The Miami Student | August 27, 2019

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ESTABLISHED 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES

VOLUME 148 No. 1

MIAMI UNIVERSITY — OXFORD, OHIO

TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2019

Pulley Diner and Armstrong Student Center no longer open 24 hours RACHEL BERRY NEWS EDITOR

STAFFING SHORTAGES HAVE SHORTENED PULLEY’S HOURS. ASST. PHOTO EDITOR BO BRUECK

Bob and Doris ‘52 Pulley Diner and Armstrong Student Center (ASC) will no longer be open 24 hours a day. Pulley is closing from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. due to staffing shortages, said Geno Svec, executive director of campus services. It’s difficult, he said, to find people for all shifts but even moreso for the late night hours. He attributed the staffing issues to a low unemployment rate and Miami University’s location in a small town far from a larger city. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Ohio’s unemployment rate went down 1 percent from August 2017 to August 2019. The U.S. Census Bureau said Oxford’s unemployment numbers actually went up from 2011 to 2017, but there was no more recent data available. Junior Aidan Kuhn said he understands the reasons for closing overnight. “They could either run a couple poor people

ragged trying to put them in different places and spread them over several shifts, or they could actually have okay service and get your meals to you pretty fast,” he said. Many students, though, are sad to see the hours change. Sophomore Connor Manos said she thinks there needs to be a place for students to go 24/7, especially since the dining halls close at 8 p.m. She also mentioned safety for drunk students who might come to Pulley after a night out. “I think I only came here late at night, so I probably won’t come anymore,” said junior Kaycee Siedler. “It was a nice place that you knew would always be open and you could come get food or just sit with friends, so it’s sad that it’s not open anymore.” On average, Pulley had 21 customers from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. Excluding Pulley’s numbers, ASC had about 13 students over that period, said Katie Wilson, director of ASC. “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.” ASC will now be open from 6:30 a.m. to 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

DELTA TAU DELTA GIVEN 15-YEAR SUSPENSION ERIN GLYNN

NEWS EDITOR The university investigation into hazing, including the paddling of a new member, by the fraternity Delta Tau Delta has concluded. Miami’s Vice President of Student Life Jayne Brownell has decided to suspend the fraternity until 2034. In March, a member of the fraternity’s 2019’s pledge class anonymously filed a complaint with the Office of Community Standards (OCS), alleging that fraternity members blindfolded him and bludgeoned him 15 times with a spiked and grooved paddle. The decision was appealed by Delta Tau Delta twice over the summer, first to the University Appeals Board and then to Brownell. In March 2029, after a ten-year suspension, Delta Tau Delta will have the option to petition the university to come back to campus earlier. That petition would need to provide “significant evidence” that the fraternity has begun to become a “more positive, safe, and healthy experience for students,” Brownell wrote in her decision. Brownell also wrote that, though Miami administration will have final say in the conditions of Delta Tau Delta’s reinstatement, she expects that the university will also want “evidence that the local chapter has ceased all official or unofficial activity on our campus” before the fraternity submits its petition. Delta Tau Delta members did not respond to a request for comment. glynnee@miamioh.edu @ee_glynn

This Issue

Welcome back & meet our staff

DELTA TAU DELTA CAN RETURN PRIOR TO 2034 ONLY IF THEY PROVIDE EVIDENCE OF GOOD BEHAVIOR. PHOTO EDITOR JUGAL JAIN

From the Packers to the pitch

From Washington State to D.C.

Ryan Smith works to keep his football dream alive

Calvin Colby cycled across the country, stopping at community centers along the way

Remembering Shawn Lienhardt

pages 4 & 5

News » page 5

Alright, one more time from the top

Our columnist says it’s not such a bad idea to take some time off school, after all

Recent MU graduate and roller hockey teammate dies in car accident Sports » page 13

News » page 8

Culture » page 9

Opinion » page 14


This Week

2 FYI

TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 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 Bea Newberry Business Manager

Chris Vinel Sports Editor Emily Dattilo Duard Headley Culture Editors

James Tobin Faculty Adviser Fred Reeder Business Adviser

Kate Rigazio Opinion Editor

WDJ Inc. - Bill Dedden Distributor

Jugal Jain Photo Editor

Aim Media Midwest Printer

Owen Berg Asst. Design Editor

Sydney Hill Brianna Porter Copy Editors

Derek Stamberger Video Producer

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Briah Lumpkins Tim Carlin

Noah Bertrand Humor Editor

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Asst. News Editors Peter Fortunato

Will Gorman Asst. Culture Editor Entertainment Editor

Data Editor

Nina Franco Social Media Director Style Editor

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Center For Performing Arts The Department of Theatre is casting two productions this semester. Get out there and break a leg!

8/27-8/28

Bo Brueck Asst. Photo Editor

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NEWS 3

TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2019

Pulley Diner and Armstrong Student Center no longer open 24 hours FROM FRONT

2 a.m. daily, which Wilson said was decided after Pulley chose to close overnight. Oftentimes the Armstrong building managers, a position held by students, would be alone in the building or would be there with just a few other people. The building manager was the only staff member present in the early morning hours outside of dining and custodial employees. There were also no supervisors or full time building staff there to help student workers, although someone was on call if a problem arose. Dining had a non-student manager, but that person was not in charge of the building manag-

ers and would not have been there with Pulley closing. Haley Uline, a building manager and second semester senior, said she feels relieved that the hours are changing. “It kind of puts you on edge,” she said about being there late at night. “I know it’s nice for the building to be open for people to pass through, but it’s hard for one building manager to cover all of the areas in Armstrong where a person might be and make sure that nothing’s going on that’s unsafe for the students or no damage is being done or someone who shouldn’t be there isn’t there.” berryrd@miamioh.edu SOME STUDENT EMPLOYEES ARE RELIEVED BY THE CHANGE IN PULLEY’S HOURS. ASST. PHOTO EDITOR BO BRUECK

Steering Committee presents strategic plan DAN WOZNIAK

THE MIAMI STUDENT Aanceelintaakani – meaning “an instrument used to change how one thinks” — is a Myaamia phrase, and has been the inspiration for Miami University’s strategic plan. Over the summer, Miami’s Strategic Planning Steering Committee finalized its five-year strategic plan and presented it to the Miami University Board of Trustees. The Strategic Plan offers 30 recommendations categorized into four groups: innovating to position Miami to thrive in a rapidly changing environment, investing towards proactive solutions, invigorating Miami’s process and culture to clear pathways for creative solutions and implementing the reforms envisioned in the plan. The recommendations aim to transform the Global Miami Plan, due in part to a recent report by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) which gave Miami’s liberal education program a “C” grade. Proposed changes to the Global Miami Plan include simplifying the criteria by removing the thematic sequence requirement and ensuring students engage in experiential learning

through undergraduate research, entrepreneurial thinking and other skills and opportunities. Multiple recommendations in the plan are centralized around departments and committees collaborating across disciplines. By redesigning the academic advising process and providing additional resources for students studying away or abroad, the steering committee hopes to better assist students, according to the plan. Additionally, the plan focuses on creating a more selective honors college, establishing a diversity, equity and inclusion committee, enhancing the university’s relations with the city of Oxford and increasing endowments for scholarships. To keep track of the committee’s progress, the plan includes a proposal to establish an on-going strategic planning committee. They also recommend forming a committee to review the university’s undergraduate and graduate programs. In the plan, the steering committee describes how the university has already undertaken the “Boldly Creative” project, a $50 million academic development fund to bring forward and fund proposals for interdisciplinary academic programming.

Additionally, regional campus reform — including a major shift to offering both two-year and four-year degrees in the traditional classroom setting and online — and changes to the university’s resource management model are in the process of becoming established. For example, to support students in 1969, Miami received more than half of its operating budget from the state. Today, state support is less than 10 percent. The committee recognizes that state spending on higher education has decreased over the years and is focused on ensuring financial viability for the future by increasing endowments for scholarships and using data to inform assessment and decision-making processes to improve its system for managing resources. “Most other schools in Ohio are currently having some level of difficulty managing the new economic model that we’re all being confronted with,” David Ellis, the Associate Vice President for Budgeting and Analysis and cochair of the financial and resource sustainability subcommittee, said. “By and large, if you look at the University of Akron, Wright State, Bowling Green – even Ohio University – those institutions are struggling a bit this year in enrollments.”

In order to preserve tenure while providing Miami with workforce flexibility, the committee plans on aligning academic hiring plans with strategic priorities and enhancing faculty contributions through required professional development. “There’s a lot of complications because there’s a lot of moving parts and different ideas, but in general, my experience has been beneficial,” said Robert Applebaum, professor of sociology and gerontology and co-chair of the steering committee. “I’ve been overwhelmed by the sense of dedication faculty and members of the community have shown.” Applebaum and Julia Guichard, a professor of theatre and the other co-chair of the committee, have coordinated with six distinct subcommittees to help determine what specific issues the committee should address. “The proof [of the committee’s success] is going to be five years down the road and is based on if we act on the strategies,” Applebaum said. “Right now we’re optimistic.” The contents of the strategic plan are available to view on the Board of Trustees’ website. wozniad2@miamioh.edu

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Welcome Back

4

TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2019

Meet our lovely staff members: Bea Newberry Our business manager, Bea Newberry, is a senior majoring in American studies and entrepreneurship. She began as a writer for The Student, and her first piece was an editorial on Greek Life “voicelessness” and the rest were all news stories — thanks to the mentorship of now-alumni Tess Sohgen and Bonnie Miebers, her editors doing big things in the journalism world. She has been handling the business side of things since 2017, in addition to her involvement in the startup world of Cincinnati, The Miami Body Project, and TA and RA positions. There are many avenues to grow the reach and relevance of the staff’s journalistic talent, she says, so it makes what could be a mundane job quite a creative one! She is proud to manage what is an almost 100-person staff of such a sophisticated group of writers, designers, and creators and even more proud that is is highly funded by the community (through advertiser relationships).

Ben Deeter Ben Deeter is a senior in his final semester at Miami studying journalism and political science. He serves as our multimedia editor, meaning he’s responsible for helping build out TMS’ new podcasting arm. He’s hosting our upcoming podcast “This Week @ TMS” and writes for the opinion section. Before his new role, he started writing for the news and entertainment sections during his sophomore year, where he reviewed movies and reported on a wide variety of things from bike boxes to mac and cheese bites. Outside TMS, he sings with the Miami Men’s Glee Club and performs with the Steel Band. He’s also a member of Phi Mu Alpha, a music fraternity that is absolutely a real fraternity no matter what Ceili Doyle says. Ben is graduating in December and he doesn’t know how to feel about it. He’s coping by applying for internships, jobs and graduate school.

Bo Brueck Our assistant photo editor, Bo Brueck, is a sophomore studying journalism and environmental science. Bo began writing in third grade and has been chasing stories ever since. His first book, about a penguin taking an adventure to the moon, won first prize in the kids choice category that year. In high school he worked for his student publication: the Dow High Update. There, he learned the basics of journalism and what it takes to tell a compelling true story. Writing about people has always been interesting to Bo, and at The Miami Student he gets to continue learning about others. Bo started out at The Student writing and shooting his own Humans of Oxford stories, which gave him the ability to tell his stories through words and visuals. Now, as an assistant photo editor, Bo spends most of his time shooting for his colleagues’ stories and bringing the paper to life with snapshots of life in Oxford.

Briah Lumpkins Briah Lumpkins is a sophomore from Toledo, Ohio. She is currently a double major studying Journalism and Sociology. On campus, she serves as one of two assistant news editors at The Miami Student, CAS Communications Intern for the College of Arts and Sciences and a member of Miami Activities and Programming (MAP). Briah has written for the news, culture and opinion sections of the newspaper and has a special affinity for writing profiles about students on campus. Briah loves listening to music but has a certain love for R&B. Some of her favorite artists are Anderson .Paak, D’Angelo, Justin Timberlake, and Tom Misch. She also has a secret passion for all things Bachelor Nation and has high hopes of one day marrying Peter Kraus from season 13 of The Bachelorette. It is also important to note that Briah also has a mild to severe sweet tea addiction, it’s no biggie though. She’s fine, we promise.

Céilí Doyle Céilí Doyle is our managing editor. Her name was inspired by the 1991 Celtic rock band hit, “The Funky Céilí” and is pronounced like “kay-lee” and spelled like ceiling (minus the -ng). Céilí is a senior from the suburbs of Chicago and majors in journalism and political science. She has been writing and working for The Miami Student since the first week of her freshman year and can’t quite believe she’s in charge of it now. In the newsroom she spends most of her time harassing the staff to get their stories in, (“It’s like herding cats,” she says), and losing control of the aux. Last summer Céilí worked on the Metro Desk at The Columbus Dispatch and aspires to break the news for The Washington Post one day. In between hijinks at The Student you can find Céilí running at least five minutes late to class, hanging out with her roommates and trying to learn how to box.

Chloe Murdock Contributing writer Chloe Murdock is a junior who is studying journalism and international studies with a concentration in global cultural relations. After she initially majored in strategic communication she tried to avoid writing for The Student, but the siren’s call of potential stories in Oxford, Ohio, pulled her in and convinced Chloe to change her major. Her first story was about crying over cold tortillas out of homesickness, and since then she has written culture, opinion and news articles on topics ranging between a speech from one of the Central Park Five and how a single student decided to spend Valentine’s Day. Chloe also regularly writes and edits “slow journalism” pieces for The Miami Student Magazine. She also juggles a remote marketing internship, executive board decisions on Miami’s martial arts club and a purple belt in taekwondo. Her favorite stories are the ones that motivate people to feel or do something after reading.

Chris Vinel Chris Vinel is beginning his first full year as our sports editor. Chris, a junior studying journalism and sports leadership and management, started as a staff writer during his freshman year before becoming the assistant sports editor during the first semester of his sophomore year. His dream job is, well, doing what he currently does for The Miami Student, a passion eternally ignited while covering his first RedHawks football game in September 2017. His favorite articles to author are human interest stories that use sports as a backdrop to someone’s life. When he’s not writing about Miami sports, Chris is often found at Skyline Chili with staff writer Brady Pfister or listening to Cincinnati Reds games on a transistor radio – yes, Chris is that much of a nerd. He also serves as a play-by-play sports announcer on RedHawk Radio and has worked two on-campus jobs: at King Library’s circulation desk and as a Resident Assistant.

Connor Wells Design editor, Connor Wells, has devoted the last two years to making The Miami Student as grand as he considers himself. Wells has delivered The Student to unseen typographic heights. He tries to publish each issue with a flawless kerning, spatially conscious leadership and fonts that are never, and will never be, scaled disproportionately, Wells has continued the legacy of design editors, long passed. When asked where his sense of design came from, Wells said, “each and every one of us is put on this earth for a reason — being design editor of this college newspaper was my destiny.”

Duard Headley Duard Headley, The Student’s culture editor, has been involved with the paper since his first few weeks on campus. Former editor-in-chief Jack Evans snagged the wide-eyed freshman from the crowds at Mega Fair and the rest is history. Now, Duard is a junior studying journalism and American studies. He’s proud and excited to be a part of The Student for the upcoming year, and hopes to delve into the culture of Miami University to discover some great stories. In his free time, Duard hones his craft in what is colloquially known as the world’s oldest profession: improv comedy. He’s the treasurer for Sketched Out, Miami’s improv comedy group, and absolutely loves getting onstage and being an utter fool. If you see him on-campus, feel free to scream his name loudly and abruptly. Odds are, he’s the only Duard around, so he’ll probably know you’re talking about him.

Emily Dattilo Our culture editor, Emily Dattilo, is a junior studying psychology, journalism and creative writing. She has written for The Student since first-year, beginning as a staff writer, then moving to assistant opinion editor before assuming her current role as culture editor. She has an opinion column called “Good Morning Miami,” which discusses everything from politics to psychology to college life. She’d like to bring new stories to the culture page featuring different groups and clubs across campus – from Greek life to the Honors program. Her proudest moment in journalism was getting her poem, “Please Mr. President,” published in The New York Times. In her free time, she enjoys painting, writing for The Miami Student Magazine, volunteering with her sorority Delta Delta Delta and working with kids.

Erin Glynn Co-news editor Erin Glynn is a senior double majoring in journalism and diplomacy & global politics and a third-generation TMS staff member. Raised by journalist parents, she caught the news bug early. Her first “beat” for The Student involved reviewing theatre productions for the culture section; she went on to cover Miami’s student government, and now obsesses over all things news. When she’s not in the newsroom, you can find her working in Miami’s Art & Architecture library, managing the Cincinnati Enquirer’s election guide, or (badly) practicing her Mandarin.

Will Gorman Will Gorman, assistant culture and entertainment editor, is a senior majoring in journalism and creative writing with a French minor. He has been writing for The Student on and off since the fall of 2016, hopping between the culture and opinion sections with event coverage all over campus while also writing columns about everything from cooking to reality television. After a brief stint as interim opinion editor last spring, Will is looking forward to writing for both sections again this year. Outside the newsroom, you can find him working at Starbucks by the bookstore in the Shriver Center.


TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2019

STAFF 5

Jugal Jain Our photo editor, Jugal Jain is a senior studying mechanical engineering and entrepreneurship. He started off as a student photographer by printing some of the photos he took in Los Angeles during his Spring Break trip in 2017. He has been handling all the photos for The Miami Student since fall 2017, in addition to his involvement in other school magazines and UA/RA positions at the university. Photography is an art, a perspective, and a lifestyle, Jugal says. He believes that any photo can be made better by changing the perspective of the camera, just like changing your perspective on difficult situations can make life better. He is happy he found his passion for photography at TMS while living in the business and technology worlds. He and his staff of photographers are responsible for making the newspaper colorful and bring life to it with the photos.

Julia Arwine Co-news editor Julia Arwine, a junior journalism and interactive media studies major, has been writing for The Miami Student since the first semester of her freshman year. She has written for several other publications across campus and spent a summer working for a daily newspaper in Chautauqua, New York. Julia loves reporting on every manner of things that happen on campus and getting to work with both younger writers and experienced editors. Outside of the newsroom, her interests include creative writing, niche facts about historical royalty, and cooking — she is on a one-woman mission to resurrect The Student’s dormant food section. Julia is abroad at Miami’s Luxembourg campus for the 2019 fall semester.

Kate Rigazio Our opinion editor, Kate Rigazio, is a senior journalism and American studies major from Andover, Massachusetts. Kate is a regular contributor to both the opinion and humor sections. Prior to being opinion editor, Kate was The Miami Student’s sole intern, and is humbled that her hard work led to an editorial position. Kate spent last semester studying abroad at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. During her time abroad she traveled to seven different countries, developed a love for bagpipes and woke up at 2 a.m. to watch Game of Thrones at the same time as her friends back home. Kate is also co-artistic director for Miami University’s Sketched Out Improv, and encourages everyone to come to Sketched Out auditions on Tuesday, Sept. 3 in Pearson 128.

Kirby Davis Kirby Davis is a columnist and senior editor at The Student. She’s a journalism and American studies double major, and mostly writes about mental health, women’s issues and film for TMS. Kirby has interned at Cleveland Scene magazine, the Chautauquan Daily and the Cleveland Jewish News. She likes traveling, reality TV and hanging out with her French bulldog, Leo. You can reach her at daviskn3@miamioh.edu.

Maya Fenter Maya Fenter is a senior studying journalism and interactive media studies, and currently serves as the editor-in-chief of The Miami Student Magazine, the newspaper’s sister publication focusing on longform journalism that prints an issue each semester. She’s been with the publication since its debut issue in the fall of 2017, when Megan Zahneis, Miami alumna and former magazine editor, asked her if she was interested. With a longtime love of creative nonfiction, Maya said yes, even though Megan was a stranger to her at the time. Now working toward the fifth issue, she is incredibly proud of the publication that she and her colleagues have established, and watching it grow has been the most rewarding experience of her college career.

Nina Franco Our social media director and style editor, Nina Franco, is a senior studying journalism and political science. She got her start at The Student through Professor Tobin’s “Intro to Journalism Class” freshman year, where she was challenged to move out of her comfort zone and get acquainted with her new surroundings in a way she hadn’t before. Since then, she has contributed to The Student, UP Fashion Magazine and the local Oxford Observer. Outside of her involvement in the journalism world, Nina is a political junkie who has spent summers working on campaigns in her hometown of Buffalo, New York, interning on the Hill in D.C. and reading Politico Playbook. When she’s not writing or studying for the LSAT, she’s spending time with her sorority sisters, stalking Timothee Chalamet’s Instagram or eating a whole pint of Ben & Jerry’s. She is excited to expand The Student’s social media this year and is always up for new creative challenges.

Noah Bertrand Our humor editor, Noah Bertrand, is a frantic media and culture and IMS double major. He’s the co-artistic director for Miami University’s Sketched Out Improv and a graphic designer in his free time. He has never seen a chipmunk and doesn’t plan on it. Peace, love and cathartic YouTube videos.

Owen Berg Owen Berg is a sophomore from Oxford. He’s majoring in journalism, interactive media studies, and minoring in fashion. Owen designs the print layouts for TMS alongside design editor Connor Wells. Owen originally intended to be a writer for TMS, but was snatched up by the design counter shortly after getting involved with the paper. However, he has written one opinion piece for the paper, and plans on writing more in the future.

Peter Fortunato Peter Fortunato is the data editor at The Miami Student, and is responsible for producing Miami Metrics, the first-ever data-focused news publication at Miami University. In addition to taking classes in international studies, Spanish, statistics and geography, he has recently fallen in love with using data to discover new storytelling methods. A newcomer to journalism, Peter is excited to begin experimenting with the power of data and the information it bears. Miami and the city of Oxford have infinite amounts of data waiting to be explored, and Peter plans for Miami Metrics to provide a different perspective to how the community sees itself. In his free time, Peter enjoys spending free time with friends and family, hiking in nature, and exploring new cities via their public transportation systems. Peter hopes to take the communication and managing skills he refines at The Student to wherever in the world he decides to end up.

Rachel Berry Rachel Berry is one of our news editors and is from St. Louis, Missouri. This is Rachel’s third year at Miami, but she’ll be graduating in May. She’s majoring in journalism and professional writing with minors in political science and interactive media studies. Rachel has been writing for the news section of The Student since the first semester of her freshman year, covering everything from Associated Student Government to greek life to enrollment numbers. Outside of The Student, Rachel is involved with Cru and works on-campus for Global Initiatives and the Confucius Institute doing what she loves most — writing.

Samantha Brunn Samantha Brunn is a senior journalism and political science double major and American Studies and Spanish double minor from Wooster, Ohio. She is the editor-in-chief of The Miami Student, where she spends a majority of her time cleaning up the g*ddamn TMS office. Before becoming EIC, Samantha was a news editor and has written for TMS since her first week at Miami. Samantha spent last summer as a press intern in Washington D.C., and she hopes to attend law school post-undergrad. When she’s not stressing over TMS, the LSAT or law school applications, Samantha can be found watching the Bachelorette, baking cookies for her housemates, or telling drunks kids to recycle their beverage containers. Find her on Twitter @samantha_brunn or send her an email: brunnsj@miamioh.edu

Sydney Hill Sydney Hill is a junior English literature and classical humanities major. She has been editing for The Miami Student since her first semester during her freshman year when she was the only one who voiced interest in copy editing among several fresh-faced and aspiring journalists whom she never saw nor heard from again after that initial meeting. Sydney prefers MLA style and detests the AP since it makes her delete all the vivacious Oxford commas that writers accidentally leave in because even they subconsciously know that it is the superior writing style. Perhaps this shows the ephemeral nature of life, the impermanence of tradition and The Known.

Tim Carlin Tim Carlin, a sophomore from Cleveland, is one of two assistant news editors at The Miami Student. He’s currently majoring in journalism and is searching for his second major. Tim started writing for TMS during the fall of his freshman year, and he’s also a member of Miami Activities & Programming (MAP). Tim has written news, culture and style pieces, and last semester he started continued coverage of Oxford City Council. In his free time, Tim loves listening to Beyoncé, watching Netflix and eating cobb salads. You can catch him around campus this semester drinking Starbucks and wearing tie-dye shirts with cuffed sleeves.


6 NEWS

BERRYRD@MIAMIOH.EDU

TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2019

Former Miami professor who traveled to have sex with a minor sentenced to less than 3 years in jail

KEVIN ARMITAGE WAS SENTENCED AT THE FEDERAL COURTHOUSE IN KANSAS CITY. NEWS EDITOR RACHEL BERRY

RACHEL BERRY NEWS EDITOR

KANSAS CITY — Kevin Armitage, a former Miami University professor, was sentenced to 33 months in jail and 10h years of supervised release after he traveled to Kansas City, MO in May 2018 and planned to hire a 14-year-old sex trafficked girl named Crystal. But Armitage unknowingly arranged the meeting with an FBI agent, who posed as the teenage girl’s cousin and pimp on the website usasexguide. Armitage used the sex trafficking website, which he had nearly 600 posts on, to set up the meeting. He was listed as a senior member of the site. Armitage agreed to meet the “young spinner,”

Miami to host National Civil Rights Conference

as he referred to her, saying this “is what I live for.” Throughout multiple conversations on usasexguide, Armitage acknowledged the girl was only 14 years old, but he still wanted to meet her. The former professor showed up to a restaurant at the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City with a condom, $100 and a promise to buy the cousin a milkshake before he had sex with Crystal. During the meeting, after repeating that he understood Crystal was only 14 years old, the FBI agent arrested Armitage. In court, Armitage said he is not interested in “underage women” and that he felt “shame” and “mortification” after his arrest. “I find this idea as concerning as anyone else in this courtroom,” he said during his sentencing. Armitage said he was depressed and needed a form of escape, claiming he went into denial when

the FBI agent told him Crystal was only 14 years old. He compared his feelings of denial to grief after the death of a loved one. Although Armitage expressed regret for his actions, the prosecutor, Teresa Moore, said his referral to the victim as “a woman” instead of “an exploited child” shows his lack of remorse. “The defendant still does not grasp the significance of the crime or the gravity of the offense,” she said. Armitage’s lawyer, Chris Angles, argued for a lesser 20 month sentence, saying Armitage has a plan to live with and take care of his elderly parents after his release. Armitage said he wanted to spend his time writing two books, which he started in jail, and to put his life back together. His parents are 94 and 88. His sister, Carol, and brother, Keith, both live out of town and are unable to move to Lawrence, Kansas, where their parents live, to take care of them, said Carol Armitage. “In this tragic situation, perhaps there is a small silver lining,” Carol said in response to her brother’s plan to take care of their parents. She said there is no chance Kevin will do anything similar in the future, and the act was out of character for him. “Kevin has paid an enormous price already,” Carol said. He has already lost enough from this situation, she added, citing how her brother was fired from his job at Miami, lost his wife, house, cars and became estranged from his daughter. Carol said although this was a “terrible incident,” her brother has a tremendous network of support. She received between 35 and 40 letters from Kevin’s friends who were willing to go on the record as character witnesses. She gave these letters to the court to show the support her brother has from people across the country of all ages, genders and walks of life. “Whether you’re nice or not nice doesn’t help the victim,” said Judge Brian Wimes.

During his sentencing, Armitage also detailed his time in jail, explaining he used his background as a teacher to help other inmates speak to their lawyers, understand court documents and study for courses they were taking. “People are not just one thing,” Angles said. Armitage was originally charged with traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, which has a maximum 30 year sentence. This charge was lowered to traveling with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, which has a much lesser sentence. The former professor was also previously disciplined by Miami for making fun of a student for her religious beliefs and gluten intolerance while on a study abroad trip to Costa Rica. Information about which federal facility Armitage will be imprisoned in was not immediately available. berryrd@miamioh.edu @racheldberry

KEVIN ARMITAGE CONTRIBUTED BY CALDWELL COUNTY JAIL BO BRUECK

Scotty’s corporate declares bankruptcy, Oxford location remains open

RACHEL BERRY

RACHEL BERRY

NEWS EDITOR

NEWS EDITOR

Miami University will host the 10th annual National Civil Rights Conference in summer 2020. This is the first time the conference has been held outside the southern United States. Miami was chosen because it both sponsors the conference and has a history of activism tied to its role in Freedom Summer, said Keith Parker, founder and CEO of the National Education and Empowerment Coalition, another sponsor of the conference. Parker said they wanted to choose a place appropriate for the ten-year anniversary. Miami stood out due to its history and continued role in Civil Rights efforts, he said. Claire Wagner, director of university news and communication, said Miami has been involved with the conference for three years. In the past, students and faculty presented at the conference, and Miami received awards related to Freedom Summer. The conference will integrate Miami’s history by allowing attendees to visit landmarks around campus and peruse archives in Oxford. Next summer’s theme will be “Rise, Advocate, Educate, and Cooperate: The Challenge of Change.” The conference will be held June 2223. Parker said in the past, 150-200 people have attended, but he expects double that for 2020 because of the location. Those interested in attending can purchase a ticket online.

Scotty’s Brewhouse declared bankruptcy at a corporate level, but the Oxford location is independently owned and will remain open. On Saturday, July 20, Scotty’s filed for bankruptcy. A spokesperson from corporate could not be reached for comment, but Shawn Dickens, the Oxford location’s general manager, said the company has been mismanaged and struggled to make a profit for the past two years. Oxford’s branch doesn’t have any financial struggles, Dickens said. The management for the restaurant on College Avenue was previously run by corporate but will now be run by the Oxford location. “Our store has, over the past year, been the best operating store in the company, so it was a no-brainer for us to stay open without the company,” Dickens said. To distance itself from the Scotty’s brand, Dickens said the Oxford store will change its name. They have already chosen a new name but are not releasing it yet. The name will be implemented in late September or early October. Dickens said they also plan to alter the menu to remove items that don’t sell well and add new foods such as quesadillas. These changes will occur in about one month. The Oxford restaurant is retaining all current staff. Scotty’s is closing four locations in Indiana that are owned by corporate. Two independent locations in Illinois will remain open. It’s unclear if the Scotty’s location in Missouri, which is also independent, will remain open.

berryrd@miamioh.edu @racheldberry

berryrd@miamioh.edu @racheldberry

SCOTTY’S WILL HAVE A NAME CHANGE THIS SEMESTER. PHOTO EDITOR JUGAL JAIN

Work+ allows Miami Regionals students to graduate for free BRIAH LUMPKINS

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Miami University has introduced a program that creates a new path for students to earn their college degree debt-free. The work+ program, which is being introduced this semester, allows students to attend either of Miami’s regional campuses while working part-time for one of four partnering companies: Deceuninck North America, LLC (Monroe) which focuses on the design and compounding of vinyl window and door systems, The Fischer Group (Fairfield) which focuses on product development and machine building, thyssenkrupp Bilstein of

America, Inc. (Hamilton) which focuses on the manufacturing of shock absorbers and Butler County Regional Transit Authority (BCRTA) which provides transportation for residents of Butler County. Interested students must first apply to Miami Regionals and submit an interest form for the work+ program, then apply for and secure a job with one of the four partnering companies. Accepted applicants are required to enroll in school full-time and work a minimum of 24 hours a week for the duration of time it takes them to complete their associates or bachelor degree. Students employed by Miami are allowed to work a maximum of 22 hours weekly. The work+ program allows these students to

work more hours without restrictions. In return for the students’ employment, the participating company will pay the remaining balance of tuition after all financial aid grants and scholarships have been awarded. Miami will cover the cost of books and potential housing. Students are then also paid weekly by their employer. Deceunick’s president was at a social event with Miami President Greg Crawford when the discussion of a partnership between the two organizations began, said Amy Padgett, Deceunick’s vice president of human resources. Deceunick wanted to advertise job openings to Miami students who were looking for part-time work while in school. “If this program allows us to have good

workers and help students get their degree without incurring additional debt, we think it’s a good thing,” Padgett said. Students enrolled in the Miami program can change their majors at any time without impacting their participation in work+, said Peter Haverkos, senior assistant dean for student and academic success. These students are also not required to commit to a full-time job with the company after they graduate. As long as students remain in good standing with the university, they will be allowed to participate in the program. lumpkibm@miamioh.edu @briah_lumpkins


GLYNNEE@MIAMIOH.EDU

NEWS 7

TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2019

MU AAUP chapter protests severity of professors’ punishment Cinnamon and Gladish suspended for hallucinogenic-producing plant TIM CARLIN

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Two tenured Miami University Hamilton professors, John Cinnamon and Daniel Gladish, face termination for growing a tree that has the ability to produce a hallucinogenic substance in the Miami University Hamilton Conservatory. But the Miami chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is protesting the severity of the professors’ punishment. According to letters sent to Cinnamon and Gladish from Miami Provost Phyllis Callahan, Cinnamon and Gladish both face termination for growing the tabernanthe iboga tree. The iboga tree itself is not hallucinogenic, but the drug derived from its roots, ibogaine, is classified as a schedule-I controlled substance, according to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). Ibogaine has a high potential for abuse and cannot be medically prescribed. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) online list of schedule-I controlled substances names both ibogaine and tabernanthe iboga as variants of one illegal hallucinogenic substance. Ryan Young, assistant director of regional advancement for Miami, was first notified about the existence of the tree and its ability to be turned into a hallucinogenic drug, according to a report from the Miami University Police Department (MUPD). Young reported the tree’s presence to the Hamilton Campus Dean of Applied Arts and Science, Catherine Bishop-Clark. Bishop-Clark did not respond to The Miami Student’s requests for comment. In Young’s email to Bishop-Clark, which is cited in the MUPD report, Young said a student employee at the conservatory told him she was growing her own iboga plant and planned to consume its root to get high when the plant matured. It’s unclear if either iboga tree possessed enough of the hallucinogenic to produce ibogaine or if the student knew enough about cultivating the plant to obtain the substance. MUPD was notified of Young’s email and searched the conservatory along with the DEA for the tree’s presence. The DEA and MUPD found the iboga tree, unmarked, inside the conservatory, according to the MUPD report. Brian Grubb, the conservatory’s manager at the time, was interviewed by officials at the scene and stated, according to the MUPD report, that the tree’s identifying marker was removed “because people were asking questions about it.” Since investigating the incident, neither MUPD nor the DEA have charged Cinnamon, Gladish or Grubb. Cinnamon and Gladish have since been suspended and are awaiting further punishment. Grubb resigned from his position, sighting “pressure

of termination,” according to a letter written by Miami’s AAUP president, Cathy Wagner. Grubb did not respond to The Student’s requests for comment. The iboga tree’s presence in the Hamilton Campus Conservatory was traced to Cinnamon, a professor of anthropology at the Hamilton Campus. Cinnamon specializes in the West African country of Gabon, where the iboga tree is used in the practice of the Bwiti religion. Cinnamon and Gladish are both currently under suspension as they await punishment from the university. The terms of their suspensions prevented them from speaking directly to The Student. “Dr. Cinnamon has no specific memory of receiving the seeds,” said Erin Heidrich, Cinnamon’s lawyer, “although he acknowledges that because of his academic research

Renovations to Pearson Hall include new nursing facilities

versity has refused to do.” “What he was caring for was a plant,” said Mark Mezzabaum, one of Gladish’s lawyers. “He was not utilizing this plant because of its hallucinogenic properties.” Other universities, such as the University of Colorado and the University of California-Davis, also have iboga trees. Miami is seeking to terminate the two professors for violating the university’s Drug Free Workplace and Addressing and Reporting Illegal Activity policies. Director of university news and communications Claire Wagner declined to comment further on the disciplinary status of the two professors. The Miami chapter of the AAUP has created a petition objecting to the potential termination of the two professors as well as the former conservatory manager. “The administration’s decision to terminate these employees is unreasonably harsh, overcautious, and insufficiently informed,” the petition reads. “The decision harms the Conservatory’s future, the students who would benefit from the institutional knowledge of the faculty, and of course, most terribly, Gladish, Cinnamon and Grubb, who

“There was never any intention to try to extract ibogaine from the plant”

-Erin Heidrich

in Gabon, where the iboga plant plays a role in religious ceremonies, that he may have received the seeds while on a research trip or from an African visitor to his home.” Heidrich said Cinnamon turned the seeds into the conservatory “as a matter of academic and cultural interest” and that “Dr. Cinnamon has no professional association with the conservatory and had no role in the cultivation of the plant.” Gladish, a professor of biology at the Hamilton Campus, is the conservatory’s current director. Heidrich said Cinnamon gave the iboga seeds to the conservatory in 2004 and, as the director, Gladish oversaw the tree’s maturation. Both Cinnamon and Gladish’s lawyers said that the professors were only interested in the tree itself, never the drug it could produce. “Dr. Cinnamon knew of [the] plant’s existence but only saw it a handful of times on visits to the conservatory,” Heidrich said. “There was never any intention to try to extract ibogaine from the plant. Again, it is important to distinguish between a single plant specimen and ‘drug activity,’ which the uni-

soon may all be unfairly deprived of their income and their careers.” Both Cinnamon and Gladish’s lawyers said they plan to appeal their suspensions and prevent their terminations. Heidrich said Cinnamon is currently on medical leave, and his case will resume once he returns. Mezzabaum said Gladish will have a hearing in the fall, but a date has not yet been set. Sree Subedi, chair of the Social and Behavioral Science Department and Cinnamon’s supervisor, declined to comment. Paul Harding, chair of the Hamilton campus Department of Biological Sciences, did not respond to The Student’s requests for comment. Hannah Andersen and Samantha Brunn assisted with the reporting of this story. carlintm@miamioh.edu @timcarlin_

STUDENTS CAN PRACTICE ON LIFE-LIKE MANNEQUINS NEWS EDITOR RACHEL BERRY

MADELINE PHABY

THE MIAMI STUDENT The new nursing education facilities construction project in Pearson Hall is underway. These facilities, which cost just under $500,000, include a hospital simulation center on the second floor of the building in which students can practice their skills — including physical assessments, monitoring vitals and delivering babies — on high-fidelity mannequins, which are designed to blink, breathe, and talk like humans. On the third floor, two fivebed nursing labs are being added, which will allow students to learn basic nursing skills in a hands-on manner. This fall, Miami University’s Oxford campus is also admitting its first cohort of nursing students, which coincides with the completion of the new facilities. Before 2018, nursing students on Oxford’s campus were forced to commute to the Hamilton campus to earn their degree. Miami’s Department of Nursing chair, Brooke Flinders, said that these types of facilities have become the standard for nursing education and that students who wish to study nursing seek them out when deciding which school to attend. “This is the cutting edge,” Flinders said. “This is what’s expected. Every professional conference I go to, I see that this is what people are doing.” The simulation centers’ main advantage is that they allow students to hone their skills in a safe setting before they practice on human beings, Flinders said. A 2017 study of the effects of simulations on nursing students supports her assessment, as simulations were shown to improve the “knowledge, performance, self-satisfaction and confidence” of the students. “[The simulation center] is a matter of building confidence because you don’t want your very first IV stick to be on a human being if you have no idea what you’re doing,” Flinders said. “It’s a safe place to practice and get feedback.” Physical Facilities’ director of planning, architecture and engineering, Robert Bell, said that this project was made possible by the general renovations to Pearson Hall that began in fall 2017. While the nursing facilities weren’t part of the original renovation plan, Physical Facilities decided to add them about a year ago. The renovations freed up space for the simulation center and labs, which eliminated additional costs associated with constructing new spaces for these facilities. Bell added that demand for a nursing program on the Oxford campus as well as the high demand for nursing-related jobs in the workforce factored into the decision to go forward with the project. “This is a new type of space for us, so it’s kind of exciting, and it’ll really allow the program to grow,” Bell said. phabymr@miamioh.edu

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8 NEWS Recent Miami graduate dies in car accident RACHEL BERRY

TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2019

GLYNNEE@MIAMIOH.EDU

Miami adds new majors with interdisciplinary focus

NEWS EDITOR

Shawn Liendhart loved anything to do with hockey. He played both ice and roller hockey during his time at Miami and even had a group of friends that he would rollerblade with around campus. Liendhart died in a car accident in West Chester, OH a little after midnight on Thursday, Aug. 22. According to the crash report, his friend, Daniel Silvashy, was driving and ran off the road, crashing into a sign. The report said Silvashy didn’t sustain any injuries from the crash, and police suspect he was intoxicated. Lienhardt graduated from Miami in May 2019 with degrees in finance and analytics. He was working at U.S. Bank in Cincinnati post-graduation. Liendhardt’s teammates said he had been playing hockey forever. His junior year he joined the roller hockey team and also played intramural ice hockey during the off-season. Last year, he served as fundraising chair for the roller hockey team. Lienhardt was friends with everyone on the team. One of his teammates, senior Andrew Becker, said sometimes there was drama between the players, but Lienhardt never took a side. Lienhardt had an energetic, radiant personality. Sophomore Graham McPherson, another member of the team, said that there was a noticeable difference when Lienhardt rode on the bus with them to games because it was a much louder and more vibrant atmosphere. “He always had a smile on his face,” said Ethan Clearfield, former president and captain. His friends describe him as hilarious. Lienhardt was always cracking jokes and would light up the locker room. Whenever Lienhardt would lace up his skates before practice, he would post on his Snapchat

“ADDING THIS CO-MAJOR WOULD REALLY GIVE ME AN EDGE BECAUSE IT OPENS ME UP, AS A BUSINESS PERSON, TO NOT ONLY MANAGE BUT UNDERSTAND, THE DATA ...” ASST. PHOTO EDITOR BO BRUECK

JUSTEEN JACKSON

THE MIAMI STUDENT Miami University’s arsenal of interdisciplinary studies is expanding. These additions include a food systems co-major, an organizational leadership major and a data analytics major. There are also talks of including a new cybersecurity major. Miami created interdisciplinary studies to give students more flexibility between liberal arts majors.

SHAWN LIENHARDT DIED IN A CAR CRASH ON THURSDAY, AUG. 22. CONTRIBUTED BY ANDREW BECKER

story saying, “I’m up to something.” No one ever knew what it meant. He nicknamed himself Shonny Manziel after Johnny Manziel, and soon people began calling him Shonny. As soon as he stepped onto the ice, though, he became serious and gave the game his all. He was up for anything; although he had always played forward, he volunteered to play defense for the season when the team was short defensive players. He ended up playing defense until he graduated. Clearfield said he was a rock on the back line, and people couldn’t tell he wasn’t a defenseman. “He put his heart into it all the time,” McPherson said. “He was one of the best teammates I’ve ever had, and I’m not just saying that.” He was so dedicated to the team that he wanted to come back to Miami and take graduate courses, so he could keep playing roller hockey because he still had eligibility left. Becker said Lienhardt was completely serious when he suggested this. Lienhardt had a great work ethic and was a good student, Becker said. Liendhardt loved to travel and would often go on trips with his family. He studied abroad in China. He was also a resident assistant (RA) his sophomore year in Symmes Hall. Current senior Molly McCrory didn’t live in the dorm but visited friends there a lot and grew close with Lienhardt. She said he was always positive and made his residents believe in themselves. “I think he made everything seem possible, and as a freshman, I and many others needed that. He gave people hope,” McCrory said. Liendhart is survived by his parents and twin brother, Mark. His funeral will be at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at the Faith Bible Church in Cincinnati with a visitation beforehand beginning at 3 p.m. His family is asking for memorial donations to be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Food systems Peggy Shaffer, coordinator of the Institute for Food, said that the food systems co-major allows students to gain empowerment within the global supply food chain — the process which describes how the food from a farm ends up on our tables from production, to processing, to distribution, to consumption and, finally, disposal. The co-major is also meant to appeal to students interested in sustainability. Shaffer said that students in the food systems co-major will take foundational courses in culture, social science and science. The courses will be designed similarly to Miami Plan courses to add experience and develop a foundation for students. From there, the co-major will mainly be self-designed. “Food is one of the ways that individuals can make choices that matter, that will make a difference,” Shaffer said. Shaffer said the three P’s of sustainability are people, profits and planet, and food is the ideal way to intersect these three and maximize sustainability. She also said there are estimated to be around 25 people, ranging from business to education majors, who plan to declare this co-major when it becomes available this fall. Organizational leadership The new organizational leadership major is part of the College of Arts and Science (CAS) and will be a study of theories of organizational strategy and leadership, with an emphasis on practical application, according to Miami’s General Bulletin. “The organizational leadership major will require some courses in Farmer School of Business (FSB), but our approach comes from the social sciences,” said Mathew Regele, assistant professor of sociology and gerontology. “[Farmer’s] approach is focused toward human resources and is a fairly targeted degree,” Regele said. This major will focus heavily in communication and analytical critical thinking as well as experiential learning. Regele said the

experiential learning aspect includes projects which are meant to give students a leg up in interviews. The major appeals to any field, as it focuses on leadership skills that apply universally. Data analytics The data analytics co-major combines disciplines including information systems and statistics, according to the Miami General Bulletin. “Adding this co-major would really give me an edge because it opens me up, as a business person, to not only manage but un-

focusing on this major: FSB, political science and computer science. Benamati said that this major is being developed on the back of rising concerns of cybersecurity. Many businesses want a professional with this additional expertise. The Political Science Department, FSB and the Computer Science Department will intertwine to accomplish what Benamati sees as a unique major. “We are hoping to put together something very different from other schools,” Benamati said. Benamati said that schools traditionally

“Whether you’re an art major or a business major, an English major or Biochemistry major, there is data in everything, and it will lead to a better understanding,” - junior Cameron Smith

derstand, the data behind my company,” said junior administrative business major Cameron Smith. Smith said that understanding data is helpful in any field, and that this co-major is different than the analytics majors in FSB as it focuses on “big data” and the ability to combine this concept with any variety of majors and fields. It’s meant to take a liberal arts approach to data. “Whether you’re an art major or a business major, an English major or Biochemistry major, there is data in everything, and it will lead to a better understanding,” Smith said. This co-major has a base in business courses and statistics and is similar to an FSB major, which could be used as a stepping stone for someone who was not accepted into FSB right away, Smith said. Cybersecurity Miami is in the process of building the curriculum of a cybersecurity major, according to John Benamati, professor and chair of the Information Systems and Analytics Department. Ideally, it will be one major. However, Benamati said there are talks of having this type of major in three departments which are

focus on the technical side of cybersecurity. Miami wants this interdisciplinary major to focus on managerial aspects, technical aspects and policy in cyber security. Benamati said that when Miami held a cyber symposium of more than twenty cyber professionals to discuss the addition of this major, they were excited about the prospect of having future professionals who have mastered each of these aspects. Miami has recognized the need for companies to have professionals in cybersecurity. Benamati said they predict over 1 million unfilled jobs in this field. This urgency, Benamati said, led to minor in the school of business for the managerial aspect of cybersecurity called Information Security, which is available now. The collaboration between the Political Science Department, FSB and the Computer Science Department is what will really lead to the success of this major and its graduates, Benamati said. jacks250@miamioh.edu @heyitsjusteen

berryrd@miamioh.edu @racheldberry

Miami expecting decrease in tuition revenue for the 2019-2020 year HANNAH ANDERSEN THE MIAMI STUDENT

Miami is expecting a $5 million decrease in tuition revenue for the 2019-2020 school year. A shrinking number of students enrolled in the American Culture and English (ACE) program accounts for $2 million of the $5 million decrease in revenue for the upcoming school year. According to the program’s website, ACE is designed “for international students whose English language test scores fall just below the level for admission to Miami” but otherwise “meet the requirements for admission.” ACE Director Carol Olauson said that these students are conditionally admitted to Miami and must meet program expectations to remain in the ACE program. The number of Chinese student applications has been declining in recent years due to the political relationship between China and the United States, Miami’s ranking compared to other univer-

sities and the capacity and quality of Chinese universities, Aaron Bixler, associate director for international recruitment, told The Miami Student in February 2019. Due to these trends, Olauson did foresee a decrease of students participating in the ACE program. However, she did not expect the decline to be as dramatic. “This is the largest drop we’ve seen in the past few years,” she said. Last year, the ACE program had 193 students. This fall, there will be 107 students enrolled in the program. Moving forward, the ACE program will be operating with fewer staff members to accommodate the smaller class sizes. ACE lost four staff members who were previously visiting professors and relocated. Their positions were not re-filled, but no professors were laid-off. Despite the decrease in ACE students, Olausen said the program will be no less successful. “Our programming is contingent on the pro-

gram fee of $1,000 paid by students who are in the ACE program,” Olausen said. The drop in participating students will not affect the amount of resources offered to ACE students because program funding is proportional to the class size. For the fall, total revenue from all international students is predicted to be $3.7 million, as opposed to the $7.9 million revenue in the fall of 2015. Miami’s Vice President of Finance and Business Services David Creamer, said that Miami expected this decrease in revenue and had implemented response policies. “We had implemented some budget changes back in February through the approval of the board of trustees that asked for departments to make reductions in their budget for this year and the next five years,” he said. Despite a reduction in revenue, Creamer said the class size for fall 2019 is actually larger than the previous years. Miami is increasing the amount of scholarships it provides to students each year.

This year, Miami is spending $16 million more on student scholarships than the previous year, causing the net tuition to drop this year, Creamer said. Overall, there will be a general reduction in budgetary spending for some departments. Creamer says that Miami expects to “spend more” to support the larger class size. “It’s a mix of some things, increases in costs but reductions in some areas to balance out the budget,” Creamer said. Some changes will be seen with an increase in tuition and fees. Out-of-state tuition for the 2015-2016 school year sat just above $30,000. For the incoming class, out-of-state tuition will be $32,555. Miami’s tuition promise guarantees that the cost of tuition for students will not increase during a students time at Miami. Briah Lumpkins assisted with the reporting of this story. andersh3@miamioh.edu


DATTILEC@MIAMIOH.EDU

CULTURE 9

TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2019

Criss-crossing cross-country

Pi Kappa Phi member pedals for a cause

RACHEL BERRY NEWS EDITOR

While many other Miami University students spent their summer hunched over desks or counters working jobs or internships, junior Calvin Colby spent his hunched over the handlebars of a bike, winding his way across the country. Colby, a psychology and quantitative economics major, spent two-and-a-half months this summer riding his bike from Seattle, Washington, to Washington, D.C., averaging about 75 or 80 miles a day. Along with the other 22 students on the trip, he would wake up at 5 or 6 a.m. and ride into the afternoon, only stopping to eat. A lot of the days once the group finished riding, they would have friendship visits, meeting with children or adults with physical or mental disabilities at community centers along the route. Colby completed the trip, titled the Journey of Hope, for The Ability Experience, the national philanthropy of his fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi (Pi Kapp). “The mission of The Ability Experience is to create experiences for those living with disabilities who otherwise would not have them,”

said Pi Kapp’s philanthropy chair John Hayes. Colby said the hours of biking were brutal at first, but slowly got easier. When he began preparing for the trip, it had been about five years since he had been on a bike. At the end of his training, he was riding dozens of miles at a time. During the trip, Colby kept going and pushing himself. “Something we talk about is that we can get off the bike, but the people that we work with, a lot of times, they can’t just stop having a disability,” Colby said. “Riding is tough, but it’s not as hard as the struggles that people with disabilities face on a daily basis.” That was one of the main goals of the trip — to show the students what it’s like to have a disability and to expose them to different types of experiences. “[It’s about] giving back and doing what you can for others, stepping outside your comfort zone and seeing what the world looks like maybe from a different perspective,” Colby said. The activities during the friendship visits varied, and the group met people of various ages and types of disabilities. Sometimes, they would help with fundraising events or complete tasks that the coordinators asked

them to. Other times, they would play games or have dinner and talk. One person who stood out to Colby and many of the other students on the trip was a middle-aged man in St. Louis, Missouri. He used to be in a fraternity and dove into a lake when he was younger, hitting his head. He became paralyzed from the neck down, but thanks to the help of a special machine, he lives completely on his own. The man has a breathing device that moves his wheelchair in different directions depending on how he blows into it. “A lot of us remembered him because just the outlook he had on life was pretty cool,” Colby said. “Sometimes your situation in life isn’t the greatest, but you have to make it work.” For those who want to be involved with The Ability Experience who might not be able to complete the Journey of Hope bike ride, Pi Kapp also goes to Bridgeport Elementary School in Hamilton each Friday afternoon to play games with students from their special needs classroom. The fraternity is also raising money online for the philanthropy. berryrd@miamioh.edu @racheldberry

CALVIN COLBY POSES WITH HIS BIKE ON STATE LINES (TOP). MEMBERS OF PI KAPP TACKLED THE OPEN ROAD, WORKING THEIR WAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO SUPPORT THOSE WITH DISABILITIES (BOTTOM). CONTRIBUTED BY CALVIN COLBY

The ins and outs of an Indianapolis internship

A summer at Indianapolis Monthly LEANNE STAHULAK THE MIAMI STUDENT

When I received an email telling me that I’d been accepted as an intern at Indianapolis Monthly, a general interest magazine that highlights the city it’s named for, this line from my new boss stuck out to me: “This is no fetch-coffee-and-file-this internship.” My body flooded with both relief and apprehension — on the one hand, I would actually have a chance to write and publish articles for the magazine. On the other hand, I had to actually write and publish articles for the magazine. Within my first week at Indianapolis Monthly, I quickly realized that I needn’t have worried about my magazine industry ignorance. The editors that I worked with swiftly showed me the ropes on how the magazine was put together and what the end goal is for every edition we publish: to tell stories of and for the Hoosiers who call this tiny slice of the Heartland their home. Having lived in Indianapolis for only two years, with 17 months of that time being spent in Oxford and Luxembourg, I knew very little about this tiny big city and even less about the people inhabiting it. But working at this internship helped me glimpse the best and brightest pieces of the city as I focused almost entirely on highlighting local faces and places. On top of that, I learned a valuable lesson about how I should write about the local community. At first, I thought I would work my way slowly up the ladder at the magazine, starting with basic fact-checking and researching for other writers’ work. And that’s what I did do, for my first day and for several days after that. But I didn’t expect one of the front-ofbook editors to come up to me on my second day and say, “How would you like to write the August Day Trip piece?” I’d been there less than 24 hours and knew almost nothing about what the Day Trip rubric was supposed to look like. After the editor explained how the article should

focus on the most engaging aspects of a place that Indianapolis residents can travel to in a day, she asked what questions I had about the piece. In the end, I asked the most important one: “What kind of voice should I use to write the story?” Compared to newspaper writing, magazine writing was a trickier and more subtle craft. I had to infuse just the right amount of wit, snark, cleverness, engagement and persuasion into my words so that readers were both entertained by the writing and aware of the message I wanted them to take away. I was lucky enough to learn this magic formula quickly after I started, and over the course of the next several weeks, I wrote more and more stories for both the print and online versions of the magazine. From local filmmakers to flower shop owners to museum curators to paranormal investigators, I interviewed and wrote about the people who give Indianapolis its character and charm, and I strengthened my magazine voice under the guidance of seasoned veterans who wanted me to succeed. When I applied for this internship eight months ago, I never would’ve thought I’d leave with 12 published pieces, an in-depth knowledge of Indianapolis and more confidence in my writing abilities than I’ve ever had before. After hundreds of hours of brainstorming, fact-checking, researching, calling, emailing, writing, editing and revising, I’ve gained the real world knowledge I’ll need to make my way post-graduation. But until I reach that point, I’ll remember the weight of the magazine in my hands when I opened it to my first published article. I’ll remember the bright colors and eye-catching fonts, the glossy photographs and bold byline. I’ll remember seeing my name alongside my own text, and I’ll use those memories to remind myself that the end of this internship represents a beginning for more opportunities in the magazine industry and in my own writing to capture the essence and vibrancy of a place I hope to call home. stahullc@miamioh.edu

RECONSTRUCTING HISTORY

Celebrating an anniversary of activism KELLY MCKEWIN

THE MIAMI STUDENT Fifty years ago, on April 15, 1970, over 150 Miami students were arrested after occupying Rowan Hall in protest of the Vietnam War. The protest was one of thousands on college campuses across the country at the time and preceded the Kent State shootings by only a few weeks. This year, in an effort to bring the story to life, two professors, Andy Rice, an assistant professor in Media, Journalism and Film, and Eric Hodgson, an assistant professor in the Armstrong Institute for Interactive Media Studies, will be teaching a series of classes and labs about the protest in the hopes of creating an augmented reality display in the spring. The display would be set up in Armstrong Student Center, where Rowan Hall used to stand, and would allow Miami students to use an app to read about and see photos from the protests. Rice wants to make this piece of Miami history more accessible to students today through the class and the display in the spring. “I didn’t see a lot of evidence that this history has been considered,” Rice said. “I would like to make this history more accessible for conversation.” The Rowan Hall protest began as a rally on Miami’s campus against the Vietnam War. These kinds of protests were fairly common around the country at the time and had occurred on Miami’s campus before, though usually with only a few hundred students in attendance. The April 15 rally, which took place outside of Roudebush Hall, had between 300 and 500 students in attendance, with many coming and going throughout the afternoon. The rally was peaceful and even shifted its focus away from Vietnam to the demands of the Black Student Action Association, a group that was advocating for more representation and equality on Miami’s campus. Around 4 p.m. that afternoon, as the rally was being adjourned by its organizers, Miami senior Alan “Dusty” Steytler grabbed a microphone and proposed that the rally attendees march on the ROTC building, Rowan Hall to better show their protest against Vietnam and militarism. Around 50 students followed and broke into Rowan Hall, with more students joining in throughout the evening. Miami administrators were at the scene almost immediately, urging students to go home,

but no physical action was taken to remove students from the building immediately. The first three to four hours of the occupation had turned into less of a protest and more of a party — students ordered pizza to the hall and had a band set up. However, as time went on, Miami administrators became more adamant about students leaving, while students doubled down on their decision to stay, urging anyone who wasn’t prepared for a true sit-in to go home. Around 8:30 p.m. that evening, Robert Etheridge, the Vice President for Student Affairs at the time, arrived and ordered students to leave. Student protest leaders refused and instead gave Etheridge a list of demands that they wanted met first, including the elimination of ROTC on Miami’s campus, Miami’s agreement to the demands of the Black Student Action Association and a promise that no students participating in the occupation would be punished. The confrontation continued when Etheridge refused, threatening expulsion of all the students at the rally if they didn’t leave, though he offered students the option to relocate to the Hall Auditorium if they wanted to continue their sit-in and discuss their demands further with the university. Students again refused. At 9:45 p.m., Etheridge returned and told students they would be expelled and police were on the way if they didn’t leave. Around half the students at the occupation did leave at this point, but nearly 200 remained, and around 10:10 police arrived and chaos ensued. Some students were physically dragged out of the hall, while tear gas and mace were used inside the building as well to force students out. Students were arrested as they came out of the building. While Rice thinks the Rowan Hall protest itself is an important piece of Miami history, he hopes that his class and the final display will help students recognize the relationship between young people and activism that persists today. “It’s a good way to think about the relationship between youth and protest more broadly,” Rice said. “You can think about a whole number of social movements that are cutting edge issues around the world right now being led by young people, but the ’60s was really the era where that idea and that set of associations came to be formed.” mckewikm@miamioh.edu @kelly_mckewin


10 CULTURE

TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2019

HEADLEDDMIAMIOH.EDU

Discovering Kosovo

‘Great coffee, better people and a tangled history’ CHLOE MURDOCK

THE MIAMI STUDENT Kosovo. “Where is that?” The country was a big, black box of uncertainty to me, my family and friends before I landed in the capital city of Prishtina. I hadn’t studied the region before and don’t speak Albanian or Serbian, Kosovo’s two most significant official languages. At times I simply said, “It’s in eastern Europe,” and the conversation would end. A program coordinator told me that people become attached to the first place they go abroad because it feels like a second home. Maybe this is why now, I can’t stop talking about Kosovo. The “caffes” Countless cafes misspelled this word in their signs (my favorite ones didn’t), but each had an endless supply of espresso and mostly English-speaking waiters. A few switched on string lights at night and transformed these spaces into bars, with music turned up so loud that my friends and I had to lean in close to hear each other speak. In these close and crowded spaces, I found myself yelling secrets to people I met weeks before that I had never admitted to people back home. When I returned to the States, I finally could. The people Especially in a place where hosts

treat guests better than family, you learn how to make friends and ask for help faster than you would think possible. You have to, especially if you need help understanding why Albanians go crazy when traditional music comes on at a festival — Shqipdona and Zana, you didn’t tell us, you showed us — or something a bit more complicated, like traditional Albanian dancing steps — thank you for the lessons, Vjosa and Donjeta. It’s also important to understand that you may never understand some things, such as how to pronounce the Albanian ‘L.’ Ardi, if I am a crazy woman, you are an absolute fool. You

Spending the Fourth of July in a foreign country is not exactly patriotic. I’m not pleased with the state of the union, but I made up for my clear lack of patriotism anyway by singing the U.S. national anthem at the top of my lungs — just as our founding fathers intended. Kosovo celebrated the holiday with me by shooting off fireworks that night. Earlier that day, a giant U.S. flag streamed down the parliamentary building. Below it, on Mother Theresa Boulevard, some Kosovars sported “Thank You, USA” T-shirts. In 1999, then-U.S. President Bill Clinton pushed for the NATO bomb-

“My friends were the hardest to leave. I can’t list them all, but they know who they are.” wasted 30 minutes of your life trying to teach me this when we could have binge-watched 1.5 more episodes of “That 70’s Show” with Jessica. My friends were the hardest to leave. I can’t list them all, but they know who they are. The complicated past and present

KOSOVO OFFERS A WIDE RANGE OF ENRICHING CULTURAL EXPERIENCES FOR PROSPECTIVE VISITORS CHLOE MURDOCK THE MIAMI STUDENT

ings that stopped Serbian soldiers’ ethnic genocide of Kosovan Albanians, and Kosovo still remembers. The other students and I were still in diapers or learning to walk in 1999, but Kosovo veterans often stopped to thank us as Americans for what our country did for them and their families. Petar, my coworker, guide and friend who is Serbian, had an understandably complex reaction when we talked about Kosovan history. He pointed out new refugee camps for displaced Kosovan Serbians while he was helping me navigate the North side of Mitrovica. Moments later, he and his friend Milos asked, “What do you think of Bill Clinton?” He wasn’t another grateful stranger. I couldn’t simply say, “Thank you.” ... Kosovo is a Schroedinger’s cat of a country to most of the world. Most people don’t know what it is or where it is, and maybe most don’t care to talk about it. And why go and see? What’s there, except great coffee, better people and a tangled history that makes life there as interesting to me as it is difficult for those same peoplea? I’ve been in the box with the cat. I won’t lock it up again. murdocc3@miamioh.edu @chloeannmurdock

A summer of growth and gratitude

GOING FROM CAMPER TO COUNSELOR PROVED A SMOOTHER TRANSITION THAN ZOEY EXPECTED. ZOEY BECKER THE MIAMI STUDENT

ZOEY BECKER

THE MIAMI STUDENT I got dropped off at Camp Rim Rock for the first time in the summer of 2009. I was nine years old and terrified to spend the month in West Virginia with people I’d never met. But the four weeks flew by, and by the time my parents arrived to pick me up, I had 20 new best friends and never wanted to leave. That’s how it went every summer for the next six years. By the time I was 15, I was too old to be a camper, so I applied for the junior staff program and spent the next two summers as an unpaid junior counselor. The summer that I graduated high school, my friend group of 20 had dropped to the five of us who favored camp over a “real job.” By then I was a full counselor. I spent the next two summers as a chorus counselor (which is ironic, because I can’t sing). At the end of last summer, I was asked to be a unit head. (Unit heads are in charge of the whole unit, about 30 kids and 15 counselors). Eager to climb the camp ladder, I said yes without thinking. Fast forward to this summer, I arrived at camp in early June, so

petrified to be a unit head that I threw up from nerves on the drive there. I had always been the fun, relaxed counselor: the campers’ favorite. I always had trouble disciplining them because often they saw me as more of a friend than an authoritative figure. I didn’t think it was possible to be both. By the time I ended my summer as unit head, eight weeks later, I found out that I was very wrong. Each summer at camp, I established close connections and bonds with my campers that kept me coming back year after year. As a unit head, I thought that I wouldn’t be able to have the same close bonds with them. But instead of being more distant with the kids, I forged even closer connections. This came easy to me because as a former camper, I could easily put myself in their shoes. I spent hours matching them to their camp “big sisters,” so that they would actually like their each other. I fought tirelessly for them in all camp meetings with the directors, and when it came to making last minute calls, I let the kids vote so that they had a voice. I went above and beyond to meet the camper’s individual needs. We’d

often have “problem children” — kids that don’t listen or respect us and act up. We had one girl who constantly fought with her cabinmates, cursed and made rude remarks to other campers. She had already been at camp for a month when she was moved to my unit, and the directors had no faith that I’d be the one to change her behavior. It didn’t take me long to realize that she had anger issues and anxiety, and rarely thought before she spoke. On the first day that she was in my unit, I gave her a physical list of what to do when she felt angry at other campers. From then on, whenever she’d get mad, she would calmly walk out of her cabin and come find me, to chat, breathe or make bracelets using my secret stash of letter beads. I prided myself on establishing trust with her and showing my directors that I could handle the hard parts of the job. She trusted me so much that she confided in me about her difficult home life and her recent adoption. As a sociology and journalism major, I found myself wanting to dig deeper into her history and uncover just what exactly led her to form her behavior patterns and coping mechanisms. I had to remind myself many times that it wasn’t my job to find the source of their problems,

but instead to change their behavior to match our camp’s expectations. I met so many kids who didn’t have great home lives, who would cry to me at night because of a nasty divorce going on at home, a terminal illness in the family, or parents who wouldn’t write them. I wanted nothing more than to take them home with me and give them the support and attention they deserved. At camp, I feel like a mother, or a big sister. But really, I’m just a 20-year-old who loves kids. Every camper that moved into one of my cabins got my full heart, and when their parents came to pick them up, I felt like I’d lost one of my kids. I patiently wait until the day they’re not campers anymore, so I can give them my number and keep in touch. Until then, I have many pen-pals, and each time I get a letter in the mail I’m reminded of how important my unspoken promise to them was. I promised myself that I would always be there for these

kids, whether at camp or at school, because they have impacted my life so greatly. Next summer, I’ll be the only one of my original group of friends to come back to camp. For me, it’s as real of a job as any. I’m learning skills that I could never learn in an office. I learned how to manage a team of counselors. I learned how to schedule 20 counselors at a time and solve scheduling conflicts. I learned how to solve fights between ten year olds and how to make urgent walkie talkie calls when a kid falls off a horse. Even though the summer was now over, I still have pieces of camp with me. Scattered throughout my room are remnants of my summer: notes in my desk drawer from campers, polaroids of birthday cake and dance parties. beckerzf@miamioh.edu @ZoeyBecker

WHETHER AT THE POOL OR IN THE CABINS, ZOEY FORGED BONDS WITH CAMPERS. ZOEY BECKER THE MIAMI STUDENT


CULTURE 11

TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2019

DATTILEC@MIAMIOH.EDU

The American Southwest: a region in review KIRBY DAVIS COLUMNIST

Every summer, 20 of my family members on my dad’s side come from Cleveland, Philadelphia and Tel Aviv, Israel, to go on vacation together. My great-aunt and uncle own a travel agency, making this doable. For five or six years we stayed in houses at a low-key lake in northwestern Maryland. We’d rent paddle boards and do puzzles and go to the sketchy local arcade when it rained, but my aunt and uncle grew bored with these activities, so we’ve branched out to Tel Aviv, Costa Rica and, a few weeks ago, the American Southwest. I would like to note that “we” are my immediate family, grandpa, several aunts and uncles, and six cousins ranging from age 11 to 18 — plus one of my cousin’s boyfriends. I would also like to note that I overheat faster than my French bulldog and hate the outdoors. That being said, here are my reviews of every place at which we spent more than an hour. Sky Harbor Phoenix International Airport Phoenix, Ariz., 4/5 stars My family spent several hours here waiting for the Israelis and Philadelphians to arrive, and we had a blast eating tacos and charging our phones. Also, any airport is nicer than Cleveland’s. Grand Canyon National Park Arizona, 3/5 stars The Grand Canyon isn’t overrated, but it wasn’t my favorite park, and

that’s all I have to say about that. Lake Powell Arizona, 2/5 stars You have to pay to enter the area surrounding Lake Powell, which I think is technically Page, Arizona, and I have no idea why. There is a big dam, which you can walk across, a dam museum you can visit and there is a single “resort” where we stayed for three days. The outdoor areas were infested with thick clouds of flies and there was always a bonfire burning by the pool despite the 90-degree heat. But I had fun with my family, and their chicken wings weren’t bad. Little Hollywood Land: Museum, Trading Post & Chuckwagon Cookout Kanab, Utah, 5/5 stars We drove from Phoenix to Las Vegas over the course of eight days, so we pulled over at many rest stops. This was the only one offering hotpink Clint Eastwood-printed tunics, a room devoted to cowboy hats and a field full of huts out in the back equipped with DVD players ready to screen old westerns. What more could you want? Bryce Canyon National Park Utah, 4/5 stars The Grand Canyon’s artsy, more original younger brother. We only spent an hour here walking a brief trail overlooking the park, and a few brave family members hiked 10 minutes into the canyon, but it was enough. Bryce was fun and, I can imagine, thrilling for families who actually enjoy hiking.

A FAMILY REUNION SAW KIRBY TREKKING ACROSS THE AMERICAN SOUTH, VISITING A WIDE VARIETY OF LANDMARKS. KIRBY DAVIS THE MIAMI STUDENT

Zion National Park Utah, 5/5 stars Zion was my favorite national park we visited. It was the only one we toured at the base of the canyon instead of the top, and the park (and nearby town, Springdale) had everything — river hiking, normal hiking, horseback riding and a Mexican-Italian restaurant. Also, the Marriott we

stayed at felt like a five-star resort after Lake Powell. Las Vegas Nevada, 1/5 stars I can’t even say I understand the appeal of Las Vegas. I don’t. I can only say the Blue Man Group is entertaining and the food is good. Otherwise, it’s blisteringly hot and I saw more people throw up on sidewalks than

on any Saturday night I’ve spent in Oxford. To recap: Definitely visit Little Hollywood Land if you find yourself wherever it is in Utah, prioritize Zion National Park on a visit out West and steer clear of Lake Powell unless you’re, like, really into dams. daviskn3@miamioh.edu @kirbdavis

Shooting the savannah Photo story by Jugal Jain This summer, I traveled to Kenya and got a chance to go on a safari, or in African terms a “game drive,” in the Great Maasai Mara National Reserve. This area along the Tanaz-

nian border is home to many exotic animals. Some of my favorite spottings were of lions, cheetahs and elephants. I never felt more connected to nature. The trip reminded me how

vast this world is and how much more there is to explore and learn. And, while in nature I felt better able to live in the moment. One of the most jarring moments I witnessed

was watching five cheetahs descend on a wildebeest. That experience, in particular, is going to live with my camera and me for years.


Sports

12

VINELCA@MIAMIOH.EDU

TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2019

MIAMI FOOTBALL BRINGS ENERGY, ATTITUDE INTO TOUGH SCHEDULE

WITH ROLES TO FILL, MANY REDHAWKS VIED FOR STARTING POSITIONS DURING FALL TRAINING CAMP (ABOVE). REDSHIRT JUNIOR WIDEOUT JACK SORENSON, MIAMI’S LEADING RECEIVER LAST SEASON, MAKES A LEAPING CATCH DURING AN AUGUST PRACTICE (BELOW). CONTRIBUTED BY MIAMI ATHLETICS

CHRIS VINEL

SPORTS EDITOR The Miami RedHawks don’t care how they win games this season. Whether the offense drops 50 points in a shootout, or the defense shines in a 3-0 slugfest, it doesn’t matter. The only objective is to win, regardless of the circumstances. “That was the attitude we had at the end of last season,” redshirt junior wide receiver Jack Sorenson said. “At all costs, we’re going to win the game. It doesn’t matter how we do it. It doesn’t matter if we have 1,000 penalties, but if we come out with a win, a win’s a win.”

Sorenson said he and his teammates have brought that same mindset into this season’s fall training camp. “The defense has it,” Sorenson said. “The offense has it. You can tell at the end of practice, when we’re both cheering and screaming at each other, and it’s hyped.” The excitement has been palpable throughout August, especially on days like August 18, when the heat index on the Yager Stadium turf rose to 109 degrees at 10:30 a.m. The RedHawks believe it’s that energy that will push them past the non-conference and one-possession-game disappointments from the past two seasons toward the streaking momentum they captured late last season. After struggling to a 1-4 record in 2018’s first

five weeks, Miami sprung into survival mode and won five of its last seven games. The RedHawks’ final two losses came by a combined 10 points. Sorenson said clawing back from the bad start is what caused the shift in energy. Head coach Chuck Martin called his team’s current approach “mature.” “We’re just trying to get closer to midseason form earlier,” Martin said. “Every year, the details get better, and that’s standard. No one plays their best football Week One. But we’re trying to push to get better.” But with an even tougher non-conference schedule this season, Martin’s men will have to be better earlier. Miami begins the season at Iowa, and after a quick home tuneup against Tennessee Tech, heads to Cincinnati and Ohio State on back-toback weekends in mid-September. Martin emphasized that those games present learning opportunities, but they’ll be treated like normal games — games that Miami wants to win. After the departure of RedHawk stalwarts, like Gus Ragland, Kenny Young and Brad Koenig, many young players will have to step up and fill the vacated roles. The most high-profile position battle of both spring and fall camp has been between the quarterbacks. Redshirt sophomore Jackson Williamson, redshirt freshman A.J. Mayer and freshman Brett Gabbert are all still in the running to win

the starting job. Due to Williamson dealing with some injuries this month, Mayer and Gabbert have recently received the bulk of the first-team reps. “I would be shocked if you don’t see multiple quarterbacks play against Iowa,” Martin said. “But not necessarily evenly. There may be a pecking order. I wouldn’t say there’s one yet … We like all three, and they’re all doing good things.” Aside from the quarterbacks, most of the other players assuming more important roles gained in-game experience as a result of injury misfortunes Miami suffered last season. Sorenson, sophomore corner Ja’don Rucker-Furlow and redshirt junior linebacker Ryan McWood are among the group that benefited from being forced into action. Once Miami makes it through non-conference play, it will look to replicate its 6-2 Mid-American-Conference record from last season. “There is that sense of we need to get focused, and we need to do the right things,” senior defensive lineman Doug Costin said. The RedHawks will have the chance to do the right things against someone other than their teammates this Saturday against Iowa. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on FS1. vinelca@miamioh.edu @ChrisAVinel

Baseball and Frosted Flakes – Surprise lunch with my favorite player LILY FREIBERG

THE MIAMI STUDENT On a Monday in early June, I got a text from my cousin, asking me to come to downtown Cincinnati the next day because he “really needed me to meet someone.” I said, “Yes,” because my mom and I were hiking near the city, and we could easily drive to his downtown store to meet with him. I thought about the possibilities of the special guest. My cousin didn’t give me any information about the person I was going to meet. All he said was I was meeting someone, and I needed to bring a pen and a pad of paper. I had a feeling it was going to be Cody. Cody Reed is my favorite Major League Baseball player. He had been since last summer. It just made sense. Cody was sent to the minor leagues after Memorial Day, and the major league team, the Cincinnati Reds, was in St. Louis for an away series with the Cardinals. The only minor league player I’ve expressed my admiration for was Cody, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up, so I shook off the thought and continued walking. I felt hungry and begged my mom for food after our walk. We got a chicken salad croissant sandwich and a side of chips to go from the Cincinnati Art Museum and ate in the car on the way to my cousin’s store. When we arrived, my cousin directed my mom and I over to the Sleepy Bee Cafe for lunch. Oops! I guess we shouldn’t have eaten that

sandwich and chips. I was confused because it took a while to get a table, but I went with it. Once we sat down, my cousin apologized for the specificity of the table. He said, “Our special guest has an injured leg,” as he glanced in my direction to see if I got the hint. I got it. Cody had hurt his knee just a few days earlier. And that was the moment I realized I was about to have lunch with Cody Reed, the guy I followed around for six hours at Redsfest, an annual festival for Cincinnati baseball fans. I freaked out. I texted my dad, “I’M ABOUT TO HAVE LUNCH WITH CODY REED,” to which he replied, “Whaaa?” Two minutes later, a very tall, broad-shouldered man on crutches entered the restaurant. My cousin told me to start thinking of questions. I was nervous and very shy at first. I was caught off-guard, but I loosened up as the conversation kept going. My cousin and my mom helped me come up with questions to ask him. Cody ordered a big meal with a coffee, but I ordered a small fruit cup since I ate beforehand. We sat at the table for about two hours, talking about baseball, life, and other things. He explained his close relationship with his mom and what it was like growing up without a father figure, as he was raised by his mom and older sister. He also explained the business aspect of baseball and how this season might be his last with the Reds due to running out of mi-

CODY REED, WHO STANDS 6 FOOT 5, MET MIAMI STUDENT WRITER LILY FREIBERG FOR LUNCH AT CINCINNATI’S SLEEPY BEE CAFE IN JUNE. CONTRIBUTED BY LILY FREIBERG

nor-league options. Cody and I hit it off and found some commonalities. We are both left-handed and even have the same favorite cereal: Frosted Flakes. Cody was a very humble and down-toearth guy, and I really enjoyed talking to him for more than the typical five seconds fans get when meeting their favorite athletes. At the end of lunch, Cody gifted me a

signed baseball, and we took some pictures. We exchanged contact information and hugged. And now, it is the coolest thing to say I had lunch with a professional baseball player. I even have his phone number. freibell@miamioh.edu


VINELCA@MIAMIOH.EDU

SPORTS 13

TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2019

I root for fans, not the RedHawks CHRIS VINEL

SPORTS EDITOR

RYAN SMITH CATCHES A PASS AGAINST EASTERN MICHIGAN DURING HIS SENIOR SEASON. HE ENDED HIS MIAMI CAREER WITH 92 CATCHES FOR 1,149 YARDS AND 14 TOUCHDOWNS. CONTRIBUTED BY MIAMI ATHLETICS

Ryan Smith pursues NFL dream, not the typical post-grad life BRADY PFISTER STAFF WRITER

Former Miami tight end Ryan Smith isn’t interested in starting life in the “real world.” At least not yet. After getting cut by the Green Bay Packers at the end of 2018 training camp, Smith is back in professional sports. In May, he signed to play rugby for Old Glory D.C., with the hopes it will launch him back into the NFL. And he doesn’t want to hear anyone’s thoughts on growing up and getting a traditional job. “I’m not ready to hang up the cleats yet,” Smith said. “Once you make that transition from college to the working world, there’s a lot of growing up to be done. I just don’t think I need to go do that yet.” Since his Miami career ended November 21, 2017 against Ball State, Smith has relentlessly pursued his dream of professional football on an unpredictable path, full of promising highs and uncertain lows. Though the 6-foot-4-inch native Chicagoan did not hear his named called during the 2018 NFL Draft, he did receive a tryout opportunity from the Green Bay Packers. Unlike draft picks and undrafted free agents, Smith’s only way to make a roster was through proving himself at rookie

minicamp. “I feel like I thrive under pressure,” Smith said. “I can’t screw this up because, if I do, there goes my opportunity.” Smith, weighing in at 265 lbs., earned his shot at participating in Packers training camp not just through physical ability, but also as a result of tirelessly studying Green Bay’s playbook between practices and late at night during rookie camp. Following a solid showing at his tryout, Smith was approached by former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and asked how he would feel about becoming a Green Bay Packer. For Smith, moving on with his life seems foolish when he looks back at the sheer joy this moment brought. “It was a dream come true,” Smith said. “I’m getting the chills just talking about it.” Yet the path to being a Packer for the regular season remained unsure, as the stresses of NFL training camp would decide Smith’s 2018 professional football fate. Smith’s hot summer days of training camp would begin at 5 a.m. and included three hours of competing against Pro Bowl tight ends Marcedes Lewis and Jimmy Graham in practice. When he wasn’t practicing, Smith took part in two workouts per day as well as five hours of meetings. No, this was not the real world

of clocking in and out of a desk job. It was harder. Smith recalled one specific instance where a rookie linebacker made the same mistake twice in one practice. Before the practice ended, the player was approached by a scout and cut from the team. “I know it’s cutthroat,” Smith said. “But I didn’t think it was going to be like that.” Smith’s life also included facing Packer defenders each day in practice. Including All-Pro linebacker Clay Matthews. The tight end quickly realized while trying to block M a t thews that NFL com- petition is a different challenge than what he went up against in Tuesday night Mid-American Conference games. “That man is a freak of nature,” Smith said. “He is a physical specimen, and he’s a very good football player.” Smith, however, is not a freak of nature. Nor is he a fringe Hall of Fame tight end like Lewis and Graham. As a result, he is no longer a Green Bay Packer. On the final day of cuts to finalize a 53-man roster, Smith received a call from Packers coaches to bring in his iPad and playbook. His short-lived career with the Packers was over. “I knew I had a tough possibility of making the team,” Smith said. “It’s a business. That’s how

it goes.” Suddenly, for the first time in over a decade, Smith was faced with a world without playing football. He moved back to his hometown where he served as a wide receiver coach on a high school coaching staff and found a job at a local deli. When January of 2019 rolled around, Smith moved back to Oxford to finish up his undergraduate history degree from Miami. The days of reach blocking Clay Matthews and NFL training fade further and further into the past. But Smith still dreams of similar days ahead. He moved decisively against a typical lifestyle when he signed with Old Glory D.C. as a professional rugby player. No, there are no guarantees that it will lead him back to an NFL practice field, but Smith knows he would never forgive himself if he rushed out of his playing days. “I’m only this young once,” Smith said. “I feel like I would regret it if I did hang the cleats up.” One day, Smith wants a family. He plans to coach high school football in the evening and teach during the day. But today is not that day. The real world can wait. pfistejb@miamioh.edu @brady_pfister

’Hawks Talk “We don’t (have one) yet. I feel it’s one of the things we’re still trying to adopt. And I feel like it could take the whole season, maybe. But as long as our play looks like we have a motto, and we play the right way, I feel like that’s more important.”

I’m not a Miami RedHawks fan. I go to school at Miami University and love the place, but I don’t cheer on its sports teams. Every day of the week, I root for the Cincinnati Reds, Bengals and a host of other franchises or college programs. But when it comes to the RedHawks, I have a job to do, and that is to report the facts from a neutral base. Journalists aren’t allowed to cheer in the press box, and I live by that. I’m never calmer than when stationed in the Yager Stadium press box or Millett Hall press row. People have told me to loosen up, but I call the action like I see it and encourage my staff to do the same. If one of Miami’s basketball teams shoots 30 percent from the field, I’ll write it struggled to score and won’t accentuate the positives. If the volleyball team wins in straight sets, I’ll write that it dominated. That attitude comes from reading columnists like The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Paul Daugherty and Miami alum Terence Moore — men known for their strong opinions — along with masterfully neutral journalists like MLB.com’s Marc Topkin. Pulling punches and picking sides doesn’t result in good journalism, especially when picking the side of the team you’re assigned to cover. I don’t revere Miami coaches or players. Tough questions still need to be asked, no matter how much I like a person on or off the field. Miami Athletics records each coach’s press conference and posts the video online for fans to check out. Many times, I’ve asked pointed questions that have been cut from the video before it makes it online. Last season, Miami Student staff writer Brady Pfister and I asked head football coach Chuck Martin what he thought of Miami’s lastplace ranking on ESPN’s fan happiness index. Yes, the question and Martin’s response never made it online in video form, but it was in The Miami Student the next day. Fans want to hear that. Fans want answers. That’s how I view my job as sports editor. I’m lucky enough to have access to Miami sports that not many people have. Because I and the other Miami Student sports writers have the privilege of being closer to the teams than most fans, I believe we need to have your backs. I want The Miami Student to provide Miami athletic coverage that can’t and won’t be seen elsewhere, whether it comes as game recaps, features or the occasional column. I believe that’s what readers like everyone reading this want to see. But I also want feedback. What do you love to read about Miami sports? What do you hate about The Student’s past coverage? What do you want to see going forward? My philosophy toward sports journalism and covering the RedHawks is detailed above. Those principles will be at the core of all Miami Student sports coverage during the 2019-2020 school year. That’s the standard I promise to hold myself and my writers to, and that’s what you can expect. Want to see something different or have any suggestions? Let me know. My email address and Twitter handle are listed below. Let’s talk. vinelca@miamioh.edu @ChrisAVinel

THURSDAY

SOCCER Miami ............................... 1 Dayton ............................. 7

-Senior defensive lineman Doug Costin on if his defense has a motto.

SUNDAY

SOCCER Miami ............................... 0 Wright State ..................... 1


Opinion

14

RIGAZIKM@MIAMIOH.EDU

TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2019 STAFF EDITORIAL

MIAMI’S DUE FOR A REORIENTATION The following reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board. This past weekend, Miami University’s class of 2023 arrived in Oxford with the standard jam-packed schedule featuring residence hall move-in, fireworks, a class photo on Yager Field and ending with Sunday’s Convocation ceremony. Convocation’s keynote speaker, Stephanie Anderson, is the author of “One Size Fits None.” The book, which was Miami’s 2019 summer reading pick, focuses on the importance of developing sustainable food systems in response to the growing global threat of climate change. The bulk of Anderson’s speech centered on climate change, how it has impacted and will continue to impact our society and the role universities will play in creating a more sustainable future. “In the coming years, colleges will be measured not only by how well they prepare students for a career, but also by how well they prepare those students to live, work, create, communicate and lead in a world shaped by climate change,” Anderson said. So, how does Miami measure up? While Anderson did commend the efforts that Miami has made toward becoming more sustainable, our editorial board still believes more needs to be done to demonstrate Miami truly understands the gravity of the problem. Miami is always sure to tout and greenwash their sustainability stats. If you check out Miami’s Sustainability and Commitment Goals, it certainly looks like we attend a sustainability-minded university. The problem is, though, that

actions speak far louder than any PR-curated website can. This isn’t to say Miami hasn’t done anything. The efforts the university has made to create a more environmentally conscious institution are worth praise. In 2016, Miami announced it’s goal of reducing the university’s yearly carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2020. The university exceeded that goal by 2018. The university also received a gold rating from the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment &e Rating System (STARS) in 2019. In light of these successes, Miami’s administration continues to say they support forming a culture focused on sustainability, and has emphasized their support for sustainability curriculum in classrooms. But with these small successes, we are only just beginning to break the surface of sustainability issues on campus. Miami is quick to boast about their efforts toward relying more on renewable energy, but the Geothermal Heat Exchange only runs to ten campus buildings, according to the Utility Systems pamphlet distributed by the physical facilities department. In Miami’s STARS report, the university received a 0.17 out of 4 in clean and renewable energy. Their food and beverage purchasing practices were rated a 0.61 out of 6.00, and 1.19 out of 8 on learning outcomes focused on sustainability. In terms of sustainability literacy assessment, Miami scored 0 out of 4. Inviting Anderson as the convocation keynote is a fantastic way to signal that these things matter to our campus, but too many questions remain unanswered: What are we going to do about it? How will Miami build on the progress it has

made? The impact of food, especially in terms of waste, is hardly dealt with here on campus, yet food waste makes up a large chunk of Anderson’s book. There is no uniform composting program across campus. Food packaging and to-go containers continue to fill Miami trash bins when universities across the country have undertaken programs with reusables and have dramatically cut the number of packaged goods sold on campuses. Anderson encouraged students to use their time in college as a time to allow their beliefs to be challenged, to take the knowledge they gain and use it to reconstruct their understanding of the world and their own position in it. She referred to this process as a “reorientation.” Our staff believes that all of Miami could benefit from a reorientation. The threat of climate change is an issue every student at Miami is going to have to navigate, not just the class of 2023. It’s an issue everyone who plans to be alive 11 years from now will have to deal with – because that’s when it will become irreversible if drastic changes are not undertaken. Miami needs to lead by example and adopt on-campus practices that encourage wide-spread sustainability at every level — not just focus on easily attainable, favorable statistics Our university must recognize this is just the beginning. The threat of climate change is ever-evolving and complex, but Miami continues to put forth the same PR-centric ideas of what a sustainable campus looks like without changing the core culture of our campus community. It’s time to reorient, Miami.

Good Morning Miami: Taking time off school Look around, you’re is not that bad home now

EMILY DATTILO

CULTURE EDITOR Welcome to Oxford, freshies. Several months ago, you probably took a tour of Miami and felt completely overwhelmed. You probably couldn’t tell one red brick building from the next. You probably hadn’t even decided where you’d be attending college. But something drew you to this little town in Ohio, and now you get to decide exactly what the next four years are going to look like. Those four years probably began with countless mini vans clogging the Oxford streets. You nervously clung to your Miami ID card because summer orientation leaders deemed it your lifeline. Dozens of people sporting red shirts emblazoned with the red “M” greeted you with friendly smiles and helped carry overflowing cardboard boxes into your residence hall. Opening the dorm room door revealed a bed frame, an empty dresser and four white walls. Before you had time to worry, your family set to work putting sheets on the bed, placing picture frames on the desk and filling drawers with neatly folded clothes. A couple of hours later, that dorm room transformed into a piece of home. A quick meal, tearful goodbyes and several hugs later, your family drove away, leaving you to navigate your newfound independence. As a junior, I’d like to offer some suggestions on how to handle these first few months. First, leave your dorm room door open. Seriously, do it. It seems weird at first, but people walking down the hall will stop in, and that’s how you make friends. Put the Mobile ID app on your phone. You’re going to forget that ID card at least once and this app will save you more often than not. Talk to people in class. I met one of my best friends by sitting a seat over from her in a microbiology lecture and striking up

FIND YOUR FIT

K

FREE WEE r1

–Septembe

August 26

conversation. Go to your professor’s office hours. College is different than high school. If you’re struggling in a class, you have to advocate for yourself. And don’t wait until the week before finals to decide that you care about your grades. Call your parents. They want to know what you’re up to, and they’re going to have a lot of questions. Answer their questions. Keeping in touch helps them let you go just a bit. Some people act like the transition is seamless, but understand that no matter how confident the guy on your floor seems, or how talkative the girl walking down the sidewalk appears, every single kid is nervous. Pay attention when you’re walking around campus. Take your headphones out once in a while and look around. You miss a lot by just staring at your phone. Hang out with your roommate, but don’t be afraid to branch out. Find friends who like to do different things and who will nudge you out of your comfort zone. Take time for yourself. I’ve made the mistake of booking my calendar to the point where I hardly had a free moment, and all it did was create stress. Take time to watch some Netflix or go to the gym. Find a comfortable spot to study. For some of you, that’ll be your room but don’t be afraid to head to Armstrong, King Library or the coffee shops uptown. Say yes to spontaneous trips to Target or Walmart. Car trips are a nice break from having to walk everywhere for everything at school. Don’t feel trapped in your major. When you were applying to college, you probably chose your major without knowing what the classes were going to be like or what career paths you could choose based on it. If, after a few classes, your major doesn’t interest you, switch it to something that does. Choose your major because it’s what you love to do. And to those of you who haven’t quite found your passion or area of interest, don’t worry. There’s no timeclock to find that dream job. Try Bagel & Deli. Get the mac bites at Skipper’s. Go to the bars. Grab a Starbucks drink and sit on the quad. Join an intramural sports team. Go to a hockey game. Buy a Miami t-shirt and wear our red and white with pride. Look around. Those red brick buildings, beautiful quads and ringing bell towers are yours now. Welcome home, Miami University class 0f 2023. dattilec@miamioh.edu

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KIRBY DAVIS COLUMNIST

Last year, when someone suggested I take a break from school, I thought it was the scariest, worst thing I could possibly do for myself (right after hitchhiking or meeting someone from Tinder in a private location). But I took a semester-and-a-half off last year, and I lived. Here are some things I did with my time: Read a book about Coco Chanel being a Nazi. Hung out with my dog, Leo. Hung out with my grandpa, Jerry. Worked as an intern at a local newspaper. FaceTimed my friends at school. Read “Little Women.” Hated it. Drove my little brother to school. Started moisturizing post-leg shaving. Saw “Phantom of the Opera.” Met a very tall, very cute boy on Tinder and started dating him. Bought a fanny pack. Read three books by Herman Wouk and felt like a better Jew. Prioritized my mental health for the first time in my life and learned how to deal with my formerly all-consuming depression so that I could come back to school and focus on my work and friends rather than how miserable I felt. Taking a medical leave for depression was something I knew I probably needed but resisted for a year. Had I known that everything would be fine — better, even, than any previous semester I had at school — I would have left much sooner. Like many (if not most) of my peers, I was taught to prioritize school over everything since I got my first homework assignment. It’s good to teach kids that doing their homework is more important than watching “Lizzie McGuire,” but eventually, they have other, more serious things to worry about. Like mental health issues. And those, I’ve learned, should always come first. I’ve had depression since high school, but it hit me hardest my junior

year of college. I was going to class, doing most of my work and hanging out with friends, but I was deeply unhappy and didn’t care about any of it. Things improved a little over the summer, but fall semester my senior year, I was so depressed I could barely motivate myself to get out of bed and brush my teeth, much less go to class. My friends, professors and, eventually, parents, encouraged me to take a medical leave of absence so I could see a therapist regularly and find an antidepressant that worked for me. I thought they were insane, but after a couple particularly difficult weeks at school in October, leaving for a semester felt like my only option. One semester turned into two, but

“You can’t rely solely on Taylor Swift songs and Barefoot wine to absolve you of serious mental health issues (I tried).” as I mentioned, both were infinitely more productive than I thought they could be. My worst nightmare is no longer taking a break from school and graduating later than originally planned, but TLC canceling “90 Day Fiancé” and its spinoffs. I swear this isn’t an advertisement for taking medical leave from school, but if you feel like you might need to, it’s not that bad. Your well-being really is more important than your grades, and you can’t rely solely on Taylor Swift songs and Barefoot wine to absolve you of serious mental health issues (I tried). I still feel a little weird about starting my second senior year this week; a lot of my friends have graduated, and I have to retake classes from last fall and the backpack I used for the last four years recently broke. But I would rather be a little bit nervous than have debilitating, mind-numbing depression. It’s not that bad. daviskn3@miamioh.edu @kirbdavis

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