Will Klatt has become a kind of fixture on the Ohio University campus, almost an establishment himself despite his anti-establishment views and rhetoric. Klatt is the face of change ' change to the structure of governance, change to specific policies, change to the overall atmosphere of OU. With this in mind, The Post endorses Will Klatt for Student Senate president.
Klatt has been accused of being overly antagonistic, and this, at times, has been true. But Klatt came into the race this year with goals he describes as more realistic
and that antagonistic edge is what has allowed him to stand up and be a voice for constituent input into university decisions. We hope that he will be able to balance challenging administrators by working with them and that he will be neither a doormat nor merely an outlandish figurehead.
Klatt's party, The Birthday Party, has three main platforms: checks and balances, OU's alcohol and marijuana policies and the campus culture.
While it might not be easy, or even possible, to add constituent members to the Board of Trustees ' as Klatt has suggested be done ' checks and balances are an important part of governance. Student Senate should hold the administration accountable. This year's senate has done this better than in previous years, but its members give up too easily. An example of this is the university president's evaluation ' though senators originally objected to the way it is conducted, they quickly quieted with a word from the trustees. Students need representation that won't back down until the battle is truly over.
Klatt is right about the alcohol and marijuana policies ' there needs to be some discretion in matching appropriate punishments with the level of offense. An empty can of Natural Light in your trash can is not the same as having a liquor store under the bed. Likewise, there's a difference between some drugs and a lot of drugs. OU policies should reflect this, and it's not unreasonable to ask administrators to re-evaluate them.
The culture on campus needs to be more inclusive, it's true. The administration needs to stop ignoring its constituents. While it's not likely that suggestion-box governance will ever be completely replaced, those suggestions need to be taken more seriously. Although Klatt doubts the prevalence of student apathy, we disagree ' it is a real problem, and it's caused at least in part by students feeling they have no real input.
Should Klatt be elected, he should consider what his opponents have said. Michael Adeyanju has experience working with the administration, and he is right when he says that working relationships are important, and that anger and antagonism are unlikely to get the senate very far, though we fear he might be too comfortable with administrators. Mashur Rahman has some good policy ideas, including creating a permanent athletic senator position. He's also worked to get better student health insurance and international student housing. While some of these might be a bit narrow for the Student Senate president, Klatt should look into them. In fact, Klatt should remember his own complaints about the way commissioners were chosen last year and consider his opponents for those positions.
Klatt's pledge to more realism and moderation is certainly a deciding factor. For him not to follow through on this would be a betrayal of the student body and those who cast their votes for him. The Post will expect accountability from Klatt, and this endorsement will be revoked if he is not fulfilling his pledges.
One of Klatt's most promising traits, however, is how genuine he is. He really cares about his fellow students, and he truly believes he can make a difference at OU. As of yet, we have not reason to doubt his word. Will Klatt is the best choice for Student Senate president.
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