USG selects interim treasurer

Photo by Nikole Kost
Senior business management major and former USG treasurer Amber Mole is sworn in as USG’s interim treasurer for the remainder of the 2016-17 year March 6.

Written By Alex Grubbs, USG Beat Writer

After the resignation of its treasurer, the student government president appointed a new treasurer to fill her place.

United Student Government (USG) President Blaine King appointed Amber Mole to the succeed former Treasurer Amedea Baldoni for the remainder of this semester.

“USG is a growing process. It’s never going to be perfect. It’s always going to be a learning process of the [executive cabinet] and senators,” Mole said of the transition of power.

“I’m really just expecting to get to… know the club leaders for this year and working together to make it a productive school year,” Mole continued.

According to Mole, King reached out to her through a formal email over spring break asking her to fill the position. She previously held the position during the 2015-16 school year.

The USG Constitution states that the president must appoint a new person to an executive cabinet position within seven days of its vacancy.

Due to spring break, USG was not in session and did not interfere with appointment time frame.

Due to the new treasurer, USG must condense its budget setting meetings for the last funding period of the semester to get allocated funds out next Monday, March 13.

“It’s going to be a lot of long hours, but we’re just going to push through it and get it done in a timely fashion,” Mole said.

Also during the meeting, USG questioned the Office of Residence Life on the changing city bus payment system and students being told on buses that the $1 discount is no longer in place.

“[If this happens], I need you to take down the bus… the time, and what stop you were at,” Director of Residence Life Amanda Anderson said.

She also said that this will be forwarded to Port Authority, the bus company in Pittsburgh, for them to correct the problem.

Treasurer Mole expressed this situation has happened to her twice.

Port Authority is currently phasing out its old cash payment system for a new bus card system.

Currently, Point Park has a signed agreement with the authority that gives students a $1 discount on bus rides after 7 p.m. on weekdays and all weekend, which ends at the end of this semester.

Recording Secretary Davion Heron questioned whether students would get bus passes like Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, which is incorporated in their student IDs.

“It’s definitely a question for you all… as to whether the student body wants that added to their tuition,” Anderson said.

For now, there is no definitive plan after the agreement expires.