I am in a weird place this spring because for the first time in five years, I am not running a GSS or Student Senate campaign. I have been on the “outside” and “inside” ticket. I have proposed some of the craziest ideas and some of the most effective ones during those campaigns. Last year, I was elected as president of Graduate Student Senate and was finally able to carry out those ideas. However, I have found out something fundamental about Ohio University, something that most students don’t understand. Students in this school have a ridiculous amount of power … if they understand the system.
The state cap on tuition increases is at 2 percent, which is about $200 for a year. Now, as one of the poorest students in this school, I know what $200 means to the average student. However, if the people in the committees would defend all raises with the same vigor, students might have been able to prevent multiple raises, totally well over the $200 possible increase in tuition. The presidential committees provide a golden opportunity for students.
Talk on this campus for years has focused on student trustee voting rights. I believe that students should have a vote on the board. I believe that we should have more student trustees. Students have the largest investment in this university, so students should have a larger final say in how their money is spent. Even though I have strong feelings about these student trustees, I understand that I can’t directly change whether they can vote or how many students can serve at once. They are issues for the governor and state representatives. What the Graduate Student Senate president can do, what I should have done better, was to pay more attention to these presidential committees. Both senates need to take measures to ensure that these committees are attended more often. Perhaps the vice presidents should do follow ups to ensure attendance.
Students can make a difference without major changes to the institution in this school. The key is in the committees. I hope that this call for increased attention to these committees is taken to heart by whomever ends up in power next year. I will always be open for those people who win Thursday to ask me questions.
And that’s my campaign promise for next year.
Joel Newby is the president of Graduate Student Senate.
