The Student Senate meeting began with the resignation of its treasurer, Carter Phillips.
Carter Phillips stepped down from his role as Ohio University’s Student Senate treasurer Wednesday night, citing an atmosphere on senate that “no longer empowers” him to fulfill his duties, a move that offered President Megan Marzec the latest blow following her controversial bucket challenge.
Phillips, a four-year senate member, stepped down shortly after the meeting was called to order.
“This is no longer a government,” Phillips said in his resignation speech. “This is a circus.”
Phillips’ recommendation for his replacement as treasurer, Zainab Kandeh, presidential candidate for the Action ticket last spring and a current SAC commissioner, was unanimously elected by senate to succeed Phillips.
Shortly after Phillips resigned, senate moved to the agenda and a presentation was given on the goals of the Administrative Accountability Committee, created at senate’s first meeting of the year.
Even before the meeting officially kicked off, there were precautions implemented by senate and the Ohio University Police Department, in the wake of Marzec’s “blood bucket” challenge in which she called on OU to divest from Israel. At last week’s meeting, four students were arrested while speaking out against Marzec’s video.
More than 40 minutes before the meeting was called to order, a line had formed outside of Walter Hall Room 235, where senate members and attendees were met with new security protocols put in place by the Ohio University Police Department.
All bags of the meeting’s attendees were searched prior to entering the meeting, and no food or drinks were allowed to be taken into the room.
The senate floor was also roped off, and OUPD officers were present to monitor the situation.
Marzec said she found the barriers “disgusting,” and that her requests to have them removed were denied.
Jessica Lindner, a senior senator-at-large, announced a senate-sponsored competition for students to create demonstrations, in the form of creative art, to draw attention to administrators’ pay raises, tuition hikes and related issues. That program is set to begin in October and details aren’t established.
“Everything is still in the planning phase,” Lindner said.
The body also reiterated its goals and directions at the meeting. The discussion lasted longer than the 15 minutes allotted in the agenda, and the time was ultimately extended.
“I don’t want anyone to forget that we have accomplished in the past four weeks, which is what we were elected to do,” Marzec said.
South Green Senator Gabby Bacha redirected the dialogue by describing the body as “unapproachable,” a notion Phillips alluded to in his resignation speech as well.
“All legitimacy we had as the student government of this university went out of the door in handcuffs last Wednesday,” Phillips had said earlier.
Bacha also cited last week’s senate meeting where members of senate chanted and made noise to remove the protesters representing Bobcats for Israel.
Honors Tutorial College Senator Nathan Sulecki opened up an invitation for anyone who feels that the body is “unapproachable,” to get coffee and have discussions, announcing his email address.
Marzec said that she feels “very happy and reassured” to have these conversations.
After that, senate adopted a policy that will now allow any student to propose resolutions before the body, a task traditionally for elected senate members. Just last week, senate opened the door for appointed members to bring resolutions forward.
Sulecki will be the liaison for students to propose resolutions and noted that there will be restrictions against “frivolous” resolutions as well as any that suggest malicious intent.
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As at previous senate meetings, there were calls Wednesday for Marzec to resign as well as expressions of support for her right to free speech.
Jacob Jakuszeit, an OU student who spoke at the meeting, said Marzec’s critics were taking their attacks against her bucket challenge video too far.
“How does that video attack you so hard that you can’t stand up on your own two feet and say, you know what, I disagree?” Jakuszeit said. “You’re allowed to do that.”
@Alisa_Warren
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