We at The Daily Eastern News applaud the Naming Committee’s decision to recommend renaming Douglas Hall.

An entire academic year has been led up to a much-awaited answer, and we are pleased to see that the current Naming Committee was able to break the cycle of the committees before them to make the recommendation they did. 

Most members being a part of the greater community where renaming Douglas Hall is unpopular and the campus community where a rename is popular, we imagine the process has been difficult for many committee members and we thank them for their work.

However, with our praise comes our disappointment.

During the meeting, the committee violated the Open Meetings Act by taking a secret ballot vote and not recording the vote of each individual. While this was not a major issue because of the committee voting unanimously, it sets a bad precedent that can lead to a slippery slope. 

The OMA is important and that is proven every time it is tested. It keeps officials and leaders working in the public eye and it keeps them honest.

No one wants to be kept in the dark about things that impact them or even things that do not have an impact on them. Regardless, it is their right to know how people are voting on their behalf.

We understand that some members of the committee believed that the vote was a “moot point” as it was a unanimous vote, but we at The Daily Eastern News believe keeping our readers informed will never be a moot point.

We will continue to hold those in positions of power at Eastern accountable and fight for our community to be involved in their campus.