11-13-19

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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 | november 13, 2019 ­| Volume110 | Issue 83

SGB: LESS THAN 10 COMMENTS ON SORC PROPOSALS

TALKS ON TENANCY

Emily Drzymalski Staff Writer

Student Government President Zechariah Brown said less than 10 students have voiced input about the board’s proposed ways to resolve the looming problem posed by updated Student Organization Resource Center naming guidelines. “We haven’t received the volume of student feedback that we were hoping for,” Brown said at Tuesday evening’s SGB meeting. “I’m sure we’re all busy with midterms and projects and such. Which hopefully means students are really satisfied with the options we presented.” SORC announced in late August that beginning in fall 2020, its registration guidelines would now prohibit the names of independent student organizations from including University trademarks or wordmarks like “Pitt” and “Panther,” instead encouraging clubs to use phrases such as “at Pitt” or “at the University of Pittsburgh.” The changes could affect as many as 393 of the 639 student organizations on campus. Brown said in early October that his preferred solution is to grandfather current organizations that have been on campus longer than the current naming guidelines have been in effect. All remaining organizations would have to change their names, but would be allowed to sell any merchandise they have already purchased to try and prevent any large financial losses. SGB proposed three ways to fix the problem at its meeting last Tuesday. The board’s preferred soluSee SGB on page 2

Liz Gray, Neighborhood Quality Consultant with Oakland Planning and Development Corp. (center), talks about what to expect when looking to rent an apartment at a tenant workshop held in the William Pitt Union Tuesday. Hannah Heisler | senior staff photographer

EXPERTS’ TIPS FOR TENANTS: READ YOUR LEASE, KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

Benjamin Nigrosh

Pitt’s Student Government Board hosted the first of two tenant workshop panels Tuesday evening in More than half of the Pitt student body lives in the William Pitt Union to educate new and returnoff-campus housing, according to a recent statistic ing renters on their rights. About 30 attended the from U.S. News and World Report. Some of these first event, and SGB will hold the same panel again students commute from home, but many are renting Wednesday evening at 5 p.m. apartments or homes in the Pittsburgh area — often Liz Gray, panelist and neighborhood qualfor the first time. ity consultant with Oakland Planning and DevelopTo help the latest population of student renters, ment Corp., said the most important step for new Staff Writer

tenants is to read their lease. “From the top of the first page to the bottom of the last page,” Gray said. “Then, go back and read it again.” New renters often do not hold themselves accountable for knowing the rules of the lease they sign, Gray said. That can become a big problem when responsibilities come up that the tenant wasn’t See Tenants on page 2


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