People in positions of power need to be held to a much higher standard

As the great Hannah Montana once said, “Nobody’s perfect.” This lyrical statement rings true to college students across the nation. We use it as a justification for everything from sleeping through our early morning lecture classes to drinking a little too much at the bars. We all screw up sometimes because really, nobody is perfect.

Unfortunately, this makeshift excuse cannot account for the mistakes and blunders of every person in the world. Some people are exempt from this attitudinal loophole because they are held to a higher standard than the rest of us. This concept of heightened expectations has run through my mind over the past two weeks, resulting from the bewildering headlines featuring my beloved university.

By now, we are all familiar with the story: Smith Meyers, the man we trusted to represent our school, was arrested in Key West after drunkenly knocking over two motorcycles. The officer who arrested him even said Myers was so drunk he didn’t know he was in Key West. His gaffe made news headlines for days, most recently news of the bike owners and Meyer’s arrangement, bringing shame to the university and the students who call it home.

I am confident the rest of the Student Body wasn’t perfectly behaved on their vacations. I’m sure there were multiple cases of drunken arrests and intoxicated mishaps among UF’s Spring-Breakers. However, when an ordinary student messes up, it doesn’t make the news. It doesn’t go down in historical archives as a blemish on the record of the university. There is a stark difference between the rest of the Student Body and Meyers.

His position of power makes him a role model for nearly 52,000 students and his presidential position makes him the face of our school. When Meyers chose to run for Student Body president, he did so knowing that he would, and should, be held to a higher standard than other students.

This distinction between constituents and leaders is something that plays out in all realms of life. With power comes added responsibilities, but it is the price that one knowingly pays when they pursue these types of positions.

A CEO knows that a faux pas on their part means bad publicity for the company. A club leader knows skipping meetings sets a bad example for members. A politician knows an extramarital affair will end up in the press and cause upset among supporters. Leaders in all professional and social arenas are well aware of the added responsibilities that come with their roles. Why should we cut Meyers slack for being ignorant of this reality?

I don’t mean to specifically focus on the Spring Break snafu of Meyers. I rather want to use his poor judgement as call to action for the rest of our campus leaders. Everyone has choices to make and obligations to prioritize. In the case of Meyers, he made it clear to his constituents that he prioritizes irresponsible fun over his duties as Student Body president-elect.

Some may contend that this standard isn’t fair; that Meyers deserves to make drunken mistakes in college just like everyone else. Unfortunately, the second Meyers decided to run for Student Body president, he knowingly threw himself into the public eye and abandoned all allowance for intoxicated screw ups.

When we allow our leaders to set bad examples through their own shortcomings, we not only give them the power to poorly represent the community they lead, but we allow the rest of the world to follow suit. Whether you are on a college campus or in the real world, character counts. It always has and it always will.

Abigail Miller is a UF journalism sophomore. Her columns appear on Fridays.