The Pitt News T h e in de p e n d e n t st ude nt ne w spap e r of t he University of Pittsburgh
PITT STAFF DISCUSSES SAFETY
Online: Police report flasher in Oakland January 28, 2016 | Issue 94 | Volume 106
Danni Zhou
For The Pitt News Brown-bagged lunches in hand, Pitt’s staff joined the ongoing conversation about Oakland’s bike safety at a Staff Association Council forum Wednesday in the William Pitt Union. The Brown Bag Series, a lunchtime meeting series that encourages staff involvement with the Staff Association Council, had its first meeting of 2016 Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. The SAC met to hear local transportation and safety experts discuss city initiatives, such as installing more bike racks and decreasing jaywalking. Bike Pittsburgh’s Business Development Manager Dan Yablonsky, Pitt police officer Guy Johnson and Pitt’s Director of Parking, Transportation and Services Kevin Sheehy spoke to about 30 staff members. At the beginning of the forum, Alex Toner, head of SAC’s external relations committee, and the guest speakers paid tribute to Pitt advisers Susan Hicks and Michael McDermott, who were both killed while riding their bikes in October and last week, respectively. Here are two key takeaways from Wednesday’s meeting: Bike Pittsburgh highlights safety Yablonsky said since 2000, Pittsburgh has had an influx of bikers and pedestrians, rising to the 11th most-biked and fourth most-walked city in the country, according to 2011 U.S. Census American Community Survey data. He said Pittsburgh’s pedestrian population falls short only to Washington, D.C., Boston, San Francisco and Seattle, according to the survey. Pittsburgh is the eighth highest percentage of transit commuters and ranks in the top 10 cities in the nation for active transportation, including travel by walking, biking and transit, according to the data. See Staff on page 3
Jodie Sweetin spoke to a large crowd in the William Pitt Union Wednesday night during Pitt Program Council’s “A Young Star’s Road to Recovery” lecture. John Hamilton | Staff Photographer
‘FULL HOUSE’ STAR JODIE SWEETIN VISITS PITT Taylor Mulcahey Staff Writer
Portraying Stephanie Tanner on the show “Full House,” Jodie Sweetin struggled to discover her identity as a child star. When the show ended, she still felt alone. She turned to alcohol and found “the key to fitting into [her] skin.” “When I was 13 years old and I picked up my first drink, I felt like I could breathe,” Sweetin said. Sweetin, known for her role on the ’80s and ’90s sitcom, spoke 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in the William Pitt Ballroom. More than 300 people showed up to hear Sweetin speak about her experience with drug and alcohol addiction at the event hosted by the Pitt Program Council. Now 34, Sweetin is sober and working on a “Full House” reboot, called “Fuller House.” She tours colleges around the country to speak about her struggle, which she said
stems from her complicated family life and acting career. When Sweetin was born, both her biological mother and father were in prison on drug charges. Sweetin, who was adopted, landed the role of Stephanie when she was just four and a half years old, after an agent noticed her during a guest appearance on the sitcom “Valerie.” “Full House” ran for 13 seasons, and ended when Sweetin was 13 years old, in 1995. It was the same time her substance abuse issues began. Sweetin held the room’s attention by flashing her upbeat sense of humor within her serious story. She joked about relationships and experiences on “Full House,” and spoke candidly about her addiction. During a question and answer session after the event, Sweetin exclaimed upon request, “How rude!” — her catchphrase as the young Tanner daughter.
Jordan Levin, a senior English major, said it was grounding to hear about a celebrity’s drug problem in person. “It’s really easy to write off a celebrity’s’ drug problem as, ‘Oh duh, another one,’” Levin said. “But it was really interesting to hear about it from her mouth.” Levin said the actress was “incredibly comfortable” on stage, which made the talk enjoyable despite the heavy content. Kilian Liptrot, a senior political science and philosophy major, said Sweetin’s autobiographical speech was surprising. “I expected the talk to be motivational, but it was just her telling her story,” Liptrot said. Sweetin first tried to get sober when she was 18 years old, then again when she was 22. Each time she tried to detox, she relapsed. She hid her addiction from her first husband, a Los Angeles police officer, until she See Sweetin on page 3
News
THE MYTH OF THE UNBIASED JUDGE Leo Dornan Staff Writer
Because judges are humans, they are biased based on their experiences and lives — and that’s okay, said law professor Pat K. Chew said at her Wednesday afternoon lecture. “We anticipate the insights a judge’s life experience brings as positive,” Chew said. “We should do the same with their experiences on race and gender.” Wednesday at 12 p.m., about 50 students, professors and community members gathered on the 20th floor of the Cathedral of Learning to hear Chew, a distinguished faculty scholar at Pitt’s School of Law, discuss common misconceptions about judges’ biases, particularly when it comes to race and gender. The talk — part of a Center on Race and Social Problems speaker series — focused on dispelling the myth that
pittnews.com
a judge can or even should be “gender-blind” and “color-blind” when deciding a case. Chew argued biases are an inherent part of being a human and those biases are valuable when it comes to making courtroom decisions. “Judges are humans with human attributes,” Chew said. “Judges will all have biases.” Two Pittsburgh judges, David Cashman and Donna Jo McDaniel, who were not at the panel, said judges can’t escape bias, but bias doesn’t help determine the outcome of a court case. Cashman, who serves on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, said the legal system works best when biases stay out of the courtroom.
Find the full story online at
pittnews.com
Pat K. Chew spoke at Pitt Wednesday. Nikki Moriello | Senior Staff Photographer
January 28, 2016
2
Sweetin, pg. 1 woke up in the hospital. Once tabloids found out she was in rehab after the hospital stay, Sweetin said she could no longer hide her problems. She began speaking out about her addiction on college campuses and to the media, but said she feigned recovery on tour. When she had her first daughter at 25, Sweetin said she began to look at sobriety as something that would benefit her as well as her family. “For the first time, I started getting sober for me,” Sweetin said. “I was doing it because
pittnews.com
finally I had gotten to a place I was miserable enough and scared enough that I wanted to do it for me.” Sam Amorim, Pitt Program Council director, said she wanted to bring Sweetin to Pitt because she knew Pitt’s student body was full of “Full House” fans. “I was really happy and excited for this event,” Amorim said. “She was great to work with — a genuinely nice person.” After years of lying and being unable to look herself in the mirror, Sweetin said she was happy to finally be sharing her story. “For me my story isn’t my past, it’s part of who I am,” said Sweetin, “but it’s not [all of] who I am.”
Staff, pg. 1 Because so many people are riding bikes, Yablonsky said, both motorists and cyclists must be careful and be aware of each other. As part of its advocacy efforts, Bike Pittsburgh has installed bike racks, specifically Downtown, and Healthy Rides throughout the city. According to Yablonsky, 7 to 15 percent of cyclists in Pittsburgh are enthused and confident when traveling on the roads. But Yablonsky also said 50 to 60 percent of people who are interested in cycling are concerned about their safety.
January 28, 2016
“Bicyclists on the road are not just objects, they have family and friends who care about them. In the future, we want to install more bike lanes and become closer to creating a safe, connected network,” Yablonsky said. Pitt seeks to decrease jaywalking Throughout the year, Sheehy and his team have inserted a few yellow signs before the crosswalks to warn people of buses traveling from the opposite direction.
Find the full story online at
pittnews.com
3
Opinions column
from the editorial board
Continue passing mental health prison reform Small-scale offenders with mental health issues are finally getting the attention they deserve. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Sylvia Rambo approved a federal lawsuit accusing the state of Pennsylvania of violating the rights of defendants with mental health issues by subjecting them to unconstitutional, yearlong wait times to stand trial. For defendants with mental health issues, Pennsylvania has the longest wait times in jail or state mental health facilities in the country, with California in second place with an average wait time of 75 days versus 130 days in Pennsylvania. Judges often consider people with mental illnesses incompetent to stand trial, and despite being accused of petty crimes, they have no family, friends or funds to challenge their imprisonment. Rather than subjecting people with mental illnesses to more grief, we need to provide them with treatment services. Pennsylvania must reallocate the taxpayer dollars that go toward incarcerating the mentally ill to rehabilitation services. To protect those with mental illnesses, we must open mental health treatment slots for those who cannot competently defend themselves in court and follow through with treatment after their release. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, the gridlock in the state’s mental health system was becoming a major problem for criminal defendants who judges deemed incompetent. In October, an Allegheny County resident prompted the ACLU of Pennsylvania to take action through a complaint about the treatment of mentally ill prisoners. “In the last year and a half alone, the numbers were beyond our belief — of wait times, of lack of treatment, of lack of resources,” Luna Patella, a lawyer with the Defender Association of Philadelphia said in a press conference Wednesday.. This isn’t the first attempt to treat defendants suffering from mental illness in Pennsylvania. Last November, Republican Congressperson Tim Murphy brought a mental health bill with sweeping reforms to the floor of Congress. The reforms included provisions that make it easier for judges to mandate outpatient treatment and for caregivers to access mental health treatment plans for violent patients with severe conditions. Murphy hoped to allow treatment for people who may otherwise end up in prison despite
pittnews.com
petty offenses, such as stealing candy from a convenience store. His bill gathered bipartisan support, but it has stalled — members of Congress are concerned this bill would strip patients of their privacy. We can’t allow this issue to continue to stall. According to a Washington Post article from April 2015, a shocking number of Americans with mental illnesses end up in prison instead of in treatment. A study of 132 suicide attempts in a county jail in Washington state found that 77 percent of the attempts were by inmates with “chronic psychiatric problems,” compared with 15 percent among the rest of the jail population. Inmates with mental illnesses are a threat to themselves while in prison, and without treatment, are at a high risk for injury and death, Aligned with this study is the Treatment Advocacy Center report from 2012, which found American prisons and jails to house an estimated 356,268 inmates with several mental illness in 2012. That’s 10 times the number of mentally ill patients committed to state psychiatric hospitals in 2012, which is about 35,000 people. Our justice system has essentially used prisons as makeshift mental health care facilities where people with mental illnesses endure further trauma in lieu of treatment. And the prognosis is grim for defendants after prison release. When released, prisoners receive virtually no mental health care despite a dire need for it. Naturally, this absence of care results in higher recidivism rates, as well as a sense of abandonment. We aren’t combatting crime this way, but rather pushing released inmates into a trajectory that results in readmittance to the system that didn’t treat the issue in the first place. We can no longer ignore the massive oppression the justice system has inflicted upon people with mental illnesses in our state. We have turned our prisons into mental health institutions, acting under the false assumption that tossing the mentally ill into a cell will cloak and solve everything. Pennsylvania needs to convene and enforce the new legislation that will provide meaningful treatment for defendants with mental illnesses and continue to refer them to treatment centers beyond release. We must also not stop at yesterday’s progress — we need to continue reforming mental health treatment to cater to those who have been neglected and break the cycle.
January 28, 2016
Illustration by Annabelle Goll
REFORM WELFARE, LOWER POVERTY RATE Arnaud Armstrong For The Pitt News
A lot of things have changed since the ’60s. Unfortunately, poverty levels in America isn’t one of them. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson launched what he called the War on Poverty. The goal of this initiative was bold and straightforward: The federal government would use all of its resources to, in the words of Johnson, cure and prevent poverty. To achieve this goal, Congress rushed through several new programs designed to alleviate economic inequality. This effort established major entitlement programs that still exist today. Food stamps dealt with hunger, while Medicare and Medicaid would provide health insurance. Combined with the programs of the New Deal, such as Social Security and Aid to Families with Dependent Children — more com-
monly known as welfare — the United States became a modern welfare state. But the War on Poverty was, and continues to be, a dismal failure. The new safety net frequently traps the poor and prevents them from advancing. While the poverty rate in 1973 fell to 11 percent — the lowest level since the federal government began measuring poverty in 1959 — this was the extent of the progress. Since 1973, the poverty rate has not fallen below 11 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau— in 2014, the rate was more than 14 percent. Beginning in the late ’60s, the situation of poor communities has dramatically worsened in many respects. In poor communities across the country the family structure has collapsed, employment has declined, schools continue to fail and the poverty cycle is as strong as ever. See Armstrong on page 5
4
Armstrong, pg. 4 Most people, including myself, agree that these are good and necessary programs in a country as prosperous as ours. But the issue is that these programs are so uncoordinated and disorganized they provide virtually no incentive to actually improve oneself when they can have the government pay for all of their needs. One area where this effect is particularly apparent is the labor participation rate. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 1964 male labor participation rate was about 80 percent. Today, it is more than 60 percent. Among working-age men, the participation rate has fallen from 97 percent in 1965 to only 88 percent in 2013. The labor participation rate doesn’t tell the whole story, though. The War on Poverty has also caused exceedingly high part-time employment. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 3 percent of full-time workers lived below the poverty line in 2014 compared with 16 percent of part-time workers and 34 percent of non-workers. While there are several reasons for the growth of part-time work, welfare programs may be to blame. Because most anti-poverty programs are means tested — recipients must fit specific qualifications to receive a benefit — a person
pittnews.com
making an amount that exceeds the qualifying level of income will be immediately and entirely cut off from benefits. When you factor in state entitlement programs this means that an individual can often make more by not working than by working for a salary that would cut off their benefits. To help solve this problem, we must change the way we means test for basic entitlement, such as Food Stamps, welfare and Medicaid. By continuing to provide some degree of assistance beyond arbitrary income levels, we can reward entitlement recipients for working and provide them with a greater incentive to try to work their way out of poverty. Another critical area of study is the family structure. Since the start of the War on Poverty, out-of-wedlock birth has skyrocketed from less than 10 percent in 1964 to 40.7 percent in 2012. About 37.1 percent of children grow up in a family headed by a single mother are poor, compared to only 6.8 percent of children born to a two-parent family. In other words, the chance of growing up in poverty is more than five times higher when the child is born out of wedlock. With the family in tatters and the resulting general lack of support at home, the child living below the poverty line has to depend on the public education system for an avenue out of poverty. Unfortunately, the education system
in poor areas of the country is an increasingly dismal failure. The disparity between the quality of poor schools and their wealthier counterparts illuminates this problem. According to the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress report, only 24 percent of fourth graders who are eligible for a free lunch are proficient in math versus 59 percent proficiency among fourth graders who were not eligible. This means that the children who need the best education in order to break the cycle aren’t receiving enough attention. But more money isn’t enough to solve the problem. Between 1970 and 2005, average perpupil spending more than doubled from $4,060 to $9,266 while test scores remained virtually unchanged. A more productive solution lays in charter schools, which don’t host the bureaucratic inefficiencies that come with public schools and teachers unions. According to the Center for Research on Education Outcomes, urban charter schools have been successful in producing major achievement gains for students eligible for subsidized lunches and low baseline scores as well as increased math and reading scores for everyone except white students. If we want to solve the poverty trap, we must accept that our efforts have so far served only to perpetuate poverty and disincentivize prog-
January 28, 2016
ress. There is, however, some good news. In 1996, after years of failed attempts at reform, Congress added a work requirement to welfare. The results were stunning: Within a decade the number of Americans enrolled in welfare had fallen by half. Just as importantly, poverty fell dramatically among households headed by a single mother, which traditionally have been the most vulnerable to poverty. In 1991, a whopping 55.4 percent of children in these households were in poverty. By 2001 that number had declined to 39.3 percent. But welfare reform was only a critical first step. Other programs are still steadily expanding, and much more is needed if the entitlement trap is to be eliminated. In his 1935 message to Congress, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said dependence on relief induces a spiritual and moral disintegration that foretells a destruction of our country’s fibre. The only way to combat this disintegration is for the able bodied but destitute to work. We would do well to take F.D.R.’s advice today. After 50 years of crippling the progress of America’s poor, we must take a different approach. If we want to solve this problem we ought to take Johnson’s original advice and offer the poor “a hand up, not a hand out.” We must create an incentive to succeed, not an incentive to fail.
5
Culture
REIGN CHECK: FUTURE’S LATEST A MISSTEP Nick Mullen Staff Writer
After collaborating with Drake on the popular track “Jumpman,” Future’s latest solo venture won’t be jumping over anybody. Future released his latest mixtape, “Purple Reign,” on Jan. 17. As his thirteenth mixtape, the 40-minute collection is 13 tracks of recycled trap motifs and thumping beats, neither of which prove particularly interesting or new. After finding some recent commercial success with Drake collaborations “Jumpman” and “Big Rings,” Future has established himself as one of the standout voices in mainstream rap. Following his features on popular singles “Bugatti,” off Ace Hood’s 2013 “Trials and Tribulations,” and “U.O.E.N.O.” off Rocko’s “Gift of Gab 2,” his public affair with Ciara and a song with Miley Cyrus, Future quickly rose from underground artist to mainstream phenomenon. “Purple Reign” is Future’s first mixtape since his trilogy of album-quality mixtapes, released in 2014 and 2015. His sophomore release, “Dirty Sprite 2,” found Future musing on his relationship with Ciara, and “What a Time to be Alive” was a grandiose collaborative spectacle by Future and Drake, which even drew tepid comparisons with “Watch the Throne,” the collaborative album between Kanye West and Jay Z. “Purple Reign” finds Future attempting to return to his roots in the trap life, but his journey home isn’t over yet. For the violent and fast-paced reputation of trap music, though, this mixtape is a slow burner. “All Right” is one of his most nuanced songs Future, and the ones that follow get progressively more aggressive and hype. “Purple Reign” touches on familiar tropes of trap music, including bleak images of life in harsh urban environments, where street crime and violence are not only common, but a celebrated part of everyday life. As a genre, trap’s heavy bass, melodic synthesizers and lyrics glorifying drugs, flashing guns and getting money have enjoyed a recent revival,
pittnews.com
thanks largely to Future and Fetty Wap. The latter’s “Trap Queen” has occupied Billboard Hot 100 for an entire year, and still sits at No. 39. Future’s rising profile and collaboration with prominent producers Metro Boomin and DJ Esco don’t make him immune to mediocrity, though. On “All Right”, the first song following “Purple Reign’s” intro, Future starts the mixtape with distant synths, rattling hi-hats and his autotuned growl, repeating “all right” twice before launching into the hook. The song then drags through familiar territory, with lines such as, “You know I be gettin’ that moolah on a daily basis, all right,” and “we been on molly, yeah, we been on Xans.” In the quasi-piano ballad “Perkys Calling,” dedicated to Future’s drug addiction, the rapper speaks honestly about his addictions and the things he’s had to do to fuel them, rapping, “Thinkin’ about them licks I hit I had to/ Thinkin’ about the viewers here, I had you/ Thinkin’ about that cash like it’s fast food.” More than anywhere on the album, Future lets his vulnerabilities show, the cash as empty and fruitless as a hamburger combo. Future’s lyrics come as a hidden bonus, shadowed by his muffled, auto-tuned voice and party-polished production. Fancy production doesn’t make “Purple Reign” Future’s best work, though, or close to it. Despite the star-studded production team, none of his beats come off as memorable bangers, nor do any of the songs on the mixtape rival “Trap Queen” as the genre’s next big hit. While this trap star shows no signs of slowing down, he is definitely coasting. And with mixtapes in the rap industry coming nearly as often as polished records, an artist’s reputation is seemingly only as good as their last release — a verse, collaboration or otherwise. In many ways, Future is attempting to return to his past, searching to regain his “Dirty Sprite 2” form— but if “Purple Reign” resembles any kind of soft drink, it’s a flat one.
TNS
HOLLYWOOD, TIME TO ACT Tarun Sathish Staff Writer
Every year in Hollywood’s Dolby Theater, movie stars celebrate themselves together — but now they need to protest together. For the second year in a row, the Oscars caused controversy by not nominating a single actor of color in any of its four acting categories, causing Will Smith — an unnominated Oscar hopeful for his role in “Concussion” — Jada Pinkett Smith and Spike Lee to boycott this year’s ceremony. As a result, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Cheryl Boone Isaacs laid out aggressive plans to double the number of minorities and women in the Academy — and therefore ballot voters — by 2020, earlier this month. But reform requires more than a boycott and personnel change. Like our politics, we need an campaigning overhaul from all of Hollywood.
January 28, 2016
Much like presidential campaigning, a film “campaigning” — such as TV appearances and magazine agreements — helps get it more attention from judges, and increases the odds they will see it. Corresponding Academy branch members decide each Oscar ballot’s nominations. For example, the director branch determines the directors’ nominees, but the entire Academy, which is notoriously white, votes on the winners themselves. An Academy that better represents the nation’s composition is a step in the right direction. In light of Fox Searchlight purchasing Sundance drama of slave/rebel Nat Turner for an historic $17.5 million and Boone Isaacs’ call for the Academy to double the number of women and minorities in the Academy by 2020, positive change is entirely possible and may already be happening.
Find the full story online at
pittnews.com
6
The Pitt News Editor-in-Chief DANIELLE FOX
Managing Editor HARRISON KAMINSKY
editor@pittnews.com
manager@pittnews.com
News Editor DALE SHOEMAKER
Opinions Editor MATT MORET
newsdesk.tpn@gmail.com
tpnopinions@pittnews.com
Sports Editor DAN SOSTEK
Culture Editor JACK TRAINOR
tpnsports@gmail.com
aeeditors@gmail.com
Visual Editor KATE KOENIG
Layout Editor EMILY HOWER
pittnewsphoto@gmail.com
tpnlayout@gmail.com
Online Editor STEVEN ROOMBERG
Copy Chief MICHELLE REAGLE
tpnonline@gmail.com
tpncopydesk@gmail.com
ZoĂŤ Hannah | Assistant News Editor Lauren Rosenblatt | Assistant News Editor Marlo Safi | Assistant Opinions Editor Elizabeth Lepro | Assistant Sports Editor Jeff Ahearn | Assistant Visual Editor Danah Bialoruski | Assistant Layout Editor Sydney Harper | Multimedia Editor Amy Beaudine | Social Media Editor
Chris Puzia | Assistant Copy Chief Copy Staff Bridget Montgomery Anjuli Das Sierra Smith Sydney Mengel Sarah Choflet Kelsey Hunter
Matthew Maelli Kyleen Pickaring Casey Talay Corey Forman Alex Stryker Maria Castello
Editorial Policies Single copies of The Pitt News are free and available at newsstands around campus. Additional copies can be purchased with permission of the editor in chief for $.50 each. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the students, faculty or University administration. Opinions expressed in columns, cartoons and letters are not necessarily those of The Pitt News. Any letter in tended for publication must be addressed to the editor, be no more than 250 words and include the writer’s name, phone number and University affiliation, if any. Letters may be sent via e-mail to letters@pittnews.com. The Pitt News reserves the right to edit any and all letters. In the event of multiple replies to an issue, The Pitt News may print one letter that represents the majority of responses. Unsigned editorials are a majority opinion of the Editorial Board, listed to the left. The Pitt News is an independent, student-written and
student-managed newspaper for the Oakland campus of the University of Pittsburgh. It is pub lished Monday through Friday during the regular school year and Wednesdays during the summer. Complaints concerning coverage by The Pitt News, after first being brought to the editors, may be referred to the Community Relations Com mittee, Pitt News Advisory Board, c/o student media adviser, 435 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260. The editor in chief has the final authority on editorial matters and cannot be censored, according to state and federal law. The editor in chief is selected by the Pitt News Advisory Board, which includes University staff, fac ulty and students, as well as journalism professionals. The business and edito rial offices of The Pitt News are located at 434 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260.
Business Manager MATT REILLY
advertising@pittnews.com
Sales Manager DAVE BARR
Inside Sales Manager KELSEY MCCONVILLE
Marketing Manager KRISTINE APRILE
University Account Executive ALEX KANNER
Marketing Assistant LARA PETORAK
Digital Manager STEPHEN ELLIS
Graphic Designers Jillian Miller Maya Puskaric
pittnews.com
Account Executives Dave Barrone Steve Bretz Rob Capone Sean Hennessy
Mathew Houck Calvin Reif Allison Soenksen
Inside Sales Executive Marissa Altemus Victoria Hetrick Arianna Taddei
January 28, 2016
7
Sports
THE BREAKDOWN
Pat Narduzzi’s second rodeo isn’t going to get any easier. The ACC announced Pitt’s football schedule for the 2016 season, and while all the opponents were public knowledge, the actual order is now finalized. Nine of Pitt’s 12 games come against teams with winning records in 2015, while four come against teams with
all-time record: 2-0 sept. 3 vs. villanova 2015 record: 6-5 key returner: tanoh kpassagnon
Pitt’s opening game of the year might be against a non-FBS school, but the Wildcats are no slouch. Andy Talley has been the head coach at Villanova since 1985, compiling a 221-134-1 record there, and won the FCS championship in 2009.
Sept. 10 vs. penn state all-time record: 42-50-4 2015 record: 7-6 key returner: saquon barkley For perhaps the most anticipated game on the schedule, the Panthers renew their historic rivalry with the Nittany Lions, which has been dormant since 2000. Penn State will feature some new faces, losing starting quarterback Christian Hackenberg and star lineman Carl Nassib to the draft and graduation, respectively. Still, the Panthers will remain supremely motivated to beat their in-state rivals after James Franklin and Pat Narduzzi waged a fierce battle against one another on the recruiting trail.
sept. 17 @ oklahoma state all-time record: 0-0 2015 record: 10-3 key returner: mason rudolph
This contest is the first of a home-and-home series between Pitt and the Cowboys, and is the first-ever meeting between the two teams. This is one of the two toughest tests of 2016 for the Panthers, as pundits expect the Cowboys to be a Top 25 team again after a terrific season last year under longtime head coach Mike Gundy.
sept. 24 @ north carolina all-time record: 3-7-0 2015 record: 11-3 key returner: ryan switzer
The Panthers look to end a three-game skid against the Tar Heels, as Pitt has not beat them since the 2009 Meineke Car Care Bowl. UNC will no longer feature playmaking quarterback Marquise Williams, but wideout Ryan Switzer, who has terrorized Pitt in the past, will fill in. Switzer decided to return for his senior year rather than entering the NFL Draft, much to the chagrin of the entire Pitt football community.
oct. 1Vs. Marshall 2015 record: 10-3
all-time record: 0-0 key returner: gary thompson
Another first-time meeting for Pitt, the Marshall Thundering Herd will come to Heinz Field as one of the strongest teams out of the Mid-American Conference. Under head coach Doc Holliday — who various outlets considered a potential candidate for Pitt’s opening in 2014 — Marshall has gone 50-28, and has consistently been one of the top-performing non-Power Five teams in the country.
all-time record: 6-4 oct. 8 vs. georgia tech 2015 record: 3-9 key returner: justin thomas
pittnews.com
Paul Johnson’s team — a program that has given Pitt fits over the past two seasons — saw one of its worst seasons in recent memory, with its struggles partially due to a litany of injuries to its backfield. Now that the Yellow Jackets will be fully healed, the Panthers will once again have to try to stop a tripleoption, a proposition that has proven fruitless for the program over the years.
January 28, 2016
more than 10 wins that season, including a trip to Clemson University to take on the NCAA playoff runner-up Tigers. The schedule will provide difficult non-conference battles that the Panthers didn’t see in an easier 2015 run of games, as well as a handful of new ACC coaches who look to bolster the overall depth and difficulty of an already strong conference.
all-time record: 5-3 key returner: taquan mizzell
Oct. 15 @ Virginia 2015 record: 4-8
Virginia has been hapless in the ACC for the past few seasons, but it has the potential to turn the corner under former BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall. The Cavaliers played Pitt close at Heinz Field last year, and Mendenhall has the ability to rejuvenate Virginia’s offense into a capable unit this season.
oct. 27vs. Virginia tech 2015 record: 7-6
all-time record: 7-8 key returner: isaiah ford
The Hokies are without head coach Frank Beamer, replacing the legendary coach with former University of Memphis playcaller Justin Fuente. The Hokies are talented — particularly on offense, with wideout Isaiah Ford and tight end Bucky Hodges supplanting a talented passing attack — and will attempt to move the ball better than they did in their loss to Pitt in Blacksburg, Virginia, last season.
nov. 5 @ miami 2015 record: 8-5
all-time record: 10-24-1 key returner: brad kaaya
nov. 12 @ clemson 2015 record: 14-1
all-time record: 1-0 key returner: deshaun watson
nov. 19 vs. duke 2015 record: 8-5
all-time record: 11-9 key returner: shaun wilson
For the first time as ACC members, Pitt will not face the Hurricanes during Thanksgiving weekend. Instead, the team will travel to Miami earlier in the month, hoping to avenge a deflating 2015 loss to its conference rivals last year and taking on former University of Georgia head coach Mark Richt in his first year with the program.
Without a doubt the toughest game on Pitt’s 2016 slate, the Panthers must return to South Carolina to take on the defending ACC champions, still armed with superstar quarterback Deshaun Watson. Widely projected to be the top-ranked team in the country, Clemson’s offense has the potential to be even more dynamic than last year’s prolific unit.
While the previous two Pitt-Duke matchups had been exciting shootouts, the Panthers won in a rout last season against the Blue Devils’ backup quarterback Parker Boehme. Duke returns quarterback Thomas Sirk this year, but loses ACC Defensive Player of the Year Jeremy Cash, so another back-andforth contest could be in the works for 2016.
nov. 26 vs. syracuse 2015 record: 4-8
all-time record: 37-31-3 key returner: zaire franklin
Another ACC team that enters 2016 with a new head coach, Syracuse is still trying to find its footing in its new conference after three subpar seasons under Scott Shafer. Dino Babers will attempt to find some stability at quarterback, and do something the Orange hasn’t done since 2012 — beat the Panthers.
8
PANTHERS FAIL TO CATCH TIGERS, 73!60 Chris Puzia
Contributing Editor For the second time this week, Pitt trailed by double digits at halftime on the road — but unlike its Saturday win at Florida State, the Pitt men’s basketball team never came back. Doomed by another slow start, the Panthers (16-4, 5-3 ACC) dropped a 73-60 decision Wednesday night at Clemson (13-7, 6-2 ACC), despite junior Michael Young’s 25-point effort. Both teams leaned on their stars early. Jamel Artis and Young scored 10 of Pitt’s first 12 points, while Jaron Blossomgame and Jordan Roper had all of Clemson’s first 12. Pitt’s first eight points came in the paint as part of a 6-0 scoring run. Since Jan. 10, the Tigers faced five teams in a row ranked in the AP or Coaches’ Top 25 poll — four of those games were at Clemson. Only Louisville topped the Tigers in the stretch. Sophomore Ryan Luther kept the Panthers’ lethargic offense in the game early. He snapped a four-minute scoreless stretch for
pittnews.com
the team with a long jumper, followed by his first 3-pointer of the year to bring his team back within five, 22-17. Young threw the ball away on Pitt’s next possession, leading to an easy Clemson dunk. Roper and Blossomgame continued their scoring tandem by hitting another three apiece. The two combined for 25 points in the first half. Senior James Robinson telegraphed a pass to Artis at the top of the key, and Roper picked it off for a rare Robinson turnover and a layup during a 9-0 run. Clemson generated most of their first half offense mainly through fast-break baskets and 3-pointers. The Tigers shot 50 percent from long range in the first half and 39 percent throughout the game. Luther continued to excel, hitting another 3-pointer to keep Pitt within 10. Luther, who averaged about three points per game entering Wednesday’s contest, scored eight on the night, all in the first half. With just under three minutes remaining in the half, Young received a pick-and-roll entry pass and laid it in, putting him over
1,000 points in his Pitt career. He and Luther continued to carry the offense, scoring 19 of Pitt’s 26 first-half points. The Panthers trailed the Tigers 40-26 at halftime, as only five of the 11 Pitt players who saw the court scored in the half. For the third-straight game, Pitt trailed by double digits at the half. In the second half, Pitt switched to a zone defense, which worked initially as the Panthers went on a quick 5-0 run and Sterling Smith got on the board with a 3-pointer. Despite Pitt’s brief success, the Tigers continued to get transition threes, and maintained a 16-point lead. Pitt picked up six fouls within the first six minutes of the half, sending Clemson into the bonus early. The Tigers have shot well from the charity stripe lately, and they snapped a school-record streak of 36 straight free throws made in the second half. Still, Clemson attacked the lane constantly, earning 26 trips to the line compared to Pitt’s 14. About midway through the half, Pitt began to regain momentum when it went on a 9-0 run, keyed by a Sheldon Jeter 3-pointer.
January 28, 2016
For the first time in the half, Pitt trailed by single digits, 52-43. But Gabe DeVoe quickly answered for the Tigers with a 3-pointer of his own, and Pitt’s offense slumped again, unable to find any momentum. No Panther other than Young reached double digits, and Jeter and Robinson combined for just 11 points. The Panthers shot just 38 percent in the game. For Clemson, Blossomgame continued his breakout season, scoring a game-high 22 points. Unlike his opponent, his teammates chipped in on the stat sheet as well. Avry Holmes and Ropes scored 13 points apiece, and Landry Nnoko added 12 points and eight rebounds. In Pitt’s three conference losses, it has not topped 61 points in a game, despite averaging 81 points per game on the season. The Panthers have not won consecutive games since Jan. 6-9, against Georgia Tech and Notre Dame. Pitt returns to the Petersen Events Center Sunday to host the Virginia Tech Hokies (128, 4-3 ACC) at 6:30 p.m.
9
I Rentals & Sublet N D E X -NORTH OAKLAND -SOUTH OAKLAND -SHADYSIDE -SQUIRREL HILL -SOUTHSIDE -NORTHSIDE -BLOOMFIELD -ROOMMATES -OTHER
264 Melwood Avenue - 3 bedrooms. Rent - $1700 + utilities - Flexible Lease. 412-462-7316.
3 & 4 bedroom apartments. Available immediately. Newly remodeled. Air conditioning. Bigelow Blvd., N. Neville St. Call 412-287-5712
335 N. Craig Street 2 bedrooms. Rent - $1,100 + Utilties - Flexible Lease. 412-462-7316. 344 Melwood Avenue - 4 bedrooms. Rent - $1700 + utilties - Flexible Lease. 412-462-7316. Available 8/1, 3 BR/1 Bath, less than 1 mile to campus, updated, Dishwasher and AC, starting at $1330+, 412.441.1211 Available 8/1, 4 br/2bath, Less than 1 mile to campus, Split Level, Updated, Central A/C, $2520+, 412.441.1211
****************** Large 6 bedroom house for rent. Fall occupancy. Atwood Street. Close to campus. Please text 412-807-8058 1 nice 3-bedroom house with 2 bathrooms on Parkview Ave. Rent $400/room. Available August 1, 2016. 412-881-0550.
pittnews.com
Employment
-CHILDCARE -FOOD SERVICES -UNIVERSITY -INTERNSHIPS -RESEARCH STUDIES -VOLUNTEERING -OTHER
-AUTO -BIKES -BOOKS -MERCHANDISE -FURNITURE -REAL ESTATE -TICKETS
** 5 Bedroom/2 full bath; HUGE HOMEduplex style, three stories. 2 living rooms, 2 kitchens, 2 dining rooms, LAUNDRY and a huge yard to enjoy! Huge Bedrooms! Located on Dawson Street. PITT Shuttle stops directly in front of house, only 15 minute level walk to PITT/CMU. $3,295+. Available 8/1/2016. NO PETS. Call Jason at 412-922-2141. Pictures- Info: tinyurl. com/pitthome
**5 big bedroom house, 2 kitchens, 2 living rooms, 3 full baths. Laundry, A/C. Great house for Pitt or Carlow students. About 10 houses away from Pitt shuttle stop. Available August 2016. $2600. Call Ken 412-287-4438. **AUGUST 2016: Furnished Studio, 1-2-3-4 Bedroom Apts. No pets. Non-smokers preferred. 412-621-0457
**Large efficiences, 1 & 2 bedroom apartments available for August 2016. Clean, walking distance to campus. Great location. $575-$630$900-$1100. Utilities included. No pets/ smoking or parties. 412-882-7568. 264 Robinson St. 6 bedroom, 3 bath, $2800+utilities. Available August 1st. 412-884-8891.
Classifieds
For Sale
Services
-EDUCATIONAL -TRAVEL -HEALTH -PARKING -INSURANCE
*1 & 2 BEDROOM REMODELED FURNISHED APARTMENTS. Beautiful, clean, large, and spacious. Fullyequipped kitchen and bathroom. Wallto-wall carpeting. Large 2-bedroom, $1200, 1-bedroom, $750. Owner pays heat. Available Aug. 2016. Call 412-2471900, 412-731-4313.
*3 BEDROOM, REMODELED HOUSE -FURNISHED* Beautiful, large, clean and spacious. New fully equipped kitchen. Wall-towall carpeting. Washer/Dryer included. Whole house air-conditioning. Garage Available. $1700+utilities. Aug. 1. Call 412-247-1900, 412-731-4313.
1-2-3-4 Bedroom Houses & Apartments. 376 Meyran, 343 McKee, St. James, Bates St. $1,095-$2,000. Call 412-969-2790
1,2,3,5,6, & 8 bedroom houses. August & May 2016. Bouquet, Atwood, Meyran. Please call 412-287-5712.
2-3-4 bedroom South Oakland apartments for rent. For more information or to schedule a viewing, please call 412-849-8694. Large 6 BR house, 2 full bathrooms, washer/dryer, dishwasher, and many upgrades, Juliette St. 724-825-0033.
Announcements -ADOPTION -EVENTS -LOST AND FOUND -STUDENT GROUPS -WANTED -OTHER
221 Atwood Street 1 & 2 bedrooms. Rent - $900.00$1,400.00 + Utilities Flexible Lease. 412-462-7316. 3-5BR apartment available for Spring semester. Central air, dishwasher, great location and discounted price. 412-915-0856
3444 WARD ST. Studio, 1-2-3 BR apartments available Aug. 1, 2016. Free parking, free heating. 320 S. BOUQUET 2BR, great location, move in May 1, 2016. Call 412-361-2695. No evening calls please. 4,6&7 bedroom townhouses available in May and August 2016. Nice clean, free laundry, includes exterior maintenance, new appliances, spacious, located on Bates & Juliet. 412-414-9629.
6 or 7 BR house. Washer & dryer available. NO PETS. Available August 1, 2016. One year lease. Meyran Ave. 5 minute walk to University of Pittsburgh. 412-983-5222.
R INSERTIONS 1X 2X 3X 4X 5X 6X ADDITIONAL A 1-15 WORDS $6.30 $11.90 $17.30 $22.00 $27.00 $30.20 $5.00 T 16-30 WORDS $7.50 $14.20 $20.00 $25.00 $29.10 $32.30 $5.40 E S DEADLINE: TWO BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR BY 3 PM | EMAIL: ADVERTISING@PITTNEWS.COM | PHONE: 412.648.7978 (EACH ADDITIONAL WORD: $0.10)
Apartments for rent, 1-5BR, beginning August 2016. A/C, dishwasher, washer/dryer. 412-915-0856 Available 8/1, 1 BR/1 Bath, 5 min. walk to Cathedral, A/C, hardwood floors, newly renovated, starting at $995+, 412.441.1211
Clean, Newly Remodeled Houses and Apartments. 1-9 Bedrooms. Call 412-680-4244 or email s.cusick@comcast.net www.superiorpropertiesgroup.com.
House for RentJuliet Street. Available January 2016. Big 3-bedroom, 2story house 1.5 bath, fully-equipped eatin kitchen/appliances/new refrigerator, living, dining room, 2 porches, full basement, laundry/ storage, parking on premises, super clean, move-in condition. Near universities/hospitals/bus. $1700+. 412-337-3151
John CR Kelly Realty has studio 1 and 2 bedroom apartments available for rent for Fall 2016. Call 412-683-7300 to make an appointment today!
January 28, 2016
M.J. Kelly Realty Studio, 1, 2, 3, & 4 Bedroom Apartments, Duplexes, Houses. $750-$2400. mjkellyrealty@gmail.com. 412-271-5550, mjkellyrealty.com Spacious 5 and 3 BR houses by Blvd. of Allies and Ward St. New ceramic kitchen, updatd baths, washer and dryer, patio. Shuttle at corner. No pets. Available Aug. 1, 2016. 3BR, partial furnished, $1975+. 5BR $2995+. LOTS photos/videos at tinyurl.com/pittnewsad1 and tinyurl.com/pittnewsad2. Email coolapartments@gmail.com.
Studio and 1 Bedrooms. 216 Coltart. Heat included. Parking. Available Aug. 2016. Greve RealEstate. 412-2614620. Various 1-bedroom apartments on Meyran, Pier & Ward Streets. Starting from $675-$795. Available August 2016. Call John CR Kelly Realty. 412-682-7300 4 BR townhouses, Semple St., available May 1st & August 1st, 2016. Equipped kitchen, full basement. 412-343-4289. Call after 5:00 pm.
Various 2-bedroom apartments on Meyran, Halket, Fifth, Ward & Bates Streets. Starting from $995-$1,675. Available in August 2016. Call John CR Kelly Realty. 412-683-7300. 2 BR apartment, newly painted, hardwood floors, appliances. Rent includes all utilities. $750/mo. 412-498-7355 3 & 5 bedroom. May 2016. Sarah St. Large bedroom, new kitchen, air conditioning, washer & dryer, dishwasher, large deck. 412-287-5712. Studios, 1, 2, & 3 Bedroom apartments available August 2016 & sooner. Oakland, Shadyside, Friendship, Squirrel Hill, Highland Park, Point Breeze. Photos & current availability online, check out www.forbesmanagement.net, or call 412.441.1211
SMOKERS NEEDED! Researchers at UPMC are looking to enroll healthy adult cigarette smokers ages 18-65. This research is examining the influence of brief uses of FDA-approved nicotine patch or nicotine nasal spray on mood and behavior. The study involves a brief physical exam and five sessions lasting two hours each. Eligible participants who complete all sessions will receive up to $250, or $20 per hour. This is NOT a treatment study. For more information, call 412-246-5396 or visit www.SmokingStudies. pitt.edu SQUIRREL HILL TANNING SALON Looking for motivated sales person, reliable and strong work ethic. Sales and customer service experience. Computer proficient. 15-25 hours. Must be 18+ years of age. Hourly rate* + Commissions and Bonuses. Start $7.75. After passing Smart Tan Certification, $8.00. APPLY ONLINE AT: http://www.anytimetantanningclub.com/Employment
10
SEASONAL MARKETING ASSISTANT
The Pitt news crossword 1/28/16
OFFFICE INTERN Shadyside Management Company seeks person w/ min 3 yrs. college, for upcoming spring semester, to interview & process rental applications, do internet postings & help staff our action-central office. Part time or full time OK starting January 2; full time in summer. $12/hour. Perfect job for graduating seniors set to enter grad school, returning grad students, and first-year law students! Mozart Management 412.682.7003. thane@mozartrents.com
Shadyside property management firm established in 1960 neeeds a Seasonal Marketing Assistant to work with Word, internet, & spreadsheet files from now until July 15th, four days/week from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Saturday and/or Sunday hours a must; some flexibility on days and hours will be considered; most hours will be solitary on the computer with no phone work; 40 WPM and strong computer skills required; no experience needed & we will train you at our Shadyside office; free parking. $12/hour plus generous season end bonus. MOZART MANAGEMENT www.mozartrents .com 412-682-7003
pittnews.com
January 28, 2016
11
pittnews.com
January 28, 2016
12