The Miami Student | April 21, 2023

ALICE MOMANY SENIOR CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR

Content warning: This story contains mentions of suicide and death.

When William "Bill" Knight first met Adriene Kelly, he knew that he was going to marry her one day, but she didn’t know that.

Adriene was working in a frozen yogurt shop when she first met Bill. Bill was a customer, and he spilled yogurt all over the floor. Adriene was upset at the mess and yelled at him, but she made sure to set aside his favorite flavor of yogurt so there was some left, even though he had spilled it.

Bill would later tell Adriene that he was impressed by her kindness and smile.

Throughout their 28 years of marriage, Bill and Adriene enjoyed traveling together, going out to breakfast on the weekends and trying new foods and restaurants.

“When Bill was traveling, he was in his element,” Adriene wrote in an email to The Miami Student. “Some of my favorite memories with Bill are special memories from our travels.”

They were each other’s biggest supporters. Bill worked in academia at various Midwest institutions, and Adriene followed him wherever he went.

“We were partners, and I supported him in his career, wherever that led us,” Adriene wrote.

‘He was always about fixing things’: Knight’s previous colleges

In 1996, Bill was hired at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) as the director of Institutional Research (IR). Before Bill came to BGSU, there was no IR office, and he spent 15 years developing the program from nothing while serving on several dissertation and thesis committees.

Denise Davidson, now a professor at the Bloomsburg University campus of the Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, had the opportunity to learn under Bill while she was a doctoral student at BGSU.

“He always had a sunny disposition and wanted to be helpful and useful, and the classroom environment sort of reflected that,” Davidson said. “I never dreaded going to class.”

In 1994, Bill met Victor Borden at a conference for the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Borden and Bill were members of AIR and remained in communication, running into each other at various conferences.

“I’m sure it’s not the same without him because he really was about educating the next generation,” Borden said. “He paid it forward, paid it backward, paid it in all directions.”

‘He had a lot of grace’: Knight at Miami

Bill came to Miami University in March 2019. He spent his lunch hours discovering new parts of the university, noting things he had never seen before.

This is how Bill spent most of his time: researching the things he did not know. “What was fun for me was to see those things through his eyes, as somebody who was just learning about the campus,” Jeffrey Wanko, a professor of mathematics education at Miami, said. “It reminded me that

sometimes I take things for granted, like how beautiful the campus is and what a unique place we have.”

A year after Bill was hired, he would help navigate faculty and staff during the unprecedented times brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

KASEY

TURMAN STAFF WRITER

Miami University and several current and former administrators have been sued for wrongful death. This uncommon term comes with more questions and requires more explanation than a speeding ticket or littering.

What is wrongful death?

In Ohio, wrongful death is a civil lawsuit against a party or individual “after a death that occurs due to another person’s or party’s ‘wrongful act, neglect, or default,’” according to Ohio Revised Code 2125.

A wrongful act is often described as an act of violence or assault against the individual, and neglect relates to legal negligence from a company or organization. Negligence is described as “A failure to behave with the level of care that someone of ordinary prudence would have exercised under the same circumstances,” according to Cornell University. Both wrongful acts and negligence can be done by an individual or a group. This creates an opportunity for an individual and the company they are associated with to be involved in the lawsuit.

Who files, when and against whom?

The only person that can file a wrongful death lawsuit is the individual named as the personal representative of the estate of the deceased person in the lawsuit. This means that the plaintiff is a surviving family member or an executor named in the deceased’s will.

There is a window of two years after the date of death that a wrongful death lawsuit can be filed.

In Adriene Knight v. Miami University et. al., Miami’s Board of Trustees, Jason Osborne, Lindsay Carpenter and Ruth Groom, the plaintiff, Adriene Knight, filed the lawsuit one year and 364 days after the death of her husband, William “Bill” Knight.

TAYLOR STUMBAUGH

STAFF WRITER

Unlike people, a newt can lose part of an eye and regenerate it in a way that is functional.

EMILY SIDERITS

TAYLOR STUMBAUGH

STAFF WRITERS

The atmosphere Uptown started calm on Saturday, April 15, before erupting with excitement as the 2023

Battle of the Bands began.

The event, organized by Miami University’s Guitar Club, ran from 3-10 p.m. and brought Miamians and townies alike together. Battle of the Bands started during the COVID-19 pandemic, having people submit their performances online. The club has been coordinating the battle ever since.

Throughout the event, people lined up for the food trucks, Chicken Cone and Kona Ice. Even in the heat the crowd was chilling on blankets in the grass and standing around the park, listening to music and hanging with friends.

Thirteen groups initially applied, but only 10 could make it on Saturday. For the first time, they were all entirely guitar club-affiliated bands.

Jake Zickerman, a senior mechanical engineering major and president of the guitar club, spoke on the goals of the club.

“It started as a guitar focused organization and has turned into a mu-

In her lab, Katia del Rio-Tsonis, a biology professor at Miami University, is doing research to understand how newts, salamanders and embryonic organisms are able to regenerate tissue, specifically in the lens and retina.

sic appreciation club for people that want to express themselves [and] want to listen to music,” Zickerman said. “We have a simple motto: play, learn, listen.”

The music attracted many crowd-goers who were unaware the event was even happening. Michael Condon, a first-year student at the University of Cincinnati, was walking Uptown with his twin sister Kenzie when they decided to stop and listen.

“They have some amazing powerful abilities to regenerate, and that is why the newt is my favorite organism to work with,” Rio-Tsonis said.

Rio-Tsonis, along with Michael Robinson, a biology professor at Miami, and Justin Saul, an engineering professor at Miami, is doing this research in hopes of one day inducing regeneration in human eyes.

“If you have an eye disease or an injury that destroys your retina, there's nothing we can do for you, and so if we can get humans to regrow retinas, that's a big deal,” Robinson said.

Rio-Tsonis said Robinson’s lab mostly works with lens and lens development. In collaboration with Robinson’s lab, they have done gene editing to specific stem cells to try and mimic what the salamanders are doing when they regenerate.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

“Yeah, I heard Red Hot Chili Pepper[s],” Condon said. “So I just came over here.”

The battle began with Dust and Guitars, followed by the band Kings of the Stone Age. The evening finished with Bananarchy and Tachyons.

“We finalized our setlist today, and we chose the last song today,” said Ethan Verderber, a first-year in the duo Fish Wish.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

A wrongful death lawsuit is able to combine an overarching group like Miami University and the individuals involved because a singular person can commit wrongful acts while the organization can commit negligence.

Because Miami is a state university, the lawsuit was also filed in the Ohio Court of Claims. The Court of Claims works as a legal defense for entities under the state of Ohio and includes the Attorney General.

If a lawsuit proceeds in the Court of Claims, the verdict will be decided as a bench trial rather than a jury trial. This is determined by Ohio law and gives the judge the final word.

“In the event that a lawsuit makes it decided by a judge to be seen by the Court of Claims and makes it through the system, the defense will have the support of the Attorney General, Ohio lawyers and their own private lawyers,” Gus Lazares, a trial lawyer at Rittgers, Rittgers and Nakajima said.

In a lawsuit that was dismissed in March of this year, the family of a student at The Ohio State University sued the university for wrongful death after their son was shot and killed on campus.

The lawsuit was filed against the university as a whole rather than an individual because it related to university rules and safety surrounding fraternity houses, not specific individuals inside the organization. The lawsuit was filed exactly two years after the death of the student.

What happens in the lawsuit?

Unlike other civic suits, wrongful death requires a standard of truth rather than proving something beyond a reasonable doubt. This means that the jury has to find that the alleged events are more likely to have happened than not.

According to the U.S. Courts, “To prove an element by a preponderance of the evidence simply means to prove that something is more likely than not. In other words, in light of the evidence and the law, do you believe that each element of his/her [claim/counterclaim] is more likely true than not.”

“In a criminal case, the outcome could be prison or death in some state,” Lazares said. “In a wrongful death case, there is only money on the line. That makes the stakes lower which makes the evidence needed lower.”

What is a wrongful death and how does it affect those involved?

SEAN SCOTT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Things to do

CORRECTIONS

From Oxford to Ukraine: A winding trip with an unplanned ending

cause it helps emergency relief and infrastructure support,” Natasha Hartman said. “It came to us through a contact that we know and trust. Knowing that person and having that trust is extremely important, particularly when you’re working in an environment where there’s a war going on.”

Getting windows to protect civilians from the weather and the elements of war deemed more complex than first thought. The program was delayed because of the difficulty of finding windows to replace whole apartment complexes.

“We needed to make sure that the money that we were receiving and the money that we were spending was accountable to our donors,” Natasha Hartman said. “We were receiving weekly reports and that was really important to know what was happening.”

KASEY TURMAN

STAFF WRITER

On March 10, 2022, the first truck of 153 left London on a trailblazing path to Ukraine. The bed was full of hand-picked supplies for Ukrainians in need.

That trip was one of 32 and counting.

In the driver’s seat was Jeffrey Hartman, a Miami University alumnus and Ohio native. Hartman graduated in 2001 with degrees in international business and marketing.

But that’s not what led him to the driver’s seat of a single pickup truck hellbent for Ukraine.

After college, Hartman joined The Peace Corps and was sent to Ukraine to teach business for two years. Those two years, combined with another year living in the country, created friendships that turned into partnerships after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“Three years traveling the country and speaking to people understanding some of the nuances, all of that is fundamental to understanding how to assist that country in wartime,” Hartman said.

Less than a month after the invasion, Hartman and his wife Natasha arrived at the idea of transporting goods to those in need. A friend of theirs created a GoFundMe donation page to buy the first pickup truck. This led into the creation of

Ukrainian Action, a nonprofit organization that delivers goods to Ukrainians affected by the war.

They have now raised $1.8 million and have sent 153 truckloads to Ukraine, according to their website.

“Initially, it was just to address what at the time was a short-term need, and then it expanded, and we have diversified the activities as well because we have become aware of other needs, through our experiences there and communicating with people,” Jeffrey Hartman said.

The Hartmans knew where to send the supplies and what to deliver because of connections they made 20 years ago.

“I spoke to people in Ukraine and said to them, ‘What do you need?’”

Jeffrey Hartman said. “They told me what they needed, and it was clear that I could buy them where I was living in the U.K. So I bought them and drove them there.”

The ever-changing nature of living in a warring country has created a fluid list of items that are being asked for.

The list extends past food and personal protective equipment and into everyday housing needs to keep life as normal and safe as possible for citizens. One of the largest programs that the organization has focused on is replacing windows in housing buildings.

“We thought that the windows project was really interesting, be-

The couple visited Miami on April 17 and presented a lecture as part of the Menard Family Center for Democracy’s Dialogues on Democracy series. The lecture was based around what individuals can do to help a cause like Ukrainians in need.

Despite the beneficial aid the couple is supplying to Ukraine, Greyton Manne, a sophomore games and simulation major that attended the lecture, believes there are challenges to students getting involved in the organization.

“I do think that some students will get involved,” Manne said. “That being said, a lot of us don’t have the money to support them because we’re in college. I think later on, students will support them.”

When asked what people can do to help if they can’t volunteer to drive to Ukraine, the Hartmans were quick to explain how much every dollar can help.

“Individual donations are still paramount for us to conduct our activities,” Jeffrey Hartman said. “Whilst it might not seem like much, 20 bucks can make a big difference by providing a solar power bank that will enable a student to study online in Ukraine because his school was either destroyed or isn’t operating because they don’t have a bomb shelter.”

turmankd@miamioh.edu

What

is a wrongful death and how does it affect those involved?

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

The outcome

The goal of a wrongful death lawsuit is monetary compensation to the affected family. The Ohio Constitution prohibits a limit on recoverable damages, or compensation, for wrongful death lawsuits.

Compensation comes in different sections, all related to the deceased’s impact on the person who filed the lawsuit. These include loss of an individual’s income, loss of an individual’s benefits such as health insurance or pension and loss of a possible inheritance according to Ohio attorneys Kisling, Nestico and Reddick.

The plaintiff can also file for survival action. Survival action is compensation for the time between the negligent action and the loss of life.

“What isn’t seen in these cases is that insurance companies are backing the plaintiff,” Lazares said. “All the funding is not just coming from the individual.”

In January, the family of Stone Foltz, a deceased Bowling Green State University (BGSU) student, received a record $2.9 million settlement following a wrongful death lawsuit. The $2.9 million came from the lawsuit against BGSU, but there were 18 other entities and individuals involved in the lawsuit. The total amount from all 18 individuals was $7.2 million.

In the Foltz case, the 18 individuals were ordered to pay different

amounts by a jury’s decision. In Ohio, the jury decides how much each individual is responsible for in the lawsuit. That responsibility directly relates to how much the defendant will pay.

“The jury receives sheets that show different sections like emotional damages or loss of income,” Lazares said. “The jury then decides what the plaintiff should be awarded and what percentage each defendant is responsible for.”

In Knight’s case, she is asking for a total settlement of at least $125,000 from a total of five parties. Ohio law requires that if the plaintiff is asking for more than $25,000, they must ask for “in excess of $25,000,” as seen in Knight’s lawsuit.

“Ohio law makes it so that if you ask for more than $25,000 you just say ‘in excess of $25,000,’” Lazares said. “It’s a pro-defense law. It helps with [public relations] as well.”

Many wrongful death lawsuits do not end in civic court or a claims court. It’s estimated that more than 90% of wrongful death cases do not go to trial, according to Rechtman and Spevak.

“Almost all wrongful death lawsuits get settled out of court,” Lazares said. “It’s common that the case will be settled out of court and then the public won’t know how much it was settled for.”

turmankd@miamioh.edu

WHEN JEFFREY HARTMAN LIVED IN UKRAINE, HE FORMED FRIENDSHIPS THAT TURNED INTO PARTNERSHIPS. PHOTO BY KASEY TURMAN

Miami’s wrongful death lawsuit: a timeline of the alleged events

REAGAN RUDE CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR

Content warning: This story contains mentions of suicide and death.

On April 6, Adriene Knight, widow of William “Bill” Knight, the former assistant provost for Institutional Research and Effectiveness at Miami University, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the university, Miami’s Board of Trustees and former provost Jason Osborne.

Also named in the lawsuit are Ruth Groom, associate vice president for Academic Personnel, and Lindsay Carpenter, associate vice president for Budget and Analytics.

The Miami Student has compiled a timeline of events using the lawsuit filings and emails obtained in a previous investigation by The Student.

January 2021

According to the filing, Miami Provost Jason Osborne assigned a data project to Knight involving “an antiquated statistical method used by Provost Osborne at his previous institution” that Knight was expected to use as well.

The lawsuit states that Knight and his staff “worked diligently to compile the statistical data” and “repeatedly checked” every record.

February 2021

On Feb. 21, Knight wrote to Osborne in an email obtained by The Student about his unsustainable workload.

“I have reached the point where I am working 60-70 hour weeks with no end in sight,” Knight wrote. “I am working all weekend, usually every day to 8:00 or 9:00 at night, and the only thing that seems to result is that I am making more and more mistakes that I need to go back and fix and therefore get even more behind.”

Knight added that the workload and pandemic had negatively affected his health.

“I haven’t been feeling well, and I know I am getting increasingly difficult for Adriene to live with,” Knight

wrote. “I am realizing that the combination of the workload and nearly a year of working at home have had an effect on me that I have to acknowledge.”

Knight proposed that Mollie Miller, associate director for Institutional Research and Effectiveness, be promoted to director and an additional staff member be hired.

“This is absolutely the worst time to even bring up the idea of adding a staff member, but I know that you have raised it a couple of times,” Knight wrote. “I really think this would put the office and the University in the place they need to be, which is the most important thing, but it would also allow me to end up with a workload that is just heavy instead of crushing.”

At some point in February, the lawsuit alleges that Knight sent a draft of the report to Osborne, warning him that it was not complete and should not be shared. Osborne, the filing states, circulated the draft against Knight’s wishes and received “a multitude of negative comments from the recipients of the report about the accuracy of the data and the accuracy of the methods.”

“Mortified by this turn of events,” the filing states, “Osborne set out to destroy [Knight].”

The lawsuit states that on Feb. 28, Osborne placed Knight’s entire department under review and put Carpenter in charge of it. According to the filing, “this was not [Carpenter’s] field, and she had no experience with the subject data,” but implemented a “six-point system to validate every piece of data that flowed through [Knight’s] department.”

March 2021

According to the lawsuit, Knight applied for medical leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in early March to help with his health issues.

Knight had “submitted the necessary medical records” and Osborne, Carpenter and Groom were aware of his application. However, the

application’s processing was “intentionally delayed by Groom,” according to the filing.

On March 14, Osborne wrote to Knight criticizing his data integrity and cooperation with Carpenter on the review process in an email obtained by The Student.

“I find it confusing and concerning that there seems to have been a relatively cavalier attitude toward providing the provost and other leaders validated and accurate data,” Osborne wrote. “I, as Chief Academic Officer, am your primary customer. The university requires absolutely reliable/validated data for essential functions.”

Knight replied to Osborne’s email later that day, saying he “respectfully disagreed” with some of Osborne’s points.

“[Carpenter] and I have been in email and/or remote meeting communication almost daily since your email of two weeks ago and the OIRE staff and I have discussed our priorities, which are completely in line with what you have outlined,” Knight wrote. “Nothing is more important to me than the accuracy and integrity of our work.”

On March 19, Knight wrote to Osborne in an email obtained by The Student outlining several steps his department was taking to address Osborne’s concerns. He also again brought up his health issues, which had intensified since his Feb. 21 email.

“This was the issue I discussed in my February 21 email to you, but it has now become apparent that it is much more serious,” Knight wrote. “I have been diagnosed and have been treated for severe depression for the past 15 years. It has become clear to me that this medical issue has been substantially affecting my work.”

Knight shared that his physician recommended he request a leave or work reduction through the FMLA.

“She really wanted me to do a fall leave for a month, but I know this is not feasible given my responsibili-

ties, so we have compromised on a six-week intermittent FMLA and I am working with Academic Personnel Services on the details,” Knight wrote. “I am certain that given some time and the proper treatment this issue can be brought under control and its effect upon my job performance will dissipate.”

Knight concluded his email by outlining his plans to seek employment at a different institution.

“Despite our strong commitment to effectively addressing your concerns about data integrity and recognition of the effects of my health issue upon my performance, I am aware that my work over the past few weeks has not been acceptable to you and has caused you to lose trust in me as a senior leader in Academic Affairs,” Knight wrote. “With this in mind I am thinking it is in the best interests of all of us if I seek new employment at another university.” Osborne replied to Knight’s email later that day.

“You have mentioned health concerns a few times in recent months,” Osborne wrote. “I strongly encourage you to follow your doctor’s advice or directives, and work with HR/ Academic Personnel to implement whatever you feel is appropriate. We can and will accommodate whatever is needed to support your long-term wellness.”

Groom was the human resources representative tasked with addressing complaints from Knight and his staff. According to the filing, Knight and others in his department “had previously taken complaints regarding Osborne and/or Carpenter to Groom.”

The lawsuit alleges Groom “immediately shared their concerns with Osborne’’ rather than investigating their complaints, leading to “reprisals to [Knight] and his department.”

April 2021

The filing claims that Knight received word on April 5 that he would be required to meet with Osborne, Carpenter and other senior administrators on April 7 regarding “person-

nel issues.” The filing alleges “Knight was confident that he would be terminated at that meeting.”

In emails obtained by The Student, Osborne asked Knight on April 5 if he could prepare a list of bullet points on steps being taken to improve Miami’s rankings for the following year. Knight’s initial response appeared to be an automated message stating that he was out of the office attending the Higher Learning Commission Conference April 5-9. Knight himself responded briefly five minutes later saying, “Happy to do that. Back to you soon.”

The Student did not receive any emails regarding a meeting to discuss personnel issues as part of its previous investigation and is working to obtain more records now.

In the early morning hours of April 7, Knight died by suicide, leaving a final letter to Adriene.

“I am so sorry,” Knight wrote. “I am sorry that I just wasn’t strong enough this time. My greatest hope was to make it to retirement with you and just live our life free from worry and fear, but when I was told yesterday that I have to attend a meeting about ‘personnel issues,’ presumably about firing [Miller] and/or me, they finally broke me. I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough this time.”

In the weeks following Knight’s death, the filing alleges that Osborne, Groom and Carpenter “engaged in a course of conduct to oust every staff member that was working under [Knight] at the time of his death.”

After Knight’s passing, Miami’s Office of Equal Employment and Opportunity started to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death. According to the filing, the investigation “was dropped by the University and never completed.”

@reaganrude rudere@miamioh.edu

Statement from Miami University:

But Bill replied to her email and wrote, “Thank you for reminding me of the human face of the work we do, which too often gets overshadowed in administrative work. I am heartbroken to hear about Gabriel.”

Leafgren was surprised to see that Bill not only took the time to read through her report but also read the story of Gabriel Taye.

wrote. “I wish he could have been with us to receive the award, so he could understand the impact he had on people and the magnitude of people that he had touched.”

‘I learned …’: The legacy Knight left behind Leafgren never got to meet Bill in person before he died.

Although Leafgren and Bill tried to meet for coffee a few times, the pandemic and scheduling of the semester kept delaying their plans.

“I just kept sort of putting it off, thinking, ‘I’ll just do it later,’ and that’s what always happens,” Leafgren said. “You think you have all the time in the world for things that are meaningful to you.”

Dr. William (Bill) Knight was a valued colleague and member of the Miami community. His family and friends remain in our thoughts as they grieve, ask questions, and seek peace.

We believe the lawsuit filed against the university regarding the death of Dr. Knight is unjustified.

One of Bill’s many responsibilities at the university was the Student Learning Assessment Reports, which detail how students are assessed during programs and provide data on how well students are understanding the material.

Sheri Leafgren was the program coordinator for pre-K through fifthgrade teacher education at Miami before retiring in 2022. She taught at Miami for 14 years, and although she never met Bill in person, she found their administrator-faculty interactions refreshing.

“He had a lot of grace with giving people more time to get those reports done, and you know what happens when you work with administration, it feels like it’s automatic, it’s a machine … but he was just so gracious,” Leafgren said.

When Leafgren included the story of Gabriel Taye, an 8-year-old boy who died of suicide after being bullied at school, in her assessment for Bill, she didn’t expect him to read it.

“When you send that to somebody in an administrative building, who’s in charge of all the records people turn in for every program, and for him to read it with some kind of view other than a checklist, it was just really meaningful,” Leafgren said.

‘It was well-deserved’:

Bill’s final award

Bill died by suicide on April 7, 2021. He was 55 years old.

Bill is survived by wife Adriene; his mother-in-law Ruth Williams; father-in-law Eugene (Sue) Kelly; sister in law Robin (Doug) Schlaegel; nieces and nephews; great-nieces and nephews; friends Greg and Donna Rogers; and his beloved pets Clyde, Sullivan, Sebastian, Sophie and Cordelia.

In 2022, AIR awarded Bill the John Stecklein Distinguished Member Award, which “recognizes a member whose professional career has significantly advanced the field of institutional research through extraordinary scholarship, leadership, and service.”

At the conference, Bill was honored at the closing brunch, and Adriene spoke about Bill’s dedication to education and research.

“It was well-deserved,” Adriene

The colleagues who did meet Bill said his dedication to education expanded beyond the walls of administration buildings. Although he was passionate about research and learning new things, the individuals he crossed paths with actually learned from him.

“The most important thing that I learned from Bill is to have a good work-life balance,” Wanko said.

Wanko said Bill would print pictures of his model train sets and hang them on his door in Roudebush Hall.

Despite Bill’s dedication to academia, his work in education and research won’t be what he was known for. His genuine and caring personality will live past Bill’s death through those who were fortunate enough to know him.

“He will always be remembered for his well-known work in IR,” Adriene wrote. “But he will be better remembered for his quiet and thoughtful presence, his dignity, and his care and support for those around him.”

This is an abridged version. To read the full story, visit www.miamistudent.net. @alicemomany

When Dr. Knight expressed his concerns that his mental health challenges were significantly affecting his work, his supervisor and colleagues responded with compassion and provided support and resources to help him succeed.

The loss of any member of our community is tremendously sad and difficult. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health difficulties or thoughts of suicide, there are ways to get help: in an emergency, call 911 or call/text 988. In nonemergency situations, consider talking with your primary care provider, engaging with a mental health therapist, or seek support through Miami’s free Employee Assistance Program.

‘He always had a sunny disposition’: Remembering Bill Knight, two years later

OLIVIA PATEL STAFF WRITER

When thinking about the concept of a “rat casino,” tiny slot machines and poker chips may come to mind.

But The Institute for Responsible Gaming, Lotteries and Sport’s experiments at Miami University involve none of these aspects. Instead, the researchers are focusing on the psychological effects of gambling through rats.

Alexia Zylko, a biology, premedical studies and neuroscience triple major, describes the operant boxes as a way for her and her associates to observe how rats handle decision making in a casino-like environment.

“The projects involve tasks where the rats have to make a choice between a risky reward or a more certain reward that’s lower. That’s the gambling aspect of it,” Zylko said.

The operant boxes also contain levers and lights, which work to simulate the exciting and chaotic nature of a real casino within the box. This works to challenge the rat’s decision making.

The risk-reward decision making comes when the rats choose which lever they feed from: one lever will consistently feed the rats one sugar pellet, and the other feeds the rats three sugar pellets, but the probability of that reward happening decreases over time.

The other projects within the lab are conducted by Brianna Roberts, research coordinator for the McMurray lab, where the rats are fed psilocybin, also known as magic mushrooms. After the rats are fed this drug, their reaction times when making decisions are observed.

“The sum of the receptors that psilocybin works on are in areas of the brain that are really heavily implicated in decision making,” Roberts said. The aim of this research is to provide insight into various mental health disorders, including depression and gambling.

“Our lab is mainly focused on psilocybin right now as an antidepressant for potential therapeutic efficacy,” Roberts said.

The Institute focuses on research supporting responsible gambling. Matthew McMurray, assistant professor in the department of psychology and founding faculty fellow to the institute, explained that the institute isn’t looking to get rid of gambling; it is looking to teach people how to gamble responsibly.

“Gambling is an embedded part of our culture and has been for all of human history,” McMurray said. “Our goal is to hold gambling companies accountable for people gambling responsibly as well as inform regulators and other stakeholders about the best way to protect gamblers and consumers to keep bad things from happening.”

McMurray stressed the importance of the institute is about more than just addiction; it is about setting up a responsible space for legal gambling to occur. The institute’s work focuses on what drives bad decision making before it occurs.

This research will then be used to not only treat those with gambling addictions but also find solutions on how to prevent gambling addictions before they occur.

“My lab has been working with PsyBio Therapeutics for the last few years to look at how some potential new psychedelic compounds may be used to treat disordered gambling,” McMurray said.

So, why rats?

The rats are used for these experiments because there are certain correlations between their brains and human brains. Rats are also curious and smart by nature, making them the perfect test subjects for manipulatable projects.

McMurray said he hopes this research will be used outside the university.

“This research is done to provide information for future studies going forward that would look at more of actual clinical models with humans,” McMurray said.

The Institute for Responsible Gaming, Lotteries and Sport’s mission is to “research, educate, train, and outreach.” For more information, visit the institute’s website.

patelou@miamioh.edu

RAQUEL HIRSH STAFF WRITER

Oxford ‘Keeps It Indie’ with new restaurant app

A new way to order, dine and pay at Uptown restaurants was launched recently through the app Oxbux.

Oxbux allows users to place mobile orders, access exclusive rewards and deals, make contactless payments and close tabs. It currently features Uptown restaurants such as Bodega, Panda Garden Express, Ohana Island Grill, Kofenya Coffee, Oxford Sushi King, Brick House Cafe and Bagel and Deli.

The app is a collaboration between the company Keep It Indie and a Miami University business fraternity Pi Sigma Epsilon (PSE), along with Oxford businesses.

Keep It Indie is an independent company run by founder Ross Henry, who graduated from Saint Michael’s College in Vermont as an environmental studies major. Henry decided to launch Oxbux as a feature of Keep It Indie because of the many small businesses in Oxford and college-aged demographic.

“It’s meant for all independent businesses in Oxford,” Henry said. “[The app] allows it [to be] more convenient for businesses to be able to attract new customers, keep existing customers and just have a more affordable software.”

The initial inspiration came from Henry’s desire to find local businesses that residents enjoy, rather than the more popular chains or suggestions on tourist apps.

“The traditional Yelp model is based on travelers going and reading things as they’re traveling,” Henry said. “That’s not really effective because it’s people having their first

reaction, whereas I would rather know what the locals are using and the locals love.”

In addition to highlighting the quality of small businesses, Oxbux makes business development more affordable. Typically, restaurant software for larger corporate businesses is more expensive with less return for the company.

Keep It Indie, short for “keep it independent,” aims to make technology more accessible for smaller businesses. It also eliminates transaction, credit card and joining fees. Henry also offers complementary iPhones for businesses who need them to run the application and printers to process mobile orders.

“If you think of Uber Eats and some of these other ones, they don’t really benefit too much from a product … [that is] very expensive,” Henry said. “So this is a business-friendly product.”

Keep It Indie and PSE began working together in the spring 2022 semester. The team developed the app to be specifically tailored to Oxford. Dhruv Dhawan, a senior marketing major, is the project manager with PSE.

“We manage all the on-field work [for Keep It Indie],” Dhawan said. “So onboarding clients, meeting with local businesses, setting up promotions, working with logistics.” PSE also works on marketing for Oxbux and the businesses it works with. Along with Keep It Indie, businesses have access to free photo-

shoots for menus, and social media management can be hired from within PSE.

As project manager, Dhawan also works on a six-person team to promote the app and continuously onboard restaurants. Their marketing work includes TikTok, Instagram reels, posts and stories, plus tabling in Armstrong and at the Phi Delt Gates. Dhawan is also responsible for app development and training for business employees.

Henry and Dhawan are working together to expand Oxbux to feature more businesses. Henry works remotely, and Dhawan handles day-today business on-site.

Another feature that Keep It Indie and PSE offer as a part of Oxbux is partnering with a different non-

profit each month. In March, Oxbux worked with Talawanda Oxford Pantry and Social Services (TOPSS).

“We donate a portion of our proceeds too, as well,” Henry said. “That is very key.”

Though recently launched, Oxbux has been receiving around 50 downloads per day. In the future, Henry and Dhawan hope to expand beyond Oxford.

“As this grows into other college towns, we’re going to have an aspect where all the apps interconnect,” Henry said. “Now, as you’re traveling to new areas, you’re able to find the local places that people support.” hirschr2@miamioh.edu

Ohio’s new voting laws: What you need to know

Elections.

In previous years, a pre-addressed, prestamped envelope was provided. Voters must now find the address and pay for postage. The request also must be made seven days before the election, up from three days in the past. None of this can be done online.

“The technology is clearly there to do it, but, for whatever reason, the legislature decided not to make that change, even as they were making these various other changes,” Forren said.

The new laws also only allow one drop-off location in each county.

If voters living in Oxford choose to drop off their absentee ballot, they must bring it to the Butler County Board of Elections in Hamilton, a 30-minute drive from Miami.

Forren said one of the most significant changes is the photo ID requirement for voting in person.

er’s license. Obtaining an Ohio ID, however, could impact out-of-state students’ residency status and financial aid packages.

Mollie Duffy, a sophomore public administration major from Illinois, said the laws will impact how and where she votes.

“For the midterms in November, I voted in Ohio because I felt like my vote had more of an impact in Ohio than it did in Illinois,” Duffy said. “[In November], I will most likely be voting absentee [in Ohio] because my parents don’t trust me to bring my passport with me to school because they think I’ll lose it.”

Duffy, who’s also the co-founder of RedHawks Count and a civic engagement fellow within the Wilks Institute for Leadership and Service, said she worries people will be uninformed about the laws when they go to vote. Her organization raises awareness about voting in Ohio as well as other states that many Miami students come from.

“The biggest issue here is a lack of information that students have about it and how little students are talking about it,” Duffy said. “Miami, compared to other Ohio schools at least, has a lot of out-of-state students. So it’s important for us to accommodate the whole student body’s needs instead of just focusing on Ohio alone.”

REAGAN RUDE CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR MAKAYLA FULLAR THE MIAMI STUDENT

Recent changes to Ohio’s voting laws put the state among those with the most restrictive voting requirements in the country.

The law, House Bill 458, was passed by the Ohio legislature during a lame-duck session in December 2022 and signed by Gov. Mike DeWine in January. It went into effect on April 7.

Among the new restrictions are stricter voter ID requirements, compressed early voting times and lengthier absentee request processes. Ohio Republicans said the new measures are aimed at curbing voter fraud.

However, Kathie Brinkman, communications director for the League of Women Voters of Oxford (LWV), said there’s no evidence of voter fraud in Ohio.

“In our opinion, it’s a solution in search of a problem,” Brinkman said.

“The voter ID laws and the processes we have in place have been very effective, so it’s unclear to us why this kind of law was put in place.”

Brinkman said the new measures could be politically motivated due to the lack of evidence for voter fraud.

“There’s a number of bills that will be coming up ... women’s reproductive rights is the big one,” Brinkman

said. “People are circulating petitions to get that on the November ballot. And so it could be advantageous to not have as many segments of the population voting who would be in favor of that.”

Brinkman said the LWV’s biggest concern is the confusion these new laws may create among the public. For instance, people can register to vote online using the last four digits of their social security number but need an Ohio photo ID if registering in person.

“There’s confusion in that a form of identification is valid in one case but not in another,” Brinkman said.

“It’s a lot of information to convey to people, and it’s a lot of things to keep straight depending on who you are and where you live.”

Brinkman said another worry is how these new laws will affect voter turnout.

“When there are barriers to voting, then people have to make a decision as to whether they have the resources and the time to get past that barrier,” Brinkman said. “And some people decide that they don’t, or they haven’t allowed enough time to overcome that barrier.”

John Forren, chair and associate professor in the department of justice and community studies, said he found it confusing that the laws didn’t include a measure to request absentee ballots online. Instead, voters must print an absentee ballot request and mail it to the Ohio Board of

“The requirement of a photo ID will likely disproportionately affect people who are lower income, maybe don’t have access to a car, maybe are more transient in their living conditions,” Forren said. “The impact is likely to be felt most significantly by people who already have less power in our political system.”

People with disabilities are also likely to be adversely affected by the new laws. During the pandemic, many Ohio voters used curbside voting, including those who are immunocompromised. Now, only voters with physical disabilities are permitted to do so, not including people who are blind.

Stephanie Dawson, director of Student Disability Services at Miami, said poll workers are not permitted to ask voters about their disability, and voters should advocate for their needs.

“Physical disabilities exist on a spectrum. So maybe people who use mobility aids and maybe people who use wheelchairs — that’s going to be a wide range of people,” Dawson said. “I would encourage people to self-advocate. Curbside voting is available for people who may be experiencing or have a physical disability.”

Another segment of the population likely to be impacted by the registration changes are out-of-state college students. These students have the right to vote in Ohio, but doing so will be more cumbersome.

If out-of-state students vote online, they can use the last four digits of their social security number. If they vote in person, they must either bring their passport or obtain an Ohio driv-

Although Duffy is out of state, she encourages students to consider registering to vote as an Oxford resident because of the large impact students can have on elections.

“Oxford is the fifth most densely populated college town in the United States,” Duffy said. “If students voted in the masses in Oxford, they would have the majority say over what laws and policies are happening, who gets to be on our city council, etc.”

While the new laws can make voting harder, Forren stressed not to overstate any of the changes as the full effects are still unknown. For example, while early voting the Monday before election day was eliminated, these hours were distributed to other days.

“There’s been a lot of coverage about these sort of pullbacks on accessibility to the polls, but the right to vote is still there,” Forren said. “One real concern is that people will be discouraged from trying to vote if they just hear in general terms how it’s much harder. It’s harder, no doubt, but people should not get the message that the basic right to vote has been curtailed. People still need to go out and vote and not be discouraged by that.”

On May 4, LWV, Miami’s Wilks Institute and the Howe Center are sponsoring Act Now to Save Democracy from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at King Library’s Howe Center. The event will help educate the public about recent changes being made to the Ohio voting laws, the threats and impacts on voting rights and the history of suppression in voting.

rudere@miamioh.edu

fullarmb@miamioh.edu

‘rat casino’ isn’t what you think

DEVIN ANKENEY OPINION EDITOR

David Wells was a titan of journalism. For 35 years at the Cincinnati Enquirer, David had his hand in everything from investigative reporting to editorials to breaking news.

He was a gruff, huge, intimidating former-high-school-football player who would shout across the newsroom when he needed something from you.

He turned journalism into an art form.

“You could call him, in the greatest of compliments, old school,” Mark Curnutte, a visiting instructor of social justice and former reporter at the Enquirer, said.

For most of his colleagues over the years, it took some time to realize that his serious manner wasn’t really all that intimidating on the inside. It took some time to realize that his gruffness wasn’t from his core.

Rather, it was the grit that can only stem from the determination of the best of us. David may have been a stoic face at times, but it was his immense integrity that shone through to his former colleagues at the Enquirer and his former students at the Oxford Observer, an online newspaper publication he founded.

His passion for telling truth to power, for showing the truth to his community, for doing the good, solemn work of local journalism was the passion one could hardly find more than once in a lifetime.

For Curnutte, a compliment from David on his writing taught him more than what others could teach in a lifetime.

“When David gave you a compliment like that, it did a lot to propel you forward,” Curnutte said. “And I’ll never forget that.”

Once that tough layer was broken, the people once intimidated by David learned who he really was.

He was the type of person who loved to tell you something. To teach you something.

He would tell the story of being run over in a football game by John Cappelletti, who went on to win a Heisman trophy at Penn State. He would stop people as they walked by his office — conveniently located before the exit reporters had to use to leave — to stop people.

“Uh, hey Patti,” he would say to Patti Newberry, who worked alongside him both at the Enquirer as a reporter and at Miami University as a professor.

“David, I’ve got five minutes,” she would say when in a rush.

He could talk to anyone for hours. He knew about anything and everything and wanted you to know those things too.

He covered stories on virtually every topic available in a city, including the one time he stayed at a prison for hours just so he could get a murderer to warm up and speak with him.

However, it wasn’t just in doing the job that David proved his passion for his people.

He made great friends at his job. He made great friends like Ronnie Agnew, another reporter with whom David worked for five years, who would drive him home on many occasions when David and his wife shared a car.

David would invite Agnew into his home for a cocktail. Agnew often accepted.

Next thing they knew, one cocktail became two. Sometimes it would become four.

“We would just love talking to each other,” Agnew said.

They became such friends that once, while Agnew was over at David’s new home, David pointed across the way to a new house for sale.

“Hey, your house is over there,” David had said.

He wanted his friends, his col-

leagues, to be near to him. If Agnew hadn’t been transferred right before finalizing the paperwork, that’s exactly what would have happened.

When Agnew moved away, they stayed in touch. It didn’t matter how long it had been since the last time they spoke. They just picked up where they left off.

His closer friendships that lasted longer turned into brotherhoods. For David and Howard Wilkinson, a senior political analyst at WVXU and former Enquirer reporter, their families became one.

Wilkinson had known David’s kids since they were babies and could see firsthand that the only thing to rival David’s commitment to journalism was his commitment to his family.

They spent hours at a time in games of Trivial Pursuit or Scrabble that were “a thing to behold.”

It was during moments like these that David and Wilkinson became close. David may not have known why others saw him as gruff or intimidating, but it showed even with his children in the office.

“Brian, say hello to Mr. Wilkinson,” David sternly said, instilling fear in the small boy.

“Hello, Mr. Wilkinson,” he had said with a trembling voice. Brian Wells, David’s son, would go on to know Howard for the rest of his life. He wasn’t Uncle Wilkinson or even Howard. He was Mr. Wilkinson. David’s daughter, Caroline Stanton, a government lawyer in Washington D.C., didn’t see him as the intimidating, large man many others did.

David was a devoted grandfather. When his wife, Toni Wells, passed away in 2014, he became a full-time grandpa.

“He would fly out to D.C. for my kids’ dance recitals,” Stanton said. “He never missed an important event.”

He learned to split his passion between reporting local news in the Ox-

ford news desert and spending as much time as possible with his family. His devotion to all aspects of his life was clear to his children.

“He taught me always: It’s not just OK to question authority, it’s your obligation,” Stanton said.

David fought for these beliefs his whole life. He instilled the core values of journalism into all those around him.

He was why Emily Scott, a class of 2022 journalism and political science double major, got her job reporting in Akron.

He was why Stella Beerman, a class of 2022 journalism and emerging technology in business and design double major, gained incredible respect for the journalistic craft.

He was why Taj Simmons, a senior journalism and psychology double major, got his first experience as part of a journalism team. He demanded the best from his students, and expected the best.

David’s tenacity paved the way for future journalists to hone their skills, to become great.

“Our country’s lost a great journalist,” Agnew said. “Caroline and Brian lost a great father, and the Enquirer has lost a great friend.”

Braden and Jackson Wells, and Al-

ice and Fiona Stanton have lost a great grandpa.

David Wells, 71, died in his Union Township home of a heart attack on Monday, April 10. He is survived by his two children, his four grandchildren and his two children-in-law.

The titan of journalism left behind an army of journalists — young and old — who will never forget the experiences gained from being graced with working with David be it for one year or for 40.

The intimidating, gruff, giant man also left behind an Amazon account history full of unicorn robes for his granddaughter’s fifth birthday.

ankenedw@miamioh.edu

Finance director Joe Newlin passes unexpectedly

MEGAN MCCONNELL ASSISTANT CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR

During breaks as finance director for the City of Oxford, Joseph “Joe” Newlin would take walks around Uptown and the surrounding neighborhoods, making note of any sidewalks in need of repair or alleys littered with trash.

“He had put in more steps than all of city hall combined,” Doug Elliott, city manager, said. He was an avid gardener and loved

nature. He even had a degree in botany from Miami University, where he graduated in 1982, before pursuing a second degree in accounting at Akron University.

Although Newlin was born in Akron, Ohio, he had lived in Oxford and served as finance director for the city since 2008, working closely alongside Elliott and City Council.

Over the years, Newlin won various awards for his financial reporting, often staying late to finish work.

Bill Snavely, mayor of Oxford, said if the information came from Newlin, he always knew it would be accurate.

“If Joe produced it, it was gonna be accurate down to the penny,” Snavely said. “He was meticulous and accurate and also happened to be just a fantastic human being.”

Kim Daggy, executive director of Enjoy Oxford, wrote in an email to The Miami Student that she would often correspond with Newlin about budget

forecasting and financial questions for Enjoy Oxford. Although she only corresponded with Newlin occasionally, she wrote he was always professional, responsible and kind.

“My interactions with Joe were minor, but he made an impression on me, so I can only imagine the loss those who knew him best are experiencing,” Daggy wrote.

Newlin passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack on April 14 at the age of 64. Snavely said he was doing what he loved when he passed: going on a walk around Oxford. He is survived by his wife, Rachelle; his children, Ralph, Anna and Jack; his siblings, Rebecca and John Newlin; and various other inlaws, nieces, nephews and godchildren.

Elliott said that in addition to his job, Newlin was also passionate about his family and being involved in the community. He was a member of the Oxford Lions, The Oxford Men’s Club and The United Way. He also volun-

teered at other events around the city and his children’s school activities.

Over the years, Elliott and Newlin became close friends. When not in the office, the two worked on various personal projects or played golf in the Lions Club’s annual tournament.

Although Newlin was a diligent and hard worker, his coworkers, family and friends remember him most for his kindness, even in minor interactions.

“Besides his professionalism and precise handling of all things accounting, I will remember Joe’s smile and hat strolling the streets of Oxford,” Daggy wrote. “My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and coworkers as they grieve his passing.”

A celebration of life for Newlin will be held on June 22 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Veteran’s Memorial Park. mcconnmn@miamioh.edu

An investment in a professor’s career: the journey of tenure

TAYLOR STUMBAUGH STAFF WRITER

Marly Wooster’s tenure path started on her first day at Miami University six years ago. As the only faculty lighting designer in the theater department, her journey was difficult to navigate because she’s the only one doing this type of work to receive tenure.

“A big part of what I’m doing in that process is trying to explain to other people what my work is and why it’s valuable,” Wooster, an assistant professor in the department of theater, said.

In March, 38 faculty members at Miami, including Wooster, were granted tenure. This high achievement is a long and time consuming process for both the faculty and the university’s administration.

What is tenure?

Liz Mullenix, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, said tenure protects intellectual and academic freedom. It allows faculty to pursue their entire landscape of knowledge and not be worried about getting fired if they’re studying something that admin-

istration might disagree with.

“It’s a differentiated workload because academic life is long, things happen,” Mullenix said. “Sometimes people will pivot and really change the nature of their research. That’s another thing that tenure protects, which is lovely.”

Tenured faculty are expected to be research-productive, meaning they need to have a regional or national reputation as a scholar and a terminal degree, like a doctorate. Miami is different from other universities because it gives a pre-tenure sabbatical to faculty, which is a one-month leave to do research.

There are misconceptions, though.

Tenure doesn’t always safeguard someone from being fired. If there is reasonable cause to be terminated, they will be.

How do faculty members get tenured?

According to the University Policy Library, to be eligible for tenure you need to serve as a full-time member of faculty, be engaged at least 50% of the time with teaching assignments and research and have an appointment with tenure eligible rank.

Professors who are hired as tenure-eligible are given a six-year pro-

bationary period after which they can be tenured and promoted to associate professor.

Wooster said her colleague gave her the perfect analogy to describe tenure: marriage.

“I knew there was nothing unsteady about the relationship prior,” Wooster said. “I knew where I stood. That was clear. But there’s something about making it official that, for me, has created an ease.”

It’s not all cut and dry, though. Faculty can apply for tenure before the end of their probationary period with permission from their department, chair, dean and provost. The probationary period can also be shortened or lengthened.

Tenure faculty are assessed annually on their teaching, research, collegiality and their service.

“I have dreams about things I want to do in this next phase of research, that are largely about collaboration and the teaching of collaboration and how we as theater artists think about it and write about it and teach it,” Wooster said. Service includes committee and administrative work at the department, college or university level. There’s also professional service, which a professor does for their field outside Miami.

“My favorite kind of service event so far has been working with the department of management and DEI,” Darryl Rice, assistant professor of management and one of the professors who received tenure this year, said. “Last semester, one of the recommendations that I proposed … [was to] build a greater sense of community and belongingness within the department of management [through] our inaugural field day.”

All of their professional activity and accomplishments must come together in a max 20 page “dossier.” According to Academic Affairs tenure track guidelines, “the candidate’s dossier should present in narrative and summary fashion the information he or she wants those making promotion and/or tenure

decisions to know about the record of performance.”

It’s then evaluated by their committee and dean, and in their third through fifth years, it will be evaluated by the provost. The candidate will receive letters every year from their committee, and the provost updates them about the progress they’re making toward tenure.

The summer before their sixth year, faculty members seeking tenure send out their research materials to be externally evaluated. The materials vary but typically include the Curriculum Vitae and their scholarly writings.

Mullenix said research has to be high quality and then continue to be high quality at the annual assessments to ensure that the investment the university puts in someone’s career will continue with their research.

For TCPL promotion, the faculty member will then submit a packet that includes their dossier, four external letters, the letter from their promotion and tenure committee, decision and letter from their department chair and the dean’s decision.

Those three votes are what a faculty member needs to be considered by the university promotion and tenure committee, made up of six academic deans, the provost and six tenured faculty, one from each academic division. If any of those votes are a “yes,” then it will go to the university promotion and tenure committee for discussion.

Tenure is then granted by the Board of Trustees upon the positive recommendation of the university’s President.

“The university really is investing in someone for their career, and that’s a very significant investment in an employee, which is another lovely thing about academia,” Mullenix said.

What changes after getting tenure?

After faculty receive tenure, some of the only changes are their workload, having more senior level administrative duties and service related responsibilities.

“[My workload is] a good mixture of broccoli and dessert,” Wooster said. “There’s some stuff that’s hard and maybe not my favorite, but it’s incredibly important.”

Once a faculty member receives tenure, they move from being an assistant professor to an associate professor, and then they can go up to be a full professor.

“[I felt] extremely happy to have earned tenure here at Miami. I’ve really enjoyed my time here since I arrived in 2015,” Rice said. “And it was just like a sigh of relief because as a junior faculty you’re this assistant … you want to show you can hit whatever measures those who have come before you hit, so it’s just a sense of relief.”

Another misconception about tenure is that once a professor receives it, they don’t have to work as hard anymore. In fact, professors get evaluated annually to ensure they are reaching tenure expectations in their teaching, research and service.

Abby Sokol, a junior psychology and theater double major, had Wooster as a professor before she received tenure and is currently in three of her classes. Sokol has noticed no change in her teaching style and doubts there will be.

“She does a really great job of teaching to a variety of different audiences while also being in the same class ... She makes all the places that she’s in inclusive,” Sokol said.

Keshon Woods, a junior entrepreneurship and human capital and leadership double major, had Rice as a professor last semester and also said he has not seen a change in his teaching.

“I don’t think that tenure affects anything in a negative way or puts more on him where he can’t be there because he’ll hit me up and I’m not even in his class [anymore],” Woods said. “He’s that kind of dedicated person he’s going to make sure [to] keep up with [his] students.”

‘Our country’s lost a great journalist’: David Wells will be missed

DAVID WELLS SPENT ROUGHLY 13 YEARS BOLSTERING THE OXFORD OBSERVER. PHOTO PROVIDED BY MIAMI UNIVERSITY.

NEWLIN WORKED AS OXFORD’S FINANCE DIRECTOR FOR 15 YEARS. PHOTO FROM BROWN-DAWSON-FLICK FUNERAL HOME..

The history of Ronald Tammen Jr., a Miami student still missing after 70 years

Tau Delta fraternity member, wrestler and string bass player in a college jazz band, the Campus Owls. He was also a resident assistant (RA) on the second floor of a men’s dormitory, Fisher Hall, which is now the location of Miami’s Marcum Hotel and Conference Center. He was well liked, dependable and had a wide range of responsibilities.

On Sunday, April 19, 1953, Tammen discovered a fish in his bed, one prank among a series of practical jokes between him and a friend who also lived in Fisher Hall. The residence hall manager reported briefly interacting with Tammen between 8 and 8:30 p.m. while he was getting new bed sheets, during which Tammen mentioned he would be going straight to bed.

However, Wenger’s blog also featured another account by a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity who recalled attending a fraternity event at 9 or 10 p.m. Ron was at the event, and they walked back toward Fisher Hall together around 10:30 p.m. but parted ways before it could be determined if Tammen made it inside.

HANNAH SANDER

THE MIAMI STUDENT

Was it amnesia? Maybe a government cover-up? Or a case of foul play?

Theories on the whereabouts of former Miami University student Ronald Tammen Jr. continue to abound as April 19 marks the 70th anniversary of his disappearance.

Miami alumna Jennifer Wenger, ’80, is currently writing a book about

her investigation into Tammen’s disappearance. “I’d heard about Tammen’s disappearance when I was a student at Miami, and the scant details were always told in a super-secret, hush-hush way, usually around Halloween,”

Wenger wrote in her blog A Good Man Is Hard to Find – My Search for Ronald H. Tammen, Jr. “I remember the vibe being a little eerie.”

Tammen, from Maple Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, was a Delta

Charles Findlay, Tammen’s roommate, also returned to their dormitory around 10:30 p.m. after being gone since Friday, April 17. He reported that the door to their room was already open when he arrived, which was normal considering Tammen’s status as an RA.

The radio and lights were on, Tammen’s bed had been made with fresh sheets, and there was a psychology textbook on his desk, even though he was a business major. His wallet and car keys were also in the room. Tammen’s car was sitting in the parking lot, locked with his string

bass inside. Findlay assumed Tammen would soon return and went to bed with the room in the state he found it.

It was a cold night with snow flurries in the air, and Tammen — along with his wristwatch, the clothes he was wearing and a light jacket — was unaccounted for.

Findlay reported Tammen missing to school authorities when he had still not returned on Monday. When this reached Carl Knox, the dean of men, Knox told Findlay on Tuesday that it was normal for stressed students to take time off and that Tammen might return in a day or two, according to an article in The Journal News by local journalist Joe Cella. It was not until Thursday that the university and local police took action.

Resulting searches produced nothing. Tammen’s local bank account remained untouched. Police quickly discounted foul play because Tammen’s background as a wrestler and his athletic ability, coupled with the general orderliness of the dorm, did not point to signs of a struggle.

Believing Tammen had suffered from amnesia, police theorized he had simply wandered off.

In June 1953, a woman in nearby Seven Mile, Ohio, reported a man matching Tammen’s description had knocked on her door on the same night of Tammen’s disappearance to ask for directions, as reported by The Miami Student in 1953. In August 1953, a sighting in New York was reported to Knox by a university housing official. There have been no other reported sightings of Tammen since 1953.

However, Dr. Garrett Boone, a doctor in Hamilton, told police

that in November 1952, Tammen had visited his office to find out his blood type, according to a 1973 Journal-News article by Cella. Although Boone stressed to authorities it was extremely uncommon for someone to only request for getting their blood type tested, police reportedly brushed this off and didn’t pursue the lead any further.

Fisher Hall was torn down in 1978. Officials searched for human remains, but none were found.

As for current Miami students, few are aware of the case.

But Marina Carey and Lyndsey Carter are exceptions. Both first learned about Tammen’s disappearance through Fred Reeder Jr., a journalism professor at Miami. Reeder was working with Wenger to pitch a documentary to Netflix about Tammen’s disappearance.

“I wish more people knew about it,” Carey said.

Carter agreed with Carey and said if more people were aware of the case, there would be more urgency to uncover what happened.

“If there’s more exposure to a case … there’s more pressure for law enforcement to continue to investigate it,” Carter said. “The university just didn’t take it as seriously as it should have been taken.”

Even though the case has been unsolved for 70 years, Carey said she likes to imagine that Tammen had a good life.

“I would like to think that he lived to an older age and … got to live the life that he wanted to live,” Carey said, “regardless of what that looked like.”

Miami alumna investigates ongoing mystery of missing student

In 1978, Miami University student Jennifer Wenger stumbled upon the mysterious tale of the disappearance of Miami sophomore Ronald Tammen Jr. just 25 years prior. Her tour of Fisher Hall – the residence hall of Tammen and the last place he was seen before his disappearance – would launch Wenger into an ever-growing fascination with his disappearance.

“Our student guide was totally convinced that the building was full of ghosts and they had somehow spirited Tammen away,” Wenger reflects in her blog A Good Man Is Hard to Find – My Search for Ronald H. Tammen, Jr. “Personally, I pictured Tammen on a remote island somewhere, living simply yet supremely, chuckling at the stunt he was somehow able to pull off, for whatever reason.”

But decades passed, and it wasn’t until 2010 that Wenger decided to

research Tammen’s disappearance. According to her blog, she “was going through a rough patch … I needed a project. More specifically, I wanted to write a book. … That’s when Ron Tammen came to mind.”

Determined to solve Tammen’s disappearance, Wenger left her job in 2014. Working on the case full time, her research has brought forth more clues and previously unknown and conflicting information regarding Tammen and his disappearance.

Wenger believes Tammen was still alive in 2002. Following Tammen’s disappearance, his mother sent a set of fingerprints he had made for a project in elementary school to the FBI. When Wenger requested Tammen’s fingerprints from the FBI, they had been expunged. Through further investigation, Wenger discovered that the fingerprints could only have been expunged from a court order or

from Tammen himself.

“The only person that can ask that those prints be expunged is the subject of that record,” Wenger said. “That’s Ron Tammen.”

Wenger also believes Tammen’s disappearance was connected to the CIA. She explained that the psychology book open on Tammen’s desk was for a psychology class he dropped before his disappearance.

“His psychology professor was St. Clair Switzer,” Wenger wrote. “… I have documentation to indicate that he was probably affiliated with the CIA the semester that Ron Tammen disappeared. And more specifically, St. Clair was a hypnosis expert.”

Before Switzer had earned his expertise in hypnosis, he was a pharmacist. He also held a high position in the Air Force Reserve and worked at the Pentagon following World War II. Furthermore, Wenger discovered

there were individuals outside Fisher Hall possibly recruiting for hypnosis studies through the psychology department.

On April 19, Wenger released new details regarding the possible withholding of information by those with interest in Tammen’s disappearance, as well as a check that was written by someone named Dorothy Craig to Tammen shortly before his disappearance.

According to Wenger, Craig worked as a stenographer at Champion Paper and Fibre Company in Hamilton. Craig’s boss was Lt. Col. Reuben Buck Robertson Jr., who was president of the company and worked with a plethora of government officials in various departments, including the Department of Defense before and during his presidency.

Robertson was also the nephew of Mary Moore Dabney Thomson,

who was largely known for her role as president of the Western College for Women. Additionally, Robertson was on the committee of Miami’s Board of Trustees that elected John D. Millett in March 1953 as the university’s next president.

Ultimately, Wenger surmised Tammen’s possible connection with CIA-related activities at Miami, potentially funded by Roberston.

The check written by Craig, Wenger concluded, was payment to Tammen regarding his involvement with these hypnosis studies.

“You look at this stuff 13 years ago and it means nothing,” Wenger said. “And then you start learning things, putting things together … that could possibly pertain to this situation and it’s pretty exciting.”

sanderhp@miamioh.edu

TAMMEN WAS STRING BASS PLAYER IN A COLLEGE JAZZ BAND, THE CAMPUS OWLS.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JENNIFER WENGER

TAMMEN POSES ON HIS PROM NIGHT WITH HIS SIBLINGS.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JENNIFER WENGER TAMMEN WAS

WRESTLER

MIAMI. PHOTO PROVIDED BY JENNIFER WENGER TAMMEN TAKES HIS DATE, GRACE H., TO HIS SENIOR PROM. PHOTO PROVIDED BY JENNIFER WENGER TAMMEN’S PARENTS HAD FIVE CHILDREN: JOHN, RONALD, RICHARD, MAR-

ALICE MOMANY

SENIOR CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR

Students, faculty and staff at Miami University gathered in solidarity with Miami’s chapter of Students Demand Action (SDA) to protest gun violence in America on Wednesday, April 12.

The protest, which took place in central quad, was one of the many rallies taking place at universities across the U.S. to launch the national chapter of SDA’s new campaign #KillerBusiness, which encourages colleges and universities to “divest from the firearms industry.”

The protest included personal tes-

Students Demand Action hosts protest against gun violence in light of new campaign

writing, English literature and Spanish triple major, spoke about her experience as a school gun violence survivor and the impact that day has on her.

“I often feel like I’m reduced by fear to being a scared 12-yearold, cowering in the corner of an unfamiliar classroom,” Wahl said.

timonials from three guest speakers, all of whom had different experiences with gun violence.

Kelly Gunnels Valines, a survivor of gun violence, shared the story of the night her brother Reco was fatally shot at a convenience store.

“In that instant, they had made my brother a victim and a statistic,” Gunnels Valines said.

After her brother’s death, Gunnels Valines started advocating against gun violence.

“When our family and I received the call about our brother Reco being shot, immediately we all became victims who will stand before you today, now as survivors,” Gunnels Valines said.

Lily Wahl, a first-year creative

Wahl admitted she hesitates getting involved in advocacy surrounding the issue of gun violence for fear of not knowing the correct terminology or having enough experience to accurately vocalize her concerns. However, she assured anyone who might feel similarly that their opinions and experiences are relevant and important.

“No trauma is too insignificant to consider, to recognize, to name, to seek help for,” Wahl said. “No moment is insufficient to inspire action.”

Melinda Barman, a sophomore and member of Miami’s SDA chapter, spoke on the lack of regulation in the gun industry.

“We demand for the gun industry

to be held accountable for the weapons they sell and for playing a role in preventing guns from ending up in the wrong hands and ensuring that all forms of gun violence are prevented,” Barman said. “There are solutions, and we are here to fight for that.”

Barman advocated for transparent information on who supplies crime guns, concerted efforts on gun reform and accountability for the federal government.

“We are fighting for our lives while the gun industry continues to watch us die,” Barman said.

Venus Harvey, a group lead for Miami’s SDA, said they were pleased with the turnout for the organization’s first protest.

“I think it turned out really well,” Harvey said. “We had a really great turnout overall, and I think our speakers were really impactful.”

They said this protest was something SDA has wanted to do for a while because of its relevance to college students.

“Guns are the number one killer of children, teens and college-aged youth in the United States,” Harvey said. “... institutions shouldn’t be profiting off of the industry that prof-

its off our lives.”

Mitch Bronson, a sophomore political science major, came to the protest with his friends to support SDA’s cause. Bronson was impressed with the turnout of the protest and was excited to see that other students were aware of impactful political issues.

“Obviously other people here care about this issue, and this is something that was able to bring a lot of people together,” Bronson said.

Sophie Kwiatkowski, a sophomore English major, also came to the protest with her friends to advocate with others who are passionate about this issue.

“I feel like it can be so isolating and feel like nothing is happening when there are so many deaths occurring around the country,” Kwiatkowski said. “I think coming together and having a movement, especially on a campus, can make that isolation go away.”

Lily Wahl, a student quoted in this story, is a staff writer for The Miami Student. momanyaj@miamioh.edu

Miami University professors discuss ways to think, learn and act on Senate Bill 83

With Ohio Senate Bill 83 pending, there are many things students and faculty can do to have their voices heard. At a lecture in Williams Hall Monday night, students and faculty listened as Rosemary Pennington, a journalism professor at Miami, and Nathan French, a religion professor at Miami, discussed some of the actions people can take.

“Our goal this evening is to not engage in covert political action,” French said. “We’re mindful of our roles and capacity, so this is really to teach about how has this bill came to be from what we understand and what developments it has undergone.”

French said people on the left and right of the political spectrum have concerns with this bill. It is not just a liberal or conservative problem.

Testify

One way to help is a formal written testimony or in-person remarks. A testimony could come in the form of a witness slip, which is a person’s or group’s personal position on a bill.

There is a general testimony for family and community members as well as students and faculty. All testimonies only last five minutes.

“If you do give testimony, whether it’s written or oral, the thing to consider is what is it in the bill that you connect with and that you have concerns about and make that concrete,” Pennington said. “Don’t go in and do a vague testimony.”

Talking to neighbors, family, friends, alumni and anyone not affiliated with Miami University about the bill can also go a long way.

Write or Call

French said there’s a parallel companion in Ohio’s House of Representatives called House Bill 151 (H.B. 151). This bill essentially speeds up S.B. 83’s movement through the Senate.

French said people should call Ohio state representatives and senators or submit written communication on the web page of your representative or senator. It’s best to call on days when there are hearings and testimonies because it will stay fresh in the legislator’s office and staff’s minds.

“There are all sorts of avenues

Katia Del Rio-Tsonis:

Newt-hing will stand in the way of her research

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

Saul’s lab helps them with the scaffolds or engineered meshes where the cells will grow and then will mimic what the eye environment will be like.

“She has just done a really good job of pulling people together with different areas of expertise so that she can answer some really interesting biological questions,” Saul said.

Rio-Tsonis started her research with salamanders because she was interested in cancer research. Her husband was the one to introduce

regeneration to her, specifically in newts. She started with limb regeneration, and when they moved to Ohio, she began working on the eye.

When Rio-Tsonis started at Miami, the university required her to do something different. As a new faculty member on the tenure track, she needed her own independent research program that differed from her husband’s.

“That showing of independence was super important, and unfortunately as a woman, you have to do it harder,” Rio-Tsonis said.

So she started on the retina, working with newts and embryonic chicks. Her husband passed away about seven years ago, so she took over his research, which was the lens regeneration line. She now has two lines of research: lens regeneration using salamanders and newts and retina regeneration on embryonic chicks.

“Now I have two research programs,” Rio-Tsonis said. “I’m very busy, and it’s very challenging, but I do love what I do.”

stumbata@miamioh.edu

for posting new pieces,” French said. “You can post discussions to social media, you can read articles, you can discuss with family and friends [and] teach others the sort of material that we’re going to be speaking about.”

Pennington and French have written an op-ed piece for The Miami Student, and Pennington wrote one for the Columbus Dispatch. Learn

“There’s lots of ways to get involved, depending on what you feel comfortable doing,” Pennington said, “but I think the important thing is to educate yourself.”

To learn more about the Bill and inform students, faculty, colleagues, family and others about it, Pennington urged the audience to read the bills, whether that is from the Ohio

Legislature website or from analyses in local newspapers.

“There are ways of engaging in these conversations that are not just taking a yes or no stance on the bill, but really enriching the community conversation around laws,” French said.

Gabrielle Byrd, a sophomore journalism and social justice major, attended the talk to hear what the professors thought about it and what other people were saying.

“I learned that even though this bill feels impossible to stop, with extra pressure and push from students, voters, family members, faculty, etc. change can be made,” Byrd said. stumbata@miamioh.edu

MIAMI’S CHAPTER OF STUDENTS DEMAND ACTION HELD A PROTEST IN CENTRAL QUAD TO CONDEMN GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA. PHOTO BY SARAH FROSCH

KELLY GUNNELS VALINES SHARED HER BROTHER RECO’S FATAL INCIDENT WITH GUN VIOLENCE AT THE PROTEST. PHOTO BY SARAH FROSCH

PHOTO BY SARAH FROSCH

TAYLOR STUMBAUGH STAFF WRITER

In this class, students solve puzzles, not math problems

LUKE MACY MANAGING EDITOR

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Jeremy Easter wakes up earlier and more excited than most students.

Although some students might dread 8:30 a.m. classes, Easter, a first-year computer science major, can’t wait for his Beyond Sudoku class in McGuffey Hall.

“It’s a nice relief from classes that make me not want to go to them,” Easter said. “I actually want to go to this class. It’s a nice change of pace.”

The education class, cross-listed with honors, is taught by Jeffrey Wanko, a professor of mathematics education who has also written books on logic puzzles. The class was his idea.

“It’s a personal interest for me,” Wanko said. “This is my life, but it’s also my research area … It’s just been a way for me to intersect the personal interest of mine with my professional interests.”

The class isn’t focused only on the fun aspects of puzzles.

During class, Wanko encourages his students to use logic and reasoning to solve puzzles and even create their own. Wanko heavily relies on class participation, asking students what stands out to them as they look at puzzles.

Allison Liigsoo, a first-year busi-

Shikaku Puzzles

Shikaku puzzles were developed by the Japanese puzzle magazine “Nikoli.” The word shikaku roughly translates to “divide by box” which is a good description of this puzzle. The goal of a Shikaku puzzle is to divide the grid into rectangles following these rules:

• Each rectangle contains exactly one circled number.

• The area of each rectangle matches the circled number.

• Each square of the grid must be included in exactly one rectangle; in other words, every grid square must be used and no rectangles may overlap. Each puzzle has exactly one correct solution.

Some solving hints: Use a pencil, not a pen. Make sure you have an eraser nearby.

Don’t make any guesses. Use deductive reasoning to place rectangles in places where you know they have to go. Look for starting numbers where the corresponding rectangle can only be drawn one way. In the sample puzzle, the three on the right side can only be contained in a 1x3 rectangle drawn to the left. This sets up several other numbers that have only one possible rectangle with the space that remains.

Since every square in the grid has to be covered by a rectangle, look for unused squares that could only be reached by one number. In the sample puzzle, the square in the top left corner can only be reached by the four below it, so the rectangle from that four must stretch up to cover the square in the top left corner.

Below is a sample puzzle and its unique solution:

ness analytics major, took the class because she loves puzzles and needed an honors course. However, the class has supplied her with much more.

“It’s taught me to look at things in a different way,” Liigsoo said.

For other students, the puzzles have helped with ideas for post-graduation.

“I know I’m going to take these [puzzles] into my class as a warmup,” Caleb Wright, a senior math education major, said. Wanko even had a previous student who used his skills from the class to help with a big test.

“I had a student who was studying for his LSAT, his law tests, and he said doing these puzzles forced him to have to think through things step by step, and it helped him,” Wanko said. “That’s so not a goal of mine, but it was kind of an unintended consequence, a good one.”

Wanko’s joy for the class shines through his students. This is the fourth time Wanko has taught this class in 23 years, and he hasn’t grown tired of it.

“It is way too much fun for me,” Wanko said. “I have students who come to me afterwards, even years later and say, ‘I’m still doing those puzzles, and I found them so helpful.’”

@lukejmacy macylj@miamioh.edu

KAITLIN MCDOWELL FOOD EDITOR

As the second semester comes to a close, it’s a great time to reflect on all the changes Miami University has seen in dining this year. It all came with the new food supplier, Aramark. Throughout the year, the school has seen new restaurants in Armstrong Student Center as well as new options in the markets, but the biggest changes had to have been in the dining halls.

Aramark completely changed the dining hall menus and food choices. As a first-year, I unfortunately can’t say if these changes were better than the food served last year, but I have seen the dining halls change tremendously over the course of the year, which is why I would like to rank all of Miami’s dining halls and what they have to offer.

4. Martin Dining Commons

Starting off not-so strong — despite being in the same building as a gym — Martin finds itself in last place for a multitude of reasons.

This dining hall has very few options, and its buffet section is rather small. The only consistency found in this dining hall is the promise of pizza and some sort of potato being served daily. Out of all the dining halls, this one has changed the least, if at all, throughout the year. I do have to give a special shoutout to their biscuit and bagel sandwiches served for breakfast on the weekends because they are always delicious.

3. Western Dining Hall

This choice was tough, but unfor-

tunately Western finds itself second to worst. Western is very big and has plenty of options, but they are consistently disappointing. Not only this, but I’ve been served more pieces of raw chicken than any other dining hall.

Just before winter break, Western saw the addition of a Greek food station including gyros and Greek salad, which was very exciting at first. Unfortunately, this is the dining hall closest to my dorm, and after about three days I was very sick of the Greek food.

Western is also known for its soft serve machine that took an entire semester to open and simply sat there and teased all of us in the first semester.

I do like Western’s allergens section, but the uncooked chicken loses Western too many points to be placed higher than third.

2. Maplestreet Station

This choice may come as a shock to many as Maple is widely known as the best dining hall on campus, but I personally think it is overhyped. Yes, it is as big as a mall food court and has the options of one as well, but I don’t think any of the food is memorable.

I do have to say, I love Maple’s omelet station, but I am rarely up early enough to actually get one.

Maple is also known for its pasta station, where the chef heats up specially made pans of noodles, sauce and the student’s choice of toppings in a little pan and then serves it hot and ready to eat. This is easily the best pasta on campus, but that does come with the price of waiting in a line.

I can’t leave out Maple’s orange

chicken (see what I mean about a lot of options?) found in the Chinese station, but due to its popularity the chicken is often missing from the buffet options.

1. Garden Commons

First place is awarded to the one and only Garden Commons. Not only does Garden consistently have good food, it offers a spacious and calm environment for students to go in between classes or just for a good meal. I’ve rarely seen Garden crowded or chaotic, most likely because it isn’t central to any specific dorm, being right next to Farmer School of Business.

The first semester at Garden saw a Chinese food station similar to the stir fry served at Maple, offering various chicken or stir fry options. This station was replaced in the second semester for an Indian station.

This Indian food is easily the best thing about Garden. Offering rice, several sauces such as Tikka Masala and a few choices of meat, which I must say compared to the grilled chicken from Western or Maple, this chicken is restaurant quality and very edible.

I was disappointed to only have discovered this station at the end of

the semester as it’s easily the best food a dining hall offers. If you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend making a trip over to Garden for a bowl of chicken, rice and Tikka Masala.

Overall, this year Aramark has added many new and some international options to students’ dining hall choices, which is a great addition to a college student’s diet. I’m excited to see what is to come next year, and hopefully Western will learn to cook its chicken longer by then.

mcdowekr@miamioh.edu

I would need a side dish for this salad to be a full lunch.

To me, the real highlight of the Farmer’s Fridge offerings were the wraps. After sampling both the napa chickpea and the turkey, apple and white cheddar wrap, I can attest the wraps were both filling and delicious.

The turkey, apple and white cheddar wrap specifically had a wonderful smoky flavor, complemented by the juicy apple pieces and a yummy vegenaise, or vegan mayonnaise.

Additionally, the whole wheat tortillas were just the right consistency to not dominate the wrap.

Con: awkward packaging, high prices

Don’t let looks deceive you: It is quite impractical to mix a salad in a Mason jar.

The packaging is adorable, high-quality and accessible to open and shut, but when it comes to practicality, the Mason jar did not fare so well.

I shook my salad for a solid thirty seconds, and few ingredients had rotated. I had to eat about a quarter of the lettuce to create room to manually stir the ingredients.

MEREDITH PERKINS COLUMNIST

Miami University’s marketplaces have a new kid on the block.

Farmer’s Fridge, a to-go meal chain focused on making “fruits and vegetables accessible and approachable for everyone,” launched in Emporium and MacCracken Market on March 27.

Founded 10 years ago by a traveling salesman frustrated with the lack of healthy to-go vending options, Farmer’s Fridge gained its popularity supplying salads and wraps in airport and hospital vending machines.

Now, Farmer’s Fridge has expanded to multiple Ohio colleges, including University of Cincinnati, whose Farmer’s Fridge partnership launched at the beginning of the month.

To-go meals are necessities for students on-the-go or late-night studiers who want a filling snack option after dining halls close. However, they can be somewhat pricey for students without meal plans, and options aren’t always the most fresh-tasting.

I frequented Emporium this past week for my lunchtime meals, trying various Farmer’s Fridge options and

comparing them to my personal favorite to-go meals, such as the York Street southwest salad and (admittedly) Smuckers’ uncrustable sandwiches.

Pros: unique flavors, fresh tastes

What stood out to me immediately about Farmer’s Fridge was the richness of its flavor options. Baja bowls, napa chickpea wraps, Thai noodle bowls: each meal looked colorful, with fresh fruit and vegetable options that looked high-quality and appetizing.

For my first Farmer’s Fridge purchase, I tried the Harvest Salad: a blend of Arcadian lettuce, goat cheese, apples, pecans, sweet potatoes and couscous with a generously-sized packet of balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

I found the lettuce in the Farmer’s Fridge salad to be considerably more hydrated than the lettuce typically is in York Street salads, and the apple and sweet potato fragments made for a wonderful flavor profile.

I ate the meal just before a workout, and it was enough to power me through two hours in the gym, but I was quite hungry toward the end of my set. For my typical dietary needs,

Maybe I’m just bad at mixing salads, but I would recommend bringing a bowl or to-go container if you wanted to use one of these jars. Though, this sort of defeats the purpose of grab-and-go convenience in the first place: You should be able to eat it right out of the box.

Another con was how they packaged the goat cheese in my Harvest Salad. Stuck in a solid, unappetizing-looking block with couscous stuck to its sides, I struggled to get the goat cheese to spread throughout the salad.

After much effort, I ended up just tossing out the awkward goat cheese mound.

Additionally, while I found the food to be mostly delicious, each wrap and salad goes for about $8.50: a tad pricey for a college student budget.

While these prices are similar to what York Street options cost for students without meal plans, you cannot use a meal swipe for Farmer’s Fridge.

This was my main gripe: If Farmer’s Fridge products contained roughly the same amount and same type of food at the same price point, why can’t on-campus students use meal swipes for these?

If you’re wanting to-go meals on a budget, I would probably recommend to save on-campus markets for when you’re really in a pinch and opt for

some of the $3.67 salad kits at Kroger.

Overall rating

The Farmer’s Fridge options are flavorful and a step in the right direction for providing high-quality to-go options on campus. If you’re interested in checking out something from the fridge, I would most encourage you to go for one of the wrap options. They’re filling, easy to eat on-the-go and quite tasty.

While $8.50 is a somewhat steep price point for budget-conscious college students, it could be incorporated into a student diet

It’s Bananarchy at Battle of the Bands entertainment

Both Verderber and his partner Bennett Meacham, who performed in last semester’s battle of the bands as well, felt good about their performance. For his performance, Zickerman decided to play solo.

“I thought for my last Battle of the Bands, a pretty sensational feeling, that I would play a solo set, jam out for you all,” Zickerman said to the audience. He covered songs from artists such as Mac Miller and Rainbow Kitten Surprise.

Stoned Ape Theory followed with a high energy performance, playing songs by The Beatles, Sublime and The Rolling Stones. Michael Conley showed off his skills on the electric guitar, but not before warning the crowd.

“I haven’t had any water today, just a couple of Monsters, so if I faint someone’s gonna have to step in here,” Conley said.

Oth was the only band at Battle of the Bands with a fully original set.

Member Alex Haberman performed a piece on the keyboard that he composed entirely himself.

Cory O’Brien, a junior games and simulations major and member of guitar club and Bananarchy, notes that Battle of the Bands and Guitar Club are open to having any and all musicians.

“We like having people come no matter what instrument they play,”

O’Brien said. “If you want to play live music we can find the space for them.”

Boris (Not Boris) went on after Oth and played a set fully on their guitars with very few vocals. Their pas-

sion-filled performance went on for more than 10 minutes and had many people rocking out on the grass.

Onur Tektas, a first-year information and cybersecurity management major, enjoyed the show.

“It’s been pretty good; I liked it,” Tektas said. “I like [that] there’s a space for these bands to come and present their music to the students. It’s covers usually, [but] it’s still cool.”

During Bananarchy’s performance, which came after Boris (Not Boris), there was a tuning session in between songs. Instead of empty silence, lead singer Jordan Mtui, a junior double major in creative writing and literature, told the audience banana themed jokes. It was a hit and received many laughs from the audience. The food-themed band not only had banana themed jokes, but senior

guitarist Luke Thorne dressed up as a banana for the performance as well.

The band received a standing ovation at the end of their set, getting the crowd even more pumped for the final performance from Tachyon.

“[I feel] very tired; I need to have more water; I’m going to eat this banana. I feel really good,” Mtui said post-performance. “A lot of people are standing up and clapping so it’s very bizarre with a lot of that happening. I’m very happy.”

The final band, Tachyon, got the crowd the most pumped. They formed a mosh-like experience in front of the steps and really got the energy flowing after hours in the hot sun.

Singer and guitarist Zickerman pulled Alexander Kauble up onto the stage as a special guest, where they performed songs with the band like

“Everybody Talks” by Neon Trees and “Kilby Girl” by The Backseat Lovers. In the end, Bananarchy, made up of Mtui, O’Brien, Thorne, Jack Weber and Umaansh Parashar, took home the gold.

“I’m absolutely delighted by the people of Miami University for voting us as the best band of Battle of the Bands 2023,” said Parashar, a firstyear finance and business analytics major. “I’m super grateful for the Guitar Club of Miami University for organizing this amazing event where people come out and they get to play their hearts out.”

After receiving screams and chants of “encore” they performed “Should I Stay or Should I Go” by The Clash to close out the night. siderie@miamioh.edu

stumbata@miamioh.edu

The best songs to get you through finals week It’s-a disappointment: Mario

‘Liability’ - Lorde

‘Killer’ - Phoebe Bridgers

‘I Bet on Losing Dogs’ - Mitski

I know, these songs seem extremely out of place, but hear me out: Finals week is extremely stressful, and at one point or another, you’re going to cry. At least put on some music worth crying to while you have your breakdown; it’ll make it feel more cinematic.

Let it all out and allow yourself to feel the pain. There is so much pain.

Now back to motivation.

‘Don’t Stop’ - Fleetwood Mac

After your meltdown, you’ll need something cheery and upbeat. This is the perfect track. Just keep thinking about what’s to come and how much better your life is going to be after finals week.

‘I’m a Winner, Baby’ - RuPaul

This song will have you feeling like you just won “Drag Race,” and that’s exactly the energy you need going into finals week. You’re going to feel unstoppable as you sashay into the exam room, serving looks and brains.

‘Did It On’em’ - Nicki Minaj

After you spend all week studying and preparing, you’ll leave the exam room definitely feeling like you did it on’em. Simple as that. Put your number twos in the air as you walk out.

‘When I Grow Up’ - The Pussycat Dolls

movie rehashes video game adaptation trash

REECE HOLLOWELL ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR LUKE MACY MANAGING EDITOR

In 1986, Nintendo released the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), selling 62 million units worldwide and bringing the characters Mario and his brother Luigi to fame through one of its staple games, “Super Mario Bros.”

Although Mario had been in two games before — “Mario Bros” and “Donkey Kong,” then known by the name Jumpman — his appearance on the NES helped propel him to becoming one of gaming history’s most iconic characters.

In 1993, the video game graced the silver screen for the first time as a poorly-received live-action adaptation. The film, starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as the titular brothers placed into a dystopian Mushroom Kingdom, was a complete failure, with its edginess and detachment from Nintendo earning it a reputation as one of the worst movies of all time.

CHLOE

SOUTHARD STAFF WRITER

I hate to be the one to remind you, but finals week is right around the corner.

If you’re anything like me, you’re already feeling the impending doom. Everything feels like it’s piling up; you’re drowning in a never ending sea of papers, exams and final projects.

Luckily, I’m here to help you out and give you some motivation. I’ve curated the perfect set of songs to get you through the hell that is finals week.

You and your grades will be thanking me later. ‘Work Bitch’ - Britney Spears

This is the ultimate motivational song. You want to pass your classes? You want to succeed in life? Britney says it best: You better work, bitch.

Crank this song as you study for your exams. Feel Britney’s voice and motivation coursing through your veins. Imagine her speaking directly to you; you wouldn’t want to disappoint Britney, would you?

‘Beautiful, Dirty, Rich’ - Lady Gaga

‘Rich Girl’ - Gwen Stefani feat. Eve

These songs could be your future if you pass your exams and graduate college. You could spend your days rolling in money, partying and being gorgeous with not a care in the world. Keep this in mind as you go into your finals.

‘D.R.F.S.R.’ - Warrant

After imagining what it’d be like to be rich, this song will really bring that vision to life. You’ll be driving fancy Italian cars, eating tons of caviar and lighting your cigarettes with hundred dollar bills. You’ll be dirty, rotten, filthy stinking rich as long as you make it through exam week.

This song is the epitome of fantasizing. When you grow up and leave college, you could do anything, but you’ve gotta get through finals first. Listen to this as you’re cramming in some last minute studying and remind yourself what you’re working toward.

‘Cheers (Drink to That)’ - Rihanna

After finals week is over, you’ll want to celebrate by going out for the weekend. Think about how hard that Brick Street Trashcan is going to hit after all of your hard work. It’ll feel even better if you pass your exams.

‘All Too Well (10 Minute Version)’ - Taylor Swift

One more song to cry to, just for good measure.

‘9 to 5’ - Dolly Parton

This song may be about the corporate machine that is America, but us college students can relate to it, too. Like Dolly says, we’re barely getting by. Let this one resonate with you and think about how once you’re out of school, you will be living and loving life.

You will not be another cog in the machine.

‘I’m Going Home’ - The Rocky Horror Picture Show

This song is going to be you after finals week — you’ll finally be going home for the summer, free to do whatever you want without academic stress.

If this list of songs isn’t enough to motivate you to get through finals week, I’m sorry, but you might be hopeless. How could you not feel motivated by Britney Spears repeatedly telling you to get to work? Don’t you fantasize about getting out of here and making money?

Good luck with finals, but if you listen to my list of motivational tunes, you aren’t going to need it. southacr@miamioh.edu

Thirty years later, Mario made his second jump to the big screen, this time with more connections to the source material and a family-friendly focus.

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” released on April 5, was created by Illumination Entertainment, primarily known for its “Despicable Me” films. The movie also debuts just a few months after Illumination’s parent company NBCUniversal launched a Nintendo-themed area at its California theme park.

Compared to the “anything goes” approach of the first adaptation, this new Mario movie overcorrects in its attempts to avoid the mistake of its predecessor. Instead of treading into new territory and expanding upon the games, it relies on a highly-recognizable cast and basic story overfilled with references.

Mario is voiced by Chris Pratt, the announcement of which was met by uproarious ridicule across the internet. Pratt has done well in previous voice acting roles like Emmett in “The Lego Movie,” but he doesn’t fit in here.

While his performance is nowhere near as bad as many may have anticipated, Pratt’s generic white guy voice just doesn’t match up with what years of Italian-American coding has trained audiences to expect from Mario. He does avoid any ugly stereotypes, which is good, but it’s ultimately flavorless.

That sentiment sums up much of the rest of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” as well: inoffensive and flavorless.

Considering that Illumination is behind it, that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. The studio has gained a reputation for pumping out low effort and cheap children’s entertainment that, while often massively profitable, leaves little impact. The same is true here.

The film follows a similar, simple formula to many of Mario’s games, with maniacal turtle overlord Bowser threatening to destroy the otherwise peaceful Mushroom Kingdom. Mario must join forces with its ruler Princess Peach to defeat the villain and rescue Luigi, whom Bowser has captured.

It’s here that the film runs into a core prob-

REECE HOLLOWELL ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

For thousands of people, the two weekends of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. With tickets ranging from $500 to more than $1,000, plus travel, housing and food costs, some music fans will pull out all the stops in order to see their favorite acts perform.

Coachella also allows people to experience the festival from their homes, streaming performances through their YouTube channel.

This year’s festival in particular had a major selling point: Frank Ocean would be the Saturday night headliner.

The enigmatic R&B star was originally scheduled to perform in 2020, but that year’s festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The same year, Ocean lost his brother Ryan Breaux in a car accident.

Fans were ecstatic that they might be able to finally experience Ocean in a live setting. Though he holds a reputation for keeping to himself, people hoped that this massive stage would bring him outside of his shell.

Unfortunately, Ocean did not meet the moment.

Even before the performance’s start, there were problems. The Coachella livestream, which previously listed Ocean as one of the featured artists, suddenly removed him from the schedule. This was later confirmed by a tweet from YouTube.

Pandemonium erupted across social media. Why would Ocean’s set not be shown? Was this Coachella’s doing? Perhaps Ocean himself?

It wasn’t long before an arms race of attendee streams began. I was among the viewers, jumping between multiple platforms to catch a glimpse of my most anticipated live performance of the year.

Ocean was scheduled to begin at 10:05 p.m. PST (1:05 a.m. EST). After

nearly an hour of waiting, fans began to wonder if he was even going to show up.

When he finally emerged on stage, things only got weirder. To Ocean’s credit, the show wasn’t terrible.

When he did sing, he sounded incredible, and the setlist was balanced between his biggest hits and more intimate numbers.

That said, the performance as a whole felt poorly structured. Ocean performed some songs similarly to the recorded versions, but he remixed others into new oddities. Covers were thrown in every now and then, along with a seemingly random 10-minute DJ mix interlude.

By the end, Ocean was barely singing at all, instead opting to simply vibe along on-stage while songs like “Nikes” and “Nights” played along in the background. Elsewhere in the erratic appearance, he crushed rumors that an album was imminent, though he seemed to confirm it’s in the works.

After a little over an hour, Ocean was done. His time had broken Coachella’s midnight curfew, a symptom of arriving so late.

In the days since this confusing, frustrating performance, fans have searched for answers as to what exactly happened. One Twitter post in particular from Festive Owl gained

the most traction, pointing to Ocean being indecisive and unenthusiastic about performing.

Allegedly, Ocean asked for an ice rink that had been constructed onstage to be removed only a few hours before he was scheduled to begin, and he also made the call not to live stream the show.

In response, some people have claimed that Ocean injured his ankle earlier that day, preventing him from performing at his highest caliber.

So, what do we take away from all of this?

It’s been abundantly clear that Ocean is uninterested in playing by traditional music industry rules. Whether it’s the label finesse he

lem with video game adaptations. In a typical Mario platformer, that basic plot is simply a framing device that gives developers the freedom to create levels in whatever style they desire. The best of these — “Super Mario World,” “Super Mario 64,” “Super Mario Galaxy” — are considered pinnacles of gaming for their tight controls, inventive level design and whimsical environments.

The problem is, as a film, the player interaction that drives much of these achievements is gone, and so “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” needs to find something else to fill in that gap. Its solution? References. References everywhere.

These references are hyper-specific to the many games and are held together by the movie’s thin story.

To be fair, some of them work. The best are the musical homages, with different parts of the score calling back to iconic motifs from across the Mario franchise. It helps that the composer of the film, Brian Tyler, worked directly with Nintendo’s longtime musical genius Koji Kondo. Still, the awesome score is undermined by the film’s jarring needle drops. The film puts in songs like “Mr. Blue Sky” and “No Sleep Till Brooklyn.”

Aside from the abundance of references, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” also has a giant cast. Charlie Day voices Mario’s brother Luigi and really brings the character’s nervous energy to life. Jack Black uses a booming voice for the big baddie Bowser while also bringing his classic Black charm. Anya Taylor-Joy plays Princess Peach as a girlboss rather than the damsel in distress traditionally seen in the games.

Donkey Kong is also in the movie, with the rest of the Kong family. Seth Rogen voices the giant ape and even brings his iconic laugh to the part.

While some of the voices aren’t necessarily bad, they are weird. Keegan Michael-Key voices Toad, but he might as well not, considering how much they change his voice. Fred Armisen also voices Donkey Kong’s father Cranky Kong, doing one of his weird nasally voices from “Saturday Night Live.”

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” definitely lives up to the “Mario” in its title. It’s a shame it doesn’t do the same for the “Movie” part.

Rating: 5/10

@HollowCentral hollowrr@miamioh.edu @lukejmacy macylj@miamioh.edu

pulled with the dual release of “Endless” and “Blonde,” his shyness from the public eye or his slow release of new music, Ocean is famous for doing things on his own terms.

This policy is fine when it comes to his personal life or artistic output. It’s another when asking fans to spend a significant amount of time and money to see him perform, only to show little interest in delivering.

Ocean’s set was always likely to be experimental in some way. But experimental is not the same as unfinished, which is what the Coachella performance read as.

None of this is to downplay the emotions Ocean has clearly been working through since the death of

his brother, which has undoubtedly affected his artistic output. The problem is that if he wasn’t ready to give his all, maybe he should have said no. This debacle probably won’t significantly impact Ocean’s public image. He still has a massive fanbase, and he could redeem himself in weekend two if he shows up.

But if this has shown anything, it’s that Ocean is not the god many fans want to believe. Like all of us, he is human, and just as capable of making mistakes.

Here’s hoping that Ocean takes his own lyrics to heart: “Living so the last night feels like a past life.”

Frank Ocean flounders amid Coachella backlash

FRANK OCEAN, SEEN HERE PERFORMING IN 2013, WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE 2023 COACHELLA LINEUP. INSTEAD, HE EARNED THE MOST CONTROVER

SOPHOMORE LAUREN TOLLIVER JAMS OUT WHILE STUDYING. PHOTO BY CHLOE SOUTHARD.

Miami synchronized skating teams shine on national, international stages

feet,” Beaver said with excitement. “It was crazy.”

Beaver said the routine her team performed proved to be challenging yet fun due to the various skating moves like twizzles, spirals, spins and partner cartwheels, awing the Miami alumni, fans, parents and senior team teammates in the crowd.

“I’ve never heard that many people cheer for me as I skated, and to be a part of that was an experience I will never forget,” Beaver said with a smile.

For Beaver, there was more than just a national title at stake in Peoria. She spoke with ferocity about a rivalry that developed throughout the season with the University of Michigan. In the Collegiate Team’s five competitions against various colleges and university teams this season, they won four of them.

TEDDY JOHNSON CO-HUMOR EDITOR

The Miami University synchronized skating teams have capped off another successful season by placing at both national and international competitions.

On March 4, both the senior and collegiate Miami synchronized skating teams competed at the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships in Peoria, Illinois.

The collegiate team finished off its season by reigning a first place finish, crowning them national champs

of the 11-team collegiate division. With an element score of 56.44 and a program component score of 48.17 (104.61 overall) the team skated its way to the program’s 21st national title and second in a row.

The RedHawks were the only team to surpass 100 points in their division.

Izzy Beaver, a first-year student on the Collegiate Team, always dreamed of skating for Miami. Competing at nationals was a dream come true.

“Nationals was so cool because we took the ice for our warmup and the entire arena was standing on their

From Chandigarh, India, to Miami University; The perfect match for Sarah Dev

SOFIA CENTRELLA

THE MIAMI STUDENT

Just two years ago, Sarah Dev flew almost 7,500 miles from her home in Chandigarh, India, to pursue a future as a collegiate tennis player here at Miami University.

Now, the sophomore organizational leadership major is blazing a new path for herself in the U.S. and has nothing but positive things to say about her experience so far.

The first time Dev picked up a racket was when she was 3 years old. From the moment she saw her older brother playing tennis, she was hooked. With the help of her father’s fitness training and her brother’s guidance on the court, Dev’s skill quickly accelerated, and she landed a spot at Harvest Tennis Academy (HTA) in Jassowal, India.

While training at HTA, she competed as a junior for the International Tennis Federation (ITF) where she traveled to play in different countries and was ranked No. 278 in the world.

After contemplating plans for her future, Dev knew collegiate tennis was the best route for her. Being so far from home was challenging at first, but was something she was able to adapt to.

“The starting three months I was missing home … and it was a little hard,” Dev said. “But after six months I started loving it.”

Friends, teammates and coaches helped ease her transition. It was not until this most recent winter break that she was able to fly back home to India to visit her family after not seeing them for a year and a half.

Dev described the moment she saw her family for the first time at the airport as tear-filled and emotional. As much as she enjoyed being home, she couldn’t help but count down the days until she was back at Miami and reunited with the team.

“Even when I went home, I went only for 20 days and then after 15 days I was like, ‘I want to go back,’ because I feel like I live here and I love it here,” Dev said.

She is only one of many on the team who face this similar issue. Of the 10 girls on the roster for this season, only two are from the U.S. Despite being from different parts of the world, their cultural differences have actually been a uniting factor to team chemistry.

“Because we are international, we can connect to each other more because we are facing similar problems about everything so it’s very

easy to connect,” Dev said. “Since we’ve been here we got together very easily and everybody looks out for each other which is nice.”

Head coach Ricardo Rosas said Dev is a supportive teammate.

“Sarah is just kind-hearted,” Rosas said. “I think everyone loves her. She’s just always there for everybody so it’s just good to see. I mean, she gets along very well with everybody.”

Her ability to take initiative on and off the court as well as her constant desire to get better does not go unnoticed by the coaching staff.

“That is one quality that I like about her,” Rosas said. “She will come and talk to you and find ways to improve in some areas or find things to do better.”

The RedHawks, who have an overall record of 10-12 and a conference mark of 4-4, are battling their way towards the Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) championship match. Right now, they balance on the edge of qualifying. Dev highlighted their conference win last year as one of her favorite memories at Miami, so she’s ready to go back.

Makensie Long, a Cincinnati native, also looks forward to another return to the championship, as she closes out her sophomore year. Recently, Long and Dev have been playing as doubles partners, and Long values the different strengths that Dev can bring to the team as they prepare for the tournament.

“She’s really good at communicating with everyone,” Long said.

“Whenever I think of Sarah Dev, she always makes everyone smile. She always makes everyone laugh. She makes sure everyone is having a good time.”

Not only has Dev been recognized for her vocal leadership roles, but she was also just awarded Miami’s Senior Service Leadership Award for intellectual and cultural leadership on campus. The award is only received by 10% of students here.

Dev’s hard work will continue to serve her well after graduation. In the future, she plans on getting her masters degree and playing in a few professional tournaments. She has found joy and success in her time here and anticipates staying in the U.S. and getting a job as an assistant tennis coach.

But before that happens, Dev focuses on her next match against Northern Illinois University on April 21. With only two games left in the regular season everything counts. centresj@miamioh.edu

The only competition where they didn’t place first was when the Michigan Wolverines won the Dr. Porter Classic in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on December 4, 2022. Miami finished second.

“One of our biggest competitors this year was UMich …” Beaver said, “Michigan was coming for our throats [at nationals].” The RedHawks parried the knife Michigan held to their throats, beating them by 12 points.

The senior team placed second out of five teams in the senior divi-

sion, helping them to advance to the International Skating Union (ISU) World Synchronized Championships where they were one of two teams to represent the United States.

On March 31 and April 1, the senior team skated onto the world stage at the historic Herb Brooks Ice Arena in Lake Placid, New York.

Team Miami captivated the audience with a short program performance to the tune of “Dream On.” Their score of 70.07 temporarily propelled them to first place before they were overtaken in the standings by competing clubs from around the world.

On the second day of competition, the Redhawks performed a routine to a custom rendition of “Ode to Joy” earning a score of 139.87 for their free skate. With a combined score of 209.94, the team placed sixth overall in its 14th appearance at worlds.

For senior Isabella Quintero, skating at worlds went beyond just the competition. Quintero’s father serves in the U.S. Army, and she took pride in representing the United States.

“My dad serves the country in a very important and very special way,” Quintero said. “And it’s awesome to know that I’m using my talent and all the work that I’ve put in to also represent my country in the best way that I can.”

Quintero grew up watching Miami’s synchro team with hopes to

compete for Miami and against some of the team’s she faced at worlds. She wants to inspire the next generation of skaters like previous Miami skaters inspired her.

“We’re taking the ice now, and we have little girls, essentially us at one point, wanting to be us,” Quintero said. “That’s an incredible feeling knowing that I’m leaving that same impact.”

The senior skater also praised the team’s competitive spirit which reflects the culture of Miami synchronized skating and attracts skaters from all over to join the RedHawks.

“The minute they step on the ice, it’s strictly business. We’re there to work,” Quintero said. “They’re super talented, incredibly strong physically, mentally and emotionally.”

Head Coach Carla DeGirolamo felt honored to once again be on the world stage, representing the United States.

“It’s not something everybody gets to experience, whether it’s in our sport or any other sport,” DeGirolamo said.

DeGirolamo hopes to improve speed, flow, creativity and confidence for next season. She also emphasized how competing at the world championships greatly improved the team’s confidence which will benefit their next appearance at worlds.

john1595@miamioh.edu

THE MIAMI STUDENT

The Miami RedHawks hockey program had another rough season in 2022-23. They ended the year last in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) with a record of 8-24-4 and a conference record of 3-18-3. With eyes ahead to the 2023-24 season, RedHawk hockey head coach Chris Bergeron and his staff are taking a good look at this past season while making an assertive effort to push the trajectory of the program upward.

With looking forward comes reflection, and Bergeron has done plenty of that since the season ended against the University of Denver in the postseason.

The problems for the RedHawks stem from their defense. They gave up 23 more goals than the next-lowest team in the conference, which is going to be a point of emphasis moving forward.

“We were hoping to solidify our overall team defense, whether it be 5-on-5 or 5-on-4, and we weren’t able to do that,” Bergeron said.

Bergeron also addressed the lack of consistency from the team in 2022-23, as they were unable to string together more than two wins in succession. He said the team needs to address its struggles with maintaining momentum and consistency in league play.

However, there were things from

which the coaching staff and returning players could build.

“I liked our month of October,” Bergeron said. “We played a non-conference schedule and had a pretty good record heading into league games, but unfortunately, we weren’t able to piece together a bunch of good games in a row with league play.”

The program has had to deal with some recent personnel losses through the transfer portal, most notably through the departure of forward Red Savage and goaltender Ludvig Persson. As a program, Miami has to learn to work around it.

“It’s difficult. We put a lot of time and energy into these boys, and they put a lot of time and energy into our program,” Bergeron said. “You’re almost going year to year when it used to be you make a three or four-year impact at a program; maybe now it’s only one year, maybe two.”

The loss of players requires the recruitment of new ones, and even though the program has had its deep-rooted struggles, there are still reasons for new players to come play in Oxford. Bergeron said Miami itself is a big attraction for prospective players, but the wins and losses tend to get more focus.

While it’s hard to navigate losing star players like Savage and Persson, the goal is to find players that can help make an equal or bigger impact in the lineup.

“This is a hockey program that has a history of success, and what we’re looking for is young guys that

want to be involved in getting this program back to that level,” Bergeron said. “We’re going to continue to look for that until we find it, and we think we’re a lot closer today than we were yesterday in terms of time.”

A young team like the RedHawks needs to be hard to play against, and the experience that the younger players have garnered over the course of last season gets the team closer to that goal.

“I think the consistency will come with a little bit of experience,” Bergeron said. “We want to be a group that Friday night, Saturday night, road, home, in-league, non-conference, you’re going to get the same type of effort from our team.”

Considering the record the Miami program has held over almost the last decade, there are questions circulating about the potential of this program returning to its former glory. Being relevant in college hockey requires moving up in the standings.

While Bergeron doesn’t have a specific goal for Miami’s placement next year, he said his focus is on building successful habits.

“Nobody is more concerned than me,” Bergeron said. “Nobody has the history, outside of a couple of individuals that I have here as a player, as an assistant coach and now in this role as a head coach. I want the same thing.”

@jjmid04

middleje@miamioh.edu

From niche to national: Miami’s esports program is one of the best in the nation

NISSO SACHA

THE MIAMI STUDENT

This March, Best Colleges named Miami University’s varsity esports program the best of its kind in the country.

The program was founded in 2016, starting with three teams. It has since grown to eight varsity teams across eight games. The team has won statewide competitions, and in 2017, placed first in the National Association of Collegiate Esports “Overwatch” season.

The key to the growth and success of Miami’s esports team lies in its backline student volunteers, a team called the Forge. The Forge is made up of more than 20 students split into six divisions that focus on developing the brand of the esports team. In 2020, the Forge was composed of just three students who kept the esports team alive through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The graphics and the social media aspect of all that were basically what legitimized us as a program through that tough time,” said James Davis, the team’s assistant director. “Without the Forge, we’d be a loose collection of teams without a strong through line.”

The Forge keeps students involved with the esports world while also giving them real-world experience and opportunities to network in the esports space. Students are able to build their professional skills and portfolio to help them enter the fast growing esports field.

“It’s led me towards what I want to do in life,” said Kanayo Offodile, head of media production in the Forge. “Coming into college, I wanted to be a game designer, and then I flipped it because I realized I didn’t like coding, but being in media produc-

tion, I realized I can use my passion and skill set in esports, and the Forge gave me the ability to connect and network with people in the field.”

During his junior year, Offodile began working in the media production division. He traveled with the esports team to different tournaments, developing his photography and videography skills. Since then, he’s become the head of media production and co-founded the program’s NBA 2K team.

As part of the media production division, Offodile works closely with the social media and graphic design divisions, providing them with photos and videos. The Forge facilitates this interconnectivity by having weekly meetings to communicate tasks for the upcoming week.

Zach Roberson, the team’s project manager, oversees each division within the Forge. Roberson has almost six years of experience on the team, from being a player for the varsity “Valorant” team to working on various divisions within the Forge. Roberson was one of the first Forge members and has made an impact on the program’s social media, sponsorship and broadcasting.

“My professional experience through the Forge has allowed me to get an internship and grow and build my resume,” said Roberson. “There’s so many opportunities that have been provided by the esports program overall and I’ve been extremely fortunate to reap the benefits.”

The broadcasting team has gone from a few broadcasts a year to more than 100 in the past year. Davis credits this growth to having access to more resources. The broadcast team started with

only one computer and now has access to three computers and professional camera and audio equipment that rival those of professional broadcasts.

Many students involved with the Forge also use their skills in the classroom in the Games and Simulation and Emerging Technology in Business Design programs. Miami’s Games and Simulation program has been recognized as one of the top 10 public college programs, according to the latest national study conducted by Princeton Review. The program was also named 27th overall in the nation among both public and private universities.

“A lot of the schools that have really competitive esports teams don’t really have a game program, so it gives us an academic hook,” said Glenn Platt, the co-director of the team. “The fact that we have a game program gives us a lot of credibility. One of our professors, Phill Alexander, wrote the book ‘Esports for Dummies.’”

The esports program still has a high ceiling for growth. Alongside three PC-focused arenas in King Library and the Armstrong Student Center, a fourth arena will soon break ground on Miami’s campus, with a focus on console games. The Forge has gained a solid footing over the past few years, and with access to more resources, it should continue being highly successful.

“In the past, we were just trying to figure out how to do everything,” Platt said. “Moving forward, [we are] going to be able to be more strategic and intentional.”

JEFFREY MIDDLETON

‘Nobody wants it more than me’: Coach Chris Bergeron talks the future of RedHawks hockey

The pursuit of excellence: Camber Hayes’ dedication to athletics, academics and community

evening, so they could help each other with anything they didn’t understand. Because they prioritized school over sports, Reggie and Valerie would require the kids to finish their homework before going to practice. Camber Hayes said this helped her learn to manage her time to accommodate soccer with school.

“They always made it a priority over soccer,” Hayes said. “That foundation was carried into high school and into college now, where I know how to manage my time pretty well to get my schoolwork done while competing in soccer.”

never needed to be reminded to do her homework or study for tests.

“Camber is a good kid, like everyone else in our family, so we didn’t have an academic concern that she wasn’t doing her work,” Reggie said.

“By the time finals rolls around, she knows what’s the minimum grade she needs to get an A. She stresses over that stuff all the time. She’s a very competitive student.”

When it was time to choose what college she wanted to attend, Hayes and her parents kept academics as the priority.

inated to be captain in her second semester of her first year. It was surprising for a player to be nominated captain that early, but her teammates and coaches all agreed that she was the right person for the role, and she became a vital part of the team’s success.

Sirmans said Hayes is a great captain because of her ability to listen to her teammates.

On April 4, Miami University soccer player Camber Hayes, a junior midfielder from Bowie, Maryland, became the first student-athlete in Miami and Mid-American Conference (MAC) history to receive the Arthur Ashe Jr. Scholar Award.

Each year, the Arthur Ashe Jr. Scholar Award is awarded to collegiate athletes of color who excel in their sport, maintain excellent academic standing by keeping a minimum GPA of 3.5 and are active in their campus and community. For Hayes, a biology and pre-med major, maintaining the balance between academics and soccer has been a learned process, which started when she first got into the sport.

For all of her academic achievements, Hayes excels at soccer too. She was named Second Team AllMAC in both of her first seasons at Miami. Last season, she was named to the All-MAC first team and recorded 11 points.

Growing up, Hayes wasn’t inter-

ested in playing soccer. She would often travel with her family to watch her older brother and sister play. At first, she hated the sport; however, after several years of watching her siblings, she became interested in playing. She played mostly with the Baltimore Armour Girls Development Academy, a youth travel team.

Even though her club team proved to be a big commitment for her, Hayes maintained good grades in school. According to her parents, Reggie and Valerie Hayes, she was always a good student.

“Camber is very competitive in the classroom and on the soccer pitch,” Reggie said. “She used to do this Jeopardy thing in fifth grade, where the three students with the highest grades could pick the teams. Camber would actually cut people from her team if they weren’t good enough to keep up so she could win the competition. She has always been very serious about her grades.”

For the Hayes family, academics were prioritized over athletics. The family would do their homework together at the dinner table every

Hayes, who attended St. John’s College High School in Washington D.C., played varsity as a ninth-grader. In that year, she was named MVP of the team, which made it to the DCSAA state championship. After her first year, she decided to play club soccer only.

In high school, Hayes found herself traveling an hour away for practice every day. She had games and tournaments nearly every weekend, some of which required several hours of driving or flying. At times, she would travel as far as New Jersey, San Diego, Florida, Chicago and Arizona for weekend events.

The constant traveling meant Hayes was busy all the time, but she still made it into the National Honor Society. Hayes said she accomplished it with the help of her parents’ dedication to organizing her and her siblings’ game schedules. “I don’t know how they did it,” Hayes said. “My older siblings played, so they would split up and go every which way to make sure they all showed up to our games on time. Looking back, seeing how much time and money they spent on us is amazing. They had as much dedication in it as us, and it’s amazing.”

Reggie and Valerie said their daughter’s ability to keep good academic standing while competing in soccer was all on her. Reggie said she

“If you pick a school just for soccer, you may end up hating it,” Hayes said. “I love soccer, but it’s a short term thing. I can’t be playing soccer in the next 15 years, but my degree will last longer.”

Initially, Hayes wasn’t even considering Miami as a potential college. It wasn’t until coaches visited her at a local tournament and invited her to visit that she decided to look into the school.

“My parents told me to give it a shot,” Hayes said. “I visited, and I loved it. The campus is so pretty, and the coaches are super nice and welcoming. They showed me how they could help me grow as a player and a person.”

Miami Head Coach Courtney Sirmans, who is in her fourth year at the helm of the soccer team, originally thought it would be difficult to convince Hayes to commit.

“I was really nervous when she came [to visit Miami],” Sirmans said. “She came to an IB camp where only four people showed up, and I was worried that she wasn’t going to commit because we weren’t really successful at that time. We were trying to convince Camber to come here and be a part of something really special by getting the program back to where it was and beyond.”

In her first year at Miami, Hayes showed incredible leadership for her teammates. In fact, she was nom-

“I think what Camber’s teammates love about her is that she’s not someone who says a lot,” Sirmans said. “She is very much an observer and a great listener. I think a big reason why her teammates nominated her is because she’s a good listener, because other female athletes want to be able to talk to someone who’s not a coach.”

At Miami, Hayes has maintained a 4.0 GPA. She’s also active in several campus organizations, including the Miami Scholars Program and Athletes in Action. She participates in the Miami Bridges Program and the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation organizations, which aim to increase diversity on campus and make the Miami degree more accessible to students from diverse backgrounds. Her involvement in campus organizations, her academic standing and her performance on the field allowed her to win the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award this year.

As Hayes finishes her junior year, she is starting to think about life after college. She has shown that she is an outstanding student, and she plans to go to veterinary school after college. However, Hayes still wishes to play soccer professionally, which Sirmans believes she has the talent for.

“I don’t think her career is done,” Sirmans said. “Obviously, she’s got a senior year here. If Camber wants to play, I think she can play.”

@thekethan04 babukc2@miamioh.edu

Miami women’s club hockey: a look inside the ACHA experience

WILL KEHRES

THE MIAMI STUDENT

There is nothing quite like playing hockey in the ACHA.

The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) has become a major player within the college sports landscape. Established in 1991, the ACHA has grown to include more than 450 teams competing across three men’s divisions and two women’s divisions. The first women’s division started play in the 20002001 season, with a second division created in 2006. Miami University’s Division I women’s ACHA program got its start in the spring of 2010. Since its inception, the team has enjoyed massive success, winning ACHA national titles in 2014, 2016 and 2017.

For many players, the option to play club hockey at a larger school such as Miami is more appealing than going to a small, NCAA Division III institution and playing varsity. As intended by the ACHA’s charter members, the league has become a legitimate non-varsity alternative for skilled hockey players to continue playing at the collegiate level.

“I didn’t know if I wanted to go [Division III] or club,” first-year forward Emma Heinig said. “Ultimately, I decided that I didn’t want to go to a small school, so I just decided to

come here, and it’s been a lot of fun.”

In addition to the pull of going to a larger, more well-known university, choosing the club hockey route also has the added benefit of being a lesser time commitment than playing at an NCAA school.

“It’s a good alternative for really high level players who maybe are a little burned out or want to emphasize a little more of the academic side,” head coach Eddie Ingersoll said. “Rather than going to an NCAA school and practicing five days a week and working out five days a week, we only have three mandatory practice/workouts a week. It’s a little bit of a better option for people who still want to take hockey seriously, but don’t want to dedicate as much time to it.”

Ingersoll is joined behind the bench by assistant coach Bailey Brekke. The pair find themselves in the interesting position of coaching a team of students while also attending Miami, as Brekke is currently a graduate student and Ingersoll is finishing his last semester of undergrad with the intention to begin graduate school at Miami in the fall.

“Being a young coach has been fun,” Brekke said. “I think at times it’s definitely interesting, but I think it gives me a unique perspective having been a player a few years back, being able to put myself in their shoes is really easy, and it’s easy to connect with

them, so I think that helps a lot too.”

Brekke grew up in Oxford and played NCAA Division I hockey at Dartmouth. She’s the daughter of Brent Brekke, who served on the coaching staff for Miami’s NCAA Division I men’s program from 20082018 and is currently the head coach at St. Lawrence University.

Ingersoll also grew up in Oxford. He played a year of club hockey at Augustana College before coming to Miami and starting to coach youth hockey.

This was the first season with the women’s club program for both Ingersoll and Brekke. As coaches, they are responsible for running practices, making lineup decisions and managing games from behind the bench. However, they do not handle any of the off-ice work required throughout the season such as booking hotels and making travel arrangements. Those responsibilities fall to the team officers. As a club sport, the team is an entirely student-led organization. Consequently, the officers play a vital role in maintaining the success of the program.

“It’s really nice having the officers, and they are so devoted to the team which is awesome,” Brekke said. “To be able to have not only the leaders from the captain standpoint, but also the officers who really take

pride in the team … being able to be a student-athlete and then also taking on those roles and responsibilities I think is crucial.”

Most recently, the RedHawks posted an impressive 2022-2023 campaign, reaching the quarterfinals of the national tournament after gathering a 16-8-1-2 record. The team fell by a score of 3-1 to top-ranked Liberty University, which would go on to win its fifth straight national title.

Miami’s record was particularly impressive given the youth on their roster, which included only three seniors. Their biggest win of the season came against Arizona State in the national tournament, a 3-2 upset which sent them to the quarterfinals game

against Liberty.

With such a young group, the RedHawks expect to improve next season and hope to return to the national tournament.

“Our team didn’t really have many graduates,” first-year forward Cailin Schwarzer said, “so I feel like we are going to be just as good next year, if not better, just because we’ve all been playing with each other this past year.”

Regardless of the team’s performance, the members of Miami’s women’s club hockey program are continuing to compete in the sport that they love.

kehreswe@miamioh.edu

‘I wanna go dancing’: Bradley Dean transfers to Miami

versity of Virginia’s (UVA) College at Wise, a Division II school.

At the UVA satellite campus, the 22-year-old averaged an impressive 21.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game last season. The Southern Atlantic Conference Player of the Year led the team to a conference championship appearance.

“Everything was really great for me [there],” Dean said. “Super blessed to be a part of what I was.”

Despite his success at UVA Wise, Dean’s dream since day one was to play at the Division I level.

“You know the goal is always to play Division I basketball, and I want to be a professional basketball player one day,” Dean said. Dean was heavily recruited during his tenure at Gate City high school; however, no D1 program took a shot at him with a real offer.

STEVEN PEPPER STAFF WRITER

You might remember Bradley Dean tearing up the Virginia high school basketball scene throwing alley-oops to now-NBA player Mac McClung. You might have noticed him helping his former teammate to a recent NBA Dunk Contest victory.

However, you’ll now know Dean as a fearless 6’2” guard ready to bring wins to the RedHawk program. Dean transferred from the Uni-

After a short stint at Scotland Prep, Dean transferred to UVA Wise. When he felt that he finally showcased a talent worthy of competing at the highest collegiate level, he entered the transfer portal.

The portal was a stressful experience for Dean. As soon as he entered, programs immediately started calling his phone, with around 30 to 40 different schools having contacted him by the end.

“It was super overwhelming trying to keep up with everything,” Dean

said. “I had school work going on, I had to work out [and] I had all these things I still had to do.”

RedHawks head coach Travis Steele reached out to Dean five days after he entered the portal. He loves what he sees in the Virginia hooper.

“Brad loves basketball,” Steele said. “He is a process-oriented young man that is committed to getting better. He is also fearless and plays in attack mode.”

Steele knew he had a special player available to get on his roster, so he announced to Dean within five minutes of conversation that he would drive to Gate City, Virginia, to have lunch with him.

Miami was never on Dean’s radar before Steele introduced himself. He said his only prior knowledge of the program was that Ron Harper had played there. However, he was delighted to speak with a coach that believed in him.

“Man, that’s crazy that the head coach would drive right at five hours to have lunch with me,” Dean said.

“That showed me that he wanted me bad, and he believed in me a lot.”

Dean followed the lunch with Steele with a campus visit that weekend.

Dean wanted to go to a place that believed in him as much as he believed in himself. After his Oxford visit, he felt that the program carried

out what he desired. As a result, he committed to being a RedHawk when he got home.

“Before I even walked out of there, I already knew where I was going,” Dean said. “I’m coming to Miami. Sometimes whenever you know, you know, which is one of those things.

I’m super thankful for Coach Steele and the whole staff for believing in me.”

A huge reason Miami sought after Dean is his potential to fill the loss of Mekhi Lairy. Lairy was an all-conference-level leader who contributed 17 points routinely.

Dean’s play style and intangibles make him a perfect successor to one of the RedHawks’ greatest scorers. He is a smart and experienced guard who can lead an offense by both scoring and facilitating.

“I felt like it was a great fit for me,” Dean said. “That’s what we did here at Wise. I came off a lot of ball screens and hit my shooters, hit my big men and stuff like that. The offense really fits me, and the staff seems to understand exactly the type of offense they want to play.

As an individual player, Dean has goals for himself to meet during his time as a RedHawk.

“I want to be all-conference player,” Dean said. “I want to win player of the year. I want to go on to play professional basketball whether that’s

NBA, G-League, that’s overseas.”

However, Dean is still team-oriented. Most of his goals for next season revolve around the squad’s success.

“We already have an All-Freshman kid,” Dean said. “I’m ready to get in there and jive with them [and] get our chemistry up. Hopefully, we all eat.”

The RedHawks have had one winning season since 2010. Their last Mid-American Conference (MAC) title was claimed in 2007.

Dean’s biggest goal is to win the MAC. “I wanna go win a MAC championship,” Dean said.

A conference title automatically puts the winner in the March Madness tournament. Dean can’t wait to take the RedHawks to the big dance for the first time since 2007.

“That’s what I told coach Steele as soon as he asked me what I wanted,” Dean said. “I told him I want to go dancing. I want that spotlight in March Madness and go shock the world. That’s what we are going to get done in the next two years.”

Dean will begin to build that winning chemistry with his teammates in off-season workouts this summer. @stevenpepper38

CAMBER HAYES IS THE FIRST ATHLETE IN MIAMI UNIVERSITY HISTORY TO WIN THE ARTHUR

ASHE J. SCHOLAR AWARD. PHOTO PROVIDED BY MIAMI ATHLETICS

Dear Spring …

TEDDY JOHNSON CO-HUMOR EDITOR

Dear Spring, You suck, bro. Here’s why.

First of all, this pollen being released, not cool. It makes my eyes water more than “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” and causes my nose to hurt more than when I snorted smarties in the back of Spanish class in fifth grade. People probably think I’m Sneezy the dwarf or Sadness from Inside Out.

My nose feels more congested than an I-70 freeway after a semitruck mows over a family of deer and I am coughing up loogies bigger than Miami University club athlete egos. Chill out with releasing the pollen, or else I’m going to lose my gosh darn mind.

Secondly, what’s the deal with the 40-degree temperature drops overnight? Two days ago I was frolicking in 80-degree weather, soaking up copious amounts of Vitamin D. Now, it’s 42 degrees, the sun disappeared and I feel like I’m in a dystopian universe where the sun dried out. Well, we are in Ohio, which kind of feels like a dystopian universe, but this still ain’t Florida (the real dystopian state)! I’m more outraged than a French person named Jacque who now has to work two — yes, TWO — more years to earn a pension.

If you are going to tease us with sunny, 75-degree weather, at least tell people on this campus how to use and apply sunscreen.

The second the temperature reaches 70 degrees, tanning season commences. Every available patch of grass turns into a frying pan as towels are laid out, and skin that hasn’t seen sunlight in ages faces the scourge of the sun. It seems those wanting to tan themselves forgot that UV light also applies in Ohio, not just in places near the equator.

Now, students are stuck with

sunburnt skin redder than my face after being stood up on a Tinder date for the 11th time this week. *Sigh.*

So, Spring, provide sunscreen please, or else I am going to cancel you. Also, Spring, you’re yet another reminder of my failure to find love.

Flowers are blooming, and I have no one to give them to.

Animals with more rizz than I’ll ever have are mating and bringing offspring into this sad, cruel world.

Fraternity formal Instagram posts are ravaging my feed and making me want to break my phone (again).

All of these serve as reminders of my perpetual loneliness, and the only thing I’m bringing into this Spring is my villain arc.

Watch out, Spring, I possess the means to fight back against your atrocities and just like all villains, I will reveal my plan to you.

Step 1: Drugs

Nasacort and Nyquil serve as warriors who fight back against the evil pollen monsters and quell the wars going on in my nasal system.

Step 2: Sunscreen

My whole life I have been cursed with ghastly pale skin causing me to contract sunburns almost chronically. In the many battles against the sun, 100 SPF sunscreen serves me valiantly, acting as my shield and my protector. Applying the sticky, white substance every 10 minutes will prevent me from the Spring sun’s rage.

Final Step: Break my phone

I am blessed with the skill of breaking cell phones. I can’t be sad of my perpetual loneliness if I cannot see Instagram pictures of people pretending to be happy together at a frat formal. Boom. Screw you, Spring.

Sincerely, Your worst nightmare

john1595@miamioh.edu

Common purchases from Miami University notables revealed

MICHAEL PATTEE HUMOR WRITER

As many of you probably know, Tuesday was tax day, the most wonderful day of the year. This is the day where you get to charitably offer up, out of the kindness of your heart, your hard-earned money to good ol’ Uncle Sam. Of course, should you fail to do this, or even mess up the second grade level math on your forms, you can expect a visit from the IRS (which stands for Internal Revenue Service and NOT Interesting and Respectable Statesmen).

For some people, Uncle Sam actually gives them some money back. This is called a tax return. Below is the totally error-free, guaranteed, fact checked, President Greg Crawford-approved list of most common purchases by groups of people at Miami University with their tax returns.

Finance Majors

Historically this group has been the most responsible among Miami students in handling their returns. About 20% of finance majors invested their money in the stock market, 50% used their returns to pay off student debt and the other 30% claimed it “mysteriously disappeared” after their last trip Uptown.

Sorority Girls

While some sorority girls will end up spending their tax returns at Brick Street Bar, most of them will look into the depths of their closets, overflowing drawers and 40 pairs of shoes before deciding they need more. Obviously, Lululemon serves as the most popular choice, but Uggs,

Converse and Lilly Pulitzer are also common purchases.

Frat Boys Due to The Miami Student’s standards, this section had to be cut, but I’m sure you can hazard some pretty good guesses. I mean, come on, why else do you think Red Ox was sold out the other night?

Gym Bros

Having perhaps the least amount of variety among this group, nearly all gym bros purchased protein powder. More than 90% purchased either creatine or “pre,” and while none openly admitted to purchasing steroids, a few seemed to be enraged by the question. Our reporter was met with cries of “Bro, why would you even ask that? I’m natty!” and was denied requested blood tests.

Club Sports Athletes

Unsurprisingly, signs and bumper stickers claiming “I’m a D1 Athlete” were the most common purchase. Other purchases included new cleats, a Gatorade flavor of the month membership and Nike clothing. But despite the Nike apparel and participating in club sports, they were all seen gasping for breath after walking up the stairs to Upham Hall.

TMS Humor Writers

Still completely devoid of significant others, TMS humor writers purchased Tinder, Bumble and Hinge premium memberships, in hopes of finally finding someone who thinks we’re funny … I mean, finding a match.

Pre-Med Students

As we all know, pre-med students can have it rough, so tax returns can be a real positive. That being said,

Humor Bi-Weekly Roundup

HUMOR STAFF

Uncooperative Squirrel Freed From Manhole Cover

BERLIN — Miami students had mixed reactions after Berlin Fire Department officials responded to an interesting call. Firefighters were called into duty to save a squirrel who had lodged itself into a manhole cover.

When asked for his opinion on the situation by The Miami Student’s Germany bureau, Richard Johnson, an environmental science major said, “I would have spent my tuition money to save the little guy.”

Not all Miami students were as supportive. Alyssa Hampton, an economics major, said, “Berlin spent 0.015% of GDP saving that squirrel. It would have been wise to leave it to its own devices.”

RoboCop? No, RoboDog: Robotic dog joins New York police

NEW YORK — After the New York Police Department (NYPD) announced that three robotic “digidogs” have joined their ranks, the Oxford Police Department has revealed its own plan to incorporate this technology into their plans. Miami students and Oxford residents alike fear the consequences of broader usage of these “digidogs” to steal fake IDs and rapidly breathalyze crowds. An anonymous source, whose drivers license placed them as a resident of Montana, said that this prospect was “terrifying.”

Pentagon military documents leak may have started in gamer chatroom

USA DISCORD SERVER — Over the past week, several classified Pentagon documents were released on the popular gaming chat platform, Discord. Several student’s in the Miami Esports program were completely unsurprised when hearing this.

Leonard Smith, who goes by xtremeukele22 online, said, “After taking my Ghost Gaming pre-workout, a few minutes before the League of Legends tourney, I was scrolling through government documents and came across the launch codes again, I didn’t post it to Discord, but almost put it on Reddit.” Sophia Scranton, one of the

antidepressants, adderall and MCAT study books were the most common purchase among this group.

Will Weisman

While the records for Will’s personal purchases remain uncertain, our team of experts are fairly certain of his business purchases. Number one on the list was a new power washer for Brick. Quite simply, the old one just isn’t enough anymore. The amount of beer, sweat and other bodily fluids just got too much for Betsy the Super-Duper Soaker to handle. So Will purchased the new

FlashFlooder-8000 to lighten the load on old Betsy. President Crawford

For perhaps the most anticipated tax return reveal, President Greg Crawford first purchased a shiny new bell for his bike. Second, he bought new leashes for Newton and Ivy. For his third and final purchase, he spent $843 on hair restoration products. patteemj@miamioh.edu

CHAMBERLIN

four gamer girls in the Esports program said, “I knew about the Chinese spy balloon three hours before anyone else. I was playing ‘Apex Legends’ with Carl from the defense committee, and well, he forgets to turn off his mic a lot”.

Apartments and potential ‘chicken restaurant’ coming in construction next to Corner Bar

OXFORD, OH — Ever seen that movie “Ratatouille?” Well, the new apartment complex near Corner Bar will be getting a restaurant completely run by chickens instead of rats. The restaurant, rumored to be named Bock Bock’s, aims to only serve cow products and be a direct competitor with Chick-Fil-A. Founder, Paul the Hen, hopes that her restaurant will bring awareness to the commercialization of chicken products and people will go back to eating cows. “Bock bock bock bock,” she said, which can be translated to “Death to cows.”

john1595@miamioh.edu

patteemj@miamioh.edu oviattcc@miamioh.edu wahllm@miamioh.edu

This week’s top YikYak posts

This week, The Miami Student Humor Staff compiled a list of our favorite YikYaks, grammatical errors and all. Miami thinks they can win me over with funnel cakes and snow cones but I’ll remember the disaster that registration was this morning

Can we all blame Make it Miami kids for our registration

So who’s gonna tell Miami there are other time blocks than 10:05-11 and 11:40-1

Incredibly close to submitting records requests to find out how much this university spends on grass vs. BannerWeb

When all week you say “i’ll just finish this sunday” and then sunday comes around and you have no motivation to do anything nor the time to actually finish everything

I like that professors promote their friend professors by offering extra credit to attend their events. What good friends they are!

This weather has me asking myself if I’m a man or am i a muppet

These stress poops for my exam are cutting into my study time for how much my parents pay for this school you would think we could have double ply TP

If the goggle girl was still on my Miami registration would not be such a nightmare

GRAPHIC BY MACEY

GRAPHIC BY MACEY CHAMBERLIN

GRAPHIC BY LUKE MACY

ALLISON LEE STAFF WRITER

If you’ve ever stepped foot around Miami University’s campus, you know there’s not much to shop for. The nearest Target is 15 miles away, and it’s 21 miles before you reach the closest shopping mall.

In the digital age and in a remote location, shopping online is typically the best bet if you need a dress for formal, a going-out top or a cute pair of pants for Sunday brunch.

It’s not an entirely lost cause, though. Uptown, there are three specific boutiques that make driving and online shopping entirely unnecessary.

Juniper

Between Skyline and Steinkeller is Juniper. Juniper is a boutique that specializes in the “going-out” look department. They boast a wide selection of tulle tops, colorful mini dresses and stylish jeans. When I went in there, I caught myself adding things to my already miles-long wishlist.

The music they were playing in the store reflected their style – upbeat and fun. Techno pop filled the

room, which was fitting. I could see anybody at Brick Street or Chanks wearing these unique designs and patterns, being carefree and having a good time.

If you’re looking for a dress for any occasion, Juniper still has your back. There’s a plethora of dresses perfect for a formal, but they also have beautiful sun dresses that match the spring weather Oxford has been having.

The Apple Tree

The Apple Tree is another boutique Uptown that offers a wide variety of clothes, leaning more toward the modest side of things.

The woodsy, farm-chic vibe of The Apple Tree perfectly matches the style of clothing they sell. If you’re drawn toward the “coastal cowboy” aesthetic, The Apple Tree is just for you. White flared jeans, flowy tops and beaded accessories filled the store. Their online shop shows an array of Free People intimates and loungewear, perfect for a relaxed, off-duty model look.

The Apple Tree isn’t just a clothing store – their jewelry and accessories are notable in their simplicity

and chicness. Simple hoop earrings lined racks, dainty gold necklaces were on display, and bracelets went as far as the eye could see. Not only is the jewelry perfect for your own jewelry box, but some of the pieces would make amazing gifts for your loved ones.

These three Oxford boutiques are closet staples PINK campus reps bring color to campus

The Apple Tree has a wide variety of personalized jewelry pieces for just about any occasion. Some of them have morse code messages made of beads that say “Sweet Sister,” “You’re My Person” and “Granddaughter.” Others are simple gold bangles with quotes and sayings inscribed on them.

Leeli + Lou

Right next to The Apple Tree is Leeli + Lou. If you’re looking for pieces in your closet that are a mix of trendy and timeless, Leeli + Lou is the place to go. They have a unique collection of clothes that are trendy, but not microtrends. Classy, but not old-fashioned. When I tell you that they have most everything, I mean it. Not only do they have stunning going-out dresses, but they have practical, tasteful maxi dresses that would be appropriate for a date, a formal event or even vacation. Their

sweater collection is to die for. Recently I was struggling to find a top for a business-casual event … lo and behold, I could have walked into Leeli + Lou ages ago. The boutique also sells fun sets for just about any occasion. Linen sets were on sale just around spring break, matching sweat sets have been advertised in the winter and going out sets cover most racks.

The accessories sold here are equally as fun and fresh. I always see their neon trucker hats around campus and their jewelry is so colorful with such a nostalgic summer vibe. Leeli + Lou sells tote bags, mini bags and clutches – what more could you ask for?

Even though everybody on campus has their own unique sense of style, it’s safe to say that these three Oxford boutiques have pieces that are so versatile and easy to wear. Gone are the days of waiting for shipping or driving for hours to get to a mall.

When these shops are just a walk away, it’ll be hard to keep everyone out of them!

leeam8@miamioh.edu

QUIGLEY THE MIAMI STUDENT

If you like PINK, keep reading. From giveaways to fundraisers and workshop events, PINK is showcasing new, all-inclusive collections while supporting local communities, promoting social awareness and spreading the message of self-empowerment. Better yet, PINK is here at Miami University.

Seniors Riss Hasseman, an interior design major, and Meaghan Gilligan, a fashion and media and culture double major, represent the brand and its positivity on Miami’s campus.

“Be yourself, no matter what that means to you,” Hasseman said. “Whether that’s your sexual identity or how you choose to dress or your hair color or your personality. Live your best life based off what you want to do.”

Gilligan added on in support of students being comfortable in their fashion.

“The clothes you’re wearing don’t define you,” Gilligan said. “When you have brands like PINK coming forward with gender neutral lines, it’s really comforting.”

From body positivity to gender inclusivity, PINK has had a major re-brand. Famously known for its underwear, pajamas and athletic wear, PINK has recently expanded into daytime casual and gender-free clothing, as well as given their accessories and beauty products a boost.

EVAN STEFANIK STYLE EDITOR

She finished whipping up her concoction and carried it over to her mom. When she lathered it on her rash, her mom sighed and blessed her daughter.

VaLanDria Smith-Lash, a senior speech pathology and audiology major, first experimented with shea butter skincare at 14, from scratch in her home kitchen, when her mom got diagnosed with lupus. Her mom’s own products made her symptoms worse, so Smith-Lash took matters into her own hands by learning about vitamin and mineral ingredients and talking with dermatologists.

Balancing the mixture for a soothing texture came with plenty of trial and error, but she just kept applying it on her mom. Her mom, a cosmetologist specializing in hair, supported her until her inflamed skin improved.

“She’d tell her other friends with lupus, ‘This is what my baby made; this is what’ll work for you,’” SmithLash said.

Now, Smith-Lash sells her shea butter skincare, called Coarse Culture, on her website. She launched the business at a manufacturing site in Chicago in Nov. 19, 2021. After participating in trade shows and

pop-up shops in the city, she grew enough to begin marketing on Amazon in October 2022. She even won $10,000 for it in the Launch It: Cincy pitch competition and landed a feature in Ebony Magazine.

However, Smith-Lash credits a lot of her success to studying at Miami and her experience as the first student to ever headquarter a production site at College@Elm.

“There’s been an overwhelming amount of support from Miami,” Smith-Lash said. “They’ve done nothing but help me connect with alumni and a variety of people. I’m taking the [skincare] industry by storm as a college student.”

Anyone can try the skincare, from blue-collar men with worn hands to moms relieving diaper rash, but the young entrepreneur inspires her brand around her main customer base of college students.

“They need better wellness and self-care that will last a while and not break the bank,” Smith-Lash said.

Coarse Culture offers 100% plant-based hair-to-toe shea butter topicals, scented with aromatherapy from pound cake to orange twist and priced up to $20. It naturally moisturizes and provides an extra layer of glow, smells great with perfume and purifies the skin’s surface. In her process from conception

to counter, Smith-Lash collects scent requests, sources those fragrances ethically, measures everything for proportion, strategizes the image, sends it out for beta testing and sampling, creates labels and finally releases her products into the world.

Smith-Lash puts it on too, but not just for her skin. Every morning, she sprays her hair with water and uses her creation as a sealant for all-day moisture. She also uses it on her stillwet face after her evening showers to sleep better.

She hopes to fully commit to Coarse Culture for her career after graduation, deferring grad school for about a year until she moves further along. Smith-Lash aspires to stock Walmart’s shelves with it in the next two years.

Until then, Smith-Lash gets to

collaborate one-on-one with students in her entrepreneurship course and focuses on giving back to Miami. She encourages anyone with inventions like hers to believe in them, like the university did for her.

“People always want to say, ‘What if I fail?’ But what if you fly?” SmithLash said. “If you just ask [Miami], they will love you.”

Most of all, Smith-Lash feels pride in her mom for being her most personal advisor and thankful that her mom’s struggle resulted in this positive chain reaction.

“You never know how many people you’ll be able to help in your efforts because it’s so much bigger than you,” Smith-Lash said. “I just wanted to help my mom.”

stefanec@miamioh.edu

Some of PINK’s latest daytime pieces include parachute cargo pants (adjustable around the waist and ankles for full inflatable effect), active dresses (perfect for both outdoor activities and everyday wear) and crop tops (finally — a white shirt that isn’t see-through). Gender-free items include joggers, shorts, boxers, T-shirts, tank tops, crewnecks and zip-ups. One word for this collection — range.

You can also find PINK Beach fragrance mist and the full-body care collection here.

In the last two months, PINK Miami partnered with the Animal Friends Humane Society to host an adoption event in Memorial Park Uptown, hosted a community clean up and “Pie a PINK” to support the Futures in Retail program.

Gilligan follows the reps at University of Cincinnati on Instagram and also loves all the other moms of campus reps at Miami.

“The biggest perk is that you get free stuff,” Gilligan said. “And then the support you get from PINK just makes the whole thing so much better. I think a really big perk is just expanding your network and getting to meet people.”

Due to the school year coming to an end, PINK Miami’s events are now closed for the rest of the semester. But don’t worry, because updates on giveaways, fundraisers and next year’s events can be found on their Instagram.

If you’re interested in joining the PINK Miami community or becoming a campus rep, applications for next year open Jan. 1, 2024. quigleje@miamioh.edu

JULIA

Some professors are concerned, and some friends don’t care: what is Ohio Senate Bill 83?

NATHAN FRENCH ROSEMARY PENNINGTON GUEST COLUMNISTS

There’s no other way to say it: Senate Bill 83, the “Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act” will upend your educational experience.

S.B. 83 risks burdening you with new coursework, hurting accredited degree programs (harming some of your chances at graduate or professional education), damaging your professionalization and limiting what you will learn and discuss in your classrooms. It’s a step back for higher education, both in Ohio and in the United States. It’s just one of several bills either passed or introduced by various state legislatures claiming to “protect free speech” and “restore intellectual diversity.” But, it’s so sweeping and general in scope that it will be lawmakers — not you or the experts you work with on a daily basis — designing your education and speaking freely about what you should and shouldn’t learn.

the exciting plans that Intel has for Ohio. They noted how diversity and inclusion are essential to creativity and innovation. We were excited by the new programs they’d bring to our campus. S.B. 83 threatens the future of partnerships such as these. In recent statements, your fellow students, faculty and staff all recognized this danger. So have faculty at The Ohio State University.

But, we also believe in the value of forming your own opinion. You can read S.B. 83 as introduced on the Ohio General Assembly’s website, where you can also track its progress. Decide for yourselves what this might do to your college experience.

The fundamental question for us is: Just what is being “enhanced” here?

So, what about the dollars-and-cents of the thing? Look, we know — your education is expensive and S.B. 83 won’t help. S.B. 83 will result in costly administrative bureaucracy that will create layers and layers of new websites, files, evaluations and reports. You think it’s hard to get a response from an adviser now? Get ready. You want an independent study on cutting edge research? Your faculty might not have time.

MEREDITH PERKINS COLUMNIST

As faculty, we trust your ability as free thinkers. We welcome diverse perspectives. We work alongside you every day and we value what you bring to our teaching and research. We support and struggle to help you achieve your plans for the future. We joined with hundreds of you in the Farmer School of Business and heard

makers rethink this bill? Our communities matter, too. Tell your parents about this bill, teach them what you learn about it and urge them to share their opinions with lawmakers. You can share information about S.B. 83 with people who haven’t been following it as closely. Get the word out. We get that you’re burnt out. You’re tired. You’re ready for the semester to end. So are we. Take the time to read this about what sort of Miami you want to come to in the fall — as either students or new alumni. If we don’t all band together to protect your experience and education, who will? Nathan French is an associate professor of comparative religion and Rosemary Pennington is an associate professor and area coordinator for journalism. They are both university senators. H.B. 458: Inefficient, ineffective and an injustice to Ohio’s democracy

For years, Ohio’s voting process has been logistically inefficient: no same-day voter registration, no digitized absentee voting request forms, no state holiday status for Election Day to help voters find time off work.

Rather than eliminate the inefficiencies in our voting process, Ohio’s state legislature decided to pass House Bill 458: a law that has quietly and radically undermined Ohio democracy.

What has changed under H.B. 458?

In person, curbside and absentee voting processes have been drastically complicated under the law’s ramifications.

To vote in-person, Ohio now requires voters to have an Ohio general ID, an Ohio driver’s license or a passport. Before, Ohioans could verify identity in-person using government mail, their social security number or bank statement.

For out-of-state students, this has serious implications. If I wanted to vote in-person, I would have to give up my Kentucky driver’s license, drive an hour round-trip to the nearest BMV, and obtain a free Ohio general ID or pay for an Ohio driver’s license, the latter of which would require me to complete a vision exam as well.

Junior Mollie Duffy, a public administration major and voting rights activist with RedHawks Count, says this issue will directly affect the Miami University community.

“College students should care and be informed of the changes in voting laws across the state, specifically the photo ID laws, because this will directly impact their ability to cast a ballot,” Duffy said. “This photo ID law will most likely have the greatest impact on those who do not have proper photo identification and out-of-state students who have limited photo ID options.”

For voters without Ohio IDs or without the ability to make it in-person to the polls on Election Day, absentee voting is the only option. However, H.B. 458 has significantly overcomplicated the absentee voting process as well.

Previously, Ohio absentee voters had to submit ballot request forms no fewer than three days prior to the election to receive an absentee ballot, and the state of Ohio would cover all postage costs.

Rather than simplifying the voting process and digitizing the ballot request process like 19 other states, Ohio decided to make absentee voting incredibly inefficient: Request forms must now be submitted at least seven days before the election, the state will not pay for postage and there is only one drop-off ballot box allowed per county.

For Miami students, driving to the ballot box is a one-hour round trip endeavor. And that’s if you’re a student who has a car.

Howe Center for Writing Excellence Director Elizabeth Wardle, a leader within the nonpartisan voter rights education group League of Women Voters, explains how other states avoid these inefficiencies.

“Many other states give us examples of how simple and accessible voting can be. For example, Michigan allows you to register to vote the same day you vote, while Ohio makes you register at least 30 days in advance,” Wardle said.

These obstacles make it significantly more difficult for everyday Ohioans to understand the voting process.

“These are intentional choices on the part of your elected official to keep as many people as possible from voting. The rules are complicated and inaccessible on purpose, and this should make you very angry,” Wardle wrote in an email to The Miami Student. “Our country has a history of keeping ‘unwanted’ voters (women and African Americans, for example) from the ballot — through laws that denied us the right to vote, through literacy tests, through all sorts of stumbling blocks and obstacles.”

Why was this law passed in the first place?

Advocates of H.B. 458 claim these additional requirements are needed to be passed to protect election integrity — which would be a worthy cause, if not for the fact that Ohio has never had an election integrity problem.

In the past decade, Ohio has had

fewer than 30 criminal cases of voter fraud.

If widespread voter fraud even was a problem in Ohio, voter ID laws wouldn’t do anything to fix it: peer-reviewed studies have proven that voter ID laws do not actually deter real voter fraud.

Why are we fixing a problem we don’t have with a solution that wouldn’t work if we even had the problem?

To disenfranchise Ohioans.

A common myth surrounding voter suppression policy is that it “helps” Republicans. The theory has been repeated a thousand times: lower voter turnout helps Republicans, higher voter turnout helps Democrats.

In actuality, voter suppression doesn’t “help” anybody. Beyond the essential fact that voter suppression undermines democracy, lower voter turnout doesn’t benefit either party — including the Ohio Republicans that seek to gain from it.

While dozens of state GOPs across the country have passed voter suppression laws, this strategy will hurt the GOP in the long-term by inadvertently suppressing its own voters.

If the GOP won’t care about democracy, it at least should selfishly care about electability.

For Wardle, ensuring every Ohioan is informed about their voting rights is essential because all Ohioans have the right to vote in fair elections and have their voices heard.

“Every right you care about hinges on your right to vote in fair elections,” she said.

What can you do?

First and foremost, know the voting laws. Tell your friends, roommates, ex-boyfriends, parents: anyone voting in an Ohio election needs to know these important changes.

The League of Women Voters’ website outlines voting information in each state.

For students feeling anxiety and frustration about undemocratic policy changes, taking action with one of Miami’s student groups can help give students community and allow students to make large-scale changes through activism.

“It’s easy to get overwhelmed and give up, but find one organization that can help you channel your anxiety into action,” Wardle said.

The League of Women Voters, VoteRiders, Ohio Voter Rights Coalition, Fair Districts Ohio or the Ohio Student Association are great resources that enable action.

For Duffy, voting rights activism is a calling. As a volunteer with RedHawks Count, Duffy works in voter education.

“To get involved with voting rights at Miami, [students] have quite a few different options,” Duffy said. “RedHawks Count is a student organization focused on civic engagement and they host voter registration training once a semester. Once you are trained on how to register voters, you can volunteer with the organization throughout campus.”

On May 4, representatives from Butler County’s Board of Elections, the League of Women Voters and RedHawks Count will host Act Now

to Save Democracy: a non-partisan event dedicated to help students get involved in civic engagement.

“You will have the opportunity to learn about voting rules and current legislation that would impact you directly — and then take action by writing letters, using the MakerSpace, making posters and messages for social media, writing letters to your legislators and hometown newspapers, and registering to vote and much more,” Wardle said.

It is time to stand up to inefficient, ineffective and unjust laws that seek to silence college students’ voices and over-complicate our already-complicated political system to further distance the people from its government.

Learn your voting rights. Contact your local representatives. Let your voice be heard.

Meredith Perkins is an out-ofstate sophomore diplomacy and global politics student and a previous teaching assistant with the Student Citizens program, a Miami Summer Scholars program that focuses on citizenship, democracy and civic engagement.

perkin16@miamioh.edu

bill. Think S.B. 83 WILL UPEND YOUR EDUCATION AT MIAMI, SOME FACULTY ARGUE. PHOTO BY SEAN SCOTT. H.B. 458 WILL SUPPRESS THE VOTE OF STUDENTS, MEREDITH PERKINS ARGUES. PHOTO BY W_LEMAY, CC0, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS. Are you a: • writer • photographer • designer • or illustrator? Visit miamistudent.net to Join the TMS Team!

Erosion of democracy and progress in

ELIANA RILEY THE MIAMI STUDENT

Warning: This column contains information on gun violence

Two weeks after The Covenant School shooting, I visited Nashville, Tennessee, over Easter weekend. It was surreal.

Yard signs in support of The Covenant School were scattered across the city. Small businesses were promoting products from which proceeds would go to the families and teachers traumatized by the event. Churches throughout the greater Nashville area sponsored events and prayer nights in support.

While it seemed like everyone was mourning, a glimmer of hope in the hearts of Nashvillians begged for change.

On April 3, thousands of students from Tennessee schools and universities marched out of their classrooms at 10:13 a.m., the time that Nashville police had first received a call reporting a shooter inside The Covenant School. The shooter would eventually take six lives at the scene, including three children.

The protestors made their way to the state capitol, where they loudly voiced their concerns about gun safety in schools to Tennessee legislators inside. Some students entered into the visitors’ gallery within the House of Representatives chamber. Amid the students’ demonstration in the gallery, three representatives joined

them in peaceful protest.

However, Republicans in the House responded to the courageous three by voting for expulsion. Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson were expelled from the House for protesting, while Rep. Gloria Johnson was not.

The resolutions responsible for the expulsions, which were based on a clause in Tennessee’s constitution, claimed that democratic representatives were “knowingly and intentionally bringing disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives.”

Jones saw the matter differently, though, claiming that the act of expulsion was “an assault on democracy.” Johnson asserted that the expulsion might have been related to skin color; Jones and Pearson are both Black, and Johnson, who protested but was not expelled, is white.

Former President Barack Obama responded to the event on Twitter, saying, “What happened in Tennessee is the latest example of a broader erosion of civility and democratic norms. Silencing those who disagree with us is a sign of weakness, not strength, and it won’t lead to progress.”

Both Obama and Jones are correct. Expulsion of state representatives on the basis of peaceful protest is not just morally wrong, but unconstitutional according to the First Amendment.

Thankfully, both Jones and Pearson were reinstated within the week. While their reinstatement was surely

a victory, we still wonder what legislators are doing to promote gun safety in schools.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee offered $140 million to place armed security guards at every public school within the state. However, two out of every three Tennessee public schools already have police patrolling their school grounds. Lee claims increasing security around schools will help prevent school shootings from happening. But what if he’s wrong?

On May 24, 2022, a school shooting occurred at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. It took 77 minutes for law enforcement to take any action to halt the shooting. Poor organization, lack of communication and failure of law enforcement to protect citizens led to the deaths of 21 people, including 19 children. If hundreds of officers in Uvalde could not save the precious lives of those children, how would Lee’s plan to increase armed security presence at schools decrease the likelihood of school shootings and the number of fatalities?

It probably won’t.

Recently, though, Lee made a step in the right direction, signing an executive order to mandate a stronger background check system for purchasing firearms in Tennessee. He also petitioned the state legislature to pass an order of protection law that would aim to keep firearms out of the hands of people deemed dangerous to themselves or to others.

Order of protection laws like the one Lee has called legislators to consider are usually referred to as “redflag” laws. Unfortunately, red-flag laws have not been popular with Republican representatives in the past.

Tennessee Democrats proposed a red-flag bill following the shooting at The Covenant School, but Republicans blocked the bill last week.

It seems that Tennessee is stuck in a stalemate, a kind of trench warfare in which neither party can move forward. It’s a classic representation of our polarizing political system, stuck in an eternal tug-of-war.

Conflict will always be at the center of politics; it’s ingrained into the system. However, immobility is unacceptable. While the two parties sit idly by, citizens and children are stuck in the middle, wondering if they’ll ever see the change deserved by the American people.

Eliana Riley is an out-of-state first-year political science major. She was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, and attended Christ Presbyterian Academy.

rileyej4@miamioh.edu

Enough is enough: We

SAM NORTON COLUMNIST

Liberal arts universities: You either hate them or you love them.

When I arrived at Miami University two years ago, I was not looking forward to taking random classes outside my major to graduate. That’s what high school was for. Why do I have to take more Spanish classes when I spent the past four years doing that?

Coming into Miami, I initially thought field research was my calling, and I wanted to go into a hard science-related field after graduation. After getting accepted as a biology major, the Miami Plan didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.

Early in the fall of my first year, I met with the head of the Institute for the Environment and Sustainability to declare an environmental science co-major, which I had planned for a while.

Upon looking at my degree audit with him, I saw that I was a bachelor of arts, unbeknownst to me. I asked how soon I could change that to a bachelor of science, but he advised me to wait a while.

He explained that there was no need to change it so soon, as the arts degree is more flexible in terms of what classes you need to graduate. I was told to bide my time and explore some classes outside my major that interest me before making a decision. He was indirectly explaining the reasoning behind a liberal arts education, and I decided to take his word for the time being.

However, it was not actually any specific classes I took that changed my mind about Miami’s educational ideology, but what I did outside of class.

Later in the fall of my first year, I joined The Miami Student. I had written for my high school newspaper and assumed in college it would continue to be a fun, creative outlet and not much else. My first-year biology and chemistry lectures and labs were difficult. I still believed I was going to pursue a career in the natural sciences, but I realized I was not quite sure what that would really look like. At the same time, I was writing plenty of stories for The Student, and much to my surprise, I had carved out a niche for myself writing about environmental issues.

I was thrilled, albeit a bit surprised, by how many people encour-

aged me to explore my passion in this regard, as The Student is known much more for its outstanding breaking news coverage.

In my mind that year, my passion for science and writing had to be separate. The writing was fun, but science was where I truly needed to focus my time and attention. Although I was beginning to see that this may not be true, I held onto this thought until about halfway through my first semester as a sophomore.

I joined a research lab within the biology department at the beginning of the semester that studies the interactions between deer and invasive plant species. I was excited about it, and I quickly got assigned my own mini-project and was also tasked with occasionally helping other students as well as weekly readings of research articles.

As the semester progressed, I began feeling slightly overwhelmed and a bit anxious as I was struggling to identify plants and understand some of the other material we were looking into. All the while, I had not written a story all semester.

Despite the large time commitment of the lab, I found some time to pitch a story to my then-editor, Ames Radwan. They were extremely happy that I was back to writing and informed me that other students on the staff were thrilled to “see science back in TMS.”

In those moments, I felt a tremendous sense of belonging and appreciation. Here at The Student was a group of people that valued my work, and I felt so happy to be back doing something that I love.

It was then that I had a moment of clarity, and realized that journalism was something I needed to pursue more seriously. It was clear that there was a way to combine my passions and skills. I love learning about science, but practically, I realized I may be better suited to share the science rather than carry out the experiments.

I finished out the semester with the lab but dropped out over the winter. It was a tremendous experience that helped me gain an appreciation for the hard work done by students and professors on campus but also helped me glean some understanding of myself as well.

Since then, I have picked up a journalism minor, freelanced for an environmental publication in Dayton and will be working with The Miami

pand its coverage of environmental issues.

Initially, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to fit a journalism minor in my already packed class schedule, but with some help from my adviser, we were able to squeeze it in while also fulfilling some other Miami Plan requirements. I have no doubt that at other schools I would not have been able to academically pursue such diverse interests. My friends at the University of Cincinnati tell me how they have only taken one class outside their major and that they could not take more even if they wanted to.

This is not only bad for those with diverse interests, but I believe that it is also bad for those who already know what they want to do. Understanding broader perspectives and how your area of study fits into the broader society as a whole can be extremely beneficial.

I have learned how important it is to effectively communicate scientific findings to the public because it is the public’s opinion that can sway legislation to implement or ignore the hard facts. On the other hand, I also have a heightened ability to find, analyze and verify sources of information for stories.

Although my story is just one of the thousands at Miami, I believe it applies to many more students. I still sometimes don’t think I needed to take more Spanish classes, and maybe taking both a global and an intercultural perspectives class is a bit much, but realizing that the potential is there for a huge change is enough for me to appreciate the process.

I have come to realize that a well-rounded education not only allows someone to pursue different passions but can also help to deepen understanding of your primary subject major. A narrow-minded approach to your area of study can leave so much on the table, and while I’m spending so much money to attend college, I’m going to make the most of what I can learn.

Sam Norton is a sophomore biology major with an environmental science co-major and journalism minor. He has been writing for The Miami Student opinion section and magazine since the fall of 2021 and was awarded an SPJ Mark of Excel

lence award for opinion writing.

on Ohio

do better and protect us

RAQUEL HIRSCH STAFF WRITER PEREN TIEMANN SDA CO-PRESIDENT

Warning: This column contains information on gun violence and self-harm.

Gun violence is the number one killer of youth and teens in both Ohio and America.

That’s a statistic that probably catches you by surprise — and it is surprising. Car accidents and drug overdoses take second and third to an epidemic that is rattling our nation everyday.

Why are we so far behind other countries in doing something about it?

The Second Amendment leaves a lot of room for interpretation in its language.

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

As a result, each state has developed its own independent gun laws, creating an even greater divide when 120 Americans are already being shot and killed every single day.

Ohio has some of the most relaxed gun laws in the United States, losing an average of 1702 people to gun violence each year. This ranks the state at the 24th-highest rate of gun deaths in the U.S.

Most recently, Gov. Mike DeWine passed the right for gun owners to permitless carry. This means that Ohio gun owners over the age of 18 no longer need to apply and be granted a permit, nor complete the eight hour training course to carry and conceal. Gun owners also no longer need to inform police officers if they are carrying.

Ohio also fails to require background checks and allows for teachers to be armed with a minimum of only 24 hours of training. Most notably, Ohio has the potential to become a “Second Amendment sanctuary” state through H.B. 51. This would mean that any Second Amendment restrictions that pass federally would be unenforced in Ohio.

The rate of gun deaths in Ohio has increased by 52% from 2012 to 2021 compared to a 39% increase nationwide. In those same nine years in Ohio, gun suicide has increased by 25% and gun homicide has increased by 94%. Gun violence costs the state of Ohio $22.3 billion per year, $493.7 million of which is paid for by taxpayers. This averages to $1904 per resident per year, which is the 24th

highest national societal cost of gun violence.

With these stats, you would think that Ohio would be moving in the opposite direction: introducing bills that protect our children, schools and communities. Instead, the opposite is happening, and there is blood on the hands of those responsible.

Our lawmakers continue to fail us.

While we will continue to advocate for sensible gun laws, the time has come to realize the impact that the gun manufacturers themselves can have in protecting us. Unlike lawmakers, they have no need for votes to enact safety measures. Industry executives could decide to stop making AR-15s today, but they need to know that the people demand change.

It’s time that students stand up to the industry that is killing us. That means ensuring that the places we are paying to attend aren’t allowing their endowments to be invested in the gun industry.

The gun industry rakes in a staggering $9 billion each year — profiting off the lives lost. While colleges and universities will often invest in both private and public industries through their endowments, we have the right as students to demand our schools invest in areas that keep us safe.

We call on the Miami University administration to formally pledge to never invest in the gun industry and to withdraw any current investments. Miami has a moral responsibility to keep their students safe, which starts by fighting against an industry that has already taken too many lives.

It’s time for us to use our voices toward legislators, manufacturers and our own universities to fight for our rights to a safe education and community.

If our lawmakers choose to ignore the lives lost and families impacted by gun violence everyday, we will force them and the industry executives themselves to listen to our fight, and we won’t stop until the violence ends.

Raquel Hirsch (hirschr2@miamioh.edu) and Peren Tiemann (tiemanpm@miamioh.edu) are the co-presidents of Students Demand Action (SDA) at Miami University. Hirsch is also a staff writer for The Miami Student. SDA meets every Monday at 5 p.m. in Williams Hall, room 112. You can find the organization on Instagram @studentsdemand.miamioh or by texting STUDENTS to 644-33.

call

to

I love that Miami is a liberal arts school

MANY THINK, SAM NORTON ARGUES. PHOTO BY JESSICA MONAHAN.

The characters of Oxford’s neighborhoods

JAKE RUFFER PHOTO EDITOR

A student walks her visiting mom down an alley and cuts left onto Walnut Street.

“Oh, I love all the signs,” she tells her daughter, looking across at the row of houses christened with metal monikers.

Oxford is home to all manner of house names,

some innocuous, some not as much.

Many are alcoholic plays on words, like “Pour House” on Main or “Lite House” on Collins.

Others incorporate the street name, like “Wine on Vine.”

The signs artistically incorporate the names onto the town’s diverse architectural population, which ranges from the twists and angles of the “Tree House” to the funky colors of “That 70s House.”