ESTABLISHED 1826 – OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES
The Miami Student FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016 Volume 144 №32
Miami University — Oxford, Ohio
MIAMISTUDENT.NET
Prospective As presidential search comes to close, president earns many reflect on problems with process high praise PRESIDENT
EMILY TATE
MANAGING EDITOR
REIS THEBAULT
PRESIDENT
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
MEGAN ZAHNEIS
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Gregory P. Crawford’s friends and colleagues say he’s energetic, innovative and ambitious. He stood out as an administrator and professor at the University of Notre Dame and, before that, at Brown University. Now he’s returning to his home state of Ohio to be Miami University’s next president. The Board of Trustees announced Thursday morning that Crawford had been named as the finalist to succeed current president David Hodge. Crawford comes to Miami from Notre Dame, where he most recently served as Professor of Physics and Vice President and Associate Provost. Prior to
Hodge announces retirement May 2015
UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Gregory Crawford is Miami’s presidential finalist.
arriving at Notre Dame in 2008, Crawford was dean of engineering at Brown University. Crawford, 50, has his roots in Ohio. A native of Elyria, near Cleveland, he holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees from Kent State University in physics. He completed FINALIST »PAGE 8
Isaacson, Miller hired for search
July 2015
Presidential search begins August 2015
LGBTQ ‘Mergers’ recall how they met their valentines LOVE
TESS SOHNGEN
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Meg Sullivan and Robyn Bockrath will receive their first Miami Merger Valentine’s Day card this year. The two were married June 5, 2015 in Chicago by a mutual friend, Lyndsey, who introduced them 10 years ago at Miami University. Lyndsey knew that her lifelong friend Robyn would be instant friends with her sorority sister, Meg Sullivan. She was right. “We took an ice-skating class my junior year,” said Robyn. “That’s when we got to know each other a little better.” Both had boyfriends at the time, and despite being open to the idea of dating a girl, neither identified as lesbian or bisexual until after college. Robyn came to Miami from a small Ohio town and Meg from an Irish-Catholic upbringing, where people who identified as LGBT were not common. Even at Miami, Robyn said she knew only one or two gay students. “I feel like, back then, it was rare for us to really know anyone who was outout,” said Robyn. “It just
Yesterday, in all likelihood, marked the end of a six-month, nationwide search for Miami’s next president — a search conducted in secret and mired in controversy. Gregory Crawford, provost at the University of Notre Dame, is the “finalist” for the job, but it’s not the person that has the university up in arms, it’s the process. “One ‘finalist?’” said Cathy Wagner, exasperated. “I wish that was a joke, because it’s not very funny. Secret nominations … really? An appointed, anointed leader?” Wagner is the vice president of Miami’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), a faculty advocacy organization, and is a professor of English.
wasn’t on our radar at the time. If I wanted to date a girl at Miami, I wouldn’t know where to go.” “It’s hard to know why it was that way at Miami,” said Robyn of the time she spent at Miami but did not yet know she identified as lesbian. A few years after graduation, Robyn reconnected with Meg in a reunion with college friends, and they realized they liked each other more than friends. Fourteen percent of Miami alumni marry another alumn, earning these couples the nickname “Miami Merger.” Meg (’06) and Robyn (’07) have now joined the 14,262 Miami Mergers and will receive one of the 13,658 valentines mailed from the Miami University Alumni Association (MUAA) this year. While Miami has been sending Valentine’s Day cards to LGBT couples for several years, this is the first Valentine’s Day since the Supreme Court decision to legalize marriage last summer. They also received a Miami Merger cake kit for their rehearsal dinner from VALENTINES »PAGE 9
CONNOR MORIARTY PHOTO EDITOR
Presidential residence Lewis Place will have new inhabitants next fall when Gregory Crawford, the job’s only finalist, moves in with his family. She said the process was more reminiscent of a search for the CEO of a major corporation, not the president of a university. “And we’re not a corporation. We’re a public institution,” she said. Though Crawford will be visiting the Oxford and regional campuses next week
Trustees announce search to be secret September 2015
Search committee announced October 2015
to meet with students, faculty and others in the community, Frank LoMonte, president of the Student Press Law Center, says that the visit is little more than a formality. “Clearly, when you have a finalist of one, they’re telling you a decision has been made,” LaMonte said. “It’s a done deal.”
Feb. 11
Dutch student vlogs about Miami experience PEOPLE
MARY SCHROTT
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
With two large suitcases in hand, Noortje Wijckmans exited the CVG airport into a dark and cold January night. As she waited on the curb for a shuttle, she set down her luggage and reached for a very important carry-on item: her Sony Alpha A5000 camera. She opened the device and turned it inward to capture the shivering and excited reflection of herself and began talk-
ing to it about her journey. Wijckmans is an international student from the Netherlands who arrived in Ohio last month. She is spending her spring semester at Miami, and, in the meantime, vlogging about her experience in the United States. A vlog is like a video diary where people share their experiences, ideas and interests with the online world on platforms like YouTube. Wijckmans started vlogging around Christmas in 2015 in anticipation for her trip to the United States. As a
SEARCH »PAGE 9
Crawford announced as sole finalist
Position profile released online October 2015
There were three groups behind that decision: Miami’s Board of Trustees; the Presidential Search Committee; and executive search firm Isaacson, Miller. The search committee was comprised of nine individuals, including a student, three
fan of several YouTube vloggers herself, she was inspired to create her own page and thought it would be a good way to remember her semester. Each one of her videos features herself-a tall 21-year-old with rosy eyeshadow, long auburn hair, freckles and impeccably precise eyebrows. She speaks to the camera about her life in English with a light Dutch accent and shows her viewer everything she sees as light soundtrack plays in the VLOGGER »PAGE 5
CONNOR MORIARTY PHOTO EDITOR
An exchange student from the Netherlands, Noortje Wijckmans shares her day-to-day experiences at Miami with followers on YouTube via video posts called “vlogs.”
Open forums to be held for Crawford Feb. 15-17
Snapshots of seniors in their final semester PEOPLE
BONNIE MEIBERS
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
This is the first installment of a three part series. As graduation approaches and seniors’ college years come to an end, many look to the journey ahead and many reflect on the years at Miami that are now behind them. Senior Jackie Jeambey rises most mornings at 5:30. She pours herself some coffee and reads the news. She then makes her 25-minute commute. Jeambey is currently student teaching eighth graders at a local middle school. “They’re very squirrelly,” she said. Jeambey is also waiting to hear back from the Fulbright Student Program — a program of merit-based grants that sends students and other scholars to countries around the world to teach or conduct research. Jeambey found out in January that she was a semifinalist for the program. If all goes as planned, she will go to Bulgaria for nine SENIORS »PAGE 8
NEWS p. 2
NEWS p. 3
CULTURE p. 4
OPINION p. 6
SPORTS p. 10
AAUP FACULTY SURVEY RESULTS VOICE CONCERN
OXFORD MOVES FORWARD WITH NEW BIKE TRAIL
DEFINING COMEDY AND DRAMA IN ENTERTAINMENT
BOARD STRUGGLES WITH SECRET SEARCH
HOCKEY TEAM GOES ON THE ROAD
Faculty members speak out about experiences; administration reacts
The trail could open as soon as June, just in time for summer cycling events.
Writer reflects on the difference between the biggest distinction of awards season.
Editors reflect on yesterday’s announcement regarding the presidential finalist.
The RedHawks take on Bowling Green in a single game tonight.
2 NEWS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016
Dining hall
to good
NEWS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET
waste
use
to be put
CONNOR MORIARTY PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
To help curb the food waste produced by campus dining halls at Miami University, a new program from the Associated Student Government (ASG) is underway. The newly implemented bill, “Remaining Food Recovery Project,” was unanimously passed by ASG last semester and will serve as a guide for the new dining hall food waste program. Sophomore Morgan Nguyen, ASG academic senator, championed the new bill after learning of the food situation in dining halls. “A Harris Dining Hall student manager told me in casual conversation that, after each meal, she throws away enough food to feed about 20 people,” said Nguyen. “That statistic is what initially sparked my idea to implement a
Foundation, 14.7 percent of Miami students receive. Nguyen believes that students using the Pell Grant could also benefit from the leftover food in the dining halls — letting them dine on it for free rather than having it end up in the trash. Junior Pell Grant, recipient Sydney Hanzlik thinks the program could be greatly beneficial for students that E need it. HY P A R “It seems like a good idea,” OG OT H P said Hanzlik. “I would potentialCONN OR MORIARTY ly take advantage of it because it would theoretically cut down on Miami community. Nguy- my grocery bill.” en found her answer in the Claytor also found that many Pell Grant, a student aid pro- students who live off campus ask gram from the U.S. government underclassmen to “swipe” meals that, according to The Century for them, sometimes because they IT OR
HAILEY MALLENDICK
relocation program for remaining food.” Junior Ifeolu Claytor, who is ASG’s secretary for diversity affairs, was another proponent of the bill. “Employees prepare food almost until the time of closing. That was part of the impetus behind this bill,” said Claytor. “Much of the food that is being disposed of may not even be two hours old.” Given the amount of food that was being wasted, Claytor and Nguyen thought it best to find a way to use the leftovers, while also benefiting the
D
DINING
AAUP faculty voice concerns FACULTY
MEGAN ZAHNEIS
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Members of the Miami University advocacy chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) are circulating a faculty survey to gauge faculty morale and gather information about the issues faculty members are most concerned with on campus. The survey, which was opened in the fall and had received 200 responses by the end of January, drew feedback on a number of faculty issues, including health and welfare, a perceived lack of transparency and shared governance at the administrative level, salaries and the university’s overall mission. Miami’s AAUP Advocacy chapter secretary, Deborah Lyons, said the impetus for creating a survey stemmed from a need for the organization to better understand its members. “When we first started talking about forming an AAUP chapter, a lot of people were frustrated with the way things were going on campus, and we had actually worked out a list of things that were sources of stress and unhappiness,” Lyons said. “We wanted to see what a larger cross-section of the faculty thought about the way things were going.” As it turns out, faculty have a number of concerns about their workplace. “One thing that many, many people mentioned was that they felt that the university has lost a sense of its mission or has turned its attention towards things that are not essential to the mission of the university which is, of course, education,” Lyons said. “This is things like having lots of new fancy buildings, having a top-heavy administration, packaging education as a product or an experience rather than as a life-long activity or a collaborative effort between students and teachers.” Faculty are also concerned about their health benefits, which have eroded in recent years, and salaries, which Lyons said are, on average, lower than those at comparable institutions. Cathy Wagner, vice president
of the chapter, explained that slashing health benefits forces faculty to pay more out-of-pocket for the same coverage. “[It] means that the university is paying less and we’re paying more,” Wagner said. “It has effectively amounted to a pay cut.” In a way, health benefits may be more important to Miami faculty now than ever before. In the past 10 years, the percentage of instructors who are tenureline has decreased 18 percent, with contingent full-time (nontenure track) faculty numbers ballooning 180 percent. The trend of hiring more temporary faculty, Wagner and Lyons said, creates a bottleneck when it comes to administrative tasks that must be completed by tenured faculty. These duties, which include planning curriculum and other forms
Still, there is more to be done, according to both AAUP executives. “There are two parts to the issue,” Lyons said. “We need to know what’s going on, but we also need to have a seat at the table when decisions are made. Transparency is really important, but it’s really [only] half of the story.” Wagner agreed. “The optics are that [faculty] are participating in a decision, but really, the decisions have really already been made. That’s the perception. It’s demoralizing,” Wagner said. In an email, Callahan emphasized that her priorities are in line with the faculty’s, and she believes more can be done to improve communication with the faculty.
One thing that many, many people mentioned was that they felt that the university has lost a sense of its mission or has turned its attention towards things that are not essential to the mission of the university which is, of course, education. DEBORAH LYONS AAUP SECRETARY
of service to the university, are unable to be carried out by nontenured faculty, since they typically haven’t been employed long enough to have the necessary institutional knowledge. “There are just way, way, way fewer hands to do the work,” Wagner said. “The full-time faculty are a little bit worn out.” Another major concern of faculty was the issue of transparency on the part of university administration, and a perceived lack of shared governance, the principles the AAUP builds its foundation on. Wagner and Lyons both said that communication between faculty and administrators – particularly Provost Phyllis Callahan – has improved noticeably as of late. “Communication with faculty is a big priority for the provost,” Wagner said, adding that Callahan has taken to emailing faculty weekly updates. “I absolutely commend her for having this as a priority.”
“As a member of the faculty myself, I am acutely aware of the importance of ensuring that members of our distinguished faculty believe they are fully supported at Miami and that the leadership is listening,” Callahan wrote. “Since I became Provost last year, I have worked hard to improve our communication with faculty, and we will continue to partner with them, as they are critical to our university’s continued success.” Callahan first heard of the survey when a summary of voluntary faculty responses was presented at a Faculty Assembly meeting on Jan. 26. She plans to institute a more formal, university-sanctioned scientific survey that will allow administration a closer look at what changes might be made, followed by a more specific action plan. Regardless of what the next steps are, Lyons regards the survey as a success. “We wanted to get the issues out in the open and I think that we’ve done that.”
can not afford food off campus. His goal is to help students like these. “I wanted to do something for students who may need assistance with dining costs and may not have other avenues,” said Claytor. Senior Madalyn Wimmer supports a program that would help the feed lower-income Miamians. “It’s not something I personally feel the need to participate in, however, some of my friends have had harder times and could definitely use a program such as this,” said Wimmer. “I don’t think it’s anything to be ashamed of if you need it.” While the main focus of the bill was on helping the Miami community, eliminating the food waste in dining halls was a bonus. Harris Dining Hall is the pilot DINING »PAGE 5
St. Mary Church overflows with students for start of Lent RELIGION
SOPHIE WHORF
THE MIAMI STUDENT
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, when members of the Catholic Church mindfully prepare Easter. While Lent has historically called for a 40-day fast, today it is common for participants to relinquish a frequent, often material, habit or behavior in an effort to bring them closer to their faith (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops). This year, Ash Wednesday fell on Feb. 10. The 7:00 p.m. Mass at St. Mary Church in Oxford was overflowing as students, families and the other members of the local community filled the pews and lined the walls of the sanctuary to receive the emblematic cross of ashes on their forehead, acknowledging their humility and commitment to the reflective season ahead. “It’s not a day of obligation, yet I see more people on this day then I do on some days of obligation,” said Father Jeffrey Silver, St. Mary’s priest. “We [the Catholic Church] always kid that whenever you give away anything free, even if it’s dirt, they will come.” According to Silver, days of obligation include every Sunday and a series of holy days recognized in the Catholic religion. Junior Jack O’Brien believes that, despite the fact that Ash Wednesday is not a required day, its significance is especially meaningful for those preparing for the season of Lent. “I’ve always seen Lent as a time to take a step back from the busyness of life. It’s a good time to reflect on who you are and set a goal for yourself,” said O’Brien. “I think a good way to get in that mindset is to go to Mass [on Ash Wednesday] and get on the right track.” Silver agrees that Ash Wednesday acts as a sort of catharsis for many Catholics. “Lent has always had a kind of draw for people. It does encourage you to think that life is something to live reflectively,” said Silver. “I think people like the symbolism of the ashes and the somberness of beginning the season [of Lent].” Junior Sarah Custenboarder admits that while she doesn’t attend Mass every Sunday, Ash Wednesday holds a special significance for
her as well. “I probably attend St. Mary’s twice a semester, but at home I go [to Mass] every Sunday with my dad,” said Custenboarder. “I was planning to go [to Ash Wednesday Mass] but I have class. If I were home, I think I would go. I grew up going with my family, so it just feels right to me to go with my family.” As far as the question of what exactly to give up during Lent, Custenboarder believes that the focus is more about the principle of the tradition, rather than the renounced action itself. “Lent is about making sacrifices like Jesus did. It’s not so much about what you give up but more about understanding why you’re giving it up,” said Custenboarder. O’Brien agrees with Custenboarder’s sentiment. “It’s important to give something up that’s going to be difficult, but at the same time will make you better person. It’s supposed to be hard for you. It’s a chance for you to pray,” said O’Brien. Father Jeff says in addition to understanding the purpose behind the religious observance, Lent is also a chance for people to view life from a novel, humbling perspective. “As I’ve gotten older, I realize why we give things up [for Lent]. One reason is to encourage solidarity with those who do not have things,” said Silver. “Fasting shows solidarity with the hungry.” Father Jeff highlighted the issue of hunger in the local community, noting how several Oxford residents work full-time jobs, yet still live below the poverty line. He commented on how a portion of students at Talawanda High School are on a reduced lunch program, meaning that their families do not have the financial means to afford a regularly priced lunch. Silver says the spike in church attendance on Ash Wednesday presents a unique window of opportunity to bring much-needed awareness to these pressing, local issues of hunger and need. “If I have a purpose in preaching in Lent, it is to raise consciousness of the needs in the local community and the international community,” said Silver. “We may have different resources and blessings, but we are all equal in our creation.”
NEWS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET
NEWS 3
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016
Plans for new bike path get rolling Junior Mickey Myers takes RECREATION
ABIGAIL KELLY
THE MIAMI STUDENT
Plans for Oxford’s recreational bike trail are now underway. Community leaders and Oxford residents gathered Tuesday for the “Let’s Get Rolling” event at the Oxford Community Arts Center to hear about various initiatives to make Oxford more appealing for cyclists. The presentation discussed a comprehensive plan, including adding bike lanes on current roads and beginning construction on the first phase of the new trail. “Our committee felt like Oxford needs a recreational trail that is safe for young children to ride [their bikes] on with their families,” said Jessica Greene, director of the Oxford Visitors Bureau. Project manager Sam Perry said he is excited to be picking up a project the Oxford community has been anticipating since the 1990s. “Construction projects are expensive and this one is no exception,” Perry said. The bike trail project has gained traction since receiving more funding — half a million dollars were awarded by the Clean Ohio Grant and an additional $170 thousand were raised to match 25 percent of the total value of the project. Volunteers are now starting to prepare for construction. Under the conditions of the grant, the trail must be completed by June 30, unless the community asks for an extension. If Oxford can meet this deadline, the completion of the trail could align well with cycling events in Oxford including Race Across America, a cross-country bike race that has a checkpoint in Oxford, and the Great Ohio
Bike Adventure, a biking excursion that travels through southern Ohio. These events will be attracting thousands of visitors during the last weeks of June. The 10-foot wide paved trail will start on the north side of Oxford on Kelly Road, wind through the Black Covered Bridge and end at the cabin in Leonard Hallow Park. The plan is designed to connect some of Oxford’s historic landmarks and make them more easily accessible to patrons. “Oxford has always been a walkable and compact community,” said Oxford Planning Commission chair, David Pry-
therch during his presentation. The community is now ready to embrace potential bike traffic. Greene said that finally getting this plan for cycling into action is going to be a positive step forward for the community now and in the future. “When people look at communities in which they want to live, recreation is often on the top tier of considerations,” said Greene. “When the new rec trail is tied to a comprehensive streets plan, it is our hope that more people will commute via bike or walking. We hope to build a stronger community for our current and future residents.”
CONNOR MORIARTY THE MIAMI STUDENT
First-year Stephan Koclejda bikes on campus. A paved bike trail will soon open in Oxford in order to make the town more appealing to cyclists. PEOPLE
AUDREY DAVIS
THE MIAMI STUDENT
BETH PFOHL THE MIAMI STUDENT
First-year Stephan Koclejda bikes on campus. A paved bike trail will soon open in Oxford in order to make the town more appealing to cyclists.
Miami students experience the effects of a water crisis in Flint, Michigan ENVIRONMENT
MAGGIE CALLAGHAN SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Sophomore Allie Archambault had heard the stories of brown water coming out of faucets and seen the news coverage of sick children. But for her, it’s different. She is directly affected by the crisis in Flint, Michigan. The water crisis in Flint hits close to home for Archambault. Not only is she from Michigan, but her grandparents are from Flint and have many friends who still live there. Since Jan. 5, when Governor Rick Snyder declared a state of emergency in Michigan, Archambault’s grandparents and friends have grown worrisome of the condition and health for the people of Flint. “People are just so aggravated with all the different reports, and it’s like, we can’t get a straight answer as to how this happened,” said Archambault. In a move to cut costs, city officials in Flint made the decision in April 2014 to switch the water source from Lake Huron, which goes to the people in Detroit, to the Flint River. However, water from the river was not accurately purified and according to the Department for Environmental Quality in Michigan, the water was not being treated with an anti-corrosive agent, which allowed lead to seep into the water. Oxford city officials emphasize the fact that groundwater, suchs as the wells in Oxford or the river in Flint, must be carefully treated through a natural process, which can take up to five years, and a chemical process to ensure that the water is safe for the public.
alternative academic track
“The iron and manganese are removed during Oxford’s water treatment process which includes aeration, chemical oxidation and filtration,” said David Weihrauch, an Oxford city water official. “Chlorine and fluoride are also added to the water as it is pumped to the city’s water distribution system.” In the Oxford City Water Quality report of 2013, lead is specifically mentioned as a contamination problem which can be caused from pipe lines and home plumbing. However, that does not appear to be the issue in Flint. Due to budget cuts, the water was not properly treated with certain chemicals. Many residents of Flint have become frustrated as it was confirmed that city officials and the EPA knew about the contamination, yet did not warn citizens or actively try to solve the problem. It was not until January of 2016, almost two years after the first complaints were filed about the water quality, when city officials began to warn of the contamination and residence started to receive purified water. The government in Michigan, particularly Governor Synder and Flint’s emergency manager Darnell Early, have come under major scrutiny for their lack of leadership and response to the crisis. Many are calling for the governor to step down from office. Students from the area seem to agree, noting that city and state officials were too concerned about saving money, at the expense of the citizens they are meant to serve. “When Darnell Early and Governor Snyder denied the severity of the issue and claimed it would be ‘fixed’ it only became progressively worse,” said first-
year Grant Golke, “The government has full discretion over the water system and must be reprimanded accordingly for their injustice.” With a growing level of mistrust between citizens and government officials, the one thing citizens can count on are each other. A huge wave of donations have flooded the city and celebrities such as Beyoncé have donated their own money in order to buy purified water. But many of the heroes are those who live there, like Archambault’s grandparents, who have donated their time to providing clean water for their friends and neighbors. “I personally have been very impressed with the citizens’ support,” Archambault said. “There was a fundraiser, like the ice bucket challenge, by law firms that would donate 30 cases of water [then] challenge others to do the same within 24 hours.” The situation in Flint has started a national conversation about the water quality in towns and how water is being trates. But Oxford officials are confident that our water is safe. The city follows strict state and federal mandates which require officials to test the water multiple times a day and then conduct larger tests throughout the year. Weihrauch suggests the lead contamination that occurred in Flint is extremely rare, especially to that extent. The growing conversation over water quality has made students more aware of the purity of the water they use every day. “Here in Oxford, it has made me more attentive to the water quality reports and lead levels in water and around campus,” said Golke.
There is nothing traditional about the path junior Mickey Myers has chosen to take at Miami University. Mickey is part of the Western Program, which allows students to design their own majors. She began college as a social justice major, but in her early classes she realized her interests were not being covered. “At the time, I was specifically interested in this idea of food security and this natural connection that humans have with the environment,” Mickey said. “I wanted to have a little bit more freedom.” The major she designed is an intersection of environmental and social justice that specifically deals with food security and sustainability as well as the idea of wilderness therapy and ecopsychology. “What I really like about Western is this idea of student directed inquiry,” Mickey said. “Rather than having someone from the outside or a superior authority figure tell us what we need to do in order to educate ourselves, we are taking control of our own education.” Mickey’s younger sister Phoebe is a first-year at Miami who is also a part of the Western Program. “[Mickey] has inspired me to think outside the box and has made me realize that you sometimes don’t even know opportunities are out there until you ask for them,” Phoebe said. Right after college, Mickey would like to get involved in wilderness therapy, which would allow her to go to places where children are in vulnerable positions, specifically in urban environments, and bring those kids into the wilderness. Mickey would take the kids on adventures involving hiking, rock-climbing, yoga and meditation. Wilderness therapy is the idea of returning to your roots. Mickey said living in urban settings is incredibly detrimental to the developmental health and psychology of children, so kids who are not exposed to nature find it difficult to understand their connections with it. Wilderness therapy is about bringing people into the wilderness and away from human society, where they can live off of what they find in nature, at least in part, and sustain themselves through their own explorations and open up to the environment in a spiritual and psychological way. “Another direction I’ve been thinking about is sustainable agriculture and urban permaculture or even rural permaculture,” said Mickey. That would involve creating sustainable ecological systems that provide food with a business component where she would be selling food as well as making food available at the community level. This would allow people who don’t usually have access to fresh organic food to not only be exposed to it but to also be taught that food is actually something that grows from the ground. Through the Western Program, Mickey has a lot of flexibility in the classes she can take, including a year of independent study in Hawaii for academic credit. Kevin Armitage, an associate
professor in the Western Program, was Mickey’s advisor for the trip. “Mickey is the kind of person who is prioritizing very rich experiences for her life and, rather than dreaming about that, she’s really making it happen,” said Armitage. “That’s a great thing. That’s what everyone should do.” Armitage said the first part of Mickey’s educational experience in Hawaii was simply to live in an intentional, environmentally stable community. Every week she would write an essay for Armitage about a wide variety of topics including how to make housing out of indigenous materials or how the community she was living in handled things like recycling. “The great thing about her was that I didn’t have to nag her,” Armitage said. “She just did it.” Mickey also created her own website about indigenous issues and sustainability in Hawaii. “I remember her working out her independent study in Hawaii, and I thought that was the coolest thing ever — that she could just live in a commune in Hawaii for an entire school year and write some papers and read a book and still get an entire year’s worth of credit hours from the experience,” said Phoebe. Mickey is also heavily involved in a volunteer organization called WorldWide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). WWOOF is a free work exchange in which people volunteer their time on an organic farm in exchange for room and board. The program is a great way to get involved in the agricultural field, and WWOOF does not require their volunteers to have any background knowledge about organic farming. The local farmers introduce volunteers to the field and show them what they need to do. Mickey started her experience with WWOOF in Thailand several years ago. “I found this beautiful alternative rehabilitation center and organic permaculture farm and was really interested in getting involved in organic agriculture and yoga, and I knew they had both of those things, so I went, and I don’t think before that I really knew exactly what the benefits of those things were,” said Mickey. “I just had this big idea of how nice it would be to work on the farm and do yoga every day.” After her experience in Thailand, Mickey continued “WWOOFing” in Spain and Guatemala. “She’s always been really out there which is inspiring for me because sometimes I have inhibitions,” said Phoebe. “I’m like, ‘Oh, what will people think of me?’ or ‘I don’t speak Hindi, so I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to live in India,’ but those things do not hinder her in any way. She’ll just be what she wants.” Phoebe sees Mickey following her dreams and continuing to be immersed in nature. “I could definitely see her teaching yoga in the mountains and also being a white-water rafting guide or just doing multiple jobs at once,” said Phoebe. “I don’t think she’ll ever be in the same career for 50 years, but I could definitely see her continuing the interests she already has and continuing to travel even more.”
4 CULTURE
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016
PERELMBK@MIAMIOH.EDU
Changing our perceptions of comedy and drama FILM
DEVON SHUMAN
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
One of the biggest stories to come out of awards season so far is the controversial crowning of director Ridley Scott’s “The Martian” as Best Comedy at the Golden Globes. Best Comedy? You mean that one where Matt Damon gets stranded on Mars and has to fight to survive, all while dealing with crushing loneliness and his impending mortality? The public response was not so much one of outrage, as one of confusion. How could the film, which dealt with such dark thematic material, be considered a comedy, let alone the best of the year? My initial response to this was that the sci-fi film’s victory could simply be the result of the Golden Globes’ dualistic mode of categorization. If you’re going to divide films and TV shows into strict “Comedy” and “Drama”
categories, then anything with a few jokes has the chance to be relegated as the former. Maybe “The Martian” isn’t laugh-outloud funny, but if I’m looking to brighten the mood I’d certainly choose it over “The Revenant.” As I thought more about it, however, I wondered if there might not be a deeper reason behind this. What if the problem wasn’t with the Golden Globes, but with us, the public? Sure, “The Martian” wasn’t filled end to end with one-liners and pratfalls, but I would argue that it is, at its heart, a comedy. Matt Damon’s character, Mark Watney, manages to make us laugh a lot, whether it’s declaring himself a space pirate, telling his commander he’s sick and tired of her disco music or exclaiming, “in your face, Neil Armstrong,” after growing crops on Mars. This isn’t just comic relief. In the movie, as in the book it was based on, one of the main focuses was that, in addition to his scientific expertise, what helped Wat-
ney survive was his lighthearted sense of humor in the face of overwhelming tragedy. What makes “The Martian’s” victory so perplexing isn’t the format of the Golden Globes, but rather the public’s perception of what makes a comedy a comedy.
The measure of how good a comedy is shouldn’t be the level of its hilarity, but rather the way in which it utilizes humor. I might laugh myself silly watching “We’re the Millers,” for the umpteenth time, but it doesn’t mean it’s going to be winning awards
Maybe “The Martian” isn’t laugh-out-loud hysterical, but if I’m looking to brighten the mood I’d certainly choose it over “The Revenant.”
Maybe it’s due to the seemingly strict distinction between comedy and drama, or maybe it’s because we’ve been bombarded with Adam Sandler-esque laugh fests that aim only to stuff as many jokes into 90 minutes as possible. Either way, we’ve begun to believe that comedies are strictly humorous and dramas are strictly dark and emotional. This is not the case.
anytime soon. Whereas movies that we might traditionally think of as “comedies” use it only to amuse, “The Martian” used humor to inspire. One realm in which this distinction is slightly clearer is television. Some of the greatest comedies on the air right now are filled with complex emotional material. “You’re the Worst” on FXX deftly balances clever writing and wit with a harrowing examina-
tion of clinical depression. Louis C.K.’s “Louie” has an overall depressing feel to it, but always manages to provide glimmers of beauty and hope. “Fargo,” both the film and the magnificent television adaptation, is bleak and dark in nature, but quietly hilarious. Even animated comedies, often stigmatized as simply silly cartoons meant for children, have jumped on board. Netflix’s “BoJack Horseman” and Adult Swim’s “Rick and Morty” each offer some of the most intelligent and satirical humor and dialogue in television all while dealing with depressive alcoholic protagonists. All of these shows exist, not in the dualistic world of comedies and dramas that we imagine, but somewhere on the spectrum between the two. Too often I’ll hear people say, “BoJack’s okay, but I can’t watch it. It’s just too sad.” It’s supposed to be, though. DROMEDY »PAGE 5
Humans oƒ Oxford
Thomas Romano — Four years of bagels
Frederick Reeder — Reeder, writer, rambler
PEOPLE
ALISON PERELMAN SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Steam rises into the air accompanied by the familiar loud whirring of the machine. Thomas Romano maneuvers his way around the counter full of steamers, knives and miscellaneous pieces of meat and veggies. He greets each customer with a firm, but kind, “do you know what you want?” Or “have you ordered yet?” for when it’s busier. After all, there is no line. Thomas wears shorts, despite the snow and cold wind outside, a backwards blue-and-greencheckered “Life is Good” ball cap and a burn on his forearm from one of the steamers. This job is much different than the one he had throughout high school as a country club waiter. But Thomas, a fifth-year senior, has worked at Bagel & Deli for four years and knows his way around. Thomas has a Spotify playlist of 200 songs that’s just for when he’s at Bagel & Deli. It’s an odd mix of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blink 182, Michael Jackson and other blasts from the past. But the quirky mix of music simply adds to the charm — one of the reasons Thomas decided to work there. “I just loved being in here,” Thomas said. “I loved the vibe.” It might have also been because he spent around $300 at Bagel & Deli during his freshman year. Good thing he can eat for free while he’s working. And while his favorite bagel, hands down, is the Kool Jules, Thomas has tried several of his own creations. Some never should have been made, but two were good enough to make it
COLIN SHIMROCK THE MIAMI STUDENT
PEOPLE
KEVIN VESTAL
THE MIAMI STUDENT
COLIN SHIMROCK THE MIAMI STUDENT
on the menu. Thomas also makes things while at home with his best friend, Stella — a black labradoodle. His favorite things to cook are Italian — pasta, eggplant parmesan, risotto — and salmon. For the next few years, Thomas plans to work in Chicago, hopefully open his own business and grow from there. “When I retire I want to retire and open up a restaurant and do
that until I die,” said Thomas. Maybe one day he’ll even open his own Bagel & Deli. After all, it’s the perfect place for him. He comes from a large family, so he’s used to the noise. He loves being friendly and having conversations with the people across the counter. “Working here has probably been the best thing I’ve done at Miami,” Thomas said.
Frederick Reeder is a self-professed rambler, especially when it comes to education. “I always thought the way to solve the money issue in schools is that teachers should wear logos when they teach,” he says. “So imagine a fifth grade teacher having Coca-Cola and ivory soap and all these different logos like a NASCAR driver all over their outfits. Companies would sponsor these ads, so the teachers would make a lot more money. The school district wouldn’t have to pay them as much and you’d free up all this money for art classes and music classes and all those things that are important.” Fred’s father, a superintendent, would swoop into struggling school districts to turn things around. His successful policies came at a price, as rural school board members repeatedly voted him out for upsetting the apple cart. Young Fred didn’t quite under-
stand why his family had to move each time, but he hated losing contact with his friends after each move. Now a father himself, Fred wants his own kids, Charlie and Annie, to stay planted. Fred eventually found a career in education himself. He taught high school English to both AP scholars and students who “could not write a coherent paragraph.” His work in the classroom would later be featured in TIME Magazine. Inspired by the tragic Columbine shooting, Reeder asked his students to report on high school life, everything from cliques to campus security. “I’ve been lucky to have a lot of talented, passionate students in my life,” he says. A former writer for the Cincinnati Enquirer, Fred now runs On Campus Sports. His startup company hopes to get college students covering college sports, empowering budding sports journalists as internship opportunities dwindle. During the week, Fred continues teaching journalism at Miami University, his alma matter.
Stage Left student directors deliberate over spring musical cast THEATRE
MEGAN BOWERS
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Room 114 in the Center for the Performing Arts is normally just a classroom, but earlier this week it served a different purpose — the location for auditions for Stage Left’s upcoming musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone.” You walk into a room arranged to fit the look of a typical audition space with all the directors at a long table facing you. The setup can be intimidating for most people walking into an audition, but this is not the case for you. The atmosphere of the Stage Left auditions seems friendly, not competitive.
“I think having experience both onstage and offstage helps me to understand both sides of it,” said director Elizabeth Kehling. “I just try to make the kids auditioning feel relaxed and welcome.” The directors’ table holds all the essentials of an audition including notebooks, pens and water for each hopeful actor. Scripts for cold readings are strewn randomly around the table, some covered with a halfeaten box of pizza. You are greeted by a chorus of hellos and given a quick introduction when you walk in the room. The Stage Left president’s small service dog laying under the table puts you at ease immediately. While the accompanist looks over your sheet music, you are
asked to do a cold reading. The paper shakes in your hand as your eyes flash back and forth, reading the lines and creating a personality all at once. Though this portion seems like the least complicated of the audition, since there is no memorization involved, it actually holds the most weight. “I want to see character,” said assistant director, Jamie Ross. “If you think you are not acting hard enough, then you probably aren’t.” You read for several different characters with varying personalities and accents before moving on to sing the piece you have prepared. Everyone gives you time to work out the tempo and other kinks with the accompanist.
“The first thing I look for is that they stayed in the key,” said music director Andrew Higgins. “I work a lot with the accompanist so I can also see rhythmically and musically how well they are working together.” Once this is over you are free to go and told you may receive an email about callbacks later that night. Back in the room, the directors deliberate. “We mainly talk about what their strong points were,” said Kehling. “We would say their inflection was really good or their voice was tremendously amazing and then we base who gets a callback off of that.” Everyone who is going to be in
the show must receive a callback, regardless of whether or not the directors have already mentally cast you in a role. “We are looking for overall character chemistry with the other people they will be working with,” said Kehling. This show especially involves a lot a dancing, which also factors into the callback decisions. “I’m going to be teaching them a basic dance covering basic steps and musical theater moves,” said choreographer Emily Kapnick. “I choreographed it in a way that allows people to make it harder for themselves if they are more advanced, but is still easy for flat out AUDITIONS »PAGE 9
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FROM DINING »PAGE 2
program for the Food Recovery Project. “At the moment, we are in communication with dining services administrators finishing the logistics,” said Claytor. “If the program does well, it may be expanded to other dining halls, but that is not in the works yet.” Once the program is fully implemented, the next step will be for ASG to find a way to deliver the leftover food of Harris dining hall to Miamians. “The operation will be staffed by volunteers; we envision Greek chapters and club organizations volunteering their time FROM VLOGGER »PAGE 1
back. “When I get back [to the Netherlands], I can get every experience again and again by watching my vlogs,” Wijckmans said. “Pictures are nice, but [videos are] just different.” Though her channel is new, Wijckmans already has over 300 views on some of her videos and is gaining subscribers. Her goal is to vlog everyday and currently has 18 vlogs posted. “I always think it’s funny when someone subscribes that I don’t know,” Wijckmans said. “It would be cool if people watched, but I don’t really go for that.” Wijckmans’ vlogs show life at Miami from the point of view of an international student. They cover many American- and Miami-specific experiences, from her first American college sports event, trip to Wal Mart, Skyline meal, thoughts on classes and even watching her first Super Bowl. Though she doesn’t describe herself as a particularly outgoing person, Wijckmans believes her vlogs are helping her open up while also allowing her to capture new experiences. “I wanted to do the vlogs to break through that habit of always being timid,” Wijckmans said. “When I’m talking to the camera, the camera is me, so it’s easier to express myself.” She also says looking back on her vlogs helps her to see her own personal growth because coming to the United States alone was scary for her. “I can watch back and see ‘Oh, I was doing much worse the first few days, and now I’m fine,’” Wijckmans said. “It will all be fine, that’s kind of the thing I get out of it.” When planning her semester, Wijckmans knew she wanted the quintessential American college experience. For her, that meant a college town, a quaint campus, sports and school spirit. “[Miami] is kind of perfect, actually,” Wijckmans said. “Miami was one of the only places that had that real American experience.” Wijckmans discovered Miami through the non-profit International Student Exchange Program (ISEP), which partners with Miami and her home university, Radboud, located in the city of Nijmegen. Although she has been to New York City once before on holiday with her family, Wijckmans says she has always liked American culture. “You have everything at your
5
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016
to serve the Miami community,” said Nguyen. Much of ASG’s planning for this program has come from schools, like the University of California, that solved a similar problem by donating their leftover dining hall foods to the community. Claytor encourages students in the community to reach out if they would like to receive food from the program. “It is open to the Miami community, so anyone with a Miami ID may benefit from this program,” said Claytor. “We wanted to offer assistance, but also ensure that there be no stigma attached for anyone who may need it.”
disposal,” Wijckmans said. “It’s just like the movies.” While many of her expectation of American and college life have been met, one aspect that surprises her is the drinking culture at Miami. “People go out on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and start drinking at 1 p.m. I’m like, ‘What the hell?’” Wijckmans said. “Drinking before dinner is kind of weird.” In the Netherlands, Wijckmans explains, college-aged people go out once a week and once a weekend. Part of the problem, she suspects, is that Americans have to wait longer to legally drink. “When you become 21, you’ll go crazy, and in the Netherlands, you start at 18 and it’s not this new thing you have to discover.” In addition to the drinking culture, the classes at Miami are structurally different from her home university. “The first week I was overwhelmed,” Wijckmans said. “They call it ‘syllabus week’ and they tell you everything you are going to do in a semester.” Wijckmans’ life in the Netherlands has her going to class twice a week and home on the weekends where her family has a pet cat and pigs. She also doesn’t have much homework besides final exams or papers. “Here, you have to discuss in class and there are more assignments,” she said. “Now I’m getting more in the flow and I can think ahead for getting my work done.” As for interacting with American students on campus or in class, Wijckmans says it can be difficult to meet people. “It’s different for the international students because we are all in the same boat and Americans are not in that boat,” Wijckmans said. “Americans already have their friends.” While her experience is different from most Miami students, Wijckmans is still thrilled to be in Oxford and her vlogs help keep her going. She hopes the vlogging will force her to become less of an introvert and be able to talk to people more naturally. Though her goals are to grow personally and to learn more about American culture, she says there are many things she still wants to experience here. “I need to make some mac ‘n’ cheese, still,” Wijckmans said. “Oh, and I have never had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!” To watch Wijckmans’ vlogs visit her YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/xnooor.
FROM DROMEDY »PAGE 4
We see comedy and expect all smiles and laughs, but that’s not what life is really like. It’s hard and sad. Shows like “BoJack” aren’t depressing simply for the sake of depression. Instead, through their interweaving of humor and gloom, they show us how to cope with the realities of life. I’m not saying there’s no
place for strict comedies. Obviously kicking back and watching “Anchorman” or “Happy Gilmore” can be a hysterical experience. But we need to learn to appreciate what makes certain comedies great. If nothing else, what “The Martian’s” unlikely victory reveals is that comedies don’t just entertain; they teach us how to love and cope in an increasingly messed up world.
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6 OPINION
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016
EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET
With presidential decision, the problem isn’t the person, the problem is the process EDITORIAL
Yesterday morning, David Budig, chair of Miami University’s Board of Trustees, declared Gregory Crawford, the Vice President and Associate Provost at the University of Notre Dame, as the “finalist” in the more than six-month search for the university’s 22nd president. “On behalf of the Trustees, we wish to thank the faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members from all of Miami’s campuses who contributed to this important process,” Budig wrote in an email to the university community this morning. The editorial board is struggling to figure out how Mr. Budig can preach transparency and shared governance when the entire search process was done behind closed doors by an authoritarian and
The following piece, written by the editorial editors, reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board. unaccountable search committee — led by none other than Budig, himself. With the chair of the board of trustees at the helm of the search committee, we’re forced to ask
called for transparency, held meetings and even set a petition calling for an open search, signed by 143 faculty members, at Budig’s feet — all to no avail. Students had even less of a say.
Instead of hitting the ground running, Crawford’s first task as president is going to be earning the trust of the faculty who have to work under him.
whose decision this was? Who truly had the biggest say? The community certainly had very little, if any. The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has
16,000 of us — the largest constituent population within the university — and we had one representative, albeit a highly capable one. The Miami Student was given the run around over and over again
Panel challenges traditional gender roles GENDER
MADDIE’S MATTERS MADDIE LAPLANTE-DUBE COLUMNIST
The phrase “be a man” has gotten a lot more complicated over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries, and people – most notably, men – are finally talking about its implications. I am so proud of the Miami Masculinities Committee (MMC) for hosting their first Men of Miami panel to discuss masculinity on Tuesday, Feb. 9. When I finished reading Alison Perelman’s coverage of the event on The Miami Student’s
most commonly as Roosh V recently made headlines by organizing neo-masculinist meetings in 43 countries. Roosh V has argued famously on his blog “Return of Kings” that “we make the violent taking of a woman not punishable by law when done off public grounds.” The backlash from women’s rights groups (including a totally-awesome all-female boxing club) prompted him to cancel the talks, disappointing misogynists everywhere. Having panels like the one the MMC hosted this week are vital, not only in that they provide the kind of knowledge that Miami students really need — especially those in Greek life who are so bombarded by ideas of who they need to be in order to fit into a particular, gendered group —
Reinventing the way we see women coincides with reinventing the way we see men.
website, I happened to scroll to the comment section. There was one comment. Written by a man, it quoted the article, reading “‘Ultimately, I would like masculinity to be a positive and productive part of our environment.’ — Least Masculine Guy Ever.” There was one unanswered reply: “How?” How, indeed. There has been a lot of talk about male fragility in the past year, and with women’s movements getting stronger as the 21st century rolls on, a critical eye has turned to the sociallyconstructed concept of masculinity and the effect it is having on men and the way they view themselves. The MMC’s panel was held at an especially important time, as antifeminist blogger known
but also, on a larger scale, in that they can help us reshape masculinity as a whole. Guys, gender is a social construct. In November of 2015, New Scientist published an article explaining that scientists have discovered that, structurally speaking, there is no such thing as a “male” or “female” brain. Rather, the vast majority of individuals’ brains are a mix of what were previously thought to be exclusively “male” and “female” characteristics. This gives yet more legitimacy to the idea that gender, rather than being binary, lies on a vast spectrum. Thought women were complicated? Well, men are, too. We just traditionally haven’t allowed them to be. “It feels as if, as the traditional ideals of the 20th-century man
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— strong, stoic, repressed — begin to fade away, nothing has stepped in to replace them,” says Max Olesker in The Guardian. “In today’s pop-culture landscape, there’s no single archetypal ideal that we’re supposed to emulate.” This means there is an opportunity for a do-over. Gone are the days when men were required to be the breadwinners and ride blue bikes instead of pink ones. The toxicity of masculinity can be seen everywhere: according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, men die by suicide 3.5 times more often than women. According to research done by filmmaker Jennifer Seibel Newsom, American boys are more likely to fail out, binge-drink and be diagnosed with behavioural disorders. Because they are not allowed to fully express their emotions socially, boys become, as Newsom puts it, “corpses of human beings.” This is such an important concept to keep in mind. Our unique emotional depth is what has helped human beings understand, connect, and communicate properly. Men and boys have traditionally been left out of conversations that might encourage them to speak up in personal ways, and that can be really damaging. Yes, men around the world still hold more positions of power than women. But creating an equal society and shifting power structures must come from efforts on both sides. Reinventing the way we see women coincides with reinventing the way we see men. I applaud the MMC, the Women’s Center, and Masculinities at Miami Student Organization for putting on this panel. Please, please, please keep the conversation going.
LAPLANMM@MIAMIOH.EDU
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in its attempt to shed light on the search. Its public records requests were rebuffed at every turn. Which leads us to question how transparent the university really was. This process has the threat of being harmful to the very person it was searching for. How do you win over and create a relationship with your students and faculty members when the way you were hired has left a rotten taste in their mouths? It’s hard to be supportive and optimistic when everyone is coming in with a chip on their shoulder. In other words, the problem isn’t the person. The problem is the process. It’s true, Crawford could be just the thing that Miami University needs. His background in the sciences is reassuring — he could
have come from a Fortune 500 company. And he’s been described by his peers as high energy, thoughtful, innovative, creative and cognizant to undergraduate growth. But none of that changes the fact that he is starting off lower than he would have if this had been an open search. The sketchiness of the entire process automatically leads us to distrust the administration’s decision. So many faculty members are disillusioned with the university right now. Instead of hitting the ground running, Crawford’s first task as president is going to be earning the trust of the faculty who have to work under him. We knew this would happen, but that doesn’t make it any less infuriating.
Rushing through syllabus week: The case against ‘play’ term LIFE
GRETA HALLBERG COLUMNIST
At the risk of sounding like I’m bragging, I’m a fairly highachieving student. With two majors and a minor, I have a rigorous course load, even in my last semester of college. I maintain a solid GPA, despite the foil of the economics department. I’m pursuing a career as a journalist in Washington, D.C., but I haven’t landed my dream gig yet. Besides a weekly column in the Miami Student, I am the editor-in-chief of Up Magazine. I just completed my stint as treasurer of my sorority. It is safe to say that with classes, extra-curriculars, the job search and pretending that I still have a social life, I’m stretched pretty thin. That’s not very unique. Many Miami students are as involved, if not more, than I am and follow the same “work hard, play hard” ethic. We, the over-involved, are organized and diligent individuals. We relish in the satisfaction of making deadlines and acing quizzes. Yet, only three weeks into the semester, I’ve already missed an assignment, fallen behind on the readings, overslept for a class and cried more than I am willing to admit. The culprit of all this disorganized behavior? Winter term. I took two online classes in January. One was a journalism requirement I had to fill, a class I took to make room for interesting electives. I also took an online chemistry course to complete my Miami Plan. I was completely disinterested. Not to mention I was distracted by the million other things I’d have rather been doing, like getting lunch with high school friends, playing with my dogs, washing the dishes or literally anything else. I checked off boxes on my transcript, but my parents paid a lot of money for a lame class that didn’t teach me much. I was anxious to get back to Oxford and return to a normal schedule and brick and mortar classrooms. Upon returning to campus, I failed to schedule a meeting with the executive team for Up Magazine. No surprise, our staff is mostly comprised of smart, stylish and creative women, many of whom are in Greek life. In preparation for recruitment during the first two weekends of the semester, many sororities had meetings early in the week to practice songs and get ready for the eager new freshman to come through rush. As a student leader, it is already difficult to coordinate meetings without the added time-suck of sorority recruitment. With rush happening the first two weeks of school, scheduling a meeting was downright impossible. Up is an incredibly collaborative process. A photo shoot only happens with a photographer, styl-
ist and models, in addition to the writers who put the story to paper. Nothing happens without people working together, and that usually involves being in the same place. The production of the magazine was put on hold for six weeks while most students celebrated their extended break by bingewatching Netflix. It was delayed even longer when rush took up the time of the majority of our staff. Miami students tend to believe that syllabus week is just an extended weekend, but I actually had a lot of work to do. I needed a productive Sunday at King Library, but I was not afforded that luxury because I was required to be at recruitment all day until we finished voting at 2:00 a.m. on Monday morning. I’ve heard of a time before I came to Miami when recruitment took place before the start of the
The culprit of all this disorganized behavior? Winter term.
semester. Both the older girls and potential new members came back a week early for rush. That means the long days of talking to girls and the late nights of voting happened without the stress of school. We need to go back to this schedule. Winter term does more harm than good. The online class opportunities actually impede growth and learning, rather than stimulate a curious and academic mind. The extended break slows the productivity of student organizations, especially those like Up Magazine and other media groups that need to meet in person. With extracurriculars and transitioning into a new class schedule, sorority recruitment is too much to take on in those first two weeks back. I have not heard of a single Greek woman who actually likes this rush schedule or thinks it creates strong academic habits to carry you through the semester. I understand the financial incentives of winter term. It brings in revenue for the school when more students elect to take classes or travel abroad. However, Miami University is an academic institution. Our administration should be motivated by the intellectual development of the student body, not how much money it can suck out of it. The focus of a university should be its students, and for us, the costs of winter term far outweigh the benefits.
HALLBEGM@MIAMIOH.EDU
EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET
OPINION 7
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016
Unjust, inaccurate and expensive: The case against the death penalty POLITICS
JAMIE PITERA
THE MIAMI STUDENT
Many people believe that only guilty criminals get the death sentence. However, this is not true at all. According to Michael McLaughlin’s Huffington Post article “Shocking Number of Innocent People Sentenced To Death, Study Finds,” more than four percent of death row inmates are actually innocent. This points to a huge flaw in our court systems. On top of this, most death row inmates are convicted without any incriminating DNA evidence. If the United States courts put innocent people on death row with no DNA evidence, then why do we bother with “innocent until proven guilty?” From 1989 to 2012, The United States court system wrongly convicted over 2,000 death row inmates. What most supporters of the death penalty do not realize is that every execution costs approximately two to three million dollars to be processed and carried out. If you multiply two million dollars by the 2,000 inmates wrongly convicted and
sentenced to death row, you would find an extra four billion dollars that our country has wasted by murdering our own innocent people over the course of only 23 years. This is money our country cannot afford to waste. Recent studies have shown that most of the people on death row are male, black, poor and younger than the average citizen. For example, from 1976 to 2012, 20 white men
more important than black lives and that white deaths are taken more seriously. If the government is persuaded by racism, how can we expect racism to end in our everyday society? For example, let’s take a look at the case of Mahmood Mattan, a black man convicted for the murder of Lily Volpert, a local storeowner. One day, Lily was sitting outside the back door of her shop when she
Three hours later, Mattan was arrested. Although there were no eyewitnesses, the prosecution accused Mattan of lying, their logic being that the only reason he would have to lie would be to cover “murderous activities.” Of the 41 witnesses who testified against Mr. Mattan, only two of them had evidence. He was found guilty and sentenced to death. Forty-six years after his execution, evidence
If the United States courts put innocent people on death row with no DNA evidence, then why do we bother with ‘innocent until proven guilty?’
were sentenced to death for the murder of African Americans. If you compare that to the 253 African Americans sentenced to death for the murder of white victims, you will notice that black Americans are judged and punished much more severely than white criminals for similar crimes. These racial differences imply that white lives are
noticed a “colored man” looking around inside. She went inside to help him and he continued on his way. Later in the day, an older woman entered the store and reported a “colored man” lingering outside of the shop. When the next customer entered Lily’s shop, Lily was lying on the floor with her throat cut and over $100 stolen out of her drawer.
was found that Mahmood Mattan was innocent and the court sent their apologies to his family. Mattan was executed due to the stereotype associated with the color of his skin. Now let’s take a look at how the execution of innocent people affects both the victims and the executed victim’s families. Although the death penalty is meant to punish the crimi-
nal and give justice to the victim, the family members of both the criminal and the victim are often punished as well. For example, family members of the victim report that instead of giving them closure, the long appeals process of the death penalty prolongs their suffering. Both the family of the executed and the family of the victim often experience symptoms such as depression, grief, post-traumatic stress disorder and even suicide. Children of the innocently executed may have difficulty with healthy relationships, social situations and truancy. The execution of the innocent is a major problem in the United States today. However, this is a problem that has a solution. I strongly believe that we should abolish the death penalty. Instead of execution, murderous prisoners should receive a sentence without a deadline. Not only does wrongful execution cause the United States to spend millions of dollars, but it also divides us among ourselves, separating us into whites and blacks. We need to stand together to make a change. PITERAJ@MIAMIOH.EDU.COM
Catcalling shows lack of respect among students ADVOCACY
ELLEN STENSTROM THE MIAMI STUDENT
I’ve always hated heated political and social rights debates. It’s not because I don’t care about the issues, but because I feel the confrontational “I’m right and you’re wrong” tone is counterproductive and often causes more frustration and anger than it solves. So I avoid these discussions like the plague. This past weekend, though, I couldn’t help but wonder if the discussion of catcalling and its implications is one
‘Love and Honor’ means we love and honor each and every person, all the time, no matter what.
we should be having here at Miami. Sunday was sunny and warm and the Frisbee crew of MET quad (Morris, Emerson, Tappan) had emerged from hibernation. They weren’t the only ones. Around 4 p.m., some 1,000 first and second year women streamed out of Armstrong and toward Millett, where they would soon receive bids from their new sororities. As we turned onto Tallawanda, we were greeted by four or five fraternities stationed in their front lawns. Complete with booming music, beers and rows of lawn chairs, they stared, cheered, whistled and catcalled as we hurried past. The thing is, this wasn’t the first time my friends and I had experienced this kind of unsolicited behavior at Miami. I’ve been honked and whistled at while dressed in a (quite modest) skirt and heels on my way to auditions and interviews, and I’ve heard similar stories from my friends. Maybe I sound like a naïve little first-year who hasn’t adjusted to college life. Maybe you’re reading this and thinking this is normal behavior for college students and the rest of us need to toughen up, deal with it and stop taking things so seriously. But the thing is, new students shouldn’t have to just “get used to it.” Just like no one should get used to being teased, namecalled, beaten or discriminated
against, no one should grow accustomed to being sexually targeted and objectified. I don’t want to get into facts, statistics and politics of the objectification of women and gender double-standards. While this is a conversation that needs to be had, this isn’t my point right now. My point is about respect. It’s that simple. When 16,000 people are living and learning together, there are bound to be differences and disagreements and variations in opinion, and those things are good because they make Miami diverse. The problem is when people with so much in common (mostly age 18 to 22, going to school at Miami, living in Oxford, etc.) can’t show a level of mutual respect. Really, the big issue is when human beings in general can’t show respect. For the most part, my experience at Miami has been very positive and I very rarely have encountered rude and unpleasant people. But rarely is not never. And while I hate to be cheesy, “Love And Honor” is the foundation of life and community at Miami. To me, the phrase “Love and Honor” does not mean that we love and honor our friends; it does not mean that we love and honor ourselves first. “Love and Honor” means that we love and honor each and every person, all the time, no matter what. Not because we have to, or to impress anyone or to get a recommendation, but because it’s the right thing to do. The catcalling and jeering I experienced this weekend was not a direct assault on me. It was not violent or damaging. But not everyone here is that fortunate. I shudder every time I open another email reporting a sexual assault on campus, and I think about how that could be me while walking home from dance at 10 o’clock. Again, this is another issue for another discussion. But for now, my wish is that people would think twice about their actions and words and the impact they may have.
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Communities benefit from Narcan availability DRUGS
CARLEIGH TURNER WEB DESIGNER
During my freshman year of college, I hopped on Instagram and my life was changed forever. “Rest in paradise, Sam. I can’t explain how much I miss you already. You’re my best friend, forever. You don’t deserve this. Just know that no one will ever be able to replace you and I will always, always love you baby girl. I hope you find the happiness you deserve up there. See you soon.” This is how I found out Sam Knurek, a girl on my high school gymnastics team, had died. Heroin had taken a beautiful girl, who had just started her senior year of high school. Fortunately, since her death, there have been many lives saved due to the opioid antidote — naloxone or Narcan. And now, Narcan will be available without a prescription in 35 states and Washington D.C in Walgreens pharmacies this year, according to a Walgreens Press release. The medication became available without a prescription in Walgreens stores throughout New York last week, and will be introduced in Indiana and Ohio later this month. Naloxone, or Narcan, can reverse the effects of a heroin overdose by attaching to heroin and opioid receptors in the brain and blocking the opioids for 30 to 90 minutes to reverse respiratory depression that
would eventually lead to death from overdose, according to nalaxoneinfo.org. Making Narcan so easily accessible is a giant leap in the war against heroin many are facing. In my hometown of Naperville Illinois, alone, police have already used Narcan three times to save someone from a heroin overdose, according to an article in The Daily Herald. The drug has also been credited with reversing 10,171 heroin overdoses from 1996, when the Opioid Overdose Prevention Programs started providing Narcan, to 2010. By giving people like you and I access to this drug, there is no doubt the death toll will drop and people like Sam will be given a second chance at life. Butler Undercover Regional Narcotics (BURN), hosted by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, saw 33 Heroin deaths in 2012, 49 heroin deaths in 2013 and seized nearly four pounds of heroin in investigations from 2012 to 2013. Heroin was also the most popular drug case in 2012 and 2013 with 59 cases in 2012 and 149 in 2013. This does not need to be the case. With Walgreens soon providing Narcan without a prescription in Ohio later this month, I hope and pray those numbers will drop. Heroin has taken two of my classmates in less than five years. I cannot sit and watch idly as more fall victim to the drug. Learning how to
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administer Narcan is one way that you or I may save a life. If you plan on administering Narcan via nasal spray, you must first pull off the yellow cap, pry off the red cap, grip the clear plastic wings, gently screw off the capsule of Narcan into the barrel of the syringe, then insert the white cone into the person’s nostril. You should push the medication vigorously into each nostril. However, if the person does not respond within two to five minutes, you may apply a second dose, according to the Law Enforcement Naloxone Guidance Document from pharmacy.ohio.gov. Narcan can also be administered in the form of an epi-pen or intramuscularly using a syringe. The argument that making this “overdose antidote” widely available will make heroin usage increase is valid. However, I firmly believe that as long as the person using heroin is not dead, there is still hope. If they’re not dead, they can still go to treatment. Like many chronic diseases, addiction cannot be cured. However, treatment and maintenance programs allow many people to flourish once they decide to quit. A heroin addiction is not a death sentence, and providing the public with lifesaving Narcan is just another step in overcoming the disease of addiction. TURNER59@MIAMIOH.EDU
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FROM FINALIST »PAGE 1
two postdoctoral fellowships and served as a researcher at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center before joining Brown. Known at both Notre Dame and Brown for his high-energy presence, innovative contributions and attention to his students, Crawford earned high praise from his superiors, colleagues and pupils. John McGreevy, dean of the College of Arts and Letters at Notre Dame, has worked closely with Crawford during their years in South Bend, IN. “He brings, on the one hand, great research, teaching and professional experience in physics, entrepreneurship, technology,” McGreevy said. “And that’s what a faculty member is expected to be, but he’s broader than that. Greg is interested in the whole university — admissions, undergraduate curricula, outreach to alumni and benefactors.”
McGreevy and Peter Kilpatrick, dean of Notre Dame’s college of engineering, said Crawford brings more to the table than professionalism. Crawford, who has two daughters with Renate, his wife of 25 years, has been embarking on cross-country bike rides to fundraise for rare disease research since 2010, and has raised over $1 million “Who do you know [that] would dream up an idea to ride his bike 2,500 miles across the country to raise money for rare, neglected diseases?” Kilpatrick said. “Not just one time, but five or six times. That’s totally out of the box. That’s just the kind of person he is.” Scott Woltman, now a senior hardware engineer at Microsoft, said that Crawford was the reason he wound up attending Brown for graduate school. Crawford served as Woltman’s adviser from 2003-2008. “The first time I met him was
actually when I was an undergrad and shopping for grad school. Greg immediately impressed me with his energy and his enthusiasm,” Woltman said. “He was very good at seeing the big picture and caring about his students. That definitely shined through as I became his student and worked with him.” “I think one of the great things about Professor Crawford is that he instilled a sense of family amongst his students.” Darran Cairns, now an associate adjunct professor in West Virginia University’s Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, was another of Crawford’s postdoctorate research associates at Brown University from 1998-2001. At the time, Crawford had just been appointed an assistant professor, and Cairns’ first impression of his new advisor was a lasting one. Having just moved to Providence, RI from England, Cairns
and his family needed a place to stay. So Renate Crawford picked him up from the airport and drove him to the Crawfords’ home in Providence, where Cairns stayed for a week until he could find a house. Cairns’ experience with Crawford in an academic setting was no different. “I think a lot of people describe Greg as a little bit of a whirlwind,” Cairns said. “He’s got so much energy, and he is good at so many different things. Almost every single year he seemed to get some kind of honor or promotion because of how much he did. I think everybody’s known for a long time that he would probably be a president.” Kilpatrick, too, knew his colleague was destined for something more. “I think he’s always been a little bit restless to do something new. I think he views the presidency at Miami as another challenge in
FROM SENIORS »PAGE 1
months. Once there, she would teach science in a school setting and teach people about conservation as there are many natural park areas in the country. There is a teacher job fair in April. Jeambey will be attending it because she will not find out about the Fulbright program until midApril. “I’m excited to see where I end up,” Jeambey said. “I’m excited for my friends’ futures, too.” Jeambey’s future is still very much up in the air until she hears back from the Fulbright program. But she has friends in the business school who have had jobs secured since November. Chris Lehn, also a senior, is one of those people. The economics major accepted a job in October as a financial analyst for Textron. The conglomerate consists of Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft and other aerospace and defense companies. “I know people who applied for 150 jobs,” Lehn said. “I just went to one career fair.” After graduation, Lehn will move to Georgia to start his job. “I’m ready for it,” he said. Something Lehn is not quite ready to do is say goodbye to football. He has worked with Miami’s football team for his entire Miami career. “Moving away from something I’ve been apart of since the fourth grade will be tough,” he said. Will Dimas applied to eight law schools. He was accepted to five over winter term, including Loyola University in Chicago, Marquette University in Wisconsin and American University in Washington D.C. Now all that’s left for Dimas is to choose. “I’m just asking myself, ‘Which one do I think I will be more successful at?’” he said. Kelsy Chesser, an art history major, plans to move to Amsterdam in June to work as an au pair, or international nanny. She has an interview soon with a family to determine whether they will be compatible. Chesser will learn which family she will be placed with by the end of February. Chesser wants to do something art-related while in Amsterdam. The only stipulation is that, while working as an au pair, she can only have one job. “I was always frustrated by the kinds of constraints people put on jobs you can get outside of college,” Chesser said. “It’s almost like people have this idea that if you’re not in a major that has a linear path that you’re not going to go anywhere.” After having friends and family frequently ask what she was going to do after graduation, Chesser said she came to see that she could do anything with her degree in the humanities. She has always wanted to go to graduate school, which is Chesser’s next step after au pairing. “It’s bittersweet to think about graduating because I’ve created such an important community here,” Chesser said. his life, another opportunity to be creative, energetic, enthusiastic,” Kilpatrick said. “I’m not at all surprised. He loves to be in motion, loves to take on new challenges.” Stephen Trachtenberg, president emeritus of George Washington University and author of several books on the roles and responsibilities of university presidents, said Crawford’s newest challenge will be a big one. “You have to be something of an optimist to become a university president these days. You have to be courageous and maybe a little silly,” Trachtenberg said. “It’s a strange form of work, but it has its nobility and it has its place as a way of service to our society.” Cairns said that if his three years under Crawford’s tutelage were any indication, Miami had chosen well. “He has a lifelong impact on the people that he works with.” Additional reporting by Emily Tate and Reis Thebault.
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FROM SPORTS SUMMERY»PAGE 10
to Lions fans nation-wide. So, those sound like a couple of pairs of shoes that’ll be nearly impossible to fill, right? Right. That’s why there is so much pressure on those already in the league and those to come. Offensive rookies like Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper and St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley certainly came out with a bang in 2015 and 2016, but their fantastic seasons are only a drop in the bucket. In countless interviews, both Cooper and Gurley conveyed their FROM SEARCH »PAGE 1
faculty, a senior administrator, an alumnus, a representative from the university foundation board and two trustees. Committee members were required to sign a nondisclosure agreement at the outset. And last summer, the board hired Isaacson, Miller to assist with the presidential search. To date, Miami has paid the firm over $177,000 for its services, according to invoices obtained through public records requests. Miami’s decision to use a search firm and search committee made it more difficult for other interest groups — like faculty, students, staff and alumni — to be directly involved in the search or to provide input in any significant way. The exclusion of the public from the process — from the beginning of the search to yesterday’s announcement of the finalist — has led several people, in and out of the university, to label it undemocratic. Sue Ramlo, a member of the University of Akron’s AAUP chapter, said Miami’s search
FROM VALENTINES »PAGE 1
the MUAA. Thomas Grote (‘86) and his partner Rick Neal (‘88) have been receiving Miami Merger valentines since their wedding in Ohio in 2007, which wasn’t recognized by the state until this summer. Although they overlapped two years at Miami, they did not meet until 2006 in Washington, D.C. Rick had completed his first trip to Morocco with the Peace Corp and went out to the bar Halo with fellow volunteers. Tom was in the area for the Human Rights Campaign and was celebrating a friend’s birthday. They both ordered a drink from the bar at the same time and started chatting. Rick’s friends told him to “shut-up” for whining for being single after playing hard-to-get with the guy at the bar. Annoyed with his friends, Rick turned around and walked back to the bar. “Rick and I just made eye contact, then we smiled at each other,” Tom said. “We just clicked right away…
admiration for the two greats: “You never want to see the greats leave the game,” Cooper said in a New York Times article. “You feel like they’re going to be making plays forever. You want to be like them growing up, and you still want to see them make plays.” Fall 2016 is guaranteed to be eagerly anticipated by NFL fans. The excitement from the rise of these two rookies and the sting of never again seeing “Beast Mode” and “Megatron” playing on the field makes this upcoming season a bittersweet one. WEINBESK@MIAMIOH.EDU
violated the concept of shared governance, a founding tenet of academia. “Faculty, with their expertise and experiences, help inform decisions made by the president, provost and Board of Trustees,” she said. “Because faculty, not Board of Trustees members or administrators, are typically the ones interacting with students, their perspectives are also key to the success of the institution.” But Miami University, taking cues from the Board of Trustees, is making that level of involvement and transparency difficult. Through public records requests covered under the Ohio Open Records Act, The Miami Student has tried to make available the names of all those considered for the position, but with little success. In December, this newspaper requested the resumes, cover letters and curricula vitae of anyone applying to the position of president. That request yielded the names of 23 candidates, who were likely never seriously considered for the position, sources say. This is evident, too, because the name
From that night on, there hasn’t been a single day we haven’t talked to each other.” Before becoming a stayat-home dad for their adopted daughters, Amoret and Sophia, Rick managed public health programs for refugees in Asia and Africa and advocated for better support and protection for refugees in Washington, DC. Tom served on the Board of Trustees for Miami. As the founding board chair for Equality Ohio Education Fund, he is a leader in the LGBT community in Ohio. The entire Grote-Neal family led the Pride Parade as Grand Marshals in 2010. “When Gov. Strickland asked me to be on the board of Trustees, I was surprised… I was like, ‘Wow,’” said Tom. He went on to become the first and only openly LGBT member of the board. Despite the support and overwhelming positivity they received upon returning to the Miami community, their time as an under-
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from the speculation of what might happen. Don’t make a news story out of something that isn’t news. While the NFL may dominate Sundays in fall and winter, it shouldn’t leak into spring and summer. There are plenty of other sports to cover once the players have hung up their pads.
beginners.” Most people don’t realize the amount of stress the people on the other side of the auditions go through. “It’s absolutely horrifying,” said Kehling. “My biggest fear is that it doesn’t go off and that its not a great show, but I have faith in my support system.” This makes choosing the cast the most difficult part of being a director. “The most challenging part is turning people away,” said Kehling. “I want everybody to
be involved and I want everyone to be happy, but that’s not how theater works.” In the end, all the stress on both sides of the audition process are worth it. “Finding a cast that meshes super well and are super talented is so rewarding,” said Kehling. “They are just undiscovered little gems in the big world that is Miami University and being able to showcase their tremendous talent and have them work together as a group is amazing.” The Drowsy Chaperone will be playing from April 21 to 23.
the records that are responsive to the request. I don’t think your request was ambiguous. It was clear what you wanted,” LoMonte said. “It does seem like they played word games in an attempt to conceal the list of true candidates.” Dennis Hetzel, executive director of the Ohio Newspaper Association, said that the search was questionable from the beginning, when the Board of Trustees announced it would be private. “I can certainly say it violates the spirit of the law to be picking the new president of a public university in near total secrecy,” he said. Regardless of the legality of the process, Karen Dawisha, president of Miami’s AAUP chapter, said this method of seeking out and selecting the next president does not help to garner support for him among faculty, students and staff. “I would not personally like to be chosen in this way. I don’t think that [this secret search] aids in the legitimacy of any selection, however good that selection is,” Dawisha said. “To have the person chosen by a small group
of people and vetted really, solely by a search firm, I don’t think it’s the best way for anyone to start a new job.” LoMonte agreed, saying that, despite Crawford’s credentials, the nature of this search may mean he has to work harder to earn the respect of his colleagues. “It’s not good for the president, either, to come into office under a cloud of suspicion or mistrust,” he said. “People should feel confident that the best person won. There’s no way to know that.” And, Hetzel said, that lack of transparency does not bode well for the university. “I think we’ve learned again and again and again that the more secrecy you have in government or public bodies, the more opportunity there is for problems,” he said. “So it’s certainly not a good symbol for a well-respected public university to be looking for ways to do something in secret that could have been done more publicly.” Ted Pickerill, spokesperson for the presidential search, did not respond to requests for comment. Additional reporting by Megan Zahneis.
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of the finalist, Gregory Crawford, was not among those released to The Student. Then, in January, this newspaper received a tip that the search committee was conducting interviews with finalists. After requesting the names of those being seen in airport interviews that month, the university said it did not have any public records responsive to that request. Days later, The Student renewed that request, adding a second request for documents used by or made accessible to the search committee. That request yielded two documents: a list of interview questions and equal opportunity guidelines. On Jan. 31, The Student made another request, this time for the names of the individuals “nominated” for the position. The university has said that Isaacson, Miller mailed the documents, but those have yet to arrive. LoMonte, who is familiar with Miami’s search and has reviewed some of The Student’s requests, said the university is being overly technical in order to conceal the candidates’ names. “You’re supposed to produce
graduate was less accepting. Rick came out during his junior year after finding support and encouragement from a class focused on the homosexual experience, where his professors openly supported LGBT students to connect with each other. Tom describes his experience as more of a dark time. “At Miami, there was no gay visibility or at least none that I could see,” Tom said. “I was completely closeted, and I was living a lie.” But Tom sees a great change from the conservative and conformist Miami that he knew to an accepting and more diverse Miami campus. “I’m really proud of the university and what it’s done,” said Tom. “I’m really proud of President Hodge, too,” Upon their return to the Miami community, he and Rick said they are very happy that Miami never hesitated to include them, even though their marriage was not recognized until this summer.
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10 SPORTS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016
With playoffs nearing, MU travels to Bowling Green HOCKEY
HARRISON SCHWARZ STAFF WRITER
The Miami University hockey team (11-13-3, 6-10-2 National Collegiate Hockey Conference) kicks off a three-game road stretch against Bowling Green University (16-9-6) this weekend. Instead of the usual two-game weekend series, the ’Hawks play one game against the Falcons Friday. After a rough start to the season, MU has gone 5-2 in the last month, which includes a 3-2 win against No. 3 St. Cloud State University last weekend, a 3-1 win against thenNo. 13 University of Denver on Jan. 29 and a sweep of then-No. 7 University of Nebraska-Omaha on Jan. 22 and 23. Head coach Enrico Blasi isn’t surprised about the team’s improvement. “It’s more of what we expected,”
Blasi said. “We expected this team to compete every night, give ourselves an opportunity to be in games and execute plays that might allow us to win some games. That’s the way we thought the season was going to go from start to finish. It obviously didn’t go that way in the first half and those are things we can’t control. At the end of the day, the results are going to be what they are going to be.” The RedHawks last faced Bowling Green on Jan. 19, when junior forward Anthony Louis scored with two seconds left in the third period to lift Miami to a 2-1 win. Blasi expects another tough game this weekend. “We know that they are a good hockey team,” Blasi said. “They play hard, have good skill and are well coached. We are going to have to go in playing our best and make sure we are focused on the details and playing a good team game.” Seven regular season games re-
main on Miami’s schedule, and the NCHC Playoffs are approaching. League insiders say if the ’Hawks can win six of their remaining seven games, they will have great odds of making it to the Frozen Four. The only ranked opponent left on the schedule is Bowling Green. MU also plays a two-game series against both Colorado College and Western Michigan University, the two worst teams in the conference this season. The last series of the regular season is against University of Minnesota Duluth in Oxford, Ohio. Freshman forward Keifer Sherwood is optimistic the team will finish strong. “It’s our last stretch so we’re trying to put together a good run,” Sutherland said. “I think we’re well-rested and we know what we need to do. It’s all about executing now and we have a lot of energy.” Puck drop is at 7:07 p.m. Friday in Bowling Green, Ohio.
SPORTS BRIEFS MELNICK NAMED NCHC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
KATHIE WOLLNEY BREAKS MIAMI TRACK RECORD
After netting two goals against No. 3 St. Cloud State University last weekend, Miami freshman forward Josh Melnick was named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference’s Rookie of the Week. It is the first time Melnick has won the award. He netted Miami’s first goal in both games as the RedHawks split their weekend series with the Huskies. Both of his tallies tied the score, and his goal on Saturday started a three-goal outburst in the second period of its 3-2 victory. Melnick ranks second on the team this season with 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists).
At the Meyo Invitational last Friday in South Bend, Ind., senior Kathie Wollney broke the Miami University track and field record for the 600-meter run. She finished ninth overall in the event with a 1:32.9 time. The previous record had been held by Charlotte Myers, who ran a 1:34.9 in 2013. Wollney also competed in 4x400m action Saturday at the Meyo. Her team of sophomores Morgan Rice and Megan Beaver and freshman Kalliopi Kountouri posted a 3:49.5 time for 17th place, their best time of the season.
SOFTBALL PICKED TO WIN MAC EAST After placing third overall last season, the Miami University softball team was picked to win the MidAmerican Conference East Division in the coaches’ poll Wednesday. The RedHawks were the overall pick to win the division despite receiving fewer first place votes (3) than Ohio (4) and Kent State (4). Central Michigan was picked to win the MAC West Division with seven first place votes.
The coaches did not come to a consensus for the winners of the overall regular season title or the MAC Tournament, as six different schools were picked to win the regular season and seven different schools were picked to win the MAC Tournament. Miami did not receive any votes in either of those polls. The softball season begins Feb. 19 when MU travels to Atlanta for the Panther Classic.
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STAT OF THE DAY
The number of wins the Miami University basketball team has on the road. The RedHawks (9-15, 3-8 Mid-American Conference) won their first away game Tuesday night against Western Michigan University, 45-44.
‘Beast Mode’ and ‘Megatron’ gone: Retired NFL legacies leave high bar for rookies COLUMN
THE SPORTS SUMMERY Despite being a man of very few words, Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch’s mid-Super Bowl tweet spoke volumes to NFL fans nation-wide. With just a peace signing-hand emoticon as the caption to a photo of his famous lime green cleats hanging from a wire, sports fans knew the era of “Beast Mode” had most likely come to an end. Lynch, only 29 years old, battled an abdomen injury for the better part of the 2015-2016 season, and rumors of his retirement began to swirl immediately after the Carolina Panthers eliminated the Seahawks from the playoffs. In his 10-year career with the Buffalo Bills and Seahawks, Lynch accumulated 83 touchdowns, 502 points and 9,112 total rushing yards. A few weeks prior, NFL fans also said goodbye to another legendary offensive player. Calvin “Megatron” Johnson is planning retirement in less of a cryptic fashion than Lynch, but is nonetheless breaking the hearts of many. While he has not officially declared his professional football career over, the large majority of Johnson’s followers believe the end is imminent. “Calvin Johnson told family 2015 would be his final year and delivered same message to Jim Caldwell after
season ended, sources told ESPN,” a tweet from ESPN reporter Adam Schefter read. Johnson, 30 years old, served his entire nine-season career with the Detroit Lions as a wide receiver. In that time, he racked up a whopping 11,619 receiving yards and 84 touchdowns. Both Johnson and Lynch are in absolute contention for NFL Hall of Fame nominations within the next decade, and for good reason. Johnson has six Pro Bowls under his belt, and Lynch has five. In 2012, Johnson set the NFL singleseason record for most receiving yards (1,964 yards). Lynch has a Super Bowl ring and the titles for NFL rushing leader in 2013 and 2014. And that’s only naming a few of the records held by each of the offensive legends. Compared to most NFL running backs and wide receivers who have come and gone, these two have made quite an impact. So much so, in fact, that you’re probably not an NFL fan if you don’t refer to them by their nicknames over their actual names. “Beast Mode” and “Megatron” have not only been amazing on the field, but they’ve also made a name for themselves off of it. Lynch, known for his reluctance to speak, is viewed as hilarious for just that. On the other hand, Johnson is more of a family man, father figure and veteran SPORTS SUMMERY »PAGE 9
Headlines beyond Oxford: Fans at Super Bowl 50 spent an average of $151.92 on food, beverages and merchandise, according to ESPN and SportsBusiness Journal.That’s $10.8 million spent by the 71,088 who attended.The average Super Bowl ticket bought on StubHub was $4,512.
Sports media: Time to leave football behind COLUMN
JACKED UP SPORTS It’s Wednesday morning, three days after the Super Bowl. There will not be another football game for six months. Basketball and hockey seasons are in full swing. On Tuesday, five of the nation’s top 10 college basketball teams were in action. An NBA coach had been fired that day. Yet, the two lead stories on ESPN that morning were about the NFL and the fallout of the Super Bowl. One analyzed comments Cam Newton had made in the days following the game. In the other, a panel of “experts” discussed whether Peyton Manning would retire. Why should I care, you ask. You shouldn’t. It’s time to move on. America and the media’s fixation with professional football is both obsessive and excessive. There is no reason for every single sports television media outlet to dedicate the number of hours of coverage per week they do to arguably the most flawed and certainly most highly criticized game in America.
Who cares what Cam Newton is wearing during a press conference? Why do we give any weight to the opinion of “draft experts” who project which player will be drafted by your favorite team in the sixth round? Obviously, football is the favorite sport of the American people. Media outlets want to offer a product that people will watch so they can make money. But shouldn’t sports news television be about the here and now? Highlights from the games the night before. Breaking news about trades, hirings and firings. Analysis of statistics and trends in major sports. These are all things that a viewer should not only expect, but also demand from their sports news television networks. These media outlets need to cut the fruity stories about the latest Manziel scandal. Resist the temptation to over-analyze post game press conferences from severely brain-damaged, half-illiterate players. These types of stories are lazy. They cater to the lowest common denominator. In a digital and social media-driven journalistic era, viewers have power to dictate what they
want covered. Yet television stations like ESPN continue to force-feed NFL-related nonsense year-round. Yes, when the NFL season is in full swing, there should be more coverage dedicated to the NFL, both on and off the field. Although there are a wide variety of criticisms surrounding the NFL, that also is a huge part of its appeal. People love controversy. They love to speculate. There is plenty of both to go around during the course of an NFL season. It’s all well and good to try and fill the middle parts of the week with healthy debate about the league while the season is underway. But once the Lombardi trophy has been raised and the lights are off, it’s time to switch gears. Now it’s time to discuss March Madness and playoff races in the NBA and NHL. Spring training is also right around the corner. Sports news television should be more like your local news station than Fox News or CNN. Focus on what is happening in the world of sports now. Tell it like it is. Stay away JACKED UP »PAGE 9
ANGELO GELFUSO THE MIAMI STUDENT
The women’s basketball team celebrates its 55-52 win against Kent State University on Feb. 3.The RedHawks (9-13) are 2-7 in the last month and play Eastern Michigan University (14-8) this Saturday.
TODAY IN HISTORY
2014
Derek Jeter announced his retirement. In 20 seasons with the New York Yankees, he collected 3,465 hits and 260 home runs. The five-time World Series champion and 1996 AL Rookie of the Year is eligible for the 2020 Hall of Fame ballot.
Friday, February 12 9:30-11:30 p.m. Auditions will be held Feb. 16th 5–8PM at Harris and Feb. 17th 5–8PM at Garden Commons Students may register for an audition time via our website
MiamiOH.edu/MiamiIdol Registration will end Feb. 14th @MIAMIUDINING @MIAMIUDINING /MIAMIDINING
Free skating w/Miami ID $2.75 skate rental; 17 & over
DATE NIGHT Moonlight Skate
Goggin Ice Center 513-529-9800 MiamiOH.edu/ICE