Slippery Steps
With temperatures fluctuating between single digits, teens and 20s over the past several days, it’s no surprise that many Ohio University students have been in a rush to get from point A to point B. For those of us who are spoiled by the often-moderate Ohio weather, the temperatures have come as a shock that no heavy parka, hat or gloves can completely remedy.
For the most part, we’ve been happy with how OU is handling the temperatures. Most buildings are heated adequately and campus transportation seems to be running on time. We do have one gripe, however silly it may seem: some of the steps leading to campus buildings are covered in a layer of ice. The steps outside our newsroom in Baker University Center have been deemed for “emergency use only” because of the ice, and others, such as the ones leading to Bentley’s rear entrance, are slick, to say the least.
With plenty of days below freezing on the seven-day forecast, we don’t want anyone to get hurt by slipping on the ice. And the thought that any potential injury could have been cured with some salt would leave us a little, well, salty.
Trustees will meet with students
In today’s front page article about the Ohio University Board of Trustees meeting, we led with the fact that the board agreed to hear from members of the OU Student Union. This might come as a surprise to anyone who remembers what happened the last time a group of riled up students made its way into a board meeting.
We applaud those who joined in with the Student Union for standing in the bitter cold to express their views and the trustees for taking the time to listen to them. It would be surprising to see much come of the armistice, but talking is a first step.
We were also surprised to learn that the trustees will attend a conference to further educate themselves on the specifics of the laws pertaining to their roles. The move is likely in response to invalid votes the board took last semester that The Columbus Dispatch called illegal.
It is somewhat surprising that the board needs extra education to carry out its all-important role, but it’s reassuring that the university’s leaders are willing to make the effort to improve.
Just one thing: Think there’s a similar conference for Student Senate?
Turmoil in Ukraine
“Dear subscriber, you are registered as a participant in a mass disturbance.”
Thousands of Ukrainian protesters received the above statement in a text message Tuesday from their government.
The 1984-esque message arrived in the wake of new legislation pushed through last week that is aimed at suppressing public demonstrations — but the unrest in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, didn’t just start this week.
Rather, it has been swelling since its start in November, when President Viktor F. Yanukovich backed out of signing a free trade deal with the European Union. Millions of protesters have taken to the streets since, and in the past week the clashes have turned more violent. On Wednesday, two men were shot dead.
The protests have spilled out beyond Kiev, with thousands storming government buildings in western and central Ukraine as well. Earlier this week, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden phoned Yanukovich to warn that failure to quell the turmoil could have consequences for Ukraine’s relationship with the United States, and other Western allies have spoken out in a similar manner.
Thursday, the country saw a cease-fire as opposition leaders met with Yanukovich, but no one could speculate how long it would last.
The situation, of course, is much more complicated than we can explain here in a few short inches, and so we encourage you to take to the Internet. In our increasingly interconnected world, what happens halfway around the world does matter.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post's executive editors.
