J. Fred Fox | reporter

SGA rejected a resolution to recommend the termination of one of its directors this week, following a major disagreement over his actions during an official trip to the state capital earlier in the month.
Sen. Michael Giffin helped to sponsor the move to punish Ethan Scott, SGA treasurer. Scott has been extensively criticized for his conduct during the Higher Education Day trip to Topeka.
Scott was accused of misrepresenting information from an unsanctioned conceal-and-carry on campus survey conducted from the SGA office counter. He was also accused of failure to adequately inform students of SGA allocation sessions, failure to attend parking fee council meetings, and failure to post office hours.
Ethan Scott defends his actions and says he admits to his faults. SGA voted to allow the resolution to expire.
“I’m glad they decided to keep me so that I can continue serving the student body,” Scott said.
Tyler Edwards, SGA campus affairs director, is continuing to push for the construction of a convenience store inside the Overman Student Center, as part of planned renovations to the building.
“I think that if student fees are paying for the 14 million dollar project, that they should have a say in the project,” Edwards said. “International students currently have to walk to Ron’s or the dollar store to buy shampoo and groceries.”
Lara Ismert, SGA president, invited Brad Hodson from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a group that is responsible for university accreditation.
“We’re beginning a new cycle for accreditation … under a new digital system,” Hodson said. “PSU is joining a handful of schools that earn the ‘pioneer school’ statu.”
Pioneer school status is given to PSU because the university has consistently accomplished its goals and had very few issues during previous accreditation processes. PSU has maintained a good accreditation since 1915. Hodson says that under the new system, Pitt State will be on a much more lax watch.
Ismert started fee council meetings with Bryant Student Health Center, which asked for a $3 increase. The center hopes to raise the funds to have a full-time physician on staff.
SGA also announced during the meeting that there would be a Q&A session with Steve Scott, university president, on March 27.
Alyssa Marsh, SGA community affairs director, announced that the previous proposal to restore Gussie the Gorilla, a female version of Gus, is being modified.
Instead, a new character, Baby Gus, modeled after the University of Kansas’ Baby Jay, will be created. Marsh says that feedback and information from KU’s program was lucrative, and the new costume will cost about $4,000.