Established 1826 — Oldest College Newspaper West of the Alleghenies

Opinion | Does President Hodge hate poor people?

Curtis Dickerson, dickercr@muohio.edu

Kanye West faced criticism when, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, he alleged that President Bush did not care about African-Americans. Although the accusation that the President of the United States is racist may be a bit drastic, he had a point; President Bush's actions at the time showed a distinct lack of interest for the poor, black residents of New Orleans.

Similarly, President Hodge's interest in transitioning Miami University into a charter university shows a distinct lack of interest for the plight of students who have a difficult time affording education at its current rate. In April 12 article titled, "Miami weighs partial privatization," the fact was presented that when universities in Virginia switched to charter, tuition jumped up by 24 percent. The same is likely to happen here.

Does President Hodge hate poor people? Certainly not overtly, but his proposed actions are those of an individual who is blissfully ignorant to the fact that many in the Miami community struggle to make ends meet, in efforts to pursue an education that will better their lives.

The charter university switch is an American dream-killing proposal by the administration of this university and of the state. It will make it that much more difficult for middle-class and working-class students to afford the quality education that Miami has been offering for the last 200 years. This proposal hurts students, parents, graduate students, hourly workers and professors. The fact that it is even being considered as a budget-saving measure calls my feelings of love and honor towards this university into question.