To my fellow VanCougs,
As the VanCougar has reported, our August 31st Senate meeting was moved into executive session, meaning that no minutes would be taken during the conversation and that no one from the public would be allowed to stay in the room. We did this to ensure that we could have a very open and clear conversation about grounds for impeachment of our fellow Senate Pro-Tempore, Senator Loun. The intention was to protect her from any backlash or impactful negative consequences, for the matters we were discussing were complicated, and could easily be confused without context. I want all of our students, including Senator Loun, to feel empowered to continue their education on this campus. This is a hard thing to balance, for there are many stakeholders who have been impacted by this entire situation. In addition to protecting students’ rights to a comfortable learning environment, we must also remember that attaining a college degree can often determine someone’s outcome in life, and protecting the right to pursue higher education is also extremely important. This is why I initially voted “aye” to move to executive session. And while I gave a quick, unprepared statement about the importance of transparency in this meeting, I feel as though it was not enough. I am writing this letter today to apologize for my vote on this matter.
When you step into the arena of public service, you must be prepared to face difficult and, often times adversarial, situations. When you are entrusted to represent the student body, you must be prepared to be transparent with those who have given you this power about said difficult situations. Whether you are defending your actions or values, this is an often consequential aspect of being a representative. Bearing this in mind, I am concerned about the overall lack of transparency that student government has displayed, and I regret not being more vocal about this issue. The students deserve to know what’s going on within government, especially when it comes to issues about diversity and inclusion. The students cannot hold us accountable or ensure we are performing our duties if we are not being as forthright as be can be with them. It is my opinion that while individual senators are working hard to complete their duties there is still a residual layer of dysfunction that is interfering with the capacity of this institution to get work done. And I am of the opinion that our student body deserves to know this.
In closing, I can only apologize for past transgressions. I cannot wave a magic wand and change my “aye” vote to move into executive session. And I certainly cannot comment on the matters discussed within this executive session, given the clear WAC. But I can commit myself to ensuring that there is more transparency with student government, and I welcome any and all student voices in this conversation about the overall issue of transparency moving forward.
(Adeena Rose Wade)
With gratitude,
– ASWSUV Senator Emily Elder
Senior, Public Affairs major