Student Senate convened Wednesday night to further discuss the removal of Roger Ailes’ name from the WOUB newsroom and what the decision means for the future of Ohio University.
“That was a huge success that we pulled Roger Ailes’ name, but erasing the name doesn’t erase the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace at all,” Courteney Muhl, student senate vice president, said. “This is a step we can take to ensure that the conversation doesn’t stop there.”
The senate body discussed the notion of intentionally replacing the now-erased Ailes’ name with a known survivor of sexual assault.
“It encompasses everything we stand for and believe in at Ohio University,” senate Treasurer Steve Lichtenfels said. “We still have problems similar to this on our campus.”
Senate President Hannah Clouser used the discussion as an opportunity to further promote sexual assault resources on OU’s campus.
“We’re very lucky on campus that our university places a lot of emphasis on survivor resource programs,” Clouser said. “If you’re in this situation, you need a place to go.”
The issue of scholarships still being given out in Ailes’ name was also addressed. Muhl said no decision had been made yet on those scholarships but promised updates would come when senate learned more.
“That’s what Student Senate is all about — advocating for students’ rights,” Landen Lama, the chief of staff, said.
Another decision made by the senate was the appointment of Judicial Panel members, which passed unanimously. Chief Justice Hashim Pashtun spoke to the senate about the various roles of the panel. Eight people were appointed at the meeting, and one spot remains open.
The executives were particularly excited about the appointment because of its implications for future senate meetings. Clouser said she expects several rule changes and new resolutions will come through.
The creation of the nine-member Judicial Panel was a constitutional amendment that Clouser helped to create last year. It was the first time a judicial panel was passed for Student Senate in about 20 years, she said.
The creation of the judicial panel will help ensure fairness within senate and ensure consistency from year to year, as judiciaries remain on the panel until they graduate. Student judiciaries will not be accountable to members of the senate because they are separate from the body.
Pashtun said he is excited that it is the first time senate will have an almost-complete judicial panel, but what he is more excited about is the panel’s diversity.
“The panel is diverse in gender, color and religion,” Pashtun said. “I’m happy that most of them are new to the panel and don’t have history with senate, and they are full of new ideas."
