MQ Issue 3 March 2021 by Miami Quarterly

MQ March 2021

Miami’s Hidden Heroes:

How Miami’s custodial staff works to protect students

Vaccinations for Education:

Talawanda teachers are prioritized for the coronavirus vaccine

Traveling Trials:

Three continents, three Miami students, one global pandemic

Get Your Green On:

Community members share their takes on Green Beer Day in a pandemic

Wellness Day Woes:

Are students really getting the semester break they deserve?

Miami Quarterly Contents

March 2021

OXFORD LIFE 06

Changing It Up at Church Street Social

A Day to Ourselves

Traveling Trials

Get Your Green On:

What Green Beer Day Looks Like in a Pandemic

FEATURE 20

Miami’s Hidden Heroes: Custodian Crews

Vaccinations for Education

One Year of the Pandemic

Zoom University

OPINION 34

Wellness Day Woes

Living Off-Campus is Better Than I Expected

Indeed, the Job Hunt is On

cover photo: Duncan Platt

MQ Magazine

A moment with the staff...

MQ Staff

Editor’s Letter

Question: In the past, Miami students started celebrating Green Beer Day as early as 2 a.m. and partied until last call. With COVID-19 restrictions and safety regulations limiting our chances of drinking from dawn to dawn, what’s a different activity you’d dedicate yourself to for an entire day?

Editor-in-Chief Leanne Stahulak Business Manager Morgan Schneider Art Director Lucy Greaney

Leanne Stahulak

Marathoning all the Marvel movies. Twentytwo movies, 50 hours and minimal bathroom breaks. This is more than just a day-long dedication—it’s a journey of cinematic soulsearching and unashamed nerdiness.

Photo Editor Bo Brueck Feature/Digital Editor Emily Scott Opinion Editor Ethan Icarus O’Brien-Scheffer Writers Britt Graves Haley Griffin Claire Lordan Alison MacGillivray Anna Moellenbeck Heather Rolfert Maya Stoffer Photographers Lucy Greaney Duncan Platt Jake Ruffer Designers Alicia Graham Emily Scott Head Copy Editors Sydney Hill Brianna Porter Faculty Adviser Patricia Gallagher Newberry

MQ Magazine

To my MQ readers,

have to go.

Happy Spring! I don’t know about you guys, but being able to step outside without wearing 20 layers of clothes and having to worry about whether the nine-inch snow drifts will spill over the tops of my boots feels absolutely incredible.

On page 26 of our Feature section, Claire Lordan and our editors really explore this concept as they dive into 12 individuals’ experiences over the last year of the pandemic. Art Director Lucy Greaney captures how students’ have made the most of their remote learning spaces this year on page 30. Haley Griffin highlights the important work of Miami’s custodial and building services on page 20, while Feature Editor Emily Scott details the vaccination process for Talawanda teachers on page 24.

What doesn’t feel so incredible is the realization that I only have eight more weeks of being a college student. Eight more weeks to check off everything on my bucket list, which has miraculously grown 10 times longer since I started at Miami. There are so many things that 18-year-old Leanne told herself she’d do later on, from hiking in Hueston Woods to buying a hammock to exploring Cincinnati to celebrating Green Beer Day, that I now find myself scrambling to fit in to the next two months. I’ve been thinking more and more recently about how many opportunities I could’ve taken advantage of my first year, only to shy away from them in favor of watching Netflix in my dorm room. I remember feeling so afraid to put myself out there and meet people beyond the small circle I hung out with in Emerson Hall. If senior Leanne could go back to her first year and do it all over again, I know that she would live her college life differently. But I also know that I wouldn’t be the person I am today without reflecting on my growth since freshman year. And maybe that’s a lesson we could all learn from as we think back on all the shit that’s happened to us in the last year. This third issue of MQ isn’t just about reflection, though. It’s about how we as a community are using that reflection to move forward, to better ourselves as we look ahead. It’s a new semester, a new season and a new chance for us to see how far we’ve come and how much farther we

Heather Rolfert kicks off our Oxford Life section with a peek at the newly christened Church Street Social on page 6. Photo Editor Bo Brueck spotlights students enjoying a Wellness Day on page 8, while I explore Oxford’s plan for Green Beer Day on page 16. And on page 11, three Miami students on three continents recount their experiences studying abroad during a pandemic. On the flip side of Wellness Days, Alison MacGillivray laments the loss of our spring break on page 34 in our Opinion section. Opinion Editor Ethan Icarus O’Brien-Scheffer debates oncampus vs. off-campus housing on page 36, and on page 38 I reveal the stresses of finding a job post-grad in the middle of a pandemic. I hope these stories inspire you, dear reader, to reflect on your own growth in the last year. We may be a quarter of the way through 2021, but that still leaves us with plenty of time to work on ourselves. Here’s to seeing who we become on the other side. Sincerely,

Emily Scott

If I truly had a day a day where I had no obligations and no work to do, I would do absolutely nothing. I cannot remember the last day that I did not have some type of work to do between school, work and other projects I am working on. If I had none of that for a whole day, I probably wouldn’t even get out of my bed.

Claire Lordan

I’m not a huge TV watcher, but give me a 24hour period with nothing to do and I guarantee I can finish an entire series (no matter how many seasons). I’m currently looking for a new show to obsess over and will gladly accept recommendations at lordance@miamioh.edu.

Lucy Greaney

I would spend the day in Chicago with my best friend Andrew. Our day would include walking around downtown, shopping and of course eating at Portillo’s. If you haven’t had a beef dip from Portillo’s, you’re doing something wrong.

Heather Rolfert

Reading. Fantasy, science fiction, or even mystery books. I used to have to wait a year or two for authors to publish new books. Now, I find myself falling behind on my favorite book series. I hate knowing that these fantastic books are collecting dust while they sit on the shelf, waiting to be picked up and read.

Alison MacGillivray

It sounds a little sad, but I would happily spend an entire day sleeping. I’m a shameless napper anyways, so it wouldn’t be much more of a stretch to nap all day. I love getting cozy in all my blankets and pillows and sleeping with the sun on my face.

Haley Griffin

I would sleep in until at least noon, eat some cinnamon rolls and fruit for brunch and then go for a hike in the woods with my dog and my boyfriend. After taking a nap in my hammock, I would walk to Skipper’s and eat a gyro and waffle fries for dinner with a cookie ice cream sundae for dessert. So basically a lot of sleeping and eating.

Bo Brueck

I think I’ll go fishing. I find myself locked in my room way too much these days so I’m going to take the time to go on a little adventure and see if I can’t catch a fish while I’m at it.

Ethan Icarus O’Brien-Scheffer

I’m gluten-free, so beer is usually a no-go for me, anyway. I plan on dedicating my free days hanging out with my fiance and playing the Borderland video games. Maybe I’ll do some digital art on Krita, or find more work freelance editing on Upwork?

Morgan Schneider

Writing. I have so many ideas for poems, short stories, a screenplay floating around in my head, but with everything going on I just don’t have the time to sit down and draft them.

Duncan Platt

I would play video games with online friends. I haven’t been able to visit anyone I know outside of Oxford since COVID happened, so a few friends and I play Minecraft and Call of Duty every now and then. It’s a great way to unwind, so I’d be comfortable spending a day doing it.

Jake Ruffer

With all that time on my hands I bet I could get halfway through a TOOL album.

MQ Magazine

student workers who are from larger cities, and they have shared with me that “social” is very trendy. It implies more than just a bar,” Kamphaus said. “It’s where you can go and do other activities which we encourage … So, all of that kind of encompasses what I wanted to do, and have been doing anyway with having games.”

Changing it up at Church Street Social

Kamphaus was on board with the addition of “social” to her business’s name. She felt that it would allow customers to view her business in a more up-to-date way than compared to the previous name. Kamphaus added that she included the word “church” within the new name in order for her customers to have a better understanding of where her restaurant is located Uptown. Kamphaus’ choice of a more fashionable name has not gone unnoticed by customers. Kim Burdett, a Cincinnati resident and first time customer, noticed the importance of the new name.

story: Heather Rolfert photos: Bo Brueck design: Alicia Graham

Branching

off of Uptown Oxford’s North Poplar Street and past church spires reaching for the sky, sits the former Books & Brews, now known as Church Street Social. Ann Kamphaus, owner and manager of the newly named restaurant, said that the need for a different name originated mainly from COVID-19 complications. Kamphaus said that when Oxford residents and Miami students chose to stay home that year due to the pandemic, their choices affected her business. The results: her sales began to drop and reflect numbers that were lower than average. The new rules that developed from COVID-19 told businesses that they would have to change how they normally function. Kamphaus 06

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“Church Street sounds a little more elevated. Like they’re trying to be a little fancier,” Burdett said.

mentioned that one of those specific changes—the restrictions on how late restaurants could be open—hit her business just as hard as it did when less people decided to head Uptown to grab a bite or drink. “We had to be done selling and close our doors by 10. When you’re having last call at 9:15, it’s kind of hard to get consistent, good sales going or make any money that way,” Kamphaus said. When Kamphaus reviewed her liquor sales, she said she noticed that fewer customers were ordering the kind of drinks her business specializes in: craft beers. Wanting to cater to the needs and tastes of her customers, Kamphaus pushed forward to develop a new image for her restaurant. Dharma Wesley, a Talawanda High

School student, mentioned that the former name left her with a mixed image of the restaurant. “I think [Books & Brews] caters towards pretty much everyone because I feel like they have a bunch of stuff for everyone here,” Wesley said. “And the name might be a little weird at first because it sounds like a[n] alcohol store, but also like a coffee shop. So, it’s a bit weird.” Wesley added that the new name lets her have a clearer image of what the restaurant offers to its customers. When it came to finding a new name for her adapting business, Kamphaus turned to employees for ideas on what name would be the best fit for her restaurant.

Others agree that the new name will be better for business. Andrew Santacroce, a Miami student majoring in engineering management, is not bothered by Books & Brews becoming Church Street Social. “I thought [Books & Brews] was a great time. Very nice, welcoming atmosphere. Really kind of a different vibe than what you see

from a lot of the other places ... It’s very game-y. It’s obviously a very social place,” Santacroce said. Even with the rebranding, Santacroce said that the same lively, energetic atmosphere is carried within the restaurant. In terms of the future for Church Street Social, Kamphaus mentioned that she intends to find and incorporate more activities that will promote both her business and other local businesses. She added that one of the restaurant’s recent events helped her business make more sales while also promoting the work of Oxford area florists to those same customers. “I see a lot of that in my future, of pairing up with other local entrepreneurs. A lot of people who may not have a box store,” Kamphaus said. “They may not have a brick-and-mortar place, but they may do art off-site.” Kamphaus mentioned that she would like her restaurant’s future events to represent and appeal to more than just one age or gender group that walks through the doors of Church Street Social. She believes her restaurant is heading towards a time where all of the events will reflect a truly social image for every customer.

When owner Ann Kamphaus considered how she’d switch things up to increase sales, she immediately knew who she had to turn to. “Listening to your customers is always important. They told me what they wanted, and I like to provide what they want,” Kamphaus said.

Even if Church Street Social undergoes more changes, Kamphaus’ passion for creating a more social restaurant will be an element that stays with the restaurant.

From left: Brandon Rader and Grant Johnson enjoy Church Street Social’s Tuesday Trivia Night, a popular gathering that draws many students and Oxford residents into the establishment.

“I did listen to some of my Miami Oxford Life I MQ Magazine

A Day to Ourselves

photos: Bo Brueck design: Alicia Graham

or the Wellness Day on March 9, students took advantage of the gorgeous spring weather. With classes canceled, these students unwound and focused on their physical and mental health by enjoying a wide range of activities with their friends. Some pulled out their hammocks, some gathered for a meal and others made a Saturday out of a Tuesday.

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Hanging in Hammocks: (front to back) Sophomores Chris Vlaha, Sara Koeth and Jenny Lee enjoy the wellness day in their hammocks. These Stonebridge Hall residents got outside in the Spring weather and made good use of the wooded area between Patterson Ave. and Western Campus.

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Traveling Family Feast: A group of girls gathers around a home cooked meal. These Collins Street residents took time on their wellness day to make a family dinner and enjoy it outside in the warm weather.

Trials design by: Alicia Graham

Spring Sippin’: Mike Lockhart and his friend, Alex Kernell, take their turn in a game of cornhole with drinks in hand. “[The wellness days] are not making me more well in a physical way, but I’m having a lot of fun,” Lockhart said. “There’s only X amount of days left in Oxford, so enjoy them while you can.”

While adhering to global safety recommendations and international regulations, these three Miami students decided to fulfill their dreams of studying abroad. Across three different continents, these women learned what it’s like to travel and study in the middle of a pandemic, while trying to make the most out of their multicultural experiences.

Uruguay by: Anna Mollenbeck

very day, I wake up thinking it’s a miracle that I made it to Uruguay. It’s a miracle that, in the middle of a global pandemic, I’m able to spend a whole semester studying Spanish and exploring this amazing country. Uruguay’s borders are currently closed, so studying abroad required a lot of paperwork and meetings beforehand. Only those who are Uruguayan, or are married to an Uruguayan, are allowed to enter. So, the six of us studying abroad through the University Study Abroad Consortium (USAC) had to receive special permission directly from the Ministry of Education to enter. I took two COVID tests before getting on the plane, carried at least 12 documents certifying my special permission and immediately entered a 14-day quarantine in my room in my host mom’s apartment. I struggled for a long time

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with feelings of guilt about studying abroad before I left the United States. My family and I didn’t leave our house from March to August because of my mom’s health conditions. I was afraid that one of my family members could get COVID and be severely affected while I was thousands of miles away. My friends, family and community are battling threats from COVID every day, while I am enjoying a beautiful semester living on the beach and enjoying a new country. It’s hard not to feel guilty. I received some backlash from friends and family about studying abroad this semester, and they had sound reasons. However, after two weeks quarantining in my basement before I traveled and two weeks quarantined in my smaller-than-a-dorm room in Uruguay, I finally feel like my travel was justified with the safety precautions I took. I did my part to protect the place I would call home for the next four months. Not only is it interesting to get to know another culture and its differences from your own, but I’m getting to witness the

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stark differences in public health and attitudes during a historic moment in time. For context, Uruguay has a population of 3 million, about the same population as my home state of Iowa. While Iowa is arguably one of the worst states in the nation for its handling of COVID and vaccine roll out, Uruguay has been one of the best countries in the world to handle the virus. Everyone here wears masks in businesses, and Uruguayans are quick to call out those who wear their mask improperly. No one wears masks outside, but that’s because things are almost back to normal here, and the country is preparing for a huge vaccine rollout in March. Us six Americans are probably some of the most careful people here, which is something I never would’ve thought several months ago. There’s a reason studying abroad is said to be one of the most worthwhile times in a person’s life. It’s a big deal to move to another country and speak their language as a college student, and that’s not as easy of an adjustment as I had believed. I’ve been preparing to spend a semester abroad since I was in middle school. I had high expectations. I thought I was going to fit right in, meet new people, learn to navigate the city like a local and leave a changed person. In reality, I’ve struggled more than I thought I would with the adjustment. My Spanish isn’t at the level I thought it was. Every time I open my mouth and speak Spanish, the person I’m talking to immediately asks me if I’m from the United States. I’ve felt out of place wherever I’ve gone, and getting around a big city as a small-town Iowan has

been overwhelming. These first few weeks post-quarantine have been some of the loneliest and most stressful times of my life. It was after an experience that I had following a Sunday night Catholic mass that I realized that my attitude needed to change. An older woman came up to me after mass and started speaking Spanish to me. I thought she had asked if I was a chemistry student, so I said I wasn’t and that I was studying Spanish. She kept repeating the question, and I finally said that I didn’t understand. She must’ve realized at this point that my Spanish wasn’t the best, so she just laughed and walked away. That interaction left me angry, frustrated and embarrassed. I have been studying Spanish since I was 14; did those six years do anything for me if I couldn’t answer a simple question? Would the rest of my time in Uruguay be interactions like this? If every person I met was like this woman and didn’t want to attempt to try and have a conversation, how would I improve my Spanish, let alone make any friends? I went home contemplating the worth of every Spanish class I’ve ever had. After some deep reflection that night, I knew that I needed to reset my goals and expectations. Spanish fluency and new friendships are not things that are going to happen overnight. I’ve learned to take every day and every conversation as an opportunity to make a new connection and grow in my language abilities. Misunderstandings and linguistic barriers will happen all the time—they come with learning a language and taking it into real world

situations. I’m challenging myself to do something new every day: get lunch at a new café, strike up a conversation with someone I don’t know or talk about a new subject in class with my professor. For starters, I’m taking a Salsa class twice a week at a local dance studio (which is new for me because I have two left feet), and I try to strike up a conversation with someone new every time I go. I also joined a Facebook group specifically made for people from all around the world who just moved to Uruguay, and I’ve already met up with some of them at coffee shops and made new friends. Doing something new every day might seem like a small goal, but I know this can lead me to enjoy more experiences and meet incredible people along the way.

South Korea by: Britt Graves

keep thinking I’m going to wake up out of a wonderful dream. It feels surreal to be back in South Korea for my last semester. I had been there once before, the previous spring semester, but I was sent home after only four days due to COVID. I still can’t believe I had the opportunity to return. Even if I did have to deal with multiple restrictions. Taking a saliva COVID test before leaving the U.S. this past February was the easy part. It was getting the

Third-year international studies and political science major Anna Moellenbeck shows her Miami pride while visiting the beaches on Uruguay’s southern coast. This beach is close to the famous Casapueblo hotel, built by the Uruguayan artist Carlos Páez Vilaró.

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Once out of quarantine, senior creative writing major Britt Graves (far left) ventures out to the Gahoe-dong neighborhood in the northern part of Seoul. She and a few friends explore Baek In-je House, a museum and cultural heritage site that features a modern-style hanok (traditional Korean house).

second COVID test before I arrived at the dorm that was the problem. I had never had a nasal swab before, and this one made me feel as if the swab was going to get stuck in my brain. Quarantining for two weeks consisted of playing video games, FaceTiming my family and staring out the window, wishing I could go outside. Experiencing a night of stomach cramps from the change in food was the worst part of quarantine. I wasn’t used to eating kimchi and white rice three times a day. The kimchi was extremely spicy, causing my lip to itch and burn. It’s not a dish I have access to in the U.S. My stomach had to take some time to adjust to the amount of spice and starch it was receiving during quarantine. Once quarantine was over, I took my last COVID test, and then the fun began. South Korea is a very homogenous country, and while Seoul has quite a few foreigners passing through, it seems as if many people aren’t used to seeing them. Particularly foreigners with darker skin and curly hair. As a mixed woman, I knew I would probably get some stares when entering the country, but I didn’t expect it to be so extreme. Two of my friends and I were walking towards the subway when a group of older Korean ladies passed us. The way they stared at the three of us made me wonder if we had grown tails. These ladies were completely mesmerized. They kept looking back, even after

they passed us, practically breaking their necks to get a better look. I wasn’t necessarily offended, but I did want to know what could possibly be going through their minds. These bewildered stares happen on the subway a lot. Turning 22 in Korea was a fun experience. The guidelines in Korea state that there cannot be groups larger than four people when going out. However, for my birthday, we were a group of five that decided to go to a Harry Potter-themed cafe called King’s Cross Cafe. Surprisingly, our group was able to stay together when we ordered our Hogwarts feast. Typically, groups larger than four are required to split, or they just won’t allow you inside. This has made it quite difficult when going out with a larger group of friends, but there are ways to safely get around it. Pretending we don’t know one another has worked a few times. Although, sometimes it is difficult acting like we’ve never seen each other before. I’ve always been quite shy, but living in a dorm full of international students has allowed me to become much more comfortable around people. Hanging out in the kitchen, even with a mask on, allows students to meet people almost every day. I’ve met friends from Spain, Russia, Indonesia, Finland and so many more countries. I never thought I would befriend so many people, but I quickly learned that everyone is in the same boat. Each of us are new to the country, we all want to explore with others, and we want to make friends. It’s hard to not make friends when each

of us wants the same thing. The language is a bear at times. I taught myself Korean in high school before taking two years of it at Miami. However, since Miami’s Korean courses don’t go to the 300 level and my first trip to Korea was canceled, I ended up having a large gap. This caused my brain to begin recycling the language since I wasn’t using it regularly. I’ve come to realize that I’m a much better speaker in Korean, yet my understanding is extremely poor. I’ve had moments where I understand what locals are saying, then there have been times where I look to my friends for help. It’s interesting to see everyone’s level of understanding in the language. Sometimes we translate for others while other times we are lost. I’ve had to translate for my roommates and some of my friends; other times they’ve had to translate for me. I’m always nervous when I have to speak Korean, but I know practice is the only way I’ll get better. My brain is trying to decipher a multitude of languages since my first roommate is from Italy and speaks English and Italian, while my second roommate is from Mexico and speaks Spanish and English. I can speak Spanish, Korean, and English. I’ve begun to mix up my languages, using Spanish when I should be using Korean. It’s been an interesting yet enjoyable experience. I haven’t spoken to any Korean students yet. They’re known Oxford Life I MQ Magazine

for being pretty shy and typically don’t start speaking to people they don’t know on the streets. It doesn’t help that I’m quite introverted and uneasy with my Korean skills; but hopefully, as the semester goes on, I’ll gather up the courage to make conversation with some of them. It’s another great way to meet long life friends.

Luxembourg By: Maya Stoffer

knew I wanted to study abroad during my time at Miami University, but I never would have predicted I would be during a pandemic. A student visa was required for all students planning to study for a semester in Luxembourg. While this turned out to be a lengthy process, it is reassuring to have a student visa in my passport when traveling. Then, The COVID test travel requirements seemed to change daily, causing stress for all those eagerly waiting to leave the United States. Ultimately, I ended up taking four COVID-19 tests for the education abroad program, including one the morning of my flight. The flight to Luxembourg was smooth, and everyone in the Miami University Dolibois European Center (MUDEC) program arrived safely.

Luxembourg’s culture, my roommates and I experience italmost every day as we assimilate to the local lifestyle. I have also visited multiple museums, learned about Luxembourg’s history in my classes and talked with my professors about their experience living either in Luxembourg or a neighboring country. For the first four weeks, I decided to not travel outside of Luxembourg due to COVID-19 and its strict regulations. Between restaurants being closed, testing requirements and country borders keeping out tourists, I thought it’d be a better experience to explore the country I now call home. The first weekend in Luxembourg, my four roommates and I went to Clervaux, a commune and town in northern Luxembourg that has a castle and the Battle of the Bulge Museum. We stayed there overnight, and the hotel staff was surprised to see Americans traveling, but they were helpful in sharing what was open there. We visited the Battle of the Bulge Museum, where we saw a large collection of German, Luxembourgish and American artifacts from World War II. At the eatery Snack Time,

we discovered the best fries in Luxembourg, and then later, we enjoyed a visit to some nearby castles. At one point, we hiked through the forest surrounding the town to get apple juice made by monks at the Abbey of St. Maurice and St. Maurus. Since sit-down restaurants and stores were closed, a weekend was more than enough time for everyone to see what they wanted to at Clervaux. The following weekends, I decided to take day trips to towns in Luxembourg that were closer to Differdange. Ettelbruck and Luxembourg City, the capitol, were the two cities I visited where clothing and bookstores were open. Both of these day trips were a nice break to get out of Differdange. At the end of February, I had the opportunity to leave the country for the first time by visiting Paris. France has a low number of positive COVID tests, is only a three hour train ride away and has beautiful landmarks to make visiting during a pandemic worth it. To travel, my group of four friends and I had to get a PCR COVID test and complete a declaration form, which was less than I thought would be required for traveling during a pandemic. When we crossed the border to France, I

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In two days, we were able to see the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc de Triomphe, Palace of Versailles and SacréCœur. We couldn’t go into any of the museums or religious buildings to my disappointment, except Sacré-Cœur. But this allowed us to see more of the city itself, since I know I could have spent a whole day in just the Louvre. We also went shopping at ChampsÉlysées, where there were plenty of beautiful boutiques and people to draw fashion inspiration from. Although all restaurants were closed for dining in, we found multiple boulangeries that had a wide array of delicious pastries. The best chocolate croissant I’ve ever had can be found on a corner just five minutes away from the Eiffel Tower.

I also want to get outside and be more active by biking around a local town, hiking in the mountains and possibly paragliding over vineyards and hills. Travel aside, learning French is one of my top priorities since it is one of the prominent languages spoken in Luxembourg and Europe in general.

Going from knowing very basic French words to ordering confidently in French, holding a conversation with a local, and navigating with ease will surely be something I look back fondly on after my time in Luxembourg.

Junior professional writing major Maya Stoffer visits one of Paris’s most iconic sites on her first weekend trip out of Luxembourg. Stoffer appreciates the chance to explore a new culture and visit several worldfamous landmarks in the sparkling city.

When walking around, some people asked us if we were Americans. Whether it was the way we kept looking at our phones for navigation, our casual clothes in the mass of fashionable streetwear, or the fact we were speaking English, I was not surprised that we weren’t mistaken for locals. While I absolutely love studying in Luxembourg, this short trip out of the country was beyond amazing because of the different foods, sites and atmosphere. In Paris, everything moves so quickly, which was a great change of pace from my classes in Differdange and leisurely walks around the small town.

Students in the MUDEC program usually live with a host family while they study abroad. However, Miami wanted to experiment with students living on their own this semester since students in the past expressed an interest in this option. Because of this, I’m living with four other Miami students in an apartment in the city of Differdange. I knew I wanted this option because it is right next to the Chateaú, a 14th century castle in the middle of the city, where our classes are held. Besides, this has allowed me to travel in a safe, small group of people that I know. While I don’t have a host family to learn about

could tell immediately that we were in a new country by the bright blue sky and different architecture. Even the air felt different.

In the middle of the capital, Luxembourg City, junior professional writing major Maya Stoffer wanders through “The Grund.” This historic neighborhood lies several hundred feet below the rest of the city in a valley, on the banks of the Alzette and Pétrusse Rivers.

Although this coming weekend I am planning to stay in Luxembourg, I am sure I will be leaving the country again soon. By the end of this semester abroad, I hope to visit Italy, Malta and Switzerland. Italy is on the top of my list because of the rich history, culture and delicious food the country has. Although I don’t know as much about Malta, I have seen photos and hope to visit one of its beaches when it gets warmer. Chocolate, beautiful scenery and getting to hike in the Alps are the key drivers for visiting Switzerland. Oxford Life I MQ Magazine

“We had our T-shirts ordered already, we had our bagels already, but the bars did not [open early],” Franks said. “I had ordered green bagels already from our bagel supplier, and they’d already made the dough for it because it was happening right when everything was falling apart. We didn’t really know what was going to happen.”

Get Your Green On: What Green Beer Day Looks Like in a Pandemic

hen computer science major Andrew DePero was a first-year, he told himself it would be better to wait until junior year to participate. It wasn’t worth heading Uptown only to tangle with the Oxford Police Department on one of Oxford’s busiest, drink-heavy days of the year. If he wanted to enjoy Green Beer Day in full, with the bars overflowing onto the streets and green beer sloshing on the sidewalks, he might as well wait until he was 21. Now, one year into the pandemic and seven months past his 21st birthday, DePero is determined to still celebrate the Miami “holiday” while following COVID safety precautions. Since Miami replaced spring break with five wellness days scattered throughout the semester, Green Beer Day will take place on Thursday, March 25, when all classes and homework assignments are canceled for the day. DePero’s planning a small house party with the few friends he’s seen regularly throughout the semester. They’ll buy beer and green food coloring and order buy-one get-one free wings from Buffalo Wild Wings. The celebration may be a far cry from the rowdy bar 16

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story: Leanne Stahulak photos: Jake Ruffer design: Emily Scott

scene DePero was picturing, but he said he’d rather limit his and his friends’ chances of contracting or spreading COVID-19. “[The Uptown scene] scares me a little bit,” third-year DePero said. “I know that cases are dwindling, but I would still stay away from it personally, because it’s not something I want to expose myself to.” He thought the same thing last year, when Green Beer Day was canceled right as COVID cases spiked across the U.S. The celebration usually takes place on the Thursday before spring break every year, but last March, President Gregory Crawford closed campus and moved classes online during that same week. Most students fled town, heading home to quarantine with their families and finish the semester remotely. Bagel & Deli Co-Owner Gary Franks remembers the frenzy of everyone “packing up and moving out,” leaving only a few stragglers behind to try and celebrate Green Beer Day.

Since Bagel & Deli is a to-go or takeout business, it never shut down during the pandemic, even when Gov. Mike DeWine ordered all restaurants and bars to close last spring. Computer science senior and four-year Bagel & Deli employee Jack Budow didn’t work last year on Green Beer Day, but he remembers working the previous two years. “People are coming in throughout the morning in waves, not really all the time, and throughout the day you’ve got people coming straight from class to go Uptown and then stopping in here with their backpacks and everything,” Budow said. “It’s been kind of chaotic at times, and not easy, but it’s nothing really different than a normal Friday close or Saturday close [preCOVID].” Bagel & Deli only lets five people into the shop at a time now, and after 9 p.m. orders are placed exclusively at the takeout window. With curfew only recently lifted

“[The Uptown scene] scares me a little bit. I know that cases are dwindling, but I would still stay away from it personally, because it’s not something I want to expose myself to,” thirdyear Andrew DePero said.

John Krumpe and Emma Muhlenkamp are used to late nights on the job, but nothing will compare to Green Beer Day.

by Gov. DeWine on Feb. 11, Budow said he’s not sure what to expect for the upcoming Green Beer Day. “Bars have a lower capacity, so people being out will probably not be as prevalent. But there’s still gonna be house parties; there’s still gonna be drinking inside, and whether or not they want to get food at 2 a.m …” Budow said. “I think we’re planning to probably do it in a similar fashion to how we have done it, which is staying open late and potentially through the morning, serving green bagels.” Despite being able to remain open, Franks said Bagel & Deli still took a hit over the course of the pandemic, especially with several large events being canceled for safety reasons. “It’s not gonna be a good year. I’m thinking we’re gonna be down between 25% to maybe a third for the year when the pandemic’s done,” Franks said. “Hopefully by August, we’ll be through all this and back to normal. And then my hope is people will have all this pent up energy, and next year will be a great year.” Skipper’s Pub and Top Deck Owner Terry Amarantos also hopes for a better year. With limited capacity inside, social distancing regulations and less students Oxford Life I MQ Magazine

populating Uptown, the pub and bar have also been more pressed for business this past year. “I’m a small little place here, but I take care of my corner,” Amarantos said. “I’m just trying to make a living. It’s been a little bit difficult, but it is what it is. We are not one to bitch and moan and groan. I wake up everyday, I say, ‘Thank you, Lord,’ and I just put my boots on and come to work.” In the past, Green Beer Day has always been a booming business day for Amarantos, but he knows this year won’t be the same. “Am I gonna open? Probably, yeah, but will it be normal? Not even close,” Amarantos said. He plans on opening Top Deck around 5:30 a.m. on March 25, with Skipper’s opening later in the morning. For some places, like CJ’s Bar, COVID regulations might actually help Green Beer Day business, according to General Manager Andrew Ladriere. When he worked from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. on the drinking day in 2019, he said business came in huge waves for short periods, but would die out for the next several hours after that. Now, with CJ’s focusing on table rentals, there’s a chance people will be in the bar more consistently throughout the day.

“It’ll be interesting to see what happens this year because if we do rentals, then people have a set time when they’re gonna come into the bar,” Ladriere said. “So, it almost guarantees that people will be coming into the bar, as opposed to the unknown nature of having no one scheduled to come in and it could just be open to the general public.” Ladriere said he enjoyed working the event and watching people celebrate, but he still thinks the holiday is “overhyped.” “It’s a pretty absurd thing to start drinking at, like, midnight and try to go all day,” Ladriere said. “It’ll be interesting to see how it happens this year.” Junior political science and economics major Ashwin Shenoy shares a similar sentiment. When he was a first-year at Miami, Shenoy had heard stories about the event from current students and on social media. He decided to give the celebration a try back in 2019.

“It’s not gonna be a good year. Hopefully by August, we’ll be through all this and back to normal. And then my hope is people will have all this pent up energy, and next year will be a great year.”

- Gary Franks

“I wanted to participate, but not to the same extent that everyone else participated,” Shenoy said. “I wanted to get that experience without overdoing myself or putting a burden on myself.” Starting on Wednesday night, Shenoy accepted an

invitation from a friend to go to a house party. They eventually made their way to a fraternity, spending several hours there before heading back to the dorms around 4 a.m. Shenoy didn’t go back out for the afternoon’s “second wave,” instead choosing to stay in the dorm with his friends for the rest of the day. “Not gonna lie, it was tiring,” Shenoy said. “I guess overall it was a fun experience, but I don’t think I’d be able to do the whole 24-hour or whole-day type of thing.” When COVID hit last spring, Shenoy didn’t feel bad at all about missing out on the celebration. “I was totally fine not being able to experience it because of COVID,” Shenoy said. “It wasn’t something I was extremely passionate about or looking forward to, it was just kind of an event that was there. Like maybe I’d partake in it, but I don’t wanna revolve my whole life around it.” This year, Shenoy has “extremely low-key plans” to hang out with the tight-knit group of friends he’s been seeing this semester. They’ll be staying in one place,

not “house-hopping” or going Uptown, Shenoy said. If anything, he’s more interested in holding out hope for next fall when more people are vaccinated and life is headed back to normal. In the six semesters Shenoy’s been at Miami so far, half of them have been typical and half have occurred during the pandemic, and he said he hopes that at least one semester of his senior year will be like the college experience he had as a firstyear. “It makes me kind of sad that all these college experiences aren’t being satisfied,” Shenoy said. “The amount of people I hang out with and talk to has gone down a crazy amount. And I’m paying for Zoom classes or for sitting six feet apart from everyone in class, and then it’s hard to justify paying this crazy amount if I’m not even getting the social aspects of it.” While the social scene at Miami may not be what it used to be, all of the current and previous regulations were put in place with community member safety in mind. But with a light at the end of the tunnel, perhaps by next Green Beer Day, Uptown will be back to its vibrant, energetic self. Oxford Life I MQ Magazine

Miami’s Hidden Heros: Custodian Crews

story: Haley Griffin photos: Duncan Platt design: Emily Scott

Etherage Hall custodian staff members Joe Suman, Jeannie Bolser and Scott Rader (from left to right) take pride in what they do, because they know they are helping keep their residents safe from the coronavirus. Their hall has stayed on yellow almost the entire year.

The staff was innovative and began making their own hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes. They also stocked up on known COVID-killing chemicals as they became available and changed the products they used as researchers revealed that certain products could kill the virus more effectively.

outlined three different mass-disinfectant machines that Miami invested in and deployed throughout the residence halls and academic buildings: Kaivac 1250 cleaners for bathrooms, Karcher misters for tables and other high touch points and Kaivac backpacks for stairwell railings and other hard-to-reach surfaces.

One newer chemical, Smartpower, has emerged. It’s particularly exciting because it can kill COVID-19 in 30 seconds, is much cheaper than its competitors, doesn’t need to be wiped after application, can be applied without needing gloves or goggles and is food contact safe. This means that it isn’t harmful even if it gets on food or someone’s hand before they grab a bite to eat. So, it can even be used in Miami dining halls, dorm kitchenettes and the Child Development Center day care.

With this armory of cleaning machines, the staff has been able to clean more square footage than ever before.

Once they determined which chemicals were the best to use, they needed to figure out the best way to put them into action. To properly fight COVID-19, the traditional spray-and-wipe method wasn’t going to cut it. Wiseman

Over the years, residents in the various halls she has worked at have given Linda McDowen gifts to show their presentation. McDowen loves getting to know her residents and feel gratitude that they appreciate her so much. “It just tickles me pink,” she said.

he COVID-19 pandemic has required people from every profession to adapt to a new normal and step up to face unprecedented challenges. Healthcare workers and scientists had to figure out how to properly treat a virus that was rapidly overwhelming hospitals as it spread across the country. Teachers had to adapt to virtual classrooms while ensuring their students were still learning. Grocery store workers had to work relentlessly to stock shelves with the products and food that people were suddenly scrambling for. Millions of Americans lost their jobs. While working behind the scenes to keep everyone safe, one profession has stayed out of the spotlight: custodians. While doctors and nurses were racing to treat COVID-19 after someone was infected, cleaning staff were racing to prevent people from getting infected at all. While COVID-19 might not be as communicable by touch as public health experts initially feared, it can still live on surfaces for days, according to the Center for Disease Control. And when thousands of students are getting infected on college campuses and spreading the virus, it can feel like it’s everywhere. Miami University’s 20

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“We have anywhere from 40 to 55% less students [in the dorms] in some cases, but we’re actually cleaning almost twice as much as we were in the past,” Joe Suman, a senior building and grounds manager, said. To help enhance their cleaning protocols, the building services staff also added 15 new positions and brought in a service provider to clean five academic buildings. This provider was contracted in order to free up existing staff for extra duties like sanitizing high-traffic touchpoints like door handles more frequently.

KAIVAC 1250 CLEANERS

Building Services staff stepped up to help mitigate the spread and keep students safe while dealing with staffing shortages, supply limitations and safety concerns. According to Senior Operating Manager of Building Services David Wiseman, at the beginning of the pandemic, the most pressing challenges fell into two distinct categories: a lack of knowledge and a lack of supplies. To try and solve the first problem, he and his colleagues did some research. “We kept investigating, kept looking and then we found better solutions,” Wiseman said. The latter problem required patience, creativity and making do with what was available at the time. Wiseman recalled that it was impossible to find sanitary wipes, crucial COVID-fighting chemicals and disinfecting machines at the beginning of the pandemic. As individual consumers also experienced, the supply took months to meet the new demand.

Miami University has 50. These massive, yet maneuverable machines contain every chemical, cleaning product and clean mechanism you could ever desire. It features a vacuum, power washer and multiple convenient placeholders for numerous chemical bottles and other supplies. This machine is perfect for bathrooms and large open spaces.

KARCHER MISTERS

Miami University has 40. These new additions to the force feature omni-directional wheels that make them easy to maneuver, and their lengthy cords can reach every frequently touched surface imaginable. Powered with Vital Oxide disinfectant, COVID-19 particles resting on door handles, tables, elevator buttons and countertops don’t stand a chance.

KAIVAC BACKPACKS

Miami University has 70. Available in two different sizes, these handy machines are designed to rest easily on someone’s back. They are perfect for cleaning hardto-reach areas that the other machines struggle to get to. COVID-19 particles on stairwell railings, shelves and other tricky places are sure to meet their match.

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According to Scott Rader, a building and grounds assistant, the staff has also been given the opportunity to schedule their own overtime in order to help with extra cycles of disinfectecting, which he has taken advantage of by coming in two hours early for his shift. “I get here at 5:30, and I sanitize. I spray touch points, door handles, railings, light switches, anything you could imagine,” Rader said. Another change in the lives of the custodial staff is that they have had to socially distance themselves from the students and each other, which has included staggering their break schedules. Other COVID-19 precautions that are now part of their daily routine are wearing masks, washing their hands, wearing gloves (and changing them frequently), having their temperature checked daily and getting tested for COVID-19 weekly. Most staff members don’t mind these precautions because they are effective in keeping them and the students safe. They have also been impressed by the amount of residents in the on-campus housing community that are complying with the public health measures and wearing masks, socially distancing and washing their hands. Other than seeing students taking these precautions, the staff has also seen an increase in soap and paper towel usage, and since there are fewer students living on campus, that means that they are definitely washing their hands more frequently than before. They also have to take out the trash more often due to an increase in students using to-go options at the dining halls and restaurants. Greater responsibility has led to a greater sense of pride in custodians’ work. Rader works in Ethridge Hall, which has hardly seen any COVID-19 cases amongst residents. He said, “I like to think a lot of that has to do with us sanitizing, and then the students doing what they’re supposed to do.” It’s a team effort between the staff and the students, which in many ways is a continuation of the relationship Suman has always seen between his staff and the young adults they look out for. “Sometimes [building services staff] are the first person that some students see, and the custodians get to know the residents in the building, and sometimes 22

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“This is way more than a job of just cleaning or taking care of people. You’re there to make sure the building’s safe, make sure doors are closing and alarms are sounding. In addition to cleaning, we interact with students and ask them how their day is going.”

- Joe Suman

“A majority of [the residents], if I say ‘Good morning!” they’ll start striking up a conversation with me. I’ll talk to them, because I enjoy talking to them and getting to know them.”

- Jeannie Bolser

“I feel like there’s more responsibility. We’re the first like, essentially. This building has stayed yellow the entire time, and I like to think a lot of that is due to us sanitizing, and the students doing what they’re supposed to do.”

- Scott Rader

“It’s amazing how much they appreciate me. And sometimes, it just brings tears to my eyes. It really does.” - Linda McGowan

students will feel more comfortable sharing something with them than they will with their parents, an RA or someone in res. life,” Suman said. “It’s a lot more interaction than just maintaining the building and keeping things disinfected and clean.” There is so much more to the custodian’s jobs at Miami than meets the eye, and their dedication to Miami students is inspiring. This is especially true in the residence halls where the staff oftentimes builds relationships with the students on their floor. Jeannie Bolser, another building and grounds assistants at Etheridge Hall, explained her motivation for dedicating extra time to this work behind the scenes. “I like them to feel at home, because this is their home for nine months of the year,” Bolser said. “I enjoy talking to them and getting to know them.” Bolser and Rader work next door to Linda McGowan, a building assistant at Morris Hall who has worked at Miami for 11 years. McGowan has a reputation for giving the students in Morris, who are usually firstyears, tours of the hall and its amenities when they first arrive on campus. She befriends them right away and lets them know what to expect. She leaves her office door open during her breaks so that the students can come ask her any questions or stop by just to chat. If a student needs help doing laundry or is having a rough day, she is there to guide and comfort them. One time, a student on her floor didn’t have enough money to dry his clothes, so without a second thought she pulled out her personal credit card and paid for the dryer fee. Many of the custodians emphasized how much COVID-19 has elevated the necessity of the work that they have always done. This includes their cleaning and disinfecting duties, but also how much students lean on them for support in other ways. McGowan’s residents have paid attention to her kindness and the extra effort she puts into her job throughout the years. Their appreciation has come in the form of cookies, candies, notes and even items to decorate her office. She was brought to tears recounting the caring and respectful atmosphere that has developed in Morris Hall. It is something they all needed, especially in the middle of a pandemic. Feature I MQ Magazine

Vaccinations for Education

initiatives that will gain control over the pandemic, we will be able to go out in public a lot more.” Morrish said the district has been concerned about the impact the pandemic has had on the mental health of their students, families and teachers. She worries about the effects of isolationism in our society. Because school is such a social setting, she is ready for more students to be back more often. Teacher and staff vaccines were an important step to achieving this.

story: Emily Scott photos: Bo Brueck design: Emily Scott

ne year ago, the coronavirus pandemic forced the entire world into a new reality of video calls, social distancing and maskwearing. The education system was forced to adapt, so that students did not fall behind. After a year of seeing students’ faces on a screen or behind a mask, vaccines have given Talawanda School District teachers a new hope for the future. Beginning Feb. 1, all teachers and staff members of Ohio K-12 schools became eligible to receive the COVID vaccine, as long as their district committed to going back to school in-person or with a hybrid model. This included Talawanda teachers and staff, because they had already implemented a hybrid model. Most teachers and staff were able to get their second dose of the vaccine on Feb. 25. Heide Schran is a chemistry and physics teacher at Talawanda High School. In the fall, she had some reservations about returning to teaching in person 24

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while the pandemic raged across the country. After receiving both doses of the COVID vaccine, she feels better about returning to school, but skeptical about why she was prioritized. She said if it was up the local area, she does not think teachers would not have been a priority to receive the vaccine. “I don’t want to sound unappreciative, because I certainly am,” Schran said, “but, I don’t necessarily feel like my health and safety were prioritized. The business of school was prioritized, and it happened that my health and safety was aligned with it. That’s a really lucky thing for me.” At the end of October, local families got to choose if they wanted to send their students back to school or stay remote. Teachers did not get this choice, unless they themselves had a preexisting condition that put them at a higher risk. This also did not include teachers who had a member of their household with a preexisting condition. After three-anda-half weeks, they were again forced

All school districts in Butler County, except Hamilton School District and Fairfield City School District, had their teachers and staff vaccinated at a high school in the Lakota Local School District. Doctors from The Little Clinic, which is part of Kroger, gave out the vaccines. This allowed the rural school districts in the county to participate in a more centralized and efficient vaccine distribution.

to make the transition back to online learning after staff coronavirus cases got too high for the schools to operate. This semester began on Jan. 4 with two weeks of remote learning for all students at the elementary and middle schools. Elementary students began this year in person After that, all students who chose the in-person option have been able to go to school face-to-face. Currently, about 80% of students are face-to-face and the remaining 20% are completely online. Cases are down compared to last semester, and Talawanda employees hope to return to some sort of normal operation by the start of the next school year. “We are incredibly anxious for the pandemic to get under control, so that we can return to some normalcy. I don’t know if we’ll ever go back to exactly how life was before COVID-19,” Talawanda Communications and Public Engagement Director Holli Morrish said. “But, I think that with

“We are really grateful that teachers and school employees were given this opportunity by Gov. DeWine. We got it early on, so hopefully we can start to see more of our students soon,” Betsy Fuller, director of school and community relations for Lakota schools, said. Talawanda employees received their first dose on Feb. 4 and their second dose three weeks later on Feb. 25. Those who recently had COVID-19 or were in quarantine were not included, but can make an appointment at the local Little Clinic three months after they recover or are out of quarantine. For Schran, the process of getting her vaccine took only about five minutes, and then she had to be monitored for 15 minutes to ensure she did not have a negative reaction to the vaccine. Because the process was so smooth, she said it gave her hope for what vaccine rollout across the country could look like once more doses are available. On March 11, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) announced their plans to provide about 200,000 Abbott BinaxNOW Home Tests to Ohio K-12

public and private schools. These tests have received emergency FDA approval, and only take 15 minutes to complete. Instructions with the test say that a telehealth professional must be present while the test is being taken to ensure it is being used correctly.

but since getting the vaccine, she said she may start to just wear one. However, she remains fully committed to leading by example for her students. This means continuing to follow all health guidelines, even though she is not the one at risk.

“It was important to get these tests in the hands of school leaders because we know how important it is for students to be able to continue learning in their classrooms,” Gov. Mike DeWine said in a press release. “In addition to the staff vaccinations, masks and physicaldistancing practices that Ohio’s schools already employ so well, these tests will be a big help in our efforts to keep students, staff and communities safe.”

“I haven’t changed any of my habits, but [having the vaccine] makes me a lot less anxious when I am in situations that I cannot control,” Schran said. “I still double mask in the classroom, but the edge has been taken off, which is really great. I have hope for everybody knowing that more and more people are getting the vaccine.”

The at-home tests will be given to symptomatic teachers, students and staff members across Ohio. School districts were responsible for contacting their regional educational centers for more information on how to obtain them. The tests will be one more layer to protect schools as they begin to make the transition back to in-person learning. Morrish said Talawanda is committed to carrying out both the in-person and remote options for the rest of the year, but hope to have more students in the classroom next school year as more of the public gets vaccinated.

The coronavirus pandemic may be coming to an end, but only if everyone continues to do their part to fight the virus. Schran is committed to continue doing what she can to ensure that her students and her community is safe.

Physics and Chemestry Teacher Heidi Schran must teach simultaneously to her students in the classroom and on Zoom. On Wednesday, all students are asynchronous, but she holds office hours. These have been very helpful for her online students to have more one-on-one attention.

Some estimate that as early as May, all adults could have the vaccine. However, this does not include students, because more testing needs to be done to see how the vaccines will affect children, according to the New York Times. To achieve herd immunity, the United States must have about 80% of the population vaccinated or with some type of immunity. According to United States Census Data, children make up 25% of the country’s population, which means herd immunity cannot be achieved by vaccinating only adults. This could be a difficulty that schools will need to navigate when determining if they will fully open in the fall. Schran has been wearing two masks, Feature I MQ Magazine

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Along with 70 other members of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force, Co-Chairs Dr. Vicka Bell-Robinson and Dr. Anthony James drafted several recommendations last summer to build a better campus climate at Miami. The group spent eight weeks focusing on five pillars for change: Dialogue and Allyship; Cultural Consciousness; Advocacy and Partnerships; Structural and Resource Support; Inclusion and Accountability. James, now the interim vice president for institutional diversity and inclusion, says the recommendations and their implementation are just the beginning. “That’s not an endpoint; that is merely the state of where the community will be at that moment. It’s a continual process of examining, ‘Are we still reaching our full potential as a community as well as an institution?’” But James is pleased with the progress that’s been made. “I am continually impressed by the level of care and compassion amongst community members as well as accountable offices.”

Sophomore bioengineering major Avery Seagren had only just moved back to Miami from her home in Yorba Linda, California when she got a text from her mom: “If there was a fire and we had to leave, what would you want out of your room?” At first, Seagren didn’t know about the wildfires tearing up and down the West Coast, painting the skies red with ash and smoke. But soon her family was evacuating their home to flee the flames. “The fire stopped about a couple blocks from my neighborhood — it was really close. Which was crazy and scary, but fortunately everyone was okay.” Her dad stayed behind to spray down the house and porch with water so no stray sparks would catch their house on fire. The rest of the family grabbed “the stuff you can’t replace,” like photographs, and drove to a friend’s house. All the while, Seagren waited anxiously in Oxford for updates from her mom. “The fact that I couldn’t really do anything was definitely stressful for me.”

AUGUST

When thinking about what she expected Oxford to look like for the spring of her senior year, “empty” was never a word Bridget Dickens imagined herself using. “No one else was around. We would sit on our balcony, and look out at the street, and just...no one was there.” But the caps and gowns had already been purchased, and Dickens and her friends decided there was nothing to do but try to make the best of a bad situation. “It was nice in the sense that, even though our families weren’t there, you could just spend time with your friends. And that was kind of exactly what we needed, since we weren’t going to be seeing each other on a daily basis anymore. It really did feel like everything came to the ending it was supposed to.”

J U LY

On March 10, 2020, Journalism Professor Rosemary Pennington talked candidly to her class about their hopes for the class going forward, as the coronavirus pandemic was just beginning. Later that day, Miami University President Gregory Crawford made an announcement, following a recommendation from Gov. Mike DeWine to limit large gatherings. He announced that, starting the next day, classes would be held online until at least April 12. “I was in such a haze, thinking: How am I going to manage this?” Immediately, Pennington, and the rest of Miami’s professors, had to find a way to deliver their class online within 24 hours. Most of her class material was already on Canvas, but figuring out how to manage in-class discussions was the hardest part. “I don’t think I felt this panicked and this odd right after 9/11. We went from normal to not normal so fast.” Penninton did not realize in April how quickly she would become “Zoomed out.”

About two weeks after George Flyod died on May 25, a friend of LaTrisha Hillman’s checked on her to see how she was doing and if she needed anything. Hillman decided that she needed a place to mourn, and thought the rest of Oxford needed the same. On ___ she held a vigil for Floyd, which over 1,000 people attended. “I didn’t want anything negative. I just wanted somewhere where we could stand and say: ‘This happened; it shouldn’t have happened. Shit needs to change.’ That’s all I wanted.” Hillman met with several leaders on Oxford, as well as the Oxford chapter of the NAACP to help organize the vigil. She planned the entire event in a week. She hopes it was just the start of a series of conversations and actions that Oxford, and the rest of the nation, must have. She believes recognizing the horrors of our past is the first step. “In Ohio, and Oxford, [racism] is in your face. A lot of people, because there isn’t a lot of diversity, just assume it doesn’t happen here. It happens here.”

JUNE

APRIL

MARCH 2020

When asked what he could recall from March last spring, Brendan Morrison, a sophomore majoring in English Education, said this: “I remember hearing about the lockdown before it happened because a classmate of mine heard a TA mention the rumblings of a shutdown, and when I asked the manager at the dining hall I worked at if that was going to happen, he said ‘No way.’ Then the very next day an email was sent out for us to go home. Around two weeks later I was back in Massachusetts.” At the time of the shutdown, he was a freshman at Miami, and he felt disappointed that he had to miss the “beautiful” springtime on campus, which was one of the major selling points of the university.

story: Claire Lordan, Ethan Icarus O’Brien-Scheffer, Emily Scott & Leanne Stahulak photos: provided design: Emily Scott

M AY

One Year of the Pandemic

hen the threat of COVID-19 hit our nation in March 2020, none of us could have imagined what the year would bring. Life was put on pause and thrown online, businesses were closed, tense and long overdue conversations about race were brought to the forefront, the West burned, a divided country elected a new president, an angry mob stormed the Capitol building and the vaccine rollout started. This was truly the year that would never end. Every month brought its own set of challenges. Here are some of the stand-out moments from our community.

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Compared to the cheers and celebration across Washington D.C. the November night that Joe Biden was confirmed to be the next president, Miami alum Caroline Forrey remembers the city being dead silent on Jan. 6. “It felt like the end of the world. And I was like, ‘If it’s the end of the world, I don’t think I should be obligated to continue to have a job.’ Luckily things did work out better, and I continue to have a job. And we continue to possibly have a democracy.” While working from home the day of the Capitol riot, Forrey and her roommates watched the news in horror. “It was like a slow-motion car crash. We were watching for a while, and then in order to continue watching it, we were like ‘We’ll get the wine out.’” Forrey passed out at 8 p.m., fully-clothed and thankful the coup didn’t succeed.

FEBRUARY

JANUARY 2021

Martha Sapiro, project coordinator for Miami’s Department of Global and Intercultural Studies, hasn’t seen her family in over a year. The San Francisco native has missed out on family holidays before, but she admitted that this year was harder. “It’s not the first time I’ve gone some time without seeing them, because I’ve lived abroad in other cities. But not being able to see them because you’re afraid you or your family members are going to die is a whole new level.” For once, Sapiro wasn’t the only one who had to make hard decisions about whether to gather or not for the holidays. “Everyone was alone this year. We were all alone together,” she said. While she can’t wait to see everyone once they’re all vaccinated, Sapiro’s glad she decided to stay in Oxford for all of 2020. “I’m really happy that my family’s all on the same page. They were sad we couldn’t all be together, but it’s not worth the risk.”

DECEMBER

Bus driver Brenda Kinder is no stranger to late night routes. In the 2019-2020 school year, she used to drive from 9 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. on weekend nights so that residents at the Annex Apartments could safely get to and from Uptown. This past fall, the Annex shuttles stopped running the Uptown route and took students to Kroger and Walmart every week day instead. Despite more students taking up residence at Annex, Kinder still sees far less students on her bus. “I really miss the hustle and bustle. I won’t ever complain about it being really bumpy and the traffic being really bad ever again.” While in the past Kinder used to connect a lot with the residents she drove around, this year there’s been few opportunities for bonding. “It’s really sad, and it’s just not normal. I’ll be glad when they open stuff up and the bus starts getting really busy.”

NOVEMBER

OCTOBER

SEPTEMBER

In all her time working as the general manager of The Wild Berry, Kimberly Clark has never once experienced anything quite like the last 12 months. But even with the pandemic forcing the store to close its doors to in-store customers, the community’s support completely changed her expectations for what business during the pandemic would look like. “There really was this huge frenzy of people placing orders, I guess because they’d been cooped up, so when they were finally let out of the coop everyone went a little crazy,” Clark said. Even when stores were allowed to reopen for instore service, limited space and a lack of student population both made for obstacles. “You know it’s funny, even with all the students gone, we still saw a ton of locals come up during the summer,” Clark said. “It really helped get us through those few months.”

Is risking your personal safety the price to pay for protecting democracy? Sophomore political science major Jake Kravitz seems to think so. He signed up to be a poll observer through the Ohio Voter Protection Team. “They work to make sure elections are run so that all polls are run correctly and fairly.” Kravitz, who is also a member of College Democrats, spent Election Day at Kramer Elementary School from morning ‘till night, watching over the voting booths and making sure each voter’s process ran smoothly. “There’s really nothing like being a big political junkie and working Election Day,” Kravitz said. “It was a very grounding experience, getting to help people’s voices be heard.” Though health concerns arose when some voters refused to wear masks to the polls, Kravitz stands by the importance of voting in a democracy. “No matter what side of the aisle you’re on, there’s nothing more important,” Kravitz said. “Making sure your vote counts is everything.”

When deciding what worship services will look like, Faith Lutheran Church looks to ensure that their most at-risk members will be safe. As vaccinations have been rolled out in Oxford and around the country, Pastor Logan Dysart hopes to get back to in-person worship soon. However, they will still be taking precautions to keep everyone safe, including elderly members, those with preexisting conditions and children, whose path towards vaccination is still very unclear. For now, Sunday worship will remain online, but Pastor Dysart hopes that once the weather gets warmer, he will be able to hold outdoor, inperson worship. Pastor Dysart is also looking forward to continuing his ministry through home visits, hospital visits and nursing home visits. “Such a large part of my ministry has been wiped away by COVID. I miss it tremendously.” After he receives his second dose of the vaccine, he will feel safer to continue these visits in some capacity, although hospitals and nursing homes still have strict regulations in place that prohibit most visitors.

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Aidan Schwind

Zoom University:

Sophomore business major Aidan Schwind lives in a fraternity house off-campus and spends his study time in his dorm-style room. Schwind intentionally studies the most during the morning and afternoon because of the distracting environment of the fraternity house. “As long as I prioritize my schoolwork earlier in the day, I usually don’t have any problems with remote learning,” Schwind said.

A Collection of Remote Working Spaces story: Lucy Greaney photos: Lucy Greaney design: Lucy Greaney

fter going remote for over a semester, these Miami University students have developed their own work spaces. As displayed in each student’s recollection of thoughts, attending college from home has proven to be a challenge for many. These students share their learning spaces and feelings about learning remotely.

Clay Cutteridge

Jimmy Roach Jimmy Roach is a first-year student who was lucky enough to move to campus in the fall. While he is grateful for the chance to be in Oxford and have a somewhat normal freshman year, he knows that the pandemic has had a major impact on Miami students. “Not seeing the community definitely has some impact on all of us. I can only imagine that the atmosphere of an active campus community can have a somewhat rejuvenating effect on students,” Roach said.

Junior biology major Clay Cutteridge spends his mornings attending lectures from his home office. Cutteridge considers himself lucky to have a room dedicated to school work in order to minimize distractions throughout the day. “My bed would be too much of a temptation if my desk were nearby,” Cutteridge said. He keeps his decor to a minimum and admits that it creates a calming environment.

Alex Danciutiu Junior biomedical engineering major Alex Danciutiu devotes a majority of her days in Oxford studying for the MCAT. Her desk is a place where coding feats come to life, just like her stoplight coding project shown here. “It’s ridiculously hard to learn new [coding] programs at home since you don’t have the hands on experience from the professor,” Danciutiu said.

Madelyn Jett Junior marketing major Madelyn Jett attends various club meetings from her yellow-themed bedroom. With her desk nuzzled in a corner, Jett finds it easy to separate her resting space from her work space. She explains that her desk doubles as a vanity. “The space is more focussed on self-care when the weekend rolls around,” Jett said.

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Ethan Tinsley Sophomore strategic communications major Ethan Tinsley lives on-campus as a Resident Assistant in Porter Hall. He recently upgraded his Zoom usability by investing in a 32-inch screen monitor. “My ability to multitask has increased tremendously,” Tinsley said.

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Aidan McKeon Junior history and arts management major Aidan McKeon lives out his professional life completely online. As a marketing intern for the Cincinnati Boychoir, he spends multiple hours a week creating graphics and posting on social media. McKeon also attends staff meetings on Zoom as well as his classes. “I often find my focus to be best in the morning, and remote learning has allowed me to finish most of my schoolwork earlier in the day,” McKeon said, “I can use the rest of the day to focus on my work, co-curriculars and being with the ones I love.”

Marissa Webb Sophomore strategic communications and arts management major Marissa Webb enjoys her small desk space in her off-campus home. Zoom is not only responsible for getting Marissa from class to class, but also meeting to meeting. “I am the current One Acts Chair for Stage Left and all of our events have been on Zoom throughout the pandemic,” Webb said.

Lydia Camp Sophomore education studies and french major Lydia Camp values the clean and simple ambiance of her study space. Keeping her learning space clear of distractions allows her to fully succeed in an online environment. “Online learning has its challenges, but keeping a clear mind and space helps me stay afloat,” Camp said.

Eloise Greely Junior political science and environmental science major Eloise Greely spends a lot of time at her desk studying for the LSAT. As a native of Houston, Greely likes to keep pieces of home with her in her off-campus apartment. “I have a lot of Texas memorabilia in my room, but my favorite part of my desk is my cactus lamp,” Greely said.

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I think that the school could have been more strategic about where it placed the wellness days, as well. If they were on Mondays or Fridays, we could have had 3-day weekends. Those mini-breaks would have provided us with at least a semblance of a spring break. It’s true that not every student has classes on Mondays or Fridays, but most students would still likely prefer this over a mid-week break. And, three days isn’t sufficient for a big trip, so it wouldn’t have encouraged traveling.

Wellness Day Woes

While first-year Alison MacGillivray wishes she could have a full spring break, she still decided to make the most of her wellness days. When she’s not baking, MacGillivray likes to read, workout and play board games with her family.

story: Alison MacGillivray photos: Alison MacGillivray design: Lucy Greaney

t’s 2021, and COVID-19 seems like a permanent part of our lives. Even with the vaccine rolling out, the virus is just as serious as it was months ago. Universities have enacted policies to keep their student body safe, but there’s one policy in particular that’s pretty controversial: no spring break. Miami University announced in September that there would be no break in the spring semester. The idea is that without a spring break, college students won’t be traveling to hotspots like Florida, and everyone knows that traveling isn’t exactly a COVID-friendly activity. In place of a break, Miami is giving students five wellness days spaced throughout the semester, most of which occur mid-week.

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I understand the need to reduce travel, but knowing Miami’s student population, I’m not sure whether this will even be an effective deterrent for anyone determined to experience a real spring break. Most classes are online, anyways — it would be so easy to take a vacation and spend just a few hours a day on lectures. Even if it was effective in limiting travel, these wellness days don’t come close to replacing the benefits of a spring break. With class days on either side of them, they’re days we will have to spend catching up on homework for the week or studying. It’s merely a pause in our busy schedules. Spring break, on the other hand, provides us with an entire week to relax. We’re able to push school to the back of our minds and focus on our mental health.

And, yes, there’s no question that students deserve a break. It’s not just a break from studying — it’s time with family, time to catch up on sleep, time to feel like a human rather than a student. Plus, it should go without saying, it’s been a stressful year for everyone. For seniors, I can only imagine that it feels like a mediocre ending to four years of grueling, hard work, and for first-years like myself, the college experience hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations. We’ve dealt with many losses this year. Many students don’t even live on campus, and those who do are isolated from each other. Professors have had to adapt their curriculum to an online platform, a task that seems nearly impossible. These hardworking professors especially deserve a break from everything.

On the contrary, some teachers have expressed a preference for wellness days over a spring break. When students leave for a week, they said, they notice a significant difference in performance once they return. The material isn’t fresh in their minds and much is forgotten. Still, in an email sent to students earlier this year, the Office of Provost insists that spring break “is a cherished tradition for all members of our university community,” faculty included. But everyone — even Miami’s administration — is doing the best they can. Since the beginning of the school year, Miami has implemented protocols to ensure student safety. Masks are required in all buildings, many classes are held remotely, and the classes that are in-person use social distancing. I respect the time they have taken to focus on the student body’s wellness, yet I also know that it’s important to speak up when better actions could have been taken. At the end of the day, if the wellness days truly limit travel, I’ll be glad that my peers are safe, because that’s what matters most. COVID-19 requires sacrifices from everyone to overcome the pandemic, disgruntled and exhausted college students included. And, any break is better than nothing. Personally, I will be spending my wellness days in the kitchen. Over quarantine, I began cooking and baking, a hobby that I continue to nurture today. A one-day break should be sufficient enough to bake a cake! Opinion I MQ Magazine

Living Off-Campus is Better Than I Expected

But one of the biggest problems I faced while living on campus was a lack of food options — I’m glutenfree — and the decreased hours of dining halls. This made me not only hungry, but remorseful for having stayed on campus. Because even during quarantine and a pandemic, while living in a dorm, I was forced to purchase an exorbitantly expensive meal plan. Even “Diplomat Minimum,” which I had been on since my second semester my first year, is costly (generally over $2,000, unless with reduced rate, which is still $1,000). And the cost of the dorm room itself? Traditional, double occupancy typically falls close to $4,000 a year. One bedroom is usually shared with someone, with access to a public bathroom or two, dis/respectful neighbors, minimal communal kitchen access and a required meal plan that counts each meal as around $10, which is overpriced if you consider the quality of the food that you’re eating and the quantity. If you have dietary requirements, you might have to specially request to have meals made for you — this limits what dining halls you can go to, and the times at which you go to them.

story: Ethan Icarus O’Brien-Scheffer photos: Bo Brueck design: Lucy Greaney

or Miami University’s 2020-2021 fall semester — my fifth semester — I had been pretty sure that we students would be moving in a few weeks before the start of classes. Until Miami sent out an email in the summer pushing back move-in. My roommate wasn’t coming back because of COVID-19, but I had my boyfriend and emotional support dog to keep me company. It seemed okay, at first. I had already lived in Stonebridge Hall the year before, and in Brandon Hall during my freshman year. So, I expected that Stonebridge Hall would elicit a similar all right experience for me this time around. My reason for staying on campus was so my boyfriend, an academic year behind me and (at the time) unable to move off-campus, could be near me. The first problem I faced was that I was placed in a girls only corridor. Had the corridor been mixed like the year 36

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prior, I wouldn’t have minded, but as a trans man, the complete disregard for my non-sex-segregated housing preference was rather discomforting. Not long into a new semester of online classes (that I suspected would go poorly, given how difficult concentrating in class was during the spring semester prior), I moved into Etheridge Hall into the same room with my boyfriend and dog. The requirement to stay on campus for the first two academic years hadn’t been lifted yet to our knowledge, and so my boyfriend lacked the option to live off-campus until Miami offered the breaking of the housing contract. Lo and behold, the semester didn’t really improve. Classes were abysmal, and Miami was hiking up its demands for social-distancing — dorms were going into quarantine, people were getting sick, others isolated. Around every two weeks, I was COVID tested. I was working at Western Dining Hall, so I had to stay healthy, and Miami’s policy was that if you tested positive while at school, you wouldn’t be tested again for three months. Since I never got sick with COVID, I never got a break from testing.

Also, this is normal, not just during COVID. With COVID protocol, the mandatory meal plan makes less sense. There’s less food variety due to the smaller attending population and fewer times to get into the dining halls throughout the day due to their cleaning schedules, which shut them down for about an hour close to noon when people are typically seeking meals.

“We opted for a two bedroom apartment with one bathroom at Fox and Hounds, a complex that my mother had actually lived at for some time while attending Miami.” Between all these crazy circumstances, my boyfriend and I knew we wouldn’t want to go back on campus in the spring. So, we opted to not return and take all of our classes online. We didn’t want to live at our homes, he being from another state and me feeling a dip in my mental health whenever back in Cuyahoga County. Thus, we decided to move into an apartment in Oxford. This would allow us to have our own place with our dog, have all the basic amenities Miami offers,

the added bonus of a cheaper cost of living, increased privacy and we wouldn’t have to deal with the hassle of moving every few months. We opted for a two bedroom apartment with one bathroom at Fox and Hounds, a complex that my mother had actually lived at for some time while attending Miami. We have a kitchen to ourselves with cabinets, a big refrigerator, an electric stove and more than enough storage space. I was lucky to inherit some furniture from my grandparents’ house, and together we already had a TV, computers and desks. It’s been a couple of months living in the apartment, and we’ve already seen a cost improvement. The monthly rent cost is around $725 total (the $25 being a pet fee), which is affordable for us — we’ve saved up money from working. Electricity is around the price of the pet fee. Since water and electricity/ heating costs depend on your personal usage, we can keep things nice and cheap on our ends by only using electronics, lights and water when we need to. WiFi is $60 a month, and we use it all the time — we don’t have cable, and Spectrum is the only viable internet provider left in this area. After our first payment they even lowered their charge a little. Better yet? Food. Walmart and Kroger are nearby and both offer more gluten-free options than what the dining halls do. Strolling through grocery aisles, I see choices: diverse options that won’t cost me an arm and a leg. Our school’s meal plan policy makes students cut off their limbs before they ever see what exactly they’re buying. Off-campus living doesn’t have to cost any metaphorical limbs, and it certainly doesn’t make you pay for stuff you would never want to buy in the first place. This experience of moving into an apartment has proven to me that the cost of living on-campus is not worth it. Sure, I could be closer to classes when they mostly go back to being in-person, yet I would rather walk the fifteen to twenty-ish minutes to the academic buildings than find myself deeper in debt after I graduate. As someone who values privacy, freedom and my physical and mental health, living in an apartment off-campus has shown me that the benefits are worth such mild inconveniences. Nevertheless, after your first two years of education here, the choice will be yours: do you live in expensive dorms near classes, or do you take full advantage of the liberties adulthood has granted you and break free from the overrated college living experience? I know what my choice would be. Opinion I MQ Magazine

Indeed,the Job Hunt is On story: Leanne Stahulak photos: Jake Ruffer design: Lucy Greaney

ontrary to my earlier impressions, looking for a job is not orderly, sophisticated, satisfying work. It’s me hunched over my laptop at 2 a.m., scrolling through Page 14 of “writer / editor” jobs on Indeed and crying to myself because so many of them require cover letters. Six months ago, cover letters were nothing but a minor annoyance. Something I had to whip up while applying for internships or scholarships, using the same template for similar positions. Now, I have a growing list of 15-20 jobs waiting on my to-do list that each require a specific tone or anecdote or explanation of my experiences. You and I both know that my situation would be so much easier if I just wrote the damn cover letter as soon as I found the job. Take each application one at a time, filling it out completely and carefully before moving on to the

“I religiously check Indeed, Glassdoor, Handshake and other sites during class time, before I go to bed, while I’m eating.” 38

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next potential opportunity. But my job hunt doesn’t work like that. Instead, I find myself unable to stop scrolling through these job sites. I religiously check Indeed, Glassdoor, Handshake and other sites during class time, before I go to bed, while I’m eating. Even when I have an immediate assignment due for class that day, I can’t stop myself from wasting hour after hour on thousands of search results.

energy into an opportunity that has a very low chance of working out? Why am I getting so ahead of myself when I can’t even work full-time for another two and a half months? For me, the answer lies in generational pressure and expectations.

When it’s gotten to the point where even my schoolwork is taking a back seat to the endless job search, I have to ask myself: what’s the point?

My mother was a first generation college student who graduated with her bachelor’s, started working full-time, got married, had a kid and hasn’t looked back since. Both of my parents have worked for as long as I can remember, and they’ve always raised my older sister and me with the mindset that we had to get a job as soon as we graduated college.

Why am I burning myself out by putting things off to the last minute and struggling over cover letters that shouldn’t take me more than 30 minutes? Why am I investing this much emotional and intellectual

With my sister majoring in art education and me studying English, the two of us didn’t inspire much hope in our parents. But we were determined to pursue our passions no matter how many challenges our chosen career

paths presented. They couldn’t be more difficult than suffering through classes we didn’t like and an eventual job that bored us to tears, right? Surprisingly enough, this naive philosophy has held up so far. I’m happy with the choices I’ve made at Miami, adding journalism and media degrees while throwing myself into magazine writing. I wasn’t sure if it was the type of work I wanted to do post-grad, but it felt like a comfortable compromise between my parents’ desire for a viable career and my desire to write. What I didn’t realize was that as my senior year wound down, a subtle ticking would start creeping into the back of my mind. I didn’t notice it this fall, not until I worked part-time at a newspaper in Indiana over winter break. For a mere $11 an hour, I did the same amount of work as a full-time reporter and listened to my coworkers talk about their second jobs that took up their evenings and weekends. A slow panic built up as we got closer and closer to the start of the spring semester, my last semester before I’d be out in the world on my own. Jobless. Income-less. Hopeless. Something snapped in my mind as classes started up. Suddenly, the ticking became all-consuming, beating in time with the clicking of my mouse as I started going through page after page of job listings. I knew more about

the industry I wanted to go into now, and some of those realities scared me. Sporadic freelance gigs, constant pitching, no benefits like health insurance or retirement plans. It wasn’t just about finding a job anymore, but finding the right job, the one I could truly make a living from. I could hear my parents’ voices next to that ticking, reminding me that graduation was only three months away and then the rest of my life was waiting for me. I’ve had enough of all this noise in my head. It’s my senior year, my last semester at Miami, and I refuse to spend it worrying about where I’ll be in a few months. Because what my parents didn’t tell me, and what I’ve had to learn on my own, is that I don’t need to follow any pre-approved, structured “plan.” There is no right answer for the way I choose to live my life and the path I choose to follow after I leave Miami, especially while living in a pandemic. I think the pandemic, more than anything, has truly opened my eyes to the choices in front of me. Last spring, I watched all of my older friends struggle with finding a job after graduation and resign themselves to living at home with their parents. Several companies had to furlough employees or close up positions, making it even harder for recent college grads to find an entrylevel position in any field or industry. But my friends didn’t let this knowledge,

or the fact that they were spending their 20s living in their childhood bedrooms, deter them. They kept trying, kept applying, kept thinking about the move that was right for them at that point in their lives. And now, as I’m approaching the same spot they were in a year ago, I’m reminding myself that it’s okay if I don’t immediately know what comes next. I think it’s time for all of us to take a step back and excuse ourselves from the pressure we feel, from loved ones and friends and society as a whole, to have our lives figured out before we graduate. It’s time to give ourselves some grace and patience as we try to juggle school and work and our limited social lives and this pandemic. It’s time to take a breath and close the laptop when the impulse to doom scroll takes over. It’s time for me to take my own advice, close that Indeed tab on my browser, and truly get to work on myself. I want to savor these last few months as a college student, enjoying the experiences I know won’t be the same after I graduate. I want to take the long route through campus to get to the library, beat the clock at Brick, share a pretzel at Steinkeller’s, study by Lux Cafe, go to trivia night at Church Street Social, go hiking in Hueston Woods. Even if these experiences don’t add much to my resume, I know they’ll be priceless when I look back on my time at Miami and remember how I led such a life in such a place. Opinion I MQ Magazine