To: Constituents of UMB

I have been meaning to address this issue for far too long. I agree with the former trustee and several other administrators that this information must come to light so that it may not happen again. One administrator, on the condition of anonymity, told me that “[Heather] quipped that this information did not make the press. This is not fair [that Joseph Panciotti’s true convictions would not be scribed in the paper.]”

What is this information that whets your palette? Former Student Senate President Joseph Panciotti’s reign over the Student Government Association (SGA) this past spring semester comes to an abrupt end. To avoid further scandal and corruption within the Student Senate, they allow Joseph Panciotti to resign without disgrace and thank him for his services.

Interim and now President elect Tuan Pham, in confidence, and other senators told me the truth about Joseph Panciotti’s resignation. Mr. Panciotti managed to baffle, lie, and fail to mention to the entire SGA membership, the UMB administration, and most importantly, to the constituents of UMB that he never registered for classes for the spring semester. Should you be concerned? What does this mean to you? Absolutely! This means former President Panciotti should have never been the student senate president nor have been associated with the student senate. Technically speaking, any and all decisions made by Panciotti are null and void.

With this information, the Student Senate and the administration wished it to be swept under the rug. To make matters worse, the newly elected vice president (the then chair of Campus and Community Affairs) Fritz Hyppolite knew from the beginning that former President Panciotti did not register for classes. Instead of being honest and having respect for the Senate and report the information, Senator Hyppolite held this information from the entire senate body and the rest of the constituents of UMB. One of the most important commitments one has within senate as a chair of any committee, or senator for that matter, is their loyalty and honor to the Senate; and he/she report any and all information to the vice president when information is revealed.

When I approached The Mass Media staff to report this information I was told that this was not news [only a rumor]. I ask you, Mass Media, how can this NOT be news?

Where are the integrity, honesty, trust, respect, fairness, and responsibility to the UMB SGA when this information becomes exposed? In my opinion, if you cannot have these basic fundamental virtues in the Senate and/or the rest of the constituents of UMB, where, then, can you have these fundamental virtues?

The constituents of UMB (should) look up to the SGA for their leadership just as they (should) look up to the administration for their leadership. How can the constituents value these virtues that we hold, in approbation, in our community/society when we have disloyal and dishonest senators (trustees) in leadership roles?

For our sake and the constituents of UMB, I hope history does not repeat itself and we learn from our mistakes.

J. Stone Laraway