The Pitt News
The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | January 17. 2018 | Volume 108 | Issue 90
Provost to consider SGB textbook plan
FETTERMAN RESPONDS TO TOUGH STUDENT QUESTIONS
Madeline Gavatorta Staff Writer After passing a resolution to help lower textbook costs, Student Government Board President Max Kneis announced Wednesday that Pitt is forming a committee to discuss implementing the ideas. SGB introduced a resolution last week calling on Pitt to expand the use of open education resources like PDF textbooks. The Office of the Provost formed a committee that would discuss OERs the day after SGB introduced the resolution, Kneis said. âI think itâs going to be, hopefully, the enabler to see free textbooks replace the very expensive textbooks most students use and I hope that kind of becomes a spark for open educational resources to become implemented across campus in the near future,â Kneis said. Kneis said there should be formal recommendations from the committee at the end of the semester. âI think anything we can do to save students money and make college more affordable is a step in the right direction,â he said. Senate Council President Frank Wilson attended SGBâs public meeting Tuesday to express how impressed he was with the action on OERs. Before he left, he shook hands with the board on the stage in Nordyâs Place. âYou got action that Iâve never been able to get going, and Iâm happy that Iâve been able to work with you so far,â Wilson said. âWhat youâve put together here is the blueprint for how to do that. It answers most of the excuses Iâve heard over the years about why faculty donât want to do this.â SGB announced a more immediate cost-saving possibility â condom dispensers will be installed by the end of the month on the third floor of the William Pitt Union. Wellness Chair Maggie See SGB on page 2
Braddock Mayor John Fetterman discusses his plans to run for Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor with Pitt Democrats Tuesday night. Christian Snyder ONLINE VISUAL EDITOR hour before Fetterman was set to begin speaking to discuss how they would question the Contributing Editor mayor when he arrived on campus. SophoOn the chalkboard in room 236 of the Camores Sean Bailey and Dighan Kelly explained thedral of Learning Tuesday night were some the basics of bird-dogging to the small group. small illustrations of a bird and a dog, followed Bailey, a computer science and philosophy by âing.â major who currently serves as the co-chair of Put it together and you get bird-dogging, the the University chapter of the Young Democratic act of closely scrutinizing a politicianâs views â Socialists, handed everyone a single piece of which is what a group of five students decided printer paper. On it were the issues they perto do when Braddock Mayor John Fetterman ceived Fetterman to be weak on â including visited the Pitt Democrats as part of his camabortion, fracking and non-profit laws that paign for Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor. govern entities such as UPMC and the UniverThis handful of students, unaffiliated with sity of Pittsburgh. âWe believe that he is not as any political group on campus, gathered an
Christian Snyder
progressive as he says,â Kelly said. âWeâre going to question him on the things his campaign doesnât want us to ask him about.â Kelly, an urban studies and French major, often volunteers for Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania. She made sure to claim the question specifically targeting Fettermanâs support of Rep. Paul Costa, D-Pa., who is, according to the groupâs flyer, âobviously antichoice.â The group moved into room 239 of the Cathedral and waited for Fetterman to arrive. He entered into the room of about 50 students and See Fetterman on page 2