Jared Henderson made it clear Wednesday night he did not appreciate being ignored and Evan Ecos, who Henderson accused of ignoring him, did not care for the senator’s tone.
As members of Ohio University Student Senate, the exchange between Ecos, senate’s treasurer, and Henderson, senator for the Honors Tutorial College, summed up the fiery debate that engulfed Walter Hall as the body debated whether or not to recommend requiring OU students to provide the university with emergency contact information.
The debate began as President Zach George put forward a resolution endorsing OU creating a policy that would make students give the university their cellphone number, email address and current address — even if it is off-campus.
The resolution was first introduced last week, meaning it could come up for a vote this week, which Senate voted to wait to vote on until next week.
"I want everyone to think back to when they applied to college … about the information you supplied to OU,” George said. “There are far worse or more damning things you’ve given OU besides your telephone number and your address.”
George stressed that he feels this can be a matter of life or death, in cases where parents hear from their child they may hurt themselves, the parents contact OU and the university must instantly react to find the student.
The primary concern voiced against that argument by several senators was that students should not be required to provide OU with personal information if they do not want to.
“We are a school that is big enough to matter and small enough to care and when someone is taken from this community, everyone in this room is impacted,” George said. “We have a chance with this resolution and its passage tonight to change that.”
Despite George’s best efforts, passionate arguments from Henderson, Giles Allen, commissioner for governmental affairs, Adam Brown, South Green senator, and Jason Makishi, an intern, led to an amendment to the resolution and the tabling of the document until next week.
Makishi, a freshman, received applause for his speech directly opposing points made by Ecos concerning the necessity of an opt-out option to preserve the freedom and privacy of students at OU.
Makishi also argued there is no proof having students provide such information will actually improve their safety — a point Ecos could not refute.
“I don’t see why we have to tell … smart, rational, capable adults … to do anything,” Henderson said. “I’m simply saying we should allow students to opt-out … that doesn’t make me anti-safety.”
Ecos, as a co-sponsor of the resolution, did not give credence to many of the arguments posed against the resolution, raising the temperature in the room when he addressed the body.
“Any information you ever give is going to be a security risk … the idea that by giving this information you’re at risk is totally false,” Ecos said with a raised voice.
The resolution’s importance not only was stressed by George Wednesday night, but by Vice President for Student Affairs Ryan Lombardi at last week’s meeting, as a necessary amendment to OU’s policies in light of recent crime occurring on or near campus.
“This is not deciding whether or not it happens and no decision has been made (by the administration) about whether we’ll do this or not,” Lombardi said. “Once this body speaks out, we’ll go from there … some of the debate (that occurred) here tonight is some of the same debate we have going on in the administration.”
After an acceptance by George and Ecos that an amendment needed to be added to the resolution allowing students to opt out of providing this information, Senate decided to table the resolution — and the vote — until next week.
Senate passed four other resolutions after moving forward, approving the spending of $3,385.20.
Resolutions proposing funding for PRIDE Week and Women’s Week were approved unanimously, while a resolution establishing a Bobcat Medal committee also passed. A resolution was also approved for a viewing of Django Unchained.
Senate’s budget at the meeting totaled $15,682.28 while remaining funds for the Senate Appropriations Commission came to $86,218.05.
dd195710@ohiou.edu
