SGB debates covering birding club’s binoculars

The Student Government Board got its feathers ruffled over possible allocations for Pitt’s… The Student Government Board got its feathers ruffled over possible allocations for Pitt’s Birding and Ornithology club at its meeting last night.

The fledgling student organization requested $3,599.70 for 15 binoculars, but board members disagreed about how much equipment to buy.

Members of the club — which is in its second semester — said that there were 38 active members, but 10 attended the group’s first field event of the semester.

Board member Nila Devanath suggested that the group share 10 binoculars, and board member Charlie Shull thought it was appropriate to grant five binoculars. The board was split, with three members in favor of allocating five binoculars and three voting to give the group 10 binoculars.

The allocations committee recommended that the board grant the club its request in full.

Board president Kevin Morrison said the he would prefer to provide funding for transportation to trips or conferences instead of buying equipment.

“We don’t want to kill small student organizations. We do want to find ways to enable them to grow,” he said. “I think for us, we have to be responsible to the entire student activities fee, and that’s not to say that I don’t want to give you money. But personally, I want to give you money in a different form, not in the form of binoculars.”

Morrison moved to postpone the decision until next week because the board did not have the five votes necessary to make a decision. Katlyn Jennings and Ada Noh did not attend the meeting. They received excused absences to attend Panhellenic bid night.

Board member Alexa Jennings brought up some initiatives discussed at the University Senate’s community relations committee meeting she attended. As the student representative on the committee, she will work as a liaison between the committee and the Community Human Services Corporation. The corporation plans to open a food pantry at 3201 Craft Place, in Oakland. She said that the committee discussed a food drive that could help stock the food pantry.

Max Greenwald, a member of the board and the Blue and Gold Society, announced the revitalization of a Pitt tradition from the ’70s. He encouraged Pitt students to rub the nose of the millennium panther statue on the Forbes Avenue side of the William Pitt Union on Friday. He said he hoped it would bring good luck to the football team.

Greenwald said that he asked University administrators for permission, and he made arrangements for people to use instant hand sanitizer after touching the panther.