USSA decision divides SGB, Kelly unwilling to break ice

Fireworks went off both during and after the Student Government Board meeting Thursday… Fireworks went off both during and after the Student Government Board meeting Thursday evening. And, no, they weren’t in celebration of anything.

The explosions occurred at the end of the meeting, in which the board voted — twice — in a 4-4 tie to not approve $1,000 in funding for Pitt’s continued involvement in the United States Student Association.

SGB President Brian Kelly could have made the deciding vote after the first tie, and then the second tie, but he chose not to vote. Since Kelly did not vote, the board members can continue to vote on the issue until the tie is broken — meaning this issue could remain a hot topic into the fall semester.

In prior interviews, Kelly has told The Pitt News that he would vote against SGB’s continued relationship with USSA if the board’s vote ended in a tie, but when the vote actually occurred, he did not. As a board member last year, Kelly voted to deny funding for the group.

In an interview on Friday, Kelly said he chose not to vote because, after some information sessions regarding the issue, he did not feel quite as strong about the issue as he previously did. He added that, had he voted — and he said he would have voted against it — the current board would no longer be able to vote on the issue in the future.

The board was able to vote on the issue for the second time because Kelly didn’t vote and the decision was left in a tie.

Board member Todd Brandon Morris questioned Kelly’s choice to not vote and called the non-decision “a frustrating way to end a semester.” Morris added that Kelly has expressed his opinion on issues in board meetings, so he knows that Kelly definitely has opinions on this and other matters.

Several other board members joined Morris in putting forth challenges to Kelly to vote.

“Some of you might think I’m not strong,” Kelly responded in his closing remarks. But he added that he would never challenge anyone’s vote or non-vote, and doesn’t like to see his board doing it to him.

“When I vote, it’s all myself,” he said in the later interview, adding that he was not intimidated by others.

This vote came after a semester full of controversy and debate regarding Pitt’s USSA relationship. USSA, a national student-lobbying group, has become controversial because some groups disapprove of its politically liberal stances on certain social issues that some students do not feel comfortable funding, such as abortion.

But just when it seemed as though the board was finished for the semester, and everyone was packing up or leaving the room, board member Matt Hutchinson, who voted against the funding, asked his fellow board members Charis Jones and Morris, who voted to approve the funding, “If you’re that unhappy with your Student Government Board, why don’t you transfer?”

The question, which did not call on the two board members to transfer — though Morris did seem visibly shocked by the statement — but was posed as a general question, inspired a passionate response from one student in attendance.

To be part of USSA, a school’s SGB must vote to approve membership — USSA does not allow for just individual students at a school to join, according to Jones. As a result, all students at a school are either members of USSA or not.

Moments after Hutchinson asked his question, Bekezela Mguni, a supporter of USSA, was in front of Hutchinson.

“I’m not at all suggesting people should transfer,” Hutchinson said. “Never did I say students should transfer.”

Mguni questioned Hutchinson and his absence from a USSA conference held a few weeks ago in Washington, D.C., which was held to teach about the organization.

Only two board members, including Morris, attended the five-day conference.

Hutchinson said he could not attend because of all of the work that he had.

Morris, however, responded by saying that he could have brought work with him, as Morris said he had done.

“You chose not to go,” added Morris, who had said that USSA provided “amazing” experiences earlier in the night.

“Aren’t you supposed to represent me?” Mguni asked Hutchinson. She went on to explain that USSA helps all people to have the opportunity for a higher education.

“I understand,” Hutchinson responded to her.

As Mguni’s passion for the issue came out, her voice continued to become louder.

“I believe in SGB,” she said. “And I think you guys could do so much better.”

Hutchinson continued his own questions by asking why it has to be an all-or-none situation, whereas the entire student body either joins or does not join.

According to Hutchinson, he didn’t think the board should force people who don’t want to be a part of the organization to be a member of it.

But by voting against it, students interested in being involved can’t be, Mguni pointed out.

“You’re taking that away from me,” Mguni said.

Mguni called on Hutchinson to attend an annual USSA planning conference, which is supposed to be held in Pittsburgh this summer — though, as of now, Pitt will not be an active member at it. At the conference, USSA-member schools will determine the organization’s platform for the year.

Hutchinson explained that he was unable to attend because of an internship that he had already set up at home.

When Mguni offered to send him e-mails every day of the conference and report to him what has happened, Hutchinson responded positively.

“That’d be great,” he said. “I’d appreciate it.”

All of the excitement and commotion didn’t come after the meeting, though.

Morris, who sees USSA involvement as a positive thing for students, said before the vote, “If you’d like to vote ‘Yes’ for students, vote ‘Yes’ for Resolution 003.”

Meanwhile, board member Joe Pasqualichio supported Hutchinson’s point and said he would not force any students who didn’t want to be a part of the group to become members.

Board member Liz Blasi thanked everyone who had talked to her about the issue, both in support of and against it. After all of the talk, though, she said she came to the conclusion that she could not support making all students members of USSA.

“I honestly feel USSA is a great organization,” she said. “However, I do not feel it’s something that every student should be a member of.”

Board member Amit Kotz echoed this sentiment, saying, “In my opinion, even if one student doesn’t want [membership], it’s not right.”

According to Morris, the board cannot always represent all students. He suggested that SGB disband if it is going to make decisions that are not representative of each student.

Board member Lauren Evette Williams said that by voting the USSA resolution down, the board members were showing disrespect for decisions made by past boards.

“I think that’s very selfish on our part,” she added.

In their closing remarks, Blasi and Kotz apologized for offending anyone who might have been hurt by their decisions to vote against USSA.

Jones responded to these apologies by saying that she would never apologize for her vote.

“That’s not how I roll,” she added. “Clearly, there needs to be a rethinking of the decision, if you have to apologize.”

In a prior board meeting, board member Joe Salvatore suggested that the issue be put onto a referendum so that the students could directly vote.

Despite Kelly’s concerns that uneducated students would vote anyway, some board members suggested that this might be the best solution. The earliest time students could vote on the issue would be in the November SGB election.