Opinion

Miss Americana and the oldest daughter complex

I live in a house with three other oldest daughters, and it shows. Our house is always clean. We’ve mastered the art of domestic coziness, provide our younger friends a candlelit respite from their dorms and if someone is making a breakfast more elaborate than cereal or toast, they always cook for everyone. Rarely is one of us upset for more than 20 minutes before the others notice and sit them down to talk about their feelings or offer to bake them cookies. We are all currently, or have previously been, leaders of student organizations. Our families like to communicate their issues with each other through us.  We are all stressed.

Give credit where credit is due — that means to Billie Eilish

As I scrolled through my Twitter timeline last week, I noticed a lot of tweets about Billie Eilish, something not out of the ordinary for the past few months. After releasing her debut album in March 2019, Eilish quickly rose to fame.  The hot topic trending on Twitter this time? Her first time at the Grammys.  At the 62nd Grammy Awards on Jan. 26, Eilish was the star of the night, winning five of the six awards for which she was nominated. She became the youngest person to ever win Album of the Year and the second person (and first woman) to ever win the Big Four: Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best New Artist.

Natural Succession in Urban Ecosystems: Is Gentrification Good for All, or Just Some?

Cover photo courtesy of Pixabay

Academic Series: The Development of Pharmaceutical Fish

Academic Series: Rethinking the Old in Atlanta

A look at the Atlanta skyline.

Life isn’t like the movies, it’s better

It was a night like any other. I had just finished washing my face and could still taste the mintiness of my toothpaste. I laid my head on my pillows and opened up my new favorite app — TikTok. Watching the short, comedic videos became a part of my nightly routine when I downloaded the app last semester. I get a sense of peace from ending my days with a lighthearted laugh. But, as I scrolled through the endless loop of videos on this particular night, I noticed a new trend that didn’t make me laugh. I watched TikTok after TikTok of teenagers sitting silently in their bedrooms while the song Ribs by Lorde played in the background. 

Academic Series: People are Living Longer, so Why Shouldn't Our Cars?

Cover photo courtesy of Pixabay

Students in Sustainability: Advice From an Animal Lover

Brianna on duty at the Cincinnati Zoo!

Students in Sustainability: Managing a Pop-up Thrift Shop

The Zero Waste Oxford pop-up thrift shop in Armstrong Student Center.

Students in Sustainability: Exemplary Campus EcoRep

Myself and two other reps, Piper and Lexi, helping with composting at the 2019 Oxford Community Picnic.

University sexual assault policies aren’t great now. But they used to be worse.

In early December two years ago, I was waiting to hear back from the Office of Student Ethics and Conflict Resolution (OESCR) about the results of my sexual assault investigation. I reported an incident from my sophomore year. I didn’t know if reporting was the right thing to do, because while the incident met one of the standard definitions of sexual assault (“unwanted sexual” contact), it wasn’t rape. It took me awhile to realize maybe I had been assaulted, and much longer to stop hanging out with the guy I reported. But my friends and Title IX office employees assured me the incident was worth reporting, and I did. The guy was found “not responsible” of violating the Student Code of Conduct, meaning a panel of OESCR judges believed what happened was consensual.

Lifestyle Tips to Incorporate Sustainability Into Your Life

Cover photo courtesy of Pixabay

We need to be better for the sake of the kids.

Well, folks, we’re in the homestretch. Two more weeks until we can kiss this semester goodbye and ride off into the sunset toward holiday cheer and a little less homework. Our staff has been reflecting on the good, the bad and the ugly of this past semester, setting our sights on what we hope to improve come January.  We’re drafting our New Year’s resolution, if you will.  Going forward, we at The Miami Student hope to see the relationship between our reporters and Miami’s administration improve in hopes to increase transparency on our campus. But achieving this resolution starts with setting some common ground and erasing the idea that our staff is pushing an anti-administration agenda. 

They don’t call ‘em growing pains for nothing

“You need to do some meditation and realize you have to let people care for you,” one of my housemates texted me recently. I dismissed it. See, I thought I had checked off personal growth on my to-do list months ago.

I’m about to graduate, and it hasn’t hit me yet. I really need it to.

It’s almost here. In a week, I’ll say goodbye to some of the greatest friends I’ll ever know. I won’t be a student at Miami University anymore. But it hasn’t hit me yet. I really figured I’d be smacked upside the head with a wave of extreme sadness and nostalgic longing by now.  But nope, nothing.

Joy to the Earth: 7 Ways to Be Gentler on the Environment This Holiday Season

Cover photo courtesy of Pixabay

Quick Tips for a More Sustainable Diet

To all the boys we’ve loved(?) before

This column is pulled from a conversation with two of our reporters who discussed their experiences growing up as gay men.  Tim Carlin: So, where do you want to start with this?  David Kwiatkowski: I think we should start where you said. Tim: Okay, do you want to go first? David: … No. Tim: Okay, so I came out in waves. I first came out to my friends when I was in sixth grade. By the time I got to high school, everyone just kind of knew. Throughout high school, it just became more known. I never hid it from anyone.

Good Morning Miami: In memory of an elegant icon

At the beginning of each new school year, I buy folders for a dollar, select reasonably-priced pens and pencils and purchase notebooks while they’re on sale.  I hardly pay attention while stuffing these items into my backpack; whether or not they rip or tear is their own business.  Each year, I also allow myself one beautiful purchase, and this year’s was a Kate Spade agenda. 

A House Divided

It is said that there are three topics of conversation people should always avoid discussing: money, religion and, perhaps the most controversial of all, politics. And yet, those topics always seem to come up. With Thanksgiving fast approaching and Election Day fresh on the minds of Americans, many families dread the political discussions and fights with extended family that come with the holidays. I have seen my friends, extended family, teachers and even strangers openly debate each other on the state of the country. I hold no doubts about the potential negative strains political disagreement can have on a relationship. I see this strain between two of the most influential people in my life — my parents.