ESTABLISHED 1826 – OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES
The Miami Student TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016 Volume 144 №37
Miami University — Oxford, Ohio
MIAMISTUDENT.NET
English proficiency exam may not reflect abilities
Goldman committee names two winners of post-grad prize
Despite higher TOEFL requirements, some international students feel their scores are low ADMISSIONS
JACK EVANS
THE MIAMI STUDENT
Miami University’s requirements for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) may not be high enough, and even when students score well, the test is often not an accurate measure of English-speaking ability. The exam is the primary way incoming international students satisfy their English Language Proficiency requirement, a requirement unique to international students who hail from nonEnglish speaking countries. “We’ve actually raised the TOEFL requirement for regular admission twice in the past five years,” said Aaron Bixler, associate director for international recruitment. The original minimum score for admission to Miami was 72 out of 120. This has since been raised to 80. The College of William and Mary — Miami’s public
ivy compatriot just one spot ahead on U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Undergraduate Teaching” ranking — requires a minimum score of 100. Miami’s TOEFL scores more closely mirror some Big Ten universities, which Bixler says are the university’s primary competition when it comes to international students. The Ohio State University and Michigan State University both require a minimum of 79 on the TOEFL for regular admission. Penn State University has a minimum requirement of 80, while the University of Wisconsin typically admits students with scores between 95 to 105, according to its admissions website. According to statistics from the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), 305 of the 1,878 Oxford-based undergraduate international students are also conditionally admitted to Miami through the American Culture and
English (ACE) program, which has a significantly lower minimum TOEFL score of 65. Prospective international students can also use either ACT or SAT results, along with a handful of other methods, to satisfy Miami’s English Language Proficiency requirement, though Bixler says the TOEFL is the most common route. Regardless of the rigor of the TOEFL requirement, one of the primary problems with these scores is that they don’t always translate to real-world English ability in an academic environment. “My English is not perfect, but it’s good. I think I can do homework and talk easily,” said Zana Smajli, a junior international student from Pristina, Kosovo. “At the beginning, it was more difficult for me to adjust and operate in a second language, but it’s getting better every day. But when it comes to talking in TOEFL »PAGE 3
CONTRIBUTED BY ABIGAIL LYONS
SCHOLARSHIP
HAILEY MALLENDICK SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Miami’s Goldman Prize, one of the highest-paying awards given to U.S. college grads, was awarded to two students this year — the first time this has happened since the prize’s inception in 1993. Abby Lyons, who graduated in December with an early childhood education degree, and Jordan Martin, a senior who is double majoring in biology and psychology with a minor in anthropology, were the recipients of the award. With this, they will each receive a $30,000 prize to conduct the research and complete their proposed
projects. The Johanna Jackson Goldman Memorial Prize was awarded to the two seniors after being selected by the Honors Program Advisory Committee. The prize is one of the largest undergraduate grants in the country and is annually awarded to graduating seniors at Miami who seek to conduct an independent study in the areas of scholarship, journalism or the arts. “Receiving the Goldman Prize is a tremendous honor and I feel deep gratitude for being given this once-in-alifetime opportunity to pursue my dreams,” said Martin. Lyons is working to starting her own year-round
BETH PFOHL THE MIAMI STUDENT
study abroad program at Miami. The idea came to her while she was abroad in Belize over the 2014 winter term with Darrel Davis, an assistant professor in the area of instructional technology. “In an art shop in Belize I told Dr. Davis that I didn’t have many classes to take in the spring semester and was fascinated about what I had learned about education, technology and global education,” said Lyons. “We started an independent study [after the trip] and we started throwing around ideas about what and how people were learning through their abroad experience.” GOLDMAN »PAGE 3
We are proud to announce the launch of a creative supplement, THE MIAMI STUDENT MAGAZINE — visit us online at THEMIAMISTUDENTMAGAZINE.COM
University gardener toils in the soil to make campus colorful
International student spotlight: Nana from Botswana
CAMPUS PEOPLE
TESS SOHNGEN
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Miami’s Formal Gardens did not grow its beautiful reputation by Mother Nature’s good graces. Horticulturist Bill Zehler has spent the last 15 years caring for and redesigning the gardens and beds around campus, capturing and perfecting the natural beauty at Miami. Each year, Zehler plants approximately 18,000 floras across 20 different beds on campus, 6,000 of which go to the Formal Gardens. Some flowers, like the tulips, are already in the ground, but he and the five other horticulturists will plant over 9,000 more beginning in April. “Different flower, different time,” Zehler said. “Timing is very significant.” Because of the diversity of the flowers and their different affinities for the frost, each plant has its own optimal time for planting, which keeps Zehler busy during the spring and summer. “I think he makes a big impact on the first impression of the campus,” said Vincent Cirrito, Miami’s landscape architect and grounds manager. Cirrito said Zehler deserves a lot of the credit for
ANGELA HATCHER SENIOR STAFF WRITER
RENÉ FARRELL THE MIAMI STUDENT
making Miami look beautiful year-round, especially during the warm seasons when incoming students visit and form their first impressions of campus. One of Zehler’s favorite beds to plant is his own initiative and design: the red and white “M” in front of Pearson Hall where many seniors take a picture on graduation day. Originally made in the style of the old logo, Zehler continued to make improvements to the bed to best showcase the arrangement. He now crafts the beveled “M,” raising the bed to an angle for better visibility and using a frame to give it more support. Before applying for the job, Zehler worked in construction. Disenchanted with
a future of constant construction, Zehler applied for the job opening as the horticulturist at Miami. When he didn’t get the job, he waited until the position reopened six years later. Zehler cared for his own organic garden for years before he considered working at Miami and still continues to do so. His organic garden stretches for half an acre, and Zehler feeds himself and his extended family with the surpluses from his garden. He plants “anything that won’t walk off,” including cabbage, herbs and tomatoes. “My background was gardening, not flower, but I applied a lot of the principles that I use in my garden to here,” said Zehler. GARDENS »PAGE 9
This is the first in a series of profiles of international students. First-year Akosua BoadiAgyemang has an infectious laugh. When she finds something truly funny, she’ll throw her head back, put her hand over her mouth and start shaking with laughter. This typically happens after a fellow Miami University student tries to pronounce her name. “Just call me Nana!” she’ll say after laughing through multiple failed attempts. ‘Akosua’ has proven to be too difficult a name to pronounce. Nana’s smile is one of her defining features. Her smile is wide and genuine. Her white teeth stand out against her dark skin. She is petite and sassy. Her friends describe her as “honest” and “the best kind of person to be around.” She is a business economics major whose mission is to make a name for herself at Miami and beyond. Like many other students in the Farmer School of Business, she is driven, intelligent, ambitious and passionate.
The only difference is Nana is an international student, 8,102 miles away from her home in Francistown, Botswana. People often ask Nana where she is from right after she introduces herself. The combination of her unique name and slightly British accent automatically ANGELA HATCHER THE MIAMI STUDENT label her as different. “I’m from Africa. Born in in Botswana. Botswana, but my parents She grew up in a suburb in are from Ghana,” she’ll say. Francistown with her mom, That’s typically when the dad, two sisters and pet dog questions begin to flood in: — a tiny white maltese poo“I don’t mean to be rude, dle named Winner. She lives but … What do you live in?” in a brick house in Botswana. “How did you get to the She went to John Mackenzie U.S.? Like, do you guys High School where she took have planes?” courses using the British “How do you speak Eng- system, “A-Level Courses,” lish so well? Don’t they receiving college credit for speak Swahili or some- her business 101 class and thing?” accounting course. “Why do you have a BritThere’s a large internaish accent?” tional airport in Botswana “Did you have a pet el- called Sir Seretse Khama ephant? Or a lion?” International Airport that she “Why don’t you sound Af- flew out of when she came to rican?” the United States for the first What is an African sup- time last year to visit New posed to sound like? she’ll York. ask herself internally. She did not grow up on Nana maintains her good the Serengeti in a hut with humor, welcoming these a pet antelope. She grew up questions as an opportunity to explain what her life is like NANA »PAGE 5
NEWS p. 2
NEWS p. 3
CULTURE p. 4
OPINION p. 7
SPORTS p. 10
STUDY: COLLEGE STUDENTS AVOID SOLITUDE
LECTURER SPEAKS ON SCHOOL-TOPRISON PIPELINE
WRITER ANALYZES 88TH ACADEMY AWARDS SHOW
TO THE EDITOR: DRINKING IS A GREEK PROBLEM
SENIOR HOCKEY PLAYERS LEAVE LEGACY
From eating to traveling, students go against the grain and enjoy their alone time.
Judith Browne Dianis spoke Thursday about equality in education, students reflect.
Host Chris Rock addressed diversity issue head-on in opening Oscars monologues.
Expert responds to essay, cites Greek connection to drinking, sexual assault.
RedHawks seniors played final regular season home game in front of appreciative fans.