Miami University - Recensio Yearbook (Oxford, OH)

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When students came to Miami University they exchanged their parents for a surrogate parent: iiMother Miami? Miami, with its spe- cial treatment of freshmen, tried to cushion the step from high school to college. After freshman year, students received the Chance to try things on their own with less attention. uMother Miami still checked up on her stu- dents from time to time, however, to keep them in line and to satisfy parentsi concerns. Along with the comfort provided by the security of Mother Miami, many parents had an idealized view of Miami as a perfectly iso- lated section of the world for quality academic work. iii do expect the ultimate, not just average or better, Mrs. Betty Wright said of her daughter Lynn's work. iiWhen she leaves here sheill have one of the best educa- tions possible? The general consensus among parents seemed to be that Miamiis isolated study habitat set it apart from other universities. uThere is a totally different type of environment here at Miami, Mrs. Daniel R. Jenkins said. The emphasis on isolation made the school more conducive to study- ing. Set off in a small community with one of the most beautiful campuses in America, iiMiami is an ideal place to get your higher learning, Leroy and Isabelle Clymer said. They continued, ult is a learning atmosphere without distraction in contrast to a school in a big City. Miamiis campus was very appealing to the eye and heart. Parents found a warm and friendly atmosphere. The University treats parents as well as the studentsf' said Mrs. Bernard Malmfeldt. Mr. J.T. Bowker said, The students are very friendly? Parents said they felt students enrolled at Miami had positive outlooks on life, and with higher learning they could go far. iiThere is a better class of people here than at a ttypicaD state school? said Mrs. Carol Gardepe of Cin- cinnati. uAlso more academics. A gentle type of person is found here; living conditions overall are much better than other state schools. Miami seems less like an institution. uMiami has the facilities and is a high quality school? Mrs. Wright said, iibut it is up to Lynn 28 Parents Views PARENTS , VIEWS Parents believed Miamiis relatively small size t15,047i and good overall student-to- faculty ratio 07.5:D allowed students to get individual help. Bowker said, til think there is a closeness here between faculty and stu- dents. Gardepe said of her daughter Eliz- abeth, uHopefully sheill be more than just a number. She should get more out of Miamiis classes and social life? Miami had many organizations to keep stu- dents busy. They ranged from religious, academic and social activity within the com- munity to sororities and fraternities; some- thing for every student. These helped shape social as well as academic futures for parents offspring. The education and social contacts here were of great value to parents, as far as their son or daughteris future was concerned. iiWe feel coming from Miami one can get into graduate school, because there is a well- rounded education with enough background to be successful? the Clymers said. Bowker agreed. iiPeople are very important every- where; the more people you know from here the better. The conflict between what parents ex- pected of their sons and daughters educa- tion contrasted with what they expected of their social life. A solid education was a num- ber one priority - a stepping stone toward the future. Yet they desired their children to have an active social life. Partially this was for entertainment, but it was also due to some truth in the cliche, it's not what you know, but who you knowf Warily, Miami students tried to balance their educational needs with an active social calendar. And to please their biggest supporters: Mom and Dad. f. Judy DuScheid Freshman Orientation acquainted the students and their parents with campus and policies. The parents were interested in the life of a Miami student since this was to become their childis home away from home.

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G Our Noses While some people remembered the 81- '82 school year as the Wear of the Budget Cuts, others remembered it as the liColdest Winter of the Century? Cities from the Mid- west to deep in the sunbelt experienced re- cord-breaking temperatures accompanied by mounds of heavy snow. Chicago recorded its coldest day ever -- minus 26 degrees 2 while Tallahassee, Flor- ida did likewise at 16 degrees. Temperatures plummeted to 5 degrees below in Atlanta, and Birmingham suffered subzero tempera- tures for only the fifth time since 1885. Heavy snowfalls paralyzed much of the country. Much of the South was ill-equipped to handle the snow, resulting in many businesses shut- ting down and Cities coming to a standstill. . An already-weak economy was weakened further by rising fuel bills, shortened office hours, drops in retail sales and damages to crops. As a measure, the Illinois Insurance information Service calculated that damage in 26 states reached $123 million in the first month of winter. Approximately 84 percent of Floridais Citrus crop was damaged, resulting in a loss of $500 million and an immediate rise in wholesale prices. Dallas found itself spending more than $100,000 to spread sand over 600 miles of ice covered streets. Cleveland's snow removal costs exceeded $500,000, while Boston exhausted its $325,000 budget for snow removal by the' first of February. Economic losses werenit the only ones this winter. By the end of January over 300 lives had been claimed. Many people across the country froze to death in unheated homes. One man in Level Plains, Alabama, was knocked unconscious by falling tree limbs while takinglout his garbage and frozeto death. Many Miami students only heard of the tragedies resulting from this harsh winter on the evening news or the front page of a news- paper. Most of the extreme winter weather occurred while students were home celebrat- ing the Christmas season. Once back, frozen pipes were fixed while the snow lingered on and on. Fresh snow fell as late as Easter. While this winter was harder-felt by some people more that others, it was a welcome relief to all when the temperatures finally warmed up. i. Brian Connair Mary Taylor While the snow made campus picturesque, it complicated walking to class. Out of the norm, students remained on the sidewalks until one coragious person trudged across the grass making pathway. ' Wind, snow, and freezing temperatures didn't stop dedicated students from attending classes or the funeloving bunch from playing around. These girls exhibited one demonstation of Fighting the elements. Brian Connair Brian Connair Student Life 2 7

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m E E av E Cd x '5 Z E .E :1 5 Parents were pleased that some Miamians chose to chose the libraries, others chose the Zebra Room study on Friday and Saturday nights. While some or resident hall study areas as Brad Mikes did. Integrity, precision and refinement were symbolized these qualities presented themselves in their childts by the Beta Bells towering amidst the brick education. buildings and trees. Parents were impressed as Student Life 29