Culture

Whispered rumors at the base of Iceland's Brei\0xF0amerkurjoekull Glacier

JOeKULSARLON, Iceland -- I'd never seen icebergs before. I'd always imagined them covered in penguins or polar bears, layered with lazy seals and sea lions, resting. But at Joekulsarlon, an icy lagoon at the base of Iceland's Brei\0xF0amerkurjoekull Glacier, quiet pieces of ice floated bare, decidedly devoid of life. Some pieces, nearly sapphire blue in the haze of the falling snow, cracked and groaned ominously.

TMS Travel: Spring Break Edition

From the base of an Icelandic glacier to a peak in the Appalachian Mountains, writers at The Miami Student captured their spring break travel experiences, both in words and photos.

'Beauty and the Beast': Disney capitalizes on nostalgia in charming but uninspired remake

The question raised by this "Beauty and the Beast" is not whether it's good or bad, but if it's necessary.

Need a soundtrack for spring break? We have you covered.

Movie vacations that make you happy you stayed home

An ode to the dinner party

Every week, Miami Student staffers find joy in home-cooked food

Recipe: Pumpkin bread for any season

Ingredients:

Profiles in public transportation: Meeting the drivers of the BCRTA

Because Miami students who live off-campus often face a long walk to their classes, many opt to use the Butler County Regional Transit Authority (BCRTA) university bus service. Although riding the bus may be just another part of the students' groggy morning commute, the buses are operated by dedicated individuals who spend their days making students' lives easier.

Editors' spring break podcast picks

With spring break next week, many students are gearing up for long plane rides and road trips. What better time to get lost in the excitement of a new podcast? The sheer amount of great podcasts out there can be overwhelming, so here are our staff's recommendations for what to listen to next.

Recipe: Evans' Southern Style Gravy

Sausage gravy is one of those dishes that can initially be a tough sell. To the untrained eye, its off-white base and brown sausage lumps can seem unappetizing. Those untraveled diners who have never ventured below Ohio's southern border often have an especially strong aversion to the traditionally Dixie breakfast dish.

Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Dip

By no means am I an expert on cooking. I need printed recipes for anything more complicated than an omelet, I couldn't tell you the difference between a rib eye and a red eye and I consider any week in which I have ramen for dinner less than three times a success.

Recipe: Emily's Ratatouille

Ratatouille -- just the French name may sound intimidating to novice cooks, but, though it's difficult to spell, this Provencal peasant dish is surprisingly easy to make. The name comes from the term "touiller" which means to toss food and, as many people know, it became more widely known in the United States after the success of a Pixar movie of the same name about a cartoon rat with culinary aspirations.

Double-cast duo: Opera singers share same roles

Senior Andrea Davies and junior Ali Rose Hotz are two different but equally talented singers. Yet, in Miami University Opera's last two shows, they have been double-cast in the same part, meaning they've shared the role but have had different performance nights. They both played Rose Maurrant in last year's "Street Scene" and Anne Egerman in last month's "A Little Night Music"

Humans of Oxford: Jim Bodmer: The Seventh Man

The crowd was on their feet as the timer counted down, forcing the game into the first overtime. Miami was playing St. Cloud State, and the game was close: 2-2.

Toasting to family with the Sohngen's

On Thanksgiving, whiskey sours are just as important as the turkey. Without it, we simply would not be paying tribute to our Irish ancestors. That last bit, I admit, may not be true. My grandmother was raised to believe she was 100 percent Irish - the results from ancestry.com will come in by the end of the month, so we will all be holding our breath until then.

Humans of Oxford: Sierra Whittemore: To coach and be coached

"I just love being upside-down," Sierra Whittemore said.

Humans of Oxford: Nate Floyd: Turning a new page on punk

Nate Floyd sits at the table closest to the window in King Cafe, his headphones draped around his neck, sifting through his Spotify playlists while taking sips of his coffee.

Like it or not, HBO's 'Girls' is an important voice for millennials

"Girls" kicked off its sixth -- and last -- season on Feb. 12. The dramedy has been a magnet for public hostility since its 2012 premiere, chiefly stemming from controversial star and showrunner Lena Dunham. Complaints also generally decry its appallingly unlikable characters, as well as its nudity (excessive even by HBO's saucy standards).

Here's to the fools who dream: Let the upsets inspire you

I knew I was going to have to wake up in the middle of the night, miss the red carpet interviews and settle for a blown-out image through FaceTime if I wanted to watch the Oscars.

In terms of costly dining, MU takes the cake

Few issues earn as much ire on Miami's campus as the meal plan. The hours for dining halls are bizarre and unwieldy. Buffet swipes disappear after each semester. The Diplomat Discount, giving 33 percent off every declining balance purchase, is gone.