But delays in the United States Postal Service (USPS)— especially as they relate to the upcoming presidential election — are only worsening students’ anxiety about what the future holds.
In an email sent to all members of Miami University's Greek community on Aug. 29, the Interfraternity Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council and Panhellenic Association detailed a new 10-day shelter-in-place order for all Greek Oxford residents as a way to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Imagine if, one day, the students of Miami University woke up to find an email from President Crawford saying that Miami would be closing after 211 years of being an active university. No more Miami classes. No more Miami professors. No more Miami organizations. No more Miami, period. This is the fate that Urbana University, located in Urbana, Ohio, was met with this year.
At last Thursday’s Meet the B-Frats event, one of the major recruiting events for Miami University’s business fraternities, a hacker seized hosting controls of the Zoom call and took over Pi Sigma Epsilon’s (PSE) presentation with an image of a swastika, verbal threats and homophobic and racist pre-recorded audio.
Last Sunday, Miami University’s virtual Mega Fair offered students intimate video call opportunities to chat with the members of more than 600 student organizations. The event lasted three hours and also included Miami’s regional campus organizations.
Everyone knows that the first day of class is the most boring one. You hear about the syllabus, attendance policies and when office hours are. But imagine logging onto Canvas and hitting play on your first video lecture to see your professor … in a dinosaur costume?
With a quiet campus and mandates against large gatherings, Miami’s community looks very different this fall. Many of the university’s clubs have found unique ways to keep their members motivated and participating even with changing regulations.
Geno Svec, executive director of campus services and chief hospitality officer, wrote in an email to The Miami Student that the university made the decision to eliminate the sharing of items like bills and coins that are easily spread and difficult to clean.
OPD Lieutenant Lara Fening said the department hasn’t issued any gathering ban citations in an effort to let community members become informed of the new regulations before penalizing them. Fening also said that issuing citations is at the officers’ discretion.
As the Talawanda School District (TSD) geared up for a virtual start to the school year on Monday, Aug. 24, students and parents were hopeful for a speedy return to normalcy.
Greek life at Miami revolves around a sense of family between the brothers and sisters of the organization. That connection is now being challenged by the limitations on gathering and face-to-face contact.
As on-campus students begin planning to return to campus in September, questions about what residence life will actually look like in the age of COVID-19 are arising.
Twenty-seven student-athletes have tested positive for COVID-19 after many attended an off-campus social gathering more than a week ago, according to an email from Miami University President Greg Crawford.
Densely-packed bars, dance floors sticky from spilled drinks, streets crowded with jubilant Miamians — all hallmarks of a typical weekend in Oxford. And up until a few months ago, seen week in and week out. Now, nearly six months after Oxford’s bar scene shut down, it’s coming back to life.
With the return of upperclassmen students to Oxford in mid-August and first- and second-year students coming to campus in September, Miami University facilities are implementing extra safety precautions to protect the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is how the pandemic is impacting Miami’s campus hotspots:
Many upperclassmen are returning to Oxford for the fall semester, but with them come some lingering concerns about the price of online learning and anxiety about student health and safety.
Miami University President Greg Crawford announced that 10 students and two employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the school year. In an email sent to the Miami community on Friday, Aug. 21, Crawford wrote that the positive tests occurred on Miami’s Oxford campus.
Miami University representatives Jayne Brownell and Kimberly Moore spoke to City Council members about the university’s plan for the fall semester during council’s Aug. 18 meeting.
As Miami University students begin their fall semester remotely, with many in off-campus housing, Oxford City Council voted to ban gatherings of more than 10 people at its Aug. 18 meeting. The emergency ordinance will be enforced until Gov. Mike DeWine declares the end of Ohio’s state of emergency.
Last fall semester, Miami University professors stood at the front of a classroom, leading discussions, fielding questions and presenting lectures in person. This fall semester, that scene looks quite different due to a sudden change in plans: online classes for the first five weeks.