SGB votes to fight against profiling

Student Government Board unanimously voted to adopt a resolution to continue the fight against… Student Government Board unanimously voted to adopt a resolution to continue the fight against racial profiling on Pitt’s campus Wednesday night.

SGB members La’Tasha Mayes and Andrea DeChellis introduced Resolution 0013, which states, “We recognize the necessity of continued action in order to eradicate, avoid and condemn the practice of racial profiling that does exist on the University of Pittsburgh’s campus.”

Through the resolution, SGB restated its “vehement opposition to the practice of racial profiling, and pledges to support student groups in their continued work with administration to eradicate, avoid and condemn the insidious practice of racial profiling.”

Resolution 0001, passed by SGB in 2001, led to a 10-point plan to fight racial profiling agreed upon by student leaders and Jack Daniel, who was the Vice Provost and Interim Dean of Students at that time. However, Executive Vice Chancellor Jerome Cochran overturned some of the points.

According to DeChellis, the administration made written agreements with students and later did not recognize them. She added that SGB wants to know why Cochran went back on the agreements and wants the administration to be held accountable for agreements they make with students.

SGB passed the resolution this time to respond to recent allegations of specific racial profiling incidents on campus, DeChellis said. She could not comment on the specific complaints before receiving the students’ involved consent.

She added racial profiling affects the entire campus and should not be pushed aside by the administration.

SGB’s constitution states that student government is supposed “to promote the concerns, interests, needs, and welfare” of all undergraduate students not enrolled in the College of General Studies at Pitt’s main campus.

“We are hoping that [the administration] will recognize that this is best for the entire University and that campus safety is a priority,” DeChellis said.

Mayes said the resolution was necessary “so everyone will feel safe.” She told the audience that, as students, they had the right to ask the administration to take actions for their safety.

DeChellis said, “We can’t ask students to not be concerned with their physical safety.”

Jay Dworin, a former SGB member, thanked the Board for adopting the new resolution.

SGB President Kevin Washo Jr. said he would not just act as a ceremonial president during his term. “SGB is autonomous, and as long as I am president and as long as this Board is on board,” he said, “no administrator is going to mandate anything [about how SGB works], at least not on my watch.”