Letters to the editorLetters marked with an asterisk (*) also appear in the print version of the Spring 2006 Miamian. A sobering quest(To read "A Sobering Quest," click here.) * As one who took nearly two and a half decades past my Miami graduation to accept my status as a failed social drinker, I was intrigued by the "Sobering Quest" article. Spring quarter of my junior and senior years, particularly Friday afternoons after classes, found me with Ron or Steve or Mike cruising on country roads around Oxford, stopping to view cornfields and farms animals - all in a car filled with the sweet smell of marijuana and fresh pastries from Beasley's Bakery. These are memories of times I choose not to regret - in fact, they are treasured. We were young, and life got better by the day. I believe college years to be a time filled with all the freedoms and none of the responsibilities (save excelling in classes). It's a time of experimentation and growth. But, during my tenure, Oxford was a 3.2 town. Now it's a high-powered town with bartenders pushing the last legal drug. I don't know how I would have assimilated the information provided to students of Miami today regarding alcohol abuse. Nor do I know if the abuse is any more prevalent now or just more heavily reported. But the attitudes, activities, and discussions in this regard by Miami and Oxford alike can be nothing but beneficial. If a student can recognized his or her obsessive-compulsive behavior before two and a half decades pass ... to quote a line from my favorite movie, "Blazing Saddles," "Now, who could argue with that?" Steven Rowsey '75
* I have just read the lead article by Betsa Marsh and am ready to say it is the finest piece of journalism I have ever read in university magazines. I have seen many such magazines over the years, as I have taught at several universities for four decades, and rarely does an article reveal such hard truths and damaging admissions, with the cooperation of the administration, even the president. The subject of alcohol and substance abuse has been part of my professional research and teaching a s a professor of health law. I have worked on laws and regulations to deal with the problem from both punitive and educational perspectives. I have served as executive director of the N.C. Governor's Institute on Alcohol & Substance Abuse, with foundation funding of special projects on campus alcohol abuse. Despite temporary successes on some campuses, we have seen the problem return with the graduation of campus leaders we worked with or the turnover of committed administrative staff members in student affairs. And, with some of our grandest ideas and most promising programs, I agree with President Garland's assessment, "Almost every solution has unintended consequences." Actually, I would say "every solution" is unpredictable in its impact. That includes the observation that some tactics have unintended "good consequences," for example, telling students the shocking finds of binge drinking studies and hearing them find comfort in knowing that maybe 60 percent of the students do not binge drink - and saying, "Hey, OK, I am in the majority, after all. That's cool." Reinforcing good drinking habits may be an underdeveloped strategy. I join Barrett Seaman on the proposition that lowering the drinking age (only for beer and wine) to 18 would have a salutary effect. I have always believed in this simple but powerful policy change, based on public health principles of encouraging healthy normative behavior, and the positive mass psychology of legalizing sensible conduct. The caveat I would add is that other proactive "sensible drinking" measures on campus and a continuing national attack on teen-targeted beer ads should be pursued as well. This solution, too, would have unintended consequences, such as, possibly, a temporary rise in drunk driving accidents. As a Beta at Miami when my chapter was outstanding in every way, including receiving probation for offering Gracie Dome champagne during our victorious Greek Week celebration, I remember the 3.2 beer and how bitter it was, at first, but also how we could not afford more than a couple at Mac & Joe's. That raises another proposed solution, backed by academic studies: raising the price of beer by state taxation. Even with today's well-heeled students, it is possible the laws of economics might help, since the price/demand ratio seems somewhat elastic for beer. Again, the unintended behavioral consequences of wealth disparities among students will be difficult to deal with, and the initial beneficial effects will wear off as market and individual forces respond. I cannot suggest any specific or proven solution for my Miami or any other campus to try, except the encouragement of public discussion through thoughtful media pieces and related follow-up activities like your alcohol feedback line. So much depends on it that we must keep trying. David Warren, JD, '58
* "Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to rein in or even significantly slow down the student misuse of alcoholic beverages." - Miami President Jim Garland What a tragic statement. This article highlights a problem that has been with Miami University for a long time, that of the abuse of alcohol by students and the wink-and-nod approach about that abuse by the administration and faculty. Let's be clear. Young people die and ruin their lives with alcohol abuse. I remember returning to my off-campus apartment to a woman, just turned 18, lying in a pool of vomit outside my apartment door one Saturday night. She got an ambulance ride she couldn't remember to a hospital she wouldn't remember; all in the name of celebrating a birthday she was unable to remember. Has the administration taken a survey of the drinking habits of the students that have dropped out or failed? How about the drinking habits of those who are on the five- and six-year plan? I bet drinking has something to do with it. Your article clearly states some of the actions that have not been taken. We sure wouldn't want to bring the lawyers down on us when we are trying to save the lives of our future leaders and alumni. The president goes on to say, "We're not trying to turn students into teetotalers." News flash: Alcohol is an illegal drug for those under 21 in Ohio. If there was an upperclassman selling cocaine out of his dorm room, do you think he would be given a "three strikes and you're out" opportunity to turn his life around? No, he would be thrown in jail. So why aren't you enforcing state law with the same zeal? Providing alcohol to underage students is a crime, even for university presidents. A campus organization that is "handling" crimes such as these internally is putting itself above the law. There are schools out there who ask the incoming students to sign a behavior code at the beginning of the term. Why not add alcohol use to this code for those under age 21? Why not require disputes to be settled with an arbitration system and not the legal system? Those who wish to preserve their right to make a claim in court can choose another place for college. Why not set the example and stop serving alcohol at faculty and alumni functions? Is it that sober alumni give less than inebriated ones? Whether porch parties, frat parties, or alumni parties, there are places where young people are allowed and encouraged to ruin their health, their chances of success, and their lives. I guess when we put it in those terms, it doesn't sound so serious. Rick Wood MA '89
* Your article brought to mind drinking 3.2 beer at the Purity and the Boar's Head. The legal consumption of 3.2 at 18 offered students responsibility in preparation for full access to alcohol at 21. As a precaution, undergrads were forbidden cars and except for 3.2, Oxford was dry. After anti-drinking zealots forced Ohio to abandon beer at 18, what was the justification for Oxford to subject Miami students to big-time temptation by welcoming the purveyors of hard liquor? If 3.2 posed an unacceptable risk, who believed that the availability of a full range of alcohol in tiny Oxford would not make its presence felt among the students despite the drinking age being 21? It is disingenuous for Miamian to celebrate the administration's alcohol education initiatives and not ask why Miami was unwilling to keep hard liquor from coming to town and student cars from coming to campus. This unfortunate high-risk combination the University surely was in a position to prevent - and its disinclination to do so - forces one to wonder how those in your article calling for working with the community and "clamping down on bars" expect to be taken seriously. Surely they should not be surprised that Miami today is a less safe, healthy, and desirable place than when Oxford was for walking and 3.2 beer was the only drink in town. John Miller '68
* As a speech-language pathologist working at a hospital, I've evaluated and treated college students hurt while intoxicated. Injuries sustained while binge drinking may involve a fall with a concussion and resulting traumatic brain injury or a car accident with head trauma and other serious bodily injuries. I have explained to patients and their parents why returning to college may not be possible right away. Often patients with brain injury experience decreased attention span, short-term memory deficits, and impaired logical reasoning and problem solving. Reading comprehension, written language, and math skills may also be impaired. A successful college student working toward graduation prior to the injuries may be unable to remember daily events or comprehend fifth-grade-level writing. It is sad to see the effects of binge drinking and how injury can greatly alter a student's future. I agree with Dr. Brent Bader's suggestion that "speakers who have suffered because of their drinking behaviors, or family members who have lost someone because of alcohol" could make the dangers of binge drinking real for students. Amanda Ring Krabacher '98
While I am always impressed by the professionalism of Miamian, I was especially struck by the salience of "A Sobering Quest." I am certainly no teetotaler, but the unbridled drunkenness on college campuses today is alarming. The breadth of testimony in the article makes the discussion most compelling and credible. As an adjunct composition instructor at the University of Dayton, I was privy to many informal and candid student discussions of the previous weekend or the night before. I had considerable contact with freshmen who were swept up in the frenetic first year of college life and agree with one of the article's contributor who believes most undergrads become more responsible after freshman year. Best of luck in addressing a seemingly "no win" situation. John Hagan '76
I believe Dr. Brent Bader '81 is mistaken when he says that "when [he] turned 21, the [drinking] law changed to 21, and the drinking pattern changed." I was 17 and in my first week on campus in August 1982 when the first change in the drinking laws took place. While Dr. Bader was correct in recalling that this initial legal change eliminated 3.2 beer, he was not correct in stating that the drinking age changed to 21 at that time. In fact, the legal age for drinking wine and hard liquor stayed the same (21), and the legal age for drinking beer was changed to 19. Those of us who were freshmen that August have a particularly keen memory of this change, as those of us who had turned 18 while seniors in high school (and were legally allowed to consume 3.2 beer on our 18th birthdays) were suddenly no longer able to legally consume beer for several months, while the few of us freshmen who were still 17 were never "legal" to drink 3.2 beer and only became "legal" to drink beer a year later at age 19. On that final August 1982 evening that an 18-year-old could still legally drink beer, it really did seem that every 18-year-old Miami freshman was heading to the uptown Oxford bars. If my memory serves me correctly, I believe the complete shift of the drinking age to 21 took place a year or two after my 1986 graduation; so, for four years at least three-fourths of Miami's traditional college-age students were able to legally drink beer. While I don't condone excessive drinking and was never much of a drinker myself, I have come to believe that the tremendous amount of binge and excess drinking among today's college students is largely due to their not having had the opportunity to legally "transition" into (and a little more responsibly get used to) using alcohol. Elizabeth Eastwood-Gainer '86
The reason for binge drinking among underclassmen is simple: It's illegal to buy alcohol if you're under age 21, which most underclassmen are. The solution is simple: Lower the legal drinking age to 18, or at least have a two-tiered legal drinking age, with 18 being the minimum age to buy beer and 21 being the minimum age to buy beverages with higher alcoholic content. Then most underclassmen will be content to drink the beer they may legally buy, just as they did when Oxford was the "3.2 beer capital of the world." Steve Gilmore '74 MS '75
Demand for safe housesWe read an article in Miamian concerning the tragic fire that took the lives of three Miami students last April. Our daughter, who was a senior at the time, was impacted significantly by the loss of two of these students; one had been a close friend for her four years at Miami. The original report from the firemen on the scene to some students indicated the fire was electrical in origin. This was later altered, and it was reported that the cause was a lighted cigarette in the couch. The next week, our daughter, as part of an investigative journalism assignment, contacted the electrician who had performed work on the house the previous summer. He agreed to talk with her. Later that afternoon he called and said that he would not be able to meet with her. Our daughter spent her junior year in a house that had been damaged by fire the previous year. She and her roommates were required to sign the contract in October of her sophomore year. The fire occurred that December and those students had to be moved to other housing for the remainder of that year. In August, when she moved in, we were assured that the entirely renovated house was up to code. It turned out that the fire escape was not secured properly to the third floor of the building. This was discovered by a parent in the construction business. In addition, there were other safety issues that emerged throughout the year, including plumbing and toxic fumes. Our daughter and her roommates brought these to the attention of the landlord. The girls were told to move in with friends for a few days. This house was rented through the same leasing company as my daughter's. Not all parents have the expertise or the proximity to inspect available housing. Isn't it time that the University became involved in ensuring more stringent building codes are passed? At a minimum, there should be a system to monitor the enforcement of existing housing regulations. The University owes the students the support to live in safe housing in the town of Oxford particularly since there is not enough on-campus housing available. It would not be a huge investment for the University to provide a list of approved housing that meets certain safety criteria and would ensure some semblance of protection and security. Otherwise, we're afraid landlords and their agents will continue to exploit our children without regard for their safety. Another tragedy of this magnitude cannot be tolerated. George Dirner '67 MEd '72 and Margaret McCourt-Dirner
Scholarships needed instead of new buildingsSince the 1980s, Miami administration has complained that a lack of available scholarships has prevented Miami from recruiting more top students. However, the University administration plans on allocating only $70 million of the total $350 million from the For Love and Honor campaign toward scholarships. A significantly greater proportion of For Love and Honor funds, in excess of $85 million, will be spent on facilities. While $70 million seems a high number on paper, only the interest generated from such endowments, typically about 5 percent a year, is ever distributed as scholarships. Therefore, $70 million would result in less than $250 in scholarship funds per undergraduate yearly; a pittance compared to the average of nearly $20,000 paid in yearly tuition, room, and board for in-state students. The University has implied that the 250-plus student recruitment shortfall for the current freshman class is an anomaly. However, it is most likely that these recruitment challenges are, instead, a result of students receiving better financial packages from other universities, public or private. I appreciate the challenges Miami and other state universities in Ohio face with shrinking state government funding. However, Miami University seems more focused on construction of questionable need while the average Miami student graduates with an average debt load of $20,000. While facilities do play a role in recruiting faculty, one must question whether additional funds from both the current budget and the For Love and Honor campaign could be better spent on scholarships to attract top students and reduce the debt load of current undergraduates. The primary obligation of Miami University as a public university is to offer a quality undergraduate education at a reasonable price; a mission at which Miami University is failing. Brian Halas '93
Best wishes, Bill(If you would like to see the Bill Madison '61 profile, "The Heart of Business," click here.) Ted Brengle '02 MA '05 captured the real essence and contributions to Miami of Bill Madison '61 in the article "The Heart of Business." I worked with Bill when he was an executive for Kroger in the early 1980s and watched him push the envelope for more diversity, spend boatloads of personal time on mentoring Kroger protégés, and always devote quality time to accomplishing his core job duties. Additionally, Bill was a devout husband to Brenda and a wonderful father to two energetic kids. Somehow, he also made the effort to devote time and personal resources to the Cincinnati community to foster interest in youth track and field events and tours for students to visit historical black colleges. Bill will be most difficult to replace as his legacy is diverse and built on personal integrity and strong relationships building with scores of students who have benefited from his guidance, his honest assessments, and his motivational words and fix strategies. Kit and I wish Bill and Brenda the best in the future and want to recognize Bill's contributions to Miami by investing in the William J. Madison Educational Opportunity Fund. We hope others who know and have benefited from Bill's relationship will follow our lead. Job well done, Bill Madison. Jack Overbeck '65
A smile came over my face as I turned the pages of the Fall 2005 Miamian and saw my favorite professor, Bill Madison '61. I still remember the wonderful times I had in my introductory management course with him freshman year. He was an amazing adviser, counsel, teacher, and friend. I still use many of the lessons he taught me as I move through my career in human resource management. I wish him all the best and will never forget him. Hope Webb Wood '97
Go for No. 1Miami University has been positioned as No. 26 by U.S. News & World Report in its ratings of American universities by academic quality. Are there programs by which Miami can move closer to being listed as university No. 1? Reports circulate that individual student grades may be improved when students of like studies are housed in the same dorm - or on the same floor. Business students with business students, pre-med with pre-med, athletes with athletes, music students with music students, etc. Serious high-school students may become attracted to universities that offer such housing. (If this program is initiated at Miami, a student's agreement or rejection of such a residency assignment could be acquired at the time of registration.) Should we try to move Miami onward to the goal of becoming the No. 1 academic quality university in America by such a program? Conrad Leslie '47
President Jim Garland's response: I appreciate your taking the time to write me with your suggestion. It's gratifying that members of our local community are interested enough in Miami to help us to become an even better university.
Feel free to writeSend your letters to: Donna Boen, Miamian editor, 208 Glos Center, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056-2480; Miamian@muohio.edu; or fax to 513-529-1950. Include your name, class year, home address, and phone number. Letters may be edited for grammar, space, clarity, and style and may be printed in an upcoming Miamian magazine, posted on our Web site, or both.
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