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Letters to the editor

Students must be ready to begin year with vigilance

With the beginning of a new academic year we feel it wise to remind students and families not only to be academically prepared, but also to be aware of safety measures they can take and safety measures the university has in place.

In the wake of the tragedies at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois Universities, colleges and universities across the country have taken additional measures to prevent crime and ensure that they can respond quickly and effectively in the event it occurs. Research by the Midwestern Higher Education Compact reveals that 87 percent of the colleges and universities responding to its survey conducted comprehensive reviews of campus safety in the year following the terrible events at Virginia Tech, and that nearly 90 percent of these schools made changes to procedures or security systems.

The events highlighted the need for colleges and universities to improve systems to recognize, report and respond to disturbing or potentially threatening behavior; to notify the campus community quickly and effectively in the event of an emergency; to clarify institutional responsibilities and family rights under federal and state privacy laws; and to establish "care teams" of campus administrators to share concerns, address potential threats and provide appropriate support to students with special needs. We have taken such measures at Miami University, including implementing an Emergency Text Message System and creating a multi-tiered emergency procedures brochure for employees, to be distributed in September.

At the same time, students must also take responsibility for reducing their chances of falling victim to a crime. This can be done in such ways as not walking alone at night or in unfamiliar surroundings, by locking the door to your apartment or residence hall room every time you leave and when you go to bed and by not allowing alcohol or other drugs to impair your ability to think clearly and make wise decisions. More crime prevention tips are on the university's police Web site, at www.muohio.edu/police/. In the left column, click on Campus Safety and General Information.

While no one can guarantee safety, colleges and universities strive to make their campuses as safe as possible and students must also take measures to promote personal safety. Working together can reduce the incidence of crime on and near campus and enable the business of teaching and learning to flourish.

John McCandlessMiami UniversityChief of Police

Convention highlights party strength, unity

Over the past week as the Democratic Party took the national stage in Denver, the country watched with bated breath as a party exposed the scars of a long and difficult primary. The primary thought to have broken the party beyond repair has in fact made it stronger. From the first swing of the gavel by House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Cal.) to the speeches of Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and former President Bill Clinton, the Democratic Party has shown that the party of civil, women's and worker's rights would not be broken apart by personalities but instead was united by a belief in the dream that is America.

Whether you supported Sen. Obama (D-Ill.) or Clinton during the primary, the fact remains that this is something that could have only happened in this party. Before this year, we were unable to imagine a primary season where a white woman and black man amassed more than 36 million votes. A party never afraid to take on the greatest of odds, the Democrats in one election year have changed the game of politics. Now every child, girl or boy-regardless of race-knows that becoming the president is no longer merely a dream but a very real possibility.

However, the party's accomplishment do not change the fact that there are still millions of Americans sitting at the kitchen table asking themselves if their health care or their children's nutrition are more important than their homes perched on the brink of foreclosure.

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The specifics of these issues fought over so viciously, divided a party. But, today the same issues serve to unite a nation against Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) promise of four more years of the same misguided President George W. Bush policies that have left millions unemployed, uninsured and unable to look towards a brighter future.

At this point we stand united as a nation at a crossroads in history with one question lingering on voters' minds: am I better off now than I was eight years ago? If yes then you should pull the lever for McCain. If the answer is no then vote for a better vision and a brighter future, vote for Obama.

There is no doubt in my mind that the dream that is America has been tattered by eight years of Bush. As our brothers, sisters, family and friends had benefits cut, houses foreclosed and jobs shipped overseas, the idea that is the American dream remains-kept alive because a small place called Hope refuses to quit in the heart of every American.

Currently hope is going through a foreclosure crisis. Now is our chance, to take back that place, now is our time to take back America.

Paul StruebingFundraising Chair Miami College Democrats struebpr@muohio.edu

Despite DNC buzz, GOP works through opposition

During their convention this week, the Democrats have gone to great lengths to pledge their allegiance to the single mothers, the blue-collar families and every other group that has been left behind by the dastardly President George W. Bush Administration. In short, they are following the example of their forsaken idol, former President Bill Clinton, biting their lower lips and squeaking out to the huddled masses, "I feel your pain."

Don't be fooled by the well-orchestrated theatrics of their speeches, by the smoke and mirrors of their stagecraft. The Democratic Party's so-called sympathy for the workingman is the greatest boondoggle since the beach front timeshare I bought in Arizona last year (which can be yours, if you act now!).

This summer I was in Washington, D.C. as the price of a gallon of gasoline underwent change by rocketing to $4 a gallon and staying there for the duration of the traditional season of backyard grill-outs and family vacations. Meanwhile, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and her Democratic colleagues refused to allow an open debate on energy legislation that would have opened up some of America's resources for exploration. The Pelosi-Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) energy plan, enacted this summer, was akin to a pre-shot clock era basketball game: get a lead, sit on the ball and run out the clock.

Now, this may have been understandable if the Republicans in Congress were calling for a freewheeling, no-holds-barred pillaging of the American landscape or if they were asking for drilling at the exclusion of support for renewable and sustainable energy sources. That is the narrative that Pelosi and Obama are asking you and me to believe.

The truth is that while Pelosi was shutting down progress in the House of Representatives in preparation for her whirlwind book tour and Obama was jetting around the country running for president, Republicans in Congress were trying to do the work of the American people. When the Democrats outvoted the Republicans and went home to prepare for the pilgrimage to see the One this week in Denver, Republicans were on the floor of the People's House, having a discussion with every tourist coming through the Capitol for a taste of the majesty of a government of the People.

Although the Speaker had dimmed the lights and shunned the C-SPAN cameras from the Hall of the House, Republican members of Congress stayed in Washington not only to speak but also to listen to the single mothers and blue collar families that have been hit so hard by the ever-increasing cost of living. Eschewing their summer recesses, Republican congressman stayed in Washington earn estly making a case to the American people about how we can have a comprehensive energy policy to address the pressing energy needs of our country.

Well, for the sake of accuracy, I should say that these Republican congressmen only spoke to some of the Capitol's visitors; Democratic offices refused to guide tours through the House while this was happening.

So while we intently watch the presidential race this fall and Obama starts to talk about change and unity, we should remember this summer and think about the change and unity that would be offered by an Obama presidency: change without progress, and unity not between the left and right but between Obama and Pelosi.

Kyle CormneyFirst Vice ChairmanMiami University College Republicanscormnekh@muohio.edu