As journalists, it is our responsibility to get both sides and present an unbiased view of news that happens on campus, especially when this news essentially pits two parties against each other.

However, when one side refuses to talk to the paper, it makes it harder to present both sides of what happened in an article.

This is what happened with the suspension of Sigma Chi.

As it has with many issues before, the university has talked its way around news, and refused to give clear information that could help people understand the information at hand.

It has not given the paper full details about what led to the suspension of Sigma Chi. In an article from the Nov. 30 issue of The Daily Eastern News, it states that there was only a statement announcing the suspension released to The News, with public information coordinator Josh Reinhart saying the university would not be releasing any more information about the suspension, sans the statement.

While the university did say that they found that hazing had occurred after investigating the fraternity, they did not explain what Sigma Chi did to allegedly haze its pledges.

Instead, the information on these hazing allegations in the article came from fraternity members from Sigma Chi.

To bridge the ideas of trust and peace between the Eastern community, the administration needs to be able to be transparent and clearly explain the decisions it makes.

When this does not happen, it makes people question why this information is not being shared. Why can’t the university share exactly what actions Sigma Chi did to constitute hazing?

This just makes it look as if the university has something to hide and makes people wonder whether or not Sigma Chi was given a fair investigation.

Not to mention, the other side of the story is not heard so there is a possibility that the only story many people hear is the one that the fraternity tells. Without all the facts, informed discussions about how to move on and deal with suspension cannot happen.

While we acknowledge the fact that the university needs to “respect students’ privacy,” The Daily Eastern News staff is not looking for names of the individuals responsible for this alleged hazing. Instead, we are looking for exactly what these hazing incidents allegedly were, and what actions the fraternity as a whole took that led to its suspension, which is information the university can give us. The News is not looking to point fingers or place blame on any one individual. We are not looking to make the fraternity or university look bad. We are merely searching for the truth about what happened

A sense of transparency is essential for any institution that respects the people  it govern sor interacts with. A commitment to transparency proves that it is a viable and highly functional university that is not afraid to seek judgment and criticism from every person involved with the institution so that in the long run it may better itself.

At The News we are adamantly against the idea that the less people know, the better off they will be.

Acting like this is cowardice. As a unified body we deserve to be informed.

Our students deserve better.