ESTABLISHED 1826
OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES
Volume 149 No. 15
Miami university
TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 2021
‘I’ve had panic attacks; I’ve lost sleep’:
xford,
Ohio
Autism Speaks controversy challenges student philanthropy
FACULTY MADELINE PHABY ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR
ALICE MOMANY
When Miami University faculty found out more than half of visiting assistant professors (VAPs) would not have their contracts renewed after the spring 2020 semester, many were gutted. In addition to losing their friends and colleagues, some worried their own workloads would increase as their departments shrank. Nearly a year after the decision was made, this fear has come true for many. VAPs are temporary faculty on one-year contracts that can be re-
THE MIAMI STUDENT Autism Speaks, the foremost autism related organization in the United States, has faced its fair share of controversy over the last decade. While the organization has made strides to improve its reputation, many members of the autistic community argue that Autism Speaks doesn’t speak for them. Two Miami University student to the controversy surrounding Autism Speaks. Alpha Xi Delta, one of Miami’s 19 sororities, remains in partnership with Autism Speaks. Cat Singerman, Alpha Xi Delta’s president, said because the sorority’s national chapter is associated with the organization, there isn’t much that Miami’s chapter can do about the partnership. Miami’s Autism Allies Club, which was formerly a local chapter of Autism Speaks, broke from the national advocacy group in 2019 to focus on other ways of supporting members of the Miami community with autism. Autism Speaks, founded in 2005, donates millions of dollars toward autism research, sets up tax-exempt savings accounts and provides access to healthcare for individuals with autism. The organization has increased awareness through its Autism Awareness Month campaign and its annual Autism Speaks Walk, which has become the world’s largest autism fundraiser. However, in a 2009 campaign video, Autism Speaks compared autism to cancer and frequently used
For that reason, the VAPs that left Miami last year were not technijust not renewed. This was primarily done as a money-saving measure, as Miami was forced to issue tens of millions of dollars in student refunds as a result of COVID-19. Provost Jason Osborne wrote in an email to The Miami Student that departments were never told to reduce their VAP appointments by a certain amount, but they were asked
DESIGNER MACEY CHAMBERLIN
caused by more than just their faculty duties. “I would start by acknowledging that I think most of us are feeling overburdened or burned out – fac-
its members at the beginning of the fall semester about how their workload has changed since COVID-19 hit. The survey asked questions about the respondent’s course load, course caps, service obligations and other aspects of faculty workload. Of the 53 respondents, 74% said the number of classes they were teaching had increased, 36% said their course caps had increased and 47% said their service obligations had increased. Just 9% of respondents said they felt Miami’s upper administration recognized and appreciated the additional work they’d put in. Osborne acknowledged the burnout many professors are experiencing but said they are not the only ones feeling this way, and that it is
as possible, which in turn reduced the need for VAPs. “This was primarily done to ensure we were being good stewards wrote, “and to ensure we could weather an economic challenge of Osborne also said department chairs were ultimately responsible for ensuring faculty workloads were reasonable and fair. “Every department is being asked to update their policies to make teaching responsibilities to ensure Miami’s advocacy chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) issued a survey to
wrote. “For faculty, feeling overburdened is more than a function of Stephen Norris, a professor of history, has many responsibilities in addition to those of a typical faculty member. As director of the Havighurst Center for Russian and Post-Soviet Studies, he juggles the administrative duties of running the center along with teaching, university service and scholarship. Due to these additional responsibilities, Norris typically has a 1-1
But, because the history department lost its three VAPs, his teaching load what he is used to. “Everyone [in the department] got at least one extra class, but I got two, and all of that is a direct result “and it’s not like my responsibilities for the Havighurst Center or reNorris also said all the courses he taught in the calendar year 2020 were new to him, which added another layer of stress on top of his increased workload and having to “For the most part, a lot of these extra courses were ones we weren’t expected to teach, and in many cas-
additional services like therapy for families with children with autism. Although there are treatments such as therapy and interventions, autism
Norris said. “When you repeat the departmental standard of 2-2.
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Few and far between: COSETTE GUNTER ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR Only about 7.5% of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated as of March 1, according to NPR’s COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker. Under the CDC’s three-phase distribution plan, college students are not scheduled to get their doses until phase three. Ohio has not released estimated dates for phase three of distribution. Ohio is currently in phase 1b of its rollout plan, which includes Ohians aged 65 and up, 16 and up with underlying health conditions and adults/ employees in K-12 that plan to remain educating in-person. Despite the distant promise of vaccination for most college students, some Miami students are already fully vaccinated. Sam George, a sophomore architecture major, was a part of the University
the vaccine potentially. I know it’s probably going to become something we’re
all gonna need at one point, so I was just like, ‘You know what I’m just gonna
Brick every weekend, but I still go out and see
George received the placebo vaccine in the study and was unblinded in December and told he was eligible for the actual vaccine doses. -
Carroll said the vaccine does make him hopeful for the future, but the new variants of COVID-19 also keep him cautious. “I think people have a false sense of hope right now and don’t totally realize the circumstances of the pandem-
George said there were some moments where he was nervous about participating in the study because of the and hoped he did get the placebo. Looking back, George said he was happy he was able to be vaccinated. “I feel fortunate that I got [the vacone else really that has got the vaccine George, however, is not alone. Patrick Carroll, a sophomore computer science and pre-medical studies the Moderna vaccine in late December week of classes. er academy through the University of Akron and training as an EMT in his hometown in Cleveland. He received
June 2020. The study took six months to complete, and George was paid for attending his doctor visits at the Rochester Regional Health Hospital. George’s aunt works in the infectious diseases sector of the hospital and asked George if he would participate in the study. George said he was able to participate in the trial because he was healthy and did not have any underlying health conditions. “I did it because they were like, ‘Oh, you get 100 bucks each appointment,’
fully vaccinated college students
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not quite at herd immuMaddie Canter, a sophomore microbiology and pre-medical studies double major, the Moderna vaccine in January and her second two weeks ago. Canter is a volunteer at Fort Hamilton hospital and said all the personnel teraction with patients. The personnel were ranked on priority, and Canter got an email in December that said she was eligible.
abled him to receive the vaccine. Carroll said his arm was sore after him chills and aches, but the symptoms lasted only 12 hours. Carroll said the vaccine helps his mindset on campus but noted that he still tries to be careful. “I don’t go uptown a whole lot, but I’m hanging out at friends’ apartments
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only thing I experienced was soreness at the injection site for 24 hours. The second is a little worse. I had soreness, and then, the next day, I woke up with a fever, a headache and nausea and just kind of felt achey, but that only lasted Canter said she feels safer knowing she is vaccinated, but she doesn’t act
it’s not absurd. I’m not going to
“With the limited research on, like, can vaccinated people still spread [the coronavirus] even if they don’t actually become sick, I don’t feel safe changing Canter lives with three other people who aren’t vaccinated and still tries to take all the precautions to keep them safe. Canter said the vaccine gives her hope for the future of the pandemic. “I think it’d be better if more people were vaccinated, and I feel more reas-
should take it if they have the opportunity to. “I think it’s a very ill-advised decisaid. “It’s pretty safe for the most part, too, so I think it’s silly if you choose not George said he understands any apprehension people might have around taking the vaccine because he was skeptical himself but also agrees that it’s a promising solution. “I think it’s important to trust the George said. “If you really want things
“I think everyone that has the opportuCarroll said he was not nervous to take the vaccine and thinks everyone
@cosettegunter guntercr@miamioh.edu
5% chance of contracting COVID-19.
CAMPUS & COMMUNITY
PHOTO
Sexual assault reports are down this year, in part because of COVID-19
An inside look at parties during the pandemic
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DESIGNER MACEY CHAMBERLIN
OPINION
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Basketball regular season page 10
The beginning of a journalism journey page 12