Pride crosswalk removals draw criticism across Florida
By Ariana Glaser Contributing Writer
Following a federal directive to remove “political” or “non-uniform” road art, the Florida Department of Transportation painted over Delray Beach’s pride-themed intersection. This crosswalk is the most recent of several state-wide pavement markings to be painted over.
The removal follows a series of anti-LGBTQ+ reforms by Governor Ron Desantis in tandem with President Donald Trump. Three weeks ago, an Orlando rainbow crosswalk was painted over by FDOT officials in the late hours of Aug. 21.
The FDOT said its primary goal was to ensure “roadways are not utilized for social, political
or ideological interests” as part of an overall initiative “to ensure the safety and consistency of public roadways and transportation systems.”
The Orlando crosswalk, created in 2017, honored the victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting that resulted in 49 fatalities and 53 injuries.
“This callous action of hastily removing part of a memorial to what was at the time our nation’s largest mass shooting, without any supporting safety data or discussion, is a cruel political act,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer in a social media statement. “While this crosswalk has been removed, our community’s commitment to honoring the 49 can never be erased.”
Athena Pacanins, a senior studying modern artist development and entrepreneurship at UM, is a Miami native
who emphasized the importance of the crosswalk art for the greater queer community. Pacanins identifies as bisexual and voiced that the removal of these crosswalks feels like “going backwards.”
Many Orlando residents agreed; the following day, members of Florida’s queer community gathered to “re-paint” the memorial with colored chalk and continued to “repaint” each time the rain washed their efforts away. Using black paint, transportation officials repainted the crosswalk on Aug. 25. Additionally, Orlando police are now patrolling the scene.
“Queer people will never be erased, no matter how hard you try,” said Pacanins. “If you start a fight, expect to be met with an even bigger fight.”
Florida announces intention to end vaccine requirements
By Daniella Krasney News Editor
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo announced during a press conference on Sept. 3 that they intend to make Florida the first state to end all vaccine requirements, including for K-12 public schools.
“Who am I to tell you what your child should put into their body? I don’t have that right. Your body is a gift from God,” Ladapo said during the conference. “[The] government does not have that right, even though they want you to believe they do.”
“You have the choice. You can take it or not, but getting vaccinated helps other people.”
Heather Rodriguez Registered Nurse & Law Teacher
Following rounds of applause, Ladapo explained that vaccine mandates are wrong and every one “drips with disdain and slavery.”
As a private University, UM has
its own vaccine policies, which require new students to show proof of vaccination against certain preventable diseases. The University may choose to maintain, modify or even drop vaccine requirements independently of state policies.
Ro Pelaez, a sophomore at UM and graduate of Miami Senior High School is concerned about public safety around Miami.
“While I highly regard individual liberties, I still hold collective safety and security as most important. The lack of vaccine mandate would contradict that,” she said.
Florida school immunization requirements currently include polio, measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox and varicella — diseases that have been largely eliminated in the U.S. because of vaccine development and campaigns.
According to the World Health Organization, vaccines prevent 3.5 million to 5 million deaths every year.
Skepticism of vaccines is at an all-time high following the rapid rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine.
While anti-vaccine activists and political figures like Ladapo argue for bodily autonomy, the US Supreme Court allowed cities to require residents to be vaccinated in Jacobson v Massachusetts in 1905.
Dr. Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, trustee for the American Medical Association, said in a statement that the AMA strongly opposes the plan to end vaccine mandates.
“This unprecedented rollback would undermine decades of public health progress and place children and communities at increased risk for diseases such as measles, mumps, polio and chickenpox resulting in serious illness, disability, and even death,” said Fryhofer.
Continued on page 2.
Almost bare UM food pantry leaves students hungry
By Ate’sia Wallace Contributing Writer
Shelves at the University of Miami Canes Community Food Pantry were nearly empty on Thursday, Sept. 4, and not a single staff member was in the pantry.
The pantry was created by the Student Government Environment & Conservation Organization in 2021 to provide resources for students who may face food insecurity and divert waste from grocery stores. Today, the food pantry, — located in Lakeside Village room 1054, — relies on donations from Good Samaritan Meals and the UM community.
The hours are Monday to Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m and Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
According to Temple University, 3.9 million undergraduates in the U.S. experience food insecurity. Frontiers in Public Health reported that col-
lege students who experience food insecurity often have challenges that are significant enough to reduce their likelihood of graduating by 42%.
Several frustrated students waited inside in the pantry, some for several hours, uncertain whether anyone would come to assist them. At closing time, students were met with the lights going down and the door automatically locking at 7 p.m. while their hunger continued.
“I’m not surprised. I used to come last year. I would leave with soda, ramen noodles and sometimes bread,” said Dewan Tauhid Rahman, a graduate student at UM. “There were no vegetables or meat.”
According to the Canes Community Food Pantry website and multiple emails to graduate students, the pantry should have resumed regular operations on Aug. 19, the first day of class.
The University of Miami Division of Student Affairs responded with a statement to The Miami Hurricane that the pantry is not currently entirely operational, contradicting the website.
HEAD TO HEAD:
By Keira Faddis Co-Opinion Editor
By Paulina Barnjak & Ariana Glaser Co-Opinion Editor & Contributing Writer
By Vivian Amoia Contributing Writer
“At this time, the Canes Community Food Pantry is not fully operational, as the Division of Student Affairs is in the final stages of hiring student employees to help stock, maintain, and accept donations for the pantry,” the University Division of Student Affairs said. “Typically, the pantry receives about 40 visitors each week with a large increase in visitors during midterm and final exams.”
In addition to staffing issues and the lack of food, some of the food in the pantry was past the expiration date. Some examples are an Outshine brand smoothie that was dated Dec. 2024 and even a container of unidentified brown, separated food.
Continued on page 2.
By Bella Armstrong Contributing Writer
Ate’sia Wallace // Contributed Photo
The empty shelves of the University of Miami ’Canes Community Food Pantry on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025.
Lorelei DiSanto Staff Photographer Rainbow crosswalk located on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach.
Ate’sia Wallace // Contributed Photo A smoothie dated to expire in Dec. 2024 pictured in the University of Miami ’Canes Community Food Pantry on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025.
Sovannreach Po Graphics Editor
UM student groups host events in remembrance of 9/11
By Gianni Echeverria Contributing Writer
University of Miami students and organizations honored the memory of the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001, 24 years after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City.
Student organizations, including UM College Republicans, Hillel and ROTC, each had their own unique remembrance of 9/11.
Hillel, a Jewish organization on campus, organized a volunteering event. Students and faculty of Hillel assembled gift bags flled with various snacks and candies and later handed them out to the UM police and Coral Gables fre stations.
“We have a volunteering initiative,” said Sabrina Shapsis, a sophomore and intern of service at Hillel. “We’re packing snacks and food into bags with notes thanking people who provide service, so the UM police and the fre department, in commemoration of 9/11.”
The UM College Republicans also hosted an event in remembrance of 9/11.
On Sept. 10, at 8:30 p.m., Students gathered around the U statue to hear remarks from the executive board before placing American fags in the area behind the statue.
“By planting 2,977 fags, we honor each individual whose life was taken on 9/11,” said Joey Insinna, an executive board member of the UM College Republicans. “We ensure that even 24 years later, our campus community pauses to refect, remember, and never forget.”
On Sept. 6, ROTC students led a 9.11-mile “Ruck to Remember,” a memorial run dedicated to the victims of 9/11. A group of more than 150 people completed this run while carrying 35-pound rucksacks.
In an interview with Local 10 News, Ricardo Cisneros, ROTC member and assistant professor at UM, said that “Paying tribute to the service members, carrying the weight,” got him through the ruck. “People say never forget. But as time passes we have to keep on remembering why we do what we do.”
Events at the University of Miami echoed remembrance ceremonies across the country, from reading the names at the 9/11 memorial in New York City to a presidential speech at the Pentagon.
Nearly empty UM food pantry leaves students hungry
By Ate’sia Wallace Contributing Writer
Continued from page 1.
Masters student Jennifer Lee says that walking into the pantry, the University’s priorities felt misplaced.
“You cannot advertise stuff like this and have absolutely nothing and no one in here. It frustrates me,” Lee said. “When I walked to get here, I passed the nail and hair beauty salon, like, ok, that’s nice, but like, why is that a priority over
literal food? Then this place isn’t welcoming, it looks like a closet compared to everything else at this campus.”
Not having access to a fully-stocked pantry isn’t just an issue at UM. Nearly one in 11 people around the world goes to bed hungry each night, according to World Hunger Facts.
“I was just about to [fill out] the food stamps application, now I’m even more worried after seeing [the pantry],” said Lee.
Despite students waiting in an almost bare, unstaffed pantry for hours, The University of Miami
said in a statement to The Hurricane that student attendants are in the pantry most of the time and stock the pantry weekly.
“The pantry is stocked weekly by student employees thanks to philanthropic support from generous University of Miami alumni and friends, as well as donations from student organizations and local charities. During most operating hours, a student attendant is in the pantry. Safe food consumption rules are posted throughout the pantry,” The University Division of Student Affairs said.
Florida announces intention to end vaccine requirements
By Daniella Krasney News Editor
Continued from page 1.
“While there is still time, we urge Florida to reconsider this change to help prevent a rise of infectious disease outbreaks that put health and lives at risk.”
Despite being largely eliminated, measles cases in Florida reappeared this summer. Florida has one of the lowest measles vaccination rates in the country at 88.1%. According to the CDC, 95% of the population must be vaccinated to reach herd immunity, which not only lowers the incidence of infection but protects vulnerable people who cannot be vaccinated.
Heather Rodriguez, a registered nurse and law teacher at South Dade Senior High School, said that her experiences with students and patients underscore her position of supporting vaccines.
“Every time we’re starting back at school or coming back from a break after summer or holidays we inevitably have a lot of people that are already sick,” she said. “A lot of [preventable] diseases, we don’t see for a reason. I would like to keep it that way.” Rodriguez agrees that getting vaccinated to ultimately provide herd immunity is the best option.
“You have the choice. You can take it or not but getting vaccinated helps other people,” she said. “We’ve eradicated these horrible, horrible illnesses and they need to stay that way.”
The University of Miami did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
“We’ve eradicated these horrible, horrible illnesses and they need to stay that way.”
Heather Rodriguez Registered Nurse & Law Teacher at South Dade Senior High School
Gen Z leads shift from alcohol to wellness culture
By Vivian Amoia Contributing Writer
Gen Z is showing a signifcant decrease in alcohol consumption with health and wellness on the rise.
According to EatingWell, a new study recently linked drinking to cancer, liver damage and mental health issues like anxiety, depression and psychosis.
Another study by the Washington Post found that “heavy drinkers had 133 percent higher odds of developing vascular brain lesions than those who never drank.” People, especially Gen Z, are beginning to recognize these dangers on a more serious level.
“People are being more present in their health and actively trying to fnd ways to feel, look, and be their best,” said graduate student Allison St.Clair, who is studying health equity and human rights at UM. “So when you assess all life factors, you have to take into account alcohol, if you drink, and people are realizing it really isn’t doing them well.”
Data on alcohol consumption over the past two decades has shown that the number of 18 to 34 year-olds who drink has decreased from 72% to 62%. Alcohol abstinence among college students rose from 20% in 2002 to 28% in 2018.
Rainbow
“I like to know where my senses are. I like to go out and have fun but never lose my senses,” says Emma Balleste, a broadcast journalism major at UM. “I love that I can have beautiful moments with my friends and family and not need to resort to drinking.”
Recent 2024 data according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that roughly 50% of fulltime college students abstained from alcohol in the past month. Based on early 2025 data, this trend seems to align with an increasing number of sober adults.
Organizations, schools and online infuencers continue to work to educate students about the dangers of alcohol abuse.
At the University of Miami, admitted students are required to take a compliance course upon admission that uses student-driven narratives to promote alcohol prevention education. This course covers topics like short and long-term effects, benefts of abstaining and tools to begin a sober journey.
Jessica Valdes, a broadcast journalism major at the UM says, “I still have
“The Sandler Center provides alcohol and other drug education through our outreach and training and harm reduction tools through our safety kit program... all free to students.”
Jordan Coello
Asst. Dean of Students & Director of the Sandler Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Education
really funny moments that a lot of people say they have while being under the infuence. If I’m still having a good time, I don’t see how being drunk or drinking could add to my experiences.”
The Sandler Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Education is a program on campus that focuses on promoting a healthy lifestyle. They look to educate students about the negative consequences of drug and alcohol use.
“The Sandler Center provides alcohol and other drug education through our outreach and training and harm reduction tools through our safety kit program such as drink covers, substance testing strips, and Narcan, all free to students,” said Jordan Coello, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of the Sandler Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Education.
Reasons for the decrease
Young adults are beginning to adopt a healthier lifestyle. They are beginning workout routines, eating on a diet and avoiding putting harmful toxins into their bodies, like alcohol. Gen Z has started to notice the benefts of excluding alcohol from their diets as well. Improved sleep, lower cholesterol, reduced blood pressure, increased energy, improved liver function and weight loss are all things Gen Z is aiming for.
“I chose to not drink for health reasons, potential risks to my liver and just no desire to in general,” says Dylan Reiss, a fnance major at UM. This ties into increased education regarding alcohol and drugs. Before recent studies and funded programs aimed towards middle-school aged students, people were unaware about how detrimental the consequences of alcohol usage could really be.
Mental health has also been a much bigger topic of conversation over the past years, and people struggling with mental health are more likely to seek help in their community instead of turning to harmful coping methods. Alternatively, people could be trading in alcohol consumption for cannabis use instead. Cannabis has now become legalized in 24 states for recreational use and many who use it may argue it is “less risky” compared to alcohol. There has also been a new surge of alcohol alternatives in the US.
Non-alcoholic spirits and wines have become popular with the creation of brands like Ritual Zero Proof, Seedlip and Free Spirits. Wellness focused drinks like adaptogen-infused drinks, wellness shots and kombucha are also becoming more popular.
Overall, Gen Z has shifted towards a culture of wellness without drinking that should have a positive impact.
chalk art spotted on stairs at UM’s Cox Science
By Ross Kluger Assistant News Editor
The steps of the UM’s Cox Science Building received an unexpected decoration on Monday, Sept. 8. Bright, rainbow-colored chalk markings appeared overnight, sparking curiosity and conversation among students. The Miami Hurricane reached out to multiple campus organizations including SpectrUM, Black Leaders for the Queer Community and The LGBTQ Student Center, inquiring about the artist or the meaning behind the work. Currently, no group or individual has publicly embraced ownership and the artist is still unknown. Lorenzo Cavallino, a sophomore studying industrial engineering, offered his interpretation of the rainbow steps.
“I’ve seen the steps. It’s artistic, I think it’s pleasant to look at. I’m not sure what it’s supposed to mean exactly,” said Cavallino.“I feel like there’s some reason behind it, but we can’t know what the artist intended.”
In recent months, Florida has seen a wave of political legislation aimed at restricting LGBTQ+ rights, including bills that are designed to limit discussions of gender identity and sexuality in schools, as well as proposed policies that affect healthcare for transgender individuals. This comes alongside state-level decisions to erase LGBTQ+ visibility in public spaces, such as the removal of rainbow crosswalks in several Florida cities earlier this year: Fort Lauderdale, Miami Beach, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Pensacola and Key West. Taveion Neisman, a senior at UM,
suggested the art could be interpreted as a form of peaceful protest in light of these events.
“I believe it’s a beautiful testament to the fact that no matter what political legislation that is passed in government, LGBTQ+ individuals have and will continue to exist,” said Neisman. “The LGBTQ+ community has taken too many steps forward to just blatantly accept a step back in recent legislation. It’s a beacon for resilience and determination to create a world where people can love each other both openly and publicly.”
As of Thursday, Sept. 11, the drawing remains intact, continuing to attract students and the UM community to the Cox steps.
Balaj Raza contributed to the reporting of this article.
Building
Gianni Echeverria // Contributed Photo
Fire ghters appreciate the support on ursday, Sept. 11, 2025.
Ate’sia Wallace // Contributed Photo Unidenti ed sealed food cup at the University of Miami ’Canes Community Food Pantry on ursday, Sept. 4, 2025.
Brian Mulvey // Assistant Photo Editor Cox Science Building staircase adorned with a rainbow in protest of the non-uniform crosswalk removal on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025.
Substance Awareness Club teaches students it’s cool to be sober
By Keira Faddis Co-Opinion Editor
UM senior Luke Bell founded the Substance Awareness Club, an endeavor that had been in the works for nearly a year, following his own struggles with substance abuse. After taking a year off of school to seek treatment he is hoping to help others struggling with similar issues.
“I knew that I had some problems in that addiction feld that were unravelling my life and making things kind of a living hell,” Bell said.
Through mentorship and rehabilitation, Bell got back on his feet and took charge of his life. The SAC has already hosted some impactful events in its short time as a club. This school year, Bell is looking to bring his experience to spaces where substances are typically normalized.
“A tailgate at the stadium, club meetings and a trivia night with the Rat,” Bell said. “It would be a lot of fun to rent out a venue, but have it be a sober hangout, where you don’t feel the necessity to drink.”
SAC is also working to partner with Verse, an alcohol alternative beverage company that was founded by UM alumni.
On Substance Awareness Day, Aug. 31, the SAC hosted an event in collaboration with F Fentanyl, another anti-substance student organization, to teach students about the dangers of the deadly drug and how to administer Narcan.
Narcan is a brand name for naloxone, a medication used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose like fentanyl. At Ultra Music festival this year, the Substance Awareness Club passed out Narcan to festivalgoers.
“Showing people how to use Narcan is huge,” Bell said.
Bell described distributing the Narcan and fentanyl testing strips in the pouring rain, but felt that it was worth it to save someone else’s life.
“It was well worth it because you think about whether or not you really saved lives, and it’s the thought that counts,” Bell said.
Along with being the club founder, he is also a mentor and considers himself an “older brother” to students who are looking to become sober. This summer, a worried father reached out to Bell concerning his son’s alcohol habits. Bell connected with the student to mentor him.
“I talked to this kid, fred him up and told him ‘you defnitely don’t need alcohol to have fun.’”
Along with his on campus mentorship, Bell wants to reach a larger audience of people who are ready to get sober. Through fundraising, the SAC is looking to make recovery resources more accessible, especially for those who may not currently have the fnancial means.
“Another goal is to raise money for people who can’t afford rehab, and take that money and have it act as a scholarship fund.
Bell hopes the Substance Awareness Club can continue to inspire others and offer the support he once needed himself. He explained that during his struggles with addiction, a community like this could have made a difference.
“We take everyone, we’re an all inclusive club,” he said. “Sobriety has no boundaries in that sense, it’s just about wanting to learn.”
Bell wants others to be as excited about sobriety as he is.
“[Sobriety] is this whole thing that I’m stoked about. It’s like getting on a wave or hitting a golf club. It looks good on everyone, you just gotta put it on and wear it.”
Sept. 12, 2025.
Rescue a Reef celebrates 10 years of uniting citizens and science
By Martina Pantaleon Senior Sta Writer
In 2014, Dr. Diego Lirman founded Rescue a Reef, the marine conservation program within UM’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science. After 10 years, Rescue a Reef has outplanted 3,985 corals, removed 353.5 lbs of trash and reached thousands of people. Dr. Lirman created the Rescue a Reef project to combat the depletion of Florida’s coral reef tract, a shallow formation near the coast and the worsening of coral bleaching. 90% of Florida’s corals have been bleached, which means their
essential sugars and proteins have been removed. After losing their color, corals become sensitive to disease or starvation, leading to their death.
Originally, Rescue a Reef’s team was just four people: Dr. Diego Lirman, Stephanie Schopmeyer — the lab manager — and two graduate students, Dr. Ford Drury and Dalton James Hesley.
But managing research, event planning and restoration efforts put a lot of pressure on the four-person group.
“It required all of us at that point to be pretty versatile. We had to be scientists, we had to be restoration practitioners, but we also had to be community engagers,” Hesley said. “We had to be science communicators.”
10 years later, Hesley now oversees the restoration program and assists with ongoing lab research. The Rescue a Reef team has continued to grow, employing 17 people in all areas, but its focus is on the community at large.
The heart of Rescue a Reef’s mission is turning community members into “citizen scientists.”
“We want to build a bridge between science and society, specifcally around corals, because we know that they’re hard to access,” Hesley said. “They’re hard to see and appreciate and understand. And so through our programming and projects like that, we hope we can help.”
To encourage citizen involvement, Rescue a Reef takes groups on offshore expeditions to their gardens. There, they take care of a community of corals through the Community Coral Garden Project. Two years ago Rescue a Reef opened the formerly private gardens to the public.
“In our case, divers and snorkelers are able to come on the boat with us, meet our team, hear about our work and then actually help hands-on,” Hesley said. “the public is helping with research.” On land, Rescue a Reef has organized 19 events in the last decade, reaching 4,991 community members.
Rescue a Reef’s participation in the 100 Yards of Hope project, where the NFL sponsored the outplanting of 100 corals to celebrate its 100th season, was one of its biggest crowd engagement events. Some members of Rescue a Reef were featured in the “100 Yards of Hope” documentary.
Besides outplanting, Rescue a Reef offers programs for those too young to dive.
H2O, Hopeful, Healthy Oceans, is a project that combines teaching children about oceanography with creative activities. The project takes place at the Rosenstiel Campus or in partnered schools’ classrooms. Rescue a Reef team members give a brief lesson on corals and then ask students to create art inspired by them.
“Our lab director and the Rescue Program founder, Dr. Lirman, loves art. And so he had always had this vision of combining art and science,” Hesley said.
“We wanted to engage classrooms and communities, specifcally youth, in marine science, in ocean environments, to inspire, to create some creativity through art.”
During the spring semester, the artwork is exhibited at UM’s Lakeside Expo Center.
“It has really been breathtaking, inspiring to see all the beauty that these kids still see in our oceans and it gives us a lot of optimism and motivation to continue fghting for their future,” Dalton said.
For those who have outgrown H2O meetings, there are plenty of events to look forward to.
The UM Scuba club hosts joint expeditions with Rescue a Reef that are open to those who are 18 years or older with a scuba license. If you can’t scuba dive, the club helps members earn their licenses. You can even snorkel on expeditions.
“We probably average two to three [expeditions] each month, with a number of those being open to the public, meaning any single person can sign up. All they have to do is see the announcement and add their name,” Hesley said. Hesley and the rest of the Rescue a Reef team are excited for the decades to follow.
“This is an organization that we’re obviously very proud of and appreciative of all the support that ‘Canes have shown us over the years, hopefully for the next 10 to come as well,” Hesley said.
UM switching from Blackboard to Canvas by Fall 2026
By Ava Krasauskis & Daniella Krasney
Contributing Writer & Co-News Editor
The University of Miami’s Learning Platforms department has announced they are switching from Blackboard Learn to Canvas beginning fall of 2026. “The University of Miami is pleased to announce the transition to Canvas as our next-generation learning management system,” said UM’s Offce of the Provost. “[Student and faculty] insights informed faculty governance’s vote in favor of Canvas, recognizing its ability to better support the University’s evolving academic needs.”
UM’s Information Technology department began a pilot program in fall of 2024, selecting 30 instructors to teach courses on Canvas. Beginning fall of 2025, UM allowed professors to choose between Blackboard and Canvas for their course material. The lack of an offcial announcement left students uncertain about whether a full transition would happen.
Following evaluation, the University found that Canvas satisfed the academic needs of students and staff, joining more than 4,000 universities, school districts and institutions who use the platform. Two UM students expressed divided opinions on this change. Betsy Zales, a junior, said that she welcomes the transition.
“I prefer Canvas,” the junior said. “I used it in high school and currently have a class that has already transitioned. It is much easier to use and makes organizing classwork simple.”
Bernie Kaup, another junior, feels that switching to a new learning management system is unnecessary.
“I’ve been using Blackboard since my freshman year, and I just fnd it more straightforward,” Kaup said. “Canvas feels cluttered to me, and switching between the two platforms this semester has been frustrating. I wish the University would stick with Blackboard.”
For more information about Canvas support and information about the transition, visit the University of Miami Information Technology Department website.
Makena Wong // Photo Editor
University of Miami senior and founder of the Substance Awareness Club Luke Bell on Friday,
Melissa Borges // Sta Photographer An undergraduate student places a coral outplant onto the reef at a Rescue a Reef restoration site on May 24, 2024.
Melissa Borges // Sta Photographer Citizen scientist heps clean coral tree at a Rescue a Reef nursery site on Feb. 27, 2025.
Faith Jimenez // Sta Designer
OPINION
Abortion through a philosophical lens:
IMMORAL MORAL
By Paulina Barnjak Co-Opinion Editor
At its core, abortion is a philo sophical conflict where the values of bodily autonomy and the dignity of human life clash. Understand ing the moral weight of abortion requires us to examine a harder question: Is it ever right to end the life of an innocent human being?
Most people agree that it is wrong to kill innocent human life. The Declaration of Indepen dence says life is an unalienable right, the United Nations Declara tion of Human Rights affirms that “everyone has a right to life” and U.S. criminal laws punish murder as a capital offense.
A fetus is a human, no matter how small
Anti-abortion advocates believe abortion is the killing of an innocent human life. A fetus is a human because it has human DNA and all the characteristics of hu man life. These characteristics are: cellular organization, response to stimuli, reproduction, development, adaptation, metabolism and homeo stasis. A fetus is also innocent because the unborn child did not do anything to justify being killed.
Some abortion rights advocates assert that if an unborn child does not have a heartbeat or cannot maintain a heartbeat on its own, the unborn child is not alive. Five to six weeks into pregnancy, the unborn baby develops a heartbeat, so that argument would not stand after that mark.
This argument also dehumanizes the 3 million people worldwide who cannot maintain a normal heartbeat on their own. This includes those who rely on pacemakers and those who have received heart transplants. Tying the value of life to the ability to maintain one’s own heartbeat excludes a lot of people who many consider alive.
Thomson’s violinist hypothetical
One of the most widely cited arguments by abortion rights supporters is the violinist hypothetical from American philosopher Judith Jarvis Thomson.
In this hypothetical, a person wakes up unwillingly connected by tubes to a famous violinist. If she unplugs herself, the violinist dies. Thomson concludes that it is not immoral for the person to unplug herself from the violinist because the violinist has no rights over another person’s body. Therefore, the argument sustains that abortion is permissible, even if the fetus is a person, because the fetus has no rights over the mother’s body.
The violinist case is a poor analogy to pregnancy. Except in cases of rape, the two people involved in consensual sex know that it could result in pregnancy. The person in the violinist hypothetical did not consent to being hooked up to the violinist.
A mother’s responsibility
American philosopher Dr. Perry Hendricks challenged Thompson’s reasoning in his essay “My body, not my choice.” Hendricks argued that Thomson’s reasoning fails because there are scenarios where the state can rightfully coerce a person to give their body for another’s survival.
Hendricks offers a scenario where a mother has no food for her newborn except her own breastmilk. If she refuses to feed the baby despite being fully capable, this is viewed as immoral and legally punishable. He further imagines a woman who gives birth alone in a remote cabin with sufficient supplies and the ability to produce breastmilk; if she refuses to feed her child, leading to the baby’s death, society would justly regard this as neglect.
Hendricks concludes, “If the state should coerce mothers into feeding their infants, it should (very likely) also coerce pregnant women into continuing to sustain their fetuses.”
Mothers have a unique responsibility toward their unborn children because of the special mother-child relationship and because the mother is the only person capable of maintaining the viability of her child until birth.
The anti-abortion rights position is best encapsulated by a line from Dr. Seuss’s “Horton Hears a Who:” “A person’s a person no matter how small.”
No human’s value should depend on their number of cells or their location inside or outside of the womb. This is a fundamental civil rights issue, and one that our Declaration explicitly names: the right to life.
Enough is enough,
Florida’s anti-health government has got to go
By Emil Salgado Vazquez Staff Writer
Florida’s surgeon general announced earlier this month that the state plans to drop state school vaccine mandates for children, becoming the first state in U.S. history to do this.
This new proposal is unacceptable. A rollback of these mandates allows parents who have been tricked by the anti-vaccine movement to neglect their children’s health and will make more people vulnerable by reducing herd immunity.
A government that does not care about science or its people’s health must be held accountable before it is allowed to harm public health further.
A big factor in the rise of the anti-vaccine movement in the U.S. is the spread of misinformation on social media, something that’s led to many myths surrounding the life-saving shots.
One of the biggest vaccine myths is that vaccines cause autism spectrum disorders. The fraudulent
paper that first claimed this was published in 1998. It turned out to be based on bad science and the authors had major conflicts of interest. The paper was discredited and then retracted by the journal that published it. Later studies found no causal association between ASD and vaccines.
Science shows that refusing to vaccinate your children makes them more likely to contract serious illnesses like tuberculosis, polio and measles with possible complications like pneumonia, blindness, malnutrition and death.
Not only do parents put their children at risk, but they put the health of the people around them at risk. While they may be able to put their unvaccinated children in school in Florida if it scraps the mandates, they will be unable to enroll in schools in any other state. Their children will also face travel restrictions internationally, possibly losing the opportunity to study abroad.
Even if parents do want to keep their kids unvaccinated, vaccine mandates are important to keep everyone safe from serious diseases.
According to the CDC, when more than 95% of people in a community are vaccinated, most people are protected through community immunity, also known as herd immunity.
According to a nationwide study, Florida ranks 45th overall in vaccination rates, and the CDC estimates that only 88.1% of Floridians are vaccinated against measles. With the removal of vaccine mandates, the number of vaccinated people will likely drop even lower, and herd immunity will disappear. This will make everyone more vulnerable to preventable diseases, regardless of vaccination status.
Diseases like polio, measles and smallpox were eradicated by vaccines. Americans today are fortunate to not live in fear of diseases that harmed millions of people every year before vaccines. This achievement is due to the widespread vaccination of people. Without it, preventable diseases will come back.
We have already seen it happen. Earlier this year, the U.S. suffered the worst measles outbreak since the disease was declared eliminated here in 2000. The outbreak began in
By Ariana Glaser Contributing Writer
The overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022 sparked arguments among pro-choice and pro-life advocates. There’s no shortage of loud opinions to be heard — whether from politicians, priests or just about everyone. But, if we set aside personal beliefs and political motivations, we can look toward philosophers as a starting point to find that abortion is com-
Thomson’s defense of
American philosopher Judith Jarvis Thomson argued that abortion is acceptable in her essay, “A Defense of Abortion.” Using persuasive techniques and logic, she draws an argument for abortion as she invites readers to dive into an ethical thought experiment known as “the famous
The woman in the thought experiment was drugged and kidnapped by the society of music lovers, and she is now tethered to a world-famous violinist with a fatal kidney disease. A doctor then explains that the subject’s healthy kidney can heal the violinist, but only if both people remain attached to one another for about 40 weeks.
“We’re sorry the Society of Music Lovers did this to you — we would never have permitted it if we had known,” the doctor explains. “Granted you have a right to decide what happens in and to your body, but a person’s right to life outweighs your right to decide what happens in and to your body. So you cannot be unplugged from him.”
First consider how absurd it would be to link a healthy living person to an unhealthy person for such a duration of time — particularly when realizing the first person wasn’t given a choice in the matter. While the doctor acknowledges that the way this came to be is wrong, he also explains that the second person’s right to live is more important than the first person’s right to comfort.
We need more than a rape exception
Thomson’s experiment is an allusion to children conceived in cases of rape. The standard objection to abortion argues that if someone behaves irresponsibly, like by having unprotected sex, then they are required to deal with the consequences. If we took Thomson’s argument out of the context of her full essay, it’d be fair to say that only in cases where the pregnancy was a direct result of a sexual assault would abortion be permissible.
But a rape exception isn’t enough, because to say a woman must first be violated in order to have control of her own body completely eliminates the vitality of autonomy. Autonomy, according to Immanuel Kant, often regarded as the “father of modern philosophy,” is “therefore the ground of the dignity of human nature and of every rational nature.”
Kant was not speaking directly about abortion, but his ideas have been used in countless explorations of moral obligations regarding pregnancy. Simply put, stating a woman must be violated in order to have control over her own body completely eliminates the vitality of autonomy. As Kant argues, autonomy is not a secondary consideration. It is the entire foundation of the human condition. To minimize our autonomy is to minimize our humanity.
Consider the mother’s wellbeing
Finally, Thomson challenges readers with a second thought experiment. Imagine a mother is an occupant of a tiny house with a rapidly growing child that will ultimately “crush” her. This experiment acts as a metaphor for the physical and mental effects parenting a child can have on the mother. When keeping a child can result in severe psychological damage — or in rare cases like pregnancy-induced sepsis, death — the primary priority must be to consider the welfare of the mother.
Philosopher John Locke influenced Thomas Jefferson to write the phrase “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” as unalienable rights in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. In cases where granting life to another might eliminate a mother’s fundamental rights, terminating a pregnancy constitutes no ethical violation.
Charlotte DeAngelis // Contributing Designer
Texas. 90% of the 1,431 total cases reported were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status, and the CDC confirmed three deaths. These deaths would have surely been preventable by a vaccine that has been proven safe and effective by all major health organizations and that has been used worldwide for more than 60 years.
Matthew Bernard Assistant Graphics Editor
Florida’s Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo is not concerned about the safety of the community or the importance of vaccines for the health of everyone. Instead, he cares more about what he says are the rights of parents to choose to vaccinate their children — ef-
fectively neglecting their own children’s health and endangering the public. He also maintains that vaccine mandates are a “violation” of bodily autonomy and even compared vaccine mandates to the horrors of slavery. Comparing effective vaccine mandates to the tragedies of slavery borders on lunacy.
His position on bodily autonomy is notably inconsistent and political. Just last year, he threatened criminal charges against TV stations for airing ads that urged people to vote for an abortion rights amendment to Florida’s constitution. Apparently, he sees bodily autonomy as irrelevant when it comes to a woman’s right to her own bodily autonomy.
Beyond this, his comments about the government not having the right to mandate vaccinations fly in the face of clear Supreme Court precedent. The Court has repeatedly held that governments may establish vaccine mandates, even over religious objections.
Florida’s neglect of public health and of children’s safety is now in our hands. We cannot continue voting for a government that does not care about scientific fact and passes policies that make us vulnerable to preventable diseases. I urge every single Floridian to contact their state representatives and Governor Ron Desantis to stop this rejection of science and health standards. The state government must be held accountable.
Access is prevention: Make safe sex easier
By Lucas Silvestre Contributing Writer
You’re in your dorm and about to have sex, but you don’t have a condom. Now you’re faced with choices. You could travel as many as nine floors to the monitored front desk hoping there’s a condom, or continue with unprotected sex. You could not have sex at all.
These should not have to be the only choices. By redistributing and expanding the location of condom dispensers to every floor, sex at UM can become a more safe and private act that students can shamelessly have.
A majority of students want condoms on campus, but according to a study by the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association, 20% feel embarrassed to get them and even more students feel embarrassed to keep condoms with them.
Embarrassment is natural, but students who are embarrassed to high levels should reflect on whether he or she should even have sex. Condoms do make sex safer, but their accessibility does not necessarily mean every student should be having sex simply because the barrier to reaching a condom has been eliminated. Embarrassed students should not feel obligated to have unprotected sex solely because of their fear of stigma associated with sex.
At UM, the primary source for condoms is on the first floor of every residential college, typically monitored by at least one employee. Because of this direct line of contact, students may be embarrassed by both getting a condom, and the lack of anonymity when grabbing one.
Nobody is accusing HRL staff of silently judging anyone who grabs a condom. But why create this feeling of embarrassment when it can easily be eliminated?
Redistributing condoms results in less anxiety and provides students with a seamless way of getting them.
A study by the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health showed that of the 212 participants, 69% recently participated in unprotected sex, with one of the most common reasons being not planning to have sex or running out of contraception.
The residential colleges are by no means as small as 212 people. Pearson and Mahoney hold about 700 students respectively across seven floors, Ibis holds about 450 across nine floors and Coral holds about 420 across 10 floors.
For those on higher floors, that 69% who have unprotected sex is likely to be even higher when deciding to take a trip to the front desk.
To test how inconvenient this trip would be, I timed myself taking both the stairs and elevator in Mahoney from floor seven to the condom dispenser. It took me 2 minutes and 48 seconds to take the elevator and 3 minutes and 38 seconds to walk.
When I arrived at the condom dispenser, it was empty.
While I wasn’t planning on having sex during my mini-experiment, those who take this trip with that purpose now have to ask an employee for a condom or turn back around empty handed. Next time, they might not even bother making the trip at all.
This problem disappears if UM adds a condom dispenser to each floor. They should also supply condoms to RAs to make sure that the dispensers are constantly filled. Even though the front desk is the primary way to get condoms, it’s not the only way.
UM offers a Safer Sex Express program that allows students to order free external condoms, internal condoms, dental dams and lubricants. While the process typically takes about two days, students collect their orders inside private lockers, maintaining their anonymity.
According to the University of Miami, other condom locations include “at Student Health Service in the Lennar Foundation Medical Center, at the Herbert Wellness Center, the Donna E. Shalala Student Center and at Whitten University Center.” These are all locations that are not quickly accessible right before having sex.
Despite making safe sex more accessible, relocating condoms will not eliminate unprotected sex. People should be able to choose how they have sex. But contraceptives do not exist to stop unprotected sex; they exist for those who choose to use them. If relocating them increases the likelihood that someone will be safer, then UM should make this change.
Sorry, mom, I probably won’t be allowed to give you any grandkids
By Keira Faddis Co-Opinion Editor
Last semester on a weekend visit home, my mom and I browsed the toy aisles in my hometown Target.
We passed a baby doll crib that was nearly identical to the one my sister and I played with growing up. My mom made an innocent comment about how she couldn’t wait to give her grandkids the same kinds of toys that I played with in my childhood.
Growing up, I spent most of my time playing basketball and volleyball. I fought my mom every time she tried to dress me in a skort.
The one “feminine” thing I did love was my baby dolls.
I’d play house where I, a sixyear-old mother of 10, would drag all of my dolls from my bedroom to the living room couch to entertain myself for hours every day.
What my six-year-old self didn’t know was by the time I was 11, I’d realize I was gay — a shock to virtually no one but me.
Now, eight years later, I know that my parents love both me and my girlfriend of three years dearly. What I don’t know is if I’ll ever have the heart to tell my mom that I
will likely never get to start a family like she and my dad did.
The infamous “Don’t Say Gay” legislation flooded national headlines for censoring classroom discussions of LGBTQ+ identity in 2022. Just a few weeks ago, Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered that rainbow street art, including the Pulse nightclub memorial crosswalk in Orlando, be painted over. My state is already actively trying to erase queer history – who’s to say they won’t try to stop my future family?
In 2008, the state of Florida added a definition of marriage to its constitution. Article I, Section 27 of the Florida constitution currently states that marriage is defined as, “the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife.”
It’s not hard to imagine samesex marriage being torn away in Florida, as it’s literally already written into our constitution.
In 2015, a 5-4 Supreme Court decision in the Obergefell v. Hodges case ruled that the 14th amendment’s due process and equal protection clauses. This ruling guaranteed same-sex couples the right to marry, overturning state level bans, including in the state of Florida.
The Supreme Court was formal-
ly asked to overturn the landmark ruling this August. While this does not necessarily mean the case will even be considered, it’s terrifying to think about. To revisit Obergefell, four of the nine justices need to vote to reconsider the case. The ruling requires only five votes to overturn it.
Of the nine justices in the Supreme Court, six lean conservative. Two of these conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, have already expressed interest in reconsidering Obergefell.
“We should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell,” Thomas wrote in the concurring opinion on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the case that overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
With the conservative majority, the risk of Obergefell being overturned isn’t just a hypothetical. If the Court overturns it, marriage rights would ultimately be left up to the individual states.
If federal protections disappear, my home state could outlaw samesex marriage. This means that my ability to marry the person I love depends not just on nine justices in Washington, but on politicians
in Tallahassee who have already proven they don’t have my rights in mind.
For straight couples, marriage is a given. It’s a milestone their parents expect, their communities celebrate and their government protects. For queer couples, especially in a conservative state like Florida, the right to marry is seen as a political issue. That disconnect is what makes my mom’s comment about her grandkids so bittersweet. I know she meant it lovingly, just like I know she loves me. But it is complicated knowing my conservative parents’ own votes don’t align with my right to have the life they dream for me.
The truth is, I would love to have a wedding one day and I would love to be a mother. When I was six, playing with my baby dolls, I imagined a future that looked a lot like my parents’ present. I didn’t know then that my young adulthood would be defined by uncertainty about whether my government believes if I deserve that future or not.
While my mom dreams of passing toys down to her grandkids, I’m stuck in a nightmare wondering if I’ll ever get the opportunity to start my own family.
Florida’s war on crosswalks is really a war on expression
By Savannah Flowers Contributing Writer
Governor DeSantis issued an ultimatum to communities statewide: erase street art or lose funding. Citing traffic fatalities, he argues that eliminating street murals and crosswalk painting will protect Floridians.
Of course, this order is about more than road safety. It’s about eliminating freedom of expression from groups he doesn’t want to see.
Safety as a cover
This logic was also used in the letter from Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy in which he urged governors nationwide to eliminate street art. The letter promised the government was “using data to guide decision-making and prioritize investments that reduce distraction while improving mobility and safety for all road users.”
In this same letter, Duffy admits “estimates of traffic fatalities for 2024 continue a downward trend, by decreasing 3.8 percent from 2023.”
From this statistic alone, it is clear that rainbow crosswalks are not posing the threat that politicians are at-
tempting to make them seem. In fact, studies suggest that by improving crosswalk visibility, street art reduces accidents by an average of 17%.
Rainbow crosswalks are not causing accidents
Even with downward trends in accidents, it’s understandable that the Department of Transportation would want to prevent more accidents. But if their approach is truly data driven, officials would see that removing crosswalks shouldn’t be their number one priority.
Research by BMC Public Health suggests that changing infrastructure isn’t as effective as creating laws that target behavior. If he wanted to improve public safety, DeSantis could implement a ban of cell phone use while driving or improve drunk driving enforcement. If DeSantis is truly concerned about his constituents, he certainly shouldn’t be withholding funds from the very people charged with keeping roads safe.
Erasing communities and stopping solidarity DeSantis did not mention how this
order fit into his broader agenda of erasing minorities from public consciousness. On X, the governor posted “We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.”
That calls into question what street art DeSantis considers “political.”
Is it political for the street to convey “Black Lives Matter?” Is it political for the LGBTQ+ community to assert their right to exist with colorful art?
One of the first pieces of street art DeSantis targeted was the rainbow crosswalk in front of the Pulse nightclub — the sight of one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history.
The mural was intended to show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community and reject the hatred that motivated the shooting. By removing that mural, the state of Florida is revoking that solidarity and aligning itself with the hatred of the shooter.
Art as a form of resistance
Some residents are choosing to resist this campaign of intimidation, but this resistance is being met with harsh retaliation from the state. Hundreds participated in protests and recolored the barren sidewalks, but were inter-
rupted by police arguing that coloring amounted to a felony. Four people who recolored the Pulse memorial in chalk were arrested on charges of defacing public property. In St Petersburg, two pastors kneeled in prayer on top of a BLM mural and were arrested for “impeding” officers.
The deadline to remove the art was Sept. 4, but the people of Florida aren’t letting go of this art without a fight. Fort Lauderdale, Delray Beach, Key West and Miami Beach are all appealing the ruling, determined to protect their vulnerable communities. Protests have also emerged throughout the state in support of the art.
It might not feel like street art is the most pressing issue at the moment when there are so many other stories dominating headlines. But, these crosswalks and murals are more than just decorations. They are visible reminders that everyone in our community has a right to be here and that they shouldn’t be afraid to express their identity.
Art has long been a form of resistance and an important avenue of free speech. If we let our art be erased, it won’t be long until entire parts of our communities are erased with it.
Rainbow crosswalk located on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach.
Lorelei DiSanto // Staff Photographer
Lady Gaga’s cancelled Miami concert derails UM concertgoers’ evening
By Ariana Glaser Contributing writer
Lady Gaga canceled her highly anticipated Sept. 3 evening concert after her doctor and vocal coach both advised her not to perform.
Wednesday’s performance was set to be Gaga’s third night at the Kaseya Center, following two sold-out shows on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. Fans received notice that the event was postponed shortly before the concert was scheduled to begin.
“We got out of the parking garage, and all of a sudden we see everyone in Lady Gaga merch walking away,” said Jake Sperling, a third-year architecture student and concert fanatic. “We looked at Instagram to see that Kaseya Center had posted, like, maybe five minutes before that the event was postponed, which was really disappointing.”
The 14-time Grammy Award-winning artist reportedly experienced severe vocal strain during rehearsals the day prior. She was told that performing that night would damage her voice, and with upcoming performances at the Video Music Awards and Madison Square Garden, she elected not to take the risk.
“I want to be hardcore and just push through this for you, but I don’t want to risk long term or permanent damage
The ultimate guide to game day as a freshman
By Vivian Amoia
Going to game day events for the first time can be a little intimidating as a freshman. The constant stressors are what to wear, how and where to tailgate and deciding whether or not to actually go to the game.
Here are a few things to know that will ease your stress and upgrade your game day experience.
Outfits
Whether you’re a girl who ordered your outfits on Shein, or a guy who threw on a polo and khaki shorts, this is the game day guide for you.
Wearing a mini skirt, jean shorts, striped shorts or knitted shorts is always a good option on the bottom. Tops can range from your favorite orange and green bikini to a UM baseball jersey. Hype and Vice tops are also great pieces to add to your closet and are sold in the gift shop.
If you aren’t confident in your outfit, you can always compensate with a cool hairstyle. Rocking braids or a slick-back with orange and green ribbon is always a look to be appreciated. If you want to be bold, a green or orange wig is a classic.
You can’t go wrong with the iconic green and orange striped overalls from the campus book store.
“My favorite game day outfit to see is the overalls,” said JT Moriarty, a
freshman studying data science and artificial intelligence. No matter what outfit and hairstyle you decide to go with, make sure to throw on a pair of shoes you are prepared to get dirty.
A few good options are any Adidas or Nike shoes in green and orange like the Gazelle Indoor Shoes in orange or the Dunk Low Retro Miami Hurricanes. The New Balance 550s in orange or green are also a great pick.
On-Campus tailgates
On-campus tailgates at the fraternity houses are arguably the most fun part of game day. The tailgates start early on game day since they’re required to shut down two hours before the game starts. After getting ready with your friends,
SPORTS
on my vocal cords,” Gaga wrote in an Instagram story on the evening of the cancelled performance. “Even though this was a hard and agonizing decision, I would be more afraid of the long term implications on my voice.”
Some fans were particularly distraught considering how difficult tickets were to come by in the first place.
As Gaga downgraded from stadiums to arenas this tour, scoring tickets for Lady Gaga’s MAYHEM Ball was particularly challenging.
“Lady Gaga Mayhem Ball pricing for the Citi Card presale is outrageous,” wrote a user on X. “Concerts are becoming inaccessible. Ticketmaster sucks. It’s a problem.”
The user detailed entering the Ticketmaster queue for the Madison Square Garden performances only to find $1,100 lower-bowl seats and $600 nosebleed seats.
Adyna Silverberg, a senior music industry major, only got tickets the night before the concert. Her cousin who worked at the venue offered her free tickets. He also told her that the concert was cancelled just moments before the general public found out.
When the announcement was made, Silverberg said the crowd’s reaction resembled “an explosion.”
“[I started] hearing screams … people are screaming, people are crying,” Silverberg said. “I overheard people
head over to San Amaro Drive to join the party.
To go or not to go
Everyone’s favorite question: “Are you going to the game?”
The vast majority of freshmen will be at tailgates wearing orange and green, but traveling to Hard Rovck Stadium to see the game is always up in the air.
Most freshmen don’t have a car, so the options for transportation include taking the UBus or splurging on an uber.
While the UBus is free, you can find yourself waiting in line for up to an hour, either getting to Hard Rock or coming back to campus.Ubering with a group of friends is definitely a good option, but be prepared to spend $10 or more even with a group. If you’re a football fan looking to watch the game, but you don’t want to
‘There’s no weak link’ No. 5 Miami stops surging No. 18 USF in 49-12 win
back Mark Fletcher Jr. rushed for 120 and wide receiver Keelan Marion led the team in receiving yards with 81.
Coming off of their dominant 45-3 win over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, The Miami Hurricanes hosted the No.18 South Florida Bulls at Hard Rock Stadium in a top-20 showdown.
Despite a 100-minute long rain delay in the second quarter, the Hurricanes never lost their momentum, taming the red-hot Bulls in a 49-12 blowout win.
USF entered Saturday’s contest as the early Cinderella story of college football after taking down the then-ranked No.25 Boise State and No.13 Florida to open the season. The Bulls sought to be the first team since the 1987 Miami Hurricanes to win three straight games against ranked opponents.
That dream was short lived as the Hurricanes out-muscled the Bulls on all sides of the ball.
The Hurricanes scored seven touchdowns, dominating offensively. Combined with the fortitude of Miami’s defense that limited the Bulls to 18 rushing yards in the first half, UM was a force to be reckoned with right from kickoff.
Miami quarterback Carson Beck threw for a total of 340 yards, running
“I can’t speak highly enough of the people on this team. We have good people that are genuine,” Beck said. “It allows you to have fun on the field.”
True freshman wideout Joshua Moore shined as he scored his first two touchdowns as a Hurricane, cementing himself as quite the weapon in UM head coach Mario Cristobal’s roster.
“He’s gifted beyond measure,” Cris tobal said. “Josh really shined tonight.”
Beck relied on CJ Daniels early on, but it was his eight-yard pass to Moore that scored the first touchdown of the game. After nine plays and 75 yards, this touchdown secured an early lead over the Bulls.
After stifling the USF opening drive, the Hurricanes cruised past the Bulls with another touchdown drive ending in the hands of Moore with a 39 yard touchdown that sent the Hurricane faith ful into a frenzy.
USF kicker Nico Gramatica, who won the game for the Bulls in the final moments versus Florida, tried to start some form of momentum for USF with back-to-back field goals.
A weather delay during the 2nd
quarter postponed the game more than an hour, but Miami returned to the field with a renewed sense of brutality. With two touchdowns after the delay, the Hurricanes entered halftime with a dominant 28-6 lead.
The first of the two came from a rapid one minute and 11 second drive which culminated in Fletcher’s 38-yard rushing touchdown.
“We have a faceless opponent, and we play Hurricane football,” Fletcher Jr. said post-game.
“There is so much talent on both sides of the football,” Beck said.
“There’s no weak link.”
Following its second ranked victory of the season, Miami will host its in-state rival Florida Gators (1-2, 0-1 SEC). ESPN’s College Gameday will head to Coral Gables in anticipation of the matchup.
[saying they] flew all the way here [or] bought expensive tickets to come here and all this stuff, and I just felt so terrible.”
In a Ticketmaster email sent to ticketholders, fans were informed that the event organizer was still trying to reschedule and that purchased tickets would remain good for that date.
“At this time … [the event organizer is] not currently allowing refunds,” the email read. “However, refunds will be made available in the future.”
On Sept. 9, the Kaseya Center announced that the rescheduled performance would take place on March 13, 2026. As the new date takes place during spring break, many UM students said they already have plans to fly home or travel elsewhere.
“All purchased tickets for the original show date will be honored for the new date,” announced the Kaseya Center. “In the event fans cannot make the new date, refunds will be available at point of purchase.”a
Disappointed fans who cannot make the rescheduled Miami date also have the option of attending one of Gaga’s several other dates. In addition to the several scheduled performances, Lady Gaga just announced a second North American leg for 2026. With any luck, Miami’s Little Monsters will have their chance to reign in the “applause” soon enough.
deal with the hassle of commuting to Hard Rock, there are plenty of sports bars nearby.
Yard House, located in the Shops at Merrick Park, can be a little pricey, but the food is good and the typical “sports bar” atmosphere is unbeatable. Monty’s Raw Bar in Coconut Grove is another cool place to watch the game. It is located right on the water and provides a tropical, beachy feel. It is equipped with endless TVs for sports fans.
“My favorite part of gameday is seeing everyone come together and supporting the team; seeing that sense of comradery,” said Anna Clark, freshman studying political science.
Whether you decide to show up for the Hurricanes at Hard Rock or support from afar, there are so many places to get your football fix in.
“There is so much talent on both sides of the football. There’s no weak link.”
Contributing Writer
By Bella Armstrong
Contributing Writer
David Lebowitz // Staff Photographer Freshman
David Lebowitz // Staff Photographer Sixth-year redshirt senior quarterback Carson Beck (11) surveys the defense againt USF at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.
Sonja
Danilovic
builds her own legacy, one spike at a time
By Bella Armstrong Contributing Writer
At the U, Freshman outside hitter
Sonja Danilovic isn’t just carrying her family’s legacy — she’s creating one of her own.
As the daughter of former Miami Heat shooting guard Predrag “Saša” Danilovic and sports reporter Svetlana, athletics are in Sonja’s DNA.
Her siblings felt the calling too. Her sister Olga, 24, plays professional tennis and her brother Vuk, 17, plays for the Serbian national basketball team, both following in their father’s footsteps.
But while many expected Sonja to take after her father and follow him to the three-point line, the 19-yearold wanted something that belonged entirely to her.
From the moment she first picked up a volleyball and stepped onto the court, the answer was clear.
Volleyball gave her more than the competition she craved. It offered camaraderie, technical challenge and satiated her constant thirst for improvement.
By age 13, she was representing Serbia in the Balkan, European and World Championships. Each tournament was about more than the medals shining around her neck: playing for her home country brings with it great honor, pride, and above all else, responsibility.
“When you’re standing under your flag, singing your anthem — it’s a different kind of fight,” she said.
“It’s personal.”
But that weight, combined with the expectations that come with her family name, brings enormous pressure.
Yet, Danilovic insists that pressure fuels her, as she dreams of playing under Serbia’s banner at the Olympics. Until then, each match is a chance to sharpen her skills, honor her roots, and build her own name in the sport she loves.
“When you think of me, you think of volleyball. It’s who I am,” she said. “But when you think of volleyball, you don’t think ‘Sonja Danilovic.’ I want that to change. I want to be the best.”
Danilovic’s connection to Miami is long standing.
Her parents held a deep admiration for the time they spent with Sonja’s father playing here. Danilovic had visited Miami twice before, and now it’s time for her to stay and leave her own mark on the city.
Back home in Serbia, her family’s success casts a long shadow. Choosing Miami wasn’t just about volleyball — it was about finding space to grow into herself, as an athlete and as a person.
“I feel so grateful. I wake up every day in Miami because of my hard work. And I’m doing what I love,” she said. “I could be back in Belgrade, but I’d rather be here.
With it being her first time away from home, over 5,000 miles from her life in Serbia, Danilovic is adjusting to life as an athlete, a freshman and an international student. Everything is new, from the size of the ball to the food that she eats. Embracing such change is a challenge, but she has a formidable support system in her corner.
She credits her family, coaches, teammates and dear friend Georgia Shayesteh, a sophomore cheerleader at the U.
“I wouldn’t be able to do this without them,” Danilovic said.
The move was certainly bold. She had to leave her family, friends, and the comfort of familiarity behind. But that was part of the draw.
“It’s all new, and that’s scary,” Danilovic admitted. “But if I had stayed home and never taken these opportunities, I’d never forgive myself.”
“I could never imagine myself being okay with giving up,” she said. And it’s impossible to not believe her. In truth, her story is just beginning. This time, Danilovic won’t just remind us of basketball—it will be synonymous with volleyball too.
’Canes defeat FIU with 2-0 triumph in the ‘Miami-Dade Derby’
By Noah Gorfin Contributing Writer
The University of Miami Women’s soccer team took the field against crosstown rivals FIU and stormed to a 2-0 victory over the Panthers.
From the start, the Hurricanes controlled possession, constantly switching players to probe FIU’s defensive block.
Though all three of Miami’s midfielders put on quality showings in the first half, Éabha O’Mahony stood out as she repeatedly lost her marker by drifting into the channels, creating links in the pockets and bringing her teammates into play through deft passing.
However, Miami’s unsuccessful final passes restricted the Hurricanes to shots from outside the box which never truly tested FIU’s Valery Restrepo. Only a 40th minute strike by UM’s Allie Serlenga forced a strong diving save.
Nevertheless, Miami dominated play in the first half and barely gave the Panthers a sniff in-possession.
As the second half ensued, the game became more end-to-end for both sides.
However, this scrappy opening was exactly what Miami needed as FIU’s failure to clear Taylor Maxwell’s blocked shot allowed Alarcon to score in the 53rd minute.
Alarcon, despite being pushed off-balance by her marker, struck the ball into the back of the net to score her second in two consecutive
games. This was Miami’s first shot inside the box, despite having seven shots in the first half.
After the goal, Miami not only regained familiar control over the match, but also gained more energy and momentum with Crosby Nicholson being instrumental in this dominance.
Nicholson won nearly every duel she was involved in, consistently being a defen sive presence at the heart of the ’Canes midfield.
performance was capped off by her
goal in the 84th minute, which helped give Miami a sense of comfort as the game reached its closing minutes.
Despite a marginal one goal lead for most of the second half, there was never any real danger coming from the FIU attack as the ’Canes defense, mainly Emilie Simpson, wreaked havoc on the Panthers.
The Miami defense kept the
electricity and Simpson’s impressive display are also notable contenders. Though the team’s final-third conviction struggled at times, their neat and consistent passing helped platform the ’Canes to their fifth win of the year.
University of Miami Women’s Soccer team celebrates after sophomore Ciara Alarcon gets their first goal in for the night against Florida International University at Cobb
’Canes volleyball survives five-set battle against Ole Miss
By Emma Best Contributing Writer
The Miami Hurricanes overcame a mid-match collapse to outlast Ole Miss in five sets, winning an ACCSEC matchup to improve to 5-1 on the season.
Miami controlled the opening two sets, 25-18 and 25-20, behind 29 kills from its front line, while the Rebels managed just 21. Ole Miss responded in the third set, taking advantage of seven Miami service errors. Rebels outside hitter Shayla Meyer produced a crucial ace and Gabi Placide added four kills in a 25-20 win.
As Miami looked to finish off the Rebels going into the fourth set, a point-for-point battle commenced between the teams.
Hurricane outside hitter Flormarie Heredia Colon reigned in seven kills on 12 attempts, while Ole Miss’ fourth set star Placide put up five kills on 14 attempts.
With a 24-17 lead in the fourth set, UM looked all but ready to celebrate. However, the Rebels rallied, scoring seven consecutive points to even the match at 24. Miami head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara used two timeouts as an attempt to slow down the Ole Miss surge.
But the Rebels never slowed as three service aces from Meyer gave Ole Miss a 26-24 win, tying up the match at two and sending the teams racing to 15 in the fifth and final set.
As the fifth set commenced, the
read 8-5, the Hurricanes coaching staff erupted in disagreement over an out-of-bounds call, challenging the decision on the court. After a review, the referees reversed the call, giving Miami the momentum needed to win the match.
Of the remaining six points the team needed to secure their fifth win of the season, four of those were kills wracked up by Heredia Colon, who was Miami’s best player on Wednesday.
As the final point of the match elapsed, redshirt sophomore setter Ariana Rodriguez, sent a high ball behind the ten foot line for Heredia Colon in the backrow, earning the senior hitter her 7th kill in the set, and 26th on the night.
The crowd exploded and celebrated with the team as the Hurricane volleyball program advanced to 5-1 on the season.
on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025.
ESPN’s College Gameday heads to UM
By Shea McDonald Senior Staff Writer
Hurricanes football fans had plenty to celebrate Saturday night with their 49-12 win over USF coming as the Florida Gators fell on their face against the LSU Tigers. Miami fans now have plenty more to celebrate as College Gameday is coming to the U for the rivalry matchup between the Hurricanes and the Gators.
Announced just hours after the conclusion of Miami’s dominating win over the Bulls, the iconic College Football traveling pregame show will, for the ninth time, make its way to Coral Gables. Miami was featured last year when the show traveled to California for the Hurricanes’ showdown against the Berkeley Golden Bears, but the U has not hosted since 2020, for Miami’s beatdown over Florida State 52-10. In 2020, however, due to covid restrictions, Gameday was hosted outside of Hardrock instead of on campus. So it will be Gameday’s first appearance on the UM campus since 2017, for Miami’s 41-8 win over Notre Dame.
All-time, the Canes are 7-1 when they hosted Lee Corso and crew. Miami won’t see the now-retired college sports icon, but fans can still expect an electric environment when the 11-time Emmy Award-winning program arrives next weekend. Last time the UM campus hosted, the set was placed on the Lakeside Patio, and so that’s likely where fans will have to head and catch the show. Fans can expect the festivities to begin hours before the show’s 9am start time, as people are known to line up and camp outside the set through the night before. Kickoff for the game is set for 7:30pm next Saturday, so Miami fans will still have plenty of time to get ready and get out to Hard Rock and fill up the stadium. With the Hurricanes drawing a crowd of nearly 67,000 for both the Notre Dame and USF games, this one will likely be no exception.
While Miami’s last two appearances on the program have been successful, they’re facing a Florida team desperate for a win. The Gators are currently 1-2 after dropping their matchup against LSU this week, as quarterback DJ Lagway threw five interceptions, but rivalry games like this are never easy. Miami should expect a fight from Florida, and more importantly, they cannot get caught up in the lights, the cameras, and the action.
Photo Courtesy of Sonja Danilovic Freshman outside hitter Sonja Danilovic preparing for her first season as a Hurricane.
Lorelei DiSanto // Staff Photographer
Stadium
Lorelei DiSanto // Staff Photographer
Sophomore Logan Wiley and senior Flormarie Heredia Colon blocks Ole Miss at Knight Sports Complex on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025.
Lorelei DiSanto // Staff Photographer
Sophomore Ariana Rodriguez battles to get the ball over to Ole Miss at Knight Sports Complex on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025.
V’s Take is The Miami Hurricane’s most controversial and longest running column.
V’s Take is a satirical work published biweekly by students and for students using our generation’s “colorful” language. V addresses all things love, sex and gossip on campus. V is not for the politically correct or easily o ended.
Dear V, how do I politely kick my roommate out for a hookup?
The subtle eviction: When
you
need the room for ‘extracurriculars’
It’s a Thursday night. The guy who bought your drink at the bar isn’t really that bad after all. Everything is falling into place. Until it hits you: the only thing standing between you and the best hook up of your college career is your beloved roommate.
There are a few ways to approach kicking your roomie to the curb once you’ve secured your well-deserved weekend play.
First you have to establish where your roommate is at the moment. If they are already back in the dorm, great! Shoot them a “Hey, I might have some company over tonight,” text and pray to the sneaky link gods that they are gone when you get back.
If it’s worth it, consider bribing them with Starbucks or Venmo to secure your spot. Everyone loves a free drink and getting bent over your twin XL might be worth the five dollars.
If they don’t catch the vibe and welcome both you and your hookup with open arms when you arrive home, your only option is to make it super awkward.
Love, V
It’s only a matter of time before they can’t stand the small-talk and silence in the air and dip.
You’re telling me they are still there after a Starbuck peace offering and a whole lot of awkward? No way. But on the very small occasion that they are, don’t give up.
It’s time for plan B, and no I don’t mean your first purchase when you wake up tomorrow. I mean it’s time to get bold. Consider trading in the dorm room for a steamy montage in the communal showers. Worst case scenario, spice it up and find a new hook up spot on campus. Sometimes the hunt for a secret spot can be even hotter than the hook up itself. Especially if your spot happens to be outdoors in Florida.
The bottom line is, whether you decide to bribe them, force them with awkward silence, or say f**k it and go bold, booting your roomie isn’t about cruelty, it’s about creativity. I’m sure your late night escapades will become a story for you both to laugh about later.
