EDITORIAL – Achievable goals, experience for SGB

If you thought the November elections were over, you thought wrong. Student Government Board… If you thought the November elections were over, you thought wrong. Student Government Board elections, being held today, will determine Pitt’s elite eight.

The Pitt News has selected five board members and one presidential candidate who we think are worth your vote. Without any further delay, here are our SGB endorsements:

Liz Blasi — Blasi is one of two incumbents. With a year of SGB experience, she knows the complex and frustrating processes needed to get new projects going, and will continue to work on projects like getting a movie channel put on Pitt TV and a Pitt Light Up Night.

Dilinus Harris — Harris’ platform is simple: getting students more involved in service projects by making these events more enticing and available to students. With half-baked plans about new basketball tickets and chocolate milk in the water fountains floating around, it’s refreshing to have a candidate with a potentially achievable goal.

Monica Higgins — Higgins is the president of Rainbow Alliance, and has extensive leadership experience. While her plans for a campus-leaders leadership retreat may or may not pan out, she has the sort of levelheaded thinking and forthrightness necessary to keep SGB on track.

Joe Pasqualichio — The other incumbent board member, Pasqualichio is familiar with the persistence and patience needed to get new programs put in place. His plan to put more Blue Lights — safety call boxes — in South Oakland is a good one, and when elected, he’ll be able to follow through on it.

Zachary Ransom — Ransom is the only board candidate running who spent time on the allocations committee, which deals with the puzzling minutia of allotting money to student organizations. Allocations will, as always, be a big issue, and Ransom brings know-how, with a plan to revise the current guidelines to expedite the allocations process.

For SGB president, The Pitt News endorses Brian Kelly. Kelly has done a serviceable job during the past year, although without many tangible results — SGB’s basketball ticket plan was a no-go, and, while the board raised the student activities fee, it hasn’t done much with the increased revenue.

However, his political savvy and ability to effectively present his issues to the University make him the candidate who’ll most positively reflect the student body. In the coming term, Kelly needs to work on unifying the board, stopping infighting and resolving issues including allocations and basketball tickets.

Kelly’s opponent, Todd Brandon Morris, has all the qualities of a leader, except professionalism. He’s been an excellent board member, lobbying Harrisburg and being productive despite the bickering that accompanied the current board. Yet we believe that he can’t do the sort of adept politicking needed to be a liaison between SGB and Pitt’s administration.

For these reasons, we endorse Kelly for SGB president.