The Miami Student | April 19, 2024

ANDREW RELVAS THE MIAMI STUDENT

The Miami University RedHawks softball team has been a powerful program in recent years.

For the past 10 seasons, the RedHawks have had seven winning seasons with an overall record of 327-223-2. During that 10 year period, Miami had six seasons of 30 Mid-American Conference (MAC) regular season standings four consecutive times from 2019-2023.

It’s no question the RedHawks have been blessed with All-MAC talent for the past 10 years, their talent has not only been apparent within the conference, it has also been apparent on the national stage. This season, Miami ranks nationally in multiple categories includingis at .357, second in on-base percent-

slugging percentage at .750.

Miami currently has eight hitters in the MAC with batting averages

15 for hits, seven who rank top 10 for RBIs and seven who rank top 10 in homers.

Two of Miami’s top hitters are players who are having career years.in the MAC in RBIs, and both are in the top 15 in batting average.

Those two players are Jenna Golembiewski and Karli Spaid.

er, has been special in her three years for the red and white. Last year, she broke out in a big way with a .306

batting average in 134 at-bats with 41 hits, 17 homers and 36 RBIs on route to a MAC Player of the Year selection. This year, Golembiewski already has nearly twice as many RBIs at 66, 18 more hits at 59 and seven more homers which are second in the nation with 24. Golembiewski

said he supports the bill with the exception of removing gender-neutral bathrooms. He believes providing or not providing gender-neutral bathrooms should be left up to the individual schools, not the state.

by Scott and Macy to photo essays and slideshows by Sarah Frosch. Jessica Monahan placed as category with her broad spectrum of photos from RedHawk athletics. Raquel Hirsch and Olivia Patel category for their fall podcast People and Policies. For hard news, The Student won

projects and organizations that aim to improve life in Oxford.

Ray Mock, the Greater Oxford Community Foundation board president, said the mission of the Foundation is always at the forefront of all of their decisions.

“[The foundation] is an important organization that has, since its founding, worked to make sure that Oxford is a happy, healthy and well-served community,” Mock said.

The primary mechanism by which the Oxford Community Foundation supports the community is through allocating money, primarily through grants, for organizations wanting to start projects in Oxford. Betsy Hope, the executive director of the foundation, said that giving these grants is one of the more noticeable ways that people can see the impact of the organization.

that serve our area, from Big Brothers [and] Big Sisters to our local food pantry and arts related organizations,” Hope said. “Just about anything that would help develop our community and make it better: the environment, the arts, health, beau-

The foundation has given away more than $7 million and has more than $13 million in assets. A lot of this money comes from donations from community members, which are given directly back to the Oxford community. Stephanie Penrod, the operations director for the Oxford Community Foundation, said that donations go a long way in helping the foundation serve the Oxford community. “[Donors] can specify what they want their donations to go towards,” Penrod said.

RAQUEL HIRSCH OXFORD EDITOR

The Department of Political Science hosted Mick Mulvaney, president of End Citizens United and Let America Vote, on April 15 for the spring 2024 JANUS Forum. This semester, the forum was entitled “Bought and Paid For? Money, Speech, and Elections in America.”

The two guests discussed monduring elections and the Supreme Court case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (often known as “Citizens United”).

In 2010, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that corporations providing funding for independent political broadcasts cannot be limited in their contribution amount. However, since the ruling, there has been discussion about overturning the case.

Mulvaney provided an opening comment, emphasizing the importance of maintaining precedent on the decision.

“[The Citizens United ruling is] better than the alternative,” Mulvaney said, “which is why I make the case tonight that even though you might not like the way this decision came down, it’s the right decision, and that we can live with it, and it’s not going to be the end of the world.”

Muller responded with her opening remarks, countering that Citizens United has wrongfully put a price tag on the election process.

“The Citizens United decision was particularly disastrous on our political system,” Muller said. undisclosed [money that’s] connected to every single issue that we all care about.” Muller also made a point that one of her organization’s main

“They can start funds for certain projects or organizations [and those] donations [go] back out to the community. So donating is important.”

Organizations that want a grant for their projects can apply to any of the three application dates that the Oxford Community Foundation various organizations, ranging from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars.

Some of the grants the foundation gives out include an annual $30,000 grant to Miami University’s Psychology Department for graduate students furthering their education and a $4,000 grant to the Three Valley Conservation Trust.

In addition to awarding grants to various organizations, the Greater Oxford Community Foundation also awards multiple scholarships to graduating Talawanda High School seniors.This is also where Hope said she sees how much the scholarships from the foundation uplifts the community. “[One of the] most satisfying ways that we see [the impact] is when we give our scholarships because it’s always a fantastic investment,” Hope said. “I think it makes kids from this area know their community is behind that because all that money is donated from people in our area.”

Scholarships even allow people in the area to become involved with the Oxford Community Foundation.

“Our scholarship committee is a group of community volunteers that work really hard at reviewing all the scholarship applications from the high school seniors and making those decisions,” Hope said.

Currently, the foundation is processing both grant and scholarship applications. “It’s an exciting time here at the foundation, because it’s spring and spring means scholarships,” Hope said. “We’re getting ready right now for the April 15

objectives is to pass the Freedom to Vote Act, which would limit “big money” in politics, expand and preserve the right to vote and prevent gerrymandering.

“I don’t believe money is the most powerful force in our politics,” Muller said. “I believe it’s people.”

The conversation then shifted to Citizens United impact trust in the government and the political process.

ed South Carolina. He also said that money is not necessarily a source of evil in politics. Mulvaney went on to discuss how,

while politicians could theoretically be corrupted by money, it doesn’t tend to happen. “What happens in elections is you get money from people who have already looked at you and said ‘You know what, I like the way this person thinks … so I’m gonna go try and raise money to help that person,’” Mulvaney said. “That’s what most of this money is all about.”

Muller said that access to money is essentially required to even degovernment that doesn’t mirror the makeup of the United States.

“You decide that you want to runtions are: ‘How much money can you raise?’ and ‘Can you take 18 months Muller said. “This is why we ended

up with a Congress that, frankly, doesn’t America.” Mulvaney also talked about raising money while campaigning, particularly how the fundraising process is not the central goal of a politician.

“I hated the amount of time I had to spend raising money, it’s not the job I thought I wanted,” Mulvaney said. “I wish that [campaigning] could have been a debate between two people … allowing people to get together to have their voices heard is actually a good thing.”

To close out the forum, Muller and Mulvaney came together in agreement on the topic of gerrymandering. Mulvaney began by pointing out states in the 2020 election that experienced the impact of the issue and stated that congressional districts do not need to be drawn up this way. “[Gerrymandering] is not in the Constitution,” Mulvaney said. “States can choose to allocate their delega-

still preserving our procedures.” Muller, though politically across the aisle, echoed the same message. “Gerrymandering has got to go,” Muller said. “We shouldn’t have racial gerrymandering. We shouldn’t

have partisan gerrymandering. I couldn’t agree more.”

The forum was attended by many students and faculty members, including Kirsten Osteboe, a sophomore diplomacy and global politics major. After following the 2020 election and the beginning of the 2024 election, Osteboe found the subject of the forum relevant and important.

“I think [the topic] is really prevalent right now, especially going into an election year,” Osteboe said. “I think it’s a big concern right now, especially because so many states are either passing laws to make voting of people, and I think it’s something that needs to be talked about.”

Anne Whitesell, an assistant professor of political science and associate director of the Menard Family Center for Democracy, a co-sponsor of the event, was also in attendance.

“I think this is one of the rare times where students get to hear from multiple sides about an important issue,” Whitesell said. “Usually, we live in echo chambers where you’re just hearing your own side. So I think the JANUS Forum is a nice opportunity for students to hear multiple perspectives.”

The next JANUS Forum will take place in

Oxford plagued with assaults, stolen packages and TikTok harassment

ADAM SMITH BUSINESS MANAGER

Between April 8 and April 15, Oxford police responded to 18 incidents, according to the Oxford Police Department’s reports. were dispatched to the 5200 block of College Corner Pike for a report of he had been assaulted. A warrant has been placed on the suspect for aswere dispatched to the 300 block suspect had choked his girlfriend during an argument. The suspect and strangulation.

On April 11 at 3:47 p.m., in the reported a package was stolen from their doorstep. The theft was recordLater that same day, at 4:45 p.m., 200 block of W. Church St. for a different stolen package. The caller statstolen the package from their front porch, but there is no known suspect at this time. responded to a burglary in the 300 lying in bed, they heard a loud noise and found their air conditioning lythe suspect running away with parts from the air conditioner. were dispatched to the 10 block of

Karli Spaid and Jenna Golembiewski: Miami softball’s powerful 1-2 punch

At 12:13 p.m. of the same day, in the 300 block of W. Sycamore St., a was found in possession of suspected narcotics. He was transported to the Butler County Jail and charges are pending lab analysis.

On April 14 at 8:18 p.m., in the spoke with subjects about a TikTok harassment complaint. smith646@miamioh.edu

Co-chairs of the mission statement committee explore key concepts with ASG

Senator Danny Martin ran uncontested and was elected secretary

Martin said he wants to follow the example of the current Secretary of Martin wants to work with Panhellenic more and make the recreation

Senator Caitlin Spyra beat Maggie Ryan in the election for secreon strengthening the connection between ASG and the library. Spyra said that the form for the Outstanding Professors Awards should be sent out earlier than the spring semester to allow students more time to graduate in the fall semester. who is the best professor than who are the best student writers who can write quickly,” Spyra said.

contested to be the secretary of the

on accountability and transparency with monthly updates on the internalness. -

tions Patrick Houlihan ran uncontested and was elected secretary forto students,” Houlihan said. “I don’t want ASG to be something you only worry about when you’re on campus.”

ASG passed legislation encourepinephrine (EpiPens) in dining halls. Senator Jacob Van Riper, author of the legislation, said Miami that a lengthy legal process will come with it. The legislation passed unanimously.

The second piece of legislation established required criteria for ASG’s public statements. They cannot contain partisan language and must be surrounding topics that af-

fect students. Six out of the nine ASG secretaries sponsored the legislation. Senator Nicholas Barry, author of thesions in the cabinet and senate.

“The goal of this was to make sure that if [ASG] is putting out a statement, it has tangible references to the student body,” Barry said.

Barry said the legislation could be a formal amendment to ASG’s constitution, but that would occur next academic year due to the little time left this semester and the long process.

ASG passed a resolution recognizing April 19 as Education and Sharing Day, commemorating Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson’s work and recognizing the importance of education. Senator Matthew Lodge said the resolution would be with Secretary of Communications and Media Sydney Marcum about a possible social media post. This is the last week to submit student concerns to this ASG form.

ASG will continue cabinet elections at 6 p.m. on April 23 in the Joslin Senate Chamber. grovergc@miamioh.edu

She also led the team in hits with 26, doubles with 6, home runs with 12, RBIs with 28 and slugging percentage at 1.308.

but it was really awesome and there aren’t any words to describe it,” Golembiewski said.

pleased with the honor and how this year. “She is one of the hardest work-ging away and getting better, and she really is an incredible human which makes it a lot of fun.”

also been a key reason why the RedIn her four years at Miami, she hits, 229 RBIs and 92 home runs, with 20+ home runs. She also currently sits tied for third all-time collegiately in home runs. Spaid has been a part of two MAC championship teams and has made the NCAA tournament three straight make it out of the Regional Round,

year compared to the teams in the past,” Spaid said. “It also feels good to be a part of such a deep and experienced team.” The RedHawks are looking to title in a row. A big test coming up in the second half of the season will be a mid-week doubleheader against

April 30. The Rockets currently sit at 11-6 in the MAC and are looking to dethrone the RedHawks.

Miami only has four conference matchups left against the Centrales, the Rockets and the Northern IlliSpaid and Golembiewski stillson performance against the defending national champions Oklahomaseason play.

“Our trip to Norman this season was special, because it built culture, and that has helped us to build a strong culture and foundation. We also want to be a part of something Spaid said.

the RedHawks, and she has coached them to another strong season. So MAC play and on a 21- game win streak (the longest in MAC Softball history).

“This year compared to years said. “In prior seasons, we had kind of a younger team, and now it’s more makes things dangerous for opposing pitchers.” The RedHawks are in elite company, especially in the MAC, and strong with about three weeks of regular season games left.

relvasaj@miamioh.edu

House Bill 183 passes in the Higher Education Committee

“I think a gender-neutral bathroom is a good idea,” Doran said.ple] their safe space, while allowing others to feel safe using their bathrooms that correspond to their gender assigned at birth.”using the restroom that aligns with her gender identity and prefers using gender-neutral restrooms. She worries the bill would only encourage more legislation like it. “I think it opens up extra attention on transgender people who are just trying to go to the bathroom,” For Doran, the bill is just as much

to use the same restroom.

“I don’t want somebody with the gender of male in [the bathroom] using the same facilities as my young daughter, especially when I don’t know what their intentions are,” Doran said.

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cy needs or medical reasons and it helps us with gender-neutral housing,” Abowitz said. If the bill does pass, Abowitz said would help Residence Life interpret it and Residence Life would make the necessary changes. Abowitz said Residence Life will work to help stutransition.

we can within the law to support [students] and help them feel safe,” Abowitz said. Before the H.B. 183 is passed, it must make it through the next round -

Rob Abowitz, associate director of Residence Life at Miami, said he what bathroom facilities other stu-the bill passes.

GRACE GROVER STAFF WRITER

GRAPHIC BY MACEY CHAMBERLIN

after seeing a video of Johnson being arrested outside Brick Street Bar on Nov. 18. “I’ve always paid attention to politics, and I’ve always cared about how around me,” Banerjee said.

The group has called for a special prosecutor to be appointed, the perBlauvelt from duty and for the charges against Johnson to be dropped. It’s also calling for the removal of a post that contains information that the organization claims is false from Brick Street Bar’s Instagram account.

“With police brutality happening like this so often, any amount of paying attention and scrutiny of the police’s decisions will have some amount of impact in building an atmosphere of accountability,” Banerjee said, “and making it so they don’t feel like they can get [away with] things.”

The group currently consists of approximately 30 members organized via GroupMe. To spread awareness of Johnson’s case, members canvas around campus and email potential supporters. The group has also worked with Johnson’s family to fundraise for Johnson to help subsi-

LIAM MILLER THE MIAMI STUDENT

Miami University has always emphasized its academic integrity policies, but most students have never had a glimpse into what the academic integrity process is actually like.

It starts with detection. Miami’s academic integrity policy requires instructors to report a student any time they are suspected of violating the university’s guidelines. Still, a preponderance of evidence is necessary can be a lengthy process of gathering evidence.

Ronald Becker, a professor in the department of media, journalism and typically sees about two to three cases of misconduct per semester.

“I will often meet with a student

before I submit a report to talk about the student has to say about the situation [to see] if there’s any misunderstanding,” Becker said. Becker said an instructor suspects an academic dishonesty violation when a student’s work doesn’t look like their own. Instructors also have tools, such as Turnitin, which checks for plagiarism.

In the case of AI, Miami no longer uses software to check if a student’s submission is generated with it. Becker says instructors are typically able to recognize if a student’s work is not their own without assistance. Once an instructor has determined that a student’s work might violate the uni-

Academic Integrity.

“Faculty are still learning how the

ChatGPT forms of academic misconduct are going to be handled,” Becker prove.”

After an instructor has reported a student’s work, Brenda Quaye, the assistant director of academic integrity, reviews the report and the accusations against the student. She saidami email of the report and informs the student why they are suspected of violating university policy. She then schedules an initial meeting called the procedural review.

At the procedural review, Quaye meets with the student to go over the accusation and what happens next.

“I also talk about bigger picture kinds of things with some students if that seems necessary … for example, there are a lot of students as they’re talking to me who may be talking about time management issues, or not understanding what the assignment instructions were, maybe who didn’t read the syllabus,” Quaye said. “I want to make sure [they’re] getting the resources and the support [they] need or provide some other educational information for those students.”

Students can then accept responsibility for the violation and receive the sanctions proposed, or move forward with a hearing. According to Quaye, around 60% of academic dishonesty violations end with students taking responsibility and receiving sanctions at the procedural review.

If a student chooses to proceed with a hearing, the department of the subject where the violation was committed will hold the hearing. The department chair typically serves as

dize their legal fees.

The group has teamed up with Ohio Families United for Political Action and Change (OFUPAC) and Ohio Families United Against Police Brutality. Both organizations aim to provide support to victims and famiand violence and reform the civil justice system.

Hunter Hensley, the executive fellow for OFUPAC, started working with Justice for Devin in March after Banerjee reached out through Instagram. Since then, he has worked with Banerjee editing scripts for email and phone banking campaigns.cers resorting to excessive force and shifting the blame onto victims,” Hensley said. He said some members of violence similar to Johnson’s story and that the organization is currently working on creating a TikTok account to help spread awareness about the issue.

“We’re just hoping to get [the] message out there that this is happening …” Hensley said, “... to stop … families [from] ever having to go through this kind of trauma again.”

Ryan Agee, Johnson’s attorney, said he isn’t directly involved with the Justice for Devin group for legal reasons. However, he said he is pleased to see a response like this from the Miami community. “It’s great that people are keeping this alive because it’s a tragedy what happened,” Agee said. “That’s [the] job [of] students to be … reformers and thinkers about what our community could look like and how it can be better.”

Agee said advocacy groups like Justice for Devin are important in bringing issues to light.

“I think that an advocacy group that asks for, [and provides] things to help get Devin justice would certainly be helpful,” Agee said. “Everyone is … pursuing justice, so if people feel this is an injustice, then something should be done about it.”

Johnson was found guilty on April 11 of assault and resisting arrest. Agee said it’s hard to prove excessive force after someone is found guilty of resisting arrest. However, Johnson can still appeal the court’s decision until 30 days after sentencing.

mckinn15@miamioh.edu

be delegated by the chair to someone else.

Mary Jean Corbett, the interim chair of the English department, serves as the English department’sic integrity violations. She prefers to view the hearing process less as a disciplining procedure, but more as a learning experience instead.

“I frame it at the beginning as potentially a teachable moment,” Corbett said.

At an academic dishonesty hearing, the student meets with the hearraised concerns. The student can bring an advisor, such as a professor or a lawyer, and up to two people for support, such as a friend or family member, but neither party can speak for the student. They can only advise and support them.

At the hearing, the instructor presents evidence of the student’s violation. The student will be allowed to present a statement and submit any evidence. The process of gathering evidence can be lengthy, with complicated cases having more than

“You have to make your way through the material, you have to follow the logic of the instructor,” Corbett said. “I have a responsibility to actually know the ins and outs so I can ask good questions and also so I can prepare.”

ties questions until they reach a decision. While students are typically found responsible, they could have a lighter sanction imposed on them, or a more severe sanction if the charges

are more serious than originally thought.

Students found liable will have a to the dean of the college. Appeals sanctions were inappropriate if there was a substantial procedural error, or if there is new evidence. If the dean believes there is merit to the appeal, they will either impose the appropriate sanctions or order a new hearing

Students who do not appeal receive the sanctions given by the hear-

According to Quaye, the sanctions received depend on the severity of the a zero on the assignment and must undergo an online course that educates them about academic integrity. This course typically costs around $200.

as a major exam or assignment, the student might receive an ADF grade of academic dishonesty on the offender’s transcript. The university’s course retake policy cannot be used for a course with an ADF.

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er receives a minimum one-semester suspension from the university. The dismissal from the university.

“I don’t think students should be frightened of making mistakes because that’s what it is,” Corbett said. “They’re making mistakes, but faculty are making mistakes too, [and] we’re all learning together.”

mill2174@miamioh.edu

Adam Savage captivates with stories of his winding career

about his bosses and jobs.

As Savage worked his way up in the world of prop making in San Francisco theater, he got a call from someone who would end up both his boss and colleague. “I was getting this reputation in San Francisco for being able to solveage said. “I was getting weirder jobs which was really fun, and I got a call from this guy Jamie [Hyneman].

I didn't know Jamie at the time. I didn't even know of him but he ran a ‘I’m working on this commercial and I'd love it if you’d come in and show me your portfolio.’”

After talking about his path from making props for commercials andparted what he’s learned from his career thus far. He began by saying that success is what you want it to be.

Savage said his career may seem successful, but people only see so much when looking at someone else’s

life.

“When looking back at a life it’s easy to see them as linear steps,” Savage said. “We love creating narratives, but from the inside everything I've just told you was triage decisions made under duress with imperfect amounts of information I had in the time I've just been describing to you.”

Savage’s list of advice included being kind and easy to work with, taking time to de-stress and investing in relationships. He said that all three of those have gotten him jobs and made his life easier while working.

After the talk, audience members rushed to the Armstrong atrium to meet Savage and get a copy of his new book. One of those audience members

ical engineering major. He said he attended because of his love for “Mythbusters,” but enjoyed all of the stories that Savage told. was initially expecting,” Jones said.

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“But he gave a lot of minor insights to things that were very niche that I really liked. For example, like when it came to him working on ‘Star Wars’ I didn't realize the complexities behind the actual designs in the background.”

Ethan Chapel, a senior robotics engineering major said he was lucky enough to get tickets to the sold-out show through a Makerspace event. Chapel said he immediately called his dad after the talk to tell him what Savage said because they both loved watching “Mythbusters.”

Despite his love for “Mythbusters,” Chapel said he liked the information Savage brought about his career that isn’t as widely known. “I like how real he was about [his career],” Chapel said. “And he talked about early stages when he could have just talked about Mythbusters for an hour and people would have

CHLOE MCKINNEY CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY EDITOR

LIAM MILLER THE MIAMI STUDENT

After the fallout of the Devin Johnson incident, some students are seeking change.

Justice for Devin is an on-campus advocacy group formed by Rag Banerjee, a sophomore public health major. Banerjee started the group

From spray paint to ink, a local tattoo artist shares his story

& COMMUNITY EDITOR

On the train tracks of Irvine, Kentucky, John Starr found his passion for art. At age 14, Starr and his friends would sneak under the cover of darkness to the tracks with nothing but spray paint cans and the desire to be carried to faraway places. “It was more or less the adventure of it,” Starr said. “Hopping on trains, city no one else knows. You don’t see the highway from the billboard standpoint … you climb up on a billand it’s a whole other view.” Starr couldn’t remember when he

but art was always ingrained in his upbringing. He came from a family of painters, hand letterers and hot rod pinstripers. However, unlike his family, Starr was drawn to tattooing because of its permanence and simicolors.

when I realized you can’t take a tattoo

was only 10 years old and his second when he was 16.

On the palm of his left hand, there’s a black dot that is so small it could be mistaken for a freckle. This ever gave.

“I remember being so nervous I dropped the machine and I caught it with my hand,” Starr said. “... [the dot has] been there for the past 13 years.”

Starrs said out of all the tattoos he’s done, he doesn’t have one favorite piece. However, he does have a favorite tattoo style — Japanese.

“If I could tattoo Japanese [tattoos] forever I would,” Starr said. “It’s a very bold, strong art just like American traditional [style].”

In April of last year, Starr became the owner of Uptown Tattoo, a quaint shop in Oxford, Ohio. He started -

ent owner who he later purchased the shop from. He said the freedom he has is his favorite part of the job.

establishment trying to tell you how to draw your artwork,” Starr said. “Freedom and … the bonds that you make … it’s not even like a job.”

Shelby “Dippy” Curran, a tattoo artist at Uptown Tattoo, has been years and was his apprentice for three of those years. Curran said Starr helped her become the woman she is today.

“Not that many people have thought that I was ever gonna do anything in life,” Curran said. “You know I was kind of like that kid … like ‘Oh yeah, you did bad in school.’ He gave me a chance to be my own person.”

Curran said she loves coming to work because everyone is always laughing and joking around. She said they share a wonderful give-and-take relationship.

“He’s very big on sharing knowledge and I’m really big on learning,” Curran said. “We all just have such a great dynamic.”

Luke Thomas, another tattoo artist, said Starr has mentored him for the seven years they have worked together. He said he loves coming to work every day and not knowing what Starr is going to do next.

“John is very spontaneous,”

Thomas said. “You know one day, it’ll be like we’re all just hanging out doing real small walk-in tattoos for like-minded students and then the next day he’s doing a full-blown back piece.”

Thomas said Starr pushes him to think about tattooing in new and creative ways and that he appreciates the knowledge Starr shares because it’s valuable to him.

“He does have more experience than me, by about 10 years,” Thomas said. “So, he’s just like my older brother…and it can get hectic at times, but you know how brothers are right?”

Chaz Phillips, a piercing apprentice, met Starr through Thomas in 2019 but only started working for him three months ago. Phillips, like Curran, also said he loves the atmosphere Starr has created and his empathy for people. “It’s always a very easygoing environment,” Phillips said. “[It] doesn’t feel like work.”

Starr said his next project is changing the name of Uptown Tattoo to Seven Devils Tattoo Studio. He seven artists and piercers who work there, including himself.

mckinn15@miamioh.edu

Oxford resident Tom Cooke runs for Ohio Senate

The Ohio State Senate may have an Oxford resident sitting in its chamber next year.

Tom Cooke, a resident of Oxford, Ohio, is running for election to Ohio’s 4th senate district in November’s upcoming senate elections. Cooke, a Democrat, ran uncontested on the Democratic ticket in April’s primary, and will face incumbent Republican George Lang in the race to represent Ohio’s District 4. Originally from Long Island, New York, Cooke entered the Army after graduating high school. He served for four years before attending St. John’s University in New York. He

graduated in 1980 and earned a direct commission to the Army’s Military Intelligence branch as a Second Lieutenant. Cooke retired from service in-

ginia. His accolades include a Bronze Star and the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal. Now, Cooke wants to bring his public service skills to the Ohio Senate. “I’ve always been public service oriented,” Cooke said. “When I moved here, I wanted to get involved in the community because I was gonCooke is also a member of the lo-

cal Kiwanis club and the American Legion, a veteran organization.

“I started looking at the local politics and I didn’t like what I saw,” Cooke said. “I didn’t like that the public legislature was ignoring what the people had voted for. I thought mayin Ohio.”

Cooke says he’s interested in protecting the interests of people, rather than prioritizing economic development, but he’ll try to shift Ohio’s legislative focus on business development to include economic support for the employees of the state’s businesses.

“Calvin Coolidge said that the business of America is business, and I disagree,” Cooke said. “The business of America is taking care of Ameri-

cans. So the business of the Ohio legislature is to take care of Ohioans, not necessarily to attract businesses.”

Cooke noted that he thought current leadership was misrepresenting opinion between everyday voters in Butler County and their elected legof reproductive rights and school vouchers.

Some of Cooke’s top priorities are minimum wage increases and expansion in funding for public schools. In addition, Cooke is advocating for environmental protection and expanding access to public health care.

“Ohio is 46 out of 50 in pre and post-natal deaths because there’s no access to healthcare for pregnant women,” Cooke said. “So that’s got to change. We also need more support for mental health.”

Cooke isn’t running his campaign on his own, though. Another Butler County resident, Chantel Raghu, who’s running for Butler County commissioner in the fall, said Cooke has a good team around him.

“I think that he has a really good balance,” Raghu said.” He has a lot of young people on his campaign that provide a lot of energy. I think Tom is a very genuine guy who just wants to make people’s lives better.”

If both Cooke and Raghu win their respective races in November’s upcoming elections, they will work alongside

each other in Butler County, where Cooke will listen to Rahgu and other Butler County members’ feedback and take it to the Ohio Senate. Cooke is a relative newcomer to Oxford, having moved to town in 2021, making him a new face in the Butler County political sphere. Sam Lawrence, a sophomore political science major and Cooke’s campaign manager, said this isn’t an issue.

“He’s the right choice… because he cares for the community so much,” Lawrence said. “He’s only lived here for a few years but has learned a lot about the community, and what’s impacting the people in it.”

Even though he’s retired, Cooke has no intention of slowing down if he wins.

“You know, 24 years in the Army, my focus was service to the nation” Cooke said. “After 20 years as an intel-telligence community providing quality intelligence to the decision makers at the national level. I’m looking to provide the same level of support to the people ofing down, just shifting gears.”

hittlehm@miamioh.edu

all in single-use plastic containers. We took home the leftovers in a plastic box. As much as we wish to patronize local restaurants, this meal featured way too much plastic. MOON Co-op Market tries to minimize the use of plastic, as well as the generation of waste, in

CHLOE MCKINNEY

CAMPUS

STARR CREATES A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT FOR

HARRY HITTLE THE MIAMI STUDENT

Miami softball set to make another postseason push with weeks left in the regular season

Noreen is ready to bring the Miami hockey program back to life through an emphasis on player development and culture

Students learn about sports analytics from former Oakland Athletics’ manager Billy Beane

Rising RedHawks: A season of promise for Miami men’s basketball

The Miami University RedHawks

2023-24 season last month with a 1517 overall record (9-10 in MAC play), good for seventh in the conference.ishing sixth in the conference this year after their 12-20 campaign in the 2022-23 season. However, the team still had its sights on a MAC championship. “Expectation-wise, for us, we are always going into the year with the goal to win the MAC championship and make it to the NCAA tournament,” Assistant Coach Jonathan Holmes said. “That’s the expectation level, especially when you think about the history of this program. That’s our motivation and our goal every year.”

After losing nine players last year to the transfer portal and graduation, including star guard and lead-scorer Mekhi Lairy, the RedHawks’ roster was young this season. With seven man roster and three new transfers, there was bound to be some bumps in the road.

For Holmes, having a new and young roster is a common issue in basketball.

“We had a lot of new guys, some younger, some older from the portal, and also our returning guys, so we kind of had a mixture of some youth and experience, but that’s college basketball,” Holmes said.

games, including an 84-64 loss to The Ohio State University Buckeyes. However, the RedHawks bounced back, going 4-2 over their next six games.

A key win over the Kent State University Golden Flashes and a thrilling victory over the University of Akron Zips put the team over .500 for theall, before they would hit another three-game skid, including a 78-69 loss to the Ohio University Bobcats in the “Battle of the Bricks” in Athens. including a dominant 88-60 win over the Central Michigan Universitynal two regular season games against the University of Toledo Rockets and once again to the Bobcats. The season drew to a close in the opening round of the MAC tournament against Akron, with the Zips coming out on top 75-63.

Despite not making a deep postseason push, the RedHawks feel positively about their performance this year. Holmes acknowledged that the youth of the roster and the newise this year.

“… I do think we made some sigteam and program, which is really exciting, and that should give us a pretty good springboard into year three,” Holmes said. -

weshi Hunter and senior center Anderson Mirambeaux led the RedHawks in scoring with 380 (11.9 per

game) and 293 (12.7 per game) respectively. Both players earned honorable mention all-MAC honors. Senior forward Bryce Bultman led the team in rebounds with 153 Mekhi Cooper led the team in assists with 81 (2.6 per game). As a team, Miami averaged 70.6 points, 33.1 rebounds, 14.4 assists, 6.3 steals, 3.1 blocks and 11.7 turnovers per game. The team shot 44.3% overall, 70.6% from the free throw line and 36.1% from three.

role in the RedHawks’ success. Cooper and guard Evan Ipsaro played the third and fourth most minutes respectively (775 and 704), both averaging over 20 minutes on the court each game. Ipsaro made the second-most free throws on the team (60) and had the third-most assists at 75.

For Ipsaro, increased speed characterized his transition into college basketball. When Ipsaro gets the ball, he knows that he only has seconds to make a decision.

probably my biggest improvement,” Ipsaro said. “Just catching to shoot, not catching to pass for others, because a lot of times in college basketball, if you get one good shot that’s probably the best one you’re gonna get. A big part of that was also maintaining my composure.”

First-year guard Eian Elmer also made his presence felt with 223 to the MAC All-Freshman Team after averaging seven points and 4.4

rebounds per game. Elmer was also goal percentage (52.8%).

For Elmer, the transition into college ball wasn’t always smooth.

“The transition was actually a lot harder than people may think,” Elmer said. “Going into the summer, there was a point where I thought I probably wasn’t even going to play, so even starting is something I’m very grateful for, but overall it was a hard transition for me because it’s a whole new system, and the game is a lot faster than it is in high school.” Elmer also learned about the imthe court.

“The biggest change to my approach was just taking better care of my body, because there’s a lot more practice and games than in high school along with higher intensity, so also being more devoted to the game and my body was important.”

proaches one must take from high school basketball to college basketball. “In high school, basketball was still the number one thing that I put all my time into,” Ipsaro said. “But when you come to college, instead of just putting in two to three hours [of practice] a day like in high school, here you probably put in four to six hours a day, but they’re way more precise, like you have to do it exactly how they are telling you to do it, and attention to detail is a big piece of that.” Also contributing amongst the

7-foot-1-inch center was fourth on the team in blocks (21), fourth in offensive rebounds (22) and third in three-point percentage (45.5%) while contributing 156 points.

years was a major key to the team’s success, and they were able to show up in big games when they were needed.

“With their maturity and their talcome in and bring a lot to our team, not just from a talent perspective, but also their energy and being two-way players,” Holmes said. “If you look at some of our best wins this year, our freshmen guys were a big part of those.”

As of now, the RedHawks have lost three players to the transfer portal: Dean, Morris and sophomore guard Ryan Mabrey. However, they guard Luke Skaljac from Brecksville, Ohio, and forward Brant Byers from The RedHawks also gained former Xavier University Musketeer Kam Craft from the transfer portal. Craft is a former four-star recruit out 65th in the 2022 class. With the RedHawks’ young team gaining more experience, as well as the improvements shown this past year, Miami is looking for improvements over the coming years.

@c__j30

john1610@miamioh.edu

Miami equestrian program competes in all three disciplines at national competitions

BABU SPORTS EDITOR

Miami University is home to more than 30 club sports, ranging from baseball and basketball to clay shootmost niche sports in Oxford and compete regionally and even nationally.

One program that continuously excels on a national level is the equesdisciplines going to their respective national competitions in Tryon, North Carolina, in late April and early May. The equestrian team is made up of between 80 and 100 riders each year seat, dressage and western. Each disequipment and points-systems. The western and hunt seat teams compete in the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA). At the 2022 national competition, Miami won second place in two categories.

gram history that every discipline will be at nationals, with the dressage team competing in the Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) national

competition from April 25-27 and the hunt seat and western teams competing in the IHSA national competition

May 3-5.

“It’s pretty cool that we have representation across all three disciof the equestrian program, said. “The individual … and then the IHSA team, which is the hunt seat and the westalong with two individuals in the high point rider, and then we also had a western individual.”

One of the high point riders, junior Mary Roskens, also serves as the program’s travel coordinator. She began horse riding with her mom early in her childhood. “It was a natural avenue for me in a lot of ways,” Roskens said. “It was going to be harder for me to not ride horses than to ride horses.”

At Miami, the equestrian program provided Roskens not only with an opportunity to continue horse riding, but also a bond between the riders

“The equestrian team brought me the sort of community that I was looking for,” Roskens said. “I grew up riding with my mom and our trainers, [but I] didn’t get the experience

of going to shows with a bunch of kids [my] age … having a community is something that I wouldn’t have had without coming here.” Senior Isabel Tuckett, the captain of the dressage team, expressed a similar sentiment.

“I would consider the highs as not even the competing; it’s the team bonding and the camaraderie among the girls,” Tuckett said. “It’s nice to have such a supportive community of girls that are similar-minded.”

The riders practice twice a week, until May. Along with the frequent traveling every other weekend, balancing the equestrian team with academics proves to be a challenge for them.

For Tuckett, balancing her microbiology pre-med major with serving as captain of the dressage team starts with setting realistic boundaries.

“I don’t know if it’s as much of a balance or if it’s a sprint,” Tuckett said. “… I had to learn how to be very rigid in my time management and make sure that I had reasonable expectations for myself. I like to consider myself a high-achieving individual, and sometimes I get in over my head with what I think that I can do.”

Despite practicing at the same facility and traveling together, the three of horse riding, equipment and points system, among other things. For example, hunt seat riding uses a smaller saddle than western. Dressage and hunt seat are both English forms of riding, while western includes reining and rodeos. Hunt seat includes jumping, while dressage does not, and is moreso “ballet with horses,” according to Tuckett. For junior hunt seat co-captaines, Miami riders are able to combine each disciplines’ attributes to become better horse riders.

“I think it’s cool that you can pull things from each discipline and apply it to something else,” Wilson said. “It makes you stronger as a whole … I feel like our team is pretty strong because we have such an interconnected system of the three disciplines.”

Long practice hours, rigid time management and team-bonding characterized the road to national year. Sophomore Shelby Zimmerman, who rides for the western team and serves as the program’s service and fundraising chair, a highlight

of the year was working with people who have a similar interest in horses.

“I’ve had some of the best experiences just hanging out with friends,” Zimmerman said. “We’ve had fun memories throughout the tough. When we had that weird snowstorm in February, we had to go salt for an hour and a half and plow the sidewalks. The conditions outside weren’t great, but it was still great to do with people that you enjoy hanging outable experience.”

The IDA national competition begins on April 25, and the IHSA national competition for the hunt seat and western teams begins on May 3. Going in, the riders try not to hold expectations for themselves, but they they’ve put in. All they have to do is prove themselves in Tryon.

“I always have high expectations for myself,” Roskens said. “… I want to go and do the absolute best that I possibly can. I know what I’m capable of and what I want out of it, and I know that if I set myself up for success, I should be able to achieve it.”

CAMERON JOHNSON STAFF WRITER

KETHAN

Spring into the new season with these entertainment staff picks

STAFF REPORT

song may not directly correlate with the spring season, the colorful instrumentals make it the perfect song to listen to as the weather grows warmer. girl in red takes the listener through an exSabrina Carpenter comes in with things she always talked about doing but never did, like taking a trip to Hawaii.

Stella Powers Asst. Campus & Community Editor

‘Good Luck, Babe!’ — Chappell Roan

A fun, 1980s-sounding tune; the themes of self-discovery within this song are perfect for the spring season. Aside from just the spring-like vibes of the melody, the overall messages and concept of the song are perfect for spring: a season of growth.

Stella Powers

Asst. Campus & Community Editor

look “Easy” are particularly uplifting on rainy spring days.

Lily Wahl

‘Let the Sun In’ — Wallows Wallows has this song on its spring EP, so I feel like it’s a given. It’s good for spring vibes.

Josie Zimmerman

‘Talk Too Much’ — COIN

This is a song I listened to quite a bit when my boyfriend and I started dating, which was in May of last year. It reminds me of that time last spring.

Josie Zimmerman

‘Caught in the Briars’ — Iron and Wine

This is such a happy and vibrant sounding song. It makes me think and all those other spring things.

John Hatch

The Miami Student

‘Pot Kettle Black’ — Wilco

‘Dreams’ — The Cranberries This song feels like waking up on a beautiful, warm spring morning and spending the day outside. The album on which this track appears, “Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?” is perfect for spring as a whole, but “Dreams” is truly a standout tune.

Chloe Southard Entertainment Editor

Spring has sprung in Oxford; gone are the days of gray skies and frigid temperatures. It’s time for the season of new beginnings (and darties), which means you need to freshen up your playlist.lected some of its favorite songs for spring. Whether you’re sunbathing, partying in someone’s lawn or spending a rainy day indoors, this is the perfect playlist for the season.

‘Folk Song’ — The Sundays This is for the moodier spring days, those full of rain and gloom. This track makes me want to look out the window in a melancholic way while watching raindrops fall.

Chloe Southard Entertainment Editor

‘You Need Me Now?’ — girl in red ft. Sabrina Carpenter

While the overall meaning of the

“Good Luck, Babe!” combines Roan’s iconic 1980s-inspired sound with a message especially relatable to LGBTQ+ listeners — that you’re betstop feeling how you really feel.

Lily Wahl

Up-and-coming K-pop girl group this spring, and its nonchalant atti-

One of my friends mentioned “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” to me as one of his favorite spring albums, and I immediately agreed. It has a breezy, easy-going sound about it that really compliments warm-ish, springy weather. This is one of my favorite tracks on the album and I think it’s perfect for spring since it’s so upbeat.

John Hatch

The Miami Student

I support women’s rights, but more importantly, I support womens’ wrongs: A look into the ‘Good for Her Cinematic Universe’

There’s nothing I love more thanvenge. Characters like this are almost always at the center of my favorite

The “Good for Her Cinematic Universe.” But why that name? It’s simple, really. Films in the “Good for Her” subgenre follow women who get what they want at any and all costs, usually after experiencing some form of turmoil or trauma.

The GFHCU will be getting another addition this summer with the release of Ti West’s “MaXXXine,” the third installment of his “X” trilogy, on July 5. I am a huge fan of “Pearl” and “X,” both of which are perfect examples of the subgenre, and Maxtime.

In “Pearl,” Pearl is forcefully isolated and undermined by her mother; she dreams of being a star, but no one believes in her. Eventually, Pearl takes matters into her own hands, leaving a bloody trail behind her. Maxine Minx, the main character of “X” and “MaXXXine,” is also determined to be a star. Her story parallels Pearl’s in an eerily similar way, but Maxine does what Pearl doesn’t —

It’s important to understand a large element of the “Good for Her Cinematic Universe” is violence. Usually, the women at the forefront of

this genre resort to violence in some way to achieve what they want. Is this condonable? To answer, I’ll quote an article about the “Good for Her Cinematic Universe” from Vulture: “No. 1 culture theorist of our time Lady Gaga once said, ‘I don’t beI do believe in the empowerment of women.’”

The “X” universe aside, the motives for many of the womens’ actions in the “Good for Her” subgenre stem from traumatic experiences. By getting vengeance or overcoming a painful situation, these characters are taking back their own lives and empowering themselves.

A great example of this is Dani in

“Midsommar.” Her boyfriend, Chrisbecomes the May Queen of the Hårga cult and chooses Christian to be sacrias the toxicity in her life is literally set

Red, a character in Jordan Peele’s “Us,” tries to take back her own life by leading a group of doppelgängers called the Tethered in murdering their counterparts. We don’t understand her motives until the end of the doppelgänger but the original version of herself. After living a hellish life among the Tethered, she wants to repossess the life she once had.

In Luca Guadagnino’s 2018 remake of “Suspiria,” Susie Bannion arrives at the prestigious Markos Dance Academy, which is run by a corrupt coven of witches.

Susie initially seems to want to become the best dancer, but her intentions are revealed to be much larger: She is the powerful Mother Suspiriorum, and she has come to kill Markos and her followers in order to take back the academy and restore its order.

Other characters in the “Good for Her Cinematic Universe” take back their own autonomy after being sexually assaulted and/or abused. Jennifer Check in “Jennifer’s Body” is brutalized by members of a rock band

during a satanic ritual.

After being possessed by a demon, Jennifer begins killing and eating boys in order to survive, and, at Needy gets vengeance for Jennifer by her — two “good for her”s in one.

Emerald Fennell’s “Promising Young Woman” follows Cassie Thomas as she seeks justice for her best friend Nina, who committed suicide after being sexually assaulted. Cassie doesn’t kill anyone — in fact, she’s tragically murdered — but she ultimately succeeds in bringing righteouness to Nina and herself.

Some characters in the Good for Her subgenre simply lash out due to being mistreated. Brian De Palma’s 1976 adaptation of Stephen King’s “Carrie” is a classic example. Carrie White, a girl with telekinetic abilities, is relentlessly bullied at school and abused by her mother. From publicly shaming her for menstruating to being soaked in pig’s blood at prom, Carrie’s peers are determined to make her life miserable. Eventually, Carrie snaps, killing everyone at the prom and then her own mother — all of which had it coming.

The “Good for Her Cinematic Universe” has spanned across generations, but there’s certainly been angenre within the last 10 years.

These characters and their stories are important. Not only do they perfectly depict female rage and anguish — they open discussions surrounding justice and empowerment for women.

southacr@miamioh.edu

girl in red makes an upbeat switch with new album, ‘I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!’

April 12. The album is a fun, upbeat switch from her previous music, with a focus on making a girl in red is a project by Marie Ulven, a Norwegian musician. Since be-

ginning this project, Ulven has released two EPs, “chapter 1” and “chapter 2,” two studio albums, “if i could make it go quiet” and “I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!” and opened for Taylor Swift on “The Eras Tour.”

Ulven, a LGBTQ+ artist, has a focus on queer music within her girl in red project, and has fostered a large LGBTQ+ fanbase through the years. I have seen girl in red live twice — once as a headliner, and the other time as an opener for Swift. I loved both times, so I was very excited to hear she was releasing a new album.

Needless to say, the album does from her usual work, but in the best way. Now, I not only have girl in red

songs to cry to, but I also have some fun, upbeat girl in red pump-up songs. The album was preceded by three singles, “DOING IT AGAIN BABY,” “Too Much” and my personal favorite, “You Need Me Now?” which features Sabrina Carpenter, an artist known for her hits “Nonsense” and “Feather.”

All three of these songs have catchy lyrics and a fun beat, and “You Need Me Now?” is the perfect summer vacation tune — the song has the same energy as a sunny day at the beach, with a great message of mov-

The album begins with a track titled “I’m Back,” where Ulven sings after getting help and actually enjoying life. In the past, Ulven’s music focused a lot on personal mental health issues, so it’s interesting to hear her

Compared to the rest of the album, the melody of this song feels the most similar to her older, early music. It almost has a similar vibe to the now viral “we fell in love in october,” one

project.

As much as I enjoy the album, a lot of it sounds similar to the other songs within the release. It all has a constant, upbeat sound to it, with very little contrast throughout. While I appreciate the cohesiveness of it all, I wish there was a bit more variety.

Despite the repetitiveness, it’s overall a fun, catchy album that is perfect for the summertime. The structure of the album makes perfect sense, with it almost playing like a story.

Ulven is a brilliant songwriter, and it really shows with her girl in red music. She knows how to make a fun, vibey song that speaks to and is relatable for fans.

With her recent projects, girl in red has grown from just being a queer music icon into a well-known and respected artist across a variety of audiher future as a musician, her career is only going to go up from here. Rating:

GRAPHIC BY CHLOE SOUTHARD.

GRAPHIC BY CHLOE SOUTHARD.

GRAPHIC BY CHLOE SOUTHARD.

Art galleries and what they look like post-pandemic

Miami’s Guitar Club rocks Uptown Park with this semester’s Battle of the Bands

Oxford’s annual EarthFest gets makeover for 2024

SAM NORTON GREENHAWKS AND OPINION

EDITOR

Each year since 1970, millions of people all over the country have celebrated Earth Day on April 22. Around the same time of year for over 15 years, the Oxford and Miami University communities have celebrated EarthFest, a festival celebrating community and collaboration between local environmental groups and businesses. Yet this year it is going to look very

The Miami Environmental Professionals Association (MEPA), the club that organizes EarthFest each year, has partnered with Miami’s Community for Creativity and Innovation (MUCCI) to completely redesign and rethink this staple of Oxford’s springtime festivals.

“They are really helping us to make EarthFest the biggest it’s ever been,” Gillian Hart, the president of MEPA, said.

Usually a casual and simplistic event, this year MUCCI plans to go over the top to get people’s attention.

This includes bringing jugglers,

stilt walkers, multiple live performances and food trucks, and renting both Oxford Memorial Park and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park across the street. MUCCI will allow vendors from the farmers market to stay a few extra hours for the event, and even place a giof the entire festival. This plan is a far cry from the couple dozen tables and calming backdrop music that EarthFest goers are used to.

This year, Creativity City, an event put on by MUCCI, has taken on the task of creatively, and completely, redesigning how EarthFest looks. The group is aligning its collaboration to lead into World Creativity & Innovation Day, recognized by the United Nations as a day of observation to use creativity and innovation for climate solutions, on April 21.

The two organizations hope that their collaboration will increase the visibility of Creativity City and EarthFest simultaneously. Jacob Shachter, an emerging technology in business and design major with an entrepreneurship co-major is the lead on Creativity City, and appreciates the timing of the events. “Planning Creativity City [this year], we knew we wanted that sustainability element,” Shachter said. “And so it just so happened that the collaboration with EarthFest was perfect, honestly.” The setup historically consisted of

Sustainably building your summer wardrobe

FARMAH JALLOW THE MIAMI STUDENT

After months of freezing temback in Oxford. Campus lawns are dotted with students stretched out on picnic blankets to bask in the newfound heat. But as we ditch our winter coats for t-shirts, how much thought are we putting into our shopping choices?

In a few weeks, online fast fashion retailers such as Shein and FashionNova will begin promoting summer sales boasting massive discounts. These deals are compelling, and the ease of buying online compared to in-person shopping is particularly attractive to busy students. public health major, said she shops mindfully but has found that the convenience and variety of shopping online is sometimes useful.

“I think the main issue is that when I shop in person, there’s not as many options,” she said. more variety than in-person retailers, but at an ethical and environmental price. Sarah Dumyahn is an assistant teaching professor in the Institute for Environment and Sustainability who acknowledges the appeal and social pressures that come with fast fashion.

“In terms of the accessibility of being able to purchase clothes online, it makes it much easier,” Dumyahn said. “...The haul videos, the turnover for fashion trends, that’s all putting a lot of pressure on consumers to think that they should be getting these things.”

Dumyahn refers to the recent large amounts of items they’ve purchased from unsustainable sources. These hauls are often promotional

material from fashion retailers and drive viewers to make poor consumer choices. “All of this is causing a greater amount of consumption,” Dumyahn said. “All of this resource extraction, 66% of textiles in the U.S. endseas production and shipping alone account for 2.5% of global carbon dioxide emissions. The fast fashion industry is ultimately responsible for 10% of global C02 emissions, and that’s only one way the industry is environmentally harmful.

The labor conditions of the fast fashion industry are also highly concerning. Dumyahn cites the 2013 Bangladesh Rana Plaza collapse as an example of the horrible labor conditions overseas fast fashion workers are subjected to.

“We had a result of loss of life stemming from a building that wasn’t structurally sound,” Dumyahn said. “That’s also part of this model of creating clothing inexpensively and at a high volume. My concern is the environmental and social element of this.”

It may seem hard to align sustainability with comfort and style, but there are a variety of conscious ways to shop sustainability this summer.

Thrifting and buying secondhand Donating clothes you no longer need and actively choosing second-hand clothing is a great place to start when shopping sustainably. When you buy second hand, you extend the lifetime of a piece of clothHigh-quality textiles such as cotton, linen or lyocell can unfortunately be higher cost for consumers. However, looking for items made from these fabrics at thrift stores is a

better choice for both the planet and your pocket. Oxford is home to multiple second hand stores where you can start your thrift shopping journey, such as Goodwill and ThreadUp Oxford.

Updating what you own

Sometimes, you may need to check if what you want is already in your closet! If you have something similar to an item you plan to buy, new purpose. This is an opportunity to put a unique twist on what you already own while learning new skills and reducing waste. Guides to upcycling are widely available online or in magazines like Pebble Magazine.

Using third-party sustainability platforms

If you’re unsure about whether a brand or shop is sustainable or not, some apps and websites aggregate sustainability information to empower consumers. Greenhive is a website that allows users to look up the name of a brand and view an associated environmental and ethical rating. The site collects data on a brand’s transparency, labor practices, use of materials and a wide array of other factors to gauge its overall sustainability.

It’s important to not become overwhelmed by the environmental impact of your actions. It’s great to be a conscious consumer, but always keep in mind that no individual action is responsible for climate change.

Curating your summer style should be a fun, yet conscious experience!

jallowfa@miamioh.edu

tables for each organization spread across Oxford Memorial Park giving out gifts and information about themselves. The event has expanded to include live entertainment and games, but the idea has stayed relatively the same over the years.

“It feels like … we have an opportunity to bring [sustainability conversations] to the public square,” Jim Friedman, a Chief Steward for World Creativity & Innovation Week and clinical professor in Miami’s entrepreneurship department said. “It comes in the same package ... like adents sitting behind a table with a three-board poster.”

Friedman explained that those involved with Creativity City think EarthFest is not reaching its intended audience. According to Friedman, the event only appeals to people in the community who already care about the planet, those who are already involved in the sustainability scene and understand the importance of the work the participating organizations do.

“We don’t need them …Right?” Friedman said. “If we’re gonna sing to the choir, then we’re not gonna move the needle.”

MUCCI wants to change that. It wants those walking Uptown who have never heard of EarthFest or who wouldn’t normally care about it to be drawn in by the scene. Friedman said events themed around the problems our planet is

facing and promoting lifestyle changes can be intimidating for some. He wants to change the notion around EarthFest and transform it into a “fun” event, one that people will be more inclined to attend.

EarthFest will be held on Saturday, April 20, from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Creativity City will continue the celebrations the rest of the day with events of its own, hoping to capitalizeness about World Creativity and Innovation Day.

“I hope that they don’t leave until 11 p.m. I hope they stay out for hours with us,” Shachter said. “I hope they take away the knowledge that there’s things.”

Despite the changes, the true nature of EarthFest remains the same. Grounded in celebrating sustainability and community, festival-goers can still expect to leave with knowledge and inspiration from the dozens of organizations that are the heart of EarthFest year after year, just with some new attractions to entertain them.

“I was really careful in the planning,” Hart said. “Just to ensure that people who come back every year can get that experience that they’re expecting and everybody just has a good time.” nortonsm@miamioh.edu

New Hefner Museum gallery connects the environment and business

AUSTIN SMITH ASST. CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY EDITOR

Walking into Upham Hall presents many adventures. You can explore hundreds of thousands of dried plant specimens in the Willard Sherman Turrell Herbarium or get lost in a maze of taxidermied animals in the Hefner Museum of Natural History. But when approaching the Hefner Museum, you may catch a glimpse of new vibrant watercolors adorned on the teal-brick walls. Visual artist and environmental activist Jill Krutick delivered a talk on her new art display in Upham Hall on April 10. The three-piece gallery, on display near the Hefner Museum, titled “Coral: Animal, Vegetable, Mineral?” is an addition to her expansive 25-piece display “Coral Beliefs” featured in the Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum in Hamilton, Ohio. The talk — titled “Coral Beliefs, Coral Lives” — detailed the collaboMuseum director Steve Sullivan and Miami University English Professor Michele Navakas to create three art pieces showing coral to supplement Navakas’ recent book “Coral Lives: Literature, Labor, and the Making of America.” “It’s really a cry for people to raise awareness around environmental issues,” Krutick said, “and coral is one of them that I’m very passionate about.” Coral reefs are vital ecosystems for marine life and human food security, and according to a GCRMN report they are valued at an estimated $2.7 trillion per year in the goods and services they provide. However, coral reefs are constantly threatened by coral bleaching, when warm temperatures expel the coral’s algae, causing it to turn white and be at risk of starvation and disease. According to an article by the New York Times, scientists say that rising sea temperatures are set to cause an unprecedented mass coral bleaching event within weeks, touching all corners of the globe.

“Even though there are no pieces that are part of the ‘core beliefs’ that are bleached, there is the ‘fury’ [belief] in the center of the piece that is meant to say that if we don’t attend to coral and try to improve the restoration of it over time, then we’re really going to be facing more bleaching events,” Krutick said.

long history working in the corporate business world and how the works on

display at Miami combine elements of art, literature, science and business to not only make an eco-statement, but also to immerse spectators in a world philosophy.

Each panel in “Coral Beliefs” decoral and the world, including networking, interactivity and enchantment. The three beliefs detailed in the watercolor panels at Miami are animal, vegetable and mineral.

“[Coral Beliefs] was a matter of trying to convey the philosophy that I have about coral and the belief that coral is much more than just what we might see under the water,” Krutick said. The talk also featured remarks from Sullivan about the importance of synergy between the science and humanities disciplines and museums. Navakas also discussed initiating contact with Krutick and read nine pages from “Coral Lives.”

“At Miami, one of the things that we have been explicitly charged to do is cross disciplinary boundaries,” Sullivan said. “Nature applies to every single major. So I see the museum as … the battering ram to knock down walls between disciplines.”

The original work on display at Pyramid Hill spans 85 feet and combines watercolors, oil paints, acrylic mediums, paper collages and an assortment of plastic materials, according to a pamphlet handed out at the event. Krutick attributes her success as an eco-artist to the connections she made working for more than 15 years on Wall Street.

“[Business has] allowed me to think out of the box about how to get recognized as an artist,” Krutick said. “It’s about trying to connect the dots

Krutick said she was inspired to make eco-art because of her many years of scuba diving adventures and is glad she collaborated with Miami. “[It was] an amazing opportunity to connect up with people that are so was really focused

KAITLIN MCDOWELL FOOD EDITOR

Oxford is home to many breakfast staples, including Kofenya, Bagel and Deli and the recently opened Tous Les Jours. My personal favorite of the bunch has always been Fridge and Pantry, but I’ve always wondered why they didn’t have a cofee menu.

I think a staple to a good breakfast restaurant is a cofee menu, because if I’’m getting up to go to breakfast, I’m going to need some cafeine. Additionally, I love trying diferent lattes and cofee favors unique to diferent cafes.

So you can imagine my excitement when Fridge and Pantry announced they would be opening an espresso bar.

I took the liberty of heading to Fridge and Pantry on a nice Sunday morning to see if this espresso menu matched my expectations.

Upon arrival, I was met with a menu that featured hot and cold espresso drinks as well as cold brew and non-cafeinated drinks, such as teas and matcha. The menu also included several favor shots, dairy-free milks, and cold foams or whipped cream toppings.

After perusing my choices, I ultimately decided on a Turkish Hazelnut iced latte and my mom, who I brought along on this review, ordered a hot vanilla latte.

After we ordered, we entered Fridge’s seating area where I discovered the espresso bar was next to the alcoholic bar, allowing customers to watch as the drinks were made and sit at the counter, which I enjoyed.

For being a busy Sunday and the fact that there was only one employee at the espresso bar, our drinks came out particularly fast.

The frst thing I have to say is that the cups these drinks are served in are a great size for their price. My latte was served in a 16 oz cup for 6$, which is similar to the $6.25 price of an iced latte from Starbucks with a favor shot. The cup’s lid allows a consumerone to sip the cofee without the need of a straw, so props to Fridge and Pantry for helping the environment.

My latte came out with a layer of espresso foam on top, which I really appreciated, even though I had just seen the drink being made from an espresso machine. The cofee itself was very creamy and wasn’t hidden by the taste of milk, which I despise. There was a good amount of hazelnut favor that the cofee was sweet, but not overbearingly sweet, like a drink from Dunkin Donuts. It complemented the avocado toast that I ordered, perfectly.

My mom’s hot latte, which was served in a 12 oz cup, was also topped with espresso foam and just as creamy as my iced latte.

I was very pleased with Fridge and Pantry’s new cofee addition and look forward to trying their other drinks. However, one thing I think may set Fridge and Pantry’s cofee menu apart from others in Oxford is if they were to add seasonal drinks or favors unique to their restaurant.

Fridge and Pantry’s Espresso bar is open daily from 8 a.m to 9 p.m.

Score: 10/10

mcdowekr@miamioh.com

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The Miami community is invited to attend the Tom Smith Sculpture Dedication on Thursday, May 2!

Join us for a public dedication to celebrate a new gift of sculpture from Tom Smith ’50. The sculpture by contemporary artist Leonardo Drew will be unveiled on Western Campus No registration is required to attend and light refreshments will be served

Tom Smith Sculpture Dedication

Thursday, May 2 2:30 p m

Between Young and Hillcrest halls 310 Western Dr Oxford, Ohio

MEREDITH PERKINS STAFF WRITER

Nobody loves ramen more than college students. My earliest memories of ramen are sharing pre-packaged Maruchen chicken ramen with my mother and her telling me jokingly, “You’ll be living on this in college.”

While I do cook more than ramen (I run a recipe column here, after all), my mother’s prophecy has held true: I have always kept a pack of ramen in my dorm and apartment pantry as a late-night meal option. Ramen noodles, a Japanese-style noodle dish of Chinese origin, is among the easiest and cheapest hot meals to cook. With most brands costing $1 or less per meal, instant ramen is a busy college chef’s best friend.

Although there’s nothing quite like a cup of Maruchen noodles with microwaved Oxford mug water, ramen noodles are traditionally served with more add-ins than a Maruchen favor packet. Traditionally, the dish includes a variety of favorful add-ins, like miso broth, scallions, tofu, pork, egg, bok choy or seaweed. For National Ramen Day on April 4, Miami din-

ing services ofered students a chance to make their own traditional ramen with a ramen bufet. At 11:30 a.m., both Garden and Western Dining Commons had lines of students ready to try a fresh bowl of ramen.

Betta Nies, a sophomore emerging technology in business and design major, was among the frst in line for Western’s ramen bufet. “This is wonderful that Miami does this,” Nies said. “I don’t have to cook my own ramen.”

With shredded pork, sliced pork, carrots, bok choy, scallions, egg and mushroom add-in options, students could customize their ramen to include as many of their favorite toppings as possible.

Some students in line at Western Dining Commons were repeat visitors from last year’s National Ramen Day celebration.

Junior Katie Jachim, a linguistics and history major, topped her ramen bowl with scallions, egg, sliced pork and carrot.

“I like the events, I think they’re really cute,” Jachim said. “I went to the ramen event last year and it was really good, so coming in today, I was really excited they’re doing it again.” With all of the excitement, I was excited to try

my own ramen bowl. I opted for the sliced pork over the shredded pork and added scallions, carrots and copious amounts of bok choy. Although my noodles felt generally undercooked, the broth had a strong favor, and the sliced pork tasted delicious. In the future, I think it would be helpful to serve the broth boiling so vegetable add-ins would be able to cook in the broth and better absorb the favors.

Nonetheless, I consider National Ramen Day to have been a fun shake-up to my usual weekly lunch routine. Dining hall events like this one allow on-campus students to experiment with new foods or enjoy special treats during the week.

For students looking to replicate traditional ramen at home, adding ingredients like scallions, diced veggies, a hard-boiled egg or sriracha to a bowl of instant ramen can go a long way to elevate the nutritional value and taste of cheaper ramen options.

Additionally, Ramen Hachi, located Uptown, ofers an excellent variety of ramen options, including my favorite black garlic

ANASTASIJA MLADENOVSKA THE MIAMI STUDENT

I’ve never liked TikTok or Snapchat or any other social media that is hyper-popular in the United States. One reason for this is that I grew up in my teenage years, Instagram and Viber took the lead for young Eastern Europeans. Despite this, social media wasn’t very important, since everyone lived so close to each other and priori-

our outlook on the world, and by the time the pandemic was over, I found myself in the U.S. surrounded by TikTokers and Snapchat users. Almost every friend I have at Miami University has a TikTok account and is actively participating in TikTok culture either by creating content and engaging audiences or passively scrolling through others’ content.

Still, we don’t understand the importance of a tool, especially social media in today’s world, until we feel

its existence is threatened. Cue the idea of banning TikTok in the United States. Now, the U.S. government wants to tell my friends that they are not going to have access to the platform anymore because TikTok is a national security issue.

And while I might not care much about the faith of TikTok, I undoubtedly care a lot about the faith of freedom of expression in the U.S., and the mission of public universities who daily are pressured to make politically driven decisions to uphold a certain budget threshold and stay in the game. The government and universities have forgotten their mission is to serve students and their needs. Telling students and young people that they can change the world and then taking away their tools is outrageous. The world’s future is in the hands of educators and those who take it upon themselves to make knowledge and the truth accessible to others. Public universities, including Miami, need to be on the front end of the change-making process and not shy away from certain topics just because has made them controversial.

During spring break, I had the opportunity to professionally meet with a couple of Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown’s interns and legislative aides. During our conversation, TikTok bans were brought up. Like from a book, they shared their “deep concerns” about the platform, that it is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance and that the U.S. has attempted to buy this company multiple times, but the Chinese refused.

MEREDITH PERKINS COLUMNIST

In classrooms across the country, distracted students have found enjoyment in the most unexpected of places: the New York Timesing game section. students a free subscription through their Miami University credentials, has seen a surge in its games page’s popularity. In 2023, visits to the NYT Games app exceeded visits to the NYT News app. For starters, the variety of games on the webpage often take no more than a few minutes to run through, making them an easy distraction for the 75% of student laptop users who admit to using their laptops for non-academic purposes in class. Additionally, each of the games on the NYT website only allows usand something everyone can talk about together on social media.

As an occasional reader (and one-time Op-Ed contributor) of the NYT, I had yet to extensively explore the Games tab on the website before this semester.

mates with the Connections or Mini Crossword pulled up on their screens, I couldn’t help but wonder: is the NYT a gaming company now?

To investigate the new phenomenon, I decided to spend a week playing each of the seven NYT games daily and speak with many diehard NYT Games players with strong opinions. Here’s my ranking:

Worst Overall: Tiles

The NYT describes Tiles as a “soothing matching game,” which is funny, because that’s about the opposite of how my Tiles experience

went. The game matches tiles in shape, not color, making Tiles an unsightly, chaotic concoction that gives a headache to anyone trying to sort through the madness. Simply put, there’s better geometry-themed games in the NYT library. Most Classic: Mini Crossword You can’t think of the newspaper without thinking of a crossword The Mini Crossword is a consistent staple of the game roundup that provides readers with a daily, doable challenge. The “Mini” is more accessible for users who may diplomacy and global politics and information systems major Ally

the Mini Crossword reigns supreme. “I think it is consistently fun,” overtly frustrating because you can always go onto another word and come back to one later.”

Most Boring: Spelling Bee

Spelling Bee is a longtime staple of the New York Times games page. This does not mean it is good. Spelling Bee challenges readers to formulate as many words as they can given a circle of letters and a central letter that must appear in each word. The algorithm, however, limits readers from selecting three-letter words. Are three-letter words not good enough? Am I only smart if I come up with some six-letter word only known to avid dictionary readers? Although loyal Spelling Bee fans would disagree, I don’t feel this game is all that entertaining.

Most Rewarding: Connections In Connections, players sort a four by four grid of

I asked them how the Senator plans to address freedom of speech concerns and other aspects of the TikTok issue but no concrete plan was mentioned, except that the senator works in favor of the “American people.”

As I walked through Washington D.C., I couldn’t get this conversation out of my head. Who are the American people? Do they want a TikTok ban? I knew that at some point this issue would come to our backyard as students. Auburn University and the University of Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama all banned TikTok from their campus Wi-Fi networks.

This doesn’t really solve anything since many students will just transfer to their personal networks and continue using the app, but the mere attempt to restrict students from using their voice is daunting. While no one wants to be subject to identity theft and have their information scrutibeing the only solution and the targeting of China that are concerning.

If a ban is completely institutionthose interested in understanding the dynamics of TikTok that can make it safer are cut out of the picture. Also, nobody has mentioned how banning TikTok in public universities could shift the rhetoric on Chinese, Asian and Asian American students. Stereotypes persist and while U.S. relations with China are messy and complicated, the life of students eager to learn and earn a degree is not. Chinese students’ numbers in the

Ohio, this shift was best illustrated by Senate Bill 83. According to the Washington Post, this paranoia about Chinese students usually means extreme scrutiny during visa consultations and application processes, being turned away at the border or airport and treated as an inferior human being. In this sense, the TikTok ban could only further the harmful stereotypes for all Asians in the U.S. Public universities should always and give them a platform for their voices to be heard. This is a fair game. Otherwise, all of us living in the U.S. and hoping for a brighter future will see the door close right after we enter it. Not because we don’t have access to TikTok and can’t endlessly scroll through social media for hours, but because it only takes one calculated attack on freedom of expression for many others to follow.

mladena@miamioh.edu

Junior kinesiology major“I get frustrated when the categories are nonsensical or so random, but I love Storey said. “When I can see them match up in my head as I click the words, it is just category.” There are some shortcomings of the game: the-tations of the words, or that guessing incorrectly doesn’t tell you what you’ve done wrong. However, I absolutely love the mental challenge, and

LILLY MCCLELLAND THE MIAMI STUDENT

Mammoth Cave is the world’s longest cave system. This birthplace of thousands of years of anthropological history is a national park, UNESCO World Heritage Site and, most importantly, the place where a man laughed at my joke.

Last semester, my geology labmember whether the walls were lined with gypsum or epsomite nor my comment of comedic genius, but I can still hear my classmate Ryan’s laughter echoing through the lightless void.

When a man laughs at a woman’s joke, she grows to meet his height. She might not grow much because he lies about how tall he is, but she rises as she releases the weight of the allegations that women aren’t funny. But, when a man laughs at a woman’s joke, she also rises to look down upon her unbecoming sisters. When a man laughs at a woman’s joke, she is equal. When a man laughs, feminism dies.

I wish I could say feminism died because it was no longer needed once equality was met, but, truthfully, it died because inequality is what leads to my validation.

Sure, I feel good about myself my quips, but when a man laughs? Screw feminism.

Because Simone de Beauvoir, Betty Friedan and all the other founding mothers of feminism are rolling in feminist when a man laughs.

The issue isn’t the allegation that women aren’t funny. The problem is that women aren’t supposed to be.

One study suggests that men care less about female romantic partners being funny than they care about their partners being receptive to their own humor. Researcher Dr. Rod Martin explains that “men see being funny as a male thing.”

However, American shows that women also view humor as a masculine quality: “for a woman to say a man is funny is the equivalent of a man saying that a woman is pretty. Also, humor is largely aggressive and pre-emptive, and what’s more male than that?”

It seems women need to be breathtakingly beautiful (and capable of laughing) while a man can just be kinda funky looking as long as he has jokes. If you think I’m wrong, take a moment to consider Pete Davidson and the women he’s dated. If a woman considers being funny to be a requirement of men, she unconsciously makes them the high-court judges of humor. Because of this, the woman faces self-imposed inequality where equality only arises from a man’s laughter in the court of comedy.

I am not trying to place blame upon the woman for the creation of this jocular disparity (that’s what would really make me a bad feminist). Truthfully, I don’t even understand where the whole notion of men being funny came from. However, the cultural assignment of humor as an inherently masculine trait implies that for a woman, humor is a labor where she still isn’t getting equal pay. day with this, but when a man laughs, I experience a little gender envy. I desire to be perceived as funny without proving myself worthy of the title. I wish when a man laughs at my jokes I can just feel funny – not funny for a girl.

Feminist author Margaret Atwood wrote, “You are a woman with a man inside watching a woman. You are your own voyeur.” Paradoxically, maybe that man is why I am self-sanctioned to the demand of comedic validation, but until the feminist in me becomes strong enough to kill that internal chauvinist, I hold onto Mammoth Cave as the place where I made a man laugh.

mcclella@miamioh.edu

Man who looked at the eclipse without glasses claims he can see a new array of colors

The odds of any given location experiencing a total eclipse is 1 in 375; which is apparently still better odds

Miami tour guide found proposing to strangers in order to say on a tour that they’re a part of the 14% that become Miami Mergers

Retired co-humor editor returns for one last Headline Dump victory lap; can’t bear the thought that he already peaked at 22 Oxford Christians stumped at the question of “If God is good, why did He create seasonal allergies?”

First-year student had to endure a 15-minute lecture after she accidentally said she had “senioritis” in front of an actual senior Forbes shows record number of Miami University 2024 graduates are excited to start their career in the drive thru line at McDonald’s Record number of hospital visits due to people staring at the sun without eclipse goggles

I went to the Bahamas on my last acid trip

I had a dream about the Dean of Students, it was the worst john1595@miamoh.edu