Student input on this year's Student Senate has been disappointingly low, with senators refusing to speak out against even the most frustrating decisions made by top OU administrators. Senators ignored increasing fees, a crumbling student health center and demands for shared governance. There is a disconnect between Student Senate and students. Considering that the senate's purpose is to represent the student voice, this is a problem.
After consideration and deliberation, The Post Editorial Board believes that Robert Leary is the best person to bridge that gap.
Trust does not come easily. Leary has promised far too much: There is no way that Student Senate will be able to secure funding for all of iOU's proposals (sustainability, campus lighting, renovations of Hudson Health Center and the Oasis). That being said, we would like to see Student Senate try to do those things, and Leary is in a better position to negotiate. With his experience on senate and the General Fee Committee, he has a thorough knowledge of how the university's divisions, departments, committees and officials work, as well as the good relations with the people whose cooperation is necessary to influence change.
A particularly exciting idea from the iOU ticket is doing more work with the Ohio Student Government Association - working with other state universities' student governments to lobby for changes that would benefit all. Many of our governance issues need to be resolved in Columbus; for example, securing voting rights for student trustees would require the state to change the way boards of trustees are formed and governed. Leary has expressed an interest in having OU lead the way in initiatives like these. And that's where student activists come in.
Giving each student an equal vote in the senate is an interesting but unrealistic idea - the logistics would be a nightmare. And there are other drawbacks. If a senator is doing his or her job, his or her voice represents thousands of students. Under Unite!'s proposed senate structure, that multifaceted voice could be canceled by one squeaky wheel. Worse, Student Senate votes could become merely a matter of which senator can drum up the most friends to come and vote - a glorified popularity contest in a system designed to fight popularity contests.
We still need people like Molly Shea to be active with our student government. We need them as senators and commissioners, we need them lobbying state legislators and we need them to keep holding student representatives accountable to the promises they've made. And we have no doubt that the people of Unite! will continue to do that - their passion is evident and unlikely to be quashed by a simple administrative refusal. Leary and his ticket would do well to pick up some of that persistence and vocalization. An effective Student Senate and its president will need to be loud - the ability to speak on behalf of students is one of the senate's few true powers.
The Student Senate president can be the administration's vassal or a mere figurehead, but the president can also be a powerful voice for students. The mandate is clear: Be that student voice. Robert Leary can be that voice while working within the system to change it, and he will be held accountable - both by students and by The Post - every step of the way.
Editorials represent the views of The Post's executive editors.
4 Opinion
Candidate would bridge gap among administrators, students and senate
