In front of an audience sporting finely pressed suits, a student in a wrinkled blue dress began condemning the Student Senate president’s social media etiquette and the sexist culture she said it represented.
Senate President Nick Southall’s previous apologies weren’t enough.
“You brought shame to yourself and this room of very accomplished students, but you also brought shame to this university,” said Emily Harper, a senior studying international business and marketing and organizational communication. “If you can’t respect the women on this campus, how am I supposed to respect you as a leader?”
Her speech was met with applause by the audience, but Southall only nodded as more than 12 students spoke out against a tweet he sent Sunday morning:
“Driving through Athens at 8:30 on Sunday morning is hilarious. I want to stop every girl I see and say, ‘your dress is a little wrinkly.’”
Some students used Southall as an example of the sexist attitude prevalent in today’s society and how Ohio University can move forward.
“We need to start thinking about how we can make this university and this campus a safer place for all students,” said Madison Koenig, a junior studying English.
Senate is planning for a panel to educate the body on social media etiquette — including representatives from the Women’s and Gender Studies department and LGBT Center.
It was an effort spearheaded by several senate members, including Honors Tutorial College Senator Allie Erwin.
“I hope that each and every one of you really reflects on what happened because all of us are to blame. We need to try to be more inclusive in our education about sexism and discrimination,” Erwin said.
Southall has already met with staff from the Women’s Center.
“My apology is in no way supposed to cover up for my mistake,” Southall said. “I don’t think that we should be pushing this issue under the rug. I am ready as a leader and a person to do whatever I can to make this right.”
Senate also discussed student trustee voting rights and passed a resolution favoring a language change in House Bill 111, which would grant permissive voting rights.
Jordan Ballinger, Student Senate’s governmental affairs commissioner, plans to hold a rally to “pressure” OU’s Board of Trustees to give students voting rights. The bill’s sponsors, Rep. Mike Duffey, R-Worthington and Rep. Michael Stinziano, D-Columbus, plan to attend.
“I do have an issue with the fact that we are trying to pressure the board into doing something that hasn’t quite happened yet,” said Keith Wilbur, OU’s first-year student trustee. “I don’t think that a rally is going to do anything in the general assembly to get this bill passed.”
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