Miami Student

The final phase of the multimillion-dollar effort to renovate Miami University's King Library is now underway - wrapping up almost a decade's worth of construction on the 38-year-old building. "We're tremendously excited about being able to finish the renovation," said Richard Pettitt, associate dean of university libraries. "(The library) will be a wonderful place for students and faculty to be." Pettitt said repairs to the building's roof and foundation, which will help control water damage, began last month. …

The Miami University Board of Trustees now has a new member - John S. Christie, appointed to take the place of board member Jay Henderson, who stepped down because of a job transfer to Illinois. According to Steve Snyder, secretary to the board of trustees, Christie was appointed by Gov. Bob Taft in accordance with Ohio law, which states that the governor will appoint trustees for all state-affiliated colleges and universities. "A former board of trustee (member) mentioned my name to the president, Mr. Garland," Christie said. "I had a conversation with the president asking about my desire to do this - and he felt I would be a good trustee." …

The Miami University Board of Trustees will vote Dec. 10 on whether to locate the new business school where Reid Hall currently stands, following President James Garland's recommendation this week Built in 1948, Reid Hall - located at the corner of High Street and Patterson Avenue on Miami's East Quad - houses 140 first-year students and is at capacity this year, according to Adolph Haislar, senior associate vice president for auxiliary enterprises. The Campus Planning Committee initially recommended the Reid Hall site to Richard Norman, vice president of financial and business services, and Provost John Skillings, who passed the information to Garland. …

Erin Weed, founder of Girls Fight Back, taught Miami University women empowerment, self-protection, and self-defense in a presentation Tuesday night. "From what I know, there is no one else doing what I do," Weed said. "There is no one else going around the country saying, 'I think any woman should be able to walk across campus by herself.'" Weed started Girls Fight Back shortly after Shannon McNamara, one of her closest college friends, was murdered. …

Pushing aside political preferences, a small group of students is trying to get people to support U.S. troops by wearing red on Fridays. After a chain e-mail was sent to first-year Adam Van Treese asking college students to wear a red ribbon in support of an individual serving in Iraq, he decided to take it a step farther. "It has all to do with the fact that we all know someone over there," he said. …