1-23-17

THE PITT NEWS

HELLO, TRUMP

Donald Trump supporters and protesters converged in the capital over the weekend as the new president took office in front of a divided nation.

The Pitt News Staff In front of a crowd of roughly 200,000, Donald Trump took the nation’s most dutiful oath Friday, pledging to faithfully execute the Executive Office of the President for the good of, in his own words, the people.

And Saturday, the people took the streets laid out in front of the Capitol Building where he’d placed his hand on the Bible — and all over the world — to let him know they planned on holding him to that promise.

Near the Capitol, Friday People started gathering in the National

Mall in Washington, D.C., as early as 3 p.m. the day before Trump’s inauguration. By sunrise Friday, a few scattered protests were taking place in various parts of the downtown area as more supporters filled in the National Mall to watch Trump’s speech and performances by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Pittsburgh’s own Jackie Evancho, among others.

According to one officer on the scene, Metropolitan police had been on duty since 4 a.m.

Friday morning working crowd control outside the Mall.

To watch the ceremony, attendees needed to either get a ticket from their senator or gov-

ernor in advance, or enter through one of seven security gates to watch from the National Mall in the shadow of the Smithsonian museums.

Javier Pérez, an applied economics and management major from Cornell University, scored free tickets when visiting the Mississippi Senate office the day before. He was in the Court Square ticketed section of the Mall with his three friends.

He said security lines to get into the section were short and easy to navigate. While Pérez himself did not vote for Trump in the past presidential election, he enjoyed watching the inauguration in the midst of mostly Trump

supporters.

“Many people live in bubbles of people who think and see the world just like they do,” Pérez said. “And I think it’s important to get and experience things from both perspectives.”

Beyond the gates, in various parts of the city, anarchist and anti-fascist groups led #DisruptJ20 protests to shut down streets and draw attention away from Trump’s ceremony.

Mikael Mattosian, a CMU graduate student, and Manjot Singh, a Coro fellow in Pittsburgh, were among some of the dissenters.

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News

Photo galleries from the weekend: online

PGH JOINS NATION, WORLD IN MARCHING The Pitt News Staff

“People deserve the basic human right to be alive,” she said.

While hundreds of thousands flocked to Washington, Inauguration Day Alternative — August Wilson Center D.C., for Donald Trump’s inauguration and the Women’s The country’s first African-American president spent March, thousands of Pittsburghers voiced support, disagreement and commitment to change and to one another right here in the once-Steel City.

At the Freedom Corner in the Hill District, Pittsburghers took their own oath to change. Others gathered in the August Wilson Center Downtown to commemorate former President Barack Obama’s legacy as an alternative to viewing Trump’s inauguration. Thousands of people — from in and around Pittsburgh — marched Downtown in solidarity with the women’s marches in D.C. and around the world.

After issues with the inclusivity of the Pittsburgh’s women’s march, some Pittsburghers opted to march in an “Our Feminism Must Be Intersectional” rally in East Liberty.

The People’s Inauguration Party — Freedom Corner While Trump placed his hand on the Bible in Washington D.C., people united at the circular memorial — known as Freedom Corner — at the intersection of Centre Avenue and Crawford Street Friday to take the same oath. The oath, meant to keep activists committed to change and create new activists, simply replaced “president” with “citizen.”

OnePA, an organization that works to promote civil rights, hosted the People’s Inauguration Party, drawing a crowd of 60 people at the same time of the Trump’s inauguration.

Before traversing the memorial, people ventured to neighboring streets to devour donuts, toting signs that said “dump Trump, not health care” and “never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity.”

Ringa Sunn of Squirrel Hill joined the the group for the first time. After protesting every weekend during the Bush Administration, Sunn is no stranger to political demonstrations.

“We’re here for ourselves,” Sunn, 33, said. “After a series of terrible things, Trump’s election is the crown jewel.”

Sunn printed buttons reading “Not My President” over Trump’s face and handed them out during the People’s Inauguration Party Friday.

She also advocated for health care and Planned Parenthood. After the citizen inauguration, representatives from the Census Group, the Education Rights Network, the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, the Sierra Club, Fight for $15 and Planned Parenthood offered the Top: Matt Hawley STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER community ways to get involved.

Center, Bottom: Jordan Mondell LAYOUT EDITOR

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January 23, 2017

the day participating in a peaceful transition of power. But people at the August Wilson Center for African-American Culture wanted to reminisce on the Obama family’s last eight years in power.

About 50 people filled the theater seats to watch an hour-long documentary highlighting some of Obama’s biggest triumphs — including the capture and killing of Osama Bin Laden, the legalization of same-sex marriage and the passing of the Affordable Care Act. The documentary ended with a loving image of the first family — Sasha in her mother Michelle’s embrace, and Barack with the same hold on Malia — as the dimmed lights raised. The event host, Sala Udin, a Hill District native who recently received a Presidential Pardon from Obama, walked on stage and introduced the next portion of the event, which he called “Who got next?” The open mic series that followed gave audience members an opportunity to express what Obama’s legacy meant to them and their commitment to “Fight Back.” They also spoke against rightwing politics and the devaluation of democratic values.

Tracey McCants Lewis, professor of law at Duquesne University for nine years, took to the mic to express her commitment to protect civil liberties.

“We don’t know what’s coming in these next four years, but we need to continue the fight,” McCants Lewis said.

Women’s March on Pittsburgh — Downtown Activists walked through downtown Pittsburgh chanting, “Love, not hate, makes America great” in the early afternoon Saturday.

Participants held up posters, many featuring cats — a reference to Trump’s comments hot mic comments to Billy Bush. They called for political representation, reproductive rights and support of the LGBTQ+ community and other minority groups.

In solidarity with the march in Washington, D.C., about 5,000 men, women and children protested in downtown Pittsburgh Saturday for the Women’s March — which started at Forbes Avenue and Grant Street and ended in Market Square with speeches, patriotic sing-alongs and a moment of silence.

Valencia natives Steve and Kris Reutzel said that they were there, not just for themselves, but for the future of their children. They said they understand that raising their daughter, Logan, and son, Fisher, to love others is especially important given the current political climate.

Find the full story online at

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He added that he was tired of former President Barrack Obama’s rhetoric, which he thought isolated Americans in separate “barrels” – such as LGBTQ+, African-American or immigrant.

“We’re all going to be Americans [now],” Kaiser said.

Around the city, Friday Before the start of the presidential parade, which was delayed until about 3:30 p.m., fiery acts of dissent cropped up in various parts of the city.

Some protesters, dressed in black with their faces covered by bandanas or helmets, smashed the windows of a Starbucks and a Bank of America along 13th Street on their way to the parade route. They turned back before reaching the route and confronted shielded riot police near 12th and K streets.

When a black Suburban with sirens drove through the group on 13th and K, protesters threw bricks at it, breaking the back window.

A line of police clad in riot gear blocked off the south entrance of the intersection at 13th and K while another line of cops barricaded the east entrance and threw stun grenades.

On the west side of K street, dissenters smashed in the windows and graffitied the sides of two posh black vehicles, one a limo

and the other an SUV. After climbing into the vandalized limo, one protester found water bottles and called out to say they were for the taking.

To the south, along Pennsylvania Avenue, a sparse crowd gathered to watch the inaugural procession, led by members of the Metropolitan police on motorcycles, and marching members of all four armed services. Trump whizzed by in his black car behind tinted windows.

Behind the parade, black smoke rose slowly into the gray sky after protesters lit fire to the limo with smashed windows.

In response to the fire, riot police advanced down K Street to 13th Street NW, pushing protesters back and using mace on a few. David “Leprechaun” Guthrie, 36, of South Bend, Indiana, who stripped off all of his clothes at the protest to show that at their core, humans are “all the same,” was hit with mace.

Within 30 seconds, Margaret Mary appeared, dressed in black, with a red cross taped on her shoulder.

Mary said she is part of a network of street medics who come to protests to make sure everyone is safe and healthy. She’s been at it for over six years.

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The Pitt news crossword 1/23/17

They left for D.C. from Pittsburgh at 1 a.m.

Friday to join the protest with the Answer — Act Now to Stop War and End Racism — Coalition.

Singh said he and his housemates bought a book called “How to Explain Trump to Kids” when Trump was still a candidate. He looked through it recently and couldn’t imagine telling his future children that he hadn’t done anything at the inauguration.

“D.C. seemed like less of an option and more of a duty,” Singh said.

As the morning progressed, the National Mall flooded with a sea of red “Make America Great Again” hats. By 10:30 a.m. Friday, vendors walked up and down the crowds selling pins and flags from Trump’s campaign cap to the assembling crowd.

Halfway down the Mall, at 7th Street, people became agitated with security forces who were stopping the crowds from crossing the street to get closer to the ceremony. Because protesters periodically shut down entrances to the Mall, confused attendees paced back and forth between different security officials, trying to find out how to get closer to the action.

Joe Iwasyk and Matthew Weiss, both first-

year students at the University of Pennsylvania, decided they were coming to the inauguration a week ago with a school-sponsored trip. The men, who are conservative, said most of the students on the bus were protesters.

Trump was sworn in as America’s 45th president at about noon Friday in front of a calm group of onlookers and a few low-voltage protesters. He emphasized his “America first” vision on foreign policy and doubled down on his promise to be a law and order president.

“Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength. I will fight for you with every breath in my body and I will never ever let you down,” Trump said. “America will start winning again, winning like never before.”

The speech laid a blueprint for a presidency that couldn’t have come any sooner for Guido Kaiser.

The 52-year-old worked in management at an electronics manufacturer until the day before Trump’s inauguration, when he was laid off. He traveled from outside Philadelphia, driven by his hope that Trump’s plans for deregulation and improved trade practices will help manufacturing thrive in the United States again.

“I’ve seen Chinese goods sold cheaper than we buy our raw materials” Kaiser said.

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D.C., pg. 3 “We help demonstrators with everything from heat stroke to panic attacks to pepper spray exposure,” Mary said.

A few streets over, a liberal rally took over McPherson Square, complete with a giant blow-up elephant, live music and speakers including documentarian Michael Moore.

The crowd was filled with smiling people of all ages, dancing to brass bands, playing with hoola hoops and laying out on the grass.

Between 4:30 and 6 p.m., the protesters had settled down. Metropolitan police reported 217 arrests total for the day, all for rioting.

Washington, D.C., Saturday It started with a Facebook event.

Teresa Shook, from Hawaii, made a Facebook page for the Women’s March on Washington on election night. By the morning, 10,000 people had responded. By Jan. 21, millions had heeded the call to action, showing up in cities all over the world, including Chicago, D.C., Berlin and Pittsburgh.

In what would turn out to be the largest of many massive international actions against Trump’s policies and rhetoric, half a million people in pink-tipped “pussyhats” and hoisting handmade signs, gathered in the streets

surrounding the National Mall.

More people joined Shook in organizing the march — nearly 20 in total. By the big day, a lengthy list of speakers had signed on to rally the ever-growing crowd. Actress America Ferrera, feminist icons Gloria Steinem and Angela Davis, actor and documentarist Michael Moore and six-year-old immigrant and activist Sophie Cruz were among some of the speakers Saturday. Their speeches were dotted with performances from artists including Big Lovely, Alicia Keys and Janelle Monae.

“We are here and around the world for a deep democracy that says we will not be quiet, we will not be controlled, we will work for a world in which all countries are connected,” Steinem said. The march’s official website cited “rhetoric of the past election cycle [that] has insulted, demonized and threatened many of us” as a driving force for the movement.

Newly-minted President Trump’s history of coarse statements regarding women reached its apex in October 2016 when a leaked “Access Hollywood” tape featured him describing how easily he can “grab [women] by the pussy.” In the months after, more than 10 women would come forward to accuse Trump of sexual assault.

Aisha Alexis, Rachel Petit-Hamme,

Landrise Felix and Yaminah Watson are all friends from around New York. They drove to the protest together and were waiting in line at the D.C. Metro’s College Park station.

“I’m a 28-year-old single black female, daughter of immigrants and I’m drowning in student debt,” Petit-Hamme said.

At College Park, the metro station’s manager said the crowd that passed through his turnstiles was one of the largest he’d ever seen in 25 years on the job, surpassed only by the Obama inaugurations. Metro ridership was eight times as much as any normal Saturday.

Jeaneena Stefanski, from Connecticut, marched for people who rely on the Affordable Care Act, like she does.

Walking away from a jumbotron as Madonna issued a sincere “fu** you” to people who complained about the protest, Stefanski described her battle with stage four ovarian cancer. She relied on insurance to get her through chemotherapy, which ended in September, and now for her infusions — which she said cost more than $40,000 each.

“It’s scary, but I’m kind of assuming [the end of the ACA] is not going to happen in the next few months,” she said. “I’m [marching] for women who don’t have the option of going out and back into a professional workforce.”

The massive number of people marching made organization difficult. The planned route followed Independence Avenue SW to the White House, but marchers trailed off on a number of different routes.

Some were confused as they came to blocked roads and dead ends, but thousands eventually poured into the National Mall, circling the National Monument — where a woman dressed as the Wicked Witch of the West glided ominously up the hill — and corralling as close to the White House as was possible.

Jessica Sheng, a 23-year-old college grad working in D.C., was standing on the lawn of the Mall with her friends as the march came to a close.

A woman standing yards away from Sheng wore a black bandana around the bottom half of her face and sang “We Shall Overcome” through a megaphone.

“You definitely feel like you’re part of the future,” Sheng said.

Elizabeth Lepro, Lauren Rosenblatt, Matt Moret, Stephen Caruso, James Evan BowenGaddy, John Hamilton, Theo Schwarz, Elaina Zachos, Alexa Bakalarski and Ashwini Sivaganesh contributed reporting.

The Pitt News SuDoku 1/23/17 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

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REFLECTIONS ON D.C.

This weekend, members of The Pitt News staff traveled to Washington D.C. for the inauguration of President Donald Trump and the Women’s March on Washington. Here are some of their takeaways. | by The Pitt News Staff Elaina Zachos, senior staff writer and photographer Less than 36 hours before Inauguration Day, I secured a ride and housing in Washington, D.C., for the weekend. When I hopped in Theo’s Honda Civic with Matt in the front and John next to me in the back — we’re all TPN reporters — I had no idea what I was getting into. Living in and covering a liberal pocket like Pittsburgh, what was going to happen when we clashed with conservative views in the capital? As a woman, how was I supposed to cover a president who has outwardly shamed my gender? Should I anticipate violent protests or peaceful marches? Again, no idea what to expect.

My faith in the United States fluctuated over the weekend. It plummeted when I listened to Trump supporters and protesters arguing via chant in the hours before the parade. It rose when I saw hundreds of thousands of people conquering Washington’s streets, calling for peace and social justice. After the fourhour car ride back to Pittsburgh, I’m still letting the history that took place over weekend set in. The only thing I really know is that the next four years are going to be interesting, for journalism and for humanity.

Matt Moret, online engagement editor I’m not really a reporter — I’ve been an opinions columnist and editor for The Pitt News, and was only at the inauguration to manage our social media.

Watching Donald Trump take his oath of office from a cell phone in a Washington Metro stop wasn’t exactly part of our plan. Later, we found a good spot on the parade route, but waiting there became taxing as depressed protesters and angry Trump supporters argued with no interest in compromise. Politics aside, it was all very disheartening. Walking through the streets, we heard pedestrians mention tear gas somewhere. Then we heard police grenades and saw smoke, so I ran in the direction of the sounds alongside my colleagues.

There’s some old line about “real” reporters going toward danger while others run away, but I never really thought that would be something I’d experience. And I couldn’t help but get the same feeling while standing in the midst of the Women’s March a day later, because I never really thought I’d get to witness history either. Inauguration weekend was the most exciting trip of my life, even if I’m too young for that to mean much. I’m still figuring out where I fit into the media world and where the country is headed, but I know this was something special. Pictures don’t do it justice, so I hope I never forget the feeling.

James Evan Bowen-Gaddy. staff writer This weekend in Washington, D.C., was a beautiful display of democracy — a constant show of debates in the streets, mostly peaceful, with a few instances of violence. I listened to the fascinating stories travelers had to tell about why they were there, what America meant to them and how they felt this election was changing that vision. I saw hundreds of thousands come to see Trump take his presidential oath. I saw over a million show up to peacefully protest that same president’s comments about women. And I saw what appeared to be under 100 folks, dressed in black, smash some windows and burn some trash cans on one small portion of a city street.

And what got the most attention during my Twitter coverage? The violent protesters.

When I saw smoke rising into the air on 13th and K streets, I ran to interview protestors as well as take photos and videos. It was action-packed, interesting and invigorating. I understand that. It’s troubling to me, however, that we give so much attention to these isolated events compared to that of the peaceful protestors who marched for women everywhere or the happy Trump supporters who smoked cigars on the National Mall. It’s my hope that I can do my job well enough for people to see that what happened this weekend was not a show of animalistic protest and violence. It was much more nuanced than that, and it’s hard to fit that idea into a series of tweets.

Lauren Rosenblatt, managing editor As a reporter, being in D.C. for the inauguration was exciting, overwhelming and energizing. I went back to the National Mall Sunday morning — two days after President Donald Trump was sworn into office and one day after activists organized the largest protest in American history. Standing between the Capitol on one side and the Washington Monument in the distance on the other, the space suddenly seemed small and I found it hard to fathom how many people had fit in those few blocks over the course of the weekend. People were still walking the streets, visiting the monuments and museums. Stages and speakers were still set up, a few tired souls were still resting on the bleachers and signs still littered the sidewalk streets.

As I walked past the National Museum of the American Indian, I couldn’t help but wonder which event the people were here for — were they here to celebrate the inauguration of their chosen president or were they here to protest the same thing?

What I decided is that it didn’t matter. No matter what side of the argument one stands on, it’s impossible not to be impressed by the passion people have for improving their country — whether that be through fighting for women’s rights or supporting one man’s ideas for bring jobs to America. The immense display of dedication to beliefs and values was incredible and it is something I am grateful to have had the chance to experience.

Elizabeth Lepro, editor in chief I wasn’t able to make it to the inauguration, but I arrived in D.C. the next day to cover the Women’s March on Washington — which was by far the largest group of people I’ve ever seen in one place. It was a long day of shuffling through packed streets filled with people of all races, gender and sexual identities — or lack thereof — nationalities and ages.

In the beginning of the day, as we approached what could have easily been the setup for a large music festival, I commented on the state of protests as I’ve observed them lately. I frequently see people taking the streets more concerned with having individual experiences — and then broadcasting them through a variety of social media networks — than communal ones. But without phone service or Wi-Fi, people chatted with one another Saturday, guided those who had been separated from groups and complimented each other’s craftwork on knitted pussyhats and cardboard protest signs. There was a large contingent of women over 60 years old, who brought with them that linked-arms-in-solidarity spirit of days past. Angela Davis and Gloria Steinem were among them. “We must put our bodies where our beliefs are. Sometimes pressing send is not enough,” Steinem said from behind the lenses of her iconic shades. That seemed to sum up the day.

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Opinions

Editorial board’s take on Trump, Spicer, Conway: Online

column

INAUGURATION WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS TRUMP’S DIVIDED AMERICA

John Hamilton VISUAL EDITOR

Nick Eustis Columnist

Even before attending Donald Trump’s inauguration and the Women’s March on Washington, I knew this past weekend would be historic.

Trump thought the same, for different reasons than I, promising an “unbelievable, perhaps record-setting turnout” for his inaugural ceremony. Like so many of his promises, this was simply not meant to be.

It’s impossible to know the exact number of attendees at Trump’s inauguration, but aerial photographs show an underwhelming crowd, one that paled in comparison to the number of people who turned out for the next day’s Women’s March. This distinct difference, and the lies told about the crowd afterward,

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clearly demonstrate Trump’s lack of dedication to unifying America the way a president should.

The crowd at Trump’s inaugural address — which crowd counting experts, who used photographs and video to calculate data on crowd density in conjunction with city officials and D.C. Metro approximations, estimated to be 160,000 strong — left plenty of space at the back of the National Mall largely unoccupied.

But the estimated 500,000 who gathered for Saturday’s Women’s March filled in that previously vacant area well before the march began.

The D.C. Metro, which operates the District’s subway system, reported 275,000 riders by 11 a.m. on Saturday, compared to only 193,000 by that same time on Inauguration Day. All available metrics clearly demon-

strate that Trump’s “record-setting turnout” was anything but, while the Women’s March proved to be the largest protest in D.C. since Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington in 1963.

The two events differed not just in crowd size, but in almost every perceivable way. At the inauguration, I was struck by the relative racial uniformity of the crowd. Footage revealed this lack of diversity in his voter base, a sea of faces in varying shades of beige, dotted sparsely with people of color. Feminist icon Gloria Steinem, on the other hand, noted in her speech at the Women’s March that the protesting crowd was “wide in age” and “deep in diversity.”

As a result of this diversity, the Women’s March touched on a multitude of progressive issues. Chants of “Black Lives Matter” and “Undocumented, Unafraid” echoed through the streets of the capital, and some protesters carried signs promoting respect and protection for Muslims.

Trump’s inaugural ceremony, conversely, had a distinct lack of ideological diversity. His inaugural speech could have been delivered on day one of his campaign. Virtually nothing in the speech deviated from his positions on the campaign trail, and he relied on many of his old talking points — particularly the negative effects of globalization on American industry and the sentiment that politicians don’t work for the average American.

Opposing ideologies were sidelined. When Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., delivered a speech that focused on the peaceful transition of power and Constitutional promises, he received a round of boos and jeers from the audience.

But the most striking difference was the overall attitude of each event. Trump’s inaugural address was particularly joyless, painting a bleak picture of America. He described “mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities,” and stated his desire to end the “American carnage” of crime, gangs and drugs “that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.” While it is indisputable that all of these are problems, Trump exaggerated the severity of them — particularly violent crime,

January 23, 2017

which has dropped 16 percent since Obama took office in 2009 — to highlight the need for his leadership.

The Women’s March, to the contrary, was remarkably joyful and upbeat, despite being a march based initially on frustration, fear and hurt. Spontaneous bursts of cheering erupted on numerous occasions and many in the crowd expressed hope for the future based on the massive turnout.

I talked with one woman who had driven all the way from Chicago to attend the protest.

She said the march made her feel more optimistic about America’s future and about the possibility for real change.

Trump’s inauguration speech played on the fears of his supporters, making him the only possible changemaker, while speakers on Saturday highlighted the immense potential and strength of millions.

The protesters’ joyous attitude came from feelings of solidarity and love for their fellow Americans. Many marchers carried signs calling for women to come together in unity against Trump. Other signs quoted “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda’s acceptance speech at the 2016 Tony Awards: “Love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love.”

The massive success of the Women’s March, bolstered by the paltry turnout at Trump’s inaugural ceremony, is proof that Trump’s divisive approach to politics has only hindered him. He refers to his political opponents as “the enemies,” and his inaugural address was missing all but the most vague attempts to reach out to the other side of the aisle. Trump is clearly not interested in creating unity, and that will continue to fuel public disdain.

But he should be interested — whether he likes it or not, he is now the leader of all Americans, not just his voters.

I know he saw them, but I hope he also listened to the marchers assembled in front of the White House Saturday. Maybe they could teach him a thing or two about compassion and respect.

Nick primarily writes on politics and American culture for The Pitt News.

Write to Nick at npe3@pitt.edu.

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Sports

Football recruitment update and weekend scores online

PANTHERS HOLD OFF HOOS, 62-54 Bayard Miller

Assistant Sports Editor At the beginning of the season, pundits and coaches picked the Pitt women’s basketball team to be one of the worst in the ACC. But after Sunday afternoon’s back-and-forth 62-54 win over Virginia at the Petersen Events Center, the team has continued to exceed expectations and is now 3-3 in conference play, tied for seventh place out of 15 teams.

“It’s not too bad for a team that was picked last in the conference,” Pitt head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio said wryly.

But she remained cautious about the rest of the season, adding: “So much in this conference is who you play, when you play them and where...We’ve played three [low-ranked] teams at home.”

While Pitt would ultimately continue to succeed in their winnable games, this was not clear from the onset. Both teams had a slow start, with the Cavaliers (13-6, 2-4 ACC) and the Panthers (12-7, 3-3 ACC) each going 1-7 from the floor by the first media timeout midway through the first quarter.

After five minutes and seven seconds of play, the score was 3-2, but by the end of the quarter, Virginia and Pitt were knotted up at 12 points apiece.

The Panthers were much more efficient in the second quarter, making eight of their 14 shots from the field. As a result, Pitt held a lead for the entire quarter of play. Sophomore guard Kauai Bradley was a key reason for the Panther’s success. The 6-footer from Chicago finished the half leading the team with seven points and going 1-3 from 3-point range.

Cavaliers forward Moné Jones threatened the Panther’s momentum when she made a 3-pointer with 26 seconds left in the second quarter, closing the Pitt lead to five. The Panthers had trouble getting the ball out of their own half and had to call a timeout in the face of the Cavaliers’ full-court press.

With seconds left in the quarter, the Panthers got the ball down the floor and first-year Jasmine Whitney weaved her way through the Virginia defense to score a closely-contested layup as time expired. The Panthers went into the intermission holding a seven-point lead, 29-22.

After the game, McConnell-Serio had nothing but complimentary things to say about Whitney, who is filling in for the concussed starter Aysia Bugg.

“Jasmine is so tough,” McConnell-Serio said. “I don’t think [people] understand how she plays with a herniated disk in her back. When you have a herniated disk, you’re playing through pain and it’s just how much you can tolerate.”

Whitney did not let her injury get in the way of performing,

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however, as she spent 34 minutes on the court and scored five points.

The team was unable to translate its strong finish in the first half into a fast start in the second. During the first two and a half minutes of the third quarter, the Panthers allowed their lead to dwindle down to one. The first Panther field goal of the half ended up being a 3-pointer from Pittsburgh native Brenna Wise with 6:34 left in the period, to make the score 33-28.

A minute and a half later, Wise had a fast break opportunity and looked poised to score an easy layup. Instead, Virginia first-year guard Dominique Toussaint fouled her hard and Wise was slow to get up. Wise quickly recovered and made both of her foul shots to make the lead 35-32.

“It was a hard hit, I’m not gonna lie,” Wise said. “It’s a physical game and with that being said, when you have moments to relax like on the free throw line, it’s a time to capitalize.”

Wise capitalized when given the opportunity, making all 11 of her free throw attempts on her way to scoring a gamehigh 26 points.

After a pull up jumper by Toussaint and a three from junior guard Aliyah Huland El, the Cavaliers took their first lead since the first quarter with 1:05 left in the third, 38-37.

The Panthers did not help their own cause, missing six shots in a row before Whitney sank a jumper with 22 seconds left in the period. Despite their poor play, the Panthers took a one-point lead into the final quarter.

Virginia started the fourth quarter with an 8-2 run. Pitt’s first points in the quarter came from a layup by Wise, with 6:03 left in the game, to bring the Panthers within three.

After the last media timeout, Mason hit a 3-pointer for UVA. But from then on, the Panthers seized the initiative, making four 3-pointers in a row — two of which came from first-year guard Alayna Gribble. The run sent the Panther faithful into a frenzy, and the crowd remained a factor for the rest of the game.

“We had a great crowd,” said Wise. “We were feeding off that energy and after that fourth three, wow, we were buzzing.”

With 21 seconds left to play, a three-point lead and just one second left on the shot clock, Wise drew a shooting foul on a three to bring her to the line. She made all three of her shots to give the Panthers a six-point lead. When the clock expired, Pitt walked off the court with a hard-fought 62-54 victory.

The Panthers next test comes against ACC rival N.C. State in Raleigh, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m.

January 23, 2017

Top: Brenna Wise scored 26 en route to a Panthers win.

Bottom: Head Coach Suzie McConnell-Serio issues directions to her players. Jordan Mondell LAYOUT EDITOR

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WITH KEY ABSENCES, PITT WRESTLING HAS MIXED WEEKEND Ryan Zimba Staff Writer

Without former coach Jason Peters and wrestler Mikey Racciato, the Pitt wrestling program attempted to recover, if only briefly, from a tumultuous week.

The weekend started poorly for the No. 23 Panthers (8-3 overall, 0-1 ACC) as they took a beating Friday in Blacksburg, Virginia, losing to No. 5 Virginia Tech (12-1 overall, 2-0 ACC) 38-9 in their first ACC competition of the season. The team bounced back the next day with a convincing 37-6 win over Virginia Military Institute (1-9 overall) in Lexington, Va. to go 1-1 over the weekend.

Acting Athletic Director Randy Juhl dismissed former head coach Jason Peters Thursday of last week over an incident in Evanston, Illinois, involving at least three of the team’s wrestlers. The Evanston Police Department responded to a call at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 31 from someone inside the wrestlers’ hotel room. One of the men who answered the door said three women, whom they’d met on the internet, had stolen money.

Pitt Athletics has refused to confirm whether Racciato, or any other members of the team, are suspended, but the 149-pound senior has not wrestled since the Midlands Tournament. Pitt has also not explained Peters’ role in the incident he was let go as the University conducts an investigation into the matter.

It’s unlikely that Racciato could have pulled the Panthers out of the hole against the Hokies’ experienced roster Friday. VT boasts five ranked wrestlers who dominated from start to finish. The Panthers managed to win just two matches on the day, with neither coming against ranked opponents.

Still, acting co-head coach Drew Headlee said

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he was satisfied with what he saw.

“I was happy with the way we went out and battled with one of the top teams in the country on the road,” Headlee said Friday in a press release.

Pulling the upset was tough for Pitt from the beginning, as the team forfeited both the 125-pound and 133-pound contests. Before any wrestler had taken the mat, the Hokies already had a 12-0 lead.

The Panthers got off to a promising start as 141-pound sophomore Robert Lee dominated VT’s Brendan Ryan in the team’s first bout of the day, winning by a 13-1 major decision.

In the 149-pound weight class, redshirt freshman Alex Murray filled in for Racciato, who has now missed his second consecutive meet. Hokies junior Mattheos Lozier took advantage of his inexperienced foe, outscoring Murray via a 10-6 decision.

The Hokies stretched their lead in the next match by 17-1 after a technical fall by No. 16 157-pounder Sal Mastriani. Mastriani dismantled Pitt’s Nathan Russell, and the match was called with one second left in the first period.

Midway through the dual meet, VT had taken a commanding 20-4 lead.

The Panthers responded in the 165-pound bout, as No. 12 TeShan Campbell rolled over VT wrestler David Bergida, recording his own 17-1 technical fall and closing the gap to 20-9. The win moved Campbell’s record to 12-2 on the year and 9-1 in dual meet competition.

But the Hokies put a quick stop to Pitt’s momentum, as first-year Panther Christian Dietrich couldn’t keep up with No. 2 174-pounder Zach Epperly. Dietrich kept the score close against his heavily favored opponent into the third period, but the task proved difficult, as Epperly pinned Deitrich with less than 30 seconds left in the match, extending VT’s lead to 26-9.

VT’s highly ranking roster closed out the was never in doubt as Rahmani picked up a 19-1 match from there, as No. 4 Zach Zavatsky easily technical fall victory.

In the 165-pound contest, Campbell scored a dispatched Pitt sophomore Mat Carr for a 21-6 technical fall victory. No. 3-ranked wrestlers Jared 21-6 technical fall against VMI’s Cade Kiely, his Haught and Ty Walz then defeated Panthers John second win by technical fall of the weekend.

The 174-pound bout was a relatively tight Rizzo and Ryan Solomon at 197 and 285 pounds, respectively. The Hokies went on to win the one, with Keydet Shabaka Johns making a late comeback attempt against Dietrich. Dietrich was match by a final of 38-9.

Just a day after suffering the lopsided loss at able to survive, winning a 7-3 decision to make it Virginia Tech, Pitt came back Saturday afternoon, 25-6 and clinch victory for Pitt in the dual meet.

From there, Panther sophomore Donovan defeating VMI in a dominating fashion, 37-6.

The Panthers’ determined effort began in the McAfee and Rizzo won decisions at 184 and 197 first match of the day, with the 125-pound weight pounds, respectively, before Solomon closed the division. Pitt’s LJ Bentley came through against meet with a first-period fall at 285 to finalize Pitt’s VMI’s Dalton Henderson, scoring a two-point 37-6 victory. takedown in the first round and holding on to “It was great to see our guys respond after a win a low-scoring 2-1 decision. loss with solid performances today,” Headlee But for the second match in a row, Pitt was said Saturday in a press release. “We pressed the forced to forfeit the 133-pound match due to the offense the entire dual and were able to put up a absence of No. 8 Dom Forys, giving the Keydets a large number of points on the board.”

6-3 lead heading into the 141-pound contest.

The Panthers have a week off before returning The lead didn’t last very long, as Lee quickly home to take on conference foe North Carolina at put his team back on top by pinning VMI’s John the Fitzgerald Field House at 7 p.m. Jan. 28.

Reed at just 1:07 into the match for his second win of the weekend. Pitt carried its momentum into the next match, as Murray defeated VMI’s Stevan Smith by an 11-4 decision, putting the Panthers up 12-6.

Pitt picked up another victory in the 157-pound weight class, as Pitt redshirt freshman Taleb Rah- Pitt’s LJ Bentley wrestles Davidson’s Camden Bertucci Jan. mani completely out- 14. This past weekend, Bentley held on for a 2-1 victory classed Keydet Dolan against VMI’s Dalton Henderson. John Hamilton VISUAL EDIWalsh. The outcome TOR

January 23, 2017

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