goes smoothly, this zany comedy could be back for more seasons.

“Wayward Pines” — FOX (May 14) With the success of shows like “True Detective” and “Fargo,” miniseries are becoming a popu-

lar choice for television producers.

They give writers the ability to write a complete story without worrying about introducing new storylines to sustain future seasons. FOX seems to be jumping onboard with “Wayward Pines,” — a miniseries starring Matt Dillon as a Secret Service agent who is sent to a mysterious town to search for two missing federal agents. As he investigates, he finds it harder and harder to leave the strange community. Directed by the master of surprise endings, M. Night Shyamalan (Sixth Sense, Signs), the show is bound to be filled with chilling twists. Although you won’t be able to binge this series, it could be exciting enough to keep you tuning in each week.

“True Detective” -- HBO (June 21) Before you get too excited, keep in mind that “True Detective” is, in fact, a miniseries, so you won’t get to see Matthew McConaughey philosophize about the fate of the universe as the eccentric Russ Cohle anymore. The second season introduces an entirely different set of characters and will take place in Los Angeles.

Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn are set to star as a detective and criminal respectively, with Rachel McAdams and Taylor Kitsch also joining the cast as minor characters. With its unparalleled character development, stunning cinematography, and intelligent and thought-provoking exploration into the dark nature of humanity, the first season of “True Detective” was arguably one of the best productions in recent television history. Hopefully, season two will TELEVISION »PAGE 5

Culture [kuhl-cher] noun 1: the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.

2: that which is excellent in the arts, manners, etc.

3: a particular form or stage of civilization, as that of a certain nation or period.

4: development or improvement of the mind by education or training.

5: the behaviors and beliefs characteristic or a particular social, ethnic or age group.

No matter how you choose to define it, culture is what defines a place. It’s the red bricks, the people who walk on them, what those people do with their time and what they think of the world around them.

Next year, the Culture section of The Miami Student will begin print-

ing twice a week. You can expect everything we normally publish — coverage of theater and music performances, popular entertainment reviews and articles about what’s going on Uptown.

But you can also expect to see new kinds of writing — stories about the people that live and work in Oxford, behind-the-scenes glimpses at campus events and organizations and guest articles from Miami students studying abroad all over the world.

Along with an increase in print coverage, we plan to introduce some new features to The Miami Student website, including photo albums and videos of the goings on around Oxford.

We’re excited about the opportunity to expand the Culture section and look forward to covering all that makes Oxford, Oxford.

If you’re interested in the new Culture section or would like to become a writer for the 2015-16 school year, contact Britton Perelman (perelmbk@miamioh.edu).

PHIL ARNDT THE MIAMI STUDENT

CHAMBER MUSIC Eric Black, Boris Schwarzenbach and Lynn Orfahli perform Brahms’ Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano in A minor, Op. 114 during the Chamber Music Extravaganza last Thursday, April 30.

Summer cinema: Box office preview for upcoming movies FILM

JACK RYAN

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

There’s no time to waste, so here’s a quick breakdown of every blockbuster, sequel, sleeper, and hidden gem you should consider seeing (or skipping) this summer.

What better way to kick back after a stressful finals week than with not one, but two of the most anticipated movies of the summer? May 15 features the return of the road warrior in “Mad Max: Fury Road,” starring Tom Hardy as the titular badass. Let this be your humble narrator’s early prediction for blockbuster of the summer. If you’re looking for something less action-packed, look no further than “Pitch Perfect 2,” in which the mere presence of Anna Kendrick is reason enough for a view.

From here, the forecast mostly calls for reboots and sequels to beloved franchises.

On June 5, “Entourage” gets the posse of Vince, Drama, Turtle and E back together one more time, with tons of guest appearances to boot.

Chris Pratt is scheduled to continue his rise to superstardom in June 12’s “Jurassic World,” — and we all know the dinosaurs DEFINITELY won’t escape in this one. Seth MacFarlane is slated to repeat some old “Family Guy” jokes as an inappropriate bear in “Ted 2,” out on June 26. Don’t be surprised if this one ends up flopping.

July opens with a bang — with “Terminator Genisys,” and“Magic Mike XXL,” on deck for release on the 1st. “Terminator” stars “Game of Thrones” vet Emilia Clarke and good old (emphasis on old) Arnie destroying everything in sight and creating some more confusing timelines. “Magic Mike XXL” continues the (semi-biographical) stories of Channing Tatum’s male stripper character, but without the direct leadership of visionary director Steven Soderbergh.

July 24 might be the biggest release day of the summer, sporting the intense Jake Gyllenhaal boxing pic, “Southpaw,” and the sleeper comedy of the summer, “Trainwreck,” starring Amy Schumer. Adam Sandler

and Woody Allen also make their annual rounds on the 24, with “Pixels,” and “Irrational Man,” respectively.

Closing out the big blockbusters are eccentric superhero flick “Ant Man,” the newest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe on July 17, and a youthful reboot of “Fantastic Four,” starring Kate Mara and Miles Teller, on Aug. 7. Although they may not be as big budget as “Avengers,” don’t be surprised if these two end up being the best superhero movies of the summer.

In terms of family-friendly material, Disney starts with George Cloo-

What better way to kick back after a stressful finals week than with the most anticipated movies of the summer? ney in “Tomorrowland” on May 22.

Then the animation front opens on June 19 with “Inside Out,” Pixar’s first original movie in almost three years, featuring voice-acting from beloved comedians Amy Poehler and Mindy Kaling.

If you’re looking for smaller, more independent fare, you’re in luck.

May 29 features Bradley Cooper in “Aloha,” a cute and quirky movie from the creator of “Jerry Maguire.”

June 5 finds Paul Dano and John Cusack reliving the life of troubled Beach Boys singer-songwriter Brian Wilson in “Love and Mercy.” And “Dope,” the movie I’m most excited to see this summer, has been getting rave reviews at film festivals countrywide and will definitely be worth seeking out on its June 19th release.

If you liked last year’s young adult hit, “The Fault in Our Stars,” there are two great options for you.

“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” is out June 12, and looks to be an unconventional play on the same general story as “TFIOS.” And “Paper Towns,” an adaptation of the John Green novel of the same name, comes out on July 24.

Closing out our preview is the traditional summer horror selection.

MOVIES »PAGE 5

WWW.MIAMISTUDENT.NET

5

FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

The Aftermath Grace said the university’s hearing in her case went smoothly, yet, she still has doubts about Miami’s procedures for investigating sexual assault.

“I wouldn’t say I trust the disciplinary system. I’ve heard too many stories and I just know too much—stuff slips through the cracks,” she said. “With my case it was black and white. There were two girls sitting there [in the hearing] who were assaulted within 24 hours by the same guy. They couldn’t not kick him out.”

Despite her reservations, Grace expressed great appreciation for the individuals, including Becca Get-

son, the university’s sexual assault response coordinator, who worked with her to make sure the process was as painless as possible. She encourages all survivors to take that step and trust the university advocates with their stories.

The lawsuit, on the other hand, has dragged on for years, amplifying the trauma caused by the assault. Grace began the legal process her first year at Miami. She is now in her fourth year and is being treated by doctors for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As a result, Grace has only been able to complete the number of credit hours needed to reach sophomore status.

“People often look at this stuff as a 30-minute episode of ‘Law and Order,’ and that’s not how it is,” she said. “It takes so much longer to even make a dent, to try and make a difference … It takes it out of you.

It’s like a kick to the stomach.”

Regardless of the outcome, and despite the pain it has caused, Grace said she feels the need to continue with her case—not because it will bring her justice, but because she wants to make sure Miami University administrators are doing everything in their power to protect their students.

“It’s more about me just making a point to Miami that this isn’t okay. I’m essentially, at the end of the day, not going to get anything out of this personally,” she said.

“It’s more about me just making sure this doesn’t happen again.”

FRO,M DOWNEY »PAGE 10

FROM HOUSING »PAGE 2

messages from listeners to prove it. I know there is no stutter. I don’t need to go back and listen to the call to know that.

The call wasn’t my favorite because Miami won.

It was my favorite because in a once-in-a-lifetime moment, calling a championship game, I was confident and comfortable with no stutter.

many as 100 women are among the reasons Levering does not see off-campus sorority housing in Miami’s future.

Martina Oriz, a first-year and member of Pi Beta Phi, said she does not see any reason to change the system currently in place.

“I’d say I’m content because, this way, all sophomores can live together, there’s no way a house could hold all 60 of those girls,” Oriz said.

The main things holding sorority women back from moving into off-campus sorority housing are Miami’s two-year live-on requirement and the agreement between members of the National Panhellenic Council in the late 1940s to live on campus.

FROM ASSAULT »PAGE 1

her in the chest. [The accused] also slapped [the victim] in the face, and stuffed his fingers and hand into her mouth. At one point he ripped a nose piercing from her nose.”

The accused was expelled Dec. 8, 2011 after Miami’s Office of Ethics and Student Conflict Resolution (OESCR) found him responsible for two counts of sexual assault and one count of physical assault, according to university documents.

In accordance with Miami’s policies, the reason for the accused’s dismissal was not reflected in his academic transcript. Shortly after expulsion, he was accepted into another university.

TOM DOWNEY

DOWNEYTS@MIAMIOH.EDU

FROM GOODWILL »PAGE 1

ford. The Family Resource Center (FRC) has provided for needy families since 1956. Located near the Oxford Walmart on US Highway 27, the FRC focuses on helping families specifically in the Talawanda School District by providing clothing, food and housing to local citizens.

FRC has long partnered with Miami student organizations to help those in the community. The non-profit organization focuses on self-sufficiency and teaching families how to provide for themselves.

Although these two non-profits have similar missions, the new Goodwill will provide additional services to the community, according to Alan Kyger, Oxford’s economic developer.

Goodwill’s primary focus is to provide employment and skills training for disabled persons and veterans, according to the official Goodwill website. The Ohio Valley Goodwill is one of the largest rehabilitation services providers in Ohio.

Goodwill and Family Resource Center will both participate in Oxford’s ShareFest, from May 13 to May 19, which is an opportunity for Miami students to donate unwanted items to those in need.

According to Scott Webb, the architect for the site, the Oxford location will open next fall. The initial proposal included Goodwill’s requests to add parking spaces in the front of building, although that is against Oxford code.

The board accepted its appeal, meaning the Oxford Goodwill will have parking in front of the store on Locust Street and a parking lot and parking spaces on Collins and Union Street.

However, Goodwill has yet to submit building and site plans, and its demolition permit has not been approved by the city.

“It is moving slower, probably because this is a non-profit,” said Sam Perry, Oxford city planner. “They really wanted to come to Oxford.”

Visit the Ohio Valley Goodwill website for employment and volunteer opportunities.

FROM TELEVISION »PAGE 4

FROM MOVIES »PAGE 4

live up to its name.

If those aren’t enough to keep you satisfied this summer, then try the hit HBO series, “Game of Thrones,” or “Silicon Valley,” which have already premiered and will continue airing new episodes into the summer. Or you can check out the new Netflix original series, “Grace and Frankie,” which will be released on May 8.

Happy bingeing!

ditional summer horror selection. “Insidious: Chapter 3” starts out the season on June 5, “Poltergeist” brings the 1982 classic to the present day on July 24, and “Sinister 2” tries for one final scare as summer winds to a close on Aug. 21.

As always, there’s something for everyone at the movies this summer. I hope to see you all at the theater.

ONLINE MIAMISTUDENT.NET

FROM MEYERS »PAGE 1

show and perform impressions of celebrities such as 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry, actor Tom Cruise and news anchor Brian Williams.

After only five years, Meyers was promoted to be one of the show’s head writers. That same year, when actress Tina Fey left “Saturday Night Live,” Meyers took her spot at the Weekend Update desk, delivering real news with a satirical twist alongside cast member Amy Poehler.

Meyers continued to anchor the segment when Poehler left in 2008 with cast mate Cecily Strong joining him at the desk in 2013, making him the longestrunning Weekend Update host in the show’s history.

Meyers took over “Late Night” from its previous host, Jimmy Fallon, in February 2014 when Fallon took over Jay Leno’s spot on the Tonight Show. He has led the late night ratings with an average of 1.5 million viewers for every show.

Last year, Meyers was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People after taking on the “Late Night” spot. In the piece Poehler wrote about him for the issue of TIME, she describes Meyers as “a sharp performer and superior writer.”

First-year Kyle Oosterhouse said he is excited to see the television star perform live.

“I love Seth Meyers,” Oosterhouse said. “He was my favorite cast member on SNL.” According to Liberatore, they expect tickets to sell quickly during First Year Orientations this June.

Tickets to see Meyers will go on sale starting at 10 a.m. on June 1. All tickets will be $43, plus any applicable fees, and can be purchased on Miami’s website or by phone.

STORY IDEA? news@miamistudent.net

WHEN YOU’RE FINISHED READING

PLEASE RECYCLE

No time ? to Car Shop

New & Used Car

New & Used Vehicle Purchasing Service

1.99%

Interest Rates as low as

APR APR

• Vehicle shopping expertise • Extensive dealership network • Established dealer contacts • Pre-arranged dealer visits • Discount on new & used vehicles • Free CARFAX vehicle history report • Vehicles independently researched • No loan payments for 90 days Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, • Vehicle delivery to your home, worships or attends School in Butler County. office, or the Credit Union

Miami University and Community Federal Credit Union

5120 College Corner Pike, Oxford, OH 45056 • 513-523-8888 • www.muccu.org Call for complete details on the above product offering. APY, Rates, Terms and Conditions are subject to individual credit worthiness, subject to daily change without notice. MUCFCU is not a legal entity of the University. Federally insured with the NCUA

Apartments

Redefine your future – the time is now Explore the world and gain cross-cultural, language, and leadership skills as a Peace Corps volunteer.

peacecorps.gov/apply Seniors, apply by July 1 to depart in early 2016.

1.855.855.1961 | chicago@peacecorps.gov

6 OPINION

FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

The death penalty is a gamble that we are not willing to take EDITORIAL

Today’s two editorial pages are the product of a semester-long research project concerning the state of the death penalty in Ohio and the United States.

On January 16, 2014, using the two-drug cocktail of midazolam and hydromorphone, Ohio executed Dennis McGuire, who appeared to writhe in pain for 26 minutes during what should have been a 10-minute sedated execution — the longest in Ohio’s history.

Nearly seven months later, on July 23, it took Arizona inmate Joseph Wood nearly two hours to die. Officials had to pump Wood with the same two-drug combination 15 times before he finally expired.

The recent spell of botched executions is just one of the many facets to the controversial issue of capital punishment in the United States that stems from human error.

On November 1, 2014, inmates

The following piece, written by the editorial editors, reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board.

Riley Jackson and Wiley Bridgeman were officially exonerated of their crimes and released after Eddie Vernon, the key witness in their jury trial, recanted his damn-

fairness of Ohio’s death penalty system into law.

This is laudable, but not enough.

If the issues were completely fixed, if there were no human er-

The point of a prison is not to make a person suffer, no matter how much they may deserve it. The point of a prison is to remove a dangerous person from society, and if states have the means of doing so in a humane way, then they should.

ing testimony. Each spent 39 years behind bars — many of which were on death row — on a wrongful conviction.

In response to the botched lethal injections and wrongful convictions, Ohioans to Stop Executions (OTSE) has enacted a Fix It or End It campaign and Ohio Senator Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) is leading a charge to turn 56 recommendations to improve the

ror and there existed an omniscient power that could tell right from wrong, the death penalty would still be inhumane.

It has long been harkened that the only criminals put to death should be the worst of the worst, but how can you tell who the worst of the worst are without blanket covering an entire crime? There are too many shades of grey — too many “what ifs?”

What if someone is innocent?

This is not a gamble that states should be willing to take. Death is too finite. It is better to release an inmate after 39 years in prison than it is to kill a guiltless man.

Opponents of the death penalty sometimes ignore or look over the fact that the majority of death row inmates have committed heinous crimes, but the depravity of the act a criminal is facing punishment for is irrelevant.

This begs the question: if the death penalty were not the highest form of punishment available, would the jury feel more inclined to dish out life without parole?

Because of their innate humanness, inmates have a right to live. The act of killing a person for having killed another is counterintuitive, a vicious cycle — it only serves to continue the crime that they started The United States perceives itself across the board as the moral authority and the policeman of

the world; however, after China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, we are the fifth leading country in the world for number of executions — far ahead of Sudan, Yemen, Egypt and Somalia.

The worst punishment by far should be life in prison without the opportunity of parole; however, what about the prisons that aren’t so bad — the white collar prisons with tennis courts and flat screen TVs? Is life in prison in the United States truly a form of punishment?

The point of a prison is not to make a person suffer, no matter how much they may deserve it.

The point of a prison is to remove a dangerous person from society, and if states have the means of doing so in a humane way, then they should.

The surrest and simplest way to make sure that the human error invovled in every component of the death penalty process is avoided is simply to end it.

Just end it, starting with Ohio An execution warrant for the death penalty DEATH PENALTY

MILAM’S MUSINGS A narrow majority of Americans still support the death penalty, even with the knowledge that the system could kill an innocent person. Such is unconscionable. The death penalty ought to be permanently outlawed in the United States, starting with Ohio.

Last year, Ohio moved six executions to 2016, meaning there will be no new executions in 2015, shuffled after botching Dennis McGuire’s execution in January 2014. Using new drugs due to the unwillingness of European drug companies to facilitate an execution, the state of Ohio’s concoction of midazolam and hydromorphone took 26 minutes to kill McGuire.

Seitz, a Cincinnati Republican and Williams, a Democrat from

The better route is for the United States Supreme Court to step in and rule the death penalty unconstitutional for all the states.

Cleveland, are working to at least address the problems plaguing the death penalty in the state. Their co-sponsored bill is the first in a series of three or four working to implement some of 56 recommendations offered by a state task force last year.

The first bill is primarily focused on procedural issues, like requiring a judge to notify why a claim was granted or denied regarding postconviction relief. A second bill, expected to be out later this month, would bar the state from executing the mentally ill, according to Kevin Werner, executive director of Ohioans to Stop Executions (OTSE).

In its 2014 report, “A Crumbling Institution: Why Ohio Must Fix Or End the Death Penalty,” OTSE poses the question, “If there is insufficient political will to terminate the death penalty, shouldn’t we fix its many problems?” Indeed. But the most important fact in the report may be that in 2014, three men, Ricky Jackson, Kwame Ajamu and Wiley Bridgeman, were exonerated for the 1975 murder of Harold Franks. These three men were sentenced to die based solely on the witness testimony of a 12-year-old boy. Fortunately, their

execution dates were delayed by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that Ohio’s death penalty was unconstitutional in 1978. Nevertheless, combined, they spent 105 years in prison for a crime they did not commit. What would justice look like had the Supreme Court not interrupted their impending executions? What would justice look like had the 12-year-old boy not grown up to recant his testimony in 2014?

Looking at the national level, since 1935, as far back as the Pew Research polling goes, Americans have always favored the death penalty more than they’ve opposed it.

The high point was in 1995 with 78 percent of Americans favoring execution. While it’s good that support has dropped to 56 percent in the last 20 years, that number is still too high. When Pew leads with the statement, “When someone commits a crime like murder...” then 63 percent of Americans view the death penalty as “morally justified.”

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, 152 inmates on death row across the country have been exonerated since 1973.

It’s curious, then, how much of a “margin of error,” are Americans willing to accept? If those men weren’t exonerated, that’s over three deaths a year. And that is presuming no other inmates on death row are, in fact, innocent. Indeed, however, 71 percent of Americans acknowledge that there is some risk that an innocent person will be put to death There is no acceptable margin of error when it comes to death. There is no acceptable level of collateral damage. The bipartisan attempts to reform a broken system undertaken

by Seitz and Williams and the folks like Werner at OTSE are welcome, but it’s a losing proposition. The better route is for the United States Supreme Court to step in and rule the death penalty unconstitutional for all the states.

In fact, the Court is hashing it out over lethal injection this week.

On Wednesday, the conservative and liberal justices volleyed back and forth over whether new drugs protocols for lethal injection could cause inmate suffering. Justice Elena Kagan offered the best analogy for explaining the deplorable nature of these drugs.

“Suppose that we said, ‘We’re going to burn you at the stake, but before we do, we’re going to use an anesthetic of completely unknown properties and unknown effects.

Maybe you won’t feel it, maybe you will. We just can’t tell.’ And you think that that would be OK?” she said.

It would seem for far too long, Americans have let morality burn at the altar of state-sanctioned murder. It’s time for the Supreme Court to put the flames out.

BRETT MILAM

MILAMBC@MIAMIOH.EDU

DEATH PENALTY

April 29, exactly one year after Oklahoma’s infamously botched execution of Clayton Lockett, the Supreme Court heard Glossip v. Gross, involving three Oklahomans on death row whose counsel argued the constitutionality of the drug cocktail used in lethal injections. Seven years ago, in Baze v. Rees, the Court held the three-drug combination did not constitute cruel or unusual punishment. However, as pharmaceuticals have become scarce, states’ experimentation with drug combinations and apparent failure of the initial sedative

executed for a capital crime because it arbitrarily occurred in a certain state (or, as is often the case, a specific county within that state). The 14th Amendment, guaranteeing equal protection under the law and the backbone of Brown v. Board of Education and Roe v. Wade, surely applies to such criminals. As it seems unlikely Washington D.C. and the other 18 states that have abolished the death penalty will anytime soon resume executing prisoners, equal protection demands capital punishment’s abolishment in the remaining 32 states.

Public opposition is growing.

Indeed, a month ago, The Bos-

The Eighth Amendment reads, “Excessive bail shall not be required , nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted.” There is no more excessive fine than death ... Further, the death penalty is undeniably cruel. It is the only irreversible punishment handed down by our government. to induce coma while the second and tertiary drugs stop the heart, have led to botched executions in several states, including Ohio. While the Court decides whether this specific method is cruel or unusual by the Eighth Amendment, there is no discussion of the constitutionality of capital punishment itself. This quagmire highlights, once again, that there is no right way to do a wrong thing.

The Eighth Amendment reads, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” There is no more excessive fine than death. Even if unrepentantly evil, life is the absolute most a capital offender can give. Further, the death penalty is undeniably cruel. It is the only irreversible punishment handed down by our government. In 1958, the Supreme Court forbade punishment by revoking a natural-born citizen’s citizenship. So, even convicted capital offenders are U.S. citizens and, as such, should have a right to the possibility of exoneration until their natural death.

Surely, the fundamental right to a fair trial implies the right to a possible retrial, whenever it may (or may not) come. Frequent death row exonerations validate the importance of this right.

Because this right is inalienable, a person, no matter how reprehensible, should not be

ton Globe called on the federal government to spare Dzhokhar Tsarnaev the death penalty — the man who, with his brother, brought that city to its knees.

True, the framers of the U.S. Constitution did not intend the language of the Eighth Amendment to forbid capital punishment. In fact, the Fifth Amendment intimates the validity of capital punishment if by due process of the law. But, the framers also included no language forbidding slavery (enter, the Fourteenth Amendment). In 1958, former Justice Earl Warren said, “The [Eighth] Amendment must draw its meaning from the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society.” Fourteen years later, responding to the Court’s ordering a national overhaul of the death penalty, then-Justice Thurgood Marshall opined, “In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute. We achieve ‘a major milestone in the long road up from barbarism’ and join the approximately 70 other jurisdictions in the world which celebrate their regard for civilization and humanity by shunning capital punishment.”

Between 2007 and 2012, China, Iran, North Korea, the U.S. and Yemen executed the most prisoners. The United States is the only G7 country that uses the death penalty. Only 18 percent

of all nations retain the death penalty in law and practice. Belarus is the only European nation that does so. April 29, Hungary called upon the European Union to debate reintroduction of the death penalty, the abolishment of which is necessary for EU membership. According to the BBC, “The Council of Europe said the return of the death penalty would be ‘contrary to the values that Europe stands for.’” Also on the 29th, Australia, which abolished the death penalty in 1967, expressed outrage and removed its ambassador from Jakarta after Indonesia executed two Australians convicted of drug smuggling. Excluding Saint Kitts and Nevis (population: 56,000), the U.S. is the only country in the Americas that carries out capital punishment Society is maturing, but it is not being led by the U.S. So often, the arrogance of isolation and abundance makes U.S. citizens believe beyond the shadow of a doubt the U.S. leads the world in every conceivable dimension.

This blind egoism allows our culture to “rot,” as diagnosed but not understood by Justice Antonin Scalia, who uses the rot-versusmature argument to justify his originalist stance (specifically, to reject interpretation of the word “unusual” in the Eighth Amendment). However, if we consider the sinister company we keep as one of the few global executioners and the tide of death penalty abolishment sweeping the globe, we must realize society

Between 2007 and 2012, China, Iran, North Korea, the U.S. and Yemen executed the most prisoners. The U.S. is the only G7 country that uses the death penalty. has matured and left us behind, our hands bloodied with botched executions and a system that, by design, makes mistakes.

And, conservative friends, sometimes wont to call for an eye for an eye, let us remember what Jesus Christ said immediately after sparing a capital criminal her death sentence: “Let whoever is without sin cast the first stone.”

CHRIS CURME

CURMECM@MIAMIOH.EDU

TMS

ONLINE

MIAMISTUDENT.NET

EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

OPINION 7

FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

A. J. NEWBERRY NEWBERAJ@MIAMIOH.EDU

323 inmates have been sentenced to death row since 1981 53

IN OTHER DEATH PENALTY NEWS . . .

53 have been executed 19

146

M

26 69

OHIO

19 received commutations

New legislation seeks to fix death penalty system

26 deceased prior to execution

Ohio Sens. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, and Sandra Williams, D-Cleveland, introduced Senate Bill 139 on April 6.

The bill is seeking to amend existing law to require the clerk of a common pleas court to retain a copy of the original trial file when a death penalty is imposed, to specify that there is no page limit on petitions for postconviction relief in death penalty cases or in appeals of denials of such relief, to provide for depositions and subpoenas during discovery in postconviction relife proceedings, and to require a judge hearing a postconviction relief proceeding to state specifically in the findings of fact and conclusions of law why each claim was either denied or granted.

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, Seitz and Williams are working on three more bills “which would prevent the execution of defendants with serious menatal impairments, establish a fund for indigent defense [and] require certification of crime labs and coroners.”

8 found ineligible based on intellectual disability 69 sentences removed based on judicial action 146 active sentences ALYSSA SATO THE MIAMI STUDENT

Allow the best lethal sedations for the worst of the worst DEATH PENALTY

Capital punishment in Ohio has been a hot topic for debate in recent months, particularly in regards to the methods of execution. Since 1999, Ohio has executed 53 men, the most recent being the controversial death of Dennis McGuire on January 14, 2014.

McGuire, 53, received capital punishment for raping and stabbing to death a pregnant Joy Stewart in 1989. McGuire was given a never-before-used in Ohio lethal two-drug combination of midazolam, a sedative, and hydromorphone, a painkiller, which reportedly caused his death to be drawn out for more than 20 minutes. This raised the question of whether Ohio had violated his Eighth Amendment rights related to cruel and unusual punishment. Ohio prison officials reviewed McGuire’s case and deemed it humane, although the state is no longer using this two-drug concoction.

Shortly after this incident, Ohio Gov. John Kasich postponed the executions of other scheduled executions until January of 2016, while the state tries to find new lethal drugs. In 2001, the state eliminated the option of execution by electric chair, rendering lethal injection the only viable option.

In the past, Ohio used single lethal doses of thiopental sodium or pentobarbital for executions, but supplies of both dried up because of drug companies’ unwillingness to provide drugs for capital punishment purposes. As a result, Kasich signed a law offering “anonymity to compounding pharmacies that agree to manufacture the drugs used in state executions, as well as to others involved in

carrying out executions,” says the Washington Post. The bill, passed in Dec. 2014, also had the end result of shielding the identity and public records pertaining to anyone involved.

This new legislation is clearly an overstepping of the government. The public, who are the taxpayers of the lethal drugs in question as the New York Times editorial board points out, deserve to know the details of the executions they are inadvertently supporting. If history has taught us anything, it’s that the experimentation with deadly substances require public awareness and ought to be subject to the Freedom of Information Act, if only to prevent more sinister or unlawful intentions.

Pharmaceutical companies providing execution drugs should stand by them. If they allow death penalty opponents to scare them away, they could be causing executioners to use untested, less reliable and less humane methods, such as in the case with McGuire.

Take pentobarbital, for example. This is the same substance used by veterinarians to euthanize your beloved pets. It is essentially a lethal overdose of an anesthetic, given intravenously, rendering your pet unconscious within 1520 seconds and dead within one to two minutes. It is considered an accepted, humane form of animal euthanasia. When we consider its use to end our pets’ suffering, we don’t question it.

Pentobarbital has also been used in 14 states for executions, five more plan to use the drug, and Colorado includes pentobarbital as a back-up for lethal injections. However, the European Union has banned the exportation of pentobarbital, along with

thiopental sodium, to the U.S. for capital punishment purposes.

The consequent shortages forced Ohio to abandon those and consider drugs from non-FDA regulated compounding companies.

That change, in turn, inspired the so called “secret executions” bill to protect the identity of the drug suppliers.

This new law would not have been necessary if companies felt more open to having their verified humane drugs used for capital punishment, such as the otherwise accepted pentobarbital. Those opposed to the death penalty fighting against the use of these drugs are inadvertently causing states to consider less palatable, archaic methods of execution such as those already adopted in other states: the electric chair in Tennessee, the firing squad in Utah and nitrogen gas in Oklahoma.

The drugs provided by these compounding companies also run the risk of contamination, which heightens their likelihood of inducing pain. While it is true that “veterinary practice for animals is not an appropriate guide for humane practices for humans,” as stated in the Supreme Court case of Baze et al. v. Reed, Ohio can take their regulated and humane practices toward our cherished animals into consideration. As long as the death penalty is in effect, those opposed might as well openly allow FDA approved companies to offer the most humane drugs without stigma (should they be willing). After all, you only want the best for those who have committed the worse of the worst, right?

ABIGAIL BATES

BATESAR@MIAMIOH.EDU

NATIONAL

Executions turn archaic as states seek replacements for problematic lethal injection drugs Following the lack of lethal injection drugs, states are returning to old execution methods. Last May, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam signed a bill that would revive the electric chair. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed into law the unprecedented use of nitrogen gas and in March, Utah revived the firing squad.

NATIONAL

Recent exonerations raise questions of court system The three most recently exonerated inmates, Riley Jackson, Wiley Bridgeman and Ronnie Bridgeman, were exonerated and released on November 1, 2014 after the key witness in their trial recanted his testimony, claiming that he was pressed by authorities to testify against the aforementioned.

Neither Jackson nor Wiley Bridgeman were angry at Vernon following their release.

“It’s amazing,” Bridgmen said as he stepped out of the prison, according to NPR. “The bitterness is over with. I carried that too long.”

Demographic Profile of Executed Inmates (53) Time Served

16.63 years Average Age 45.73 years old Gender 100% (53) Males Race

35.85% (19) African American

64.15% (34) Caucasian ALYSSA SATO THE MIAMI STUDENT

8 FYI

FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

The Miami Student

Reis Thebault Editor-in-Chief

Victoria Slater, Emily Tate Managing Editors

Steven Volchek, Thomas Briggs Business Managers

Kyle Hayden Design Editor

Betsy Zilch Asst. Business Manager

Brett Milam Online Editor

Maggie Milliken National Advertising Director Classified Advertising Director

Abbey Gingras, Grace Moody, Krista Savage News Editors

Sydney Medema, Charles Cucco Advertising Representatives

Lauren Kiggins, Britton Perelman Culture Editors

James Tobin Adviser

James Steinbauer, Kelsey Maloney Opinion Editors

Drew Davis Business Advisor

Grace Remington Sports Editor

WDJ Inc. - Bill Dedden Distributor

Connor Moriarty Photo Editor Assistant News Editor Emily Williams

Senior Staff Writers Bonnie Meibers

Staff Writers Alison Treen Rebecca Huff Kelly Higginson

Designers

Will Fagan Julie Norehad Katie Hinh

Editorial Writers Gregory Dick Andrew Geisler Brett Milam

Police Beat Writer Chris Curme

Sports Columnists Andrew Geisler Justin Maskulinski Jordan Rinard

Cartoonists

Patrick Geyser Chris Curme

Photography Staff Phill Arndt Kim Parent Jalen Walker Connor Moriarty Angelo Gelfuso Katherine Hoggett Emily Sabanegh Andrew Katko Ian Marker Jing Long A.J. Newberry Amanda Wang Jennifer Mills Catherine Dennison Marek Kuspan

Website: www.miamistudent.net For advertising information: miamistudent@gmail.com

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.

FOR RENT SCHMATES HOME RENTALS We are now renting for 2016/17.

Secure a home for JR/SR year!

Visit us @ www.schmatesrentals. com VILLAGE GREEN APARTMENTS Located at 518 S. Main St., Oxford. Now leasing for 2015-2016.

2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom apts. 1-4 People; Price based upon occupancy. Rent includes HEAT, water, sewer, refuse. Off-street parking; Large lawn. On-site Laundry Room. Walking distance to Rec Center. Contact: 513-255-0241 Email: VillageGreenApartmentsOxford @Gmail.com AVAILABLE FOR 2016-2017: Houses for group sizes of 3 – 8 people. www.plumtreemiami.com or call 524.9340 for more info.

FINEST HOUSE RENTAL: mid Aug 2016 to mid May 2017 $2000 FROM MARATHON »PAGE 3

Club, completed the race after a dedicated four months training.

“I improved by 15 minutes and qualified for the Boston Marathon with a time of 3:32:53,” Cassidy said. “Running in the Boston Marathon in one of my life goals.”

Cassidy runs year-round along with her four months of marathon training. When training for a marathon, she will run 12-20 miles on weekends accompanied by one or two workouts, and runs three to

CORRECTIONS POLICY

The Miami Student is committed to providing the Miami University community

WWW.MIAMISTUDENT.NET

to $2500 per person. Individual contracts. 1027 Arrowhead Dr., Large 2000 sq. ft. two story 5 bedroom house with private conversion bedroom, 2 baths, like new with luxury accommodations, COMPLETELY FURNISHED, all the extras students want: Guarantee one of Oxfords finest rentals, wall mount TV, free hi-def cable TV & hi-speed Internet, new flooring, washer, dryer, dishwasher, glass top stove, built-in microwave, 2 refrigerators, parking, porch & private back patio & large wood deck, grill & picnic table, lawn service, Large fenced yard partial wooden with access to Miami common, tool shed, New roof and new vinyl siding, Central air, thermal windows, extremely well insulated, big savings on utilities. Alan Barone 740-407-4114, barone.alan@gmail.com ROBERTS APARTMENTS Great Location: Close to uptown/campus. 2 Bedroom Townhouses available for 2015-16 school year.

1 bedroom apartments available for Spring Semester 2016. 513839-1426 or 513-461-1165 www. roberts-apts.com info@robertsapts.com nine miles during the weekdays.

“I trained with the Miami Running Club, as many of us were also training for the half or full,” Cassidy said. “It is a supportive environment where we can motivate and keep each other entertained, especially on long runs.”

According to Cassidy, her main goal during the race was to try and have even splits. A secondary goal was to keep with the 3 hours and 40 minute pace group. The first marathon Cassidy ran was the Chicago Marathon in October 2014. The Flying Pig Marathon

NOTICE WORK AT THE DRIVE-IN THEATRE! Part-time positions are available at the Holiday Auto Theatre near Hamilton, OH, off of Old Oxford Road. We are seeking friendly and energetic applicants to fill roles in the box office, concession, landscaping, IT, and maintenance. Perks include free movies! We operate March through December, with great rates for MU students, faculty, and staff! Flexible with schedules and seasons you desire to work.

Pay starts at $8.10/hr. Please call 513-868-3456 for more information and to set up an interview. *Painters Wanted! * -All training provided -Full and part-time -Openings all over Ohio -$9-15/hr + bonuses -Need access to vehicle -Fun, safe, outdoors -Work with other students APPLY NOW: WWW. CWPJOB. CO was her second.

“Since I had one marathon under my belt, I wasn’t very nervous and didn’t place much pressure on myself,” Cassidy said.

The Flying Pig Marathon hosted runners from all 50 states and 22 countries overall. According to WLWT, the event hosted the largest number of participants ever, with 37,770 registered participants spread throughout the various races. The full marathon brought in 4,458 and the half brought in 12,422.

TMS ONLINE M I A M I S T U D E N T . N E T

with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication.

FROM CHAMPIONS »PAGE 3

vamp.

“I believe strongly in what Miami gave me as a young man and in the value it still offers to young men and women today,” Harbaugh said in a press release. “It is exciting to see the commitment by Miami’s leadership to the Graduating Champions Campaign and to experience the energy within Miami Athletics today, from the administration and coaches to the support staff and the student-athletes. This is a very important time for the future of Miami Athletics, and I’m honored to be a part of it.”

Sayler said the campaign’s title – “Graduating Champions” – is used so frequently around campus because it explains the values of Mi-

ami Athletics.

“It sends a clear signal as to what’s important at Miami, and that’s that you’re going to graduate from Miami,” Sayler said. “But also, ‘champions’ is a metaphor for a lot of things in life: we want you to win the conference championship while you’re here … but we’re also going to prepare [athletes] to be champions in life and go out and live a productive life in whatever field they choose. We really thought it was an all-encompassing phrase that captures a lot of the essence of what we’re about. I think the message to send not only to recruits, but to our alums who are living that ‘graduating champions’ moniker, is that I think it connects to them as well. It connects it on a lot of levels for us.”

Textbook rentals are due back to the store by Sunday, May 17th.

WWW.MIAMISTUDENT.NET

9

FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

FRO,M COLUMN »PAGE 10

When that final buzzer sounded on Feb. 24, the Miami University men’s basketball team had just capped off an overtime win on the shoulders of a furious 19-point comeback over rival Kent State University.

The title of the game recap on Miami’s athletics site is dubbed “Miracle in Millet.” The title seems appropriate to those who closely follow RedHawk basketball. The problem is, few people do.

While the players celebrated on the court, only 920 fans celebrated in the stands. This is not a relatively small crowd for the Miami basketball team. When the 2014-15 season ended March 9th, the average attendance for home games was just 1113. In the Mid-American Conference, a league of 13 teams, only Eastern Michigan University had lower attendance rates.

The men’s basketball team is not the only RedHawk sports team to have this problem. Outside of the men’s hockey team, nearly every other major Miami sports team suffers poor attendance rates.

The question is why are Miami athletics so poorly attended? Who or what is to blame? The students?

The teams? This question probably

doesn’t have definite answer.

It’s difficult and simply unfair to blame students for not showing up to sporting events. Teams around the country who consistently draw large crowds have done so by mastering this very simple formula: team + wins = attendance.

Miami has had successful sports teams in the past.

The football program is marked by a history of exceptional coaches who have gone on to be some of the most successful, influential and winningest figures in NCAA history.

Legends like Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler began their careers in Oxford. Ben Roethlisberger and John Harbaugh called themselves RedHawks during their college careers and went on to find great success in the NFL. The basketball program has also had successful campaigns. The ’Hawks total 17 NCAA tournament appearance. Ron Harper and Wally Szczerbiak played for the RedHawks and continued their careers in the NBA. When the Miami has good sports teams, the fans come out to watch them play.

The 1998-99 campaign was arguably the best season for the men’s basketball program in Miami his-

tory. Led by senior Wally Szczerbiak, they went 24-8 on the season and landed a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The RedHawks went on an improbable tourney run, advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first and only time in school history. During that season, Millett Hall averaged an attendance rate of 6,401 per home game (Millet has a capacity of 9,100).

The football program too has shown the ability to draw crowds when the team is winning. The 2003 team, led by senior quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, averaged 25,132 fans at their five home games on the season. At the time, the capacity of Yager Stadium was only 24,286, meaning the stadium was stuffed with nearly 1,000 more fans than it was capable of holding.

That team went 13-1 overall and 8-0 in the MAC, including a bowl win over Louisville.

Neither of these teams went on to sustain the success they found during these seasons. Since their Sweet 16 run, the basketball team has returned to the tournament one time. The football team has been to two bowls since the 2003 season, most recently in 2011.

To say the least, current students on Miami University’s campus are

WRITERS WANTED.

Summer Savings Take advantage of the lowest tuition in Northeast Ohio*

far removed from any real success by either of these sports programs.

Since these sports programs haven’t been winning, students haven’t been attending. These statistics demonstrate that in isolated seasons both of these teams have had success and drawn crowds – key word being “isolated”. To put it plainly, the past shows Miami students are not excited enough about Miami athletics to show up for a losing team.

So if we aren’t at the games, where are the Miami students? The largest congregation of students on college football game days converge at bars in uptown Oxford. The number of students wearing Lebron James jerseys alone outnumbers Miami football jerseys. Groups of guys gather around TVs to watch Ohio State, Michigan State and Notre Dame. They talk about who will make the college football playoffs, and Miami football rarely enters the conversation.

Miami attracts students from across the country for many reasons.

But ask any student on campus their top three reasons for coming here and you will struggle to find someone who cites the sports teams as a major influence.

Instead, we bring our home-

grown sports alliances to Oxford.

We ask the bartender to change over to the Cavaliers/Blackhawks/Buckeyes game. We wear our coolest throwback basketball jersey before preseason games have even started.

We give our friends hell when their team loses a game called “a guaranteed win” three hours ago.

That is the reality of Miami sports culture, and maybe there’s nothing wrong with that. After all, you probably didn’t choose to go here for the sports teams, and not every school can sustain the level of sports excellence schools like Duke and Alabama have. Miami football and basketball are probably a long ways away from becoming powerhouses.

So keep your hometown alliances.

Cheer for the winning teams that you have followed since you were a kid.

But, maybe go to a Miami football game one week. Go to a tailgate before kickoff. Catch a basketball game on a boring weekday evening.

If you have no allegiance either way, what do you have to lose?

Just picture yourself at Millett Hall witnessing a game like that. What a memory that would have been.

JACK REYERING

REYERIJW@MIAMIOH.EDU

EIC@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

Earn college credits from Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) and seamlessly transfer them back to your university.

• Save hundreds per class and graduate faster • Attend convenient campus locations or online learning options • Fulfill general education and core major requirements

Tri-C offers affordable, high-quality education all year. Spend your summer wisely. *Cuyahoga County residents $104.54 per credit hour; other Ohio residents $131.77 per credit hour

tri-c.edu/visiting 800-954-8742

Where futures begin

SM

15-0161

TO APPLY,

-8888 call (513)v5is2it3 or g

muccu.or

Miami University and Community Federal Credit Union offers

Home Equity Loans LOW RATES • TERMS up to 15 YRS

NO FEE • NO CLOSING COST

10 SPORTS

FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

Buckeyes beat down MU

SPORTS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

5

STAT OF THE DAY

BASEBALL

DANIEL TAYLOR STAFF WRITER

The last few weeks for Miami University baseball have been filled with ups and downs. After winning back-to-back games against Eastern Michigan University over the weekend, the RedHawks suffered a 20-7 blowout loss to Ohio State University Tuesday.

Despite the loss, outfielder Matt Honchel was named Mid-American Conference Player of the Week.

Over the course of a five-game week, Honchel batted .471. In MAC play, the senior hit .667, drove in nine runs, scored four runs, stole two bases and tallied three extra base hits.

MU (11-35, 9-12 MAC) allowed several big scoring innings for OSU, largely in part due to 14 walks and four hit batters from the pitching staff.

The bullpen is a concern for manager Danny Hayden because of the lack of depth.

“Our bullpen’s not terribly deep,” Hayden said. “When we get to that tournament, [senior right-hander] Ryan Powers isn’t going to be on the mound when we win that tournament. It’s going to be someone we haven’t counted on a ton this year.”

The game started slowly, with Ohio State (32-13, 12-6 Big Ten) jumping out to a 2-1 lead after two innings of play.

However, the third inning told a different story.

A leadoff single and a hit batter put two on with no outs. Senior outfielder Pat Porter sacrificed the runners to second and third base.

RedHawk starter junior Chris Ticherich allowed a single to score one run and put runners on the corners before hitting the next batter and walking a pair of runs in.

Manager Danny Hayden pulled Ticherich after only 2.1 innings of work, in which he allowed seven runs (six earned).

The number of awards won by senior guard Will Sullivan at the annual basketball award dinner. Sullivan received the following: Captain Award, free throw, rebound, defensive player of the year and Marshall North Award for loyalty.

Why I love sports COLUMN

WHAT’S GOING DOWNEY

ANDREW KATKO THE MIAMI STUDENT

Sophomore Adam Yacek tags a runner in game vs. EKU Wednesday night The third inning produced five Buckeye runs and put them ahead 7-1.

OSU kept scoring, but the Red and White countered with three runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to make the score 12-7.

In the fourth, junior outfielder Jacob Wolf hit his second home run in as many days. This time it was a three-run bomb to left field.

Redshirt sophomore infielder Adam Yacek drove in his 22nd run of the season in the fifth. Senior catcher Max Andresen followed with his second long ball of the season.

The RedHawks were held to three hits and no runs for the rest of the game.

Ohio State added on eight more runs. Four of those came from sophomore outfielder Ronnie Dawson’s grand slam.

Dawson had a career night, going 4-6 with a double, grand slam and eight RBIs. Buckeye freshman Jacob Niggemeyer picked up his fourth win of

the season, despite it being his worst outing this year.

Ticherich tallied his third loss, falling to 0-3 in 2015.

The RedHawks are finished with non-conference play and return to the final six MAC games of 2015.

Miami faces University of Toledo in a three-game series this weekend and follow it with another threegame series against Ohio University at home.

UT (20-28, 12-9 MAC) is fighting for one of the top four spots in the MAC tournament and look to improve their seeding in this weekend’s series.

The Bobcats (27-18, 12-9 MAC) are right behind Toledo because of the tiebreaker in head-to-head matchups, which Toledo holds 2-1.

First pitch against the Rockets is 3:05 p.m. Friday in Toledo, Ohio.

“We’ve got to fight like crazy to make sure we’re prepared and locked in for the next two weekends,” Hayden said. “If we take care of business we’ll be there. If we don’t, we won’t.”

The Game You Could Have Seen COLUMN

JACK REYERING Imagine this: With 3:09 left in the game, your home team is down by 12 to their in-state rivals. Using full court traps, staunch defense and several clutch shots, your team cuts the deficit to two points with 1:08 left to play in the game.

After trading free throws for the next 50 seconds, your team trails by three points with 16.2 seconds to

go. The opponents increase the lead to four, making it a two-possession game.

Down two points with just 7.4 seconds to go, a home team player snares the rebound on a missed free throw and passes the ball up the court to his teammate. He dribbles once, hangs in the air and lays the ball up and in over the defender to force overtime.

Your team dominates the overtime period and completes one of the wildest comebacks in recent history.

It’s a great story with a thrilling

end – the type of game people discuss non-stop during the following days, the kind of game boys who dream of playing college basketball recap over and over in their heads, replacing themselves as the hero.

But this game wasn’t imagined.

It happened right here in our own backyard. And this is probably the first time you’ve heard of it.

This scenario came to life in Millett Hall during this past men’s basketball season.

COLUMN »PAGE 9

RedHawks return to NCAA Tournament TENNIS

JORDAN RINARD

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The Miami University women’s tennis team is back in the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year as it takes on the No. 11 University of Michigan in the regional opener.

The RedHawks (16-6, 8-0 MAC) have won 11 consecutive matches but are still looking for the program’s first win in the Tournament.

“We’ve been working on improving our consistency and working on the patterns we’ve been working on all year,” head coach Yana Carollo said. “It’ll be a different speed and intensity and we’re looking forward to competing.

We’ve got some notes on each of their players, but we have to stay

calm, focus on ourselves and stay in the moment. We have some great chances to pull it off. If we’re competitive and play confident, we can pull it off.”

Freshman Hannah Shteyn enters the match with much momentum, after having lost only once this season. Senior Alix Thurman was named MAC Tournament MVP for the second season in a row and earned First Team All-MAC honors for 10 wins at No. 1 singles.

Shteyn also made the All-MAC Tournament Team.

The tandem of senior Ramona Costea and sophomore Andreea Badileanu are on a 13-match win streak. Badileanu has been an asset in singles as well, putting up a 5-2 record in conference and earning Second Team All-MAC honors.

“This week in practice, we’ve been working on our depth, our ap-

proach and our defense, since they are really aggressive,” Badileanu said. “We can turn our defense into points. We’re going to have to fight this weekend and play with confidence to get the win, and we’re very close.”

The Wolverines have won 18 matches in a row and have four players that have won 10 or more singles matches in Big Ten play.

If the ’Hawks win, they face the winner of DePaul University versus University of Kentucky Saturday in the regional final.

DePaul has won eight straight matches and is led by senior Rebeca Mitrea, who has a 38-5 overall record in singles. Kentucky, meanwhile, have lost six consecutive matches, including the last four which were sweeps.

Match play against Michigan begins at 1 p.m. Friday.

5•10•15

& GIVEAWAYS! MAY 1–15! Follow us for daily updates on deals!

COLUMN »PAGE 9

/Miami Bookstore

@MU Bookstore

I don’t love sports because I’m some kind of great athlete. I’m far from one. I can hold my own in a pickup game of just about any sport, but I’m not going to dominate. I’m a little too short, a little too slow and a little too weak. That’s not a combination for athletic success or prowess.

And yet, I love sports because it’s the only place I truly feel confident.

The only place I truly feel comfortable.

When I came to Miami University four far-too short years ago, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do.

One of the first things I did was sign up to write for The Miami Student. Reflecting on it now, I can’t recall why. My days as an actual, competitive athlete were over, but I wanted to stay in the sports realm. I know I have a keen understanding for how sports are played, even if I couldn’t always execute on the field or court.

I started as the volleyball beat writer. I wasn’t good. In fact, I sucked. I had zero previous sports writing experience, so I made it up as I went along like it was a high school research paper. I put forth the effort, but I just wasn’t very good at what I was doing.

So when I applied to be the hockey beat writer, I didn’t think I’d actually get it. It was a way to show the then-sports editor, JM Rieger, that I was serious about this and wanted to get better.

And then I got the gig, even though I wasn’t ready for it.

I’d never been to a press conference. I was familiar with hockey to the extent that a Tottenham Hotspur fan is familiar with the San Antonio Spurs.

And I was terrified of Enrico Blasi.

I was an 18-year old college freshman with no real idea of what I was doing. Blasi was a legend who assuredly had forgotten more about hockey than I knew.

Interviewing Blasi was the first time I didn’t feel comfortable and confident in the sports world. It wasn’t fun. It wasn’t enjoyable.

It was the best thing that ever happened to me at Miami.

I learned as much from my time with Blasi and the Miami hockey team as I did from any class. My homework was learning the game by watching as much NHL and playing as much NHL 12 as I could.

I had an exam every time I talked to Blasi. I failed plenty early on, but by the end, I was at least finding a way to pass.

Chuck Martin will always be my favorite during my time at Miami because of his humor and his honesty, but Blasi will always be the most important. I’ve never gotten the impression he likes me much, but without him, I’m nowhere near where I am today.

During that hockey season, JM convinced me to start working with WMSR, the student radio station. I

@MiamiOH_Bookstore

don’t really know what the hell he was thinking.

See, I have this stutter.

Not everyone picks up on it. The perceptive ones do. Those close to me do. And I do.

It’s not debilitating, but I hate it.

I stumble through words, especially ones that start with “r” and “t.” “RedHawks” too often becomes “R-R-RRedHawks.” Sometimes the words take forever to come out. It’s the first syllable followed by enough time for Austin Czarnik to deke and dangle from one end of the ice to other and backhand the biscuit in top-shelf, thin mint style.

Or at least that’s what it feels like.

Friends tell me it’s not that bad.

That it’s worse in my head. Maybe they’re right. Or they’re just trying to be nice. But I’ve heard “T-T-T-Ttoday, junior,” more than enough to know that damn stutter is real.

I hear it when I transcribe my interviews. I hear it when I talk to friends. I hear it when I’m uncomfortable and not confident. My voice stuttering and stumbling through questions and conversations.

I don’t hear it when I’m calling a game.

I don’t know what JM was thinking when he convinced me to start, but I’m sure glad he did.

I was terrified during my first game. I offered maybe one or two comments during the first half of the game. But, by the time baseball season rolled around, I was already in love.

When I was a kid, I’d watch Bengals games with my Dad, and the TV was often muted. We’d talk throughout the games. I didn’t realize it at the time, but we were essentially our own color commentators.

Maybe that’s part of the reason the stutter isn’t prevalent when I’m calling games: because I’ve always been comfortable and confident talking sports.

The stutter will occasionally show up during a pre-game, half-time or post-game spot, but it’s not there during the play-by-play. I think it’s because the stutter is at least part mental. I don’t think during broadcasts. I just say what I see.

I don’t remember what I said during a broadcast, especially during the most intense, dramatic and important moments. When I go back and listen to those moments, there isn’t a stutter to be found.

Hockey is my favorite sport to call. I’m not sure it’s my best sport, but nothing compares to it. Watching hockey on TV doesn’t do the sport justice and I’m sure listening on the radio doesn’t either. The action is non-stop. There is no other place or time I talk as fast as I do during a hockey game. I don’t stutter during those games because there simply isn’t time to. The game is moving too fast and I’ve get to keep up. I love it.

The last Miami hockey game I called was my favorite. It was the NCHC Championship game. A Miami win. I don’t remember any of the goals calls. I don’t remember what I said in the final few seconds.

I’m like the athletes who are in “the zone,” who blackout and can’t really recall what they did.

DOWNEY »PAGE 9

5

% off

TEXTBOOKS

visit MiamiOH.edu/Bookstore for more details