The Miami Student Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826
VOLUME 138 NO. 40
MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO
Friday, February 18, 2011
In 1969, The Miami Student reported Alpha Phi Omega’s Ugly Man On Campus contest would be under review due to the “grossness” of the skits presented earlier in the month. The organization was unaware of the any negativity in association with the skits.
Study alleges admissions bias By Stephen Bell Campus Editor
A new study conducted by the Center for Equal Opportunity (CEO) claims Miami University discriminates based on race and ethnicity in the admissions process. Released Monday, Feb. 7, the study claims Miami preferences African-American, Hispanic and Asian students over white students. CEO Chairman Linda Chavez said Miami and The Ohio State University lower academic standards to admit students from diverse racial backgrounds. “The study shows that many, many students are rejected in favor of students with lower test scores and grades, and the reason is that they have the wrong skin color or their ancestors came from the wrong countries,” she said. The study found Miami admits African-American students 10-to-1 over white students compared to 8-to-1 at Ohio State.
Female reports off-campus assault At 2 a.m. Monday, a Miami University senior was reportedly assaulted by two males she did not know. The female reportedly told police she was walking home from uptown near the intersection of Poplar Street and Homestead Avenue when she noticed two college-aged males, one black and one white, appeared to be following her. According to police reports, the males made inappropriate comments to the female and told her to stop walking. She reportedly began walking faster, but the males ran after her. When they caught up, the males reportedly tackled her, and one of them reportedly struck her in the face several times while continuing to make inappropriate comments. The males reportedly fled on foot toward South Poplar Street. According to police, the female had bruising on her face when she reported the incident Tuesday evening.
Daring deeds
The study found at Miami median SAT scores differ between back and white students by between 110 to 166 points in what it calls the “black-white gap.” Gaps in ACT scores between black and white students at Miami were estimated at four points. Chavez said in addition to accepting students with lower test scores, Miami accepts students with lower high school grades to amplify its racial diversity. Claire Wagner, director of news and public information at Miami, said while Miami is dedicated to promoting diversity, both racial and otherwise, the university evaluates each student individually. “(The study) is skewed because Miami has a very holistic and comprehensive review process,” Wagner said. “We use a set of 25 criteria that can be found on the admissions website, and of course racial and socioeconomic diversity falls into that.” According to Wagner, the
wSee ADMISSIONS, page 9
SAMANTHA LUDINGTON The Miami Student
The Cirque Shanghai Bai Xi dazzles the audience with acrobatics, martial arts and dance Tuesday in Millett Hall.
Administration warns faculty about Green Beer Day By Adam Giffi Senior Staff Writer
As Green Beer Day approaches, some Miami University students believe exams are being deliberately scheduled to curb their drinking behavior. Junior Cassandra Detten is among those who sense a correlation between the often talked about pre-spring break festivities and her exam schedule. “I usually have two exams on Green Beer Day itself, and I feel this might be deliberate,” Detten
said. “One time I had a turn-in exam and the professor actually told us we were not allowed to turn in the test drunk or we would fail.” First-year William Darsey already feels deliberate university influence. “I have a big assignment on Thursday and an exam on Friday,” Darsey said. “I feel like this is done purposefully, but I do not feel like this will keep students from drinking. Kids are just going to do worse in their classes.” For students who feel this way,
there may be only some validity to their opinions. A memorandum dated February 2011 sent to all faculty by Interim Provost John Skillings and Vice President for Student Affairs Barbara Jones confirms Miami does specifically remind faculty of the March 3 student holiday. The memo reads “faculty members are expected to hold students responsible for class attendance and active participation (on Green Beer Day),” but does not explicitly encourage faculty to give tests or assignments the Thursday
before spring break. Jones said this memo has been sent out for several years to remind faculty of the date. “I don’t know of any faculty member that would cancel class just because it is Green Beer Day, but we encourage them not to think about canceling class that day,” Jones said. Jones said this point is stressed largely to promote high academic standards. “Students missing class,
wSee GBD, page 9
University sets guidelines for RedHawk trademark By Dan Basar
For The Miami Student
PHOTO COURTESY OF LIZ KIRKHAM
Miami University students gather for a RedHawk Hunt team meeting.
After concern the annual RedHawk Hunt would have to change its name due to trademark violations, Miami University officials have decided it can stay. The campus-wide scavenger hunt, which is run by the Residence Hall Association (RHA), has been deemed an appropriate use of the trademarked word RedHawk. Miami administrators met Wednesday to clarify the university’s policy on trademark use. Assistant Athletic Director Josh Fenton said the purpose of the meeting was to agree upon a rule that was best for everyone.
“On-campus sponsored events will have the opportunity to use the word RedHawk when naming their specific event,” Fenton said. This means events like the RedHawk Hunt will still be able to use the trademark provided they go through the proper trademark licensing process. Andrew Kelleher, campus-wide programming director for RHA, planned to start advertising for RedHawk Hunt at the beginning of the year. He sent the RedHawk Hunt logo to Paul Allen, director of business services, for approval. The logo contained the words RedHawk Hunt without any trademarked Miami images.
wSee REDHAWK, page 9
Survey reports increase in wealthy first-year student families By Chelsea Naughton Senior Staff Writer
Vera Bradley, Patagonia and Greek letters could be considered a physical manifestation of the 2011 Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) survey in which more than onefifth of Miami University firstyear students reported their parents made $250,000 a year or more. The CIRP survey is a nationally
administered survey for first-year college students that reports on students’ best estimates of their parents’ annual income among other characteristics, according to Assistant Director of Institutional Research Andrea Bakker. According to the survey, 11 percent of students at other universities in Miami’s highly selective public universities category reported an annual parental income more than $250,000. Miami’s family income, as
reported by the CIRP, has been historically higher than other highly selective public universities, but the gap has widened in recent years. The 2011 results represent a 2 percent increase from 2010 and an approximately 12 percent increase from 1995. The study also indicated most Miami students do not have trouble funding their education. The CIRP survey found more than 45 percent of Miami first-
years had no concern about their ability to fund a college education, which is 10 percent higher than other highly selective public institutions. Miami junior Meghen Matta said the higher average income at Miami is made apparent by the university’s social atmosphere. “I think it’s indicative of the environment at Miami to have a Vera Bradley and Clinique section of the new bookstore,” Matta
said. “That would really only happen at Miami or a school of this demographic.” Sophomore Olivia Kern said before coming to Miami she knew students were wealthy but was actually surprised to see how diverse the campus is. She said having a wealthier student body allows for a wider range of opportunities for
wSee WEALTH, page 9