UM Greek life revives Greek Week tradition through music, competition and service

Madison Rottman
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UM Greek life revives Greek Week tradition through music, competition and service

Greek Week is set to return to the University of Miami, bringing back one of the most spirited and anticipated traditions. From Feb. 19 to 28, Greek life chapters will come together for a week-long series of events designed to promote teamwork and philanthropy among sororities and fraternities across campus. 

For most students, this will be their first time participating in Greek Week, introducing them to the spirit that defines the tradition. Organizers emphasize that the events are designed not only for members of Greek organizations, but also welcome the entire university community. 

Greek Week is a well-established tradition at UM, but it was temporarily paused in 2020 due to COVID-19. The week itself was one of the year’s most anticipated events, bringing chapters together through friendly competition while reinforcing a shared dedication to philanthropy.

Association of Greek Letter Organizations Chair Parker Osth describes Greek Week as an opportunity “to showcase to the rest of campus the excitement and spirit behind our diverse chapters and the philanthropic and service efforts we can build together.” 

The Greek Week E-Board, which is made up of student leaders across the Greek community, has been organizing and planning events for each day of the week.

This year’s theme draws inspiration from popular American music festivals, with all 33 chapters divided into nine teams to represent events such as EDC, Ultra, Lollapalooza and III Points. 

“With 2026 being the reintroduction of Greek Week, we want to bring the same kind of excitement and energy our student body has for music festivals to our events,” Osth said. 

Throughout the week, teams will compete in a range of on-campus challenges and large-scale events designed to promote engagement with Greek Life in new and exciting ways that extend beyond individual chapters. 

The first event, “Greeks Got Talent,” will take place Tuesday, Feb. 24, at Lakeside Stage and feature performances from selected members of each team.

Greek Field Day will take place at the Foote Green on Wednesday, Feb. 25, blending friendly competition with fundraising and reviving a special campus tradition. Barnyard Bagels will also be sold with proceeds benefiting the Dolphins Cancer Challenge (DCC).

Ultra Music Festival tickets will be awarded as prizes throughout the week, building anticipation for the final on-campus event, “Battle of the DJs,” on Friday, Feb. 27. The event will feature a large-scale competition among DJs within Greek Life, with attendees encouraged to represent their assigned festival in themed attire.

While Greek Week may be known for its high-energy environment and friendly competition, philanthropy remains at the heart of the event. 

Greek Week’s philanthropic initiative supports the DCC, a local Miami-based organization created after a Miami Dolphins team member was diagnosed with cancer. The challenge has since grown into an annual tradition held in his honor. For many students, participating in DCC fundraising efforts is personal, often driven by a desire to honor loved ones and support cancer research.

Greek Week Philanthropy Chair Hallie Sussner, a sophomore and member of Delta Phi Epsilon, shares her experience and personal connection to the cause. 

“I turned my pain into purpose by fundraising,” Sussner said.

Sussner has been working closely with the DCC to increase student involvement across the University of Miami and plans to participate in the 5K herself. The organization encourages UM students to take part in the week’s final and most anticipated event, DCC XVI, on Feb. 28 at Hard Rock Stadium.

To participate, students must raise a minimum of $250 and can choose from a variety of events, including a 5K run, cycling routes and other activities. Students who are unable to participate in the event can still get involved by donating or fundraising through Team Hurricanes.

Greek Week serves as a reminder of the important role Greek life plays in promoting service and unity across campus. The mix of philanthropy and friendly competition allows students to use their voices and platforms to make a positive impact in the community.

“Expect to see campus charged with the energy of Greek Life’s pride and community as we work together to contribute to the great cause behind the DCC,” Osth said.

Working together, Greek chapters will continue to make a meaningful impact both on campus and in the broader community. Greek Week reflects the values at the core of the University of Miami community: collaboration, service and a shared commitment to making a difference. 

Get your next party outfit with Tonight’s Dress

Valentina Mena
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Get your next party outfit with Tonight’s Dress

Fashion is part of student’s everyday routines at UM. Students constantly plan outfits for game days, formals and nights out. They quickly adopt a cycle of getting dressed, posing for the cameras and starting to plan their next outfit.

But behind this lifestyle are closets stuffed with old clothes that were only worn once. 

Tonight’s Dress, a fashion app run by two Villanova University students, wants to open those closets to more students. The app turns students’ fashion archives into a collective resource. 

This local, community-driven model is one reason the founders see the University of Miami as the perfect audience. 

“Schools like the University of Miami are ideal because there are so many occasions where students need outfits they may only wear a handful of times,” O’Hara said.

Originally developed in 2022, the app was later acquired by current co-owners Nashla Estefan and Caitlin O’Hara, who stepped in to continue growing the platform after the founder graduated. The two now manage the company as a joint venture that expands across campuses. 

“When we saw over 300 active users, that’s when we realized this wasn’t just another idea — students were actually using it,” Estefan said. 

The platform operates as a peer-to-peer marketplace where students can rent clothing directly from each other. After signing up with a University email, users can browse items within their campus radius, message other students and arrange same-day exchanges.

The concept grew from a pattern familiar to many college students: spending significant amounts on clothing for a single occasion. 

“Students might spend around $80 on an outfit that they will only wear once or twice, and then it just sits in their closet,” O’Hara said. “Being able to reuse those pieces — or make some of that money back — really changes the way students think about their wardrobe and spending habits.”

The app has evolved beyond its original start on night gowns to include daylight outfits, accessories and other statement pieces. Recent updates, including in-app payments, messaging features and expanded filters, have also made the platform more seamless for students. 

Still, what Tonight’s Dress stands out from other rental services is its immediacy and social connection. 

“You can message someone and meet up the same day,” Estefan said. “Now, you have a new outfit and made a new friend on campus.”

“it would not only play into sustainable fashion and overconsumption but could also connect the students within UM that are passionate about fashion and really strengthen that niche community.” said the UM LUX club’s president Helena Lopez, a junior styling business management. 

This method is trending as it eliminates shipping costs and delays, and keeps the interaction experience local. Unlike traditional rental services, Tonight’s Dress doesn’t maintain its own inventory. Its collection is built entirely by students, for students.

“I would 100% use this app and participate as well,” said Yara Bhaloo, an UM advertising sophomore student and member of Pi Phi sorority. 

”I think by just being involved in a sorority and having to go to a lot of events with dresses I’ve definitely accumulated a quite formal wardrobe,” Bhaloo said. “ I would love for it to go to more use.”

The platform has already gained popularity at Penn State, but its growth strategy remains intentionally organic. Each campus develops its own marketplace as students post items and invite friends to join. 

Founders describes this app as a “fashion ecosystem that is shaped by the community itself.” 

From its affordability and efficacy, the founders say the platform reflects a new trend in how Gen Z invests in fashion.

“You can both save money and make money in the long term” both CEO’s said. “And you’re doing it with a community you already know and trust.”

Tonight’s Dress app shows the campus fashion isn’t about spending more but about making your personal style using local resources. 

UM alum Elizabeth Scherer takes her studies to the stand

Madison Rottman
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UM alum Elizabeth Scherer takes her studies to the stand

University of Miami alumna, former circuit court judge and current civil litigator Elizabeth Scherer spent most of her life navigating the justice system — first as a prosecutor, then as a judge. Her resilience, dedication, and inspiring role models have guided her throughout her journey and impressive career in law.

Scherer graduated from the Florida State University with a degree in English with a writing emphasis, reflecting her passion for storytelling and communication. 

At this time in her life, she did not envision herself on the bench. However, after enrolling in the UM Litigation Skills Program, everything changed. The program places students in mock courtrooms that closely resemble real trials, pushing them to perform in fast-paced, high-pressure situations. 

She described feeling “adrenaline rush beyond anything [she] had ever felt” during the mock trials. That moment confirmed her growing passion and led her to never look back. 

One professor who stood out to her in particular was Stan Blake, a practicing judge and her litigation-skills professor at the UM. She always remembers his constant words of encouragement, “You were born to do this.”

“That program teaches students how to actually be lawyers,” Scherer said. “It prepares you for the realities of court.”

Long before her legal career began, Scherer found herself in high-pressure situations through athletics. Throughout her childhood, she played a variety of sports and won multiple state championships in volleyball. 

Her coach, Louise Crocco, the National High School Coach of the Year in 1988, was extremely hardcore, but she is grateful for the resilience and discipline she learned at this stage in her life.

“You can be losing,” Scherer said, “but you need to shake it off and keep going.”

She carries that same mindset into the courtroom. 

“I’m probably best under pressure,” Scherer said. “I would never jeopardize the fairness of a trial by letting emotions take over.”

Before becoming a judge, Scherer spent more than a decade as a prosecutor, primarily in the career criminal unit. She handled cases involving robbery, burglary, carjacking, murder, and attempted murder, frequently working with victims of violent crimes.

“As a prosecutor, I loved being an advocate,” Scherer said.

Her role shifted when she transitioned to the bench. As a judge, Scherer was no longer arguing a side. She had to decide who was right.

“Sometimes, as a lawyer, you have to advocate for your client, and you may not necessarily agree with your client’s position,” Scherer said. “But as a judge, you pick who you think is right.”

This contrast defines much of her professional career. Scherer served as a prosecutor for more than a decade before becoming a judge, strongly advocating for the state and victims of serious crimes. 

And she later became one of the youngest judges appointed to the circuit court, a notable achievement in her remarkable career. 

One case in particular, however, tested her on a national level. Scherer gained national recognition as the presiding judge in the 2022 sentencing trial of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter. 

The emotionally charged proceedings placed her at the center of a moment that deeply impacted both the South Florida community and the nation. The weight surrounding the trial became a defining chapter in her career and contributed to her decision to step away from the bench in 2023.

Scherer’s career, spanning prosecution, judicial service, and community advocacy, reveals a broader perspective on the legal profession: justice involves not only enforcing the law but also understanding the lives of those affected. 

In the courtroom, she always carried a strong sense of empathy, a quality that both strengthened her work and, at times, made it more challenging. Some of the most difficult moments of Scherer’s career occurred in dependency court, where she presided over cases involving abused and neglected children.

“I could not serve in dependency longer than two years,” Scherer said, “It just ripped my heart out.” 

These experiences inspired Scherer to pursue advocacy outside the courtroom. 

She served on the Board of Directors of Voices For Children, a nonprofit organization that supports the Guardian ad Litem Program and the Saint Anthony School Foundation for Education, ensuring that students and teachers have the necessary resources. 

After retiring from the bench in 2023, Scherer has reflected on a career marked by high-pressure decision-making, emotionally charged cases, and a lifelong commitment to public service. Stepping away from the courtroom has ultimately welcomed a new perspective in her life.

Now, she works as a complex civil litigator for Conrad & Scherer, her father’s law firm, with her brother Bill Scherer III, who is also a UM law grad, and John Scherer.

For students considering careers in law or public service, Scherer emphasized the importance of consistency and self-reflection for personal growth. 

“The most successful people aren’t always the smartest,” Scherer said. “They’re the ones who put heart into their work.”

She encourages UM students to pursue careers that are both intellectually and socially challenging, emphasizing the importance of learning from mistakes.

“You can accomplish whatever you set your mind to,” Scherer said. “Nothing is too big or too good for you.”

What UM students should know before studying abroad

Gaby Collazo
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What UM students should know before studying abroad

Every University of Miami student heading abroad expects adventure, new culture and a change of scenery. What many do not anticipate is how different daily life feels once they are away from Miami. Students currently studying abroad say the adjustment itself became one of the most defining parts of their experience, offering lessons they wish they knew before leaving campus. 

Expect culture shock

From language barriers to unfamiliar customs, culture shock often begins the moment students step off the plane. Transitioning from a palm-lined campus and Miami’s fast-paced lifestyle to cities that move at a different rhythm can take time. Later dinner hours, inconsistent transportation and new social norms often require students to rethink their routines. 

“The culture shock when you first get here is so hard and I was super homesick,” said Addie Murphy, a junior abroad in Barcelona. “But once I started meeting new people and exploring the city more I felt much more comfortable.” 

While the initial adjustment can be overwhelming, immersing themselves in their surroundings helps ease the shift of life. 

Homesickness is real, even if not expected 

Homesickness might not set in until students are thousands of miles away from family, friends, and everyday life. Time differences and busy schedules abroad can make staying connected more of a difficulty than expected. 

“Being thousands of miles away from home has been challenging,” said Claire Parrish, a junior abroad in Barcelona. “Especially with the six-hour time difference, and after a long day I just want to talk to a familiar face.

Building new routines and forming connections abroad help the longing feeling to fade away over time, even if it seems it won’t. 

Daily routine abroad is not the same as in Miami 

One of the biggest adjustments is reworking routines. From navigating public transportation to managing time differences and language barriers, familiar habits can change quickly. 

“Getting around here is much different than America,” said Murphy. “The time zone change made me jet lagged for the first week, and I also don’t speak much Spanish, so it was hard to figure out how to communicate with others.” 

According to the Office of Study Abroad, these everyday adjustments play a key role in student growth however.

“Learning in a global setting encourages students to step outside their comfort zones and engage with new perspectives,” the Office said. “The cultural immersion helps students develop adaptability and critical thinking beyond traditional learning on campus.”

Free time looks different abroad  

The academic structure abroad is not the same at the University of Miami. With fewer scheduled classes and a greater emphasis on personal exploration, free time becomes bigger than expected. 

“A challenge has honestly been how weird it feels having so much free time,” said Samantha Gross, a junior studying abroad in Barcelona. “But it’s also great because it gives me so many opportunities to explore Barcelona more, try new things, and really take advantage of being here.”

The flexibility allows students to engage more deeply with their host cities, diving deeper into what the place has to offer. 

The experience is not perfect

While studying abroad offers many unique opportunities, the experience does come with highs and lows. Adapting to a new environment is emotionally demanding. 

“There are definitely ups and downs, and some days feel harder than others,” said Parrish. “Still, time moves really fast abroad, so I am trying to make the most of it.”

Whether abroad for a summer session or full semester, the experience ultimately reshapes how they approach daily life, culture and independence. Lessons that can extend beyond their time overseas and back to campus. 

UM students secure $200,000 for ambitious AI startup

Bri Pearson
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UM students secure $200,000 for ambitious AI startup

It was a regular day at the Lakeside Village ping pong tables, two UM freshmen were just trying to win a game. They began talking casually about a problem they both saw in storing private information on computers and they began listing off all the ways they could do it better than the current systems.

Alexander Kim and Ethan Tieu had come into the University together through the Stamps Scholarship program. A “serendipitous set of events,” as Kim described it, made them roommates. 

It didn’t take long for them to realize they shared the same frustration: UM had plenty of talented computer science students, but no real structure to connect them with the research problems happening across campus. So, they built a solution to their frustration.

Kim and Tieu co-founded an applied computer science research group, open to interested students, designed to bridge that gap. They decided not to release the name of the organization to keep focus on Textile. 

“You can think of it like a consulting organization,” Tieu said. Professors, labs and local companies bring the group their data or computational ideas. Then, the student-research group organizes student engineers to build the solutions.

Kim said the scale of the group surprised even them.

“So, after all things told, we worked probably throughout the course of the three years of that organization, which we still run, probably like 80 of the top computer science, electrical engineering, computer engineering, mathematics, and ITD students.”

They’ve delivered more than 27 projects, including diagnostic tools for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, collaborations with the medical campus, and work with the business school and astrophysics department. But as the organization grew, so did its chaos.

“We started drowning in our own information,” Kim said. Years of research files, documents and project histories were scattered across drives and folders. Even the most organized students had systems no one else could inherit. They needed a tool — a tool that didn’t exist yet.

Tieu saw the same problem outside the lab. 

“People create systems that only make sense to them,” Tieu said. “And when something happens, no one else knows where anything is.”

So, once again, the team built a solution.

Within the organization, Kim and Tieu began developing a tool that could store important documents in one place and let users retrieve information in plain language without having to remember file names or folder paths. It was meant to help future team leaders understand the group’s history.

That internal tool eventually became Textile. The first prototype came together last March, when the team entered the College of Engineering’s Innovation Challenge. They won first place — a win publicly celebrated by the College of Engineering.

That early funding helped send the team to New York for the summer, where they built out the prototype and pitched to investors. They printed posters and taped them to police barricades around places like Madison Square Park, putting them on when officers turned away.

By then, they had already chosen the name “Textile.” Only later did they realize their office was in Manhattan’s garment district surrounded by textile retailers. 

“We were literally in the textile retail center,” Kim said. “Textile founded in textile.”

Back in Miami, the student organization continued as a research group. Textile became something else entirely: brand new technology.

They began their ambitious journey within the research group, “Textile is what was born out of it.” Kim said.

The problem Textile is trying to solve is universal: digging through 20 years of paperwork in a manila folder and still not finding what you need.

Michael Mastando, a senior computer science major, joined the team after hearing about the idea from a mutual friend. Today, Textile has 10 student team members and an advisory board of seven senior industry figures. The student run- research group, has more than 40 members and runs 10 projects at a time.

Tieu leads the machine learning and AI. Other students focus on software development, design, debugging, marketing and outreach. Mastando leads business development, reaching out to firms and companies to secure early partnerships.

“It’s really helped me build a lot of real‑world skills,” Mastando said. “Sales, talking to people, cold calling.”

The team didn’t name the investors, but they emphasized that the overall $200,000 investment came from “the local Miami community,” senior advisors in California and academic networks on the East Coast.

The product itself is in public beta and free to try. The major release is coming in the near future, and Textile already has pilot agreements with prominent wealth managers and law firms — partnerships the team expects to turn into full contracts.

For all the technical work, the team talks just as much about values as they do about code. They want Textile to feel “friendly” and “un‑frustrating.” They want answers to be “correct, authoritative and totally intuitive.”

Textile also believes in signing its work — literally — a nod to the original 1984 Macintosh, which hid its design team’s signatures inside the case.

If you say a certain phrase to the system, it reveals a “signature page” of the team and the story of how the name came to be.

After graduation, Kim and Tieu plan to move to New York City to keep building Textile. 

“Everybody who we can afford on the team we’ll bring over,” Kim said. Three of the ten are confirmed to be working from New York, while others will stay involved part-time or remotely.

Tieu describes their journey with a phrase Kim repeats often: “Increase the surface area of your luck.” 

Say yes to strange meetings. Show up to competitions. Talk to people you don’t expect to meet.

“The universe works together in special ways to make that stuff happen,” Tieu said. “I want to work on this until the problem is solved.”

Divine Nine showcases cultural history at Miami Heat game

Gaby Collazo
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Divine Nine showcases cultural history at Miami Heat game

Members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, also known as the Divine Nine, showcased their step skills during a Black History Month celebration during halftime at a Miami Heat game on Monday, Feb. 9.

The University of Miami is home to active chapters of all nine National Pan-Hellenic Council of Black fraternities and sororities, which advocate for social justice and elevate the voices of Black college students and graduates at universities across the nation. 

Alongside UM’s Divine Nine members, students from other South Florida universities practiced with a professional choreographer and came together to perform in front of thousands of fans Saturday night. 

“This is a beautiful experience for me as I represent my sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the first Black female sorority founded in 1908 at Howard University,” said Aria Harrell, a junior and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. “I am honored to stand alongside my Divine Nine brothers and sisters as we highlight and celebrate Black culture and history.” 

The National Pan-Hellenic Council was founded between 1906 and 1963 by Black college students to combat racial segregation, discrimination and lack of representation in universities nationwide. 

From this broader movement emerged Alpha Phi Alpha, which became the first Black Greek Letter Organizations chartered University of Miami in 1970, nine years after the university’s desegregation. 

The halftime performance was more than entertainment to Jayvaun Hill, a senior member of Phi Beta Sigma. It was an opportunity to celebrate and represent their organizations, universities and generations of black history before a national audience. 

“For Divine Nine to have the honor to perform during a game like this is truly a testament to how far people of color have come in this country,” said Jayvaun Hill. “To have the ability to showcase who we are on television will definitely teach people who we are and just one thing that we do is stroll.” 

Frost Jazz Orchestra celebrates its first Grammy nomination

Beatrice Baialardi Souza De Mello
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Frost Jazz Orchestra celebrates its first Grammy nomination

Former students from the Frost School of Music earned national recognition after their album “Some Days Are Better: The Lost Scores” received a nomination for Best Large Jazz Ensemble at the 2026 Grammys. 

The album was created through the Kenny Wheeler Project, a collaboration between John Daversa, Frost’s chair of studio music and jazz, and Nick Smart, head of jazz programmes at the Royal Academy of Music. 

They selected eight students from each jazz orchestra to record lost scores by Kenny Wheeler, an influential musician in the British jazz scene. While his music has been performed in concerts and broadcast on radio, many of these works had never been brought together on an album.

University of Miami students met the Royal Academy ensemble in London, recording the album at the historic Abbey Road Studios. Saxophonist and UM master’s student Izzi Guzman said being in one of the most iconic recording spaces in music history pushed the group to approach the project as professional musicians rather than students.

“This project meant so much more than myself,” Guzman said. “We were all coming together as a unit and placing our egos aside to perform music that’s a part of jazz’s history.”

The ensemble recorded alongside saxophonist Evan Parker and vocalist Norma Winstone, musicians who had worked directly with Wheeler. Both helped create his legacy and continue to keep it alive.

The main challenge was the physical constraint of having only three days to record an album. Guzman said the group got tired after a few hours, especially when having to record multiple takes of the same tune.

“I remember we were there from probably like 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. one day,” Guzman said.

Despite the pressure, the group also spent time together outside the studio, exploring London and building connections beyond the music.

“I truly believe that connecting with people outside of the music contributes greatly to the music itself as well,” Guzman said.

When selecting students for the project, Daversa focused on bringing together musicians whose personalities mashed together to bring out the best in the music.

The project was originally planned to begin in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the recording until 2024. Many participants are now professional musicians, touring in Europe or building careers in New York. 

Guzman said learning about the Grammy nomination while still on campus allowed her to get support from her peers and professors.

It marked the first time in the school’s history that a student ensemble was nominated for a Grammy. 

“I hope that through this album people can see it doesn’t matter how young or experienced they are,” Guzman said. “We can all contribute something. If we put our minds and our hearts together, we can make something beautiful happen.”

Our campus must vote UNITED

Hayley Rae Shaffer
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Our campus must vote UNITED

At a time when the University of Miami ranks at an “F” for free speech, who we elect to lead our student body has never been more crucial. Students deserve leaders who will listen, communicate transparently and turn student voices into concrete, achievable action. That’s why the best path for our Student Government is the UNITED campaign.

Running for president, Jaell-Ann Auguste is not new to leadership. She has already taken charge as Student Government Director of Outreach and founder of the Belonging in Business Program. 

As a Miami Herbert student ambassador and orientation fellow on the First-year Leadership Council, August engages in genuine conversation with students across campus on the campaign trail and her ideas align with students’ wants and needs.  

Auguste’s position serves as a powerful reminder that women’s voices belong at the forefront of leadership. Cora McKittrick, a freshman on the pre-law track described the UNITED campaign as “inspiring and necessary.” 

The UNITED ticket is made up of students from various academic backgrounds and identities, offering diverse perspectives. Auguste leads with diversity, involved in the Caribbean Student Association, UMTV The Culture and United black Students. In a system where students often feel detached from the decision-making process, her approach ensures that student voices are leveraged and empowered. 

UNITED’s diverse leadership is one of the strongest points of their campaign. Auguste is a business student, while her vice president running mate, Alex Barrowclough, is on the pre-law track, and her treasurer candidate, Grace Wheeling, is pursuing a degree in nursing.

Barrowclough offers the institutional experience needed for a successful vice presidency. Barrowclough serves on the President 100 Advisory Board and in leadership councils of Student Government.  

Wheeling has managed and allocated resources sustainably in effort of and maintaining long-term projects as founding president of Global Dental Brigades. Much like her work in the health sciences, Wheeling understands and embodies the responsibility associated with UNITED’s path to victory.

The campaign’s initiatives have already been proved realistic through conservations Auguste’s team has tirelessly engaged in. At a visit to the Debate Team on Wednesday, Auguste assured students that they shouldn’t have to deal with vague promises that are forgotten about after an election. UNITED has done the work to ensure the student body gets what they voted for.

“We have worked with our advisors and the school to ensure that these initiatives are attainable and realistic,” Auguste said. 

UNITED has done the work to ensure the student body gets what they voted for. 

One initiative they are pushing for is adding a Panera Bread to the food court. An addition of a Panera Bread would expand choice with additional gluten-free and vegan offerings, especially after Tossed left the food court last year, leaving students with fewer gluten-free food options. 

The student government should function as a bridge — not a barrier. In an environment where students often feel kept on the periphery, UNITED’s promise and commitment to provide transparency offers a potential way forward. 

“We are committed to always being a voice for the student body, and an outlet where every perspective is valued and heard,” UNITED said on their instagram. “We are dedicated to working for YOU, ensuring that the changes you want to see are acted upon.” 

This election is the chance to elect a representative that is truly committed to student voices. UNITED offers exactly that. 

Vote UNITED for student government from Feb. 16-18.

The perfect candidate FOR U

Birdie Church
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The perfect candidate FOR U

Student government only matters when the people are invested in changing student life. The candidates “For U” have proven their abilities, not through their words, but through their actions and more than qualified skills.

Built on three core pillars of academic, student life and community goals, the For U ticket is ready to make some much-needed practical changes to the University of Miami. 

Leading the group is presidential candidate Fernando Sepulveda Sagaseta, whose involvement in this school is impressive, to say the least. His on-campus portfolio includes Chief of Staff of Student Government and project manager of a consulting group TAMID, both organizations of which he has been involved in since his Freshman year. 

Sepulveda Sagaseta’s second in command, Aaron Gonzales, has also packed a hefty punch for this campus. As the Director of University Affairs for Student Government, he has been able to “Lead projects and provide problem-solving support on initiatives like expanding rideshare access, improving dining options, improving gym facilities, and more.” 

Gonzales keeps a full schedule, with an active business operations internship for F1 Miami, a job at the school gym and earning his education in legal studies. Gonzales is a motivated individual who gets things done. 

Both students have already been able to enact change. Bringing Half Moon to other locations on campus and expanding Freebee’s services, Sepulveda Sagaseta and Gonzales know how to help the student body in various ways. Giving them a larger platform would amplify their ability to better this campus even further. 

Supporting the three candidates is potential treasurer Dylan Hall. Hall is treasurer of UM’s Women in Business, coordinator for University of Miami Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee and an on-campus SASO Finance Intern. Hall is not new to treasurer responsibilities; she has hands-on experience that shows how well she could disperse UM’s finances.

Three students with demanding schedules campaigning for a significant student body position understand more than anyone the nuisance that our library is not 24 hours. With student’s demanding workloads, For U is ready to address the injustice that we are not being provided with the proper hours to study.

When asked why she is choosing For U, UM student Ami Bouzaglo said, “With my biology major, I am in the library till late hours, and it’s ridiculous when they kick me out. Extending hours would make a huge difference for me.”

Continuing, their agenda lobbies for Mobile CaneCards, more registered parties, increasing our schools’ student section for sports, and increasing the hours of food places on campus. Rather than broad ideals, the platform highlights measurable goals aimed at improving routine aspects of student life.

Every member brings their own unique experience to the table, which combined makes them the perfectly suited trio to win this election. Their initiatives aren’t out of reach — they are a necessity. With their past and current involvement on campus, the candidates understand their responsibilities and how to be transparent with students. 

Vote For U in this upcoming student election, because they are the best choice FOR U.

Why being gay sucks in Miami

Balaj Raza
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Why being gay sucks in Miami

I am everywhere on campus and somehow nowhere at all.

I go to class, have multiple leadership positions on campus, attend events, create content and smile when people recognize me. On paper, I am the kind of student the University of Miami celebrates: involved, motivated, polished and busy. 

But beneath the calendar invites is a quiet isolation that feels harder to admit the more socially put together I appear.

Most nights, my loneliness has a dress code.

Many of my closest friends are in Greek life. Their weekends revolve around mixers, pool parties and fraternity events that shape UM’s social scene. As an openly gay guy, I never felt comfortable rushing a fraternity. Greek life — for all its prominence — was not built with people like me in mind and I understood that early on.

That reality is the most obvious on weekends. While my friends pregame for Greek life events, I am left figuring out where I fit. As a guy, going out in Miami often means paying absurd cover fees just to enter a crowded room. Women are waved in, while men end up paying $20, $50 and sometimes even more. 

Simply existing in the nightlife scene and a reminder of who is valued and who is not. As a gay guy, entry often comes with conditions. You are really only allowed in if you arrive flanked by multiple girls, your presence justified by proximity to femininity rather than accepted on its own.

Fraternity parties reflect the same dynamic. I am too masculine to be let in as one of the girls, yet at the same time, I am not masculine enough to be welcomed as one of the guys. I hover in an in-between space, visible but never fully claimed, present yet never quite belonging. 

I am still perceived as competition — another man in the room — even though I am not looking to compete against them. I exist in an in-between space that feels invisible and isolating. I watch my closest friends post stories from events I cannot attend, not because I was not invited, but because I do not fit neatly into the boxes those spaces demand.

UM seniors Taveion Neasman, a Pride Ambassador for the LGBTQ+ Center, and William Harless said fraternity and party culture at the University of Miami often make being openly gay feel conditional rather than truly welcoming.

“The nightlife scene and Greek life are definitely points of tension for many gay students,” Neasman said. “Fraternities are incredibly heteronormative. You either have to be hypermasculine or quiet about who you are.”

Harless said that dynamic extends beyond campus and into Miami’s nightlife, where gay men are often treated as disposable.

“You’re seen as a guy who ‘throws off the ratio,’ even when you’re gay,” Harless said. “More masculine-presenting gay men have it easier if they conform or stay in the closet.”

Neither student said exclusion always looks overt, but both described environments that feel unwelcoming by design.

“I’ve never felt directly discriminated against,” Neasman said. “But I’ve overheard gay students being turned into jokes. Homophobia exists, even when it’s subtle.”

Harless said those systems quietly decide who belongs.

“Not everyone is homophobic,” he said. “But the social norms are, and they determine who gets let in and who gets left out.”

Neasman said support on campus often feels limited to the LGBTQ+ Center rather than woven into everyday student life.

“Integration is being invited to the party,” he said. “Inclusion is being asked to dance.”

During the week, I am everywhere. I contribute to campus life in ways that are publicly celebrated. To many, it looks like I have it all together socially. Yet even in a room full of people, I still feel alone.

There is an unspoken pressure at UM to always be thriving. Being surrounded by people does not guarantee connection, and being involved does not mean being seen. I move from meeting to meeting with a full schedule and a familiar face, but behind the constant motion, few people ever ask how I am actually doing. Loneliness does not always look like eating alone on a campus glider. Sometimes, it looks like showing up to everything and still feeling invisible.

This campus often talks about community and less about the emotional distance that exists in it. Students who appear the most connected can and do still feel isolated. 

Loneliness isn’t cured by a strong resume, leadership titles or a packed social calendar. Sometimes it comes not from having no friends at all, but from having friends whose worlds you’re never fully allowed to step into.

UM is a place filled with ambition, energy and pride. But belonging cannot be measured by involvement alone. Even the people who appear the most socially put together can still feel isolated, unsure of where they truly fit. If Miami truly wants to foster belonging, it must make space for honesty, especially from those who seem like they already have it all figured out.

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