I would like to take a moment to address fellow students Marzec, Kessler, Hamrick and Barton in regard to their letter in the April 25 edition of The Post.
As my tenure in Athens nears its end, I am pleased to see that some students still have the enthusiasm to voice their opinions and attempt to change the status quo.
I employ the term “still” because in my brief six years on campus as both an undergraduate and graduate student, I have seen fewer and fewer students show any signs of discontent for how this university operates, and thus, how it affects our lives. Many never cared to begin with, but those who do (or did) have been worn down by the refrain of defeat.
It is easy for frustration and resignation to arise in the face of a sustained apathy indicative of our society at large; that said, I cannot blame anyone for having a fatalistic disposition. Over the years, I’ve witnessed time and again an utter disregard for the collective voice of the student body.
From placating organizers of something as simple and nostalgic as the “Save The Oasis” campaign to ignoring something as serious as the overwhelming “no confidence” vote in Ohio University President Roderick McDavis (mirrored by faculty members’ own vote, also ignored), those in charge of OU have repeatedly shown they have no intention of straying from their agenda.
Of course, as voices of opposition, you will continually be told that your opinions matter, that those in capable positions are listening and that this university is “the best student-centered learning experience in America.”
If you’re lucky, you’ll even get a press release from the president’s office filled with bland, paint-by-numbers pacification. That’s how this works: You expend your energy in your struggle to be taken seriously as adults — with genuine concerns and expectations — and those you attempt to confront hide behind their stale rhetoric.
Do not misinterpret what I’m saying — none of this is meant to suggest that you “just quit,” that you find some mindless preoccupation to fritter away your valuable time. Rather, it’s meant to remind you that the task you’ve charged yourselves with is gigantic, and you need to be prepared.
You’ve declared “war” on a governing body that is comprised of politicians, lawyers, CEOs, bankers and the like. (If this seems like a microcosm of a larger movement within our society, it is.) And your Student Trustees, at least in recent history, have done nothing more than fall in line with the will of the board; they’re trying to start careers, after all.
That is not to say that these are bad people that you will be “warring” with; everyone is fighting their own battles for what they believe is right. But never forget that these people do have a plan, and your desires are not at the top of their list of priorities. They can reiterate over and over that such things are, but that doesn’t make it true; actions, not words, heft the weight.
If ever you need motivation to carry on, take a moment during one of your Wednesday meetings to remember that where you’re gathered meant something to students not so long ago, and know that — despite the tireless efforts of an invested group of individuals — The Oasis died.
Yes, it’s a slight example in the grand scheme of things, but if such toil didn’t win the small battle, imagine what it’s going to take to win the war.
Ben Guenther is a graduate student studying film production.
