Letter: It’s time to rise from the ashes

This past year has been a train wreck for the Ohio University Student Senate. From naked photos, arrests, and blood bucket challenges, this has furthered our image as a reckless party school, where only idiots attend. Since I value my degree, and the work I am putting in to obtain it, I did not appreciate the negative national attention our distinguished university was receiving. I believe our Student Senate’s job is to pass important issues of course, but first and foremost uphold the integrity of our university and represent the entire student body as the student body WANTS to be represented. With all this being said, I felt it was important to educate myself on this years Student Senate election and not just vote for who gets my attention by painting a wall, or scribbling everywhere with chalk.Last Wednesday I attended the Presidential debate seeking more information. I entered the debate with an unbiased opinion, as I did not previously know any of the presidential candidates. Each president laid out his or her platforms on various topics that are affecting our students. It was clear to me who has the student’s best interest at heart: Phoenix. Tony Piccioni doesn’t seem like a politician, he seems like a genuine college student who is eager and well educated on what needs to be done to improve this campus.At The Post debate, two of the tickets really decided to show their true colors. SOS constantly attacked BARE, as if they have a personal vendetta against them and that beating BARE in the election would make up for whatever mistreatment they have experienced this past year in Senate. Trying to win an election just to show some people you are better than them doesn’t seem like they have the students best interests at heart. During the debates, BARE just sat there and rolled their eyes at everything everyone had to say but will incessantly snap during their own titillating speeches where they used the word “transparency” a million times. You could honestly make a drinking game out of the amount of times the BARE president says “transparency”, but being transparent is more than just saying a word and putting soft porn on Twitter. It’s evident that BARE and SOS have forgotten that they are not the only ones in the race as they only make note of each others flaws.I am voting Phoenix, because it is time that we rise up from our past. Phoenix has a real approach to things students actually care about. They have found concrete ways to support the students on issues such as tuition hikes, organization funding and power-based personal violence. They aren’t afraid to be real students and want to give the students an actual voice in meetings instead of a megaphone on the sidewalks. Phoenix is ready to lead the student body in to the new school year, and RISE FROM THE ASHES! Vote Phoenix. Sarah Bell is a sophomore studying health communication.