De cember 2013
miami quarterly
google glass A revolutionary technology right on Miami’s campus!
More School, More Problems
The reality of graduate school
BOLD: Eleni Balli
A look into the founding of Opening Minds Through Art
7 Best Bookstore Gifts MIAMI’S MALE CHEERLEADERS
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?
Decemeber 1
Level 27 Ad
2 December
8 14 25 26 41 scene 4 Freedom Summer 6 Google Glass 8 Art Museum Celebration 9 ASC Opening
sports & fitness 28 Sports Conditioning 30 Miami’s Male Cheerleaders 32 Crossfit 34 Hockey Superlatives
features 10 Reality of Graduate School 12 Slackliing Club 14 Miami BOLD 16 The Struggle to Sleep
opinion 35 Christmas Clothing 36 Cuba’s Transition 37 Social Media Addiction 38 Politic’s Impact on Environment 41 Where do you MQ
arts & entertainment 21 Open Fifth 22 Upcoming Movies 23 Holiday Treats 24 Holiday Specials 25 Bookstore Gifts 26 Winter Playlist
the miami quarterly December 2013
Cover photo by Ricardo Trevino featuring sophomore Yonny Beyene
Decemeber 1
Dear Readers,
Editor-in-Chief Abigail Walters
In less than a month I will board a flight to New Delhi, India and begin a three-week trip that is sure to make me uncomfortable. I’ve heard stories of the unfamiliar sights, sounds and smells that will greet my eyes, ears and nose, and I must admit, I’m nervous.
Business Manager Brooke Widerschein
Art Director Alexandra Bishoff
As I read and edited the stories in this edition of MQ, however, I felt reassured. I remembered that most worthwhile experiences begin with feelings of discomfort and apprehension.
Managing Editors Shannon Pesek Amanda Schumaker
Section Editors
Take Jeremy Beard’s experience for example. There’s no way the president of Miami’s new slacklining club felt at ease when he first toed his way across a one-inch nylon cord suspended between two trees (p. 12).
Megan Conley Ali Czarnecki Thea Dellas Drew Doggett Katie Mark
Photo Editor Samantha Kermode
Writers Maranda Bailo Jane Blazer Ellie Conley Justine Daley Carrie Ellington Nicole George Hailey Gilman Erica Griffith Katie Harris Meredith Hughes Aaron Hurd Haley Keyser Megan McTighe Mariel Padilla Jordan Rinard Carsyn Rodriguez Emmy Silverman Megan Walsh
Photographers
Or Eleni Balli, the founder of Opening Minds Through Art (OMA). She couldn’t have felt comfortable the first time she sat, painted and chatted with a senior citizen suffering from dementia, but she did it anyway. Thanks to her courage 200 pairs of students and older adults create art and memories together through OMA each year (p. 14). Beard and Balli’s positive experiences are why I urge you, our readers, to push through feelings of discomfort and apprehension and try something new this holiday season. The winter term provides each of us with six weeks to step out of our comfort zones. While I don’t expect you to board a flight to India with me (although I sure wouldn’t mind), I do hope you expose yourself to situations that challenge you. In between these new experiences, I also hope you find some time to rest and relax. I know my sleep schedule is an irregular disaster, and after reading “A Bad’s Night Rest” on page 16, I’m determined to find some consistency. Read up on some good sleep habits and try to catch as many zzz’s as possible. When your eyes aren’t closed be sure to tune into NBC’s Christmas specials (p. 24), or catch one of the season’s newest movies previewed on page 22. Enjoy this issue of MQ, survive finals and have a wonderful break filled with friends, family and new experiences. I’ll let you know if the Taj Mahal is worth all the hype. Happy holidays! Abigail Walters Editor-in-Chief
Ryan Hebein Jeffrey Salomon Ricardo Trevino Rianne VanDervoort
Faculty Advisor Patricia Gallagher Newberry
Miami Quarterly is a student-run magazine at Miami University in Oxford, OH. Our mission is to entertain while being informative. MQ is released twice per semester. It can be picked up at various locations on campus and Uptown. If you have any ideas or suggestions for the magazine or are interested in becoming a staff member, please contact us at MQMagazine@gmail.com
2 December
l a v o r p p a X I R T A M high culture
Obamacare website
Starbucks hiring veterans
Senate passing ENDA
Snapchat turning down Facebook’s $3 billion offer
Twitter going public Jennifer Lawrence’s haircut
Yet another Instagram of Miami in the fall American Idol’s 13th Season
Victoria Secret’s Fashion Show
North West’s “new stylist”
Cru Wine Bar & Shop
Uptown’s holiday decorations
brilliant
idiotic
Miami’s football record
Lady Gaga slated to sing in space
Blockbuster finally closing its doors Xbox One and PS4
Nameless police beat
low culture
*MQ’s Approval Matrix is based on the decisions of its editorial board members and does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of its full staff.
Decemeber 3
1964’S FREEDOM SUMMER THROUGH TODAY’S LENS BY ELLIE CONLEY
PHOTO BY SAM KERMODE
4 December
scene Schwerner. Chaney. Goodman. Rita Schwerner etched the three names on the chalkboard and the room full of college students went silent. Rita Schwerner’s husband had gone missing in Mississippi along with two other men. Everyone knew to expect the worst. The summer of 1964 was heated as tensions in the south escalated. Violence against blacks was a part of everyday life. It was a battlefield of civil rights in the schools, the streets and even the churches. Groups such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) had been working for civil rights for years in rural Mississippi, but intense resistance ensued. But the 1964 Mississippi Project was going to change that. It would expose the entire nation to the violent oppression against the southern blacks, and it would begin with two weeks of training sessions at the Western College for Women in Oxford, Ohio. The training session prepared students to go down to Mississippi to either help people register to vote, work at a freedom school or start a freedom community center that would offer free adult literacy classes, free health care and even free senior care. But considering most of the students were from the north and many white, the danger was immense. “You have to balance the fear against the good we can do,” said 19-year-old Martha Honey in 1964. Kiaya White, a senior studying mass communication and a Freedom Summer tour guide, explains the challenging dynamic of the Mississippi Project training sessions in 1964. “People had to learn to get together, because you had students who came up from the north, very privileged and came from wealth. You also had workers from SNCC and CORE who were from down south and had experience in Mississippi. They had been shot at, dogs unleashed on them,” White says. “The two came together and tried to work for a bigger goal, bigger than themselves.” Today, this dedication has inspired a group of Miami University college students. Students in Journalism 450 are collaborating to create a documentary based on the events of the summer of 1964.
Kathy Conkwright, a journalism and communications instructor and independent documentary filmmaker, leads the project. It all began when the department approached Conkwright about an opportunity to create a documentary on the Mississippi Project, now referred to as the Freedom Summer of 1964.
snapshot of the Civil Rights movement. They have been interviewing people and conducting local research about what was going on in Oxford during the time of the training sessions.
For Conkwright, teaching a class like Journalism 450 is something new. The full-year course requires its students to research and conduct interviews for the first semester, and help film the documentary in the second. They have hired professional cameramen to light and shoot the documentary, but the students will act as assistants, learning and watching on the sidelines. They will also be creating a website next semester that will feature information they have discovered through short videos, interviews and more.
“I found out Bruno’s and Mac and Joe’s were there, so we’re eventually going to be talking to the owners—see if they have any pictures, see if they have any family members that were actually here,” White says. “We’re building those relationships and having conversations to get that one-on-one experience.”
Ashley VanBuskirk, a senior journalism and international studies double major in the class, was first introduced to Freedom Summer her sophomore year and decided that the course was an opportunity to work hands on with the historical event. The documentary and website will be completed in 2014 in time for the 50th anniversary of Freedom Summer. “In October of 2014 there’s going to be a conference held at Miami, and it’s going to be bringing back some of the volunteers that came during the Freedom Summer and speakers to take another look at civil rights in America,” VanBuskirk says. There have been many other articles, movies, journals and books, but Conkwright believes this documentary will be different. “It is always my goal to take a look and see what kind of value we can add,” Conkwright says. “What is new and different, something that hasn’t been really done? This is a story specifically concentrated on the training session and what they did and what that meant to the Freedom Summer and Civil Rights Moment, and what it meant to Oxford.” The documentary will not only air at the conference. Because Conkwright has worked with PBS before, it will also air on the PBS network ThinkTV in the southwestern Ohio area.
White, who is also a member of the class, has been researching Oxford in 1964.
The documentary will be produced using the students’ research. “It will be a recreation of the entire thing, as it is unfolding in present tense, through a combination of archival footage and photographs, blending that in with the current physical place,” Conkwright says. “Ideally, interviews with the people who experienced these places, recounting their experience will be done [in the buildings] where it all took place.” The purpose of the documentary is to challenge the way today’s college students think. Would students be this serious and this persistent about a cause today? If it were 1964, would today’s students risk their lives and participate in the training session? Emily Potten, a senior mass communication major and member of the Journalism 450 class, was apprehensive at first. Although she has lived in Oxford all her life, she admits she had never heard of the local event until the class. But since realizing the impact the training session had on civil rights not only in Mississippi, but also in Oxford, the big questions are challenging her. “You know, you don’t really know until you’re there,” Potten says. “I would have really wanted to. I think I probably would have applied. Because I know I’m a big LGBT activist, not a huge one, but I support it. So I like to think like if I was there I would see the same kind of injustice and the same kind of problem and I would want to help.”
In order to prepare for filming, the class started the semester by taking a Freedom Summer walking tour and talking to professors to get a
This plaque commemorates Freedom Summer on Western campus.
Decemeber 5
scene
Techies of Miami, get excited. Google Glass has arrived on campus, thanks to interdisciplinary librarian Jen Waller. Waller is one of thousands of people across the United States who received the opportunity to test out the brand new technology. “Some people entered videos, but I entered through retweeting a tweet of Dr. Platt’s,” Waller says. “You had to use the hashtag #IfIHadGlass.” Waller believes Google Glass, a wearable computer with a head-mounted optical display, is an exciting way to see a technology that may be the norm of the future. Waller compared the state of this new technology to when cell phones first started gaining popularity. She feels it may become the norm.
Seeing Miami through
GOOGLE GLASS BY CARRIE ELLINGTON
PHOTOS BY RICARDO TREVINO
“What if ten years from now all students are wearing Glass?” Waller says. “We want to be prepared and be able to offer the best for our students.” Peter Thorsett, the library coordinator of strategic communications, believes that acquiring Glass early on helps the library develop better ways to serve students. “Our main focus is always, how can we help the students?” Thorsett says. “How can we give them the best possible knowledge and tools available to make them successful?” He believes that with Miami’s inverted learning structure, the technology will raise the active role of students in their own learning to new levels. “Imagine you’re teaching a class like journalism and you’re trying to show how to use the best interviewing techniques, and they have a video right there on Glass that they can see what you’re doing,” Thorsett says. “It makes the learning that much richer and puts even more into the student’s hands.” Depending on how Google offers Glass as a final product for public use, Thorsett says the library wants to explore how they could make Glass available for students to check out from the front desk. “We look at this as an opportunity for the library to be at the forefront of technology,”
6 December
Sophomore Alex Thompson tries on Google Glass.
scene Thorsett says. “Can this be something that we have for students to check out? Is this something that one student could check out for an hour or so, return, then another student come check out for 24 hours? We don’t know yet. It all depends on the final release.” He pointed out that King Library serves as a hub for all students, not a specific discipline, so that students of all areas of study would be able to use this technology. Google Glass offers opportunities for students to develop skills and learn technological advances in their field of study before leaving Miami. The technology could prove especially promising for game designers to use to develop apps. It also helps them discover hands-free gaming and development. “IMS students are excited about this technology, and it’s been really neat to show them Glass and see their appreciation for it,” Waller says. IMS fifth year student Sarah Falkenthal has yet to experience Glass at Miami, but says it’s important for students to experience this technology while still in Oxford. “Miami has some catching up to do, and I would love to see Google Glass as well as other innovative technologies in our classrooms,” Falkenthal says. “Using Glass in the classroom will prepare students for jobs that don’t even exist yet, and as a university, that’s Miami’s job.”
ly isn’t as rich an experience that students could have because it is nowhere near as personal as it could be,” Waller says.
would be expanding the Explorers program so that current explorers can invite three other people to receive their own Glass.
Recently, Google Glass has raised issues of personal responsibility and ethics. According to an article written by Reuters, a woman in California was ticketed for wearing Glass while driving as a secondary offense. The driver, Cecilia Abadie, was originally pulled over on suspicion of speeding, was ticketed for the driving with Glass technology on her glasses after the officer saw she was wearing them while driving. He said she was breaking California’s state against driving with monitors and issued the citation.
“It’s exciting because in the next month or so this next step in the process will be occurring,” Waller says. “I don’t know who I will invite yet or when I will decide but it’s a great opportunity for others here at Miami, to get more people acquainted with Glass. It’s still very beta.”
Issues like this, Thorsett says, are what should be explored as Google continues to develop Glass for public release.
“It’s funny because some people want to keep their original Glass as a collectors item or memorabilia, while others can’t wait to get their new technology,” Waller says.
“What if she’d been using a GPS? GPS is one exception to the California monitor law. Or does this differ because it’s not strictly one technology? Is it ethical or even responsible to use or wear while driving?” Thorsett says. “It’s these questions that we need to examine and solve before this becomes a mass product.” That mass product may be closer than we think. Waller recently was informed that Google
Waller will also have the opportunity to turn in her current Glass for a newer version that works with prescription eyeglasses and comes with an ear bud for better sound quality.
No matter what the future Glass will look like, Waller is excited for the experience she will have. “It’s so just neat to be one of the few people to be experiencing this, and being able to share it with students has been so wonderful.” Waller models her Google Glass.
Waller has already introduced the technology to almost all students in IMS 201, letting the students see the different ways that Glass can be used. “IMS just seemed like it was ripe with opportunities for us to introduce it there first, but the ultimate goal is to expand it to other classes and disciplines,” Waller says. “That’s another reason I’m so interested in it, is to see how it can be expanded to all fields here at Miami.” The technology itself is not all that interests Waller. She is also concerned with the social and privacy questions that the new technology raises. Each Glass is personalized, giving the user the best experience possible and leaves the user logged in to their accounts. According to Waller, it is a challenge to share this technology with students without breaching her own privacy. “While Glass has a guest mode that allows users to share the technology with other users, it real-
Decemeber 7
The Gem of Fine Arts Community Celebrates 35 Years BY MEGAN WALSH
PHOTO BY JEFFREY SALOMON Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Louise Nevelson, Buckminster Fuller, Salvador Dali, Gandharan, Edgar Degas and Francesco Solimena are only a few of the 35 artists whose work was chosen to be on exhibit for the 35th anniversary of the Miami University Art Museum this fall semester. “We wanted to commemorate the beginnings,” says Jason Shaiman, Curator of Exhibitions, “to capture and to look at the milestones and what’s happened in 35 years.” The grey building at the corner of Patterson and Chestnut, on the U3 bus line, often goes unnoticed unless expressionism and a 2000-year-old grey schist sculpture is your thing. However, with the celebration of 35 years of service to the fine arts community of Miami University and Oxford, the MUAM is just as energetic now as when the building opened on September 10, 1978. According to Art History Professor Andrew Casper, celebrating 35 years is a milestone for any museum, especially when financial constraints have forced many university art museums to close their doors. “The [MUAM] is doing well and has continued to grow over the last three and half decades with the support of donors, university faculty, staff, students and administration,” Casper says. The MUAM chose to celebrate their 35 year milestone for many reasons. “Thirty-five years is long enough that some of the original donors, benefactors and supporters are still with us,” says MUAM Director Robert Wicks.
8 December
John Dolibois, ambassador to Luxembourg, was one member of the 1978 Art Museum Advisory Board and is among those who have returned to Oxford this semester to celebrate.
brating the opening of a new exhibit. Students can also participate in internship programs in museum curating, communications, marketing and graphic design.
Conveniently, the anniversary extended the theme of the last academic year. “It was great that last year was the Year of the Arts at the university,” Shaiman says. “Celebrating this year is a continuation of how vital the arts are and the role that we feel the art museum offers to the community.”
“Something else is that seniors in the capstone for Art and Architecture History help co-curate exhibitions for the museum and have access to hands-on experience,” says Sherri Krazl, Director of Communications and Marketing. “They work cooperatively and individually from the first stage to the final touches organizing an exhibit.”
After 35 years, the museum has hosted about 400 exhibitions in its five galleries and contains about 17,000 pieces in its collection.
Only a seven-minute walk from Shriver, MUAM encourages students to visit purely for entertainment.
“You won’t see the full range [for the anniversary] but you’ll get a good sense of the scope of our collection,” Wicks says. “We like to call it an encyclopedic collection because we can put on an exhibit covering almost any topic with relative depth and minimal borrowing.”
“We’re free, we’re here for the students, for the arts community, for the general Oxford community, for anyone who’s passing through,” Krazl says. “I think there’s something of interest to everyone because of the multiple galleries and the art history at a glance.”
Not only is there an art museum on campus celebrating 35 years of accomplishments, it’s also a pioneer as a university art museum. The MUAM was the first to be accredited by the American Association of Museums, now called the American Alliance of Museums, in 1984; the second university art museum was accredited just five years ago. With a 28-year lead, the MUAM has grown into a well-respected entity that shows that accreditation is not given to just any museum. Student engagement opportunities are another specialty of MUAM. At the beginning of each semester, the museum hosts a lawn party cele-
THE FAVORITES 1.) Rain Garden Zag IX, 1978 by Louise Nevelson (American, b. Russia, 1899-1988) 2.) Buddha Sakyamuni Preaching on Inverted Lotus Throne, 2nd-3rd century CE by Gandharan 3.) The Whale Watch, 1993 by Frank Stella (American, b. 1936)
features
READY FOR REVEAL:
the armstrong student center BY KATIE HARRIS
PHOTO BY JEFFREY SALOMON
As the construction on the new Armstrong Student Center nears its end, the curiosity of what it will look like continues to build. The new building, which has welcomed tours since October 19—is much larger on the inside than it might appear on the outside. A grandiose entry room, which will be known as the living room, first greets visitors. The wall hangings suggest the building’s main themes: student organizations, student athletics, military history and architecture. With its towering ceilings, grand furnishings, large fireplace and exits onto several terraces, this space is just a small representation of the larger-than-life Armstrong Student Center. Yet, how does one properly welcome a new structure of this magnificence onto campus? How does one integrate it into students’ lives? An entire committee of people have dedicated months to the planning of the “Welcome Week” for the Armstrong Student Center—a series of events to come this January. Katie Wilson, the director of the Armstrong Student Center, worked to put together a packed schedule of events to occur within ASC’s first two weeks after opening. “Our emphasis is that the new student center is really ‘by the students, for the students,’ and we really want to emphasize that in those first two weeks,” Wilson says.
Students appreciate the level of involvement that is open to them in the ASC. Samantha von Hoene, student representative on the ASC planning board, looks forward to the student events to come.
the new student center.
“We’ve been waiting for this point for so long, and it’ll be great to see it all come together,” von Hoene says.
Speakers at the ceremony include President Hodge, Mike Armstrong, the current ASG president Charlie Schreiber and several other people who played pivotal roles in the establishment of the new building.
Some of the events on the calendar include a 1950s-themed social featuring the ‘50s-themed Pulley Diner, fitness demos, a winter Snow Ball and movie screenings in the new Wilks’ Theater. Of course, there is a ceremonial component to these fun-filled events. “I’m very excited to see the period themes come out, like the 1950s social and in the Pulley Diner,” von Hoene says. While allowing active student involvement, an emphasis on Miami’s history plays a large role in the new student center, especially during its first two weeks. “We also want to emphasize the ‘Old Miami’ and ‘New Miami,’” Wilson says. Chairing the building dedication committee for ASC is Susie Sadler, the senior director of development of the Armstrong Student Center and academic programs. Sadler has been working specifically on the dedication ceremony for
“The dedication ceremony will be very student focused and is geared towards a student audience,” Sadler says.
Already, students are learning about the many events that are planned in celebration of the opening of Armstrong. “We’re strongly encouraging students to come to these events and get involved right away,” Sadler says. The end of the ASC’s first two weeks won’t signal a decline in student involvement. “It should continue to be very hands-on for student involvement, even after the 2-week opening-period,” von Hoene says. Those two weeks are just an introduction to all that the space has to offer.” For those who want a more private view of the new building, there will be behind-the-scenes tours available to faculty and students.
The unfinished ASC awaits a few final touches.
Decemeber 9
The Grad School Reality
features features
Not ready to enter the “real world?” Read this before you decide to add more letters to your name.
BY ERICA GRIFFITH
PHOTOS BY RICARDO TREVINO
Miami has a good reputation for getting students into graduate school. 61% of Miami seniors who applied to medical school were accepted compared to 45% nationally. 97% of seniors were accepted to law school compared to 80% nationally. Want to join these numbers or just wondering what graduate school really entails? Two Miami graduates and career services share their experiences and advice.
Brittany Almaraz: Medical School
Brittany Almaraz is in her fourth year of medical school at the University of Cincinnati. She’s currently applying to family medicine residency programs. She graduated from Miami in 2010 and double majored in zoology and Latin American studies. Almaraz cuts to the chase and refers to the difficulty of medical school. “I actually don’t know if it would have been good to know how hard graduate school was
10 December
going to be [when I was at Miami],” Almaraz explains. The challenges begin when juniors start the application process and Medical Collage Admission Test (MCAT) preparation. Studying for the MCAT while taking classes can be a difficult feat. Since Almaraz didn’t decide to go to medical school until Christmas break of her junior year, she had a little catching up to do. She found that planned preparation was an effective way of tackling test prep. She made a schedule for herself to determine how many hours per week and per day she would study for the MCAT. “The honest truth is that most people don’t really start studying until school gets out in May,” Almaraz says. “I think it’s more realistic to not expect yourself to be studying a ton while you’re still in school.” She took four to five weeks at the beginning of the summer and made studying her full time job, spending an average of eight hours a day with her nose in a book.
“What’s funny is I thought that was so much at a time and then when I took my boards exam for med school I put in 12 hour days, six days a week, for five weeks,” Almaraz says. Almaraz advises freshmen to take school and grades seriously. However, she also emphasizes the importance of relaxation because free time is much harder to find after undergraduate. “Know that medical school is really difficult and be sure that you really want it,” Almaraz says to juniors. Jennifer McLaughlin, senior assistant director of career services, agrees with Almaraz. She always makes sure to weigh reality with students’ dreams. “Grad school is not a place to find yourself,” McLaughlin states bluntly. Almaraz found Miami’s advisors very helpful in her medical school search. The Mallory-Wilson Center prepares students adequately for medical school. They enforce the importance of deadlines by creating them for students and set up mock interviews with faculty members.
features
Almaraz recalls taking an hour break to exercise before diving back into the books. “Basically all my free time was spent studying. You have to find the things that preserve your sanity.” Almaraz describes her fourth year of medical school as her favorite. There’s more freedom to pick specialized classes rather than the required classes of the first three years. “You’re in it with everybody else and that camaraderie pushes you along,” Almaraz describes the relationships with her other 170 classmates. “The stress of things you go through together forms a bond to support each other in it.”
advises students to create a spreadsheet of schools and their due dates. Time is often the biggest difficulty students face in applying for graduate school. Box admits she applied to 32 schools across the nation. Both Box and McLaughlin agree starting early with recommendation letters gives professors ample time to fill them out. Also, giving professors a resume and a personal statement helps them write the letter. Box strongly recommends, if not demands, for students to challenge themselves in their undergraduate courses.
Almaraz recollects on moments of doubt, but explains that with a calling for medicine, it is difficult to regret the decision.
“I think the people who have succeeded the best in law school knew how to study and work hard in school,” Box says.
“In my opinion there’s no better career because it’s exciting and stimulating and at the same time you’re helping people,” Almaraz says.
According to Box, advisors were always very realistic and never sugarcoated anything. They give helpful advice on what schools would be realistic for students based on their grades and involvement.
She also explains how medical school forced her to confront both life and death, and at the end of the day she feels it was the best decision she could have made. “You’re exposed to really exciting things, life giving things, healing. But then you’re also exposed to death and suffering,” Almaraz says. “You’re forced to wrestle through those things and you grow in a lot of ways.”
Bailey Box: Law School & Business School
Bailey Box is in her second year of law school at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and also pursuing her MBA at the Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis. At Miami she was a zoology major with a business management minor. Originally, Box wanted to go to dental school. But after a hands-on workshop, she decided her skills worked better for law school. She made the decision to apply for law school her junior year. McLaughlin and graduate school advisors express the importance of gaining experience in a potential career field. Box is a good example of how a negative experience shifted her decision. For the application process, McLaughlin often
Photo of Bailey Box
Bailey Box
“Grades and developing relationships with your professors are so important,” McLaughlin advises. In law school, one grade in a class determines the whole course grade, which is different from undergraduate. Professors in law school are also more likely to curve the exam grades. Box did not expect this difference in grading when she started law school. Box is getting her general MBA so that it supplements her law degree. She’s enrolled in a dual degree program where it only takes her four years to graduate from law school and business school. Her first year was all law, while this year is half and half law and business. McLaughlin says studying for law school is mostly individual work whereas the MBA program involves more team projects. “The main advice I would give is to be sure and have a passion for what you decide to do,” McLaughlin states.
Photo of Almaraz
Brittany Almaraz
Decemeber 11
features
step up to the line BY EMMY SILVERMAN PHOTO BY SAM KERMODE
Miami’s new slacklining club calls on students to test their bravery and balance. Have you ever walked through Central Quad and seen bare-footed students appearing to mimic tightrope walkers balancing from tree to tree? These students, bare feet and all, are part of a new movement: slacklining. Judging by the strength and grace of the slackliner, it may appear an easy activity. In reality, this assumption is the opposite of the truth. Concentrate on a fixed point. Keep your arms above your head. Place one foot in front of the other. Slackliners drill these three dictations into their head as they balance on a nylon bungee cord hanging between two trees. These three dictations run through a few talented Miami students’ heads on a crisp fall afternoon as they practice slacklining through the trees of Central Quad. They became Jeremy Beard’s mantra when he decided to start a slacklining club at Miami. Beard’s high school math teacher introduced him to slacklining and has been passionate about it since.
12 December
“Right when I stepped up on the line, I felt a sense of balance and became addicted,” Beard says.
Members can take the equipment out on the quad, either alone or with others, whenever they have the time.
Beard began the club at the beginning of this semester in the hopes of making slacklining available to anyone interested in the up-andcoming sport.
Most members are beginners and look to Beard to show them the right technique when stepping up on the line. Beard helps them focus by changing the way they think.
He reached out to Josh Beaudoin, slacklining advocate for Gibbon Slacklines, the world’s largest slackline distributer, to help him get the club started and to discover other students who share, or will grow to share, the same passion for the sport.
“The only technique is to be relaxed and focused and then a lot of practice,” Beard says.
Beaudoin is enthusiastic about this newly popular trend invented by rock climbers in the 70’s in search of an activity on off-days from climbing.
Members hope students walking through Central Quad will be intrigued by this new fad of activity and ask to try it out.
Beaudoin travels to schools around the country to share his passion for slacklining with students and to help students start clubs at their schools.
Current members, like senior Luke Custer, heard of the club through Beard and friends of Beard.
Though, Beard senses the hesitance some have towards slacklining. “I get the sense that people don’t want to come up to me and try it,” Beard says.
Slacklining’s benefits include stress relief, cross training, military application and agility training, Beaudoin explains. “Slacklining has helped me overcome the three main fears in life: action, public speaking and height,” Beaudoin, says.
Members see slacklining as a social sport. One person is slacklining at a time while other members are standing around talking.
Thanks to Beaudoin, Miami students have the opportunity to benefit from the new sport.
Despite the occasional loss of balance and a few stumbles off the line, the club is off to a good start.
As of now, the club is very laid back, matching the personalities of its 10 members.
“The club creates this kind of social bonding between members,” says Custer.
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Decemeber 13
features
Balli and Jean making art together at OMA.
A Sunny Day
BY MEGAN CONLEY
She always begins by singing “You Are My Sunshine.”
Podge, and paintbrushes. Balli leans close to Jean.
As rain patters against the windows of the Westover Retirement Community on a recent Monday afternoon, Eleni Balli concludes the chorus with a smile at her new friend.
“Choose the one with the colors you like best,” Balli says, holding out two Ziploc bags of magazine clips to Jean.
“Please don’t take my sunshine away!” Jean’s lips mouthed the words softly. Her eyes wandered around the room. Dementia has made her an observer. As the room settles down, Balli helps pass out the art supplies: magazine clips, cans of Mod
14 December
“This one?” Jean asks. “The purples? Good, me too,” Balli answers. Each Monday, Balli leads six other Miami University students in the Opening Minds Through Art program (OMA). Working in pairs, a college student and an older adult with dementia collaborate to create a piece of art.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ELENI BALI
On this day, they would be making a collage, first by covering a white piece of cardstock with magazine clips and Mod Podge, then dusting it with silver or gold glitter. As Balli covers a corner of the page with the glue, Jean inspects each magazine clip and rotates it in her hands. Her eyes dart to the male college student on her left. “Hi, you’re cute! Are you married? You should be married,” Jean calls to him enthusiastically, her flirtation not affected by the dementia.
Balli laughs. Keeping Jean’s attention is a challenge, but never too much to handle. “I redirect, but I don’t want to forcefully redirect,” Balli later says. “It’s not always about the art. It can be more about the conversation and the connection.” Once back on track, Balli and Jean complete the final steps of the project. Placing a white mat around the collage, they are ready to show it to the group. But no piece is complete without a name. “Jean, what do you want to name it? What does it make you think of?” Balli asks. Jean sits quietly, reflecting on the piece. Then she smiles. “A sunny day.”
A Program’s Difference
For Balli, OMA is more than an extracurricular activity. It is her Miami experience. Working her way up to a leadership position, the junior speech pathology major and gerontology minor began volunteering as a way to find her place on campus. In September, Balli became a Charitable Works Scholar along with two other OMA volunteers, recognizing their dedication to nonprofit work. Due to her experiences, Balli looks to become a speech pathologist in a long-term care facility after graduation. The OMA program began in 2007 as Miami Associate Professor Elizabeth Lokon’s graduate thesis. Since then, it has spread to nine long-term care locations around Oxford and supports around 200 pairs of students and older adults each year. The older adults, known better as “the artists,” demonstrate a range of dementia. As explained by Balli, dementia itself is not a disease, but an umbrella-term for diseases that involve a decline in mental ability. In the realm of long-term care, OMA’s mission is unique. By creating a piece of abstract art, the success lies in the fail-proof design.
Balli, who also works as a nurse aide at Shawneespring Nursing Home in Harrison, Ohio, agrees this sort of commitment is rare. But OMA proves the difference by fostering personal growth, autonomy and dignity in people with dementia. Besides within long-term care, the battle against the typical continues in the Miami community. In a college town filled with young aspirations, aging is not a prevalent topic. Yet, Balli believes that the typical college mentality needs to change. “Miami does what it can to produce global citizens, but we can be so caught up in this bubble,” Balli says. “We are a youth-centered society, especially on this campus.” But Balli is doing what she can to combat unawareness. Her passion is unmistakable. Kaitlin Moore, a friend and fellow OMA volunteer, speaks of Balli’s desire. “It’s becoming such a central part of Miami for her so she can’t help but want to talk about it,” Moore says. “Even the background of her phone is OMA art.”
A Volunteer’s Heart
The influence of OMA is not limited to the artists. Much of the change happens in volunteers like Balli. All OMA volunteers maintain a journal where they document their experiences.
“People like Eleni work hard,” Lokon says. “They have a busy schedule, school and a job. So why do they do [OMA]? There is no reward. It’s love.” Josie Rader, OMA leader and friend of Balli, agrees with Lokon. “Most people believe we are helping older adults with dementia,” Rader says. “But really, they are helping us.” Yet for Balli, OMA work does not come without challenges. Each semester, artists pass away. As a leader, Balli counsels students who lose a partner. But it never gets easier. “Students learn to accept death as a part of life; as a part of the cycle,” Lokon says. “Whether you are religious or not, you can imagine that this person inside is encumbered by the dementia and when they pass away, they are free. You don’t have to believe in heaven or hell or anything, but you can believe the suffering ends.” Balli clings to this truth. For her, there is no other choice. “I dream of a world in which older adults and people with dementia have full access to person-centered care and are not marginalized by illness or disease,” Balli says. “OMA brings us one step closer to the realization of that dream.”
An Elder’s Wisdom Pat-pat. Pat-pat.
Approximately one year ago, Lokon researched how the experience affects the college students. While benefits range from new career goals to increased civic responsibility, one effect stands out among the rest.
The rain persists against the windows at the Westover Retirement Community as the afternoon art session draws to a close. The finished art is displayed to the group. Balli brags about Jean’s use of color a little more.
“People have a hard time talking about love because it’s so squishy,” Lokon says. “How do you quantify it? How do you measure it? But what they really learn to do is to love.”
“Look at Jean’s piece! It’s called a sunny day!” Balli says, flashing her wide smile. Despite the rain outside the window, Balli
Watching Balli over the past two years, Lokon knows her love is pure.
knows Jean is right.
“It encourages creativity without the fear of judgment—without having to feel like they are performing to a specific standard,” Balli says. In addition, the program is committed to the idea of person-centered care. “Person-centered care is catering for whatever they need,” Lokon says. “If they can’t do things because of their illness, let’s support them so they can.”
Art work created by OMA volunteer Kara Goliat.
Decemeber 15
arts & entertainment
A Bad Night’s Sleep Irregular schedules, busy days and anxiety-ridden nights leave some students struggling to find sleep. BY NICOLE GEORGE
PHOTO BY RIANNE VANDERVOORT
By Nicole George
16 December
arts & entertainment
“You would never think lifting your book bag would be hard,” Emily Graumlich, a sophomore marketing major says. The tall, curly-haired blonde laughs and smiles easily, but is visibly frustrated when she talks about her insomnia. “You would never think hanging out with friends would be such a big deal. It’s exhausting to pretend to not be tired.” Graumlich’s insomnia makes every night a battle. She says she goes to bed around 1 or 2 a.m. and lies there for about an hour before falling asleep. Then after just three hours of rest she wakes up and struggles to find sleep again. Graumlich also experiences sleep loss from frequent nightmares, and her resulting exhaustion makes sleep all she can think about. “It’s always like I’m tired and I know I’m going to be tired tomorrow,” Graumlich says. “There’s no escape to being tired.”
A student may stay up all night on a Monday because he does not have class until the afternoon on Tuesday, Hersh explains. Students think as long as they get the same amount of sleeping hours, they will be rested. Yet, Hersh maintains that humans need a consistent schedule. Changing sleep hours every night will impair students’ ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. In the end, students have detrimental sleep loss. Not getting enough sleep impairs concentration, and when driving, can be the equivalent of intoxication.
Hersh says that behavior induced insomnia most noticeably leads to an overwhelming desire to sleep. Graumlich understands this desire. She says she often doesn’t have the drive to do anything.
Although chronic insomnia is a constant part of Graumlich’s life, many other college students experience bouts of insomnia and sleep deprivation.
“I tried diet things like no bread at dinner,” Graumlich says. “I made really regimented lists of things to do before bed so my body would know to get ready for bed.”
Joshua Hersh, a psychiatrist at Miami University’s Student Counseling Services, says that he sees many cases of insomnia clustered around exam time. According to Hersh, insomnia most commonly results from students’ irregular sleep schedules. In college, students’ sleep schedules differ daily.
Despite her different strategies to alleviate her insomnia, Graumlich still struggles to sleep well.
“The reason is basically the college lifestyle,” Hersh says. “It wasn’t a problem when they had a standard schedule, like in high school.”
While Holaday does not suffer from chronic insomnia, he says he still gets an average of only five to six hours of sleep per night and
Nathan Holaday, a sophomore accounting major, can also testify to the detrimental effects of sleep loss.
drinks caffeine throughout the day to make up for the lack of rest. “I get a bad headache and it just really brings you down,” Holaday explains. Even though he says he can make it through the week, the weekends are just as hard. “Even though you sleep ‘til two, by seven or eight you get tired again…and then on Monday morning, you have to get up early,” Holaday says. “You’re just going back and forth. You’re messing with your body.” Hersh says creating a sleep schedule, even when the semester ends, can take a couple of weeks. He says one of the best ways to quicken the adjustment is waking at the same time every day. “What we suggest is scheduling classes at the same time and suggest finding a friend who wants to get up at the same time,” Hersh says. Hersh also advises that students avoid studying where they sleep. “A lot of students study on their beds, but your body becomes confused when you try to sleep on your bed later,” Hersh says. Accountability and consistency is one of the best ways students can adjust from disrupted sleep schedules. So, what if a student becomes cornered by their schedule and just can’t help pulling an all-nighter during exam week? Hersh’s advice may prove hard to follow. “What you’ve got to do is not sleep all day and then wait to go home and crash.”
Decemeber 17
arts & entertainment
It’s a Wonderful (Awkard) Life with the MQ Editors in order from left to right
Ali Czarnecki: Features Editor
About two years ago my whole extended family decided to do a white elephant exchange to try and start something new. My 86-year-old grandma ended up receiving a black, lacy bra with matching undies. We decided to nix the white elephant exchange idea after that ordeal.
Abigail Walters: Editor-in-Chief
Every Christmas Eve my parents would drag my sisters and I to a holiday party with what seemed to have a senior citizen-only guest list. As the only kids in attendance, we had to suffer through countless comments like, “You’ve gotten so big!” Our saving grace came in the form of a slot machine in the family room. Is it awkward that I’ve been gambling on Christmas Eve since age 6?
Shannon Pesek: Managing Editor
My grandparents come to visit us from Chicago every Christmas. Since high school my grandfather has asked me about what I’m studying and my classes, and my grandmother has asked me about my boyfriend. Every year I have to inform her I still do not in fact have a boyfriend. Let’s just say, the holidays can be a little awkward.
Amanda Schumaker: Managing Editor
My dad got my cousins and I iPod Nanos when I was in 8th grade. Being the prankster that he is, he decided to build a photo frame around them. That way, we could see what they were, but we couldn’t get to them. We were all pretty upset, and I completely failed at using a screwdriver to take the frame apart. I couldn’t handle it!
Megan Conley: Scene Editor
Last year, I swore I had finally conquered the struggle of finding the perfect gift. It was a beautiful, hard cover leather-bound copy of my best friend’s favorite book: “Jane Eyre.” But as we swapped gifts, and I opened my own copy of Jane Eyre, I realized we might be a bit too alike.
18 December
Katie Mark: Sports & Fitness Editor
Christmas morning for the past few years has been a little awkward. The hints have been dropped, but I still have yet to see a red Porsche with a bow on it in my driveway.
Alex Bishoff: Art Director
During the holidays my mom hides a special ornament in the tree for my brother and I to find on Christmas morning. One year I decided I wanted a headstart, so I snuck into the room in the dark, only to run into the tree and knock several ornaments off, including the special one. I blamed everything on the cat.
Sam Kermode: Photo Editor
When I was younger, I was sitting next to my grandma at the Christmas dinner table and accidentally picked up her wine glass and had a little sip before realizing that it wasn’t my “fancy” glass with juice in it. Luckily no one was able to crack jokes because no one saw. not pictured
Drew Doggett: Arts & Entertainment Editor
One time I got my ex-girlfriend tickets to see “Charlie Brown on Ice” performing at Opry Mills in Nashville. We decided that she would give me her present first. She picked me up for our date and as we drove up to Opry Mills I started to get a little anxious. As the gods would have it, she pulled up to the “Charlie Brown on Ice” entrance and as she looked over to me with a big smile I pulled out the two tickets I had bought. We shared a good laugh afterwards even though I was the one who had to plan a new present...
Thea Dellas: Opinion Editor
During the day on Christmas Eve a few years ago, I was feeling really sick and ended up throwing up in the mall parking lot because I had the flu. Over the next few days, my entire family caught it from me and we spent Christmas miserable and sick—at least we were miserable and sick together, I guess...?
Decemeber 19
arts & entertainment
A NEW NAME The Cheezies change to Open Fifth BY MEGAN MCTIGHE
PHOTO BY RICARDO TREVINO
The Cheezies, Miami University’s male a cappella group, now goes by a different name. Open Fifth is working to make their new name known on campus. But why the change? Open Fifth’s President Jake Menker believes members wanted more creative license. The Cheezies was formerly a group within the Miami University Men’s Glee Club and this year they decided to become an independent student organization. Menker says the name Open Fifth was chosen for a number of reasons. “It is a musical chord we reference in a lot of our songs. It’s a musical term and we generally like the sound of it. Also it gave us a more serious tone to create a new and more serious image as a professional a cappella group.” The Cheezies was not the first name of this a cappella group. The group was originally founded in 1989 and was called Five Guys. “It was Five Guys kind of rummaging through the storage closet of the men’s Glee Club and they found these five powdered blue obnoxious jackets and so they wanted to start their own little quintet called Five Guys,” member Victor Barricklow says.
20 December
Open Fifth “cheesing” for a group photo.
Barricklow says students have been very receptive to the name change. Music Director, Billy Rafael, says Open Fifth has been publicizing its new name out on campus by performing the national anthem at Miami sporting event including volleyball, hockey and basketball games. Open Fifth has performed off campus as well. They sang for wedding proposals and have even been asked to sing at a wedding. “A couple years ago we sang at a Detroit Lions game, which honestly was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever gotten to do,” Rafael says. Not only has the name changed to Open Fifth, now the group is open to the entire campus, not just those who belong to the Men’s Glee Club. “It gave us openness to a lot more talent and opportunity,” Menker says. Open Fifth will continue to share their talents with Miami University and create their new identity as a professional a cappella group. “It has been a really good experience, by far my favorite part of my college career,” Menker says.
Decemeber 21
arts & entertainment
TOP WINTER FLICKS BY JANE BLAZER // ROTTENTOMATOES.COM, IMDB.COM
The Hobbit: PG-13 The Desolation of Smaug 12.13.13 The second movie of the three-part film series, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug continues the journey, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) to retrieve the Lonely Mountain and the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erbor. Accompanied by Wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and the thirteen dwarfs, the team must find the secret door that will lead them to the terrifying dragon, Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch).
American Hustle
UR
12.18.13
FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) makes hustler Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and British teammate Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) work for him and exposes the duo to the dangerous world of New Jersey. New Jersey Politician Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner) becomes caught between the duo and the FBI. Little do people know, Rosenfeld’s wife, Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) has an unpredictable power that may cause trouble.
22 December
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
UR
12.20.13
San Diego’s most popular newsman Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) returns to generate New York’s first 24-hour news channel. With the help of his wife and co-anchor Veronica (Christina Applegate), weatherman Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), street man Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) and sports reporter Champ Kind (David Koechner), the team hysterically tries to tackle the news world.
The Monuments Men
UR
02.07.14
Taking place in WWII and directed by George Clooney, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appoints a team of seven art historians and museum directors to go to Germany in order to retrieve valuable works of art stolen by the Nazis. The German army has ordered the destruction of every work of art they obtain, and this group of seven tries to stop the Nazis and return every work of art back to its creator.
Saving Mr. Banks
PG-13 12.20.13
In this non-fiction film set in the 1960s, Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) promises his two daughters he will make a movie out of their favorite book Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson). However, Travers does not give him permission to make her popular novel into a film. Years later, as money becomes short for Travers, she decides to set up a meeting with Disney in order to discuss her novel coming to life on the big screens, and together they create one of the most popular films in history, Mary Poppins.
The Lego Movie
G
02.07.14
Mistaken to be a super LEGO MasterBuilder, the average, regular LEGO Emmet (Chris Pratt) is sent on a mission to stop evil LEGO Lord Business (Will Ferrell) from gluing the universe together. With the help of Vitruvirus (Morgan Freeman), Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) and Batman (Will Arnett), Emmet and the team try to save the LEGO world.
arts & entertainment
P interest H oliday T reats
Easy-to-make goodies for college students
BY MARIEL PADILLA
PHOTOS BY SAM KERMODE
As the holiday season approaches, you may want to bring your holiday traditions from home to college. Thanks to Pinterest, that task just got easier! Here are some affordable and easy-to-make recipes for the season: Candy Cane Marshmallow Pops Ingredients: Large marshmallows, mini candy canes, melted chocolate, crushed candy canes Instructions: 1. Stick a mini candy cane into a large marsh mallow. 2. Dip the marshmallow into the melted choco late, allowing excess chocolate to drip. 3. Roll marshmallow into the crushed candy cane. 4. Place on a waxed paper lined baking sheet and allow to set. Pretzel Santa Hats Ingredients: Mini twist pretzels, white chocolate almond bark, red sanding sugar, mini marshmallows Instructions: 1. Melt the white chocolate almond bark according to the directions on the package. 2. Dip each mini twist pretzel halfway into the melted white chocolate almond bark. 3. Dip each almond bark covered pretzel into the red sanding sugar until only a small amount of the almond bark is showing. Place on waxed paper. 4. Cut the mini marshmallows in half. Use additional melted almond bark to adhere a mini marshmallow half onto the side of each pretzel. Allow time for the almond bark to set. Strawberry Santa Ingredients: Strawberries, whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles Instructions: 1. Cut strawberries a little more than halfway towards the tip. 2. Add whipped cream in between the pieces for face and beard. 3. Put two dots of whip cream on the bottom half to look like buttons. 4. Add 2 chocolate sprinkles to the whipped cream for eyes.
Decemeber 23
arts & entertainment
HOLIDAY SPECIALS
While some of you may still be full from Thanksgiving dinner, the rest of us are hungry for something else… Christmas! Christmas and the upcoming holiday season brings many things to look forward to—lights, music, baked goods, shopping, spending time with loved ones, the holiday spirit and so many other things.
BY CARSYN RODRIGUEZ
PHOTO BY RICARDO TREVINO While some of you may still be full from Thanksgiving dinner, the rest of us are hungry for something else – Christmas! Christmas and the upcoming holiday season bring many things to look forward to—lights, music, baked goods, shopping and spending time with loved ones. When you get tired and need to rest from all the energy you spent walking around the mall or decorating the tree, you’ll find some very interesting and entertaining specials on TV throughout the month of December. These specials star some favorite celebrities whom you can watch and celebrate with right from the comfort of your own home. While we all may love listening to our favorite artists’ recordings online or from our phones or iPods, there is a certain excitement and familiarity that occurs when we can see and listen to them performing live. Not only that, but getting to see our favorite celebrities outside of their music—either in acting roles or just talking and being themselves—is always a bit of a thrill as well. It’s nice to see them outside of their normal musical characters and entering other personas, as they share some insight into who these artists are and what the holidays mean to them. This holiday season, there are three holiday TV specials that you should watch out for to fulfill your celebrity admirations and holiday entertainment.
24 December
Miami’s campus after the first snowfall of the season.
CARRIE UNDERWOOD
The first one involves a country singer gone Austrian as Carrie Underwood stars as Maria Von Trapp in the classic “The Sound of Music.” NBC is doing a remake of one of the most well known musicals of all time. It will mirror the original on-stage production while adapting it for a new generation. Carrie Underwood is going to take on the lead role as a singer, dancer and actress as she plays Julie Andrews’ part in the original movie. The best part of this show is that it is going to air live on TV, so it will feel like you are right there with the whole Von Trapp family in the Austrian hills, alive with the sound of music. If you want to relive this family holiday classic and get a chance to see Carrie Underwood in a completely different role than you’ve ever seen or heard her sing in before, tune in to NBC’s The Sound of Music, airing live on NBC at 8 p.m. on Thursday, December 5.
KELLY CLARKSON
Take a break from finals week and watch Kelly Clarkson take the stage on a production based loosely off of another famous holiday classic, Charles Dickens’, “A Christmas Carol.” During this NBC special titled “Kelly Clarkson’s (Cautionary) Christmas Tale,” Clarkson will sing songs from her new album, “Wrapped in Red,” and special guests including Reba McEntire,
Trisha Yearwood and Ronnie Dunn, will join her. This production is being described as a musical comedy that will also feature Clarkson sharing her holiday story about realizing the true meaning of Christmas. You can watch one of your favorite millennial singers get into the holiday spirit on NBC at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, December 11.
MICHAEL BUBLÈ
Last, but not least, we have a singer that tugs on heartstrings with his unique, smooth and classy voice. Michael Bublé will host his third annual holiday special on NBC, where he will perform some of his most popular songs, both holiday and non-holiday related. As he usually does, he is expected to invite some of his favorite stars and singers on the show to sing with him. Past guests include Ed Helms, Blake Shelton and even Bing Crosby (in an alternate form, but nonetheless the one and only Bing). For the past two years, Bublé has sung and engaged in conversations and short skits that are both funny and heartfelt. This special is full of great music, celebrity intimacy, holiday cheer and fun and is perfect for this time of the year. If you can’t wait to watch this special, then mark your calendars for 10 p.m. Wednesday, December 18, on NBC.
arts & entertainment
Saved by the Bookstore BY HALEY KEYSER
PHOTO BY SAM KERMODE As broke college students, holidays are the definition of a good and bad time. The bright side? Presents. The downside? Presents. Students are tasked with finding affordable gifts during the most hectic time of year – finals. Finding presents for your family and even pets at the bookstore just got easier. Here are a few ideas that are bound to tell your family, “No, I haven’t forgotten about you, and I haven’t spent ALL of my money.”
FOR MOM:
A Miami sweater she can wear to show off her favorite son or daughter. While they’re a bit on the pricey side, she is the one who gave you life. A few more dollars shouldn’t hurt. Bonus: Sweaters are perfect any time of the year so maybe those few extra bucks are worth it?
FOR DAD:
He helped raise you to be the person you are today, so why not a Miami mug for his morning coffee? It will remind him how much you love him and provide the extra pick-me-up he needs to make it to work and earn that tuition money.
FOR SIBLINGS:
They‘re a bit harder to find a gift for, and if you already spent the few extra dollars on mom and dad, it is even more difficult. However, you can never go wrong with a lanyard for siblings that are learning to drive or already driving. They are relatively cheap, and will still help your brother or sister keep track of their car keys. Plus, they get to subtly rep RedHawk gear. You could even gift a lanyard for older siblings. They probably gave you a hard time when you were younger and pay back never tasted so good.
FOR OTHERS:
None of these sound quite right? Older family members love sappy novelty items, especially ornaments. If it’s your first or last year at Miami, an ornament is a great way of marking a new chapter in their life as well as yours. Ornaments are timeless and it’s always nice for family to remember you when you’re away at the beginning of the holiday season. Another novelty item that won’t go to waste is a Miami blanket. It appears thoughtful and it’s easy on the wallet. A blanket works especially
well if you have parents or grandparents who attended Miami. It will remind them of their time at college while they’re snuggling up on the couch.
FOR PETS:
You can never forget about your four-legged best friends. Let’s be honest, you probably think about them more than your own family. If their collar looks a bit ragged, a Miami collar is perfect. Or, if you’re feeling spirited, a RedHawk animal scarf is always fun. If you still haven’t found anything that seems worthy enough for a gift, perhaps you should consider putting some creativity into a present to make it more heartfelt. Adding dad’s favorite coffee to the mug you purchased shows you really are thinking. It’s hard not to be sentimental with the holidays coming up. Just remember, anything from the heart is perfect.
Miami apparel you may also want to consider!
Decemeber 25
Warm Up Your Winter Playlist Who needs a coat when you can feel the passionate embrace of a piping hot playlist? I know winter can be tough, and sometimes finding great music can prove even tougher. No need to worry though, because this playlist should help with both. Without further ado, here are some songs to help keep you warm this winter. (Spoiler alert: it works.) BY AARON HURD
PHOTO BY RIANNE VANDERVOORT
Girl on Fire - Alicia Keys
Now, maybe it’s just me, but if I saw a flaming woman I’d probably run for my life, not stop to write a song about it. But hey, I guess that ‘s what makes me different from my girl Alicia – well that and the good looks, musical talent and personal relationship with Bono. But besides that, we’re twins.
April Come She Will Simon and Garfunkel
Don’t fret, April will be here soon. Then, instead of trudging around in the snow, we can suffer in endless torrential downpour! Woohoo! So get ready to trade in those winter jackets for raincoats because April is right around the corner (if corners were five months long and full of despair).
Numb Bears Of Monsters and Men
I may be misinterpreting this song, but I’ll give it a go. The way I see it, all the bears are hibernating this winter, meaning they wouldn’t even notice if you snuggled up next to them for a little extra warmth. However, I don’t recommend trying this on your roommate. I could’ve sworn he was asleep…
26 December
Hot Tottie - Usher ft. Jay-Z
OK, don’t even try to act like you know what a tottie is. But the cool thing is, it doesn’t matter. All you have to know is that when I step on the dance floor with my jam “Hot Tottie” playing in the background, the room heats right up, just ask the ladies. (Please don’t actually ask them.)
Hot in Herre - Nelly
Although it seems like Nelly could use some help spelling “here,” you don’t need great spelling ability to heat up a room. You have to give Nelly some credit though. When I order people to take their clothes off, I’m usually escorted out by security, not rewarded with a top-selling musical number.
Candlelight - Paul Cook and the Chronicles
Remember the good old days, when people would huddle around candlelight to stay warm in those frigid winter months? Yeah, me neither. But hey, at least you’ll think of me every time you listen to this song, which would sure warm my heart.
arts & entertainment
In vs. Out
*Results based on student survey
Christmas Eve 44%
Christmas Day
Xbox One 42%
Playstation 4
56%
58%
Hunter Boots 26%
L.L. Bean Boots
74%
Professional Sports 40%
College Sports
Liberals 38%
Conservatives
60%
62%
Miami’s Diwali 30%
Miami’s Chicago
La Piñata 38%
Fiesta Charra
70%
62%
Clean-Shaven Man 34%
No-Shave-November Man
66%
Kissing Under Mistletoe 37%
Kissing when the Ball Drops on New Year’s 63%
Decemeber 27
No Suits, Ties or 9-5’s
A Miami trainer spots an athlete in training.
A look into the lives of Miami’s strength and conditioning coaches
BY KATIE MARK
PHOTOS BY RYAN HEBEIN
Occupational description: 15-hour days in shorts and a t-shirt training over 500 student athletes from 18 varsity sports. Miami University Director of Strength and Conditioning Paul Harker and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Makenzie Cutter do not have the usual 9-5 job. The schedule is a little different at Miami’s Walter L. Gross Jr. Family Student-Athlete Development Center where Harker and Cutter help train Miami’s varsity athletes. “We usually come in between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. depending on our first team so like this morning at 6 a.m., I got here at 5:15 a.m.,” Cutter says. “I come in, get everything turned on and have everything set up so when the athletes come in, they’re ready to go.” With workouts usually lasting an hour, a varsity team usually occupies the Gross Center every hour of the day. Slower days may occur when teams do not have a lift. “Mondays are typically a slower day in the morning for me so I spend a lot of time writing programs, answering emails and catching up on paperwork,” Cutter says. The lift programs are written in four-week cycles and are generated depending on the team.
28 December
“Women’s track is starting a new program this week so I make sure their programs are printed off and then their old weights that they were doing are transferred onto the new ones so they know what they’ve been doing,” Cutter says. An afternoon for Cutter could mean a 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. lift with women’s throwing from the track team. “[Women’s throwing] is six athletes,” Cutter says. “Then at 4:15 p.m. we’ll have sprinters and jumpers which is 25 athletes and it lasts for 45 minutes for a total body workout.” The men’s 30-member track team arrives at 5 p.m., Cutter’s last team. “After that, you’re just cleaning up, filing paperwork and getting ready for the next group in the morning,” Cutter says. For Harker, the only thing that is consistent on a daily basis is the long hours. “Everything else is interchangeable,” Harker says. “A Monday in October is different than a Monday in February than a Monday in July. One thing that doesn’t change is class, practice and treatment schedules and there will always be a team nine times out of ten that trains at six in the morning.” Despite the consistent 6 a.m. workout, there
is always a team who starts their workout at 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. in the evening. “Getting everybody on a training schedule that accommodates multiple sports, multiple sizes of teams and multiple needs is going to merit having teams that start at either 6 a.m, throughout the morning or throughout the evening,” Harker says. “Then everything in between changes.” A team in season or out of season will determine the frequency they are in the weight room. Harker says that with football, depending on the specific roles on the team, they could be in three days or four days a week for lifting. Out of season, the guys are in five days a week performing some combination of lifting and running. “There’s always the consistency of having that early morning team, that late afternoon team and the things that go along with it in terms of setting up that lifting specific to that lift,” Harker says. Harker also explains the importance of being a supervisor to the men and women during the workouts. Scheduling lift time for the athletes is not some-
sports & fitness thing Harker finds difficult, just time consuming. “We cater to our kids like no other,” Harker says. “[The athletes] schedule their classes and they generally have an idea that all teams have a practice block that their coaches tell them don’t schedule your classes during this because that’s when we’re going to fit in practice, meetings and potentially lifting.” Each team generally has a three to four hour practice block they try to schedule their classes around. For a team such as football, which can have around 110 guys on the roster, Harker receives the class schedule for each player and then maps out the player’s class schedule. This semester football will have 6 a.m., 7 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. groups, but based on class schedules for next semester, it might be 6 a.m., 8 a.m., 9.a.m and 1 p.m. groups. “It varies based on the class schedules,” Harker says. “We take into account how long the workout is going to be, where they’re coming from on campus, their travel time, where they’re going after their lift and how long they’ll need to get there.” Yet, the hardest part of Harker and Cutter’s job is trying to keep the athletes motivated.
“When you’re in season training, you get 20 hours a week for practice per NCAA rules,” Cutter says. “When you’re out of season, it’s eight hours per work so it’s not as mentally taxing.” Cutter says track and field go into a full time practice of 20 hours per week at the beginning of the school year and their first competition will not be until the middle of December. “We get to the middle of October and they’ve been training hard now for several months with no real goal in sight because the next competition is so far away,” Cutter says. “So just trying to keep things fresh, keep them motivated, trying to avoid overtraining because I get so much time with them.” Harker and Cutter’s job also requires music selection to keep athletes motivated through workouts. Harker holds an eclectic taste in music and will usually put Pandora on a shuffle. “I try not to have one genre playing the whole time cause then someone will always complain,” Harker says. “I feel like I veto most other people’s music choices, but on a day to day, in my opinion, if I’m going to be here 15 hours a day, I want to listen to what I want to listen to.”
and tie for an extended period of time,” Harker says. “Getting ready in the morning is probably less than five minutes.” Cutter enjoys the variety of athletes she gets to work with and different backgrounds, such as working with someone from Canada versus someone from New Orleans. “I get to work with so many athletes during the day from helping out with football and guys just love coming in and smashing weights versus the challenge of getting an athlete who has never lifted before and teaching them,” Cutter says. Ultimately, the job offers unique opportunities and perspectives. Harker says getting to travel with football and seeing some of the most beautiful stadiums in the country is also a perk, but ultimately it is the athlete’s growth and development over the years that proves most rewarding. “There’s nothing better than seeing a kid come in as a freshman and seeing all the perceived limitations they have for themselves and then see them break through those and grow and develop.”
As for the best parts of the job, Harker and Cutter indicate there are many. “I can’t remember the last time I put on a suit
Miami athlete lifts to stay in shape for season.
Decemeber 29
sports & fitness
sports & fitness sports & fitness
The Spirit of Miami
A look into the male cheerleading experience
The male Miami cheerleaders stand united.
BY MEREDITH HUGHES
PHOTOS BY RICARDO TREVINO “I said I wanted to learn how to do a backflip, and they took that as I was coming to practice.” When Eric Rice transferred to Miami University last year as a sophomore, he was recruited for something unusual. Two male cheerleaders recruited Rice to join Miami’s cheerleading squad due to his body strength and interest in learning how to backflip. “I had never thought about cheerleading until I came to Miami,” Rice says. “But I went to one practice and it just clicked. It wasn’t as much of recruiting but getting conned into it for me, but I’m glad they did.” Junior Jeff Stagnaro was recruited this fall by his friends’ urging. “I hadn’t considered it as an actual possibility to cheer because it had never occurred to me that I could do that,” Stagnaro says. “But [I was] convinced to go to a practice and it was fun.” Due to the lack of experienced male cheerlead-
30 December
sports & fitness ers, men are recruited differently than women for the team. “Guys can come at any time, really, but for the girls there are specific tryouts,” Rice says. “There’s more room to improve for guys than girls because the girls have been doing it for a lot longer.” The men who are interested in cheer usually do not have a background, unlike their female counterparts, Rice explains. Freshman cheerleader Morganne Goehler says they will take any men who exhibit the right characteristics and can learn quickly. “Guys can learn tumbling within a day,” Goehler says. “Which makes me jealous, because guys are so much stronger and it takes a lot longer for girls.” Rice said he felt unexpectedly nervous during his first experience stunting. “The first time I was pretty nervous because it’s so different, you’re literally holding someone above you,” Rice says. Stagnaro thinks the female cheerleaders hide their nerves well when they are stunting. “I think that they are a little bit nervous about you tossing them up in the air with little experience,” Stagnaro says. Stagnaro is gaining confidence in his cheerleading abilities as the season continues. “Now I’m confident that even if something does mess up I’m going to catch them coming down, but definitely at first I was nervous,” Stagnaro says. Goehler enjoys the dynamic the men bring, citing stunting as a major focal point of a coed squad. “It really gets the crowd involved during the games,” Goehler says. “All girl squads can stunt, but it is more difficult.” For Rice and Stagnaro, who both played varsity sports in high school, it took time to adjust to the cheer atmosphere. “It’s just a whole different way to look at it,” Rice says. “We’re now on the sidelines cheering for those sports that we used to play.” Even though the men are not playing the sports, they still feel the
competitive atmosphere. “I still see it as competitive because I try to push myself,” Rice says. “It’s a different type of competition that’s nothing like I’ve ever experienced.” Stagnaro enjoyed the transition from contact sports and competing against other athletes to cheering, where one competes against one’s self. “It’s fun to have something to keep working at,” Stagnaro says. “Trying to get better and keep setting new goals to get to.” Rice says members of the squad push each other to be better, which also feeds into the competition. Although Rice and Stagnaro enjoy this new type of competition, they are both looking forward to when the squad will compete at a national level. Lack of male cheerleaders in the past made the team ineligible for competitions. Competing nationally would bring scholarships, a privilege the team would appreciate. The team also lacks the ability to schedule for classes in advance like other varsity athletes. Despite these current differences, Rice and Stagnaro believe they are treated on par with the other varsity athletes on campus, socially and by Miami’s Athletic Department. “For the most part, people’s first reaction is kind of surprised, but they think it’s cool,” Stagnaro says. “Other than my friends who joke about it, people usually think it’s cool,” Rice says. “I’ve never been made fun of in a serious way. There are lots of harmless jokes, but for the most part people seem to find it interesting.” Rice is appreciative of the treatment the squad receives from the athletic department. “I think that we are treated very well for what cheerleading is and what we do,” Rice says. “Overall, the athletic department definitely looks out for us. The fact that we are still allowed to travel is big, because they can take that away, and they have in the past.” Traveling is one of Rice’s favorite experiences.
According to Rice, cheering is a large time commitment. The men practice three times a week, lift twice a week, and have game day. Stagnaro echoes Rice on the extensive time commitment of the squad. “Even on weekends when we don’t travel, game day is an all day thing,” Stagnaro says. The cheerleaders work out with a trainer at Miami’s Walter L. Gross Jr. Family Student-Athlete Development Center alongside the other varsity athletes. “It’s intense, they push us,” Stagnaro says. “It’s a lot nicer than going to the Rec, so we’re thankful for it.” When Rice tore his Labrum in his right shoulder last February, every stride was taken to ensure that he was brought back to full capacity. “They were very helpful and interested in getting me back to one hundred percent,” Rice says. “They definitely were on top of that, which I’m very thankful for.” Now that the season is in full swing and Rice is cleared to cheer, his most enjoyable memory thus far was cheering with the alumni during the Homecoming game. The alumni threw stunts with the squad during the third quarter, turning it into a competition with the Akron cheerleaders. Rice recollects on when a Miami alumni won and a celebration broke out in the stands. Stagnaro and Rice loved the enthusiasm from the homecoming game and the support of the alumni and students. “It was funny and cool because it really showed that the crowd appreciated it, which is why we’re there,” Rice says. Yet ultimately, Rice’s favorite part of being a member of the squad is having a team that is so close. Stagnaro says the squad’s work ethic and camaraderie makes male cheerleading enjoyable, with practices filled with jokes, fun and whole lot of cheering.
“We are put up in the hotel with the team and we get a food stipend so Friday night before the game we’ll go out for dinner,” Rice says.
Decemeber 31
sports & fitness
crossfit explodes on the oxford scene
32 December
sports & fitness
BY JORDAN RINARD
PHOTOS BY RYAN HEBEIN
Crossfit 1809, Oxford’s new hotspot to learn burpees, pistols, and thrusters, located on South Beech Street near Kroger, is exploding onto the workout scene.
Fellow gym member Blaine Bollenbach states that Crossfit enables members to take part in things they cannot necessarily do in a regular gym.
Crossfit 1809 encourages a particular kind of Crossfit training that incorporates varied, general movements performed at high intensity.
He feels Miami University’s recreation center does not have the coaches like the ones at Crossfit 1809. This creates a lack of encouragement and emphasis on a healthy lifestyle. Bollenbach believes Crossfit offers more than what you can accomplish in a gym: going beyond lifting weights or cardio.
The workout can be done at one’s own pace so that someone who might be less advanced in a particular exercise will not feel pressured to keep up with more seasoned members. The measurable exercise allows members and coaches to track the progress of an individual’s performance through the records kept in the member’s personal journal, which is provided by Crossfit 1809.
”It’s a full roundabout way of being healthy,” Bollenbach says.
For seven workout sessions a month, the gym charges $99. A member can also purchase unlimited sessions for $149. The other option for students is the Rec Center, where usage fees fall into tuition cost. Additionally, the Rec Center is located on campus, whereas Crossfit 1809 may be a further walk for students who still live in residence halls. Crossfit 1809 offers many options for students and members of the Oxford community who want a full-body, holistic approach to health and exercise.
With 25 members, Crossfit 1809 is still trying to find its niche in the Oxford area.
Manager and head coach Seneca Seley says Crossfit 1809 provides an all-encompassing kind of Crossfit. “[The workout] is about all-around fitness,” Seley says. “We do anything and everything to improve fitness. It covers a broad range.” Crossfit also emphasizes good nutrition as a part of its program. This complements the workouts by making sure the members are taking in the food they need, without overconsumption, to complete the workout. Seley says the gym emphasizes a cordial atmosphere for the members. “We’re trying to build a community of friendship,” Seley says. “People help each other and coach each other [in the gym] which is what we want.” Miami University senior Mike Vidmar speaks highly of the familial nature of the gym and its members. “The support system that we have here helps us surpass what we did previously,” Vidmar says. Vidmar believes any age can accomplish the challenging Crossfit exercises. “If you can’t do max on a workout, that’s okay,” Vidmar says. “Our coaches will work with you.” An 1809 Crossfit athlete performs a kettlebell exercise.
Decemeber 33
sports & fitness
MQ Superlatives Four hockey players weigh in on which teammate is most likely…
Athlete
…To be on The Food Network
…To be the next …To be the next CEO of Apple Johnny Depp
…To be on the cover of “Men’s Health” Magazine
AUSTIN CZARNIK JUNIOR SPORT LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
Ryan McKay He always loves his food and making sure he finishes every last bite of each meal. He’s also the Pitmaster when grilling food.
Cody Murphy He’s a wizard on the computer. He excels in my IMS class while two of us struggle.
MICHAEL MOONEY SOPHOMORE SPORT LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
Ryan McKay He has the most sophisticated taste on the team and has special requests at every restaurant.
Johnny Wingels Ben Paulides He is easily the smartest He is the most into movies and most technologically and production. advanced kid on our team.
Ryan McKay He sets the bar for nutrition and exercise on our team.
BEN PAULIDES JUNIOR INTERDISCIPLINARY BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
Ryan McKay He loves buying, cooking and consuming all things edible. He once cooked me a Cornish game hen that was outrageous.
Max Cook The kid’s a genius. He created an algorithm that tracks lunar cycles in association with the price of deep-sea tuna. It made a fortune on the commodities exchange.
Blake Coleman He has so many supplements in his room that his body would stay embalmed for a year should he pass tomorrow. Just joking, but he’s chiseled when he doesn’t eat cheese.
ALEX WIDEMAN JUNIOR SPORT LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
Ryan McKay He loves food and loves to cook.
Max Cook Ben Paulides He’s a very smart guy and is He thinks he’s a good-lookinto technology. ing guy and he loves movies.
34 December
Matt Caito Honestly, I don’t know why I’m putting him. I figured he would like to be one of these answers.
Jimmy Mullin The most dramatic man I know. I’m actually constructing a screenplay where he’s the central anti-hero.
Ryan McKay He eats healthy, but unfortunately his body doesn’t show that.
Michael Mooney He has so many vitamins and he only eats healthy.
opinion J Crew U – Are you asking Santa to bring you all your favorite Miami brands for Christmas this year? After getting a semester under their belts and noticing all of the trends and styles worn on campus, new students may find themselves asking for some pretty specific items this year. We tend to see many Miami students rocking the same looks, such as the typical fall girl outfit, leggings, sweaters and riding boots. Or for the men, button-ups, khakis and boat shoes. Both are classic Miami looks that many of us may have adopted. Junior Matt Stevenson explains how the classy Miami styles got the best of him in the beginning of his freshman year. “I used my Dad’s credit card and found myself spending $943.00 within a two week time-span, on things I saw around campus that I liked,” Stevenson says. “I thought, okay I need this now, I need that now, and I need to catch up with the culture.” Stevenson says he was attracted to all of the different brands worn on campus that he never knew about in high school. He saw guys wearing Apex Bionic North Face jackets and had to order one online even before Christmas came around.
Ditching the Cargos at
CHRISTMAS
BY MARANDA BAILO
PHOTO BY SAM KERMODE
Senior Zak Henderson models his Miami attire.
“I didn’t buy certain things to fit in at Miami, I bought them because seeing what everyone was wearing gave me this new and creative outlook on my style,” Stevenson says.
everywhere. I now like the idea of buying better quality items, even if they are more expensive, because I know that they’ll last throughout college.
After three years at Miami, Stevenson says he’s a little sick of seeing the same brands everywhere. He now tries to buy things that not everyone else has. As a member of ROTC, Stevenson is required to wear his uniform at least twice a week so on his off days, he likes to dress differently.
Last Christmas morning I happened to unwrap a Vineyard Vines hat and a Patagonia fleece—I’m so Miami. Funny thing is I didn’t even ask for these. Turns out my brother, who also attends Miami, thought I could use a little Fashion 101 advice. Sophomore Jess Robinson also admits she conformed to the Miami clothing culture but says she still keeps a little “Jess” in everything she wears.
You can look around in class and probably spot multiple Longchamp bags, Hunter boots, Patagonia vests, and Southern Tide hats. And it’s not a rare occasion when the kid next to you is wearing colored pants and L.L. Bean boots with a backwards baseball cap. Safe to say, I hopped on the Miami bandwagon myself last fall break, when I bought a couple pairs of riding boots and some Lululemon yoga pants (which I now wear practically every day). It’s not that I thought I needed certain clothes to “fit in” at Miami, but I admired the way that these styles looked after seeing them
“Right away I realized I needed riding boots, so I bought two pairs when I went home for break,” Robinson says. And although she never wore leggings in high school because she found them a little risqué and inappropriate, Robinson says she now wears them constantly, as long as her shirt hangs long enough. She also bought puffy winter vests after seeing girls wearing them around campus.
Many feel that the homogeneity of the clothing on campus here at Miami is a sad manifestation of an overwhelming need to conform. But I think the clothing that defines Miami’s culture is something to embrace, something silly and fun, not a serious problem to debate. I laugh at myself when I put on my riding boots, leggings, and Patagonia fleece, and I see the humor in a horde of boys in pastel shorts or girls in puffy black parkas. I embrace the small differences that make each of our wardrobes our own, but in a funny way, I also feel a sense of solidarity when I’m on campus with thousands of students who have come to share a sense of style. So whether you find yourself leaving your cargo shorts at home next semester and returning to school with some salmon-colored khakis, or a black North Face parka, don’t feel like you’re conforming to some unspoken rule of Miami. Laugh instead—it’s funny to think about how quickly we find our wardrobes evolving after we get the hang of the Miami culture.
Decemeber 35
opinion
TRANSITIONING WITH CUBA BY THEODORA DELLAS
Cuba. It’s an island country that many of us have grown up thinking of as far away, exotic, perhaps even imaginary, as if it hasn’t ever really existed. And yet it’s hardly far away—fewer than 100 miles from the southern tip of Florida. And it is, in fact, a very real place, as solid in its reality as our own campus. So, why, I asked myself after reading about the winter term study abroad trip “Cuba in Transition,” is it so strange to consider the possibility of going there? Why, I asked, did my mother and her sister respond to the trip with confusion and skepticism? As I thought about these reactions to the discovery of an educational visit to Cuba, I became increasingly enthusiastic about the idea of seeing the small country transition from obscurity to international relevance. Cuba was closed off to American travelers from 1960 following the Communist Party’s assumption of leadership in 1959 up until just two years ago, in 2011. This knowledge helped explain why the concept of traveling to Cuba seemed so strange and, frankly, said my aunt, “pointless.” Most of our parents grew up in a time when Cuba was simply not a desirable destination. The
36 December
law made traveling there difficult, and it was also presented as a nation that you just didn’t want to see. This winter term study abroad opportunity, presented by the Latin American Studies department, seeks to provide students with an understanding of Cuba in the contemporary world, and explore its developing relationships with the United States and, indeed, the world at large. Cuba isn’t the same country that our parents grew up thinking it was. I think that we need to recognize this, and realize that our generation needs to open our minds to Cuba’s entry into international relations that it has been so closed off from for so many years. It will certainly be a long journey for the small island country to leave its Cold War persona behind in favor of a contemporary society, but it will be the job of our generation, not our parents’, to watch this transition and to support the growing freedom of a people long oppressed under a communist regime. This study abroad opportunity is, in my opinion, an incredible way for students to experience this once off-limits country in its new state as a nation open to change. The trip, led by Juan Carlos Albarran and Melanie Ziegler, will encourage
students to explore a variety of cultural topics, from politics to music, economics and literature. Although the 2014 trip is now closed to applicants, I think it’s important that we all know about it and its implications. If you’re still asking yourself why you should’ve considered visiting Cuba of all places, instead of France or Italy or England, then you’re missing the point of the trip—I believe that the opportunity to visit Cuba is just as great as the opportunity to visit any of the more popular European countries offered as study abroad destinations. Although Paris, Rome and London are built on rich histories entirely worth learning about, Cuba is a nation built on just as rich of a history that has seen incredible change, and that will change even more drastically over the next century. Traveling to small developing nations like Cuba is something that I believe we as students need to embrace with more enthusiasm than we are often inclined to, because we’re going to watch these countries undergo some of their most important and dramatic transitions. It’s absolutely necessary for us to possess an understanding of these countries’ journeys into the contemporary international sphere.
opinion
Social Media Addicts
Are we living our lives 140 characters at a time? BY WILL TUCKER
Hang on a second, let me just finish this tweet!” A couple years ago it would have been, “Hang on! Let me finish this text.” My, oh my, how the social media world is upon us. We live in a world full of LOL and TTYL, but is all of this really bringing us closer together or just closer to our iPhones? First it was Myspace, then Facebook, and now it’s Twitter, but Facebook is still hanging in there! And yeah, Myspace... That was a thing, I think? For those of you that forgot about your Myspace account until just now, you might want to consider deleting that. Yeah, you’re welcome. I know what you’re thinking: who is this hypocrite? Well, easy there. Yes, I have a Twitter account and yes, I have a Facebook. Myspace, you ask? Never heard of it! I rarely use my Twitter account; less than 300 tweets and proud of it! Most of them are to Daniel Tosh and Mark Phillips. A couple of weeks ago was the first time I logged into my Facebook account in well over a year. Sure enough, there she was (my profile that is). The same as I left her. All 900 and some friends. Pretty solid number, right? Except when you consider that I only talk to about 10 on a regular basis! How many of your hundreds of friends do you interact with regularly? I hear the phrase “Facebook me” almost every day. That’s right. Facebook is a verb now, just like Google. Don’t get me wrong, social media does have its advantages. Networking can be achieved on Facebook. Catching up with old friends 10 or 15 years after college is common too. But now social media has us live tweeting during live television shows. They want to hear from us. They want us to feel valued and heard. And as I’m sure you all know, businesses like to promote themselves on Facebook too… Right there on the side of the page. Any recent Google searches will pop up there. Nifty, right? Nay.
I’m just trying to Facebook message my brother about his basketball game. I’m not interested in checking my credit score for only $9.99! And then there are the relationships. Oh, relationships. When a relationship ends with a nasty break up, what happens? Defriending on Facebook, of course! It only seems logical. And the exact opposite is true when a couple decides they are serious enough about each other, and decide to make it known. I mean after all, it’s only real once its, “Facebook Official,” right?! But seriously, think about it. How often does this happen? All the time. It’s like a virtual promise ring. Creeping on pictures. Let’s think about this. A person can easily spend 30 minutes or more looking through a photo album of their friend’s trip to Cancun. At that point they’re basically living someone else’s life through their own pictures! Instead of spending so much time on Facebook, we should probably spend more time developing our professional accounts such as LinkedIn. On that note, if you do decide to utilize LinkedIn don’t let all of your hard work be degraded by pictures from Friday afternoon’s shenanigans at Beat the Clock! Privacy settings are a great thing. What’s the irony in all of this? While writing this piece I have become distracted at least five times by Facebook and Twitter. Who would have guessed? My challenge for you, should you choose to accept, is to deactivate your Facebook or Twitter account for an entire semester, from the day before the first day of class to your last final. You would be surprised at how quickly you get over the urge to log on. You’d be surprised at how much time you wasted. You’re going to be so much more productive now! Who am I kidding? You’ll just find something else to procrastinate with. Sporcle or Netflix or Call of Duty. Name your poison! And for the record, Vines are just downright hilarious. End of story. Oh and don’t forget to Facebook me!
Decemeber 37
opinion
38 December
opinion
Environmental Losses for Political Gains BY AMANDA SCHUMAKER
PHOTO BY RIANNE VANDERVOORT
Delegates to the United Nations Climate Change Conference met in Warsaw, Poland last month to continue negotiations toward reaching an agreement on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the global temperature increase. The conditions of a final global climate change agreement are expected to be ratified in 2015 at the Paris conference. For starters, delegates should discuss how the world’s conflicts are leading to the loss of thousands of acres of unique habitats. I recently had the opportunity to work with ABC News correspondent William Blakemore on his three-day lecture series at Miami that discussed how different fields can approach global warming, particularly psychology, journalism and film. For seven months I researched everything from Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, the amount of coverage news organizations devote to climate change and a lot of science that I didn’t quite understand when I first started out. Somewhere in the midst of all of this research, I came to the conclusion that there is more than just carbon dioxide emissions and deforestation causing climate change. The need to gain and maintain authority of a region or nation and the desire to earn a few dollars provoke individuals and entire nations to destroy land. Millions of people are displaced from their homes and millions of plants and animals are being killed by greed. Little is being done to stop it. One individual on my environmental enemies list that everyone is most familiar with is
Saddam Hussein. While we are all familiar with his ties to al-Qaeda and his suspected use of chemical weapons, most of us don’t know that he destroyed 7,700 square miles of marshlands and forced more than 250,000 people from their homes, according to the New York Times. From 1991 to 1997, he ordered the construction of dams and canals that drained the Kirmashiya Marsh and then ordered the area poisoned and burned. He salted the land, an act that will prevent new life for decades to come. The marsh, roughly the size of New Jersey and once an important stopover for migratory birds and a breeding habitat for Persian Gulf fisheries, was reduced to dust. All of this was just to retaliate against the Marsh Arabs for a Shiite uprising and destroy rebel hideouts. In 2004, Iraqi engineers began breaking dams and levees to reflood the Kirmashiya Marsh. Now, the Marsh Arabs are slowing returning to their home but the water quality is poor and it will be many years before the vegetation and wildlife return to normal, if they ever do. Another on my list is China. China invaded its northern neighbor, Tibet, in 1950 and has since officially claimed the country. Following the invasion, Chinese rulers quickly found out that Tibet was home to an environment that was very much still in a pristine and natural state. In 1949, according to the Washington Post, Tibet’s forests covered nearly 140,000 square miles, a patch of land the size of Montana. In 1995, over half of that had been cut down and transported for China to use as an export. Devastating erosion, landslides and soil degradation followed.
More than 30 species in the area have since become endangered, including the indigenous snow leopard. In 1996, world leaders realized that Tibet was facing an extreme environmental crisis. Australia hosted an international conference on the issue that led to a slow and enduring process of restoring the forests in Tibet. The Tibetan deforestation and the draining of the Kirmashiya Marsh are just two examples of many environmental insensitivities. During the time that I spent working with Blakemore, I learned that there is one thing he says to sum up every unfortunate or upsetting event. We would be discussing something and without warning he would exclaim, “HUMANS!” At first I thought this seemed rather silly and I often laughed when I heard it, but the more I thought about the meaning behind the exclamation and the things I’ve both seen and read about, it made perfect sense. Everyone is looking out for themselves, wanting more money, more land, more power… And often when that happens, innocent people, places and things suffer. If the delegates at these climate change conferences really want to make a difference, they should find a way to hold people accountable for the relentless annihilation of the world’s precious habitats.
Decemeber 39
opinion
Top Ten Resolutions You Should Make but Never Will 10.stock your fridge with solids, not liquids
9.
Keep up that Victoria’s Secret fashion show insprired workout past February
8. 7. 6.
Give up late night Will’s, Bagel & Deli &Jimmy Johns
Study more, go out less AVOID NETFLIXING AND FACEBOOKING AT KING
5.
Refrain from Instagramming yet another picture of McCracken, Upham and FSB...in the snow
4. Smile about attending every recruitment activity
3. Find the cure for senioritis 2.
Update your LinkedIn, find an internship, find a job, becime CEO
40 December
1.
try to be as cool as the mq editors
Pi Kappa Alpha brothers Justin Waugh, Will Kenyon and Thomas Reese enjoy MQ from atop the Pike firetruck.
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Decemeber 41
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42 December