February 13, 2015 | The Miami Student

The Miami Student Established 1826

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015

VOLUME 142 NO. 34

Miami racks up $656 mil. in debt Students pay $110 fee each semester to pay off construction debt over the next 25 years MONEY EMILY WILLIAMS

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

After undertaking several building and remodeling projects over the past few years, Miami University has racked up a substantial amount of debt — $656 million of it, to be exact. That figure represents the university’s amount of outstanding debt as of June 30, 2014, according to David Creamer, Miami’s Vice President for Finance and Business Services.

Miami has been renovating many of its buildings since the 2009 launch of the “Miami Makeover” project, aimed at updating dorms, dining halls and educational buildings that were constructed 60 to 100 years ago. Creamer believes that, despite the heavy accumulation of debt from the building projects, the university has been relatively frugal.

“The debt is an authorization that the board of trustees of the university makes based upon a set of projects that they feel the necessity to undertake,” Creamer said.

One of the university’s most debt-incurring ventures, the Armstrong Student Center (ASC), which opened in February of last year, cost $53.1 million to construct. Although the center has become an integral part of Miami’s campus, some of the expenses to design and decorate the building have been questioned.

For example, the old-fashioned diner-style chairs for the center’s Pulley Diner originally came in black leather. However, fearing that the color scheme was more indicative of the University of Cincinnati than Miami, President David Hodge requested the 82 chairs be reupholstered for a total cost of $12,450, Creamer confirmed.

Although donations alleviated some of the cost of building ASC, Miami students will be paying off the balance for the next 25 years.

Students are charged a $110 fee each semester to pay off the debt incurred by the project.

Phase Two of the Armstrong Student Center, currently in progress, will cost an additional $18.8 million. The project will include the

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renovation of Kreger Hall and construction of a two-story atrium with an overhead walkway connecting ASC and a renovated Culler Hall.

The facility will host Miami’s Office of Career Services, an Associated Student Government chamber, and a sports grill restaurant and game room.

A recent article in the Dayton Daily News about Miami’s debt suggested the spending is largely a means of competing with other peer universities for prospective students, but Creamer insists this is not the case.

“We’re simply trying to make sure that when students arrive here they have an adequate place to reside during primarily their first two years on campus,” Creamer said.

Rachel Zetwick, a first-year from Colorado, picked Miami primarily for its academics, but recalls the emphasis put on ASC and its many amenities when she first looked into coming here.

“I think they stress that a lot for out-of-state students,” Zetwick said.

With increasing debt comes an increasing need for the school to keep its credit ratings high. One way to indicate a university as a stable source of revenue is a larger number of students coming from out-of-state. At Miami, out-of-state students pay more than double what Ohio residents pay for tuition.

According to a Peterson’s report, 32 percent of Miami students are from out-of-state.

The Board of Trustees has recommended not expanding the debt any further at this time. Currently, they are renovating buildings in East Quad and renovation on North Quad will start soon. There is already funding in place for those projects, as well as an additional $100 million reserved for projects that have not yet been determined.

However, Creamer insists students shouldn’t expect another fee on their tuition bill for these projects.

“We don’t have any special fees or anything else in place,” Creamer said. “To help us retire this, we think it can be done with the standard room and board payments that students make.”

Global Miami plan revised for fall 2015 ACADEMICS ALISON TREEN STAFF WRITER

Miami University has approved several significant changes to the Global Miami Plan, which will be implemented for the fall 2015 semester.

From 2012-14, the university underwent a series of processes to ultimately propose a revised Miami Plan, according to the Miami Plan Redesign. Task force members, the Liberal Education Council (LEC) and representatives from each Dean’s office collaborated to send out university-wide surveys and request feedback to revise the plan. The University Senate approved the changes to the Global Miami Plan April 21, 2014.

According to the Revised Global Miami Plan, the new liberal arts program will encompass many learning characteristics, called competencies. The two key competencies are critical thinking and written communication, which will be emphasized in all components of the new plan.

“Communication is a key competency cited by employers as essential for professional success,” the Revised Global Miami Plan said, “And given the size of Miami’s student population, it is more expedient and practical to assess written rather than oral communication.”

The most significant changes with the Miami Plan will

be seen in the foundation courses, thematic sequences, capstones, advanced writing courses, intercultural perspectives courses and an experiential learning requirement.

Foundation courses will have a stronger emphasis on written communication and critical thinking. Thematic sequences will undergo similar changes, and over a three-year time span following the implementation of the new plan, current thematic sequences will undergo LEC review.

Capstones will also be evaluated to increase focus on written communication and critical thinking, and will require a student-initiated project that involves both competencies. A written capstone project, either as a final project or reflection of one, must also be submitted.

The revised plan will also include an advanced writing course.

The 200 or 300-level course will focus on student writing, the drafting process and frequent instructor feedback. It will also require multiple writing projects, totaling at least 7,500 words over the course of the term, according to the Revised Miami Plan. This requirement is recommended as a second or third year course, but divisional courses may also count for it.

Andrew Hebard, associate professor of English, who was involved in the revision, said this is the most significant change in the revision.

“Every professor at this

university is an expert in writing in their field,” he said. “This requirement will draw upon that range of expertise.”

Hebard also explained the new requirement as a counter to the influx of AP English credits the university accepts.

“More and more students have been placing out of firstyear composition, he said. “This change assures that every student will take at least one writing course before they graduate.”

The Global Perspectives requirement will be reduced to six credit hours, a decrease from the current nine hours.

“The intercultural requirement broadens the [Global Perspectives] requirement by including courses that might not be global, but that still deal with issues of diversity and cultural difference (for example, a literature course on Native American literature),” Hebard said.

The experiential learning requirement will be a new addition to the Miami Plan, and it focuses on applying student learning outside of the classroom. Examples include undergraduate research, community and civic engagement (like service-learning courses) and professional experiences such as internships, student teaching, or tutoring, according to the Revised Miami Plan.

“The experiential learning requirement is an entirely new category, but it is really just describ REGIONAL »PAGE 4

CONNOR MORIARTY THE MIAMI STUDENT

FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY The Miami University swim team had a victorious senior day, defeating the Ball State Cardinals 160-135 Saturday. Five RedHawks seniors celebrated the win.

DEBT »PAGE 4

In 1979, The Miami Student reported the university asked the Ohio Board of Regents for permission to build a 300-space residence hall. Students complained the $4 million construction would result in the demolition of Tallawanda Hall and Logan Lodge.

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CULTURE

BELGIAN WAFFLE »PAGE 5

OPINION

GREEK EDITORIAL RESPONSE »PAGE 6

SPORTS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL »PAGE 10

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Rehabilitation doctor to speak on addiction Dr. Drew Pinsky of VH1’s Celebritry Rehab visits Miami EVENT RASIKA RANE

FOR THE MIAMI STUDNET

Celebrity Rehab’s Dr. Drew Pinsky will speak on “Addictions Can Happen To You” as part of the Miami University Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 16 in Hall Auditorium.

Lecture Series Committee member Lana Kay Rosenberg said the university invited Pinsky to speak on addiction because his specialty is a topic of interest among students, who fund the lectures with their tuition.

“There is smoking, drinking, drugs, sex and just lots of stuff, and certainly not all the students, but so many students, either are going through something themselves or know someone,” Rosenberg said. “We thought it would be a good thing for our campus to bring someone experienced in this area.”

Dr. Drew Pinsky is a practicing physician, Board Certified in Internal and Addiction Medicine.

In 2008, Pinsky starred in “Celebrity Rehab” with Dr. Drew on VH1. In December 2010 he joined HLN as the host of his own nightly show Dr. Drew On Call where he explores what makes people do what they do.

For over 25 years he has been taking calls about love, sex and relationships on the nationally syndicated radio show “Loveline.” He is also the author of the New York Times’s bestsellers “The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism is Seducing America” and

about what students experience on campus in regards to drug and alcohol abuse.

Pinsky would like to get an authentic, anonymous conversation with the students for his own purposes.

Additionally, the university

There is smoking, drinking, drugs, sex and just lots of stuff and ... so many students, either are going through something themselves or know someone.”

LANA KAY ROSENBERG

LECTURE SERIES COMMITTEE MEMBER

“Cracked: Putting Broken Lives Together Again.”

“People from 18 to 22 years old are experimenting in their lives and many different fronts.

Much of the things they do is experimenting with drug use and alcohol use,” Newberry said. “It’s a slippery slope that you’re experimenting and that becomes repeated behavior … it can become a habit and habit then can become an addiction.”

According to Newberry, as a part of the event, Pinsky will talk with students individually and privately on a volunteer basis

is going to have its own addiction specialist and drug counselors available as resources for the students.

Tickets are available to Miami University students, faculty and staff at the Shriver Box Office with a limit of two tickets maximum per Miami ID or at Hall Auditorium on the evening of the event.

Newberry said the event will be popular and if the box office runs out, there will be tickets available in the lobby of Hall Auditorium.

She advised any students interested in attending to arrive to the event a half hour early.

Miami to continue tradition of Charter Day Ball in coming weeks

KATHERINE HOGGETT THE MIAMI STUDENT

CAREFUL: THE VALENTINE YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENJOY IS EXTREMELY HOT Students and Uptown venues alike express their Valentine’s Day spirit in unique ways this year.

ASG to raise MAP funds, despite overspending ASG DEANNA KROKOS

FOR THE MIAMI STUDENT

Associated Student Government (ASG) passed a measure Tuesday to increase funding to Miami Activities and Programming (MAP).

The increase will occur in July, prior to the 2015-16 school year, and will consist of additional funding to MAP between $50,000 and $90,000.

Some Senators expressed concerns about the proposal, due to MAP’s past financial trouble, having gone over their $238,000 budget for the 2014 year.

As noted in the presentation, several factors contributed to previous financial issues, including university regulations that required higher expenditures for some of the more popular and costly events, like Welcome Week.

MAP is responsible for many other widely attended student

The more involved [students] are, the more money it’s going to cost.”

CONTRIBUTED BY MIAMI UNIVERSITY

EVENT BONNIE MEIBERS

FOR THE MIAMI STUDENT

The 2015 Charter Day Ball will be held from 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21 in Millet Hall, and the theme is “Fire and Ice.” The Charter Day Ball is Miami’s longest running student-organized event. It is held to celebrate the university’s chartering in 1809.

Miami University was founded in February of 1809, but the first classes were not held until the year 1824 and the first Charter Day Ball was held in 1976. Before this time, instead of an elaborate ball, the university held a small celebration to acknowledge the day Miami was founded.

“It is a big part of the Miami tradition,” said Samantha Von Hoene, senior and executive co-chair of the Charter Day Ball committee.

The Charter Day Ball draws many faculty, alumni and community members to campus. Students are also invited to bring friends and family who don’t attend Miami.

To go along with the ball’s theme of “Fire and Ice,” there

will be fire performers outside of Millet. Inside Millet, students can expect the Kim Kelly Orchestra to be performing 50s style music, similar to Frank Sinatra, from 8 p.m. until 11 p.m.

Various acapella groups, like the Cheezies, Open Fifth, Misfitz and Treble Makers, will be performing

The best part of planning is seeing everbody enjoying the hard work you put in.”

SAMANTHA VON HOENE CHARTER DAY BALL COMMITTEE

to give the orchestra breaks. D.J. Steve the Greek will be “turning up the heat” from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Also inside Millet will be photo booths and dancing. While a sit-down meal will not be offered at the ball, hors d’oeuvres, including vegetarian and gluten-free options, will be served.

The Charter Day Ball committee has been planning this event for over a year and a half now.

“We started to get the ball rolling fall of 2013,” said executive co-chair of the Charter Day Ball

and senior Rachel Anthony.

Anthony and Von Hoene organized a team to host the Charter Day Ball. Their team is made up of 51 Miami students, each of whom had to apply to be on various planning committees.

The Charter Day Ball planning committee held a meeting with all members once a month and each different committee met separately multiple times.

There has been a great deal of fundraising involved in the planning of the Charter Day Ball.

Some fundraising events included selling grilled cheese at the Phi Delta Theta Gates last semester and having a percentage of profit from restaurants Uptown, such as La Piñata and Skipper’s Pub, donated.

Van Hoene said she is looking forward to seeing more than a year’s worth of planning come to fruition.

“The best part of planning [an event] is seeing everybody enjoying the hard work you put in,” Von Hoene said.

Students can purchase tickets for the Charter Day Ball for $40 each in the Shriver Box Office using cash, credit or MUlaa, online at the HUB, or they can buy tickets at the door.

SAMMI PODOLYAN

SOPHOMORE ASG SENATOR

events and activities, like Homecoming and Family Weekend, which MAP representatives said were some of the most costly events of the year.

Two representatives for the organization’s finance board, Paige Gillen and Victoria Polisena, presented their funding request to ASG, outlining the essentials of the budget and the ways they plan to utilize these funds.

According to the agenda presented by the MAP representatives, these funds

will be used primarily to accommodate new university and student requests.

The proposed budget was set to include two deposits — the initial deposit of $150,000 and a second deposit between $100,000-150,000, which will be determined in July.

“Total funding will remain under $300,000,” Posilena said.

In the past, the MAP budget was set around $210,000, but higher expectations from the university led to higher costs for campus events and activities.

“Administrators want things they can’t pay for,” Gillen said.

After debate, it was the general consensus that the relationship between ASG and MAP, as well as the improved and more itemized “record trail” they have established, is reason to allow this request. Furthermore, it was expressed that the success and high attendance of their most popular events warranted this funding.

“The more involved [students] are, the more money it’s going to cost,” Senator Sammi Podolyan said. The measure passed unanimously.

Additionally, MAP representatives presented a number of new initiatives and ideas toward which funding will be applied. Past successes were highlighted, such as this November’s Fallin’ for Goggin carnival and upcoming Spring Fest, promoting student attendance to Miami hockey games.

MAP also requested funds for membership development programs, such as sending Miami representatives to local and national planning conferences for training.

MAP would also like to extend these opportunities to non-executive members.

“When we were able to host 10 to 12 schools here at Miami for the conference it was great,” Gillen said.

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The Miami Student University Section is looking for reporters Emily Tate (tateec@miamioh.edu) James Steinbauer (steinbjt@miamioh.edu)

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COMMUNITY 3

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015

Muslim community reflects on local support RELIGION SAMMIE MILLER

COMMUNITY EDITOR

Three Muslim students were shot dead outside of their apartment complex in Chapel Hill, NC Tuesday. Police are saying this is an escalation of a longstanding dispute over a parking space.

While the shootings are still being investigated, the current speculation is that it was a hate crime. Events like these serve as a reminder that anti-Islamic sentiment is not uncommon in the U.S. today.

In November, Oxford’s local Walmart location added halal meat to its meat department in order to accommodate the Muslim community. The request was petitioned by a number of Muslim Miami University students and faculty members.

Store manager Elijah Woodard made the final decision to offer Crescent brand, certified halal meat to Walmart’s inventory, leaving

many Muslim customers with a more convenient grocery shopping experience. The decision spawned controversy among many local Walmart shoppers, who left dozens of racially charged comments on The Miami Student online article about the halal offering.

Many complained the slaughtering method for halal meat is inhumane.

Others’ comments expressed resentment of Islam in general, some going so far as to say they are boycotting Walmart for “bowing down to Islam.”

The anti-Islamic sentiments that followed the news of Walmart’s halal offering do not reflect the entire community, according to Miami alumnus Mubarak Abdi.

“There is no place for bigotry in an academic setting like Oxford,” he said. “However, with that being said, I have never felt any discrimination or hate [at Miami University.]”

Abdi attended Miami from 2008 to 2014. He served as president of the Muslim Student

$1 million nature trail fund EDUCATION MADDIE WOOD

FOR THE MIAMI STUDENT

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources recently approved plans to build a multi-use trail in Oxford.

The trail will be built around the City of Oxford, stretching from the Black Covered Bridge across from Yager Stadium to the DeWitt Log House.

Oxford Area Trails, a small citizen activist group, has been working for over a decade to bring a new trail to the City of Oxford. The plans for this specific trail were written into the city comprehensive plan in the early 2000s.

On Oct. 21, Oxford received a $500,000 Clean Ohio grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources was granted to help implement phase one of the construction.

“The Clean Ohio Trails Fund works to improve outdoor recreational opportunities for Ohioans by funding trails for outdoor pursuits of all kinds,” said their website. In 2014 alone, the Clean Ohio Trails Fund gave out $6,136,997 in grants for use across the state.

Phase one of the Oxford trail will span 0.62 miles of land from the Black Covered Bridge, underneath state route 732 to Leonard Howell Park and connect to DeWitt Log House.

According to Oxford Area Trail’s website, “This path will connect

key points of interest around our city and provide a path for bicycle riding, jogging, rollerblading and walking that is safe for the entire family.”

Although the grant provides money for the trail to be built, Oxford Area Trails has been required to raise an additional $170,000 from the community in order to put the plans into motion.

Jessica Green, Executive Director of the Oxford Visitor’s Bureau and member of Oxford Area Trails, believes they will reach this goal soon.

As of Jan. 15, $100,000 had been raised. She hopes to begin construction late spring.

Green first realized Oxford needed a trail for recreation after a trip to a Cincinnati area trail with her family.

“We had such a great day walking and playing in Cincinnati. The trail had a one mile loop and an eight mile loop and I thought to myself, Oxford should do this,” she said.

While Oxford has some outdoor attractions, such as Hueston Woods State Park, Lenard Howell Park and Peffer Park, this new multiuse trail will hopefully bring more visitors to Oxford.

“We already have a lot of bikers in the area, this will only increase that,” Green said. “The trail will be great for visitors, and it seems like the natural next step to build this amenity for them and residents of Oxford.”

Association (MSA) for one year, and was surprised by the negative nature of the comments he read online at the news of halal meat being offered locally.

“During my time at school, I was grateful for all of the community support I was offered as a Muslim

never experienced hate or distaste from students.

“It is important to remember there are good and bad people in every religion, country and culture,” sophomore Mohammad Shafi said. “We shouldn’t let the bad minority of people define the

There is no place for bigotry in an academic setting like Oxford.”

MUBARAK ABDI

MIAMI UNIVERSITY ALUMNUS

student,” he said.

Abdi described the relationship that he watched develop between the MSA and the Oxford Presbyterian Church. The Christian church hosted a number of opportunities for Muslim students to come and pray and practice their religion.

Abdi described wearing a kufis, or traditional white Muslim dress, on campus each Friday, and said he

good majority of people.”

Shafi was not fazed by the backlash from what he describes as the minority of the Oxford community. According to Shafi, anti-Islamic sentiment still exists because of those types of comments.

“Their views are from what the media presents to us,” he said. “[The media] is a big factor for the negative backlash

towards Muslims, all because of the actions of a small, horrible group of people.”

Shafi described his life in Oxford as peaceful, filled with friends of all faiths and backgrounds.

He also expressed how grateful he was for the convenience that Walmart’s halal meat section has brought him.

“Freshman year, I had to rely on food brought from home,” he said.

“Walmart is still selling non-halal meat and the food is there for those who want it. No one is obligated to buy it.”

Shafi added that eating out in Oxford has always been a struggle and he has had to settle with vegetarian dishes.

The halal section at Walmart has made him feel more welcome in the Oxford community by accomidating to his preferences.

“The Oxford community has been our back bone,” Abdi said. “These negative comments do not change that. I am eternally grateful.”

Community offers something for everyone this Valentine’s Day There is something for everyone this Valentine’s Day. Whether you are single or taken, outdoorsy or artistic, the Oxford community is full of events and activities to partake in. Here’s a run down of what’s happening Saturday: Paisley on High Stop into the shop for some very special Valentine’s deals.

Starting today, the store will have bouquets of red roses, lilies and tulips on sale (walk-ins only). The store also will feature sales on select Valentine’s Day gifts.

A heart-themed photo booth is set up in the store, so you can snap a picture while shopping.

You’re Fired! From 6 to 10 p.m., the pottery shop will be hosting a special couples’ night. Couples can reserve a spot where they will receive door prizes and refreshments at the event. After 6 p.m., all adults are welcome to bring an alcoholic beverage of their choice to enjoy while they paint pottery. All day long Saturday, You’re Fired! Is offering two-for-one studio fees to anyone who comes in.

Hueston Woods All are welcome to meet at the Nature Center at 2 p.m. for a hike through the nature trails. Those who are interested are encouraged to bring their vehicles because hikers will be required to drive to the trailhead. Hueston Woods encourages anyone and everyone to participate in the hike as an alternate way to spend the holiday.

Lane & Kate The shop is offering a number of deals all day long. Shoppers can pick up all of their Valentine’s Day necessities in one place — they will be selling flowers from Two Little Buds Florists and offer a number of deals on jewelry and other gifts. The store will also offer free gift-wrapping f or the holiday.

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M I AMI ST U DEN T. N E T PHILL ARNDT THE MIAMI STUDENT

WACKY WEDNESDAY Country group Cadillac Three played for a full crowd at Brick Street on Wednesday. The group played their hit single “The South.”

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IN THE NEWS OXFORD

CINCINNATI

NATIONAL

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Oxford to get its first Graeter’s

Mercy Health CEO sues union for defamation

Ukraine ceasefire deal reached on Thursday

Graeter’s announced that its new store, which will be located at 29 W. High Street, will be open in May. –Journal-News

Michael Connelly has filed a lawsuit against Service Employees International Union for invasion of privacy.

–The Enquirer

11-year-old charged with murder in Cleveland The girl was found guilty of beating a twomonth-old baby to death in her home.

–CNN

An agreement was reached in Minsk at Marathon peace talks.

The ceasefire is set to begin Sunday.

–CNN

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015

FROM DEBT »PAGE 1

The focus of the “Miami Makeover” has been on renovating instead of rebuilding. Remodeling an older building can be done for about 65 to 70 percent of the cost of constructing a new facility, Creamer said. He believes the university has been conscientious in these remodels, focusing on reworking older dormitories for students and their modern technology.

“We believe that the more appropriate path here is to make sure that our facilities are modern and safe, but at the same time we’re not elaborate in the kinds of improvements and amenities that we’re providing,” said Creamer.

Junior Darice Chapel said

she is concerned by the debt the university has undertaken to fund these projects, especially considering the amount which has gone toward building and renovating noneducational facilities.

“I can live in the nicest dorm in the world, but at the end of the day, I’m going to leave that dorm, and the education is what I’ll take with me,” said Chapel. $656 million is a daunting number, but Creamer said he does not see the current debt as a major concern.

“These cycles with debt are things that aren’t uncommon. It occurred back in the 50s and 60s when some of the original residence halls were built,” he said. “Now that we’re having to modernize those, it requires debt again.”

FROM MIAMI PLAN »PAGE 1

ing experiences that are already occurring in many courses,” Hebard said. “This requirement just assures that students at some point have one of the experiences that the Senate document outlines.”

Helane Androne, associate professor of English who was on the Liberal Education Council during the revision process, said that entering students in fall 2015 will begin the revised plan, but continuing students will not be required to adopt it.

Although such changes to the Miami Plan may seem minor, Androne said that the modifications are important toward the quality

MIAMISTUDENT.NET

of students’ education.

“Changes in such a plan attempt to reflect the needs of students, progress in disciplinary scholarship, as well as input from the surrounding employment community,” Androne said.

“As the world’s expectations change, so should our understanding of what it means to be an informed and prepared citizen of that world.”

Dr. Renée Baernstein, history professor and Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, agreed with Androne.

“It’s a fast-changing world and we have to keep current,” Baernstein said. “The revision will provide our students a general education that’s international,

intercultural and flexible … while allowing them to play to their strengths and interests.”

However, not all members of the Miami community are entirely on board.

“I hate [the Miami Plan] because I do understand the well roundedness, but I wish [required Miami Plan courses] didn’t factor into your GPA as much,” sophomore Autumn Peterson said.

She suggested making Miami Plan courses pass-fail, rather than count for letter grades.

Regardless of some students’ reservations, the new Miami Plan will be introduced next semester — and only then will the university be able to study the effectiveness of the revised plan.

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6 OPINION

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015

EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

Halal meat stories draw racist responses, reveal a deeper problem in Oxford EDITORIAL

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

Last week, The Miami Student published an article discussing the sharp criticism we received over a story we printed on the selling of halal meats at Oxford’s Walmart.

Many of our readers were angered both by our original report and by our follow up story, with both receiving more comments online than any other stories we’ve published on our new website.

These comments ranged from appalling racial slurs to those appalled by the lack of racial sensitivity other commenters displayed.

One of these comments read, “Too bad it wasn’t made more difficult so that they would all leave and go back to the crap holes they all emigrated from, replete with as much Sharia law as they want. Halal is just another example of the cruelty Islam imposes upon the world and

its adherents.”

For those who are unaware, halal meats are meats that have been killed according to the Islamic religion. So, halal meats are individually killed animals who have their throats cut, rather than those being killed en masse in factories where we obtain most of our meats in grocery stores.

To put it simply, halal meats are the same as any other form of meat that can be obtained in a grocery store except for the method of slaughter. It’s important to note that killing animals in this way is swift and no more cruel than any other method of butchering meat.

We at The Miami Student want to be clear that we do not agree with the racist and insensitive comments that have been swirling around on our website

Taking notes from grandma LIFE

AMANDA’S APPROACH Sitting on the bench of the Talbots dressing room, my grandmother slowly unties her size-6 shoes, moving her fingers from the worn-out laces only to smooth a few stray hairs that are drifting from her side-part.

Her green eyes steal long glances at the mirror under the fluorescent lights, a place where insecurities set up camp no matter your age.

T h i s doesn’t fit, she says, as she throws a hanger to the side. She doesn’t like her haircut, she says. She needs a different size in these pants, she says, holding them up to me with a half-grin. She smooths her fingers over her wrinkled face, and for a moment, we are just two friends in a dressing room chatting about jeans and sweaters and suntans.

We are separated by nearly 60 years and grew up in starkly different generations, but a part of me really wants to split a bottle of wine with my grandma while watching The Bachelor. A part of me is always bursting with questions about what she thinks about things and how she got here.

My grandma will be 80 years old in June and to me, she’s like this walking Pinterest board. She always knows the right thing to say. She calls me “little one” and “child” and affectionately grabs my lower arm when I tell her about my day.

She makes homemade biscuits and fried chicken and it fills a spot in my soul I never knew I had. She doesn’t believe in the word “can’t,” and she jokingly pokes me if I use it in a sentence.

When she tells me “pretty is as pretty does,” I soak it in like I’m hearing it for the first time.

My grandma is altogether strong-willed, wise and beautiful. She’s earned those adjectives through a span of decades, through hardships and triumphs, through ups and downs and through the simple steadiness of living a long time with grace.

Her given name is Dolly Sue Neikirk, but she dropped the Dolly part in grade school after her classmates teased her.

She just didn’t like it anymore.

Now, she goes by Sue or Mom or Nannie depending on who’s in the room.

She grew up in a poor, tiny Kentucky town called Irvine, one of ten brothers and sisters. She’s always loved learning, but only made it through a few years of high school.

Whenever I think I’ve fully grasped some piece of life, I think about my grandma.

Whenever I start to consider myself wise or resembling a grownup, I think about her story, how much she’s seen and experienced and how many big moments she has saved up in her brain.

I think about her putting on her nicest pantsuit and straightening her shoulders as she walked into a Lexington courthouse. She was 50 and being forced out of a job at a local hospital because of her age. She knew it was wrong, so she did something about it.

I think about her battling cancer. I think about her losing the people she loved the most. I think about the way her face lights up when she tells stories around the breakfast table dating back to when she was my age.

My grandma was never told she could be anything she wanted; there wasn’t a selection of study-abroad programs or fancy internships at her fingertips or a connection to the entirety of the world’s offerings. Her future started to unfold when she met my grandpa and at 17, she was married, had a daughter and my grandpa was far away fighting in a war.

When we dress up in dark suits for career fairs and talk about our grand plans and pretend we’re adults, we’re fooling ourselves a little bit. We’re so young. We’re not grownups and we shouldn’t want to be yet. I don’t really know how life works; I still fumble over can openers.

We’ve only tipped the surface of what being an adult adds up to, of what our life will really be about.

Let’s humbly face that about ourselves. Let’s nudge each other with reminders of how much is unknown, how much is waiting around the corner. And let’s find moments to stand in awe of people who have fully lived, as much as anyone really can, and take notes.

AMANDA HANCOCK

HANCOCAE@MIAMIOH.EDU

TMS ONLINE

MIAMISTUDENT.NET

since we’ve published these stories. Our original intent was to inform the community of a new option available to them at a popular establishment, but it’s now clear we have something larger to discuss.

We know that a large portion of the Oxford community was not involved in the comments displayed on our website, and we aren’t under the impression that all our readers are racist toward Muslims. However, the shocking number of comments and cruel remarks did alarm us to the point that we felt it deserved a reply.

Americans are guaranteed a freedom of religion in the Constitution, and Americans who practice the Islamic faith are no different in that right than Americans who consider

themselves Christian, Jewish or any other religion.

Part of the Islamic faith is consuming halal meats, and therefore there is no reason why they should not have that option available to them at a store that targets people from all backgrounds a nd demographics.

This leads us to a more unsettling issue: the ongoing misunderstanding of the Muslim community in America. Just this week, a man who expressed anti-Islamic viewpoints on various social media platforms killed three Muslim students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

These students were regular young adults like us, who were guilty of nothing more than practicing a faith with which someone didn’t agree. They certainly

did not deserve to be killed; but, due to a lack of understanding of the Islamic religion, they are no longer with us.

This incident paralleled our own fears of racial and religious intolerance right here in Oxford.

We hope that rather than grouping together millions of individuals under misinformed stereotypes, people will begin to understand Islamic people for who they are: humans, like us.

We need to learn from the ignorance displayed in the comments on our website that more work needs to be done to make our community a welcoming and safe place for people of all backgrounds. Until we work to understand each other, events like those in Chapel Hill will continue to transpire around the world.

Revisiting Harper Lee’s classic novel: What makes it so good?

LITERATURE With the announcement that Harper Lee will soon be publishing her second novel, many fans might think about when they first read of “To Kill A Mockingbird,” which has held for 50 years as Lee’s only published work. Many of us who adore the literary classic are counting down the days until we can pick up our copy of “Go Set a Watchman,” which deals with Scout’s character as a young woman and referred to by Lee as “the parent to ‘Mockingbird.”

And then, the excitement might settle into a state of anticipation of the novel that Lee once said would never come to be. Perhaps in this anticipation, we will also reflect on what makes “To Kill a Mockingbird” arguably one of the greatest American novels ever written. We might even start to wonder what makes any novel “great.”

“To Kill a Mockingbird” transcends the time period in which it was originally published, latching onto themes that will continue to be of great significance to the reading public. Looking at other novels that are considered to be one of the “best novels of all time,” we’ll notice a similar trend. Take Tolstoy’s “War

and Peace,” for example. Its themes regarding life, love and war, all of which are still universal and relevant topics today, are referred back to by our generation and will continue to be regarded by later generations.

At the heart of “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a family: a father with a moral compass that surpasses that of the other characters and two children who lose their innocence, discovering the meaning of justice, as well as the frustrating deficiency of justice in the world around them. The family has always been a prominent part, if not the heart, of life for individuals throughout history and around the world. It’s unifying theme.

Atticus is a universal symbol of justice and morality, primarily in a court of law — a hero of sorts who does what is right at any cost.

We read “To Kill a Mockingbird” in much the same manner as Scout learns from Atticus, both from his fatherly advice and even more so through the example that he sets for his children and for the rest of Maycomb County, Alabama. The novel hones in on the idea of racism, which even after the Civil Rights Movement, remains a prominent issue in the United States in the year 2015.

The novel also focuses on unfounded prejudices against certain characters,

namely the iconic Boo Radley, based on their “otherness” in relation to the rest of society. As long as prejudice exists in the world, “To Kill a Mockingbird” will continue to raise important questions about society.

The novel is, on the one hand, relatable; and, on the other, representative of virtue, of pushing personal judgments and appearances out of the forefront of the mind so that the truth may shine through.

So again, I ask, what goes into the creation of a great novel? Above all, such a novel must focus primarily on themes that always have been and will continue to be pertinent to society. Such topics include family relationships, morality, justice and love. As long as the world continues to turn, these ideas will still matter to readers. A great novel will continue to inspire readers to live in a certain way in relation to those themes. It encourages intellectual and moral growth and cultivates a strong sense of hope and desire to work for something good and right in a world where improvement does not always seem possible. “To Kill a Mockingbird does exactly this, and I expect “Go Set a Watchman” to do the same.

EMILY WESTERFIELD

WESTEREC@MIAMIOH.EDU

What I learned from taking a class on Hamilton’s campus SCHOOL MADELEINE’S MATTERS I accidentally scheduled a class on Miami’s Hamilton campus this semester, and it’s the best and most informative mistake I have ever made.

When we all filed back to school in January, I searched frantically for a replacement class, but none of the six professors I emailed or spoke with had enough room for me to force-add. I was out of luck. Once a week, I would be commuting to Hamilton to take a Shakespeare and Film class.

It was like coming to college all over again. The satellite campus consists of a smattering of buildings around a small courtyard, plus a few parking lots, a gymnasium and help centers. I had no idea where I was going, even on such a small campus, and there were new faces everywhere. My first class had people of all ages in it (the average student age on Miami’s regional campuses is 24), and we spent three hours learning about Shakespeare.

I’m currently writing this article in Schwarm Hall, Hamilton’s more intimate version of Armstrong Student Center. It doesn’t have $1,300 lamps, leather armchairs and marble floors, a flat screen the size of a small house, or a movie theater.

And, it is so much better than Armstrong.

In fact, there is a large part of me that likes this tiny campus better than Oxford’s.

As I sit in Schwarm, I see more people from more backgrounds coming together than I’ve ever seen on central campus. I see students actually talking and laughing over lunch, about (gasp!) things other than Greek life, around circle tables meant to foster conversation. Though I’m sure they are here, I don’t see one long, puffy North Face jacket. Where are the salmon pants? Where are the typical Miami people?

Miami’s regional campuses are still a part of Miami’s education system. The classes here are still taught by outstanding professors that want their students to learn and appreciate what they are talking about.

But the differences between locations and even their energy couldn’t be more striking.

And some of the differences between Miami’s regional and central campuses are more interesting than others.

First, Miami Regionals, according to Miami’s website, have “among the lowest tuition rates of regional campuses in Ohio.” Miami Central, however, has one of the most expensive out-of-state tuition and fees in the entire country, totaling at over $41,000 this year. Why? (On a more minor scale, parking here is totally free. What?)

Miami was also named the No. 1 Most Efficient National University Producing High Quality Results

this year. That’s just a prestigioussounding sentence for “we get the best results from our professors at the lowest prices.”

Is Miami profiting off the demographics they are primarily able to take advantage of (i.e. their professors, their central campus students)?

I suppose that is a rhetorical question.

When students or potential visitors find the Miami website, they see a panel flashing by at the top of the screen quoting Robert Frost, who said Miami has “the most beautiful campus there ever was.” We all know about the “Miami Makeover” plans that have either blessed or plagued the campus (insert your opinion here) for what feels like forever, but to what extent is Miami making the efforts to refresh its regional campuses? In a 2012 news release detailing the “Miami Makeover,” only Oxford campus sites are listed as primary focuses. There is literally nothing that talks about Hamilton, Middletown, or West Chester.

Students at Miami’s regional campuses are Miami students, and are contributing to Miami’s legacy. They deserve the efforts of the Miami administration just as much as central campus students do. It’s hard enough to commute to college, work parttime, take care of a family (in some cases), and have a life all at once; doing these things without proof that the institution you attend thinks you’re worth a little investment could be near impossible.

MADELEINE LAPLANTE-DUBE LAPLANMM@MIAMIOH.EDU

EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

OPINION 7

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015

Would Miami be better off without Greek Life? Readers respond LETTER TO THE EDITOR

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Joining in: Greek life gives students a sense of belonging In reference to the effects of Greek Life at Miami, the more resonating notions proposed by The Editorial Board seemed to be in regards to identity: how first-years’ clean identity slates are “crushed” by Greek Life.

The piece assumes a more unified campus would be the result of scrapping unnecessary Greek organizations altogether.

Instead of crafting a lengthy refutation to these claims, I simply wish to frame them in another perspective.

Let’s change focus and look at our lives on a macro scale.

If you’re human, you’ve identified with countless groups over the course of your life, and you will continue to do so for as long as you live.”

Ever since elementary school, we have had an innate drive for social inclusion or a sense of belonging. This is satisfied by joining clubs and sports teams, or even by seeking employment at a specific company, firm or institution.

Bottom line: if you’re human, you’ve identified with countless groups over the course of your life, and you will continue to do so for as long as you live.

We join groups because of personal congruence with regards to personality, ideology, values, interests, etc. These are the same motivations driving underclassmen towards fraternities and sororities, groups of people with specific values, goals, personalities and purposes. The negativity associated with Greek organizations

exists mostly due to their prevalence on campus. Some people think they foster a negative social environment because of widespread student alcohol abuse or by actions committed by a few members of these organizations.

But should they really take all the blame? Without Greek Life, wouldn’t there still be organizations contributing to the social dynamic at Miami? Would they be judged similarly?

Like any other organization, I joined a fraternity because I felt a sense of compatibility. I felt that belonging to this particular group would benefit me and complement my values and goals. And at the end of the day, I can surely say that I have been unified with many others on campus because of it.

Not including those in my fraternity, I would never have met more people on campus and in the Oxford community without joining my Greek organization.

With that perspective in mind, I challenge you to briefly change your focus and think about your experience with Greek organizations on campus.

Are they actually doing more harm than good? Do you really think they make us less unified as a community? Do you think this is worth debating at all?

Yes, I chose to join a Greek organization, but more importantly, I chose to attend Miami University, a place that I am proud to call home.

Let’s never forget the two words that unify us all: Love amd Honor.

BENJAMIN MEACHAM

SENIOR, MICROBIOLOGY MEACHABP@MIAMIOH.EDU

RULE OF THUMB VALETINE’S ON A SATURDAY Lucikly for all you lovers, Valentine’s Day is on a Saturday. No pressure to fit in romantic gestures in the middle of a busy class schedule. The sky is the limit!

ARREST WARRANT FOR PUNXATAWNEY PHIL Police in New Hampshire have issued an “arrest warrant” for everyone’s favorite groundhog. We don’t like winter, but is the poor guy really to blame?

JON STEWART LEAVING THE DAILY SHOW We like our news with a side of satire and we don’t know what we’ll do without Jon Stewart.

PROSTHEICS GIVE SENSE OF TOUCH The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) is in the process of creating prosthetic arms and hands that will provide amputees with a sense of touch.

BRIAN WILLIAMS LYING Oh, you just happened to forget the details? As one of the most trusted news anchors in our era is suspended for telling tales, we’re all a little sad and mad. Yep, we’re smad.

GRAETERS COMING TO OXFORD You will soon be able to wallk Uptown and grab a scoop of your your favorite Greater’s ice cream. Now, the countdown until May begins ...

As a former fraternity president and staff member of The Miami Student, I find this editorial to be wholly inaccurate and a disappointing display of journalism.

Discriminating based on stereotypes is wrong — the message is deplorably divisive and predicated on falsehoods. Sad day for TMS.”

Why I’m dropping out of my sorority as a senior I am a second semester senior at Miami, and up until about a week ago, I was in a sorority. Full disclosure: I haven’t gone through the complete deactivation process, so I have yet to “officially” join the ranks of Miami’s GDIs. Right off the bat I want to say I don’t think Miami would be better off without Greek Life, but I do think the Greek system on this campus specifically has some issues it needs to address.

Yes, going Greek can provide life-long friendships, leadership experience and opportunities to socialize. But it also asks students to self-segregate and adhere to a system of mass generalizations.

As a previous member of a sorority not at the top of the food chain, I can personally attest to the negative effects of social segregation. I felt as though certain parties, events and even friendships were off limits to me, or at the very least I had to work harder to be extended an invitation. I felt I was no longer worthy of the attention of those in higherranking organizations. I can only imagine the restrictions felt by those who are unaffiliated all together.

I want to be clear that at no point did I see myself as “less than,” but I felt that’s how I was being perceived. Maybe this is a personal issue. I can already hear the arguments claiming this is self-deprecation. But I don’t think it is. I know there are plenty of other students who feel or have felt inferior based on their Greek designation. I have personally spoken with many of them throughout my time at Miami.

Greek life is a system that

- Baylor Myers, via Facebook As a member of Greek life and the editorial board, I understand why people were upset by our piece.

Although I’ve had a wonderful experience in my sorority, I think there are enough problems in Greek life as a whole that the piece was important to start a discussion.

We aren’t anti-Greek, we’re against the divides and stereotypes associated with the Greek system.”

-Abbey Gingras, editorial editor

I can understand the Board’s point, but if you don’t have a desire to join Greek life, then do what the majority of students including myself did: don’t join. There are numerous other ways to make a positive impact on the Miami U community.”

-Vikas Satyal, via Facebook

asks its participants to categorize themselves and that’s not inherently bad; it’s human nature that gets in the way. To believe that judgment based on these categorizations won’t arise and consequently affect those in the system is a mindset reminiscent of the “separate but equal” advocates. Organizations and their members will be judged, and someone will come out on top and reap the benefits, and someone will suffer the consequences.

Since going Greek is voluntary, if you are willing to roll the dice and join the system, that’s your prerogative.

The problem arises when it becomes the dominant culture and when your label within that system becomes what defines you outside of it.

That is what has happened at Miami. How many times have I gone to a party and the first thing I’m asked is not my name, but what sorority I’m in? Has that happened to you?

How many times have you described a student at this school by their affiliation, or made assumptions about them because of it. I’ll be honest: I’m guilty of this behavior, and I know I’m not alone.

I don’t know how to fix this problem, but I think the first step is acknowledging it exists. If we could all be a little less reliant on our labels, if we could define ourselves by our other interests, or at the very least acknowledge we are more than the organizations we choose to join, this school would be a better place.

MARIAH KLINE

SENIOR, MARKETING MARIAH.KLINE@GMAIL.COM

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Editor in chief disagrees with Greek editorial, shifts focus to the danger of drinking culture GREEK It’s never easy to dissent, to deviate from the accepted beliefs and traditions of those around you, whether it’s political partisanship, familial religious beliefs or cultural norms. That’s why I wasn’t surprised Tuesday when The Miami Student staff editorial, “We don’t want a bid to Greek Life: Miami would be better off without it,” received a barrage of negativity from those who have dedicated themselves to the tradition of the Greek system.

That is also why I hesitated to write this response.

While Tuesday’s editorial did represent the majority opinion of the staff, it was not wholly in line with my own. I respect the opinions of my co-workers, my friends, but in this instance I feel the need to distinguish my views from the ones expressed earlier this week, and delve into what I believe is the most pressing matter brought up in debate.

We drink ... a lot. And when I say we, I don’t mean Greeks, I don’t mean Miami students. I mean college students across the nation. Revelation, I know.

We cannot just point fingers at the Greek system for a problem that would persist regardless.

We come to school with this preconceived notion of what it will be. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. As a result, we are literally drinking ourselves into the hospital, sometimes even to death. We pregame the pregame,

then we go to the party to drink, then we go to the bars to drink some more.

I focus on this aspect of the editorial because I don’t feel it’s my place to say whether the relationships made in Greek life are superficial or artificial, as the editorial argues. I know plenty of people who are very close with those they got to know, and I know plenty of people who are frustrated with the entire process.

I also know that with 16,000 undergraduate students at Miami, there are plenty of other ways to get involved and plenty of other people to meet if you choose not to involve yourself in Greek life.

Regardless, at it’s core the Greek system aims to create a social bond, to instill loyalty and respect within a group of peers. I am of the belief that any opportunity or experience that exposes you to new people, whether you end up becoming close or not, is a positive one, in theory. I do not wish to see the institution abolished. However, the means of creating these bonds seems to have morphed over the years into something rather disturbing, something destructive. Reform is needed, but the rest of the student body is not exempt.

Generation after generation members attempt to one-up those who came before them. More drinking, bigger parties, harsher hazing. At some point we need to stop and ask ourselves, where is the limit? And why do we feel the need to continuously push it?

Don’t Fuck Your Brother — one of the many common hazing rituals in which pledges are handed a handle of Jack Daniels or some other 80 proof liquor, assigned an order in which they must chug and told the last person has to finish whatever remains. If the brothers who come before you, many freshman with little exposure to alcohol, don’t drink their “fair share,” then the last guy is left with a third of the bottle to pound.

There are 17 standard drinks in a bottle of Jack Daniels, 17 shots.

The size of the group participating varies. I’ve heard the horror stories, and I would be surprised to find a Miami student who hasn’t. So my question is, who’s fucking whom? Are the upperclassmen fucking the pledges by forcing the game? Are the pledges fucking themselves by partaking? Or are we, as a culture that is aware of this kind of torture, responsible by accepting it as commonplace?

I understand the rationale behind hazing, though I don’t condone it. When human beings are placed under extreme, trying circumstances, we grow close to those who share the experience — those who made it out to the other side — but, when this facilitated process exposes us to real danger, beyond the control of those facilitating, then it is counterproductive. In the past, Greeks provided the same underlying ALCOHOL »PAGE 8

8 FYI

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015

The Miami Student Reis Thebault

Katie Taylor

News Editor

Editor in Chief

Victoria Slater Associate Editor

Kyle Hayden Design Editor

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Emily Tate, James Steinbauer University Editors

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Sammie Miller Community Editors Lauren Kiggins Culture Editor

Ryan Reichel, Ben Perkins, Michael Vu, Sydney Medema, Joshua Scheits, Jackie Zuriekat Advertising Representatives

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

The content of The Miami Student is the sole responsibility of The Miami

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COVER IMAGE BY EMILY SABANEGH

ALCOHOL »PAGE 7

terproductive. In the past, Greeks provided the same underlying social value without this level of self-destruction, so it’s possible to reap the benefits, minus the alcohol poisoning. We know not all organizations take part in this, but its prevalence is beyond understanding. Greeks need to acknowledge things have gotten out of hand, rather than push back against anyone who seems to threaten the tradition.

There is value in the Greek experience, but we need to re-examine the strategies.

It’s not just Greeks who are pushing the limits. Week after week the stories of students from all corners of campus fill The Miami Student Police Beat.

We are all tiptoeing the line, drinking far too much far too often. How many kids need to pass out in freezing temperatures in the snow? How many kids need to be arrested for getting belligerent Uptown while in pursuit of the perfect night? We all have different limits that we need to become aware of.

I don’t have an answer to this problem. It would be naïve to think there is, to think tearing down organizations would solve everything. There is no quick fix, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t search for some solutions, and recognizing the danger —the irrationality of it all — needs to be the first step.

KATIE TAYLOR

TAYLO119@MIAMIOH.EDU

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FROM BASEBALL »PAGE 10

named to the All-MAC Second Team and returns this season.

The RedHawks return eight position starters and two starting pitchers from last season, including four of the five players who hit over .305 last season. With nearly all of the starters returning this season, Hayden expects big things from his team.

“We’re not going out there to have a cool experience at FROM COLUMN »PAGE 10

turmoil regarding UNC’s academics and college sports as a whole, Smith stands out from many coaches due to his commitment to his kids both on and off the court.

Another way that Smith was unique figure in coaching was his awareness of social issues. As a player at Topeka High School (Kansas) in 1949, he came to the principal’s office to ask that the segregated teams of the high school merge and refused to be denied. Years later at North Carolina, he helped integrate the local businesses of Chapel Hill, and later ACC Basketball via the recruitment of Charlie Scott, the first African-American scholarship athlete at North Carolina, in 1966.

Smith also took stances on controversial issues during and after his coaching career, such as the FROM MENS BBALL »PAGE 10

ting 24 by the end of the game.

“We just had entirely too many turnovers to finish the game with 24 turnovers, but 15 of those being in the first half, and 20 of those turnovers coming out of our backcourt you really put yourself in a precarious situation,” Cooper said after the game. “A lot of

9

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015

Mississippi State or going to South Carolina to have a neat experience in South Carolina,” Hayden said. “We’re going there to beat them. That’ll be a really good test for our guys to see how they handle teams of that caliber and how prepared and ready we are to beat those guys.”

Senior Ryan Elble led the team last season with a .317 batting average as well as a .395 on-base percentage. Elble played 40 games at shortstop last

season, but will start this season in left field.

“I don’t really mind,” Elble said. “I kind of bumped around the last couple years and obviously I’m pretty flexible. I’m doing whatever to help the team win.

Whatever is best for the team any way I can contribute.”

The RedHawks kick off the season Feb. 13 against Cincinnati, and Feb. 14 against Mississippi State. First pitch for both games is 1 p.m. in Starkville, Mississippi.

Vietnam and Iraq wars, nuclear weapons proliferation, gay rights and the death penalty. In regards to capital punishment, he took some of his Tar Heel players to North Carolina’s death row and Louisiana’s Angola Prison to meet the prisoners.

“Dean Smith taught courage, fairness and leadership,” UNC professor Altha Cavey told thenation.com. “As I learn more about the way he lived his life — confronting white supremacy, opposing imperialist war — understand more what we have lost.

It is ironic to note that the university’s so-called leaders — the ones celebrating his life today — have been engaged in five years of stonewalling, whitewashing and cover-up about misdeeds in UNC’s basketball program, the very program in which Dean Smith demonstrated that doing the right thing is always more important than winning or

looking good.”

It is disappointing that more coaches don’t follow Smith’s lead and show their players that they aren’t one dimensional.

Something is lost when players see them as not men or women with meaningful thoughts and insights of their own, but instead as just coaches.

The shame of it is that coaches who do take stances such as this are often vilified in the media for the stances they take as it is outside of what they do as coaches and they are seen as using their platform for their own agendas. But what truly matters is not where coaches stand: It’s that they stand and give an example of standing up for something you believe in to their players and others.

live ball turnovers, a lot of turnovers that were around the top of the key area to allow them to get into transition.”

The Bobcats (9-13, 4-7 MAC) are coming off a home loss to Central Michigan University, 6857. The Bobcats trailed by 19 at halftime and weren’t able to overcome the large deficit.

This is the first meeting of the

season between the two teams, who will also face each other again Mar. 6 in the regular season finale for both teams. After a recent string of close losses for the RedHawks, they look for a win on a special day for Miami athletics, as another jersey will be hanging in the rafters.

Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

FROM WOMEN’S BBALL »PAGE 10

Lampkins averages 13 points per game and leads the team in rebounds with 6.9 per game.

The task for Miami is going to be how well it can stop, or at least limit, Black and Lampkins.

“I don’t think you’re going to necessarily stop them,” Wright said. “We’ve got to try to limit them.”

Overall, Ohio comes into the game with the second best offense and defense in the conference. The Bobcats average 71.2 points per game and only allow FROM SOFTBALL »PAGE 10

home run and five RBIs. Sophomore pitcher/utility player Christiana Gable has been a big part of the offense as well, going 6 for 13 with a team-high two homers and nine RBIs. Junior pitcher Natalie Ayala has struggled mightily this season, surrendering 38 hits and 15 earned

56.3, the largest margin in the conference at 14.9.

Miami is at the polar opposite end of the spectrum. The RedHawks score 53.6 per game, worst in the conference, and allow 66 per game, third worst in the MAC. The game is also the second annual “Think Pink” game. The RedHawks and Zeta Tau Alpha sorority are trying to raise money for the local charity, Luna Cares.

All of the money raised will stay in the Oxford area for patients battling breast cancer.

Tip is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Millett Hall. runs in three starts.

“If we play at our level, these are winnable games,” Crowell said.

“They’re a good team and they’re well coached. They’ll be aggressive in the box and we’ll have to make good pitches. We respect them; the stats don’t really tell the story.”

The RedHawks square off in the doubleheader against Austin Peay starting at 1 p.m. Friday.

JORDAN RINARD

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10 SPORTS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015

Miami missing in MACtion no more

After 10 losses to start conference play, Miami finally gets a win

SPORTS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

Red and White look to defend MAC East title BASEBALL

RedHawks, and the team made big strides under his leadership last season. Miami finished second in the MAC with a .284 batting average, with five Red-

JACK BREWER GRACE REMINGTON FOR THE MIAMI STUDENT

CONNOR MORIARTY THE MIAMI STUDENT

Freshman guard Kayla Brown looks to fire a pass during Miami’s 61-53 loss to Western Michigan in Miami’s last home game on Jan. 31. Brown is second on the team with 8.2 points per game.

WOMEN’S BBALL

The RedHawks found themselves down 13-6 with 15:10 remaining in the first. But Miami quickly turned it on from there, going on a 13-2 run to take a 1915 lead.

After freshman guard Ana Richter nailed her second three of the half, the RedHawks took a 30-24 lead to half.

The Red and White shot 62.5 percent from the field in the second half, going 15-24. The RedHawks were able to outscore the Golden Flashes 39-29 and hold on for the win.

Freshman guard Baleigh Reid led the RedHawks on a night she played in front of her family, who made the trip from nearby Twinsburg.

Reid scored 15 points, going 4 of 12 from the field and adding six points via the charity stripe.

“We’d like to take that hometown crowd to Oxford with us,”

DANIEL TAYLOR

FOR THE MIAMI STUDENT

For the first time since Dec. 29, when Miami University beat Davidson College, the RedHawks (4-18, 1-10 Mid-American Conference) felt what it was like to win.

Miami defeated Kent State University 69-53 for the ’Hawks first conference win of the season.

“It’s nice to see everything come together for us,” redshirt sophomore forward Tamira Ford said.

Kent State (3-19, 1-10 MAC) lost its eighth consecutive contest. The Golden Flashes now fall to the bottom of the MAC East and Miami is out of the gutter for the first time since conference play began.

’Hawks host Bobcats MEN’S BASKETBALL

that,” Miami head coach John Cooper said. “It’s certainly nice to see his name will be hanging in the rafters.”

The RedHawks (8-16, 3-8 MidAmerican Conference) are in the midst of a three-game losing streak, with two of those losses being by two points or less. The team is coming off a road loss to Eastern Michigan Feb. 10, in which the Eagles shot lights out from behind the arc en route a 14-point victory. The RedHawks struggled with turnovers all night, commit-

JACK BREWER

FOR THE MIAMI STUDENT

The Miami University men’s basketball team faces off against in-state rival Ohio University Saturday in Millet Hall. During the game, Charlie Coles’ No. 10 jersey will be retired and hung in the rafters, marking the sixth Miami men’s basketball jersey to be retired.

“Coach Coles, I mean, you bring up his name and there’s a lot of success that goes along with

COLUMN »PAGE 9

NUMBER OF THE DAY

10

The number worn by former Miami player and head men’s basketball coach Charlie Coles. It will be the sixth number hung in the rafters of Millett Hall when it is retired Saturday. Coles, who died in 2013, is the all-time winningest in Miami basketball history.

Sign up for the Bumperball Tournament!

Saturday, February 21st at the Rec Sports Center Teams of six can sign-up online at IMleague.com

head coach Cleve Wright said.

Reid was not the only RedHawk in double figures. Junior forward Jessica Rupright had 12 and senior guard Courtney Larson added 11 of her own.

The RedHawks reward for getting its first conference win, the MAC leading Ohio University Bobcats.

Ohio (19-3, 10-1 MAC) currently sits atop the MAC East and carries a nine game winning streak into the Battle of the Bricks.

The Bobcats defeated Bowling Green State University 71-46 Wednesday evening.

OU is led by junior guard Kiyanna Black. Black averages 15.8 points per game, good for seventh in the MAC. Sophomore guard Quiera Lampkins is right behind her.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL »PAGE 9

The Miami University baseball team opens up the 2015 season this weekend, traveling south for the Mississippi State Classic.

After winning the Mid-American Conference East division last season with an 18-9 conference record, the RedHawks expect to reclaim the division, as well as contend for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

“Our expectations are extremely high,” manager Danny Hayden said. “I think we did a nice job last season in the MAC East, but we fell a little short of our goals last year. We left some things on the field that I think we might take care of this year.”

Hayden is entering his second season as the skipper of the

Our expectations are extremely high. I think we did a nice job last season in the MAC East, but we fell a little short of our goals.”

DANNY HAYDEN

MANAGER

Hawks hitting over .305. Additionally, two RedHawk pitchers, Seth Varner and Ryan Powers, were selected in the MLB Draft in June. Varner was the first Miami pitcher to win MAC Pitcher of the Year. Powers was BASEBALL »PAGE 9

Dean Smith’s real legacy COLUMN

players go on to have NBA careers.

But, more important than his accolades is the work that he did off the court for the betterment of everyone around him.

UNC basketball had a graduation rate of 97 percent under Smith’s watch and was respected so much by the University that he was bestowed the Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1998. During Michael Jordan’s and James Worthy’s junior year at UNC, the coach told them to go pro, despite the benefits that he would have gained if they both stayed. He was also a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013. With all the recent

RINARD’S RUNDOWN The sports world lost a giant last weekend with the passing of former North Carolina men’s basketball coach Dean Smith Saturday. In his 36 years at the helm for the Tar Heels, he amassed the then-most wins by a coach with 879, had the ninth highest winning percentage at 77.6 percent, made it to 11 Final Fours, won two national championships and had a plethora of

COLUMN »PAGE 9

RedHawks suit up for Colorado College MEN’S HOCKEY GRACE REMINGTON STAFF WRITER

The Miami University men’s hockey team hits the road for a series with Colorado College this weekend.

Miami (16-9-1, 9-6-1-1 NCHC) is 3-3 all-time against Colorado College (5-19-1, 1-14-1 NCHC) and has won the last three headto-head meetings. The RedHawks posted 3-0 and 5-1 wins against the Tigers in November. Colorado is ranked last in the conference and has dropped its last six games, being outscored 27-7 in the process.

Though the Tigers may appear to be less of a threat statistically speaking, head coach Enrico Blasi does

not underestimate their skillset.

“We respect everybody in our league, including Colorado College,” Blasi said in his weekly press conference. “They’re as good a team as anybody in the league … no one in our league looks at standings or anything like that. This is a tough league from top to bottom, and anybody can beat anybody.”

Miami has outshot its opponent in 22 of its last 25 games and is third nationally with a +9.38 average shot margin per game. The RedHawk penalty kill in the last 18 games has a success rate of 90.7 percent.

Junior goaltender Jay Williams has a .900 save percentage in 14 of his last 18 games and ranks fifth in the nation with a 1.74 goals against average.

Junior forward Cody Bradley

leads the Tigers’ offense with 21 points on eight goals and 13 assists.

Sophomore Tyler Marble and freshman Chase Perry have been spitting time in net. They combine for a 3.87 goals against average and an .880 save percentage.

Conference wins are becoming increasingly important as the postseason draws closer. Blasi said the team will be “taking it one game at a time” in order to gather conference.

“Everybody’s out for the same thing,” Blasi said. “With four weeks left in the season … you can’t look at the scoreboard, you can’t worry about what other teams are doing.

Every team controls their own destiny … you play every game like it’s your last game, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

MU prepares for Austin Peay SOFTBALL JORDAN RINARD

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

After leaving opening weekend with a winning record, the Miami University softball team now turns its attention to a road doubleheader against Austin Peay University. The RedHawks (3-2) split their games against the Governors (1-4) last season and had the doubleheader moved to Friday due to weather.

“We had to alter our practice plans a bit because of the schedule change and now we really have just two days of practice,” head coach Clarisa Crowell.

“We still need to focus on us and what we need to do on offense and defense. We need to play with great fundamentals and energy and compete.”

The offense for Miami was productive over last weekend and hopes to continue its pace against Austin Peay. Senior center fielder Tiyona Marshall, junior right

fielder Taylor Shuey and junior outfielder Tanya Busby all have hit over .400 so far this season.

Shuey and senior left fielder Bree Lipscomb are tied for the team lead in RBIs with three. The team was also efficient in getting players over as it went eight for eight in stealing bases.

The defense has some room for improvement as it committed six fielding errors over the weekend, while its opponents

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SOFTBALL »PAGE 9