Student leaders, administrators discuss action against riots, too

‘ ‘ ‘ The University’s top student leaders echoed the chancellors’ reprimand of post-Super Bowl… ‘ ‘ ‘ The University’s top student leaders echoed the chancellors’ reprimand of post-Super Bowl rioting, but the student government president is unwilling to use financial powers to restitute the damages. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ At the Student Government Board weekly meeting, President Kevin Morrison condemned the actions of students who broke windows, tore down a bus shelter and lit fires after the Super Bowl on Sunday. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Morrison, board members Lance Bonner and Charlie Shull, Dean of Students Kathy Humphrey, Student Life director Kenyon Bonner and Resident Life director Shawn Brooks met on Monday. They discussed preparations police made for the event and possible disciplinary actions the University will take against student perpetrators, said Morrison. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I can say that Dr. Humphrey’s interested in the people who committed these acts. Student Life wants to punish individuals, not students as a whole,’ he said. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ SGB member Lance Bonner said that the students involved didn’t have control over which punishments the University decides to give the students involved in the riots. Those decisions, he said, would be left to the University’s Judicial Board. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Lance Bonner said that although board members met with the officials, SGB has no power in determining the identification or disciplinary procedures for students who damaged property during the riot. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Morrison opposed a proposal discussed at the meeting, which suggested using money from the Student Activities Fund to pay for damages incurred at the riots. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘All 17,000 students should not pay for the damage of 17 students,’ said Morrison. ‘Mistakes were made on Sunday … but they were individual mistakes.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ He said he believed the fund should not be used as a ‘personal piggy bank’ for the University to use money as it sees fit. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The damages were done by individual students, not by organizations, not by fraternities, not by sororities,’ he said. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Morrison said that Humphrey didn’t indicate at the meeting whether she was planning to pursue this option. She couldn’t be reached for comment last night. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Last year’s SGB business manager, Lacee Ecker, attended the meeting because she heard about the proposal. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Ecker said she thought it was a bad idea and that many of the rioters seemed to be from areas outside of Oakland. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I saw massive amounts of people waiting to get on Port Authority buses, which means that they probably don’t go to Pitt,’ said Ecker. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ SGB Notes ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘mdash; The board tabled two resolutions, which it will vote on next week. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ One proposes to reinstate a system of allocating percentages of the Student Activities Fund to certain organizations. The resolution would allocate 1.6 percent of the fund to Panther Prints, 33.5 percent to Pitt Program Council, 3.9 percent to Student Volunteer Outreach, 3.4 percent to Telefact and 6.1 percent to WPTS-FM. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The second resolution is a recommendation to remove the competition cap for club sports teams, which is currently $5,000. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘mdash; SGB appointed four committee chairs. Nick Trainer will serve as governmental relations chair, Andrew Yarnall as judicial affairs chair, Alex Lash as environmental chair and Channing Martin as diversity chair.