An 11-minute Snapchat trashing Senate Speaker Cody Woodruff, as well as Student Government as a whole, was posted by cabinet member Dozmen Lee on Tuesday.

An hour was spent during open forum to discuss the contentious Snapchat Wednesday as senators were mixed on how to best address the issues plaguing Student Government.

An emergency meeting was called by Woodruff for Saturday to call for Lee’s removal from his position as director of residency later that night.

Through it all President Julian Neely stood by Lee, calling it his First Amendment right to speak out against Student Government and advocate for the change he believes in.

Yet, many senators believe that Lee fostered a toxic environment while in his different positions in both Senate and Cabinet.

Others felt that aggression by Woodruff also contributed to a toxic environment, leading to cliques and voting blocs.

And on Thursday, the Iowa State Daily reported on transphobic Facebook comments by Student Government presidential candidate Benjamin Whittington in July 2017. He has since disavowed his viewpoints.

This is all to say that Student Government is not in a good place right now.

Two of the presidential candidates, Woodruff and Whittington, are mixed in controversy. It doesn’t matter if you stand for the students or hope to bridge the divide if your actions, both past and present, are not reflective of what’s in the best of interest of this university.

Inclusivity is not a word to be taken advantage of. It is intentional actions to ensure that all students feel welcome, respected and encouraged. It is not enough to have all voices represented in a room if none of them are truly being heard or acted upon.

As for the state of our current Senate and Cabinet, the two factions are at odds. This means that whoever leads our next administration has some major work to do, as they are entering a Student Government divided.

While it will be a new Senate and new Cabinet taking over in the next few months, the issues will remain the same unless change is demanded at all levels. Student Government often tends to forget its woes in the midst of new leadership, but this week is a prime example of what happens when we act as if our past actions suddenly just disappear.

This week has shown that conflict is not easy if no one is willing to listen. Yet oftentimes the best resolutions are the ones that evolve out of controlled, civil discourse.

Organizations like Student Government are not exempt from drama. They are not exempt from controversy.

However, Student Government is also not exempt from the watchful eyes of students.

Senators, cabinet members and Student Government affiliates: Recognize that your words have implications and that you are not the only individual impacted by your actions. Recognize that you have influence.

And if you’re not willing to represent the students through your actions, then you might want to deeply reconsider your position.