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Oxford as a microcosm: The politics of the country, here

Michael Stemmler, The Miami Student

While many will argue that Miami University is untouched by politics and other events in the world, I would beg to differ. Little do we realize that the happenings in the world, whether we think they are terrible or great, are right under our noses. These uncanny similarities are just another reason we all fail to realize that our lives are much more political than they seem.

Let's evaluate our first example: The Women's March. The day after President Trump's inauguration, men and women flocked to the streets to bring about awareness to women's rights in the United States and throughout the world. While they were obviously a large presence, we too see our own groups of young women walking around campus -- in the form of sorority rush.

While chasing the bonds of sisterhood, our own women's march is crucial to the tradition of female Greek life. Much like the those of the Women's March who followed in the footsteps of strong women before them protesting for their own rights, the sisters in the middle of rush are just following those who have walked the path before.

Trump's recent ban on immigration from primarily Muslim countries has sparked massive nationwide controversy. While this is a new issue to America, Oxford is no stranger to bans within our party scene. During the weekends, flocks of students travel uptown for bars and parties alike. Many of these pilgrimages seek the frat party as their final destination. The media representation of frat parties portrays these houses in a glorified image, yet as weary travelers approach their gates, many of them are turned away.

The green card, which immigrants can still use to commute back and forth between these banned countries, is replaced in Oxford with an individual's name to answer the form of extreme vetting, "Who do you know here?"

With the transition of power to the Republican Party, one of the incoming administration's main goals is to repeal and rewrite The Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare. Many Republicans will argue that Obamacare is flawed and thus congress and the president are trying hard to rewrite it.

Similarly, at the advent of this year a new meal plan was introduced for all first-years. This plan introduced buffet swipes for all dining halls and offered some declining balance for certain locations on campus. Unfortunately, the new meal plan did not accurately estimate the desires and needs of the students. As such, the meal plan has gone through some much-needed editing, such as the carrying over of buffet swipes and an increase in declining balance dollars.

We are experiencing the rewriting of policy before our very eyes -- let's just hope that Miami and Washington alike can figure out a plan that will work for the people they serve.

Spurred on by President Trump, the current debate around fake news and "alternate facts" hits home here at Oxford. As the president stated, his cabinet has the highest IQ of any previous cabinet assembled. In addition, the actual turnout numbers for his inauguration have been a highly-contested point, as he claimed to have had the largest turnout in history.

For those who are entering college as first-years, their interactions with others follow very similar claims. Many incoming students were star athletes and/or top students in their previous school. Claims such as president of multiple clubs in the school, or crazy partier dominate conversations, but never reach a point of verification. The "alternate facts" about the glory days of high school seem to run rampant among first-years.

For those who believe that we here in Miami live in our own bubble away from the rest of the world, we unfortunately are not immune to the realities of the society around us. Politics and issues can be found in every aspect of our lives and as we continue to go about our own business, let us all be informed citizens of Miami and the world.

stemmlmf@miamioh.edu