Henry Kissinger once said, "University politics are vicious precisely because the stakes are so small." When it comes to UB Student Association politics, Kissinger couldn't have been more right.
On Tuesday Student Association Vice President Leslie Meister posted a Facebook note damning running mates Peter Grollitsch and Ashish Abraham of the Progress party - the party she ran against last year - with no other intent than to state her disapproval of them. And that wasn't even the vicious part.
Only an hour after Christopher Mendoza's name was revived on the ballot she used the casual social networking Web site in a very selfish and dangerous way: to shamelessly slam candidates she doesn't like.
Meister was given a mandate to lead the student body by the students, and betrayed them by acting in outright malice.
More disturbing than her blatant abuse of the power she has to command public attention is the fact that she tried to pull it all off as a news brief or some kind of warning to students. "Here are the facts" she titled her post, but all that was written below was opinion and accusations. Any real fact was lost between insults because it was unsubstantiated.
Meister referenced alcohol issues, but neglected entirely the charges currently being faced by the presidential candidate of the party she's backing.
Meister referenced attendance issues, but neglected entirely her current administration's lackluster record on keeping appointments, or even holding office hours.
Leslie Meister, here are the facts: your comments were hypocritical and lacked integrity. Not only the Progress party but the entire student body deserve an apology for your unprofessional mudslinging from your position.
When all Meister had to gain from her statement was a blow to the reputation of her opponents, maybe Kissinger was right: small stakes indeed.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
