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Fire burns through South Florida with no end in sight

Emil Salgado Vazquez
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Fire burns through South Florida with no end in sight

Massive clouds of smoke could be seen in parts of Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys as fires ripped through the areas this week. The U.S. 1 going through the Keys was shut down throughout the week. 

According to the Tampa Bay Times, the fire, nicknamed ‘The 344,’ beganon the Miami-Dade portion of Card Sound Road, which starts in Florida City and goes into Key Largo. The fire also led to the closure of the 18-mile stretch along U.S. 1 between Florida City and Key Largo.

The massive brush fire has destroyed 26,437 acres of land and is dying down t, with 50% of the fire contained as of Saturday morning , according to the Florida Forest Service.

“We’re right here in between Miami and Key Largo, the ocean’s right there, and it’s very soft, very difficult,” Kevin MacEwen, with the Florida Forest Service, said to Local 10 News. “So we have to use a lot of air resources and existing boundaries and natural barriers to check up the fire. And we just ask everyone to be, just, patient.”

This fire follows a stretch of unusually dry weather in Miami-Dade, with a 3.5-4.5 inch rainfall deficit since January 1 and moderate to severe drought conditions.

The National Weather Service has dropped its alerts for southeastern Florida.

“With most of South Florida already under drought conditions, this will lead to critical fire weather concerns today,” NWS stated. “Any fires that develop could spread rapidly.”

Authorities across South Florida are taking steps to warn the public against going outside and to stay safe from the fires.
“Miami Dade Fire Rescue continues working alongside Florida Forest Service to contain the brush fire near the 40800 block and Card Sound Rd,” MDFR said. “Although the fire is not near any commercial or residential areas, we urge our community to stay informed about any possible road closures and stay safe.”

Can’t handle the heat: Miami sweeps Colgate 7-0, sending them back to cold Upstate, New York

Zach Cohen
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Can’t handle the heat: Miami sweeps Colgate 7-0, sending them back to cold Upstate, New York

The Miami Hurricanes (9-6, 2-4 ACC) looked to use home court to their advantage after getting swept by two teams in North Carolina, Wake Forest and North Carolina State. Miami rebounded fantastically against Colgate (8-6,1-2 Patriot League) sweeping them 7-0at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center. 

The Hurricanes dominated in singles, winning on every court while also securing points in doubles. 

In singles, No. 41 rated Senior Martin Katz had an impressive 6-0, 6-1 win over Colgate senior Benito Vlassis. Also winning with the same score was Miami freshman Jules Garot over Senior Ben Graham. The junior Antonio prat won 6-1, 6-1 against Raiders Aiden Lee at the No. 2 spot.

 More intense matches concluded towards the end with Nacho Serra Sanchez defeating Josh Israel 6-1, 6-1. Medhi Sadaoui won 6-3, 6-2 over Lochlan Seth and on court six, Maximo Maximo Oberto Calleri took down Falcon, 6-2, 6-1.

In doubles, Katz and Prat did not allow its opponents Vlassis and Israel to win a game, defeating them 6-0. Sadaoui and Garot won 6-2 over Aidan Chung and Tim Viding.

Miami will look to remain hot down south as they will stay home to take on Georgia Tech on March 21st followed by Clemson on March 23rd. You can watch all the action at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center free of charge.

Google hits delete on International Women’s Day

Anna Caro Perez
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Google hits delete on International Women’s Day

What if you checked your calendar on March 8, expecting to see International Women’s Day, only to find it missing? For many women and girls, including myself, Google’s quiet erasure of a globally recognized day sparked disappointment and outrage. But why was this global celebration erased, and what does it say about the future of women’s rights in America?

Google’s decision to remove International Women’s Day from the calendar, seemingly yielding to pressure from the current administration, comes simultaneously as companies scale back on DEI initiatives. However, unlike most companies, Google’s influence goes far beyond the average, making its actions especially significant. 

Eliminating DEI initiatives that are geared towards helping women, minimizing the appreciation of women and continuing to intentionally recognize women in the face of the new administration will be crucial in the pursuit of true equity.

Their actions attempted to erase a day that has been celebrated worldwide for decades, honoring the women in our lives, whether it’s a mom who carried us for 9 months, a sister who supports us, an aunt who has fun with us, a grandma who guides us, or a friend who listens.

Google prides itself on being a progressive company, yet only 34% of its employees are female. Some may suggest that the underrepresentation of women in tech is due to a lower interest in the field. However, this issue stems not from a lack of interest but from a lack of opportunity, support and systemic barriers women face. 

Beyond hiring disparities, the lack of women in leadership at Google further exposes the company’s failure to foster real equity. Women hold only 28% of all leadership roles, meaning the decisions that shape the company—and the industry—are still overwhelmingly made by men. Without women in positions of power, policies that could drive real change, such as equitable pay structures, stronger parental leave policies and mentorship programs, remain secondary priorities. True progress isn’t just about hiring more women; it’s about ensuring they have the support and opportunities to lead.

“Women are underrepresented at every level in technology,” said recruitment company Anderson Frank, drawing data from their Careers and Guidelines Study.

As outlined in the Declaration of Independence, “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  

The beautiful words that are the very foundation of our society echo the hard truth that women and men have not had the same opportunities. I shudder at the thought that only a few decades ago, in 1974, women gained the right to legally apply for credit cards under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, a stark reminder of how far we’ve come, but also how much more progress is still needed. 

By understanding and recognizing both the disadvantages and advantages that men and women face, we as a society can empathize with one another and work together to bridge the equity gap. Having diverse perspectives is crucial to creating a truly equitable society. However, this change must also be reflected within corporations. 

Real change requires more than just individual awareness—it demands societal and structural shifts. Specifically, within the corporations that shape our daily lives. Companies have the power to set industry standards, influence workplace culture and reinforce what values are prioritized in society. Yet, too often, they choose performative gestures over meaningful action, using diversity initiatives as a marketing tool rather than a commitment to equity. When businesses fail to back up their words with tangible change, they reinforce the very inequalities they claim to be addressing.

Unfortunately, Apple, a tech giant on par with Google and a company whose products are used by 2.2 billion people—many of whom are women—appears to have external ethics that do not align with its internal actions. The company proudly markets itself as an advocate for equity and equality, boasting about diverse hiring initiatives and celebrating women’s achievements during Women’s History Month. However, behind the polished marketing campaigns and well-crafted press releases lies a troubling reality: Apple has a long history of failing to uphold these values when it matters most.

One of the most glaring examples is the class-action lawsuit Apple is currently facing. Apple allegedly violated state equal pay and anti-discrimination laws (Cohen and Milstein). The plaintiffs, representing over 12,000 women in Apple’s engineering, marketing and AppleCare divisions, claim the company used salary history and biased performance evaluations to justify pay disparities. 

Google and Apple’s violations and attempts at undermining women may leave a sour taste of disgust in our mouths, but it is greatly overshadowed by the potential that lies inside the magnificent hearts and souls of each girl and woman alike. The potential to rise above and achieve the impossible, explore the unexplored, make a house a home, legislate over a nation and simply turn what we dream of into reality. 

While these companies’ actions are disheartening, they do not diminish the undeniable contributions of women throughout history, whose legacies continue to shape the world for the better. If you’ve ever used Wi-Fi, GPS, or Bluetooth, you can thank Hedy Lamarr, the actress and inventor behind spread spectrum communication. Rosalind Franklin’s groundbreaking work helped uncover DNA’s double-helix structure, while Constance Baker Motley fought to dismantle Jim Crow laws and defend civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. In the art world, Emma Reyes used her work to amplify women’s voices and challenge societal norms. The list goes on and on, and this further reflects that women’s contributions are undeniable—erasing recognition of them does not erase their impact. 

However, it is through the recognition of these accomplishments that we inspire the next generation to continue breaking barriers and forging new paths. On International Women’s Day, women still continued to protect, advocate and celebrate. I dare you to celebrate a woman that makes you happy by being in your life. You can celebrate by dancing and singing like in Nigeria, by marching like in Russia, by wearing purple like in Istanbul, or simply coming together and saying, “I appreciate you.”

We need to let celebrities rest in peace

Keira Faddis
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We need to let celebrities rest in peace

Picture your funeral. Likely, you want your closest friends and family there to support one another. Except you’re not just a regular college student, you’re the child, sibling or close friend of a famous actor or celebrity, and your entire newsfeed is filled with nasty rumors and conspiracies about your loved one who is no longer there to defend their name. 

Celebrities are real people too. They spend so much of their lives performing for us, but even after death, fans feel entitled to more information. We need to let celebrities rest in peace and respect them and their families’ privacy. 

It seems that every time a celebrity passes away, fans want to know the morbid and private details surrounding it, even making up their own rumors about their death. 

Just last month, Michelle Trachtenberg, known for her roles in Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, passed away suddenly at only 39. Immediately following her death, the liver transplant she received before her death made headlines, sparking rumors about her being an alcoholic. 

While a common reason for a liver transplant is alcohol-associated liver disease, in what way is it appropriate to claim she, or anyone for that matter, was an alcoholic? 

Trachtenberg had been outspoken against substance and alcohol use for decades before her death. During Bill Clinton’s presidency, she helped him launch the Coalition for a Drug Free America.  

In a similar vein, when Gene Hackman and his wife were found dead in their home, many people automatically assumed it was carbon monoxide poisoning. And then, just a few days later, news broke that “scattered pills” were found near his wife’s body. This information led to even more speculation about their deaths. 

While people created their own messed up theories to entertain themselves, the real reason behind the couple’s deaths ended up being medical issues, including heart disease and hantavirus. 

Families of celebrities are often given minimal or even no time to grieve before the entire world is in their business, demanding more information. 

Vanessa Bryant, Kobe Bryant’s wife, found out about the passing of her husband and daughter, Gianna, from social media in 2020. After learning about the helicopter crash that ultimately took her family’s lives, she was told there were five survivors. She found out that they passed after receiving an overwhelming amount of ‘RIP Kobe’ messages on social media. 

In a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Vanessa named different officers who shared photos of her husband’s dead body. An internal investigation of the department found that she was right. 

In a similarly tactless and disgusting manner, people posted photos of One Direction star Liam Payne’s scene of death. TMZ received major backlash after it shared aerial photos of Payne’s tattooed arms the day he passed away in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The photos have since been removed from TMZ’s website, but as a One Direction fan, seeing these photos was incredibly disturbing. No matter where I went on TikTok or Instagram, the photos had already been reposted dozens of times for millions of people to see. 

No one, famous or not, deserves to have pictures like that shared. 

People grow up seeing celebrities on their screens, and the more you see them, the more likely you are to develop a parasocial relationship. Parasocial relationships are a one-sided connection that a person feels, often to a celebrity, who doesn’t know them. Some people genuinely believe they know celebrities, and that feeling can make you even more curious about the details surrounding their death. But, it’s important to remember that even if you think you know them, celebrities aren’t our friends. 

Parasocial relationships oftentimes blur the lines between admiration and outright disrespect. In 2019, YouTubers Ethan and Grayson Dolan, known as the Dolan Twins, shared the news of their father’s passing with their followers online. Instead of being met with sympathy, some fans went to the extreme of planning to show up to their father’s funeral. In a time when the twins should have been focusing on grieving, they had to issue a statement on Twitter urging fans to not show up to the funeral. 

Liam Payne’s funeral similarly drew mass attention since ex-One Direction stars were in attendance. Multiple news outlets followed them, and a group of fans even waited outside of the church where the funeral took place. 

This trend of “funeral crashing” outlines a clear lack of respect for boundaries. Funerals are not meet-and-greet opportunities and should never be treated as such.

Losing someone you love is hard, and having millions of people on the internet pry into their death makes it a lot harder. Curiosity should never override respect for privacy. You do not have a right to someone else’s information even if you see them on your screens and stages. Instead of seeking out the details of celebrities’ tragic deaths, let them rest in peace.

Measles outbreak highlights the need for vaccination

Katie Karlson
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Measles outbreak highlights the need for vaccination

In Texas, more than just tumbleweeds roll through the west. After 25 years of eradication due to a highly effective vaccine, measles is back and currently ravaging Texas’s South Plains and Panhandle regions.

According to the Texas Department of Health Services, 223 cases have been identified in the South Plains since January, and at least 80 of these people were not vaccinated (138 people have an unknown vaccination status). A total of 29 people have been hospitalized, and one unvaccinated child passed away. 

As a Texan, it’s deeply upsetting to think about members of my community being sick, and it’s even more upsetting that members of my community are putting others at risk by remaining unvaccinated. People need to properly educate themselves on the purpose and benefits of vaccines instead of spreading misinformation and, even worse, disease.  

The measles, a virus-induced infection also known as rubeola, begins as a red rash that starts at the head and spreads down to the feet. The infection is most common in children and it can cause fevers, sore throat and other severe complications such as immune system suppression. 

Measles is incredibly contagious, even more so than COVID-19. The Cleveland Clinic states that if a single person in a room full of unvaccinated people has measles, 90% of people in the room will also contract the disease. In 2023, the World Health Organization estimated that measles caused approximately 107,500 deaths worldwide, primarily among unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children younger than five. 

Harvard Medical School argues that when 95% of community members are vaccinated, the individual and other community members are protected from measles through herd immunity. Unfortunately, the vaccination rate in about half of Texas counties for kindergarten-aged children has fallen below that threshold. The national percentage of school-aged children vaccinated for measles is also dropping below 95%. 

Many parents refuse to vaccinate their children because they are worried about a perceived connection between the measles, mumps and rubeola (MMR) vaccine and autism. Other parental hesitations about the MMR vaccine, including unknown side effects, lack of concern about the illness and lack of knowledge, overlap with uncertainties about other childhood vaccines. These points were the main reasons people cited for refusing the COVID-19, flu and RSV vaccinations, respectively.   

However, a study by the National Library of Medicine found no relationship between the MMR vaccine and autism or any other immunization. This “rumor” began in 1998 when former physician Andrew Wakefield published a study claiming that the MMR vaccine led to child developmental issues. This fraudulent study was retracted in 2010. 

There has been a tremendous amount of misinformation surrounding vaccines. People theorize that mRNA vaccines alter the recipient’s DNA, causing anxiety about the COVID-19 vaccine. In reality, mRNA vaccines work by telling our cells how to make a protein that causes our immune system to produce antibodies, protecting us from that germ in the future. After the protein is made, our bodies break down the inserted mRNA. 

Another completely unsupported theory is that the COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines contain tracking chips. For starters, the necessary size of a microchip would not fit through a vaccination needle and into the skin. Additionally, the chip would need a power source that would have to send a signal through muscle and fat. Of American adults surveyed in July, 5% are confident in this theory while another 15% find it to be “probably true.” 

None of these theories about immunizations have been proven true, but what has been proven is that remaining unvaccinated puts you and others at higher risk of contracting an easily preventable disease. West Texas is an unfortunate example. Unvaccinated people are undoing the decades of research and hard work leading up to 25 years of measles eradication while fellow Texans fight for their lives in the hospital.  

As an individual, you should want to protect yourself. As a parent, you should want to prevent your child from getting sick or experiencing an emotionally draining hospital stay. As a community member, you should share a sense of collective responsibility and work towards herd immunity to better protect yourself, your children and those in your circle. Keeping those you care about safe should be your top priority and getting vaccinated is the first step.

Dorian Gonzalez’s go-ahead RBI single against FAU enough for Miami to snap four-game losing streak, winning 6-5.

Jayden Gonzalez
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Dorian Gonzalez’s go-ahead RBI single against FAU enough for Miami to snap four-game losing streak, winning 6-5.

On a beautiful Tuesday night in Boca Raton, the Miami Hurricanes were searching for a victory against the FAU Owls after getting swept in Winston-Salem over the weekend. After blowing a four-run lead, Miami came back winning 6-5.

In the top of the eighth, with the score tied at five, Dorian Gonzalez Jr. stepped up to the plate trying to give Miami its lead back. With two runners on and one out, Gonzalez took Max Martzolf’s fastball to left field, allowing Derek Williams to score from second.

In the bottom of the eighth, Will Smith was given the ball to hold the lead at one. With a runner on first and two out, Smith struck out Ayden Garcia. Letting his emotions run high, Smith fired up the Miami dugout, roaring as he walked off the mound.

Miami head coach J.D. Arteaga let Smith go for the six-out save. With Marshall Lipsey at first and two out, the runner took off. Tanner Smith’s throw to second was a little low, but Gonzalez made an incredible pick to get Lipsey out and end the ballgame.

Will Smith came up big for the Hurricane bullpen, throwing 33 pitches and striking out three batters in the final two frames.

Last time the two schools met, it was a depressing 2-0 ballgame in Boca Raton in which no runs were scored on base hits and UM totaled zero extra-base hits. Tonight, it was a back-and-forth thriller.

Miami got the scoring going right away, helping starter Reese Lumpkin settle in early. On the first at-bat of the game, Jake Ogden laced a double over the head of the center fielder Lipsey. After a bunt single, Daniel Cuvet put UM on the board with an RBI sac-fly.

In the second inning, Dorian Gonzalez added to the Miami lead, pulling a two-run home run over the wall in right field. 

In the third, Cuvet launched a ball 406-feet deep into the trees in center field. The third baseman’s fifth home run of the season plated two runs, extending the Miami lead to 5-1. 

Cuvet had himself a big night at the plate. The Fort Lauderdale native went 2-for-4, tallying three RBIs in the process. 

After scoring five runs in three innings, the ’Cane bats fell silent, getting shutout on two hits in the next four innings.

Despite the comfortable lead, Lumpkin struggled finding the zone. His outing was still solid, giving Miami a starting pitching performance they have been needing since ACC play began. 

Lumpkin finished the night striking out three batters, surrendering four runs on four hits, while walking three in five innings of work. He threw 91 pitches, with 52 as strikes.

FAU (17-4) slowly chipped away from Miami’s four-run lead. In the third inning, while trying to complete a double play, Dorian Gonzalez threw the ball over the head of Renzo Gonzalez, letting an Owl run come in to score. The next batter, John Martinez, smoked a double past a diving Max Galvin, cutting the deficit to two.

After Lumpkin’s night was done, Arteaga turned the ball over to AJ Ciscar in a one-run ballgame in the sixth. Five pitches in, Ciscar hung a breaking ball to John Schroeder, who took his second home run of the day over the wall in right, tying the game at five.

After dropping six of their last seven, the Hurricanes (13-9, 0-3 ACC) continued to show fight throughout the entire game this evening, even after blowing a four run lead. With a solid bullpen performance, where Ciscar and Smith only allowed one run, Miami hopes the pitching can return to its old form. 

Entering tonight, UM’s pitching staff had given up a combined 65 runs in its last seven games against Connecticut, UCF, and Wake Forest.

Miami will need to be near perfect this weekend, as they welcome fourth ranked Florida State (18-2, 3-0 ACC). The first game of the three-game set will be on Thursday at Mark Light Field. Nick Robert is slated to toe the slab in Coral Gables against the Seminole lefty Joey Volini. Thursday’s game will be at 7 p.m on the ACC Network.

Hurricanes wrap up season at NCAA Indoor Championships

Shea Mcdonald
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Hurricanes wrap up season at NCAA Indoor Championships

Wrapping up a strong indoor season for Miami track and field, Edgar Campre led the way for Miami with a third-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Gabriella Grissom and Solomon Strader joined him with strong finishes to their season as well. 

Campre, in his fourth nationals appearance, made his biggest statement yet. With a third-place finish at 5,934 points, he broke his own record and continues to distance himself in Miami’s record books. Throughout the weekend, he placed first in the heptathlon, 60-meter hurdles and shot put. 

Additionally, several of these performances were new bests; his shot put of 15.5m was a personal record, and his 4.97m pole vault was a PR and good for fourth all-time for Miami. He also set season bests in the 60m and long jump.

Grissom made her nationals debut in the 800m and made it to finals after making it through the qualifiers with a time of 2:02.14. In seventh, rounding the final stretch, Grissom had a strong 30.97, 200m split, the third fastest on the track. This helped her finish fifth to make the finals. In the finals, she placed sixth at 2:02.46, around a second short of her record-breaking time set earlier in the month. 

Strader qualified for second team All-American honors, barely missing out on the finals after placing ninth in the 400m preliminaries with a time of 46.47.

Though the indoor season has wrapped up, the outdoor season is right around the corner, with the Hurricane Invitational taking place next weekend from March 21–22. It kicks off the beginning of the season homestand with the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational the following weekend.

Battle of the Boulders brings South Florida climbing to UM

Luke Sims
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Battle of the Boulders brings South Florida climbing to UM

Hanging on by a finger and jumping through the air between holds, South Florida’s small but committed climbing community traversed the Outdoor Adventures bouldering wall for its third annual Battle of the Boulders. This red-point style bouldering competition hosted almost 75 climbers from all over South Florida, including 36 UM students, challenging them to complete a gauntlet of 32 climbs.

“It was a great time. It was the first time I’ve ever been in any climbing competition. It was very challenging but everyone was super supportive” freshman musical engineering major Rex Roche said. 

Battle of the Boulders is OA’s signature climbing competition, bringing together climbers across Florida.

“I do a lot of competitions down here in South Florida and this was my first time at this gym,” said John Young, a route setter at Boulder Block in Pompano Beach, Florida who finished third in the men’s open division. 

Young drove over three hours to get to the competition. “Qualifiers were great. I appreciate the setters putting on a really good final for us and I had a really good time. I hope to come back next year.”

The competition invites climbers of all experience levels to vie for a spot in the finals across four days of climbing. It’s all a part of Outdoor Adventures’ mission to get students engaged with the outdoors. 

“I like the community. I like how it brings people together. This is definitely a beacon of culture and community that you don’t really see in a lot of intramural sports here on campus,” said second-year graduate student Nick Tong, who is studying music engineering and competed in the men’s open division final. “So it’s good that there’s a place like this that brings people together not just on campus but in the wider community as well.”

Before the competition could begin, the OA student setters painstakingly placed every hold, transforming the 14-foot bouldering wall into a 32-route, over 200-hold, competition platform. Every single hold needed to be taken down and replaced with unique and challenging routes for the preliminary round that took place on April 27 and 28.

“It was a really fun and challenging process to get this event together, and I couldn’t be more proud of the result,” senior economics major and senior route setter Dan Bennett said. “Our team worked really hard and it culminated in a great community building event. It was amazing to see so many people come together over a shared love for climbing and a chance to compete.”

14-feet may not seem high, but with various different types of grips and footholds scattered across the wall in convoluted arrangements, it can make for mighty challenges to the climbers attempting to scale to the top. Some are giant slabs that are a struggle to hang onto, while tiny crimps provide little area to cling to at all. The routes required immense balance, strength and endurance to get all the way to the top.

Climbers could enter into one of three divisions: beginner, intermediate and open in both men’s and women’s categories. 

“This was my first Battle of the Boulders, and it was definitely harder than I thought it was going to be,” sophomore, political science and criminology major Kylie Cohen said. “It challenged me to do things that I probably wouldn’t have done before. When I did complete something, it made me feel so hyped up. It was awesome.” 

To win the competition, climbers were awarded points for how many climbs they could complete. The harder the climb, the more points were awarded. Competitors could also earn a bonus for flashing a route or completing it on the first try. 

After the conclusion of the qualifying round, the walls were reset in just 13 hours to create the final six routes for the men and women’s final rounds. The 10 finalists had five minutes to complete each route.

Only two of the finalists were UM students – Tong and junior mechanical engineering major Emily Zhu.

Dylan Hewins, a setter at local rock gym Velocity, took home the top prize for men, while Riley McCallum, a setter at Boulder Bloc in Pompano, won the women’s competition. 

“It was really fun. It’s awesome for a gym this size to do a whole finals round and it was a great competition for a university gym,” McCallum said. 

This was the biggest turnout from outside of UM that OA has had. The excitement for this event spread and people from all interest levels were excited to try their hand at the bouldering competition.

“It allowed us one time to all come together in the same place at the same time and cheer each other on and show each other what was possible,” Roche said. “It allowed us to see some climbers from outside the school and see them come and support us and climb with us and see what the University of Miami climbers can do.”

While an exhausting week for OA employees, the team only hopes to see BOTB and interest in climbing grow in the future.  

“BOTB has been both the most challenging and the most rewarding experience of my time at OA,” senior oceanography major and head setter at Outdoor Adventures Alee Winkler said. “Overseeing the event was a big learning experience for me, but overall I am so proud of what our team accomplished as a whole and that we were able to contribute to pulling the climbing community closer together.”

3 ’Canes punch their tickets to the NCAA Championships 

McKenzie Eason
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3 ’Canes punch their tickets to the NCAA Championships 

During their final chance at the Zone B qualifying meet, three Miami divers qualified for the NCAA Championships, while three swimmers qualified at the ACC Championships.  

After an impressive run at ACCs, diver Max Flory qualified in all three events for NCAA’s at the Zone B meet, including the 1-meter springboard, 3-meter springboard and platform.  

Flory earned the “Most Valuable Player” award after securing the silver medal in the 1-meter at ACCs, with a score of 400.50, just behind Stanford’s Jack Ryan. In addition to Flory’s success in the 1-meter, he was the top finisher of the preliminary round in the 10-meter.

Additionally, women divers Chiara Pellacani and Mia Vallée qualified for both springboard events at the Zone B meet.

At ACCs, Pellacani, a former two-time Olympian and Italian national diver, took gold in the 3-meter dive with a score of 403.15, making it her first time becoming a conference champion. 

Pellacani earned bronze earlier in the week in the 1-meter along with Vallée, who also earned bronze with a score of 367.20. Vallée finished in the top eight, securing her spot in the finals. 

As for the Zone B qualifying meet, Vallée and Pallacani finished in the top four for the 1-meter. Vallée finished fourth in the 3-meter, and Pallacani clinched the seventh-place spot to make the cut. 

On the swimming side, freshman Simone Moll, senior Giulia Carvalho and sophomore Ashlyn Massey, all of whom qualified at ACC’s, will join the three divers for the NCAA Championships. Moll punched her ticket into the finals after finishing in eighth place with a time of 59.79 in the 100-yard breaststroke.

Carvalho set a new school record for the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 21.69. Not only did she set the freestyle record, but she also set a new school record for the 100 fly with a time of 50.9 at ACCs. 

Miami swim and dive is heading to NCAAs, which will be held at Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatics Center in Federal Way, Wash. from Wednesday, March 19 to Saturday, March 22.

Too soon or just right? Study abroad as a freshman is better than the traditional junior-year experience

Sierra McDonald
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Receiving my admittance to UM for the spring semester filled me with immediate excitement and worry. What would I do during the fall? How would I acclimate to campus in the spring? How do I watch all my high school friends begin school while I’m still at home? 

I was overwhelmed with anxiety when my mom turned my attention to UM’s Spring Start Study Abroad program, but I was also excited that my first semester of college would start 4,000 miles from home. 

Studying abroad freshman year helps students mature faster and is more beneficial for overall development than going abroad junior year. Going abroad as a freshman offers unique benefits that accelerate personal growth and independence from the very start of college. As a result of being immediately thrown into a new country and culture versus easing into campus life, students are forced to adapt quickly and develop essential life skills such as budgeting, time management and problem solving. 

Though spending the first semester of freshman year abroad differs significantly from the traditional junior year abroad model in terms of social reintegration, academic preparedness and personal growth, I was excited to embrace the experience. Stepping off the plane in Rome, the air felt thicker with the weight of an unfamiliar language, new customs and the realization of how far from home I was without knowing a single person. While most other students hung up posters in their dorms and moved in with their parents, I was alone in an authentic Italian apartment on Viale di Trastevere.

One trip in particular that helped me grow was our Fall break trip. In November, we were given a week off to travel. Given the opportunity to go anywhere, my friend and I decided on Copenhagen, Denmark. Our trip was the definition of a magical time roaming around the Christmas village until heading to the airport when things immediately took a turn. We discovered our flight had taken off three days prior so stranded, we realized we needed to make a plan. 

“Stepping into adulthood means facing moments where panic wants to take over, but you have to rely on the skills you’ve just started to learn. Each challenge of navigating missed flights, paying unexpected bills, or making tough decisions becomes proof that you’re more capable than you once thought,” explains sophomore architecture major Maddie Roh. “Abroad taught me how shaping that confidence carries me forward in life.”

Living and traveling independently fosters a strong sense of self reliance that most students don’t experience until later in college. “Studying abroad taught me independence and helped me step out of my comfort zone, ” sophomore psychology major Anika Pande said. “I no longer feel anxious about going to a coffee shop alone to enjoy a cup of coffee or navigating public transportation by myself in a different country.”

There’s no doubt that junior year is an ideal time for personal growth since most students already feel academically and socially stable. However, despite missing out on the traditional freshman dorm experience, freshmen studying abroad form strong connections within their travel group. Spending a semester abroad is a unique opportunity to meet people from diverse backgrounds who are all navigating the same experience. 

Throughout the semester, students grow close as they explore Rome during the week and travel across Europe on weekends. During the day, they attend the American University of Rome (AUR), where they are enrolled in four to five classes that transfer to UM in the spring. By the time students arrive at the University of Miami in the spring, they already have a built-in support system of around 70 peers who share their experience. This natural sense of community makes the transition smoother. “Studying abroad in Rome, I learned to navigate diverse social settings, which gave me the confidence to engage with different communities on campus,”said sophomore business major Ava Vogel. 

Adjusting to college and international life simultaneously presents challenges, but it also fosters independence and resilience. The experience of studying abroad as a freshman, while unconventional, offers a unique opportunity for personal and academic growth. Freshmen who study abroad return with confidence, adaptability and an abundance of fun stories that serve them well throughout college and beyond. Though reintegration remains a challenge arriving on campus without the traditional freshman bonding experience, the opportunity to return with a community is undeniable.

No. 5 NC State breezes past No. 34 Hurricanes 4-0

Sebastian Font
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No. 5 NC State breezes past No. 34 Hurricanes 4-0

The No. 34 Miami Hurricanes closed out their road trip Sunday against the No. 5 North Carolina State Wolfpack, losing 4-0 in deflating fashion.

Against a top team like NC State, it’s important to get ahead early. And while Miami desperately tried, it dropped the doubles point for the fourth match in a row.

The ’Cane pairing of Nacho Serra Sanchez and Leonardo Dal Boni fell 6-2 to No. 12 Jules Leroux and Luca Staeheli. The doubles point was then clinched by the Wolfpack pairing of No. 8 Braden Shick and Fons Van Sambeek, who defeated Miami’s top pairing of Martin Katz and Antonio Prat.

Despite their efforts, things didn’t get better for the Hurricanes (8-2, 2-4 ACC) in singles play.

In the top singles match, NC State (14-4, 6-0 ACC) continued its momentum as No. 42 Katz fell 6-3, 6-4 to No. 24 Shick. The Wolfpack lead was extended to three after Sambeek took down sophomore Mehdi Sadaoui, 6-3, 6-2. And with the match in clinching distance, No. 55 Staeheli defeated Sanchez 6-4, 6-3 to secure the NC State win. 

UM has had a rough ACC road trip, losing all four matches in sweeping fashion. Each team Miami has faced during this stretch was a top-30 opponent, namely No. 1 Wake Forest, the aforementioned No. 5 NC State and No. 9 Stanford. Such experience against top opponents means the ’Canes should be well prepared to reset and get back in the swing of things as they return home to take on Colgate on March 18 at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.

Communication majors don’t have it easy

Keira Faddis
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Communication majors don’t have it easy

In my senior year of high school, I was interviewed by the local newspaper about my achievements in high school journalism. When asked what I planned to study at UM, I shared that I would major in journalism and expressed my excitement about the increased writing opportunities ahead. 

The interviewer quite literally laughed in my face. 

He told me that journalism was a dying art and my dreams of working for a newspaper were “cute’ but dumb.” It made me think: If this is what people in my own field think about journalism majors, what do other people think?

If you search “communication major” on TikTok, you’ll come across dozens of hateful videos. These critiques frequently reduce the field to nothing more than talking, implying that our work is easy. This couldn’t be further from the truth. 

“People make simplistic judgments about things that most times are inaccurate. A lot of people in education don’t know or understand what it is that we do,” said Dr. Mitchell Shaprio, the director of the School of Communication honors program. 

As a freshman journalism and advertising management major, juggling school work with extracurricular student media work like pending newspaper deadlines and hunting down photos for yearbook spreads is not as easy as it’s made out to be. The notion that “all we do is talk” only covers a small percentage of what our typical daily workload looks like.

Many of these false narratives derive from social media interview videos. These interviewers commonly ask college students what the easiest or dumbest major is, and a large percentage answer with  “communications.” 

Communication majors have a different workload compared to typical students. Instead of the typical tests and quizzes, which aren’t completely off the table, most of our work consists of big projects. Whether we’re creating a full public relations campaign to tackle a company crisis, developing an integrated advertising campaign, producing a short film, editing a news package or just writing a detailed article, these projects often require long-term planning to encompass hours of filming, editing, interviewing and writing.

“When people say that communication majors have it easy in school it makes me feel upset because it’s a different kind of hard work than people typically think of,” said Noa Friedman Lowenthal, a freshman public relations major. “Yes, we aren’t answering multivariable calculus questions, but there is pressure to be a creative critical thinker, and that most definitely requires a strong work ethic.” 

For a skill that is supposedly “easy,” many people in the workforce lack the ability to effectively communicate. A 2016 study by PayScale found that 44% of managers in the workforce feel that recent college graduates lack skills in writing proficiency. In a more recent poll, 70% of CEOs on Long Island, NY, expressed that they felt job applicants have poor writing skills. 

Communication-related jobs are vital to almost every single company. Without an advertising or public relations team, companies would struggle to build their brand, market their products and effectively communicate with consumers. Journalism ensures that the public stays informed, while fields like media management and cinematography play a role in building an audience. 

So, before you label communications as easy, consider the typical college student’s dependence on tools such as ChatGPT and Grammarly. If writing is so easy, why are you ChatGPT-ing your essay? You might call yourself a designer for editing a Canva template, but it’s nothing like fighting for your life when you lose your linked documents on an InDesign assignment.

At the end of the day, every major has its own unique set of challenges. Not everything has to be a competition. We’re all just trying to get our education. Dismissing an entire field of study based on unfair and inaccurate stereotypes is narrow-minded and ignorant. Communication is what connects people, industries and ideas. Without it, society wouldn’t function as we know it.

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