Matt Moore (he/him)

Board Candidate
Brightside Slate
New Castle, PA
Politics and Philosophy

My name is Matt Moore and I am a sophomore pursuing a Bachelor of Philosophy degree in Politics & Philosophy with minors in Economics and Public Service. This spring, I am running for a Board Member position on the 2021-22 Student Government Board. Around campus, I am involved in a variety of student clubs and organizations. Since the second semester of my freshman year, I have been an executive board member of Pitt College Democrats, serving as the chapter’s Political Director. Branching off from this role, I helped form Pitt Students For Biden in the leadup to the 2020 presidential election. I rushed the professional law fraternity Phi Alpha Delta in the first semester of my freshman year, and the social fraternity Delta Chi in the following semester. As a brother of Delta Chi, I have served as both Special Events chair and Public Relations chair, raising the chapter’s social media and networking profile. In the midst of these commitments, I have been a steadfast member of Student Government Board: first being appointed to the First Year Council, then the Community and Governmental Relations Committee, and the Elections Committee. I want to take my diversity of experiences and involvement on campus to the elected membership of Student Government Board because I believe that’s what this moment demands. These current trying times have presented a wealth of daunting challenges for all of us, especially those deeply involved on campus. Student organizations and clubs have suffered from a lack of engagement, motivation, and interest in the all-virtual semesters. Next year can be different and it’s going to take experienced hands to connect problems to solutions. As somebody involved in political, civic, academic, and social activities outside the classroom, I believe I am suited to meet this challenge of returning campus to normal--or what I like to call “the brightside” of this crisis. As a member of SGB’s First Year Council, Community and Governmental Relations Committee, and the Elections Committee, I have acquired the tools to make initiatives dear to my heart successful as an elected Board member. If elected, I would like to focus on two specific areas from which I bring vast experience on campus. Since I have been involved in political organizing from my childhood, I know there is much more room to grow for youth participation in the political process. As an executive board member of Pitt College Democrats and Pitt Students For Biden, I contributed to major efforts in voter registration and absentee ballot tracking for students. There are the types of efforts that must be carried out every year and in every election, not just every four years. If elected, I would work with the PittVotes Task Force, PittCivics, and the Community and Governmental Relations Committee to spearhead a campus-wide initiative to increase awareness of the upcoming 2021 and 2022 local and statewide elections. It is imperative that every Pitt student know who is running for which office and have the necessary resources to exercise their right to vote. As a brother of the Delta Chi social fraternity, I find the often strained relationship between Greek Life and the administrative sectors of campus to be of particular concern going forward. As one of the biggest pockets of extracurricular activity on campus, Greek Life necessitates better coordination with administration and more representation at the highest levels of student governance. Part of my mission as an elected member of Student Government Board would be to facilitate this new type of cohesion and ensure that our return to normal in the future is smooth and productive. I want to be the voice in the room and the seat at the table when decisions regarding the future of Greek Life at Pitt are being made by faculty and students alike. Too many philanthropies, acts of community service, and whole chapters depend on this ever-important cooperation. If elected to Student Government Board, I will heed all points of view and try my best to apply my experiences with those of others to achieve consensus: this is the only way to make any kind of governing work. The work of a body like SGB, with all of its committees, task forces, and initiatives, requires a diversity of backgrounds, personalities, and perspectives of campus life. I am committed to guiding all the different parts of the Pitt community through this moment as we look to "the brightside” in this unprecedented moment in our lives.