Paths Magazine

By Henry Haile

“If the broad light of day could be let in upon men’s actions, it would purify them as the sun disinfects”. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis’ powerful words were emblematic of the Progressive Era, in which ordinary Americans mobilized against both private and public corruption. 

Unfortunately, America today would be very familiar to Brandeis. Wealth inequality has been on the rise for decades, and our government has been rocked by extensive scandals; the most recent being the Epstein files, the release of which has been heavily criticized for its redactions, deletions and lack of transparency with both Congress and the public. The handling of the Epstein files has drawn scrutiny and criticism from all sides of the political spectrum. The widespread public backlash and demands for accountability illuminate a potent, non-partisan desire for transparency and democratic accountability.  

After all, it stands to reason that Americans should demand this from an institution that has so much sway and impact on our lives. Now as students, it is of the utmost importance that we hold our college to higher standards of transparency. Should we not desire for ourselves a stake in decision-making that affects our lives the most? The decisions that Kenyon College Board of Trustees have been behind include both the recent tuition hike, Kenyon’s ongoing rightsizing efforts, and ALL college investments. These are huge decisions that have massive implications for the college, and everybody that studies and works here. However, not only do faculty, staff, and students have zero input on these decisions, or any made by the board of trustees, but nobody outside of the boardroom has any how these decisions are made or what is happening in the room they’re made.While the board of trustees does release “reports” on their meetings, these are not minutes, are not objective, and are written by the board itself. 

While such standards of transparency and accountability are desirable for any institution in America, they are all the more important for one that considers itself a home of the liberal arts. I hope that all of you can join me in signing the Transparency Petition for the Board of Trustees, in furtherance of fulfilling Kenyon’s democratic mission.