The Hurricanes are in “must-win” mode for the remainder of the regular season as they hope to keep their playoff dreams alive, but face a tricky set of opponents to close the year.
To start the three game stretch, Miami will take on the NC State Wolfpack in its final home game of the year.
The Wolfpack boast one of the more explosive offenses in the ACC, led by Florida native CJ Bailey. The 6-foot-7 sophomore quarterback has taken off this season, able to create big plays with both his legs and arm.
Therefore Miami must place an emphasis on containing Bailey, as well as getting an early lead.
UM will look to avoid the slow starts which have plagued the team over the past few weeks and control the game from start to finish.
Despite the two score spread, expect this one to be close — the turnover battle will be crucial in this one.
Final Score: Miami 30, NC State 21
Zach Cohen, Senior Staff Writer
In its last home game of the season, Miami will need to play fast and physical to get the job done.
Every game matters for the Hurricanes as they hope to stay in the race to make the college football playoff.
NC State’s quarterback, CJ Bailey is a dual threat quarterback. Miami will have to stop him from running, something they have done to other quarterbacks in previous games. Bailey will have some extra juice as he returns home to Miami.
Miami has to play poised offense and get down the field against a Wolfpack defense that gives up 30.56 points a game.
In the absence of Mark Fletcher Jr., look for Jordan Lyle and Marty Brown to step up in a big way for this crucial ACC matchup.
Final Score: Miami 33, NC State 30
Olivia Attalla, Contributing Writer
And just like that, the Miami Hurricanes last home game arrived in the blink of an eye.
After a strong performance last Saturday against Syracuse, Miami looks ready to take on NC State to keep its playoff hopes alive.
When speaking with UM running back Jordan Lyle earlier this week, he emphasized the importance of this game.
“We have no other options but to win,” said Lyle.
NC State’s offense is impressive, coming off a 48 point performance over then top-ten Georgia Tech. However, Miami’s defense is equipped with the tools needed to slow them down.
For the Hurricanes, quarterback Carson Beck must stay focused in the red zone and avoid costly interceptions. Miami must score early, and keep the game from drifting into a fourth quarter battle.
With the home-field advantage on their side, ’Canes fans can make a real difference in their last opportunity to cheer their team at home.
Expect a tight matchup that could come down to a field goal or a touchdown.
The Miami Hurricanes women’s basketball team dominated FAU 79-46 on a beautiful Thursday night at the Watsco Center.
Miami started off strong in the first quarter, with all eyes on Amarachi Kimpson, Ahnay Adams, and Ra’Shaya Kyle, who combined for 26 points on the night.
UM jumped to a 24-9 lead, in large part thanks to outrebounding the Owls 14-3 in the opening quarter.
Head coach Tricia Cullop was seen on the sideline pushing the team forward.
“Faster, faster.”
Starting the second quarter, FAU’s Michiyah Simmons and Grace Carstensen were able to step up, scoring 14 points and holding the Hurricanes to only 18.
Miami struggled to close the half, shooting a game-low 35 percent in the quarter, needing to dial back in for the second half.
In the third quarter, the Hurricanes were ready to get back in the action, as Meredith Tippner started the scoring by knocking down two free throws.
FAU wasn’t able to stop the Canes’ defensive efforts and only managed to score 12 points in the quarter.
The ’Canes forced 13 turnovers on the night, able to create fastbreak opportunities at will against the Owls.
Most of the third quarter featured the ’Canes rotation players while the starters rested, and the bench players held more than their own as they extended the lead.
Junior Guard Vittoria Blasigh shoots from three against FAU at Watsco on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025 // Bella Ochoa – Staff Photographer
Miami carried its momentum in the fourth, extending the lead to over 30 points and coasted to its third win on the year.
In the postgame press conference, Kyle and Kimpson were asked if Miami’s size advantage proved key in its win.
“We used that to our advantage, and we also rebounded the ball really well,” said the ’Cane pair.
Miami outrebounded FAU 48-20 on the night, which allowed for second-chance opportunities and crushed the spirit of the Owls.
When Cullop was asked where she believes the team should be after three straight wins, she believed the team is on the right track.
“I think we are right where we need to be. We have so many new players and are trying to get them used to different situations,” Cullop said.
Next, the ’Canes (3-0) will go on the road to face Davidson and Iowa, hoping to continue their winning streak.
Technician Sports Editor Connor VanDerMark previews NC State football before its Saturday matchup against Miami.
Redshirt junior wide receiver Charleston Rambo runs with the ball after catching a pass in the fourth quarter of Miami’s game versus NC State University at Hard Rock Stadium on Oct. 23, 2021. Photo credit: Jared Lennon
After weeks of uncertainty — four losses in five games — and doubt about the season, NC State football has seemed to right the ship after pulling off one of the largest upsets in program history against previously undefeated then-No. 8 Georgia Tech.
From early on in the season, many analysts and fans have had the Wolfpack’s (5-4, 2-3 ACC) matchup against Miami (7-2, 3-2 ACC) marked as a loss, due in large part to questionable play from the red-and-white, an away matchup at Hard Rock Stadium and Miami’s projections as one of the top teams in college football. But over the last month, it’s become clear that NC State might have more of a chance than anticipated.
Despite its lofty expectations, Miami has dropped two of its last four matchups, falling at home to Louisville and faltering at SMU in an overtime loss. In those losses, transfer quarterback Carson Beck has thrown for just two touchdowns and six interceptions, falling short of his hopes at the Heisman Trophy.
Even still, the Hurricanes have averaged nearly 33 points per game and face a Wolfpack defense that allows nearly 31 points and 425 yards of offense per game. For NC State to come out on top, it will have to score on nearly every possession, similar to its performance against Georgia Tech.
NC State X-Factor of the Week:
Quarterback CJ Bailey
If last game proved anything, it’s that sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey is everything he was advertised to be and more. Facing the highest-ranked opponent of his young collegiate career without his two biggest offensive playmakers — senior tight end Justin Joly and redshirt sophomore running back Hollywood Smothers — Bailey put on his best performance yet, completing 75 percent of his passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for an additional 34 yards and another touchdown.
With Joly and Smothers questionable again, it will be crucial for Bailey to remain calm under pressure in a hostile environment and keep the offense moving down the field. With the way the NC State defense has performed this season, the offense has little room for error and can rarely afford to punt, especially against an ACC-leading Miami defense that allows just 15 points per game.
But its bigger than just being the quarterback. Bailey is a Florida native, and was heavily pursued by Miami during his recruitment before his eventual commitment to the Wolfpack. Returning to the school that vied so hard for him, it’s imperative that Bailey block out the outside noise and focus on the field rather than the drama.
NC State keys to the game:
Get stops early
Miami has proven time and again that once it gets going early, it’s hard, if not impossible, to stop it. But throughout their struggles over the last four weeks, the Hurricanes have scored just 14 total points in the first quarter. If the defense can keep Beck under pressure, the Georgia transfer has shown that he will eventually break.
Establish the run, but don’t rely on it
If Smothers is unavailable, freshman Duke Scott will start for the second straight week, coming off a 196-yard performance. Scott averaged over eight yards per carry, albeit against one of the worst rushing defenses in the ACC. The Wolfpack has shown that it can win with its ground game.
But even with the recent success, NC State can’t force the run. If it isn’t working, put the ball in the hands of Bailey and let him work. Miami allows the second-least rushing yards per game in the ACC and has all the talent needed to keep the red-and-white behind the line of scrimmage, so give your talented quarterback the opportunity to shine.
NC State vs. Miami: A Quick History
NC State is 6-11-1 all-time against Miami, with an away record of 4-6-1.
The Wolfpack won the most recent matchup 20-6 in a home game on Nov. 4, 2023, but lost the previous four games before that.
The average margin of victory in the matchup is 11 points.
These teams are no stranger to odd final scores, with a 0-0 tie in 1957 and a 2-0 Wolfpack win in 1942.
Junior tight end Will Mallory dives into the end zone to score a touchdown in the third quarter of Miami’s game versus NC State at Hard Rock Stadium on Oct. 23, 2021. Photo credit: Jared Lennon
In this week’s episode of TMH Sportscast, Zach and Liam break down Miami’s much-needed win against the Syracuse Orange and talk about college football playoff projections. The two are then joined by Corey Smith from the Pack Pride podcast to set the scene for Miami’s matchup against NC State.
This week’s News Brief breaks down UM’s rising tuition and the soaring cost of living in Coral Gables, the city’s removal of chickens and roosters from University Village, the surprising cultural role of campus cats, and the fireworks mishap that sent students scrambling during a campus show. Stay informed on the issues reshaping daily life for Hurricanes.
Lakeside Village and University Village residents will not be required to pay a fee of $1,700 for the Winter Intersession beginning Fall 2025. This would have been the first time students in UV and Lakeside would be required to pay for intersession housing.
On Tuesday Nov. 11, The Miami Hurricane received a tip from a student who wishes to remain unnamed notifying about the alleged new fee. The student called Housing and Residential Life that same day, and a representative confirmed that the fee would be required.
Multiple TMH reporters called HRL on Wednesday Nov. 12 for more information and received conflicting answers. One reporter who made contact with an HRL representative said she was told that a meeting was held to discuss the fee, and that the fee was not yet confirmed by administration. Another reporter said that she was told there would be no fee.
“At this time, nothing is changing. There will not be a $1,700 surcharge for students living in University Village and Lakeside Village during the winter break,” The University of Miami said in a statement.
Historically, Lakeside and UV residents have been granted free intersession housing during winter break if they submit the application on the housing portal before the Dec. 1 deadline. After the deadline, a fee of $250 would be applied.
The University of Miami runs on a delayed recruitment system. Work Week, a time for members of the sororities to prepare for recruitment, begins in early January. The fee would impact recruiters who lived on-campus.
Mia Garcia, a sophomore and sorority member living in Lakeside, requires intersession housing for Work Week. Garcia said the fee would have placed an unexpected financial burden on her
“Housing on campus is already expensive,” Garcia said. “[A fee] would make me rethink housing on campus in the following years.”
Two cars were vandalized on Walsh Avenue in front of Lakeside Village Lobby C on Saturday, Nov. 8, around 10 p.m.
According to Jaedon Cover, a Lakeside Village resident who witnessed the vandalism, a white car pulled up next to two black cars — which were parked in 15 minute curbside parking spots — and started shooting paintballs at one of the parked cars.
“We ran inside, and once they were done, they drove off into the Murphy Design Studio parking lot area,” Cover said. “When we came out, we saw that two cars were shot with paintballs.”
Cover said that a few minutes after initially shooting paintballs, the white car drove back to the curbside area of Lobby C to shoot more paintballs at the two cars.
“That night, they did it at least one time before I was there,” Cover said.
UMPD arrived at the scene around 10:30 p.m. to address the incident.
According to Sergeant Michelle Christensen, the public information officer for the city of Coral Gables, a report was filed with the Coral Gables Police Department. No comment was provided to The Hurricane as this is an open investigation.
After jumping up to 15th in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings, the Miami Hurricanes (7-2, 3-2 ACC) are going to need to continue to impress the committee down the final stretch.
Their opponent on senior night Saturday, the NC State Wolfpack (5-4, 2-3 ACC), have already upset one top tier ACC team and the Hurricanes need to be on alert to avoid being their second.
In his press conference Monday, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal told reporters how good this Wolfpack team has been as of late.
“They understand that they have a great team coming in here,” Cristobal said. “Maybe the hottest offensive team and maybe one of the most physical defenses that we have faced.”
More than ever, this Miami offense is going to need to be consistent and start fast, something they’ve had trouble with over this recent stretch of games. While Louisville had a top tier pass defense that forced four turnovers from Miami, in its most recent games UM has had trouble exploiting the weaknesses of opposing teams.
In their last three games, the Hurricanes have faced three bottom tier pass defenses and struggled to capitalize on all three. The Mustangs allow an average of 303 passing yards per game and despite a strong start, finished with 274 passing yards and elected not throw downfield.
David Lebowitz, Staff Photographer/Redshirt Senior Jakobe Thomas reaches toward the Syracuse quarterback after beating his blocker on November 8, 2025.
Even in its last two blowout matchups, Miami’s offense has started off slow. Despite winning by a combined 60 points against the Cardinal and the Orange, most of those came in the second half. In each game, Miami’s offense scored just seven points in the first half.
The Hurricanes are likely to be without some of their important weapons with wide receiver CJ Daniels and running back Mark Fletcher Jr. potentially out once again. However, against the Orange, the Hurricanes showed that they are confident in their depth in those areas with freshmen stepping into roles to make big plays. True freshmen running back Girard Pringle Jr. and wide receiver Daylyn Upshaw both made big plays and their execution and practice habits both stood out to Cristobal.
“Daylyn Upshaw would take four reps for the scout team,” Cristobal said. “He’d sprint over to the other field and take four reps with the offense, sprint back and do the same. And so did Gerard Pringle. They were really paying attention to detail.”
With the injuries on this offense, Cristobal seems confident in the ability of his younger playmakers to step up when their name is called.
NC State has struggled to stop the run but has struggled against the pass especially in their last two games. Allowing 292 yards through the air this season, opposing quarterbacks have thrown for 400 yards in both of the last two games. Teams are averaging 30 points against this Wolfpack defense and Miami can exploit a secondary that due to injuries has had to move guys around and give younger players increased opportunities.
The Wolfpack especially struggled against crossers and mesh patterns against Georgia Tech (8-1, 5-1 ACC) , something receivers like Malachi Toney and Keelan Marrion can exploit. With teams able to throw with ease against NC State, running backs haven’t had too much individual success.
David Lebowitz, Staff Photographer/Redshirt Senior Keelan Marion makes an impressive catch and run to set the Hurricanes offense up in the redzone on November 8, 2025.
Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King went over 100 yards but aside for that, the Wolfpack hadn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher since Virginia Tech. Teams are averaging just over four yards per carry, an area Miami can exploit.
However, the NC State struggling passing defense is definitely where the Hurricanes should attack. Turnovers also shouldn’t be too much of a worry with the secondary only having six interceptions and eight total turnovers on the year.
The Hurricanes cannot start slow against this Wolfpack offense led by breakout sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey. The 6-foot-6-inch second year starter out of Chaminade High School in Hollywood, Fla. has completed 70% of his passes, thrown for 19 touchdowns to 7 interceptions and rushed for another four touchdowns on the ground.
In their win against Georgia Tech at the beginning of November he dominated, with 374 total yards and three touchdowns. His go-to target has been wide receiver Terrell Anderson, who has been a big play machine. In five of the Wolfpack’s games this year, he’s had a catch of 30 yards or more.
With just 28 receptions on the year, he has gone for 527 yards averaging almost 19 yards per reception. OJ Frederique’s health is still a question mark but this Hurricanes secondary has held together. Keionte Scott has flown around and has stolen the show but, Damari Brown has quietly also been a lockdown corner leading ACC defensive backs with a 33% forced incompletion percentage. This Hurricanes secondary is more than up for the challenge.
David Lebowitz, Staff Photographer – Sophomore Defensive Lineman celebrates after a sack on October 26, 2025.
The Hurricanes are going to need to minimize the explosive passing plays from this NC State passing offense and keep Bailey contained and that is going to need to be the work of this Hurricanes pass rush. Bailey has 14 touchdowns and zero interceptions when kept clean as he has been on 70% of his drop backs, under pressure Bailey has thrown all of his seven interceptions.
According to PFF, Bailey holds the ball longer than most power four quarterbacks at 45th of 68. This is an area of attack for Miami’s elite pass rush anchored by Rueben Bain Jr. and Ahkeem Mesidor. Miami defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman is well aware of that.
“We got to affect the quarterback. We got to hit him. We got to try to hit him as much as we can early in the game.” Hetherman said in his Monday press conference.
Bailey is a good scrambler but is more likely to go up the middle rather than outside of the pocket. The Hurricanes will need to maintain discipline in their rush lanes and keep Bailey from stepping up and finding guys downfield or taking off.
Miami’s interior defensive lineman such as Justin Scott and David Blay are going to be huge in collapsing the pocket from the inside and putting the pressure on Bailey. If Miami is able to get some early hits onto him, it could rattle and throw off this NC State passing game.
This Wolfpack offense is not only limited to the air, with a strong running game as well. While they don’t run it too often with just 289 rushing attempts on the year (Miami has 324), NC State averages five yards per carry and have some big play threats on the ground as well.
Lead rusher junior Daylan “Hollywood” Smothers averages almost seven yards per carry and has rushed for 825 yards and six touchdowns on the year leading the ACC. He bounces off tacklers with a great combination of speed, vision, and elusiveness.
NC State runs a lot on the inside and Smothers is often able to make one guy miss in the hole and then break off a long run. The Hurricanes linebackers are going to need to fight around pulling guards and rally to tackle and prevent Smothers from taking off. Despite the flash that this team has, coach Cristobal talked about how physical the NC State offense has been as well.
David Lebowitz, Staff Photographer/ Freshman wide reciever Daylyn Upshaw gained 41 yards on an impressive catch and run againt Syracuse on November 8, 2025.
“It was really important for our edge guys to watch today and see how physical they are running the power counter.”
There’s a chance that the Hurricanes don’t see Smothers who missed the Georgia Tech game but, in his stead Duke Scott has filled in more than adequately. Against Georgia Tech, Scott became the first freshman running back to top 100 yards with 196 yards and a touchdown.
Scott is more of a big bruising back but, as he showed against Georgia Tech can make one cut and go as he did with a big 69-yard rush. The Hurricanes regardless are going to need to play fast and physical defensive football and are going to be really tested against this explosive offense and could let up their first 30 point game of the year.
If that happens Miami will need its offense to start out hot and give the defense the leeway to make some mistakes and let up some points. With the slow starts offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson seems to be trying to get the offense to play looser.
“I mean I think that’s been the goal, the recent goal for us,” Dawson said. “I felt good about calling them [trick plays] was because I want our guys to have fun and you know we have to play loose.”
This Miami offense has come out sluggish, playing too tight and restricting themselves. Whether it’s trick plays or taking shots down field Miami needs to come out firing against NC State and get off to a hot start. While hopes for the playoff require a lot of help from outside Cristobal and the ‘Canes need to take everything one step at a time. And according to the leading man the focus is just that.
“It’s all on us and about us and we have some great opportunities coming up and from there everything else does take care of itself,” Cristobal said.
The Hurricanes need to control what they can control but they need it all to come together and more than ever this week.
Saturday’s kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m. and will air on ESPN. It will be the Hurricanes last home game of the regular season.
Makena Wong, Photo Editor, Sixth-year redshirt senior quarterback Carson Beck hands off to freshman running back Girard Pringle Jr. for a run play on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025.
The children of today have lost the art of the “awkward phase.” All too often I see 12 year olds buying products for their Drunk Elephant skincare routine, buying outfits from Garage and listening to Sombr.
There is a huge lack of pre-teen media, leading to a loss of the true cringey “childhood experience” so many of us had. A rise in the use of social media and exposure to more mature content at increasingly younger ages has caused many children, more specifically young girls, to want to “fix” their insecurities rather than embrace them and discover who they truly are.
The early 2000’s saw the peak of pre-teen culture: Disney stars like Hannah Montana and the Sprouse Twins, stores like Justice and Claire’s and of course, a bedazzled flip phone filled with lipgloss.
As opposed to embracing their quirkiness, pre-teens are now being pushed to mature faster due to social media. According to Omega Pediatrics, children are now being introduced to social media as young as eight years old, with the average age being 12.
“The overuse of social media can actually rewire a young child or teen’s brain to constantly seek out immediate gratification, leading to obsessive, compulsive and addictive behaviors,” said Dr. Nancy Deangelis, Director of Behavior Health at Jefferson Health Abington.
Children who are being exposed to social media so early on in their development are negatively affected, both mentally and physically. They begin to mature at a much quicker rate than younger generations who were able to experience each phase of childhood.
“My little sister missed out on the world of magazines, toys and shows made specifically for pre teens,” said freshman student Audrey Booher. “She went straight from Cocomelon to scrolling on TikTok and there was no in between.”
The blame is not all on social media platforms though. As it turns out, there are no outlets for pre-teens to express themselves anymore.
Justice, marketed as one of the largest tween clothing brands, began closing its stores in 2020 and 2021. Claire’s now has a new owner, and it has resulted in the shut down of almost 300 stores nationally.
Today, young shoppers go to places like Brandy Melville or Hollister. While there’s no explicit issues with this, it raises some alarms when an eight-year-old is in the checkout line buying the same outfit as a 24-year-old.
Recently, there was also controversy surrounding artist Sombr’s recent tour, highlighting the need for pre-teen music.
According to one TikTok user @meganator_, the 20-year-old artist’s concert was filled with thousands of shrieking pre-teens who “lacked decorum.” That wasn’t the worst part though. Sombr reportedly made inappropriate comments for the age group present, telling them to “bark for me” and asking a member of the audience to get on stage and call their ex.
The incident caused many on TikTok to criticize the artist, stating his behavior is inappropriate when he knows he has a much younger fan base. The point was also made that nowadays, there is little to no appropriate music for children ages 11-14 to listen to, so they begin listening to much more mature content like that of Sombr or Sabrina Carpenter.
In the mid to late 2000’s, children had musical talents like Taylor Swift and One Direction, who curated music for audiences in the preteen and teen years just like them. It allowed children a safe outlet for music that was appropriate but still relatable to them and their experiences.
A recent TikTok trend also dubbed this “new age” of pre-teens the “Sephora ten year olds,” pointing out that extremely young children are shopping around Sephora for expensive makeup and skincare that they honestly don’t need and shouldn’t be using.
“Kids don’t even need most of what Sephora sells and they are ruining their skin in the process,” said one TikTok user @ashley_g1287.
“Why did they take all the Claire’s and teen stores away,” said another.
It’s time for there to be a new age of pre-teen media. Rather than forcing them to be stuck between choosing a Disney cartoon or a Netflix drama series, we need to curate media that fits them. It’s so important to allow younger audiences to retain their innocence, but also still allow them to feel seen and heard through the media they are watching and listening to.
We’ve all seen the embarrassing online apologies: the notes app explanations, the ukeleles, the very obvious practiced speech.
So, why do we continue to ask for apologies from influencers, even when we know they don’t really mean it?
Cancel culture doesn’t do anyone any good. Yes, the influencer might apologize for their actions and move on, but nobody else does. They’re still trolling the influencer’s comment sections, condemning them for their actions and inevitably still giving them attention they desired in the first place.
Let’s consider James Charles. He had an insane media presence in the late 2010’s, but struggled for years to remain relevant. One viral video he took in Disney recently made him a meme again, giving him the traction he had been chasing for years since he first went viral.
People have even begun to change their minds on social media, asking why he was ever hated in the first place.
“Almost every influencer has been cancelled at some point. They do something controversial and then everyone forgets about it after like a week, and it makes cancelling them pretty much pointless,” said freshman student Gabrielle Walsh
This year, Cierra from Love Island was also under fire for using a racist slur in an old TikTok post.
At first, everyone in her comment section left hateful comments, urging her to apologize for her actions. However, only four months later, people are now beginning to feel bad for her and saying she has paid her dues and no longer deserves hate.
What was the point of “canceling” her?Who decides when it has been a sufficient amount of time for her to be hated on and bullied?
TikTok content creator Chris Olsen said it best: “Cancel culture doesn’t work because people love it too much. It has become a form of entertainment.”
TikTok’s internet trolls sit back and wait for someone to go viral, dig up dirty secrets or slip ups from when they were 14 years old, and then hold it over their head until the next person messes up.
It’s no longer a form of accountability. It’s just something fun for (unemployed) people with parasocial relationships to do every now and then.
According to findapsychologist.org, parasocial relationships are one-sided, and occur between one person who is deeply emotionally invested, while the other has no idea the person exists.
With the rise of social media influencers and the concept of “authenticity” in the media, parasocial relationships are thriving more than ever.
However, what your every day TikTok or Instagram user seems to forget is that they have no idea who that person truly is or what they stand for. They remove the humanity from the person, replacing it with this idolatry and raising their expectations for how that person should act.
Yes, cancelling someone can be great for accountability purposes. Someone who is consistently hateful or does not deserve fame should be removed from the public eye. But the art of “cancel culture” has become less about responsibility and more about amusement.
Rather than going around digging for dirt on someone in the public eye, I think it’s time we go outside, touch some grass and focus on ourselves.
For the past 20 years, University of Miami students and staff have endured the clunky and outdated learning system known as Blackboard. From the constant glitches to the outdated format, it caused more headache than not.
But now with the decision to fully commit to Canvas as its main learning system, the university has chosen to step in the right direction — into the future, to create a better learning experience for all.
When I transferred to UM this year, I was shocked to see the university still using Blackboard. After using Canvas throughout high school and my previous college, Blackboard felt 20 steps backwards. Everything felt slow and confusing. I probably spent more time submitting my assignments than I did actually doing them.
While the full transition to Canvas will offically take place next year, the university is still in a mix phase with classes using both Canvas and Blackboard. This period of mixing give students the opportunity to get used to Canvas’s functions while at the same time using a learning system that they are already familiar with in Blackboard.
Unlike Blackboard, Canvas is actually intuitive and built for the students of today. The assignments are easier to find, the navigation is smoother and even the notifications are easier and more helpful than Blackboard. Canvas even adds confetti when you submit your assignment, which offers a sort of sense of accomplishment when I submit my assignments.
The faculty at UM also benefit from this switch. Canvas streamlines grading and allows professors to give faster feedback to students, saving professors time and helping students stay on track in their learning.
“I love how it allows me to organize everything into modules, creating a clear and logical flow for students,” said Dr. Johayra Bouza, a lecturer of psychology at the University of Miami. “Each module includes a variety of course materials such as lecture slides, readings, assignments and discussion board posts.”
The transition to Canvas reflects the university’s commitment to modernize the student experience. Adopting a user-friendly platform such as Canvas shows that the university is ready to make the school more accessible and technologically friendly to students.
Of course, no system change is perfect. There will likely be a few bumps along the way as students and staff adjust to the new interface. But the short term confusion is a small price to pay for a platform that works. In time, the university’s commitment to Canvas will pay off in dividends.
The decision by the school to upgrade from Blackboard to Canvas isn’t just about upgrading software, it’s about improving the overall experience of learning at UM. Students deserve a platform that supports their learning, not one that hinders it. And professors deserve tools that make their jobs easier and not more complicated.
After years of dealing with Blackboard, the university’s switch to Canvas marks a long overdue step forward.
