Vote Betterment

03/04/2021

A Short Message from Jack Ruotolo:

Hi everyone, it’s Jack. You know, it's never good to be in the position I’m in right now, but when someone wins an election, another must lose. I want to first congratulate all the new Board member-elects on their victory, and I have every confidence they will fulfill their duties to the best of their abilities. Regardless of where I am at in the fall when the new board takes their seats, I will always continue to fight for student voices and make sure they are heard. This campaign was not something I just did on the side; these are issues I care deeply about, and I will not stop caring and fighting for them.

This campaign season was not without drama, but I will always cherish the meetings with dozens of student groups where we were able to share our platform and learn more about their club. This was an enlightening opportunity for me to truly understand the undergraduate population and the things they cared about. I am extremely grateful for every opportunity where I was able to converse with another student and hear what they had to say.

I also want to reflect on the campaign season that took place since early February. This was one of the most contentious, and sometimes brutish, campaign seasons for SGB in recent history for Pitt. How often do student government campaigns have to put out an official “regarding recent events” statement? This election, for good or worse, rose to school-wide attention, yet only 20.5 % of the undergraduate population voted. This, to me, highlights a need to bring more attention to civic engagement on campus and awareness of the Student Government Board and what it can do to help students.

Last, but not least, I want to address some of the ugliness that has occurred in the last 72 hours. The campaigns are over. The election is over. A new board has been chosen. It is time to cease the attacks on former candidates, board member-elects, and current members of the judicial and elections committees. We are all college students together at the same university, and everyone is entitled to respect. Personal attacks on anyone is a low act and it is time to stop.

Anyways, thank you for your support and strength over the last few weeks and I wish you all well.

03/04/2021

Say hello to the newest Board member-elect, Brennan Conway!

Best of luck to Brennan as he fights for his initiatives and student voices on the SGB!

03/02/2021

Polls are open until 8 PM!

Vote NOW at pi.tt/sgbelections

03/02/2021

BETTERMENT SLATE STATEMENT REGARDING THE DISQUALIFICATION OF THE VISION SLATE

03/02/2021

TODAY IS THE DAY!

Be sure to vote today. We hope you'll find a spot on the ballot for the Betterment slate, Jack Ruotolo and Brennan Conway.

We will always fight to ensure every student voice is heard and at the forefront of all that SGB does.

Vote for Betterment TODAY at pi.tt/sgbelections

Polls will be open until 8 PM

03/02/2021

Check out the inaugural podcast episode of Real Talk with BridgePittsburgh, affiliated with WPTS Radio. In the episode, Brennan Conway and Jack Ruotolo engage in a lively and open discussion of the state of free speech on Pitt's campus.

Our guests this week were Jack Ruotolo and Brennan Conway, two Pitt undergrads running for Student Government Board. The main topic of discussion is free speech and academic freedom on campus.

03/01/2021

TOMORROW IS THE DAY!

Vote for Betterment (Jack Ruotolo and Brennan Conway) on March 2nd at pi.tt/sgbelections!

Remind your friends to vote tomorrow! Voting for your SGB representatives is one of the foremost civic rights we have as Pitt students!

03/01/2021

We are proud to be endorsed by the College Libertarians at Pitt!

02/28/2021

I'm running for Board because this year presents an unprecedented opportunity to make our voices heard and change our University for the better as the pandemic subsides.

There's so much to be proud of, so much to learn from our experiences over the past year, and I know we can leverage that unique insight to improve the Pitt experience for all current and future students.

I sincerely ask for your vote this Tuesday, and I promise that I will work every day to make Pitt better for all of us. Thank you and Hail to Pitt!

-Brennan Conway

02/28/2021

We are proud to be endorsed by the Pitt Varsity Marching Band Council!
Pitt Band

02/27/2021

We are proud to have been endorsed by the brothers and sisters of of Tau Beta Sigma - Gamma Omega and Kappa Kappa Psi - Alpha Omega!

02/27/2021

Just a little reintroduction...

As one of the few first-years running for the Board, I hope we have convinced you over the last few weeks to vote for Betterment on March 2nd. Our platform is real and tangible, and we will work from Day 1 to support the voices of the students.

First-year students have had an extremely unique college experience this year, and it deserves a voice.

If you ever have any questions or concerns, always feel free to reach out to me.

-Jack Ruotolo