When I graduated this past May, I thought my days of writing opinion pieces for The Post regarding Student Senate were far behind me. Boy was I wrong. Two weeks into the academic year and again the university has students calling for the resignation of the current president Megan Marzec.
When I graduated this past May, I thought my days of writing opinion pieces for The Post regarding Student Senate were far behind me. Boy was I wrong. Two weeks into the academic year and again the university has students calling for the resignation of the current president Megan Marzec.
Before I get into the nitty gritty, let it be said that I do not condone Megan’s decision to identify herself as Student Senate President in her video. I also want to say that I am not educated enough on the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to say that I fully support or fully oppose her views.
Now to the nitty-gritty. What really got to me was the vitriol being thrown at her. People have used the term “anti-Semitic” to describe her video. Just because she doesn't agree with the actions Israel is taking, this doesn't equate to a deep-rooted hatred for the Jewish community. From the interactions I have had with Megan in the past, I can say with 100 percent certainty that she has a deep desire to fight for the equality of ALL people.
People have also claimed she is “uneducated” on the issue. While I cannot speak to the extent of her knowledge on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I do know that she would not have taken such a strong stance if she herself felt she didn't know enough about the issue. I have no doubt that this conflict is extremely complex and that there are subtle nuances that could be easily glossed over, as Bobcats for Israel stated. I also have no doubt that Megan would be open to learning about these nuances.
Finally I've noticed that a lot of the people, at least in my news feed, calling for Marzec’s resignation are the same ones who wanted to give Nick Southall another chance after his infamous “wrinkled dress” tweet. I was the one calling for his resignation this time last year. The irony is not lost on me.
Senate, the student body, and administration gave Southall the chance to prove himself. So I ask that everyone grant Megan the same courtesy.
Emily Harper is an alumnus of Ohio University.
