The Pitt News T h e in de p e n d e n t st ude nt ne w spap e r of t he University of Pittsburgh
PITT BANS HOVER! BOARDS
Looking ahead to Pitt-Louisville men’s basketball on Thursday. Page 7 January 13, 2016 | Issue 85 | Volume 106
Dale Shoemaker News Editor
Pitt put its foot down Tuesday with a new rule that bans hoverboards from campus housing. Panther Central said in an email to students that it is banning hoverboards, which are selfbalancing electric scooters, from University housing following consumer reports that some boards malfunctioned and caught fire. As of Tuesday, Pitt’s ban only affects residence halls and Pitt-owned apartments, and students can continue to use hoverboards outside on University ground. In December, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a statement acknowledging that some hoverboards overheated and caught fire when consumers plugged the boards in to charge. The statement said the Commission was investigating the cause of the fires in the boards and urged consumers to be wary of where and what kind of hoverboard they purchase. The Commission also said to not charge the boards overnight. Pitt follows several other schools, including University of Notre Dame, Auburn University and University of Northern Colorado, which have all issued bans on hoverboards in the past week. Retailers, such as Amazon and Overstock, have also stopped selling hoverboards, citing the safety concerns of the vehicles. Panther Central said it had taken notice of the hoverboards’ fire risks and has given students about two months — until March 13 — to take their boards home. After March 13, the University will not allow hoverboards in dorms or Pittowned apartments. In the meantime, Panther Central said students must not use their hoverboards indoors or charge them in Pitt dorms or apartments.
PittServes hosted “Sole Hope” on Tuesday night, an event where students recycled old denim and plastic jugs to make children’s shoe materials for Ugandan shoe factories. Nikki Moriello | Visual Editor
SGB AMENDS TRAVEL GRANT RULES Lauren Wilson Staff Writer
Pitt Student Government Board has proposed new limits on the way it grants money to student researchers traveling to conferences. Board Member Lia Petrose introduced a new bill at SGB’s public meeting Tuesday night to place a cap on the number of students the Board will send to a single conference with its Undergraduate Conference Fund. With the proposed rule, SGB will fund a maximum of three students to attend a single conference. According to SGB President Nasreen Harun, the bill is supposed to promote fairness to students seeking research grants. Under the current system, the Board accepts grant applications on a rolling basis and does not limit the number of students who can attend a single conference. Each semester, SGB sets aside $5,000 to fund at least 20 students traveling to conferences. In theory, Harun said, 20 students could currently apply to go to the same conference, and the fund that semester “would be cleaned out,” meaning students going to conferences later in the semester will not have the same funding available.
“The idea is that we understand students don’t control the timing of their conference, so we are trying to find ways to allow students to get off-campus research presentation opportunities all throughout the year,” Harun said in an email Tuesday afternoon. The fund, which SGB established last March, grants up to $250 to a student who wants to travel to a conference to present his or her research. Last semester, Harun said the fund was empty after a month because of multiple applications to the same conference or from students in the same department, so SGB “took it as a learning experience” and wanted to prevent the same situation this semester. With Tuesday’s bill, the Board has proposed a three-student-per-conference cap, meaning the Board will spend a maximum of $750 on sending students to a single conference. The Board will accept applications based on a rolling, first-come-first-serve basis, as long as the first three meet eligibility requirements. Only undergraduate students who are invited to present their research at a conference are eligible to apply. Upon approving a student for a grant, SGB then reimburses the student after
the conference. The Board will not change its restriction that students can only receive two travel grants during their time at Pitt. Reena Naik, a senior economics major, said she agrees with the proposed rules. “Many of the Urban Studies conferences tend to be later in the year,” Naik said. “[The changes] would be good for encouraging firstyear students that are still figuring out details of their research.” Naik has done research in the Urban Studies department on computer programming and using databases for tracking legal mechanisms. Naik said she has not used the Undergraduate Research Fund because she was not aware of it when, as a sophomore, she attended her first conference, which she paid for with money from the Urban Studies department and her own fundraising. ”Getting the money to fund research can be really difficult,” Naik said. In other action, the Board voted at its weekly planning session last Friday to pass proposed changes to the elections code. See SGB on page 3
News
MEATLESS MONDAY COMING TO OAKLAND PITT, UPMC
NAME NEW PEDIATRIC CHAIR
Shumeng Yang Staff Writer
A neighborhood group in Oakland is going green this Monday to draw vegetarian diners. Though Oakland Business Improvement District’s Restaurant Week is semiannual, the community group in Oakland is introducing “Meatless Monday” as part of its first Restaurant Week of 2016, which runs from Jan. 18 to 23. The 22 participating restaurants, including Primanti Bros, Fuel & Fuddle and 20 others will provide meatless menu options on Monday to draw attention to Restaurant Week and the environmental impact of consuming meat. Twice a year, OBID hosts Restaurant Week to promote restaurants in Oakland and bring in new customers. The last event was in June 2015. During the six days of Restaurant Week, diners can choose from a specified list of $6 lunches at different restaurants around campus. “By going meatless, we’ve taken on ways to improve health and the environment, ease up on the wallet and decrease water usage, among many other incentives,” Jonathan Winkler, OBID’s spokesperson, said. Some restaurants previously promoted vegan and vegetarian dishes during Restaurant Week, but Monday marks the first time that all participating eateries are offering a discounted meatless dish. “We participate in Restaurant Week because it’s a great way to work with the community,” John Michael Hart, Primanti Bros. general manager, said. “And accommodating Meatless Monday this year was not difficult at all — we are simply offering a Southwestern black bean burger.” Though Primanti Bros. always offers salads and other meatless side dishes,
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Lauren Rosenblatt Assistant News Editor
Aaron Kutchner of Red Oak Cafe serves vegetarian dishes to Pitt graduate students Kelly Williams (right) and Adelina Malito (left). Nikki Moriello | Visual Editor the restaurant’s black bean burger is exOwner Ren Jiang of Top Shabu-Shaclusive to Meatless Monday. bu & Lounge, said the Pan-Asian restauWard Allebach, a geology and envirant would offer meatless versions of its ronmental studies instructor at Pitt, adtypical lunches, including fried rice and vocates for reducing meat consumption noodles. because of his concerns about the enviAccording to manager Andrew Khoo, ronmental ethics of eating meat and the the restaurant’s meals without meat are lack of resources. also some of its healthier alternatives. The production of red meat contrib“By not ordering meat, you’re not utes to 70 percent of greenhouse gas missing out on anything,” Khoo said. emissions from agriculture, a 2010 study Winkler said he expects the sumof Australian meat production found. mer’s Restaurant Week, which typically Consuming red meat also has adfalls in June, will have another Meatless verse health effects, according to a 2015 Monday. assessment by the World Health OrgaAlthough Winkler is optimistic peonization. Researchers concluded that ple will continue to choose to eat less red meat is “probably carcinogenic to meat after Monday, Allebach said there humans” and processed meat is “carciis a still a long way to go. nogenic to humans.” “Events like [Meatless Monday] are a “We are in full control of what we great way of making people more coneat,” Allebach said. “Everyone can make scious of the connections between them a huge impact by simply being conscious and their food, a crucial step to improve of their food and cutting down on meat food production practices over time,” intake.” Allebach said.
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Pitt and the Children’s Hospital of UPMC are getting new perspective with a researcher and leader focused on curing disease and increasing life expectancy. On Jan. 11, officials of Children’s Hospital of UPMC announced that Terence S. Dermody will serve as the new chair of Pediatrics at Pitt and the scientific director of Children’s Hospital. Dermody, who will start his new position on June 1., previously worked at Vanderbilt University, where he held several roles including director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and director of the Medical Scientist Training Program. According to the release, David H. Perlmutter, who previously held Dermody’s position, left Children’s in Dec. to serve as the executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. “Terry Dermody is a world renowned researcher, compassionate physician, visionary leader and just an all-around first class person,” Christopher Gessner, president of Children’s Hospital, said in a press release. “We are thrilled that he will be joining our team as we continue to grow our clinical and research programs and make Children’s the place to be for pediatric physicians and physician scientists to launch and build their careers.” Dermody said Pitt’s expressed interest in his research as they talked through the hiring process “moved” him. Although he was a professor of pathology, microbiology See UPMC on page 3
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SGB, pg. 1 According to Celia Millard, the Elections Committee chair, the biggest change with the bill is that a slate can now have four members instead of three. Millard said the committee also introduced 70 other changes as a result of unclear wording, such as in defining a flyer versus a poster. “We wanted to make sure we were providing the people running for student government with a proper timeline, so we wanted to get [election] packets out today,” Harun said. “In order to do so, we needed to make sure we had finalized code to make it fair. We had to make people understand governing rules of campaigning.” According to Harun, SGB typically puts the packets out two months before the SGB election day. The upcoming election is on March 1. Harun said SGB will sometimes call a vote prior to the weekly public meeting if the issue is time-sensitive, like preparing for an election. Harun said the election at the planning session was due to the timing of elections committee discussions and the short period of time between Thanksgiving and winter breaks this year. “We put it under public circumstances,” she said. In a press release on Friday, the Board invited
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anybody interested in attending the vote to SGB’s weekly planning session. Millard, who introduced the changes to the elections code, said her committee is excited that SGB voted in favor of the elections code changes. Although elections for new SGB positions are beginning, a spot on the Allocations Committee remains empty. Applications for a new Allocations Committee member are on SGB’s website. Nick Reslink, the Allocations chair, said the opening will be a good opportunity for people interested in a full term next year. “This term is just semester, but the opening puts a good foot in the door,” he said. “It’s good for people looking to be a part of SGB.” Reslink said he does not expect the Allocations Committee will select another alternate because it is “unlikely” that there will be another resignation this term. “Now we are looking for people who can pick up policies and procedures quickly and people with technical knowledge about the allocations process,” Reslink said. Allocations The Interfraternity Council requested $542 for a guest speaker for the Panhellenic workshop. The Board approved the request in full. Steel City Bhangra requested $3,367.14 for a competition in Philadelphia. The Board approved the request in full.
UPMC, pg. 2 and immunology at Vanderbilt, he has also been conducting NIH funded research since 1987. His research focuses on viral pathogenesis and vaccine development. Dermody worked mainly on reovirus, an experimental model for studies of viral encephalitis — inflammation of the brain — in infants and chikungunya virus — a virus that mosquitoes transmit. According to Dr. Arthur S. Levine, senior vice chancellor for the health sciences and the John and Gertrude Petersen Dean of Medicine, Dermody’s range of interests led Pitt to select him for the position. “His academic interests, which included running Vanderbilt’s M.D./Ph.D. training program, are unusually broad. An exceptional physician and scientist, he will be an asset to our faculty, residents and students,” Levine said in a press release. Dermody started his career at Cornell University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in 1978. He received his medical degree from Columbia University in 1982
January 13, 2016
before working as an intern at Presbyterian Hospital in New York and as a fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. In his new position, Dermody wants to “focus on health rather than illness.” Twenty years from now, Dermody said he hopes to look back and see infant mortality rates have decreased and life expectancy has increased. “My vision for Children’s is ... to be the goto site for training and to do world class, just breathtaking research,” Dermody said.
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Opinions from the editorial board
State of the Union brings necessary optimism After President Barack Obama declared he’d keep his State of the Union address short, he made sure the time was well spent. His speech highlighted two things that have been missing from American politics for far too long: hope and bipartisanship. In his 59-minute speech, the president harkened back to his 2008 campaign posters in one of the shortest addresses during his two terms. Looking forward with a clear theme of hope, Obama turned his focus past politics and on to a message meant to rally everyone who heard him. In a presidency that has been muddled by disagreement and partisanship, the optimism of last night’s address must not disappear once the media and campaign cycles kick back into action. If Obama’s seventh State of the Union address is indicative of his final year of leadership, we will surely see a closer representation of the America he envisioned during his campaigns. After thanking Speaker of the House Paul Ryan for negotiating last year’s budget fight and expressing hope that Congress can move ahead with criminal justice reform, the president’s speech focused on the potential of a nation that works together. “The United States of America is the most powerful nation on Earth. Period. It’s not even close,” Obama said, calling talk of economic decline “political hot air.” Citing the largest job growth since the 1990s and an unemployment rate that has dropped by half, the president made the case that he will leave behind a better economy than the one he found on his first day in office. A decreased dependence on foreign petroleum and improved access to health care filled out the list of President Obama’s accomplishments. While the speech might have lacked in powerful directives and specific policy proposals, it was nonetheless an example of the
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bridge he wants to build between Democrats and Republicans. Following recent headlines, though, Obama’s rather light address is not an indication that he plans to end his presidency softly. With an executive order issuing tighter restrictions on gun sales, Iran fulfilling a key part of its July deal with the United States and a bustling economy, Obama didn’t need to spend his address convincing the American people of the weight of his accomplishments. Instead, the president spoke about issues that affect Americans, regardless of political affiliation. A new initiative to cure cancer and a commitment to improve the lives of veterans produced cheers from a Congress that has spent the past seven years stagnant. These are issues that all Americans can and should support. While we cannot ignore those things that divide us, we have a duty to spend as much effort on those things that bring us together. Following the president’s positive rhetoric should be a goal for both lawmakers and the public. There is room for compromise, even on issues that pit ends of the political spectrum against one another. “We just might surprise the cynics again,” the president said in the early moments of his address. And after Tuesday night, such surprises seem plausible. Even when it comes to gun control, it seems possible to protect Americans without stripping away their Second Amendment rights. Even on the issue of immigration, it seems possible to help struggling families without sacrificing our security. And even on necessity of health care, it seems possible to settle on and fund a system that helps everyone and leaves no one behind. If optimism was the goal, hope is what the president achieved. And maybe, if we can hold on to the president’s words, we can surprise the cynics among us.
Illustration by Maddy Kameny
column
FUNDING NOT REAL ROOT OF HIGHER ED PROBLEMS Alyssa Lieberman Columnist
College students paying for an education in Pennsylvania are missing a key investment partner under the current budget: the government. Unfortunately for those students, their schools have plenty of alternatives in their pockets. Public funding for education — specifically for state-related universities — is currently at the center of the Pennsylvania state budget debacle. Gov. Tom Wolf passed the current GOP budget to release emergency funds, but it does not give any state funding to Pitt or the other state-related universities, including Penn State and Temple University. For years, administrators have told us that decreased state funding for education is the reason our tuition is so high. While this is a neat,
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logical narrative, it has one key flaw — it distorts the truth. More money from the state will not fix higher education’s problems, and only a reprioritized university system can bring true change. Universities frame their case for funding increases by focusing on percentages. They emphasize the fact that public spending now constitutes a smaller proportion of the universities’ funding. This is misleading — a smaller “Public Funding” slice in a university budget’s pie chart does not correlate with a decrease in spending for education but an increase in outside financing. Paul Campos, a law professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder, wrote about the issue for The New York Times in April. According to Campos, blaming tuition increases on spendSee Lieberman on page 6
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Lieberman, pg. 5 ing cuts is “a fairy tale in the worst sense, in that it is not merely false, but rather almost the inverse of the truth.” Spending for education has escalated at a rate that outpaces other government spending, growing five times faster than the military budget has since 1960. During that glorified decade of education funding, public spending for education was $11 billion. Now it’s $81 billion. Yet, in this same time period, student debt has ballooned. Students in the United States have accumulated a total of $1 trillion in student debt, up from $35 billion in 1985. According to the Project on Student Debt, the average Pitt student is nearly $35,000 in debt upon graduation — which is higher than the national average of $28,400. But this doesn’t make any sense — how can a drastic hike in tuition parallel a rise in public subsidies for education? If universities have more money than ever, the problem cannot be lack of resources alone. The issues are systemic to higher education and we can see them in schools across the country. The corporate tendencies of our universi-
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ties have made this odd combination possible. As time has gone on, maximizing profit has become a top priority, often at the expense of professors and students. We have put structures in place that leave universities nearly identical to corporate America. Schools have created invisible but ever-increasing bureaucracies that sap valuable funds. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the number of employees in higher education who manage people, programs and regulations increased 50 percent faster than the number of instructors between 2001 and 2011. Administrators are often the top-paid members of the university. Last year at Pitt, the University gave up to 7 percent raises on already large salaries to administrators. At the tip of administrative icebergs are university presidents and chancellors. As students have become consumers, administrators have become CEOs. In 2013, 42 college presidents made more than $1 million annually, and the median college president currently makes $436,429. While traditionally, chancellors come from a background of academia, more and more university presidents now tout resumés from other fields. Take the appointment of Chancellor Pat-
rick Gallagher, for example. He was a physicist who previously ran the National Institute of Standards and Technology and served as the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce. Universities have placed a premium on management credentials and the ability to raise funds, rather than a record of commitment to intellectual growth. While outside skills can be helpful, they are far from the most important qualification. Faculty around the country suspicious of outside administrators emphasize that a school should produce knowledge, not just profits. Faculty worry that university presidents from outside of academia prioritize cutting costs without the years of experience that they argue it requires to form a full understanding of complex college culture, which values full participation of all faculty members and involves dealing with busted fraternity parties or student protests. Additionally, though the Chancellor is set to make more than $1 million by 2019, Pitt faculty do not enjoy similarly comfortable salaries. At Pitt, 66 percent of our professors are adjunct or non-tenured professors, which means that only a third of our professors are tenured. This is a drastic decrease since 1984, when 51
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percent of our professors were tenured. The disappearance of tenure-track positions has negative effects on our faculty, as they face greater job insecurity and lower salaries. On average, adjunct professors make only $20,000 a year, according to a September analysis by The Atlantic. Our universities are cutting costs by decreasing not only tenure-track positions but also fulltime positions. Universities are hiring more and more professors as adjunct, or part-time, professors. Adjuncts now make up more than 70 percent of the total workforce in higher education, often making poverty wages. At Pitt, adjuncts receive an average of only $13 per hour if they are fortunate enough to find full-time work by juggling courses at multiple schools. When the state budget finally passes and Pitt receives its cut of funding, it cannot continue to add only bureaucrats. That money must go toward improving the quality of the University. Changing the primary concern from management to education, not just adding money, public or otherwise, has to be a priority. Students and professors are at the heart of the university. They are the ones who teach, and we are the ones who learn. We have invested in colleges with our tuition money, so it is time for them to truly start investing in us.
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Sports
DIXON, PITT PREPARE FOR NO. 21 CARDS Dan Sostek Sports Editor
While the Pitt men’s basketball team won its first and only road game of the season Saturday, its next opponent should prove a more formidable test. On Thursday, the No. 20/17 Panthers face their toughest test of the season when they travel to the KFC Yum! Center to face the No. 21/20 Louisville Cardinals. Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon and junior power forward Michael Young spoke about the challenge Louisville poses, improved depth and the team’s free throw shooting against Notre Dame on Saturday. The Cardinals (13-3, 2-1 ACC) are coming off an upset loss to Clemson and are undefeated at home this season. FACES NEW AND OLD While Louisville has retooled its ros-
ter this season, Rick Pitino is a consistent presence for the team in his 15th season coaching the Cardinals. He will execute a familiar strategy — such as a fullcourt press — for the matchup on Thursday. “I know a lot from playing them last year, we played them twice,” Young said. Young said the team watched tapes of the Cardinals playing North Carolina State on Jan. 7, a game Louisville won 7772, and saw firsthand the scoring threat
its graduate transfers have brought to the team. The Cardinals feature multiple new players on the team, like highscoring guard Damion Lee, but Young said he’s preparing the same way he has all season. “[We’re just going to] watch personnel on the players,” Young said. “Just get ready like it’s any other game.” Lee and Trey Lewis are the two most impactful newcomers, both graduate
At the end of the game, it all comes down to free throws.
-Michael Young
EXPAND THE CFP
transfers. Dixon jokingly referred to Thursday’s match-up as the “Graduate Transfer Championship,” as Pitt has three of its own in Rafael Maia, Sterling Smith and Alonzo Nelson-Ododa. Lee, formerly of Drexel, is averaging 16.6 points per game, while Trey Lewis, a Cleveland State transfer, is averaging 13.4. “Their [graduate transfers] have done well, and ours have done well,” Dixon said. “You need guys for different reasons, different spots, different roles.” Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. DEEP IMPACT Late in the first half against Notre Dame, Young picked up his third foul in a game that he was dominating. Despite foul trouble severely limiting his availability, Dixon wasn’t worried, as he could See Cardinals on page 8
After Alabama won the national title (again), maybe it’s time to expand the College Football Playoff to include eight teams. by Chris Puzia I can’t be the only one sick of Alabama’s football dynasty after the Crimson Tide won their fourth national championship in seven years on Monday. For myself and everyone else wanting more diversity in finalists, what if there was a way for more teams to have a crack at the title each season? The College Football Playoff and its fourteam tournament has only functioned for two years after replacing the single-game BCS national championship format in 2015. But some fans, players and media are already clamoring for that playoff to expand to eight teams. Indirectly, it would also make the path for the very top teams more challenging, as they would have to win three games instead of two to grab the title.
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With 128 FBS teams competing for playoff inclusion at the start of the season, an expanded postseason would incentivize borderline teams at the end of the season and provide a more exciting system for fans. As a result of the four-team system, Iowa, Stanford, Ohio State and Notre Dame each narrowly missed the College Football Playoff while Clemson, Alabama, Michigan State and Oklahoma made the cut. Last year, No. 8 Michigan State would have made the playoff as opposed to the Cotton Bowl. Some of those deserving teams instead played in highly regarded — but ultimately pointless — bowl games like the Rose Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl, which serve as appetizSee Football on page 8
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TNS
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Cardinals, pg. 7 rely on Sheldon Jeter to replace Young in the lineup. “I wasn’t concerned with sitting [Young], our lead went from four to 18 with Sheldon in there in the second half,” Dixon said. “It’s a good thing to have. We have a lot of good players.” Young relishes having Jeter coming off the bench, as it liberates him on both ends of the court. “I can kind of play more free, and not play with the mindset of, ‘I can’t foul,’” Young said. “If I do happen to get into foul trouble, it’s not a worry or anything like that.” Dixon said the depth alters his decision-making process. “I grew up with the rule that if you had two [fouls in the first half], you couldn’t play the rest of the half,” Dixon said. “But when you have another guy to play with, that’s where [playing with three fouls] comes into play a little bit.” When Young does come out because of foul trouble, he has confidence that there isn’t a drop-off.
Football, pg. 7 ers for the main course days later, the College Football Playoff. In a more inclusive system, those games would become part of the Playoff. A misconception might be that the same top teams would make the semifinals regardless, due to a talent disparity from No. 1 to No. 8. But it’s hard to argue that No. 8 Notre Dame, which lost to Clemson on a late failed two-point conversion, is not in that upper tier as well. Ohio State, last year’s champion, and Iowa each lost only once this season and to the same team: No. 3 Michigan State. Stanford featured Heisman runner-up Christian McCaffrey, and Notre Dame has NFL-level talent across the board and plays high-tempo football. Did none of these teams deserve a chance at the title because of just one or two losses to equally talented teams? Between their pedigree and next-level talent, each of those teams could win the title, and, shockingly, others want to pit more top teams against each other as well.. “Any of these aforementioned teams could win a national championship this year,” USA
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“Another good player, another guy that can score the ball, rebound, play defense is coming into the game,” Young said. “There’s not let-off. [Sheldon] comes in, and he does a great job.” While Jeter — who is averaging 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds a game — is technically a bench player, Dixon sees him as an integral member of the team. “I consider him one of our five,” Dixon said. FREE [THROWS] FALLIN’ Last season, Pitt struggled as a free throw shooting team, making just a measly 68.5 percent from the charity stripe. This year, with the addition of players like Smith and the improvement of Young, the Panthers lead the nation in free throw percentage, posting a 79.3 percent mark. Young credits the difference to personnel. “I think just having more shooters and more skill guys, it just goes up naturally,” Young said. Dixon highlights the rarity of the Panthers’ knack for knocking down the freebies.
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See Cardinals on page 9 Today’s Laken Litman wrote in December. “If the Playoff field were set at eight, more deserving teams would get their shot.” One snag with this proposal is the major conference commissioners have already signed a 12-year agreement to keep the field at four teams through 2026. But numerous head coaches have expressed a desire for an expanded field, and increased pressure might cause the commissioners and College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock to reconsider before the contract expires. “I just think four teams is too little, regardless of our situation,” Stanford head coach David Shaw said after his team lost this year’s Rose Bowl. “With enough evidence of how the seasons end, I think eventually whether it turns into an eight-team playoff or six-team playoff with two teams with a bye … at some point, we’re going to change it.” Of course coaches who consistently find themselves at the top of the rankings do not welcome a change. Alabama coach Nick Saban said a four-team playoff “creates the most excitement for the fans.” There are a few ways to go about the
Managing Editor HARRISON KAMINSKY
Single copies of The Pitt News are free and available at newsstands around campus. Additional copies can be purchased with permission of the editor in chief for $.50 each. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the students, faculty or University administration. Opinions expressed in columns, cartoons and letters are not necessarily those of The Pitt News. Any letter in tended for publication must be addressed to the editor, be no more than 250 words and include the writer’s name, phone number and University affiliation, if any. Letters may be sent via e-mail to letters@pittnews.com. The Pitt News reserves the right to edit any and all letters. In the event of multiple replies to an issue, The Pitt News may print one letter that represents the majority of responses. Unsigned editorials are a majority opinion of the Editorial Board, listed to the left. The Pitt News is an independent, student-written and
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Cardinals, pg. 8 “Obviously, it’s not a luxury that we’ve had before, or that any team has really had before,” Dixon said. “We can put five guys out there and have big guys that can shoot. Our bigs are our best free throw shooters for a team that leads the country.” Perhaps the biggest difference has been Young, who shot just 69.3 percent last year. This season, he’s seen that number balloon to 85.7 percent. The improvement from the line is a big
contributor to the team’s 14-1 record. As Young pointed out, converting foul shots at the end of contests is crucial to sealing a victory. “Free throws are something we take pride in,” Young said. “Because at the end of the game, it all comes down to free throws.” Dixon said the most important objective for Pitt is to rack up opportunities. “It’s great to be great free throw shooters,” Dixon said. “But it’s more important to get to the line.”
Football, pg. 9 change. The CFP committee can simply expand the playoff using its own rankings and cast the net to include eight teams. Or, to fix another problem, the Power 5 conference champions can receive automatic playoff bids, leaving three slots for at-large bids. Meaning, after those five, use the next three highest ranked teams or two highest with the final spot going to a mid-major conference like the American Athletic Conference or Mid-American Conference. Otherwise, teams in deep and talent-rich conferences will continue to suffer for it. “Ohio State, Michigan State and Michigan are paying a penalty for being in a division with two other strong teams,” Forbes’ Brian Goff said. “Undefeated teams may benefit from a conference that isn’t as deep as some others, as with Florida State the last couple of seasons.” There are also financial incentives. The College Football Playoff games received by far the highest ratings of any game during the season. Last year’s championship garnered a lofty 18.5 overnight rating, though this year’s championship rating dropped 15 percent in comparison. Additionally, with only two semifinal games before Monday night’s championship, those contests aired on the night of New Year’s Eve and subsequently received worse viewership. More games would give the committee and the networks added flexibility to create schedules to accommodate them. We may not see this change for a few years, if at all, before the current contract expires. But if more writers and coaches continue to clamor for an extended playoff, the committee may finally acquiesce and give the people what they seem to want: more meaningful football.
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I Rentals & Sublet N D E X -NORTH OAKLAND -SOUTH OAKLAND -SHADYSIDE -SQUIRREL HILL -SOUTHSIDE -NORTHSIDE -BLOOMFIELD -ROOMMATES -OTHER
3 & 4 bedroom apartments. Available immediately. Newly remodeled. Air conditioning. Bigelow Blvd., N. Neville St. Call 412-287-5712
6br/4BA melwood & Center entire Victorian house, dishwasher, 4 parking spots, laundry, gameroom tinyurl.com/ pittnewsad3 $3995+ coolapartments@ gmail.com ** 5 Bedroom/2 full bath; HUGE HOMEduplex style, three stories. 2 living rooms, 2 kitchens, 2 dining rooms, LAUNDRY and a huge yard to enjoy! Huge Bedrooms! Located on Dawson Street. PITT Shuttle stops directly in front of house, only 15 minute level walk to PITT/CMU. $3,295+. Available 8/1/2016. NO PETS. Call Jason at 412-922-2141. Pictures- Info: tinyurl.com/pitthome
****************** Large 6 bedroom house for rent. Fall occupancy. Atwood Street. Close to campus. Please text 412-807-8058
2 & 3 bedroom houses, Lawn & Ophelia. Available Now. Please call 412-287-5712.
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**AUGUST 2016: Furnished Studio, 1-2-3-4 Bedroom Apts. No pets. Non-smokers preferred. 412-621-0457
1-2-3-4 Bedroom Houses & Apartments. 376 Meyran, 343 McKee, St. James, Bates St. $1,095-$2,000. Call 412-969-2790
1,2,3,5,6, & 8 bedroom houses. August & May 2016. Bouquet, Atwood, Meyran. Please call 412-287-5712. 2-3-4 bedroom South Oakland apartments for rent. For more information or to schedule a viewing, please call 412-849-8694.
2-3-4-5-6-7 bedroom apartments and houses available in May and August 2016. Nice, clean, free laundry, includes exterior maintenance, new appliances, spacious, located on Meyran, Semple, Wellsford, Dawson, Juliet. 412-414-9629. 2BR, 3rd Floor apartment. Furnished or unfurnished with laundry. $1000 including utilities. A No-Party Building. Available Aug. 2016 Call 412-683-0363. 2BR/BA apartment. $1250 includes heat. Available Aug. 2016. Greve RealEstate. 412-261-4620.
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3-5BR apartment available for Spring semester. Central air, dishwasher, great location and discounted price. 412-915-0856 3444 WARD ST. Studio, 1-2-3 BR apartments available Aug. 1, 2016. Free parking, free heating. 320 S. BOUQUET 2BR, great location, move in May 1, 2016. 416 OAKLAND AVE. - 2BR, hardwood floors. Move in Aug. 1, 2016. Call 412-361-2695. No evening calls please. 4 BR townhouses, Semple St., available May 1st & August 1st, 2016. Equipped kitchen, full basement. 412-343-4289. Call after 5:00 pm.
6 or 7 BR house. Washer & dryer available. NO PETS. Available August 1, 2016. One year lease. Meyran Ave. 5 minute walk to University of Pittsburgh. 412-983-5222.
Apartments for rent, 1-5BR, beginning August 2016. A/C, dishwasher, washer/dryer. 412-915-0856 Available August!! 430 Atwood – 1 & 2 BR 3408 Parkview – 0,1,2BR $555-895! Great Prices! 412-455-5600! Going Quickly!
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Brand new, completely renovated 5 BR, 2 full bath house. All appliances including washer and dryer are brand new and included. Too many features to list. Close to Magee Women’s Hospital. On Pitt shuttle and PAT bus lines. 10 minute walk to Univ. of Pittsburgh. $2500/mo. 412-983-0400 Clean, Newly Remodeled Houses and Apartments. 1-9 Bedrooms. Call 412-680-4244 or email s.cusick@comcast.net www.superiorpropertiesgroup.com. Efficiency apartments, quiet building, no partying. Shortterm or long-term lease. Laundry, all utilities included. Shared bathroom. $400-$450 includes utilities. Available immediately. 412-683-0363
Houses for rent on Lawn, Atwood and Ophelia Sts. Available Aug. 2016. 412-417-4664 or 412-915-8881. John CR Kelly Realty has studio 1 and 2 bedroom apartments available for rent for Fall 2016. Call 412-683-7300 to make an appointment today!
R INSERTIONS 1X 2X 3X 4X 5X 6X ADDITIONAL A 1-15 WORDS $6.30 $11.90 $17.30 $22.00 $27.00 $30.20 $5.00 T 16-30 WORDS $7.50 $14.20 $20.00 $25.00 $29.10 $32.30 $5.40 E S DEADLINE: TWO BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR BY 3 PM | EMAIL: ADVERTISING@PITTNEWS.COM | PHONE: 412.648.7978 (EACH ADDITIONAL WORD: $0.10)
Large 1-2-3 BR apartments available August 1st. 3450 Ward Street. 312 and 314 South Bouquet Street. Free parking. Minutes to campus. Cat friendly. Call 412-977-0111.
M.J. Kelly Realty Studio, 1, 2, 3, & 4 Bedroom Apartments, Duplexes, Houses. $750-$2400. mjkellyrealty@gmail.com. 412-271-5550, mjkellyrealty.com Oakland - 221 Atwood Street - 2 bedrooms - Available Full Rent - $1,400.00 +Elec. - Heat & Hot Water Included Flexible Lease 412-462-7316
Renovated Large Three Bedroom Townhome for Rent. Available January 2016. The kitchen features frost free refrigerator with automatic ice maker, fullsize range, self-cleaning oven, dishwasher, garbage disposal and microwave. The bath has been completely updated. All floor coverings and window treatments are brand new. Your own washer and dryer are included. On University of Pittsburgh shuttle and PAT bus lines. Two blocks to Magee Women’s Hospital. $1,275/mo, contact 724-422-2250.
January 13, 2016
Spacious 5 and 3 Bedroom houses by Blvd Allies and Ward St, New ceramic kitchen, updated baths, Washer and dryer, patio, Shuttle at corner, No pets, Available August 1 2016, 3br partial furnished $1975+, 5br $3295+. LOTS Photos Videos at tinyurl.com/ pittnewsad1 and tinyurl.com/ pittnewsad2 email coolapartments@ gmail.com
Various 1-bedroom apartments on Meyran, Pier & Ward Streets. Starting from $675-$795. Available August 2016. Call John CR Kelly Realty. 412-682-7300
Various 2-bedroom apartments on Meyran, Halket, Fifth, Ward & Bates Streets. Starting from $995-$1,675. Available in August 2016. Call John CR Kelly Realty. 412-683-7300. 2 BR apartment, newly painted, hardwood floors, appliances. Rent includes all utilities. $750/mo. 412-498-7355 3 & 5 bedroom. May 2016. Sarah St. Large bedroom, new kitchen, air conditioning, washer & dryer, dishwasher, large deck. 412-287-5712.
East End/Point Breeze apt. 1 BR with small deck and equipped kitchen. Close to Frick Park and busline. $375+gas/electric. Available February 1st. Call 412-242-1519.
ATTENTION OCCASIONAL SMOKERS! UPMC seeks healthy adults ages 18-65 who occasionally smoke cigarettes. This research is examining how smokers respond to cigarettes that are low in nicotine. There are up to seven sessions lasting about three hours each. Research participants completing the study will be compensated up to $60 per session, or $20 per hour. For more information, call 412-246-5393 or visit www.SmokingStudies.pitt.edu Housecleaner wanted for Oakland home. 8hrs/wk. References required. 412-414-7290
College or graduate school students needed to work with elementary school children in a fun, structured after school program in the South Hills. $11-$13 per hour, flexible hours, must have own transportation. Email resume or letter of interest to jhroberts66@comcast.net OFFFICE INTERN Shadyside Management Company seeks person w/ min 3 yrs. college, for upcoming spring semester, to interview & process rental applications, do internet postings & help staff our action-central office. Part time or full time OK starting January 2; full time in summer. $12/hour. Perfect job for graduating seniors set to enter grad school, returning grad students, and first-year law students! Mozart Management 412.682.7003. thane@mozartrents.com
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SEASONAL MARKETING ASSISTANT
The Pitt News SuDoku 1/13/16 courtesy of dailysudoku.com
MOZART MANAGEMENT www.mozartrents .com 412-682-7003
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The Pitt news crossword 1/13/16
Shadyside property management firm established in 1960 neeeds a Seasonal Marketing Assistant to work with Word, internet, & spreadsheet files from now until July 15th, four days/week from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Saturday and/or Sunday hours a must; some flexibility on days and hours will be considered; most hours will be solitary on the computer with no phone work; 40 WPM and strong computer skills required; no experience needed & we will train you at our Shadyside office; free parking. $12/hour plus generous season end bonus.
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