September 30, 2016 | The Miami Student

ESTABLISHED 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

Volume 145 №9

Miami University — Oxford, Ohio

ASG publishes Bell Tower petition RHA survey shows 91.4 % of students upset DINING

JACK EVANS

NEWS EDITOR

As student frustration regarding Miami’s meal plan grows, student governing bodies are responding.

Miami Associated Student Government recently published a petition to return Bell Tower Dining Hall to an a la carte dining location in light of increasing student frustration regarding the meal plan.

Posted on change.org on Sept. 28, the petition was presented at the Administrative Dining Committee

meeting on Sept. 29. “…Bell Tower was not broken and didn’t need to be fixed. We have heard from hundreds of students who feel their meal plans are not providing the additional value that they were promised, and we feel an obligation to deliver this message as soon as possible,” reads the petition.

The petition had over 1,000 signatures by the time of publication.

Citing students’ time constraints and busy schedules, the document “asks Dining PETITION » PAGE 2

DARYL BALDWIN NAMED MACARTHUR FELLOW

TYLER PISTOR THE MIAMI STUDENT

Brick Street bar, at the corner of Poplar and High, will be adding two garage doors on the patio side of its building in an effort to relieve crowding. The project was OK’d by Oxford’s Historic and Architectural Preservation Commission this week.

‘Oxford’s favorite bar’ getting a facelift COMMUNITY

CARLEIGH TURNER THE MIAMI STUDENT

“Oxford’s favorite bar” will be getting a facelift.

Oxford’s Historic and Architectural Preservation Commission (HAPC) signed off yesterday for Brick Street, 36 E. High St., to add two new garage doors on the patio side of its building.

The project is an effort to relieve internal crowding and provide direct access from

In Cincinnati, a story of eviction JOHN D. & CATHERINE T. MACARTHUR FOUNDATION

Daryl Baldwin, director of the Myaamia Center on Miami’s campus, was the recipeint of a $625,000 MacArthur “Genius Grant.”

Part 1 in a series

Brick Street’s plan to add garage doors OK’d by Oxford historic commission the inside of Brick Street to its patio, according to Michael Kohus, HAPC Chair.

“I’ve been to Brick Street a couple of times, and there definitely is congestion sometimes on Friday and Saturday nights,” Kohus said. “It will be nice to be able to open the garage doors so that the building can get some fresh air.”

The new garage doors should also improve egress from the building in case an emergency evacuation is necessary, according to Kohus.

Brick Street owner Mark Weisman set the work in motion with an application for a Certification of Appropriateness (COA), which was first mentioned at the HAPC’s Sept. 7 meeting. The

Dr. Eric Covey: Making skeptics out of students PEOPLE

EMILY SIMANSKIS THE MIAMI STUDENT

EVICTION » PAGE 2

nati to Oxford as a temp professor.

Eric thinks that learning is fun, but while teaching he also aims to make skeptics out of his students. He wants them to be able to exchange ideas and answer questions together.

When he teaches, his forearms blur from the color of the numerous tattoos that cover the skin up to his elbows. He got his first one when he was 18 and the rest after he was

CULTURE p. 3

EDITORIAL p. 6

OP-ED p. 7

SPORTS p. 8

JUST HIT ME

‘SNOWDEN’ GETS 2 STARS

MYAAMIA CENTER DESERVES AWARDS

AN OPEN LETTER TO TURNING POINT

BATTLE OF THE BRICKS AHEAD

For students who are stressed, the prospect of being hit by a car becomes a wry joke.

In seeking to answer lofty questions, Oliver Stone gets too heavy-handed.

Congratulations to Daryl Baldwin and the Myaamia Center — you deserve it.

“This material is the most bereft, sadistic, naturehating trash I’ve ever read.”

Miami Footbal faces rival Ohio University in first MAC game this weekend.

COMMUNITY

land in the nineteenth century, many of the Myaamia people were scattered, which led to an accelerated decline in the use of their language and the transmission of their cultural practices.

Baldwin, who is a citizen of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, first came to Miami University in 2001 to lead the Myaamia Project, now the Myaamia Center.

The center has partnered with the National Breath of Life Archival Institute for Indigenous Languages to revitalize the language of the tribe. A portion of those efforts has included offering classes for students who are Miami Tribe citizens where they can learn the language and cultural traditions of their ancestors.

The full grant totals $625,000, paid in quarterly installments over five years, and comes with a “no strings attached policy.” According to the foundation, this allows recipients the maximum freedom to realize their creative vision without financial barriers.

“Who’r you again?”

Her name was Sandra, 74, and she lived alone. Her golden-gray hair was pulled back in a small ponytail, and her upper body tilted almost 45 degrees at her hips. She had to lean her head back toward her neck just to see up. Her eyes were as wide as quarters straining out from her dark face for the light from the television.

The television and the door were the only sources of light. The windows were covered with cardboard, towels and duct tape. A light wooden dressing wall separated the couch and coffee table from the kitchen piled high with boxes, vases, pans and dishes that look like they had not been touched in months. Lamps, fans, end tables, relics and cat paraphernalia stuffed the rest of the room around the television.

BALDWIN » PAGE 2

NEWS p. 2

EMILY WILLIAMS

MANAGING EDITOR

How do you measure genius? Exceptional creativity, promise for future advances and the potential to stimulate others’ creative work: this is how the MacArthur Foundation distinguishes the recipients of its “genius” grants — annual awards given to individuals to help them pursue artistic, intellectual and professional visions.

This year, Daryl Baldwin, director of Miami University’s Myaamia Center, has been named a 2016 MacArthur Fellow for his work in the preservation and revitalization of the Myaamia language and culture. Baldwin is one of 23 recipients, including a graphic novelist, a human rights lawyer, a long-form journalist and a synthetic chemist.

Baldwin is the first individual at Miami to receive the award, and he is the first Ohioan since 2004 to be named a MacArthur Fellow.

When the Miami Tribe was forced out of their home-

TESS SOHNGEN OVER-THE-RHINE COORESPONDENT

BRICK STREET » PAGE 2

Humans of Oxford Dr. Eric Covey is a paradox.

His head has little hair, but he sports a full beard.

He considers himself a skeptic but doesn’t want to be seen as a pessimist. The only other label he’ll allow is feminist.

He’s an avid bird watcher but will only name the favorite bird he’s seen this year — a Common Loon. He doesn’t like to pick favorites.

He’s a high school dropout who attended community college for 10 years. He has a Ph.D. He wears a long-sleeve button-down with a color coordinating bowtie but rolls the sleeves up to his elbows on the days he teaches — every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

He’s engaging while teaching his American studies classes, but his voice injects the enthusiasm that his facial expression lacks. He doesn’t smile often.

When he went to school for his doctorate, Eric knew he wanted to teach. But when sending in close to 500 job applications after graduate school in Austin, Texas, he didn’t know that he’d end up commuting three days a week from his apartment in Cincin-

TRIBE

application sought to replace two existing windows on a patio and remove a block below, creating two garage door openings.

Weisman could not be reached for comment.

However, his first application was not successful.

Kohus, who is also an architect, said that he thought the doors were a great idea.

But HAPC, whose mission is to preserve the historic na-

ANGELO GELFUSO THE MIAMI STUDENT

30.

But the stories behind them are too many to tell, especially since he’s been to more countries than he can count on two hands. He acknowledges that the best 72 days of his life were spent in Cuba in 2006, and he’s going back to Rome in the winter because he loves Italy.

Eric eventually wants to live in southern California, but for now, he’s waiting until May to hear if he’ll spend another year in Ohio.

2 NEWS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

‘Just hit me’: a joking response to student stress

NEWS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

from petition »PAGE 1

Services to reconsider their decision of making Bell Tower a buffet location and restore it to the great dining option it once was.”

ASG decided to create the petition after reported success with similar strategies in the 2015-2016 school year.

“We did something last year and it worked really well, so we continued it,” said Amy Berg, ASG secretary for communications and media relations.

FROM BRICK STREET » PAGE 1

RYAN TERHUNE THE MIAMI STUDENT

HEALTH

GRACE SCARBERRY THE MIAMI STUDENT

One evening walking home from class, first-year student Patrick Donovan was crossing the street when a car sped by without even stopping.

“Just hit me,” he said, jokingly.

He was already stressed from his exhausting, jam-packed schedule. If the car just tapped him, he might at least be able to sue and get money to pay for some of his tuition, he thought.

This saying is a growing trend among college students. They don’t really mean it, of course. It’s a splitsecond irrational thought, so why do they make such extreme comments?

Some of it has to do with the daily stress that college students experience, which they feel a need to relieve with exaggerated humor.

Donovan admits that his biggest stress in college has been time management. Between homework, his social life and extracurricular activities, he said, it is hard to balance everything and create a steady routine.

FROM EVICTION »PAGE 1

Where there was room for air, a thick aroma of smoke stuffed the vacancy, stemming from the ashtray on the coffee table. There was hardly room for us to stand, so Sandra offered me the seat next to her on the couch.

“We understand that you’ve been told you have to leave,” said John, the Director of the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition. “Our belief is that it is never right and never okay to evict someone.”

He asked her if she would prefer to stay here if she had the choice.

“It’s a mess, I tell you. It’s a mess,” she said.

She wasn’t talking about the room but rather the sudden change uprooting her life and the many knickknacks suffocating the room.

Last month, she and the other tenants received a notice from their new manager. Everyone would have to leave by October 31.

“I’ve been here fourteen years,” said Sandra. “It’s been fast…”

She holds her hands up to her temples like she was trying to pull something out of her brain, or keep something out. “… On me, but it’s been working on them for a long [time].”

Behind me on the couch, Sandra’s phone started to ring. She picked it up and held it backward to her ear.

“Hello, Sandra! It’s Tim. Do you remember me from last weekend?”

“Yes, I do,” she said.

I made eye contact with John, and then he shook his head. He knew Tim. Knew he was a personable, chubby man who worked for Model Group, the company that

“I say [‘just hit me’] as a humorous expression after a stressful day,” Donovan said.

He said he frequently hears other students say it as well, but he sees it as a joke that emphasizes how stressed they are.

Edith Lui, a first-year political science and computer science major admitted to having similar stresses as Donovan.

“It’s just the change from having limited freedom to absolute freedom,” Lui said.

She said she has much more freedom to create her own schedule and day-to-day routine, which comes with a lot of responsibility and adjustment.

Lui admitted that she has also said “just hit me” as a result of being stressed.

Kip Alishio, director of Student Counseling Services, relates students’ stress to certain parenting patterns.

“Parents have developed a pattern of preventing their kids from failing, which doesn’t help them in the long run,” Alishio said.

Alishio said since many students have been raised to prevent failure, this causes them to be afraid of what will happen if they don’t succeed. As a result, students set the bar high for themselves. This pressure to succeed can be a major component of stress.

“They don’t know how to tolerate failure,” Alishio said.

He said failure can often be used as a learning experience that shows what should or should not be done in the future. If students don’t take failure as a learning experience, then it creates more room for stress and less room for working through and learning from the problem.

Lui said saying “just hit me” comes down to making a joke that will lighten the mood and relate to friends who have similar stresses.

She went on to say that such exaggerated jokes probably originate from the extreme forms of humor often found on social media.

“We’re the social media generation,” Lui said. “We simply repeat what we see or hear.”

bought the building in June and is not kicking people out. Both good and bad, John would say. Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Over the weekend, Tim the Housing Specialist for Model Group walked Sandra to a unit further north. It was not going to work, Sandra said. It was not the area she was going to be in. The neighborhood was home to all black families, and although Sandra fit the bill, she did not want to be so far from the city.

As Sandra told him this, I glanced behind her. On the couch was a cockroach the size of a thumbprint.

It silently crawled closer and behind Sandra’s shadow. Sandra put the phone down and leaned back, and the bug crawled on her shoulder. I tried to scrape the bug off her with my piece of paper to no avail.

“Is that a bug?” Sandra asked.

She reached back and grabbed the bug with her hand then placed it on the floor. The cockroach scurried away. “Those bugs are getting up everywhere.”

After our visit, I asked John if he thinks we could fight the manager on the lack of up-keep in the building. John said these units were in pretty good condition compared to other places he has seen around the neighborhood.

“This place is like my little second child,” said Sandra. “Now I just want somewhere where I can have my last days in peace.”

She took us around to the front of the building to meet her friend Dani. Dani was 73 and has lived on the north end of Race Street for 16 years. Her apartment had even more knickknacks and even more roaches than Sandra’s. The only real

difference was the smell came from her small, mud-stained dog and the lights in the room turned on.

“Heck, I would love to stay here,” said Dani when John asked her the same question about having the choice to stay. “I love this place because it’s big and roomy.”

Her hair stood atop her head like a cloud, and her pursed lips were a dark pink. I looked across the room and counted 18 orange and white medicine cans. I couldn’t tell if they were empty or full.

All of the tenants the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition spoke with were African American and elderly. Only two residents – who dodged out of the building as Sandra led us in – were white and below the age of 30.

“I appreciate you coming out here,” Dani said to John.

John was frank. They were not going to be able to save the building, and Sandra and Dani would have to leave. But if the residents came together and fought back, there would be a good change that they could get something better than what they had now.

Currently, the manager was offering no help toward looking for places to relocate the residents.

They would have to pay their rent up until the October 31st deadline, and there would be no help toward moving fees. The landlord told Dani that they would not be turning the heat on.

“Ain’t nobody helping us,” said Sandra.

Tess Sohngen is a Miami journalism student studying in Overthe-Rhine. This article was previously published in Streetvibes.

ture of Uptown, had an objection to the original choice of garage doors. Their industrial look and horizontal striping did not meet HAPC standards.

At the HAPC’s direction, Weisman submitted a revised plan, calling for garage doors that match the color of surrounding brick and featuring 18-inch tall windows. The HAPC agreed that that choice will better preserve the historical integrity of the building.

“It’s going to look a heck of a lot better,” Kohus said.

Miami junior Anna Senchak is not looking forward to a change.

“Brick [Street] has so much character and the garage doors would take away from it,” Senchak said. “[Brick Street] is always crowded at

FROM BALDWIN » PAGE 1

At the Board of Trustees meeting last Friday, Sept. 23, university president Gregory Crawford recognized the achievement and invited Baldwin to speak to the board and other attendees.

“Without my community, the support of the tribe and certainly this incredible relationship we have with Miami University, none of this would be happening,” Baldwin said. “So, I would hope that all of you take this time to celebrate with me because what we have

Accompanying ASG’s petition, Miami Residence Hall Association, which is also represented on the Administrative Dining Committee, sent out a dining survey to Miami students last week asking students for their opinions on Miami’s meal plan.

That survey was also presented at the dining committee and had 449 responses by the time of publication. Responses indicated that 91.4 percent of students who responded are unhappy with the current meal plan.

the beginning of the year and they just need to wait it out.”

(According to records from the Oxford Police Department, Brick Street did not receive any overcrowding violations from Aug. 1, 2015, to Sept. 16, 2016.)

Sarah Kitt, also a Miami junior, is likewise unenthusiastic about Brick’s door plans.

“It might help the crowding situation, but I would be very upset if they did [put in garage doors],” Kitt said. “Brick [Street] is such a classic and traditional Miami bar, and I think that doing any type of large construction would definitely disappoint its biggest fans.”

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

here at Miami University with the Miami Tribe is truly, truly special.”

Chief of the Miami Tribe, Douglas Lankford, sent Baldwin a congratulatory message on the tribe’s shared Facebook page.

“You are one of those rare individuals who came along and not only left a legacy for your immediate myaamia family, but for all myaamiaki,” Lankford wrote to Baldwin. “You have influenced and enriched so many with your knowledge. I can’t think of anyone or family more deserving of this award.”

SCOTT O’MALLEY THE MIAMI STUDENT

On tuesdaym the Center for American and World Cultures hosted a lecture titled “Syrian Migrants in Istanbul.” Pictured is Johnathan Shannon

To read more, visit the library or go to miamistudent.net

SHUMANDB@MIAMIOH.EDU

CULTURE 3

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

SUCCULENTS FOR STUDENTS: A SUPERBLY SMASHING SUCCESS STUDENT LIFE

JULIA WILSON

THE MIAMI STUDENT

More than half a dozen students crowd around a table on the upper level of Armstrong Student Center.

An abundance of jars and rocks are at their fingertips, a dirt-covered tarp at their feet.

The cause for the chaos? Succulents.

“Success with Succulents” was a pop-up event on Wednesday sponsored by Miami Activities Programming that allowed students to plant and decorate their own free succulent in a mason jar, making them portable and perfect for dorm decoration.

Succulents are a group of plants popularly used for ornamental purposes due to their aesthetic appeal and relatively small size. They are unique in the fact that they store water within their leaves, giving them their notable thick and fleshy appearance. Some common succulents include the aloe vera plant, cacti and the Crown of Thorns.

“I saw this event on the Corq app and I got really excited,” said freshman Hannah Sprout, referring to the mobile app similar to the Hub that displays upcoming campus events. “I already have a

RENEE FARRELL PHOTO EDITOR

Students were able to pot and decorate their own portable succulent plants at MAP’s Success with Succulents event. few plants, but I wanted another for my room because they’re so pretty.”

Hannah was not the only one happy to see this event on campus. Students’ faces lit up as they passed by and saw the table, and dozens eagerly lined up to get their hands on a plant. The event was originally planned to last from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. However, after only 30 minutes, the supplies were wiped clean due to the volume of

students that attended.

As the MAP staff was cleaning up the table, many students continued to come up with the intention of building their free plant and were very disappointed to find out that they were gone. Some students received mason jars that were leftover as a consolation.

Succulents have become an increasingly popular decorating trend in recent years. Their ability to be housed in small pots makes

them perfect for small spaces like bedrooms and apartments.

Many other plants, such as flowers, require constant watering.

Because succulents store water in their leaves, they require very little care and last for extended periods of time, making them seem like more of a home furnishing than a plant. Adding to their appeal is their unique appearance.

“They’re just cute,” said freshman Tessa Buzzetti, who attended

Success with Succulents.

“Part of the reason we chose to do this is because succulents are so popular,” said junior Co-Chair of the event, Morgan Mendenhall.

“They’re a huge trend on Instagram and you even see them all the time as stickers on people’s laptops.”

It’s no surprise that these plants would be especially popular among college students. In recent years, dorm decorating has turned into an online craze, with move-in photos of students’ freshly organized and decorated dorms flooding Instagram.

This social emphasis on room décor is reflected in the excitement that revolves around succulents.

Just like photos, posters or artwork have for years, these plants help to make a space look more pleasing and less bare.

They can also help to add a sense of comfort and make a place feel more like home, which is especially important in one’s home-awayfrom-home at college.

“We wanted an event that was innovative and never seen before on campus”, said Mendenhall. “Our hope was that it would brighten people’s days and be something that students genuinely liked.

It was definitely more popular than anticipated.”

With ‘Snowden,’ Oliver Stone Students head to Cincinnati for gets too heavy-handed FILM

KIRBY DAVIS

THE MIAMI STUDENT

“Snowden” raises a lofty question — should Americans sacrifice privacy for security?

The answer, in writer-director Oliver Stone’s mind, is clearly absolutely not.

The real Edward Snowden is currently residing in Moscow, Russia, pursuing asylum in over 20 other countries. Returning home isn’t an option, as the U.S. has slapped him with two charges under the 1917 Espionage Act, as well as theft of government property, for leaking classified documents.

Snowden offered these documents, regarding the National Security Agency (NSA), to a group of journalists in 2013. The Guardian, The Washington Post and The New York Times later published the information, detailing the NSA’s global and domestic surveillance programs.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the titular character as a deep-voiced, socially stunted geek who doesn’t drink or smoke — computers, he says, are his only vice.

“Snowden” follows his path for 10 years, from failing military training camp in 2004 (he’s forced to drop out after breaking both of his legs) to becoming an NSA whistleblower.

The film jumps back and forth between 2013 Hong Kong, where Snowden covertly meets with three journalists representing The Guardian, and his past life as a government security contractor. He slowly turns against his employers as he watches them violate citizens’ privacy and disregard constitutional law.

“Snowden’s” cast is solid, but it can’t save this muddled production. According to Snowden’s family, Gordon-Levitt nailed the part, and Melissa Leo and Zachary Quinto are subtly intimidating as two of the reporters urging Snowden to divulge what he knows about national security.

I haven’t been impressed by a performance of Shailene Woodley’s since her raw, emotional turn as George Clooney’s rebellious daughter in 2011’s “The Descendants” (remember when she cried underwater?), but she might be the best thing about this film.

She’s not given much to work with, playing Snowden’s photographer girlfriend Lindsay Mills.

Woodley’s mostly there to represent the majority of indifferent Americans, and to deliver the classic “I’ve got nothing to hide” line regarding illicit NSA webcam monitoring.

Still, she’s got tantalizing chemistry with Gordon-Levitt, and she humanizes this overwhelmingly broad story.

The film does admit to being a “dramatization” of the real-life ordeal of Edward Snowden. But Chris Inglis, a former NSA deputy director, told NPR earlier this month that he feels the film still oversteps its storytelling boundaries.

He complained that it flagrantly misrepresents both the NSA in general and Snowden’s specific role in the organization, which in reality was not quite as significant.

“Dramatization to me means you add the occasional exclamation point,” Inglis said. “But you don’t tell a story that is fiction.”

“Snowden” is dramatic, but everything about it is almost offensively heavy-handed. When one NSA official discusses potential jobs for Snowden, he’s cloaked in a traditionally villainous black trench coat and hat. When Snowden actually transfers NSA information to a USB stick at work, those files are conspicuously labeled things like “Constitutional violations.”

The film puts itself in an awkward position. It’s not quite gritty enough to be grounded in reality but not glossy enough to be a highstakes spy thriller — it’s somewhere in the middle.

This may have worked if it were a ’90s action flick (like the 1998 Will Smith government surveillance thriller, “Enemy of the State”), but here it’s just a convoluted jumble of moral standoffs, inner turmoil on Snowden’s part and disjointed editing.

Oliver Stone’s previous films (such as “Born on the Fourth of July” and “JFK”) don’t suggest that this one would take the government’s side, especially on such a polarizing issue. But again, it’s heavy-handed even for Stone.

This film is built on the great freedom vs. security debate, but it doesn’t give moviegoers the chance to decide which side they’re on. It force-feeds you the image of Edward Snowden as a hero of modern patriotism, crusading against evil NSA agents who want to spy on your every move and destroy anyone who gets in the way of them doing so.

If you want a glorified propaganda video in Edward Snowden’s favor, with special guest appearances by Nicolas Cage as his jaded CIA mentor, by all means, watch this movie. If you want a compelling, exciting film about overreaching government surveillance, check out “Enemy of the State” instead.

Alternative Break TRAVEL

HANNAH FIERLE

THE MIAMI STUDENT

Fall break is a great opportunity to take a trip somewhere new or relax at home for the weekend.

But this year, Miami is striving to make fall break a time to give back to the community.

The student organization Break Out of Miami (BOOM) is offering a weekend trip to Cincinnati to volunteer with the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition. Working alongside the Cincinnati Urban Experience, students will provide service that is most needed in the community, including spending time at a soup kitchen.

“As a Miami alum, I can really see the value of this type of experience in contrast to life in Oxford,” said Dr. Mark Mussman, director of Education for the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition.

The organization has previously offered service-oriented spring break programs but has expanded to include trips during fall break and winter term.

This year for winter break, BOOM is offering a trip partnered with Serve Beyond Cincinnati.

The program will travel to Uganda and help build athletic courts and fields with the organization, Courts For Kids. Over spring break, BOOM will travel to Oklahoma and work with the Miami tribe, from which the university gets its namesake.

“Alternative break programs can really help broaden the perspective,” said Robert Abowitz, associate director of Residence Life. “Getting out of your comfort zone and going somewhere new can transform experiences, from a local, to a national, to an international level.”

Past trips include planting for local parks and building local oyster habitats in Charleston, S.C. The organization has volunteered in New Orleans and Memphis.

“Becoming involved with these trips has been a really characterbuilding experience,” said Patrick Shanahan, a junior in the organization. “You meet a lot of like-minded people who are concerned about putting themselves out in the community to improve things.”

“Aside from the service aspect, these trips are a great way to explore a new place,” said Julie Donna, President of BOOM. “In Charleston, we organized a beach clean up and then enjoyed an afBREAK »PAGE 4

DANIELA MUNOZ PERALES THE MIAMI STUDENT

Students were able to explore Miami’s many study abroad opportunities at Wednesday’s Study Abroad Fair in the Armstrong Pavilion.

Best Buddies choir fosters connections through music MUSIC

MEGAN BOWERS

THE MIAMI STUDENT

Four years ago, Kyra Klontz and Sarah Mattina sat in their Collegiate Chorale class not knowing that their lives were about to be forever impacted.

At the beginning of class, Tanner McClellan stood up and promoted her club, the Best Buddies Friends Choir.

“The way she described it was just bringing music in a way that has never been brought to people who have different abilities before,” said Sarah Mattina, public relations chair. “There’s a lot of segregation, so there has never really been this integrated group before.”

The Best Buddies Friends Choir is under the umbrella of the group Best Buddies on campus.

“Best Buddies fosters friendships between adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and college students,” said Kyra Klontz, the choir’s president.

The choir takes this one step further by adding the element of music and weekly rehearsals.

“We have several adults from the surrounding communities and, like, 10 college students who go every Saturday for an hour and have choir rehearsal,” said Klontz.

They learn about four to six songs per year and also have two signature songs.

“This year we’re sticking with a

theme of ‘Happy,’ so we’re doing songs like ‘Walking on Sunshine,’” said Mattina. “We like to stick to themes that are positive and uplifting.”

Although they are singing at Miami’s upcoming Presidential Inauguration, most of their performances take place in the spring so they have time to learn the songs.

This includes their major event, the A Cappella Awareness Concert, in March.

“It goes along with Spread the Word to End the Word, which is the effort to remove the word ‘retarded’ from everyday language,” said Klontz. “Our concert is the culmination of the end of that.”

The choir invites all the other a cappella groups on campus to come and teach a song to the Buddies, which they believe is a great way to integrate more people on campus.

Last year they hosted Marlana VanHoose, a singer with cerebral palsy who is also blind and who is very prominent in the disabilities community.

The opportunity brought a namesake to their event and also positively effected their program.

“It was very exciting for the Buddies to see someone who has a disability, has made this talent their own and actually gotten support from people,” said Klontz.

Their rehearsal environment is casual and non-intimidating.

BUDDIES »PAGE 4

4 FYI

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

MIAMISTUDENT.NET

“An experience isn’t nearly as impactful if you don’t know why it’s important or the implications of the work you’re doing,” said Donna.

The Cincinnati trip will focus on homelessness awareness, including volunteering with Shanty City, a part of the Habitat for Humanity program.

Donna, a senior, hopes to have laid a foundation for the program to expand.

“In the future, we hope to be able to offer multiple trips for each break,” said Donna. “I hope to establish long-term partnerships with some of the service organizations and be able to go back each year.”

FROM BREAK »PAGE 3

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

James Steinbauer Editor-in-Chief

Emily Williams Managing Editor

Carleigh Turner Web Designer

Kyle Hayden Design Editor

Abbey Gingras Social media coordinator

Audrey Davis, Jack Evans, Megan Zahneis News Editors

FOR RENT

Devon Shuman Culture Editor

Natalie Utt Business Manager

Elizabeth Hansen, Alison Perelman Assistant Culture Editors

Ali Hackman Assisstant Business Manager

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

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

Renee Farrell Photo Editor

Cartoonist

Senior Staff Writers

Photography Staff

A.J. Newberry

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

Angelo Gelfuso Beth Pfohl Brianna Nixon Darshini Parthasarathy Jalen Walker Jing Long Pravali Kothakota Ryan Terhune Scott O’Malley Tyler Pistor

Designers Will Fagan Katie Hinh

Opinion Columnists Madeleine LaPlante-Dube Graham von Carlowitz Kyle Hayden

Sports Columnists Jack Reyering Ryan McSheffery

Website: For advertising information: Send us a letter?

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

1 to 4 Bedroom Apartments available for 2017-2018. 513461-1165 and 513-839-1426

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

LIVE UPTOWN 12 N College (Next to Sushi Nara). 5 person 5 Bedroom/ 2 full bath Available Next Year. $3250 per person per semester. www.plumtreemiami. com. 513-524-9340 513-5249340 ELM STREET FLATS FOR 1718 **GAS, WATER & TRASH INCLUDED**3 BEDROOM/ 1 BATH AVAILABLE: $1,750 PER PERSON PER SEM. 1 BEDROOM/ 1 BATH: $2,950 PER PERSON PER SEM. TWO BED AVAILABLE FOR 17-18 98 W. CENTRAL AVE. - $2,850 PER PERSON PER SEM. SPACIOUS 2 BEDROOM WITH 1 FULL BATH AND 1 HALF BATH. REAR DECK. OFF ST. PARKING. WWW. PLUMTREEMIAMI. COM OR CALL 524-9340 FOR A TOUR.

The Miami Student (Tuesday/Friday) is published during the school year by the students of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

The content of The Miami Student is the sole responsibility of The Miami Student staff. Opinions expressed in The Miami Student are not necessarily those of Miami University, its students or staff.

MIAMISTUDENT.NET

ternoon at the beach.”

Donna attended the national conference for BOOM’s parent organization, Break Away, over the summer. The conference was held at the Grand Canyon where the volunteers also worked with Wildland Fire Management programs.

After the conference, Donna was inspired to expand the offerings at Miami and reinforce the educational aspect of the program.

As a result, BOOM has implanted lectures and experiences prior to the trips to properly prepare and inform students about the service they will be performing.

FROM BUDDIES »PAGE 3

“You go the first time and the Buddies are already making fun of you,” said Klontz. “It’s a very refreshing experience to have that on the weekends after being a college student.”

This relaxed environment is perfect, allowing the Buddies to learn while also having a good time.

“I was one of the first people that joined the choir the first day that it started,” said member Amanda Stoeppel. “I joined because I love to hang out with friends and singing is one of my favorite things to do on a daily basis.”

The last few years, the choir has been very focused on just having a good time, but this year they are hoping to improve musically as well.

“We’re working on syncopated rhythms and finding a steady beat, and we’re even learning some harmonies,” said Klontz. “It’s just great to see all these people come together and overcome a challenging piece of music together.”

The group is not immune to getting nervous, however, and these feelings tend to sink in right before every performance.

“It’s always up to the whole

group to motivate each other and get everyone in the right mindset before we get on stage,” said Mattina.

The group has had the chance to sing for some fairly large groups.

They have been at Miami basketball and hockey games, one of which was broadcasted by ESPN, and they have even performed at a Dayton Dragons game.

However, they have set their gazes even higher this year.

“We’re currently looking into singing the national anthem at the Reds baseball game,” said Mattina.

“I just want to get our name out there as much as possible and then maybe one day, other people will be inspired to create a chapter like this on their own.”

The impact the group has had on Klontz is insurmountable. After spending some time with the group she actually chose to pick up a Special Education minor to go along with her Music Education major.

“I’m just hoping to find a program when I graduate where I can teach music, either at a school for autism or maybe just create a Best Buddies friend choir of my own,” said Klontz. “I just want to incorporate it into my life because it’s been the most rewarding and eye-open-

CORRECTIONS POLICY The Miami Student is committed to providing the Miami University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication.

RENEE FARRELL PHOTO EDITOR

The coupola atop McCracken Hall near dusk.

It’s a Great Time to Transfer Balances to a

*9.95% Fixed Rate...always

Miami CU VISA Gold Credit Card

*No Teasers, No Gimmicks, No Cash Advance Fee, Always 9.95% Fixed Rate Lines of Credit from $5,000-$15,000 If not a member, join today!

Apply online at www.muccu.org or call 513-523-8888.

4692 GOOD THRU

Gold

Miami University and Community Federal Credit Union RENEE FARRELL PHOTO EDITOR

Students walk from classes in the evening across academic quad.

5120 College Corner PK. Oxford, OH. 45056

Proudly Serving Miami University and the Oxford Community since 1969! *Rates annual percentage rate (APR), terms, conditions and product components are subject to daily cange without notice. Certain credit restrictions are applicable. MUCFCU is not a legal entity of the University. Federally insured with the NCUA.

WWW.MIAMISTUDENT.NET

FROM FIELD HOCKEY»PAGE 8

has 15 on the season.

Facing a Big Ten opponent such as Indiana, many MAC teams would be intimidated. Miami, on the other

5

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

hand, will look to knock off its second Big Ten opponent in as many weeks.

Last weekend, the RedHawks defeated Michigan State 2-0.

“I have always been confident in my team,” Puzo said. “I think we have

a lot of talent and the kids have great attitudes and they want it — they want to keep playing good and our fitness level is great.”

MU players swept the MAC Field Hockey Weekly Awards this week,

as Carla Romagosa, a senior midfielder, was named the Offensive Player of the Week after her nine points against Central Michigan and Michigan State. Junior back Mariona Heras was named Defensive Player

of the Week after leading the defense that shut out both Michigan teams.

The Red and White takes on Missouri State 4:30 p.m. Friday in Springfield, Missouri, then faces IU in Oxford 1 p.m. Sunday.

RENEE FARRELL PHOTO EDITOR

“Success with Succulents” was a pop-up event on Wednesday sponsored by Miami Activities Programming that allowed students to plant and decorate their own free succulent in a mason jar, making them portable and perfect for dorm decoration.

Blood drive Open to All Miami Students & Faculty!

Monday, octoBer 3 11:00 aM – 5:00 pM

Heritage rooM - 3rd Floor SHriver center

YOUR AD COULD BE HERE EMAIL MIAMISTUDENT@GMAIL.COM

Please use the stairs on the West end of Shriver or take the elevator to the 3rd floor.

The Heritage Room is on the East end of the 3rd floor.

Sponsored by: Alpha Phi Omega - APhiO

Beta Alpha Psi - Accounting Fraternity Miami Commuter Council National Society for Collegiate Scholars Physician Assisting Club Students Together Empowering Minorities (STEM) Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society

RECEIVE A THANK YOU GIFT WHEN YOU REGISTER TO GIVE BLOOD. Make Your Appointment to Donate Today!

DonorTime.com - Use Sponsor Code 963

Eligibility Questions?

Email: canidonate@givingblood.org Bring a friend & save more lives!

Fresh roasted coffee by Oxford’s one and only roaster available at a location near you: Kroger Market Street at McCracken Moon Co-op DuBois Book Store Or visit our store for a wide selection of coffees from around the world at: 21 Lynn Ave ste102 next to Oxford Spirits

6 OPINION

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

The Myaamia Center a bastion for preserving native culture The following piece, written by the editorial editors, reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board.

F

ifteen years ago, the Myaamia Center was a passion project headed by director Daryl Baldwin. Today, it has seven full-time employees, has received thousands of dollars in National Science Foundation (NSF) funding and consistently provides support for members of the Miami Tribe who have found a home at Miami University.

Today, the Myaamia Center is still making headlines (including this one). In the past two months especially, the center is finally receiving the recognition that it deserves.

This month, Daryl Baldwin, an Ohio native and citizen of the Oklahoma-based Myaamia tribe, was awarded a MacArthur “genius grant.” This prestigious fellowship sends out awards to individuals who are on the “precipice of a great discovery or game-changing idea.”

For Baldwin, part of that idea is revitalizing the Myaamia language through his efforts with the Myaamia Center. The language is part of a large group of

Native American languages that were in danger of extinction.

The Myaamia language is experiencing a period of revitalization thanks to the efforts of Baldwin and his associates at the center. And their efforts have been recognized: in August, the Myaamia Center was awarded a

EMMA KINGHORN

THE MIAMI STUDENT

“You win some, you lose some.”

This inevitable fact pops up often throughout life but, for us sports fans, shaking off the losses isn’t always so easy . . . especially when they’re brought up on next week’s broadcast.

Or in the sports bar.

Or that day on which you dare to wear your team shirt.

But isn’t that the commitment we signed up for?

When life is large, win margins high and the record winning, it’s beyond easy to tout your fan gear, your team knowledge and your ‘unwavering’ loyalty. You can walk about campus with your chest puffed out, head held high and dare other teams to challenge yours.

But what about when his feet are out of bounds? When the Hail Mary isn’t a completion? When your guys don’t come out on top?

Isn’t the commitment that we make when we call ourselves fans of a team, a commitment to stand by them even in tumultuous scandal and barren drafts? When the losses are tough, don’t the teams need fans more than ever?

There’s a reason you have loyalty to your team, whether it’s the hometown franchise or the team fandom you were basically baptised into at birth. Maybe it was an experience, a player, a coach, a game, but something resonated with you, it caused you to commit a sort of loyalty, enough so at least to say, “I’m a — fan.”

It’s easy to forget these reasons or your personal connection to a franchise at this point in the football season — your team is either off to a great start, or sporting a losing record. Maybe injuries have plagued your roster, darkening the rest of the season, or possibly you’ve pulled off some big upsets. But to those of you with disappointing beginnings this season, remember: there’s always an upset, the season can turn itself around, but, if it doesn’t, who cares?

Being a fan isn’t about liking winning teams — then you’re just a fan of victors. To be a fan of a team is to be a part of that unwavering support, a piece of the franchise. A true fan is one that walks out of the stadium after a rough loss and says, “There’s always next week.”

When indigenous students were put in schools in the 1800s, they were treated as if their culture did not belong to the country. Forced assimilation knocked out much of what was special and important in America before it became the United States, and many indigenous peoples either

Congratulations to Daryl Baldwin and the Myaamia Center for all of the recognition they have received. You deserve it.

grant totalling $182,406 by the NSF for the National Breath of Life Archival Institute for Indigenous Languages project. The Breath of Life project is part of a national effort to preserve indigenous languages by training researchers from indigenous communities in the methods of archives-based linguistic and ethnographic research, accord-

Love for the losers: when your team is an underdog SPORTS

ing to a report recently written

by Miami on the award.

This is a huge deal — and the second time that the centerreceived funding for this project from the NSF — because it means that the Myaamia tribe will have more resources to dedicate not only to preserving the

Nobody knows what that faith is like better than the Cleveland Browns. Historically one of the worst teams in the NFL, the Browns somehow also boast one of the best fandoms throughout the league. Sports on Earth has gone so far as to declare the fans the best in the NFL, and for good reason: unwavering loyalty and enthusiasm, despite losing records, losing players and dim prospects.

The team hasn’t finished out a season with a winning record in almost a decade, hasn’t fought their way into a playoff game since 2004, but somehow still manages to average over 67,000 fans per home game. This large number edges out the likes of the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh

I urge you to take a page out of the Browns’ book: stand by your team.

Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings, all of which have winning records.

Who has the faith in their fan base to raise season ticket prices following a losing 7-9 season that ended in a 5 game losing streak?

The Cleveland Browns. Who is willing to not only renew season tickets, but pay more for them?

Cleveland Browns fans.

Heading into week four of the NFL, and week five of college football, many teams out there are in a rough spot, leaving many fans distressed and anxiously anticipating the rest of the season.

If this is you, I urge you to take a page out of the Browns’ book: stand by your team. After the losses, during the cringe-worthy turnovers, following the dropped easy passes, sport your team gear with pride. Remember, there’s a reason you’re a fan — this is your team.

But, if you’ve been inspired to join a fan base as unwavering as the Browns, you can buy an orange and brown fuzzy wig on ebay for about sixty bucks.

KINGHOEC@MIAMIOH.EDU

MIAMISTUDENT.NET

language, a building block of culture, but also to benefit student members of the Myaamia tribe at Miami University.

Since it started back in 2001, a primary focus of the Myaamia Center has been to teach the language, history and culture of the tribe to younger Miami Tribe descendants who attend Miami University.

lost or were forced out of their culture. Through the center and its programs, Myaamia students have been able to find a strong sense of identity with the tribe.

Research done within the university suggests that self-identity is integral for native-student success. Here’s proof: nationally, students that identify as Native American or indigenous have a

22.5 percent rate of graduating within four years. At Miami, that number skyrockets to 58 percent (and keep in mind, the average American student only graduates within four years 36 percent of the time).

“Our ideas about self are largely a reflection of others’ ideas about us, good and bad or in between,” says John Robert Browne II in “Walking the Equity Talk.” “Schools have an enormous influence on how we come to see ourselves, the hopes and dreams we acquire, and our achievement motivation.”

When society influences so much of our identity, it is important that places like the Myaamia Center exist, not only for the preservation of the traditions and language of the Myaamia tribe, but also to teach Miami students overall about the importance of identity.

Congratulations to Daryl Baldwin and the Myaamia Center for all of the recognition they have received— you deserve it.

An open letter to Turning Point USA: growth dogma is a detriment to all life on the planet POLITICS

KYLE HAYDEN COLUMNIST

For the last few days, Turning Point USA, a right-wing youth group focusing on disseminating information about “Free market” principles and “entrepreneurship” has been tabling in the Armstrong Student Center.

They were giving out a booklet titled “10 ways fossil fuels improve our daily lives.”

This is what this pamphlet aims to do: convince the reader the needs of the energy companies take precedence over the needs of the human and non-human lives living in the biosphere; that the needs of the economy are more important than the needs of the biosphere. Further, they try to tell the reader that fossil fuels are a net good for humanity.

I take from German playwright Bertolt Brecht, who said of the poet Horace’s line “What joy, for fatherland to die!” — “Zweckpropaganda,” — cheap, petty material for a specific purpose.

I am going to take a look at some of the claims in the booklet and challenge them.

The first page in the document is full of ideology (which I realize is its purpose, and it is highly persuasive material if you’ve never considered the topic before by which I mean it is intellectually predatory).

Page 1: “Students are indoctrinated to believe the myth that fossil fuels are dirty and renewable energy is a plausible alternative.”

As if fossil fuels are not dirty (they try to make the case later in the book that fossil fuels in fact make our environment cleaner!)

Ask people living in Appalachia if fossil fuels are dirty — they cannot fish in their streams and rivers. Children get cancer. As far as I know, this is not typical.

Last year, I visited activist Junior Walk in Kayford, West Virginia where at one point in my visit he told me that 3 people in his high school graduating class were diagnosed with cancer by graduation and one had died.

Coal River, which runs through a hollow near Naoma and Kayford is foamy, rust-orange at times and fish no longer can live in it. The shores are void of plant life. This is the cost of fossil fuels.

The problem with this statement is that it tries to hide the drudgery imbedded in our everyday built environment. Therefore, it’s a dishonest claim.

This is carried on at length on page 12: “fossil fuels allow us more leisure time.”

What makes leisure time possible? Who gets to enjoy this

leisure? None of these immediate questions are resolved in the booklet.

According to Barbara Ehrenreich, author of “Nickled and Dimed”, the working poor, who bear the brunt of all the dirty energy jobs in the world are “the major philanthropists of our society … They neglect their own children so that the children of others will be cared for; they live in substandard housing so that other homes will be shiny and perfect; they endure privation so that inflation will be low and stock prices high.”

It would be easier for me if Turning Point were to say, “We just don’t care. We want to make money, no matter the externality.”

If you told the reader you simply don’t care about the biosphere and you only care about “human prog-

this case “something inferior.”

This is an inherently racist suggestion that pre-supposes that certain people — “civilized peoples” or “The West” are somehow smarter or make better choices than others (to mine coal, to drill for oil, to build computers, to harvest corn) and makes “us” smarter and better and this is clearly the best and logical conclusion of human intelligence.

Another premise being that the world would get a whole lot better if we just extracted our way to their version of a “sustainable future.”

This is a lie reproduced by civilization and its cultural institutions of which Turning Point is but a tiny appendage.

Turning Point is willing to couch their claim on the argument that “this” (making nuclear weapons,

Y’all are just arrogant anthropocentrists. You also seem to be proud of this. ress” and profits, this critique would go a lot more smoothly and I could just tell Turning Point, y’all are just arrogant anthropocentrists. You also seem to be proud of this.

Instead, Turning Point tries to hide the underlying message behind a screen of warm, fuzzy statements and aggrandizing claims on human ingenuity.

The booklet quotes at length from Alex Epstein’s book “The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels” which sounds a lot nicer than it reads.

Epstein is also the founder of the Center for Industrial Progress, which, prior to this time I suppose industrial society was suffering from a lack of support for its projects. Epstein says the CIP offers a “pro-human alternative to the Green movement.”

Latent racism is embedded in the booklet. Epstein is quoted: “If we look at history, an incredibly disproportionate percentage of valuable ideas have come in the last several centuries, coinciding with fossil-fueled [sic] civilization. Why? Because such a productive civilization buys us time to think and discover, and then use that knowledge to become more productive, and buy more time to think and discover. We should be grateful to past generations for producing and consuming fossil fuels, rather than restricting them and trying to subsist on something inferior.”

The premise embedded in this statement is this: technologies and methods of Western civilization are the best and that methods other than such are “less intelligent” or in

mining for coal, drilling for oil, destroying 40,000 acres of arable land in the world every day) is the best we can do and that other cultures (ancient or Indigenous cultures) were stupid for not inventing them. It is a racist claim.

Page 5 in the booklet: “Fossil fuels keep us warm in the winter and cool in the summer.”

Rejoinder: Humans have lived in almost every climate for much longer (first stone tools can be dated to 3 million years ago) than air conditioning has been around.

We were doing just fine before then. If Turning Point wants to posture that primitive life was (as Hobbes wrote) “poor, nasty, brutish, and short,” they are treading racist waters again.

We don’t need fossil fuels (or electricity, or cars, or sky scrapers, factories) to live in various climes on this planet.

I don’t know how drunk the author was when writing the following sentence but I’m just going leave it here without comment because I think it pretty much says it all.

From page 9: “A fracking drill can run for years in perfect harmony with nature.”

To this end, the market fundamentalists and for-profit think tanks fail to realize everything we do to the environment, we end up doing to ourselves.

This material is the most bereft, sadistic, nature-hating trash I’ve ever read.

HAYDENKA@MIAMIOH.EDU

EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

Share the road: safety for bikes and cars in Oxford TRANSPORTATION

TO THE EDITOR: With the fine fall weather and everybody back at school, there are a lot more bicycles on the road — all the more so because of the bike lanes on Spring Street, Rt. 27 S., McGuffey Ave and Wells Mills Dr., and the multi-use paths along Patterson Ave. This is a good time for everyone to review standard laws for bicyclists and cars, which share most traffic laws.

First, both cyclists and car drivers must obey traffic signals and stop signs, and they should ride on the right side of the road. Riding on the left is illegal and dangerous for cars and bikes alike.

This holds true for cyclists on the bike lanes who must follow all traffic signals and stop signs —and yes, that even means on the Spring Street bike lanes. Both bikes and cars can earn a traffic citation by running a stop sign.

Second, per Ohio law, bicyclists may ride on sidewalks in certain areas, but it’s not a good idea. Accident studies show that even lowspeed sidewalk riding has about double the accident rate as riding on the road. The danger increases with speed. If you ride on the sidewalk, every intersection and driveway is a potential collision site. Motorists crossing your path do not look for conflicting traffic on the sidewalk, especially if you are coming from the wrong way.

I should note, bicyclists are prohibited from riding on sidewalks in the Oxford Uptown area.

Third, the rules for turns are exactly the same for bicycles as for other vehicles — merge to the appropriate position (right for right turns, left for left turns), yield to any traffic that has the right of way and then turn. For cyclists, getting into position for a left turn may involve merging across lanes of traffic. If traffic is heavy, cyclists should start doing this early to take advantage of gaps in traffic.

Make sure you are visible to all cars as you move into the turning lane, use hand signals indicating your turn and try to make eye contact with drivers of cars. Beginning cyclists may want to make pedestrian-style turns instead by dismounting and walking the bicycle through the intersection.

Like car drivers, bicyclists should never turn or change lanes without first yielding to any traffic that has the right of way and should give a signal if possible.

In addition to legal guidelines, cyclists should follow general best practices.

Bike Lanes A bicycle lane is a designated traffic lane for bicyclists, and only bicyclists are permitted on that lane. No moving or parked cars are permitted on bike lanes, even temporarily “double parked” cars.

OPINION 7

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

Bicyclists must ride in the bike lane only in the same direction as other traffic. Riding against the flow of traffic is against the law and greatly increases your chances of having a crash, especially at intersections where pedestrians and crossing traffic are unlikely to see you.

Safety Tips for Bikes Be Safe: Wear a bike helmet!

Be predictable: make your intentions clear to motorists and other road users. Ride in a straight line and don’t swerve between parked cars. Signal turns, and check behind you well before turning or changing lanes.

Be Visible: ride where drivers can see you and wear bright clothing. When riding in the dark or twilight, cyclists should always use both a headlight and blinking taillight. Many cyclists also use a blinking taillight in the daytime. Lights, reflectors, and bright colored biking shirts and tunics are available at any bike shop.

Anticipate: consider what drivers, pedestrians, and other bicyclists will do next. Watch for turning vehicles and ride outside the door zone of parked cars. Look out for debris, potholes, and utility covers. Cross railroad tracks at right angles.

Safety Tips for Cars When driving on a road with bike lanes, keep your eyes out for cyclists who might be turning at an intersection onto a road without a bike lane.

Pay attention to the “sharrows” signal on the road, which, like the “share the road” signs, means that bikes will be on the road.

Move to the center of the road when passing a cyclist.

Don’t honk at a cyclist as it could scare the cyclist into a fall. If you want to gain a cyclist’s attention, tap your horn lightly.

After parking your car, look carefully in your rearview mirror before opening your car door so that you do not injure a passing cyclist.

Drivers might consider turning their head lights on, to make it easier for cyclists to see you coming, both ahead and in their rearview mirrors.

For more information, see “Walking and Bike Tips” by the City of Oxford Community Development Department.

In addition, Oxford’s local bicycle shop, Bike Wise, located at 9 North Beech St. (513-523-4880), sells new and used bikes and a lot of bike safety equipment including helmets and lights.

Share the road!

It pays to follow your passion EDUCATION

HALEY JENA

THE MIAMI STUDENT

“And what are you going to do with that?” English majors have been on the receiving end of that phrase countless times, with perpetrators listing anywhere from relatives to family friends to a guy in my orientation group.

The pains of choosing a so-called “easy” major include, but are not limited to, mastering the art of receiving and brushing off doubt and dismissal, not constantly grinding your teeth or rolling your eyes at a family reunion from the disapproval of a random family member and — a personal favorite — experiencing a neighbor audibly laughing in reply when you tell them you plan to major in English.

“When I told my parents I was switching to be an English major the questions started flying about what I was going to do with my future. Any time I tell anyone I’m an English major, they always scoff and tell me how I’m going to be a ‘starving artist’,” says senior professional writing major Allie Paul.

Parents, relatives and neighbors aside, even presidential candidates have chastised the less obvious payback jobs. Republican Senator Marco Rubio stated in March at the International Association of Fire Fighters’ presidential forum in Washington, D.C., “... So you can decide whether it’s worth borrowing $40,000 to be a Greek philosophy major. Because the market for Greek philosophers is tight.”

While the market for Greek philosophers is stereotypically small, along with the assumption of slim employment for art historians, theater lovers, literature experts — you name it — this isn’t true, contrary to popular belief. Pursuing a major in English (or another humanity) doesn’t equal financial struggle. As cited by The Atlantic, 2010-2011 data from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce illustrates English and history majors respectively carried a 9.8 and 9.5 percent unemployment rate, respectively, immediately after graduating, whereas economics and political science majors reported an unemployment of 10.4 and 11.1 percent, respectively, and computer science degrees only slightly lower at 8.7 percent.

In fact, notable alumni of the beloved English major include Mitt Romney, Conan O’Brien, Barbara Walters, Clarence Thomas, Steven

Spielberg, Chevy Chase, James Franco, Jon Hamm, Steven King, Sting, Diane Sawyer, Martin Scorsese — the list goes on. Former CEOs that majored in English include Grant Tinker (NBC), Judy McGrath (MTV) and Michael Eisner (Disney).

From holding a prestigious CEO position to being a movie star to a novelist, the English major offers several different options. This includes being a politician, publisher, reporter, copywriter, humanitarian, critic, editor, lobbyist, writer for a variety of companies or publications, journalist, social media manager — you name it.

Cathy Wagner, professor and director of creative writing at Miami, is

candlelight to pay the bills. The English student is constantly submerged in skills of comprehension, analysis and communication, along with other skills of critical importance in any pursued job area.

“I’m really excited for the new developments for students coming out of school with a B.A. in English mostly because there are so many new positions and opportunities available.

English majors are finally being seen as a valuable asset in the real world — especially since almost every aspect of life revolves around language,” Paul says.

This is not to bash on business or engineer majors. If you have ambition

As cliche as it is, there’s something for everyone, and to do anything but said joyful passion based off of a false convention is nonsensical.

familiar with the success that comes from a degree in English, especially at Miami.

“There is a lot of debate on this subject, and different research seems to produce different statistics, but there’s evidence that humanities students, while they don’t do as well right out of the gate as STEM majors, do as well as business majors (apart from those in Finance and Accounting), and many catch up after some years.

And Miami students, out of humanities majors nationally, do very well,” Wagner says.

The decline of the English major would be understandable if it proved to open less doors for job interviews and career opportunities, but clearly, this is not the case.

Steve Strauss, USA Today columnist, small-business expert and bestselling author, says he prefers to hire English majors.

“They know how to think, to think for themselves and how to analyze a problem. Business majors are fine, but they are preoccupied with theory, proving themselves and doing it ‘right.’ But the English majors are used to getting a tough assignment, figuring it out and getting it done, (usually) on time,” Strauss says.

Despite the social incrimination, there is a clear variety of job opportunities available to English majors.

They are not suffering storywriters that are concentrating solely in medieval British literature. They do not write poetry with a quill pen by

to pursue business, do it. If your goal is to work with English, do it. As cliché as it is, there’s something for everyone and to do anything but said joyful passion based off of a false convention is nonsensical. We English majors can deal with the eyerolls and cynical comments that come with a passion for English just fine, but why should we have to? Culture can achieve balance by offering a multitude of different majors and career directions — no need to rag on a select portion of them.

The name of a major won’t automatically deem your worth of success nor salary potential — drive and experience will push you forward. I would be infinitely more driven to succeed in English, the field I love, than I ever would in a statistical field. Why choose to be a less than mediocre engineer over the opportunity to be something great in English while simultaneously achieving contentment?

We’ve all been told to find a career we love so that we never have to “work” a day in our lives; to find a job where you can trick someone into paying you for doing something you’d do for free. No matter the title of the major, goals are made for a reason and passions should be pursued in all fields.

JENAHM@MIAMIOH.EDU

A.J. NEWBERRY’S EXTROSPECTIVE FIELD JOURNAL

Kate Rousmaniere is a professor in the Deptartment of Education and Mayor of the City of Oxford.

ROUSMAK@MIAMIOH.EDU

Please recycle when fininshed

A.J. NEWBERRY NEWBERAJ@MIAMIOH.EDU

8 SPORTS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

BATTLE OF THE BRICKS: OU RIVALRY WEEK

SPORTS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

Field hockey travels to Missouri, hosts Indiana

ANGELO GELFUSO THE MIAMI STUDENT BRIANNA NIXON THE MIAMI STUDENT

Wide reciever, James Gardner (81) watches the ball during a lineup., ready for a pass.

Junior midfielder Henni Otten fights for the ball against a University of New Hampshire opponent. Otten has a goal and an assist through nine games this season.

FIELD HOCKEY

FOOTBALL

COBURN GILLIES

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

The Miami University football team opens up Mid-American Conference play at home Saturday against rival Ohio University in the Battle of the Bricks.

The RedHawks enter this game searching for their first victory of the season, as they have dropped each of their games this season to fall to 0-4. Meanwhile, OU enters this rivalry game boasting a 2-2 record.

When the ‘Hawks went to battle with the Bobcats last season, they ended up on the losing end of a 34-3 contest in Athens that saw then freshman and current sophomore starting quarterback Billy Bahl complete eight of 23 passes for 150 yards and four interceptions.

“There’s a lot at stake. You got a huge rivalry no matter what the record is when you play OU,” head coach Chuck Martin said. “It’s a gigantic game for us

and for them it’s a huge rivalry.

There’s 364 days of bragging rights that will go Saturday night as soon as the last ticks go off the clock. It’s a gigantic game by itself.”

While Miami has yet to earn a victory this season, the beginning of the MAC schedule provides an opportunity to start on even footing with all conference programs.

“It is the first conference game.

Half the league is going to be 1-0, and half the league is going to be 0-1. So you’re going to be tied for first or last at the end of Saturday night, and obviously getting off to a good start in league play would be great as long as we keep playing the game the right way,” Martin said.

Ohio University enters the matchup led by redshirt senior quarterback Greg Windham, who has thrown for 933 yards on the year, good for seven touchdowns and an average of 233.2 passing yards per game.

Windham will look to continue his success with senior coun-

terpart wide receiver Sebastian Smith, as Smith has hauled in 18 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns this season.

On the defensive end, OU will look to redshirt junior linebacker Quentin Poling to lead the way.

Poling has racked up 36 total tackles, including four for loss, through four games.

Ohio University will be coached by Frank Solich, who is in his eleventh season at the helm of the Bobcats.

OU has defeated Miami each of the past three years, as well as nine of the past ten. However, MU still holds the edge in all-time wins, 52-37-2.

“We have been on the short end of that stick, and I think that we want to get that fixed. We tried hard last week to get the Victory Bell back from Cincinnati, and now we have to do the same thing,” Martin said.

The game kicks off 2:30 p.m.

Saturday at Yager Stadium, and will be streamed live online on ESPN3.

EMILY SIMANSKIS THE MIAMI STUDENT

Hoping to maintain momentum from two shutout wins last weekend, the Miami University field hockey team travels Friday to a Mid-American Conference game at Missouri State. Following the MSU game, the RedHawks return to Oxford for a Sunday tilt against non-conference opponent Indiana University.

Miami enters the weekend 5-5 overall, 1-2 at home and 3-3 away.

Missouri State will play their first MAC game against Miami 4:30 p.m.

Friday. The Bears are 1-6 overall, 1-2 at home, 0-1 away and 0-3 at neutral locations.

The Hoosiers, on the other hand, are 6-4 overall, 2-1 at home and 2-2 away.

“The key is to focus on one game at a time,” head coach Inako Puzo said in a press conference Monday.

“Right now we have to focus on Missouri State, and after that we’ll have 36 hours to reload and to play against Indiana. The way that we have to approach it is that our im-

portant game is our next game.”

Last Friday, Miami ventured to Michigan, where the RedHawks took home their first conference win against Central Michigan, dominating the Chippewas 6-0. With the win, MU is 1-0 in MAC play.

“We’re taking a lot of momentum and confidence. We’re really trying to work hard to not have any dips in our play,” Geagy Pritchard, a senior midfielder/forward said. “So, I think now that we know that our fitness and our skill level can take us very far, that we’re very confident.”

Missouri State is coming off a 1-5 loss to Pacific University last weekend, a game in which the team was heavily outshot, 27-8.

Last year, Miami twice beat Missouri State 3-0, both in a regular season game at home and again in the semifinals of the MAC Tournament.

When facing Indiana on the road, the RedHawks earned a 3-1 victory.

However, Indiana is coming off a 6-1 victory against Central Michigan.

Senior midfielder Kate Barber had two goals in the game and currently FIELD HOCKEY »PAGE 5

Volleyball looks to continue streak at home against OU, Kent State VOLLEYBALL

KARL STEINER

THE MIAMI STUDENT

The Miami University volleyball team is riding a nine game winning streak heading into this weekend’s doubleheader. The team has won 17 consecutive sets.

“The reason why we have been able to win nine games in a row is that we do not even think about the streak. We just take it one game at a time,” junior outside hitter Olivia Rusek said.

In the first match of the weekend, MU faces archrival Ohio University.

Despite a losing overall record of 6-8 on the year, the Bobcats are undefeated in Mid-American Conference play and have won three consecutive matches. Given the magnitude of the rivalry, a contentious match is expected between the two sides.

Miami then faces a quick turnaround, as they play 24 hours later against another top-ranked MAC program, Kent State University. The Golden Flashes (9-6 ANGELO GELFUSO THE MIAMI STUDENT overall, 2-0 MAC) are one of the The Miami University volleyball team has not lost a match since a September 2 defeat conference’s premier teams, and to Illinois State, and has not dropped a single set since September 9 against Auburn. they enter the match with a winning streak of their own, having won their last five matches.

Junior Kelsey Bittinger has been a dominant offensive force for KSU, racking up 182 kills in just 14 matches.

The RedHawks and Golden Flashes were ranked as the number one and two teams in the MAC East preseason coaches’ poll, giving an already intriguing matchup even more hype.

“We are staying really focused in practice and have been watching film of both Ohio and Kent State throughout the week,” sophomore right side hitter Stela Kukoc said.

Through this point in the year, MU has more than lived up to its preseason billing. With a 10-4 record, the team has handled most of their schedule with ease. Yet, the true success of the RedHawks 2016 campaign will be determined in the coming weeks.

“As a team, we have been working very hard day in and day out to improve our game both offensively and defensively. We really strive to win and to compete and that drive has really been working for us. Overall, we are just excited to play and take on new challenges” junior captain Meredith Stutz said.

The weekend provides an important measuring stick for

Miami as they reach the midway point of the season. If the RedHawks can channel their momentum into two impressive outings, they will further solidify themselves as a favorite for the conference championship.

Senior outside hitter Maris Below and junior right side hitter Katie Tomasic will be key contributors for MU this weekend. Both players have led the dominant RedHawk attack so far this season, tallying 125 kills each. Redshirt sophomore setter Mackenzie Zielenski leads MU with 275 assists on the year, while junior libero Maeve McDonald currently leads the back line with 242 digs. Senior middle hitter Paige Hill has held down the Miami front line, defending the net with 36 blocks on the year.

Miami is clicking on all cylinders at the moment, and it will take an impressive effort by either Ohio or Kent State to derail the current MAC favorite in front of its home crowd.

The Red and White first face off 7 p.m. Thursday against archrival Ohio University, then take on Kent State 7 p.m. Friday.

Both games will be played at Millett Hall and broadcast live on ESPN3.

TRY SOMETHING NEW AT • In-house smoked pork and turkey • Homemade pickles • Traditional and daikon coleslaws • Four sauces including our Signature Q Sauce Located at Maplestreet Station Open M–F 10:45 a.m.–7:00 p.m.

GET mobile ordering is now at SUNDIAL Custom pizza, pasta, or calzones on your schedule Order ahead so your order is ready when you arrive.

Easy ordering through the GET mobile app or online

For more info visit MiamiOH.edu/GET