Group still seeks repair donations

‘ ‘ ‘ Up to 200 students donated money to help fund post-Super Bowl repairs since riots damaged… ‘ ‘ ‘ Up to 200 students donated money to help fund post-Super Bowl repairs since riots damaged University property last month. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Pitt student Marc Schutzbank said he’s glad that some students took the suggestion he posted on the page for the Facebook group ‘I Celebrated Peacefully’ soon after the riots. He asked that students donate at least $1 to help pay for the nearly $150,000 of damage caused by last month’s post-Super Bowl riots. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ But as he pointed out, ‘It’s evident $200 is definitely not $1 per student.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Schutzbank said he hopes more Pitt students will stop by the ticket office in the William Pitt Union and contribute to the ‘Fix Riot Damage Fund’ after spring break. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ He said he’ll enlist the help of several other campus organizations ‘mdash; College Democrats, engineering clubs, FORGE, Keep it Real, One and STAND, among others ‘mdash; to further the cause. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘People have been busy, and we’re thinking that student leaders will be more effective once we’re not all stressed about tests. Hopefully we are going to raise a lot when we get back from spring break, when people aren’t being totally destroyed by exams,’ said Schutzbank. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Caryn Goldenberg, who is helping Schutzbank with the group, echoed his optimism. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We’re planning some things to get to the student body, whether it’s sitting in Towers Lobby or the student union or talking to students on the Cathedral lawn in between classes,’ said Goldenberg. ‘We want people to know we’re not giving up on this.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Goldenberg said she thinks bystanders at the riots fueled the destruction, even if they weren’t actively involved. She said that donations are a way to repent for the lack of intervention. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I actually yelled at some guy who was turning over a car. It sounds stupid to be like, ‘Put that car down,’ but just standing idly by is worse,’ said Goldenberg. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Schutzbank said he’s not sure what specifically the money will go toward, because the University’s insurance covered much of the damage. But he thinks the University will use it to replace at least one of the campus trees uprooted in the revelry. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ He said it matters less what gets replaced and more that students show they care about the Oakland community. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘No matter what happens, if people realize that college students aren’t all assholes, that’s what we want,’ said Schutzbank. ‘It’s something of a symbolic donation.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘But we’re definitely going to raise more,’ he said. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Chancellor Mark Nordenberg, in a statement released last month, called Schutzbank’s initiative ‘heartening.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The quality of Pitt students is measured by the strength of their character as well as by their academic abilities, and that character has been shining brightly in recent days,’ said Nordenberg in the statement. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Editors’ note: Marc Schutzbank is a Arts and Entertainment writer for The Pitt News.