I am writing in response to a quote featured in the article “Senate votes down release of documents” as featured on Oct. 24, 2011. “Essentially what we’re all voting on right here is a slap in the face to someone, and in this situation it would be our former president,” Sen. Austin Barranco said. “It’s a serious situation that was already handled and we don’t need to make it worse by slapping him in the face and letting the whole student body see what actually happened.” This has to be the most asinine comment I’ve ever heard in my life. We the students elect our officials to act on our behalf in an ethical and trustworthy manner. This means that when they break the rules, we have the right to know. After all, it was us who put them in the position to screw up. If the president, a representative or a senator in the United States Congress messes up, the public is told what they did and they are held accountable for their actions. Why should it be any different in the SGA? I understand the former president might have a frail ego, but if he screwed up then his colleagues shouldn’t be trying to hide his actions and protect him. In politics, transparency is used as a means of holding public officials accountable and fighting corruption. Grant Cochran needs to be held accountable for his actions. It shouldn’t be swept under the rug because it would be like “slapping him in the face.” He should have thought about the repercussions of his actions before carrying them out. He’s a grown man; he’s not a little boy who needs his big brother to protect him from the bullies. It’s time to man up and face the music.

Pete Pajor is a freshman double majoring in journalism and Spanish.