Miami Women’s Basketball poised for growth in ACC play

Harrison Steinberg
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Miami Women’s Basketball poised for growth in ACC play

Miami comes into ACC play in a very different place than a year ago.

In head coach Tricia Cullop’s first season, the ’Canes finished 14-15 overall and 4-14 in the ACC, landing 16th and missing the ACC tournament under the league’s “top 15 qualify” format. 

Miami is 6-3 so far, 4-1 at home, and 2-2 on neutral floors. Its three losses were to No. 19 Iowa, No.24 Oklahoma St., and No.17 Kentucky by margins of 3, 3, and 12 respectively. Those results are encouraging, showing Miami can compete with high-level teams already. 

The offense starts with a pick and roll pairing. 6-foot-6 Ra Shaya Kyle, who is already averaging 15.9 points and 10.6 rebounds, anchoring the paint, and the elusive Israeli guard Gal Raviv driving creation on the perimeter.

What will be different this season is the heavily rebuilt roster. Only two players return from last season’s team with seven transfers and five freshmen added for this season. These additions have significantly boosted Miami’s trajectory this year as the freshmen class was ranked No. 10 and also a top-15 ranked transfer class according to ESPNW. 

The question is whether Miami can string enough consistent defense and road competitiveness to stay out of the bottom three in an 18-team conference. 

Miami’s Women’s Basketball Team prepares for their matchup against Florida Atlantic University at Watsco on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. // Bella Ochoa – Staff Photographer

Miami’s ACC Schedule (times are listed as currently posted; always subject to TV updates):

Dec 14: vs NC State (2:00 PM)
Dec 18: at Wake Forest (6:00 PM)
Jan 1: at Virginia Tech (6:00 PM)
Jan 4: vs Clemson (2:00 PM)
Jan 8: vs Louisville (7:00 PM)
Jan 11: vs Florida State (2:00 PM)
Jan 15: at North Carolina (7:00 PM)
Jan 22: at Notre Dame (6:00 PM)
Jan 25: at SMU (4:00 PM)
Jan 29: vs Duke (8:00 PM)
Feb 1: vs Syracuse (2:00 PM)
Feb 5: at Virginia (7:00 PM)
Feb 8: at Florida State (2:00 PM)
Feb 15: at Boston College (12:00 PM)
Feb 19: vs Stanford (8:00 PM)
Feb 22: vs California (2:00 PM)
Feb 26: vs Pittsburgh (7:00 PM) — Senior Night
Mar 1: at Georgia Tech (2:00 PM)

Key Games:

Dec. 14 vs NC State

Miami jumps straight into ACC play against 6-4 NC State who already have a ranked win after beating No. 8 Tennessee 80-77. The first conference game for the ’Canes and a chance to bank a resume win against the Wolfpack. If Kyle can score efficiently, stay out of foul trouble and lock down Khamil Pierre, the Canes can control the paint. Both teams shoot under 30% from three point range so this game will come down to who can win the game in the paint. 

Jan. 11 vs Florida State

A huge rivalry game at home in the middle of a three-game homestand that can define the rest of Miami’s season. The Seminoles run the offense through point guard Sole Williams. Raviv will have to put in a defensive shift, while also controlling tempo through strong transition defense against the fast paced FSU. Miami can win this game by limiting turnovers, slowing down the pace through open shots and getting Kyle steady post touches.

Jan. 22 at Notre Dame

Miami will face the currently No. 19 ranked Irish. This will be in the middle of one of Miami’s three game road trips, which is exactly the kind of stretch that can make the standings shift. Even with a loss, a competitive showing against one of the ACC’s top dogs will matter heavily. Notre Dame is headlined by Hannah Hidalgo who is already averaging 25.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 5.6 steals. Miami needs to keep this game in the half court to avoid silly turnovers coming from a Notre Dame team who is averaging 15.8 steals. They also need Notre Dame to guard Kyle and force defenders to collapse the paint so clean perimeter shots can come naturally. 

Jan 29. vs Duke

Duke is the defending ACC tournament champion and was preseason conference favorites, but have had a rough start to the year. The Blue Devils have already fallen out of the AP top 25 after starting the season No. 7. This is a chance for Miami to catch a strong team in a down window. Duke punishes sloppy spacing and rushed passes, and once they get multiple stops in a row, the pressure ramps up fast. Miami needs Kyle to get a lot of touches in the post and slow the game down. If Miami is within five points late, the Watsco crowd becomes a real weapon, but Miami has to earn that by defending for 40 minutes.

Feb. 19 vs. Stanford

This will be the first time Miami will host Stanford in ACC play and also the first game of their last homestand of the season. This game against a really tough Cardinal squad will decide the final momentum the ’Canes will have hopefully before an ACC tournament bid. Miami has to keep Stanford from controlling tempo with defensive boards from Nunu Agara and Lara Somfai who are averaging a combined 18 rebounds. Miami needs to make Stanford defend Kyle without constant double teams that led to rushed kick-outs and possible turnovers. If Miami can generate easy points in transition and win the game off the glass, this can be a season defining game. 

Miami has already shown enough in non-conference play to believe this team can be a serious factor in the ACC. The rebuilt roster gives Miami more talent and depth than last season already. The path to the ACC tournament is avoiding cold stretches that wrap up games late, playing consistent around-the-arc defense, and stealing some toss-up road games.

The urgency starts immediately as Miami opens conference play Sunday, Dec. 14 at the Watsco Center against NC state.

Photo Credit: @CanesWBB via X // UM Guard Amarachi Kimpson drives to the basket during Miami’s 64-48 loss to Kentucky on Dec. 3 2025.

Wake up call: Miami election results forces GOP to recalibrate

Lazaro Chavez
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Wake up call: Miami election results forces GOP to recalibrate

Just a few days ago, Democrats added another victory to their off-year election tallies: the City of Miami’s Mayor. 

The race was officially non-partisan, but Democrat Eileen Higgins took the win by nearly 60% against Republican challenger Emilio Gonzalez. This marks the first time a Democrat will hold the 305’s top job since 1993.

For Democrats, the win emboldens their push to win back control of congress and even make gubernatorial pick-ups in 2026. As for Republicans, the results of this race forces them to reconsider their strategy for 2026, and maybe even 2028, as the race for the White House will likely begin soon. 

The clock is ticking, and the GOP cannot be lazy. In order to maintain what they built in 2024 and continue to add to it, Republicans must do several things: address the party’s gapping youth void, bridge the gap between Donald Trump’s popularity and down-ballot voting and build up the next generation of leaders.

Youth Problem

It’s no secret that most young voters tend to lean democratic. Democrats hold a 27-point registration advantage over Republicans among voters ages 24 to 33. Republicans begin to edge ahead in registration among voters 43 and older.

Democrats have an advantage through effective organizing on college campuses, leaving the GOP to essentially view these groups as a lost cause. This is a ticking time bomb that they can’t afford to sit on much longer. The opportunity to make inroads with this group should be next year, despite young voters still leaning in favor of the DNC, they have a growing distaste for both parties according to NPR. 

Young voters care about one major issue that typically swings the pendulum in favor of  Republicans — the economy. 

In Miami, the cost of living is 21% higher than the national average according to Payscale. Higgins has campaigned on lowering that cost of living by trying to lower the operating budget of the city and giving that discount to residents through cutting taxes. 

Essentially, Higgins beat the Republicans at their own game. Although Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed to eliminate property taxes across the state earlier this year, this Miami Democrat successfully branded herself as a champion of the wallet. 

If the GOP cannot articulate its economic vision to young voters where they live and study, they will continue to lose them. They need to appeal to voters by slightly shifting towards the middle on key social issues such as gay marriage, abortion and immigration if they want to meet the voters where they are.

The Trump Factor

Another glaring problem during this election was voter turnout, specifically Republican turnout. This was not a Miami exclusive problem. Areas where Trump had made gains in the 2024 elections saw significant drops in the gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey according to the Associated Press.  As previously stated, if Trump is not on the ballot Republicans seem to forget that elections happen. 

Gov. DeSantis made note of the GOP’s complacency in a Fox News interview shortly after the Tennessee congressional special election, which Republicans narrowly won in a typically safe district. 

“I think Republicans have an issue that Donald Trump has created a big pool of voters, but some of them are unique to him,” DeSantis told Fox and Friends. “They’ll vote for all the Republicans when Trump’s on the ballot. But if he’s not on the ballot, some of them don’t vote.”

Republicans need candidates who can drive turnout on their own merits. The contrast is stark when looking at DeSantis’s own 2022 performance. In that midterm, he carried Miami-Dade County by 11 points and won 58% of the Latino vote statewide. He achieved this because he offered a specific, bold brand of governance that excited the base independently of national winds.

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles confirmed that President Trump is planning to be out on the campaign trail during the midterms. “I haven’t quite broken it to him yet, but he’s going to campaign like it’s 2024 again,” Wiles told The Mom VIEW.  

She also added that it is unusual for a President to be so involved but that they’ll be flipping tradition “on its head,” to try and maintain as many of the seats in congress as possible. 

Whether or not it could be effective remains to be seen given the President’s low approval rating, hovering anywhere from the mid-30s to low 40s. 

New Leadership

The party has another ticking time bomb on its hands, the man himself. President Trump will become the fourth out five living presidents who will be ineligible to seek a third term in office due to the 22nd amendment. Trump has already floated around two very big names as the party heir apartments: Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

While figures like Vance and DeSantis have the populist edge that much of the MAGA base is energized by, someone like Rubio has experience and middle of the road appeal that many voters could be looking for. 

Vance is already viewed by many in the party as the next President, and he polls well against most Democrats, including the favorite to get the nomination, Governor Gavin Newsom of California.

If Rubio wants the nomination, he would need to run on his experience, lean into his hispanic identity and evolve beyond the polished Senate style and tap into the raw, populist excitement that fills arenas. 

Just as 2024 served as a wake-up call for Democrats, 2025 must be one for Republicans. If the GOP can learn the right lessons, they can build momentum that will catapult them not just to a successful midterm defense in 2026, but to a defining era of conservative dominance in 2028. 

The alarm is ringing — it’s time to answer it.

Miami is IN! Immediate College Football Playoff Reactions + Notre Dame Fallout with Locked On Canes’ Alex Donno

Liam Hickey and Sebastian Font
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Miami is in the College Football Playoff for the first time in school history after weeks of being left in the dark by the CFP committee. Liam Hickey and Sebastian Font give their knee-jerk reactions to the playoff bracket, the ‘Canes having the most challenging path out of all 12 teams, the committee screwing up the rankings again, and Rueben Bain getting called out by an A&M offensive lineman. Locked On Canes and WQAM Miami Hurricanes Postgame host Alex Donno joins the show to give his take on the ongoing Notre Dame v ACC debacle and preview Miami v Texas A&M. 

Listen on Spotify

Five UM students launch Miami Venture Studio to bridge campus talent with companies

Katie Karlson
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Five UM students launch Miami Venture Studio to bridge campus talent with companies

Five UM students launched Miami Venture Studio, a startup company designed to connect students with company executives, leaders and investors.

The idea for MVS originated about nine months ago. Yusif Gurbanli, a fourth-year Ph.D. student studying mechanical engineering, and Jaron Mohammed, a junior also studying mechanical engineering, found themselves overwhelmed by companies asking them for help with coding and other tasks.

“At some point, you just can’t keep on saying yes to the companies. You can say yes like twice, but you just can’t do ten projects at the same time,” said Gurbanli. “But, you know other people who can do probably as good of a job as you could have done and you want to give them an opportunity.“

With a rough idea in mind, the pair joined forces with three students they knew from a mechanics lab and other classes. The other three founders are all juniors majoring in various disciplines, giving MVS leadership a diverse set of skills.

Sebastian Cervello is studying mechanical engineering, Audrish Chattaraj is studying business analytics and AI and Daniel Gregor is studying business administration and computer science with a minor in economics. 

The founders described MVS as a “bridge” between UM students and companies interested in hiring students for help, or investing in student ideas. 

Despite MVS only opening to students about three months ago, the initiative already has more than 100 student applicants. MVS has also already formed relationships with seed-stage companies to large enterprises mainly in the Miami and South Florida region.  

The networking process flows both ways. Students reach out to larger companies asking for investments or advice, and companies reach out looking for talented students or new investments. 

MVS is also tapping into UM’s alumni network to build relationships and spread the word about the initiative. 

While UM has similar programs to support entrepreneurs — like The Launch Pad and UStart — the MVS founders still felt that the startup scene in Miami is compartmentalized. MVS aims to unify these disconnected groups and create one community, much like Silicon Valley’s Y Combinator, where students, founders and investors can meet and exchange ideas. 

“Our primary focus is to connect the students to the local people that would need that help and stop the brain leakage out of Miami,” Gurbanli said. “A lot of talented students by junior year … already have offers from San Francisco from New York, and that kind of drains the talent out of the city.”

The next step? MVS wants to host weekly coffee chat events where everybody is treated as equals, whether student or CEO. 

“It’s more about everybody trying to get to know more people, learn what everybody else is doing, polish their own knowledge, add something,” Gurbanli said. “That’s when things truly take off, when there’s a symbiotic relationship in the community, when nobody’s trying to look for personal gain, but they add on to each other, so eventually you’re going to end up in a positive.”

While the founders are keeping MVS independent of UM at the moment, they are open to working more formally with the University in the future. 

MVS is more than a company matchmaking service. The founders see it as a community and an accessible way to break into the world of entrepreneurship.

Natalia Roth brings Puerto Rico to the world

Gabriel Mena
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Natalia Roth brings Puerto Rico to the world

DJ and vocalist Natalia Roth’s journey started on a Caribbean island where electronic music was still finding itself. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Roth grew up moving between cultures: Argentinian roots on her mother’s side, Cuban heritage on her father’s, and the island’s own rhythms.

Electronic parties weren’t exactly everywhere, but Roth found them early. 

“My mom had a lot to do with it,” Roth said. “I was really young, but she made sure I did it right.”

Puerto Rico’s rave ecosystem was small,medium promoters, a few big players, and long stretches without much happening. But those rare events created a kind of anticipation Roth still remembers. 

“You would prep everything, get ready early, wait for that one night,” Roth said. “It was special because not many people knew electronic music yet.” 

Then Hurricane Maria hit, and Roth left the island. The scene collapsed. Reggaetón and trap surged back to dominance, and the kind of spaces she discovered herself in seemed to disappear.

Still, Roth never disconnected. Her own event and label project, Melódie, launched back in 2017, started as Puerto Rican parties before evolving into both a platform and a creative anchor. 

Today she describes Melódie as “events and a record label,” something she pushes only when the timing and  intention feel right. 

“Throwing an event is a full-time job. I like to do things right.,” Roth said. 

With touring accelerating, her focus shifted toward personal growth as an artist. The events, she said, will always follow.

That artistic direction is exactly where Roth feels she is transforming. During our conversation, she spoke about a personal “awakening,” a shift she connects with real experiences rather than industry milestones. 

“A lot of artists say you have to go out there and live and it’s true,” Rold said..

 “Bad things are meant to happen for you to appreciate the good ones.” 

Roth describes herself as “a very in-my-feelings type of girl,” but what she means is closer to emotional architecture. 

Her music is becoming a translation of everything she’s lived, not just technical progression. She talks about metamorphosis, evolution, awareness and feeling things deeply. Standing after her opening set at Factory Town, what radiated wasn’t ego but conviction.

Roth wants to build on that transformation. This upcoming year, she says, is about creating without inhibition. 

Her focus: an album made of multiple genres that “represent me, but all collide and tell a story.” She has new releases lined up, new Melódie records being pressed and a clear mission: eventually play full sets made entirely of her own music.

For Roth, all the work she’s done has been leading to her dream.  Everything is building a sound that feels like her, shaped by where she’s been, what she’s lived through and what she’s ready to do next.

UM officials detail new construction projects and plans 

Martina Pantaleon
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UM officials detail new construction projects and plans 

In a roundtable discussion with The Hurricane on Dec. 3, the administration revealed that Gables Village is not the last step in UM’s Housing Facilities Strategic Plan. The plan includes a new dining hall, possible changes to Eaton and potential renovations to Whitten LC. 

Plans to demolish Mahoney-Pearson and replace it with the new residential complex, Gables Village, became public in November. Construction for Gables Village will begin Aug. 2026.

The project is projected to be completed by Aug. 2028. But closing Mahoney-Pearson will still result in a 206-bed net loss despite the imminent opening of the new Centennial towers. 

“When you are making progress as a University, there is a price we all have to pay. None of us have a Free Card,” said Richard Sobaram, associate vice president of student affairs and housing strategic initiatives. “Somebody paid a price before we got here, and now that we are here, we are doing our part for the future generation of students that are coming.”

For some, the price could be the feeling of “losing” on housing opportunities.

Lakeside used to be the most coveted housing for sophomores. Once completed, Gables Village will take over its role as sophomore housing. Lakeside will become housing primarily for juniors and seniors.

“The ‘winners’ are the ones that got Lakeside as sophomores and Lakeside as juniors,” said Patricia Whitely, senior vice president of student affairs and alumni engagement. “The freshmen that went to Centennial and then got Mahoney as sophomores will feel like they lost something. But they were never intended to get that.”

To make sure Gables Village is still an attractive option for sophomores, the layout will be a “suit style” for independent living.

Once Gables Village is completed, UM is setting its sights on improving Eaton.

“Eaton is on the horizon, we know that. It’s prime real estate,” said Whitely.

Whether Eaton will be replaced or renovated has not been determined. But the Housing and Residential Life offices will be moved to Gables Village to “capture the new space.” 

UM’s future construction plans also revealed possible renovations for the Whitten Learning Center. 

Joel Samuels, who became Provost on Aug. 11, is focused on improving the “classroom experience,” Brumley said. Whitten LC is part of that discussion.

Whitely also said that UM wants to be strategically aware of land opportunities. She mentioned that the land across the street next to the Bagel Emporium could soon hold 800 more beds, and UM needs to consider surrounding housing opportunities and enrollment statistics in all construction decisions. 

Expanding UM’s campus across the street could make campus life “harder to navigate and manage.”

As new off-campus housing continues to be built in convenient locations, UM will have to rethink if more beds are needed on-campus. The housing plan is far from finished.

Plans for Gables Village include renovating dining areas.

The new dining hall will be built on the first floor of Gables Village, under the suites. Mahoney-Pearson Dining Hall will remain in operation until it opens in Jan. 2029.

“There will never be a situation where students don’t have a dining hall in that area open and functioning,” said Jessica Brumley, vice president of facilities operations and planning.

To accommodate the 2,000 residents living in Centennial Village and Eaton, UM plans to add more seating to the Centennial dining hall. The green area looking out towards the Shallala Student Center could be replaced with 110 outdoor seating spaces. 

Alongside additional seating, Residential Assistants who were previously in Mahoney-Pearson could be moved to Centennial Village Phase Two. During recruitment, RAs are not guaranteed a place in the same building. So returning RAs could end up on the other side of campus.

First-year Fellows only work in freshman housing, so they will be moved entirely to Centennial Village.

Large changes to UM’s campus like this one require funding, and it remains unclear what this means for tuition or housing costs. 

“Housing is on its own bottom,” said Whitely. “Housing supports housing.”

The budget for projects like Gables Village comes from the housing costs already included in students’ tuition. Whitely compared the costs to a mortgage. 

No information has been released on the expected cost of construction. Once the project is officially announced, it will be available on the Student Affairs New Student Housing page.  

The expected cost of living is also unknown. Currently, on-campus housing can range from $5,590 for a double at Eaton to $14,020 for an apartment at Lakeside.

UM expects to remain competitive with the market in the area by comparing costs to off-campus housing like Lifetime and Standard.

“If I’m the parent of a student and I can get a better rate at Thesis across the street, that’s what I’m going to do,” said Sobaram.

With this reality in mind, UM will also offer support to those students who cannot find a spot on campus with off-campus housing fairs and assistance through the waitlist procedures. 

Thesis Hotel across the street will provide transitional housing until students can find permanent solutions. The details of this initiative have not been revealed yet.

Plans for Gables Village are designed to appeal to sophomore students beyond price.

“Most students want single rooms when they are sophomores,” Sobaram said

Gables Village will offer four-person suites to accommodate this. 

60% will have four single rooms, two bathrooms, two sinks outside the bathroom and a common room without a kitchen or laundry. The other 40% will have the same layout but with two double rooms. 

Planning for Gables Village focused on aligning the project with UM’s sustainability goals. Effective AC methods, energy-efficient glass for windows and landscaping with native plants that need minimal watering are some of the measures.

It is unclear when all phases of the project will be completed. UM officials want students to think of the future instead of being frustrated with how long it may take.

“These things take time,” said Whitely. “There are a lot of pieces of the puzzle going back from 2012 through now to 2032.”

Men I Trust dazzles the Fillmore on the Equus Tour

Keira Faddis
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Men I Trust dazzles the Fillmore on the Equus Tour

What I expected to be the ultimate “performative male contest,” ended up being a breathtaking performance by the Canada-based indie band “Men I Trust.” They rocked The Fillmore Miami Beach on Nov. 23 to a sold out audience of more than 2,500 fans on their Equus tour. 

This was my first time seeing the band live, though I have been a casual listener for a few years now. 

Two hours before the doors opened, fans lined up around the block, dressed in their Saturday best. Some fans even wore wizard costumes imitating the cover art for the bands’ 2024 single “Husk.”

At around 8:30 p.m., Evan Wright, an indie music artist, and his band took to the stage to perform a short opening set of “country-tinged indie psychedelia” music before Men I Trust came on stage. 

His indie aesthetic matched the vibe of the main act, perfectly setting the tone for the evening. .

Blue, yellow and red lighting cast the stage, leaving lead singer and guitarist Emmanuelle “Emma” Proulx in smoky clouds and shadows. At times, backlit white lights and smoke illuminated Proulx’s silhouette, giving the appearance of a halo around her head. 

Guitarist Jesse Caron, keyboardist Dragos Chiriac, drummer Eric Maillet, bassist Alexis and Proulx herself worked together to keep the crowd entertained for more than an hour and a half. 

The set kicked off with “To Ease You,” a song off of their fifth “Equus Caballas.” From the second level of the general admission standing area, I watched the front pit sway and jump to the soft and dreamy music. 

Toward the back of the pit, people danced with each other, twirling and skipping, even when the music was more moody or slow.  

I was captivated by Proulx’s airy and soft voice, particularly during songs like “Hard to See” and “Humming Man.” Her tone matched her laid-back outfit choice, as she was dressed in a plain long sleeve tee and a pair of grey jeans. 

While there was minimal crowd work, Proulx did talk to the audience a little bit about the band’s last time in Miami, though the show she was talking about was technically in Fort Lauderdale. 

Men I Trust performed alongside “Triathlon” at the Revolution Live venue on the “Untourable Album” tour at Fort Lauderdale in June 2023. Their quiet stage presence felt intentional and aligned with their mellow musical identity. 

Many of the songs performed on this tour sound extremely similar. For $90 a ticket, this may not be everybody’s cup of tea. However, for such a small and intimate venue, I thought the ambiance and vibes were perfect, and the similarity of the music added to that. 

Proulx and the band exited the stage after their song “Tailwhip,” seemingly wrapping up the set. After the entire venue erupted into chants of “encore,” the band returned to the stage and kicked off the second part of the performance with “Show Me How,” the band’s most popular song, which currently has more than 700 million streams on Spotify. 

“Show Me How” sent a wave of energy through the crowd, with what felt like everybody in the venue singing back to the group. This is a must-experience show for any Men I Trust fan, from casual listeners, like myself, to die-hard fans. 

One critique that I do have is the fan etiquette at this show. One fan in the general admission standing area lit a cigarette in the middle of the concert. The Fillmore is a smoke-free facility, and the fan who violated the policy did put a slight damper on the night.  

Something that I have noticed is that no matter the size of the artist or the venue, there will always be a few people who just do not have any etiquette. This October, I had the pleasure of seeing Billie Eilish perform at the Kaseya Center, and an unruly fan yanked Eilish into the barricade. 

The tour has so far been across the United States and a few cities in Canada, but will head back to Canada in December, to Asia in January and then to Europe in June of 2026. 

Be sure to catch Men I Trust on the Equus tour on their home turf if you find yourself in Canada this December or January. View more tour dates and shop tour merch on the Men I Trust website.

Centennial Village Phase Two building names decided as Biscayne, Grove and Vista

Vivian Amoia
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Centennial Village Phase Two building names decided as Biscayne, Grove and Vista

The names for the second phase of Centennial Village, scheduled to open in fall 2026, have been released.

These three buildings, which are part of a four-year, $335 million project, will be called Biscayne, Grove and Vista. 

The names are references to places in the city of Miami like the famous Coconut Grove and Biscayne Bay. 

The names were selected after discussion with the administration, residential assistants and housing staff, according to Senior Vice President Pat Whitely.

“We asked a lot of our RA staff and our housing staff what they would like to see and we gave them ideas. We had kind of a contest,” she said. 

Before Grove was selected, the committee had decided on Gables. These names switched because administration decided “Gables Village” was a better fit for the new dorms replacing Mahoney-Pearson, scheduled to open fall 2029.

Centennial Village Phase Two will hold approximately 1,150 students, including the same luxury room styles as the first two Centennial Village buildings: standard singles, standard doubles and large doubles.

The large doubles, according to Associate VP Richard Sobaram, were created with the intention of being used to house student-athletes or to be converted into triples, which happened in CV One this past year. 

While the three new sky-scraper-like buildings of Centennial may seem like they would house most of the incoming freshman, there will be a deficit of 206 beds once Mahoney-Pearson is demolished.

The administration says this will be solved with more students living off campus.

The completion of Biscayne, Grove and Vista will create a hotspot on campus for freshmen to create a better sense of community in their own village. The incoming class will fill the barren rooms this upcoming fall.

Miami elects Democrat to mayor’s office for first time in three decades

Lazaro Chavez
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Miami elects Democrat to mayor’s office for first time in three decades

City of Miami residents have elected a Democrat to the mayor’s office for the first time since 1993. 

Democrat Commissioner of Miami-Dade County Eileen Higgins defeated former City Manager and Republican Emilio Gonzalez. Higgins will also become the first female mayor in the city’s history.

The runoff race resulted from neither Higgins or Gonzalez reaching more than 50% of votes. The race had 11 other candidates, including the father of the outgoing mayor Francis Suarez, former Mayor Xavier Suarez in the Nov. 4 Primary. 

Higgins took the seat by nearly 60% of the vote, adding another victory to an already stacked tally for the Democrats in this year’s elections. 

“Tonight history was made. It’s very exciting to be the first woman to serve the city of Miami,” said Higgins to reporters.

Higgins campaigned on affordability, an issue that is important to many young voters. 

“We will cut red tape, repair what’s broken and modernize City Hall. We will confront the affordability crisis with the urgency Miami families need,” Higgins said.

She also championed the expansion of mass transit, including resolving the legal dispute between Brightline and Florida East Coast Railway to complete a commuter train project connecting Miami to Aventura. She has also promised to complete the Baylink train, a long proposed project that extends  the metro mover service between Miami and Miami Beach. 

The outcome of this race was particularly impactful, as President Donald Trump had endorsed Gonzalez. 

“It is my Great Honor to endorse Emilio T. Gonzales to be the next Mayor of the Beautiful City of Miami, Florida!” Trump said on Truth Social.

The DNC also deployed its forces into the race. Higgins was endorsed by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and campaigned during early voting with Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego. 

With the blue surge seen in the mayoral election in New York and gubernatorial one in Virginia, many political pundits were watching the race closely, with the Miami Herald even calling the race a “bellwether,” or indicator of trends, for the 2026 midterms.

Despite the gains made by Democrats suggesting a shift from 2024, Republican leadership remains outwardly unbothered by the results. 

GOP leaders have deflected many of the party’s losses as par for the course, with the races being in states and cities that tend to vote Democratic anyhow. However, Mayor Suarez, a Republican,  had won reelection four years earlier to the same seat Higgins won with an overwhelming 70% of the vote. 

Chairman Cooper told Politico that Democrats were “making a mountain out of a molehill.”

“They are going to try to read something into this that it’s not,” he said. “It’s not a rebuke of the president or the party. Democratic city elects Democratic mayor,” Cooper added.

White House Chief of Staff Susi Wiles has also confirmed that President Trump will campaign “like it’s 2024” in races across the country during the midterms. Putting himself on the trail as the face for candidates he is backing, something that a second term president typically doesn’t do. 
This comes roughly a month after Trump told GOP senators that him not being on the ballot was “was the biggest factor” in these losses.

New reports of duck cruelty spark student concerns

Hannah Valdivia
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New reports of duck cruelty spark student concerns

A YikYak post from Wednesday, Nov. 19 pictured a deceased duck with the caption, “Just witnessed someone literally driving over a duck and leaving it there on the street to die.” 

According to the YikYak user, the car that allegedly hit the duck was a grey BMW X5. The driver has not been identified. 

The University of Miami is home to several species of animals including cats, birds and lizards. Wildlife is arguably a central part of the University, however, this is not the first account of on campus animal cruelty that has been reported this semester. 

In late August of 2025, several videos of an individual kicking the now-viral campus duck ‘Ivan’ were circulating around YikYak. 

Students were furious, taking to social media to bring attention to the issue of animal cruelty on UM’s campus. 

UPurr member Charlotte Watts told The Hurricane in August, “It’s important to remember that we share this campus with the wildlife. It’s not just ours, and people shouldn’t be so selfish and cruel.” 

Families of ducks are frequently seen waddling through campus and past groups of students. The ducklings, specifically, have garnered more positive attention across social media. 

Students will often post photos and videos admiring the ducklings as they take naps or swim in Lake Osceola. One anonymous YikYak user posted a video on Nov. 20, with a video of one of the ducklings captioned, “Made my day.”

Despite the ducks being so popular among University of Miami students, there are still outliers. 

One user replied to the thread of the injured duck saying, “Population control, now the other ducks have more resources.” 

When asked to comment, the University replied, “Any incidents involving injured or dead animals on campus can be reported to University of Miami Police Department by calling 305.284.6666 or by submitting a safety concern to Environmental Health and Safety at report_safety-concerns@miami.edu.”

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