'Dating game' ignores long-term relationships
As an individual who is usually intrigued by relationships and their function, I was eager to read Tuesday's article in The Miami Student, "The Dating Game" (Sept. 2), depicting the shifting of dating trends among Miami University's student population. As I read along, however, I found myself quickly disheartened by the over-generalized labeling of not only Miami students, but also our generation as a whole, as noncommittal and dismissive of serious relationships. It is true that many "modern couples" are deviating from a normative relationship structure, largely due to the high demands of establishing a career or pursuing other independent activities. Nonetheless, being submersed in college culture for three years has left me with a considerably different perception of the dating climate at Miami.
Throughout my undergraduate experience, I have known a substantial amount of couples maintaining serious, committed relationships that reflect what many would consider more conventional dating standards. In fact, I live in an off-campus house consisting of six collegiate women, five of whom are currently in relationships that fit such a description, myself included. Although "The Dating Game" recognized that "couples are not a thing of the past," it labeled the majority of them to be extremists: either carelessly sleeping around or "joined-at-the-hip." I am proud to say that each relationship within my house has not only been maintained throughout much of our college careers, but done so with unwavering love, fidelity, communication, trust and a healthy balance amid chaotic student schedules. Personally, I am especially proud of my own relationship of two and a half years and the way that my boyfriend and I have strived to incessantly encourage one another in individual pursuits.
Let it be known that it is indeed possible to be a strong individual and a strong couple simultaneously. I cannot help but wonder why so many successful relationships have been overlooked with oversimplified statements such as, "At Miami, people don't date." One cannot deny the fact that societal trends are shifting and that commitment has been de-emphasized; however I believe that this article uses an abundance of broad statements to identify and draw conclusions about a student population that is diverse in countless areas, relationships included. My expectation is not for everyone on Miami's campus to feel pressured to commit to a nuptial event every time they go out with someone of the opposite sex. It is more than acceptable if students desire to invest their time in energy in other areas at this stage of their lives.
The point is that an abundance of healthy, committed relationships can and do exist amid a culture that is swinging the opposite direction, and that The Miami Student ought to have incorporated this facet when making declarative statements about the overall identity of the student population.
Laura HovisHOVISLM@MUOHIO.EDU
McCain sidesteps real issues, unlike Dems
On Sept. 2, Rick Davis, Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) presidential campaign manager, told the Washington Post that "This election is not about issues. This election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates."
It is refreshing to hear a bit of honesty from the McCain campaign. How can this election be about the issues for Republicans, when they offer no new ideas to solve the many difficult challenges facing our country? McCain, who was indeed at one time unafraid of bucking his party, now endorses standard Republican boilerplate on virtually every topic, the same party line that has been divisive, ineffective and out-of-touch for the past eight years.
"Not about issues?" If John McCain doesn't want to talk about affordable health care, about sustainable energy, about the housing crisis, an economy on the downturn, about Iraq, Iran, and terrorism, that's his decision. He should know, though, that the American people are talking about these and other issues every day-and that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is more than ready to frankly discuss the problems facing our great nation. Obama, unlike McCain, actually has workable plans to address these challenges.
Republicans, apparently, would rather have this election about McCain's character, integrity and judgment. Like the character he showed when he caved to the extreme right wing of his party on the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, which he voted against but now supports. Like the integrity it takes for McCain to work on a comprehensive immigration reform bill, and then says now that he would vote against the exact same bill. Or perhaps the judgment he showed cheerleading for the Bush Administration's adventures in Iraq, even while voting against Sen. Jim Webb's (D-Va.) GI Bill for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
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No matter how McCain and the Republican Party try to frame this election, voters are tired of being led by the cynical and out-of-touch. It's time for a change-and that means Obama-Biden Nov. 4th.
Ben LockshinMiami University College Democratslockshbp@muohio.edu
External funds do not help Miami students
The news that Miami University faculty have received $27.5 million in external research funding ("Miami Faculty Receive Record Amount for Research Projects," Aug. 29) needs to be considered in a larger context: First, while $27.5 million is a
considerable sum, it represents only 6.5 percent of the $418.3 million in tuition and fees collected annually by Miami from our students-overwhelmingly from our undergraduate students.
Second, this relatively small research amount can degrade the quality of education that our undergraduate students and their families are paying for, especially if it means that more professors are doing more research and less undergraduate teaching, sections of undergraduate classes balloon ever larger, fewer sections of courses needed by students are being offered and fewer undergraduates benefit from directly interacting with the research faculty in their classrooms.
The students can also suffer financially by effectively being charged twice for their Miami education. First, by having their tuition used to pay professors to teach less and, second, by having their tuition used to pay visiting faculty to do the teaching that the research professors are not doing. With Miami students spending $418.3 million annually in tuition and fees, it might be worthwhile for The Miami Student to investigate the extent to which this is, or is not, actually happening.
James BrockEconomics Departmentbrockj@muohio.edu
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