The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) voted Tuesday night to form a committee to investigate the character of the three USG senators who attended the controversial College Republicans Halloween party.

Photographs taken at College Republican chairman Brian Battaglia's party were posted on his personal Web site. The photos depicted one man dressed as Ku Klux Klan member and another man in blackface dressed as USG Vice President Takkeem Morgan.

About 70 students attended Tuesday's night USG senate meeting to voice concerns about the incident, most condemning the inaction of the USG members who attended Battaglia's party.

But these students, as well Daily Collegian reporters, were barred from Senate's debate over the formation of the committee to investigate the senators who attended the party. Senate called the debate an executive session, which are closed to the public. Regardless of whether Senate had the right to call an executive session, the decision to shut out both the public and the press from the discussion was inappropriate.

These photographs have affected countless students at Penn State. The 70 students who attended the meeting, and the almost 100 letters to the editor The Daily Collegian has received about the photos, are proof that students care about this issue.

At a time when this incident has made students question their leaders, senators had an obligation to let students know where they stand of this issue and to give students a clear picture of what they plan to do about it.

Closing the discussion about the committee is counterproductive to what should be USG's goal of restoring faith in student leaders.

Penn State needs strong leadership in the wake of this disturbing incident. Now is not the time for members of USG to become secretive.