The Miami Student Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826
VOLUME 138 NO. 9
MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
In 1976, The Miami Student reported the owner of Mike’s Deli, now Johnny’s Deli, was considering going to court to fight for his right to sell bottled wine and 6 percent liquor to be placed on the ballot. The owner circulated a petition that was rejected by the Butler County Board of Elections because it did not meet proper requirements.
MU prepares for student center fee By Noëlle Bernard Senior Staff Writer
www.muohio.edu/asc
The Armstrong Student Center will be completed in two phases with student fees implemented after each is completed. The fees were approved by ASG in the 2009-2010 school year.
CAMPUS
Miami’s green rating drops By Amber Staines For The Miami Student
According to the Sierra Club’s fourth annual Coolest Schools ranking, Miami University is falling behind in it’s cool factor. This year, Miami dropped 40 spots on the Sierra Club’s list of America’s greenest campuses, falling from 87 to 127. Universities from all over the country are asked to fill out surveys and are then rated from one to 10 in the areas of academics, administration, efficiency, energy, food, purchasing, transportation, waste management, financial investments and other initiatives. Last year Miami received a 42 out of 100, with a one out of 10 in the energy category. While Miami received a 50.2 out of 100 this year, the university’s overall ranking went down. One reason for the lower score could be the fact that 162 schools responded to the survey in 2010, while only 135 schools responded in 2009. However, more importantly, the lower ranking indicates other colleges and universities are raising the bar when it comes to environmental sustainability. David Prytherch, Miami’s sustainability coordinator, has worked with the university since 2009. He attributed Miami’s low environmental rating
After two construction phases, the transformation of the Armstrong Student Center (ASC) will be complete and open for students in the next few years. The first phase of the project is predicted to be finished in early 2014, allowing students partial access to the ASC. When that phase is complete, each student’s bursar account will be charged a facilities fee. The Associated Student Government (ASG) adopted this resolution with the intention that the fees would cover about half of the cost of construction of the student center. According to Carson Cowles, president of Student Senate, the student fees are necessary because of the strict timeline of completion and for the assurance of enough money raised. “There has been a call for a new student center for over 10 years,” Cowles said. “We can’t raise the money in time for the whole building to be completely donated.” According to David Creamer, vice
Four Loko sales increase among college students
By Rachel Petri
“The alcohol would have a depressant effect and the caffeine would have a stimulant effect,” Tupper said. Despite such warnings, Four Loko has become increasingly popular with many college students. Miami University junior Ben Buettner said there are many reasons for this increase in consumption. “It is because it is cheap, has a lot of alcohol and drinking it has become a popular thing to do,” Buettner said. According to its website, the Chicago-based alcoholic beverage company Phusion Projects, LLC produces Four Loko. Phusion Projects is the brainchild of three Ohio State University students who decided to start a company. Phusion Projects was among the almost 30 manufacturers of caffeinated alcoholic beverages who received letters from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2009 telling the companies they would be looking into the safety of their products. The FDA has not approved the use of caffeine in alcoholic beverages. Phusion Projects stresses the importance of “responsible drinking” and encourages those who carry their products to market and sell only to those individuals of the legal drinking age. This effort includes labeling Four Loko cans “We ID,” distributing materials to retailers encouraging them to ID and ensuring the placement of their products with alcohol and not with other energy drinks.
For The Miami Student
An increasing number of Miami University students are purchasing Four Loko, an alcoholic energy drink, according to Oxford Spirits Manager Gary Hetzel. Hetzel said he has seen an increase in sales of Four Loko since spring break 2010. “I assume there were promotions because I was not selling much of it at all until the college students came back from spring break,” Hetzel said. Four Loko is a caffeinated alcoholic beverage, 12 percent by volume, containing taurine and guarana. The drink comes in seven different flavors and is sold in 23.5-ounce cans. According to Sgt. Jim Squance of the Oxford Police Department, there has been an increase on Four Loko cans in the department property room where they collect evidence from underage drinkers or open container violators. “I was looking in our property room and noticed we had quite a few cans of that stuff,” Squance said. While it is clear Four Loko has gained considerable popularity among college students, Squance said it has yet to overthrow a college beverage staple. “Natty Light still takes the prize,” Squance said. The caffeine-alcohol combination of Four Loko is one Chuck Tupper, a CVS Pharmacy technician, does not recommend.
wSee RATING, page 3
SAMANTHA LUDINGTON The Miami Student
INSIDESCOOP
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CAMPUS, page 2
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
A Miami University alumnus is creating a book of Miami’s off-campus houses.
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PACK YOUR PICNIC BASKET
The Three Valley Conservation Trust plans to celebrate its anniversary.
COMMUNITY, page 4
GOING GLOBAL
Miami University students are working to reach beyond the USA.
FEATURE, page 8
HEADED CAREER FAIR?
TO THE
Members of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity are participating in a Freedom Walk.
Check out our annual Career Fair Guide inside on page 6!
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WWW.MIAMISTUDENT.NET TECH TIP: WANT $200? Find out how you can win a gift certificate to the bookstore.
POLL: FOUR LOKO What’s your favorite Four Loko flavor?
SPORTS: HEISMAN WATCH
CAMPUS, page 2 p
wSee ASC, page 3
COMMUNITY
to the university’s dependence on coal. According to Prytherch, Miami is working to improve its environmental standing. “The university is developing long-term strategies for shifting away from coal toward alternative energy such as renewables or natural gas, which release fewer pollutants like carbon dioxide,” he said. Additionally, Miami created the Environmental Sustainability Committee and the Presidential Task Force in 2008. The committee’s self-proclaimed mission statement is “promoting environmentally and economically sustainable practices at Miami University through collaboration between students, faculty, staff and the wider community.” Students have also been taking steps to improve environmental sustainability on campus. Green Oxford is the largest student-led sustainability effort at Miami. Senior Ben Stockwell, vice president of information for Green Oxford, said little things can make a big difference. “Simple actions have a large price for our community,” he said. From turning off lights to unplugging appliances, students can make little changes that save energy and resources.
MAKING STRIDES FOR EQUALITY
president for finance and business services, the facility fees will not be a burden to students. “The cap is at $125 a semester, that’s the maximum after both phases of the project would be completed,” Creamer said. “The maximum amount for the first phase is $110 a semester. That will not be in effect until the building opens (after the first phase). That’s consistent with the resolution ASG passed last year.” The facility fees will be combined between the two phases and the amount may become lower than the $125 a semester if the ASC receives more donations than expected. “The way the resolution is written that half the project of the first phase is being funded through gifts the other half is being funded by the student fee,” Creamer said. “If the gifts are larger than expected, then the fees will be reduced and we will probably have a sense of the total gifts for the project by the end of the (school) year.” Junior Ryan Boyer thinks the fees
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Is University of Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson the real deal?