The Miami Student | October 13, 2020

ESTABLISHED 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES

Volume 149 No. 4

Miami university — Oxford, Ohio

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2020

Remain-inroom students allowed out:

“There’s only one side that’s

Dining process altered MAGGIE PEÑA MULTIMEDIA EDITOR (ORL) at Miami University recently announced that Bell Tower Commons will be closed to all students not under the university’s remainin-room (RIR) advisory, and Western Dining Commons will be closed to non-RIR students on the weekends.

Initially, RIR students were advised to limit their interactions outside the residence halls and had meals delivered to their hall by Dining Services. Now, RIR students will no longer receive meals delivered to their hall and instead are permitted to pick up food to-go at Bell on weekdays and Western on weekends.

Friday, Oct. 9.

This announcement comes just a week after the university implemented its color code system to track COVID-19 cases in residence halls. At the time of publication, Miami were under RIR advisories. ies triple major, lives in Brandon Hall and has been under RIR for a week. During those seven days, Rosu said he and his roommate ered to their room by the university. roommate received their food, but Rosu’s was not accommodating to his vegetarian diet. His second meal didn’t have any meat, but his third meal simply never arrived. Other days, his meals were correct, but his roommate’s meals didn’t come.

“I don’t think there’s been a single day since Saturday where both of us got meals and everything [was right],” Rosu said.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

The politics of mask-wearing WEARING A MASK HAS BECOME A POLITICIZED ACT, SOME STUDENTS SAY. THE MIAMI STUDENT ZACH REICHMAN

MADELINE PHABY ASST. NEWS EDITOR When you walk around Miami University’s campus, it can sometimes be hard to tell that the university requires students to wear masks at all times.

Maskless faces walk up and down the sidewalks, and students can be exit academic buildings.

Originally, masks were only required outdoors when physical distance couldn’t be easily maintained, such as in doorways or other crowded areas. But this policy was changed on Oct. 1 as COVID-19 cases continued to rise on campus, and now masks must be worn in all outdoor areas.

So why are maskless students on campus? If Miami students are following the same trends as the rest of the country, the reason may be politics.

Though masks have been scienof COVID, there’s still a heated debate over whether wearing them is necessary, and a person’s stance on the issue is often tied to their politisurvey, 86% of respondents who always wore a mask when going out in public, compared to just 48% of Republican respondents.

Despite this, Collin Finn, vice chairman of Miami’s College Republicans (CRs), said the association of anti-mask ideology with Republicans is unfair.

“I know there’s been somewhat of a stereotype that Republicans are against masks, but I don’t think that’s accurate,” Finn said. “Most of the Republicans I know here and back in my hometown are strongly in favor of masks — they wear masks because it’s the right thing to do.”

On July 16, CRs released a statement expressing their support for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s recom-

mendations to wear a mask and social distance.

Omar Elghazawi, vice president of Miami’s College Democrats, said that, although not all Republicans are anti-mask, nearly all anti-mask people are Republicans.

“It seems like it’s a very conservative thing to not wear a mask,” Elghazawi said. “I know that might be somewhat unfair, but at the same time, there’s only one side that’s telling people not to wear masks.”

Sophomore biomedical engineering major Madeleine Keller agreed with Elghazawi, saying that most of the anti-mask “propaganda” she’s seen has come from right-wing outlets.

“I would say that the conservative side is more likely to associate wearing a mask with government control and communism,” Keller said, “and that the left side is more about the science of it all.”

Another reason many people associate not wearing a mask with Republicans is that President Don-

ald Trump often goes out in public without wearing one and has even mocked others — including reporters and Joe Biden — for wearing them.

On Oct. 11, Ben Nachowitz, a senior at Talawanda High School who works at the Walmart in Oxford, made a post in the Oxford Talk Facebook page imploring his fellow Oxford residents to wear masks after seeing several without them at his work.

“If you won’t [wear a mask] for yourself, do it for us. The Walmart every single day for you,” the post reads. “Do it for me, who had to watch his grandfather mutter his last words through a ventilator over Zoom.”

The post received more than 600 likes and nearly 100 comments, nearly all of them supportive of Nachowitz’s message. Nachowitz said a few negative comments — including CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Bring it on: BLM lecture with distinguished actress and academic MAGGIE PEÑA

Union and Dyson spoke to their experiences as Black Americans, explaining their personal familiarity with racism and segregation.

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Despite the fact that there appeared to be no audience at the event due to technical limitations, the passion that emanated from the two speakers’ sermon-esque words invoked the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. himself.

The Miami University lecture series hosted “BLM: Artists, Academics and Activism” as

times of history — Dyson during the civil rights movement of the 1960s, and Union more than a decade later — their dedication to being activists was shared.

“When you threaten my humanity, when you don’t even see my humanity, you need to

Gabrielle Union, an award-winning actress, famous for movies such as “Bring It On” and “10 Things I Hate About You,” and Michael Eric Dyson, a New York Times best-selling author and ordained minister, spoke at the lecture about the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement Monday, Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom.

Logan Fry, a senior political science major and committee member for the university lecture series, helped plan and host the event.

He said the committee knew BLM would be an important topic of conversation with the onslaught of police brutality and protests across the U.S. in the past few months. ucate the students of Miami on these very important issues and have this conversation?” Fry said. “And what better way to do it than with two intellectuals that have lived [through] the issues we’re talking about?”

The lecture, moderated by Bennyce Hamilton, regional director of diversity services and deputy Title IX coordinator for Miami Hamilton, was a Q&A-style discussion focused on activism and the BLM movement.

learn how to weaponize my words, to stand up for myself and everyone else.”

For everyone in the U.S., 2020 has been a year to remember, with a pandemic and racially-motivated tragedy, not to mention a presidential election coming up. But for Black people, Dyson explained, coronavirus and police brutality have impacted their fundamental right to live.

“What joins them together?” Dyson said.

“What is the cry that each of them have — a spongy lung and a vulnerable body? ‘I can’t breathe.’ COVID and cops rendering the same pressure and the same consequence.”

The renewed attention on the BLM movement in response to this pressure has also resulted in renewed attention from the other side — people advocating for “blue lives” or those who say “all lives matter.”

Dyson made an important distinction.

“A cop is a choice,” he said. “A cop is a profession. This skin I’m in? This ain’t no choice.

This is what I was born with.”

All lives should matter, Dyson said, but until they all do matter, there’s still work to be done.

ACTRESS AND ACTIVIST GABRIELLE UNION (TOP LEFT) AND DR. MICHAEL ERIC DYSON (BOTTOM) DISCUSSED TOPICS FROM POLICE BRUTALITY TO RACISM IN ACADEMIA. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR MAGGIE PEÑA

With this activism, though, comes obstacles. Speaking up and speaking out, Union said, could lead to lost jobs, lost relationships or even lost lives. There’s also an economic aspect, with education, protests and legal rights But the biggest obstacle Union said? Yourself.

She explained that sometimes the line between doing right to boost your ego and wanting to do right because it’s the moral thing to do can become blurred.

“It’s not about who’s going to get credit for what,” Union said. “It’s about ‘how many people can we help?’ What can we do to help the greater good, and we should not be centered in that.”

To overcome the obstacle of yourself, Dyson emphasized the importance of taking care of yourself. He said if he could give any gift to the civil rights activists, it would be that of selfcare. He also advised on the need for personal grace.

“If I were to pass anything on to young people, in that sense,” he said, “it’s to forgive yourself, give yourself enough space to grow.”

At the end of the lecture, Union and Dyson gave advice to students dealing with racism and discrimination on campus. Dyson said students need to remember their responsibility of paving the way for future generations by speaking out against injustices now.

Union said it all comes down to simple economics.

“You are paying for an equal education,” she said, “and if your education has been marred with racism, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia — you’re not getting the same education as your white peers. You’re getting less than everyone else, and that’s just pure economics. You should get what the hell you paid for.”

Fry said the university lecture series will not be holding any more events this semester but is in the process of planning more for next semester. @maggieloup penaml@miamioh.edu

This Issue NEWS

CULTURE

Miami's political

page 5

OPINION

patch article is all

page 7

From "Hannah Montana" to "Heart of Glass": Miley is always changing page 8

"Dang, here we go.

It’s game time."

page 9

and watch the next presidential debate

page 10

This Week

2 FYI

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 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 Derek Stamberger Video Producer Jessica Robinson Humor Editor

James Tobin Faculty Adviser

Aim Media Midwest Printer

Owen Berg Style Editor

Sydney Hill Brianna Porter Copy Editors

Madeline Phaby Abby Bammerlin Asst. News Editors

CORRECTIONS POLICY

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

“There’s only one side that’s telling people not to wear masks”: The politics of mask-wearing CONTINUED FROM FRONT

LGBTQ+ Alumni Panel Virtual Event

7:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m.

Looking to get connected to LGBTQ+ alumni? Tune in to a panel hosted by MAP to hear about their experiences.

10/14

Town Hall w/ Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose Virtual Event 7:00 p.m.

Participate in a Q&A with Ohio

Thurs

Faculty Caring & Student Learning Presentation

Weds

Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

Varno Harris II Social Media Editor

Advertising information: miamistudent.net/advertise Send us a letter? eic@miamistudent.net The Miami Student is published on Tuesdays during the school year by the students of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

The content of The Miami Student is the sole responsibility of The Miami

one that featured a string of laughing emojis and one that said COVID was a hoax — were deleted

by Oxford Talk moderators.

Nachowitz, who moved to Oxford from New York about eight years ago, said he believes most Oxford residents who refuse to wear masks do so because of their support of Trump.

“The people who are anti-mask are very right-wing and very set in their ways,” Nachowitz said. “They’re in this circle of like-minded people, and they basically believe anything Trump says. So if he says ‘you don’t need to wear a mask,’ then they will not wear a mask.”

Finn, on the other hand, said that DeWine’s endorsement of mask-wearing aligns closely with Trump’s own recommendations, and that Trump has never been against wearing them. According to the New York Times, though, Trump has downplayed the im-

10/13

Fred Reeder Business Adviser

Jenna Calderón Asst. Culture Editor David Kwiatkowski Entertainment Editor

Tues

portance of wearing masks on multiple occasions.

First-year integrated mathematics education major Aaron Chavez said he disagrees with the politicization of mask-wearing on both sides because it promotes discord that isn’t ideal during a global pandemic.

“It comes down to people’s own liberties and their own thoughts, and that’s fine,” Chavez said. “But also, this is a global concern, and we all need to be in this together.”

Finn agreed that taking precautions against the spread of COVID is not a political action, but a necessary thing to keep yourself and others healthy.

“It’s not a political statement at all — it’s just about doing your part to keep your neighbors healthy,” Finn said. “Unless you wear a Trump 2020 mask like I do, then I guess it’s more of a political statement.”

10/15

Thurs 10/15

Virtual Event

Faculty can learn how to support students dealing with mental health issues.

2:00 p.m.

Healthcare Professional Panel Virtual Event 4:00 p.m. Come hear from a panel of current healthcare 5:30 p.m. professionals about their career paths and get

Remain-in-room students allowed out Dining process altered Due to the issues with receiving his food, Rosu frequently had to turn to ordering delivery from nearby restaurants.

“It’s a little annoying because what would cost $12 costs like $18 because of all the delivery fees,” Rosu said.

Rosu is glad to be able to get out of his room but said he’s apprehensive for the change because of the increased chance of contact with those not in RIR. “I don’t know if I’m more concerned with the RIR people going out and interacting with each other,” Rosu said, “or if I’m concerned with them interacting with non-RIR people who might be contagious, and they’re not in isolation

at all.”

Not only is he worried about the health of the general student population, but Rosu fears for the dining hall workers’ health as well.

Junior political science major and Bell employee Hannah Prentiss said she and her fellow workers were left in the dark about this decision.

“Everything is so last minute,” Prentiss said, “and you have to be on your feet all the time, just waiting for them to make another change. Which I understand, but I was shocked.”

Prentiss said that although there are safety precautions in place, such as face shields and line mark-

ployment and her health.

“I don’t really feel comfortable being exposed like that,” Prentiss said, “but at the same time, I need money, so I have to continue working there.”

Many of the workers at the dining hall are older people, Prentiss said, and she worries about their health. Because they are full-time workers, she said, the decision to leave isn’t realistically one they can make.

“They’re all gonna stay there, they need money,” Prentiss said. “Like this is their job, but I feel bad for them.” @maggieloup penaml@miamioh.edu

a dilemma between her em-

phabymr@miamioh.edu

Are you a: • writer • photographer • designer • or illustrator?

Join the TMS Team!

NEWS 3

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2020

LUMPKIBM@MIAMIOH.EDU

Talawanda students decide whether to go back in-person or remain remote through at least part of the fall semester.

“I was really sad, because I didn’t think it was going to drag on for that long,” Garland said. “I understand the reasons why they wanted to continue online, but that didn’t make it any easier.”

Edward Theroux, Talawanda’s superintendent, said the district will send out a survey to Talawanda stureturn in person or remain remote.

Theroux said students in-person

TALAWANDA STUDENTS WERE GIVEN THE CHOICE TO RETURN TO IN-PERSON CLASSES OR STAY REMOTE THROUGH THE END OF THE SEMESTER. PHOTO EDITOR BO BRUECK

ABBY BAMMERLIN ASST. NEWS EDITOR Talawanda School District’s Board of Education voted unanimously to allow students the option of going back to classes in-person on Oct. 29 or to remain remote through the semester.

After hearing she would be given

TAJ SIMMONS THE MIAMI STUDENT As one of Miami University’s two student trustees serving on the Board of Trustees (BoT) prepares to graduate this spring, the university is lookyears.

Will Kulis will graduate in May, leaving his position open to an indent. The new student trustee will work with current student trustee Amitoj Kaur, acting as a liaison between the student body and the BoT. Kaur, a sophomore political science and emerging technology in business + design double major, said the position adds the student perspective to the BoT. “What our role is, is to tell the trustee members what’s going on at Miami, what students are needing, but also being advocates actively throughout the year, staying in touch with the student body and making sure that we are giving accurate representation and just knowledge to the board,” Kaur said. “[We are] the eyes and the ears.” of the position included creating a relationship with Associated Student Government (ASG), as well as getting to know other trustees and creating connections outside of the meeting environment.

a choice to stay online or return to in-person classes, Talawanda junior Ellie Garland said the decision was easy.

“I’m going back in-person because online school for me personally doesn’t work too well,” Garland said.

“I don’t feel like I’m getting as much as I possibly can out of the classes.”

She said her teachers are doing

the best they can, but it just isn’t the same as in-person experience.

The district had been entirely remote since the spring. The board renewed its decision to remain online during its Aug. 3 meeting.

Garland said she was disappointed when Talawanda announced it’d be continuing the online format

Kulis, a marketing and entrepreneurship double major, explained the process of applying for the position.

“My experience completing the process was pretty straightforward,” Kulis said. “I met with one of the student trustees, and then I completed the application. After that, we had the interview with the Associated Student Government. Then it was a pretty long waiting process before I heard from the governor, but after an interview, I was approved in March.”

Kaur also remembers the long waiting process from the governor, one that was made more stressful because of the impact of COVID-19.

“On my time, COVID hit, so my interview was over the phone,” Kaur said. “I think being in a virtual room with them was just immediately nerve-wracking. I remember leaving my interview thinking I bombed it.”

Kulis said one of the most important skills needed for this position is the ability to draw from a large portion of Miami’s student body.

“I think it’s important for the next person to have a wide range and network on campus so that they are able to talk to and gather information from more than just the same group of people,” Kulis said. “A lot of the

On Sept. 30, Victoria Negrón, a senior psychology major, invited Marianna Gay, a junior speech pathology major, into her apartment kitchen. The pair went to work preparing to cook tostones, a twice-fried plantain dish common in Puerto sent out a Zoom link to UNIDOS, Miami University’s Hispanic and Latinx organization.

“It was a hard decision,” West Poley said. “I’m so tired of not seeing everyone … but we’ll just do it for a little while longer.” bammeraj@miamioh.edu @abby_bammerlin

AS WILL KULIS (RIGHT) PREPARES TO GRADUATE, HE REFLECTS ON HIS TIME AS A STUDENT TRUSTEE AND ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO APPLY FOR THE POSITION ALONGSIDE AMITOJ KAUR (LEFT). CONTRIBUTED BY AMITOJ KAUR & WILL KULIS

role is knowing what to look for that isn’t right in terms of the student body and talking to people to understand their experiences so that you can communicate it to the board.”

Kaur added that she thinks the BoT is looking for an applicant who is pre-

UNLIKE LAST YEAR WHEN THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN, HISPANIC AND LATINX COMMUNITY MEMBERS COULD NOT CELEBRATE THEIR CULTURE UPTOWN AT THE UNIDIVERSITY FESTIVAL THIS YEAR. PHOTO EDITOR BO BRUECK

SEAN SCOTT

program.

“The idea of Talawanda teachers working with Talawanda students, we’ve all said that’s a really important component,” board member Rebecca Howard said.

The board considered a hybrid option or alternative scheduling but

to allow parents to choose whether they wanted to go back in person or remain online.

West Poley said he’s usually really social, so online schooling has been

“Prior to my term, we didn’t have a relationship with the student government at all,” Kaur said. “I wanted to make this happen and explain how

Students celebrate Latinx culture during Hispanic Heritage Month

THE MIAMI STUDENT

teacher than they had online depending on how many teachers Talawanda sess.

“Not all teachers can teach all grade levels or all subjects,” Theroux said, “so we have to ensure that … we have enough teachers to do the faceto-face plus the remote learning.”

He said Talawanda may consider bringing in a supplemental ‘platform educational program’ like Edmentum, if the district doesn’t have enough teachers. Talawanda has not

ultimately voted to allow students to choose in-person or online instead.

Talawanda junior Owen West Poley said he and his two siblings who go to Talawanda would remain online.

“We just decided we were going to stay online because my mom’s immunocompromised, and so we didn’t want to take a risk,” West Poley said.

Garland said many of her friends who have at-risk family members are staying home out of concern for spreading the virus.

“It would be very, very, very dangerous for them to go back to school and possibly bring the virus home to that family member,” Garland said.

The board’s decision comes after many parents last month protested the district’s decision to remain online only. The protest took place outside of the Board of Education’s of-

Even though the event was entirely virtual, it ran much like any other dinner with UNIDOS. Negrón and Gay, president and vice president of the organization, respectively, sent out a supply list for members to follow along. They chatted about past dinners and their favorite ways to prepare tostones and other Latin American dishes. Occasionally, one of the members following along grón tried to describe the tostones to

club members who weren’t cooking themselves. Plantains may look like bananas, but these tasted savory, almost like a soft potato chip without salt. Negrón put salt and garlic powder on hers before dipping it in mayonnaise mixed with ketchup.

Last year, students celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month in Oxford Memorial Park with the UniDiversity Festival. Food trucks with options from various Latin American countries lined the streets and live bands performed throughout the day. At-

pared.

“We’re looking for a student trustee who’s ready,” Kaur said. “Ready to roll up their sleeves and put in the work. Someone who’s passionate not only about Miami, but about higher education, and really just ready to get

Interested students can access the Student Trustee Application on ASG’s website.

tendees included students, members of UNIDOS, the mayor of Oxford, Cincinnati residents and even a few llamas.

For sophomore psychology major Maria Tirado Rodriguez, the festival

and all the diversity clubs were there.

But somehow, we didn’t get invited.

Like, we didn’t even know about it.”

Negrón said she feels supported by numerous individual faculty members. In particular, she pointed to Latin American Studies professors, Student Health Services and the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion as allies of Miami’s Hispanic and Latinx communities. Despite this, Negrón said she struggles when dealing with administration.

“It gets frustrating when you get higher up in administration, as it does for pretty much anyone,” Negrón said. “But the people that are kind of on the ground talking to students all the time have been there and are so supportive.”

She had joined UNIDOS earlier in the month at Mega Fair and volunteered to help organize the event.

“It was all very colorful,” Tirado Rodriguez said. “And the music, it reminded me of home. It felt like home.”

Faced with both a pandemic and the upcoming election, Gay said it is more important than ever to provide a sense of community for Miami’s Hispanic and Latinx students.

“In our current climate with this portant for all cultures everywhere to celebrate who they are, what they believe in, where they’re from, all that,” Gay said. “So many things and so many people and so many feelings and cultures are being oppressed. So at least in my eyes, because of that, we have to talk about it.”

Tirado Rodriguez said voting in this election is her way of supporting those in her community who are unable to cast a ballot this year.

“I see a lot of people close to me who wish they could vote, but for X or Y reason, they’re not able to,” Tirado Rodriguez said. “Being able to recognize that privilege that I have, being able to vote, is really important for me.”

Conversations about culture aren’t limited to the national election, though. Gay and Negrón both feel that Hispanic and Latinx students at Miami face an uphill battle toward acceptance.

“Sometimes, we get left out of the mix,” Gay said. “There was an event last year with incoming freshmen that was, like, a whole diversity event,

@simmons_taj simmontp@miamioh.edu

appeared on Miami’s campus in April 2019, Negrón said many members of UNIDOS felt unsafe on campus.

When she brought their concerns to the administration, they told her they couldn’t do anything about it.

Tirado Rodriguez sees room for improvement in the university’s attitude toward minority students, as well.

“I know that there are people around me of the Latinx culture who feel maybe not [unsafe], but used,” Tirado Rodriguez said. “I’ve heard from a lot of my peers that sometimes it feels like we’re just brought into Miami to be that that person of color in list.”

While Tirado Rodriguez, Gay and Negrón all see progress in the Miami community, Gay pointed to one small change she’d like to see this Hispanic Heritage Month.

“The way you say UNIDOS is ‘oonee-dos,’” she said. “It’s not ‘you-needos.’” scottsr2@miamioh.edu

4 NEWS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2020

CARLINTM@MIAMIOH.EDU

“It was kind of like whiplash.”

First-years grapple with decision to move-in

HANNAH HORSINGTON STAFF WRITER Within two days of the announcement that Miami would be returning to in-person classes, every online. that she would no longer get to live with her roommate and was being moved to a single room. were going back, and then all my classes got moved online, and then I got put into a single — it was kind of was left feeling really unsure about what to do in terms of coming to campus this fall.” dilemma as hundreds of other underclassmen when it came time to decide whether or not she wanted to the cost of moving in only to take online classes was a big factor.

At the point that all of her classbill was already paid. She had also already taken out loans that she decided to move to campus.

So, does she regret it?

No. [so] I might as well come and try to make the most of the semester, even

meeting new people and being part of the Miami community, even with

said. on her opportunity to have a chance at a normal college experience, although making friends while sitting at her computer all day has proved to make the most of the situation, though, and has had a few chances to go to socially-distanced study sessions with some of her classmates.

-

First-year Lauren Bedell faced many of the same decisions as Hatexcept a biology lab, which she goes to only once a week. Her roommate decided to stay remote for the whole ble room by herself.

She attends all of her classes from her dorm room but tries to get out at least once a day. She explores the

campus, tries new restaurants and sits in Armstrong to do homework.

While Bedell also eventually decided to move in, she waited until the October move-in date because she needed more time to decide what she wanted to do. She was also still on crutches after breaking her foot in August and wanted to give it more time to heal, which cemented her decision to wait a little longer. her decision to move in was the fear of missing out on the typical college experience.

“I had seen people posting on Instagram or Snapchat who were

Bedell said. “Like, I am technically in want to miss out, and it looked like they were having fun even during quarantine.”

She also stopped to consider what could happen if spring semester got moved online. If she stayed online this semester, it could mean

that decision.”

Although neither of the girls regret their decision to move in and have a shot at a normal college expequite like they had hoped.

“When I was at home, I think online classes felt kind of temporary, like I was looking forward to doing then getting here and sitting in front ly been a little bit of a weird experience.”

campus at some point this year, so I @hannahorsington horsinhp@miamioh.edu

College Dems, Republicans and Young Democratic Socialists debate prior to election

OMAR ELGHAZAWI

HENRI ROBBINS THE MIAMI STUDENT

(CEEP) hosted a virtual debate be-

ahead of the 2020 election.

The debate was moderated by Victoria Villaneuva, a CEEP member, and Ethan Stack, an Associated Student Government (ASG) senator.

Questions were divided into three segments: coronavirus response, domestic issues and presidential candidates. tives from the three groups their opinCRs how their candidate would help America post-pandemic. said the Trump response to the pandemic has been marked by failures. coronavirus response was failure to properly educate the public, distribute tests to identify the numbers and locations of the virus and enforce policy to prevent further spread,” Wells said.

-

“The biggest issue is that America was set up to fail by our previous administrations, our previous governments and our history,” Vestey said.

“There is no functioning, widespread healthcare system that is accessible to anybody, anytime.”

Chairman of CRs Taylor Armstrong opposed Wells and Vestey. He said Trump worked to control the pandemic. force in a request to shut down the economy and shut down the country in order to learn more about the virus

The three groups were asked what or who they believe is the biggest threat to national security. CRs argued that China was the greatest threat.

“China is the biggest threat to sethey are the new evil empire,” said recent decades, the world order has accepted them with open arms, even after the atrocity committed at Tian-

the world.” edged the dangers of some foreign powers, but he said white supremacist

overwhelm our healthcare system, the

na, that is the most prominent perpetrator. timent about white supremacy. She cited statistics from federal intelligence agencies to further her argument.

“White supremacists and other right-wing groups are absolutely the greatest source of politically-motivated Center for Strategic and International Studies and from FBI reports. From been responsible for 73% of domestic extremist-related fatalities.” mation from the Center for Strategic and International Studies or the FBI,

“There are, of course, foreign nathe end of the day, this is about making sure that we can live our lives in the Moving on from the pandemic, the moderators asked whether Trump death. While CRs said Trump should ing it “laughably hypocritical” considering the Obama administration was not

“But white supremacy is the only one of these threats that is directly in our nation and directly involved in our government, working to advance white supremacist ideals. Groups like the Proud Boys and Patriot Front are allowed to form across the nation, especially in our The C.I.A has found that foreign ined States government and the election process, although according to the

tion dedicated to countering anti-semitism, with this statistic.

Later, the moderators asked CRs relevant to discussion. CRs responded and that, before being elected, he used loopholes allowed by the Obama-era tax code to avoid paying federal income tax. given a minute to make closing statements.

community. Regardless of the outcome of the election, Vestey said, “We have the chance to stand together and build a country that works for all of us.”

Armstrong said while many solutions may sound good on paper, they American people.

“We have got to pursue policies and choose candidates, frankly, for the White House that will apply realistic, practical and applicable policies that are going to be able to improve the lives of the American people,” Armstrong said. election was about livelihoods and said that the nation needs a president that will put them back onto the right track.

“Obviously, Joe Biden is far from a “Many in our club did not support him candidate that many of us wanted. But the most important thing that we need to do right now is take away a president that promotes white supremacy and promotes hatred in such a way that he has made it a normality in this country.” robbinha@miamioh.edu

NEWS 5

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2020

LUMPKIBM@MIAMIOH.EDU

How RAs are helping students transition to college during a pandemic I need to be doing instead.”

With positive COVID-19 cases on the rise in residence halls, paryears, what little opportunities students had to meet in person have been brought to a halt.

Of the 13 residence halls listed at a Level 4 advisory on the university’s COVID-19 dashboard as of of the building has a positive test rate of at least 5%), all have at least students.

Edward Green, Resident Director (RD) of Emerson Hall, understands that students are tired of experiencing college through a computer.

-

DESIGN EDITOR OWEN BERG

CLAIRE LORDAN THE MIAMI STUDENT With move-in for on-campus Oct. 4, nearly all students who chose to return to Oxford this semester have settled into college life for the foreseeable future.

For most students, the decision was not an easy one. Factors such as a potential, if not inevitable, spike in COVID-19 cases and restrictions on social gatherings

made many wary of what exactly living on a college campus during a pandemic would look like.

With limited in-person social interaction available to on-campus students, the role of Resident Assistants (RAs) in helping students make the transition to college is more crucial than ever. University restrictions on face-to-face meetings, however, have left students struggling to connect with their RAs. “I’ve heard complaints [about

RAs] from other students, that they’re not really present,” said resident of Hepburn Hall. “I mean, I’ve been here for almost a month, and I haven’t really interacted with mine at all.”

Though RAs have organized virtual events for students on their many have chosen not to take advantage of these opportunities.

“That’s just not how I prefer to socialize and make friends,” Beas-

RAs and residents to remain accessible to one another.

“Part of the residential experience here is that everyone in the community meets with their RA individually,” Green said. “I’m happy to say that, for the most part, residents have done well with getting engaged in their corridors — it’s really more important now than ever.”

In addition to creating a welcoming social environment for residents, RAs also help students that may need guidance with their transition to college. source to you guys,” said Becca Ro-

ways to engage students in a meaningful way and trying to do it in a way that’s going to be entertaining for them.”

to engage students in a meaningful way and trying to do it in a way that’s going to be entertaining for them, because I think the Zoom fatigue

now,” Green said.

While Zoom has played a major role in both students’ academic and social lives, RAs across residence halls have started utilizing other and Kahoot to foster connections “We did a Kahoot to try and do something a little more entertaining, and we had a gift basket for the winning resident — that was a lot of fun,” Green said.

Though Emerson’s Level 4 status has forced Green to prohibit any in-person gatherings in the building, he encourages both his

- Edward Green

bles, RD of Peabody Hall. “They’re there to not only connect with you, but to connect you with other residents.”

In addition to participating in RA-led events, students looking to get involved can also join their hall’s Community Leadership Team (CLT) to increase community involvement while still following university guidelines.

“CLT is a great way, if you’re not necessarily seeing what you want to happen in the halls, to get that to happen,” Robles said. “It’s a way for students to come in and make sure their voices are heard.” lordance@miamioh.edu

City Council addresses BLM Oxford proposals ABBY BAMMERLIN ASST. NEWS EDITOR Oxford City Council heard recommendations on Black Lives Matter (BLM) Oxford’s police reform proposals during its Oct. 6 meeting.

Assistant City Manager Jessica Greene presented a potential response to three proposals made by BLM Oxford in August.

The first proposal was to require comprehensive reporting on all stops made by police. Greene explained that, currently, the city doesn’t have the tools to collect all of the data requested by BLM Oxford.

She said Oxford Police Department (OPD) is working to create a committee to find ways to collect the additional data requested.

Greene said the goal would be to begin collecting the data by January 2021.

The second BLM Oxford proposal was to make it easier for residents to file a complaint against an officer if needed.

BLM Oxford suggested OPD give out business cards during each stop with the name and badge number of the officer.

Greene said, in response, the city has created two online feedback forms. She added that OPD will be working on including QR code links to the forms on their business cards.

The goal for implementation of this proposal is also January 2021.

The third proposal from BLM Oxford was to create a task force to research alternatives to traditional policing. Greene proposed a timeline that would call for the creation of the task force and that would investigate existing social service agencies.

social worker with them, I don’t think, is going to prevent police violence.”

He said he’s open to more research being done and doesn’t believe that the task force would be trying to replace police officers entirely.

“I think there’s a definite need for policing,” Jones said. “But we’re always trying to connect with social services.”

Jones said his police officers do a great job responding to mental health situations, but that they always want to do better.

“I’m not opposed to the task force, as long as it’s not politically motivated,” Jones said, “as long as it’s not pushing one agenda, as long its representative of the community and also has experts on it who know about police response to mental health situations.”

Mayor Mike Smith said he is accepting of a task force, but that he’d like to see the other two proposals implemented before moving on to the task force.

“This is not going to move as fast as people would like it,” Mayor Mike Smith said. “We are incredibly busy as a city.”

Later in the meeting, council passed resolutions to spend Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding given to the city by the federal government.

Council passed resolutions to spend $25,000 on People United for Self Help (PUSH), $41,600 on Oxford Seniors, and about $7,800 on Age Friendly Oxford and to give $10,000 to the Oxford Chamber of Commerce to reimburse businesses for COVID-19 expenses.

In addition, council passed $35,000 to Enjoy Oxford and just over $938,000 for public health upgrades, economic sustainability programs and educational supports.

Council voted to name or rename a street after Mike Davis, treasurer and CFO of the Talawanda School District, who died from COVID-19 in April.

City Manager Doug Elliott reported the Oxford zip code has reported 165 COVID-19 cases — separate from Miami’s cases — as of Sept. 28 which makes up 2.5%of cases in Butler County.

As of Oct. 12, Miami’s COVID-19 dashboard showed 2,023 cumulative cases.

Butler County has reported a total, including Miami’s cases, of 7,253 cases.

This means that Miami’s cases account for about 28% of the county’s cases.

Elliott said that as of Oct. 6, there have been no known student hospitalizations due to COVID-19. He encouraged community members to say something if they see others without masks on.

The next council meeting will be streamed on YouTube at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20.

“Even though this is not our police force, it’s just there are things we can do better.”

- Jason Bracken Working with these agencies, council would receive recommendations and a budget for changes to the city’s policing.

Greene set the goal for implementation of the proposal by January 2022.

“We know we’re not perfect,” Councilor Jason Bracken said. “Even though this is not a negative reflection on our police force, it’s just there are things we can do better, and there are things we can lead the way on.”

OPD Chief John Jones said he works with mental health experts and has partnered with social workers over the years.

“I don’t look at this conversation as police violence and preventing police violence,” Jones said. “Because our officers know when to use appropriate force, and a

bammeraj@miamioh.edu @abby_bammerlin

DESIGN EDITOR OWEN BERG

6 CULTURE

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2020

DAVID KWIATKOWSKI CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR I haven’t had my hair cut since I moved to Oxford. I didn’t know where to go and I was scared to go just anywhere and trust someone I didn’t know with my luscious locks. I always just waited until I went home.

So when our style editor (and good friend of mine), Owen Berg, proposed that I go to his barber and interview her while giving her free reign to do whatever she wanted to my hair, I took the leap of faith.

In addition to getting the best haircut I have probably ever gotten, I also met the most popular person in Oxford, Ohio. Trust me, I counted five people that said “Hi” to her as we sat in Kofenya.

Juiquetta Harmon, aka Kiki the Barber, has been cutting hair ever since her dad suffered a stroke in 1998 and she had to shave his head for him. Up until then, Harmon had been working with troubled teens and for in-home health companies. It was never her intention to cut hair for a living until one of her friends gave Harmon a moment of clarity. “[They said], ‘Why in the world do you keep running yourself dry and working all these odds and ends jobs taking hours in different places when you can cut hair so well?’”

It was the push that Harmon needed to hear.

Originally from Rockford, Illinois, Harmon’s mother died in 1996, her senior year of high school, and her father was left with the mental capacity of a 4-year-old after his stroke.

She moved to Nashville with her son for a new start, and the pep talk from her friend planted the seed and drove her to apply to barber school the next day.

Wary of not being able to afford it, she decided to just see which schools were available. She met with a liaison for “International Barber & Style” and instantly knew that she had found the right fit.

“When I walked in, the liaison was a Black woman. The instructors were Black, and the owner of the school was Black,” Harmon said. “That was something I had never seen or experienced before. I thought, well, if they could do it, then I could, so let me just start asking questions.”

‘Kiki the Barber’:

FOR KIKI, HAIRCUTS ARE MORE THAN A TRANSACTION. THEY’RE A CHANCE FOR HER TO MAKE A CONNECTION AND MAYBE EVEN A FRIEND. CULTURE EDITOR DAVID KWIATKOWSKI

Shortly afterward, her apartment was broken into. For the safety of her and her son, she did not return to her apartment and stayed with the same friend who convinced her to go to barber school.

However, things only continued to de-

“Every time a client books with me or sits in my chair,

they have decided to sit with me, share with me their time and their space.”

- Juiquetta Harmon

The liaison handed her an application and informed her that she was eligible for complete financial aid coverage.

However, tragedy struck unexpectedly: her grandmother passed away on her first day of barber school.

“Not only had I just talked to her,” Harmon said, “but she always tried to encourage me that maybe I could [go to barber school].”

HEADLEDD@MIAMIOH.EDU

cline. Her car got repossessed, and she was working to pay bills while also going to school full time.

“I finally decided I want to do something with my life, and it’s something I love, and all hell broke loose,” Harmon said.

Soon, Harmon and her son were forced to the streets and were on the way to a homeless shelter when her other friend put them up in a hotel for the night. The next day, Harmon missed class and called her

instructor, Dorothy Bruce, to let her in on the situation. Bruce responded by letting Harmon and her son stay with her.

Harmon’s classmates rallied around her and pushed her to keep going. However, Harmon’s only motivation was her son.

“My son doesn’t have his own bedroom,” Harmon said. “I don’t have my own address, this cannot end like this.”

Harmon graduated from barber school in December of 2015 and had received a job offer from the same barber shop she passed every day on the way to school.

She began working there until the owner offered her a proposition. He planned to open another store in the franchise in the town he went to college in: Oxford, Ohio.

After careful deliberation with her son about moving again, she took the chance and moved.

The shop opened, and everything was going well until the owner left Harmon virtually in charge of the shop. Harmon decided to leave and seek other employment options due to the hostile work environment.

Harmon quickly found a job at another salon until the owner ended up letting her go without warning after the pandemic began.

Defeated, Harmon heard from one of her clients wives’ about a salon, “Hair Care

Etc,” that allows stylists to rent out booths and set their own prices.

She has been there ever since, cutting hair under the name “Kiki the Barber” after her older clients used the nickname since they couldn’t remember the name Juiquetta. The nickname was something that was familiar to her from childhood as her grandparents also called her Kiki.

Her relationship with her profession is an interesting one, though.

“Every time a client books with me or sits in my chair,” Harmon said, “they have decided to sit with me, share with me their time and their space. We’re both about to see a miracle because, whether it’s a picture you showed me or if you’re asking for something that you may not even be sure of, you don’t know me. We have never met before. But lo and behold, here is an opportunity for us to get to know one another.”

Harmon schedules appointments using StyleSeat, and speaking from experience, she will get your hair and your life together.

As I sat in her chair, I came as a client, but I left feeling like a friend.

After all, Harmon explains herself best.

“I don’t love hair, I love people.” kwiatkdm@miamioh.edu @kwiatkdm

A beginner’s guide to WitchTok MIHAELA MANOVA THE MIAMI STUDENT Season’s greetings to the new aesthetic of the October season: everything pumpkin, scary and (unsurprisingly) deeply orange. To contribute to the feel of fall, I felt like I should join the many people celebrating this season despite my longing to have a summer do-over.

Over the summer, The Cut wrote a story about amateur witches hexing the moon, an article that not only spiked the interest of many people, but introduced another side of the entertainment app TikTok. “WitchTok,” a separate section of the app, is an expanding cohort of experienced and baby witches, another name for the beginners who practice the craft.

The rumor of the moon being hexed stemmed from a Twitter thread of more than 30 tweets from the user @ heyyadoraa. More than 40,000 people retweeted the thread with the rumor gaining momentum and warning that the Sun could be next too.

Having a developing interest in WitchTok, I dove into learning about the subject. In this age, a simple Google search can lead to becoming anyone you want, and I felt like going “undercover” in this witchy community.

The first thing I’ve discovered is that one should know the difference between Voodoo and witchcraft. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary states that Voodoo is derived from Africa and is chiefly practiced in Haiti.

On the contrary to someone associating the religion with Voodoo dolls, according to the HuffPost this religion is not a cult and does not practice devil worship or black magic.

Instead, members of WitchTok advise others not to mess with ancient Voodoo spirits due to possible endangerment.

Witchcraft, on the other hand, has many different pathways that one can explore. The top two terms that often stem from the term witchcraft are Paganism and Wicca.

Paganism is an umbrella term for a spiritual belief outside of mainstream organized religions (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, etc.) which mainly focuses on nature.

According to Britannica, Wicca was created by Gerald Brosseau Gardner, who “founded a new movement based on a reverence of nature, the practice of magic, and the worship of a female deity (the Goddess) and numerous associated deities (such as the Horned God).”

Not every practicing witch agrees with the information from WitchTok. There are many YouTube videos disproving advice with the most common being the terms deity, hexing and the Fae. A deity is a supernatural being, like a god or goddess, who is worshipped by followers of a certain religion or belief.

Being “hexed” often refers to a spell that is cast on someone to give them misfortune.

The Fae, otherwise known as the

mythical creatures faeries, resembles an orb of light according to Amino, a discussion app. Comments on WitchTok have different answers to describing the fae, as one user under the name @rhearogue says, “[They are] Celtic folklore forest creatures. They want to eat you, not befriend you.”

After getting to know the common vocabulary of this community, I began to research the type of content that is made on WitchTok. My search began after clicking the hashtag #WitchTok on the app. Dozens of videos popped up, explaining and showcasing the powers these users have. These videos do not reside solely on TikTok, as users on YouTube create compilations of the best WitchToks.

As many viewers are beginners to the craft, critics from the community often warn others about misrepresentation, bad usage of the craft and ignorance on certain topics. Comments under the most popular WitchTok compilation warn other beginner witches about the topics presented.

One YouTube user, named “Lavender moon magick,” commented under the compilation, “Just to put this out there but be careful getting information about witchcraft from TikTok, some of these have misinformation in them.”

As a certain video was part of the compilation, user “unknown boi,” said, “Don’t listen to the one telling you to use crystal and herbs instead of therapy!! If you are going to therapy continue, if you need therapy please go!!!”

The most common videos showcase witches sharing spells and tips on how to execute them. To practice a spell, you apparently need to focus and clear your head, set an intention and then perform the spell that you desire.

Stumbling upon other similar content, I learned pendulum readings are one of the more popular types of videos.

During a pendulum reading, a crystal strung on a cord hangs over a circular disk with the sides marked yes, no, maybe and rephrase.

Similar to getting answers from a Magic 8-Ball, pendulum readings can tell a person’s future or confirm something in the present. The crystal begins swinging fast toward the answer that it has chosen for you.

After every video I watched, the comments underneath usually prompted various responses. One of which was the increasing amount of Christians advising the witches to repent their practice.

Many of these witches are trying to fight against the stigma that the community faces, arguing that there are different sides to their magic, who they communicate with and the kind of spells they practice.

Observing this witchy community from an outsider perspective, I learned there’s more to WitchTok than what meets the (newt’s) eye. manovamd@miamioh.edu

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2020

KWIATKDM@MIAMIOH.EDU

CULTURE 7

Fall fun at the Niederman Family Farm

“We’re all friends, so we have such a great time working here.”

Past the jumping pillow and concession stands, the corn maze and hayrides attract most of the visitors. The tractor leads hayride drives past corn before stopping in front of short suntall ones were too old and these mini the carts to take pictures in front of the on the tractor for parents to take a picture. “Say pumpkin face!” he said as he took photos of the children. While this activity is mainly for children, I can’t lie and say I didn’t take a turn sitting on the tractor myself. years, the Niederman Farm looks different for families and friends. Due to

THE NIEDERMAN FARM IS YOUR GO-TO SITE FOR DELIGHTFUL DONUTS AND PLENTIFUL PUMPKINS. STAFF WRITER GRACE KILLIAN

GRACE KILLIAN STAFF WRITER In the midst of midterms, students long for a break from Zoom calls, exams and endless assignments. Niederman Family Farm is the perfect place for students to get away and enjoy some fall fun as temperatures begin to drop.

A little more than a half-hour drive treats, pumpkins and fun fall activities.

Looking around, there’s a smile on everyone’s face and children’s laughter In the middle of the day on a Friday, the farm isn’t very crowded. Small families wander from each activity.

The swings are pushed high into the sky by parents who seem just as happy as the kids to have a break from their normal routines.

The children wait their turn to climb onto the jumping pillow while their parents stay behind and watch carefully. One mom joins her son on the bouncing pillow, holding his hand

as he jumps around with children twice his age. They bounce high into the air and fall gently, laughing and shouting.

With a high of 80 degrees for the day, most visitors are dressed in shortsleeve shirts and shorts, though many still wear Halloween or fall-themed t-shirts. The cool breeze brings a reminder that fall is still here, as do the leaves that slowly drop from the yellow dle of the farm.

Upon entering and having a momarket full of treats. Just beyond that, and possibly more captivating, are the hundreds of pumpkins waiting to be picked.

Right outside the door of the market, boxes upon boxes of mini pumpkins and colorful gourds sit waiting to be sifted through. Pie pumpkins, the small rounder pumpkins, are gathered by the fence. Spread out across the grass are the large pumpkins typically used for Jack-O-Lanterns.

The Gyarmarti family has been coming to the Niederman Family

Farm for almost 10 years now. They live nearby and have two daughters who are often distracted by the animals in pens. For Abriella, the oldest of the two, it’s what she always looks forward to.

The mother, Jade Gyarmarti, enjoys supporting local families and businesses. The familiar faces around the farm are just part of what keeps her coming back. She always stops in the market before leaving the farm.

“I get my fall decorations and little things,” Gyarmarti said. “And they have the best doughnuts ever, here.

You have to try them.”

The family-owned farm was started in 1948 and has been passed down for four generations. Raising livestock and growing corn, wheat and soybeans has been essential for the family.

When Bob and Bethann Niederman married and took charge of the farm, it farm tours, pumpkin patch, corn maze and even paintball were all introduced to help save the family business.

In 2011, Bob Niederman lost his battle to cancer. His family keeps the

farm to honor his legacy. They help keep his dream alive of passing the farm down to future generations with the help of friends and family.

Barbara Fightmaster has been helping out on the farm for nearly 10 years now. Currently, she works in the booth selling cider and fresh treats.

From caramel apples to doughnuts to mini pies, she helps provide visitors with all of their fall favorites.

“We love to see families out here having a great time,” Fightmaster said.

farm tours. Instead, mobile ticket sales are used to control the amount of visitors on the property at one time.

Activities and concessions are spread out, meaning not everything is available like it had been before. Now certain treats, like fresh doughnuts or pumpkin funnel cake, are available only at night. The vanilla doughnuts that are covered in cinnamon sugar are a crowd favorite, so they’ve been made available in prepackaged containers for customers to buy.

Antoinette Beerman has worked on the Nierderman’s farm for nine years. From the market to leading job she can. Her favorite job of all was making the doughnuts.

“The doughnuts bring so much joy to our customers,” Beerman said.

“They always look forward to them.”

If you’re looking for something to do as the weather cools down, Niederman’s Farm is the place to go for a wholesome autumnal activity that brings back the nostalgic feelings of your childhood years. killiagc@miamioh.edu

“We’re all friends, so we have such a great time working here.”

- Barbara Fightmaster

From a college student to “Mary Poppins”

LEXI WHITEHEAD STAFF WRITER

Every morning, Casey Keller wakes up and helps three kids log onto their 9 a.m. Zoom classes. She helps them with school until noon, when they go on their lunch break.

In order to get some outside time, they usually have their lunch at a nearby park.

Then, it’s back to class for the kids, and when their school day is over, hers is just getting started. She attends her classes in the afternoon, and after family dinner, goes to meetings and does her homework.

Keller is a junior early childhood education major and a full-time student, but she also has a full-time job as a nanny.

For the past two summers, Keller has nannied for a family in northern Michigan. When they found out she had a remote learning option for the

spend time with the kids she built a special relationship with.

Surprisingly, having a jampacked schedule was on the pro side.

“I tend to be more productive when I have a lot going on,” Keller said. “When I was in Oxford, all I was doing was sitting around my apartment, and then I still was behind on my classes, so having this structured schedule has allowed me to prioritize and keep everything in focus.”

So she packed her bags and drove almost 400 miles from her hometown of Columbus, Ohio, to Silver Spring, Maryland, where the family lives during the school year.

Monday, Oct. 5. but the biggest challenge was navigating virtual learning with the kids, old.

“Every morning, even though we live together, [the kids] get so excited to see me, and they’re absolutely thrilled that I’m here.”

- Casey Keller

her the job through the school year as well. “[The mom] was like, ‘Are you sure you want to go back to college where it’s all crazy and not much is going on?’” she said. “[In the summer], we live on a lake, so it’s very outdoors and you’re spending time by the water, so she was kinda sensing my hesitation at going back to being inside in an apartment all the It took a few weeks for Keller to ultimately make her decision, as she knew there would be some pros and cons. On one hand, she would miss out on the social elements of college, like bonding with her roommates.

On the other hand, she would get to

struggles the most with online school because he has ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder, so Keller spends a lot of one-on-one time with him during his school day. As an education major, she sometimes even mutes his teacher and helps him herself because he does better with individual instruction.

The education program at Miami

experience, something Keller probably wasn’t going to get if she came to campus this semester. She views virtual learning as something that can help her prepare for her future career as a teacher.

“Even if we go back to in-person, I feel like … a lot will change in how classrooms are run and how schools are run,” she said. “I’ll hopefully be ahead of that curve because I’ll have that personal experience helping kids through that virtual learning experience.”

She appreciates the opportunity not only because it’s useful for her future career, but also because she really does feel like part of the family. Even in the evenings, when she’s family dinners.

WHILE SHE HASN’T BROKEN INTO SONG (YET) KELLER IS OTHERWISE NO DOUBT MAKING MARY POPPINS PROUD WITH HER NANNYING. PROVIDED BY CASEY KELLER

“Every morning, even though we live together, [the kids] get so excited to see me, and they’re absolutely thrilled that I’m here,” she said.

Keller says the parents have been super helpful, making sure she has everything she needs for school including her own room to use for homework and alone time. She also has her own bathroom.

Oftentimes, Keller will use what little free time she has to take day trips on the weekends or just explore the town. She’s even planned a road trip back to Oxford at the end of the month to visit her friends here.

Overall, Keller knows she made the right choice by going to Maryland to be a full-time nanny on top

of taking 16 credit hours.

“At such young ages, [the kids] don’t quite understand what it means to go to college,” she said, “so it’s really great to get to spend this time with them and strengthen those relationships with the family.” @nwlexi whitehan@miamioh.edu

Entertainment

8

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2020

KWIATKDM@MIAMIOH.EDU

10 celebrities that are immortal

an on this list, so she gets extra points for that.

Rodriguez and I look the exact same, and I think it’s only fair that my celebrity doppelgänger is also immortal. Despite that fact, though, she really does look the same as she did when she played the absolutely iconic latina queen, Trish De la Rosa, on “Austin and Ally.”

Betty White I’m apprehensive to admit this, but Ms. White was not originally on this list. I reluctantly added her after relentless verbal attacks from my roommate. My roommate said, “Have you seen the woman? She acts like she’s 20. She’ll never die.” Apparently, White is 98 years old, so the fact that she still acts like a spry 20 year old is actually quite impressive.

THEY SAY SOME CELEBRITIES’ CAREERS WILL LIVE ON FOREVER, BUT THESE STARS SEEM TO BE ACTUALLY IMMORTAL. DESIGN EDITOR OWEN BERG

MAGGIE PEÑA MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Death.

The black cloak of mortality will be on everyone’s doorstep at some point, somberly inviting them into whatever comes after this life. And as someone who has not come to terms with my eventual meeting with the with the fact that death is inescapable.

Well, death is inescapable for an average human being such as myself.

Over the years, I have meticulously observed and analyzed famous individuals and, in turn, have come to the conclusion that some celebrities will simply never die. Some of them are even luckier — they will never

age, which means by default they will never die either.

And no, these celebrities’ immortality has nothing to do with any selling of souls to the devil. Their ability to live forever is completely organic.

Sir Ian McKellan This man is upward of 80 years old and possesses more power than anyone on this list. What that power can do, no mortal being will ever know. McKellan’s “Lord of the Rings” character, Gandalf the Gray, did die, but he was immediately resurrectthat McKellan himself, if he put up just exist forever. He’s also gay and an LGBTQ+ activist, AND he’s been knighted, so he is literally unable to die.

The many covers of Miley Cyrus SEAN SCOTT THE MIAMI STUDENT On Sept. 19, my year got immeasurably better. particularly good conversation with my friends from home. It wasn’t national Talk Like a Pirate Day. It was because of Miley Cyrus’ cover of “Heart of Glass” by Blondie.

I’ve heard good covers before.

Billie Eilish’s rendition of “Yesterday” at the 2020 Oscars, Hozier’s performance of “Problem” by Ariana Grande and Jon Bellion’s cover of Drake’s “The Motto” all stand out.

But nothing comes close to the talent and energy on display during Cyrus’s iHeartRadio performance.

I was never Cyrus’s biggest fan.

Sure, “Wrecking Ball” was and is a good song, but beyond that, I didn’t care. When my friend told me to watch “Heart of Glass,” though, I knew from the moment Cyrus walked on stage that this performance was special. Sporting a mullet, glittery ’80s inspired makeup, red bottoms and an impressive air kill this performance in the best possible way.

In the moment, Cyrus transcended the pop genre, dipping unapologetically into ’80s rock. From beats of the song, her energy never dipped below a 10. I couldn’t help but smile and tap my foot the whole time. It was like no live performance I’d ever seen, and there wasn’t even a real audience.

I was hooked, and I had to hear more.

Luckily for me, I learned that Cyrus is no stranger to covers. In 2012, a year before dropping her fourth album, “Bangerz,” she introduced the world to her “Backyard Sessions,” a series of acoustic covers recorded from her backyard. a country-infused sound. Accompanied by keyboard, string bass, two guitars and sparse percussion, she performed classics like “Lilac Wine”

by Eartha Kitt and “Jolene” by Dolly Parton. The latter is Cyrus’s mostviewed cover to this day, and for good reason. The cover appealed to her father’s country fans, her own younger audience and older generations partial to Parton’s original.

Then, November 2013. Miley’s rebellion phase was in full swing

Paul Rudd Now listen to me, this man does ently. He looks exactly the same in “Ant-Man” as he did in “Clueless,” 20 years earlier. Is Paul Rudd just a perfect human being in general? Yes. But does that mean he has automatic immunity from death? Also yes.

age. But he is so eccentric that he has self. I mean, he has released several albums with his band in which he plays jazz piano. Not to mention, he wears a fedora in nearly half of the pictures he takes. I’m convinced that if Goldblum died by some tragic otherworldly force, he would either

to Earth or he would single-handedly take over another planet. Either way, death is not in his future. Also, he recreated the iconic “Jurassic Park” picture and somehow looks better …

27 years later.

Keanu Reeves Honestly, I don’t have much of an explanation for this one. It’s just a good feeling — he’s Canadian (which just makes so much sense), and he will never see the end of his life.

Hear me out on this one. Tony Hawk ages, and frankly, I don’t think he ages well. But think about it: he has always been a household name just looming ominously around the Homeowner Association’s suburban head. While he never faded away from the public eye, right now he’s in a period of resurgence. Because he’ll always be suspended in the minds of the American people, he will always be suspended in the mortal realm.

She just doesn’t age. She never has, and she never will. By sheer willpower, she will, in fact, live forever.

That is all.

Holes. Transformers. The paper

Y’all better look up pictures of Miranda Cosgrove today and compare them to her in “iCarly.” You can’t TELL ME I’m wrong. This girl has not aged a day; she looks like she could still be 15 years old. And she still sings, which keeps her youthful

but less powerful. I mean, if anything, he’s the one doing the killing fact, an “actual cannibal.”) @maggieloup penaml@miamioh.edu

Twin Peaks is Relevant to the Chaos of Today

with her “Bangerz” era. She had shaved her head and twerked on Robin Thicke at the VMAs in an from her Disney Channel fame.

When she went to the BBC Live Lounge to do an acoustic performance, though, Cyrus didn’t pick own recent hits. She covered “Summertime Sadness” by Lana Del Rey. Despite a drastic change in image since the “Backyard Sessions” began, Cyrus channeled her younger self in the performance. I was blown away once again. At a time when she relied heavily on shock value to stay relevant, Cyrus opted for a simple performance that let her vocals shine.

Two months later, Cyrus covered “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High” by Arctic Monkeys for “MTV Unplugged.” If I still doubted whether Cyrus was talented, this cover put those fears to rest. The song followed a crescendo for two full verses. In the climactic third chorus, Cyrus shifted up an octave and belted in a range I imagine few artists would attempt.

Since then, Cyrus has covered Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Elton John, Billie Eilish and Nine Inch Nails to name a few. She’s shown that she’s equally comfortable in country, pop, grunge, rock, jazz and metal. She’s released two more albums and an EP, each with varying levels of success.

Cyrus will release her seventh studio album, “She Is Miley Cyrus.” If it’s anything like her rock-inspired cover of “Heart of Glass,” it will far eclipse any other albums this year.

I was never Cyrus’s biggest fan.

For years, I had lived with the idea that she was a factory-produced popstar not worth my time. I saw the stereotypical Miley fan as a teenage girl and decided I was too good to listen to any of her work.

I was wrong.

Cyrus has been in the public eye for nearly two decades. In that time, she has reinvented herself more often than most celebrities. She wears her inspirations on her sleeve. To of Cyrus’s phases, you just need to look at her covers.

I don’t fault people who don’t like Miley Cyrus overall. But for anyone who says they don’t like any of her work, they almost certainly aren’t looking hard enough. scottsr@miamioh.edu

DURING THESE CHAOTIC TIMES WE FIND OURSELVES IN, IT IS EASY TO CONFUSE OUR REALITY FOR “TWIN PEAKS.” DESIGN EDITOR OWEN BERG

HENRI ROBBINS THE MIAMI STUDENT It’s the beginning of October, but it’s been months since September.

It’s 5 p.m., but noon was two days ago. You watch the seconds tick past on your watch, but a minute feels so much longer than 60 of them. And nobody can come close to guessing how long ago the semester started.

Time feels like both a thick molasses and an unending deluge — it is something we must both constantly endure and passively wait out.

The haunting drab and uncanny of today has never been better represented than it was in “Twin Peaks,” a compellingly-bizarre murder mystery series from the ’90s centered around the strange death of a girl named Laura Palmer. Its stylings and general ideas ring true to the surreal and oppressive nature of the world today on multiple levels.

In David Lynch’s almost 30-year-old masterpiece of a series, he turned a small, benign town into a sealed microcosm for the perpetual chaos and dread that has somehow become ever-present in modern life.

This is most prominent in the style of the series. The slow and deliberate camerawork combined with serene, yet washed-out shots of nature creates a still, almost unmoving atmosphere that is only disrupted by the characters within it. juxtaposition of the serious and benign establishes the mood of any moment perfectly, with the series

often willing to stop taking itself seriously, but never becoming a joke.

More than that, the mixing of these things helps to humanize situations and characters. Not a single person in the main cast feels single-purposed or one-dimensional.

Instead, each person in the town evolves and grows, and every one of them can be understood to some extent.

The world that has been created around them seems strange, outlandish and at times, inexplicable; the most so is during dream sequences and paranormal encounters. They react in ways that seem logical and human.

The story evolves with them instead of dragging them along. The subtle, natural writing allows the thin line of disbelief to always be walked but almost never crossed.

The two main protagonists, FBI ry S. Truman, present two sides of a coin in their interactions. Cooper is a perplexed yet knowledgeable outsider, looking in on the strange goings-on of a small town, and Truman is an experienced native.

The two complement each other perfectly and get along wonderfully, creating a compelling dynamic that, like many of the other characters, stands out in the strange town.

And that’s what really makes “Twin Peaks” distinguish itself from the conventional murder mystery or really any conventionally cryptic or surreal media.

The characters.

more than that, I fell in love with the characters that inhabited all of it. All of them can be related to, and all of them feel rooted in the town they live in. They all feel human, from the way they walk to subtle details and fascinations.

As we meet Agent Cooper, we see him switching between two modes: He asks about Laura Palmer’s death and then mentions the wonderful cherry pie he had on the way in. He goes to see the body but can’t help but ask Truman what

I was enthralled by the amazing atmosphere that Lynch created. But

robbinha@miamioh.edu

he drove through town. Things are never more serious than they have to be, and while that can relieve tension in some moments, it can also do the opposite. When all pretense of humor is gone, the gravity of the situation hits like a truck.

Ultimately, “Twin Peaks” roots itself in the uncanny. The show’s occurrences are almost supernatural, and a haze of the inexplicable is ever-present. Watching it, you can’t help but feel as if Lynch had some grand insight into the deeply unsettling reality that we live in today. ent, it just feels too familiar. Despite all that, the series is ultimately comforting. As its cast of brilliantly-written characters navigate the selves in, you can’t help but feel reassured.

If they can make it through a world as strange as theirs, we all ourselves in right now.

Sports

NELSO156@MIAMIOH.EDU

9

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2020

NELSON: Not granting Sibande’s transfer waiver is bad look for RedHawks SPORTS EDITOR Nike Sibande has been one of Miami’s best years ago. coming back to Oxford for his junior season.

currence with the standard transfer rules. for why he had to transfer. One was the birth Sibande in Pittsburgh. Oaklynn was born in transfer in the middle of the semester in case he lost a season of eligibility. as Sibande felt the Pittsburgh area was better

right now.

NIKE SIBANDE WAS MIAMI’S LEADING SCORER THE PAST THREE SEASONS. THE MIAMI STUDENT ZACH REICHMAN

-

-

How will this look to recruits? Sibande was -

-

original decision.

-

out to Miami basketball coach Jack Owens for original lie.

-

-

ly for a coach in a contract year like Owens.

Why are the RedHawks doing this? They’re -

the Miami Athletics twitter account released a statement.

swers.

made it clear that he’s welcome to return to the team this year. The easiest thing for them to do

@LukasTheDream nelso156@miamioh.edu

him well.

Bottom line:

The Miami RedHawks are excited about 2020

CHRIS VINEL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The long-awaited feeling of normalcy crashed back to Sterling Weatherford and Jalen Walker at the same time.

They slid on their helmets at the ing just came right through me as Mid-American Conference announced the return of football this rest of their teammates got lost in the moment.

-

tin said. “That’ll be what’s so good -

Weatherford said. “We wanna win a shutdown. Weatherford and Walker utilized body weight exercises and -

erford and Martin had a hard time watching other schools. They couldn’t sit back while other teams -

“This would normally be our -

trated or anything. Just sad more my stomach and that missing-some-

bad. You’re excited ’cause you’re go-

about that anymore.

-

to get back into that kind of swing That was head coach Chuck Mar-

@ChrisAVinel vinelca@miamioh.edu

MIAMI WON’T PLAY POWER FIVE OPPONENTS LIKE OHIO STATE THIS YEAR, BUT THE REDHAWKS ARE EXCITED ABOUT THEIR MAC-ONLY SCHEDULE. THE MIAMI STUDENT JUGAL JAIN

‘Hawks Talk “I would just talk about how it’s important for us right now in the discussion of our social justices. Just keeping that conversation alive is a big deal for us right now.”

- Jalen Walker when asked what’s on his mind at the end of an interview last weekend

Opinion

10

WOLFFRG@MIAMIOH.EDU

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2020

STAFF EDITORIAL

The only one that can win the next debate is you body involved in those issues, but actually taking the editorial board. and got a headache or … well, you didn’t watch it.

We suggest that next time, you do.

We understand that for a lot of people, particularly younger and undecided voters, watching these debates is disheartening. It seems like more time is devoted to interruption and petty arguments, and far less time is devoted to addressing the concerns of the American people.

Yet as frustrating as these debates can be, there are still ways to maximize your experience. To do so, consider the following: Which candidates are actually answering the question? Not giving an answer that sounds like your third try at perfecting the answering machine message after the question is asked, but actually giving a statement that addressed the issue posed in the question.

Which candidates are talking about the issues that matter to you? Not talking around the issues, not telling a story about how they were just talking to some-

you care about. In other words, who is for , not .

Neither of these people are doing what they’re meant to be doing at these debates, but pay attention to who appears to care that you get something out of it, and if that’s neither, which we completely understand, repeat the steps above. away from this chaos, but we shouldn’t. And why?

Because ignorance is bliss, but knowledge is power. Why not get your information on the candidates from the source if you have the opportunity? Even if you don’t get your questions answered, you can see how these men do under pressure, and you will get something out of it that you wouldn’t be able to get from a third-party source.

Advocate for yourself when drawing a conclusion, and use what you watch in the debate to solidify it.

Don’t be a passive watcher. Even if you’re just sitting alone on the couch, just go ahead and yell at the TV. Dads do it with sports all the time and literally

Please vote for Biden, even if it pains you MADELINE PHABY ASST. NEWS EDITOR I can’t stand Joe Biden.

He’s old, inarticulate and creepy as hell — basically everything I wouldn’t want in a president. his name on my absentee ballot was one of the easiest things I’ve ever done.

You see, I’m a leftist — and I mean a “destroy all classes and borders” leftist, not a “Bernie Sanders and free college” leftist. I’ve heard many people who are ideologically similar to me say they’re refusing to vote for Biden because he’s too moderate and are instead voting third-party, writing someone in or, god forbid, not voting at all.

I used to feel the same way. But, after watching the debate on Sept. 29, I came to realize how disastrous another four years of Donald Trump would be.

It’s true — Biden is very moderate, a “radical leftist.” During both the presidential and vice-presidential debates, Trump and Pence misrepresented Biden’s stances on a number of issues, including healthcare for all (which he doesn’t support) and ending fracking (which, again, he doesn’t support).

Of course, I feel icky about supporting a candidate that doesn’t believe every American is entitled to healthcare, dangers of fracking. But, when compared to an incumbent president who refuses to condemn white supremacy when asked to do so, I’d take Biden’s wishy-washy ass a million times over.

Yes, Trump’s done it in the past.

But that doesn’t change the fact that he didn’t during the debate.

The very idea of white supremacy should be so repulsive to Trump — and everyone, for that matter — that he completely and unequivocally denounces it every time it’s brought up.

Instead, he changed the subject to left-wing violence and insisted that “somebody’s got to do something about antifa and the left.”

Speaking of antifa, Trump has expressed intentions to designate it as a “terrorist organization,” even though it’s technically a movement, not a cohesive group. But even if it was, equating a group whose name is literally short for “antifascism” with terrorism has terrifying implications for Trump’s ideology.

If it seems like I’m talking an awful

lot about Trump in a column that’s supposed to be about Biden, you’re missing the point. The point is that this election isn’t really about electing Biden.

It’s about getting rid of Trump.

As I said earlier, I was planning on voting third-party for months. To me, Trump and Biden were one and the same — they were both products of our toxic, quasi-democratic two-party system that has continually failed to produce real change in this country.

It wasn’t until I took a step back and thought about it that I realized my perspective reeked of privilege.

I’m a white, heterosexual, cisgender college student from an upper-class family that’s lived in the same upper-class town in Illinois for decades.

My life hasn’t changed in any way as a result of Trump’s presidency, and it wouldn’t have changed if Hillary Clinton had won in 2016, either.

Chances are, things will remain relatively unchanged regardless of who wins this election, too.

But what about everyone else?

What about people of color who have to continuously listen to their president make excuses for people who want them dead? What about undocumented immigrants who live in constant fear of being ripped away from their families by ICE agents? What about women who won’t have access to care if Trump continues to restrict Planned Parenthood funding?

For someone as privileged as myself, prioritizing my personal dislike for Biden over the urgency of defeating Trump for other Americans’ well-being As a leftist, it can be tempting to vote third-party or abstain from voting entirely as a way to say “fuck you” to capitalism, establishment politics, the United States in general — whatever.

Believe me, I get it.

But as a logical human being, you have to realize that, as badly as you may want to completely restructure the society you live in, that just isn’t feasible at the present time. So, our best bet is to ensure the well-being of our underprivileged peers.

Which means voting Trump out.

Which requires us to vote for his only realistic competition in the election.

Which is Joe Biden.

Bring a barf bag if you have to, but I better see you at the polls, comrades.

nobody ever says anything. It’ll be OK. If you’re with other people, even better — get political. It’s literally the most appropriate time to get political in a social setting. To the best of your abilities, be your own fact-checker. Poke around the candidates’ websites and multiple news sources and see what’s up.

While the candidates are arguing, pull out your smart phone and look up health care policies or a court case reference. Don’t rely on the candidates to clarify what they’re talking about because they’re not going to. debate, it’s that we, as viewers, need to advocate for our time is better spent educating ourselves on the issues at hand than listening to two candidates talking over each other like they’re on a poorly-connected Zoom call.

The next debate is on Oct. 22. It may be headache-inducing, but just watch it anyway.

AAVE is not your stan culture, Becky DAVID KWIATKOWSKI CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Odds are, if you have the cultural sensation that is TikTok, you might be familiar with the popular sayings that have been used on there and probably have been incorporating them into your everyday life.

Sayings like “It’s the *insert aspect here* for me” or “Periodt” or “Chile, anyway” are examples of popular TikTok phrases.

It might be a shock to some of you, but those have been around even longer than when the phrase “Tik Tok” was synonymous with the Kesha song.

They are examples of AAVE, otherwise known as African American Vernacular English, a dialect of American English characterized by pronunciations, syntactic structures and vocabulary associated with and used by some North American Black people and exhibiting a wide variety and range of forms varying in the extent to which they differ from Standard American English.

It is often scrutinized and classified as not actual English.

However with the rise of the app, non-Black people are beginning to see it as “Internet stan culture” and adopting it into their everyday vocabulary.

Brittany Broski, famous for the “kombucha tasting” TikTok, came under fire recently for claiming phrases like “period,” “sis,” “snatch” and “chile” as “stan Twitter culture” and not realizing that phrases like this have a root in another culture that has been around since chattel slavery.

She soon apologized after social media called her out for not being educated about the existence of AAVE, and she acknowledged her lack of knowledge in

her apology tweet.

It is something I, too, have had to reckon with. As it is often looked down upon by grammarians as a lesser form of English, it is not something that we are taught exists.

I use phrases like “deadass” and “period” every day without even knowing where they stemmed from. Purposefully improper verb usage like “I been had a job” or “Professors be like” also stem from AAVE. A lot of the slang I use does come from the predominantly Black drag culture that originated in Harlem, New York, and it is something I try to be conscious of when I am trying to be funny and want to make a joke.

A lot of people on TikTok rely on the use of AAVE to be funny and trendy, but their use of it without being educated is really problematic.

When I scroll down my “For You” page, I can’t help but think that users are lacking originality so they just copy the language used in popular TikToks without knowing the history of oppression behind it.

Non-Black people do not deserve to profit off a dialect that Black people created and are looked down upon for using.

Words like “salty,” “bae,” even the word “woke” stem from AAVE and have permeated the American lexicon since they gained traction on the Internet which makes corporations think it is OK to use them for marketing purposes.

Education is essential for the youth of today to know that the same verbiage they use online was the same one that Black people were deemed unintelligent for using.

Yes, blending of languages

“Yes, blending of languages and dialects is inevitable within any society. However, AAVE is being appropriated.”

If you are making a joke and you have a very obvious “blaccent,” then you are probably using AAVE. Since I have become aware of AAVE, I have not waited to swipe up on my friends’ Snapchat stories and let them know why their use of phrases like “It’s the (blank) for me” is problematic if they do not know where it comes from.

AAVE is being used as a crutch for TikTokers to try to remain relevant and trendy, and once you become conscious of its prevalence, it is hard to argue that users are really being anything but copycats.

and dialects is inevitable within any society. However, AAVE is being appropriated. The difference between appropriation and cultural transfusion is credit. People need to start realizing that just because you saw something on TikTok does not mean that you can recreate it and make it your own.

AAVE is not everyone’s public domain. Pay this information forward and stop to think about the next time you go to be trendy or funny, are you actually just being ignorant? kwiatkdm@miamioh.edu @kwiatkdm