SGB approves part of ASO request

Members of the African Student Organization showed up to defend their allocations request and… Members of the African Student Organization showed up to defend their allocations request and gained some ground: transportation, but no acrobats.

At Tuesday night’s Student Government Board meeting, the Board brought on a slew of new information regarding its initiatives, and it voted to fund more than half of the ASO’s resubmitted funding request for its fifth annual Wazobia cultural event.

The group came to the Board requesting $6,160.42 to pay for an honorarium, airfare, ground transportation and lodging for three designers that would contribute to the fashion show portion of the event. The group also requested money for security for the event, costumes and honorarium for acrobats. ASO did not request funding for the comedian Don’t Jealous Me.

The Allocations Committee initially recommended that the Board approve $3,560.42 of the request and deny $2,600 for the acrobats and ground transportation for the designers. The recommendation to deny ground transportation stemmed from a lack of documentation, but ASO was able to show documentation during the Board’s discussion.

Board Member Halim Genus moved to amend the request to fund an additional $100 to cover the cost of the transportation, and the Board unanimously approved the amendment. Ultimately, the Board approved $3,660.42 and denied $2,500 for fees for acrobats.

ASO withdrew the original $10,079.14 request for Wazobia at the Jan. 31 SGB meeting after the Board raised concerns about documentation for two parts of the request: supplies the group intended to purchase from a thrift store and the fee and travel funding for the comedian.

The group wanted to bring to campus British comedian Don’t Jealous Me, who is of Nigerian descent, along with a pair of acrobats and three fashion designers for different parts of the event. The group also requested money for supplies its members wanted to purchase from thrift stores.

Board members objected to part of the request because of an email included in the group’s paperwork. The email, sent to Don’t Jealous Me, had a line blacked out. But the line was still legible, Allocations Committee Chair Michael Nites said. According to Nites, the email said the group could not get money for Don’t Jealous Me’s flight and asked that the comedian quote a new fee because he would have to pay for the flight.

Don’t Jealous Me wrote back with a new, higher price. The group’s request on Jan. 31 did not include the cost of the international flight as a separate line item, but it did include the email exchange with Don’t Jealous Me.

ASO’s business manager, Inatimi Oguara, later said that she had blacked out a line in the email to Don’t Jealous Me. Funding rules in the Board’s Allocations Manual do not allow SGB to fund international flights.

The email was sent from the Wazobia planning committee’s email account, separate from ASO’s general account. Both Oguara and ASO President Onaopemipo Dina declined to identify the author of the email.

On the WPTS Campus Roundtable radio show on Feb. 1, Dina said that six members of the Wazobia planning committee had access to that email account. Oguara said that neither she nor Dina is on the committee, which is separate from the group’s leadership.

Dina and Oguara will not identify the members of that committee, and the committee does not have a public website or Facebook page.

Board President James Landreneau, Nites and Dina have all refused requests to provide a copy of the email exchange with the performer, redacted or otherwise.

At the Jan. 31 meeting, after discussing the request, the group withdrew it to make revisions.

On Tuesday night, ASO did not dispute the funding for the acrobats until the open floor segment of the meeting began. Members of the organization questioned the Allocations Committee’s reasoning for denying the performers.

“Is there a reason why you guys don’t think African acrobats would be a good asset to the show?” an ASO representative said.

Allocations Committee Chair Michael Nites said that the committee “did provide a significant contribution to this event.”

Members of ASO continued to question the Board and Nites until SGB President James Landreneau asked the group to talk to the Board after the meeting adjourned.

“It just seems like it is back and forth. It better be communicated … after the meeting,” Landreneau said. “This is certainly not us saying there isn’t any value in bringing acrobats.”

Three members of ASO denied to provide further comment after the meeting.

In other business, Board member Megan McGrath announced that after spring break, the William Pitt Union will be home to a pilot bike rental program. The cost of renting a bike will be $3 for a single hour, $2 for each additional hour and $10 for a day.

“If it works really well, we can increase the system,” McGrath said about the popularity of the rental system, which currently loans out bikes from the Baierl Student Recreation Center.

Board member Julie Hallinan said that she is working to create a University-sponsored 5K race called the “Oakland Zoo 5K.” The event would have participants running through the Pittsburgh Zoo.

The Board also encouraged students to come to the Kurtzman Room today from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. to participate in a letter-writing campaign to state legislators regarding funding for higher education.

Academic Affairs Chair C.J. Stavrakos said that the Hillman Library will be open for two additional hours this Friday and Saturday as part of a pilot program testing extended library hours.

Allocations

Men’s Ice Hockey requested $12,000 for transportation and competition fees. The Board denied the request in full because the deadline to receive the funds had already passed, and a representative for the group was not present.

Student Slovak Club requested $932 for a speaker’s honorarium, airfare and lodging for the club’s annual memorial lecture. The Board approved all but five cents due to a rounding error.

Pittsburgh Fencing Association submitted two requests for $864.56 and $1,175.57. The group’s requests would pay for 18 people, nine men and nine women, to participate in a competition. The Board approved both requests in full.

Muslim Students Association requested $2,735.36 to fund a program during Islam Awareness Week. The Board approved the request in full.

The American Institute of Chemical Engineers requested $981.51 to fund parts of a chemical-powered car that would be used at a competition. The Board denied the request in full because it felt there wasn’t a competitive component to the club.

Japanese Speaking Society requested $700.44 to fund the Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival. The Board approved $489.25, but denied $210.59 for disposable paper products.

Rainbow Alliance requested $7,500 to bring the speaker Jack Mackenroth to campus. The Board approved the request in full.

Men’s club soccer requested $350 and $420.75 to fund competitions. The Board approved requests in full.

Student EMS requested $1,015.60 to send four members to a national conference. The Board approved the request in full.

Aspiring Business Professionals requested $282 to fund a trip to Giant Eagle for a site visit. The Allocations Committee denied the request in full because it was a matter of personal enrichment and because the club members could use public transportation.

The Philistinian Society requested $1,707.20 to pay for a speaker’s honorarium, airfare and hospitality. The Board approved the request in full.

Kappa Kappa Psi requested $725.72 to send four people to a conference in Maryland. The Board approved the request in full.

Women’s club gymnastics requested $3,799.60 to send a team of eight members to a national tournament. The Board approved the request in full.

Women’s club gymnastics requested $200.80 and $455.85 to fund a conference. The Allocations Committee approved the requests in full.

African Students Organization requested $6,160.42 to fund Wazobia: Cultural Extravaganza. The Board approved $3,660.42 and denied $2,500.