Progress Report

HOMEWORK

Ohio University opened a remodeled Johnson Hall this Fall Quarter, complete with leather furniture in the common areas. With the amount of residence hall furniture broken each year, putting leather furniture in a college dorm was not a good idea. OU needs to spend money on things all students can enjoy — not just residents of Johnson Hall.

FAIL

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has decided not to run a controversial billboard reading "Would you give your right arm to know why sharks attack? Could it be revenge? Go vegetarian." The banner was in reference to the July 6 shark attack near Pensacola where 8-year-old Jesse Arbogast's arm was bitten off by a shark. Even considering a campaign capitalizing on an incident where a boy was seriously injured is crossing the line from appropriate to tacky.

FAIL

After last year's residence hall checkout, OU officials charged students $64,695 for damage to residence hall rooms, and another $10,867 for computers. According to billing reports, charges included a $25 fee for candle confiscation and a $300 cosmetic replacement fee for a computer monitor with a smear. Students could file a written appeal within 10 days of receiving their bill, but only 13 percent of the appeals were granted. Charging such high amounts of money for residence hall repairs upsets students and decreases their confidence in university officials.

HOMEWORK

The Athena, which is undergoing renovations, was scheduled to open Oct. 6. Because of delays, the opening has been pushed back to December or January. When workers ripped out walls, they found more asbestos than they had planned, thus putting them behind schedule because work must stop until the asbestos is removed. More planning in the preliminary stages might have prevented the delays that are occurring now.

PASS

The Ohio Supreme Court ruled that people who write letters to the editor are entitled to the same free speech protection as columnists. This means that letter writers who are not affiliated with the media cannot be sued for defamation if it is determined that their comments are an expression of opinion rather than fact. The First Amendment is one of the basic cornerstones of our country and must be upheld at all costs. People writing letters to the editor are expressing their opinions, and not facts. They are entitled to the same protection as everyone else.

PASS

The Athens City School district completed the majority of renovations to its middle and high schools on time and went only slightly over budget. The middle school building is redone and an addition was completed. The high school cafeteria was renovated and floors and ceilings were repaired. Only small repairs remain and they should be completed by the end of September. Renovating the schools and increasing students' comfort is essential to providing a good education. This expansion and renovation will benefit both students and teachers for years to come.