When Student Government Board president Shady Henien reopened the polls for the three… When Student Government Board president Shady Henien reopened the polls for the three referendum items on last week’s SGB election ballot, he did it anticipating more student feedback.

What he did not expect, however, was the feedback he received from board member Erin Schaeffer.

“I disagree with my president and I disagree with the public relations committee,” Schaeffer said. “More than half the people who logged on to vote for president did not think that this referendum was worth voting on.”

Schaeffer expressed her concern with the referendum regarding bringing the USA Today Readership Program to Pitt. The program calls for a $2.50 increase in student fees each semester in exchange for bringing both the New York Times and USA Today to campus daily.

The program is in its second free trial period after turnout from the first poll, taken last spring, was too low for the board to make a decision.

“This is the second time this program has been voted on and the second time student response has been low and barely positive,” Schaeffer said.

When the polls closed Thursday night, 1,522 students had voted on the program – almost half of the number of students who voted in the presidential election. Eight hundred and ninety students – about 58 percent of voters – voted in favor of the program.

“Rather than ignore the response and blame it on low turnout or the phrasing of the question, which seems to be happening, I think that this board needs to understand that the 15,500 students who are not voting on this issue and the 632 that are voting against it, must be listened to,” Schaeffer said. “Are we really going to charge five additional dollars to 17,000 students because only 890 said they support such a decision?”

“We as a board have been criticized in recent months for not asking the students for input when we spend money from the student activities fee,” Schaeffer said, in a reference to the panther statue project.

“We’ve taken the students’ temperature on whether they want to fund another program, and it’s been made clear that they would rather keep their five dollars. Let’s respect that decision and let the program go, rather than continue to play a we-know-best role, and insist to the students they pay for something that they’ve rejected twice,” she said.

Henien said he was caught off-guard by Schaeffer’s statements. “I thought it was a surprise,” he said. “I thought we were all on the same page.”

Henien defended his decision to reopen the polls. “I want to know what students have to say, I’m not going to go and advocate for a program to the administration and the board of trustees for something that is going to last for many years to come if I don’t have the proper feedback from the students,” he said.

In the first 24 hours of the polls being reopened, more than 500 additional students have voted on the referendum. This round of polling will end Dec. 14.

Panther statues to arrive this month

SGB also announced last night that the controversial panther, which cost SGB about $60,000, should arrive on campus by the end of this month.

Henien did not poll students before enabling the project, which will bring 10 fiberglass panther statues to Pitt to be decorated annually by student organizations and displayed around campus.

Hillman to stay open 24/7 week before finals

After over a year of urging by SGB, Hillman Library announced it will stay open 24 hours a day for the week before final examinations, in addition to its already extended hours during the last week of the semester.

“Clearly, it was a valid student need and it is now possible to extend this service,” University Library System director Rush Miller said, crediting student input and funding from the provost’s office for making the change happen.

Sodexho making changes, adding items

After meeting with the food committee, board member Janaece Slifka announced numerous changes students may notice to Pitt’s dining services, administered by Sodexho.

Ice cream, hot chocolate and spinach will all be added to Market Central’s menu. In addition, Tutto Fresco and the 360 Grill have extended their hours on weekends.

SGB is also working with dining services to place recycling bins near registers for receipts from purchases. Cashiers should also begin asking customers if they want a receipt instead of just printing one out for every purchase.