By David Sanchez
The best defense against usurpatory government is an assertive citizenry.
-William F. Buckley, Jr.
Conversely, when citizenry of any governance lets such governance govern without oversight, treating such institutions with apathy, such governance invariably falls into habits of abuse, mismanagement, and pursuit of the interests of the institutions members, not the interests of those it governs. So while there is grounds to lament the actions of individuals within government structures such as Student Government, ultimately such a body politic will only be as dysfunctional as the Student Body at large lets it be.
While Student Governance has seemingly improved since the events that transpired last semester, if the student populace at Eastern New Mexico University is apathetic in the semesters to come, it is likely inevitable that Student Governance will relapse into past behavior. To prevent such a fate, the Student Body can keep partially abreast of the actions of Student Governance at the below link:
https://my.enmu.edu/web/asenmu/senate-meetings
While some are passionate in holding governance accountable only when money is involved, but otherwise stand back to avoid fire and criticism, it is my intent as a student reporter for the Hound Bytes magazine to pursue the truth and present it to you readers in an unadulterated manner, no matter how inconvenient it might be for me personally. That is a promise I intend to stand by as long as I am given a space to write in.
As a first matter of reporting in this regard, I have found through research and confirmation from some Administration of this university, that Student Government is bound by the New Mexico “Open Meetings Act,” which will help keep the Student Body apace of the actions of Student Government for that State Law requires the Student Government to publish an agenda 72 hours in advance of a regularly scheduled meeting, as well as generate and maintain minutes of such meeting for public inspection. This will also help non timid reporters better serve you the Student Body, which is at its core the first principles of being a student reporter. That being said, I look forward to joining with the brave students of Eastern New Mexico University in taking up the duty of all those that are governed, to watch those that govern.
