To set its priorities, Student Union will be hosting monthly general assemblies guided by the belief that united the student body can affect change.
Last week, I wrote my column in conjunction with the Ohio University Student Union’s media team about the seven resident assistants who were recently fired from the Boyd/Treudley complex. The column appeared days after a rally held by the Student Union, disrupting what was otherwise just another pointless promotional event — the ribbon cutting at the brand new dorms. The column was shared widely on social media, and the Union’s protest was covered byThe Post, The New Political and The Athens NEWS. Meanwhile, the seven RAs stood together, meeting as a group and getting recommendations for the appeals process from coworkers and residents.
Tuesday, September 8 the seven RAs got their jobs back. It’s difficult to say exactly what it was that convinced Housing and Residence Life to accept the appeals of the RAs, but I strongly believe that the collaboration of the RAs throughout the appeal process and the support of the Student Union secured this victory. The university never wants a PR crisis and they want to maintain an image of an institution that clearly prioritizes the interests of its students. This is why we need individuals, such as the seven RAs and their friends, as well as groups such as the Student Union, who are willing to unite and call the university out on its bullshit promises.
OU is a corporation much more than it is an institution dedicated to higher learning. Its administrators are more like CEOs, interested in cash-flow, than they are genuinely invested in the well being of students. Consequently, the way to create change — whether we’re trying to get student workers their jobs back or force the university to divest from fossil fuels — is to publicly reveal, and publicly raise hell, about what we have identified as the serious problems with our university. When the Student Union’s protest makes the news before the university’s ribbon cutting ceremony — when people begin to see the university for what is is — this is when the administrators get nervous, and this is when change occurs.
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But, as isolated individuals, we can’t force that kind of change alone. Instead, we have to stand together, make concrete demands as a united front, and fight collectively for the change we wish to see. That is the importance of unions — workers’ union or the Student Union.
Traditional avenues of establishing power have failed you; Student Senate is literally a part of the university’s PR-building, a part of their corporate structure, a part of their self-promotion. If you want to accomplish anything, you should join the Union.
But not everybody has the kind of time required to be an organizer. This is why the Student Union is about to start hosting monthly general assemblies, the first of which is a week from today. At this general assembly we want as many students as possible to come and voice their concerns with the university. From these conversations, the Union will vote to set three political priorities for the coming month. For each item on this list a working group will be created in order to collaboratively craft campaigns.
You have a right as a student to advocate for yourself. And together we have the right, as a student body, to organize and to fight for what we believe in. Those seven RAs got their jobs back. And while it is impossible to directly attribute that decision to the Student Union, it does show the importance of taking action around the issues we believe in. It shows that we can win, as long as we stand together.
Stand with us. The first general assembly will be held on Thursday, September 17 from 7-9pm in Schoonover 145. If you’re interested in learning more or presenting to the group, email ohstudentunion@gmail.com.
Daniel Kington is a sophomore studying English and a Student Union organizer. He is also an officer of the Sierra Student Coalition. Do you think student workers should be able to form unions? Email him at dk982513@ohio.edu.
