1-22-20

The Pitt News

T h e i n d e p e n d e n t s t ude nt ne w spap e r of t he U niversity of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | january 22. 2020 ­| Volume 110 | Issue 204

POETRY WITH A PURPOSE

SGB HONORS THE MEMORY OF PITT STUDENT BARBARA COMO Anushay Chaudhry For The Pitt News

efforts took place. The annual financial disclosure reports are required by Pennsylvania’s education regulations, the Public School Code of 1949, which mandate that state-related universities provide a list of all goods and service contracts which exceed $1,000 in price every fiscal year.

The reports show that Pitt paid Ballard Spahr an average of around $3,700 per year before unionization efforts took place. The yearly payment spiked to nearly 100 times that amount — an average of around $328,000 — once

Student Government Board started its weekly meeting Tuesday night by having a moment of silence for Pitt senior Barbara Como, who passed away Saturday.

“If you are having a hard time right now, please lean on your friends and lean on people that you trust,” President Zechariah Brown said.

Following roll call, Brown discussed an opportunity for students without a meal plan to receive free meal swipes. Students interested in attending Market Central’s Lunar New Year event, hosted by the Asian Student Association in collaboration with Sodexo and Student Affairs this week, will receive 30 free swipes. The event will take place on Friday from noon to 2 p.m. and the menu will be posted on SGB’s social media pages later this week.

Board member Cedric Humphrey also spoke about the upcoming Eat and Greet hosted by SGB and Pitt Dining, which will feature the Cathedral Cafe’s new food options. Humphrey said the event, which will take place on Friday from 2 to 3 p.m. in WPU Dining Room A, is only open to the first 40 people who sign up.

Brown also provided an update on the Sexual Assault Prevention Grant, announced by the Chancellor’s Office in October to support innovative solutions for preventing sexual misconduct on campus. The first information session will be held on Wednesday from 4 to 5 p.m. The second session will take place on Jan. 27 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Both will be in the William Pitt Union Room 630. Brown said any representatives from student organizations who are interested in making grant proposals should attend one of the two information sessions. The

See Spahr on page 3

See SGB on page 3

Sophomore English writing major Craig Hayes reads his poem “Love is a Weapon” at Tuesday evening’s Martin Luther King Interfaith Service. Caela Go | staff photographer

Analysis: Comparing Pitt’s current Ballard Spahr spending with pre-unionization Neena Hagen

Senior Staff Writer Since the graduate and faculty union campaigns launched in 2016, Pitt has paid more than $1.3 million to “union avoidance” legal giant Ballard Spahr — an average of $328,000 per year.

Financial records reveal this average is 100 times higher than the average paid before unionization efforts began.

Ballard Spahr can “advise on employer rights and responsibilities during the critical pre-election period” of union organization and “work closely with management to design and carry out an effective election campaign,” according

to its website.

According to University spokesperson Kevin Zwick, Pitt regularly uses the firm to advise on issues outside of unionization, but the University has repeatedly declined to say how much money goes toward unionization compared with other matters.

“The University has engaged Ballard Spahr — one of many vendors in our partner network — on a variety of legal matters dating back to 2009,” Zwick said.

The Pitt News uncovered the University’s financial disclosure reports from 2009 to 2015, before unionization

News

HEINZ CHAPEL HOLDS MLK INTERFAITH SERVICE

Rebecca Johnson

Senior Staff Writer At Heinz Memorial Chapel Tuesday evening, worshippers of different faiths sat in the same pews and celebrated the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. The Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith Service was attended by about 100 people. The event, hosted by the Office of Cross Cultural and Leadership Development, the Office of Interfaith Dialogue and Engagement and the University Association of Chaplaincies, was a commemoration of King’s racial justice advocacy as well as a celebration of all religions through poetry and music.a Emiola Jay Oriola, the program manager and founder of the OID, said the theme of the event, “Common Ground, Common Good,” was inspired by King’s desire to reach out to people of different religions and backgrounds. King was famous for working with leaders of various faiths, including Mahatma Gandhi. King adopted many of Gandhi’s nonviolent tactics into the civil rights movement in the United States.

“King patterned many of his strategies of the civil rights movement from boycotts to marches to readily accepting jail time after Gandhi’s leadership in India,” Oriola said. “King was unequivocally in his Christian commitment, but at the same time he viewed the powerful commonality across all faiths.”

A large portion of the service featured various religious performances. One of these groups, Some of God’s Children’s Gospel Choir, performed two a capella songs, “Better is One Day” and “Adoration.” Mikala Aleksandruk, a junior health services major and member of the choir, said these songs were a way for the group to promote understanding among religions.

“Both of these songs were to adore who God is and the God we serve,” Aleksandruk said. “[This service] is really important for Martin Luther King and the interfaith effort because everyone should be able to freely express and worship the God they serve.”

Another group that performed was Hillelujah, a Jewish a capella group based out of Hillel JUC that includes members from Chatham University, Carnegie Mellon University and Pitt. Hil-

pittnews.com

Tuesday evening’s Martin Luther King Interfaith Service was attended by about 100 students and community members. Caela Go | staff photographer lelujah performed two a capella pieces, including one in Hebrew titled “Yachad.” Zachary Sussman, a senior at CMU and member of the group, said honoring Martin Luther King Jr. is important for Jewish people.

“We think it’s really important to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. because some of his values reflect so strongly with Jewish values,” Sussman said. “Yachad in Hebrew literally means together.”

Aleksandruk said while she was impressed by all the performance groups, Hillelujah stood out to her because of their passion.

“I think the Hillelujah a capella group was so beautiful,” Aleksandruk said. “The passion they had and how friendly they were, you could see just by watching them.”

The presentations extended beyond singing, though. Craig Hayes, a sophomore English writing and poetry major who serves on the student advisory board for the Office of Interfaith Dialogue and Engagement delivered a poem he

wrote himself called “Love is the Weapon.” The poem focused on King’s difficult decision to fight for civil rights.

“Were your footsteps unstoppable in the efforts to stop the wasting of blood? Did you ever ask yourself, ‘Would I be enough to stop the suffering of bodies?’” Hayes said. “I bet the word echoes, reverberates through these vast hallways.

I bet it was for love.”

Two dance groups on campus, Hearts Ablaze Dance Ministry and Pitt Sangeet, also performed.

Hearts Ablaze and Sangeet dance to Christian and Indian classical music, respectively.

During the service, Oriola also presented the Martin Luther King Jr. Creating Community Common Ground Award to two students — Khushana Chaudhri, a senior media and professional communications major, and Lia Solomon, a senior urban studies, politics and philosophy and nonprofit management major — who he believed promoted interfaith dialogue on campus.

Both are also members of the student interfaith

January 22, 2020

advisory board.

Chaudhri, who is also the president of the Muslim Student Association, said part of her advocacy work is creating awareness among religions. Last semester MSA participated in Boxes and Walls, a simulation designed to depict what marginalized groups undergo daily.

“For MSA we tried to depict how Muslims are racially profiled during TSA airport security checks,” Chaudhri said. “We plan to do more interfaith collaboration to connect to other people and learn more about their worldviews and way of life.”

Solomon said this connection among religions is a necessity for a just future.

“We cannot comfort each other in times of sorrow, support each other’s political needs or celebrate each other in time of joy if we do not see, know, appreciate and love one another,” Soloman said. “We have to learn to stand together because we need each other in the fight for change and justice.”

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The Student Government Board started its weekly meeting with a moment of silence for Pitt senior Barbara Como. Romita Das| staff photographer

SGB, pg. 1

Pitt’s annual payments to the legal firm Ballard Spahr began to increase in 2016, coinciding with the launch of the graduate and faculty union campaigns. Thomas Yang | assistant visual editor

Spahr, pg. 1 union campaigns became active.

The annual financial disclosure reports reveal that Pitt paid Ballard Spahr a total of $22,359 in the following amounts each fiscal year before union campaigns took off: Fiscal year 2010: $4,194 Fiscal year 2011: $2,000 Fiscal year 2012: $7,524 Fiscal year 2013: $0 Fiscal year 2014: $8,641 Fiscal year 2015: $0 The annual financial disclosure reports also show that Pitt paid Ballard Spahr a total of $1,310,634 since the union campaigns began, in the following amounts each fiscal year: Fiscal year 2016: $20,555 Fiscal year 2017: $73,922 Fiscal year 2018: $144,584 Fiscal year 2019: $1,071,573

pittnews.com

Zwick said some of the payments to Ballard Spahr could come from student tuition.

“Legal expenditures are paid from our general operating budget, which is funded from a variety of sources, including tuition,” Zwick said. “No matter how these issues evolve, the complex legal landscape emerging from unionization efforts requires expert outside counsel.”

Abby Cartus, a graduate union organizer and student in epidemiology, slammed Pitt in May for “wasting” money on union battles.

“It is a disgrace that the University has already spent nearly a quarter-million dollars on union-busting lawyers to prevent its own employees from having a say in their workplace, while increasing tuition for in-state students by nearly five percent over the same period,” Cartus said.

deadline to apply for the grants is March 31.

SGB also provided an update on the naming guidelines SORC said it would be reinforcing for student organizations last semester, prohibiting the names of independent student organizations from including University trademarks or wordmarks like “Pitt” and “Panther,” instead encouraging clubs to use phrases such as “at Pitt” or “at the University of Pittsburgh.”

The board released three possible solutions to the problem at its Nov. 6 meeting, with its preferred solution being to utilize SORC to approve names and marketing materials for clubs, allowing the use of University trademarks or wordmarks as long as sponsorship is not implied or stated. Brown said after the meeting that he would meet with Director of Student Life Linda Williams-Moore and SORC Coordinator Lynne Miller this week, but would not specify a day.

Nick Bibby, the elections committee chair, reminded students that application packets to run for a position on next year’s SGB board are due on Jan. 28 at 5 p.m. He also announced there will be a candidates mixer this Friday from 1 to 2 p.m. in WPU Room 540.

“The mixer is a great chance for students interested in running to meet members from SGB and other potential candidates,” Bibby said.

After the meeting, Brown said that a substantial number of candidates have already picked up election packets and that he is expecting more packets to be turned in within the coming week.

“I think what’s best for our small Pitt democracy is to have as many different viewpoints as possible,” Brown said. “We’ve had candidates pick up packets as late as today actually.”

January 22, 2020

Executive Vice President Anaïs Peterson reminded those in attendance that the Pittsburgh Stands Against Facism in India rally will be held at the Frick Fine Arts Building’s fountain on Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m.

Clara Weibel, the SGB outreach coordinator and the co-director for the Student Office of Sustainability, reminded students about the field trip SOOS is taking to the Pittsburgh Racial Justice Summit — an all-day event being held on Jan. 25 at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

According to Weibel, there will be a SOOS debriefing event on Sunday following the summit where students can reflect on what they learned at the event and apply it to their respective organizations.

Weibel also announced that SOOS and the Global Hub will be running a plastic recycling drive for an architecture studio course. There will be drop-off locations for clean plastic bottles, plastic bags and plastic food containers at various locations around campus, including the SOOS office in WPU 510 and the Global Hub in the galleria on the ground floor of Posvar Hall.

“The architecture studio course will use these materials to design a collateral holder for the Global Hub,” Weibel said. “It’ll be really exciting to watch this take shape and I’m really excited that we got to help plan the drive.”

Stephen Jacobus, SGB’s newly appointed judicial committee chair, was excused for the night due to an illness.

Brown ended the meeting by encouraging everyone to be kind to themselves and reminding anyone struggling with the loss of someone close, stress, depression or anxiety to visit the Counseling Center’s regular drop-in hours which take place 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. For after-hours support, students can call 412-648-7930.

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Opinions ACQUIT TRUMP OF BOTH IMPEACHMENT ARTICLES Hayden Timmins

Staff Columnist After 29 days of waiting, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., finally submitted two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate. The Senate must now conduct its own trial presided over by Chief Justice John Roberts and decide to convict or acquit Trump on each count.

The Senate would be starkly opposing the public interest by voting to convict Trump. Removal would create a precedence of impeaching and removing presidents based on miniscule evidence at best and pure speculation and deliberate misinterpretations of law at worst.

The entire process from start to finish has been a dog and pony show. Pelosi has claimed that this is a “sad” and “solemn” moment for the Democratic party to have to impeach the president, but when the articles were passed in the House, Pelosi had to quickly prevent her colleagues from applauding.

When signing the articles, she deliberately signed her name one letter at a time, each with a separate pen to be given out as trophies. This is typically reserved for major accomplishments, not “somber” resolutions. Her true motives have been palpable since day one: impeach and remove Trump before the next election. Impeachment was inevitable as soon as Hillary Clinton conceded the presidential race on Nov. 8, 2016.

This has clearly been articulated by Pelosi herself.

When asked to respond to how quickly the impeachment trial has been moving, Pelosi said, “It’s been going on for 22 months, okay? Two and a half years, actually.”

This is particularly interesting, considering the Ukraine scandal only began in approximately September of 2019 with a rumor of a potential whistleblower within the Trump administration.

The impeachment vote itself was almost

pittnews.com

entirely along party lines, with the exception of two Democrats voting with the Republicans on the first article and three on the second. Considering impeachment is inherently a political process — and not an unbiased criminal or civil trial — it’s expected that votes will generally align with each party’s agenda. However, not even the Clinton impeachment was as polarizing as this one, because many representatives from both parties recognized that the articles were credible. In this case, the articles are a milquetoast attempt at pinning Trump

“bribery” charge.

“Wherefore President Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national security and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self governance and the rule of law, President Trump thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States,” the first article says.

The first claim, that Trump was with-

President Donald Trump speaks at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, Jan. 21. guo chen/xinhua/zuma press/tns for acting within his authority.

The first article of impeachment details Trump’s alleged “abuse of power.” It claims Trump pressured Ukraine to publicly announce an investigation into Joe Biden, a political opponent, and into Ukraine interference in the 2016 election while military aid was suspended. This was purportedly malicious because Trump released the military aid “faced with the revelation of his actions.” This is extremely vague and a watered-down version of their previous

holding funds for political gain, is entirely unfounded. Not a single witness called upon by the House Judiciary committee had any first-hand account of Trump claiming his actions were for personal benefit.

Meanwhile, Ukranian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he did not believe he was being blackmailed to investigate. Without the threat of blackmail and with the aid eventually released before any form of payment by the Ukrainian president was given to Trump, it is nearly impossible to claim

January 22, 2020

abuse of power. This article of impeachment more closely describes the appearance of abuse of power, which is far from a credible argument to impeach a president.

The second article of impeachment, “obstruction of Congress,” somehow holds even less water. Obstruction of Congress is a fabricated term that is a feeble version of the serious obstruction of justice charge.

Unlike obstruction of justice, obstruction of Congress has no precedent in previous impeachment cases. This article simply claims that Trump abused his executive privilege by preventing testimonies of potential witnesses and documents despite subpoenas.

“In response, without lawful cause or excuse, President Trump directed Executive Branch agencies, offices, and officials not to comply with those subpoenas,” the second article says. “President Trump thus interposed the powers of the Presidency against the lawful subpoenas of the House of Representatives, and assumed to himself functions and judgments necessary to the exercise of the ‘sole Power of Impeachment’ vested by the Constitution in the House of Representatives.”

This is a complete derision of the concept of separation of powers. Standard procedure for subpoenas of the executive branch are to file a civil lawsuit and have the Supreme Court rule if the evidence is crucial enough to be delivered to the public sphere, such as in United States v. Nixon.

Only if Trump were to defy a judicial ruling would he be in violation of contempt of court.

Pelosi said in a speech that Trump is “impeached forever” and there is nothing the Senate can do to change that. While this is true, the Senate can acquit Trump from these asinine charges and prevent this circus from continuing.

Hayden primarily writes about politics for The Pitt News. Write to Hayden at hwt3@pitt.edu.

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from the editorial board

FOR RELEASE JANUARY 22, 2020

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

NYT double endorsement is a cop-out

pittnews.com

01/22/20

it’s the very fact that it endorsed two people which makes its choice less effective than it could have been.

An endorsement is supposed to be a definitive statement of support for only one candidate. You can’t vote for more than one candidate for president, so the selection of two candidates is a cop-out. The editorial board acknowledges that this could be a problematic choice.

“There will be those dissatisfied that this page is not throwing its weight behind a single candidate, favoring centrists or progressives,” the article says. “But it’s a fight the party itself has been itching to have since Mrs. Clinton’s defeat in 2016, and one that should be played out in the public arena and in the privacy of the voting booth. That’s the very purpose of primaries, to test-market strategies and ideas that can galvanize and inspire the country.”

The Times sets up a battle between centrists and progressives in the Democratic party and presents a choice for either side of that argument. However, its assessment of each woman’s pitfalls is slightly too balanced to be convincing in favor of either of them. And this choice voters need to make between more progressive candidates and more moderate ones isn’t anything new to a lot of voters who might be looking to outlets like The Times for more definitive advice.

Like The Times says, the average American will never get to spend as much time one-on-one with the candidates as the editorial board did in order to choose who they would endorse. It’s why many Americans trust the newspaper and its endorsement.

But it seems they’re just as muddled as the rest of us when it comes to 2020 candidates.

The Pitt news crossword

The New York Times’ editorial board has traditionally endorsed a presidential candidate since 1860, with thousands of uncertain readers turning to the paper for an informed, decisive opinion.

But this year featured an unexpected break from tradition — as The Times chose to endorse not one, but two Democratic candidates for the 2020 election. The paper backs Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., as a way of covering their progressive and moderate bases within the Democratic party. Where they evidently see this as a revolutionary move, it’s nothing short of a cop-out that misses the point of an endorsement entirely.

Warren is presented as the better choice between her and Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt. The editorial board spends time both lauding the Massachusetts senator for her progressive agenda and what they think she will be able to do to promote it, as well as pointing out the possible problems that could accompany a Warren administration — namely the conservative federal judiciary that will undoubtedly present certain roadblocks to progress.

Klobuchar is called “a standardbearer for the Democratic center” by The Times, as opposed to all the male candidates who don’t have enough political experience — except Biden, who might have just a bit too much.

She is described as an efficient lawmaker with a long history of getting things done, but the editorial board also notes that she has a reputation for treating her staff poorly, is an unpolished speaker and is not polling very high.

There’s something to be said for the fact that The New York Times endorsed two women this year, but

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

January 22, 2020

ACROSS 1 Construction guideline 5 Pitfalls 10 Bible book that chronicles the conversion of Paul 14 Rake prong 15 Soprano Fleming 16 Fluctuate 17 500 sheets of paper 18 “I’m on __!”

19 Access, as a computer program 20 Combat 23 Characterized by 24 Provide parenting for 27 Art Deco icon 28 Compel to land, as a plane 32 Massage therapist’s employer 34 Penn. neighbor 35 Handling the situation 36 Lilly of pharmaceuticals 39 Coffee cup insulators 42 Texting format, for short 43 “Boogie Nights” actor Reynolds 45 Night school subj.

46 Fashion plate 48 Red or white unit 51 Put one over on 54 Islamic denomination 55 Oregon city near the mouth of the Columbia 58 Speaking Spanglish, say ... or a hint to what’s hidden in 20-, 28and 48-Across 62 Competent 64 Suck-up 65 Afrikaans speaker 66 Shiraz’s land 67 Make one’s case 68 Cupid’s wings 69 Anti-DUI org.

70 Tango moves 71 “This is for you”

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By Jared Tamarkin

DOWN 1 Guitar support 2 Missouri River capital 3 Fill with affection 4 Fixes in place 5 Activist’s handout 6 Install new shingles on 7 Quote book abbr.

8 Ill-gotten gains 9 Move for money 10 Guacamole ingredient 11 Underwriting?

12 Roman three 13 Many a crossword clue: Abbr.

21 Ocean trenches 22 Fury 25 Enjoy the pool 26 Tonsillitis-treating MDs 29 Former “Entertainment Tonight” co-anchor Nancy 30 Make growl, as an engine 31 Sheet music symbol 33 Actor Baldwin 36 Goes back out

Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

37 Humdinger 38 Like a rock-solid contract 40 Language suffix 41 Start of civilization?

44 Constantly 47 Bureaucratic bigwig 49 Impersonated 50 On the injured list 52 Camden Yards player

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53 One-dimensional 56 Eye annoyances 57 Be on the same page 59 Share-a-ride pickup hrs.

60 Microsoft Excel command 61 Compensation 62 Crossbow wielder’s asset 63 Maidenform garment

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Sports

Column: Wrestling is Pitt’s top winter product pittnews.com

VERA HEADLINES PROGRESS OF PITT SWIMMERS

Henry Jackson

For The Pitt News In its seventh season competing in the ACC, the Pitt men’s swim team is looking to make a statement.

And with a squad of veteran swimmers manning the lanes, the Panthers just might have the ability to make that statement this year.

After setting 17 school records at last year’s ACC Championships — and with every single one of those record-setters returning this season — the Panthers have positioned themselves well for another breakthrough season. Head coach John Hargis spoke to his squad’s development Friday afternoon, with his Panthers fresh off a dominant home victory over Division III Denison.

“We want to build off each year. Up to this point, we’ve gotten better every year, and that’s what we want to continue to do,” fourth-year head coach John Hargis said. “To continue to have a very championship-minded program.”

Much of the success Pitt swimming has experienced in recent years can be attributed to Hargis.

Through ardent recruiting and the building of a more competitive culture within the program, Pitt has managed to attract a higher caliber of swimmers the team was previously lacking.

Pitt has focused especially on building a stronger sprinting group, the most explosive type of race.

Many of the school records set last year came in 50and 100-yard races, and Hargis has challenged his swimmers to be “intensity driven.”

One such swimmer is junior Blaise Vera. Last year, Vera set four school records and swam on four school record-setting relay teams at the ACC Championship. He was also one of the few Pitt swimmers to swim at the NCAA Championship, where he finished an impressive 24th in the 100-yard freestyle as just a sophomore.

Vera was a highly touted swimmer coming into Pitt, ranked as the top swimming prospect in Mississippi as a senior in high school. He even qualified for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 50-meter freestyle, but it was in his first year at Pitt where he began to see drastic improvement.

“It was a lot more focus on details … and under-

pittnews.com

Junior Blaise Vera holds Pitt’s school records in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle. Kaycee Orwig | senior staff photographer standing my swimming more than I was in the past,” Vera said. “Before it was just get in the water and just try and go fast, now it’s working on details … also making sure I was eating right, doing what I needed to do lifting-wise.”

Vera hasn’t slowed down this season, and briefly held the nation’s best 50-yard freestyle time after a 19.10 sprint at the Purdue Invite on Nov. 21. Associate head coach Justin Andrade noted that Vera’s progression into an elite swimmer hasn’t happened through mere chance.

“He’s been such a big student of the sport. We’ve seen him develop on a daily basis. He asks a lot of questions and he’s very into what we do in training,” Andrade said. “I think that’s one of the things that sets him out, just how much he’s willing to question the norm of what we do every day, and find ways to get better.”

Naturally, Vera’s success has been a major boost as Pitt attempts to move its program into uncharted waters. But the Panthers do not rely solely on a single swimmer, boasting a lineup stacked with talented upperclassmen.

This season, the team has seen quality swimming from senior Samy Helmbacher, who holds

three school records, junior Armin Remenyi, sophomore Cooper van der Laan and senior Eben Vorster — all of whom are also international students.

After a victory over Notre Dame earlier this season, the Australian van der Laan described the uniquely American blend of school and sport that most countries abroad lack.

“Back home is nothing like this. You swim for yourself back home,” he said. “To swim for Pitt, it’s amazing. The team atmosphere, with everyone around each other, it’s amazing.”

In fact, Pitt is host to a whole squad of international swimmers. Hargis explained that the coaches travel the world when recruiting, and his efforts have landed swimmers from five continents. The team includes swimmers from Australia, Brazil and France, along with a number of Eastern European swimmers which leave the roster resembling an NHL lineup.

Though Pitt’s swimmers hail from all over the world, once on campus they become part of a close family.

“I’d say it’s a very tight-knit team. Especially over the past two years since I’ve gotten here,” Vera said.

“My freshman year we weren’t as close — people

January 22, 2020

were still shy with the coaches changing. But after that we all grew up together, started doing a lot more team bonding and hanging out outside of swimming. These past two years have really just become family.”

The team’s tight-knit nature is also a major boost during practice and training. Friendly competition is part of the reason swimmers such as Vera and Helmbacher have shown so much progress. The coaches especially have been delighted with their swimmers’ in-house competition.

“I think it’s fun,” Andrade said. “It’s great they compete with each other as we continue to grow and build and get better.”

But nothing comes easy in ACC swimming.

Pitt is held to a higher standard by perennial powerhouses such as NC State, Louisville and UVA, who dominate the treacherous waters of the ACC. If Pitt, who is currently ranked just ninth in the conference, wants to make a major move upward, it must continue on its linear path of improvement.

The Panthers are not swimming as fast as they were at this point last season, and the school records set at last ACC Championship have yet to be eclipsed this season.

But with two consecutive home meets coming up and three remaining in total, it is yet to be seen how the Panthers will look at the ACC Championship. Swimmers always save their best swimming for the biggest stages, and with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in sight, the Panthers will certainly be hungry.

In the short-term, Hargis and his staff are willing to deal with the dual-meet losses that come within a stacked ACC conference as long as they see improvement each race. With a vision in place and individual results starting to shine through, the goal of having a nationally competitive swim program is within reach for the first time in years.

“These kids want to represent this wonderful university to the best of their ability, and they do it every day, twice a day, starting at 6 a.m. and going again from 3 to 5 at night,” Hargis said. “It’s a matter of pride to them. They obviously love the sport, they love the University and we want to take the program to heights this university has never seen before.”

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PITT TO BEST BC WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Alex Lehmbeck Senior Staff Writer

With Pitt men’s basketball coming off a dominant victory to complete a season sweep of North Carolina on Saturday, Boston College should represent an ideal opponent for the Panthers to fuel a winning streak — the key word being “should.”

If this season has taught us anything, though, it’s that the Panthers do not operate as they should. Pitt opened the season with a growingly impressive victory against an elite (now ranked No. 5 in the nation) Florida State team, but followed it up with a shocking loss to Nicholls State at home.

After finishing the rest of its nonconference play strongly, including a mid-season tournament championship and a win over now-ranked Rutgers, Pitt opened the new year with an awful home loss to Wake Forest.

A few days after the Wake Forest game, the team surprisingly ended a 22game ACC road losing streak in its first matchup with UNC. Instead of capitalizing on the momentum, the Panthers fell to a mediocre Miami squad in a poor shooting performance.

Boston College (9-9 overall, 3-4 ACC) brings yet another opportunity for Pitt (12-6 overall, 3-4 ACC) to take advantage of. The Eagles have struggled offensively the whole year and have not made up for it sufficiently on the other end.

Their best win comes against an incredibly underwhelming Virginia team, and they have lost to lower-tier ACC teams like Wake Forest and Georgia Tech.

Injuries have certainly not proven kind to the Eagles. Four of their top eight scorers were sidelined for their matchup on Sunday, an 18-point loss to the Demon Deacons.

6-foot-11 senior Nik Popovic’s back injury has proved most costly for the Eagles, taking him out for nearly the last two months. Pitt, a team that lacks in size, should be thankful it won’t have to deal with the tough matchup Popovic would bring.

Two standout stars have led the Ea-

pittnews.com

Sophomore guard Trey McGowens averages 2.9 turnovers per game. Joy Cao | staff photographer gles thus far — senior guard Derryck Thornton and junior forward Steffon Mitchell.

Thornton has proven to be lethal offensively. His tight handle and ability to make decisions in the air have helped him lead the Eagles in scoring and passing, averaging 12.8 points and 3.4 assists per game this season.

Despite Thornton’s threat offensively, it is Mitchell’s defensive presence that Pitt needs to worry about. He has become an early favorite for the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year

award, averaging 2.47 steals (first in the ACC), 8.5 rebounds (fifth) and 1.18 blocks (10th) per game.

For Pitt to earn a victory Wednesday night, it will need the backcourt duo of sophomore guards Xavier Johnson and Trey McGowens to play under control.

Averaging 3.7 and 2.9 turnovers per game, respectively, they cannot allow a ballhawk like Mitchell to bully them into turnovers.

PREDICTION: Despite Pitt’s inconsistency this season, the Panthers will defeat the Eagles

January 22, 2020

for their second straight victory. The last time these two teams met, in the 2019 ACC Tournament first round, McGowens and Johnson combined scored 49 points to carry their team to victory.

They will step up again.

The key, however, will be Pitt junior Terrell Brown. With Brown, an elite shot blocker, protecting the rim against a team lacking a consistent big man, Boston College will be forced to chuck up shots from deep. The Eagles, shooting an ugly 28.6% from behind the arc this year, will not handle this shooting load well.

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For Rent North Oakland 214 N. Craig Street.

Safe, secure build­ ing. 1BR, furnished.

Newly remodeled, no pets. Rent $850 and up, including heat. Mature or Graduate students.

412‑855‑9925 or 724‑940‑0045. Email for pictures: salonre­ na@gmail.com Apartments for rent. 2 and 3 bedroom apart‑ ments available. Some available on Dawson Street, At­wood Street, and Mc­kee Place.

Newly re­modeled.

Some have laundry on site. Min­utes from the Univer­sity. For more info please call Mike at 412‑849‑8694 Updated studio, 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom units for a summer 2020 move in! Call today for more info and to set up your tour!

412‑441‑1400

South Oakland **August 2020, Oak­land Square. We have Studios, 1, 2 & 3BR apartments avail­able. Clean,

pittnews.com

Employment • CHILDCARE • FOOD SERVICES • UNIVERSITY • INTERNSHIPS • RESEARCH • VOLUNTEERING • OTHER

walking distance to campus. Great location. $600‑$1300 ALL UTILITIES IN­ CLUDED! Off‑street parking available.

No pets, smoking or parties. Call 412‑882‑7568 or email tsciul­li123@ gmail.com 11 Virgila Place, Pittsburgh, PA. Beau­ tiful 3BR, 1 bath.

Fridge, Stove, Dish­ washer, Washer and Dryer. $1600/mo plus utilities. Call Peggy 724‑877‑7761 322 S. Bouquet.

Huge 2 BR apart­ ments. Available May 1, 2020 or Au­gust 1, 2020. 412‑361‑2695 3444 Ward St. We have studios, 1, 2, and 3 bedroom apart­ ments. Bright and spacious. Free heat­ ing and free parking.

Move May 1, 2020 or August 1, 2020. Call 412‑361‑2695 Before signing a lease, be aware that no more than 3 unre­lated people can share a single unit. Check property’s compliance with codes. Call City’s Per­mits, Licensing & In­spections.

412‑255‑2175.

Corner of Semple and Bates Street.

4 bedroom apart‑ ment. 2 bathrooms, central air, everything

Classifieds

For sale

• AUTO • BIKES • BOOKS • MERCHANDISE • FURNITURE • REAL ESTATE • PETS

services

• EDUCATIONAL • TRAVEL • HEALTH • PARKING • INSURANCE

newly updated and modern, laundry included. $2400 plus utilities. Avail‑ able August 2020.

Please contact at 412‑414‑9629 or visit douridaboudproperty­ management.com Dawson Village Apts. near CMU and Pitt.

One bedroom apts. $935 + electric. Avail‑ able for immedi­ate move in. On bus line, close to restau­rants and shops. Contact Jerry at 412‑722‑8546 Fall 2020 Rentals ‑ 1 and 2 bedroom apart­ments very close to campus, well main­ tained, 24 hour laun­ dry, secured build­ings.

Rates starting at $700 with some utili­ties in‑ cluded. Call us today at 412‑682‑7622 Now renting for Fall 2020. Apartments and houses of all sizes.

Conveniently located throughout South Oakland. Rents start‑ ing as low as $620.

John C.R. Kelly Realty. Call to­day at 412‑683‑7300 www.jcrkelly.com Pet Friendly!!

Studios ‑ $695‑$705 1Beds ‑ $795‑$815 2beds ‑ $975‑$995 3beds ‑ $1,245 412‑455‑5600 or www.pghnexus.com South Oakland Houses and Apart­ ments with Laundry/ Central Air. Call or Text 412‑38‑Lease. AMO Man­agement.

South Oakland off‑campus hous‑ ing. 2,3, and 4 BR

notices

• ADOPTION • EVENTS • LOST AND FOUND • STUDENT GROUPS • WANTED • OTHER

apartments/­houses for rent. Up­dated Kitch‑ ens and Bathrooms.

A/C and laundry.

Available August of 2020. 412‑445‑6117

Studio, 1, 2, 3, and 4 BD apartments avail­ able in South Oak­land from $800‑$2500 M.J. Kelly Real Estate mjkellyrealty@gmail.­ com. 412‑271‑5550.

Studio, 1BR, 2BR available. Heat in­ cluded. Parking Avail‑ able. Fall ‘20. Greve R.E. 412‑261‑4620.

CJGREVE.­COM

Shadyside Brett/Thames Manor Apts. (Ellsworth & S. Negley Ave.) near CMU and Pitt.

Stu­dio, One, Two bed­ room apts. Thames Ef‑ fecency: $790 Thames 1BD: $990 Brett 2BD: $1600 Available for immedi­ate move in.

On bus line, close to restau­rants & shops.

Con­tact Jerry at 412‑722‑8546 Luxury 1 and 2 bed­ room apartments in Shadyside for sum­mer 2020! Beautiful and modern updates, call today! 412‑441‑1400

Squirrel Hill 3 BD, 1‑1/2 BA town­house on Beacon St. Updated kitchen.

Washer/dryer on premises. Nice back­ yard. On bus line.

Per­fect for Seniors and Grad students.

R A T E S

Insertions

1X

2X

3X

4X

5X

1-15 Words

$6.30

$11.90

$17.30

$22.00

$27.00

16-30 Words

$7.50

$14.20

$20.00

$25.00

$29.10

6X $30.20 $32.30

Add. + $5.00 + $5.40

(Each Additional Word: $0.10)

Deadline:

Two business days prior by 3pm | Email: advertising@pittnews.com | Phone: 412.648.7978

Call 412‑281‑2700.

Avail­able Now! Gorgeous and unique duplexes in the beau­ tiful neighborhood of Squirrel Hill! 2‑5 bedroom options for summer 2020! Call now! 412‑441‑1400

Rental Other Studios, 1, 2, & 3 Bedroom apartments available August 2020 & sooner. Oak­land, Shadyside, Friend‑ ship, Squirrel Hill, Highland Park, Point Breeze. Photos & current availabil‑ ity online, check out www.forbesmanage­ ment.net, or call 412.441.1211

Employment Internships OFFICE INTERN Shadyside Manage­ ment Company seeks person w/ min 2 yrs. college, for upcom­ing spring semester, to interview & pro­cess rental appli­cants, do internet post‑ ings & help staff our action‑central of­fice. Part time or full time OK starting in January; full time over the summer. $13/ hour. Perfect job for current sopho­mores & juniors, graduating seniors set to enter grad school, returning grad stu­dents, and first year law students!

Mozart Management 412.682.7003 thane@mozartrents.­ com

January 22, 2020

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