Miami Evans Scholars cast in unfair light
The Miami Student has a strong reputation of keeping high standards for providing fair, unbiased and accurate journalism. These standards, which are trusted by many students oncampus, were compromised in the Feb. 27 article "Miami sanctions Evans Scholars, Theta Chi."
This article is plagued with factual anomalies. The article implicitly suggests that the Miami University Chapter of Evans Scholars is currently being restructured under the supervision of the university. This statement is false. Nowhere in the sanctions imposed upon the chapter by the university is there mention of a restructure. A second factual anomaly can be found in the statement concerning Jacob Eby. Eby did not withdraw from the university upon the conclusion of the fall semester. Eby withdrew in the first part of October.
I am also disappointed with the fact that I was not contacted for comment prior to the publication.As the chapter president, one of my roles is to serve as spokesperson for the chapter. I was not even granted the opportunity to speak on our behalf. This lack of contact is deplorable and totally unexpected from an organization that holds as high a stature as does The Student. It is also upsetting that our faculty adviser, Chuck Knepfle, was not contacted prior to the deadline.
This story fails to mention the fact that the Evans Scholars have worked with the university's Office of Student Ethics and Conflict Resolution in rectifying this current situation. We have gone above and beyond the requirements of the sanctions imposed upon our chapter, and I am disheartened at the fact that The Miami Student published such a lackluster, incomplete story concerning the issue.
This story is unfair and slanderous to not only our chapter, but also to the Western Golf Association, and therefore I firmly request that The Miami Student issues an apology for its shoddy display of journalism and lack of respect to an organization that has been nothing but helpful in rectifying the current situation.
Steven R. WierzbickiPresident, miami evans scholarswierzbsr@muohio.edu
MAC eroding men's track and field teams
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) Universities have created a crisis in the track and field community. In the past few years Ball State, Bowling Green, Toledo, Western Michigan and former MAC school Marshall, have dropped men's track and field. Ohio University plans to drop it next year. Why is the MAC conference destroying the most popular sport in the world?
According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, boy's track and field has the second most schools offering the sport with 15,497 high schools sponsoring a team. It ranks third in participation with 533,985 student athletes. In the state of Ohio, 728 high schools offer boys' track and field with a total of 24,219 student athletes.
Track and field is one of the most diverse athletic programs at the collegiate level. Many track and field teams have the second highest number of minorities participating among all intercollegiate athletic teams. According to the Ohio Board of Regents' 2006 Performance Report, "Ohio University is the state's least racially diverse college." By cutting men's track and field, the MAC universities have eliminated opportunities for both minorities and for all male track athletes. This is in spite of the fact that track and field is one of the most popular sports in both high school and around the world.
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In 1999, Miami University dropped their indoor men's track and field team to comply with the gender ratio issue in Title IX. However, they kept the outdoor team because they realized the popularity and diversity that track and field offers.
Whether you ran in high school, run for fitness, or are just concerned about the destruction of this popular sport, which provide opportunities for a diverse student body, please help save rack and field in the MAC.
What can you do? You can contact your university president, athletic director, and board of trustees to voice your concerns.
Your tax dollars help to support your university and the elected officials in Ohio need to know about this crisis.
Matt McGowanpublisher, runohio runohio@ee.net
Green beer day hype overblown by media
In reading the newspaper stories in the Hamilton Journal-News and Cincinnati Enquirer, you would think that Green Beer Day was the cause of the decline of Western civilization. I don't understand the lack of student outrage at how they are being treated. Miami says it does not recognize Green Beer Day, while taking actions to curb participation. Taking attendance only on Green Beer Day in classes where attendance is normally not taken or scheduling exams when they otherwise would not be scheduled is an acknowledgement of Green Beer Day. Then there are state troopers who set up random check points. While I have no problem with the concept of DUI checks, I am offended with the troopers' reaction to their lack of success. When no one is caught for DUI, they hail it as a successful deterrent. If someone were caught, it also would have been hailed as a successful sting. Why is it so difficult to admit that, perhaps, Miami students are good people and excellent drivers who refuse to drive drunk? Trooper statements to the press imply that college students are guilty as drunk drivers without evidence.
I am disappointed at the students for not taking advantage, however, of the media exposure to speak out about how a day of festive, lawful celebration and stress relief is hyped beyond belief by the community. Green Beer Day comes, lasts a few hours, and leaves until the following year when the war between law-abiding students and overzealous community members rears its head.
Michael Mcnamara campaignguy@gmail.com
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