March 29, 2013 | The Miami Student

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

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013

VOLUME 140 NO. 47

MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO

TODAY IN MIAMI HISTORY In 1942, The Miami Student reported the start of the Recensio’s picture drive, asking students to have their photo taken for the school year book, despite an increase in price from the previous year due to increased labor and material cost. The article states, “Let’s have that Ipana smile, that radiant personality, and that irresistible charm you possess. Now, hold it! Click!”

Grade changing scandal results in charges

BY HANNAH STEIN EDITOR IN CHIEF

Two former Miami University students were charged with firstdegree misdemeanors Monday for unauthorized use of a computer system, according to Miami University Police Lieutenant Ben Spilman.

The issue was brought to Miami University Police Department’s (MUPD) attention in October 2012, when a faculty member alerted an MUPD officer when she noticed a discrepancy in what grades she had entered in Niihka with what was being displayed, according to Spilman.

After investigation, MUPD determined the grades had been changed using a key logger, a device that is plugged into the USB port of a keyboard and records the keystrokes, allowing the students to record usernames and passwords, Miami communications director Claire Wagner said.

According to the MUPD police report, 21-year-old Beckley Parker admitted he changed his grades in 17 classes and changed other students’ grades to cover his tracks.

Over the course of four academic semesters, it was reported Parker changed over 70 grades. The report did not specify how many of those

grades were his own.

The second student was identified as 21-year-old David Callahan, who also admitted to changing one of his grades in the fall of 2012, along with two of his classmates to make it difficult for police to determine which student changed the grades, according to the police report.

bank” to receive better grades. It was also reported that 28 of the changed grades belonged to members of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.

The university is still reviewing evidence regarding the test bank, and Wagner said she does not know when or what will happen in the future. The university is still in the

I’m not accepting the fact it gives Miami a bad name. Miami had two students who behaved very badly and we’re going to hold those accountable and move on...The message we want to give [is] integrity really matters. It’s important to every institution and every individual.”

DAVID HODGE

MIAMI UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

Both Callahan and Parker were found with copies of tests and exams on multiple electronic devices, which had been downloaded from Niihka without authorization of the professor, along with log.txt files containing professors’ usernames and passwords, according to the police report.

Callahan and Parker both belonged to the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and according to the police report, Callahan acknowledged the fraternity members used a “test

process of investigating each changed grade.

“A lot of them didn’t know it was done,” Wagner said. “They’re not quite done going through the list of the students [with changed grades] and notifying and asking those students if they knew what was going on…there may be other repercussions.”

According to Spilman, as of now no charges have been pressed about the test bank in the fraternity.

“There are no criminal charges

resulting from this case at this time,” he said. “I suppose if the investigation were to reveal some reason for criminal charges that that would be a possibility.”

This is the first time this has happened at Miami, Wagner said, and she said she thinks this should be an example of what happens when there is a violation of academic integrity. “…Any student who pays attention to the code of conduct…they will see there are severe consequences,” Wagner said.

President David Hodge said he does not believe Callahan and Parker’s actions give Miami a bad image, and there is a message the community can take away from this.

“I’m not accepting the fact it gives Miami a bad name,” he said.

“Miami had two students who behaved very badly and we’re going to hold those accountable and move on…The message we want to give [is] integrity really matters. It’s important to every institution and every individual.”

According to Wagner, the university is advising faculty on how to protect against another incident.

“It certainly raises awareness,” Wagner said. “We’ve done a lot of communication with

faculty and we’ll do more. There are some technological changes, some visual changes…we’re taking steps to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

The IT Department is implementing several changes to decrease the probability of another breach of computer security, according to Wagner, such as a two-step email notification process when professors change grades, weekly email reports to professors detailing grade changes from the previous week and putting tamper proof tape over USB ports.

Spilman said Callahan and Parker face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine on each charge. According to the police report, Callahan was charged with three misdemeanors and Parker charged with six. It has not yet been determined how long it will take until the former students are prosecuted. “[Both students] accepted responsibility for their actions and accepted dismissal from the university,” Wagner said. “They’re last day of enrollment was March 8.”

The case is now in the criminal system, according to Spilman, and their first appearance in court will be April 4. Spilman said it is possible it could be continued to another date.

Secretary of State meets with College Republicans

BY KATIE SALLACH FOR THE MIAMI STUDENT

Miami University’s chapter of College Republicans hosted a discussion Wednesday night with Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted. Husted met with a group of College Republican members to discuss a variety of topics concerning elections including voter fraud, plans for the Republican Party and the future of the state as well as the nation.

Before opening up the discussion to questions from the audience, Husted conducted a brief introductory lecture on his thoughts about the future of both the Republican Party and nation.

He began with a brief statement about some of the biggest challenges he faces as the Ohio

Secretary of State.

Because Ohio is such an important swing state, Husted said he faces some of the most pre-election scrutiny of all the states. He said the biggest challenge he faces is trying to find a balance between making voting easy and secure for voters.

He went on to discuss ways he thinks Republicans can get more votes in future elections and become the dominant party and get the country back on track.

“Sometimes we [The Republican Party] come across as a little angry and intolerant,” he said.

He suggested that Republicans take a more compassionate and optimistic tone when discussing their

SEC. OF STATE, SEE PAGE 5

ELECTION VIOLATION According to the Associated Student Government Elections Committee, it is issuing the McGuire/ Kwarteng ticket with a “major violation.”

According to the Elections Committee, there were reports that campaign volunteers pressured students to vote for their ticket on electronic devices while standing in front of them. This continued even after initial warnings, according to the committee.

The Elections Committee has also investigated volunteers for the McGuire/Kwarteng ticket for entering resident halls without permission from either the Resident Directors or Resident Assistants or without an escort. This is against Miami’s guidelines, and the Elections Committee deemed the reports credible.

The penalty for this violation will be a reduction in campaign spending of $100 per individual slate, according to the Elections Committee.

ELECTION RESULTS This year’s election for Student Body President had a total of 4,553 votes, but the results are not yet final.

There will be a run-off election between the Forrest McGuire/Lot Kwarteng ticket and the Charlie Schreiber/Courtney Bernard ticket. Students can vote 3 p.m. April 3 to 7 p.m. April 4 on The Hub.

RUN FOR KIDS

LAUREN OLSON PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Juniors Alan Bergman, Bryan Watson and Kyle Asperger (L-R) run the Color for Kids 5k, which benefitted the Miami University chapter of the National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association.

GLBTQ Services provides a unique graduation ceremony for students

BY KATIE CAPREZ

FOR THE MIAMI STUDENT

This spring, Miami University’s Sesquicentennial Chapel will host the university’s 12th annual Lavender Graduation, an event coordinated by GLBTQ Services, part of the Office of Diversity Affairs, for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning graduates and their allies.

This special gathering to celebrate GLBTQ students’ valediction began at the University of Michigan in 1995. Miami’s May 5 ceremony celebrates the culmination of the graduates’ academic journeys at Miami just as the university’s official commencement will later on the same week. The difference, according to GLBTQ Services Coordinator Demere Woolway, is a much more intimate atmosphere celebrating the unique challenges the GLBTQ graduates have faced. This is because GLBTQ students are less likely than their heterosexual classmates to graduate in four years, Woolway said.

She attributes this phenomenon to the emotional distress and rejection that sometimes characterize GLBTQ students’ college experiences.

“Because of the challenges [GLBTQ] students face, Lavender Graduation represents a big deal, ” Woolway said.

Woolway’s office windowsill is adorned with photos of the last three years of graduates. They wear no red stoles or graduation caps, only business-casual outfits of their own choosing and relaxed smiles. The typical “class size” for a Miami Lavender Graduation is between 11 and 15 students, according to Woolway.

“The smaller size helps keep it on that really personal level,” Woolway said.

Another aspect of personalization comes in the way each graduate is introduced. Each student chooses a friend, mentor or other person of significance to say a few words about them and their journey. The students are free to choose whomever they wish, but a favorite faculty member is a

popular choice, Woolway said.

Those sitting in the small, bright, pale-walled chapel will be members of Miami’s 1809 LGBT Alumni group. Each year these alumni host a retreat to plan group activities, and they schedule it around Lavender Graduation to support the Lavender graduates and announce the winner of a group-funded scholarship. The award goes to an outstanding contributor to the GLBTQ community on Miami’s campus.

Members of Miami’s undergraduate gay-straight alliance, Spectrum, will also attend, and has become customary. Spectrum Education Chair first-year Connor Wilkinson, will present an award to the member of the GLBTQ community who has been most involved in the group’s “pride panels,” question-and-answer sessions which promote understanding of the GLBTQ community.

Wilkinson said he believes the Lavender Graduation is a sign

LAVENDER, SEE PAGE 5

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CAMPUS

EDITORS VICTORIA SLATER CATHERINE MONCEAUX

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013

CAMPUS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

Miami offers graduate certificate option

BY JORDYN GRZELEWSKI

FOR THE MIAMI STUDENT

Graduate students have the option to add an area of focus to their degree through Miami University’s graduate certificate options.

Ann Frymier, assistant dean of the graduate school, said a graduate certificate is similar to a minor program for an undergraduate student. Unlike a minor, however, students can earn a certificate without pursuing a graduate degree. They have the option to pursue a graduate certificate by itself, or to pursue one along with their degree. According to Frymier, most students who earn a certificate are also degree-seeking students.

Over the past few years, the graduate school has widened its

selection of certificate program offerings, in addition to its graduate degree programs, according to Frymier.

The certificate programs include: Applied Statistics, College Teaching, Ecology, Gerontology, Professional Development, Interactive Media Studies, Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies.

At Miami, all of the certificate programs require than 21 credit hours, just like a minor has fewer requirements than a major.

Frymier also said Miami has offered some of these programs, including the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies certificate, for close to 30 years but that interest for these programs has risen in the past few years. Some of the most

popular certificates are Applied Statistics, College Teaching and Professional Development.

The Professional Development certificate is something of a “catch-all,” according to Frymier because there are a lot of variations of this certificate that are offered by individual departments.

Joshua Kiger, a graduate student earning his Master’s degree in History and one of the leaders of the Graduate Student Association, said those certificates are the most popular because the three have the most obvious implications for development of specific skill sets.

He said the other certificates are more nuanced.

Kiger is earning certificates in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Interactive Media Studies. He said there are several

benefits to earning a certificate.

“First and foremost, they’ll help round out my thesis...Graduate certificates add a perspective to your degree that you might not get otherwise, just because of the logistical restrictions of academia,” Kiger said.

He also said his certificates will provide him with skills he would not otherwise acquire.

“There are certain skills in the business world that you might only pick up if you really, really try,” Kiger said.

He said his Interactive Media Studies certificate will give him “professional supplementation.”

Although certificate programs do not yet attract a large number of students, around 30 every year according to Frymier, interest has risen slightly in the past few

years because there is now a wider selection of program offerings.

For Angela Cook, a graduate student earning her Master’s degree in Student Affairs and Higher Education, a graduate certificate was simply not an option. Cook said although she would have liked to get a teaching certificate, her course load takes up too much time. She said her degree program is very structured, that other degree programs might have more leeway for students who want to add a certificate.

The certificate programs Miami offers may be different from the ones offered by other schools, according to Frymier.

She said while Miami only offers programs that are 21 credit hours or less, many community colleges offer more intensive certificate programs with more requirements.

University Aquatic Center takes the REC’s quality to new depths

BY NICOLE GEORGE FOR THE MIAMI STUDENT

Despite limited seating at the Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center at Miami University, the aquatic facility remains a constant attraction for Miami.

Director of Aquatic Center John Mihevic said the aquatic center has 750 permanent seats, 300 of which are prime diving seating for viewing diving competitions.

The Aquatic Center was designed in 1993 and opened in 1995. The $22 million Recreational Sports Center (REC), which houses the Aquatic Center, went through several design revisions, according to Senior Associate Athletic Director Steve Cady. Initially, the current center was planned to be a field house, or another indoor sports arena Cady said. Miami put a lot of emphasis on the design of the new REC after seeing results from a national survey that said students picked REC centers as one of the top five qualities of a university.

Cady said the idea behind the Aquatic Center’s design was to have a world-class swimming facility. The design team had originally proposed 1,800 seats, but the proposal was cut because of budget limitations, according to Cady.

Cady said he admits it limits events the facility can hold, but Miami knew the new REC would still have a significant impact on attracting students and events.

Women’s club water polo president senior Jane Gleaves said she commends Miami’s REC for its overall quality. As a senior having travelled around the Midwest for years for various tournaments, she has visited a number of other REC centers.

“As far as I can tell, we have one of the best tournaments,” Gleaves said.

Miami hosted the women’s water polo home tournament March 23 and 24 and drew nine teams from the Midwest. Gleaves said the staff at Miami puts in lane lines after meets, runs the scoreboard and puts in the goals for the water polo meets.

“The University of Illinois kept their shot clock on an iPhone,” Gleaves said, commenting on how she is used to the staff running the Aquatic Center well.

The high quality facility draws so much traffic that events coordinators are working three and four years out to get bids and reserve dates for events, Mihevic said. The Aquatic Center was booked every weekend summer 2012 except July 4, according to Mihevic. He said at

one point during that summer, the Aquatic Center saw 13 straight days of swim and dive meets.

“We don’t have any more weekends from October to March,” Mihevic said about scheduling events during the school year.

According to Mihevic said it is not just the size and quality of the eight-lane 50 meter pool and 10 meter diving towers that attract events and athletes. Like Gleaves acknowledged, Mihevic said the quality of the entire REC benefits Miami’s reputation. He said he believes the staff, well-run events and positive experiences bring large events and athletes back each year.

For example, Talawanda High School swimmers, the Miami Valley Aquatic Club out of Butler County, Tri-State Diving and the Washington Township Rec Center Sharks Swim Club out of Dayton all use the Aquatic Center constantly, according to Mihevic.

Seating does not seem to be the main issue to Cady or Mihevic.

“You can never build a facility big enough,” Mihevic said.

He mentioned how around the world, organizations build brand new facilities for occasions like the Olympics.

“The [aquatic] facility is still a world class facility,” Cady said.

JEANNE-MARIE DU TOIT THE MIAMI STUDENT

A diver at Miami University’s Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center prepares to make a splash after jumping off one of the diving boards.

Women’s club hockey players receive ASG discusses bill about first-team all-conference recognition Greek housing donations

BY MARGEAUX LEAKAS FOR THE MIAMI STUDENT

Although Miami University’s women’s club ice hockey team is only three years old, its players are getting a lot of recognition.

The Central Collegiate Women’s Hockey Association (CCWHA) named senior captain Channing Ahbe and first-year defenseman Morgan McGrath first-team all-conference. According to head coach Scott Hicks, this is the first time the CCWHA has named any of the team’s players. Out of the entire conference with about 200 girls in the pool, only six girls are selected.

When Ahbe found out the news, she said she was shocked.

“My coach informed me and I was very excited and very surprised,” Ahbe said. “I was not expecting such a great honor. This is a great way to leave my Miami career behind.”

Hicks said he believes both girls deserved this recognition.

“Not only are they leaders for us, they are leaders on and off the ice,” Hicks said. “They lead by example and bring everyone together.”

McGrath said she feels it is an incredible honor to be recognized, but also said she thinks it says a lot about Miami’s women’s ice

hockey program.

“I think it speaks a lot about our team and our program as well,” McGrath said. “Having two girls chosen for first-team shows how far Miami’s women’s hockey has come in the three short years it’s been in existence. This was only our second official season and I think we’re turning quite a few heads already.”

Junior Anna Lampros, cohost of her own radio show on WMSR, said she was excited when she read the news about the women’s hockey team.

“I am so used to talking about the men’s ice hockey team, so when I read the news about the women’s team, I was thrilled,” Lampros said. “I hope I can continue to talk about them in our sports section on the show.”

Hicks explained although the team did not have the numbers of wins and losses it wanted this year, the team and the players were still recognized for their hard work. He also said it is rare for a first-year to be named firstteam all-conference.

“It’s unlikely for a freshman to be recognized because our league is loaded with upperclassman,” Hicks said. “It shows that her defense abilities were recognized, which is not common.”

Both Ahbe and McGrath said

they are excited for each other, and believe one another earned this recognition.

“It’s exciting for Morgan since

I was not expecting such a great honor. This is a great way to leave my Miami career behind.”

CHANNING AHBE

MIAMI UNIVERSITY SENIOR

she’s a freshman,” Ahbe said.

“She’s still young and has so much potential.”

McGrath said she has looked up to Ahbe during the season and it was an honor to have her name next to Ahbes’.

“I know what an incredible player our captain is, so seeing my name on the same list as hers was an honor in itself,” McGrath said.

“Channing’s leadership and passion for the team both on and off the ice made her a role model all season.”

As the women’s ice hockey team continues to grow, the players want more students to go out and support them, according to McGrath.

“Come watch our games, we need some more fans,” McGrath said.

CORRECTIONS

It is the policy of The Miami Student to publish corrections for factual errors found in the newspaper.

In the Tuesday, March 22 issue, in an article titled “University librarian increases online accessibility and wins award,” we said Jason Michel implemented the computer availability screens, however, it was his colleagues who implemented the screens.

BY AMANDA HANCOCK AND VICTORIA SLATER STAFF WRITER AND CAMPUS EDITOR

During Tuesday’s meeting, the Associated Student Government (ASG) heard a presentation about a resolution supporting the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act. The act would eliminate a distinction in current tax law that would allow charitable organizations to make grants to non-universityowned housing such as fraternities and sororities. ASG passed a resolution supporting the proposed act last April.

President of Panhellenic Council, senior Dana Shanley, went to Washington D.C. last year and will go again this April as part of the National Panhellenic Conference.

Along with other students, she serves as an advocate for legislation that is important to the success of fraternity and sorority organizations across the country.

Shanley presented this act to Student Senate because it is currently on the legislative agenda that students will lobby for. The bill was brought to the attention of Congress in 2003 and continues to gain support, she said.

The act’s aim is to allow donations that would facilitate the maintenance of Greek houses by installing sprinkler systems and other safety devices, according to bill and Shanley. On Miami’s

campus, this bill will only apply to fraternity housing.

“It is particularly geared towards fraternity housing because the current tax designation directly discriminates against that,” Shanley said.

Shanley said that the bill is applicable nationwide, and on other college campuses it will impact all on-campus housing.

“We are in a particularly unique situation because House Speaker Boehner is our representative, so we’re trying to get as much support for this in Congress as we can,” Shanley said.

Study Body President John Stefanski said Senate will vote on the bill at next week’s meeting. ASG’s passing of the bill will recognize their overwhelming support for legislation like it to be instated, but a positive vote will not allow the bill to actually go into effect.

Additionally in the meeting, ASG Treasurer junior Kyle Hees, along with sophomore senator Nathan Lombardi, presented a revision to the Audit bylaws as part of their work on the Funding Committee and Student Organizations. They presented an amendment to the current bylaws, which proposed that only those organizations that are spending the money they requested will be audited.

Hees explained many organizations that are funded by ASG ultimately do not spend the money

ASG,

SEE PAGE 5

EDITORS JANE BLAZER CHRIS CURME

COMMUNITY FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013

COMMUNITY@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

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POLICE Students invest gift in community

BEAT Student questions OPD officer’s law knowledge

BY JESSICA BARGA STAFF WRITER

Members of Miami University’s Business Student Advisory Council (BSAC) recently showed their commitment to service by tutoring children at Hamilton’s Living Water Ministry.

The BSAC is a Miami organization of about 40 students through the Farmer School of Business (FSB), according to sophomore Franklin Popek, vice president of service for BSAC. “We work very closely with the dean’s suite and help with a lot of the behind-the-scenes work at Farmer,” Popek said.

Because many Miami students and graduates intern or work at Target, the company has given the school a grant for the past several years to continue to foster that relationship, according to senior Emma Paas, president of BSAC. When members of the BSAC received a grant of $3,000 from Target this year, they decided to look toward more service-oriented projects to spend the money on, Paas said.

“In the past we gave scholarships with the grant money,” Paas said.

“This year I really wanted to give members a more hands-on experience, and I knew there was really a lot of need in Hamilton.”

BSAC member, senior Karmen Lorenzi, brought Living Water Ministry to the attention of the Council.

Lorenzi had tutored at the Ministry, according to Paas.

Living Water Ministry, a nonprofit organization, sponsors an after-school program for children from kindergarten to 12th grade, according to Cathy Hester, executive director of Living Water Ministry.

Living Water Ministry relies on outside donations and funds to keep the programs running, making it sometimes difficult to provide everything the children would like to have, Hester said.

“All of our students start school early…their day is very long, and it can be difficult to keep them motivated,” Hester said.

Paas said a trip to the center inspired them to lend a hand.

“We went in to tour the center and were immediately blown away…we could see the need and how deserving and how appreciative they would be,” Paas said. “Cathy [Hester] works all day to stretch a dollar. We

knew it was the right place.”

Hester said the students saw the true need of the Living Water Ministry during their visit.

“They did a tour, seeing what little supplies we did have…we don’t have a big budget, so we depend upon donations and grants,” Hester said.

Popek said the preliminary visit to Living Water Ministry made an impression on him and the other members as well, leading BSAC to use their grant from Target to donate supplies, equipment and time to the after-school programs. “[Hester] has never had anyone come to her office before with that kind of offer…that kind of melted our hearts,” Popek said. “We wanted to go above and beyond for them with what we had.”

Over half of the students in BSAC visited Living Water Ministry, March 21 to present beneficial gifts to the center, including a big-screen TV and laptop. The members spent the day helping the children with homework, playing games and using the remaining money to throw them a pizza party, according to Hester.

Hester said the visit was

remarkable, both for the Miami students and the students in the program.

“It’s unheard of…it’s truly a partnership,” Hester said. “It was just such a great group of responsible adults. We could not do what we do without the support of Miami.”

According to Paas, the trip helped BSAC members to witness the value of service first-hand.

“Service is something that can develop members professionally and personally,” Paas said. “In a business profession, it’s something that is brought in all along the way. We are extremely blessed to go to Miami, and it’s really important to give back to the community and remember the people who aren’t so fortunate.”

Popek said the trip was a meaningful way for BSAC members to make a positive impact in the community.

“I’m a strong believer that service should be one of the pillars of life,” Popek said. “BSAC gives us the ability to come together in unique ways…[visiting Living Water] was very touching and very rewarding.

The kids saw our members as role models, and showed us that service should ultimately not be a forgotten pillar in life.”

Talawanda saves money Jiu-Jitsu class teaches kids by not replacing retirees to stand up for themselves

BY ANTONY VOROBYOV FOR THE MIAMI STUDENT

Surveillance footage tracks Walmart bandit

Talawanda School District (TSD) may now be receiving less funding than last fiscal year, but it intends to do more with less, according to some.

According to Vicki Brunn, TSD human resource director, while funding from the government decreases yearly, TSD remains optimistic about spending levels.

“We’re not looking at severe cuts,” Brunn said. “Everything we’re doing is through attrition.”

According to Brunn, attrition is the process of allowing teachers to retire without replacement, instead of cutting costs elsehwere.

According to Holli Morrish, director of communication and public relations at TSD, this spring 11 TSD employees, largely teachers, announced plans to retire. “[Talawanda Middle School (TMS)’s] current art teacher, Jan Hunsche, is retiring and we are looking at changing the way we deliver art to students at the middle school,” Morrish said.

TSD hopes to hire an art teacher with the ability to teach both visual and media art, according to Morrish. By incorporating these two subjects into one, under the umbrella of one dually capable teacher, costs are reduced.

Talawanda School Board member Michael Crowder said he is primarily concerned with cutting cost perstudent rather than avoiding the issue by siphoning to fund from schools’ extracurricular programs.

“We have been trying to cut costs in the district since I have been on the board,” Crowder said. “Talawanda’s cost per-pupil is one of the highest in Butler County, and we must continue to find ways to reduce our operating budget.”

Crowder emphasized the importance of reducing costs now so

tax-payers can wait longer before deciding on another levy or bond issue.

According to Tom York, first year principal of Talawanda High School (THS), while attrition results in employing fewer teachers, the response to minor budget cutbacks is not anticipated to affect class sizes at THS and TMS. Even though federal funding for public education is decreasing across the country, THS has remained at a relatively low ratio of students per teacher in comparison to other neighboring school district high schools.

According to Brunn, who was formerly the THS principal, many classes had an average of 18 to 20 students per teacher. In some advanced placement classes, the ratio was as low as 12 students to one teacher. At most, one teacher was teaching 25 students.

“Class sizes of 25 were unheard of [in Ohio],” Brunn said. “Class sizes in most districts are around 30 average.”

York said he aims to expand certain technological programs for the students, despite the minor cuts to the budget.

York said he was unaware of any severe changes to come along with the funding decrease.

“We’re not looking at cutting any programs and haven’t discussed any budget cuts,” York said.

Both Brunn and York remain confident in the district’s ability to manage the declining budget, while providing the best quality education for their students.

Although budget reductions have tighted, their affects have yet to worry TSD. Staffs of both the school and the district office said they are only concerned with educating the students.

“The goal of Talawanda is to provide a high quality education and do that for the best price we can,” Morrish said.

BY EMILY DANGLER FOR THE MIAMI STUDENT

Children from the Oxford community gathered on Monday at the Miami University Recreational Sports Center (REC Center) to attend their first self-defense class taught by Miami senior Matt Strack.

Strack, who is a second-degree Gracie Jiu-Jitsu black belt, said he geared the self-defense class toward four to seven-year-old children in order to teach them the basics of the Jiu-Jitsu art. The class meets every Monday night at 6:45 p.m.

“We break up each class into little games that teach the essentials of the art…the games really focus on essential moves, and simulate different situations that they might come across,” Strack said.

What makes Gracie Jiu-Jitsu unique among other martial arts is its nonviolent approach.

“The idea of Jiu-Jitsu is that instead of fueling the fire, you’re putting water on the fire,” Strack said.

While his goal is to teach the children in his class some basic self-defense, Strack said the secondary goal of the class is to teach kids how to identify bullying, and how to verbally defend themselves through negotiation and communication.

Senior Taylor Deters, a middle childhood education major, said verbal tactics are the best way to handle issues of bullying and harassment in schools.

“The most reasonable way to stop and prevent bullying is through healthy communication,” Deters said. “Taking the concept of being physical out of the equation reduces any additional problems that may arise.”

By teaching his class the basics of Jiu-Jitsu, Strack said the children will realize the outlets they have if they ever come in contact with a bully.

“Once they have more confidence to physically defend themselves, they will have the confidence to verbally defend themselves too,” Strack said.

Amanda Clark, whose son is enrolled in the self-defense class, said she thinks it is important for all kids to have a good understanding of how to defend against bullying.

“You just want your child to feel like they can stand up for themselves, or that they can ask for help when it’s too much; that’s really important,” Clark said.

Strack said he believes his five week long self-defense class will not only teach children important techniques, but is also a fun way to introduce them to more serious concepts.

“The games are teaching them about self-defense before they even know it,” Strack said.

Currently the class has 12 students, but is open to anyone else who wants to join in the remaining weeks. Anyone who is interested in finding out more about the art of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu can visit www. gracieoxford.com.

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BUBBLE EXPER-TEAS

LAUREN OLSON THE MIAMI STUDENT

Miami University senior Maggie Striebich prepares bubble tea Uptown at Teapioca Tea and Coffee House.

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www.miamistudent.net

SPORTS FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013

What did you do over your summer break?

HOCKEY, FROM PAGE 8

out of the tournament in the first round last year.

“They’re one-game shots now, so you’ve got to win to advance,” Blasi said. “I know our team will

BASEBALL, FROM PAGE 8

so far this season. Grogg is also a savvy base runner, and has been thrown out on just one of his 14 attempted stolen bases.

A 6-0 start would be a big accomplishment for the RedHawks,

be ready to go. Our team is preparing well this week, and then it’s a matter of executing in the game.

But you’ve got to have some fun with it and be ready to go. We’ve just got to relax, leave it all out on the ice, and see what happens.”

Miami and Minnesota State will

square off in the Midwest Regional Semifinals 5 p.m. Saturday, March 30 at the Huntington Center in Toledo. The game will be broadcast live in Ohio on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel and on ESPN3.

Fans can also listen to the game on www.redhawkradio.com.

who were slated preseason to finish second in the MAC East.

“The goal is to win the series,” Simonds said. “But first thing’s first – we’ve got to take the first game on Friday. I know these guys are just looking forward to playing. You definitely want to get off to a good start, and

right now, especially if we continue to play like we played last weekend, we’ll give ourselves a real good chance.”

The first game will start 3 p.m.

Friday, the second and third, 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The series will be played at Mercy Field in Toledo, Ohio.

TRACK & FIELD

Weather slowing RedHawks’ training

BY JUSTIN MASKULINSKI

þ Got ahead. þ Lightened my course load. þ Saved money. þ Went to Sinclair.

STAFF WRITER

Make the most of your summer: earn credits at Sinclair. Check out available courses and find out how credits can transfer back to Miami. Take 8- or 12-week classes at one of our convenient locations or online.

Summer Full Term: May 20–August 11 Summer B Term: June 17–August 11

Dayton | Englewood | Huber Heights | Mason | Preble County | Online

www.sinclair.edu/summer

The Miami University men’s and women’s track and field teams will not have to travel very far for its meets this Friday and Saturday, as it will compete in the Oliver Nikoloff Invitational in Cincinnati, Ohio.

“The travelling is always easier getting there and back, and we get a lot of [athlete’s] parents at the meet, so that’s nice,” Men’s Head Coach Warren Mandrell said.

The ’Hawks have been struggling with their outdoor training this winter and this week was no exception as Oxford was snow covered early in the week.

“There wasn’t much we could do for practice this week with the snow, but we have to make do with what we have,” Mandrell said.

The ’Hawks are struggling the most in explosive events that are best practiced outdoors.

“The weather has been particularly hard for pole vaulters and the long sprinters in the 400 and 400 hurdles because they have to be explosive and run fast,” Mandrell said.

Mandrell admits the cold weather may have set the ’Hawks back, but

he is also aware of the possible injuries associated with training in the cold weather.

“In some places the bad weather has set us behind, but you have to be careful cranking it up when it’s cold,” Mandrell said.

The addition of the 5000 meter race at Cincinnati this weekend should bode well for the ’Hawks because it will give more distance runners a chance to compete. The first outdoor meet the RedHawks competed in did not have the 5000 meter race. “[Senior] Jarrod Eick will run the 5000 in place of the 1500 meter run,” Mandrell said. “He ran well at Cincinnati last year.”

Mandrell also said that he expects junior thrower Rob Stein and freshman high jumper Peter Stefanski to perform well. They both had first place finishes at the Vanderbilt Black and Gold Invitational.

The women’s track and field team will look to mimic and build off of the performances it had at the Vanderbilt meet.

Sophomore Anna Lamb finished first in the 3000 meter race, while the ’Hawks also took first in the 400 meter relay with the team of senior Katie Scannell, redshirt

senior Diona Graves, sophomore Charlotte Myers and freshman Kala Allen. The Red and White excelled in the field as well as junior Tori Paterra won the javelin throw by over 23 feet.

“I think that the team will do really well,” redshirt senior thrower Samantha Gable said. “This meet will put us one step closer to a big meet.”

Gable said she thinks the closer a meet is to Oxford, the better.

“It’s easier to compete when you aren’t sitting on a bus for hours,” Gable said.

The weather has had the same effect on the women’s team as it has on the men’s team, and Gable said the RedHawks are trying to be productive despite the unfavorable conditions.

“Training is harder, but we make adjustments, we have been practicing indoors and outdoors- usually wherever we can be more productive,” Gable said. “I don’t think this puts us at any disadvantage because everyone else has had the same winter.”

The ’Hawks will look to compete at Cincinnati and get one more weekend closer to warmer weather and better conditioned competition.

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SEC. OF STATE, FROM PAGE 1

conservative values.

He also suggested the party should talk to swing voters who work hard and play by the rules in addition to talking to people who did not vote for them previously.

Husted concluded with a call to action for college Republicans, saying this is their generation and chance to create needed change.

“I can’t believe some of the things we are doing to ourselves in this country,” Husted said. “We can’t continue on the path we’re on.”

He addressed the extremely high level of national debt previous generations have caused, and Husted told the group it is their responsibility as College Republicans to make changes to the system in order to find a solution to the debt this generation faces.

Following his introductory lecture, Husted spent the rest of the hour-long discussion answering questions from members of the audience.

The first question came from a student who was curious as to whether or not Husted had any thoughts on the incident in Cincinnati when a poll worker voted multiple times. Husted responded to this question by claiming in these types of circumstances it is important to hold people accountable for their actions so they can build confidence in

LAVENDER, FROM PAGE 1

of changing attitudes towards GLBTQ students.

“To me [having Lavender Graduation] just shows that we are obviously making progress,” Wilkinson said.

Spectrum member senior Trevor Cook, agreed that the ceremony holds a high value for the community. Cook will not graduate until December of the next academic year but he said he frequently hears positive reviews about the Lavender Graduation.

“It allows [GLBTQ] students to come together to celebrate the community that has formed at Miami,” Cook said.

This national phenomenon has

the system.

In response to another student’s question concerning the safety of online voting, Husted responded with a more pertinent question.

“The question is do you think people will trust voting online,” he said.

While he mentioned online voting would most likely become very expensive, he said he believes the lack of trust people have in it will prolong its establishment. He also said he thinks online security is a U.S. vulnerability that more money should be spent on and awareness increased in.

He also included the need to promote the idea of helping people who may be struggling but are working towards self-sufficiency, instead of just allowing the government to completely support them financially.

“Every time the government does something for us, it traps us,” Husted said.

He offered an anecdote about the pride he felt when he earned his first paycheck as an example and asked the audience to reflect on whether they prefer something they earned or something they were given more.

Junior Joseph Kulifay said he thought Husted made some good points and has progressive ideas and attitudes towards the country and the Republican Party.

“He has a good forward looking view on where the party needs to go,” Kulifay said. “I think the key is to be more accepting.” taken hold on Miami’s campus as a way to celebrate and provide a send-off to the GLBTQ community’s seniors and wrap up the year for Spectrum members, according to Woolway. The event is open to the university community at large. Any 2013 graduates interested in participating can register until April 26 via the GLBTQ services website.

There is no cost.

“Lavender Graduation gives a final sense of this family that we’ve built on campus,” said Cook.

According to Cook, he and his friends will gather in Sesquintennial this May to celebrate the accomplishments of the eldest members of their family and wish them well as they depart to pursue life outside the Miami bubble.

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ASG,

FROM PAGE 2

they are issued at the start of the semester. The funding committee realized this after initiating a series of random audits of various organizations. The lack of spending results in the unused money sweeping back to the funding committee at the end of the semester.

Both Hees and Lombardi said they hope that with this new legislation, money and time will no longer be wasted.

“It’s going to make it more efficient, which makes our job in ASG a lot easier,” Lombardi said.

NOW HIRING: MULTIMEDIA STAFF.

Email Sarah Sidlow via eic@miamistudent.net for more information.

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please recycle!

6

OPINION

EDITORS EMILY ELDRIDGE NICOLE THEODORE

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013

EDITORIAL@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

RACHEL’S REFLECTIONS

EDITORIAL

The following piece, written by the editorial editors, reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board.

GLBTQ students see trust, love, honor at 12th annual graduation Back in 1995, the University of Michigan hosted the first Lavender Graduation for a small group of their GLBTQ students. Six years later, this ceremony was introduced to Miami University’s campus.

May 5, the weekend before regular graduation, a small group of GLBTQ students and their allies will meet in the Sesquicentennial Chapel. Individuals can select a significant member in their life to sponsor them, typically a favorite professor, introducing each graduate with a brief, yet personalized, anecdote of appreciation.

The editorial board of The Miami Student thinks Lavender Graduation is definitely a positive thing for our university and the GLBTQ community, but we can’t help feeling a bit sad that this group of students feels it is necessary to celebrate getting through four years at Miami.

A lot of college students, especially at this university, are sad to graduate, but for many GLBTQ students, getting through four years is something to celebrate.

We think this reinforces the message that we should support our peers and make every one of our classmates feel welcome and comfortable at their university.

Regardless, they are moving on to bigger and better things, and for everyone, that is something to look forward to. We’re also envious that these students have such a loving, supportive environment at Miami, with a group of faculty and peers sponsor a separate graduation ceremony, especially since the group is typically only about 11 to 15 graduates.

What most students wouldn’t expect, is that this event is open to any and all students, no matter what their sexual orientation is. What does that have to say about the acceptance of this group of Miamians? In fact, Miami’s LGBT Alumni association, 1809, goes out of their way to return to campus to attend this ceremony each year.

With social media attention to Proposition 8, we also feel the need to address the surplus of “passive” supporters. It’s easy to change your profile picture for a day, but we agree that going to support our peers at a Lavender Graduation would actually matter and make a much bigger difference, and to a much more appreciative audience.

Even though many students are not aware this ceremony has been here for over a decade, we hope every year Miami students will become more conscious of it’s message; that it was a continuous struggle for this sector of our peers to make it to graduation day. Four long years of feeling unaccepted by your peers would be a cause for celebration by anyone on this campus.

With graduation just over a month away, many students brace themselves for a long, hot day surrounded by thousands of strangers all wearing the same shiny, red gowns.

We don’t see this as a necessarily appealing atmosphere.

But a casual, indoor ceremony surrounded by people we actually know, love, care and respect, now that sounds like something to look forward to.

Rule of Thumb Women’s hockey Two players were named first-team all-conference! p. 2

Gusts of wind That extremely large “breeze” as you walk under the Upham Hall arch is not really a fan favorite.

Pee-Wee self-defense The REC now holds classes for kids on how to protect themselves.

1809 salads The hidden gem of Shriver Center.

Seriously, go get one.

Being a female in today’s society comes with many unrealistic expectations and standards Being a female can suck. There are times when it can be great, but in today’s society that is not the message being sent.

Wo m e n are not only seen as a minority “interest” group in many situRACHEL ations, but are also vicSACKS tims (and too often perpetrators) of misogyny and other harmful acts, and under immense pressure to measure up to certain impossible standards and expectations.

In the 2012 elections last fall, it seemed as though women were nothing more than a group that politicians tried to capitalize on, using the gender to support and propagate their own ideas about what they thought was best for women as a whole.

From debating the definition of “legitimate” rape last September to states passing laws banning abortion, the rights of women are constantly in the sphere of political discourse—without actually taking into consideration the many different women that make up over half the population of the country.

How can Congress and the other political bodies that govern our lives make such personal decisions about a female’s body, when the majority of these groups are made up of older, white males?

How am I expected to put personal decisions about my own life and my body into the hands of 50 to 60-year-old white males?

While the arguments surrounding pro-life and pro-choice, funding for birth control and women’s health organizations such as Planned Parenthood remain complex, the decision-making really shouldn’t be put onto those who will not have the chance to walk in the shoes of those who will have to make these types of decisions at some point in their life.

If it weren’t enough that women are not allowed to take matters about their own bodies into their own hands, we also make up the

majority of victims of harmful acts. Women are the most likely victims of sexual assault or rape, with statistics saying 9 out of 10 rape victims are women and one in four college women will be raped according to Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) and The National

our female peers.

Thin-shaming, fat-shaming, slut-shaming; it seems that many people will find any way to put women down, in order to make themselves seem more “powerful.” This is especially true amongst women, from middle school to middle age women.

If we wear our skirts too short, we’re slutty and are giving it away; but if we’re wearing dresses that cover everything, we’re prudes.

Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey respectively.

In light of the recent events in Steubenville, Ohio and how the media portrayed the people involved, it’s hard to believe that we are still in a society where it is considered the norm to put blame on the victims of such heinous crimes. While the mainstream media gave sympathy to the two boys who raped the victim, none was given to the girl who was raped. Instead, the focus was put on what she had been doing earlier that night, what she had been wearing, drinking and if she was unconscious.

Too often in cases of rape and assault, the victim is blamed. It’s apparently an acceptable idea in today’s society that women are asking to be forced to have sex against their will, simply because of how much they drank, what they chose to wear or where they chose to walk.

It is much more likely that a woman will find herself being persuaded by someone to have sex after she said no, than a man would after he said no to sex.

And it’s much less likely that a victim will be believed by anyone she reports the attack to, respected by her peers and the media, and that her assailant will serve time for the crime committed.

One of the worst things about being a female though, is the lack of support—even amongst

What both men and women are guilty of though is being too judgmental and setting unrealistic standards for women to meet in society. If we wear our skirts too short, we’re slutty and are giving it away; but if we’re wearing dresses that cover everything, we’re prudes. If we drink, we’re asking for it; if we don’t, we’re boring. We’re expected to maintain perfect and too often unrealistic bodies and figures, but guys will say they love it when we eat burgers and fries. Women are expected to be smart and go into fields of science and technology, but not too smart so that they don’t overshadow the men who have been the leaders in these fields for the longest.

Whether they are putting down other women to put themselves on a higher platform or to appeal to someone else, girl-hate is all too common. It can all be summed up pretty well by the generational classic, Mean Girls, in which Tina Fey tells the female high school students that they “have got to stop calling each other sluts and whores. It just makes it alright for guys to call you sluts and whores!”

So not only do we have to measure up to unrealistic standards, we get to deal with the idea that our fellow females are our competition and that we can’t make decisions about our personal health.

Being a female in today’s society really can suck.

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friend us become a fan of The Miami Student on Facebook.com

Graduate certificates They are cheaper, but you don’t get as much recognition. p. 2

Say “no” to cheating Academic dishonesty is never a good thing, just try studying for once.

Make up exams Didn’t want to take it the first time, still don’t.

HANNAH STEIN EDITOR IN CHIEF KATIE TAYLOR NEWS EDITOR EMILY ELDRIDGE EDITORIAL EDITOR NICOLE THEODORE EDITORIAL EDITOR BILLY RAFAEL ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

CHRIS CURME COMMUNITY EDITOR JANE BLAZER COMMUNITY EDITOR VICTORIA SLATER CAMPUS EDITOR CATHERINE MONCEAUX CAMPUS EDITOR TOM DOWNEY SPORTS EDITOR

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FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013 OP ED

7

MILAM’S MUSINGS

Redefining the institution of marriage can result in no harm, just further progression On March 26, 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in Hollingsworth v.

Perry, otherwise known as the California Proposition 8 gay marriage case.

Charles J. Cooper, BRETT the lawyer MILAM for Protectmarriage. com (the original proponents of Proposition 8), made the case in front of the Supreme Court for the law since California is no longer defending it.

The argument presented by Cooper served only one purpose: to accentuate how inexplicable the arguments actually are against gay marriage.

In a back-and-forth with Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Cooper espouses the main thrust of his argument against gay marriage.

“We — we are saying the interest in marriage and the — and the state ‘s interest and society’s interest in what we have framed as responsible pro -­procreation is — is vital, but at bottom, with respect to those interests, our

submission is that same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples are simply not similarly situated,” Cooper said.

Essentially, the state’s interest in marriage is the regulation of procreation; heterosexuals can procreate, homosexuals cannot.

To further his point, Cooper argued that we simply do not know the ramifications of a “profound redefinition of a bedrock social institution would be.”

I find it absurd that in the year 2013, Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan had to offer up such a common sense rebuttal to Cooper.

“Well, suppose a state said because we think that the focus of marriage really should be on procreation, we are not going to give marriage licenses anymore to any couple where both people are over the age of 55. Would that be constitutional?”

Cooper’s response was no, it would not be constitutional.

As such, I fail to see how the procreation argument holds any water. Moreover, relying upon the notion that altering a traditional societal institution may have ill effects is fallacious.

If one held true to that principle, we would have seen no advancement in the rights of women and blacks.

It’s not such a leap to envision an oral argument against integration of black and white schools, which evoked a similar concern; we do not know what future ramifications might manifest if blacks and whites go to school together.

Still, many in the United States find ensuring non-infringement of a “bedrock social institution” as a legitimate excuse because it’s what they were raised upon or it’s a component of their religion.

For instance, Speaker of the House John Boehner was asked whether Rob Portman’s flip-flop on gay marriage would impact his own position on gay marriage.

“I believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman,” he said. “It’s what I grew up with. It’s what I believe. It’s what my church teaches me. And I can’t imagine that position would ever change.”

Unfortunately, legally, that’s not enough, and morally, that’s highly suspect.

Look, social conservatives can decry that they are the victims of being labeled bigots and backwards thinkers, but let’s call it what it is: if you think gay people should not have equality under the law, then you are backwards.

Furthermore, if you do not

think gays are as “human” or “normal” as heterosexuals, you’re backwards and yes, rightfully referred to as a bigot.

Such individuals are on the wrong side of history. Not because majority rule (democracy) ought to dictate issues of morality, but because it’s irrelevant whether it was two hundred people protesting against homophobia in Stonewall in 1969 or the 58

institution would be tantamount to a social experiment. Such a notion predisposes that in doing the experimenting, there is a potential for harm.

Let me be perfectly clear. There is not semblance of harm that can come from redefining marriage to include same-sex couples.

Worry not, whichever way the Supreme Court goes on the Hollingsworth v. Perry or United

Essentially, the state’s interest in marriage is the regulation of procreation; heterosexuals can procreate, homosexuals cannot.

percent of Americans who now support gay marriage, which is an all-time high, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll; gay people deserve equality under the law and respect because of their humanness, not the number of people that understand it.

Throughout his oral argument, Cooper made it seem like redefining this long-standing social

States v. Windsor (regarding the Defense of Marriage Act) cases, gay equality’s time is here and it’s not going away.

As Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once said, “A prime part of the history of our Constitution is the story of the extension of constitutional rights to people once ignored or excluded.”

Such is a great story; indeed, a human story.

ESSAY

ESSAY

Actions speak louder than a major, stand out from crowd

Peak of 21st century: the contrasting views on who we are, naturalism and the image of God

Surrounded by well-known professors and notable organizations, amidst a group of devoted students at a reputable university, I’d like to think I have some sense of future security. And while I know my

I once heard a story of two Navy sailors who docked for a night at a port and went into the city to have a few drinks. After a few hours they stumbled out of a bar attempting to find their way back to the ship. One of them hailed a figure approaching on the sidewalk and said, “Hey scumbag, do you know where we are?” Little did they know, that this man was a highly decorated Navy officer. Quite offended, he replied harshly, “Do you know who I am?” Then one of the sailors said to the other, “Oh boy, we are really in a mess now. We don’t know where we are, and he doesn’t even know who he is!”

While this story has a funny element to it, I am afraid that we as a society have somehow wandered closer to this story than we would imagine, stumbling in our stupor of sophisticated philosophies and culturally-competent education toward the brink of not knowing who we are anymore. It is interesting that at the peak of our existence in the 21st century, the anthropologists and humanitarians are finding it difficult to answer the question, “Who are we?” I believe one of the most important ideologies that we hold as humans is how we view others and how we view ourselves.

These ideologies are vital for existence and overflow into every aspect of our society.

Our nation was founded upon the following statement from the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The founding fathers based this statement off the doctrine of man being made in the “Image of God,” the idea that all human lives are sacred and have meaning. Interestingly, no other

But how realistic is this concept when said students become graduates on the quest to find employment?

parents will support me in whatsoever I choose to study, they certainly, like most parents, worry about my eventual pursuit of employment.

I remember thinking about how attending a four-year college would put me ahead of so many other students, yet now it seems that attending a university afterhigh school graduation is the norm. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 70 percent of high school graduates in 2011 enrolled in colleges or universities, and this number continues to climb. Indeed, for our nation, this is an incredibly positive change as more students press onward toward higher education. However, now the college process is becoming more cutthroat and competitive, both when choosing a university and more surprisingly, when deciding on a major.

Katie Bardaro, lead economist of PayScale, a compensation research firm, stresses, “Unless you go to a top-20 brand name school, what matters most to employers is your major.”

I was relieved that my choices all seemed so limitless when my family and I began to tour colleges, each spouting off their positive statistics and pressing smooth, shiny leaflets with their listed programs into our hands. Rice University discussed its cognitive science major, Boston College praised its blossoming environmental geosciences program and University of Richmond practically burst into song about its leadership studies major.

Yes, now every incoming freshman could find a place within the university and take classes concerning their interests! But how realistic is this concept when said students become graduates on the quest to

find employment? Will companies hire the economics major with business-focused courses or the religious studies major who claims that taking theology classes has made them well rounded in several subject areas? Sources seem to be divided on this issue.

William Pannapacker, a columnist for The Chronicle of Higher Education laments the truly useful qualities of a major in the liberal arts to the New York Times: “I keep hearing the same thing from potential employers: ‘We love students with liberal-arts degrees.

They are curious; they know how to ask good questions. They know how to conduct research. They are effective writers and speakers. And they learn quickly.’”

While this is incredibly encouraging for those within liberal arts programs, several scholars disagree and advocate for the growing market for graduates majoring in STEM (sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics).

“Fields that continue to see growth during these tough economic times are those that require analytical thinking and technological skills,” reports Katie Bardaro, “Graduates in these majors are in demand.”

In Florida, Governor Rick Scott is even attempting to entice students into choosing STEM majors by offering them lower college tuition, in an effort to fill the projected job needs of the future.

Meanwhile, medical schools are combating this fervent push for STEM majors by reinforcing the concept that any major may enroll in medical school, provided a student has taken the prerequisite courses and achieves a respectable score on the Medical College Admission Test.

To me, it appears, no major is better than another. Ultimately, it depends upon the student and their college involvement and academic success, whether or not they will be notable in their chosen field.

Nzinga Young, an Academic Transition Coach, says it best: “I believe students who enter school being honest with themselves, their parents and their universities about not knowing, leave the school with much more confidence and far less regrets than their counterparts. They experienced all there was, decided on what was right and graduated with a degree best suited for themselves.”

HAILEY GILMAN

GILMANHE@MIAMIOH.EDU

worldview besides the JudeoChristian worldview provides the framework for such a profoundly compact statement in the Declaration of Independence.

Naturalism above all else would never come to this conclusion by itself. First, there is no supreme being to endow rights to individuals, and second, we all are not equal in abilities. Commenting on the notion of equality, the famous naturalistic philosopher Nietzsche wrote, “Equality is a lie concocted by inferior people who arrange themselves in herds to overpower those who are naturally

Our belief in equal rights must be grounded in some intrinsic value in people.

superior to them. The morality of ‘equal rights’ is a herd morality, and because it opposes the cultivation of superior individuals, it leads to the corruption of the human species.”

If our value is only based off of our talent and skills, then Nietzsche is sadly right. We are not equal in all our attributes. For instance, there are much better writers and students than me.

Our belief in equal rights must be grounded in some intrinsic value in people. Naturalism, on the other hand, can only concede that people have as much value as their society gives them.

However, what happens when a society decides to strip individuals of their dignity? An excellent

example of this is how the Nazi’s treated their victims in the concentration camps. Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, describing his experiences wrote, “If we present man with a concept of man which is not true, we may well corrupt him. When we present him as an automation of reflexes, as a mind-machine, as a bundle of instincts, as a pawn of drives and reactions…we feed the despair to which man is, in any case, already prone…

The gas chambers of Auschwitz were the ultimate consequence of the theory that man is nothing but the product of heredity and environment—or, as the Nazis liked to say, of ‘Blood and Soil.’

I am absolutely convinced that the gas chambers of Auschwitz… were ultimately prepared… at the desks and in the lecture halls of nihilistic scientists and philosophers.”

These are the logical conclusions of naturalism and pose huge problems in developing any sort of coherent morality. To do evil by the justification of naturalism takes no perversion or twisting of its doctrine at all. If we are but beasts, then we would only expect ourselves to act and treat each other as beasts.

Contrastingly, when we understand our position as humans in light of who God is, we will see ourselves with dignity and humility. Being in the image of God means people have intrinsic value and have worth. But being in the image of God also means we humans are not God, and we must live and connect with God on His terms, not our own. Only when we come back to an understanding of who we are as people created in the image of God will we find meaning in our identity and fulfillment in our purpose.

STEPHEN HUDSON

HUDSONS2@MIAMIOH.EDU

CORRECTIONS In Tuesday’s issue, March 26, we wrote that the Men’s Basketball team was playing at a tournament in Toledo.

When in fact, it was the Men’s Ice Hockey team that will be playing in Toledo, they’re competing in the NCAA tournament this weekend. Go support your RedHawks!

When you’re finished reading

The Miami Student, please recycle!

8

SPORTS

EDITOR TOM DOWNEY

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013

SPORTS@MIAMISTUDENT.NET

HOCKEY

ROSS SIMON SIMON SAYS

FINDING PARADISE IN AN UNEXPECTED LOCATION

Some people describe paradise as drinking a pina colada on a beach. Some people describe paradise as a sip of hot chocolate at the perfect temperature after a long run on the mountain. I found paradise over this past spring break in Philadelphia, Penn.

I have been very privileged as a sports fan in my short 21 years. I’ve seen multiple World Series games live. I’ve been to countless NBA playoff games and even once sat in a luxury box for the Orange Bowl.

I’ve seen an outrageous amount of stadiums all over the country from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. to Progressive Field, formerly known as Jacobs Field, in Cleveland, to the new Marlins Park in Miami. Yet, nothing will compare to the experience I felt simply walking into a two-tiered brick stadium over 100 years old.

Franklin Field, located on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), was only the second two-tiered stadium ever built in America, opening 1895. Franklin Field has been home to the Penn Relays, perhaps the most well-known track meet in the world outside of the Olympic Games, since its construction. The stadium has hosted an NFL Championship, a Presidential nomination acceptance speech, Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1936 and of course Penn Quaker football.

Franklin Field has so much history.

Even the first ever football game broadcasted on the radio originated from the historic grounds in 1922.

All of that history, all of the nostalgia, hit me at once as I stepped onto the hallowed field on a gloomy evening over spring break.

Franklin Field is not such an assuming structure when you approach it from the east, as I had.

You walk past a statue of Benjamin Franklin, the founder of Penn and the namesake of the stadium, about 100 yards before you reach the entrance. Once you reach the cast iron gates of the stadium, you assumed you probably won’t be able to get in on a Tuesday evening in March until you find that the door just so happens to be open. Then you walk in... and it hits you all at once.

I wasn’t expecting to find paradise in an empty 118-year-old stadium, but I did. Something about walking into a place with so much history finds you searching for words. Just a few days earlier I had made my first visit to “the world’s most famous

arena,” Madison Square Garden in New York City, and yet nothing could compare to the awe-inspiring moment that occurred as I simply stepped foot into the stadium. The stadium was barren save for a few Penn athletes running the track. The stadium stood so eerie and silent that a song from a bird would have disrupted the moment. You walk around the stadium, even in vast emptiness and the thoughts in your mind suddenly start turning. You all of a sudden can smell the concessions and you can see the people. Men in suits, ties and fedoras.

Women in sun dresses and hats. The picturesque stadium, even in its state of nothingness, makes you yearn for old time sports when football was played for the love of the game.

I refused to step on the actual field, even though it was completely empty, for I did not want to ruin the moment for myself. My friend and I then decided we wished to explore the cavernous concourses. We eventually found our way into the first tier of the stadium and sat down on the metal bleachers and took in the site. The entire stadium is filled with aluminum benches, save for a few hundred red and blue seats at the 50 yard line on the south side of the field. I look up from my trance and notice the press box in all of its glory hanging from the second tier. We venture skywards. Eventually, we reached the rickety old metal deathtrap after climbing what felt like 60 flights of stairs that are woefully out of code. Inside the box, you can see Center City, Philadelphia jutting out from behind the horseshoe end of the stadium, and yet you imagine a time when Center City was not the concrete jungle it is today, and suddenly it disappears. Sitting in the box, I noticed a telephone and realized that when this single telephone was installed and the word “internet” had not even been invented.

I sit in the plastic chair, leaning on the blue wooden table and wonder what it might have been like watching a game perched here, high above the action.

Paradise is something hard to describe in words and phrases...but ole’ mighty Penn might have done the trick for me. Paradise doesn’t mean euphoria, it means finding a place that simply FEELS euphoric, a place that you can escape to.

An empty brick stadium that has for too long stood empty did just the trick for me.

Features -1027 Arrowhead dr.

Price Negotiable (range $2000 to $3000) -5 bedroom house with garage -2 Full bathrooms -Free HD TV, cable, and internet Interested? barone.alan@gmail.com

’Hawks head to Toledo for NCAA Tournament

BY JOE GIERINGER SENIOR STAFF WRITER

For the eighth straight year, the Miami University men’s hockey team is one of the 16 squads to make the NCAA Tournament.

The No. 5 RedHawks (24-11-5) dropped two spots in the USCHO. com national poll after a 6-2 loss in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) tournament semifinals to rival University of Michigan, but earned a No. 2 seed for the upcoming national tournament in the Midwest region.

As the CCHA regular season champion RedHawks prepare for their eleventh NCAA tournament berth in program history, their opponent enters as a dark horse of sorts. Minnesota State University (24-13-3) tied for fourth in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) regular season, and is appearing in the NCAA tournament for just the second time in program history. On paper, they might seem an unlikely candidate to do damage – but Miami Head Coach Enrico Blasi said his team’s first-round competition can’t possibly be judged using those statistics.

“You can throw that stat right out the window and flush it down the toilet, because it doesn’t mean anything,” Blasi said of Minnesota State’s lack of NCAA experience.

“They deserve to be there this year and they’ve earned it. They’re a great team that’s got some weapons up front, and they were leading the WCHA for a long time.

They’ve earned every right to be in the tournament.”

The Mavericks boast a powerhouse player in sophomore forward Matt Leitner, who finished tied for ninth in overall scoring in Division I with 47 points. As a team, Minnesota State has averaged 3.2 goals per game this year, and has converted nearly 23 percent of man advantage opportunities, the second best conversion rate in the WCHA. Minnesota State has also impressed between the pipes this year.

Freshman goaltender Stephon Williams was named WCHA Rookie of the Year and Goaltending Champion, and has compiled a 21-11-2 record, including four shutouts. His .925 save percentage is good for fourth in the conference.

On the other end of the ice, Miami has two freshman phenoms of its own in goaltenders Ryan McKay and Jay Williams. McKay’s 1.37 goals-against average (GAA) and .948 save percentage rank first and second in the country, respectively. McKay has started the last seven games for the Red and White, but was pulled halfway into their last contest against Michigan. If the RedHawks choose to

start Williams, his 1.94 GAA and .924 save percentage prove he is as capable as any goaltender in the tournament. Goaltending has been a big part of Miami’s success, and if they hope to advance, whichever RedHawk goaltender is called upon will need to be in rare form.

With 11 freshmen and six sophomores on the roster, the RedHawks come into the NCAA Tournament as a relatively young team.

But freshman forward and CCHA Rookie of the Year Riley Barber said that though he and his classmates don’t feel like first-year players anymore, they do enjoy quality senior leadership.

“It’s huge, especially with all the underclassmen we have,” Barber said. “Their guidance and the way they steer us, it’s been great. Everyone knows their role now and everyone’s going to play their best.”

As the RedHawks ready for their trip to Toledo, Ohio, Blasi keeps stressing the same things he has all year: poise, discipline and staying faithful to Miami-style hockey and the system that the Brotherhood has bought into. There are no second chances now, and the CCHA Coach of the Year knows that all too well. He’s been to two Frozen Fours, but was also been knocked

HOCKEY, SEE PAGE 4

TENNIS

Miami prepares for Buffalo and Akron

BY JORDAN RINARD STAFF WRITER

After sustaining five consecutive losses, the Miami University women’s tennis team looks to rebound against Mid-American Conference (MAC) foes the University at Buffalo (UB) and the University of Akron.

The RedHawks (4-12, 0-1 MAC) defeated Buffalo 6-1 last season, while they split matches with Akron in a 4-3 decision during the regular season and a 3-4 defeat in the final round of the MAC Tournament.

As it heads deeper into MAC play, Miami has a few standouts in singles play. Junior Nimisha Mohan is 9-7 for the season while going 6-1 from February 19 to March 13. Junior Christiana Raymond has six singles wins, with four of her nine losses coming in three-set matches. Sophomore Alix Thurman is second on the team with seven wins in singles this season and had a four-match winning streak in early February.

However, the ’Hawks have been inconsistent in their doubles matches. The doubles point has been earned by the RedHawks only four times all season and come into the weekend’s matches on a six-match skid in which they have not won a doubles match. Thurman and fel

low sophomore Christine Guerrazzi have been a doubles team since Feb. 17, the longest tenured pairing for the RedHawks this season, and are in the midst of a six-match skid in doubles after reeling off three consecutive wins.

“We have to focus and stick with the game plan this weekend,” Head Coach Anca Dumitrescu said.

“In doubles, [the teams] have to be clear on what they are trying to accomplish and then do it.”

The Bulls (10-0, 1-0 MAC) are off to a hot start to begin the season, as they are one of two teams in the nation to be still undefeated, the other being Cornell University, and have a chance to break the schoolrecord for consecutive wins to start the season that was set in 1995 when UB reeled off 14 straight wins. In its MAC opener against Northern Illinois University last weekend, Buffalo earned a decisive 6-1 win over the Huskies. On the season in singles action, senior Tamara Markovic and junior Miranda Podlas have won 25 sets while only losing four. In doubles, the Bulls have lost the doubles point only twice all season while sweeping doubles on four occasions.

Meanwhile, the Zips (11-6, 1-0 MAC) are currently on a four-match winning streak during a stretch in

which they have won 10 of their last 11 matches. The will have away matches against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Illinois-Chicago before facing the RedHawks. Sophomore Olga Shkundina has won nine of her last 10 matches in singles while the tandem of freshman Madison Cohen and senior Angelina Jogasuria have won three straight matches as Akron has earned the doubles point in four consecutive matches. In its match against Cleveland State University last weekend, Akron pulled through in a 4-3 decision as Cohen and Jogasuria helped earn the point in doubles with a 9-8 win and Shkundina triumphed in her singles match.

“We’re working on doubles, getting the doubles point, and just being more agressive,” Mohan said.

“Overall, we’re working on becoming more consistent and competing really hard. We fluctuated a bit last week, but we’re confident that we’re going to fight back this weekend.”

Miami will play both games 1 p.m., Buffalo Friday and Akron Saturday. The matches are scheduled to take place at the Hepburn Varsity Tennis Courts in Oxford, but will be relocated to the Riverside Athletic Club in Hamilton if the weather is poor.

BASEBALL

RedHawks ready for Rockets, looking for second straight series sweep

BY JOE GIERINGER SENIOR STAFF WRITER

LAUREN OLSON PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Miami University senior pitcher Brooks Fiala delivers a pitch with an Eastern Michigan University runner on first base.

After opening Mid-American Conference (MAC) play last weekend with a three-game sweep of Eastern Michigan University, the Miami University baseball team will be on the road this weekend against MAC West foe the University of Toledo.

The RedHawks (10-10, 3-0 MAC) are riding a three-game winning streak, after correcting a three-game skid with last weekend’s stellar performances. The Miami batters came alive, recording 41 hits and a .387 collective batting average in the series. Head Coach Dan Simonds thinks his squad needed a little bit of time to find their swing, and recent stats point to the skipper being spot-on.

“Hitting is timing, and there’s no doubt that I’ve got the utmost

confidence in all of our hitters,” Simonds said. “Now, we started out very slow, and I think a lot of that was just them getting adjusted … I’m not making excuses for them, but it takes a little while to get in a rhythm. I think we’re starting to come around.”

As far as pitching is concerned, right-handed senior Brooks Fiala is riding a 25.2 inning shutout streak into the weekend, a statistic that has slowly begun to gain national attention. Fiala (3-2) has pitched two complete game shutouts in that span, allowing just a combined eight hits in those contests. When it comes to the streak, his team and his coaches are thrilled – but even so, Simonds suggested that his ace doesn’t care much about the streak, a sentiment that the senior seconded.

“I don’t like to give up runs – I’m a pitcher,” Fiala said, smiling.

“But I just try to go out there and make every pitch count. Runs [allowed] isn’t really a true sign of how well you’re pitching, but I just want to keep runners off base, work out of jams, and compete out there … I’m just trying to help the team win.”

He’ll have his work cut out for him this weekend, however, as Fiala and company are facing a Rockets team that knows how to make contact with the ball. Six Toledo players currently have a batting average above .300, which gives the Rockets (9-12, 3-0 MAC) multiple players that can make a difference at the plate.

Among them is junior outfielder Tyler Grogg, who is sporting a .413 batting average, along with 26 hits and a team-leading 20 runs

BASEBALL, SEE PAGE 4