Maybe I’m cynical, but really I’m just realistic.
Over the past few days I’ve read opinion piece after opinion piece about how great the Restart ticket is, and how they are making waves. The ticket aims to unionize students and give us power over the overbearing and all-powerful university structure. Presidential candidate Megan Marzec even said in the April 3 debate that student organizations should not take funding from donors because that will give donors “power over us.” Students can’t honestly be taking this ticket seriously.
I fully understand that college is the time to be liberal, but there is a stark difference between putting a pink streak in your hair and trying to unionize students who, frankly, do not care. The ticket wants all students to vote for the decisions Student Senate faces; however, this is so utterly far from realistic. With only about 10 percent of students currently voting in the one election we have every year, it is downright ridiculous to think that students will continually vote throughout the year. Especially when Marzec herself admitted in a debate that she has a history of not voting in elections. The ticket also advertises how environmentally responsible its members are as one of its major selling points. Cool? Irrelevant? I need a senate that will allocate money to my organizations, not shove kale down my throat and stick a rake in my hand.
Lastly, Marzec prides herself on being arrested while protesting a Board of Trustees meeting. The Restart Twitter (@OURestartSenate) even said, “It was definitely never our intention to cover up Megan’s arrest record. We are proud of it!” Call me old-fashioned, call me a political science major, but when running for public office there is no arrest that is a proud arrest. I do not want a leader who does not know her limits. We do not need a president who has shown up to the past two debates wearing T-shirts. We need a president who is going to go out on Friday nights and fundraise for scholarships (Action ticket). We need a president who is already actively working at the Columbus Statehouse to give students more power in their administrations (ONE ticket).
In short, Restart is a bunch of liberal weenies who have no idea what they’re doing and definitely do not belong in the big leagues. Their excessive advertising should fool no one. They are by far the weakest ticket — nothing more than a patch of kale waiting to be stomped on.
Anna Lippincott is a sophomore studying journalism and political science.
