The Miami Student | September 10, 2019

ESTABLISHED 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES

Volume 148 No. 2

Miami University — Oxford, Ohio

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

Lime scooters will remain in Oxford — for now

AAUP responds to new reporting arrests policy SARA BEY

THE MIAMI STUDENT

MUPD DECIDED TO CANCEL IMPOUND FEES FOR LIME SCOOTERS ASST. PHOTO EDITOR BO BRUECK

MADELINE PHABY

THE MIAMI STUDENT Lime, a motorized scooter company that has been operating in Oxford since last October, has recently considered leaving the city because the Miami University Police Department (MUPD) is increasing impound fees.

MUPD has been impounding improperly parked scooters across campus for nearly a year but recently raised the fee to retrieve them from $25 to $100 this semester. A Lime employee, who would only speak to The Miami Student on the condition of anonymity, said

dozens of scooters have been impounded since students returned to campus, costing the company over $2,000 a day in fees.

The source said Lime was effectively left with two choices to prevent future fees: pass costs onto the students who were improperly parking scooters or leave.

“We didn’t want to have to pass the fines on to the students because we knew that a $100 fine would be quite onerous for a student,” the employee said.

So, Lime reached out to MUPD to find a compromise.

On Friday, Aug. 30, MUPD agreed to allow Lime to pick up its scooters from impound

without paying the fee. While the department hasn’t reached a permanent deal with Lime, yet the temporary resolution was enough to keep the company in Oxford for the time being.

Captain Ben Spilman, director of Parking and Transportation Services at MUPD, said the department was not aware of Lime’s plans to possibly cease operations in Oxford when it agreed to temporarily waive the impound fees.

Spilman also said that the $100 impound fee is on par with other universities that are suffering from the same issues with improper use of scooters. The Ohio State University, for

In response to a new mandated arrest reporting policy implemented by Miami University, the Advocacy Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is calling for a faculty assembly on Sept. 10 to send the policy back to University Senate for further discussion.

Miami’s new reporting arrests policy states employees of the university must “report any formal police report, arrest, charge or indictment for alleged criminal conduct ... to the Office of General Counsel, within three working days of the police report, their arrest, charge or indictment.”

Employees must also “report when they have knowledge of a formal police report, arrest, charge or indictment of a faculty or staff member for alleged criminal conduct.”

The new reporting arrests policy adds specific guidelines to already existing university policies. The online server EthicsPoint said, “Employees and students are expected to report good faith concerns about illegal, unethical or otherwise inappropriate behavior in violation of Miami policies.”

There is currently no time frame as to when employees must report or self-report.

These changes to Miami’s policy provoked Miami’s AAUP chapter to raise awareness of the new changes, gain support from other faculty members and advocate to send the policy back to senate to reassess.

The policy was first introduced on the consent calendar in April 2019. This method was “worrying” to AAUP president Cathy Wagner because it was placed there instead of as a regular agenda item, she said. “Any items on [consent calendars] must be approved all at once … with no discussion. It can happen in seconds.”

“Our main concern is the pattern of rule-making that is increasing [along with the] surveillance culture atmosphere at Miami,” Wagner said. “We’re already mandatory reporters for Title IX, which is not about increasing safety of anybody; it’s about reputational management and liability protection.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Miami alumna earns Miss Ohio crown BELLA ZARLENGO

THE MIAMI STUDENT For nearly two years, while Caroline Grace Williams was a student at Miami University, a friend tried to convince her to participate in the Miss Oxford Competition.

She finally relented and during her senior year in 2017, Williams entered the competition.

Despite the fact that it was her first pageant-like competition, she won and was crowned Miss Oxford.

“I did it and just fell in love with the program,” Williams said. “All of the girls that I met were so encouraging. And I didn’t think that anything would come of it, now here we are.”

After earning the title of Miss Oxford and going on to the Miss Ohio Competition for the first time in 2017, even though she didn’t win, Williams said she knew she wanted to be involved in the community she found in the Miss America Scholarship Program.

After winning the Miss Oxford competition, she took time off to move to New York and Iowa to pursue her passion for acting and singing.

In December 2017, Williams decided to move to Cincinnati and work for Miami’s admissions department.

“Even though I love performing, I wasn’t crazy about it as that lifestyle,” Williams said.

And after taking a year off from competition, Williams, along with 21 other young women, went to Mansfield, Ohio in June for the 2019 Miss Ohio Competition.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 WILLIAMS FOUND A SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN PAGEANTS, WINNING THE MISS OHIO TITLE THIS PAST JUNE. COURTESY OF MIAMI UNIVERSITY FACEBOOK

This Issue Six sexual assaults

hot n’ ready humor pages 8 & 9

Contrary to popular belief

Miami students have reported many more sexual assaults than this time last year.

By the end of the night, strangers became friends through dance.

News » page 4

Culture » page 7

He’s not going home

Here’s a thought:

Miami Football’s Zedrick Raymond wants to work his way to the NFL.

The best ‘crime reduction tip’?

Tell people to stop sexually assaulting others.

Sports » page 10

Opinion » page 12

This Week

2 FYI

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 Named the Best College Newspaper (Non-daily) in Ohio by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Things to do

SAMANTHA BRUNN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Ceili Doyle Managing Editor

Ben Deeter Multimedia Editor

Connor Wells Design Editor

Maya Fenter Magazine Editor

Julia Arwine Rachel Berry Erin Glynn News Editors

Alyssa Melendez Web Designer

Chris Vinel Sports Editor Emily Dattilo Duard Headley Culture Editors Kate Rigazio Opinion Editor Jugal Jain Photo Editor

Bea Newberry Business Manager

James Tobin Faculty Adviser Fred Reeder Business Adviser WDJ Inc. - Bill Dedden Distributor Aim Media Midwest Printer

Thurs

MAP Comedy Series

9/12

Enjoy a night full of comedy from Nasim Pedrad, star of Saturday Night Live, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and New Girl.

Fri

Fritz Pavilion, Armstrong

8 pm9:30 pm

IES 50th Anniversary Harry T. Wilks Auditorium, Armstrong

Owen Berg Asst. Design Editor Derek Stamberger Video Producer Noah Bertrand Humor Editor Will Gorman Asst. Culture Editor Entertainment Editor Nina Franco Social Media Director Style Editor

Advertising information: Send us a letter?

Bo Brueck Asst. Photo Editor

9/13

Come listen to a lecture from Gina McCarthy, the former EPA administrator under President Barack Obama.

5 pm

Sydney Hill Brianna Porter Copy Editors Briah Lumpkins Tim Carlin

Asst. News Editors Peter Fortunato

Fri

Data Editor

9/13 miamistudent.net/advertise eic@miamistudent.net

The Miami Student is published on Tuesdays during the school year by the students of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

The content of The Miami Student is the sole responsibility of The Miami Student staff. Opinions expressed in The Miami Student are not necessarily those of Miami University, its students or staff.

CORRECTIONS POLICY

The Miami Student is committed to providing the Miami University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication.

SECURE YOUR HOME FOR JR/SR YEAR

A few great homes still available for 2020-21! All homes are next to campus and uptown. Gather your group today and go to www.schmatesrentals.com. Don’t be stuck in an apt. JR/SR year.

Call or text 847-274-6600 Email: info@schmatesrentals.com

Sat

9/14

Art After Dark Fritz Pavilion, Armstrong

Spend a night creating crafts, meeting new people and listening to live music.

9 pm12 am

Game Show Night

John E. Dolibois Room, Shriver

Put your mind to the test with a night full of trivia.

8-11 pm

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FEARLESS DEFENDER IN THE JOURNALISM DEPARTMENT, PATTI NEWBERRY, ON HER INDUCTION AS THE 2019-2020 PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS. WE LOVE YOU! <3

BERRYRD@MIAMIOH.EDU

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

NEWS 3

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

WANTED: A crowd of tenure-line & TCPL faculty, at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday Last spring, Miami University administration put into place an oppressive “Reporting Arrests” policy. The draconian policy — which Senate approved without sufficient time to consider its implications — puts employee careers unnecessarily at risk.

Please visit miamiaaup.org for details. In the meantime, consider these possibilities that could occur under the policy: • A Miami employee is sexually assaulted by another employee and then goes to the police. Within three days (in what is likely to be a traumatized and confused state) the survivor must file an additional report with University Counsel, or, under the policy’s bizarrely strict terms, face the possibility of discipline up to and including dismissal.

• An African-American faculty member is misunderstood by a police officer as behaving aggressively — an all-too-common occurrence in our biased criminal justice system. If the police officer files a report or makes an arrest, not only would the faculty member have to inform University Counsel, but Counsel would have the authority to recommend suspension or dismissal of the faculty member — even though Counsel would not have means to evaluate the case properly, and even though the member of faculty had not been convicted of any crime.

These cases may sound extreme, but they are quite possible under the policy as written.

Lime scooters will remain in Oxford FROM FRONT

example, charges an even steeper $300 fee for impounded scooters, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

He went on to say MUPD has encouraged Lime to pass the costs on to the students to increase user accountability.

“At the end of the day, if the user is impacted by [the fines], then the behavior is going to change,” Spilman said. “But [Lime] obviously doesn’t want to lose customers, so they aren’t passing those fines on.”

Negotiations between Lime and MUPD will continue, but it is still unknown whether they will be able to reach a deal that keeps Lime in Oxford permanently. phabymr@miamioh.edu

The policy relies too much on the Counsel to be fair, unbiased and fully informed, and it threatens faculty with unreasonably harsh discipline.

How can you help? Spread the word!

• Talk to your colleagues • Share the link to miamiaaup.org, where you can read about the issues with the policy • Write miamiaaup@gmail.com for electronic and paper posters and flyers. Post them, put them in your colleagues’ mailboxes and share by email and social media.

If we can get 250 or more continuing faculty to Faculty Assembly on Tuesday, Sept. 10, that will guarantee quorum and allow us to vote the policy back to Senate.

Getting 250 faculty to Assembly is going to be a challenge. We’ve never seen that many faculty at Faculty Assembly. The administration does not expect a good turnout — the room they have booked doesn’t even have enough seats for a quorum. They do not expect faculty to exercise their right to shared governance. Let’s prove them wrong, even if we have to stand up.

Bear in mind that only members of the Faculty Assembly — tenure-line and TCPL faculty — are enfranchised to send back the policy. Continuing faculty, let’s show up and stand for all employees!

Cathy Wagner Professor of English Miami AAUP Advocacy Chapter President

AAUP responds to new reporting arrests policy FROM FRONT

In an email sent to faculty on Sept.

2, Wagner asked for at least 250 faculty members to attend the Faculty Assembly taking place Sept. 10 “to send the overreaching, unnecessary, risky to employees’ ‘reporting arrests’ policy back to senate.”

Wagner said “all employees are at risk under this policy” but specified race and sexual assault survivors as points of contention in the email as well.

“Let’s say a black faculty member is misunderstood by a police officer to be behaving aggressively,” she said in the email.

“If the police officer files a report or makes an arrest, not only would the faculty member have to inform University Counsel, but Counsel would be empowered to recommend suspension or dismissal of the faculty member.”

In New York City’s 2018 year-end report, black individuals made up 49.4 percent of suspects and 42.1 percent of total arrests, while white individuals were 15.7 percent and 18.2 percent, respectively.

With sexual assault victims, “within

three days (in what is likely to be a traumatized and confused state) the survivor must file an additional report with university counsel or … face the possibility of discipline up to and including dismissal” since they did not report misconduct by another faculty member, Wagner said.

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center reported, “[R]ape is the most under-reported crime; 63 percent of sexual assaults are not reported to police.”

Daniel Hall, professor of political science at Miami’s regional campuses, wrote an opinion column for AAUP titled “Spyami.”

“I believe this policy needs a more critical review,” he wrote, “and I encourage you, regardless of your position, to attend and to take part in this important discussion.”

He highlights three main issues with the policy, saying it is “over-broad, unnecessary and threatens academic freedom, undermines relationships and creates an oppressive workplace.”

To send the policy back to the university senate, 25 percent of continued faculty

must attend the faculty assembly.

Of the 376 continued faculty throughout Miami’s campuses, 250 need to be present.

“Faculty are allowed to … request that an item approved by university senate be withdrawn, then faculty can vote to discuss it,” Wagner said.

The Faculty Assembly will take place at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10 in the Shriver Admissions Auditorium.

“We would like to work in a culture of care and safety is promoted,” Wagner said, “and not an atmosphere of fear and massive discipline.”

Director of University News and Communications Claire Wagner declined to comment on the university’s behalf.

“Next week this policy will be discussed at a Tuesday faculty assembly,” Wagner wrote in an email to The Student. “I think we’ll be able to share more information after that.” @sara_bey beysc@miamioh.edu

Miami alumna earns Miss Ohio crown FROM FRONT

Before the event itself, each contestant had to participate in a 10-day preliminary round, which consisted of appearances, rehearsals, parades and interviews.

“You have a ten-minute private interview with the judges and they can ask you anything,” Williams said. “It was the hardest interview I’ve ever gone through.”

Williams said that her interview with the six judges was mostly related to politics. To prepare for the competition, she watched various news stations nearly 24/7. She also said she subscribed to different newspapers and newsletters.

“They’re not trying to stump you,” Williams said. “They’re more just trying to see, ‘are you educated? Can you hold your own?’ They don’t expect you to know the answer to everything.”

After the first round of interviews, each contestant competes in each phase of the event, including a talent segment, before the judges announced the top 10 women.

Williams, who studied theater and music at Miami, used her performance background during the talent portion of the competition to wow the judges with her rendition of the opera song “O Mio Babbino Carro.”

The competition was eventually whittled down to five contestants who re-competed in every phase and were then evaluated during a discussion onstage about what each woman’s mission would be if crowned Miss Ohio.

On June 15, 2019, Williams was crowned Miss Ohio.

Williams earned the title of Miss Ohio based on her comprehensive initiative to promote personal safety.

After she was in a car wreck last November, Williams was inspired to advocate for “Caroline’s Crisis Call: Know the FACTS of Call 911,”.

FACTS stands for ‘fake calls are illegal,’ ‘assign individuals to help,’ ‘cool calm and collected,’ be ‘thorough on the phone’ and ‘stay on the line,’” she said.

“I see the need for personal safety education on college campuses and with young kids,” Williams said.

She shows people how to activate emergency calls on phones in a way that sends the caller’s location to their emergency contacts as well as to 911.

It’s her personal goal to work with Ohio Representatives in order to make 911 available through a texting system like the one already available in Butler County.

“It needs to be statewide,” Williams said.

“There are some emergencies where you cannot call, it’s unsafe to call. So we need to be able to text.”

In addition to the title, she also won a $10,000 scholarship, a newcomer award, a classical music award, the talent preliminary award and a sportsmanship award.

Williams, who is attending graduate school at Miami, is considering pursuing another degree with her scholarship money, but hasn’t decided yet.

Since the competition, Williams has been traveling all over Ohio to promote “Caroline’s Crisis Call” at school events. She also sings the national anthem at sporting events to help spread the initiative.

Aside from her work throughout the state, Williams plans to move on to the Miss America Competition in December.

The competition will air on NBC, and Williams said she hopes she can coordinate an event with Miami for them to air the show in the Harry T. Wilks Theater. zarlenim@miamioh.edu WILLIAMS HOPES TO USE HER TITLE TO RAISE MORE AWARENESS FOR WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN CALLING 911.

COURTESY OF CAROLINE GRACE WILLIAMS

4 NEWS Residents concerned over afforable housing TIM CARLIN

ASST. NEWS EDITOR Residents voiced concerns over the lack of affordable housing in the city at the Sept. 3 Oxford City Council meeting, Residents expressed their views in response to the first reading of an ordinance to approve the building of a new subdivision in Oxford.

If approved by Council at its next meeting, the slew of 25 new compact-style homes will have a base asking price around $250,000, said Mike Rudolph, an Oxford resident, while paraphrasing the proposed subdivison’s developer.

Rudolph also said the target audience of these new homes will be young professionals and empty-nesters, not college students.

“Affordable housing is policy – it’s not charity,” said Oxford resident Janis Dutton.

Terri Spahr Nelson, another resident, said Council should defer all votes on building plans until affordable housing legislation is passed.

Council passed a resolution en-

“Affordable housing is policy – it’s not charity.”

-Janis Dutton dorsing the signature of The Global Covenant of Mayors, a political commitment to working reverse climate change.

After discussing the ramifications of signing the covenant, Councilor Mike Smith said, “We have to start, and we might as well start here,” resulting in applause from the audience.

A resolution extending the e-scooter pilot program for another year was also passed at Tuesday’s meeting. City manager Doug Elliott said the city is working to implement regulations on e-scooters after the start of the new year.

Community Development Director Sam Perry presented data on short-term rental properties, colloquially known as Airbnbs, at the start of the Council meeting.

In April, the city required all shortterm rental property owners to register with the city and fill out a short survey, so the city could learn more about the types of short-term rentals available in Oxford.

The data from the survey indicated that there are currently 55 short-term rentals in Oxford, and Perry expressed he wants to have a firm short-term rental policy in place by the end of the year.

Council next meets at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at the Oxford Courthouse. @timcarlin_ carlintm@miamioh.edu

Dough-Versity Donuts closes after one year CAROLINE HAUBENSTRICKER

THE MIAMI STUDENT Dough-Versity Donuts has permanently closed after being open for less than one year.

Dough-Versity opened last year on June 1, which is National Doughnut Day, but closed at the end of the spring semester.

In December 2018, Kim Lim purchased the store from the previous owner, David Bryan, and has been running the business since then. Before then, Lim and Bryan were business partners and worked together.

“It was a seasonal [business] for us in that location,” Lim told The Miami Student. “A lot of students go home, and we have no traffic in the store. We only had a few regular customers who were not students but not enough to keep business up.”

Lim had also recently opened Daylight Doughnuts, another doughnut shop, in Richmond, Indiana. Lim said he had difficulty managing both Dough-Versity and Daylight Doughnuts.

Since Dough-Versity was a seasonal business, Lim said that to turn a profit, both he and Bryan needed to work the store.

There is another doughnut store in town called Oxford Doughnut Shoppe, and Lim attributed Dough-Versity’s closing in part to its competition.

“I really liked [Dough-Versity], but I get why they closed,” junior Erika Nolan said. “I thought it was very cute, and the people I interacted with in the store were friendly. I am sad to see it go.”

THE SEASONAL NATURE OF BUSINESS IN OXFORD LED TO DOUGH-VERSITY’S CLOSING. PHOTO EDITOR JUGAL JAIN

Lim said that the storefront of Dough-Versity was quite small, so the doughnuts were not made in store but rather shipped to the shop daily from three doughnut shops: Square Donuts of Richmond, Indiana, Donut Haus in Springboro and Bear Creek Donuts in Miamisburg.

The doughnuts were “transported 30-45 minutes and delivered to Dough-Versity’s shelves, meaning

THE MIAMI STUDENT

Six sexual assaults have been reported to Miami and Oxford police since the beginning of the fall semester. During the same time period last year, there were only two.

On Monday, Aug. 27, the Miami University Police Department (MUPD) received reports of a sexual assault that occurred early Sunday, Aug. 25 in Wells Hall on Central Quad. According to the police report, the survivor knew the suspect, who is not a Miami student. The report listed the offense as “sexual battery,” which is defined as “non-consensual sexual touching” by MUPD. Just before 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31, a female survivor reported to the Oxford Police Department (OPD) she was raped earlier that evening on North Poplar Street. Afterwards she was taken to McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital and said “she may have had sexual intercourse with a [male] subject known to her without her consent,” according to the police report.

And on Sunday, Sept. 1, two additional sexual assaults were reported.

One female student told MUPD a man she knew sexually assaulted her around 1:50 a.m. on Sunday morning.

the selection of doughnuts [was] a carefully curated collection of their favorite doughnuts,” Bryan told the Journal-News.

Bryan believed that Dough-Versity’s core business would be students and those who walked Uptown. He grew up in Oxford, loving the sense of community and diversity, according to the article.

Bryan told the Journal-News that

Dough-Versity was a family operation, until business partner Lim took over and that he saw a good future for the business, which had been several years in the making.

“Dough-Versity will not be opening up again, as it is too hard to keep the business up and running,” Lim said. haubence@miamioh.edu

Miami University partners with Cuyahoga Community College to open new doors for transfer students MAGGIE ANGEVINE THE MIAMI STUDENT

Miami University recently announced a partnership with Cuyahoga Community College in Northeast Ohio.

The two-year institution, known as Tri-C, will partner with Miami to make the transition from community college to a traditional university easier for students. The transfer program offers students with a minimum 2.0 GPA and an associates degree guaranteed admission to Miami as well as academic advising, access to special transfer events and priority consideration for Miami transfer scholarships.

This partnership mimics the structure of Miami’s partnerships with three other community colleges: Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Columbus State Community College and Sinclair Community College.

According to the transfer student page on Miami’s website, partnerships with community colleges are intended to create a seamless transition from a two-year to a four-year university, aiming to help students acclimate socially, financially and

academically.

One of the resources Miami offers partnership transfer students is comprehensive advising from both Miami and the community college, helping students plan their transition to Miami, understand their schedules and build a network of support throughout the university.

Miami also offers partnership transfer students priority consideration for transfer scholarships, which range from $1,500 to $10,000 per year and are both need-based and academic merit-based. This is a strong motivator for many students as it is “much less expensive to start at a community college and transfer to a four year school,” Tri-C wrote on their website.

Many colleges across the country have similar community college programs in place, typically with local community colleges, such as the program at The Ohio State University, which partners with neighboring Central Ohio Technical College.

Miami’s program is unique because several of their partner schools are located multiple hours away, like Tri-C, which is about four hours from Miami’s Oxford campus.

“Transfer partnerships help Ohio

6 SEXUAL ASSAULTS REPORTED IN FIRST 2 WEEKS OF FALL SEMESTER MAGGIE ANGEVINE

BERRYRD@MIAMIOH.EDU

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

The incident took place in a room inside Porter Hall on South Quad, according to the police report.

Later on Sunday, another female student told MUPD she was raped by a white, college-aged man she didn’t know between 11:30 and 11:40 p.m. in an outdoor section of Central Quad near Minnich Hall.

She described the suspect as sixfoot-two and 200 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. That night he was wearing a black t-shirt, jeans and white Adidas “three-stripe” shoes. He also has a noticeable gap in his front teeth.

The last two of the reported assaults happened during previous semesters, one in February 2019 and one between July 2015 and July 2016.

They were both reported in the past two weeks.

Dean of Students Kimberly Moore sent an email to the Miami community on Thursday, Sept. 5, saying she is “disheartened to see new reports of sexual assaults of Miami students.”

“When hearing about these types of incidents, we can feel helpless,” she wrote. “While that is a normal response, that is not the case; we each have a role to play in bettering our community and eliminating these incidents.”

Moore encouraged students to take

action through It’s On Us and by joining student organizations dedicated to preventing sexual and interpersonal violence such as the HAWKS Peer Educators, Men against Rape and Sexual Assault and People Against Violence and Sexual Assault.

She also encouraged that students download the Rave Guardian application, which allows them to text MUPD, set a safety timer when walking home and send a GPS location to MUPD. Sexual assault survivors in the Miami community who wish to report an incident can contact campus security enforcement, including the Miami University Police Department at 513519-2222, the Oxford Police Department at 513-523-4321, the Coordinator of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program at 513-529-1870 or athletic coaches and any academic or student organization advisor.

If students wish to speak to a non-mandatory reporter for confidential support, they can call or text Miami’s campus-based support specialists from WomenHelpingWomen at 513-431-1111. WomenHelpingWomen is available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day and is also reachable through email at MU@womenhelpingwomen. org. angevims@miamioh.edu

students who may not have thought of attending a university like Miami know that with a strong start at a community college, they can achieve a bachelor’s degree here,” Director of

seamlessly integrating the two institutions,” which are “two of the largest educational providers in Northern and Southwest Ohio,” according to a Miami press release.

“Transfer programs help Ohio students who may not have thought of attending a university like Miami.”

-Claire Wagner

University News and Communications Claire Wagner said.

In the past three years, over 600 Tri-C students have transferred to Miami individually and not through a partnership. This agreement will create more of a direct pathway between the schools, which will make the benefits from the program readily available to a greater number of students, according to a Tri-C press release.

The agreement “focuses on more

The schools aim to strengthen each other through this integration to benefit the institutions as well as the students themselves through combining unique opportunities offered by each school individually.

“It’s our goal, and the state’s goal, to help more Ohioans achieve higher education and successful careers,” Wagner said. “Having transfer partnerships is one way to do that.” angevims@miamioh.edu

Former Alpha Sig brother accused of creating a ‘hit list’ pleads not guilty CAROLINE HAUBENSTRICKER

THE MIAMI STUDENT

Cameron Wallace, a former Miami University student and Alpha Sigma Phi (Alpha Sig) brother, pled not guilty to charges related to keeping a “hit list” on his fraternity brothers and threatening to “shoot up” the Alpha Sig house during a plea hearing on Thursday Sept. 5 in the Oxford Courthouse.

According to an Oxford Police Department (OPD) report and court documents, Wallace allegedly kicked and choked a current fraternity brother, texted chapter president Billy Shand that he had a “hit list” of members he wanted to kill, threatened to “shoot up” the fraternity house and burn down a specific brother’s bedroom.

When confronted by Shand, Wallace said he would retaliate by reporting Alpha Sig to the university for false sexual assault and hazing allegations, according to the incident report by OPD Officer Anthony Jones.

Shand told OPD he was con-

cerned for Wallace’s mental health, and that Wallace had threatened suicide and self harm last semester.

Wallace’s case was originally examined by the common pleas court in Hamilton, and he was charged with making a terrorist threat. On July 24, his case was sent to the lower court in Oxford with an amended charge of aggravated menacing.

“We look forward to his trial in early November,” said Frank Schiavone, Wallace’s attorney. “He is presumed to be innocent and is ready for trial.”

Wallace will face a bench trial, or trial by judge, rather than a jury, which will be overseen by Judge Robert Lyons, according to court documents.

Lyons presided over Wallace’s hearing last week and will also decide whether or not the former Miami student is guilty on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Wallace faces up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted of the charges. haubence@miamioh.edu

GLYNNEE@MIAMIOH.EDU

Miami charges task force with improving diversity DAN WOZNIAK STAFF WRITER

According to the Postsecondary National Policy Institute (PNPI), African American students make up 14 percent of the undergraduate student population at four-year public institutions. At Miami University, African Americans make up only 4 percent of the undergraduate student population.

Associate Vice President of Institutional Diversity Ron Scott and members of the Climate Survey Task Force gathered on Thursday, Sept.

5 and Friday, Sept. 6 to discuss the recommendations they hope the university will appraise to enhance diversity and inclusion on Miami’s campus.

The Climate Survey Task Force recommendations, which were fully compiled in March 2019, consist of 22 goals the task force wants Miami to consider to improve student, staff, faculty and administrative experiences.

All of the recommendations the task force compiled were influenced by the One Campus Climate Survey conducted in the fall of 2017, to which only 17 percent of undergraduate students responded.

Rankin and Associates, the third-party company that Miami hired to conduct the survey, deemed the university’s climate findings to be consistent with those of higher education institutions across the country.

“I think [undergraduate students] were incentivized [to take the survey],” Scott said. “Before President Gregory Crawford got here, there was a clamour to do the climate survey from faculty, staff and students, and he did the climate survey, and folks choose not to do it.”

The task force divided its recommendations into three categories: training and education, communication and assessment.

The Strategic Planning Committee, University Provost Jason Osborne and Crawford are analyzing the task force’s recommendations and will be responsible for implementing the proposals they deem most impactful and realistic.

NEWS 5

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

To evaluate the effectiveness of university communication regarding benefits, services and policies, the Task Force recommends the university increase their social media presence and encourage faculty to communicate with each other more often.

Miami Human Resources, the University Communication and Marketing Department (UCM) and the President’s office have begun implementing these strategies by creating the Miami Stories Newsletter, using all-university communication memos and updating the Diversity and Inclusion website.

In order to increase retention

and inclusion training and a bias training. They also encourage all student organizations to complete these modules.

“Worse case scenario is in four years all students on this campus will have gone through the training,” Scott said. “Better scenario is that within two to three years we will have completed the training for everyone.”

In the One Campus Climate Survey Report, 26 percent of respondents who indicated they had personally experienced exclusionary, intimidating, offensive or hostile conduct believed it was because of their gender or gender identi-

“The days of expansion without understanding the finances are gone.”

-Ron Scott

rates of diverse staff and faculty members, the task force recommends leaders have more informal lunches and interactions with faculty and staff while continuing to push for attendance at campus events.

Scott said he believes Crawford will come to a conclusion on whether or not the university will re-implement a faculty and staff dining area by the end of this year to increase camaraderie and build friendships.

1809, a campus dining area designated for faculty and staff, closed in 2014. “[Crawford’s] intent is to not bring back 1809 but to bring back the 1809 experience,” Scott said.

In an effort to combat racist and xenophobic beahavior at Miami, the university is requiring all first-year students to go through a diversity

ty. Meanwhile, only 12 percent of LGBTQ respondents felt “very comfortable” with overall climate compared with 23 percent of heterosexual respondents.

Last semester, to expand diversity and inclusion awareness, Miami’s Center for American World Cultures implemented a pilot program with intergroup dialogue sessions for undergraduate students. The center also added the courses Voices of Discovery (IDS 253) and Strength Through Cultural Diversity (IDS 159). The Introduction to the Miami Tribe course will be available next semester.

Additionally, Crawford established the Miami Institute for Leadership and Executive Advanced Development (MI_LEAD) in August 2018. The program is designed to

take up-and-coming leaders and expose them to a series of lectures and interactions with senior leadership with the hope that one day they may become future Miami administrators.

To conduct meaningful assessments, the university hopes to orchestrate regular audits assessing the campus climate but is unsure which mechanism will carry out these processes.

Scott believes the Council of Diversity and Inclusion (CODI) should be the organization that conducts annual campus climate assessments, but The Strategic Planning Committee recommended Miami establish a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee (DEI) to oversee diversity, equity and inclusion evaluations and replace CODI. “I think it’s going to be very difficult to start thinking about adding things unless we have ways of paying for things,” Scott said. “The days of expansion without understanding the finances are gone.”

Osborne is open to the diversity council carrying out the challenges presented in the strategic plan but is also willing to revise their mandate to better assess campus climate.

“I believe both the University Senate and student government have standing committees charged with examining the general welfare of their respective constituencies,” Osborne said. “I think they and other groups could play an important role, as climate, inclusivity and wellness is everyone’s job, not just CODI’s.”

To further assess Miami’s climate, Osborne will determine if there’s a need for an ombudsman, an official appointed to investigate and address complaints made by the public, or if there will be someone in the provost’s office assigned to all diversity issues.

“The provost is really working hard on working out the document [task force recommendations] that was given to him to work on as a blueprint,” Scott said. “He’s learning the university, but he’s also learning and making an assessment of all aspects of ‘where do we go next as an institution’ not in terms of just diversity and inclusion but in terms of everything that is connected with this institution.” @dan_wozniak wozniad2@miamioh.edu

Structure catches fire in Miami Mobile Home Park ERIN GLYNN

NEWS EDITOR A mobile home caught fire in the Miami Mobile Home Park off the 5000 block of College Corner Pike around 2:30 p.m on Saturday, Sept. 7.

The Oxford Fire Department (OFD) and Oxford Police Department (OPD) both arrived at the scene quickly and were able to contain the fire, though the mobile home is severely damaged. An OFD first responder said he believes the structure was vacant when it caught fire. The neighboring mobile homes were also damaged by the fire.

Two witnesses saw three boys flee the trailer just after the fire started, according to an OPD police report.

OPD is investigating the fire as an arson.

Iboga plant petition captures international attention TIM CARLIN

ASST. NEWS EDITOR A petition calling for the reinstatement of two Miami University Hamilton professors and a Hamilton campus employee has received nearly 2,500 signatures and attention from biologists and botanists across the globe.

The petition, drafted by Miami’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), was created in response to the resignation of Hamilton Conservatory manager Brian Grubb and former Miami Provost Phyllis Callahan’s recommendation to terminate John Cinnamon and Daniel Gladish for growing a hallucinogenic-producing plant in the Hamilton Conservatory.

Tabernanthe iboga, commonly referred to as iboga, is a plant that comes from the African country of Gabon. It is suspected that Cinnamon, an anthropologist, acquired iboga seeds while visiting Gabon and gave them to Gladish, the director of the conservatory, according to police reports.

Cinnamon’s lawyer, Erin Heidrich, claims the professor does not remember receiving the seeds, but, if he had, he would have given them to the conservatory for research.

The online petition was signed by thousands of people requesting the university reconsider its decision to fire the professors. The petition included a comment section, and Miami’s AAUP chapter received hundreds of comments from people world-wide expressing support for the faculty members.

“It would appear whoever made this decision knows very little about botany, the importance of living material for study — or research in general,” wrote Mary Endress, Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich (Switzerland).

“Academics need support, not persecution,” wrote Kenneth Cameron, the director of the nation’s largest university botany department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The Botanical Society of America (BSA), and the American Anthropological Association (AAA) both sent letters to University President Gregory Crawford that communicated their concern about the punishment of the professors.

“It is important to note that just because a plant-derived compound is considered a controlled substance by the DEA, this does not automatically require that the plant be treated as one-and-the-same,” reads an excerpt from BSA’s letter.

BSA wrote that a more appropriate solution would be to create guidelines for future cultivation of plants like iboga.

“It would appear whoever made this decision knows very little about botany.”

-Mary Endress An excerpt of AAA’s letter reads: “Our association is committed to basic principles of academic freedom, including the fundamental right of teachers and students to be free to pursue advances in knowledge based on systematic observation, interpretation, critique, publication and commentary. The decision to terminate Cinnamon, Gladish and Grubb would be in direct contradiction to these principles, and to us, termination of employment under these circumstances seems overly harsh.”

Miami’s AAUP president Cathy Wagner said she is currently finalizing the petition and will be delivering it to Crawford in the near future.

Wagner also said that the university has not reached out to AAUP regarding the petition and that it’s uncommon for the university to contact AAUP, which is something she hopes will change going forward.

“We think that they’ve been treated very harshly and unfairly,” Wagner said of the university’s actions against Cinnamon, Gladish and Grubb. “Our goal is to have these faculty keep their jobs and ideally to have the manager [Grubb] get his job back. That would be the best outcome.”

Gladish is currently appealing his recommended termination, and Cinnamon will appeal upon his return from medical leave.

@ee_glynn glynnee@miamioh.edu

@timcarlin_ carlintm@miamioh.edu POLICE SUSPECT ARSON WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE AT THE MIAMI MOBILE HOME PARK. PHOTO EDITOR JUGAL JAIN

DATTILEC@MIAMIOH.EDU

CULTURE 7

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

“Faith & Fitness” kicks off fall semester with work-out class

EMILY DATTILO

CULTURE EDITOR

FAITH & FITNESS LETS STUDENTS EXERCISE THEIR FAITH AND THEIR BODIES AT THE SAME TIME. CONTRIBUTED BY FAITH & FITNESS

At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 3, “Faith & Fitness,” an organization that mixes work-outs and worship, hosted its kick-off event at the Miami University Rec Center.

“I found out about (Faith & Fitness) through Mega Fair,” first-year kinesiology major Haley Siegrist said. “They worship at the same time as taking care of our bodies, and I want to be part of a community that’s like-minded.”

Girls of all ages dressed in brightly-colored workout gear, gym shoes and ponytails walked into the Rec, water bottles in hand. A handful of girls wearing bright green t-shirts with the “Faith & Fitness” logo stood near the track, directing everyone to tables to sign in and fill out waivers.

Josie Rader, the organization’s founder and advisor, stood behind a desk greeting participants with a smile, motioning to a selection of free tumbler cups. Rader, a 2013 Miami alumna, started “Faith & Fitness” in 2013 as a way to deal with personal struggles.

“It was my own battle with fitness addiction,” Rader said. “I found it was becoming very negative and overshadowing my main passion, which is faith.”

She started the organization to give others the opportunity to work out and spend time in their faith at the same time.

After everyone had finished signing in, girls began to make their way down the steps to the sidewalk. “Faith & Fitness” had a different atmosphere than other workout classes — outside the Rec, a guitar stood propped near a microphone and a few scattered speakers.

Dressed in athletic clothing, her light

blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, Rader stood in front of the nearly 40 girls gathered on the sidewalk and began explaining the organization and its purpose.

“It tries to give fitness more than just how you look,” junior psychology major and workout-leader Sarah Pankratz said. “Instead of that, we focus on joy, fun and Jesus because it’s more than a workout to us.”

Rader led the group in a series of exercises to upbeat music including kick steps, arm raises, and marching in place. “I need the energy to get way up,” she said enthusiastically, as girls responded in claps and cheers.

The workout climbed in intensity, matching the music tempo. A few girls began getting tired and started falling out of step but were immediately greeted with encouragement from Rader to push through the pain.

During short water breaks, Rader read Bible verses. Then the group delved into other activities like squats, burpees, jumping jacks and running in place. After a few more exercises, another leader led the group in yoga while discussing her faith and sharing Bible verses.

“I go to yoga every week,” Annie Klein, a junior zoology and environmental science major said. “It’s a relaxed environment, and it doesn’t feel like anybody is judging you in classes here.”

The evening closed with some Christian music played on an acoustic guitar. As the sunset began to fade, Rader wrapped things up and ended the event with a prayer.

This was the first “Faith & Fitness” event of the year, but the organization offers free yoga classes every Monday and kick-boxing classes every Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Ses Chapel, open to anyone and everyone. dattilec@miamioh.edu

Contra dance ‘puts a smile’ on the faces of students and locals

CONTRA DANCING PROVIDES AN OUTLET FOR SOCIALIZING AND CREATIVITY. COLLEEN GRIMM THE MIAMI STUDENT

SAM CIOFFI

THE MIAMI STUDENT The subtle strum of a guitar can be heard from outside the ballroom. Shortly after, the strong sounds of a fiddle join in, creating a unique and unexpected harmony. Dancers, both young and old, are filtering into the large, well-lit room. Tonight, there will be no such thing as personal space.

By the end of the night, strangers will become friends.

Brant Ballroom, located uptown inside the Oxford Community Arts Center, hosted the first-ever Contra Dance Night last Friday. Both students and locals were invited to try their hand at something a little bit different. For two and a half hours, newbies, novices and intermediates were taught the ins and outs of the contra dance.

This dance style, which can be loosely compared to square dancing, first got its start in 17th century England. Eventually the dance made its way to the United States, where it became popu-

lar on the East Coast.

Much like square dancing, contra features a caller who announces the steps and moves aloud to the dancers. However, unlike square dancing, contra dancers move at a quicker speed. This style also places the dancers into lines, not squares.

And when the night is done, almost every person involved in contra dancing will have danced with every other person in the room.

So, how exactly did contra dancing come to Oxford?

The woman who originally came up with the idea of bringing contra to town was Judy Waldron. Waldron has been a key figure in the Oxford dance scene for many years.

In the early 1980s, Waldron, alongside a band, helped host dances in Uptown Park. For five years, the musicians provided an opportunity to students and faculty to come out and square dance.

Recently, Waldron decided to bring dances back to Oxford. But, instead of square dancing, she wanted to show people how to contra dance.

She believed that contra would fit right in with the students and locals because she could picture it happening here.

Waldron, with the help of her band, the Jericho Old Time Band — comprised of Waldron, her husband and two others, put the contra dance event together.

In the days leading up to the first dance, Waldron did not expect the turnout to be big.

“The more people you have, the more fun you have,” Waldron said.

But, when Friday approached, nearly 30 people came out to experience an evening of contra.

First-year Maggie Fryman was one of the most excited people gathered in the community arts center.

Unlike some of those unfamiliar with the idea of contra, Fryman has been practicing the dance for four years. She first became involved with dance at Miami by attending ballroom dancing. But once she heard about the Contra Dance Night from her advisor, she knew she had to come out for the evening.

“[Contra dancing] puts a smile on my face,” Fryman said.

But Fryman was not the only Miami student in attendance. Sophomore Joe Strubler and junior Kala Mansfield both wanted to see what contra dancing had to offer. Mansfield, just like Fryman, has some experience with dancing.

She’s been swing dancing for six years. “[Contra] is just different. In swing you don’t change partners or interact with other groups,” Mansfield said.

Almost everyone in the room had interacted with one another at some point over the course of the evening. When one couple left before 10 p.m., the time when the dancing was supposed to officially end, the entire room waved and said goodbye.

After a successful night, contra is going to stay for the foreseeable future in Oxford. On the first Friday of every month, people will be invited to come out to the community arts center, try something different and form new bonds in the process. cioffism@miamioh.edu

Humor

8

BERTRANT@MIAMIOH.EDU

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

Little Caesars introduces new ‘Hot and Bothered’ pizza MICHAEL SERIO

HUMOR EDITOR AT LARGE AND IN CHARGE, BABY! Little Caesars is jumping into unprecedented waters for pizza companies by introducing their new line of “Hot and Bothered” sexually stimulating pizza.

“I always get sexually aroused when I eat pizza, myself,” Chief Director of Product Development Ryan Bingsom said. “I just want the public to feel exactly how I do when I bite into the erotic crust of a good pie.”

“Yum”

“Yum!”

-Name Redacted

-Name Redacted

THIS ARTICLE WAS LOCATED DURING MICHAEL’S AUTOPSY, LODGED FIRMLY AGAINST HIS SMALL INTESTINE DESIGN EDITOR CONNOR WELLS

Friend, foe or neither?

Guy in hallway just housemate’s hookup, not intruder KIRBY DAVIS COLUMNIST

Senior Rebecca Ellis was alarmed early Saturday morning, Sept. 7, when she left her bedroom to refill her Hydro Flask and encountered a man in the hallway.

Though, Ellis admitted, he did not look threatening, the man’s presence was initially disconcerting, as she lived with three other women.

One of them was in a relationship, but it was long-distance.

The man, Ellis said, was “pretty short,” wearing thick glasses and an unbuttoned Vineyard Vines shirt over a Vineyard Vines t-shirt, indicating he had come from Uptown Oxford. Once Ellis noticed the whales on his clothes, she said, she was relieved.

“At that point, I knew the guy was there to hook up with one of my housemates avnd not to rob us,” she said.

But, she still wondered: which one was he there for?

As Ellis passed the man (later identified as Todd Hammerman of a business fraternity; at press time, Ellis’ housemates were still not sure which one) in the hallway, she debated which one of her housemates Hammerman was waiting to come out of the bathroom.

Both of her single housemates, Kylie Patterson and Emily Frankel, were sort of into short guys. But only Frankel had yet to acknowledge that fact, Ellis thought, so was that why she was sneaking Hammerman into their home in the cover of night?

Patterson could also very well be preparing to hook up with Hammerman in the bathroom, Ellis thought, because she had just said a few days ago at Hot Dog Happy Hour she was “ready to mingle” after a romance-free summer.

While she deliberated, Ellis said, she offered Hammerman water and Milanos, both of which he declined.

“I’m good,” Hammerman reportedly told her.

Ellis retreated to her bedroom, at which point Patterson texted their group chat, “Are we being robbed?”, confirming that it was, in fact, Frankel who had brought the boy home. @kirbdavis daviskn3@miamioh.edu

The pizza will feature a crust brushed with raspberry lubricant, loads of sauce to rub over the consumer’s oiled up, sweaty body and fontina cheese, the “sexiest of cheeses,” a spokesperson for Little Caesars said.

Patrons are encouraged to eat the pizza fully-nude, whether they are at home with their lovers or in store with their family.

The pizza comes in three different styles: a smaller, pan pizza meant for single self-pleasure, a thin crust meant for two people ready for a little missionary action and a Chicago-style deep dish, made for orgy groups that want to do it hot and heavy, just like their sauce.

“I had only ever eaten La Rosa’s before I was introduced to the Little Caeser’s Hot and Bothered pizza, and let me tell you, it was a transformative experience,” sophomore Burly Clemens said. “I have never felt so personally satiated in my life – I went blind for a minute near the last slice. I told my parents about it and they consequently put me on a diet consisting solely of cornflakes, but I would do it again without hesitation, and this time with pineapple for my girlfriend.”

In an online advertisement for the new selection, Little Caesars claimed that while, “Dominos and other pizza chains may use better-quality ingredients than we do, we expect this new pizza to be the first of its kind: one that gives a metaphorical, or literal, hard-on to every man and woman that walks into our stores.”

At press time, a spokesperson for Little Caesars was unable to comment about the advertisement because he was too busy dousing his baby-smooth body in yet another helping of ranch dipping sauce. seriomp@miamioh.edu

OBITUARY

Michael Serio: ‘Humor editor, goblin king and father’ Former humor editor found dead with only one agility sandal NOAH BERTRAND HUMOR EDITOR

On this day, we bid farewell to one of Oxford’s finest bad examples.

Editor of the humor section, goblin king and father: Michael Serio was a one of a kind.

We at The Student are all feeling the physical and emotional effects of Michael’s absence: peace, quiet and no more bills from our attorney, because Michael isn’t writing stories that will get us sued anymore.

In fact, Michael isn’t writing at all anymore.

That’s because, even though Michael died years ago, his soul finally gave up at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8, a.k.a. the witching hour.

Luckily, none of Michael’s kin knew about his hidden sleep hole, so they were able to avoid witnessing the gruesome scene.

The Butler County coroner’s office has yet to determine the cause of death, because “none of these are human body parts.”

Oxford police will not disclose whether foul play may have occurred, but the bloody greatsword in my kitchen says otherwise.

May we pray for our fallen brother, friend, fiend and lover — a true Renaissance man. bertrant@miamioh.edu

“Best known for his sauce and for his smell.”

BERTRANT@MIAMIOH.EDU

HUMOR 9

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

Local woman looking forward to ignoring red flags in new relationship KATE RIGAZIO

OPINION EDITOR Miami University junior Courtney Bellevue was excited to announce that she recently started seeing someone, and is viewing her new relationship as an opportunity to practice ignoring red flags.

Bellevue was introduced to Chase Gallagher, a super senior, by mutual friends at The Woods, during the first weekend of school. Gallagher was originally flirting with Bellevue’s friend, Ellie Wilson, but shifted his attention to Bellevue after finding out Wilson had a boyfriend.

“He wasn’t actually into Ellie, they just know each other from class,” Bellevue said. “Wasn’t that convincing? I really sounded like I believed what I was saying.”

Bellevue also noted that it was getting late, and she figured Gallagher was her best option for the time being.

The pair have been regularly seeing each other ever since, but never during daylight.

Gallagher prefers to hangout anytime after 10:30 p.m. — this is because he takes his classes very seriously, and doesn’t want to be distracted during the day, he told Bellevue.

Despite these late hours, Bellevue has never spent an entire night at Gallagher’s house, nor has he spent the night at hers.

“Chase says he can’t fall asleep if he’s not in his own bed, or if he’s sharing his bed with someone else,” Bellevue said.

“I know he’s lying, but I have an 8:3o most mornings, so I guess it’s not the worst thing in the world.”

Gallagher explained he doesn’t use Tinder because he’s “not into hookups,” and the only reason he has the app on his phone is because he keeps forgetting to delete it.

She found this to be less charming, but amusing nonetheless.

“It’s difficult to explain how, but I really think this is going to make me a better person in the long run,” Bellevue

her text for fifteen hours, and attributed his late response to “playing Fifa with the boys.”

He then texted Bellevue that she could swing by his house later that night, it just had to be after his fraternity party.

“I believe you learn something in every relationship,” Bellevue said. “So far, Chase has really helped teach me to repress the voice in my head telling me to find a man who is worth my time.”

When asked about his relationship

“Gallagher ignored her text for fifteen hours, and attributed his late response to ‘playing Fifa with the boys.’”

said.

But Bellevue has found Gallagher’s communication habits particularly difficult to justify.

Last Friday, Bellevue asked Gallagher if he wanted to get lunch with her in an effort to spice up the couple’s routine and potentially advance their relationship to the next step. Gallagher ignored

with Bellevue, Gallagher kept his comments brief.

“I mean, yeah, Courtney and I have been hanging out,” Gallagher said.

“When you guys talked to her, she didn’t make it sound like we were, like, anything serious, right?” rigazikm@miamioh.edu

Linda Carlilse tried to give me a cold and I am ‘PISSED’ NOAH BERTRAND HUMOR EDITOR

This is an open letter to my dear friend, Linda Carlisle: First, I would like to say that this is not a personal attack against Linda. I love Linda and wish her nothing but the best throughout the rest of her life.

But, this slimy bitch thought it was okay to touch everything in our communal bathroom while knowing full well that she was a walking cesspool of “the common cold” (as she puts it).

I do not want any illnesses Linda, I don’t care how common they are. Polio was common once, too, it’s still a bad thing. But, more importantly, my bathroom is my temple, and I do not need a horde of howler monkeys to come and harass my monks.

You knew I (immaculately beautiful Noah) landed a date with Keith Herberd (hot guy from gerontology class) this Monday and I do not appreciate you trying to sabotage our wholesome bowling and sushi night together. I know you have eyes for Keith (and why wouldn’t you) but he has made his choice.

Suprise suprise, he chose the one with a slender frame and a bitchin’ immune system.

Next time you feel, “a little under the weather,” how about you go spend the weekend at your parents’ house – it doesn’t matter which one, as long as you’re not fucking up my air.

Linda is a great friend and she has done nothing but support me, cherish me and love me … but in her darkest hour, she wiped her gooey stumps on my brand-new rose gold quip toothbrush.

And for this, Linda, for this ... I declare war. bertrant@miamioh.edu

‘Dignity & Class’ NOAH BERTRAND HUMOR EDITOR

ACROSS 2. Ex-member of the California State Senate 3. Famously disgraced for dick pics 4. American philosopher and mathematician 5. 2016 fly-on-the-wall documentary 6. The answer to this question is not weiners

DOWN 1. A colloquial name for a hot dog, or “red hot” 2. My nickname in elementary school 3. Oscar Mayer’s products

CARLY COME BACK, THE INFECTION IS GONE

bertrant@miamioh.edu

Sports

10

VINELCA@MIAMIOH.EDU

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

Zedrick Raymond works ‘one step at a time’ toward NFL

CHRIS VINEL

SPORTS EDITOR Zedrick Raymond’s family doesn’t want him to come home.

His relatives miss him, but they don’t think he should return to his hometown of Mobile, Alabama, after he finishes his senior football season and graduates from Miami this winter.

It wouldn’t be best for him. It might not be safe.

“They don’t want me to get in any kind of trouble — not that I’m a troublemaker — but it’s easy for trouble to find you,” Raymond said.

According to 2017 data released by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Mobile is safer than only two percent of U.S. cities. Its crime rate per 1,000 residents was 63.5 percent, almost 30 points higher than the state of Alabama’s 34.8 percentage.

Raymond lived there until he finished high school. He’s been gone since, attending three different colleges and playing football at each of them in the last five years. Two weeks ago, he started his second full year in Oxford after transferring from Independence Community College of Last Chance U fame.

Even before those stops, Raymond developed a motto: “Take it one step at a time. Don’t look back.”

It was originally inspired by Tupac Shakur’s song, “Starin’ Through My Rear View.”

He carried this with him through the struggles of his childhood. He clung to it while getting limited recruiting attention out of high school.

He held it close while transitioning from Delta State University to Independence, and again when committing to Miami.

“Just off my upbringing, the things I’ve seen and went through, my childhood, I had to grow up early,” Raymond said. “I had to grow up fast, so it was always just keeping going. If you look back, you might get stuck and not be able to come out of the hole.”

Raymond said he adopted the motto so long ago, he can’t remember when he didn’t live that way.

Tragedy has forced him to maintain his mindset. Since arriving in Oxford, he has lost three close friends from Mobile. It only fueled his family members’ yearning for better things for Raymond.

“It’s not that they don’t miss me, but they want me to go as far as I can,” Raymond said.

“Quite frankly, I am the last hope for the generation of the family, in trying to get things started. I was really the first one to go to a physical college.”

For Raymond, Miami has been a blessing since the day he first visited. The school even got his mom’s approval, so he said coming here wasn’t a hard decision.

But he doesn’t want his story to stop when he earns his diploma after this semester. His ultimate dream is playing in the National Football League and being able to provide for his family.

“I think with the way he plays and his skillset, talking about the next level, he’s going to have a chance,” said John Hauser, Miami’s co-defensive coordinator. “He’s going to play his ass off on special teams. He’s going to play hard on defense at a multitude of positions. I’m hoping he turns himself into someone with a chance to play on Sundays. I think he can.”

Hauser said Raymond is typically quiet and unassuming, but becomes a different person once he steps onto the turf – he seeks action.

Redshirt senior wide receiver Luke Mayock, Raymond’s teammate of two years, consistently matches up with the 6’0” corner in practice.

“He’s a competitor,” Mayock said. “I mean, every snap, he’s going to give it his all, and you have to give it your all to have a chance against him.”

Raymond’s work ethic and Last Chance U pedigree might just work in his favor.

Damion Willis, a Last Chance U Season Two star and former Troy University standout, went undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft. But that wasn’t the end of his story either.

He signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent and was one of his team’s top performers this preseason. On Sunday, Willis lined up as a Week One starting wide receiver in his first career game.

Raymond had never heard of Willis until last week. Upon hearing the rookie receiver’s success story, Raymond smiled and looked up at the sky. He paused in thought for a few seconds before managing only one word through his grin.

“Wow.” @ChrisAVinel vinelca@miamioh.edu

SENIOR DEFENSIVE BACK ZEDRICK RAYMOND PLAYED HIS FIRST SEASON WITH THE REDHAWKS IN 2018. HE RECORDED 37 TACKLES, ONE INTERCEPTION AND ONE SACK. THE MIAMI STUDENT ZACH REICHMAN

Football Notebook: Miami, Cincinnati enter matchup after very different weeks CHRIS VINEL

SPORTS EDITOR The Cincinnati Bearcats and the Miami RedHawks had opposite blowout experiences last week.

The Bearcats (1-1) were pummeled, 42-0, at Ohio State Saturday afternoon.

Two and a half hours later, Miami (1-1) was dishing out a beating on its home turf, besting Tennessee Tech, 48-17.

The former faced much stiffer competition, in the form of the No. 6 Buckeyes, while the latter proved to be too much for an outclassed Division I Football Championship Subdivision team.

Now this Saturday, when the two teams clash for the Victory Bell at Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati will be seeking a bounce-back game, while the RedHawks hope to continue their momentum.

“It’ll be a lot more like playing Iowa than Tennessee Tech,” head coach Chuck Martin said at his weekly press conference. “We’re back to a juggernaut.”

In each of the last 13 years, the Bearcats have been a juggernaut for Miami. The RedHawks have lost 13 straight contests against Cincinnati, including the last five seasons under Martin.

“We’re going to take it like it’s a big game,” junior wide receiver Dominique Robinson said.

“It’s a big rivalry game. We plan to bring the Bell back this year. That’s been the plan for the last few years that we’ve played them. We just haven’t been able to get it done.”

Despite the streak, Martin’s team has made things interesting during his tenure. The average margin of defeat has been 11.4 points per game, including last season’s 21-point shutout pitched by the Bearcats.

“The thing we’re focusing on this year is finishing,” Robinson said. “Every year, we’ve gotten closer and closer, and it comes down to final moments, for the most part, but we’ve just let it go.

So the key is to finish this year.”

Martin emphasized his RedHawks’ need to play a clean game to give themselves a chance to win.

Miami’s offense has given the ball away only twice this season, while its defense has forced four turnovers.

Freshman quarterback Brett Gabbert, who won the starting job out of fall camp, has played a big role in that ball control. He has made smart decisions with the football in his first two career games, throwing an interception at Iowa but playing turnover-free against Tennessee Tech.

Martin said Gabbert will start this week, once again. He sat out the second half Saturday, as his backups, redshirt sophomore Jackson Williamson and redshirt freshman AJ Mayer, saw action.

Offensively, Cincinnati will rely heavily on its ground game. Junior running backs Michael Warren II and Gerrid Doaks form a dynamic one-two punch. It was on fully display Week One, when Warren rumbled for a touchdown and 92 yards, and Doaks added 53 more. Doaks missed the OSU contest and was replaced by sophomore Tavion Thomas.

Like the run game, sophomore quarterback Desmond Ridder struggled mightily against Ohio State. He lit up UCLA in UC’s season-opener, though. He also possesses great speed and adds another wrinkle to the Bearcats’ offense.

Cincinnati’s defensive numbers are skewed after last week’s blowout. In two games, the unit has allowed an average of 28 points per game.

It has recorded two sacks and forced four turnovers.

The Battle for the Victory Bell will kick off at noon Saturday. The game will air on ESPNU. “It’s one of those games that you’re thinking about all year,” redshirt sophomore defensive back Sterling Weatherford said. “It’s one of those things where, in the offseason, this is what you’re thinking about.”

THE REDHAWKS TAKE THE FIELD BEFORE BEATING TENNESSEE TECH, 48-17. THIS WEEK, THEY HOPE FOR THE SAME RESULT AGAINST CINCINNATI, WHO THEY’VE LOST TO 13 STRAIGHT YEARS. THE MIAMI STUDENT ZACH REICHMAN

The injury bug bites again There is good injury news and bad injury news for the RedHawks this week.

The good: there are no new injuries this week.

The bad: some injuries suffered against Iowa are still lingering.

For the second straight week, Miami could be without its best running back, wide receiver, tight end and linebacker. Jaylon Bester, Jack Sorenson, Andrew Homer and Ryan McWood are all questionable to play Saturday.

Cincinnati has avoided major injuries thus far.

Doaks is questionable for this Saturday after sitting out last week.

After a scary situation last Saturday, redshirt sophomore safety Kyriq McDonald has been cleared by doctors for a return to the field.

McDonald collapsed without any contact with another player in the second quarter. He remained on the ground for nearly five minutes.

His status against the RedHawks has not been decided.

Quick rivalry facts of the week Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell has continued his program’s recent winning tradition against the RedHawks. The last four Bearcat coaches, including Fickell, have gone undefeated in the Battle for the Victory Bell.

On Thanksgiving Day 1923, Cincinnati center James Nippert suffered a deep cut while playing Miami. He died a month later, on Christmas Day, after he developed a wound infection he never recovered from. Yes, that Nippert. The Bearcats’ home stadium is named in memory of a man who gave his life to the Cincinnati-Miami rivalry. @ChrisAVinel vinelca@miamioh.edu

VINELCA@MIAMIOH.EDU

SPORTS 11

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

‘I’M CHOMPING AT THE BIT’

Seniors are ready for UC. Freshmen are about to be.

SENIOR DEFENSIVE BACK BART BARATTI (NO. 49) HITS UC QUARTERBACK DESMOND RIDDER AT PAUL BROWN STADIUM ON SEPT. 8 2018. BARATTI WILL PLAY HIS FOURTH CAREER GAME AGAINST THE BEARCATS SATURDAY. VIDEO EDITOR-AT-LARGE EMILY BRUSTOSKI

CHRIS VINEL

SPORTS EDITOR What a difference three years of experience makes in college football.

At the press conference following Miami’s win over Tennessee Tech last Saturday, Brett

Gabbert and Bart Baratti were asked what they were thinking about Saturday’s matchup against the rival Cincinnati Bearcats.

Gabbert, a freshman quarterback who’s barely 19 years old, spoke first.

He was subdued, acting like a veteran and giving predictable answers — the kind he’s heard his NFL brother, Blaine, issue many

times. He said what he was supposed to say.

“I’m really excited for the rivalry. It’s going to be a fun environment down there at UC. It’ll be packed. It’ll be a great game.” “[Getting a win] would be everything. I don’t know too much about the rivalry, but I’m sure I will come Saturday.”

“I’m really excited to go out there with the

guys and compete against UC. It’ll be really fun.”

Baratti, a senior defensive back, provided the real soundbites. He addressed the press with piercing eyes and intensity in his voice.

“Yeah, [I’m chomping at the bit].”

“Can’t stand UC. Can’t wait to play them.

We’ll see what happens.”

“I don’t care about any of those chances, the odds, the spread, whatever. We’re going to bite down on our mouth pieces and see who’s the bigger guy.”

Baratti understands his team’s struggles against Cincinnati. For the last three years, he and his RedHawk teammates have battled to bring the Victory Bell back to Oxford and failed.

Every RedHawk in the decade before him fell victim to the same fate.

The losing streak sits at 13 years and counting.

Gabbert was five years and one month old last time Miami bested the Bearcats. He doesn’t know the pain of continually losing to his rivals.

He’s hoping it stays that way.

While Miami laid a beatdown on Tennessee Tech, Cincinnati was blown out by the Ohio State Buckeyes, 42-0.

Baratti said the Bearcats’ performance last week doesn’t matter. Every week brings a new set of circumstances and challenges.

“I didn’t even know they lost today ’cause I couldn’t care less about what they do,” Baratti said.

Both teams care about the result of this weekend’s contest.

Baratti knows what to expect in his fourth game against UC, though. Gabbert is about to find out.

@ChrisAVinel vinelca@miamioh.edu

RedHawks take one of two, break even on first road trip MIKE GUISTOLISE

THE MIAMI STUDENT After dropping their third straight match to Tennessee on Friday, the RedHawks (3-3) were able to rebound Saturday morning with a clean sweep of Indiana State.

Friday’s match began with a stumble, as the RedHawks found themselves down early in the first set. After battling back to take the lead, a 9-1 Tennessee run quickly put Miami in the backseat, allowing the Volunteers to cruise to a 25-20 victory.

The win in the first set seemed to unleash a hungry Tennessee team, and the second set was all Volunteers. The winless team led the whole set, handing Miami a 25-15 loss.

The third and final set would echo much of the second, including an identical outcome. Miami would only lead once throughout the whole set, as Tennessee buried the ’Hawks, 25-15, taking the match, 3-0.

Miami saw noteworthy performances from junior right side hitter Sarah Wojick who had eight kills. Junior setter Morgan Seaman had 14 assists, and freshman outside hitter Allyson Severance tallied seven kills.

Tennessee senior outside hitter Tessa Grubbs earned 13 kills, while freshman setter Kailey Kebble and senior setter Sedona Hansen had 15 assists apiece.

The weekend would wrap up on a high note with Miami taking out frustrations on Indiana State on Saturday morning.

The Sycamores struck first, but an Indiana State service error and an ace by Miami senior libero Lindsay Dauch put the RedHawks out in front, and they never looked back. Taking seven of the last 10 points cemented a 25-18 first-set victory for Miami.

The second set offered a more competitive experience for spectators, as it included five ties and three lead changes. Sophomore outside hitter Sophie Riemersma took charge in the set, totaling seven kills, including the game winner.

The final would see the RedHawks on top, 2519.

On the brink of sweeping the Sycamores, the ’Hawks looked determined to finish strong in the third set. Riemersma formed a dynamic duo with fellow sophomore outside hitter Gaby Harper, as the two teammates combined for nine kills in the set. Though the set was tied at 22-22, Miami would emerge as victor. The set would end with a 25-23 final score, and the RedHawks would break out the brooms, taking the match, 3-0.

Riemersma finished the day with 13 kills, while Harper and senior middle hitter Margaret Payne combined for 16 kills. Seaman excelled at setting up teammates with 15 assists, and junior

JUNIOR RIGHT SIDE SARAH WOJICK SPIKES THE BALL AGAINST DAYTON ON SEPT. 3. WOJICK FINISHED THE CONTEST WITH THREE KILLS. ASST. PHOTO EDITOR BO BRUECK

libero Abigail Huser added 10 digs to ground Miami’s defense.

Indiana State’s freshman setter Chloe Mason finished with 15 assists, and sophomore middle blocker Madeline Williams led her team with seven kills.

Miami continues its stretch away from home in Rochester, Michigan, to take on the Tar Heels on Friday. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

@GustoSports guistom@miamioh.edu

’Hawks Talk “The first half, I don’t know if we’ve had any like that since I’ve been here.”

- Chuck Martin on his RedHawks scoring 41 first-half points against Tennessee Tech

HERE’S WHAT YOU MISSED SINCE LAST TUESDAY… FRIDAY

FIELD HOCKEY Miami ................................ 5 Indiana ............................. 2

SOCCER

Miami ………………….…. 2 Morehead State …..….…. 1

SATURDAY

FOOTBALL Tennessee Tech ….....…. 17 Miami ……..………...…. 48

SUNDAY

FIELD HOCKEY Saint Louis …….........…. 0 Miami .….…………......… 3

SOCCER

Miami ……..….…......…. 0 Kentucky .….………....… 3

Opinion

12

RIGAZIKM@MIAMIOH.EDU

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 STAFF EDITORIAL

We’d wager Miami could do more to keep Armstrong Student Center open 24/7 The following reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board.

Just before the start of the fall semester, Miami announced that the Armstrong Student Center (ASC) would have new operating hours of 6:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. This came as a shock to many as, since it’s opening in 2014, Armstrong has been open to students 24/7.

As students who still pay the full Armstrong Student Center fee every semester, even though we can access the building less, we’re left feeling as though Miami thought providing a crucial student service wasn’t worth figuring out.

In an interview, Director of the Armstrong Student Center, Katie Wilson, said the change in hours was in reaction to Dining Services’ choice to not staff Pulley Diner during those hours.

“That few people in a building of 200,000 square feet isn’t safe for those students or for the student staff,” Wilson said. “It’s a big building to have that few people in it and still be a safe environment, so I felt like without dining being open we couldn’t maintain a safe environment in the rest of the building.”

For the last five years, Armstrong has served as a central, reliable place for a late-night meal or early-morning study space.

Armstrong also provided students a place between Up-

town’s bars and the dorms where they could get a hot meal to sober up, use the bathroom and warm up during the winter months.

There are other options to compensate for Armstrong’s late night closure. Students can call the BCRTA SafeRide

“The failure to invest in university workers is a failure to invest in preserving a crucial student space.” line or take the BCRTA bus, which picks up at the Uptown Park and stops at both Shriver and Farmer. Both bus services run until 3 a.m, and King Library will remain open 24/7.

However, these options don’t provide students the same amenities or convenience as Armstrong.

The best ‘crime-reduction tip?’

Telling people to not sexually assault other people

KIRBY DAVIS COLUMNIST

There have definitely been worse times in history to be a woman than right now. It’s cool that, in 2019, we can vote, own property, wear skirts above our knees and bras without wires in them.

But it’s still incredibly frustrating to be a woman today.

So far this school year, six sexual assaults have already been reported to Miami and Oxford police. I don’t mean to imply with this column that only females can be sexually assaulted (that’s absolutely not the case), but all six of these reports were from women, about men.

While the Miami community is more open about sexual assault and harassment than it was my first year, I still don’t think we’re doing enough of something very simple: instead of instructing women how to avoid being attacked, telling men to just … not attack them.

In each email notification of a report, four crime-reduction tips are listed. None of them are “Don’t sexually assault people,” which seems like the simplest way to reduce these types of crimes.

Miami’s Dean of Students, Kimberly Moore, sent an email to Miami students on Sept. 5 in response to the slew of reported assaults.

“When hearing about these types of incidents, we can feel helpless,” Moore said in the message. “While that is a normal response, that is not the case; we each have a role to play in bettering our community and eliminating these incidents.”

Moore listed resources that sexual assault victims can utilize and encouraged students to get involved with Miami’s assault prevention efforts. I agree with Moore’s words, and I’m grateful for the quick response from Miami administration, but again, there’s one crucial message missing: “Hey guys, don’t sexually assault people.”

In every anti-assault campaign Miami launches and every sexual assault report email we receive, it’s implied that you should not sexually assault people. Why isn’t it explicitly stated?

“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” writer and star Rachel Bloom, who has never been shy about addressing issues like mental health and sexual assault, recently discussed misconceptions about rape culture in a video for Refinery29 and made some important points.

“Rape and sexual assault are not just committed by monsters,” Bloom says in the video.

“For years, we did think that … [But] it’s not just insane men who commit sex crimes, it’s all sorts of people.”

According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 80 percent of sexual assault victims know the perpetrator. As Bloom said, they’re not just “insane” strangers; they’re students here. So why does Miami assume everyone is getting the implied message in each list of “crime-reduction tips”?

It’s unfair to ask women to always walk with groups, dress conservatively, carry mace or, in other words, try to not get sexually assaulted.

We have to start telling men not to sexually assault them.

Bloom pointed out that, “accusers are often stigmatized more than the people [they’re] accusing. People try to discredit them; they say they’re lying to get attention or money, and they have to re-live their trauma by telling their story over and over and over again.”

The most public example of this is Chanel Miller, who came forward last week as the young woman Brock Turner sexually assaulted at Stanford University in 2015. Turner served merely three months of a six-month sentence after being convicted, and Miller’s victim impact statement went viral.

“You should have never done this to me,” Miller read in court in 2016, addressing Turner. “Secondly, you should have never made me fight so long to tell you, you should never have done this to me. But here we are. The damage is done, no one can undo it.”

Instead of telling young men they shouldn’t have sexually assaulted someone after the fact, as Miller bravely did in court in 2016, we need to be proactive.

Young women are already, always, trying to defend themselves. They don’t need to be told to be more vigilant in avoiding potential assault.

But men still need to be told to not assault them.

Miami’s sexual assault resource guide can be accessed here. Along with information on the reporting process, the site offers advice on what to do if you or someone you know is sexually assaulted.

Sexual assault survivors who wish to report an incident can contact campus security enforcement, including the Miami University Police Department at 513-519-2222, the Oxford Police Department at 513-523-4321, the Coordinator of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program at 513-529-1870 and any athletic coaches, academic or student organization advisor.

If students wish to speak to a non-mandatory reporter for confidential support, they can call or text Miami’s campus-based support specialists from WomenHelpingWomen at 513431-1111.

WomenHelpingWomen is available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day and is also reachable through email at MU@womenhelpingwomen.org.

More information and resources can be accessed at womenshealth.gov. @kirbdavis daviskn3@miamioh.edu

We at The Student sympathize with the fact that a student building manager, without the help of an adult in Dining Services, could not safely watch all of ASC in the middle of the night. But there are other options that Miami has left unexplored.

Wilson expressed pessimism at the idea that ASC could find an adult to work the third shift, especially when many positions remain open on campus.

In July of 2019, Butler County reported having a 4.4 percent unemployment rate. So with this tight labor market, offering competitive wages and benefits is the best way Miami could ensure that the positions are filled.

Unfortunately, though, living wages don’t seem to be Miami’s priority.

Currently, all full-time hourly positions listed for Miami’s dining services have a starting rate of $13.oo an hour, and employees are eligible for benefits. Wages for student employees start at $9.00 an hour.

Students working the third shift are paid $9.50 an hour.

There are no current listings for non-student third shift workers.

Third shift positions are an integral part of Armstrong’s operations, and Miami could fill them if they offered competitive wages and benefits to their employees.

The failure to invest in university workers is a failure to invest in preserving a crucial student space.

Student Counseling Services: a step in the right direction?

KATE STUMPH

THE MIAMI STUDENT At this point in the school year, most Miami University students have heard of Student Counseling Services (SCS). At my freshman orientation, a university official encouraged the crowd of soon-to-be students to visit SCS if we ever needed to talk to someone. Once I was on campus, I saw reminders and the center’s call number posted on multiple bulletin boards in my residence hall. The message was clear: If you need help, call Student Counseling Services.

So, when my freshman anxieties began to pile up, I called.

I made an appointment over the phone for two weeks from that day, right before the end of the semester. The receptionist assured me that was the soonest appointment they had available.

When I got there, I filled out a 15-minute survey regarding my needs and reasons for visiting, and I waited for someone to meet with me.

The appointment lasted thirty minutes and ended with my counselor informing me that all the counselors had booked schedules, and there was no space for me.

This wasn’t the only time I visited SCS. I tried to make appointments for the following spring and fall semesters, but again they told me that they didn’t have the resources to help me, instead offering a list of off-campus professionals to contact.

My experience left me feeling frustrated and disappointed. Why didn’t they tell me this over the phone? Why did they make me wait two weeks just to tell me they couldn’t help me? Why do they continue to advertise their services when most people aren’t able to use them?

College students’ mental health is a hot-button topic for both news outlets and university administration. According to a study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), 35 percent of college students have some kind of diagnosed mental illness, with the majority of these falling under the categories of depression and anxiety.

Miami’s counseling center boasts an outwardly impressive variety of services including workshops, individual and group sessions and services for students struggling with alcohol or drug abuse. They also offer other outreach programs such as dog therapy and the recently launched campus care, a program where counselors are available on-campus for 15-minute drop-in sessions.

But what about when students like me seek help?

The counseling services website says individuals “in need of receiving longer-term counseling” or who have pre-diagnosed illnesses should look for someone in the community who can better serve their needs.

But no tells you this before your ap-

pointment.

And, unless you’re searching the website for this specific clause, you wouldn’t be able to find it or the recommended off-campus care.

Transportation to an off-campus office can be an issue for many students. Also, many health care providers don’t provide hours that work within a college student’s schedule and will only accept certain types of insurance, which can be a problem for out-of-state and international students.

The pricing at SCS can be a complication for students as well. The first three appointments are free, but after that, the price for an individual appointment is $25.

This may not sound like a lot at first, but has the potential to really add up if someone requires regular sessions.

And, these fine print issues could be a

“Why did they make me wait two weeks just to tell me they couldn’t help me?”

large factor in whether an individual continues to seek help.

These are the same students that would be turned away from SCS because they exhibit, “a history of: multiple hospitalizations, chronic suicidality and/or self-injury behaviors.”

Miami’s counseling center offers students a great first step in the right direction.

But, it’s just that: a first step.

A growing percentage of the student population are affected by mental illness, and those who are pre-diagnosed aren’t eligible for on-campus treatment.

SCS isn’t necessarily to blame, they do what they can with the limited resources they’re allocated. But students’ mental health should be more of a university priority and more easily accessible, because in some cases, it’s life and death.

If you or someone you know is expressing suicidal thoughts or actions, please seek help by calling the Oxford Community Counseling and Crisis Center 24 Hr. Hotline: 1-844-427-4747, or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-2738255. In the case of an emergency, please call 911.

CELEBRATE 25 YEARS HELP US SET AN ATTENDANCE RECORD September 16

stumphkg@miamioh.edu