EDITORIALS

Editorial: A point worth making, a question worth asking

Athletics’ bowl game budget

Editorial: A point worth making, a question worth asking

Athletics’ bowl game budgetAn initial scan of the expenditure report for this season’s football bowl game indicates that Ohio Athletics did a good job pinching pennies for its trip to St. Petersburg, Fla., for the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl.The trip, which resulted in a 37-20 loss to East Carolina on Dec. 23, cost Ohio University students only $32,642.08 — less than half of last season’s $78,569 for the Advocare V100 Independence Bowl (which Ohio won, by the way).Bravo, right?We don’t think it’s that simple for a variety of reasons, which we believe are largely circumstantial.This season’s bowl was played earlier in the year (Dec. 23 versus Dec. 28 the season prior), presumably saving Athletics money from the fewer days student-athletes were living and training on campus before the game. Plus, hotel arrangements were significantly cheaper in St. Petersburg than in Shreveport, La., the site of the Independence Bowl.An Athletics official said after the Independence Bowl that Athletics has little say in where the team stays during a bowl trip. He noted Independence Bowl officials specified a “home hotel and visiting hotel.” We have no reason to believe this season’s accommodations were handled differently.We concede with an Athletics statement emailed to the media that it’s common for football teams to spend more than they receive for playing in bowl games and that Athletics made a good effort to incur “the least expense possible.” What we take issue with, though, is the statement that Athletics broke even on this season’s bowl trip.The university budgets $120,000 of its General Fee for its athletic teams’ postseason play, but there’s no doubt that the university spent more money on this bowl game than it brought in by playing in it.Don’t get us wrong: We support the Bobcats and cheer them on as much as the next fan, and we’re glad that they get to compete in postseason play as a culmination of their hard work throughout the season. We don’t take issue with the money that OU pays to finance its postseason play, and we understand the value of the exposure the university receives from bowl appearances. But this season’s bowl expenditures — lesser than the past largely because of circumstance — cost students money. There’s no debate to be had. The university did not break even.CommencementOhio University typically maintains the tradition of booking alumni to deliver the commencement address. But is that necessarily a good thing? To be honest, we’re split. We see the value in hearing from a successful, prominent alum who can relate to students about living in Athens, bar-hopping on Court Street, strolling through College Green and perhaps walking across the stage inside The Convo at his or her own commencement. An alum’s address has the potential to personalize the recycled “you-will-go-far” sermon that college graduates sit through year after year.However, we wouldn’t mind a little more hype and impact at commencement. We don’t need to go to the lengths that a certain state school did last year and book the sitting president of the United States, but we think students would appreciate a recognizable name. Here’s a name: Pete Souza. Souza’s the official White House photographer and a faculty member in the School of Visual Communication, but he doesn’t hold any degrees from Ohio University. Does that preclude him from speaking at commencement? We hope not. (Souza: If your schedule is clear around, say, May 2 next year, give us a call.)There are plenty of non-Bobcat authors, businesspeople, journalists, politicians and artists who are great at what they do and are capable of rousing a crowd. Isn’t that the point of the commencement address anyway? Or is hearing from an alum what makes a commencement special?Like we said, we’re split. And as you can see at the bottom of this page in today’s Post Streetview, students are split too. Some want to relate to the experiences they share with the speaker, while others just want to be inspired by a good speech regardless of who’s giving it. What do you think?Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post’s executive editors.

Editorial: Without explanation, we can only speculate on Werner's firing

Ohio’s swimming and diving team finished Mid-American Conference competition on March 2 with its worst standing since 1981. The season’s results reminded several of our readers — whose letters you’ll find on this page today — of the sudden and mysterious dismissal of former head coach Greg Werner in October.

Editorial: Student trustee candidates meet our expectations

The four finalists for the soon-to-be-open student trustee position will head to Columbus in March to be interviewed by Gov. John Kasich, who will appoint one to join current student trustee Keith Wilbur.

Post Streetview: Will you spend your spring break catching up on sleep or catching up on work?

Post Streetview: Which films and performers do you hope to see take home Oscar gold on Sunday?

Students should be concerned with tuition and cyberbullying

ON KASICH'S HIGHER-ED FUNDING STRATEGY...

Editorial: Same-sex marriage should make it on Ohio's 2014 ballot

So goes Ohio, so goes the nation.

Pro-fracking memo casts shadow on Ohio's officials

You might have read in Wednesday’s Post about a previously unreleased August 2012 memo describing a dubious marketing campaign from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources that would have targeted public media outlets to promote fracking in state parks and forests.

Editorial: New 'Post' series profiles international faculty on campus

The centerpiece story on our front page today is the first in a series profiling instructors at Ohio University who hail from beyond America’s borders. If you’ve had one of these instructors in class during your time here, you have undoubtedly realized how an international background can contribute to a better understanding of just how interconnected our world is.

Editorial: Editor's talk will appeal to everyone, not just journalists

The Post is extremely excited to host Greg Moore during his visit to Ohio University.

From the Editor's Desk: Regretful errors necessitate retraction of article

Hello, everyone.

Editorial: Police records should be public at private universities

Otterbein University student journalists have long struggled to obtain records from their campus police department regarding incidents that occurred on their Westerville campus.

Students deserved early notice of prof's arrest

As you might have read on today’s front page, students enrolled in courses taught by Amol Kharabe didn’t find out from the university until Wednesday afternoon their instructor would be taking a period of “paid administrative leave,” after being arrested Monday evening in his Dublin home on child pornography-related charges.

Three news items worth a closer look

On the Sheriff Kelly case

Morality aside, recent corporate gestures are good PR moves

Three major companies made headlines and raised eyebrows this week with attention-grabbing announcements.

Editorial: Now is senate's chance to make its job matter

For the first time this semester, Student Senate will have its weekly Wednesday meeting with a full executive board now that it has a president, vice president and treasurer. Finally, the body will be able to sit down and delineate its goals without distraction.

Editorial: Why is the sheriff an elected office?

We learned a lot about sheriffs today, but not what we really wanted to know.

Editorial: When student-run newspapers fold, campuses suffer

Some news trickled down this way from I-77 that caught our attention, even though it probably didn’t land on the radars of anyone who’s not studying journalism.

Editorial: Senate's VP election and a reporting obstacle offer opportunities

Put yourself on Student Senate’s agenda