The Pitt News
The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | September 20, 2018 | Volume 109 | Issue 27
READY, SET, SPIKE
PITTSBURGH FASHION WEEK HOSTS PANEL
Charlie Garcia-Wagner Staff Writer
The phrase “Fashion Week” often elicits visions of high-end designers like Gucci, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Calvin Klein gracing a glamorous runway in New York City or London. The Pittsburgh fashion community crafted its own version Wednesday night with a discussion of fashion’s future — including the integration of technology. After this panel, one might look forward to wearing a high-fashion, electronic jacket that will answer emails and tell the time. Pittsburgh Fashion Week’s panel, titled “The Future of Fashion,” took place Wednesday night at Truefit in the Union Trust Building Downtown. It featured Canadian journalist, entrepreSophomore Chinaza Ndee (5) spikes the ball during Pitt’s 3-0 victory over Virginia. Thomas Yang | ASSISTANT VISUAL EDITOR neur and fashion professional Amanda Cosco, the COO and co-founder of Nineteenth Amendment Gemma Sole and the senior marketing manager of PPG Industries Dee Schlotter. “The Future of Fashion” was the second of three events making up the 2018 Fashion Week. neys to different parts of campus throughout responsibility. The project, which launched in The annual event kicked off on Monday with a Madeline Gavatorta Staff Writer networking event called “The Social” and will finthe week, serving up loaded fries and walk- 2016, made sustainability a priority. Audrey Murrell, a professor and associate ish up Thursday with a big runway show. Students commonly experience having to ing tacos between 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Besides Before the panel began, Anastasiya Maksadash into Market-to-Go or the Cathedral Cafe cash and credit, the truck also accepts Panther dean at the College of Business Administration who oversaw the project, explained that kova — a Robert Morris University graduate between classes — now, there’s a Pitt eatery funds and dining dollars. The truck is the creation of a group of stu- sustainability played a prominent part in the and outreach director for fashion week — spoke that travels as much as they do. about her excitement for the expansion of the The University’s newest eatery, the Panther dents enrolled in the Katz School of Business, group’s work for several reasons. Pittsburgh fashion scene through the evening’s Grille, is a blue and gold food truck that jour- all pursuing a certificate in leadership and ethSee Panther Grille on page 3 See Fashion on page 7 ics with a focus on ethical leadership and social
Panther Grille serves sustainability
News
GLOBAL ISSUES LOCALIZED AT HUMAN RIGHTS PANEL
Remy Samuels Staff Writer
When people think of human rights, Dawn Plummer, director of City of Pittsburgh Food Policy Council, doesn’t want them to think about just one part of it, but rather “the whole cornucopia.” “Human rights is not something that we’re just going to be given, it’s something we need [to] organize around,” Plummer said. Plummer was one of several activists who spoke at the Year of Pitt Global event Human Rights in Pittsburgh and the World, discussing ways to “bring human rights home” to Pittsburgh in light of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ 70th anniversary in December. The panel took place Wednesday evening in the Alcoa room of the Barco Law Building. Panelists included Director of Pitt Center for Health Equity Noble Maseru, Director of City of Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations Carlos Torres, Associate Dean of Equity and Justice for Pitt’s School of Education Leigh Patel, Plummer and Jackie Smith, professor in the department of sociology and coordinator for Pittsburgh Human Rights City Alliance. Smith was the first panelist to speak, emphasizing the need for people to advocate for human rights locally because it is not practical to wait on the government to make decisions. “We always use the slogan ‘human rights don’t trickle down, they rise up,’” Smith said. “We can’t wait for the government to give us rights. We have to take action.” Smith said Pittsburgh was the sixth city to pass the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, an international bill of rights for women. But she said there is still work to be done to make human rights central to policy in Pittsburgh and the entire nation, especially when corporations are currently prioritized. “Amazon and Uber have a much bigger voice on policy than any of us in this room,” Smith said. “That’s a major problem.” When Maseru stood up for his turn to speak at the panel, his first words were “let me just say, ‘#registertovote!’” Maseru spoke about the sacrifices our country’s ancestors made to allow people to vote today, and urged everyone to take advantage of this oppor-
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tunity. He also said President Donald Trump is letting human rights violations pass by as being part of the human experience. “Some folks are marginalNoble Maseru, director ized, and that’s of Pitt Center for Health seen as beEquity, discusses factors ing human,” that impact life expecMaseru said. tancy in local Pittsburgh “Our current communities. Thomas Yang | ASSISTANT VISUAL president acEDITOR cepts that.” T o r r e s agreed that apathy plays a role in the progress of human rights — saying human rights decline when people begin to ignore the injustices occurring. He gave the example of 2017 Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, when members of his own family lived without power for almost a year because people ignored the issue. He stressed the importance of community engagement and confronting one’s local officials in order to make change happen. “The current administration has taken concrete steps to removing the U.S. from important human rights treaties,” Torres said. “We can’t depend on the government — it’s up to us. We have a responsibility to our neighbors. When my neighbors are being mistreated, I am being mistreated.” Plummer spoke about her organization’s efforts to address human rights issues surrounding food and the environment. “We’re not just looking at one system or one neighborhood,” Plummer said. “Oftentimes people think we’re just talking about food insecurity, but it’s not the case. We think about food, shelter … what [food] we need to grow, [whether] water is clean and [how] food gets from the farm to the plate.” Plummer talked about food as an integral part of
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the hum a n experience, not just biologically because humans depend on it, but also because it’s a form of community building. “Food is just so core and intimate to the human experience and something that whole communities are based around,” Plummer said. “It’s really important in these times of division to have that connection [between] people who live in urban areas to people on farms.” Ella Maier, a first-year student at Oakland Catholic High School, said the panel heightened her understanding of human rights. “I [thought before], ‘Oh, human rights are important [and] we’re all people who should be treated equally,’ but they brought it to a deeper level.” She said that although some of the ideas were hard for her to understand, she felt inspired by the panel to take action. “The ideas were really complex, but it did make me want to take action because [Maseru] said African-American women are making 66 cents on the man’s dollar and that’s just really sad.”
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Panther Grille, pg. 1 “One, from a straight business efficiency standpoint, the issue of wasting food is costly. It’s costly to business, it’s costly to consumers,” Murrell said. “From a social responsibility standpoint, we started studying food waste because issues in terms of … people’s access to healthy, affordable food are a social responsibility issue.” Murrell said that the Panther Grille is a success so far, exceeding their original expectations. Abdou Cole, the resident district manager for Pitt Dining by Sodexo, reported that five academic departments have requested the food truck be present for events, including a department luncheon. “It has been a tremendous success,” Murrell said. Students in the certificate program began researching and benchmarking for the project in January 2016. They crafted a business plan that included rules and zoning regulations, operation procedures, a financial analysis, a possible menu and a zero-waste initiative. “We actually can...feed more people if we reduce food waste,” Murrell said. “From an ethical standpoint, you want to make sure that you are being a good steward of all resources.” The truck can be used for special events, help serve areas on campus where less food options are present and also work as a “disaster kitchen” — meaning if one eatery on campus cannot run anymore for whatever reason, Panther Grille can be used as a backup. “In the past, we have situations where there was a water main break or electrical outage and had to close a dining hall. Now, we will just pull up and serve the students,” Cole said. The original idea came from the Eat & Greet events hosted by the Student Government Board, in which Sodexo members gather to hear suggestions from students in the lower lounge of the William Pitt Union. Cole received comments from the attending students about wanting a food truck. “It serves the University community, it provides employment and it shows that when students speak, we listen and act,” Cole said. He went to Murrell about the idea, who appreciated the opportunity for her leadership and ethics certificate students to get some work experience. “I like that it is going to provide students hands-on experience in running a business, as they will be doing the marketing, promotion, accounting and food ordering for the truck,” Cole said.
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It took a lot of contributors to create Panther Grille, including chef Jeff Kenaucy, supervisor of the truck, who can vouch for the truck’s success. He said he’s been taking feedback from students about the food the truck serves. “I think it’s nice seeing the different students and kinda getting input from them on what kind of food they like,” Kenaucy said. Kenaucy also talked about the locations the truck has visited, including across the street from Sutherland Hall, the Fifth Avenue side of the William Pitt Union and in between Hillman Library and Wesley W. Posvar Hall, right along Bigelow Boulevard. The truck receives an average of 100 to 150 customers a day, peaking once at 300. He explained that upper campus is a tougher crowd and the lower campus locations usually give more business. “I think a lot of [the students’] classes are on lower campus … so they tend to live up there and as soon as the day starts, they kinda make their way downhill and they end up staying the day on lower campus,” Kenaucy said. Kenaucy and executive chef Conrad Meier at sous-chef, or second in command, helped create the menu. It was up to Sodexo general manager John Crayton to taste-test the results. Kenaucy said that working in the Panther Grille has been a learning experience. “There are all kinds of things you learn as time goes on, like it tends to get a little messier because of the whole kitchen moves and it gets pretty hot in the kitchen here sometimes,” Kenaucy said. Cole Bolten, a first-year physics and astronomy major, said his favorite food from the truck was The Point — a panini with turkey, bacon, sliced apple and Gouda cheese. “The apples add a nice freshness to the sandwich and the Gouda gives a more upscale feel. Just the sandwich as a whole feels a bit more upscale than other offerings on campus for the same price point,” Bolton said. Pitt Business does a lot of projects with corporations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and throughout the United States, but Murrell is especially proud of this project because of its impact on campus. “This project is special because it affects home [in] that we were able to do something that provides a valuable resource for Pitt’s campus,” Murrell said. “And we were able to do it in a way that is both efficient as a business enterprise but also socially responsible in terms of its impact.”
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3
Opinions
Dear Pitt: Without waterless urinals, urine trouble “The no-flush urinal ignores hardtremendous amount of energy. Disconnectlearned lessons on sanitation and reverses ing urinals from water supply lines can reStaff Columnist duce a building’s greenhouse gas emissions over a century of practice by failing to proNine billion gallons of raw sewage and by 50 percent — another campus-wide goal vide consistent cleaning of the urinal wall stormwater enter Pittsburgh’s famous three in Pitt’s sustainability plan. and replacing the permanent seal with one rivers — the Ohio, the Monongahela and the But saving water and energy isn’t just that has to be changed every 30 to 90 days,” Allegheny — every year. important from a sustainability perspec- she told Plumbing Connection. To combat this issue, the City approved tive — it could save the University money as Hygiene is certainly a legitimate concern $300 million of an expected $2 billion proj- well. Pittsburgh plans to raise its water usage in bathrooms — but according to the The ect to overhaul of the current sewer system fees by 18 percent in March 2019, so Pitt will Shanghai Environment Project Design Inin May — it’s estimated to reduce the amount need to cut water consumption by that same stitute, waterless urinals actually contain 5 of wastewater entering Pittsburgh rivers by amount to avoid a sizable hike in cost. times less bacteria than their flushing coun30 percent. But there’s an additional project But according to Dr. Phyllis Fox, a sani- terparts. Most of the germs from traditional that could be launched that’s cheap, easy and tary engineering expert of the California urinals come from airborne fecal matter that would have long-term effects on the amount State Pipe Trades Council, waterless urinals is produced when it flushes — the moisture of wastewater citizens produce in the first could cost institutions in other ways. in combination with the fecal matter proplace — installing waterless urinals. This action is something that should be promoted citywide, and Pitt is the perfect candidate to pioneer such a project. As part of its sustainability plan, the University wants to reduce water and energy consumption on campus by 50 percent — implementing waterless urinals is the perfect way to achieve both goals. Waterless urinals are exactly what they sound like. Instead of using water to flush, like traditional urinals — which waste anywhere from one to three gallons of water — waterless urinals utilize gravity, putting urine through a sealing liquid then collecting the waste in a pipe below. This procedure cuts out 100 percent of the water from a conventional flushing process. In a public building — which the majority of Pitt facilities are — replacing a flushing urinal with a waterless model can save an average of 40,000 gallons a year per urinal. There’s one urinal for every two toilets, which together account for more than a quarter of the United States’ water consumption. Pitt could make substantial progress toward satisfying its sustainability goals for water usage and energy consumption if it installed waterless urinals. Daniel Walsh STAFF ILLUSTRATOR Supplying water to buildings requires a
Joshua Jordan
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September 20, 2018
vides the perfect environment for bacteria to grow. Waterless urinals don’t flush, so physical contamination becomes very unlikely. Bacteria produced from airborne fecal matter and moisture is the main cause of putrid bathroom odors as well. Urine has a very weak odor on its own — but with the help of a conventional urinals’ flushing mechanisms, it can stink up the bathroom, too. Still, despite all of its benefits, installing waterless urinals would prove to be quite an arduous endeavor. Pitt did not respond to an email Wednesday evening in time for publication asking to comment on the feasibility and cost of installing waterless urinals, but it’d likely be pricey. Waterless urinals cost, on average, $100 more per unit than a conventional urinal, which costs around $200. And there are hundreds of conventional urinals on Pitt’s campus alone. Replacing all of them would take dozens of people and cost tens of thousands of dollars. But if Pitt wants to attain its sustainability goals and reduce energy and water costs in the long run, these are up-front costs the University will have to swallow. Pitt has already begun renovations on all of the Litchfield Towers bathrooms — Tower C’s renovations took place this past summer, but Tower A and B’s latrines are scheduled for renovation next. These are the largest dorms on Pitt’s campus — so it’s the perfect opportunity to put the waterless urinal plan into action. And with Pittsburgh raising its water bill early next year, installing waterless urinals is more important now than it ever has been. Waterless urinals are a surefire way to reduce Pitt’s water and energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Installing them will only help further Pitt’s stated sustainability initiatives. The City is already taking up initiatives to reduce wastewater in its rivers — Pitt should do the same.
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from the editorial board
KAVANAUGH SEXUAL ASSAULT INVESTIGATION NECESSARY Since the dawn of the #MeToo movement, hundreds of women have levied sexual assault allegations against prominent men in Hollywood, Washington and major corporations. President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, joined the list of the accused last week after Christine Blasey Ford said in a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party in the 1980s. Although Ford’s allegations appear credible, Republicans have decided to forego an investigation, instead issuing Ford an ultimatum — she can testify before the Senate by Friday, or the Senate will move forward with a vote as if no accusations were made. This is an extremely negligent decision — in light of the #MeToo movement, which has shown that sexual assault is quite commonplace in the upper rungs of society, Republicans should know to take sexual assault accusations seriously. Yet they dismiss Ford’s allegations for political purposes — because that’s the only reason to rush to a confirmation vote. The Senate can vote on a Supreme Court justice following the committee’s vote, if their chairman decides to hold one. So if Republicans sincerely believe Kavanaugh is innocent, then they should demand a full investigation, not fight it. But instead, the party has tried to undermine Ford’s sexual assault allegations by accusing Democrats of trying to mount a smear campaign against Kavanaugh at the last minute. “Senator Feinstein has had this information for many weeks and deprived her
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colleagues of the information necessary to do our jobs,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said. While it’s true that Feinstein has known about the sexual assault accusations for a couple of weeks, Ford requested that her name be kept confidential, so bringing up her accusations during the hearings would’ve disrespected her wishes. Republicans’ unwillingness to accommodate a probable victim of sexual assault is appalling — but it’s nothing new. Anita Hill accused Justice Clarence Thomas of sexual assault in 1991 when he was undergoing confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court — and Senators on all sides didn’t take her accusations seriously. Sen. Howell Heflin D-Ala., a conservative democrat, even asked Hill if she was a “scorned woman” out for revenge. She subsequently received death threats from complete strangers and was nearly fired from her job. The treatment of Anita Hill was unacceptable in 1991, and in light of the #MeToo movement, the treatment of Ford is even more unacceptable today. “I think it’s ironic that we have senators who are deciding about who is going to sit on the highest court, but they can’t really put partisanship aside long enough to put together a fair hearing to get to the truth about this situation,” Hill said. If Republicans keep favoring their political interests over the rights of alleged victims of assault, it won’t matter who they put on the Supreme Court, they’ll always be on the wrong side of history.
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Culture
THRIVAL FESTIVAL EXPLORES HUMANS AND TECHNOLOGY Tommy Talbot — a guest who came all the way from Charlotte, North Carolina, to attend Thrival — was excited about the discussion of A technological symposium might not education. sound like the most interesting event, but “You can do whatever you want, especially if when an EDM duo dressed in light-up suits you’re in America. I mean, it’s just about getting hits the stage, that view is pretty easily chalup and making the right steps to complete your lenged. goals that you want to do,” he said. “We’ve got Wednesday night’s Thrival Festival Future YouTube, free programs, technical schools — you of Work Symposium welcomed this fun festivdon’t need a four-year degree nowadays. Techity with the group Veserium, which combined nology and where we’re going is just amazing.” technology and dance entertainment. A short scene from the play “Marjorie Prime,” Thrival is an annual festival that explores opening in May 2019, was performed following the connections between people and importhe second act. Act III explored the risks and optant parts of their society — specifically techportunities in an automated future. A new panel nology and music. It is composed of two parts was introduced and they also answered questions — Humans X Tech and Music X Arts — that sent in the online forum. follow the same theme. The theme this year is The “Act III. The Rising Tide” panel discusses the future of automation at The panelists spoke about inclusivity in the LIFE.CODE, and the festivities kicked off with Thrival’s Future of Work Symposium. Elizabeth Donnelly | CONTRIBUTING WRITER tech industry and how it is a goal for automation the symposium. to get rid of bias. Jill Weimer, panelist and sharewant to see,” Peduto said. Executive Producer and Director of Thrival holder of Littler, discussed how she views the recent boom Once Peduto left the stage, Act I began. This act featured Dan Law said that coming up with this year’s title and theme in technological automation. President and CEO of the Heinz History Center, Andrew was a scientific process in itself. “Automation isn’t a finish line, it’s a starting point,” she “When we started asking the question of what makes us Masich, talking about Pittsburgh’s legacy of work. Masich said. human, we said, ‘Well, maybe it’s our DNA, our mitochon- went over the history of Pittsburgh and all of the unique Tara Lookabaugh, director of startup development at dria, or maybe it’s shared experience and the ability to em- and diverse accomplishments and inventions created here, GSV Labs, spoke about success of the evening’s event and pathize with one another,’” he said. “‘Or maybe it’s just the like Heinz pickle pins. her enjoyment with the event’s opportunity to learn. After Act I, a snippet of the documentary “GAPPED” simple idea of contemplating your own death.’ So we said, “I tend to be surprised about what I like most at con‘Okay, what’s the code of life?’ and that’s how we came up played for the audience. This documentary, made by Molten ferences, ” Lookabaugh said. “I’m always excited for the Media, discusses the generational trauma native Pittsburwith LIFE.CODE.” Carnegie Art Museum portion with all of the artwork and The Future of Work Symposium was part of the Humans ghers face due to gentrification. The clip shown talked about the cool experiences, like seeing the demo booths of some X Tech section of Thrival, featuring three main presenta- the cycle of poverty and how the economic system in PittsPittsburgh-based start-ups. ” burgh works for 70 percent of people, but leaves the other tions with smaller performances between each one. Lookabaugh looks forward to the future of Pittsburgh’s The night started with a performance by Veserium. The 30 percent stranded without help. technological development — and sees events like ThriAct II, “Course Correction: Navigating Disruption with duo consists of former engineers, Ray Li and Michael Nduval as an ideal way to get spread the technological ideas buisi, who decided to make their own performance technol- Education,” was a panel of speakers who talked about techthroughout the City. ogy for musical acts. The key element of their act was their nology in education. The panel featured local educators like “I think technology is going to be a huge industry in light-up suits that changed color as they went through the Aileen Owens, the director of technology at South Fayette Pittsburgh in the next several years and in the future longmotions of their dances. The duo’s performance of “Journey School District, and business moguls like Rusty Justice, a term, ” she said. “So I think Thrival is a great way to integrate Through Time” had an intro that explained the suits, which managing member of Bit Source, among many others. the rest of the community into that new industry and really Max Dennison, executive director of Beta Builders, exthen transitioned into “Wolves” by Selena Gomez. get the rest of the City and community behind that future.” After Veserium, Mayor Bill Peduto came onstage to give plored the subject of raising kids exclusively as generalists Th rival continues Th ursday with a summit at Phipps some opening remarks. He opened with some light humor or specialists in this panel. Conservatory featuring multiple panels, presentations and “I don’t know why we have to choose — they could be in regards to how much cleaner Pittsburgh has become in workshops all related to the Humans X Tech aspect. Friday recent years. He then spoke about how Pittsburgh is making generalists up until maybe high school or until they find is the Music X Arts part of the festival, located at Highmark a comeback as a city and how he envisions technology help- something they’re interested in, and then they could speStadium. Dillon Francis is the headliner and other acts incialize from there. I would say be a generalist until you ing the City become more successful in the coming years. clude Matt and Kim, Bear Hands, Bastard Bearded Irish“We need to measure, adapt, measure, adapt and then be know what to do and how you want to impact the world,” men and more. able to have our City, 20 years from now, be the city that we he said.
Elizabeth Donnelly Staff Writer
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Fashion, pg. 1 panel event. “Pittsburgh Fashion Week is here to extend an opportunity for everyone in the fashion community to get together,” she said. “I’m excited for the fashion and to see the innovation of fashion.” The guests at the panel spoke to an eager — and sold-out — audience on the future of the glamorous world of fashion, how it can intertwine with technology and the importance of business and marketing within the fashion industry. “I’m looking forward to learning more about the Pittsburgh fashion scene and sharing some of my insights into the future of fashion,” Cosco said. “I specifically focus on the intersection of technology and fashion. So obviously, Pittsburgh is really known for the technology component and now they’re trying to bring in the fashion component and that’s great.” Cosco is the founder of fashion business Electric Runway, which started in 2015 as a “wearable technology runway show curated for the Maker Festival in Toronto,” according to the organization’s website. The brand has now gone global and is well-known for its futuristic fashion decisions like incorporating smart glasses and
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electronic rings. Cosco was excited to visit Pittsburgh and share her ideas and prospects on the fashion scene, as she visits cities to talk fashion pretty often. “I always like to come to cities and learn a lot from the local people, but I think my area of focus in fashion is really looking toward how emerging technologies are shaping the fashion, but we don’t really realize how they’re impacting the fashion industry,” she said. One of the final objectives of Pittsburgh Fashion Week was to incite thought on the expansion of fashion through technology, and how a small, less fashion-driven city like Pittsburgh can embrace that expansion. “I’m hoping to show the audience how this stuff can affect their businesses, whether they’re in retail or a fashion designer or [an] aspiring designer,” Cosco said. Cosco did so by sharing her thoughts on how technology has impacted her career — both positively and negatively. She believed the impacts were largely positive, especially since she was able to build her brand on the idea of wearable technology. Her idea of negatives came from the realm of social media and the potential of data and privacy invasions. But overall, she spoke very highly of technology.
The second speaker — Gemma Sole from Nineteenth Amendment — spoke on how the company allows designers access to better wholesale connections and other fashion outlets as well. Nineteenth Amendment is a designer-direct fashion company, so most of Sole’s comments in discussion related to connecting the dots of her business with the help of technology and media, stating that working with social media, influencers and online tags has been a great way for the company to get its name out. “Instagram influencers are the new magazine,” she said in her panel discussion. The third speaker of the evening — Dee Schlotter from PPG Industries — discussed the importance of colors in a fashion business, as she works closely with PPG Paints. Schlotter cited studies on colors and their influence on a person’s mood and how fashion companies can use that to their advantage when selling their products and increasing their online presence. “Getting the right colors to the right people is an important thing in fashion,” Schlotter said. Pittsburgh Fashion Week received many sponsorships this year, but despite that, the event still took many hours of planning. The event’s creative director, Point Park alum Elysia Newman, took on the huge responsibility of organiz-
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ing the event — and did not take it lightly. “Large-scale events like this typically take about half a year,” she said. “We started in March and next year I’m hoping to start even earlier, just to refine and rework some of the branding. I have a marketing background so that’s my natural inclination.” For this year’s Fashion Week, Newman and her staff approached the event with many goals in mind — the most important being to spread the word about the Pittsburgh fashion community. “There are a lot of goals that we’re trying to accomplish this year, but if I had to pick [the most important one] it would probably be to boost awareness of fashion being in our City,” Newman said. The Panel proved to be a successful event for the fashion buffs of Pittsburgh, and there is still one more event left to go for Fashion Week’s festivities. Tomorrow’s runway event will bring dozens of local fashion designers and artists to the forefront of Pittsburgh’s fashion scene. “One of the most important ways that we can raise awareness of fashion here is to showcase the local talent,” Newman said. “A lot of our designers for tomorrow are emerging, local talent who have never been out on the runway before, and it’s exciting to get them out there.”
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Sports
COLUMN
Panthers sweep Pitt volleyball Cavaliers in deserves more ACC opener recognition Alex Lehmbeck Staff Writer
In a rare mid-week volleyball matchup, Pitt (12-0 overall, 1-0 ACC) faced a struggling University of Virginia squad (4-7 overall, 0-1 ACC) to begin ACC play for both teams. The Panthers came into Wednesday night’s game riding a perfect 5-0 record in ACC openers, and extended that streak to six with a dominant 3-0 win over the Cavaliers. After a tight back-and-forth start to the match, Pitt finally strung together a run to take a four-point lead, 17-13. The Cavaliers took a timeout to regroup — but that did nothing to stop the Panthers’ momentum as they took the first set 25-17 off a kill from junior hitter Layne Van Buskirk. “We started off a little slow, which we’ve been working on all season,” Pitt senior libero and captain Angela Seman said. “Just as we were coming into tough situations we were like, ‘Hey, listen, we can beat this team if we just play Pitt-good. Let’s go back, let’s not try to do anything spectacular. Let’s just be Pitt-good.’ I think that was just the whole story of the match, us playing our game and not trying to do anything special.” In the second set, Virginia started to find its rhythm. After falling behind 4-7, Pitt head coach Dan Fisher called for a timeout. Down 6-12 moments later, he called one more. With Virginia eventually notching a 20-13 lead, it looked like the Cavaliers were in perfect position to even up the match at a
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set apiece. Stephen Thompson “We just weren’t being us,” Fisher For The Pitt News said. “We play a very aggressive style. Wet, cold and disappointed, I trudged We like to swing and hit really hard, out of Heinz Field after Pitt’s embarrasseven if it ing loss to inmeans makstate rival Penn ing a few State alongside errors. There many other was just a glum fans, number of wondering sequences what to do where we with my school weren’t hitspirit. ting the ball In the folhard and lowing days, being aggresit was clear sive.” that a lot of Backs enthusiasm for against the football had wall, the dissipated — Panthers came Sophomore Kayla Lund (23) celebrates dur- leaving Pitt fans roaring back, ing the first set at Pitt’s 3-0 victory over Vir- desperate for a ginia. Thomas Yang | ASSISTANT VISUAL EDITOR winning 10 team to bring of the next much-needed energy back to campus. 11 points. A kill from junior hitter Pitt football can still be that team, but we Stephanie Williams ultimately gave can’t be sure of that for at least another Pitt the set 25-23. Williams finished few weeks. the match with a team-leading 13 kills The good news for Panther fans is that and .400 attacking percentage. they don’t have to wait weeks or months “We were like, ‘We’re a better team for another team to fill that void, bethan this. We know we’re a better team cause at this very moment there is a team this. We should be dominating them, in Oakland making noise on a national not playing down to their level,’” Se- stage. man said. “We just went back out there Pitt women’s volleyball is undefeated like, ‘No ball is hitting our floor. We’re through 12 games, ranked No. 9 in the gonna put this game away.’ We brought country and is eager to improve on its it more as a team than as individual strong 2017 campaign. And to top it off, players.” they’re underdogs — Pitt volleyball does The third set was another close one. not have the storied history or championSee Opener on page 10
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ship pedigree of schools like Nebraska or Stanford. For most of its existence, Pitt volleyball has been a middling team in the Big East, often finishing No. 5 or 6 in its conference. Since the first NCAA tournament in 1981, the Panthers have made it out of the first round only five times — and have never made it out of the second. But this year’s team wants to change that. Pitt’s volleyball program had never seen the kind of success and attention that it has now until Dan Fisher was hired as head coach in 2013. Fisher, now in his sixth year at Pitt, is fresh off an ACC Championship as well as an American Volleyball Coaches Association Coach of the Year award. He brought new life to the program and the players immediately recognized that, some even before they stepped on campus as students. Redshirt senior libero Angela Seman — a nearby Seneca Valley native whose mother, father and uncle all attended Pitt — credited the new coaching staff as one of the biggest factors in her decision to stay home and play for Pitt. “Before the coaching change, I really didn’t have any interest in coming to Pitt,” Seman said, “But once [Fisher] and the rest of the coaching staff got hired … I realized I didn’t want to be far [from home]. Then once the coaching change happened it was the best of both worlds. I get to play in the city I grew up in and for such a great program.” Seman was in Fisher’s first recruiting class, and she’s noticed a significant change in the team’s attitude from when See Volleyball on page 10
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TAKE 5:
PATRIOTS, PASS-RUSH, PATRICK MAHOMES The Patriots are going to win it all … again Unfortunately for non-Patriots fans, the teams that could have challenged New England in the postseason this year have hit a few hurdles. The Jaguars — who nearly toppled the Patriots in the 2017 AFC Championship game — just lost starting left tackle Cam Robinson for the year due to an ACL injury, and their workhorse running back Leonard Fournette keeps dealing with injuries. Meanwhile, the Steelers’ offense has been plagued with drama, from Antonio Brown to Le’Veon Bell, and their defense has severely underperformed. With the struggles of the two toughest challengers to the Patriots, the last thing that needed to happen was the acquisition of Josh Gordon. The last time Tom Brady had a receiver with the talent of Josh Gordon, he led the league’s most prolific offense with an undefeated record. If Josh Gordon somehow manages to stay healthy and substance-free, the Patriots will win the Super Bowl. It may seem like a stretch, but the last time Gordon played to his ability he snagged 87 catches for more than 1,600 yards and nine touchdowns. His quarterbacks over that incredible 14-game stretch consisted of no-names like Jason Campbell, Brandon Weeden and Brian Hoyer. I have no doubt the Patriots will make the Super Bowl and that Bill Belichick will scheme his defense against whatever team has to face them. If Gordon can be the weapon that New England traded for, all the rest of the league can do now is watch and hope that some team gets lucky and knocks the Pats out of the playoffs. — Sami Abu-Obaid, For The Pitt News The time is over for NFL overtime After two ties in the first two weeks of the season — the Steelers and Browns followed by the Packers and Vikings — the National Football League should take a page out of college football’s playbook and switch to its overtime format. NFL games are often uneventful and unexciting as is, and this is made worse by the fact that after 70 minutes of football, there still might not be a true winner. Viewers want excitement, finality and closure out of extra game time, and ties typically yield none of these results. In the NFL, overtime lasts just 10 minutes or until the first touchdown is scored. If both teams kick field goals or fail to put points on the board at all during their first possession, the game goes until the first points are scored — touchdown or otherwise. Sometimes overtimes are ugly stalemates, in which no points are scored at all before the 10-minute period ends — like both ties that have occurred thus far. College football overtime has a unique style that infuses drama to the game and forces teams to make plays to win. There is no clock and both offenses have a chance to win the game for their teams. Teams start with the ball at the 25-yard line, making a
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In a week with an abundance of NFL storylines, The Pitt News staff provides some insight on the top talking points. by The Pitt News Staff
touchdown more likely and a field goal almost a given. After each team has a possession, whoever leads wins the game. If the game is still tied, play goes on. This style of overtime has many benefits. Each team has a guaranteed possession. The close proximity to the end zone allows for highlight-worthy scores and thrilling defensive stands. Two incredible, evenly matched teams could go at it for four to five possessions before one stands victorious. The NFL, which often lacks the glam and glitter of college football, should open its eyes and adopt this NCAA technique for the benefit of players and fans alike. — Nick Carlisano, Staff Writer Mack attack The Oakland Raiders made the most newsworthy transaction of the NFL offseason by trading linebacker Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears for future draft picks. The move came after months of unsuccessful negotiations between Mack and the Raiders, with the star skipping voluntary offseason training programs and a mandatory three-day minicamp. Mack immediately signed a $141 million extension upon his arrival in Chicago, making him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. The Bears went from 100-1 odds to win the Super Bowl to 40-1 after the trade. So far, Mack is making the Raiders look foolish for the deal. He bullied Aaron Rodgers and DeShone Kizer in the first half of the season opener, forcing a fumble and returning an interception for a touchdown. In the Bears’ win over the Seahawks in Week 2, Mack had another sack and forced fumble. After two games, Mack alone has as many — or more — sacks, forced fumbles, interceptions, fumble recoveries and touchdowns than the entire Raiders’ defense, which has fallen to 0-2 on the year. Head coach Jon Gruden has said many times that he doesn’t regret the trade, but if Mack continues this dominance through the season then even Gruden may have to admit the Bears got the better end of the deal. — Alex Lehmbeck, Staff Writer MVPatrick Drafted 10th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, former Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes was meant to take over the dynamic Kansas City offense once the Chiefs moved on from starting quarterback Alex Smith. Kansas City traded Smith to the Washington Redskins in January, essentially handing Mahomes the keys to the offense. Experts and fans of the NFL were skeptical if Mahomes would
September 20, 2018
be able to handle the pressure of starting at quarterback in just his second NFL season. But Mahomes has proven all the doubters wrong in this young NFL season — and is proving why he should be in the NFL MVP conversation. With Mahomes at the helm, the Chiefs have scored a combined 80 points in their first two weeks of the season. Mahomes dominated in both games, throwing for a combined 582 yards, 10 touchdowns and no interceptions. Six of those touchdowns came against the struggling Pittsburgh Steelers in a game that showed his Week 1 performance was no fluke. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a young quarterback in the MVP conversation. Just last year Houston Texans’ quarterback Deshaun Watson tore apart NFL defenses for the first seven weeks until his unfortunate season-ending ACL injury. If Watson hadn’t gotten injured, he would have been on pace to possibly get the MVP nod over Carson Wentz. Mahomes is producing at a rate similar to Watson in 2017, and with perennial superstars Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady struggling, Mahomes could take home the award if he keeps up this form. — Tyler Moran, For The Pitt News Tomlin’s seat is feeling the heat The Steelers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday to drop to 0-1-1 so far in this young season. Although it’s premature to hit the panic button with plenty of time to turn everything around, it’s not too early to start questioning the job security of head coach Mike Tomlin. Ever since the Steelers lost on a botched call on what should have been a game-winning touchdown by Jesse James to beat the Patriots in Week 15 last season, a lot has gone wrong for Tomlin’s club, on and off the field. For starters, All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell held out for a new contract throughout training camp and preseason. Bell’s holdout reached a breaking point when he didn’t show up during the week before Pittsburgh’s first game, causing his own offensive linemen to finally lash out and criticize him. Through the first two games, Bell has shown no signs of returning soon. Antonio Brown, another veteran leader on the team, skipped practice Monday following a Twitter spat with a member of the media. With Bell still holding out and the Steelers without a win through two weeks of the season, this could not have come at a worse time. At this point, Tomlin has lost control of the locker room. The Steelers are 116-61-1 since Tomlin was hired prior to the 2007 season, including a Super Bowl victory in his second season as head coach. However, since the Steelers lost to the Packers in Super Bowl XLV eight seasons ago, the team is just 3-5 in the playoffs, including three first-round exits, two of which were at Heinz Field. It may be time to hold Tomlin accountable. — Michael Nitti, Staff Writer
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Opening, pg. 8 Neither team gained more than a one-point lead for the first 17 points. With the score knotted up at 19 apiece, junior hitter Alix Dreier’s kill gave Pitt its first lead of the set since an early 5-4 advantage. Seman closed the night with an ace to give the Panthers a 25-21 third-set win and an 11th-straight victory in the form of a sweep. “We were pretty good late in the match,” Fisher said. “I thought we weren’t super focused for a lot of it, but when it mattered, we were. That’s something we’ve been doing well all year. We’ve actually been statistically playing a lot better when we’re down in matches. We need to be a little more consistent, but it’s good we’ve been able to find a way.” Wednesday was a significant night for Seman, in particular. She entered the match third in Pitt history with 1,595 career digs, only seven behind Delaney Clesen. Her 12 digs against Virginia were good enough for Seman to pass Clesen as second all-time in program history. “It’s come a long way from my redshirt freshman year to now,” Seman said. “I just have to give all the credit to my coaching staff and teammates for pushing me and making me the best player I can be.” Fisher also voiced his vote of confidence for his veteran leader.
Volleyball, pg. 8
Senior Kamalani Akeo (3) and redshirt senior Angela Seman (16) celebrate during the third set. Thomas Yang | ASSISTANT VISUAL EDITOR “She’s been a starter for four years,” Fisher said. “She’s a really improved player in many areas, but she came in here and was a good defender. The thing about her defense is she has a big range, she can dig more than balls just right at her. I’m not surprised she’s second all-time now.” Seman and fellow senior setter Kamalani Akeo
led the team in digs with 12 and 10, respectively. Sophomore hitter Chinaza Ndee also contributed a stellar performance, pacing the Panthers with five blocks and a second-best 12 kills. The Panthers will look to continue their hot streak on Friday at 7 p.m. in Blacksburg at Virginia Tech. The Hokies are 9-3 on the season.
“In volleyball, you can always give 100-percent effort — or perfect effort, as our coaches call it,” said Seman. she was a first-year until now. “It’s not always going to work out, volleyball-wise. Some “We’re all more dedicated to wanting to be here and days you’re going to be a little off, but you can always make this program better,” she said. give perfect effort.” Fellow senior setter Kamalani Akeo’s recruitment I went to my first game during O-Week and saw the was heavily influenced by the positive environment that Panthers play No. 24 Cal Poly, winning handily in four developed. sets. For someone like me, who’d never been to a vol“I met the team and I met the coaches and I really leyball game and hardly knows the difference beliked the culture and they seemed like more of a tween a libero and an outside hitter, I was taken family than any other team,” said Akeo. aback at the sport’s fast-paced nature. The sport After losing to Penn State 3-1 in the second features constant action and the energy on the round of the NCAA tournament for the second court and leaves spectators on the edge of their consecutive year, the Panthers have revenge on seats. their minds. While another ACC Championship Volleyball is without a doubt the university’s is certainly a goal, Akeo says that a longer run most successful team this year, and I encourage in the NCAA Tournament is what every player Panther fans to come to a game and see for themis thinking about. selves what makes Pitt volleyball so great. “We’re trying to push further in the NCAA And if the football game left you wanting to Tournament and actually hope to host. We actutake another crack at Penn State, supporting Panally don’t have a whole lot of expectations in the thers’ volleyball this fall would be a beneficial ACC,” Akeo said. “Another ACC title would be move — a top-15 Pitt team would have a chance great, but we want to get as far as we can in the to host the the regional round of the NCAA TourNCAA Tournament.” nament, potentially setting up a rematch with the This team is determined and knows it has Nittany Lions. a long way to go before it can achieve what it I asked if the Panthers will beat Penn State this wants this season. Expectations are sky-high, Redshirt junior Stephanie Williams (13) spikes the ball during the year. A confident Seman responded, “If we host, but you can expect a lot from these Panthers. second set. Thomas Yang | ASSISTANT VISUAL EDITOR for sure.”
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Their squad is driven, experienced and talented — and they deserve all the support our Pitt community can give them. They play every day with passion, intensity and pride. Their commitment to not only winning but growing as a team every time they take the court is obvious. The coaching staff holds the players accountable and expects a lot from them whenever they’re on the court.
September 20, 2018
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