The Miami Student | January 26, 2021 by The Miami Student

ESTABLISHED 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES

Volume 149 No. 10

Miami university — Oxford, Ohio

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2021

Policy reversion creates tension

Dr. Nikki Giovanni and Miami students discuss anti-racist activism

COSETTE GUNTER

EVENT

ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR

MEGHNA SANTRA STAFF WRITER

One day after Miami University emailed the student body about its return to the standard academic practice of limited credit/no credit policy options, the Associated Student Government (ASG) started a petition advocating for the extension of emergency academic policies.

Then and Now” gave Miami alumni and present students the opportunity to converse with celebrated poet faces of Civil Rights era and today’s activism on Monday, Jan. 18.

the Provost and ASG was sent on Jan. 21, reminding students of the academic calendar changes, including the credit/no credit change. Additional information on the email tions and attendance policies. The email, signed by Assistant donado, was sent a day before ASG’s petition was published. Pal, secretary for academic affairs, said she signed the email with the intention of informing the student body of the changes, but the decision to return to pre-COVID policies was not a joint one between the

Tenn. but later moved with her parents to Cincinnati, Ohio, as a child. Early on, Giovanni fostered her through her grandmother, noting that she came “from a long line of storytellers.” University in 1964, Giovanni was amongst writers and other artists of color in the emerging literary and chapter of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). ni attended the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University.

she disagrees with its implementation. Provost Jason Osborne said he was “under the impression there was extensive conversation” between his

questions about her own experiences by a panel consisting of six Miami students on Monday, Jan. 18.

reversion to normal policies. Pal said she was informed of the decision in November, and Osborne suggested bringing concerns to the University Senate.

were Nloh Masango-Dibo, Quentin Ndyaiunwoha, Rachel McMillan, Brandon Small, Joy Alise Davids and Chase Harris. Both McMillan and Davids are Miami alumni, while Msango-Dibo, Nyaiunwoha, Small and Harris are current students. Giovanni answered questions pertaining to policing, the rise of counter-movements such as All Lives Matter and their meaning, the

the policy was not without student input, as members of ASG proposed continuing the policy in the University Senate. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

“I’m losing a bit of hope for who we are as a country”:

Students react to recent political turmoil Gates said he feels Miami has not

POLITICS

incidents, which allows them to continue happening. He also said that, while

MADELINE PHABY, ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR

response to the storming of the Capitol was better than nothing, he was unsettled by the fact that President Greg Crawford didn’t personally sign it. ture holds weight,” Gates said. “People might not immediately believe it, but when the president of the university puts his name under the email and says ‘we condemn white supremacy on

From murder hornets to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 was one of the most chaotic years in recent than a new year to put an end to this turbulence. Just this month, Americans have seen right-wing extremists storm the Capitol building, watched Donald Trump get banned from nearly all social media and be impeached for a second time, and inaugurated a new president. Miami University students come

Capriolo expressed similar disappointment in Miami’s response but said she’s come to expect underwhelming communication from the university.

beliefs across the political spectrum, but they can all agree on one thing: The COURTESY OF

Sophomore psychology major Sidra Capriolo said she’s been feeling a variety of emotions lately. On one hand, she was excited to see the Democratic

they said, or they’re going to show that they weren’t being serious about what they wanted to do.” Capriolo said she also views this as a turning point for Republicans, who have splintered between those who continue to support Trump and those ator Mitt Romney. Junior political science major Taylor Armstrong, the chairman of Miami’s College Republicans (CRs), said he’s seen this type of division within his organization well before this year. Despite this, he said even those who support Trump within the organization

Congress and the presidency, but on the other, she’s worried the party won’t deliver on its promises. ocrats have been saying for a while that they’ve wanted to do certain things, but they had excuses – they’ve had Mitch McConnell, they’ve had Republicans, they’ve had votes that didn’t pass,” turning point because Democrats are

don’t buy into the narrative that the election was stolen and still condemn the storming of the Capitol.

ments that have been seen on Miami’s campus before. trash can near Upham Hall that read

anti-Trump Republicans – Mitt Romney Republicans, you could say,” Armstrong said. “Some people would label them RINOs (Republicans in name only), but that’s Reddit rhetoric. Obviously we don’t use that type of labeling, because at the end of the day, we’re all Republicans.” First-year business economics major Evan Gates also noticed this splintering, and he said he worries it’ll lead to a rise in far-right extremist senti-

style mirrored that of the Patriot Front the dissatisfaction students are feeling campus on multiple occasions. ing to continue trying to reassert their presence on campus,” Gates said. “Part

Miami could have done much more. “As a public institution, Miami can

a white supremacist undercurrent on campus.”

could do.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

This Issue FYI

OPINION

CAMPUS & COMMUNITY

New year, new look for The Miami Student

page 2

From throat swabs to spit takes – how COVID testing is changing this spring page 4

might be white supremacists,” Capriolo said. “That’s not to say Miami itself is a white supremacist institution, but they don’t want to openly condemn white supremacy because it could be considered partisan.” Sophomore political science major

750! Condit makes history

page 9

Therapy for everyone: making the case

page 10

This Week

2 FYI

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2021

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 Duard Headley David Kwiatkowski Campus & Community Editors

Dan Wozniak Business Manager

Lukas Nelson Sports Editor

Fred Reeder Business Adviser

Opinion Editor Bo Brueck Photo Editor

Macey Chamberlin Alessandra Manukian Sadie Van Wie Designers

2021 Miami University Young Painters Competition

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Hiestand Galleries Miami will host this competition to help students and the community better understand painting.

1/26

James Tobin Faculty Adviser

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Democracy Under Pressure

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Kelly Marsella Sydney Stewart Distributors

Virtual Event Miami faculty discuss the 2020 election, recent social unrest and the future ahead.

1/27

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Style Editor David Kwiatkowski

Jessica Robinson Humor Editor Madeline Phaby Abby Bammerlin Sean Scott Taj Simmons Lexi Whitehead Cosette Gunter Asst. Campus & Community Editors

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CHRIS VINEL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF es. We were faceless. And we weren’t as engaging or user-friendly as we could’ve been. So we made a New Year’s resolution to be better for you, our audience. planning a few changes, and those are being rolled out today. The biggest adjustment: Our “News” and “Culture” sections no longer exist. Those were merged into one new entity, “Campus & Community.” You’ll see that label used in print and on The Miami Student website. The story types won’t change. You’ll still be able to read great work like our Oxford City Council briefs and Humans of Oxford

social media accounts each week. You’ll see even in a new week-in-review video. We’ll also vary the types of posts we make, from story infographics to recruiting Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe to our improved email newsletter on our website. I hope you enjoy these changes as much as I do. We’re excited to make 2021 our best year yet. eic@miamistudent.net

Dr. Nikki Giovanni and Miami students discuss anti-racist activism CONTINUED FROM FRONT evolution of the role of Black women in activism, how she believed that community activists value of personal narratives in activism. Giovanni has written numerous collections ume “Black Feeling Black Talk” (1968) to New York Times best-seller “Bicycles: Love Poems” (2009). She has also produced several works of recordings, including the Emmy-award nominated “The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection” (2004). Her most recent publications include “Chasing Utopia: A Hybrid” (2013) and, as editor, “The 100 Best African American Poems” (2010),” according to the Poetry Foundation. As of 1987, she has served as a University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech. During the panel, Giovanni also provided advice for how Black students in predominantly white spaces could maintain normalcy and spoke about her own experiences and insights about white supremacy in America. “Activism is often thought of (as) something that changes the world, but sometimes it can just be something that makes us happy,” Giovanni said when asked for her opinion of what personal narratives and experiences do for activism and creating a larger narrative. For Giovanni, understanding and reminding

others of the strength of Black identity was foremost. “Style has a profound meaning to Black Americans,” she said. “If we can’t drive, we will invent walks, and the world will envy the dexterity of our feet. If we can’t have ham, we will boil chitterlings; if we are given rotten peaches, we will make cobblers; if given scraps, we will make quilts; take away our drums, and we will clap our hands. We prove the human spirit will prevail.” the people and issues in their lives that mattered to them. “You don’t want to waste time — if there’s something you don’t want to do, you don’t want to waste your time on a fool,” she said. “We’re sometimes talking to the wrong audience, to people who hate us. What you want is to love the people who love you.” Masango-Dibo concluded the panel by going back to Giovanni’s words on the importance of understanding one’s identity. “In order to have a happy ending, in order to be triumphant, in order to be heroic, you have to tell your own story,” he said. “The women’s movement knows that; Black people know that; brown people know that; yellow people know that. You have to be able to tell your own story in order to show that you are worthy — that you belong.” santram@miamioh.edu

12:10 p.m. 1:10 p.m.

Policy reversion creates tension CONTINUED FROM FRONT

new section rather than sifting through a maze to get to them. Campus & Community is a one-stop shop, which is partly why we made the switch. Barriers between the old sections were unnecessary. It’s all newsworthy! We’re also launching a bunch of new features on social media. You deserve to know who is providing your news, so now you will.

3:15 p.m. 4:15 p.m.

[University] Senate helped to ignite some students to encourage them to present a counter argument, which they did, and which we heard and we considered.” Wanko said he informed the student representatives from the beginning that this policy decision would be a hard one to consider what the students were proposing. “Essentially, we are going to do as the Provost suggested, which is, if we did not agree, to seek redress through the University Senate,” Pal said. “We will be moving forward with that avenue, of course.” Pal said she has spoken with leaders of student organizations and individuals who have concerns about the policy reversion. Ben Maldonado, chair of the ASG COVID-19 ad hoc committee, also disagrees with the policy reversion and said the petition is a way to garner support from students. “We wanted to make sure that we were really representing the student body,” Maldonado said. “So, in order to best do that, we decided to start that petition and make sure we had everyone’s support there.” Pal said ASG plans to take all the names on the petition and put it forward in a proposal to the university senate, advocating for the student body. As of Jan. 25, the petition had 799 signatures. Last spring, Miami implemented considerable extensions to the credit/no credit application dates and expanded the eligible classes under the policy after the COVID-19 pandemic introduced unpredictable circumstances. This semester, students must indicate the credit/no credit change in their schedule two and a half weeks after classes begin. In the fall of 2020, students had almost three months to implement this change in their courses. With the return to pre-pandemic policies,

students also can no longer take classes required for their major as credit/no credit. Wanko said the decision was made after surveying other institutions’ policies and coming to the conclusion that Miami students were being put at a disadvantage because of the extended policy. nale for continuing the extended policy, citing concerns such as a lack of semester GPAs, graduate school or job search disadvantages universities. “I don’t think credit/no credit is the right remedy for some of the things we’re dealing with right now,” Osborne said. “Obviously, the world is still horrible, but at least it’s predictable.” Osborne said the return to pre-COVID policies is a step toward more typical university operations. “Hopefully that level of disruption where students and faculty don’t know what they’re getting into isn’t a big concern [like it was] last spring,” Osborne said. “At this point, everyone knew what they were signing up for. Nothing has really changed.” Osborne said he was not aware of the petition before being contacted by The Miami Student and said “lots of people” were consulted in the decision-making process. Wanko was not aware of the petition either. “There was an existing policy, and all we’ve done is provided a variance for that certain policy,” Osborne said. “That always should be viewed as a temporary measure under emergency situations. I would not expect a petition, right now, is going to change how we’re approaching the semester. I’m comfortable where we are but also open to discussion.” @cosettegunter guntercr@miamioh.edu

“I’m losing a bit of hope for who we are as a country”:

Students react to recent political turmoil CONTINUED FROM FRONT

In contrast to Capriolo’s excitement about the future of the country, Kravitz expressed fear about what lies ahead. “Honestly, with the election being as close as it was after these past four years, I’m losing a bit of hope for who we are as a country,” Kravitz said. Armstrong, on the other hand, expressed optimism about the possibility of unity between the two parties during Biden’s presi-

dency. “I just hope things get done, and I think that’s something all of us can agree on, whether we voted for Biden or not, whether we’re Democrats or Republicans,” Armstrong said. “We’re all willing to work to make America, our state, our communities and especially Miami a better place.” @madphabes phabymr@miamioh.edu

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NEWS 3

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2021

Ohio COVID vaccination program leaves some healthcare workers behind

New community gardens may be coming to Merry Day Park CITY OF OXFORD ABBY BAMMERLIN ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR Oxford City Council discussed a new project that would add community gardens during its Jan. 19 meeting. The project was proposed by Oxford’s Environmental Commission. Councilor Jason Bracken, a member of the Environmental Commission, said they proposed a food garden and a pollinator garden. While there isn’t a set square footage of the garden, Bracken said the gardens would be small enough to allow residents to still uti-

ILLUSTRATION BY MACEY CHAMBERLIN

HENRI ROBBINS STAFF WRITER One thing has stayed consistent during the U.S. rollout of COVID-19 vaccines: inconsistency. While some universities are already beginning to vaccinate their faculty, others, like Miami University, haven’t received a single dose. And while the former U.S. president praised the rollout of the vaccines, the new one’s administration is describing the situation as “worse than we imagined.” Currently, Ohio’s vaccination plan divides those who will receive the vaccination into mulworkers, those above 80 years old and those with serious health conditions. Chip Hahn, associate clinical professor of speech pathology and audiology, regularly sees patients as a part of his work at the university, but because the state has not designated him as a healthcare worker, he has not had access to the vaccine. “We are instructors, but we’re also treating clinicians,” Hahn said. “We do deal with individuals who are often at high risk. You’ll have folks that work with infants and children who have feeding and swallowing issues as well as communication issues, and with hearing loss. We deal with older adults who frequently have hearing issues. We do procedures where we’re in the person’s mouth or ears, exposed to the Miami is not considered a healthcare provider by the state because the majority of the are not considered healthcare workers despite

working regularly with patients. According to the state’s rollout plan, they will not have access to the vaccine until the rest of the university does. In a recent announcement, Jayne Brownell, nated before summer. It could happen earlier, she said, but the university is unsure due to lack department. “Most of it is still up in the air,” Brownell said. “As you see in national news, the rollout for vaccines is going so much more slowly than anticipated, so we only have a vague timeline of when we may get vaccines.” uring out how to administer the vaccines once is not much they can do. “As is true with everything else related to COVID, it will likely change,” Brownell said. “The conversations that they’re having are things like, ‘If it is a two-dose vaccine and there are 21 and 28 days between [each dose], what happens if we get it in April? Is there enough time to vaccinate students here? Do they vaccinate once here and once at home? Do they wait and do it all at home?’” General Counsel Robin Parker wrote in an email to The Miami Student that, as of Jan. 20, the university has been given no information on Meanwhile, ABC6 reported that Ohio State University (OSU) has already vaccinated hundreds of healthcare workers, including a potential 400 OSU employees. These discrepancies in distribution have been attributed to holiday delays, shipping issues, troubles with preservation and countless other issues.

Hahn and the two other audiologists have had to see fewer patients in accordance with current COVID guidelines, because they have not had access to the vaccine. Only two of the audiologists can be in the clinic at a time, and patients with hearing aids can no longer walk in for quick issues like they previously could — they now have to schedule an appointment for even the smallest issue. And while many medical professionals have been able to move their practice mostly online, Hahn and his colleagues haven’t always been able to do so. “We have hearing aids that have a smartphone app that allows us to connect so that we then send it via the app to their phone,” Hahn said. “Unfortunately, a lot of our patients are in older hearing aid technology, where we don’t have that capability, so there’s still a large, vast majority of our patients where, if they need something, they’re going to have to be seen in person. It’s not something we can do virtually.” While other health workers in other situations are able to receive vaccinations, Hahn and others in similar situations are far back on the list. “I understand that there has to be a phased rollout, but I feel like there are some valid exceptions that should be made,” Hahn said. “While I understand they’re not going to make vaccines widely available to the university, I do feel like it’s not unreasonable to wish that the state or whoever’s making these determinations made at least a limited supply available for those of us @henrixrobbins robbinha@miamioh.edu

Residence hall occupancy will only slightly increase this spring

Though council didn’t vote on anything, sive plan. “I think the point is to provide fresh produce in an area that might be a little bit harder to come by with fresh produce and especially with limitations with the food pantry,” Councilor Chantel Raghu said. Raghu said she hopes the project could also revitalize the area and draw people to local businesses. Mike Dreisbach, Oxford service director, said the project could require renovations of the park. Raghu said she’d like the project to be volunteer-based as well as utilize natural Council unanimously voted to extend Oxford’s e-scooter program with Lime scooters. The new extension will expire on Jan. 16, 2022. Vice Mayor Bill Snavely said he’s personally heard of citizens complaining about where scooters have been left, including in handicap parking spots. places, and they’re all upright,” City Manager Doug Elliott said. “And then they’re left on sidewalks, blocking people’s ability to walk the sidewalks, or parked at handicap ramps.” Elliott said if the company does not start policing their scooters better, the city may begin to impound them. The Miami University Police Department (MUPD) has previously impounded improperly parked scooters. Jessica Greene, assistant city manager, said when she used the scooters, the scooter’s rack, and she had to take a picture to prove it was an appropriate parking spot. At the beginning of the meeting, council unanimously passed a resolution condemning the insurrection at the United States Capitol building on Jan. 6. The resolution was prompted by Oxford Citizens for Peace & Justice (OCPJ). Oxford community member Kathy Brinkman spoke on behalf of OCPJ in favor of the resolution. She said it is up to the community to provide an environment of tolerance. “What’s also important to note is that resolutions don’t get to the root of what happened,” Brinkman said. “The actions of Jan. 6 are unfortunately a continuing theme in our country, and that is the theme of white supremacy, racism and anti-semitsim. Until these issues are addressed, we will continue to see actions such as these.” Council also unanimously passed a resolution renaming University Park Boulevard to ‘Mike Davis Way’ after Mike Davis, Talawanda School District (TSD)’s Treasurer and CFO who died in April of coronavirus. The newly-named road leads to Talawanda High School. Mary Jane Roberts, vice chair of the Talawanda School Board, spoke to council about Davis’ commitment to the Oxford community and his work in the TSD. “His motto was making the best happen for Talawanda,” Roberts said, “the district that he loved.” City Council will meet virtually at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2. The meeting will be streamed on YouTube. @abby_bammerlin bammeraj@miamioh.edu

RAs are also expected to come up with events that can help connect students throughout the residence hall. “The limit of 10 people in a room prevents us from doing too many in-person events,” a Western Campus RA said. The solution? Less in-person, more Zoom, which one RA said has decreased participation. “You know, Zoom fatigue sets in,” a Western Campus RA said. “Students go from their Zoom meetings and class, and now on top of that, we’re asking them to join our Zoom events. It’s just hard to build community.” Less opportunities to meet in person also AS WITH LAST SEMESTER, DORM COMMUNITY EVENTS ARE BEING RELEGATED TO ZOOM. PHOTO EDITOR BO BRUECK

ON CAMPUS TAJ SIMMONS ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR Miami University’s residence hall occupancy isn’t expected to rise drastically this upcoming semester, and resident assistants (RAs) plan on enforcing COVID-19 policies just as they did in the fall. “We’re expecting a little bit higher of a number this semester compared to last,” Brivices, said. “It’s shaping up to be around 5,000 students in dorms this year compared to 4,500 that we had last semester.” -

around 8,000 students in it’s residence halls. Many policies relating to COVID-19 are still in place. Residents are allowed only one guest per roommate, there are to be no overnight guests in a dorm and everyone is required to wear a mask when walking around the building. For RAs, being able to enforce guest rules can be troublesome. Several RAs spoke to The Miami Student under the condition of anonymity — due to restrictions of their job that prevent them from speaking to the media — about the challenges. “I know we’re supposed to be all over limiting guests in the dorms, and we have to report it, but there’s not really much we can do about it,” said one RA on Western Campus. “I’m not about to break down doors in every dorm to check for guests.”

While guest policies are harder to enforce, mask policies are not. “I didn’t have to write up anyone for not having a mask on, but I certainly would,” another RA on Western Campus said. “After a year of the COVID pandemic, it’s part of our lives. There’s no excuse not to wear one around campus.” policies could be sent to a disciplinary hearing though it is very uncommon. “After a write-up, you get a conversation with the RD (Resident Director), and then you could be looking at a disciplinary hearing,” an East Quad RA said. “I’ve never had any instances for writing anyone up [under the mask policy], however.” Alongside maintaining COVID-19 policies,

time meeting each other. “People are just scared of getting the virus, understandably so,” a Western Campus RA said. “You don’t want to have to wear your mask to do homework anywhere, so people are more comfortable in their rooms.” Residence halls, excluding Heritage Commons and Hawks Landing, are also keeping the color code system utilized last semester to monitor and signify positive cases in various residence halls. While many students might feel strict mask enforcements are a little too harsh, one East Quad RA said to remember that they are in the same boat. “I just want residents to know that RAs are people, too.” @simmons_taj simmontp@miamioh.edu

CARLINTM@MIAMIOH.EDU TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2021

Student representative joins Climate Action Task Force

Post-grad in a pandemic: STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER -

@hua_shr moorese6@miamioh.edu

SKYLER PERRY STAFF WRITER In addition to requiring both

calderjm@miamioh.edu

@skylerlperry perrysl2@miamioh.edu

CAMPUS & COMMUNITY 5

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2021

Miami intends to hire more students for spring

Miami sororities rushing to Zoom for recruitment

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2021

Class formats continue to change despite semester beginning ACADEMICS CLAIRE LORDAN THE MIAMI STUDENT As professors and students alike prepared for classes to begin on Jan. 25, courses across Miami University continued to change their format only days before the start of the spring semester. Though most students finished registering for classes in the fall, some courses have recently begun to switch from in-person or hybrid to fully remote. Per the Healthy Together webpage, the university will continue to address concerns about physical distancing within class-

“If they knew [those classes] couldn’t be in person, then don’t advertise it as that.” - Emily Brace

rooms, and each academic department will continue to offer a wide range of content delivery. The site does not detail when course formats can be changed or what to do if a course changes in the future. First-year political science major Sam Warnecke has had two courses, FST 362 (Mafia and Cinema) and PHL 273 (Formal Logic), switch from hybrid synchronous to fully online. Though both courses are still listed as hybrid synchronous on Miami’s course list, their syllabi don’t list any in-person plans.

“I wanted my schedule to be a mix of in-person and online classes, which is why I tried to sign up for classes that had both,” Warnecke said. “I’m disappointed that I won’t get to go to any classes in-person this semester, but I can’t say this was unexpected.” While Warnecke recognizes the need to keep classes online in order to remain healthy, he said the lack of communication between faculty and students raises concerns. “A course should not be listed as hybrid if there’s zero mention of moving to in-person [classes] throughout the entire syllabus,” Warnecke said. “Moving online probably was in everyone’s best interest, but a better heads-up would have been appreciated.” In an email sent to faculty in December, Miami announced that it expects to return to in-person classes as early as this summer and no later than the fall semester. “The hard work, grit, and determination of the faculty and staff enabled us to successfully navigate the fall semester,” university officials wrote. “We have every reason to believe we will also have a successful spring semester.” However, some students think the university hasn’t done enough to support students throughout the pandemic, and that continuously changing schedules allows for more confusion. First-year English education major Emily Brace was scheduled to have two in-person classes this semester, EDT 284 (Writing for Educators) and EDL 204 (Sociocultural Studies in Education), but she received emails from her professors last week stating they were moving fully online. Despite this, both classes are currently listed as hybrid synchronous on the course list and have assigned in-person meeting times. “One professor told us she was moving the class because of health concerns, but the other one didn’t give a reason,” Brace said. “We just got an email like, ‘We’ll be meeting online this semester,’ and didn’t address the fact that we were supposed to be in-person.”

Cards at the bars:

ILLUSTRATION BY SADIE VAN WIE

“If they knew [those classes] couldn’t be in-person, then don’t advertise it as that,” Brace said. “Make sure that before you put a class as in-person, the professor is dedicated to doing that.” Brace says the sudden online push of her classes makes her regret coming back to Oxford.

SAM CIOFFI MAGAZINE EDITOR In the past, seniors have enjoyed house parties, bar crawls and throwing their education to the wind in the last few months and weeks of their college experience, but the pandemic has changed all of this. Curfews are now in place, while certain bars require reservations and have guidelines that restrict students from getting their usual senior year sendoff. However, this past semester, seniors still managed to get their bar fix or make the most of their last year in other ways. Senior information systems major Michael Grothaus attended Trivia Night at Top Deck every Wednesday with 10 of his friends. This became a weekly tradition after Grothaus visited Brick Street his first week

lordance@miamioh.edu

the new Oxford nightlife

EVEN WITH THE PANDEMIC SURGING, SENIORS ARE TRYING TO MAKE THE MOST OF THEIR LAST SEMESTER UPTOWN. PHOTO TAKEN OCTOBER 2020. STAFF WRITER SHR-HUA MOORE

STUDENT LIFE

“I just wish they had told us earlier, ’cause if I’d known in advance that all my classes would be online, then maybe I would’ve saved thousands of dollars and not come on campus, ” Brace said. “I really have no reason to be here now.”

back during the fall semester, only to find that the bar, typically packed wall-to-wall, did not offer the same experience it used to. Reservations were now required and patrons had to remain seated at their tables at all times. Masks were required if moving around the establishment. “The whole value of going to Brick is gone, basically, in my opinion,” Grothaus said. So, he and his friends decided to go to a bar that would offer more than just expensive drinks and more of an experience. “With Trivia Night, you can actually do something rather than just sitting at the table. I would say that it’s actually made my bar experience a little bit better,” Grothaus said. Even outside of the bars, Grothaus managed to make the most of his first semester of senior year with the people he lives with. His house decided to purchase cornhole boards and an inflatable pool to use when the weather was nice, and eventually, this

got the attention of Grothaus’ next-door neighbors who wanted to join in on the fun. “I think I made more new friends during the beginning of the pandemic than I did in any of the other semesters before,” Grothaus said. Despite all of the ways Grothaus has adapted to pandemic life, he still feels robbed of his final year of college. “I think the morale is a little down just because the overall college experience just hasn’t been what I expected,” Grothaus said. Senior Italian major Cami Cicero shares a similar sentiment. She expected to be able to see all of her friends whenever she wanted during her senior year. Now, the pandemic makes it hard to do that before they go their separate ways.

“It does feel kind of unfair,” Cicero said. “Because, you know, if we had followed guidelines and maybe gone into lockdown and if people cooperated more in the early stages, we may have gotten a more normal senior year.” Last semester, Cicero attempted to have a normal senior year by visiting the uptown bars with her roommate and two other friends. The group usually brought a deck of cards, as well as other party games such as Cards Against Humanity and Uno to keep themselves busy while sitting at the tables. She feels safer going out to the bars than she expected to be. “I think I was expecting them to not adhere to guidelines as much when I first came in the beginning of the semester,” Cicero said. “But every single place I’ve been to, no one’s standing, everyone is sitting at their tables and has masks on, and it’s been really good, honestly.” However, not everyone feels as comfortable going out to their usual places to grab a drink. Senior accounting major Hannah Allman hasn’t been to a bar since the pandemic began. Before the fall semester started, her house came to a mutual agreement that they would not go out to any of the bars their senior year. Instead, Allman and her housemates had small gatherings with people within their “bubble” — people they would see normally through studying and hanging out. Despite not going out, they still found ways to bring the bars to their home. Allman and her friends even bought and decorated wristbands for themselves to wear during beer pong tournaments. “I think we’ve done a pretty good job of being able to make it fun,” Allman said. Even though she hasn’t gone to the bars and doesn’t plan on going anytime soon, Allman is trying not to focus on the parts of her senior year experience she’s missing out on. “I think everybody is making the best choices that they can for themselves at this point, and I definitely get people going to the bar for their senior year,” Allman said. “It’s just choices we’ve made as a house to do it a little bit different.” cioffism@miamioh.edu

“I think the morale is a little down just because the overall college experience just hasn’t been what I expected.” - Michael Grothaus

CAMPUS & COMMUNITY 7

KWIATKDM@MIAMIOH.EDU

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2021

Meet Oxford’s local “girl gang”:

a closer look into sheTribe Miami

Educators look to the future with upcoming Miguel Cardona appointment POLITICS SEAN SCOTT ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR cabinet members this week, Miguel Cardona, President Joe Biden’s pick for Secretary

CONTRIBUTED BY SHETRIBE

SARAH GRACE HAYS MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Throughout a year full of unpredictability, one Miami University organization has found new opportunities for community, life skills and empowerment. SheTribe — a national organization founded by Chicago natives Allie Gottlieb and Hope Lowdermilk — is an all-women organization that teaches professional and personal life skills. In order to begin a sheTribe U chapter at ecutive board. The women of Miami’s sheTribe chapter went through this process during the summer of 2020. sheTribe executive board all wanted to be a part of something bigger than themselves that empowered women and set them up for success. “Every woman on this college campus and wanting to be successful and have the skills and tools to be successful in our future,” said junior Arin Mintz, president of sheTribe U at Miami. At the start of the fall semester, they had a complete executive board and about 18 members, said the vice president, sophomore Riss Hasseman. At each meeting, the chapter comes together over Zoom to discuss the topic of the week.

The topic is curated by the founders of sheTribe, as they put together a curriculum for each chapter to follow. The lessons cover everything from how to make a proper resume to how to know your own self worth in the age of social media. “It’s important because a lot of girls in all when it comes to themselves and their work, or their health, and they’re just not feeling as good about themselves as they could,” said Julia Lett, a sophomore interior design major and member of sheTribe. “SheTribe is good for women to advance in those areas and just be better for themselves.” Each lesson is adapted to meet the needs tomize its lessons so each woman is getting the most from them. “Our founders work to give us curriculum hard skills or soft skills,” Hasseman said. “They give us a slide deck, and from that slide deck, the exec of each chapter across the nation kind of makes it our own.” The executive board of sheTribe wants to create an environment where women feel comfortable to discuss issues they are having and, in the process, learn important life skills to help them through it. Because sheTribe is an all-female organization geared toward building a community, it is easy to compare it to a sorority. However, in sheTribe, while members are building relationships, the organization is heavily geared toward self-improvement and self-care. “Not only are you building relationships

with girls from your college, you’re just building networks and also you’re learning things that I don’t think any other organization on The lessons the executive board teaches sheTribe. “There’s no college course that teaches you what we’re learning in sheTribe,” Mintz said. “You don’t go to a college course and learn about these soft skills like self worth and mental health.” from that of a traditional sorority. The executive board posts on social media and reaches out to women they think would because they simply want women who want to learn the things they teach. “As long as they are willing to participate and be excited about it and are just happy to be a part of something, then that’s really what we look for in girls,” Hasseman said. According to the sheTribe national website, its mission is to, “empower, educate, and inspire women to become the absolute best version of themselves.” The women of sheTribe Miami care deeply about what they are learning and teaching. “I am gaining something that I would not have gotten if I didn’t join sheTribe,” Hasseman said. “I’m getting the network, I’m getting the friends and I have already learned so much even just about myself.” @sarahgracehays hayssg@miamioh.edu

College Meals on Wheels rolls into Oxford LOCAL BUSINESS ABIGAIL KEMPER STAFF WRITER Coming soon to the students of Oxford: College Meals on Wheels. Beau Hiner, ownto launch this new meal plan delivery service. Targeting college students in the Oxford for lunch and dinner meal deliveries. Though the name resembles the well-known gram holds no connection. Hiner said the domain name was available, and he wanted to convey his college target audience and the delivery component. College Meals on Wheels will be operating out of the Doughby’s kitchen. When the website launches in the next two weeks, students will be able to customize their meal plans under a semester contract. Though committed for a semester, you can pay monthly or an upfront semester payment. meals you want per week. “There’s a bigger discount when you pay upfront,” Hiner said. “It just costs a bit more when you pay monthly. “ In order to provide high quality ingredients, payment must be done before delivery. Though he is still pricing food, Hiner estimates that each meal will cost $1013. “It’s how I price my food,” Hiner said. “I want to lock in my food price. If they don’t pay out, I can’t guarantee on their end.” When curating their service, students can choose what days they want food delivered (Monday-Friday), if they want one or two meals a day and how many people in their household. For now, Hiner said the service would primarily dents. The minimum order would be a one-person household with three meals for the week. Hiner plans to serve dishes from cheese omelets to tilapia and jambalaya. He is committed

dents. “I love to cook,” Hiner said. “I love to try I’ll bring it to College Meals on Wheels.” Hiner’s said the biggest obstacle for the project isn’t the food, however. “With COVID-19, I’m still waiting on my website to roll out,” Hiner said. “It’s been kind of slowed down because of COVID.” Hiner’s interest in this project started when he heard complaints from his employees (who are Miami students) about their current meal plans. Most fraternities that delivery meal plans for their members to sign up for. “I have fraternity guys that work for me, and they’ve been complaining about how bad their service has been,” Hiner said. “A lot of fraternity guys like Doughby’s and the quality of the food we serve.” Miami sophomore Andrew Santacroce is a member of Kappa Alpha (KA). An employee at Doughby’s, Santacroce found himself wishing the food service at his fraternity house was as good as the food served at his job. “We came together because Doughby’s has the priority of serving good, clean, non-processed foods,” Santacroce said. “We thought we could serve these fraternities, including my own, better food for the same price and provide an all-around better ex-

perience.” enough for the men in KA house. Meals are delivered twice a day, but they aren’t left out for long. If you miss the food, you go uptown for some grub. “Oftentimes, the meals would be thrown out after two hours instead of left out until the next meal time,” Santacroce said. “We were resorting to fast, greasy, processed food. That quality of food, it’s not good for you.” Santacroce is passionate about this project because of his position as kitchen steward at his fraternity house. He thinks the lifestyle of constantly buying fast food is not good for the health or wallets of his fraternity brothers. “I have a lot of faith in the food that we’re serving,” Santacroce said. “I know, at Doughby’s, we don’t serve processed food and the food is locally sourced. It feels good to have decent food.” Though the idea started with fraternity houses, the meal plan is open to anyone in Oxford who wants fresh meals brought to their door. “I think the biggest thing we are aiming for is quality and customer service,” Santacroce said. “It’s a local business, and Beau obviously has experience serving college students — he knows what they like.” kempera2@miamioh.edu

. CONTRIBUTED BY COLLEGE MEALS ON WHEELS

policy at Miami University and across the country. For Érica Fernández, an associate professor in the department of educational leadership, Cardona’s nomination is a welcome one. “I had the privilege of working with Dr. Cardona during my time as an assistant professor at the University of Connecticut,” Fernández wrote in an email to The Miami Student. “It was during this time that I realeducation, teachers, students and their families.” Cardona will follow in the footsteps of Betsy DeVos, one of the longest serving and most polarizing members of President Trump’s cabinet. “One of my major fears and concerns about Betsy DeVos’ appointment was her lack of experience in public education and lack of support of public K-12 schools,” Nathaniel Bryan, an assistant professor of teacher education, wrote in an email to The Student. Bryan said DeVos’ school voucher program diverted taxpayer dollars from public education to private and parochial schools, which are not held accountable for their funds in the same way as public schools. Additionally, her program put the education of underprivileged students at risk by taking funds away from already underfunded public schools. As Cardona steps into his cabinet position, Bryan said Cardona’s history in Connecticut’s urban areas would help him form policies for underrepresented students. “What is most encouraging about Cardona is that he has also worked in urban schools, which we know are those schools that serve predominantly Black and brown children and are oftentimes the most neglected schools in our nation,” Bryan said. “I hope Cardona draws on his urban teaching and administrative experience to inform educational policies.” Cathy Wagner, president of Miami’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), emphasized her hope that the Biden administration will not continue the pattern of defunding education. “It’s too early to tell what Cardona and a Democratic Congress will do for public education,” Wagner wrote in an email to The Student. “But let’s hope the loud sucking sound, the one we’ve heard as funding for public education drains away, will get quieter.” As the U.S. continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, Cardona will shape policy on how to reopen schools. Wagner said more federal funding would help educators focus on delivering a quality education. “Better federal support would help revive educational quality, which is at risk because so many faculty, like at Miami, lost their jobs during the pandemic, leaving the remaining faculty struggling with a higher workload,” Wagner said. Fernández pointed out that Cardona’s method of reopening Connecticut schools could shape his response to the pandemic at a federal level. “During his tenure as the Commissioner of Education in Connecticut, [Cardona] received much criticism for his school COVID-19 re-opening response,” Fernández wrote. While he left the decision to hold in-person classes up to individual school districts, Cardona pushed for schools to consider reopening so disadvantaged students would not fall behind their peers. Early on during his campaign, Biden promised to “make sure that the secretary of education is not Betsy DeVos, it is a teacher.” Before becoming Connecticut’s Commissioner of Education in 2019, Cardona worked as an elementary school teacher. In 2003, he became the youngest principal in Connecticut at 28 and has served in an administrative role since. Despite her own prior familiarity with Cardona, Fernández indicated that not all educators feel Cardona lives up to Biden’s promise of picking a teacher. “There were many teachers that were a bit surprised by his nomination,” Fernández said. “While Dr. Cardona does have classroom experience as a teacher, many expected the person who was to become the next Secretary of Education would have more substantial years in the teaching profession.” Despite Cardona’s young age and controversial school reopening strategies, Fernández remains optimistic about the future. She highlighted the school-to-prison pipeline, discrimination in schools and limited access to higher education for DACA students and undocumented immigrants as issues the new administration needs to tackle. “After learning more about [Cardona],” Fernández said, “I think that teachers have become more open to seeing what he is able to bring to his new role.” scottsr2@miamioh.edu

Sports

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2021

NELSO156@MIAMIOH.EDU

RedHawks look to extend threegame win streak vs. Toledo The Game TV/Radio: ESPN+ and Miami Radio Network

Record: 7-4, 4-2 MAC

Player (position, height, key stat) ppg) ppg) JUNIOR OUTSIDE HITTER GABY HARPER (NO. 10) AND SENIOR RIGHT SIDE SARAH WOJICK (NO. 14) BOTH PLAYED KEY PARTS IN LAST WEEKEND’S SERIES SWEEP. THE MIAMI STUDENT ZACH REICHMAN

ppg)

LUKAS NELSON SPORTS EDITOR

from senior right side Sarah Wojick,

When 7 p.m. struck on Friday, Jan

Player (position, height, key stat) 17.5 ppg)

more than ready to begin the season. “I heard a couple of our young women saying it seems like it’s been 12 years instead of just under 12 months,” head coach Carolyn Condit we settled in.” That they did, as the RedHawks

ppg)

SENIOR FORWARD DALONTE BROWN HAS STEPPED UP HIS GAME THIS SEASON, SCORING 12.6 POINTS PER GAME. THE MIAMI STUDENT ZACH REICHMAN

LUKAS NELSON SPORTS EDITOR It’s no secret that for the past decade, the play of the Miami RedHawks men’s basketball team has been, to put it lightly, lackluster. The last time the team put towhen then-head coach Charlie cord. This year’s Miami team seems poised to change all of that, howblowout against Eastern Michigan last Saturday. of the season so far for the RedHawks, as the team started the

postponed, as the team was dealing RedHawks didn’t play for another three weeks. After coming out of quarantine, of the season against Northern Il-

linois. After the next game, a loss three games in a row. ment in the ’Hawks’ success, as the game during the winning streak. Combining the recent hot streak with a defense that’s allowing a

double digits only twice. In his last a huge key for Brown, as he raised

at the right time. this season. of the season against the Toledo Rockets, which has been the best team in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) so far. The Rockets are

led the team’s attack this season. Senior guard Mareon Jackson and been the team’s two leading scor-

On Tuesday night, we’ll see if the RedHawks can pass the test. Players to Watch been instrumental so far. Grant, a sophomore guard, has been the best scorer so far, and also leads the team with a blistering -

back to the RedHawks, three straight score. A few plays later, the score was A kill from junior outside hitter So-

putting her in rare air with the all-time Condit is currently eighth among all

back and a chance to win the game. Jennifer Schulze, the ball was in play.

wins. earned so many wins, and most importantly, my amazing assistant coaches,” Condit said, “It’s been a great run with a lot of great people.” lo suited up again to play each other, with the RedHawks picking up anothAlthough the results were the

least 15 points per game. Senior guard Spencer Littleson, the team’s third-leading scorer, has shot a

Miami started out slowly, allowing the

@LukasTheDream nelso156@miamioh.edu

match. The rest of the set was back and forth, as a kill by junior outside

against Eastern Michigan last Saturday was enough for him to earn

three sets. The team claimed narrow -

the MAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week award. Brown, a senior forward who’s had an up-and-down career with the RedHawks, looks like he’s in the midst of a breakout season. In

senior setter Morgan Seaman to close out the set. The third frame was the hardest of the night for the ’Hawks, as the Bulls

before Condit called a timeout. After the stoppage, the RedHawks slowly clawed their way back before

The second frame was back and forth, too, with the score deadlocked

determined that Leigh made an attack and a series sweep. the second match and playing their game, and they certainly did a great job tonight,” Condit said. “We were Harper led the team with 11 kills in the second match. On Monday, she was named a Miami Athlete of the Week. “She’s just a great athlete,” Condit said. After the sweep, the RedHawks will continue their season with a twogame series against the Akron Zips on

@LukasTheDream nelso156@miamioh.edu

’Hawks Talk JACK SCHMELZINGER THE MIAMI STUDENT After a discouraging beginning of the season, the Miami RedHawks hockey team has shown promise of late.

season, the team is a much more respectable 4-5-2. 12, in a tight game against an Omaha team currently ranked 11th in the ericks behind a shutout performance Persson. leaning on two points from senior forward Phil Knies and another shutout from Persson. the season in Omaha, Neb., in a pod tional Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) foes, the team went 2-7-1 in the pod. played Western Michigan four times — going 2-1-1 against the Broncos — and dropped both games last weekend against St. Cloud State. The team has been plagued by

FRESHMAN GOALTENDER LUDVIG PERSSON HAS PERFORMED WELL AFTER REPLACING THE GRADUATED RYAN LARKIN (PICTURED). THE MIAMI STUDENT MACY WHITAKER

score consistently. RedHawks fans should be excited The team that allowed the fourthmost goals per game in the country in In the season’s stretch run, the One of the bright spots from Mi-

home series against Western Michigan. The puck drops for their next

enough for 45th (out of 51) nationaltop line scoring — like the team got from now-graduates Gordie Green

emerging star Persson and should be encouraged by the team’s strong showings against nationally ranked

country. For the remainder of the season, the team will look for more consis-

schmelj2@miamioh.edu

Opinion

WOLFFRG@MIAMIOH.EDU

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2021

STAFF EDITORIAL

Give credit/no credit where it is due as students at this university, and are capable of making Though virtually nothing has returned to normal Provost has decided to reinstate the normal academic calendar timeline for choosing a credit/no credit option for classes. Normally, students have to decide two weeks after classes start. But, last semester the deadline This also enforces the rule that the credit/no credit This decision is unwarranted. to some form of normalcy, but this isn’t the way to do so. Raising the standard by which we are graded clashes with our current situation, which continues to remain both uncertain and dominantly online. his personal opinion that the pandemic has become “predictable,” but with new strains of the virus popping up in Ohio, it’s hard to see the validity of his thought process. Yes, the vaccine is here and it’s in the process of being distributed. But, it has yet to be widely received by many of the people in Miami’s community, so it is safe to assume things will get worse before they get better.

we’ve started to get academically stricter. The fact that we’re still predominantly online says more about our academic state during this phase of the pandemic than a reversion in our academic calendar ever could. This policy reimplementation is trying to force a normalcy upon us without a real hope of it truly being there. We know Miami’s appearance means everything the students’ main priority, and this is a perfect example of that disconnect. Some professors are still in the process of switching the mode of their class even though they’re supposed to stick to the original plan they had during registration. Classes are not predictable enough to make a decision on how you want to be graded at this point. This lack of student representation is no surprise considering the fact that Associated Student Government was hardly consulted in the process of going back to pre-pandemic policy. The student organization was informed of the decision and was told they could make a petition if they opposed it strongly, though it would

Take a break — without endangering yourself or others CHLOE MURDOCK

If you’re an in-state student like me, you were cooped up in Ohio last summer. I went weeks without leaving the house except to get groceries, occasionally stand six feet apart from friends, or drive around alone aimlessly in my car with my music blasting on roads Then I would hop onto Instagram and see someone on some sandy beach. I assumed if someone was traveling, it meant they were taking risks that could expose them to COVID-19 without a thought about other people. But in December, I hopped on a plane. I Forty minutes after we landed, I was in a nally understood. It is possible to vacation responsibly — as long as you don’t make the Spirit Airlines.) Months before my parents would strongarm me into boarding a plane, I unfollowed someone after they posted a picture of a swaying palm tree from the perch of a bar. How could they be out and about while the sick pack hospitals, and when people who are high-risk can hardly leave their homes and the from work to social distance? Having the means to go on vacation is a privilege even without a pandemic. As is being home without an end date in sight. Then my parents announced that 1) my great grandpa had died, probably alone, in the hospital, and 2) they were moving to Florida. In a pandemic? My dad foresaw that the pandemic would be here for the long haul and wanted to work remotely with sunshine visible through his window. They sold the house within the U-Haul, then headed to Florida a week after I left for college. They Facetimed me throughout fall semester asking me when I would visit. Each time, their tans deepened, and each time, I said no as Ohio temperatures steadily dropped. a Spirit Airlines plane because my miles from a canceled spring break trip would expire if I didn’t use them in the next few months. I attendants. And then: palm trees. Near-80 degree weather. I changed into a swimsuit and

stepped into my grandparents’ pool. Now, not everyone has the ability to access a private pool with icy drinks all for free. That is not the point. But it’s a lot easier to socially distance when it’s warm, especially from people who don’t believe that COVID-19 is real or refuse to wear masks. So if you have the means and the time and the health and the privilege to go somewhere warm and travel safely, stop wringing your hands in the cold like I did all of last semester and go. This doesn’t mean to go out to a packed bar or house full of people, or skip school for a Cancún spring break even though it’s been replaced with mental health days. However, with classes increasing face-toface time, I am loath to recommend any of these travel tips unless you minimize your time on campus with other people as much as possible. Miami students are a cesspool, and the COVID-19 numbers are going to go up as we come back to campus. For you, a vacation right now might be as simple as going on a hike or a walk in your nearest woods when you have a free moment. with self check-in, where you don’t even have to meet face-to-face with your host. There are even “medical grade” Airbnb listings that travelers, who serve as backup for burnt-out The Center for Disease Control (CDC) also says you should consider if hospitals near your home or your travel destination are at capacity. If so, leave the Airbnbs in that area for healthcare workers and go somewhere else. You also need to prepare yourself for the worst outcome. Bring hand sanitizer, alcohol wipes, plenty of masks and your common sense. Get tested. Get the vaccine if you can. Get away to an Airbnb with a full kitchen, and your host will be able to point you to the nearest grocery store. If you’re afraid to cook for yourself, order delivery. Ask social distancing family members or friends who are not at risk if they’re comfortable with you crashing at their place. take a walk in the mornings when beaches are vacant. Drive, if you can, to wherever you’re going. into spending miles before they expire like me, and don’t go to the restroom. on Spirit Airlines.

are being made — which should be a given. through the right channels, we probably would’ve met somewhere in the middle. It’s not necessary to wait to choose a credit/no credit option until the week bemake sense if the deadline were right around midterms, which is when we would fully know how classes would be structured, how well our professors have a handle on learning process.

We understand the concern about students taking advantage of the policy and taking more classes with no credit than necessary, which can be frustrating for professors. But here’s the thing — we are adults as well

Masks on the beach: MAGAZINE EDITOR-AT-LARGE

a few students take advantage and have little to no GPA for a semester or two isn’t fair to the rest of us. Plus, those students will have to face their own consequences for choosing those options, and they’ll be responsible for them on their own. We know some people might think we’re asking to be coddled, or asking for more than we need or that we’re taking advantage of the pandemic. But that’s not the case here. We are simply asking for a seat at the table

and to take this petition seriously enough to reconsider this single-minded policy reimplementation.

Seriously, therapy is cool KENDALL VOLPE THE MIAMI STUDENT Therapy is awesome. In fact, I think therapy is cool. Colloquially, people say, “Oh, xyz wish everyone thought the way I did, because therapy really is the best thing around since Wonder Bread debuted its sliced loaf in 1930. Alas, people somehow aren’t seeing what I am, which leads to the problem we are facing: stigmas. It’s no secret we live in a world with a longstanding history and presence of negative stigma toward mental health and mental health awareness. Until the ’60s, mental health was not openly discussed, let alone made the face of movements regarding recognition and awareness. Because of this, there are assumptions and stereotypes that come with candidly talking about mental health or going to therapy. A common assumption I hear all the time is that there needs to be something wrong for somebody to go to therapy. Or, worse, that people who elect to go to therapy are messed up or not normal. For these reasons and more, people are ashamed to ask for help. Experts have reported that going to therapy increases feelings of empowerment and tion and awareness. Marian Margulies, a psychologist in New York City, was quoted in a Forbes article as saying, “If you’re not getting to the cause of the pain, you’re essentially chained to the past. Psychotherapy gets to the root.” Not only that, but going to therapy gives patients the opportunity to explore their thoughts, expectations, feelings and promotes better communication in other areas of life. What is so misunderstood about therapy is that there does not need to be any element of mental health involved. I know plenty of check-ins; How are things going? How is the family? How is work or school? Having someone to talk to on a regular or semi-regular basis who keeps us in check is so important, especially if that someone is outside of our usual inner circle and can provide us with a new perspective. Therapy is what you make of it. If your session is a heart-to-heart that clears your be it. If it’s all about the gossip of others, so be it. If you feel like talking about struggles so be it. Maybe it’s all about what TV show you’re most interested in, or what books you’ve read recently … so be it!

This is why I think therapy is so amazing. Because each time you meet with your therapist, it can be something the same or something completely new, and it is all so individualized and personable. You can do as much or as little as you want, and the results are what you make of them. With all of that being said, of course there can also be a mental health component. I also know plenty of people who see therapists to help with issues related to anxiety and/or depression to work on coping mechanisms, habits that they want to see changed, or improvement of day-to-day experiences in relationships and activities. therapist, why are so many hesitant to make resources, awareness, or readiness to admit to wanting to talk to someone. For others, it ing into stereotypes and negative associations with therapy as a whole. Fortunately, I have solutions for three of those situations. ness, most universities employ counselors and licensed professionals who have to follow the same legal obligations as any who stand alone in private practice for students who seek counseling or one-on-one sessions of talk therapy. Due to COVID-19, the mental health resources available through the university are currently all remote, but students are still presented options for support. Tele Appointments can be made available by calling this number: (513) 529-4634, and if you are looking for something more informal and convenient, follow this link to Campus Care, a drop-in mental health resource where students can speak to licensed professionals with no wait time and no fee. Not only that, but some health insurance companies cover therapy appointments as part of their plans, and places of work have resources available under their individual contracts, as well. In more immediate situations, there are ways to access talk therapy through reliable websites and hotline numbers that you can call. Though I cannot remedy the issue of being plagued by stereotypes, what is better than an unbiased, professionally trained adult who is legally obligated to keep your secrets, listen to your drama and help you through the ups and downs of life? Absolutely nothing. As someone who has been going to therapy consistently for about eight years now, I that I think everyone should have a therapist.