Letter to the editor
Undergraduate Student Government has had a profound effect on my life during my time at The Ohio State University. I have seen USG’s ability to improve the lives of every student at this university. This is why I ran for USG president last spring, and while I did not win, I am not disheartened as I move closer toward graduation this May, neither about the representation of students at this university, nor about the strength and unity of the organization that I have given so much to. I’ve seen USG take unprecedented strides in the last year, and I’m confident that under President Taylor Stepp’s second term, things will only get better for students.
A two-term USG president is distinctly advantageous for undergraduates. With one-term presidents, every year the new officer must be transitioned and must start building relationships with students, administrators, faculty and staff that he or she will interact with on a frequent basis. At the end of every school year, this process begins again. Taylor, if elected to a second term, will be able to build off the successes of his first term and the relationships he built over the past year, enabling him to pursue long-term goals such as transitioning Ohio State to a digital textbook campus, or working toward the creation of a university landlord system. These are large-scale goals that will dramatically impact the issues of students and Taylor is equipped to accomplish them. Over the past year, I’ve seen USG improve in advocating for students. Taylor is not running unopposed for a second term because of a lack of interest; rather, he is unopposed because there is an acknowledgment that if given a second term, he will only be able to do more things to benefit our student body.
Niraj Antani
Former candidate for USG president
