The Pitt News
T h e i n d e p e n d e n t s t ude nt ne w spap e r of t he U niversity of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | February 26, 2019 | Volume 109 | Issue 113
SGB TO HOLD RUNOFF ELECTION FOR EXECUTIVE VP SPOT
FOLDING FOR FUN
Emily Wolfe
Assistant News Editor
Center for Creativity workshop assistant Mike Campbell (center) leads a paper sculpture class Monday afternoon. Maria Heines | staff photographer
CAREER POLITICIAN SHARES EXPERIENCES FROM THE CAPITOL Neena Hagen
Senior Staff Writer With its rust-belt roots, flourishing corporate sector and robust student population, Pittsburgh’s diversity has made it a popular stop for politicians on the campaign trail. But Charles Dent, a former U.S. congressman and career politician, didn’t come to Pitt to rattle off political sound bites. Instead, he shared 28 years worth of stories from the heart of America’s highest ranking political circles to the nearly 200 people who packed Ballroom B of the
University Club Monday night. Since day one of Dent’s political career in 1991, when he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to represent his hometown of Allentown as a Republican, he said he’s tried to cultivate an image as a pragmatist and a moderate, which former Pitt Chancellor Mark Nordenberg acknowledged in his opening remarks. “Raging moderates … as many have described Charlie Dent … is a term that might be viewed as critical by some in this current take-no-prisoners political environment, but it has a great deal of appeal
for the rest of us,” Nordenberg said. Dent said he came to Pitt to tell a more intimate story of the political drama most Americans can only view on their TV screens. He shared tales of stressful and lighthearted moments with presidents and spoke about his most grueling days on the House floor, before fielding questions from audience members about today’s hot-button political issues. After being elected to the U.S. Congress in 2004, Dent co-chaired the Tuesday Group, a caucus of moderate Republicans dedicated to promoting fiscal responsibilSee Politician on page 2
There’s one election left before the lineup is completely decided for next year’s Student Government Board. SGB announced Monday the office of executive vice president will be decided by a runoff election between the top two candidates on March 5. The position is usually filled by the board candidate who scores the most votes. But after Caroline Unger and Anaïs Peterson won exactly 1,154 votes apiece in last Tuesday’s election — an unprecedented situation not totally covered in SGB’s Elections Code — the Elections Committee was left scrambling to figure out how to decide who would take the title. Like the general election, the runoff election will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on elections.pitt.edu. Elections Committee Chair Katie McLaughlin will announce the winner at that night’s public meeting. While the Elections Code says there should be a runoff election in case of a tie between presidential or board candidates, it doesn’t give protocol for a tie for the top spot on board. McLaughlin said the committee decided on the procedure after reviewing the code and discussing the matter with SGB adviser Steve Anderson. Peterson ran on a platform of fossil fuel divestment, sustainability and administration accountability. She wants to create a time for public comment at public Board of Trustees meetings like last Friday’s. Unger, the current chair of the Facilities, Technology and Transportation Committee, wants to pursue campus safety policies, including a streamlining of the University’s two crime alert systems by combining them into one. She also hopes to create free and reduced meal plans for food-insecure students. As executive vice president, either Peterson or Unger will serve as the speaker of SGB’s Assembly, a body comprised of students representing student organizations. Whoever wins will also become president if SGB President-elect Zechariah Brown steps down over the course of the year.