In this week’s News Brief, Sophia covers the crackdown on fake IDs by Tampa police, which may soon affect University of Miami students if their strategies are implemented in Miami.
Original article by Hannah Valdivia for the News section at themiamihurricane.com
The University of Miami Women’s soccer team took the field on Sunday evening against FIU, seeking to bounce back after a disappointing draw against Princeton on Thursday.
And Miami did just that, traipsing to a 2-0 victory against the Panthers.
From the off, the Hurricanes kept the ball very tidily, switching play constantly to probe FIU’s defensive block. Miami’s back four were more-than-sound in retaining possession in the first phase, refusing to give FIU’s frontline any chance of winning it high up the pitch.
Though all three of Miami’s midfielders put on quality showings in the first half, Éabha O’Mahony stood out as she repeatedly lost her marker through drifting into the channels, creating links in the pockets, and bringing her teammates into play through deft passing. This display was best marked by a beautiful ‘Maradona’ turn in the 10th minute, leading to a great ball down the left side.
However, Miami’s final balls restricted the Hurricanes to shots from outside the box, which never really tested FIU’s Valery Restrepo. The first time Restrepo was truly tested was through a 40th minute strike by Allie Serlenga, whose curling effort forced a strong diving save.
Nevertheless, Miami dominated play in the first half and barely gave the Panthers a sniff in-possession. There was evident progression in the Hurricanes’ temperament following the volatile display against Princeton, suggesting that Head Coach Ken Masuhr is getting a real hold of his team’s ability to prevent goals by preventing the opposition from having the ball.
As the second half ensued, the game became more end-to-end as glimpses of the scrappiness against Princeton reappeared through multiple transitions in the opening five minutes.However, this scrappy opening was perhaps exactly what Miami needed, as FIU’s failure to clear Taylor Maxwell’s blocked shot allowed Alarcon to score in the 53rd minute.
Alarcon, despite being pushed off-balance by her marker, struck the ball into the back of the net to score her second in two consecutive games. Notably, that was the Hurricanes’ first shot inside the box, despite having seven shots in the first half.
After the goal, Miami not only regained their familiar control over the match, but also were invigorated with greater energy and forward momentum, with Crosby Nicholson being instrumental in this dominance.
Nicholson won nearly every duel she was involved in, consistently being a defensive presence at the heart of the Canes midfield. In 50/50s, ground duels, and winning second balls, she was a domineering force throughout the second half. Moreover, her on-the-ball temperament fueled Miami to control the tempo of the game more effectively, continuously accelerating and decelerating the speed of play to displace FIU’s structure. Her safe-side turns were a significant part of Miami’s forward progression, with her general pivot play commanding attention. Nicholson’s performance was capped off by her goal in the 84th minute, which helped give Miami a sense of comfort as the game reached its dying embers.
Despite a marginal 1-goal lead for most of the second half, there was never any real danger coming from FIU’s attack as the ’Canes defence, most of all Emilie Simpson, made the FIU attacker’s day very difficult. Consequently, FIU’s chances were mostly limited to hopeful attempts from 30 yards out, which comfortably met the palms of Emily Bredek and Atlee Olofson, who each claimed 45 minutes between the Hurricane sticks.
The Miami Hurricane Player of the Match goes to Nicholson for her incredibly composed, imposing second half display and well-deserved goal, though O’Mahony’s first half electricity and Emilie Simpson’s commanding display are notable contenders.
Though the team’s final-third conviction was patchy, head coach Ken Masuhr is bound to have been pleased with his team’s in-possession display. The neat, consistent passing helped platform the Hurricanes to control the game enough to achieve their fourth clean sheet of the season.
Now, Miami looks to an away trip in Winston-Salem to face Wake Forest on Wednesday, Sept. 10, at 8 p.m..
Wake Forest has the same overall record as Miami so far this season (5-1-1), and with both sides priding themselves on defensive stability, a cagey affair is likely to unfold in both teams’ opening ACC fixture. Though the Hurricanes enter this game as clear underdogs, ranked 120 places lower than the Demon Deacons as per NCAA’s RPI, the fire in the Miami midfield could be enough to pull off the upset this Wednesday.
With many of the Hurricanes top receivers either transferring or getting signed by NFL teams, questions were raised throughout the offseason as to whether or not their revamped receiver room will be able to recreate the production of Miami’s 2024 receivers.
Miami’s 2024 receiver room certainly had no shortage of talent. Headlined by shifty slot receiver Xavier Restrepo and outside threats Jacolby George and Isaiah Horton, Miami’s diverse receiver room struck fear into opposing DB rooms throughout the 2024 season.
Restrepo alone amassed over 1000 yards as Miami’s “Y” receiver, while both George and Horton put up well over 600 yards respectively. Restrepo and George are both currently free agents in the National Football League while Horton transferred to Alabama.
Despite these losses, Miami’s reconstructed receiver room still looks more than threatening.
Whether it be through homegrown talents or transfers from other schools across the country, new UM quarterback Carson Beck will still have a plethora of weapons to target in the 2025 season.
Notable receivers who will be expected to make big impacts in the Miami offense include transfer CJ Daniels, true freshman Malachi Toney, and returning sophomore Joshisha Trader.
Daniels, a prolific receiver from Lilburn, Ga., began his career at Liberty before transferring to LSU. His best season came in 2023 with the Flames, where he amassed over 1000 receiving yards and scored double digit touchdowns.
Unfortunately, Daniels dealt with injuries in 2024 which limited his production to only 480 yards as part of the Tigers receiving core.
Despite his less than ideal 2024 season, Miami promises to be a fresh start for Daniels as he looks to be the alpha wideout on a revamped Hurricanes roster. Replacing the likes of players like George and Horton will certainly be a tough task, but there is no doubt that Daniels has the talent and skill set to put up big numbers as Miami’s starting X receiver.
A homegrown talent from Liberty City, Florida, Toney is an impressive 17 year old receiver with immense potential for UM. Toney accumulated over a 1000 yards in his final high school season, named Florida High School Player of the Year by MaxPreps.
As part of this rebuilt Miami receiving core, Toney will look to carve out his own role in the Hurricanes offense. While he is a relatively undersized wide receiver at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Toney has the agility and top end speed to be both a deep ball threat and weapon in the screen game.
Another versatile receiver who can play inside or outside, Trader is returning to UM after a freshman year in which he only produced 6 catches for 91 yards. However, Trader’s lack of production his freshman year is the consequence of a crowded 2024 Hurricanes receiver room rather than a shortage of talent.
Trader impressed college football fans across the nation during last year’s Pop Tart Bowl vs Iowa State, where he impressively stiff-armed an Iowa defender on route to a 40 yard game tying touchdown.
Trader has extreme quickness and lateral movement that allows him to be a big run after catch threat for Miami, an ability that Restrepo showcased throughout his career. That being said, Trader will certainly be looking to carve out his own path as a Hurricane.
Coming out of high school, Trader was ranked the 17th overall player in the nation and the number 4 overall player in Florida. Despite offers from notable schools such as Alabama and LSU, Trader decided to stay in his home state and committed to Miami.
With the chance to finally step out of the shadows of his mentors and showcase his full ability to the nation, Trader will look to make massive strides in his game and put up big numbers along with Daniels, Johnson, and the rest of the Miami receiver group.
Other notable receivers Miami will utilize this season include BYU transfer Keelan Marion, junior Ray-Ray Joseph, and true freshman Joshua Moore.
Glimpses of their talent were already on show during UM’s opening game vs Notre Dame, where Daniels made a spectacular one-handed touchdown catch and Toney caught six balls for 82 yards and a touchdown.
While once staple wideouts like Restrepo and Horton will undoubtedly be missed by Hurricanes fans this season, the talent of this year’s revitalized receiver room has the potential to reach even greater heights alongside new Miami quarterback Carson Beck.
In this episode of Welcome to the U on Eye of the Hurricane, Camila and Nyema discuss the first-year student experience at the University of Miami.
Relationships bring a lot of messiness…especially when faced with the dreaded “what are we” question…hear our takes on relationships and situationships featuring a special guest on 20’s Unfiltered…
Part of a collaboration between the 20sUnfiltered team and TMH.
The University of Miami is continuing its use of Blackboard Learn while simultaneously piloting Canvas as its new learning management system.
According to UM’s Information Technology Department, Blackboard has been the LMS for faculty, staff and students for the past 20 years. This web-based LMS is used by many universities and businesses to manage and organize course pages, communication and learning.
Students logging into Blackboard over the summer were confused when they saw options to access both platforms. For the fall 2025 semester, professors get to choose which LMS they host their class on, raising student concerns about navigating two platforms and keeping track of class locations.
“I feel like this is an unnecessary change,” said Hanna Christian, a junior at UM. “One of my classes has already moved to Canvas and it is a much more confusing, less user-friendly program. I would prefer we stay with Blackboard.”
Makayla Egert, also a junior, said that she is pleased with the transition.
“I am happy the school decided to change things up,” the junior said. “I have always had issues with Blackboard, especially when taking online exams. I think trying a new website will be great and hopefully make submitting classwork easier for students.”
According to the University, faculty feedback, mixed course experiences, retirement of certain features and increased product development all contributed to the decision to begin the transition.
The University of Miami has the opportunity to switch courses to Blackboard Learn’s new course experience named Ultra, or move to Canvas. Canvas is popular among many of UM’s peer institutions within the Association of American Universities.
As this transition plays out, both students and faculty need to understand the different experiences these platforms offer. UM’s LMS Evaluation found that Blackboard Ultra and Canvas both offer mobile-friendly, easy-to-use and intuitive interfaces for faculty and students.
Faculty are encouraged to give their feedback to the school so an informed decision can be made. Students are also encouraged to voice their thoughts and concerns to their professors.
After reaching out to UM’s Learning Platforms department, the official transition to Canvas is not officially confirmed, but announcements will be provided by the University when they become available.
A sweep by the Hurricane’s volleyball team over the UCF Knights in the ‘305 Classic’ brings the ’Canes to 4-1 on the season.
UCF kept the first set close, with Miami winning 26-24 thanks to a defensive front from junior Ava Carney, notching back-to-back blocks to seal a 1-0 lead.
Miami jumped out to an early 12-9 lead, helmed by Carney’s four kills. Another set of back-to-back blocks by senior Dalia Wilson brought the ‘Canes to a 21-16 lead.
UCF’s offense revived midway through the second set, however, and claimed a 23-22 lead. Miami fought back, though, shutting the Knights down and winning the set 25-23.
Miami opened up the final set with a 10-6 lead from four consecutive kills by Wilson, senior Flomarie Heredia Colon, and redshirt sophomore Ariana Rodriguez. UCF pulled back, tying it at 23, but Miami closed it out, earning their sweep with a 27-25 win in the final set.
Tallying a total of 43 kills, 42 digs, 12 blocks and three aces, Miami overtook the match early with UCF struggling to keep up.
Highlight players include Heredia Colon, who had 17 kills, Wilson with seven blocks, Rodriguez who totaled 23 assists and senior Naylani Feliciano who tallied 18 digs.
Miami looks to continue their win streak this Wednesday against Ole Miss on Wednesday in an ACC-SEC matchup.
Nothing says “welcome to Miami” like overpriced, overcrowded and overhyped welcome week parties, right?
If you’re an incoming freshman, then you are no stranger to Miami’s dozens of welcome week and sylly (syllabus) week parties. You’re probably also aware that they charge upwards of $80 if those tickets aren’t snagged immediately. It’s hard to believe so many students fall prey to the smoke-and-mirrors act, but it’s true.
Welcome week events are overcharging incoming students for tickets to their events, and many are not worth the hype they are receiving. Marketed as the “can’t-miss” parties of the season, local clubs like Furia, Revenge and District sell students an idea of fun and freedom they’ll never forget. But, they often fall short of expectations and down $40-50.
According to Reddit user TripleFakie, several welcome week rager Instagram accounts have advertised parties before, offering different tiers of tickets to encourage buyers, only to then provide no real benefits to people who bought ‘premium’ tickets. TripleFakie stated they felt “taken advantage of,” “naive” and overall frustrated that they wasted $25 on a ticket they never even used.
And this is not a one-off experience.
Dozens of UM freshmen were left disappointed after their going-out experiences. While they made the best out of a non-ideal situation, the extensive lines, aggressive bouncers and extremely crowded spaces left them feeling like they had been ripped off.
Some partygoers returned home after waiting almost three hours in line and not being allowed entrance until well past 2 a.m. At that point, is there really any reason to go? By the time everyone is trailing back into their dorm room for that late-night Taco Bell, you’re still stuck behind Chad and Brad waiting to get your ID checked.
There were also a few students who mentioned that a very small crowd of freshmen were allowed entry almost immediately — the “influencers.” They noted seeing bouncers at the entrances of each of these parties or clubs asking certain partygoers how many followers they had on Instagram or TikTok. If they had a significant following, they were allowed to skip the entire line and walk in, and some even got in for free.
“Why should I have to pay $80 when all you apparently need is 8,000 followers?” shared an anonymous student who attended the welcome week festivities around Miami.
So, if you didn’t get a chance to grab a ticket for any of these parties, don’t feel left out. It turns out you didn’t miss much, and you’re richer than half the kids in your 8 a.m. Biology 101 class. For those of you who did happen to get in (at about 2 a.m.), was it really worth your first paycheck?
A new film for the horror fanatics came out on Aug. 8 and has been well received by critics and fans alike.
Directed by actor and writer Zach Cregger, “Weapons” has brought in $240 million at the box office.When all but one child from Ms. Gandy’s (Julia Garner) classroom vanishes into the night, the town comes together to find where they all went, and who is responsible.
The movie is organized into different points of view. It follows Mrs. Gandy, Paul (Alden Ehrenreich) who is a corrupt police officer and the ex-boyfriend of Ms. Gandy, Archer Graff (Josh Brolin) who is a worried father searching for his son, a homeless burglar and addict named James (Austin Abrams), the principal Marcus Miller (Benedict Wong), and the only kid that didn’t go missing, Alex Lilly (Cary Christopher).
This movie had me on the edge of my seat. There were many moments where I believed I knew the whole mystery and another twist was thrown at me. I felt like it had the right amount of shock value. While some parts of the movie were confusing, the director did an excellent job wrapping the movie up.
Having the story be told through multiple characters really solidified it as a true mystery. Each character only knew some details of the mystery. Eventually when the dots connected, we were given the true story of what happened, which was something unforgettable..
“Weapons” will be released to streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and more on Sep. 9. The movie will also be released for physical copies in 4K, DVD, and Blu-ray on Oct.14.
This summer scare has been an absolute hit. The film surpassed expectations.
Rating: 4/5
On Sunday on Aug. 31, while most University of Miami students enjoyed a nailbitting football game, I spent my night at Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Ball. Gaga unleashed The Art of Personal Chaos with theater and storytelling. The show unfolded like a movie in real time, divided into four acts that blurred the aesthetic boundaries between theater, performance art and pure pop spectacle.
From the opening seconds, it was clear how massive the scale of this production was. Gaga took the stage with ferocity as her viral song “Abracadabra” tore through the speakers and the dancers created a red Renaissance scene. Not a single second was wasted—she seized the stage with dancers frozen in statuesque poses that came alive two minutes later as she welcomed the audience to, “the opera house—our house, her house.”
Act I: Of Velvet and Vice
Explosive, dark, and grand, this act established the chaotic tone. Dancers moved like shadows in the background—sometimes unnoticed until the lights snapped on, revealing motion we hadn’t even realized was happening. It was a perfect example of Gaga’s mastery of timing and stagecraft; she was battling a white alter-ego while “Poker Face” thundered and checkered patterns flashed across the floor. When she finally shouted, “off with her” and shot the figure dead, the crowd roared—it was equal parts theater, music and madness.
Act II: And She Fell Into a Gothic Dream
Here the show took a haunting turn. Gaga emerged from a grave as skeletons rose around her. The stage colors change per song, pink for “Disco Stick”, yellow for “Alejandro,” and finally stark black and white as Gaga confessed, “dreams filled with monsters.” It felt heavy with symbolism, like only Gaga’s own lore could fully unlock its meaning.
Act III: The Beautiful Nightmare That Knows Her Name
This was Gaga at her most cinematic. Bathed in blood-red light, she waged a guitar battle against her own shadow while digital projections stretched her presence larger than life. Purple, orange and blue lights pulsed through the set as choreography and props carried the story forward. It was like watching a film reel of nightmares and desires play out on stage.
Act IV: Every Chessboard Has Two Queens
Stripped back in palette but not in power, Gaga turned emotional here. With a red devil alter-ego looming, she poured herself into “Million Reasons” and “Die With a Smile” on the piano. The latter had the entire arena swaying their phone lights side to side before erupting into deafening applause. Gaga spoke candidly to the crowd, reminding us why her stage presence is so magnetic—she doesn’t just perform to us, she performs with us.
Finale & Encore: The Monster’s Aria
As sand blew across the screens and wind filled the arena, Gaga declared, “We are monsters, and monsters never die.” The finale gave us “Bad Romance” in full operatic force before the encore stripped everything away. Gaga reappeared dressed down in a beanie and sweat shirt, singing “How Bad Do U Want Me?” with no tricks, no props—just her voice and the crowd.
Gaga has set my expectations higher for any show I go to moving forward. Her blend of theatrics with artistic performance perfectly encapsulates what it means to be a superstar.
In front of a home crowd at the Knight Sports Complex on Friday night, the University of Miami women’s volleyball team (3-1, 0-0 ACC) delivered a confident 3-0 sweep over North Texas (3-2), finishing with set scores of 25-18, 25-14, and 25-17.
The ’Canes put together a strong team performance, recording 41 kills, 44 digs, 10 service aces, and eight blocks.
Ava Carney, a junior outside hitter, paced the offense with 11 kills, while graduate middle blocker Lilou Stegeman dominated the net with six blocks and added several key kills. Ariana Rodriguez, a redshirt sophomore, ran the offense with 30 assists, and senior libero Naylani Feliciano led the back row with 14 digs and a timely ace in set one.
After falling behind 7-4 early in the first set, Miami flipped the momentum with a kill from Logan Wiley and Feliciano’s ace. A 7-1 run, featuring three kills from Dalia Wilson, pushed the Canes to a 25-18 win.
Set two started close, but back-to-back scoring bursts, fueled by contributions from Amina N’Diaye, Stegeman, and Carney, helped Miami pull away. Carney tallied five kills and an ace in that set alone.
In the final frame, Stegeman stepped up again with 3 kills and 3 blocks to open a 10-2 lead.
Newcomers made an impact too, Billie Reiter dropped in an ace and assisted Simone Baskin on a kill. Later, Yarimar Vergara sparked a late 5-1 run with two aces and a kill, while N’Diaye added a kill and a block assist to close it out.
The Hurricanes head across town Saturday for the final match of the 305 Challenge against UCF.
All eight “Harry Potter” films are back in theaters for a limited time, and fans are rushing to Regal Cinemas for the chance to revisit the Wizarding World on the big screen. The release, nicknamed “Back to Hogwarts,” is giving Regal a chance to shine at a time when AMC continues to dominate the theater industry.
This event isn’t just about nostalgia. Tickets are selling for $9.75; a clever nod to Platform 9 ¾, the iconic train stop in the series. Many screenings also feature upgraded formats, from 3D to 4DX, giving audiences a chance to experience magic in new ways.
Adding to the fun, theaters are serving a new butterbeer Icee, a frozen twist on the Wizarding World’s most famous drink. It’s a sweet way to welcome fall; even if the season feels more like summer in Miami.
For one late-night screening, we had the theater almost entirely to ourselves. The 9:40 pm showing was delayed, but as soon as the lights dimmed, the experience was pure magic. Watching “Harry Potter: The Sorcerer’s Stone” in 3D made the spells leap off the screen, and the butterbear Icee lived up to the hype. It was a perfect mix of nostalgia and novelty.
Whether you’re reliving the series or discovering it for the first time, this event is more than just a movie. It’s a fall activity in its own right, one that transforms an ordinary night out into something unforgettable.
