The Pitt News
The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | January 17, 2017| Volume 107 | Issue 103
KIDS MARCH FOR PEACE James Evan Bowen-Gaddy Staff Writer
Eleven-year-old Clara Swanson was hunched over a park table with her baby sibling Benny sitting comfortably in a carrier on her back Sunday afternoon. She was carefully penning a letter to President-elect Donald Trump, asking him to understand that he controls the United States’ “success and reputation.” Swanson was one of many children writing to Trump this past Sunday at Schenley Plaza, where a crowd of about 50 people gathered. Her mother Caren Swanson helped organize the day’s event: the Pittsburgh Children’s March for Peace and Kindness. Backdropped by the sound of a folk band, children wrote letters and designed posters before beginning a roughly 10-minute march that started underneath the tent at the Schenley Plaza and circled around the central lawn. The children dropped their letters, addressed to the White House, into a mailbox outside Hillman library before returning to the tent. The event-planners came up with the mini march at The Thomas Merton Center’s annual awards dinner two months ago, just after the presidential election. Swanson and Paola Scommegna — of Swissvale and Highland Park, respectively — weren’t sure how to react to Trump’s victory. See March on page 2
swimming and diving recap: Online
First-year Eben Vorster swims for first place in the 200-meter butterfly against Florida State Saturday. John Hamilton VISUAL EDITOR
WALTER KAMAU BELL KICKS OFF SOCIAL JUSTICE WEEK Rebecca Peters
On Friday evening, Bell performed “Ending Race in About an Hour” — a stand-up About 150 people from varying back- comedy act and PowerPoint presentation grounds walked into a room. They filled half — as part of Pitt’s upcoming Social Justice the seats in the O’Hara Student Center ball- Week. The week, celebrated at universities across the nation, begins after Martin Luther room. Someone cracked a joke. “Hey. How you doing? We’re half empty. King Jr. Day and includes interfaith services, community events and roundtable discusDid the Republicans not show up?” The joker was comedian Walter Kamau sions. This is the first year the Office of Diversity Bell. and Inclusion is hosting a Social Justice Week “If that’s too much, it’s gonna be a long — instead of just an MLK Day of Service — evening,” Bell said. Staff Writer
in celebration of King’s life and legacy. Pitt’s Black Action Society booked Bell’s performance, and BAS President Aminata Kamara, a junior nursing major, chose Bell because he finds a way to merge serious political topics with comedy. “Social justice is hard to talk about. Humor can make it easier for a campus like Pitt that doesn’t have the best diversity,” Kamara said. According to the 2017 Pitt factbook, See Social Justice on page 2
News Social Justice, pg. 1
white or Caucasian students constitute about 73 percent of Pitt’s undergraduate student body. Asian students represent about 10 percent, African-American students
constitute 5 percent and Latinx or Hispanic students make up about 3.5 percent of the undergraduate student body. Bell was quick to clarify his thoughts on race and social attitudes Friday. “Race is not real. It’s a social construct
Walter Kamau Bell speaking at O’Hara Student Center on Friday. Anna Bongardino STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
March, pg. 1 The two were among many other progressive activists at the dinner who listened to anti-war activist and writer Frida Berrigan describe her tearful experience explaining the election results to her children. Swanson and Scommegna, who are both mothers, immediately empathized with Berrigan. The women began talking about the difficulty of imparting their values to their children when those ideals are at odds with the president’s actions. “How do you communicate what you stand for when our president-elect has said vile things about women and very meanspirited things about immigrants, and has even imitated a disabled person?” Scommegna said. So with the help of a third socially-conscious mom, Carol Gonzalez of the North Side, the three decided to create and host the Pittsburgh Children’s March for Peace and Kindness, which they advertised to others on Facebook. Scommegna said that marches usually
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aren’t usually appropriate for children. “They’re long, they’re at awkward times of day ... they have big crowds and are cold,” Scommegna said. “This is specifically for kids.” Gonzalez, whose children are in their 30s, said the day was geared toward families with younger children who haven’t yet experienced social action. “My kids were definitely raised in the peace movement and were used to coming together to express their values,” Gonzalez said. Mimicking a tiny peace movement of their own, children sat scattered among the ground and the few open tables in the plaza, scribbling their ideas on posterboard. Signs read, “If you can’t be kind, be quiet,” “Pittsburgh for Peace” and “Peace, Freedom, don’t give up, fight for it!” Clara Swanson was an outspoken leader among the children that day. She held up her letter and said loud enough for other children to hear, “If our letters show respect, he might actually read them.” Celishia Rent, of Brookline brought her kids to the event because she wanted them
invented as a way to divide and separate people,” Bell said. “Racism, however, is real. It is a consequence of believing in race.” Bell pointed out racism in movies, politics, sports and media by citing certain social media movements, including #OscarsSoWhite, a reaction to a lack of diversity among the 2016 Academy Award nominees. “Hollywood is paying attention to that,” Bell said, citing the movie “Gods of Egypt,” for its lack of Egyptian cast members and subsequent lack of success in theaters. Politically, Bell focused on the Black Lives Matter movement and the 2016 presidential election. According to Bell, the BLM movement is an extension of America’s inability to have meaningful conversations about race. “Until we get black lives to matter we can’t get all lives to matter,” Bell said. “White Lives Matter didn’t even exist before Black Lives Matter. Not even the Beatles said all lives matter.” Switching from politics to sports, Bell questioned the ethics of athletic teams still
named after ethnicities and the reaction to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to sit during the national anthem. “The third and fourth verses of the national anthem, which no one ever sings, are ‘No refuge could save the hireling and slave / From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,’” Bell said. “Can you see why he didn’t want to stand for that?” Bell’s background in social justice activism includes a comedy series, docu-series and two comedy albums. He’s also been a Racial Justice Ambassador for the American Civil Liberties Union. According to his website, Bell is currently filming a new season of “United Shades of America,” which airs on CNN as an exploration of “racial subcultures and other microsocieties across the country.” Amal Saeed, a sophomore molecular biology major, and Sarah Tolaymat, a sophomore bioengineering major, came to see Bell speak specifically because they’d enjoyed the See Social Justice on page 3
The kid-focused band, given that it was to have a glimpse of activism before heading Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, began to Washington, D.C. for the inauguration. “When I was growing up, sure I knew singing to the tune of “Row, Row, Row your about elections, but I didn’t care, now look Boat.” “Peace peace peace and love / Sweet where we are,” Rent said. “It’s a horror show, equality / These were Martin Luther King’s no one is getting along.” Eight-year-old Metta Loyd, who pointed / Dreams for you and me.” out that her name means “loving-kindness” in Pali, an Indic language used to study ancient Buddhist texts, was sticking her rainbow sign high into the air along with her younger siblings when she said the event was about “sharHenry Wagler, 9, puts a letter to President-elect Donald Trump ing your into a mailbox at the corner of Forbes and Bigelow. Stephen emotions.” Caruso ONLINE VISUAL EDITOR
January 17. 2017
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Social Justice, pg. 2
Social Justice Week events include: Jan. 13, 7 p.m. W. Kamau Bell - Ending Racism in About an Hour, presented by Black Action Society O’Hara Student Center Jan. 16, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
MLK Day of Service Pittsburgh Area Communities Jan. 16, 7:06 p.m. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Candlelight Vigil WPU Driveway, followed by a discussion in WPU 540 Jan. 17, 7 p.m. Interfaith Service, sponsored by CCLD, PittServes and The Chaplains Commission Heinz Chapel Jan. 18, 4:30-6 p.m. Social Justice Roundtable, sponsored by PittServes with Community Partners WPU Ballroom Jan. 18, at 7 p.m. The Pitt News Social Justice & Journalism panel 324 Cathedral of Learning Jan. 19, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Social Justice Symposium, Creating a Just Community by Unmasking the Faces of Privilege WPU Assembly Room Must RSVP for event Jan. 20, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Equipoise Brunch, with guest speaker Cheryl Ruffin WPU Assembly Room
The Pitt news crossword 1/17/16
docu-series. “Humor is the universal language,” Saeed, 19, said. “While race is a sensitive issue, if you bring a bit of humor to it, anyone can get what you’re saying.” Similar to what Bell does on his show, Kamara wants college students to realize that political disagreements can be conversations, not conflicts, on campus. “It’s OK to talk about issues in different ways and still get the point across,” she said. “You don’t have to be the most knowledgeable, but it’s better to be present than be blind.” Saeed, a Muslim woman, disagreed with only one of Bell’s points during the presentation. While Bell discussed the 2010 census defining Arab Americans as Caucasian, Saeed said he “made it seem like it was a privilege to be considered white and asked ‘when African-Americans will be upgraded.’” “Being considered white doesn’t make it any easier for Arabs. Muslims face a lot of the same discrimination African-Americans do,” she said.
In addition to Bell’s event, Social Justice Week will feature a social justice symposium and an interfaith service to continue diversity talks. Alpha Phi Alpha, an African-American intercollegiate Greek-lettered fraternity, hosted a candlelight vigil Jan. 16, in honor of King, who became a brother in the fraternity in 1952. The vigil became a tradition in 2000 and has amassed a crowd of at least 40 people each year for the past two years. Alpha Phi Alpha President Jaron Moore organized the vigil, aiming to look at the world through King’s perspective. “Coming into an event with your own opinion on police brutality or inequality in the U.S. and hearing other people’s research and how you can improve and advocate for change is what social justice is about,” Moore, a senior finance, economics and philosophy major, said.
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January 17. 2017
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Opinions from the editorial board
Honor King’s legacy by recognizing his radicalism The last Martin Luther King Jr. Day of the Obama era couldn’t have better foreshadowed the changes coming in the next four years. As the outgoing president marked the day of remembrance for one civil rights icon with a visit to a Washington, D.C., homeless shelter, a feud festered between another hero of the civil rights movement and the incoming executive, President-elect Donald Trump. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., told NBC’s Chuck Todd Saturday that he didn’t consider Trump a “legitimate president” and had no plans to attend the inauguration. Trump fired back at Lewis, a leader of the “Big Six” key organizers of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, attacking him on Twitter as “all talk, talk talk — no action or results.” Given Lewis’ role in organizing the 1963 March on Washington for civil rights, Trump’s criticism seems unfounded. What was even stranger was the business mogul’s praise a mere two days later on Twitter for another civil rights crusader, King, and “the many wonderful things he stood for.” The seemingly arbitrary distinction Trump made between the dead King and the living John Lewis isn’t anything new. There’s a long-standing American tradition of taking activists’ radical legacies and putting them into innocuous, apolitical contexts — and King’s canonization is no exception. Public perceptions of King shifted dramatically after his death. According to a 1987 Oakland University poll, 72 percent of Americans viewed King unfavorably in 1966 — two years be-
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fore his death. That number shrunk to just 24 percent two decades later. The radical aspects of King’s message included positions on labor rights, the war in Vietnam and free access to birth control that were very much unpopular at the time. But time and intellectual laziness have made all of that fade behind an inoffensive facade that leaves everything out except for King’s commitment to nonviolence. The differences between the real and the invented King became incredibly apparent this weekend. Mirroring Trump’s selective memory about civil rights activism, white actor Rob Schneider felt the need to explain to Lewis on Twitter that King would never “give in to his anger or his hurt.” Schneider’s Martin Luther King is a far cry from the living, breathing man who marched with John Lewis. MLK was a human being, and just like any human being it would be unfair to expect him never to act out of anger or hurt. He represents exactly what it was that King himself warned against in his Letter from Birmingham Jail — a “white moderate” who “prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice.” We might not consider it now, btu King was politically polarizing in his lifetime. Trump, Schneider and others who seek to co-opt his legacy should recognize why activism for what’s right isn’t always popular or safe. If they can’t, they shouldn’t claim to truly respect and honor his legacy.
column
CONSIDER BELL FOR NFL MVP
PETER DIANA TNS
Kyle Morehardt For The Pitt News
If there were ever a time for a nonquarterback to break into the MVP club, it’s now. Since 2007, quarterbacks have dominated the NFL’s MVP award. Compared to the perception of quarterbacks in the modern game as the most important player on any team, running backs get little to no credit for their contributions. A running back hasn’t been seriously considered since Adrian Peterson won in 2012. But Pittsburgh Steelers star Le’Veon Bell is in an ideal position to end the MVP’s running back drought. It’s not that his name hasn’t been mentioned in the realm of discussion for the award, but a casual spectator would never know Bell is having a career-year.
January 17. 2017
Bell only played in 12 out of 16 games this season, missing the first three due to suspension and sitting out the regular season finale with the Steelers having already clinched the division title. The running back still managed to climb his way to fifth in the NFL with 1,268 rushing yards. Most critics of Bell’s candidacy for MVP say that the league shouldn’t glorify someone who got a suspension in the same season — even though he was only suspended for missing a drug test. But if being suspended means that a player can’t be their team’s most valuable asset, then Tom Brady shouldn’t be in the running either. Brady also missed the first four games of the season because he was suspended for the Deflategate scandal. See Morehardt on page 5
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Morehardt, pg. 4 Suspensions aside, Bell’s contribution to the Steelers’ playoff journey make him an invaluable asset. Since his return this season, Bell has the second highest rushing yards per game with 105.7, behind only Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys. Bell also makes up roughly 31.6 percent of the Steelers’ total offense — one of the highest shares in the league. Those impressive stats underscore Bell’s wide range of talents — the dynamic back is one of the most versatile players in the NFL. Bell not only finished in the top-five players for his respective position, but finished among the top 70 in the league with 616 receiving yards as well. His 75 catches ranked No. 28 in the NFL and put him on pace for an even 100 over the course of a full season. It’s not unusual to see Bell line up as a receiver and run a 20-yard route down the field — something hard to find with any other running back. This level of versatility only adds to
Bell’s overall value to his team. Even if he isn’t the direct target of a play, his varied skill set requires opposing defenses to expend extra resources to hold him back — opening up opportunities for his other teammates to make plays. Bell is currently dominating one of the most important statistics to a player’s value — yards from scrimmage per game. Bell averaged 157 yards per game, nearly 25 yards more than any other back in the league — and the third-highest total in NFL history. This should not only set him apart from the competition, but should also give him an edge when MVP voting commences. In the Steelers’ first playoff game, Bell set a franchise record with 167 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a 30-12 win over the Miami Dolphins. Performances like this in the modern age of a pass-heavy league would typically be a one-off game, but not for Bell. He followed that effort with a new team-record 170 rushing yards in the Steelers’ 18-16 Divisional Round win over the Kansas City Chiefs. That game marked Bell’s seventh time surpassing 150 yards from scrim-
mage in 14 games this season. Bell also wins on any measure of the “clutch factor” that commentators discuss so frequently. He frequently scores in crucial moments of games, such as his pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter of the Steelers’ 31-27 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day. Clinching a division title against your archrival in a winner-take-all prime-time showdown is the definition of clutch. Combine that with winning a Wild Card playoff game against a team the Steelers lost to earlier in the season, and Bell deserves his due. If anything, Bell’s ability to climb the ladder of running backs after returning from a three-game suspension is nothing short of remarkable. Of course, Bell is the only one to blame for his offseason troubles, but that shouldn’t hinder his ability to gain proper recognition for a career season. Although the MVP award has been a quarterbacks-only club in recent years, Bell’s consistent game-winning performances warrant him a spot at the top of the list.
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Culture
See Thursday’s Paper for a full review of Piada
CHEF BRINGS FRESH PRODUCE TO CAMPUS Stephen Caruso
Contributing Editor Trevett Hooper has spent the past seven years crafting fine dining experiences — from the simplest hors d’oeuvres to the most complicated entrees — at Legume on North Craig Street with the freshest ingredients he can find. But starting in June, next door to his former haute hangout, Hooper will use the energy put into homemade chicken broth and housechurned butter to cook up comfort food at Pie for Breakfast. In the process, he’s attempting to start a movement to make locally-sourced food accessible to everyone. The concept of Pie for Breakfast grew out of Hooper’s lifelong love of “real simple American regional cuisine.” “I love diners and cafes,” he said. “I want to make food that’s still diner food … that’s not so processed.” Hooper idealizes a time from the 1930s and earlier, when roadside dives were showcases of the local land’s bounty, when menus reflected both the region and the season. But as fast food and chain restaurants grew, many independent shops also started to tap into national food distributors to streamline their supply chains, at the cost of local flavor. That trend is now on the decline, however, according to Bob Batz Jr., a food journalist for 10 years for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In fact, what he’s seen is a rising tide of quality food over the past few years. While Batz is hesitant to use the phrase “farmto-table” — because “everything comes from some kind of farm” — he noted Hooper and Legume’s particular success in turning local, high-quality ingredients into exemplary cuisine. “We are surrounded by great farm territory,” Batz said. According to Hooper, 75 percent of his produce and 98 percent of his meat at Legume comes from western Pennsylvania — the only exception being duck from the center of the state. The produce also changes seasonally so that in the summertime the percent of local produce can go as high as 90 percent. Hooper plans to retain the same proportion of locally sourced food at Pie for Breakfast, with only
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a few exceptions, while keeping every plate under $15. This is a significant difference from Legume, where the rotating menu regularly has plates for $25 and greater. “We’re never going to be as cheap as a roadside diner,” Hooper said. “[But] I want a lot of people to enjoy this.” The biggest difference, then, will come from preparation, which often occurs behind the scenes. Hooper mentioned how a seemingly simple dish of fish, sauce and rice at Legume might have “12 steps … that are invisible” to the patron. At Pie for Breakfast, the food will be simpler and less layered, making it less expensive than the dishes at Legume. Hooper is considering serving the food in a traditional format, the meat and three, where a set price gets the customer a meat of choice along with three sides of choice. F o r the meat selection, Hooper said he’s l o o k ing into preparing fried chicken, a dish that re qu i re s a lot of preparation and specialization in the kitchen, as well as classics like chicken-fried cken-fried steak. Though he offered “no promises” mises” come the June launch, Hooper said Pittsburgh’ rgh’s varied ethnic migrants partially inspire his menu for Pie for Breakfast, with sides like haluski, a Polish dish of potato noodles with cabbage, and d collard greens, inspired by the wave of African-American n-American migrants who came to northern cities es in the Great Migration. In total, Hooper imagines having avingg four to five “proteins” on the menu nu each day, with six to seven sides to pick from as well, rotating based on lo-
cal availability. “The local food movement can’t exist merely as a special occasion,” Hooper said. Becoming an everyday restaurant — as opposed to one for “special occasions” — is critical for success in the Oakland food scene, according to Brandon Smith, co-owner of Fuel and Fuddle. While the gastropub has thrived, another business attempt of his in Oakland, Olio Trattoria — a sitdown Italian restaurant at the former location of Joe Mama’s Diner — didn’t work out. While weekends were busy, Smith says Olio Trattoria gained a reputation as a “date night” spot with local college students, keeping the restaurant empty on weeknights. “You can’t survive in Oakland on just the weekends,” Smith said. With its location, Hooper recognizes his clientele will include a large student market. Pie for
Breakfast’s North Oakland spot is centrally located between Pitt and Carnegie Mellon campuses, surrounded by students in off-campus housing. Appealing to this student audience hasn’t been at the front of Hooper’s mind yet, but he knows making Pie for Breakfast seem less “standoffish” than the fine dining at Legume will be key to success. To do so, he also plans on adding a breakfast counter to the restaurant for student commuters to stop in and grab a pastry and coffee, along with the cheaper prices and comfort food menu. This focus on accessibility marks a new step for Hooper. As a proud father of five kids, he is starting to look at cooking less for the thrill of the gourmet and more as a simple pleasure of home life. “This stage of my life I am less into fine dining,” Hooper said, “My goal for life [now] is to eat good everyday.”
“The local food
movement can’t exist merely as a special occasion.
”
Cheff Trevett Hoop Hooper per
January 17. 20166
Top: Beef front shoulder Bottom: Dandelion salad COURTESY TREVETT HOOPER
Terry Tan SENIOR STAFF ILLUSTRATOR
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NEW EATERIES OPEN IN OAKLAND
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Customers wait in line on Monday during the grand opening of Piada Italian Street Food. Donny Falk STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Emily Brindley Culture Editor
Oakland’s food scene is getting an update this month with the opening of three eateries minutes from campus. Though they’re all new to Oakland, the restaurants — all with “build it yourself” options — cater to a younger generation’s appetite. Piada After a “VIP” opening over the long weekend, Piada’s Forbes Avenue location opened to the public Monday. Including its Oakland location, Piada has 40 storefronts — plus a food truck — concentrated mostly in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. Piada serves “Italian street food” with a menu of salads, pastas and, as the restaurant’s name suggests, piadas. Piadas are made of thin-crust dough rolled around a variety of cheeses, meats and veggies. Although there is a set menu, the dishes are all customizable so that customers can build their own pasta or Piada meal. At dinnertime on Monday, the line for Piada snaked around the stools, wooden tabletops and bar-style seating. The modern, well-lit restaurant was complete with touches like drop lighting, white brick walls and a stone Italian soda dispenser. Siba Sundaram, who graduated from Pitt in December with a biology degree, and Anthony Cangelosi, a junior double majoring in biology and political science, visited Piada on its opening day. Because they arrived at about 4:30 p.m., Sundaram and Cangelosi said they only waited in line for 10 to 15 minutes. Both Sundaram and Cangelosi ordered the Chef’s Favorite Piada — a Piada filled with peppers, lettuce, mozzarella, Parmesan and a spicy diavolo sauce. Cangelosi added steak to his Piada, but Sundaram stuck with veggies.
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“It was kind of cool as a vegetarian, too, all of the things are kind of based vegetarian and then you can add the steak and add the chicken,” Sundaram said. Although Sundaram appreciated the option to exclude meat from his dishes, Cangelosi noted the variety of options available to vegetarians and carnivores alike. “The whole build your own stuff has really become popular, and I like that there’s just a lot of different choices,” Cangelosi said. “If you came here every day for two weeks, you could get a different thing.” The storefront, located on the corner of Forbes and Meyran avenues, will be open daily from 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. Noodle Uchi Under the same ownership as Sushi Fuku, Noodle Uchi quietly opened for business on South Craig Street in 2016. The restaurant’s grand opening, however, will be held Jan. 20. In addition to set features, Noodle Uchi’s menu focuses primarily on build-your-own bowls of ramen noodles, stir-fry noodles and rice — similar to Sushi Fuku. The restaurant, which is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., will feature $3 ramen or rice bowls for its grand opening Friday. Lotsa Stone Fired Pizza After Pitt bought the building at the corner of Forbes Avenue and Atwood Street, the University announced that a portion of the first floor is being renovated to accommodate a new storefront for the pizza chain Lotsa Stone Fired Pizza. Lotsa serves mainly build-your-own pizzas, with options for the type of dough, sauce, cheese and toppings. There are currently five open Lotsa locations, primarily near college campuses such as West Virginia University and Purdue University.
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Sports
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Swimming and diving and wrestling weekend recaps
PALMER SETS PITT 600M RECORD Steve Rotstein Sports Editor
Pitt senior Desmond Palmer is already a two-time NCAA All-American hurdler. Competing in the 600-meter race for the first time on Saturday, he proved he’s capable of making history as a traditional sprinter, too. Palmer broke the Pitt track and field program record in the 600m at the Nittany Lion Challenge in University Park, Pennsylvania, posting a blistering time of 1:18.26. In the process, he broke the school record time of 1:19.06, set by Brycen Spratling in January 2014 at the same event. “[Palmer] won the final after running in the third-fastest heat, which is impressive. You don’t see that very often,” Pitt head coach Alonzo Webb said in a press release. “It shows where his fitness is and where his development is so far this season ... I’m excited to see what this season brings for him.” Palmer claiming first place while posting a
record-breaking time in his first attempt at the event may sound surprising to some. His head coach, though, said that was the plan all along. “We had talked about Desmond running the 600 this weekend, and our goal was for him to break the school record, so he completed his mission,” Webb said in the release. “At first I was going to have him run the 400, but then I thought the 600 would be better because he doesn’t have the opportunity to run it very often.” As a sophomore, Palmer became a firstteam All-American by placing eighth in the finals of the 400-meter hurdles at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor National Championships. He slipped to second-team All-American status last year after failing to qualify for the 400-meter hurdles finals, something that motivates him to put together his best season yet as a senior. Palmer also competed in the 60-meter hurdles Saturday, taking home first place with
TENNIS TEAM TROUNCES TWO TO OPEN SEASON
David Leftwich Staff Writer
Coming off its most successful season in four years, the Pitt women’s tennis team built off that momentum with an emphatic performance in its 2017 season-opening meet. Last season, the Panthers claimed their first-ever ACC win and finished with seven victories total — the most since their 2012 season. Their roster remains relatively intact — losing only first-year player Carina Ma, the team returns a mix of three seniors, one junior and three sophomores while adding one firstyear player.
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Pitt hosted the Vartabedian Invite over the weekend at the Alpha Tennis and Fitness Center in Harmarville, Pennsylvania, kicking off its season with two nearly flawless victories. First, the Panthers dominated the Duquesne Dukes Friday, winning eight of the nine matches. They then mauled the Morgan State Bears Saturday, again dropping only one match while winning six. “I saw a great base so we can build and I saw a lot of good patterns and energy,” Pitt head coach Alex Santos said Friday in a press release. “We just need to develop and refine our game a little more to be more disciplined and tougher.
a time of 7.98, but he wasn’t the only Panther to cross the finish line first. On the women’s team, sophomore Gillian Schriever — a Pitt cross-country star who became the first Panther to reach the NCAA Cross-Country Championships since 2004 — carried over her success to the track and field circuit with a victory in the 3,000-meter race. Schriever posted a personal-best time of 9:41.58 in the event, while junior Andin Fosam also took first place in the weight throw with a personal-best 19.31-meter toss. “This was a nice opener for us,” Webb said in the release. “I was pleased with performance in many areas, especially after most event groups had a heavy training load this past week — especially the long sprinters and distance runners. We’re trying to get ready for Penn State Nationals here in a few weeks.” The Panthers’ next competition is the YSU College Invitational Friday, Jan. 20, in Desmond Palmer set a school record in the 600m Saturday. Courtesy Barry Youngstown, Ohio. Schenk PITT ATHLETICS
I was very pleased with the energy, effort and the overall quality of tennis.” In the singles portion of the season-opening match against the Dukes, the experienced Panthers made quick work of their opponents. Redshirt senior Amber Washington beat her opponent Megan Wasson 6-3, 6-0 in the No. 1 slot, while senior Audrey Ann Blakely crushed Zuzanna Stelmaszak 6-2, 6-0 in the second slot to lead the Panthers. Jovana Knezevic — a native of Limassol, Cyprus, and Pitt’s lone first-year player — was the only Panther to suffer a loss in singles competition, falling 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 to Duquesne’s Aishwarya Kona. As the youngest player on the team, a low-pressure non-conference match like this was a good chance to give Knezevic singles experience. The Dukes offered more resistance in the doubles portion of the competition, but Pitt managed to win each of the three matches. Washington teamed up with junior Callie Frey in the first doubles match, continuing their strong play from their singles victories and dominating their opponents, 6-0. Despite being pushed to a tiebreak, Pitt sophomore Ga-
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briela Rezende and Knezevic eked out a 7-6 (3) win in the second doubles slot. Sophomore Clara Lucas and Blakely also ran into a tough challenge from the Dukes, but managed to take the final doubles match 7-5 to round out the easy 8-1 victory for the Panthers. Pitt kept the pressure on against Morgan State Saturday, cruising to victory in its second match of the weekend. After posting a 26-8 record as a redshirt junior last season — tied for the third-most victories in a season program history — Washington carried over that dominance to the Vartabedian Invite. She followed up her decisive win Friday with another easy victory against Morgan State, defeating Chloe Kabamba 6-2, 6-1 in the top singles position for the Panthers. Blakely, who rose to the highest national singles ranking in program history last season, surrendered a set against Katia Jordan in her singles match Saturday. But Blakely recovered to win 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 in the second singles position.
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PITT GYMNASTS BEST WVU FOR FIRST TIME IN 26 YEARS Bayard Miller
cally, the Mountaineers have dominated their competitions against the Panthers, amassing a 57-12 advantage in the allPitt gymnastics head coach Debbie time series. Yohman knows her team has struggled But history was not a good predicon the beam, so she decided to try sometor Friday, and Pitt snapped a 51-match thing new at practice this week. losing streak against WVU dating all the “We got [into the Fitzgerald Field way back to 1991. House] and I said, ‘Warm up, and then The Mountaineers spotted the Panwe’re doing a beam inter-squad. We’re thers an early advantage by stumbling just doing a whole lineup of full beam in the meet’s first rotation on the bars. routines,’” Yohman said. “And they hit.” Although Tiara Wright performed a brilThe beam is Pitt’s weakest event, and liant routine for WVU that garnered a 9.8 the team’s struggles there allowed Ohio score from the judges, the Mountaineers State to eke out a narrow victory in the were hampered by an 8.975 from Chloe Panthers’ season opener last Saturday. Cluchey and a 9.1 from Kassidy Cumber. So Yohman organized the surprise interMeanwhile, Pitt first-year gymnast squad scrimmage on Thursday to preRachel Dugan’s 9.85 on the bars was good pare her team for its second match of the for an individual title and a personalseason against the No. 21 West Virginia best performance. Dugan said neither Mountaineers. the pressure of the meet nor her desire Yohman’s strategy paid off, as a pair to capitalize on the Mountaineers’ poor of Panthers — Kelly Burak and Brittany performance on the bars affected her mentality as she prepared for her routine. “Honestly, I wasn’t even aware of the scores,” Dugan said. “We really do a good job of staying within the team. I always have the same mindset going up regardless of what the other team is doing.” Yohman, meanwhile, was prepared for WVU’s ability to come from behind, so she stressed the importance of staying focused. “Well, I know [the Mountaineers are] big vaulters, so I know they’re going to catch up,” Yohman said about her thought process early on. “And we don’t have an inch to spare, so I know that we just have to keep going.” Lucy Jones posted a 9.575 score on the beam in Pitt’s win over West Virginia. Yohman was right. WVU mounted a Jeff Ahearn SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Assistant Sports Editor
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West — tied for first in the beam competition with WVU’s Carly Galpin. All three posted scores of 9.825, and Pitt bounced back from the Ohio State setback to defeat the rival Mountaineers Friday night for the first time in 26 years, 194.025-193.875. Senior Tracy Pearson, who captured both the floor and the all-around title on Friday, believes the inter-squad competition helped the Panthers prepare for the intensity of Friday’s match. “Overall, we did a great job because we had our inter-squad [scrimmage],” Pearson said. “It put us in perspective and it gave us that pressure so we knew what to expect, so coming out here would be a little easier.” The dual meet at the Fitzgerald Field House was the 70th meeting between the regional rivals for the gymnastic rendition of the Backyard Brawl. Histori-
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valiant comeback effort, climbing back within reach by outscoring Pitt on the vault. With the outcome still hanging in the balance, the meet came down to the very last individual performance of the day — Pearson’s floor exercise. “I didn’t have to worry about Tracy [Pearson] worrying about what the score was,” Yohman said. “Tracy just goes out and competes. And she goes out and hits.” Pearson dazzled with a 9.875 that gave her a share of first place on the floor, won her the all-around competition and handed her team the victory. But the Panthers weren’t just competing for themselves Friday night. This year, the team “adopted” a local fouryear-old girl named Madelina — who has a brain tumor — through the organization Friends of Jaclyn. All the gymnasts came into the Fitz wearing shirts saying “Keep Calm and Fight On for Madelina” and orange hair ribbons in her honor. “My team members are mentors to her,” Yohman said. After Pitt clinched the victory, Madelina could be seen happily running around the gymnastics equipment with her own orange ribbon in her hair. After considerable effort, the coaches were able to corral her into a team photo. The Panthers hope to carry their momentum from Friday night’s groundbreaking win into their next competition, a tri-meet against New Hampshire and Southern Connecticut. The meet will take place Saturday, Jan. 21, at 4 p.m. in Durham, New Hampshire.
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