ESTABLISHED 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES
Volume 149 No. 13
Miami university — Oxford, Ohio
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
Miami considers extending test-optional admission policy
Curfew canceled:
Armstrong and uptown bars to remain open later
ADMISSIONS REAGAN RUDE THE MIAMI STUDENT In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Miami University adopted a test-optional policy for applicants during the 2020-2021 admission year, but it has yet to announce what next year’s testing policy will be. The test-optional policy allowed students to apply for admission without submitting scores from the SAT, ACT or SAT subject tests. With the COVID-19 vaccination’s ambiguous rollout timeline and an unclear picture of how many standardized tests will be available this summer, many schools are announcing an extension of last year’s policy. From Harvard and Columbia to the University of Cincinnati, a wide range of colleges are opting out of test requirements for 2022. As equity issues with standardized testing continue to be exposed, several schools, such as the University of Chicago and the University of Dayton, are shifting to a permanent test-optional stance. At Miami, next year’s policy has
HANNAH HORSINGTON ASST. MAGAZINE EDITOR
COSETTE GUNTER
ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday, Feb. 11 that the mandatory statewide curfew has been lifted. Two weeks ago, when the curfew was rolled back from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. due to declining statewide COVID numbers, DeWine announced that if the state had seven consecutive days of less than 2,500 hospitalizations, the curfew would be lifted. The curfew, which had been in place since Nov. 19, was originally slated to last only three weeks. Restaurants and bars were prohibited from staying open past 10 p.m., and people were asked to return home by that time and remain there until 5 a.m at the earliest. On campus, many buildings closed by 9:30 p.m. and students were asked to return to their dorms by 10 p.m. With the curfew now liftings and restaurants plan to remain open later. Armstrong Student Center Director Katie Wilson said Armstrong will stay open until midnight starting Saturday, Feb. 13. She said the reason for the delay is that dining services must provide employees with 36 hours notice for a schedule change, and therefore will not be able to modify hours until Saturday, so Armstrong followed suit. In addition, study room reservations in Armstrong will now be open until 11:30 p.m.
but “a proposal to extend [the] test optional policy beyond 2021 will be making its way through the appropriate policy channels shortly.” BethAdmissions, wrote in an email to The Miami Student. According to the university website, Miami “made the decision to go test-optional to ensure equitable opportunity for admission, scholarships, and honors programs.” Seeing that standardized testing availability is unlikely to return to pre-pandemic levels by this summer, it is possible that Miami may choose to go test-optional for 2022 as well. Going test-optional means more than simply allowing students to apply without taking standardized tests. It forces colleges to adjust the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 DESIGNER SADIE VAN WIE
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Will snow days survive the pandemic?
The threat of virtual learning Grade schools automatically ac-
ACADEMICS
universities, Miami in particular, go-
MAKENZIE KNORE THE MIAMI STUDENT Most students, no matter what age, get excited about snow days and being able to miss a day’s worth of class. However, after almost a year of remote learning, a question emerges — will snow days continue to exist, or will they be replaced by online alternatives? Edward Theroux, superintendent of Talawanda High School, explained that as of right now, the district will calamity days allowed in Ohio. “We believe it is important for our children to have the opportunity to play in the snow, go outside or enjoy Theroux also acknowledged the used up, the school is prepared to go online and have asynchronous learning in place of giving students the day “[Asynchronous]
learning
will
Theroux said. “Zoom, Google platforms and teacher-made curriculum may be a part of that learning experience.” Talawanda schools have decided to do both. This keeps the satisfaction
THE PANDEMIC HAS CALLED THE FUTURE OF SNOW DAYS INTO QUESTION. THE MIAMI STUDENT MAKENZIE KNORE
while also taking advantage of the online-learning resources used during the pandemic.
will they transfer to an online setting? According to Miami’s website, the campus will always be either fully open, open with some classes canceled or completely closed. When the campus is open, everything runs normally. When the campus is closed, no events are to take place and no one should come in exIf the campus is open but classes are work. However, with the emergence of online learning, classes can still go on as scheduled whether the campus is closed or not. On Tuesday, Feb. 9, the campus closed for two hours in the morning, which seemed like a precursor to an actual snow day where professors and administrators had to choose if and how they were going to make adjustments to class delivery. During these two hours, Andrew Casper, an associate professor of art history, held an online class that normally is in person. He said it was easy to transfer the lesson from in-person to online because of his previous experience this past year. “There was already a Zoom link set up in advance,” Casper said. “It really was just a matter of doing the same thing that I do, but just home instead of in the classroom.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
This Issue CAMPUS & COMMUNITY
FOOD
COVID communications from Miami improve this semester
Happy Mardi Gras! Check out a classic New Orleans recipe
page 5
OPINION
page 9
Three into 37: Condit found home in Oxford page 11
Last year, I hated Valentine's Day. This year...? page 12
This Week
2 FYI
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
Named the Best College Newspaper (Non-daily) in Ohio by the Society of Professional Journalists.
Things to do
CHRIS VINEL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Julia Arwine Emily Dattilo Managing Editors
Sarah Grace Hays Maggie Peña Multimedia Editors
Owen Berg Design Editor
Chloe Murdock Magazine Editor
Tim Carlin Briah Lumpkins Duard Headley David Kwiatkowski Campus & Community Editors
Dan Wozniak Business Manager
Lukas Nelson Sports Editor
Fred Reeder Business Adviser
Opinion Editor Bo Brueck Photo Editor
Macey Chamberlin Alessandra Manukian Soren Melbye Sadie Van Wie Designers Madeline Phaby Abby Bammerlin Sean Scott Taj Simmons Lexi Whitehead Cosette Gunter Asst. Campus & Community Editors
Tues 2/16
James Tobin Faculty Adviser
Aim Media Midwest Printer
Weds
Kelly Marsella Sydney Stewart Distributors
Miami University Art Museum Come view three exhibitions by student artists.
10:00 a.m.
NationaliTeas MacMillan Hall Parking Lot
2/17
Owen Berg Style Editor
Art Museum Exhibitions
Take a sip around the world.
9:30 a.m.
Jessica Robinson Humor Editor David Kwiatkowski Entertainment Editor
Thurs
Varno Harris II Social Media Editor
2/18
Sydney Hill Brianna Porter Copy Editors
Advertising information: miamistudent.net/advertise Send us a letter? eic@miamistudent.net The Miami Student is published on Tuesdays during the school year by the students of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. The content of The Miami Student is the sole responsibility of The Miami
CORRECTIONS POLICY
The Miami Student is committed to providing the Miami University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication.
Fri 2/19
Miami String Art Armstrong Pavilion Join MAP in creating your own Miami “M” or Ohio outline string art.
1:00 p.m.
Independent Artist Series: nonSense
Virtual Event Watch this YouTube livestream of student created poetry, spoken word and dance.
7:30 p.m.
Curfew canceled:
Miami considers extending Armstrong and uptown bars to test-optional admission policy remain open later
CONTINUED FROM FRONT “It seems indicative of a government that seems hostile to higher education.” Kaara Peterson, an associate professor of English, also took issue with the state’s vaccination plan. “I think it would be welcome to consider university professors, if not along the lines of K-12 educators, to at least put us in a future subgroup,” Peterson said. “Because of our public-facing roles as teachers, it would make sense to think about university professors somewhere down the line.” Dahlman also noted the extreme circumstances for K-12 students and teachers. “In my opinion, while this is hard for everybody, it’s pretty much impossible for some younger students to learn remotely,” he said. “Public schools are also de facto childcare, so it’s important to get K-12 educators and students back into the schoolhouse.” Bridge also acknowledged the trials of remote K-12 education. “I’ve seen videos of parents of children with complications related to online learning, and I feel for those parents,” she said. “There are many people who have a more legitimate claim to be a priority vaccine group, especially since I can do my job at home much of the time and teach classes virtually.” In addition to lacking vaccine priority, Miami professors were also lacking a cohesive response from the university about this information. The extent of the university’s commu-
nication about the issue is that they do not yet have information on when the vaccine will be distributed to professors. Some professors expressed hope for this to change in the future. “While Miami obviously doesn’t want to promise things that they can’t deliver, it could be helpful if the university served as a central communicator to coordinate vaccinations for students and professors,” Peterson said. “It would be helpful if Miami could partner with a healthcare company to help set up vaccines for everyone in the Miami community, and it would be welcome for them to let us know about partnerships.” Bridge also agreed the university could do more to give professors information about vaccinations. “As a university professor, I would like, at some point, to get some more information,” she said. “Is the university going to make any contact the Little Clinic at Kroger when their age group comes up?” While the attitude toward university professors hasn’t been very transparent at either the state or local level, one thing is clear: Professors recognize and respect the other educators that were placed under priority vaccination, and they will continue to teach, vaccine or not. @hua_shr moorese6@miamioh.ed
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CONTINUED FROM FRONT way they evaluate their applicants for admission. Without test scores, universities must place more emphasis on other components such as grades, extracurricular activities, essays and letters of recommendation. “Miami has always taken a holistic approach to evaluating students for admission,” the Miami University website states. “Standardized test scores have historically been just one indicator, among many, in our review process.” The test-optional policy has especially cants, as the university uses a bracket system that guarantees a scholarship range depending on the student’s standardized test scores and grade point average. With the foregoing of testing requirements, scholarship eligibility is now determined almost entirely by GPA. “We have seen an increase this year in the number of students applying with a 3.95 GPA, our highest tier for merit scholarships,” wrote Perkins.
“I wasn’t able to retake the ACT because of COVID, and I wanted to improve my score, but they kept canceling every opportunity that I had,” said Sasha Kidd, a high school senior from Cincinnati who applied to Miami in the fall. Alana O’Dowd, a Miami applicant from test as well. “Over the summer … I kept getting kicked out of the ACT,” O’Dowd said. “I would sign up, and then a month before they would say, ‘We don’t have enough space for you.’” a test-optional policy, as she felt her GPA in dent. a test-optional policy” O’Dowd said. “I did [eventually] get scores, but I just felt like my GPA represented how I was as a student better than my test score did.” Considering the unlikelihood that testing will resume as normal by this summer, -
of students admitted, but it did raise the amount of scholarships given out by leveraging applicants into a higher tier than they may have been with their test scores. Whether the monetary value of the scholarships ami. Limited testing availability added anoth-
as well. Whether Miami will respond to these challenges by extending their test-optional policy will soon be decided. “I do not want to presume how the proposal will fare,” Perkins wrote, “but the evidence and case are very compelling that going test optional beyond 2021 best serves students still impacted by COVID.”
application process for students across the country this year.
rudere@miamioh.edu
Join the TMS Team!
CAMPUS & COMMUNITY 3
LUMPKIBM@MIAMIOH.EDU
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
City makes progress on new Amtrak station CITY OF OXFORD ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR Students may soon have a new way to get to
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“With that knowledge, we had a meeting with them [and] said ‘should we work together as you develop your plans and we develop our
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although they are asking their vendors to work agreed that we had enough population for
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The platform will have a kiosk that travelers
“[The station will] also then have pedestrian -
room to sit in until the train arrives where you of people using the train if there was a station
gets you to an area where there’s a lot of other train opportunities to take you to points further @abby_bammerlin bammeraj@miamioh.edu
Will snow days survive the pandemic?
Armstrong hopeful to host more events in coming months
The threat of virtual learning CONTINUED FROM FRONT has a snow day and the university does -
-
STUDENT LIFE HANNAH HORSINGTON
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ASST. MAGAZINE EDITOR After nearly a year of online programs and in-person events limited to less than 1o people, Armstrong Student Center is hopeful that the meetings in Armstrong as long as they remain -
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“I would ask the students what they -
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-
young daughter when she is also staying “In the past, when we didn’t really have this option, it was always a little -
She said that, while student groups have to holding meetings and events, she knows most -
had to do where we’re not with people like we “We’ll look at things like the Ohio Departmore Zoom in our lives in our near futo that, and there are definite down sides
learn the material, and a snow day would “What we do on one day is dependent
-
With the idea that snow days might -
-
-
make sure that everyStudents are also torn not having a day off or
more Zoom in our near future, even after [the and there are
Harrison
Baker,
a -
“If we don’t need to go
program, hates the idea “I want to keep the feeling of when you’re growing up and look out the window and you see snow and your parents
Not only does the ease of online learnit takes him more time to try figuring out
trying to figure out what to do to make Casper finds himself wondering if on-
knoreme@miamioh.edu
@hannahorsington horsinhp@miamioh.edu
4 CAMPUS & COMMUNITY
CARLINTM@MIAMIOH.EDU
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
Does anyone care about being rivals with Ohio University?
MEMBERS OF THE OHIO UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY WEAR SHIRTS LIKE THE ONE ABOVE TO SYMBOLIZE A SEEMINGLY ONE-SIDED RIVALRY WITH MIAMI. CONTRIBUTED BY POSHMARK
choice.
STUDENT LIFE TAJ SIMMONS ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR Did you know that Ohio University (OU) students frequently use an explicit phrase targeted toward Miami University? Did you also know that Miami students seemingly don’t care? Laura De Oliveira is a senior at Miami studying information systems & analytics. Growing up in Athens, Ohio, and having a dad who works
cated. De Oliveira said many of her high school friends tried to convince her to come to OU and stay away from Miami. “Half my high school goes to OU every year, my friends included, so it’s safe to say I got a lot of crap for [coming to Miami],” De Oliveira said. “They would tell me how great OU is, and then they would say at Miami, some people are rude or they’re self-centered.” De Oliveira said she thought her friends
“I have to be where the students are”:
were mainly trying to convince her to come to OU, but she also acknowledged that OU students seemingly have a one-sided rivalry, both in sports like the annual “Battle of the Bricks” football game and just in general. “Our rivalry is very interesting. OU takes it so seriously, [and] Miami really doesn’t care,” De Oliveira said. “I know OU is more of a sports-centered college, and so the Battle of the Bricks is more of a big deal in Athens, but no one cares about OU at Miami.” Sophomore zoology major Elianna Toppercer, an Athens native from the age of four, went through a similar situation before coming to Miami. “All 10 of my closest friends are going to OU, and they obviously tried to get me not to come here,” Toppercer said. “They told me Miami was preppy, that it was a rich, conservative school. That they’ve never met anyone nice or anyone who is a genuine person. Obviously they were just trying to get me to come to OU when saying that, but I think it’s something deeper.” Toppercer said that before parting from her OU friends, they threatened to buy her a t-shirt with the phrase “Muck Fiami” printed across the front. “They told me they were going to buy one for me when I left,” Toppercer said. “I’m still waiting on that day.” Mary Cheadle, owner of Uptown Dog T-Shirts in Athens, used to sell “Muck Fiami” T-shirts and said she had seen this kind of behavior all the time at her store. “OU students used to buy the shirt and they would tell me they planned on sending it to their Miami friends. It was pretty common,” Cheadle said. “I felt like that kind of gag gift was always fun.” Cheadle said Uptown Dog T-Shirts started making “Muck Fiami” T-shirts as a way to jokingly support a rivalry between the two schools back in the early 1990s. “Back in the day ‘Muck Fiami’ was very popular, it became almost a cult classic really,” Cheadle said. “My dad actually went to Miami, moved [to Athens] and worked for OU. He never liked the shirt, but he thought it was pretty funny.” Cheadle said in making the shirt, the compa-
ny thought it would set itself apart from typical OU wear. bit edgy you know. We always wanted to play on the rivalry with Miami,” Cheadle said. “And we always meant it to be tongue-in-cheek. Our intentions weren’t to make anyone mad.” Cheadle said while many see the rivalry between the two schools purely from a sports side, she thought it went past that. “If you ask our students about Miami, I suppose they would say they believe that [Miami students] are classier, higher caliber. They would talk about polo shirts and khakis, you know, to bring out the kind of look of Miami students,” Cheadle said.
“The Battle of the Bricks is more of a big deal in Athens, but no one cares about OU at Miami.” - Laura De Oliveira While Miami doesn’t quite have a phrase as popular as “Muck Fiami,” Cheadle said she would gladly welcome a response. “I think it would be fun if they came up with a shirt or something like we have. It would be fun to go back and forth on shirts like that,” Cheadle said. De Oliveira said maybe Miami can build a ritify the university. “A lot of my friends are out of state, and so I guess the only thing they say is, ‘What is OU?’” @simmons_taj simmontp@miamioh.edu
The bar formerly known as Books & Brews
Chabad rabbi lives among students
DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, THE BAR FORMERLY KNOWN AS BOOKS AND BREWS LEFT ITS FRANCHISE AND BECAME THE CHURCH STREET SOCIAL CLUB. PHOTO EDITOR BO BRUECK CHABAD’S RABBI YOSSI GREENBERG LIVES BELOW A GROUP OF MIAMI STUDENTS IN AN OXFORD APARTMENT. CONTRIBUTED BY CHABAD AT MIAMI UNIVERSITY
RELIGION LAURA GIAQUINTO THE MIAMI STUDENT Rabbi Yossi Greenberg and his family have lived in an apartment below Miami students since winter break. Greenberg also serves as the advisor for Chabad’s Jewish student group at Miami. “It’s a very unique program that creates a family on campus for Jewish students” Greenberg said. His upstairs neighbor, sophomore Julia Brannon, a history and education major, didn’t expect to live above a rabbi while at college. “We assumed it would be college kids [living below us] because the house is so close to campus, and they just said another group is below you when we signed,” Brannon said. unique for the students. “It’s technically a three-story house with the basement, but nothing’s down there right now,” Brannon said. “His him are two apartments, but we’re a whole friend group so we just rented both so we have six people living above them.” Greenberg and his wife have a big family, with four kids. “We haven’t met the whole family, it’s been in passing,” Brannon said. “It’s an ongoing speculation [how many kids he has]. We’ll be like, ‘Wait, there’s another one?’ It’s a kind of like a fun way to pass the time.” The couple enjoys raising their young family in a college town. “My kids are still small, but they have many student friends,” Greenberg said. Brannon says she and her roommates feel that living above Greenberg’s family is also an interesting experience
for them. “We played spikeball before it snowed, at the beginning of the semester, and his kids were watching on the stairs,” Brannon said. “They’re all really cute and sweet so that part’s fun.” Greenberg and his family moved from Brooklyn, N.Y., and have lived in Oxford since 2013. Greenberg’s residence among students allows him to be there for the students in Chabad. “Based in New York, Chabad is a global organization, in over 100 countries, and still expanding here to be an open atmosphere for anyone,” Greenberg said. “What makes Chabad [at Miami] unique is the director lives literally on campus. I want to be accessible at all times.” Greenberg can be seen all around Miami’s campus holding various programs, visiting with students and helping to facilitate Jewish social events.
LOCAL BUSINESS LEXI WHITEHEAD ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted small businesses across the country, but Ann Kamphaus took her business’s situation into her own hands. Kamphaus owns Church Street Social, formerly Books & Brews, which was part of a franchise. In September, after COVID-19 had diminished sales, Kamphaus entered into a negotiation to be released from the franchise contract. “During COVID, our sales numbers were cut to about 30% of what they used to be,” she said. “So I was really just looking for cost-cutting measures and ways to maintain the store to be alive.” As of mid-January, the estab-
and gives sermons,” he said. Greenberg’s responsibilities include praying with students, hosting High Holy Day celebrations and having students over to his home for Friday Shabbat. With COVID-19, gatherings have been smaller and limited. Despite COVID Greenberg and Chabad still continue their mission of supporting Jewish students. Greenberg
Street Social, but the name is the biggest thing being changed. The other main change is moving away from the Books & Brews branding. This means that they now
to all Miami students.
drink cocktails more than craft beer, and I want to provide what they want,” Kamphaus said. The inspiration for the name “Church Street Social” actually came from student employees. Oxford is a small town, but many students come from bigger cities, and they bring a lot of ideas with them. One of these ideas was to emulate the concept of a social club, like the Lincoln Social in Columbus and the Hampton Social in Nashville, Tenn. These social clubs are places
have to be where the students are.” Although the Jewish population in Oxford is small, Greenberg said members of Chabad become like a family. “When students are far away from home, [with Chabad] they create a family,” Greenberg said. “Students leave the stress of outside and come inside to relax and there’s a family here.” @LauraG290 giaquiln@miamioh.edu
vegetarian and gluten free options, and will focus less on craft beer and more on specialty cocktails and wine.
to lounge, wine and dine. Joan Rutherford, who has worked for Kamphaus since May of last year, says the transition was very simple because not a lot really changed. “Really for us [employees], the things that change were like the beers; we don’t sell [the franchise’s] beers anymore,” Rutherford said. “We get to do more mixed drinks, [and there’s] a better variety of food.” Kamphaus also wants to shift to hosting more interactive events for customers. She hopes to team up with local vendors for some of these events, such as the “Wine and De-
ers that I do have, what do they want and try to provide that,” she said. Even though the name and menu Street Social remains the same with a couple improvements. This is what has been advertised on their social media to get the word out about the transition. “It’s still the same owners,” Kamphaus said. “So we’re just putting out there, you know, it’s your same er.” @nwlexi whitehan@miamioh.edu
last Wednesday and taught by two local include trivia nights and, eventually, karaoke nights. Another way Kamphaus plans on increasing customer interaction is by starting a Members Only Club in the future. Perks of the program would include preferred seating as well as special events, discounts and merchandise. Above everything else, Kamphaus wants to meet her customers’ needs. Knowing that most of her customer base comes from Miami students, she was able to make the changes to Church Street Social that would appeal most to them. “I just tried to listen to what the custom-
THE FORMER BOOKS & BREWS WILL NOW BE KNOWN AS THE CHURCH STREET SOCIAL. PHOTO EDITOR BO BRUECK
CAMPUS & COMMUNITY 5
LUMPKIBM@MIAMIOH.EDU
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
Miami moves toward transparency with improved COVID-19 communication ments submit information to be included. Hunt said the Healthy Together committee, vaccination team, wellness days committee, academic
SEAN SCOTT ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR
to include. Even though the division of student life drafts its own Weekly Three emails, Brownell said her department sends certain information
Last semester, Miami University students received information on the COVID-19 pandemic through emails from President Crawford,
well. “As part of student life these days, we are taking primary management of testing, remainin-room, quarantine and isolation, and we’re on the vaccination committee,” Brownell said. “We don’t want [our] Weekly Three to get overloaded with all of that. That’s what the COVID messages are for.” In addition to consolidating information and sources, Brownell said the university is working to include explanations for the decisions being made. When Bell Tower Commons closed in-
life, student health services and university communications. This semester, the sources of information have been narrowed down to two: the division of student life and the COVID-19 response team. Last October, student life began sending Weekly Three emails to detail important campus updates in a concise way for students. In more condensed, the COVID-19 response team has adopted a similar method this semester, sending an email to students each Wednesday. “What we heard about communication related to COVID-19 was that it wasn’t predictable, that there were too many messages, that
weren’t given a clear reason behind the decision. “One (explanation) that we’re talking about that came up with the student life council that I’ll probably put in this week’s message is, “Why do you only have 48 hours to schedule your appointment for COVID testing?’” Brownell said. ASG’s fall report suggested university communications should focus on the reasoning behind decisions moving forward. “The University must communicate the underlying reasoning behind their decisions,” the committee wrote. “When no rationale is provided, students and parents are typically quick to grow outraged, causing an even greater predicament for the University.” University communications have not been perfect this semester. Maldonado pointed to Provost Jason Osborne’s initial decision to keep the credit/no credit deadline on Feb. 11 as a misstep. In the email sent to students on the decision, Maldonado’s name was signed even though he disagreed with the idea.
Jayne Brownell, vice president for student life. sometimes they’ll miss something.” Brownell said parents and students had the same complaints about how the university talked about COVID-19 in the fall: too many sources; dense, hard-to-read walls of text; an irregular schedule. Miami’s Associated Student Government (ASG) noticed the same trends. ASG’s COVID-19 Ad hoc Committee detailed points report. “While improving across the [fall] semester,” the committee wrote, “university communications often did not meet the students’ needs of being ‘understandable, correct, and timely.’” In an email to the Miami Student, Ben Maldonado, ASG’s COVID-19 Ad hoc Committee chair, said the Weekly Three emails from the division of student life are a major step up in clear, concise communication. “We as a committee actually loved [the Weekly Three] emails,” Maldonado wrote. “They were quick, concise, timely … everything we had been hoping for. In our multiple conversations with various members of admin, we continued to recommend this type of communication over and over again.” The university listened. In addition to the Weekly Three email from student life, students now receive COVID-19 information from the COVID-19 response team
DESIGNER SOREN MELBYE
every Wednesday by noon. Jaime Hunt, Miami’s chief marketing and of the new list approach in an email to The Student. “We wanted to move away from narrative emails and move toward sending communications with clear ‘sections’ so you can jump to the
portion of most interest to you,” Hunt wrote. “We also feel like bulleted lists make the emails easier to read on a phone or tablet. At the end of the day, the information being shared is really important and we want to make it as consumable as possible.” While the Wednesday emails are signed by the COVID-19 response team, many depart-
to consider student feedback and adjust the way they talk about COVID-19 to students this spring. As the semester continues, Brownell has one hope for university emails. “Honestly, I’d like students to read it,” she said. “We put a lot of information out there, but we hear from students that they don’t check email. But there is not another good alternative for communication. We are doing our best, and students need to meet us halfway and read what we put out so that they’re informed.” scottsr2@miamioh.edu
Masking up in Lux: Miami students make the most of study abroad amid COVID MADELINE PHABY ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR Despite the surging COVID-19 pandemic, more than 60 Miami University students are currently studying abroad at the university’s satellite campus in Luxembourg through the Miami University John E. Dolibois European Center (MUDEC). Ryan Dye, Miami’s director of education abroad, said MUDEC is the only Miami-sponsored study abroad program currently operating. The only other options for studying abroad this semester were virtual programs or third-party programs. The MUDEC campus is owned and operated by Miami. Dye said the university decided to go forward with the program because they have more control over safety precautions there than on non-Miami campuses. “We know that it’s absolutely key during a pandemic to be able to control the space for social distancing, to provide the necessary sanitizers and to do the necessary cleaning on a daily basis to run the program,” Dye said, “and we felt confident we could do that.” Most U.S. citizens aren’t allowed to travel to Luxembourg right now due to the high number of COVID cases here, but Dye said Miami students were able to get in due to the university’s good relationship with the Luxembourgish government. Junior political science and professional writing major Megan Fogarty, who is currently in Luxembourg, said the COVID restrictions there are similar to those in the U.S., but they are followed much more closely. “Europe just takes COVID way more seriously than the U.S. does,” Fogarty said. “[Europeans] take the number of people in a store at once very seriously, and you don’t ever see someone not wearing a mask.” MUDEC participants usually visit other European countries frequently due to Luxembourg’s central location on the continent. This year, though, travel is more difficult due to the countries’ varying COVID restrictions. Hannah Sroka, a junior creative writing and professional writing double major who is also in Luxembourg, said some students have started to travel a bit more in recent weeks. She and a few friends visited Germany two weeks ago, and last weekend, they traveled to Switzerland. “The first weekend, a lot of people stayed in Luxembourg, mostly because they en-
couraged us to do that, but people are slowly branching out,” Sroka said. “We’re going places but being careful about it and not going very far yet.” Sroka said she’s enjoying her experience abroad so far, but it’s a bit different from what she expected. “There’s not a lot of things open – I’ll go to Luxembourg City, and there’s nowhere to sit down inside [restaurants], and it’s cold outside,” Sroka said. “There’s definitely things to do, but I think it’s a lot less than people were expecting.” Fogarty, on the other hand, said she expected the limitations and has tried to make the most of her experience anyway. “I knew going into it that it was not going to be what I expected, so I set my expectations pretty low and felt like if I got to do anything, I’d be happy,” Fogarty said. “Keeping a positive attitude has been helpful because once you get negative and say ‘this is not what I expected,’ then you’re not going to have fun.” @madphabes phabymr@miamioh.edu
STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT THIS SEMESTER, AS MIAMI STUDENTS ATTEMPT TO HAVE A MEANINGFUL EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE. CONTRIBUTED BY MEGAN FOGARTY
6 CAMPUS & COMMUNITY
HEADLEDD@MIAMIOH.EDU
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
a McCullough Hyde nurse’s experiences with COVID-19
even before the bill is due and continues long after. tions cancel courses before the semester begins.”
HENRI ROBBINS STAFF WRITER
year, it gets more and more successful.” be revised for student assistance, like the deactivahalls or facilities. “There are legal issues,” Shock said of students
year. -
ible said. “You never dreamed of it because you had so much faith in the science and the
There are nearly 16,000 students enrolled ter.
ers had concerns about the safety of their
things sorted out.
of their treatment methods due to the unable to. “When it started, team members stood said. “But you could see the fear and anxi-
through, as normal,” she said.
could certainly see a little bit of uncertainty in their faces.” Raible said the gravity of the situation
ILLUSTRATOR
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ments such as intubation or ventilation.
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JAKE RUFFER ASST. MAGAZINE EDITOR
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on a ventilator because they’re struggling so hard to just take that next breath or to feel
said.
times.
ment and Student Success (EMSS). -
to give students more time if they miss deadlines
ing. This came after she received a Feb. 3 email
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loans. “I’m a 20-year-old college student,” she said.
have been available to students. isn’t right here.’”
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due restrictions.
COVID cutting costs:
explaining spring 2021 ASG budget allocations
her daughter.
hearing.
Some clubs also submitted sity’s student organization tier system of budgeting that determines ASG funding, there are four tiers, visitors. Heather Merhout is a junior an organization that falls under semester. focusing on getting money,” Mer-
For many of the nurses at Mc-
Other clubs just didn’t need additional funding this semester. Seings and then feeling guilty,” Raible said.
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STUDENT GOVERNMENT SHR-HUA MOORE STAFF WRITER “It’s been very humbling for myself to
their surgical masks from day to day, reuse
Miami University’s Associated Student Government (ASG) allocated just $67,000 of round of student organization funding this semester. But looks can be deceiving. The reasoning are asking ASG for far less money this year. Senior Ben Waugh is an accounting and of creating the $210,000 “budget” for this semester. “The $210,000 budget is an arbitrary
@henrixrobbins robbinha@miamioh.edu
budget hearing.
funding’s left in the ASG account.” demic, organizations are a lot more limited on -
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just buy those things once and they’re there forever.”
Pandemic measures have restricted some that doesn’t need constant funding and still others are not established enough to get large amounts of money. ASG may have allocated less this semester,
ed to the organization during the last budget
@hua_shr moorese6@miamioh.edu
CAMPUS & COMMUNITY 7
KWIATKDM@MIAMIOH.EDU
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
a sweet treat midweek STUDENT LIFE
sledding in Oxford
THE MIAMI STUDENT
NARRATIVE CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR serene than the world after a fresh snowfall.
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in their hall, Van Drunen and Kirkland saw
side and watching the world at rest.
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a hill that worked great.
said.
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and washed their hands often.
After a few arduous minutes of blowing order because we want it to be fresh and between us and the high-octane sledding -
@alicemomany momanyaj@miamioh.edu
like, looking for new food because the din-
and limb to slide down it. And, of course, we did.
Confronting Greatness exhibition celebrates progress for women artists tation was also a goal of the students when curating. An-
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realized our makeshift sleds had been com-
took hold and the wind -
realized it didnt matter that
continue to as academic biases -
the hill; we a great time
ABIGAIL KEMPER
tures. Some artists reclaim these materials,
EVENT ABIGAIL KEMPER STAFF WRITER
At last, it seemed that all might be lost.
In 1971, American art historian Linda Nochlin asked an enduring question of the art world
Miami students encounter the same question,
through the challenges of an online course, -
dents regardless of their gender.
ing gone to a major exhibition where it was all
women, but I think men will take an interest in
to grow.
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to classes being on Zoom and lacking the usual
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that has grown throughout the decades.
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Erin Adelman, a senior majoring in art his-
dents were able to collaborate on ideas to make
bling down the rest of the hill.
their identities as both artists and women.
et almost strangled me. researched is, this is about women dealing with
Jason Shaiman, curator of exhibitions at
idea of being an artist is attached to being a
with the class to access works from the muse-
want to go into museum curation and do this
-
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In the Aesthetics of Making section, Adelwere gendered.
course as a useful tool for her future. the hill each time.
out the semester.
were doing what was accessible to them which art world from being both a woman as well as a
kempera2@miamioh.edu
worth it. @DewardHedlee headledd@miamioh.edu
Food
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ARWINEJK@MIAMIOH.EDU
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
An ode to Liz’s chocolate chippers: pasta salad A terrible baker takes on a family legacy MANAGING EDITOR
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@madphabes phabymr@miamioh.edu
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Spinach and artichoke dip:
Local college student discovers the genius of a CrockPot
DAVID KWIATKOWSKI CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR -
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kwiatkdm@miamioh.edu
ARWINEJK@MIAMIOH.EDU
JULIA ARWINE MANAGING EDITOR What’s a household to do on another long quarantined day when TV, video games and Uno just aren’t cutting it anymore? Well, if you happen to be my two roommates and me, and you happen to have just gone shopping and have a full kitchen, and you happen to be starved for novelty, then you just might play a DIY, homemade version of the Food Network’s hit show “Chopped.” The premise: Contestants must combine three ingredients of the judge’s choosing into a single dish within a time limit. The winner of the most rounds takes it all. One of my roommates took the role of our judge, henceforth referred to as Dalton Beige, Alton Brown’s long-lost cousin. (Note: Alton Brown, turns out, is not the host of “Chopped.” Ted Allen is. We did not realize this at the time.) My other roommate and I donned our dollar-store chef’s toques and took to the kitchen. Round 1 - Appetizer: tomato, sliced turkey, lemon Fifteen minutes is not long enough, especialbling for an idea. When watching “Chopped,” I’m always amazed at how quickly the contestants come up with something to make, but now I understand — it’s sink or swim, and you’ve just got to start making something. While my roommate went to work doing something fancy with a tortilla, I hollowed out the caps of a few baby bella mushrooms and procheese. They would be nice baked, I thought, but I didn’t have that kind of time — the oven wasn’t even preheated. So instead, I brushed the tops with melted butter, some salt and a squeeze of lemon juice, and popped them in the toaster oven for an experimental amount of time. Meanwhile, I chopped up the tomato with some green bell pepper and generous amounts of lemon juice into what might be tenuously called a salad, or perhaps the most mild salsa imaginable. The toaster oven dinged, and I nar-
FOOD 9
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
rowly avoided burning myself trying to get my before time was up. Both elements were good, Dalton Beige informed me at judging, but they seemed a little disconnected from each other. Besides, I had to admit, my roommate’s intricately rolled wrap did get points for style. Round one went to her, and I was on the back foot. Time for the main course. Round 2 - Entree: chicken breast, rice, raspberry jam First round was just a warm-up, I told myself. This time, I had a vision. chicken. Two easy decisions. But what to do with the jam? Inspiration struck: I’d temper the sweetness and make a sauce by reducing it with red wine. Then, accentuate the fruity notes by tossing in some chopped apple and give it some green with asparagus. Judges on “Chopped” loved wacky combinations like that! Well, sometimes. Assuming my roommate would also be boilpot with mine. “Nah,” she said. “I’m gonna boil it with chicken broth.” I blinked, taken aback. I hadn’t even considered doing something like that. Should I season the rice as well? Would it be too boring to use as it was? Not transformative enough? But no, I told myself. Best not to let it get too busy. Sometimes less is more. Twenty minutes later, I poured my stir-fry mixture over the rice and set it down before the judge. “It’s very … purple,” he said. That was true. Cooking all the ingredients in the jam-wine sauce did make for a rather monoand in the end, I won the round over my roommate’s own version of stir-fry. This was it. I was hitting my stride. Victory was within reach. All I had to do was not stum-
Round 3 - Dessert: Starbursts, coconut and chocolate granola bar, stale Cinnamon Toast Crunch “I’m honestly just curious to see what you do with the Starbursts,” Dalton Beige said, knowpresented us with. My competitor had me immediately rattled when she grabbed a bag of marshmallows and calmly set to work, while my mind spun in blank circles. Not really knowing what else to do, I threw a couple of pink Starbursts over medium heat on the stove, hoping a good idea would come to me in the meantime. I was somewhat surprised to see the candy did, indeed, melt, though soon it started to bubble and smoke.
dipped the other end of the slices into the Starburst sauce and plated it all with sweat on my brow. “I’ve made you a double-dipped baked apple,” I told Dalton Beige at the judging moments afterward, feeling in that moment a certain kinship with every “Chopped” competitor that had to make something up on the spot. In the end, though, my dessert was not enough to best my roommate’s (very elastic)
“‘I’m honestly just curious to see what you do with the Starbursts,’ Dalton Beige said, knowing exactly what
splashed some heavy cream in the pan and lowered the heat to stop it from burning. I left it to simmer and went to smash up the other required ingredients together with a heavy dash of cinnamon and cloves. After a few minutes I returned to the stove. “Oh god,” I said. The Starbursts had dissolved in the cream well enough, but the color was somewhat akin to if a small child had drank some Pepto Bismol and vomited in the pan. Still, it tasted surprisingly good, and a few drops of red food coloring made it look somewhat more palatable. This, I concluded, was a workable dipping sauce. With time running out, I sliced up some more apple, poured melted butter in my granola-cereal mixture, recklessly shellacked it onto one end of the apple slices and popped it all in ding, I
presented us with.”
marshmallow-cherry Starburst tart, and the The punishment — “SCUFFED” written in temporary tattoo ink — went to me. Well, you can’t win them all, I guess. And anyway, at least another evening of boredom had been averted, and that night we feasted on plentiful mini servings of our own strange cooking. arwinejk@miamioh.edu
Let them eat King Cake
A CLASSIC KING CAKE GIVES A TASTE OF NEW ORLEANS FLAIR. ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR ABBY BAMMERLIN
ABBY BAMMERLIN ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR My mom was born in the heart of Louisiana: New Orleans. ties and people. But what’s always been some of her fondest memories, or maybe just the ones she recounts most often, are those of Mardi Gras parades. Mardi Gras takes place the Tuesday before liturgical season of Lent. In a typical year, New people dressed in purple, green and gold. Giant CHEESE IN HOT CHOCOLATE? DON’T KNOCK IT TILL YOU TRY IT. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR MAGGIE PEÑA
MAGGIE PEÑA MULTIMEDIA EDITOR The sweet aroma of exotic fruits and live seafood. The sound of the animatronic Elvis Presley-impersonator, guitar-playing lion. The sight of the hulking Campbell’s soup can sitting on a bench, swinging from the ceiling. Jungle Jim’s International Market assaults to taste the foreign food. Going to Jungle Jim’s once a year is my only family tradition. Every year we pile into two cars, drive 45 minutes across freeways and backroads, then end up walking around the store for hours. But there’s just one reason we’re there. Well, two reasons really. Hot chocolate and cheese. And when we get home, we combine the two to make the tastiest winter drink out there. I know what you’re thinking: Hot chocolate and cheese? Together? That sounds like the most disgusting concoction known to mankind. Let me explain. First of all, it’s not the typical sugary, American, Swiss-Miss hot chocolate. And it’s not the pre-sliced Kraft American singles. It’s authentic with cinnamon — and a South American melting cheese, like Oaxaca or queso fresco. Sure, the drink itself is delicious. But more than that, this strange dish means a lot to me, because it’s really the only connection I have to my heritage. I’m Latina, but I’m a very American Latina. My father moved to the U.S. from Colombia when he was nearly 35 years old, and sometimes it seems like he’s worked so hard doesn’t want us to embrace his side of the family. I don’t blame him; he’s had to work harder
than a lot of people to make his own way in the U.S. So without any other ties to the Hispanic half of myself, working with my dad at the kitchen stove to create the perfect pot of foaming chocolate stands as a way to embrace that part of me. That’s the power of food. But the ingredients aren’t the only thing other battle — a battle I lost on Christmas day when making hot chocolate for my family this past year. When you make this drink, the foam is the most important part. Each mug has to have a layer of foam on top. To get the foam, you use a special wooden whisk called a “molinillo madera.” After you melt the chocolate in the pan with some water, milk and sugar, you twist the whisk in the pan until you get a small simmer and you can see foam forming. When my dad makes the hot chocolate, the foam takes up every ounce of his attention. Ladling the hot, sugary liquid into our mugs isn’t enough — he has to take special care that each cup has a strong layer of foam on the top. While he dishes up the drinks, I take my place as the American-Latina and perform the easy task of cutting the cheese (literally) into half-inch thick slices. Then, my family sits together, eating gooey cheese covered in liquid chocolate. senses attacked upon entrance to Jungle Jim’s because of COVID-19 (we bought the ingredients locally instead), my siblings and I found ourselves thinking about how the only recipe from our heritage comes across as a disgrace to the hot chocolate community. til the end. penaml@miamioh.edu
those driving and riding them would throw beads and medallions. Although my mom moved to Ohio in college and started our family, we still celebrate Mardi Gras every year. A big part of our tradition is sharing King Cakes — a giant cinnamon roll iced in the Mardi Gras colors of green, purple and gold — with our families and friends. But COVID-19 changed all of that. So this year, instead of buying multiple King Cakes from our local bakery to give to friends, co-workers and family, my mom and I decided to create our own. For the actual cake, the recipe calls for: • 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast • 3 tablespoons sugar • 1 cup of warm milk • ½ cup buttermilk - room temperature • 1 egg • 3 tablespoons melted butter • 1 teaspoon salt •
• 1 cup of brown sugar • ½ teaspoon of cinnamon • ¼ teaspoon allspice • 2 tablespoons of melted butter First, mix the yeast, sugar and ½ cup of milk. While we waited for the yeast to bloom, my mom and I sorted through old Mardi Gras beads. We threw them on, and she showed me her old medallions from Mardi Gras parades in years past. Wearing our beads, we moved on to the next step Combine the rest of the milk, buttermilk,
the dough is pulling from the outside of the bowl. Take the dough out of the bowl and knead wearing long, dangly beads while leaning over for the dough to rise for about an hour and a half. While the dough is rising, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and allspice together. In a large baking pan, about 16 by 12 inch, set a cookie sheet down. When the dough is about twice the size it was before rising, move it to the pan and roll it out into a large rectangle. Melt the remaining butter and spread it across the dough. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the dough evenly. for my mom and me. Together, we rolled the dough into a large cylinder starting on the long side. After some strategizing and two failed attempts, we were able to lift the end of them and connect them into a large circle. We put the dough into an oven preheated to 375 for about 25 minutes. Our dough was so bake it for another 10 minutes. After it was fully cooked, we took some icing and dripped it over the top until it was fully covored sugar to give it that Mardi Gras style. My mom and I decided, after some generous taste tests, it had the exact same feel of New Orleans King Cakes. But honestly, to me it didn’t matter what it tasted like. Because after a year of isolation, fear and uncertainty, sometimes it’s nice to don some colorful beads, dance in the kitchen and enjoy a slice of King Cake with one of your favorite people. @abby_bammerlin bammeraj@miamioh.edu
Sports
10
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
NELSO156@MIAMIOH.EDU
RedHawks break losing streak, impress against No. 6 St. Cloud State After a battle behind Miami’s net, the THE MIAMI STUDENT With St. Cloud State leading Miami 1-0 about 10 minutes into the third period on Friday, the real action started. To start the scoring for the RedHawks, sophomore defenseman Alec Capstick found
Clement’s stick and found its way to the front ki found the loose puck and smacked it past senior goaltender Grant Valentine to tie the game. Miami retook the lead with just seven
star Matthew Barbolini to make the score 1-1. Before the small crowd of friends and family had even returned to its seats after celebrating Capstick’s goal, the RedHawks
junior forward Jack Olmstead secured a pass from Barry and dropped it to freshman defenseman Dylan Moulton coming into the zone. Moulton bolted toward the St. Cloud
Just 13 seconds after Capstick scored, ju-
but couldn’t freeze. Moulton found his own rebound and wrapped the puck around the
that St. Cloud goalie David Hrennak stopped but couldn’t corral. Sophomore John Sladic it past Hrenak to make the score 2-1 Miami. Ten seconds later when the Huskies scored their second goal of the game, it was almost as if the RedHawks had forgotten that there were still 10 minutes left in the third period. lowing the RedHawk goal, directing the puck back to junior defenseman Spencer Meier. Immediately, Meier hit a streaking teammate, sophomore forward Jami Krannila. Krannila hurtled into the Miami zone and beat freshman goaltender Ludvig Persson to knot the game back up. The three goals all came within 23 seconds of game time. When Krannila scored the Huskies’ second goal of the game, Steve “Coach” Cady Arena public address announcer Scott Shriver hadn’t yet had a chance to Two minutes later, senior St. Cloud defenseman Seamus Donohue sent Miami and a roughing penalty was tacked on — to the chagrin of the St. Cloud bench — after a furious Brian Silver caromed into the scrum and tackled Donohue. Just over 30 seconds into the RedHawks four-on-three powerplay (Silver was penalized, too), Barbolini took a pass from senior defenseman Derek Daschke and slid it over wrist shot past Hrenak for Miami’s third goal of the night. That’s where the score would stay. The story of the night for the RedHawks
collegiate goal. The score stayed 2-1 Miami until about again, the Huskies scored two goals in rapid succession — this time eight seconds apart — “It’s unfortunate,” Bergeron said. “It wasn’t even a minute lapse. It was a 30-second lapse, and we’re down 3-2.” With about two minutes left in the game, Miami pulled Valentine to send an extra skater onto the ice. The RedHawks couldn’t convert with an extra man, and with just over of the game, sending a wobbling shot into Miami’s empty net from just beyond half-ice. Valentine did his best Persson impression stopped 28 of the 31 shots he faced and gave against the sixth-best team in the country. The RedHawks were again sensational against an explosive St. Cloud power play, holding them to zero goals on four chances, making the Huskies 0-of-9 on the weekend. Period,” he said. “And that’s something that we’re proud of.” The RedHawks hit the ice next against Cady Arena Sunday Feb. 28. schmelj2@miamioh.edu
period, but Friday’s game was truly a team win. Another excellent performance in net shots, kept Miami in the game all night, and Miami’s penalty kill was immaculate. The RedHawks held St. Cloud’s power play — ranked sixth in the country — to zero goals The victory broke a six-game losing streak “If [the players] win, they feel good, and they deserve to feel like this,” head coach Chris Bergeron said. “They deserve to feel the way they do right now. And I’m happy for them.” Saturday started with a ceremony honorLown, Rourke Russell, Grant Valentine, Phil Knies and Gilling. junior forward Matt Berry collected a pass from Daschke on the power play and crossed it over to a crashing Barbolini. Barbolini did the rest of the work, slinging it past Hrennak for his third point of the weekend. Like Friday, the lead didn’t last for long. St. Cloud scored again 23 seconds later.
SENIOR FORWARD CASEY GILLING IS RESTRAINED DURING THE THIRD PERIOD OF FRIDAY’S WIN OVER ST. CLOUD. (TOP) FRESHMAN FORWARD MATTHEW BARBOLINI CELEBRATES DURING FRIDAY’S WIN. (BOTTOM) THE MIAMI STUDENT ZACH REICHMAN
Can the RedHawks break this cycle of Déjà vu? J’NAI KNOX THE MIAMI STUDENT In Saturday’s Red Bird Rivalry, the Miami RedHawks lost against the Ball State Cardinals at home, 79-77. The tough loss came just three days after a close loss to Central Michigan. In the team’s last three matchups, the RedHawks have lost by three or fewer points. half, ending it up 32-28. It led most of the second half, and victory seemed in sight nearing the end of the fourth quarter. But, with two seconds left, a foul allowed Ball State to edge past the RedHawks. Sophomore guard Peyton Scott put on a show, scoring a career-high 39 points, which matches a Millett Hall record set in 2013. She has four consecutive games scoring at least 30
The Game
MIAMI REDHAWKS
Player (position, height, key stat) Peyton Scott (guard, 5’8”, 22.1 ppg) Katie Davidson (guard, 5’10”, 11.3 ppg) Kenzie Schmitz (guard, 5’10”, 4.0 ppg)
goals. The loss put the RedHawks at 2-17 overall with a conference record of 1-14. This Wednesday, they play the Toledo RockThe teams last met on Feb. 5, which resulted in a RedHawk win, 92-83. Miami has won the last four matchups against the Rockets. Players to Watch
Player (position, height, key stat) Sophia Wiard (guard, 5’7”, 14.2 ppg)
could have another 30-point game against Tole-
Quinesha Lockett (guard, 5’10”, 19.4 ppg)
13 points against Ball State, her season high. knoxj@miamioh.edu
’Hawks Talk
SPORTS 11
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
NELSO156@MIAMIOH.EDU
“I thought I’d be there for three years”:
how Carolyn Condit made Oxford home
SPORTS EDITOR
VOLLEYBALL HEAD COACH CAROLYN CONDIT HAS INSTITUTED A STRONG CULTURE AT MIAMI, LEADING TO 10 MAC TITLES DURING HER 37-YEAR TENURE. THE MIAMI STUDENT FILE PHOTO
@LukasTheDream nelso156@miamioh.edu
RedHawks visit Toledo looking to snap three-game losing streak
REDSHIRT JAMES BECK DUNKS IN A LOSS AGAINST AKRON. (LEFT) SOPHOMORE GUARD DAE DAE GRANT SIZES UP HIS DEFENDER. (RIGHT) THE MIAMI STUDENT ZACH REICHMAN
Players to Watch SPORTS EDITOR
The Game
@LukasTheDream nelso156@miamioh.edu
SCOREBOARD
MIAMI REDHAWKS
WEDNESDAY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Central Michigan ……....... 82 Miami …....….……..……... 85
FRIDAY HOCKEY St. Cloud State ….…...…. 2 Miami …………….…........ 3 MEN’S BASKETBALL Akron……………….…….. 83 Miami…………………….. 76
WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING Ball State…………….…..137 Miami……………….…….155
SOFTBALL Miami…………………….9 Mississippi State………..10 SOFTBALL Miami……………………3
SATURDAY
Mississippi State……….10
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
TENNIS
Ball State ………....….…. 56
Dayton ….……........…. 0
Miami …………………..... 65
Miami …...……..…..…. 7
HOCKEY
SUNDAY
St. Cloud State ............... 2 Miami ………................... 4
TENNIS Butler………….…..… 0 Miami……..…………. 7
Opinion
12
WOLFFRG@MIAMIOH.EDU
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
STAFF EDITORIAL
Keep on keepin’ it optional torial Board. The test-optional policy refers to the choice high school students get to make regarding their ACT/SAT scores when applying to colleges. As we all know, taking these standardized tests and sending your scores to schools you’re considering has been an expectation for as long as most of us can remember. But, because of complications in scheduling and preparation during the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools made sharing test scores with them optional for students applying last year. Miami is currently deciding whether to extend this policy for the next round of applicants. To us, the answer is clear — continue making it optional. Not only do we think pandemic-related challenges of taking the standardized tests are still very much at play, we also believe these types of exams should be permanently optional. Other very credible schools like the University of Day-
ton and the University of Chicago are keeping the test-optional policy for good. And there are so many reasons why this needs to be the standard. High school students have already lost a year of traditional formative learning. Even before that, the toll these tests take on a student’s mental health is too much. The pressure is even higher now, but where it was before wasn’t OK, either. We need to remember we’re talking about kids here. And this kind of stress can be damaging when those test scores take precedence over other scholastic achievements. We know Miami is trying to look at potential students from a holistic standpoint going forward. So a number taktop factors. Additionally, these tests are inequitable. Test prep courses, paying for each time the test is taken and access to study materials are all things that put students from lower-income households at a disadvantage. Permanently making the submission of these scores optional would be a concrete step in the right direction for -
Embracing the beauty of grief TIM CARLIN CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR Every year, my Valentine’s Day is marked by a rollercoaster of emotions. On one hand, it’s a day for joy and love. Hell, it’s even my parents’ wedding anniversary. But Valentine’s Day is also another anniversary. Four Valentine’s Days ago, my friend, Alec, died of sudden cardiac arrest. So while the world spends Feb. 14 rallying around grand gestures of love, I’m left remembering fragments of one of the greatest losses of my young life. That’s not to say I’m a wreck every Valentine’s Day, just that it can be a little tough for me to fully buy into the love that’s supposedly in the air.
the word perfectly described the time. From laying in a friend’s driveway gazing at the stars above our heads, to eating Chipotle as a group and laughing until we cried, to standing in an oddly comforting silence watching cemetery employees lower Alec’s casket into the ground. I had never thought of grief as being beautiful before. Transformative or even life-changing, sure. But realizing and accepting the beauty that exists within grief was eye-opening. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking and writing about grief. I thought I understood the complex web of emotions it’s composed of, but I’d never accounted for its beauty. And if you really think about it, grief has to be beautiful. It’s a journey through the darkest parts of life. It teaches us lessons that no other experience can – and there’s an innate beauty in that. Grief is a microcosm of life – and life is beautiful. If there’s no beauty in grief, then how could I have such important and formative memories surrounding my experience with it? How could I solidify lifelong bonds with friends as we grieved the loss of one of our own? The answer is simple: I couldn’t have. Recognizing the beauty that is always present, even in the darkest of days, is the only way to find peace in your loss. So I’m choosing to remember the beauty in my grief. I’m choosing to remember the laughs I had during my tears. I’m choosing to remember the joy I found in my pain. And it won’t be easy all the time. It hasn’t always been easy these past four years either. Valentine’s Day will always be a challenge. But it’s a challenge I will continue to overcome. Grief is a journey, and it’s a damn beautiful one at that.
“I had never thought of grief as being beautiful before. Transformative or even life-changing, sure. But realizing and accepting the beauty that exists within grief was eye-opening.”
On the fourth anniversary of my friend’s passing, I found myself reflecting on the week that followed Alec’s death. I was struck by the amount of beautiful memories I have from that time. I spent so much time with my friends, but I barely remember even going to school. While I definitely remember the sadness and the pain, I also remember the love and the joy I felt with my peers. Initially, I thought it was strange to use the word beautiful to describe a period of such grief. But as I thought more about it,
@timcarlin_ carlintm@miamioh.edu
age more students to apply. This also puts students at an advantage to receive scholarships if they have a strong GPA. For many students who aren’t great test takers, it’s easier to reach a higher schol— rather than a few hours of test taking. bottom line. But this is a decision that would put students before the needs of the institution. Miami is on a quest for normalcy right now because of the pandemic. But the previous testing standard isn’t something that should be brought back. To be stronger as a community and as a school, we need a new normal. It’s unfair to ask students to be strong in every single area. Some students excel in class, clubs, the arts, volunteer work and sports. Some even excel on standardized tests. So, if Miami really wants to look at students holistically, then we need to let them put their best foot forward when applying. Our best option is to keep it optional.
Maybe Valentine’s Day AMES RADWAN
bears for each other.
THE MIAMI STUDENT Last year, I wrote an article for the Miami Student about how I did not like celebrating Valentine’s Day because of the capitalistic expectations that come along with the holiday. Entitled ‘On Valentine’s Day, open your heart, not your wallet,’ it was a representation of the dislike I have grown to have for Valentine’s Day over the past few years. After all, it has become my belief that people should celebrate their loved ones all the time, not just on one day out of the year because of social expectations. One year later, this is still my belief. But much like everything else in the last year, Valentine’s Day was not quite the same. Most of the activities that I recommended last year for a Valentine’s Day celebration — if one must celebrate — are really no longer as easy as they once were. Going out on dates is closed or have limited capacity. Unless you live in the same house or are in the same bubble, cooking a meal together is probably out. Love letters are still doable, but that doesn’t mean anything will feel like it has in years past. A lot of people will likely have opted for easier, albeit costly, options — usually ones that involve ordering something online. The $200 giant teddy bear and the 24-ounce box of Russell Stover chocolates from last year’s article come to mind. And, naturally, a “classic rose royale” arrangement from Oxford Flower Shop costs even more than it did last year, a stunning $115. Of course, last year the Flower Shop didn’t deliver anywhere except workplaces. Now, with so many people working from home, they seem to have changed that policy. So some things have evolved for the better. For me personally, though, this Valentine’s possibility of subverting a Western subculture of capitalism and spending money. It was also
bear with a Sharpied t-shirt that reads “U R a BEAR essential,” still sits on my bed today. His name is Bear-uno Mars. For fans of “The Good Place,” the bear that I made for my partner is named Jeremy Bearimy. The event was fun, silly and creative — so much so that we made plans to do it again this year. Unfortunately, with my partner being placed under quarantine early last week, the plans fell through. I attended MAP’s annual “I Love You Beary Much” event last Friday by myself instead. I picked up a lamb for myself and a moose for my partner, both of which have yet to be named. (If anyone has any name ideas, feel free to email me.) on Valentine’s Day instead. We were both busy studying for exams, though, so we didn’t spend too long on the call. It felt like just another rushed quarantine holiday, like the long-distance Christmases, anniversaries and birthdays we’ve celebrated together over the past year and a half. However, it was time that I got to spend with him, even if it was a video call. So I enjoyed
“Much like everything else in the last year, Valentine’s Day was not quite the same.”
with my partner. He and the rest of his housemates are currently under quarantine after one of them tested positive for COVID-19. spend time with my partner. I had written him a small stack of letters for him to open at different times — when he was sad, when he was overworked, when he was having a good day, etc. — and that was my gift to him. We attended the annual “I Love You Beary Much” event put on by MAP in Armstrong together and made
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every minute of it. My partner thought it was amusing that I gave in to the aggressively rapacious business that Valentine’s Day is becoming. After all, I delivered his moose to him (socially distanced and double-masked, of course) in a little red and his favorite candy. It was very stereotypical, and everything I’ve always hated about Valentine’s Day. But sometimes, in today’s day and age, stereotypes are the only thing we’ve got left of normal celebrations. So, for once, I don’t hate Valentine’s Day. (Well, I hate the idea that I didn’t get to see my reason.) Instead, I’m almost grateful to it, for showing me that maybe there’s another side of the big-bucks holiday. Maybe it does celebrate love after all. radwanat@miamioh.edu