Board denies funds for IFC event

Former Student Government Board member and presidential candidate Jim Priestas attended… Former Student Government Board member and presidential candidate Jim Priestas attended Tuesday night’s SGB meeting expecting to appeal a budget allocation decision.

Last year when he was business manager, Priestas said the board allowed a second appeal for organizations at the public meeting where the board was approving the annual budget. He planned to submit new information about the allocation for his organization, Interfraternity Council, and their request to attend a conference.

But this year, SGB offered no opportunity for a second appeal.

Several board members, including Ryan Haddad, said that the deadlines had been set in advance as part of a process.

“My understanding was the hearings were final. If [organizations] slipped through the cracks, then I feel sorry for that,” Haddad said.

Board President Sumter Link said budget allocations hearings were held during the weekend of March 28. The recommendations were sent back to the groups so they could send an appeal.

SGB heard appeals for “about eight hours” last Saturday and made their final decisions afterward, in a lump-sum total.

“Every organization had an opportunity to appeal, and they did so,” Link said. “We heard a lot of appeals, including IFC.”

Priestas said the conference request for IFC had been denied because the organization, which usually attends the Panhellenic Conference, requested to attend a new conference costing about $600 to $700 more.

The Panhellenic Conference did not completely align with what IFC was looking for, Priestas said. The alternative conference was closer to IFC’s ideal of changing negative greek stereotypes.

“Greeks are one of the most involved students you see on this campus,” Priestas said. “[This conference] was vital to our organization.”

Priestas said that since he was unable to present new information about the conference to the board, the students who attend will pay for the conference out-of-pocket. He said if the IFC board approves, student dues “SGB doesn’t have control of,” such as those of the IFC board, will be used.

Link said last year’s appeals process was abnormal in that each budget appeal was voted on line-by-line instead of as a lump sum during the public meeting. SGB already discussed the 110 budget appeals and made their final decisions before Tuesday’s meeting.

SGB Notes

Representatives from club sports came to the meeting to ask for SGB’s help in improving what they called the “unsafe” and “inadequate” conditions at the Charles L. Cost Center.

They said that the building, used by Pitt’s club sports teams, is in shambles, the turf is old and the numbers are fading off the field.

The Pittsburgh Panthers athletic website calls the Cost Center “one of the newest additions to the Panthers athletic complex,” but the representatives said it needs an upgrade.

In their remarks, many board members announced they would get in touch with officials to work on the issue.

Board member Amanda Reed announced that a student “speak-out” will be held on the William Pitt Union lawn this Friday from 3 to 5 p.m.

She said that at the speak-out, students can bring issues about higher education which they would like to see addressed by politicians.

Reed said the student ideas and concerns will be presented to the United States Students Association, members of which are holding similar speak-outs at other universities.

Reed and Diversity Committee chair Shannon Martin also reflected on the “slim” attendance of the National Take Affirmative Action Day debriefing held last Wednesday. Martin said the committee hopes this year’s project will be a “stepping stone,” and attendance will improve in following years.