OU's Student Senate president does not think "The Post" should endorse candidates this year.
Every year Student Senate elections roll around during Spring Semester. Some years the elections are heated and other years they are fairly mild. Regardless of the climate, one thing remains the same: The Post endorses candidates or a ticket for every Student Senate election. While some newspapers across the country follow this practice, others do not. I believe the question we must ask ourselves then, is how does this endorsement help educate the voters?
The Post’s mission statement includes the following, “The Post, an editorially independent, student-run newspaper serving Ohio University, Athens and Athens County, provides coverage of campus, city, state, sports, features, national and international issues while serving the purpose of educating its readership and its student employees."
How does providing endorsements encourage the readership to think critically about the candidates before them? In my opinion, providing endorsements rather than providing a critical overview of the candidates, is not the best way to educate the student body. Furthermore, an endorsement does not encourage this readership to think critically about the candidates themselves. While it may be far easier to read an endorsement, what we should be encouraging is for students to seek out the candidates. They should engage with them via tabling or on social media, even coming to debates, in order to form their own opinions, not to solely rely on the opinion of a few editors from any one publication.
Given my experiences with Student Senate, a strong critical analysis of the candidates would include an examination of several different sources rather than just a simple interview. If there was critical media coverage throughout the year about Student Senate and a stronger commitment on behalf of The Post editorial board to engage with the senate response to student issues directly, an endorsement would be a better option.
However, that is not currently the case. An interview with The Post may be helpful in discussing and articulating points on a platform; however, I believe the more effective measure in critically assessing a candidate comes when you examine their history of interacting with student issues and representing the student body. This can be done through examining the work they have done within their current student organizations and by looking at attendance and membership testimonials. Reviewing the initiatives they’ve championed on behalf of students can demonstrate their dedication for the role they are vying for.
Journalists, and The Post as “an editorially independent, student-run newspaper serving Ohio University,” have a large responsibility in educating their readers and the university community. As the current Student Senate president and a candidate in the past three Student Senate elections, I feel the most effective way to educate the readership and student body is through a comprehensive critical analysis of the candidates. It is my sincerest hope that The Post takes this call to action to help better inform the dialogue surround Student Senate elections.
Gabby Bacha is Student Senate president.
