The Life of a Journalist (and Voter) in a Swing State

The last few weeks (really months when you think about it) has been devoted to the presidential election. As a swing state, Ohio has seen much of the action.

Being both an Ohio voter, as well as a reporter, has made the election much more interesting, as well as frustrating. Living in both worlds, that of reporting and being a voter, has given me a different perspective of what this election means for me, as well as the country.

I have lived in Ohio my entire life so I've grown up with many of the things that come along with living in a swing state. I grew up seeing political ads, hearing robo calls and seeing the process unfold in my backyard.

When I was a kid my mom would take me with her to vote and have me help her cast her vote. On election night, I would always stay up late watching the results with my family.

This election has been more extreme than any of the others, with the candidates spending nearly $6 billion on their campaigns. Just the amount of money being spent on ads in Ohio is astronomical.

Spending the summer in Georgia meant that I didn't have to deal with many ads until late August and when I was back home I was shocked at how crazy the campaigning already was.

While being at the center of the campaign does have it's drawbacks (incessant ads, canvasing by candidates etc.), it does have it's upsides.

During this election cycle, I've had some great experiences as both a voter and reporter - all because I live in the always important state of Ohio.

Last year when we first started thinking about the election many students and professors around me thought that the candidates would see Athens as a perfect place to hold a rally.

We have everything that they love, especially for the democrats. We are a small, democratic, picturesque town that just so happened to also be the quintessential college town.

It really is a great cross-section of the state. With this in mind, many of us thought that we were going to  have a few campaign events, perhaps even a visit from (gasp!) the President himself.

After September came with no candidates in sight, I started to think that they weren't coming at all. Then the rumors started, the Obama campaign was going to send Vice President Joe Biden to Athens.

I was lucky enough to go to the speech as a voter which was very interesting. (they had him speak at the Community Center and not OU's Campus)

Seeing the VP was amazing, but I couldn't help but think that it meant that we weren't going to see the President himself.

As the Romney campaign held events in the red counties all around me, I couldn't help but hope that one of the presidential candidates would come close enough for me to see them for myself. Obama had already done events all around my hometown (never when I was around) but I wanted to be able to see one of the candidates myself.

But the President did come to OU. Secret Service members flocked to Athens right after our homecoming to get things ready. This time the campaign was going big. Military helicopters flew overhead, streets were closed down. This is what it means when the president comes to a small town.

As a journalist, I dreamed of getting a press pass to the event. While I waited to see if I would be able to cover the event for WOUB I hedged my bets of seeing the event by waiting in line for a normal ticket.

When I found out that I had been chosen to cover the event, I was so excited. How many people ever have the chance of seeing a sitting president, mind as well covering them.

The event itself was pretty typical. It was held the night after the last debate and was really a rally to get supporters to turn up to vote. The speech itself wasn't set up to change the minds of any of the undecided voters in Ohio.

It's been interesting to see the process unfold in front of my own eyes and know that the state I'm in (and covering) will probably be a big factor in the overall outcome.

One of the biggest advantages to being an Ohio voter is knowing your vote will count. To a journalist, it's great to know that you will be where the action is.

No matter what the outcome is tomorrow, I have the unique privilege of knowing that no matter what I had the chance to be a part of this history.

Pay Discrepency in Universities and Why It Matters

Ok so I love the Ohio Bobcats more than anyone, but I'm pretty mad at the university, and John Groce in general. John Groce was paid $355,000 in salary and bonuses this season. According to the Athens Messenger Groce was also offered a raise that would have put him up to $500,000 annually. After Ohio's history making trek to the Sweet 16, Illinois offered Groce $1.2 million. 

I have no problem with paying coaches who make things happen, but the problem is that this more pay than any female faculty at the university makes. I'm not trying to get all feminist on here, (but I could) but these are the facts. Pam Benoit, the Vice President and Provost, is second in line at the university. Benoit is in charge of the university's finances and holds a key role in shaping the university's priorities. This makes her the second most influential person at Ohio University. Despite this her base salary is $250,000 per year with a $15,000 expense allowance. Added together she still receives about $90,000 less than John Groce and about $235,000 less than the university was reportedly offering Groce to keep him in Athens.

At a college that is facing a potential $5 million shortfall, and that is that is talking about raising tuition 3.5 percent in the next year, is it smart to spend that much more on a coach than a top administrator? I'm not talking about killing the athletic budget. I love going to a District I college that is eligible for bowl games, as well as March Madness, but I don't think that we can put the burden on students while athletics get's a free pass. 75 percent of the athletic budget comes from student fees. While students are paying more for tuition, the budget for athletics and their administration has also risen. And despite the money coming in, Ohio is still being sited for not being compliant with Title IX because of discrepancies in funding and facilities.

I also have a problem with the university paying less to women employees than it does to men. According to the Provost's Women's Report, in the 2010-2011 school year, women were paid less at the university in every occupational type. This should not be acceptable to students or the administration. While many may argue that Title IX may be unfair to men's sports because football and basketball both bring more money into the school, no such case can be had when it comes to the salaries of school administration. The university paying women faculty members less than their male counterparts seems to be without reason. While John Groce's salary from Ohio University has been in headlines because of his recent depart, what is not being shown is how his pay is only a part of a larger problem at the university.