Dear Editors,

The student body elected me on my promise of a more transparent Student Government Association.

I believe the doors of SGA should never be closed or locked, because the issues being discussed should always be for the benefit of SGA and the student body. However, the status quo will always hide their unjust agendas through censorship and intimidation.

I came into office during a time when students wanted change. We were all tired of backroom deals and hidden agendas made behind the doors of SGA. I promised that as your vice president, I would never close the door on you or have a hidden agenda, and I haven’t. I have kept my promise to you.

The way that I first became aware of a possible impeachment hearing was unsettling. On Wednesday, Feb. 19, a member of SGA told me that a professor suggested to her class that an impeachment would be taking place. The assistant director of student programing and advocacy, Courtney Williams, denied the claim.

Raymond Price, mass communication freshman and SGA justice, was the one to finally confirm the impeachment.

Price claimed that a hearing was planned, but was called off because SGA President Jasmine Barnes, mass communications senior, declined to submit her grievances that Monday. It was confirmed on Thursday in an email to me that an impeachment hearing was planned and I was, in fact, up for consideration. All allegations made against me were either false, exaggerated, or hearsay. They were in no way grounds for impeachment. I was able to defend myself by providing evidence including emails, text messages and various other forms of documentation between myself and the other parties included in the case, disputing the claims made against me.

The president, chief justice and vice president of programming had no proof to defend the accusations made against me. Their claims were false and in many cases simply personal biases against me.

This impeachment hearing was merely a political attack to distract the student body from my record right before the upcoming election. I have a record of continued dedication to SGA and to the people who have elected me over my years here at Loyola. It pains me that a president who came into office with a promise of unity has been one of the most divisive I have ever seen.

As the first vice president to never hold a single executive session, I will always be on the frontlines fighting against politics that divide us. It is time for SGA to begin focusing on the issues that matter most. There is no room in SGA for officials who use their power for personal and political gain.

I am proud that as vice president, I have worked to create positive change on our campus, but there is still more work to be done. To all the senators who stood with me, I am thankful. You started a trend in SGA that should have been started years ago. You sent out a message to the president, chief justice and the assistant director of programming, and the Office of Co-Curricular Programs that you are tired of having an administration that tries to force their ill-willed, politically motivated agendas on you – you stood your ground. I am proud of the work the Senate has done and am deeply thankful for their support and thorough understanding of what was at stake. Although the impeachment process was unorganized and politically motivated I am proud of the elected officials who stood on the side of justice.

The Senate did not just side with me, but they sided with the student body. The student body elected me, and I answer to them. We must ensure that the student body always has a voice in the room. The Senate has spoken, and I will continue to fight for the students who elected me, ask the tough questions and fight the status quo. Let’s begin building an SGA we can all be proud of.

Sincerely,

Blake Corley

SGA Vice President

mass communication junior