As I walked down the street and passed the student center, I noticed a newscaster getting ready for the camera to roll. It didn't click with me at first why she would be there, until I opened my Facebook feed later in the day. My feed was flooded with articles bashing recent events that have taken place at Miami.
Miami is making the news as a result of hospitalizations and arrests due to underage drinking. Type "Miami University" into your search engine and this is all you will see. I do understand that part of the reason this type of news is advertised is to create awareness. If people understand the magnitude of the danger that can result from drinking too much, then maybe they will think twice before they have another. However, in the midst of all of this, the media has failed to recognize that Miami is more than a school with a drinking problem.
Miami enforces the Good Samaritan Policy that states, "Miami University will not arrest or take disciplinary action for a violation of Miami’s drug or alcohol policies against those students who seek emergency medical assistance for themselves or other students."
So before you criticize the amount of recent hospitalizations at Miami, consider this: would you rather have someone receive medical assistance, or receive none at all?
Miami offers methods of transportation for students going home late at night. The Butler County Regional Transit Authority offers a SafeRide service from 10 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Miami offers other opportunities for students on the weekends such as Late Night Miami. Late Night offers events such as craft making or the Bagel & Deli Competition (yum!!).
The Miami that I know is so much more than what the media has made it out to be. The Miami that I know is filled with passionate college students still trying to figure life out. The Miami that I know is lined with loving faces and red brick buildings. The Miami that I know is "the most beautiful campus that there ever was." The Miami that I know is so much more that a university with a drinking problem.
