The Miami Student | September 22nd, 2020

ESTABLISHED 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES

Volume 149 No. 1

Miami University — Oxford, Ohio

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

First year, first 24 hours:

What did move-in look like for a first-year student?

Oxford preparing for unprecedented election

IN-PERSON VOTING WILL LOOK DIFFERENT THIS YEAR IN THE FACE OF THE PANDEMIC. PHOTO EDITOR BO BRUECK

HENRI ROBBINS

THE MIAMI STUDENT

FIRST-YEAR KYLIE WHITEHEAD MOVED INTO HER DORM AFTER MONTHS OF ANTICIPATION, BUT CAMPUS LOOKS A LOT DIFFERENT THIS SEMESTER. PHOTO EDITOR BO BRUECK

HANNAH HORSINGTON STAFF WRITER

While COVID-19 has changed virtually everything about moving into college campuses across the country this year, one small thing remains the same: the fire alarm is bound to go off.

This is exactly what happened to first-year Kylie Whitehead within her first three hours on Miami’s campus. As she hung up clothes in her closet, unpacked her collection of coffee mugs and swapped travel stories with her roommate, they were interrupted by the tell-tale shrieking of a residence hall fire alarm.

A few seconds later came the announcement over the intercom.

“MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE … THERE HAS BEEN A FIRE EMERGENCY REPORTED IN THE BUILDING. PLEASE EVACUATE THE BUILDING BY THE NEAREST EXIT.”

This was just one part of a move-in experience unlike any other for Kylie. From Northbrook, Illinois, outside of Chicago, she and her family drove to Oxford Thursday and spent the night in a hotel, not wanting to make the fivehour drive and a move all in one day.

Kylie and her family explored the campus and even walked all the way from the hotel to her dorm, Dennison Hall, to see where she would be living. Later, she and her sister, Alexa, wandered around Oxford and took note of any absurd house names (“Afternoon Delight” stood out) to tell their parents about later.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

In the face of a pandemic, the Butler County Board of Elections and local political organizations have both been working to allow Oxford residents to vote as safely and efficiently as possible this coming November.

For the upcoming election, there are three ways to cast a ballot: One can vote in-person on election day, in-person early at the board of elections or through the mail by absentee ballot. Board of Elections Deputy Director Eric Corbin said they have seen a massive increase in the amount of absentee ballots this year, but he does not have concerns over the safety of absentee voting.

“We’ve had this mail-in system for a long time,” Corbin said. “We’ve been working with it, and we’ve worked out the kinks.

This year we’re scaling up from 10% to a much higher percent of mail, but we already have the process in place.”

Along with this, the board is still having in-person voting and will be asking voters to wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines. While Corbin said the board of elections lost many poll workers due to the pandemic, it has also gained some due to active recruiting.

“We have recruited more people at this point in time than we ever have before, but that’s also because we started earlier,” Corbin said. “Of course, you can imagine the population of poll workers and the population of

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

What does “the video” mean for Miami’s reputation?

DAVID KWIATKOWSKI

CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR These past two weeks have proven to be quite eventful for Miami University.

Underclassmen began to move into dorms Sept. 14, and simultaneously, the viral video of a police officer confronting a student having a house party while positive for COVID-19 made headlines from news sources ranging from TMZ to The Washington Post.

But what does this all mean for Miami’s reputation?

During a town hall meeting Sept. 9, Provost Jason Osborne said the decision to come back was influenced by the actions of other Ohio universities and how those would compare to Miami’s reputation.

“What we’d be saying to our students is that we can’t do this when all our neighboring universities can,” Osborne said.

A lot of universities across the nation are dealing with rising COVID-19 cases as not all students are complying with social-distancing guidelines. Miami is no different, and community members were forced to face the implications of the viral video on Miami’s reputation.

Class of 2020 Miami graduate Makenzie Mercer believes the video showcases a selfishness displayed by certain students.

“It shines a light on some of the more deeply-rooted issues at Miami,” Mercer said, “this culture of entitlement. This group of boys didn’t see anything wrong with the fact that they were partying together even though they had tested positive.”

Mercer pointed to the lack of punishment for racism on campus, sexual assault cases and hazing in Greek life as further evidence of Miami students contributing to a sense of entitlement.

“I don’t know what it’s going to take for the administration to want to do more,” Mercer said.

A VIDEO OF COVID-POSITIVE PARTIERS MADE NATIONAL NEWS, SPARKING CONVERSATION ABOUT MIAMI'S REPUTATION. PHOTO EDITOR BO BRUECK

Junior public health major Morgan Manski questioned how many cases it would take for the university to shut down.

“If I were a freshman or sophomore [right now], I’d be asking when they’re going to send me home,” Manski said.

University officials have previously said they do not anticipate sending students home if an on-campus outbreak occurs. They might issue a shelter-in-place order, but they don’t want

students to return home and potentially spread COVID-19 to their communities.

Some people, like Miami parent Laura Herrick, believe the university cannot be solely responsible.

“I think that the behavior of the people in the video was more indicative of the way that they have been taught at home than it was of anything Miami is teaching them,” Herrick said.

Osborne understands that most students are complying with regulations but realizes that ev-

eryone is navigating life during a pandemic for the first time.

“We’re all trying to do the right thing,” Osborne said. “Students make mistakes, faculty make mistakes, everyone makes mistakes.

We’ve got to recover from this. But we’ve also got to hold people accountable.”

While Brent Shock, vice president for enrollment management and student success, agrees CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

This Issue NEWS

CULTURE

STAFF

OPINION

Students talk testing positive for COVID-19

When it comes to virtual learning, are we all the ghosts in the machine?

Meet the faces behind the bylines

RBG died.

page 4

page 6

page 8

What does that mean for all of us? page 10

This Week

2 FYI

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 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 News Editors

Dan Wozniak Business Manager

Lukas Nelson Sports Editor

James Tobin Faculty Adviser

Duard Headley David Kwiatkowski Culture Editors

Tues 9/22

Coffeehouse with Javier Colon 9:00 p.m.Virtual Event 10:00 p.m.

Come jam out with Season 1 winner of NBC’s The Voice Javier Colon!

Fred Reeder Business Adviser

Rebecca Wolff Opinion Editor

Aim Media Midwest Printer

Bo Brueck Photo Editor

Alessandra Manukian Sadie Van Wie Designers

Owen Berg Style Editor

Thurs 9/24

Varno Harris Social Media Editor

Derek Stamberger Video Producer

Bo Brueck Asst. Photo Editor

Jessica Robinson Humor Editor

Sydney Hill Brianna Porter Copy Editors

Jenna Calderón Asst. Culture Editor

Madeline Phaby Abby Bammerlin

David Kwiatkowski Entertainment Editor

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Virtual Workshop: Coping with COVID Virtual Event Come join Miami’s Student Counseling Services for their live weekly webinar workshops on how to cope with COVID-19.

2:00 p.m.2:30 p.m.

Plant Your Roots with MAP Armstrong Student Center, Outdoor Seal

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3:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m.

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Fri 9/25

Virtual Tour of the Benaki Museum Virtual Event Travel virtually to Athems, Greece and learn more about Greek culture through an online tour of the Benaki Museum.

9:00 a.m.10:00 a.m.

First year, first 24 hours What did move-in look like for a first-year student?

FROM FRONT The next morning, before Kylie could even move into her dorm, she headed to Millett Hall to get her COVID test.

“I went at, like, 11:15, [and] there was one other car there,” she said.

Kylie and her family had been prepared to see long lines after reading the move-in advice on social media earlier in the week.

“I figured there’d still be some people there, but … no.” she added.

She was relieved that this test wasn’t the one that goes all the way up her nose – which she had to do two weeks prior – but just a small cotton swab to stick in her nostril.

After twisting it around and handing it back to the lady (and sneezing), she was done.

After finishing her test, it was finally time for Kylie to start moving into her room.

But instead of the usual sense of move-in day – packed buildings full of families and students and their accompanying luggage – Kylie and her family walked into a nearly silent and empty building.

“It just, it seems strange because it’s so quiet,” said Noelle Whitehead, Kylie’s mom. “Like, it was too easy.

the whiteboard. Although it’s small, two big windows on either side of the room let in lots of light.

The whole family packed into the room, piling duffle bags and boxes onto the bed and the floor. Clanking noises from one particular bag, full of Kylie’s coffee mugs, echoed around the quiet hallway.

Kylie was also finally able to meet her roommate, Molly Lamue, who she had been talking to for the last eight months. Kylie found Molly on the housing website and noticed they were so similar, she could have written Molly’s bio herself. The two have been talking ever since.

Between the two girls, Kylie’s mom, dad and sister, and Molly’s mom, the room was filled to the brim with people, luggage and everything the girls would need for the next nine weeks. Molly pulled a little Iron Man action figure out of her bag to give to Kylie.

Kylie’s family left soon after getting everything moved in, but Molly’s mom (an alumna) would hang around for the rest of the weekend, picking up extra supplies and meeting up with her old college roommate.

The girls don’t plan on going out much, partly because Kylie is only 17, but they also aren’t interested in the

“It just, it seems strange because it’s so quiet.”

- Noelle Whitehead

We just drove up and parked close and walked everything in, so it’s weird.”

Kylie and her family found her room in the corner of the building, with her name on the door and a colorful welcome message written on

bar scene much anyway. They are very cautious of COVID and have a small number of people they each plan to hang out with in order to keep their social circle small.

They also agreed to keep the number of people who enter the room to a

STUDENTS WERE EXCITED TO FINALLY MOVE BACK TO CAMPUS. “I AM DEFINITELY EXCITED, MOSTLY BECAUSE I WAS SUPPOSED TO MOVE IN A MONTH AGO,” SAID KYLIE WHITEHEAD (NOT PICTURED). PHOTO EDITOR BO BRUECK

minimum.

“I texted [Molly], like, a week ago, and I was like, ‘We can discuss this more in person, but let’s just like … [have] no other people in the room,’” Kylie said. “We can both hang out with maybe a couple other people.”

They definitely won’t be bored, though. Kylie brought a projector for their room, and they have a whole list of shows and movies they plan to watch together, beginning with Star Trek and The Mandalorian.

When it comes to making friends at Miami, Kylie has used the internet to her advantage. While a few of her friends are people she went to high school with who also attend Miami, neither Kylie nor Molly knew many people before stepping foot on campus.

Kylie had to find unique ways to connect with others in her class. She often puts her own personal thoughts, commentary and jokes into a shared Google Doc with her notes, and her classmates have found them so entertaining that they all share them as a way to lighten the mood and make the class a little more fun.

Later, after coming back inside once the fire department cleared the building and a few more hours spent unpacking, the girls had their first allhall meeting.

Things looked a little different this year, though, as the meeting was held on Zoom.

The girls got to meet the RAs for

their building, and Kylie even asked her Resident Director if he is a Twitch streamer after noticing the mic he was wearing (he’s not, but he has considered it).

Both Kylie and Molly have become very familiar with the platform, each having the majority of their classes fully online for the semester.

Despite having very few in-person classes, Kylie knew she still wanted to move to campus. After being quarantined with her family for months, she was ready to get out and live on her own, even if it’s just for nine weeks.

“I am definitely excited, mostly because I was supposed to move in a month ago,” she said. “So I’m just like, ‘yes, I’m finally here.’”

After the all-hall meeting, Kylie and Molly worked on homework and continued to unpack, with Molly’s mom dropping off even more food and supplies that she had picked up during the day.

Posters sat on the floor with coffee cans and textbooks on the corners to flatten them out. A shelving unit still in the box leaned against the wall, ready to be put together this weekend.

By the time everything was brought in, boxes of food were stacked up higher than Kylie’s bed.

It will take a few days to get everything unpacked, but the girls don’t mind. Kylie was disappointed at first that she got the last possible time slot but now sees it as a positive that she has a few days to get settled before

classes start again.

By 8 p.m., Kylie guessed her family would be arriving back in Northbrook soon, but she wasn’t feeling homesick yet.

“I’ve been going to an overnight camp since I was nine, so this is just like an extended version of that,” she said.

It also hadn’t quite hit her that she was moved-in and at college, especially because she wouldn’t attend classes until Monday.

“It feels like I’m at a hotel for the moment, but I had to bring my whole room with me,” she said.

Both Kylie and Molly are excited to begin their journey at Miami, even if it may not be quite in the way that they expected. They’ve settled into their classes and are beginning to learn their way around campus. Kylie doesn’t mind the changed dining halls, content to get food to-go and eat in her room.

They’ve run into some problems that are unique to this year, though, now that COVID-19 has changed almost everything.

“What do you do when you see someone [from] one of your online classes and you’ve never talked to them before, but you know what their bedroom looks like?” @hannahorsington horsinhp@miamioh.edu

NEWS 3

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

LUMPKIBM@MIAMIOH.EDU

Blue city, red county The history of elections in Oxford MADELINE PHABY ASST. NEWS EDITOR

As you drive through the backroads in rural Butler County, it’s easy to see what the prevailing political sentiment is: “Trump 2020” and “Keep America Great” signs pepper the lawns in these areas.

But as you continue heading northwest, the Trump signs eventually start giving way to Joe Biden ones.

That’s how you know you’ve reached Oxford.

Though Miami University carries a reputation of being relatively conservative, Oxford has been a small blue bubble in an overwhelmingly red county for the past several elections.

For example, in the 2016 presidential election, Oxford voters favored Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump 67 to 33%, while just 31% of Butler County as a whole voted for Clinton, compared to 61% for Trump.

Two demographic groups, which are more plentiful in Oxford than the rest of Butler County, are responsible for these stark differences: young adults (aged 18-35) and adults with postgraduate degrees.

According to the Pew Research Center, more than half of young adults nationwide identify as Democrats while just a third identify as Republicans. Similarly, more than half of people with postgraduate degrees identify as Democrats, compared to a third as Republicans.

Though Republican candidates have dominated Butler County in every election since 1952 (with the exception of 1964), the county was once a Democratic stronghold – between 1856 and 1948, just two Republican presidential candidates won the county.

References to most 19th-century elections are difficult to find in university archives, but it’s known that Abraham Lincoln lost in Butler County in both 1860 and 1864, even though Ohio was part of the Union and Lincoln won the state of Ohio in both elections.

This can likely be attributed to Butler County’s proximity to Kentucky, a Confederate state. Because of this proximity, hundreds

of Miami students served in the ety — Butler County consistently candidates.

Confederate army during the Civil supported Democratic candidates The tone of the Nov. 8, 1968 War. until 1952. issue of The Student, published One of the earliest election refFollowing World War II, many three days after Richard Nixon erences that can be found in The Americans began to fear the grow- beat Hubert Humphrey in the Miami Student archives was in the ing influence of the Soviet Union election, is somber.

November 1888 issue, which dis- and communism. This caused a One student, Gary Setnik, procusses the recent election of Mi- rightward shift in popular politics, duced a poem about the weather ami alumnus and Phi Delta Theta which was reflected in both Oxford the day after the election, which member Benjamin Harrison. and Butler County as a whole. was fittingly dreary after Hum“Among the first of his congrat“IKE-DICK TEAM SWEEPS phrey’s “throbbing defeat.” ulatory telegrams were those from COUNTRY” was printed in mas“I must go buy some watermembers of his fraternity,” the ar- sive letters on the front page of the proofing now,” Setnik wrote. “Four ticle says of Harrison. “Phi Delta Nov. 7, 1956 issue of The Student, years of rain will surely dampen Theta is congratulated on the elec- which ran a day after Dwight Ei- my spirits, flood my mind, drown tion of one of her most talented senhower was reelected as pres- my soul.” members to the presidency.” ident. The entire front page was Though Butler County reIronically, though, Harrison also dedicated to the results of the mained strongly conservative, — a Republican — lost in Butler election, which sharply contrasts Miami students continued to rally County by nearly a third of the the general disinterest in politics behind their Democratic oppovote. found in previous issues. nents in the 1970s.

In the late 19th and early 20th In that same issue, an editoIn 1972, Richard Nixon beat centuries, The Student hardly rial written by a student sharp- George McGovern by more than made any mention of the elections ly criticizes former presidents 500 electoral votes — the widest that occurred, and Butler County Franklin Roosevelt and Harry electoral margin at the time. Still, continued to vote for Democrats. But in the 1950s, a shift occurred.

During the 19th “Though Miami University carries a reputation century, the Republican Party’s major of being relatively conservative, Oxford has focus was ending slavery and — once been a blue bubble in an overwhelmingly that was accomred county for the past several elections.” plished — improving conditions for Black Americans.

The Democratic Party, which dominated the south, strongly opposed Truman for their “presentation Miami students expressed fondcivil rights and was responsible for of the truth in a half-baked man- ness for the defeated Democrat, racist Jim Crow laws. ner,” suggesting that some Miami with one student even referring to But around the turn of the 20th students had begun to adopt the him as a “tragic hero” in an editocentury, the Republicans’ main same pro-Republican viewpoints rial. priority shifted to protecting the as most Butler County residents.

Since the 1980s, students’ porights of large businesses while Oxford’s conservative streak con- litical views appear to have melthe Democrats represented rural tinued in 1960, when nearly two- lowed somewhat. The Student and agrarian interests. Though the thirds of the city voted for Richard described perceptions of Ronlatter party had long prided itself Nixon over John F. Kennedy, ac- ald Reagan’s 1984 reelection as on its conservative values, some cording to the Nov. 8, 1960 issue “mixed,” and it has reported on Democrats — namely 1896 presi- of The Student. An editorial in that both sides’ reactions to each elecdential nominee William Jennings same issue criticized voter apathy tion since George H.W. Bush’s Bryan — advocated for a larger amongst the Miami community.

1988 victory. central government, and that soon “We cannot afford to leave our Despite Miami’s increasingly became a major aspect of the par- elections to fifty per cent or less of balanced political climate, Butler ty’s platform. our potential voters,” the editorial County Democrats are still a small Though the Democratic plat- reads. minority. However, Ohio, which form began shifting dramatically By the end of the 1960s, though, Trump won by 500,000 votes in during the early 20th century — the apathy had washed away. Like 2016, will remain an extremeculminating in Franklin D. Roo- many other American universities, ly important swing state in this sevelt’s New Deal, which greatly Miami students became increas- year’s election. expanded the government’s role ingly politically active and overin regulating all aspects of soci- whelmingly supported Democratic phabymr@miamioh.edu

Campus shutdown “unlikely”; professors nervous about in-person return

PROVOST JASON OSBORNE SAID A SECOND CAMPUS SHUTDOWN IS UNLIKELY. INSTEAD, THE UNIVERSITY COULD PUT STUDENTS UNDER A SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER IF CASES SPIKE. THE MIAMI STUDENT JUGAL JAIN

ABBY BAMMERLIN ASST. NEWS EDITOR

With Miami’s positive case rate on the decline, Provost Jason Osborne said it is “unlikely” that the campus will completely vacate again like it did in March.

“What we’re seeing around the country and the advice we’re getting from public health officials,” Osborne said, “is not to vacate campus if there is a spike among the residential population, because what that does is just spread the virus back to the homes and the communities and the families of the students.”

Osborne said it is more likely the campus will be advised to shelter in place if the university experiences a large spike in cases.

Jennifer Bailer, health commissioner for the Butler County Health District, said Oxford is now averaging 25 new COVID-19 cases a day, a decrease from several hundred a day at the end of August.

As of Sept. 20, Miami’s Oxford campus had 359 active COVID cases and 1,377 cumulative positive cases.

Osborne said the final decision about students’ return to campus was made Tuesday, Sept. 8 and released

Wednesday, Sept. 9.

Students were given the option to remain remote, to return to campus or to defer their enrollment. Osborne said Miami estimates a 40% reduction in the amount of students on campus due to students choosing not to return.

“We’re trying to give people as many options as we can, just because

“Throughout the entire summer, we’ve been trying to keep as many stakeholder groups as possible involved, but with a campus this size, it’s hard,” Osborne said.

Rosemary Pennington, assistant professor of journalism, said she was torn on whether or not she wanted to return to in-person learning.

“The in-class experience as a

“I never could feel really comfortable in one place or another.”

- Rosemary Pennington

there are so many different concerns and needs and wants,” Osborne said.

He said about 2,000 students opted to remain remote and several hundred students deferred their enrollment.

Osborne said hundreds of students, families and faculty gave their feedback on whether or not they believed students should return to campus.

professor is something that I really love,” Pennington said. “I really sort of thrive on it, and it propels me as an instructor. And it’s been hard to sort of reproduce that digitally.”

While Pennington’s class is smaller compared to some of her colleagues, she’s still considering how she’ll format the class moving forward.

“I never could feel really comfortable in one place or another,”

Pennington said. “I think there are good reasons to come back related to college experience and related to financials, but then there are so many health and safety issues. I’m glad I’m not the one who had to make that decision.”

Pennington said she worries about possibly infecting other people when out at stores, in public or in class.

“The worrisome thing is, am I going to take something home at the end of the day after I’ve met with students?” Pennington said.

Osborne said that while students move in, Miami is taking a twopronged approach. The first is alerting faculty that some students may be moving in, and the second is telling students to alert their faculty if there’s a conflict. But there isn’t a universal policy.

“This is really an individual decision by every faculty member,” Osborne said.

He estimated 4,000 students moving in between the announcement on Sept. 9 and Sept. 21, when in-person classes resumed.

Carole Johnson, interim director of university news and communications, explained that before students moved into residence halls, they were tested for COVID-19.

By Sept. 20, the COVID-19 dashboard reported 2,276 tests were given during move-in, with 21 students testing positive.

Pennington said she’s working with students to figure out the best way to hold class after move-in. Most of her students have indicated they’d like to go back to an in-person class while at least one has opted to remain online.

“I’m trying to figure out a way to meet that’s still meaningful for the students and helps us ultimately achieve the learning goals of the classes,” Pennington said, “but also which feels safe.”

Additional reporting was conducted by Asst. News Editor Madeline Phaby. @abby_bammerlin bammeraj@miamioh.edu

Oxford preparing for unprecedented election FROM FRONT people who are susceptible to COVID, in a Venn diagram, would overlap quite a bit, so we’ve definitely lost some poll workers that we’ve normally used, but we’ve also had a lot of poll workers step up and sign up to do this for the first time.”

Because of this concern, Corbin said some polling locations in Fairfield and Monroe – located in nursing homes and senior living facilities – had to be changed, but all of the locations in Oxford will stay the same as they were during primaries. Voters can find their location on the Butler County Board of Elections’ website.

To ensure the safety of both voters and poll workers, Corbin said all poll workers will be wearing masks, and they are asking for voters to bring their own masks with them. If they’re unable to bring one, there will be masks at polling locations.

“We’re strongly encouraging that all voters coming into the polling location take into account the people that are in the location with them – the poll workers as well as the other voters – and please wear a mask,” Corbin said.

“We’re going to provide additional masks for voters who don’t have one or who forget one or, for whatever reason, come to the polling location without one. We will not turn them away [if they don’t have a mask].”

Nick Fellaris, Miami University College Republicans (CRs) chairman, said he expects voters to be able to follow social distancing guidelines during voting and doesn’t expect it to pose any danger.

“If people are able to peacefully protest, [and if] people are able to wear a mask in public to go to work or to open their business, if they’re able to do all these things with the current regulations and guidelines that we have to follow to keep us safe, there should be no argument against having in-person voting,” Fellaris said.

Both CRs and Miami University College Democrats (Dems) have been meeting online to encourage students to register to vote, and Dems has been hosting local candidates as speakers during its meetings.

Omar Elghazawi, Dems’ head of communications, voiced his concerns for absentee voting due to the massive influx of voters and recommended they mail their requests as soon as possible.

“I can definitely see issues arising,” Elghazawi said. “I think the main issue is that we’ve seen so far, with [mail] boxes being removed and funding being taken away from the United States Postal Service, those are big challenges that have come in. That’s why we’re also encouraging our voters to [vote] as soon as possible to ensure they have the best chance of their vote actually getting in and being counted.”

The same concern of timeliness was voiced by Fellaris, who noted the situation in New York, which had 10 times the expected amount of absentee ballots, according to a New York Times report, with around 400,000 of those ballots being sent back.

“Not only do our elections deserve to be fair, they deserve to be timely so that we’re not waiting days and weeks to find out the results of elections,” Fellaris said. “I think some states who tried the whole mail-in voting ballot thing for their primaries earlier in the summer and late spring, some of them like New York are still chugging out election results since it’s so much. It’s just chaotic.”

Despite this, Corbin said he does not have any concerns with absentee voting in Ohio since the system has been in place for years. He encourages voters to check their registration, which can be done at voteohio.gov.

Elghazawi said he did not have concerns over the safety of absentee voting, but he does expect it to have some delays.

“At the end of the day, I don’t think we’re going to get a result right away on Nov. 3 like we have on previous election nights,” Elghazawi said. “I genuinely don’t think we’ll get final presidential results and other results for at least a few days, if not more.”

Regardless of voting method or party, Elghazawi said, encouraging and helping people vote is an important part of any political organization.

“I think that, as the biggest political organizations on campus, regardless of political affiliation, it’s our duty to make sure that students know how and where to vote, especially if they’re voting on campus, and providing and forwarding them towards resources that allow them to vote as easily and as safely as possible,” he said. “Even if they’re not a Democrat, or even if they’re not a Republican, making sure that they know where to go to vote because voting, as a student, is probably one of the most important things that we can do as students at Miami or anywhere.” robbinha@miami.edu

4 NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

CARLINTM@MIAMIOH.EDU

TESTING POSITIVE FOR COVID-19

Miami students share their experiences leave, but also it was like I had my grandpa to think about, and I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to him.”

DESIGN EDITOR OWEN BERG

EMILY DATTILO

MANAGING EDITOR It’s been six months since COVID-19 altered every element of daily life in America.

Across the country, there are more than 6.8 million cases and counting.

And the Oxford community has seen a spike in cases since August, with cumulative Miami student cases on the Oxford campus totaling 1,372 (which breaks down to an estimated 356 active cases and estimated 1,016 recovered cases) as of Sept. 20.

On Sept. 9, Miami University President Greg Crawford announced students would begin moving into dorms Sept. 14, and in-person classes would resume Sept. 21. The announcement has sparked much debate and discussion, and though COVID-19 dashboard numbers are shared continuously, the voices behind those numbers have largely been absent until now.

Eleven Miami students who tested positive for COVID-19 this semester shared their experiences with the virus, discussing everything from getting tested, to experiencing physical and emotional effects, to life in quarantine and the recovery process.

(Three students requested to remain anonymous.)

Talking symptoms When asked about how they contracted the virus, students presented a handful of possible ideas — friends of friends, housemates, small social gatherings. Most couldn’t be certain of the exact cause, though some had a pretty good idea.

Junior English education major Erin Bingaman knew one of her roommates had been exposed to the virus,

and shortly after, a different roommate tested positive.

“I started to show symptoms, so I got tested, and it was just kind of like … bowling pins at the end of the lane.

We were just all knocked down one by one,” Bingaman said of herself and her roommates.

Though individual symptoms varied, the following were mentioned by at least one student: fever, fatigue, cough, loss of sense of smell and taste, headache and breathing problems, among others.

Senior biology major Anelise Thomas originally thought she had a cold because her symptoms were so mild. She didn’t have a fever or chills, not even a runny nose. But something was atypical.

“I have had the worst fatigue that I’ve ever experienced in my life,” Thomas said. “I’ve been sleeping and/ or feeling sleepy the entire time. It’s crazy. One night, I slept for 17 hours.”

A senior strategic communications and emerging technology in business + design (ETBD) major from Ohio also thought she had a cold, which is something she’s dealt with before around this time.

“Every time I come to school, I feel like I’m sick. Whether it’s, like, living in the dorms or living in my off-campus house, I just get like a cold and never think anything of it,” she said.

Jack Farag, a sophomore economics and political science major, says his experience with the flu last year was “at least two times worse, if not three times worse.”

For senior accountancy Morgan Pohl — who believes she contracted the virus running with teammates — symptoms included a headache, sore throat, stuffy nose and loss of taste and

smell, which started to go away slowly after a week.

“A few of my friends were more sick than I,” Pohl said. “But they had a quicker recovery rate than I did.”

A senior information systems & analytics (ISA) major from Wisconsin says he compares his experience with the coronavirus to a “really bad day of the flu,” adding that “the muscle soreness was horrible.”

The loss of smell and taste was a common combination of symptoms, and one that junior mechanical engineering major Michaela Pandorf tested in her own way — “eating spoonfuls of paprika and cinnamon,” and she couldn’t taste a thing.

She ate Caesar salads for a week because the lettuce was crunchy.

Insomnia Cookies tasted like dirt, she said.

The ins and outs of isolation After testing positive for coronavirus, life became a lot quieter for these students. Isolation was filled with lots of schoolwork and Netflix.

One student worked on art projects.

One sewed. Some watched TikToks.

One read The Wall Street Journal.

“I just kinda sat in my room and tried to get ahead on schoolwork,” said junior kinesiology major Dylan Canter. “But [I] also tried to stay motivated to do it because I also had an excuse not to do work, so like it was kind of a tough battle there.”

Sitting inside all day left students missing their normal day-to-day activities like getting together with friends.

Senior finance major Tyler Yost says missing out on the little things, like doing his own grocery shopping, was a challenge.

Walking uptown to grab a bite at

Bagel or Skippers wasn’t in the realm of possibility, so students had to find alternatives. Bingaman and her housemates ordered groceries and cooked dinners together. The senior ISA major from Wisconsin used DoorDash for lots of his meals.

And in terms of dealing with the absence of socialization during isola-

“When I had it, I genuinely felt dirty.

When I would have to tell people, like, hey, I had COVID, and the looks that they would give you, it’s just a lot to handle.”

tion, students relied on FaceTime or hanging out with housemates, if they all had tested positive.

One student’s quarantine experience looked quite different from her Oxford peers — Adriana Rivera, a sophomore political science major, lives with her grandfather. She tested positive while at home in Chicago, and then tested positive a second time — spending around three weeks total in isolation.

“For a little while, I felt like I had done what I needed to do,” she said.

“And I was alone for such a long amount of time that I just wanted to

Reflecting and recovering The recovery process looked slightly different for each student — some feeling perfectly fine after a week, others losing symptoms day by day, while others are still feeling the effects. None of the 11 students were hospitalized for coronavirus.

Pandorf said she used to run three miles a day, but now she runs only a mile.

“It’s just like completely wiped out my lungs … I can barely go, like, work out for 10 minutes now,” she said, adding that she has more energy now and is able to keep up with school, but is hopeful her sense of smell will return, as she loves to cook.

Yost said he feels fine now.

Bingaman said after her worst day of symptoms, it took a few days to feel back to normal — though she still can’t smell anything.

The senior ISA major from Wisconsin said he feels great.

Though the physical symptoms are diminishing for most, the emotional effects are still present for some.

Thomas said she’s had to reiterate multiple times that she’s no longer contagious, but sometimes people still don’t seem to believe her.

The senior strategic communications and IMS major from Ohio brought up the presence of a blame culture — shaming those who have contracted the virus.

She says people seem to jump to conclusions, assuming that those who’ve tested positive have been out partying, breaking the rules. And even though she’d been following the rules, the negative connotation associated with the virus made some interactions difficult to deal with.

“When I had it, I genuinely felt dirty,” she said. “When I would have to tell people, like, hey, I had COVID, and the looks that they would give you, it’s just a lot to handle.”

A senior human capital management and leadership major from Ohio felt similarly. He says it’s been difficult to hear people talk about other individuals making poor choices, assuming that everyone falls into that category.

When he told his family about contracting the virus, the first thing they told him was that he shouldn’t have gone to parties.

“And it’s like, I haven’t, at all, done that,” he said.

“Obviously I could have been more safe,” he added. “[I] could’ve been better about [following the guidelines].

But at the end of the day, it wasn’t my intention to get it. I’m not going to say it wasn’t my fault that I got it. But at the same time, I feel like the only other option was to, like, completely isolate myself … I feel like it was inevitable coming back and getting it.” @emily_dattilo dattilec@miamioh.edu

A town divided: Oxford’s reaction to the return to in-person instruction ALEX COX

STAFF WRITER Permanent Oxford residents have mixed feelings about Miami University’s decision to continue with its phased return to campus, bringing even more students into Oxford.

For some Oxford residents, this decision is a matter of life and death – with the university already reporting more than 1,350 cumulative positive COVID-19 tests among students since classes started in mid-August.

Oxford’s Assistant City Manager Jessica Greene said the decision to return was not made without discussion between the city and the university, specifically the university’s Safe Return to Campus Planning and Coordinating Committee.

“I’ve been meeting weekly with Miami University for months – twice a week, actually, for most of the spring and summer,” Greene said.

“We really spoke through all the scenarios and what they would mean for our community’s health; what they would mean for our community’s economics; what they would mean as far as perception and fear.”

Economic Impact Many permanent residents – both members of the government and other members of the community – recognize the economic importance of students returning to campus.

Kelli Riggs, president of the Ox-

ford Chamber of Commerce, cited the importance of students in the economic activity of the town.

“Living in a college town and having small businesses in college towns, those businesses really rely on a lot of extra foot traffic in order to have their businesses thrive more during the school year,” Riggs said.

One of these businesses, Bagel and Deli, spoke to the direct impact of this extra foot traffic.

“Over the summers and winters, a typical day will yield, at best, $1,000.

During non-quarantine time during the school year a day will yield upwards of $5,000 to $10,000,” manager Alex Bauman said.

Amy Schlake, a retail worker at The Apple Tree boutique uptown, also said the store relies on students.

“We definitely need that business [from the students and parents]. But we were also concerned about our health and being around customers, as well as our customers’ health,” Schlake said.

Even businesses that have very limited interactions with the student population recognize the economic benefits of having students in town.

James Robinson, an attorney with Robinson & Jones, said his firm represents a Miami student only once or twice a month, and it sees no major decrease in cases during the times that students are not in Oxford.

But he predicted his firm would begin to feel the impact of students’ absence from Oxford within a year if

AS STUDENTS RETURN TO OXFORD AND ON-CAMPUS HOUSING, PERMANENT OXFORD RESIDENTS ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE TOWN. THE MIAMI STUDENT ZACH REICHMAN

students did not return.

“If students were gone for a year, that would cause many businesses to close up and maybe move away, in which case that will affect us if our client base was no longer here,” Robinson said.

Riggs mentioned that one or two businesses had earlier expressed concern about remaining open if students didn’t return.

But Vice Mayor Bill Snavely said he had also heard several businesses claim they didn’t want students to return because they could operate entirely from the permanent residents and off-campus students.

Ultimately, the City of Oxford is largely dependent on the university, even outside of the students. As Greene said, the tax money generated from the university supports critical infrastructure.

“If there were no students, there would be no Oxford,” Snavely said.

Social Impact Although Miaimi students have a

profound effect on Oxford’s economy, many permanent residents expressed concern at the quickly rising number of coronavirus cases in Oxford.

“I’m worried that I could get it and either get irreversible brain damage or die,” Bauman said. “And I’m worried about that every day. I understand that money is important to the economy, and everyone at the school is important, but they’re risking infecting so many more people.”

In light of the positive cases, concern is growing.

“For me personally, and I think for most of the people in town, the level of concern is large,” Snavely said.

Snavely said he is personally choosing to decrease in-person dining and is shopping mostly online in an attempt to minimize contact with those infected.

Greene stressed the importance of public safety in the eyes of both the city and the university during the entirety of the planning process.

“Public health is as important – more important,” Greene said. “We

very much want to take this seriously and treat this with responsibility, which is why the City of Oxford has taken a lot of really progressive precautions that other communities are not taking.”

Even with these precautions, such as the mass gathering ban and face covering ordinance, public opinion is divided.

Reactions to the university’s decision range from “extreme anger” to “support” to a more “mixed reaction.”

But almost everyone interviewed agreed it’s now up to the student body to take responsibility for the community that will serve as their home for the next several months.

“The main concerns [moving forward] are that Miami students have the same concerns that year-round residents have,” Snavely said. “We want Miami to continue, we want you to have in-person classes … It’s in everyone’s interest to follow these rules.” coxaj4@miamioh.edu

NEWS 5

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

LUMPKIBM@MIAMIOH.EDU

University honors program to be transformed into new honors college HANNAH HORSINGTON STAFF WRITER

Miami University announced last week that the University Honors Program will be transitioning into an honors college beginning fall 2021.

Zeb Baker, director of the university honors program, said the decision was made to provide more opportunities for students as the honors program continues to evolve.

“In recent years, the success of our honors students in competing for things like national fellowships, being placed in top graduate programs across the country or getting job placements has led the university to think about, ‘How can we amplify the work that we’re doing with honors students in general?’” Baker said.

He explained that the university also considered honors programs at similar colleges throughout the rest of the country in order to make a decision on how to attract “really good” students.

“The discussions landed on the idea of inaugurating an honors college because it provides us with a venue in which to build the kind of community of learners that ultimately can help the university to attract and retain students of the kind that would be going into an honors college,” Baker said.

The honors college will also provide opportunities for more collaborations between students and faculty, with the honors college acting as a venue for faculty to explore new ideas to benefit “the entire culture of undergraduate learning,” Baker said.

Students who are already involved in the honors program will transition to the honors college but will keep the same academic requirements as the previous program. They will not have to fulfill any new condition given to incoming first-years in the honors college.

Students who are joining the honors college as first-years will have new academic requirements, including a minimum GPA and thesis requirement.

“I honestly think it’s a great idea,” said junior Elizabeth Weber, who is part of the current honors program.

“I think writing the thesis is a really interesting aspect and will help [propel] the honors college to new heights.”

Junior Marie Duke, who is also part of the honors program, agrees.

“From what I’ve read, it sounds like they’re going to be having more flexibility in what they can provide to honors students,” Duke said. “Which I think is great.”

In addition to more course opportunities, students joining the honors college will live in an honors community, or a “residential college,” which will likely be placed on Western campus, using Beechwoods, Hillcrest and Stonebridge residence halls.

“It will be a place where there will be a more enhanced and enriched residential curriculum,” Baker said.

“It will be a curriculum — or a community, I should say — that the students are really shaping and leading.

We want this to be a student-driven community.”

Weber said she thinks the new

community will provide an even better outlet for honors students to create a community than before.

“The more opportunities … and other programming will also help the honors college come together more,” she said. “Sometimes I think the program falls short in being a community, because I think some people are just going through the requirements.”

Duke agreed that a closer-knit community would be beneficial to the honors college. She said she more often connects with individuals within the honors program, rather than with the honors community as a whole.

“I think if I had been a freshman and, you know, living in that community where they were actively trying to get everyone to participate, it could have been influential in making the decision to be more active in that group,” she said.

Baker said the new residential college will provide more opportunities to engage students.

“There wilal be an opportunity for greater leadership amongst our honors students in really determining what is the nature of that community and how do we sustain the values of learning and living together throughout all four years the student participates in the honors college,” Baker said.

Students in the honors college will also have access to exclusive study abroad experiences beginning summer 2021.

The university is also working to evolve and further improve other

How does Miami’s COVID-19 testing plan compare to peer institutions?

CAROLINE HAUBENSTRICKER STAFF WRITER

Since sending students home in March, Miami University has been planning ways to safely bring students back to campus in the age of COVID-19. But with more than 1,300 cumulative cases a month into the semester, members of the Miami community have raised questions about the university’s response to the pandemic.

The Miami Student examined two peer institutions – Ohio University (OU) and Ohio State University (OSU) – to compare Miami’s response to other schools across the state.

So, how does Miami measure up?

COVID-19 by the numbers As of Sept. 17, Miami’s Oxford campus had 1,366 cumulative positive cases among students and employees, according to the COVID-19 Dashboard — though the dashboard doesn’t disclose how many people have been tested in total.

This is a sharp increase compared to OU, which had 111 cumulative cases among students and employees as of Sept. 18. But it’s important to note that at the time of publication, OU had only tested 306 students and employees in total, according to the university’s COVID-19 Dashboard, meaning more than a third of those tested turned up positive.

OSU had the highest number of cumulative tests as of Sept. 17, with 2,623 positive coronavirus tests among students and employees.

But OSU also has the lowest positivity rate among the three schools, with only 3.5% of students testing positive, according to the Safe and Healthy Buckeyes COVID-19 Dashboard.

Returning to campus Miami’s Safe Return to Campus (SR2C) Planning and Coordinating Committee worked throughout the summer to plan for a phased-in approach for students to return to campus this fall. After initially delaying residential move-in by a month, President Greg Crawford decided to move forward with the phased-in return beginning last week.

Classes began online on Aug. 17, and students living in residence halls were able to move in beginning Sept. 14. Classes with an in-person or hybrid mode of delivery were able to begin face-to-face learning on Sept. 21.

Just like Miami, OU implemented a phased return to campus in Athens, Ohio.

On Aug. 24, phase one was implemented at OU. Most students were able to begin their fall classes remotely. However, only a limited number of graduate students and undergraduate students in a selected set of academic programs were allowed to return to campus.

The programs and classes selected to return to in-person learning were ones that required the in-person experience to meet requirements and those that required access to on-campus equipment and

facilities, according to OU’s phased return website.

OU’s phase two will begin Sept.

28 and continue through the rest of the semester. As a part of the second phase, at least 7,200 students were invited to return to campus. Those students represent approximately 31% of the Athens campus undergraduate enrollment and 100% of the Athens-based graduate enrollment.

At OSU, in-person and hybrid classes began Aug. 25. The university did not start the semester with a completely online model.

The move-in process at OSU was slow this semester. Students were able to move in beginning Aug. 8.

Students from out-of-state were able to move in two weeks before the start of classes, so they could quarantine.

OSU did not force students out of their housing contracts but offered exceptions for sophomores that wanted to live off-campus, said Sam Raudins, senior at OSU and editor-in-chief of OSU’s newspaper, The Lantern.

Miami also offered exceptions for sophomores and upperclassmen who wanted to leave their contracts.

Similar to Miami, all residential students at OSU were required to take a coronavirus test as part of the move-in process.

According to Miami’s Oxford campus dashboard, 2,276 students were tested before moving into residence halls. Of those tests, 22 students tested positive.

Many OU students will have some face-to-face classes, but a majority of classes will continue online, even for students included in phase two. Class sizes may vary, and there is no limitation on how many students can be in a classroom at a time.

OSU has limited the size of in-person classes to no more than 50 students to reduce density on campus and maintain social distancing.

If a student’s class is in person, they are able to attend virtually, as any class that is in person is broadcast over Zoom, Raudins said.

Crawford mentioned in an email to the entire student population that the on-campus student population would be significantly lower than previous years; it would be reduced by approximately 40%.

“I think that President Crawford has made the assertion that we’re doing one of the most extensive testing systems of any university we are aware of,” Provost Jason Osborne said. “[Comparing universities] is kind of comparing apples and bananas and mangos. You can’t just look at numbers and say, ‘Oh, this university is doing better or worse,’ you have to dig into what that is.”

Testing plans and other COVID-19 guidelines Miami has instituted a plan, partnering with TriHealth, to test more than 3,000 individuals each week through wide-net and surveillance testing, according to the university’s testing and contract tracing website.

According to OSU’s testing website, the university has a multipronged testing strategy. OSU’s

surveillance testing program consists of mandatory weekly testing of all students in residence halls or university-managed housing and regular testing of samples of asymptomatic undergraduate, graduate and professional students who live off campus.

Raudins is confident in OSU’s testing plan and feels comfortable at OSU. “I think it is impressive the amount of tests that we have done,” she said. “The testing on top of the dashboard release puts my mind at ease.”

Miami students who are selected for surveillance testing will receive an email from the university to schedule a day and time to complete their test within 48 hours. Miami selects students of all grades residing in on-campus and off-campus housing to be tested.

Nolan Simmons, a junior at OU and news editor at the school’s newspaper, The Post, does not think OU’s testing plan is the most effective.

“Athens is a pretty small town and inviting a big influx of [7,200] students is not going to be good,” Simmons said. “There are not a lot of healthcare options in Athens …

This hurts Athens because we are the poorest county in Ohio and have only so many hospital beds.”

On Sept. 14, OU’s President Duane Nellis announced that the university “signed a contract with OhioHealth to provide a significant number of tests” and is working with CVS to allow for rapid testing of the student body, according to an article in The Post.

This will give OU the ability to test between 1,050 and 1,260 people per week.

Miami, on the other hand, has the ability to test 3,000 students and employees per week.

OU is contact tracing students but does not want to disincentivize students from participating if they were at a party or not wearing a mask. Information collected from contract tracing will not be harmful for a student’s academic placement, according to The Post’s article.

Contact tracing at Miami is conducted by the Butler County General Health District for the Oxford campus and local health departments for the regional campuses.

A ‘daily health check’ to report body temperature and health status is required for all OSU students, faculty and staff each day they come to campus. Miami is also asking students, faculty and staff to take a daily symptom test each day they are on campus.

Students at Miami are required to wear masks and socially distance when in classroom settings. Professors will maintain a 10-foot distance from students while wearing facial protection.

“It is clear that, in the United States, [COVID-19] is not going to go away anytime soon, [but] I’m glad that we’re doing our best to have as much information as possible,” Raudins said. “They are definitely trying really hard, and it is appreciated.” @haubenstrickerc haubence@miamioh.edu

NEXT FALL, THE UNIVERSITY HONORS PROGRAM WILL BECOME AN HONORS COLLEGE, OFFERING MORE OPPORTUNTIES TO STUDENTS IN THE PROGRAM. PHOTO EDITOR BO BRUECK

programs, such as the Presidential Fellows and the University Academic Scholars Program, now called the Prodesse Scholars Program. This new name comes from Miami’s Motto, ”Prodesse Quam Conspici”, which translates to “to accomplish without being conspicuous”. Baker sees there being an eventual connection between all three communities as the university continues to advance.

“I certainly see there being synergies between the honors college and Prodesse scholars moving forward,” he said. “Likewise, the Presidential Fellows continue to exist, and that program is going to continue on just as it is right now. And I would imagine that there would be students

that would be drawn out of both programs, the honors college and the Prodesse scholars, that would have the option to be in the Presidential Fellows.”

Applications for the class of 2021 opened Aug. 1, with the application for the honors college included. Baker said that while the application won’t change much with the transition from the honors program, “what will change is the opportunities for the university to offer to prospective students who are interested in coming here and being part of the honors college.” @hannahorsington horsinhp@miamioh.edu

COVID CAUTION Are Miami University students taking COVID-19 protocols seriously?

SKYLER PERRY STAFF WRITER

Since the return of many off-campus students in August, cases of COVID-19 have been growing. As on-campus students begin returning to campus, there are concerns over members of the Miami community properly following guidelines.

Kimberly Moore, associate vice president for student life and dean of students, said there is a wide variation within the student population’s level of understanding and the decisions being made based on that knowledge.

“I’m confident that many of our students are taking this seriously, but I also know that many of our students aren’t,” Moore said.

Moore said she knows some students are taking the rules seriously because students have reached out to her to share their thoughts, questions and concerns about the virus.

Because of the number of COVID cases, incident reports, police contact with students and the amount of conduct incidents, Moore said it is obvious some students aren’t taking protocol seriously.

“We have over 130 students who are ... facing conduct [violations] for COVID-related incidents,” Moore said.

Elizabeth Knieriemen is a sophomore finance major who is currently living in Oxford; she said she thinks people fear potentially getting in trouble with the university.

“I think people are really afraid … A lot [of my friends], and me personally as well, don’t want to risk getting suspended or any punishments just to go out for one night,” Knieriemen said.

Moore said the primary reason students are facing code of conduct violations is because of parties.

Caroline Bartoszek, a sophomore psychology and neuroscience major, said she has seen students hosting parties in Oxford, and that the rule-breaking upsets her. “[It] makes me feel a little bit more powerless,” Bartoszek said.

“I’m thinking, ‘Well, if this outbreak keeps getting bigger, I’m not going to be able to do things like go uptown, go to the farmer’s market or go on campus.’”

Sophomore psychology and premedical studies major Heather Yenchesky said although she believes the school is doing its best, she wishes more had been done earlier.

“I wish [the university] had done some more … when everybody was moving into places off-campus,” Yenchesky said. “Right now, I feel like they’re trying to do their best with the wide-net testing.”

One of the university’s recent strategies to try to educate the student body about COVID was a required module.

Steve Large is the assistant vice president for student life, health and wellness. In an email to The Miami Student, Large said that the objec-

tive of the module was to ensure every student received a baseline of knowledge about the virus, while also learning about the university’s guidelines and expectations for students.

As of Sept. 4, there were still 16,213 students who had not completed the required module, said Large — for context, there are about 17,000 undergraduates at the Oxford campus. He added that so far, the university hasn’t received any negative feedback about the module. He believes it will be an effective tool for students because it offers an overview of important information to guide student behavior.

Andrew Holland is a sophomore chemical engineering major who recently moved into his dorm room in Hillcrest Hall. Holland said the COVID module was informative and could help make people cognizant of good habits that could prevent the spread.

“It did help give information and tips that people need to know, like make sure to build up a habit of … putting on a mask and then sanitation and knowing, ‘OK, don’t touch my face,’” Holland said.

Bartoszek also liked the module, but she said she thinks it didn’t matter because students could skip through videos without watching them.

“If I had taken it during any other time where I was stressed or needed to get it on quickly, I probably would have skipped through the videos,” Bartoszek said. “If someone’s not informed about COVID, they’re still going to skip to the videos and then stay uninformed.”

Large said there were several reasons why videos were not required to be played. The first reason being that the university wanted to give students a choice concerning whether they wanted to learn more about a topic when it is already covered in writing.

The other reason pertains to accessibility. Students were provided transcripts as an alternative method of consumption.

Currently, there are no other plans to develop an additional module that focuses on the topic of COVID-19, Large said. According to Miami’s Healthy Together website, students who do not complete the module on time will continue to receive reminders until it is completed.

Although student opinions vary, Moore said, at the end of the day, the university needs students to comply and do what they are being asked to do.

“There are going to be students who aren’t thinking from a community framework, that are going to make some choices that are going to be detrimental,” Moore said.

“But I truly always remind folks that there’s more students who do the right thing.” @skylerlperry perrysl2@miamoh.edu

6 CULTURE COSETTE GUNTER STAFF WRITER

The usually full social calendars for the members of the Miami Greek community are virtually empty with pandemic safety precautions limiting gatherings of more than 10 people.

With coronavirus continually changing our social world as we know it, Miami Greeks are trying to find as much normalcy as they can during these unprecedented times. Instead of the normal mass gatherings for chapter, weekly chapter meetings are now conducted virtually through a screen.

Drew Davis, assistant director of business operations in the Cliff Alexander Office of Greek Life, said the office is doing its best to enforce university, local and federal policies in Miami’s fraternities and sororities.

“We’re in regular contact with the presidents of the chapters either once a week or every other week,” Davis said. “[We are] helping to guide them through the uncertain times.”

Carly Schweitzer, chapter president of Gamma Phi Beta (Gamma Phi), said her sorority has virtual chapter every Sunday, and their sisterhood committee works on creating their agenda.

Gamma Phi’s Zoom meetings consist of sorority announcements, a question of the week and breakout rooms for the members to discuss the question and meet other members. Virtual activities like a baking class, Zumba, trivia and more are also sisterhood events hosted online.

“It’s been hard to come up with creative ideas to get people to want to be involved,” Schweitzer said. “Sometimes it’s like, ‘Oh another Zoom link,’ but we’re trying to create it in a way that people are excited about the Zoom link and they look forward to it. We’re trying to use this as an opportunity to support one another through our community that we have.”

Gamma Phi had to cut its entire social event budget for this year, which reduced its sorority dues by 50%. Schweitzer said they’re still hosting a philanthropy event this year in the form of a virtual 5k.

Alex Orr, president of Beta Theta Pi (Beta), said he and his executive team had to go through a lot of preparation work to make sure the Beta house was up to code.

“We [had to] think about some items such as cleaning and sanitation protocols, adjusting our food service and the way we go about that and also making sure we had a quaran-

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

Miami Greek Life takes on digital sisterhood and brotherhood

FROM DIGITAL 5KS TO ONLINE ZUMBA, MIAMI’S GREEK LIFE IS DOING EVERYTHING IT CAN TO MAKE THE SWITCH TO A DIGITAL LANDSCAPE. THE MIAMI STUDENT

tine protocol set in place,” Orr said.

Beta ended up hiring new staff members to help with safer food service.

Ally Barkowski, a junior and member of Chi Omega, said she’s been staying in contact with her “little” in order to make the most of the newer members not getting the normal experience.

“I’m pretty close with my little, which is really good,” Barkowski said. “I think it could be harder for girls that weren’t as close [with their “bigs”] before the semester got cut short in March, but I’ve been really fortunate with my family.”

Barkowski also said her dues were significantly reduced this year because Chi Omega cut most of its social budget.

“We’re obviously missing out on the social aspect of it, which is hard,” Barkowski said.

“Not just getting together and having themed parties, but actually seeing our sisters.”

Orr said the decision to bring the fraternity members to the Beta house involved keeping

Lifting weights and staying safe: Reimagining the Rec Center ABIGAIL KEMPER

THE MIAMI STUDENT As I walk up the long stretch of stairs to the Recreation Center (Rec), a staff member in a red t-shirt sprays and wipes the railings.

Inside, there is caution tape where water fountains used to be.

I walk up to the front desk and am greeted by an employee behind a wall of plexiglass. The sticker says, “Please Stand Here,” and as I do, a thermal temperature scanner takes my temperature.

“97.7,” the machine says in a robotic voice.

I scan my Miami ID and walk into the gym.

The cardio floor is quiet; no feet pound on the treadmills. But as I walk down the winding staircase, there are many masked students lifting weights and using machines.

Almost every machine is being used and students on benches stay inside a barrier of yellow tape. Some students walk to the next area with a rag and spray bottle in hand.

Surprisingly, it is not a complete ghost town.

Doug Curry, executive Director of Recreation Services, said the staff has created a protocol for reaching capacity levels throughout the facility. Staff are placed at doors when a section is full to direct students to another area of the Rec. “We’ve actually hit that mark a couple times,” Curry said. “It was actually a couple weeks ago when the upperclassmen came back who were off-campus. That was good for us to do … to have a protocol in place.”

Senior political science major Cameron Worthy has been regularly attending the gym since he’s been back in Oxford. He noticed the downstairs being very busy, despite new regulations.

“I used to go earlier in the day, but it would be so busy that I couldn’t get on a machine,” Worthy said. “So I just go later in the day.

There’s typically less people, and I can use what I want.”

The Rec has been implementing new protocols in order to remain open for the community. The staff has been following CDC, state of Ohio and Miami University guidelines.

“That sets the foundation for how we move forward,” Curry said.

Changes to the facility include a thermal temperature scanner upon entry, plexiglass barriers, a closing of the lockers and showers, requirements for masks to be worn at all times, spaced out equipment and installation of new touchless water stations.

A group of student employees known as informal coordinators are dedicated to wiping down all touch-points every two hours, Curry said.

Elizabeth Keith, associate director of customer and facility services, is impressed with how the student staff is handling changes.

HEADLEDD@MIAMIOH.EDU

MASKS MIGHT BE MANDATORY, BUT MIAMIANS CAN STILL GET FIT AT THE REC. PHOTO EDITOR BO BRUECK

“As far as my student staff, they’ve handled everything we’ve thrown at them,” Keith said.

“They’ve really handled everything incredibly well.”

A major change the facility has had since the start of the semester was a mask mandate, even while exercising.

“Mask wearing has been, obviously, an adventure,” Keith said. “The rule was, you didn’t have to when you’re exercising, and then we said you did. That’s been an adjustment, just educating people on that process.”

Despite these adjustments, students and community members have been compliant with new regulations.

“So far, the students and community members have been incredibly receptive,” Keith said. “Most folks have said, ‘Thank you for being open,’ which is really refreshing.”

Curry said change is inevitable during this transition and the staff has been integral in keeping the Rec open for students.

“Change? It changes about every other day,” Curry said. “The thing I appreciate the most is staff being flexible, willing to adapt, willing to take on responsibilities that aren’t necessarily in their job description.”

Keeping the Rec open for students and keeping them safe is important to Curry and the staff. Though it seems hard to find community amidst campus changes, the Rec is dedicated to providing whatever programming it can in a safe way.

“With a lot of the closures around campus, we look at ourselves as a hub for students,” Curry said. “We definitely want them to come in and use the facility in a safe manner. That’s been the goal all along.” kempera2@miamioh.edu

a broader perspective in mind.

“The benefits of going to college obviously [surround] going to school, making sure you get a good education,” Orr said. “A lot of [them] too, especially related to being in Beta, is about growing relationships with other people and developing yourself while at school.”

Some of Beta’s members chose not to move back into the house but are still involved in virtual chapter. Normally, the house has an occupancy of 51, but there are only 44 members in the house currently.

Before the semester began, Miami’s InterFraternity Council required all of Miami’s fraternities to write out a coronavirus plan and submit it to the council.

Miami’s Greek Life Tri-Council, consisting of the InterFraternity Council, Panhellenic Association and National Pan-Hellenic Council, issued a 10-day shelter-in-place on Aug. 29, urging all members to only leave their residence for necessary trips. This order came after a surge in positive coronavirus cases

among students.

Davis said he’s concerned about the continuous rise in cases in Oxford but adds this is not an explicitly Greek concern.

“It is our hope that the Greek community, with the new expectations from the Tri-Council, can set the tone and be the leaders within the community to help reduce the spread,” Davis said.

Looking ahead, Schweitzer said it’s nice that sorority rush doesn’t happen until the spring so that other schools can try it first, but notes she has no idea what it will look like.

“It’s been hard to transition from all in-person to all online,” Schweitzer said.

“We’re really trying to force [the members] to interact and meet one another because it’s so difficult for them. It’s hard just to reach out to someone they only kind of know. We’re just trying to help them build their relationships.” @cosettegunter guntecr@miamioh.edu

What does “the video” mean for Miami’s reputation? the university chose to take for the remainder of the semester, Miami faces While Brent Shock, vice president at least a $50 million revenue decline for enrollment management and stu- for the semester. dent success, agrees that students makProvost Osborne outlined in the ing mistakes is a part of growing up, he meetings that David Creamer, the unialso thinks Miami’s reputation is still versity’s vice president of finance and largely positive. business services, made it a point to deCiting Miami’s retention, gradua- note that revenue would not be the detion and post-graduate employment ciding factor in the fate of the semester. rates, Shock also recognizes the impor“We can’t just bring everyone back tances of viral events like the video that for the sake of the money and have could affect how outsiders might see everyone get sick,” Osborne said. “For the university. the long term financial stability of the “Any time you have something that university, that would be the worst outsort of comes up against [the positivi- come.” ty], you have to wonder, well, what is Universities are being watched unthis?” Shock said. “What do we need to der a microscope by the public and any do? Where I’m always thinking is how wrong step can lead to any university’s does this appear to the general public reputation being called into question. who might be interested in sending “I think, unfortunately, it’s a notheir son or daughter to Miami?” win situation for the administration for Vice President for Student Affairs any university in this country,” Herrick Jayne Brownell details what conversa- said. “Whatever decisions you make, tions look like within the administra- there’s potentially going to be a negative outcome for somebody in any direction.

That can be potentially devastating from a PR standpoint and a financial standpoint.”

Brownell details what the administration would need to see to consider this semester a success and how COVID-19 was Jayne Brownell never something that anyone was going to be able to avoid.

“There was no way tion when controversial instances like that it was going to be in the rest of the the party video come to light. country and not Oxford,” Brownwell “Every single thing about this is said. “Success is going to be an even urgent,” Brownwell said. “[The Pres- number of cases across time that will ident’s cabinet] is talking to the Pres- allow us to stay open without becoming ident multiple times every day, seven an outbreak. If we have a spike, we do days a week, and into the evenings. So what we need to do for a week or two to when something goes viral, it’s not like bring the numbers back down. Success we need to get another meeting togeth- is getting to Thanksgiving together.” er. We are already talking all day every Osborne knows the university is day keeping track of things.” being watched closely by the Miami Class of 1989 graduate Leslie Dick- community and details on how being son realizes that it is in every institu- in the spotlight makes them pay extra tion’s best interest to reopen but to re- attention to how they proceed. member the level of ambiguity at stake “It helps us stay true to the core here. values of Miami because we know “I’m not sure what the correct an- every decision is going to be looked swer is,” Dickson said, “but certainly if at through that lens,” Osborne said. you’re going to [reopen], you’re going “When you’re making administrative to have to really enforce the [social-dis- decisions and you lose sight of those tancing] protocols.” values, that’s where things start to go It is no secret that Miami is strug- awry.” gling when it comes to revenue.

In the Sept. 9 town hall meeting, it kwiatkdm@miamioh.edu was outlined that no matter what path CONTINUED FROM FRONT

“Every single thing about this is urgent.”

-

KWIATKDM@MIAMIOH.EDU

CULTURE 7

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

Sunny Saturday mornings at the market GRACE KILLIAN STAFF WRITER

Farmers markets have a long history of providing fresh food, art and a center for communities to come together. The Oxford farmers market is no different, bringing the community together for decades, a tradition that has continued despite challenges faced during a pandemic.

Recently, the farmers market has had to work to find ways to accommodate vendors and visitors. One way is through eCommerce, which is an online farmers market. Customers are able to pick out their products and pay through the portal. Then they pick up their groceries at the Tuesday market.

“I think most people are still really accustomed to coming to the market,” Olson said.

“I’m appreciative we were able to do it, but I’m concerned we may need to turn more towards online ordering.”

The city has also recently given the market permission to spread out further in order to help encourage social distancing. Each vendor takes up one parking space and leaves one empty space in between them and their neighbors.

“It gives 5-6 feet of space to provide room for people to line up at booths and spread out more,” Olson said.

The farmers market has also had the opportunity to participate in benefit programs for people with low income. These include the WIC program (Women, Infants and Children) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). They were able to accept vouchers and payments to provide fresh and local produce in a more affordable way.

Produce Perks is another implemented program that rewards vendors for accepting alternate methods of payment. The market reimburses vendors for the vouchers they accept as payments, while also rewarding them an extra dollar token for every dollar of SNAP they accept.

“My tagline is, ‘We pay our farmers to give food away,’” Olson said.

The farmers market used to take place in Stewart Square, where CVS is now, before being moved uptown in 2004. Since then, Larry Slocum, the market director, has helped to increase the number of vendors and build the community surrounding it.

“If you don’t grow the market, you die,” Slocum said. “So we have to grow the market.”

Some farmers didn’t follow when the initial move took place. Instead, they started the Talawanda farmers market held at the high school.

The only difference was that no one from outside the school district could attend that market, making it difficult for some people who lived close but outside the boundary to attend.

“It’s really kind of peculiar that you can have someone that lives a few miles away but won’t be let into the market,” Slocum said.

Meanwhile, the uptown market grew steadily by welcoming more visitors. Slocum worked with farmers from both markets to eventually merge the two.

The effect of Zoom on time management SHR-HUA MOORE

THE MIAMI STUDENT

EVEN AS COVID MAKES GATHERINGS TRICKY, THE OXFORD FARMERS MARKET IS FINDING A WAY TO THRIVE. THE MIAMI STUDENT SARAH BROSSART

“At the uptown market, we’re not going to limit it to geographic location,” Slocum said.

“That doesn’t make any sense to us.”

Ross Olson, the market manager, is helping to design the future of the market. He understands the special connection between the market and the community, especially surrounding the students.

“I don’t know what the secret sauce is, but you just get people together, and they’re happy to be there,” Olson said. “They’re getting food and visiting friends and making friends, and there is just incredible energy.”

Even during the off season, events are organized to continue building the community up. From movie screenings to gardening workshops, they provide a way for farmers and customers to come together throughout the entire year.

“The marketing weather is not as good, but people can start to think about getting together and sharing those experiences again,” Olson said.

Olson and Slocum were also able to restart the Tuesday market that had previously faded out of popularity. Not everyone can attend Saturday mornings, and they want every possible customer to experience the market. On Tuesday evenings in the T.J. Maxx parking lot, there is almost an entirely different customer base.

“It became clear over the years that a market for four hours on a Saturday is a novelty,” Olson said. “We can’t really serve everyone that we want on just Saturdays.”

One vendor, Darlene Yarnetsky, is an artisan who makes bags, scarves and masks. She’s

going on her third year at the Oxford market and has been able to watch it grow even in that short time.

“I didn’t have any idea what to expect,” Yarnetsky said. “The market here, as far as variety and the produce, rivals any market I’ve seen.”

Junior Kate Reidy visits the farmers market almost every weekend to pick up local food for the week, but it’s more than just a way to pick up groceries. At home, she often visits her local farmers market with her dad, and now in Oxford, it provides a deeper connection with the community while keeping a tradition that’s important to her.

“We’ll text each other each week about what we did or what we got,” Reidy said. “It’s a nice way to talk to him every week.”

Reidy has found an even deeper connection with the market during her time at Miami. Last year, she had an internship working with the market to hold informational and educational events on campus.

“Even if you aren’t involved on that level, I think that the vendors really get to know the people who have become regulars,” Reidy said.

“They always want to strike up a conversation with you.”

The mission of the farmers market is to provide fresh and local farm items, strengthen the relationship between farmers and consumers, and support small farms by providing an outlet to supply products. Every Saturday morning in Oxford they are able to do just that, pandemic and all. killiagc@miamioh.edu

The High Street restaurant walk

UPTOWN BOASTS A WIDE ARRAY OF RESTAURANTS TO CHOOSE FROM. WHETHER YOU’RE IN THE MOOD FOR COFEE OR COOKES, IT’S GOT YOU COVERED. PHOTO EDITOR BO BRUECK

EMILY DATTILO

MANAGING EDITOR To all the freshmen who just moved to campus: welcome.

Though it’s an odd semester for all of us, you’ve arrived at a nice time — basically missing the sticky, humid, end-of-summer sunshine — and instead greeting lower temperatures and the promise of fall foliage.

And for all of the freshmen worrying about how to navigate a campus where most of the buildings look the same, I have two words for you: Snapchat map. (The snap map is both easily accessible and discreet, and nobody will ever guess you’re lost.)

And while you’re looking at the map, you’ll likely stumble across High Street — the beginning of what we call “uptown,” — a strand of mostly local businesses and restaurants. Here, you’ll find anything from breakfast sandwich-

DIGITAL DECLINE:

es to cheeseburgers to cookie cakes. Basically, anything and everything.

(This restaurant list below is in no way comprehensive, mainly because I haven’t been everywhere yet, but you’ll get the general idea.)

On High Street, you’ll first find Skipper’s Pub to your left. Skipper’s is well-known for their mac bites, burgers, french fries and more.

(Some say their mac bites are the best in Oxford, but that battle will likely be hashed out in a column or two next week.)

Right next door, you’ll find Bagel & Deli: an Oxford staple. With its seemingly endless list of creatively-named bagels, there’s an option for the pickiest eater to the most adventurous. My personal favorite is the Mr. Turkey — turkey (of course), provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise.

Keep walking on that side of the street and find Insomnia Cookies. A slice of their cookie cake or a box of cookies make an excellent latenight studying snack.

Jimmy John’s is next. I’m pretty sure most of you have been there, or at the very least, heard of it. You’ll find subs, chips, drinks.

Mac & Joes. As you might’ve guessed, here’s the other contender for best mac bites in Oxford. They also have salads, burgers, appetizers — casual atmosphere, bar downstairs.

Keep walking and you’ll see Starbucks; get your PSL fix here.

SoHi french fries are delicious. The seasoning is house-made, Romano cheese on top.

Definitely order some. They also have burgers, subs and salads.

Skyline Chili. I’m about to get a lot of pushback for this, but I’ve eaten here once and never went back. I’m told it’s an acquired taste, and several of my friends love this place, so check it out and see for yourself.

Chipotle. I’m guessing most of you have been here.

Rapid Fire Pizza. As the name suggests, it’s fast, and there are plenty of pizza toppings to choose from, plus lots of sauces.

Bodega: kind of expensive, but the sandwiches are excellent, not to mention their extensive array of side dishes.

Fiesta Charra has traditional Mexican food, including endless chips and salsa. Friendly atmosphere, very reasonably priced.

Graeter’s Ice Cream. I’d never had this before coming to Ohio, and it definitely lives up to the hype. The signature flavor is black raspberry chip. Last fall, they had an amazing selection of autumn flavors … I’m remembering something about apple cider sorbet or gelato.

Another ice cream option is United Dairy Farmers, which is a bit further along the road and connected to a gas station. Fabulous shakes and malts.

On the other side of High Street, starting on the other end, you’ll find Kofenya Coffee, a perfect spot to study with a hot cup of coffee or glass of iced tea. Chill vibes.

Then you’ll find Doughby’s, which boasts 5o different kinds of calzones. I’d only tried calzones a couple of times before giving this place a try, and I wasn’t disappointed. Browse through some unique calzone options like the BBQ chicken, pesto or Italian.

We’ve now reached the end of my High Street restaurant tour, but as I alluded to earlier, there’s plenty of other places on this street itself, not to mention the surrounding area — so to all the freshmen, go take advantage of the autumn weather, bring a friend or two and explore uptown.

And for the first-years who chose to complete this semester remotely, don’t worry. High Street will still be here in the spring, waiting for you. @emily_dattilo dattilec@miamioh.edu

Because of continued concerns about COVID-19, many students still have to deal with Zoom classes due to individuals staying home this semester. This means students still have to manage their time and studies while attending classes from their computer, an endeavor that has produced many changes in study habits.

Roman Jakubowycz is a first-year economics major. Like everyone else this semester, he has had to attend his classes through Zoom as opposed to physically meeting in a classroom.

“I’ve gotten used to it,” Jakubowycz said.

“Personally, I don’t like it. However, having done it part way in high school and doing it now, I’ve gotten used to it.”

He went on to describe how online school provides a mixed bag of benefits and tradeoffs.

“There are a lot a lot less moving parts — I don’t have to go somewhere to class, but there’s a personal connection between your professor and classmates that just isn’t there when you’re looking at a screen,” he said.

Emily Templeton, a first-year psychology major, concurred. She believes the online format of classes has made it easier to forget about assignments, but has made it easier to find information about them outside of class.

She also mentioned that the reduced synchronicity of classes affects her concentration.

“Not only is the class time reduced but also the amount of work is reduced. I feel like it’s really easy for me to get off task,” she said.

The problem of focusing is not unique to Templeton. The fact that online classes generally meet less frequently than they would in person has led to a greater amount of free time for students.

“I get off task more often, but this is because I simply have more free time, and it lets me get off task,” Jakubowycz said. “I feel like I’ve been doing overall worse but not so drastically worse so I’m falling apart.”

Time management can also be a problem during class as well as outside of it. Emerson Day is a junior majoring in public administration. He said online classes provide a lack of accountability that wouldn’t be present in a face-to-face environment.

“Most people aren’t dying to answer questions these days — now that you have the option to hide, it kind of inhibits learning,” Day said.

He elaborated by describing some of his personal experiences with Zoom classes.

“Especially at 8:30s, I’m going to turn my computer on, but I’m not going to take anything away from it. I can easily copy down slides without doing any thinking,” he said.

Day also spoke about time management on the other side of the screen —namely, the variation between the quality of online classes this fall.

“This whole online learning thing could work — and through some professors it is — but it depends on who the professor is, because ultimately they are the ones who are in charge of the online learning,” he said “Not every [professor aged 40+] is capable of doing that, there’s a little bit of a disconnect.”

While Zoom classes come with many challenges for both the students and professors, there is a way to do them right, said Dr. Jason Abbitt. Abbitt is an associate professor in educational psychology at Miami. He has been working with online teaching formats since 1998 and has led the mostly online graduate program in special education since 2005.

He succinctly described the main problem with online classes: the fact that they are online.

“Synchronous classes have a scheduled time and place, and that keeps the class in a student’s mind,” Abbitt said. “It keeps the class present in your mind, whereas with an online class that could be less present in your mind unless there’s a synchronous meeting.

I have had students in online classes kind of forget that they were there — it wasn’t something that they were conscious of all the time.”

He went on to describe the hallmarks of a good online class and how having all assignments listed beforehand will help with student organization and concentration.

“Having everything built out and existing within a course can be helpful,” Abbitt said.

“Online classes should have enough information so [students] can get working independently.”

Abbitt also acknowledged that most of these changes couldn’t happen with the unique conditions of this year.

“It’s not something that you would typically do overnight or over a short period of time,” Abbitt said. “Pretty much every faculty member that I know was rapidly working over that spring break time to develop an online course and has been doing that ever since.”

This fall has been a trying time for the entire Miami community, professors and students alike. Classes are missing a vital connection between student and teacher that cannot be replicated online — they are little more than visual ghosts on a screen, if the students show up at all.

However, the decrease of class time has led to an increase in free time for students, and it’s up to them to determine how to use it. @hua_shr moorese6@miamioh.edu

Meet the Student

8

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

After six long months of online-only content, The Miami Student is back in print! Our staff is excited to bring you the news on Miami University, Oxford and more all year long. Read more about the people digging up the latest scoop for you.

And say “hi” if you see us around!

Chris Vinel Chris Vinel is The Miami Student’s editor-in-chief.

Chris, a senior studying journalism and sports leadership and management, joined TMS on his first day of college classes and spent the last three years covering Miami sports.

His dream job is following a Major League Baseball team as a beat writer. After traveling to many Miami away games the last three years, Chris is an ex-

pert on press box food — just ask him. His favorite articles to author are human interest stories that use sports as a backdrop to someone’s life. He also writes for Sports Illustrated and Chatterbox Sports. When he’s not working, Chris is often found at Skyline Chili or listening to Cincinnati Reds games on a transistor radio – yes, he is that much of a nerd. Contact him by email (eic@miamistudent.net) or on Twitter (@ChrisAVinel).

Julia Arwine Julia Arwine, co-managing editor, is a senior journalism and emerging technologies in business + design major from Springboro, Ohio. She has been working for The Miami Student since her freshman year and was previously a news editor. Her dream job is to trot around the globe

while writing in-depth pieces for National Geographic. In her limited free time, she likes to cook, write creatively and watch lavish historical dramas. Hit her up with recommendations of new ones to watch while she continues to wait patiently for a new season of The Crown at arwinejk@miamioh.edu.

Tim Carlin Tim Carlin is one of two news editors at TMS. He is a junior journalism and American studies double major from Cleveland.

Tim has been writing for The Student since the fall of his freshman year, and he’s super excited to be taking on this new role. Along with writing for the newspaper, Tim is also a writing

scholar in the Prodesse Scholars Program, a member of Miami Activities and Programming (MAP) and a College of Arts and Sciences Ambassador. When he’s not covering the happenings at Miami and around Oxford, you can find Tim watching horrible reality TV shows and drinking too much coffee.

Abby Bammerlin Assistant News Editor Abby Bammerlin is a sophomore from West Chester, Ohio, majoring in journalism and political science. She joined TMS the first semester her freshman year and has never looked back! She was beyond thrilled to be on the editorial staff this semester. She enjoys writing about just about anything but has been focusing

on local politics and the Oxford community. When she’s not chasing stories, she can be found at Red River Gorge in Kentucky rock climbing. Some of her favorite memories are going down in the fall on weekends with just some climbing equipment and her camera. After Miami, Abby isn’t sure what she wants to do, but she knows writing will definitely be a part of it.

David Kwiatkowski David Kwiatkowski is starting his first year as editor for both the culture and entertainment sections. David is a junior journalism and American studies double major. His dream job is to work for an entertainment publication like Rolling Stone or Billboard because of his passion for pop culture. David’s favorite kinds of stories to write are human

interest stories or stories that explore miniscule observations and make them interesting to any person. When David is not working at TMS, he can be found working at the Howe Writing Center, listening to music, watching movies or finding any reason to talk to someone about Britney Spears. Send him feedback at kwiatkdm@miamioh.edu and follow him on twitter @kwiatkdm.

Emily Dattilo Emily Dattilo is a senior majoring in psychology and journalism, and she serves as a managing editor at The Miami Student.

She enjoys writing profiles and feature stories, as well as her opinion column, “Good Morning Miami.” Emily joined TMS fall semester freshman year, declared a journalism major a few

months later and has been involved in TMS ever since. She’s also written for The Miami Student Magazine and served as an undergraduate assistant in introductory journalism classes. In her free time, she enjoys watercolors, writing poetry and writing freelance articles. This past summer, she served as the features intern at Cape Cod Times.

Briah Lumpkins Briah Lumpkins is a junior journalism and sociology student. She is one of two news editors for The Student and has been involved with the paper since the first week of her freshman year. Briah has written for opinion and culture but has a special love for the news section. She loves writing in-

depth profiles about the student body as well as working on longform investigative pieces. Briah can almost always be found in the newsroom making multiple variations of the same R&B playlist, eating multiple cosmic brownies in one sitting and pricing studio apartments way too prematurely.

Madeline Phaby Assistant News Editor Madeline Phaby is a junior from Chicago, Illinois, majoring in history and sociology. She joined TMS on a whim during her second semester at Miami, and she still can’t believe she’s snagged an editorial position. Madeline loves studying and writing about Miami and Oxford history and can often be heard trying to convince her editors that TMS needs more historical content. This year, she’s also

serving as The Miami Student’s Associated Student Government beat writer. Madeline listens to music constantly, and she’ll bop to anything from Bach to the Beatles to Beyoncé. She’s also a huge baseball fan (go Sox!), and many of her fondest memories involve Sunday afternoons at the ballpark with her dad.

After her time at Miami, Madeline hopes to go to grad school for U.S. history and eventually become a super dorky professor.

Duard Headley Duard Headley is going into his second year as culture editor at TMS. Like his predecessor Kate and his co-editor David, Duard is continuing the glorious tradition of culture editors majoring in journalism and American studies.

In an alternate timeline, Duard would have been studying abroad in Glasgow, Scotland, this semester, but alas, it was not to be. But

that’s OK! Because it means Duard can participate in his other passion, improv comedy, with his team, Sketched Out. Although they aren’t able to hold in-person shows yet, the tomfoolery he gets to participate in during team practices is truly food for his soul.

Feel free to reach out to him at headledd@miamioh.edu with fun culture stuff or just to chat about your day.

Jenna Calderón Jenna Calderón is a junior journalism, Spanish and global & intercultural studies student. She is the assistant editor for the culture section and has been writing for The Student ever since she got over her fear of people reading her work (so, about a year). Jenna loves telling stories about anyone and everyone, which is what

drew her to culture. She also enjoys writing for news, style, food and opinion. Originally from Ohio’s Snow Belt, she has a huge love/hate relationship with cold weather and hopes to live abroad after graduation. When she’s not up writing until 2 a.m., she’s probably eating sushi, avoiding bugs or painting pictures that always end up being “abstract.”

STAFF 9 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

Lukas Nelson Lukas Nelson is starting his first full year as the sports editor for The Miami Student. Lukas wrote his first article for TMS as a freshman and became the beat writer for Miami’s women’s basketball team as a sophomore before he became the sports editor. A junior journalism and sports leadership and

management double major, his dream job is writing about basketball at any level. While covering games is his favorite part of being a journalist, he also enjoys writing human interest stories. Lukas is from Brewster, Ohio, and is a long-suffering Browns/Cavs/Indians fan. His email is nelso156@ miamioh.edu.

Sarah Grace Hays Sarah Grace Hays is a sophomore journalism student.

This is her first full year as one of two multimedia editors for The Student. She began writing for the paper in her first few weeks as a freshman but quickly fell in love with the audio section. She has written for news, culture, food and style, but she is most passionate about producing the

Student’s news podcast, This Week @ TMS. She is from Birmingham, Alabama, and tries to bring her Southern charm to her writing and hosting style. While Oxford is a big adjustment coming from Birmingham, she loves Miami and the Student. When she isn’t editing a podcast into the wee hours of the night, you can probably find her baking and/or rewatching Glee.

Jess Robinson Jess Robinson is beginning her first year as The Miami Student’s humor editor, and she is so excited to bring laughs to Miami’s community. Aside from writing for TMS, Jess is a resident assistant, a University Scholar, a member of the Honors College, and co-Artistic

Director for Miami’s Sketched Out Improv. She loves writing and talking, and can’t stand to be alone for more than 20 minutes at a time ... She’s very extroverted. Jess can’t wait to tell awful jokes and make you laugh, and looks forward to writing/editing articles throughout the year.

Bo Brueck Photography Editor Bo Brueck is a senior from Midland, Michigan. Bo joined TMS in his freshman year as a staff photographer and is now proud and excited to be the section editor. He’s been practicing photography for 8 years and has loved every second of it. From Colorado landscapes to small town Michigan street photography, interesting

compositions and stories are what drive Bo’s passion for photography. He is also an avid skier and fly fisherman, preferring a weekend in the mountains and streams over the beach or big city. To combine these interests, Bo hopes to become a photographer for National Geographic and explore the world’s wonders with his camera slung around his neck.

Brianna Porter Brianna Porter is a senior professional and creative writing double major.

She is a copy editor for The Student which means you won’t see her name anywhere but on the “Meet the Staff” page of the paper, but maybe not there either. She shares the brain cell that deletes Oxford commas

with her co-head copy editor and the other brain cell finds double spaces one out of three times.

The other two times are false alarms. When not reading copy for the student, she can be found in her apartment pretending the world doesn’t exist with a variety of YA fantasy books.

Chloe Murdock Magazine Editor Chloe Murdock is a senior from Central Ohio who is majoring in journalism and international studies. She also occasionally writes for the culture section.

Chloe enjoys making Spotify playlists, and her longest one is more than 15 hours long. She also digs podcasts like Dirty John as well as NPR’s Throughline and More Perfect. Chloe recently lost

her headphone dongle, and it was a great loss to her listening habits.

To unplug, Chloe also enjoys walks in the woods. She is not vegan, but she finds herself accidentally cooking vegan meals for herself and her roommates. She briefly considered opening a coffee shop someday after watching “Fleabag” over the summer, but she does hope to write for a living while also following through on her ideas for books after she graduates.

Rebecca Wolff Rebecca Wolff (Bex for short) is a junior journalism and creative writing student. She is the opinion editor for The Student and has been writing for the paper since her first month of freshman year at Miami. She’s very opinionated, which makes her a perfect fit for that section, but she has also written pieces for culture, style and entertain-

ment. She is from the Bay Area of San Francisco and brings that California attitude with her everywhere she goes, and she has two pet llamas in her backyard which used to be a Christmas tree farm. When she’s not ranting away on her keyboard for a column, you might find her taking long walks though Oxford while listening to old music or books on tape.

Maggie Peña Maggie Peña is continuing her second year as a co-editor for our multimedia section.

As a writing scholar, Maggie found a home in the newsroom early during her freshman year.

Maggie is a journalism major with a film minor, and hopes to continue her writing career in the entertainment and culture fields.

In addition to writing, Maggie loves audio storytelling, and as a

freshman, became a co-editor of the multimedia (podcast) section.

Though she was thrown into this position by default — aka the previous editor’s graduation — she has enjoyed her time producing, hosting and editing the various TMS podcasts, and she hopes to continue developing this new section with her co-editor, Sarah Grace Hays. To pitch a podcast idea, contact her at penaml@ miamioh.edu.

Owen Berg Owen Berg is a junior journalism and interactive media studies student, with a minor in fashion. He is The Student’s design editor, (remotely) handling the print layouts and graphic design of the newspaper’s operation. He has been involved with the newspaper since his first week at Miami. While his first love was the design desk, Owen has written for the news, culture

and opinion sections, and most recently became the editor of the style section, covering all things fashion at Miami. He is also an Oxford native and has been a member at the Miami Rec Center since he was 4 years old. When he’s not making layouts for next week’s paper, Owen can be found shopping for vintage clothes on eBay, working on his kickflip (not there yet) or eating Korean food with his mom.

Sydney Hill Sydney Hill is a senior studying English literature and classical humanities. She has been a copy editor since her very first semester at Miami when she approached future editor-in-chief Jack Evans about a position in editing. There were many bright-eyed and aspiring writers in that room, and she never saw nor heard any of

them again after that initial meeting. Sydney adores Oxford commas, and her heart breaks every time she has to remove them to fit within the AP style. While she loves editing all of the writers’ articles, she has written two stories for The Miami Student and hopes she never has to again. If you should see her in public, do not approach

Varno Harris Coming from Cleveland, Ohio, Varno Harris II is a junior double majoring in journalism and professional writing at Miami.

Varno is a writer and also the social media manager of The Miami Student, maintaining and up-keeping all of the Student’s social media pages such as Instagram, Facebook

and Twitter. On the side, Varno does freelance work for a small company called The Xbox Tavern, where he is sent video games to review. In his free time, Varno can often be found hanging out with his girlfriend, watching anime or trashing his brother and his friend on Xbox. In the future, Varno hopes to create and shape the future of gaming journalism.

Dan Wozniak Dan is The Miami Student’s business manager and oversees the publication’s finances, distribution processes, outreach efforts and events. Prior to taking over as business manager, Dan was regularly published as a news writer and has experience covering Miami University’s administration, Associated Student Government and student life. Dan attended James B. Conant High School before coming to Miami

University. In high school, he was a peer mediator and a four-year three-sport athlete who competed in football, wrestling and track & field. Currently, Dan is studying public administration and journalism. He hopes to attend law school after graduating and pursue a career in executive compensation and employee benefits consultation. Outside of the Student, Dan is a member of the Miami Mock Trial team and a College of Arts and Sciences Ambassador.

Opinion

10

WOLFFRG@MIAMIOH.EDU

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

STAFF EDITORIAL

Do this justice some justice The following reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board.

Ruth died.

We’re talking about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Supreme Court Justice who fought her entire career for women’s rights and social justice.

Why does this matter?

Well, if President Trump is able to appoint another justice to the Supreme Court before the end of his term, he would effectively swing the jury to be conservative for years after his presidency and probably for the rest of his life.

So, why wouldn’t he be able to fill the seat before the election? Why are we even talking about this?

Mitch McConnell, the majority leader of the Senate, is a huge hypocrite, and we care about the rights Ginsburg advocated for — that’s why.

When a justice seat became available in February 2016 after the death of Antonin Scalia, who continuously stonewalled the process for nine months so that a new justice wouldn’t be appointed until after President Obama was out of office? Oh, right — Mitch McConnell.

And which senator said the following on the day of Scalia’s death? “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.” That’s right — Mitch McConnell.

And who wants to try and push it through as fast as possible so they can fill the seat with a conservative judge before the election? Oh yes, yes — Mitch McConnell.

So, this is super frustrating, right? Because not only is this whole process totally bogus, but it’s also just not a cool move — it’s not right, and it’s for damn sure not what Ruth would have wanted.

The day the news of her death broke, there were hundreds of tweets and kind words from politicians in both political parties, declaring their respect and admiration for all this woman has done for America.

But this hypocrisy and opposition to what she stood for is blatant disrespect.

We don’t care if we sound like a broken record.

Your individual actions are important, and you need to care about stuff beyond posting a social media graphic about it on your story.

We’re talking to you, Miami Panhellenic women.

Register to vote, ladies, call your senators and make some real noise because this is going to affect you.

That also goes for everyone who doesn’t want to see Roe v. Wade challenged and possibly overturned.

Or Obergefell v. Hodges, or any other cases that will set a precedent for negative change among minority and suppressed groups.

And even if you do want to see a conservative judge installed, you should want to see integrity from your representatives in power. Do you really want such blatant hypocrisy from the people who say they

The misconceptions about ravers KYLIE PURSIFULL

THE MIAMI STUDENT I’ve been going to raves since I was a few months shy of 18.

Since then, anytime I tell someone about the amazing rave I went to, especially any of the several raves with the DJ Seven Lions, there are always those assumptions.

How high were you?

Were you tripping on acid?

How many drinks did you have?

The thing is, I wasn’t high, I wasn’t tripping on acid and I never had any drinks.

For those who may be unfamiliar with what raves are, a rave is basically an EDM concert. EDM stands for Electronic Dance Music. There are over 100 different genres associated with this type of music. Some popular, mainstream examples of EDM

“The rave scene supports this type of drug use. Tablets can be easily hidden in various containers …

The rave scene is often depicted as a room filled with people jumping and bouncing in unison for hours to loud, rhythmic, trancelike music.”

When you go to a rave where one of your favorite performers is playing, I promise you won’t need drugs or alcohol to enjoy the experience.

On March 11th, before everything was shut down by COVID-19, and concerts and raves everywhere became non-existent, I had the best night of my life.

Timmy Trumpet was performing at Bogarts in Cincinnati, and long story short, that glorious man brought me on stage with him.

I got to talk to him and touch him after listening to his music for years.

And let me tell you, I was com-

“I got high off the good music and the good vibes.

A natural high.” artists include Avicii, Chainsmokers, Illenium, Skrillex and David Guetta.

A music festival is an event (typically for three days or over the weekend) that has a lot of artists who perform on a stage located inside the festival area. It can be held at a campground or even a forest.

Some music festivals you may have heard of before include Electric Forest, EDC Las Vegas and Ultra Music Festival. Depending on the festival, you can either camp on the grounds, stay in a hotel nearby, or bring your RV to the event Obviously, a lot of people automatically assume if you go to raves that you’re on something, but I guarantee that isn’t always the case.

Even the Criminalistics textbook for my CJS 235 class talked lowly of raves and said things like:

pletely sober, but it felt like a dream.

His show was the craziest that I have ever been to. My friends and I were front row, and every time Timmy came toward us, I screamed his name and held out my hand, hoping he’d touch it.

The last time I reached out, screaming his name, he held his hand and grabbed mine, and asked if he could get me on stage.

My jaw dropped to the floor, and I was just looking at my boyfriend and my friends like, is this real? Is this a dream?

I have an entire two-minute-and16-second video of the security guard lifting me on stage, Timmy asking my name, telling the audience it was my 18th birthday and then him singing me “Happy Birthday.”

Mind you, my birthday had actually been in February and I had just

Are you a: • writer • photographer • designer • or illustrator?

turned 21. It was an exhilarating experience.

If you don’t know Timmy Trumpet, look into him and listen to his music. He played “Happy Birthday” ON THE TRUMPET — TO ME. It could have been anyone else, but he picked me.

I remember every detail of that night.

Imagine if I had been drunk or high and wouldn’t have been able to remember this experience.

I got high off the good music and the good vibes. A natural high.

Not being able to go to any raves for six months has been heartbreaking, and another of the infinite reasons why I can’t wait for COVID-19 to end.

If you have never been to a rave, don’t let weird misconceptions keep you away from the experience.

And if you’ve been to a rave before and you’re one of the ravers that always goes tripping on acid or LSD, maybe just see what it’s like without it.

The music, the lights, the experience alone. The good vibes and good friends surrounding you. Knowing, for a couple of hours, I don’t have to be concerned about anything. Not school, not work, not anything.

And I am not even under the influence of drugs or alcohol. I get a natural high that has no negative effects on my body. No negative effects on my mind.

Being sober gives me the ability to be more present in the moment.

To be able to remember it tomorrow and tell my friends.

If nobody was on drugs at raves, it would be a better experience for everyone.

During multiple raves I have been to, intoxicated people are always pushing and shoving, and they don’t care about anyone but themselves.

They go to raves only to get drunk or get high. They aren’t even aware of who is playing the show.

Imagine wasting your money on a show you can’t even remember or know if you’ll even be able to enjoy.

There are people out there who don’t need drugs and alcohol to have a good time. pursifkn@miamioh.edu

represent you? If democracy means anything to you, then you should want our government to approach this situation the same way they did in 2016 — give the voters a say.

We get that social media is cool for raising awareness and showing support. But if you are not registered to vote and you’re not contacting politicians or signing petitions, then what are you supporting and raising awareness for?

Do not let the hurt over Ruth’s death live and die on social media.

She made change for us on a real level. Women can have credit cards without having a man co-sign it because of her.

That might seem small to you, but the list of fights she has put up for us is longer than the line at Spring Street Treats on a Friday.

We know it’s just been one thing after another this year — we’ve written about pretty much all of them — but don’t let this be the nail in the coffin of you not caring.

Let this be the spark that re-ignites the fire in you that was fading out.

Ruth was a warrior for change. Let a piece of her live on in you by registering to vote, actually voting, staying informed, staying passionate and staying on the side of what you believe is right.

This justice deserves some of her own.

Greek life and COVID-19:

Creating bonds while socially distanced MEGAN MISKE

THE MIAMI STUDENT The class of 2023 has had a strange experience through their first year in Greek life.

When I joined my sorority back in February, I pictured myself getting to know my sisters and bonding with them every chance I got during my second semester of freshman year.

I would have never expected being kicked off campus the following month and having to go more than seven months without being in the same room as my sisters.

I joined Greek life to feel more at home on campus, but I feel more disconnected and distant than ever before.

The state of Greek life has been pretty unclear since quarantine began.

Since Miami’s move-in day was pushed back, I’ve heard a lot of my fellow sisters’ concerns about how virtual Greek life will work until we can move in. A lot of their big worries had to do with paying dues while we weren’t even on campus.

I was mostly bummed that I was missing out on the crucial moments that make Greek life so special. I feel like I barely know my sisters, and I’m never going to have the same bonds as the pledge classes before me have.

Having to go through the initiation process virtually and missing out on important social events has been pretty weird. Missing out on experiences like formals and my big/little reveal has been hard.

With recruitment coming up in the spring semester, I feel like I don’t even know my sorority or my sisters well enough to give the potential new members a good idea about what life is like within

my chapter.

I also feel very lost on how the recruitment process will work, whether it be virtual or in-person.

The feeling that I miss the most about Greek life is that sense of community. I miss going on coffee dates with my sisters or hanging out with them during our sister-socials.

I feel like I have struggled a lot with keeping in touch with girls in my chapter during this quarantine period, and I wish I would have reached out more.

As Miami students start getting comfortable with campus life again, I am worried about my fellow Greek members not following the correct health protocols and getting in trouble.

As the cases continued to rise on campus, I feel like the Greek community that is living off campus is somewhat to blame.

While I understand that it’s important to create bonds with your brothers and sisters, it’s also important to stay safe. You can still create those bonds without having parties and breaking the rules.

Not having parties is the most important thing the Greek community can do right now. We need to listen to the university rules and health guidelines.

Being a part of the Greek community should mean holding each other accountable. We need to be responsible for ourselves and the other students on campus, so we don’t tarnish the reputation of Greek life even more than it already has been.

This isn’t what I expected my first year as a part of Greek life to look like, but as a community, we need to make the best of it — while staying safe. miskem@miamioh.edu

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