So, as you may or may not know, Ohio University President Roderick McDavis is leaving. Earlier this year I wrote about why it’s important to care about his successor, and, well, here we are choosing his successor.
There are four final candidates in the running: Dean Bresciani of North Dakota State University, Duane Nellis of Texas Tech, Robert Frank of University of New Mexico and Ohio University’s Pam Benoit.
While all but Benoit have had their forums, one of the four sticks out to me: Dean Bresciani of North Dakota State.
Bresciani seems to have been the most honest and open-minded of the candidates thus far.
Sure, there are certainly red flags about Bresciani. He was investigated for tampering with government documents by the Attorney General of North Dakota by deleting 40,000-some emails. However, in his forum he explained that he was found innocent as the claim was that he deleted them all in one day. Mathematically, he would have had to sit there and hit the delete button once every 1.2 seconds, or something like that is what he told the audience.
His likeness to Hillary Clinton aside, Bresciani noted that he liked OU’s progressive direction and addressed standpoints on student activism. He noted that he is a fan of student activism when it creates a conversation on campus rather than dividing a campus.
However, I guess there are a lot of criticisms to be made of all candidates. They all seem to pander to those who are hiring them, just like all of us when we graduate, they want a job and have to sell themselves to the Board of Trustees.
I could sit here and talk about how they all defended the ‘general fees’ tacked on our tuition for sporting events we hardly attend. I guess you just have to look past the pandering in times like these.
That being said, Bresciani just seems like the most honest person for the job. He can help address the needs of first-generation college students as he is one himself and help various cultural groups on campus as his father is of direct Italian heritage.
Chuck Greenlee is a sophomore studying communication and public advocacy at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. How do you feel about OU getting a new president? Let Chuck know by tweeting him @Chuck_Greenlee.
