SGB announces resignation of Annika Agarwal, fourth resignation this academic year

Student Government Board President Danielle Floyd announced at a Tuesday evening meeting that Annika Agarwal resigned her board position due to “personal reasons.” SGB appointed Agarwal as a board member earlier this month, following public interviews after resignations from Derek Dressler and Alison Linares Mendoza. 

Braydan Issermoyer filled the other vacant position. Before the start of the fall semester, Celeste Lintz also resigned. Dressler, Linares Mendoza and Lintz had varying reasons for resigning, including school and family commitments. Floyd said the four resignations are unrelated, and SGB is “actively reviewing the terms of student government and the appointment process,” to inform board candidates about the time commitment involved.

Floyd said they don’t currently have an election timeline to fill the vacant board seat for the remainder of the semester, although they are currently working to “create an application.”

SGB also posted a press release on their website where Floyd said “we recognize that joining SGB is a major time commitment, and we are saddened that Annika is unable to fulfill the requirements of being a board member.”

In an interview with The Pitt News after the meeting, Floyd said Agarwal “made the personal decision to step down.” Agarwal did not respond to a request for comment and did not attend the Tuesday night meeting.

“I think it’s really hard to do that, especially from such a public position to step down, and so it was completely her decision,” Floyd said. “It was just personal reasons for a time commitment.” 

“The work is not stopping or holding with the resignations,” Floyd added. “If you know anything that’s come up, we all remember why we’re here, which is for the students to serve and to represent students, and so I think it’s that driving passion that driving force that really pushes us to keep working as hard as we have been working on all of our initiatives as our organization.” 

SGB also announced that they are accepting proposals from student organizations for the new traditions fund. SGB reached an agreement with Student Affairs earlier this month to allocate an additional $430,000 to improve student experiences. The new allocation grants $100,000 to “Traditions,” or established Pitt programs, such as Civic Action Week or Pitt Dance Marathon.

Floyd said eligible student organizations can apply for this funding through the SGB website and, unlike the allocations process, requests are not subject to a public vote, nor is it a “public process,” and they will be discussed independently by the board. 

Floyd said this process will make it easier for student organizations to receive funding for their “traditional events” and allows for “flexibility.”

“It’s supposed to be an easy way for student organizations to receive funding, especially for their traditional events on campus,” Floyd said. “And it’s just SGB’s way of trying to better uplift these organizations’ missions and their events and the students that they serve.”

Floyd announced that SGB is also currently accepting applications for a web designer to “revamp” the current website and make it “more accessible.” She said it is a part-time position that pays $10 an hour.

Allocations

The Chinese Bible Studies Fellowship requested $1,831 for water, soda, snacks and equipment for an event. The board voted with no objections to approve $952 of the request due to missing documentation of costs.

Women’s water polo requested $4,700 for national dues. The board voted to approve the request in full with no objections.

Food Recovery Heros requested $1,375 for hats with logos. The board voted to approve the request in full with no objections.

Ballet Club requested $1,625 to rent Bellefield Hall for a series of five performances open to the public. The board voted to approve the request in full with no objections.

Ya’baso Dance Team requested $1,101.70 for airfare and lodging of a guest choreographer to teach an open class. The board voted to approve the request in full with no objections.

The Filipino Students Association requested $2,145.03 to cover airfare, lodging and ground transportation for Chris Punsalan, a Filipino content creator, and a guest. The board voted to approve the request in full with no objections.