When a student has an issue worth fighting for, the university encourages us to bring it to Student Senate right? Well, what happens when your issue is shrugged off and ignored time and time again? Not every student has experienced this, but I’m here to tell you that it’s damn frustrating. As president of Ohio University College Democrats, I witnessed the inability of the body to truly fight for student issues. Overall, Student Senate has become a failed way for non-senate members to have their issues taken seriously. Even some current members have experienced this kind of turn-your-back syndrome. Being ignored by university administrators is one thing, but being ignored by your elected peers is another.
Yet when campaign season comes around, there’s more talk from the insider ticket about student issues than any other part in the year. But that’s all it is: talk. We still have our friends dropping out because they can’t afford the raising tuition, we still have our academic department’s budget cut, and we still have no VOICE on the Board of Trustees. However, senate hasn’t always been this lackluster. Ohio University’s Student Senate used to have a history of taking a stand for students, many things that we as Bobcats can be proud of. However, we have not seen that kind of courage in a long time.
If you’re like me, and want to see a senate that fights for students again, then I think it’s time for us to have a Restart. The Restart ticket has proven itself time and time again to put students before themselves. Whether it’s being on the front lines fighting for affordable education, combating rape culture on campus, supporting student organizations and employees, and increasing student power across our campus. The Restart ticket simply does not stop. When they are told “no,” “we’re too busy,” or “that’s not senate’s role,” Restart will push even harder to address student demands. I encourage you to vote for the Restart ticket April 17 and really bring Student Senate back to what it was: a voice for students.
Nick Tuell graduated from Ohio University in December 2013.
