1-6-15 by The Pitt News

in case you missed it..............................................................5 six seconds to fame..............................................................6 kickin’It.....................................................................7 crime alert for armed robbery.............................................7 pitt goes to the military bowl...........................................9 editorial..................................................................................11 interactive crime map..........................................................12 CULTURal RESOLUTIONS............................................................14 farewell, dean howe..............................................................15 isis attacks history..............................................................20 5 THINGS YOU MISSED: MEN’S BBALL.....................................23 5 THINGS YOU MISSED: WOMEN’S BBALL................................26 speech is always free..........................................................32 local politics gets ignored................................................32 FOOTBALL SUPERLATIVES...........................................................36 15 things to look for in sgb.............................................38 winners and losers of 2015............................................42

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Here at The Pitt News, words are important. If you didn’t already know that, either you or we are doing something wrong. That’s why starting with today’s issue, we will no longer use the term freshman to identify students at large. We will now refer to new students as being first-year. We will continue to use the terms sophomore, junior and senior, as they are gender neutral. Every student isn’t a man, so why should we use a label producing such connotation? Every student doesn’t identify as a man or a woman, either, and The Pitt News strives to represent all of the University’s students, not just the ones who align with the gender binary system. So next time you speak with one of our reporters, tell them hello, your preferred pronoun and how many years you’ve hailed to Pitt. If you have an idea on how The Pitt News can better represent or inform you, reach out to me at editor@pittnews.com. Thanks for reading, Danielle Fox Editor-in-Chief

January 6, 2016

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January 6, 2016

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January 6, 2016

icym ( in case you missed it)

Pitt joins “Concussion” foundation as first partner: Alongside the release of “Concussion,” the movie based on the work of Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist, Pitt announced it would join the Bennet Omalu Foundation as the nonprofit’s first academic partner, meaning the University will provide researchers and funding for the project. Omalu was the first to publish findings that showed the connection between football players and traumatic brain injury. The Foundation will fund research on brain injuries, which was Omalu’s area of focus as a doctor and medical examiner. Omalu’s work on traumatic brain injuries became public knowledge when he discovered former Steeler Mike Webster suffered from a brain disease he called chronic traumatic encephalopathy after he sustained multiple concussions while playing in the NFL. Jeanne Marie Laskas, who is head of Pitt’s writing program, first chronicled Omalu’s work in discovering how concussions affected NFL players in an article for GQ Magazine in 2009. Her writing would later serve as the inspiration for the film. The Foundation, based in Pittsburgh, will operate as a 501c3, private non-profit, which its six trustees will oversee and run. Among the trustees are Laskas, Acadamyaward-nominated director Ridley Scott, Bob Fitzsimmons, the lawyer for Webster’s estate, and Julian Bailes, a nationally-recognized neurosurgeon.

City establishes Rental Registry: On Dec. 16, Pittsburgh City Council officially passed its Rental Registry bill, meaning all landlords in the city must now pay an annual registration fee for all property they rent out.

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With the registry, which acts a business license, landlords must pay a fee of $65 per unit if they own 10 units or fewer, $55 per unit if they own 11 to 100 units and $45 per unit if they own more than 100 units. If landlords do not pay the fee, the city could fine them up to $500 per day every day they go unregistered. The Council debated the bill for more than a year before it passed it three weeks ago. In November, Pitt Student Government Board passed a resolution in support of the registry in part because it would hold landlords in South Oakland accountable for maintaining their properties. Under the new city law, the Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections will inspect each registered property once every three years to ensure it complies with city code. The city will make the program effective 180 days after the Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections issues initial regulations, which it has not done yet.

Pittsburgh City Council decriminalizes small amounts of marijuana: On Dec. 21, Pittsburgh City Council voted in favor of a bill to decriminalize possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana. City Councilman Daniel Lavelle, who sponsored the bill, said he modeled it after similar legislation passed over a year ago in Philadelphia where proponents say decriminalization has freed up time and resources for police and limited the amount of arrests for young people and people of color. As a result of the new legislation, police can choose to fine people caught with 30 grams or less of marijuana or eight grams or less of hashish up to $100, rather than arresting them for possession. Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala said in a letter after City Council passed the bill that his office would respect the new law and not pursue cases for small amounts of marijuana that came from Pittsburgh.

Quarterback Voytik to seek graduate transfer: Pitt redshirt junior quarterback Chad Voytik will pursue a graduate transfer after

TNS receiving his degree at the end of the spring semester, coach Pat Narduzzi announced Monday, Jan. 4. “I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to attend and play for the University of Pittsburgh,” Voytik said via a release. In a backup role for most of the season, Voytik passed for 112 yards with one touchdown and one interception this past season, in addition to rushing for 40 yards and a score. In the 2014 season, he passed for 2,233 yards with 19 total touchdowns. “Chad has been a tremendous leader and teammate during his Pitt career, and certainly during the year I had the opportunity to coach him,” Narduzzi said. “We wish him the very best and will help him any way we can as he maps out his future pursuits. We will always consider him a Pitt Man. His contributions have been invaluable to what we are building here.” The release did not state where Voytik would transfer for his graduate season. “I am blessed to have met some amazing people along the way: teammates that I’ll always be friends with, coaches that made me a better player and person, and fans that offered a tremendous amount of support,” Voytik said. “Pittsburgh will always be my second home.”

Boyd declares intention for NFL Draft, forgoing senior year:

January 6, 2016

Pitt junior wide receiver Tyler Boyd declared his intention to enter the 2016 NFL Draft, forgoing his senior season, per his Instagram account. Boyd’s announcement came in the form of a poem, in which he thanked the city of Pittsburgh, noting, “I will carry you with me, I will continue to make you proud and I promise to never forget where I came from.” Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi released a statement Friday evening following the news, confirming Boyd informed the coach of his decision to leave on Friday. “Although I only coached him for a year, I will forever be a fan and a supporter of Tyler and his family,” Narduzzi said in the release. “I wish him the very best at the next level and know that he will make an NFL team very happy.” Boyd became the Panthers’ all-time leading receiver this season, setting the school’s marks in receiving yards and receptions. He finished his career with 254 receptions for 3361 yards and 21 touchdowns. Both teammates and opponents alike took to Twitter to wish Boyd luck in his next step. Boyd is a local of western Pennsylvania and attended Clairton High School before choosing to attend Pitt in 2013. “Tyler loves Pittsburgh and we love Tyler,” Narduzzi said. “We all look forward to watching him play and succeed at the next level.”

Q&A

vine star Enick finds humor in seconds

Annabelle Hanflig Staff Writer

One switch of his camera to selfie mode, and Pitt student Nathan Enick becomes someone else. He’s Sherri, the neighbor who loves to brag about her exceptional baking skills while casually showing off her artisan baguettes. Or he’s Will, the roommate who only sees the light of day for emergencies but is strategically absent when anyone brings up the topic of rent. Enick houses his crowd on Vine, an iOS and Android app that gives creators six seconds to make a looping video and share it with the world. Users can choose to shoot their clip in a single shot, or break it up into smaller frames, allowing the app’s users to create a joke and deliver a punchline in a fraction of a minute. Under his username @ayitspnayo, the senior bioengineering major has grossed more than 300 thousand followers and 300 million total views on his vines since he began posting on the app in 2013. Enick gained his popularity by taking moments from his everyday life and turning them into bits of observational and character comedy for his viewers to enjoy. “[With my comedy], I bounce between anecdotal, parody and self-deprecation,” Enick said. “I lean mostly toward creating absurd characters, though.” Enick’s vines are composed of quick cuts and dialogues between his characters. The stories start with the camera on Enick while he switches between frames to represent different characters and delivers his punchline within the six-second limit. If Enick is recreating a moment from his childhood, you’ll find him in the bottom of the shot, looking up as if he’s looking at an elder. A frame switch later and Enick is at the top of the shot acting as an older relative or parent and looking down at the younger version of himself.

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Senior Nathan Enick has amassed a following of more than 300 thousand fans on Vine. Courtesy of Nathan Enick Beyond the wild characters, viewers love Enick’s content because they can relate to it. Of the thousands of comments left on each of Enick’s vines, many read, “This is so me.” A vine he posted last month that garnered more than seven million views shows him calling out, “It’s finals week, you know what that means,” followed by him howling at ambulances for help on the corner of Lothrop Street and Fifth Avenue. Enick’s time at Pitt may be coming to an end, but his love of comedy and creation are far from over. Enick recently talked with The Pitt News to share his history with the app, how he finds inspiration and his post-grad plans. The Pitt News: Why and when did you first download Vine?

Nathan Enick: I downloaded it the year it came out, which I think was 2013. I downloaded it then just because all of my sisters and my brother downloaded it then, and they were all making really funny videos. I joined on and played around with it for a little. I kind of watched people make videos for a really long time. I eventually started making my own regularly in the summer of 2014. TPN: How do you come up with ideas for your vines? NE: I’ll sometimes write down ideas as they come to me during normal conversations with people. Usually what I make either comes from real life situations that have happened to me, or I’ll just go on camera for 20 minutes or so and just say

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whatever. Eventually it’ll turn into something completely bizarre and unexpected, and usually I’ll just go from there. They’re either preconceived or off the bat. TPN: Do you have any inspirations for your vines? NE: Cody Ko (@CodyKo) is my inspiration on Vine and my favorite Viner. He’s done really cool stuff with timing and framing. I love his style. I take a lot of inspiration from Kristen Wiig. She’s my favorite actress, and she’s amazing. I like to take inspiration from my childhood. As I’m entering adulthood, I have new perspectives on things I did as a kid that I didn’t realize how crazy they were. It’s kind of fun to reanimate them with a different perspective. See Vine on page 21

Kickin’ It with Martial Arts Club

Pitt police respond to armed robbery in South Oakland Dale Shoemaker News Editor

Brandon Weber practices his martial arts skills for self confidence. Alexa Bakalarski, For The Pitt News I don’t want to do,” Ronsivalle said, dressed way to relieve stress. While some may not Alexa Bakalarski in his karategi, a traditional karate unicompete, all seek balance and hone their For The Pitt News form. “I know I can do them because of mental and physical strength by learning On the ground floor of Trees Hall, martial arts.” the art of self-defense. students dressed in a mishmash of karate Members practice Tuesday and ThursTh ough he’s never been in a fi ght, Jouniforms, T-shirts and multi-colored belts day evenings with instructors adept in a seph “Nino” Ronsivalle, the vice president kick furiously into a punching bag without variety of martial arts, such as taekwondo of East West, said the practice isn’t about breaking concentration. and kendo. The club focuses on karate, kotraining for violent battle. Smack! Whop! budo and jiu-jitsu styles, which all The blow of the kicks hitting fall under budo — Japanese marthe bags disrupts the fast-paced tial arts. Each fall, the members pop music pulsing through the have the option to compete in sevroom. eral tournaments around the city. On the fringe of the larger Unlike the core belief of kobugroup, two students work on do — that the proper use of weaptheir own. One punches and onry creates peace — weapons are kicks a bag hanging from the not necessary for karate or jiuceiling. The other swings at the jitsu. Karate’s translation to “empty air, practicing blocks and hits hand,” emphasizes an emptying against an invisible enemy. of doubt and fear and all three For about 30 members of practices encourage non-violence Pitt’s East West Martial Arts when possible. Ronsivalle focuses on martial arts’ core Club, it’s a regular Thursday evening prac“Any kind of negativity is driven out of concepts, like self-determination and courtice. Since the ’80s, the East West club has here, ” Kevin Sciullo, a 2015 Pitt graduate tesy, which he carries through to his everybeen more than a sport for its members and day life. instructors — it’s been a community and a See Martial Arts on page 18 “I can force myself through things that

You find a balance between physical and mental exercise. This is your outlet. -Konstanin Tourkov, club member

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January 6, 2016

Pittsburgh police are seeking two men for an alleged armed robbery that happened Monday night in Oakland. According to a crime alert from Pitt police issued Tuesday morning, officers were called to the 300 block of Oakland Avenue to assist city police with a report of an armed robbery at about 11:40 p.m., Monday. There, a male victim told police that two men walking from Bates Street approached him and robbed him at gunpoint. The victim was not a Pitt student and did not know the perpetrators, according to Pitt spokesperson John Fedele. The man told police they took a pack of cigarettes and then fled toward Bates Street. Both had handguns, he said. The man described the first suspect as a 16- or 17-year-old black man who was thin and about 5 foot 8 inches tall. The man said the suspect was wearing jeans and a “puffy” black vest and had the side of his head shaved with dreadlocks on top. He described the second suspect as a 16- or 17-year-old black man with light skin who was thin and also about 5 foot 8 inches. The man said the second suspect was wearing jeans, a gray hoodie and a black “puffy” jacket. The police ask anyone who has information about this incident to call the Zone 4 city police at 412-422-6520 and reference report CCR #2318 or the Pitt Police at 412-624-2121 and reference report #16-00022.

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January 6, 2016

military Bowl loss highlights areas of need

Tyler Boyd will leave a hole at wide receiver next season after he departs for the NFL. Nikki Moriello VISUAL EDITOR

Jeremy Tepper

Senior Staff Writer A 44-28 loss to Navy confirmed one fact: The Pitt football team couldn’t conquer high-caliber talent this season. Still, Pat Narduzzi’s first year as the Panthers’ head coach was an unmitigated success. An 8-5 record might not seem too impressive on paper, but eight wins represents stability in the Pitt program. Even more, the program displayed an upward moving arc, showing signs of a dominant defense and an efficient offense and finishing with its best season since 2010-2011. The Military Bowl loss continued season-long trends, in which the Pan-

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thers allowed several key big plays in losses but leaned on their playmakers in successful scoring efforts. The next step is beating those really good teams and, of course, Pitt becoming a consistent winning team itself, not just a .500 one. Pitt could reach that level next season, though some question marks dot that path to greater success. The biggest riddle follows the loss of Tyler Boyd, who will enter the NFL Draft. Boyd finished as Pitt’s leading receiver, second rusher and overall top playmaker. Said simply: He’ll be tough to replace. In a wide receiver corps full of players that revealed inconsistency game to

game, Boyd was the sole receiver certain to always show up. The closest player to match that consistency was Dontez Ford, Pitt’s second leading receiver last year with 505 yards. The sure-handed Ford would usually catch the ball when it came his way, but he just doesn’t have the look of a No. 1 receiver, settling as more of a solid No. 2. Pitt’s best chance at a top receiver comes in the form of junior college transfer Juwann Winfree, who played a year at Coffeyville Community College. Winfree also played one season at Maryland, catching 11 passes for 158 yards as a freshman, but he decided to transfer after dealing with multiple suspensions

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for violating Maryland’s code of conduct. The 6-2 Winfree will immediately be Pitt’s most talented receiver, showcasing plenty of speed, good size and open field shiftiness. No one player can replace Boyd, so receivers such as Elijah Zeise, Zach Challingsworth, Quadree Henderson, Tre Tipton and incoming freshman Ruben Flowers will have to step up their contributions. Still, Pitt will need one receiver to emerge as its primary, dependable playmaker for its passing game to operate. The passing offense, though, will benefit from a potentially excellent See Bowl Game on page 10

Four Takeaways

Bowl Game, pg. 9 rushing attack. Pitt will almost certainly return its starter in Qadree Ollison, as well as Darrin Hall, who showed flashes of talent as a freshman. Ollison was the ACC Rookie of the Year and should continue to improve, as should Hall. They’ll also have Jordan Whitehead, primarily a safety who sporadically sparked the rushing attack with speed and big play ability. Those three will create a more than formidable rushing offense. The potential return of James Conner can make the attack special. It’s odd to think that Conner — who’s receiving chemotherapy for Hodgkin lymphoma — could return to play next year, but there’s precedent. Eric Berry, a safety for the Kansas City Chiefs, returned to the field in a similar period of time after being diagnosed with the same type of cancer. Berry resumed playing at a high level, so there’s reason to believe Conner’s play would hold steady. Still, no matter Conner’s impact, Pitt won’t reach that next big step without a top-notch defense. Narduzzi made do with what he had on the roster, turning a formerly awful defense into the 27th ranked unit in the country. Against highlevel teams, though, there was a noticeable talent difference. Facing lesser teams, Pitt generated plenty of pressure, which usually determined its success. Against teams like Notre Dame and North Carolina, Pitt was just a light breeze. Pitt will lose defensive tackles Darryl Render, Mark Scarpinato and K.K. Mosley-Smith, and no particular promising options exist on the roster to replace them. Besides returning starter Tyrique Jarrett, Justin Moody and Jeremiah Taleni will likely see substantial playing time at tackle, though both have played minimally and offered little inspiration. Luckily for Narduzzi, there’s a chance that defensive end Ejuan Price will return,

“

After the much anticipated 2015 Military Bowl, where Pitt sold out its ticket allotment and then some, the Panther football team floundered against the high-octane No. 21 Navy Midshipmen, losing 44-28. The game saw both struggles and successes for Pitt, with four clear takeaways surfacing after the defeat.

TROUBLE WITH OPTION: Pitt has struggled to defend the option in past years and sputtered again this year against the scheme. After surrendering 482 yards to an option offense in Georgia Tech in October, the Panthers could not stop the Midshipmen, who totaled a gargantuan 590 yards in the Military Bowl.

BREAKING BOYD:

Tyrique Jarrett brings down a Navy player. Nikki Moriello VISUAL EDITOR given he applies for a sixth year of eligibility due to missing two seasons from injury. Price led the team with 12 sacks last season and would find help from Allen Edwards and Dewayne Hendrix. Edwards redshirted this past season, while Hendrix had to sit out as a transfer, but both could add a much-needed punch in pass rushing. Elsewhere, Pitt will see only one linebacker graduate in starter Nicholas Grigsby. The linebacker group noticeably lacked speed last year, but Anthony McKee and Saleem Brightwell, who redshirted as true freshmen, can help in athleticism, as can incoming freshmen Kaezon Pugh and Chase Pine.

The potential return of James Conner can make the attack special.

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In the secondary, Pitt loses just starting corner Lafayette Pitts to graduation. Pitts was only decent last year, so he doesn’t leave much of a hole. Similar to the linebackers, though, this group lacks playmakers. Whitehead has the look of a star, and corner Avonte Maddox should continue to be a solid starter. But to thrive, Pitt needs playmakers in the backfield for the defense, such as local prospects Damar Hamlin and Khaleke Hudson, who have Pitt in the mix for their commitments. Ultimately, there are a number of “if ’s” lining the way to national prominence. These are realistic, but uncertain nonetheless. There is no doubt, though, that Narduzzi has the Pitt program on the track to becoming an ACC contender. That’s not a matter of if, but when.

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Pitt’s entire offense seemingly went through wide receiver Tyler Boyd, as the Panther junior nearly had half of his team’s receptions, led the team in receiving and was its second-leading rusher. With Boyd leaving for the NFL, the Panthers must find someone to replace that production, or the offense could stagnate.

SECONDARY SCHOOLED: While Navy’s increased passing attack surprised Pitt, the Panthers still struggled against an offense that isn’t known for airing the ball out. Navy outgained Pitt passingwise 173-137 and exposed secondary concerns for Pitt. That area should improve next season, with freshman Jordan Whitehead and sophomore Avonte Maddox each continuing in their development.

WHITEHEAD’S WORLD: One positive from the game was Whitehead, who looked good on both sides of the ball. While he was extremely active on defense, Whitehead took advantage of his limited usage on offense, taking two carries for 43 yards, with both rushes exceeding 20 yards. Expect even bigger splashes next year out of the backfield.

The Pitt News

from the editorial board

Obama’s executive action on guns a good start Just days into 2016, a normally stoic President Obama delivered a teary-eyed address in front of the nation about his new gun-control efforts to reduce the gun violence that plagued 2015. Through executive order Tuesday, President Obama proposed a new requirement that would expand background checks for gun buyers. Normally, the government does not require small sellers to keep formal sales records and only federally licensed gun dealers must conduct background checks on buyers. With the new legislation, anyone who is in the business of selling firearms — at gun shows, websites and even flea markets — must register. With more than 300 mass shootings in 2015, Obama decided to use executive action to prevent inaction, and in doing so, had to bypass a Congress against further gun regulation. Congress’ lack of action proceeding what seemed like a regular mass shooting has caused the American people to lose confidence in our government. President Obama’s attempt to mitigate the gun crime in our country will help alleviate the contention between Americans and our lethargic government that seems to ignore our pleas to move forward. “Every time I think about those kids it gets me mad,” Obama said, referring to the Sandy Hook shooting where 20 first graders and six staffers were killed by gunman Adam Lanza in 2012. “We know we can’t stop every act of violence, every act of evil in the world. But maybe we could try to stop one act of evil, one act of violence,” he added. According to Adam Lankford, an associate professor at the University of Alabama Department of Criminal Justice who studied mass shootings around the world from 1966 to 2012, the United States represents less than 5 percent of the global population but accounted for 31 percent of global mass shooters. With such a dismal reputation, our country can’t afford to idly stand by and wait for the next mass shooting to happen. Our politicians who represent us must work to keep us safe to no avail, even if that means using executive order to make such a crucial, life-saving effort.

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Congress’s inaction to curb gun-related crimes has resulted in the misaligned blame and finger pointing at President Obama by groups like the National Rifle Association, which weighed in along with politicians across the country. The NRA claimed, “President Obama’s executive orders will do nothing to improve public safety.” Rep. Bradley Byrne of Alabama tweeted, “New guns laws, shoved down our throats through executive action, won’t reduce mass violence in our country.” Many politicians and Second Amendment advocates are concerned that the president’s executive action is overstepping the boundaries of Americans’ constitutionally protected right to bear arms. It is true that there are millions of gun owners in the United States who are responsible and pose no threat — but increasing background checks does not undermine the rights of those who wish to purchase and own guns. While the president’s mandate may not eliminate gun crime, Congress’s strategy of inaction is clearly not reducing the regularity of mass shootings. Congress, by rejecting all of President Obama’s all prior attempts at gun regulation, has shown the American people that it is more interested in satisfying lobbyists than constituents. Ignoring public support for common sense reform only reinforces the perception that government does not care about its people. By acting in the interest of Americans, President Obama has shown Americans their voices have not fallen on deaf ears. In a country filled with schools and hospitals with innocent people who often have the looming fear they may be the next victim of a mass shooting, inaction is equivalent to negligent homicide. “Once Congress gets on board with common sense gun safety measures,” Obama said, “we can reduce gun violence a whole lot more. But we also can’t wait.” We can’t afford to wait for the next Sandy Hook or San Bernardino. We must take the next step to assure 2016 doesn’t experience the carnage 2015 did.

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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

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New: The Pitt News interactive crime map Dale Shoemaker News Editor

From underage drinking to robberies, the Pitt police answer dozens of calls per day. Yet short of leaving a police scanner on all day, students often wonder why they hear so many sirens. For years, The Pitt News filled its pages with a daily listing of crime and other activity of the Pitt police. But when we shrunk the size of our papers, printing the often lengthy blotter didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make sense. This semester, The Pitt News is introducing an interactive crime map, a tool we will use to show Pitt police activity each week. Updated each Sunday at pittnews.com, The Pitt News Crime Map will place a pin wherever police have

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reported a crime. Readers can click on the pins to view the details of the police reports for the previous week. The Pitt News will not publish the names or exact addresses of anyone the police charges with a crime. The Pitt News will collect the reports from the police throughout the week and will compile them to make the map. A text version of the reports will appear below each new map.

go online for crime map The Pitt News will update an online version of this crime map every Sunday. Jeffrey Ahearn ASSISTANT VISUAL EDITOR

January 6, 2016

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January 6, 2016

tpn staff contemplates 2016 Spotify account is nice, but live music seems just a tad more genuine. I want to experience everything from basement shows to big sold-out venues. I’m also planning to attend open mics around the city to watch and try stand-up comedy — from Papa D’s Sunday open mic nights to The Improv in the Waterfront. Music is taking off as the city develops, and comedy is not far behind. The two usually go hand in hand, and both occur in bars, so 2016 seems like my year to start enjoying them.

very year, college-themed New Year’s resolutions take the same predictable form — get in shape, find a job, join a club — but these easy goals leave us distressed when they don’t easily materialize into action. This year, why not give yourself a break and make resolutions that are fun and enhance your cultural participation? Because after a year that saw the global box office record broken twice, Justin Bieber’s improbable return to endearment and streaming services’ boom of quality shows, 2016 is ripe for pop culture resolutions. For inspiration, here are some of the culture staff ’s pop cultural ambitions for 2016.

Britnee Meiser

Amanda Reed This year, I plan on finishing the “Star Wars” saga. I’ve seen Episodes I (“The Phantom Menace”), II (“Attack of the Clones”), IV (“A New Hope”) and, most recently, VII (“The Force Awakens,” aka The Movie that Rocked My World), so I figure it would be wrong not to watch the other movies in the franchise. I’ve seen enough now to know that I’m more knowledgeable on the prequels than the originals, and that’s a travesty. I’m starting off with Episode V (“The Empire Strikes Back”) because I fell asleep right at the beginning and woke up at the end the last time I tried to watch it. I have to prove to the rest of the culture staff that I’m capable of being a proper “Star Wars” fan.

Jack Trainor So many resolutions are about relationships — getting rid of the toxic ones and doubling down on the supportive ones. In this golden age of television, that outlook doesn’t solely apply to other humans anymore. Reassessing the list of TV shows that I keep up with will be like filtering out my friends list on Facebook — which ones do I actually know, and which are the ones that I’ve watched only enough to know some of the characters? Sayonara, “Game of Thrones.” Other breakups carry more weight, pro-

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Terry Tan STAFF ILLUSTRATOR ducing a building multi-season falling-out. Case in point: “The Walking Dead.” Enough with the three-month gaps that split single seasons in two. No more frustration after anticlimactic season finales. With so many other quality programs these days, moving on from a toxic TV relationship is easier than ever before.

Alessandra Roberto This year — as in many others — my New Year’s resolution is to finish writing my book, about a girl with an identity crisis that leads her to the heart of a murder investigation. No, it isn’t inspired by finals week. I started writing it as a hobby in eighth grade after my fiction writing class — and that’s where it stopped. At about two pages in, I hit a wall and the pages stayed blank for months. Later on, I would write some sentences here and there, and before I knew it, I

had 35 written pages. I’m reaching the end, and this year, I’m going to finish it. One step at a time, and maybe I’ll have a published book a couple of years down the line.

Nick Mullen In 2016, I’m finally going to read more, just as soon as I figure out why people are still talking about “The Wire,” rewatch “Arrested Development” for the 10th time, actually finish watching “The Sopranos” and decide whether or not it’s too soon to rewatch “Breaking Bad.” After that, I’ll try not to get bored by “True Detective,” see what all the hype is about “Empire” and try to follow along with the storylines in “Game of Thrones.” And, of course, I’m definitely going to read more next year.

Matt Maielli This is the year I turn 21, so I’d also like to make it the year that I dive into Pittsburgh’s burgeoning music scene. Having a

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First and foremost, I’ve never seen a majority of the “Star Wars” films — I’ll brace myself for exclamatory jeers — so I’d like to jump on that bandwagon before “The Force Awakens” goes out of theaters. Also in the realm of fantasy, I want to be more open-minded about the Marvel Universe. I just can’t get into “The Avengers,” but I loved Netflix’s “Jessica Jones,” so perhaps I’ll tackle this feat by diving into “Daredevil” next. Finally, I want to read at least 100 books in my free time this year. I love to read, but between schoolwork, extracurriculars and mediums like Netflix, it’s easy to put leisurely reading on the back burner. Book number one? “The Girl on the Train,” by Paula Hawkins.

Jack Shelly My New Year’s resolution for 2016 is twofold. The first is to resist watching the second part of season seven of “Mad Men” until it becomes available on Netflix. As tempting as it is to purchase each of the six episodes on Amazon for $1.99 apiece, I need to prove to myself that I possess the selfcontrol to wait until I can watch it on Netflix for free. It may not appear on Netflix until as late as May, but if it isn’t available until after the semester ends, then that’s all the better for my GPA. I’ll probably spend half of my time until then wondering what happens to See Resolutions on page 31

Dean retires after 45 years at Pitt Elizabeth Lepro

Assistant News Editor Richard Howe, associate dean of the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, spent his winter break packing up 45 years at Pitt of paperwork and memories from his office in the Cathedral of Learning. For almost 30 of Howe’s 45 years at Pitt, he was the associate dean for administration in the School of Arts and Sciences, and in 2005 he also became associate dean for administration and planning. He announced his retirement in the University Times in December. Pat Cunningham, the executive director of financial and physical resources, will replace Howe, effective Thursday. Howe spent the better part of his career improving the resources at Pitt for laboratory science and theater arts students. For the past 13 years, Howe helped fulfill the University’s master plan for facility improvements by modernizing the labo-

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ratories in Pitt’s 23 science buildings on campus, including installing windows in the labs in Clapp Hall so Pitt applicants can see students working firsthand on campus tours. “You walk around campus now and see the new instructional labs and think what they had been like, it’s very gratifying,” Howe said. Howe’s role as a leader in the scientific community has taken him well beyond Pitt’s labs, including to Chicago to host a conference and Washington D.C. to work with the National Institute of Standards and Technologyand back. Among Howe’s involvement in a lengthy list of organizations, he serves on the organizing committee for the Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy. Pittcon is the world’s largest organization for laboratory science professionals and will hold its next conference in March in Atlanta. He’s also the chairman of the Instruments and Artifacts Committee for the

Dean Howe spent his time at Pitt improving science and theater resources. Courtesy of Richard Howe Chemical Heritage Foundation, an organization of scientists and engineers that collects and preserves historical artifacts. “These two activities have enabled me to stay in contact with chemists from all

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over the world,” Howe said. “It’s a great networking activity not just for myself but for the students from the chemistry department who attend each year.” See Retirement on page 19

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Martial Arts, pg. 7 and a club instructor said. “As soon as they walk through the door, they push everything else aside.” While the statistics for just how many people practice martial arts are unclear, a New York Times article from the ‘80s tied the rising popularity of martial arts at the time to celebrity names like Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee. Today, many colleges offer self-defense classes — especially those targeted

toward women — for students both on and off campus. The Pitt police will offer three SAFE self-defense classes in January. “Everybody wants to learn a bit of self-protection skills,” said Curtis Smith, a Pitt police officer and faculty sponsor of the club. Throughout Pittsburgh, there are more than 30 martial arts schools, and the club credits itself as one of more than six martial arts-based clubs on campus. Pitt also offers several one-

credit, martial arts-based courses each fall and spring semester, such as Budo, Judo and Beginning Karate. Konstanin Tourkov, a black belt in shotokan karate, was hunting around for a place to keep his skills fresh at Pitt a few years ago. He stopped by the multipurpose room during a budo class, and accepted the instructor’s invitation to join immediately. “I wasn’t able to find any other place to train because it was either out of the way or too expensive,” Tourkov said.

“

Everybody wants to learn a bit of self-protection skills Curtis Smith

Pitt police officer

“When I walked into the Trees room, it was a great fit.” Since he found the club, Tourkov said he’s been able to turn to martial arts to relieve stress. “You find a balance between physical and mental exercise,” Tourkov said. “This is your outlet.” For others, like Sciullo, a fourthdegree black belt in taekwondo, martial arts is about individual expression. Sciullo found martial arts at a young age. His father, a life-long competitor, introduced him to the sport when Sciullo was 6 years old. In the practice, he found a vehicle for self-determination. “I tried the team sports,” said Sciullo, but he found he preferred the individuality of martial arts. Without a team to rely on or let down, Ronsivalle said a loss isn’t as detrimental in karate as it is in a team sport. “I get to compete with myself,” said Ronsivalle, who started learning at the age of seven. Other longtime participants and Thursday night regulars include Curtis Smith, a physical education instructor at Pitt who has been involved in martial arts for 40 years — since he was a wrestler for Brentwood High School in Long Island, New York. Smith, who graduated from Pitt in 1976, holds a seventh-degree black belt in tai-ho jitsu, jiu-jitsu and karate-do. According to Smith, his early exposure to the arts makes him a sought-after instructor to train police officers in areas such as passive and active restraint and VIP protection. He is also an expert on safety and self-defense and teaches physical training classes at Pitt such as Budo and PerSee Martial Arts on page 19

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Martial Arts, pg. 18

Retirement, pg. 15

sonal Defense. “I’ve always been about the students and for the students,” Smith said. “We teach things that you will not see at a commercial venue.” Smith created the well-known “Buy Yourself A Minute” method taught in his personal defense class, which focuses on teaching observational skills. At the end of his course, simulated scenarios on the streets in Oakland, like someone trying to steal a student’s bag, offers them the chance to use their skills. Instructors and students said they’ve gained confidence from the club’s training that will stay with them after they walk out of the multi-purpose studio. “People leave this room and they’re like, ‘I can get it done now,’” Sciullo said.

oriented administrator, Howe said he’s also worked to bring theater groups like the Kuntu Repertory Theatre and the PICT Classic Theatre to Pitt to network with and teach Pitt’s actors. Howe’s colleagues, like Graham Hatfull from the department of biological sciences, described him as a leader who could boil down complex conflicts into simple compromises. “Dick always made us feel as though the issues, the problems, the concerns that we had here in bio sciences were essentially at the top of his priority

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list,” Hatfull said. To show their appreciation, Hatfull and his colleagues brought a going-away present to Howe’s office Monday. The small entourage gave Howe a picture of a map of an isolated bacteriophage — a virus that infiltrates a bacteria — that they named the “Bacteriophage Howe” in honor of the retiring dean. “Although we have a thousand or many thousand phages that have been isolated, it’s a rarity that we’ll give them an honorific name,” Hatfull said. At age 70 and after almost 50 years of work in secondary education, Howe said he’s upset to leave

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but wants to spend time with his wife, children and grandchildren. He has no concrete plans to continue work with the University, he said, unless it needs him for a specific project. Howe said he’ll have fond memories of Pitt’s commencement ceremonies. He’s been to every ceremony for the past 39 years, leading students and faculty on and off the floor. “It really gave me a chance to acknowledge the accomplishments of our students,” Howe said. “[It brings] closure to why we work here, to support our students as they progress through the educational process.”

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The latest ISIS victims: Syria’s culture, history and identity Jaime Veins Columnist

Since the onset of conflict in Syria in 2011, ISIS has ravaged multiple archaeological sites in Syria — many of which have been relics for centuries and cherished in Syrian culture. This past May, ISIS seized the Syrian town of Palmyra and the surrounding ancient ruins, initially promising not to destroy the site. Later, the militants conducted a public execution of Khaled al-Asaad, the principal archaeologist responsible for the site’s excavation, and released photographs of themselves rigging the Temple of Baalshamin — one of the site’s best-preserved remains — with explosives. Many of the sites that ISIS has destroyed — including the tombs of Shiite saint Mohammad Bin Ali and Sufi scholar Nizar Abu Bahaa Eddine — are well-known relics among different sects of Islam. The Islamic State has used idol worship to justify its actions. ISIS has also used its looting of the sites to help pay for military expenses. According to National Geographic reporter Andrew Curry, the group is said to take a cut from the sales of ancient artifacts looted by local populations, making tens of millions of dollars to fund its operations, particularly in Apamea — a Roman-era trading post that’s been heavily looted since the start of the Syrian Civil War. The deliberate destruction of the ancient ruins threatens the sanctity of Syrian culture which, in the midst of a brutal civil war marked by fear and bloodshed, is all many Syrians have left. But the culture and solidarity Syrians share through the artifacts are antithetical to ISIS’ agenda of herald-

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ing an apocalypse, where genocide and universal demolition are the only goals. The universal community should meet Syrians in solidarity to further preserve the artifacts ISIS has targeted. In doing so, we are combatting the spread

dations for Syrian history and serve as tribute to the nation’s culture and ritual. With the outright destruction of the homes, schools and workplaces, Syrians only have their culture to cling to — something they hold to a very

Terry Tan STAFF ILLUSTRATOR of ISIS by protecting elements of history they want eradicated from the face of the Earth. The United Nations issued a statement in March saying, “All layers of Syrian culture are now under attack — including pre-Christian, Christian and Islamic.” Syrians of all religious backgrounds are seeing ISIS obliterate artifacts that had stood for centuries — some sites so ancient and significant they have world heritage status by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. In the midst of the violence, fearmongering and pure shock value, one might say lives matter more than archaeology. But these sites act as foun-

high regard. But, because of ISIS, Syrians are quickly losing the physical presence of the symbols of nationality that connect them in spite of religious and political differences. Syrian culture, history and nation help form part of its identity— an identity ISIS has tried to alter. It’s important for us, as an entire population, to value safeguarding these sites as an agency for bringing people together and as an agency to stop the spread of a group as monolithic as ISIS. The destruction of Syrian historical sites shouldn’t be a partisan issue, either. Sites ranging from Our Lady of Saidnaya Monastery — which is one

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of the most ancient monasteries in the world — to the Great Mosque of Aleppo — the largest and oldest mosque in Aleppo, Syria — are historical sites important to all Syrians. Regardless of religion, the demolition of these sites deprives Syrians and the international community of religeous venues to gather for prayer or weddings, for example. In the future, these archaeological sites will serve as means for people to reconnect with Syria, a country so historically rich that its capital, Damascus, is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. With the spread of ISIS and its growth in strength, the Middle East could be completely remodeled into a caliphate to fit its ideal vision for the world — a replica of the Middle Ages. To do this, ISIS directly battles with history to reinstate barbarism, using bombs as erasers to eradicate anything suggesting progress. Destroying Syria’s cultural heritage damages this potential for kinship and affiliation. We must realize the significance of these historical sites to the Syrian people and those around the world who value the maintenance of our ancestors’ legacies. In doing so, we can mobilize to halt ISIS’s destruction of the sites and, as a result, help to cripple ISIS’ spread of its anachronistic agenda set to regress the world back to the sixth century. By prioritizing the preservation of Syrian artifacts, we can combat the calamity ISIS has caused. And, most importantly, we can also reach solidarity across the globe with the people in Syria, which could be the most powerful vehicle to preservng the sites the Syrian people cherish.

Vine, pg. 6 TPN: When did you begin to see a major increase in your followers? NE: I remember throughout the fall of 2014 it was steadily increasing by about 200 people a day. I started making vines where I cried in them and I made two vines, one about chicken nuggets and another one saying, “I’m not crazy.” Right when I made those, my follower count started going up by 1,500 people a day, which was completely absurd to me. That projection remained consistent throughout March of 2015 until I started decreasing my frequency of posting. TPN: How has Vine affected your life at Pitt and at home? NE: It’s given me a way to express myself in a way that I really hadn’t done before. I was in engineering and also on a pre-med track, so I really just didn’t have time to be creative. The format of the application is pretty generous in terms of time needed to make something. In terms of how it’s affected my life at Pitt, people will reference it to

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me every now and then. Sometimes people will come up and say hi. It really hasn’t affected my school at all. It seems to be pretty much the same. If anything, people would know me first through that application before meeting me in real life. I try to minimize that by not making any references to

TPN: Have you met other people through Vine? NE: Yes! I went to a meetup in April between a bunch of creators from the application and we all met up in New York City and hung out. I was expecting to meet about four people because that’s how many people

“[Vine’s] given me a way to express myself in a way that I really hadn’t done before.”

interesting experience. It was so much fun, though. It was awesome meeting everybody whose content I was being inspired by and watching and laughing at and for the past six to seven months. Seeing a lot of them in person was just really nice in general. TPN: Have you ever been contacted to collaborate with other users or do a promotion for a business? NE: Yes. People have offered me money to do collaborations and promotions, but I haven’t done it yet. Right now, I just want to focus on making content for the sake of making content. That’s how it started out,

- Nathan Enick

my Vine account so people discover it for themselves. It’s always the worst whenever someone will put up my videos in front of me and watch them and I’ll just have to run away because it’s too embarrassing.

I was talking to. I got there and there were 60 faces that I recognized from the Internet all in a bar in New York City. Every single person there I had known only through Vine, so it was a very overwhelming and

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January 6, 2016

The Pitt news crossword 1/6/16

What we’ve learned about pitt men’s hoops Chris Puzia

Assistant Sports Editor It’s January, and Pitt men’s basketball is ranked — but, it’s still hard to predict this team’s future. Even after playing 13 games this season, a light non-conference slate and new team contributions have kept the No. 24 Panthers looking like a bit of an enigma. A 34-point win Saturday over the 3-13 Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks — in which no Panther logged more than 24 minutes due to the blowout — didn’t test the team enough to draw major conclusions about it. Still, headed into 2016 there is enough of a sample size — and with one ACC game already finished — to form a better idea than three months ago when Pitt’s team featured eight new faces, then unfamiliar to fans. Here is a bit of what we know about Pitt See Men’s Basketball on page 24 Michael Young and Sheldon Jeter have been two of Pitt’s key playmakers. Matt Hawley STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The Pitt News SuDoku 1/6/16 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

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Men’s Basketball, pg. 23 men’s basketball heading into conference play. 1. Jamie Dixon is finding his rotation When Pitt faced subpar opposition early in the season, head coach Jamie Dixon had the luxury of testing out his new players to find favorable rotations. But with stiffer competition coming up, Dixon has begun to shorten his bench and settle into a mix that works with the composition of the team.

In Pitt’s two toughest contests, against Purdue and Syracuse, forwards Jamel Artis and Michael Young each logged at least 32 minutes. James Robinson led Pitt with 36 minutes against Purdue and only played less against Syracuse due to early foul trouble. At center, Dixon still rotates a few guys in for limited spurts. Rafael Maia averages 13.7 minutes per game, and Alonzo Nelson-Ododa averages 11.7. With 11 players still getting at least 10 minutes per game, look for Dixon to shorten that rotation

moving forward and lean more on bench players like Sheldon Jeter and Chris Jones. 2. Sterling Smith is becoming the team’s 3-point specialist As the team’s starting shooting guard, Smith finds most of his attempts from behind the 3-point arc. After a 3-5 effort against Maryland Eastern Shore, he is knocking down 46 percent of those shots this season, fifth in the ACC. “This team is a very good 3-point shooting team, and obviously we rely a lot on it,” Smith said.

Smith has also taken the most attempts on the team so far, as his 48 long range shots are just three more than the next Panther, Robinson. As a whole, the Panthers are shooting 36 percent from deep, seventh in the ACC. 3. This might be Dixon’s best offensive group yet The stats seem to think so, at least. Pitt’s 85 points per game is 16th best in the country, and its 78.6 percent free throw clip leads the NCAA. According to KenPom, a basketball analytics site, Pitt has the nation’s 14th most efficient offense. “[Our free-throw shooting] was amazing,” Dixon said following the Syracuse win. “It stands out when you miss one. Down the stretch when we need them, we seem to really make the free throws, and we seem to attack the zone when we want to.” Pitt has already topped 100 points in a game this season for the first time since 2007. Dixon’s Pitt squads of the past used to grind games out and win close battles, with both teams often scoring in the 50s. Now, he has tailored his team to the ACC’s style of fast-paced, transition basketball while still maintaining a focus on team assists — Pitt is fourth in the country with 20 assists per game. Smith said the ability to score from any position keeps the offense flowing. “We have a three- or four-man big man rotation, where anybody can score,” Smith said. “We just try to work our way inside and out if the shot’s not falling.” 4. This is Michael Young’s team Last year, the bright spot in a down season was Artis’ breakout performance. This year, Young has taken control of the team — though Artis is still as dominant as ever, as his near-triple double against Syracuse would attest. But with a couple new centers enabling Young to slide back to his more natural power forward position, he has simply overpowered the competition to this point. Young’s 16.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game lead the Panthers, and his 60 percent shooting rate ranks fifth in the ACC. See Men’s Basketball on page 25

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Vine, pg. 21

Men’s Basketball, pg. 23

and that’s how I want it to continue until I get to a point where that’s more of an option for me. I don’t want to mess up my creative process by taking money for it. TPN: Has Vine played any role in your future plans? NE: Vine has reminded me how important my creativity is to me just in terms of what I decide to do professionally. I originally was gearing toward medical school, but I’m also realizing how important content creation and comedy is to me as well, because I could literally spend all day just making comedy videos and coming up with jokes. I’m about to do a film internship at Pittsburgh Community Television this upcoming semester for practical experience in the industry. It’s something I might try to tap into after I graduate instead of sticking with bioengineering solely. TPN: Why Vine? What makes it different from other mediums? NE: It’s very easy to consume a lot of media on Vine just because everybody’s content is so short. You can very quickly see whether you enjoy someone’s content or not, you don’t need to watch a sevenminute YouTube video. In terms of making content, it’s nice because there’s a time limit, so I’m not allowed to spend extreme amounts of time making content for a longer video. It has to be six seconds long, so that provided me with a lot of liberty in terms of time. The time limitation is also a challenge because it’s hard to set up a joke and then deliver a punch line all within six seconds, but that’s kind of been a fun creative challenge as well. TPN: Are you the same person in real life as you are on Vine? NE: I feel like that depends on how people see me. When I met people in New York City, I was told by other creators that sometimes they’d run into people who turn out to be very different than how they act in real life, but I was the exception to that rule. I think in general, I’m pretty much the same person. I think I’ve gotten that from more than one person. Most people who I talk to at school also say that I’m pretty much the same person. Vine is just an extension and concentration of my personality.

“I just try to start games with defense and rebounding first and then let my offense come,” Young said following a Dec. 20, win over Davidson College in which he scored 22 points. When he faces more complete forwards in ACC play, expect Young to continue turning in strong performances, but ones that might start garnering more national attention. The conference comes

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loaded with power forward talent, like North Carolina’s Brice Johnson, Wake Forest’s Devin Thomas and Notre Dame’s Zach Auguste. 5. The offense goes deeper than Young In addition to Young, Artis and Robinson, the four-player list of offensive focal points includes Jeter, who comes off the bench. Though Dixon was quick to point out after the Syracuse win that the role of “bench player” is only in name and not by contribution.

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“Sheldon, who is not really a bench guy, did well,” Dixon said. “I look at Sheldon as one of our four guys. When he comes in, we run plays for him.” Each also brings experience to a veteran Pitt team. Robinson is a senior, and the other three are juniors. Those four are Pitt’s leading scorers, ranging from Young’s 16.9 points per game to Jeter’s 8.2. Jeter is also second on the team with 5.8 rebounds per game, and Dixon said that versatility keeps him in close games late.

McConnell-Serio’s young team shows promise

Logan Hitchcock Staff Writer

will rarely outmaneuver her. Playing in a deep and talented conference, the young Pitt team has often faced more skilled players when it takes the court against other ACC teams. But even with its overwhelming inexperience, the team is consistently in a position to compete thanks to a superb coaching staff. McConnell-Serio plays no favorites and manages her team with precision, making sure that regardless of age, her best athletes are on the court at all times, giving the team its best chance to win. 2. Their inexperience is a strength Despite being a heavy underdog on their own court against No. 3 Notre Dame, the Panthers showed no fear when taking on a national powerhouse. McConnell-Serio has put together a group of women that has tasted success, and their on-the-job training has

Before the season began, no one knew how the Pitt women’s basketball team would respond after losing star point guard Brianna Kiesel to the WNBA. After opening its schedule on a four-game win streak, the team has struggled in the last 10 contests, dropping six games, including its first conference matchup. While the verdict on the post-Kiesel era isn’t clear yet, the team is beginning to find its new, youth-infused identity. Although only a couple conference games in, here’s what we’ve learned after almost hitting the midpoint in the season. 1. Suzie McConnell-Serio’s coaching will keep Pitt in games McConnell-Serio has re-energized the Pitt program and generated some optimism in just two years. One thing is abundantly clear — other coaches See Women’s Basketball on page 28

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Suzie McConnell-Serio’s team largely revolves around underclassmen. Wenhao Wu STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Women’s Basketball, pg. 26 translated into a brimming confidence that the Panthers can compete in every game. The recklessness that has accompanied the team’s youth is one of its strongest ass e t s , resulting in physic a l , stifling defense t h a t forces turnovers. Sophomore Stasha Carey ranks third in the ACC with 1.93 blocks per game, and the team’s shooting defense stands at fourth in the conference. 3. Aysia Bugg is more important than you may know Bugg only had one year of court time alongside Kiesel, but her play in her

sophomore season mimics elements of Kiesel’s game. Bugg, a sophomore from Chicago, is the primary ball-handler and is responsible for pushing the Pitt offense. She hasn’t blossomed offensively yet, but in her second season, she’s averaging 7.5 points per game while leading the team in assists. H e r ability to penetrate opposing defenses has resulted in open looks for freshmen bigs Kalista Walters and Brenna Wise, and against Notre Dame, Bugg showed skill on the high pick and roll. It’s unfair to compare her game to Kiesel’s, but while she isn’t contributing at those levels, she’s already just as important. 4. Twin Towers

[Aysia Bugg’s] play mimics elements of [Brianna] Kiesel’s game.

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See Women’s Basketball on page 30

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Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Basketball, pg. 28 After brilliant freshman campaigns from Bugg, Carey and Yacine Diop last season, it seemed likely that the team would need to once again lean heavily on the trio. While the three undoubtedly play a large role, the freshman frontcourt of Walters and Wise has shouldered much of the offensive load. Walters has been the more polished of the two, leading the team in scoring at 12.9 points per game, but Wise

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has shown upside on both ends of the court. Despite only shooting 36 percent from the field, Wise has averaged 9.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game halfway through her freshman season. Thanks to her high motor, Wise frequently gets to the basket and creates plenty of space on the offensive side. While her inability to finish has resulted in poor shooting performances, a positive regression could be in her near future. If Pitt is going to seriously com-

pete in the ACC, these two will have to keep shining. 5. The bench is still a soft spot One of the biggest challenges the team will face in conference play is finding more consistent bench play. Despite three reserve players averaging nearly 15 minutes per game, the results thus far have been less than ideal. Inconsistent shooting from junior guard Fred Potvin has given the team one less offensive weapon and has forced Pitt to play with no real true

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shooting threat from outside. The Panthers have called on freshman Kauai Bradley frequently, who has flourished from beyond the 3-point arc, making only one less three than Potvin in 22 fewer attempts. But her role is likely to increase the defensive pressure as she has only attempted 13 3-pointers on the year. Pitt will need to find a way to alleviate some of its scoring woes by finding points off the bench going forward, especially if it wants to make an impact during an arduous ACC schedule.

Resolutions, pg. 14 Don Draper, but so be it. The second is to read “The Andy Warhol Diaries” in its entirety. The famous pop artist’s posthumously published memoir is a record of his life among the rich and famous of the late ’70s and ’80s. While I’ve never been a big fan of his artwork, this book has been on my to-read list for a long time. It contains juicy details about the turbulent lives of some of the biggest celebrities of the 20th century, including Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie Onassis. Furthermore, it pulls back the curtain on the inner circles of culturally prominent gay men before homosexuality was socially acceptable.

Rio Maropis While most people spend their breaks binge-watching “Jane the Virgin” or “Grey’s Anatomy,” in the new year I’m attempting to binge-read the works of Ernest Hemingway and David Foster Wallace. At 11, I was a die-hard bookworm: Frizzy hair, glasses, book tucked in the crook of my left arm. Later on in life, I didn’t have as much free time. Instead of actually checking “I Am Malala” or “Gone Girl” out of the library, I simply added them to my mental list. My resolution is to set aside more time to read and face that list — to stop being lazy and make my words into actions. I want to be that bookworm again.

Ian Flanagan New year, same problem — there’s not nearly enough time for all the albums I want to listen to, movies I want to watch and books I should probably suffer through. I read very few books last year, but in 2016, I hope to complete J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, as I’m currently nearly finished with “The Fellowship of the Ring.” In film, I wish to knock out the classics from renowned foreign directors — Federico Fellini, Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman and the like — and simply to see as many movies as I can. I have many goals in music — feel out the rest of hip-hop’s best offerings, finally get around to exploring soul and jazz essentials and embrace the eccentricity of “Trout Mask Replica” by Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band until I understand its legacy. I’ll try to figure out what vaporwave is, too.

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column

Local politics worthy of own spotlight

Alyssa Lieberman Columnist

On Election Day, people across the country will step into voting booths and choose between a set of presidential candidates they have been hearing and talking about for months, if not years. At the same time, many voters will be left staring blankly at the names of local politicians beneath these national candidates. While it’s easy to get caught up in the drama of national politics, it is equally easy to forget that national elections are not the only elections of importance. Local politics matter just as much as national politics, if not more. I’ve been guilty of overlooking them, and I’m not alone. Though our national election participation is nothing to brag about — 33.9 percent in 2014 — our local elec-

Aby Sobotka-Briner STAFF ILLUSTRATOR tion voter participation is even worse. According to a study conducted by the University of Wisconsin in 2011, only 21 percent of eligible voters partici-

pated in local elections. If local politics have such an impact on our lives, why do we continue to dedicate all of our political energy and focus toward na-

tional politics, stopping by local elections as an afterthought? Local politics, ranging from the state to municipal level, determine much of our daily political realities. Its reach includes oversight of the police force, school board elections, road repairs and license agreements or obtainments. Meanwhile, state legislation determines policy on crucial issues such as gun control, abortion, minimum wage and voting ID policies. State budgets are the keystone to local politics, as they set state fund allocations and local taxes. These two issues are at the core of the 2016 budget stalemate between Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and the GOP-controlled state legislature over how to increase local taxes. The budget will raise taxes one of See Lieberman on page 34

column

Freedom of speech not conditional Tim Nerozzi Columnist

It could be a relative, a politically misinformed friend or perhaps even a stranger ranting on the street. Someone says something so ignorant, so grossly inaccurate or so outright offensive, that you feel they shouldn’t be allowed to speak. Your blood boils, and all you can think is, “Someone needs to shut this guy up.” It’s an experience we all have in the face of offensive or disruptive speech. However, prior to a few weeks ago, I would’ve thought that it was a tiny minority that wanted to make silencing unpopular opinions a legal reality. Last month, the Pew Research Center released a study concluding that

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“American Millennials are far more likely than older generations to say the government should be able to prevent people from saying offensive statements about minority groups.” With a staggering 40 percent of these Millennials in favor of government regulation of speech, I feel a little winded. Where did we, as a generation, lose touch with our individual rights and embrace governmental management of even our own expressions of thoughts and words? Currently, as a U.S. citizen, you are legally allowed to stand on the corner of Forbes and Bigelow and tell passersby that any and all Mexicans are filthy mongrels and that we should deport them, regardless of citizenship status,

immediately. You run the risk of waking up in a hospital, but belligerent speech is your right. It would fly in the face of our country’s values if the government were to tell you that you aren’t allowed to make these public statements. It’s not a matter of whether people approve or agree with your backwards thinking. Freedom of speech is not a concept that can have “if ” or “but” attached to it. Freedom inherently means existence without restraints, and the virtue of speech without obstruction from the government has made America a melting pot of conflicting ideas and mantras. You are allowed to say hateful, vitriolic words. You can burn a cross, as

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determined in Brandenburg vs. Ohio, tear up a Quran, host a Nazi rally or advocate for genocide. On the other hand, you are allowed a platform for social action, protected by law. The Patriot Guard Riders are free to drown out the Westboro Baptist Church at their protests at soldiers’ funerals. It’s a two-way street. You are especially protected in political speech, no matter the content. Carry a sign with Obama dressed as Hitler on it, or paint a picture of George W. Bush as a monkey. Legally, you’re in the clear, and I’d be upset if you weren’t. This is not to say that you have the right to be heard. Nor do you have legal See Nerozzi on page 35

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Lieberman, pg. 32 two ways. Republicans have agreed to an increase in the state sales tax, which disproportionately affects low-income families. Meanwhile, the governor and other democrats are fighting for an increase in state personal income tax, which is based on wealth redistribution and places the tax burden on those who can afford to pay it. The state executive and legislative branches are similarly at odds over

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funding for education. The governor’s budget aims to reinvest in our public education system, from preschools to universities. Yet, the GOP has rejected this budget, proposing instead a budget that leaves our public education underfunded by $95 million, according to Wolf ’s office. Politicians make these decisions, which will determine the quality of our education — and, for college students, its price — not in Washington, but Harrisburg. Despite feeling as though I have my

ear to the ground regarding national politics, the state budget wasn’t even on my mind until recently. How can I be so interested in politics, yet so out of touch with the level that affects me the most? How could I let my ignorance render me unaware of legislation that could impact my own college tuition? I was similarly caught off guard by the historic state Supreme Court election last November, where, for the first time, candidates campaigned for three supreme court justice seats . This Su-

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preme Court election was especially important as the court determines state redistricting and has recently made several landmark decisions. These include ending restrictive voter ID laws in 2014 and pushing back against controversial gun legislation in June. The influence of local politics extends outside of its direct impact on our lives. According to Paul Sonn, the legal co-director of the National Employment Law Project, cities have become “policy incubators.” Because cities are more likely to lean left and can be swayed by a concerted push by activists, they are an ideal location to try out legislation and work out its kinks. We saw this with the paid sick day movement, which spread city from to city and reached Pittsburgh this summer, though an Allegheny County judge recently struck down the legislation. The Fight for $15 movement’s trajectory has mirrored this pattern, as major cities like New York City and Los Angeles have been the first to raise the minimum wage to $15. In the midst of the presidential frenzy, we must remember to take care of our own backyards, too.

Nerozzi, pg. 32 protection from resulting name-calling, protest or equally venomous speech in response. Freedom of speech is not freedom from criticism or heckling. One would think that these people ask for the death of the first amendment in order to protect the targets of hate speech. It’s a noble, yet extremely counter-productive venture. Here in America, we respect individual actions and choices. We all should have the right to answer the feelings in our own hearts and minds, no matter how despicable or condemnable our feelings are. After all, what better course of action is there when dealing with an ignorant individual than to let them speak freely? Silence is not agreement. If someone tries to tell you that the Holocaust didn’t occur, what good comes from asking the government to order them mute? If someone tries to claim racial or religious supremacy, what good is it to hide those thoughts from the public? You haven’t solved the problems, you’ve only swept them under the rug. Silence is not agreement. You might find this a scary idea. Feelings get hurt. Americans are offended and outraged daily with public speeches and online diatribes of every kind. Unfortunately, no one in this world can walk through life without having their sensibilities challenged. These people don’t just need to be allowed to say their piece, but they ought to receive special protection. Let people scream their prejudices and vices for all the world to hear. Personally, I want to know who these people are and have a better understanding of who I want to make friends with and whose backwards views I want to challenge. Put your facts and observations on the same table, and have faith that your reasoning is sound. By censoring the ignorant, you separate them, insulate them from enlightening discussion and deprive potential witnesses the debunking of toxic ideas. When you regulate an idea, you don’t destroy or fix it — in-

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stead, you push it aside. We should push back against offensive free speech with logical, thoughtprovoking free speech of our own: rehabilitation, not isolation. This is the essence of free speech and the reason that it has flourished and remains preserved in our modern America. Freedom of speech is not an ally of racism, sexism, homophobia or religious intolerance. It is their sworn enemy. There is no government panel in your mind. There is no approval pro-

cess for your lips to form words. Who is the government to tell us what we can and cannot say? What person — living or dead — could you possibly trust to know the line between offensive and non-offensive speech? What politician do you feel should be the one to determine what can and cannot come out of your mouth? I cannot think of a single person, politician or not, who can speak for all the nation about offensive speech or moral policy making, and I expect that

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I’m not alone. The American people, not the Federal government, must deal with the sludge that the Ku Klux Klan and Westboro Baptist Church spews. We selfgovern the zeitgeist of our own culture. There is not, will never and should never be a limit on the ideas we can put forth. Frankly, I’m offended that so many people are speaking about banning my freedom of speech — but hey, I guess it’s their right.

Jumbled ‘Concussion’ tackles too many subjects

Tarun Sathish Staff Writer

If anything, “Concussion” teaches us not to lead with the head. “Concussion” is the story of Dr. Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist at the Allegheny County Coroner’s Office from Nigeria, who discovered chronic traumatic encephalopathy, more commonly known as CTE. CTE is a disease that degenerates the brain. It’s a result of repetitive intense brain trauma, often from head collisions in football and resulting concussions. The film details how the NFL frighteningly spent time and resources to avoid and discredit Omalu’s work and findings published in Neurology in July 2005, threatening his career and ability to stay in the United States. Despite the story’s immediate importance, the film fumbles the delivery. The film is adapted from the Jeanne

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Will Smith stars in “Concussion,” which was shot in Pittsburgh TNS Marie Laskas’ GQ article, “Game Brain.” Laskas is Pitt’s writing program director and was a consultant for the film’s production. A slew of former Pitt faculty appears

in the film, including Pitt genetic epidemiologists Ryan Minster and M. Ilyas Kamboh, who helped Omalu write his paper, Steven DeKosky, then-Pitt neurology de-

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partment chair, and Ronald Hamilton, an associate professor of pathology, who aided Omalu in his research. The film opens with Omalu (Will Smith) finding abnormalities in former Steeler and NFL Hall of Fame center Mike Webster’s brain, who killed himself in 2002 at 50 years old. This came after years of battling mental health issues, like hearing voices in his head and pulling out his teeth and supergluing them back into his mouth. Webster’s brain had deteriorated to the level of that of an elderly man, and Omalu wonders if it may stem from the head trauma he suffered as a player. As the number of retired players either dead or suffering from what seemed like very early onset Alzheimer’s rises, Omalu’s evidence grows. “Concussion” tries to show Omalu’s fight to find the cause of these deaths and to make the NFL hear and respect his findings after discovering CTE. See Concussion on page 41

Charting the ups and downs of pitt football Dan Sostek Sports Editor

Pitt football navigated its shares of peaks and valleys this season, with a 2-4 finish dampening the excitement of a 6-1 start. With so many twists and turns along the way, an effective way to summarize the Pitt football season is through superlatives. These monikers will recognize the apexes and nadirs of the team’s first campaign under Pat Narduzzi’s leadership. BIGGEST SURPRISE: QADREE OLLISON, running back When star running back James Conner suffered a season-ending torn MCL in the first week of the season, it was Ollison — not running backs Chris James or Darrin Hall — who stepped up and produced for the Panthers. Originally starting the Qadree Ollison stepped up in James Conner’s absence. season as a third-string tailback, the Wenhao Wu STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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redshirt freshman outperformed all expectations, earning second-team All-ACC honors and the ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year award. His 1,121 rushing yards were the fifthmost ever by a Pitt first-year player, and he expects to continue his success next year, with his playing time likely reliant on Conner’s recovery from his knee injury and his more recent Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: CHAD VOYTIK, quarterback Part of the frustration with Voytik comes via a lack of opportunity for the redshirt junior quarterback. The mobile signal caller only started three games on the year before Tennessee transfer Nathan Peterman supplanted him. Voytik flashed signs of real progress toward the end of last season under former head coach

Paul Chryst, but he stagnated in limited snaps. Voytik announced his intention to transfer as a graduate student, indicating his Pitt career will end with a whimper. BEST MOMENT: Fake punt against Syracuse In the fourth quarter, down seven points, the Panthers were on the verge of blowing their chance to move into the Associated Press Top 25. But Narduzzi provided indelible proof of a mindset change at the headset for the Pitt football program, faking a punt with punter Ryan Winslow. Winslow completed the pass for a first down, and the Panthers marched down the field, scored and eventually won on a Chris Blewitt field goal. The play call signified the beginning of a more aggressive football season for the Panthers.

See Superlatives on page 43

What to expect from SGB this spring Lauren Rosenblatt Assistant News Editor

With a semester of reorganization behind them, the nine members of Student Government Board are revamping their previous goals to increase education and accessibility for Pitt students this semester. From lecture series to expanded online resources to improved dorm access, the Board hopes this spring will welcome both new initiatives and new additions to past projects. Here are five SGB projects to look out for this semester as the current board finishes its third semester together. 1. Updated website to increase SGB transparency SGB President Nasreen Harun plans to update the SGB website with a current list of SGB’s completed and ongoing projects or collaborations with students in order to increase SGB’s visibility on campus. “One of the things I wanted to make sure happened with SGB as a whole is increase our visibility and make sure we’re seen as approach-

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able and tie in with students,” Harun said. “We want to make sure people feel comfortable bringing initiatives to us, and I think people have seen progress with their initiatives they brought to us.” 2. Faster guest sign-in process for dorms Executive vice president Everett Green spent last semester working with Panther Central to shorten the time it takes to sign a guest into a residence hall. His guest pass proposal, which he presented weekly updates on throughout the fall, suggests that the University use Blackboard, an education management system, to register students. According to Green, Panther Central is still investigating the costs of implementing such a system. SGB is working on acquiring data from residence halls, such as how often people swipe in and where, which will help SGB when it speaks to administration on the initiative. Green said he sent his proposal to Ian Snyder, Resident Student Association’s president, who will present it to the RSA board soon. “We’re hoping they will vote in favor of our

SGB board member Jacky Chen plans to host another TedX Talk this semester. Pitt News file photo campaign — an initiative to open discussion proposal and be partnered with us on the initiaabout mental health issues — Board members tive,” Green said. Matthew Sykes and Meghan Murphy plan to 3. Increased mental health awareness continue increasing mental health awareness Following a semester of mental health on campus. awareness initiatives, including Pitt’s first Men“We had a lot of students we didn’t even tal Health Awareness Week in Oct. 2015 and SGB’s partnership with the “Talk About It” See SGB on page 40

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SGB, pg. 38 think we reached come up to us or their RAs and say this is awesome that Pitt is doing this,” Sykes said. “I think we had a far-reaching impact, which is what we really wanted.” This semester, Sykes said he wants to build on the success of the mental health art gallery and host a second gallery and conference in the Frick Fine Arts Building from Feb. 11, to March 4, and bring in speakers from Pittsburgh for future mental health programs. Murphy hopes to solidify a four-year Pitt

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partnership with the Jed and Clinton Health Matters Campus Program, which helps colleges and universities improve emotional well-being on campus and negate the stigma of mental illness. “The program looks at campus mental health through a holistic approach and encourages Pitt to look closely at our current mental health services to compare them with standards set by the program,” Murphy said. 4. New conferences and lecture opportunities Using Pitt professors and outside experts, three board members will host conferences and

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lectures to discuss topics from human rights to research. On March 26, SGB will host Pitt’s second annual TEDx Talk, a TED Talk-style presentation that is not related to the TED brand, featuring guest speakers. Board member Jacky Chen, who collaborated with the Graduate and Professional Student Government Board to organize the program, said the event is still in the planning stages and he is still searching for people to invite. Last year’s TEDx event, which was organized by graduate students, featured local business leaders and Peter Salk, son of polio-vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk. Robert Tessier, SGB’s newest member, also plans to host a human rights conference this spring. Tessier is reaching out to different human rights organizations to arrange guest speakers and promote a campus-wide conversation about human rights and what types of jobs are available to students interested in human rights. As Tessier is still in the process of planning the event, he would not say which organizations he has contacted. “The goal is to help students learn more about the issues that different human rights activists work on, and it’s meant to help them learn about the careers and ways they can get involved in human rights,” Tessier said. Board member Lia Petrose also has plans to help first-years and other interested students learn about future career prospects with a lecture series focusing on different fields in the arts and sciences. The series is meant to educate students about potential careers based on their majors and minors. Petrose and the SGB first-year interns, Pranav Murthy and Rebecca Rohac, are collaborating to organize the lecture series, which she hopes will start this semester. “It will be an ongoing lecture series where professors come to talk about their research to help students understand what the field they have chosen is about and garner interest in what they are looking to study,” Petrose said. Petrose said she has not submitted a formal proposal yet for the programs because the schools would need to introduce a financial agreement first. “The proposal would be submitted to the Dietrich council, but before we do that, we need solid financial agreement for the certificate,” Petrose said. “I see it as the biggest challenge we face, and I hope it can be overcome soon.”

Concussion, pg. 40 these deaths and to make the NFL hear and respect his findings after discovering CTE. The best scene of the movie, shot in and around Pittsburgh last fall by Columbia Pictures, is when Omalu passionately but professionally explains his discovery and his thesis to two other scientists in a Downtown office building. Omalu diagrams a football play on a whiteboard, detailing how often players are hit in the head — particularly centers like Webster. The camera then pans from the scientist to the window, with Heinz Field in clear view. His discovery would endanger an institution so embedded in American culture that it influences not just entertainment, but Americana also. Or as Dr. Cyril Wecht (Albert Brooks) puts it, “[Football is] a day of the week.” But sadly, this is the only moment of strong filmmaking in “Concussion,” as writer and director Peter Landesman fails to produce anything close to a great picture. The failure is shocking as the source material is one of this century’s largest domestic controversies. Landesman wants to make the connection between the game and disease clear, but instead of showing this to the viewer, he repeatedly screams it. Multiple times there are montages flashing back and forth between a football game and then either a player suffering or Omalu studying. Omalu’s television depicts football highlights with a commentator screaming, “He got jacked up.” “Concussion” is a victim of its own aspirations, juggling a story of an immigrant, the scientific process, a critique of capitalism and a David-versus-Goliath underdog story all in one. It didn’t help that the film often dipped into melodrama, more fitting for a Lifetime channel movie than one premiering in primetime Oscar season. One scene in which Omalu’s wife Prema (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) thinks she is being stalked by the NFL felt like a predictable cliche and not a serious threat. In another scene, Omalu throws a tantrum and breaks a wall in his home by punching it and hitting it with a piece of wood. Instead of holding the climactic gravitas of the moment,

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it felt more like Will Smith was trying to escape the movie he’d signed up for. The film has also drawn some criticism for seemingly letting the NFL off too easily. With Landesman monitoring, the NFL had the chance to edit some of the film — there is authentic recorded game footage throughout — though it is unclear how much the league did or did not do. Earlier this year, The Hollywood Reporter found some of the scenes that were cut. The New York Times wrote that emails from the Sony hack hinted that the NFL protested

some of the portrayals and actions in the film, and the league requested their removal. Landesman refutes this claim and said he cut the scenes for the sake of the story. Based on the Sony hack information, these mostly would have been scenes about the NFL’s actions, not any game footage, and Landesman would have had final say over whether or not they remained in the film. Of course, Landesman is not required to villainize the NFL or to make the viewer afraid of football. But he treated the corpoSee Concussion on page 44

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Jack Trainor

ashamed to be seen on and without handlebars — they lurch forward, backward, turn around in circles and light up as they go. Just remember to wear a helmet if you decide to zip around campus on one. In: “Star Wars” Out: “Star Trek” Who didn’t think “The Force Awakens” was going to break records? The seventh “Star Wars” installment set the global opening weekend box office record, which “Jurassic World” had reset just last sum-

happen. The show forecasted mediocrity with Vince Vaughn’s initial casting — whose career mostly comprises dead-of-summer comedies like “Dodgeball” and “The Break-Up” — and then made everyday horror into nightmare, with a comically convoluted plot and juvenile writing. FX’s second season of “Fargo” instead captivated us, demanding our attention every Monday night while it aired in December. The true-crime plot, based loosely on real events, held all the suspense and graphic violence that the Coen brothers’ 1996 film famously began. With praise-worthy performances from Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Patrick Wilson, previously known for playing predictably sturdy father-type characters in “Insidious” and “The Conjuring.” “Fargo’s” second season

Culture Editor

“Back to the Future Part II” may have predicted tablets, flat screen televisions and video conferencing in 2015, but not even Doc Brown could have foreseen Jon Snow’s fate. Last year hosted many unpredictable scenarios and return-to-forms, from Justin Bieber’s charttopping comeback to “True Detective” bottoming out. Revisit some of 2015’s most notable cultural achievements and flops, some of which surprised us and others that were all but inevitable. All in all, 2015 put up a strong case to be this half-decade’s most culturally memorable year. In: Hoverboards Out: Segways Of all the trends we anticipated in 2015, hoverboards were not one of them. Especially after 2014’s Funny or Die hoax that captivated — and then crushed — the Twitterverse with skating ambassador Tony Hawk and “Back to the Future” actor Christopher Lloyd seemingly swearing by the fake HUVr technology. And while hoverboards today don’t float seamlessly above the ground like “Back to the Future Part II” predicted in 1989, the twowheeled board’s popularity didn’t suffer. As early as Christmas Day, videos of everyone from children to Mike Tyson falling off them went viral. Think of them as Segways you aren’t

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out

IN 2015 in review mer. It’s on track to pass “Avatar” in total domestic gross of more than $750 million. Since director J.J. Abrams first resurrected the franchise in 2009, “Star Trek” was on a hot streak with two critically praised films that brought fans old and new on board the Enterprise. And now Abrams’ equally heralded take on “Star Wars” in 2015 is light-years ahead of Captain Kirk and company. Especially with the forthcoming “Trek” film’s debut trailer set to the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” — a song as outdated as William Shatner — the franchise appears to be fading back into irrelevance. Instead, the Force remains strong. In: “Fargo” Out: “True Detective” Perhaps nothing was as shocking on television this year as “True Detective’s” second season — and not because of anything that happened in the show, but rather, what didn’t

replaced “True Detective” as the most bingewatch-worthy show of the moment. In: Fetty Wap Out: Kanye While remaining disappointingly absent from the music world this year, Kanye did manage to drop a few singles throughout 2015, most notably “FourFiveSeconds” with Paul McCartney and Ri- hanna. The endearingly tender “Only One,”

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while technically released in late 2014, can also live in the Rihanna-Kanye-McCartney family act. But it wasn’t enough to hold off Fetty Wap, whose one-eyed mystique and unexplained “1738” references held us captive with speculation and fascination when we weren’t lost in his Auto-Tune drenched voice. By the time fall semester began, “Trap Queen” and “679” were inescapable. Meanwhile, Kanye’s latest two singles failed to impress. Both “All Day” and the annoyingly repetitive and empty “FACTS” don’t hold much promise for a Yeezy three-peat as the year’s best hip-hop record, whenever it finally does drop. Thank God for Fetty, who turned us all into trap queens in 2015. In: Glenn Rhee (“The Walking Dead”) Out: Jon Snow (“Game of Thrones”) When the latest “Game of Thrones” season ended in June, the world was devastated when Jon Snow (Kit Harington), the show’s seemingly only remaining moral character, appeared to die. Then, when he re-appeared on posters for this year’s upcoming sixth season several months later, speculation and debate over the character’s fate peaked. But for a show known for killing off its main characters, particularly the good guys, fans couldn’t have been too shocked to see Jon Snow go down. So when “The Walking Dead” appeared to off one of the show’s longest tenured characters, Glenn Rhee (Steven Yeun), via zombie mauling, the comparisons to Jon Snow were immediate.

Find the full story online at

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Superlatives, pg. 37 57-yard field goal to beat Pitt While the Panthers’ Military Bowl loss to Navy and their home defeat to UNC were dispiriting performances, the most singularly deflating moment of the season was clearly Marshall Koehn’s game-winning 57-yard field goal for Iowa, marking the first loss of the Narduzzi era. The kick elicited memories of heartbreak of years past, leaving Pitt fans with a creeping “more of the same” feeling. Narduzzi and the Panthers did rebound, and Iowa became a more formidable opponent with time — the Hawkeyes finished 12-2 — but the moment built a shaky foundation of trust after two unconvincing victories to start the season. MOST PROMISING: JORDAN WHITEHEAD, defensive back There isn’t really any debate here: Whitehead was remarkable as a true freshman, proving why recruiting website Rivals ranked him the top recruit in Pennsylvania last season. As a safety, Whitehead led the team in tackles with Chad Voytik got few opportunities 109, also recording an interception and seven this season. pass deflections. While also thriving in limited Jeff Ahearn ASSISTANT VISUAL EDITOR

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usage on offense, Whitehead was every bit the dynamic player Pitt thought it would get in him. It’s an exciting proposition to soon watch Whitehead build on what already was a stellar first-year campaign. BIGGEST MYSTERY HEADED INTO NEXT SEASON: PAT NARDUZZI With another year to further implement his system, just how high is the ceiling for the Narduzzi-led Panthers? The new coach won eight games with a lot of leftover talent from previous coaching staffs. How will his first full class of handpicked talent affect the team’s output? The schedule will be much more difficult next season, with road games at Clemson and Oklahoma State and non-conference matchups against Penn State and Marshall. How Narduzzi’s team handles those opponents will not by any means set his skills as a talent evaluator and recruiter in stone, but will serve as a good barometer for where he currently stands. MOST ANTICIPATED RETURN: JAMES CONNER, running back While Conner’s battle with cancer has just begun, both he and his doctors have stated their intention for the star running back to be prepared for the 2016 season. The moment

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when Conner returns to Heinz Field with a helmet and pads on has the potential to be the most palpable, emotional and deafening moment in Pitt’s history at Heinz Field, as the Erie native’s road to recovery has already seen the support of all of western Pennsylvania and the rest of the country. His first carry, whether it be a 75-yard touchdown or a five-yard loss, will likely receive as much applause and hubbub as a game-winning Hail Mary. TEAM MVP: TYLER BOYD, wide receiver While one could argue for quarterback Nathan Peterman, Ollison or Whitehead, Boyd was clearly Pitt’s most important player, and the team will miss him greatly after he departs for the NFL. The junior wide receiver recorded 1,539 all-purpose yards on the season, while registering 42.9 percent of Pitt’s receptions and 37.4 percent of the team’s receiving yards on the season. Essentially, Boyd embodied the Panthers’ passing game, as Pitt tried to get the ball to the playmaker any way it could, often times reverting to screens and end-arounds just to get the star his touches. Pitt will struggle to replace the production of the program’s alltime leading receiver.

Concussion, pg. 41 ration with kid gloves. His characters keep reminding us of the beauty of the game, the love they have for it, the jobs it provides and the charity work the league does. This is all true and fair, but keeps us from rooting for Omalu’s David against the league’s Goliath. The film has still made an impact. The New York Jets’ D’Brickashaw Ferguson penned a letter in Sports Illustrated this month about how the film made him realize he has been put in danger to a degree he did not expect, even saying he feels betrayed by those he thought were looking out for his health. Ferguson is not the only one who has expressed thoughts on the film, with many former and current players saying they felt the discussion of CTE and further attempts to make the game safer are important. A few weeks ago, the real life Omalu told The Guardian that football is too dangerous for

children with still developing brains. Back inside the film, the individual performances are noteworthy. Albert Brooks is excellent as Omalu’s boss Cyril Wecht, encouraging him to continue his investigations. He stays level-headed while balancing a drive for the truth and a brotherly love for Omalu. Alec Baldwin is strong as the former

since 2006’s “The Pursuit of Happyness.” His Nigerian accent fluctuates from barely existing to incredibly strong — with some saying it’s not Nigerian at all. He still delivers a subdued performance, channeling the weight of the responsibility to find a critical truth and the pain it puts on him and his family. The fact that he’s trying so hard makes the mediocre final product more frustrating. The film’s explicit messages push the actors out of place, giving subtle performances in a movie that urges them to scream. Despite “Concussion’s” select moments, it missed an aesthetic opportunity in executing one of the year’s most intriguing subject matters. While defensive linemen celebrate big tackles with muscular flexes, “Concussion” leaves the viewer with an apathetic shrug.

The failure is shocking given the source material is one of this century’s largest domestic controversies.

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Steeler team doctor Julian Bailes, who feels hurt by the pain of his former players, guilt over whether or not he caused it and then anger to make amends. Smith is solid in his best performance

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Various 1-2-6 BR houses and apartments for rent. Right on Pitt shuttle line. $425/person. Available August 1, 2016. TMK Properties. Deal directly with the owner. Call Tim 412-491-1330. 3444 WARD ST. Studio, 1-2-3 BR apartments available Aug. 1, 2016. Free parking, free heating. 320 S. BOUQUET 2BR, great location, move in May 1, 2016. 416 OAKLAND AVE. - 2BR, hardwood floors. Move in May 1 or Aug. 1, 2016. Call 412-361-2695. No evening calls please.

6 or 7 BR house. Washer & dryer available. NO PETS. Available August 1, 2016. One year lease. Meyran Ave. 5 minute walk to University of Pittsburgh. 412-983-5222. Apartments for rent, 1-5BR, beginning August 2016. A/C, dishwasher, washer/dryer. 412-915-0856

Available August!! 430 Atwood – 1 & 2 BR 3408 Parkview – 0,1,2BR $555-895! Great Prices! 412-455-5600! Going Quickly!

Announcements -ADOPTION -EVENTS -LOST AND FOUND -STUDENT GROUPS -WANTED -OTHER

Brand new, completely renovated 5 BR, 2 full bath house. All appliances including washer and dryer are brand new and included. Too many features to list. Close to Magee Women's Hospital. On Pitt shuttle and PAT bus lines. 10 minute walk to Univ. of Pittsburgh. $2500/mo. 412-983-0400

Clean, Newly Remodeled Houses and Apartments. 1-9 Bedrooms. Call 412-680-4244 or email s.cusick@comcast.net www.superiorpropertiesgroup.com.

Large 1-2-3 BR apartments available August 1st. 3450 Ward Street. 312 and 314 South Bouquet Street. Free parking. Minutes to campus. Cat friendly. Call 412-977-0111. M.J. Kelly Realty Studio, 1, 2, 3, & 4 Bedroom Apartments, Duplexes, Houses. $750-$2400. mjkellyrealty@gmail.com. 412-271-5550, mjkellyrealty.com Nice 6BR house available Aug. 1, 2016. Laundry on site. To make an appointment call 412-812-9382. Various 1-bedroom apartments on Meyran, Pier & Ward Streets. Starting from $675-$795. Available August 2016. Call John CR Kelly Realty. 412-682-7300

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)

Niagara St. large 5BR, 2BA apartment. Updated kitchen, dishwasher, laundry, A/C. Across street from bus stop. Available August 2016. 412-445-6117 Renovated Large Three Bedroom Townhome for Rent. Available January 2016. The kitchen features frost free refrigerator with automatic ice maker, fullsize range, self-cleaning oven, dishwasher, garbage disposal and microwave. The bath has been completely updated. All floor coverings and window treatments are brand new. Your own washer and dryer are included. On University of Pittsburgh shuttle and PAT bus lines. Two blocks to Magee Women’s Hospital. $1,275/mo, contact 724-422-2250. Spacious 5 and 3 Bedroom houses by Blvd Allies and Ward St, New ceramic kitchen, updated baths, Washer and dryer, patio, Shuttle at corner, No pets, Available August 1 2016, 3br partial furnished $1975+, 5br $3295+. LOTS Photos Videos at tinyurl.com/ pittnewsad1 and tinyurl.com/ pittnewsad2 email coolapartments@ gmail.com

January 6, 2016

2-3-4-5-6-7 bedroom apartments and houses available in May and August 2016. Nice, clean, free laundry, includes exterior maintenance, new appliances, spacious, located on Meyran, Semple, Wellsford, Dawson, Juliet. 412-414-9629. 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. Various 3&4 bedroom apartments on Bates, Atwood, Semple & Meyran Streets. Starting from $1,675- $2,600. Now renting for Fall 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.

ATTENTION OCCASIONAL SMOKERS! UPMC seeks healthy adults ages 18-65 who occasionally smoke cigarettes. This research is examining how smokers respond to cigarettes that are low in nicotine. There are up to seven sessions lasting about three hours each. Research participants completing the study will be compensated up to $60 per session, or $20 per hour. For more information, call 412-246-5393 or visit www.SmokingStudies.pitt.edu 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

ASST. SWIM TEAM COACH FOR TIDAL WAVE SWIM TEAM. The team is a small, parent-run, non-profit swim club serving Upper St. Clair, Mt. Lebanon, Bethel Park and surrounding communities. Our swimmers enjoy the positive benefits of a small club including less crowded lanes during practices, committed coaches who are readily accessible and know their swimmers, and a positive social environment which stresses teamwork. We compete in Allegheny Mountain swimming sponsored events. Our team supports swimmers aged 5-18 and has included both nationally ranked swimmers to novice swim team athletes ready for a greater challenge in a fun environment. Please submit resume to Ari Sobel at ams38@cornell.edu or call 412-400-8637 with any questions.

Digital Marketing and Design Intern

Real Estate Development Intern

Walnut Capital Management is looking for marketing/design interns for the upcoming season. Duties include but not limited to; maintaining social media outlets, social media market research, creating promotional items for company, assisting marketing team with daily tasks, general clerical work. This is a paid internship; applicants must be open to some weekend hrs. Apply via azeremenko@walcap.com

Walnut Capital Management is looking for real estate interns for the upcoming season. Interns will shadow leasing agents, support resident managers of various properties, organize move in materials, handle office tasks, etc. This is a paid internship; applicants must be open to some weekend hrs. Apply via azeremenko@walcap.com

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

pittnews.com

College or graduate school students needed to work with elementary school children in a fun, structured after school program in the South Hills. $11-$13 per hour, flexible hours, must have own transportation. Email resume or letter of interest to jhroberts66@comcast.net

Medical and Heart Care, Students Welcome, Private Oakland Office, Craig Street, Dean Kross, MD, 412-687-7666

Accounting Intern Walnut Capital Management is looking for accounting intern for spring/summer season to assist our accounting department and payroll processing team; data entry, accounts receivable/ payable, inventory tracking, general clerical work. This is a paid internship Apply via azeremenko@walcap.com Housecleaner wanted for Oakland home. 8hrs/wk. References required. 412-414-7290

January 6, 2016

pittnews.com

January 6, 2016