Oscar Lakowicz

He/Him

President of Campus Democrats

12/9/23

For a democracy to be legitimate, transparency must be a fundamental principle. I saw firsthand on Monday evening that transparency is not a fundamental principle for our student government.

Our student government chose to remove any sense of legitimate transparency by prohibiting third-party recording within its sessions. SGA has consistently referenced their weekly meeting minutes as a viable alternative to audio recordings. However, these minutes are moderated and created by SGA members themselves, ultimately allowing for SGA members to be the only deciders of what ends up in the minutes. This is not transparency.

On Monday evening, the public held their elected officials accountable. Over thirty members of the student body united to hold a visible protest against SGA’s prohibition on recording. This protest was a success, and it sent a clear message to SGA: the public demands transparency.

This issue has transcended just the general public. Both the Campus Republicans and Democrats have united on this issue, offering bi-partisan support for government transparency and the freedoms granted to the media within the First Amendment.

The Campus Democrats and Republicans urge the student body to carefully vote on their next elected official on campus. Democracy relies on the governed holding the governors accountable. Without accountability, democracy will die.