Letters to the editor

Loss of WMUB ruins student opportunitiesThe decision to hand over the management of WMUB is an outright insult to the students of Miami University. One week ago, WMUB staff and students found out that we are to be ousted come March. The worse news is that the seven full-time and three part-time staff members who run the station (and do so wonderfully considering the small staff in charge of an entire 24/7 radio station) will no longer be employed. Since that doesn't hit home enough for President David Hodge, I would like to address the students who are losing quite possibly the best opportunity for hands-on experience that Miami has to offer. We don't work folding towels at the Rec. We don't swipe cards at Scott. We don't wipe tables at Shriver. We are in the middle of things. We have deadlines to meet. We are behind the boards operating live talk programs. We produce stories and answer phones at fund drives. If we mess up, listeners in Dayton, Cincinnati and Indiana know it. If Miami's "primary concern is its students," then what about the 16 students employed at WMUB? What about those who would have worked there in the future? Students have been an integral part of WMUB and it has been an integral part of us. WMUB is not just a job for us. It is learning how to do something we love. It is discovering our career paths. It is having responsibility that goes beyond grade point average. Turning over the reigns of WMUB to Cincinnati Public Radio is a disservice to Miami students and community members and an atrocity that the university will never be able to make up for.Jenna Krusekrusejn@muohio.eduMcNabb concern for safety wins endorsementAs this year's ASG election draws closer, I encourage Miami students to educate themselves on the candidates and their platforms.As the president of my sorority, Alpha Phi, one of my main concerns is the safety and well-being of my sisters and all women on Miami's campus. While reading over the platforms of both ASG president hopefuls, I was immediately struck by Jonathan McNabb's focus on increasing student safety.Safety is a rising issue on campus. Many crime alerts are sent out each week, and it's obvious that the security of Miami students is a problem that needs to be addressed and fixed.Jonathan McNabb has not only acknowledged the severity of this issue, but also has devised a plan to help increase students' safety-his idea, which I'm sure everyone will appreciate, is to expand the Door-to-Door service. By increasing the number of cars and drivers, students will spend less time waiting for a ride, thus ensuring that they will make it home safely.He also plans to provide Miami women with more opportunities to learn to defend themselves through self-defense courses. Arming women with the knowledge of what to do if attacked is a creative and effective way to increase our safety. As a Miami woman, I personally appreciate his concern.These are just a few of the impressive ideas that Jonathan McNabb has for increasing Miami students' safety. I encourage you to check out his website, www.mcnabb-harris.com, to learn more about this candidate and his extensive platform. Jonathan McNabb will certainly be getting my vote.Anna DeedsPresident of Alpha Phideedsac@muohio.eduBike lanes must see full implementationEarlier in the school year, I sat among many other Miami University students listening to Thomas Friedman lecture about "going green" and the green movement we are currently experiencing. Although Friedman is not the first person that comes to mind when referencing the environmental movement, he was able to successfully articulate that "going green" is not as easy and convenient as the 10-step guides say it is; "going green" means making the changes to one's lifestyles and habits in order to lighten the load we have placed upon the earth. These changes often take some initial getting used to, and the addition of bike lanes to Spring Street would be no exception to this.While the support of The Miami Student editorial board is appreciated ("Bike lane proposal should not affect off-campus spots," Jan. 23), the recommendation to install bike lanes only on campus streets would be ineffective. Creating a disjointed street system would create confusion and potentially more accidents. In addition, the lack of bike lanes off-campus would leave residents-both students and non-students-in the same situation we are now tackling: with the lack of a safe, designated space for alternative transport use.The concerns expressed by the student senate are real and are shared by many, but in looking at the "big picture" and our sustainable future, the installation of bike lanes on Spring Street would more than compensate for the loss of about 100 parking spots (50 on-campus and 50 off-campus) by improving the health, safety and general welfare of all those residing and working in the City of Oxford.Dori Bahir bahird@muohio.eduLauren Saulino saulinle@muohio.edu