| << Front page | Commentary | September 16, 2005 |
Reminder to vote in Ohio, other letters
To the Editors:
I write to make sure that Oberlin College students are aware of their rights as voters, and to let them know what is at stake this November.
According to Ohio law, students have the legal right to vote in Ohio, if they consider Ohio to be their “home.” You may register to vote in both Ohio and your state of origin, as long as you vote at only one location in a given election. If you wish to vote in Ohio, the deadline to register is Oct. 8. Students who have registered in the past must RE-register if they have changed dorms or houses. Registration forms are available at the desk in Wilder Hall.
Why bother registering to vote this year? The entire state of Ohio will be asked to vote on election reform. One ballot question would put control of election proceedings in the hands of a nonpartisan organization, rather than party-affiliated officials. One ballot question would limit campaign contributions. One would create a non-partisan body to redraw districting lines. The decisions made this year will affect the way the next congressional and presidential elections will be run. The voters of Oberlin will also be asked to decide on tax levies to support the public library and the public schools, both of which have lost state funding this year.
I urge you to make your voice heard. Please register to vote, and get to the polls on Nov. 8.
– Cindy Frantz
Assistant Professor of Psychology
To the Editors:
OCOPE (Oberlin College Office and Professional Employees) organized a campaign to raise money for the American Red Cross’s Hurricane Katrina Relief fund. Canisters were placed throughout campus asking for one dollar donations from members of the campus community.
Last Friday bake sales were set up throughout campus, and faculty, spouses and A&PS joined OCOPE members bringing in baked goods for the event. OCOPE members canvassed the area during their lunches giving away Mardi Gras beads and baked goods in return for donations. People became creative asking for donations at such events as Musical Union rehearsal and personal garage sales. One OCOPE member’s daughter combined efforts with friends at Langston Middle School and collected over $100 for our campaign. Many of the students here stepped up as always by donating more than one dollar and asking how they can help by getting something organized on campus.
The OCOPE Executive Board would like to thank everyone who donated their time, money and effort to help raise money to assist the people affected by Hurricane Katrina. These acts of kindness have generated a donation to the American Red Cross of $2289.84.
– Julie Weir
– Cindi Manning
– Sherry
Matson
– Linda Pardee
– Becky Luedeke
–
Diane Kajganich
OCOPE Executive Board
To the Editors:
In my almost 30 years as a faculty member at Oberlin, the Oberlin Public Library has been a great resource for the whole community, including many OC students. This community resource is going to need all of our help, however, since the state has frozen and is proceeding to cut much of the funding that supports Ohio’s public libraries. To compensate for these cuts, there will be a tax levy on the ballot in November (three mills of replacement of a current levy, and a .25 mill increase).
To kick off the campaign for this levy (Issue 28), the library invites all — students, staff, community — to a kickoff party this Saturday, Sept. 17, from 7-8 p.m. in the library parking lot: a DJ, dancing, free ice cream from Yesterday’s Ice Cream and prizes! Come on and bring a friend, and support your public library!
– Nick Jones
Professor of English and Associate Dean
Member,
Citizens’ Committee for the Oberlin Public Library
To the Editors:
College costs are high. To cope, many students are already taking on extra jobs, or going further into debt with additional loans.
Some students have to do both. Take my high-school friend Mike. His full course schedule is crammed into the morning until 1 p.m., when he begins work at his full-time job until 10 p.m. He then gets to begin his actual schoolwork. When he graduates, his diligence will have put him $20,000 in debt.
Unfortunately, Mike’s situation is typical. The average college graduate has $19,000 in student loans to pay off, and many full-time students must take on jobs to help fund their education. Meanwhile, financial aid has remained static or declined while tuition has been rising faster than the rate of inflation for years!
Despite this, current Congressional proposals would cut federal financial aid by up to $14 billion. This would hurt Pell Grants, work-study programs, and give new graduates an additional $5800 to pay off. As a student, I strongly feel this is the wrong course of action. Thanks to our college’s policy of guaranteeing most aid for which students qualify, Oberlin students are shielded from some of the effects of these cuts. However, many students across the nation are not so fortunate. Education is critical in building a strong economy and a healthy democracy. We should be making it more accessible to those who need it, not less.
I hope all of Oberlin will join me in urging Congress to vote against proposals that would reduce available funding for federal financial aid programs.
–Greg Engel
College senior
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