SGB selects new allocations chair, committee

After a lengthy interview process, Pitt student leaders selected junior Alex Majchrzak as the next Allocations Committee chairman of the University’s Student Government Board.

Majchrzak, a junior industrial engineering major who served on the committee last year, will assume the leadership position to oversee the 12-person Allocations Committee, whose members he helped select after being chosen as the next chairman.

Current Allocations Committee Chairman Michael Nites, current SGB President James Landreneau, SGB Business Manager Alex Murdoch, incoming SGB President Gordon Louderback and Allocations Committee member Imani Palmer interviewed Majchrzak and junior Shivani Patel for the committee chair position Thursday.

Nites said that the group thought that both candidates for the chair position were “extremely qualified” but chose Majchrzak because he demonstrated a good knowledge of the process and passion for the committee.

“I have worked with [Majchrzak and Patel] over the years and like both a lot,” Nites said. “We spent over an hour discussing who the next chair would be, so it definitely was not an easy deliberation process.”

The Allocations Committee is responsible for aiding the Board in distributing the more than $2 million Student Activities Fund to certified student groups around campus. Committee member responsibilities include assisting students through the Allocations process, answering questions concerning requests before weekly meetings, engaging in discussion and voting on weekly requests, researching previous requests to prepare for meetings and participating in other activities supported by SGB.

Once selected, Majchrzak replaced Palmer as the group interviewed more than 50 applicants for the committee in 10-minute time slots Saturday.

The 2013 committee includes Patel, Chandel Boozer, Mimi Frisch, Nasreen Harun, Ray Ludwig, Sarah Meyers, Yinka Olutoye, Courtney Sladic, CJ Stavrakos, Jesse Yuan, Robyn Weiner and Nina Wroniak.

Nites said Landreneau chose to switch the interview process to interview all 55 of the applicants for the 12 spots on the committee, instead of cutting down the number accepted for interviews.

“With 55 people, I sort of ranked people as I went, but it became hard really quickly,” Nites said.

All of the selected members will be new to the Allocations process, with the exception of Patel, who currently serves on the committee. Stavrakos currently serves as chairman of the Academic Affairs Committee.

Nites said the group wanted a diverse committee in terms of background in involvement around campus and did not want the committee to reflect only people who had prior involvement in SGB.

“Two years ago, I didn’t know anyone in SGB when I walked in for my interviews, and I wanted to give that same opportunity to this year’s applicants — as long as they showed initiative and read over the manual,” Nites said. “I feel like [a diverse committee] is a good thing.”

Majchrzak said he’s excited to work with the new committee that was chosen based on “exclusively generic interview questions, ability to communicate effectively, resumé and campus involvement info and a bit about the general [Allocations] process.”

“I don’t think it will all sink in until our first official meeting, but I am really excited because we had such a qualified group of applicants,” he said. “I felt bad for the other [chair] applicant, but it will be nice to be able to work with her on the committee.”

Harun, the only freshman selected for the committee, said she chose to apply after hearing about the position while helping with SGB’s latest campaigning process and reading more about the committee’s description on Facebook. Harun said that while she has read through the Allocations manual to familiarize herself, she believes that she will gain a better understanding as time progresses.

“I am a little bit nervous, especially as the only freshman on the committee, but the selection committee saw something in me, and I’m excited to show them that I have what it takes to be a valuable member,” she said.

Harun said that she is looking forward to her involvement with the Allocations process and views her selection as “a huge honor and humbling experience.”

Majchrzak said he plans to compile informative materials to provide an overview of the Allocations process, present a PowerPoint and review mock requests an hour or so prior to their first meeting. But the best training, he said, will come in actively participating in the process.

Junior Ray Ludwig said after his interactions with the Allocations Committee as the president of the Panther Club Soccer team and business manager of the Ecology Club, he was interested in getting involved with the funding process.

“I have been in those [Allocations] meetings three or four times each semester, so I am very familiar with the process from the requesting and paperwork side,” Ludwig said.

Ludwig added he wants to focus on his role as liaison to clubs and urge the Allocations Committee to find sources of “creative funding” for student organizations.

“I really want to be a resource for clubs,” he said. “I want to push the committee to work with different clubs and provide creative funding through the funding of collaborations between the different student groups. [The student groups] may have some of the same ideas and have trouble getting funding.”

Majchrzak said there is some room for improvement within the current system and he is hoping to compile different resources — including Allocations Committee contact numbers, storage space applications and other relevant forms — in one central location on the SGB website. This, he said, should make the committee more accessible and address criticisms regarding the committee’s liaison communication with student groups, which is necessary for success.

“When you are giving out $2.3 million, that’s a big deal, “Majchrzak said. “And we play a big part in SGB and with different student groups across campus.”

Student Government Board Allocations Committee

Chair: Alexander Majchrzak

Committee:

Chandel Boozer

Mimi Frisch

Nasreen Harun

Ray Ludwig

Sarah Meyers

Yinka Olutoye

Shivani Patel

Courtney Sladic

CJ Stavrakos

Robyn Weiner

Nina Wroniak

Jesse Yuan