UPDATE: Read our story about how some students are planning to react to Nick Southall's tweet.
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Sunday morning, Ohio University Student Senate President Nick Southall logged on his Twitter account, typed 135 characters and clicked the tweet button, a series of decisions he later said he regrets.
STUDENTS RESPOND:
Some students @ replied Southall in response to the offensive tweet, including Melissa Meyer, a student from Ohio State University studying
environmental policy.
“Wait... This is your undergraduate president? I expected more from you, students of Ohio University,” she tweeted.
Joel Newby, president of OU’s Graduate Student Senate, took to the social networking site as well and responded, “...Undergrad President ... SMH,” which stands for shake my head. Southall’s tweet has since been deleted, but he later posted a tongue-in-cheek apology to his 500 followers.
Former OU College Democrats President Shannon Welch tweeted, “a public apology is great and all but with yours I have no way of knowing if you actually care. Just sayin.”
After additional backlash online, Southall tweeted another apology Monday.
THE POST’S RESPONSE:
We are disappointed in Southall’s actions, but amazed at the apparent dearth of tact and understanding of gender equality in our Student Senate president.
Southall was elected by students to represent students. In fact, during his campaign he said, “My presidency will be remembered as the year all students were brought to the table.”
Southall would do well to remember his own words.
He should know the women he mentioned in his Twitter post are among the students who elected him and whom he now represents.
He should remember that as our Student Senate president, he is the voice — the very name of the ticket he ran on — of our undergraduate student body, not only to administration but also to the world outside Ohio University.
Southall’s initial apology seemed lighthearted and didn’t even hint he had any understanding about why his words were offensive. Regardless of whether he has six followers or 600,000, Southall should never have used such sexist and demeaning language.
The Student Senate president’s Twitter bio reads, “What’s a leader if he isn’t reluctant?”
We’d like to ask him the same question. Southall might have been eager to take office as Student Senate president, but should have been more reluctant before pressing the blue tweet button.
Editorials represent the majority of The Post’s executive editors.
