Equestrian

Did you know that we have our own horse stables and Equestrian teams at Miami? In partnership with the Recreational Sports Center and the Kinesiology and Health departments, students and members of the community are able to be involved. Our Equestrian Center is home to approximately 60 horses and offers a broad spectrum of educational opportunities for our students. We as well have a nationally ranked intercollegiate team in both Hunt Seat and Western.

For educational opportunities, our Kinesiology and Health departments offer classes from “learning to ride” all the way to “advanced riding techniques.” IF you wanted your own riding lessons or a group lesson, these packages are available as well. Group lessons include a horse, tack, instructor, and arena space for only $35.00. For more information about prices and availability, please visit:

http://www.units.muohio.edu/rsp/recsports/equestrian/lessons.html

In the Oxford community, there is available programming during the summer that includes riding lessons and summer camp activities for both younger kids and adults. There are additional experiences for students and members of the community such as our “Hands on Horses” which is an interactive group tour that helps with the first exposure to horses for students and adults. This is great for birthday parties, youth programs, school groups or summer programs. In addition a covered picnic is is available to entertain participants.

If you have any questions about the services, equipment, horses and/or the teams, feel free to visit their website at:

http://www.units.muohio.edu/rsp/recsports/equestrian/index.html.

In addition, the Hunt Seat and Western competitions and scrimmage information can be found on their website.

A little competition, a little philanthropy

Hi Everyone! I hope you are all having a great week! I know some of you might be interested in the Greek system at Miami, and I wanted to share a cool tradition with you all that is going on this weekend. The newest members of the Greek Community will compete in Puddle Pull, which is a game of strategic tug-of-war (but sitting down, feet in pits that are dug in the ground). Puddle Pull Champion is one of the most coveted titles in the Greek System. Many hours of practice and strategizing go into this event! But the best part of it all, is that it is a philanthropy that supports two great causes.

Each fraternity and sorority on campus are philanthropic supporters of a certain cause. This weekend, both the Boys and Girls Club and Juvenile Arthritis will benefit from such a fun event! Some of the proceeds from Puddle Pull will go directly to supporting these organizations. I love having a little competition, but even more, I love how the campus comes together to support something bigger! I’m excited to see who wins!

Hi all,

My name is Kathy Jicinsky, and I’m the Assistant Director of New Student Programs here at Miami. I’ve been asked to be a guest blogger today because my Office has big news for incoming first year students! Today, Monday, March 23 is the first day students are able to sign-up to attend an Orientation Program in June! After you confirm your enrollment at Miami, you will receive a postcard in the mail from my Office sharing information about signing-up to attend Orientation – probably many of you have already received this postcard. Beginning today, confirmed students can visit our brand-new website at www.muohio.edu/orientation to register for one of our Orientation Programs. Make sure you have your uniqueID and password available because you’ll need these things in order to sign-up for an Orientation program. You can find your uniqueID and how to determine your default password in the email you received about MyMiami.

Speaking of our new website, be sure to check it out when you get the chance! It’s filled with helpful information that you need to know about Orientation and other first year student programming. You can find information about Orientation dates, what you need to do before Orientation, what you should bring with you to Orientation, the awesome Orientation leaders (we call them SOULs—Student Orientation Undergraduate Leaders), and more!
Orientation is your time to get connected with other first year and current Miami students, learn more about our University and its history and traditions, reflect upon your goals for college, learn about campus resources, explore the campus, meet with academic advisors from your academic division, and register for fall semester courses. Our goal in the Office of New Student Programs is to help new students become confident, comfortable, connected, and curious through our programs, including Orientation. We call these the 4 C’s and you’ll hear more about them when you’re on campus for Orientation in June.

Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any questions after reviewing our website at www.muohio.edu/orientation. We can be reached at 513-529-9771 or via email at orientation@muohio.edu. I can’t wait to help you discover Miami!

See you in June!!

Kathy

PS: The picture above is a group photo of the SOULs. They can’t wait to meet you this summer at Orientation!

Life is Good

I don’t know about you, but I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring tomorrow. Most of us are enjoying the warmer weather that has been slowly making an appearance in Ohio. Many people have entered their brackets into March Madness pools and are glued to the TV, trying to catch the outcomes of every game. And Miami students are trying to make the most of their seven—yes, seven- weeks left of the school year. Spring also brings us an exciting time—the period where we are finished reviewing applications (whew!), all the acceptance letters have gone out and we help those accepted seniors try to figure out what makes Miami unique. March 15 was our final notification deadline, meaning all applicants who completed their application have heard back from us now. I’ve gotten many phone calls from excited students with lots and lots of questions.

These accepted students will be coming to campus and attending our accepted student days for the next month. Our office will be filled with lots of visitors, but the buzz and excitement from these groups is awesome. It’s so fun getting to meet everyone. Finally, I can put faces with names. I can connect in person with the students I got to know so much about on paper throughout the last three months. “Oh, you’re the student that wrote that cool essay about how you got to observe an open heart surgery through your internship with a hospital? No way—you are the student who colorfully depicted to our admission committee your world travels—having visited 25 countries by the age of 18? Wow, it’s nice to finally meet you!”

Indubitably, spring is a fun-filled season for us. I hope you can make your way to our campus for a visit, no matter what year you are in school. I love the spring season, and I’m delighted it starts tomorrow!

The Mysteries of Miami

Hello All!

As always, Happy Wednesday. As many of you know, Miami University is a very interesting venue, full of surprises. Though it’s not Halloween, I thought I would share some of the local ghost stories and supernatural legends linked to Miami.

The first and probably most intriguing is the story of Ron Tammen. Ron lived in the old Fisher Hall in the early 1950’s. Formerly, the residence hall had housed a mental institution and at the time of Ron’s residence, one could still find remnants of the old facility. On the night of April 19, 1953 at around 8:00pm, Mr. Tammen left to find new linens for his bed, as one of his fellow residents decided to play a prank on him. This was the last time Ron was definitely seen alive. By 10:30pm, his roommate had arrived back at the room to notice an open book and all the lights on. To this day, no one knows the fate of Ron Tammen.

Before Miami University became a co-educational institution, it had a sister school: Western Female Seminary. The principal of the school, Ms. Helen Peabody, was highly against coeducation and was extremely protective of her women students against the nearby Miami University male students. Since her death in the late 19^th century, the Seminary has been integrated into the larger Miami University and become part of the now coeducational school. It is widely believed that Ms. Peabody continues to wander the halls of Peabody Hall to watch over the women students and haunt the men who dare walk its corridors.

These are just two of the exciting myths, mysteries and legends known around Miami University. To learn more about these particular stories and other Ghost Stories visit: www.lib.muohio.edu/mysteries and see more in-depth stories, news articles and pictures.

 

Happy Hunting,

Natalie

It's still Spring Break in Oxford, we just need spring weather!

As Brian mentioned on Monday, it is Spring Break for Miami students this week. While some students may hit the beach and some decide to go home for a week, others are taking a week out of their lives to make a difference in a community. Through Miami’s Alternative Spring Break, students are able to serve others and change lives in the process. I know that Natalie mentioned some in last week's blog entry, but I wanted to let you know of some other ways students are serving.

Nine students headed to Terre Haute, Indiana to help rebuild homes with United Way. There was some major flooding last summer, and 80 of Indiana’s 92 counties were impacted. These students are helping to rebuild homes that were damaged as thousands of homes are still in need of repair.

Another group of 23 students, staff and faculty is currently in Cartagena, Colombia with Ambassadors for Children promoting education and giving hope for the future. Check out their blog at: http://community.muohio.edu/colombia2009/.

As you can see, Miami students are very busy this week making a difference! We’re hoping everyone has safe travels back to Oxford!

What are you doing for your spring break? Drop us a line and let us know! Seniors, don't forget--if you are waiting to hear about your admission decision, it will be available online on March 15 at www.muohio.edu/appcheck.

I don't know about all of you, but I'm certainly excited it's almost the weekend. Our staff is headed uptown to Buffalo Wild Wings on Friday after work for some great food and staff bonding. Some others might hit up the hockey game later this weekend. Whatever you are doing, I hope it's a great one!

Meredith

Tale of Two Cities

Most students will use spring break to relax after completing mid terms and to mentally get ready for the final push to the end of the semester. It always seems as if the semester flies by once we get to this point in the spring. Soon we will be congratulating our seniors at commencement and welcoming a new group of first-year students at orientation. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves as these will be future blog topics. Perhaps, some of you may be wondering what is happening at Miami University or in Oxford, Ohio this week with a majority of the Miami students gone.

Spring break allows for those folks who consider Oxford home to take back the city for one week in the middle of the semester. We are able to grab a bite at our favorite Uptown eating establishment; browse freely through the local stores; and grocery shop at our own pace without the lines. When I first moved to Oxford, many community members referred to Oxford as the “Tale of Two Cities,” referencing the vast change of the feel and flow of the community when classes are not in session. The locals love the energy the students bring to Oxford, but every once in awhile a break that provides some relaxation is nice.

Although the students may be gone this week, many parts of Miami University are still in full swing, and that includes the Office of Admission. This is a big week for us in Admission and for some of you. Admission decision letters will be mailed Friday, March 13. Decisions will also be posted online on Sunday, March 15 at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on the application status check website: www.muohio.edu/appcheck>.

With our students gone this week, we do not offer information sessions or tours, but we are still here to answer your questions. Each of you has been assigned a counselor based upon where you live. To find out who your counselor is please check out the following link: http://www.muohio.edu/admission/map.cfm. Please contact us if you have any questions; we’d love to hear from you!

Until next time,
Brian

MAC Champs!!

Miami’s women’s swimming and diving team couldn’t have asked for a better end to the season: they clinched the MAC championship on Saturday! The championship returned to Oxford for the first time in four years. Kelsey Vehr and Alyson Schmidt won individual championships in the 200 breaststroke and 100 freestyle, respectively. The RedHawks ousted second-place finisher Ohio University by a score of 639.5 – 611.5. Swimmers, coaches and trainers were all playfully pushed into the pool once the final score was official. To get a great glimpse of these fun photos, check out the athletics website: http://www.muredhawks.com/sports/w-swim/recaps/022809aae.html .

The Miami men’s swimming and diving team finished third place at the MAC Championship. Their finish was highlighted by Senior Chris Heaton’s accolade of MAC diver of the Year, and diving coach K.R. Li’s award of MAC Diving Coach of the Year. Heaton set a MAC record by becoming the first diver in league history to win eight individual gold medals in his career.

While Kelsey Vehr and Alyson Schmidt each qualified for the NCAA meet, the rest of the team has returned to Oxford and are settling down from the big finish of the season. Our rec center not only has one of the best and fastest pools in the nation, but it is open to all students here at Miami. Students who just want to relax in our leisure pool, swim a few laps to stay in shape, compete on our club or Master’s Swim team, or are among the nation’s fastest swimmers, all work out in the same great facility. To check out the rec facility, go to the website: http://www.units.muohio.edu/rsp/recsports/facilities/index.html

This is just another example of why I love RedHawk athletics. :)

It's just around the corner...

Hello All!

The snow is melted and the weather is turning warmer… March is here! March also brings the weeklong break for all University students. While many will head to warmer climates and sandy beaches, some students will be participating in service-oriented projects, largely known as the Alternative Spring Break. Each year thousands of students from around the country will volunteer their breaks to help out underprivileged communities. Though it may not be as relaxing as a seaside adventure, these students are making a difference.

Among many organizations coordinating trips, Pi Kappa Phi holds an alternative spring break for some of its members. The fraternity’s main charity is working with an organization for people with disabilities, Push America. As part of their service experience, the members attend a Push Camp, a weeklong experience dedicated to enhancing the lives of those individuals with disabilities. The Pi Kapp members will spend their week rebuilding and refurbishing camps that help these same people. There are camps all across the country and with the support the fraternity, Push America is able to save thousands of dollars in labor and material expenses.

Miami’s Alternative Spring Break (ASB), an organization devoted to this special trip, has organized an excursion to Southern Louisiana. The approximately 32 students will work on trail maintenance, clean up and general beautification at the Tickfaw State Park. The organization boasts their trip as a “green” service opportunity.

Habitat for Humanity, boasting its own Miami chapter, is also planning a special trip for its members. This year, the organization will take 10 students to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. There, the volunteers will spend the majority of their days building affordable housing for the local population. As a bonus, the students will be staying within walking distance to the beach, giving them the prospect to add a little relaxation into their active retreats.

These organizations are just a few participating in this national phenomenon. Miami offers students many opportunities to engage in service-oriented breaks. To read more about what students are doing, visit this latest news article:  http://www.miami.muohio.edu/news/article/view/11165

 

Stay classy, 

Natalie

We mean business...

Happy Monday! In the fourth annual BusinessWeek ranking of “The Best Undergrad B-Schools,” not only did our very own Farmer School of Business rank 6th in the nation for public schools, but is the only school in the state of Ohio in the top 25! In a recent quote by Farmer School Dean, Roger L. Jenkins, he states that “we are determined—even in these challenging economic times—to remain an outstanding program, focused on engaging our students through excellence in teaching, international study programs, and experiential learning. With our move to our new building this summer, we will offer an excellent facility as well.”


The picture on the left was the first sketch that was released for us to see the new Farmer School of Business. The middle picture is of the construction site last year and the picture on the right is the most current one. If you would like to see additional pictures or even videos of the building, visit http://www.fsb.muohio.edu/new-building.

Miami’s national reputation also attracts numerous employers every year. The Fortune 500 and Big Four accounting firms are always highly represented among the group. More than 95% of students who graduate from the Farmer School of Business secure full time employment within six months of graduation or continue their graduate studies full time.

The school is increasing its emphasis on international study, through a variety of study abroad experiences, as well as a strengthened international study component in the required curriculum. Through summer programs, semester exchanges, and the China Business program, more than 50 percent of Farmer School undergraduates participate in learning opportunities in Europe, Latin America and Asia.

If you would like to learn more about the Farmer School of Business, please visit: www.muohio.edu/fsb or for more information on the rankings and who else made the list, please visit: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/toc/09_10/B4122undergrad_business.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index+-+temp_news+%2B+analysis.

Have a wonderful week!