The Miami Student Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826
VOLUME 138 NO. 48
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO
In 1990, The Miami Student reported that a survey done by a communications professor found over 90 percent of Miami University students had cheated in some form. The professor cited national trends and pressure to perform for grades as causes for the high number.
Price for Rice speech under wraps Contract has secrecy clause, University Senate requests information from administration By Adam Giffi Senior Staff Writer
As students and faculty alike guess about the mystery amount Condoleezza Rice is being paid for her speech Thursday, a passerby may think Miami University is preparing for a visit from Drew Carey of The Price Is Right rather than the former secretary of state. Senior Anna Beljin threw her guess into the fray. “I think that she would likely be getting paid around $10,000,” Beljin said. “Anything more than that would be a little much.” John Krafft, a Miami University Dolibois European Campus (MUDEC) professor, has attempted to find out the figure from the university. As of now, Krafft is left only with the educated guesses he has made with the help of several other faculty members. “I’ve heard estimates ranging from $7,500 to $300,000,” Krafft said. Discussions about the fee of Rice’s visit have been present since the event was announced Jan. 20. Among these discussions were a
spirited dialogue at the Monday, Feb. 7 University Senate hearing. According to Krafft, a senator, the body was not able to attain an answer to the query. “My sense is that nobody has talked because somebody has at least enough decency to be embarrassed by an outrageous speaker’s fee,” Krafft said. Rice’s talk is being presented by the Farmer School of Business (FSB). Alan Oak, associate dean for external relations of the FSB, stated the figure cannot be revealed. “The contract provides for non-disclosure of the financial arrangements of the contract,” Oak said. “The terms of the contract do not provide for us to offer that information.” Despite this, Krafft said there is still a case to be made for the release of the information. “At a public university there aren’t supposed to be secrets about things like that,” Krafft said. “I think there are some matters of student records and personal information that are, and should be, protected. But I don’t think that these matters should
be protected.” Oak reiterated that the figure is not public knowledge. “It was a donor preference,” Oak said. “Some donors like to support athletics, some donors like to support the Armstrong Student Center, others support speakers.” Oak explained the deal was negotiated between Miami and the Washington Speakers Bureau using funds from the contributions of Jack and Rose Marie Anderson. “The context that we are dealing with here is that the Anderson family, starting about 10 years ago and several times since then, have made important contributions into an
endowment to enable Miami to bring world leaders to Campus,” Oak said. “Miami is not spending student fees for this event, or general revenues, it’s spending dollars that were contributed specifically for this purpose.” Regardless, Krafft feels the issue stands as a point of interest and concern. “I’ve heard events like this defended as being paid for by alumni and other supporters of the university, so in effect they’re gifts,” Krafft said. “But, depending on how much it is, I have three issues about this on principle; the secrecy, the value, because sometimes I feel that the quality of
the lecture is in direct opposition to the price, and the judgment we show by spending large amounts of money in times of economic crisis.” Krafft also said the assumed high fee for Rice’s services sends an overall wrong message to faculty and students. “There are lecturers at Miami University who are paid $40,000 to teach six or eight courses in a year,” Krafft said. “So for a one hour celebrity speech, what should she be paid by a university entity? $500?” Oak, in response to this viewpoint,
wSee RICE, page 5
Presidential persuasion
SAMANTHA LUDINGTON The Miami Student
Student Body President candidates Bryan Klipsch (left) and Nicholas Huber (right) address attendees at the candidate debate Monday. Student Body elections will be held Thursday.
SPECIAL REPORTS
Editor Amanda Seitz specialreports@miamistudent.net
Campus reps always gain experience, sometimes get paid By Thomasina Johnson Editorial Editor
Money and real-world experience are two invaluable words to the ears of many Miami University students. Most students gain one or both with internships or on-campus jobs, but rarely can they both come together. One solution to both issues can be a job as a campus representative for a company. Miami junior marketing major Colin Vidika has been the student brand manager for Red Bull since January. He said he works and plans on and off-campus events to subtly promote the brand. “(Marketing and working for Red Bull) tie together well. I’m in charge of advertising, promoting and marketing an idea and making it happen,” he said. Vidika said his job is to represent the company with good times, so he often brings some Red Bull to parties or helps with big events, like the Green Beer Day Ying Yang Twins concert at Brick Street Bar and Grill. Vidika is also planning to co-sponsor an informational event for the water-ski team
April 6. He said he’s also planning Red Bull Tum Tum Pa for April 20. It’s a on-campus musical competition where students can win big prizes for harmonizing classroom objects and Red Bull cans, he said. And no, he doesn’t drive the Red Bull car, although he helps plan when the car will make appearances, he said. A member of the Red Bull Wiiings Team, often coming from Cincinnati or Columbus, drives the car, he said. American Eagle campus representative Dave Williams, a senior marketing major, said because of his experience planning promotional events, he has learned to create and plan more effective advertising methods. “I joke after seeing the outreach programs, ‘Is this the best they can do?’ A lot of their strategies are a waste of money,” he said. Williams said one of the projects American Eagle wanted him and his co-worker, sophomore supply chain and operations management major Tarah Cook to do was a flash-mob of people wearing the company’s new swimsuit line, in the cold of the winter. “I thought it was ill-advised but American Eagle thought it would be good to promote
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ wSee REPS, page 5 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
mob, they complied. Williams said he and Cook are planning a campus scavenger hunt, where students can find American Eagle products. Students can look at the Miami American Eagle Facebook page for more information. Both Vidika and Williams are paid based on performance, which includes coordinating or holding a ERIN KILLINGER The Miami Student certain number of events in a certain time span, and increasing the attendance at each event. Williams their new spring stuff,” said he is paid about $1100 to $1200 in all for he said. his efforts during the year. However, other Williams said because American Eagle wanted the Miami team to hold the flash