The Miami Student | February 16, 2023

ESTABLISHED 1826 — OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES

Volume 151 No. 10

Miami University — Oxford, Ohio

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Miami has a budget problem: what does that mean?

“My biggest fear became my biggest blessing”: Peyton Scott's road back from injury

PEYTON SCOTT HAS STORMED BACK ONTO THE COURT THIS SEASON AFTER TEARING HER ACL IN LAST SEASON'S FINAL GAME PHOTO BY JESSICA MONAHAN

JACK SCHMELZINGER SPORTS EDITOR

PROVOST LIZ MULLENIX AND TREASURER DAVID CREAMER PRESENT MIAMI WITH A REVIEW OF ITS FINANCES AT THE BUDGET SYMPOSIUM. PHOTO BY LUKE MACY

ABBY BAMMERLIN MANAGING EDITOR

LUKE MACY

ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR Miami University is facing a budgetary problem, and unless it’s able to fix it, Miami officials worry about the longevity of the university’s reserves.

“We are going to have to tighten the belt in the next few years,” Provost Liz Mullenix said.

The problem During Miami’s annual budget symposium, Mullenix said the university faces a more than $36 million budget deficit. The deficit means the provost must pull $16.2 million from

In this issue

university reserves. The other $20 million will be offset by open faculty positions.

The symposium, which took place on Monday, Feb. 6, was led by David Creamer, vice president for finance and business services and university treasurer. The presentation went over Miami’s 2023 fiscal year, which will begin July 1 and will last through June 30, 2024.

Creamer explained the university is reacting to national trends of low enrollment for domestic and international students, as well as competition from other universities.

However, the university’s decision to draw on reserves isn’t a long-term solution.

“The issue is we can’t sustain doing this in the future without finding a way to reverse the trends that we’re facing right now,” Creamer said.

The revenue gained from tuition has continued to decrease from 2018 until today — down $50 million this year from the 2018 tuition revenue.

Although tuition increases each year, Miami has also been increasing the amounts given in scholarships.

“Tuition has gone up every year …

It’s the discount that’s really killing us, right?” asked Todd Stuart, director of arts management and entrepreneurship.

Mullenix agreed.

“We have to discount because it’s a totally competitive market,” Mullenix said.

FOOD Are You Sure You Should Eat That?

The Truth About Diet Culture - page 7 SPORTS Another year, another eventful transfer season for Miami football - page 8 OPINION Townie: a word on the word

- page 11

JILL AND DAVE RUSSELL'S RELATIONSHIP SPANS FROM CLASSES IN OXFORD TO PEONY FIELDS IN ALASKA. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY THE RUSSELLS

RYANN BEASCHLER STAFF WRITER

When Jill Russell was a graduate student at Miami University, she was on a search for high blood pressure participants for her study. Fate — or maybe Cupid — had other plans.

The graduate student of a faculty member with uselessly low blood pressure gave her a name, Dave Rus-

sell, and told her how to find him.

There, in Dave’s first-floor research lab, she found a participant for her study. A tall, high-blood-pressured, willing participant and her future husband.

His participation, though, did not last long.

“Sometimes I'd take his blood pressure and he would be borderline high, high, and other times I'd take

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

[his] blood pressure and it would be low and normal,” Jill said. “It was so labile that I had to throw him out."

Dave claims this was Jill’s fault.

“In large part, it was due to what she was wearing that day, and some days it impacted my blood pressure more than others,” said Dave, as he ate a chocolate heart taken from Jill’s bowl of candy. “It was her fault that it was screwed up.”

From that study on, they were blissfully stuck together. Their offices as beloved Miami professors currently sit just above one another in Pearson Hall. Jill’s bowl of heart chocolates never quite safe.

Love Birds It took two tries for fate to pair the two academics. The second was an act of sabotage.

“One day, another grad student came into the lab and said, ‘Hey, how would you like to be in a Birding Competition?’ And I'm like, ‘I'm doing brain surgery and you want me to go look at birds?’” Jill recalled.

She maintained her rejection of the invitation until the grad student CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Student gambling: Growth in the light and dark

HUMOR Twas the night before bid day...

- page 12

STYLE Rihanna’s SuperBowl outfit left me shook - page 13 THE NEWGATE ARENA POKER CLUB IN OXFORD IS THE HOME OF SELF-DETERMINATION BETTING, AND GAMES ARE FULLY PLAYER-DECIDED. PHOTO BY JAKE RUFFER

KASEY TURMAN

THE MIAMI STUDENT PHOTO Two new exhibits on display at Miami's art museum - page 14

$5 deposit. FanDuel offers a bonus bet guarantee with a $10 stake.

For one anonymous senior biology major, the marketing has worked.

“The only reason that I do it is because I got the $200 in free play,” the senior said. “The second I lose it, I'm not playing again because the house always wins.”

The biology major is up $225 on DraftKings, all from the “free money,” and he’s not in this hobby alone.

His house is home to four bettors, and they’re not the only ones he knows.

“We all do it just because we got free money and I feel like it's a pretty commonplace activity,” the senior said. “Most guys that I know are involved in some way, shape or form.”

A tale as old as time Sports betting has been around campus before it was consuming every ad slot. One anonymous junior

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Love birds, peony fields and chocolate hearts: two professors’ marriage story

CAMPUS & COMMUNITY Miami University’s new health building will provide hands-on learning across disciplines - page 5

ENTERTAINMENT ‘Reservation Dogs’ creator talks diversity and low-budget filmmaking - page 6

It’s March 5, 2022.

Peyton Scott and the Miami RedHawks women’s basketball team are playing in their final game of the season against the University of Akron, already long knocked out of Mid-American Conference (MAC) tournament contention. It’s been a disappointing season. Still, Peyton Scott has balled out, averaging nearly twenty points per game (ppg), on her way to a second consecutive AllMAC honor.

About halfway through the second quarter in Akron, senior guard Vanessa Garrelts grabs a defensive rebound. She flips it to Scott, who cuts through Akron’s transition defense on the way to the bucket. Scott goes up for the layup, gets fouled and lands in a heap. One of the best players ever to call Miami home doesn’t know it yet, but she just tore her ACL. Head Coach DeUnna Hendrix sounded somber as she went through her post game interview, but what she said was true.

“She’ll be fine,” Hendrix said. “It’s Peyton Scott.”

Everyone who’s met Scott knows exactly what Hendrix meant. Scott is unbelievably tough. In a more recent interview with The Miami Student, Hendrix expanded on her sentiment.

“I don’t think you have enough time for me to describe her,” Hendrix said. “She’s resilient. She’s a leader in a servant type of way. She wants to get things done. She’s been with us for years now, and there's times where she’s going to get us [the coaches] lunch. It’s always about, what can I do for someone else [for her]. The past three years haven’t been easy on her, and she’s constantly thinking ‘well, where else can I give? What else can I do?’”

Scott is a kind, thoughtful person.

And a killer on the court.

“She wants to leave a legacy. She works her butt off and she expects everyone around her to do the same thing. She plays harder than anyone I’ve ever seen play.”

Regardless, going through such an unfortunate injury wasn’t easy for the star guard.

“Last game of the season against Akron, right before half time I go up for a transition layup,” Scott said. “I just came down wrong. My first real injury. I had never had surgery before. It was a devastating thing. Going into it, my biggest fear was tearing my ACL. Out of all the injuries, that has one of the longest recovery periods, and once you do it the retear rate goes up.”

Scott, from Lynchburg, Ohio, a rural village about an hour and a half east of Oxford, was an incredible prep player at Lynchburg-Clay High School. She played varsity hoops from her freshman year on, earning All-District honors three times and being named All-Ohio twice. In her senior season, she averaged 27.4 ppg, 10.9 rebounds per game (rpg) and 5.0 assists per game (apg), on her way to becoming Lynchburg-Clay’s all time leading scorer with 2,202 career points.

Fast forward to college ball, Scott is playing in her fourth season with Miami basketball. Her fourth excellent season.

She started all 30 games her first year and averaged 12.5 ppg on her way to MAC All-Freshman honors.

Her sophomore eason, she averaged 21.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 5.2 apg. She even threw in 2.7 steals on average, making for an incredible season that earned her a spot on the All-MAC Second Team. Last year she won

To ensure its incoming classes have enough diversity, high-performing students and other markers, Miami has had to discount its tuition to appeal to students. Despite the university enrolling more students than ever, Miami made less in tuition revenue in 2021 than in 2001.

Another contributing factor to the deficit is the decreasing aid from the state of Ohio. Funds from the state are much lower than in years past, even lower than in fiscal year 2001 — the first fiscal year Creamer oversaw.

The university has continually raised tuition to account for the reduced funds from the state.

“We can go back to 1976, the year I graduated from college, tuition at

At this point, most people have seen the Ohio sports betting ads.

They’re everywhere.

Advertisements have flooded social media pages and television com-

mercials, hoping their bright colors and Kevin Hart will attract new bettors.

Apps like FanDuel and DraftKings are even offering “free money” to wager, a low-stakes entry with the apparent promise of winning big.

DraftKings gives a “free” $200 with a

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

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

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Opinions expressed in The Miami Student are not necessarily those of Miami University, its students or staff.

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ALICE MOMANY

CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR

LUKE MACY

ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR On Feb. 15, Miami University’s former provost Jason Osborne participated in an open forum at the University of Baltimore (UBalt) for the university’s provost position.

Osborne was invited on behalf of Christine Spencer, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at UBalt, who is chairing the Provost Search Committee. Osborne was the first out of five candidates to speak at the university. Each of the candidates gets the opportunity to present themselves to the university’s community and answer questions from the audience. Faculty, staff, students and alumni of UBalt were invited to attend the forum.

Osborne now works as a professor of statistics at Miami, where he previously served as provost for almost three years. Before coming to Oxford, he was the dean of Graduate Studies at Clemson University and a department chair at the University of Louisville. Osborne worked at seven different universities before his role at Miami.

The UBalt community will hear from four other candidates, with the last open forum on March 2. Feedback from audience members will be collected after each session.

Earlier this month on Feb. 6, Osborne briefly updated his LinkedIn to include the title “Executive Director of MU Institute for Responsible Gaming, Lotteries, and Sport.” By the end of the day, Osborne had removed the title from his page.

The institute falls under Miami’s ASPIRE program, which stands for advancing strategy, partnerships, institutional relations and econo-

my. The program finds community, corporate and government partners that will work with Miami’s mission, such as in the case of College@Elm. In an email to The Miami Student, Alecia Lipton, Miami’s associate director of media relations, confirmed that Osborne was not in this role.

“Along with the institute’s affiliated faculty and staff, the ASPIRE team has begun exploring how to best structure the center for continued growth and success into the future,” Lipton wrote. “It anticipates that the institute will be led by an executive director, but no position has yet been established.”

However, Lipton did share that Osborne is part of the institute’s team. Osborne did not respond to requests for comment.

ASPIRE’s new institute will collect research and data on the Ohio gaming industry as legislation is passed in the state.

“The Institute will initially advance responsible gaming by addressing issues around addiction, policy, and the most pressing industry questions,” the institute’s website reads.

“We will provide objective and non-partisan research to policy makers and the gaming industry on strategies for responsible gaming engagement.”

If the institute requires an executive director, the university will need to post the position’s details, according to Ohio’s laws on hiring unclassified administrative staff.

Under the law, the Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity will also need to approve the recruitment plan for attracting the diverse pool of applicants.

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ASC Fritz Pavilion Come hang out and create some art (after dark) with Residence Life and MAP.

Title IX: 50 Years of Breaking Barriers Hall Auditorium

7:30 p.m.

2/20

Listen to NFL officials Mina Kimes and Sarah Thomas discuss Title IX in sports.

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Lived Experiences Documentary Premiere

2/21

Attend the premiere of “Bittersweet,” a full-length documentary about Black experinces at Miami.

Thu

President’s Spring University Update

2/23

Listen to President Crawford announce university updates and accomplishments.

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Fusion 2023 — Exploring Asia

2/25

Former Provost Osborne up for UBalt position

Winter Stories at the Library

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Hall Auditorium Join the Asian American Association for performances from around Asia.

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Miami’s emergency shooter procedures REAGAN RUDE

ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR

MEGAN MCCONNELL ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR

This story contains mentions of gun violence.

On Monday Feb. 13, a gunman opened fire at Michigan State University, killing three students and critically injuring five others. The tragic incident has reopened conversations on campuses across the nation about what to do in the event of an active shooter threat.

Miami University provides a guideline for students to follow if they find themselves in this situation. According to the procedures, active shooter situations vary and “evolve rapidly,” so different circumstances and instructions are listed.

If the shooter is outside the building, Miami’s guidelines recommend going to a room that can be locked, turning off all lights and getting down on the floor. Then, call 911, tell the dispatcher your location and stay where you are until an “all clear” is given. Do not come out until you are certain the command is given from a police officer, as a shooter may attempt to locate victims by calling out.

If the shooter enters your office or classroom, remain calm, call 911 and try to help police locate the shooter. Leave the line open if you can’t speak and do not try to physically overpower the shooter unless absolutely necessary.

If the shooter is inside the building you are in, close and lock all doors and windows, turn off the lights and hide. If the door cannot be locked, try to find another safe location or leave the building.

SCAN TO VIEW MIAMI UNIVERSITY’S EMERGENCY PROCEDURE PAGE.

If forced to leave, make sure to have a plan and route. Do not bring anything, including jackets and coats. It’s critical that the police see that you do not have any weapons, so keep your hands visible and follow instructions from police. Do not drive off campus until police confirm that it is safe.

Because the area is a crime scene, officers will likely not let anyone leave until the situation is under control and all witnesses have been identified. Remain wherever authorities direct you to until you are released.

Information about Miami’s other emergency procedures can be found here. rudere@miamioh.edu mcconnmn@miamioh.edu

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

City council prioritizes funding for one-stop service center

CITY MANAGER JESSICA GREENE PRESENTED OXFORD CITY COUNCIL WITH THREE RESOLUTIONS FOR ARPA FUNDING PROPOSALS. PHOTO BY LUKE MACY

LUKE MACY

ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR Often, the busiest places on an average night in Oxford are Brick Street Bar or Bagel and Deli Shop.

However, that wasn’t the case on Feb. 7 as the Oxford Courthouse nearly overflowed with residents.

Almost 100 people, many of whom were senior citizens, were in attendance that night for the Oxford City Council meeting, which only offered standing room for many.

Three resolutions were the main discussion points of the night, all connected by the fact that they require American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)

funding from Butler County. The council had to rank the resolutions by priority so the county could determine where and how to allocate the ARPA funds.

The first, which started the night with a priority ranking of one, would require $1.5 million for a One-Stop Social Services Center with a kitchen, educational space and emergency shelter.

Priority two would be the $3 million needed to help the Oxford Seniors Organization build its new facility in association with the TRI Community Center. Butler County had already awarded $1.5 million to the city for the new senior facility the first time Oxford requested the $3

Miami faculty share what Black love means to them REAGAN RUDE

ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR On Thursday, Feb. 9, Miami University’s Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion (OIDI) hosted a virtual Black Love Panel, aimed to promote conversations about important dynamics within relationships in the Black American community.

Morgan Moore, assistant director of sexual and interpersonal violence (SIV) outreach in the Office of Student Wellness, moderated the event and worked closely with OIDI to organize it.

The panel featured three speakers, all of whom are Black faculty members at Miami: CaTia Daniels, proposal and contract specialist in the Office of Research and Innovation; Victor Jones, associate director of professional development in Farmer School of Business; and Andre DuBois, assistant director of career fairs and special events in the Center for Career Exploration and Success.

After introducing the panelists, Moore explained what Black love means to her.

“When I think about Black love, I think of a love beyond romantic love,” Moore said. “Black love is beautiful, and it is a catalyst that has birthed movements, songs, dances, poetry and revolutions.”

Moore added that Black love is more than loving Black people, but involves the care and actions you take to show that love.

Daniels said she shows Black love differently to different Black people, whether it be through quality time, physical touch or words of affirmation.

“I don’t like cuddling, but for my kids, I shower them with it because that’s how they need love, and I pay attention to how they need love,” Daniels said. “I just love people how they need to be loved.”

DuBois said part of showing Black love to his children is preparing them for the realities Black people face in their day-to-day lives.

Certain behaviors, he said, that are acceptable for white people could put his children in dangerous situations.

“I love them enough to tell them the truth. The icing has to come off the cake, I have to prepare them,” DuBois said. “It’s my job to prepare them to be successful, self-sufficient, independent, God-fearing reliable citizens as best they can in this society that’s built against us.”

Jones said he cultivates Black love in his family by being a positive role model and by dismissing traditional norms of masculinity.

“They know they can come to their father and it’s not just a harsh, abrasive type of reaction,” Jones said. “It’s not a stone wall. He’s emotional, and he’s going to provide

million. Mayor William Snavely explained Butler County only gave half the request amount, thinking it was actually awarding money for the onestop center.

The third resolution was to apply for $1.5 million in ARPA funds to put toward a Social Services Facility fund, which the city could distribute to social services when needed.

Judy Kolbas, an adjunct faculty member in Miami University’s history department, shared how the senior center helped her navigate Oxford.

“When I arrived in Oxford 15 years ago, the senior center was my lifeline, and ever since, they’ve been very, very helpful,” Kolbas said. “I am visually impaired, and without the transpor-

tation I would not be able to do anything.”

Reverend Julie Fischer from the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church made a defense for prioritizing funding for the one-stop center rather than the senior center. While she respected Oxford’s seniors, he said, people who live in poverty don’t get as much representation.

“People who live in poverty do not have a lot of time to come to meetings like this and advocate for themselves,” Fischer said Jay Fagin, a resident of College Corner, talked about how he grew up in poverty in Oxford and how the city’s resources helped his family.

Fagin questioned why Miami wasn’t contributing money to the projects and why the city was investing in an Amtrak station for a train he said would only stop in Oxford three days a week at 2:30 a.m.

The $2 million grant for the Amtrak station was obtained through the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments and could not be reallocated.

Although Councilor Alex French wanted to prioritize the one-stop facility, she also shared that she was upset to have to make a decision.

“When people ask where my head has been at on this decision, the first thing that comes to mind is that two organizations this important should not be competing over this few dollars,” French said. “To me, that is absolutely baffling and not a position we should have to be in.”

Snavely also wanted to prioritize the one-stop center, saying it was the most likely to receive the money needed.

“While both of these represent clear and pressing needs in our community, the one-stop social service facility probably represents the greatest need,” Snavely said. “It also is one that can be done with the $1.5 [million] that we’re pretty sure they’ll vote for, and they thought they already did.”

The resolution to apply for the funds for the one-stop center was approved with the priority ranking of one was approved five to one, with Councilor Glenn Ellerbe voting no and Councilor Jason Bracken recusing himself.

The resolution to apply for $3 million more in funds for the new senior center was approved with the priority ranking of two was approved six to one, with Ellerbe voting no.

The last resolution for the $1.5 million for a Social Services Facility fund failed by a vote of six to one, with Ellerbe being the only councilor to vote yes, even though he had wanted to raise the proposal to $3 million.

“I think it’s a good idea, but … if it hasn’t been discussed already, I think just throwing something new in front of them will look like we’re scattered,” Councilor Amber Franklin said. “Maybe there’ll be another opportunity at some point, but I think advancing the two that we’ve already voted on is the best option.”

City council will meet again on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Oxford Courthouse. @lukejmacy macylj@miamioh.edu

Love birds, peony fields and chocolate hearts: two professors’ marriage story CONTINUED FROM FRONT

wisdom as well.”

Each of the panelists discovered the importance of Black love at different points in their lives. For DuBois, being introduced to the idea helped his self-esteem as one of the only people of color in his grade school.

“Sometimes, when I’m walking around and I’m the only person of color, it can make me feel a little bit insecure or maybe less worthy,” DuBois said. “But I think that has to do with the lack of knowledge of knowing who you are.”

After positive role models in his life, such as his aunt, provided DuBois with books about Black history and culture, he said it became easier to understand Black love.

Daniels said her time working as an associate at Walgreens made her realize how easy it is for people of color to feel invisible. Now, she shows Black love by making sure no one she interacts with feels that way.

“I always come in with a smile on my face, to try to be personable.

I just try to show more happiness wherever I go because it spreads,” Daniels said. “I think that’s what helps push us forward. It’s always the smallest thing that we don’t know can help somebody.”

Jones began to understand the importance of Black love in 2014, after the killing of Michael Brown flooded national news. At work none of his team, all of whom were white, said a word to him.

“I had to go to another part of the building to find the only other Black person, and we just hugged,” Jones said. “That was the moment everything shifted, because no one else really gets it when you’re having these moments.”

After the panel, Moore said she hoped attendees left with a better understanding of how to love people of color. “[When loving someone] from a minority group you have to think about the ways their lives are affected and care for them in those ways,” Moore said. “We’re trying to expand the definition of what it looks like to love somebody and truly understand and hear them.”

Moore said she also hopes that Black attendees not only gained a better understanding of their relationships with others in their community, but with themselves as well.

“I really hope that it conveyed to our students to be proud of their Blackness no matter what,” Moore said. rudere@miamioh.edu

showed up again, this time with a pair of binoculars and Dave.

They went birding — their first time of many to come.

Dave identified bird species from what Jill saw only as moving specks in the sky. He listened to their calls, proving his accuracy to the then-doubtful Jill.

“I’m like, ‘OK, this guy’s a big blow-hard.’ I mean, he’s just obviously too big for his own pants.

Right? Mr. Know-It-All. But every time I challenged him — arrogant, yes, he was very arrogant — he’d pull out the field guide and he was right,” Jill said.

“There’s a metaphor for life there by the way,” Dave said; that he is always right.

“Oh, bullshit,” Jill said.

Dave’s accuracy, however, had put a target on his back in the department. The previous year, Dave, who studied bugs, and his partner, who studied spiders, had beaten the grad students who actually studied birds.

“So they’re like, ‘OK, we want Dave Russell to go out in flames,’” Jill said. “‘Let’s find the worst person we can possibly find to be his birding partner,’ but I didn’t know that.”

They had succeeded in convincing Jill to be Dave’s birding partner, hoping she would be enough to hold him back.

“We won. We won the competition,” Jill said.

“And we won every year after that for at least 10 years,” Dave added.

“Just friends” After a time of being close friends, Dave getting his Ph.D., and his previous wife leaving the picture, Dave asked Jill to date him. Jill was reluctant at first.

Jill asked Dave to wait for six months before dating. A buffer, a time when they were to remain friends to make sure they made the right move.

“I don’t want to be a rebound.

Right? I mean, you’re my friend. I was afraid that if it didn’t work out, I would lose my really good friend,” Jill said.

“And she’d had no ability to figure out what birds were at that point,” Dave said.

Fate’s final blow was their unproclaimed first date — Jill’s alumni dinner at Mount Saint Joseph College.

A dinner that Jill claims she invited him to as friends.

“She said that in her head,” Dave said of that claim.

“I said it out loud and there were witnesses,” Jill said.

While mingling at the party, Dave made his move.

“He turns around and he lays a big wet kiss on me in front of everybody, and I was mortified,” Jill said.

“Well, first I kind of liked it. But I was mortified.”

There was no going back. Her friends at the party had seen the kiss and were convinced of their relation-

ship. The timing of Dave’s kiss had been strategic.

“I’m like, ‘You little fucker, you set me up,’” Jill said.

“I take advantage of situations when necessary,” Dave said.

That became their first date, although Jill was reluctant to call it that, set on standing her ground for the six-month period.

“We [still] had to go the other three months,” Jill said. “Then, when the day came that I had set as our time limit, we actually had our first official date and, when we were on our first official date, he was planning our honeymoon.”

Birds and those who love them When they got married in 2002, the pair wasn’t allowed to elope.

Friends in the biology department at Miami who claimed to have known their fate all along had refused to let them get married without witnessing it.

They shared their vows in a church packed with 300 to 400 delighted, loving witnesses.

“It was a great wedding,” Jill said of the night.

“She says it was a great wedding, but ask her about any detail.”

“I was in total shock. I hardly remember anything from the wedding.

I’d been single for 12 years, a single mom. So this was a huge lifestyle change bringing a big alpha male into my family with my two kids [and] his three kids,” Jill said.

“And the worst part was that he was a birder,” Dave joked about himself.

They merged families. The success of which can be measured best, maybe, by them describing every one of their five kids as “ours.”

Jill and Dave’s honeymoon spot was no sunny, warm coastline: they took a trip to Alaska. For the love of birds.

“Every bird I saw was a life bird for me. I’d never seen it before in my life. It was so cool,” Jill said. “I think that’s what cemented birding for me.

I just absolutely loved it. And we always said we’d go back when we were empty nesters.”

Peony Fields Then came an email from the University of Alaska Fairbanks looking for two professors to teach introductory biology courses and anatomy and physiology for nursing majors — the exact classes they taught at the time.

“They were looking for what we teach, but I was too busy, so [I deleted it],” Dave said. “It was out of my head.”

They discussed it that evening and how they were far too busy with the bird banding station and classes.

Dave had been planning a summer class about biodiversity in Arizona and was about to submit the final paperwork. He couldn’t go to Alaska for an entire summer.

“She had mentioned it a second

time … when I had shut her down. I thought: before I hit submit on all of this paperwork I’ve done, I wonder why she mentioned it twice,” Dave said.

So he called her just to make sure.

“She goes ‘Oh, I’m glad you asked.’ And she goes, ‘I applied!’”

“I did. I applied for both of us,” Jill said, laughing.

They both got the job. Dave agreed to go for one summer, a move that turned into 10 summers teaching and working with birds in Alaska.

Then came the peonies.

“We bought 40 acres, and we are now one of the largest commercial flower farmers in Alaska,” Dave said.

A colleague had been researching possible sources of profit for Alaskans, apart from the plummeting oil industry. The Russells, after a year of researching the industry, agreed to purchase a five-acre plot and plant peony fields.

“We planted thousands of roots,” Dave said, “and I ultimately became president of the Alaskan Peony Growers Society and we went from a handful of Peony farms to two or three hundred that are up there now.”

“And it’s the biggest industry behind [salmon] as an export [in Alaska],” Jill said. “And you know what?

[He’s] still smoking hot.”

“Her eyesight is getting much worse.”

Life birds and their chocolate hearts Dave and Jill have spent more than 20 years together, yet Jill only recently memorized their anniversary.

“I do know we were married in ‘02 so it’ll be 21 in May, pretty amazing,” Jill said.

“April,” Dave corrected.

They had no Valentine’s plans.

It’s just like any other day as married Miami professors. With their packed schedule of classes, their students, their love for birds and each other, their Peony fields and the rest of the chocolate hearts — if there are any left — in Jill’s bowl.

“Every decision we make … we consider the other person immediately like it’s just second nature,” Jill said. “It’s part of my decision: is this something that is good for Dave too?

Would Dave be happy with this or not? It’s because he and I are one.”

“But it’s not something that comes easily, it’s not something that comes naturally. And it is …” “...it is beautiful when you get to it.”

“We don’t have to work as hard now as we did before. You know, matter of fact, it’s …” “...easy, it’s comfortable.”

“Yeah.” beaschrs@miamioh.edu @RyannBeaschler

4

Campus and Community

How 40 tons of salt and 30 groundskeepers keep Miami’s sidewalks clear

A MIAMI GROUNDSKEEPER PARKS IN FRONT OF A RESIDENT HALL TO MAINTAIN THE BUSHES. PHOTO BY MEGAN MCCONNELL

TAYLOR STUMBAUGH STAFF WRITER

It’s a cyclical phenomenon. When the snow starts, so does the salt.

Over the course of winter, Miami University’s grounds team lays down up to 40 tons of salt across campus — the weight of a fully loaded 18-wheeler.

Cody Powell, associate vice president of facilities planning and operations, said the facilities department would rather not use so much salt or any at all because it damages the shrubs and turf. It’s needed, though, to make sure students are safe and not slipping on ice.

It can take hours to clear all of the snow from campus sidewalks, roads and steps, depending on the weather and amount of snow.

For example, it took five hours to clear the thick snow Oxford received around Jan. 25.

The grounds workers started working at 4 a.m. to clear the steps, sidewalks and parking lots to be done by 9 that morning.

“One of the major responsibilities for [the grounds workers] is snow removal,” Powell said. “Dealing with any ice and those types of things is an all hands on deck type of response, and our staff has been very, very good about that over the years, even when it’s during difficult times or holidays.”

Powell also said none of Miami’s sidewalks are technically heated; there just happens to be utility tunnels under some of them.

The grounds workers still need to shovel the snow off all the sidewalks, but the steam inside the tunnels can help keep it melted.

Students were appreciative to see the snow gone on their way to class.

“I’ve never seen snow on the walkways, and there is never really trash everywhere, either,” said Ella Winters, a first-year finance major.

Gerry Geil, the grounds director, said about 30 groundworkers are in charge of keeping roughly 40 miles of sidewalk and 60 acres of parking lots and roadways clear every day.

Each worker has a specified area depending on what equipment they’re using. Miami has eight snow plow trucks, five of which have salt spreaders, in addition to the orange utility vehicles around campus which also have plows and salt spreaders on them.

“There’s always plenty of things to do,” Geil said. “It’s just harder to do some of the things that we typically do in the winter time because of the restricting weather.”

The workers can start as early as 1 a.m. in the morning during inclement weather.

“On the bitterly cold days it’s challenging, even for myself, to get everyone out but we have duties we have to accomplish,” Brandon Pitman, senior grounds manager, said.

Miami has the same amount of groundworkers in spring and winter. During weather emergencies, though, some staff members aren’t able to make it in due to the conditions or need to stay home to take care of their kids.

Powell said when we do have inclement weather, the custodial crews in the buildings are responsible for doing the hand shoveling on the stoops and steps and then usually the first adjoining sidewalk from those steps to the main sidewalks.

“The custodial crew is not used to working outside, and when we ask them to, they are doing things like shoveling and working in inclement weather,” Powell said. “Making sure that they have proper clothing to deal with that kind of weather is really important to us.”

Pitman, who also helps keep sidewalks clear during weather emergencies, has two managers underneath him and 33 employees in the grounds department.

During the winter months Pitman said the team’s day-to-day involves a lot of snow removal, trash pick up, leaf removal and dead wood removal from trees so students aren’t in danger of falling branches. The end goal is to create a safe campus.

Along with keeping the campus safe, there is also a lot of preparation in the winter for the warmer months. Trees are planted in late fall and into winter, and beds are prepped to be mulched during spring break.

“Our dedicated employees have done a great job of responding and dealing with adversity to keep the campus safe,” Powell said.

Stumbata@miamioh.edu

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

‘Work hard, rest hard’: How Miami students manage their work-life balance REAGAN RUDE

ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR All-nighters at the library. All-nighters at Brick Street. Such behaviors are symbolic of the stereotypical Miami University student’s worklife balance: work hard, play harder, repeat.

But for Preston Anderson, a junior finance and business analytics major, that sort of lifestyle leaves much to be desired.

“It would be super exhausting because you’re working hard, you’re playing hard, you’re always on and going at it full throttle,” Preston said. “I personally don’t think it’s a super healthy habit to get into.”

“Appreciate each thing as it comes” Anderson minors in studio art, has a leadership position in the business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi and has worked with several consulting firms. He is also part of the visual arts club and running club at Miami — making it all the more important that he manages his time wisely.

Anderson said his focus on being mentally aware and present in the moment helps him keep up with his many commitments.

“I listen to a lot of podcasts that emphasize that if you’re mentally aware and focused every moment of every day, you get a lot more out of life,” Anderson said. “As I am so busy, I try to maximize that time and not necessarily go from one thing to the next but really appreciate each thing as it comes.”

Anderson said the social nature of his academics and extracurriculars help make his work-life balance more maintainable. His leadership activities and hobbies allow him to spend time with people he enjoys while also growing both professionally and personally.

“I don’t have the liberty to study the week before” Some students enter Miami with efficient time management skills, but for others, a learning curve is involved. Madison Miner, a senior public health major with a co-major in pre-medical studies, said it took time for her to maintain a healthy balance.

“I think that over my four years I’ve gotten better at it, but it’s taken a lot of effort and skill to be able to really prioritize myself as a person and my other responsibilities,” Miner said.

Miner got involved with many of her commitments — including the women’s varsity synchronized skating team, co-president of HAWKS peer health educators and a volunteer Spanish tutor — during the COVID-19 pandemic. As pandemic restrictions eased, Miner had to learn how to manage a fully in-person schedule.

“It was an adjustment,” Miner said. “I had to mentally reset because I took on those roles at a time when I had more ability to get on a Zoom call versus drive to Western campus and go to an in-person meeting.”

Miner said that planning her time has been an important aspect of maintaining her worklife balance. She doesn’t just schedule her classes and homework, but also when to call her parents and when to focus on herself rather than academics.

With her busy training schedule, Miner said she studies for exams throughout the semester to do well.

“I don’t have the liberty to study the week

before or the night before an exam, so I plan out my study times in advance,” Miner said. “So it’s like, I have to get through chapter one now, and I have to make my study sheet and my Quizlet because I know when I’m at a competition or something, I’m not going to be able to do that.”

“Student first, athlete second” Lilly Peterson, a senior strategic communication major and a member of the varsity field hockey team, said her demanding practice schedule makes it hard to divide her time.

“Usually we say ‘student first, athlete second,’ but considering the workload, I would definitely say it’s the other way around,” Peterson said. “We practice three hours a day, six days a week. And then with traveling, etc., it’s very time consuming. And then obviously, you still have to make time for schoolwork, which is hard. So lots of long nights and not a lot of free time.”

While Peterson loves her sport, she admits that her lack of balance can be exhausting.

“It’s very, very stressful,” Peterson said. “You don’t really have a social life, your social life is your team. Which is great, but it’s physically, as well as mentally, very challenging to keep up with that.”

Despite her jam-packed schedule, Peterson said she still makes sure to prioritize getting enough sleep — at least nine hours a night.

“Sleep is more important than anything, because if you don’t get enough you won’t function academically or physically the next day,” Peterson said.

Rest and destress While many Miami students work hard in their academics, their ways of destressing after a long week vary. Anderson said picking up new hobbies helps him unwind.

“Learning a new task is super enjoyable for me,” Anderson said. “Recently, I’ve been getting into guitar so it’s been really relaxing to just try learning that without any pressure to do well in school.”

Miner said she enjoys taking “mental health drives” to get away from all the distractions in her busy life. In the car, she can’t be distracted by her phone or email.

Peterson said most of her free time is dedicated to catching up on rest. After a week of constantly being on the go, she prefers to do nothing on her off days.

“I don’t mind spending all day in bed or on the couch, because [I] never get to do it,” Peterson said. “My teammates and I like to go to other sports games, we like to just hang out at our house and cook together. But nothing crazy because again, we’re all exhausted.”

A drop in “playing hard” While some may prioritize these types of relaxing activities, many Miami students still

GRAPHIC BY HANNAH POTTS

“play hard.” But Kimberly Moore, dean of students, said that’s been less common in recent years.

“We have seen a decline in alcohol and drug violations of the code of conduct, and I want to be careful not to say that that means it’s happening less, but the decision-making around that is shifting,” Moore said. “We’re seeing a lot more students who are really vocal about their choice to not drink until they’re 21.”

In addition to making smarter choices about alcohol, more students are taking steps to prioritize their mental well-being above their other commitments.

“Students are by and large far more open about talking about their mental health and what that means,” Moore said. “There’s more awareness of the intersections of being a student and that there’s a bigger picture going on.”

While students are more aware of the various mental health resources Miami offers, Peterson said her busy schedule makes it difficult to access them.

“Our team has our own mental health trainer, so there’s a lot of resources for that,” Peterson said. “But then it’s also like, when do I have the time to go there and talk to someone?”

For Miner it’s usually her social life that suffers when things get busy, not her mental health.

“Mostly it’s like, ‘I was gonna go out with friends tonight, but because of X exam or because of this responsibility with HAWKS, I won’t do that,’” Miner said.

While Anderson values his academics, he said he is less willing to go above and beyond in them due to the lack of extra reward for doing so.

“It’s not easy to admit, but I would say I kind of hit the minimum bar that I would need for the class,” Anderson said. “I could spend more time perfecting the class content, or I could spend just enough time and then I have more free time or more time to work on other classes.” rudere@miamioh.edu

Eugenia Blanco-Mazur: From a doctor in Mexico to a Spanish professor at Miami

BLANCO-MAZUR DOESN’T CONSIDER HER TIME AS A MEDICAL PHYSICIAN A WASTE BECAUSE SHE GAINED DISCIPLINE, RIGOR IN ACADEMICS, A STRONG WORK ETHIC AND CONCERN FOR ALL PEOPLE. PHOTO BY SARAH FROSCH

TAYLOR STUMBAUGH

STAFF WRITER Eugenia Blanco-Mazur, a visiting assistant professor (VAP) in Miami University’s Spanish and Portuguese Department, had two major passions growing up: medicine and literature.

She was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico. At 17 years old, she received a scholarship to one of the best universities in her country, the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey. At Mexican universities, students choose their final degree path right after high school and can’t change it, unlike in the U.S. “I was thinking of all the things that I liked,” Blanco-Mazur said, “but the system was not designed for you to make any choices afterwards … Now that I’m older … and I work with [students], I love that we have all these undecided majors and all this ability to switch because you’re growing up and you change. You’re really getting to know yourself.”

Blanco-Mazur said she always wanted to help underserved communities and be involved in public health. It helped that she liked science and was good at it too.

“I really love the social part of medicine in the sense that you serve communities, as has always been at the center of my being,” Blanco-Mazur said.

Blanco-Mazur left Mexico for six months to

go to the exchange program at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston to do a rotation in telemedicine. There, she met her husband, an intern in his first year of residency.

She moved to Houston to be with him, and they got married. After, the couple moved to North Carolina where they had kids and then relocated to Cincinnati when the kids were older.

Blanco-Mazur was a stay-at-home mom for a bit and took a few courses at the Women Writing for (a) Change school and foundation.

Then, she went back to school at the University of Cincinnati to get her master’s in literature which she has been very passionate about for most of her life. She said she is proud of herself for still following her dreams because it wasn’t easy to get an education with two kids at home.

“That’s another decision when I left medicine, was to not immediately pursue another degree, because I had the opportunity and privilege to stay with my children,” Blanco-Mazur said. “But that was also a loss. So every choice also brings the loss of something else and to learn to let go of that and focus on the future [is important].”

After earning her master’s, Blanco-Mazur pursued her doctoral degree in romance languages at the University of Cincinnati, where she met Fernanda Diaz-Basteris, who was in the master’s program and is now a professor of

Latino studies at Georgia State University.

Diaz-Basteris said Blanco-Mazur was extremely generous and welcoming. Blanco-Mazur was happy that another Mexican person was accepted to the program and took Diaz-Basteris under her wing since she was new to the U.S. They worked together as teaching assistants in Spanish classes. They also served together as president (Blanco-Mazur) and vice president (Diaz-Basteris) of the Graduate Student Association of Romance and Arabic Languages and Literatures.

“She’s a great friend, a great colleague and a great professor,” Diaz-Basteris said.

After working at UC from 2011 to 2020, Blanco-Mazur started working as a VAP at Miami. Faculty can work on yearly contracts as VAPs for up to five years, after which they are either brought up to a full-time position or leave the university.

Stella Walker, a junior Spanish education major with a co-major in Spanish, said she wants Blanco-Mazur to stay in Oxford.

“I really hope that she stays with us here because she’s the best professor for Spanish that I’ve ever had in my entire life,” Walker said.

Walker, who hopes to become a Spanish teacher, took SPN352, History of Spain, last fall. She said Blanco-Mazur enacted everything Walker was taught to do as a teacher in her education classes. Blanco-Mazur collaborates with students, does community engagement projects and makes sure the students’ voices are heard.

Katelyn Grant, a junior double major in Spanish and international studies with a Latin American studies minor, who also took Blanco-Mazur’s SPN352 class, said she prefers an orderly classroom, and Blanco-Mazur is a very go-with-the-flow kind of teacher.

“As a student sometimes I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, what is happening in this classroom,’ but as the semester went on, I got more used to it and saw that her expectation wasn’t that you need to check all the boxes, she just wanted you to be there and engage with her,” Grant said.

Blanco-Mazur doesn’t consider her time as a medical physician a waste because she gained discipline, rigor in academics, a strong work ethic and concern for all people.

“I like the idea that people will evolve just like art evolves,” Blanco-Mazur said, “and you know, we have to adapt to the new changes.”

Stumbata@miamioh.edu

5

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Miami University’s new health building will provide hands-on learning across disciplines ALICE MOMANY

CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR

SEAN SCOTT

CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR Kaylin Loncar is used to being in the basement.

Each semester, the sophomore speech pathology and audiology major has at least one class in a windowless room on the lowest floor of Bachelor Hall, home of Miami University’s speech pathology and audiology department.

“It’s just all the way at the bottom,” Loncar said. “It’s very dark, very gloomy. We never have windows.”

Not that it’s not nice, she said, you could have a worse classroom. But she’s ready for a change of scenery, and maybe some natural light.

Luckily, next year, both the department and the Speech and Hearing Clinic will move above ground and across campus to the university’s new Clinical Health and Wellness Building.

A space for collaboration The new building, which sits just south of Nellie Craig Walker Hall near the Rec, will bring together Miami’s clinical and academic health departments and services.

In addition to the speech pathology department and clinic, the new building will be the new home for Miami’s Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) program and its new Master of Medical Science Physician Associate (PA) Studies program launching next year. Miami’s clinical health departments, including Student Health Services (SHS) and the Student Counseling Service (SCS), will also move to the building next fall, as well as the Office of Student Wellness.

Steve Large, Miami’s assistant vice president for Student Life Health and Wellness, is excited about the prospect of clinical and academic branches working together. “[The building] will hopefully provide some opportunity for partnership and programming,” Large said.

“And particularly, I wonder about how the students within those academic departments might make use of the services themselves … Those are some pretty demanding fields of study, and I imagine those students could experience stress or might have a need to engage in the services themselves.”

The building is designed as three separate wings connected by a central

“ribbon,” Large said. The ribbon connects the academic, clinical and office wings together and offers natural light and a shared space for everyone.

“The building is all about collaboration, and the design of the building reflects that,” Large said. “The whole point is for people and disciplines to encounter each other.”

Speech pathology and audiology program moves out of the basement Speech pathology and audiology majors already have plenty of experience encountering the Speech and Hearing Clinic. In the basement of Bachelor, Loncar said they have to go through the clinic to get to the bathroom, and she can hear kids through the walls having speech therapy sessions during class.

“I kind of like it because I can always hear speech therapy stuff going on,” Loncar said. “I’ll hear kids talking which is kind of cool, but it’s kind of hard when you’re in class [trying] to focus and you hear a kid in the hallway.”

The new building will put some space between the classrooms and the clinic, and Loncar is hoping for more room within the clinic itself as well. Right now space is tight, and she has to compete with parents and other students to get her 24 hours of speech therapy observation in before graduation.

Maddie Webber, a sophomore speech pathology and audiology and pre-med double major, is hoping the new building will be more accessible for the clinic’s patients.

“Our sound booths, they’re very small,” Webber said. “If we did have a patient in a wheelchair, we wouldn’t really be able to get them inside the booth all the way … My biggest hope for the new building is at least one bigger booth so that we can be accommodating.”

Interim Department Chair Donna Scarborough said the department has been involved with the building’s planning from the beginning. The clinic is moving to the third floor, she said, and will have more space to offer additional services.

While both the speech pathology department and clinic are next to each other already, Scarborough said she’s excited to work with other academic departments in the new space.

“I’m hopeful … that we will be able to have some more spontaneous collaboration than we do right now,” Scarborough said. “Right now, everything has to be planned and exact, like every collaboration that we have

THE NEW BUILDING WILL BE HOME TO THREE ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS, THREE HEALTH SERVICES AND THE OFFICE OF STUDENT WELLNESS. PHOTO BY JAKE RUFFER

… but by being in the same space or shared space. I’m hoping that we can grow in ways that we don’t even know yet.”

Nursing program gets consolidated The university’s nursing program will also be relocating into the new building.

The program, which was re-established on the Oxford campus in 2018, is outgrowing its space in Pearson Hall. Stephanie Nicely, interim chair of the nursing department, said the Oxford campus received over 2,000 nursing applications for the fall 2023 semester.

“When we started the Oxford cohort, we were admitting 80 students,” Nicely said. “We upped that this last academic year and ended up with like 125 [students], and this upcoming academic year, our target is between 140 and 144 [students].”

In Pearson, students have access to a fully operational nursing resource center, which is a replicated patient room with hospital beds and IV equipment, and two simulation centers, which imitate nursing care settings. Those resources will move to the new Clinical Health and Wellness Building with the addition of five more simulation labs, an anatomy lab, a cadaver lab and an innovation lab, where students can learn from live-streamed surgeries at hospitals off-campus.

Jenna Parry, a junior nursing student at the Oxford campus, was excited when she found out about the new building.

“I think it’s going to be nice to have our space consolidated and have a space to ourselves because we’re so spread around campus right now,” Parry said.

Although Parry has had labs in Pearson, she has also had classes in Boyd Hall, Laws Hall and other miscellaneous buildings on campus. Parry said the two simulation classrooms aren’t practical for the department’s size, and she hopes the new space will help the program continue to expand.

“My cohort accepted 80 [students], and it grows each year,” Parry said. “I think having more space will allow for more students and growth overall.”

Physician associate program is introduced A new academic program is coming along with the new building: Miami’s 27-month PA program.

Dr. David DeLaet, a Miami alumnus and assistant medical director for the new program, said they’re welcoming an initial cohort of 20 students this summer. Unlike the other academic programs that the building will house, the PA program will call the Clinical Health and Wellness Building its first home.

“To have a physical space like this, the Clinical Health and Well-

ness Center that we’re going to have is quite unique … Our students will be able to not only be in the classroom and have a number of laboratories, to work on technical skills, but also diagnostic skills,” DeLaet said.

Among the resources for students will be Anatomage tables which let students virtually explore three-dimensional renderings of bodies rather than working on cadavers. The building will also have labs that simulate hands-on clinical experiences and places to practice skills like suturing and collecting blood samples.

PA students won’t, however, be providing care in the clinical areas of the building, which DeLaet said would be a conflict of interest. They will, however, have plenty of opportunities to work with students in the other academic programs. “[The shared space] certainly will afford us the opportunity for our students … to learn ways in which we can collaborate across the departments, to one, not only enhance academic learning, but two, demonstrate to the students the collaborative spirit of working in healthcare,” DeLaet said.

The building will open in May with the PA program moving in soon after. All other programs will follow

by August. momanyaj@miamioh.edu scottsr2@miamioh.edu

Miami has a budget Student gambling: Growth in the light and dark problem: what does

GRAPHIC BY LUKE MACY

CONTINUED FROM FRONT sports communication and media major said all it takes to get in on underground betting is an entry fee.

“Basically, you just need to know someone or have a friend that knows someone that has a server or site,” the junior said. “Obviously, it’s not ideal.

Sometimes there’s situations where you could be on a bad book where you don’t get to put your money in or don’t get your money back quickly.”

The 20-year-old junior started sports betting three years ago while in high school. But he’s not the longest-tenured bettor he knows.

“I know a guy that’s been gambling since he was 13,” he said, “which is just ridiculous, obviously.”

This long-term betting does not come without its worrying points. According to the Mayo Clinic, “gambling can stimulate the brain’s reward system much like drugs or alcohol can, leading to addiction.”

Addiction can sneak up on bettors without warning. The simple joy of cashing a bet can become something they yearn for. The serotonin release that comes from successfully hitting a bet, big or small, is the hook connected to the habit.

“That’s the problem with gambling,” the junior said. “We get addicted to the feeling of that kind of a win, and you just bet on table tennis or esports or anything because you just want to try to have a win.”

This bettor combats addiction by taking breaks that last weeks or months at a time. Having this self-control has allowed him to continue betting. But he doesn’t recommend sports betting to anyone look-

ing to pick it up.

“Don’t,” he said. “That’s what I tell people. Only 1% truly win.”

The data behind sports betting The idea of sitting down to watch a game you have money on is invigorating to some, but casinos and bookmakers ultimately control the numbers with revenue in mind.

The first return comes from the vigorish or vig. This is the fee that betting companies take off the top from every wager placed for using their platform. The vig varies from bet to bet because of the odds put in place.

With this vig, a bettor has to win more than 50% of their bets to truly break even.

Robert Davis, an associate professor in the statistics department and a member of the Institute for Responsible Gaming, Lotteries, and Sport, understands the vig and how bettors have to overcome it.

“Basically, you’ve got to be able to bet at a 55% win rate to make up for the point that they scoop off the top as soon as you make the bet,” Davis said. “Of the dollar that you bet, 90 cents could be being bet and the other 10 cents is going to the bookmaker.”

Betting isn’t a straightforward number game because bookmakers give themselves space for their gain.

The spread, or set amount a team is predicted to win by for a given game, is not guaranteed, it is the most likely outcome. The spread is set to try to split voters down the middle. If this plan prevails, the bookmaker will get the money from the losing side, along with the vig from the winners.

“If they can get 50/50 on each side

of the line, then the losers are going to pay off the winners plus they’re going to skim their part off the top, and that’s why the spreads will move,” Davis said.

Moving the spread allows bookmakers to see where the middle of the betting public is. The spread can change anytime before the game in question. This allows people to change their minds or bet when they didn’t want to before.

“That’s why you’ll see Cincinnati is favored by seven, but then too much money comes in on the underdog,” Davis said. “And then I’ll move the points down to six.”

A different kind of betting The Newgate Arena Poker Club is the home of self-determination betting in Oxford. The business is classified as a poker club, which differs from a casino by excluding the “house” from playing. This makes the games fully player-decided.

One anonymous sophomore digital commerce major said the club has a full table every night.

“There’s easily 10 people a night, which is a full table,” the sophomore said. “It’s pretty much all regulars.

I’d say 75% Miami students and 25% locals.”

The digital commerce major sees poker as more than just a game. Newgate allows him to enjoy the pastime around a table while gaining something for himself, he said.

“I’ve made more money playing poker than I’ve made doing anything else ever in my life,” the sophomore said. “If you always play a certain way, then you will generally be profitable.”

The specific playing style that he is talking about is related to game theory optimal (GTO). GTO is a specific strategic playing style that focuses on the expected outcome of games and options related to risk. GTO does not take the psychological factor of poker into account.

This style is not counting cards.

It is simply when to and when not to play your cards or bet higher.

“The problem most players have is just discipline,” the sophomore said. “Really you control every single dollar that you can win or lose.” turmankd@miamioh.edu

that mean?

CONTINUED FROM FRONT Miami was $800,” Creamer said. “This fall for the incoming class, over $17,400.”

This year, Ohio’s legislation is discussing its allocation of funds to universities. Creamer isn’t hopeful the state will provide more funding.

“The strategic planning at the state has been pretty absent,” Creamer said. “This is the year that we do the budget … I expect it’s going to be a tough year.”

The university’s solution In the short-term, Creamer said Miami will pull funds from its reserves. This upcoming fiscal year, the provost plans to pull $16 million, but in the next few years, Creamer has estimated the provost may need to pull another $25 million from the reserves.

“It’s really important that we see that return in revenue because right now we’re overspending,” Mullenix said.

Concerns were also raised about Miami hiring more professors to help with increases in healthcare and emerging technologies programs. Professors worried the increase in pay for those professors would continue to offset the budget.

Mullenix said some increases have already been taken into ac-

count. She also said she would look over which programs need to be sunset, or eliminated, to help balance the budget.

Creamer emphasized Mullenix’s role in Miami’s financial decisions.

“The provost has got the difficult job now of seeing if the goals that were set were achieved now,” Creamer said.

In an email to The Miami Student, Creamer also said some of these problems would go away as soon as the two pandemic classes (Class of 2023 and 2024) graduate and new classes enroll at Miami.

Creamer wrote that during the pandemic, the two remaining pandemic-era classes were given more university scholarships to assist students and their families.

“The current budget plan assumes this will be sufficient to avoid the need for future budget cuts,” Creamer wrote. “Obviously, the budget plan will be updated each year to reflect the actual budget situation.”

The full presentation can be obtained from the Office of the Provost. @abby_bammerlin bammeraj@miamioh.edu @lukejmacy macylj@miamioh.edu

PROVOST LIZ MULLENIX AND TREASURER DAVID CREAMER PRESENT MIAMI WITH A REVIEW OF ITS FINANCES AT THE BUDGET SYMPOSIUM. PHOTO BY LUKE MACY

6

entertainment Rihanna returns to the stage at Superbowl LVII THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

KAITLIN MCDOWELL THE MIAMI STUDENT

On Feb. 12, Rihanna truly was the only girl in the world.

After a seven year hiatus from music, the singer returned to the stage to perform at the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show, the first to be sponsored by Apple Music instead of Pepsi, where she pulled out all the stops.

Rihanna’s absence from live performances has given her plenty of time for other ventures, such as her Fenty beauty line, which she slyly referenced during her performance.

One of her backup dancers handed her a Fenty makeup INVISIMATTE setting powder to touch up her face during her performance; Rihanna is a business woman first and performer second.

Another title she has taken on in the past seven years is mother, giving birth to her first child in May 2022 with partner A$AP Rocky. Not only was it impressive for Rihanna to give this large-scale performance only 8 months after giving birth, but the

queen herself did it while pregnant for the second time, which a representative from Rihanna’s team confirmed minutes after she stepped off the stage.

As much as the world missed Rihanna and needed this performance, her second pregnancy hints at the fact that she will not be returning with new music just yet. Nonetheless, it was a gift to see her on the stage again.

Rihanna began her set with the hit, “Bitch Better Have My Money,” as she floated down on a platform suspended in the air wearing a red jumpsuit. This singer was surrounded by backup dancers that had a strong resemblance to the Michelin tire man with their white large jumpsuits. The singer then sang “Where Have You Been,” which felt very fitting, as this is all that fans have been wondering of her for the past seven years.

She then continued to sing fan favorites, “Only Girl (In the World),” “We Found Love,” “Rude Boy,” and “Work,” among a few others. Rihanna has had more than 60 songs chart on the Billboard Hot 100, so this set

list must have been daunting to compose. She admitted that she revised the setlist 39 times.

Because Rihanna’s songs themselves are so widely loved and well known, she didn’t need any special effects or special guests to make this performance memorable. Her backup dancers did most of the choreography as she strutted back and forth on the stage (remember, she’s pregnant).

The stage was lit with strobe lights, but the most notable part of her performance was the finale. Rihanna floated to the middle of the stadium, solo. Standing alone on this platform in the air, the lights dimmed, Rihanna

GRAPHIC BY REECE HOLLOWELL

sang, “Diamonds.”

With the phone flashlights of those in the audience surrounding her, Robyn Rihanna Fenty truly was a diamond in the sky.

This performance by the artist and beauty mogul was everything fans

wanted and more, and one can only hope there won’t be another seven year hiatus before we see Rihanna again. mcdowekr@miamioh.edu

Netflix’s account sharing changes threaten to leave students behind

REECE HOLLOWELL

ASST. ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR It feels like the streaming bubble gets closer to bursting every day.

The past year has seen numerous controversies in the world of streaming entertainment; subscription price increases, removal of original content, even the cancelation of near-complete projects. And while almost all of the major streaming services have rising subscriber counts, the long-term viability of the industry seems fraught at best.

This became especially apparent when, on Feb. 1, Netflix’s United States FAQ page was updated to reveal significant changes to how users

that having to return home to continue using a family account would be impractical at best and impossible at worst.

Deirdre Jost, a senior mathematics major at Miami University, was initially taken aback by the news.

“It kind of just astonishes me that in this day and age such a big company can be so stupid,” Jost said.

“People are paying for a number of screens, so you should be able to watch that number of screens.”

Owen Callesen, a senior history and media & communiGRAPHIC BY SOREN MELBYE cations double major, believes the changes would be able to share their account.

Under the new system, accounts make more sense when viewed within would be tied to a primary location, Netflix’s business strategies.

“I was confused for a second, and and using Netflix on a device not connected there would begin a 30 day then it all made complete sense when timer that would lock users out of the I remembered that they released a account if it runs out. To avoid this, [cheaper] version with advertising,” users would need to log in to the ac- Callesen said. “They know that all count on that device at that primary those college students that can’t pay location within the 30 day window, [for] their own account are going to go to the [cheaper] version with the starting the timer over again.

There was, to put it mildly, a reac- advertising, and that probably means they make more money via the advertion to this news.

People flooded social media sites tising way.”

Netflix launched its “Basic with with outrage and concerns over these changes, which many saw as a brazen ads” plan back in November 2022 at attempt to increase Netflix’s subscrib- $6.99 per month, which is essentially er numbers. Especially vocal were the same as the “Basic” plan ($9.99 college students, who recognized per month) but features advertising

breaks during programming and does not include everything on the service.

Callesen believes these proposed changes are entirely profit driven.

“Clearly it’s a money-motivated decision because it pissed off a lot of fans,” Callesen said. “It couldn’t have been to keep the audience happy. It was just kind of frustrating and annoying that a company that knows they have such a strong fanbase would do something to piss off that fanbase.”

The speed and ferocity of the backlash to Netflix’s changes were immediately apparent. The day after the information was posted to its U.S. website, the company removed it and released a statement claiming it had been added on accident.

“For a brief time Tuesday, a Help Center article containing information that is only applicable to Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru went live in other countries,” read the statement. “We have since updated it.”

Despite the company’s insistence that the information had been erroneously released, many, including Jost, questioned if it was instead a reaction to the public outcry.

“I think they leaked it just to see how people would react, and then realized people didn’t like it and took it back and tried to cover their asses,” Jost said. “I think that was pretty purposeful.”

Netflix’s stated purpose with its changes to account sharing is to create a more secure platform for its customers, a sentiment Callesen finds disingenuous.

“Maybe there is a degree of truth to that, and they do genuinely just want their accounts to be more se-

cure,” Callesen said. “But I feel like there has to be a better way of achieving security without displacing so many people that watch it.”

While Netflix seems to have at least paused its rollout of changes in the U.S., it has continued to expand them to other countries, beginning the crackdown on account sharing in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain on Feb. 8.

Through these countries, there have been glimpses at how the company plans to handle people who may not live at an account’s primary location — though even those solutions aren’t ideal either.

Subscribers can pay an additional fee to add up to two people to an account who may not live at its home base. Based on conversions from other countries, this could cost around $10 for two profiles.

For students like Jost and Callesen, both of whom have two siblings, this would still be a problem.

“It’s unfortunate that it’s still behind a paywall, but adding that other account, at least for the families where only two households are using it, that works,” Callesen said. “But otherwise it seems like just a BandAid on a wound that needs surgery.”

Whenever Netflix inevitably brings account sharing limits to the U.S., it will need to decide: is it most obligated to its customers or to the money they provide? @HollowCentral hollowrr@miamioh.edu

‘Reservation Dogs’ creator talks diversity and low-budget filmmaking LUKE MACY

ASST. CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EDITOR “It’s the best show on streaming right now.”

At least, that’s what Joe Sampson, senior clinical lecturer of journalism, said about “Reservation Dogs” right before its creator, Sterlin Harjo, graced Miami University’s Williams Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 8.

Many Miamians seemed to agree, squeezing into the Rick Ludwin studio in Williams during the afternoon and Hall Auditorium at night to hear Harjo talk.

“I actually skipped my psychology class to come here,” said Hackett Rascher, a sophomore English literature and film studies major.

The event was big, mainly because of the success of “Reservation Dogs.”

The FX on Hulu show, which is about to start production on its third season, has won multiple awards, including two American Film Institute awards for TV Program of the Year, a Film Independent Spirit Award for Best New Scripted Series and a Peabody Award.

“Reservation Dogs” follows four teens, all played by Native American actors, as they navigate life on an Oklahoma reservation.

The series was created by Harjo, who also grew up in Oklahoma on a reservation, and is produced by his friend Taika Waititi. Harjo gets to work with some of his other friends, too, including some of the members of his comedy troupe, The 1491s.

Before Harjo started working on “Reservation Dogs,” he went to film school at the University of Oklahoma, after he couldn’t keep the grades for art school. After college, he made his own low-budget films in Oklahoma, which he would often premiere at film festivals.

During his talk, Harjo gave advice to students making low-budget films.

“Don’t try to make it look like a big budget film,” Harjo said. “Embrace your budget, lean into it. There’s things that you can do with a low budget that they can’t do with a big budget.”

Harjo also advised that students don’t only aim to become directors, talking about the many roles needed to create a film.

“Being a director’s important, but there’s so much more,” Harjo said.

“You can have a whole career being the person that pumps gas for the production vehicles. There’s so much to do.”

Some film students, like Rascher, were grateful for Harjo’s advice and insight into making films.

“All the things he said, just to hear that from a professional, is really encouraging,” Rascher said. “Whenever I hear any sort of director, someone in that position, they give me more hope that it’s a possibility for anybody.”

Harjo also discussed the role of race in films, especially in the context of Native Americans.

Harjo, who is part Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, writes Native American comedy for his comedy

troupe and “Reservation Dogs,” which he says is different from other types of comedy. However, this doesn’t always translate well with non-Native audiences.

“We have to give them permission to laugh with us,” Harjo said.

“People hold Indians in a very precious place … There’s a bit of guilt; there’s a bit of a guard.”

In his discussion of race, STERLIN HARJO VISITED WILLIAMS HALL TO TALK ABOUT LOW-BUDGET FILMMAKING AND DIVERSITY IN TV. Harjo also called PHOTO BY JAKE RUFFER out traditions in film that have restricted the event. ings.

Native Americans.

“It was really important for me “Don’t blink, because we get mov“It’s ridiculous that we haven’t to meet somebody of Sterlin Harjo’s ing pretty quick,” Harjo said. “Stuff had better roles,” Harjo said. “Native background to see not just only where gets darker. It’s not hopeless, but people have been a part of cinema they came from … but also how that’s there’s some darker stuff.” since the beginning, and we’ve only influenced their life and their work,” Season 3 is expected to release been zombies for the most part, like Smith said. sometime in 2023. in westerns, sort of faceless monsters Harjo didn’t leave Miami without that are in the way of westward ex- giving his audience a gift. During his @lukejmacy pansion.” visit, he shared some details about the macylj@miamioh.edu Francis Smith, a senior in the upcoming season 3 of “Reservation Myaamia Heritage Award Program Dogs,” which he said will include a majoring in computer science, said black-and-white origin episode about Harjo’s Native American background one of the show’s mythological bewas a major factor in their attending

FOOD

7 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Are you sure you should eat that?

The truth about diet culture CATHERINE HERCULES THE MIAMI STUDENT

“You have an eating disorder” is the first thing I heard from my therapist after I explained my relationship with food and my body. I never thought I would be the kind of person to suffer from an eating disorder, considering I was “the chubby kid” growing up. What had once been a love for food and confidence in myself slowly became a nightmarish hatred that festered into starvation as I became an adult.

From the time we start kindergarten, we receive messages about when we should exercise, what we should eat and how our bodies should look. It begins in gym class, with physical education teachers grading us based on how fast we run the mile. We watch documentaries about the dangers of sugar and learn how to read food labels. We weigh ourselves and take

body fat composition tests to make sure our physical bodies are healthy.

I remember when I was in seventh grade and was in the lunchroom eating with my friends. We were talking about the recent math test, how stupid our social studies project was and what Samantha was planning on doing for her birthday the following month.

I noticed my P.E. teacher looking at me, and when we made eye contact, she walked over and kneeled down next to my seat. She softly said in my ear, “Are you sure you should eat that?”

I glanced down at my lunchbox and saw the Twinkie my mom had packed for me.

I was no stranger to comments about what I looked like or what I ate.

I can recall the boy in fourth grade that called me a pig and the girl in fifth grade who, when she failed to push me, said I was as heavy as an elephant. I think anyone who grew

Missing my late-night coffees

up in a larger body still remembers moments like this, and although I am now 20 years old, I can still see their faces when I picture those memories.

These kinds of things stick with you for a lifetime.

Starting college, I often asked myself, “Are you sure you should eat that?” This spiraled into excessive exercise, extreme restriction and poor body image. I destroyed my body by starving myself of self-care to feed the diet mentality I had religiously followed.

While I didn’t want to admit I had an eating disorder, I knew that I was doing something wrong.

I started eating disorder treatment while home over winter break.

At first, I resisted recovery. In a sick and twisted way, I had grown to love my eating disorder and everything it had given me. I viewed my anorexia as a method of control when it was actually taking every ounce of freedom away from me.

But like with any toxic relationship, the breakup is harrowing. Relearning how to perceive yourself takes time and a lot of practice. I had to learn the truth about diet culture.

Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, the creators of a flexible style of eating that follows hunger cues called intuitive eating, explain that dieting increases your risk for weight gain and increases the risk of eating disorders.

In fact, they say, “When the dieting mentality is engaged, your eating decisions are dictated by the diet rules … which can trigger feelings of deprivation.” These feelings of deprivation lead to binges and feelings of failure and, at the end of the day, make it challenging to lose weight, which is the goal of most people who begin dieting.

The truth is, the idea of “a healthy weight” is not supported by science.

According to a UCLA study, 47% of Americans categorized as “overweight” according to their BMI were

physically healthy. Despite what diet culture tells us about how much we should weigh and what our bodies should look like, this is not an indicator of how healthy you are.

The way diets label food as “good” or “bad” creates the perception in our minds that we can’t eat certain things, when in fact there is space for all types of nutrition. All that diet culture perpetuates is a damaging relationship with our bodies and the vilification of foods.

In order to live a life filled with joy and contentment with our bodies, we have to reject the diet mentality and uproot the vicious diet culture in our society. While I’m not yet recovered from my eating disorder, I know that I will do my best to never fall into a diet again — because when someone asks me, “Are you sure you should eat that?” my answer will be: “Hell yes.” herculcc@miamioh.edu

Eating your own way: Manners as a social construct

FOOD EDITOR AMES RADWAN (PICTURED ABOVE IN 2004) HAS ALWAYS BEEN A MESSY EATER! PHOTO PROVIDED BY AMES RADWAN

AMES RADWAN FOOD EDITOR

DURING THE WEEK, THE STARBUCKS LOCATION ON HIGH STREET UPTOWN OPENS AT 5:30 A.M. AND CLOSES AT 8 P.M. PHOTO BY TEDDY JOHNSON

DEIRDRE JOST

GUEST COLUMNIST About once a week, I find myself thinking that if there’s anywhere a 24-hour Starbucks should exist, it’s a college campus.

I can’t be the only student out there who’s ever wanted a latte at 3 a.m. or a place that isn’t my apartment to pull an all-nighter. Despite that, though, it seems as though every coffee shop, restaurant, and campus building is closed by 8 p.m.

Maybe it’s because Oxford is approximately 10,000 miles away from the closest civilization or because it’s too difficult to get staff that’ll accept low pay. Either way, about once a week, I find myself in desperate need of a late night snack or a 2 a.m. coffee, with nowhere to go.

Look, I understand that nobody wants to work a 10 p.m.-6 a.m. shift.

But why, in a college town, does everything seem to shut down so early? Take Starbucks, for example: I’ve been to Starbucks locations that close at 9 p.m., 9:30 p.m. or even 10 p.m., but the off-campus location on High Street is closed by 8 p.m., as are the other three Starbucks locations in Oxford. I can’t be the only Miami student with a less-thanperfect sleep schedule, who wakes up late enough that dinner before 8 p.m. would be classified as lunch.

I’m not asking every restaurant in town to be open for 24 hours every day, but it certainly seems like there’s some missed profit in the late-night crowd.

The biggest culprit here is, of course, Miami University itself. I still fondly remember my freshman

year, when King Library was open to study 24 hours, with fully stocked vending machines and a free-to-use microwave. Today, there are still vending machines, but the library closes at 1 a.m., and its beloved basement café even earlier, at 5 p.m.

Dining halls have a longer period of closure time, too. At first glance, they close at 8 p.m. — the same time they always have — but a closer examination of dining hall hours shows that dinner now starts at 5 p.m. It started at 4:30 p.m. last semester, and earlier in semesters before.

Even Armstrong closes its doors at midnight now, when it used to be at 2 a.m. my freshman year, and stops serving food even earlier. We were told years ago that the reduced hours were a temporary change during quarantine, but the temporary change has become all too permanent. For a college that wants its students doing anything but drinking, it sure doesn’t encourage any other activities on-campus late at night.

Maybe it’s still the lasting effects of COVID. Maybe people have just realized that it’s not worth paying the staff to stay later for the few late-nighters who will come in.

Either way, it’s certainly an inconvenience to me when midterms roll around and I find myself wanting a coffee and a table at 2 a.m.

Oxford has some amazing places to eat — but most of them aren’t open when I really need it. jostdb@miamioh.edu

In elementary school, like any kid, I always looked forward to getting home on Friday nights. Unlike the other kids, though, I wasn’t just excited for the weekend — I was excited for my dad to get home from work on Friday.

You see, his office would supply Panera goodies — bagels, pastries and the like — for the entire department on Friday mornings. And if there were any left over at the end of the day, my dad would always wrap one specific treat in a brown paper napkin and transport it an hour home just for me: a chocolate chip Muffie.

For those of you who have never had a Muffie, they’re literally just muffin tops, but they are SO good.

My dad arriving home with one on Friday night always boded for a great Saturday morning for me, because I’d get to sit at the kitchen counter and eat it for breakfast.

After a while, though, I stopped eating Muffies. This was partially because my dad’s office stopped supplying them, but also partially because the way I liked to eat them wasn’t considered polite, proper or neat.

Most people just bite into a muffin, but I always liked to get my fingers in there. I’d rip the Muffies into tiny shreds, eating the fluffy golden bready parts while picking out each individual chocolate chip and setting them off to the side. Then, at the end, when the muffin part was all gone, I’d take the pile of chocolate chips, squish them into a lump, and eat them all at once.

In my defense, I was a kid — but why should I need a defense at all? It was fun, I was enjoying the food even more than I would have if I’d just been taking big bites, it kept me from being a pain underfoot and it wasn’t hurting anyone. If manners were the concern, why? I was eating in the comfort of my own home.

I’ve always been a bit of a strange eater. My bites are either tiny or gigantic. I prefer to rip bread products, such as sandwiches or Muffies, apart instead of biting straight into them.

Neat eating was not a concept in my vocabulary for pretty much all of childhood — my parents used to wonder aloud at the dinner table how I’d ever get a date if I ever ate like “that” in public, getting pasta sauce all over the table. To this day, I feel a rush of embarrassment every time my place setting is the messiest of everyone’s after a good meal.

And don’t get me wrong — I certainly understand the need for some manners. Chewing with your mouth closed, for instance? If it is literally affecting everyone around you, then all right, maybe you should try to be polite to your fellow diners.

But then again, remember that your culture may be different from someone else’s. In some cultures, chewing with your mouth open or slurping your soup may be considered polite or complimentary to the chef.

Everyone eats differently. That’s the whole point of eating — it’s like life itself. If everyone lived life the exact same way, it would be pretty boring, wouldn’t it? And if everyone ate food the exact same way — or, god forbid, ate the same food — wouldn’t food lose most if not all of the joy it brings to millions and millions of people worldwide?

So let people eat the way they want, as long as it’s not hurting others.

I don’t do it, personally, but let people eat pizza with a fork and knife if they want to.

Let me rip apart my grilled cheeses (crust first, of course, leaving the gooey inside for last). Let me eat the corners off of my chocolate squares before I tackle the middle. Let me pick the chocolate chips out of my muffins.

This past weekend, I had a chocolate chip muffin for the first time in

a very long time. In recent years, I’ve tended to avoid them to avoid wanting to eat them in my favored “impolite” manner.

This muffin was my only breakfast option, however, so I took it and I ate it and I enjoyed it.

I did rip it into small pieces instead of biting into it — I don’t know why, but biting into muffins still gives me the heebie-jeebies. But I managed to not pick out any of the chocolate chips, to at least avoid that, since I was in public.

At the end, though, there was one lone chocolate chip left in the wrapper when I finished. It had fallen out of its own accord. And as I picked it up and popped it into my mouth, met with the lone sweetness instead of the breadier, slightly more savory flavor that the actual muffin part of a muffin tends to bring, I was reminded of those Saturday mornings of my childhood.

Those Saturday mornings when picking out my chocolate chips was just a fun kid activity, and I didn’t have to worry about manners or being polite or what other people would think of me if I got chocolate all over my fingers.

In college, food can become a thing you need rather than a thing you want. I know I’ve had days when I make myself eat because I know I’ll forget otherwise. Where is the fun in eating nowadays? Where is our childlike enjoyment in our mealtimes?

So let’s bring the fun back into food again. radwanat@miamioh.edu

sports

8

“My biggest fear became my biggest blessing”: Peyton Scott’s road back from injury CONTINUED FROM FRONT Second Team All-MAC honors again, averaging 19.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg and 3.7 apg. This year hasn’t been easy. Scott didn’t play above thirty minutes until the team’s 10th game of the season against Northern Kentucky University. But still, it has been an impressive season from the RedHawk star.

After the injury, Scott said that she was down about it for a few weeks, but quickly got back on her grind.

“Luckily I got my surgery a couple of weeks after it happened,” Scott said. “As soon as I could, I started to really work it. Getting in to PT five times a week, getting work outs in, getting back on the court, even if it’s just doing chair ball handling. I was doing form shooting forever.”

It hasn’t been easy, but Scott is grateful for the experience.

“It became a blessing for me,” Scott said. “Just with how my career has gone here, you talk about the accolades, the numbers. Whether you want to admit it or not, you start taking things for granted. Practices, games. Throughout my process I really just honed in on being grateful, the first time I could pedal a bike again, when I could go run for the first time, the first time I could bend my knee past 100 degrees. My biggest fear turned into my biggest blessing.”

Hendrix knew it wasn’t going to be easy on Scott. But she knew Scott would prevail.

“I think we went through all the stages of grieving as a staff,” Hendrix said. “But we also knew who she is.

We knew she was going to come back better than she left. It took us a couple of weeks to get there, but we got back to focus pretty quickly.”

Scott retook the court just seven months after tearing her ACL. For most people, it takes nine.

“People will say it was surprising I came back so soon,” Scott said. “But I’m like, ‘you should have expected it.’ That was what my mindset was.

That’s what I expected. I was OK telling people I was going to be back sooner than expected.”

Since returning, Scott has been about as explosive as ever. For her, the goal for the rest of this season is clear. The MAC tournament, which is held every year in Cleveland for the league’s top eight regular season teams to determine a champion.

“We want to get to Cleveland by any means necessary,” Scott said.

“I’ve been here for four years, and we have yet to get there. It’s less about the stats, less about the accolades.

We want to get to that tournament.

We know that once we get there it’s a

whole new ballgame.”

The good news for Miami basketball and anyone who follows it: Scott isn’t done after this year.

“I’m planning on coming back to Miami,” Scott said. “Going into next year I’m planning to get 10 credit hours both semesters and graduate with my bachelor’s and master’s.”

Scott has made it clear that she isn’t focused on personal accolades.

But she has a great chance to become Miami’s all time scoring leader at some point next season. Sitting at 1764 points on her career, Scott needs to score 444 in her last 35 games or so to break the record. She’s scored more than that in one season twice in her career.

Scott, a sports leadership and management major, plans to go into coaching one day. But not before she gives the professional ranks a shot.

“I would love to play professionally for a few years, just test the water,” Scott said. “If I’m blessed with the ability to do so, I’d love to see where that takes me.”

According to Hendrix, she’ll be a perfect coach whenever her playing career ends.

“She’s made for it,” Hendrix said.

“She’s made for it. You can see it on the court right now. She’s a coach on the court right now. We watch film a ton, we talk the game a lot. But even more than that, she’s personable, she’s relatable, she has a genuine care for people. I think she’s in it for the right reasons, but she also understands the game at a high level. She can teach the game at a high level.”

Scott says she wants to help others undertaking the journey she’s been on for the past four years.

“I want to come back into college athletics,” Scott said. “I want to give back to the people coming up.

Having first-hand experience and knowing what it’s like from a lot of different lenses, I feel like I have a lot to offer to coming generations. To be able to give back would be awesome.

I’d love that.”

Before that, making the MAC tournament is at the front of Scott’s mind. The top eight teams in the league make it to Cleveland, and right now Miami is tied for eighth, but just one game back of fifth in the standings. With five games left in the regular season, these RedHawks control their destiny.

They hit the court next on Saturday, Feb. 18, at the University at Buffalo. You can catch the game on ESPN+. schmelj2@miamioh.edu

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Another year, another eventful transfer season for Miami football WILL KEHRES

THE MIAMI STUDENT The time has come for the annual transfer portal mayhem across college football.

With the portal allowing players to transfer to new schools without sacrificing a year of eligibility as of April 2021, yearly turnover among college football programs has become commonplace. For the second consecutive year, Miami football will be saying goodbye to several key players and welcoming multiple new faces into the program.

In total, 13 players from Miami’s 2022 roster are either currently in the transfer portal or have already committed to a new school. Some of the most notable losses include two key contributors on the offensive line: Rusty Feth and Caleb Shaffer.

Feth will be playing for the University of Iowa after starting at center for the RedHawks in each of the past two seasons. He announced his commitment via Twitter on Jan. 29.

Shaffer is heading to the University of Oklahoma, which he announced in a Twitter post on Jan. 5. He was also a multi-year starter for Miami, missing only one game over the past two seasons.

The RedHawks will be losing Tyre Shelton as well, who will be transferring to Louisiana Tech. Shelton was the team’s third-leading rusher in 2022, collecting 85 carries for 321 yards and 3 touchdowns across 13

games.

On defense, Miami’s most notable loss is John Saunders. Saunders is joining the Ole Miss Rebels next season after becoming a significant contributor in Miami’s secondary. In 21 total games over two seasons with the ‘Hawks, he collected five interceptions and 19 passes defended.

According to On3.com, Miami football will also be welcoming several new players for next season, all playing on the offensive side of the ball.

Rashad Amos spent the last three seasons with the South Carolina Gamecocks, mostly serving as a reserve. He has appeared in 13 total games and collected 106 rushing yards on 20 carries, gathering 18 of those carries for 99 yards as a firstyear. Amos will be looking for an increased role as a member of the RedHawks backfield.

Kopp is one of many players to flee the University of Colorado this year, after Coach Deion Sanders joined the program, bringing many of his players from Jackson State along with him and attracting numerous highly-rated recruits. Miami will be Kopp’s third school in three years after redshirting during his first season at the University of Houston. He played in one game last season with the Buffaloes, throwing for 123 yards and one touchdown against the University of Utah.

Gage Larvadain spent the last two years at Southeastern Louisiana University, an FCS school that plays in the Southland Conference. He was

Departures (position and commitment in parentheses): Position glossary: WR = Wide Receiver, OL = Offensive Lineman, CB = Cornerback, S = Safety, RB = Running Back, QB = Quarterback

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Jeremiah Batiste (WR, Uncommitted) Angelo Butts (WR, Uncommitted) Devon Dorsey (WR, Uncommitted) Rusty Feth (OL, University of Iowa) Ja’Von Kimpson (CB, Uncommitted) Tre’Von Morgan (WR, Uncommitted) Ryan O’Hair (OL, Robert Morris) Deavion Pierce (S, Robert Morris) Austin Robinson (WR, Uncommitted) John Saunders (CB, Ole Miss) Caleb Shaffer (OL, University of Oklahoma) Tyre Shelton (RB, Louisiana Tech) Darez Snider (RB, Uncommitted)

the school’s leading receiver in the 2022 season, collecting 59 receptions for 731 yards and two touchdowns.

The other addition to the RedHawks receivings corps is Joe Wilkins, who is coming from the University of Notre Dame. He will be entering his sixth and final year of eligibility, having taken a redshirt year and being granted an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19.

Wilkins battled injuries and failed to record a stat this season. In a message posted on his Twitter account, Wilkins explained his desire to join a program where he would receive more playing time in his final year.

Finally, John Young from the University of Kentucky slots in as a replacement on the offensive line for either Feth or Shaffer. According to 247Sports, Young was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and the third-highest ranked player in the state of Kentucky in the 247 composite rankings. However, Young had a limited role at Kentucky, collecting most of his playing time on special teams. In 2022, he also served as Kentucky’s backup left guard while taking some practice snaps at center as well.

With an offense revamped through the transfer portal, the RedHawks will hope to reclaim the MAC title for the first time since 2019 and to earn a fourth consecutive bowl game appearance in 2023. kehreswe@miamioh.edu

Incoming Transfers (position and eligibility in parentheses): • • • • •

Rashad Amos (RB from South Carolina, 2 years remaining) Maddox Kopp (Quarterback from Colorado, 3 years remaining) Gage Larvadain (WR from Southeast Louisiana, 2 years remaining) Joe Wilkins (WR from Notre Dame, 1 year remaining) John Young (OL from Kentucky, 2 years remaining)

National sports news roundup JACK SCHMELZINGER SPORTS EDITOR

It’s been a busy couple of weeks around the sports world. If you’ve been living under a rock since our last print edition, here’s what you missed: Football The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP, as he led Kansas City to a 38-35 win and his second Super Bowl victory.

The NFL head coaching carousel has officially stopped spinning.

The Arizona Cardinals hired former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. The Broncos traded a

2023 first-rounder and a 2024 second-rounder for the rights to sign former Super Bowl winning Head Coach Sean Payton, then signed him.

The Houston Texans hired DeMeco Ryans, former 49ers defensive coordinator to be their third head coach in as many years. The Carolina Panthers hired recently fired Colts Head Coach Frank Reich as their new head coach, and the Colts hired former Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen to replace Reich.

Basketball Lebron James officially became the NBA scoring king on Feb. 7. Lebron scored 38 points against Oklahoma City and surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabar’s former record of 38,387 career points, a record once believed

to be unbreakable.

The Phoenix Suns acquired future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 9, just days after Durant’s former teammate Kyrie Irving was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. In all, Brooklyn received forwards Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and guard Spencer Dinwiddie, plus seven draft picks, including five future first rounders.

Baseball Pitchers and catchers reported to MLB spring training for most teams on Feb. 15, and all teams will have opened camp by Feb. 17. Games start on Feb. 24 with a pair of Cactus league matchups. Opening day for all 30 teams will be March 30.

MLB’s on-field product will look

a little different this year. There will now be a pitch clock, which is meant to shorten games. Teams are now required to have two infielders on each side of second base when a pitch is thrown, and all four infielders have to be on the infield grass, effectively eliminating “the shift.” The bases have been made larger in an effort to increase base stealing. Pitchers are also only allowed to step off the mound twice in one at bat, another rule meant to shorten games.

The 2023 World Baseball Classic opens March 8, as Cuba plays the Netherlands. Defending champion team USA, captained by Mike Trout, opens pool play on March 11, at 9 p.m.

ET. Fox Sports announced that Hall

of Fame former Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter will be a part of its MLB studio coverage for the 2023 season.

Miscellaneous New Mexico State has canceled the remainder of its men’s basketball season after allegations against three current players of sexual misconduct and hazing against a teammate.

The Universities of Texas and Oklahoma will join the Southeastern Conference in 2024, one year before they were originally scheduled to make the move. The Big 12 conference approved the early exit on Feb. 9 schmelj2@miamioh.edu

RedHawk softball goes .500 in season-opening Charlotte Tournament WES PAYNE

THE MIAMI STUDENT Miami University softball began a new season on Friday, Feb. 10, in Charlotte, North Carolina, splitting the four games they were able to play.

After close losses to South Carolina and Charlotte on Friday, the RedHawks rebounded with a close win over East Tennessee State University (ETSU) and a blowout win over Campbell on Saturday. A fifth game scheduled for Sunday against Campbell was canceled due to weather.

With expectations of making it three NCAA Tournament appearances in a row heading into the season, the RedHawks’ season commenced with a Friday doubleheader. First up was South Carolina, a program that struggled in a loaded Southeastern Conference last season.

FRIDAY After a scoreless first inning, Miami entered the scoring column on

a homer to right-center by graduate student catcher Riley Coyne in the top of the second. The runs stalled for both teams until the fourth inning, when Gamecocks sophomore outfielder Marissa Gonzalez hit an RBI double, giving South Carolina two runs and the lead.

The RedHawks tied the game in the top of the fifth inning with a homer off the bat of sophomore outfielder Jenna Golembiewski. Then, an RBI single courtesy of senior infielder Holly Blaska gave Miami the lead once again. South Carolina would take over in the bottom of the fifth inning however, scoring three runs including a steal of home and an RBI double that brought in two batters.

A homer in the top of the sixth inning by junior outfielder Kate Kobayashi made it a one-run game, but the RedHawks ultimately came up short against the Gamecocks.

Miami had no time to dwell on the loss, however, as their game against the tournament host started soon

after. The 49ers started hot. Junior RedHawk pitcher Taylor Turner hit a batter in the first, and then Charlotte’s graduate infielder Kassidy Krupit hit a two-run homer to give the 49ers a 2-0 lead.

The RedHawks put runners on base in the top of the second and third innings, but could not capitalize until the fourth inning, when graduate student infielder Allie Cummins launched a two-run homer to tie the game. The very next pitch, graduate student Adrianna Barlow homered, giving Miami a 3-2 lead.

The bats cooled down after the fourth, however, as Miami managed only one hit for the rest of the game.

A two-run homer in the fifth inning and an RBI single in the sixth were enough to give Charlotte a 5-3 win as the RedHawks fell to 0-2.

SATURDAY Saturday provided a new opportunity for Miami, and the RedHawks jumped on it. Their first opponent was East Tennessee, who had dropped

their first contest of the tournament 8-4 to Campbell.

Miami jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 1st thanks to an RBI double by Cummins. ETSU responded in the 2nd, bringing two runners in on an error to take a 2-1 lead.

A stalemate followed the 2nd inning, with both teams getting runners on base but failing to capitalize. Miami would finally break their drought in the bottom of the 7th, tying the game on an RBI double by Kobayashi.

Coyne followed up with a walk-off RBI single, delivering RedHawks a 3-2 win — their first of the season.

Miami carried its momentum into the second game of the day, a matchup with the Lady Camels of Campbell.

The RedHawks once again took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, with junior infielder Karli Spaid scoring on an error during a Kobayashi stolen base. An Adrianna Barlow homer in the second inning gave Miami a 2-0 lead.

The Lady Camels responded in the third with an RBI single and an

unearned run, tying the game at 2-2.

Miami flipped the game around in the fourth, however, with a two-run homer by Spaid and another homer

by Cummins, good for a 5-2 run.

Miami’s offense continued to shine in the fifth, taking a 6-2 lead on an Holly Blaska RBI double and a 7-2 lead on an RBI single by freshman pinch hitter Reagan Bartholomew.

The RedHawks added to their lead in the sixth with a bases-loaded walk.

Two runners scored on a Lady Camels error, making the score 10-2.

Campbell managed only one more hit in the game, and the RedHawks came away with a 10-2 win, moving to 2-2 on the season. Weather canceled the Sunday slate of games in Charlotte.

The RedHawks continue their season at the Murray State Tournament in Murray, KY, on the weekend of Feb. 24. paynetw@miamioh.edu

9

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Get to know Miami basketball’s Five reasons to be hopeful impressive 2023 recruiting class about the Cincinnati Reds in 2023

JACK SCHMELZINGER SPORTS EDITOR

MIAMI BASKETBALL WILL BRING IN FIVE NEW PLAYERS FOR THE 2023-2024 SEASON GRAPHIC BY MACEY CHAMBERLIN

JACK SCHMELZINGER

can score at all three levels in college.

He didn’t get a ton of attention before this summer, but a strong showWhen Miami University hired ing on the Amateur Athletic Union Travis Steele to be the 28th head (AAU) circuit led him to get six offers coach in program history in March in less than two weeks in late June of 2022, Miami fans were most excit- 2022. In late July, he committed to ed about his recruiting chops. At his Miami. In a press conference earlier last job at Xavier University, Steele this season, Steele said he sees Coobrought in a nationally ranked class per as more of a true shooting guard.

Evan Ipsaro - 5-10 G every year as head coach, including Covington Catholic (KY) two ranked in the top 20. As an asThis is the guy that Steele sees sistant, he helped secure two top 10 nationally-ranked classes. His groups running the point in the future for the featured many 4-star athletes, a type RedHawks. Ipsaro is the “top dog,” for Covington Catholic high school in of player that Miami has never seen.

Steele didn’t sign any four stars Park Hills, Kentucky, a team that has to Miami in the high school class of gone 22-4 this season. They’re ranked 2023, but he signed some seriously number three in the state. Ipsaro is exciting prospects. Here’s a little in- averaging 25.2 points per game (ppg) formation about each of the new guys on the season so far, making 56.9% of his shots from the floor. you’ll be seeing at Millett next year.

Despite those impressive scoring Mekhi Cooper - 6-0 G numbers, Ipsaro is known as an elite Bolingbrook High (IL): Cooper is known as a conscien- passer with a high basketball IQ. He’s tious floor general who can shoot even leading his high school team in from all over the arc. Twitchy athlete rebounding. He’s great at getting to and a vocal leader on defense. Scouts the basket and incredibly dangerous who have kept tabs on him say that his from the mid range. He’s only shootplaymaking has taken huge strides in ing 25% from three this season, and the past year. Steele believes that he he’s still averaging over 25. Read into that how you want.

Reece Potter 7-0 C - Lexington Catholic (KY) It’s pretty fun to think about the prospect of a 7-footer roaming the floor at Millett Hall, especially when you think about the crafty playmakers Steele has coming down the pipe in Cooper and Ipsaro. Potter is leading Lexington Catholic, who is 17-3 and currently ranked the second best team in Kentucky, with 18.0 ppg and 9 rebounds per game (rpg). He’s shooting 55.3% from the field, and he’s even making 32.7% of his three pointers on MIAMI’S NEWEST RECRUITING CLASS. FFROM LEFT TO RIGHT: MEHKI the year.

COOPER, EVAN IPSARO, REECE POTTER, EIAN ELMER, JACKSON SPORTS EDITOR

Listed at 215 pounds, Potter looks surprisingly strong for a 7-foot-tall 18 year old, but he’ll probably need to put on some weight if he really wants to make a difference at the college level.

Eian Elmer - 6-6 F - Robert A. Taft HS (OH) Elmer averaged 8.1 ppg and 7..4 rpg last season. Since committing to Miami, he has been a revelation.

He’s averaging 15.4 ppg on 64.7% shooting. He’s averaging 11.1 rpg, 3.8 blocks and 2.3 steals. He’s even shooting 37.9% from three.

He started the season as maybe the fourth or fifth most exciting guy in this class. It’s not a stretch to say he could be number one right now. Long and athletic with a scoring touch from all three levels, one scouting service said Elmer has “almost unlimited upside.”

Now just imagine he did this in front of a packed crowd at Millett?

Jackson Kotecki - 6-9 F - St Ignatius HS (IL) Kotecki is solid and strong down low on both sides of the floor. He can block shots, and he already looks to have a pretty college-ready frame.

If he’s left open outside, he can nail threes. He’s an impressive athlete at 6-foot-9. He’s dangerous with his back to the basket and he can face it as well. For probably the least hyped prospect of the bunch, Kotecki looks like a player with a seriously high upside.

Miami basketball (8-17, 2-10 Mid-American Conference) isn’t having a great season in 2022-2023. But RedHawk fans should be excited for the future. I know I am. schmelj2@miamioh.edu

To any Cincinnati Reds fans reading, I’m sorry for what you’ve been through in the last ten years.

It’s truly sad that the oldest professional baseball team, an organization with such a storied history, has fallen on such hard times. Especially because those hard times have been largely brought about by an owner unwilling to spend, even to keep his own homegrown talent around. But don’t stop reading! I’m going to try to mix some hope in with the doom and gloom.

The Cincinnati Reds finished the 2022 season tied for the third worst record in Major League Baseball.

Cincinnati was number 23 in MLB for runs scored with 648 and had the 27th best team ERA at 4.86.

So all in all, a pretty awful season.

It’s been a string of awful seasons for Cincinnati. But here’s five reasons to be hopeful in 2023 and beyond!

Reason #1: Hunter Greene The biggest reason to be excited about the 2023 Reds is indisputably Greene.

One of baseball’s most electrifying young pitchers had an impressive rookie campaign in 2022, striking out 10.6 batters per nine innings and walking just 3.1. If he can get the home run ball in check (1.4 homers per nine in 2022), he looks like he could be one of the best pitchers in baseball for years to come. He throws his fastball at an average of 99 miles per hour, which is really just ridiculous for a starter. In his rookie season, he was in the 88th percentile among MLB pitchers for whiff rate.

Look forward to Greene missing bats in 2023 and for years to come.

Reason #2: The farm The Reds have the 13th best farm system in MLB according to The Athletic. The crown jewel of the system is Dominican shortstop Elly De La Cruz, whom veteran MLB prospect correspondent Keith Law says has the highest ceiling in the minors. De La Cruz is projected as an above average hitter and fielder with plus arm and power. He’s a plus plus runner.

He tore up Double A in 2022, hitting 28 homers and swiping 47 bags as a 20 year old. Ridiculous stuff.

Noelvi Marte, another shortstop acquired from the Mariners in the Luis Castillo trade last July, has some of the best raw power in the minor leagues. He got on base 37% of the time last season and hit 19 homers in High-A as a 20 year old.

Edwin Arroyo, their third best prospect, according to MLB.com, is projected to be a plus fielder at shortstop, and he hit nearly .300 last season across two levels, spending most of the season as an 18 year old.

Cam Collier, a third baseman and the 2022 no. 18 overall pick, is projected as a plus hitter and will make his full season pro debut in 2023.

The Reds infield looks like it could be set for years to come.

Reason #3: Alexis Diaz is actually nasty Alexis Diaz finished 11th among qualified NL relievers last year in

ERA. According to baseballsavant. com, Diaz has some of the most unhittable stuff in the league. His fastball spin rate is 100th percentile among MLB pitchers. Expected slugging on balls batted against him is 96th percentile. His whiff rate is 97th percentile. There’s a good chance he’s wearing a different uniform come Aug. 1, but he’ll be fun to watch while he’s in red and white.

Reason #4: Spencer Steer Steer didn’t do much in 108 plate appearances with Cincinnati in 2022, but the 24-year-old slugger tore through the minor leagues the last two seasons. He started 2021 in High-A, and in 216 minor league games over the next two seasons hit 47 home runs and got on base over 35 percent of the time. He cut his strikeouts and raised his average, on base percentage, and slugging, while playing against better competition.

Steer is considered the Reds no. 2 prospect right now by Fangraphs, and he is projected to start at second or third base for the Reds this season. He could be one of their best hitters as a rookie.

Reason #5: It’s a fresh start The Reds won 83 games in 2021.

Then they were gutted in the 20212022 offseason. After this season, the Reds are finally off the hook for Joey Votto’s contract. They have no guaranteed money on the books for 2024. Now, I know it’s borderline ridiculous to insinuate that the Castellani’s might spend a buck or two, but with an impressive crop of infield prospects on the way and a decently deep stash of arms on the farm, the Reds will be well positioned to spend in one of these upcoming offseasons to supplement their homegrown talent.

The Reds open the regular season on March 30 against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. It’s almost certainly going to be a long season for fans of professional baseball’s oldest team, but hey, there could be some bright spots. schmelj2@miamioh.edu

KOTECKI PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY MIAMI ATHLETICS

Miami women’s basketball (9-16, 4-8 MAC) stats leaders Player (points per game (ppg), rebounds per game (rpg), assists per game (apg) field percentage (fg%), 3-point percentage (3p%)) Ivy Wolf (17.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.7 apg, 39.6 fg%, 38.1 3p%) Peyton Scott (14.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.3 apg, 40.5 fg%, 37.3 3p%) Maddi Cluse (14.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.8 apg, 41.3 fg%, 31.5 3p%) Amani Freeman (7.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 0.7 apg, 58.1 fg%, 0.0 3p%) Sierra Morrow (7.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.5 apg, 46.1 fg%, 36.8 3p%)

Miami men’s basketball (8-18, 2-11 MAC) stats leaders

Player (points per game (ppg), rebounds per game (rpg), assists per game (apg) field percentage (fg%), 3-point percentage (3p%))

Mekhi Lairy (17.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.0 apg, 46.6 fg%, 36.4 3p%, 92.1 ft%) Morgan Safford (15.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.1 apg, 49.8 fg%, 36.6 3p%) Anderson Mirambeaux (13.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.7 apg, 53.2 fg%, 18.2 3p%) Ryan Mabrey (8.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.0 apg, 36.5 fg%, 30.5 3p%) Kamari Williams (6.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.5 apg, 37.4 fg%, 28.6 3p%)

Miami hockey (7-17-2, 2-13-3 NCHC) stats leaders

Player Games Goals Assists #29 Matt Barbolini 26 9 12 #17 John Waldron 24 9 5 #8 PJ Fletcher 28 3 9 #16 Hampus Rydqvist 26 2 9 #13 Max Dukovac 25 1 11 #32 Ludvig Persson, goalie (7 wins, .890 save percentage, 3.54 goals against average)

Mid-American Conference women’s basketball standings BGSU Ball State Toledo Kent State Akron Eastern Michigan Western Michigan Northern Illinois Buffalo Miami Central Michigan Ohio

Conference 11-1 11-1 10-2 7-5 5-7 5-7 5-7 4-8 4-8 4-8 3-9 3-9

Overall 22-2 21-4 19-4 15-8 14-9 13-10 10-13 12-11 9-12 9-16 5-18 5-18

Mid-American Conference men’s basketball standings Kent State Toledo Ball State Akron Ohio Northern Illinois Buffalo Central Michigan BGSU Eastern Michigan Miami Western Michigan

Conference 11-2 11-2 10-3 10-2 7-6 7-6 6-7 5-8 4-9 3-10 2-11 2-11

Overall 21-5 20-6 19-7 18-8 15-11 11-15 12-14 10-16 10-16 6-20 8-18 6-20

National Collegiate Hockey Conference standings Denver Western Michigan St. Cloud Omaha Duluth Colorado North Dakota Miami

Conference 14-4-0 11-6-1 10-6-2 10-6-2 7-11-0 6-10-2 6-10-2 2-13-3

Overall 23-7-0 19-10-1 18-8-2 15-10-3 12-15-1 10-16-2 12-13-4 7-17-4

Opinion

10

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

We are one faculty. We share a community of interest.

GRAPHIC BY OWEN BERG

Can a single collective bargaining unit represent different faculty ranks and categories? Do tenure-line faculty, visiting faculty, Teaching, Clinical Professors and Lecturers (TCPL) and librarians want to be in a single bargaining unit? Are we all one faculty?

Yes, yes and yes!

In sworn testimony at a state hearing in December, 13 witnesses from the Faculty Alliance of Miami (FAM) (representing TCPL, librarian, tenured, pre-tenure and visiting faculty) detailed the facts of their employment, making a clear case that all faculty share in the work — teaching, research and service — of Miami’s educational mission. That is, we constitute a legal “community of interest” appropriate for a bargaining unit. A single bargaining unit that includes all faculty — like most collective bargaining units at Ohio universities — is

what Miami faculty want, need and deserve.

By contrast, Miami’s four witnesses — all executive administrators — claimed that faculty hired at different ranks do such different work that we cannot constitute a community of interest. Administrators also offered their opinions (without evidence) that faculty in different categories would not have each other’s backs at the bargaining table. They argued that precarious faculty would be better represented by administrators than by uniting with their colleagues.

In fact, FAM is supported by a supermajority of faculty precisely because of the failure of Miami administrators to adequately represent our interests. And, as FAM witnesses argued, while all faculty benefit from unionization, it’s precarious faculty who are most in need of the

protection of a union and negotiated contract. Administrative witnesses made this crystal clear, claiming that non-tenure-line faculty do not have academic freedom (though Miami’s Policy Library says they do) and highlighting the lack of protections for TCPL faculty should they be nonrenewed or fired.

Administrative witnesses also alleged that a single bargaining unit would be “inefficient.” But multiple negotiations would surely be a nightmare of inefficiency. A single collective bargaining agreement can accommodate the needs of different categories of faculty — and already does so at many universities in Ohio.

Miami’s administration, in an effort to delay a union vote, is attempting to divide faculty. But it is actually the administration that hires people into different levels of precarity. And it is the administration that has made choices harmful to our educational mission. As we saw in 2020, when the administration let go of hundreds of visiting faculty, over 800 of us signed a petition asking them to discuss other options. We had those colleagues’ backs. We had their backs then, and we will have their backs at the bargaining table.

Under Ohio code, the first factor in determining a community of interest that justifies a bargaining unit is “the desires of the employees.” FAM submitted cards to the state in June 2022 demonstrating that a majority of employees want the chance to form a bargaining unit. Miami has had the opportunity to Let Us Vote. Instead, they have delayed, dragged their feet and attempted to divide us.

Faculty do not want to be divided against our own interests. That’s why we continue to build a union by listening to one another — because solidarity is the source of our power.

Signed, Julie Alexander, First-Year Integrated Core, FSB Phill Alexander, Emerging Technology in Business and Design, CCA Ann Elizabeth Armstrong, Department of Theatre, CCA Ginny Boehme, University Libraries Michelle D. Boone, Department of Biology, CAS Mary Jean Corbett, Department of English, CAS Linh Dich, Departments of English and Languages, Literatures, and Writing, CLAAS Todd Dupont, Department of Geology and Environmental Earth Science, CAS Todd Edwards, Department of Teaching, Curriculum, and Educational Inquiry, EHS Daniel Gladish, Departments of Biology and Biological Sciences, CLAAS Ryan Gunderson, Department of Sociology and Gerontology, CAS Mack Hagood, Department of Media, Journalism & Film, CAS Kazue Harada, Department of German, Russian, Asian and Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, CAS Theresa Kulbaga, Departments of English and Languages, Literatures, and Writing, CLAAS Rachel Makarowski, University Libraries

Shashi Lalvani, Department of Chemical, Paper and Biomedical Engineering, CEC Paul Larson, Department of Mathematics, CAS Eric Luczaj, Department of Computer and Information Technology, CLAAS Deborah Lyons, Department of French, Italian, & Classical Studies, CAS Richard Moore, Department of Biology, CAS Zafer Ozdemir, Department of Information Systems & Analytics, FSB Jason Palmeri, Department of English, CAS Daniel Prior, Department of History, CAS Kevin Reuning, Department of Political Science, CAS Ann Rypstra, Department of Biology, CAS John Schaefer, Departments of Anthropology and Social and Behavioral Sciences, CLAAS Paul Schaeffer, Department of Biology, CAS Matthew Smith, Department of Humanities and Creative Arts, CLAAS Nancy Solomon, Department of Biology, CAS Hank Stevens, Department of Biology, CAS Heeyoung Tai, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, CAS Mike Vanni, Department of Biology, CAS Cathy Wagner, Department of English, CAS Anne Whitesell, Department of Political Science, CAS Amy Yousefi, Chemical, Paper

Love, Ames: Learning to love

OPINION EDITOR AMES RADWAN (PICTURED, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT, IN FRESHMAN, SOPHOMORE, SENIOR AND JUNIOR YEAR) HAS WRITTEN A “LOVE, AMES” COLUMN ABOUT VALENTINE’S DAY EACH OF THE PAST FOUR YEARS. GRAPHIC BY AMES RADWAN

AMES RADWAN

OPINION EDITOR

Hi! I’m Ames, and I hate Valentine’s Day. On a day filled with love and affection and heart-shaped everything, it can be fairly uncommon to see spite and vitriol — well, unless maybe you’re single. But, for the past three years, I have made it my personality to showcase the dark side of Valentine’s Day and tell the world just how much I hate this holiday.

Longtime readers of The Miami Student may remember my Love, Ames columns from each of the past three years.

In 2020, as a baby-faced fresh-

man happily in a relationship, I shouted from the rooftops that Valentine’s Day was being overtaken by capitalism, that no one should have to celebrate their love for someone just because a certain day dictates it.

Then, in 2021, as a still-babyfaced sophomore still in a relationship, I allowed my shell to soften a little — only a little! — as I admitted that Valentine’s Day was not all too bad when the strict regulations of a pandemic world kept us all from seeing the people we loved. But I still hated it! Let that be known.

Last year in 2022, as a hardened junior fresh out of a breakup, I went right back to being The Student’s resident V-Day misanthrope. I doubled

down on the capitalistic tendencies of the holiday and claimed that monetizing love was not the way to go about celebrating it. I warned readers of The Student that, although I would steer clear of complaining about Valentine’s Day to avoid looking like a newly single and therefore bitter cynic, I would be back in 2023 to complain once more.

Well, here we are. It’s 2023.

I still think $115 is a bit much to pay for a floral Valentine’s Day gift, like Oxford Flower Shop’s “Classic Rose Royale” arrangement. I would still rather give my significant other a hug than a $255 life-sized teddy bear that was only $230 last year. I still think that doing something “special”

is the way to go about celebrating Valentine’s, if it must be celebrated at all.

I’m still mad when people find ways to monetize those, like through limited-edition Valentine’s bath products or holiday-specific board games.

I still roll my eyes whenever I pass Walmart’s candy row, decked out in pinks and reds — and I roll them even harder when my next thought is something along the lines of: “That’ll be a great clearance sale after Valentine’s Day.” Freshman Ames said it best: “When one of the best things about a holiday is the sales during or after it, you’re not really celebrating the actual idea behind it.” Say it, 2020 me!

So here I am — I’ve complained about Valentine’s Day, as promised.

And in the end, I feel almost a little sad. Like something is missing.

This is going to sound cheesier than a $249 Valentine’s Day charcuterie board (which, yes, is a real thing), but maybe all along, that missing piece was love.

I’m not talking about love from my parents or friends or from significant others — I’m happy to report that I have love from these others in abundance. I have amazing family, great friends and even a wonderful girlfriend. A lack of love from other people is not an issue.

All along, I think I didn’t have enough love in my heart for the world around me.

I saw others fill their lives with heart-shaped chocolates and fancy jewelry, but what’s more, I saw what lies beneath that: the ability — nay, the want — to show off that love in their hearts to others. Though I gave Valentine’s and Galentine’s gifts every year, it was out of duty — a duty with which I felt forced to comply,

because of societal demands, even though I preached my hatred for it both verbally and through lots and lots of writing.

As I approach graduation — something that is on a lot of seniors’ minds right now, this I know — I finally feel the love and appreciation that I have been lacking for so long.

I love my family, who have supported me throughout college with visits and letters and calls.

I love my friends, who listen to me when I cry, who hold me back when necessary and push me forward when necessary, who have always come back to me.

I love my girlfriend — obviously.

I love my teammates, a group of — well, they’re more family than friends, aren’t they? People who see me at my best and my worst and still stand and perform by my side.

I love everyone I’ve met at Miami, even if I don’t like them one bit, because every experience I’ve had here has shaped me into the person I am today.

(And I love the TMS readers, too!)

I have so much love in my heart now, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. There will always be heartbreak and hatred and seriously unnecessary spending of money we college students don’t have, but haven’t we always heard — through Disney and Pride and every love story ever — that love conquers all?

Through my four years of writing “Love, Ames,” that is what I most needed to learn, and I’m grateful for it. I hope that maybe, after reading this, you feel a little more love in your heart, too.

Love, Ames radwanat@miamioh.edu

What’s happening with the ERA? SARAH NORTON

GUEST COLUMNIST On Jan. 31 I read an article stating that the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was ratified. Yay! I was excited to hear this, but then I realized I didn’t really know what it meant.

I recognize that I am woefully uninformed in rights/documents concerning who I am, and I want to change that. Although this is by no means fully comprehensive, I am writing this article to help people understand a little better what is happening in the world today.

The ERA was written in 1923 by

Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman. This amendment was written to advance the first wave of feminism after the 19th Amendment (the right for women to vote) was included in the Constitution. It was designed to guarantee equal rights for women and end the legal distinctions between men and women.

While this document is important for women, it wasn’t passed until 1972! That’s forty years after it was introduced, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

For an amendment to be ratified (approved), it must pass Congress with a two-thirds majority vote. Congress is composed of the House of

Representatives and the Senate, so an amendment must have a majority vote in both. Next, it goes to the states to be ratified.

After the amendment was passed, it was sent to the states to ratify it.

Thirty-eight states needed to approve it within seven years. Five years after it was passed (1977), thirty-five out of the thirty-eight had ratified the ERA. Since it was getting close to the seven-year deadline (1979), Congress extended it by three years. This puts us at 1982 and still only thirty-five states had ratified.

No action was taken with it (by the states) until 2017 when Nevada ratified the ERA and then Illinois in 2018.

Virginia was the thirty-eighth state in 2020.

We had thirty-eight states, but the deadline had passed — what now?

Fast-forward to Jan. 31. U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Senator Ben Cardin introduced a joint resolution to remove the deadline for ratification.

A similar resolution has been passed two times by the House of Representatives (February 2020 and March 2021), but it hasn’t passed in the Senate yet. This is because most of the Senate GOP is using the time passed as a reason to block it. A vote for the Senate had yet to be scheduled as of Feb. 15.

This progress is great, but we’re not finished yet. We must pass this vote for the ERA to be included in the Constitution. It’s important for everyone to stay informed, especially on issues relating to how you identify yourself. nortons2@miamioh.edu

11

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Teaching to save the world

DR. IÑAKI PRÁDANOS-GARCIA PRACTICES WHAT HE PREACHES AND EVEN CULTIVATES HIS OWN FOOD FOREST. PHOTO PROVIDED BY LINDSAY DOUGLASS AND DR. IÑAKI PRÁDANOS-GARCIA

LINDSAY DOUGLASS GUEST COLUMNIST

It’s the very first day of my freshman year at Miami University, and as the nerves course through my veins, I sit down at a desk near the front of my Spanish Literature class, waiting anxiously for someone else in the room to break the silence. As the minutes pass, the silence remains, building my anxiety until finally the paneled wooden door leading into the classroom opens and in walks a slim man with tight brown curls, bright red pants and three hoop earrings lining the lobe of his left ear.

As the man introduces himself as Dr. Luis Prádanos-Garcia, or better known by his nickname Iñaki, I take in his casual and relaxed appearance, wondering what kind of “hippie” professor I had signed myself up for.

Little did I know that in the next four years at Miami, I would be so impacted by this “hippie” professor’s passion and integrity that I would schedule three other classes with him, reconsider my entire career path and end up writing an op-ed for my university about his work.

Iñaki began his higher education studying humanities in Spain, which he describes as being “a student of everything and a teacher of nothing,”

playing off of the fact that he studied a multitude of disciplines — including history, philosophy, economics, anthropology and psychology — without specializing completely in any one of them. Although he did not fully study any one of these disciplines, he still views this type of education as critical in showcasing the importance of forming connections between different fields and recognizing themes of interconnectedness.

Once he moved to the U.S. to pursue his doctorate in Texas, Iñaki began to apply this understanding of interdisciplinary studies to the contemporary problems he saw around him. In the years prior, he had become familiarized with social justice and cultural movements, but it wasn’t until he arrived in Texas that he heard of environmental phenomena such as ecological overshoot and rapid loss of biodiversity.

Ecological overshoot, which occurs when human demand exceeds the regenerative capacity of a natural ecosystem, especially resonated with Iñaki and led him to reflect: “How could I be studying for my doctorate without ever having had a class that talks about this? There is nothing more important.”

From this reflection, Iñaki began his specialization in topics such as

post-growth economics and culture that seek to connect the human and nonhuman while emphasizing that everything needed to maintain life should be put in the center of economic and social activity as opposed to the never ending accumulation of money and the consumption of finite resources. Putting life and not capital in the center of society simultaneously combats both the ecological crisis and the crisis of inequality that have been created by a system that prioritizes the production of goods over the reproduction of life.

According to Iñaki, “The idea [behind the socio-ecological transition movement] is that the social and the ecological issues are connected and we cannot resolve one without resolving the other. They must be addressed together.”

Iñaki is a passionate advocate for change and is continually informing himself more and more on both the topics in which he specializes and those that he sees as related, making him an extremely effective and engaging professor.

However, teaching was not necessarily always his dream.

“I didn’t really even decide to teach. It’s just what you do with a doctorate,” he says. “But it serves as a stable platform to talk about

important issues and to investigate and publish influential work in your field so that others can share in your findings.”

Within the classroom, Iñaki implements a non-traditional way of teaching that emphasizes discussion over information. When asked if his classes have changed students’ opinions or behaviors, Iñaki firmly replied: “I don’t change anyone. I facilitate conversations.”

Iñaki believes that the professor doesn’t have to be at the front of the classroom presenting information in order for students to learn. Rather, he has seen that students learn better through open discussions surrounding texts, ideas and personal experiences. “This makes it so that no one is alienated from a conversation and we can all engage critically with the information we have compiled together.”

Outside of the classroom, Iñaki practices what he preaches by dedicating himself to regenerative practices. One of the most prominent activities that he participates in is the cultivation of his own food forest that, like permaculture, is “designed to imitate the normal ecological processes of a forest while incorporating plants, such as fruits, vegetables and medicinal herbs, that benefit humans.”

Food forests thrive by attracting biodiversity, creating habitats, regenerating soil, filtering water and improving fungal ecology. However, as Iñaki acknowledges, food forests often go against what we consider a “beautiful garden,” meaning we must transform our standards of beauty to be more ecological and less anthropocentric.

Iñaki recognizes that, on Miami’s campus, doing something such as growing a food forest may not be a viable option for students. Luckily, he can identify a plethora of other alternatives for those who want to get involved in the ecosocial transition movement.

One of these activities is volunteering at the Institute for Food at Miami, where students can learn how to grow food in an ecological way and receive products in exchange for their help. Miami students can also put pressure on the university to make real and integrated changes such as switching the globalized, unsustainable and unhealthy food system on campus to a system that is local, ecological and nutritious.

Furthermore, students can raise awareness that carbon neutrality, one of Miami’s main sustainability goals, cannot be treated as an isolated issue. Rather, as Iñaki emphasizes, “climate change is merely a symptom of ecological overshoot, so our campus must start integrating what they are already doing with other issues such as loss of biodiversity and the disruption of the cycle of nutrients if we truly want to make an impact.”

Although there is much to do and much to overcome, Iñaki maintains that we must have hope for a better future.

As the professor of my first class freshman year and the professor of my last class senior year, Iñaki has instilled this hope in me. When I graduate from Miami University, I am taking this hope with me, along with the belief that we do in fact have the power to enact change. And as I get up from my desk in Iñaki’s classroom for the last time, I will be hopeful that the “hippie” professor I met in August of 2019 will have as big an impact on the next person to sit there as he did on me. douglal3@miamioh.edu

“Townie” KASEY TURMAN

THE MIAMI STUDENT The collision of college and home life doesn’t happen in the same place for the majority of students. At Miami, there’s a quiet minority of people

that have called Oxford home for longer than it takes to get a Ph.D. They are the “townies.”

I imagine a lot of people on campus have heard the term sometime in conversation. To me, the slang simply describes the people from the area.

To others, townies specifically, it’s

a harsh reminder that they’re mere steps away from their home soil.

This makes sense, considering how, when I ask fellow Talawanda graduates how college is going, a common reply is: “My least favorite part is saying where I’m from.”

This is not from a dislike for Ox-

ford or the surrounding area — it’s because of how people react.

You would think that the people of Oxford have a hard time accepting the students, but somehow, it’s the other way around more often than not. Yes, Oxford is better without the students bumbling around, but the citizens don’t dismiss the students with hatred from August to May. Unless you read Oxford Talk too much.

The citizens of Oxford are the only ones that can see the beauty of no waiting lines, quicker commuting times and a seemingly infinite number of open parking spots.

Couple that with the lower amounts of trash floating around in the wind and more space to breathe — and you get an oasis.

But, somehow, the students have trouble mingling with the townies. You know, in our town. Where we live year-round.

But this is not to say that I think “townie” is a bad term. I think that it’s extremely funny.

Call me a townie, and I’ll laugh. You’re insulting where I’m from. Big whoop. Try again, maybe with more heart this time.

There are stories about other locals reacting differently.

“Townie” has been called a slur, people have lost friends over GRAPHIC BY HANNAH POTTS

the word and there have even been brawls stemming from townie slander.

One story I’ve been told involves someone yelling “Whose town is this?” followed quickly by a flurry of fists. I can’t imagine something like that happening today, but when I tell townies the story, they often take it as a good idea.

When the next big townie vs. student fight happens, I will promptly delete this article and write out apologies for all of those affected. That is, of course, if I’m not the one behind the fist.

I can’t imagine calling something so trivial and humorous as “townie” a slur. If that’s the most hurtful thing you can be called, you’re more privileged than the vast majority of Americans. Hell, of humans.

Be proud of where you’re from.

And if you’re not proud, just lie. No one is stopping you. turmankd@miamioh.edu

humor

12

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Twas the night before bid day…

GRAPHIC BY MACEY CHAMBERLIN

TEDDY JOHNSON

HUMOR CO-EDITOR ‘Twas the night before bid day, and all through the night, Many girls were nervous, so they got high as a kite; Each one was scared and they could not see through, The fact that no one cares what sorority you get into; This did not stop each girl from creating a stir, So much so recruitment week felt like a blur; Countless conversations with recruiters blend together, “Can anyone help me be liked better?”; To get them to like you, is all about looks, Not your GPA or how well you hit the books; Many who are blonde decided to rush APhi, “It’s a top sorority,” yeah, we’ll see; Perfume and makeup and spray tan galore, Makes everyone question Greek life even more; Sisterhood and philanthropy is the true purpose, But now it seems like finding new friends to purchase; “What sorority wants me, I really need to know?”

“As soon as I get my bid, I’ll change my insta bio.”

These are some things, a PC may

say, Hopefully tomorrow they’ll get a bid on bid day.

While girls were in Armstrong doing interviews; The boys were all Uptown drinking lots of booze, At the bars, the guy to girl ratio was like 50 to 1, My goodness this week just needs to be done.

John Daly saw the boys, sang Dixieland Delight; So many dudes at bars, thought there’d be a fight.

When all the girls are gone frat boys are quite sad, This week got them all really down bad; So what do they turn to to cheer up their mood, Bars and bar fights and barbells and bar food; Where’s APhi? Where’s G Phi? Where’s Chi O? Where’s Phi Mu? I think rush week in Uptown is a bit of a sausage fest, don’t you?

Roll Brick Street, Roll Chanks, Roll 1868, Rush week is the week the boys really hate.

Real life Bloons Tower Defense 4 PATRICK SULLIVAN HUMOR CO-EDITOR

Everyone is talking about the crazy, UFO spy balloons and I am here to set the record straight.

Everyone, just breathe. Relax.

The world isn’t coming to an end.

At least, not yet.

Get off of your conspiracy TikTok pages and tell your crazy uncle to get out of his Doomsday cellar. The world is not ending. Aliens are not invading over Earth from Outer Space. You see, China and America are simply playing a friendly game of Bloons Tower Defense 4.

If that name rings a bell, it’s because you are a fellow 20-24-yearold student who got incredibly bored during grade school math class and ventured along to NinjaKiwi.com. If you think the game is Bloons Tower Defense 6, you are much too young for this article. Everybody who’s anybody knows that Version 4 was goated.

For those sad souls that don’t recognize Bloons TD4, it was the game of all games. You pick a map and load that map with different types of fun ice rays and explosive pineapples. Then an onslaught of different colored balloons try to

make it all the way through the map. This game would turn the most pacifist students into hardened war generals discussing all of their different defense tactics.

I digress.

If I remember correctly, during the midst of the 2020 fiasco, the United States Government admitted to reports of unidentified flying objects, or UFO’s. This was just the US setting up cannons for the bloons attack.

China seems to be sending out their balloons with the intent of making it all the way through the map of the US. One of our explosive pineapple drones was able to knock a big balloon down halfway through the map. We had a close call, however, with a balloon almost making it all the way through.

Luckily, our ice guns in Alaska shot it down at the last second.

As the good American citizens that you are, you are probably wondering how you can help shoot down China’s balloons. I’m here to inform you that you can! As anyone who has played the game knows, the most basic defense against the bloons is a simple cannon. You might be wondering how a regular old cannon can shoot up 30,000 feet into the air. It’s science. Not

any science I know, but science nonetheless.

What you must do in order to defend the U.S. map is find any old pirate, revolutionary or civil war cannon and aim it directly at the sky.

Remember, some of these balloons blend in so you might not be able to see them. For that reason, just keep firing. You never know when you are going to hit one and can’t risk one of them sneaking past you.

If you don’t already have cannons lying around your house, there are certain places you can go to get your hands on one of those bad boys. You can try a pawn shop, or your weird neighbor’s garage full of junk. I would personally recommend that you break into any history museum you can find and just wheel the cannons out to your car. I mean, they used to be on boats so they can’t be that heavy.

Fire away and remember that this is all just a fun spirited game. Think of it like The Olympics’ ugly stepchild of intercountry competition. Come out of your Doomsday cellars, steal some cannons, and enjoy this week of nice weather and a trip down memory lane in real life Bloons Tower Defense 4. sulli293@miamioh.edu

john1595@miamioh.edu

GRAPHIC BY MACEY CHAMBERLIN

Headline Dump CONNOR OVIATT AND MICHAEL PATTEE THE MIAMI STUDENT

Miami ROTC sent to Philadelphia to repair destruction caused by Super Bowl loss Brick institutes half-priced “Horny Hours” by popular demand between 12 a.m. - 2 a.m.

Engineering students surprised when their “Super Advanced Super Spoon” does not get national attention Gordon Ramsey declines having Miami dining halls being in the next Hell’s Kitchen episode claiming “they’re too far gone” Brick sees 200% sales increase following the end of dry period

In response to efforts to stop hazing, fraternities start a new tradition called “fogging”

Red-haired man under six foot surprisingly not leprechaun

After yet another wind advisory report, police compile suspect list to find out who exactly is advising the wind

Brick introduces under 18 cover to allow prospective students to get the “Miami Experience”

Students named Chad report higher success of finding sameday valentines day dates

Balloon shot down revealed to be OU students spying on Miami

Miami students call for implementation of red, orange, yellow, blue, violet and purple beer days as well Superbowl “Animal Control” ad leads to nearly 300 animal attacks nationwide as men go out to look for the promised attractive cougars in their area

Opinion: St. Patrick’s day is just an excuse to drink and celebrate redheads and people named Patrick Prospective students shocked to learn the weekend begins on Thursday in College Miami increases acceptance rate to 100% but remains “Public Ivy” patteemj@miamioh.edu oviattcc@miamioh.edu

style

13 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Rihanna’s SuperBowl outfit left me shook

What I wish I knew before I started crocheting

RIHANNA, WHO HASN’T PERFORMED LIVE SINCE 2016, STUNNED AUDIENCES WITH A RED JUMPSUIT AND BACKUP DANCERS CLAD IN HER OWN BRAND. PHOTO BY MACEY CHAMBERLIN, VIA NFL ON YOUTUBE.

ALLISON LEE

STAFF WRITER Rihanna served again.

I’m no music expert, but Rihanna has classic songs, hit after hit. And the SuperBowl halftime show is a great reflection of that, with songs that really showed her fierce character.

Rihanna’s outfit complimented how energetic and filled with life her performance was. Seamless transitions between songs were highlighted and brought to life by Rihanna’s outfit change, a makeup touch-up and her undeniably fiery personality.

She absolutely slayed the game in her custom red Loewe jumpsuit (which Loewe boasts on their websites’ homepage), Alaïa (extremely) oversized puffer and gloves, and a matching JW Anderson red bra plate. Rihanna finished off her red monochromatic look in the MM6 Maison Marginal x Salomon Cross High sneakers. She truly stood out amongst her backup dancers, who were adorned in Savage X Fenty allwhite outfits.

And I expected nothing less.

Rihanna is the queen of bold, monochrome looks. Just use her 2015 Met Gala look for example. Ev-

erything about Rihanna is bold, really – her fashion, her music and her entire brand.

This performance was Rihanna’s first live performance since 2019, so she really went all out.

Rihanna continued the monochrome look, as well as her theme of boldness, by using her very own makeup line, Fenty Beauty, for her bright red liquid lipstick in the shade “The MVP.” In recent years, Rihanna has taken the backseat when it comes to releasing new music and has focused her attention more on her makeup line, skincare line Fenty Skin and even her lingerie/loungewear line, Savage X Fenty.

Fenty Beauty was launched in 2017, a year after the release of her latest studio album, Anti. Rihanna has been praised for Fenty’s diversity and inclusion, not only in the range of skin tones available for makeup products, but she offers a plethora of body types to be represented in photos modeling her products.

As the true star of the SuperBowl, Rihanna came out with a gameday clothing line celebrating her ‘return.’

Savage X Fenty offers unique products, ranging from simple and practical to elaborate and intricate, just like

Rihanna’s personal style.

Even though the bright red outfit is just that – bright red – it still, when it comes down to it, is practical. The custom jumpsuit seemed to be easy to move in, and the Maison Marginal x Salomon sneakers are designed for hiking. Salomon itself produces sportswear meant for skiing and the great outdoors.

Rihanna dressed the outfit up with her chic accessories, but it was still an outfit that was so undeniably Rihanna – the very definition of “Bad Gal.” Of course, she’s one of the biggest fashion moguls of our time.

She knows how to wear ballgowns and frills, but she isn’t afraid to get with the times and trends.

Rihanna clearly knows that she is not limited to or defined by music, and that she can celebrate what makes her so beloved by the general public – her uniqueness. leeam8@miamioh.edu

An open love letter to my Mom and business casual LANDON MORRISON THE MIAMI STUDENT

As I was spraying my hair with TRESemme’s Ultra Fine Hairspray before a night of going out, the scent instantly took me back to my childhood – the smell of waking up bright and early to my mom’s hair dryer, clicking hills and clanging jewelry.

Those days are far behind me now, waking up at noon (most days) and now, my mom wears her slippers to her home office. But my mom’s business-wear will always stay in my memories.

Many companies are moving away from offices and the attire that goes along with it. Since the pandemic, many business-wear retailers have shuttered their doors. Retailer Gap, parent company of retailer Banana Republic, reported on its website that they plan to close 350 locations by the end of 2023. My hometown store that I spent many hours watching my mom shop in fell victim to this restructuring.

While I did grab some great deals, it does beg the question: what will happen to office-wear and business-casual for us?

Miami University is home to one of the top Business Schools in North America. You are hard pressed to find a day where you will not see at least one student walking across campus in a suit (it may or may not be wrinkled from a residence hall closet) to their classes in Farmer.

STUDENTS FROM THE FARMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ACROSS MIAMI SUITED UP AND TREKKED TO MILLETT HALL FOR CAREER FAIR ON WEDNESDAY. CAREER FAIRS ARE JUST SOME OF THE MIAMI EVENTS THAT ASK STUDENTS TO RISE TO A MORE BUSINESS-STYLE OCCASION. PHOTO BY JAKE RUFFER.

While top educators are crafting the professionals of the future, is this dress code out of touch?

When these students aren’t in suits, loafers and heels, you will commonly find them in athletic-wear and sweatpants – a more common sight in tech startups and work from home offices today.

As Gen Z hits the workforce, the fashion impact will be interesting to see.

While the days of my mom’s high heels and hair spray certainly are far

behind her in her career, as she has no plans to leave her at-home work office, I hope that one day I get to wear a power suit in an office, just once in my life. Maybe dressing up in an office space is the new dress down?

As we graduate as a new class of students preparing to enter the workforce, I hope that their office-wear makes an impact on someone just as my mom’s did on me. morri390@miamioh.edu

A CROCHET XMAS TREE SKIRT ELIZONDO GAVE AS A GIFT FOR HER MOM’S BIRTHDAY. PHOTO BY ABBEY ELIZONDO.

ABBEY ELIZONDO

SENIOR STAFF WRITER Crocheting is an old craft turned chic through social media accounts and videos popping up all over the place with countless designs. Since it’s been over a year since I started the art of crochet, here’s some advice for the novice crafters out there.

Before you grab your group of friends and spend an absurd amount of money on yarn, put some time into researching what you’d like to make. Trust me, there are videos and tutorials for everything you could imagine. One of my favorite patterns is by TL Yarn Crafts on YouTube, her Crochet Ripple Stich!

I would start with something easy to accomplish, like a few quilt squares or some decorative coasters for your room. It’ll save you money and give you time to practice.

While you’re researching what you’d like to make, get familiar with the abbreviations, yarn weight and crochet hook size. It will seem like too much in the beginning, I know, so don’t let that drive you away. The yarn weight and hook size are connected. Make sure to check before you buy anything. Pro tip: the people who work at craft stores are always willing to help you find what you need.

Next step is to go and buy your supplies — arguably the most fun part of starting to crochet. Before you go, download the rewards app of whatever store you’re going to and sign up for their rewards program.

They also usually have redeemable coupons for consistent customers. When I see that yarn is on sale for buy one, get one 50% off, I know that’s the time to stock up.

When you walk into the aisle for

crochet hooks, take a deep breath.

There will be tons of different shapes, colors, sizes and brands all trying to get your attention. As frustrating as it is, you’ll have to do some trial and error for purchasing hooks.

I went for the cheapest ones on my first trip to Michael’s and then had to get new ones since they didn’t fit well in my hand.

Ergonomic ones are on the pricey side, but they will help prevent cramping and hand pain in the longrun. My favorites are the Prym crochet hooks!

Now you’re home, ecstatic about starting your new project, and the moment you look at the pattern, you begin to panic. This is where the abbreviations come in.

Usually, videos give a more indepth explanation of what they’re doing, but patterns rely on written abbreviations to guide people.

Choose which method works for you: visual tutorials or reading digital or print patterns.

One of my biggest challenges when I started crocheting was understanding where the loops were that I needed to use to continue crocheting. There’s no shame in watching a tutorial all the way through before you begin.

Be patient with yourself. This is a hard craft to learn and yet so rewarding at the same time. You’ll have this secret talent before you know it while also having an excuse to make fun gifts for your family and friends.

Just have fun with it! Buy colorful yarn that makes you smile, get hooks that keep your hands from cramping, and find people who are just as passionate as you for loving the art of crochet. @earlgreyincense elizonar@miamioh.edu

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

Visit miamistudent.net to Join the TMS Team!

14

photo story

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Two new exhibits open at Miami’s art museum SARAH FROSCH STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The Richard and Carole Cocks Art Museum opened its spring 2023 exhibitions at the start of the semester. Experiencing the Divine:

Devotional Practices of Islam, Judaism and Christianity, a Senior Art and Art History Capstone exhibtion.

Each piece on display was chosen and researched by the capstone students during the 2022 Fall semester.

Current Forms: Ohio

Figurative Ceramics features works by artists with relationships to Ohio in the first two galleries of the museum.

These exhibitions will be on display until June 10, 2023. The Richard and Carole Cocks Art Museum is free and open to all.

A WOMAN LOOKS AT TWO WORKS BY KOREAN ARTIST GUNYOUNG KIM IN THE “CURRENT FORMS” EXHIBTION.

THIS SCULPTURE, “BAGGAGE” BY OHIO UNIVERSITY ALUMNA KELLY MCLAUGHLIN GAZES OUT INTO THE GALLERY.

MUSEUM PATRON LEARNS MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THIS TORAH SCROLL FROM THE 1950S BY AN UNKNOWN SCRIBE.

THE MUSEUM BECOMES A STAGE FOR STUDENTS FROM MIAMI’S MUSIC DEPARTMENT WHEN IT HOSTS “MUSIC AT THE MUSEUM” EVENTS

A GROUP OF PATRONS SURVEYS A PAINTNG OF MARY MAGDALENE, ITS ARTIST UNKNOWN.

WOMAN EXAMINES THE DETAIL OF “WHAT COMES DOWN MUST GO UP” BY ANDREA KEYS CONNELL.