A French-German theologian by the name of Albert Schweitzer once remarked, “Example is not the main thing in influencing others, it is the only thing.”
This standard is true for national leaders and the same should be applied to the president of a student body. After all, he was entrusted by a significant number of our student body to act as an example of model behavior in our school. That’s why we, the students of UMass Boston, must demand, as conscious and moral constituents, the resignation of Student President Terral Ainooson.
According to the incident report, the Boston Police Drug Control Unit arrested President Ainooson on Veteran’s Day, with his roommate Ryan Oshima, after 13 bags of Marijuana, a grinder, a scale, and $110 in cash while the police was executing a search warrant through the two UMass Boston students’ Savin Hill Apartment.
The Boston Globe reported, on 11/19/09, that, “[President Ainooson of] the University of Massachusetts at Boston was arrested and charged as an alleged repeat drug dealer last week after the Boston police Drug Control Unit raided his Dorchester apartment.”
The President is also said to have a previous criminal record. His roommate, Ryan Oshima, was arrested with an outstanding default warrant issued by the Dorchester District Court. Both students were charged of possession of a Class D illegal substance with the intent to distribute.
These facts indicate that our Student President is guilty of a serious moral lapse in terms of judgment. He chose to live and associate with an individual of a highly deplorable record. Even if he isn’t guilty of distribution – which he might be – there’s no answer for allowing so much marijuana to be found in a trusted leader’s residence.
Some readers will say, at this point, that finding marijuana in a shared apartment isn’t enough to incriminate President Ainooson. But the problem with that line of thought is that marijuana was found in both students’ bedrooms – which would imply to any reasonable person that President Ainooson is clearly tied to Mr. Oshima’s illicit activities at a significant capacity.
UMass Boston has decided to not take action. The Boston Globe had this to say to the arrest: “We are saddened to hear about the arrests of one of our student leaders,” said DeWayne Lehman, a UMass-Boston spokesman. “We look forward to understanding the circumstances that led to these arrests and the facts in both cases. Until then, the university will withhold any comment or action related to this incident.”
We as independent and moral constituents should share one conclusion: President Ainooson must either step down from his office or the student government should impeach him for breaching everyone’s trust. Regardless of what we were willing to live with before, President Ainooson’s transgression cannot be allowed and action must taken to rectify this very serious moral infraction!
Mr. President, it’s time for you to go!