K atharine Westaway, an outspoken lecturer who has been criticized over her handling of student

sexual assault cases at the Universi-ty of Miami, was asked not to return for the spring semester.

In an email sent to her former students, Westaway, a lecturer in the Women’s and Gender Studies Department, said that on Dec. 17, 2015 she was informed that she was “fired.” In the email, titled “Dr. Westaway fired but Passing the Torch this Wednesday,” she claims that the f iring “was certainly tied to my involvement in seeking justice and healing for sexual assault vic-tims. And I am not looking for UM to re-hire me--because of the man-ner in which they treated me for the last eight months, I will never feel safe to work with victims or teach civic engagement at UM again.”

While school spokesperson Margot Winick said that the uni-versity does not comment on em-ployment issues due to policy, she confirmed that Westaway was not reappointed for another term.

“The university categorically denies that the decision not to reap-point Professor Westaway had any-thing to do with her concerns about victims of sexual assault. These are concerns that the university shares.”

Westaway said that there was a downward spiral in her treatment at the university after she and her class launched the “Justice for Angela” campaign.

Canes Consent was refused funding to screen “The Hunting Ground,” a f ilm about sexual as-sault on college campuses across the United States, according to West-away.

Outspoken professor asked not to return, ‘passing torch’

By Isabella Cueto Isabella Cueto and William RigginWilliam RigginAssistant News Editor and News Editor

Richt revamps coaching staff

THOMAS BROWNCO-OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR AND RUNNING BACKS COACH

In 2014, Brown coached Heisman Trophy runner-up Melvin Gordon at Wisconsin before coaching running backs at Georgia for the 2015 sea-son. Now, at the University of Miami, Brown will be Head Coach Mark Richt’s right-hand man on the offensive side for the Hurricanes.

MANNY DIAZDEFENSIVE COORDINATOR AND LINEBACKERS COACH

Diaz will bring a defensive approach that differs from former de-fensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio’s reaction-based scheme. Diaz’s

famed, aggressive defensive formation is similar to those of the great Hurricanes teams of the 1980s and early 2000s.

MIKE RUMPHCORNERBACKS COACH

Before becoming UM’s new cornerbacks coach, former Hurricane Mike Rumph led American Heritage High School in Plantation for three seasons. Heritage became the second school in Broward County his-tory to win back-to-back titles after its state championship victories in 2013 and 2014.

Joshua L. Jones Joshua L. Jones // The Red & Black

Kelly Price Kelly Price // MSU Athletic Media Relations

Audrey Mason Audrey Mason // IPatriotPost.com

Incoming head coach selects nine fresh faces for football team

2 NEWS THE MIAMI HURRICANE January 14 - January 20, 2016

A new website has been created that outlines an ongoing initiative to transform the cul-

ture and to improve the working climate at the University of Mi-ami.

The site, titled Culture Transformation, is a movement to “be able to dig deeper into these themes and show how we can present ourselves to the larg-er society,” according to Presi-dent Frenk in the website’s open-ing video. The themes he speaks of are represented by the acro-nym DIRECCT, which stands for diversity, integrity, respon-sibility, excellence, compassion, creativity and teamwork.

As of right now, the site is only accessible to those who have a UM email. On it, there is a series of videos and content that explains the exact goal of this initiative: “Building a Better U together.”

Charrise Lopez-Mason, leader of the human resources team that created the website, purposely placed the website be-hind the f irewall of the Outlook email to keep the site internal, as it is intended for the university community. She said that this initiative has actually been in motion for the past three to four years and falls in line nicely with President Frenk’s agenda.

Under the “learn” tab, the site offers resources for attend-ing training sessions and has a list of the “culture coaches” who help to facilitate these trainings. These “culture coaches” are se-lected employees who were in-terested in implementing this initiative and were trained by the Disney Institute to train em-ployees on different aspects of the culture transformation. The

employees selected have already worked with UM for time peri-ods ranging from two to 10 years.

“[All] of that [training] ties in to making sure that when we’re recruiting people to work here that their values match well with the culture of the univer-sity,” Mason said.

Mason also made it clear that they were only in phase one of the Culture Transforma-tion and that, as of this moment, it will only apply to the faculty and staff. Phase two is scheduled for some time this year; it will involve students more vigorous-ly than their current involvement through focus groups. Moving forward, the initiative is going to align with President Frenk’s “Culture of Belonging” move-ment.

Furthermore, a group of seven individuals were selected to oversee the direction of the culture transformation. The members are: Executive Vice President and Provost Thomas J. Leblanc, Dean Isaac Prillelten-sky of the School of Education and Human Development, Chief Financial Officer Joe Natoli, Vice President of Budget and Planning Mark Diaz, Vice Presi-dent of Communications Jacque-line R. Menendez, Dean Pascal J. Goldschmidt of the Miller School of Medicine and Vice President of Human Resources Nerissa Morris.

Dean Prilleltensky said that the initiative’s purpose is to cre-ate a standard for leadership and behavior in order to improve the working climate of the univer-sity.

“I think it’s important that we appreciate the president’s initiative to create a culture of belonging … That we go be-yond demographic to have ev-eryone feel they have value and add value to the university. It’s a very welcoming message,” said Prilleltensky.

As depicted on the culture initiative roadmap found on the home page, the creation of this site combined with President Frenk’s efforts to improve and diversify the culture perception of the university is just the f irst step.

K nown for both its sweltering heat and humid climate, Mi-ami has the perfect

weather for the growth of mold – and that’s what many fresh-men students in the Rosbor-

ough Tower of Stanford Resi-dential College returned to f ind after winter break.

Housing and Residential Life declined to comment on the situation, but Area Direc-tor Jaimie Osborn sent out an email about reporting personal items affected. However, the email does not mention a spe-cif ic reason for the damage.

“You are receiving this email because during break your personal belongings may have been effected [sic] in some way. If you believe your items are damaged or not cleanable you have until Friday, January 15th to complete an incident report for the central housing

office to review and determine how they will resolve the is-sue. By submitting an incident report, you are allowing hous-ing to review your case and determine if they will be clean-ing, replacing or doing nothing with your claim. We encourage residents to keep any damaged belongs [sic], document with pictures and be detailed with pricing by attaching receipts when possible.”

Over the break, humidity along with temperatures within the building may have risen, creating the perfect climate for mold growth. The Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion (CDC) website lists “warm, damp and humid conditions” as the best for the growth of mold.

The effects of the outbreak were seen on many Stanford Residents’ possessions, some hit harder than others. One freshman, Gyles Ward, re-turned to f ind his clothes were covered by mold: a pair of dark pants with mold in spades and a cardigan covered in fungi.

“The clothes had a lot of sentimental value and it was just a heart-wrenching experi-ence to be welcomed back by such a sight,” he said.

The mold did not just hit clothes. It also grew on walls, carpets, refrigerators and even the instrument of one music student who didn’t wish to be named.

Vanessa Gonzalez also cit-ed the sentimental value of her damaged property.

“I lost a pair of vintage boots from Vietnam, one of a kind, which held a lot of senti-mental value,” Gonzalez said.

Some types of mold have the capability of causing respi-ratory irritation, rashes and al-lergic reactions that can be dan-gerous, according to the CDC.

Residents like Suhas Se-shadri immediately asked for any mold growing on his room’s walls to be removed. The school’s response was prompt enough to prevent any apparent health problems.

Website expands on culture initiative goals

Stanford residents find mold in dorms after winter break

ADMINISTRATION HEALTH AND WELLNESS

By Jorge ChaboJorge ChaboSenior News Writer

By Justin LeiJustin LeiContributing News Writer

STICKY SITUATION: After returning from winter break, multiple students in Stanford Residential College found mold growing on their clothes, shoes and appliances, such as this mini refrigerator. The cause of the mold appeared to be an air conditioning malfunction throughout the dorm.

Justin Lei Justin Lei // Contributing Photographer

January 14 - January 20, 2016 THE MIAMI HURRICANE NEWS 3

“We got no funding to screen ‘The Hunting Ground’ from the WGS depart-ment, which is supposed to be having a sexual assault-themed year.”

The group was still able to screen the f ilm at the Cosford Cinema on campus by using a free time slot at no charge around 3 p.m., according to Westaway.

Westaway said that she was shocked by her treatment because she previously had great relationships with her supervi-sors and superiors.

“I can give you past letters of my direc-tors. They are glowing, because not only do

I love and work on this field, but I am a workhorse in the department,” she said. “I do programming, I work with students, I do so much in the department that they really are sup-portive of me.”

Westaway was an ar-dent supporter of Angela Cameron, a student at the

school who accused another student, David Jia, of raping her in April of 2014.

“For me, it’s not a choice. It’s like, you see someone, they’re flailing in the ocean, you’re sitting on the sand. It’s not a choice; you go after them, you try to save them,” Westaway said of her activism.

Jia was suspended by the Dean of Stu-dents Ricardo D. Hall for the following fall semester, but allowed to return in the spring of 2015. Police declined to charge Jia due to a lack of evidence, but Hall found that Jia had violated the school’s student conduct policy. Jia was found responsible by the university of sexual assault, sexual violence and intimate partner violence.

When he returned in the spring, the Canes Consent group founded by Westaway

collected thousands of signatures on a peti-tion to deny Jia, a senior, the ability to gradu-ate at the school. He was ultimately allowed to walk at the graduation ceremony that spring.

Cameron then alleged that Jia had beaten her twice during the semester, but the Coral Gables Police Department released a report in which they said they could not place Jia at the locations where Cameron claimed to have been beaten. Then-President of UM Donna Shalala later released a statement that labeled the beating accusation as “unfound-ed.”

Westaway said she still stands by the “Justice for Angela” campaign, considering it a necessary movement at the university.

“It absolutely needed to have the anti-septic of sunlight. Angela was mistreated, she was broken by the school,” she said.

Westaway said that the Dean of Stu-dents Office even put a “gag order” on her shortly before Cameron was suspended for a semester in the fall of 2015.

“It’s bitterly, bitterly ironic that she re-ceived the same punishment that a rapist and batterer would receive. I don’t think she de-served it,” Westaway said.

Claire Oueslati-Porter now teaches the Introduction to Women’s and Gender Stud-ies class that Westaway taught. The National Organization for Women, of which West-away was faculty advisor, will appoint a new advisor. According to Winick, the Sexual As-sault Survivors Support Group is not an of-ficial group at the University.

Twelve students met with Westaway on Wednesday night in a conference room at a co-working space, where she encouraged them to continue what she started.

Westaway’s email directed recipients to sign an online petition calling for the school to make space in the new Lennar Foundation Medical Center for a Sexual Assault Survivor Support Center. The petition outlines a “sev-en room suite” for the support center, which “would include two therapy rooms, one fo-rensics room for rape kits (with 24-hour ac-cess), one media room, one coordinator’s room and one room solely for group therapy and community and victim advocacy.”

“I would want victims to receive the utmost caring, quick, comprehensive, just treatment. I want them to be understood to be some of the most suffering people in the world,” Westaway said, “and I want them to be treated with great care.”

Lecturer’s dismissal follows controversial activism

ADMINISTRATION

By Isabella Cueto Isabella Cueto and William RigginWilliam RigginAssistant News Editor and News Editor

WESTAWAYWESTAWAY

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BIGGER AND BETTER:The UM Swim-

ming & Diving team practices Wednes-day afternoon at the UC pool. The pool opened Monday after renovations which lasted throughout last summer and fall. New features include increased depth, a temperature regula-tion system, a chemi-

cal balance system and LED lights. The new systems keep the water at optimal con-dition for swimmers. The dive platforms were also raised in order to compensate for water level eleva-tion. The pool’s grand opening party will be hosted on Thursday from noon to 2 p.m. at the Lakeside Patio.

TEAM DIVES IN TO NEW POOL

4 NEWS THE MIAMI HURRICANE January 14 - January 20, 2016

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F elicia Knaul chal-lenged students to ap-ply Haiti’s example of resilience during the

2010 earthquake to the university community and beyond at the Haiti Remembrance Ceremony on Tues-day at the Lakeside Patio Stage.

Knaul, director of the Univer-sity of Miami’s Miami Institute for the Americas, was invited to speak by Planet Kreyol, a Haitian student organization, before a moment of silence was held at 4:53 p.m. – ex-actly six years after the 7.0 earth-quake occurred that killed over 200,000. Knaul called the acts fol-

lowing the earthquake “world class and [an] extraordinary demonstra-tion of what is resilience.”

“Reliance is what we can apply to fight and respond to the earth-quakes that happen every single day [and] poverty that happens in Haiti and in other places,” Knaul said.

Knaul even tied in causal fac-tors that generated the earthquake and will generate other earth-quakes in our hemisphere – a topic she and her husband, University of Miami President Julio Frenk, are passionate about.

She went on to challenge at-tendees to think about what can be done in the community and beyond to change how much natural and human-made disasters shake the world during the moment of silence in remembrance.

Miami has one of the largest Haitian populations in the nation, which is why, according to Planet Kreyol Vice President and senior Freddy Michaud, the organization felt that it was appropriate to com-memorate and honor the Haitian

community six years after the trag-edy.

“Haitian-American people have had an impact on the people in Haiti,” Michaud said. “The work that we do here directly influences them and we want to make sure

that we keep this moment in re-membrance of them and show that work still needs to be done.”

Although many negative things happened following the disaster, External Vice President senior Robenson Beralus said that

he believes that the most positive aspect to come out of the tragedy is that the Obama administration allowed for Haitian migrants to obtain legal documents including driver’s licenses and work permits, something that greatly helped Hai-tians looking for a better life.

For Beralus, Jan. 12, 2010 is a day he will always remember. He was sitting at home with his uncle “just hanging out” when the earth-quake occurred and they received a phone call that his uncle’s wife had died.

“It was the first time I ever saw my uncle cry,” Beralus said.

Beralus’s story is just one of thousands, according to Secretary for Planet Kreyol senior Emmanu-ella Jean-Jacques, which is why it is so important to remember the earthquake each year.

“We are Haitians,” said Jean-Jacques. “It’s a way for us to come together and be there for each other on a day like today.”

University of Miami Application

The University of Miami Information Technology depart-ment and communications de-partment are revamping the uni-

versity’s mobile application to update the software and increase user functionality and interactiv-ity.

Numerous programs within the application are outdated. For example, the Coral Gables campus map currently does not have the Shalala Student Cen-ter (SCC) on it; the Hurry ‘Cane shuttle schedule has inaccurate timing info and the course lists miss many classes and have out-of-date course numbers. The ap-plication was created and last updated for the iPhone 4. Newer phone models show a smaller version of the application that does not fit current screen sizes. Also, it is impossible to utilize

the application without data us-age or Wi-Fi.

Student Government Sen-ate discussed ideas for improv-ing the application at Wednes-day’s meeting. Feedback will go through campus liaisons, who will later bring it to the respective departments.

New Library Rule

The library’s three-strike rule has been replaced with a new five-pass rule, allowing students to enter the library five times without their Cane Card before repercussions are enforced. The Campus Liaison Council helped to rectify the rule as they felt

that the three-strike rule would deter students from attending the library and the word “strike” sounded too strong.

Hoverboards

Hoverboards are not permit-ted inside any university building according to Brandon Gross, the associate director of the SCC, who cited safety concerns as the reason.

Gross said that Nicholas Children Hospital have reported treating 54 people involved in hoverboard accidents. Forty-two of them have been for fractures.

Notes

Free Metrorail passes to the Miller Medical School campus will be given out in February after the add-drop period to stu-dents who attend classes there for credits.

The first 500 students who go to the women’s basketball game against Florida State Uni-versity (FSU) on Jan. 24 will be able to enter the men’s basketball game against Duke University 30 minutes early on Jan. 25.

Feb. 1 is the last day to file for candidacy for a Senate or Ex-ecutive position in Student Gov-ernment.

Ceremony honors victims of 2010 Haiti earthquake

Mobile app updated, library rules revised, hoverboards banned indoors

CAMPUS LIFE

SENATE RECAP

By Amanda HerreraAmanda HerreraContributing Writer

By Marcus LimMarcus LimStaff Writer

SILENT REFLECTION: Students bow their heads in a moment of silence during Wednesday’s Haiti earthquake remembrance ceremony at the Lakeside Patio. Planet Kreyol hosted the event to honor the victims of the earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010.

Alisha Kabir Alisha Kabir // Staff Photographer

January 14 - January 20, 2016 THE MIAMI HURRICANE ADVERTISEMENT 5

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6 OPINION THE MIAMI HURRICANE January 14 - January 20, 2016

OpinionOpinionEDITORIAL

President Julio Frenk is already making a distinct mark on the university with only one semester under his belt. Since his initial appoint-ment last spring, he has often emphasized the importance of diversity, and this is one of several principles included in a new university-wide Cul-ture Transformation initiative that officially went underway last semester.

According to the university’s SharePoint website, the initiative hopes to instill several key community values – diversity, integrity, responsi-bility, excellence, creativity, compassion and team-work – through formal training. The website offers signups for “New Day” training sessions, perky videos about transforming lives and a set of listed “behaviors” corresponding to the university’s

expectations. The initiative revolves around the belief that the university should be more customer-service oriented.

Some faculty members have expressed con-cerns about being required to adhere to “Disney training.” While the stated values are very posi-tive, we must remember that the university, or at least the undergraduate campus, is above all a place of higher learning, not a hospitality service. Academia is founded on the basic processes of learning, teaching and discovery; the very use of a term like “customer service” taints this image with a commercialized quality that undermines the university’s ability to be taken seriously as a prestigious academic leader.

Some of the ideals touted by the initiative seem at odds with each other. In a promotional video, Emmy Award–winning journalist and alumna Jackie Nespral talks about “one consis-tent experience,” and yet Dean Leonidas Bachas

speaks of the importance in having a “diversity of ideas, challenging how we think.”

To what extent can one idea limit the other?Still, the ideals of the initiative are hard to

contest. Everyone can agree that it is important for diverse students to feel like they can participate in intellectual discussion and discovery and that respectful relationships between faculty and stu-dents foster a better learning experience.

At best, this initiative can help bring about thoughtful, honest introspection. But at worst, it imposes more bureaucratic obligations that inter-fere with the duties of our faculty and staff. One would hope is that the individuals hired or admit-ted by the university have their own intuition to meet these expectations without requiring extra training.

Editorials represent the majority view of The Miami Hurricane editorial board.

Culture Transformation initiative raises concerns, contradictions

The MiamiHURRICANE

The Miami Hurricane is published semi-weekly during the regular academic year and is edited and produced by undergraduate students at the University of Miami. The publication does not necessarily represent the views and opinions of advertisers or the university’s trustees, faculty or administration. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of The Miami Hurricane’s Editorial Board. Commentaries, letters and cartoons represent only the views of their respective authors. The newsroom and business offi ce of The Miami Hurricane are located in the Student Activities Center, Student Media Suite 200.

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEFNick Gangemi

MANAGING EDITOR Julie Harans

NEWS EDITORWilliam Riggin

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORIsabella Cueto

OPINION EDITORJackie Yang

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O n Tuesday, President Obama held his final State of the Union address inside the House Chamber. He discussed the past, present and future of the infamously discordant

world of U.S. politics.As his time in the White House nears its end, the

president chose to commence his hour-long speech by listing his administration’s achievements in the economy, healthcare and clean energy, issues that have spurred a growing partisan divide in Congress over the years, as in-dicated by what has been a bitter election season for both parties.

Unfortunately, we’ve become all too familiar with the cacophony and immobility of the federal government. People often point fin-gers at the Oval Office. However, in reality, as anyone who has taken a beginner-level civics course knows, it takes two to tango … or in this case, more than 535. What may seem like common-sense legislation to some politicians may be the other party’s greatest nightmare. Without the help of Congress, there’s not much the president can do besides issue a slew of executive orders. That’s not to say, though, that President Obama hasn’t had impressive accomplishments.

Many of President Obama’s more significant proposals such as the Afford-able Care Act have become reality, much to the chagrin of House Republicans and conservatives across the nation. There’s no doubt that a relatively successful Democratic agenda paired with the growing power of dissenters has fueled divi-sion in U.S. politics. The president suggested getting rid of the partisan practice

of gerrymandering to make it easier for citizens to vote. By doing so, President Obama underscored a prominent component of democracy, striving to bridge the great divide as Lincoln did by embracing every politician in the gallery, not as Democrats and Republicans, but as one Congress.

And of course – as one American people. In recent years, many of us have succumbed to fear and strayed away from the nation’s foundations of equality and acceptance, instead choosing to stigmatize races and religions by radical means and proposals. Like, say, building a wall.

As part of a long road to progress, the president fervently emphasized the need to be inclusive by taking jabs at anti-Muslim rhetoric, which has heightened following recent terrorist attacks in Paris and California. Muslims, as well as im-migrants and the LGBT community, were brought up as groups of people who have suffered through scorn and prejudice due to political rancor and backlash.

In past years, President Obama has initiated social policies intended to help these particular groups, to some success. With the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, gay individuals can openly serve in the military. Following the recent crisis in the Middle East, the United States has allowed thousands of Syrian refugees to enter the country. His executive actions on granting illegal immigrants temporary legal status, however, has hit a legal bulwark in recent months, further rubbing salt in a congressional-partisan wound that has yet to heal.

The clock is ticking, and President Obama has yet to accomplish everything he’s promised. Nevertheless, by shedding an optimistic light on his final year in of-fice, the president aims to finish strong by stimulating funding for cancer research, cutting college costs and raising the minimum wage to assist the working class that makes up the backbone of this country’s economy. As the new year kicks off to a start and November’s election ominously draws closer, many of us, whether we agree with Obama’s proposals or not, would like to see an end of the government’s squabbling and more steps toward action and progress.

Israel Aragon is a freshman majoring in neuroscience.

State of the Union emphasizes remediating partisan divisions

By Israel AragonIsrael AragonContributing Columnist

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January 14 - January 20, 2016 THE MIAMI HURRICANE OPINION 7

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W h i l e c a mpu s was shut down for

winter break, my com-plaints about cold weather were met with reprimands from angry friends and family who had unhap-pily trucked through a Chicago winter for much longer than I had. Living in Miami, we’re used to

talking about weather fairly often, but the cli-mate discussion has taken on a different angle this year with El Niño. This phenomenon, com-bined with global climate change, has produced some extremely destructive weather events in the last few weeks. Yet just three weeks out from the Iowa caucuses, the climate remains an issue that is largely ignored and even reproached.

El Niño is a natural event that occurs when the usual easterly winds over the Pacific Ocean weaken, so warm water that would normally

build up on the western side of the ocean sloshes back to the east and creates a pileup of warm wa-ter on the coasts of South and Central America. This happens naturally and periodically, about every seven to 10 years. This cycle affects global weather events and the United States generally experiences warmer temperatures and more pre-cipitation.

According to the 2015 climate data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-ministration (NOAA), this year was the second-hottest, third-wettest and the most extreme year for weather on record.

It can be easy to ignore climate news like this because we have become numb to the consistent rhetoric of environmental catastrophe after hear-ing so much about breaking records and massive changes in geodynamics. In reality, most of our lives have not changed drastically since climate change was brought to public attention.

I emphasize that “most” of our lives have not changed, because people around the world are in fact suffering, and even dying, due in part to climate change. To round up just some of these devastating weather events, on Dec. 28, 2015, 18 million people in states ranging from Illinois to Texas were affected by flash flooding according to The Washington Post.

Flash floods like these have been closely linked to climate change. The Environmental

Protection Agency releases fact sheets on the pre-dicted and observed climate change effects by re-gion. Climate scientists predict that “precipitation in the Midwest is expected become more intense, leading to increased flood damage, strained drainage systems and reduced drinking water availability.”

The recent downpour caused “major inun-dations” of homes and roadways and irreparable damage to infrastructure. It broke the flood record that was set in 1993 by a disaster that resulted in $15 billion in damage. According to the Weather Channel, as of Jan. 3, at least 28 people have been killed by this weather system and its flooding.

The economic toll of this destruction is rea-son enough to place more emphasis on climate is-sues. Just a few days later, a “freak” storm caused the North Pole to reach temperatures above freezing – a whopping 50 degrees warmer than normal. Of course, floods existed before the in-dustrial revolution ignited climate change, but the severity, magnitude and sheer number of extreme weather events is unprecedented.

Excluding severe weather and only taking into account warming global temperatures, “cli-mate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year between 2030 and 2050; 38,000 due to heat exposure in elderly people, 48,000 due to diarrhea, 60,000 due to ma-laria and 95,000 due to childhood malnutrition,”

according to the World Health Organization. This is an epidemic.

Climate change needs to be addressed as a critical issue for politics and policy, not just a niche interest. Events associated with climate change cause increased health care costs, eco-nomic hardship and significant disruptions to the lives of American citizens.

Republican frontrunner ahead of the Iowa caucuses Ted Cruz has not even clearly articulat-ed whether or not he believes that climate change is real. Only three of the Republican presidential candidates have called for some kind of action on the issue and even fewer have articulated any spe-cific steps.

Last month the COP 21, or the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, made a momentous deal to slow temperature rise. One hundred and eighty-six countries, including all significant emitters, have submitted concrete steps agreed upon to curb their emissions. If we want to be international leaders, our domestic leaders need to address climate change and make significant policy proposals to protect our econo-my, health and safety.

Annie Cappetta is a sophomore majoring in ecosystem science and policy and political sci-ence.

US leaders need to address climate issues

By Annie CappettaAnnie CappettaPolitics Columnist

ENVIRONMENT

8 EDGE THE MIAMI HURRICANE January 14 - January 20, 2016

arts & entertainment

DESIGN BYDESIGN BY AMY MELTZER AMY MELTZER

Big City Folk Band brings unique soundBy Israel AragonIsrael Aragon

Contributing Writer

I n a generation that considers the genres of pop and electronic as the pinnacles of mainstream music, Big City Folk Band, consisting of Uni-

versity of Miami student musicians, aims to step out of the norm by performing and writing songs that combine elements of folk, Americana and Celtic music in an unortho-dox fashion using classical instruments.

Led by sophomore Samuel Feinstein, the band’s bassist, Big City Folk Band cur-rently features senior Matthew Clinkenbeard on banjo and guitar, lead vocalist junior Katherine Evans on fiddle, junior Garrett Smith on mandolin and lead vocalist sopho-more Trish Vega on guitar. Nick Chouard, a past member and vocalist, came up with the name of the band, which reflects the mem-bers’ profound appreciation of folk music despite the fact that each member comes from predominantly urban backgrounds.

The group formed in the spring of 2015 when Samuel wrote “Call to the Wind” in his Anglo-American Ensemble class and de-cided to form a band with members he knew personally, each of whom gravitated toward folk music. Since then, they’ve played at on and off-campus locations, including the Lakeside Patio Stage, the Sylvester Cancer Center and the UM Arboretum. As the band continues to evolve, its members hope to en-tertain crowds at bigger venues.

“We’re also planning some Flori-da shows, along with one in Nashville,” Clinkenbeard said. “So we’d definitely like to branch out on the local level, and perhaps even national. Probably a little more than just on campus.”

Big City Folk Band’s next performance will be at the Granary, slated for Feb. 26.

During their performances, the band plays a variety of songs from covers to origi-nals that touch upon different facets of the human condition. One of the band’s more recent songs is “Undone,” a somber ballad that deals with loss and loneliness.

“We’ve each written a song at some point,” Evans said. “When I started writing folk, I was really into eerie, dark ballads, so songs like ‘Undone’ are just what came out. It’s a creepy, sad song, but there’s a hope-ful message that reaches out to the audience and whatever they’re going through.”

Having different musicians help with songwriting allows the band to produce a wider scope of songs, she explained.

“Sometimes our songs will be melan-choly, but other times they can also be really bubbly. We’re different people with different ideas, so we don’t want to stick to just one particular mood,” she said.

While the band primarily boasts a tra-ditional folk sound, Big City Folk Band also occasionally performs country covers of well-known songs from other genres like Johnny Mercer’s “Moon River.” The mu-sicians cited the Punch Brothers as one of their biggest inspirations among other folk and bluegrass bands. Although both genres aren’t mainstream, the band doesn’t see that as a disadvantage.

“I’m under the impression that al-though the crowd that listens to folk might be a bit smaller, they’re a very loyal crowd,” Feinstein said.

Vega agreed that the band’s style is an-other way to set them apart.

“I don’t think folk ever really went away because by definition, it’s the people’s mu-sic,” she said. “I think it’s evolved to mean

different things, but I would take it as an advantage because doing mainstream pop all the time would be boring. Anything that makes us unique is cool.”

Aside from Punch Brothers, the band members also cited Mumford & Sons and Bob Dylan as huge inspirations, along with other artists and Southern musicians who have shaped the ubiquitous world of folk music.

“I grew up listening to country and bluegrass,” Clinkenbeard said. “I think the

rest of us are more into the folkier side of it, but I do like the redneck side of it.”

Big City Folk Band currently has a stu-dio EP in the works and their songs and vid-eos can be found on their official Facebook and SoundCloud pages.

Listen to Big City Folk Band’s music on SoundCloud at soundcloud.com/bigcityfolkband or visit the band’s Facebook page at facebook.com/thebigcityfolkband.

Hallee Melter // Hallee Melter // Photo EditorPhoto Editor

ROCKING OUT: Big City Folk Band plays a concert for the local community in the UM Arboretum last spring. The band, composed of UM students, performs original and cover songs in both the traditional folk and country styles.

January 14 - January 20, 2016 THE MIAMI HURRICANE SPORTS 9

T he Hurricanes brought in new Head Coach Mark Richt to revitalize a pro-gram that has not had a 10-win sea-son since 2003. A little more than a

month into the job, Richt has already expunged all remnants of the previous regime. Not a single assistant coach from the Al Golden era remains on the team. The new staff assembled by Richt includes coaches who worked with him at the University of Georgia, a member of the famed Hurricanes 2001 national championship team and one of the top-position coaches in all of col-lege football. Here’s a look at the new group of coaches tabbed by Richt.

Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers Coach: Manny Diaz

Taking over the defense is Miami native Manny Diaz, replacing Mark D’Onofrio. Per the Palm Beach Post, Diaz will also replace Hurlie Brown as linebackers coach. Diaz brings with him 18 years of coaching experience and an ag-gressive 4-3 defense to the Canes. An attacking 4-3 scheme with four down linemen and three linebackers was a hallmark of the great Hurri-canes teams of the 1980s and early 2000s. Diaz last spent the 2015 season at Mississippi State, where his group held opponents to 23.2 points per game, five points better than Miami this year.

“I’m not concerned about being tricky and all that kind of stuff,” Diaz said in a radio inter-view on WQAM on Tuesday. “We’ve got to stop the run at a much higher level … and just see who can be responsible for holding the point and at-tacking the line of scrimmage and make teams have to beat us left-handed.” This style is a total reverse of the defense run by D’Onofrio, which was a more reaction-based system. Stopping the run and pressuring the quarterback are the top priorities of this defense, so it’s paramount to have the defensive linemen capable of implementing the scheme.

Defensive Line Coach: Craig KuligowskiThat won’t be a problem with Craig Kuli-

gowski replacing Randy Melvin. Coach “Kool” is arguably the top defensive line coach in the coun-try and has the accolades to prove it. While at the

University of Missouri for the last 15 seasons, Kuligowski coached 24 players to all-conference honors, 10 of them since 2010. He’s produced four first-round picks since 2009. The winners of the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award in 2013 and 2014? Both coached by Kuligowski. Miami has struggled recently on the defensive line de-spite possessing highly talented players. That shouldn’t be the case anymore with Kuligowski at the helm.

Safeties Coach: Ephraim BandaEphraim Banda is in charge of Miami’s safe-

ties. Banda spent the 2015 season as a defensive assistant under Diaz at Mississippi State. In 2015, the Bulldogs led the country in fewest pass plays of 20-plus yards allowed with just 24 for the sea-son.

Cornerbacks Coach: Mike RumphFormer Hurricane and member of the 2001

national championship team Mike Rumph will handle the team’s cornerbacks. Rumph spent the last three seasons coaching at Broward County powerhouse American Heritage High School in Plantation. Heritage won the state championship in 2013 and 2014, becoming the second school in Broward County history to win back-to-back ti-tles. Coming in as one of the top local high school coaches, Rumph will further help Richt recruit the South Florida area. Rumph and Banda re-place Paul Williams, who oversaw all defensive backs for Miami last season.

Co-offensive Coordinator and Running Backs Coach: Thomas Brown

Richt brought in Thomas Brown, who spent the 2015 season coaching running backs at Geor-gia, to oversee Miami’s running game. Brown replaces Tim “Ice” Harris, a local high school coaching legend, who spent the last two seasons at UM. Under Brown last season, sophomore Sony Michel, who played for Rumph at Heritage, became the 13th Bulldog to rush for more than 1,000 yards with 1,076 yards on the ground. In 2014, Brown coached Heisman Trophy runner-up Melvin Gordon at Wisconsin. Gordon ran for the second-most yards in the history of college football that season, finishing with 2,587 rushing yards and 32 total touchdowns. Richt will call the plays on offense, but Brown is his No. 2 on that side of the ball.

Quarterbacks Coach: Jon RichtJon Richt, Mark Richt’s son, will serve as quarter-backs coach, according to the Palm Beach Post. Former offensive coordinator James Coley han-dled the quarterbacks last season. Jon Richt spent

the 2015 season as an offensive assistant with the Buffalo Bills after spending a year as a quality control assistant at Georgia. Although Jon is the quarterbacks coach, Mark has stated since leav-ing Georgia that he wants to be more hands-on with his quarterbacks.

Wide Receivers Coach and Passing Game Coordina-tor: Ron Dugans

Florida native Ron Dugans will be in charge of wide receivers under Richt. Dugans takes over for former Cane Kevin Beard, a teammate of Rumph’s on the 2001 national championship squad. Dugans has 11 years of coaching experi-ence, most recently spending the past two seasons at the University of South Florida. In 2014, wide receiver Andre Davis scored a then-school record seven touchdown catches for the Bulls. Prior to overseeing receivers at USF, Dugans spent three years as an assistant at Louisville, where he coached receiver DeVante Parker, the most recent first-round pick of the Miami Dolphins.

Offensive Line Coach: Stacy SearelsStacy Searels replaces a legendary Cane, Art

Kehoe, as offensive line coach. Searels previously coached offensive lines at Virginia Tech, Texas, Georgia and Louisiana State University. The for-mer All-America offensive lineman at Auburn spent the 2007-10 seasons with Richt at Georgia.

Tight Ends Coach and Special Teams Coordinator: Todd Hartley

Another carryover from Georgia, Todd Hartley takes control of tight ends and special teams, the two groups previously handled by Lar-ry Scott and Golden, respectively. Hartley previ-ously served as the director of player personnel at Georgia. Before going to Georgia, Hartley served as safeties coach, tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator between the 2011 and 2013 seasons at Marshall University.

Combined record of Miami’s men’s and wom-en’s basketball teams, the best in the ACC.28-4SportsSports

Mark Richt finalizes coaching staff

By Mark SingerMark SingerSports Editor

FOOTBALL

10 SPORTS THE MIAMI HURRICANE January 14 - January 20, 2016

A s the col-lege basket-ball season reaches its

midway point, the Hur-ricanes have already torched preseason pre-dictions. Coming into the season, the Canes (15-2, 3-1) were project-ed to f inish sixth in the ACC and received just one vote in the AP poll. Today, the No. 21 Hur-ricanes are the third-highest-ranked team in the ACC, behind No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 16 Florida State.

The Canes began the season winning their f irst 10 games, just two shy of match-ing the school record set by the 2003 team. The team’s f irst loss came at the hands of then-No. 4 Baylor in a tightly con-tested game.

The team’s early success could be at-tributed to a relatively easy strength of sched-ule. The Canes’ Rating Percentage Index (RPI) rank stands at 40, sig-nificantly lower than their AP poll ranking. RPI is a ranking system that takes into account a team’s wins, losses and strength of schedule. Miami’s matchup ver-sus Baylor is the only time they have faced a ranked opponent this season. The Canes have

barely touched the tip of the iceberg in the power-ful ACC and have only played four games in a conference that boasts f ive ranked teams.

Naismith Trophy Early Season Watch List selection Adrienne Motley leads the team. The junior guard is the team’s most aggressive and consistent scorer, averaging 15.9 points per game. Junior Jessica Thomas and redshirt senior Michelle Woods, both returning starters from last year’s NCAA Tournament team, ac-company Motley in the backcourt. Thomas has done a solid job running the point, totaling 62 as-sists on the season. She is also a pit bull on de-

fense, forcing opposing backcourts into commit-ting turnovers.

Freshman Emese Hof took over the start-ing center position from sophomore Erykah Dav-enport 11 games into the season. Since then, Hof has done well control-ling the paint, averaging 6.4 rebounds a game.

The Canes have had a strong season to this point and Head Coach Kate Meier’s squad should be able to make some noise in the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year.

The Canes next face Wake Forest at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the BankUnited Center.

Team surpasses projections by season midpoint

By Tej JoshiTej JoshiCopy Editor

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

T he BankUnited Center has been sold out game after game this

year, and for good reason. The men’s basketball team has had an impressive season thus far.

Head Coach Jim Larra-ñaga’s squad came into the year with high expectations. The team has met them to this point, starting off the season with a record of 13-2 and a top-10 ranking. The No. 8 Canes have played un-selfish basketball and clearly have adopted the concept of “wins over statistics.”

Miami had key victories early on, particularly over then-No. 16 Utah and then-No. 22 Butler in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The team also has quality victories over Florida and Syracuse as well. The Canes’ only losses have come from Northeastern on a heartbreaking buzzer-beater and No. 13 Virginia on Tues-day night.

The seniors have led the way on this team just as they were expected to do. Redshirt senior guard Sheldon Mc-Clellan is Miami’s top scorer, averaging 16.1 points a game while shooting more than 53 percent from the field and 87 percent from the free-throw line.

Senior center Tonye Jekiri is averaging about the same number of points,

blocks and rebounds as last season, but his field goal per-centage has shot up to a ca-reer-high 58.4 percent. While already the team’s defensive anchor and leading rebound-er, Jekiri has improved his scoring touch around the bas-ket and his mid-range jump shot.

Redshirt senior guard Angel Rodriguez has done well facilitating the offense and is shooting 41 percent from the field, a career-high mark.

Senior forward Ivan Cruz Uceda is not starting, but he continues to affect the game when his team needs him the most. When he is on the floor, he has arguably been the Canes’ most lethal three-point shooter. Uceda is shooting a career-high 54.1 percent from the field and

a deadly 49.1 percent from three-point range. He has also improved his defense, which was once a glaring weakness of his.

Miami has benefited from its depth, often having multiple players from the starting lineup and the bench score in double figures. Sophomore guard Ja’Quan Newton has played a pivotal role in Miami’s success, aver-aging over 11 points a game and shooting 52 percent com-ing off the bench.

The Hurricanes are poised to have their best sea-son since the 2012-13 group that made it to the Sweet Six-teen if they continue to play at this level.

The Canes next face Clemson at 2 p.m. on Satur-day in South Carolina.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

By Isaiah Kim-MartinezIsaiah Kim-MartinezSenior Sports Writer

No. 8 Canes gear up for deep postseason run

Nick Gangemi //Nick Gangemi // Editor- in-Chief Editor- in-Chief

POWERING THROUGH: Redshirt junior Kamari Murphy blocks a Dowling defender during the fall exhibition game at the BankUnited Center. The No. 8 Hurricanes men’s basketball team is currently ranked in the AP top 10 for the first time since March 2013.

Shreya Chidarala //Shreya Chidarala // Staff Photographer Staff Photographer

STRONG SHIELD: Redshirt senior guard Michelle Woods (10) defends a River Hawk player during the December game against UMass Lowell in the BankUnited Center. The Hurricanes women’s basketball team started 10-0 and is currently ranked No. 21 in the country.

January 14 - January 20, 2016 THE MIAMI HURRICANE DEAR V 11

Dear V, Dear V,

Over break, I spent time with family. Between curi-ous aunts, prying cousins and my traditional, overbearing mother, I was grilled almost constantly on why I don’t have a boyfriend. Truth is, I have a friend with benefits who I’ve been seeing for a while. Col-lege is stressful and busy, so I don’t want a real relationship.

I tried to explain that there’s a guy I’m seeing and

we’re just not serious, but they wouldn’t listen. One of my aunts even sang “If you liked it then you should’ve put a ring on it,” and everyone joined in.

I’m happy with the way things are. I’m in college; I’m supposed to be having fun. I’m tired of my family making me the butt of a joke just because I’m not committed to some-one.

How can I get my family off my case?

Sincerely,Sincerely,Tired of QuestionsTired of Questions

Dear Tired of Questions,Dear Tired of Questions,

It’s your life – not your fam-ily’s – but hey, there’s nothing wrong with breaking out into a little Beyoncé.

If you’re satisfied with your friend-with-benefits situation,

don’t change it up just because someone else told you it wasn’t enough. People have differ-ent views on relationships, and sometimes relatives give us their opinions when we weren’t asking for them.

Grin and bear the holiday break interrogations. We’re all hounded over our jobs, relation-ships, grades, diet, career goals … you name it. This is just the one thing that your family has clung to.

Hey, at least be grateful that they can’t nag you about a dwindling GPA or an expanding waistband, right?

Next time your family pries about the guys in your life, keep the deets on the hush-hush. The less information you give them, the better. Maybe throw in “I’ve been asked out, but he wasn’t my type,” to keep them guessing. What you divulge is up to you.

For a more direct approach, reciprocate the question. When auntie asks where the boyfriend is, ask her why her third husband left. That’ll shut her up right quick.

I kid, I kid! Just keep doing your thing and don’t worry about what the fam thinks. Sure, the Q&A can be annoying, but I guarantee that all of us are nagged about something around the Christmas tree when we head back home from school.

Maybe that’s why the eggnog keeps disappearing so quickly.

Be thankful that your family cares enough about you to ask, and let off some steam with your friend when you return from the holidays.

-V-V

12 ADVERTISEMENT THE MIAMI HURRICANE January 14 - January 20, 2016

miami.edu/calendar

‘Canes Calendar

Next week...

Sebastian suggests...

HP Patio Jams ft. Megan Talay

Join Hurricane Productions and Patio Jams every Thursday for

12:15-1:30 PM. Don’t miss out on your chance for great entertain-

Women’s Basketball vs Wake

Come celebrate Commuter Stu-dent Night and support the Mi-ami Hurricanes Women’s Basket-ball team as they take on Wake

-ter

The Miami Women’s Tennis Team will open the season Jan. 15-17 by

event will also feature Ole Miss, Texas and reigning NCAA champion

.

The Miami swimming & diving team topped both Kansas and

this past Saturday. The Hurricanes will look to continue to build

Jan. 15

Men’s Tennis vs. St. Johns

The Miami Men’s Tennis team opens the season Jan. 16 when

Atlantic the next day, also at 2

Cosford Cinema Presents: Mustang

Cinema

Cosford Cinema Presents:

Atlantic

Come support the Miami Men’s Tennis team at their second match of the season Jan. 17

Cosford Cinema Presents: Mustang

Monday, January 18

Please submit your information at least two weeks in advance to

Saturday, January 16

Thursday, January 14

-

themed events throughout the semester; featuring airbrush

Sunday, January 17Sunday, January 172:00pm at the