As AI continues to soar in popularity, students and educators are starting to take advantage of the technology. According to Forbes, more than 60% of educators around the U.S. have incorporated AI into their classrooms, and college professors are no exception.
Despite this, I was still surprised when AI use was permitted in my freshman-year writing course (WRS 105), specifically to write a paper’s introduction and conclusion.
While some of the world’s best minds have talked about AI’s massive potential for the future, AI does students a disservice and goes against the values of higher education in the classroom. AI can regress students’ writing and problem solving skills, especially when using it to complete papers and assignments.
For example, using AI to write an argumentative paper isn’t actually developing persuasive writing skills. Instead, students are relying on AI to form an argument, losing the ability to interpret text, research for themselves and form their own opinions.
As a freshman and someone who’s skeptical about ChatGPT, I was surprised that AI is allowed on some UM assignments. My confusion was partly because of the algorithm that AI uses, called transformers.
The transformers algorithm generates information similar to what a human can produce and responds with human-like language. This raises concerns about how easily AI can generate assignments and papers that resemble a student’s work and also makes it easy for students to use AI unethically.
While my WRS 105 syllabus says that students should use AI “appropriately and ethically” and “understand their limitations,” it is hard to justify AI use for a class like WRS 105.
The class is meant to improve students’ writing and communication skills, but using artificial intelligence to help write papers does the complete opposite. It removes the challenge of prompting students to think clearly and discuss ideas persuasively. Instead, chatbots, such as Chat GPT, do all the thinking and persuading for students.
A study published by Nature determined that AI “significantly impacts the loss of human decision-making and makes humans lazy.” With the increasing use of this technology, students are more susceptible to AI’s influences and are growing less concerned with conducting their own research.
When considering how technology-dependent people already are, do we really want to add more technology to the mix? According to Varsity College, social media usage has led to the rise of misinterpretation and misunderstanding between individuals both verbally and nonverbally.
The internet can also impact our memory. A study published by NIH concluded that dependence on search engines causes people to “have lower rates of recall.”
AI is a more extreme version of the search engines found on the internet, meaning it likely impacts our brains as well. School is a place where students should learn to think, but AI will only inhibit that.
Using AI in classrooms will hinder our abilities to understand readings and complete assignments ourselves. It can even impact how we behave and socialize as the more we use technology, the further we remove ourselves from human connection.
AI threatens the very essence and mission of our educational system. Despite AI’s convenience, its presence in the classroom will make us dependent on its insights and information. UM, it’s time to realize that AI isn’t going to facilitate students’ learning, instead it will hinder the way we think and interact as an institution.
When you opened up your computer and prepared for a packed inbox before the fall semester, you probably noticed a change in your email background. On Aug. 1, UM switched student email accounts from Outlook to Gmail.
Although a student survey indicated that students preferred Google products, many students were pleased with Outlook, and the survey only received a 27% response rate from undergraduate students. The transition to Gmail has had a rough start. It has brought challenges of adapting to a new platform without the enjoyment of Outlook’s advanced capabilities. Simply put, the transition has already hurt student productivity and will inevitably continue to.
Outlook has various tools, such as AI Copilot, that make it easier for students to locate previous emails and documents. Outlook’s calendar is straightforward, popular, and organized, according to Business Insider. These features, which are not found on Gmail make it easier for students to access essential school information.
“The design of Gmail and the calendar system are awful compared to Outlook,” Carlos Ramirez, a junior majoring in industrial engineering, said. “I enjoyed using the Outlook calendar to set up meetings and keep track of my schedule. It was easy for me to use and understand. Using the Gmail calendar causes me more stress. I am still trying to make sense of it.”
“Outlook had a more professional appearance,” said third-year finance and accounting major Michael Finkel. “I enjoyed how the university initially had Outlook because many business internships my friends and I participated in utilized Outlook and other Microsoft Office platforms. I believe switching to Gmail will put students at a disadvantage when explaining technological skills on internship applications, as Gmail will only inhibit technological development for prospective jobs.”
One big problem is that many students lost emails during the transfer, requiring them to rework their calendars in an entirely new way. These inconveniences made life rough for students as they utilized their school email when applying for jobs.
“I applied to several internships using my school email and received all follow-up emails to Outlook, which entailed interview scheduling and crucial details about further application stages,” said Finkel. “This caused me to be very frustrated, and I missed some internships I had hoped to get this semester. I wondered why all my emails would still be in Outlook if the school did not use Outlook anymore.”
Outlook also helped students keep track of important school information while having a separate platform for individual emails, making it easy for students to differentiate the two.
“I enjoyed having two separate email systems. I could easily track my notifications, as I knew what came from Outlook and Gmail,” said Donald Suidmak, a third-year student majoring in biology. “Outlook was my school email, and Gmail was my personal. Now, it is harder to pinpoint what comes from my personal email and which are school emails. This confusion has caused me to miss a lot of important emails from professors.”
Some students even lost all of their previous emails and contacts they had before the switch.
“There is a split between the two websites, which is a complete nightmare to deal with,” said Crawford Lashley, a senior majoring in marine biology, “I have to go back into Outlook to find old emails and contacts. I don’t understand why everything got erased when we switched over.”
UMIT transitioned to Gmail for safety concerns, and a survey demonstrated that students preferred to switch to Gmail.
“The reason for the transition is because students voted for Gmail. There was a survey that went out and the results showed that Gmail was the preference,” said Regino Rodriquez, a faculty member of the UMIT department.
Some Students also enjoy Gmail’s easy-to-use interface and are familiar with features such as Google Docs, Drive, and Slides.
“I don’t see a huge difference yet in switching to Gmail,” said third-year student Emma Beall, majoring in broadcast journalism. “During the first week of classes, I forgot to switch to my Gmail and missed many emails. Overall, though, I think this will be a good move by UM in the long run.”
Still, Gmail’s abilities do not match Outlook’s superior features. Gmail has already had significant setbacks in terms of student efficiency. Outlook prepared students for professional communication and allowed them to digest information quickly. It familiarized students with the technological platforms the professional world uses and prepared them for life after college. Gmail will do the exact opposite and leave students feeling disadvantaged.
Leaders in Latin America’s reproductive rights movement, visited the University of Miami on Friday, Sept. 13 to partake in a Reproductive Justice Symposium.
Panelists Marta Alanis and Pascale Solages reflected on their activism in their home countries of Argentina and Haiti, respectively, and spoke to the urgency of the current political situation in Florida and elsewhere in post-Roe America.
“People who have money will always have access to abortion and so this is an attack [on] folks who cannot travel to get care outside of the state. This is an attack on working-class Floridians,” panel moderator Ysabella Osses said.
Currently, the nearest abortion clinic in a state in which abortion is legal and unrestricted by gestational limits is in Danville, Virginia — a 12-hour, 850-mile drive from Coral Gables.
“The cost of living is extremely high in South Florida… you need to make $75,000 a year just to support a [2-person] household. Having a child adds $20,000 or more,” Santra Denis of the Miami Workers Center said.
“In banning abortion you’re creating immense financial strain” while forcing women to bring children into potentially unsafe housing situations with “issues like black mold or no air conditioning.”
“It’s just as much a wealth inequality issue as it is a women’s rights issue,” Denis said.
Religious orthodoxy was a recurring topic of the afternoon. Catholic conviction motivates restrictive abortion laws in many nations, as well as women’s attitudes toward its legalization.
The event was sponsored by Latinas en Marcha and Yes on 4. Also contributing to the panel were activist Andrea Mercado of Florida Rising and Claire Oueslati-Porter, a UM professor and director of gender and sexuality studies.
When asked whether the activism of Alanis and Solages inspired her to become more politically involved in the pursuit of abortion access, UM law student Natalie Kemper said, “Absolutely.”
“We’re so fortunate that we live in a country where we can voice our opinions, go against the government and not be afraid of repercussions.”
A panelist addresses the audience during the Reproductive Rights Symposium at the Faculty Club Lounge on Sept. 14. Photo credit: Ashlynn Helms
Marta Alanis
Marta Alanis began her journey in feminist activism in Argentina in the early 1970s in founding Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir (Catholics for the Right to Decide). At the time, a brutal military dictatorship reigned and the Catholic Church had substantial political influence.
Alanis explained in Spanish, and translated to English via translator, that the word “abortion” was a major social taboo and that most Argentinians remain ideologically opposed to it.
Despite the religious fervor with which Argentinian women then led their lives, and the fact that abortion was not legalized in the nation until 2020, they too found ways to terminate unwanted pregnancies.
Alanis recalls a 1973 conversation with 20 Catholic women in which 14 of them had had abortions.
“Fue un milagro que todos estaban vivos e ilesos,” she said, which translates to, “It was a wonder they were all alive and unharmed.”
In 2003, Alanis and her contemporaries launched the “green wave,” distributing green bandanas to symbolize women’s reproductive rights. Green was a symbol of “hope, health and life.”
The movement continued to gain momentum. In 2018, as Argentina inched ever closer to decriminalizing abortion, thousands of abortion-rights demonstrators flooded the streets of Buenos Aires in a “sea of green.”
The nation ran out of green fabric. “La gente tenía que cruzar la frontera con Bolivia para conseguirla,” Alanis said, translating to, “People had to cross the border into Bolivia to get it.”
Green bandanas were distributed at the Symposium.
When asked what advice she would give to advocates in the U.S., Alanis emphasized that women’s economic and reproductive autonomy could only be achieved through political participation and that activism is not for the impatient.
“You can’t be discouraged when there doesn’t appear to be progress,” she said. Indeed, only in her 47th year of activism did abortion become decriminalized in Argentina, though not once did she lose sight of why it mattered, Alanis said.
Pascale Solages
Pascale Solages, a feminist organizer from Miami Workers Centre with over 10 years of experience in feminist movement building, has a story that is perhaps even more shocking.
She is a founding member of Nègès Mawon, an organization that provides access to reproductive healthcare in Haiti by distributing abortion pills and creating a network of private doctors and nurses who safely, and secretly, perform abortion procedures.
In desperately impoverished and politically volatile Haiti, abortion is criminal. If prosecuted, both doctors who perform the procedure and women who self-abort face life in prison.
Heavily armed gangs terrorize the Caribbean nation. Gangs use “collective rapes” and other types of sexual assaults to “instill fear, punish, subjugate and inflict pain on local populations with the ultimate goal of expanding their areas of influence,” U.N. officials have reported.
Solages said that the government’s very limited resources go toward addressing gang murders, more than 4,700 of which occurred in 2023. This leaves the countless women and children who have been raped entirely without support.
What’s more is that the law fails to differentiate between pregnancies caused by rape and incest and pregnancies resulting from consensual relationships – abortion carries the same consequence regardless.
Everyone involved in the organization is in grave danger of arrest and imprisonment.
Yet, Solages believes that her work is “incredibly important,” given that “complications arising from pregnancy and unsafe abortions are the third leading cause of death among Haitian women.” Haiti has the highest maternal mortality rate in the Western hemisphere.
Solages estimates that only about 10% of Haitian women say they want abortion to be legalized. There are several reasons for this, she says, including their religious convictions, their deep distrust of the government and the existence of risky home “remedies” that are passed down through generations of Haitian women.
When asked how abortion-rights activists should approach American “church folk” regarding the issue, Solages said, “You have to be willing to go into communities and talk to women and girls. And most of the time you can’t say the word ‘abortion.’”
“We go into tiny villages all over [Haiti] and put on a play called Danta… It’s about a woman who mourns the death of her daughter after she dies of an unsafe abortion. So, that way… because this experience is so common… they start to listen. Then we can teach them how to use contraceptives or distribute birth control or tell them about our clinics.”
Solages said there is currently a governmental commission in place considering decriminalizing abortion in Haiti. Of its seven members, six are men and one is a priest. As such, she has very little hope that anything will change.
“There is still so much work to be done” as women continue to die in vain from unsafe abortions, Solages said.
“You have to know what time is on the clock of the world. Now is the time to fight.”
The 2024 Family Weekend at the University of Miami set a new standard for engagement, drawing a record registration of over 1,567 families to join the fun of reconnecting with their students, networking with other ’Cane families and engaging with faculty and staff.
The weekend, which ran from Thursday, Sept. 12, to Sunday, Sept. 15, was filled with events both on and off campus, such as food truck rallies, college tours and a football game.
“A lot of us in the orientation staff are firm believers that not just our students are ’Canes, but also our family members as well,” said Nik Howell, an orientation leader for the Department of Orientation and Commuter Student Involvement. “And this year’s family weekend has been the biggest showcase of that, that a lot of us have ever seen.”
On Friday, parents could attend several events on campus, including a Miami Hurricanes Pep Rally for the upcoming game that weekend and a Block Party and Food Truck Rally. They could also partake in “Nightcrawler,” an event where students and their families could go glow-in-the-dark indoor climbing at Outdoor Adventures.
Throughout the weekend, individual schools and colleges at UM, such as the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Communication and School of Architecture, hosted open houses, work exhibits and receptions. These events showcased their programs and provided insights into the opportunities they offer to their students.
“My father liked meeting with the professors and administrators to see what the business school was all about,” said Josh Seiple, a sophomore majoring in entrepreneurship.
The Lowe Art Museum extended its hours for the weekend and offered guided tours of its Permanent Collection, which represents five millennia worth of human creativity and pieces from every inhabited continent.
Students and their families could also attend interest sessions about various campus experiences including study abroad, Greek life, student media, and internship and career exploration.
On Saturday, students and their parents took the UBus to Hard Rock Stadium to watch the football game against Ball State.
“The Ball State game is definitely a big part of Family Weekend and what a lot of families are looking forward to the most,” said Corinne Kelly, a student assistant at OCSI.
For the first time, family members could also go to the Fan Zone at Hard Rock Stadium, organized by Category 5, the spirit programming board at UM.
After an almost three-hour weather delay, the Hurricanes delivered a 62-0 victory over Ball State.
Elijah Lofton, a sophomore majoring in finance said, “I was able to go with my family to the football game, which we all enjoyed even though it was a blowout.”
The weekend culminated in a pickleball tournament on Sunday for UM families to compete against each other.
For many, the weekend meant more than attending events, it was about deepening family connections and offering their family members a glimpse into everyday life at UM.
“Having my parents meet everyone that I’ve met so far here was nice, and they enjoyed seeing me settled into my new school,” Seiple said.
Seiple, who recently transferred from Denver University, explained that his parents noted how much bigger the campus felt when they were exploring over the weekend and were impressed with Family Weekend’s level of organization.
“It was good for them to see my new school and how different it was,” Seiple said.
Many students also capitalized on showing off the vibrant city of Miami to their families. They explored local restaurants, enjoyed the beaches and visited popular tourist destinations throughout the city, discovering Miami’s culture and diversity.
“I had a great weekend with my family, especially my younger brother,” said Jimmy Kooch, a junior majoring in biology. “From showing him what a macroeconomic class looks like here to a football tailgate and the game, it was a great family weekend.”
Miami baseball is reinforcing its coaching staff, hiring assistant coach Chris Dominguez, The Miami Hurricane has learned. This hiring was first reported by Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball.
Dominguez will be replacing Darren Fenster on UM’s coaching staff. Fenster served one season as an assistant coach with the Hurricanes, and he will be returning to coaching at the professional level. Before his time with Miami, Fenster spent 12 years with the Boston Red Sox.
Dominguez was formerly the head coach for Bellarmine for two seasons. A former Louisville standout as a player, Dominguez led the Cardinals to a Big East championship in 2008. He also went on to play in the MLB for the Cincinnati Reds and the San Francisco Giants. He replaces Darren Fenster at Miami, who only served one season.
Dominiguez, a Miami native, was drafted out of Gulliver Prep in Coral Gables to the Texas Rangers in 2005. However, he did not sign, opting to compete in collegiate baseball. He was drafted two more times in 2008 and 2009 by the Colorado Rockies and the Giants, and following a historic season at Louisville, Dominguez ended up at San Francisco.
Before being drafted, he collected accolades such as the Big East Player of the Year and a First-Team All-American selection by Baseball America after batting .345 with 25 home runs and 82 RBIs. Dominguez played in over 1,000 professional games and totaled 134 home runs, 210 doubles, 20 triples and 592 RBIs while hitting .263. `
This would be the second time Dominguez is working with the ‘Canes. Prior to the most recent signing, he coached Miami’s infielders and hitters during the 2021 season – leaving for Bellarmine in 2022. His return to Miami will provide extra expertise that Dominguez built up as a head coach.
Co-Sports Editor Luke Chaney also contributed to this report.
Preliminary data released by the University of Miami revealed Black student enrollment fell from 9% to 5% for the Class of 2028. This is the first class impacted by the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned affirmative action, preventing a race-conscious admission process.
The demographic composition of UM now reflects a more prominent Hispanic population, which climbed from 24% to to 28%. Asian student enrollment continued to decline to 6%, down 9 percentage points from the freshman class enrolled in 2017.
Over the last decade, Black student enrollment peaked in 2019 and 2020 at 11% and has been hovering between 9-10% in the years since.
White students also fell moderately, from 55% to 52%. This falls in line with data from the past decade where white enrollment fluctuated between 50% and 56%.
Students identifying as two or more races or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander remained fixed at 5% and less than 1% respectively. An additional 4% of students chose not to identify their race.
Across the board, UM diversity numbers have remained on par with previous years, with 44% of the freshman class being students of color and 52% white non-Hispanics.
The graph does not include Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander because no exact percent was given. Non-reporting data was also excluded. Credit: Patrick McCaslin.
UM attributes at least part of these changes to the Supreme Court ruling that found affirmative action violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“The University of Miami had expected some variation in the composition of our student body following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the summer of 2023, which banned colleges and universities from considering race in the admissions process,” UM said in a statement to The Hurricane.
UM’s enrollment demographics follow a wave of similar data released by several other U.S. universities. In the past month, Harvard University announced its Black enrollment decreased by 4 percentage points, Brown University fell by 6 percentage points and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology fell by 10 percentage points.
But impacts of the new admission process have not been consistent. Yale University’s Black enrollment remained the same, and Duke University’s increased. Brown and MIT saw decreases in Hispanic enrollment, whereas Harvard’s Hispanic population increased, similar to UM.
Varying methodologies for calculating percentages and the regrouping of race categories has also warped the validity of data being released by colleges. For example, Harvard caused confusion after recalculating its Class of 2027 data and failing to include international students in their total calculations.
Anticipating the influence on the admission process, UM amended its supplemental admission essay for the Class of 2028 cycle. The goal was to provide students with a place to showcase their diversity and counteract the omission of race data from the process.
The new essay describes the importance of diversity to the city of Miami and the University before asking applicants to, “Describe how your unique experiences, challenges overcome, or skills acquired would contribute to our distinctive University community.”
In a student leader dinner held on Sept. 5, students raised their concerns regarding a decline in Black enrollment to Acting President and CEO Joe Echevarria and Vice President of Student Affairs and Alumni Engagement Patricia Whitely. The two acknowledged the decrease in Black students and assured the audience they would work with admissions to adjust to the new rules of college admissions.
“The University is proud to be a diverse and inclusive community, and building an institution based on these values continues to be a top priority,” UM continued in its statement to TMH.
The data stated above will be officially confirmed following the admission census which be held on Sept. 19.
Holding open the door on scholarship weekend in Spring 2024, alumnus Derryl Barnes kept looking over his shoulder wondering if more students were coming. Among the sea of new premier scholarship recipients invited to meet their peers, Barnes saw almost no students that looked like him.
Something was off.
At Horizons, a pre-orientation program known to bring together multicultural students, Student Government Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council Chair Alexis Owens was confused after meeting just one Black student.
Then came a wave of half-filled organization meetings.
The first general body meeting for United Black Students, the first formally recognized Black student organization at the University of Miami, had only three first-year students in attendance. Historically, there have been lines out the door.
The shockingly low presence of first-year Black students confirmed student leaders’ concerns – Black enrollment was down.
In a statement to The Hurricane on Sept. 16, the data released by the University of Miami revealed that Black enrollment had been nearly cut in half, making up only 5% of the Class of 2028.
Students and administrators attribute this drop mostly to the U.S. Supreme Court decision that ruled 6-3 against the use of race in college admissions, finding that it violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on June 29, 2023.
The class of 2028 is the first group experiencing the consequences of the post-affirmative action admissions process, and across the country universities have reported a decrease in select race groups, predominantly those identifying as Black.
“Within the multicultural identity, sure, it’s more diverse, but with that diversity came a decline in the Black student representation,” Owens said.
This is a cause of concern for student leaders across campus who spend hours planning events and leading organizations to guarantee spaces on campus for Black students.
“That’s a whole class of students that don’t have as much community within themselves that can go on after I graduate,” Owens said. “Who’s carrying our legacy?”
The student leader’s concern
At UM, Black students fought for a voice on campus. The University did not desegregate until 1961, when the Board Of Trustees voted to “admit qualified students without regard to race or color.” Six years later, UBS was founded.
For over 60 years Black students have worked to solidify their presence as advocates for belonging and cultivated spaces for students to connect with their culture and learn about others. From Black pre-health organizations to Black Creatives Collective, their large community has allowed for widespread impact.
In 2022, four Black students competed in the Homecoming pageant and won, representing their organizations and cultures on the Royalty Court. Before this year, the past three Student Government presidents – Landon Coles, Jamie Williams and Niles Niseem – were Black.
“Those are influential people. Pillars on the campus who wouldn’t have been there,” Barnes said
The Gravity Magazine and UMTV’s The Culture were started by Black students to provide opportunities for other Black students to showcase their experiences, talent and creativity.
Annual events like Taste of Africa and the Hairology hair show regularly gather crowds of over 300 students.
“I owe it to places like UBS, the Caribbean Students Association, Planet Kreyol, African Student Union, just providing a space where people of color can come together and not only be educated on cultures that are not their own, but also to have community with other other people of different backgrounds, even though we’re different from each other.” UBS President Zuri Greenlee said.
According to these student leaders, this is what the University of Miami stands to lose if Black enrollment rates continue to fall.
“I definitely am concerned,” Greenlee said. “Just in terms of SAFAC, they go based off of your members. As the seniors graduate, and people leave, we’re going to start not having as much funding.”
Since the start of the semester the DEI Council has heard concerns from students who are in classes finding that they are the only Black student in the room. Student leaders have also expressed concern over low turnout at events, programs and outreach efforts that have had no problem succeeding in the past.
“You feel underrepresented, or you don’t feel heard, or you don’t feel as valued in certain spaces, because then you feel like maybe I don’t deserve to be in that space,” Owens said. “That is another hindrance of just being proud of getting into this school, getting this education, being in this environment. It can be hard, because then you’re like, do I really belong here?”
Specific representation matters
As a whole, the University’s diversity numbers remained about the same at 44%, with Hispanic students increasing as much as Black students decreased in the Class of 2028. Barnes explained that despite the diversity numbers looking good on paper, it is important for students of color to see others that look like them.
“Say UM is the number one football team in the nation, they’re going to turn that camera, point it in the stands and every single person in those stands is either white or white-passing Hispanic. It’s just going to give a certain illusion, right?” Barnes said.
Seeing Black students succeeding across campus was one of the main factors that led Barnes to choose UM over other universities. In high school, Barnes was often the only Black student in his Advanced Placement and honors classes. UM offered him a new opportunity to immerse himself in a Black community that had his same ambitions and commitment to academic achievement.
“Right off the bat it [UM] already felt more like home than the other schools that I was going to,” he said.
Where does UM go from here?
Understanding that these effects are largely outside the University’s control, Black student leaders are simply asking to be included in the conversation.
“What is the plan to make sure that we’re admitting black students in the school, because at the end of the day, our organizations cannot continue without those black students,” Greenlee said.
“Having that dialogue between us will go a long way to see even what we can do on our end to prevent this from happening in the future.”
The Miami Hurricanes’ volleyball team, at 5-0 and ranked No. 20 in the nation, had an underwhelming show at the Sports Imports Classic in Columbus, Ohio this past weekend, losing twice and winning just once.
The ’Canes opened up their tournament slate on Friday against the hosting team, the Ohio State Buckeyes. While the first two sets were close, Miami ended up getting swept by the Buckeyes in just three sets to lose their first match of the season with the final scores being: 25-21, 25-21, 25-16.
Miami had 11 service errors and a .078 hitting percentage, while the Buckeyes were led to victory by graduate student Emily Londot, who had 16 kills, 13 digs and three blocks. Junior Flormarie Heredia Colon was the top performer for the Hurricanes, with 12 kills and six digs.
On Saturday, Miami dropped its second match of the season with a 3-1 loss to Wright State. The final scores were: 25-22, 25-20, 17-25, 25-22. While the ’Canes only lost the first set by three, they spent the entirety of it trailing, as they never led or even tied the Raiders once during the set.
The second set was similar, with UM scoring the first point of the set off an ace by senior Alanys Viera, but trailed the Raiders for the rest of the set. The ’Canes finally won a set in the tournament, winning the third with a kill by redshirt freshman Bianka Lulić. The eventual outcome was still a Wright State win, with Raiders sophomore and UConn transfer Mya Ayro leading the team with 20 kills, two digs and one block. The Raiders went on to go undefeated in the tournament with a 3-1 win against Buffalo on Friday and a 3-1 win against Ohio State on Sunday.
The Hurricanes looked to finish off the tournament on a good note in their final match against Buffalo. This time, it did end up going their way, as they swept the Bulls 3-0, with the final scores being 25-12, 25-22, 25-12.
Aside from a close second set, which included a 8-1 start by Buffalo, the match went very smoothly for the ’Canes. Miami’s victory came largely due to the performances of junior Flormarie Heredia Colon, who had 13 kills, nine digs and two blocks, and sophomore Grace Lopez, who tallied 14 kills, six digs and one block.
The Hurricanes (6-2) will try to rebound from their tough weekend in Ohio by competing back in the 305 Challenge, which Miami is hosting. UM’s first match of this slate is against No. 22 Arkansas (8-1).
Miami put on a show for family weekend, treating the home crowd to a 62-0 shellacking of Ball State. The offense, led by another standout performance from quarterback Cam Ward, was firing on all cylinders. The defense, meanwhile, absolutely stifled the Cardinals on the ground and through the air.
As the ’Canes continue to build chemistry and momentum ahead of a road date against Southern Florida, here are three takeaways from Saturday’s more-than-convincing win.
The pass-catching group is as deep as it is talented
Saturday’s air attack centered around Jacolby George and Xavier Restrepo, who combined for 156 yards and three touchdowns. But the Hurricanes spread the ball around, as 12 different players caught at least one pass. Nine of those players amassed at least 20 yards, and five topped the 50-yard mark.
With players like Sam Brown Jr. and Isaiah Horton making an impact early in the season, and talented players like freshman Joshisa Trader even further down on the depth chart, Miami’s receiver room has the potential to become a nightmare through the air.
The run game needs to get going
As good as Miami’s offense looked on Saturday, the ground attack struggled for much of the game. At the end of the first half, the ’Canes had eight attempts for 16 yards. The offensive line — which lost starter Anez Cooper to an injury early on — struggled to get push or open holes early on.
The run game started to heat up as the game went on, and, thanks to some late-game reps from Ajay Allen and Jordan Lyle, Miami finished the game with nearly 250 yards on the ground. But that was late in a blowout win, so it may be taken with a grain of salt.
Winning teams have to be able to control the pace of play via the run game. It hasn’t hurt the team so far, but as the schedule toughens up, the Hurricanes will need to do a better job of establishing a consistent ground game with running backs Damien Martinez and Mark Fletcher Jr.
This defense has all the makings of a special group
The season is still young, but Miami’s defense has been absolutely dominant in the early going, culminating in Saturday’s shutout.
Miami’s recipe for defensive success has been the same in all three games: ferocious defensive line play that sets the secondary up to make big plays. It’s worked to near perfection thus far, as the Hurricanes have racked up 12 sacks while picking off opposing quarterbacks six times.
Miami’s clicking on both sides of the ball, and it’s showing. But the scariest part for opposing teams is that this isn’t even the ceiling. If the run game can find its footing and the defense can bring back injured defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr., the Hurricanes have the potential to be one of the most dangerous teams in college football.
In a game pushed back over two hours by a weather delay, the real downpour was Miami’s scoring outburst as the No. 10 Hurricanes pummeled Ball State, 62-0.
It was a dominant performance on both sides of the ball, as the Hurricanes gained 750 yards while holding the Cardinals to a measly 115. That yardage mark is a single-game record for the ’Canes, surpassing the previous record of 739, which was set against Central Connecticut State in 2021.
Quarterback Cam Ward had yet another surgical performance, carving up the Cardinals to the tune of 346 yards and five touchdowns despite playing just over two quarters. The performance brings him up to 1035 passing yards on the year, a clear sign that the signal-caller is in full command of the offense.
“He knows where to go with the ball,” head coach Mario Cristobal said. “We’re getting on all cylinders in the passing game.”
Credit Jason Hill – Co-Photo Editor // Senior quarterback Cam Ward gets ready to take a snap during Miami’s game against Ball Srate at Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 14, 2024.
Ward took advantage of the Ball State secondary early and often, and Miami’s receivers feasted as a result. Senior Xavier Restrepo brought in two touchdown passes, bringing him up to six scores in his last six games.
Jacolby George was the star of the air attack. The senior receiver wasn’t perfect early, dropping a pass and barely stepping out of bounds on what would have been a long touchdown catch-and-run. But he rebounded quickly, hauling in six passes for 109 yards and a score.
“You just gotta have that next play mentality,” the receiver said. “You just gotta do what you got to do to make that next play.”
The passing offense as a whole put on a show, as the Hurricanes amassed over 500 yards through the air. 12 different players caught passes for the Hurricanes, and nine of them had over 20 yards. It’s a testament to the depth and skill of Miami’s receiver room.
“You can’t just double team one person,” George said. “You gotta cover everybody.”
While the offense provided plenty of fireworks, the defense put on a show of its own, putting up four sacks and an interception during the shutout. In particular, the Hurricanes smothered Ball State’s run game, holding the Cardinals to a paltry six yards on the ground.
“We feed off each other’s energy,” said defensive lineman Elijah Alston, who had a sack and an interception. “I’m enjoying it a lot.”
The game got out of hand quickly, allowing the Hurricanes’ starters to rest for the majority of the second half. But the backups kept the momentum going, running up the score while preserving the shutout.
“Those guys upheld a high standard,” Cristobal said. “It’s good to see them get valuable, meaningful snaps against a solid football team.”
Sophomore quarterback Emory Williams, who got his first game action of the season, took advantage of the opportunity, going 11-for-12 and throwing for 161 yards and a touchdown.
“We all motivate each other, so it’s good to see Emory out there,” Ward said. “That boy played good.”
Credit Jason Hill – Co-Photo Editor // Sebastian hypes up the crowd during Miami’s game against Ball Srate at Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 14, 2024.
The win moves Miami to a 3-0 record. During the three game stretch, the ’Canes have outscored their opponents 159-26. Despite the early success, Cristobal and his team are more focused on the road ahead.
“We could be the best offense in the country,” George said. “We just gotta keep working.”
“These guys want to get better now, they want to go win,” Cristobal said. “We’re just getting started.”
The Hurricanes will head to Tampa, Florida next week to take on the South Florida Bulls. Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Miami music lovers, get ready to experience a memorable night full of eclectic sounds and a magnetic performance. Mexican-American singer Omar Apollo’s God Said No tour is making its way down to South Florida.
The rhythm and blues artist will perform at the FPL Solar Amphitheater at Bayfront Park on Monday, Sept. 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Omar Apollo has rapidly risen to fame over the past years for his unique genre-defying approach to music.
He started his career by uploading music to SoundCloud. Apollo uploaded his songs, like “Ugotme”and “ABCD” , onto the platform before shifting to Spotify. Once on Spotify, the two songs racked up an astounding 15 million streams in under a year.
This past summer, Apollo opened for SZA on her most recent SOS tour.
He admitted that going on tour with SZA let him see performing in a new perspective. He has since found ways to improve his own stage presence.
“…I’ve also been dancing Mexican folk ballet since I was young, so I wanted to incorporate some of those elements and bring back dancing into my show,” Apollo said in an interview with Wasserman Music. “It’s going to be a whole new experience for me and the fans.”
Fans attending the Miami concert can expect a dynamic setlist. From the upbeat more pop-music influenced songs such as “Less of You,” to a more introspective and melodic range of songs, such as “3 Boys.”
There will be a song for everyone at this upcoming performance. Whether you are a long-time listener or a newcomer to his music, Apollo’s concert is definitely an event you want to check out.
Tickets for his Miami’s performance are still available now on Livenation.
At the University of Miami, tailgates are more than just a prelude to the football game – they’re a full-blown tradition where Hurricane pride is celebrated all day. While the excitement for the opening game is real, nothing beats the first tailgate of the year.
Freshmen and upperclassmen alike are ready to blow off some steam, flaunt their orange and green, and dive headfirst into one of UM’s most anticipated events. Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned tailgater, here’s what you need to know to prepare for the best Saturday of September.
Forget “casual” attire – at UM, we go all out for tailgates. Expect to see bikinis, costumes, overalls, face paint, and a wild array of neon green and orange. It’s like a pool party minus the pool – though you never know when someone will cannonball off a roof into the frat house pool.
Pro tip: Invest in a pair of “frat shoes” you won’t mind ruining. After all, it won’t be the last time you’ll need them, and you’ll thank yourself when the mud, spilled drinks, and general chaos unfolds.
If you’re worried about whether you belong at the tailgate, don’t be. These events aren’t exclusive to freshmen or Greek life – everyone’s welcome. All you need is your cane card and a party-ready attitude. You’ll bump into classmates, lab partners, maybe even your RA. It’s one big, sweaty celebration, and everyone’s there to have a good time.
Tailgating at UM means dealing with the Miami heat. Things get hot – literally. With mosh pits forming and students dancing to the beats of the pledge DJ of the day, staying hydrated is key. The frats are required to provide water, so no worries about relying on pool water (though we can’t guarantee someone won’t take a dive).
You might also find energy drinks and other adult beverages at the makeshift bars, but food won’t be supplied. Seriously, eat something before you go – nothing says “I regret this” like tailgating on an empty stomach.
It’s not just about dancing and drinking. Tailgates often feature extra activities like a mechanical bull, inflatable slides, or even a dunk tank. While it’s not required for everyone to participate, the majority of people are game for some extra fun. Whether you’re dancing in the mosh pit or taking on the bull, there’s plenty to keep the party going.
While tailgating is all about enjoying the day, don’t forget to look out for yourself and your friends. Stay hydrated, eat before you go, and pace yourself. After all, it’s about making memories, not mishaps. So, gear up, grab your cane card, and bring your A-game to the first tailgate of the year. It’s more than just a warm-up for the football game – it’s the start of your Hurricane experience.
Now that you know the essentials, you’re all set for the ultimate UM tailgate experience. From unforgettable outfits to high-energy mosh pits, you’re about to dive into one of the most exciting traditions on campus.
So, grab your friends, pack your sunscreen, and make sure you’re hydrated and fueled up – because this Saturday, it’s all about showing off your Hurricane pride. Don’t miss out on making memories that’ll last long after the game is over. See you at the tailgate, Canes – let’s make this one for the books!
