Last night, the Associated Student Body Senate overwhelmingly passed a resolution that spoke to lofty ideals of justice and inclusivity. I happily watched as the 33 placards for progress were raised high into the air. It was a moment for rejoicing and for commending those senators who took a small step in the march for justice.
Yet, because of the short-sightedness of someone in leadership, last night was also a stark reminder of why Mississippi deserves its unofficial title of the “Closed Society.” The (curiously late) venue shift from Weems Auditorium to Bryant Hall kept students from their promised seats in the room. Instead, in the most Mississippi of moves, the Senate closed ranks, retreated to the room that could only fit them and a few handpicked spectators, and isolated themselves from the community they pretended to care about during their soliloquies.
I was one of the dozens of students and faculty who didn’t get the venue change alert until minutes before the meeting began. (Sorry, not all of us follow the DM on Twitter.) It was frustrating enough that the Senate decided to rescind its (very public) invitation for the UM community to attend the meeting. That the substitution was an inadequately produced live-stream viewing party halfway across campus was insulting to the notion of transparency that they had promised.
The ASB Senate needs to explain the change-of-heart that led to the last-minute change in venue. Students shouldn’t accept talking points about not wanting to disrupt law school night classes. There are any number of venues that could have substituted for Weems and allowed the community a seat in the room. This was a deliberate rejection of an open forum and an act of cowardice. Students deserve answers.
Until then, let our mantra be: #FinsUp, #DoorsOpen.
Sincerely,
Bryan Kessler
Bryan Doctoral candidate of history Birmingham, AL
