ESTABLISHED 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES
TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2016
Volume 144 №48
Miami University — Oxford, Ohio
Friends memorialize Tim Fresch
Senate supports new Preferred Name Policy
Death calls attention to college party culture
International, LGBTQ+ students to benefit
DEATH
POLICY
SOPHIE WHORF
AUDREY DAVIS NEWS EDITOR
THE MIAMI STUDENT
Tim Fresch, a junior at Miami University, was known for his larger than life personality. His friends described him as being the life of the party. He was never a complainer. He was the one who tried to cheer everyone up and tell them that things weren’t actually that bad. He brightened everyone’s mood. That’s why so many people were shocked to hear he had passed out on the afternoon of April 9 and died four days later after being taken off life support at Bethesda North Hospital in Cincinnati. Vince DiMichele attended The Hotchkiss School, a boarding school in Connecticut, with Fresch and the two became close friends, despite the fact that DiMichele was a year older. “With Tim, it was just late nights hanging out in the dorm and playing Xbox and almost getting in trouble for staying up too late and things like that are what really stand out,” said DiMi-
Kappa Tau members. The complaint alleged that new members were involved in workouts, provided servitude to active members and were held against their will. Nigro declined to comment on Phi Kappa Tau’s suspension. Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity is suspended until Jan. 1, 2020. Records show that on March 8, a witness testified that a classmate said he could not attend a study group
Many students at Miami prefer not to be addressed by their legal first name. While Miami does grant students the opportunity to use their preferred name in certain university files, the process is informal, incomplete and unknown to many. Starting in August 2017, however, Miami students who go by a preferred name will be able to ensure that these names are used within almost all university settings. This is the result of the “Preferred Name Project,” a proposal that has been long underway and was met with support from University Senate yesterday. This new policy guarantees that students’ preferred name will be used by the university whenever feasible, including on Miami ID cards, class rosters, course scheduling and study abroad registration. However, not all documentation used by the university will revert to a
suspensions » PAGE 3
name » PAGE 8
FRESCH » PAGE 3
A.J. NEWBERRY THE MIAMI STUDENT
THREE FRATERNITIES SUSPENDED HAZING ALLEGATIONS LEAD TO INVESTIGATIONS OF FIVE MORE GREEK
JAMES STEINBAUER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
A new spate of hazing allegations against Miami University fraternities has exposed accusations of paddling, forced drinking and servitude and has led to the suspension of three fraternities and investigations into five more. A Miami Student records
request last week revealed that since Feb. 25, fraternities Alpha Delta Phi, Delta Sigma Phi, Delta Tau Delta, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Delta Theta, and Sigma Pi have all been investigated or are currently under investigation for hazing, among other allegations. Three fraternities, including Phi Kappa Tau, Pi Kappa Alpha and Pi Kappa Phi, have been suspended after investi-
gations found they violated the Miami Code of Student Conduct for hazing, bringing the list of unrecognized Greek organizations to 10. Phi Kappa Tau fraternity is suspended from Miami University until May 15, 2020. On March 3, Kelly Ramsey, associate director of Miami’s Office of Ethics and Student Conflict Resolution (OESCR), notified Robert Nigro, president of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, of an anonymous complaint that included screenshots of a GroupMe exchange between new Phi
Graduate students petition loss of partial healthcare subsidy
MU Fashion rebrands at annual show EVENT
HEALTHCARE
MACKENZIE ROSSERO
MEGAN ZAHNEIS
Miami University Fashion and Design hosted their 10th Annual Fashion Show on Saturday, April 16 in Millett Hall. This event marked their official transition from the Miami University Club of Fashion and Design to Miami University Fashion and Design. The change, symbolized in the show’s opening video featuring the destruction of the “C” in their former title, defines MUFD as more than a club. In fall 2014, Miami introduced the fashion design minor, created through a collaboration of the art and business programs offered at Miami. A fashion co-major will be launched this fall. As a result, MUFD now encompasses the fashion
A group of graduate students are protesting the recent revoking of a healthcare subsidy from the university. Since purchasing health insurance became a requirement for graduate students not covered by their parents’ plan, the provost and graduate school dean have provided each student enrolling in Miami’s healthcare plan with a small subsidy to help offset the cost. But in June, all graduate students were notified that effective for the 2015-16 school year, the university could no longer offer the subsidy, which usually amounted to about 25 percent of the total cost of health insurance, or roughly $335. The funds came from a pool and were split among all graduate stu-
NEWS EDITOR
THE MIAMI STUDENT
CONNOR MORIARTY THE MIAMI STUDENT
Gwen Chan models a colorful gown in Miami University’s annual fashion show. academic tracks in addition to the fashion and design club. As a result, the former name, MUCFD, is no longer appropriate. The fashion show, Est. 2006, featured 20 student designers and 64 student
models. As the 10th anniversary of the MUFD annual fashion show, plenty of anticipation surrounded this year’s production. fashion » PAGE 3
dents enrolled in university healthcare plans. The news came as an unwelcome surprise to graduate students who often depend on the subsidy to make ends meet. “There was no discussion whatsoever, with any graduate students, that this change could even be coming,” said Kelly McHugh, a graduate student of geology and president-elect of Miami’s Graduate Student Association for the 2016-17 academic year. “We were really kind of blindsided by it. “The money that had belonged to us went somewhere else and dried up.” For McHugh, the first step in protesting the cut was to band together, so along with GSA vice presidents-elect Michelle Veite, a graduate student of chemistry and Wladyslaw Betkowski, a graduate student of geology,
and Elise Conte and Alex Kugler, who also study geology, she established an ad hoc GSA committee to explore the issue. “Part of our constitution is to be a voice and advocate for graduate students,” McHugh explained. “I think graduate students are pretty siloed in our department[s] and doing our own thing and not talking to each other very much.” The first act of the committee was to circulate a survey to graduate students to find out what the $335 meant to them. The survey garnered 146 responses, about half of which came from graduate students insured through Miami. Carly Plank, a graduate student of English, wrote in the survey comments that the new policy will affect her next year, when she is no lonhealth » PAGE 3
NEWS p. 2
NEWS p. 2
CULTURE p. 4
OPINION p. 6
SPORTS p. 10
HAVIGHURST CENTER TALKS RUSSIA, UKRAINE
MIAMI STUDENTS OVERUSE UBER SERVICE
SUMMER CLASS TEACHES POKEMON GLOBALIZATION
EDITORIAL BOARD ON GAY BLOOD DONATION BAN
REDHAWKS WIN BIG AT BALL STATE CHALLENGE
Colloquia series focuses on Russian, Ukranian religion and identity
Students unable to find available Uber drivers around Oxford campus
Course offers students chance to connect with Japanese culture, globalization
The Student editors weigh in on discriminatory blood donation restrictions
Miami wins 14 track and field events inlcuding 100 meter dash and women’s javelin
Bell Tower Place
April 19, 2016
4–7:30PM
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NEWS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET
TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2016
Colloquia examine Russia, Ukraine GLOBAL
PARIS FRANZ
THE MIAMI STUDENT
Russia has recently been the center of tensions, conflicts and scandals. From the names of President Vladimir Putin’s close associates in the Panama Papers leaked in early April to the increasing instability of the sixth largest economy in the world due to low oil prices and the increase of oil supplies worldwide, the region faces constant pressure. Every semester, the Havighurst Center for Russian and Post-Soviet Studies at Miami University hosts the Havighurst Colloquia Series, a weekly lecture series attached to an undergraduate cross-listed course. The lectures are open to the public and the theme of the series changes each semester. The current topic is Reli-
colloquium will take place at 11:30 a.m. April 25 in 209 Harrison Hall. “What’s unique about [the series] is that we always bring in about half a dozen speakers from outside Miami—leading specialists in the field or topic that’s being taught in the colloquium,” said Scott Kenworthy, associate professor of comparative religion and current instructor of the colloquia series’ associated class. As the course instructor, Kenworthy is responsible for inviting the colloquia series’ speakers and choosing a lineup which pans from the historical aspects of religion in Russia to its current impacts. “The first half of the semester was more historical in orientation and the second half of the semester is more focused on the contemporary concerns and issues,” said Kenworthy.
“As relations between our countries return to Cold War levels of hostility, we need to understand what’s going on.” KAREN DAWISHA DIRECTOR OF HAVIGHURST CENTER
gion and Identity in Russia and Ukraine to focus on roots of the current conflict in Russia and Ukraine. The topic of the upcoming fall semester is Russia in War and Revolution, serving as a lead up to the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution in 2017. The last speaker of this semester’s colloquia series will be professor Andrii Krawchuk on “The Impact of the War on Religious Identities in Ukraine.” This
Kenworthy said it’s hard to understand the current issues in both Russia and Ukraine without first understanding the region’s historical background. The series and the associated course aim to expose students and attendees to the intricacies of the current issues in Russia and east Europe. “Too often both the media and our government tend to take simplistic perspectives of things
which distorts the way we understand conflicts,” said Kenworthy. “So to understand the deeper cultural and historical and religious facets of a conflict helps us to understand really what’s going on and why.” Adam Rodger, first year history masters student, found the colloquia series expanded his understanding and perspective of the conflict in Russia and Ukraine. “The context of [the colloquia series] is absolutely vital in understanding not only the relationship that Russia has to the rest of the world, but the specific crisis we’re having right now in Crimea and Ukraine,” said Rodger. Karen Dawisha, professor and director of the Havighurst Center, said the center aims to promote a deeper understanding of Russia and states in the former Soviet Bloc. The Center also focuses on providing students with an interdisciplinary background on Russian, East European and Eurasian studies. “We’ve hired a number of faculty who are in different departments—from comparative religion to anthropology, history, political science,” Dawisha said. “We really want our students to get a broad, interdisciplinary understanding of this part of the world.” Dawisha said that especially now, serious study is needed to understand the issues and events of the region. She also wishes the region was more accessible for students to travel to and learn in. “Russia has become more authoritarian,” said Dawisha. “As relations between our countries return to Cold War levels of hostility, we need to understand what’s going on.”
Oxford Ubers hit one year, demand grows TRANSPORTATION
LAURA FITZGERALD SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Within the year since Uber’s Oxford launch, Miami students have placed a heavy demand on the few Uber drivers available. Oxford Uber driver David Fox said he drives around 50 students in a five or six hour shift. Most of the students he drives are underclassmen or students that live off campus. “It’s very productive. From what I get from students they say there are not enough Uber drivers,” Fox said. Fox said there are about five to six drivers in Oxford, but on any given day there are about three drivers available. Uber’s expansion to the Oxford area and addition of new drivers fits with their national trend of growth. Over 120,000 new Uber drivers were added in 2014 according to “An Analysis of the Labor Market for Uber’s Driver-Partners in the United States” by Johnathan V. Hall, head of economic research at Uber, and Alan Kruege, professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton University. Many students already have experience with Uber because they used it in their hometowns, Fox said. “A lot of people use it in the cities that they came from, so they’re already equipped when they got here,” Fox said. “They already use it, they’re already set up, have the app and everything.” Sophomore Carly Berndt said she uses Uber about twice a month. She said that if cars are available it’s a reliable, easy mode of transportation and Ubers are generally faster than taxis. “The taxis here a lot times you
Left: Students prep hair and makeup backstage for the annual MUCFD Fashion Show. Right: Model Valerie Fine struts down the runway in the capstone event of MUCFD’s Fashion Week
have to wait a lot longer or they won’t pick up your call. It can be twenty minutes but with Uber I never have to wait more than ten,” Berndt said. There are times however that cars are not available, like early in the morning, Berndt said. Fox said the Uber app gives it a competitive edge over the taxis because it’s easy to use the app to get a driver. Customers can track the Uber driver on the app and know exactly how long it will take the driver to get there, a feature that is not available with taxis. The fare is readily available in the app, so customers know exactly how much they are paying. Buses around Oxford are free for Miami students, and prices among taxis vary greatly. The app also offers the customer more personal interactions with the driver because it allows the customer to see the person and the car that is driving them. Customers can call the driver if there is a problem. Oxford Taxi driver Jimmy Ray said he is not worried about Uber cutting into his business and he has not noticed a decrease in traffic since Uber arrived in Oxford. Ray said Uber cannot compete with the taxis because there are not enough Uber drivers to make a dent in his business. The Oxford taxi service has been in existence for seven years and it operates 24 hours, seven days a week. The Oxford Taxi costs $5 for up to five people for any trip within Oxford, while Uber prices vary depending on the length of the trip. A trip from Denison to Minnich costs $4 for one person. Sophomore Morgan Mittler tried to use Uber in Oxford last year, but could never find an available car. UBER »PAGE 5
CONNOR MORIARTY THE MIAMI STUDENT
Emojis obscure meaning TECHNOLOGY
HAILEY MALLENDICK SENIOR STAFF WRITER
A.J. NEWBERRY THE MIAMI STUDENT
Though their hieroglyphic nature suggests cross-cultural understanding, a recent study by GroupLens suggests emojis are causing more confusion than universal communication. Emojis are small images of characters or objects that were originally created in Japan in 1990, but were popularized by Apple Inc. Since their creation by Apple, they have been adapted for various other smartphone companies like Android, Google and Samsung. Two percent of tweets and nearly half of text on Instagram contain emoji, according to the GroupLens study on the use of emojis across different smartphone platforms. Senior Caitlyn Baird is an iPhone user uses emojis frequently. “I use emojis everyday, my favor-
ite is the ‘laughing so hard you cry’ face,” said Baird. While many smartphone users communicate with emojis, they can be misinterpreted. Baird has run into problems before with people misreading her emoji intentions. “People read too much into emojis, where I just think they’re funny,” said Baird. “They can read it wrong, especially if you just use a face [emoji] and they aren’t sure what it means.” For example, Baird commonly sends out the “grinning face with smiling eyes” emoji to her friends. While she uses it to mean “awkward,” others take offense to them since they are not the typical smiley face emojis. “People aren’t sure what that face means,” said Baird. While it’s common for people to experience misinterpretations of EMOJIS »PAGE 5
NEWS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET FROM SUSPENSIONS » PAGE 1
because of “fraternity stuff.” The classmate said he would show up covered in hot sauce and drunk. The classmate later testified that he was making a joke about the hot sauce. “In light of the numerous reports of alleged hazing occurring in the community during the new member education period and the action taken by IFC earlier in the semester which mandated new member education stop and chapters initiate, it was difficult for me to understand why a new member would openly joke about being hazed and suggest it would, or has, happened to him,” wrote Susan Vaughn, director of OESCR, in a letter to Pi Kappa Alpha President Aaron Toney. Sam Flannery, the chapter advisor for Pi Kappa Alpha, wrote in an email to The Miami Student that he felt the university’s decision to suspend the fraternity for four years was excessive. “Unfortunately, in today’s ultra-sensitive social environment, a verbal joke was recently made by one individual (pledge) in an attempt to get out of a study session,” Flannery wrote. “This was overheard and reported to the University. As a result, we have been suspended with the complete absence of any evidence.” In an interview yesterday, Vaughn said that with increased reports of hazing, there would be increased university sanctions on fraternities. “I think hazing is something that’s within the culture of Greek organizations,” Vaughn said. “I think Greek organizations now know that Miami is going to be pretty relentless in following up with them.” Pi Kappa Phi fraternity is suspended until Jan. 1, 2017 and will be on disciplinary probation until Dec. 31, 2018. Records show that members of Pi Kappa Phi forced associate members to participate in calisthenics — body-weight training — while being forced to consume food and alcohol. They were called demeaning names, were required to participate in acts of servitude and, despite a mutual agreement last month between the Interfraternity Council (IFC) and the Cliff Alexander Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, did not immediately initiate associate members.
“Pi Kappa Phi works to comprehensively reinforce our concern for human dignity and mutual respect among our members,” Justin Angotti, assistant executive director of education and accountability for Miami’s Pi Kappa Phi chapter, wrote in an email to The Miami Student. “Individuals involved in the recent violations of Pi Kappa Phi’s standards of conduct and risk management policy will also be held accountable through the Fraternity’s conduct process.” On April 8, Ramsey notified president of Sigma Pi fraternity Colin Suter of a phone call from an anonymous parent alleging violations of hazing and prohibited use of alcohol. According to records, pledges “were required to perform various activities that involved alcohol, drugs and other activities that could endanger their health, safety and wellbeing during the weeks prior to spring break.” Sigma Pi is currently under investigation and is awaiting the outcome of its procedural review. Suter did not reply to The Miami Student’s request for comment. On April 5, Ramsey notified Dean Firouzian, president of Delta Tau Delta fraternity, of an anonymous complaint from Ethics Point alleging violations of hazing. According to records, pledges of Delta Tau Delta fraternity were “allegedly being paddled, having full cans of beer thrown at them … providing servitude for current members, being forced to consume alcohol” and having their meal cards taken for a period of time. Delta Tau Delta is currently under investigation and is awaiting the outcome of its procedural review. Firouzian declined to comment. On April 1, Ramsey notified president of Delta Sigma Phi fraternity Jeff Hochwalt of findings from an Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity investigation into the fraternity and an anonymous complaint from Ethics Point alleging violations of hazing and disorderly conduct. Records show that Delta Sigma Phi pledges were allegedly getting female students to write the fraternity’s names on their naked breasts and sharing the pictures via GroupMe. Delta Sigma Phi is currently under investigation and is await-
ing the outcome of its procedural review. “Our National Headquarters’ internal investigation has concluded that the incident did not take place as alleged,” Hochwalt said in an email to The Miami Student. “The Iota Zeta Chapter of Delta Sigma Phi maintains that our member(s) were not involved in hazing or disorderly conduct.” On March 30, Vaughn notified Jackson Bandy, president of Alpha Delta Phi, that an Administrative Hearing found the fraternity responsible for violations of hazing on March 8. According to records, Alpha Delta Phi must attend an integrity seminar by May 6, with 100 percent of the new member class and 80 percent of the active members in attendance. Bandy did not reply to The Miami Student’s request for comment. On March 22, Ramsey notified Matthew Boubin, President of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, of multiple anonymous complaints alleging violations of hazing and prohibited use of alcohol. Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity “pledges” were “allegedly forced to stand in a line, sometimes naked, in a dark room with music blasting, while older members yelled negative and derogatory comments at them,” according to records. “They were quizzed on fraternity facts and if answered incorrectly, they were required to do a physical activity while drinking beer/liquor or having substances dumped on them.” Lambda Chi Alpha is currently under investigation and awaiting the outcome of its procedural review. Boubin declined to comment on the fraternity’s charges. In an interview yesterday, Vaughn said the apparent hike in fraternities under investigation this semester stems from an increase in reporting. “I honestly believe that our students and our community are doing a better job of reporting it,” Vaughn said. “I also think there’s a culture within organizations, I guess, that at the same time are encouraging silence and dishonesty. You so passionately want to be a part of an organization and you’re going through some pretty tough times, but you don’t want to get that organization in trouble or you don’t want to be retaliated against.”
recycle this newspaper. FROM FASHION » PAGE 1
Sophomore Lisa Poyar, a designer and MUFD’s creative director, is proud of the program’s evolution and looks to the future. “Being a part of the 10 year anniversary was such a great experience because you could see where the club started and what has grown into,” said Poyar. “It makes the future of our organization extremely exciting.” This year’s show had an audience of over 1,000 people, a high for the fashion show. All of the floor seats were occupied and spectators spilled into the raised seating. The show also grossed
NEWS 3
TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2016
a higher profit than it has in past years, though the exact increase in revenue is not yet available. Among the parents, friends and fashion-enthusiasts in the audience, MUFD alumni were also present and held reserved seats just off the runway. One of the alumni was MUFD’s 2009 president, Nikki Martinkovic. He graduated from Miami in 2009 and paved the way for the formation of Miami’s fashion program by engineering her own fashion-focused academic track. “It’s really exciting to be back here and seeing what this has turned into,” said Martinkovic. “I can only imagine where it can go.”
The design committee begins preparation for the spring show early in the fall semester with the creation of mood boards and design sketches. These mood boards and sketches progress through the fall and spring semesters until their final products are created and modeled at the fashion show. “Sometimes, it was the hardest, most annoying process ever because sewing machines act up and fabric gets caught or snagged,” said sophomore Sarah Crum, designer for The Darker Side line. “Being the perfectionist that I am, I would have to redo differenta seams.” However, Crum admits that it is incredibly rewarding for her work
chele. “Having him around was enough.” DiMechele said that Fresch was someone who naturally loved everyone. He never understood why people couldn’t get along. One of Fresch’s friends, Joe Ostrander, a junior at Miami, remembers meeting Fresch through mutual friends at Pachinko Bar and Grill. “He was the funniest and nicest dude you’ll ever meet,” said Ostrander. “He was like ‘Wazzup dude! My name’s Timmy!’ That’s literally the first thing he ever said to me. He did not stop smiling the entire night.” After that first night, they became instant friends. One weekend, two of Ostrander’s friends came to visit Miami. Ostrander said Timmy made it his personal mission to get the two visitors completely hammered. “He was like, ‘Dude, I’m gonna make your friends black the fuck out!’” Ostrander said. “I was like, ‘Oh, all right. Let’s do it!’” Timmy succeeded in his mission and got one of Ostrander’s friends to blackout. Ostrander said his friend just fell over on the floor, passed out and started snoring. Timmy decided to get an airhorn, the kind that people commonly use at athletic events, and started blaring it into the guy’s ear. He didn’t budge and continued snoring. Timmy and the rest of the guys there thought it was the funniest thing ever. “I work at Pachinkos, and I created two drinks just for Timmy,” said Ostrander. “I had to make the most disgusting, boozy concoctions just because he wanted me to make him something stupid.” Fresch walked into Ostrander’s first shift at the bar and waited for him to make him that ‘something stupid.’ Ostrander started Fresch’s drink with a liquid cocaine shot which is Goldschlager, Jägermeister, and Bacardi 151. “I basically made a drink with a shot and a half of liquid cocaine, gin, vodka and tequila,” said Ostrander. “It pretty much fucks you up, and then I top that off with Red Bull and Coke. It’s absolutely disgusting, but he loved it.” Ostrander calls that concoction “The Fresch” and another “Timmy of the Beach,” which Ostrander said is much better tasting. “He loved to have a good time, but he had his demons. I’ll put it that way,” Ostrander said. “The problem is, a lot of times the people who seem the happiest often have a lot of internal struggles. Look at Robin Williams. He was one of the happiest people in Hollywood, one of the most famously funny people,
but he had a lot of demons like my buddy.” Ostrander said Timmy seemed to be dealing with those demons better than before. He took a little time off to get better and seemed happy to be back. He loved being at Miami with all of his friends. “It was just a little too much of everything. A little too much can be a bad thing,” said Ostrander. “He just went a little too far, but we need to remember him as the great person that he was.” DiMichele never saw Fresch’s death coming, but he acknowledged that it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility either. “He was in a friend group of young, smart kids who lived together, and it was all over consumption and pushing your limits,” DiMichele said about their time at boarding school. “I suppose that most of us grew out of that, but he did not.” DiMichele said it’s a habit that becomes routine. He got down a path that he couldn’t reverse. “There’s just so much stigma around a lifestyle like that, and kids won’t reach out because they think that there isn’t new information and new help out there, but there is,” said DiMichele. “Mental health is gaining a lot of traction now. We really just need to get the information to those people. When you really do finally know the facts, it becomes that much easier.” In a statement to the Miami community on the myMiami homepage After Fresch’s death last week, Dean of Students Mike Curme listed several resources for students seeking support on Miami’s campus, including Student Counseling Services and the Health Services Center. “Tim’s loss represents a loss to our entire Miami University community,” Curme wrote. “Many on campus may need support during this difficult time.” There has already been an outpouring of people sharing stories of Timmy across social media, remembering the best times of his life. Ostrander and some of Fresch’s close friends plan to get a mini keg of Heineken, his favorite beer, and each write something on the outside as a memorial for him. “Because what other way would he have wanted it?” Ostrander added. In a Facebook post on April 15th, Ostrander wrote, “I think we should all know we were so lucky to have known him. We were lucky because of all the times and places we could have been born and lived, we were born at the right time and place to have known Tim Fresch.”
to be showcased for everyone to see. “[The show] is very overwhelming, in the best way,” said Crum. “An entire year of work is just standing there, looking hot as ever, right in front of you. It comes and goes so quickly for the tremendous amount of work that we put into it, but it’s all worth it. Then, you just hold onto that feeling until next year when you get to do it all over again.” With the donations received this year, specifically those made by Cintas, MUFD has been able to help their designers with the cost of fabric and provide necessary equipment like sewing machines,
buttons and zippers. Looking forward, they will also be able to afford an raised runway for their show next spring. Madeline Rieman, MUFD’s current president, spoke of the program’s new recognition while introducing the fashion show. The program no longer identifies solely as a club. Now, MUFD has an academic presence as well. “[MUFD] is no longer a club— we are much, much more,” said Rieman. “Miami is known for many things: the beautiful campus, the amazing business school, Miami Mergers. It’s never been known for fashion. We have finally changed that.”
FROM fresch » PAGE 1
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4 CULTURE
TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2016
EarthFest held Uptown
SHUMANDB@MIAMIOH.EDU
Summer course to examine globalization of Pokémon ACADEMICS
DMITRIY KIZHIKIN THE MIAMI STUDENT
DOUG CHAN THE MIAMI STUDENT
Students Marla Guggenheimer and Amy Harmon were able to showcase their groups’ contribution toward farming and sustainability during EarthFest, an annual celebration of Earth Day. STUDENT LIFE
KELLY BURNS
THE MIAMI STUDENT
Miami students and Oxford residents alike gathered in Uptown Park on Saturday. Surrounded by green grass and blue skies, they celebrated Earth Day at the annual Earthfest. Miami’s chapter of the National Association for Environmental Professionals organized the event, but other Miami and Oxford organizations pitched in. The NAEP teamed up with GreenHawks, Miami University Conservation Team, the Environmental Appreciation Club, Green Oxford and several other groups to make Earthfest happen. The event served to raise awareness about the environment and
the preservation efforts of groups on campus and in Oxford. President of the NAEP, Kathleen Jordan, and president of the EAC, Max Leveridge, worked with the Oxford community in their planning. “You really have to work closely with the city because this isn’t just a Miami event,” Jordan said. “It’s an Oxford event. It’s a community event.” The planning of Earthfest is a year-round process for Jordan. The event is held every year but has had various meanings and locations. This year, Jordan and her organization decided to make the event more action-focused. Like in years past, Earthfest included live music, games and a generally festive atmosphere. This year, however, a 5K race was
introduced as well as a clean up project that took place after the event ended. The proceeds for the race were donated to Pacific Wild, an organization that works to preserve the environment, especially in Canada. At the event, the mayor read the Earth Day proclamation, and organizations gave out information about their conservation efforts. The event balanced both informing the public and maintaining a festive atmosphere. “People come out, they learn, they celebrate the earth and they have a good time,” Jordan said. Local businesses donated gift cards, coupons, a karaoke machine and other items to be raffled EARTHFEST »PAGE 9
Theatre preview: ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ THEATRE
MEGAN BOWERS
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Humor comes in many forms. It can be sarcastic, cheesy, slap-stick, witty or just downright goofy. Stage Left’s performance of ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ manages to incorporate all of these and will keep you laughing the entire night. “The humor is ridiculous,” said first-year Al Oliver III, who plays Adolpho, a sex-crazed Latino man. “There’s just tons of puns, innuendos and word plays.” The musical is a show within a show. The main character, Man in Chair, is depressed and wants to listen to one of his favorite records. He picks the musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” which is set in the 1920s and incorporates humor different from what is typically seen today. “It has the cheesier type of humor that is not as intellectually challenging,” said director Elizabeth Kehling. “You can tell it’s an older period so it’s funny because that would be the normal comedy in that time.” The overlying theme in the show involves the Man in Chair using musicals to escape. “‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ helps him escape reality and transport to this world of magic and color and cheery things,” said Kehling. In “The Drowsy Chaperone,” the main character, Janet Van de Graaff, is a starlet who has to quit her show when she decides to get married. She struggles with whether or not she is really okay with leaving Broadway to be with this man. One of the biggest challenges with the show is the lack of depth within the characters. “The characters are all very two-dimensional,” said Oliver. “They are all very quirky and big but not very deep, so it’s hard to focus on who your character is.” Each cast member has their own way of creating who their character will be.
“Elizabeth had us fill out these character sheets to get our backstories and feel connected,” said senior, Katie Duffy, who plays The Drowsy Chaperone. “I like thinking about that and who she is as a person on and off stage.” Other actors take a completely different approach, trying to relate to the real world. “I try to channel my inner Al Capone,” said sophomore Noah Hupp, who plays Feldzieg, Janet’s producer, who is trying to keep her from getting married. “He’s running this big business but I tend to just get frustrated on the stage because that’s his personality.” Some of the actors need
of learning music. “The time commitment was a challenge because I was doing other shows at the same time and balancing classes” said first-year Tiffany Turkovich, who plays Janet. The show is one of the few this year with a cast of students from all different majors. Typically, they are cast specifically from the Department of Theatre, but Stage Left tries to include students from all over campus. “My favorite part was meeting a whole bunch of new people I probably wouldn’t have met otherwise,” said first-year Emma Harris, who plays Kitty, the girl who wants to take Janet’s role in
I think when you have a healthy, supportive, fun relationship with your cast mates, it’s easy to be more open on stage and really let the performance be your best. AL OLIVER III FIRST-YEAR ACTOR
It often feels like every day brings a new trend with it. From silly bandz to leggings, our cultural icons are constantly changing. But how do we hear about foreign trends, such as Pokémon? How can culture from across the world reach the United States? ATH 390Z answers these questions and more. Students study the globalization of Pokémon, anime, Godzilla and soap operas. By studying Japanese people and culture, students are able to understand how and why certain aspects of other cultures can thrive anywhere. Three years ago, Mark Peterson, professor and chair in the anthropology department, suggested the course to the language department. “It wasn’t serious at first,” said Peterson. “The department needed more courses in the culture section, so I brought up Pokémon and Japanese culture as a joke. We all talked about it, and the more I thought about the class, the more I realized it could be a really good class.” Peterson first thought about the
This format has been used around the country ...The more I studied gamification, the more I liked the idea. MARK PETERSON ANTHROPOLOGY PROFESSOR
globalization of Japanese culture during his time studying Middle Eastern and East Asian culture. “When I came back from my travels around the Middle East, my kids and everyone their age were crazy about Pokémon,” said Peterson. “It peaked my interest, and when I went back to Egypt, everyone was crazy about Pokémon there too.” “Pokémon: Local & Global Cultures” is the course that sprouted from Peterson’s proposal. The class ran for the first time in the summer of 2014. It was an on-campus summer course, something that students could take to fulfill their global requirement if they were not able to study abroad. Alexander Calnon, a senior East Asian languages & culture major, took the course when it was first offered two years ago.
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High Street Elizabeth Hansen to do something physical to make the transition. “I just jump around right off stage to get the energy flowing and then just stop, take a deep breath and walk on the stage in character,” said sophomore Stephen Gullette, who plays Robert Martin, the groom-to-be. Another challenge is that this production is entirely student-run and is put on through Stage Left, not the Department of Theatre. “It’s a blessing and a curse that it is student-run because you can connect with the directors because it’s like college students,” said Gullette. “But also, sometimes stuff doesn’t get done because we have too much fun. It’s just not productive sometimes.” The production also takes up a lot of time, with practices being held as often as five times a week due to the extensive choreography and the added obstacle
the Broadway show. The cast was able to bond quickly, which is extremely important in a show like this. “I think when you have a healthy, supportive, fun relationship with your cast mates, it’s easy to be more open on stage and really let the performance be your best,” said Oliver. “You know everyone is there for you.” However, the most rewarding thing for most of the cast was getting the chance to share their talents. “I love seeing what message you want to portray and then giving the audience that message through a work of art,” said first-year Marco Colant, who plays George, the best man at the wedding. Stage Left will be performing “The Drowsy Chaperone” at 8:30 p.m. on April 21, 22 and 23 in Wilks Theater. Admission is free.
“I found out about the course through an email,” said Calnon. “I really enjoyed the course. It gave me a different perspective on the global flow of culture.” Anthropology can be a difficult category for courses, mostly because the ideas and people studied are so out of reach to the group studying them. A course like ATH 390Z gives students an opportunity to connect easily with the coursework. Even if they haven’t played the game, most people are aware of Pokémon and its cultural significance. “It’s awesome to see a class on something that you love,” said Reno DiFonzo, a first-year student. Difonzo, like many students, is interested in the course, but would be unable to stay on campus in the summer. ATH 390Z was cancelled in the summer of 2015 due to low enrollment. After the cancellation, multiple students emailed Peterson saying that they would have taken the course online. “At first, I wasn’t really excited about it,” said Peterson. “I liked teaching the course in person because the class creates a lot of interesting discussion. It felt weird to take that away.” Peterson was determined to make the class something special, even if it was going to be online. He stumbled across the concept of gamification — turning a traditional course into one with game elements such as point scoring, levels and graphics. Peterson picked up the idea from a university in California that taught an entire course of chemistry through a gamified format. “This format has been used around the country for technical classes, like hard science, to cultural classes, like my course,” said Peterson. “The more I studied gamification, the more I liked the idea.” The main appeal of gamification is leveling up and earning trophies and achievements. This reward system helps students look at work in a less dry fashion. Despite this appeal, some students cannot learn without being there in person. “Personally, I don’t like online classes,” said Calnon. “Still, I think the idea of making the course like a game is cool. The course is still being developed, so it isn’t a bad idea to try a new style of teaching.” Peterson hopes that the new gamified version of ATH 390Z will bring in enough positive feedback to become a staple in the cultural section of national studies.
—
Crowds of people gather Uptown Sunday to enjoy the sunny weather after last week’s rain. Families picnic in the park while teenage girls dressed in volleyball uniforms race across the street. “Wait up for us!” yells a dad who was stopped by the light. The girls turn and laugh. They aren’t going to listen to him. “It’s such a beautiful day!” my friend Sam yells as we walk down High Street. “Let’s take a picture.” She runs up to a woman with a little puppy. “Can you take our picture?” she asks. The woman gets up from her picnic table and tells her dog to “stay.” We stand and smile, capturing the freshly blossomed tulips and Spikeball players in the background hitting the yellow ball down into the little net. They are all laughing. “Thank you!” she says.
We walk toward campus, passing by Brick Street, whose empty tables and closed doors lend no hint to last night’s festivities. For now, they are overshadowed by the crowds of churchgoers catching some lunch, the sunny skies and the students preparing for the school week. For now... King Library — Audrey Davis Like any Sunday afternoon, the basement of King Library is filled with people. I sit alone at one of the only empty cubicles with an outlet and begin to do my endless pile of homework. I am content, listening to music and doing my own thing. It isn’t long until I feel the cubicle shake. Someone has taken a seat on the opposite side. My quiet studying continues. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. I turn my music up to avoid the sounds of the guy eating on the other side. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. I turn my music up as loud as it can go, but it’s no use. LuckSLICE »PAGE 9
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5
TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2016
CONNOR MORIARTY THE MIAMI STUDENT
Madeline Rieman, president of Miami University’s Club of Fashion and Design, prepares to address the crowd at the 10th annual MUCFD Fashion Show.
FROM UBER » PAGE 2
While she has a car this year, she said she wished more drivers were available when she did not have one. She used Uber in Columbus multiple times at an Ohio State football game. Mittler said she feels safer using Uber because it’s a large, reputable company. The taxis in Oxford don’t have that same reputation as a legitimate business be-
FROM EMOJIS » PAGE 2
emojis, it happens even more frequently when sending them from an iPhone to an Android or across a different platform. This changes the view of the emoji on the different users’ phones. GroupLens researchers found that when it comes to interpretation of different emojis, “Forty-one percent of the Unicode characters have a range wider than one sentiment unit, suggesting that at least one platform’s rendering of these Unicode characters is different from the other platforms.” They found the “grinning face with smiling eyes” to have the largest range discrepancy across the different phone platforms. Some Android users saw it as a more friendly and positive emoji, while Apple users found it to be rather negative. Senior Amanda Webb is a Samsung Android user who has found that the emojis appear differently on her phone than on iPhones.
cause they are small, local businesses that don’t have the large oversight that Uber does. “Every time I see a taxi it’s a person with a cigarette hanging out the window,” Mittler said. “It’s just like a minivan with homemade stickers on the sides.” Fox said he is always busy when he drives. “I just feel it’s a good business in Oxford. A lot of people use it,” Fox said.
“They always get my emojis, even though they do change a bit,” said Webb. “Sometimes they look different from what I wanted, but I don’t think anyone has ever been offended.” Aside from testing the sentiments of emojis, the researchers also tested their semantics. They found that the most commonly understood emoji across all platforms was the “praise hands emoji.” Nearly all smartphone users considered it to be a positive emoji. In an article by NPR on the controversial use of emojis, they interviewed Hannah Miller, a Ph.D. student and one of the researchers from the GroupLens study. In article Miller suggests that smartphone users look up the true meaning of their emojis. “One thing that could help is a dictionary or in this case is emojipedia.com, the authority on the meaning of emojis,” said Miller in the article. “If that doesn’t work, you can stick to old fashioned emoticons :( .”
CONNOR MORIARTY THE MIAMI STUDENT
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6 OPINION
TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2016
EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET
Discriminatory policy preventing gay blood donors must go EDITORIAL
The following piece, written by the editorial editors, reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board.
Next Tuesday, April 25, Community Blood Center will hold a blood drive in Shriver Center from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Donating blood offers a rare opportunity to save lives at the small asking price of a pint of blood. If you are eligible and willing to donate, we certainly encourage participation. Eligibility for donation seems like it should be fairly straightforward. If you weigh too little, have issues regarding iron-concentration in your blood or have recently received a tattoo from an unregulated parlor, you cannot donate due to safety precautions. You put yourself in harm’s way if your body cannot withstand the loss of blood, and you put others in danger if your blood is infectious. These restrictions are clear, no doubt about it. Alas, there is but one restriction that must be corrected and not just simply modified. According to the American Red Cross, a December 21, 2015 amendment by the FDA reduced the deferral to donate for “Men Who Have Had Sex With Men (MSM)” from a lifetime deferral to a oneyear deferral. There’s the modification, a change that pales in comparison to another significant change in 2015 — that of legal same-sex marriage throughout the nation. How is it that, after a landmark decision
freed same-sex partners from the shackles of the law, something as discriminatory as the MSM deferral could still exist? This original restriction, of course, is based on the assumption that HIV/ AIDS can be contracted solely by men who have sex with other men, a falsity
which should never occur. Similarly, a one-year deferral period would be meaningless for any gay man in a relationship with another man, as no one would expect such a person to remain sexually abstinent for an entire year simply to donate blood. The fact that a sexu-
The fact that a sexually responsible gay man cannot donate blood while a promiscuous straight person can is beyond reason.
not worth discussing. The reduction from a lifetime ban for donation to one year seems progressive on the surface, only it leaves one wondering why such a ban should exist at all? If, after having sex with another man, the man in question contracted HIV/ AIDS, his condition would not simply disappear after a year-long hiatus from homosexual intercourse — rather, the condition is indefinite. Again, donating would be a hazard for those on the receiving end — that is, if your blood was somehow able to slip through the grasps of those handling it and go unscreened for such diseases,
ally responsible gay man cannot donate blood while a promiscuous straight person can is beyond reason The only logical assumption as to the reason for this ban, then, is discrimination. Some, in order to elude this discrimination, simply mark that they have not had sex with a man in the last year on the questionnaire and proceed to donate their blood, regardless of their honesty. One such case was admitted in an anonymous letter run in The Student on October 13, 2015 in which a student stated why he donates blood while marking “no” for that question. He concluded the letter in an uplifting manner, writing, “I highly en-
Basic Income Guarantee offers more freedom than current welfare state POLITICS
MILAM’S MUSINGS BRETT MILAM COLUMNIST
Currently, the United States sits on the most sensible welfare reform policy proposal, sharing bipartisan support, without re-
alizing it. I’m talking about a Basic Income Guarantee (BIG). The idea is simple enough: give every American citizen an annual check of some designated amount. Depending on the proposal, it could be for every American citizen -- children, adults, rich or poor; or you could do it for every adult over 21; or just those in the bottom income bracket. Charles Murray, a libertarian, in his proposal for a BIG, stipulated the money at $10,000 in 2006 dollars. The finer details of the proposal — the who and the how much — can be ironed out later. The point, at least from the perspective of those on the right, is not to do a BIG in addition to our current sprawling, bloated welfare system, but in replacement of it. In other words, a government welfare state is a reality. Almost every individual in the United States, to some varying extent, supports a social safety net. Given my political persuasion (free market anarchist), I would prefer there not be a government welfare state at all. But I’d first work with the way the world operates rather than how I wish it operated. Within this reality, I would rather reform it to work the best it can as opposed to continuing the status quo. Currently, there are 126 federal (government) programs aimed at welfare of some kind, whether it’s medical care, housing, food or otherwise. Then there are obviously numerous programs at the state and local levels. It makes much more sense to consolidate those 126 federal government programs into one streamlined program. And unlike those programs, the appeal of a BIG is that it’s just giving the recipient money without stipulations or qualifications. The recipient gets to choose how to spend the money. It’s not means-tested, meaning there is no nonsense over drug testing welfare recipients or proving employment.
One of the strongest appeals of the BIG is the aforementioned bipartisan support. Milton Friedman and F.A. Hayek (free market economists), Bruce Bartlett (a conservative who served in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations), Martin Luther King, Jr. and David Graeber (a leading figure in the Occupy Wall Street movement) have all expressed support for some variation of the BIG. Given how untenable reparations for slavery is, the BIG could act as a quasi-reparations program, too. Matt Zwolinski, a libertarian, made the case for BIG in his Cato Institute article, “The Pragmatic Libertarian Case for a Basic Income Guarantee,” which has been influential to my thinking on the subject. Zwolinski has four main reasons why the BIG is a policy proposal worth doing: it involves less bureaucracy (poor people struggle currently to navigate the myriad red tape); it costs less (depending on the implementation plan); it is less rent-seeking (with no strings attached, it’s a policy that’s legitimately egalitarian); and it’s less paternalistic (there are no eligibility requirements). For Zwolinski, welfare reform isn’t a question of ideal theory, but
to care, and the evidence is not so compelling that it would, anyhow. In the United States, working is beyond reproach; it’s in our American DNA that a strong work ethic is one of the greatest virtues to possess. I’m not so compelled by such thinking, which I know may sound peculiar coming from a free market anarchist. Work serves a purpose and has value, but we tend to give it too much at the expense of relaxation and leisure. But it is also that work is so ingrained a value in our American DNA, which, arguably, counters the notion that people would stop working outright. Custom is a prime mover of human action. The empirical evidence available from the Negative Income Tax experiments between 1968 and 1980 — the closest equivalence to the BIG, albeit it’s conditional — showed that there was an overall decrease in work effort, but it was rather small. People didn’t leave the workforce. Rather, periods of unemployment lasted longer. But as Zwolinski points out in his response to such a criticism, this “gospel of work” misses the point. With such a safety net, people would be free to do other things,
The appeal of a BIG is that it’s just giving the recipient money without stipulations or qualifications. The recipient gets to choose how to spend the money.
rather that of comparative institutional analysis. Within the confines of political reality, a BIG is necessarily more liberty-minded than the current welfare state. There are certainly valid criticisms of the BIG, just as there are of current welfare programs. Criticisms such as a BIG would deincentivize working, that government would quickly impose conditions and that there’s a concern wherein the government can argue against civil disobedience on the grounds that it’s giving us a basic income. Zwolinski in particular worries about even more fervent antiimmigration stances if a BIG was in place, although we see that now with the current welfare state. (I don’t have the space to address all those criticisms, but I wanted to at least acknowledge them.) However, with respect to the primary objection one would find with the BIG -- that it would deincentivize working -- I’m hard-pressed
like go back to school, take care of their newborn child or simply not feel so much pressure if they’re laid off from a job. It’s unusual for a policy related to welfare to have such specific support from all sides of the political spectrum and yet, oddly, it hasn’t exactly reached full currency in the mainstream. I do find it odd that Bernie Sanders, the self-avowed socialist, is merely “sympathetic” to the idea rather than a vocal advocate, however. Imagine if someone with his current momentum and platform proposed this sensible idea rather than pandering with free college tuition and a $15 minimum wage. I want to live in a world with more freedom, not less. The BIG is not ideal freedom, but it is necessarily more freedom than the current welfare state.
MILAMBC@MIAMIOH.EDU
courage anyone who is physically able to give blood, regardless of your sexuality.” We do not condone lying in order to donate blood, but, at the same time, gay men should not be put in a situation in which they have to lie. We are living in a time in which tens of thousands of units of blood are needed each year to treat patients with conditions like cancer, sickle cell and traumatic accidents such as car crashes. However, despite the fact the 38 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood, only about 10 percent of the population does, according to the American Red Cross. Thus, it is imperative that we encourage as many people as possible to donate in order to save the maximum amount of lives that we can. We don’t want to follow in the path of North Carolina state legislature. Additionally, we don’t want to give in to the fear that plagued the country in the wake of the HIV/AIDS epidemic that exploded in the media in the 1980s. This disease can afflict anyone, and creating a blanket rule for one group of people produces a net loss for an otherwise noble cause. One blood donation has the potential to save multiple lives when tragedy strikes. No one should have to die because of an outdated, discriminatory policy.
Reflections of a Black conservative student POLITICS
TO THE EDITOR: To call somebody a racist should be a very serious matter. A racist is a person who believes that one race is inherently superior or inferior to another. It’s not intelligence or goodness that determines an individual’s worth, it’s the color of their skin. To say that racism is foolish and stupid – not to mention evil – is to understate the case. But according to many of their critics, conservatives are that stupid and that evil. But, with few exceptions, conservatives are neither. So why is the charge even made? The answer is primarily political, i.e., to maintain black support for liberals and liberal policies. To back up this charge, the accusers point to conservative policies. So let’s examine some conservative policies to see if they are, indeed, racist. Affirmative Action is a good place to start. It was Democratic President John F. Kennedy who first used the term “affirmative action” in 1961. But affirmative action, in the way that we think of it now, wasn’t implemented until 1970, during the administration of a Republican president, Richard Nixon. The theory was that, because of historical discrimination, blacks were at a competitive disadvantage to other races and ethnicities. To erase that disadvantage, standards that most blacks presumably couldn’t meet had to be lowered. Some might make the case that this policy had some utility when it was first put in place. But that was a long time ago. The conservative position is that blacks have repeatedly proven that they can compete with anyone without the benefits – the demeaning benefits, I might add – of lower standards. There are countless examples of Black success in every field at every level. The policy is no longer necessary. But the conservative argument goes further. Study after study shows that, in the case of college admissions, affirmative action actually hurts many blacks. By lowering standards for blacks and some other minority students, colleges set many of these students up for failure. They get placed in schools for which they’re not prepared. High black drop-out rates confirm this view. So does common sense. If white students with mediocre SAT scores were admitted to Ivy League schools, they too would be set up to fail. Let’s do the math. Conservatives believe that blacks and other minorities are every bit as capable as
whites of succeeding as policemen, firemen, businessmen, lawyers, doctors, politicians and college students. Yet, for this belief, conservatives are called “racist”. The irony, of course, is that those who accuse conservatives of being racist believe that blacks and other minorities are not as capable as whites of succeeding and therefore still need affirmative action almost a half-century after it was first implemented. Let’s look at another issue where this contrast between conservatives and those who accuse them of being racist is even more starkly drawn: voter ID. Conservatives say that America should require that every voter present an ID when he or she votes, just as European countries do in order to keep their elections honest. Are all of these democracies racist? Of course not. Yet, the accusers say the conservatives who support voter ID laws are racist. Why do they say this? Because, they argue, it’s really a ruse to prevent Blacks and other minorities from voting since many of them just aren’t capable of acquiring an ID. Can you get more condescending than that?
The conservative position is that blacks have repeatedly proven that they can compete with anyone without the benefits Let’s be real. You need an ID to drive, to fly, to buy a beer, even to purchase some cold medicines. Whites can do it but blacks can’t? Tell me who the racists are again? One more example. It’s conservatives who push for school vouchers which would allow all parents, not just wealthy ones, to choose their childrens’ school. It’s the other side that doesn’t trust minority parents to select an appropriate school for their children. Why aren’t the people who compel black children to stay in terrible schools the racists? At some point, maybe you’ll start asking yourself, as I did, who really is obsessed with race, and whose policies really hurt blacks and minorities? Maybe it’s not who you think it is.
DERRYCK GREEN TWITTER: @DERRYCKGREEN
EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET
OPINION 7
TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2016
Hungry for profit: Why industrial agriculture will not solve food insecurity
Struggle for Labor justice still present and ongoing at MU POLITICS
JACOB BRYANT
GUEST COLUMNIST
WORLD
KYLE HAYDEN
GUEST COLUMNIST
I read with great interest Jacob Mueller’s recent article about food security in the United States and beyond, and I must return with some comments of my own. Mueller and I agree that food security is an issue largely ignored by the public, and it’s not accidental that few people are thinking about this issue. We are largely unconcerned about where our food comes from, and this is concerning. However, I believe Mueller and I disagree about how we should address food insecurity going forward. It’s my understanding, and the understanding of several researchers, authors and farmers whose names and work we will examine, that industrial agriculture or bioengineering or any number of marketbased interventions is not the way to “feed the world”. Many organizations, the UN generally as well as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) specifically have signaled since the 1970s that sustainable agriculture that adds value to the soil and uses closed loop systems will be the only way to “feed the world” in a complex network of local and regional food systems. We have faced a soil crisis throughout the world since the advent of agriculture, and this crisis has only been accelerated by the “Green Revolution.” Jared Diamond wrote in his book “Collapse: How societies choose to fail or succeed” that “agriculture is the worst thing that has ever happened to the planet,” and I agree. Currently, we are viciously violating the soil, the living medium on which all life depends. Diamond explains that societies, from the Romans to the Rapa-Nui (Easter Island), collapsed because of mistreatment of the soil. We are not immune from ecological collapse, but we mistakenly think we are. Our system of agriculture exists under the indifferent forces of earth’s natural systems which we continue to alter signifiantly. We face climate change and the end of oil. We must accommodate for these circumstances. These circumstances are not “problems” to be “solved” in the traditional sense. Climate change is a predicament which we will have to face no matter what we do in the future.
Mueller mentioned that grain commodity prices are at rock bottom, while the ‘world powers’ are veritably hoarding their grain surpluses. This is old news: this is because our economic organization (regarding agriculture) seeks profits before satisfying human needs. Human needs are met merely as a by-product. Yes, we also produce and eat too many processed foods. Once again because our food system depends on returns on investment and economies of scale, of which industrial agriculture and its operators — farmers — are complicit. Industrial agriculture and the ‘welfare state’ of commodity crop production denies humans (in the United States and abroad) their sustenance and access to food. This is the reason why 50 million people regularly go hungry in the United States. Yes, we have more food than we could ever possibly eat. The amount of food waste we allow is also unimaginable. Further, It is profitable to deny food to humans. This is why people die of starvation. it is not profitable to give food away. But it is profitable for multi-national corporations with the blessing of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to colonize African and South American nations and impose agro-industrial methods, trapping indigenous people in cycles of chemical and fiscal dependency. This is discussed at length in Sarah Elton’s “Consumed: food for a finite planet.” Eltons spent years in China and India studying the movement to industrialize, how multi-nationals have forced methods on farmers. There have been a wave of sucicides in recent years in rural India because of the crippling and inescapable debt these methods foist onto farmers. MU professor Dr. Charles Stevens, who teaches political ecology and anthropology, suggests people in these nations already know the answer to problems posed by capitalism and climate change: traditional farming methods that are sustainable and organic, methods that work within nature’s means, not against them. According to Environmental Working Group, an advocacy group that requests and publishes information USDA does not make readily available, reports that the Ohio department of the USDA spent $316,693,330 dollars on corn and
soybean commodity subsidies in 2013. Meanwhile, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program in Ohio (SARE), also funded by the USDA, was allotted only $7 million in 2012. We can see where our values lie. The Ohio Corn Growers Association boasts on its website that over 99 percent of corn produced in Ohio are commodity varieites. Most of these grains, like corn and soybeans are not food for humans, but are transported across the country to processing plants owned by corporations like ConAgra or Cargill, who then transform the kernels and beans into oils, syrups and animal feed. Conversely, the Union of Concerned Scientists insists in several reports spanning the last two decades that the diet produced by these industrial modes of production are unhealthy for the United States. They suggest investing heavily in sustainable agriculture not only to sequester carbon in soils, but to provide more vegetables and fruits to people at affordable prices. Most food we eat (other than meat) isn’t grown in the United States. Most vegetables and fruits come from the global south, Mexico, South America and beyond. Some come from California and Florida, and in the case of tomato pickers in Immokalee, Florida, workers are treated as slaves. Food travels an average of 1,500 miles to reach consumers in the United States, according to the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Our cheap food additonally comes at a high cost. In Raj Patel’s “The Value of Nothing,” he details economic terms like “dark externalities” that exist in the cheap products (including food) we produce. We steal from the environment in order to produce cheap food. We borrow against the future. We will carry those deficits. Our children will bear the costs. Beyond this, “real farms” would not bathe soil in toxic chemicals, murdering all life, and proceed to grow plants in an anti-biological environment. Facing these issues honestly, contradicting and contravening our current paradigm is not only a moral imperative; it is essential to building a better world.
HAYDENKA@MIAMIOH.EDU
A.J. NEWBERRY NEWBERAJ@MIAMIOH.EDU
With all the respect to Hailey Mallendick and Audrey Davis, writers who covered the AFSME meeting last week, the article covering the events of the AAUP/AFSCME solidarity event largely missed the point of the discussion and its significance. Not only for the AFSCME workers, but also for the entire campus. I was present at the meeting, representing the AFSCME workers, and am a member of the executive board of union members. The Miami workers are in a position of petty begging for their sustenance, and their struggle for improved conditions and wages is not only a surface-level fight for these specific improvements. The real struggle of the union is the struggle to secure and equalize the power relations between the owners of economic implements at Miami among the owners’ eternal conflict with the “renters” of these implements, our workers. The workers entering into a contract with the administration are already at a compromised state. They must attempt to organize a majority of workers into a unified mass, all the while they are divided geographically and barred from spontaneous interactions with the workers from other departments. The worker’s position on campus, their movements and whom they meet with are monitored using paperwork and management collaborative efforts (managers are the allies of administration and are granted easier access to information about the employees). These divisions, coupled with the overarching class baggage, have made the struggle for fair wages an uphill battle. The Miami workers make a starting wage of around $10. Now, compared to all the other Ohio Universities, Miami is in the low 10-15 percentile. According to the 2015 Ohio Bureau of Labor Statistics, the market value in the entire United States is almost $12/hr for the same work, and almost $14/hr for the median wage paid at over half of the Ohio universities. This is not even the heaviest threat to the security of our laborers. Yes, wages are practical and felt beyond measure, but to truly liberate labor from their shackles attached to the employers banks, forced on them by the pain of poverty birthed for the workers inability to purchase economic implements from the hoarders of these things, we must organize ourselves towards an orientation based on the needs of people, this aim taking priority over individual decadence and gain. I will elaborate as to why the workers are vulnerable and start by claiming that one needs means to produce wealth to own wealth; seems tautological but it highlights my point. The employing class has a social precedent through their immortal businesses, these businesses are inherited over the years, which continues property hegemony.
To already have an establishment is crucial. The bosses organize themselves better than labor because they already own the implements. By definition, the economic implements are valued by everyone who participates in the process of wealth accumulation because these hold the keys to wealth, therefore these implements are acquired and held onto or set at ungraspable prices. This causes those who are not well off or who historically were marginalized, to rent all they own — their labor, power and time — to the owners of these implements. Recognize for a moment the impact these hidden influences have on social equality.
The Miami workers make a starting wage of around $10. Now, compared to all the other Ohio Universities, Miami is in the low 10-15 percentile. Can one possibly negotiate a fair contract when the people across the table literally hold the workers’ lives in their palms and, at the slightest test, will be happy to close their hand. With the closing of this hand falls away hope for higher wages while dually foisting insurance cost responsibility on the workers and diminishing greater authority to influence policies in the workplace through general democratic organizations. The driving force of every market actor is to secure as much of the institution’s value, meaning watching service costs and leaning up the budget when necessary. This will ensure guaranteed conditions for growth in the business, which is usually the desired method, so businesses can compete in a market. The workers wish to secure as much of the value they created laboring for an institution as possible, without being put out on the street without prospects for a dignified life. These two principles are an eternal contradiction. This is the reason for budget cuts that affect workers first; not because of any other reason but additional digits attached to an already six-figure paycheck. Stretching the workforce thin demands greater productive power on each, as I’ve done myself, and all Miami workers have. We feel that maxim daily. The administrators get the productive power of two, or greater, at a starting price of $10.16/hr. Expansion is the goal of administration, while sustainability and dignity is the goal of the workers. Once the workers are felt as an independent force, with their own interests, as a dignified and autonomous mass, which is recognized as the owners of University’s functionality, will justice begin to peek out over the horizon. It will take a fighting consciousness and collaboration with the students and professors AGAINST administration, unwilling to collaborate with anti-social accumulation, to actually see solidarity in a real way. BRYANTJ8@MIAMIOH.EDU
A.J. NEWBERRY NEWBERAJ@MIAMIOH.EDU
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From name » PAGE 1
student’s preferred name. Government-issued records, such as financial aid documents, official transcripts, diplomas, medical records and immigration files, will continue to use the legal name of a student. Unlike the existing process involved with using a preferred name, The Preferred Name Project is a formalized, comprehensive plan that applies to each interface that interacts with a student’s name, including BannerWeb, Canvas, the Office of Residence Life, the university registrar and the Office of Admissions. Coordinator of GLBTQ Services Shevonne Nelson says the current process of using a preferred name does not apply across the university. Even if students request a preferred name change through the One Stop for Student Success Center, their legal name may still appear on some documents. This is because the current policy does not involve each university operating system that uses a student’s name. “What we’re trying to do is change the default in the system,” said English professor and project leader Madelyn Detloff. “The default is that your legal name shows up in the system, and then you need to go in and change your name everywhere, and then still, there are
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some places where the legal names are gonna pop up.” The end goal is to make life easier for students by eliminating concern around name identity. “We’ll always used the preferred name unless there’s a reason. This does help reinforce our commitment to making Miami University a welcoming place to all the students,” said Detloff. Although Nelson and Detloff are two of the project’s key leaders, they did not pioneer the original movement. Demere Woolway, Nelson’s predecessor as GLBTQ Coordinator, pushed for similar initiatives during her time at Miami. Nelson and Detloff recently sat down with Associate Provost Carolyn Haynes to discuss the academic implications of the issue. “You spend more time in classes where your name matters. Because that’s your grades, that’s how your professor and classmates are addressing you,” Nelson explained. As an academic advisor, Detloff had witnessed firsthand the necessity of a new policy. “That [meeting] was a sort of tipping point where [the preferred name project] finally got the traction to get the attention of the Provost’s office,” Detloff said. “The time is right, but in terms of people who have been initiating this, there has been a call to do this for years --- it just hadn’t trickled up to the
people that can make decisions.” Kyle Ashlee, a first-year doctoral student in the Student Affairs in Higher Education program, says that this policy has the potential to benefit the Miami community at large. “A rising tide lifts all boats — creating more inclusive spaces for specific communities also allows more inclusion [for everyone],” said Ashlee. The preferred name policy does not only pertain to trans-spectrum students, but to any student who prefers not to use their legal name. “The issue of names is really about how someone wants to be known in the world, and we should be mindful of that for everyone,” said Detloff. “What we’re trying to do is make this available for people who need it.” Ashlee said many universities, by design, disregard people who do not fall within the traditional gender binary. “In my coursework, we study a lot of the research that talks about how marginalized students experience the ways in which colleges and universities are not built for their success,” said Ashlee. “Transgender students are no exception to that. Institutions of higher education are not built for them.” Z Nicolazzo, a Miami graduate and assistant professor at Northern Illinois University, is pleased to see
Miami implement this new policy. “I’m trans and use a different proper name than my legal name,” Nicolazzo said. “I used to have people — even people in the classroom — use my legal name, and this was after I had already shared my proper name.” Nicolazzo says there were several instances where the university used their legal name, rather than their preferred name. “There were multiple times I had to go into administrative offices and confront this issue,” said Nicolazzo. “It’s exhausting for students to have to continually think about…Some trans students don’t want to have to come out over and over again.” Miami is not the only academic institution that has implemented this sort of policy. University of Vermont, Eastern Illinois University and Grand Valley State University are just a few institutions that have done so. Nelson says that these policies also appeal to individuals who prefer a shortened version of their legal name and international students who use an anglicized variation of their legal name. “We don’t have a huge population of trans students who are pushing for this, but we do have a significant population of international students who use anglicized names,” said Nelson.
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Nelson says the need for such a policy is a reflection on Western culture. “I don’t love that we are a culture that doesn’t adapt our tongue to pronounce other folks’ names, but I also understand that [international students] probably just get over it,” Nelson said. “You would rather have somebody call you something they can say, rather than mispronounce it every time and have to correct them.” Detloff says that the continuous mispronunciation or failure to acknowledge a person by their preferred name can weigh on them. “We could be unwittingly causing our students distress,” Detloff said. “We’re teachers, we don’t want to do that. We want our students to all feel comfortable and ready to learn --- and we’ll do what it takes to make that happen. . “If we can make [Miami] the most welcoming and supportive community that we can, then I think we’re doing our jobs better.” For Nicolazzo, it’s an issue of human dignity and respect. Nicolazzo said people should be able to use the name they want to use, an international student, a trans student, or someone who just prefers to use a name other than the one on their birth certificate. “You don’t wanna be labeled something that you’re not,” said Ashlee.
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FROM COLUMN »PAGE 10
able advertisement for the team. In soccer and in the NBA’s near future, you’ll be buying a product that accentuates the team’s brand and functionally serves as a wearable billboard for whatever sponsorship is involved. Sure, a team name has a prideful, more emotive meaning to a fan than any corporation’s technocrat logo, but it’s branding nonetheless. Otherwise, the Knicks would just take the court in blue tank tops and shorts with orange trim. And that’s boring. The ad logos will be tiny. Compared to soccer jerseys, it’s barely noticeable. Despite the massive logos on soccer jerseys, they’re still aesthetically pleasing to some, as soccer jerseys are trendy in fashion right now. The argument that team names and logos will soon be replaced by brand names and corporations is ridiculous. Soccer teams have badges on the upper left of each shirt to identify the club. Each NBA team has their own custom fonts across their jerseys — fonts
FROM SLICE »PAGE 4
ily, the crunching stops, and he seems to finally be done eating. And then I hear the sound of a bag popping open followed by another loud crunch. How much food does this guy have? I look under the cubicle to find a whole grocery bag overflowing with food. Great. After a while, I’m able to zone out the crunching. But then, I feel a foot graze my shin. A foot without a shoe. That’s it for me. I get up and move to another table to study in FROM HEALTH » PAGE 1
ger covered by her parents’ insurance. “I work extremely hard for my money and the only financial assistance I receive is the money I save by being on my parents’ health insurance plan,” Plank wrote. “Next year, I may have to apply for food stamps for the first time in my life. I am debt free because I worked hard in high school to earn academic and athletic scholarships. I am debt free because I only shop for clothes once every five to ten years. I am debt free because I do not depend on other people to support me. I am debt free because I have budgeted strictly and I worked close to seventy hours a week with no days off for six months straight before moving to Oxford. “$335 could buy me two months worth of groceries or two years worth of books for school. $335 could cover my application fees for three to four doctoral or MFA programs. I am frustrated to have worked so hard to stay out of debt only to be at the mercy of a decision that was made without my input and is out of my control at the moment.”
9
TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2016
that cost lots of money to design and are essential to the team’s image. When it comes to deciding whether the team’s name or something else gets the most real estate on a jersey, the team will always aim to protect its preexisting, billion-dollar brand. Looking at the jersey’s relationship between team branding and advertisements, the NBA is actually doing the reverse of what soccer teams have done, and isn’t that better? And what’s even better is that the sponsor patches will literally have no effect on how you consume NBA merchandise. The ads won’t appear on the retail versions of player jerseys unless the team decides to put it on jerseys within their own retail outlets. People may be upset about the new ad logos, but in the end, the change is barely noticeable and people will get over it. The NBA is selling out, but it’s a business move, and it’s in the league’s best interest.
there is reason for their fivematch winning streak. “The schedule we have had the past few matches definitely helped even though we struggled with some injuries,” Carollo said. “Intensity has been a key component for us, and our players have been playing very well with such high levels of intensity.” In the second match, Eastern Michigan began with a 1-0 lead after winning two of three doubles matches. Freshman Marie Mayerova and sophomore Ani Gogvadze beat MU’s pair of Shteyn and Rajkovic, 6-4. Sophomore Andrea Martinovska and senior Klara Supejova beat the Badileanu and Shapovalova duo, 6-2. Ponomareva and Struble’s match went unfinished. The team had a perfect sweep in single’s play. Shteyn,
Shapovalova, Ponomareva, Badileanu, Struble and Rajkovic each defeated their opponents. Rajkovic, who was honored before the match against EMU for her four years as a member of the tennis team, defeated sophomore Renu Sharma, 6-3, 6-2. “It was great, very emotional,” Rajkovic said. “I have seen different coaches and different girls but this is a very special group that we have. It has been a great experience overall. It feels phenomenal to be honored because it tells me how much my team respects me and appreciates me.” Miami goes up against Northern Illinois University (6-12) 2 p.m. Friday in Dekalib, Ill. The RedHawks then travel to Kalamazoo, Mich. to take on Western Michigan (17-5) at 1 p.m. Sunday.
silence. “Get it!” I hear a girl scream. “ Kill it!” I look at the ground to see the largest cockroach I have ever seen in my entire life. The cockroach is running in circles followed by a guy who is desperately trying to step on it. He, too, is running in circles while being yelled at by the hysteric girl. Finally, he steps on the bug and kicks it off his shoe onto the floor where it will remain until a custodian inevitably sweeps it up. So much for a quiet afternoon of studying...
off at the event. Families played cornhole in the park and visited the Farmers’ Market in the morning. There was live music and a “junk band,” whose instruments were made of recycled goods. Max Leveridge, president of the Environmental Appreciation Club, was thrilled to be involved with the event. He worked with local businesses and on-campus clubs to secure donations and participants for the event. “I always wanted to do something like this at home, but I never had the resources,” he said. “Then I found out about this and jumped on it.” Leveridge did not expect the event to be as successful as it was. “I expected it to be like a few people from the Farmers’ Market
who wandered over, but there were actually people who came out for this,” he said. Families came out with their children, and a good amount of students stopped by. First-years Jessica Statler and Courtney Kemper were amazed when they attended their first Earthfest. “I wasn’t sure what it was because I hadn’t really heard about it,” Statler said. “But I thought that if ‘fest’ was in the name, it must be fun.” She enjoyed the energy of the crowd and the relatively laid back attitude that they displayed. “It wasn’t obnoxious, like shoving down people’s throats that we need to save the earth,” Statler said. “It was more chill, like everyone got together to just celebrate the earth.” Kemper could feel the atmo-
sphere at the event from down the block. “I liked how being Uptown had a feel-good vibe radiating from the people and the music involved with EarthFest,” she said. The people who worked so hard to make Earthfest happen could not have asked for a better day for the event. Instead of the bitter cold that occupied Oxford only a few weeks ago, the event was held in 70-degree weather with the sun shining. The weather encouraged Oxford residents and Miami students alike to come out and celebrate the earth together Leveridge felt this sense of unity during this year’s Earthfest. “I really enjoyed this event because it gave the sense of community that this college town is all about,” he said.
Plank’s concerns were not the only ones raised by survey respondents. The GSA committee drew on common refrains in survey responses to construct a formal petition asking for a reinstatement of the automatic subsidy, the provision of optional comprehensive vision and dental coverage add-ons to the existing plan, and for increased transparency on “decisions that directly impact [graduate students’] health and finances.” “We feel like we would at least like to be able to be more involved in making the choice,” McHugh said, “because we have a better understanding of what graduate students require for their health insurance. If anybody’s able to give that population a voice and understand what they want, then I think [graduate students] are more equipped to do that then somebody who is not in touch with us at all.” The petition was signed by over 1,262 people, including 385 graduate students, 641 undergraduate students, 102 faculty and staff members, 60 alumni, and 74 community members, reflecting widespread support. “We have a lot of support from
faculty and undergraduate students because I think that they understand how crucial and how important graduate students are for Miami in general, and how much we are doing by teaching and mentoring undergraduate students,” GSA president-elect Betkowski explained. “They’re just surprised we don’t have this [money].” The 705 graduate assistants employed this fall comprised 28.2% of Miami’s instructional staff and were responsible for teaching approximately 8% of undergraduates’ total credit hours. One professor emeritus’ comments on the petition were especially caustic. “Our graduate students contribute substantially to the nationally recognized Miami undergraduate experience so proudly quoted by the upper administration. How often have these same administrators spoken more than just casually about the teaching and research contributions and accomplishments of our graduate students[?],” the professor emeritus asked. “ I will answer this ... not often or loudly enough. Suffice it to say that I fully support the petition put forward by the Graduate Stu-
dent Association.” Graduate school dean James Oris explained that the subsidy issue had been a long time coming. The graduate school was initially told it could not use the allocated funds for insurance subsidies two years ago, and have been scrambling for another source of money ever since. Shortly after Oris committed to the GSA students to find a way to retain their subsidies for the 201617 academic year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) informed Miami that student health insurance plans could not be subsidized at all, since they were individual and not group insurance policies. “Starting January 1, 2017, doesn’t matter if we have the money or not, we’re prohibited by the IRS from providing a subsidy for student health insurance plans,” Oris said. “I’m waiting to get an opinion from the university counsel’s office on whether we should go ahead and provide the subsidy this year and risk the IRS coming after us anyways.” Oris’ hope is that the IRS will grant Miami an exemption so it can provide graduate students the subsidy for next year. In any case, Oris
hopes to locate the funds to provide the subsidy this summer. “I’ve committed to providing the subsidy. And if the IRS will allow us to do it this one time, we’re going to. But unless the IRS changes its opinion, starting 2017, we’re not allowed to do it anymore,” Oris said. “By the time we figured out a way to get it back, the IRS made a decision that’s going to prevent us from doing it even if we could. “I feel for the graduate students. The amount of subsidy is modest that we’ve been able to provide but it’s still a few hundred dollars. And that’s meaningful.” With Oris’ support, the GSA remains hopeful. “Personally, I’m optimistic about it,” Betkowski said. “I see administration working with us and it looks like they are willing to help us and provide us with this money.” And for McHugh, the matter is one of giving credit where credit is due. “We’re all over campus and I don’t know that we’re recognized as playing such an integral role in Miami’s undergraduate education, which is so good,” McHugh said. “II think we’re a significant part of how Miami works.”
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FROM TENNIS »PAGE 10
man Emily Struble started the day with a 6-2 victory over sophomore Emily Witt and junior Antonina Farrar. Sophomore Hannah Shteyn and Ana Rajkovic beat freshman Polina Radeva and junior Leeah Floyd, 6-1. Though the pair of freshman Anzhelika Shapovalova and junior Andreea Badileanu lost their match, 6-3, Miami took the overall doubles point. The ’Hawks won five of six matches in singles play. Sophomore Erin Rodriguez, Rajkovic, Struble, Badileanu and Ponomareva each defeated their opponents to clinch the victory. Shteyn had the only loss – a 6-4, 6-3 defeat to freshman Paula Comella. Carollo is happy with the way the team is playing and believes FROM EARTHFEST »PAGE 4
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10 SPORTS
TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2016
RedHawks win 14 events at Ball State Challenge TRACK AND FIELD
BEN BLANCHARD SPORTS EDITOR
The Miami University track and field program dominated the Ball State Challenge in Muncie, Ind. this weekend, winning 14 events and placing second in 13. “I’m really happy with how the meet went, both individually and as a team,” sophomore Matt Bromley said. “The win has made me hungry for a little bit more, and I think the team feels the same way.” The RedHawks picked up their first win of the day in the women’s javelin, thanks to freshman Danielle Collier’s toss of 125-2. Sophomore Aaryn Gray took third with 115-9. Collier also finished eighth in the discus with a 120-11 throw. In the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase, senior Zack McBride led a Miami sweep with a winning time of 9:18.29. McBride’s time now ranks him second in the current MidAmerican Conference standings. Sophomore Jordan Rice took second in 9:31.01, junior Cody Riesterer
was third in 9:38.13 and sophomore Matt Bromley rounded out the pack in fourth at 9:41.29. Shortly after the steeplechase, sophomore Jake Brumfield won the 1500-meter run in 3:55.47, a personal best. Pole-vaulters freshman Matt Owens and senior Jake Hensh tied after each cleared 15 feet, but Owens was awarded the victory because he needed fewer attempts to reach the mark. In the long jump, senior Kenny Glenn brought home the win and an automatic MAC championships berth with a leap of 24-1. Junior Grant Cole’s jump of 20-11.75 was good enough for fifth. Glenn also won the 100m dash in 10.78, a personal best. “I think the team as a whole is starting to find its groove, gaining momentum with every meet,” Owens said. “I just hope the weather stays nice the rest of the year.” Sophomore Maria Scavuzzo led the RedHawks in the 5000-meter with a winning time of 17:36.31, while fellow sophomore Sarah Starret was
second in 18:20.29. Junior Jackie Mullins was fourth in 18:43.42. Junior Andrew Dusing automatically qualified for the MAC championship in the 800-meter run with his winning time of 1:50.94 Saturday and now sits third in conference. Junior Stephen Biebehausen was second in 1:54.21. Freshman Kalliopi Kountouri won a college race for the first time in the 400, crossing the line in 56.27. She now ranks third in the MAC. On the men’s side, freshman Jake Owens won the 400 in 48.39, the sixth fastest MAC time this season. Senior Adam Bodrick was a close second in 48.76. Senior Megan Beaver finished fourth in the 800-meter in 2:11.91, fourth best in the MAC this season and an automatic qualifier for the MAC championship. In the men’s 4x100 meter relay, Miami finished first in 41.66. Next weekend, the RedHawks send small squads to three meets: the Virginia Challenge, the Stanford Twilight Meet and the Jess Owens Classic at Ohio State.
Headlines beyond Oxford: Lemi Hayle and Atsede Baysa won the men and women’s Boston Marathon races on Monday, the first ever Ethiopian sweep. Hayle finished in 2 hours, 12 minutes, 45 seconds, and Bayra overcame a 37 second deficit to clock in at 2:29.19.
Ads on jerseys a good move for NBA COLUMN
JULIA RIVERA It’s official, the NBA sold out. The league announced April 15 that its board of governors approved a three-year trial period for advertisements on its new Nike jerseys beginning with the 2017-18 season. The ads will come in the form of 2.5-by-2.5 inch patches located on
TWO MINUTE DRILL ARIONNA DARLING
the front left of the game jerseys opposite the NBA logo. The ads are projected to generate about $150 million for the league in annual revenue. The league’s attempt to make even more money by placing ads on jerseys is a move straight out of the soccer playbook. Soccer clubs were the first sports teams to slap sponsorships onto their uniforms, and after half-century of doing so, it’s become standard practice, evidently
How long have you competed in track and field?
Do you have any pre-meet or pre-race rituals?
I started in seventh grade, but didn’t throw my freshman year of high school, so my high school career started my sophomore year.
I always dance with my roommate in the hotel the night before meets. It keeps me loose.
What’s your funniest Miami track experience?
TODAY IN HISTORY
1992
Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls scored 32 points in a 103-85 win over the Detroit Pistons en route to securing his 6th straight scoring title.
If you were stranded on a deserted island, which teammate or coach would you want with you?
CLUB SPORTS
GOLF OUTING
Senior outfielder Taylor Shuey of the Miami University softball team was named the Mid-American East Division Player of the Week. It is her first weekly MAC honor this season and second of her career. Shuey went 8-for-12 with six RBIs and six runs scored for a .667 batting average last week
against Kent State University and Bowling Green State University. She drew four walks and had an on-base percentage of .750. Her eight hits included two doubles and two home runs for a slugging percentage of 1.333. Shuey also became Miami’s all-time leader in RBIs this week (107).
GOLF FINISHES 10TH AT BOILERMAKER INVITATIONAL The Miami University golf team finished 26-over par and placed 10th at the Boilermaker Invitational this weekend in West Lafayette, Ind. Nationally ranked No. 2 University of Illinois won the event at 17-under par. Sophomore Patrick Flavin was Miami’s top finisher for
the fifth consecutive tournament, finishing the event tied for 23rd at three-over par. Redshirt freshman Brian Ohr recorded a 75 in his final round, while junior Greg Conrad shot a 77. Each tied for 38th at seven-over par. Senior Jack Sparling shot a 78 on Sunday to tie for 54th at 10-over par.
MIAMI BASEBALL WINS SEVEN OF LAST EIGHT GAMES COBURN GILLIES
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Miami University baseball got the brooms out last weekend en route to a sweep over University of New York Buffalo. MU has now won seven of its last eight games. The first two games of the series were in shutouts. The RedHawks won 6-0 Friday and 2-0 Saturday. The Sunday finale was a nail-biter – a 7-6 extra-innings win in which fans received the gift
of three innings of free baseball. Senior designated hitter Gary Russo continued to pile on the homers during this series, adding two more to his season total of 13 home runs. Sophomore Gus Graham pitched a combined 5.2 innings through the series, giving up three hits and two walks. Freshman Shane Smith pitched a combined 5 innings, giving up three hits and two walks. Senior shortstop Chad Sedio went 4-13 with a triple.
Miami breaks .500 for first time in four weeks TENNIS THE MIAMI STUDENT
The Miami University tennis team went undefeated on the weekend with a 6-1 win over Bowling Green State University (2-17) and a 6-1 win over Eastern Michigan University (4-15). It is the first time the team record has surpassed .500 since March 12.
“We feel very confident going in to the [Mid-American Conference] tournament and have had no surprises in any of our matchups,” head coach Yana Carollo said. “This is where we want to be.” Miami began Friday’s game against Bowling Green with an almost perfect double’s victory. Sophomore Nelli Ponomareva and freshTENNIS »PAGE 9
Nicki Minaj. I just love her, her music and her personality. She’s the greatest.
Who is your funniest teammate? Andrew Vollet. He’s always serious, but that’s what makes so funny.
If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go? Paris. The shopping would be incredible, and I’ve always wanted to go.
If you could have a superpower, which would you choose? Flight, not even a question. Walking around is such a hassle, and the stairs by Yager kill me on a daily basis.
STAT OF THE DAY
5
The number of forrmer MU hockey players in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Dan Boyle, Alec Martinez, Reilly Smith, Tommy Wingels, and Jeff Zatkoff began play April 13.
APRIL 23, 2016 FIRST ANNUAL
SHUEY NAMED MAC EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Briah Owens. She’s my best friend so I have to go with her.
If you could spend one day with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?
POSITION: Thrower YEAR: Junior HOMETOWN: Columbus, OH
COLUMN »PAGE 9
SPORTS BRIEFS
SCOTT SUTTON
In practice I always throw too far to the left, and I’ve almost killed a few people. There have been some pretty hilarious close-calls.
IAN MARKER
to the envy of NBA owners. People have been freaking out over the announcement, but it’s really not that big of a deal. If you think about it, NBA fans have been buying jerseys with advertisements since the beginning of NBA jersey retail. A team’s jersey, whether it says “Knicks,” “Warriors” or “Celtics” in its custom font, is inherently a wear-
SPORTS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET
ANGELO GELFUSO THE MIAMI STUDENT
Senior Ana Rajkovic and partner sophomore Hannah Shteyn won their doubles match vs. Bowling Green to improve their record to 3-2 in the MAC this season.
BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY TO THE 37TH ANNUAL
1:00PM
Register online at Racedmc.com
INDIAN RIDGE GOLF COURSE All proceeds go towards the Club Sports Leadership Endowment Register online at MiamiOH.edu/ClubSports
Is your business interested in sponsoring a hole?
Please Contact Gabby Walsh at walshgl@MiamiOH.edu or (513) 529-8178
APRIL 24 th • Check-in/Registration 9:00 AM • Race 10:30 AM • Cost $10 ($12 day of the race) A prize will be given to the top eight finishers of the race and the top three of each age group.
Questions? Contact (513) 529-1649