Despite low attendance, Ohio University’s Graduate Student Senate hosted their presidential candidate debate Monday night.
Katie Mitchell, GSS board of elections chair and Allie Erwin, a first year graduate student studying political science, moderated the debate to an audience of about 10 students.
Each candidate made a statement about why they would be the most suitable candidate for the position as well as addressed problems that graduate students face on campus.
“My first job if I’m elected is to ask: what’s the job in front of me?” said Joel Newby, GSS presidential candidate and a graduate student studying political science. “I want to represent these students. This school gave me a life. I am willing to give back to the university and to my fellow students. I’m not doing this for a resume.”
Each candidate expressed a variety of perspectives on topics such as the smoking ban that the Board of Regents suggested for OU in July.
“I’m technically with the smoking ban. Saying that I am for or against the ban is not realistic; we need to respect others wherever they’re at,” Mohamad Al-Issa, GSS presidential candidate said. “If people like to smoke that’s their health. We can facilitate the fact that the campus is not a smoking campus, but we need to give respect to other (students).”
W. Alex Wesaw, another presidential candidate for GSS, said though he approved of a smoking ban, there will be other perspectives that are needed to be taken into account.
“I am personally in favor for a smoking ban,” Wesaw said. “I would be open to having specific areas for smokers to smoke, but I want to make a point there needs to be a cultural consideration on this campus.”
Newby said that he wants to focus on students that might have to adjust to a possible ban as well as discussing possible flaws with the idea of the policy.
“There is a smoking program at WellWorks but you have to pay for it,” he said. “We need to take an alternative policy before we consider a ban. …We have issues now that we need to consider before moving forward with the ban.”
Besides the smoking ban, candidates were asked how they would personally improve accessibility for GSS as well as furthering outreach to graduate students.
“We need to improve approachability for Graduate Student Senate to students,” Wesaw said. “It’s an awkward feeling of trying to get involved, we want to open dialogue … we want a new face for graduate student senate.”
Al-Issa said that he felt that the current structure of GSS is a source of unambiguity and the lack of attendance during senate meetings.
“Talking to people is my first order of business,” he said. “I noticed that there are a lot of students don’t know that GSS exists. … Graduate student senate is the voice for the students that don’t have a voice.”
Newby said that he hopes if he is elected that GSS will change in positive ways.
“This is the prime opportunity to change leadership,” Newby said. “This year, next year we’re gonna do it. …we need to analyze our relationship with the university.”
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