Students on the Ballot Write-in
By Madeline Harden News Editor
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hough the Athens City Council race this past November saw a few younger and newer faces running for local government, none of the candidates were Ohio University students. The last time Athens saw a student serving as an elected official on City Council was Judge Pat Lang. Lang, currently serving on the Athens County Common Pleas Court, graduated from Ohio U in 1999 but not before a successful run for Athens City Council in 1997. However, he wasn’t the last student to make a run for council. Aaron Dauterman ran as a Republican out of his Bromley Hall dorm room in 2014, as reported in The Athens News. “Running for local office as a student was a very rewarding, but challenging, experience,” Dauterman shared in an email interview. “I was able to interact with a part of the Athens community most students never get the chance to see.” Dauterman explained that one of the most difficult aspects of running his campaign was attempting to navigate the election trail with a full course load. “The campaign in it of itself was a challenge because there are a lot of rules set by the Ohio Secretary of State and the state elections commission, such as campaign finance reporting, making sure you have a campaign treasurer that is trustworthy and able to track incoming donations and expenses dollar for dollar, and overall campaign literature, canvassing, and electioneering laws,” Dauterman wrote. Iris Virjee, a 2020 Ohio U graduate, ran for City Council in this past election. “Pretty much every part of this process has been a new experience for me, so
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while it was incredibly intimidating, I can say now that I’ve learned so much, and ultimately come away more confident and driven than before, even despite my loss,” Virjee said. Virjee came in fourth out of five candidates with 11.22% of the vote in the 2021 City Council election, as previously reported by The New Political. Described as the “Smiling Skull bartender” in many headlines, Virjee transcends the title. “I grew up in farming country, working-class, a bit crass, so even though I absolutely have the education and social experience to do the job, I certainly don’t look or act like the standard image of a politician,” Virjee said. “I’m proud of that, and I think a lot of people were happy to see someone relatable in the run, but the intimidation was still very present.” Looking back, Virjee explained she would have never expected to see herself in the limelight of local politics, but stated it is important the local government represents the community. “I absolutely believe students, or young people in general, should shoot their shot,” Virjee said. Dauterman mentioned how student’s voices are often dismissed but deserve to be heard. “It’s important that students have a say in local policy,” Dauterman said. “Whether it’s the noise ordinance, dealing with parking enforcement, and the city code enforcement office, students should have a seat at the table.” Although student organizations of Ohio U representing the Republican and Democratic parties encourage students to challenge the status quo, they have not run any candidates in recent elections. “I definitely think a student running for local office is a great thing,” Brad Kennedy, current president of Ohio University College Republicans, said. “Regardless of what side of the political
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