‘I feel numb to it’: The before and after of sexual violence on Miami’s campus
SENIOR
Trigger warning: This article contains descriptions of sexual assault, violence and other sensitive upsetting.
Bella’s name in this article is an alias to protect her privacy and those involved. Hoye decided to use only her last name to protect her full identity, as well.
Bella had spent only one weekend at Miami University before meeting a man in her honors dorm on Western -
tered. They even spent two nights together in his dorm room. She trusted him. That changed when she stayed over a third night. She said it was like any other time they hung out during the two weeks of knowing each other, peacefully falling asleep, some light cuddling. and touched her while she wasn’t fully awake. Bella said she didn’t have much experience with sex, so when he started to pull on her shirt and kiss her, she rejected him. But he didn’t stop.
“Eventually I just kind of gave up and let him do what he wanted be-
cause I was just so tired and I didn’t really know what to do,” Bella said. They had sex that night. What Bella said she experienced is shared by thousands of other survivors.
Nearly two-thirds of college students are sexually harassed, and among college women, nine out of 10 victims of rape and sexual assault of the assaults go unreported, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
Now a junior, Bella said at the time she didn’t realize she’d been raped.
“I thought I liked this guy, and I had never had sex before, so I didn’t really know, like, how things were supposed to go,” Bella said. Over the next couple of months, Bella struggled with school and completing everyday activities as she tried to understand what happened to her. Near the end of October in her incident, he started acting strange toward her. She said he would steal in their shared dorm hallway.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
5 Things I Learned as a Football Equipment Manager
PATRICK REAVES THE MIAMI STUDENT
When I got to college, I was simithe country: nervous, a little excitedpus yet. Transitioning from a small high school in Georgia was certainly intimidating. I tried to get involved in a few ways, including trying out for the club golf team and the mock trial team.
After those didn’t pan out, I applied to be an equipment manager for our football team. I had done it in scale and thought it might be fun. Although I was initially hired to only do laundry, it turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.ant lessons I’ve learned during my time in the equipment room.
5. Learn quietly, but don’t be afraid to ask questions Being the new person in any setting can be discomforting. Everyone
PARKER GREEN ASST. CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY
EDITOR
When thinking about habitat loss, it’s easy to imagine a clear-cut rainforest, the mass destruction left bea pristine Alaskan nature reserve. But we rarely think about the local disrupted by our daily human activnot as pretty as its invasive counterpart. A humble chimney swift. These “smaller” losses greatly impact the quality of local ecosystems, making habitat creation and preservation incredibly important for several Oxford and Miami-based organizations. One of those organizations is the Miami University Audubon Society, led by sophomore Michelle Baker. The Audubon Society is involved in many avian-related projects, the latest of which is the construction of
else has a wealth of knowledge you
mester, I was purely helping with laundry, but during the second semester I started working practices and building my knowledge base.
You can only learn so much without actively participating and asking questions about tasks you don’t know how to do. While I was around the team, I mostly kept my head downter all, I was an equipment manager: Our job is to work behind the scenes to serve players, coaches and anyone else in the program.
Miami University’s equipment questions about anything and everything, trying to grasp the entirety of our operation. Eventually, I began getting noticed for my work, and the workplace became more comfortable.
All of this is to say if you’re in a new job: stay humble and learn from those with experience, and people will notice and respect you.
4. No job is too small
and the
This pairs well with the last lesson, and it’s pretty self explanatory. When you are starting out at a new job, you’re low on the totem pole. You get assigned the tasks that others with more experience grew out of. Accepting them willingly and doing them to the best of your ability is crucial to the team’s success and shows the commitment you have to your coworkers.
While I was fortunate to have a good work ethic coming into college, doing the late laundry shifts and making sure our equipment room was clean helped reinforce it. We all have to forge our own career paths, and the faster we accept and excel at our introductory tasks, the faster we can take on more responsibility.
3. The job isn’t everythingure out. I always had the perception that if I wasn’t at work everyday and outworking most of my coworkers, I wasn’t committed to the program.
are coming to Oxford
a “bird tower” that will house local chimney swifts.
“[Chimney swifts] have these funky hooked feet that make them unable to sit like other perching birds,” Baker said. “They have to hook on to the side of things.”
She added that before humans came to North America, the tiny birds hooked on hollow trees. As people took over the area, they found a more stable habitat in chimneys, giving the birds their iconic name. Now though,ply construct new buildings without chimneys, the swifts have nowhere to go. Baker and her club members
“We build what is essentially a chimney-shaped structure so the swifts can roost inside, raise their young, and just generally [to] provide shelter while they live here during the summer,” Baker said.
But why should Oxford residents and Miami students care about these tiny birds?
“Aside from just being an adorthey’re very avid insectivores,” Baker said. “Mosquitoes are one of their all of these insects that carry bloodborne pathogens.” It’s humans who have interrupted chimney swift habitats not once, but twice, and it’s now up to humans to
The bird towers were successfully completed near DeWitt Cabin late last fall, long after the chimney swifts migrated south. Baker said she is optimistic that when they return, they’ll Miami’sNatural Areas. The Natural Areas aren’t just home to bird towers, though. They’re also one of the key places where groups like the Wild Ones Miami Valley Chapter focus on restoring native plants. Carla Blackmar, who works with both Wild Ones Miami Valley
OLIVIA PATEL MANAGING EDITOR
“The Mother of Fraternities.” At Miami University, approximately one-third of undergraduate students are members of Greek life, which comprises 27 fraternities and 26 sororities. This includes the organizations, from which the university earned this nickname.
The university is even ranked No. 15 on Niche’s 2025 Best Greek Life Colleges in America, beating out large Greek life schools like the University of South Carolina and Indiana University.
Of the 24 Interfraternity Council fraternity chapters at Miami, 21 ocwith the university. These chapter houses allow second-year fraternity they and their chapter are in good standing with the university.
But sorority women do not have the same opportunity.
There are two main rumors both sworn to be true by members of the Panhellenic community, which reprumor says that Oxford City Council considers a house a brothel if a certain number of women live in a single residence, hence the suggestion of a “brothel law.”
The second rumor attributes the absence of chapter houses to a wealthy alumna who donated an extensive amount of money to the university with the stipulation that sororities could not ever build houses.
The TikTok blackout: Why it happened and what Miami students think The real reason Miami doesn’t have sorority houses
ISABELLA OLIVAS THE MIAMI STUDENT
The date Jan. 19, 2025, had TikTok users counting down the clock in anticipation, wondering if the app would be permanently removed from their devices. Around 10:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Jan. 18, the app went dark hours before the original ban date. But why did and how did it make a comeback?
The U.S. Supreme Court was concerned that TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, may have been stealing sensitive and private information from its American users. Justices and politicians alike said they believed that the Chinese government could access location information from its users, according to CBS News. The court said it also believed that the Chinese government was fueling misinformation and propaganda to American users through TikTok. The social media platform was also blamed for spreading antisemitism and racism.
TikTok has repeatedly denied these claims. When asked about collecting sensitive information from users, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew explained that users’ private information is stored on their device.
In a testimony before the US Congress , Chew said, “We do not collect body, face or voice data to identify our users.”
Despite the information provided by Chew, President Joe Biden signed the TikTok ban into legislation, giving Bytedance until Jan. 19 to either withdraw from American platforms or sell the app to an American-owned company, which was Trump. Bytedance, refusing to sell the app, was banned from allowing TikTok access to American companies.
TAYLOR STUMBAUGH
CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY EDITOR
KASEY
OLIVIA PATEL
MANAGING EDITOR
TAYLOR STUMBAUGH
SENIOR CAMPUS & COMMU-
NITY EDITOR
CHLOE MCKINNEY
CAMPUS & COMMUNITY
EDITOR
KETHAN BABU
SPORTS EDITOR
SAM NORTON
OPINION EDITOR
CHLOE SOUTHARD
CULTURE EDITOR
TEDDY JOHNSON
HUMOR EDITOR
SAM NORTON
GREENHAWKS EDITOR
OLIVIA MICHELSEN
DESIGN EDITOR
MADELINE BUECKER
ASST. DESIGN EDITOR
SARAH FROSCH
DIGITAL MEDIA EDITOR
JESSICA MONAHAN
PHOTO EDITOR
KISER YOUNG
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
STELLA POWERS
ANNA REIER
AUSTIN SMITH
ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITORS
STELLA POWERS
ASST. CULTURE EDITOR
JEFFREY MIDDLETON
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
TAYLOR POWERS
ASST. OPINION EDITOR
ADAM SMITH
BUSINESS MANAGER
FRED REEDER JR.
FACULTY ADVISER
SACHA BELLMAN
BUSINESS ADVISER
AIM MEDIA MIDWEST
PRINTER
Our Awards
2023 and 2024 Corbin Gwaltney Award Best AllAround Student Newspaper in the large school category
2023 Ohio Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Best Journalism Contest — First Place in the Best College Newspaper category
2024 Ohio Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Best Journalism Contest — Second Place in the Best College Newspaper category
2024 Ohio News Media Association Awards – First Place in Collegiate Opinion Writing
2024 Ohio News Media Association Awards – First Place in Collegiate Sports Coverage in the large school category
RAQUEL HIRSCH
ASSISTANT CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY EDITOR
The City of Oxford, Oxford Community Arts Center (OCAC) and the Public Arts Commission of Oxford (PACO) have teamed up to launch their third annual Call for Art initiative. After receiving 79 submissions from 37 artists, only 13 artists and their respective pieces were selected for a year-long exhibition in the Oxford Municipal Building.
Since its establishment at the end of 2022, PACO’s exhibition has conOxford Municipal Building housed 10 selected pieces through the 20232024 exhibition season. It then expanded to 12 pieces in its second year and will now have 13.
Ashley Keeton, an administrative assistant for the City of Oxford and deputy clerk, initially worked on the project part-time but has now taken on a more full-time role.
“I don’t know that [expanding the
exhibit] was the intention,” Keeton said, “but it just kind of naturally happened.”
PACO dispersed press releases throughout the community to gather submissions, including Miami University art professors, Talawanda district art teachers, artists at OCAC and artists at the Richard and Carole Cocks Art Museum. Each artist could submit up to three pieces of any theme and medium.
“... We’re trying to encourage artists of all ages and experiences,” Keeton said. PACO’s Call for Art is one of several projects the committee has organized since its establishment in 2018.ers of Oxford,” called for a mural to be painted on the Oxford Municipal Building to commemorate Freedom Summer. While this project and other mural projects display outside artwork, Oxford’s Call for Art will feature pieces inside the building. Amber Franklin, Oxford City Council’s representative for PACO,
helps connect the commission with the City of Oxford, allocating $5,000 of the city’s budget for these initiatives.
“I think the original desire was for there to be more of a presence of public art in Oxford,” Franklin said. “There are a lot of creative artists in Oxford, but there hasn’t been anything like what you see in Hamilton … so that was the original impetus.”
Franklin and six other members of the commission meet monthly. They began reviewing anonymous submissions in December, and each member picked their top 10 pieces. The comselections through a vote.
“We see public art as art that’s both enjoyed by the public and viewed in public,” Franklin said, “but also art that’s made by the public.”
The selected pieces are then on display through the following year with a reception held at both the municipal building and OCAC in March 2025. Artists can choose if they would like to sell their work, and visitors can
purchase the pieces through OCAC.
Katy Abbott, a professor of gerontology at Miami and executive director of the Scripps Gerontology Center, is one of the 13 selected artists for this year’s cycle. Abbott applied last year but will have her work on display in the 2025-2026 season. The OCAC is also displaying her artwork.
“I would consider it therapy, really,” Abbott said. “... I am a professor, and so that is the job that pays the bills, but it’s something that makes me a better human when I’m able to make art.” In high school, Abbott worked with ceramics but has made glasswork her main medium focus since the 1990s. The piece selected for this year’s exhibition is a mixed media piece using paint, collage techniques and glass.
“I enjoy the challenge,” Abbot said. “I enjoy the problem-solving. I enjoy seeing this vision that I had in my head come to fruition.” Melody Miao, a 14-year-old Talawanda High School student, was also
a selected artist for the exhibition. Her artwork featuring watercolor and colored pencils will be on display for a second time this season after also Call for Art.
“I enter a lot of art competitions …” Miao said. “I think the ones that are more meaningful to me are ones like these, the local ones that help me connect with my community and share art.” After taking standard high school form of expression. “... Since most of my classes are in STEM or math, I honestly think art is really freeing in the sense that I can kind of do whatever I want,” Miao said. “I think it’s a great way to show my imagination and also be
‘I feel numb to it’: The before and after of sexual violence on Miami’s campus
After that, she approached her resident director and told them about that night in September and what he’d been doing since. Bella said it sexual assault.
Things sped up from there. Bella talked to Miami’s Title IX and the
“When I talked to Title IX about
Bella said.
After reporting him, she said she was scared to leave her room for fear of seeing him. She said she felt he turned her whole dorm against her.
Of the three people on Bella’s side, one of them gave a statement on her behalf. Bella said she was scared to the point where she asked friends to
“I had friends from high school would come with me on the few times that I would leave so that I wouldn’t be alone as I was walking in and out
It got to the point where Bella moved back home in mid-November and commuted to school until she could move into another honors Title IX until April to reach a verdict because new evidence would be sub-
She said during the process, she was pushing for an adaptable resolution over an investigation.
and seek repair without an investi-
Bella’s end goal was for him to tell the truth to the people he turned against her.
was not raped.
“and that was heartbreaking for me. I thought that I would have to move schools because I just felt so disPsychological and
-
chologist, with a focus on sexual assault and sexual abuse.
Messman’s studies center around like self-compassion and how to battle shame and self-blame.
closure responses or the reaction to someone sharing information, such as an experience of abuse or sexual misconduct.
the time students get to college, the perpetrators of sexual assault have
college.
tor. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, most of
al assault is alcohol or drug-related, Messman said, where someone is in-
be acquaintances.tween dating partners, which is more said, where their partner is forcing them to do it.
and challenges processing trauma substances.
According to Medical News Toexamines how a person processes -
the experience. It can contribute to revictimization, where people who experience -
rather than processing their trauma.
Messman added that research
raped more than once. She said this creates a “cumulative impact of the top of itself.
fear response is a common trauma of this can include being afraid to be alone, panic attacks, becoming afraid of the dark, not wanting to sleep alone
ents. Other trauma responses include concentrating and trouble sleeping.
Messman also said the responses can include numbness, where survivors dissociate and act like nothing happened in an attempt to return toritable and sad, similar to depression.
For some, there’s a general aversion to sex and being touched. Foring to regain control.
though. According to the Centers for from post-traumatic stress disorder and experience recurring reproductive, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and sexual health problems. Sexual violence is also linked to negative health behaviors, including smoking, abusing alcohol, using
the morning last fall in her room on North Quad to a man’s tongue in her
She never gave him consent.
The pair met on Snapchat through been hanging out the night before, watching anime and doing home-
delusional, as in, I can’t think. I can’t
who helped her contact her dorm’s assaulted, although she said she had
She said her RA told her, “It’s not process she has to go through withseling and support group options.
legal action, but she did attend counseling services.
“I chose not to because [of] how that, and with him living so close and
a sexual assault on North Quad went out.
After the incident, she said she felt numb to it, and the experience reinforced her fear of men.
before he blocked her on all social actions were OK.
“He said he was awake the whole
press charges, her end goal is to avoid him at all costs. She doesn’t want to be near him, talk to him or see him.
“Even though he did that, it feels wrong pressing charges, having that on his record and kind of taking his
handled her situation well.
services.
After her investigation and hearthat Title IX did not do what it promised: protect her from retaliation. She she made it up.
“It just feels unfair that he got to take so much from me and then there “And it makes me mad that Title IX
perpetrator. I talked to other friends who experienced something similar or knew someone who did, and evTitle IX does not care about survivors
Maria Vitullo, the director of comto The Miami Student, “The Univer-
and supportive measures available to
Bella also added that she felt let of being trauma-informed weren’t backed up in her case.
Trauma-informed care seeks to realize the widespread impact of trauma and understand paths for re-toms of trauma, integrate knowledge about trauma into policies and activeto the Trauma Informed Care Implementation Research Center.tle IX coordinator, didn’t respond to publication.
Rebecca Young, the director of -
for promoting mental health, sexual interpersonal violence prevention, survivor support and substance use. Young is also part of the Coordinated is committed to creating a campus culture dedicated to the prevention of and response to sexual and interper-
of Students website.
team is a collaboration between Miami’s Title IX coordinator, assistant director for sexual interpersonal violence prevention, Women Helping Women, student counseling and representatives from Miami’s Associated Student Government.
Young said the group meets and look for a more comprehensive approach to educating students who want to learn.
Miami provides sexual assault prevention training for undergraducourse, aiming to help students become informed before coming to a college campus. The course focuses on when sexual assault can occur,stander training.
Miami is also partnered with Women Helping Women. The memorandum of understanding states: “The parties will work together to provide trauma-informed services toual assault and to improve the overall response to sexual assault at Miami
Young added that Ohio collects data from all the public universities around sexual interpersonal violence, and those questions are included in spring. That data is then given to the state and a report is given back comparing Miami to other public universities.
actions that will come after, as far as
pus apartment to hang out.
app YikYak when she agreed to go over. The two of them started to kiss on his couch, but then she said it went too far.
Menezes said he brought her to his bedroom, velcroed her arms and legs to the bed, strangled her and raped her for three hours while one of his roommates was in the other took nonconsensual pictures of her naked.
“Throughout the incident, I had “I asked him to stop multiple times, After he untied her, she couldn’t That was when he asked if she wanted to take a shower. After multi-
edge, I said, ‘No,’ because it would get got an Uber to the hospital.
SANE is a Registered Nurse who has received special training to provide comprehensive care to sexual as-
according to RAINN. The Sexual Assault Nurse Exam-
sex.
later with medicine to prevent HIV, in case he exposed her to it. When he gave his formal statesaid he admitted to most of it butsensual when he had to recount it again at the police station on tape.out the rest of the police and Title IX processes. shock.
said. That feeling didn’t fade. For the next two weeks after the incident, she didn’t leave her room, skipped class and struggled to eat. She said her friends snuck food from the dining halls in plastic containers to bring to her.
Menezes submitted the formal Tiincident, and then Title IX Investigathe next month.
else to have acknowledged how awful
The student went through the same interview process as Menezes, but she said he came equipped with Menezes said she didn’t know that was an option or that she could have a representative. Miami’s sexual misstudent is provided information on guidance through its steps.
responsible for the alleged conduct until a determination regarding reconduct process.
of student conduct relevant to this investigation was non-Title IX sexual misconduct because it happened
The investigation resulted in a hearing, where Menezes said a board of three men and one woman oversaw the case.
was not rape because Menezes could not remember if he took her clothing her an incredible source and found him not responsible.
Menezes appealed the decision based on new evidence. She said the same man, with each assault becoming more violent.
Menezes said a former Title IX coordinator told her she couldn’t use that as evidence, but she found out later he was wrong.
cept the appeal.
cause it could have changed things, Menezes said.
Menezes said she started getting violent nightmares as soon as she moved back to Oxford from home,
stumbata@miamioh.edu
This Miami-based app is like Zillow for recovery homes
According tomillion Americans battled a sub-
more important.
dential facilities that host individuals with substance use disorders. These sober and allow residents to be surchallenges.
go residential treatment.
the houses themselves.
She and her team created an app that
“When I started this project there
With R-silience, someone can choose a location, estimate pricing, spaces and contact the houses themselves. This control over potential future housing helps provide safe spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals or those who have faced domestic violence,
“[The R-silience team] decided it would be much more useful for people to see images and choose their can go to a house that has a supportwith both Android and Apple products. Such an expansive project makeswith professors in the Farmer School of Business, the College at Elm Innovation Center and countless studentsdents to help us reach out to the re-
er and member of the R-siliance team with such passionate people makes a something tangible that can help an
She believes that the project goes
“I think R-silience can give somemember that wants their loved one to be in a safe and supported environ-needs and how it can help someoneience can help other families have that same experience, it is all worth greenpt@miamioh.edu
CAMPUS & COMMUNITY
CONTINUED FROM FRONT
But neither of these rumors hold any truth.
The origin of sororities
On Oct. 24, 1902, Delta Zeta beMiami’s campus, paving the way for early women’s engagement at Miami. The sorority grew from six original members to 10 in 2015. Delta Zeta debuted its origin story in the 1905 edition of Recensio, Miami’s yearbook that ran from 1869 until discontinuation in 2015 and included a photo of the chapter members.
In the 1909-1910 school year, Dean of Women Elizabeth Hamilton, the namesake of the all-female residence hall in Central Quad, published her annual report to University President Edgar Ewing Brandon, where she highlighted the living situation of sorority women.
“I reported to you last year that the sororities have been encouraged the campus in order that the Hall privileges might be extended to an equal number of unorganized girls living in town,” the report read.
That spring, the university exfor sororities by transferring two sororities, Delta Zeta and Phi Tau, into chapter houses – which were initially built as university cottages – where they lived for nearly two years.
Sororities permanently move back on campus
The Feb. 8, 1912 edition of The Miami Student broke the news of sorority women being required to move into dorms the following year. The Advisory Committee directed that all female students, excluding those residing with their parents, were required to live on campus in dormitories, discontinuing sorority houses permanently.
More than 30 years later, the dissorority women resurfaced in the 1948-1949 Report of the Associate to open up more dormitory space for unorganized women. A group of 15 student leaders, mainly sorority presidents, approached the univer-
sity and discussed residence hall life versus sorority house life regarding the personal and educational development of their chapter.
After several meetings, these student representatives concluded that they favored residence halls over sorority houses.
The creation of sorority suites
On March 28, 1952, The Miami Student published news of permanent sorority suites planned for South Hall (now Richard Hall). At the time, 10 sororities were established on campus and were temporarily housed in South Hall anded women.
However, only four of these chapters received permanent suite housing assignments: Kappa Kappa Gamma, Delta Sigma Epsilon, Zeta Tau Alpha and Alpha Epsilon Phi. The six sororities without suite assignments were temporarily placed in lodges located south of South Hall until the following school year when the completion of new residence halls could hold more suites.
Before the establishment of these permanent suites, sororities held chapter meetings in the classrooms of Harrison Hall.
Nearly 10 years later, sorority women reported that they were happy with their new housing situation.
Following the establishment of permanent, on-campus housing for sorority women, the construction of sorority houses at Miami was no longer a viable option due to Oxford’s expensive housing market. So, the Panhellenic Association at Miami created a no-house rule to follow the National Panhellenic Association standard that “there must be equal and comparable housing for all sororities.”
According to an article in the Feb. 24, 1984 edition of The Miami Student, there was not enough room houses and not all sororities could real reason why no sorority at Miami is allowed to occupy a chapter house
Sorority suites today Out of the 26 sororities at Miami,
only the 17 Panhellenic sororities in Central Quad. Two to three sororities occupy each hall and are
ferent corridors, but share spaces like common bathrooms, living rooms and kitchens.
Alyssa Ciango, associate director of fraternity and sorority life, said she rarely hears of disputes occurring between chapters living in the same hall and sees the sorority living learning communities (LLC) as a positive experience for sorority women. Ciango has served as the associate director since 2021.
“That’s the beauty of the sorority LLC,” Ciango said. “You get to interact with other members of the Panhellenic community, not just your chapter sisters.”
Contrary to popular belief, sohalls based on each chapter’s cumulative grade point average. Ciango said she assigns residence halls plans to the recruitment numbers of each chapter, while also considering any accommodations certain women might need, including wheelchair access or single rooms.
“I don’t even look at [a sorority’s] GPA,” Ciango said.
Sorority women go through housing placement like other students registering for on-campus housing, said Rob Abowitz, associate director of Residence Life. The process is coordinated by the Campus Services
Quad based on their sorority’s placement.
mainder of the rooms are opened up through a lottery system for sopholive on campus.
the “standard” category of living, and sorority women pay the same amount to live in the Sorority LLC as falling in the standard category.
“To buy a fraternity or sorority house is very expensive, [including] to maintain it and to update it,” Abowitz said. “If you look at the dues between [sororities with houses versus on-campus living], you’ll see the ones who have houses pay way more money.”
Ciara Murphy, Panhellenic director of the Sorority LLC, said she’s the liaison between the Sorority LLC and Panhellenic women living in dorms. As a sophomore living in McCracken Hall, she said she has had only positive interactions with other women living in her hall; however, living in a dorm did not replace the experience of living in a house.
“I do wish Miami had houses,” Murphy said. “I would say it kind of comes back to things like not having a kitchen, your own fridge and even someone cooking for you like other schools have. The dorms ended up being better than I expected, but I still would’ve rather lived in a house.”
patelou@miamioh.edu
The feelings behind Miami’s Sorority LLC
OLIVIA PATEL MANAGING EDITOR
Hailey Roth came to Miami University last fall excited about the many opportunities of college life. A local to Bethesda, Maryland, Roth saw college as her opportunity to break out of her hometown mold and start something new: a new fresh environment and most importantly, new friends.
For Roth, this meant rushing one of Miami’s 18 Panhellenic sororities.
As a psychology major, Roth knew she would make some friends through her classes and in Tappan Hall; however, she said her anticipation for spring recruitment began before even attending Miami.
“My parents were both in Greek to go through [recruitment],” Roth said. “After hearing other people’s think it seems nice.”
This excitement of joining a sorority is not unlike many other undergraduate men and women at Miami. Approximately one-third of undergraduate students at the university are involved in Greek life, which includes over 50 sororities and fraternities.
One of the most unique aspects of Panhellenic life at Miami, which Miami does not have sorority houses and does not allow sororities to occupy university-associated houses (in other words, chapter houses). Instead, most sophomore sorority assigned dorms in Central Quad, excluding women who commute or
But do sorority women feel like they’re missing out?
the only school she looked at that did not have sorority houses. Her list included schools like Elon University, the University of Richmond, the University of Delaware and Lehigh University. While she found it odd
come to Miami or rush a sorority.
“Once I went to Sprite Dates [in the fall], and heard from the girls living in the dorms about their positive experiences, I realized that it doesn’t really matter,” Roth said. “It’s not traditional, yeah, but I still think you get the same experience.” Roth is not alone in this opinion. Emily Bame, a senior strategic communications major, lived in Hamilton Hall during her sophomore year. She said the dorms still gave her the opportunity to live with her Zeta Tau Alpha sorority sisters and felt like an Morris Hall.
“I think I honestly preferred the dorms to a house because I felt like it gave a super similar experience to what a house would have given us,” Bame said. “I know houses are probably a little bit nicer just because
they have full amenities and a ton of but still it was just so much fun to live with my entire pledge class.”
In a survey sent out to the members of Zeta, nine sorority women commented on how they felt about their sophomore-year living situation. A majority said they would have preferred to live in a house over a dorm, citing reasons like they were ready to get out of the dorms or to have a chapter house to themselves instead of sharing a dorm with other sororities.
After living in a dorm for a year, six of the nine women reevaluated their preferences on living situations, and some even changed their minds.
While two girls commented that they enjoyed living in the dorm and found the accommodations comfortable and similar to a chapter house experience, two other women noted their extreme displeasure with the pledge class too much.
“I highly dislike the suite and dorm style of sorority housing at Miami,” one response read. “After moving out of the dorms I feel way more disconnected to my sorority and also feel a lack of identity which a house can give members. I wish we were able to have chapter, recruitment and sisterhood events in our own house/all in one place. The entire chapter let alone an entire pledge the stigma against sorority housing and Miami’s history tied to wom-
of living in the dorms. Bame said the price of the dorms versus living in a sorority house made joining possible for her, as she pays most of her sorority dues herself.
Before attending Miami, Bame compared The Ohio State University (OSU) sorority dues to Miami’s and said she would not have rushed a sorority if she attended OSU because the housing costs were too high.
Alyssa Ciango, associate director of fraternity and sorority life, said her team leans heavily on advertisliving in dorms through testimonials from current sorority women.er cost, provided maintenance and cleaning services, as well as access to full meals through Miami’s meal plan. Ciango also said living close to the center of campus is a huge plus, which was echoed by several women in the survey.
“I think when women automatically think that there are no chapter sorority houses on campus, they think that they’re missing out on something,” Ciango said. “So I really try to change the mindset that you’re not missing out – you’re actually gaining a really cool experience.”
patelou@miamioh.edu
MOLLY
FAHY STAFF WRITER
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) announced on Jan. 22, 2025, that it had selected Miami University’s TEACh Cincinnati program as the recipient of its inaugural “Increasing Educator Diversity: Promising Practice Award.”
TEACh Cincinnati started in 2017 as a partnership between Miami’s College of Education, Health and Society with Cincinnati Public Schools. It was created to address the growing teacher shortage in the United States by helping students of diverse backgrounds become educators within the Cincinnati Public School system.
“The TEACh program sets a high standard for innovation and excellence, serving as an inspiration to the entire educator preparation community for its outcomes in diversifying the Cincinnati educator workforce,” AACTE President and CEO Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy wrote in a statement announcing the award.
The program is not just limited to Miami undergraduate students; it spans from eighth grade students in Cincinnati’s schools to students who may want to pursue a master’s after graduating. According to its website, TEACh Cincinnati’s main focus is supporting and teaching students their community.
Teri’Ana Joyner, a junior integrated social studies education major, joined in the eighth grade. Initially, she had no desire to be a teacher.
Joyner said. “[I] went to Aiken New Tech (High School), and that was the year they started the program. The teacher and the directors that were in it are what really made me want to be in the program.”
Seeing TEACh Cincinnati’s workvinced Joyner to pursue a degree in education.
“I love the people in the community that it provided for me, because moving here, I didn’t have a whole bunch of family, and so that kind of became my family,” Joyner said. “Then they started talking about the teacher shortage and diversity in the classroom, and the lack thereof, and I was like, ‘That’s what I want to do. I want to make a change.’”
Joyner also said part of TEACh Cincinnati’s goal is to place its alumni back into the schools they grew up in so they can act as role models, give back to their community and let students with diverse backgrounds see more representation in the teaching
Shawn Bell, a sophomore primary education major, joined TEACh Cincinnati this year and found that teaching kids in the area he grew up in has been deeply rewarding. “That’s what made me actually
want to be in the program: pursuing education [and] to be able to be that role model for students, whatever grade, whatever subject,” Bell said. “I feel like it’s a really cool experience, and it has always been my passion to give back to my community.”
Students who participate in TEACh Cincinnati often receive direct support from one-on-one meetings with professors, weekly checkschool.
Sydnie Singleton, the campus base coordinator for TEACh Cincinnati, meets with each student weekly to make sure they’re doing well in their classes. She said part of her job is to make sure that students feel supported and connected.
“TEACh Cincinnati creates a community within a community, having that common ground of being from Cincinnati and a lot of students being from the same schools creates a safe space for [them],” Singleton said. “It allows students to become the change that they want to see in schools when they go back to Cincinnati and teach after graduation.”
On Aug. 22, TEACh Cincinnati expanded its program even furthering building in collaboration with St. Francis Seraph Church, located near downtown Cincinnati.
“In today’s economy, just having guaranteed housing, or just knowing
that you’ll have housing that’s going to be at a price that is not common, is a really great advantage and perk of being a part of the program,” Singleton said.
Another component of the TEACh Cincinnati program is the Urban Cohort, which allows Miami students to take classes and workshops on involvement in the Cincinnati commu-ent parts of the city.
Members of the Urban Cohort also interact with students in the Cincinnati Public Schools by helping them work through problems that may come up in their daily lives. Singleton said that as members of the Urban Cohort move through the program, they eventually start working with a broader range of members in the community. Singleton said the TEACh Cincinnati and Urban Cohort programs are time-consuming, and students need to maintain a 3.0 GPA to remain in
the program. Despite this, through Singleton’s weekly meetings, she said participants still manage to get their work done, in addition to other jobs and clubs they may have.
Even though students in TEACh may have a packed schedule, the lessons and experiences they receive make it all worthwhile. To Bell and Joyner, TEACh is a program where they do not have to worry about what their life is going to look like during and after college.
“It shows that a group of people care about us,” Joyner said. “It shows that they care about the future generations. They care about reminding me of why I want to be a teacher, reminding me this is still an issue, and that regardless of what happens in the world, we still have to keep looking to solve the teacher shortage, or what it looks like in the classroom for students.”
CENTRAL QUAD NOW HOUSES 17 SORORITIES
Insight into Miami’s recruiting amidst groundbreaking rule change
LUKE CLARKE
THE MIAMI STUDENT
On Nov. 7, the National Collegiately announced that starting next season, players in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) will be eligible for Division I college hockey.
Prior to this rule change, CHL players were considered to have forfeited their amateur status and were deemed unable to play in the NCAA. Now, two months after one of the biggest changes in college hockey history, one thing is certain: The prospect pool has gotten much larger.
Over 1,000 players ranging from ages 16-20 play in the CHL every year. Each of these players will have the opportunity to play college hockey barring any signed professional contracts.
What sets the CHL apart from other junior leagues is the level of talent it attracts from all over the world. There is large viewership, marketing opportunities and constant attention from professional scouts. No other league has moved more players onto the NHL.
“It’s pretty much everything you want; there’s not much talk about college and American [universities],” said Matt Choupani, Miami University forward and Quebec native. “It’s one of the goals of a young player growing up in Montreal and especially Canada.”
Choupani decided that the college experience was more important to him, committing to Northeastern University at 16 years old and playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL) to maintain eligibility.
Most high-end players will nocision.
“I know a good amount of kids back home who are younger and are really excited to have both options now,” Choupani said. “I think kidsthe NCAA].”
At the turn of the new year, Miami the CHL, Kocha Delic. He is set to join the RedHawks next season, adding to an already massive 12-player recruiting class that serves as head coach Anthony Noreen’s attempt to revamp the program. Outside of Delic, the class is made
up entirely of current USHL players, which is typically a signal of an extremely strong recruiting class. In the past, the USHL was considered the premier developmental league for future college stars. It is also where Noreen spent 12 years coaching prior to accepting the Miami job last spring.
“We have a ton of relationships there,” Noreen said. “It was certainly for us coming in and playing a bit of catchup. It was a level where we felt comfortable going in and being aggressive with the right guys right away to build a foundation for recruiting moving forward. When you work backward and look at the teams we are competing against, especially the best teams, it becomes pretty clear where they are getting their players. Their top guys are guys that have played in the USHL.”
With the rule change encouraging some players to leave the USHL for the CHL, there has been growing concerns over how well the league will maintain its prestige. However, Noreen maintains that the USHL will continue to be pivotal for Miami’s recruiting.
“We have all the respect in the world for that league,” Noreen said. “Having said that, now we are getting to know the CHL. We are getting to know those teams, those players. I look at it a lot like when the transfer portal came up a couple years ago. You could either get to know it and decide how you want to use it, or you’re probably going to get left behind.”
Assistant coach and recruiting director David Nies echoed the same sentiment.
“It’s 60 new teams and a new pool of players,” Nies said. “You can kind of dwindle it down because some of those players are going to sign and go to the NHL right away. But you need to know the entire pool.”
Nies has already spent a considerable amount of time on the road scouting the CHL this season. Team locations span from coast to coast across North America and are split into three groups: the Western Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Factoring in youth programs and the USHL, which Nies assured will continue to be the “lifeline” and “focal point” of Miami’s recruiting, schools now face an even larger challenge
in terms of travel and budget while scouting.
Nies said no league stands out from any other in terms of recruitable talent.
“I think the USHL is still going to be very good,” Nies said. “I look back at years past and some of the teams in the USHL, those teams would be highly competitive [in the CHL].”
As far as the distribution within the CHL, Nies cited a pretty even split in recent outcomes of the Memorial Cup, a tournament in which the best teams in the WHL, OHL and QMJHL compete to determine a champion. He also mentioned that some of his broad assumptions about each league have been proven wrong so far.
“We just have to get to know them all,” Nies said. “Ontario is not far from us, so we probably need to have a good footprint there. There’s a lot of good players in the WHL that we need to know about, and we need to know about the QMJHL too.”
An active transfer portal next year is all but guaranteed due to college teams being forced to cut their rosters down to 26 players. The RedHawks have never had so many novel opportunities to land new talent.
As far as what Noreen is looking characteristics over any age or physical traits.
“We know that we are not going to cut corners on character, we are not going to cut corners on compete level,” Noreen said. “Those two things are going to be there. And for us, we don’t care if that means a kid is coming in as an 18-year-old true freshman or if that’s a kid that played three or four years of junior. We are for as a human being.”
With the rule change and the massive new recruiting class, RedHawk faithful should be ready for an increase in the level of talent on the ice and a completely new roster next year.
“Spots at Division I hockey are going to be harder and harder to come by,” Noreen said. “High tide raises all ships. It’s going to make our level more competitive and higher end. Unfortunately, it’s going to leave a lot of guys just on that cusp of being able to play Division I college hockey.”
clarkelm@miamioh.edu
JEFFREY MIDDLETON ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
The Miami University RedHawks hockey team entered the 2024-25 season with hopes of a better output than previous years. season with a paltry 1-21-1 record and seven conference points, good for last with the next-closest team – the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs – sitting at 28 points. New head coach Anthony Noreen was put in charge of changing the program’s results and fostering a new culture. The players were determined to work hard, be disciplined and, most notably to Noreen, be great teammates. However, with the 2024-25 college hockey season just over halfyet to see the behind-the-scenes changes become anything substantial in the win-loss-tie columns. Miami has an overall record of 3-19-2 and is still without a win in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) play. The RedHawks have played eight series and are at the bottom of the standings with a 0-16-0 record. Their only game, an overtime loss to the St. Cloud State Huskies.
“We want to be better,” Noreen said. “Do I think this group’s gotten better? I don’t even think it’s a question: I think they’ve gotten night-and-day better. I think we’ve tightened a lot of things up, but there’s absolutely zero satisfaction with where we are or how far that development has come. I think it’s an area we need to continue to improve, and no matter what the results are, we’re going to show up, get back to work and keep pushing.” -
son, the RedHawks rank toward the bottom of the NCHC in most statistical categories, primarily re-ami’s 45 goals scored is the lowest in the conference, and its 95 goals against is by far the highest, with Minnesota-Duluth next with 75.
Miami’s 22.67 shots per game is almost a full six shots worse than the Huskies, who are seventh in the conference with 28.38 shots
per game. One area where the RedHawks have been better than last is their special teams. Although they are still in the bottom half of the conference rankings, they are seventh out of the nine NCHC programs. Graduate student forward and captain Ryan Sullivan was given the honor of donning the “C,” giving him a more prominent role in changing the culture. Since he transferred from the University of Massachusetts and began playing under Noreen this season, he has seen an improvement to the team’s culture.
“We’ve had our challenges, but a lot of guys are buying in,” Sullivan said. “That starts even with our play lately has been better, and we’re managing pucks in a smarter way. A lot of guys are stepping into the team, so it’s been growing, but there’s more to come.”
While the results for this RedHawks squad have been bleak, one of the most important parts of changing a program’s culture is continuing to overcome even the worst adversities. With a winless conference record and three total victories, it can be hard to stay focused during the last few series of the season. However, the Noreen-led RedHawks are not going
“I can promise you that no one has given up on this season,” Noreen said. “No matter what the results are, we’re going to coach, play and practice hard and do it until the very end. We’d like to see the group stay engaged and realize that our goal at the beginning of the season is still completely attainable. The goal was to change the culture here. That is what this year was about.”
three of which are at home. While the Miami faithful may be disappointed with another subpar season, it’s important to remember road back to the college hockey promised land.
middleje@miamioh.edu
Miami sports games to watch this spring semester
KETHAN
BABU SPORTS EDITOR
This spring semester, the Miami University RedHawks men’s basketball, women’s basketball and hockey teams all enter the back-half of their seasons. In February, the baseball and softball seasons start. Miami students have plenty of opportunities to support the RedHawks this spring. Here are five must-see games to watch this semester. Men’s basketball and women’s basketball doubleheader vs. Ohio (Feb. 1) Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are having excellent seasons so far, holding solid positions in conference rankings and sitting above .500 in conference play.
For One Miami Day on Feb. 1, the teams will host a doubleheader event against the Ohio University Bobcats.
The women’s team will take Millett Hall first at 1 p.m. The Bobcats are 2-6 in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play, providing an opportunity for Miami to bounce back following its previous loss to the University of Toledo Rockets. At 3:30 p.m., the men’s team will enter the arena for its matchup. The RedHawks sit at 7-1 in conference play going into the matchup against the Bobcats, who sit at No. 4 in the MAC going into the matchup. Legendary Miami hall-of-famer Wally Szczerbiak, who played 10 seasons in the NBA following his career with the Red & White, will be in attendance for the doubleheader. For fans looking to catch a glimpse of both team’s success, the back-to-back matchups will show how the RedHawks hoopers are performing.
Men’s basketball vs. Toledo (Feb. 11)
Following the matchup against the No. 4 Bobcats, the men’s basketball team will face the Central
Michigan University Chippewas on the road before returning to Millett against the University of Toledo Rockets. The matchup not only gives the RedHawks a chance to keep up their successful conference record, but it will provide them an opportunity to snap a significant losing streak.
Miami has lost the last 22 matchups against Toledo, with its last victory over the Rockets coming in 2011. Last year’s matchup saw the Rockets score 54 to the RedHawks’ 24 in the first half, leading to a devastating 97-63 defeat to continue the losing streak.
With Miami’s success this season and the culture instilled by head coach Travis Steele, the RedHawks have a real chance to snap the losing streak against the Rockets at home for a midweek matchup.
Hockey vs. Western Michigan (March 7-8) The hockey team, under new head coach Anthony Noreen, went
through a transitional period this season.
The RedHawks are currently winless in conference play, but the culture built by Noreen serves as the building blocks for the future of the program. With continued efforts in recruitment and development, Miami can build on this year’s strengths moving forward. Miami closes out the regular season against the Western Michigan University Broncos, who sit at first in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) with a 10-1-1 conference record.
The weekend series will provide an opportunity for hockey fans to get a final glimpse at the RedHawks this season.
Women’s basketball vs. Northern Illinois (Mar. 8)
The day after the men’s basketball team wraps up its regular season, the women’s basketball team will put a cap on its regular season against the Northern Illinois University Huskies. The RedHawks currently sit at
.500, an improvement from last season during head coach Glenn Box’s first outing. Miami will need to put itself a few wins over .500 to solidify a spot in the conference tournament, and the matchup against the Huskies may end up being a much-needed win to send the RedHawks into the postseason. Baseball vs. Cincinnati (April 1) With the football Battle for the Victory Bell coming to an end soon, fans of the local rivalry will need to turn to other sports to get their fix. The baseball team will welcome the Bearcats on April 1 to McKie Field, giving the RedHawks a break from conference play to focus on a regional rivalry. The RedHawks hold an advantage in the series, sitting at 55-431. Last season, the Bearcats handed Miami a 11-3 defeat, its third loss in a row at the time.
babukc2@miamioh.edu
‘They game me a chance’: How Brian Ugwu went from an uncertain future to an NFL draft prospect
KETHAN BABU SPORTS EDITOR
Very few things can silence Miami University football head coach Chuck Martin. Following the RedHawks’ loss to Toledo during the 2023 season, Martin was speechless. Starting quarterback Brett Gabbert’s horrifying leg injury sent him to the hospital and benched him for the season. Miami’s undefeated streak in conference play came to a halt, and the team’s chances at a Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship seemed to drop to zero. players tried to compose themselves. Even the team’s top leaders and veteran players didn’t know what to say, nonexistent.
Suddenly, defensive lineman Brian Ugwu stood up and shouted at the team.
“No matter what happens, we’re not losing another game,” Ugwu said. “We love Brett, but Brett’s down. [Aveon], we got your back. It doesn’t matter what it looks like, we’re going to stick together. We’re not losing another game.”
Martin listened to Ugwu’s speech from around the corner. He had nothing else to say. That moment showed him that Ugwu was one of Miami’s best leaders in recent years.
The 2024 season marked the end of his collegiate career. Now, Ugwu’s eyes are set on the National Football League (NFL) draft and pursuing a old.
“I was at Rutgers with a torn ACL talking about preparing for the NFL draft,” Ugwu said.
Ugwu grew up in New Jersey as a played soccer growing up, academics remained a priority, and his parents prevented him from playing football for most of his childhood.
However, after watching Super Bowl XLI between the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts, Ugwu knew football was his calling.
“My freshman year, I tried out for the team … [and] I made it,” Ugwu said. “At that time, I was still kind of hiding that from my dad, so I didn’t know how he would react. I was just
telling him I was going to soccer practice when I was really going to football practice.”
For the time, Ugwu would walk to practice so his parents didn’t see him
teammates in pads and wearing helmets.
Looking back, he acknowledged that his plan was never going to work permanently.
“Parents are parents: They’re how smart we think we are as kids,” Ugwu said. “[My dad] found out, and he was upset, but I feel like at that moment, he saw that he had a son that was very passionate about something and really loved something. I feel like he saw that drive in my eyes and that passion.”
Ugwu started out as a quarterback before moving to linebacker, which he maintained for his junior and senior year. Despite the switch to defense, he continued to grow at the position, ultimately earning a spot with the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights.
His time at Rutgers provided trouseason. Head coach Christopher Ash season following a 52-0 loss to the University of Michigan Wolverines.three games and had one tackle. So far, he felt that his plans for college were not going how he expected. and during the 2020 season he suffered an ACL injury. Regardless, Martin saw the athleticism and potentialtion at Miami.
“He’s an athlete playing d-line as opposed to a d-lineman,” Martin said.
“He’s just so athletic. He grew into being a d-lineman, but he grew up as a skill guy. And he’s super, super smart. knows what’s happening in the game at all times.”
switching positions and going through rehab, he was away from home for the Looking back, Ugwu acknowl-
edged that he not only survived the in program history for career sacks despite only playing three seasons at Miami.
“It’s adversity that I have to face,” Ugwu said. “When things are not going my way or going how I thought would be planned, I feel like it’s important for me to remember that this is not my plan, this is God’s plan. Whatever comes my way, I have got to be able to get through it and thrive through it.”
After switching to defensive lineman for his Red and White debut, and one interception. The talent was there, but Martin questioned whether Ugwu was in Oxford to pad his stats or to play for the RedHawks.
In one game, Ugwu made a mistake that ended with the opponent scoring a touchdown. The next day, Martin’s worries about Ugwu’s reasoning to be there vanished.
“The next day, he was down, and he was like, ‘Coach, I cost us,’” Martin said. “That was, to me, the turning point. He went from a kid that I questioned whether he really was playing for Miami or just playing for himself to one of our best leaders.”
Ugwu’s second campaign with Mi-
quarterbacks eight times and forcing two fumbles.
mance showed his talent, the Toledo game and the season overall saw Ugwu step up as one of the RedHawks top leaders.
“I truly felt in that moment, God told me to step up and speak, and I was able to bring our whole team together,” Ugwu said. “I broke it down to them that we lost the game, but the war is not over. I was trying to get through to everybody that we still have a lot of games left to play, and we can still turn this season around and win a championship.”
Through his last year with the RedHawks, Ugwu continued to be an uplifting voice in the locker room and at practice. He constantly pushes the younger defensive lineman to outwork themselves and strive for the next level.
“His work ethic is like no other,” redshirt junior defensive lineman Nasir Washington said. “He works hard, he pushes the guys in the d-line room as well. Whatever team gets him, he’s opportunity and run away with it.” season brought Ugwu’s career total to
Following the RedHawks’ victory at the Arizona Bowl, Ugwu set his sights on the next step in his career: preparing for the NFL Draft.
Miami showcased three players at the 2024 NFL Pro Day last March, allowing defensive end Michael Dowell to sign with the Seattle SeaHawks. However, the state of college football implies that players from Power Four programs have a higher chance of getting drafted.
For Ugwu, Miami’s history at the professional level gives him hope that the NFL will see his potential.
“Sometimes when you play at the Power Four level, you think it has to be Power Four or nothing,” Ugwu said. “But I think you see now, even with last year’s draft, Quinyon Mitchell and Marshawn Kneeland, but also with Dominique Robinson, who I was basically his replacement, their being able to make it to the league from their MAC school, that was huge for me.”
As Ugwu continues to train for Miami Pro Day and set himself up time at Miami. He helped the team to back-to-back winning seasons, two MAC championship appearances and a bowl game victory.
“I’m grateful for my opportunity that I was able to have here, but I’m hoping that I was able to help them as well,” Ugwu said. “They took me out of the portal when I had no real game a chance.”
babukc2@miamioh.edu
MIAMI WOMEN
GIVING CIRCLE GRANTS
Have a project or an idea that needs funded? MIAMI Women wants to invest!
If you are a student, staf, or faculty member of any of the Miami University campuses, you are invited to apply for grants ranging from $2,500 to $20,000.
• Applicants are invited whether solo or in groups, teams or organizations.
• Grants awarded for programs, projects, initiatives, and research that are not profitmaking endeavors.
Think big! $111,000 awarded in grants last year. Finalists will be part of Hawk Tank, a live, fastpitch event on May 1, 2025, where our Giving Circle members will vote for their favorite projects to receive funding.
Past winners include: GlucoGo, the Miami Student Online Pantry Pick List Program, the Wellbeing and Thrive Program, and many others.
For more on past recipients, visit GivetoMiamiOH.org/HawkTankUpdates.
Apply by Feb. 28, 2025.
Timothée Chalamet delivers award-worthy performance in Bob Dylan biopic
STELLA POWERS
ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY
AND ASST. CULTURE EDITOR
If you grew up anything like I did, Bob Dylan was a household name. His albums would be constantly spinning on my dad’s record player, and “Maggie’s Farm” remains stuck in my head, even now.
As I got older, I never sought out to listen to Dylan on my own time. There’s so much other music out there — it’s almost as if his discography had slipped my mind. However,
BY SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES.
seeing “A Complete Unknown,” the 2024 Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet, reminded me why I loved revitalized my desire to listen to his music again as an adult.
Dec. 25 release, I knew it was something I wanted to see in theaters. However, life got in the way and it wasn’t until my grandma suggested seeing the movie in the middle of Jansee it. And, wow, was I glad I did. It was
unlike anything I had ever seen — it was vulnerable, raw, cinematically stunning and Chalamet completely transformed in a way I had never seen before. I’ve seen quite a few Chalamet projects, and this one was, by far, his best performance. Chalamet became Dylan for the
Dylan voice spot-on and even learned how to play guitar and harmonica, just for the role.
The dedication alone deserves him an award. He was recently, rightfully so, nominated for an Oscar forserves it more.
As stunning as Chalamet’s per-ed nothing less from him. He’s a seasoned, talented actor, capable of mastering roles from Laurie in “Little Women” to Willy Wonka himself. Him delivering as Dylan was no surprise. What caught my attention, however, was Monica Barbaro’s performance as Joan Baez.
It was stunning. While I regret to say I wasn’t familiar with Baez’s work
become a top artist of mine on Spotify, thanks to Barbaro. Similar to Chalamet, Barbaro had prior to “A Complete Unknown,” but she learned to sing and play the guitarformance also earned her an Oscar nomination. Along with Chalamet and BarbaEdward Norton, Elle Fanning and more. Everyone delivers in their roles
When Chalamet puts on his sun-ence between him and Dylan. There is nothing more magical than seeing an actor completely transform for a role, and Chalamet did just that.
Dylan himself was very involved in the making of this movie, which makes the story being told even more powerful and impactful. He left notes on the script and made requests regarding what he thought was neces-
The story starts with Dylan meeting Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie in the hospital, and its 140-minute runtime tells the story of him getting famous, going electric and everything
that happens in between. hits like “Highway 61 Revisited,” “Mr. Tambourine Man,” “I Was Young When I Left Home,” “It Ain’t Me, Babe,” “Maggie’s Farm,” “Like a Rolling Stone” and more, all sung by Chalamet himself. Barbaro covers Baez songs such as “House of the Rising Sun” and “There But For Fortune,” too.
It’s beautiful, cinematically stunning, emotional, raw, vulnerable, heartbreaking and so much more. and a half hours of brilliance, and for a movie of such a lengthy runtime, it rarely felt like it dragged. awards out there. It is one of the bestmediately skyrocketed to the number two spot on my list of 2024 releases ranked, right behind “Wicked.” Chalamet was born to play Dylan,
Rating: 8/10
powers40@miamioh.edu
Culture editors’ picks: The Grammys
STELLA POWERS, ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY AND ASST. CULTURE EDITOR
CHLOE SOUTHARD, CULTURE EDITOR
The Grammys is airing live on Feb. 2 at 8 p.m. EST. For two self-proclaimed, chronically online pop culture fanatics, this is our Super Bowl. 2024 was a strong year for music, especially pop music. Artists like Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter this begs the question: Who’s going home with a Grammy?
Don’t answer that. We’re going to tell you what we think. We selected a few categories that we feel somewhat share our thoughts.
Record of the year
Nominees: “Now and Then” — The Beatles
“TEXAS HOLD ’EM” — Beyoncé
“Espresso” — Sabrina Carpenter
“BIRDS OF A FEATHER” — Billie Eilish
“Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar
“Good Luck, Babe!” — Chappell Roan
“Fortnight” — Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone
Chloe’s pick: “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” — Billie Eilish
As much as I’m rooting for a Chappell Roan Grammys sweep, I have to remain rational. The academy loves Eilish, and rightfully so. “BIRDS OF Aal hit as soon as Eilish released “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT,” the album it debuted on.
Stella’s pick: “Espresso” — Sabrina Carpenter
By now, everyone has heard of “that me espresso,” a phrase made popular by Carpenter’s big hit, stations and TikTok For You Pages alike, making the catchy lyrics ring through people’s heads — willing or not — since its release. There’s no escaping “Espresso,” the tune that got Carpenter to where she is now, and the title “record of the year” is just calling its name.
Album of the year
Nominees:
“New Blue Sun” — André 3000
“COWBOY CARTER” — Beyoncé
“Short n’ Sweet” — Sabrina Carpenter
“Djesse Vol. 4” — Jacob Collier
“HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” — Billie Eilish
“The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess” — Chappell Roan
“THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT” — Taylor Swift
Chloe’s pick: “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Prin-
cess” — Chappell Roan
Personal biases aside, Roan had a fantastic year. Even with “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” as her tour, sold out venues, performed at plenty of festivals and made appearances on late-night shows. This record was (to my delight) inescapable.
However, I am a bit scared that Taylor Swift will secure yet another album of the year win, so I’m keeping a reluctant eye on “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT.” Swifties, please don’t come for me.
Stella’s pick: “BRAT” – Charli xcx
Summer 2024 was dubbed “BRAT summer” in response to the success of Charli’s electronic pop masterpiece. In addition to the standard album album as well as a few bonus track album, it would be “BRAT.”
Song of the year
Nominees:
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — Sean Cook, Jerrel Jones, Joe Kent, Chibueze Collins Obinna, Nevin Sastry and Mark Williams
“BIRDS OF A FEATHER” — Billie
Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell
“Die With A Smile” — Dernst Emile II, James Fauntleroy, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars & Andrew Watttin Post & Taylor Swift
“Good Luck, Babe!” — Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, Daniel Nigro & Justin Tranter
“Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar
“Please Please Please” — Amypenter
“TEXAS HOLD ’EM” — Brian Bates, Atia Boggs, Beyoncé, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro & Raphael Saadiq
Chloe’s pick: “Die With A Smile” — Dernst Emile II, James Fauntleroy, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars & Andrew Watt
I know, this might seem like a random pick, especially in comparison to some of the other nominees. However, “Die With A Smile” spent four consecutive weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 and eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200. The production on this track is amazing, and Gaga and Mars make a great pair. TikTok teens and grandmothers alike loved this song.
Stella’s pick: “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell
There’s no denying “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” was a hit. It’s catchy, fun, upbeat and literally everywhere. I mean, the song made it on Fortnite, so it deserves an award for that alone.
Every song in this category is here for a reason and each piece made its mark on the charts, but “BIRDS level. Billie & Finneas are one of the best songwriting duos out there, and of their work.
Out of all of the artists on this list, biggest (and well deserved) breakout in 2024. She already secured Best New Artist at the VMAs, so a Grammy for the same category just feels
Stella’s pick: Chappell Roan about this category — as much as I love Sabrina Carpenter, I don’t understand how someone who has renew artist.” Because of this, I had to go with the legendary Chappell Roan.
Roan’s album is so fun, catchy, powerful and beautiful all in one. It also showcases moments of queer joy, as well as the not-so-great aspects of being a queer individual, and for something like that to make it so big in the charts is truly remarkable. Roan makes music the way she wants to and brings something so unique to the table, and for that I think she deserves this award.
Best solo pop performance
Nominees:
“BODYGUARD” — Beyoncé
“Espresso” — Sabrina Carpenter
“BIRDS OF A FEATHER” — Billie Eilish
“Good Luck, Babe!” — Chappell Roan
Chloe’s pick: “Apple” — Charli xcx
“Apple” seemed to have taken the world by storm this summer. It’s catchy, danceable (see the “Apple” TikTok dance that Charli herself performs at concerts) and fun — the perfect pop song. Plus, as Stella previously mentioned, making it to Fortnite deserves an award, and “Apple” was not only added as a Jam Track but an emote as well. Don’t undermine its cultural impact!
Stella’s pick: “Good Luck, Babe!” — Chappell Roan categories to pick for, as four of the much every one of my playlists. However, in terms of performance, “Good Luck, Babe!” steals the show.
other nominees in this category do not achieve. It’s also just a powerful, stunning performance that shows a vulnerable side to Roan. “Apple” was Luck, Babe!” deserves the win.
Out of all the songs on this list, “Guess” is the strongest collaboration to me. Eilish and Charli are a fun pair, not taking anything too seriously, and their voices just mesh together nicely. I wouldn’t completely ignore “Die With A Smile,” though. It’s a great collaboration, and I do believe it could have a shot at winning, but “Guess” is truly the standout song for me.
“Guess” has become one of my most favorite collaborations in a long time. It’s fun, catchy and even has a visually appealing music video to go along with it. Eilish and Charli each have their own verse, with Eilish’s verse being a direct response to what is sung by Charli prior.
While “us” is certainly a close second, I’m a big fan of collaborations where each artist gets their moment to shine, and Swift doesn’t get used nearly enough in the track for my liking.
Best pop vocal album
Nominees:
“Short n’ Sweet” — Sabrina Carpenter
“HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” — Billie Eilish
“eternal sunshine” — Ariana Grande
“The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess” — Chappell Roan
“THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT” — Taylor Swift
Chloe’s pick: “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” — Billie Eilish
As someone who’s been listening smile at me,” was released, I consider “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” to be her magnum opus. The album tells a story and showcases Eilish’s vocal ability with every but when you listen through the ennicely. As much as I loved Carpenter and Roan’s releases, it just feels right for Eilish to win this category.
Stella’s pick: “Short n’ Sweet”
— Sabrina Carpenter
It’s short, it’s sweet and it’s 100% Sabrina. Everything about this album
Carpenter’s vocal talent. The entire album is a performance, and the show she puts on with it really showcases this.
chart-topping hits and some of CarWhile every nominee in this categoryes of the year, Carpenter wins this one.
Best dance pop recording
Nominees:
“Make You Mine” — Madison
Beer
“L’AMOUR DE MA VIE [OVER NOW EXTENDED EDIT]” — Billie Eilish
For me, there’s no question here. the club classics that Charli sings about on “BRAT.” This track is danceable all the way through; It’s something that would be blasted in a nightclub, something that would have the entire crowd moving and hyped.
Stella’s pick: “yes, and?” — Ariana Grande
While it has some tough competition, Grande’s “yes, and?” deserves the award for best dance pop recording. It took over my TikTok For You Page right after its release, and rightfully so. It’s fun, empowering and bound to get stuck in your head after just one listen. “eternal sunshine” is some of Grande’s best work, and “yes, set the tone for the entire album.
The Grammys have a stacked collection of nominees this year, andpetition in every category. But as for who will actually take home the gramophone trophies on Feb. 2? Well, that’s up for the Recording Academy to decide.
powers40@miamioh.edu
southacr@miamoh.edu
GRAPHIC BY STELLA POWERS.
PHOTO
CULTURE
CULTURE EDITOR
The title says it all. We are, in fact, so back. It’s a new semester. My brain has been given a long, luxurious rest, and now I’m ready to be an academic weapon again. As a celebratory beginning of the semester gift, allow me to share what I’ve been listening to lately.
This might be my most out-ofsorts playlist yet, and that’s saying something coming from someone in the same rotation.
‘Alter Ego’ — Doechii ft. JT this song on the newest season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” and it instantly wormed its way right into my brain. I’ve been listening to this song as soon as I get up in the morning and leave for class. It’s like my equivalent to starting the day with chugging a Monster.
I can’t dance, but I’d be lying if I said this song doesn’t make me want to vogue and duck walk like a seasoned drag queen.
‘It Ain’t Me Babe’ — Joan Baez
I know, the change in vibes mightsessed with this cover since the mothis summer.
I’ve gone in and out of phases with this track, but right now, it’s in full force – ask my mother. Every time we were in the car together over J-Term,
AYLA PEDEN THE MIAMI STUDENT
With students returning to campus, one question is looming in the backs of everyone’s minds: How did you spend your Christmas day?
Many will say, “spending time with family” or “nothing really; it was a normal day.” However, if you’re like “Nosferatu.”
had been greatly anticipated by horror and classic fans alike, and I cannot say it disappointed.
Rose Depp), a young German girl who is implied to be in her early to late teens. While shadowed in darkness, she calls out to the world for a guardian angel to come to her, to be with her. Let’s just say someone answers her call, but that someone is certainly not an angel.
After this moment, we jump forward in time. Ellen has just gotten married to her husband, Thomas
to sell some property to one Count can’t be good.
With this assignment, Ellen is sent to stay with her friends. However, her stay is not a happy one, as dreams and hallucinations shrouded in death haunt her unconscious mind. And with time, seizures begin
While at Castle Orlok, Thomas discovers that the Count is actually
‘Silver Springs - Live at Warner Brothers Studio in Burbank, CA 5/23/97’ — Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac song since I started listening to the band in middle school. That’s right, I’ve been here before the TikTok trends and Pinterest-posting, and you bet your ass I’m going to gloat about it. I know that this song single day of his existence.
‘What Is This Feeling?’ — Ari-
ana Grande & Cynthia Erivo
was home over J-Term, and it altered my brain chemistry. After watching a low-quality bootleg of “Wicked” do y’all know about YouTube “slime as my favorite from the soundtrack. Grande and Erivo simply knocked it out of the park.
‘One Last Breath’ — Creed
This track was a staple over my winter break because my brother and I would blast it in the car, yelling along, all while our youngest brother begged for us to stop.
‘Lockjaw’ — Sir Mix-a-Lot It wouldn’t be a classic Chloe playlist if The Mix — The Mack Daddy, if you will — didn’t secure a spot on it.
“Lockjaw” has fallen into the TikTok music conglomerate, but that doesn’t stop it from being a great song.
‘One of Us’ and ‘The Winner Takes It All’ — ABBA
good. Everyone talks about how Tay-endary breakup songs. Meanwhile, you guys are missing out on how
‘Drain Me!’ — Towa Bird
This song is so catchy and deserves much more recognition. Markcome a big, big name within the next year or so. I can feel it — and she deserves it. Go check her out now, that way you can say you were there from the start when her career skyrockets.
‘I’ll Wear Your Ring’ — Trixie Mattel
human being second. I mean, I literally named my dog after her. I’m not usually a fan of country music, but Mattel along with a select few others know the vibe) are the exceptions. This is one of Mattel’s earlier songs, but it’s so beautiful. Not to mention, the lyrics are masterful and heart wrenching.
‘Our House’ — Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
This song feels like a warm hug, like someone has taken me into their arms and said, “everything is going to be OK.” It emphasizes the beauty of
the little things, miniscule moments that we often take for granted. It’s simply timeless.
‘Blue Bayou’ and ‘Long Long Time’ — Linda Ronstadt I can’t pick between the two of these songs. They’re equally beautiful, and Ronstadt’s vocals never fail to blow me away. At the end of the day, when I’m winding down and pondering in bed, these are the types of tracks I like to hear.
‘360’ — Charli xcx
I say more?
southacr@miamioh.edu
a demonic being — a vampire, if you will — out to get Ellen, making him the “guardian angel” from the beginning.
the characters join together to rid the world of Nosferatu, who disguised himself as the Count, as he travels to their hometown in search of Ellen.
beautiful.
Along with Depp, Hoult and
Psycho”) and Aaron Taylor-Johnson – who I believe should be in all period pieces. Alongside the actors was director Robert Eggers.
Eggers describes his love for the story. In fact, it’s what cemented his love of directing! When the director was of the same name and fell in love.
Eventually, Eggers decided to adapt the story into a stage play, which he was able to direct with a local theater group. He explained that if it weren’t for the original “Nosferatu,” he probably wouldn’t be where he is today.
While this classic story is thoughtfully brought to life on screen, we should not overlook how the cinematography made this movie ten process, Eggers and cinematogra-
many scenes, the only lighting the team wanted to use was candles or other sources of natural light. While
this lighting made it hard to see at times, it made the scene more ominous — more real.
Throughout production, Eggers wanted to bring to life classic horror and gothic tropes that made the terrifying, disgusting even. In many scenes, we see Depp contorting her body in ways that are only natural if you are being possessed by a centuries-old creature. It is bone-chilling blood straight from our main characters’ hearts.
There are so many instances in this movie that leave you feeling sick but, oddly enough, also in awe. It is so shocking to see these things portrayed on screen, but that’s the point. Gothic horror is startling, disgusting and uneasy. The characters do not portray how people “should” act in society. They do things without reason, and Orlok’s presence typically causes these actions.
Now, I am not usually a fan of horror. The disgusting parts — well, they make me feel disgusted, and that isn’t my cup of tea. However, I can recognize that Eggers and the cast put on an amazing performance and succeeded in making a classic said for many horror movies in the past couple of years.
All in all, the cast and crew did a fantastic job, and their hard work
Rating: 8/10
pedenae@miamioh.edu
Music ages like nothing else, but my favorite albums are 50
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
perfect music, because there’s nothing like it. Putting on a song or album that puts you in the perfect mood is incomparable.
I’ve been lucky enough to not had it for as long as I’ve been able to jam out to anything I wanted to.
That’s because most of my favorite music is twice as old as I am.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of two albums I hold dear
in 1975 and are two constants in my daily rotation. of spectacular. Every song can stand on its own but put together, the eight songs combined create a timeless record that holds the feelings of love, escape and maturing all in one. sets the bar high. “Thunder Road” into a world of endless opportunities a 16-year-old. From there on, I was hooked.
“Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,”
“Jungleland” cement the album into rock history and the upper echelon of my favorite albums.
Every song on the album has amazing vocals, guitar and saxophone that I haven’t found combined
tled what I still think is a perfect album and it hasn’t expired in 50 years.
-
The exact same thing can be said
Dylan was at a low point in his life, with his marriage in turmoil and a dip in success. In rare Dylan fashion, all 10 songs act like a window into his world, although he’s gone back and forth on if the songs are autobiographical or not.
for the rest of the album by showing how Dylan’s acoustic guitar accompanies the feeling of sadness that exudes from every line.
Almost every song is about the
listeners may see this as a mistake, because the album sounds like the same song on repeat for 50 minutes, but to me every song sounds like a page from a somehow-shared diary between myself and everyone else that has been through any relationship. And Dylan says it all in his beautiful way.
slowly fading into obscurity and old age, I know the chances of me getting another gem from either one of them is near zero. Despite this sad fact I’ve
will accompany me through the rest of my life in a way only seemingly-mind-reading albums can.
turmankd@miamioh.edu
OPINION
STELLA POWERS
ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY AND ASST. CULTURE EDITOR
We live in an era where internet safety is widely preached and kids are told not to talk to strangers online. It’s a reasonable request – after all, there are some people out there who don’t always have the best intentions.
The internet can be dangerous, but it can also be a place to learn, grow and blossom extraordinary friendships. I probably used the internet way before I should have; however, I don’t regret it. Some of my most incredible experiences wouldn’t have been possible without online friendships.
In September 2020, I met an intime. It was a bit scary, but we had been FaceTiming for years and we lived only an hour apart. It felt like it honestly, meeting someone in person a park about halfway between us and, despite being 15 at the time, played on the playground. It was fun, and eventually, we warmed up to each other and it wasn’t awkward anymore.
STAFF WRITER
College is supposed to be the best four years of your life, right? At least that’s what every movie, well-meaning relative and overly enthusiastic orientation leader insists. They paint a picture of midnight pizza runs with your best friends that you meet after with your ride-or-die squad and endForever.” But what happens when the relationships you form feel more like a chore than a celebration?
Let’s talk about fake friendships –those surface-level connections that leave you questioning why you ever exchanged Snapchat usernames in on convenience, proximity or shared class schedules but crumble the mointo play. It’s time to break free from these emotional placeholders and reclaim your energy for meaningful connections and personal growth.
The anatomy of a fake friendship Fake friendships aren’t alwaysade as genuine relationships. You of college, bond over how much you both miss your dogs and suddenly
It’s always funny when people askventional way for friends to meet. Our answer? We met online. More love of the “Scream” franchise. We get some looks, but hey, it makes for a great conversation starter. Now, we make plans to spend time together every time I’m home for breaks. When I’m at college and four hours away, we continue to FaceTime, play video games and text almost every day. It’s funny how someone I met on Instagram has become such an important part of my life.
-country, to meet someone from X (formerly Twitter) who my parents didn’t know at all. My friend lives in California, a state I had never been to, her to my parents I expected their answer to be an immediate no. However, that wasn’t the case. They said yes for the trip.
I went in July and, despite being unbelievably nervous about traveling to a new state by myself, had the time of my life. We visited destinations
such as San Francisco and Monterey, since I’m a huge fan of the HBO series “Big Little Lies.” We even went to a San Francisco Giants game and explored the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
This experience changed my life and made me realize that I could travel without my parents and see the world for myself. Before this trip, I didn’t know what I was capable of. If it weren’t for me stumbling upon this girl on X a few years ago who also loved “Saturday Night Live,” I would never have had these experiences or opportunities. It’s weird how things like that work, isn’t it?
In November, the same friend made the trip to Indianapolis together in a failed attempt to see “The Eras Tour” (we both love Taylor Swift). While we weren’t able to get into the concert that night, we got to explore the city, trade friendship bracelets with other Swift fans and even meet new friends (who we actually got dinner with that night, after both parties failed to secure tickets). We also met up with another “Saturday Night Live” fan who we knew from X.
The trip didn’t exactly go as planned, but it was still an absolute blast, and I will forever treasure the
memories made in Indianapolis that weekend.
Prior to that trip, my friend had never stepped foot in the Midwest. It and Indiana, all three of which were visited that weekend in some capacity. If it weren’t for our meeting on the internet, she may never have had those opportunities. The internet is terrifying, but it can also be beautiful, and online friendships are one of the most misunderstood concepts out there. Not everyone is scary, and meeting people online can open you up to a whole new world of opportunities you didn’t even know were possible.
That being said, the internet can
to meet a stranger unless you look into it and know for a fact that you will be safe doing so. It’s a risk, but when you know it’s safe, it’s so unbelievably worth it. If it weren’t for some of the friend-
ships I made by posting about my
interests online, I wouldn’t have had the person I am today. The internet can be a scary place, but befriending people online opens up a whole world of possibilities you wouldn’t know were possible otherwise.
you’re having lunch together every day.
But soon, you notice the cracks: They only text when they need help with homework. Conversations feel one-sided – you’re the listener, noting up when it’s convenient for them and ghosting when you need support.
These relationships can feel like emotional quicksand. They drain your energy, time and sometimes stick around out of fear of loneliness, thinking, “At least I have someone, right?” Spoiler alert: You deserve so much better than someone. Why we fall into the trap College is a breeding ground thrown into an entirely new enviyour people can be overwhelming. Everyone’s in survival mode, clinging to anyone who seems remotely compatible. Then there’s the allure of convenience. Fake friendships are easy. You sit next to them in class, live down the hall or have a mutual hatred for that one professor who assigns 10-page papers over the weekend. The proximity creates an illusion of closeness
Let’s not forget social media. Nothing screams “Look, I’m thriving!” like
a photo dump of brunch outings and tailgate parties. It’s tempting to keep up appearances, even if those kinships feel as hollow as a Halloween pumpkin on Nov. 1.
The pain of betrayal
It’s one thing to recognize a fakeent when someone you thought was genuine turns out to be just another placeholder. That kind of betrayal stings in a way that’s hard to put into words. You might feel shame for trusting them, guilt for not seeing the signs sooner and an overwhelming sense of loss for what you thought the friendship was.
The hardest part is reconciling the person you thought they were with the reality of who they turned out to be. But it’s important to remember: Their behavior says more about them than it does about you. Feeling hurt doesn’t make you weak –it makes you human.
Reclaiming your energy Breaking free from fake kinships doesn’t mean you have to ghost everyone who mildly annoys you. It’s about recognizing who adds value to your life and who doesn’t. Here’s how to start: Take a friendship inventory: Who makes you feel seen, heard and valued? Who leaves you feeling drained or unimportant? Be brutally honest.
Starting
relate to this as well as I’m able to. Nonetheless, in high school, there’s a dedicated classroom with a dedicated teacher (often called an intervention specialist) where you go if you need extra help learning. These classrooms were where I spent most of my days, although I attended reg-
ular classes, too. I also had a one-onone aide who would help me get from class to class, push my wheelchair or carry my supplies. You get none of that in college. While each university, including Miami University, has a dedicated department ensuring you get appropriate learning accommodations, there are no dedicated classrooms or aides. When I needed help carrying things or getting from one place to another, I asked my friends nearby to walk with me and carry some of my things. Unless they also had a con-
If you have classes in the same building, consider yourself lucky Getting from class to class requires going to multiple buildings. On occasion, I’ve had classes on op-
posite sides of campus. It’s either a 20-minute walk or anywhere from a 5–15-minute bus ride. With my disability, I often opt for riding over walking, but even with riding the bus, I’m out-utes each time.
This past fall semester, I was lucky enough to have both my morning and afternoon Tuesday and Thursday classes in Williams Hall. But, because of the amount of time I had in between, I often got lunch, went to work or did something else, and then I came back. There’s no getting out of walking outside in college. No more substitute teachers Professor got sick? Professor’s kids get sick? Do they have a difwhat: class gets canceled! There aren’t any substitute teachers in college. Yes, there are undergraduate and graduate assistants, but they’re more for grading assignments. I’ve had professors that have never canceled class, and I’ve had some that have canceled it 50% of the time. A couple of my professors have the semester and have listed the days that class will be canceled on the syllabus.
If a class gets canceled, don’t expect a free day, though. Most of the time we’ve had some type of assignment to do in lieu of class. Classes can have up to 200 students
It’s not very often that classes are close to or at capacity, but when they are, you better get there early if you
Friendships are supposed to be mutual investments, not an emotional “I owe you”.
Set boundaries: If a relationship
You don’t always need to cut ties dramatically, but you can stop overextending yourself – let them meet you halfway or not at all.
Invest in meaningful connections:
Join clubs, attend campus events or strike up a conversation with someone who shares your interests. True friendships often form in spaces where you’re your most authentic self, not just the dorm hall.
Learn to love your own company: It’s better to have a Friday night to yourself than to spend it with people who make you feel lonelier than actually being alone. Take yourself outite show or journal your thoughts. When you’re comfortable with solitude, you’re less likely to settle for subpar relationships.
Don’t confuse quantity with quality: It’s easy to envy the person with 20 people in their friend group chat. But the real gold lies in those one or two friends who know your Taco Bell order by heart and can tell when something’s wrong just by your texting style.
Breaking free from fake friends
want a good seat and be prepared to sit around a little after it lets out (especially if you use a wheelchair to get around campus).
I’ve had at least one large class since I transferred to Miami. This semester, I have a class that has a capacity of 130 students, and it’s overfull. I’m excited about that class. NOT. No school supply lists Gone are the days when you had All you need for college is a laptop, a notebook or two, a binder and a few folders.
but I have a binder, a folder for each of my classes, an “extra” folder for doesn’t go in my class folders, my laptop, my iPad, pencils and pens. One helpful tip: make sure your computer is fully charged before class, and even if it is, bring a charger. You don’t want to be screwed when it dies in the middle of class and you can’t plug it in.
Some professors may ask you to that isn’t common (I’ve only had it happen twice since I started college).
Your major may require some speit’s pretty straightforward. There are also your textbooks, but the majority of those nowadays are eBooks, so that really lightens up your load.
Counselors are now advisers
In high school, you had guidance counselors. These individuals help you through any struggles, make sure you’re taking the right classes, ensure your grades are what they should be and more. Once you get to college, you have the same sort of person assigned to you who performs the same duties, but they’re called an adviser. Unlike high school, whoever is assigned to you as your adviser is based on what you’re majoring in, and sometimes, your class standing. You also don’t get a slip of paper random-
isn’t easy, especially when you’re in aization. But trust me, the peace and joy of real connections are worth the temporary discomfort. College is too short to spend with people who don’t appreciate the amazing, complex and quirky person you are. So here’s your permission slip to let go of friendships that don’t serve you. Reclaim your energy, invest in yourself and open the door to connections that light up your world. As cliche as it sounds, the right people will the best version of yourself.
mladena@miamioh.edu
hours or make an appointment. You assign your own lunch
Remember receiving your schedule right before school started and anxiously waiting to see what lunch period you had been assigned? That doesn’t happen in college. Your assigned lunch period is between classes (or between work and classes) when you have enough time to eat and get to the next thing. If you’re not already good at time management, you learn fast.
Need to take medications during the school day?
Carry them with you
If you had a requirement to take medications during the school day, you may remember having to leave class and go to the nurse to take them. There’s no school nurse in college. If you need to take medications during the day, you have to ensure that you carry them with you.
Students in dorms may be able to plan everything out so that they can run back, take their medications and then leave again. But I commute, so I don’t have that option. I carry all the medications I’ll need during the day in my purse, along with some extra in case my little travel supply runs out. wilso724@miamioh.edu
WHITNEY WILSON-HARRIS
TAYLOR POWERS
ASST. OPINION EDITOR
Our childhoods are crucial to who we become. They are the most formative years of our lives, during which we learn language and social skills and develop our beliefs and values. We must be supported and cared for during this time.
And yet, our society has fallen short of its duty to protect youth. Children are losing their childhoods because of mistreatment and neglect them. Kids are losing their chance to be kids. The Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act was signed into law by Congress last December. This legislation intends to change how youth residential programs are managed by calling for thorough examinations of youth in these programs, professional training for workers in child protection and care, community-based alternatives and more.
Paris Hilton was a vocal supporter of this act and is a huge children’s rights activist. In a documentary called “This is Paris,” Hilton spoke about her time in the troubled teen industry (TTI) and the abuse she endured at the boarding school Provo Canyon School. During her 11-month stay, Hilton said she was beaten, force-fed medication, watched as she showered, subjected to strip searchwithout clothes as punishment.
Since the documentary’s release, she has advocated for protecting youth in TTI. Around the same time, I noticed an uptick in videos about these programs, each with the hashtag #BreakingCodeSilence, a movement created in 2014 to raise awareness about problems in the industry.
TTI is a network of youth residential programs intended to support struggling teenagers. These programs manifest as therapeutic boarding schools, treatment centers, wilderness programs and boot camps. Roughly 120,000-200,000 young teens are funneled into these programs, and about $23 billion of public funds are given annually to TTI.
However, there are numerous reports of physical, emotional and sexual abuse in these places. Physical restraints turn into unnecessary physical punishment, and many assaults are caught on security cameras or recorded in restraint reports. Kids experience food or sleep deprivation, lack of privacy, prolonged isolation and more. There have been more than 350 preventable child deaths documented.
In their videos, people described by strangers, while their parents watched. They described being transported to an unknown location where they stayed for several months. They described doing physical labor for hours on end with little food or water.
I learned more when “The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping”
care system has issues, too, including placement instability, a shortage of foster homes, high rates of abuse or neglect within the system and more.
facilities, the Academy at Ivy Ridge, which was disguised as a boardingerine Kubler, a former attendee, and followed her and other former attendees as they shared their experiences in the program.
There is a quote by a journalist interviewed, Thomas Houlahan: “The abuse of a child is the business of anyone who knows about it.” At the end, Kubler restates this and sends the “Now you know.”
Utah is known as the ideal place for these programs, but there are a few in Ohio, such as OhioGuidestone, where a teen died in 2014 after beingber. Since there is a lack of local, state and federal laws governing these facilities, the abuse can go unnoticed. And it’s not just TTI. The foster
Us vs. them: An Oxford mentality
ELIZA SULLIVAN
THE MIAMI STUDENT
I am what’s known as a “townie” –I’ve lived in Oxford since 2016. In my time here, I have noticed that many communities here are in contention with each other. The town vs. the students
I have heard fellow year-round residents describe the students as “tourists.”
This November, Oxford passedpartments were running. A common grievance I heard among year-round residents was that Miami University students were causing excess costs to these departments, through frequenting incidents. Many felt that Miami students came to Oxford, drained the resources residents pay for and left four years later without paying back into the community.
I can’t say I disagree with this idea. However, when I say I live in Oxford, fellow students are often surprised that people live here yearround. I understand how easy it is to stay on and around campus and pay no attention to the surrounding community.
Still, I think it’s important that students remember the community of Oxford residents around them who run their favorite businesses, teach their classes and make Miami life possible.
Growing up here, Uptown during the summer was a paradise. My friends and I would get a Rapid Fired pizza and stop by Graeter’s for dessert. We would watch the free concerts in the park every Thursday, or go to the seemingly endless stream of festivals complete with food trucks and bouncy houses. Come August, however, the students would return. Uptown would transform from our family-friendly paradise into a place no sane sixth grader would dare venture after sundown. It was nearly impossible to enjoy yourself surrounded by the throngs of drunken college students. In the morning, all that remained were crumpled beer cans and half-eaten slices of Bruno’s pizza. Now, as a student, Uptown on a
Friday night is a good time. The inethe streets are my classmates and peers, rather than terrifying strangers. Still, I can’t help but remember what trying to navigate that scene as a child was like.
The university vs. the administration
ized in 2023, creating the Faculty Alliance of Miami (FAM). While this does not necessarily put them in opposition to the administration, the administration’s refusal to consider reasonable requests by the union has increased tensions between the two groups.
The university community is also being left out of important decisions on campus. In an interview with The Miami Student, David Prytherch, a geography professor and member of the Campus Planning Committee, said the administration fails to consult community stakeholders before making decisions.
In her comments about the proposed arena on Slant Walk, as reported by The Miami Student, Cathy Wagner, an English professor and University Senator, said “decisions are being made in ways that make us not feel like the academic mission is number one in the minds of leadership.”
She also raised concerns about a lack of student input in the decision-making process.
“The whole university is a public university that is here for students,” Wagner said. “Why this process doesn’t start with students is a mystery to me.”
Liberals vs. conservatives
Oxford is a liberal bubble in a conservative county. This is obvious during election years; As you drive outside of the city limits, the yard signs for Democratic candidates slowly become scarcer, and the Republican yard signs begin popping up.
Another easy way to see this divide between liberal and conservative politics is at local school board meetings.
I attended Talawanda High School, and in my junior year I took an interest in the board of education meetings. I went to as many as
I could, watching as board members and the community debated over everything that makes the school district run, from funding initiatives to the installation of new football turf. At the most recent Board of Education meeting, the were Talawanda High School teachers who all praised the school district for the education and services it provides for its students.
There was a group of parents called Citizens for Our Children, formed by Art Sauerwein, a former campaign manager for Republican State Representative Diane Mullins. These parents said they were concerned about a recent TikTok posted by English teacher Danielle Mann. Many of these parents spoke of their concern over Mann’s politically charged message, stressing that school should be a nonpartisan space, and they raised concern about discrimination against Republican students.
Another speaker, Tom Romano, defended Mann, saying he believes she embodies all the qualities important in a teacher.
One of the last speakers was Annie Dittman, who said she would “question if it’s coincidental” that the teachers, and that their comments were exactly 30 minutes, the allotted amount of time that public comment is usually allowed to go for at meetings.
As I understood it, she was implying that this was meant to block the Citizen’s for Our Children parents from speaking. Before Dittman’s comment, however, school board president Rebecca Howard had already said she would extend public comment time, given how many people had signed up to speak.
The public comments at this board meeting exemplify the divided community that the Talawanda School District serves, and the distrust that the Talawanda and Oxford communities have within themselves, and for the school board.
sullivei@miamioh.edu
state of West Virginia accused it of failing to protect children in its foster care system. Multiple activism suit, alleging the state put children in unsafe homes and overworked Child Protective Services workers.
Similar issues arise at other places where kids spend lots of time.
The education system has a long list of problems, including low test scores, teacher shortages and book bans. We can’t ignore the large number of school shootings in the past few years. And now, federal immigration agencies can make arrests at schools.
Children are the most vulnerable population. Failure to support them when they’re young could result in numerous problems when they enter adulthood, including trust issues,
struggling to make genuine connections with others and feelings of isolation. Our current generation of youth will one day run the world. Don’t we want them to be ready?
I’m not saying every troubled teen program, foster home or school is dangerous. I’m not saying there’s a single solution to all these problems, but I do believe our society and government have failed to adjust how we protect children as our world changes. We can do more.
We can enforce stricter gun laws. We can enforce more regular checkins on youth programs, similar to restaurant health inspectors. We can encourage parents to be a little more involved with what their children see online and how often they use technology at their age.
It’s all easier said than done. But every small step helps.
With people like Hilton and accountability, I hope this brings an era of change in our society. I hope the proper people are held accountable. I hope for a safer future for our children.
powerstj@miamioh.edu
Sexual assault is
not just another part of
college life
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Miami University’s campus is beautifully full of trees, brick buildings and college students looking to further their education. But, more often than it should, those same students get sexually assaulted on that same campus. Each reported assault is made known through an alert that informs students where the assault happened and has minimal details. These alerts come from South Quad, Western Campus, Slant Walk and everywhere in between. The emails report students getting taken advantage of by people they did or did not know. Sometimes it’s in a dorm, sometimes it’s not. There doesn’t seem to be a pattern, except that it continues to happen. But that’s not how our culture has to go on. When looking at undergraduate students on campuses across the country, 26.4% of women and 6.4% of men experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence or incapacitation, according to RAINN. Miami doesn’t have to be
part of this.
As students, we can band together to push for programs that enforce ways, stepping up as bystanders and holding assaulters accountable even if they are friends. Similarly, Greek life having increased amounts of sexual assault does not have to continue if members, committees or leadership create and enforce change.
Our story on sexual assault on we could not only help prevent assaults but also support survivors. Joining organizations like Sexual Assault Survivor Support or being an ally to your friends could be life-changing for them and the future of Miami’s culture.
At The Student, we will do our share by continuing to report on sexual assault on campus and how Miami responds to it. If you or someone you know wants to share a story or just talk to us, we are always available through email or in our newsroom at 3018 Armstrong Student Center.
eic.miamistudent@gmail.com
GRAPHIC BY OLIVIA MICHELSEN
GRAPHIC BY OLIVIA MICHELSEN
GRAPHIC OLIVIA MICHELSEN
SOPHIE KWIATKOWSKI STAFF WRITER
Bolded in admissions marketing and quoted by many, most Miami University students and alumni can recite Robert Frost’s renowned proclamation that Miami is home to “the most beautiful campus that ever there was.” However, investments in campus maintenance and infrastructure are vital to uphold this claim.
Many of these necessary investments are seen in Miami’s utilization of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. Founded by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) in 1998, LEED holds companies and universities accountable for meeting sustainable building standards by grading them on a 100-point scale.num,” points are given for meeting
SAM NORTON GREENHAWKS AND OPINION EDITOR
benchmarks in areas like energy and water usage, air quality and waste management.
Miami’s implementation of LEED
In 2011, a few years after a group of Miami students chaired a sustainability task force to curate a set of sustainability goals, Miami began using LEED on new construction projects.
David Prytherch, a professor of gecoordinator at Miami during this period.
“One of those goals was to get Miami to commit to a minimum LEED Silver rating for all big projects,” Prytherch said. “Miami had said, ‘Oh yeah, we do green building, everything we do is green building.’ We said, ‘Well, why don’t we commit to So, we committed to Silver.”
Miami’s 2011 commitment
aligned with the Ohio School Facilities Commission’s 2007 requirement for all state-funded public schools to at least strive for Beyond the 50 points needed from the USGBC and fees amounting to thousands of dollars, what does achieving a LEED Silver rating actual-
Attaining LEED Silver
Olivia Herron, the director of sustainability at Miami, said the university’s on-the-ground work needed to achieve LEED Silver.
“The actual LEED cer-
laboration, to some extent, between Miami’s project manager for that building or renovation and the archihired,” Herron said. “All of the LEED features have to be designed before construction, then written into LEED on Miami’s behalf.”
Some of these features includeage, an incorporation of sustainable building materials, like LED lights, and a reduction in a building’s carbon footprint.
While not explicitly stated in President Crawford’s 2040 Climate Action Plan, LEED standards help align Miami’s infrastructure to achieve carbon neutrality and “institutionalize” this goal campuswide by 2040.
“LEED really just helps us all speak the same language,” Herron said. “Whether it’s a new building or a renovation, it will be around in 2040. So we need it to be aligned with our goals.”
Cody Powell, the associate vice president of facilities planning and operations at Miami, echoed Herron’s commendation of LEED, but also said it has some downfalls.
“We wrangled with LEED when we built the Farmer School of Business years ago,” Powell said. “To get points, we needed to build showers into the facility in case somebody wanted to ride their bike and then take a shower when they arrived at work. And so, you’re adding a pretty substantial cost to the project and maintenance over time for something that isn’t going to be heavily utilized.”
Despite this downfall of LEED and its associated costs, Powell said theing builders and property owners to adopt environmentally-friendly infrastructure. Because of its point-based incentives, LEED works as a gamito incorporate less carbon-intensive features into new constructions and renovations. In turn, LEED’s rating system allows for companies and universities, like Miami, to better meet decarbonization goals — as seen in Miami’s 2040 Climate Action Plan.
“LEED forces building owners to sustainable decisions rather than just short-term pluses,” Powell said.
Miami is on track with its commitment to sustainable infrastructure. Despite being on track, the potential construction of a new hotel and plan for a new arena has caused some to question whether these investments align with Miami’s sustainability goals.
However, Powell said he was optimistic about how the potential constructions of the new hotel and
arena will impact Miami’s long-term commitments to sustainable infrastructure.
“The developers that we talk to certainly understand the value of committing to our sustainability initiatives,” Powell said. “I will say that it is out of our hands as to exactly what they pursue since they have to make these initiatives can be incorporated while still meeting their return on in-rate them.”
While the arena’s construction will be on Miami’s property, the hotel will be on land that is sold to the developer. Since the land will be sold, it will fall outside of the LEED Silver standard that Miami and the state require for its publicly-funded buildings. Herron said that this is a unique situation regarding the potential hotel.
“[The hotel] would be on a land lease, so it would be up to the developer to build according to LEED,” Herron said. “It’s really out of our control if it went further but it’s also so preliminary at this point so it’s dif-
Prytherch similarly said how the early stages of these potential projects are murky when discussing their sustainable alignments.
“I don’t think that Miami has yet analyzed the impact all that new construction will have on our campus. I’m skeptical that the net result will be positive for our sustainability trajectory,” Prytherch said. While the hotel is still just potential, the recent Board of Trustees’ decision to welcome plans for the arena has also welcomed controversy, both for LEED and campus aesthetics.
kwiatksk@miamioh.edu
In the shadow of snow-capped giants
The steady sound of snow shoes trodding through freshly fallen snow echoes loudly in an otherwise silent valley forest. Above the pines, spires of stone and ice appear and vanish in the distance, cutting through a dense layer of fog. The trail eventually opens to a frozen lake, and three rugged, snow-capped peaks appear as the blue sky peeks through the gloom. Towering over the serene forest opengreets its new visitors.
The Miami University Ski and Snowboard Club held its annual big trip from Jan. 12 to 17, 2025, and this year’s destination was the Jackson Hole Resort in Jackson, Wyoming. After three days of hard skiing and the prospect of a $200 lift ticket, I decided to explore this part of the country
I singled out Grand Teton National Park as a destination and was joined by fellow The Miami Student editor Austin Smith and his roommate, Chris Tsai. The park is 20 minutes north of Jackson and protects over 300,000 acres of mountains,
forests, lakes and valleys.
I had never visited the Tetons, but as soon as the ski club announced it was going to Jackson Hole, I began thinking about it. In the dead of winter, in an area that averages over 400 inches of snowfall annually, the only option was snowshoeing. So, we rented some shoes in town and hopped in an Uber headed north.
The three of us began trekking from a crowded parking lot on a trail with snow packed down, clearly well-traveled. We quickly started shedding layers of clothing as we realized this journey would be harder than simply hiking.
Our chosen route was a loop that skirted the edges of two small lakes at the base of the Teton range. After
nearly disappeared, and we started using our shoes for their true purpose: breaking a path through over a foot of powdery snow.
The fog continued to move across small lake that we began to catch a glimpse of the behemoths of granite that jutted out of the earth. We our necks to see the peaks just out of reach. We eventually moved on to the
next lake, where another mile and a half of untouched snow caused us to nearly lose our way more than once.
Yet the adventure of plotting our own path through the tranquil forest kept us engaged and excited. A far cry from the crowded parking lot, we were all alone on these trails, but we it to the second lake, where upon leaving the treeline and stepping into the all their splendor.
The fog had lifted, and a brilliant blue sky provided a backdrop for the so famous for. We inched our way surface. Marveling at the incredible views that greeted us at every turn, the hike. We followed the shoreline for some time before eventually reentering the forest and making our way back to the parking lot.
A unique and adventurous expedition, snowshoeing in Grand Teton National Park is something that not many people have done. Now, three kids from Ohio who originally came their bucket list.
nortonsm@miamioh.edu
STEPHANIE SELVAGGIO
THE MIAMI STUDENT
This winter, I got the awesome opportunity to complete my nutrition major senior capstone in Nepal with Dr. Mark Walsh (KNH 402, Life At The Top Of The World). During this trip, I spent 17 days immersing myself in Nepali culture. We went hiking in the Annapurna Mountain Range, went on a safari in Chitwan National Park and saw elaborate Buddhist and Hindu temples in Kathmandu.
This was truly a once-in-a-lifethought I would get the chance to spend eight days trekking in the Himalayas, let alone get college credit for it. The trek was not easy, but theerally). We also took our blood oxygen percentage and pulse with a pulse oximeter as we climbed the mounmeasure. As we would get higher, our resting heart rate would increase to
Attitudes at altitude
accommodate our decreasing blood oxygen percentage. When returning to a lower altitude, our pulses and blood oxygen percentage would make their way back to normal. While I knew culture in Nepal was
single price is negotiable. You can always haggle your prices down for just about anything. My biggest bargain of wool. -
pal’s capital city, Kathmandu. We had such a blast exploring the area and the energy was indescribable as the clock ticked down to the new year.
had and I made such an amazing group of friends because of it.
selvagsn@miamioh.edu
London’s calling
THE MIAMI STUDENT
During J-term, I got the opportunity to go to London to study abroad taught by Kimberly Hamlin. During the two week trip, I not only got to re-ish Library, The Women’s Library at the London School of Economics and was able to go around London and spend time exploring. What I really enjoyed about this
curry dinner and seeing the West but the beauty of the program is that you got to choose your own topic and were able to pretty much completely tailor your time to what you wanted or needed to do during the day.
I wanted to research prior to getting to London. All I really knew I wanted
I realized that I wanted to study thely examining how their fashion and the media around them furthered their cause and how it shaped theresearch and hopefully submit andsearch Forum. It was a quick trip, so it really was a “work hard play hard” situation. My group of friends and I really made the most of our time outside the arbeen lucky enough to study abroad at is truly a hidden gem.
schislhc@miamioh.edu
SCHISLER
ELEPHANTS, CROCODILES AND OTHER WILD ANIMALS. PHOTO BY STEPHANIE SELVAGGIO
