September 24, 2013 | The Miami Student

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

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

VOLUME 141 NO. 8

MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO

TODAY IN MIAMI HISTORY In 2000, The Miami Student reported that the Miami University Individual Events Team traveled to Paris, France over sring break and won second place

in the International Forensics Association Tournament. Team member Alyssa Wright said, “It was an amazing cultural experience and an unparalleled opportunity to compete.”

Car crash: MU student in critical condition BY EMILY CRANE CAMPUS EDITOR

KATIE TAYLOR EDITOR IN CHIEF

A cross sits on Stahlheber Road where a fatal car accident killed University of Cincinnati football player Ben Flick Saturday night and severely injured three others, including Miami University first-year Sean VanDyne.

Miami University first-year Sean VanDyne remains in critical condition, as of Monday night, after a single-vehicle accident on a rural, hilly road in Butler County. The crash Saturday night resulted in one fatality and two severely injured, according to Butler County Sherriff Richard Jones. The sheriff’s office’s ongoing investigation has revealed that VanDyne was driving the vehicle, Jones said. VanDyne is an accounting major in the Farmer School of Business and was recently married to Rachel Hildebrand VanDyne, also a firstyear Miami student. Rachel and Sean VanDyne both attended Hamilton High School, along with Ben “Big Ben” Flick, a University of Cincinnati (UC) football player who died in the crash on Saturday. VanDyne and Flick played on the high school football team and, during their time in high school, were known not only as hard-working players, but as icons in the school community, according to the team’s former head coach Bob Jacoby. “I spent a lot of time with [Sean] in the workout room and watched him in the school community,” Jacoby said. “[VanDyne is] a highly respected kid, a very hard worker.”

In addition to being an athlete, VanDyne was elected as the Vice President of the National Honors Society (NHS) his senior year of high school. As such, Chris Napier, one of the NHS advisers, got to know him well. “[VanDyne is] a great kid, a leader,” Napier said. “He wasn’t your quintessential jock; he put a lot of time in the classroom as well. I remember last year, we took all the [NHS] officers on a trip to Columbus and we didn’t expect him to be the one to take his homework with him, but he brought a book and read it the whole way up and the whole way back.” In addition to his classes and his position on the football field, VanDyne worked nearly full-time at Skyline Chili all throughout high school, Napier said. “There was nothing that Sean got that he didn’t work for,” Napier said. Hamilton High School held a vigil for the two students on Sunday, and will host a visitation Tuesday evening for Flick from 5 to 9 p.m. Dean of Students Mike Curme expressed his sadness at seeing the Miami community struck by this tragedy. “The Miami community is deeply saddened,” Curme said. “We just wish there was more we could do to support the family and the loved ones involved.”

Student government gives students the floor with weekly Tuesday meetings BY ALLIE SHULTZ SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Students looking for a place to express concerns about issues in the student body now have an outlet. Student Body President senior Charlie Schreiber and Vice President senior Courtney Bernard are starting “Tuesdays with Charlie and Courtney,” a weekly meeting in which they will discuss the concerns and comments of any Miami University student. “This is an hour and a half every week that you can count on for us to be accessible,” Bernard said. “We want to hear from students and show them that we’re normal students too.” Schreiber added that from the very beginning, he and Bernard knew they had to change the

up for the meetings, but that she does respect the motivation behind the concept. “I think it’s a good idea, but the only people who will come talk to you in that setting are people who want to be negative,” Kent said. Kent went on to explain that people who would make time in their day to spend an hour and a half talking about something will most likely feel strongly about it. Kent said she thinks only extreme opinions, rather than constructive ones, will be expressed at the meetings. Senior Anna Miller said a spontaneous setting, like a table set up outside where people could casually walk by could also help. “The appointment aspect of it will give people a lot of time to think of things they don’t like,” Miller said. “But if you just walk by

This is an hour and a half every week that you can count on for us to be accessible ... we want to hear from students.” COURTNEY BERNARD

STUDENT BODY VICE PRESIDENT

relationship between students involved in the Associated Student Government (ASG) and those who are not. “Courtney and my buzzword during the campaign was ‘disconnect’ between the student body and student government,” Schreiber said. “We found a lot of times students will voice complaints to each other, but then they don’t know how to get to us or don’t feel comfortable coming to the ASG office.” According to Schreiber, they plan to hold the meetings in locations like dining halls and Uptown restaurants for student convenience. Senior Samantha Kent said she is skeptical students other than those with negative opinions will show

and give a quick suggestion it will be more positive.” ASG’s Vice President for Public Relations senior Andrew Bair explained the thought process behind the format for “Tuesdays with Charlie and Courtney.” “The first meeting will be from 4:30 to 6 p.m., I think the idea was to do something between lunch and dinner time so they’re present at a good time,” Bair said. Bernard added that this time is right before student senate meetings are held, giving student an opportunity to talk personally with her and Schreiber and then attend a student senate meeting after. “All students are welcome to come and sit in the gallery and see

what is being discussed in student senate as well as if you want to address senate they can feel more comfortable after they get to know us,” Bernard said. Schreiber added that the visitors’ section of the student senate has almost always been nearly empty. “Courtney and my goal was to have at least three-fourths of that sections full by the time we leave office,” Schreiber said. Bair explained that he will be present at the first several meetings as well and then will be involved less in person, but more within the social media awareness aspects of the meetings by updating Facebook and Twitter to let students know when and where “Tuesdays” will take place. Aside from “Tuesdays with Charlie and Courtney,” the ASG representatives are working on several other projects to improve transparency. Schreiber explained that he and Bernard will visit a different club each week to experience a variety of on campus organizations, as well as letting club members ask questions if they would like to. Bair added that the team is working on a larger social media presence, word of mouth on campus and partnering with the Athletic Department to have more presence in student athletics. “It’s never going to be one single thing,” Bair said. “We want students to be able to see and understand what we do and the culmination of a lot of little things will get that done.” Bernard and Schreiber both explained that providing students more access to them and their government as a whole is the main idea behind “Tuesdays with Charlie and Courtney.” “The big part of this is letting students know we’re there for them and giving them access to their government,” Schreiber said.

LAUREN OLSON PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

STRONG-ARMING THE COMPETITION

Miami University sophomore linebacker Josh Dooley attempts to tackle University of Cincinnati sophomore wide receiver Chris Moore during the RedHawks’ 14-0 loss Saturday to the Bearcats.

Former head of McGuffey Montessori school arrested BY CHRIS CURME COMMUNITY EDITOR

The now former head of the McGuffey Montessori School, 60-year-old Alfred Allen, has been arrested on 20 counts of child pornography, according to a statement released Friday by the Oxford Police Department (OPD). According to the statement, Allen had been suspected of misusing the school’s credit/debit card last spring and was charged with theft. “In the course of the investigation into the theft, evidence of other criminal activity was found,” the OPD statement read. Alfred Allen was taken into custody Sept. 19, for 20 felony counts relating to child pornography. As an active investigation, OPD said no further information is being released at this time. McGuffey Montessori School released a statement regarding Allen. “Mr. Allen was terminated in May because of his failure to perform the duties of Head of

School,” the statement read. “Other than suspecting misappropriation of funds, we were not aware of any criminal activity at the time of his termination.” McGuffey Montessori has been working with OPD to assist in the investigation, according to the school’s statement. The statement ends noting that Allen was hired by standard processes of the Board of Trustees, had passed a criminal background check and been validated by his references. “As always, our school’s first priority is its families, and we are working diligently to keep them informed,” the statement said. “We are grateful that our students were not harmed in any way.” The McGuffey Montessori School was founded by staff and parents of the old Miami University Lab School, which closed in 1983, according to its website. It is a privately run school, educating students in preschool through eighth grade at 5128 Westgate Drive in Oxford.


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