Her Campus: How did you come up with the name 42 Stories?
42 Stories: The name of our slate represents the two tenants of our mission: Pitt pride and student voices. The name 42 Stories is derived from the forty-two stories of the Cathedral of Learning, the building on our campus that represents an immense source of pride for many students, but it also represents the countless stories that there are to tell around campus. We are running for Student Government Board in order to make sure that every student gets to tell their story; our team represents a diversity of disciplines and a diversity of experience. We will leverage those connections to best serve the student body!
HC: Tell us about yourselves!
Max Kneis for President: I’m a junior in Pitt Business majoring in Finance & Accounting. I’m from West Chester, PA but originally from Germany, where I’m still a citizen! My involvement with the Student Government Board began my second week on campus when I was selected to fill a vacancy on the Allocations Committee. I currently serve on the Board as Vice President & Chief of Finance. I have worked in the WPU Reservations Office, am a brother of Beta Theta Pi, and member of Phi Beta Lambda, a professional business organization. I am a big Philadelphia sports fan and love rooting for the Eagles (although it can hurt, being in Pittsburgh)! I enjoy traveling, playing tennis, and exploring the different Pittsburgh neighborhoods and the awesome food and culture they each have. I also am a big fan of Millie’s Ice Cream in Shadyside and have the unhealthy habit of spontaneously taking my girlfriend there multiple times a week.
Maddie Guido for Board: I am a sophomore biological sciences major with a Spanish minor, hoping to one day become a physician’s assistant! Currently, I serve as the Chair of the Allocations Committee, dedicated to distributing the student activities’ fund to the over-four-hundred student organizations on campus. I am also a part of the Blue and Gold Society. Despite the fact that I’m not involved in a cappella, you’ll find me at most of the concerts! I love talking (probably too much), and in high school I played several instruments including the banjo.
Ami Fall for Board: I am a sophomore studying political science and psychology, with aspirations of going into international law and policy. Currently, I am a resident assistant in Holland Hall, work as a SAFE peer educator, and am an active member within the Black Action Society and Students for Social Justice. I’m passionate about social justice and activism, enjoy painting/creating artwork and exercising and love trying new foods from different cultures.
Ian Callahan for Board: I am a junior in the Swanson School of Engineering studying to become an electrical engineer with a minor in mechanical engineering and political science. I am heavily involved in Engineering Student Council (ESC), where I have served as the Digital Media Chair and the Director of Finance. I currently serve as a Regional Co-Chair, where I am responsible for creating a conference that will include representatives from all over the North Atlantic! I am also involved with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and I am heavily involved with Pitt’s Marching Band as a trumpet player. I’m very passionate about music, mostly performing. I’ve been soloed vocally a lot and performed with concert bands and symphonic orchestras. I love everything outdoors, but especially camping and hiking! I’m spending my spring break backpacking for the second year in a row. I also am always concerned about people’s safety. I’m considered the “mom” of my roommates and close friends.
HC: What does the Student Government Board do?
42 Stories: The Student Government Board promotes the concerns, interests, needs, and welfare of the student body of the University of Pittsburgh. We do this in three main ways: first by developing, and maintaining programs and services that meet the academic and personal needs and interests of the student body, second by facilitating communication between students and the University Community and advocating on behalf of the students to various entities, and finally by allocating the student activities fee in a fair and equitable manner.
In more simple terms, SGB is there to work to improve the campus experience for all students, through programming, advocacy, and allocating of funds.
HC: What are the main problems your platform wants to solve here at Pitt?
42 Stories: Extended Winter Break – After a long semester and rigorous finals, students need more time to relax to prevent possible mental and emotional burnout. Pitt has the shortest break in the ACC and among Pennsylvania state related schools, and that can push students to the limit by throwing them back into the academic term before they’re ready. This past break was only 17 days long; for Resident Assistants and students who need to travel, they had only two weeks to recharge and spend time with their families. To put Pitt on par with our peers and give students the time they need, the 42 Stories Slate would lobby the Provost’s Calendar Committee and the University Registrar to begin the spring semester no earlier than the Monday following New Year’s Day. In 2008, the Board successfully advocated for the creation of fall break; and we are positive that with enough student support, we could enact this change.
Mental Health Resources – We want to make clearer what resources the Counseling Center can provide to students and create more specific messaging around what services are available. Additionally, we want to continue to facilitate programs that let students know that they, and their mental wellbeing, matter. We realize that some students need services beyond the scope of what can be provided by the Counseling Center. To address this, we plan to improve the process when connecting students to community resources. We also plan to continue to expand the offerings of the Counseling Center as is feasible.
Sexual Assault – The goal is to connect with the Title IX office to increase awareness of the dynamics of sexual violence, promote healthy relationships, and prevent the sexual victimization of survivors. Through providing resources, support for survivors and arenas for open and insightful discussions, we will continue the fight against sexual violence and misconduct. Additionally, we will work to keep removing the stigma surrounding sexual assault and assuring that all students are aware of and comfortable seeking out sexual assault response resources that are offered.
Cultural Competency – We hope to work with the orientation process to create more of a focus around cultural competencies and to get everyone here at Pitt on a similar page when discussing issues around diversity. We want to foster an environment on campus where people of differing opinions can engage in constructive conversation.
Visit the 42 Stories website to learn about our other goals including increasing student voice, women’s health and sexual health, a bio minor addition, more resources for student organizations, and introduction of the Blue Light app!
HC: What aspects of the Student Government Board do you want to change?
42 Stories: To continue fostering an approachable and open student government, a few subtle changes can be made. The Board should be a resource for student concerns and all student organizations. One specific initiative to implement is monthly town halls in place of the regularly scheduled public meetings to promote student feedback on all areas of campus life. This would drive our Board towards initiatives that are of utmost concern to the student body. We would also enhance the relationships between student organizations and their Board liaisons through more collaboration and dialogue. Student Government Board is here to advocate for everyone from groups to administration, and can assist with everything from event promotion and recruitment to securing additional funding. Having these liaisons attend general or executive board meetings to hear concerns of the group and help them overcome challenges will improve our ability to do positive work for student organizations.
The Allocations process has to be easier for student groups to use and the policies used to make funding decisions showed by reviewed to make sure they match up with the requirements of today’s student groups. When the Allocations Manual, the governing document of all funding decisions, is revised each year, it’s typically an internal process. We would like to get more feedback from groups through surveys and focus groups and make changes based on organization’s biggest frustrations with the funding policies.
HC: When is voting? How do students vote?
42 Stories: Voting will take place on Tuesday, February 21st from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Once students log onto their my.pitt portal, they will see a green box on the left side of their screen where they will be able to select “SGB Election” and then vote!
HC: Anything else important you want to add?
42 Stories: Students can read about all our initiates and our 42 ideas in detail at www.vote42stories.weebly.com and follow us on social media @Vote42Stories on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. If anyone wants to get in contact with us, shoot an email to vote42stories@gmail.com