The Miami Student | October 27, 2023

ESTABLISHED 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES

Volume 152 No. 6

Miami university — Oxford, Ohio

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023

Issue 2: 17 local vape shops and what it means for Oxford

‘We’re in the entertainment business’: What’s in store for Miami men’s Basketball HAYLEY LUBY THE MIAMI STUDENT

EVEN IF ISSUE 2 PASSES, VAPE SHOPS MAY NOT RECEIVE PROPER LICENSING TO SELL CANNABIS PRODUCTS. PHOTO BY JAKE RUFFER

RAQUEL HIRSCH STAFF WRITER Ohio’s upcoming general election features Issue 2 on the ballot which, if passed, would legalize the recreational use of marijuana for Ohio residents

In this issue

CAMPUS & COMMUNITY

Infirmary for instruments: Faculty’s unsung hero, the instrumentation laboratory

over the age of 21. Currently, the state has legalized the use of medical marijuana, along with synthetic cannabinoids such as Delta-8, which can be found at some of Oxford’s vape shops.

However, the addition of recreational marijuana dispensaries likely won’t impact these shops — even the ones that sell Delta-8 products.

Marc Biales, owner of Wild Berry Incense, does not anticipate that many vape shops will receive the proper licensing to sell cannabis products in addition to nicotine currently sold.

“It’s going to be so highly regulated,” Biales said. “It’ll probably be

available in stores where that’s all they sell.”

In addition to Wild Berry, VIP Smoke Shop manager Tommy Sheikh does not anticipate that his store will change their inventory should Issue 2 pass.

“We just sell nicotine products and some THC,” Sheikh said. “So it will be the same [after Issue 2].”

A senior business economics major, who wished to remain anonymous, said although she didn’t smoke recreationally or medicinally, she thinks making it illegal can have negative consequences.

“I don’t partake in that, but I don’t see why it’s illegal, especially when you make drugs like that illegal, it

ENTERTAINMENT

Vitamin String Quartet launches first national tour at Miami OUTSIDE ARMSTRONG, STUDENTS PROTEST THE POSSIBLE REMOVAL OF 18 MAJORS IN THE HUMANITIES. PHOTO BY SARAH FROSCH

JOEY SKOLNY THE MIAMI STUDENT

SPORTS

The team behind the team: Miami football’s equipment managers - page 10

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Miami’s Latiné Student Alliance rallies to save 18 humanities majors

- page 4

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kind of ups the chance of it being laced with something,” she said.

Even without the legalization of recreational marijuana, the abundance of vape shops in Oxford brings some concern for the surrounding community. Jessica Greene, assistant city manager of Oxford, said that in order to address this, the city passed legislation in December to prevent new stores that sell tobacco from opening.

“We did pass a moratorium saying that there can be no more tobacco retailers,” Greene said. “We also put in restrictions on how many tobacco retailers we would have per population.”

On Wednesday, Oct. 25, Miami University students gathered in front of Armstrong Student Center to protest the possible removal of 18 hu-

manities majors. Students held signs with messages of their dissatisfaction with the situation and waved various flags to show their support.

One of the main goals of the protest was to raise awareness about efforts to increase enrollment in the effected majors. Mónnica Gay, a junior social work and urban and regional planning major who is also the president of the Latiné Student Alliance, talked about how they want to make sure students have their voices heard.

“I really want students to enroll in the majors, build awareness and realize that a lot of majors are getting cut and the only way to stop it is if we have a lot of enrollment,” Gay said.

Financial problems have been cited as one of the main reasons Miami is looking at cutting these low CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Did you know these five movies were shot in Oxford?

LUKE MACY DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR

GREENHAWKS

The seeds have been planted: The beautification of Ernst Nature Theatre has begun - page 14

In a recent episode of The Miami Student’s political podcast, “People and Policies,” Oxford City Councilor Glenn Ellerbe mentioned that multiple studios have come to Oxford to shoot some of their movie scenes.

Besides what Miami University’s film students make, many movies have used Oxford as the backdrops for their features. Here’s where to find these cinematic locations.

‘The Ides of March’ This George Clooney-directed 2011 film follows a political staffer played by Ryan Gosling as he works a dirty campaign in Ohio.

UPHAM HALL HAS BARELY CHANGED SINCE ITS 1991 APPEARANCE. LEFT PHOTO BY LUKE MACY, RIGHT PHOTO FROM "LITTLE MAN TATE"

While shooting the film, Clooney brought the cast to Miami’s campus to record scenes in Hall Auditorium and the Farmer School of Business. Students and professors got to be extras, with some even skipping out on Green Beer Day to be caught on camera.

Although the buildings have barely changed, Hall and Farmer may

look a little different due to the set dressings, which included items like NBC podiums.

‘Little Man Tate’ Another of Miami’s starring roles was in Jodie Foster’s directorial feature film debut, 1991’s “Little Man Tate.”

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NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM AND

STUDENT EXHIBITION AWARDS

WED, NOV 8 | 5-8 PM Join us at the Richard and Carole Cocks Art Museum in celebrating the hard work and talents of the student artists featured in our 8th Student Response Exhibition, It’s Our World. Meet the artists, make art, enjoy refreshments, and help celebrate our winners!

Miami University’s men’s basketball team is just two weeks away from the 2023-24 season tip-off, and the coaches and players are combining forces to come back from last year's losing season.

After going 12-20 overall and 6-12 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 2022-23 season, the team has some high hopes for this year.

The season opener will take place on the road against the University of Evansville on Nov. 6. The RedHawks will see the floor in Oxford for the first time on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m. against Texas State University.

The RedHawks are looking at eight new players for this season, including five first-years and three transfers.

Head coach Travis Steele, entering his second year at Miami, says he’s excited for this year and sees all of the latest additions fitting the campus and basketball culture at the university.

“All eight guys bring attributes to our program, and I’m excited.

They’re all different,” Steele said.

“We brought in a lot more size overall and just athleticism and skill as well.”

With the 2023-24 season comes a new standout player, one of this year's graduate transfers Bryce Bultman, a former McKendree University (Division II) forward. He averaged 15.2 points, 4.1 assists and 6.3 rebounds during his prior four seasons, shooting almost exactly 50% from the floor. He’s started more than 100 games in his collegiate career.

Bultman will bring leadership, skill, experience and passion to the university’s team. Even though it’s his first season at Miami, he was recently named a team captain.

Associate head coach Rob Summers described Bultman as a “Swiss army knife.”

“He does it all for us,” Summers said. “He’s been really great to have around the program as somebody who has played a lot of basketball and seen a lot. Being named team captain speaks volumes to his character and who he is.”

For Bultman, choosing Miami was a no-brainer. With similar coaching and play styles, he figured this would be the best program to pursue his graduate year, ready to lead the younger players by example.

“I’m hoping to win some games in our MAC tournament and make it to the NCAA tournament,” Bultman said. “I am looking forward to the experience of getting to know my teammates and playing basketball on a Division I team in a new conference.”

Miami returns two of its top three players from last season, redshirt senior guard Morgan Safford and senior center Anderson Mirambeaux.

The RedHawks have also brought in their best recruiting class in recent years, plus two transfers who shot more than 40% from three last season, junior guard Bradley Dean from Virginia-Wise University (Division II) and graduate wing Darweshi Hunter, the team’s other captain, from MAC rival Northern Illinois University.

Mirambeaux transferred in from Cleveland State University (CSU) before last season. After averaging just 5.5 minutes per game the season before at CSU, Mirambeaux had a breakout campaign in 2022-23, averaging 14.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game on 53.7% shooting. This year, his goals are similar.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

5 PM RECEPTION BEGINS 5-8 PM RECYCLED ART ACTIVITY 6 PM STUDENT RESPONSE ARTISTS AWARDS ANNOUNCED

7 PM ART CONTEST WITH PRIZES 8 PM LATE NIGHT MIAMI: NIGHT AT

THE MUSEUM MOVIE + POPCORN

FYI

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023

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CORRECTIONS POLICY

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

Miami’s Latiné Student Alliance rallies to save 18 humanities majors The proposed plan, which must be decided on by Dec. 1, would result in an overhaul of 18 majors, ranging from German to critical race and ethnic studies. Dylan Haplin, a senior individualized studies major with a focus on labor organizing, thinks that getting rid of these majors would challenge Miami’s reputation in fostering the liberal arts.

“It’s also moving Miami as a school away from those more inclusive and progressive majors,” Haplin said. skolnyjc@miamioh.edu

ASG combines treasury and finance positions following vacancy KASEY TURMAN

On Oct. 24, Miami University’s Associated Student Government (ASG) combined the positions of Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of Finance, elected two senators to the student trustees selection committee and received new information on Miami’s climate action plan.

At the beginning of the meeting, Olivia Herron, the director of sustainability, presented Miami’s updated climate action plan that includes reaching carbon neutrality by 2040. The plan was outlined by Miami President Greg Crawford at the State of the University Address.

Following the presentation, Senator Ryan Parker presented legislation to combine the positions of Secretary of Finance and Secretary of the Treasury. Parker wrote the legislation to combine the two positions because of the vacancy of a Secretary of Finance following a resignation after the last election cycle.

Since the resignation, Secretary of the Treasury Venus Harvey has been fulfilling the roles of both positions. Senator Ryan Parker deemed the position of Secretary of Finance as excessive because of the revamping of the funding and the audit system put in place during spring 2023.

“There no longer really needs to be two positions,” Parker said. “The duties of the Secretary of Finance can be managed alongside the treasury secretary and the Secretary of Finance funds could be put to better

King Library Makerspace

10/27

Sat

Halloween Skate

10/28

Enjoy a midday skate with your friends at Goggin.

Tue

Tuesday Night Pub Runs

Wed

1 -4:00 p.m.

use in initiatives from other programs.”

Multiple senators questioned why an election to fill the open position had not taken place. Faculty adviser Scott Walter said that Harvey’s time in seemingly both positions negated the reason for an election.

“Secretary Harvey has done great work as Secretary of the Treasury and has shown that one person can do the tasks of both positions,” Walter said.

The combination of the two positions was approved by the Senate with 29 “yes” votes against two “no” votes.

ASG then approved two nominations for the student trustees selection committee. Senators Daniel Martin and Kirsten Osteboe were elected to the committee.

Martin and Osteboe will be part of the selection process of student trustees, which give a student perspective to decisions the Board of Trustees make. Both senators talked about the importance of selecting the correct student trustee because of issues that the board will be deciding on in the near future.

“There’s so many items today in higher education and I feel that there’s a lot of important issues right now that interest me in the committee,” Martin said. “We really just need someone on the selection committee that’s able to incite change.”

The next ASG meeting is at 6 p.m. on Oct. 31 in the Joslin Senate Chamber. turmankd@miamioh.edu

Goggin Ice Center

14 W. Park Place Complete the 1-3 mile distance at your own pace and earn a t-shirt!

This is a time for fun and friends.

3:15 5 p.m.

5:30 7 p.m.

Game Night with the Myaamia Center

67 p.m.

Wellness studio 2002

11/1

Build a community by making friends through games night.

Fri

Pumpkin Catapult

11/3

CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY EDITOR

Creepy Crawly Crafts in the Makerspace Get creative in King with Halloween-themed crafts. Materials , equipment and snacks provided.

10/31

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Advertising information: ankenedw@miamioh.edu Send us a letter? eic.miamistudent@gmail.com The Miami Student is published biweekly during the school year by the students of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

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Opinions expressed in The Miami Student are not necessarily those of Miami University, its students or staff.

enrolled majors. Santiago Rivera-Brogan, a junior psychology and art therapy major, thinks the university uses funds in the wrong places and focuses those funds too much on bigger establishments like the Farmer School of Business.

“The university is not putting their funding into the things that need to be put into,” Rivera-Brogan said. “To me, it looks like they are focusing on the things that are already big.”

11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m.

Join ROSA and RA@M for their yearly party with games, trivia, snacks and drinks.

Chloe Southard

Evan Stefanik Style Editor Teddy Johnson

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

Spooky Time Party!

Hamilton - Schwarm Rm 122

Tri Community Center Bring carved, uncarved or even painted pumpkins to be launched into the sky.

57 p.m.

Issue 2: 17 local vape shops and what it means for Oxford CONTINUED FROM FRONT

underage sales occurring at these shops in Oxford. Oxford Police DeVape shops that are already open partment (OPD) has conducted sevare allowed to remain under this mor- eral compliance checks at various atorium; however, stores that close vape shops to determine and cite and attempt to reopen would not these sales. be allowed to do so. This legislation According to the Oxford City also allows the city to develop a to- Council meeting on Aug. 1, OPD bacco retail license, which will allow Chief John Jones said two stores had officials to keep track of what specific received citations during their June stores sell tobacco products. This will 2023 check: Miami Smoke Shop, be required for all retailers by April 1, which is now closed, and VIP Smoke 2024.

Shop, which Jones said at the meetGreene said this legislation was ing had received four total citations. created to combat youth access to nic- However, Sheikh denied these citaotine in the Oxford community. tions when asked.

The tobacco retail license also es“[Those citations] are not correct,” tablishes “safe zones.” Greene said Sheikh said. “We have not sold to this would prevent tobacco retailers anyone under-age. You have to be 21. from opening near schools and parks With no ID, we cannot serve you.” where children and teenagers are ofFirst-year engineering manageten present. ment major Mitchell McCarthy susGreene acknowledged there are pects the abundant vape shops take advantage of the student population.

“I think that they definitely are targeting the fact that it’s a whole bunch — it’s a college town, and they’re selling obviously to people here who are students and I think that it’s obvious because they don’t really check too hard on carding people,” McCarthy said. “So they don’t really care, they just kind of want PHOTO BY JAKE RUFFER the business.”

Wild Berry has not received any citations from these checks.

“The [OPD] told us that we have no problems,” Biales said. “Our compliance checks have been 100%, but we’ve always been a leader in that.”

While the passage of Issue 2 may not affect standing vape shops, its impact in the community has already been considered by Greene and store owners.

“We’ve been watching it closely,” Greene said. “If it passes, staff will likely recommend a moratorium for [city] council to pass which will ban … marijuana establishments from opening until we can get an understanding of the legislation and what it means for our community, and then create legislation to control it within our community.”

Bialas hopes that if passed, it will make the topic of recreational marijuana less-stigmatized in the community.

“Let’s hope it passes,” Bialas said.

“It would turn a lot of criminals into decent citizens.”

Election day is on Tuesday, Nov. 7, and early voting began Oct. 11. For more information on how to vote, visit VoteOhio.gov.

Additional reporting by Photography Editor Jake Ruffer hirschr2@miamioh.edu

‘We’re in the entertainment business’: What’s in store for Miami men’s Basketball CONTINUED FROM FRONT “After last year, I just want to win,” Mirambeaux said. “I want to make it to the NCAA tournament. That’s the goal … I want to get the best out of it, we’ve got great coaches and I’ve got great teammates, so let’s just get the best out of it and go from here.”

Preparing for this upcoming season, things looked a little different for the RedHawks. At a team level and from a personal standpoint, players and coaches prepared somewhat differently to fix what failed them last year.

For Mirambeaux, that meant working harder, buying into the team and consistently playing with more intensity.

Steele and Summers expressed

the importance of repetitiveness and bringing the competition, coming off of struggles with shooting last year.

Although the RedHawks ended their season last year on a high note, winning four of their last five games to sneak into the MAC tournament, it was not quite enough to get them where they wanted to be.

“We have really addressed this in the recruiting piece,” Steele said. “If we’re going to be a good team, we have to be committed to the defensive end. I think if we can add the shooting piece with the defensive mentality we’ll have some really good results.”

Finishing strong late last year has definitely amped up Miami’s confidence leading up to this season. For Summers, he thinks development will happen on a game-by-game basis

with such a young team this year.

The RedHawks plan to have a ten-player active roster going into this year with a strong mix of height and talent, from the inside and out.

“Fans want to see the offense,” Summers said. “You want to come and be entertained. We are in the entertainment business. I think it’s going to be an exciting year as far as offensively what we will be able to do.”

As the most winning team in MAC history, known for producing the most NBA players, the stakes are high this year and every year for Miami men’s basketball. The coaching staff and players believe this team will have what it takes to advance to where it wants to be. lubyhj@miamioh.edu

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023

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Campus and Community

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023

Infirmary for instruments: Faculty’s unsung hero, the instrumentation laboratory SADIE CHILDS THE MIAMI STUDENT In the basement of Miami University’s Hughes Hall, below the classrooms and past the various whirring machines, is a small laboratory where Michael Weeks works. Here, machinery for all different departments is created, made and repaired.

The machines they fix range from centrifuges and PCR machines to custom electronics that the lab has previously built. The lab also has a technological component, working on physical technology as well as creating code to operate certain machines.

Weeks serves as the director of the instrumentation laboratory. He

works alongside Jayson Alexander, a machinist, and Kyle Turner, a junior instrumentation engineer. These three make up the staff of the lab, which serves the entire Oxford campus and regional branches.

The lab is part of the College of Arts and Science; however, this doesn’t limit who they can work with.

“Being a centralized facility like this, we’re accessible and inclusive to everybody,” Weeks said. “We’re not working for one department like everybody else. Everyone has access to the services and the expertise here.”

The facility uses a Google form where customers fill out the details of their requests. This form is then placed in a queue to ensure the lab

THE INSTRUMENTATION LAB WORKS ON ELECTRONICS AND CIRCUITS FOR THEIR MODELS. PHOTO BY SARAH FROSCH

THE INSTRUMENTATION LAB WORKERS ARE PROUD OF THEIR SPACE AND MAKE IT THEIR OWN. PHOTO BY SARAH FROSCH

does not prioritize anybody’s research.

“We’re not in the business of that, to say that somebody’s research is more important than somebody else’s,” Weeks said.

Once the request is received, the lab connects with the customer to understand the details of the request, which range from simply fixing a part of a machine to creating code to building custom electronics for a lab like Edward Carlo Samson’s, an assistant professor in the physics department.

Samson serves on the advisory committee for the facility along with several other professors from various departments. He also has worked closely with the instrumentation lab for his work in ultracold atom physics.

“This was custom made for my lab because, at least for physics research, especially for experimental research in my field, there’s no established equipment that you can buy offshelf,” Samson said.

Not only did the instrumentation lab build the physical parts for Samson’s lab, they also helped create the code that operates the machinery that they built.

“I got lucky that there’s an instrumentation department in Miami,” Samson said. “I was actually surprised that there’s an instrumentation lab for a liberal arts college.”

Jazzminn Hembree, the director of lab animal resources, shared a similar experience when it comes to her research at Miami.

“We couldn’t do what we do and be as productive as we are if we didn’t have such a great collaboration with them,” Hembree said. “I honestly don’t think Miami would be able to do a lot of the research and be as productive and cost cutting as we have been.”

Another strength of the instrumentation lab is how much it saves the researcher’s money. Samson said the lab doesn’t charge people for any expenses other than materials, not even the staff’s hours. Weeks said the labor costs are covered by Miami, which helps out the researchers working on grants because they can stretch their money.

The instrumentation laboratory also helps to maintain the preexisting machinery here at Miami. “[The instrumentation lab members] come over really frequently

CIRCUIT BOARDS ARE USED TO FIX TECHNOLOGY AND CREATE MODELS FOR CLASSES. PHOTO BY SARAH FROSCH

IFFERENT MACHINES ARE USED IN THE CREATION AND MENDING PROCESS. PHOTO BY SARAH FROSCH

because our equipment has outlasted their normal lifespan,” Hembree said.

“We wouldn’t be able to keep them in such good shape if it wasn’t for instrumentation helping us to manage them.”

Without the lab, researchers would have to outsource this type of maintenance.

“The primary goal of the instrumentation lab is that we support instrumentation that the researchers use,” Weeks said.

This goal is evident not only in the physical work that the laboratory does, but also in the impact it’s had on the Miami research community.

Hembree said she can’t talk highly

enough about the entire team.

With such a small laboratory, few students on campus are even aware that such a space exists at Miami, let alone the impact it has on the research community here.

“We’re open to everybody on campus,” Weeks said. “So if they have an instrumentation request, please feel free to reach out to us. We’re here to support.” childssb@miamioh.edu

Decline in international students at Miami contributes to budget deficit LAURA GIAQUINTO SENIOR STAFF WRITER In the fall of 2018, nearly 300 first-year international students enrolled at Miami University.

This fall, Miami first-year international students numbered less than 50.

A decrease in the number of international students enrolled isn’t unique to Miami, said Kathleen Gutheil, director of international and transfer admission. This decline can be seen all across the country.

Many factors out of the university’s control have contributed to the decline.

“These students have to get what we call a student visa to study in the U.S., and there definitely have been visa delays or denials that we can’t really control,” Gutheil said. “Also, there’s a lot of competition from universities around the world … Canada does a fantastic job, and the U.K., Australia and other countries are really getting into trying to get students.”

This decline in international students at Miami has consequences on the university’s budget.

David Creamer, vice president for finance and business services and treasurer, said because tuition costs are higher for international students, the decline in their enrollment has tightened Miami’s budget.

Creamer said the tuition revenue generated this year is $59 million below the university’s peak.

This tuition revenue goes to many areas of the university, including faculty compensation, operation of buildings and various student services, Creamer said. “[The decline of international students] impacts what we can do for compensation for employees,” Creamer said. “As we look at academic programs and things that we want to be able to do, it creates more limitations there when our revenue is off from what it’s been in prior years.”

Coupled with this decline in tuition revenue is an increase in spending on scholarships.

Creamer said the university’s spending on scholarships has increased by $39 million since 2020

and $16 million since 2021. This academic year, the total estimated spending on scholarships is $153 million.

While some scholarship funding comes from alumni and other sources, Creamer said the greatest amount comes from the university’s internal budget.

“Anytime you’re trying to grow the enrollment to replace the loss of a group of students like this (international students), the amount of scholarship spend[ing] tends to rise to be able to generate that additional enrollment from those other other areas,” Creamer says. “Right now, we’re seeing the total scholarship cost to enroll a class that’s somewhat comparable to before the pandemic has become more expensive.”

A large percent of Miami’s international student population has historically been from China. In fall 2019, 2,334 of the international students enrolled were from China. By fall 2022 only 807 international students were from China.

Molly Heidemann, international student and scholars services director, said the decline in international students at Miami has largely been due to fewer international students coming from China. “[China was] really building up [and promoting] their own higher education system,” Heidemann said.

“There was a trend of employers starting to prefer people who had gone to school and studied in China.”

Gutheil said conditions in the U.S. around 2018-2019 also contributed to the decline in Chinese international students because that was a time where there might have been tension between the Trump administration and China.

Despite the decrease in applications from Chinese international students, Gutheil said application numbers are still strong from other countries.

Junior mechanical engineering major Juan Moya is an international student from Ecuador. Moya says Miami’s international student and scholars services (ISSS) are approachable and informative.

Moya said that ISSS held many Zoom meetings, guiding internation-

al students through the process of studying abroad and describing Miami. Moya and his parents were even able to set up a phone call with ISSS. “[ISSS has] really good ideas to bring international students and make them feel comfortable,” Moya said. “They made me feel very comfortable with Miami, ISSS is pretty good.”

Recruiting efforts have begun to focus more closely on India. Gutheil said as India’s economy strengthens, many universities are running out of seats for students who want to attend college.

“There’s a lot of families with the economy [in India that are] able to afford to go to the U.S., but in India, it’s still primarily a graduate market,” Gutheil said. “We’re really trying to tap in and find those undergrad students throughout India.”

Even with the decline in enrollment of Chinese international students, Moya said he has noticed that many international students are from Asia generally. Moya said he has friends who go to college in Florida who can mostly speak Spanish at school, which he can’t do at Miami.

“In my class when we arrived, there were a lot of Asian students. A couple from Europe and then it was just this girl from Bolivia and I from Latin America,” Moya said. “So for sure, not a lot of diversity in that sense.”

Gutheil said this year, the top country where applicants came from was Nigeria, followed by Uzbekistan, Ghana, India, Nepal and China.

Heidemann said this changing demographic has led costs to become a concern for international students attending Miami.

“With our students coming from various South Asian and West African countries, we’re seeing more don’t have as many family funds saved up,” Heidemann said. “Or maybe they just did not fully realize all the expenses they would incur.”

This changing demographic has led Gutheil’s department to change their recruitment strategies. Part of this change includes how the department uses social media to recruit students.

“We’re not only focusing on so-

cial media that’s used in the U.S. but we’re looking at country-specific use,” Gutheil said. “For example, in India, WhatsApp is a very popular platform, or we’re using WeChat in China, Vallo in Vietnam.”

Recruiting efforts have also turned their attention to networks in various countries. Gutheil said the department has been working with government agencies and sponsoring organizations to create pipelines through partnerships.

Moya first heard about Miami through a college counselor in Ecuador who had a contact at Miami.

Moya knew he wanted to major in engineering and began learning more about Miami.

“I looked up my major, how good the program was here. I didn’t want to go to a very big school,” Moya said.

“Miami just got into my list because of all those factors.”

The department also utilizes alumni and current international students to attract students from other countries.

“International student ambassadors are probably the best source for recruiting students,” Gutheil said.

“Career outcomes are huge right now … Students want to know what kind of job [they] will get, what they’re prepared to do and what we prepare them for.”

In response to COVID-19 increasing the difficulty of travel, the department has hired two admissions

representatives based in China and India.

“Having someone on the ground that knows the culture, understands what students are looking for [and] what parents are asking, really is very important for us and helps kind of bring like, ‘Oh yeah, Miami, this is a real place here’s a real person,’” Gutheil said.

Moya says that COVID-19 didn’t create challenges in coming to Miami for him. Because Moya’s last two years of high school were online, he was excited that his first semester at Miami took place in person.

“My friends who stayed at home and they go to college at home, they had to do their first semester online,” Moya said. “So it was good for me that I was going to be able to go straight to classes and everything.”

At this point, Creamer said it is not clear how quickly Miami will be able to recover from these budgetary losses. He does not see spending on scholarships slowing down in the future.

“There’s no easy solution because we’re expecting that the number of high school graduates is going to decline,” Creamer said. “There’s going to be more competition for students that tends to lead to larger scholarship amounts being necessary for every institution to fill out their class.” giaquiln@miamioh.edu

GRAPHIC BY TAYLOR STUMBAUGH

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023

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‘It’s really hard’: Students at Miami feel ‘incredible sadness’ in wake of Israel-Hamas War ALICE MOMANY

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR On Saturday, Oct. 7, the Palestinian militant group Hamas fired a series of missiles and led a ground incursion into southern Israel, killing hundreds and taking roughly 200 civilians hostage.

The day after the Hamas attack, Israel declared war on Hamas, and two days later, according to the Associated Press, the Israeli government announced a blockade on the Gaza Strip — a 140 square mile area with 2.3 million people bordering Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. The ban included the supply of food and water, as well as other necessary items for living.

According to the AP, more than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed while nearly 5,800 people in Palestine have been killed in Gaza.

At least 96 Palestinian people in the Israeli-occupied West Bank have also been killed.

The events that took place on Oct. 7 was a continuation of 75 years of animosity between Israel and Palestine, the New York Times reports.

Up until 2005, Gaza was under the rule of the Palestinian Authority and partially occupied by Israel settlements and defense forces. During this time, the West Bank was also under the ruling of the Palestine Authority but was also undergoing occupation and annexation by settlers from the State of Israel and the Israeli army.

Two years later, Hamas claimed to be the democratically elected government of Gaza.

“When it made this claim to power, it immediately found itself in conflict, if not civil war, with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank,” said Nathan French, an associate professor of comparative religion at Miami University.

French said since 2007 the residents have lived under a blockade instated by the Israeli government, and the continued treatment of Palestinians in Israeli-occupied territories has heightened tensions.

The blockade, put in place by the Israeli government, restricts medicines, food, construction materials and more coming in and out of Gaza. The Israeli government, parts of the Palestinian Authority and the Egyptian government argue that this blockade is necessary to prevent the growth of Hamas.

“Nobody condones what Hamas did,” said Umar Arshad, a senior physics major at Miami. “I don’t think anybody condones that, but there’s context to it. Why did that happen? What are those people subjected to?”

Arshad, a Muslim student and vice president of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), said he was not expecting to hear the news of the war breaking out on Oct. 7, despite being knowledgeable on the 75 years of history between Palestinian groups and Israel.

“How successful those extremist groups were in infiltrating into Israel was surprising to me because of how much we have heard about how state-of-the-art the [Israel Defense Forces] and Israel’s general defensive capabilities are,” Arshad said.

“But then immediately, I was just filled with an incredible sadness, just overwhelming, because obviously it is so depressing.”

Shai Galili, a Jewish student and junior architecture major, was also astonished when he woke up to a text from his friend at 2 a.m. alerting him that Israel was striking back at Hamas.

“It was crazy,” Galili said. “I thought it was fake for some reason because no one expected this to happen.”

But he soon realized the reality of the situation.

Over the summer, Galili participated in Onward Israel, where he and other Jewish students at Miami spent 2 1/2 months in Tel Aviv being immersed in the culture, learning about Judaism and working through an internship program.

The students who went on the trip were instructed to download an app called Red Alert: Israel. According to the app description, it “provides real time alerts every time a terrorist fires rockets, mortars or missiles into the State of Israel.” On Oct. 7, Galili said the app crashed because of how many notifications it was pushing out. As of 4 p.m. on Oct. 24, Galili had already received more than 50 texts.

Galili’s dad’s side of the family lives in Israel. Galili himself is involved in Miami’s Chabad — a Jewish organization in Oxford that regularly celebrates Jewish traditions— and the historically Jewish fraternity Sigma Alpha Mu, had been to Israel countless times before living there last summer. In the past three weeks, two of his cousins and one of his

MATTHEW LODGE, PRESIDENT OF STUDENTS SUPPORTING ISRAEL, ORGANIZED A RALLY TO STAND IN SOLIDARITY FOR THE LIVES LOST. PHOTO BY KASEY TURMAN

LAURA GIAQUINTO SENIOR STAFF WRITER STUDENTS LINED UP ACROSS SPRING STREET FOR A PROTEST IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINE. PHOTO BY LUKE MACY.

friends have been called for reserve duty for the Israeli army.

“I think he probably thinks he’s going to get shot,” Galili said of his friend. “And he’s our age.”

He said as soon as he gets a notification of an attack near where his family lives, he immediately contacts them to make sure they’re OK. One of Galili’s friends from high school is Palestinian. After Oct. 7, he reached out to his friend to understand how he was navigating the conflict.

“I just reached out saying, ‘Hey, I hope you’re doing all right. I hope your family … is doing all right … call me if you need anything,’ and we talked about how the whole conflict just sucks,” Galili said.

Eric Glassman, a junior finance major at Miami, also had a friend called to reserve duty in the Israeli army, which he said made the war even more real. Glassman is the current president of Miami’s Hillel, a Jewish student organization. A former president of the organization is now on the frontlines of the war.

“One of my longtime close friends … is on the border right now in Gaza helping defend Israel, and it’s scary but also kind of inspiring to see a role model that I’ve had for a long time,” Glassman said.

As the current president of Hillel, Glassman was prepared to have difficult conversations surrounding issues impacting Jewish people, but navigating a war as a student leader and full-time student was something he wasn’t expecting.

“It’s definitely really hard because not only do I have my responsibilities to myself as a student, I have my responsibilities to Hillel, and I have my responsibilities to my friends and family to be there for them, and it’s really hard to do all three when there’s a war going on,” Glassman said.

Despite his fears, Glassman said he appreciates the help Miami administration has provided to its Jewish students, such as showing up to events and providing mental health resources to students. However, others like Arshad and Galili feel the university could be doing more.

On Oct. 11, Miami President Greg Crawford sent an email to students, faculty and staff, providing resources for those affected by the violence in the Middle East. Galili said the email was surface-level, but Arshad said the timing of the email and the lack of

acknowledgement at the larger context felt one-sided. Crawford’s email did not directly mention Palestinian territories by name.

SJP posted its official response to the email on Oct. 22. The response addressed concerns that Crawford’s email was prompted by violence from Hamas toward Israel, while he has never sent an email in response to Israeli military actions against Palestine. Additionally, there has been no follow-up as the war unfolds.

“It was just a reminder that, as much as Miami wants to push diversity, it’s only when it suits certain interests,” Arshad said.

Arshad said the university has not responded to SJP’s statement.

As the war continues, French believes an end to the current fighting is not in sight.

“For any sort of resolution to occur in this conflict, the first thing that must occur is a ceasefire and a delivery of humanitarian aid to people in the Gaza Strip at a scale far greater than what we are currently seeing,” French said.

On a larger scale, to end the historical 75-year conflict between Israel and Palestine, some diplomats like António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, have pushed for a two-state solution.

This solution would recognize the rights of both Israel and Palestine to exist as independent states, such that both groups have full rights and self-determination in their territories.

Jacky Linden, the director of advocacy for SJP, believes to mitigate future violence and future war crimes, the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank needs to end.

“If you look at any other instance in history of colonialism, and such disproportionate power imbalances, the violence only ever ends when the initial violence is removed,” Linden said.

Linden said SJP condemns all war crimes and mourns the lives lost as a result of the violence, no matter their identity.

SJP’s official statement on the Oct. 7 conflict and the organization’s response to the president can be found on its Instagram account, and Hillel’s and Sigma Alpha Mu’s official statements can also be found on their Instagram accounts. momanyaj@miamioh.edu

Miami administrator’s familial ties to bourbon become his life passion

ALICE MOMANY

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR

IAN DO THE MIAMI STUDENT As a child, Michael Crowder remembers celebrating holidays in southern Virginia fondly.

His entire family would gather at his grandparents’ house. The men would wear stuffy suit coats and ties, while the women wore beautifully patterned dresses. They would bond over a potluck of food and enjoy each others’ company. Then the men would retreat in the front room to smoke cigars and drink bourbon.

“I was fascinated and terrified,” Crowder said. “They would be sitting there debating politics, doing exactly the things you should not be discussing as a family.”

When he became a teenager, he was invited to be a part of the discussion.

“They poured us a little bourbon in a cup, and we could sit there and feel like we were men in the discussion,” Crowder said. “None of us said a word for years. We just listened, but what I came to realize was that this was a huge bonding experience for the men in our family.”

For Crowder, bourbon would continue to be a bonding experience throughout his adulthood. When his father was diagnosed with lung cancer, Crowder would drive 10 1/2 hours from Oxford to Virginia every weekend to be with him.

“We would sit with bourbon and just talk,” he remembered. “Reminisce about when I was a kid, when he was a kid and some of his stories.”

Crowder came to Miami in 1995 as an assistant professor in the chemistry and biochemistry departments.

In 2013, he moved up to chair the chemistry department, the same year his dad died.

Although his favorite drinking buddy was gone, Crowder remained fascinated with bourbon.

A few years later, he, along with the chairs of the microbiology and biology department, were called to the office of Chris Makaroff, dean of the College of Arts and Science. There, they were asked to develop a course on fermentation. After much deliberation, they finalized their 400-level course surrounding the making of beer.

CHM 436, Principles in Fermentation, currently taught by Danielson Neil, covers every aspect of the craft from the engineering of beer, to the biochemical makeup of fermentation, to the analytics of the drink and the psychology of addiction.

“Every week we would taste bourbon and then take the bourbon upstairs to the chemistry lab and analyze whether it was for bittering, compounds, color, the metals that are in them,” Crowder said of when he used to teach the class. “All those things influence the way that we interact with beer.”

Although he has primarily moved out of his teaching role, now serving as an associate provost and dean of the graduate school at Miami, his favorite memories of teaching the class were during the winter term when David Dafoe, a Miami alumnus from ’84, would invite the class to Moonshine University in Louisville, Kentucky.

Dafoe would invite the class down for a week, waiving the tuition, and teach students about the distilling industry. Andrew Jones, a professor in chemical paper and environmental engineering, co-taught the fermentation course with Crowder one year and visited Moonshine University.

“It was a really good experience,” Jones said. “I think it gave students a perspective that they can’t get here at Miami. I think it got a lot them excited about the manufacturing side of

What to know about voting in Ohio this November

spirits.”

Crowder said at last count, 25 of those students are in the distilling or brewing industry now.

One year, after returning home from Moonshine University, one of Crowder’s students asked him to help him analyze some bourbon. Crowder agreed, and they took samples to the Ohio State University and discovered that bourbon has more than 10,000 chemicals that contribute to the taste of it. Since then, Crowder has been researching the science behind each of these chemicals and how bourbon gets its unique taste and color.

“I think that’s a cool way that he has connected his professional research with his personal passions,” Jones said. “I think that when you talk to him, that obviously comes through.”

In February, Crowder teamed up with Phil Kollin, a Miami alumnus and owner of a bourbon adventure company, to virtually present the craft of the bourbon world. Crowder discussed the science behind it, while Kollin described working in the industry.

Kollin, who graduated from Miami in 2000 with a degree in mass communication, never took a class from Crowder during his time in Oxford but hopes to collaborate with him again in the future.

“What he’s doing is very unique and special,” Kollin said. “Most people who have his knowledge and his capacity to speak in science terms are usually working in the lab or distillery, and they’re henceforth less able to share in the way he is because they are bound to a specific organization … He’s a diamond in the rough when it comes to showcasing the science side of bourbon.”

Approaching his 20th year at Miami, Crowder has performed in a variety of roles, but he said his favorite thing about the university is helping students with research.

CROWDER USES BOURBON TO TEACH AND CONNECT WITH STUDENTS. PHOTO PROVIDED BY MICHAEL CROWDER

“A lot of the time it’s a student’s first publication, and that’s a big deal in the science field,” Crowder said.

“That’s our currency, and to watch them get excited it’s a great achievement. I think that’s probably my favorite part of being at Miami.”

Since his promotion in 2020, his office has moved out of Hughes Hall and now resides in Roudebush Hall.

Instead of classes, office hours and lab times, his days are filled with meetings from administration to graduate students, squeezing in time for his research when he can.

“I feel like this is what Miami needs me to be doing right now to help, and I take a lot of comfort in that,” Crowder said. “I feel like I’m in the right place at the right time. Who knows, tomorrow might be a different day, but I do feel like I owe a ton to Miami, and while I would love to be working in the research lab and teaching more, I feel like this is a way that I can help.”

Election Day is fast-approaching on Tuesday, Nov. 7, with reproductive rights and marijuana legalization on the ballot. The Miami Student has compiled information about when you can vote, how to vote, the issues at stake and more.

What are Issue 1 and Issue 2?

Ohioans will vote on Issue 1 and Issue 2 this coming election. Each issue needs 50% of the vote to pass.

Issue 1 enshrines in the Ohio constitution the right to “make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions” without state interference until fetal viability. This includes decisions about abortion, contraception, fertility treatment, miscarriage care and continuing pregnancy. The amendment defines fetal viability as the point in a pregnancy in which professional judgment declares “the fetus has a significant likelihood of survival outside the uterus with reasonable measures.”

Abortion is currently allowed in Ohio until 22 weeks, but this is not guaranteed in the constitution. Ohio lawmakers passed a ban on abortions after six weeks in 2022 following the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, but a state judge indefinitely blocked the law from being enacted.

Issue 2, the Marijuana Legalization Initiative, would allow and regulate the sale and purchase of recreational marijuana for those who are at least 21 years old. A new Division of Cannabis Control would be responsible for the regulation of recreational marijuana. The initiative also enacts a 10% sales tax on marijuana with tax revenue going toward establishing a cannabis social equity and jobs program.

When can I vote?

Early Voting: Monday, Oct. 23 -Friday, Oct. 27: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 30: 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 31: 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 1 - Friday, Nov. 3: 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 4: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 5: 1 - 5 p.m.

Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 7: 6:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Where can I vote in person?

1) Head to VoteOhio.gov.

2) Click on “Find Your Early Voting Location.”

3) Find your county on the clickable map or scroll through the list below.

4) That address is your voting location.

What should I bring?

With new Ohio voter laws enacted in April, it is important to stay upto-date with what you need to bring while voting. You must bring identification with a future expiration date, photograph and voter name. Examples include an Ohio-issued driver’s license, U.S. passport, military ID or temporary Ohio-issued ID. Absentee voting information To request an absentee ballot, visit ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/ how-to-request-your-absentee-ballot Oct. 31: Last day to apply for an absentee ballot.

Nov. 6: Mailed absentee ballot applications must be postmarked by Nov. 6.

Nov. 7: If not returned by mail, absentee ballots must be received by your board of elections by 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 13: The boards of elections must receive absentee ballots (postmarked by Nov. 6) by Nov. 13.

Voting Tips 1) If you are able, vote early. Nov. 7 will be here before we all know it, so make sure you make it to the polls.

This also gives you enough time to make sure you have a proper ID. 2) If you are requesting an absentee ballot, request it now. Remember you can print in multiple locations in Armstrong and King Library. You can purchase stamps and envelopes and mail your ballot from Shriver Center.

3) Do your background research.

It’s important to understand surrounding facts behind issues on the ballot.

4) Encourage your friends and family members to vote as well.

5) Not sure how to get to the polls?

Ride the democracy bus. The democracy bus will head to Butler County’s Board of Elections on Nov. 4. You must register to ride the bus by Nov. 1. giaquiln@miamioh.edu

momanyaj@miamioh.edu dotm@miamioh.edu

6

entertainment LIVE ON AIR: RedHawk Radio MIA ZURICH THE MIAMI STUDENT

RedHawk Radio, formally known as WMSR, has been a part of the Miami University community since the 1980s.

Shows were initially broadcast over Channel 14 on the TV, playing the greatest hits on CDs and vinyl. Broadcasts are now published online at redhawkradio.com, where the organization produces several shows daily.

“It’s where I met all of my closest friends, and it has been super cool to meet a group generally interested in the entertainment industry,” said Mary Hines, a senior media and culture and political science double major.

Joe Sampson, senior clinical professor of journalism, is an alumnus of both Miami and RedHawk Radio.

“When I was a student here, the internet didn’t exist, and the radio had a very different role in people’s lives,” Sampson said. “In today’s world, you have so many options for entertainment because you have everything on your phone, which makes it difficult for student media organizations.”

Sampson’s show in the ’70s was called “Afternoon on Disco Mountain,” where he would play all the latest and greatest disco music of the ’80s and ’90s. Now, you are more likely to find reviews on “The Golden Bachelor” and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Guts,” but at the end of the day the core idea of the radio persists.

Even though RedHawk Radio has had many

flourishing years, recently, it has been struggling since newer generations aren’t as drawn to the radio as their primary source of entertainment.

“Especially for RedHawk Radio, your generation doesn’t listen to the radio like mine,” Sampson said. “So, when people ask me about the radio in the ’80s and ’90s compared to today, it’s apples and oranges.”

The club persists regardless of the decline in listenership, with many members still enthusiastic about using the club as a creative outlet.

“The radio has allowed me to turn my love for listening to music into a hobby and when everyone is sharing music and getting excited over hearing new songs, you feel a part of something,” Hines said.

Hines, who is also the general manager of RedHawk Radio, co-hosts a show with Connor Donaldson, a fourth-year primary education major and business manager of RedHawk Radio. The show, called “The Debrief,” is where they talk about the best music to listen to when doing your daily activities.

If that’s not your speed, you could tune in to “Talking Points” hosted by Ethan Kalb to hear what’s going on in the world of sports, while diehard Swifties may want to check out “Swiftie Studio Sessions.”

Even though the team’s spirits stay high through this period for the radio, the issue of making the budget remains. The decrease of listenership makes it more difficult for the team to produce as many events and shows as it would

Reinventing the wheel: Super Mario Bros.

Wonder shines in already-bright series

DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR LUKE MACY AND OPINION EDITOR DEVIN ANKENEY PLAY SUPER MARIO BROS. WONDER ON THE NINTENDO SWITCH. PHOTO BY SEAN SCOTT

DEVIN ANKENEY OPINION EDITOR

LUKE MACY

DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR In 2017, Nintendo released the Nintendo Switch. Along with the device, the company released two games the same year that were considered some of the best in their respective series: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey.

Six years later, Nintendo has blessed and impressed us with new entries in both the Legend of Zelda and Mario platformer series. While the former, Tears of the Kingdom, released this spring and followed the format of its predecessor, Super Mario Bros. Wonder came out Oct. 20, completely reinventing the series from the ground up.

The Super Mario Bros. series has been due for a good 2D platformer for a while. Fans suffered through the New Super Mario Bros. games on Wii and the DS systems for 17 years.

Each installment was plagued with boring and formulaic design, clearly feeding off an audience Nintendo thought wanted more of the same. The last innovative, genuinely fun entry in the series came in the ’90s with Super Mario World, one of the series’ highest highs.

After nearly two decades of a painful cycle of crap (much akin to the experience Pokémon fans have been having for even longer), Nintendo finally let its creative side loose with Wonder, creating a new, stylized game that innovates and surprises at every turn.

Simply put, it blew us away.

Wonder is an absolute, mesmerizing delight.

The constant shock and awe that made Super Mario Odyssey groundbreaking was translated beautifully into this new 2D platformer in every way imaginable.

From the moment you start playing (as one of eight unique and 12 total playable characters), the game instantly throws new experience after new experience at you. The elephant power up, which transforms most characters into a large elephant, is the first in a long series of fantastical elements all combined to make an entirely unique experience that, without Mario branding, would feel like an entirely different game.

Most Mario games involve some thoughtless story involving Bowser kidnapping Princess Peach, rendering Mario the only one able to save her. This time around, Wonder has a whole new take on the now-classic progression in the Flower Kingdom (notably not the Mushroom Kingdom): Bowser becomes the castle.

Mario and his gang of characters stumble upon this all-new kingdom prior to Bowser’s attack. The kingdom is inhabited by “Poplins,” humanoid flower people. Prince Florian, a royal Poplin, tasks Mario and friends with helping him take back the prince’s castle.

To weaken Bowser’s grip on the kingdom, the player must get Wonder Seeds, which can be found by collecting Wonder Flowers. When a character gets a Wonder Flower, the game instantly morphs into an acid trip — if Nintendo designed acid trips.

This new mechanic breaks all formulas from previous 2D Mario games and gives players the chance to explore previously unseen parts of every single level, collect a swath of items and find new paths to secret levels and worlds.

Needless to say, Wonder is the first 2D Mario game since Super Mario World to actually feel new.

One of the latest features here is the badge system, allowing Mario and friends to pick a special ability to use throughout the level thanks to Prince Florian. Abilities range from giving you a power-up mushroom at the start to giving you a few extra moments to jump as you fall. They’re fun to experiment with, although we recommend primarily sticking with the first ability, which lets you use your cap as a glider while you float gracefully to the ground.

The game also adds countless new species of enemies and characters to find and interact with scattered all over the place. From bull-like Bulrushes to extremely rotund and bouncy hippo-shaped Hoppos and ground squirrel-like Skedaddlers who love to run away from you in terror, Wonder fully reinvents the universe in which Mario explores. (By the way, those new characters can all be found in just the first five levels alone.)

Similarly to how Super Mario Bros. 3 felt like a Mario play with its curtain title screen and level staging, Super Mario Bros. Wonder feels like the musical of the series. Not only does it dazzle with the same colors and designs that Broadway would, but it also uses music to perfection to craft its levels: Cymbals crash as you slam to the ground, enemies sing in certain levels and the music draws from past entries’ greatest songs.

The only caveat to a whole new soundboard of melodies and effects is that the simple jump sound can get fairly aggravating after a while.

With so much going on visually and sonically, though, this doesn’t tend to bother all that often.

The game is packed with unique levels, and the game does a great job making you work to find them. Plus, there’s so much to see in each level, and the lack of a timer gives plenty of room to explore. Having already played this game for hours, we’ve barely made it to the third world.

It’s not rare to call a Mario game good, but this one’s different. In a world where 3D action games reign supreme, Wonder is a delightfully-stylized large-scale platformer that made us feel like kids again.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023

like.

“It comes down to money and the available resources for us to make our shows,” Donaldson said. “We used to be able to put on concerts at Armstrong and other significant events that were heavily student-body centered. Still, with the decrease in listenership, as well as Miami not seeing the radio as a priority over some sports and financed-based organizations, it is harder to get the funding.

Still, RedHawk Radio soldiers on, and is always looking for new members and those interested in the medium. “‘Join for the right reasons. It’s fun, it’s a good experience,” Sampson said. “There are a lot of transferable skills that you gain working

on the radio, interpersonal skills, and working collaboratively with others. Thinking on your feet, public speaking, I could rattle off a whole host of things that I think they may not even be thinking about when they’re doing it.”

The community surrounding the radio is tight-knit and a place where students with shared interests can meet – one of the factors that drives the radio to continue. The best way for students to support the organization: take a couple of minutes from your day and tune in to RedHawk Radio.

SCAN THE QR CODE TO ACCESS THE REDHAWK RADIO WEBSITE.

A POSTER DISPLAYED BY JOE SAMPSON FROM REDHAWK RADIO’S EARLIER DAYS. PHOTO BY MIA ZURICH

zurichme@miamioh.edu

Spruce up your Halloween party playlist with these delightfully chilling songs CHLOE SOUTHARD ASST. ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR It’s October, and you know what that means: Halloween party season is upon us.

But I, for one, am sick of the basic Halloween party tracks. I’m talking about “Thriller,” “Ghostbusters,” “Monster Mash” and the like. I don’t care that these tracks are considered classics; it’s time for something new and exciting.

Luckily, I’m here for you, and I’ve got a wide range of spooky songs to bring your party to life. Prepare to be thrilled, chilled and fulfilled.

You’ll never want to hear “Halloween Theme” again after giving this playlist a listen.

‘Istigkeit’ — Babes In Toyland This song is the definition of eerie; it feels like something that would be played in a haunted house. With Kat Bjelland’s breathy, ghastly vocals, it makes me feel uneasy with every listen — but in a good way. The moaning and gasping in the background is a great touch, too.

‘Season of the Witch’ — Lana Del Rey A cover of a track originally recorded by Donovan, Del Rey’s version of “Season of the Witch” is simply superior. It feels more Halloween and fall-esque to me, and as a Lana stan I’m legally obligated to include it.

‘Goo Goo Muck’ — The Cramps I know this one got extremely popular from the Netflix series “Wednesday,” but it’s a great song regardless. You’ve gotta have some stuff that people will know without being too predictable. Plus, what’s a Halloween party without a nod to ’80s goths?

‘Ptolemaea’ — Ethel Cain Ethel Cain’s entire aesthetic is based on the macabre; this is one of her most other-wordly sounding tracks. The dark lyrics combined with Cain’s phantasmic vocals makes for a perfectly creepy song. Cain’s shrieking pleas in the middle of “Ptolemaea” will truly set the Halloween mood.

‘Howl’ — Florence + The Machine Florence channels her inner werewolf on this catchy track. Despite its upbeat instrumental, the lyrics are perfect for Halloween. Consider this song as a better alternative to Warren Zevon’s basic “Werewolves of London.”

‘Halloween’ — Phoebe Bridgers This is a more mellow track, but it’ll give your guests time to relax and take a break from all of the dancing. Maybe save this one for the end of the party; send your guests off with Bridgers’s lovely lines, “Baby, it’s Halloween / And we can be anything.”

‘Earth Intruders’ — Björk Björk’s entire discography could work at a Halloween party, but this particular track is funky and danceable. Plus, it’s extremely underrated and gives alien vibes all the way through.

‘Enlacing’ — clipping.

This track was specially picked by Entertainment Editor Reece Hollowell. It’s a perfectly unique Halloween party song, with its horror-core vibes and unique spoken-word aspects. This is an excellent song to get your guests hyped up for the party.

‘Tear You Apart’ — She Wants Revenge Best known for its feature in “American Horror Story: Hotel,” this song is everything I’d want to hear at a Halloween party. It gives a vampiric feel, with lyrics about brutal desires. I can guarantee if you play this song at your party, people will go crazy for it.

‘Monster’ and ‘Bloody Mary’ — Lady Gaga Any good party must have Lady Gaga on the playlist. I’ve given you two options here: the viral “Bloody Mary,” or the underrated “Monster.” These songs would be perfect to get your guests moving, and if you can’t choose between them, just go with both.

‘Bad Things’ — Cults This is another one your audience will most likely know. It’s not on the same basic, overplayed level as others, though. It’s not very danceable but would be a great track to set the atmosphere as your party begins.

‘Touch-A Touch-A, Touch Me’ — ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ Everyone loves “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (if you don’t, you have a serious problem), so this song would make for a terrific sing-a-long. Anything from the “Rocky Horror” soundtrack would be a great addition to your playlist, but this one is one of my personal favorites. Risque lyrics aside, it’s a perfect Halloween party song.

‘Psycho Killer’ — Talking Heads I have my mother to thank for my obsession with this song. It’s catchy, danceable and exquisite for the spooky season. Talking Heads is a quintessential band for college-aged music lovers anyway, so it’s vital that you include a song by the group.

‘Living Dead Girl’ and ‘American Witch’ — Rob Zombie Rob Zombie is THE Halloween time artist.

These two tracks would be great to build hype and get your guests dancing (or moshing). I’d recommend spacing them out towards the beginning and end of your playlist, that way your friends will stay exhilarated the entire time.

‘Burn In Hell’ — Twisted Sister Another rock track, I know, but this song seriously fits the mood. It starts off slow and dark, then thrusts you into an exciting and lively cacophony of ’80s hair-metal sounds. The song may be about burning in Hell, but your guests will feel as if they’re on cloud nine.

‘In the Room Where You Sleep’ — Dead Man’s Bones This song would be excellent to dance to.

The lyrics are delightfully creepy but the instrumentals remain upbeat and fun. Fun fact: Ryan Gosling is one half of Dead Man’s Bones; be sure to tell this to every guest dressed as Barbie or Ken (you know there will be at least one).

‘Zombie’ — The Cranberries I’ll admit that this song is on almost every Halloween playlist known to man, but it’s the one track I can get behind. I love The Cranberries, and Dolores O’Riordan’s vocals on “Zombie” are haunting in the best way. I just couldn’t leave this one out.

‘Rhiannon’ — Fleetwood Mac This one’s for all my witchy girls. Ironically, this song was written by Stevie Nicks right around Halloween time in 1974. This track is a must; people absolutely adore Fleetwood Mac no matter what time of year it is.

So go ahead and start editing your playlist.

Remove those overplayed tracks that no one truly likes. Your guests will want you on aux at every party after you wow them with these spooky, hair-raising songs. @_chloebowie_ southacr@miamioh.edu

Rating: 9/10 ankenedw@miamioh.edu macylj@miamioh.edu

GRAPHIC BY CHLOE SOUTHARD

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023

7

Did you know these five movies were shot in Oxford?

CONTINUED FROM FRONT The film is about a single mother raising a child prodigy. The prodigy finds himself on a college campus, and some bullies throw a globe at his head. This all takes place right in front of the famous Upham Arch.

In another scene, the prodigy and his psychologist walk into Alumni Hall, recognizable by its George Washington statue in the center.

‘A Reason to Believe’ Before director Douglas Tirola

documented National Lampoon’s history with “Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead,” he made the film “A Reason to Believe,” which was released in 1995.

The film is about a popular girl who experiences an unwanted sexual encounter after attending a party.

Careful viewers will notice Skippers Pub and Bagel and Deli Shop as one character walks to talk to another in front of what’s now the Den. ‘The Natural History of the Chicken’ In 2000, PBS investigated the

role of chickens in American life and ended up in Oxford for an interesting reason.

Bobby Wayne Webb was living in Oxford and was raising roosters for cockfighting. As a segment of the documentary, Webb and his neighbors were interviewed about this pastime, and Webb even gained national attention from it. Neighbors weren’t so happy and filed a nuisance lawsuit.

Sites of Oxford can be seen as B-roll. Parts of town like the civil war cannon look much different. Newspa-

per clippings from Journal-News are also shown onscreen.

‘Turtles All the Way Down’ One of the in-production projects for the Max streaming service, “Turtles All the Way Down” is an upcoming film adaptation of a John Green novel. The book is a romantic-drama about a 16-year-old who has OCD and investigates a billionaire’s disappearance.

The cast and crew found their way to Miami’s campus in May 2022. Although no trailers or production stills

have been released showing what parts of Miami are included, one user shared in a Reddit post that the crew was shooting the film around King Library. @lukejmacy macylj@miamioh.edu

HALL AUDITORIUM ON A NORMAL DAY LOOKS LESS DRESSED THAN IT DID IN THE MOVIE “THE IDES OF MARCH.” PHOTO BY LUKE MACY

STUDENTS, OXFORD RESIDENTS AND FACULTY ACTED AS EXTRAS IN GEORGE CLOONEY’S 2011 FILM. PHOTO FROM “THE IDES OF MARCH”

SKIPPER’S PUB & TOP DECK HAS LOST THE SHRUBBERY THAT ONCE GAVE IT SHADE. PHOTO BY LUKE MACY

“A REASON TO BELIEVE” SHOWS THE OXFORD OF THE ’90S, BOTH DIFFERENT AND SIMILAR TO CURRENT DAY. PHOTO FROM “A REASON TO BELIEVE”

CARS DRIVE DURING MIAMI’S ICONIC HIGH STREET ON A GLOOMY DAY. PHOTO BY LUKE MACY

OXFORD’S ICONIC HIGH STREET HAS BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES, AS SEEN IN A 2000 PBS DOCUMENTARY. PHOTO FROM “THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE CHICKEN”

Vitamin String Quartet launches first national tour at Miami

ROBYN’S “DANCING ON MY OWN” WAS THE FIRST SONG VITAMIN STRING QUARTET PLAYED FROM THE BRIDGERTON SOUNDTRACK. PHOTO BY TAYLOR STUMBAUGH

TAYLOR STUMBAUGH CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR The lights go down, the audience grows quiet and the Vitamin String Quartet (VSQ) walks onstage. For couple Carla and Sarah Risner, the moment brought them back to their wedding day.

Carla Risner said they discovered VSQ while picking music for their wedding, and having the same songs played that night was a really special experience. Not only were they attending for the sentimental aspect, but because of the added bonus of experiencing “Bridgerton’s” music live.

“They have exceeded any expectation that we had coming here,” Risner said.

According to Miami’s performing art series, before “Bridgerton” helped VSQ reach a global audience, it established classical crossover as a genuine force in contemporary music.

The four string musicians — Wynton Grant, Thomas Lea, Derek Stein and Leah Zeger — started the night with Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next” in front of a hot pink background and transitioned to a Billie Eilish song shortly after. Throughout the night, the background colors shifted depending on the song the group was performing.

THE STAGE SWITCHED TO RED ONCE BILLIE EILISH’S “BAD GUY” WAS PLAYED. PHOTO BY TAYLOR STUMBAUGH

The first “Bridgerton” song of the night was “Dancing on My Own” by Robyn. A few songs later, VSQ graced the audience with “If I Ain’t Got You”

by Alicia Keys from the show “Queen Charlotte.”

Chi Vo, a senior double majoring in data science and statistics and psychology, went to the event as an avid “Bridgerton” fan and a lover of live music. “[The performance] really touched my heart, doing the song by Billie Eilish, the happier song, I was getting teary eyed,” Vo said.

A common theme of the night was an infatuation with Eilish, as the group covered tracks like “Bad Guy”

and “Happier Than Ever.” In between covers members would occasionally speak to the audience, creating an inclusive feeling. The musicians made it abundantly clear that it wasn’t a classical concert, but something the audience could let loose to and bump heads.

There were quite a few heads bobbing in the audience when “Purple Rain” by Prince came on. The song’s atmosphere was successfully set with a royal purple background.

After the 10-15 minute intermission, Vitamin String Quartet came back onstage for its remaining 12 songs, starting with “This is Halloween” from Tim Burton’s “Nightmare

Before Christmas.”

Students were not the only attendees enjoying the orchestral music; there were audience members from Hamilton and the Oxford Community.

Ailie Anderson, a Hamilton resident, saw the performance advertised on Facebook and thought it would be a fun experience.

“I enjoy the candlelight concerts and thought this would be similar and something different to do,” Anderson said. “I think it’s great.” stumbata@miamioh.edu

8

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023

sports

Glenn Box hopes to usher in a new era of Miami women’s basketball KETHAN BABU STAFF WRITER When it was announced that Miami University women’s basketball head coach DeUnna Hendrix had resigned last spring amid an intimate relationship with an athlete, worries about the program began to surface.

Many players on the team decided to transfer, and it seemed that the program would face a rough few years.

Later that month, however, it was announced that Glenn Box from Indiana University would take the head coach position and worries about the program were in part replaced by hope.

Box began his collegiate coaching career at Rend Lake College, where he first served as the assistant coach for the men’s team before becoming the head coach of the women’s team in 2005. In his eight years at Rend Lake, Box compiled an overall record of 64-31.

“I’m a player’s coach,” Box said. “I pride myself on the ability to develop talent, and I think that that holds true to where I am today.”

Throughout the 2010s, Box bounced from school to school. He first served as the assistant coach at Western Michigan University in 2008. He would go on to Saint Louis University (SLU) for two years, then Akron University before returning to SLU. Finally, in 2016, Box took an assistant coach position at Indiana University (IU) under revered head coach Teri Moren.

During his time at IU, Box helped the Hoosiers reach the NCAA tourna-

ment five times. In 2023, they won the Big Ten championship for the first time in 40 years. For Box, the experience at IU allowed him to grow as a coach and become involved in a competitive program.

“Coaching at Indiana gave me an opportunity to compete at the highest level,” Box said. “Coach Moren did a great job as far as mentoring me and putting me in positions to learn. I was able to grow my position in many different areas, both on the court and off.”

When the spot for head coach at Miami opened in the spring, Box seized the opportunity. He realized that these chances are rare, and that this one would allow him to turn a program around after back-to-back disappointing years.

“I was excited that Miami was willing to take a gamble on me,” Box said.

The team has had losing seasons each year since 2018, and with the resignation of Hendrix, many players even considered transferring out of fear that the program would continue to plummet. Katey Richason, one returning player, decided not to transfer out of love for Miami and hope for the program’s future.

“I always tell people that I fell in love with the university first,” Richason said. “When Coach Hendrix resigned, I told myself I was here to get an education. I was on the fence about transferring, but once I met Coach Box, it was solidified that I would stay here.”

When Box met the players, he shared plans to help them accomplish their goals as a team. For Richa-

son, Box’s confidence was a welcome change to the program.

“He told us what was expected of us and what he expected us to do this year,” Richason said. “He told us his plans for getting us to our objectives.

It wasn’t awkward at all. He was very confident, and we love that.”

Besides Richason, only four players chose to return: Clare Chambers, Jessie Dai, Riley Neal and Jordan Tuff. In addition to their first-year recruits, the RedHawks recruited five players from the transfer portal: Hennessey Luu-Brown, Lakresha Edwards, Cori Lard and twins Jadyn and Jada Scott.

Jada Scott, who played four years at the University of Cincinnati, was considering ending her career before entering the transfer portal. However, she realized that she had more work to do before she could stop playing.

“I knew there was more in me that I can give,” Scott said. “I wanted to prove to myself that I can be the best version of myself. I was about to make a decision to commit somewhere else when I got the call from my high school coach telling me about Miami.

I flew to Ohio on Monday and committed on Tuesday.”

With the diverse assortment of players, both old and new, the team needed to establish a foundation before the season kicked off.

Over the summer, Box helped the players assimilate into the team and get to know one another. During practice, they would get to know each other’s play styles. Box would practice with each player individually to get to know her game closer. Outside of

practice, the team would participate as a demanding but loving coach, in group activities, including build- which Scott agrees with. ing a house for Habitats for Human“I describe Coach Box to people ities and attending an Indiana Fever as a calm but intense person,” Scott WNBA game. said. “He’s very patient, and he actuIn addition to establishing a foun- ally teaches the game. Some coaches dation, Box wanted the team to for- try to rush through things, but Coach get the past and push ahead into the Box takes time to explain to us why future. The controversy surround- something happened, why we would ing Hendrix’s departure, which was do this, etc.” linked to intimate texts shared with With the foundation set and the a player on her team, left a negative culture established, the RedHawks outlook for the team. Box wanted ev- intend to come out swinging on Nov. eryone to focus on their current pro- 6 at the University of Vermont. Above gram rather than the controversy last all else, the team is looking to comyear. pete and show that the past doesn’t “It’s not even a factor here,” Box affect them anymore. said. “That was before me, and we’ve moved on from that moment. More babukc@miamioh.edu than anything, we’re trying to establish a foundation for who we are. We are trying to establish our own identity and what we are going to live by here.”

This sentiment is shared with the players: everyone wants to move on to bigger and better things.

And with Box at the helm, the team believes the program can turn itself around in the upcoming season. Box describes himself GLENN BOX COMES TO MIAMI FROM INDIANA UNIVERSITY. PHOTO PROVIDED BY MIAMI ATHLETICS

Spanish sensation: the journey of first-year field hockey back, Lucia Ventos HAYLEY LUBY THE MIAMI STUDENT Every year, Miami University athletics brings in athletes from all over the world. For the Miami field hockey team, this year’s class brought in the newest international recruit, back Lucia Ventos.

Ventos, born and raised in Barcelona, Spain, came to Miami University as a firstyear student in 2023 to pursue her field hockey career. Although competition is tough and stakes are high when joining a team that made an NCAA tournament run in 2023, Ventos has already seen quite a bit of playing time for the RedHawks, who have won the last six Mid-American Conference (MAC) titles.

Ventos made her collegiate debut in Miami’s season opener at the University of California, Berkeley on Aug. 25. She saw 40 minutes on the field that game, and shortly after she scored her first goal on Sept. 15 against Longwood University.

Prior to Miami, Ventos attended Escola Betania Patmos School in Barcelona and played for the Junior FC field hockey club. Her experience with the sport started back home with her family. When Ventos was 6 years old, her father taught her to play.

“All my family plays field hockey, and it’s just a familiar sport,” Ventos said. “My younger brother who is 13 also plays.”

For Ventos, coming to Miami was a great opportunity to play field hockey and earn an education, potentially in the field of strategic communication. Still, traveling thousands of miles from home to pursue her athletic career hasn’t always been easy.

What makes the transition slightly easier is having her teammate and hometown friend, sophomore midfielder Paula Navarro, alongside her on and off the field.

“I have known her since I was little. She was already here when I came so she has just helped me with everything,” Ventos said.

The two are among the many athletes on Miami’s team from all over the world.

Head coach Iñako Puzo says he loves diversity on his team. It provides a different way of playing the game bringing in people from all over the globe.

“You would not be able to win 20 games if all of them are international athletes. They bring a different perspective of the game,” Puzo

said. “You would also not win too many games with just American players.”

As a native Spanish speaker, the language barrier has been difficult for Ventos, especially when it comes to the sport itself. Field hockey has slightly different rules in America, and the vocabulary surrounding the game is different.

“It’s not the same game we play in Spain,” Ventos said. “Here it is a more physical game.

You run more.”

The combination of athletes brings out the best in them on and off the field, leading to some great successes, as seen in last year’s season. Puzo appreciates the women sharing their different perspectives within his program.

“During your time here in the field hockey program, you are going to build some sort of legacy, and when you leave and come back years later you can still see that little piece that you built in the program, your contribution,” Puzo said.

Ventos said that the community of Miami’s field hockey team — an instant group of friends — has made the transition from Spain to America much easier as well. There are five other Spanish players on the team.

“It is easy to fit in a group here, once you arrive from another country and you are on a team you already make friends,” Ventos said.

For the RedHawks, this season has a lot in store. Puzo has been Miami’s field hockey coach for 13 years, and he has led the RedHawks to a 64-16 record in the MAC. “Miami is a great institution and it attracts very great people,” Puzo said. “It is very enjoyable to coach people that make your life easier and make your life better.”

The team heads into the stretch run of its season as six-time-reigning MAC Champions, and there is high competition in the works.

Right now, the RedHawks are 9-7 overall and 4-1 in the MAC, tied with Appalachian State for the top spot in the conference. If the season ended today, Miami would take the MAC regular season crown, since they own the tiebreaker after beating Appalachian State earlier in the season.

Ventos has continued to see field time, averaging over 35 minutes of playing time per game so far. She hasn’t scored again since Sept. 15, but as a first-year, she’s seeing significant minutes at one of the best programs in the country. lubyhj@miamioh.edu

LUCIA VENTOS IS ONE OF FIVE SPANISH PLAYERS ON MIAMI’S FIELD HOCKEY TEAM, AS IS CHILDHOOD FRIEND PAULA NAVARRO. PHOTO BY KATHERINE HAMILTON

It runs in the family: The Morrison siblings take on Miami athletics SOFIA CENTRELLA THE MIAMI STUDENT

Makenna’s behalf concerning Brayden’s possible commitment, their relationship has grown while being here. The two set aside time to hang out at least once a week for a family dinner in spite of their busy schedules. They also chat over the phone regularly.

Brayden enjoys the team camaraderie and has a positive outlook on this season with his new teammates. He is still figuring out how to adjust back to a school environment after coming from his junior team, where his life was all hockey, all the time. He said his biggest challenge so far is managing his time to create a balance between schoolwork and athletics.

Growing up, Brayden’s biggest mentor for hockey was his father, Brendan. Brendan played hockey at the University of Michigan and then went on to play nearly 1000 games for a variety of professional hockey teams in the NHL over 15 years.

“I’d say I’ve learned a lot from him,” Brayden said. “He’s been super influential in my life.”

Not only does their dad have a history of playing sports at a high level, but their mom, Erin, also played volleyball in college at Western University in Ontario.

Given this background, it was important for the Morrison parents to make sure their kids were enjoying themselves and carving their own paths with sports.

“As a parent and professional athlete, I didn’t want to put any extra pressure on my kids and make them feel like this is what they had to do,” Brendan said. “But it seemed like they all gravitated towards sports, and they enjoyed playing.”

A competitive atmosphere has developed at home with all six athletes living under one roof. They described how growing up, everyone was very passionate about what they were doing, but ultimately wanted to see the best for each other. This mindset has paid off, because now three of the Morrison siblings have landed themselves on Division I college rosters.

The parents’ athletic ability has rubbed off on their kids, and now they are thrilled to be able to support them all at the same school.

“From a parental standpoint, we’re proud of our kids,” Brendan said. “They’ve worked hard … and we are excited to see them kind of follow their journeys for school and where it takes them afterward.”

This weekend both of the Morrisons’ teams will be playing. The hockey team will take on Arizona State University on Friday, Oct. 27 at the Goggin Center. The soccer team will play at Eastern Michigan University on Thursday, Oct. 26. centresj@miamioh.edu

Junior Makenna Morrison loves the soccer field. Sophomore Brayden Morrison is at home on the ice.

This sibling duo from Calgary, Alberta, has found a new home here at Miami University competing on the varsity soccer and hockey teams. Makenna and Brayden’s younger sister, Kailyn Morrison, will join Makenna on the soccer team next fall, officially making three of the four Morrison siblings RedHawks.

“It’s pretty awesome we can go to each other’s games and support each other,” Brayden said. “I had to move away for juniors, so [my siblings] didn’t really get to see much of me and vice versa.”

The siblings only wish that Miami had a women’s hockey team for their youngest sister, Taylor, who is 15 years old and playing triple-A hockey for Little Caesars, one of the premier youth organizations in the United States, to come and play at Miami too.

Makenna was the first in the family to commit to Miami in October 2020. She’s a biology pre-med major and starts as a midfielder. She began playing soccer when she was 5 years old.

Her experience on the team so far has been nothing but positive. She described the locker room as a “supportive environment” and a place where teammates can uplift each other.

“This is a space where you’re like, this is your family away from your family,” Makenna said.

However, she is not going to be “away” from her family for long. She’s very excited to get the opportunity to play soccer on the same team as her sister for the first time, especially at the collegiate level next year.

“I’m so excited,” Makenna said. “I think it’ll be so fun … I’m also excited to be here for her for the guidance she needs going into school.”

As the two have gotten older, their relationship has grown closer, and now getting the chance to become teammates is exciting for both of them.

Kailyn, a senior at Northville High School in Northville, Michigan, committed in March 2023, before Brayden, who transferred after two seasons playing junior hockey and a season at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

She currently plays as an outside back.

“I’ve always looked up to [Makenna],” Kailyn said. “She’s super competitive, but then also a great leader … I think she’s super excited for me to come, and then I’m super excited to be able to be a part of [Miami soccer] with her and share the college experience at the same time.”

When deciding on her commitment, Kailyn considered how Makenna already attended Miami. She also fell in love with the school herself. She described how it felt like the best fit for her, and she wanted to remain fairly close to their family’s new home in Michigan.

“I definitely wanted to make that decision regardless of Makenna being there,” Kailyn said.

Brayden, the oldest Morrison sibling, was the last to commit in June 2023.

He’s studying economics and plays left wing.

After the past few years of being separated from family due to travel hockey, he is happy to get the opportunity to go to college with his siblings. Before this season, he spent the last three years in Okotoks, Alberta, then Madison, Wisconsin, and then Dubuque, Iowa.

THREE OF FOUR MORRISON SIBLINGS WILL BE PLAYING SPORTS AT Despite some initial hesitation on MIAMI NEXT YEAR. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE MORRISON FAMILY

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023

9

From club to varsity: The Nicky Sjouken walk-on story NISSO SACHA THE MIAMI STUDENT Walking on from a club team to a varsity squad that has secured six consecutive conference championships is an endeavor that requires both skill and tenacity. Especially when walking on to back up one of the best athletes in school history.

Nicky Sjouken, a sophomore goalkeeper in field hockey, tried out for Miami University’s varsity team last semester after playing on the Miami club field hockey team. This year, she’s a backup goalkeeper behind fifth-year Isabelle Perese, the Miami career leader in shutouts and minutes played.

Prompted by her friend’s suggestion during last year’s spring break, Sjouken took the initiative to contact the coaching staff.

Head coach Iñako Puzo extended an invitation for a seven-day trial period, with Sjouken participating in the team’s practice sessions. A mutual understanding of fit was quickly established, setting the stage for Sjouken to join the team and enter a new chapter in her field hockey journey.

“When I recruit them, I always tell them, for me, it doesn’t matter if you’re on full scholarship or you don’t get a penny, I’m going to ask you for exactly the same,” Puzo said. “The concept of walk-on gets removed once you are on the roster.”

Sjouken said the support she received from the team started from minute one. The team’s approach was welcoming and helpful from the very start, making her feel like a valued member despite being a newcomer.

Sjouken, an international student

from the Netherlands, emphasized the aid from international teammates. The team boasts a diverse roster, with nine international players, seven of whom hail from Europe.

“It’s nice to have the support from Europe,” Sjouken said. “It’s very different to come here, but it’s nice to have people that understand being an international student.”

Unlike some sports, where limitations are placed on the number of players allowed on the roster, Miami’s field hockey is given a high level of flexibility, with the coaching staff having the freedom to welcome as many players as it sees fit. This season, Puzo says the roster is larger than in the past, partially due to the extra year of eligibility the NCAA gave student athletes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have a lot of fifth year stu-

dents who are loyal to the program and want to play,” Puzo said. “I’m someone that if you have eligibility left in your NCAA, I always invite you to stay.”

The impending departure of Perese marks a significant void in the team’s roster for the upcoming year. This succession underscores the weight of the goalkeeper position, especially given Perese’s record-breaking contributions, and highlights the challenge of maintaining the same level of excellence in the years to come.

Sjouken explained how her experience with the club team allowed her to transition toward the American style of play. European field hockey is known for its technical and skillful style of play, often emphasizing ball control, passing and tactical finesse.

In the U.S., gameplay tends to be

more physical and fast-paced with a focus on athleticism, speed and a style of play that is more direct.

“Coming from not an American background, club definitely helped me learn the American way of playing field hockey,” Sjouken said. “It helped the transition to [varsity] be easier, although it wasn’t intentional.”

Despite suffering an injury early on in the season, Puzo is excited to have Sjouken back to full health to continue her growth in the game.

“She has the character, she’s so independent, she’s very professional in terms of discipline,” Puzo said. “She has every single thing she needs.” sachanz@miamioh.edu

Twin sisters to take the court for Miami hoops this season GRAHAM SCHEESSELE THE MIAMI STUDENT This offseason, the Miami women’s basketball team landed a couple of exciting recruits via transfer from the University of Cincinnati. These players are fifth-years Jada and Jadyn Scott, twin sisters out of Frederica Academy in St. Simons Island, Georgia.

The Scott twins have been starting together for four years at UC and look to bring their success as a duo to Millett Hall this upcoming season.

“We’ve been playing together since the beginning,” Jadyn said. “It has definitely shaped us into

the players we are today, because we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”

Achieving this level of play as a duo didn’t come without its own share of obstacles and challenges.

One of the biggest factors in playing with a sibling is the natural built-in competition. When it comes to Jada and Jadyn, this didn’t stop them but instead helped push them further into success.

“Competitiveness between us has definitely helped us,” Jadyn said. “She’s not about to one-up me in a game or in the weight room. If she’s benching more than me, then I have to bench more than her.”

Jada echoed this sentiment.

Both of the sisters have been around the game of basketball since a young age with their mom coaching and their older brother playing. Their older brother Trevon played basketball at Cincinnati as well, from 2015-2020.

As Jadyn and Jada grew up with the game, they both developed their own styles, motivations and passions for the game while playing for the same team every year since middle school.

For Jada, she finds a lot of her motivation in her own family’s support, while Jadyn looks more to her personal connection to the game.

“My inspiration is just being around the sport,” Jadyn said. “Actually liking it for myself and not because anyone else played makes it like a personal love

for me.”

With both of these players’ unique play and style and their ability to work as a duo on the court, Miami’s starting five is bound for a shakeup and a good season with the team’s eyes on the Mid-American Conference title.

“My mentality is to win, I’m trying to go far,” Jada said. “But the end goal is to win a championship; I’m trying to go out with a bang.”

Jadyn mirrored the same thoughts and feelings of going out with a bang.

“I just want to go out with a bang and dominate every game,” Jadyn said. “I also want to show how good of a leader I am and build the culture of this program.”

With being on a new team for the first time in years, plus the shakeup Miami women’s basketball went through this offseason with the resignation of former coach DeUnna Hendrix, the twins do face some unique challenges. But compared to what they’ve done in the past, it’s nothing they can’t accomplish.

“Where we went from the summer to where we are now is a complete 360,” Jadyn said. “But I can personally see though that there is a lot of growth and development going on for this team.”

The grit from both of the sisters can be seen, and their effect on the court has already been evident in scrimmages and practice. The team will surely have no shortage of mentality and strive to win it all. scheesgd@miamioh.edu

THE TWINS TRANSFERED TO MIAMI FROM CINCINNATI BEFORE THIS SEASON. PHOTO PROVIDED BY MIAMI ATHLETICS

JADA SCOTT (FRONT) AND HER SISTER JADYN HAVE PLAYED ON THE SAME TEAM SINCE MIDDLE SCHOOL. PHOTO PROVIDED BY MIAMI ATHLETICS

How does the rest of Miami football’s schedule shape up?

SEAN WIESEMANN THE MIAMI STUDENT As we move into the final stretch of Miami University football’s 2023 season, fans have a lot to be excited about. In just two months, the RedHawks have clinched a win against Cincinnati for the first time in 18 years, a 6-2 overall record and a tie with the Ohio Bobcats in the East Division.

All of this means the RedHawks are in position to capture their first MAC Championship since 2019. Here is a deep dive into Miami’s remaining opponents as they enter the home stretch of the season.

Ohio - Saturday, Oct. 28, at 3:30 p.m. in Athens, Ohio The Bobcats have faced their fair share of challenges this season. For one, they lost their second-leading receiver, Jacoby Jones, in their third game. More recently, during their Week 8 game against Northern Illinois, Ohio lost 23-13.

This means the Bobcats are now tied with Miami in the MAC’s East Division.

On offense, Ohio returns last year’s MAC Offensive Player of the Year quarterback Kurtis Rourke. The Ohio defense is the best in the MAC by scoring, allowing just 13.9 points per game and leading the conference in rushing allowed, and second in passing allowed. Ohio’s noteworthy victory over Iowa State with a 10-7 score highlights their defensive prowess. The offense hasn’t been the same high-flying unit we grew so accustomed to seeing last season, but the strength of their defense makes Ohio a formidable opponent.

Miami’s game against Ohio next week is still a must-win. If Ohio beats Miami and both teams

finish 7-1 in MAC play, Ohio would go to the MAC Championship since the MAC tiebreaker is head-to-head record.

Akron - Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 7 or 7:30 p.m. in Oxford The Zips have had a rough season so far, sitting at 1-7 after losing four one-score games, including a heart-wrenching quadruple-overtime defeat against Indiana.

Their unfortunate circumstances were exacerbated by the loss of starting quarterback DJ Irons, who is out for the season with a torn ACL. Stepping in as quarterback to replace him is Jeff Undercuffler Jr., an Albany transfer.

A big part of Akron’s struggles in close games has been its kicking situation. The Zips have used three different kickers, and each has had misses. So far, they’ve converted a dismal 7-of13 field goals.

Despite their challenging season, a lot of Akron’s problems this season come from bad luck, not skills. This game won’t be an automatic win for the RedHawks.

Buffalo - Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in Oxford While Buffalo has had competitive games against both Wisconsin and Louisiana, the Bulls have been inconsistent, as evidenced by their loss to FCS Fordham and their 3-5 record.

Rutgers transfer quarterback Cole Snyder leads the offense with 1,532 yards and 12 touchdowns for an offense ranking third in the MAC with 25.9 points per game. On the defensive side, safety Devin Grant is a standout with four interceptions. He won National Defensive Player of the Week honors when he notched two pick-sixes against Central Michigan.

While Buffalo’s defense has struggled in

non-conference games — giving up an average of 44.5 points a game — the unit has improved in conference play, allowing 13.4 points per game in their last four matchups. This team should not be underestimated.

Ball State - Saturday, Nov. 25, time TBA in Muncie, Indiana Ball State has been unimpressive this season.

The quarterback room has been a revolving door since last year’s starter John Paddock transferred to Illinois. Initially, Ball State started with true first-year Kadin Semonza.

Shortly after, Texas State transfer Layne Hatcher was forced into action, but both got hurt.

Third-stringer Kiael Kelly took the field against Toledo and saw limited success (only 38 passing yards on 4-for-16 passing).

The departure of last year’s 1,600-yard rusher, Carson Steele, to UCLA this year has also significantly slowed the offense. With Steele gone, the main source of offense is Kent State transfer Marquez Cooper, who has tallied 121 carries for 584 yards.

While the offense has struggled, Ball State’s defense remains a bright spot, boasting the second-best rushing defense in the MAC. As it stands, Ball State ranks second worst in overall points per game in the conference, but as evidenced by their 13-6 loss against Toledo, the team can limit an explosive offense from time to time. Even though they’re at the bottom of this list with a 2-6 record, they’re still not a complete slouch. wiesemsm@miamioh.edu

MIAMI FOOTBALL HAS FOUR GAMES LEFT ON ITS SCHEDULE. PHOTOS VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS. GRAPHIC BY JACK SCHMELZINGER

Kolby Borders is the ‘center’ of Miami football’s success LAUREN SCHULZE THE MIAMI STUDENT Despite a heartbreaking loss to the University of Toledo last week, Miami University football is still off to its best start since 2003 with a 6-2 record so far this year. Part of that success has been Miami’s offensive line, allowing just 2.1 sacks per game so far compared to 2.9 sacks per game last season.

Miami’s “Big Uglies,” otherwise known as the offensive line or “O-line” have really come together to be particularly effective this season.

With 12 of the 18 linemen on Miami’s roster listed at 6-foot-6 or taller, size alone has helped the O-line accomplish so much together this season.

However, the secret to the RedHawks’ success stems from so much more than that.

When it comes to success on the field, many will point to quarterbacks, wide receivers or running backs, but the center of the offensive line tends to be underappreciated. This very valuable position is the foundation of a very solid offensive line. Miami’s center is Kolby Borders — a 6-foot-6, 315-pound junior from LaFayette, Indiana.

Borders attributes Miami’s success this season in part to the connection shared among the team. He said bonding experiences like the Bahamas Bowl last winter have helped bring the

team closer together.

“Like, obviously we didn’t win the game but we had to spend a lot more personal time with people we probably want to get to spend with normally,” Borders said. “Like the receivers and stuff. They’re just laying by the pool. We’re laying by the pool. You just get to talk together, you know, stuff like that.”

For three years, Borders has been a stronghold for the RedHawks, supporting the team and encouraging a lot of that bonding.

Miami football hasn’t had a record like this in two decades. Borders said that winning is one thing that usually keeps everyone on the same page.

He went on to talk about how the chemistry on the team, especially the offensive line, has never been better. In fact, they are all basically best friends.

“And so we all hang out — I mean all the time, we’re always together,” Borders said. “Every game, after every game, we all hang out together.”

From post-game dinners and weekly trips to Wendy’s, to spending summers together training and traveling as a team, the offensive linemen have all grown very close. That’s part of what makes this team so special. A couple of days after starting junior quarterback Brett Gabbert went down for the year with a leg inju-

ry, most of the offensive linemen went together to visit him at the hospital.

That closeness translates to success on the field and the desire to keep getting better.

Offensive line coach James Patton has instilled a strong mindset in his unit. That’s another part of what’s helped the Miami offense to such success this season.

“Every week you’re trying to get better, no matter what your record is,” Patton said, “It’s just a matter of having the mindset to get better every week.”

As the center, Borders serves as the bridge between sides of the offensive line, its de facto captain. He’s one of the team’s leaders and best-liked players, and he tries to connect people that way too.

“I just help us bond a little more and be closer than some other groups out here,” Borders said. “… We understand what each other is going to do.

We come out here to practice and we all know what we’re here to do. And we’re just trying to each be one-eleventh of our offense every single day.”

Patton noted the traits that Borders has that makes him

such a great center and a great leader overall.

“He thinks fast, he’s got smarts, can make calls to get things quickly when the defense changes, and then the athleticism and footwork,” Patton said. “He snaps the ball every play, you know, he is trusted to get the guys blocking schemes, make the calls, get everyone moving to the right area.”

Miami football plays next at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, on Saturday, Oct. 28. The game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. schulzlc@miamioh.edu

MIAMI’S OFFENSIVE LINE IS A CLOSE-KNIT GROUP. PHOTO BY JESSICA MONAHAN

10

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023

sports

The team behind the team: Miami football’s equipment managers JACK SCHMELZINGER SPORTS EDITOR It’s 2:30 a.m., and 15 Miami students burst out of the loading dock on the east side of Yager Stadium, covered in sweat (much of it not theirs), grime and the shine of an upset win over a big football rival.

It’s now Sunday, Sept. 17, technically the day after Miami University football pulled off an unlikely win at the University of Cincinnati, Miami’s first win over the Bearcats since the guys (and gal) currently hustling away from the stadium toward their cars were toddlers.

The players had been let loose hours ago. The football buses stopped at Brick Street on the way home from Cincinnati, and the players poured out and into Oxford’s favorite watering hole, Victory Bell in tow.

The buses continued to Yager where, at that point, the equipment team’s job had barely begun.

They would be at Yager for hours more, unloading Miami’s trailer, starting the laundry, getting everything back in its place.

Finally, their job is finished (or at least the rest can be postponed until tomorrow). Word is out.

One of the bars in Oxford is staying open late for the football team after the win. Many of the equipment managers hustle home, shower, change and are able to make it to celebrate for 20 minutes or so before the authorities pull the plug. Then they hustle home, jump in bed and hurry to sleep, for the busiest two work days of their week are fast approaching.

Such is the life of a college equipment manager.

The Miami football equipment team — a group of 15 Miami students overseen by Equipment Coordinator Adam Boyer and Associate Athletic Director Darrell Hallberg — does so much for Miami football.

They do laundry. They have two 80-pound laundry drums and one 40-pound one. According to junior student equipment manager Patrick Reaves, it still usually takes two or three loads to finish all the laundry after practices and games.

They order, fit, distribute, maintain and repair all of the equipment and apparel around the team, all while keeping an inventory that’s audited every year. They pack a full-size trailer with equipment for every road game.

The equipment team sets up the sideline with all the necessary equipment before the games. They deal with requests from players regarding equipment.

“For about the first three weeks of the year, [redshirt-sophomore running back] Rashad Amos would come in here almost every day asking for new cleats,” Reaves said.

The equipment team’s headquarters is located just inside the loading dock on the east side of Yager Stadium. It’s filled with cleats, equipment, apparel and helmets from almost every college team you could imagine.

Ahead of the game against Toledo last weekend, Miami’s equipment team gathered 113 pairs of pants and as many jerseys and warm-up hoodies, then loaded them into the lockers of each player who would dress the following afternoon.

The jerseys and practice hoodies are stored with hangers on two racks. The equipment managers wheel the racks into the locker room and hang each player’s jersey and hoodie in his assigned locker.

They put the pants in a wheeled-bin, separated with towels placed on top of the last pair of each size. Players don’t have their own pants; the managers just wash them all after games and dole them out by size next time.

Once pants, jerseys and hoodies are loaded into lockers, it’s time to fit each jersey onto the players shoulder pads. That’s what takes the most time.

After that’s finished, they load all of the equipment that needs to go on the sideline the next day into a hallway near the door out to the field. Finally, they sit down and wait for SDS pizza to come, one of the perks of working with the equipment team.

The next day, Miami would lose to Toledo. Starting quarterback Brett Gabbert went down with what’s almost certainly a season-ending injury.

The equipment team would still have to do hours of work following the game, getting everything washed and back in its place, plus starting to pack for next week’s road trip to Athens, Ohio.

“It’s a lot more fun when you win,” Reaves said.

“It’s not the most fun after games, the locker room stinks, guys’ junk is out in front of you. You’re a lot less inclined to be disgusted by it when you win.”

LAUNDRY IS ONE OF THE MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES OF MIAMI’S FOOTBALL EQUIPMENT TEAM.PHOTOS BY JACK SCHMELZINGER

MIAMI FOOTBALL’S TRAILER IS PACKED WITH JACKETS, GEAR, EXTRA GEAR, A TRAINING TABLE, TWO BIKES, FANS, 40 FOOTBALLS AND MUCH MORE FOR EACH AWAY GAME. “WE HAVE TO BE READY FOR LITERALLY ANYTHING,” BOYER SAID. PHOTOS BY JACK SCHMELZINGER

THE EQUIPMENT TEAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TRANSPORTING AND HANDLING MIAMI’S COACHCOMM UNIT, WHICH ALLOWS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN COACHES ON THE SIDELINE AND IN THE PRESS BOX. THE UNIT COST $250,000 AND WEIGHS 1500 POUNDS. PHOTO BY JACK SCHMELZINGER

THE MIAMI FOOTBALL EQUIPMENT HEADQUARTERS CONTAINS WALLS OF HELMETS, EQUIPMENT AND CLEATS. PHOTO BY JACK SCHMELZINGER

MIAMI’S GAME HELMETS ARE LINED UP BY NUMBER. THE EQUIPMENT TEAM WILL REMOVE EACH OF THOSE WHITE FACEMASKS AND TRANSFER THEM TO MIAMI’S WHITE HELMETS FOR SATURDAY’S GAME AT OHIO. PHOTO BY JACK SCHMELZINGER

OFTEN WHEN MIAMI PLAYS ANOTHER TEAM, THE EQUIPMENT SQUAD WILL TRADE A MIAMI HELMET FOR ONE OF THEIRS. PHOTO BY JACK SCHMELZINGER

@jackschmelznger

FIRST-YEAR SPENCER BATH TRIED TO CARRY ALL THE MEDIUM PAIRS OF PANTS AT ONCE. HE HELD ON TO MOST OF THEM. PHOTO BY JACK SCHMELZINGER

SOPHOMORE EQUIPMENT MANAGER CHANCE ST. JOHN CHECKS A ROW OF THE MIAMI FOOTBALL LOCKER ROOM, MAKING SURE EACH STALL LOOKS UNIFORM AND NEAT. PHOTO BY JACK SCHMELZINGER

Aveon Smith to start at quarterback for Miami with Gabbert out for season JACK SCHMELZINGER SPORTS EDITOR In the third quarter of Miami’s Week 8 loss against Toledo, a Toledo lineman fell on redshirt-junior quarterback Brett Gabbert’s leg just in front of the end zone. Gabbert immediately flung his helmet off and pounded the turf with his hands, his face twisted in agony.

Medical professionals flooded the field, and shortly after pouring antiseptic powder on Gabbert’s right leg and putting it into an air cast, they loaded him into a waiting ambulance. He was taken to Mercy Fairfield Hospital, where he underwent surgery — which included having a rod implanted in his leg — later that night.

On Monday, Miami head coach Chuck Martin confirmed that Gabbert is out for the season and that initial postoperative results had looked promising to the doctors he had spoken to.

“Sometimes life sucks,” Martin said after the game. “And today, that really sucked.”

It will be redshirt-sophomore Aveon Smith under center for the foreseeable future for Miami.

Last season, Gabbert only played four games due to clavicle and ankle injuries. Smith relieved him then too, making nine starts and going 5-4 as a starter.

Smith helped Miami to a win over Northwestern University, Miami’s first Big Ten win since 2003. He led a shocking last-second comeback win over Ball State in the last game of the season to seal bowl eligibility and nearly led Miami to a win in the Bahamas Bowl against Alabama-Birmingham.

“Obviously he’s got some experience from last year, which is huge, compared to when he had to do it a year ago,” Martin said.

Last year, Smith compiled 1299 yards

DURING LAST SATURDAY’S GAME AGAINST TOLEDO, REDSHIRT-JUNIOR QUARTERBACK BRETT GABBERT SUSTAINED A SEASON-ENDING LEG INJURY AND UNDERWENT SURGERY THE SAME NIGHT. PHOTO BY JESSICA MONAHAN

through the air with a completion percentage below 50%. He threw for 11 touchdowns compared to five interceptions. He added 553 yards (4.5 yards per carry) and six touchdowns on the ground.

“He’s an improved thrower by a wide margin,” Martin said. “Now he’s gonna have the chance to go out in a game and show everybody

if he’s an improved thrower or not.”

Junior kicker Graham Nicholson believes the team will get behind Smith. He says the team believes Smith is good enough to win them games. The RedHawks play Ohio University this weekend in a must-win game in Athens at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28.

Photo

11 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023

Fall foliage paints Oxford SAM NORTON GREENHAWKS EDITOR Yellow, orange and red, the colors synonymous with the fall season. Every year, Mother Nature puts on a stunning display of colors, one last “hurrah” before the trees go dormant for the winter.

Whether you’re walking past the Seal, gazing over the lawns of Western Campus or taking a hike through the Natural Areas, Miami’s fall colors will no doubt dazzle you. And they look a lot better than in Cincinnati.

Lucky for Miami students, not only do we have a campus full of beautiful, grand trees, but we are also currently in the peak of fall foliage colors. This year, in our corner of Ohio, this lasts from Oct.17 to Nov. 4, giving us a few more days to appreciate these colors in their maximum vibrance.

Leaves of deciduous trees (those that lose their leaves before winter) begin changing their colors in response to colder temperatures and less sunlight. This lack of energy from the sun causes the leaves to slow and eventually stop the production of chlorophyll, the pigment that plants produce to give them their green color.

The leaves fall as the tree goes dormant, saving its energy for the equally incredible blossom in the spring. But while these colors are here, they sure are something to admire. nortonsm@miamioh.edu

THE TOP OF UPHAM HALL PEEKS THROUGH RED LEAVES. PHOTO BY JESSICA MONAHAN

STUDENTS WAIT FOR THE BUS IN FRONT OF THE FARMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS. PHOTO BY JAKE RUFFER

A BRIGHT ORANGE TREE SPECTATES THE REDHAWKS’ GAME AGAINST TOLEDO. PHOTO BY JESSICA MONAHAN

SQUIRRELS, ESPECIALLY ACTIVE IN THE FALL, GATHER FOOD TO STOCKPILE FOR HIBERNATION. PHOTO BY JAKE RUFFER

SOULS GIVE OUT HOT BEVERAGES AT THE SEAL. PHOTO BY LUKE MACY

THOUGH LEAVES ACROSS CAMPUS HAVE GONE GOLD, TEMPERATURES STAYED HIGH ENOUGH FOR PEOPLE TO LOUNGE OUTSIDE AND ENJOY THE COLORS UP CLOSE. PHOTO BY JESSICA MONAHAN

STUDENTS PASS A SPLASH OF RED ON WESTERN CAMPUS. PHOTO BY SARAH FROSCH

A COLORFUL TREE PEEKS THROUGH A WINDOW IN KING LIBRARY. PHOTO

BY WHITNEY WILSON-HARRIS

12

style

Still need your Halloween costume?

Here’s a how-to

PAIRING SOME SANDLES AND PATTERNS TURNS THE WEARER INTO A JUNGLE EXPLORER. PHOTO BY EVAN STEFANIK

EVAN STEFANIK STYLE EDITOR In college, the Halloween season is the most fun time of the year — unless you have no costume.

Many students spend the month of October planning for their role in a group costume and thinking about their own alternate ensembles, though ultimately never execute their vision because of costs or aesthetic conflicts.

But, they can still come up with something quick, easy and cheap if they follow this guide.

Go basic Students are better off if they choose an iconic character who everybody else could instantly recognize. Most of these are inspired by cartoons, especially those from favorite childhood shows.

These typically only use a few base colors, then elevate the look with accessories or cosmetics. Plus, the wearer’s performance, such as how they walk and talk, usually does more for the costume than any material ever could.

A “SpongeBob SquarePants” costume, for instance, incorporates white, brown and yellow. With just a button-down long sleeve shirt, a yellow tee underneath and khaki pants, partygoers will interpret the famous sponge without staring too hard.

Adding supplemental details like a red tie, black clogs and a metal spatula completely seals the deal. To earn more clout or make their choice even more comical, the student might ask a friend to lather their skin with yellow body paint or to beautify the comedy by embellishing their face with fancy makeup.

Best of all, students can find any of these articles in one trip to their local thrift shops.

Save money Outlets like Spirit Halloween and Party City tend to overcharge for their pre-assembled costumes. Out of the available “SpongeBob” options, some demand as much as $50 for a thin, itchy onepiece.

However, at Goodwill or TJ Maxx, the starter essentials fill almost every rack for only a few dollars.

Students should search for their costume based on abundance. With so much retired professional or workplace clothing sitting there, students can locate the foundation for their costume and still afford multiple identical items at the counter, allowing permission for the buyer to resize, revamp or return what they bought extra of.

All of these existed elsewhere with various purposes before the student transforms them into a costume. To ensure that none of their money goes to waste, the student might try to pick pieces that function for other outfits not during the holiday.

Upcycle clothes Students often forget to check their own closet first before venturing out with their wallet. So much of what they put on daily works as a costume if only they reimagine their method of dressing it.

Family and friends also let students borrow from them. With a simple ask, a student could be networked through mutuals to the most unconventional yet necessary part of their costume while staying at home.

As a final resort if the student feels crafty enough, they can take glue guns for bedazzlings, scissors for trimming or creating shapes, and many other supplies lying in their desk drawer to modify their selection.

Students should stop stressing about their Halloween look, no matter how close they cut it to time — all it takes to flaunt the perfect costume is some make-believe. stefanec@miamioh.edu

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023

Eye on Miami: Scout Tincher creates art with makeup ALLISON LEE STAFF WRITER Makeup can be such a controversial topic.

Some people view doing a full face as unnatural, while others do their makeup as a getting ready ritual. Some people prefer the “no makeup” makeup look, and some people prefer to do a full-beat.

One thing everybody can agree on is that makeup is a form of self expression — and nobody knows that better than sophomore arts management and entrepreneurship major Scout Tincher.

“I’ve been doing my own makeup for about 10 years now,” Tincher said. “It started with me and my friends stealing my mom’s blue e.l.f. eyeshadow, and my love started there.”

Tincher is a completely self-taught makeup artist. With only a makeup brush and some YouTube videos, she went from a makeup rookie to working with several student organizations at Miami University including UP Magazine and Miami University Fashion and Design (MUF&D).

“When I originally started out with makeup, I was just wearing it to look better and make myself feel better – not for anyone else other than myself,” Tincher said.

Oftentimes, people associate makeup with earning the attention of others. Tincher said she realized in high school that people didn’t care whether she wore makeup or not. That realization led her to stop thinking of it as a way to hide insecurities and start thinking of it as an artform.

Now, Tincher doesn’t shy away from bold colors and geometric shapes, bringing art to life on her face.

“I do really non-traditional heavy glam. I don’t use traditional techniques or materials, and I may or may not choose to work with shapes that fit my face. It’s very avant-garde,” Tincher said.

Tincher doesn’t just use makeup as a vessel — she uses props such as gemstones, pearls and lots of glitter to add dimension and a cre-

ative layer to her work. In her own looks, she draws inspiration from art periods, television and movies from her day-to-day looks. Recently, she said a Star Wars class she took at Miami has inspired her to do more alien looks.

In her work for other people, though, she tones it down.

“Whenever I work on a client, I don’t go as abstract as what I do on my own face. I just did some homecoming makeup a few weeks ago, and one person gave me complete creative freedom,” Tincher said. “Even then, some glitter liner and rhinestones is all I did, because I want to give clients the best quality I can give, and a look they’re excited to wear.”

Even though Tincher started off working on herself, she has broadened her horizons into doing makeup for others, including models for Miami University’s own fashion organizations. At UP, she operates with complete creative liberty, and she said the process has been cool.

Julia Moore, a creative writing major and UP print writer, recently had her story come to life with the help of Tincher on the set of her photoshoot.

“Scout totally knew what she was doing, and everything looked amazing,” Moore said.

“She was super professional and contributed to everything, even stuff that wasn’t directly in her field.”

Tincher is just a sophomore, so her journey as a makeup artist is far from over.

“I would absolutely love to do makeup as a career,” Tincher said. “There’s so many possibilities … runway makeup, working on private clients, freelance work or even doing personal things like working as a birthday princess, as off the wall as that sounds.”

Even if full glam is not your go-to look, Tincher’s makeup journey is an amazing example of personality and self-expression within the Miami student body. Her unique looks are striking and prove that breaking out of societal norms can open doors to endless opportunity. leeam8@miamioh.edu

TINCHER EMBELLISHES HER EYE LOOK WITH A PAIR OF LASHES. PHOTO PROVIDED BY SCOUT TINCHER

TINCHER DRESSES UP HER MORE TRADITIONAL MAKEUP WITH GOLDEN TEARDROPS AND A HALO. PHOTO PROVIDED BY SCOUT TINCHER

TINCHER POSES WITH A THIRD EYE MADE OF PINK SHADOW. PHOTO PROVIDED BY SCOUT TINCHER

The College Artisans Shop sells and celebrates student-made art

THE COLLEGE ARTISANS SHOP PROVIDES A PLACE FOR STUDENTS TO SELL THEIR WORKS, FROM JEWELRY TO PRINTS. PHOTO BY LIAM MILLER

LIAM MILLER THE MIAMI STUDENT Just off South Campus Avenue and across from Miami University’s Slant Walk, students have a new option to buy all their handcrafted goods — and it’s run by other students.

On Sept. 4, Julian Bradley, a sophomore finance major, and Genevieve Gerenz, a senior chemistry major, opened The College Artisans Shop. The store was initially opened out of Bradley and Gerenz’s need for a place to sell their artwork. Bradley creates rings out of spoons, while Gerenz creates jewelry using high quality materials.

The shop currently sells a combination of Bradley and Gerenz’s work, as well as artwork from students. Aside from a few clothes that are thrifted, all of the products are made entirely by students. To get the shop ready to open, the duo repainted all of the walls and redid all of the flooring with only the help of Gerenz’s brother.

The initial start-up cost, including renovations, furniture and zoning, was estimated to be around $15,000 to $20,000, all of which was made from the sales of their own artwork at Findlay Market in Cincinnati.

The shop operates with a consignment model where the shop receives a 33% commission

for the artwork that is sold. Bradley said the artists are then paid at the end of the month.

“We intentionally wanted to be on the lower end and the shops that are more familiar to a co-op type shop take smaller percentages, but then they also require people selling at their store to work at the store, or annual fees, which is another kind of a barrier,” Bradley said. “So we tried to be as much in the middle ground as possible and as low risk as possible for students.”

The shop’s consignment model has enabled other students to sell their artwork and expand their brand to the local population of Oxford.

Previous opportunities afforded to students were usually limited to one-day events where artists would have to prepare their entire stock for the day. The shop has allowed for a lot more flexibility for students selling their work.

Josie Wenzell, a senior marketing major and owner of Well Being Apparel, sells some of her handmade products in the shop. She said the shop’s low barriers to entry were a very attractive feature compared to the other shops she has worked with in the past.

“I think The College Artisans Shop is really cool,” Wenzell said. “It’s really inclusive and overall a really safe space.”

Luca Mertens, a junior studio arts major, sells their prints in the shop. Much like Wen-

zell, the shop has given Mertens a consistent place to sell her artwork. The College Artisans Shop has given her an idea of what it’s like to work in an art shop and has inspired her to one day open a print studio of her own.

“It is a positive boost of motivation,” Mertens said. “Other people will see it and other people may be interested in picking it up. That’s somewhat of a big factor.”

The shop plans on hosting events every Thursday night that coincide with their artistof-the-week display. The events will range from crocheting nights to making your own rings.

“We want to give students more things to do in the Uptown area besides drink,” Gerenz said.

Despite being a senior, Gerenz plans on staying in Oxford after graduation to continue co-running the shop while working remotely, while Bradley plans on finishing his finance degree while continuing to co-run the shop.

“I’m hopeful it will continue to have a positive impact on the Oxford community and the students here,” Bradley said, “tying them together a bit more and hopefully giving people some more interest in the art that their peers have to offer.” mill2174@miamioh.edu

humor

13 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023

Investigative Reporting: Why Starbucks Introduced the Pumpkin Spice Latte

Halloween puts college students in a pickle as they lose sight of the holiday’s meaning JULIAN BIALOUS THE MIAMI STUDENT Halloween is upon us, just days away. Cowboys, nurses, fairies, zombies, angels, TV characters and that guy in the pickle costume come out for one spooky night each year.

Nowadays, Halloween seems to be more about making costumes sexy, getting drunk and making out with that pickle costume guy.

People are most worried about having three original costume ideas for each night of going out on Hallo-weekend.

Admittedly, Hallo-weekend can be really fun, and I’m not complaining, especially since I just purchased my own pickle costume (no relation).

But, this is #notMYHalloween we all grew up with and loved as kids. That Halloween had fun costumes, candy and haunted houses. Ever since I experienced a sugar high mixed with adrenaline from a haunted house, I have been chasing that feeling my whole life. You know, the perfect mix of sugar and terrified.

I’ve tried eating a pound of fudge and watching “The Shining,” but it simply wasn’t the same. I just ended up hiding in the bathroom with every light turned on in my house.

Haunted houses are no longer scary. Now, the real scare frights come from people calling your costume unoriginal, basic or simply pa-

thetic. If you wanted to do a proper 2023 college haunted house, it would look like a fully lit house with college students popping out of a corner to roast your fit.

“Why are you dressed like a pickle?” “Why did you pay $500 for a pickle costume?” “Are you even wearing anything under the pickle costume?”

These are the kinds of questions everyone gets. Everyone gets them.

This is not a new Halloween trend. I’ve heard the same comments from people over the years. Things like, “Are you really wearing the same costume two days in a row?” and “Why are you still wearing the pickle costume?

Halloween was two weeks ago.” and “Bro, you need to wash that pickle costume.”

Can’t we just focus on the candy and having a fun, spooky night? Instead, I just keep getting questions about my pickle costume.

People are so wrapped up in the costumes that they forget the true meaning of Halloween — dressing like a pickle, writing a random, oddly specific article about it and hopefully ending the night with a midnight kiss because they read said article.

So, this Halloween, ask yourself, “Have I lost sight of a true Halloween or am I dressing as a pickle?” bialouj2@miamioh.edu

The BEST Halloween TEDDY JOHNSON CO-HUMOR EDITOR

GRAPHIC BY MACEY CHAMBERLIN

MICHAEL PATTEE STAFF WRITER

MILES PLETCHER THE MIAMI STUDENT Back in 2003, Starbucks introduced its first-ever pumpkin spice latte. While unknown at the time, this tasty twist would create the modern-day frenzy of ferociously feral and freakishly fanatical fangirls who post countdowns on their Instagram stories for the annual de-stemmed, sunset-colored, orange gourd coffee.

However, The Miami Student’s finest investigator, Jack “the Lantern” Doofenshmirtz, illuminates how Starbucks successfully carves out the wallets of thousands of caffeine-addicted men and women nationwide.

It all started in the fall of 2002, when “Big Bean” was at its peak and had the world of coffee all to itself. Yes, that weird silver thing in Chicago’s Millennium Park can be held responsible for nearly all the world’s production of this addictive legume.

Coffee, vanilla and cocoa beans were all that were known to main-stream sleepy-heads.

Starbucks had been growing as a company and threatened to become one of Big Bean’s biggest dealers.

Dunkin’ Donuts, feeling a little “espressoed,” decided to brew up a few ideas to ice those Americanos before this problem became too grande. This proved to be a latte for them to handle. How could Dunkin’ really stop Starbucks’ expansion and infiltration of the “Big Bean” market? This is what Joe Trenta, a tall dark Joe who puts the TREN in Trenta, was assigned to figure out.

After a couple of weeks, Joe had a brewlliant idea. The only way and the only solution to compete with Big Bean was to buy Starbucks. I don’t mean he wanted to order coffee from Starbucks — he wanted to buy the actual company.

With Halloween just around the corner, Joe

convinced Dunkin’s CFO — a former Frap Boy in college who had turned to yoga as a way to venti his frustrations — to send Starbucks a truckload of pumpkins. Along with the pumpkins came an offer to purchase Starbucks and a note that said: “It’s bean nice knowing you.

Please take a look at our offer; it’s a gourd one.”

A week later, Starbucks responded with an official pumpkinless correspondence that stated, “That was a gourd one, but we’ll be brewing up espresso just for you.”

That week, the Starbucks master of recipes accidentally spilled some of these pumpkins into a Starbies brew. Rather than removing it, however, he simply mixed it in and acted like nothing was amiss. After tasting his happy accident, he knew he had to replicate it.

The concoction was eventually released the following year in 2003 (can you believe there are people at this school younger than pumpkin spice?) and led to the beginning of the end for countless wallets and bank accounts.

In recent years, studies reveal a strong correlation between Swifties and monetary spending on pumpkin spice — so much so that the budgeting app Blank Space (Taylor’s Version) now has a category called “Starbucks Pumpkin Spice” that is separate from the regular “Starbucks.”

In fact, this year Taylorology, a non-profit research group that specializes in Swifties, broke the news that pumpkin spice-flavored beverages have bean the second best selling items, topped only by Travis Kelce jerseys.

Only one question remains: How long can the Pumpkin Spice Fandom last? But as long as Swifties can be feelin’ 22 by wearing a cardigan and drinking a hot, venti, double shot, almond-milk pumpkin spice latte, double sleeve, no cup with whipped cream, shaken (off) not stirred, it seems it’ll be able to remain a staple of “Big Bean” for years to come. patteemj@miamioh.edu pletchmh@miamioh.edu

Everyone has that one birthday, Christmas or Halloween that sticks out above the rest.

For my loyal humor readers, I will now share with you the best Halloween I ever had.

Many moons ago, grade school Teddy, along with my best friend Timmy, and friends Jack W., Jack M., and Camdyn, went trick or treating around my neighborhood.

For about an hour, my neighborhood gang — Captain America, a 1920s gangster and a pirate — looted the neighborhood of candy. We were too cool for traditional candy bags, so we used pillow cases instead, which doubled as weapons to hit with your friends or try and strangle them with.

On our way back to headquarters (my basement), a guy in a red van wearing a Michael Myers style hockey mask kept driving by, so we sprinted back as fast as our little legs would take us.

Our little gang told the gang leaders (our dads) about the scary man following us. The dads kind of dismissed it at first, but the moms (the real gang leaders) forced the dads to go back out with us because we wanted to get high (on sugar).

We refueled our depleted energy sources (ate mom’s famous chili) and went back out on the hunt.

After trick or treating a few more houses, our masked foe reappeared.

The unknown man walked down the middle of the street, bloody sword in hand.

My friend Camdyn courageously approached the Mr. Myers wannabe and tried to goad him into taking off the mask.

Camdyn’s courage mimicked that of a first-year boy after having one too many trash cans: too much self-confidence.

The villain did not take kindly to Camdyn’s jeer and swung his sword (plastic) at my friend, striking him in the finger.

While Camdyn ran back to us showing his ‘maimed’ finger, Michael Myers hopped into his red van and sped off.

Now the gang leaders, infuriated by the injustice done to their offspring, joined in on the hunt.

While my friends and I walked in a huddle together on the sidewalk, the dads walked in a horizontal line down the mid-

dle of the street, looking like they were straight out of Ghostbusters.

Then lo and behold, the red van appeared from around the corner. But this time, the foe was met by a surprise: four alpha dads blocking the road so he could not escape. The red van stood still while its headlights illuminated the gang leaders marching toward it, sending chills through my spine.

Jack W.’s dad flanked the driver side of the car while the other dads flanked the other side.

He said to the masked Myers, “Put it in park son, put the car in park.”

Clearly shaken by the presence of alpha dads, Michael Myers screeched off leaving tire marks and smoke in our wake.

The mini-gang members and I rejoiced at the sight of our foe speeding away! We hooted and hollered all the way back to headquarters like Miami boys yelling at each other Uptown for no other reason than being obnoxious.

To celebrate our victory, we went into my basement and chucked candy at each other so hard that it left whopper size bruises all over our body. No better way to revel in our victory than having a candy war in the basement.

No Halloween will ever come close to this one. john1595@miamioh.edu

ALLOW ME TO SHARE WITH YOU THE BEST HALLOWEEN EVER. PHOTO BY TEDDY JOHNSON

Tales from an interesting Halloween CONNOR OVIATT STAFF WRITER Just like every other child, I always looked forward to Halloween (albeit for much different reasons than I do now). Nothing compared to consuming extreme amounts of unhealthy substances while pretending to be someone you’re not in order to forget about your worries. Sound familiar? I don’t think so either.

No Halloween will ever top the classic that was Halloween 2008.

Many people complain about peaking in high school or college, but I peaked at age 5.

Like the rizzler I am, I pulled all the kindergarten baddies in my Blues Clues costume.

That cool autumn day was electric — I built a fantastic tower with the alphabet blocks, smoked the annoying kid, Thomas, in a race across the blacktop, and even got a high five from a girl named Becky.

As I hopped off the bus, a tiny bag of candy in tow, I knew that evening was going to be memorable. I convinced my mom to give me extra graham crackers as my snack, and I put in a solid two hours of Mario Kart before trick-ortreating began.

As I prepared to walk out the door, my head filled with pleasant thoughts of candy and toothbrushes (I had three dentists in my neighborhood), a terrifying sight stood before me.

My dad and my uncle were dressed as Teletubbies.

Now, I understand that I watched the Teletubbies on TV, but seeing them in person, when they are 2 1/2 feet taller than you, TERRIFIED me. Luckily, only a few tears were shed (because I was a very, very brave boy) and trick-or-treating was about to commence.

The loot was solid if not spectacular, as I had a few Reese’s Cups and also a handful of Milk Duds.

But things took a turn for the worse when I arrived at the Fitzgerald household.

The Fitzgeralds were notorious for being the neighborhood sticklers. They screamed at any dog that stepped in their yard, got into multiple disputes over where their property ended and did not allow their kids to watch Spongebob. If you’re having trouble recalling a neighbor like that, I have bad news for you: You were that neighbor.

Anyway, as I walked up to the door, I politely asked “twick oh tweet,” fully expecting to be

handed a piece of candy. Mrs. Fitzgerald pushed up her glasses and told my dad, “I can’t believe you allow your son to watch such garbage. Blues Clues and the Teletubbies? Do you want your child to grow up speaking gibberish?”

She then looked at me, handed me a mini flossing kit, and said, “Never too young to begin

flossing!” From that moment on, I was always thankful for my parents. The rest of the night went fairly smooth, but I was shaken to my core.

I don’t care how much candy I hauled in, I will never forget the trauma. Just ask my therapist: She hears this story at least once a month.

Even in May.

CONNOR OVIATT WRITES ABOUT THE UPS AND DOWNS OF HIS MOST MEMORABLE HALLOWEEN. PHOTO BY CONNOR OVIATT

14

GreenHawks

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023

The seeds have been planted: The beautification of Ernst Nature Theatre has begun SAM NORTON GREENHAWKS EDITOR Walking along Western College Drive toward Peabody Hall, a small path cuts across the lawn before reaching a small hollow of land up against Western Woods, the site of Miami’s Ernst Nature Theatre. The aroma of freshly turned dirt, fallen leaves and Domino’s pizza fills the air as students prepare to begin planting 2,000 individual plants.

A large delivery truck rumbles around the corner and pulls onto the lawn across the street. The hatch is opened to reveal trays upon trays of juvenile flowers, and the students who have arrived begin carrying them into the planting plot.

The first step toward revitalizing the Ernst Nature Theatre is underway.

With a recent and large donation from the Western College Alumnae Association to improve infrastructure at the nature theater, beautification of the site has become a priority. After applying for and receiving a grant from the National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife program to use their plants at the site, Miami’s director of sustainability Olivia Herron got to work organizing the volunteering that would be needed to plant so many specimens.

“I am pleasantly surprised by the turnout,” Herron said as she gazed over the dozen or so students getting to work on the plot. “I just have not organized this kind of volunteer event here before so I’m just really excited.”

The volunteering took place over two days, Tuesday, Oct. 24, and Wednesday, Oct. 25, with students from many different clubs, majors

and years descending onto Western Campus to help with the project.

The plot sits right next to the road snaking behind Peabody, overlooking the bleacher seating of the theater.

While the infrastructure updates for Ernst intend to make the theater more accessible, the native pollinator plants serve to attract visitors for their aesthetics, among other reasons.

“The other thing, too, that I’d like to enhance is to put some little side markers that describe what kind of natives we’ve used,” said Daniel Acrocco, the project manager for this revitalization. “So people can come over here and basically start to think of it as a learning lab, in addition to a theater.”

Among the students volunteering on this project was Sean Bryson, a junior double majoring in biology and biochemistry, who viewed the plants as an upgrade to the ecosystem as well as an upgrade to the visuals of the theater.

“Once insects die off, then the birds go and then it’s just an entire cascade,” Bryson said. “So having the native [plantlife] that we’re putting in will allow native species to remain, and maintain the ecosystem in its entirety.”

With 12 different flowering species planted in the approximately 40-by-40-foot plot, the beautification provided by the plants and the cleanup of the previously unkempt space is sure to be viewed favorably by those who did not appreciate the theater before.

“I knew it was here because I lived on Western Campus my freshman year, but I’ve never really done anything, I’ve just walked by it,” said Elaina Winslow, a junior biochemis-

try major and food systems and studies co-major. “I think it’s a good idea that [Acrocco’s] doing this because I think it’s a space that could be used for a lot of things, but I don’t think it’s utilized.”

Surrounding the plot is a 4-foottall wire fence to keep wildlife out of the plot while plants take root. Due to the planting occurring later in the year, Herron does not anticipate much flowering to happen before the winter.

The fence will stay up throughout the winter and early spring as the plants go dormant and then begin to flower in the spring, when it will be removed. The timing will coincide closely with the official opening of the revitalized theater and the disbanding of the Western College Alumnae Association in June 2024.

After the event, the Ernst Nature Theatre will be available to reserve for events and as a conference place, while the native pollinator garden will be available for all to appreciate and enjoy. The other flowers included in the grant will be planted at the DeWitt Cabin bird blind, the Miami Apiculture Society beehives and other locations on Western Campus.

While only being part of a larger project, the native pollinator garden has much to offer by itself.

“Having native flowers visible allows you to educate yourself and others, just about what nature should look like and how we’re working to get it that way,” Bryson said. “... I have a dog and I love to walk around.

So it’d be really cool to just casually walk by and look at the flowers like yeah, I planted those.” nortonsm@miamioh.edu

TROWELS AND GLOVES WERE NEEDED FIR THE PRECISE BUT MESSY WORK. PHOTO BY SARAH FROSCH

FLOWERS HAD TO BE INDIVIDUALLY REMOVED FROM THEIR PLOTS BEFORE BEING PLANTED AND COVERED WITH SOIL. PHOTO BY SARAH FROSCH

A look into the lives of combined Master of Environmental Science students

LILY BURBRIDGE (LEFT) AND GILLIAN HART (MIDDLE) GET INVOLVED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ON CAMOUS DESPITE THEIR GRADUATE STUDIES. PHOTO BY SARAH FROSCH

SOPHIE KWIATKOWSKI THE MIAMI STUDENT The United States held its first Earth Day over 50 years ago in 1970.

That same year, the Environmental Protection Agency was formed.

Miami University’s Master of Environmental Science (M.En.) program predates them both.

Miami has offered its graduate degree in environmental science since 1969, but the program hasn’t stayed

stagnant. Now, students in the M.En. program can combine their master’s degree with their bachelor’s in a fasttracked five-year program.

Lily Burbridge, a fourth-year studying environmental earth science and sustainability is pursuing her combined M.En. on track to graduate with her master’s in 2025.

“It’s just such a leg up in so many fields … and is part of the reason why I ended up going [to Miami] in the first place,” Burbridge said.

Gillian Hart, a fourth-year studying environmental earth science on track to also graduate with her M.En. in 2025, expressed similar sentiments about the combined program.

She said the efforts of her professors make the program especially worthwhile.

“They work very hard in the combined program not only to further your education but also to further your professional development,” Hart said.

Hart and Burbridge both agreed the shift from their undergraduate courses to their graduate courses was not a difficult one. Burbridge said her daily schedule is similar to most undergraduates, just with a few higher-level courses thrown in the mix.

Despite being on track to earn her master’s, the mix of classes means Hart does not view herself exclusively as a graduate student. “[My classes] flow very cohesively where I’m not like, ‘Oh, I’m an undergrad right now,’ or ‘I’m a grad student right now,’” Hart said.

In addition to higher-level courses, M.En. students are required to individually complete a practicum, research or an internship and defend them. Hart and Burbridge both chose to do an internship this past summer to fulfill that requirement.

Burbridge was an environmental health intern at Lorain County Public Health up in Northeast Ohio by Lake Erie. She participated in a variety of projects in this role such as con-

trolling mosquitos and testing water quality for E. coli.

Burbridge took the optional IES 665 Internship/Practicum Development course offered by the M.En. program the semester before her internship. This course helps prepare students for their individualized internship, practicum or research with a community of supportive peers going through the same experiences.

“It really just gave me the push to go get an internship and to not take no for an answer essentially,” Burbridge said.

This past summer, Hart was an environmental health and safety intern with the chemical company Tremco.

Hart worked on a variety of projects in this internship role such as waste disposal, air quality control and air permitting to make sure that Tremco’s practices were abiding by environmental health and safety regulations. She said the M.En. program’s professional development has helped her find new opportunities.

“I think that [the combined program has] really pushed me to get out of a comfort level that I was in as solely an undergrad,” Hart said.

Beyond just an individualized defense of an internship, research or practicum, the combined M.En. students are also required to complete a three-semester-long group Professional Service Project (PSP). Hart and Burbridge are both entering their first semester of the PSP.

Amanda Bentley Brymer, the assistant director of the Institute for the Environment and Sustainability, is in charge of picking clients for the PSP. The clients this year are the city of Fairfield, which is attempting to calculate the feasibility of converting its entire municipal fleet of vehicles into electric vehicles; Fairfield’s Public Utilities Department, which is adopting solar energy in its wastewater treatment facility; and the Silvoor Biological Sanctuary, which is managing its wildflowers in the face of invasive species and erosion.

“It’s a great opportunity for our students to learn how to work on teams, to strengthen their capacity to solve problems across disciplines, to have hands-on real-world experiences and to build their own connections with clients,” Bentley Brymer said.

The combination of classes and professional experiences aligns with the program’s emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches and goal to “prepare students, upon graduation, for immediate employment as an environmental professional,” according to the M. En. website.

Upon graduation, Hart has a very grateful outlook on what the combined M.En. program will add to her experience when looking for jobs: “You leave the program with so much under your belt that it makes you a very marketable candidate.” kwiatksk@miamioh.edu

Hueston Woods could give educators access to an outdoor classroom NED NEELY THE MIAMI STUDENT Imagine having class outside in a place protected from the elements where you can still enjoy the breeze and sun. This may be a dream for many, but for students of Miami University, it could soon be reality with a planned pavilion in Hueston Woods.

Hueston Woods State Park was established in 1957 and is located 4 miles north of campus. It offers plenty of green space surrounding Acton Lake, with hiking and mountain biking trails woven throughout.

Now, a public outdoor pavilion that will double as an outdoor classroom is being built on the western side of the park.

Helaine Alessio, a professor and chair in the Department of Kinesiology, Nutrition and Health, is the mastermind behind this idea and its journey to fruition.

For the last 12 years, she has been teaching KNH 402, a capstone class that focuses on personal and ecological health. Each year during the last few weeks of the course, students prepared the mountain biking trails for

use, with each class improving them year after year. “[It’s] a great learning experience because it showed how you can make an impact in nature in such a short time,” said Gavin Schoelkopf, a former student of Alessio’s who is pursuing his master’s degree in exercise science. “I woke up on Fridays excited to help and it stopped feeling like a class.”

During this process, Alessio did not have a place to meet or escape the elements. She noticed how the area surrounding the mountain bike trail was of particular interest to the surrounding community and would often see picnickers, sledders and birders. However, there was no structure to gather.

“The idea crossed my mind: We could raise funds to build a pavilion, shelter or gathering place,” Alessio said.

The vision for such a building included tool storage, public use by visitors and Miami University classes like her own. The first order of business in bringing this idea to life was acquiring the funds, which proved difficult to begin with. “[We] had a lot of failed proposals,

sending them to different agencies, who were not interested in supporting brick and mortar type projects,” Alessio said.

However, after a year of searching for funding, the Oxford Community Foundation was willing to put forth $10,000 for construction. On top of that, a private donor matched that total bringing the sum to $20,000.

The lead engineer volunteering on the site is Ron Overly. He attended Miami in the ’70s and met his wife on campus. When he heard about this pavilion project, he was eager to help in any way he could.

For him, that meant aiding the state’s approval and planning out where and how the structure is to be built. He is hopeful it should only be a few weeks before the proposal is approved, then they can begin planning and building the structure, which is only a two to three-week process on its own. Alessio predicts the pavilion will be ready by the spring semester.

Despite the monetary investment and time commitment required to build the pavilion, Alessio and Overly are deeply motivated to contribute what they can.

“As a student, you didn’t get out

ALESSIO (LEFT) AND OVERLY (RIGHT) LAY THE GROUND WORK. PHOTO BY NED NEELY

[to Hueston Woods] much,” Overly said when reflecting on his time at Miami.

The relatively recent addition of the trails and bird blinds have already provided more opportunities for students to explore Hueston Woods since then. Now with the pavilion being built, Alessio hopes it will make the park even more accessible. The pavilion is planned to be ADA-accessible.

“It’s a way to make a significant and sustainable contribution to community and public health to provide a place for people to gather and make

it a fun place to go,” Alessio said. “If it can help facilitate people’s interest in going outside and pursuing healthy activities, to me that’s the big goal.”

Hueston Woods has always been close in proximity to Miami, but never before has it been utilized in the exciting ways of recent years. Thanks to Alessio, Overly and many other volunteers, this pavilion will be another great addition to the park for the Oxford and Miami community to enjoy for years to come. neelysn@miamioh.edu

FOOD

15 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023

Options for to-go coffee, study Fall recipes that are spots and treats on campus now staples for me ANNA REIER STAFF WRITER As of mid-October, Miami University is officially home to three different Starbucks locations. With the opening of the new Bell Tower Starbucks, students have an abundance of options for their caffeine fix, both on and off campus.

Some spots are far less crowded than others, with more places to study and better snack options to help fuel students through a long day of classes. This list will break down all of the Oxford coffee shops, by the use they best serve.

Best places to study Note to first-years; if you want to go to a coffee shop to study, do not go to the Uptown Starbucks. It is small, often packed and has approximately three tables that are always swarmed with people waiting for their mobile orders. Instead, I recommend the following.

King Cafe Basement of King Library Here’s the thing, King Cafe definitely doesn’t have the most delicious coffee or food.

But they do have an abundance of tables to study at, the line is never too long and it’s incredibly convenient.

Withrow Starbucks Basement of Withrow Hall, North Quad The Withrow Starbucks was one of the casualties to the Miami COVID-19 dining

shutdowns. However, it made its return last year, and since then has been a staple for students hoping to study during the day. They have a plethora of tables, and the line is never as long as the Shriver Starbucks.

Kofenya Located Uptown As long as you don’t go on a Sunday morning at 11 a.m. with the rest of the Miami population, Kofenya is arguably the best place to study on campus. The vibes are immaculate, the staff is friendly and the coffee is delicious. Plus the toasts and apple muffins are must-tries.

Cafe Lux Armstrong Student Center I don’t love their coffee, but they have plenty of tables to study at. Additionally, its location is more convenient than other spots on campus.

Best places to grab a coffee on the go Uptown Starbucks Uptown, one block from Chipotle As long as you order ahead well in advance, the Uptown Starbucks is a great place to grab a coffee when you are on the run. However, wait times can be long.

Dividend’s Fiscal Grind Farmer School of Business (FSB) I will argue that of all the Miami-Dining run Coffee Shops, Fiscal Grind is the best.

It is located within the Dividend’s Cafe in FSB and is my

go-to stop during a busy day.

Bell Tower Starbucks Academic Quad, right next to the new Bell Tower Ghost Kitchen The newest Starbucks to grace Miami’s campus is the Bell Tower Location. This Starbucks is unique because it runs solely on the GrubHub app. There are no in-person ordering options, and there aren’t any tables to sit at. However, due to its novelty and the order-ahead only design, the lines have been the shortest of all the Starbucks locations on campus, and it’s the most centrally located to most of the academic buildings.

Kroger Starbucks Kroger, off Spring Street While not the best option if you are walking around campus, the Kroger Starbucks is a great option if you are driving in or out of town. Less crowded and easy parking!

Best Food Dunkin’ Donuts Off Locust Street It’s all in the nameDunkin’ DONUTS. Need I say more?

Panera Bread Armstrong Student Center Admittedly, this is not my favorite coffee chain. I find their coffee to be much too sweet. However, their food options, especially for breakfast and pastries, are the best on campus — if you can handle the wait. reieram@miamioh.edu

ABBEY ELIZONDO

Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking As autumn starts to bloom in Oxford, I can’t help but powder ¾ teaspoon baking scour the internet for recipes that make my kitchen smell soda 2 teaspoons pumplike a Bath and Body Works during pumpkin season. How- kin pie spice (my subever, if you’re not a big pump- stitute) THIS CHERRY TOMATO PASTA IS SURE TO PLEASE. PHOTO BY ABBEY ELIZONDO ½ teaspoon of salt kin fan, I also have some easy ½ cup of granulated and quick meals that will keep I’ve finally found the best way you warm as the temperature sugar to make it. Depending on how ½ cup dark brown sugar drops. much sauce you want, a cup or Here are a few of my favor- (my substitute) two of cherry tomatoes is the ½ cup of unsalted plant ites! base. Then, add garlic cloves butter (my substitute, can use Sweet treats (I use an absurd amount, so vegetable oil) Pumpkin Chocolate choose what smells good to 1 large egg Chip Cookies you). I like to use salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon of vanilla exI recently made two dozen red pepper flakes and an Italor more of these cookies and tract ian spice blend.

1 cup of canned pumpkin need to make more because Sauté all of these together people can’t get enough of puree in a few tablespoons of olive 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocthem! The best trick for bakoil, then set them aside to cool. ing is to keep your dry ingre- olate chips Then you’ll want to have Pumpkin spice syrup dients and wet ingredients cottage cheese and basil. Boil Starbucks recently released separate until both are well any type of pasta and save combined. When adding the their pumpkin spice syrup and some of the pasta water. I dry ingredients, like flour, I it went viral. You can find doz- know using cottage cheese suggest doing it gradually so it ens of similar recipes to make sounds like an ’80s health fully combines into the dough. that perfect addition to your trend, but it will make a delicoffee in the morncious, protein-packed pasta ing. I recommend dish. this Pinterest recipe.

You can also add any othThe key to making er cheese you like to thicken syrup is watching up the sauce. Finally, add it carefully, stirring your roasted tomato mix to often and low heat. a blender and wait until it’s a All you need is a pot, puree-like consistency. Add sugar, and all the this to your pasta and take a spices that remind nap afterward, you’ll need it. you of fall.

Be sure to try one of these Savory fall staple fall recipes or venture out on Protein-packed the internet to find a favorite cherry tomato of your own. pasta I started trying @earlgreyincense THESE CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN COOKIES versions of this pasARE PERFECT FOR ANY FALL DAY. PHOTO BY elizonar@miamioh.edu ABBEY ELIZONDO ta last summer, and SENIOR STAFF WRITER

We can’t cook: Filling the toasted roll hole in our lives through the magic of baking DEVIN ANKENEY OPINION EDITOR

SEAN SCOTT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Toasted Rolls.

They used to be a Miami University staple. People loved them. People ate them. And people cried when they left (looking at you, Fred Reeder, adviser to The Miami Student).

Luckily, we set out to fill the toasted roll-shaped hole in our hearts this weekend. Here’s how you can follow in our footsteps, young baking disciples.

Step one: Go to the store … twice You may think that step one of any baking excursion is to find a recipe. Not so. We failed to coordinate who was supplying the recipe ahead of time, and as a result, we didn’t actually know what we would need — in particular the truckload of butter — for our toasted rolls until we were standing in front of the produce section in Kroger.

The result of our failure to plan?

We had to go back to the store soon after our first trip to double our butter stock.

Step 1.5: Try to bake before you have all the ingredients What should you do between your two trips to the store for extra butter and lasagna? I’m glad you asked.

This step is all about starting things you can’t finish. No, not the new Martin Scorsese movie — we’re talking mixing. Before realizing we didn’t have enough butter, we boiled milk (in the microwave) and put it in the freezer, mixed yeast and water in a little jar, and dumped a whole bunch of flour into a bowl.

We also stopped off at my (Sean’s) apartment to pick up a wooden spoon, ground cinnamon, pumpkin seeds and some butter. We decided to check the recipe as infrequently as possible, which led to a few key lapses in judgment along the way.

Step two: Realize you don’t have nearly enough time for this Now that we had gathered all the ingredients we could possibly need, we began mixing in the dry ingredients — along with a fraction of the total butter — into our large bowl to create dough.

Sean mixed the dry ingredients. I (Devin) elected to help by softening the butter. I felt it apt to soften the butter by putting it in the microwave.

I chose not to put the butter on or in anything other than its very own wax paper.

The butter went everywhere.

Shortly after making an abominable mess in my own microwave,

we realized that we had not factored in the two hours required to let the dough rise. We had also not factored in that we cannot read.

The recipe called for the dough to rise in the fridge “overnight.” So, like last time, this recipe became a twoday ordeal. We were displeased.

Step three: Play Mario and make brownies At this point, we realized we wouldn’t be eating toasty, rolled-up goodness that night, so it was time to improvise. We swaddled the dough in a Kroger bag (Devin’s grand idea), sent our multimedia minions away to their own abodes to acquire brownie mix and hot chocolate, and sat down to play some well-deserved Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

Within half an hour, the brownies were in the oven and the coffee maker was spouting out hot water for our hot chocolate. The toasted roll recipe was safely forgotten for the night.

Step four: Begrudgingly return to the kitchen and realize we’re actually making cinnamon rolls At 1:15 p.m., we returned to the kitchen to finish what we barely started. We had to find a way to finish all the steps — including another two-hour wait — before we both had places to be. We had to be efficient.

We pulled the dough out of its Kroger bag cage and promptly realized we didn’t have a roller to flatten it out to a thin rectangle.

We separated the massive lump of incredibly dense, hard-as-a-rock dough. Sean masterfully pressed his half down into a lovely rectangle with few lumps. I (Devin) punched my half several dozen times leaving it looking like the surface of the moon.

Sean did not approve of my antics.

We proceeded to butter up our sheets of dough before rolling them up and slicing them into what looked eerily like cinnamon rolls — not the toasted rolls we remembered from Pulley Diner of yesteryear.

Step five: Botch tarot card readings while we waited for the rolls to rise The recipe finally called for the two-hour wait we had thought was meant for the previous night. While we waited for our rolls to rise as the oven preheated, Sean, our cameraman Luke, and I gave each other some of the worst and least-comprehensive tarot card readings everseen by mere mortals.

On various occasions, we prescribed each other strangely specific events for each of our futures, taking the images on the cards far too literally. After we each took a turn disgracing the dark arts, it was finally time to give up on the two-hour wait and continue with the recipe.

Step six: Cream the glaze and improvise The oven was preheated. Our futures were foretold. Our mouths were salivating.

The rolls went into the oven, and we improvised our way to making a “creamy glaze.” We’d never thought about making this before. We assumed that Pillsbury simply oozed it out of some heavenly machine and packaged it up as a little gift to us.

We mixed powdered sugar, water, vanilla and even more butter haphazardly into a bowl. The recipe did not provide creamy glaze directions. After some strong and thorough mixing, the strange concoction actually turned into a glaze.

We were ready to dress our rolls.

Step seven: Toast the rolls and fear for Devin’s kitchen We took the rolls out of the oven, and Devin quickly grabbed a spoon and began dolloping glaze on each and every roll while I (Sean) quickly — and right behind Devin — spread the glaze out to cover the entire surface.

It was at this point we realized the recipe called for a grill. Now, it is important to note here that I, Devin, do not have a grill per se. I do not have a skillet. I do, however, have bad ideas and impulsive judgment.

I suggested to Sean that we simply turn the stove on under the oven pan instead of dealing with cutting all of the 24 rolls and grilling the insides. He quickly agreed and further suggested we dump butter under all the rolls so as to be a catalyst for the toasting.

While yes, I did fear that the pan would immediately make terrible sounds and jump off the stove as it was not meant for stovetops, it actually worked fantastically.

The bottoms of our buns were magically buttery and toasted. We were nearly done.

Step eight: Powder that s**t The rolls were beautiful. Sean carefully dusted them all with even more powdered sugar before we called it a day. The tops were glossy and gorgeous. The bottoms were buttery and crispy to the perfect degree.

We grabbed plates and prepared to taste our second attempt at baking together. Ever.

Honestly, they were pretty good.

They didn’t taste exactly like the toasted rolls we remember from years past, but they had enough butter and powdered sugar for it to not matter.

Maybe… we can cook? ankenedw@miamioh.edu scottsr@miamioh.edu

The end of a 100-yearold Miami tradition: The toasted rolls

MIAMI 100-YEAR-OLD TRADITION, THE TOASTED ROLLS, HAVE BEEN SCRATCHED FROM THE PRODUCTION LINE OF PULLEY DINER. PHOTO BY IAN DO

IAN DO THE MIAMI STUDENT Alumnus AJ Brilla drove 65 minutes to Miami University this past July to visit his alma mater with his wife and kids. Their to-do list included a feast of his favorite Miami tradition, the toasted rolls. The family stopped by Pulley Diner at Armstrong Student Center, eager to complete the nostalgic ride, only to learn that the 100-year-old Miami tradition was no longer being served.

“This was like a passionate disappointment,” Brilla said.

Brilla graduated from Miami in 2005, but in the last 18 years he has not forgotten the special night he found the toasted rolls.

“About 10 o’clock at night, and you just follow your nose,” he said.

“And you saw this amazingly beautiful, almost under the spotlight type of creation of beautiful delicatessen, which is mesmerizing.”

In 1929, Myron Timothy “Tuffy” Porter opened his diner in Oxford, Ohio, and named it Tuffy’s Sandwich Shop. The place was a small basement located on the Miami campus. It quickly became the hangout spot for generations of Miami students decades later.

Much like other restaurants in Oxford, Tuffy’s place offered Coke, hamburgers, ice cream and coffee, but nothing could outshine the toasted rolls, Tuffy’s specialty. According to Brilla, the toasted rolls are made by kneading bread that he has no idea where Tuffy gets from, at least a quarter or half a pound of sugar powder and the perfect blend of cinnamon and sugar.

“Somehow, with all those magical ingredients and steps that I cannot quantify, it turns out the most beautiful dessert treat I’ve ever experienced,” Brilla said.

Tuffy’s sandwich shop closed in 1973, but the tasty toasted rolls lived on in Shriver Center’s specialty shop and later in Pulley Diner at Armstrong.

For some alumni like Brilla, the toasted rolls mean a lot more to them than a dessert.

“We have memories there,” Brilla said. “When we were having our wedding, we took people to Shriver Center to get toasted rolls. Whenever we have visitors and go to Miami together, we go there.”

On any visits to Miami, Brilla and his wife, also a Miami alumna,

always get Toasted Rolls for their kids to experience. He said it is important to him and his wife to show the children how meaningful Miami is to them.

The couple went to school at Miami. They kissed under the arch of Upham Hall and were married in the Sesquicentennial Chapel on Maple Street. They embody many Miami traditions and want to pass them on to their kids.

“This is what’s going to make them fall in love,” Brilla said. “They will forever associate the smell, the taste, the look of it with the most beautiful campus in the world. And then you can start talking about all the other traditions, and secrets, and legends, and things like that.”

Alumna Jennifer Monahan, class of 1992, visited Miami in February 2020 with her daughter, then a junior in high school. They had the toasted rolls together, and her daughter is now a student here.

The Toasted Rolls matters because it is a Miami tradition, and Monahan hopes the school will bring them back.

“I hope Miami changes its mind,” Monahan said. “I hope that they realize how much this is a cherished part of Miami, just like other traditions. And traditions are part of what makes Miami so special.”

If you go to Pulley Diner, you can still see toasted rolls under the dessert bar of the menu on the TV monitor across the counter. Perhaps Pulley stopped serving toasted rolls due to the lack of demand for the dessert.

Chuck Cowdery, who graduated from Miami in 1973, said that he finds the news unsurprising and that the school had to remodel if people were no longer interested in the toasted rolls.

“A lot of alumni don’t want anything to ever change,” Cowdery said.

“But it has to change.”

However, one thing that will never change is how the toasted rolls have been a prominent tradition and experience for generations of Miamians, such as Brilla and Monahan. If you go to the official Miami University website, click onMiami Traditions and scroll down.

Scroll past Avoid the Seal, pass Under the Arch, pass Around the Trees.

And there you will find: the toasted rolls. dotm@miamioh.edu

16

Opinion

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023

More common than coffee: We need to rethink vaping normalcy in Oxford

Redefining normal: How COVID-19 has transformed education and technology CAMILA LOPEZ-DIAZ THE MIAMI STUDENT

GRAPHIC BY HANNAH POTTS

ABBEY ELIZONDO SENIOR STAFF WRITER Did you know there are 17 vape and smoke shops in Oxford? Because I sure did not.

When I first heard this number, I thought it was a joke. Unfortunately, it’s true that Oxford houses more vape shops than it does cafes.

I don’t vape or smoke, nor do I know many people who do so on a regular basis. But I’d like to ask the people who do so: Do you really need 17 different stores for one category of products?

This strangely capitalized industry has created a toxic environment where smoke shops move into university towns looking to profit off students who are just beginning to explore adulthood.

I’ve heard countless times from students that there’s hardly anything to do Uptown to relax with friends if you’re not into the bar scene.

These businesses looking to profit off students are the main culprits.

If we had places beyond only buying age-restricted products like alcohol and vape pens, then more students would want to go Uptown and spend time with their friends. In Columbus, Ohio, there are a few bar-arcades like 16-Bit and Pins Mechanical Company where drinks are served, but that’s not the main focus.

You can go to 16-Bit for free before 9 p.m. because they allow under-21 hours, and then change to a 21-and-up after 9 p.m. If you don’t want to drink, you don’t have to. It’s a social place for people whether they want to drink or not.

Pins Mechanical Company is similar to 16-Bit where they have hours for 21 years and younger, and then later hours for those 21 and over. It has duckpin bowling lanes and the opportunity to have fun at any hour.

Either of these places would be great additions to Uptown considering they allow first-years and sophomores to have social spaces without a bar focus and upperclass students who want both a bar and a social place.

That brings us back to the vape and smoke store prevalence in Oxford. Why are smoke shops an invasive species? E-cigarettes and vape pens are likely no safer than typical

cigarettes. The Cleveland Clinic warns against the harmful effects of vaping and smoking, including lung inflammation, irritation, scarring and narrowing the tubes lungs use to transfer air in and out of the body.

Cigarettes have been extensively studied because of their age and known carcinogenic chemicals. Vapes and e-cigarettes, however, have not been around long enough to do major, comprehensive studies on long-term impacts of inhaling these chemicals.

The Food and Drug Administration labels these products as ENDS (Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems) and has regulated them since 2016. The problem is that regulation doesn’t equate to vapes and e-cigarettes not causing harm to those who use them. Flavored products tend to attract younger audiences, which is why the FDA started cracking down on these e-cigarettes.

That’s why the FDA designed “The Real Cost” campaign; this campaign aims to discourage people from using vapes and other ENDS products by educating them on the drastic health effects. It’s a long way from doing enough, but it’s a step in the right direction A quick puff of a vape pen occasionally, or even every day, may seem like a harmless thing, but it’s not worth chemotherapy or surgery, coming from someone who’s had both even if for different reasons.

You have your whole life ahead of you as a college student — don’t let smoke and vape shops take your money and your health away from you. @earlgreyincense elizonar@miamioh.edu Abbey Elizondo is a senior doublemajoring in professional and creative writing, with a minor in digital marketing.

She has been with The Student for a little more than two years and is a senior staff writer.

As the high school graduates of the class of COVID-19 — I mean 2020 — prepare their caps and gowns, they set out on a path distinctively shaped by the pandemic. The very pandemic that, in many cases, served as a catalyst for the digitalization of the “college experience” here at Miami University (and across the world).

I have been a student at Miami since the fall of 2020 and experienced firsthand the effects of living on a near-desolate campus where every interaction was made behind a screen.

It was not an experience for the faint of heart, leading many to take semesters away from college as a way to focus on mental health.

The familiar routines of learning had been disrupted, replaced by this new digital landscape that demanded adaptation from everyone … and everything.

Lily Edwards, a senior media and communication major, shared similar sentiments.

As she admits, at times during the pandemic she “didn’t even feel like [she] was attending school,” and that the “learning aspect” of college felt like a joke.

This shift to a digitalized college experience is something that affected everyone from students to educators, but especially those without the resources to learn digitally.

“Not everyone has access to the internet like we think they do,” Edwards said.

And this is something that many seem to forget about. As many schools, including local institutions like the Talawanda School District and Miami, shifted toward a digital learning landscape, they left behind students without the means of access, creating an even further disconnect in the communication required for learning.

While the lack of internet access was a significant hurdle for some, the social disconnect during this digitalized college experience went beyond mere connectivity issues. It extended to a more profound absence of human interaction in the learning process.

Edwards explained that with online classes, “The bond that you have with your professors isn’t really there,” which is something that many students and faculty have come to similarly agree with.

Mack Hagood, an associate professor in the department of Media and Communication at Miami, has been teaching here since 2013. Hagood said one of the major reasons faculty choose teaching as a profession is the opportunity to assist and develop relationships with students.

If this aspect dwindles, he explained, it makes the job less satisfying.

Many college graduates, including Hagood, emphasize the significance of active experiences in college, considering relationships, mentorship and collaboration as the most crucial aspects of the college experience.

Hagood said in an era

where information is cheap and ubiquitous, what truly matters is how we choose to interact with it. With the shift to online learning, many students seemed to forget the essence of learning, and this is something that faculty are learning to adjust to.

As we transition back to a new normal, faculty are growing aware that many incoming students have missed essential formative learning in high school and may not be as prepared.

Hagood stressed that many of the essential skills that make up a “good student” simply aren’t as good — ranging from writing skills to the ability to persevere and take on complex assignments. This has proven to be quite a challenge for professors — as they understand they can’t blame students as individuals, because the problem is at a mass.

Discussions like these prompt one to consider how we can harness the benefits of our digital tools while still preserving the essence of learning. The balance between embracing technological advancements while maintaining human interaction in education is something that will likely continue to change with time, but it is also something that invites us to reflect on how we can adapt and shape the future of education to best serve the needs of students and faculty.

Whether we have returned to this state of “normalcy” or have simply redefined what can be considered as “normal” is still a matter of individual interpretation. However, one undeniable fact remains; the COVID-19 pandemic has left us with profound changes in our relationship with technology — more than we have yet come to understand. lopezdcp@miamioh.edu

Camila Lopez-Diaz is a third-year majoring in media and communication with an ETBD minor from Mason, Ohio. Along with her studies and writing for The Student’s Opinion section, they work as a writing student specialist at the Career Center.

GRAPHIC BY OLIVIA MICHELSEN

Waking up from the American dream KISER YOUNG THE MIAMI STUDENT Annual summer vacations to the Sunshine State, meatloaf dinners at 6

p.m. and the belief that with enough hard work all of your wildest aspirations will be achieved are the pillars of the American lifestyle, pillars of the American dream.

GRAPHIC BY CLAIRE LATHAM

This idea that with enough elbow grease and grit you will achieve happiness is a mindset that once might have been true for some people. In today’s reality, America picks and chooses who can actually climb up the ladder and achieve that dream.

If hard work directly correlated with success, the exorbitantly wealthy would be seen paving roads or bussing tables. Why is it acceptable for an institution, let alone an entire nation, to condemn the hardest of its workers and justify it by hanging an unreachable dream above their heads?

The general framework behind the American dream is not entirely bogus. The idea that everyone deserves the opportunity to succeed genuinely would lead to momentous prosperity.

However, the luxury of the ability to chase success is not given to the entire population. This revelation is clear when an entire class of Americans have a completely different idea of success than the upper class.

Robert Fulton, a highly renowned engineer during the industrial revolution said, “the American dream of rags to riches is a dream for a reason — it is hard to achieve; were everyone to do it, it wouldn’t be a dream but would rather be reality.”

When asked if the American dream was made for her, first-year Miami University student Julianne Corcoran said the American dream is outdated.

“I think the idea of the American dream was made for everyone but I

think that how it’s actually been executed, it’s not in line with the [original plan],” Corcoran said. “There’s definitely been more progress towards working [to] true equality for everyone, but there’s still some systematic barriers, especially with women and just how deeply ingrained the patriarchy is.”

While America still may have a long way to go in making actual progress toward delivering what it set out to accomplish with the American dream, the need to act on this goal can be seen here on our own campus.

First-year Lindsey Hoff said the American dream has changed from when the idea was conceived.

“It definitely feels like the ability to do whatever I [want] especially applies here at Miami, but I [do] not think it quite applies to everyone in the same way as it did 100 years ago.”

It’s easy to gather that it’s impossible to be a successful person of color, woman or impoverished individual.

It is just astronomically more difficult to do so.

For instance take Miami University’s current Student Body President Nyah Smith and Student Body Vice President Jules Jefferson. These women are the first Black president and vice president of the

university, and have already had tremendous success in uplifting the entire campus as a whole.

In order for the American dream to regain the ground it once held, America should focus on encouraging initiatives that would guarantee the underprivileged opportunities to succeed, instead of encouraging citizens to obtain the nuclear lifestyle.

Now this does not essentially pack every congress seat with a woman of color or every robe worn in the judicial branch must be a non-binary individual, but it does mean that America must not only give the opportunity to succeed to the underprivileged but also celebrate it.

By dismantling this norm and prioritizing the core principles of the American dream, change and prosperity can be achieved by all individuals in the land of opportunity. youngk20@miamioh.edu

Kiser Young is a firstyear strategic communication major from Beavercreek, Ohio. He is a contributor for both the opinion and entertainment sections at The Student and is a district 8 senator for Associated Student Government.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023

17

We need better access to period products. Period.

MEREDITH PERKINS COLUMNIST In the College of Arts and Science, an academic division in which 65.8% of students are female, the closest thing to a period product in any academic building is typically an empty, rusting dispenser from the 1960s.

The dispenser charges a quarter for tampons that do not exist.

The machine is guarded by a hefty Master Lock, so students will not steal the tampons that … still do not exist.

You can go to Harrison Hall, Up-

modern, rust-resistant, ADA-complaint and regularly stocked with organic pads and tampons.

The machines, which cost $435 for a dispenser and a starter-pack of 500 pads and tampons, take only 30 seconds to restock and only require the push of a button to dispense a menstrual hygiene product.

No quarters necessary.

In McGuffey Hall, where nearly 70% of students in the College of Education, Health, and Society are female, period products GRAPHIC BY MACEY CHAMBERLIN and other hygiene ham Hall, Irvin Hall and Bachelor products are easily acHall; you will see abandoned dis- cessible. They sit in a basket on the pensers in each bathroom, standing bathroom counter. as nothing more than landmarks of a This initiative began in 2020 with Miami University from 50 years ago. the Periods Rock! project, which When nearly two-thirds of stu- aimed to raise awareness for mendents in these academic buildings strual hygiene and reproductive have periods, why do we lack period health initiatives on campus. products in Miami’s older buildings As someone who has been in the — especially when other academic highly-stressful situation of starting a buildings on campus demonstrate period without a period product onbetter models? hand — an experience 86% of people In Armstrong Student Center, who menstruate have had — it was a multiple bathrooms offer Aunt Flow relief to know I could walk to Armdispensers. Aunt Flow dispensers are strong to find a free period product.

Many buildings and departments at our university have done a great job providing menstrual hygiene products, but many more have subpar access.

At a university that is majority-female, we can’t fall to the standard of requiring students to walk across campus to get the products they need.

Providing period products in all public restrooms is a low-cost solution that universally benefits the student body.

Bathrooms are already expected to supply toilet paper and soap. Why should tampons and pads — which ultimately do the most work to prevent biohazardous waste spreading — be any less of a priority?

It is proven that one in five menstruating students have missed school because they did not have the period supplies or resources they needed.

With recent economic inflation

making period products even more expensive for students, the university could significantly improve the lives of students by updating its period dispensal system — or even adding period supplies in all vending machines like residence halls do — in its academic buildings.

At Michigan State University, which recently implemented a campus-wide free pad and tampon program in all its women’s and gender-neutral bathrooms, it costs only $50,000 to maintain the program each year: an investment well-worth making.

Improvements to our period supply dispensal system are past-due. It is time to ditch the rusty period dispensers of generations past and move toward a future with universal period product access. perkin16@miamioh.edu

Meredith Perkins is a junior double-majoring in diplomacy and English. Her opinion column was the 2023 recipient of the Ohio News Media Association’s Best Column Writing Award and her opinion writing has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Cincinnati Enquirer and more.

Naloxone: A scary but necessary reality BODE FREESE THE MIAMI STUDENT Ohio has the third highest rate of opioid overdoses per capita in America. In Butler County, that rate is even higher than the state average.

This puts Miami University squarely in the epicenter of the opioid epidemic.

The Office of Student Wellness recently announced that it will bring overdose stations to our campus.

These stations will provide Naloxone, a drug that stops overdoses in action.

It is strange to think about the caricature of drug addicts as junkies that don’t contribute to society and deserve their fate with reference to a patient prescribed opiates. On the contrary, the opioid epidemic affects people of all walks of life, much to the chagrin of those who profess “personal responsibility.”

Many Americans work their whole lives and avoid all drugs and other vices but still take opioids to treat a medical condition. Through no fault of their own, this highly addictive drug can take over someone’s life and wreak havoc on their day-to-day forever. They could then spend their whole life addicted to opioids and succumb to overdose.

This is why working to combat opioid addiction and harm reduction is so important for this university; it is unavoidable. Even if addiction only affects a small portion of our community, we need to be prepared for emergencies affecting anybody at any given time.

Harm reduction is important, but we can do better and we can do more.

Opioid addiction affects more white people than any American drug epidemic in the past. Other epidemics, like crack, plague minority communities disproportionately yet fail to garner a big response like the opioid epidemic does.

The opioid epidemic, as a result of spreading systematically through the healthcare system, affected not just the poor, but the rich as well. This is part of the reason a higher level of attention is being paid to opioid addiction than to previous addiction epidemics.

Harm Reduction Ohio has been working to inform students on the use of Naloxone, common misconceptions of opioid use and the plight of other drug epidemics hurting Americans, in large part due to the failures to educate Americans in the past.

These small things are great first-

steps into the door of ending our nation’s dependence on drugs.

Though the procedure for administering Naloxone is rather simple, especially in the form of Narcan nasal spray, it is important that we understand the surrounding opioid epidemic and ideas about drug use and harm reduction. This allows us to properly understand the social implications of the opioid epidemic, how it relates to past drug epidemics and how to properly fight drug addiction and overdose.

Ultimately, harm reduction — like providing Naloxone for emergencies — is important and absolutely necessary. Providing life-saving medicine to students is as necessary as providing food and water, and I support Miami’s introduction of Naloxone on campus. To say otherwise is to ignore a huge, solvable problem plaguing this country.

Having Naloxone on Miami’s campus is a great step toward ending this terrible epidemic. Naloxone will save lives. Nothing matters more than that. freesebd@miamioh.edu

GRAPHIC BY HANNAH POTTS

Bode Freese is a first-year biology major from Chagrin Falls, Ohio. He is involved with the American Conservation Coalition, The Miami Student, Zero Waste Oxford, Alpha Phi Omega, Miami Political Review, Students for Justice in Palestine, Miami University Geological Society and Young Democratic Socialists of America.

From the editor’s desk: Vote!

GRAPHIC BY HANNAH POTTS

SEAN SCOTT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Over and over again, I’ve heard from city and university officials that Miami University students have the power to decide elections.

For students whose only goals in college are to get a degree, network and land a job after graduation, caring about local government may not seem worth it. Plenty of students go their entire academic careers at Miami without ever knowing who sits on Oxford City Council, and more than a few probably couldn’t tell you that the Talawanda School District exists.

These institutions matter,

though, to students as well as residents.

As Election Day approaches, the community will have the opportunity to decide who sits in our governing bodies and shapes Oxford’s future. As a student at Miami, your vote matters, and it can also affect your daily life while here.

Oxford policy has direct impacts on students, from mask mandates in 2020 and 2021 to recent legislation aimed at restricting the growth of the vaping industry in Oxford. Their decisions have long-term implications, too, like the creation of the Oxford Area Trails or the decadein-the-making plan to bring an Amtrak station to Oxford.

If you care about Oxford and want to have a say in the future of this town, start with voting for city councilors who represent your ideals.

Who sits on the Talawanda School Board may seem like a remote issue with no stakes for college students, but it affects all of us. Last year, the district failed to pass a tax levy. Now they’re faced with expensive pay-to-play fees, reduced bussing and even potential staffing cuts down the line if nothing changes.

If Talawanda can’t keep its status as an attractive school district for parents to send their kids to, professors will find somewhere else to move their families. A healthy, thriving

community and school district is essential to Miami’s ability to maintain a strong workforce, and if the school district flounders, so will Miami in the long run.

How do students get a say?

They stay informed, and they vote.

The Miami Student has spent the past two months creating a new podcast, “People and Policies,” hosted by Assistant Campus & Community Editor Olivia Patel and Staff Writer Raquel Hirsch. In each episode, you’ll hear from a different candidate for Oxford City Council, Talawanda School Board or the Oxford Township Board of Trustees.

If you aren’t registered to vote in local elections but are returning to Miami next year, you can still change your voter registration ahead of the 2024 election to vote in Oxford. If you do register to vote here, make sure you commit to actually doing so.

The precincts covering Miami’s campus and student housing have historically had the lowest turnout in the county, even when school is in session.

If you’d rather vote by absentee ballot in your home state, make sure to check in with your county Board of Elections to see who’s on the ballot, especially in local races. National races for the Senate or the presidency may take up the most airwaves, but your local officials are the ones who will make a difference in your day-to-day life.

It’s also far more likely that you’ll be able to directly interact with local officials than national ones. Resist the urge to vote

down the ballot without doing any research, and instead make sure to look into each candidate to inform your vote.

Beyond voting in the election, you can stay up to date with local politics in Oxford by attending city council meetings every other Tuesday in the Oxford Courthouse or watching online at cityofoxford.org, subscribing to the city’s various newsletters, and engaging with local organizations. The League of Women Voters and Oxford Citizens for Peace and Justice both offer ways for residents and students to get politically engaged, and there are plenty of other organizations that you can volunteer with to get more involved in the community outside Miami.

If you don’t have time to attend meetings yourself or volunteer, you can stay up to date with The Student’s regular city council stories and other coverage of the city and school district.

If we’re missing something you want to see covered, feel free to let us know at miamistudent. net/page/storytip.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7. In a tumultuous time when national politicians can’t seem to get together on anything, spend some time working from the ground up.

Please, get out and vote! scottsr2@miamioh.edu