Steel This Magazine Issue 9

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MILLVALE’S ART SCENE art galleries, open stages, and the influx of creativity in the floodplain

MISS LORETTA’S CORNER pittsburgh’s sordid, pre-civil rights era history retold

JASIRI X the pittsburgh rapper talks activism and music

DIY ENTREPRENEURS local makers turn art into income

RACHEL’S JOURNEY life with metastatic breast cancer

THE FIX: a heartening story of addiction recovery from publicsource

FLIP CITY a chat with co-creator and star of pittsburgh’s newest web series

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STORYBURGH a look at the courageous journey of rachel steigerwalt

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EASY RECIPES THAT IMPRESS cenacolo and dal forno chefs show us how it’s done

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32 MUSIC SECTION

PUBLIC SOURCE MEDIA SPOTLIGHT

edward banchs sits down with activist and rapper jasiri x

sometimes strength comes from those around you

Steel This Magazine needs your help. Writers, Photographers, Salespeople... we need you! If you’re a creative, or if you simply have some good story ideas, please reach out to: John@SteelThisMag.com to get involved.

Staff:

Publisher - John Dubosky Creative Director/Graphic Design - Kelli Koladish Editor - Susan Cunniff Photography - Brian Volinic Contributing Writers - Amy Maurine Edwards, Loretta Millender, Skipper Anderson, Sara Makin, Edward Banchs, Dana Colecchia Getz, Ian Mikrut, Randy Garcia, Michael Thornman, Sheena Carroll, Varsha Mathur, Alyse Horn and Dana Getz of Storyburgh Sales - John Dubosky and Melissa Ursu Crossword Puzzle - Written By: Brian Herrick Edited By: Daniel Finan

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FLIP CITY matt thornton’s at it again with a new sketch comedy show

MILLVALE’S GOT TALENT a look at the creative goings-on in the valley town over the bridge

MISS LORETTA’S CORNER tales of mid-century Pittsburgh from the bible of Lawrenceville herself

HEALTH & WELLNESS sara makin talks medical cannabis

DIY ENTREPRENEURS rose hermalin and eva stulc get down to business

SKIPPER ANDERSON how a 1970s ball game changed a few men’s perceptions

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Matt Thornton Has a Show A Look at the Making of Pittsburgh’s Newest Comedy Web Show, Flip City.

By: John Dubosky

Matt Thornton is feeling innovative these days. He’s had a heck of a year; a newly-minted parent, he grinds daily at Work Hard Pittsburgh, [see the Fall Issue of Steel This Magazine for an interview with their founder, Josh Lucas, @ SteelThisMag.com], writes comedy, produces and stars in promotional content for a company called Postconsumers, and now he’s got a new show.

Flip City Cast: Episode One. Left to Right: Courtney Plaszenski, Ashlyn Taylor, Andrew Zeffiro, Matt Thornton, Jimbo Dowd, and Chas Smith. Photo by: Buzzy Torek

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“Matt is very creative. It’s really good working with him. He’s always been a friend who makes me laugh. Working with him has always been a pleasure because we both think the same things are funny. Anytime I’ve worked with him we’ve had fun,” said Chas Smith, a friend and collaborator of Thornton’s who’s better known in some circles by his rap moniker, Colicche. Together, the two have co-created and worked on Pittsburgh’s newest sketch comedy web-series. The show, dreamt up by Thornton, premiered November 7th online. Think MADtv meets Tim and Eric. It’s a menagerie of segments with names like, “Brexton the Texting Guru,” and, “Brilliant Thought of the Day.” I sat down with Thornton at Black Forge Coffee House in Allentown, one of many parts of the city he spent time in during his formative years. We chatted over coffee while Fu Manchu played on the stereo.

STM: So what is this new show about?

Thornton: Flip City is a group of creatives I’ve gathered through Work Hard, some videographers at Work Hard, and their friends in film school. I’ve also got friends of mine in recovery, and comedy people I’ve worked with. The hip hop artists want to get involved, too.

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STM: How did this concept start?

Thornton: I was missing the Fouronetube days, [Fouronetube is an old YouTube channel Thornton and his friends ran]. And I don’t have that creative outlet. I know all these people from being at Work Hard all the time, and people are asking us, “When’s Fouronetube coming back?” Chas has his success, he has more eyes on him now. I thought, “Maybe I’ll give this another shot.” I formed a meeting, and we met every week, and the ball just started rolling.

STM: Do you like working with a big group?

Thornton: I like collaborating. I felt like if I would have stayed with the stand-up thing I would be successful, but then, just in Pittsburgh, it’s not like you’re getting a ton of money to perform. My first time doing it, there were almost 400 people. And I literally didn’t write anything down, just had it in my head, and went out there and did it. Oh, I was terrified. I was like, “Holy shit!” It was at the New Hazlett Theater, the stage is down in the floor, and I was like, “How the fuck did I get here?!”

STM: I’ve heard you talk a lot about your history with drug addiction. Before you were in recovery, were you funny? Were you making skits with friends?

Thornton: I wasn’t involved in anything productive at all. My whole life revolved around the street stuff and the drugs. But, I always could make people laugh, even in terrible situations.

STM: Has that helped your humor? Being in a dark situation?

Thornton: Oh, yeah, for sure. I feel like a lot of people’s humor comes from pain. If you look at a lot of the great comics, Richard Pryor, he made fun of his pain, his freebasing cocaine days and how he caught himself on fire. People loved Richard Pryor and consider him one of the best to ever do it. So, like, yeah, my past definitely plays a huge part in our humor. I’ve been through so much and when I tell people that, especially when I tell professionals my past, first they’re like, “I can’t imagine you being like that.” And second, it’s like, “You’ve come so far.”

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STM: What drives you to do these creative things? Is it a distraction from your addiction?

If I didn’t tell you about my past you probably wouldn’t ever assume that. That’s what recovery has done for me; it’s made me a better person. I don’t think I would have been able to be a father nine years ago. I don’t think I would have a creative outlet or be able to give hope to people. Anything I have today is solely because of recovery. It instilled hope. When I was in jail, and that meeting came, it instilled hope that I could stay clean. And when I got out and had seen what people have done with their lives since they got clean, it gave me hope that I could also do whatever I put my mind to. And I don’t need to fall back to my old ways ever again.

Thornton: I want to just create content, whether it be the video docu series I want to start about people in recovery, or little skits, or a short film. I grew up studying movies. Even when I was in active addiction, I had Blu-rays of movies and I would watch… My girlfriend busts my balls now, “Why do you watch the same movies?” I just love the art, putting together stuff with the content. There’s movies or documentaries that impacted my life. Dave Chappelle’s show impacted my life. I wanted to be able to make my little notch at that. You know? To make something that impacts someone’s life.

That last time in jail I was just like, “I don’t want to do this the rest of my life.” I was watching, I was observant, I was so sick, too. I was sick for a month and a half. My tolerance was so high it felt like it was in my bones. But I was observing the people that were older than me on the pod walking around like it’s the coolest thing on earth, being in jail. I was like, “Do I really wanna do this the rest of my life? I don’t.”

I just felt like we had something special with Fouronetube, but we were rookies. It was pretty much me and Chas with a camera.

Now that we’re a bit more skilled at it, we feel like we can do it right. But not only that—we can keep it diverse. I wanted an outlet for creativity and I felt like I knew a bunch of people with talent, and they’ve wanted something to put that energy into.

STM: Do those experiences give you material for your comedy?

STM: You surround yourself with a lot of other people who are also in recovery. Is that a conscious decision on your part?

Thornton: Yeah. But sometimes I feel like, hesitant to do it.

Because my humor is raw. Like, I can take a dark situation and see the humor in it. I teeter on that fence of, “Oh, this is super funny to people that don’t know about recovery,” but then there’s this other side, like, “Am I exposing the disease in the wrong way?” Then again, it’s my experiences that I’ve lived, you know?

But like, I don’t know, maybe I just need to stop being fearful and start putting out stuff.

Thornton: To be honest, we can only keep what we have by giving it away. I don’t want to forget where I came from, and I don’t want to make myself exempt from having it happen to me. I know by me staying on top of my game and staying clean, it could maybe instill some hope in someone else like it was done for me. It’s just a reality, but it’s what we do.

I’m not exempt from it happening if I don’t stay on my routine.

But it sucks losing friends. It sucks, to be honest. I’ve buried a lot of friends due to addiction. I feel probably like how my parents felt. It’s the nature of the disease of addiction. It’s something that throughout the eight years of me being clean, I’ve become more adjusted to dealing with that. Now I factor in that they may relapse. I factor that in now. It’s not as shocking as it was, because, like, not only have I experienced it, I’ve seen tons of other people experience it. It’s also awesome to see someone get their life together and see them start being productive in society.

Flip City can be streamed from their Facebook page: facebook.com/FlipCityShow

Thornton portraying his character, Brexton the Texting Guru.

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it’s changing too fast,” Pearson said. While Pearson doesn’t create art, she tries to foster opportunities and provide space for artists, including her own home. “I’m always questioning how to make art more accessible, and how to engage community members who don’t consider themselves artistic, because I am one of those people.”

here is a distinct difference between creative placemaking and public art. While the latter beautifies neighborhoods with murals and sculptures, creative placemaking involves much more. It entails taking actions, providing enduring rather than one-off financial support to local artists, and inspiring lots of community engagement. Creative placemaking means rejuvenating streets and structures, supporting diversity, and educating and inspiring all the residents within the community.

Everyone interviewed for this article expressed the desire to see more art within the community. “One of Millvale’s virtues is that it continues to take exciting steps forward with the arts in mind, without fast-forwarding too quickly,” Zickefoose said. He would also like to see more local art in neighborhood establishments and at local events. Beddall is also pleased with the steps Millvale is taking. “I see a lot more art-oriented programs coming to Millvale, and I hope this will further create opportunities for our residents,” Beddall said.

The artists interviewed for this article choose to live and work in Millvale for many reasons. Availabilist artist and curator of the Pittsburgh Performing Arts Festival, Abigail Beddall, says that she and her husband moved to Millvale after being priced out of her previous neighborhood. She quickly fell in love with the community.

“Everything here feels grassroots. It’s easy to get to know people, to start things and get things done—and you get a lot of honest curiosity and interest [from neighbors] along the way.”

Some in the Millvale arts scene express a desire for more creative workspaces; the primary artist’s workspace, Millvale Studios, was partially destroyed by a fire in 2017 and has not reopened. Zickefoose believes that its reopening would be a, “Monumental force in having a physical artist base,” in the Borough. Another space, in the form of the Millvale Artist Residency, was started in the Fall of 2018 out of Pearson’s home. The current resident artist, Gene H. Thompson, hosts a free workshop series for residents at the Millvale Community Library. The library is where Beddall also hosts a bi-monthly arts and crafts series, called Artable. St. Nicholas Church and the Murals of Maxo Vanka are also a popular art space; Pearson hosts drawing workshops at the Murals on the last Friday of every month. Like Ton Pottery, Panza Gallery hosts a myriad of events including gallery shows, live drawing classes, and community meetings on the arts.

Mike Zickefoose, a multimedia artist, drummer, and manager of the Mr. Smalls Café, also enjoys the affordability and accessibility of Millvale. He chose to move there to be near the venue for work and entertainment in an area with affordable housing. This let him save money for art and music projects and to re-engage with the Millvale community.

Dan Kuhn, owner of Ton Pottery, came to Millvale from Lawrenceville, where he did not feel a strong sense of community.

He says, “It seemed as though the bars and restaurants were what was important, and the artists were hidden in side streets and byways.” He was attracted to Millvale because he knew that the business owners there were tight-knit, and that the arts had a stronger presence there.

He is happy that he made the move. Ton Pottery now resides on North Avenue in the heart of the business district, where Kuhn hosts gallery shows and offers pottery classes for students of all levels.

Panza would love to see the Millvale Arts Council (of which she is a member, along with Pearson) collaborate with the larger Pittsburgh art scene, particularly the city’s Office of Public Art. Beddall sees this as a promising overlap, because Pittsburgh’s museums and art scene give it a unique ability to expose shared perspectives from a local to an international scale.

The Millvale arts community sees their work as invaluable to impacting and supporting their community. Jen Panza, an interior design assistant and manager of Panza Frame & Gallery, says, “I see art and artists as a route to communities becoming more cohesive in a divided climate.” Zickefoose finds art to be essential to a community’s makeup. “Take art away and [you] slowly start to lose self and cultural identity.”

Pearson would like to see more fiscal support provided to local artists.

She encourages local organizations and businesses to hire local artists because of the impact it can generate. “It can make a difference when the artists in your town are supported. Their work adds to the unique look or feel of your community,” said Pearson. She would also like to see more opportunities for arts engagement with adults, especially those over the age of 65. It is difficult to find art funding for this age group, but Pearson finds it pivotal to making art more accessible within the Greater Pittsburgh Area, which has one of the highest concentrations of elderly people in the country.

In Millvale, it’s evident that artists can impact their communities in tangible ways. Kuhn sees it as taking actions, saying that impact, “Comes from the engagement with helping rebuild a storefront, creating jobs for folks on the block, talking to the kids that run the street, [and/or] outreach programs for folks in need.”

While it is still changing and growing, Millvale is already an accessible and inspiring space for artists and residents alike who’ve been forced out of the city limits by increasing rental costs. Beddall embraces her adopted home. “I’m happy that I’m not seeing the same kind of gentrification that pushed us out of the city. After five years living here, Millvale still feels the same. It feels like a gritty warm hug, and tastes like great beer and French pastries,” said Beddall.

Donna Pearson, an active community advocate in Millvale, also sees a great need for engagement. “Artists who can successfully engage with a community can help to bring people together through collaborative creation, building relationships, and encouraging pride in a neighborhood. The collaboration needed to create public art can help to create a sense of belonging in a world that might seem like

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Local Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Ron and Marci didn’t know they were about to change Pittsburgh food culture when they started their concession business. At the time, they were each working day jobs to put their five children through school, and hustling donuts and popcorn at festivals on the weekends.

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MISS LORETTA’S CORNER An oral history of pre-civil rights era Lawrenceville through the eyes of Loretta Millender Interview and Transcription By: John Dubosky

We had a Goodwill down on Liberty Ave. and 28th St., near the bridge. In the parking lot of the building that’s there now, there was a playground, and a big building for kids and the young men of Lawrenceville to play basketball. The man that ran that was named, Bill Creek, an elderly gentleman, very nice, nice personality. He looked out for the kids.

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“You couldn’t go past 40th St. by yourself as a black person, or you might get beaten up. So we tried to stay in a crew and only go to certain places.”

Upstairs was a rec center for youth, girls, to learn economics, sewing, and so on. The main thing this Goodwill did for the community was they sent us to camp for two weeks every year at Eppert’s Woods in Mars, PA. It was a two-week adventure.

Our parents took us to the busses and you would think we were going to New York City, but all we did was go to Mars, PA. But it was somewhere the kids had never been. It was boys and girls. They had college students as our counselors. We learned things you’d never learn living in the city: what camping was like, fixing up and cooking marshmallows, sleeping in tents, going to the latrines, taking showers in stalls, going polar bear swimming in the early mornings at five or six o’clock. The counselors taught these kids so many things about outdoor living. We saw snakes go up trees and shed their skin; we brought them back, so we could take them to school and show the science teacher.

Things we’d never get to experience in our lives, the Goodwill gave us that chance.

The program was paid for by money donated by people trying to help urban children. I know of so many children, black and white, that learned so much about communicating with one another. Sleeping together in tents, we camped together, did contests together, it was just wonderful. It was a beautiful experience. Then we’d come back from there, Lawrenceville children from 16th St. to 40th St. I learned the difference in the way people lived, what they ate. I was presented with people from different cultures. That’s how I learned to cook the way I cook.

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Now, just above that rec center, in Polish Hill was the West Penn swimming pool. It’s still there. In the summer, kids could walk up the hill and swim. It was a nice hot summer day and there were about seven of us. We never tried to go anywhere by ourselves back in the day. You couldn’t go past 40th St. by yourself as a black person, or you might get beaten up. So we tried to stay in a crew and only go to certain places. So, one hot day we went up the hill and there were kids swimming in the pool before we got there. They were white. When they saw us coming in, they got out of the pool, while we put on our swimming caps and stuff. While we were changing, and the pool was empty, somebody broke a glass and threw it in the pool. When the white children left an area we got to, we were used to that. We didn’t think anything of it. If we went certain places in the park, a lot of the kids would walk away. If they were swinging, they’d get off the swings, let us swing, and then they’d get back on after we left.

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I see more than just a car.

“I can’t hate you and love you at the same time. One or the other has got to be in your heart. I’d rather for love to be in mine and hate back behind me somewhere.”

So, we went down into the pool, but we didn’t realize they had already put some glass in the bottom of the pool. We used to have 12 oz., glass Pepsi and Coke bottles, and someone threw one in and we couldn’t see it. As we started swimming, our knees and feet got cut. We screamed and got out of the pool. When they heard us yell, everybody stopped what they were doing and saw the blood in the water. We reported it, but nothing happened. I never went back again. Some of my friends did and nothing like that ever happened again, but my first experience with that was enough; I never went back.

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When I got home, I said to my mother, “Mom, you know what? There’s so much stuff going on and I can understand they don’t want us in their pool. I’m just not going back. I don’t feel nothing, Ma. I feel bad because I got cut, but I don’t feel the hate.” Now, some of the girls with me and other boys said, “Wait ‘til I go back there.”

I said to them, “That ain’t gonna make it better, that’s gonna make it worse. Maybe an innocent person will get hurt.” You see, I was the one that was always trying to make things easy for everyone, but that’s how I felt. Just let it pass. We didn’t lose no leg or arm or get cut so badly we ended up in the hospital.

But, there were times I wanted to strike back, too. I wanted to hurt somebody. I never had a fear of them, I just didn’t want people hating one another, not caring for one another. I’m not trying to go in your house and live, not trying to take over your job. I’m just trying to be friends and laugh and joke, then you go your way and I go mine. I didn’t want that evil and hate WINTER 2018

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in my mind; it’s too much to carry those two. To have hate on one shoulder, love on the other, and try to raise children like that? I wanted to teach people to love one another, respect one another.

Right to this day, I see people with hate for their daughter who brought home a white man. I’ll see the hate in that mother. I tell them, “So what? That’s who she fell in love with.” Then I’ll see a white girl (I know a lot of white families) and she’ll bring home a black guy. I’ve seen the hurt of a grandmother when their child is running around and it’s mixed. How can there be hate around a child like that? That’s your grandchild. It should be nothing but love.

That’s part of you, that is still a part of you.

Every last one of mine, and I have grand kids, great grand kids, one great-great now—I love every one of them when they come in here. When they’re in the hospital I’ll lay down next to that baby and say, “This is Grandma. Now looky here, babes, we love you and you got to get well again.” That’s how I talk to all of them, because they’re mine. All of them are part of me. When they come running in here and my husband will say, “Who is that child, Loretta?” I’ll say, “It’s ours,” and he’ll say, “Yeah, Loretta, but who is that child’s mother?” And I say, “It’s ours!”

When you’re in my home I want to cook for you, I want to hold you. I’ll just prop a baby up on my arm and go to work with them right in my arm. That’s my child. I love them. I sit out on that porch, and the little white boy across the street will come on my porch and eat my potato chips or cookies, and the little Vietnamese boy who was next door would come knocking on my door all the time. I just love kids. I love people. I’m not gonna hurt no one. I will help you before I try to hurt you.

We didn’t have too many problems in Catholic school; the kids weren’t too bad there. But the nuns were hard on us. I was expelled at eight years old from Catholic school. St. John’s expelled me because I kept getting my fingers hit by the nun who was our teacher. There were only three blacks in her class. I got sent down to Arsenal School after that. Fifty years later I treated that nun at St. Francis Hospital.

After I became a nurse, I worked at St. Francis Medical Center. One day a woman came in who needed her blood taken.

She didn’t want a black person drawing her blood. Now, nobody in the hospital but me could draw her blood, her veins were collapsed. The doctor told her that if she didn’t let me do it, he’d have to put her to sleep and go in through her main artery. She said, “Ok, well, let her try then,” and I went in and got the five tubes of blood they needed. And from that day on she didn’t want nobody drawing her blood but me.

I looked at her chart and I said, “God, this name sounds familiar.” I kept thinking about where I had heard it before. During a shift one day I had to draw some blood and the person who was supposed to wash her up and feed her had a lot of patients that day. So, I said, “Do you mind if I wash you and feed you?” She said, “No, no, Loretta, go right ahead.” I fed her food and I said, “I just noticed, you’re a sister. Did you ever teach school?”

She said, “Yes I did. I’m a teacher.” I said, “Did you ever teach at St. John’s?” She said, “Yes I did.” I asked her if she remembered me. I told her my name was Loretta Allen, and she said, “The little girl I got expelled?”

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She told me the story of why she was against black people. At the age of nine she had a little black friend on the North Side. One day it was raining, and they ran into her mother’s house, who was German, and she said, “We don’t allow them in our house.” And from that day on she wasn’t allowed to play with her black friend. And that stuck with her all her life. She didn’t like black people because of what her mother had told her. I said to her, “But, you became a nun, and you believe in God,” and she said, “Loretta, it stuck in my head not to be friends with black people, and all those years I never was.”

She apologized to me for hitting me on the hand. I said, “It doesn’t bother me now that I’m bigger,” and we laughed together. I took care of her until the day she died at that hospital. We became friends. I was her friend and her nurse. I fed her, I combed her hair, I washed her. I did everything I could for her. I have God inside of me. God said, “If I can forgive you, how is it that you’re so great you can’t forgive somebody else?” If God can forgive me for all my sins, I can forgive you for sinning and show you to God. I believe in the bible, I believe in what it says. You mean to tell me you can’t forgive somebody one time? That’s what makes me different. I’m the type of individual, if you hurt me so bad, I’ll still forgive you, but I’ll feed you with a long-handled spoon. I can forgive you because I can’t hate you and love you at the same time.

One or the other has got to be in your heart. I’d rather for love to be in mine and hate back behind me somewhere.

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[

STEEL THESE RECIPES By: John Dubosky

[

Two of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s most intriguing restaurants are owned by Steve and Jennifer Salvi. Their newly re-opened Dal Forno showcases old-world culinary delights with an American flare, and their timeless Italian eatery, Cenacolo, has been a favorite of our readers for many years. As an ongoing project to beef-up our reader’s dinner party acumen, the Salvi family has graciously offered their family’s recipes and their chef’s time to get our taste buds inspired to cook for our friends and families.

In this issue, Chef Josh Toney of Cenacolo will first teach us how to make a light, sweet, and savory Bruschetta with Goat Cheese and Roasted Fruit; and a decadent Pasta dish with Squash and Brown Butter. For those of us with a hankering for meat and potatoes, Chef Eric Delliquadri of Dal Forno is going to teach a must for any aspiring cook: how to cook the perfect steak. We’ll finish off with some gems from the Dal Forno lexicon, seasonally inspired side dishes that will dazzle your guests while keeping prep and cook time to a minimum.

Without further ado, let’s get into these dishes.

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Appetizer

SWEET, WHIPPED RICOTTA BRUSCHETTA W/ ROASTED APPLES & PEARS Ingredients: 1 Apple 1 Pear 1 Cup of Brown Sugar 1 Pinch of Salt

1 Container of Ricotta Cheese 1 Loaf of French Batard 1 Tbsp. Honey (plus a drizzle for Garnish) 1 Pinch of Parsley (for Garnish) Toasted Almonds (for Garnish) Instructions: This is a nicely dressed-up dish that won’t break the bank or your back while making it. You can save some time by roasting the Fruit in advance and saving it. Simply dice Fruit, and sauté with Butter, Brown Sugar, and a pinch of Salt. When Fruit becomes soft and juicy and the Butter, Fruit, and Sugar turn into a sauce, you’re ready for the next step.

First, whip the Ricotta Cheese until light and fluffy. Whip in about a tablespoon of Honey to sweeten the Cheese. While you’re preparing that, slice and lightly toast your Bread. Generously spread the Whipped Cheese onto several pieces of Bread. Then, sprinkle with Toasted Almonds, a pinch of Salt, a pinch of finely chopped Parsley, and a drizzle of Honey.

Entrée:

CAPP E L L E T T I W I T H B UT T E R N UT SQ U AS H AND MA SCA R P O N E Ingredients: 1 Lb. Butternut Squash Cappelletti from Fede Pasta Company 1 Sprig of Thyme ½ Cup of Dried Cranberries 2 Tbsp. Butter 1 Cup Chicken Stock ½ Cup Cream ¼ Cup Shredded Parmesan (for Garnish) Dusted Pistachios (for Garnish)

Instructions: If winter could climb onto a plate it would look a lot like this. Always a feel-good dish, an end-of-year pasta with squash and mascarpone is going to melt in your mouth and will elate your dinner guests.

Start off with a hot pan. Drop in your Butter. Because of the heat, it will immediately begin to brown.

This is where you’re going to infuse your fresh Thyme. Then, hit it with a ¼ Cup of Chicken Stock to bring it all together. Add Cranberries for sweetness and tartness. Then, slowly add the Cream. Season this mixture with Salt and Pepper.

While the sauce is coming together, boil the Pasta in heavily-salted water. When the Pasta is ready, drain it, and add cooked Pasta to the sauce you’ve created and plate the dish. Once plated, garnish it with the Dusted Pistachios, and sprinkle on a healthy serving of Shredded Parmesan.

Entrée:

S E ARE D RIBE YE S TE AK Ingredients: 2” Thick Ribeye Steak Oil Salt Pepper Mini Bell Peppers – Charred (for Garnish) Steak Butter (Butter mixed w/ a Splash of Worcestershire Sauce, a Splash of Lemon Juice, a Sprinkle of Chopped Chives, and a Clove of Garlic)

Side Dishes:

ROAS T ED BRU S S E L S S P R O U T S W/ G OA T CHE E S E , B A C O N, AND F IG S Ingredients: 1 Lb. Brussels Sprouts ¼ Cup Goat Cheese ¼ Lb. Bacon ¼ Cup Figs Salt Pepper Olive Oil

Instructions: This dish is as simple as it is comforting. A perfect seasonal dish for a winter gathering, this earthy mixture of Brussels Sprouts and Goat Cheese is just what the doctor ordered.

Clean and prepare Brussels Sprouts by cutting them in half. Sprinkle with Salt and Pepper and drizzle with Olive Oil. Roast on a baking sheet for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. While they’re roasting, cook Bacon and break into small pieces. Toss all the ingredients together and plate in a serving dish.

ROAS T ED BRO C C O L I NI Ingredients: 1 Lb. Broccolini Salt Pepper Olive Oil Calabrese Peppers (for Garnish) Roasted Garlic Cloves (for Garnish)

Instructions: Slowly roast some Garlic Cloves, lightly dusted in Olive Oil. Clean Broccolini and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with Olive Oil and sprinkle with Salt and Pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Bring the Broccolini out of the oven and place in a serving dish.

Garnish with Chopped Calabrese Peppers and a few Cloves of Roasted Garlic.

ROAS T ED S PA G HE T T I S Q U AS H Ingredients: 1 Spaghetti Squash 1 Acorn Squash ¼ Lb. Bacon 1 Tbsp. Honey 2 Tbsp. Butter ¼ Cup Brown Sugar Salt Pepper Olive Oil Diced Scallions (for Garnish) ¼ Cup Candied Pecans (for Garnish)

Instructions: This dish presents beautifully on a table.

The vessel you’re serving in is going to be a hollowed out Acorn Squash bowl. To prepare this, and the Spaghetti Squash, you’re going to cut both gourds in half, drizzle with Olive Oil, sprinkle with Salt and Pepper, then roast in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, with the cut-open half of the gourds facing down, until Squash is tender. When you pull the gourds out of the oven, set the Acorn Squash aside, and scoop out the middle of the Spaghetti Squash.

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Instructions: Remove Steak from refrigerator and let it acclimate, 20-30 min. Season both sides liberally with Salt and Pepper. If you don’t have a 700 degree wood-fired pizza oven, that’s okay. Just heat up a cast iron skillet with two tablespoons of Oil until it’s screaming hot. Place the Steak into the Oil, and let it get a crust on it, about four minutes each side for a two-inch steak for medium-rare. When it’s finished, bring it off the pan and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. This will allow the juices in the steak to redistribute; trust us, it’s worth the wait. Then, brush on some Steak Butter and plate, garnishing with a few of the Charred Bell Peppers.

Get to Know: Jasiri X By: Edward Banchs

Jasiri X entered the Oakland office of 1Hood Media with a phone attached to his ear, a few minutes behind our scheduled time. Not to be distracted, he politely smiled and introduced himself by way of a firm handshake, while still tending to his call. Though it is easy to expect the East Libertybased rapper to be consumed by his work as a touring musician, his profile has grown significantly as a civil rights activist and public speaker, including a performance at the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., in January of 2017.

The phone call was merely a reflection of his busy schedule.

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This particular call, he explained, had to do with a local political issue. “The recent political events made me want to get involved, particularly [at] the local level.

When we first started 1Hood and people wanted endorsements, we were like, ‘Nah.’ Particularly as I began to do things nationally.” Though he credits Trump’s election with his increased political involvement, he explained that Obama’s presidency actually made him more cynical about the political process, for various reasons, notably that America is continually mired by racial thought. “I work with a lot of the mothers of the movement: Trayvon’s mom, Tamir Rice’s mom, Eric Garner’s mom. And the fact that none of them got any justice with a black president, and two black attorney generals, it made me (realize) the solution ain’t political.”

Jasiri X’s profile as a rapper has enabled his ascension into the national discourse as a result of his socially conscious lyrics. He honed his craft at the legendary East Liberty staple, the Shadow Lounge, now defunct. His breakout came during the tribulations of the Jena Six, in which six teenagers of color were given severe sentences as juveniles for their role in a fight with a fellow white student in their high school in Jena, Louisiana in 2006. A series of national protests followed as, for many, the cases of the six teenagers reflected the true injustice of our judicial system for people of color. Jasiri X not only wrote a song in solidarity, but also traveled to the marches in Jena after his song, “Free the Jena 6”, received national airplay, and served as the de facto anthem for the nationwide movement that followed.

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He has not stopped since.

Releasing a full-length album in 2013, Ascension, followed by another in 2015, Black Liberation Theology, as well as in various singles, Jasiri X powers his messages through his music.

His recent single, “The Whitest House,” released in early 2018, reflects where he feels America is, not only at the moment, but also where it has always been. “I wanted to make a song beyond just [Trump]. Because he is not the father of white supremacy, although he is hitting all those buttons, all those dog whistles, when it comes to representing those racist politics… So, when I say the, ‘Whitest House,’ I’m actually talking about the United States. At the beginning of the video I show all the presidents, and it’s just a sea of white men until you get to Obama, then you get Trump. This is the Whitest House, it’s this country. It’s not just Trump at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. when you look at how black and brown folks are treated differently. So, I sing in the song, ‘A real American can only be Caucasian’. It’s this idea of patriotism. When we were criticizing the president, that was un-American. When we were criticizing the FBI, that was un-American. The Tea Party criticizes the president, it’s patriotism. When Trump criticizes the FBI, it’s patriotism. We can’t ever take that. We can’t ever wrap ourselves in that flag; it just doesn’t fly.”

His frustrations with the situation of black life in America also pour into another theme he often uses in his music, white privilege. “I talk a lot about white privilege. And sometimes, when I talk about [it], a white [person] will say, ‘I grew up poor.’ You can’t look at it like that. It’s not an economic thing, it’s more. When you [a white person] go into a store, you’re not being followed. You can openly walk around with a gun, and the police will calmly ask you, ‘What are you doing?’ I can’t do that. To me, Trump has really exposed that, because of what he has been able to get away with. Obama had to be perfect; he had to be a genius. This is the level that he had to be a as a black man.

And Trump, it doesn’t matter how wild he is. It just shows me what you can get away with, particularly as a white man in the United States of America. You can be that and still be held up.”

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Jasiri X explains that the divisions of black and white life are beyond perceptions. He feels they are deeply rooted in America’s construction. “We are taught these ideals about what America is - freedom, truth, justice, pursuit of happiness - and then you see that doesn’t apply to you. You realize that was written without you in mind. But you’re taught that these apply to you, too. Then when you start saying, ‘I’m not getting justice over here. I would like my justice, please, I would like my liberty, please, I would like my pursuit of happiness, please.,’ it’s looked at like somehow you’re attacking America. No, we’re actually trying to get this thing that you told us, by being an American, [by] being born here, we’re entitled to - that you have. You’re trying to get America to live up [to] those ideals and standards that are written, but you don’t see in action. That is actual patriotism. But it’s not written like that.”

While it may be polarizing for some listeners when musicians are up front with their political views, conscious lyrics are what sets Jasiri X apart in the Pittsburgh rap scene. “He told me once that when he started rapping, people told him that no one wants to hear hip-hop with a message. And, I think historically, that is sort of true,” says Margaret Welsh of the Pittsburgh Current.

“So, if you have a message, you have to express it really skillfully.

And he really is able to do that. Jasiri not only expresses his message well, he walks the walk, and has been such an important influence in terms of how artists can combine their work with activism,” she adds.

Fellow 1Hood partner and rapper, Livefromthecity, says about Jasiri, “I think what stands out the most to me about Jasiri’s approach is his revision process. He’ll rewrite a song three or four times to make sure he’s getting his point across as clear and as succinct as possible.” He continues, “I think it’s important for music artists to focus on their personal message. I think worrying too much about making a social statement dilutes the message.

When artists are focused on their personal message it tends to make a strong social message regardless.”

1Hood Media is a collective of artists working across various mediums who use their art to bring awareness to social issues around the world. Coming out of the hip-hop generation, and pursuing activism, the birth of 1Hood was more than a call for unity, it was an instrument of change for those involved at the intersection of art and activism.

“So, the idea of 1Hood for us was our power and our unity. We’re actually harming each other. We’re taking our frustrations out on one another. We’re all poor. We’re all lacking good housing, good schools, jobs. We’re all suffering from police brutality, violence.

But we take our frustrations out [on] one another, instead of saying the solutions are if we come together and unify. We actually could begin to solve these problems, these issues. That’s kind of how 1Hood began, these young men out there working in the community,” said Jasiri.

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Much of their recent work has been inspired by a study from the Heinz Endowment called, Portrayal and Perception, which looked at how black men are being portrayed in local media. As expected, much of the attention was negative. This led 1Hood to take up an initiative for change by launching the 1Hood media campaign. “We went to Heinz and said we wanted to teach young black men how to analyze media,” Jasiri said. And, in 2018, 1Hood was able to fund their media campaign via a grant from the Heinz Endowment. “When we launched the media campaign in 2010, we didn’t know that it would actually lead to 1Hood becoming this collective of socially conscious art that kind of came out of this media academy. We now have artists - hip-hop artists, R&B artists, storytellers, videographers - that are making media, but doing it in a way where it is around issues of social justice.”

“He serves a great purpose in leadership and mentoring youth.

I believe he’s utilized his artistry in delivering much-needed messages over time. And that gravitates people toward him because he’s such an important figure, and they look to him to be a voice when we are sometimes silenced,” says Thomas Agnew of Jenesis magazine, a Pittsburgh-based youth culture life-style magazine. “I think he will continue to grow however he chooses to, whether it’s with music, with his organization, 1Hood, there are many possibilities available for him. He’s one of the blessed ones to be able to pick and choose,” adds Agnew.

“1Hood means family to me. It’s always been love and support…

It’s cool to have others have my back just as much as I do, if not more. I think Pittsburgh artists should know that about 1Hood.

We’re a family.” Livefromthecity said.

The work done by 1Hood is close to Jasiri X, as are his efforts here, in his home city. “We want to see Pittsburgh be the most livable city for everyone, not just the select few. Because we have the poorest black community in the country, according to the U.S. Census. If we see poverty, then it’s not livable for us. If it’s the ‘most livable place,’ then we need to make it work to be the most livable place.”

With no plans on leaving the Steel City, Jasiri X is quite at home here. “I feel like you are able to connect with folks a little bit easier in Pittsburgh just because it’s not as big. Pittsburgh is this bluecollar place. [This city] understands the importance of unions, of workers and workers’ rights. I like that about Pittsburgh. For the size of the city, it supports the arts in a very strong way. Part of the reason I’m still here is that I do get support as an artist from Pittsburgh. We were able to make an impact in not a long period of time, a bigger impact because of the size of Pittsburgh. I feel that we’ve been able to make real change in Pittsburgh in a way that we haven’t been able to in other places, so it’s been a blessing.”

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My cycle of addiction was broken not by the system, but by people believing I was more than a junkie.

Part Of The PublicSource Series: The Fix Stories About The Opioid Epidemic In The Pittsburgh Region.

By: Casey Mullen | Photos By: Maranie Rae Staab/PublicSource

Editor’s Note: As journalists, we spend a lot of time talking with officials and community members and distilling it into stories that explore important issues of our time. But we realize that sometimes it is just more powerful to hear it straight from the source. This is one of those times.

AS PART OF OUR COMMITMENT TO HIGHLIGHT LOCAL VOICES AND PROMOTE JOURNALISM, STEEL THIS MAGAZINE HAS PARTNERED WITH PUBLICSOURCE, A NONPROFIT NEWSROOM, WORKING TO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL LOCAL JOURNALISM IN PITTSBURGH AND THE REGION. PUBLICSOURCE TELLS STORIES FOR A BETTER PITTSBURGH AT PUBLICSOURCE.ORG.

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PUBLIC Source DAVIS DEMOLITION & dismantlement

A

s a child, I dreamed of success, just like anyone else: success in education, a career, a wife and contributions to my community. I firmly believed I would be someone important.

Praise, respect and accomplishment were inevitable. It was never a question of “if ”—only “when.”

By the age of 23, I thought that any day now, the labels I had been taught to associate with success would start to attach themselves to my name: college graduate, graduate student, husband, businessman.

They didn’t come.

At 23, I wasn’t walking into a corporate office with a prestigious job title. No letters followed my name on letterhead. Earning a master’s degree was about as likely as finding that prized wife—that is, not very.

As a young man, I had every opportunity to transform my fantasies into reality. I had a great family, went to great schools and I was personable and intelligent.

There was one problem: I was addicted to narcotics.

Clearly, addiction wasn’t part of my master plan. The fantasies did not include suffering through withdrawals in the morning and needing heroin to just feel normal. They did not include stealing from those who loved me for just a little bit more. Or being arrested with a backpack full of powder cocaine. There absolutely never was a fantasy of exiting a state penitentiary at 23 after serving 26 months of a threeto 10-year sentence.

My fantasies were replaced by a harsh reality. The labels that I expected to attach to my name were replaced by labels like junkie, dope fiend, felon, ex-con, criminal. Instead, I had joined the class that our society and lawmakers perceive as expendable.

I rapidly internalized these labels. I was a failure. A junkie. An ex-con.

A felon. A criminal. Two years had passed since heroin—or any other chemical, for that matter—had entered my body, but I still felt the shame and guilt associated with drug addiction and criminal activity.

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This internal punishment is far worse than any sentence a judge could hand down. I convicted myself, sentenced myself and punished myself daily for my mistakes.

People often have a tendency to place people in boxes, and my own belief that they usually deserve to be there led me to participate in that.

For good reasons, I struggled to believe I could transcend the labels that had been applied to me. I hoped and prayed, but I had no real reason to believe I could ever be absorbed back into the mainstream of our society. I heard phrases like, “Once an addict, always an addict,” and I watched incarcerated people leave prison only to return in a short time. Those who managed to remain free struggled to secure employment. It seemed they had to constantly run uphill just to stand still.

I would have lived with those labels for the rest of my life had it not been for a few amazing individuals. Both externally and internally, the things I once did and the places where I once resided would have continued to define who I was. I likely would have repeated the same pattern of active addiction and incarceration.

The cycle was not broken by punishment, but by individuals treating me in a way that made me believe I was more than a junkie, more than a felon, more than an ex-con.

When I was released from prison, a local grade school allowed me to volunteer as a third- and fourth-grade basketball coach. The fact that the school and the parents allowed me to coach their children impacted me more than anyone will ever know. Treatment like this altered my personal reality and created within me a new self-efficacy. I realized that with persistence, dedication and help I could contribute to society instead of being a burden and liability.

We as a nation, especially our lawmakers, need to pave a road from the fringes to the mainstream.”

Unfortunately, addiction, especially opioid addiction, is far too prevalent in our society.

It drives many to criminal activities that subsequently result in criminal convictions.

These convictions stem directly from the individual’s possession of drugs, the instruments needed to use them or some illegal activity to secure the funds to obtain drugs. These convictions cast the person further from the mainstream of society and permanently leave the individual on the fringe. Opportunities are forever lost, rights and privileges forever sacrificed.

I do not pretend to be a sociologist or psychologist. My proposition is not based on empirical evidence. Instead, I am guided by experience, empathy and common sense.

We are burying far too many young and intelligent people as a result of overdoses from heroin and other opioids.

We are also losing the ones fortunate enough to survive their addiction.

No one benefits from barring young, gifted individuals from reaching their fullest potential and making their greatest contributions.

Today, I am 43 years old. I have had the opportunity to achieve many of the successes I fantasized about as a child. I acquired a law degree and was admitted to the bar, so now there are a few letters after my name. My letterhead contains the name of my own firm. My peers and colleagues respect me. I am an asset to the institutions to which I belong.

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a huge hurdle to leap over again and again. I had to apply to law school four times to gain admittance, even though I was academically qualified. It took years to bounce back from my mistakes, and I never would have done it without the help of so many people—some known to me and others unknown.

My experiences, both good and bad, forged who I am today. Those of us who have overcome addiction and incarceration and are now contributing to society need to stop running from our past. Instead, we have an obligation to the next person in these circumstances to acknowledge our pasts and embrace them. We need the world to see we have something to offer.

When we do this, we not only offer hope to individuals walking out of a penitentiary or county jail, but we also help destroy the labels that hold so many down.

We as a nation, especially our lawmakers, need to pave a road from the fringes to the mainstream. Total and complete reintegration must be available, lest we continue sacrificing far too many young people for the sake of punishment. Our punishments have real and significant consequences not just for the individual, but for each and every one of us.

Casey Mullen is a practicing attorney in Pittsburgh and can be reached at casey@ caseymullenlaw.com.

Edited by Abigail Lind and Mila Sanina.

This project has been made possible with the generous support of the Staunton Farm Foundation.

RACHEL’S JOURNEY

Rachel Anne Steigerwalt died Saturday, October 27th, 2018, at home with her family at her side. In the year and five months since being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, she was a social advocate for metastatic breast cancer awareness and breast cancer research. This is her story...

Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer By: Dana Getz

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A FREE AS PART OF OUR CONTINUING PARTNERSHIP WITH MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE REGION, STORYBURGH HAS SHARED WITH US, RACHEL’S JOURNEY, ONE WOMAN’S STORY OF LIVING WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER. WE STRIVE TO ELEVATE THE VOICES OF PITTSBURGHERS WE FIND INTRIGUING, AND THIS STORY IS RIGHT IN LINE WITH OUR MISSION STATEMENT. TO FIND OUT MORE VISIT STORYBURGH.COM

Cozy pockets of Rachel Steigerwalt’s Swissvale home are scattered with encouraging cards gifted from friends and family. Bright, personalized artwork and quirky momentos sit alongside pill bottles, vision boards, and her napping cats. A kayak she is selling lays across one side of the front porch. The welcoming craftsman home reflects the complex journey of the woman who lives there.

It began in June 2017 when Rachel found herself struggling to recover from her weight training classes. As an avid exerciser, she was used to feeling sore while training for marathons or backpacking. But when it became difficult to raise her arms during workouts, she took notice of a difference on one side of her chest versus the other.

As a healthy 39 year-old with no family history of breast cancer, she wasn’t very concerned. Still, she decided to have it checked at her UPMC office employee health clinic. Within three weeks, Rachel was sitting with her sister awaiting her first chemotherapy treatment.

“It really rocked my world,” Rachel reflected emotionally. “Up until that point I thought, ‘I’m going to fight this. I’m going to do chemo and have surgery and then I’m going to put this behind me.’” She was shocked when her doctor informed her at her first treatment that the cancer was Stage 4 and had metastasized to her bones — a diagnosis that meant she would need to be in treatment for the rest of her life.It is estimated that as of January 2017 over 150,000people in the United States were living with Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC); this means that the cancer has moved beyond the breast tissue and spread to other areas of the body. The focus of treatment is no longer to cure the disease, but to slow its progression. Rachel is one of only 5% of women with MBC at first diagnosis.

It took time for Rachel to reconcile with this terminal disease, particularly because until this past summer she only felt side effects of her treatments rather than any symptoms of the cancer itself.

Over time, she began to view MBC like other chronic illnesses, noting her mother’s 45-year experience with Type 1 Diabetes as a particular source of inspiration. Rachel stated that her mother’s long journey makes her “want to believe.”

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During the first month after her diagnosis, Rachel woke each morning briefly forgetting her new reality before it would flood back into the forefront of her mind and she’d begin to cry. Of course, she explained, “there were other reasons to cry” during this early period of chemotherapy treatment. Besides the harsh physical side effects that included nausea, vomiting, fatigue and hair loss, there was the unanticipated “mental and emotional load.”

And yet, as we spoke about her illness, Rachel, a self-described “idealist,” repeatedly circled back to the unexpected but appreciated joys of her cancer journey.

“The most surprising thing to me is I’ve never felt so loved in my life. That’s the huge silver lining to this. I never imagined so many people would go out of their way to express encouragement and support.”

Rachel spoke emotionally of her sister, Teresa, who has answered her late night calls to bring Rachel to the ER, but also playfully created vision boards with her at a cancer conference they attended together.

She recalled with awe the many friends who created YouCaring fundraising campaigns and her running club who raised $10,000 when members auctioned shaving their heads in her support. One friend who works from home stayed with Rachel during her chemotherapy recovery days even though

Rachel could barely speak. And when a tumor pressed on a nerve resulting in double vision, another friend crafted a quirky eye patch covered in googly eyes.

As the cancer has progressed, her friends and family have utilized Lotsa, a unique website where they have been able to sign up to help her with meals, appointments, laundry and lawn care.

Sometimes friends have helped the most by just being fun and taking her focus off the cancer.

“I have,” Rachel shared with emotional gratitude, “an amazing support system.”

This buoys her as she continues searching for a protocol that she can stay with for the long term. Although breast cancer awareness has grown, the complexity of the disease is less understood. There are different subtypes that react to hormones in specific ways. Initially, Rachel’s cancer was triple positive, in which one aspect of her form of cancer was known as HER-2 positive. Approximately “1 in 5 breast cancers” have this gene mutation that tests positive for the protein “human epidermal growth factor receptor 2.”

Unlike chemotherapy—which doesn’t discriminate between cancer cells and other fast growing cells like hair and taste buds—the clinical trial treatment specifically targeted HER-2 cancer cells, resulting in less side effects for Rachel.

Unfortunately, one challenge in treating MBC is that it can be, as Rachel described it, “a moving target.” As the cancer has spread more into her liver, new biopsies revealed that she is no longer HER-2 positive, but HER-2 negative. Although scientists do not know whether these changes occur as a result of the treatments or a natural progression of the disease, it does mean that treatment must constantly adjust to the changing cells. As a result, Rachel is no longer in the original clinical trial. However, this HER-2 status change opens her up to other uniquely targeted treatments.

Rachel believes that Metastatic Breast Cancer is often lost in the “pink ribbon” campaigns, so she hopes that sharing her personal experience will draw attention to the need for increased MBC research and support. Last fall Rachel participated in a video campaign that helped to raise $5,000 for breast cancer research at Magee Women’s Research Institute. Also, as a former Community Connector volunteer for Living Beyond Breast Cancer she

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reached out to women new to breast cancer to make their path easier.

Now 40, she calls upon her varied life experiences to help her move forward.

From her study of meditation to a career in health and social services, she posits that each experience has brought her to the best place in her life to cope with this challenge.

Resources:

• Our Clubhouse- ourclubhouse.org • Cancer Caring Center- cancercaring.org • Young Survival Coalition- youngsurvival.org • Metavivor- metavivor.org • NMetUP- metup.org

One of the biggest obstacles for Rachel in her cancer journey (a term that she prefers to the ubiquitous “battle”) has been accepting growing physical limitations.

But her marathon experience taught her that little efforts each day will take her toward her goals. She has found joy in the simplicity of playing piano, being with friends, taking nature walks, and was able to attend Burning Man in August with some of her closest friends.

“It’s a fine line sometimes,” Rachel shared knowingly, “between living in fear of what could happen and just living.”

Even though she feels that getting cancer is simply bad luck rather than a “teachable moment,” Rachel can’t help but see a lesson in it for all of us.

“Having received a terminal diagnosis, I am more aware than most people that my days are finite. However, tomorrow is not guaranteed for any of us. My advice for everyone is to show and tell your loved ones how much they matter to you, and to practice living in the present moment.

Find something to celebrate each day!”

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MEDICAL CANNABIS and PTSD

Since Pennsylvania legalized medical marijuana two years ago, many people in Pittsburgh have had an increased interest in cannabis. With dispensaries now open and selling cannabis throughout Allegheny County, what once felt to many patients as a distant hope, is now a reality. People are now wondering about the safety and efficacy of this plant, and whether it might be a good substitute for their current medications, or perhaps a new way to care for a physical, mental, or

By: Sara Makin of Makin Wellness

emotional problem they’ve been ignoring.

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With much research still needed, it’s difficult to speak about the benefits of cannabis use that are backed by hard evidence.

However, there are millions of medical marijuana patients the world over who have given us a platform to discuss the usage, benefits, and disadvantages of cannabis as a medicinal plant. At the same time, research boundaries that have been in place for decades are now easing. While medical marijuana’s use in pain management, appetite enhancement, and other applications have been documented, there is also promising data about cannabis as it relates to anxiety and stress reduction.

Although marijuana is still categorized as an illicit drug, and its applications have been limited, people are now becoming more interested in its medical benefits. While some states have allowed the use of medical marijuana to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), others are still waiting for further research to give a more definitive answer. New Mexico was the first state to add PTSD as a condition for the use of medical marijuana. A two-year study done with 80 patients from the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program has shown that medical marijuana is associated with alleviating symptoms in some patients according to the Clinician Administered Posttraumatic Scale for DSM-IV. More states are showing an optimistic view towards medical marijuana.

Last November, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo legislated use of medical marijuana for people with PTSD. He said on Veterans Day (a lot of veterans suffer from PTSD) that he will provide any treatment he can for people who are suffering from PTSD. Medical marijuana is now available in New York for other serious illnesses, as well, such as HIV and cancer. Colorado State Senator, Dr. Irene Aguilar, also said that, “PTSD is one of those things we really don’t have great medical treatment for, and often people are left on multiple medications with side effects.”

Of this plant’s 120+ active compounds, researchers have generally focused on two of them, tetrahydrocannabinol (primary psychoactive ingredient) and cannabidiol (potential medical benefits). Tetrahydrocannabinol works by binding to specific receptors on brain cells which can ease pain, boost mood, and improve sleeping. Some scientists also believe that it can reduce anxiety by interacting with the amygdala, which is responsible for the regulation of emotions. A clinical trial performed in Canada demonstrated that tetrahydrocannabinol lowered the intensity and frequency of nightmares in 30 people out of the 42 patients studied. However, other studies have shown that different doses produce different effects.

A lot of veterans have supported the study of marijuana and legalization of medicinal cannabis. Elvis Alonzo, who served in the Marine Corps for three years, and a police department for thirteen years, suffered from severe mental breakdown. He believed that marijuana helped him calm down and sleep better.

Steve DeFino, a former soldier with severe injury, switched between different treatment options before he finally found medical marijuana. He said, “I’m able to live a healthy life, sickfree, almost pain-free, and a quality of life to where I’m not

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thinking about killing myself all the time. It’s really nice to be able to have good medicine in your hands.” He is now growing cannabis at his home, which is approved under Colorado’s recreational marijuana laws.

We still do not know too much about the other major focused ingredient, cannabidiol. Marcel Bonn-Miller, a psychiatry and psychology professor from the University of Pennsylvania, thinks cannabidiol is more beneficial than tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) when it comes to treating PTSD. He also mentions that people tend to buy products with a high level of tetrahydrocannabinol, which may actually worsen the symptoms in the long term.

Some veterans are putting their hope on medical marijuana. An anonymous 41-year-old veteran I’ve spoken with from Louisiana described his life as follows, “I’d like to be able to just go and enjoy a meal with my family at a restaurant. I have difficulty with that - with all the noises, all the movement. I get real anxious really quick.” He wanted to try medical marijuana as some of his friends from other states considered it incredibly helpful. Louisiana is now making some progress with medical marijuana, as well, and marijuana oil (the only thing Louisiana law approves) will become available to patients by the end of this year.

Because hypervigilance, anxiety, and panic attacks can also be major symptoms of PTSD, this can make it challenging or impossible for people to travel to medical marijuana dispensaries.

Fortunately, there are caregivers that are able to deliver and assist patients with getting their medical marijuana. One local company able to help with that is PA Compassionate Caregivers.

Other great resources for medical marijuana for PTSD are: • Ask your Primary Care Physician • The Commonwealth’s Website: www.pa.gov. More (www.pa.gov/ guides/pennsylvania-medicalmarijuana-program/).

• The local chapter of The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, www. pittsburghnorml.com.

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About Makin Wellness: Founded in 2017, Makin Wellness are Pittsburgh’s premier therapy and coaching centers located in Downtown, Pittsburgh and New Kensington, PA. The company’s mission is to help people heal and become happy again.

Makin Wellness specializes in depression, anxiety, addiction and relationship counseling.

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DIY Entrepreneurialism:

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Necklace By AANiMALL

By: Amy M. Edwards

Entrepreneurialism is on the rise nationwide, and it is no different here in PGH. I sat down with two small business owners to talk inspiration, punk, gender, community, and how Pittsburgh is a unique location that enables exploration and experimentation.

Earrings By AANiMALL

AANiMALL wares presented by Stulc

Rose Hermalin operates Bread and Water Printshop, a one-person operation, out of her North Oakland studio.

Her sales are based primarily online and are augmented by regional makers fairs and holiday markets. Her designs mash together classic punk T-shirt imagery and design with modern pop culture and music icons.

Eva Stulc of AANiMALL Resin Jewelry is based out of her own home and also enjoys a wealth of online sales via Etsy. She recently tabled at RuPaul’s Drag Con in New York City and pops up at fairs and markets throughout Pittsburgh. Her resin-cast jewelry is loud and colorful, 80’s and femme punk inspired.

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Welcome and thanks for sitting down to chat. Congrats on the success of your businesses so far. Can you both introduce yourselves, your business, and describe the items that you make?

AANiMALL: My name is Eva Stulc, my business is AANiMALL jewelry. I make resin jewelry.

B+W: My name is Rose Hermalin, I own and operate Bread & Water Printshop. I primarily design and print T-shirts that are intended to look like traditional punk band shirts but actually depict pop, country, or indie artists.

How long have you been working on this business and in what moment did you know that you wanted to/could do this full time?

B+W: I started printing shirts mostly for fun in 2014. I had a couple jokey ideas for mash-up shirts that I thought would be funny to have, and printed some patches from my own drawings. I listed them on Etsy and sold a handful, I guess just through random people with the right search terms. I kept a few shirts in stock even while I was in graduate school, but never thought of it as anything more than a fun way of making some extra money. When I quit my Ph.D. program in the summer of 2016, I decided to give screen printing a try as my primary job, and invested in a home studio; a little over a year later I quit my coffee shop job, and have been doing Bread & Water full time.

AANiMALL: I’ve been working on resin jewelry for five years. Four of those years were on and off because I originally wanted to make clothes over jewelry, so I focused on pattern making, sewing, etc. I started making resin jewelry because I saw my friend casting a rose in resin one day and instantly was fascinated by the medium. I started casting dead bugs I found, then tried some flowers. Over time I experimented with paint and dyes to make the resin different colors and textures, then moved on to fabric. I always wanted to do this full time but never thought the day would come. I currently do this part-time. It would be a dream to do this full time.

Has being based in Pittsburgh been helpful or a hindrance to operating a small business? Any advice for others in navigating resources or roadblocks here?

B+W: I would say Pittsburgh has been a really positive place for me to get started simply in terms of space! I started out working in my basement, which I was able to do as a homeowner, and now work in an awesome collective warehouse space. It seems like because of Pittsburgh’s past depression, there is a lot of physical and intellectual space available for people even before they are established, socially and/or financially. It doesn’t hurt that space is also cheaper here than it would have been in other cities; I’m not sure that I would be able to afford to do this full-time if I was living in a more expensive place.

AANiMALL: Being from Pittsburgh is a tremendous help. It’s a small city with a lot of opportunities.

The art community is starving for something exciting. There’s not a ton of people here compared to giant cities like LA and NYC. For example, when I went to Pittsburgh fashion week (which was nowhere as big a deal as [in] other bigger cities), I actually got in, which wouldn’t be the case otherwise.

B+W: Pittsburgh also has a really awesome circle of punk professionals that I’m not sure is as accessible in other cities. It makes it a lot easier to get your business legit when there’s an accountant who understands the community you’re working in and is invested in supporting the artists and makers around them. I was seriously considering leaving Pittsburgh before I started doing Bread & Water in earnest because I felt like it didn’t have very much to offer me, but now I feel a lot more excited about the city itself, in part because of the opportunities it’s provided.

AANiMALL: Being from here, I know a ton of people and have a ton of connections which makes it easier to network and grow here. But I’m sure if I grew up somewhere else that would be the case, as well. I don’t have advice for others starting a business. Find your own way (ha-ha).

Who/what are your inspirations in your work and how does this medium provide a platform to communicate those inspirations in an original way but with a larger audience?

AANiMALL: My inspirations are Patrick Nigel, an 80’s artist, and punk. I love 80’s style, color combinations, patterns, energy, etc. With resin, I can use 80’s fabric and shapes to convey the influence of that time, as well as studs, chains, and images of Wendy O and Nina Hagen, two rockers that I love and admire.

Rose, you are inspired by punk, as well?

B+W: I think parody and pastiche have been central cores of punk since its inception, so definitely that informs my work a lot. But generally, my driving inspiration is my desire to challenge the rigid constraints of what qualifies as “punk” while also celebrating the subculture that’s been such a big part of my life. I consider myself part of a larger community of artists playing with what counts as WINTER 2018

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punk, and the parodying of authenticity in general. It’s fun to meet people who have bought shirts of mine that are direct mash-ups (like my Roy Orbison/Bathory shirt) who have no idea who the punk or metal half of the mash-up is, but think the shirt looks badass. And looking badass is fun. I think there’s value in reminding “punks” that style is performative, and as such is fluid and can be played with and tried on.

Does the spectrum of gender identity and expression factor into your creative process or into the product itself, and how so?

AANiMALL: All of my jewelry is pretty feminine. People ask me if I make masculine things and I honestly don’t want to (ha-ha). It doesn’t come naturally to me. My designs are more attractive to people on the femme end of the spectrum.

B+W: Punk has historically been controlled by male gatekeepers, coupled with this

idea that women only like certain music in order to impress men. People joke about, “Oh, you’re wearing a Danzig shirt, but how many Misfits songs do you actually know?” kind of thing. That attitude is so prevalent, I used to fall into that mindset all the time. And women/femmes are challenged on authenticity or veracity a lot more, I think, because punk and metal music are so male-dominated. There’s some assumption that women are there to impress or attract men, that their investment in the music or politics is secondary. T-shirts are also nice in their kind of ungendered nature; they are malleable and changeable not only as a substrate for design, but as an alterable garment themselves. I’ve been very resistant to print on “women’s-cut” garments, I think because part of what I’ve always loved about a band shirt is that I can cut or sew it to fit my own levels of femininity (or not) at any given time.

Does your business include a charitable or community-focused component? If so, what, and why is this important to you?

B+W: I print one shirt that is outside of the overarching punk aesthetic. It’s a recreation of a shirt made in the 80’s of artist Jenny Holzer’s truism, “Abuse of Power Comes as No Surprise.” I started printing it [at the] request of an old friend, and found that, particularly in the current political climate, it is extremely popular across a wide (mostly, though not exclusively, women) audience. However, because I’m reproducing another artist’s work, I feel uneasy profiting from the shirt sales, so I donate the proceeds to Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania. So far over the last two years I’ve been able to donate over $3000. When it’s financially feasible and there’s an issue I want to support, I also do things like donate a percentage of my profits from a weekend’s sales to an organization involved in the issue at hand.

I think because community and mutual aid are parts of punk culture that I love, I’m constantly trying to figure out how to make my business both viable as a job while also beneficial somehow to the people around me.

AANiMALL: My jewelry is community-based in the way that I support other jewelry makers by buying and wearing their stuff, as well as posting about them on my IG. It’s hard to be charitable when you’re not really making any money, but I have donated jewelry for fundraisers to help support organizations that I align myself with politically. For example, I donated earrings to the Equality Health Center in New Hampshire, a queer feminist community center and abortion provider. I also donated five dollars from each Grace Jones cross earrings that I sold in March to the local group, New Voices Pittsburgh. I don’t feel comfortable profiting from an image of a Black woman without donating to the POC community.

In sum, Pittsburgh emerges as a unique location in that it offers affordable/accessible space, opportunity, community, and ‘punk professionals’, such as boutique accountants.

For Eva of AANiMALL, the freedom of building her own business provides an outlet to celebrate femme-centric punk identity, while Rose’s Bread + Water Printshop unlocks a forum in which to play with (often) male-dominated punk aesthetics via image and form -- but also tone. Playing with these designs/ ideas can (and has) made waves. By working independently within a supported community and aided by the larger scene and marketplace of the internet, they both are afforded the freedom to make a living, communicate their unique perspectives, and generate community support worldwide. ***

Check them out online: AANiMALL Jewelry Designs: etsy.com/shop/aanimall, ig: @aanimall_jewelry Bread and Water Printshop: breadandwaterprintshop.com, ig: @breadwaterprintshop WINTER 2018

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I

n July of 1973, I was enrolled in a veteran’s preparatory course at Penn State.

The object of these studies was to bring guys who had been out of high school for several years up to academic speed. Since I had graduated six years previously, the crap I learned in high school – to paraphrase Paul Simon – had devolved into a very weak fart. Thus, with 60 other Vietnam Vets, I spent my days getting reacquainted with algebra, English grammar and punctuation, and reading comprehension. Should we successfully complete this course of studies, we would be accepted into the higher academic realms.

The three score of us, plus or minus, lived together in a dorm amid other dormitories filled with legitimate freshmen attending summer semester. We were a racially diverse group, meaning black and white, and, by and large, everyone got along swimmingly. We also fielded a darn good intramural baseball team. Which brings us to the point of this yarn.

The director of this program was a fellow by the name of Jim Christofferson. Jim was a hippie- type who had never served a day in the military. He was, however, a natural leader who was well liked and whose opinion was trusted by every vet in the group. One evening after dinner he asked the baseball team to meet with him for a, “rap session.” He told us that a group of teachers from Japan was visiting the University, and he wanted us to play them in an exhibition game.

The reactions ranged from, “Are you out of your goddamn mind?”, to, “Are you Dien-Cai-Dao (pronounced “dinky-dow”)?”, which is Vietnamese for are you out of your goddamn mind. The truth is that many of my brothers, following their time in Southeast Asia, did not care for Asians. And old Jimmy wanted us to get on a field with them.

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I must digress. My war was easy. On occasion, I received rocket and mortar fire, and once a sniper almost took my head off, but the times I feared for my life were few. In consequence, I harbored no ill will toward the Vietnamese. In fact, I very much liked those that I met. They were farmers trapped in their own country by a shitstorm not of their making. Many of my fellow vets did not have such a tranquil war. These guys lived lives of squalor, filth and terror. Their war was more intimate, and their enemy far more personal. The prejudice they held was, to me, understandable.

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Christofferson made his bid and left it to us to decide. After arguments for and against the match had been bandied, most of the team voted to play, with the understanding that anyone who didn’t want to participate could sit this one out.

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We were all nervous before the contest. The game began at about 5 PM on a field which is now an ugly brick computer center. There was a brief introduction ceremony, hands were shaken, and we, as the home team, took the field. The Japanese were not a physically imposing team, and I reckoned this contest was preordained. In this I could not have been more mistaken.

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I was catching that game and had the catcher’s panoramic view. Their first batter beat out an infield single, stole second and went to third on my errant throw.

The next batter flied to right and they went up 1 - nil. Their next two hitters grounded out. In our half of the frame we scored three runs on a homerun by our center fielder.

The second and third innings produced no runs. However, the Japanese center fielder, playing without a glove – I kid you not – made two spectacular catches on the run. These plays would have been seen on Sports Center if ESPN had existed at the time.

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In the bottom of the fourth, we scored five more runs. 8 - 1 USA. There was one glitch.

Our shortstop, Don, slid into their second baseman, breaking up a double play. It was a brutal rolling slide and was, I am certain, racially motivated. Don, you see, had been with the 1st Cavalry Division up in the A Shau Valley, and considered this guy kin to the NVA. When their second sacker got up, wiped off the dirt and returned to his position, it was impossible not to acknowledge his grit with a nod of admiration.

The fifth inning saw the tide begin to turn. The Japanese had a group leader, more so than a coach. They deferred to him before and during the game. It was he, I think, who saw our weakness. We relied on strength and the long ball. They would take that away.

From then until the ninth inning, their pitchers threw almost every pitch between the waist and knees and kept the ball inside. Our run production ceased.

Meanwhile, they nickel and dimed us to death. Two runs in the fifth, two in the sixth, three in the seventh, and one in the ninth. They played precise, errorless, unbelievable baseball! Bunts, hit and runs, a double steal, hitting behind the runner - name it and they did it. Remarkably, they had only one extra base hit the entire game. Going into the bottom of the ninth the score stood at Japan 9 -Yankee running dogs 8. Banfrigging-zai!

Looking back 45 years later, I wish I could say we lost the game. However, I can guarantee you I didn’t feel that way at the time. I even drove in the winning run. But before you carry me out on your shoulders, clarification. We had tied the game, and had the bases loaded with two out, when their pitcher hit me on the foot with his throw. A walk-off hit by pitch; an ignominious end to an illuminating contest.

I am unable to describe the emotions at the end of that fray. We all shook hands, and talked to each other, despite the language limitations and with the services of one hardpressed interpreter. The Japanese, remarkably, did not seem off put by our physical game. Then Mr. Christofferson, mensch that he was, suggested we all head to a bar and reflect on our interaction.

It was a strange yet wonderous evening. As the alcohol flowed, roles were reversed.

My team seemed to become reflective of their actions and were very eager to show friendship to our opponents. The Japanese, though always courteous and friendly, became gregarious, even boisterous. Their group leader’s hold on them evaporated.

We were all baseball players enjoying each other’s company. In a scene that still gives me gooseflesh, I saw our shortstop, Don, with his arm around their second baseman, both smiling like old friends. Let all bigotry end this way!

Before I left, one of their players took me aside and told me, “American women. Very beautiful.” I smiled and yelled, “Hai!”

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CROSSWORD

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By: Brian Herrick Edited by: Daniel Finan

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SHOULD I TAKE THIS TRIP WITH THE PERSON I’M DATING? Relationship and Dating Advice from Varsha Mathur of Knowing Luxe.

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The nerves, excitement and fun rush through you at the thought of an adventure with this great person! And then it hits, “What if he hears me pee?!” Or maybe you’re wondering, “Will she expect me to pay for her flight?”

My husband and I traveled a lot before we were married.

(I can hear the “Indian Aunties” gasping!) We grew individually, and it taught us so much about each other.

But we took heed before diving into a big trip. Every relationship has different ways of communicating and showing love. Tackling traveling together is a great start to learning how to deal with lots of other challenges in life. However, no matter what stage your relationship is in, there are many factors to consider if traveling together. Don’t get nervous, get jet-set ready!

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I’D LIKE TO SAY THAT YOU SHOULD TRUST YOUR GUT AND GO FOR IT, BUT IT ISN’T ALWAYS THAT EASY. THINK ABOUT THE FOLLOWING BEFORE YOU GO:

• Would you trust this person to help you if you’re injured or stranded?

• Do they communicate their needs to you and listen to your needs respectfully?

• Will they have other distractions before and during the trip, or will they be giving this trip the same importance as you do?

• If you break-up with this person on the trip, can you continue with them as a friend, take care of yourself to finish the trip without them, or leave on your own?

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• Work together to book the flight, car or train details. Arrange your hotels or other accommodations in advance as much as possible. Some people like to figure that out once they get there. However, for the first time that you’re traveling together, lock it down to prevent awkward uncertainties. Personally, I need to know what type of toilet and shower I’m going to encounter on certain types of adventure trips. Praying that you packed tissues in your day pack while peeing in the African bush and everyone is waiting for you… been there. Avoid that.

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• Budget is the key. Talk about the money for things like flights, hotels, food, excursions, shows, gifts and emergencies. Be super honest about what type of budget you’re working with. The first time my husband and I traveled before we were married, my budget was ¼ of what his was. So, we adjusted our plans and talked about how to make it work so I wouldn’t feel pressured to spend more than I could.

• Avoid “hangry” situations by knowing where you will be finding places to eat along the way. Low blood sugar is the first ingredient for fighting. Don’t forget to know what the price points are for places so you don’t run into budget trouble or uncomfortable talks about money when you have no choice but to pay the bill.

NOW THAT YOU’RE READY, ENJOY THE TRIP AND REMEMBER: • Be mindful of each other as you navigate a new place. Recognize the different habits and learn from them. Having to do your eyebrows, too much perfume, or the annoying amount of time someone spends on their phone should not be deal breakers. Fights, spats and getting annoyed are totally normal parts of traveling together. The important thing is how you handle it...together.

• Be together and also separate. You will definitely have different interests on things to see and do. It’s completely ok to set aside a morning or afternoon to enjoy something on your own. This will also make the rest of the time more interesting because you’ll have lots of new things to talk about. Having your own space and independence is strengthening and powerful. To this day, some of my favorite travel experiences occurred when solo.

• I’m a sucker for a good love story, a beautiful marriage and long healthy relationships. But, don’t forget to take solo pics of yourself enjoying your travel.

Someday when you look back and remember your trip, you may not want to remember your travel partner.

• Most of all, talk to each other, connect, relax and have a great time!

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