Miami University students can look forward to celebrating Person First Day and using updated campus maps in the future.
Associated Student Government (ASG) unanimously approved a bill Tuesday calling for the creation of Person First Day. Joe Pfeifer, first-year senator and author of the bill, said the goal of the bill is to spread the acceptance of diversity and disabilities across Miami's campus.
"It will strengthen some diversity hopefully," Pfeifer said. "It's the polite thing to do and hopefully once people start doing it they will continue the action."
Person First Day, April 6, will be an opportunity for students and faculty to use their primary language, the language a person is most comfortable using.
"Person First Day is an annual event that acknowledges people for who they are, not what they are, in order to embrace differences," Pfeifer said. "This is something brand new this year."
Pfeifer said he learned about Person First Day from Carly Sellers, member of the Sign Language and Deaf Awareness club, and Una Hrnjak, ASG secretary for diversity affairs.
Pfeifer said he felt relieved the bill was unanimously approved.
"I didn't think there would be any objections (because) it doesn't really cost the university anything, which is the main concern these days," Pfeifer said.
ASG members welcomed the bill warmly.
"I think it's a good thing to show how far Miami has come," first-year senator Bryce Armbruster said. "We are becoming more aware of diversity."
ASG also unanimously approved a bill to improve current Miami maps.
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Senior William Schwartz, off-campus senator and author of the bill, said he believes updating the Miami maps is essential for not only prospective students, but the entire Miami community.
"I think just having a standard of maps is a necessity," Schwartz said.
Improvements will be made to the Miami metro, motor vehicle and bicycle regulations maps to include buildings currently missing, such as the varsity field hockey turf field and George L. Rider Track behind Yager Stadium.
The current maps are not oriented with north at the top of the map. Although changes will be made to the maps, Schwartz said the current maps cannot be shifted to make north the upward direction.
The new maps will include a four-point compass that will better help students navigate the maps, Schwartz said.
"It's the most cost effective use of what the university can do," Schwartz said.
Schwartz said due to the amount of time required to edit and print the new maps, students will not see new bus maps for some time.
"Not this summer, but next summer is when they will be printing all the new maps," Schwartz said.
ASG members who spoke with their constituents about this bill were eager to see new Miami maps developed.
"The bill received a lot of approval," said first-year senator James Harmon.
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