Times have changed since Perles received his master’s degree from MSU in 1961. The struggles MSU students face today are different than the struggles he faced as a student. Tuition and the cost of living are higher, programs have changed and new buildings have surfaced — campus is a whole new place and MSU a whole new university compared to the way it was back then.

Perles will have this seat for the next eight years once the new term begins, but the seat should have gone to someone who could relate more with the issues stu dents have to face today.

In fact, Perles rarely seems to be informed on different happenings at MSU — multiple State News reporters have gone to him for insight, such as when professor William Penn’s classroom rant went viral, only to be told he couldn’t comment because he didn’t know about the issue

His lack of awareness toward these issues, and the fact that very little campaigning was needed for him to win the election, shows it was the brand recognition that comes with his name that helped him bring in the most votes.

Of course, this can also be attributed to a lack of research conducted by the general public.

The lack of campaigning done on Perles’ part shows that many voters weren’t paying attention to the campaigns at all. Had the public looked into the different candidates who worked at campaigning, their choices may have been different.

People tend to vote for what they know is safe and Perles, a name that has been well-known for nearly 30 years, would certainly feel like the most comfortable option.

But comfort is not a reason to cast a vote in someone’s favor.

There is a familiarity that comes with a household name like Perles. His career as head football coach from 1983 to 1994 brought MSU two Big Ten titles and a Rose Bowl win. He served as the athletic director from 1990 to 1992, and he has already served on the MSU Board of Trustees.

There is no denying that Perles has done great things for the university. But this should have been the time for someone else to step up, someone who is aware of the university’s issues and who can even relate to the problems that have surfaced.

While it is honorable that Perles wants to continue to serve the university, he deserves the chance to retire. His time has passed, and instead the time has come for him to let the position go.