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@PPUGlobe September 26, 2018
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President Kearns given “highest form of reprimand” By Mick Stinelli Co-News Editor
United Student Government (USG) President Kaylee Kearns narrowly avoided an impeachment trial at this week’s USG meeting following censures submitted by an anonymous senator. The censures - the most serious form of reprimand for a USG member - concerned a number of unreported meetings that occurred over the summer, a failure by the executive cabinet to pass a summer budget and the executive order which removed ticket subsidies to the Pittsburgh Playhouse. Six charges were brought to Parliamentarian Alex Popichak, which he brought forth in four motions to the USG senators to vote on. Two motions passed, falling just short of the three censures required to impeach. One censure said President Kearns failed to consult with the legislative body during the summer term. The second charge asserted there was no summer budget passed prior to the beginning of summer session, citing this as a direct violation of a constitutional by-law which states, “The Legislative Body may allocate any funds to be spent by the
a brand new semester of giving back Amanda Andrews asks the question: has Trump become a dictator? ESPN and Arby’s reps talk sports sponsorships to students Issue 5
USG swears in new senators amid censure USG By Amanda Andrews USG Beat Writer
Joie Knouse | The Globe
Kaylee Kearns, USG President, listens to the allegations brought forth during censure proceedings at the weekly USG meeting on Monday. President and Vice President during the summer session by majority vote of Legislative Body.” One motion, which leveled three charges against President Kearns’ executive order to remove Playhouse ticket subsidies, called the decision unethical and claimed Kearns failed to represent the student body. The motion was shot down after a tie-breaking vote by Vice President Brittany Arp. The final motion was ta-
bled for next week’s meeting following the release of a report on summer meetings from President Kearns and Vice President Arp. The censures were met with resistance from Dean of Student Life, Michael Gieseke, who urged the senators to consider the weight of the decision they were about to make. He clarified that, although the president is required to seek permission to spend money, President Kearns requires no
permission to take the opposite action. “The president of USG does not have to ask permission to not ask for money,” Gieseke said to the senators at the meeting. Gieseke also questioned the anonymous senator who filed the complaints, wondering how they acquired the information behind their charges and why they didn’t debate charges among the senators before filing them for censure.
The United Student Government (USG) legislative meeting was in session on Monday for an unusually long duration, lasting around two and a half hours. Many items of timely importance were part of the legislative body agenda, including the induction of the newly elected senators, the USG internal budget, debate over clubs’ statuses and most notably four motions, two approved, to censure the USG president. Nine new senators of varying classes were officially sworn in at the meeting. Freshman senator Matthew Johnson detailed the election process that he went through to be chosen for this position. “As a freshman, we didn’t really have a full-on election,” Johnson said. “We just implemented our name into the ballot. Then students from our school went online and voted, we were sent a link; and then that link we sent to people and then they followed the link and
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Distrikt Hotel houses students until Keystone Flats is complete By Nardos Haile For The Globe
An unfinished Third Avenue student housing project has forced about 100 Point Park University students to live in hotel rooms for the past three weeks. Since the beginning of August, students have been staying in the Distrikt Hotel, located a few blocks from Point Park University’s campus, since construction delays on the Keystone Flats may not be finished until the end of October. “It’s kinda annoying because there’s a sense of living on your own and right now we’re all just like pushed off to the side,” sophomore Amanda Means said. “Like we don’t really exist in the school culture because we’re up the street; we don’t know what’s going on.” Means, whose major is undecided, is one of many students displaced and living in a hotel. She says she knew the building was unfinished, “but not to the extent that it is.” “They promoted it like it would’ve been done by the time we all got back to school,” Means said. The Keystone Flats management declined to comment on this story. “I feel fine about it. Some people are really mad, and some people are like me and don’t really care,” sophomore acting major Mary Shay McWeeney said. “I mean it is a little annoy-
ing and I expected to be in an apartment. I chose to live in an apartment; I didn’t want to live in a dorm. But the woman who we’ve been in conversation with has made it very clear. She’s been extremely open to all of our requests and all of our complaints.” For students like Means who came back to campus earlier than most for sports, it was an inconvenience. “For me, the first two weeks I get here early because I play soccer,” Means said. “So, the first two weeks I knew I was going to have to live somewhere else because it wasn’t going to be ready.” Means, McWeeney, and the other students were told by management in mid-July the building would not be ready until September. “They said we are working on getting you a food stipend at Point Park University; you are booked at the Distrikt Hotel, which is a couple blocks from campus,” McWeeney said. “You are going to be getting free breakfast in the mornings, and since the apartment comes with in unit laundry, they also have provided a once-a-week laundry service.” Students have been living in one bedroom hotel rooms paid by their monthly rent and described by both Means and McWeeney as “small and crowded.” “A bed and a bathroom and there’s like a little desk and a closet but it’s not very big,” Means said.
Gracey Evans | The Globe
Shay McWeeney, sophomore acting major, poses in her hotel room at the Distrikt Hotel. Her suitcases can be found packed to capacity on top of her bureau. McWeeney has made her room her own personalized space, and has decorated her desk and television with pictures to resemble a dorm. The living situation is much more difficult for students who live further away. “I live an hour away,” Means said. “I’d say it makes it easier because they [her parents] can help me out if I need something, but people that live in different states - they have all that stuff shoved in a small room.” McWeeney, originally from California, mentions her and a friend’s seasonal belongings were put into a storage
unit before the summer began, but they have had to extend payment on the unit because of the unfinished housing. “I mean I could put all the stuff in my hotel room, but it’s too small, and I don’t want to be any more crowded than I already am,” McWeeney said. But McWeeney expressed she is understanding of her circumstances. “They [the Distrikt] feel extremely frustrated as well,” McWeeney said. “It doesn’t
feel like they’re screwing us over, it just feels like nobody wanted this. Even the tippy top people at this company that own this building, they’re really frustrated.” Public record says the Keystone Flats on Third Ave is owned by BT Pitt Third LLC, a subsidiary of BET Investments one of the country’s largest home builders. In 2016 BET Investments bought the building and a year later the
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Weather Forecast Today: Thunderstorm H 74, L 49
Thursday: Cloudy, H 68, L 51 Friday: Sunny, H 72, L 53 Saturday: Rain, H 76, L 53
Sunday: Partly Cloudy, H 70, L 54 Monday: Partly Cloudy, H 77, L 62 Tuesday: Scattered Showers, H 71, L 59
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