January 17, 2012 | The Miami Student

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The Miami Student Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826

VOLUME 139 NO. 32

TUESDAY, January 17, 2012

MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO

TODAY IN MIAMI HISTORY In 1992, The Miami Student reported that West Park in uptown Oxford would be renamed in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. King had visited Oxford in 1959. The park was to be renamed on Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.

Community honors King’s life, legacy “The great problem confronting us today is that we have allowed the means by which we live to outdistance the ends for which we live.” Martin Luther King, 1961

ANDREW BRAY THE MIAMI STUDENT

A poet delivers his work in front of a collage of photos representing Miami’s diversity during Monday morning’s commemorative program held in honor of the life of Martin Luther King Jr. A march and program began the celebration in Oxford’s uptown district and ended at Hall Auditorium where the second portion of the program was held.

By Abby Russ

For The Miami Student

Monday, Miami University students gathered to remember Martin Luther King Jr. as they marched from High Street to Hall Auditorium. Organized by the Center for American and World Cultures and Alpha Phi Alpha, the march began uptown with a short program. The program included read-

ings from King’s speeches and speeches by local pastors and Oxford Mayor Richard Keebler. Many students participated in the peace march, including student-athletes. “I think the peace march and service are great ways to acknowledge the true meaning of this day and the importance Dr. King had on our nation” first-year Andrea Gevas said. Juanita Tate, director of

diversity initiatives for the office of diversity affairs, was the brain behind this event along with the fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha. Together, they were able to encourage students to attend the event and honor King. “We want the community to remember King,” Tate said. They were able to do just that, as they marched to Hall Auditorium to see Sharon Draper, a New York Times

best-selling author and Miami alumna. She is an educator in the state of Ohio and won Teacher of the Year in 1997. In her speech, “A man. A memory. A mountaintop,” she discussed the significant role King played in her life and the importance of continuing his vision in the future. Adding to the commemoration service was the band OGADE, a drum corps which

played during the program. Students, faculty and the community were able to be involved in remembering King. “We want to tell the students and the community to continue to strive for peace and justice,” Tate said. She said she feels the most significant message students should take away from this day is that there is still work to be done and it can start in communities.

Tate and her committee were excited when planning this event because they said they see the importance of remembering King. She looks forward to planning the event next year as well. Draper will stay on Miami’s campus an extra day to speak 4 p.m. today. She will be speaking in Sesquicentennial Chapel. In her speech “A Blueprint for Dreamers,” she will discuss more about her career and King.

Manager’s moves createYouTube sensation Missouri leaves Miami with 2012 schedule gap

By Carsyn Rodriguez

For The Miami Student

By now, many Miami University students and faculty have seen or heard about the YouTube video making Miami’s own Chad Burns, assistant athletic equipment manager, very popular. Over the course of the football season, the team video crew secretly recorded Burns during football practice breaking down with some dancing moves, and then compiled a video that they showed him the day before the last game of the season. It was Director of Football Operations Reed Schuitema who had the idea to make the video of Burns in the first place. “Every day when the video staff and I were up in the video booth to film that day’s practice, we would just be laughing during the stretching at Chad down there dancing on the field,” Schuitema said. “Then one day, when Burns’ boss Darrel was up in the booth watching him, I just thought ‘let’s just put a camera on him and put some clips together, even if it’s only for him’.” Over the course of the season, shooting about 10-15 minutes per day, the video staff compiled about a day and a half’s worth of footage just of Burns dancing. Then after practice, Shuitema said, they looked at the clips and tried to find the best ones of Burns dancing. Those who worked on making the video included Matt Mountjoy, video director for football, who edited the video; Kyle Kron, student video assistant, who took a lot of the footage, posted it to his YouTube account, (Krontv) and Tweeted it; Korey Martin, student video assistant; as well as John Lintner,

Charles Stephens, Andrew Bohannon and Justin Beck, who all filmed segments of the video. “Chad is a very unique, once-in-a-lifetime person to meet, and his dancing everyday was just too hilarious and

and grew up in Farmington, Mich. He attended Eastern Michigan University, and while there, he worked as assistant manager in the athletic department. Burns said he came to Miami after graduating in the summer of 2009,

music,” according to Burns, it was just natural for him to dance, never knowing the video crew was filming him before practice. Burns said he was a little embarrassed the first time he saw the video, “but then

YOUTUBE.COM

Assistant Athletic Equipment Manager Chad ‘Stylez’ Burns dances during football practice in fall 2011. A video of Burns’ dance moves was posted on YouTube and has become a viral hit. unique to pass up video taping too,” Shuitema said. With Burns’ permission, they put that video on YouTube, where it has since been featured on ABC’s “Right This Minute” show, ESPN’s “SportsNation,” Ryan Seacrest’s blog and Tosh.O’s blog. Burns has also been interviewed by Lance McAlister on ESPN Cincinnati Radio, a Michigan radio station and The Oxford Press. The video was even played on ESPN before the college football national championship this year. At the time of print, the video had been viewed more than 145,000 times on YouTube. But who is Chad Burns? How did he come to Miami? And why is he always dancing? Originally from Oklahoma, Burns said he moved to

when his boss at Eastern Michigan, Darrel Hallberg, came to work at Miami and hired Burns to work in the athletic department too. When asked how he likes working here, Burns said, “It’s awesome. I love Oxford.” He also said he used to visit a friend here when he was in college, and he never imagined living here himself, but “things just work out.” Part of the reason Burns said he loves it here so much and loves his job is because he really gets to just be himself, and that includes his dancing. Burns said everyday for stretching at football practice, the stadium plays music to get the players pumped up. Since dancing and being goofy are just part of his personality, and even a “reflex when I hear good

again, I’m used to embarrassing myself,” he said. “Then I just embraced it.” Even Burns’ friends and people who know him were not really surprised when the video came out, and he said his fellow coworkers and everyone around him have been supportive and positive about the dancing. Burns said his video is getting really popular and all the hype has been really fun. “The best part about all of it is making people smile,” Burns said. “When people watch the video, they smile and laugh, and I’m so lucky to not only have a job where I can dance, but to have been part of something so enjoyable for other people as well.”

Burns, SEE PAGE 11

By JM Rieger Sports Editor

The 2012 Miami University football schedule will undergo a change in the near future as a result of the University of Missouri’s switch to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) this upcoming fall. Missouri was set to face off against Miami Sept. 22 as part of a three-year contract between the two schools where Miami would play two games in Columbia and Missouri would play one game in Oxford. (Miami lost both games in Columbia.) However, when the SEC announced its 2012 football schedule Dec. 28, the University of South Carolina, which the Tigers are set to play on Sept. 22, had replaced Miami. Miami Athletic Director Brad Bates said potential dates to reschedule the game would be determined once the SEC finalizes their long-

will play in place of Missouri this year as soon as this week, but an announcement would not be made until a contract has been signed by both institutions. The terms of the contract with Missouri included financial compensation for both schools when they visited the other university, and Miami would have paid Missouri $200,000 this fall. Schools throughout the country often receive compensation packages when playing non-conference opponents. Miami makes money from guaranteed non-conference games, with compensation ranging from $200,000 to over $1 million depending on the contract. However, Miami must now find another non-conference opponent to fill the hole in the team’s schedule, as the Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I, requires schools to have 12-game schedules.

With [Missouri’s] transition to the Southeastern Conference, it was a very unique situation. They are committed to playing at Yager Stadium at some point in the future.”

BRAD BATES

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

term scheduling template. “With their transition to the Southeastern Conference it was a very unique situation,” Bates said. “I know their athletic director, [Mike Alden], very well. They are committed to playing at Yager Stadium at some point in the future.” Bates said Miami hopes to have an announcement about what team Miami

The Mid-American Conference (MAC) only schedules eight conference games for each institution. There are several universities in the mix to fill out Miami’s schedule and according to Assistant Athletic Director Mike Pearson, the RedHawks are

FOOTBALL, SEE PAGE 11


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