To the editor,

I feel as though I have not had the opportunity to truly express my feelings on the controversy currently facing SGB. As I ran on the Forbes and Fifth megaslate, it has now been brought to my attention that its members are all allegedly Druids. To be honest, that is of little concern to me.

Despite the supposed manipulation of the election, it somehow appears that I received the highest votes overall and in Pitt history. If the accusations are true, how did a supposed Druid fall 1,000 votes behind me? I am not a Druid, so how did I do it? I lost sleep, spammed Facebook and Twitter, utilized Alpha Delta Pi, Colleges Against Cancer, my friends and acquaintances, and campaigned for a position I believed, and still believe, I am truly worthy of. I was the outsider. I knew of none of the Druid drama when I kicked off my campaign with Forbes and Fifth — I had never even met Tom Jabro before. Rumors circulated during the election. I chose to not let them distract me then, nor will they distract me now. I am not perfect, nor is the Board. I will make mistakes, and so will the Board; it’s a learning experience.

As I can’t promise perfection, I can promise willingness to work as hard as I can for the entire student body. I know I speak for the Board, as they feel the same way. I can assure you that I am listening and reaching out to everyone who has voiced concern as I deem it my duty and the Board’s duty to do so. Although I am disappointed that the year is ending on such a sour note, I have high hopes for the potential that the fall semester holds. I choose to ignore the accusations that the Druids manipulated the elections, but I absolutely do respect that all are entitled to their own opinions. Let’s focus on the Board’s efforts to help those affected by the Zulema fire, our desire to reach out to students in Boston and the new Healthy U cooking classes. With that, I hope the time apart leaves everyone rested, ready to tackle the fall semester in full force and do what we are here to do: continue to show our love and devotion to the students at the greatest University there is — Hail to Pitt!

Amelia Brause

Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences

SGB Board Member