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Featured letter to the editor

As faculty, we declined to sign the Dawisha-DeLue letter protesting the construction of a new student center and want to explain why.

We, too, disagree with constructing such an extravagant building at a time of serious financial distress, layoffs and looming furloughs.

Nonetheless, we declined to sign the Dawisha-DeLue letter because it contains no statement of purpose that the funds saved by not building a new student center will be re-directed instead toward what we consider the top priority of reversing the decline in the quality of undergraduate education at Miami University as manifested by faculty teaching fewer undergraduate courses (especially junior faculty), cuts in the sections of courses students need to graduate, inflation of class sizes, use of more fill-in-the-dot exams graded by computers rather than faculty, rewarding research more than teaching, multiplying the number of "centers" where faculty administer rather than teach - all which are eroding the quality of the student-faculty intellectual engagement that has been Miami's hallmark.

Lacking this statement of purpose, the protest against the use of funds for a new student center appears as only an attempt to shield the ongoing waste of resources consumed in making Miami less Miami and more OSU.

Barry ArlinghausJames BrockPhillip CottellWilliam R. HartRichard McClureDavid Rosenthal

Tell us your thoughts on the latest letter on the message forum.

Student senate plays important role at MU

Since the author of Friday's op-ed "ASG should target student indifference," has never bothered to attend a session of student senate, I would like to invite him (and every other member of the student body) to come join the student senate Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Harrison 111. Although the author seemed quite confident in his knowledge of what the senate does, I urge him and other students to confirm their opinions before printing misconceptions.

After reading the insulting piece several times, I could only wonder if, in addition to never attending senate, the author ever bothered to speak with a senator or ask a senator why they chose to run for their position. Maybe ask a senator what they have been or are currently working on. Did the author even ever bother to ask a cabinet member what they think of his reckless proposal?

It is apparent the author is either completely unaware or simply indifferent to the fact the student senate is credited with helping to establish the Miami Metro, the Recreational Sports Center and various other changes and additions to the campus and the community. Every year, student senators spend countless hours ensuring student organizations are allocated the proper funds to be able to perform as exceptionally as they do. Student senators spend hours researching the changes Miami University is in need of, in order excel on a competitive level, and then those same senators track down and work with administrators and other key actors to make those changes feasible. Student senators cover every corner of campus and walk every block of their districts to make certain our streets are well lit enough so we can walk home safely. Student senators have recently committed themselves to walk door-to-door off-campus and identify constituent concerns. Student senators are producing results without getting paid $44,000 (as it should be).

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Are student senator actions irrelevant until they attain a salaried position? Were the five former senators currently on cabinet useless until elected to their current position?

I believe every single Miami student is capable of making the changes to this university they see fit, regardless of the student's title or organizational affiliation, but I do not think the work of any student should ever be belittled and disrespected as much as the student senate was in Friday's op-ed. The author stated, "It does not matter if my assessment of the senate's record is inexact, because my perception of it is in line with popular student perception." Unfortunately, accuracy does matter in this situation. It is likely readers, akin to the editorial's author, will assume the words printed to be truth. It matters because the author felt confident enough in his ignorant ideas to print them in the paper without bothering to verify his claims for factuality.

Dori BahirBAHIRD@muohio.edu

Miami students must respect local workers

I am writing to address the article in the Sept. 25 issue of The Miami Student regarding the Top 7.5 jobs. I realize this was supposed to be a "funny" and sarcastic look at jobs, but I find the townie job very offensive. As a "townie" myself, I am here at Miami University providing you with a service you obviously want or you wouldn't be here. So why ridicule the very people in the town you chose to live in while obtaining your education? I think you should step back and appreciate the "townies" and the city in which you are living and apologize to all of us in a sincere manner.

Cathy Edwardsedwardca@muohio.edu

Conservatives fight health plan with facts

I must disagree with the main point of Roger Young's column, "Health care debate causes hysteria" (Sept. 22), which was the hysteria surrounding the health care debate is the most interesting aspect of health care reform, and that this hysteria (more accurately described as "anger" or "opposition," I believe), is rooted in ignorance or knee-jerk reactions. I wasn't surprised when Congress broke for recess in August, and Democrats found themselves being shouted down at town hall meetings as they tried to explain why they favored President Obama's plan, but I was somewhat amused by it. It was fun to see conservatives get riled up, since they are normally so stiff. Democrats are so shocked by all this because the normally quiet and well-behaved conservatives are speaking out. Some of them aren't speaking out all that eloquently. Clearly the references to Nazism and Islam are illogical and aren't adding value to the discussion. But it's not as though there is a large proportion of protesters comparing Obama to Hitler, only a very small amount. The vast majority of these protesters have thought it over and decided more government involvement will make their health care system worse than it already is. These

outlooks are not "fueled by misinformation and violent media framing" or even "scattered" as Young has observed, but instead are held in every city from sea to shining sea, and are fueled by a healthy distrust of government bureaucracy and a different understanding of what the fallout will be if Obama gets his way. Democrats can't seem to believe a large portion of the American people understand there is more than one way for the health care system to be screwed up, and they'd rather take their chances with the status quo (or less government regulation) than give more decision-making power to government bureaucrats.

Democrats seem to think if the average citizen more fully understood the legislation, they would begin to like it. The opposite is happening, and they are so shocked that they attribute the anger and opposition to racism and even some third party covertly organizing these protests. In that respect, Jimmy Carter and Nancy Pelosi are out of touch. Most of the arguments against the legislation are factual, not ideological. That is, opponents don't think the legislation will accomplish what it is meant to even if it were to pass.

I think Obama sticking to platitudes like "I believe we have a responsibility to provide health insurance for all" as the legislation grows increasingly complex and cumbersome smacks more of desperation than any of these questions. And it doesn't do a good job of countering the conservative platitude of "Why should the government take money from one man to pay for another man's health care?" So let's just call it a draw in the platitude competition and stick to the facts, for which the savvier conservatives will continue fighting in order to bring them out in the open. And please do your best to try to believe they are being honest when they say they think Obama's ideas are bad for them and bad for America, even if you don't agree.

Jonathan GullyJTG569@AOL.COM


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