On the final day of the 2002 SGA election, the Daily News reported that Team Tolu had been fined for advertising in violation of the elections code.
Team Tolu was completely open about the violation, and the story quickly disappeared. Likely, most students have forgotten about the violation.
Now the Loving Slate has also been fined for advertising in violation of the elections code, but because of an understanding that the election board will not leak fines to the Daily News, this will become an important issue in this year's election.
It appears there is an attempt by certain staff members of the slates and members of the election board to keep these fines a secret from the student body. If an SGA executive board can't be open about simple advertising violations, what else will they hide from the students they represent?
Honesty and openness in government is an absolute necessity. True, when it comes to national security, some exceptions must be made, but this is not the federal government. There is very little SGA has to deal with to justify secrecy.
The current SGA executive board understands that.
"We don't work with personal agreements," Tolu Olowomeye, SGA president, said. "We are bound to the elections code."
Those with high aspirations in SGA should take heed of this advice.
Fortunately, it also appears that the leaders of the slates were not necessarily involved in this understanding.
However, they should still make an effort to prove to the students that they intend to be honest during their campaigns and tenure now that honesty has been questioned.
The Daily News will not endorse any slate whose members or staff are in favor of secrecy. Students shouldn't either.
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