The Miami Student | October 20, 2020

ESTABLISHED 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES

Volume 149 No. 5

Miami university — Oxford, Ohio

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020

Miami slow to isolate sick students

Redskins, blackface and Ghetto Fest: Cultural appropriation throughout Miami’s history MADELINE PHABY ASST. NEWS EDITOR Every year around Halloween, a similar conversation takes place across all social media platforms: what costumes are and aren’t considered “cultural appropriation?”

Put simply, cultural appropriation is when a person adopts an

DESIGN EDITOR OWEN BERG

JAKE RUFFER THE MIAMI STUDENT One month after Miami students moved onto campus in September, the process of dealing with COVID-19 remains uncomfortable and unfamiliar, and for many, it hasn’t gotten any easier.

On-campus students have reported waiting up to two days to be contacted by the university and moved have tested positive for COVID-19,

leaving them unsure of how to proceed in the time left between.

First-year Sanika Marwah and her roommate were moved into isolation at the Miami Inn on Oct. 12 her positive result on Oct. 11 and her roommate the day before. structing them to log into a patient portal for their results, and they initiated phone contact with the university themselves.

“No one gave us any phone call or any information about our results

until my roommate actually called the school,” Marwah said.

They spent the following days self-isolating in their room and trying to avoid others in the bathroom.

“They didn’t tell us what to do, so

experience this isolation limbo shortly after moving into their dorms.

our rooms,” Marwah said. “But then we went to the dining hall one time and we wore two masks, and we just grabbed our food and left as fast as we could.”

First-years Jackie Cameron and

with symptoms outside of isolation.

Reagan learned she was positive Sept. 22 and waited two days to move into the Inn on Sept. 24.

The two report self-isolating under the same fears that Marwah

21, then again on Sept. 25 after comtive the same day and moved into iso-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

they aren’t a part of. The cases of this phenomenon that most people are familiar with are those in which a member of a dominant culture – generally a white person – appropriates an aspect of a marginalized culture.

Nowadays, the more blatant forms of cultural appropriation — namely, costumes that explicitly mock people of other races and ethnicities — are generally viewed as inappropriate. But that wasn’t the case until relatively recently, as a quick look into Miami’s history demonstrates.

One of the most notable examples of Miami’s history of cultural insensitivity is its former mascot, the Redskins.

For years, Miami’s athletic teams were informally referred to as the “Big Reds.” In 1928, though, a sports writer for The Miami Student referred to the football team as the “Big Red-Skinned Warriors,” and by the early 1930s, the “Redskins” Despite “redskins” being used as a derogatory term against Native Americans since early colonization, the use of the mascot was generally accepted for decades. In 1972, the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma even expressed support for the university’s use of the mascot.

In 1996, though, the Tribe rescinded its support, which was a CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Conrad Formal Gardens neglected due to pandemic TAJ SIMMONS STAFF WRITER On the corner of North Patterson Avenue and East Withrow Street, across from The Miami Inn lie the the Conrad Formal Gardens. But this year, it’s anything but blossoming.

“I used to walk on the Formal Gardens for exercise, but now that they have fallen into dilapidation and total abandonment, I’m afraid to walk there,” local resident Carol Burke said.

Students who are used to walking in the gardens have observed the absence of plants as well.

“I used to love taking in the natural scenery at the gardens, but this year, it’s just so sad to see it gone,” said Claire Schoenfeld, a junior professional writing/media and culture double major.

Cody Powell is the associate vice president of facilities planning and operations of the physical facilities at Miami. He explained the reasoning behind the barren garden, simply saying there was no one to maintain it.

“Last March, the decision was made to go remote, which is when we plant in the gardens,” Powell said. “If we don’t have any students, we aren’t going to have any workers. It came down to the simple fact them.”

Kirsten Ann Conrad, a horticulturalist and the eldest granddaughter of Arthur F. Conrad, the namesake of the garden, took notice, too.

“The Formal Gardens are a huge treasure, not only to the university, but to the surrounding community as well,” Conrad said. “It’s a unique campus environment.”

Although she said she understood the decision to not maintain the garden, that didn’t stop the disappointment she felt.

“They named the garden after a man who dedicated his whole life to it,” Conrad said. “To see it empty is very disheartening.”

Conrad said she was interviewed to be a horticulturist for the gardens and the campus two years ago, a position her grandfather held long her the job.

If she had been hired, Conrad said she had many ideas for the garden, including a transition to being self-reliant and hosting various fundraisers.

“I spent a lot of the interview talking about how the garden could such as tree donations, where individuals or companies can sponsor a tree on campus or in the gardens,” Conrad said. “I suggested brick donations, where for a certain amount of money, people can have their names in them. Think of how many bricks there are in that garden.”

Finally, Conrad thought the gardens could bring a slice of home to international students on campus.

“I understand that Miami has a large international community, so why not plant things that are originally from their hometowns in the gardens?” Conrad said. “I feel like there’s so many ideas that could be taken advantage of.”

This Issue NEWS

CULTURE

MACtion is back, but are masks a part of the training program?

What is Miami's wizarding world's take on J.K. Rowling?

page 5

page 6

ALONGSIDE PLANTS IN THE CONRAD FORMAL GARDENS, THE SPIRITS OF THE OXFORD COMMUNITY HAVE ALSO WILTED. PHOTO EDITOR BO BRUECK

Although this season there are is optimistic on the near future of the gardens.

“Hopefully we can return to normal functioning next semester,” Powell said.

Conrad said she, too, is hopeful for a restoration of the beauty of the gardens soon.

“I can’t wait for the return of plants to the area,” Conrad said. “I think it’s such low-hanging fruit for

producing good vibes for students and others.” @simmons_taj simmontp@miamioh.edu

OPINION

It ain't easy being the #1 sibling

page 8

Hockey's back, baby page 9

Halloween is coming. Don't costume. page 10

This Week

2 FYI

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020

Named the Best College Newspaper (Non-daily) in Ohio by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Things to do

CHRIS VINEL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Julia Arwine Emily Dattilo Managing Editors

Sarah Grace Hays Maggie Peña Multimedia Editors

Owen Berg Design Editor

Chloe Murdock Magazine Editor

Tim Carlin Briah Lumpkins News Editors

Dan Wozniak Business Manager

Lukas Nelson Sports Editor Duard Headley David Kwiatkowski Culture Editors

Opinion Editor Bo Brueck Photo Editor

Alessandra Manukian Sadie Van Wie Designers

James Tobin Faculty Adviser

Tues 10/20

MAP Tie-Dye Face Masks Central Quad Tired of your boring face mask? Spice it up at MAP’s tie-dye face mask event.

1:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m.

Fred Reeder Business Adviser Aim Media Midwest Printer

Owen Berg Style Editor

Student Skates

Wed

Goggin Ice Center

10/21

Missing the ice? Glide with your friends for free at student skates!

10:30 p.m. 11:30 p.m.

Varno Harris II Social Media Editor

Jessica Robinson Humor Editor Jenna Calderón

Sydney Hill Brianna Porter Copy Editors

Asst. Culture Editor David Kwiatkowski Entertainment Editor

Madeline Phaby Abby Bammerlin Asst. News Editors

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Thurs 10/22

Virtual Event Come hear from former Chicago Cub and inspirational speaker Chris Singleton.

Thurs 10/22

MAP Presents: Chris Singleton 7:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m.

Spring Semester Time Tickets BannerWeb Registration time tickets for the spring semester will be availble on BannerWeb Oct. 22.

9:00 a.m.

Miami slow to isolate sick students Redskins, blackface CONTINUED FROM FRONT expressed – not wanting to infect anyone in a dining hall or bathroom.

“I stayed in my room, and then the only time I ate was through contactless delivery,” Reagan said.

Cameron said she also avoided eating anything besides contactless delivery, waiting in her room to order dinner from Oxford To You and instructing that the food be left outside.

This in-between period does not happen every time, though.

First-years Enrique Robles, who was in isolation at the Miami Inn until Oct. 14, and Sarah May, isolated until Sept. 16, both

would somehow accelerate her transition to an isolation room.

“That just felt so appealing because I was feeling so terrible,” Fink said. “Once I had it, I was just like, ‘I want to be there and sleeping.’”

Her wish was granted 10 minutes later by a phone call from a representative from the Office of the Dean of Students, who told her they were ready to move her to the Miami Inn immediately.

Gabby Dralle, associate dean of students, explained that the self-reporting form is the key to quick isolation for positive students because it cuts through the web of precautions the university has in place to fight the pandemic.

Miami has employed the help of TriHealth to facilitate its extensive testing, and the Butler County General Health District (BCGHD) is responsible for students under quarantine and isolation. Miami’s own Office of the Dean of Students is tasked with communicating with students who have been identified as positive and moving them into isolation or quarantine.

Communication between all of these entities can be slow, and even if a student has a confirmed case of COVID-19, they will not be contacted to isolate until the dean’s office learns of it from TriHealth, Student Health Services or BCGHD and puts it on their call queue, Dralle said.

The student self-reporting form puts a case directly onto that queue, reducing the time a student waits for communication.

“There’s been a lot of changes from when we started this back in August,” Dralle said of the efforts to communicate with students.

She stressed the importance of self reporting as the greatest way to help expedite the process.

Dralle, who is used to working on Title IX violations at Miami, now works mostly on COVID-19 communication tasks that have taken over the office.

“It’s completely changed our office,” she said, “and you know, we never expected to be public health professionals.”

“There’s been a lot of changes from when we started this back in August.”

- Gabby Dralle said they were quickly moved from their dorms into isolation within a few hours of receiving their results.

But even this short, same-day time frame can prove stressful for some students.

For first-year Alex Fink, isolation couldn’t come fast enough. Fink had moved to the house of an off-campus friend once her residence hall was designated as a Level 4 “purple” hall under the university’s COVID-19 dashboard.

Though looking to avoid the virus, she still caught it and spent two days lying sick on her friend’s couch before she learned in an email that she had tested positive.

Looking to do anything to have a more comfortable place to stay, Fink filled out the student-self reporting form, hoping it

rufferjm@miamioh.edu

and Ghetto Fest:

Cultural appropriation throughout Miami’s history

CONTINUED FROM FRONT driving force in Miami’s decision to change the mascot. In April 1997, the Board of Trustees voted to change the mascot to the RedHawks, and the change was finalized in July of that year.

Though this decision was in the best interests of both the university and the Miami Tribe, it was met with outrage from students and alumni alike.

Chad Hinton, editor-in-chief of the 1997 issue of Recensio, Miami’s now-defunct yearbook production, wrote then that he felt the Tribe asked Miami to change the name of the mascot because of societal pressures rather than an actual dislike for the name.

“If Miami wants to change its name because of what society thinks, then next time we should consider ‘J. Crew U,’” Hinton wrote. “I am and always will be a Redskin.”

Anger over the name change even caused some alumni to refuse to make donations to Miami. One particularly disgruntled alumnus returned a donation request form to the university with a note expressing frustration about “political correctness” scrawled on it.

“No ‘Redskins,’ no money,” the note reads. “‘Political correctness’ is making me sick – sorry to take it out on you.”

But Miami’s history of cultural appropriation doesn’t stop with our former mascot.

Western College for Women, which is now part of Miami, served as a training location for participants in the Freedom Summer campaign of 1964, during which northern students traveled to the south and attempted to register Black people to vote.

Miami now claims this history as its own and takes a great deal of pride in it. But, the university has a long history of racism that often overshadows this achievement.

In 2019, The Student found more than 20 racist images in issues of Recensio dating from 1960 to 1986. A few of these images feature students wearing blackface,

others wearing Ku Klux Klan hoods and others wearing Middle Eastern dress.

In the mid-1990s, Miami students began an annual tradition in which they drank alcohol, played loud rap music and took pictures using stereotypically Black poses. The tradition, dubbed “Ghetto Fest,” lasted all the way until 2010, when controversy over the party’s racist connotations caused the organizers to shut it down.

The use of the Redskins mascot, the images found in Recensio and Ghetto Fest are the most blatant examples of cultural appropriation at Miami.

Though all three may seem like ancient history to current students, Redskins apparel is still available for purchase on many online sites, costumes that resemble those seen in Recensio are still plentiful at today’s Halloween parties, and Ghetto Fest ended just 10 years ago.

Rodney Coates, professor of global and intercultural studies, said that though these types of displays no longer exist at Miami, it’s often difficult to distinguish between cultural appropriation and appreciation when it comes to white people consuming Black culture.

“You go to parties sometimes, and they’re playing hip hop music, and individuals are trying to dance in various styles that are associated with Black culture,” Coates said. “Is that cultural appropriation? It’s hard to draw that line.”

Coates also argued that Green Beer Day, an annual tradition in which students drink beer dyed with green food coloring, is the largest current example of cultural appropriation at Miami as it plays into stereotypes about Irish-Americans.

“It’s an annual tradition at Miami University where we are ridiculing the Irish and the notion that the Irish are drunks, and I find it interesting that no one challenges that,” Coates said. “I guess it’s OK to appropriate a white minority ethnic group but not a black minority ethnic group.” phabymr@miamioh.edu

Miami University makes parking permit free to employees this academic year SKYLER PERRY STAFF WRITER Miami University will not charge employees for parking permits for this academic year, according to the university’s news website.

In an email to The Miami Student, Carole Johnson, Miami’s interim director of university news and communications, wrote the decision was made to show appreciation for the work of the faculty Johnson wrote that due to the budgeting challenges caused by COVID-19, the university was un-

ASG endorses creation of dog park on campus ASST. NEWS EDITOR Miami University’s Associated Student Government (ASG) passed a resolution supporting the creation of a service dog park on campus at its Oct. 13 meeting.

The resolution, ASG’s first piece of legislation this semester, was authored by senators Sidra Capriolo and Nhu-Y Tran along with Nathan Phillips and Claire O’Dell, president and vice president of Paws for a Cause.

Paws for a Cause is a student organization in which members train and socialize service dogs.

Currently, Paws for a Cause dogs use the tennis courts on East Quad to freely train and exercise. However, the rough surface of the courts caused injuries to many of the dogs, such as torn paw pads, broken toes and bruises, according to the resolution.

Also, the courts are often unavailable because they’re being used by tennis players.

ASG passed an earlier resolution in 2017 expressing support for establishing a service dog park, and Paws for a Cause has

Same traditions, How Halloween is changing

and I’m trying to be away as little as possible,” Wasburn-Moses said.

This year, with the threat of COVID-19, Wasburn-Moses said she felt afraid of the potential safety risks involved with taking a bus and planned to purchase daily passes and metered parking. Since the announcement, Wasburn-Moses said she will likely change her parking method to a free permit.

According to Johnson, student parking fees are not being waived as students who are living on campus and have cars are still utilizing parking facilities. Johnson wrote that these fees help to pay for the upkeep of parking lots and garages on Miami’s campus.

Johnson wrote that she feels

this year. The waiving of a parking fee serves as a small gesture of gratitude from Miami leadership.

Sandy Steiger, director of the Miami’s decision.

“I can’t speak for all employees, Center of Analytics and Data Science, said she thought the school’s decision was a nice gesture.

“I think, with everything that’s been going on and “I think ... little gestures the impact that ... like this go a long way in COVID has had on everyone’s lives, building that loyalty in little gestures like an employee base.” this go a long way in building that loy- Sandy Steiger alty in an employee base,” Steiger said.

Steiger said she believes part of the reason the university made the decision was because appreciated by the people I’ve talkit realized many people weren’t on ed with,” Johnson wrote.

According to the Miami news campus and may not be returning.

Johnson said that waiving the website, permits will still be enfee was also meant to acknowledge forced as they have in past years, so the reduced use of campus parking it’s important that employees who park on campus make sure they reLeah Wasburn-Moses, profes- ceive their free red permit.

The website also states that sor of educational psychology at Miami, has not purchased parking employees who purchased parking passes from the school in previous permits prior to this announcement will be contacted by the Camyears.

“I live very close to campus, and pus Services Center for an autoI take the bus and walk, but I had matic refund. been planning on purchasing park@skylerlperry ing because my children are home perrysl2@miamoh.edu

MADELINE PHABY

NEWS 3

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020

LUMPKIBM@MIAMIOH.EDU

HALLOWEEN EVENTS WILL LOOK SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT IN OXFORD THIS YEAR, WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES PUT IN PLACE. PHOTOGRAPHER JAKE RUFFER

ANNALISE CHAPDELAINE THE MIAMI STUDENT Many events have been canceled this year, but Halloween won’t be one of them.

On Sept. 26, Enjoy Oxford posted its guide to Halloween events in the Oxford area, kickand kid-friendly frights despite COVID concerns. The circumstances are unusual this year, but they won’t stop families from trickor-treating on Oct. 31.

That will still happen this year, but with four guidelines put in place by the city of Oxford. The city recommends only trick-ortreating with residents of the same household, keeping six feet from other trick or treaters, sanitizing hands frequently and wearing a face mask.

“Honestly, I’m surprised the city is allowing trick-or-treating,” said Oxford resident Amy Durkham-Fankhauser.

She said her family is worried for the community’s safety and explained her family has been following guidelines and staying home as much as possible since March. But ultimately, she said she is happy about the city’s decision.

Durkham-Fankhauser said she plans to take part in trick-or-treating with her family while following the city’s guidelines. Her children will stay in their household group, wear masks and remain outdoors.

“Our family will dress up and go trick-ortreating like we always do,” she said.

The city has planned socially-distanced Halloween activities leading up to Oct. 31.

Families can enjoy the holiday while staying distant to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

“Everything is scaled back,” said Assistant City Manager Jessica Greene.

Oxford’s annual Halloween Parade — an

evening of games, live music, candy handouts and even a pet costume competition — was canceled this year due to the large crowd it attracts.

Instead, folks looking for spooky low-contact fun can register for a “Ghosts & Gears Bike Tour” through Miami’s campus, a drive-thru circus or a family night at the Community Arts Center.

The decision to allow trick-or-treating in Oxford was made after careful consideration.

According to the Center for Disease and Control (CDC), the primary method of COVID-19 transmission is through “exposure to respiratory droplets carrying infectious virus,” which raises concerns about large gatherings, sharing personal items and close contact with others — all of which are hallmarks of the traditional Halloween experience.

“Once the [CDC and governor’s] guidelines were released, we went ahead and released ours,” Greene said.

City Council’s main goal was to provide the option for families to do what felt right for them. to do it and don’t feel comfortable with it, you don’t have to,” she said.

Greene said the city had to balance public health concerns with some residents’ requests that annual trick-or-treating go on as usual.

Greene explained several trick-or-treat methods the city deemed safest, like “sending candy down a chute” or “handing it out with a silly grabber” that will add a fun twist to the night.

In the end, Oxford residents are optimistic despite the circumstances.

“We should be able to enjoy two hours of costumed fun,” Durkham-Fankhauser said. chapdeaj@miamioh.edu

spent the past three years raising money for the project and formulating a proposal to submit to administration.

The proposal includes the cost breakdown of everything that would need to be purchased for the park, plans for operation and proposed rules, among other things.

Phillips said potential locations for the park are East Quad, Western Campus and South Quad.

The project is expected to cost about $49,000, which Paws for a Cause will have raised through fundraising, member dues and a grant from ASG by the end of the semester.

Many members of ASG spoke in favor of the resolution, with several praising its thoroughness.

“I’m really impressed with both the legislation and the proposal,” senator Lauren Doepke said. “You can tell they’ve been working on this for years, so I’m fully in support of it.”

The resolution passed unanimously, and it will now be presented to the administration and the Campus Planning Committee.

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4 NEWS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020

CARLINTM@MIAMIOH.EDU

Early voting has begun in Butler County

One woman’s experience with Miami’s COVID testing system MADELINE PHABY ASST. NEWS EDITOR I received the all-too-familiar email on a Monday evening.

“Dear Madeline,” it read, “You have been selected to take a COVID-19 test through the university’s Healthy Together COVID Testing program.”

I groaned. Again? This was the fourth time I’d been “invited” to get tested since coming back to campus in late August. It felt a bit excessive, especially since I knew multiple people who hadn’t been tested at all yet. I think it’s probably because of my job as a Resident Assistant, which forces me to interact with lots of people. But still.

Two days later, I headed to South Quad and followed the numerous signs pointing me toward the ominously-named “Location

dots.” a series of social distancing dots leading me through a maze of ropes. I didn’t feel the need to walk through the ropes since I was the only one in there – and I really don’t enjoy being called “ma’am” at the ripe old age of 20 – but I apologized for my error and followed the path to the desk.

The woman took my temperature – a ghastly 93.7 – and handed ing me to another large room.

This area was far less empty than the last one, as several masked, dead-eyed students sat in chairs randomly scattered their forms. I sat in the most seAfter providing my basic information on the form, I had

UNSPLASH.COM

LAURA GIAQUINTO

A few minutes after Cianchetti Lysols, two Miami University students arrive at the shuttle. Although the bus typically seats 15, due to COVID-19 the capacity is only three plus Cianchetti driving.

With the chemical scent of Lysol lingering, the students board the ler County Board of Elections (BCBOE) to vote early and in person for the 2020 election.

Many of the houses along the route have yard signs for certain candidates, with many advocating

Gerding said.

She told her friend, Lily Cota, a sophomore global studies major, about the shuttle, and both girls chose to vote early and in person.

Cota said she would have opted for a mail-in ballot if masks and social distancing hadn’t been mandated, but she was still nervous because one man didn’t wear a mask in line to vote.

First-years Hannah Vorder and Macy Crump chose to vote early by mail-in ballot.

“I would’ve way preferred to vote in person, but because I was voting by mail, I wanted to be extra sure it would get in on time and get counted,” Vorder said. “Especially during a pandemic and when things are really tense politically, it’s really important if you’re gonna vote, which you should, to get it in as early as possible so it has the best chance of being counted.”

Both Vorder and Crump are out-of-state students, and voting early allows more time for the confusion and complications that could arise from voting outside of their home state.

“I think [voting early is] just a wise choice if

neighbor.

Diane J. Noonan, BCBOE director, said the BOE has averaged a record-breaking 2,000 early voters a day so far. “[I’ve] seen nothing like this ever before, really it’s astounding,” Noonan said.

Mary Gerding, a sophomore psychology major who rode on the shuttle, said she found out about the senior center shuttling students to early voting from an email from Miami’s College Democrats.

“One of the big reasons I’m voting early is because of COVID,”

you’re going to vote for, and you know that the lists of things that would change your opinion are very short,” Crump said.

Cianchetti explained the senior voting shuttle started out when some of the members of City Council wanted to go to the BOE to vote, and they wanted to include senior citizens as well.

At the BOE, Gerding and Cota enter a long and narrow room entirely taken up by a sizable line that doubles back on itself. The musty

THE MIAMI STUDENT

“I wonder how he’d feel about his namesake building being used for COVID tests.”

B” – also known as Harris Hall – where my test was scheduled to occur.

Harris Hall used to be a dining hall, but it closed in 2017 and has been in disuse ever since. The building was named after Andrew Lintner Harris, a Union colonel who graduated from Miami, fought in the Battle of Gettysburg and, later, served as the Governor of Ohio.

I wonder how he’d feel about his namesake building being used for COVID tests.

I continued to ponder this as I approached the door to Harris, which featured a sign saying that students who have experienced any of a laundry list of symptoms in the past 14 days should not enter the building. I gently assured the sign that I hadn’t experienced any of those symptoms and proceeded inside.

The door led into a large room with nobody in it, except a woman sitting at a table labeled ‘COVID TEST CHECK-IN.’ Naturally, I headed straight toward that table.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” the woman barked, “you need to follow the

information online. I always carry a copy of our family’s insurance card in my wallet, but, evidently, most students don’t.

During every single one of my tests, there’s been at least one person asking their parents for their policy number.

Finally, after answering what felt like a million get swabbed.

An older woman in scrubs led me into a makeshift exam room in the back of the building. She asked me if I’d done this before. I told her I had. She promised this my previous ones. I’m not sure if it comes to COVID testing, but I thanked her anyway.

“You’re gonna say ‘ahhhh,’ and seconds,” she said.

The swab came out of the wrapper. I said “ahhhh.” The swab went down my throat. said.

“Ahhhgggggghhhhhgghhh,” I replied.

She told me I was done, and that I’d receive my results via email in about two days. If I tested positive, I’d also receive a phone call.

“Hopefully not, though!” she said, as she chuckled and waved goodbye to me.

Two days later, I got an email saying my results were ready.

Holding my breath, I clicked the link.

Negative.

I smiled. I knew it all along. phabymr@miamioh.edu

It is misting and gray at the Oxford Senior Center. A sign on the front door of the building reads ‘locked because of COVID-19.’

Shanna Cianchetti, the driver of the senior center’s early voting shuttle bus, leads passengers through the parking lot — braving the faint drizzle — to one of the shuttles.

As Cianchetti sprays Lysol on the seats, she explains that she does so 15 minutes before each bus ride to allow time for the bus to air out so none of the senior citizens experience an asthma attack or

yellow and beige walls have signs reminding voters to keep their masks on and have their IDs ready. distancing markers, which voters seem to be obeying. The voters are made up of a truly diverse group: bickering elderly couples, parents comforting babies and assorted teenagers.

A man hunched over his cane mutters that he’s “never seen a line like this,”and as the rain pours down, the voters pour in.

When the girls get back onto the shuttle, Cianchetti informs them they were gone for only 18 minutes.

Soon Gerding and Cota are back at the Oxford Senior Center, having cast their ballots in what is gearing up to be the biggest election cycle in recent history.

Due to COVID concerns, the Oxford Senior Center shuttle can-

“[I’ve] seen nothing like this ever before, really it’s astounding.”

- Diane J. Noonan not take seniors and students at the same time, but students can call 513-523-8100 for availability to vote through Nov. 3. giaquiln@miamioh.edu

Students question clarity of Miami’s COVID dashboard ABBY BAMMERLIN ASST. NEWS EDITOR Miami University’s COVID-19 Oxford campus dashboard has been active for nearly two months. But some students have raised concerns about the information provided by Miami.

As of Oct. 18, Miami’s dashboard reported 2,162 cumulative COVID cases. Butler County reported 7,702 means Miami’s Oxford campus makes up 28% of Butler County’s The dashboard was originally released to the Miami community on Aug. 21. It displays a graph of the positive and recovered cases of COVID-19 on Miami’s Oxford campus.

It also reports a seven-day moving average of both active and recovered cases.

While the dashboard provides data for 14 previous days from the last update, information prior to that is not available.

Miami’s University Communications and Marketing (UCM) department is responsible for updating the dashboard regularly as cases are reported by Butler County Health and TriHealth.

The director of UCM, Jaime Hunt, forwarded The Miami Student’s

interim director of university news and communications.

When asked why only two weeks at time are displayed and if there is any way to access the averages or case numbers from the past, Johnson wrote in an email to TMS that public health guidance suggests those infected with COVID-19 are clear 14 days after showing symptoms.

“The COVID-19 dashboard allows us to better understand and respond to active infections by showing the cases diagnosed over the previous two weeks,” Johnson wrote.

The dashboard also shows the residence hall color-coding system and updates the residence halls’ statuses daily.

However, the dashboard does not indicate exactly how many positive cases have been reported for each respus cases.

For sophomore Sam Flake, the dashboard is never far from her search history. However, she said there are some changes she’d like to see to the information board. she visits the website every day or every other day. She said she would like more detail about the number of cases in each hall.

COURTESY OF MIAMI UNIVERSITY

“I think it’s pretty vague,” Flake said. “It doesn’t give you a whole lot of information. It’ll tell you how many cumulative cases there are, but it doesn’t go into depth of how many cases are in each dorm.”

Sophomore Kasey McDaniel lives on-campus and visits the site periodically but mostly to check her friends’ dorms. She said the level a dorm is at could determine who she hangs out with.

“I had a friend whose building reached Level 3,” McDaniel said. “He but we didn’t hang out for a period of time until his building went back down to Level 2.”

The dashboard breaks down resilevel, but it does not specify which under the remain-in-room advisory.

McDaniel said that would be helpful

information to add to help her determine where to spend her time.

Flake said she’d also like to see campus.

Johnson wrote that determining campus could delay the dashboard’s update times.

“Our focus has been on providing residence halls with our color coding chart,” Johnson said. “The color-coding system allows us to identify potential outbreaks in the residence halls so we can implement additional measures to slow the spread of the virus.”

Flake said she understands some information might be delayed.

“In a perfect world, I’d like it immediately,” Flake said. “But I know that’s unrealistic. So I’d like to at least have the number of cases as soon as

possible. Then, at least within a few days, know where [the cases] came from.”

As of Oct. 18, Miami reports 19 new daily cases for their seven-day moving average. The university also reported 408 active cases as of the same date.

“Our seven-day average has remained fairly steady at 30 to 40 cases,” Johnson wrote. “Of course, we want that number to be as low as possible. To slow the spread of COVID-19, we need 100% compliance with our mandates: wear a mask indoors and out, maintain physical distancing of six feet or more, avoid gathering in large groups, wash your main-in-Room plan if your residence @abby_bammerlin bammeraj@miamioh.edu

NEWS 5

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020

LUMPKIBM@MIAMIOH.EDU

Students abroad talk about coronavirus and looming U.S. election changing travel restrictions.

“Protocols are pretty much the same here as in the U.S., but they’re ham said. “People will call you out on the street if you’re not wearing your mask correctly, and they won’t let you into public transportation Regarding the election coming up in the U.S. in November, Cunningham said she was able to mail in her ballot in Pennsylvania early before she left for Luxembourg.

“News about the election is still very prominent over here, and everyone talks about it a lot, but it’s a lot less stressful being in this coun“I don’t feel like I’m going to get into any arguments with anyone Zaunz said she strategically chose this semester to study abroad because she didn’t want to be in the U.S. during the election.

Zaunz is an international student at Miami from Luxembourg ence on the election.

“It feels like the election divides people all the time, and I didn’t want to discuss politics all the seem like a great time to be in America as a European right now.

I wanted to distance myself and something that I can’t change anyDESIGN EDITOR OWEN BERG

COSETTE GUNTER STAFF WRITER Despite Miami University’s ever-changing fall semester plans, students still went on to study abroad in Four students traveled to Korea, one student went to Scotland and 30 students traveled to Luxembourg, said Ryan Dye, director of education abroad. In typical semesters, over 100 students travel to Luxembourg, according to Miami’s study abroad website.

Claudia Zaunz, a junior journalism and English literature major, is studying abroad at the University of Glasgow in Scotland and arrived there in early September.

Zaunz said Scotland’s coronaviUnited States’ (U.S.) in many ways.

SEAN SCOTT EMILY STISSER THE MIAMI STUDENT In a normal year, Miami University welcomes 50,000 prospective students and family members to the Oxford campus for tours and admissions events. This semester, Andrew Boehm, associate director of admissions, said they might not top 2,000.

To follow the CDC’s guidelines for COVID-19 with only 70 tour guides – down from 150 last semes-

Zaunz is not allowed to have any guests at her apartment, restaurants close by 6 p.m. and contact tracing is conducted at all public places.

“I’m always staying in my bubble, because the regulation is that you’re not allowed to meet up with more than generally harder to meet people that you don’t live with because you’re not Zaunz said she assumed she wasn’t going to be able to study abroad this semester but said she was happy to be there now.

Coronavirus cases in Scotland are rising, and Zaunz said restrictions ence between Miami and Glasgow for Zaunz is the opinions on mask-wearing.

“At Miami, it seems like people are complaining about the fact that

Zaunz said. “You have to wear a mask everywhere here, which most of the Elspeth Cunningham, a senior early childhood education major, is embourg.

Cunningham said she has had just as many opportunities while studying abroad as she normally would and said Luxembourg is taking the coronavirus much more seriously than the U.S. I am American, it’s like they tense up I have met anyone over here yet that doesn’t think that the U.S. has handled Cunningham said she loves teaching in Luxembourg. Upon her arrival, the Luxembourg campus provided her with 50 disposable masks and consistently contacts the students about

ami at the end of January for spring semester.

Cunningham said her program ends Nov. 20, and she plans to travel before she returns to the U.S. Dec. 8.

“It’s a little stressful to always have to make sure we are following all of the rules and guidelines, because if we get stuck somewhere now, we’re kind of theless, it has still been a great experiZaunz said she still feels very connected to Miami, though she isn’t sure what campus life is like right now. to seeing my friends because many “The whole traveling to America part is what’s always super stressful, even @cosettegunter guntercr@miamioh.edu

Prospective students take one-on-one campus tours

In March, Boehm’s team of tour ries of videos to temporarily replace in-person visits. Eight months later, information sessions are still online, while supplemental resources and promotional materials are being sent to students through email and post.

When Taylor attended a virtual tour in April, she described it as a

SOME STUDENTS ARE CONCERNED ATHLETES AREN’T FOLLOWING COVID GUIDELINES, BUT ONE FOOTBALL PLAYER REFUTES THAT CLAIM. DESIGN EDITOR BO BRUECK

HANNAH HORSINGTON CLAIRE LORDAN THE MIAMI STUDENT As COVID-19 cases spiked once again among Miami University stued at who is and isn’t following the rules.

At universities across the country, student-athletes are being reprimanded for failing to follow COVID-19 guidelines. With many sports on hold, some Miami students are placing blame on athletes for their perceived failure to comply with guidelines.

In August, at least 27 student-athletes at Miami tested positive for COVID-19 after many attended a large time, a blanket quarantine order was issued to all student-athletes living in Oxford and any coaches who may have come into contact with them.

This came not long after the Mid-American Conference (MAC) postponed all fall sports, although the league later announced that a limited six-game football season will begin Nov. 4. Other sports remain postponed.

One Miami student claims to have seen multiple student-athletes around his dorm not following COVID guidelines, such as wearing a mask in all public spaces.

“I’ve noticed that many of them seem to believe that they can’t be affected by [COVID], when in reality they said. “It almost seems like they believe that playing for a MAC sports team During the summer, when the season was postponed, many players did attend parties or go to bars, with a couple players testing positive, said one member of the Miami football team.

The player said that his team has been following the rules, for the most would be playing this season.

“Once we found out that we [weren’t] having a season, we were like, He also pointed out that while members of the football team continued to attend social gatherings, it wasn’t just them. Many other students and student-athletes did the same thing.

“I’m going to be honest, like during the summer when [the outbreak] hap-

He said once the updated season was announced, many of the team members stopped partying.

“We stopped going out and things like

tour format with high school seniors who attended the virtual summer scholars program. After a week of tours with mostly positive feed-

Perkins said. “But really, our visitors want to be safe, too. They understand some of the restrictions right now, and they were just happy

Are athletes following rules?

everybody … everybody was going to

provide one-on-one tours to prospective high school seniors and two guests only. The tour route is lowed inside buildings on campus.

In mid-September, the admis-

demonstrated interest to sign up.

Anna Taylor, a prospective student from St. Louis, MO, enjoyed her one-on-one tour experience but had some concerns. As a potential computer science major, Taylor relied on a friend and current student to show her the College of Engineering and Computing building.

“I think, obviously, we made do for sure, [but] I think if you don’t lor said.

Bethany Perkins, director of admissions at Miami, said she expected backlash following the decision to get rid of the indoor portions of campus tours.

“We anticipated that we would hear a lot more concern with not

COVID

He also said because the fall season doesn’t count toward eligibility, a coach gave the players a choice: follow if they wanted to party and live the normal college life.

“He told us plenty of times, ‘if you want to party and do [things] like a regular college student, be my guest, just

DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, CAMPUS TOURS ARE LIMTIED TO ONE FAMILY PER TOUR GUIDE. MIAMI IS EXPECTING THE NUMBER OF CAMPUS VISITS TO BE MUCH LESS THIS SEMESTER THAN IN PREVIOUS YEARS. PHOTO EDITOR BO BRUECK

Taylor’s only formal college visit during the pandemic has been Miami, and she compared the experilege last fall. “[Last fall] I got to see the type of people that wanted to go to the school and that were interested, people that were on my tour, all of [at the school] and what kind of perthink it was good to see because it was a good overall representation of kids they bring, where at Miami, although my tour guide was so sweet, But not every university is running tours the same way as Miami.

Boehm said Ohio State University University of Cincinnati has a similar tour structure to Miami. The University of Toledo is welcoming up to 10 prospective students per tour group.

leadership and management major, emphasized the impact Miami’s tour and information session had on her college decision last spring.

“The presentation was more perthere just felt so personable. Everything felt like there for you. It wasn’t like, ‘This is our school, this is what we’re about,’ it was like, ‘Hi, welcome, we want to show you, we are Throughout her day at Miami, Reagan met several people important to Miami’s culture, including professors she currently has and President Greg Crawford.

“I think the thing that made me really like Miami was ... I got to see what classes I could take already and how my major would be forI went to that spoke to my major.

That’s what I liked; the program was just so good. I was between

Sophomore tour guide Drew Stein works to make his one-on-one tours as engaging as he can. Stein said that the tour has also been condensed to 30 to 45 minutes, beginning at Shriver, continuing to the Sundial, to the Seal, to the Cook Field area and then back to Shriver.

With a limited amount of time to spend with prospective students, Stein said he focuses on making it a more personalized experience. sonal major, where they’re from, what they’re interested in — make it “If they’re a business major, I will only talk about [the Farmer School of Business]. I won’t talk about the College of Arts and Science, I’ll just focus on making it all about their interest and what is best for them to scottsr2@miamioh.edu stisseee@miamioh.edu

The player said the coach didn’t want to put any other players at risk of exposure from a teammate who hadn’t been following the rules.

Another member of the Miami football team said while masks are mandated throughout practice sessions and other team-centric events, not all athletes are fans of the rule.

“Regardless of their personal feelings, I think, at the end of the day, we all care about each other and we all just hasn’t been any points of contention Though other students have pointed to student-athletes as the cause for a recent spike in on-campus cases, the anonymous football player said the football team has been diligent in following university guidelines.

“From what I’ve seen, the guys I’ve been around, everyone’s been dosaid. “If there were student-athletes violating those guidelines, I’d be pretty disappointed, considering that you’re putting the team and the team’s goals horsinhp@miamioh.edu lordance@miamioh.edu

6 CULTURE

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020

HEADLEDD@MIAMIOH.EDU

Rational fear:

MIAMI’S SEXUAL ASSAULT ISSUE

Taking it to the streets DUARD HEADLEY CULTURE EDITOR Some stories delve deeply into the lives of their subjects. Others seek to capture the human condition in just a few words. Modeled after journalist Brady Dennis’ 300 word stories that explore the un-

.

untold experiences of Oxford life.

Autumn leaves spin from trees and drift gently to the ground, only to be crushed under the treads of the two boys’ bikes.

“Go faster,” one yells to the other as he races ahead down the neighborhood street.

“I’m trying, wait up,” the other boy replies as his legs pump furiously at his bike’s pedals.

These are their streets.

Day in and day out, the two boys prowl the neighborhood, freed from ic. Now, when they would normally be sitting in math class or eating in their school’s cafeteria, they take to the streets. Occasionally, they’ll take their bikes through the Red Ox drive-thru for snacks. At other times, they’ll tear through the roads surrounding their house, screaming and laughing and carefree.

“We basically get to do whatever,” the bigger boy said, running his hands through his short brown hair.

“Yeah,” the other concurs, smiling impishly.

Neither is afraid to approach the pedestrians who cross into their domain. Whether they’re Miami students or Oxford residents, no one is exempt from their greetings, chit-chat or, at times, pranks.

Once, as I was walking to class, I saw a dog trotting across the road they boys lived on. As I bent to pet it, they came biking around the corner and swiftly approached me.

“Hey, is that your dog?” the smaller boy asked.

When I told him that no, it wasn’t my dog, he seemed pleased.

“Good,” he said. “We were testing you to see if you were trying to steal him.”

As if on cue, the small dog ambled over to the boys and panted happily at their feet. All three looked smug and proud of their ruse.

The boys aren’t always alone.

Sometimes they glide through the neighborhood accompanied by friends. At other times, the dog and a black-and-white cat hound their heels. Their arrival is always easy to hear. Laughing, barking, squealing and giggling, the posse makes its merry way through the streets.

“Watch out,” one says as he zips past a student on their way home from class, causing her to recoil and leap hastily into the grass.

These are their streets. headledd@miamioh.edu

DESPITE CONCERNS ABOUT COVID-19, SOME FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS ARE STILL STRUGGLING WITH ENCOUNTERING ISSUES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR. DESIGN EDITOR OWEN BERG

GRACIANN HICKS THE MIAMI STUDENT cle contains descriptions of incidents of sexual assault that may On June 28, the Instagram account Dear Miami U made its first post. Over the past threeand-a-half months, the account has amassed nearly 6,500 followers. According to an Instagram story post, “The goal of this page is to promote empathy and understanding for the realities that many face in our community.”

The account has attempted to combat the complacent attitude of some students and university staff by posting anonymous descriptions of discrimination and sexual assault current students and alumni have faced during their time on campus.

The account has received so many messages that it has switched to sharing the stories through a spreadsheet in the account’s bio. As of Oct. 16, the spreadsheet contains 774 stories from current students and alumni. Behind each story, there is a person who has been made to feel unsafe on Miami’s campus.

During the 2018-2019 school year, there were 42 total sexual assaults reported at Miami: 28 in the fall and 14 in the spring.

These numbers include incidents that happened on campus and in Oxford, as well as assaults reported last year that occurred in previous semesters.

Of the 774 submissions to Dear Miami U, more than 200 detail sexual assault or harrassment that students faced during their time at Miami. This large discrepancy between the reports from 2018-2019 and the number of submissions to Dear Miami U saults go unreported each year.

One submission detailed an experience with assault at Brick Street in Oxford.

“My freshman year, I was at Brick dancing with someone.

Having fun. Out of nowhere he stuck his hand down my skirt.

On an elevated surface, in front of everyone. I finally got out of the situation when the friend I’d come with noticed and helped me get away.”

Another story described an instance of sexual assault in which one of the parties was too intoxicated to give consent.

“In spring of 2018, I went to a bar rental of a frat. I was underage but I drank pretty heavily. An acquaintance of mine offered to take me home and I was so relieved. We got to my apartment and he said he’d walk me in to make sure I got in safe. He raped me. I confided in a staff member I trusted and they told me I ‘shouldn’t have been drinking since [I] was underage.’”

The spreadsheet contains several stories similar to the instances quoted above.

First-year students, who have been on campus for only a month, are likely to base their perception of life at Miami off stories they have heard, such as the ones Dear Miami U shares.

Out of the 10 first-year women I spoke with, only one had not heard of the account.

Out of the same 10 first-years, all except one viewed sexual asat Miami. For female first-year students, sexual assault is the root of immense fear at the most and slight stress at the least.

First-year creative writing of her fears closely aligns with those of her peers.

“I don’t want to go anywhere unfamiliar by myself or anywhere that’s very far away,” Hoy said.

“If I know that it’s far, I usually text my roommate or a friend to let them know what time to expect me back. And I pretty much won’t go anywhere alone if it’s late at night.”

Other steps first-year women take to protect themselves include having their phone close to quickly get a hold of friends, sharing their location on Find My Friends and carrying pepper

spray.

Natalie Weneck shared the steps she takes to protect herself.

“I typically try to time when I have to travel around campus so that it is during the day, and if I do have to go somewhere at night, I try to have someone go with me,” Weneck said. “I carry pepper spray and a little alarm, so that if I were attacked, I can be able to put up some kind of fight.”

Some first-year women may believe their fears are more heightened than older women because they are new to campus.

Erin Bingaman said this wasn’t necessarily the case.

When asked if she viewed ring issue at Miami, Bingaman responded with a resounding “Yes!” The university has made efforts to prevent and educate students about sexual assault — from the Sexual Assault Prevention for Undergraduates (SAPU) module all first-year students are required to take, to the emails of reports of sexual assault on campus all students receive.

Still, some first-year women drew the conclusion that the administration could always do more. Women on campus offered suggestions including taking accountability for students’ actions, hammering home the definition of consent in the modules more and punishing perpetrators more harshly.

Despite these suggestions, some women acknowledge that the issue will not be magically solved through any amount of administrative intervention. “[The SAPU module] brought awareness [to sexual assault on campus], but in reality, it won’t prevent it. People do what people want to do,” said Maddie Taylor, While sexual assault is nearly-universally accepted as a bad thing, it can be difficult to pick up on the signs and watch out for instances of assault, especially

among unfamiliar people.

A sexual assault survivor herself, Bingaman describes herself as possessing “a heightened sense of awareness” of red-flag behavior. Being mindful of body language is key in spotting potentially dangerous situations, she said.

Bingaman said, if each person took similar extra steps of checking on others while out drinking and partying, greater awareness and prevention of sexual assault could be accomplished. Several groups exist on campus with this goal in mind.

One such group is People Against Violence and Sexual Assault (PAVES).

The group’s president, senior Emma Melichar, said reaching out to first-year students is important to PAVES. “We partake in Mega Fair bethere are freshmen, and so we know we will get attention from new organizations and are new to campus,” she said.

Melichar shared that she was in a situation involving sexual assault that still has a tremendous effect on her. Her work with PAVES is a way to prevent others from having similar experiences and helping those who already have.

Although it is primarily women who are affected by sexual assault, it is something that can happen to all people. It is also something all people should strive to prevent, Melichar encouraged.

One of PAVES’ main goals is raising awareness so that people understand how they can make others feel safe on campus.

PAVES, similar groups on campus and the Dear Miami U page provide critical information in a time when it is difficult to socially connect with others.

COVID-19 has turned the world on its head, but sexual assault has not disappeared.

Keeping the magic alive:

Department of Magical Appreciation club reacts to J.K. Rowling

SHR-HUA MOORE THE MIAMI STUDENT The “Harry Potter” series has become one of the most successful literary series of all time, spawning a slew of movies, endless merchandise and an impressive fan base devoted to the wondrous world of magic and wizardry created by J.K. Rowling. Miami University’s Department of Magical Appreciation the series — according to the club’s description on the Hub, it is “devoted to the social and pop culture movement known as Harry Potter.”

The DMA is exactly what it sounds like — a club that celebrates “Harry Potter” through discussions about the fandom and games related to the topic.

Like all other clubs on the Hub, the DMA has a constitution that governs the conduct of its members.

One stipulation in the document is that members of the organization will be asked to leave “If they disrespect someone due to gender, race, religion, sexuality, [or] disability.”

As of this year, J.K. Rowling would be asked to leave the club under that criteria.

The critically-acclaimed author criticism this year for a series of transphobic tweets that question the legitimacy of trans women. The controversy was exacerbated when Rowling decided to double down on her views, prompting prominent Emma Watson to denounce her claims and stand in solidarity with the trans community. “Troubled Blood,” Rowling’s latest novel about a cisgender man who murders cisgender women by dressing as a woman and hunting them down, has not helped alleviate the controversy.

Hailey Ardell is a senior creative holds the position of Headmaster (president) within the organization.

She described her feelings when she phobic tweets.

“I was incredibly disappointed,” ing her work as an author and see-

ing work she had done for charity, so it was very disappointing that she chose to take this transphobic stance.” elf (event planner) of the club. She explained that Rowling’s actions didn’t sit well with her.

“I personally do not agree with Rowling’s statements because they are trans-exclusionary,” Viner said.

“I believe that transgender people are valid and they should be treated that way.”

The controversy forced both Viner and Ardell to seriously think about their involvement in the Department of Magical Appreciation and love for “Harry Potter” in general. Viner elaborated upon her changed perception of “Harry Potter” after learning about Rowling’s tweets.

“You read it and you have to think about the author’s personal biases,” she said.

Ardell concurred, stating the about whether or not to continue loving the fandom.

to return to the series as a fan,” she explained. “I personally have not spent my money on anything related to “Harry Potter” since these tweets were posted.”

The issue also raised concerns about the implications of leading a club dedicated to a literary series produced by an author with highly transphobic views. Ardell detailed the thought process that went into club for another year as its president. searching over the summer on whether to return to this position,” she stated. “However, I ultimately decided that it was important to return and established the point that we don’t accept any bigotry, including transphobia.”

This sentiment has been echoed throughout the Discord chat rooms and channels of the organization this fall.

“We put out a statement that we, as a club, don’t agree with Rowling’s statements and want to make sure that DMA is as inclusive as possi-

ble,” Viner said.

Ardell agreed, stating the club backlash in relation to Rowling’s comments was essentially unanimous.

“We have had discussions about this, and everyone in the club doesn’t support the statements by Rowling,” she said. “We’ve also had some members who have not returned, and I completely understand that.”

Many readers of “Harry Potter” have picked up the message that above all, love can conquer any form Rowling’s actions over the past four months have run counter to this theme, the DMA has doubled down on its own stance of appreciating the fans of “Harry Potter” rather than its creator. Staying true to a DMA has created an environment that enables everyone to appreciate the magic of Harry Potter regardless of who they are. @hua_shr moorese6@miamioh.edu

CULTURE 7

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020

KWIATKDM@MIAMIOH.EDU

Zooming around the country LEXI WHITEHEAD STAFF WRITER On the morning of Oct. 5, Rachel Martin joined her Zoom class from her family’s cottage in northern Michigan.

The senior marketing and entrepreneurship double major was set up in the middle of a room that had large windows on either side, one looking out onto an expansive forest and the other onto Lake Huron.

After her classes, she could go for a relaxing walk or sit by the lake with her friend.

Later that week, they rode the ferry to Mackinac Island for a day trip. They ate brunch, went shopping and admired the lake.

This was vastly different from Martin’s usual day, joining classes at her desk pushed up against a wall in her 1,500-square-foot apartment in Oxford, where the only thing you could see out the window was the street she lives on. After classes, she would usually just sit around, procrastinating on her homework and hardly leaving her apartment.

Martin, like some other remote students, took advantage of the fact that she could take her classes from anywhere. When she realized this, she and one of her roommates decided to spend a week in Michigan to relax.

“I was really hoping for a break this semester because this semester has been one of my busiest, and I would say that it’s directly because of the online environment,” Martin said.

Although she still had to do a lot of homework and take three exams on her trip, she says it was still worth it because it was a reminder that life expands beyond the Oxford bubble.

“I feel like when you’re in Oxford, sometimes college just consumes you,” she said.

“And when you leave this bubble that is college, you remember, ‘Oh yeah, I have a life, I have a family, I have fun things to do, I can be a person.’”

Sophomores Brynn Pierce and Leila Evans also wanted to be able to explore outside of Oxford. They didn’t get an apartment or house off campus like some other sophomores did, so they decided it would be better to do remote learning. “[Dorm life was] gonna be a little too restricted and [COVID-19] cases were already really high, so we decided it would be safest for us and be more enjoyable if we stayed [remote] and kinda did our own thing,” Pierce said.

Pierce and Evans, along with another friend of theirs, have made many stops on their travel journey, including trips to Cape Cod, New York, North Carolina and South Carolina. They are also planning a trip to Michigan for later this semester.

In order to stay safe, they check COVID-19 case numbers before they travel anywhere to make sure they’re not super high. They also don’t travel by airplane or stay in hotels, opting for road trips and Airb-

INSTEAD OF CLASSROOMS AND LIBRARIES, SOME STUDENTS ARE TAKING TO THE ROAD AND ENGAGING IN CLASSES IN EXOTIC LOCALES THIS YEAR. DESIGN EDITOR OWEN BERG

nbs to limit their contact with other people.

Part of Pierce’s reason to stay remote had to do with the financial aspect.

“I knew that if I were to pay for room and board, I would end up being in my room a lot and on weekends, not have a lot to do,” she said. “And for me, that’s not as logical a way to spend my money as it would be to travel and try something new … and see new places.”

While they get to go to the beach and hike and explore new towns, they always prioritize school before vacation time wherever they go. This means making sure they’ll have access to Wi-Fi and a workspace. They have even used hotspots to join Zoom calls while in the car.

Evans says it’s not that different from balancing school and a social life while on campus because they just do things in their offtime, but sometimes it is difficult.

“There are times where it would be easier to focus if you were in a school environment, ’cause when you’re in such a pretty place, you don’t wanna be sitting on your computer, and you kinda wish you were in a library or something to be more focused,” she said.

“I feel like when you’re in Oxford, sometimes college just consumes you.”

- Rachel Martin Martin found the school/vacation balance to be a little more difficult because of her workload that particular week, plus all the things she wanted to do. But she ultimately was glad she took her trip.

“Having to do more vacation things did sometimes add and distract me from my tasks, but they were still fun vacation things

... I wouldn’t have normally done.” Martin said. “I felt like I was taking care of my life versus just school.” @nwlexi whitehan@miamioh.edu

Always there:

United States Postal Service pushes through pandemic

MAKENZIE KNORE THE MIAMI STUDENT The United States Postal Service (USPS) has faced many challenges this year, from increased mail due to the pandemic to the loss of federal funding. So what does a day in the life of a postal worker look like during these turbulent times?

John Dunsmuir, a postmaster from the Oxford post office, said his job and daily tasks have changed a little this year, and that the postal service is working to overcome more recent struggles.

Some aspects of his job include managing employees in areas such as mail distribution, as well as overseeing the implementation and administration of certain programs. He prepares fiscal operating budgets, ensures quality service and mail security and meets with customers regarding any concerns they may have.

Typically, Dunsmuir arrives at work around 7:30 a.m. and reviews the pre-

vious day’s numbers. This allows him to see if everyone is performing as expected.

“I start pulling reports to find out why we may have not hit a target that we were supposed to,” said Dunsmuir.

“Normally, this doesn’t happen. We usually hit our targets here in Oxford.”

Shortly after this, Dusnmuir and his supervisor do an “operation clean sweep.” This is where they check every area to make sure there is no mail left behind right before the mail carriers leave.

The rest of his day mainly consists of going through emails from customers and reaching out to them about their questions or concerns.

After 22 years of government service, Dunsmuir began his job as an Oxford postmaster in January of this year.

This left only two months of normalcy in this position before the pandemic affected post offices across the entire nation.

He credits Oxford with getting through these tough times, saying it is a great place and unlike any other community he has ever worked in.

“I am very proud and fortunate to be a postal worker. It just makes it even better that it is

“Pandemic or no pandemic, the postal service will always be there for our customers.”

- John Dunsmuir

in Oxford. Oxford is a wonderful community to be a part of,” Dunsmuir said.

“People are so nice and caring.”

In fact, he mentions one of the biggest challenges due to the pandemic is that he can’t talk to local business customers in person as easily anymore.

He used to walk down the streets of uptown to see how the postal service could help make local business prosper.

“I can still do it over the phone,” Dunsmuir said. “But I like to be out there in person so I can visit their stores, they can show me what they do, and I can potentially help them with any of their shipping needs.”

On top of that, social distancing, personal protective equipment (PPE) and window shields are a few of the changes the postal service has had to adopt.

In fact, Oxford was one of the first local post offices who put up window shields at the counter when the pandemic began, which presented a different experience for customers.

Overall, following the CDC guidelines has been the biggest change within his daily tasks, just like it is for most other people.

“I don’t think anyone predicted that we would have to live in an environment where PPE is the norm,” Dunsmuir said.

Along with implementing new safety procedures, nationwide news stories report how the government is currently suppressing postal services in a year of a U.S. presidential election.

Still, Dunsmuir declares he has had no interruptions in regards to his job of

A GLOBAL PANDEMIC AND GOVERMENT PRESSURE CAN’T STOP THE OXFORD POSTAL SERVICE. COURTESY OF JOHN DUNSMUIR

serving the public.

“As far as it goes for me, I have not seen any changes, and I’m not aware of any stifling,” Dunsmuir said.

Despite the government seeming to have little negative impact on the Oxford post office, extra precautions and limitations on gatherings have affected employees. However, quality service and availability remains a top priority.

“Pandemic or no pandemic, the postal services will always be there for our customers with a high level of service and commitment, ” Dunsmuir said.

Even during the pandemic and chaos surrounding the upcoming election, Dunsmuir expressed his gratitude for his customers and the entire city of Oxford.

“I would like to thank the wonderful customers and businesses of the Oxford community for their unwavering support,” he said. “We see it, and we very much appreciate it.” knoreme@miamioh.edu

humor

8

ROBIN119@MIAMIOH.EDU

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020

GREATEST SIBLING ALIVE PATRICK SULLIVAN

-

THE MIAMI STUDENT

house and my sister looks at me and worriedly says, “we can’t go home like this, we have to clean this up.” So at 2 a.m., I pull into an empty gas station and clean myself

It all started before I left for college.

My older sister Katie, a recent college graduate, wanted to hang out with some of her new grad school buddies. She coerced me into driving for her so she could impress everyone with her drinking skills. Apparently, she felt the need to drink everybody under the table, because by the end of the night, she was completely hammered. My plan was to pick her up at her friend’s apartment 30 minutes from my house at 12:30 a.m. I would be home by 1 a.m and in bed by 1:15.

Too bad that’s not how it turned out. ...

I leave my house at 12 and arrive outside the apartment at 12:27.

I am parked illegally and call her to come out.

No answer. again. She says she is on her way and heading to the elevator. Ten minutes turns into 30 and still no sign of her. By now, I’ve made friends with the homeless people eyeing me.

At 1:07, she calls me. I’m pissed.

I am supposed to be asleep in eight minutes. She tells me that she can’t get out of the building. She tries pushing the door open, but it doesn’t budge. I leave my new homeless friends next to my illegally parked car and walk to the apartment building. I see my sister, giggling incessantly, pushing a seemingly immobile door. I see the issue. It’s a pull door. She had been attempting to push the door open for 10 minutes without trying to pull it once. I drag her to the car and head for home at 1:30.

We head on our way, and I look over at my sister and ask if she’s feeling alright. I see a little drool

At 2:10, my mom calls my sister and asks where we are. She puts on the best fake sober voice I have ever heard and tells her that we just got We spend another 20 minutes cleaning the car before she’s sat-

NOTHING EARNS YOU THIS AWARD LIKE LETTING YOUR DRUNK SISTER THROW UP IN YOUR CAR. DESIGN EDITOR OWEN BERG

fall from her mouth and think “ew, gross.”

And then, I hear the gut-wrenching sound of her throwing up. Evupheavals, she opens the window

ERUMPTION IMMINENT

and tries to throw up out the window. What she doesn’t realise is that when you are going 65 down the highway, things end up getting blown back into the car. Onto, say, the passenger and driver.

PAUL FILONOWICH THE MIAMI STUDENT *This satire remarks on the outlandish possible ram-

By and large, 2020 has had more than its fair share of disaster. It should come as no surprise to Miami students that yet another impending calamity is on the horizon.

Reports from Dr. Marissa Arehart, a seismologist working for the Seismic Activities Department of Ohio (SAD) suggest a troubling array of seismologic activity near Oxford.

“Miami University is certainly in the blast zone,” Dr. Arehart claims. “I give it no more than 10 years before students start seeing dramatic, Just over 12 miles from Miami University’s Oxford campus lies Mount Rumpke, Ohio’s second largest dump (right behind Toledo). Founded in 1932, it is the largest the sixth-largest in the United States, spanning nearly 300 acres. Mount Rumpke holds a prestigious record as the highest landform in Hamilton County, Ohio.

Core samples drawn from the heart of Mount Rumpke man technology.

“Seven feet down on one of our latest pulls, we found an intact Beyblade,” mentions a Rumpke intern who wishes to remain unnamed.

One noteworthy layer is composed entirely of Styrofoam, followed immediately by a layer of primarily organic material. The organic, hydrocarbon-rich layer (says Dr. Steve Hogan, Chairman of Rumpke’s chemical analysis team) is prone to fermentation under pressure into a preliminary form of crude oil. It is well documented that polystyrene, upon dissolution in gasoline, produces a solution of both naphthenic acid and

immense pressure,” she says.

‘As they continue to ferment and react with the Styrofoam layer, the buildup of explosive gas becomes a threat to surpredict that in no more than 10 years’ time, the pressure buildup within the core of Mount Rumpke will exceed ing a massive and immediate dissipation of dangerous vapor.”

Should an eruption event occur, Dr. Arehart adds, millions of tons of waste material will wash through the Ohio Memphis and into the Gulf of Mexico.

“The general public, including the citizens of Colerain, Cincinnati, Oxford and the rest of the Ohio River Valley, have no reason to believe such nonsense,” Dr. Hogan responded, though he declined to comment on the notable lack of ventilation piping throughout the landmark.

“We’re already observing staactivity up to 30 miles from the source. [...] Given the local air pressure gradients and weather patterns, Miami’s campuses in Hamilton and Oxford sit directly in the fallout zone. Our models predict that, post-eruption, upward of 50 inches of waste will descend upon the area. For those of you at home, that’s over four feet.”

Students are advised to keep an ear to the ground and remain attentive to Rumpke Consolidated Companies, Inc. guidelines and precautions.

The impending “Erumption”, while certainly threatening, is not projected to occur for another decade or so. Conversely, the 2020 election is happening very soon. Vote.

sulli293@miamioh.edu

Flags take on new purpose in off-campus housing KENDALL PATTISON

palmitic acid, a blend more commonly known as napalm.

Dr. Arehart expresses her concern.

“These hydrocarbons, including high-density methane and literal napalm, are

Growing up, my parents always joked that when my sister gets sick, she throws up EVERYWHERE. Now, unfortunately, I can attest to that. They did not exaggerate. All I can do is stare straight ahead and

home. She makes me promise not to tell Mom. We arrive home at 2:35. Guess who is waiting for us inside. You’re right — our worried mother.

She has that smug look on her face parents only have when they are about to ask you questions that you know they know the answer to.

She sends my sober-acting, drunk sister to bed and corners me. She knows what happened. I know she knows what happened. She knows that I know she knows what happened.

But I made a promise to my drunk sister.

I spend the next 20 minutes ing not to completely lie. I tell her I got lost and the ride was bumpy — both of which are kind of true.

She then asks me why my phone tracking app said we were at a gas station for 30 minutes. I told her with a straight face that her app was lagging. She gives me the smug look parents always do when they know, you know, they know what happened and sent me to bed at 3.

I was supposed to be in bed at 1:15.

But now I am the greatest sibling alive, and my brother gets the puke car.

THE MIAMI STUDENT

mires his work. “It’s perfect,” he says with a smile. Behold! Another window, transparent no longer.

Curtains? Too expensive. Blinds?

Too boring. Flags? Just right.

From the Oxford streets, colorbe seen hanging in the windows of “It serves a dual purpose: it provides privacy while also letting people know we’re hot shit,” says one member of the house. “It really adds to the ambiance. Our colors are the same as Bud Light cans, so we have a solid color scheme going.”

Another housemate notes that “when the light hits just right, our It’s a sight to see.”

This trend has added a new layer to fraternity rivalries as brothers compete to display the most unique banner possible. We know how the most colorful male birds have an evolutionary advantage.

Perhaps brothers believe that a colgirls across the street while making up for the tornado of a bedroom they’ll end up in. Pro tip: Flags are a great way to cover up the holes you punched in your drywall.

Students outside of Greek life are also beginning to participate in this trend. It’s common to see sports team or hometown. for purely aesthetic purposes, which can cause some confusion.

One student with both Blackhawks

with people asking if he’s from Chicago. “I’m actually from Nebraska.

I don’t have to be a Chi-town native to be a fan.” or not, anyone looking to participate in this trend should beware: Some Etsy shops have reported months-long back orders on varistill can. @KendyPats pattiskj@miamioh.edu

“Perhaps brothers believe that a colorful flag will impress the soroity girls across the street while making up for the tornado of a bedroom they’ll end up in.”

Lost and Found KEVIN WOESTE THE MIAMI STUDENT It has come to the attention of The Miami Student that many students have lost items on Miami’s campus in the past few weeks. We, therefore, take it upon ourselves to publish a list of these items in hopes that someone locates them.

1. Jenny reported losing her keys near Upham Hall. They are on a silver

key ring with a friendship bracelet and an Anarchy symbol charm.

2. Austin reported that he lost his car in the crowded Walmart parking lot. He also lost all patience while waiting for the parking lot to empty.

3. Another student reported losing their train of thought. “I realized it was missing when I walked down into my basement to get … what was I planning on grabbing? Anyway… wait, who are you and why are you recording this conversation? Get out of my house,

“A student reported losing his dignity when he was spotted doing the ‘walk of shame’ across north quad.”

weirdo!” They requested to remain 4. A wallet containing $200 dollars held together with a money clip was lost in Pulley Diner. The good news is that we found the wallet and the clip…

5. Taylor reported losing her professor’s respect. “Bruh, he just has no chill. I’m a good student, I show up to class, I chill in the back, I make loud jokes about whatever the prof says, and the class laughs. I’m making the lecture more interesting. He should be thanking me!”

6. A student reported losing his dignity when he was spotted doing the “walk of shame” across north quad.

When he discovered the person who spotted him was his girlfriend, he reported his best chance at true love missing as well.

7. Multiple students reported losing the “great idea they had for a midterm paper” after they sobered up. They are also searching for better grades. woestekj@miamioh.edu

Sports

NELSO156@MIAMIOH.EDU

9

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020

Face masks are necessary

Miami hockey set to begin season on Dec. 1

FOOTBALL PLAYERS ARE JUST LIKE THE REST OF US. THEY HAVE TO WEAR MASKS, TOO. CONTRIBUTED BY MIAMI ATHLETICS

CHRIS VINEL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The Miami RedHawks will wear single player and every single coach.

That’s not negotiable.

But head coach Chuck Martin doesn’t think it will be all that weird for his players. “(Some people say), ‘You can’t wear a mask and play football! You can’t wear a mask and play football!’” Martin said. “Well, I should’ve taken a video of, half my team already had masks on because it was getting cold.”

Now, the masks serve as more than just protection from chilly late-season temperatures. The players have to wear them to compete. A COVID-19 outbreak could cause game cancellations or the shutdown of their entire season. “(Wearing a mask) isn’t fun, but it keeps us safe, and it’s gonna help keep

me from getting (COVID) if one of my teammates gets it,” redshirt junior safety Sterling Weatherford said. “And I want to play football, so I’ll do what it takes.”

Players received two options. No. 1, sport a neck gaiter — a stretchy tube of lightweight fabric that can be pulled up over a player’s nose and mouth. Or No. 2, velcro a fabric mask, one like the rest of us wear at the grocery store or in class, to their helmets. receiver Jalen Walker said. “But I think everyone is adjusting well and kind of ever we have to do is whatever we have to do to play.”

Weatherford chose the velcro option because he didn’t want to have to worry about pulling a gaiter up and adjusting it. After utilizing it to stay warm in the past, Walker opted for the gaiter because he’s used to it.

Each comes with its own set of problems.

“When it gets wet, it’s kind of tough to breathe in,” Walker said of gaiters.

“It blocks everything you see down,” Weatherford said of face masks. “I can’t even see to put my mouthpiece in. I’ve got to, like, feel up and around.”

But not all the reviews are bad.

To be honest, Martin said he prefers the mask. He joked he should’ve started wearing one years ago.

“When I have a mask on, just for me personally, it controls my breathing better and it controls my emotions better,” Martin said before chuckling. “I probably should’ve personally used one a long time ago in coaching. It probably could’ve helped me stay a little calmer at times.”

Martin and his assistant coaches will have to be a little less hands-on with their coaching. They may have to yell even louder than usual because they’ll be socially distanced from play-

ers and their words will have a layer of fabric to charge through.

“I think you have to (change),” Martin said. “I don’t think you have a choice. 2020 has changed us in so change our coaching styles a little bit to be safer and smarter, I would say that’s the least of our concerns right now.”

For now, the RedHawks will do what it takes to play football. They want to defend their 2019 Mid-American Conference Championship, and they want to stay healthy while doing it.

“Anything we see that could potentially increase the chance of (COVID) spreading to someone else,” Martin and make that adjustment.”

Bottom line. End of story. No negotiations. @ChrisAVinel vinelca@miamioh.edu

Short and sweet:

RedHawks look to roll through abbreviated schedule

MICHAEL VESTEY

the latter half of last season due to an

THE MIAMI STUDENT

State before hosting the RedHawks, it’s entirely possible they could enter this

The Falcons didn’t exactly have a

returns as one of the few bright spots

Stadium. And there isn’t a boatload of positivity to go around this season.

The loss of quarterbacks Grant Loy and Darius Wade leave the Falcons

Look for a potentially high-scoring

We thought we weren’t going to have a season. Everything looked set for a spring season for the RedHawks, with a long few months of no Miami sports for us to wait through. Instead, we’re back and better than ever for this shortened, six-game season.

Wednesday Nov. 4 – vs. Ball State The RedHawks start their campaign at Yager Stadium in the Red Bird nitely like to repeat their 41-27 victory over Miami last year. Ball State trudged through injuries and some close losses that saw it miss out on a seemingly guaranteed bowl game. And because redshirt senior quarterback Drew Plitt, this won’t be an easy game to start the season. conference record, leaving the Bulls tied for second in the MAC East, and they look to continue that upside into 2020.

After having to rely on the run in 2019 after quarterback Tyree Jackson graduated, the Bulls will be shifting their offense – in part due to losing two starters the return of quarterback Matt Myers, who will certainly be looking to get a win over the RedHawks after missing

Tuesday Nov. 17 – vs. Ohio This is the big one. The Battle of the Bricks may not occur in front of any fans this year, but that’s not likely to take any heat out of this extremely exciting matchup. The RedHawks won goal from Sam Sloman – but having gone to the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL, he won’t be around to provide the same reliable scoring. Frank Solich’s Bobcats are always in the mix for the MAC East title, and this season should team in the MAC in SP+ in the last two years, but that streak is on shaky ground after the loss of quarterback Nathan Rourke, with four relatively inexperienced options vying to be his replacement. Their defense doesn’t share the same problem, though, with a who’s-who of returning seniors on that side of the ball. Solich wants a MAC title, and he’ll have a tough game in Oxford on the road to getting it.

Saturday Nov. 28 - @ Akron It’s hard playing football sometimes. It’s especially hard when you went 0-12 last season, continuing a now 17-game losing streak that feels it may never end – especially after seeing their opponents for this season. Playing Western Michigan, Ohio and Kent

in the country last season, scoring just though the loss of key pieces on defense may make their season a little harder.

Miami squeaked by at home last season, 20-17, and this is a game I’d bet on winning again.

Saturday Dec. 5 – vs. Kent State Stadium sees the Golden Flashes come to town. The Flashes were one of the feel-good stories of last season, thanks to their end-of-season rally and subsequent Tropical Smoothie Café Frisco Bowl win (with accompanying smoothie bath for head coach Sean Lewis). wide receiver Isaiah McCoy as bright spots in a passing attack that otherwise seems uncertain, with little experience outside of McCoy in the receiving corps. A few top players return on the defensive side, but their rush defense might be shaky to start due to the loss of starters on the defensive line. The in a rain-soaked Kent, and with players like Jaylon Bester and Tyre Shelton returning for Miami, the RedHawks are in good position for this matchup.

Saturday Dec. 12 - @ Bowling Green

and tight ends, Bowling Green seems has potential in the cold conditions of the delayed-start MAC season. The defense does return some seniors, but little room for improvement leaves the Falcons in a place for real struggle as they continue to rebuild. Look for the and potentially secure another MAC East title here.

Recap After the season of youth last year, it’s “growth” time for the RedHawks.

With key pieces including young star quarterback Brett Gabbert, redshirt senior wide receiver Jack Sorenson and sophomore pass rusher Ivan Pace Jr. returning, Chuck Martin will see a team with the potential to go from strength to strength this season. It’s going to be a tough ask to repeat a division title, especially in a conference like the MAC – but I think the RedHawks have the upside and pieces in place to go 6-0 and @VesteyTMS vesteymj@miamioh.edu

MIAMI HOCKEY WILL SKATE ONTO THE ICE AGAIN THIS DECEMBER. THE MIAMI STUDENT ZACH REICHMAN

LUKAS NELSON SPORTS EDITOR The NBA won’t be the only sport that plays in a bubble this year.

Last week, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) announced its preliminary 26-game schedule for the 2020-21 season.

The first half of the schedule will take place in a “pod” environment in Omaha, Neb., starting Dec. 1. All eight NCHC teams will be in Omaha, as clubs will play 10 games each over the course of three weeks.

In the pod, COVID-19 testing and medical support will be handled by the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

“We have a great partner in the University of Nebraska Medical Center, who will help us take all of the necessary steps to ensure the health and safety of the student-athletes, coaches and staff in the pod,” University of Nebraska Omaha Vice Chancellor Trev Alberts said. “We know it will be a busy three weeks, but our staff is very excited to make this a marquee event for the NCHC and college hockey.”

Because class will still be in session for some clubs, schedules will be made with each team’s final exam week in mind.

After the pod, the remaining 16-game schedule will start the first weekend of January and end March 6. All games will be held in home arenas.

To reduce travel, NCHC will split into two divisions, with Miami playing in the East Division. Outside the pod, the RedHawks will play against only division opponents, which include Minnesota Duluth, St. Cloud State and Western Michigan.

During the second half of the season, teams will also have multiple bye weeks in case games need to be rescheduled. No official game schedule has been released at this time.

With less than two months until the start of the season, and plans being finalized, Miami head coach Chris Bergeron and his team are getting ready.

“It’s preparation time,” Bergeron said, “and I look forward to preparing this group.” @LukasTheDream nelso156@miamioh.edu

‘Hawks Talk “Everything is just moving so fast. Literally, I just tell everyone whenever they say, ‘What are you planning to do next week,’ ‘I’m like, I don’t even know what I’m doing tomorrow.’”

- Miami women’s basketball guard Monique Esbrand on the uncertainty of the upcoming season

Opinion

10

WOLFFRG@MIAMIOH.EDU

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020

STAFF EDITORIAL

Don’t mess up when you dress up COVID-19, but don’t think, just because you’ll be with close friends, that means you have an opportunity to Happy Halloween, kids!

Let’s get in the spirit this year without getting into costumes that appropriate other cultures.

This isn’t even something that should need to be said, but we have a history here at Miami of being inBetween our old mascot, Ghetto Fest and the racism portrayed in Recensio, it feels more than appropriate to mention being considerate with your costume choices.

As a school, we have a dark and twisted relationship with cultural appropriation and racism.

But we’re all adults, and at this point, should be more than aware of what a problematic Halloween costume is.

So, if anyone actually does decide to dress up in an than willful ignorance and complete lack of empathy and awareness.

Yes, parties might be smaller this year because of

thought themselves.

Basically, when in doubt, don’t.

None of this information is meant to scare you

other people are going to see you. it’s dressing up in any way that insults a culture that is not your own, which goes beyond just the Black community.

By the way, if you want to wear a beautiful gown with a tiny purse and hold a microphone so you can to do that! painted your skin a darker color and walked around all night talking in African American Vernacular English.

Duh. You can dress up as a person but not a culture.

Also, if you’re not sure whether your costume idea is within the realm of cultural appropriation, it probably is. Even if you do research online to come up with a defense just in case you get called out, we’re willing to bet most people who see you wearing won’t care to ask or do any research of their own before having that

cultures. But buying a $50 Native American polyester complish that. appreciation is about education.

So, if you’re truly that interested in Native American culture, learn about it and its practices so you can participate in a way that is respectful. Don’t put on a headdress and refer to yourself as “Chief” for a whole day.

If you see somebody in a problematic costume, call And, if you’re reading this and are upset because we’ve killed your top three ideas, get over it. Seriously, that deep.

Just be a vampire or something.

Halloween isn’t ruined The Rainbow Mug:

“There Is No Right Way to Be Gay”

AMES RADWAN THE MIAMI STUDENT Halloween is my favorite holiday, hands down.

I know a lot of people share this sentiment because honestly, who wouldn’t love Halloween? You get to dress up in fun costumes, cover your home with spooky decorations, go out and party with friends, and if you go trick-or-treating, get a whole lot of candy. It’s literally the perfect holiday.

Unfortunately, I’ve heard and seen a lot of folks saying Halloween is ruined this year because of COVID-19. A fair amount of people I know aren’t going to do anything at all for Halloween 2020, because it’s all “ruined” and they “can’t do anything fun” anyway. No parties, no trick-or-treating, no decorations, no nothing.

Heck, you could even buy a $9 roll of caution into an imitation crime scene.

There’s also nothing stopping you from kin patches, both of which can be found at Wendel Farms about 20 minutes from campus. Though I’ve never been there myself, I have seen friends go, and it seems pretty fun costumes to wear on Halloween, even if you’re just chilling at home with friends.

Halloween parties with thumping bass trick-or-treating, which can be made to be not in the fun “it’s Halloween” way.

But much of Halloween, and the spooky month leading up to it, will still be the same COVID-19 procedures aren’t stopping you from watching scary movies at home or going to a drive-in with friends inside your bubble. I just went to see “The Nightmare double feature at the Holiday Auto Theatre drive-in, located in Hamilton, this past Saturday.

We ate buttered popcorn and candy, kets and laughed along to Jack Skellington and the Sanderson sisters. It was safe and so much fun, and the wearing of masks and social distancing didn’t stop that.

COVID-19 procedures aren’t stopping you from decorating your home with creepy and hilarious Halloween-themed ornamentation. My roommate and I have pumpkin lights strung up on the inside of our door,

I can’t pretend that my relationship with my but.

Like many other members of the LGBTQ think, “Damn, I’m gay.” It’s more gradual or innate. I was born knowing that I was attracted to

plenty of costumes that actually incorporate face masks! Take Bucky Barnes from “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” Walter White from “Breaking Bad” and The Mandalorian from “The Mandalorian,” for

eryone else in my life, minus a few close friends.

I went to a large, primarily white Midwest high school, one where being “gay” connoted a certain stereotype: you had certain friends, you wore certain clothes and you went to certain events.

And though I knew that I was at least a little gay, I was scared to “come out” due to fears that I’d be immediately labeled a certain “type” of person.

So I hid it.

I hid it behind Miss Me Jeans,

actually wears an entire helmet, so you wouldn’t have to worry about anyone seeing your non-costume face mask underneath.

Finally, COVID-19 proce-

boyfriends in the hopes that no one would notice my occasional comments about female celebrities or my obsession with Orange Is The New Black. And honestly, I simply didn’t conform to society’s

you from shoving as much candy as you want into your face.

“me.”

day Addams from “The Addams Family” or a sheet ghost (à la TikTok trend).

And if you’re worried about your mask interfering with your

“Obviously, there are still plenty of ways you can celebrate Halloween while still being safe, masked up and socially distanced.”

MIAMI STUDENT

haul this year.

Obviously, there are still plenty of ways you can celebrate Halloween while still being safe, masked up and socially distanced.

Now, this is not me giving you permission to go out and party on Halloween night. In fact, I am saying just the opposite. loween” or “In the Tall Grass” (10/10 thrill-

One night out with friends, I let a comment my future house-mates. I awaited their reaction through cringed teeth, but my close friend simply laughed and replied, “So?” I breathed a massive sigh of relief.

My friends were still my friends, and no one ence.

Greek life has so many connotations, both

“I was under the misguided impression that being gay meant one thing, and if I didn’t identify with societal wasn’t a “good enough” gay person.”

-

rainbow folders for each of my classes, and I tried assignments.

Looking back, I think people just thought I was particularly upbeat.

I was under the misguided impression that being gay meant one thing, and if I didn’t iden-

pictures and to impress your roommates, but not for throwing it back in some basement.

“good enough” gay person.

For so long I’ve been in this awkward in-between: I’m not gay enough to say that I’m gay, but I’m not straight enough to keep on pretending.

Upon coming to Miami, I threw out the rainbow folders and traded them for a pair of lululemon leggings and Air Force 1s. Miami was over-

orange-and-black sweet treats.

the same. I felt the need to conform to new norms

of turning it into just another night for drinking and dancing.

Because if you do that, then yes, Halloween will be ruined this year. But because of your own irresponsibility, not because of COVID-19.

But I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Within a few months after joining, I had made lifelong friends, got a big and had taken on a lead-

way, I didn’t feel like I deserved to tell people, and I foolishly thought no one would believe me.

So when I went through informal Greek recruitment during the fall of my sophomore year, I secret. And ultimately, I didn’t want to miss out on the fun of college because I felt it necessary to come out.

chaic, racist, and ultimately, anti-gay.

But I’d argue otherwise. sponsible for creating a whole new kind of Greek We value authenticity, openness and fairness, Five months later, and nothing’s changed. I can be open with my friends about being bi. I’ve told my partner and my parents, and the world didn’t stop turning.

A few weeks ago, I bought a rainbow-colored mug from Wild Berry.

A few months ago, I wouldn’t have gone near it, and now I drink from it freely, regardless of who’s watching.

There’s no “correct” way to come out. I wish there were an instruction manual, but in the absence of the like, we’re left to our own devices. I our own coming out stories and that’s empowering in itself. equate to identity, and there is no “right way” to be gay. So, I’ll just be over here sipping from my rainbow mug.