Pitt’s club sports to meet and discuss field availability

The Pitt men’s club soccer team may gain support from other clubs in their campaign to gain… The Pitt men’s club soccer team may gain support from other clubs in their campaign to gain increased on-campus field access. That is, if board member Ryan Gayman’s plan succeeds.

Gayman announced at the Student Government Board meeting Tuesday night that he has organized a meeting with representatives from club sports teams to discuss expanding their access to campus varsity fields. Gayman said the meeting will be held Monday at 7 p.m. but has not yet set a location.

Last month, the president of Pitt men’s club soccer came to SGB asking for the board’s help in protesting for access to the Ambrose Urbanic Field. The field, along with the entire Petersen Sports Complex, is currently reserved for varsity sports because of private funding.

Athletic Department spokesman E.J. Borghetti has said that the University and the Athletic Department decided that the Petersen Sports Complex would be used only for varsity competitions. He said that they opened Trees Field for recreational sports.

Gayman has said that he plans to confront the department once he has garnered enough support from other club teams.

“That’s the beauty of why I am an elected official. What I would like to see is student organizations meeting with administrators so we can have a discussion that leads to club sports being able to use on-campus facilities,” Gayman said.

He said that he sent out an email to all of Pitt’s club sports’ leaders, encouraging them to attend the meeting.

“It’s pretty important to a lot of students,” he said, referring to why he has taken up the men’s club soccer team’s cause.

In his weekly report, Board member Alex Zimmerman said that he met with Kathy Humphrey, vice provost and dean of students, about uses for the third floor of the William Pitt Union, where Pitt’s Counseling Services are currently located.

The Counseling Services will move to the new dorm being constructed on Fifth Avenue and University Place, leaving the third floor of the Union vacant.

Zimmerman encouraged students with ideas for the space to contact him.

Allocations Chair Michael Bane announced that the deadline for student groups’ allocations requests for the spring semester is Oct. 27 at 5 p.m., and budget hearings for student groups will take place Nov. 3.

Any students wishing to work on the Allocations Committee should pick up an application from the SGB office on the eighth floor of the William Pitt Union. The applications are due Nov. 21.

Allocations:

The Allocations Committee approved $500 for Student EMS.

The Women’s Club Gymnastics requested $1,160.84 to compete in a competition. The board approved $1060.84 and denied $100 for individual registration fees.

The Men’s Club Water Polo team requested $1,652.72 to compete during their season. The board approved the request in full.

The Allocations Committee approved $200 in funding and denied $40 for the Pitt International Student Association.

Musical Theater Club was approved $316.50 and denied $52.66 by the Allocations Committee.

The Allocations Committee approved $123.20 for the Engineers for a Sustainable World.

Session: Middle East requested $2,778. The board approved the request in full as it would enable the group to compete in a tournament that is necessary to their season.

Quidditch Club of Pittsburgh was approved $2081.25 for transportation to their World Cup Tournament.

The Allocations Committee approved $60 for the Badminton Club.

The Hindu Student Council requested $2,563.88. The board approved $2,426 for the group to host a cultural event and denied $137.88 for event lighting.

The board approved $1,924 for the Students for Justice in Palestine to bring two speakers to Pitt, and denied $100 for the cost of food.

Asian Student Alliance was approved a budget modification for $134 by the Allocations Committee.