Adedipe said. It definitely opened my eyes up to a different side of school.
Junior forward Adetunji Adedipe balanced basketball and politics this year while working as an at-large senator for Robert Leary's iOU ticket.
The 22-year-old native of Orange Village, Ohio, will try to continue his collegiate political career as an at-large senator again this year under the SOUND ticket, headed by Jesse Neader.
This year was a great year in terms of me branching out Adedipe said. It definitely opened my eyes up to a different side of school.
Adedipe was hesitant when now-vice president Emily Bacha approached him to join the ticket last season. Adedipe is a pre-law and political science double major and always wanted to get involved with Student Senate but put it off until Bacha sat down with him and convinced him to join.
To be honest I wanted to kind of do it since I was a freshman
but I was always scared to do it
Adedipe said. I was always scared to be the dumbest in the room with all these smart
intellectual kids.
Adedipe knows he is in an advantageous position as a member of the basketball team and Student Senate. His athletic background allows him to share an athlete's perspective, and he is also able to educate members of the basketball team about what is going on in student government.
As an athlete on Student Senate, Adedipe tried to show his fellow members that athletes can be intelligent, going against commonly held stereotypes.
I wanted to show the members of Student Senate the other side (of the school)
Adedipe said. For them to see an athlete who's punctual and actually cares about school matters shows (that) we're not all stereotypical athletes.
The forward wanted to use his position to bridge the gap in relations between athletes and members of student government. For example, during a February meeting he defended the athletic department's spending by talking about how much sports has meant to him during his college career.
Adedipe speaking up during the meeting also showed how comfortable he has become since the beginning of his time as a senator.
He was shy at first but gained confidence as the year progressed.
I'd literally go and not say anything
Adedipe said. Even if something was bothering me
I wouldn't say anything.
Now, I feel like I can speak my mind and don't worry about what people will think.
Last basketball season
Adedipe balanced basketball
senate and participation in Ohio University's Recruiting Society (OURS). Randee Duffy
