Megan Marzec, the Ohio University student senate president, made the ALS "Ice Bucket Challenge" more interesting after she was nominated by President Roderick McDavis.
Wearing a bright pink shirt with the words "Ohio U divest from Israel" printed on it, the student poured a dark red substance-meant to symbolize blood-over her head.
The "Blood Bucket Challenge" was initiated by the student in an attempt to raise awareness about innocent Palestinians being killed by Israel. Marzec, a senior studying studio art, also urged the University to divest from Israel.
"This bucket of blood symbolizes the thousands of displaced and murdered Palestinians, atrocities which OU is directly complacent in through cultural and economic support of the Israeli state. As Student Senate president, I'm sending a message of student concern of the genocide in Gaza and the occupation of Palestine by the Israeli state," Marzec said in the video. "I'm urging you and OU to divest and cut all ties with academic and other Israeli institutions and businesses," Cleveland Jewish News reports.
The student's actions have been considered disgraceful and anti-Semitic and opponents are demanding her resignation. The Young America's Foundation has asked the administration at the Ohio University to condemn the anti-Semitic actions of their student senate president and issue a public apology, Breitbart reports.
Calling the video disgusting, Junior Max Peltz said that the whole point behind the ice bucket nomination is to raise awareness about the deadly ALS disease and not to promote one's political agenda or beliefs.
Peltz said that Marzec promotes the BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) movement in the video, which is deemed anti-Semitic. She is free to start the movement, but not when she is the president as it triggers a conflict of interest.
Defending Israel's actions on Gaza, Peltz said, "Israel tried to keep civilians safe. To call it a genocide is wrong. I said the video was embarrassing for Marzec and for me as a student, and for the entire university since she put OU's name on the video and you're representing the entire student body when you do that."
In response to the video, the OU student senate apologised for the student's actions.
The University said that the school always encourages civil discussions about complex discussions and topics of public concern. "Her actions do not reflect the position of Ohio University or President McDavis," the University said in a statement. "....the message shared today by her is not an institutional position or a belief held by President McDavis."
