Balanced budget, Web site make McNabb right choice

I have been in and/or around Associated Student Government (ASG) since I came to Miami. Since my first year as a senator from Havighurst, I have been working for a better college experience for Miami students. During this time, I have not seen anyone work as diligently and tirelessly for ASG as Jonathan McNabb. His dedication to serving students is genuine and displayed constantly. Every time I see him, he is always in the ASG office doing something-whether it is helping a student organization with funding possibilities or trying to find ways for ASG to serve students better. His most impressive accomplishment to me is the new structure of student organization funding.

It is unbelievable how he has revamped the funding process. Many people running for office make campaign promises and never come close to fulfilling them. Not only did Jonathan execute his promises, he did so while surpassing expectations. The new funding Web site, which functions as a user interface for organizations to enter funding request and a reference for student to see what other organizations are being awarded and why, is remarkable.

I myself had aspirations of running for student body president. However, when Jonathan informed me that he was running, I immediately discontinued my consideration. I did so not because of fear, but because I honestly believe that Jonathan McNabb would be, and is the best choice for the next student body president. He not only has talked the talk, but he has walked the walk. Therefore, I support Jonathan McNabb for student body president of Associated Student Government of Miami University, and I encourage students to vote for him and a better Miami.

Thomas A. Flynn President Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. flynnta@muohio.edu

Struebing is ready to be student body president

I am writing this letter in response to the on-going election for the president of our student body. I think it is important that we look past signs and meaningless slogans and identify the qualities we are looking for in a president.

I have known Jon McNabb since my first year and Paul Struebing has been a dear, personal friend for several years. That being said, they each hold unique strengths that I believe clearly show which one would be the better choice for this particular position. McNabb has proven over the last few years on the executive board of the College Republicans and this year as VP of student organizations that he is an exemplary worker full of great ideas and is as hard-working as any student I have met in my four years at Miami University. Paul on the other hand has worked as one of the leaders of the highly successful Barack Obama campaign around campus and as a state director for College Democrat organizations. This work has created bridges between student groups and college institutions in order to move them toward a common goal. He is tremendously hard-working and, in my extensive experience with him on the Barack Obama campaign, has never once flinched from the enormous amount of tasks I asked of him, often doing much more work than I would have thought possible by one person.

In light of these two individuals the only question is, what do we need from our president? The president of the student body at Miami is mostly responsible for steering campus groups and the student body towards certain action. This requires not simply a good nature and good work ethic, like McNabb clearly possesses, but a proven ability of leadership and political interaction. If this were a campaign for VP of student orgs, McNabb would undoubtedly have my vote. But in this election for a leader of our student body, we need someone who has proven that he can lead a diverse set of constituents towards a common goal, and the candidate who has demonstrated these specific qualities is undoubtedly Paul Struebing. I urge students to pay close attention to this campaign and to participate in the process. In the midst of this financial crisis we will look to our new president to be the voice of the student body; for guidance and unity in protecting and voicing our concerns, as well as being honest with us about the budgetary limitations on programs we desire. In this task I know that Paul will be the leader whose unique traits position him to fulfill this daunting task.

Pat Frank frankp@muohio.edu

Game room, Xbox, Wii in library wastes money

After reading the article in The Miami Student, which had both Glenn Platt and Lisa Santucci cited, about the upcoming "educational game room" set to open in King Library, I first thought that this was just a really bad joke. A game room in the library? With an Xbox and Wii? As if the latest "Howe Writing Center" library expansion was not a monumental waste of money, that was topped-with this?

Amidst the current financial crisis where hundreds of professors and instructors are losing their jobs, where class sizes are inevitably increasing and where we're reminded every week with 10-page long e-mails from President Hodge about how bad of shape our university is financially-why were such funds allocated towards this? Just because there is money available-from the now laughable technology fee-is there not anything better that it could be used for? Could it not be used to improve our current piss-poor network capabilities? Could it not be used towards technology that will actually enhance our educational experience?

As a frequent patron of the library I'm increasingly discouraged by how hard it is to simply find a desk to study. It's gotten to the point where people leave their books and computers in cubicles in order to assure them a spot the next day. If anything, the library needs more desks, not a game room. Exactly what educational benefit will come from having such elite gaming systems at hand? I'm glad that the '5 or so' classes that will use this room will have the proper equipment to complete their assignments, but using our technology fee on such an insulting venture, to me, is reprehensible.

Using our student fee money in such a wasteful way is absolutely disgraceful. Saying that "all the major universities today have some form of game curriculum" is laughable. All the other major universities also value the quality of their students' education-can the same be said about Miami now? Stating that it is necessary "for Miami to remain relevant and prestigious" is insulting. If Miami has to add game rooms in the one place where we're supposed to be studying is a way to stay prestigious, then we've already lost our prestige.

I can imagine the looks on the faces of prospective students when they're given the tour of the library. "And here is one of the most prestigious game rooms in the country, it has an Xbox and is a great place of learning!" If the parents of these prospective students don't immediately think that our commitment to learning has deteriorated to the point where we put video game systems in the library-then I must be completely misinformed about how educational video game systems can be.

Matt Kalayjian KalayjMR@muohio.edu