As Nov. 15 quickly approached, the UNC community braced itself for the University's decision regarding Silent Sam's status. Would he be put back on campus? Perhaps somewhere else? Or removed from the public eye altogether? We all awaited the decision with baited breathe, and then just a few days before the decision was set to come down the deadline for the administration to come up with a plan was pushed back to Dec. 3.
Now, as all UNC students already know — well, all the ones who pay attention anyway — Dec. 3 is right before classes end. Two days before, to be exact. Right during the time most students on campus will be rushing to finish final papers and start cramming for final exams. Right before essentially the entire student body will, out of necessity, be so distracted by classwork and studying that they won't really be able to do much else. Hmmmmmmm. And the Board of Governors meeting that will make the final decision on the University's proposal? That's on December 14, the day final exams end.
The Editorial Board cannot help but think that this timing is rather suspect.
This isn't the first time the University has had interesting timing in making information public. Just earlier this semester, the texts and emails between University administrators from the night Silent Sam was toppled were released during the chaos of Hurricane Florence.
While we appreciate the University asking for student input while formulating a plan for Silent Sam, our input shouldn't cease to be relevant once the plan is announced.The student body has a right to respond to the University's Silent Sam decision, to let our thoughts on it be heard before the Board of Governors votes on it, and our ability to do so is severely hampered by the University's decision not to make the announcement until exam season.
