Imagine insulting your boss and then expecting him or her to heed your recommendation. Ridiculous, right? That’s essentially what Student Government did during their meeting Sept. 9. With President Wendy Wintersteen present, Student Government decided the best way to work with the university was to question in attempt to point out the shortcomings of the university’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Admittedly, the editorial board has been very critical of the university’s handling of COVID-19, but that’s our job: to share our opinion. We fill a different role than Student Government. What isn’t included in our responsibility is to have a working, positive relationship with President Wintersteen and the university administration.

The relationship between the university and Student Government is incredibly important, especially when you consider what Student Government can actually do and how they can exert their influence. One of the few things Student Government does is pass resolutions, essentially advising the university what the “students” think Iowa State should do regarding a specific matter.

Notice Student Government can only suggest to the university what actions it should take. The Iowa State administration can choose to take their suggestion, ignore it or do something in between. A sustainable relationship with the university is crucial then, if Student Government wants to accomplish anything.

And what better way to build a relationship with President Wintersteen than to invite her to a meeting and attack her with pointed questions. Certainly she should have all the answers to incredibly specific questions regarding every aspect of the university’s COVID-19 policy.

To her credit, President Wintersteen did an excellent job fielding and answering questions during Student Government’s interrogation session, much of which consisted of a list of actions and items to report back on. The entirety of the meeting can be found on the StuGov website.

Consider, though, if the following questions should be viewed as honest attempts at gathering information to inform a bill meant to bring about change, or subtle jabs at President Wintersteen and the administration.

What behaviors were psychologists consulted in assessing how college students would act during a pandemic? Will President Wintersteen make continued changes to her salary? If moved to an online format, how will the university keep from making all of the same mistakes it made last semester? How does Iowa State set and enforce housing policies for those students living off campus?

Perhaps President Wintersteen should have been more prepared for these questions, considering the state of the pandemic on campus as well as the resolution the Senate was debating that evening regarding sending students home. Had she been invited to a town hall with angry students or hostile reporters, the editorial board might agree with you. 

Unfortunately, these are not the types of exchanges you would expect in a professional, working relationship. Student Government lost any and all credibility it had with the university, especially with respect to the pandemic and student perceptions of the university’s handling of student safety.

We understand many of the members of Student Government are upset with our current circumstances. The editorial board feels that way too, but Student Government’s exchange with President Wintersteen was the wrong way to go about improving the situation.

If you are a student who feels Student Government didn’t represent your best interests in their line of questioning with President Wintersteen, please send letters to the editor of the Iowa State Daily. We want to hear from you and give you a chance to communicate to the Iowa State community concerning how you feel about the pandemic and the university’s response to it.