Student group overcomes Allocations recommendation

Members of the National Society of Black Engineers, who attended to show support for an… Members of the National Society of Black Engineers, who attended to show support for an allocations request in jeopardy, made up about half of the audience at Tuesday night’s Student Government Board meeting.

The student group’s representatives attended the meeting at Nordy’s Place to protest the Allocations Committee’s initial recommendation to deny the group’s $3,580 allocations request in full. The money would pay for nine members to attend the NSBE Fall Regional Conference in Baltimore.

Allocations chair Michael Bane said that the Committee initially denied the request because the event focused on personal development. The Committee did not believe that students would bring relevant information back to campus.

Junior Piaget Francois, president of the NSBE, said that the regional conference would allow their group’s senators to vote on national issues pertaining to the society, provide training for the group’s top five members and meet with other chapters of the national organization to discuss ideas for improving the student group.  

Board member Matthew Riehle said that the Board should fund the attendance of four members, in line with the Allocations Manual.

Riehle said that he thought there was miscommunication between the NSBE and SGB about the content of the event.

“I think it is something you should be funded for,” he said. “There is a lot of good in it.”

Board member John Hasley motioned to extend the discussion time by two minutes before Riehle proposed the amendment to the request. The amended motion passed unanimously. The group was approved $1,563.57 for four members to attend but denied $2,016.43 for the other five in the initial request.

“Of course we wanted more money,” Francois said. “I think the new conclusion was fair.”

The Elections Committee announced that SGB candidates can begin publicly campaigning this Friday for the Nov. 17 election.

On the November ballot, students will not only vote for five board members and a president, but cast a ballot on a referendum that could affect next year’s election. If passed, students will vote for eight board members in the 2012 election.

Allocations:

Pitt Men’s Volleyball Club requested $800 to cover referee fees for more than 20 games. The board approved the request in full.

Pitt’s Men’s Volleyball Club requested $456.45. The Allocations Committee approved the request in full.

Allocations Committee approved Panther Running Club’s request for $290.50.

Allocations Committee approved International Socialist Organization’s request for $220.

Panther Paintball Club’s requests for $1,900 and $889.24 were postponed because the amount requested for a national competition was different from last year’s request for the same competition. The Committee and the club team were still sorting out the request.

Panther Paintball Club requested $900 for tournament fees. The Board approved $450 to cover the A team’s entry fee but denied $450 for the B team’s entry fee.

Panther Paintball Club requested $4,500 for the paint necessary to compete in three tournaments. The board approved $2,250 for the A team but denied $2,250 for the B team in accordance with the Allocations Committee’s recommendation.

Panther Paintball Club requested $5,100 to cover field rental fees for six practices and individual fees. The board approved $4,500 for the rental fees but denied $600 for the individual fees.

Panther Paintball Club requested $5,400 to cover paint for practices and individual play. The Board denied the request in line with the Allocations Committee’s recommendation, because the costs fall to the individual.

Model United Nations requested $1,431.64 to cover the cost of competing in a tournament and four hotel rooms for eight members. The Allocations Committee initially recommended that the board fund only two rooms but after the group informed the board that 11 members would be attending, Riehle amended the motion to cover the cost of three rooms. The board approved $1,205.64 but denied $226.

Students for a Democratic Society requested $141. The Allocations Committee approved the request in full.

Engineers Without Borders request for $811.40 was postponed because a group representative did not attend the meeting.

Panther Wrestling Club requested $438.18. The Allocation’s Committee approved $95.60 but denied $342.58.

The Allocations Committee approved Panther Wrestling Club’s request for $179 in full.

The Allocations Committee approved Panther Wrestling Club’s request for $109.95 in full.

Pittsburgh Romanian Club’s request for $220 was denied in full by the Allocations Committee.

National Society of Black Engineers initial request for $3,580 was recommended by the committee to deny the request in full. After a discussion by the board and a president of the NSBE, the board approved $1,563.57 to send four members to the conference but denied $2,016.43.

The Board approved Habitat for Humanity’s request for $943.20 in full to send four delegates to a national conference.

The Allocations Committee approved Badminton Club’s request for $493.53 in full.