Vote in today's primary election

Primary elections take place today giving the community the opportunity to voice its opinion of various issues and representatives.

While at school, Athens is a student’s home. Levies and both state and national representatives affect all students’ lives on a daily basis — such effects are too important to ignore. For graduating seniors, this election might be the last chance they have to make a difference in this area. For all other residents and students, today is a chance to speak up about how they want to live and who they want to represent them. Taking advantage of the right to vote is the best way students and residents can positively influence their home away from home. Throwing away that right is a good way to spend the next years unhappy about the quality of life in the area.

Both democrats and republicans have candidates in the primary elections for Athens County Juvenile and Probate Court, the Ohio House’s 92nd District and the U.S. House of Representative’s 6th district. Other key elections include the following levies:

• Issue 1 — Athens City School District has a replacement levy of 5.80 mill for the next five years. This levy is to continue general operating expenses and maintain current educational programs.

• Athens County has a replacement levy supporting senior citizens services and facilities that would increase to 0.75 mills.

• A 1-mill tax levy would replace the current tax levy for emergency medical services. The levy will generate more than a half a million dollars for five years.

• Alexander Township wants to pass a 1-mill levy that would help the volunteer fire departments in Albany and the Richland area.

• Amesville is asking for a new levy to fund police protection by a local marshal for 60 hours a month. The levy will be for 2 mills every five years.

These are just a few of the levies that will be decided in the primary elections today. In order to get your voice heard, go out and vote. Make a difference in the community.

Tread will leave its mark on OU

Prospective seniors should vote for Senior Class Council members who will dedicate themselves to finding a well-known class speaker, picking an appropriate class gift and making sure Ohio University students’ last year is memorable. The Tread Party will do all that and more.

The Tread Party, headed by presidential candidate Amanda Cunningham, has realistic goals in mind for the class. The candidates have an enthusiasm for the many duties of Senior Class Council, which range from the serious tasks of choosing a gift and commencement speaker to the more entertaining duties of finding a bar for the senior happy hour and planning the class trip.

But these fundraising activities cannot be taken lightly. Each of the Tread Party’s candidates has experience fundraising for OU’s Bicentennial Campaign as members of the Student Campaign Advancement Committee. The candidates also are involved in diverse campus organizations, such as the crew team, Student Senate, the greek community, church groups and Fashion Associates. Such a range of experience will help the party look out for the interests of every senior.

The party wants to concentrate on communicating with the seniors, an important part of fulfilling duties that previous councils lacked. The candidates want to involve seniors in their decisions by taking random samples and conducting polls, in addition to speaking with their acquaintances and other seniors they meet.

The Tread Party already has several ideas about how they will execute their duties next year. Although the candidates are wise not to promise a big-name commencement speaker, they want to aim high. They realize that if Ohio State University can draw names such as Bill Cosby and President Bush to speak to its graduating seniors, OU should strive to do the same.

Some preliminary ideas for a senior class gift include a water fountain for the entrance to the coming university center or a wall-size fish tank. The candidates want seniors to give something tangible to OU, something they can touch and show others. Despite having some ideas, the Tread Party has said they are open to working with seniors to giving the university a gift agreeable with everyone in the graduating class.

To help pay for the gift, the candidates want to continue the tradition of senior happy hour and a class trip and are open to suggestions about both. They also researched other schools and are thinking about producing a commencement book where graduates can thank their parents, mentors or friends. In addition to raising money, the book could become a new OU tradition.

Through their previous experiences, the Tread Party candidates know how the university works and what to do to make their goals reality. They will work for seniors, while at the same time making sure they have a memorable year.

with more than 120 credit hours should do their class a favor and vote for the Tread Party Wednesday at the West Portico of Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium.