Once again, President Joseph Aoun has locked himself in his office, leaving the students to wonder what happens behind closed doors.

In order to get the his take on issues surrounding Northeastern, The News executive board members generally meet with the president each semester for a formal interview.

This semester, though, President Aoun and his staff were not able to schedule a time to meet with The News.

The News first approached the Northeastern University Marketing and Communications office Oct. 2, more than two months before the end of the semester. After various conversations, interim spokesperson Jim Chiavelli asked The News on Nov. 3 to put in a formal request, which was done by Editor-in-Chief Kate Augusto that very same day. Mike Armini, vice president for marketing and communications, said on Nov. 13 that the meeting had not moved forward, partially because he was still adjusting to his new job position. The News offered many days and times as options for meeting dates, but said the e-board can adjust to accommodate the president’s schedule. However, The News was denied a meeting for this semester in part due to scheduling difficulties.

Aoun also wants to meet with the editor-in-chief prior to meeting with the entire staff. This request would not have been unreasonable had The News known before last week that this would be a new provision for an editorial meeting. Editorial meetings are commonplace between newspapers and community leaders, but now The News runs the risk of being unable to ask him questions pertinent to Northeastern life this past semester.

Once more, Aoun got caught up in his own cloud of smoke. The president says he is open to hearing and answering the concerns of the student body, yet would not take an hour to meet with The News staff this semester. The Northeastern community turns to The News for all administration-based information, and this was Aoun’s way to clear the air about many questions circulating among students.

The News has finished its production schedule for the year, and by the end of next week, many students will already be enjoying their winter breaks. When they come back in January, these issues may be old news. We want to ask now what really happened with former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Jim Stellar and what is the future of the college. We want to ask now why the administration never officially announced the suspension of Building K. We want to ask now about the economy and students paying for school. The e-board planned on asking all of these questions – too bad the president didn’t take the opportunity to set things straight.

Last time The News met with Aoun, the paper ran the 7,500-word transcript of the interview. Is this his reaction?

Some of us will still be on The News e-board next semester, and we’ll continue to request meetings. We hope the Aoun will open the doors to his office this time and allow us to get his take on things.