10
Opinion
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Editors Thomasina Johnson johnsota@muohio.edu Sam Kay kaysj@muohio.edu
➤ EDITORIALS
The following pieces, written by the editorial editors, reflect the majority opinion of the editorial board.
Fire safety must remain a priority for MU, Oxford
F
ive years have now passed since an off-campus fire claimed the lives of Stephen Smith, Julie Turnbull and Kate Welling. Institutional memory has faded as successive classes have graduated, but the importance of the lessons learned from the fire has not diminished. Now is a time to reflect on what can still be learned and what has yet to be changed. Following the fire five years ago, Len Endress – then Oxford Fire Chief – told The Miami Student, “It’s not a question of if (an off-campus fire will occur), but when and how many fatalities will occur.” Students, landlords, Miami University and lawmakers can all take steps to make fires less inevitable and more survivable. Many of Oxford’s student rental properties are extremely old and have not undergone major renovations in some time. The electrical wiring and furnaces in many houses is decades old, and many smoke detectors are not hardwired into houses but are instead battery powered. (Only in the case of a major renovation is hardwiring of smoke detectors required, and major renovations can be prohibitively expensive for landlords.) As students move off campus and enter the rental market, they need to pressure landlords to take steps to improve fire safety. Students should look critically at leases and ask questions about safety – such as who is responsible for changing smoke detector batteries – before signing. Miami must provide more proactive fire safety education for
students as they leave campus. Off-campus senators should also work with the landlords in their respective districts to rectify fire safety issues. The quantity and functionality of smoke detectors is only part of the solution. The type of smoke detector can also determine how quickly fires are detected and whether residents have sufficient time to escape. Doug Turnbull, Julie’s father, is working to educate fire officials and the public about a type of smoke detector better able to give warning of certain types of fires. Turnbull is pushing Ohio lawmakers to require photoelectric fire detectors – as opposed to ionization detectors – in all homes. Using a different detection method, photoelectric detectors can give earlier warning of smoldering fires, providing more time for escape and potentially saving lives. Miami and Oxford should encourage students and landlords to install hardwired, stand-along photoelectric detectors in all homes. Oxford should also step up fire safety inspections so they occur annually instead of every other year. Although Oxford’s fire department is volunteer-based, the city should hire more personnel for inspections and fire safety training. The danger of house fires is not going away, and rental properties are continuing to age. Only by increasing awareness and requiring more stringent fire safety measures can we hope to avert future tragedies.
Students should utilize e-book to plan ahead
A
new e-book, “How Much Should I Borrow For College?” aims at helping students decide how much money is necessary to borrow for college. Author Steve Talbott, a professor at Cleveland State University, uses current research about the job market to project how much a graduate can make within the first year of a job related to their major. The editorial board of The Miami Student supports the mission of “How Much Should I Borrow For College?” With the economy struggling to come out of neardepression, more and more students have been burdened with the stressful task of paying for more of the cost of a college education. The board views this book as useful to high school students, current college students and their parents. Because the book shows students how much they can expect to make within the first year of a job, the board believes this book will be a useful resource for students to map out the time
frame it will take to pay back student loans. Because these salary numbers are based on government research, students are given honest facts about what they can expect from a future job. The board encourages students to look at “How Much Should I Borrow For College?” as an opportunity to learn about possible future job outcomes, and not as a source that tells students what they can and cannot choose as a major. Students must see this collection of reliable information as a tool for comparing and contrasting the financial aspects of possible future careers, whether a student decides to become a creative writing major or a finance major. The board recognizes the userfriendly, economically beneficial and environmentally conscious design of the e-book, as compared to a printed book. The board believes purchasing only certain chapters that pertain to a student’s specific needs will not only save the student money, but will save printing resources.
The Miami Student Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826
EDITORIAL BOARD Catherine Couretas Editor in Chief Hannah Poturalski News Editor Erin Maher Managing Editor Scott Allison Online Editor Thomasina Johnson Editorial Editor Sam Kay Editorial Editor Courtney Day Campus Editor Hope Holmberg Campus Editor
Amanda Seitz Campus Editor Kelsey Bishop Community Editor Erin Fischesser Community Editor Katie Giovinale Sports Editor Amelia Carpenter Features Editor Anna Turner Amusement Editor Samantha Ludington Photo Editor Hannah Miller Art Director
ERIN KILLINGER The Miami Student
➤ LETTERS
Library needs community support The League of Women Voters of Oxford, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages all local registered voters to become informed about the needs of our public library. Lane Public Library, serving the Hamilton, Oxford and Fairfield areas, has had its budget cut by 20 percent since 2005. These cuts adversely affect services, materials and programs that residents rely on. Because of reduced state funding, Lane Library is asking the public, for the first time, to support a five year tax levy. The League in Oxford recently reaffirmed its support for Lane Library. At the board of trustees meeting February 17, League leaders unanimously endorsed support for the tax levy. League members value the role of the public library in their lives and in the lives of other local residents. As a community, we cannot afford to see this valuable resource depleted when the need for its services is so great. Passage of this levy will help protect current library services and resources. Furthermore, the levy will, we hope, eventually restore the full services we as a community need and desire. All registered voters are eligible to vote on the library tax levy. If you are an independent voter, you may ask for an “issues only” ballot. Please mark your calendar for Election Day May 4 and vote yes on Issue 6 to support Lane Library. Sondra F. Engel
League of Women Voters of Oxford engelas@muohio.edu
Hockey fans find fellowship in unlikely place: RIT fans For Miami University hockey players and fans alike, the loss to Boston College Thursday felt like getting your heart smashed repeatedly with a sledgehammer. But the brightest spot throughout that awful weekend was the student section. From RIT. Unlike the Miami student section, the students from RIT were allowed – nay, encouraged – to stand the whole game. On Saturday, the handful of Miami faithful who stayed were welcomed with open arms to the Tigers’ “Corner Crew.” In a display unlike any other, both Miami and RIT students stood and chanted “R.I.T! R.I.T” and “Let’s go RedHawks!” throughout the game. Not only did the noise from the orangeand-red corner (mostly orange) drown out anything BC or Wisconsin fans cheered, but it was loud enough to be heard on ESPN. Cheers were exchanged, friendships were made and a fun time was had by all. One thing students from both sections agreed on was the need for games between the two
schools, preferably at a neutral site halfway in-between Oxford and Rochester. Hopefully next time Miami students can stand up and prove that we are the best fans in college hockey. Joe Barnett
barnetjw@muohio.edu
Library is a necessity, not a luxury I am writing to urge everyone to vote yes for the library levy on the May 4 ballot. Having lived in the Oxford community and now residing in Hamilton, my family and I have relied on the Lane Libraries for a variety of purposes from checking out the wonderful selection of books and DVDs as well as having a valuable resource tool for story times, crafts and book club discussions. Since the recent budget cuts, gone are the story times for younger children, book club discussions for pre-teen and teenagers and deliveries to nursing homes and senior citizens. Our libraries have so much to offer everyone, no matter their age. It seems a shame that such a valuable resource should have such limited hours and staff. Lane Libraries have worked tirelessly to provide excellent opportunities and resources to the community without fail and if we do not vote YES on the May 4 ballot, then we have failed them. As Henry Ward Beecher once said, “A library is not a luxury, but one of the necessaries of life.” Please vote YES May 4. Amy Kraushar
ask31@aol.com
Write TMS Letters must be signed with first and last names to be printed. Please send letters via e-mail to: miamistudent@muohio.edu
or mail to: 17 MacMillan Hall Oxford, Ohio 45056 We reserve the right to edit for length, content and clarity. Letters submitted via e-mail have a greater chance of being published.