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'Do you agree with Heather' offers alternative view

In response to the recent "Do you agree with Sam?" campaign launched by the Campus Crusade for Christ, we-as members of the Miami University community-have been profoundly disturbed and have expressed our concern through the formation of a humorous "counter-campaign" called "Do you agree with Heather?" The divisive problem within Sam's ideology is his quote, "We at Miami University live in a community of tolerance, but I believe there is only one truth." Is not the meaning of tolerance to accept truth as being not an absolute, but rather an individual perception? Assuming Sam's cardinal statement is true, is not their entire mission a contradiction? Sam claims a message of tolerance, however should you choose not to accept the creed of Christianity as preached by Campus Crusade, your views will most certainly not be tolerated-case in point, check out the "Do you Agree with Sam?" Facebook.com's "debate."

"Do you agree with Heather" comically represents the very serious message of tolerance so necessary and unheard not only to the Miami community, but in the world. Your beliefs, your faith and yourself are all personal decisions that should-in all fairness-not be subject to persistent and unwanted bombardments of Evangelism. Evangelism of fixed creeds, over the course of human history, has undeniably destroyed cultures, led to the persecution of marginalized groups and inhibited personal growth and discovery. It is, at best, a poisonous entity.

"Do you agree with Heather?" has received some complaints regarding a potential anti-Christian slant. We are not anti-Christian-kids, it is actually possible to be a Christian and agree with Heather. If you believe the Christian God is your savior and you owe him something in return, so be it. Just understand that trying to convince other people to share your beliefs is detrimental not only to the well-being of others, but also your credibility. While Campus Crusade for Christ may have the best intentions in claiming tolerance, they continue to attack our campus with religious propaganda, implicitly claiming that they would indeed enjoy a community of tolerance ... if everyone were Christian. This is not tolerance. A lesson in tolerance and acceptance could benefit our society of today, where tolerance is still not a commonly desired virtue-hate crimes, discrimination and Evangelism are still at large. So, the next time you open your mouth to preach what you believe, just remember-seemingly harmless words can be perceived as explosively destructive to others. For more information, visit: www.freewebs.com/agreewithheather.

Heather Weaverweaverhe@muohio.edu

Miami science programs not geared toward research

Since I enrolled in the zoology program here at Miami University I have been struggling to be a scientist in a doctor's world, but since I was just a very small person catching frogs and poking at dead things with sticks, I've known that the sciences were for me. Now, beyond the peer pressure of my pre-med friends to be "one of them," comparing MCAT scores and taking up residence in the campus libraries, I find no departmental support for my desire to explore the rest of the sciences-not medicine.

Biology is a broad term and a scoping field of study and I think that specialization is important but pre-med does not equal zoology. The theoretical classes listed in the bulletins are an intellectual tease. For seven semesters now, I have approached class registration with dreams of animals, ecology and biology only to find the same six courses that were offered the semester before. For the fall semester, there are only two upper level "-ology" courses offered that don't start with "human phi's." Our professors are not doctors-they need to stand up for their disciplines and promote sciences that do not require wearing scrubs.

Don't get me wrong-I like doctors. They're stand up intelligent people and I probably wouldn't be here without them. The human body is an amazing evolutionary creation and the level of interaction we have as humans allows in depth study, but there is so much more to explore. Many sources will site that 95 percent of the oceans are still unexplored. Maybe you haven't noticed but our earth is very mad at us these days and we barely have enough information to figure out what's going wrong. As scientists we must look at all the interactions and although the interactions within the human body are amazing, we're creating some pretty big interactions on a large scale as well.

Botany doesn't make me photosynthesize with glee and microbiology is not large enough to contain my curiosity-I want biology, zoology. If pre-med is the focus of our science department they should create a pre-med major and then move on. Let them be doctors, but you don't want me cutting you open.

Jessica BrownBrownjr6@muohio.edu

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High school, university collaboration helps kids

Talawanda Middle School (TMS) eighth graders spent the day at Miami University April 15 as guests of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. The field trip provided an opportunity for students to imagine themselves at college. They learned how best to prepare for admission to college, took a campus tour, ate lunch in a dining hall, asked questions about college life and listened to an inspiring talk by President Hodge. TMS students were reminded that good grades, challenging high school courses and extracurricular activities provide opportunities for the future.

Special thanks to Planning For College Success chair Lane Clegg for organizing the program, the many NSCS members for providing this exceptional experience for our students and the Talawanda-Miami Partnership for providing transportation for this event.

Ruth PettittEmployeeTalawanda Middle Schoolpettittr@Talawanda.org


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