Having recently returned from Washington D.C.’s Occupy Freedom Plaza movement, coming back to the calm, passive university environment killed the euphoria of the ferocious brewing of history and politics in our nation’s capital.
Of course, at the university, we have “things” to worry about — the upcoming quiz, the (insert name of student organization) meeting, what costume to wear this weekend, etc. And, when we did become active, such as with Issue 2, we turned to the Student Senate, and, well, the controversial bill was a little too much for most of our student senators’ future resumes to handle.
Some tried an OccupyOU campout; however, the out-of-the-way campsite tucked nicely alongside Morton Hill seems to have failed to get in the way.
As students, we are faced with more controversy than just Issue 2. The enterprise university proposal led by President Roderick McDavis and Gov. John Kasich seeks to officially change us from students to consumers by subjecting us to higher tuition and the privatization of our taxpayer-funded properties.
The “private-sector knows best” doctrine will liberate the university from some regulation (such as the tyrannical tuition cap) and will enslave students with more debt, as well as make college an unaffordable opportunity for many middle-class families and a privilege for the few.
However, the point is that this enterprise university plan is considered by some to be a viable option for the future of our university, and for the future of higher education in our state.
Also, Ohio University’s troublesome budget lingers over every department, and it will continue to meet the cutting edge of the pen. Currently, student workers have neither a say in the discussion nor an influence in the outcome of the budget calamity.
Could Student Senate’s handling of Issue 2 serve as a forecast for how it would handle the formation of a Student Employee Commission, as proposed by Christopher Myers in his letter on Oct. 10?
Nevertheless, we should not rely solely on Student Senate or the ballot box in order to air our grievances and participate in the shaping of the political, economic and social environment of our university.
Rather, we should realize that as students, we carry a burden to involve ourselves in this political struggle. With an abundance of courage, our moral resolve is fixed on the sweeping waves and tides of history — her course fixed on gears turned by iron hands, thus, her engine at our mercy.
Let us collectively let the Bobcat roar, and get in the way. Let us exercise our participation and our legs as we march up front in this political process.
Kyle Jones is a junior studying French and political science.
