Sources confirm secret society exists

A rented Cadillac Escalade, a dance marathon meeting, a bunch of student leaders, some strange… A rented Cadillac Escalade, a dance marathon meeting, a bunch of student leaders, some strange rumors and the number 87.

But what does it all mean?

Investigation and interviews with anonymous sources point to a new secret society on campus called The Order of the 87.

Said to be founded sometime last year by Student Government Board President Brian Kelly, the organization’s name comes from 1787, the year Pitt was founded.

Kelly denies existence of the group, saying that he’s busy preparing for graduation and job interviews.

“I think it’s kind of funny that people are so paranoid,” Kelly said.

But more than one source has verified Kelly’s participation in the group, including one source who claims to have firsthand knowledge of 87.

Kelly said that he suspects the rumors are the work of the Druids, a known secret society at Pitt.

“I would assume all this nonsense is coming from the Druids,” Kelly said.

An anonymous tip to The Pitt News said that the group planned on holding its initiation meeting to induct new members – including SGB presidential candidate Zach Ransom – Oct. 20 in an event that would include the use of a Cadillac Escalade rented by Kelly.

When asked about the car rental, Kelly – who drives a Honda Accord – said it was to celebrate a job interview with Lord ‘ Taylor.

“Me and some friends rented it and drove around obnoxiously because we were in a great mood,” Kelly said.

In what is believed to be one of the group’s gatherings, student leaders met in a classroom on the fourth floor of Posvar Hall at about 11 p.m., Oct. 26.

When Ransom and slate mate Joe Leinbach were asked what they were doing as they exited the meeting, Ransom said it was a campaign meeting. Jen Anukem, who is also running on their slate, was not present.

As SGB allocations chair Michelle Turbanic left the room, she said that it was a planning session for a Greek Week dance-marathon event to take place in December. She soon re-entered the meeting.

When The Pitt News entered the room and asked what was going on, participants maintained that it was for the dance marathon.

Greek adviser Chris Meaner, who is helping organize the dance marathon, was not at the meeting. Students at the meeting said this was because he doesn’t attend meetings at night.

Also absent from the meeting were dance marathon chair Kate Brown, co-chairs LeighAnn Smith and Joe Ebner, activities chair Kate Carpenter, fund-raising chair Kristyn Stewart and Greek Week chair Brian Schopfer.

Students present at the meeting explained that they needed to have this meeting late at night to accommodate busy student leaders’ schedules. They said it was in Posvar Hall because they would have had to go through Facilities Management to reserve a room in the William Pitt Union.

The following morning, in a phone interview with The Pitt News, Meaner said that there had been a dance marathon meeting the night before – from about 9:30 to 10:15 in 630 William Pitt Union – and he had been present.

Turbanic and Kelly both said yesterday that the meeting was “very preliminary” but focused on recruiting volunteers and planning the setup for the dance marathon.

Also present at the Oct. 26 meeting were Pitt Program Council Executive Board Director Andrea Youngo, Blue ‘ Gold members Emily Guzan and Lauren Feintuch, SGB board member Dilinus Harris, Panhellenic Council President Lauren Cavallaro, President of the College Democrats Noah Dougherty, Pathfinder Deidra Dunhoff and Delta Delta Delta President Allison Marino.